Hunter is 16 months!

So today Hunter turns 16 months old. WOW! It's funny how time has flown, and how I hardly remember what it was like to have just Gabe toddling around. It was exactly 2 years ago this week that Cory and I found out we were going to be welcoming Hunter into our family. I'll be honest and say that we hadn't exactly "planned" to have another little one enter our home so quickly after Gabe (Gabe was 16 months when we found out Hunter would be joining us) - but we were thrilled. I don't think we really knew what we were in for - and maybe that was a good thing at the time :)

Since then we have luckily adjusted to the idea, and love this little piece of joy and energy. We get comments all the time about how happy Hunter seems to be - and really - he is a pretty happy kid. He loves smiling and cheesing it for the camera too. These pictures are from our Thanksgiving weekend. On Thanksgiving Day Hunter was posing for the camera almost non-stop. He was so funny and was even saying cheese if he saw me with my camera.

Hunter loves music, loves to dance, loves to play with Gabe and actually plays on his own really well too. He can be found in his room or in the playroom surrounded by toys - just kind of lost in his own world.

He has been trying to sing lately, and trying so hard to talk. This stage where they know exactly what they want, and struggle to tell you is such a hard stage - so much frustration from these little guys. A lot of his words sound the same (like Da or Ga) - but his pronunciation of them differs, and we can generally tell what he's wanting. Sadly he enjoys watching TV or movies (sadly because I don't want another tv addict - but nice because it does entertain him for a moment when I hop in the shower) and gets VERY excited at the idea of chatting with people on the web-cam (particularly grandma's and grandpa's!).

Hunter loves animals, and is discovering their noises. His growl for a bear and lion are pretty fierce and he loves to make the santa noises too (which he does with his whole body - he shakes and laughs). He is also discovering his body parts and is pretty sure that most of them are his eyes and hair. Oh - and a funny thing - he has started actually blowing his nose with help this week! (Gabe just figured that out like a month ago - and still does it with help)

Recently Hunter has enjoyed story time more and more. I love when he brings me books and starts patting my lap and wanting to get up to read. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a child get excited about reading and books.

Hunter has also started climbing like a monkey. Yesterday I would constantly find him screaming and 1/2 stuck on a bar-stool or kitchen chair or stool. He'd get part way up and then not know what to do and just hang there screaming - supported only by his tummy. He tries climbing on EVERYTHING and gets into a lot of trouble. He even figured out how to push a bar-stool over to the pantry and try getting into things yesterday. We are in for some big messes I think. I am continually telling Cory I need him to put more child locks on the drawers - but he refuses to put them on all the drawers. So I am constantly cleaning up kitchen towels, glue sticks, sandwhich baggies, phone-books, etc. Lots of fun.

One of my biggest frustrations with Hunter right now are his eating habits. He is such a stinker when it comes to eating - which is frustrating because he was my good eater up until recently. He loves drinking milk - so he has carnation instant breakfast for his breakfast most mornings - but the rest of the meals are pretty much a joke. He doesn't want to be fed - insists on feeding himself. He makes the BIGGEST messes, and really needs a bath after every meal. Most of the time I'm wishing that he would get nourishment by osmosis - since he's wearing more than he eats. So any advice for toddler friendly meals - I'd appreciate it. Finger food ideas wanted. He still doesn't have any molars - so they have to be pretty easy-to-chew foods too.

Well that's our little Hunter in a nut-shell. I am so grateful that he's in our family and that I have his hugs and kisses to get me through tough days. He is such a blessing!