13 Months

The boys turned 13 months on 1.11.12.  Their first birthday already seems so long ago...

They loved riding in the race car cart at a recent shopping trip!

Here are just a few fun tidbits we want to remember about their adventures at 12 months.

Jake:

• 22 lbs
• 29 1/2 inches
• Walking all over the place, and getting faster each day!
• Love to carry toys around, or bring them to people.  He always seems so proud of his object when he presents it.  :)
• Seems to be understanding us more and more.  He usually responds to "No" (or at least stops what he is doing and looks at us while pondering if he will continue with his mischief).  Also, he'll bring me some items if I request them, books, ball, Lego, etc.
• Has a cute habit of taking off his socks before he falls asleep for a nap.  We usually put him down with them on, but we often find them removed, thrown over the crib rail, and strewn about on the floor.  Must need some fresh air for his toes in order to fall asleep.
• Seems to have lots of very important things to tell us lately.  (However, we really have no idea  what he is saying, but it is fun to guess.)  He points, nods his head, and gestures with his stories.
• Loves to play with his Laugh and Learn Puppy.  He very carefully pushes the button on his foot, then sits back, and sways, dances, or claps with him.  :)

Charlie:

• 18 lbs, 2 oz (Hooray...gaining weight!)
• 29 3/4 inches
• Crawling like a champ and cruising all around the house...just using the wall, sofa, chairs, etc. to follow/keep up with Jake!  Weekly physical therapy is really helping, we've seen great strides this month.
• Some recent vocabulary includes:  Uppie (up, sometimes with pointing to the ceiling), Wew-woah (Hello), nananana-in a slightly whinny tone (which, I think, is a request for his beloved bananas), Baaaya-be (baby), and pup-pup in a whisper (for a puppy stuffed animal).  Most of the "words" are still mimicking or repeating us when we say them, but we occasionally hear a random "Ball!" or "Duck!" on his own.
• Signs for "more" and recently, "please"...sometimes. 
• "Plays" phone, and holds a toy phone (or fork, block, or calculator) up to his ear and says "Wew-woah?" (Hello) and then sometimes continues his "conversation" with us. 
• Working on eating with a spoon and fork, and once tried to use his sippy cup as a spoon by placing a piece of broccoli on top of it and then bringing the sippy to his mouth.  We'll call this creativity. ;)
• Sings with us in church.  When the choir sings, he'll often chime in with "Ooooohhhh" or "Ahhhh."  We've decided he has better pitch than mom.
• "Moos" like a cow and "barks" like a dog in response to hearing a toy cow or Bandit.
• Loves to sing and dance with his Rock and Roll Elmo...or imitate Elmo by opening and closing his mouth in a jawing motion.