Soren Update: 19 Months

Nineteen months is an unremarkable age and at the same time all-inspiring.  Soren isn't doing anything new per say, yet he seems to be changing so quickly.  People who hadn't seen him for just a few short weeks commented how much taller he seems.  Yet when I zip him into his sleepsack and rock him in my arms, I'm reminded that he's still so young and so innocent.  In just size 12-month pants and 18-month tops, and not much over 20 pounds, Soren is still a peanut. 

I delight in witnessing Soren's curiosity and zeal for daily life.  He'll still act bashful if someone tries to talk to him by burying his head into me, but he has ultra social moments where he yells "Hi!" and "Bye!" to people and inanimate objects.  Or he'll watch Oliver drink the milk from his cereal bowl and immediately try to do the same with his bowl of oatmeal.  He can be such a ham.  He'll pick up Chris's baseball cap, put it on his head and try to get your attention so you'll laugh at this cute little boy wearing his daddy's big hat.  Chris thinks he's too fearless for his own good.  He'll throw himself down the biggest slide at the playground, but he has his calm moments, like when he wants to chill out in the bucket swing. 

For all his fearlessness, though, Soren is still terrified of animals, which can be an inconvenience if we're playing outside and a dog on a walk strolls by.  A family with an over-friendly cat moved in across the street and even though I'm not an official cat person, I'm starting to like Beebs the cat.  Unfortunately, Soren goes ballistic if Beebs approaches him.  Chris was unloading the kids from the car and set Soren down on the boulevard while he unbuckled Oliver from his car seat.  Soren didn't notice the cat saunter up to him and he had the scare of his life when he turned to walk towards the house and was face to face with Beebs.