Gabe hearts playdough and Eli...

....followed by lots of other ramblings

hmmmm.... I am speechless!! I decided that the title tells it all and there is really no need for me to explain that Gabe plays with play dough everyday!! We make gingerbread men and he sings "run run as fast as you can" It's not quite that clear- but close. He sways his little body as he sings and makes the men run. He also makes them hug each other and the gingerbread men have short conversations with each other "Hi" "have a good day" etc... I love his imagination... I swear he is too little to be this smart?? :) ok, it looks like once I get going I am not so speechless after all.... so here goes....I might as well share SOME of my favorite things about Gabe ( 21 months) right now....

when he hears the back door to the garage open he yells "daddy home!" and runs with open arms to greet him... EVERYDAY!

He folds his arms and kneels down when we do morning and evening prayers. I love to peek at him while we are praying... he's still and just listens- its so cute! the past few weeks he's been saying "Gabe's turn" and he offers the prayer which is usually "Heavenly Father... bless mommy, bless Eli, bless Evan ...name o' Jesus AMEN!!"

He walks up and down the stairs all by himself and if I try to hold his hand he says "by yourself, mom" actually he says that about most things lately ... he is all about doing things by "yourself" and is often seen dragging his chair around to stand on... giving him a little added height!

He says "thanks, mommy" EVERY TIME I do anything for him or hand him things and it is usually in his high pitched sweetest voice... this kid has manners!! He tells me "good boy, mommy" whenever I do something just right... like set up a track for his trains or zip his zipper on his coat... he is a little ray of sunshine and just warms my heart all day!!

When I yell upstairs for the boys to come down for dinner or whatever it may be... he puts his finger over his lips, sticks out his neck and whispers "too loud, mom" "shhhhh" and anytime one of his big brothers is getting in trouble with a lecture... he worries and cries and tries to get in between to give someone, anyone... a hug. Hugs fix everything.

When he is nervous he puts his fingers in his ears and when it's really scary he closes his eyes too!!

He tries to hide his smile when he is embarrassed... I love that face!

His favorite book to read as bedtime is Dr. Seuss "There's a wocket in my pocket" He has it memorized and if we say the first part of the sentence on each page he finishes it.

He loves to watch TV and movies...Barney, Elmo's world, little people, Curious George, and Thomas the tank engine are his favorites.

He stands in the shower all by himself... he looks so little in there.... he loves to let the water pelt his back. Then he proceeds to wash his hair and name each part of body as he suds them up!

He is so smart... can sing lots of the words to twinkle twinkle little star, I am a child of God, We are a Happy Family, the itsy bity spider and Once there was a Snowman. He counts to ten and loves to tell us the color of things... he is best at identifying blue, green, and yellow. Not only can he say EVERY word possible he comprehends and can have a real conversation too.

He has blond curls at the back of his head... I thought he'd lose them when I cut his hair, like my others did... but he hasn't- I love them. He has eyelashes to die for... dark, long and turned up at the ends. his cheeks are like velvet... his whole body is. I kiss him a million times a day. Sometimes he tells me "no more kisses, mom" but I can't help myself!

Can you tell I could go on and on??
and seriously I still can't even begin to describe to you how cute he is... his voice, his sweet personality, his spunk, his expressions... I am so in love with this baby!! I don't want to forget the little things...but I know the details fade pretty quickly. Why do they do that? Maybe if we could really remember how cute they were as babies and toddlers the growing up years would be easier somehow!! I guess all these little things just build in a mom's heart and you'd think by now it would burst... but a mothers heart is never too full.
(those last few lines are dedicated to my sister Julie who is gagging on the cheese right now!)