Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope all of you had a great Valentine's Day this week. Charlie had a good day and received some great gifts and sweet Valentine cards. I, however, was a very bad mommy and did not remember to get Valentines for his friends at school or his teachers. :( What was I thinking? I think Charlie was probably the only kid in the class who didn't bring anything. I will have to get more into mommy mode when it comes to these things. At least he isn't old enough to be embarrassed yet!

Yesterday I stayed home all day with him and by late afternoon, he was really telling me it was time to "Go". That was the first time he obviously wanted to go somewhere and let us know about it! So we obliged and took him to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time (and I forgot my camera). He loved that place! He wasn't too impressed with the rides but he had a ball just running through all the games and looking at all the lights. He also watched the show for a while. I am terrified he will get the flu or something now but he had so much fun, it was worth it.

He has also started to do a classic "Graves boy" trademark move. He has been standing or walking around with one hand kind of behind his back. This is the way James' brother Mike stands, how Max stands, and how James' grandfather used to stand. We were wondering if Charlie would do it too and it looks like he will! It is cool how genetics work sometimes. I will try to get a picture.

Today is day #2 without a pacifier. So far, so good! We decided we would try to wean it now before he gets older and really understands that he is attached. Until this point he really only had a paci at naps and bedtime, but he was getting more and more where he wanted it any time he saw it. We were afraid that would get worse and he would want one all the time, so we just quit cold turkey. So far he hasn't missed it, let's hope that stays! A part of me is sad though because that is just another baby thing that is gone now. He is more boy and less baby every day!

Otherwise things are going great. That other top tooth is still so close you can see it, but it still hasn't pushed through. He is sleeping for about 1.5 hours in the late morning, and then 2.5 to 3 hours in the late afternoon, and about 11 hours at night. "Nana's" are quickly becoming a favorite food, and he has also discovered strawberries and pudding. He is getting so good at figuring out how things work, and he has learned to say "Ouch" when he hurts himself, which is all the time. Here are a few pics of him playing, including one of him with both musical Santas. He has learned what "stop" and "go" mean so he loves to turn on both Santas, stop one, make it go, stop the other, etc. We don't have the heart to put away the Santas!