A Year and a Half!

I guess I already did a post just a week before you officially turned 1.5 years!
But here you are, at a year and a half! You are obsessed with Bikes. Bycle afterall is the nickname you gave your Grandpa. Now when we ask "Do you want to go for a walk?" you squeal "Bike 'eyed"! We got you a balance bike which you have been apprehensive to use. I think the seat just doesn't make you feel secure enough. So I went on amazon and found the coolest tricycle that is a 4 in 1. It starts with a back seat that supports your back with straps and an adult handle that controls and steers the bike. Those items can come off as you grow. You love it, but you love riding on the front of the bike in the child seat with Dada the most! Mama isn't very good at bike riding so I don't dare take you myself.
Today, you tried singing for the first time!! ABC's! You even matched my pitch. I've noticed you could match pitches even back at 11 months. Most kindergarten and first graders can't match a pitch. You have a puzzle that makes noises and you imitate the ship noise with the perfect pitch. But today you were so cute singing "ABC", you clearly understood what it meant to sing a song.
The other day we were reciting all the different dogs you've met. This is how our conversation went:
Me: Boo Boo
You: Boo Boo
Me: Cleo
You: E-O
Me: Rocco
You: Rock!-O
Me: Coco
You: Co-Co
Me: Miley
You: My-O
Me: Ruby
You: NO!!! KNUCKLES! Re-bee-o (Re-bee-o is how you've been saying Ruby lately)
We call Ruby a Knuckle Head and more often than not we are yelling NO RUBY! You are such a Knuckles!"

You were weaned just after we got back from Seattle (so you were almost 17 months old). You just stopped trying to nurse/didn't ask for it/didn't seem to need it. So I just stopped with the mindset that I'd nurse if you asked. And you never did! I was sad of course, because it meant that you were no longer my little baby. And breast feeding was such a wonderful bond and time together. I was waiting for the time to feel right to wean you. And it sort of just worked its way out naturally and beautifully.
2 weeks ago it was really hot and I went into your room to change my shirt. I looked up and saw gardeners across the street, so I immediately dropped to the floor to hide behind the bed to finish changing (they couldn't see me anyway, it was just my instant reaction). You were playing on the floor next to me with a puzzle and saw me without my shirt on and you smiled wondrously and said "Mama! A-mum (I want some)" and you stood up with your mouth flapping open and closed as you walked towards me. I stopped you and said "Remember? You are a big boy now. You drink from a cup". And you stopped and touched my chest and said "Baby". And I said "Yes, that's right. This is how I fed you as a baby!" and you smiled and turned around and went back to your puzzle.
You are so smart, putting things together. You understand everything I say. "Give this to daddy; Can you bring that shirt to mama?; Go show Daddy your toy; Go get your shoes" etc.
You learned the animals noises to donkey, hippo (blub blub blub) and whale this week!

18 months

In 6 days you turn 18 months! A year and a half! Time is going by so fast. Luckily you are the most photographed and documented little boy in the world. Words cannot explain how much we love you. You are just the light in all of our lives. Tonight when I put you to bed, laying on the bed with you in your dark cozy room, you finished your milk and snuggled against my face and breathed deep, relaxed, sweet smelling breathes and hummed your sleepy song. I swear I wanted to stay there in that very moment with you forever and ever. Our bedtime ritual is play outside, take a bath with dada and brush our teeth, get in our PJ's, drink a little bit of milk while we sing you songs, you get nice and sleepy and drowsy on the guest bed in your room, we scoop you up and give you a big kiss and say something sweet to you, lay you in your crib sleepy but awake, hand you "bear bear" your beloved panda, play your mobile, and sit down next to your crib and hold your hand while you fall asleep. It's all so sweet.
This month you discovered puzzles (or met meow as you call them!) and can put the pieces in the right places by yourself. You love your pull along bee. You love magnets. You love your bubble mower, and call lawn mowers "bubble". You are so well behaved. We took you to lunch in Kona at the thai restaurant above Costco, and you behaved better than any adult in the restaurant. You know what people "go together". When we facetime with Seattle you go through all the names "Poppy, Ama, Li-a (Lisa), Rocco, Bao Bao (Uncle Panda) and you remember things at their house (lights, clocks etc). You know Bycle and Dudu go together. You and Bycle are kindred spirits and are so bonded.

17 months old

On my iphone notes I write down little words and memories from each month so I don't forget. I know years from now I'll be saying "How old was he when he...." so I'm motivated to keep this blog up! At 17 months you had a vocabulary explosion. Every day has been a new word. Whatever word we say, you imitate it right back to us. I said "Oh man!" and you chimed back "Oh Man!" My favorite word this month? "Mut mash" (Mustache). On dada's face! Anytime you hear a motor sound you say "Airplane!" and we have to look for it. You point up at the moon (boon) and sun (nun). This month you have also learned the words "Ham, Bucket, Chin saw, boat, big cup, trees". You know the animals sounds to Cow, Kitty, Dog, Sheep, Frog, Elephant, Lion, Tiger, Penguin, Bird (you learned bird in Seattle so you saw Caw Caw like a crow!) You can count to 3! 1, 2, 3! You love your panda bears (you say "beo bear). You LIVE to be outside. You could seriously spend all day outside. 

You have a new nanny this week. Beloved Savanna (you called her Yay Yay Nana) had to go back to school. You were SO bonded with Savanna and hopefully she will still come visit us once and awhile. Erica is your new nanny. She is a kindergarten and first grade teacher so she has lots to teach you. She is very calm, quiet, and friendly. You have taken to her very well this week. You are such a social guy you would get along with everyone! Last night you slept from 7:15pm-7am!! That's the latest you've ever slept in to date. You also woke up happy (not crying!) You have a little babyproof photo album with everyone's picture and you love looking at it saying their names. Sometimes you find family member look alikes in your books. You think the Quaker Oats man is PopPop and show me him everyday in the cupboard. 

We are enjoying you so much Monkey. You are so smart and funny. You have so much personality. You are so busy and we love watching you explore your world. And you are just the cutest most beautiful baby anyone has ever seen!

Photos at 16 months

You are the most photographed child on this planet. I take multiple pictures every day! It's a little overwhelming trying to pick and choose my favorites! At 16 months you loved the aquarium, zoo, and you learned everyone's name!