I say it every time...

...but 18 months begins my favorite stage in my kids' lives (so far). Matthew is changing so fast and in so many directions. His pot belly, for one:

  
He's never had one before. The last two weeks, he's been eating like a pig and sleeping insanely long amounts of time with no interruptions. Now his 12-month shirts don't fit anymore and even some of the 18-month ones are a little short. I'm hoping it's the largest growth spurt of his little life and not some kind of eating disorder...

In other news, he's a total ham. He knows when he's being funny and the kids just laugh and laugh. He plays "the shouting game" with James just about every day:

It cracks me up every time. It's loud, yes. James once tried initiating a round of "the shouting game" with a peer and she replied with a scowl, "When I yell at my house, my mom tells me to be quiet. Be quiet, James." I should probably train them to be less noisy (especially James, holy moley!), but spontaneous moments of (non-destructive) cooperative play are my kryptonite and I can't help but watch them unfold.

I've also seen Matthew imitate some of the kids' wrestling antics, which makes us all laugh. And when he sees things aren't going the way he likes, he'll pout like the big kids: chin down, lips pursed, arms slack at his sides, jerky/slumpy walk with heavy feet. He's a real person!

I. love. this. age.

But he's only 15 months. I'm getting ahead of myself. Or maybe he's picking up on these social cues a little earlier than the other kids did? Anyway, he's a real treat to have around, even if he periodically eats more than his 5-year-old brother.