17 Months Old

Gunner is keeping us busy! We had our first "parent-teacher" conference a few weeks ago. The feedback was that he is very advanced on his gross motor skills (climbing, running, jumping, and generally scaring the heck out of us). He has a lot more energy that most of the kids and he eats A LOT more than the other kids. The rules of the Child Development Center (CDC) where he goes include that kids will get two servings of food maximum. But, they also say, "never let a kid go hungry." Gunner's teacher didn't know what to do with that conflict so he eats three servings every meal! But, he's still on the small side because he burns it all off with the climbing, running, jumping, etc. So, we're very busy!

He's famous at the CDC (and at home) for his hugs. He loves to hug people...anyone! At the store, in the mall, you name it, he'll run up to any stranger and give them a hug. A few weeks ago we were at Wal-mart and Gunner kept smiling and grinning at the guy working behind the desk at Customer Service. Then, Gunner tried to go around and see the guy. The girl working there said, "Aww, he wants to see you. You should go around to the front." So, the man walked around and Gunner put his arms out to let the man pick him up. The girl working there said, "He really needed that today." We eventually left the store. One week later, we were back at Wal-mart and the girl at Customer service recognized Gunner. She stopped us and said,"That day that your son gave John a hug was the best thing ever. His wife had just died and he really needed that." That made us feel good that we had such a friendly kid! He's awesome.

He's babbling like crazy but still just says the same few words: Fish, Shoes, Juice, etc, but he knows what we're saying. It's just a matter of time...

That's all for now!