Hutch Marshall - 19 months

Yep, I missed a month. The boy's one-and-a-half-year birthday, to be exact. But we were celebrating in high style at the beach, so there's that excuse. Speaking of the beach, Hutch LOVED it! He yelled wa-doo!!! at the ocean and especially loved to go in with his daddy. He even loved the sand. Due to his distaste about grass on his feet (and sometimes he is even tentative about walking on it with shoes on, like he might still be able to feel it), I figured the sand would be a no-go. Glad I was wrong! He especially loved having snacks on the beach, and he was quick to tell us when he was done with the sand and sun, or wanted a full meal. One morning he clearly stated, "All done. (complete with sign language) Outside. House." Translation: hey people, I am ALL DONE being outside. Take me to the beach house! He did not love the airplane rides so much and wiggled, squirmed and kicked us all the way there and back. i think he slept for a total of 15 minutes roundtrip. He also removed every paper and item in all the seat-back compartments and unlatched the tray tables 342 times. The best part was when a stewardess walked by and he gently reached up and patted her hip!!! When she walked by later, I was laughing through tears and told her I wanted to be sure she knew it was a cute 18 month old, not a creepy old man (or Jordan!), who was touching her.

Hutch is also turning into a little water baby. He loves to be in the pool and wants to do everything sister does, including jump off the side and a few times off the diving board (he does have to be holding your hands at all times, though). He's so brave, but also scares himself sometimes. :)

He's continuing to do well with his glasses, although he has learned how to pop out the lenses and recently hid one from me in a secret compartment of his carseat. And of course scratched it AAALLLL up in the process. 

We had our first bout with Hand, Foot, Mouth. Thankfully, brother fared better than his poor sister. Even though they were under the weather, we had a fun Fourth of July with a little swimming and our annual trip to the Quail Creek parade, where Hutch yelled "goggies!! tucks!! cars!!" the whole time. He pretty much stood in the street, in the parade the whole time. 

His talking continues to amaze me. At his 18 month appointment, our ped said most kids his age say between 10 and 12 words. I estimate my smarty pants at 75 to 100, complete with lots of two-word, some three-word and a few four-word phrases. At his appointment, he was in the 40th percentile for weight, 18th for height :) and remains in the 85th for head. Lots o' brains in there.

Weight:  24 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• Oh the words ... he says "welcome" instead of thank you, which makes me laugh every. single. time. He often says it on his own, but he'll also say it when we ask him to say thank you. He says "hop hop" for flip flops and continues to obsess about his shoes. Pointing at me and saying, "Mama, a-boo," which means he wants to play peek-a-boo. Calling Jordan boo-daddy. I don't even know. He points at the stove and says "hot" and also anything on his plate/tray that might be hot. He also says hot when he means cold. He also says pa-da (pasta), o-rry (sorry), no-nut (donut), mote (remote), bug (usually followed by daddy? which means "did daddy kill the bug?"), kitty, meow, ah-side (outside, or inside), Mammy, Mama, Nanny or Ling Ling for Grammie, and lots lots lots more.
• Injuring his momma. Today I am nursing an eye wound, inflicted by my dear son's fingernail. I have to wear a protective contact for at least 2 days, visit my optometrist so he can look at the wound and change out the contact for the next two mornings, and put in hourly saline drops and antibiotic drops. Sure is a good thing he's cute. 
• More running. He's SO FAST.
• Climbing on chairs to turn light switches on and off. Climbing on anything, really. I found him on the kitchen table the other day.
• I am constantly finding random toys, sippy cups and other items in the garage because a certain someone likes to put things out the cat door. 
• Swimming like a little fish, in a life jacket mind you. He kicks his legs when we ask him to, rolls over on his back, floats on his back and will blow bubbles in the water. I hope all this means swimming lessons will go well. 
• Still more teeth. Top canines are in and bottom soon to follow.
• Going to time out. Sometimes he will even stay in his little orange chair.
• Calling his favorite books by name ... in addition to Go Dog, he likes Moon (Goodnight Moon)/ 
• Singing Let it Go. "Goooooooooo, goooooooooo!" Hilarious. He can also name all major Frozen characters - Elsa, Anna and Olaf. He calls Mickey Mouse, and really any cartoons, Hot Dog.
• Twirling. Thank you, big sister.
• Telling us when he poops. 

