What we know about you at 16 months old...

Wow.  I can't believe we're at 16 months.  I can't believe your birthday was four months ago already.  The time is going by so fast, but it is so fun to watch you grow and learn new things. 

You are a full-fledged walker and halfway through the month you figured out how to pop up by yourself, no longer needing to crawl to something to stand up.  You are amazingly stable and we've yet to have any major walking-related injuries.

You are stubborn.  Really stubborn.  We can tell you "no" and redirect 1,237 times, but it doesn't make a difference.  This is most evident when it comes to the dog's food & water, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, and the computer.

You are really good with babies your age & size.  You are gentle and observant and good at playing next to others.

Your vocabulary has expanded to include "na-na" for snack, "thank you", and "again", but my personal favorite is "I wa-wa", meaning "I love you."  I've waited a really long time for this.  We were at Wal-Mart and you were in the Ergo and we were chatting, you were mimicking my sounds and words, and I said "I love you," and you said "I wa-wa, " and then my heart melted.  We did it over and over and over and even called daddy to tell him.  You're very stubborn about giving out "I wa-was", so when you do say it, it is very special.

You've become a little more picky when it comes to food, turning your nose up at things occasionally, but you're still a very good eater.

You never sit still to play with anything.  You go from one thing, to the next, to the next.  You carry things around, delivering them to various recipients.  You enjoy chatting on your phones and you love any of the toys that play music, namely your puppy and school bus.  

You push the button on your school bus repeatedly until the song comes on...skipping all the other stuff.  When "The Wheels on the Bus" starts playing, you flap your arms up and down and look like you might take flight at any moment.  This is also the song I use to distract you when changing your diaper or getting dressed.

You like books.

You LOVE Go, Dog, Go! 

You LOOOOOVE Goodnight Moon.

This is the ONLY time you will sit still without being strapped in, and you will say "again" over and over and over as long as we can stand it.

You are not a fan of Grandma & Grandpa's new puppy, even though she's much smaller than you.

You still enjoy a bottle three times a day and we really enjoy snuggling with you while giving it to you.

You pace back and forth along the Plexiglas during your sisters' indoor soccer games. 
Everyone gets a kick out of you and your antics at these games, or maybe they enjoy watching us having to get up over and over to retrieve you.

You know each of us by name, but can't say your sisters' names yet.

You have now been with us longer than any other caregiver.  

A big milestone for this mommy.

When we are in group situations, you seek us out if/when you need something.

Another big milestone for this mommy.

You rang in the new year for the first time with us!  While you didn't make it to midnight, it was a fun night with just the six of us dancing, watching movies, and eating daddy's yummy BBQ ribs.

You squeal scream.  Really.  Loud.  Really.  High.  Really.  Often. 
There doesn't seem to be anything we can do about this.

You fold your hands to pray at dinner and at bedtime.
Priceless.

You are fascinated by the drums at church.
Not sure how I feel about this yet.

You have many nicknames (thanks to Daddy):
Junior
Mister Gana
Turd
Little Dude
Little Junior Pants
LJP (short for Little Junior Pants)

You love your Woody doll. 
We keep him in the car and you ask for him the moment you are set in your car seat.
You're also quick to toss him aside as soon as we arrive at our destination.

You will occasionally kick a ball around.

You have learned that throwing something means it goes in front of you, not behind you.

"Down" is now a request to be held OR put down, however, it has transformed into "dumb." 
It's hard to meet his request when being called such a lovely name. 

Your hair is a good four to five inches long now and getting more and more difficult to care for, but we can't bring ourselves to cut it.  You have such beautiful curls!

You're struggling a bit with nap time.  I'm sure part of this has to do with wanting to transition to one nap each day, but this just doesn't work with my current schedule, so I have a feeling this is going to be difficult for a while.  I have enjoyed putting you in an army hold snuggling with you in the afternoon to help you fall asleep.  Wish I could transition to the crib with you, but I'm afraid of what the house might look like when I came back down.

Occasionally you will try to show off a bit by sitting on your bum and spinning in circles.
It totally gets you the attention you're looking for.

We may have spoiled you a bit.
Every time we take something away, you throw a mini tantrum and give us THE saddest face.
Your life is really hard.

This video is your new favorite trick of ours.  We can't get enough of it.

Not the best quality, but super cute.

With Grammy