My Reidy Bead

"Heboo?"

I remember when Reid was a baby and everyone said things like "it gets better and better" or "they get more fun as they grow." I love how right everyone is all the time!

He has been such a crack up lately. I could probably gush about him all day (especially since my love for him seems to grow during nap time) so I'll try to keep this organized. And it will probably be a lot more formative than anyone but Grandparents care to know. But I just want to remember little things, like what words he knows, for later.

He's two weeks shy of 18 months.  Nursery, baby!!!  And the tot-spot at our local grocery store!!!  Oh, the wonderful things in our future.

He weighs 31.5 pounds and is about 32.5 inches tall. Still our giant little boy.

He loves to babble and is often found saying "ta-ta-ta-ta-ta."  He squeals and points when he sees something exciting (mostly things that move (cars) or fly (birds and planes).  And any new, motionless objects are "bubbo." Even though he knows what bubbles are, and he knows they move.  Bubble just seems to be the name he gives anything he doesn't know how to identify but really wants to touch.

He calls most loving adults (parents and grandparents) "ma." But sometimes remembers that dad is "dada." His first few words were "ball" and "hello" (said while pretending to talk on the phone).  He has said phrases like "thank you" and "love you" and "all done" before, but he doesn't say them very consistently or often. He's also said "more" before, but only a couple times. He seems to have learned communicating through signs gets him what he wants. The signs he uses daily are "more" (which he uses to indicate he is hungry) "please," "thank you," and "all done." About that "all done" sign -- here's a funny.  Yesterday I was trying to order some missing pieces to one of his toys, and he comes along and shuts the lap top screen and shakes his "all done" hands at me.  Then he runs off to play, fully expecting me to follow him (which I did).  What a bossy britches I have on my hands!

Ben and His Mini

He loves to give kisses, and always gives them quickly after we say "don't bite!" in our firmest voice possible. Who taught him that kisses would make up for his rotten behavior? He pinches his nose when asked to find it, and pokes his belly when asked to find his belly button.  We've been working on "ears" but somehow he deiced they were his eyes instead.

He LOVES to clean. The broom, the mop, the vacuum, the laundry, the dishes ... he wants to do all of it!  He actually has mastered unloading the clean silverware, and has now moved on to putting every other clean dish he can get his hands on, into the silverware drawer. It's so adorable and I love to let him help.  He loads and unloads the laundry and thinks pushing the buttons to start the machine is the greatest thing in the world.

He LOVES being outside and throws a fit any time he has to come in. He likes Elmo's World and Super Why (and I let him watch them much too often). He scribbles pretty well, but also loves to bang the crayons into the paper. He's started to understand commands. Today I asked him to bring me his shoes, and it took a few minutes of pointing and repeating but he eventually brought them both over. He still loves to push things (strollers, toys, laundry baskets, whatever). He feeds himself really well, especially with a fork, but spoon meals are still really messy. He folds his arms during prayer (even though we never formally taught him to; it is amazing what they pick up on just by watching us). He LOVES to wrestle with Dad and gives the best raspberries in the process. His raspberries are so loud and so slobbery and really sound like a toot. It cracks us up every night. Bath time is still a fun "play time" but he's catching on to bed/nap time cues and he's starting to put up a real fight. Sigh.

I still can't believe we are going to start him in nursery this Sunday.  Yahoo!