19 months

George is 19 months old today!

This month he's been mostly playing with Christmas presents and practicing walking

We rang in 2017 at our friend Carly's house party--George stayed up for the countdown and fireworks, but fell asleep on the couch soon after

We celebrated Richard's birthday with a day out in York! First stop, the National Rail Museum

We hadn't done their steam train ride before--it was really good!

Practicing his walking

The Mallard, the world record setter for fastest steam train

Stephenson's Rocket

After lunch, we went to York Brewery for a tour

George was really into it and watched the intro talk quietly on my lap--the tour guide said he'd never had such an attentive audience member, haha!

Birthday selfie on York's high street

Scones at Waitrose

He loved this waving kitty in a shop window at the York Designer Outlet mall--he saw it across the hallway and went straight over to it, laughing and waving both of his arms!

George is crazy about raisins--he loves opening and closing the little box, and it keeps him entertained for ages

I finally gave him a haircut. It was just a little trim, because I didn't want to change his look too much--it's just a bit tidier now at the back and sides

He's also still crazy about bananas

My little monkey baby

On inauguration day, I broke my January clean eating streak with an American treat--Five Guys burgers and fries. They do a grilled cheese sandwich, so I got one for George. He loved it!

He looks as anxious as I did that day, haha!

George has been really interested in getting dressed lately--he'll bring me his coat or hat or shoes and want me to help him put them on. He doesn't necessarily want to go outside--we've had a couple of crying incidents at the park lately where he doesn't want to be put down--but yesterday at home he walked around with his coat, hat and shoes on for hours!

The day after the Inauguration, we joined about 2,500 people in Leeds city centre, and millions more people around the world, for the women's march

It was so great to see such an amazing turnout! The atmosphere was really positive and it made me feel a lot better, after a very difficult evening Friday watching the Inauguration coverage.

Baby's first protest!

Leeds Central constituency MP Hilary Benn and the Labour party were on Briggate, too, campaigning to protect the NHS

The march did a little loop down to the BBC studio and then back up to Briggate--here we're walking past the new Victoria Gate shopping centre, with the new John Lewis

After the march and lunch, we stopped off at the library on the way home

Such an amazing building--I love these arches!

George was drawn to the computers, of course...

Last Sunday after church we went to Ilkley

The Caffe Nero there has toys--George was crazy about this train

George's walking has really improved this month! He took his first steps on Christmas day, and now he's toddling about all over the place with a lot more confidence. It's been a developmental leap all around, really, because his babbling is starting to have more words in it now, too--we think we've heard versions of tree, car, truck, mama and choo-choo, adding to his repertoire of hello, uh oh, kitty and dada. He's pointing and shaking/nodding his head, too, which really helps get his ideas across!

Along with that development, there's also been some new challenges. He's started to act like a proper little toddler now--crying when he doesn't get his way, laughing when he does something we're telling him not to do, etc. His mood can shift instantly, too--in both directions.  Those cute pics at Caffe Nero with the train, for instance, were taken just minutes after a full-on meltdown. Most of the time, he's lovely, and it's been really fun to see him change and develop--he's just keeping us on our toes!

Firsts this month:
First brewery tour
First U.S. Presidential Inauguration
First grilled cheese sandwich
First protest march