Just so I don't forget...

Ben, you are officially 18 months old.  Time flies by and you change every day.  Here are some things I hope to remember about your little one-and-a-half-year-old self...

You just love anything you can drive!

 You are sleeping from 7pm until 7:30am with (usually) two naps during the day.  Our schedule is pretty wonky with morning commitments three days a week, but you handle it well.  Sometimes your second nap is just "rest time" where you lay in your crib and babble and read and throw things out onto the floor.

Favorite foods are (flavored) oatmeal, eggs, cheese, "peanut butter bread," any fruits, and any sweets.  We don't give you many sweets because Gramma and Grampa give you enough sweets to split between five children.  They keep a big bowl of m&m's on their counter, and when we walk in to their house you go straight for it.

Okay, SOMETIMES we give you sweets. :)

 

You love wearing our shoes, "mmmeeeeeewwww"ing at any large patch of grass (even if there are no cows), and yelling "vroom, vroom!" at trucks.  If we're able to catch both the garbage truck AND the recycling truck on Wednesdays, your week is made.  The drivers always honk and wave to you, and you just stare back with your mouth open in awe.

 

Daddy's shoes are the best!

You ask for Dad alldaylong. From the very first moment I walk into your room in the morning, you expectantly ask, "Dada?!?"  Five mornings out of the week are very sad when I have to tell you that Daddy is at work.  We call him on the phone a lot, but no matter how often we talk to him you continue to ask for him over and over and over.

"Dadda, Dadda, Dadda!" is such a fun buddy.

Sesame Street is really the only show we let you watch, but you loooooooooove it.  The minute the theme song starts, you squeal and jump either start dancing or running laps around the room.  Elmo is your favorite, by far.  I have to admit, for the second time in my life, Sesame Street has become one of my favorite shows.  Daddy laughs out loud when he watches it, too.  Funny stuff.

 

Totally over swinging, way into sliding!

Even though you seem to understand pretty much everything we say, you still aren't talking a lot.  Your sign language is pretty consistent, and you are getting to be a pro at animal sounds.  You can do a dog, cow, frog, bird, snake, tiger, and turkey.  The "gaaawbullgaaaawbullgaaaawbull" is the best, by far.

You are still our favorite little guy in the whole world (in case there was any question)!