18 months

Dear Pea,
You are talking up a storm these days, adding two or three words a day, it seems (most recently: soccer ball, Kermit, and kick) and stringing together phrases. "I want to type" is a common one these days and it means "I want to be involved in the action." Sometimes that's actually typing, but you'll say it if we're blowing bubbles and you want to hold the wand and blow, or if you want to push the stroller or if you want to hold a book. Another oft-heard request is "park! hats! two!" which means "Let's go to the park, I need to wear a hat and I want to wear two of them!" Yes, you very much like wearing two (or more) hats these days. You also have very strong opinions about which shoes you want to wear. Almost always you insist on wearing the pair that's least appropriate for the activity you want to do and/or the outfit you are wearing.

walking down the street with Aunt Rachel & Uncle AJ. Those shoes don't really go with that dress...

We have also ventured into Pottyland! You have put your tinkles in the potty a handful of times in the past few weeks and have also begun telling us when you are going to poop, or just after.  The times you've said "poop" before actually pooping, I've asked if you want to sit on the potty and put your poops in there and you've said no. Okay, not a problem, I'm just excited that you're communicating the sensation. We are still a LONG way from actually potty training, but it seems that we're moving in that direction.

You are obsessed with the bike and request bike rides multiple times a day. You love to play with your helmet, clicking the strap into place (you can't yet unclip it, thankfully) and bringing it me in hopes that I will then take you out on the bike.

 So happy gearing up for a ride!

In addition to wearing multiple hats and choosing your shoes, you are also loving dress up. When I take out my resistance bands for clients, you immediately grab them and drape yourself in them.  You have been known to make evening gloves out of Daddy's socks. You have also mastered smiling for the camera, though only when you feel like it, of course.

 three hats!

all the words you say

up
Daddy
Mama
Bob Bob
Grammy
Papa
Rossy
baby (when we say "Brandon" you say baby)*
uncle
thank you*
eat*
yummy
I want to/the/some...
more*
night night
keys
bike
hat*
helmet
shoes*
airplane*
car*
slide
Muppets
Elmo
that's mine
no
yes/yeah
milk*
ei-ei-o
cow
moo
duck
quack
puppy
kitty
meow
fish (pish!)
boy
girl (gee-al)
ice
eyes
eyebrows
head
nose
beep
chicken
soup
vegetables
carrot
cookies
crackers
chocolate
O's
all done
uh-oh
bye bye
Harper
Mark
My-My (for "Maya")
Helen
Nanna (for "Eliana")
Teo
Beth
hello
book
night night
coloring
blocks
potty
iPad
ergo
back
front
climb
agua
bath
purple
go

*use the sign and say it

Solstice

Dear Pea,
It is your second summer solstice. Yang energy is over abundant and uncontainable. You and all of your buddies are sick with fever and runny noses. Everyone is erupting teeth, growing taller, voicing their desires and generally running amok. It is deliciously energy draining and I am exhausted. I have my own yang overload and am struggling to find the balance (always) between yours and mine, independence and attachment, do and rest, yang and yin. You have been napping heavily, three hours at a time, after climbing, running, twirling, coloring, stomping, swinging and singing; at 17 months, you are the very definition of "verb." Action.

You know the hand movements to The Itsy Bitsy Spider and request other songs by title. You can basically teach an entire baby boot camp class, squatting, jumping, pulling bands and stretching. First thing in the morning, you run to the door and say "bye bye," requesting to go out, grabbing your shoes.

You walk down the street holding our hands.

You say "purple" and "that's mine!" and "I want some more." You can me "mommy" which I am hoping will be short lived as I was hoping to be "mama."

We started a babysitter this week and she is wonderful. I have more work than I can do with you and relying on favors; it's bittersweet. You cry when I leave but stop before I have stepped down one stair. Last night you fell asleep on her chest. It's also awesome. I am so happy to be working more.

busy busy!

all tucked out after a bike ride to the water park. 

Don't worry, you were wearing your helmet the entire ride

Climb

Dear Pea,
I forgot to mention a big new word and concept lately: CLIMBING. You love to climb on your high chair, into bed, up the stairs...

This is not our stroller

17 months old!

Dear Pea,
You completed your 17th month earlier this week. Lately everything you do astounds me. Yesterday you pulled out The Very Busy Spider, said "Book!" and sat down, opened the book and started saying "Ba!" and "Moo!" That's right, Sweet Pea, you are now reading books on your own. (Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it's still so freaking amazing to me). Also on the communication front, you have a slough of new words (car, truck, thank you, pasta ((pasta is a toy, not food))...) and have started stringing words together: "More chocolate, Mama." You have also invented your own sign!  You *love* the song 5 Little Monkeys and request it by shaking your finger at me, mimicking the scolding gesture we do when we say "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!"  Then you reach out both of your hands to hold a grown-up's hands and start jumping. It's beyond cute, I can't take it.

 jumping with Aunt Rachel & Uncle AJ

 4 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!

