Seventeen Months

Jeremy is seventeen months. A toddler who only wants to run with the big kids, but still loves his pacifier (in private) and snuggling with his mommies at every chance.

Jeremy is loving the sun, now that it decided to show its face. He aches to go outside, even before he is dressed in the morning, and would spend every sunlit moment in the garden if he had his druthers. Today, we went to Silverado Landscaping to look at pavers and flagstone. Jeremy was thrilled to be among the rock and brick and, of course, the fountains. At one point, he plucked a smooth, freckled river rock out of a palette and hung onto it like a trophy, all the while fingering and fondling the quartzite, the cobbles and the slate. Truly, he was happier there, browsing among the palettes on the sunny dusty lot, than he has been at amusement parks like Fairytale Town.

Indeed, Jeremy prefers the real world to toys. I recently overheard half of a conversation among parents of Montesorri preschoolers, and they were referencing something called "practical life." I imagine those are the projects that would captivate Jeremy. If I had to name ten things that bring him the most joy right now, the list would include:

• Anything with bristles (bottle brushes, paint brushes, toothbrushes, brooms, hair brushes)
  The vacuum
• Anything related to water (faucets, fountains, bathtubs, hoses, sprinklers, puddles)
• Anything with four legs (especially cats & dogs)
• Flowers (how they smell and how they feel)
• Soft blankets
• Cuddling cheek to cheek with his mommies
• Music
• Playing with himself (sorry if that is too much information!)
• Being outdoors (at the park, on the grass, in the bushes, in the jog stroller)

Jeremy isn't using too many recognizable words yet, but it is impressive what he understands. I think he understands more than we give him credit for, AND more than he lets on! He also uses alot of words we don't understand. And every now then he'll shock us with some new English word completely in context. Today, he climbed up on my back, and yelled, "go!" He also has a regular repertoire of funny utterances (I don't know where he learned these), like:

• "Wow"
• "Uh-oh" usually when he drops things
• "Mmmm" after eating something yummy like ice cream
• "Aaaaaaa" after taking a satisfying gulp of cold water
• "Yeah" (even though he probably should say "yes," we are glad he hasn't yet learned "no")

He also walks up to the dogs, throws his arm down, and yells something that sounds like "stay!"

His favorite books at the moment are:

• Very Busy Spider
• The Lorax, by Dr. Suess
• Shades of Black
• Good Nite Gorilla
• Water Water Everywhere

He is still addicted to the Sound of Music, and has developed affection for Pingu.

Regarding food, his menu is as short as that at a prix fixe restaurant. Luckily, he doesn't tire of his daily quiche, chicken nuggets, yogurt, oat cereal squares and cheese. Every now and then he will swallow a pea or carrot slice if it is nicely seasoned, Chinese style. Or beans, Mexican style. Unless he is really tired, he prefers to self feed. He especially digs practicing his spoon skills with a dish of Dreyer's vanilla bean ice cream.

Jeremy enjoys his school days as much as his days with his mommies. On Saturdays, when his mommies take Frenchie and Rizzo to the doggie college at 4PawsU, Jeremy plays in the park and feeds the ducks, usually with his Auntie Trish. Regardless of where he is at, a good day in his view is when he gets really dirty. He counts on his mommies to keep his busy social calendar organized.