Landon at 17 months

Since we missed Landon's 15 month well-baby checkup while we were in Chile, I took him in this past week instead.  He weighs 27 1/2 lbs, and is actually in the 85 percentile for height - surprising to me because he seems on the short side to me.

I think probably the most notable change in Landon in this past month and especially past few weeks is how many recognizable words he is starting to use.  He is visibly excited when we repeat them back to him, showing that we understand him, and very proud of himself that he is able to communicate.  I have been trying to keep a running list of the words he is using.  Here are most of them:

English:

Buh-P (peanut butter) - Can't give Caleb a spoonful of it without Landon going crazy for some, too.

Poon (spoon) - Now he is using it to ask me to load food onto his spoon so he can feed himself

Bye-Bye
Hello
Din-dong (when we hear the school bells ring or make noises like doorbells)

Tire truh (fire truck, as he is pointing at the one on calebs pjs)
Toeees (toes, while pointing to his feet.  He often uses this to tell me he has hurt his toes in some way)
Ma-men (amen - repeating it multiple times after Caleb and I as we prayed at dinner)
Kurrr (car)
Dowww (Down, used to mean both up and down)
Bump (when he bumps his head, as he is patting his head with his hand)
Shooos (shoes)
Bamel / Babble (bottle)
Ah dah (All done, eating or bottle as he hands them to us proudly)

Poo-poo (when pointing to his diaper)

Pee-pee (when pointing to a dirty diaper on the changing table)

Shishee (fishie)
Papa
Nonni
Baby

Spanish:

Ho-aaa (hola)

Chaaa (chao)
Tal-ta (salta - jump - see videos in previous posts :))
Landon doesn't know he is saying something in Spanish with this one, but Caleb was signaling to something 'over there' by saying allá, and Landon immediately repeated it, too.
Bayo (caballo - horse, as he is playing with a horse)

Landon's personality these days is very playful, silly and affectionate. He loves to climb in our laps, clap and dance wildly to all sorts of music, which becomes even more fun for everyone when he and Caleb dance at the same time.  Video:

Big brother Caleb has been very sweet these days wanting to hold Landon's hand a lot to say prayers, and trying to keep Landon from walking into the street, as he is testing his limits since we have been back home.  Thankfully we live on a quiet cul-de-sac and not a busy street. Today Caleb held Landon's hand as they walked over to the next door neighbor's driveway and back, and on the way back Caleb told me "Mommy Landon isn't listening to me," (Which he hears me saying about Landon and the street).

Landon is starting to take interest in books, and will bring them over to us and sit down briefly in our lap to look at them. Its so cute, he turns around and backs into our lap to sit down close to us.

He is still a good sleeper, thank the Lord!  Between two and two and a half hours for the nap. :)

Lefty or Right?  It has seemed for awhile that Landon is leaning heavily towards being a lefty, but this past month we have been seeing him show more use and control with his right, too (though I don't have as many pictures of the righty moments).  Some days he seems completely ambidextrous doing something just as well with one hand as with the other...

(LEFTY).  Trying to paint like he sees Caleb do

(LEFTY): Taking an interest in coloring - mostly in holding the crayons but doesn't know what to do with them yet.

(Lefty)

This one just made me laugh because he actually paused from eating so he could pose for the picture when he saw a camera in my hand.  Landon loves having his picture taken!  "Cheese!," he always says.

(Righty)

Learning to wear sunglasses, sort of...  During the last couple of weeks in Chile Landon would actually leave his sunglasses on when I put them on, but he would only leave them on if they were down on his nose or mouth like this...

Loves pointing out trucks of all kinds, and he points and excitedly yells "truuuuuuh!", as he was doing here when we were on a walk on morning.

He is starting to like drinking other things than water.  Here is his 'pencil mustache' from a smoothie I made the other day.  Glad he is liking the healthy ones with all the fruit and veggies in them!!

Since we've returned home from Chile, Caleb and Landon have a renewed interest in the piano that is not-so-gentle, but oh-so-cute. Watch the video to see what I mean...

According to many he has changed so much since we left for Chile, which we can see, too.  I feel like he is starting to look much more toddler and much less baby.