It use to be that Preston would empty out his book bucket to sit inside of it and read. Now he just climbs right in his toy basket to read.

I took Preston to go visit my mom's grave on her 5yr death anniversary.
Things didn't get sad till it was time to leave & he started crying because he didn't want to go and then started waving bye bye.
But it's ok because we have lots of family around us who love us :)

We're back from our weekend vacation to California.
It was lovely.
We did everything we wanted to do, which was mainly visit, be cool, go to the beach, take walks and nap.
Perfect.
Preston did a lot better in the car then we thought that he would. Normally he has about 30 minutes and then starts crying/whining/needing to be entertained. But he did very well!

The night before we left he tested out our beach tent to make sure it was up to his standards.
It was. He even wanted to drink his milk in it & go "night night".

There is a small park in my Grandparents community and it's perfect for Preston since it's got a few slides and swings, and lots of grass (which he wasn't too big of a fan of).

This is Preston's 2nd time at the beach, and pretty much had the same reaction as the first time. He was alright as long as he was held, but did not want to touch the water.

He loved playing in the sand though, and digging with his shovel and dumping sand on his napping Daddy.

Him and I spent a majority of the time sitting in the tent eating our snacks.

And here he is yelling at the beach. He would alternate between yelling "DONE" and "YEAH!".

But the BEST part of the trip was getting to visit with family :D
We miss them all already, and Preston misses petting the "soooooooft" dogs.

Strange to think next time we go back we'll have 2 little boys to chase after!

Preston loves to cuddle after he wakes up from his nap.

A few days ago he had his 18 month checkup, and here are those stats!

Weight: 27lbs (65%)
Height: 33 inches (75%)
Head Circumference: 49 3/4 cm (95%)

The doctor said his development is perfect and that Preston is a delight. Naturally I agreed.

Here are some things about Preston at 18 months:

* Loves to mimic anything you say, and is constantly picking up on new words. I think he talks a lot. His favorite word right now would probably be "YEAH" which he yells at random times during the day or whenever someone walks upstairs (thanks Jimmy for teaching him that one...)

*Loves animals, especially dogs. He can make most animal sounds, except a Moo sound.

*Understands a lot more basic commands. If you ask him if he needs his diaper changed he will get the wipes and a diaper & put them on the couch and after we're done changing him he will put the wipes away. We've been working more on picking up and putting things away, and he likes to help put his toys away & knows where they go. If you ask if he wants to take a bath he will say Ya, and then carry his towel into the bathroom for you.

*He really likes to help with chores. Boy I hope this one lasts. Besides vacuuming he likes to help in the laundry room, bathroom, brushing Jack, and feeding the turtle.

*He FINALLY gets how to fold his arms for prayer. However if the prayer is too long he will say his own "amen" and start eating before the prayer is over.

*His favorite foods are Yogurt, string cheese, noodles (of any kind), any kind of fruit, scrambled eggs and mac & cheese. The only meat he will eat is chicken nuggets, lunch meat or hot dogs. But the doctor said that's ok at this age, that it's a texture issue & that it isn't affecting his growth or development at all, so there is nothing to be concerned about.

*HATES the sound of the food processor, and blow dryer. He use to hate the blender, but once he realized that's how malts are made he changed his mind.

*Likes to announce when you or he is done with something. Done with his juice, done vacuuming, done blending, anything your done with he will put his hands up and say "done".

*Went to Nursery for the first time by himself at church last week. It started out ok, but then they had to come get me because he was so upset. I think he's just overwhelmed by the amount of kids in there making noise. He's not use to it, so it upsets him. We'll keep trying though, and I'm sure he'll love it.

*Loves to sing songs. His favorites right now are Itsy Bitsy Spider and I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home.

*If you catch him with something he's not suppose to have he'll try to hide it by putting his arm far behind him and then walking sideways. If you ask him what he has and he does the sideways walk its a sign that you need to check it out.

*Sleeps from 8pm-7/8am & naps from 1-3 everyday. Love it.

*He is getting a little sassy.... One day he knocked my book off the couch & then looked at me and told me to "get it". If I tell him to get something, he has been known to turn around and say "you get it" or "you". We'll have to keep an eye on that!

*Has 8 teeth and is working on getting 4 more. I think. He wont let me check them out.

*Anytime he is looking for something and then finds it he will say "Ta-da!".

Overall he's awesome. I love the age he is at, and he entertains us daily.

This little scene happens around our house probably about 2-3 times a day.
I hope he never loses his love for vacuuming.

I should add that he begs and pleads and cries for me to get out the vacuum, will help me push it out of the laundry room & unwrap the chord, but the second I turn it on he is in the other room peering around the corner like he's scared of it. Then he'll help me empty it out, wrap up the chord, push it back into the laundry room & cry when we leave and shut the door leaving the vacuum behind. It's odd.

Preston loves dogs.
He could play fetch with a dog all day long I think.
His new favorite dog is his Papa's dog, Eddie.

After an afternoon of spinning

Nothing hits the spot more then some ice cold water.

(no he's not angry, he just makes that face a lot when something is cold)

This is not an uncommon sight to see at our house at any given time.
Preston, surrounded by pans & cooking utensils, "cooking".
Looks like we're having DVDS, PS3 game inserts, a bib and a garlic press for dinner.
Delicious.

HAPPY 18 MONTHS PRESTON!!!

I can't believe he's already a year and a half.
So big.
So cute.

Another day, another bruise.
This time on the nose from falling off his bike.
Who knows where tomorrow's bruise will come from.

Preston loves his Pillow Pet.
Obviously.
Every morning he takes everything in his crib & throws it out, and then when I walk in he'll point to his duck & say "quack quack" followed by "ooooffft" (soft).

This kid is just too much sometimes!!!
I can't even explain how much we love him.

Preston is OBSESSED with looking at pictures/watching video's of himself on phones.
If he see's you with your phone out he will say "please please" over and over again until you tell him no or give in because he's so hard to say no to when he say's please.

Preston found a new book to read today.
Apparently he wants to know what he's in for this next year with a new baby.

Preston spent a lot of time today playing with his cars, stacking them, and lining them up on his shelf. Seems like such a big boy playing with cars like that!

Happy 4th of July!!!
We hope you all enjoyed your day and BBQ's as much as this guy did!

Preston is getting big.
I bought this shirt for his a few months ago thinking it would fit him by the time baby #2 shows up.
It's a 2T.
It fits him perfect.

One of Preston's favorite snacks - strawberries.

We're all really really really enjoying Jimmy being home for the Summer.
Especially Preston.