17 months old

Brooks-man is 17 months old...and counting. So much is changing and he is officially turning into a little boy. I think I say that every month, but every month he does something that looks more and more like a little boy and less like a baby. While in Denver I definitely noticed a difference between Brooks and his girlfriend, Tenley. Brooks is so loud and doesn't really sit still...unless he is reading a book. He is constantly running around the house like a crazy guy screaming and throwing his body into pieces of furniture. There are also few moments when he isn't babbling/talking. In the car, in the grocery store, eating dinner...noises are always coming out of his mouth. Some of the things we hear him say the most:
Dada
Momma
Scoop
"Papa" for "Grandpa"
"Gaga" for Gammy
Pops
Birdie
Bobo
"nack" is what he says for "snack"
yes
book
ball
"wawa" for "water"
"milk" which is usually followed by him going to the fridge
apple
moon
home
"octpu" for "octopus"
duck and quack, quack
dog and woof, woof
He seems to be catching onto words a lot more lately. Sometimes we'll say something and he'll try his hardest to repeat it. If he can't say the sounds he at least tries to copy the speech pattern...it's pretty cute. When we're reading books (which is ALL the time) he can point and find almost everything on the page. He has his favorites, of course, but most of the time he just grabs a book to sit and read. He now thinks he's a big kid by climbing up on the rocking chair in his room to room books. He can even nicely turn the pages to read paperback books...

...And, my favorite, he brings a book and plops himself down in my lap for me to read to him. The kid LOVES books. This age is so fun because there is so much understanding and communication between us. Unfortunately, with the age also comes discipline. I am not a big fan of discipline. I do it. But I don't like it. The new thing I'm trying is to put him in a corner when he is fussing for no reason or when he does something he's not supposed to. It took some practice, but now I just say, "Go sit in your corner!" He stops fussing almost immediately and goes and puts his back up against the wall and slides his butt down in the corner. I let him sit there for a minute and then go over to him and say, "You all done? Now come give mommy a hug and say sorry." He'll run over and give me a hug and then he gets to go play. It's actually really funny to watch. Overall he is a very sweet boy who loves to give hugs. Right now I am trying to soak up every "momma" and every time he runs into my arms. I feel like I'm just going to turn around one day and he's going to be walking into kindergarten or playing in his first t-ball game. 17 months came too fast and I'm worried it's going to pass by just as fast.