About 30 minutes after we'd put Cael to bed we found him on the toilet, light on, pants off, magazine in hand.

Allie: Hey, Buddy. Whatcha doing?
Cael: Pooping. [goes back to reading]

I sat down and kept him company while he finished up. He noticed my nose was peeling and got very concerned.

Cael: Mama, what's that white stuff?
Allie: I got a sunburn at the beach. An owie from the sun.
Cael: I didn't get an owie from the sun.
Allie: Because you were good and put sunscreen on. Mama didn't.
Cael: Mama, you need sunscreen. I'll remind you. I'll tell you.
Allie: Thanks, Buddy. That's really nice of you.
Cael: Next time we go to the beach, I'll remind you you need sunscreen. I'll take care of you, Mama. Don't worry.

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Password -----> Allie

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I did a check in for Cael when he was sixteen months and I was looking at it today to compare to Finn, who will be sixteen months in two weeks. I guess having an older brother really makes helps you develop faster!

Finn already says five words: hi, bye, da, mama, car (more like "ca"). And he says, "Bye, Da!" in the morning when we stand at the door (while waving enthusiastically) and watch Ryan drive to work. He also makes a number of animal noises.

He knows the meanings of tons of words. Like Cael did at this age, he knows when you say "diaper" that it's time to go to the changing table. I can't even write down everything else he knows because it's so expansive. His comprehension is great.

He's got ten teeth that are fully in and two more that are currently piercing their way through the gums. (Cael had eight.)

He starts every morning off with a banana. After that, he eats what Cael eats. Where Cael had just started using a spoon, Finn is an expert. I don't even remember when he started - it feels like he's always done it himself.

He adores anything Cael-related and tries to be like him in so many ways. Much to Cael's chagrin, Finn's favorite stuffed animal is actually Meow.

He loves to read, and a lot of the time he likes to read by himself. He just sits with a book open and flips through the pages looking at the pictures. In the car Cael insists on having his stuffed dog with him - Finn insists on having Go, Train, Go!. He's a huge Thomas fan. At bedtime we always read three stories. Mama picks one, Finn picks one and Cael picks one. Finn always picks Stop, Train, Stop!.

Ryan and Cael and I have this thing that we do where we pretend to fall asleep (close our eyes and make fake snoring sounds*) and then in order to be woken up Cael has to give us a kiss. A few weeks ago when Ryan was fake sleeping, Finn ran over and gave him a huge kiss to wake him up. Ever since it has become a race between Finn and Cael to wake up the sleeper. And now Finn has really gotten into it and he'll pretend to be asleep too. He lies on his belly and makes the cutest little fake snoring sound (but he doesn't close his eyes). Then, when he's kissed, he pops up with a squeal. It's pretty adorable.

Here's a picture snapped as a sleeping Cael is woken by Finn:

*The sounds ensure that we do not confuse fake!sleeping with fake!dead which is not allowed, omg.

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We've visited Fairmount Park several times, of course, but we haven't posted yet, so here goes!

It's a much different park than the one I grew up with.

Now it has a fancy new play structure

 complete with cargo net,

and some spinny things,

and even more spinny things.

You'll notice a theme.  (Motion sickness.)

Other things are just as I remembered.  Like the slide of doooooooom!

Though, for some reason, no one seems to be as terrified of this one as I am was.

(Seriously.  Look at how big this thing is.)

 I wonder what happens when I press this button...

Wheeee!

Fountain!

Luckily, the most important part is unchanged.

Ryder can't wait to be able to run though the grass

just like Cael!

A+ park.

:)

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Password ----> Allie

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----> Password: Dancers

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