Christmas Recap

Back to work today!  I’d be lying if I said I was looking forward to returning.  It was just so nice being able to spend every day with A and W.  We had a great mix of extremely busy days and lazy days.  I also enjoyed sleeping in (which meant staying in bed until 6-6:30) and even squeezed in a nap one day… bliss.  It was wonderful.  Our Christmas spanned 3 days and seems like a whirlwind as I think about it.  W was perfect and I think he really loved every minute – and all those presents.  He was definitely on Santa’s nice list.  Without further ado, a little recap…

Christmas Eve has always been reserved for my side of the family.  When we bought our house, I mentioned to A that I really wanted to have my family over on Christmas Eve (we typically alternate houses) so that’s what we did.  My extended family tries to get together every year, but my aunts and uncles in northern Wisconsin and Florida usually only make it to town every other year.  They were here last year so weren’t able to make the trip this year.  As a result, it was a smaller celebration with my mom, aunt, uncle, and 4 cousins, but it was great.  W had fun opening a few presents, my sweet cousin brought me some sparkling apple cider (so thoughtful), we ate LOTS, and called it a night.  Oh!  One thing I have to mention.  We decided to keep dinner casual – a few appetizers and pizza.  Well, when it came time to order the pizza, the first 4 places we tried were closed!  Oops!  I didn’t expect that at all.  My family was really sweet and said they were fine with appetizers or even frozen pizza, but we tried a fifth place and they happened to be open.  I guess not many people order pizza on Christmas Eve.  Lesson learned!

 Me and my handsome Christmas boy

 He's a pro as present opening!

I was so so excited for Christmas.  I couldn’t wait to watch W’s face light up when he saw what Santa brought.  I previously found a Little Tykes ride on fire truck at a consignment sale.  It was in perfect condition and I couldn’t wait for W to see it in front of the tree.  He did not disappoint – all smiles and climbed into his truck right away.  Melted my mommy heart.  I think W played with the fire truck for about an hour and a half and then it was time for church.  After church, in keeping with our routine, we headed to Starbucks for bagels and apple juice.  Then we headed home and by some Christmas miracle, A was able to get W down for an early nap.  As soon as he woke up, it was off to Nani and Papa’s for a big dinner and more celebration.  Dinner was delicious.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by family.  My brother even made a rare appearance.  There were so many gifts and we all had a great time.  We eventually headed home with full bellies and a car full of toys.  After some downtime at home, we decided to open our stockings.  Is open the right word?  We still hadn’t opened any of the gifts to each other or from Santa and we were in no hurry.  W was enjoying his fire truck and other gifts and it seemed silly to take him away from playing to open more gifts.  Not to mention, he was totally spoiled at Nani and Papa’s house with so many gifts already.  So we just did stockings and saved everything else for the following day.

 WOW!!  What's this?!?!

 Gotta make sure blankie makes it into the truck.

 I think he likes it. :)

Opening presents at Nani and Papa's house

Then, the day after Christmas, I declared I wasn’t cleaning and wasn’t changing out of my comfy clothes.  Grandma G came over for a big breakfast  - casserole, waffles, sausage, bacon, and bagels.  We finally opened gifts to each other and W opened his gifts from Santa.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and playing with all those new toys.  We even played outside for a short time since the weather was really mild.

 Santa brought me SHOES!!

It was probably my favorite Christmas to date.  I ate waaay too many cookies, received amazing gifts, and even got to watch television and a movie!!!  But really, what I enjoyed most was spending the week with my favorite guys.  I loved watching W open presents.  And I’m so so thankful that W and I were able to spend quality time together before baby #2 arrives.  And although returning to work this morning was tough, my heart is full and the holiday bliss has not yet worn off. J

Weekend Recap

What an eventful weekend/start of the week we've had!  I figured I'd better write about it before I forgot everything.

Friday, we celebrated A's dad's birthday (Will's Papa).  We went to dinner at a Japanese restaurant - one where the chef cooks dinner in front of you and performs tricks as he cooks.  W loved it.  He had a blast watching the chef and other customers.  On the downside, he hardly ate anything, was up way passed his bedtime, and fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Not a good combination and I was expecting a rough night.  But to my surprise, W slept through the night.  He woke up early and was a little cranky the following morning, but still better than I anticipated.

Saturday was W's birthday.  We had a full day planned for him.  We started by heading to the Wonderland Express exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  It's basically several trains set up in a miniature version of Chicago - with lots of lights, trees, and even snow falling indoors!  W loved seeing all the trains and the snow.  He did have a meltdown as we prepared to leave - I think a combination of being tired and overstimulated, but all in all we had a great time and we're excited to return next year.