Likes: 

• Calling roll, especially in the car when he can't see all of us. Daddy? Mommy? Addie? All at the top of his lungs.
• Shoes. Especially his hop hops. Mostly because it means he will likely be going bye bye. At the doctor's office now instead of yelling "bye" he yells "shoos!" because he thinks once he puts them on, he can leave. he also just loves wearing his hop hops around the house.
• Playing with sister's kitchen.
• Eating a big-kid vitamin like sister (listen I'm just lazy and was tired of the liquid vitamins and having to buy two different kinds. there, I said it), and then standing on the big kid stool to have his hair and teeth brushed. He asks for "amin?" in the mornings. 
• Eating. Carbs in particular. Pancakes, toast, pasta, pita bread. 
• Getting in mommy's bed in the morning with Addie to drink milk and watch "Hot Dog."
• Chasing Lola with all manner of toys or push cars and laughing hysterically.
• Going to the library, especially if his friends will be there.
• Being with Addie. All the time. And asking where she is if she's not in sight. 
• Going to school. He always hugs his teachers :) And they say he is super easy and quiet. Who is this kid??? They also very easily got him to nap on his nap mat. 
• Sleeping when he's tired. He will clearly ask for night-night, bankie and paci when he's ready for bed. Though we're trying to limit paci to sleep times only, it doesn't always work out that way ...
• Playing outside, especially when he can "dive" his car or go in his wa-goo 
• Finding belly buttons and giving hot boxes
• Wearing his mama out. I swear this kid has so much energy.

Dislikes:

• Time out.
• Being away from sister.
• Being held down or forced to be still for any reason.
• Slowing down.

Hutch Marshall - 17 months

Liiiitle behind on this one. It's been a crazy month. My sweet boy has adjusted so well to his new glasses. Other than the first day (on which I told Jordan Hutch would just have to be blind because I could not force him to wear them ... I believe I put them back on 2,345 times) he has done great. He even asks for them when he wakes up or after his bath. And he says "gasses" all the time and notices all other people who wear them, too. I keep getting the question of whether they are helping him ... and my answer is I guess. I haven't noticed a major change in his actual vision ... he looks at books constantly, which he was doing before the glasses, but he does seem more confident in his walking/climbing. He's less fussy and cranky, particularly in the evenings. And he is sleeping like a baby who loves sleep. So all that to say, yes, I think we've seen huge strides in temperament and behavior ... I think he was working so hard to see that it was making my guy cranky about all other things.

So, yes, sleeping. Most nights all night. In his own bed. I don't even know who this kid is y'all.

He also had new tubes put in and adenoids removed after an insane stint with lots of infections when the old ones were no longer working. Surgery was pretty easy, as was recovery. About 10 days afterward, he had fever of 103-104 for a few days and the word "pneumonia" came back to haunt us ... but thankfully it turned out to be a viral throat infection ... which then led to another ear infection. Praise Jesus for ear tubes. Maybe (maybe?) we can hit a well streak. 

And the talking. People. He talks. All. The. Time. About everything. Every day there are new words. And words strung together. And song singing. Brilliant, I tell you. His laugh is the sweetest sound in all the world. We all love to get him giggling so hard he can barely stop. 

We wrapped up music school, which was his favorite thing he's ever done in his whole life. He also loved sister's soccer season because sometimes he got to kick the ball at practice. 

Weight:  22 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• Still more teeth. Top canines are in and bottom soon to follow.
• The words ... he still sings the hot dog song all the time, usually followed by asking for a hot dog. He also says pancake, shoes, socks, remote, TV, off, dinner, car, play, down, hug (or huggies :)), water, seahorse, hello (usually in reference to a phone or a phone ringing),  wagon, doggie, happy, bed, doctor, school, light, scooter (Addie? he says ... scooters make him think of sister)
• Singing "monkey see, monkey do." This kid loves to say monkey.
• Saying please and thank you, sometimes without even having to be reminded. 
• Helping put his shoes and socks away. Sometimes they actually make it to his room. 
• Sleeping. It's still new to us, so I'm going to put it here again. 
• Saying and showing you all of your facial features 
• Pointing to and saying most major body parts ... head, hair, teeth, nose (his fave), eyes, ears, chin, cheek, hands, toes, knee, arm ...
• Talking about his favorite book, Go Dog, Go, which he calls by name and sometimes gets so excited about that he runs around the house yelling GO DOG! Or he asks where it is, Go Dog?
• Saying even more animal names and sounds. 
• Jumping ... the really cute baby jump where they only use one leg and don't make it off the ground :)

