Spencer, 17 months

Hey, buddy!  You were 17 months old last week!  It's amazing how much fun you are right now.  This is the best age.  You love to play, you love to communicate, you love to help, you are still really cute, and the tantrums are occasional, but very minimal.  I'd keep you here forever if I could!!

We had a gorgeous Indian summer at the beginning of October, and it was nice to let you wear all your cute summer clothes just a few more times before packing them away for our long winter.  You're wearing 12-18 month clothes currently.  Some are getting too tight in the waist, but the 18-24 is WAY to long on your little legs.  You are in size 4.5 Wide shoes- your feet are definitely short and chubby.  I'm not looking forward to buying you winter boots because I've heard that fitting short chubby feet into boots isn't easy!!

Here you are "helping" in the yard.  You love to pick things up and take them where ever we tell you to.  You love to throw things into the garbage and shut doors.  You are so excited when we praise you after doing something.  It takes a lot longer to get little things done, but I know it's worth it as you are learning that everyone helps around the house and helps mommy and daddy.  Your very favorite thing to do is put away shoes.  You LOVE all our shoes.  It's too too funny.

Your favorite things to play with are your bike, your Things that Go flashcards, your books, and your new Elmo doll.  You also love cars and trucks.  At daycare they say that all of you (boys and girls) love to get out the dolls, wrap them in blankets, lay them on the floor, and pat them on the back to put them to sleep.  Chris says it's really funny to watch 8 of you lined up saying "night-night" to all the babies.  I can only imagine how funny it is!!

(At Millenium Park playing in the fountain)

You are still working on learning words.  You can say quite a few animal noises (moo, baa, woof, bow wow, doodle doo (for rooster), hop hop (for bunny), neigh, a wiggly nose kind of snort for oink, and a elephant type noise) but you don't say dog or cat or horsey yet.  You say momma, daddy, mimi and bobo (Abuelo), Gigi, up, please, more, Mo-Mo (elmo), baby, night night, eat, vroom vroom, bus, bike, plane, choo choo, and a few more I'm sure I'm missing.  It is really wonderful to have you communicating with us.  We're really trying to teach you help because you definitely get into situations where you need us or where you get stuck, and it would be helpful to have you be able to tell us what you need.  It hasn't stuck yet, but we're working on it!

You have a few temper tantrums (usually after a long day at daycare or when you are really tired), and it's mostly because you want something and we can't figure it out or because you are being naughty and we correct you on it (throwing food on the floor during dinner is a perfect example).  They usually only last a few minutes and we really have to let you work it out on your own.  You are definitely independent now.  It is funny that if it starts in another room and we move to the kitchen or to the family room, you will get up, come over to where we are, and restart the tantrum in front of us.  It's nice to know that you still want us to know that you need us and want us to be involved (even while you are screaming and throwing yourself on the ground!)

(One of your favorite things- flips off daddy or mommy's shoulders!!)

  

(Signing more after being flipped)

You are a sweet little guy, Spencer Young and your daddy and I feel blessed every day to be your parents.  You're getting so big and if you could just take a moment or two longer to grow up, I would appreciate it!!!