We headed home so W could nap and A and I could prepare for a little party.  We plan to have a larger party in January, but wanted to have a little get together on W's actual birthday.  Grandma G, Nani, Papa, and Uncle Matt came over for a very low key celebration.  There were balloons, sandwiches, a few appetizers, and cupcakes.  I thought it was perfect.  I just didn't have the energy for a big, fancy party.  W did great opening gifts - I'm not sure how he even knew to rip the wrapping paper, but he wasted no time.  He also loved blowing out his birthday candles, but as expected, wanted nothing to do with the cupcake.  Kiddo does NOT like sweets - he clearly doesn't get that from me.  When everyone left, he had a major meltdown - the result of utter exhaustion, but I know he had a great day. :)  He even slept 11.5 hours that night - unheard of for him.

After, such a busy Saturday, Sunday consisted of going to church, doing some grocery shopping, watching football, and playing with W's new toys.  We all needed some downtime.

Monday, A headed out to finish up Christmas shopping and W and I headed to my mom's house to wrap presents.  Of course, W enjoyed seeing Grandma G's cats and exploring the Christmas decorations.  He was great and entertained himself while my mom and I wrapped several presents.  At one point, he tripped and fell right into the cat's water bowl.  He was very upset, but I couldn't stop laughing.  W had to walk around pantsless for some time while his pants dried in the drier. :)  The rest of the day was relatively calm.  I wrapped more presents when we got home and even started watching one of my favorite movies - Love Actually.  I only watched about 40 minutes of it before it was time to head to bed, but still, it was great to be able to watch a movie!

Today, A and I took W to the library.  They have a new fairy tale themed area in the kid's section and W had so much fun exploring the gingerbread house, Cinderella's carriage, and giant light bright.  Unfortunately he fell while crossing the drawbridge and now has rug burn on his forehead.  Fail.  It seems to have faded quite a bit so I'm hoping it looks better tomorrow.  Not the best look for Christmas!!  After that we headed to lunch and thought for sure W would take a long nap.  Nope.  A tried to get him down for a nap for quite some time and then gave up.  Instead, the two of them headed outside while I headed out to run a few errands.  An hour and a half later, they were both still outside!!  W better sleep well tonight.  Despite the nap strike, W was in a great mood all day and he had A and I cracking up tonight.

In other news, I've been extremely uncomfortable the past few days.  Baby is very high and I'm having some trouble breathing.  I cannot get comfortable at night and hardly sleep.  Hoping that baby will move lower or change positions.

Ok, I'm sure I'm leaving things out (pictures to come), but this is already a long post and it's time for bed!  Excited for Christmas with W!!

Happy 22 Months, W!!

As always, time is flying by and this month seemed to go by exceptionally fast.  I know I say that every month, but I blinked and you turned 22 months old.  2 months away from 2 years old… oh my!

We had a really great, really busy month.  You started school, visited local farms, and went to a corn maze.  You still attend gym class and often visit the library and farmer’s market with Nani.

You were sleeping better until last week when you woke up 6 nights in a row.  I can’t even recall a previous time when you woke up so many consecutive nights.  We’re used to 2 nights in a row every so often, but not 6!  Last night you took pity on us and slept through the night – even sleeping in!  Thank you for that!

You’ve suddenly grown really attached to your blankies.  I’ve used the Aden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets since you were born.  I love that they’re large, really thin, and soft.  Lately, you snuggle with them, ask for them, and carry them around.

You’ve been really interested in letters and the alphabet and I’ve tried to encourage/further that interest.  You have two alphabet puzzles, magnets, flash cards, and bath letters.  We do the puzzles daily.  You know the letter O and a few others – possibly V, M, and D.  You love to point out the o's on signs, sweatshirts, etc., saying ohhhh.  You’re very good at completing your puzzles and I make sure to tell you each letter, the sound it makes, and something that begins with that letter.  Perhaps I’m overdoing it, but you keep showing interest.

You also know several colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  You don’t say them, but if I ask you which object is a specific color, you usually get it right.

New words this month include knee, wall, door, and help.  You say Dee or Dee Dee quite often for Addie and also say Whoa! and Wow!  And we may have discovered that “dot-in” means curtain?  Still not sure?  I also think it’s really odd that you don’t say “hi”, “bye”, “yes”, or “no” and you hardly wave, but I suppose that’s just you and your personality.  You do give high fives and make an affirmative sound similar to “yeah” so there’s that.  You also say oh no.

