Nash is 2 Years Old!!

I can't believe it.  The day has come that my baby is, ahem, no longer a baby.  Like, officially, people!  There's no mistaking it now...he's a full fledged boy and has the 'tude to prove it!

Here's a rundown of Nash at 2 years old ::gulp::
Height: Just shy of 3 ft (35.75")
Weight: 29.4 lbs
Hair: It's a tad darker now, but still hovering in the dark blonde/light brown category
Eyes: Still hazel
Teeth: He finally has one of his two-year molars poking through!  That makes 17!
Clothes: All 2T
Shoes: Still size 7

Talking:  I had to put this one first because it is, by far, the most noticeable (and amazing) thing about this last month.  He is forming complete, multi-word sentences now and can carry on full conversations with us.  I would estimate that I can understand a good 90% of what he says.  And I swear, he learns so many new words every day that we can't keep up.  He's talking about things he's never seen (like snow) and recalling things that happened way earlier.  Not only recalling it, but he's able to tell us about it later.  He's expressing so much emotion these days, and I can see his little imagination really opening up.  He knows all of his body parts, some colors, can recognize images (and in many cases, name) in his favorite books (even obscure things like sandwich or table and chairs).  And he's learning now the difference between boys and girls (boys have wee wees and short hair...girls have, er, something else and long hair).  He tries to count (really only says two and six over and over again) and repeats things over and over again until everyone acknowledges what he's said.

Personality:  He's still this supercharged ball of hilarious energy.  I swear, if we didn't force him to take naps and go to bed at night, he'd probably just run in circles until he literally passed out in exhaustion.  He's go-go-go all the time, which really wears out whoever is in charge of watching him that day.  He's feisty and funny, yet shy too.  We're starting to notice he gets shy in front of people, and his teachers even pointed out that he prefers to stand in the back of the class to do things like sing or dance.  Funny since he's a total freakin ham when it's in front of people he knows.  Like, he literally shows off and acts up when there's more than one or two of us in the room paying attention to him.

We're still dealing with some anger issues, but I just have a really good feeling all of that will melt away as he continues to learn how to express himself.  He's learning that he's not supposed to hit people (with his hands or toys) and that hurting people isn't nice.  He sees us getting upset and walking away when he is too physical, so I think that's helping.  He still has his freak outs though, and we've all learned to protect our faces when he starts swinging or gets worked up.

Physical:  Oh lordy...there's so much to write on this one, it's hard to know where to start.  From day one, Nash has been this incredibly physical boy.  Even during my first ultrasound, he was flipping and tumbling all around in my belly and the tech could barely get a pic of him!  He was super active while I was pregnant and NEVER stopped moving when he was a baby.  I remember the pediatrician telling us at his 4-month well visit that he was going to be an athlete...that he was already pulling himself up with his own strength and putting weight on his legs.  He sat up at a normal age, but then only a few weeks went by before he was crawling, and then standing up!  And he took his first steps right around 10 months.  And when he went for it...it was 8 steps and he was off.  There was no contemplation...he just did it.  And even now, he continues to amaze us with his physical abilities.

At the playground, he's able to climb every. single. one. of the obstacles.  We were there one day and he could climb up these tricky bars that this little 4-year old boy was AFRAID to climb!  Not my kid...he's completely fearless.  Which scares the everloving shit out of me.

He can throw a ball (any kind of ball, any size) literally RIGHT AT YOU.  I'm telling you, we've stood 5-10 feet apart and played catch (except he can't really catch yet).  He throws a football with a spiral.  And he just got a tee ball set for his birthday and he crushes that ball nearly every time.  We have to quick put the ball on the tee, turn and run so we don't get smacked with the bat.  He kicks...deliberate, timed kicks.  I was sad to learn they don't offer soccer for kids until age 3 because I'm telling you, I think he could do it.  Not to mention, my husband went out and bought Nash a few cheap left-handed golf clubs and cut them down so they're short enough for him to actually use.  And he's able to hit the little golf balls right off the ground.  There doesn't appear to be a sport he (a) doesn't love or (b) isn't good at.

 

Other notes:  He's become quite attached to his snugglies these days.  Every night and during naptime, his bed is so crowded with friends and pillows that it's nearly impossible for us to lie down with him.  And sleeping is still kind of a struggle...at least here.  When we had our own place and he had his bed, he did really well all on his own.  But once we came here and he has this huge bed, he wants someone to stay with him until he falls asleep.  Which can take FOREVER some times.  He loves trucks of all kinds, legos and anything that plays music.  He's finally over his Yo Gabba obsession and has taken a ravenous fancy to Team Umi Zoomi.  He literally asks for it every second that it's not on.  Thank god for DVR.

