Growing Boy

I don't know if every parent thinks it or what, but I KNOW my boy is so smart.  :)  I absolutely adore him in every single way.  I am really trying lately to allow myself to relinquish some control and let him help out more.  He is a pro at unloading the dishes from the dishwasher (okay, so some of the silverware gets put into his mouth, but who will notice, right?)  He loves to feed the fish and Wally.  A week or so ago, he put his shovel in Wally's food bin and that totally cracks me up!  He is even getting really good at picking up his toys and putting them away!  How stinkin' responsible!!  He loves to help Mama dust anything and everything.  If you give him a wipe, he will clean off his toys or anything else he is asked to. 

He has a book of shapes and he can now say and point to "circle" and "star." 

The child loves his trucks!  I have always wondered if we are ingrained as girls to like dolls and boys trucks, but whatever it is, he loves his trucks!  He is all boy!  Wherever we are in the house anytime during the day, if he hears a truck drive by, he looks up at me with his big blue curious eyes and says, "Truck?"  Yes sugar, a truck.  He hears every single airplane that flies by our house too.  We are still working on airplane. 

It seems like he learns more new words everyday.  He now says "fork" fairly clearly.  Some of his other favorites:

-Bye, Bye     -Jesus   

-Night Night  -Go, Go 

-Dog       -WaWa 

-Dude!     -Hello

-Thank You (although he mostly signs this one) -Drop

-Truck Town (one of his favorite books)

-Cookie -Baby
-Up    -Down

He loves to help me in the kitchen!  One of our favorite things to do is cook together.  I was going to make banana muffins the other day, but Steven kept signing and saying "Cookie" over and over.  So, what is a mother to do?  I gave in and tried banana chocolate chip cookies.  Yup, they are delicious!  He pours in the ingredients from the measuring cups and he loves to watch the mixer mix.  Anytime the oven timer beeps, he runs into the kitchen and says, "Hot!  Hot!  Hot!"  Yup, I did somethin' right there!  He knows to stand way back. 

Steven loves music!  Whenever he hears it, he starts dancing or banging on whatever is near him.  He really is very good with rhythms as well.  One of our favorite games to play is pounding out rhythms on the table after eating.  He does very well with mimicking whatever rhythm we start with (or visa versa).  The child LOVES the piano.  He often plays little ditties.  And there HAS to be a book of music open on the piano for him to play.  He loves to pound out little songs and then turn around for his applause! 

He is getting so good using a fork/spoon.  It started out that he would throw the utensils aside and just use his hands.  As he got better at it, he would pick up his food and then stab it onto the fork, or put it into the spoon with his hands.  Now, he uses the utensils with ease.  Sometimes after a meal his hands even look clean!  We are working on when he gets done not throwing his food, but simply pushing his plate and telling us "All Done."   

Yup, his hair-dos are crazy in the morning!  After he eats he knows we go upstairs to brush our teeth and do our hair.  He has started telling the baby in the mirror how handsome he is after his hair is done by giving him a High 5

I really love this one with the macaroni on his nose!

His daddy talks to him in Portuguese in hopes he will be bi-lingual.  The only word we have heard him say in Portuguese is "Luz" which means "light."  But he knows all of his body parts in Portuguese and English:

Eyes-Olhos               Leg-Perna

Ears-Orelhos            Toes-Deidos

Mouth-Boca            Head-Cabeça

Nose-Nariz              Hair-Cabela

Belly-Barriga

Tongue-Lingua

Teeth-Dentes

Knees-Joeilhos

Feet-Pez

He is truly a sweet child! He cares so much about everyone else. If one of the other children are crying, he goes over to them to give them a hug. Overall, he is a very cuddly boy. It makes me so absolutely happy! thank my Heavenly Father for him numerous times a day, every chance I get.