16 Months Old

Dash is now 16 months old....how the time flies. I feel like I say that each month. It seems like Dash changes and learns new things every day!

Some of the highlights:

• Dash is learning a lot of new words. I just read something about how toddlers typically understand many more words than they can say. But at approximately 18 months a toddlers spoken vocabulary explodes, and a toddler will supposedly learn one new word for every two waking hours! Dash will definitely try to repeat words we say sometimes (of course not when we want him to necessarily). New words he has been saying in the last week: apple, dirt (after putting some in his mouth), Breezy (a dog we know), bye, and shoes. He certainly understands more words than he can say, and he is able to follow simple directions such as when we ask him to sit in his high chair (yes, he has started to stand up in it so we have had to start strapping him in).
• Dash loves to help and imitate things he has seen us do. His latest thing is to get the wet cat food packet out of the trash and then try to feed the cats. He also likes to unload the dishwasher. We just have to be quick because he hands us plates, silverware, etc over his shoulder and doesn't hold on for long!
• Dash finally discovered balloons. We were at QFC on Halloween and they were giving out orange balloons so he got his first one. He is obsessed now. We were at QFC again last night and got him another one. He wouldn't let go of the string when we got home. I had to pry it from his fingers to take his cloths off. He even had the balloon during bathtime. Of course when it came to bedtime, he was a bit upset when I wouldn't let him have it in the crib. Then this morning, when he woke up and saw it he was super happy. He has been calling the balloon something that sounds like "Elmo" or "momo".....not sure what that is. He gets a kick out of me jumping up to try to get the balloon down he lets in go in our living room (which has high ceilings).
• As you can kind of tell from the pics, he doesn't exactly like to sit still....it was hard to get a pic of him sitting on the couch because he is constantly on the move! Our trip to Colorado later this month should be interesting.....I anticipate a lot of walking up and down the aisle.
• Dash remains a very social child. Around 15 months we did see a bit of separation anxiety but there hasn't been too much of that this month. He doesn't seem to have much stranger anxiety though, and is quick to warm up to new people. He loves new faces and is quite the flirt with the ladies (and the men) when we are out. This morning at the coffee shop he went over to this older man at a table who was reading something on his Blackberry and Dash kept peering at him over the table, trying to get his attention. He then offered his beloved balloon to the man.
• A favorite pasttime of Dash's is putting various things in his diaper genie/pail. He seems to like how it works. Earlier this week he was carrying around some grey sweatpants I planned to dress him in. Well, he was running around the house and by the time I was ready to dress him, I couldn't find those pants. So I finally proceeded to look in the diaper pail beacause I couldn't find them anywhere. And lo and behold, the pants were in there, along with his swimsuit and a pair of socks. Who needs toys!

It has been a great month....while I sometime feel exhausted at the end of the day and do like my quiettime in the evening, nothing can compare to the fun of watching Dash grow and develop! He is just such a fun and funny kid, and luckily easygoing! Nothing like his momma!

What's this next month going to bring us?