Puddles | A walk in my new shoes

 Daddy and Mommy decided to take me for a walk to see how I would do with my new shoes. This is what happened instead:

NICU followup clinic visit #3

Actual age: 19.75 months

Adjusted age: 16 months

Weight: 22 pounds, even (5th percentile)

Length: 30 inches, even (5th percentile)

Head circumference: 19 inches (50th percentile)

First, the nurse asked Mommy lots of questions: "Is he eating table foods?" (Yes) "Is he drinking whole milk?" (Yes, well, sort of, 2%); "I see he is walking." (Yes, for a few months now) "What words do you think he is saying?" (Uh...he has right around 50 words) "Wow! That's 24 months! Is he putting two words together?" (Yep) "Excellent. I don't need to ask any higher questions."

Then, I had to do some funny things like put blocks in a cup, and put pegs into a board with holes in it. I got three in a row and then she turned it around. I put one peg in the middle of the three remaining holes and then had some trouble navigating in between pegs to put the last two in, but finally got it. I did a puzzle with three shapes, a circle, a square, and a triangle. The nurse gave me a circle piece and I got it in the first try. But then she turned the puzzle around so that the circle cut out was on my left. I tried the square first. Nope. Then the triangle in the middle. Nope. Then the circle on the end. Yep! She clapped for me and I gave her the biggest smile! After that I pointed to some body parts. I was kinda shy, but she counted it when I went to lift up my shirt to find my bellybutton, but didn't pull it up to show her. And I found my hair and nose for her too. She showed me these really funny-looking black and white pictures and I had to find the dog, shoe, and star. I kept pointing to her shoes and Mommy's shoes instead! I even told her, "Shoes!" while I was pointing  in case she misunderstood that those were shoes, not the funny-looking things in the picture.

Next the doctor came in and started asking Mommy odd questions like, "Is he pulling up on furniture?" (Oh yeah. For a long time now." And can he balance on his own standing?" (Yeah, but he didn't really stand on his own until after he started walking) "Oh, he's walking?!" (Um, yes.) Then the nurse burst back in the door and apologized for sending the doctor into the wrong room! So silly! But the nice doctor stayed and talked to Mommy for a while anyhow. He asked about my background and seemed quite perplexed when he found out about my PVL and saw how well I am doing developmentally. The nurse explained that my Claim to Fame was my "roving PVL" (remember that it was on one side and then the other side the following week, with no indication that it was ever on the original side? And then would switch back? And it SO frustrated Mommy and Daddy?!). He said, "How unusual." Mommy shared her theory that it must have been so tiny that they couldn't really tell where it was! The doctor then said things like, "cystic" (must not be a good thing) and "sizeable" (yikes!) to dispute Mommy's theory. She said, "It doesn't matter to me if the mystery is ever solved since he is on track!" The doctor then stroked his goatee while pondering how out of the ordinary it was to have a "cystic" "sizeable" PVL and be developmentally appropriate. (Ok, I lied, he didn't have a goatee!) He called me a "case study" since I guess I don't fit into the norm. Mommy called me a "miracle."

Then the correct doctor came in. He wasn't much of a talker though. He showed Mommy my yellow 'report card' and tapped on my knees with a mallet and checked my feet for reflexes. He also pushed and pulled my legs all over, in and out, to check my joints and muscles. Then he said, "Everything looks good." What I think he meant to say is: "Hooray! You deserve a party!" while jumping up and down. Then Mommy asked if I still had two ages. The doctor said since I was all caught up, I only need one age now! So I went home with one age and no nap, and we took a two hour nap on the couch! Which was way better than any party would have been! Maybe. Unless said party had cupcakes!

Another trip to the zoo

Staring intently at something in the reptile house

Whee!!

"Daddy! Look! A bear!"

"Cheese!"

"Whoa! A tiger!"

"Uh....I think he wants to eat me..."

"Did you just see that?? Close call!"

On our way out

Beach photoshoot

@19 months...

-I can stand up on my own! It only took two full months after I started walking to be able to get up into a standing position on my own. I have to start on my hands and knees and then put my heiny in the air with my hands and feet on the floor. Then I bend my knees so I’m in a squatting position and push up to standing with my arms out to the side for balance!

-I’ve been to the petting zoo! It rained the night before so it was pretty muddy and a little difficult for me to walk and Mommy had to carry me with my legs out to the side. I wasn’t scared of any of the animals either. I guess since my Wrigley doggie acts like one, I’m pretty used to it! Even when I went in to the pen with about 20 goats three times my size, I just walked around like it was the most normal thing ever. Their noises made me giggle! I got to feed the goats and cows right from my hand too! Not scared of that either, since I’ve shared my Puffs with Wrigs since forever. I watched lots of different birds in their cages, but this huge turkey with a big, blue, warty gobbler hanging from its beak kept following us around and would randomly shake all of its feathers and gobble really loudly. It made me jump and Mommy squealed a few times!

