Hi my little 17-month-old! Simply put, you are the best!
The absolute best part of the past month is that you have decided to become a little snuggle-monkey! You are regularly wanting to be picked up, and you wrap your arms tight around me (or your dad) and give the best SQUEEZES! Sometimes, even better, you also put your head down on our shoulder during the hug/squeeze. Even if only for 2 seconds at a time, it's the best feeling in the world. Oftentimes, if my hands are full or I can't pick you up, you'll just wrap your arms around my knees and hug me from the floor. I hope this trend lasts a long, long time!
The crazy tantrums I related from your last month's update have subsided a bit. (Not totally, that's for sure!) But much better in general. Now instead of the endless weepy tantrums, you just get mad from the get-go! You've learned that a quick, passionate, angry SCREAM does the job just as well as a 30 minute weeping session.
For quite a while, I was having a really hard time getting you to sleep and would default to having your dad read to you and put you to bed. He has a much easier time getting you to relax and fall asleep in his arms while he reads to you. When I try, you grab every book, try to flip 8 pages at a time, throw books to the end of the couch, wriggle around - and never ever fall asleep in my arms. The past week, however, something shifted...you still do the same restlessness when I try to read you to sleep, but I learned that is the moment I should get up, go in your room, whisper little stories to you - and you crash in a matter of moments. It used to take me about 45-60 minutes to get you to sleep and now it's more like 15! I think we're all happier - you're asleep more quickly, I'm not getting frustrated, and your dad isn't the one always responsible for your bedtime anymore! It's funny because you fall asleep in a matter of moments when he reads to you, but won't sleep if he's holding you...and it's the exact opposite for me, because you'll only sleep when I'm standing, holding you, with your head on my shoulder. Oh - and you've started falling asleep in your crib, even when I put you in while you're eyes are open. This is a seriously new thing - for the past 16.5 months, you'd have to be 100% crashed out before I could lay you in your crib without waking and screaming at me! Thank you for all these wonderful developments!
Outdoors is still your favorite place to be. Unless you are vacuuming. I don't know what it is with you and cleaning...it really blows my mind and makes me think that the hospital sent me home with the wrong baby. (Then your dad reminds me that you are also half him, too...so maybe there is some natural instinct to clean in your blood, afterall.) Anyway, Rachelle got you a mini red Hoover and you vacuum the house endlessly. You also become a bit spastic when we get out the big yellow vacuum from the cleaning closet...And you glue yourself to the back window staring and yelling for your dad when he mows the lawn. Hey - I'll take what I can get - if you want to clean the house for me at 17 months, more power to ya, kid!
We took a great trip to Ashland, OR to visit your Uncle Mike and meet up with your grandpa and gramma Laurie. You were a total angel. Thank you, again. You slept all night, every night. You didn't get a cold. You ate like a champ at all the various restaurants (from Indian to BBQ to handfuls of trail mix). You even endured the 8 hour car ride home with maybe 2 minutes of crying at most. I don't understand it, but I won't question it. You are one cool kid! We all loved being together - they hadn't seen you since your first birthday - and boy have you changed since then!
As always, you make our lives more fun, more meaningful and more enjoyable just by being you! We love you, kiddo!
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