Moving on up!

Look who graduated!

More to see in the graduation album on SmugMug. There are also recent pictures in our summer adventures album. You don't need to be logged in to view the pictures, but let me know if you need the password. (And if you want to sign up yourself, you can use this link to get a discount on your first year.)

Happy Five Years!

I find it so hard to believe that FIVE years have come and gone, while this still feels like yesterday. He had a very low key birthday this year, spending the afternoon playing with his new gifts followed by dinner at Gritz and Granddad's. He also had a special surprise at school when Charles and I came to read to his class.

He has grown so much over the past year, I cannot believe how much of a boy (as opposed to baby) that he is now. He has grown two inches and is now 43.75 inches and 40 pounds. He is so very much looking forward to kindergarten next year (and we are waiting to hear if he got into the dual language program). He loves to be helpful, especially with Charles, and is also fiercely independant. He has started to get a bit picky about his food if it is not made to his precise specifications, but he thankfully has not limited himself to chicken fingers and fries like it seems so many children do. He still likes salmon, hibachi, sushi, teriyaki chicken, tacos. He eats his vegetables first, especially corn, green beans and broccoli. Although if his pizza (which is a favorite) has visible basil, he refuses eat it. We are definitely blessed that Peter gives us such few things to complain about.

While there aren't a lot of photos here, there are more from the day in his birthday album on SmugMug. There are also recent pictures in our spring adventures album. You don't need to be logged in to view the pictures, but let me know if you need the password. (And if you want to sign up yourself, you can use this link to get a discount on your first year.)

The End of an Era

So this afternoon, the boys "helped" while I took the railing off of the crib and turned it into a toddler bed. I would have much prefered to leave him in the crib, contained, for at least as long as I did Peter but he has been trying to climb out recently, as well as climb in. So tonight is the first night of Charles sleeping in a big boy bed.

Bedtime went pretty well. He only got up when he would follow Peter out of the room (and tell us that Peter was going potty), and it only took a few tuck-ins before he was good for the night. The big test will be seeing how the morning goes. Fingers crossed it isn't an early morning.

I have been terrible about posting recently, I am going to try to be better. There are some recent photos in our winter adventures album on SmugMug. You don't need to be logged in to view the pictures, but let me know if you need the password. (And if you want to sign up yourself, you can use this link to get a discount on your first year.)

Happy Two Years!

Just like his brother, Charles's second birthday seemed to come like a whirlwind. Of course the birthday party has been postponed due to Charles's pneumonia, but being stuck inside all week has made all of us a little stir crazy. He is almost the same size as his brother as well, just slightly taller at 36 3/4 inches but still 27 pounds (90th and 50th percentiles).

He also is starting to act more like a little boy, although I do still see a lot of baby in him (even if he is really getting too big to be a baby anymore). He wants to do everything that his brother is doing and is doing much better at keeping up and holding his own. He eats like a champ, but a bit on the messy side. He loves to play with other children, and enjoys the playdates that he has with his friends. He doesn't really know his alphabet, but has started to learn his numbers, and has been counting to five for a while (although I'm not sure that he really knows what it means).

And since I am a little late posting, here is from BabyCenter.com

At twenty-four months, most children can:
Name at least six body parts - He can definitely do this, and is currently a pretty big fan of head, hands, nose, ears, cheeks, chin, feet...
Half of speech is understandable - I think that he is much more understandable if you are around him a lot, but he definitely has actual words (even if he seems to be missing some sounds, such as the "s" in "snow").
Make two to three word sentences - It started with "let it go", and has definitely evolved from there.

At twenty-four months, half the children can:
Talk about self - This is just starting
Arrange things in categories - He does this sometimes, it's something that we are working on.
Walk down stairs - Oh yes, and has been for a while

At twenty-four months, a few children can:
Begin to understand abstract concepts (sooner and later) - Not so sure about this one
Become attuned to gender differences - Not sure how I would even know
Learn to jump - He is definitely trying to do this

There are more pictures on SmugMug, most recently in our winter adventures album. You don't need to be logged in to view the pictures, but let me know if you need the password. (And if you want to sign up yourself, you can use this link to get a discount on your first year.)

Happy Thirteen Months!

I am so behind on posting this, but I wanted to get it up before April. This has been a crazy month, mostly because of the week we were on vacation (which overlapped with when this update SHOULD have been posted).