You have also started walking backwards for fun. You like to see what you're going to run into. While I wouldn't describe you as a daredevil, you definitely enjoy physicality and adventure. And climbing on things.

The weather has flirted with summer and there have been a few really hot days. We ventured to the water park with some buddies of yours, which you loved. Beyond loved.

"More"  

You have also started having an opinion about what you wear. You almost always want a hat ("hat-tah") and shoes on. Even if only a hat and shoes.

The funniest development to me is how you've been treating Daddy. You have invented games with him that you don't play with me. Most recently is the TV negotiation game. This morning, as we were getting ready to leave the house:

Daddy (turning on the TV to delete things off of the DVR)

Pea: Mup mups!

Daddy: No Muppets, we're getting ready to leave

Pea: Okay, hocko!

Daddy: No, not hockey either, we're getting ready to leave

Pea (pointing at the remote control and nodding vigorously): Daddy, hocko! Yeah, hocko! (smiles very cutely)

Another game is "Hi, baby!" Daddy comes home from work and immediately gives you a snuggle and says "Hi, baby!" To which you reply "Hi, baby!" and this then goes on and on. You never call me baby. It's pretty hilarious to watch.  

Stall Tactics and Social Skills

Dear Pea,
At almost 17 months old, you have developed quite the arsenal of bedtime stalling techniques. Your schedule is pretty much sleep from 8pm-7am and nap from 12-2 (all with a HUGE *ISH* around it) and you are fully aware that when you're sleeping, you're missing things. I've started to try to get you to nap in your bed and in the stroller in addition to the Ergo and I'm having moderate success. You fall asleep easy in the Ergo with me and Daddy, but the stroller is sometimes a fight and the toddler bed is all me, nursing you to sleep. It's the same as bedtime-we put on the sleep tunes, lay down to snuggle and you nurse until you fall asleep. Before you fall asleep, you will tell me about your morning: "Books! Book!" Mama, book, book!" Okay, here you're not telling me that we read (past tense) a book but that you currently want to read one. But I pretend that you're telling me that we read some books already. "I know, baby, we read some books!" "Mama, books!"  "I know, they were great, weren't they?"  Sensing you're not getting anywhere, you'll go in a different direction. "Bubbles! Balls! Hock-o!"  "No, baby, we're not going to blow bubbles or play with the balls right now. Maybe after your nap when Daddy gets home you can watch hockey..." "Daddy!!" "Daddy's at work, baby" "Daddy! Dadadadadadadadada!!" This is spoken in an intense almost scream, like you are desperate for Daddy to come and get you out of bed, like I am torturing you by trying to help you sleep.  Sometimes you throw your hands in the air, signing and saying "all done!" like that's the magic key to get you out of having to sleep. "All done!" trying to sleep, mama, it's not working, so I'm all done. It's usually about 5 minutes after an "all done" that you are totally and completely asleep, but it's hard for both of us getting there.

But your waking hours are mostly joyful. We have a regualr weekly childcare swap with Harper and her mama, which is The Best Thing Ever. You *love* Harper, talking about her throughout every day. And when you see her and her mama, you get super excited. You love being with them when I'm not around and you and I both love having Harper when her mama isn't around. It's a super win-win-win and I've been working a lot more.  We've also been swapping with some other friends here and there; most days of the week you are around at least two other kids your age, sometimes many more. You know most of their names and get excited to see them. You also love their mamas.

 checking out chickens on the other side of the fence at a playground

 sharing snacks with H

 BALLS!

you and Harper's mama

clearly ready to babysit yourselves

You are obsessed with bubbly water water bottles. Somehow you know that Perrier is different than Poland Spring and will become fixated on a bottle of bubbly water. If I have seltzer, I am sharing it or facing a full blown tantrum. It's sort of become a problem and it's such a strange obsession and the more you want it, the more I crave it, so we have it in the house. We can spend 20 minutes sharing a bottle of seltzer, as long as you get to hold the cap.

You are also obsessed with shoes. Your shoes, my shoes, anyone's shoes. You love to put them on, take them off, walk around the apartment in them...we just bought you a new pair of summer shoes: ridiculous pink Croc sandals. You slept with them the first two days and carry them around every moment they're not on your feet. I haven't been able to get a picture of you sleeping with them snuggled up to you because I'm afraid the flash will wake you up and after the work of getting you to sleep, it's just not worth it.  Just trust me, it's adorable

 joyous amid the shoe pile

Oh, and this....

Dear Pea,
Today as I was getting ready to leave for an appointment, I mentioned to Daddy that you had a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup in the fridge and he could feed it to you if you wanted it. You heard me, yelled "vegetables!!" and ran to your high chair, making the sign for "eat."

Pretty much my work here is done