He's 21 months folks!

Here is my sweet boy helping me water outside.  He's so cute and loves to help so much!!!

Height: I'm going to go with 34 inches
Weight: 27lb ish

Clothing Size: 24 month and 2T

Shoe Size: Size 7

Number of Teeth: I think we are getting 2 year molars.  So fun!

So I’m a little late – ok, 12 days (at least not a full 2 weeks) – posting this monthly update, but better late than never, right?  I think so – that’s what I’m going with these days.  Where the days seem to fly by and you, Charlie Carter are getting bigger and older and changing every day.  It’s pretty amazing to me how you continue to grow up.  You are a little person – with your own opinions, own thoughts and own agenda at times.  This can obviously be very frustrating sometimes for us as parents, as sometimes your agenda does not quite align with ours – or really safety in general (you know, how you have started lifting up the lock on the gate in the backyard and “escaping”).  But such is life and that is what for those child proof locks are for, right?  Yes, those are going on both of the gates in the backyard…

Let’s first talk about your hair.  At first I was too cheap to go get it cut – mainly because paying $20 to listen to you scream and cry for 10 minutes wasn’t what I wanted to do on our day off work/school, but now it’s emerged into this cute cute curly hair do.  And I feel like it defines you.  Wild and crazy.  Yep, that’s you.  It will need to be trimmed eventually (well, soon), but for now, you are rocking it and we are loving it.

You are not the best eater these days.  It’s not necessarily pickiness quite yet, because it seems as though you’ll try anything, but you like to chew something for a while, then you decide you don’t like it and you take it out of your mouth.  Ha. It’s gross.  But you do it.  That habit seems to cause your waist to shrink.  Either that or all the food you DO decide to swallow that you enjoy is just attributing to your height.  Because you are getting taller and skinnier.  You have to wear 2T shirts, but can still fit into 12 month shorts.  Just like your dad I guess with your long torso and skinny waist.  What I would give for a skinny waist like you boys!!

Outside is where you love to be.  Rain or shine, you go to the door and beg to go outside.  You run and run around the backyard.  You let us know where the dog poop is and refuse to let it go until we shovel it up.  You might have eaten some too.  I know, it’s disgusting, but something I must note because I don’t want to forget it (I’m not sure how I can).  But you were a little TOO quiet “playing” in the playroom by yourself one evening when your dad and I were in the kitchen.  I went to check out what was up and when you saw me – you yelled “POOP” and picked up the small piece of dog poop that Milly or Willy so graciously left on the floor in there.  First of all – gross that you picked it up and second of all – yes, I’m aware that is poop, Charlie.  I swooped you up and washed your hands immediately while your dad disposed of the poop – but don’t think I didn’t smell your breath over and over again to see if you ate it.  It’s still up in the air.  I guess we will never know.  I was mortified as a mother.  I texted my mom and sister telling them in panic and asking them if there was anything I should do!! Please know that Nana responded with the fact that I ate dog poop because I was told it was a tootsie roll by some mean neighborhood boys when I was around your age – and I’m alive and well.  So rest assured, I think you will be ok if it was ingested.  Let’s just not make that a habit. 

Your you tube watching preferences have changed.  You used to love Elmo videos, but now apparently those are a thing of the past because when we put those on (mainly because you are asking specifically for “Elmo”), you shake your head and say “No, no, no”.  You love the Frozen songs and videos and Toy Story.  Yep, much to your dad’s excitement because it is his favorite Disney movie, you are obsessed with Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  You point to the TV and ask for “Woody” constantly.  Luckily, your dad had all 3 on hand.  But it is fun that you will finally sit down for like 10 minutes and watch something on TV.  Ten minutes is usually your max.

Dancing.  You are still a little dancing machine.  Not as much in public because you get shy, but you will still do your little Spanish dancing by throwing up your arms one at a time and shashing (sp?) across the floor.  Now you have started to squat and stomp your feet and almost booty dance as well.  Let’s just say, your dance skills are on par with your mom and dad’s because that is neither of our fortes.  However, you rock it with confidence and it always makes us laugh!

Speaking of confidence, we got your spring report card back for parent teacher conferences and you are progressing quite nicely.  It’s so fun to see the specific skills that they would like you to learn this year and how you have progressed since October.  We are so proud of you!!  From eating with silverware, to recognizing your name and showing preference to your right or left hand, to helping adults and greeting your friends – it’s fun that we can see that progress as well at home.  The comments were what made us smile the most.  They said you exhibit wonderful classroom leadership skills and that you often are the one that starts singing or dancing in the group and then your friends follow.  So proud of you young man for not being afraid to be a leader already.  Your dad laughed when he read that and said “I wonder where he gets that from?”.  Yep, we think you’re pretty special and we are proud!

Finally – you repeat EVERYTHING we say and do.  I mean you are like a little mini me.  Whether it’s you wanting to sit up with me on my vanity stool in the mornings when I’m getting ready and pretend to use my makeup brushes and put lotion on your hands or it’s getting a wet wipe out yourself and walking around “cleaning” things (you know, like Toby, the walls, the carpet – all things that are cleaned with a wet wipe).   No matter what it is you do like us or say like us (which sometimes is scary), it’s so adorable and just is so cool to see you learn and process these things. 

While you continue to be quite the handful and make me question just how we are ever going to make it in 2 months with a newborn and your wild self, I am confident that you will make an amazing  big brother.  You love hugging and kissing my belly and saying "baby" while pointing to my stomach.  It's pretty cute and I can't wait to see you as a big brother.  We are looking forward to loving you more and more the next few months as you continue to grow into a little man!

We love you,

Mom and Dad