17 Months with Carter

February 28th-March 27th

Another month down!  Carter is now 17 months old which is so amazingly fun, but it's just plain ridiculous how fast the time is flying by.  

This month I can't say that we really did anything too out of the ordinary as Brent and I have been putting in lots of hours at work.  So there is not a lot of fun stuff to put in this post, but by the next time I am writing tax season will be behind us and Brent should hopefully be off on the weekends too, plus the weather should be much nicer, so while my eyes are set on those days, I still want to recap all of my little man's developments over the past month.  

We have been making bi-weekly visits to the chiropractor to keep the ear infections away.  I have to say I am a total believer now in chiropractic care as we were on the verge of having tubes put in early this year before we began taking him in for adjustments.  Carter is used to it now, he goes right to the chiropractor and lets him do whatever he needs to.  Most of the time, we are in and out in ten minutes and Carter wants to stay to play in the waiting area when we are done!

Carter has picked up on so much this month that I probably will forget over half of it.  First, he is obsessed with throwing things away.  Sometimes things that should be thrown away, and other times he puts the most random things in there.  One time I looked in the trash can after I heard him open the cabinet it is in and there was my crockpot lid!  But it has been a help because I can ask him to take something to the trash and for the most part he will.  

He has become so observant!  When we are playing outside and a bird flies over, he is quick to point it out to me.  It sounds more like "bud" but it is so sweet!  We passed a tractor on the side of the road a few days ago and I didn't even think Carter was paying attention until I started hearing "tractor, tractor" from the back seat.  He has also been seeing cows in the pastures on our way to/from the babysitter's and I will hear him saying "arf arf!" back there!  I try to tell him that cows don't bark, only dogs do, and that they actually moo, but he won't take that for an answer!

And he has taken interest in our activities in the bathroom (maybe that means early potty training! ;)) and will wait for us to flush so he can tell it "bye bye".  He does the same thing when he hears the water going down the drain when he gets out of the bathtub.  I heard him say "tell the water bye bye" one night last week and it blew my mind to hear him piece together words like that.  I guess it isn't really all that surprising since I tell him that every night, but still.

Silly boy trying to drink the bath water!

He has most of his body parts down, at least when he is in the mood to cooperate with you to show them off!  He can point out his eyes, nose, mouth, hair, ears, and belly button.  He also loves to show you his tongue.  Most of the time when I ask him to show me his eyes he will flutter his eyelashes and it melts my heart!

He also has the names of our family members down really well.  He loves to point out his Aunt Claire more than anyone, though.  He also likes to see pictures of himself and hearing him say his name is adorable.  

He loves his Aunt Claire!

Carter has been sleeping well this month, despite the four canine teeth he is working on getting in currently.  He has been eating well too for the most part, although it's hard to predict when he will eat like a hog and when he will barely pick at his food.  I guess that is part of toddler-hood!  He is wearing size 5 shoes and size 18 month clothes.  We are using up the last of our size 4 diapers and we are moving up again.  

Things he loves this month: Carrying his blankie everywhere he goes (around the house...I pretty much make him leave it here), Being outside (no matter the temperature), Reading The Little Blue Truck book (I think I have every word memorized at this point), Mimicking the siren sound on the fire truck toy his grandparents got him (AKA screaming in the highest pitch!), French fries, Singing the "bath-time" song  one of his bath toys sings.

Trying to take his blankie in the bath with him!

Things he hates this month: The stomach bug (good riddance), When dinner isn't ready the second we walk in the door after work (It's really been a challenge this past week, so I have started letting him help me cook), Being told no (hello temper tantrums), Having his face/hands wiped clean.

Wearing his hard hat...just like Daddy! :)