Kobe at 18 months :)

I can't believe my little man is going to be 18 months old at the end of the month. I love, love, love this age so much. I think this when they are the absolute cutest, they still have the "baby" feel to them, chubby cheeks and thighs, but they are running around everywhere and totally fascinated with the world around them. Taking everything in and learning so much every day. I love the sound of Kobe running down the hall, little feet pitter pattering on the wood floor so quick, it is such a distinct, adorable sound that makes me smile every time I hear it. When Katie turned 18 months old, I was so absolutely in love and fascinated with her I decided to write down everything she was doing at that age so I would never forget it. I did the same thing with Kyle and now I get to do it with Kobe. So here goes... :)

Kobe likes:

To be tickled (especially when you "bite" his tummy and sides), to play "this little piggy" with his toes (he asks you to do it over and over), when you sniff his feet and say they stink, FOOD - there is almost nothing he won't eat..fruits (especially berries), veggies, meat but especially sweets! All you have to say is "Kobe do you want candy?" and he comes running! Trucks, cars (he makes the vroom vroom sound while playing with them), animals, books (especially about animals), being naked, being snuggled in a towel after his bath and telling him "all clean!" while holding and kissing him, sleeping with mommy & daddy, mommy milk (but is just starting to take a sippy or bottle instead of nursing...a BIG first for him, I think he will be weaned soon which makes me happy and sad at the same time), DANCING & MUSIC - this is huge...he loves to get up on the coffee table and shake his butt! Being carried, wearing shoes (this is practically an obsession - he goes to bed in them & I have to take them off once he's asleep because he cries if I try to take them off when he's awake. The first thing he does in the morning is goes and brings be his shoes to put on. He also likes everyone else to wear their shoes and will bring them to you and insist you put them on.), drinking from water fountains, playing with my hair, getting into all the drawers in the kitchen, giving kisses & hugs, being outside, wrestling with daddy, singing, playing with Katie, having you blow on his tummy and then doing it back on yours, doing summersaults (he can do it by himself!), watching cartoons, playing with the phone, riding in the hiking backpack, wearing Katie's riding helmet, horses, SpongeBob, puzzles, getting you things (like if you ask him "Kobe can you go get the keys?" he runs off so happy and brings them to you. It's amazing that he can understand EVERYTHING and will happily do anything you ask of him.

Kobe does NOT like:

Getting out of the bath, riding in the car, when he gets his arm stuck trying to put his shirt on (this makes him SO mad!), being told "no", taking a nap (he is just recently starting to fight this), when mommy won't let him nurse when we are out in public and he asks for it, taking his shoes off, mommy to leave the room (or even a 10 ft. radius!), sitting in his highchair for more than 5 minutes (then he wants to climb in mommy's lap and eat off my plate)

Kobe can:

Say about 25 words..they are; mom, dad (yes he actually says mom and dad instead of mommy and daddy. It's too funny, he yells it over and over if he can't see you "Mom, mom, mom!"), answers and nods his head yes and no to answer questions and shrugs his shoulders and makes the "I don't know" sound if he doesn't know the answer. Says; more, milk, bird, snack, ma (for grama), shoes, dog, eyes, nose, mouth, hair, bebu (belly button), bath, uh oh, please, uh uh (for no), na na na (while shaking his finger to tell you about something he's not supposed to do), up, Bob (for Spongebob), bug. He can also sing along with tunes and goes "Na na na", it is so cute!

Most used signs: milk, more, bath, eat, drink, bird, dog, come on, all done, please, thank you (the last two he is now using in the right context without being asked!)

The funny thing about Kobe is while he doesn't SAY a lot of words (probably the least of any of my kids at this age - I was reading Katie's list at 18 months and she had FIVE HUNDRED words at this age!!), he does understand and can identify EVERYTHING. He can point to ALL of his body parts when asked, he makes the animal noises for a: dog, horse, cat, cow, pig, sheep, bird, fish (he puckers his lips and smacks them), chicken, tiger/lion/bear (they all make the "roar" sound), monkey, and can point to and identify all the animals in him big animal book. He is SO smart & totally aware of everything around him. I think he shows an amazing amount of comprehension and understanding. He can put together wooden puzzles effortlessly, stack blocks and identify colors already. He is also really coordinated and can kick a soccer ball and throw a ball really far. He also does perfect somersaults (forward rolls) by himself and will walk on his hands if you hold up his legs. I think he is showing a lot of athletic ability at a very young age.

But most of all, Kobe is such a sweetheart. He is SO affectionate and will almost always give you hugs and kisses when you ask and lots of times when you don't. He will just run up to you and give you a big kiss, it is so sweet. He is so cuddly and loves to sit in your lap and watch TV. He has the cutest laugh, it reminds me a LOT of Kyle's. He is also very impatient and very stubborn, when he wants something, he wants it NOW! He is also SUPER attached to me, probably the most of all my kids, which is hard sometimes when I need to get things done, but mostly I just hold him and breath in his sweet baby smell and revel in the warmth of his skin and thank God that I CAN hold him and smile because the reason he wants me so much is just because he loves me so much. :) Lord knows that I love him with all my heart and soul, he is my sweet little Kobe-kins and he also brings me back a piece of his brother, whom he reminds me of more and more each day with his expressions and mannerisms (like holding his hands behind his back while waiting for something). He has healed my heart so much and brought the joy of a son back into my life. A lot of times I will kiss him once for Kyle and once for him, my love for both my sons gets poured into him. I do love him so much just for him though, for the unique, sweet, stubborn, silly, happy, loving, hilarious little person that he is. He makes me feel like my heart will burst with love every time I look at him and adds such a wonderful dimension to our family, I honestly couldn't imagine our lives without him and thank God for him every single day.