Charlie: 2 years...

2-year highlights (well, technically 2 years and 2 months, but who's counting?):

• Now that Charlie has turned 2 he is talking a LOT!  A lot of his words are just sounds with the correct amount of syllables, but he's making great strides.  Some of the words that he can say: "nana & bopba" = grandma & grandpa, " due wawa" = cold water, "boo dirt un" = blue squirt gun, "wa" = yeah (this is the cutest and I will miss it like crazy when he leaves this behind), He can say these colors: "bu" = blue, "wewo" = yellow, "pupo" = purple, "ow-n" = brown.  He calls Ruby, "boo-boo" and Levi, "Wawa".   There are other words of course, but these come to mind first.
• And of course, now that he's had his second birthday he is beginning to assert his will and independence.  If I ask him to do something he loves to look at me and NOT do it and vice versa.  When he is done playing with something he loves to throw it as hard as he can across the room.  Then when I reprimand him, he likes to look at me, give me a smug smile, and then turn away.  He also thinks it's fun to hit Henry with toys.  We're in parental crackdown mode over here.
• Charlie loves to color... all.over.EVERYTHING!  My butcher block counters have pen scribbles on them, the wall behind the table has a few stray marks, and the bench the boys sit on to eat their meals is covered in scribbles.  He also loves to draw all over himself.  Heaven help us if he ever gets his hands on a sharpie!
• Truth be told about the coloring though, he does really love it.  When I pull out his (washable) markers he always asks for "boo" (blue) first and will color on almost every page in his coloring book with it.  He can sit and color for a pretty long while when he wants to (and by long while, I mean like 10-15 minutes :)
• Charlie is really starting to enjoy puzzles.  The other day I found him working on our alphabet puzzle and he managed to finish the entire thing all by himself.  I was pretty proud of him!
• Charlie loves to count to five.  He counts like this: un, du, ah, ah, ive.  The other day I was reading a magazine and he saw a list of items that was numbered 1-5 and he got so excited!  He started yelling, "mom, mom!" and pointing to them frantically.  It was really cute :)
• Charlie seems to be eating a little less than he used to.  This is probably related to the fact that he's starting to get a bit more picky about what he eats.
• We have started potty training Charlie.  We started the second week of July, so a few weeks after his second birthday.  He's doing pretty well.  He definitely isn't very assertive in telling us when he needs to go, but as long as we monitor him closely, and take him often, he rarely has accidents.  We are already to the point where we take him in public with undies, which is a big deal in my book.  He has even conquered pooping on the toilet which is HUGE!  He gets to watch a video on netflix when he says he needs to poop, so we know he is claiming to have to go even when he probably doesn't really need to, but whatever, a few extra videos for a potty-trained kid is totally worth it!
• Charlie is beginning to get very (VERY) upset when Henry gets to do something special and he doesn't.  This has been especially evident in the past few weeks when Henry got to spend special time with both sets of grandparents by himself.  When Henry is gone (or before he leaves) Charlie will walk around the house whimpering, "nana, bopba" and then throw himself on the floor and cry.  Last time this happened it lasted for an hour and a half :(  Poor Charlie.  We are going to have to work especially hard to make sure he doesn't feel left out once the baby comes. 
• He loves to play ball in the backyard with daddy.
• He loves to dig in the dirt.
• He loves to go to bed with as many of his toys as he can hold in his hands.  Last night he went to bed with a small tractor, his duplo motorcycle and policeman, a water bottle, and his paddington bear.  
• Charlie is sleeping really well in his crib.  He goes to bed around 8 or 8:30ish, depending on his nap, and he usually sleeps until 6 or 6:30ish.  I'm in no hurry to move him to a bed since he is doing so well in the crib.  As far as I'm concerned he can have the crib as long as he needs it.  We can keep the baby in our room.
• More to list, but that's it for now.  We love our Charlie boy!

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!

Charlie: 22 months...