Baths have NOT been going well.  You cling to me or Da as if you’re afraid.  I’m not sure what sparked that fear.  Actually, I have an idea and it involves poop in the tub, but I won’t go into detail on that.  The point is, baths are really difficult lately and I think I end up more soaked than you.  We purchased bath crayons in desperation and you actually enjoyed bath time last night.  You had so much fun coloring on the walls.  We’ll see if that continues.

You like to put on Da’s shoes.  You love to bring Ma her shoes and purse.  You’re acutely aware of what belongs to whom and often point at objects and identify their owner.  You also like to point out commonalities among us.  For instance, you’ll point to your eyes, then say Da and point to his eyes, then say Ma and point to my eyes, etc.  You still love to help around the house.

You started sitting on the potty and even had success.  I don’t think you’re ready to potty train and we certainly haven’t been consistent, but I wanted to get you used to the idea and familiar with the potty.

You’re OBSESSED with Daniel Tiger and watch it nearly every morning.  I think I’ve memorized episodes and songs.

One thing that I found exceptionally cute – your Da and I were playing with you in your room.  You started playing with your farm and picked up the cow.  You made him walk up the hay chute saying, “up, up, up” as you did, and then made him slide down, saying “dooown”.  You also made him moo along the way.  It was adorable.  I asked grandma G if she taught you that and she said no so you came up with that all on your own.

You’ve been pretend playing – making your farm animals eat hay… or eat your rug? and making goldfish crackers and pretzels dance on your tray.  You also make cars vroom.

You started going down the tall slides at the playground all by yourself.

We had to pick up some pumpkins over the weekend and I asked you to pick up a little one for baby brother and one for Addie.  You picked one out and Da told you to put it in the wagon.  You ran passed our wagon and put the pumpkin in another lady’s wagon.  I think she was quite surprised. J

You recently had an elderly lady come over and compliment your outfit at dinner and tell you that you looked like a little gentleman to which you replied, “whew!”.  I guess you had to be there, but it was hilarious.

You still love to be outside.  It’s your favorite thing and you cry and get angry every time we come in from playing.

I feel like you grew leaps and bounds this month.  You are our everything and more, little man.

I've posted lots of pictures this month so don't have many new ones to share.

21 Months of W

W turned 21 months on Saturday.  Where oh where has the time gone (I actually typed 20 instead of 21!!)?

I think this was one of my favorite months with you, little man.  You’ve been trying to say more and your personality is really emerging.  You’ve just been downright fun.  I think I’ve laughed at your antics this month more than any other.  You have this uncanny ability to detect when your Da is making a sarcastic remark or subtle joke and you laugh.  This happened at church recently.  Da said something under his breath and you let out a laugh – hilarious.  There’s no way you understood the joke, but somehow you recognized that it was indeed a joke.  We were out for a walk over the weekend and right after a golfer teed off, you started laughing.  Not sure if it was actually a poor shot, but your timing was impeccable.  I also had a laugh at the grocery store when a man knocked over a sign and you said “uh oh!!”. J

You started ‘gymnastics’ this month!  You attend gymnastics with Nani and from what I understand, you do lots of climbing and even tried a headstand recently!!  Unfortunately you haven’t quite learned that gymnastics should only occur at gym class, on padded mats.  You’ve recently tried jumping off of chairs at home and overturning baskets so you can stand on them.  Mom quickly intervenes.

You’ve picked up quite a few words this month (much to my relief!).  These include: Moon (moo), Chips (dip), Goat (go), Bra (baa), and Zebra (bruh).  You repeatedly say something that sounds like “ dot-in“, which I think means clock?!?  Not sure, but I asked you to repeat it several times and then show me and you pointed to the clock?  You’ve also said oh no a few times (no no) and door (doe).

You’ve started watching Daniel Tiger recently, while mom gets ready for work.  I had a pretty strict no tv philosophy, but the show is on my phone and about 10 minutes long… AND I can actually get dressed so I’m allowing it. J  With that said, I’ve tried other shows on my phone just to see if you might be interested and Daniel Tiger is the only one you like.

You’ve also started telling us when you need a diaper change, which is really great.  You pat your diaper - front for pee and back for poop.  I appreciate that I no longer have to sniff you. ;)

Sleep was especially challenging this month.  You came down with a cold and the first week of said cold, I believe your sinuses were bothering you.  You didn’t seem all that congested, but you pointed to your nose quite a few times.  During that week, I think you woke something like 5 nights out of 7.  It was rough.  After 2 weeks, your cold is just about gone.  Yay!

