17 Months Old.

I didn't even realize that Max was 17 months old today until someone at Mother Goose on the Loose asked me how old he was. I guess we've reached the point where I no longer really think of his age in months. Now I think of him as "almost 1 1/2" or just as a toddler. I also came to the shocking conclusion today at the library that he is now one of the "big kids" at  Mother Goose on the Loose. He was also definitely the most hyper today. I didn't even get to sit down during the entire half hour program; I chased him from chair to chair and constantly had to keep shooing him away from the double doors that he kept trying to open. He Never. Stops. Moving.

Over the past 3 months he has really changed a lot - so many new words, new interests, and new personality traits. It's really amazing. He truly is a little sponge, soaking in everything he sees and hears (note to self: remember this when spouting off at the mouth about things that are inappropriate for little ears).

Some of his favorites:

• Still loving animals. He knows so many animal sounds: baaack baaack (chicken), mmmmmmo (long m and short o for cow), a heavy breathing sound (his imitation of snorting for pig), roars for tigers/lions/bears, ah ah ah (monkey). I'm grooming him now to become a vet. Isn't that what children are for; to realize the dreams you always had for yourself but never managed to accomplish? We just need to work on his fear of loud monkeys if he wants to work at a Zoo.

• Loves trucks, cars, and airplanes. Trucks were his first love, and truck was one of his first words. Now just about any vehicle is referred to as a truck, including airplanes, which get him really excited. And angry; if he can't spot the airplane in the sky he sometimes gets infuriated. Oh, he thinks trains are good too.
• Running amok. He spends about 99% of the time he's awake doing just that. Here's a small example. (note the River Dancing, infused with a little squat-down move he adds when he gets REALLY excited.)

• Saving money. Every night when Chris gets home, Max wants his spare change to put in his Clemson piggy bank. I think he's saving up to buy his first kit car.
• Playing outside. The kid can't get enough. You would think all that fresh air and running around would result in some good long naps, but no. But I digress. He loves going for walks (well, he's in his stroller) with Bailey, riding his tricycle, sliding on his little slide, and getting into anything dirty he can find outside.

• Getting massages. Well, who doesn't?

• Playing with his cousins. Sam and Nathanael are going to teach Max to drive one day.

They're also going to teach him to play football. He's got a lot to learn where football in concerned. Currently he just stands in between Sam and Nathanael and River Dances in excitement when anyone makes a pass. But he'll get there.

• Warning us that things are "hot"...one of his first words and he uses it often. He's a bit confused about what it means exactly. He gets that it has to do with temperature, but he also will stick his hands out the door in the mornings and say "hot hot" when it's below freezing out, so we still need to work on this. Further complicating matters, I recently read him a book about a kangaroo and told him that the kangaroo goes "hop hop hop" so now every time he sees a kangaroo, he holds out his hand and pronounces that it is "hot". So cute.

Max also just this week started blowing kisses, which is the cutest darn thing in the world. Who could resist a kiss from this sweet face?