18 months and going strong

Charlton entered Nursery today. We have been counting the days for him to be on his own for those two hours. The children were adamant about taking him to Nursery themselves. I didn't even get a chance to talk to the Nursery leaders and ask them how Charlton did, because he was picked up by a very zealous sister way before I got out of the room.

Charlton is blessed to have such a happy family who loves him, plays with him and cares for him. Gillian is like a second mother to him. She protects him, cares for his needs, feeds him, reads to him, loves him, and lets him play in her room. Often times, he will go to Gillian for love and support. Jefferson and James are so good to him. They play with him all day long. They anticipate his needs and make sure he is very comfortable. They each have special games they play with Charlton. Gillian reads to him, and plays hide and seek with him around the house. Jefferson likes sliding down the stairs and Charlton really enjoys imitating him. James plays with him pillow fights or slides on the floor with blankets.

However, Charlton favorite games involve balls. He loves going out and playing baseball, soccer and basketball. He likes kicking and throwing balls. When he sees his siblings play basketball, he wants a ball of his own, and then tries to throw the ball. It doesn't go far of course, but as far as he is concerned as long as his eyes are on the hoop, he has scored points.

He is still eating very well and everything I give, often times better than my other children. He loves apple sauce and lots of fruit. However, I have to say that although he likes fruit as much as I do, he also has a sixth sense when it comes to sweets. He has learned all the places where candy is stored, and he takes our hand and guides us to where he needs us to go. He doesn't need to express himself in words; his whole demeanor tells us what he wants.

Charlton is a very happy boy. He sleeps well, and naps well. He still takes two naps, but I'm rarely home for him to do just that. His vocabulary is increasing each day, but he still speaks like a baby with lots of unrecognizable sounds. His favorite things to say are 'clock' and 'trash.' In fact, Charlton loves to take things to the trash can, and always points to things and says 'trash?' He loves to be clean and tries to clean his nose with a handkerchief. If there is food on the table, he will make sure it's clean. Charlton will not eat till that specific dirty spot is taken care of. My favorite facial expression that Charlton exhibits, besides his smile, is his pouty face. I like it when he raises an eyebrow as if to challenge my authority.

He enjoys reading books, especially about animals. He will do a funny wolf howl or a dog barking or a lion roaring. Charlton is so fun to have around. He is very lovable and so handsome that I can't keep my hands off him. None of us can for that matter. He makes us all happy.