Baby Rylan,
Yes. You're 16 months old, but we still call you "Baby Rylan." We really will eventually drop the "baby" part. :)
You have been busy this past year getting cuter than ever. You charm people with a smile and a wave wherever we go. (On vacation, we had at least 20 people offer to kidnap you after you smiled at them). You have also developed quite the attitude over the past few months. When you don't get what you want, you throw your head back, and it usually propels you all the way to the floor. Your other defiant act is to bend forward in the start of a somersault while crying, after which you collapse to the floor. You also enjoy slamming your head back in your high chair and throwing things while making mean sounds if we offer you a food that you no longer want. The experts say that toddlers throw fits because they can't communicate what they want in words yet, so hopefully your dramatic self-destruction won't be permanently damaging to your head while we wait for the communication piece to fall into place. ;)
You do say a few words now, even though "Dada" and "Mama" was your entire vocabulary until recently. Here are some words you've added: "shoes," "sandals," "juice/drink," "truck," "Ppp-Ppp-Ppp" (for Poppy), "no no no no" (when Mason is starting to take something from you), and "boof" (for food- while signing the word "please"). You can also repeat a few other words on demand....sort of.
Since birth, your hair has gone from black to very blonde. More than one person has mentioned that you look like a little surfer. If you've just had a bath or if it's humid or rainy outside, your hair is curly; otherwise, it's silky and pretty straight now. You stayed at or below the 3rd percentile for weight during your first year of life, but now that you're 16 months old, I think you're finally gaining more weight. You eat a LOT- more than Mason most days. You aren't necessarily a picky eater until you decide mid-meal that you no longer want something. There's no rhyme or reason to what you'll eat one day and won't eat the next.
You love steering wheels, trucks, tools, lawn mowers, climbing, and following Mason. You want to play with whatever he's playing with and drink out of whatever cup he's drinking out of. Sometimes you like to hear books, but your attention span is naturally very short. You will cuddle with anyone who has your special baseball blankey from Grandma on their shoulder or lap. You blow kisses when you are ready to go to sleep and I'm holding you. A lot of the time, you want Daddy if he's at home, but there are certain times where Mommy is the only one you will allow to soothe you - especially at night. I have loved these 16 months with you and have had fun watching you grow, learn, and play.
You are wild and you are sweet. I love you.