17 months

Henry is 17 months old today.

Stats: Henry is wearing size 18 month clothes. I don't know how much he weighs now. Maybe 22 or 23 pounds. He is between size 3 and 4 diapers now, and wears size 4 1/2 shoes. Henry has several teeth: the front four on top and bottom (one is still coming through), two molars, and one or two new molars starting to come in.

Schedule: Same as always, except that very recently Henry has started skipping his 5 am feeding some mornings! When he does, he sleeps from 7:30 to about 6:00. Hopefully this will continue and become his new habit without me having to cut out that feeding.

Motor Skills: Henry is walking steadily and close to running too. He is good at climbing and just generally getting more coordinated.

Self Help: Henry takes off his shoes and socks. He puts his arms through arm holes in shirts, and will pick up his feet to step into his pants. He has started using a spoon, and does pretty well with it. Now he wants a spoon with every meal, no matter what he's eating. Henry has started telling me when he has a poopy diaper, and he has also started telling me when he's peeing. He will grab the front of his diaper and say "pee pee". He isn't always accurate, but I know he understands it somewhat because once he was sitting on my lap and I could tell he was actually peeing when he said "pee pee". He also throws his diapers away by himself after getting changed.

Throwing his diaper away.

About to be naughty.

Language: Henry's language has continued to grow fast in the last month. I stopped counting his words after 50, but he probably uses at least 70 or so now. He can label most things in his environment, some actions, and frequently uses prepositions like up, down, out, and off. Henry sings Twinkle Twinkle, the alphabet song, and Wheels on the Bus. He makes so many connections and often uses appropriate language for various situations. I was about to go out the door to warm up the car the other day and Henry said "Bye! Wub you!" I asked, "Did you just say 'love you'?" and Henry said "Ya!" Haha. He also blows kisses when he says goodbye. Henry is just starting to use 2-word phrases more frequently. They are mostly very simple phrases like "Bye Daddy" or "Hi kitty", but the other day he pulled at my jacket and said "Off jacket". Henry also understands pretty much everything we talk about. He reliably answers yes/no questions and understands simple what and where questions. He understands all the directions we give him. He follows routines like throwing things in the trash and bringing me his cup and bowl when he's done with a snack.

Play/Cognitive: Henry is a little obsessed with balls. He is always carrying one around with him, throwing them, kicking them, rolling and chasing them. He loves putting a ball in the doll stroller and pushing it around. Ha! He even calls the ball a baby. He was really into playing with cars for a while, but not so much anymore. He has also started pretending in the play kitchen quite a bit, and is starting to play with dolls a little. He will sit and play with just a cup and spoon for a long time, pretending to stir, eat, and drink. He pretends to talk on the phone. He will lie on the floor if we make a pretend bed, and say "night night". Henry is developing more of an interest in books, and will usually sit for one or two. Now that the weather's getting nice, Henry really likes to play outside. He likes climbing and sliding, the sand box, bubbles, and just walking around and playing ball. He recently realized that I don't want him going near the road, so of course it's now a game for him to run down the driveway toward the road. Henry also still likes riding in the wagon or going for a stroller ride. He likes "helping" me with household tasks like cleaning, laundry, or unloading the dishwasher. He also wants to do everything Celia does, including things that are dangerous for him. Henry frequently tries to go climb the stairs by himself, goes in the bathroom and looks in the toilet, or climbs Celia's step stool to try to wash his hands.

Personality: Henry is very friendly and social. He has a sense of humor and is quick to laugh. He is affectionate and likes to hug people and animals, and snuggle on blankets and pillows. Henry has really gained a sense of independence this month, and if that's infringed upon he lets you know. Although he's generally a happy little guy, he gets very mad when he can't have what he wants or has something taken away. Henry is also in a stage where some days he wants us to hold him a lot. There are times when I can't really get anything done because he wants me to hold him. When we're out in public, Henry loves talking to new people.

This morning Chris and I were talking about the future (retirement), and he was saying that twenty years from now Henry would be out of college. I immediately got all teary and exclaimed "He's going to be such a handsome redheaded man!" And then Chris said that apparently we can't talk about the future because I get all emotional. Haha. That Henry Boy's a good dude.