One.Six Years of Coop

One and a half fun years to brother and sister, changing our lives even more than before. And you do so love your sissy! And we do so love you. It's very hard to go to work with a smiling little boy waving "bah-bye" and rotating your wrist, opening and closing it. When you want to that is. Never on command, of course.
Your vocabulary is exploding rapidly, Mister! Must say that hearing you ask for "MehMeh" makes me so appreciate your relationship with Meg. You stayed home from school the other day supposedly sick with Daddy, and he said you asked and looked for her all days long! Momma, Memma (for Memma and Pop we discovered)... the always favorite "Buhsh"?
Lately you have learned your body parts - amazingly that I didn't figure out until you showed me your belly. The ladies at school have been working with you I believe. You are more that willing to pull up your shirt to show you "behbee"... and pointing to your nose usually involves finger in your nostril up to your first knuckle followed by showing your mouth by putting that same finger in your mouth. You seem to know your knees. And love patting your head to show us where hats go (in your book). And want to grab "gasses" (our glasses) off our faces.
You get excited about getting in your chair in your room to crawl up and read your "boo"... especially when when your "o-bo" is with you... As in Tobey has become obo... a question that you repeat all day long. You are getting more interested in books. Definitely prefer your big book but will sit semi-patiently to read others as long as their are pictures of animals. Some roars and moos come out at times.
Tobey is your buddy, and you will come up and hug him. Sometimes he's a "daw"... regardless of what you call him, you still insist on giving him all kinds of kisses, leaning in toward him open-mouthed when you are allowed.
You seem to understand a lot more words including "dance party" which can reveal a super fun running-dance which you do on command as well as "cleaning" which prompts you to scrub. You definitely get excited when we suggest at night that you go "upstairs" and are willing (sometimes) to "go put it up". Just tonight I asked you to go put your shoe in the shoe bucket and you did! Oh so proud to run up and hug me afterward.
The other day "Dora the Explorer" was on TV, and you started saying "Mah I mah"... and Mommy and Daddy thought surely you weren't singing... But you repeated it back to me later when I sang "Map I'm the Map". So cute. And we watch way too much Dora, obviously. Then again, you say that frequently when the TV is on so maybe you think Dora is the only thing that comes on that big box.
You've recently had a grumpy spell of about two weeks - possibly worsened due to the recent acquisition of your upper canines. Snotty nose, cough, picky appetite... they even made me come pick you up from school for "pink eye" which meant you had some snotty eye crusting... but you didn't feel too good anyway so that's okay.
You love to sit in laps, backing right up into anyone's lap. But yet not so big into cuddling. That's when we know you are tired, when you put your head on our shoulders. You give kisses. Sometimes willingly lunging forward to give kisses at bedtime. Recently bedtime isn't such a challenge as you may lean forward into your bed, ready to go lay down calmly. You know "baby?" and associate baby with baby blankets and cribs.
Coloring is a new interest. Kind of. Calling your high chair "ash", you ask to be put into it at meal time. And, in typical little boy way, insist on daringly standing up in it when you declare yourself done. You also love digging through my drawers in the kitchen when Mommy is cooking - especially in the Tupperware drawer. Not just anyone finds random lids in their bedroom, and dog balls in containers with the lids put on. It at least gives me an excuse to have an ever-messy plastic container storage method. It's truly a lost cause.
Bathtime is a favorite. You opened the door to the shower the other morning when Daddy was letting the water heat up - did we mention you were fully clothed? :) You do love your baths and using the opportunity to play with different toys. And pretty tolerant of Meghan dumping water on your head. A lot more than she would be were it the other way around.
Very picky eater all of a sudden. Still good with the mandarin oranges, cheese, blueberries, and carbs... but all of a sudden have decided to not like meat or sweet potatoes and definitely not anything mixed like casseroles. And very fussy when late on your milk. And then several days later you will gobble down anything we put in front of you. Overall, pretty good eater though.
You love to be outside. Love all your "ball"s and like to practice making baskets. Love the cars. Love to chase the puppies.
You are pretty shy, little guy. We went out to eat, and you averted your eyes from those strangers... and insisted on sitting in my lap, throwing a fit when attempting to let one of the other ladies hold you. Still a generally happy baby, pretty stoic. But easy and much loved. We love you, Bubba!