He is sleeping much better, almost through the night most nights. Once we get to spring break, we are going to try to move him into the room with Peter (which should be interesting). He is trying to grow up so fast, as is starting to imitate us, just like Peter did at this age. He takes tissues and napkins and cleans his mouth and blows his nose (and then tried to eat the paper, some things don't change). He talks on the "phone", and he cleans up. He loves to put items into boxes or bags, and is starting to figure out his shape sorters.

And since it is so late, I'm going to keep this short. From BabyCenter.com

At thirteen months, most children:
Use two words skillfully (e.g., “hi” and “bye”) – Not really. Still a lot of babble. And "mama"
Bend over and pick up an object – Not so much bending over as he is squatting, which makes his Crossfitting Daddy very happy.

At thirteen months, about half the children:
Enjoy gazing at his reflection – This is a big yes. He loves mirrors, and it is something that can calm him down when he gets upset.
Hold out arm or leg to help you dress him – Yes, he puts his arms in shirts, holds out his feet for socks, and also holds out his hands for his mittens (and I can't even tell you how great that's been since it has been so cold for so long).

At thirteen months, a few children:
Combine words and gestures to make needs known – No words, but he definitely gestures all the time. He is so big into pointing right now (started with the ceiling fans in Florida).
Roll a ball back and forth – Not often, but he has done this.

There are a few pictures in our March album, but the best pictures are in our winter adventures and Naples albums on Picasa (you need to be logged in to see). Next month, I'll hopefully be back to regular monthly pictures and more frequent updates (although we'll see how that actually works out).

Happy One Year!

One year down and so much has changed. He has put on 11 pounds 10 ounces and gained 10.5 inches. He is now 20 pounds 4 ounces and 31 inches long, putting him in the 25th and 90th percentiles. He is walking like crazy and climbing on everything. He has figured out how to move furniture (like the little table) so that he can climb higher. He loves to eat, and is a big fan of feeding himself. While he doesn't have a lot of words, he is very vocal. Sleep, while still not great, has vastly improved and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. He also loves his big brother so much, but can definitely hold his own when Peter tries to take advantage of his age and size.

And since this post is already so late, from BabyCenter.com:

At one year, most children can
Imitate others’ activities – Yes, especially when you play with him
Indicate wants with gestures – He points and reaches for things, no other real gestures.

At one year about half the children can
Take a few steps – He is full on walking.
Say one word besides “mama” or “dada” - Not really, it is still pretty much all babble right now.

At one year, a few children can
Walk alone – Oh yes, all the time.
Scribbles with a crayon – Since he tried to eat EVERYTHING, I haven't given him crayons yet.
Say two words besides “mama” or “dada” – Just like above, it's all pretty much babble.

There are more pictures in our February album on Picasa (which you have to be logged in to see).

Happy Eleven Months!

I am so very late in posting this, although I did get the photos done on time this month. It just took me forever to measure Charles, since we don't go to the doctor this month. We are estimating that he is about 19 lbs 8 oz and 30.5 inches long. I cannot believe that he is already eleven months, and we have less than a month left until he turns one. This year has gone by so fast.

He is eating like a champ, which I think is helping the jump in weight from last month. He is a big fan of feeding himself, but has started to use the pouches again. He loves to share, and will even pull open our hands to give us things (especially puffs). He is also so close to walking, he takes about three steps before sitting down and crawling. But I really think that it is time for me to keep the video camera out to catch his first real steps. Sleep is still not great, and we are trying to break him of his middle of the night feeding habit, but haven't been able to yet. I'm hoping that soon he'll be able to move into the bedroom with Peter, but that won't happen until he can sleep all the way through.

But since I am so late, let's get on to BabyCenter.com.

At eleven months, most children can:
Say “mama” or “dada” to the correct parent – He has just started doing this, more "mama" than "dada"
Play patty cake and peek-a-boo – He loves to play peek-a-boo, almost any time he has a blanket or napkin or anything he can put over her face
Stand alone for a couple of seconds – Yes
Cruise – All the time

At eleven months, about half the children can:
Understand “no” and simple instructions – Definitely does understand, and even follows sometimes
Put objects in a container – Loves to do this, and is also trying to use his shape sorters, but isn't quite able to maneuver the shapes into the slots

At eleven months, a few children can:
Say one word besides “mama” or “dada” – Not really, but he desperately wants to
Stoop from standing position – Yes, but mostly to start crawling

This month has been a photo fail, but there are a few pictures in our January album on Picasa (you have to be logged in to see).

Happy Ten Months!

