Evan at 18 Months

Evan...my cutie patootie.  I look at you and sometimes can hardly believe you are already a year and a half.  When did you go from my chubber-bubber baby to an independent {and often stubborn} little kiddo?

From day one you have always been our little thinker...you have to have everything figured out.  It's one of my favorite things about you.  You could quietly play for hours without anyone bothering you {not that Ethan would ever let that happen}.  You are also so very particular about everything...how you play, where things go, etc.  I could watch you play all day...watching you line your cars up, sticking straws in a cup forever, focusing so intently on where puzzle pieces should go.  You know which snack cup is yours and get mad if I accidentally hand you the wrong color.  I have recently been giving you a few books in your crib at night and when I go to check on you, before going to bed myself, I usually find all of your books stacked neatly in the corner.  According to you everything has it's "home" and you know exactly how you want it to be.

You are so sweet and loving, giving hugs and kisses to us and your brother but you can definitely be a little toot when you want to.  You are crazy stubborn...it really sometimes amazes me when I see some of the tantrums you throw.

My favorite part about your age right now is watching you interact with Ethan.  Y'all are hilarious together...chasing each other, tackling each other, mimicking what the other one does.  Whatever you are doing or wherever you are the other one wants to be.  I can already see the bond the two of you have and hope you always are as close as you are now.

I love you more than words could ever say and thank God everyday for letting me be your mommy.  I couldn't imagine our family without you in it!

At 18 months...

You are...sweet...happy...quiet...shy...stubborn...curious...silly...funny

You are still our picky eater and it depends on the day what you like and don't like.  Sometimes you gobble everything up and then other times you barely eat a thing at all.  The only thing I am always 100% certain you will never stick your nose up to is bread of any kind.

Your favorite snacks are goldfish, ritz crackers and cereal bars.

You are certainly the quieter brother but have come quite a ways in the words you are starting to say.   Words you are saying...mama, daddy, puppy, bye-bye, cracker, car, ball, spoon, uh-oh, cheese, flower, trash, juice, crash, cookie, Pappaw, Grandpa, Brad {a friend of ours}...I'm sure there are more but it's all I can remember at the moment.

You are great at signing please, help, more and finished and just recently you have figured out cookie.

You love to say "bye-bye flowers" whenever we are leaving a restaurant and walk by the flower beds.

You love to read all of your books.  Some of your favorites right now are Two by Two...a book about Noah's Ark {you love pointing out all of the animals}, Jesus Loves Me, and a Cookie Monster book.  You and Ethan read books so much that a few have broken and I have had to tape them back together.  You were so concerned and worried the first time it happened...you just sat with both pieces of your book in your hands forever, showing me it was broken and needing to be fixed...so, so sad.

You can't sleep without your blankie and Baylor bear.  You also can't go to sleep without your paci which you are quite attached to.  You never cared about it as a baby and somehow over time the attachment has developed.  I sometimes fear it is going to be harder to break you of it in the coming months than your brother.

You know all of your body parts but never like to point them out when we ask {with the exception of belly button}.  Most of the time I see you across the room pointing out parts when I'm asking Ethan.

You LOVE music...hearing it, making it, and dancing to it {but only if people aren't watching you}.  You still love your little music table and wave your arms and sway back and forth when the music is playing.

You LOVE...playing with your cars...puzzles...throwing and bouncing balls...reading books...chasing your puppies...blocks...bubbles

You are not too fond of...getting water in your eyes during baths or at the pool...diaper changes...getting dressed, especially putting your shoes on {it's like pulling teeth}...brushing your teeth

You love the vacuum cleaner, swiffer, and my chandelier duster and will push all three around the house pretending to clean.  The first place you head to when coming downstairs is the laundry room to get the swiffer and chandelier duster.

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You LOVE puzzles.  You could sit for hours by yourself dumping the pieces out and putting them back in their spots.  You have mastered all of our puzzles and love when we get a new one for you to figure out.

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Along with puzzles, a couple of your other favorites are our mega blocks and little round stackers {don't know their name}.  You are very particular about how they all get put together and stacked...mostly by color.

You love making the sheep, cow, monkey and lion sounds and do the sic 'em sign when we ask you what a bear says.

You are 24 lbs, 12 oz and 32 inches tall {at 18 month appointment}