Likes: 

• Playing outside. Especially if that means he can swing or sit in his wagon.
• Going anywhere. Except the doctor.
• Pinching, poking or pulling on his sister.
• Playing baby dolls and dollhouse.
• Shoes. Because that means it could be time to go outside.
• Chasing sister. Or Lola.
• Playing peek-a-boo ... or just a-boo as he calls it. 
• His glasses
• Watching TV or a movie for approximately 3 seconds
• Cuddling with his momma and a blankie when he doesn't feel good
• School
• Going to the library. Books!
• His BFFs Brooks and Lily (aka book and yee-yee)
• Asking for night-night and pa-pas when he's sleepy
• Giving hot boxes
• Finding anyone's belly button, especially if they don't want it found
• Running. Preferably away from me.
• 
  

 

Dislikes:

• The doctor. He screams "Bye??" the whole time.
• Waiting for food. Being refused food.
• Ear drops. 

Addison Mae - 3 years, 8 months

This girl. She is seriously amazing. So smart, so sassy, so strong. I'm so proud of the girl she's growing into, who loves to pray, talk about heaven, tell you when you're wrong and eat M&Ms. We had a wonderful Easter, and we are having a blast watching her play soccer. She's actually really good and has scored several goals. She even plays defense and often says "I'm going to get it away from the other team." She's also a great sport and loves to cheer on her teammates from the sidelines. She is still loving gymnastics and music class, and bossing her brother.


Weight: 31 pounds
Length: 36.5 inches

 New things:

• Being a soccer star. We're so proud of how hard she's working at it!
• Writing words constantly - she just asks how to spell things and she can write it. 
• Helping her brother learn new words. 
• Still excelling in school and loving being a leader whenever possible. 
• Making up her own prayers, which are always very sweet and impressive.
• Officially asking Jesus into her heart at breakfast several weeks ago. Be still MY heart. 

Likes:

• Going to the zoo remains near and dear to her heart. 
• Music class with bubs. She's so great with all the smaller kids, but of course she loves to give answers first and be the smartest one in the class.
• Reciting the weekly Bible verse in chapel.
• Helping others. She was very excited about the recent charge in Sunday School to raise money to purchase Bibles for children who don't have them. And she's constantly talking about and praying for a little girl in Africa we are sponsoring.
• "Reading" books to her bubs, or to us. 
• Going to the park or playing outside. 
• Riding her scooter like a champ. She's gets praised by all the neighbors whenever she's out on it. 
• Helping with laundry (I LOVE her!)
• Fancy Nancy
• Gymnastics. She's so brave and will always be the first to try something new.

. 

Dislikes:

• Storms. :( She can usually be found in our bed when one's blowing through.
• Brother stealing any of her attention

Hutch Marshall - 16 months

It didn't take long for my little walker to become a RUNNER. Away from me. Out the door. Y'all, I cannot keep up with this guy. And that walking helps with his other favorite skills of climbing, getting into everything and trying to jump/hop (hilarious). Pretty much whatever sister is doing is what he'll be found doing, too. 

Oh the talking ... I think he's just trying to keep up with sister. I swear he says two or three new words every day. And whatever we ask him to say he'll gladly try to repeat. He says the names of all three of his teachers at school, where he loves to go by the way (I think it has something to do with the snacks in particular). He can make lots of animal sounds, some of them correct! He is my little ham.

I shouldn't even put this in writing ... but he's sleeping. People. He's. Sleeping. In his bed. Seriously a miracle. He's always been great at putting himself to sleep, it's just that waking in the night (one million times) that was about to do us all in. We did what I'd call "sleep training light" for several nights. Basically going in when he cries, helping him lie down/find his paci, patting/singing, etc. and just not picking him up. And, amazing grace, it worked. He's even cuter to me now that he's staying in his own bed.

