valen says so many things now. up until a couple weeks ago all he really said was, mama, dada, o, uhoh... but then all of a sudden he said "elmo" then the next day he said "kitty" now he is trying to say everything. it is so adorable. he even said "dahlia" and "girl" dahlia cant even say dahlia!! he is turning into a little man and it is so much fun, but sad too cuz he isnt going to be a baby much longer, he is going to be a toddler! well i think he actually already is, but i still call him my baby! 

he has grown over 1 1/2 inches in the past month or so. he has been sleeping so much lately and i bet that is when he did all this growing.

it isnt very noticeable from the pictures but valen is very bow legged. i read that it isnt uncommon for babies to be this way and they usually outgrow it by age 3. so i am not too worried, and i sure hope he does grow out of it, he is not going to be a cowboy!!! but it is kind of cute the way he walks (= 

valen has also started pushing dahlia around. it is very funny. she gets all whiny and doesnt want to play. he thinks it is hillarious and just keeps doing it. i really dont think he is trying to be mean, but it is funny since she is always beating him up, now the tables are turning! he really is the most playful little boy ever! he never stops being silly or playful. much more easy going than dahlia. she is very playful too, but very serious at time as well.

one of valens favorite things right now is dahlias elmo underwear. actually he brings her clothes to me all of the time and wants me to put them on him and he gets so upset if i dont. i grab something of his and try to get by with that, but he gets mad and inssits on dhalia pink clothing! i kid you not! oh my... anyways, he loves her emo underwear. whenever i throw the laundry onto the couch he comes a runnin to search through it all saying "elmo, elmo elmo". and when he finds them he goes totally bananas and wont stop saying elmo... why is it that everyone loves elmo? there are plenty other grovvy characters on sesame street that i would rather listen to all day long!

he has been such a snuggle bear lately. most days this week he has wanted to sit on my lap all day long! he has been so cuddly. giving me lots of hugs and kisses and smiles. if i sing to him "you are my sunshine" he justs lays his head on my shoulder and then when i am done he looks at me and giggles and smiles.... oh my, it is so adorable. dahlia sings it with me and that makes it even more sweet! 

many times in the past, if he is whiny while i am making lunch or something i just let him cry for a little bit and he usually wanders off and plays with dahlia, but not this week! maybe he is getting depressed that winter is coming too (=

these kids love to go to school, well pretend anyhow. dahlia will bring me her backpack and say "cool mama cool" she cant make "S" sounds yet. and then valen wants to wear one too, so we put him in the zoe backpack. many times she wants to put clothes on and her slippers so that she is ready to go, and then grabs some books. this time i put them in these clothes, the most "school girl" clothing i could find. it was so cute to see them playing. they will also just walk around the house wearing their backpacks wandering around. this is probably the most fought after toy in this house. they also love to sit up on dahlias bed. usually play very well on there, but eventually i hear dahlia get excited and start jumping like crazy! and valen tries to jump, but he isnt quite good at it yet.

valen has been saying mama, dada, o, eye, uhoh for a while now, but a few days ago he said kitty and then the next day he said elmo. so clear too. he wanders around looking for dahlias underwear because they have a picture of elmo on them. dahlia didnt start saying actual words till she was two years old. they are completely different in everything! whenever we are outside and there is a dog or animal, valen squeels so loud! and points and will not stop till they are out of sight. so adorable! he is even putting two words together. he says "hi dada" or "more o".he said "dahlia" the other day and"girl" dahlia cant even say dahlia!

he has grown over 1 1/2 inches in the past month or so. i bought him some 18 month old jeans and they are still a bit big, but he was outgrowing his 12 month corduroys.

valen is very bow legged. i read that it isnt uncommon for babies to be and they usually outgrow it by age 3. so i am not too worried, and i sure hope he does grow out of it, he is not going to be a cowboy!!! but it is kind of cute the way he walks (=

valen has started pushing dahlia around. it is very funny. she gets all whiny and doesnt want to play. he thinks it is hillarious and just keeps doing it. i really dont think he is trying to be mean, but it is funny since she is always beating him up, now the tables are turning!

at night when it is time for bed, he knows it and sometimes starts heading for his room, or on his naps too, i will tell him it is time for a nap and he will look for his puppy and go by the crib. he doesnt go to sleep right away, he usually is talking for 15 minutes or so playing with his puppy and blanket, but mostly content to go in there. 

for a while now valen has been sleeping in the morning till about 830 or 9! that has been so wonderful because when he was teething before that for months he would wake up at 6 or 7 am. but recently dahlia has been waking up before him at 7 or 8 or whenever and going in to his room. they play together well but we cant really keep sleeping at that point. furthermore the busses are back now and come by our house at 7:15 am and make so much noise! i think they are doing donuts and reversing around the cul-de-sac just to annoy us (= so if this keeps up i think we will just put them in the same room and then they can keep each other company in the morning and maybe we can sleep... she isnt too young to babysit right (=

we are having too much fun over here... valen is such a goofy guy and constantly doing something new. he is almost at the age dahlia was when i gave birth to valen... oh my! i cant imagine having another one right now, that would be insane. he is certainly the cutest boy i could have ever imagined and i am so glad he is here! i really smother him in smooches all day long, and i get them back too! he is a big smoochie guy (=

last thing, valen loves books!!! it really is nuts how long he can sit and look at books with dahlia or read them with us. he is never done and definitly loves "the cat and the hat", by far his favorite! if he is going to be obsessed with a book at least it is a dr suess book!