17 months

Here is a little snapshot of Hudson at 17 months:

Weight (based on our bathroom scale): 28 lbs, which according to the world wide web, puts him above the 95th percentile.  No wonder he is seeming hard to carry!

Still wearing size 4 diapers. One afternoon nap from 1-3

Words: mom (Ma), dad(Da), grandma (mama), grandpa (papa), lindsey (De Dee), up (bup), no (no with head shake), ball (ba), train (tr), light (zz), choo choo (choo choo), mmm (done when eating or smelling flowers, banana (nana), done, thank you

Loves: trains, cars, the beach, being outside, the playground, his dad coming home, airplanes, the moon, and more recently, his books, hide and seek

Bad Habits: throwing food from his highchair, waking up occasionally in the middle of the night screaming, eating chapstick...which I just found out was inherited from Colby's time as a child...

Memories to Remember:  Is mama's boy at bedtime.  He will sit still for me to read and sing, but not for Colby.  He runs to me.  However, during the day, he prefers Dad.

We have taken him on two bike rides recently,  both trying out bike seats for him and he LOVED it.  We drove to the beach yesterday to test the iBert out, and since it was such a nice day, we drove with the windows down.  He was so excited to have the wind blowing on his face.  We rode bike along the beach, then walked down to the beach during sunset.  He had the time of his life.  He walked across the sand alone, but on occasion would reach for Colby's hand...something he never does.  He would let go, then grab it again.  It was the cutest thing.  Down at the water, the tide was as low as I've ever seen it.  It left a flat, damp sandy surface for Hudson to run and splash in.  He loved every moment.  As we headed back up the beach, he put out his hand for someone to hold. I grabbed it, and he quickly pulled away and reach out to dad's hand and took it.  It was so cute.  He really loves the time he gets to spend with Colby.

We have brought Hudson into bed with us occasionally in the night when he wakes up, because in my delusional state, it's the easy thing to do as I know it will get Hudson right back to sleep (and therefore me too).  I of course don't think about the morning.  Some mornings, he will wake before us, and seeing our eyes closed, he will poke our eyelids (hard) until we open our eyes to play with him.  If I were him, I'd want to sleep in our bed too.  It guarantees a playmate first thing in the morning.

We have pulled out the fisher price car that we found for Hudson, and he is loving it.  He crawls in and steers, honks and turns the key, but gets out and pushes the car to get from place to place.  He hasn't figured out how to move in it while sitting.  He can turn that car on a dime and is super quick.  It's fun for me to watch.  If we are walking somewhere without the car, he will do his own thing and often go his own way, but with the car, he follows me exactly.  If he's ahead of me and I turn one way and he's gone the other, he quickly turns around and gets back on my path.  This is especially handy when I'm doing laundry and don't have free arms to redirect his exploratory state of mind when he's walkin g on his own.  I have learned through him pushing the car that he doesn know wherre home is.  If we are coming home from the playground, etc. and he is walking ahead of me, he will walk right up to our door.  Another funny car story--he's become a little posessive of it, but only with younger kids.  Our ward member Cal, who is 3 months younger than Hudson, saw us with the car and came up to try and play.  Hudson had stepped away, but the moment he saw Cal with it, he started throwing a fit and trying to take it back.  However 20 minutes later when we were at the playground and 2 other friends, each 1-2 years older, wanted a turn with the car, Hudson backed away and found something else to do. He must've realized they were bigger. Ha.  Once those kids left the playground, Hudson was quick to take back over the car.

He's started throwing tantrums.  I currently think they are hilarious, but I can see how they will get old, quick.  He throws his body to the ground and pouts until he realizes I'm not paying attention, then he goes on with life.

He is understanding so much more--we now can have little dance parties (oh, sidenote, he LOVES dancing now.  Whenever music with a strong beat is on, he stands and starts bending his knees and bouncing, or turning in circles.).  I will raise my hands in the air and instruct his to do the same and he follows.  He will rest his hands on his head and it's adorable.  I will then motion and say put your hands on the floor, to which he'll touch the floor, then fall over and laugh.  He will also spin around if I direct him to do that.

Over thanksgiving, mom took Hudson outside to smell the roses.  He didn't seem to catch onto it at the time, but has since found much joy (and we've found much entertainment) in him stopping at flowers, biting/licking them, and saying with enthusiasm, "MMMM." It's quite adorable and we have some great videos of it.

At the Grove, Saturday, Jan 25:

playing with toys...and mom's pillows

Playing with Dad. I told you he loves him. 

bathtime

kind of obsessed with his new car