21 month update

Is Benjamin really 21 months already? Geez - the months are zooming by...soon he'll be two years old! I figured I needed to do a little update (more for me to look back on and remember)...so sit back relax and enjoy.

• Is picking up words like crazy. He says a bunch of new words everyday - and repeats a lot of the words we say (gotta be careful!). It's so fun to watch him get all excited when we understand what he is trying to say. Probably his favorites are "Yayin" (aka Jaelyn), NO!, me and Mine! It melts my heart when he says "tank-you" without asking for it or when he tries to say "I love you"!
• Gives kisses (complete w/ the pucker and "smack" noise) all the time - he's an affectionate one!
  
• Likes to watch movies and/or cartoons. At times he has a pretty amazing attention span. Cartoons of choice? Curious George or Cat in the Hat. Movies? Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder or Toy Story.
  
• Still is my snuggler...LOVE that!! Hope it never goes away! :)
  
• Has had 2 durabond incidents (1st incident: splitting his chin open on the stairs 10 minutes before we were to leave for Lynden for Thanksgiving, the 2nd incident occurred when he slipped in the bathtub and split open his chin again. Can we have a bottle of that durabond for the house or maybe get stock in it?
• Is strong willed/stubborn - he's going to give us a run for our money. Our parenting skills are being put to the test!
• Is a very joyful, happy kid
  
• Climbs on everything. I thought Jaelyn climbed a lot - but Ben has her beat! He will climb up onto the bathroom counter to grab his toothbrush or get a drink of water ("tirsty") without using a step stool and he's been known to climb up onto his changing table (no not to get his diaper changed, but to get a wipe to "clean" things around the house). It looks like we will need to remove the changing table from his room because it's not the most stable thing & I can't keep my eyes on him all.the.time.
  
• Is in a phase where he won't let me brush his teeth in the morning, but will let Jaelyn! Good thing she can brush her teeth pretty well.
• Favorite books: Any "choo-choo" books (Thomas the Train) or the Little People Lift and play book.
• Likes to have toys in his crib to fall asleep. Jaelyn never had anything in her crib - not even a stuffed animal...but Ben needs to have his sippy cup with water, a couple of books, a cell phone, baby doll, or any other random toy he has played with during the day.
• Is going through a baby doll phase right now - he has overtaken one of Jaelyn's dolls..thankfully Jaelyn has been a trooper and lets him have it. He feeds the baby and gives her something to drink from his sippy cup. He puts her to sleep during the day and loves to push her in the stroller around the house. His sensitive side/nurturing side is coming out - it's really cute to watch.
• Has all of his teeth minus one cuspid tooth on the bottom and his 2 yr molars.