Big Boy Calvin

Unfortunately there will be no pictures on this post. Nick has been using the camera at work, so I haven't even taken ANY pictures. But, with or without a camera Calvin is growing up and learning new things!

Calvin has been getting really good with his utensils lately (again, he should have done this a while ago, but just because he is a baby doesn't mean he has to be messy! LOL) So, I have been patient and today I put milk in his little cereal bowl and he did GREAT! I was so proud! Calvin does really good at dinner too, but sometimes he does give in and eat with his hands because it is faster. I even let him eat a piece of bread with peanut butter on it yesterday and was surprised by how clean he did it. Every time he got some peanut butter on his hands, he held them up to me and said "help!"

Calvin's vocabulary has just exploded this year! He can repeat almost everything! I have been very persistent with his manners, so every time he wants something all I have to say is "what do you say?" and he quickly replies "PLEASE!" He stills signs it while he says it, but eventually he'll stop that, I think..

We are still trying to work out what to do when we punish him. The corner works sometimes, but he's figured it out. When he does something naughty, we put him in the corner and bend down so he can look at us. We tell him what he did wrong and tell him not to do it again. Then he has to say "yes sir or ma'am" and give us a kiss to get out. But lately he tries to kiss us as soon as we put him in the corner... smart boy!

Calvin is still sleeping good. He lays down in his bed every night and we can hear him play with his animals for a little bit and then he is out for the night! Naps are just as easy. He even tells me some time when he is ready for his nap, it's SO wonderful! I'm hoping to convert his crib into a big boy bed around his birthday.

Calvin loves to play blocks and cars and sing! Yes, sing! Every night we sing some songs before bed. I ask him what he wants to sing and he'll tell me... "child of God" or "e-i-e-i-O" He also tries to sing along with me and it is so cute! He mostly sings the last word of each phrase of the song, or the chorus of Old McDonald (he loves to shout the O!) I try to get him to make the animal noises in the song, but he gets so excited that he just laughs at himself! So silly!

He is slowly growing out of his 18 month clothes and now we get to but 2T! I'm so excited to but him 2T! It's like a real size, not a month LOL! Calvin is still my baby no matter how big he gets! I'm trying to enjoy this time now, because I know after Laura has Cullen he won't look like my baby anymore :( I'm really curious to see how Calvin reacts to Cullen. I hope that he is sweet!

Another thing that Calvin likes to do is say everybody name. Sometimes he'll start on his own, usually with Chris or Laura! and then he goes through Emy, and Madeline, and Granny Jo. It's very cute and I'm pretty sure that he could match the face to the name. He can point out everyone on our family picture from last year, even Baby Tate! (He stills gets Ashley and Ryley mixed up sometimes!)

I think that covers every thing. Sorry about the long, photo-less post! I'm going to ask Nick to bring the camera home over the weekend!