What a Difference a Year Can Make

These pictures were taken exactly one year apart.

Some things I want to remember about this age (21 months):

Kyler will play by himself and then just come up to me out of the blue with a big smile on his face. I don't know of anything better than this boy's smile! He also makes a face a lot where he smiles with him mouth closed and sort of scrunches up his face where his eyes are a little bit squinty. It's the face he makes when he is feeling all warm and happy - a cross between "I'm so proud of myself" and "I am loved." When he's around Papa, he usually either makes that face or is licking his upper lip just like Papa does.

He pulls me wherever he wants me to go, tells me to get up, and generally just talks a lot more than he used to. There are lots of 2-3 word sentences and lots and lots of repeating. It's getting more and more clear all the time too.

He finally likes to give hugs and kisses. He is always wanting to hug the dogs, "Bak" and "Wong-Wong" (Baxter and Maggie). I get lots of hugs and even more kisses. Even last night Daddy called to say good-night and Ky said night-night and walked over and kissed the phone. What a sweetie!

He also identifies Mama and Dada in pictures and points to what things belong to each of us and to "Wawa" (Kyler). He'll point to Dad's pillow and the place Dad sits on the couch. It's especially all about Dad since he's been gone for the first week in a long time traveling for work.

When he does something he knows is wrong, he will tell himself "no no no." Whenever I hear his little voice saying "no no no" I know that I had better go check because he's about to do something he shouldn't. Yesterday he was messing with the electronics saying "no, dada's." Too bad those no-no's are just so tempting!

Ky recently learned how to play hide and seek with me. Mom was so hard to find. He would say "Mom go?" and look and look. I would talk to give him hints to find me. He would always hide in the same place which was the first place I hid.

He knows how to tease. He tells Papa that it's "Dad's kuck" (truck). Papa says "Noooo" and Ky will laugh. Then "Mama's kuck" and "Noooo." He thinks it's so funny he will even say it to himself at home while he's playing.