From walking to running

Now that Andrew has perfected the art of walking, it is like he is seeing the world through different eyes. We go for more walks without the stroller, he wants to spend less time on Mama's hip (which is great news for my back), and he is picking up his speed and learning to run. I had to laugh to myself today when we were going for a walk around the block. It takes a long time for us to walk because he has to stop an investigate every little thing. He picks up a lot of treasures along the way such as an acorn, a stick, a penny, a shiny candy wrapper, a sunglasses lens, etc. Of course he only has two hands, though, so when he comes across a third treasure from our walk you can see in his mind he is weighing his options: 'if I let go of the stick, but keep the acorn, then I can have the shiny candy wrapper. Hmmm...is it worth it?' I just love this little guy!

We went to the zoo today and it honestly was not a big hit with Andrew. I'd point out animals to him and wouldn't even get a reaction. But he did enjoy running through trails and hallways, and occasionally helping me push his stroller:














At the petting zoo, Andrew was neither afraid nor excited. He just stood there while the goats approached him, hoping for some affection














The only thing that caught his attention in the whole aquarium was the starfish. He had to look at it from all different angles.



















One activity he has been enjoying more is reading. He loves to turn the pages of his board books while speaking gibberish. So cute!



















We showed up a little early to story time at the East Grand Rapids Library, so we went out on their deck for a while. He loved it!







































And finally he is learning to brush his own teeth, thanks to berry flavored toothpaste :)

16 months

Here is what is going on with Andrew at the age of 16 months:
-he is down to one nap
-he has 6 teeth
-he is able to repeat sounds, but no actual words
-spinning wheels continues to be one of his favorite activities, though now he enjoys rolling and throwing balls
-he can climb up the stairs

Andrew enjoying a lollipop














taking everything out of the pantry and rolling it across the floor



















playing in the sprinkler



















We went to Millennium Park with my sister and her family. Andrew's cousin, Daniel, was nice enough to share some of his sandwich














Andrew just took off at the splash pad and didn't even look back. Once again he is drawn to a water toy that spins!