His eating is off and on, although he's generally very receptive to new foods.  He regularly eats fish (even salmon and blackened), spicy foods and healthy stuff.  But, just like any kid, he loves crackers, toast, candy, cookies, juice, etc...  We've struggled a bit these last few months because he's having trouble going to the bathroom.  Sometimes he'll go days without pooping and we can tell he's starting to not feel well.  He won't eat, he's irritable...and he tries and tries, but nothing comes out.  We've completely eliminated bananas and cheese and have cut out all but a splash of juice in his water.   We try to make sure he gets a lot of whole grains and fiber, but nothing really seems to be working.  Next stop:  doctor.  But when he does eat, he uses a spoon and fork nearly perfectly (left or right handed).  He can drink from a cup, but tends to spill it while walking around, so we still give him sippies.  The high chair is completely gone...it just sits in this old red, wooden chair Joe's mom has and eats at the table just like the rest of us. 

  

The other funny thing is how much he has taken control over his outfits.  He's begun requesting certain jammies (loves baseball ones and the ones with rockets or puppies) and won't wear anything else if he happens to see them in the drawer.  Also, he picks out his own shoes every morning and then Joe or my mother in law will form an outfit around the shoes.  Sounds awesome, right?  Well it would be if he didn't pick the same orange and brown pumas all the time.  He loves those shoes, but we are running out of brown and orange outfits to go with them!  He's can just about undress himself, although pulling shirts over his head is still tricky.  He's learning how to put his clothes on, but that's taking a bit longer that the undressing part.  He can pull his pants up, but he usually ends up only pulling up the front.  And we're teaching him to find the big hole for his head and the small holes for his arms, so he's getting it.  Still hates it when we make him get dressed though...he'd run around naked all the time if he could.

No improvements in potty training.  He's only slightly interested in the idea and doesn't sit on the potty for more than 30 seconds at any given time.  He knows when he's going to pee though, so we're gently informing him about peeing on the potty...and tonight I even threw a few cheerios in the toilet and told him to squirt them with his pee.  He giggled and seemed to like it, but no action occurred.  Oh well...it will come.

There's so many more things to share, but it's late, this post is long and I still need to find our Elf, Choo, a resting place for the night.

Love you, big man!

Nash is 22 Months Old!

Better late than never, eh?  Truth be told, I was waiting to post this until I could download his monthly photos from my camera, which I left in Orlando.  But then I checked it when I got home and realized I never actually took photos this month.  It was LAST month I was thinking of.  Talk about time whirling by.  First time I failed to take his pics.  ::sigh::  And we're so close to 23 months, I figured I'd just throw in a few randoms from right around October 11th and call it done.

Height:  35 inches
Weight:  28.5 lbs
Teeth:  No change
Hair:  No change
Eyes:  No change
Clothes:  All 2T
Shoes:  Still 7's

And for all the crazy details (and a bunch of Nash cameos), watch this.  Fair warning:  It's a bit long thanks to a few interruptions and my rambling, but cute nonetheless.

21 Months

Yep, it's that time again, folks. Time for a holy-crap-my-baby's-even-less-of-a-baby update. Each month that I do these, it gets crazier and crazier because I realize how close we are to the big "2".   So close that Joe and I are already talking about his birthday party...which is a bit of a cluster already since we are living in Jacksonville, but visiting Melbourne as often as we can.

We know we want to do it in Melbourne, but were working out the location still. Before we even get there, we've got to tackle our first Disney trip, both Mama and Daddy's birthdays, Halloween, AND Thanksgiving.  Lots of living left to do before December 11th.  But back to the task at hand. Bubs is 21 months old now and things are starting to get crazy!!

Here's the rundown: 
Height: 34.5 inches (I think)
Weight: 27 lbs (ish)
Hair: still dirty blonde
Eyes: still hazel-ish
Teeth: still rocking all but the last 4 molars
Clothes size: entirely 2T now
Shoe size: 7 and holding steady

He has to pick out his own shoes...and he loves these red ones.