Separation anxiety seems to have suddenly kicked in full force.  You had a few major meltdowns at Brian and Becky’s house and also cried when I brought you over to Aunt Connie’s house (even though I was with you the entire time).

As is the case every month, you still love books, you still love to be outside, you love to ‘help’ around the house, and we still get comments on your hair. J

Happy 21 months!  Next big event for you is school!  It starts on Saturday and we’re hoping it will be great for socialization and for speech.  You are our everything and more, little man!

An Update on my Boys

Yesterday's post was a bit of a downer.  Like I said, it's been a long week.  But the good news is W slept through the night, which means mom got some sleep!!  I feel like a new person - except now I feel like I may be coming down with A's cold.  Uggh.  Anyway, time to talk about my boys... <3

It’s no secret that I love to talk about W.  I want to remember all the cute things he says and the funny things he does.  Lately, he makes me laugh constantly and I’m always surprised by his level of understanding.  After thinking that toddlerhood was going to be really tough and expecting that I wouldn’t really enjoy this stage, I’ve actually found myself loving raising a toddler (lately).  Well, except for the lack of sleep.  I realize this could change in a minute.  A couple months or so ago, W was having tantrums, hitting, and throwing various objects.  He still does these things occasionally, but not nearly as often.  He’s started saying quite a few more words, which helps him communicate, which leads to less frustration (I think).  Anyway, a couple fun things lately…

W had woken up from a nap and was cranky.  Usually extra cuddles and a snack perks him up.  Well on this particular day, I was in a hurry.  I needed to change clothes so I brought him to the bedroom with me and sat him on the bed.  I thought I’d change quickly, then pick him back up and head downstairs for a snack.  There were a few articles of clothing laying on the bed near him.  He picked one up, held it triumphantly over his head, and yelled “BRA!!!!”.  A happened to be in the room and I think both of our mouths dropped.  Then we burst out laughing.  I had no idea W knew that word (or that article of clothing) and for someone who hardly talks, it was hilarious to hear him say that.  I guess all guys like bras – even at 1 year old.

W was working on a farm puzzle and I was naming the pieces.  One of those pieces was a barn.  As soon as I said barn, W insisted that we go downstairs.  When we got to the bottom of the staircase, W ran and grabbed a book called Chickens to the Rescue.  He quickly turned the pages until he found the picture he was looking for – a red barn similar to his puzzle piece.

I’ve mentioned that W likes to watch videos of himself on my phone.  I had one video on the other day.  It was from quite a while ago – probably 6-7 months ago.  I was asking him what various animals said.  What does the cat say, what does the sheep say, etc.  Well, as he was watching the video, he was answering my animal noise questions very enthusiastically.  Really cute. J

My mom and W were reading the book about monkeys jumping on the bed.  You know… where one falls off and bumps his head.  Well, upon hearing that, W jumped off the couch and bumped his head on the (carpeted) floor just like the monkeys in the book.

And possibly, my favorite one yet… I was trying to figure out if I should bring W over to his grandma’s house.  He wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t know if she’d be comfortable watching him.  I didn’t want anyone else to get sick.  I texted her, but didn’t hear back right away.  In the meantime, I was trying to get ready for work and the only way I could do so was to give W my phone to watch videos of himself.  In that time, as we were getting ready to leave, unbeknownst to me, W’s grandma called my phone.  Naturally I didn’t hear it and W somehow managed to text back “Can’t talk now  - I’m on my way”.  I kid you not.  Fast forward a few minutes and I have W in the car.  I check my phone and see that W’s grandma called so I try calling back.  No answer.  Then I notice a text - “Can’t talk now  - I’m on my way” and assume it’s from her since I didn’t type it.  So now I’m confused as to whether I’m dropping off W or she’s coming to my house.  So apparently there is some iPhone setting that allows you to respond to a call with automatic text.  I have no idea how to even do that, but I guess W does.  We only figured this out 4 hours later after lots of confusion… “you texted me.” “no, you texted me.”  “it says that text came from me, but I swear I didn’t type that…”

As for the littlest boy, I’m feeling movement every day and it’s exciting each and every time.  I can't wait for the big rolls and kicks.  I’m so looking froward to meeting this little guy.  I hope he has his brother’s red hair and light eyes.  "My boys"... that sure does have a nice ring to it. J

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a bit of everything rolled into one busy weekend – chaos, laughter, love, frustration, happiness, and tears.  All in all, it was good and I was really sad to return to work today.  Especially since I won’t have another holiday until Thanksgiving… whaaaa.

