Just a few more months till two. Woot!

Yogurt Asplosion
(1 year, 6 months)

Oh no, that means the terrible twos are just around the corner! Oh boy. Sebastian has been a delightful little devil this year. A rowdy little rugrat. A mischievous little menace. A rambunctious little rapscallion. I shudder to think what next year will bring.

Beach Bum
(1 year, 6 months)

We don’t have a baby anymore. Nope, Sebastian is a toddler in full effect though “toddling” hardly does justice to what this kid does. He may not be the most eloquent chap, but his physical prowess is well beyond anything even Emily had achieved at this age. It’s really a sight to behold. Here is a short list of a few of our favorite recent accomplishments:

• Sebastian has been loving the music class that he has been attending these past couple of months. Once a week he goes and sings and claps and dances to his favorite little ditties along with a small group of children his age. Well, that’s what he is supposed to be doing. In actuality, Sebastian is the first kid to break out of the music circle and rip through the pile of toys that have been strategically hidden (from him) around the room. He eventually finds his way back and dances for a bit, but never for very long. Those toys are just too alluring! Our son is a bad influence on the other children.
• You wanna see a forward roll? Sebastian will show you a forward roll! And not some crappy, out-of-control forward flop. No, he is in full control over his elegant forward rolls. They are a thing of beauty. And then he goes and jumps on his head.
• Here’s a big one: Sebastian has (finally) stopped breastfeeding! Emily chose to stop at 13 months but our little boy needed an intervention at 20 months. We cut down his feedings for a while, only giving him boobie-time before going to bed at the end, but he is now officially weaned. Now we just need to get him to sleep through the night. Ugh.
• I find the fabricated look of innocence on his conniving little face when he takes something he knows he’s not supposed to touch to be very funny. Funny, yet disconcerting. Our son is a thief. He’ll flash that innocent look, but he won’t even consider stopping what he’s doing. He won’t put down what he knows is not his. Your pleading or commanding just make him move a little bit slower. But he continues all the same. Until you physically get up to stop him – then he legs it in the opposite direction… while laughing at you!
• Yes, the boy is a fighter, but he’s also a lover. There’s no going to bed without first giving everyone a big kiss goodnight. There isn’t any lip smack at the point of contact, but there is a deliciously extended “mmmmmm” upon approach. He’s also very fond of meeting Emily after school with a big old hug. So snuggly. So lovely.
• Having a big sister to emulate has really driven Sebastian to become more of a daredevil than Emily ever was. Sure, Emily was jumping down two steps at a time when she was only two. But Sebastian is jumping down three steps and he’s only 21 months! They jump on the bed together and jump off the couch together and race around the garden together. It’s a beautiful thing. We sometimes fear for our lives.
• I can’t stand his shrieking any more! Learn to express yourself, godammit!
• Emily just got a new bicycle! A nice new blue bike that Sebastian will inherit one day. Emily could never really pedal the Big Wheel we had in the house before now, but she is pedaling like a pro on this new big bike. Oh, and so is Sebastian. That’s right, he climbs up onto Emily’s new bike and competently cycles around the house. It’s crazy.

You know, I say that Sebastian doesn’t talk very much or that he “isn’t eloquent,” but I’ve gotta give the kid credit where credit is due: he has effectively doubled his working vocabulary over the last few months. He’s not trying very hard to string more than one word together, but he’s building up a solid foundation. Here is the current state of verbal affairs:

So there you go! That’s our boy at 21 months. I want to write about 4000 more words about how great Sebastian is but, given that a picture is worth 1000 words, here are four photos instead.

Superseb
(1 year, 7 months)

Cosmo Caixa
(1 year, 7 months)

Zombie Child
(1 year, 8 months)

I’ve Been Working
(1 year, 8 months)

And finally, here’s a video for all you “moving picture” fans out there. Here, Sebastian (1 year, 8 months) enjoys a quiet afternoon spelunking.