Ethen @ 18 months

For all the messes he makes, I sure love this kid. He is growing up so fast, each day he learns new words, his latest being, "Amen!" shouted before, during, and after prayers. He has reached a whole new level of independence (much to my dismay) by carrying the stepstool to the place he wants to explore. Bookshelves are no longer out of his reach, and neither is whatever is on the kitchen counter. He is the only kid I know that stuffs the kleenexes back into the box after he has pulled them all out. I wish he'd do that with the Fruity Pebbles. His ability to put puzzles together is increasing, and he has mastered several already. Each day I plant several kisses on those chub cheeks, knowing that they will soon not be so readily kissable. Love you, little man.