As always, I'm late in posting. The pictures are a day late as well, as we never found the time to take them yesterday. Of course, today is busy too with Christmas so close, and pictures were hard to get with such a squirmy boy. Last week, we went to the pediatrician for the ten month check up, and Charles is now 18 pounds and 30 inches, putting him into the 10th and 75-90th percentiles respectively. She was not concerned about the lack of weight gain as he was just getting over the stomach flu. Sleep is still not great, and being sick did not help at all in that area.

Keeping this short, as there is a lot to do before Christmas! From BabyCenter.com:

At ten months, most children can:
Wave goodbye – He does this, but he won't do it all the time.
Pick things up with pincer grasp – Yes, and then eats it.
Crawl well with belly off the ground – So very quickly, it's hard to keep up.

At ten months, about half the children can:
Say “mama” or “dada” to the correct parent – Not really, but he did say "dada" for the first time today. Shame that Geoff wasn't home to hear it. Still saying "mama" much more often, but I'm not sure that it actually means me.
Indicate wants with gestures – Sometimes, but not very often.

At ten months, a few children can:
Stand alone for a couple of seconds – Yes, and it's happening too fast.
Put objects into a container – Not quite there, but he is trying, most often trying to feed Cookie Monster his cookies. Usually gets him in the eyes instead of the mouth.

There are more pictures in our album on Picasa (you'll need to be logged in to see).

Happy Nine Months!

Once again I am late in posting, and I had lost track of the date, so even the pictures are a day late. Charels absolutely loves to eat, although he isn't such a fan of the purees anymore, very much wanting to feed himself. So he is getting a lot of chopped up fruits and vegetables, some puffs and even some meat (if it is small enough and soft enough). Sleep is still torture, although he will sometimes nap, he will not sleep through the night, and for the most part won't sleep at night if he isn't right next to me holding my arm.

Since I'm already late in posting, I'll keep it short and go straight to the BabyCenter.com poll:

At nine months, most children can:
Stand while holding on to something – All the time, seems to just want to be standing.
Jabbers or combines syllables – Yes, he is very talkative.
Understands object permanence – It wold appear so.

At nine months, about half the children can:
Cruise while holding onto furniture – He does this, which means that actual walking isn't too far behind.
Drinks from a sippy cup – He is starting to get this. For the most part, right now he wants us to hold it for him like a bottle (which he rarely ever used), and doesn't quite get that when he holds himself he has to hold it up. But he's working on it.
Eat with fingers – Another thing he's trying. Puffs don't seem to be a problem, but most of his other food is apparently too slippery. He has been know to pull it to the end of the table and try to pick it up with his mouth.
Bang objects together – Thankfully not all the time, but yes.

At nine months, a few children can:
Play patty-cake and peek-a-boo – He loves peek-a-boo! When he put him in the stroller, he will often grab the blanket, pull it up over his face and the down with the biggest smile. In fact, he'll do this almost anywhere that he has a loose blanket to play with.
Say “mama” or “dada” to the correct parent – No. Still not saying "dada" and "mama" doesn't really seem to mean me.

Finally, there are more pictures in our November album on Picasa (which you will have to be logged in to see).

Happy Eight Months!

What a busy month we've been having. Charles had his first and second trip to a pumpkin patch and his first Ragamuffin Parade. He went to the doctor, and he is now up to 17 lbs 10 oz and 28.75 inches tall. That keeps him in the 25th and 90th percentiles, and it looks like I was not too far off with my estimates last month.

He is full on crawling now, not really army crawling at all anymore. He can sit up by himself, and pulls himself up on everything, even starting to try to climb up onto things. He is eating like a champ, and he is starting on finger food. We've even fed him while we were out and he was thrilled to be a part of dinner with the rest of us.

I am going to keep this short, so from the BabyCenter.com poll
At eight months, most children can:
Says “mama” or “dada” to parents (not specific) – Still no "dada" but "mama" is still used, mostly when he wants to be picked up
Passes object from hand to hand – Oh yes, seems like he's been doing this forever.

At eight months, half the children can:
Stands while holding onto something – He is so happy that he can do this. Getting back down is still a bit a of a problem.
Crawls – Oh yes. Not just army crawling, but full on silent ninja crawling. Starting doing it consistently at Grtiz and Granddad's house when we were there celebrating Daddy's birthday.
Points at objects – Sometimes, but not often. Mostly if he is strapped into the highchair, he'll point at the food he wants.

