The Meece Family: RTM: 16 Months Old

On the 6th of January Robert turned 16 months old. It seems the older he gets the faster time flies! Jack and I are loving this young toddler age. Beau just loves life and laughing and playing and learning right now. He loves music and loves to dance around, he bobs his head side to side and sways his body back and forth. Recently he has picked up spinning in circles and really thinks that is super fun. He also enjoys helping Mommy clean up, wiping the table, putting things in the trash can, playing with wooden spoons and bowls and "mixing" up some delicious food. He helps Daddy fill his milk cup every night and really loves opening and closing the refrigerator door and "holding" the big milk jug for Daddy. Anything in the kitchen is super fun right now! He is a great little helper and does really well with following directions for things like putting our toys away and getting our coat, shoes and hat on. He loves getting chased and tickled and clapping for himself and for anybody else who had done a good job at something. Sitting in chairs is also a new favorite activity. He loves sitting in his little chairs at home, especially his rocking chair, but he also gets so excited to sit in the little wooden chairs at the library and also at the big adult chairs at the dining room table.

He is really making progress with his communication skills. He was already saying Dada and Mama and making 1 or 2 animal sounds. At 15 months old he started making the sounds for a monkey, tiger, lion, bear, and also said Ho, Ho, Ho for Santa Claus. Daddy and Aunt Kristie taught him to give a high five and he thinks it is so cool and fun! He then started to wave and say bye bye. He was so excited about being able to say bye bye and says it every chance he gets, even if someone is just going in the other room for a second or taking out the trash. I think he really understood that he was using a real word and was able to communicate with us and he was just so excited about it and so proud of himself. He also says out, up, pa-pa (for paci), uh uh (for uh oh), some version of ya or yes, something else that sounds like hi, brrrrr for cold and woof, woof, woof. His most recent communication discovery is shaking his head yes and no, although for yes it is more like a whole body shake up and down. He started shaking his head no first and he wasn't afraid to use his new found skill. He now has a way to tell us exactly how he feels which is great at times, and not so great other times. He is absolutely developing an opinion of what he likes and dislikes and what he wants to do and doesn't want to do. Even though that can be challenging sometimes, it is so wonderful to feel like we can actually communicate with him and have conversations that he can participate in.

Robert has the sweetest and most loving little personality. He is almost always happy and smiling and laughing. Lately he has developed a great big belly laugh that just sounds like all of the joy and excitement that his little body can hold is just pouring out of him. It is music to our ears and we will never get sick of hearing it. He gives great big hugs and kisses to everyone and loves being with and seeing his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He brings an unimaginable kind of joy to our hearts and it is truly a blessing to see the world through his eyes.

Mommy and Daddy's new bed for better morning time snuggles

Keeping Mimi and Wil company, along with Aunt Kristie, on New Year's Eve

Story Time bubble fun

Murphy is loving all of Beau's stuffed friends

Watching Daddy drive off to work

We went to another Mommy and Me class this month. The theme was snow and Beau had a great time singing, listening to stories, making crafts and playing in the sensory bins filled with fake snow.

Snack time next to his friend, Nolan

Having a little yogurt for breakfast

Becca, Tyler, Skylar and Savannah came for a visit and to celebrate a late Christmas. We crammed in a whole lot of playing and fun into a quick weekend visit. It's so fun when we all are able to be together!