I am smiling

We don't know why he does it.

Somewhere along the way, Caleb decided that this is what we meant when we said "Smile!" So now, anytime he sees a camera, or someone asks him to smile, this is what we get. I think he deserves the Cheese Face of the Year award for this one.

When he's not hamming it up for the camera, our not-so-little guy is causing all sorts of mayhem. The destructive play phase is in full swing, and he's happiest when he's banging plastic hammers on my hardwood floors (so loud!) or throwing all the balls out of the ball pit (so messy!). Eating still remains at the top of his to-do list, and we're trying desperately to teach him some Baby Signs to circumvent the screeching that occurs when he spots food. He knows the sounds of the microwave beeping, the refrigerator opening and pots and pans banging around, and he speeds into the kitchen and clings to my legs anytime he thinks food preparation is going on.

While we've failed in getting him to say "more milk, please," he has added balloon ("ba-oon") and ball ("ba-ba") to his growing vocabulary. He'll make a "zoom" noise whenever he sees an airplane, and duck sightings elicit a considerable amount of very loud quacking.

He loves giving kisses, and starts giving a round of smooches as soon as our bedtime prayers end each night. Each sloppy kiss on the cheek is accompanied by an enthusiastic "muah!" which he repeats over and over again until you give him a kiss in return.

He adores his big sister, and she's usually the first recipient of a goodnight smooch. He loves to race her upstairs for bath time (if there were a competitive speed crawling competition, he'd bring home first prize), and although he has yet to beat her to the landing, his giggles indicate that he loves their nightly races.

And if his handling of a fork or a crayon are any indication, it looks like Spike's going to be a lefty. Special scissors, here we come!