Friday was my last day of summer hours (whaaaaa) so I worked a half day.  After that, W, my mom, and I grabbed lunch and did a bit of shopping.  W has been screaming while we’re out lately – it usually happens while we’re out eating or grocery shopping.  It’s not a tantrum type scream, but it is loud and embarrassing.  I’m assuming he does it for attention and telling him no, and that he needs to be quiet only makes him scream more.  We may be staying home for awhile.

Saturday was a very long day.  I had a doctor’s appointment.  Heard baby’s heartbeat, but otherwise it was pointless.  W came with and there was more screaming.  That was followed by breakfast at Panera (more screaming), grocery shopping at Mariano’s (more screaming), and even more shopping at Target.  Then it was time to head home to clean and complete a couple projects.  That night, we had a fantasy football draft party.  I had been looking forward to it and now, I have no idea why.  It was a complete disaster.  I won’t go into too much detail because I know in the grand scheme of things it won’t matter.  People are dealing with far worse.  But it was an absolute failure and our dog, Addie, was just plain awful.  She barked the entire night, chased the kids around and scared them.  I had never seen her like that.  I didn’t realize the kids were coming over so that definitely didn’t help, but I’m not sure what I would’ve done differently had I known.  It also didn’t help that people were continually coming up to me telling me that Addie was annoying and asking what was wrong with her.  As far as her being annoying – tell me something I didn’t already know.  And if I knew what was wrong, I’d do my best to fix it.  For some reason, the kids set her off and nonstop barking ensued.  The kids never stayed in one place (despite attempts at 2 movies), which added to the barking chaos and I was afraid to lock Addie in a room because when we had done so previously, she destroyed an expensive crate that fellow dog owners insisted she had to have (last time I listen to dog advice from anyone who doesn’t know my dog).  Having anything in our new house destroyed was not a risk I was willing to take.  And people could have left at any time.  We were doing a draft, but I think we could have continued on the computer or another way.  What probably bugs me most of all is I knew before the party that a few people didn’t like Addie and this only added fuel to their Addie hating fire.  What they don’t realize (and never will) is that Addie is actually one of the sweetest dogs.  She’s always by my side when I’m not feeling well.  She was at my side after my first IVF failed when I couldn’t stop crying.  For both of my pregnancies, she’s wanted to be extra close to me – knowing that something was different.  She’s incredibly smart and extremely loyal (a trait you can’t find in most humans).  She’s protective of W, A, and I, but only because she loves us that much.  And she puts up with W’s hitting her and throwing various objects at her.  I actually cried at the end of the night when everyone had finally gone home.  Now that it’s all done, we’ll know not to have any kids over.  And those who never liked Addie will continue to not come over (because Addie is here to stay) so I guess in that respect, nothing will really change.  No more parties any time soon.

Sunday was much better.  We went to church and Starbucks.  W let out a scream during mass so the two of us headed to the church lobby.  We headed back in to mass to receive communion and W spotted grandma way at the other end of the church.  She was helping as Eucharistic minister.  He continued to point and laugh at her, which was really cute. J  After that was Starbucks and then a relatively quiet day at home.  When W woke from his nap sometime after 3, A and I decided to take him to the pool on a whim.  It was our last chance since the pool was closing so we thought we’d try it.  W had a blast and I’m so glad we all went.  I loved watching him splash and play in the water.  He and A were so cute together and W loved every minute.  He even tripped and went underwater a couple times.  A was there to scoop him up, but W never panicked.  It was lots of fun and exactly what we needed after such a stressful Saturday.

Monday was pretty uneventful.  W loves my mom’s cats so I decided to take him to grandma’s house for a quick visit and some cat love.  I couldn’t stop laughing as W hugged and cuddled with my mom’s cat Mieko.  For some reason, Mieko totally loves W and put up with all the hugging grabbing and cuddles squeezing.  After that we headed home for play time, a family walk, and I made dinner.  A great end to the long weekend. J

W is 20 Months old!!

Happy 20 months, W!

That scares me.  Mainly because I feel like I JUST wrote your 19 month update… and your 18 month update.  I don’t know where the time is going.

Unfortunately, 20 months is not off to a good start because you woke up with a cold.  But you seem to be in good spirits nonetheless.