Eating: 
We've definitely entered the picky phase as he rarely wants to eat what we want him to eat when we want him to eat it. He loves shunning foods we assume are his favorites and will not touch anything that looks remotely weird or complicated. Often times he'll put something in his mouth, let it barely touch his tongue and then spit it out with extreme distaste. It's maddening. And he wavers between periods of ravenous eating and nibbling like an anorexic bird, so we never know what to expect.

He still loves bananas (which we can't really give him) and toast and fruit in general, although he's been rejecting grapes lately. He refuses to eat grilled cheese, which is so weird to me, and definitely loves crackers, cookies and chips (of course). He drinks a fair mix of milk and watered down juice, but doesn't really like water (although we give it to him every night when he goes to bed).  Still wolfs down broccoli and seems to prefer wheat toast to white, which is awesome.

Sleeping:
This deserves a post all to itself. We transitioned Nash to a toddler bed a few weeks ago when he began crawling out of his crib on the regular. He seems to love his bed so much, and is always running into his room and pulling all of his stuffies on top of himself in the bed. But when it comes to bedtime, he's still a challenge. He does ok if we're in the room, but as soon as we try to leave, he jumps out of bed, runs over to the door and screams bloody murder until we return.

 I think this is just a phase and we just have to wait it out, but it's definitely been trying on both of us. Add in his recent love of smacking people in the face when he's upset and you've got a recipe for ugly.

Who me?  No, I don't smack Mama in the face at least three times a week.  Nope, not me.

Talking:
He's talking up an absolute storm now and it's literally the highlight of the month. Joe and I are always talking about how he repeats just about anything and understands just about everything. He's able to say most of the body parts we've been teaching him (even though he doesn't always finish the last consonant...like he's say "mow" instead of "mouth." He even says, "Na" when we ask him what his name is and every time we ask, he's closer and closer to an actual "Nash." He says "Pop Pop" for Grandpop and "Gumma" for Grandmom. He recognizes both our cars (especially Daddy's) and walks around the house saying, "Kitty?  Kitty?"

He loves saying "uh, yeah" or "uh, no" to just about any question we ask him (this is particularly hilarious) and recognizes a lot of animals and their sounds. Whenever the doorbell rings or a phone goes off, he grabs his ear and say, "oh!"  If we hand him something he really wants (like a yummy snack), he says, "Awww, man!" It's freaking funny, people.   He also does this thing where he smiles, says "chee" and put his fingers to his cheeks whenever we tell him we're taking a picture.  Must have learned that a daycare.  Can't wait to see his first "school" pics!

Other Developments:
The best part is that we feel like we can finally REALLY reason with him.  The other night we were having a particularly hard time getting him to go to bed, so I told him,"You're a big boy now, and Mama knows you can do this on your own."  And he laid down in bed like he totally understood and WANTED to be a big boy.  He literally glows whenever he accomplishes something, like taking off his own clothes and diaper for bath time or throwing away his own trash or coloring.  He loves being a smarty for sure, and we're always telling him how smart he is. 

We only did a few swimming lessons, but we learned the basics and continue to encourage him to "swim."  He's able to sit on the steps of the pool and walk around without plunging into the water or needing either of us to be right on top of him watching him.  He kicks his legs and has even gone underwater a handful of times...all in the name of "swimming like Nemo!"

He jumps like a champ (with both feet) and goes up and down stairs.  He has mastered all but one of his puzzles and loves to sort his toys (Joe always tells me how he'll go into his room and come out with all of one certain kind of toy).  He's coloring now and even drew on the walls for the first time this month (that's like a mandatory toddler milestone, right?).  I try to come up with new things for him all the time, like water balloons or finger painting or helping me clean so that he's always learning.  He's really into movies now, so it's tough not to let him just sit in front of the tv after a long day of working. 

Overall, he's super sweet, but also super emotional and impatient so we're lucky to make it out alive some days.  Now that he's able to do a lot of things on his own though, we're starting to crawl out of the messy house, no time to relax, where has our marriage gone hole that inevitably accompanies the first few years with a baby.  Now it gets REALLY fun.  Right? Anyone?  Bueller?

On the Verge of Big Boydom

{Sorry for the grainy photos...these are courtesy of my phone}

Last night was a rough night on all fronts.  We arrived back home late from a weekend trip down in Melbourne and made a mad dash to knock out a quick bath before bedtime.  About a week ago, Nash began crawling out of his crib on the regular, so we were worried he'd slip and fall one time while he was trying to get out.  So, we made the decision to convert his crib into a toddler bed.

