Sticker boy

Nick has an obsession with stickers. Everytime he sees them he MUST peel them off. Over time he has managed to peel off all the stickers that Michael put on his bed around three years ago, all the stickers that were on the playroom door, and is now working on the stickers that are on Michael's dresser. Today he managed to peel off the big sticker on the a/c in one big pull. He has also done this with the stickers on his own bed. He likes the feel of the stickers on his hands. I have come home many times to find he has them stuck everywhere on him. On his clothes, on his arms, hair, etc. It is quite fascinating how he will sit there and keep plucking away until the stickers come off...he will do this activity for 30 min or more. Today he has been quite vocal as well. He speaks in his own little funny language, and ocassionally it will sound like an actual word. Today he was going around saying "UH!" followed by running to me with his arms wide open as if in a hug. We have been doing this for several weeks now where I would sit on the floor with my arms outstretched and he would run into them. I would then say "H-U-G Nicholas!!" and squeeze him. So, today when he started saying "UH!" in this manner I think he was trying to say "HUG". I have some comfort in the thought that he IS trying to communicate on his own terms, and that hope is not lost. Maybe he will say A word by Christmas. And no, Michael does not mind his brother pulling all the stickers off his bed :)