We went to Scottsdale for the weekend. Atticus really enjoyed just hanging out and taking in all of the sights--tons of fountains, a pond, bustling lobby, ducks (and ducklings!). He swam, played in the sand, visited the Phoenix Children's museum (voted one of the top 10 children's mmuseums in the country), checked himself out again and again in the room's full-length mirror, and roamed Fashion Square mall to burn off energy before the long car ride home.

More and more he's demonstrating just how much he understands. He goes to the sink if we tell him he needs to wash his hands. He picks up his shoes if we say we're going outside. He pretends to rub sunscreen on his body (video to follow). He said "dog" this weekend. He was licked by a dog. This scared him a little until I explained that the dog was kissing him. Then that evening when I showed him his stuffed dog he gave it a heap of kisses. Yesterday he said "cat" for the first time. He's not consistent in using his new words, but he is experimenting with speaking more and more.