16 Months!

I remember thinking that when we left for Philly, Brooks would still be a baby, but when we were all done, he would be a toddler. Well, it's official, this boy is definitely a toddler. It's crazy how fast the time has gone, and how much he has changed.

Brooks is 16 months old and full of personality. He is sweet, sassy, and silly all at the same time. He still likes to cuddle, but pretty much only with me (and sometimes Jon), and only when he is nervous. When it's convenient for him, he still likes to give big, sloppy kisses. He clearly has a mind of his own and always knows just what he wants. When he isn't getting what he wants, he is full of attitude. There are temper tantrums, pushes, grumpy grunts, and sometimes wrist slaps when he isn't happy. We've started time-outs already, not that they are working, but geez! I have a feeling this little, sass-pot is going to give me a run for my money when he's a little older. Brooks is a silly little munchkin too. He loves to make us smile and laugh with funny faces and sounds whenever he can! His appearance is changing too. He is growing longer and leaner, and losing some of those thigh rolls. His hair is getting thicker and shaggier. He still has the biggest, most beautiful eyes (in my biased opinion) I have ever seen on a human! People are constantly commenting on the size of his eyes! Watch out, ladies!

Brooksie's opinions are becoming easily identifiable these days! He LOVES playing with cars and trucks. Even when he is playing with other things, he can almost always be seen with a car in the other hand. He still likes legos and trains as well, but they pale in comparison to the coolness of his silver firebird or red ambulance! He also still LOVES the pacifier. It's becoming a problem. We are trying to only give it to him when he is in the crib, but once he realizes he doesn't have it, a massive scavenger hunt ensues. When he finds it but can't reach it, the "poop" hits the fan and major temper tantrums occur! For the most part, we are ignoring the tantrums, but when he's feeling really persistent, he can cry for, well, forever. Sometimes, I give in. :( Maybe I am part of the problem!?! His other LOVE in this world is...me! :) It's partly good, partly bad. I love that he likes me...especially when I think about the fact that I'm probably (hopefully) going to be replaced by some younger, cooler girl someday. But he really does have some extreme attachment issues. Dropping him off at church day care or someone's house is out of the question. He just wails the entire time I'm away. Having a babysitter at our house is okay. He usually cries when I leave, then calms down for a little while, and then cries some more, then gets distracted, and so on until the sitter finally puts him to bed! :) I know it's just a phase, but I'm really hoping it's short-lived! Some of the other things that he enjoys right now are playing with Kylie, pretty much all fruits, wrestling with daddy, riding in the stroller, and taking baths.

Equally as obvious are the things that Brooks dislikes. First and foremost, he still HATES getting his diaper and clothes changed. This war is actually getting worse as Brooks gets stronger. Jon calls him "country strong," and I'm not going to disagree. I'm not kidding, I think he's stronger than me. This boy can wriggle, bend, and fight his way out of everything. It's not fun, but you should see his back arch! It's amazing...and impossible to get a diaper on him when he's performing it! I will be very surprised if he's not a wrestler. That's the main thing that angers him, but there are a few other things that clearly annoy him. Taking his pacifier or toys away, being told "no," pretty much all vegetables, and being given something/anything that he doesn't want at that moment are some reasons why he might push your hand away or grunt annoyingly at you. :)

First hair cut!

In the past two months, Brooks seems to be developing many new skills. Most exciting for this impatient mama is that he is FINALLY walking. We have decided that he's not really "a walker" yet, because he still prefers to crawl, but he can walk. YAY! For better or worse, he's still a super fast crawler, which I still blame for his lack of desire to walk more. He still likes to climb on everything. I often turn my back for a few seconds, only to turn back around to find him on the table or the desk. Oh, another cool skill that he apparently inherited from Jon is that he can wink...a true, one-eyed wink! It's really cute! He is starting to try to use a spoon to eat, though I'm a little stingy with practicing because it's so messy. He mostly communicates in grunts and points, but he is saying a few more words...I think he probably has 10-15 words, but my favorites are "cookie" and "oh, wow." He knows some animal sounds, and two body parts, ears and belly button! His receptive language skills are the most exciting to me. It's so fun to tell him to do something, and then actually watch him go and do it. It makes me realize that there is something going on in that little brain of his! :) Brooks had his first hair cut on Valentine's Day. Daddy buzzed off some of the longer hairs around his ears and neck, but he is definitely getting close to needing a "real" hair cut! That is going to be an adventure! He has officially dropped his morning nap, and is taking one 2-3 hour afternoon nap from about 1:30-3:30/4:30pm. He still sleeps well at night from about 8:00pm-7:30am. He had his 15 month appointment a few weeks ago, so we do have some numbers to report. He measured 31.75 inches long, which was the 60th percentile, but he hasn't gained an ounce since his 12 month check up. He weighed 21 pounds, 10 ounces, and has dropped from the 50th percentile to the 15th! Ahhh! Needless to say, I've been a little stressed out about that. Though I know that most babies plateau at some point, I've still been trying to get a few more calories in him each day. It's hard to tell, but I think he is eating more, so keep your fingers crossed that he gains weight for his next check up in June! Mostly because of his height, he is wearing all 12-18 month and 18 month clothes. He's also wearing size 5 shoes and size 4 diapers.

This little man is such a joy! We love his spirited personality and we know it will serve him so well someday! Watching him grow from a baby to a toddler is so much fun...We can't wait to see what the future brings! We love you more than words, Brooksie Boy!