-“Mama” is no longer a distress call! I will actually just say, “Mama” to acknowledge that she is in the room with me. I guess she likes it too because she always scoops me up and gives me a big hug when I do that. I also say it to get her attention and to let her know I’m happy. It came out “ma-ma” for a while, but now I call her “Mommy” because she’s says that’s her favorite!

-I announce when I am finished eating by yelling, “Bup!” and ripping my bib off and tossing it on the floor

-I’m starting to label pictures in books. I know baby, banana, duck, ____. I can point to some pictures if you ask me to where they are: ball, duck, banana, dog, bubble, apple, strawberry, book, doll, blocks, shoes, tiger (“rar!”), star, milk, and puppy

-When I walk around (often without a destination or purpose, but purely for the sake of just walking), I rub my fingers and my thumbs together

-Mommy pointed at Wrigley, and asked me, “Who’s that?” I said, “Banana!”

-When Mommy tells me, “no no,” I look at her and repeat, “no no.”

-Since Mommy taught me to blow on my eggs when they are too hot, I held up every piece of egg for her to cool off the very next day, and then blew on them myself just to make sure!

-At my 18 month doctor appointment, I screamed bloody murder when the nurse attempted to measure my head circumference…and my length…and when the doctor looked in my ears…and nose…and mouth…and when she laid me down to check my diaper parts. Mommy told me that there was no shots at this visit, but I still remembered all the times this winter when I was there and got shots and they had to hold my legs down. Mommy had to fill out multiple questionnaires at this visit. My communication skills were age-appropriate, as in, age-appropriate for an 18 month old, not my adjusted age of 14 months! I blame Mommy for ‘therapy-ing’ me all day on speech and language stuff. My social/personal skills were borderline (but age-appropriate for my adjusted age), and my motor skills were still below (but also age-appropriate for my adjusted age). I weighed  20 pounds, seven ounces (6^th percentile), was 30.2 inches long (2^nd percentile), and my head measured 48 centimeters (67^th percentile). The doctor said that my head size has evened out a bit and is not growing as steeply on the curve. Horray!) At this rate, I’ll hopefully be able to wear the 18 month hats I own for the next year!

-When I visit Grandmommy and Grandaddy’s house at the pond, I walk around the kitchen and open all of the cabinets that don’t have child locks on them, and then walk right by the ones that do and say, “ah ah!”

-I’m a little bit southern when I say, “bye” and it comes out, “Baaaaah!” I’ll let everyone know when I’m leaving the room too: “Byeeee!” and when I’m returning: “Hah-eeeee!” Sometimes it comes out “Byes” or “Buh-bye”

-I can sing the first five notes of Baa Baa Black Sheep: “bah bah bae bae hae”

-New word: “more” (“moe-uh”) I request more food, more things, and more actions. I also say “more” when I’m hungry or thirsty, even if I haven’t had anything yet! Mommy says I sound a little demanding, with my tony pointing finger and my furrowed brow. So now we are working on saying, “More, please.” Since I can’t say ‘please’ yet, one time I tried, “Thank you” instead. Mommy said that will work for now. She did not, however, like when I repeatedly hit Wrigley in the face with my sippy cup while telling him, “More! More!” I thought he might be thirsty too!

-Another sentence: I brought Daddy a book and asked him to read it to me: “Dada book.”

-Mommy asked me one day at breakfast, “What’s this?” about a banana. I answered, “mine!”

-I’ve been using “Bup” to mean “Down” too, but sometimes I’ll repeat, “Dow”

-New word: “gentle” I say it or repeat it when I’m petting Wrigley nicely, usually right before I grab fistfuls of his fur and squeal!

-I ask to go “nai nai” for naps and at night. Sometimes I have to let them know to hurry up or I’ll lose it: “Mama nai nai!”

-I can follow some simple directions! (Do I sound like a speech pathologist’s son, or what?!). I know how to “Go get…” and “Put in…” and “Come here.”  And “Put your hands up.”

-New words: “Mmm, good!”

-I ask, “What dat?” or more often just, “Dat?”

