Charlie: 23 months...

Not great pictures of me, but I love the joy on Charlie's face!

*Thanks for the pictures Uncle Andrew!

23-month highlights:

• Denise pointed out last week that talking with Charlie right now is like playing charades.  He points and gestures and grunts and groans and then you have to guess what he's trying to communicate.  I've gotten pretty good at his little game :)  He is using words more and more, but he definitely relies on gestures and grunts for most of his communication.  I don't really mind.  He'll talk soon enough and then I'll look back fondly on this time.
• When you ask Charlie if he wants something or if you tell him something that he is excited about, he will flap his arms up and down like a little bird, make panting sounds, and get a huge grin across his face.  I'm going to miss this display of enthusiasm some day when it's gone.  We need to get it on video!
• Charlie eyebrows have gotten quite expressive lately.  When he's mad or frustrated he will furrow his brow so deeply that you can hardly see his eyes.  When he's happy his eyebrows raise and he gives his big one-dimpled grin.  So cute!
• Charlie still loves hats.  He always points to people who are wearing hats.  He likes to wear hats himself when he dresses up, and anytime we walk by someone who is wearing a Dodger hat he yells, "Matt!" (for Matt Kemp).
• The rainboots have become a favorite again.  Today while playing in the yard he wore his rainboots, a diaper, and a long sleeve thermal.  He looked awesome!
• Charlie still loves to copy EVERYTHING Henry does.  Henry is playing on a t-ball team this year, and when we say we are going to Henry's t-ball practice he grunts and emphatically points at himself, as if to suggest that he is on the t-ball team as well.
• Charlie has been into doing puzzles lately, and he's actually quite good at them.  I've been impressed.  He also likes to color in coloring books (and all over himself, the couch, and the table :)
• Charlie loves to play outside!  He especially loves to swing.  I probably spend hours every day outside just pushing him.  He loves it and I find it very relaxing, so it's a win-win.
• He also loves to play in the play garden.  He will use the hose and fill his garden up with water and then give me the hose and have me fill up various cups and pots, and then he will use them to water the garden as well.  He loves to dig in the mud and fill dump trucks with dirt and then drive them around and dump them.  He can spend hours outside every day, it is wonderful!
• Charlie's favorite show to watch on netflix is "Mighty Machines".
• Charlie is currently sleeping through the night, although he has been waking up at 5:30 every morning!  I've been struggling with getting enough sleep these days because of this.  I've been taking a lot more naps and, since John has been leaving super early for work these past few weeks, I've been letting Charlie watch lots of "Mighty Machines" on the laptop in bed with me so that I can sleep a bit longer.  We're in a bit of survival mode with regards to sleep right now :)
• Charlie is napping really really well right now!  (Which, of course, probably has something to do with the fact that he's up at 5:30 every morning :)  Every time Charlie wakes up from his nap he walks over to his white noise machine and turns it off, then he will walk around the house until he finds me.  It's really cute!
• I think that's it for now.  Charlie is truly a joy.  I've been enjoying him so much lately (other than at 5:30 am of course :).  He makes me laugh all the time and he is such a sweet little guy.  I love him to pieces!