1 1/2 Years Old!

Well, this little chunk of love turned 1 1/2 years old today!  Where has the time gone?!  I honestly feel like Emmett's entire life has just flown by in a flurry of family activity and chaos, but I guess that is what happens with a fourth child.  Although there are some definite baby qualities left in Emmett, he is definitely turning into a toddler.  He is so BUSY!  When he is awake, Emmett is just nonstop.  He runs wherever he goes and he makes messes wherever he goes.  Much like a tornado, he leaves a path of destruction behind him wherever he wanders in the house.  It's not my favorite phase, but I know that it won't last forever.  Emmett has also become such a chunky, big baby.  There is nothing petite or fragile about him.  He really is developing a strong personality that can and cannot be funny depending on the situation.  He has started throwing little tantrums when he doesn't get something he wants or is not happy with the situation.  In fact, he will often times intentionally sit down and cry on the ground when he refuses to do something that we want him to do.  He has gotten really good at walking down stairs although we are still not super comfortable with him doing this alone.  Often times, he will just make a run for the stairs when he wants to go downstairs when we are not there to hold his hand or carry him down.  He also has learned how to turn around onto his stomach and slide off a bed when he wants to get down.  Emmett also loves to climb on top of the kitchen or dining room table when we are not looking and can be found just sitting up there playing with something when we come into the room.  Needless to say, it gives me quite a scare every time I see him sitting there.  Emmett has definitely chosen his favorite baby blanket (a white one with yellow and grey arrows on it) and he has started wrapping it around his head and neck as his way of cuddling it.  He can be found doing this both in his crib and also when walking around the house with it.  We all think that it is the cutest thing.  A not so cute thing that he has started doing is biting all of us.  Emmett tends to bite Ella and Logan the most since they are the shortest and closest to his level, but he also has bit Lia, Ron, and me several times while we are holding him.  Although he gets scolded and knows that this is wrong, he still bites us from time to time which definitely shows a mischievous side of his personality.  Ron keeps on telling me that Emmett is going to be our toughest child.  I am trying to remain optimistic, but time will only tell...

Emmett's favorite thing to say right now is "What's this?"  He points to things and says "What's this?" all the time.  He also has started doing this to pictures in books when I am reading to him.  His other favorite word is "uh oh" which he also says all the time.  He likes to do something on purpose (like drop a toy) and then say "uh oh" afterwards.  Such a silly boy.  He really didn't learn to say a lot of new words this month in comparison to other months, but he did learn eat, cookie, and rahr (like a lion).  He does understand a lot of what we say to him and can follow directions when we ask him to do something a lot of the time.  He also really enjoys playing with toys and can be found playing with a toy or carrying one around with him most of the day.  Emmett continues to eat a ton of food every meal and is not picky at all.  He eats anything we give him or put on his high chair tray.  He also is still in the process of outgrowing one of his two naps.  Some days, he will take both a morning and afternoon nap and other days he will not fall asleep when I put him down for his second nap.  The one nice thing about this is that we can now go on a summer outing in the afternoon after he takes a morning nap and not have to worry about rushing home in time for him to take his second nap which really helps with having three older children.  

Overall, we all just love our baby Emmett.  He is just the cutest, chunkiest, sweetest thing around and we all just can't get enough of him!

A picture of Emmett playing on the piano while I was trying to get a good, 18-month photo of him.  Playing the piano is one of his favorite things to do right now whenever he is wandering around the main floor of our house.