Week 50...

50-week highlights:

• Charlie is taking more and more steps every day!  He definitely still prefers crawling to walking, but it won't be much longer before he's up on 2 feet for good.
• Since I've stopped nursing him at night and we've done the whole "cry-it-out" approach, he seems to be doing well with sleeping through the night.  I certainly won't be holding my breath on this one though!
• Naps are a joke.  He's been waking up in the morning around 6ish, so he is super tired by 9:00 or 10:00, but I still can't get him to sleep for his nap without nursing him.  Afternoon naps require a walk around the neighborhood, but even then he doesn't fall asleep very easily, and quite frankly, pushing him in the stroller at 1:00 in June just isn't my idea of a good time.  Plus, once I walk him to sleep, which has been taking at least 30 minutes, he's only been sleeping for about 30-45 minutes, which hardly seems worth the trouble.  Moral of the story, I think he'd do much better if he only took one nap, but making that switch means that I will have to deal with some serious morning crabbiness for awhile.  We'll keep working on it.
• Charlie loves balls of all kinds!  He loves to play with John's golf balls in the backyard and he loves to throw the tennis balls around on the patio.
• He is currently wearing 24 month clothes.  Henry's 18-month hand-me-downs aren't working out all that well, unfortunately.  Some things fit alright, but many do not.  Bummer.
• Charlie hates taking baths.  He pretty much just wants to stand up and hold on to the edge of the tub and scream the whole time.  I am SO GLAD John is home in the evenings to help with this.  We end up tag teaming the whole operation, he washes the boys and I dress them, which helps keep things moving along quickly.
• Charlie likes to eat: raisins, apples, spaghetti sauce, crackers, blueberries, cheerios and yogurt, and meat.  He hasn't become obsessed with smoothies like his brother yet though, we'll see if this comes later on.
• Charlie's skin is still under control.  An absolute miracle, I tell you!
• I love to watch Charlie and Henry interact with each other throughout the day.  Charlie loves Henry and wants to do whatever he is doing.  Henry is very concerned about Charlie.  He makes sure to move toys that are unsafe for Charlie to play with, he gives him lots of kisses, and he takes things away from Charlie that he isn't supposed to have (although I think he might get more enjoyment out of this than he should ;)  I just can't get enough of watching these 2 boys together.  Such a joy!