Happy 17 Months Troy!
As always, these months pass by so quickly! You seem so grown up these days . . . especially with your walking (and almost running!). You have definitely become a good walker, and have fun exploring everything. One of your favorite things to do is to pull all my things out of the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen, particularly if I’m in there cooking. 
You continue to jabber up a storm. You are saying a lot of words, but you also say a lot of things that we don’t understand. I can’t wait to know what you are saying! We’ve had many people comment about how much you talk and how expressive you are. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to get you to stop talking at times we need you to be quiet . . . like at worship service. But you’ll learn soon enough!
You’ve always been fairly clingy (although you will go see your friends and family you are used to being around), but this month you’ve really started crying or fussing more when someone walks out of the room (whether that is me, your dad, Ella, or even your friends).
You love throwing things, whether that be a ball, your milk cup, a book, or your food. We have been working really hard at teaching you not to throw your food, but apparently you think the reward of the fun of throwing the food is still worth the punishment. 
You are starting to get pretty good at following directions that are a little more complex. For example, you can take your diaper to the trash can now. Granted, you oftentimes want to take it out immediately after putting it in there, but you can put it in!
This isn’t new this month, but you look a lot like your dad (now and when he was a baby). You are such a mini-me of him, and I love it! 
You love clapping. Ella has a music box that plays songs, and one of the songs is “If you are happy and you know it.” You’ll clap anytime the song comes on. You’ll also carry the music box around and say “clap, clap.”
Signs you do: more, finished, milk, hungry, thank you, please, thirsty, sleepy, bath (that’s your new favorite sign, ha!)
Words you say: bye, ball, Bible, bottle, bite, book, blue, mama, dada, Ella, “eeses” (Reeses, our dog), “ah-ee” (Ali, our other dog), Lucy (grandparent’s dog), “anks” (thanks), “ank oo” (thank you), “ish” (fish), “inished” (finished), duck, “ootball” (football), hut (as in football), basketball, RhuRhu (grandma), Gigi (grandma), hey, hi, down, up, uh-uh, “eese” (please"), play, ready, “gup” (cup), “gra” (cracker), cat, slide, Bailey (a friend), Katy (a friend), Ashy (a friend), trash, clap. I also think you say something that sounds like “what’s that?”
Animal noises you make: chicken and I think duck
Body parts you can identify: nose, eyes, mouth
Favorite foods: banana and beans, and then I don’t know what else. You eat a ton of different stuff, but half the time something you gobbled up the day before, you won’t touch the next day. It can make it very tough figuring out what to feed you!
Favorite activities: walking (and almost running!) and exploring everything, especially following Ella or chasing a dog; reading books; watching Blue’s Clues; taking baths; playing with balls (you love to throw any kind of ball); playing outside; playing with toys, especially talking on the phone or putting things over your head; trying get any electronics or drinks you can spot.