While the actual conversion was a piece of cake, getting Nash to stay in his bed was not so simple.  Although he was super stoked about his "big boy bed," he wasn't so thrilled when Mama tucked him in and the made a move towards the door.  He wanted me to sit next to him while he laid in his bed.  Which normally wouldn't bother me except I had a lot of unpacking and work prep to do before an early morning.  And he was overtired, so he kept fidgeting.

I tried a few times to just shut the door and let him complain, but he

What we weren't expecting was how significant an event it is.  I knew going it that it would be tough for all of us - Nash has to get used to staying in bed now that he has the freedom to roam around and we have to get used to our little man growing up.

All this has come right when we're dabbling with potty training (I use the word "dabbling" verrrry loosely here) and he's talking more, eating by himself, learning to swim and hitting any one of a dozen other toddler milestones.  It's all so much I just want to throw my arms around him and say, "Stop! I'm not ready!"  Truth is, I'm excited about him growing up, but I also can't believe it's happening so quickly.  We went over to a friend's house for some drinks a few days ago, and our friend April says, "I swear you were just pregnant."  I was like, seriously...

I can't wait until this job comes to a close so I'll have more time to spend with him and Joe.   I know these next few months are going to be crazy as Nash speeds towards his 2nd birthday, and I hope I can remember to slow down and take it all in.  After all, these are the last three months that he'll ever be 1.    And I'm 100% sure we'll be making these faces on the regular.

T Minus Two Months Til Dirty Thirty

Ok, so we're getting crazy close, folks. Like oh. my. god. I. only. have. sixty. days. left. in. my. twenties close. I can hardly believe I'm going to be thirty. It's so crazy I have to spell it out...thirrrrrrty.

Since time is ticking down, I thought I would check in on my 30-Before-30 List and see where I'm at. I'm predicting a whole lotta "wow, I've got some work to do" thoughts in the next few minutes here...

1. Run a half-marathon
2. Start a retirement account
3. Get paid for photography  (one photo, one session, whatever...)
4. Sew an outfit I'd wear in public
5. Take Nash to see the snow
6. Bake and decorate a multi-layer ombre cake
7. Capture a great "fireworks" photo (I'm so counting my missile photo for this one)
8. Take part in a haunted house
9. Go on a big family vacay
10. Visit a foreign country
11. Start a business (half way done on this one)
12. Get paid to design something (biz cards, flyers, logos, invitations, whatever...)
13. Take a real road trip somewhere new and random
14. Can something I grow or make myself
15. Try bikram yoga
16. Begin composting
17. Kick my sugar habit
18. Set up and maintain a photo archive system
19. Do a mud/fun run with a group of friends (set for Nov, but I'm still counting it)
20. Go on an adults-only cruise
21. Complete a 30-day photo challenge (September, here I come!)
22. Buy a new house (near a playground)
23. Master the perfect sourdough bread recipe
24. Start a family tradition
25. Perform a full pull-up unassisted (might be easy for some, but I've never been able to do it)
26. Meet Giuliana Rancic and tour the E! Networks building (ok, this may be dreaming)
27. Build Bubs a sand box from scratch (no plans, no kits)
28. Donate 10 hours of time to either a kids' charity or an animal shelter So counting my 15 hours of National Guard Conference hell
29. Learn how to swim
30. Have an awesome 30th birthday party

Ok, I've REEEEEEEEALLY got some work to do.  ::sigh::   Or maybe I've got some living to do.  Yeah, I like that better.

20 Months Old - How'd This Happen?!

I can't believe how unbelievably on time I am with this post!  Normally, I post these things weeks late, but this time?  Just a few days belated.  Yep, on Saturday, we celebrated Bub entering his twenties (months, that is) by finally spending a day relaxing in Florida.  After a crazy vacation, we were eager to just veg out and play with toys while OD'ing on Dora and Dinosaur Train.  

So, I asked Joe (aka Daddy Man) to help me list all the new things going on this month...because there are a lot!  No joke, we're talking two pages worth of fragmented sentence-bullets.  It's just been insane.  So for the sake of brevity, I will try to keep this, er, brief.

