Matthew at 17 Months

Since Matthew only got one mention in the last post, I thought I would take more time to capture what he is all about right now at 17 months old.  Yes, it's a random age to capture but it is long overdue.

I know I say this a bunch but he is the complete opposite of Nate...he leaps first and looks later.  He climbs, he falls, he runs, he gets dirty...he really is my little wild boy with no fear.  He loves water...he likes to put his face in the rushing water when I fill up the tub and dump cups of water over his head.  After bath in the evening, we go to his room where he and Nate get their PJ's on together...and he has this burst of energy every night where he literally runs naked laps around his room while I try to catch him to get him dressed.  Sometimes he even likes to just spin in circles until he gets dizzy and falls down...then he laughs. He is now just tall enough to climb up on the couch...which he has fallen off of (just scared him) but that hasn't stopped him.  I love his energy...but it does make me nervous for the years to come.

Trying on Big Brother's Helmet

Mr Mischief

I feel like his vocabulary has spiked in the last couple of weeks.  He speaks in full sentences but we are just starting to recognize a word or two in his crazy jibber jabber.  He has his own language and prefers it that way.  He calls trains "Choo Choos", he calls all cars "Queens" (as in "Lightning"), and despite my constant correction he calls Elmo "Bubbles" (because we have a book called "Bubbles Bubbles" and he is on the cover).  He also says a lot of words correctly (or close): puppy, bubbles (for the real thing), nood-a (noodle), o-pa (open - as in when he gets the animal cracker container out of the pantry and brings it to me), ju (juice), ne-na (banana...and I think he confuses it with Neena), peekaboo, am-a (what he calls his Lambie Lovey - I think he he trying to say lamb). I feel like his vocabulary grows every day...and I love the discovery of him saying a new word.  This week his new addition was naming a couple of body parts - ear and nose...he can say them and point to them!  Pure genius :)  And he likes to sing "Tingle Tingle" Little Star (he only gets as far as the Tingles).

He is still the smiliest and cuddliest kid...he thinks everything is funny and tries really hard to make you laugh.  Sometimes I just look at him and we both start laughing. If he hears music he starts swaying. 

They have discovered the video monitor so their new game is to take turns being silly in front of the camera while the other watches and laughs.  It's pretty funny.

He is having a rough go of adjusting to school...Day 1 was new and exciting, but the days since have been a little harder for him to let go.  He clings to me for dear life when I pick him up and falls asleep on the way home (and stays asleep).  Not having that morning nap does a number on him.

It has taken him a little longer to adopt the same love of books/reading time as Nate has always had.  But the last couple of months he has started to enjoy that time more - he normally has so much energy right before bed so it is nice when he will just sit and rock and read with me - and now he has his favorite books and he has to pick them out for you.

He still has two loveys that are always with us - Stinky and Lambie.  Lambie was once a nice, probably more decorative, gift he was given that once said "Now I lay me down to sleep" when you pressed him...but I had to perform surgery to remove his insides so that I could start washing him.  The most adorable thing is when you hold both of his loveys out to him he gets the biggest smile on his face and runs to them saying "babies!".  He chews on Lambie's ears and Stinky's tail and which ever one isn't in his mouth he is clutching the other tightly.  It is sweet - but extremely smelly (they get very regular baths) - and a little cumbersome to lug two stuffed animals around and keep up with.  Lord help us if something happens to one of them. 

I could go on and on about him...I could eat him up.  I want to freeze him right here and keep him this way forever.  I can't bear the thought of my sweet silly wild boy entering the terrible 2's. :)