A Portrait of Pumpkin

• 13 months old
• 6 teeth
• 4-6 steps at a time
• Attempting to walk most places, smiling all the while (with plenty of balance checks, squatting, and a full-out crawl when he needs to get there fast)
• Nicknames: Little, Diddle, Diddles, Vous
• Says, "Tah! Tah!" when he sees our cat, Toots. Or our cat Bay. Or our outside cat, Outside Bay.
  
• Gets excited about bathtime and attempts to take his Night Diaper off to get in faster
• Waves bye-bye just a little too late (and with just his fingers curling up and down, up and down)
  
• Will press his little mouth to mine when asked for a kiss
• Small, much more petite than his chunky brother at this age
  
• Doesn't take a pacifier and hasn't since August - to the point of ripping it out of his mouth and throwing it on the floor if I put it in his mouth
  
• But really enjoys pulling Diego's pacifier from his mouth and rolling around on the bed with it (one of our nightly games)
• Loves books, particularly Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees, a teensy-tiny boardbook, and I am a Bunny (illustrated by Richard Scarry), one of the Golden Sturdy books [I love this one especially]
  
• While he's paging through them, he smiles happily and make an "Aurschhh! Aurschhh!" noise - he also tilts his face up to the ceiling and fake-laughs
• Loves spearing food with his fork and attempting to spoon things up - drinks from his sippy cup like a champ
  
• Eats table food - carrots, celery, beans, pasta, eggs, and potatoes are favorites
  
• Usually goes completely nuts and cries/whines/insists on being held during mealtimes (unfortunately for us) unless he is totally immersed in his food
  
• Obsessed with Diego's potty chair: OBSESSED
• Still nursing throughout the day and night
• Occasional Morning Naps
  
• Naps is in the same bed as big brother (we read before naptime and then snuggle off into sleep)
  
• Always wakes up from his nap first - I like this, though, because it gives us some sweet cuddly alone-time in the late afternoon.
• Favorite song: When the World is Running Down by The Police. When he hears it, this baby boy will stop in his tracks to dance the entire song through.
  

And finally, a story:

Today this little baby boy saw our Maya Wrap hanging from a hook. He shakily toddled towards the wall and pulled on the sling, looking at me with an expectant smile on his face. I said, "Ohhh, do you want me to put the sling on, Little One?" and pulled it off the hook and handed it to him. He smiled at me some more and handed it to me saying, "Eh! Eh!"

I put the sling on and popped him into it, and I could see by the look on his face that was exactly what he wanted. Then he rubbed his mouth on the shirt over my breast like a little newborn; I obliged and he nursed contentedly. Amazing. The communication skills blow my mind. And to think: he was just a little baby. How does this happen?

[Time.]