Hat: Gap / Tee: H&M / Belt: Children's Place / Jeans: Zara

 

Stats:  Oops, forgot that part...will add those in tomorrow after I do all that stuff in the morning.
Height:  TBD
Weight: TBD
Teeth: Same - 16
Hair:  Still sandy brown/blonde and baby fine
Eyes:  Still weird

He's currently wearing pretty much all 2T clothes, although the waist is still big on a lot of the bottoms.  We're phasing out all of his size 6 shoes in favor of 7's, although he needs socks for some of them.  He seems like he's getting taller but not heavier, as his pants keep getting shorter and shorter.  His 18-month tees barely cover his belly now too, so 2T it is!  The best part:  he's totally rocking a farmer's tan a la Daddy.  That's the I-talion in you, son.

His talking has really exploded this month! Beyond just his favorites (kitty, ball, shoes, juice, mama, ca {cracker/cookie}, truck), he's begun to say just about any simple word we throw out.  I said "bear" today while remarking about his teddy graham snack after school and he repeated it right away.  He's saying two words phrases now, like Uh Oh, I did it, Ummm No, I see, It's Hot, etc...   He's also able to point out things that I say when we are reading our books - like trees, boy, sister, wagon, train, puppy, truck, car, bucket, etc...  He can point to a dozen or so body parts and we are currently working on perfecting elbow, chin, cheeks and tushie.  

He's finally taking an interest in movies and LOVES Toy Story.  Cars, eh, not so much.  We actually survived two 8-hour car rides thanks largely to a portable DVD player (thanks Chris and Sophy for lending us that), Disney/Pixar and McDonald's Play Places.  He still loves cartoons likes Barney, Dinosaur Train and Fresh Beat Band.  He's also recently discovered Elmo and Sesame Street, so I foresee a lot of that in our future (halloween costumes, anyone??).

We're are sooo on the cusp of potty training, people...although I know it sounds nuts.  He's showing all the signs, but we're holding off until he seems totally ready AND I have some free time to really dive in head first.  So far he's been telling us when he goes (says Poo for both peeing and pooping, so it gets a bit confusing), he can pull his shorts down and take off his diaper (we're waiting for this one to backfire), and seems very interested in the potty.  He hates to have a poopy diaper and pretty much goes nuts until we change it (not that we could ever miss it...).  I'm a little unsure of what our next step is.  We have two potty seats - one that sits on the floor and one that sits on top of the regular toilet.  I heard a lot of chatter about undies versus pullups and what have you, but I think we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  Until then, it's a whole lot of "poo."

His personality is just blossoming now.  He's active, talkative, running around blabbing and screaming (much to our dismay).  He's playing games and wrestling...showing moods, likes and dislikes...and has definitely entered the independence stage.  We try very hard to let him do things on his own...especially once he's told me not to help.  It's been messy and a bit frustrating for all parties, but he's learning and growing, so we're happy. 

He's dancing, jumping (officially) and conquering stairwells one step at a time.  He's getting good at brushing his teeth and uses forks and spoons pretty well now.  He's still pretty picky about what he eats, but we're managing ok.  His favorites are fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, cheese sticks (finally), chips/crackers (of course), and hot dogs.  He loves to dip things and will consume an entire bowl of hummus or salsa if he gets to dip himself.  He still loves broccoli, but that's really the only vegetable we have much luck with these days.  He's still doing fake coughs, sneezes and funny faces all the time, so it's hysterical just to hang out with him.  He gives awesome kisses (no more sloppy open mouths) and we're teaching him to give hugs.  He even blows kisses, waves buh-bye and can give high fives.  Now if only I could get him to say Love You! 

All in all, it's a tough age thanks to many a tearful, screaming tantrum, but it's been a lot of fun too.  He can walk everywhere, help throw his trash away and has real likes and dislikes.  He's slowly becoming this amazing little person, and I only wish I had more time to spend enjoying it.  He'll be two before we know it!

19 Months Old

Holy crap, my baby is getting big!  I know, I know, I say that every month, but this time it's serious.  He's totally turning into a little man right in front of my eyes and I can't make it stop!  ::insert dramatic music::

There's so much to update about, I fear this may be a long post!  I'll try my best to be succinct.

Stats
Height: 33.75 inches
Weight: 27.6 lbs
Clothes: 2T
Shoes: 7 toddler

 His vocabulary is positively blowing up this month.  He's repeating things we say, pointing things out in the stories we read (trees, puppy, train, daddy, wagon) and can tell us just about anything he wants/needs.  We can tell he's just tickled to be able to talk with us and we're noticing a decrease in his frustration due to lack of communication.  His favorite words are still juice, shoes and ball though...hehe...  He's doing really well at daycare and seems to really enjoy when he goes full days.  But he's been sick a lot, so it's been kind of frustrating for us.

