18 Months...

I apparently am on a monthly posting schedule now, so I apologize for that. So, this is going to be a long one. Mateo is 18 months old now - a whole year and a half. I can't believe it! It seems like he has changed so much so quickly. He seems to learn so much now, everyday he has learned something new. He also is acting more and more like his dad....Hmmmm....What have I gotten myself into? The other day his teacher told me that at lunch when all the kids are sitting around the table eating, Mateo will start shaking his head from side to side, and by the time they know it, all of the kids are cracking up laughing. Does this sound like anybody you know? Things Mateo likes now:

• Whistling - Mateo thinks he knows how to whistle. He makes the face and everything. He puckers his lips, and then he starts making a whistling noise in his highest voice.
• Spinning - This is a new and dangerous trick, and makes me sick just watching. He'll spin and fall and spin and fall over and over again.
• Climbing - Climbing anything that can be climbed. And not caring how high it is.
• Sign language - He is getting really good at sign language. They teach it at school, and sometimes he'll know signs that we haven't figured out yet. It has come in very handy.
• Owls - His newest favorite animal.
• Giving hugs and kisses - In fact yesterday, he kept smacking me in the face, just so he could give me a hug and a kiss to make it better. Cute at first - but then a little painful.
• Buckles - Yes, buckles. Like carseat and seatbelt buckles. Not sure what the fascination is, although I am pretty convinced he is planning to breakout of his carseat one of these days.

This was a guys' night with Daddy. Yes, they ended up at a fast-food joint with Frosty's involved.

Hmmm, lets hope that is a fake tattoo. Again, trying to be like Daddy.

We got him this robe at Costco for the pool. He looks like a little boxer when he wears it.

The other day this is how Mateo came home from school. He is currently traumatized by haircuts, so he is going for the Justin Bieber look. One of his teachers loves his hair, so she went out and bought some hair gel just so she could style it.

Howdy!

Opening all of his presents from Laredo. He loved them all - you can see his face light up and hear his lion impression.

This is Mateo spinning and jumping. This was the first time we've ever seen him get his feet off the ground when jumping. He's done it a couple times since then.

This video is Mateo playing duck, duck goose. He knows he is supposed to go around in circles saying duck and then run, and that's all he has figured out so far. And then at the end, he started showing off his whistling skills.

This was video Juan got awhile back of Mateo going through body parts. He was being so cute!

This is Mateo doing some sign language, he does "please" and "thank you" here.

Backseat dancing! Although you can see he was easily distracted by the buckle!