17 months already!

Here we go again. A lot happened this month.

• Walking (obviously), and doing very well! It took him about a week to realize he could take off by himself and now, we find him just walking walking around the house and staring down at his feet. A lot of the time, he doesn't even play with his toys because he just wants to walk around.
• He tried walking up the stairs. Fell. Tried walking down the stairs. Fell. Tried walking on the couch. Fell. A lot of bruises, a lot of trips. He bled in his mouth a few times from falling over his toys because he was so unstable. Funny to watch him walk.
• Now has NINE teeth! Came out of no where!
• Size 5-6 shoe
• Size 4 diapers
• Talks a ton! In his own little language of course.
• Only gets his binky in the car and during naps and bedtime.
• He has been going up and down the stairs for a few months now, but now, he goes like 90 mph. He goes down backwards, not sure where he learned it, but he pretty much just slides on his belly.
• Got his first haircut by an army barber. Ammon took him on the day I had Stake Leadership Training in Louisville for primary. Ammon said he screamed bloody murder the entire time. Glad it was his dad there with him and not me!
• My mom taught him the sign language for "dog" when we were there and it was only in the last few weeks that Matthew started using it. He thinks every creature is a dog. He LOVES dogs. Is not scared of them in the least. He smiles and gets so excited when he sees one. He does the sign language (pat on the leg) many times during the day.
• Absolutely loves Elmo and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Does the sign language for Clifford. I think his favorite color is red.
• Learned to love water. He now only gets milk in the morning, his Vemma NEXT and water. I'm happy about that (for now).
• Takes two naps every other day. I thought he was down to just one nap a day, but that only lasted about a week. He will sleep two naps one day, one the next, two the next...I think he gets worn out and realizes he is tired.
• He now moves himself in his crib. I will find his crib in the middle of his room because he pushes himself off the wall with his arms.
• Is so smart! He knows Nephi, Lehi, Jesus, Temple, scriptures. He pointed to Nephi in his book the other day and I never even realized it was him. He is very good about reading the scriptures and when I tell him it's time to read, he'll literally drop his toy, walk over to me, point to the scriptures, sit down with me and grab his pictures. After we're done, he puts the pictures back in the Book of Mormon, then fold his arms. So cute to watch him.
• I put the Nauvoo temple picture at his height so when he goes up the stairs, he loves pointing to it and kissing it when he gets up there. So cute.
• Funny story. The other day, I went to go feed him breakfast. He didn't want to fold his arms. I told him that he wasn't getting his food until he folded his arms so we could say a prayer. He wouldn't do it for 20 minutes! Then, it was lunch time and the same thing. He didn't want to fold his arms. So, I took him up to his bed and took all his toys and his binky out, and said he would stay there until he folded his arms. Every 45 seconds, I would go and open the door a little bit, ask him if he wanted to fold his arms so we could say a prayer, and he wouldn't do it. I'd then shut the door and listen to him scream bloody murder until I came and opened the door again. We literally did this for 40 minutes. I got nothing done because I was by his door the entire time. Needless to say, every time since, he folds his arms EVERY time I ask him, even if we aren't going to say a prayer.
• Loves to help me do any chores. He actually really likes doing laundry. He loves when I hand him the clothes from the washer and he will stick them in the dryer. My Salt Lake Temple laundry buddies would be proud to know my son likes doing laundry!
• Is obsessed with trees. Loves to touch them and he cries every time we are in the store looking at the Christmas trees and we walk away from them. It is all because of my mom. But now that it is Christmas and every store has trees in them, he is in heaven.

He's growing and it is so sad to know that he is getting so big. We love him to death and I laugh at him so much it is not even funny. He is such a good little boy.