Is that your final answer?

Zachary still doesn't talk as much as I'd like, or as much as I think he should.  I remind myself that I don't actually know the correct amount that he "should" be talking, and when we saw his pediatrician at the 18 month visit, the doctor said his 12 words are absolutely within normal range, so I try not to worry.

In the last week or two, it seems we've had a few words added to the vocabulary.  I sometimes think we assign meaning to sounds he makes repetitively and they aren't really words, but he uses them consistently and contextually, so I'm going to say the B sounds: Ba (bottle), Bee (JB, his bear), Bay-bee (Baby), boo (boots/shoes), burr (bird), are words to him.

He's been asking "was dat?" for months, but he's recently added a new question "Ahh we dere?" (are we there?). He repeats it non-stop while riding in the backseat of the car, as if I gave birth to Bart Simpson.

very stylish, in one of my socks, with a straw fedora, 

and preparing to roll some lint

We spend some time most days looking at pictures of family.  We name all the people on the fridge, and all the people on the dining room wall, mostly with us telling him who they are, then asking "Where's Papa?", "Where's Grandma?", "Where's Auntie Jennifer?", etc.  We were playing this game the other day when he pointed at a picture of Mark and said "Daaaah-eeeee!"  Mark asked him "Where's Mama?"  Zac leaned his head against my shoulder and said "Wight dere."

He love listening to music, and tries to sing along with me, particularly on sustained notes.  He can come close to matching pitches, and he loves songs with sound effects.  A recent favorite is The Beatles "Hey Bulldog", he loves to throw his head back and howl like a dog along with the sounds at the end.

We've been spending a fair amount of time at the zoo, as we renewed our family membership.  It's great because there's plenty of room for him to run, and not really a lot of trouble he can get into.  He likes to watch the penguins, and to visit the sloth bears.  We actually made it past the sloth bears to the meerkats and komodo dragons on the last trip.  He was underwhelmed by the lizards on rocks, but seemed to think the meerkats were fascinating. 

He seems to really like all the pretty flowers blooming, and he asks me over and over "Was Dat?" when we go on walks.  I answer to the best of my knowledge: Tulips, Daffodils, Iris', Dandelions, and I make up what I don't know.  Sometimes I quiz him when we see a flower a second time.  I'll ask "ZAC! What's that?"  He sometimes answers "Ummmmmmmmmm, Fah-wer", which always amuses me.

He's been very intent on learning to blow on dandelions, no unblown dandelion is safe from his hands. 

For Mother's Day, Zac brought me a pack of 12 paper towels and a card he made.  He also took a 4 hour nap, which was a pretty awesome present in itself.

One of his teachers today said "Wow, he's really left all vestiges of babyhood behind, he is a full-on toddler now."  I said "That's not exactly a compliment, is it?" She laughed and said "no, not exactly."  He is showing every sign of a strong-willed only child, pushing boundaries and learning limits.  It's fascinating and insanely frustrating at the same time.