16 months

I officially have a toddler--no more baby Luke anymore. That's completely crazy!

At 16 months:

~Luke is full of energy! He goes non-stop until naptime/bedtime and then he just crashes. He loves being outside. If we step outside for a second and don't let him go play, he throws the biggest fit.

~He's still a really good napper! Still taking two long naps a day. I'm hoping he always wants to do that! And he's still sleeping through the night. Yay!

~This month he's starting to get SIX new teeth! Wow! Four molars and two others. It doesn't seem to bother him right now, thank goodness.

~Luke loves to laugh and loves to make other people laugh! He's the silliest little boy!

~He LOVES animals! Especially dogs. He likes to give our dog hugs all day long--sometimes they're sweet hugs, sometimes not.

~Luke's a little shy in new situations. He has to get used to everything (from the safety of mommy and daddy's arms) before he feels comfortable. But he's pretty much over his stranger anxiety. He'll let out one good cry when we drop him off in the nursery, but he usually stops before we even get down the hallway.

~He likes playing with big kids. He thinks they are the greatest!

~Luke wears mostly 18 month clothes but we can still fit him into some 12m stuff. I think he gained five pounds this week because he feels SO much heavier! He's a growing boy!

~We finally got Luke to drink cow's milk. I can't say that he loves it like the formula, but at least he drinks it. He likes a cup of milk when he wakes up and one before bed and usually one in the middle of the day. He still hates water, but we try to mix it in with his juice and he'll tolerate it.

~He's still a picky eater. He knows what he likes and doesn't like to try new things. He never says no to spaghetti, yogurt, fruit, and cheese. Everything else is hit or miss.

~He definitely knows how to throw a fit when he doesn't get his way. He throws himself on the floor and just hangs his head in dispair. Most of his fits are caused by not being able to go outside or not being able to play with my cellphone. It's a tough life, huh!

~He has about 15 words that he says--mommy, daddy, dada, mama, nana, papa, cheese, uh-oh, dog, ralph, may-may for Mason, and a few more I can't think of! He also started repeating words that we say like strawberry and blueberry, but it's usually a one time thing.

~He LOVES getting into mischief. He knows the handful of things that he isn't allowed to do, and he will turn to look at us, smile, and then take off to whatever it is--the dog bowls, toilet, trashcan, paper towel roll, dvr buttons. He thinks it's SO funny. We just started putting him in time-out the past week or so when he does the things he's not supposed to do. Not sure if he really understands, but we'll keep working at it.

~Luke just started giving us REAL hugs. He's been giving us little hugs for a few months now, but now he really wraps his arms around our necks and hugs tight! He's learned that if I'm about to put him in the carseat or crib he can hug me and it will delay whatever it is. I'm a sucker for a good Luke hug. And as soon as we pick him up from his crib, he gives us huge bear hugs.

~He's growing and changing so much everyday, and everyday we love him more than the day before (if that's even possible!).