17 Months

We're quickly closing in on one-and-a-half, and learning new things every day!

Jake

23 lbs, 8 oz

31 inches

Jake (aka..."Chip" as he is showing of his chipped tooth in this picture) is starting to talk a little more these days.  His current vocabulary still consists primarily of the words "Up" and "Oh-pah," but we do hear a few other utterances on occasion, such as "bu-bu" (bubble), "cah-ker" (craker), "da-da" (daddy, but often many other people), "di" (dog), "ba" (ball), "boo" (shoe) and "eez" (cheese).

My big boy has become an excellent kitchen helper thanks to a new learning tower we bought this month.  It lets both boys stand up (with a protective rail) to see and "help" while I'm making lunch or doing dishes.  Thanks to his new climbing talents, he is good at getting up and down off the stool himself.  But, we still only use this when mom or dad are around to help.  Jake will also climb up into the regular chairs at our table to let me know when he is ready to eat.  And, as you can see in the picture, he is becoming a pro at getting up onto the couch. 

Charlie 

19 lb, 8 oz

31 inches

A few fun Charlie phrases this month:  "ba-pah, ba-pah" (backpack...aka, Daddy's diaper bag that goes everywhere with us), "Mmmmat!" (Uncle Matt, we think, but he currently calls a few 'non-daddy' men by this name, so we're still working on this one), "Pop-pa" (Grandpa or Papaw), "bi-ka" (bike), "Der-der" (turtle), "Ohm?" (As in, are we going "home" now?)  One day while Scott was out of town for work, we had been talking about how he was coming home on a plane later that night.  While playing in the living room, he pointed to a family picture on the mantle and said, "Da-da...ohm?" :) 

Charlie continues to love his music.  He frequently requests that we turn on the radio (or a video with his favorite songs) by saying "dit" and doing a little shimmy.  He now sings a few words to a couple favorite songs and does some hand gestures that we've learned in music class.  Sometimes while "reading" a specific animal book, he turns to the insect page and points out the "fiii" (fly) while patting his lap, as if to prompt me to sing, "Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me," a favorite from music class.