At eight months, a few children can:
Pulls self to standing, cruises – Is starting to cruise now, but he wasn't quite yet on the 22nd.
Picks things up with thumb-finger pincer grasp – Working on it, and has it about half the time. Puffs beware.
Indicates wants with gestures – Just food and if he wants to be picked up.

And finally, there are more pictures in our October album on Picasa (which you have to be logged in to see).

Happy Seven Months!

Sunday was a pretty busy day, and by the time I was able to start taking the pictures, Charles just wanted to go to sleep, so we finished our photo shoot yesterday morning. We don't go to the doctor this month, so I am just estimating that he now weighs about 17 pounds and is about 28.5 inches long. We'll find out next month if I was right and if he's been putting on enough weight.

He is still loving his food, and have really only added pears I made and carrots from a pouch since the last update. He did have a frozen peach in his teether, and I'm thinking that it is nearly time for puffs (although honestly I don't remember when you are supposed to introduce them). He is still being super active, and has many times just (army) crawled out of the room. Even if I am sitting on the couch, he will try to crawl to the kitchen to find me. He is almost able to sit up by himself, he is so close you can tell that it frustrates him. Sleep is still awful, he only wants to sleep next to me, although he is napping well during the day. I am late enough with this update, so I'll just get to the poll now.

From BabyCenter.com
At seven months, most children can:
Sit without support – Yes, he is doing very well at this.
Drag objects toward himself – Oh yes, and we are trying to keep the living room a Charles safe zone, since he's into everything.

At seven months, half the children can:
Lunge forward or start crawling – He lunges, and he army crawls. I think that regular crawling will be coming soon.
Jabber or combine syllables – Yes, he seems to love the sound of his voice. Still isn't saying "dada".
Start to experience stranger anxiety – More seems to have separation anxiety, and doesn't want anyone but me most of the time.

At seven months, a few children can:
Wave goodbye – Not yet.
Stands while holding onto something – Yes, but I've only tried it with the couch and my hands so far, and he can't do it for long. Although he is super proud when he does.
Bangs objects together – Not often, but he has.
Begins to understand object permanence – Haven't really seen this, but I haven't really tested it either.

And finally, check our September, fall adventures and other albums on Picasa (you will need to be logged in to see).

Happy Thirty Months!

Oops, I just realized that I completely forgot to post this update, I was so wrapped up in the excitement of the week. He is doing the potty training on and off, although I'm not going to push it until after we are finished with vacations. He also seems very interested in moving to a big boy bed, but again I am in no rush.

From BabyCenter.com

At twenty-nine and thirty months, most children can:
Brush teeth with help - He does this and doesn't really have any more issues with the toothpaste
Washes and dries own hands - Check, even if he does make me sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" each and every time.
Draws a vertical line - Still isn't really pretty

At twenty-nine and thirty months, half the children can:
Draw a circle - Again, he does this but it isn't pretty
Balance on one foot - Check

At twenty-nine and thirty months, a few children can:
Put on a t-shirt - Still has a hard time pulling his own head through, but he is definitely almost there
Names one color - More than one
Names one friend - He keeps adding friends to the list

There are a few pictures in our October album on Picasa, and I will try to add more as the month goes on (although most pictures so far do seem to be in other albums).

Happy Twenty-Nine Months!

Can't believe that it's already been another month. Then again, he is seeming so very grown up. The potty training lasted only two days (and two successful attempts), and now he's not really interested anymore. We'll see if he changes his mind again this week.

From BabyCenter.com

At twenty-nine and thirty months, most children can:
Brush teeth with help - He does this, although he still has issue with spitting out the toothpaste
Washes and dries own hands - Does this as well, has for a while
Draws a vertical line - He can do this, but it still isn't always pretty

At twenty-nine and thirty months, half the children can:
Draw a circle - Again, he does this but it isn't pretty
Balance on one foot - Does this too

At twenty-nine and thirty months, a few children can:
Put on a t-shirt - I want to say that he can do this, but he does have trouble getting his head through by himself, so he only almost does this
Names one color - He names lots of colors, and it right about 90% of the time
Names one friend - He names quite a few of his friends

There are a few more pictures in our September album on Picasa, which I will keep updating throughout the month.

Happy Twenty-Eight Months!

A few days late in posting. Nothing at all has changed from last month, everything from BabyCenter.com is basically the same. Next month there are some new goals so hopefully it will be a more interesting update.

Again, all my pictures so far this month are in other albums, but I will update once I have an August album on Picasa.

