Happy Birthdays!

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband!!
And Happy 17 months to my wonderful son!
Ryan at 17 months
There is some truth to the terrible twos starting early. I can think of a few other blogging Mommies who would agree that 17 months is pretty hellish in toddler world!
For the most part, Ryan is a happy, easy going little guy, but the slightest things can and do set him off! Fortunately, his tantrums are short - as soon as he realizes he isn't getting any attention from it he usually stops. Of course, he throws them in the worst possible places - Barnes and Noble and our driveway being his 2 favorites (how does ashphalt taste little man?).
The most common sources for tantrums are:
- being told NO to another snack. Seriosuly, now that he acn open the cabinet where the food is (and not just at our house, but at his grandparents as well) he thinks it's all snacks all the time!
- not being allowed to run free in the driveway and being forced to hold mommy's hand. I know, I must have girl cooties now !
- being told that Elmo is just not on right now. Either because he isn't or because mommy can't handle another round of songs to the tune of Jingle Bells. I did, however, impress my in laws by knowing the jumping song in it's entirety. No one ever said they were brilliant!
Other than the tantrums, it has been a good month.
Oh, and the new idea that all green vegetables must die. That is not fun either! Actually, in the last 2 weeks it has become any tyoe of veggie, regardless of color. We don't discriminate in our house!
I am only slightly concerned about his reluctance to eat veggies. He eats plenty of fruit and gets tomatoes in the form of sauce at least twice a week. I am getting frustrated with throwing out veggies every night. I guess we will just keep offering them and hope he starts eating them again!
He also will only eat ground beef. Doesn't matter how it is cooked - meatballs, meatloaf, burgers - he eats them all. No chicken, fish, or pork though....
Developmentally he is doing GREAT! Another language explosion this month has him learning 2-3 new words a day! I love it! This week's big words have been:
Apple - which he says perfectly
Snow (shnow)
Hot Dog (hot dod)
Hide
Mushroom (mushim - which he loves oddly enough)
and most exciting - he has begun to put 2 words together! It is not a consistent behavior, but we are getting there! He is such a little chatter box!
Sleep is good. Ryan now sleeps well at nap time and at night - thank the Lord, I have no idea how I would handle a newborn and a poor sleeping toddler!
Ryan still enjoys playing with all his Little People, but now he actually makes them do things and doesn't just walk around with them. He also enjoys coloring - for about 2 minutes at a time! He is pretty content to sit in the corner and "read" his books for a solid 15 minutes some days. He is a very independant player, which surprises me since he has a steady supply of playmates at the sitter's.
What else?
Oh we have moved the potty seat into the bathroom. Not in an attempt to begin training him, but because I want him to get used to it AND because he has started to tell us when he has gone, or occasionally right before he goes. Ryan loves to sit on it fully clothed, but not naked yet :)
He did figure out this morning that he can make it play the royal fanfare by sticking his foot in the bowl! Not gross yet, since he hasn't used it yet, but that could get pretty yucky!
So all in all, 17 months is fun! Tantrums and all! Ohm and he has been (knock on wood) VERY healthy! One little cold so far since Christmas - I really can't complain!