-Mommy and Daddy still have a picture of me on the refrigerator from when I was tiny and one day I pointed at it and said, “Baby!” (“bah-bee”)

-I watched T.V. for about five minutes this one time. There was a short cartoon-y music video on between shows, but I lost interest as soon as the actual show came on

-My last day of play gym class was August 21^st and I learned how to do a forward roll on the balance beam and a front flip over the uneven bars. The rings are still my favorite though. Daddy came to my last class and watched me play and exercise. I was so excited that he was there that I would participate for a few minutes and then randomly walk over to him really fast to give him a hug and say “Dada!” When I started play gym, I couldn’t even walk! That’s actually one of the reasons why Mommy started taking me (besides it being super fun!), to build strength and confidence to hopefully help with walking. I guess it worked!

-I had my second haircut. I chose to sit in the fire truck seat and held a toy train in one hand while eating animal crackers with the other (We went to a place that specializes in children’s haircuts until I learn that it’s not torture!)I didn’t cry or cream or wiggle at all (see all distractions listed above that obviously worked!), but I did jump a few times when the snipping got close to my ears. It was a really informative 10 minutes! The lady who cut my hair talked to Mommy the entire time and shared all sorts of information about what she thinks my hair will be like. She said that I will get more hair! She said that you shouldn’t be able to see scalp and that my hair will get thicker in the front (it’s normal at this age for the back to be thicker), and that my hairline on my forehead will be lower. She pointed out the line of peach fuzz on my forehead. She also said she’s not sure where my hair will part, since my front cowlick goes to the right and my back cowlick goes to the left. Sounds like a perfect combination for a Mohawk it you ask me!

-One of my new favorite games is called, “Take-everything-out-of-the-recycling-bin.”

-When I am super excited about something, I make this gravelly inhale noise that sounds like a lawnmower!

-New word: “pap” It means ‘pacifier.” When I try to say ‘paci’ it comes out, “papi” and then it got shortened to “pap.” So now I just say “pap.” And I can repeat “bye bye pap” when I leave it in my crib, or tell it “nai nai pap” I still like to hold all of my ‘paps’ when there is more than one in my crib

-When we were out past my bed time one night, I pulled out all of the stops to let Mommy and Daddy know I was ready to go home: pointing to the door, walking them to the door, “bye bye!” “Mama nai nai” “bye bye Dada”

-When I’m happy and I know it, I clap my hands and stomp my feet!

- I stayed a few hours with some of Mommy’s friends. It was the first time in over 18 months that I have stayed with someone other than Grandparents! (Not counting the four months in the NICU of course!) It was not the greatest experience, but it was definitely not the worst either

-New sentence: “Thank you, Dada.” (“dang-do dada”)

-So embarrassing: One day I was playing with my pajamas while walking around and got them stuck on my head covering my face. Instead of stopping to take them off, I kept walking while trying to pull them from my head and walked face first into the tower air purifier in the living room!

-Mommy handed me an empty fruit cup and told me to put it in the recycling bin. (She was trying to fix me dinner and I’ll admit that I was being less than pleasant, so she was distracting me). I took it right over to the bin, lifted the lid, and tossed it right in!

-I can push the stroller across the living room while the wheels are locked

-I give kisses with my mouth wide open. Or you could opt for me to blow you a kiss, because I give those too!

-Hats are still my mortal enemy! A walk around the lake takes about 20 minutes and I took my hat off at least 100 times. Mommy put it back on my head at least 101 times!

-Can repeat “Grandmommy” (“mom-mom-mee” or “gay-mom-mee”) and Grandma (“dam-ma”)

-I’m great at animal sounds! I know a sheep says, “baa” and a cow says, “moo” and a Grandmommy says, “ah ah!” J

-Daddy taught me to go, “aaaaah!” after I take a long drink

-I shake my head ‘no’ in response to questions like, “Want some…?” or “Want more…?” I’ve started to say “no” too

-I’m not such a great traveler anymore. I only nap for a maximum of two of the three hours that it takes to get to the Delaware pond house and then I’m fussy the rest of the time. Sometimes I even need Mommy to reach around and hold my hand for a little bit. She wiggles her fingers and then I squeeze her finger the same number of times that she wiggled

-I love watching YouTube videos! My favorite is the guy who sings the songs really slow and drawn out. And he’s from New Zealand like the kids in my other favorite video: “If You’re Happy and You Know It” Maybe I just like New Zealand accents!

-I know the animal sounds for a cow (“moo”) and a lion (“rar”), and can repeat “bark bark”, “quack quack” and “neigh.” I’m trying to make a pig and elephant noise too

-I have associated “nai nai” with getting to go upstairs and have my pacifier, so sometimes I tell Mommy “nai nai” just so I can have some time with my pacifier, not because I’m sleepy!

