16 1/2 Months

Letting his stuffed animals experience the thrill of free falling

So proud of himself - sporting the cheesy smile mentioned below

Climbing into a great cubby for some reading

Samuel at 16 1/2 months:

• He has learned how to do the cheesy smile people do when they are being silly in pictures and does this often to flirt, especially with mom at the dinner table :O)
• His play has changed, its more imaginative as well as acrobatic now. He carries around the little buckets that hold his blocks and other toys and collects things from around the house and pretends to cook whats in the bucket. He even tastes it and blows on it when its hot. Adorable.
  
• He still enjoys the slide his grandparents gave him for his first birthday, and he still enjoys climbing up and sliding down in every way imaginable, but now he likes for all of his stuffed animals to enjoy the slide, too. He sometimes lets them slide down, but mostly likes to stand on the platform and toss them through the lookout hole. Such a boy :O)
• He is interested in things opening and closing and taking things in and out of other things. He brings me the lotions and ointments from a basket in his room to flip open so he can open and shut them repeatedly, this is great fun (all non-toxic and only under supervision)
• He likes to be inside of things such as drawers he can climb into, laundry baskets, toy boxes, etc. On top is just fine with him too. He figured out how to climb on to the kitchen table and the desk using chairs to boost him up, we definitely have to watch him with eagle eyes and stealth now! The coffee table has long been his favorite platform to sing, dance or have a serious conversation on. I'll be sad when he outgrows that, its sure cute.
• His mimi - my mom- taught him the lemon drop and gum drop song over Christmas and now he walks around swaying side to side and singing ah - ah -ah - ah -ah throughout the day
• He is getting excited about using words and signs, thanks especially to his dad! He signs the word "more" if he wants more to eat, some of what you're eating, or what you're holding. He also signs "all-done" when he's ready to get out of his booster chair.
  
• He knows yeah and no and uses them regularly to let us know what he wants or doesn't want or agrees or doesn't agree with
• Some of his new words are berry, bath and night-night. He loves to go night-night when he's tired and says it with a big smile on his face
• He is such a joy! We are blessed.