16 Month

Justin has added many new activities to his agenda in the last month. His vocabulary is always expanding, along with his desire to interact. He now says "Thank you" and makes an effort to say please when prompted. He still makes his own random catch-all noise "Bauwm!" that can mean practically anything from "Hey you!" to "What's that?" His animal noises have expanded from mostly growls to also include a cat's meow, a horse's neigh, and a duck's quack.

Justin is more independent than Norah and will play on his own and wander off on adventures, but he really likes being near everyone too. He really enjoys sitting at the counter and watching people cook. Considering how active he is (he never stops moving) it's amazing how long he sits still to "help" cook. He scrunches up his face and sniffs everytime a seasoning is opened in hopes he will be offered the opportunity to smell the ingredients. We also make a point to show him all the different ingredients as they are being used.

He loves food and has become more and more independent at the table. He would rather starve than be spoon fed, but he won't starve quietly. He rarely allows anything to fall off his eating utensil, though we have noticed that once he's done eating, any remaining food will most likely be flung behind him (a habit we are trying to break). If yogurt (a household favorite) is on the menu, anything not consumed usually ends up in his hair- see below.

We've noticed two new developments around his crib. When we try to get him out of his crib after naps he will often roll over on his tummy and playfully kick his feet while laughing, then grab his blanket and reach for Mommy or Daddy. We often find him with less clothing than we anticipate. Yes, like some Canadian rockers, he has a history of taking off his shirt.