I'm still here! 7/10/12

And hopefully back from a six-day break. 

The truth is I took some time off of work beginning last Wednesday, and we've been moving at warp speed since to get some major things (like painting one bedroom and two bathrooms) scratched off of our "House To Do" list (One we started last September that never seems to stop growing. How is that?).  Amongst all of that, Jim and I took an overnight anniversary time-out to a resort and spa.  Needless to say, these past few days we've been through the ups and downs of tears, ultimate relaxation, arguments, and back-breaking labor.  I may or may not have been glad to see Monday come and go and bring back the routine that's normal for us. 
 

Speaking of warp speed, I can't believe my little honey is eighteen months old. Eighteen months! Sigh. He's totally slipping out of "baby" and becoming "toddler".

He's walking everywhere he goes - he finally gave up crawling for good at his grandparent's house a few weeks back - and if he sees someone else do it (whatever "it" might be) he thinks he can do it too. His vocabulary is getting bigger and bigger - his two faves are ball and me (as in "give it to me" while he points his finger).

On Sunday, he walked up and down our sidewalk in all his one-and-a-half-year-birthday glory with his three feet of personal space (He's free and he knows it, and Jake, bless his heart, has yet to learn not to take it all so personal - the squeals of aggravation and swings of his arms to move Brother away.), and you would have thought he'd won the lottery when Jake found more than one baseball laying in the grass that our neighbors' kids must have lost.
 

Little man is seriously crazy about some balls.

Because he thinks "What's yours is mine.", they kept exchanging them back and forth (I'm so incredibly thankful that ninety percent of the time, Jake could care less. He's learned well that he no longer needs just one of anything - he needs an extra to share with Parker.) - a constant cycle of throw it, go get it, give me yours, throw it, go get it, give me yours. 

Today, he'll have his eighteen month checkup which will include getting a few shots - always great times.  I'm anxious to see how tall he is when we go (his weight should be about the same as it was when he was diagnosed with his ear infection around ten days ago which was a little over twenty-two pounds).  This one is definitely long and lean.  

Happy One and a Half, Baby!  I love you to the moon!