Love.Baby.Life.: 17 Months!

Weight: 25 pounds

Height: 33 inches

I cannot believe that it's already August. July was a complete whirlwind of activity that included:

2 weddings
round two of hand, foot, and mouth disease
daddy's birthday
your 2nd haircut
a trip to California
grandma White's birthday
out of town guests
your first, non-family member, babysitter

Needless to say, the month FLEW by! Before this past month, I had only spent one night away from you. Now the total is five nights! A few weeks ago, daddy and I went to a wedding in Duluth and aunty Nicole and Tim were nice enough to give up their weekend to babysit you overnight. Luckily, you have a pretty predictable schedule these days. It looks something like this:

6:30am- wake up

8am- breakfast

9am- nap (about an hour)

10:30am- snack

12pm- lunch

1pm- nap (about an hour and a half)

3pm- snack

6pm- dinner

7pm- bath, pjs

7:30pm- bottle
8pm- bed

That doesn't mean that it's easy to take care of you, though... In between your sleeping and eating you are busy, busy, busy. You literally do not sit still for more than a couple minutes at a time. You also get antsy if we stay in the house all day. I know this because you are very good at communicating exactly what you want (even if you don't have the words). One afternoon (after a lazy morning) you brought me your shoes and my shoes, climbed up on the bench in the kitchen, and pressed the garage door opener and said "go." I got the hint- no lazy days in our house!

The last week of July, daddy and I went to San Diego to celebrate his birthday. Grandma White, very graciously, offered to babysit for the four days we were gone. She took the whole week off so she could rest up a few days beforehand and after. (She's a smart lady). You guys had a blast!

You went to Lake Harriet with mommy's cousin Suzanne...

...and had a playdate with Caroline and her grandma Kathy.

You also went to a barbeque at grandma and grandpa's house and got to meet your 2nd cousin Alex.

Meanwhile, daddy and I had a wonderful little vacation. Grandma was nice enough to answer my several calls a day and sent me lots of pictures to help me get through my Jackson withdrawal. It was definitely nice to get away, but I don't think I could have lasted any longer without seeing you! I'm not so sure that you missed us as much as we missed you, though. The morning after we got home you headed right into the guest room looking for grandma and were upset when you couldn't find her. You guys definitely have a special bond.

In other news, you continue to refine your talking skills and daddy and I have gotten better at understanding what you're trying to say. You've even added a new phrase to your repertoire. This one totally caught us off guard. Every night daddy and I sneak into your room before we go to bed and tuck you in. This night we lingered a little bit longer and sat next to your crib so we could watch you sleep. (I'll admit that sounds a little creepy, but you look so sweet when you're sleeping).

Anyway, after we'd been sitting there for a few minutes, you started to stir (probably because you could sense us staring at you). You opened your eyes a few times only to shut them again and try to fall back to sleep. At one point, though, you sat up and gave us a very confused look and said, "whatcha doing"? That was a very legitimate question, I guess. Daddy and I looked and each other, mouths agape. You never cease to amaze us. You've also started to say "ow" when you hurt yourself.

I have to explain this video so you don't think I still make you run around in your helmet... As I mentioned here, your helmet now sits on your dresser. Sometimes you see it up there and insist that I help you put it on. (It's super tight so it takes some maneuvering). You then run around the house purposely banging your head on things. You must miss the protection it provided. I probably shouldn't let you do that, but it's hilarious!

Lately, you have been an eating MACHINE! I have a feeling this is due to another growth spurt. Your favorite thing to eat is fruit: bananas, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe... Frankly, I don't think you've met a fruit that you don't like!

Yum! You also love grandpa's ribs and milk. You still drink 24 ounces a day of whole milk and I'm sure you would drink more if I let you (your doctor said that is the max you should drink). At least we know you'll have strong bones!

Another reason why you're always hungry is because you use tons of energy playing outside.

Exploring new parks,