His little personality is just off the charts this month.  He's giggling at things he sees, plays games with us, wrestles with us on the daily and definitely has opinions about things.  The funniest thing he's doing this month is making it known that he has to pick out his own shoes.  It doesn't matter what pair we pick out, he has to go back into his room at least once and switch them out.   He comes out of his room multiple times a day with different shoes, hats, sunglasses, etc...  My budding fashionisto!  Haha...  He's also bringing "friends" with him whenever we go on "trips" and wants to walk down the steps himself.  He's learning to undress himself and we've found him a few times without his diaper on (uh oh).

On a related note, he's starting to show signs of toilet training readiness, but only the beginning stages.  He's totally in tuned to when he needs to go (although he's usually going by the time he tells us), seems to be bothered by his diaper and having "poo" in it, and has shown a fascination with the potty.  He still can't undress himself and I doubt he can really control anything, so we're not moving forward just yet.  We're merely having the potty vs. diaper conversations and reinforcing him telling us whenever he has to go.  Baby steps, big man...

He's recently gotten the hang of The Itsy Bitsy Spider and the steps to Barnyard Dance and tries to copy the dances he sees on NickJr.  He copies Joe and I all the time - both the things we do and the things we say - and it's just too darn cute.  He's loving giving kisses now and we're trying to teach him, "I love you."  I asked him, "Where's Nash?" the other day and he pointed at himself and made a shy smile.  He's totally a ham for the camera and just about any crowd.  He'll start to jump around, fall on the floor, and look around to see if anyone saw him.  Speaking of jumping...we officially have "air," people.  He jumps from step to step or on the couch or just on the floor and gets at least an inch or two off the ground.  And boy, is he proud of himself.

On the not so cute side of things, he's still in this terrible screaming phase.  Pretty much anytime he hears the word "no" he screams.  Like, bloody murder scream.  Try to redirect?  Scream.  Nap time?  Scream.  No more crackers?  Scream.  Yeah, it's bad.  And nothing works.  We've tried ignoring him (tough to do when he's screaming at the top of his lungs inside a car and you're trying to drive and cover your ears all at the same time).  We've tried time outs (fail) or just trying to distract him.  Yelling doesn't work at all either.  So, we're just praying this is a short-lived phase.

Also, he's become very picky about what he eats.  Most of the time, he just wants crackers and juice.  He'll eat toast and fruit and eggs, but just when you think he likes something, he turns his nose up at it.  Lots of food has been wasted in this house the last few months.

He also thinks it's hi-larious to spit, snort and sneeze - which is particularly troublesome when he has a mouthful of food.  He's taken to throwing water around during bath time, which means a lot of clean up and tons of screaming.

Overall, he's just the sweetest, craziest little boy ever, and I can't believe how big he's getting.  I love him more and more each day, and I can see his love for me and Daddy and it's just amazing.  Part of me thinks we shouldn't have any more kids because he's just perfect and I wouldn't want to take an ounce of my attention away from him, but then, you never know.  But for now, we've got our hands completely full (of love) with this little man.

18 Months Old

 I’m so late with this post, but I can’t NOT do a post.  I mean, the kid is 18-Months Old!!  Holy cow, how did this happen?!  I blinked and my sweet little baby turned into a rambunctious, hilarious, patience-testing and sloppy kisses giving little man.   Truth is, it’s been the craziest six weeks ever, and I’m actually surprised we’re all still here…somewhat sane and in one piece.  But I’ll save those details for another post.

Here is the rundown on this month’s facts:

Height: 33.25 inches

Weight: 26.2 lbs

Teeth: Same…all are in except 2^nd molars

Hair: Still blonde

Eyes: Still blue with hazel centers (what do I put in those little questionnaires when they ask about his eye color?!?!)

So, as you can see he hasn’t grown too much this last month.  If anything he’s grown a bit taller, but has barely put on any weight.  I attribute that to his newly found finicky-ness (is that a word?)…he wavers back and forth between devouring everything in sight like a starved animal and shunning even his beloved blackberries and toast.  He’s decided just recently that he isn’t the slightest bit interested in milk…and demands juice every. Damn. Day.   So we tried giving him nothing but water for a whole day…meh, sort of worked.  Still hates cheese and insists on making a face every time some new morsel of food hits his tongue…before he’s even tasted it, mind you.  It’s all at once hilarious and infuriating.  