After noticing some vision/tracking issues over the past month to six weeks, we took him to an ophthalmologist last week. Apparently our little guy is extremely far-sighted, almost off the charts, which causes everything he sees to be blurry and is making one eye turn inward or appear crossed. Consequently, he's lost some vision in his left eye, which he's really not using much at all. The solution is glasses, forever, which has been a hard pill to swallow. Though we're so thankful it's correctable and not more serious, it's going to be a challenge to get this busy little guy to keep glasses on his face. And this momma's heart is already aching at the thought of potential teasing. Thankfully he's a tough little booger, and so is his over-protective sister. His glasses should be ready in about a week ... we'll let you know how he's doing!
Weight:  22 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• The running. Facilitating the climbing. 
• Opening all doors. And letting himself outside, in a diaper, in 40 degree weather. He's super proud of it, too.
• A few more teeth - those canines are working hard to poke through. First trip to the dentist this afternoon. 
• I love this little guy's command of words. Some new ones are outside (ah-sy? usually posed as a question because he ALWAYS wants to go outside), hug, Brooks (his BFF), all three of his teacher's names, thank you, cantaloupe, horse, bath (particularly when requesting one - this baby loves water), breakfast (bek-sast), egg, moon, cat ... and the list goes on.
• Singing the hot dog song :) He also "sings" anytime I sing to him.
• Following simple directions to put things away or help around the house. 
• As mentioned above, staying in his own bed all night. We usually have to go in and help him settle once or twice, but people, this is NIGHT and DAY better than where we were with him. 
• Showing you where most of your facial features are located. He especially loves to say "teeth" and cram his fingers practically down your throat
• Easter egg hunting. He quickly caught on to the game, and he does love to put things in and out of containers, so it worked well for him. At his school Easter hunt, he was pretty content after selecting just three eggs and his teachers had to encourage him to keep finding them!

Likes: 

• Shoes. Because that usually means he's going to get to go outside. 
• Swinging on the patio. Outside? Whee? he says :)
• Trucks, cars, diggers ... all manner of machinery. Which he also refers to as "whee"
• Music class. I'm amazed at his ability to follow directions and join in with all the bigger kids. He absolutely loves it.
• The zoo. 
• His bed. HOORAY!!!!!!! Particularly the addition of a pillow
• Going "bye." Anywhere will do.
• Getting in sister's bed for a story. Although he's usually too busy jumping and trying to pull things off walls/shelves to actually setting for a story.
• Books. He does love story time if there aren't many other distractions and often brings me a book to read to him, or I find him in his room surrounded by the books he's pulled off his shelves, looking at several at once. 
• Picking up Addie from school or church. He usually gets picked up first, and he immediately asks, "Addie?"
• Daddy. He's his No. 1. (whatever)
• Woof woofs. All of them.
• Stairs. Going up or down, or falling up or down, them. 
• Pushing buttons.
• Escaping from momma at every turn.

 

Dislikes:

• Waiting for more than 2 seconds for breakfast upon awakening
• Watching sister and daddy on the soccer field. He cries for one or both of them continually.
• Watching sister at gymnastics. He does not understand why he can't go in there, too!

Hutch Marshall - 15 months

We have a walker!!! Just like someone else I know, he took his sweet time about it, and it was kicking a soccer ball and pushing the door button at church that really incited him to walk. Whatever floats your boat, dude. He still spends some of his time crawling and loses his balance somewhat frequently, but the boy is upright. He's very proud of his new skill, too.

And the talking. In preparation for his 15 month appointment this morning, I tried to count all the words he says ... somewhere in the vicinity of 30-35. His sweet sister was saying twice that many words at his age, so I have to remind myself that average is 4-6 words at this point. He's a smarty. With a very large head (82nd percentile). The rest of him remains little ... 12th in height and 30th in weight, after making up the weight he lost while sick over the past 6 weeks. 

He loves making animal noises, singing, imitating his sister and trying to say anything we say. Hummus is pretty much his favorite thing on the planet. He loves to make us laugh - just today at the doctor's office he was playing peek-a-boo with the sanitary paper on the table, as well as pretending to blow his nose on it and laughing at himself. I'm so thankful he's finally feeling better and acting more like himself. Pneumonia was followed by another virus, a clogged tube/ear infection, a viral throat infection and Roseola. Momma's done with winter.

