3 Years 5 Months

1)  "Oh Sprout!" is Fuzzy's most helpful response when Sprout kicks something, grabs at a toy Fuzz is holding, falls on the floor and cries, etc.  Less helpful responses include coming over and shoving his brother and grabbing the toy back so hard that Sprout falls over.  "Oh Sprout!" is a good one though.  Occasionally it even lets Mama know that the little one is doing something dangerous.

2)  We've also seen some very heart-warming interactions from Fuzzy.  When Sprout has hurt himself, I've witnessed Fuzzy come over, pat him on the back, and softly whisper ,"Shhh, Sprout, shhhh - it's okay."  When I was gone for a business trip, The Pit also put both boys together in one bed, and Fuzzy repeated the same gentle patting and whispering when his brother was having a hard time falling asleep.

3)  "Ow ow ow!" is another recent favorite saying, especially when nothing is hurt.  I'm not sure what that's all about, but I'm guessing preschool is the culprit.  

4)  We were going to go on a hike with my sister and brother-in-law once the kids woke up from naps.  Of course, on this particular day, Fuzzy woke up super grumpy, and cried as we were getting him dressed, in the car, and as we were putting him in the hiking backpack.  Somewhere about mid-hike, the kid started to feel better, and post-hike, was in great mood.  On the way down the hill he asked me, "Mama, why was I so grumpy in the car?"  Kid, I wish I knew.

5)  The Pit has been wanting to start Fuzzy on board games for a while, and I kept telling him that Fuzz was much too young.  Well, turns out Mama was wrong on this one.  Father and son played Candy Land with much joy for the first time this month.  Two peas in a pod.

18 Months

1)  New words this month:
wan da = want that (often accompanied with a quick grab of the object in question.  This is particularly awesome when what he wants is a food item Fuzzy is holding.)
han = hand
hane = plane
eye = eye
ba = bath (in addition to book)
daaak = dark
hone = phone
pumpa = pumpkin
wet = wet

2)  Sprout can now easily identify mouth, nose, ears, hair, hands, legs, feet, and toes.  Tricksy body parts like elbows continue to give him trouble.

3)  Our new California nanny lives in the hood in Oakland, and she is continuously amazed at how tough Sprout is.  "Sprout is the toughest 18 month old I've ever met.  I could take him home to my street, and those kids wouldn't be able to push him around!"  Part of his toughness is that he won't let big brother push him around.  If Fuzzy comes in and hits or shoves him, Sprout will return the favor two-fold.  The other part is that he barely cries when he gets hurt - even when the injuries seem like they would really smart.

4)  In addition to toughness, the baby's coordination continues to astound.  He now walks down stairs relatively well when there's a handrail or I'm holding his hand.  He continues to be a super climber, although we still hover nervously, particularly when he has a food item in his hand and refuses to let go while climbing

5)  At the playground, Sprout saw Fuzzy peeing against a tree, and was not satisfied until he was granted the same privilege.  He tugged down his pants, and kept gesturing at his diaper until I took it off.  Then he proudly peed all over his own shoes and took off.