Seventeen Months

I know I say this every time, but HOW is it possible that our babies are seventeen months old???? Where has the time gone? It really does seem to be flying by these days. I have been wanting to do a "what they can do now" post for a while because they change so much. So, I know Granddaddy has been checking in on us, so he deserves a new post!! (Hey Granddaddy!!) I will understand if the rest of you don't want to read the little details about my kids. I want to remember them, though, and their grandparents read every word. ;-)

I will start with my oldest this time... Rush. OK. So he's only a minute older but still...
* Rush is walking and running all over the place. He loves to run and have us chase him. He will laugh so hard!
* He loves to be tickled. He starts laughing and almost loses his breath when he is just anticipating it. It makes me laugh.
* He eats like a machine. Just a few months ago, he wouldn't pick anything up and we were talking physical/occupational therapy with the pediatrician if he didn't start using his fingers to pick up things. Now he is an expert with using his fingers to pick things up, and he uses them to frantically put food in his mouth.
* His current favorite foods are sweet potatoes (prepared by Gigi), hot dogs, shrimp, sweet potato fries, green beans, bananas, and peaches.
* He is very kind-hearted. Just the other day when Sydney Frances fell and hit her head on the tile floor, he went and got her two stuffed lambs and brought them to her as she lay crying in my lap. Then, he bent his head over and laid his head on top of hers. (So sweet!)
* His favorite toys are his bat, ball, blocks, and guitars. Yes, he is his father's child.
* He has just recently (like in the last two days) really started to say many more words. He was just basically saying "Mama" and "ball", but now he has added "Da Da", "gone", "duck, "quack", "baby" and "bat". He will also throw a "Papa" in there when he thinks no one is listening. We have been amazed at how quickly he is acquiring language. I have to admit I was a little worried about his speech in the past couple of weeks. Of course, as usual, he has proven to me that he will do everything in his own time. I think I had better get used to that with him. He has a little mind of his own.
*He loves Sydney Frances.
* He needs a haircut and is getting one next Wednesday. I plan to make my peace with it by next Wednesday. Of course, there will be pictures.
* He loves to play outside and in the sandbox at daycare.
* He loves all things related to music. He will dance, play his guitar, sway his head to the radio, play the piano at Mama's, and he stands by Phil's Guitar Hero guitar and jumps up and down like a rock star.
* He makes us laugh every day.
*He does not like to have his teeth brushed.


Now for Sydney Frances...
* She has really been showing us her personality lately. She loves to snuggle and rock, but she also likes to be independent and do things by herself.
* She LOVES and I mean LOVES books!!! She is always willing to sit and listen to a book. If you are sitting in the floor, she will walk up and back herself into your lap and hand you a book. She will also "read" the book to you which is my favorite. She has the cutest little jibberish. It can be very animated and full of expression. It makes us smile to listen to her.
* She is a little on the clumsy side. We may need to invest in some dance lessons in the next few years to increase that coordination.
* Her current favorite foods are hot dogs, popcorn shrimp, sweet potatoes, and sweet potatoes, along with a few more sweet potatoes. If she doesn't want something that you put on her tray, she will shake her head and very sweetly say, "Eh- noo." At least she says it sweetly.
* She loves Rush. She hugs him and pets his hair. They chase each other and wrestle on the floor.
* She does not mind having her teeth brushed. I think she has really pretty white teeth. They match perfectly with her huge smile.
* She is talking up a storm. She can say, "Mama", "DaDee", "Papa", "Gigi", "up", "sock", "shoe", "cup", "no", "eh-nooo", "I love you too" (only we can decipher this one), "duck", "baby", "apple", "ball", "bat", "Shish" (which we think is Rush), "thank you", "brown bear", "aardvark", and lots of others that I can't think of right now. I will add to this list when others come to me. It is late. By the way, just kidding about "aardvark". That one was especially for Aunt Ivy. :-)
* Her favorite toys are books, stuffed animals (see picture below), and anything that Rush has.
* She is getting her "bangs" trimmed next Wednesday.
* She is learning to share and say thank you when she is handed something that she wants.
* She is very loving and craves attention and for someone to talk and play with her. She was meant to be a twin, I believe, because she needs the constant playmate that Rush will always be for her. I love that she needs me and wants me to help her, but I also see an independent person that likes to do new things on her own, too.
* She is currently in training to learn to blow kisses.


Loving their sippy cups!


Rush driving the coupe


Remember the favorite toy part from above? She gathers all of them up into a HUGE pile in her arms and then puts them all around her like a nest on the couch.