Butterflies and Pumpkins! 16 month update.

 Brady is now 16 months old! Yipee! Time keeps flying, and he is growing so fast! We just came back from our 15 month *at 16 month's old* appointment. He is right under 50 percent for height. And he has chunked up nicely. At one point he was around 10 percent body plumpness. Today, he is right under 50 percent. Which, I am happy about, because he has been refusing to eat lately. The doctor told me it was normal at his age to not want to eat as much. One for his sense of independence, psychologically he is making his own choices. And also physically, as he hits growth spurts he will want to eat a bunch more... and then level out again. She said to keep on doing what I am doing, offering him food, but if he doesn't want it not to force it. But to be careful not to make a game of it with him. She wanted to make sure he was still drinking, which he is... He gets 18-24 ounces of the fancy DHA organic milk. Maybe once he drinks 1 percent milk, I'll switch over to organic with him. It is funny, how much I care what goes into his body, but I don't care as much, when it comes to me.

Physically, Brady is a runner. Sometimes too fast. I worry about him darting into danger. Yesterday, he ran two laps around Navarre Park's little water fountain area. It is pretty funny, because he yells like a cave man as he runs. He is practicing jumping. It is pretty cute how he tries to jump. He bends down and arches his back in an attempt, as he hurls himself up, but he usually falls on his butt. He will master jumping soon haha.

Words he likes to say:
 Hi, Bye-Bye, "turtil" turtle, "mooo(quiet n)" moon, "ti tat" kitty cat, "day dah" daisy dog (he says this for every dog) "suu" shoe, "buhbuh" butterfly, "han" hand, eye, no-no-no-no, "noa" nose, ball, car (says it like he is from Boston haha,) "bah-oo" balloon, "meyl" milk, "bey-ah" bear, "melmo" Elmo, "meh-ma" Mickey Mouse, Night Night, "ah ah ah" for Monkey... trying to say ooh ooh ahh ahh, "ROAR" for anything that looks like it would roar... monsters, tigers, lions..."tickey tickey" tickle tickle, "ish" fish, "ber" for anything flying in the sky, including helicopters/planes (trying to say bird), and of course mama and dada. There is a lot more words he attempts to say... but these words are his favorite.

It is frustrating, because he speaks SO much at home, but as soon as a stranger talks to him, he becomes very shy and usually stares at them clinging to me. I told the doctor this while we were chit chatting/taking down his growth stats. She said that him being quiet and reserved with others is totally normal, and it is good that he isn't social with strangers, for the obvious. So I was glad to hear that he is completely on track.

Anyways, that is his 16 month appointment update! If you'd like to view the extended photos below there they are! I put a mini album up on facebook.

We went to Navarre Park for their butterfly festival. Brady released two butterflies. One of them had a marker on it (the monarch butterfly... which we weren't able to get a picture of... that butterfly flew away faster than Victor was able to get a picture of it.) Hopefully, our butterfly makes its way to Mexico, and we will get an email update on it!

Releasing a butterfly. Not the one the one that is marked.

Showing me the butterflies.

Pointing to a butterfly.

Here is a monarch butterfly. This butterfly is the type he released with the tag on its wings. Cross your fingers we get a postcard from our butterfly, sipping on a margarita in Mexico.

One of the words he can say is turtle. We often see sea turtles in Navarre and turtles in the little fountain area at Navarre Park. I wanted to get a picture of this freak of nature. He isn't too sure about the alien looking turtle! Heck, I don't blame him... look at it! hahaha

We drove almost all the way up to Alabama to pick some pumpkins. He LOVED playing in the corn. He went insane in there! I won't even tell you how many corn kernels were in his diaper hahaha!

I love his toddler feet! They are the cutest! The corn must have felt nice and cool on that hot Florida day!

Climbing over all of the other children! He was silly and trying to put corn in their mouths! He loves to feed friends and family.

He is straight up terrified! I thought he would enjoy it, because he loves slides! Not so much...

Boo at the zoo!

Watching the birds and trying to get them to eat off of his bird feeding stick!

He had a lot of compliments on his costume! Lots of people asked to take photos of his cuteness in his parrot costume! The reason he is a parrot, for those wondering, is that Victor and myself are pirates for Halloween. I wanted to have a family theme. Last year, he was a bumblebee with me.

Baby Alligator!!!

Playing in the foam pit! Before a ton of kids showed up!

Hanging out with his friends the parrots! He had a lot of people take photos of him here! He is a cutie!

He is hesitant of something around the corner. Here he is hiding in between his dad's legs.

 

I am mean... I know ;)

In a Hay Maze. That I cheated on...

Baby lion! So sweet. I think the lion is about 9 weeks old in this picture.

Where all tormenting parrots belong, in a cage!

Too bad he enjoyed it... He kept on shutting the door on me, when I opened it to get him out!

Isn't her face awesome! Her baby gorilla was sleeping in the shade. I didn't get any photos of it, but it was amazing to see the gorilla walk on all fours to her baby gorilla, as we were leaving and cuddle in with her. Sweetest thing I have seen in a long time.

Helping us carve pumpkins. I will have to say, carving pumpkins with a toddler is not fun. Everything I do now has to be done quickly. And pumpkin carving... well, it isn't something that can be done quickly. Hopefully, next year he will be interested in the pumpkin for more than two minutes. And we can enjoy the pumpkin guts.