19 months. Was it really that long ago that Stuart was born? Such a beautiful experience.
There's so much to remember about his growth and his amazing personality:
He has 4 molars, one in each corner of his giant smile. Four front teeth and one very asymmetrical incisor. He can communicate mostly with me because his pronunciation needs practice, and because we have our own language. Part of that language is sign language. He can sign more, please, thank you, eat, drink, apple, peach, help, bird, cow, horse, airplane, book, pain, bubbles, all done, and up. He does more when we show him too. He asks to go outside and for a banana almost immediately in the morning. He loves cheese. Mostly because it is a treat in our house, along with bread. His current obsessions are ducks (or any bird), bees, books, racing matchbox cars, regular cars, trucks or buses, toes, belly buttons, his blanket (still), lights, and airplanes. He likes to sing the ABC's as we brush his teeth and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" especially the heads and toes.
We spend lots of time on our balcony: eating, reading, unofficial tanning, painting (pictured above), anything. It overlooks a path and a busy road. He constantly waves to the passing cars and joggers. He especially loves the travelers with dogs. Some of them hear him say "hi" and are so kind in return. We are working on going down stairs standing up. He enjoys having his shoes on. His newest invented game is pushing our knees together when Jared and I sit with our legs open. He giggles like a mad man. When racing his matchbox cars he mimics, "on your mark, get set, go!' although the word "go" is the only clear one.
He sleeps 12-13 hours a night with no interruptions. But it's been that way for over a year. He still sucks his thumbs as he snuggles into bed. He gives hugs and kisses willingly, more so to Daddy. Maybe because he knows Mommy will steal them anyway. He knows all the parts of the face, including teeth, tongue, and cheek. He painted with liquid watercolors for the first time last week. He loves helping with meals, watching anything "HOT!" on the stove or in the oven, and doing the laundry. Especially putting the dirty clothes in the running washer water. He goes to nursery at church now. No separation anxiety.
He can drink out of a regular cup, but spills sometimes. He says "Ah-bee" for Amen at the end of prayers as well as The End at the end of books. He loves being tickled, wrestling, and hiding under blanket forts. He loves balloons, and we love that they are free at the grocery store we go to. He can play on the playground equipment all by himself and loves the slide. He climbs up, sits down at the top and pushes himself onto the slide, shimmies off the end, laughs and runs around to do it all over again.
The little girl that I babysit is such a good friend for him. She is 8 months younger and so laid back. They both have learned which set of bars on the balcony are far enough apart to put their head through. There is only one opening wide enough. So they like to battle for that spot on the balcony. :)
I'm impressed. If you read all that "word vomit" - if you will - then good on ya! I just wanted to write everything that came to mind that I want to remember about him right now.