The big news this month is how much he’s talking – FINALLY!  I was so worried about him not really saying anything and I knew his 18-month appointment was coming up and I didn’t want to tell the doctor he still wasn’t talking.  But thankfully, he’s  spewing words left and right.  Here’s a collection of his choice phrases:

·      Yeah Yeah - Yes

·      Shoo – Shoe(s)

·      Ju - Juice

·      Ca – Cracker/Cookie

·      Mama

·      Dada/Daddy

·      Choo Choo - Train

·      Ball

·      Poo – Poop or Pool

·      Again

·      I di… - I did it

·      Uh oh

·      Coof – Tooth/Teeth

 He’s still such a little athlete…loves balls, running and climbing.  Anything physical, really.  He’s started driving his trucks/cars/trains all over things around the house, like window ledges, backs of chairs and counters.  He’s been doing this little shuffle shuffle thing with his feet for a while now…mostly when he’s in a good mood.  Still dances to music whenever it comes on.  He’s able to climb the stairs at the playground now…knows to hold on to the railing and go slow.  Last weekend he tried to climb with fistfuls of sand though and that didn’t go well.  He has conquered the big slides and LOVES swimming…any kind of swimming.  Might help that his favorite movie right now is Finding Nemo.

He’s really big into taking your hand and leading you places.  Most times it’s like he doesn’t even have anywhere he wants to go…he’s just enjoying his newfound ability to make us do things.  He’s constantly running to the fridge for juice, then not giving a crap about it once we actually pour him a glass.  He just wants to make us do things!  I must admit though, it’s really nice that he can finally communicate to us.  It was quite frustrating for a while there, but now we almost always know what he wants.

He is now wearing almost exclusively 2T clothes, although some brands he still wear 18-24 months.  Pretty much all his tees I’ve been buying in 2T, but some of his bottoms are still too big in the waist.  He’s wearing a combination of size 6 and 7 shoes…depending on whether or not we think he needs to wear socks.  He LOVES shoes…and hats.  Anytime he sees either of them, he goes over, puts them on and wants you to say, “OMG you look so cuuuuuute.”  He’s definitely a bit of a ham these days. 

I could probably go on and on listing all of the new/interesting/exciting/funny/frustrating things he’s done since our last update, but I’ll save some of those for a later post.

Till next month, little man!

17 Months Old!

My Bub is 17 months old!  Holy moly, where has time gone?  In under 30 days, he will be a year and a half.  Only six short months away from being a 2 year old!  I can't even believe it.

There's so much to talk about...I just might have to do a video just to cover everything.

Here are his stats:
Height: 33.5"
Weight: 26 lbs
A billion teeth (all but his second molars)
Eyes still Blue with hazelish centers
Hair still blonde
Sporting a killer farmers tan (thank you, Daddy)
We've clocked a few words recently:  "A-goo" (again), "itty" (kitty), "Dat" (what's that), and "cheeeee" (yes).   It's nice to actually hear some words over and over again, so it's like he's finally starting to talk.  Even if some of them are a little off...hehehehe.

And as promised...here's a little video to cover some of the other stuff...including an update on his current condition.  Sorry for the little blips...not sure why my iMovie capture kept freaking out while I was recording.  And ignore how bad I look...staying at home with a sick kid does not allow a Mama much time for glamorizing.

16-Months Old - Holy Crap!

As usual, I'm late with this post.  I always have such grand plans for what I want to do/say/create each time another month goes by for my sweet little boy, yet somehow life always seems to get in the freakin way.  Even so, I cannot let a month pass with recording all the precious details so that one day we can all look back on these posts and remember him just as he was...at 16-months old.

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster month in our house...as Nash's personality begins to explode to the surface, so does his temper.  He has fully embraced the "testing boundaries" stage and loves to go completely limp and scream whenever he tell him "no" or try to redirect him.  It's especially awesome in public.  Add to that his new favorite past time of pooping in the bathtub each night, and it's crazy town over here at our house.

He's currently clocking in at 26 lbs or so and about 32" or 33" tall (I can't remember exactly and I'm already lying in bed).  We've switched out the majority of his clothes for 2Ts and are even considering upgrading his shoes (some of his size 6's are getting snug).  I can't even believe how fast he's growing...and how tall he still is.  Where did these mutant genes come from, child?!?

