Ares turned 18 months old this week (which reminds me I need to bring him in to the doc for his well-check), and I thought it would be nice to write a little update on all the things he’s doing. Having our little dude man (or “noisy boy” as we sometimes call him) around for the last year and a half has brought us a whole lot of joy and laughs!

Where to start? He usually wakes up happy saying “HI!” He then grabs his favorite blanket and says “Uppa!” to get out of his crib.  He sure has a lot of enthusiasm for breakfast. If you ask him if he want’s to “eat food” in the morning, he lights up, nods, claps,  and says “YAAAAY!”  He usually eats all of his food, some of the girls’ food, and then hangs onto his high chair tray as you’re trying to clean up his finished meal. His favorite foods are by far yogurt, fruit, Joe’s smoothies, eggs, and most kinds of meats. He does not care for vegetables but will tolerate them if they are in some type of soup, stew, or hotdish.

Ares has a favorite picture book that he loves to bring me. He’ll point to the ground and say “Please, please!” (which sounds like “Bees, bees!”) for me to sit down so he can plop into my lap and we can read it a half dozen times a day. His favorite things to identify are animals and food. He also likes to point to the picture of the stove and say “hot!” Another favorite activity of his is to open his designated toy cupboard in the kitchen, turn on any toys that light up and play music, and have a mini disco party.

Ares is also super social. He plays peek-a-boo and smiles and waves at people wherever we go, saying “hi” and “bye.”  He has by far been the easiest baby to bring to the gym daycare. And also to put to bed. We deposit him in his crib with his pacifier, he lays down on his belly, says “Bye, bye!” and waves us out of his room (most nights at least.)  He also loves dancing and music (as mentioned before with his disco). His best moves consist of spinning in circles, dropping it low, and doing exaggerated knee bends.  Oh, and he’s obsessed with brushing his teeth. Unlike the girls, doesn’t care about TV or screens whatsoever. He does like to steal our phones, just to get a reaction out of us though.

He is a noisy boy for sure. He loves banging things (like the baby gates), yelling (happily), and getting into his sisters’ possessions (which then causes them to yell). Yes, he has colored on our walls, peed on the floor, and thrown away random items that we needed (he also loves putting things in the garbage), but I have to say that this little tank is pure joy and pure light.

Ares, you are my red-headed slice of heaven and I love you very much! we are beyond lucky to call you ours!