UPDATE: Completely forgot, but here is the August album on Picasa.

Happy Twenty-Seven Months!

The date got away from me, and I completely forgot I had to do this update. From BabyCenter.com

At twenty-seven and twenty-eight months, most children can:
Jump with both feet - He's been doing this for ages, even this morning he was pretending to be a frog and jumping all around the apartment
Open doors - He knows how to do it in theory, but he doesn't seem quite able to finish turning the door knob yet on most doors

At twenty-seven and twenty-eight months, half the children can:
Understand descriptions (e.g. big, soft) - Check
Draw a vertical line - He can do this, but it isn't always pretty

At twenty-seven and twenty-eight months, a few children can:
Start to recognize ABCs - He's done this for a long time now, and is starting to try to draw some letters himself
Balance on one foot - He can do this as well

I don't have a July album yet since just about all of my pictures are in other albums, but I'll update here when I start one.

UPDATE: There is now a small July album on Picasa.

Happy Twenty-Six Months!

Not much has changed this month, but from BabyCenter.com

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, most children can:
Stack six block - He absolutely loves to stack blocks now
Walk with smooth heel-to-toe motion - He has started to walk along the curbs around the trees in town like they are balance beams, and he can do it very well

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, half the children can:
Use pronouns - This one hasn't really changed
Wash and dry their own hands - He is a big fan of washing his hands, although he will rinse the soap off too early if you don't help him

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, a few children can:
Speak clearly most of the time - This hasn't changed all that much, but he seems to be talking a lot more than he used to
Draw a vertical line - He draws lines, both vertical and horizontal as well as circles, he also is starting to try to draw letters

There are more pictures in our June album on Picasa, which I will keep updating throughout the month.

Fire Safety Day

Last week, Peter had the best day of school when the fire department came to teach about fire safety. He was absolutely thrilled to see the firetruck, but was a bit freaked out by the fully dressed firefighters. He refused to take a picture with the firefighter, but did with me. There are more pictures in our summer adventures album on Picasa.

Happy Twenty-Five Months!

So hard to believe how fast this spring is going by, even this post is almost an entire week late. While Peter is learning things at an incredible rate, there isn't as much changing. So I am going to change the format of this blog a little bit, try something new. Each month I'll still post the BabyCenter.com milestones and monthly albums, but I'll also try to post short day-to-day updates, usually pictures and maybe some video. Hopefully that way I'll be better about updating.

As for what we have been doing for the past month, Peter really is a little boy now. He much prefers to walk, and we rarely use the stroller anymore (mostly if I know we have a lot of walking to do, and then I have to fight him to get in). He has FINALLY started napping again, and is also pretty good about sleeping at night. He is still in his crib, but we did buy the toddler rail once he started to try to climb out. He seems to have stopped that for now, but we are ready if he starts it up again. He absolutely loves school, and he has a bunch of friends that he loves to play with. He talk so much at home, but is apparently very shy and doesn't do it so much when we are out. He has started to want to pick out his own clothes, often asking for his Superman shirt and his dinosaur socks. He has started to do some of the sign language nursery rhymes that he has learned from school, and has almost mastered the "abc"s (he's only missing k, l and m). He loves to read and loves to look through pictures of family and friends.

And from BabyCenter.com

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, most children can:
Stack six block - I didn't notice when this happened, but he definitely can
Walk with smooth heel-to-toe motion - It feels like he's been doing this for ages

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, half the children can:
Use pronouns - He does do this, although he does sometimes refer to himself in the third person
Wash and dry their own hands - He just about has this mastered, although he does still need a little help to do a thorough job

At twenty-five and twenty-six months, a few children can:
Speak clearly most of the time - I think that he speaks pretty clearly, but it seems like a lot of people need a translator, so maybe that's just because I'm around him so much
Draw a vertical line - He has just started to do this on his chalkboard

And finally, there are more pictures in the May album on Picasa. I will keep adding more photos as the month goes on.

Happy Two Years!

Peter's second birthday came and went like a hurricane. Between his birthday party, and the fact that his actual birthday landed on Easter, there was very little stopping, and we've been on the go ever since (hence the extreme delay in posting). He is now 36 1/2 inches and 27 pounds keeping him in the 90th and 50th percentiles.

