17 months

Mason is 17 months and is already full of personality and energy. We are amazed daily at what this little boy can do. He is the funniest and most frustrating thing I've ever experienced. I can be so mad at him for continuing to stand on his chair after I've told him 5 times to sit down...and then he will turn around and do the funniest thing that I'm biting my lip and turning away, trying to quickly gain my composure and to not let him see me laugh. It's so hard to not laugh at him sometimes. GAH!

His vocabulary grows every day, I swear. Some of his newest words are:

mine (everything is mine these days!)
get down
please
all done
cool dude (and points his fingers while saying it)
water
more
snow
up
down
help
out (from us telling the dog to get out, LOL)
baby (what he calls his blanket)
hi
bye
book
apple
nose
eyes
ears

He can sign milk, more, again, please and all done. He can point to his nose, ears, eyes and mouth when asked. When we are rocking or he's sitting in my lap, he loves to point to my nose and say nose over and over again. When you ask him to wink, he scrunches his entire face up. It's probably the cutest thing ever :) When we ask him to get "brown bear brown bear" or another one of his favorite books, he knows exactly which book we are talking about and will go and grab it. He will answer most questions you ask him with yes or no. He knows what bath, potty, change diapers, hungry and bed mean and will go towards these rooms when we say them.

He just amazes me. I can't believe how fast he's grown up and how much he understands. He loves to copy everything we do and say, he's like a little mini-me. But Joe and I really have had to pay attention to what we say and do now. The other day, Joe had a rolled up piece of paper and tapped Shiloh on the back/butt as she walked by him as he sat on the couch. Before we know it, Mason is taking his toy and trying to hit her with it. In his eyes, he was copying Daddy...even though Joe meant it as a loving gesture, Mason's too young to understand the difference. It's crazy and slightly nerve-wracking trying to set a good example for him. Hopefully we don't screw him up too badly ;p

This little boy is going to test our patience though...he has no fear and is constantly pushing us to see how far he can go or what he can get away with. He is going to keep us on our toes and up at night for many years to come, I just know it. He got both of his parents stubbornness and his mama's short fuse. But I wouldn't trade him for anything. He is my world and the best thing I ever did. Ever.