17 months

My sweet Mr. O is 17 months old. Wow.
I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed and surprised at how quickly time is passing. There has been a shift in the last few weeks and when I look at him I don't see a baby anymore. He's very much a toddler. He took his first steps just shy of 15 months and by 16 months he was walking all over the place. We went to the library last month and I let him walk from the car to the door. It was so surreal to be walking with my boy holding onto my hand. It was one of those mommy moments that you realize you had dreamed of when you were thinking of what it would be like to have a child.

Walking has really opened up a whole new world. Playing outside is now a fun option. He wakes up just about every morning with an "outside?" while pointing to the window. I just found a sand & water table at a thrift store and he's having a blast splashing and raking. He's loving his independence and will rarely allow me to hold his hand. This can be a problem while in a store or near a road so he gets one chance to hold on and then it's into the cart/stroller he goes.

His language and comprehension blow me away daily. He might have been a little slow hitting his gross motor milestones but his verbal skills are coming along nicely. Anyone who knows me is not surprised by this because I'm a bit of a chatterbox. He can tell you most of his body parts and being a boy I bet you can guess which one is his favorite! I think we're nearing 100 words that he says clearly.

O has been very interested in animals lately and we're having a great time visiting the local farm. We stop by at least once a week to say hello to the sheep, ducks, cows, goats and bunnies. I keep waiting for O to climb into the sheep pen because he looks like he really wants to get in there with them.

As for me, I'm still just loving every minute of this mom thing. There are moments that I think my heart is going to burst open. O will be just about to fall asleep and he'll lean over and give me a kiss unprompted. Bliss :)

Then there are moments of frustration and annoyance. I'm not too thrilled and blissful when he dumps his just made dinner all over the floor or simply refuses to settle down for a nap. It's not all giggles and sunshine when he's pelting with me apple slices as I bend over to pick up cheerios. Ok, that time was funny.

So far this single mother thing isn't so bad. There honestly hasn't been one minute of regret or wishing that I had a partner. That may change when this sweet little boy is a not so sweet teenager. I'll let you know.