21

As we plan Zach's birthday celebrations (yes, plural; I guess that's just how we roll around here), I can't help but think of another birthday coming up in three short months. Charlie is already approaching two! It seems impossible, but I guess when you know people with kids Charlie's age who already have newborns, you know your own kid isn't a baby anymore! (I think those people are a bit crazy, but that's a whole 'nother story).

So, to celebrate the big 21, here are a few Charlie tidbits:

When Zach was little, Scott started "smoochie-smoochie-ing" him. That involves making kissing noises as you slowly get closer, the noises faster, until you are smothering the child in kisses. Zach thought it was hilarious, and now Charlie does too. I couldn't stop smiling when I saw Charlie has learned how to do it; he'll often hold up his little froggie and start with those slow kissing noises...!

I may have mentioned in a previous post that Charlie loves to roar. He still does, and now nothing makes him laugh harder than when his dad pretends to be afraid of that roar. Over and over and over again.

Charlie is quite the climber, and he's still very proud of himself when he climbs up on the furniture. And maybe it's because he's short for his age, but Charlie is doing his best to show that he's not a little guy, that he can keep up with the big kids. He has mastered the fast food playlands in our area, he just needs a boost here and there from his big brother. And the two-story curly slide? No problem; he calmly turns on his belly and goes down feet first. Check him out in action at the local inflatable fun joint:

Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, Charlie is feeling better. Still not 100%, I would say, but hopefully we're on our way to better sleeping, eating, and waking (he's kinda crabby these days right after he gets up - wrong side of the bed too often!).

Mr. Charliebug has become quite specific in his demands for food. He lets us know he's hungry by doing the "more" sign, and often saying more (sounds like "mo") at the same time, and then pointing to the kitchen or his high chair. And now he points to the refrigerator, which usually means he wants yogurt. More troublesome are his pantry requests... when we play along it's quite the game of charades to determine which snack he is demanding at the particular time. Othertime he just goes in there himself and grabs what he wants, and then gets mad when we don't let him have it!

And lately he hasn't wanted to sit in his high chairs; he takes a few bites and then wants to sit on my lap and eat my food. So we pulled out the booster seat, thinking he'd feel like a big boy and happily eat. That worked... once.

So yes, still lots of pointing and head shaking for communication, although he has definitely mastered the word no. Other words I would consider mastered (meaning someone other than Scott or I could understand him) include car (cah), go, baby, ball, and dada. We can understand when he says Zach (story about that next), but I don't think anyone else would. Same with pooch, book, and mom. His animal noise repertoire continues to grow, but he often makes me laugh when he opens a book with a lot of pictures of animals and just starts excitedly making every single noise he knows.

Another thing (tradition?) Scott started with Zach was saying "goodnight Zach" to all the pictures of Zach hanging in our hallway on the way to bed. Since we are bad parents and the halllway is still full of pictures of just Zach, Scott has started this tradition with Charlie. He points from picture to picture saying "goodnight Zach, goodnight that Zach, goodnight that Zach," in this sort of guttural voice. And now that's how Charlie says Zach, anytime he sees a picture of him or the real thing. So we can mostly recognize that he's saying Zach by the tone of voice more than anything!

21 months old already... and ready for his first haircut!