Dear Dash: Seventeen Months

Dear Dash,

I have a lot to write about this month! You have so many mannerisms and milestones that I want to document so I won't forget them.

- You love to bark/growl at dogs when you see them.
- For some reason, you consistently call balls 'books'. Books are also 'books', as well as bugs.
- Whether we are pulling a shirt over your head or hiding in another room, you try to say 'boo' whenever possible.
-You love the pool! It makes us nervous sometimes that you will accidentally go in over your head.
- Although you love the outdoors, you would rather play in the dirt than go on a hike (see pics below).
- Your 12th tooth, the last of this set of molars, is finally in.
- You can drink from a straw!
- Dad and I switch off getting up with you in the mornings and you inevitably go to our door and bang on it in an attempt to get the other parent up.
- You finally say 'mama' and 'dada'!
- You sleep through the night most of the time.
- New words learned: 11 (my favorite is "a-na-da" meaning "another")
- Your favorite outdoor toys: sticks and bugs
- You like to help with chores, even if it means they take longer. You help push the vacuum with us, take clothes out of our hampers when we are doing laundry, and put clothes in the dryer.
- You have a happy stomping dance you do, especially when we let you walk on our bed.
- You learned to blow kisses, thanks to operant conditioning by Dad's general psychology class.
- You are getting a major farmer's tan. You inherited mom's complexion over dad's.
- Lastly, you will shake your head 'no' when you do something you know you shouldn't (like bite mom or dad).

"Are they twins?"
Shopping with cousins.

Busy balls at Grandma's house.

You loooooove your Aunt Megan. And she doesn't even try that hard to play with you. It must be her aura...

This photo was taken when you were really trying to get me to follow you up the stairs.
You were so proud of me when I finally came up.

Backing the grocery cart up.

This looks like you had a blowout, but the brown stain is really from you playing in the dirt.

Your favorite park past time: digging with sticks. 

Here James, let me show you how it's done.

We're trying to hike and you're like, "but we're passing prime patches of dirt..."

This is what happens when mom tries to rest on the couch.

Braving the splash pad!

Here dad, let me massage your shoulders while you work. Jk, I just want a piggyback ride.

Anything can be a phone. Whether it's a play phone, a ball, a car, or a stuffed animal.

Rhetorically, Rebekah