-Sometimes I bring Mommy a book and tell her, “Sit!”

-Most of the time I walk around the house just for the sake of walking! My favorite circuit is around the dining room table between the chairs, around and around and around. I also like to have my snack while walking. I’ll get a small cracker from Mommy and then take a lap in the table and check back in to get another cracker. I’ll eat my entire snack like this some days. Since I don’t have to keep my arms up in the air any longer for balance, I often swing them back and forth at my sides like I don’t know what to do with them!

-I can repeat “push” and “pull” when helping Mommy open doors and cabinets

-When I walk past things I’m not supposed to touch, I’ll say, “no no” or “ah ah” to remind myself. But it doesn’t always work!

-New word: “doggie”

-I love to give Wrigley his treats and will ask for “more” to give him

-Daddy and I hung out an entire day when Mommy started going back to work, and he taught me to beatbox. He said since Mommy had already covered the basics, like walking and talking, that he would teach me the cool stuff. Now, whenever he comes home or comes in the room, I ‘beat box’ at him (blow explosive raspberries with my lips a few times)

-Another day I stayed at my friend Avery’s house. I was fine at first and then started saying, “Mama, bye bye” on and off for two hours! It exhausted me because I ended up putting myself to sleep on a mattress, with my bottom up in the air

-I went to the water park right near my house for the first time. Mommy and I played on a pirate ship that sprayed water everywhere and rode down water slides together. We went in both the big lazy river together and in the kids’ lazy river in my own tube! I can’t wait to go back next summer

-I’m a big fan of hugs and walk over to someone and fall in their arms when they bend down and stretch their arms out. Sometimes, Mommy even gives me upside-down hugs!

-Both of my upper first molars have come in. Mommy didn’t even know until she saw them on a picture she took of my upper center teeth!

-New word: “shoes” Sometimes it’s just “shoe” or “too.” I bring my flip flops to Mommy or Daddy, or bring them their shoes, and let them know, “shoes!”

-I’m working on finding my nose and ears when someone asks. I already know hair, feet, and bellybutton

-I like to sit in the small space between the sofa and fireplace. I have to turn around and back in bottom first and then slide down the wall into a sitting position

-New word: “poopie” I pointed at Wrigley when we were talking him potty and pointed at Wrigley when he was ‘going’ and announced, “poopie!” I also repeat “poop” or “poopie” when I have a dirty diaper

-The first day Mommy went back to work, I missed her so much! That night, I took a nap on her chest, which I haven’t done in a really long time. I looked up at her, told her, “Mama,” and patted her chest. She said she might quit her job if I keep doing that

-I sing the “Row row row” part, and Mommy sings the, “your boat!” part. Then I repeat it at least 30 times

-I wiggle my fingers together when we sing, “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

-New word: “Puffs” and another sentence: “More Puffs” (“moe puh”)

-I knew to clap my hands and stomp my feet the very first time we read, “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.” I think it’s because I watch the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” song all.the.time

-I can say the “k” sound pretty well, and say ‘book’ and ‘cracker’ and ‘car’ and…

-New word: “cookie” It sounds like “khaki” though. And I emphasize the first “k” sound so it sounds like I’m making static in my throat! “kkkkkhaki”

-I had a run-in with the shoe basket and rocked a slight black eye for a few days this month

-I’ve been practicing with a regular sippy cup recently (not a straw one), and am getting pretty good. I’m still confused at first about whether to tip the cup backwards or keep it upright to use the straw, but I catch on pretty quick

-I can blow bubbles myself!!!

-Mommy read in her baby book that she used to put clothes or pajamas on her head or around her shoulders and walk around with them like that, just like me!

-I can walk on my tip toes if I want, and I’m getting faster and faster, but not running yet

-New word: “toy” or “toys”

- I woke up really early and had to take a nap in the rocking chair with Mommy. I told her, “Nai nai, Mommy” and then put my paci in my mouth
-I started ‘school.’ Mommy doesn’t like to call it daycare, so she calls it school instead. My first day wasn’t so great and I cried all day! I only slept 45 minutes at naptime, and they had to take me on a walk around the lobby so I wouldn’t wake up the other children. I kept telling the teachers, “Bye bye!” and taking their fingers and pulling them to the door, but it didn’t work. I was a good eater, and then even let me feed myself with a spoon (which Mommy and I haven’t practiced enough to just let me have a bowl full of yogurt!) Needless to say, I was covered with yogurt from head to toe, and I literally mean it was on my shoes and my hair was crunchy because the first thing I did was get a big spoonful of yogurt and put it right on top of my head! When I saw Mommy at pick-up time, I burst into tears. Each day since then has gotten better and better, but I still cry when Mommy leaves, and when I wake up from my nap, it just doesn’t last as long anymore. The second day, I was covered in applesauce, and the third day it was paint. Notice a pattern here??

