It's hard to get a good picture of a smiling Sorin since he's always on the move these days. Whether it's chasing the kitty cat (kii-ca), playing hide and seek, chasing the kitty cat, pushing his little stroller, chasing the kitty cat, pulling his animal train, chasing the kitty cat (you get the idea:), it's go, go, go. For those of you who know our cat, she's completely mellowed. She lets Sorin pet her, poke at her, and pretty much lie on top of her--the only thing she draws the line at is tail pulling. Another love of Sorin these days is Elmo. We finally relented and let him watch Sesame Street in the mornings. It definitely makes getting going and out the door a lot easier, and I think I love it as much as he does. Sorin has a stuffed Elmo that he carries around and takes to bed with him, and he loves to read his Elmo books (thank you Nonna and Oma!). Speaking of books, reading is one of the few times Sorin does sit still. He truly loves his books, and can fill in many of the words, they're so often-read. His current favorites are "Where the Wild Things Are," "Mr. Brown Can Moo" (he can pretty much make all the noises), "Pat the Bunny," and anything with trucks. I've learned a lot about trucks (backhoes, loaders, excavators, pavers), and I expect to be learning even more about dinosaurs pretty soon. I really can't believe 18 months has passed already. I would never have believed time could go so quickly. I think I would definitely characterize the first year as one of physical development (rolling over, sitting up, walking), and so far the second one has been mostly about mental and emotional development. The amount Sorin understands is amazing to me--he's like a little sponge. And of course along with mental and emotional development comes the opinions, the wants, and the stubborness (tantrums anyone?). But I guess it's all part of the game with a toddler, and the sweet smiles and snuggles definitely make up for the frustration.