In terms of development, we were a bit concerned about your speech.  We’re keeping a close eye on your progress over the next couple months.  But I’m happy to report you’ve added a few new words this month.  You started saying more and juice.  You’ve also said walk, house, button, Dee Dee (Addie) and a couple others words I don’t recall.  You also say mower, as in lawn mower, which sounds the same as “more”.  You’ve been repeating more words that Da and I say.  We’ve gotten a few suggestions from cousin Lindsey, who is a speech pathologist and we’ll continue to work with you.  I’m concerned about your speech, but not overly concerned.  Here’s why: you do seem a bit behind on verbal expression, BUT you excel in other areas.  Like comprehension.  You know so many words.  I’ll ask you to identify objects in books and around the house and you always point to the correct thing.  I think you even know some colors.  You also follow directions.  You make connections and understand relationships.  For instance, one of us will wear a striped shirt and you’ll point to it, then point to your striped rug.  You have no problem matching up puzzle pieces and completing all of your puzzles.  I also keep in mind that your Da and I aren’t the loudest people.  Ma always had teachers say she was quiet and “needed to come out of her shell” and I suspect Da was also pretty quiet in school (I may be wrong).  So I think part of the reason you’re not talkative is a personality trait.  Anyway, enough about that.

You LOVE trucks and we recently picked up a few more at a consignment sale.  You push them around the house and love to play with them on the daybed.  Not sure why.  Maybe you’re imagining you’re on a hill?  You also continue to love being outside and you and Da have spent many, many hours playing in the yard, going to the park, and taking walks.  You love “riding the horsey” on Ma and Da’s lap.  You love chips (Hands down, your favorite snack.  I give you a couple after dinner as a dessert.).  You’ve been “asking” to go to the pool lately by opening a photo album, finding a picture of Da in the pool, and repeatedly pointing to it.  We’ll try to make that happen before the pool closes.  And speaking of photo albums, you love looking at photos and do so almost every day.  You like to find Ma and Da – the toddler version of Where’s Waldo.  You also seem to love our house and your room.  You have much more space to run and play.  Da and I decided your big boy room would be sports themed.  You often wake up and point out the various baseballs, basketballs, footballs, etc. throughout your room.  I love that you love your room. J

Things that you don’t love lately include new foods.  I encouraged you to try pasta.  You touched it, shivered, then gagged.  You’re also not loving church lately.  I think our church friends jinxed us.  They mentioned how great and well behaved you always are.  Well since then, you’ve been getting restless towards the end of mass.  A couple weeks ago, you yelled “goal” and launched yourself off the pew a short time later.  That resulted in lots of tears.  You still hate diaper changes.  Especially the final one – I think you know bed time follows.  Lately, Da changes you and I read you a book.  That seems to be working for the time being.

All in all, we had a great month.  I was at my wits end previously because you were hitting and throwing things – often at poor Addie.  But you’ve gotten so much better.  It still happens, but not as often as it used to.  You’re such a sweet boy almost all the time and Da and I enjoy taking you out and about with us because you’re usually so well behaved.  You are our everything and more, little man!

17 months of W

I’m way overdue on posting W’s 17 month update…

Happy 17 months, W!!  I don’t think there have been too many changes this month.  You continue to understand so many words and commands.  You haven’t said too many new words, but your understanding amazes me.  Mom and dad went on a little trip and we heard that you said “pop” for grandpa and some version of Uncle Matt. J  You say go, but I don’t think you quite understand what it means.  I’ll tell you that we have to go bye bye or daddy had to go to work and you’ll repeat go.  Perhaps my favorite thing that you’re doing is pointing to pictures of mom and dad and saying ma and da.  Last night, you pointed to a picture of Elin Nordegren and said ma.  It made my night.  Anytime you want to compare your mom to a model is fine with me. J  We had a rough month in terms of sleep and illness, but I’m hopeful that we’re all on the mend.  This month, you completed a music class with Nani.  You spent time away from both mom and dad for the first time.  Your most favorite thing is being outside and you often cry when it’s time to come in.  You still love Jeopardy, trucks, and balls. J