Just don't ask about the sleeping. There have been a few blessed nights where he's staying in his crib all night, albeit with a few rocking sessions added in. Someday?

Weight:  21 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• WALKING! Some mamas never want their babies to start walking, which I totally get, but I am all about the added mobility. He was already such a climber, so he was getting into everything anyway. Walking next to him, holding his little hand, going at snail speed, just makes me feel happy. 
• Kicking the soccer or any ball. Just like sister.
• Some of my new favorite words are "huma" for hummus, "butta" for belly button and button, "nack" for snack (a la his sister), "pas" for paci, "up" in reference to being picked up, and woah. When this guy is tired and says "night night?" usually while pointing at his paci or a blankie ... I just melt. He always points at his bookshelf for a story before he goes to bed.
• Asking for a kiss by smacking his lips at you. This is also how he currently blows kisses. 
• Doing everything sister does, including flipping off the couch. Which almost always results in tears. 
• Obsessing about light switches. The only one he can really reach is on a brick pillar behind the couch. He spends a lot of time turning it on and off. Someone else used to do the same thing at this age. 
• Saying a few more animal noises. When we walked into the doctor's office today, he immediately pointed at pictures of the elephant and giraffe and made horse noises ... so there's that. 
• Really listening to us when we ask him to do, or not do, something. And occasionally actually doing what we say. I'm amazed at his capacity to understand us.
• Singing some of the songs from music class - favorites are a section that goes "lalalala" and another "wee wee wee." He also loves a song on a VBS CD in my car that sounds like it says "uh oh" - as soon as he hears it he starts singing "uh oh, uh oh, uh oh." This boy LOVES music.

Likes: 

• Music class. Now that he's walking, he likes to go all around the room, saying hi to everyone and getting in their personal space. He loves the teacher and loves the music. 
• Meeting and greeting. Anyone and everyone. Pretty girls in particular. I looked at Jordan the other day and said it's really a shame our children are both such wall flowers. 
• Going to the park or being outside. 
• Playing in the snow. Eating the snow. 
• Hummus and peanut butter remain his favorites. 
• Patting Jordan and me. So sweet. 
• Church and school. He's slowly transitioning to the 1-year-old room at school now that he can walk.
• Buttons, as in the kind that make noise or do something.

 

Dislikes:

• Being patient. Or being hungry. The two usually go hand in hand.
• Not immediately going somewhere when he yells "bye?!?"
• Not being held. Or being held when he wants to get down.

Addie Mae - 3 1/2

Half birthdays are a big deal when you have an August birthday. Addie's school celebrates "unbirthdays" for those that have summer or holiday birthdays, and celebrate we did! We made Valentine M&M cookie bars for a combo half birthday/Valentine's Day treat. And at home, you better believe we did candles and singing, too. She kept asking where her party and her presents were!

She loved preparing for Valentine's Day with decorations at home, making cookies and getting her Valentines ready for friends.

We had a great "conference" with her teacher, who said she wished she had a class full of Addies (I think my parents heard something similar about me ... :)) She is such a good listener, focuses so well at school and wants to do everything just right. But she also gets into a little trouble every now and then, so I'm glad she feels comfortable there and lets her true colors fly! She likes to be the leader and does a fair amount of bossing to her classmates, but apparently always in a nice way. She is so confident, and has even recited the weekly verse in chapel in front of all the 3s, 4s and 5s. I'm so proud of her I could just burst.

We are fairly certain she'll remain at Warm World next year for the 3-day preK program. I just can't imagine my baby, who will have just turned 4, going to all-day, every-day preK at the elementary school. She has flourished so much at Warm World, and I love that environment for her. And selfishly, I'm not ready to give her up every day. Plenty of time for that. And then after next year remains to be seen ... we have the options of a transitional kindergarten at Warm World, preK in Deer Creek, or kindergarten at either Warm World or Deer Creek. And yes I'm already obsessing about all of it.

After being really healthy for a long stretch, the last two weeks have been rough. She and brother both had a virus, that resulted in pneumonia for him and an ear infection/ramped up asthma for her. We experienced what I would call her first asthma attack, at night of course. Thankfully the rescue inhaler did its job and she was able to get some rest. This week has been marked by being up most of the night, coughing and vomiting, which is what started our whole asthma journey. Yuck.


