Atticus has been changing a lot these last few weeks. His vocabulary is growing at a new pace. He's saying new words all the time. He's also putting words together into sentences more and more. He asks lots of questions: "Where is it?" "What is that?" "Where's dada?" etc.

He's become interested in the alphabet and has learned a few letters. He really loves the Elmo ABC's app on the ipad. When he wants to play it, he says, "Baa baa?" (because his introduction to the ipad was via a Baa Baa Black Sheep app) and tilts his head to the side, all sweet and flirty.

He's developed a love for puzzles, and he's gotten really good at doing them.

Along with these changes have come some new strides for independence. He wants to eat at the table, not in his high chair. He wants to choose his own clothes. (I ended up changing his shirt several times this morning because he wasn't pleased with what he had on, and because he was messing with me, I'm sure.) And he wants to test me again and again. Outlets is one way he does this (see mischievous grin below). Standing on chairs is another (see second mischievous grin below). Another is laying on or sitting on the guitar (no picture because I scoop him off pronto, and then he's busy crying for five minutes).

He does, however, continue to be a great helper. He is always ready to clean house, and almost always ready to help put things away. And he continues to be a fantastic cuddler and all-around sweetie pie.