14 months

My little man is over 14 months old now and he has changed like crazy in the past couple of months. He:

• can say several words including ball, banana, Diana, Brenda (his two favorite teachers), milk, water, thank you.  Also, signals like crazy (shaking his head no, pinching fingers for more, moving entire hand in a come hither motion when he wants food) even though we never taught him any actual sign language.
• has perfected the word "uh-oh" by making his mouth into the tiniest little O shape when he says the "oh" part.  This is unbelievably adorable.
• understands much of what we say.  He definitely responds when we ask him to come to us, give us something, or if he wants some milk or a banana.
• has started throwing temper tantrums.  I thought we had some time until the terrible twos.
• walks extremely well and kind of even runs sometimes.
• is in size 4 shoes and 18 month clothes.
• has FINALLY taken interest in books!  Mommy is celebrating!  He will pick up a book and then bring it to us and sit in our laps.   
• very, VERY fond of baths.  I once read that toddler bath time is like an episode of Wipe Out.  I've never seen the show but I think that sounds pretty accurate.
• is becoming much more independent.  He will wander off farther and farther away these days.
• likes sushi.  More Mommy rejoicing!
• is not a fan of meat.  Ryan wonders if this has anything to do with my extreme aversion to red meat while I was pregnant.
• LOVES Dairy Queen! 
• prefers to brush his own teeth even though we make him let us do the first pass.
• is becoming cuddly.  He never was as a baby but now he comes at us full tilt with arms out for some major bear hugs and snuggles.  
• rearranges the house.  We have found his cobbler mallet in one of my jewelry drawers, various toiletry items out in the main room and in my jewelry drawer, dirty shirts pulled out of the laundry and strewn about, and various toys in his pirate ship.
• thinks pivoting on his foot in circles is a really fun time.  This almost always ends in him getting dizzy and falling but he doesn't seem to mind.
• accompanies Daddy to 5 am Cross Fit often.  I hear from Ryan and the owners of the gym that he spends his time either repeating Dada loudly or sleeping peacefully to the blaring music.  
• likes to stick his fingers in my lip gloss.  See exhibit below.

Ryan and I:

• have realized that Copeland always wants several bites of our food even though it's the same as he is eating and even if he told us he was already full of his own food.  Ryan hasn't eaten an undisturbed breakfast in a couple months.
• don't even blink about eating stuff Copeland hands us.  Even if it might have been slightly chewed or squished.  We have reached a new low.
• continue to talk excessively about bodily functions:  "my he is pooping a lot lately!"; "I stepped in human poop today."; "he peed on me.";"Wow, look at that booger I dug out!"  I'm not proud but it's the real deal.
• love him more than words and couldn't imagine our lives without him.