Weight: 31 pounds
Length: 36.5 inches

 New things:

• Spelling words she sees everywhere ... on food boxes, in magazines or books, on signs. She's pretty amazing.
• Cutting. Thankfully just paper, but she's really into it right now.
• Writing her name on everything. She mastered writing her name a few months ago, but now she wants to put it everywhere.
• Going to music class once a week with brother. She's the oldest one in the class, and some of the other little ones just love her. 
• Getting ready to start soccer in a few weeks!
• Asking and talking about her school verse every week, and reciting from memory in chapel a few times.
• Lots more skills in gymnastics. They have been going to the "big" gym, working on the big beams, practicing cartwheels and handstands. All very preliminary, foundational type stuff right now, but she loves it. And she loves to practice at home, and make us all pay attention and practice, too.
• Helping Lola with her "school." Lola has been going to obedience classes, and Addie likes to see what she's learned when we come home and give some instruction of her own. Imagine.

Likes:

• Reading books. Or having them read to her. She can recite a lot from memory, or just makes up words to go with the pictures. She loves to read to her bubs. Some of her favorites are Pete the Cat and Fancy Nancy.
• Going to the zoo. She is obsessed with two animals in particular who have both lost limbs - the female jaguar and a baby chimpanzee. We have to go see them both and talk about them every time. We got the chance to talk to a zoo keeper at length about the jaguar last weekend, and she was completely amazed. She loves feeding the giraffes and seeing the new baby elephant, too.
• Going to eat at restaurants. We took her to Hideaway (Hideaway Pizza, as she always calls it) for her half birthday, then a few days later, on conference day, we had a little date to Unpluggits and Panera, then a few days later on Valentine's Day we took her to Saturn Grill. Her mind was blown. It's the little things!
• Going to the park.
• Riding her scooter, which she's getting really good at. She can ride it all the way to and from the park. Sometimes, instead of stopping, she just abandons ship, but she's doing great.
• Baking and cooking.
• Gymnastics. She loves her coach and all her little friends. I can't wait for her recital in May.
• Talking about Izzy and what she's doing in heaven. Be still my heart.
• Helping brother learn to walk. She's forever, at his LOUD insistence, helping him walk all around the house. And he only wants her. 
• Sleeping in our bed. I think when brother started sleeping with us more, she decided she needed to as well. We usually rearrange, so we haven't had them both at the same time, but regardless, we need a bigger bed!
• Making up songs and playing lots of pretend, imaginative games.
• Playing with her doll house. 
• Hula hooping.
• Her new 101 Dalmatians movie from Pawpaw, and a new flannel quilt made by Grammie. She was so ecstatic about the quilt, recognized that my mom had made it and has slept with it every night since. We've also watched the new movie about 101 times.

. 

Dislikes:

• Brother getting what she deems is more attention than her. 
• Not being the leader or being in charge.
• Staying home. She, and brother, like to be out and about.

Hutch Marshall - 14 months

Walking? That's for wienies. This guy takes a few steps every day, usually to his sister, stands alone, even going from sitting/lying on the floor to standing, without the help of people or objects to facilitate him ... but that walking thing is still out of the question. He will go up to Addie and grunt and pull on her hands until she walks him all around the house. And he'll walk holding just one of our fingers ... I guess, like everything, he'll do it when he's ready!

Perhaps he's not walking because he is focused on his TALKING. All the time. Although, he will not, under any circumstance, say a word when you ask him to. 

He is so hilarious and loves to be the center of attention. He loves to make us laugh, and that giggle of his is contagious. He does not care for it when his mommy or daddy is holding sister and he asks LOUDLY to be held, too. 

The rough part of the past month has been pneumonia for the little guy. Which probably sounds worse than it was. After a long weekend of a yucky virus and very high fever, we went back to the doctor for that diagnosis, an antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics. The worst parts were some scary wheezing, very high fever and a normally very active baby (read: no snuggling unless it's bedtime) who laid on me for the better part of a week. So very thankful he is well.

