17 months was AMAZING on to 18!

I think that 17 months has been the best month yet. You went from 2 teeth to five teeth. You went from babbling to screaming. Eating with your hands to demanding to eat with a fork. Climbing on the couch to wanting to climb over the couch. Staying in your play area to finding out how to sneak out the of the play area. Making a break for it up or down any staircase you can find. Your friendship with Reilly Boots is like no other. From giving her hugs and kisses to feeding her your food either off your high chair or directly in her mouth. She really loves you right back. You continue to sing and dance, and have added more fitness skills to your already impressive jumping. We are now doing modified pushups, rollovers, and army crawl. "Hi" is for sure still your favorite word. Grandma has you calling her "Sassy" so that is really funny. You have your animals sounds down and your ABC's. You might not have all the letters but you sure do have the tune. Smiling and laughing is something you do constantly, you are the happiest little boy. I am still amazed that we can put you in your crib and you go to sleep. You love a schedule. You love your crib and you are so able to soothe yourself, sometimes like now I am just watching you on the monitor- so peaceful. When you went to the Doctor you had stranger danger but that is to be expected since you have not really been anywhere. Your life has pretty much been at home and with family only, due to the pandemic. We would have never had this time together. I mean this is absolutely the craziest thing that could have happened. I prayed for you my whole life and then a pandemic happens and since March 13, 2019 we have been able to spend every hour of every day with you. It is the silver lining to this situation for sure. I feel bad that you don't have any little boys to play with and even meet for that matter, but you do have 2 sisters that adore you and play with you all the time. I know Danica drives you nuts because she always want to hold you. You have scratched her, pulled her hair out, and hit her with a plastic bat. Oh yes, you definitely are the bully of the house. You have started to dupasmash Daddy, and you hold nothing back when you hit him with the bat. We had to put the bat in hiding. We will save it for the major leagues one day. The girls love to play hide and seek with you, exercise, dance, and just laugh. Greatest gift for a parent is hearing the laughter of their children and knowing how much they love one another. Your personality lights up the room. Listening to you babble and makes sounds is music to my ears. Your expressions are priceless, I was thinking if they remade Home Alone you would be the star. I love when you say, "OOh Ohh" in the sweetest little voice. You love to point at things and are so busy. When we go on walks you point out all the trucks, but when the garbage truck comes to our house you sense some danger and it frightens you even though you won't take your eyes off of the truck. Maybe it is just too loud. I still say, "AJ you got a boo boo," to which you run over to me smiling and then squish your little lips and show me your hand and I give you a hug and kisseys. It does not get any better than that. "Eat" is also new to your vocabulary and you know all the features on you face by pointing at them. You can hold a cell phone and face time by yourself. Half the time on face time you just make flirty faces with Grandma. You do the same with me when I put make up on. You make me feel like a super model! We are currently on another recommended stay at home order ( which means Sissies will be home all day again too)and on my birthday indoor dining at restaurants was put on hold. We were able to go out the night before to cook in front of you with family and that was a great time. You have really adjusted well to all kinds of new sitautions and people and really been such a pleasure to be around. When you have had enough or get tired you rub your eyes, you start to hit, and that is our way of saying it is time for your to have alone time in your crib. You truly enjoy that time and of course your Elmo woobie. I have to say we have put you in a dress shirt and jeans a few times and OMG I don't know if I have ever seen anything cuter. When we took family photos you would not sit still and whenever I want to take a picture of you, you won't let me. You little stinker for sure, or in your case "little Poopy butt!" Your Louie Anderson smile with those silly little teeth and your Trump hair style after a bath you are just too funny. You still love your baths, or your "Splash Splash" as we call it where you continue flood the bathroom fron splashing! There are times I see my own baby pictures in you. Your curly flipped ends of dishwater blonde hair and I am not even sure what shade of blue/brown your eyes are. You are as solid as a rock with a belly that leads the way with the cutest little belly button. Your expressions are everything and followed with the funniest antics when it comes to collapsing to the ground, scooting on your head, or just laying on a pillow after being drenched wiht a blanket like a King in his cloak. Let's just say you are not lacking in personality. Diaper changing has been a breeze with you, besides maybe 2 mishaps, you have been a champion at controlling yourself and making sure we don't have Buckingham Fountain on Cedar St. Thank you for helping to clean, just like your sisters did. We give you a papertowel and you clean. I turn on the vacuum and you turn on yours. I appreciate the help. You also are very helpful with the remote and give it to us when we enter the room. Sometimes we see you sitting on the couch watching TV pretending to be like us, and then you laugh. I mean you are your own show. Greatest addition to this family and loved by all. I am so thankful that we have had an Indian summer and with the holidays coming up I can only hope we will get to go to Florida. Halloween was a lot of fun even if you wouldn't wear your hat for more than a few pictures. We went as the cast of Monsters Inc, you were Sully. It was very cute. Halloween felt kind of normal even though it was contactless, we were able to go out in the beauitful weather, you in your stroller, and see all the neighbors. Grandma came over so that was great to have her help watch you so we could head out with your sisters for a little longer. It was a sunny day. Suny days are eveything and you make every day feel like a sunny day. I am so impressed with everything about you from your stature, to your personality, your ability to go with the flow, and of course you ability to love, compassion, and empathize. Life won't be like this for much longer, but I cherish every second we get to keep you safe at home with us. I know one day you will have lots of friends, and want to play outside all day, and until then I am happy to be your best friend, biggest fan, and proud Mommy. You just keep eating those green beans, throwing your cup, smiling, laughing, and being the little boy we all prayed for...oh and AJ thak you so much for letting us sleep. You have been the best baby ever and I am not even ready for you to be a big boy! Oh and for future reference when we piled up all the leaves in the backyard you made sure to transport them to your own pile. You would run over to them, grab a handfull, run somewhere else and drop them off. Then you got your bat and your ball and would hit the leaves. Sounds like you are all boy to me, throwing anything you can, anywhere you can, and running as fast as you can. You got this buddy, you got it! Love you!