W is 16 Months Old

Happy 16 months, W!  You turned 16 months on Easter. J

This month has been SO much fun!  The weather is FINALLY warming up and we’re spending more and more time outside.  You absolutely love being outside and cry when we come in.  You’re usually a very happy guy and it seems that you learn something new every day.  You know at least 50 words now and can follow instructions.  You say: mama, dada, up, down, duck, stick, truck, amen, uh oh, ball, bowl, and basketball.  You’ve said car, Addie, puffs, and a few other words, but have only said these once or twice.  You also say can – as in can of pop (dat), vacuum (googoo? I’m not sure what exactly you say, but you say it consistently and very often), and you have a very distinct sound for clock, but I’m not counting these because they are really hard to make out.  You point at EVERYTHING and want to know the name of it.  You love pointing to each and every basketball hoop while we’re out for walks.  This month, you started taking a music class with Nani and we went on our first zoo trip of the year.  We also visited dad’s class and you had your first official hair cut (you hated every minute of it).  You love watching Jeopardy and your favorite things to do lately include playing with the vacuums, running, playing with Grandma G’s cats, and throwing balls down the stairs (as well as several other items that you get in trouble for i.e. cars, Legos, vacuums, your ride on dog, toy boat, socks, hats, etc).  You still love Pete the Cat.  You often get compliments of your red hair and cute outfits (mom will take credit for your stylish wardrobe;)).  You’ve gotten quite independent recently and aren’t afraid to walk around the places you’re familiar with (church, grocery store).  My favorite month to date!

Happiness is... W

I have so much on my mind…  The weekend was wonderful and I would typically do a recap, but I want to  talk about W and how wonderful he is.  I know all moms think their children are fabulous and they absolutely are.  Children are such an amazing blessing.  Sure, they are challenging and frustrating at times, but the sweet moments make up for those difficult times (remind me of this when I’m in the throes of terrible twos).  I’m so incredibly grateful to have W in my life.  I’m so grateful God chose me to be his mom and I remind myself every single day how fortunate I am.  W is a miraculous gift.

I truly believe that W could change the world if he wanted to.  He has this amazing positive effect on people.  To know W is to love W.  I was reminded of this several times this weekend…

I took Friday off so W and I could spend the day together.  I had chosen Friday awhile ago and it worked out perfectly.  The weather was the warmest it’s been all year (as I type, we currently have snow on the ground).  I decided we would go on our first zoo trip of the year.  We had a blast.  The monkeys and the meerkats were W’s favorite and he actually started to cry as we left the meerkats and headed toward another exhibit. 

I had this perfect plan – we’d go to the zoo, W would sleep during the nearly 1 hour ride home, and then we’d visit A’s class.  Well, W had other plans and did not sleep at all.  I debated whether or not we should still visit A at school.  I ultimately decided to go.  If W fell asleep on the way there, we’d visit another time and if W got too cranky, we’d just head home.

We arrived and W was awesome.  My typically shy around people he doesn’t know boy walked around the classroom, played ball with the students, and pointed out the clock.  Several students in other classrooms wanted to meet W and we made the rounds.  The students LOVED him.  But my favorite part was the interaction with the autistic students.  Now, I don’t know very much about autism.  What I do know is that many autistic students thrive on consistency and W being there could have easily set them off.  We met one student who came up to W and played peek-a-boo with him.  W proceeded to laugh and smile at the boy.  They both seemed to enjoy each other’s company.  Another boy we met in the hallway.  A explained that W was his son and the boy repeated “my son”.  After that, whenever we saw the boy, he would say “my son”.  It was really cute and heartwarming.  There was another girl who apparently had little confidence and broke down from time to time.  But she had no problem playing with W, talking to him, and offering toys.  She even told me she was great with kids – no lack of confidence whatsoever.  She was very sweet with W.

Here’s the thing I picked up on (and again – admittedly, I’m one of those moms who thinks her kid is the best)… W could have been incredibly cranky.  We were at the zoo for 2 hours and in the car for another 2 hours.  With NO nap.  But W was perfect.  He brought joy to so many of those kids.  He brings so much happiness to nearly everyone he meets.  And another thing – I think he was perfect for the kids.  A explained to me that some lacked self-esteem and doubted themselves.  Not around W.  They had no problem at all interacting with him.  There’s something  special about a toddler – they view the world with innocent eyes.  They do not judge.  They do not criticize.  They laugh at a simple game of peek-a-boo.  They do not have high expectations or prejudice.  And I think W made some of those students’ days.

I was reminded of this 2 days later, but with the other end of the spectrum…. We’ve been attending church as a family since W was 10 days old.  We love seeing our church friends every week.  Lately, A or I spends most of church in the lobby with W.  He gets tired of sitting and wants to explore.  Well, this Sunday, we were getting ready to leave after a long Palm Sunday mass when I turned around and saw W in the arms of an elderly man.  He was talking to W and W was content.  Typically, W would be crying, reaching for A or me.  But he was fine being held by the older man and the older man had the biggest smile.  So darn cute.  And another example of W bringing happiness…. To young and old and everyone in between.  I love my boy so much.

