Growing up!

Little man is growing up!  It's remarkable what happens to babies around the 16, 17, 18 month mark.  They're not really babies anymore.

I know Fletcher's recent transformation is mainly due to that age, but we've seen him really blossom these last few weeks after he had tubes put in his ears.  He struggled a bit through recovery...

But after that first week, his true inner self has been shining!  He has always been such a good, content baby that I don't think we understood how sick he had been feeling.  He just dealt with the discomfort on a daily basis.  But since the surgery his energy level, playfulness and mischievousness have been soaring. It was sad to realize just how sick he must have been feeling - and fun to see him 100% again.

Last week we had neighborhood friends over for dinner.  Fletcher was released from his high chair to eat at the kids table for the first time!

Overnight it seems he learned how to climb up the ladder to the playhouse and slide.

He loves to go get the mail with daddy (see them in the background) - and walks with daddy instead of running ahead like his naughty sister.

It happens so fast.  He's even cooking his own meals.