The big 2-0 (months)

The lighting isn't great, but the above picture is one of my favorite recent family shots. It gives a good glimpse into how much joy James brings us.

Here are some things I want to remember about James at this age:

* His vocabular continues to amaze us. He says "exciting" a lot now...especially when talking about trains. There are many other words that he picked up over the past month. Pretty much every day brings a new word for him.

* His enthusiasm is unmatched. Driving in the car, I often hear "Tree. Oh wow! It's pretty." That's his approach to everything.

* James has very clear ideas of what he wants. He typically starts off asking very politely for the things he wants. However, if his wish is not granted he progresses to stage 2 which is "please? OK!" accompanied by an full-body nod. It is VERY hard to resist this cuteness bu if that still doesn't get what he wants he resorts to whining and crying.

* One of his favorite activities is to throw blocks down the stairs. He also LOVES to watch DVDs. Arthur, Thomas the Tank Engine and "Fishies" are his current faves.

* James is all about people. He greets everyone by name and frequently says "hi Mama" as he walks past me in the house. He wants to know that all of his favorite people are around him at all times. When they aren't around he asks to see pictures on the computer.

* A few weeks ago James and I had our first night away from each other. He stayed with Daddy while I went to NYC with some of my friends. James and Daddy had a wonderful time hanging out together. This is the start of many more Mommy-vacations!

* Just today a colleague was asking me about James. At first he said, "how old is your baby now?" I replied that James is 20 months old. Then he surprised me with the next question, "do you like him?". I didn't know how to answer. Saying "yes, I like him a lot" seemed like such a gross understatement. I think I said, "he is about 1000 times more fun than I ever could have imagined". Even that is an understatement! I don't just like him and love him, I truly think he is one of the most fantastic people I have EVER met. This morning on my way to work I got all teary just from seeing a glimpse of his precious little face in my rear view mirror. He is the epitome of joy. :)