22-month highlights:

• I am loving Charlie at this age!  He cracks me up all day long.  He loves to copy anything Henry does, and if whatever Henry does elicits a laugh, then you better believe that Charlie will come a copyin'.  His tantrums are minimal and he is just generally a fun little guy to be around (although he has his moments, of course...but who doesn't? :)
• Charlie loves to get horsey rides.  He has a straw cowboy hat that he likes to put on and will then demand "Neigh-Neigh!" (which is his way of asking for the horsey ride :)  If you get down on  your hands and knees for any reason, Charlie will yell "Neigh-Neigh!" and come and jump on your back.  It's pretty cute!
• Charlie loves to watch videos on Netflix (Unfortunately, his brother is rubbing off on him in this area too).  He likes to watch Mighty Machines and Busytown among others.
• Charlie loves to gather up ALL the pillows in the house (and I am not even exaggerating when I say ALL) and throw them in a pile and jump on them.  He learned this from his brother, of course.  I personally could do without this little game.  All of our pillows seem to have splitting seams, and I have no motivation to repair them because I know it will likely just happen again if I do.
• Charlie loves to play outside.  He can spend a good hour or more playing in the playgarden.  He has just recently discovered the joy that is spraying the house and making mud, so that is what he is usually up to when he's outside :)
• He also loves to wear helmets of any kind.  He loves to wear our batting helmet, but for some reason he thinks he needs to wear it backwards.  I've tried to turn it around for him, but he's not interested (there is a picture of this above).
• Charlie is really enjoying his tricycle that was handed down to us from cousin Elinor.  When we go on family walks, Henry rides his new bicycle and we push Charlie on his tricycle which works out well.  He loves to wear his bicycle helmet while he rides :)
• Charlie is starting to add a few more words to in repertoire.  He can now say "Ma" for Matt Kemp.  If you ask him who the Dodger's centerfielder is, that's what he will say.  He can also say "mi"for milk and "tuhtuh" for turtle.  His vocabulary is coming along!  And even though he can't say too many words yet, he understands EVERYTHING you say to him.
• Charlie has become really interested in the moon and stars.  He loves to go outside at dusk or after dark and stare up at the sky and point to them.
• Charlie is finally finding his nighttime sleeping groove.  I'd say he sleeps through the night probably 4-5 times/week, which is HUGE for us!  I'm not really sure what we did to get him to do this, but hey, we'll take it!
• He is also napping well too.  He sleeps in Henry's bed and usually sleeps about 2 hours/day.
• Eating is still going well.  He is sure enjoying strawberry season!  I think we keep our local strawberry stand in business :)
• I may need to come back and add more later, but that's it for now.  Charlie is a lot of fun to be around and we love him to pieces.

Charlie: 21 months...

21-month highlights:

• Charlie is quite the mama's boy.  He pretty much just wants me with him all.the.time.  If he is playing he will point to the floor implying that he wants me to sit right there.  If he wants me to read, he will just grab a book and crawl up into my lap.  I know I will look back very fondly on these days, but boy oh boy, it'd be great if he'd give daddy some love every once in awhile :)
• Even though Charlie LOVES mama, he is particularly fond of Henry as well.  He LOVES to chase Henry around the house and the yard and copy EVERYTHING he does.  Charlie can't copy Henry's exact words, but he just makes sounds that mimic Henry's inflections.  Having Henry around definitely keeps Charlie occupied and gives me time to get other things done, which is a blessing!
• Charlie still loves to eat.  Last night he ate a slice and half of homemade pizza, which is just a little bit less than what I ate!  It won't be long and mama's going to have to make 2 pizzas for these boys of mine!  Charlie doesn't seem to be too fond of chicken, but he still loves beef and pork and a variety of other snacks.  Fruit of any kind is a favorite and he likes vegetables when they are roasted or sauteed.
• Charlie loves to play with our playmobile people.  He is obsessed with the fact that they ALL must be wearing their work hats at ALL times.  Once he makes sure that they all have their hats on, then he carries them around the house all day.  He also likes to shove them into the police car, ambulance, and fire truck.  He does the same thing with our Melissa and Doug toys too, except those people don't have hats, so they are slightly less popular :)
• Charlie LOVES to play outside.  I open my kitchen window and I can watch he and Henry play outside in their playgarden.  They will play out there for a good hour or more, which is AWESOME!  It's one of the only places that he will play without mama for a long period of time.
• Charlie still LOVES books.  Books have been responsible for easing his nursery experiences.  We've gotten to the point where anytime we drop him off at the nursery at CBS, aerobics, and church, the routine is for him to run in and grab a book and hand it to the nursery workers.  He doesn't even look back at me when I leave.  It's all about the books!
• When we read books together, he loves to point to all the mamas in the story and yell "MAMA!" and then point to me and say "MAMA!" again.  He also likes to watch basketball games with John and point to the coaches on the screen and say, "DADA!"  It's pretty cute :)
• Charlie's naps this past week have been less than stellar.  Twice in the past week I couldn't get him to even take a nap!  A serious bummer.  I told John that my sanity rests in the naptime sleeping habits of a 1 and 3 year old.  When they don't nap mama's grouchy!  I remember Henry has gone through various times when he hasn't fallen asleep easily and I start to entertain thoughts that maybe his napping days were over, only to have him return to his good nap habits a few days or weeks later, so I'm hoping this is the case here.  
• Charlie's nighttime sleeping habits are all over the map.  One night he'll sleep through the night, the next he'll wake up at 11:30 screaming his head off.  After spring break it's time for night time sleep crack down around here.  
• Charlie is still a delight for us.  One of my favorite things is when he runs up to me and yells "MAMA!" and grabs onto my legs and gives me a big hug.  Totally makes my day (and makes up for his erratic nighttime sleeping habits ;)  We loves our Charlie-boy!

