Considering myself lucky

Elliott just finished dinner, and I took him downstairs to change his diaper afterwards and didn't put his outfit back on. We went upstairs and I resumed cooking dinner, and turned around to find my baby naked as the day he was born, and the diaper laying in the floor beside him. He looked partly proud of his accomplishment, and partly a little nervous about the response I was going to have.

Luckily it was only number 1, so I didn't have any response at all other than to put another diaper on him pronto. Also, he says diaper like this : Bah-per. And when he goes down the stairs, he counts them by saying, Bah...? Boh...? Hai...?

16 months

So, toddlers keep you busy! In fact, Elliott and I are going to start at a new preschool next week because I am pretty sure that he is ready for some new areas to explore. He's growing quickly and trying very hard to prove that he is NOT a baby and can do all things himself. And if he can't, get ready for him to launch that thing across the living room, followed by "Naaaaooooo!!"

So. Yeah. Other goings on have been hiding things from Elliott now that he can climb on our furniture, rescuing crayons from his mouth, hiding the mops and brooms, and trying to convince him to eat something besides crackers and fruit. He's almost mastered stairs, which is terrifying, and he's starting to say lots of words, which are becoming harder and harder to say no to.

Mo? (More)

Peees (Please)

No

Tish (Kiss) - He uses this to manipulate more time from bedtime. It works.

EEEEAAAATTT (Eat, Hungry, Breakfast, Snack)

Teey! (Kitty!)

Tees (Teeth)

Hasses (Glasses)

Iss (fish)

OH? (phone, or any object that could resemble a phone)

Bup (drink, cup)

Baaee (bye)

He can also wink (except he uses both eyes), dance, sing along with Itsy Bitsy Spider, and destroy the shelf that houses his toys in seconds flat. He finally likes to go on the slide at the park, and LOVES other kids. He likes most people, but especially of the younger and older variety, since he gets the most attention from them. He flirts with ladies when we go out to dinner, says "Haaiiii" to burly men with big beards or bald heads, and chases little girls while chattering and trying to imitate their conversations.

It's fun around here, but also challenging, and tiring, and filled with head scratching as we try to figure out Elliott's frustrations and how to get him to stop climbing the walls.