It sounds so young and yet He's "so big!"

 One and a half years old...
Yep, Colton has reached that milestone! Eighteen months doesn't sound that old in the grand scheme of things, but every day, usually multiple times a day I hear myself saying "Colton, you're so big!"
When Colton turned one, he was very much a baby.... knew one word in sign language (all done), just taking his first steps, just learning his first word; Ball ("ba"). He did have four teeth, which is four more than Chloe had at her first birthday. :) But what a huge developmental jump he's made in the past six months! It's crazy!! He seems like he went from a baby to a little boy in that short amount of time. In a lot of ways he's still very much a baby (i'm sure part of me will always feel that way :). But the little boy in him is showing more and more every day!

First form of Communication: Sign Language

Colton figured out the sign for All-done at 9 months old! These words though he didn't pick up on until after he turned one.

Using his words

At 14 months old Colton new three... no, probably four words. At the same age, Chloe had quite a long list of words she could say. While we made this comparison, we weren't worried or bothered by it because we know that each child learns and develops at their own rate and when it was time, Colton would learn to talk. Well, I think that time has come! He has been adding to his vocabulary left and right, at the rate of one, sometimes two new words a day! The first few words on this list are the ones he knew at 12 and 14 months. The rest are all the ones he's added since 14 months. The majority of them he learned after the 16 month mark.

Sentence Construction

Here's some words that Colton has put together into short sentences. The verse he knows because we began working on it in Sign Language and then he picked up the words!

Body Parts Colton can point to

                    -Eyes                                                -Ears

                    -Nose                                               -Mouth

                    -Hands                                              -Feet

                    -Head                                               -Hair

                    -Teeth                                               -Tongue

                    -Toes

Favorite pictures of Colton from the past few months

13 months- Colton loves books! I often find him off by himself looking at a book! Now he brings them to me "wead!? wead!?" (read)

14 months

17 months: He got up all by himself!

Colton was very proud of himself for getting Chloe's boot on all by himself!

ghhhzzzzzzz! Playing with little squinkies cars

...this is the face that went with the car sounds. Makes me laugh every time I look at it!

We get this face when Colton has a question or a concern... If he's looking for someone or something... This particular time, we were eating lunch and he was convinced that we hadn't prayed. In his deep little voice and with his brow drawn together like that he kept saying "pay" "pay". Finally I stopped eating and prayed with him again. This satisfied him and he went back to eating until Chloe said "Pray!?" (simply because she found it funny) starting Colton's worried repetitions all over again! Needless to say, Chloe thought it was hilarious!

Lastly but not Least...ly

18 Month Photoshoot

We thank the Lord every day for our happy, little boy! Every day is brighter with Colton around! Happy 18 month birthday Colton Wayne Casebolt!