17 Months

Here is Hayes sitting on our new front porch for his 17 month picture:


So, here is a previous attempt (and failure) at a 17 month picture. The problem was that he wanted to play with the blocks and we kept telling him not to touch them. Kyle and I realized that Hayes' discontent was actually a representation of his development---impulse control, maybe???? You see, Hayes has always reached for the blocks and knocked over the stack without any regard for us pleading with him to smile and leave them alone. This time, he actually sat there and didn't touch the blocks, even though he was quite unhappy.

Hayes has really started talking a lot more lately. He jibber-jabbers, talking to himself and to us with this serious little face like we should understand exactly what he's saying, even though it's mostly unintelligible. He tries to say lots of words, like "butterfly, happy birthday, please, thank you, bike, tractor, bus, Jax, Anya, etc." Some of the words that Hayes has recently mastered are "book" and "milk." For a while, he would say them "boo-tuh" and "mil-tuh," really stressing and enunciating the "T," making them two-syllable words---like he was sure the T belonged at the end of the words. After several weeks of Kyle and I stressing the "K" on the end of the words, Hayes has finally switched and started pronouncing them correctly. It's wonderful to see him learn new things, but his little "mil-tuhs" were so stinkin' cute!

Our happy fella:


Hayes has been really into socks and shoes lately---even ours! He has been putting on our shoes and trying to walk around in them, giving us all a laugh.

Really thirsty: (doesn't he look so much like a boy here and not a baby?)

Really, really thirsty: (check out the cool reflection in the dishwasher)

Playing back at the old place:

Hayes went through a week-long phase where he would insist on putting on Kyle's socks after Kyle took them off for the day (can you say YUCK???). He walked around looking like he was wearing tights!

Hayes has started laying on his belly on the floor to play and look at things from another perspective. It is so cute!

Roughhousing with daddy:

Sunday at a local ice-cream stand with some live farm animals:

This calf was shaking its head to shoo away the bugs. Hayes thought it was too funny and would shake his head back at the calf!

At Windermere School playground, where Hayes will go to elementary school:

Hayes started a new daycare closer to our new home a few weeks ago. He is in a smaller class than at his previous daycare, but seems to be doing well. We think he misses his old daycare, though. Towards the end of the first week, when Kyle told Hayes that it was time to go to daycare he ran to the door and started saying, "Emma, Emma"---who was his little sweetheart at the old daycare. He even talks to Emma when he pretends to talk on the phone! It is great that he is so smart and has a wonderful memory (hey, I'm his mom, I gotta think that!), but it is sad to know that he is missing the old daycare and his old friends.