He is definitely much more "little boy" now than baby, complete with bumps and scrapes. He loves to run and jump and play. He will run around the park for what seems like hours kicking balls and pushing trucks. He has finally mastered the "big" slide at the park, and runs a circuit up the stairs and down the slide. He loves to walk everywhere, and it is pretty difficult to get him into his stroller now. He is full of his own opinions, including what he wants to wear, and will often try to dress himself. He has had problems getting his pants over his diaper, but for the most part he does pretty well.

He definitely has his friends who he loves to see and play with, often asking for them by name. He is also starting to associate places with certain people, like how he will ask for "Uncle John" if we are eating at the Tavern. He is starting to get a lot more social, and will talk and play with other children when we are at the park. He still hasn't quite grasped the concept of sharing, but he is getting better about taking turns.

He absolutely loves school, and is learning so much there. He has started to learn a little sign language, and can (almost) sign along to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (otherwise known as Tookie Tookie), Little Miss Muffett, and Little Boy Blue. He is also much better at saying the alphabet (although he does still skip some letters), and even tries to sign along while singing. He recognizes numbers and letter, and can identify them correctly about 90% of the time. He is also much better with his colors, and will identify them correctly about half the time now.

And from BabyCenter.com

At twenty-four months, most children can:
Name at least six body parts - He can definitely do this, and is currently a pretty big fan of Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Half of speech is understandable - While there are still some things that we need an interpreter for, I would say that half is a fair (to low) estimate
Make two to three word sentences - He definitely does this, and I want to say it's been going on for a while now

At twenty-four months, half the children can:
Talk about self - He is just starting to do this
Arrange things in categories - He doesn't quite have this mastered, but he has been working on it
Walk down stairs - It seems like he's been doing this forever, but definitely for many months now

At twenty-four months, a few children can:
Begin to understand abstract concepts (sooner and later) - He is starting to do this, but it doesn't always make him happy
Become attuned to gender differences - This might be starting, since he seems to be able to tell the difference between a girl and a boy, but that might just be that he remembers what we called them
Learn to jump - He started jumping last month, hopefully I'll get the videos up soon (I know I say that every month)

And finally, there are more pictures in our April album on Picasa, which I will keep updating as the month goes on.

Happy Twenty-Three Months!

One month until his birthday, and we are deep into preparing. We've discovered recently that Peter does not like it when people sing happy birthday, and he burst into tears more than once in a restaurant when it happened. While he loves to sing the song by himself, it seems like he isn't a fan of other people singing in unison.

Peter is a great eater, and is getting much better at using his fork. While he sometimes drops food, for the most part it gets into his mouth. He has also gotten much better at drinking out of a cup, although most of the time we do stick with a straw. Napping has pretty much stopped, although every couple of days he will decide to take one. Nighttime sleep has been much better, and he rarely wakes up before the morning anymore.

He absolutely loves to read, and has his favorite books, one being Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? He loves to make all the animal sounds, such as trumpeting like an elephant. He also loves Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and is now starting to get interested in Dr Seuss. Peter is also getting much more into art projects, especially the ones that we do at school. He is much better at picking out colors, although still has a bit a problem with naming them on his own (everything is "gween").

Peter has also started to jump. He started off by asking to hold either Geoff's or my hands and using that the help him, but now he can do it by himself. He loves to pretend to be a frog and say "ribbit" while jumping. He has started to do more imaginary play, really taking advantage of his kitchen. He loves playing with toy cars and trains, and still pushes his "big twuck" all around the apartment.

And from BabyCenter.com

At twenty-three months, most children:
Name simple pictures in a book - He loves to do this, especially if they are pictures of vehicles.
Use fifty to seventy words - I've never counted, but he now talks a lot, even stringing together short sentences.

At twenty-three months, half the children:
Open doors - He doesn't quite have the ability to do this, but he definitely knows how and has tried to turn doorknobs. It isn't too much longer until he succeeds.
Sing simple tunes - He can sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Elmo's Song, and most of the alphabet (although he does mix up the letters a bit). Hopefully videos are coming soon.
Take more of an interest in playing with other children - This has definitely started, first noticed when we went out to dinner with Connor, and the two of them actually started engaging. It was most noticeable at playgroup with is friend, Ella. The two of them would run around together, and if one got too far away from the other, they would call each other back. They were also sharing toys and taking turns. It was amazing to watch.

At twenty-three months, a few children:
Talk about themselves (likes, dislikes) - He doesn't really do this.
Ask "why?" - Thank goodness this hasn't started yet.

And as always, there are more pictures in our March album on Picasa, which I will continue to update throughout the month.