The sleeping. Oh the sleeping. It's not good. This guy is probably just never going to sleep. Or walk. 

Weight:  21 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• Going to music class once a week. He especially loves dancing to all the music and the fun instruments ... I think the egg shakers and bells are his favorites. And watching his sister. He follows her and imitates her at every move.
• The talking. "Push" and "ball" still remain near and dear to his heart. Another favorite is "whee," which means he wants to go to the park or go in the wagon. He sits at the back door poking his head out the cat door and calls for "whee" "whee" (he can see the wagon from that perch.) He also loves to yell (in a distressed voice) "bye bye bye" which means he wants to go somewhere, anywhere. So like his sister. He also yells it when we are anywhere else and he's ready to come home, i.e. gymnastics with sister, school, etc. He yells it really loudly whenever we go to the doctor. He calls for Pawpaw constantly. When he sees Grammie, he says "Pawpaw?" He's started asking for "book" when he wants one read. He started saying please, not surprisingly because I bribed him with food. Be still my heart when that baby says "peas peas." Yes, you can have anything you want. He also says play, bubble, bath, night night ... and I'm sure a lot of other things I can't decipher. He's always, always talking, or grunting and looking at me like "why do you not understand what I'm saying, lady???" 
• More sleeping in our bed. Whatever.
• Sliding semi by himself at the park. "Wheeeeee!"
• Telling what the puppy says. Most animals say "woof woof" now. He's not particularly interested in what any of the rest of them might say.
• Following directions more and more. When he wants to of course.
• Real shoes. He did NOT care for the shoe shopping experience, but he's got two whole pair. That are supposed to facilitate walking ....
• Just having the paci at nap and night time, although pneumonia really messed that up. We're still trying to transition back.

 

 

 

Likes: 

• Ba and Yaya, aka Mia and Lola. He asks Lola to lick him by looking at her and smacking his lips/tongue and holding out his hand. When she obliges he thinks it's hilarious. He also loves to feed her from his chair.
• His blankies and lovies. We spent a lot of time snuggled up when he was sick, and he just runs his fingers along his soft blankies. 
• Patting or looking at doors and saying bye. Still loves to open and close doors constantly.
• Going to the library. He says play!!! He especially loved a recent class with the parachute, but he was not amused when a bajillion balls were placed on the parachute, to pop up and down, and not given to him. 
• Turning on the TV. With the remote. Which means he has figured out how to turn on the cable box and TV. That's like 4 buttons in a sequence. 
• Going to the park. Riding in the wagon or stroller. While yelling wheeeeeee! Playing in the back yard is usually an acceptable alternative. He loves the little slide/jungle gym, as long as sister will play, too.
• Going to the zoo. He loves to point at all the animals.
• Sister. She's his number one. The way he hugs her and looks at her like she hung the moon ... makes me teary.
• He also loves to bug, pinch, hit and poke her. 
• Playing peekaboo.
• Peanut butter and hummus. He'd prefer all meals consist of these two items. He's finally come around to avocado, sweet potatoes and bananas remain favorites, and he recently ate the heck out of some kale chips. While Addie never really had a sweet tooth, this guy sure does. He gets excited when he sees pictures of cupcakes, muffins or cookies. He's definitely mine.
• And snacks in general. When he gets to school or church, he immediately points at the little table and says BITE.
• He also really seems to love church and school, perhaps because they give him lots of snacks!! He always reaches for his teachers. Just on Sundays, he's recently moved to the 1-year-old room, but when passing by the nursery, he saw his teacher and reached and reacher for her until she (quickly!) came to grab him. So thankful they love our little guy like their own. Perhaps someday he'll really move out of the nursery, but for now, I'm content for them to keep him :)
• Pushing everything. Microwave buttons. The buttons on Addie's doll house. Buttons on his cars or toys. Elevator buttons. Buttons on my keys. The buttons at church to open the doors ... if there's a button, he's pushing it.
• Music of all kinds. He does not discriminate. T Swift is still at the top of his list.
• Books, particularly those that have noises or things to touch.

 

Dislikes:

• Hearing the word no. He immediately cries.
• Sleeping in his bed, or at all really.
• Going to the doctor. Immediate crying and yelling BYE!
• Having to wait for a meal or snack, you know, for like 30 seconds.