He hasn't sprouted any more teeth, but thank god for that!  We're still holding strong at all 8 front teeth, all 4 canines, and all 4 first molars...so that's a total of 16 teeth!  He's still fighting the tooth brushing, but we're continuing with the fluoride toothpaste and he's starting to grasp the routine.

He's really independent now too.  He walks almost every where he needs to go - out to the car, into the house, through the mall.  In fact, it's often a struggle to carry him during those times it's just not safe for him to walk because he wants to do it himself.  He always pushes our hands away when we try to help him open something, stack something, or even just eat.  He has to hold the bite of food...Mama can't do it.  Needless to say, we've been battling with sticky, crusty hand prints all over the couch, walls, furniture.

He's really starting to form "almost words" too.  The one thing he is saying definitively (other than Mama and Daddy) is "mmmm, it's good."  Which is kind of funny, since we're not sure why he picked up that phrase in particular but he loves to say it after he drinks something (even if it's his soapy bath water).  I've also heard mutterings like "itty" (kitty) and "a poo" (something to do with pooping).  His comprehension is unbelievable...I never knew kids this young understood so much.

He mimics our facial expressions and gestures so much now - like rubbing his hands together and then rubbing his head like we do when we take a bath or when he tries to fold laundry with one of us.  He has taken more interest in blocks, cars, and anything that has tiny little parts.  We've been slowly baby-proofing our entire house as he's now able to open every door, reach almost every surface, and pop tops off things.  He insists on standing on tables, climbing into his crib (not out of yet, thank god), and "jumping" and landing flat on his chest, so it's always a bit scary when we're playing near hard surfaces.
  

All in all, he's the sweetest, most perfect little boy (emphasis on boy), I could have ever asked for. And even though I'm not 100% sure what our near future holds for us as a family, one thing is for sure:  I love this little man more than anything in the whole world and I'm so excited to see what 17 months brings!

15 Months

I can't believe how late I am with this post.  Admittedly, it's because I just haven't remembered to sit Nash down and take the darn pics.  I also wanted to do a video each month, but have been so busy on the weekends that it's never the right time.

Here are the details:

Height:
Weight:
Teeth: 16 in and/or coming in right now
Diaper Size: 5
Clothing Size: 18-24 months
Shoe Size: 6
Hair still dirty blonde and eyes still a gray blue with hazel center
Sleeping: 9 pm to 7:30 am plus a nap from 1 pm until 3 or 4.

He's still not forming too many words...just Mama and Daddy...but he talks all the time.  I'm fairly certain I've heard him say "itty" (kitty) and "buh" (ball), but Joe thinks I'm crazy (he still doesn't always admit he's saying Mama and Daddy).

When we say "let's get your shoes on," he knows it means we're going somewhere.
When we ask him if he wants milk or juice, he runs to the fridge.
When I ask him if he's ready for bathtime, he heads to our bathroom and tries to climb in the tub.
He gives kisses on command (if he's not wrapped up in some funny toddler game).
He pretty much understands most of what we are saying, so we think we're tracking a-ok.

He's still the best eater in the world, but some days are better than others.  Some days he will literally wolf down anything you put in front of him as if he's been starved or something.  Other days, he'll barely pick all day.  Growth spurts?  He can drink from a cup pretty well now and has even shown some serious utensil-using skills lately!  I often just give him a fork or a spoon at mealtimes and he just tries and tries and tries.

He continues to amaze everyone with his dexterity.  He throws a ball overhand - far and straight.  We can actually play catch with him now (we hand him the ball as he can't catch yet).  He can/will kick a soccer ball across the room.  He "plays golf" with any club-like item and ball-like item whenever he sees them together. And he's figured out how to open just about anything...anything with a hinge or lid.  He even opens up my little makeup/lotion bottles (and occasionally squirts them into his hands...which he promptly rubs together just like Mama does).  He will color for short periods of time now, but still hasn't taken much interest in some of the craftier things I've tried to do with him (example:  letting him help me make green muffins on St. Patty's Day = toddler fail).  He's obsessed with his "friends" (stuffed animals) and squeals everytime he sees the kitty or his blanket lying around.

Overall, he's a sweet, happy boy who just loves a good giggle.

And that's our little muffin!  Can't believe he's growing up so fast...he appears to be such a little man some times, I can barely stand it.  Slow down, Nashie!