Ben at Seventeen Months

This boy is seventeen months old!  He still has the most beautiful smile in the world.

At seventeen months, 

• Ben signs: more, eat, milk, dad, please, tree, apple, all done and thank you. 
• He clearly communicates "pick me up!" and "go that way" and "get that away from me!" (oh, the wonders of the toddler years).
• He makes sounds like "da da da" and "ba" but no spoken words yet.

• He knows the motions to "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "Pat-a-Cake," "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Wheels on the Bus."
• He can identify some parts of the body.  Namely, the head, shoulders, knees and toes.  :)   And the ears and mouth.  He's still not reliable with nose or eyes.

Did anyone note that he doesn't yet sign mom?!?  What's up with that?  He'll make kissy faces at me, but will he say my name?  Nooooo.

• He loves to play with his brother and sister.  He especially likes it when Evan carts him around or plays ball with him.
• He gives sweet hugs.
•  He likes to read books.  Quickly. 

• He army crawls and can move from lying down to sitting and vice versa.
• Ben does not like to bear weight on his knees or feet.  He will occasionally kneel on his own while playing with toys on a cushion, but otherwise, we coax him to do it when we are playing together.  At physical therapy, he has been able to stand (with support) for 8-10 seconds while distracted.  :)

Anytime the front door is open, Ben makes a beeline for freedom.  Please excuse the huge mess in our living room - I think this picture is after the present-opening spree on Christmas.

• Ben has four teeth: two in the bottom middle and one each on the top sides of his mouth.  You only ever really see the bottom two.
• He loves to eat!  Pizza, avocado, banana chocolate chip muffins - all favorites.

• He weighs around 19 pounds.  The boy needs to gain weight!  The doctor told us to just keep a container of butter or oil on the table and smear it on whatever he's eating.

He still loves to eat paper.

• Favorite video: Baby Signing Times
• Favorite toy: The Fisher Price Poppity Pop Musical Dinosaur
• Favorite game: Removing socks!  If you really want the socks to stay on, you should put on one sock, then a shoe and then do the other foot ... or he will have both socks off before you can blink.  He likes to throw the removed sock in the air or stick it in his mouth.

 We are so thankful for this little guy!  I love you, sweet Ben.