Sam - 20 months (yes, I know it's late)

Just in time for Sam's 21st month (yesterday), I bring you some 'all about Sam' at 20 months. The poor kid has fallen victim to 2nd child syndrome and I'm embarrassed that I can't even remember the last time I posted an update just on him.  I hope he doesn't hate me when he gets older... :)

So, I'll start with some stats:
At his 18 month appt (he was closer to 19 months at the time) Sam was:
height = 32.25" - 35%
weight = 23# 14.5 oz - 20%
head circ = 48 cm - 50%

He's a little lighter and a little shorter than his older brother at the same age, but has a bigger head.  LOL

In honor of his '20 months' I have compiled a list of 20 things about Sam I'd like to remember:

1.  Calls his big brother 'Mai' and uses his name quite frequently to ask us where Mai is, or to tattletale on Mai -- both of the boys are big tattle tails (although it is hard not to laugh at their tattle tailing at times  e.g. "Mom, Sam is looking at me...).  They do play together pretty well though, and Max is surprisingly tolerant of Sam.  They go on quite a few 'adventures' together which usually involve toys 'flying' around the house (like the house in UP) ...  Sam wants to do/have whatever big brother is doing or having -- so we do have to break up a few 'sharing' wars....

the boys on their 'puters' -- notice each has their own now....

2.  Sam is an AWESOME eater (Max was too at this age) and really enjoys digging into his foods.  He eats completely independently now -- with his own fork and spoon (doesn't like to accept help either).

3.  Is very good at asking please (PEAS!) and more -- and still signs along with these requests which melts my heart, especially when he starts frantically signing please over and over.  His 'tank u' is very sweet and spoken very softly.  LOVE it.  He likes eating food in 'cuppies' and will pull a 'cuppy' out of the cupboard and ask for 'cackers or sea-eral'

4.  LOVES all kinds of balls -- like obsessively LOVES them.  His favorite, by far, is the basketball and Max bought him a regulation size ball that I swear he would sleep with if I let him (which I do not).  He can play catch (and can actually catch the ball) and loves to kick his mini soccer ball around the house.

5.  We're working on his colors, and he knows them -- but not consistently.  Much like Max, his favorite colors at this age are yellow and blue.

6.  Calls all letters and numbers 'A' -- and likes to point out 'As' everywhere -- on shirts, on the TV, in books, in the bathtub, etc.  LOVES the ABC song and I hear him singing the tune of the song often with just the word 'Mom'....so sweet.....

7.  Is very adept at climbing onto things and is very fearless and brave and does it without thinking (we actually never had to worry about this with Max).  I just about freaked when I saw him standing on top of the coffee table one morning. He laughed at me.  Devil child.

8.  Sleeps GREAT.  Down without complaint around 7-7:30 each night and sleeps until 6-6:30 am (if he's not up already we have to wake him up by that time for school).  He takes one nap a day, in the afternoon for 2-3 hrs at a time.  Even if he wakes up earlier than we want to, he is generally very good about hanging out and playing in his crib for awhile.

9.  Is not shy AT ALL.  He loves to give hugs and kisses and is very trusting and obedient when I ask him to hug and kiss people.  Rarely has he balked at my request -- for example, on Xmas eve, we were over at a friend's house and he hugged and kissed most of the people there goodbye -- many of which he had never met before (and I caught him giving Grandma a big hug of the leg that night too when no one else was around!).  Love my little love bird.

10.  Gives me huge neck squeezes, open mouthed kisses, and nose kisses when I ask him to.  I ask him frequently.  Who wouldn't?

11.  Loves to pick out his own diaper -- cloth diaper -- because he loves the colors and patterns.  His favorite is the giraffe diaper.  I don't blame him, it is my favorite too.  He'd wear cloth diapers all the time if we could let him -- but daycare won't let us use them there....

12.  Has started to give huge cheeser smiles when we take pictures -- which is much better than his expressions in pictures in the past where he just sat there staring blankly at the camera, LOL.

13.  Still fits into his 18 month clothes and most of the 24 month clothes are much too big in his waist and length for his legs.  I still have to roll up some of his 18 month stuff!  I finally gave in and packed up most of the 12 month clothes, but he still wears a lot of those shirts.

Sam and Connor in their matching jammies on xmas eve

14.  LOVES stuffed animals -- he sleeps with two ellies (elephants), pup pup, monkey, worm, bear and of course, ba-ba.

15.  LOVES 'boo-cks" (books) and has to read at least 3 each night -- he would keep reading them over and over if we let him.

16.  Has started to sing along (melody wise, not necessarily word wise) to many of the songs I sing to him.  Some nights, he lays back in my arms and looks up at my face and puts his finger on my mouth while I sing the songs.  He gets a kick out of watching my lips move and asks for more and more.  He really loves Mary had a Little Lamb right now and asks for the 'mary lamb' song.

17.  Loves to help around the house and vacuums, sets the table, cleans up toys (sometimes without being asked).

18.  Loves to slide down stairs on his belly and goes so fast sometimes that I worry about rug burn on his belly (especially now that he has a full set of stairs to go down between our second and first floors!)

I swear it was just a candy cane, Mom!

19. Loves having water poured over his head in the bathtub -- it takes his breath away and he struggles to catch it, but sometimes he asks for 'more' before he's even caught his breath!  It is hilarious -- especially considering his older brother screams 'my eyes! my eyes!' if even a drop of water gets near them.  I NEED to get a video of this.  He's been doing it for awhile, and I never get tired of it!

20.  His vocabulary is exploding and he is starting to use more multiple word sentences and phrases.  He speaks in a very soft whisper voice when I ask him a question, but has a much louder and DEMANDING voice that he can and does use frequently.  Those times are usually preceded by a loud "MAAMAA!"  It seems that most every sentence he uses starts with MAMA!  That's ok...I don't mind having Momma's boys....truly....

Seriously, how did I get so lucky with two such remarkable boys?  I love these kids...I love watching them grow and learn and become their own little people.  As much as they are alike, they have so many wonderful differences...and I love them for both the similarities and what they don't have in common.  What was I worried about when I cried right before Sam was born and said to myself that I wasn't sure if I had enough love in my heart for two babies?  I have PLENTY.  My heart just grew to carry it all.