17 Months

Could he really almost be a year and a half? Not quite yet. Not for another month. But it hurts my heart just thinking that in one month he will be that age!
But for now...at seventeen months he is a busy monkey who is so loving and demanding at the same time it is exhausting. He gives the best hugs. He grabs onto your shirt by your shoulders and hangs on as tight as those little arms can. He will always lay his head on your shoulder and loves to be rocked or swayed. Loves the rocking chair at night. Loves to snuggle in the mornings and after naps. If you ask for a hug and kiss he comes running at your with a wide open wet mouth and arms open. He waves and says that high pitched Hi! to everyone that walks in a room. He is eager to blow kisses goodbye and a quick wave when we leave also.
He wants what he wants when he wants it. A bit like his mother in this aspect that he wants things done yesterday. He is communicating much better these days with signing and some words. To the point where we at least can figure out what the heck he is saying. The other night he was really whining in bed. 45 minutes had passed and he was still whining. So I went up there and picked him up, asked him if he wanted me to rock him (head shake no), okay. I asked him if he wanted more water (head shake yes and a frantic sign for milk/drink), okay. Then I saw his little finger point to Parker's empty bed and then to the door. I already knew that Parker had gotten out of his bed and snuck into ours, but apparently Emmitt had seen him do it and wanted him back in his bed. So we walk to our bedroom as Emmitt's little finger leads the way and spot Parker sprawled out sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed. Then Emmitt made the shhhhh sign with that finger and a loud hiss that meant brother is sleeping. I walked him back to his bed, gave him his cup of water, layed him down and not a peep came out of him until morning.Bear and I keep saying how different it is this time around (second child). We swear we had Parker doing way more than Emmitt at this age and that we often still refer to Emmitt as "just a baby". When in all reality he is almost a year and a half.
He is so determined to do things that I really have to sit back and let him learn by trying. I have to make a conscious effort to not do things for him, like in stead of placing him at the top of the slide, but letting him try the ladder. With assistance of course when he screams for it.We realize that he is in fact doing many of the things that Parker did at this age. I have the pictures to go back and see what we were doing back then, thank God, because some days my memory is just gone.
Emmitt realized that it was a little scary to go down the big slide looking at the landing, so he took it feet first on his belly and did it again and again and again. Big smiles each time he went down. He is much better at the park these days. Not as much sand eating, if any. Stays by me where we are playing. Sand throwing? Well that's another issue. He just can't resist that feeling between his fingers and just has to toss it in the air.When you tell him no, no he just shakes his head no at you. Like, yeah I totally agree with you, no, no. But then tries it again with a sideways glance to see if you are really gonna catch him in the act.
This age is really fun. I love the talking and communicating. He can really show us what he wants. He tries everything his brother does, so in some ways he is doing more than he should. One of his favorite pass times is to be pushed in the doll stroller by Parker. They call it their snowmobile?! He will finally sit through as many books as I want to read to him. He will try most foods when they are on his plate. I am not sure he is growing with the little food he eats, but he is. He is still holding his own at 21 pounds. His white blond hair gets a comment out of every body. Lil' Toe-head. I don't love that phrase but what are you gonna do? Bear and I were both bleach blond babies too. It goes great with those brown eyes! I think my hubby still thinks there is some debate on whether or not they will still change color. I mean he is almost a year and a half. Almost. But not yet. He is still "just a baby".
Speaking of baby. (no were are not). But I reminded Bear that when Parker was 18 months we started trying for a second and a month later we were pregnant with Emmitt. Wow was all he could say.

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