16m-17m

You’ve been pretty frustrated lately. You want to do everything your big sister does, but you’re realizing you can’t. You want to eat with a fork but can’t quite figure out the technique. You want to play with Play-doh and Crayons but you eat them so I have to take them away. I find myself saying “no” to you a lot these days, but it’s only because I’m trying to keep you from hurting yourself (and licking the electrical outlets).

Your molars are coming in so you’re pretty miserable. I feel like I’m constantly giving you Motrin and teething tablets and you still cry. Teething seems to be more painful for you than it was for your sister (ironically, sister is getting her two-year molars now and we didn’t notice until we were brushing her teeth a few days ago).

You are increasingly frustrated by language, too. You know what you want and grunting while pointing seems to get the point across in most cases. However, boy, you need to learn to speak! You like to tease us by saying the occasional word here and there, but you don’t use words regularly. I have a feeling you’re storing up all these words and will unveil a verbal explosion for us one of these days. At least I hope.

Despite your frustrations you continue to be very affectionate. The first thing you do in the mornings is to hug your sister. So cute! Hugs and kisses abound throughout the day, which we love even though your teething results in very wet kisses. You love hugging your friends, too. Every time Dominic comes over you welcome him with a big bear hug.