16 Months

Well 16 months in theory.  We don't have 29 days in February this year so we will pretend.  It's close enough.

This last month has seen some fun and not so fun developments.

Fun:
Had his first hair trim and survived
The shrug; He now enjoys mastery of using his shoulder muscles and it's especially delightful when he times it with a question, as if to say "I don't know"
Cute faces, think squinty eyes and smiling
Increased speed and energy, fun to watch, hard to keep up with
Increased sounds/words.  Says the staples, Momma, Daddy, No, clearly and enjoys imitation of animal sounds and trying new words like close and truck and using a few more baby signs to communicate.
Enjoying gross motor play; climbing, wrestling with Dad, and being outdoors on nice days


Not So Fun:
Screeching, especially at the dinner table
Shaking of head/Saying "no" to everything
Mini Tantrums at not getting his way
Teeth-Ez has been getting his four eye/canine teeth on top and bottom

First hair trim

Playing in Daddy's dress shirts

On the deck playing "ball"

Has discovered the joy of puddles

Loves climbing and playing

A few more months...

The last 2 months have flown by!  Ezra celebrated his second Christmas in Alberta before we flew out the next day to spend a few weeks in Ontario to celebrate the Christmas season with the Wiebe's.

 Ezra enjoyed spending more time with his cousin and was much more fun for his cousin to play with as well.  Our last visit with the cousins, Ezra wasn't walking.  So his 2.5 year old cousin could play much easier with a mobile toddler this time.

 His interests are expanding quickly as he begins to connect objects, sounds, and names.  He loves tractors, cars, trucks, farm animals, and labeling parts of the body.  He enjoys spinning the the living room and making himself dizzy.  He is also quick to pick up new signs when I introduce them such as "please" and "milk".  In the last few weeks, I've started to hear the long awaited "mommy" outside of just when he is mad and yelling.  Now he might be walking around and say it in a sing song voice.  That is so much more preferred.

 I've tried a few times to introduce him (on milder days) to snow and playing outside, but it seems he is still to little to enjoy it.  He is way more concerned with the layers and bulk of the clothes he is wearing, and doesn't appreciate the extra constricting nature that it entails.  However, a few weeks ago, on our last outdoor play attempt, he enjoyed trotting back and forth over the cleared deck.

 With the help of a friend, Ezra got a small trim around the ears and on the back of his neck where the hair was getting a bit long.  He wasn't a fan, but it could have been worse. ;)  And the final result was much handier than trying to sweep back the hair that liked to rest on top of his ears.

 Ezra also loves to sit on and ride everything, so just this week I found a second ride on toy for the house.  It is an airplane and he loves exploring the propellers and wings that fold up and down and the numerous buttons for music, plane noises, brakes, etc.