Charlie: 20 months...

20-month highlights:

• In the last month Charlie has become more verbal.  He certainly isn't speaking in sentences or anything, but he's trying to say things.  Usually his words are just the first sound of the word he wants to say (examples: "mah"= milk, "buh"=bye).  He says "baba"= ball, "dada"= daddy or tractor (depending on context), "bah"=boat, and of course "mama", his favorite :)  He still does lots of grunts and groans, but he gets his point across.
• Charlie still LOVES books.  His favorite way to read books is to have the reader hold the book open and then he will point to items on the page and the reader has to say what they are.  He is very particular about the words he wants though.  If he points to a "sheep" and you say "lamb" and he's looking for the word "sheep" then he will bang on the picture with his finger until you say the word he is looking for.  It is both comical and annoying, depending on the reader's mood :)
• Charlie is starting to become interested in coloring.  He loves nothing more than to have a coloring book and a pile of crayons and make a mark on each and every page in the coloring book.  Henry loves his contributions to our coloring book stash (totally kidding.)
• Oh Charlie and food.  That relationship is still going strong.  This morning the boys were playing well together so I thought I'd sneak away and enjoy a bowl of oatmeal all by myself.  By the time I got the oatmeal made Charlie found me and literally ate half my oatmeal.  I had to make another bowl of it and he ate half of that too.  He amazes me.  He seriously likes most foods, I can hardly think of anything he doesn't like!  
• I haven't reported anything on Charlie's eczema in awhile mostly because there's been nothing to report!  I think Charlie must have had a classic case, because just like most of the things I read said, it seemed to clear up right about when he turned one.  He still seems a bit prone to diaper rash, so that might be a lingering effect of the eczema, but as long as I change his diapers frequently, I can keep that in check.  Yeah!
• Charlie still loves Henry.  Anything Henry does, Charlie wants to copy.
• When Henry was this age, he didn't have first cousins to play with, so it is especially sweet to watch Charlie play with Levi and Ruby.  He loves to give them hugs (and sometimes those tend to turn into tackles :)
• Charlie is pretty good at playing by himself when Henry is gone.  He loves to play in the sandbox outside and he really likes playing with our Melissa and Doug and Playmobile vehicles.  It's fun to watch him set everything up the way HE wants it (not having to play the way Henry wants).
• As far as sleeping goes, Charlie is still napping in Henry's bed.  I rock him to sleep for both naps and bedtime.  Some people like to go on and on about how kids need to fall asleep on their own, but quite frankly, I love rocking him, and I'll do it until it doesn't work for me anymore!  At night he sleeps in his crib until he wakes up (usually between 3 and 5) at which point we put him in our bed and let him sleep the rest of the night with us.  And again, we don't mind him in there, so this works for us.
• Overall, we just love our Charlie!  He is funny and loves to give mischievous smiles.  He makes us laugh and fills us with joy :)