W Turns 15 Months!

Happy 15 months, W!  I can’t believe it.  Makes me a little sad.  But this may have been my favorite month yet… do I say that every month?

I have to admit, I thought you’d be saying more words by now, but I think I was being unrealistic.  You haven’t added a lot of words this month in terms of speech.  The only new words I can think of are down (you said this a couple times last month, but now it’s consistent) and if I ask you what a snake says, you’ll hiss.  You also sign “all done”.  BUT you know what so many words mean and I’m amazed at your level of comprehension.  I gave a list previously, but some new words you’ve picked up since then are: car, clock, drum, cat, mouse, bird, socks, belly button, and probably many more.  You’ll see a cat on tv and start meowing or see a picture of shoes in a book and then run and get your own shoes.  You saw a watch on a flash card recently and I tried to explain that a watch was like a clock you wear on your wrist.  You then pointed to the clock on our wall.  Cutest thing ever.  We all think you’re really bright (not that we’re biased or anything).  You can do puzzles now.  You don’t always fit the pieces exactly, but you can match the pictures.  You still love to read and Pete the Cat is still your favorite.  You’ve gotten better with eating.  You still love meat (chicken, meatballs, hamburger, sausage, corned beef), but you actually ate fruit for the first time ever.  You’ve had strawberries and pineapple.  A major feat!  You’re also starting to feed yourself with a spoon.  You’ll dip the spoon into yogurt or applesauce and then put it in your mouth.  You’re down to just one bottle – right before bed.  You were hitting a lot and that was driving me crazy.  But as you’re learning to communicate and mom and dad are using positive reinforcement, you’ve gotten so so much better.  You can go up and down the stairs these days.  You’re favorite game lately is throwing things down the stairs – mainly balls and dad’s shoes.  But you’ve also thrown blocks, blankets, and cars.  I’m trying to teach you that it’s only acceptable to throw balls.  Oh, and you fall all the time.  We had to call the pediatrician’s after hours line for the first time due to a fall.  It seems like you are never bruise free.  I hope that doesn’t mean several ER trips are in your future.  In the past month, we’ve made a trip to Chicago, gone to the library, gone to the mall, and even went outside for a couple walks.  You also got your first pair of big boy shoes and I think you actually like them.

Such a fun month!!

We love you so much!  You are our everything and more.

 

And finally - 3/17/13 vs. 3/17/14

 

14 Months of W!

Happy 14 months!!

This past month has been a doozy.  Crazy weather (snow, dangerous cold, and rain today?!?), busy weekends, and colds for all of us.  Much to my disappointment, you didn’t add very many words to your vocabulary this month (words are my favorite milestone!!).  You have said uh oh and down a few times.  Grandma W says you say hot when you spy her coffee.  You have started following directions.  I’ll say “go get a book” and you do.  I’ve also told you to put something in the garbage and you toddle right over to the trash.  Your dad and I have both witnessed you pick up lint off the carpet, walk over to the trash can, and throw it away.  Grandma G has told you to go get her glasses.  You find them and bring them to her.  This morning I was telling you that we were going to go bye bye and we were going to Nani’s house.  I walked into the kitchen and turned around to find you standing there with your coat! 

You LOVE to read.  LOVE!!  I think we go through at least 20 books a day and that’s not counting the books you read with your grandmas.  You get bored pretty quickly with story books, but love pop ups and books that have flaps to open.  The exception to this is Pete the Cat story books.  We read Pete the Cat Saves Christmas every single day.  I had to order another Pete the Cat just to give myself a break from Saving Christmas.

You’re running all over the place.  You stand yourself up in the middle of the floor without any support (you actually started doing this at 13 months).  We’ve started to do puzzles.  You haven’t quite gotten the hang of it, but I’ve watched you match the pictures on your farm puzzle.  We still get comments all the time on your red hair.  We went grocery shopping for Super Bowl snacks a couple weeks ago and no less than 3 people came over to say hi to you and comment on your hair and cuteness.  Last week while we were grocery shopping, a lady came over to say hi and gave you a bag of animal crackers (daddy wouldn’t let you have them).  You’re getting a little better about eating.  The rule seems to be if it’s meat or bread, you’ll eat it.  Anything else belongs on the floor.

One other exciting thing that happened – your mom submitted a picture of you to Baby Gap (I can’t help it, I think you’re the cutest ;)) and you were featured on their Facebook page. :)

I think that covers it.  We’re having so much fun watching you grow and learn!

I've been slacking on pictures...