16 months.

I don't even know where to start. I am amazed at my little man and how much he is growing! He is definitely a handful at times but Drew and I can't imagine life without him. Peyton is still such a sweet boy who has the biggest smile. He can also be extremely shy and cling to Mama or Daddy whenever he starts seeing a bunch of people coming his way. He has started to show his stubbornness when he doesn't get his way. Thankfully he is compliant semi-quickly so a stern voice usually does the job. :) He went through a hitting/biting stage where he would do both - at our faces - anytime he heard us say 'no' but it is already calming down a good bit. Now it is usually a quick scream or laying his head on the ground. We can usually avoid the biting/hitting by saying 'gentle' and 'kisses not bites' which miraculously helps. There was about a week where we didn't think that would work.

He is starting to talk and repeat what we say more often. He says "hi" "bi" "mama" "dada" "dah(dog)" "duh(done)" He recognizes most of what we say which is lovely. He is a squealer and while he used to laugh uncontrollably when he was tickled, he now gets mad if you do it too much.

He can also make a few animal noises although at this point they all sound pretty similar, which is a high pitched squeal. He can tell you what a duck, birdie, monkey, and dog says.

Peyton shows you where his belly and mouth are. He points to our eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.

Oh my word does this kid love 'driving' our cars. He drives us crazy wanting to grab our keys and go. :) He also loves running around outside, playing with chalk and crayons, and playing with anything involving water. He knocks Daddy's towers down quicker than Drew can build them and is a big fan of putting things in containers. If I give him a spoon and a bowl or pot he will cook with me which can be helpful. He loves balloons and helping with laundry and shoes. He tries to get them on himself but that still needs some work. :) This kids loves shooting his basketball and playing with his little tee-ball set. He was so proud of himself when he figured out how to twist things and not loves trying to screw lids on things. He has started to play with toy cars more and will occasionally make noises when he makes them go. Peyton loves when you clap for him and will often join it. He will watch you to make sure you are watching him and cheering appropriately.

My goober sure does love snuggling. The three of us watch Sesame Street in bed when he first wakes up. If he looks sleepy I will ask him if he wants to snuggle and he will either run to the couch or glider and pat it for me to sit down. He LOVES holding my hand, and hates being put down to sleep if he is still awake. sigh... we're working on it. He still plays with his hair (or mine if he can reach it) when he is sleepy. It just melts my heart.

Sure do love this boy!