Oden Adventures

The end of November brings our little man to 16 months old! He added 3 or 4 words to his vocabulary this month, "hot" and "choo choo" (for train) and many more gestures (vigorous head shakes for "no" to just about anything sounding like a question, for example) and signs to get his point across.  He identifies many body parts by pointing to them (eyes, nose, mouth, head, hair, ears, belly, toes...) and is starting to recognize specific animals in books.  He always reacts when he hears the (frequent because we're close to the Sacramento airport) airplanes overhead and raises his hand (his attempt at the airplane sign).

He thinks books are pretty much the greatest thing on earth and "encourages" you to read to him by grabbing your hand, pushing a book into it, and insisting you hold it and read it over...and over...and over...which is a little monotonous but awfully cute. 

We made the big transition to no longer nursing at night to sleep, but started a routine of milk-brush teeth-read book-pray-put him in bed with lion & blanket, and he took to it after only three nights of a little crying at first!  It was & is amazing! 

A few shots of our little rock star...