Hahaha. That was funny!

Wait....what?

Greatest outfit EVER! Thanks to my Auntie Therese for the sweet new kicks!

Stop! You. Right there. Yeah you! Give me more banana!

I'm still having this problem with saggy pants. Anyone know what to eat  to make your heiny grow??

My chompers. Look really close and you can see my upper molars!

WHEE!

Ready? Set. Empty the recycling bin!

Here Uncle Keith. Eat this!

Can't see me...

Here I am!

Just another day at the office

Mommy and I on the first day of 'school'

"Perpetual Motion"

'Real' cape. At least the one Mommy used to be forced to wear when she played whatever sidekick Uncle Keith needed her to be!

'Mother of the Year' moment

Mommy and I went to Walmart today to pick up groceries and a few other things. Even though I don't like watermelon, she decided to get one anyhow. She put it underneath the cart because there wasn't enough room up top. When we left and went down the small incline to get into the parking lot, Mommy pushed the cart one way which sent the watermelon the other and rolling across the parking lot! She had to leave me sitting in the cart alone while she chased it down.

Did I mention that four cars were waiting for her to retrieve the watermelon and get out of the main intersection in front of Walmart?

And that it was pouring down rain?

I'm so sorry that I don't have pictures.

But I was all:

"I don't know that woman."

@ 18 months...

-I've pretty much mastered this walking thing! I still can't stand up on my own without crawling over to something and pulling up on it. When Mommy helps me practice, I think we are going to do a forward roll so I tuck my head instead!

-When I first started walking, I kept both of my fists up in the air to help me keep my balance. I don't have to do that any more except when I am going really fast and need to have more balance. And I have gotten pretty fast! It helps to yell, "Go, go go!"  

-I'm trying to walk in shoes more often. I have some light foam flips flops which aren't too bad, but I still prefer to be barefoot, even outside and in public. My feet were measured again for new shoes and I'm a 3.5, so I wear a size 4 now. I'm pretty good at walking in my "feet-in" pajamas too

-Sometimes I startle Mommy when I walk in to the room instead of cruise along the wall. She says she's not used to seeing me there!

-It took me a few weeks to master turns while walking, but now I can walk all around in circles and take turns like a champ. Sometimes I wander back and forth or in circles for no other reason than I can!

-I can bend down and pick up a toy and then stand back up!

-Mommy used to have to carry me to the front of the music class to take my turns, or to the middle of the circle at gym to get materials, but now I can walk and do it myself and then turn around and come back to Mommy!

-I'm still a little upset with Mommy for locking the kitchen cabinets, so I steal the towel hanging from the stove every chance I get!

-Sometimes I still choke or gag while I'm eating. Most of the time, I choke on water and I think it's because I drink too fast. I'm also a bit of a stuffer when I eat and tend not to really chew foods if they are soft enough, so when I'm given a firmer piece of food, I gag a bit. Getting better though

-I can get into a sitting position with no problem. I guess before I didn't really have all of the strength or coordination that I needed. And since it seems to have coincided with the walking, I must be strong enough now

-Every morning while Mommy and Daddy are getting ready in the bathroom, it's my job to get out everybody's toothbrushes and toothpaste (and everything else in the cabinet!). I would bite Mommy's finger when she tried to brush my teeth with the finger cover toothbrush, so she got me a big boy toothbrush! I still don't like to have my teeth brushed, but I can (sorta) brush them myself. Mommy puts the toothpaste on the toothbrush and then I put it in my mouth and move the handle all around. Too bad the brush part of the toothbrush stays in the same spot! Mommy is still helping me work on that 

-When I'm getting out of the carseat, I know when in the unbuckle-ing routine I should put my arms up in the air!

-I'm kinda over putting things in my mouth all of the time. That's for babies! And after all, I am a toddler now. That being said, I still find myself sticking new things in my mouth. But just briefly. I guess that's out of habit

-I will eat almost anything as long as it is coming from somebody else's bowl! Mommy tricks me sometimes by pretending to dip my food into her bowl

-Bubbles! I can say bubble, I know the bubble container, I try to eat bubbles in the bathtub, and I can even recognize pictures of bubbles in several different books! I've even started searching on my book shelf for this one Clifford book that I have where he counts bubbles and bring it to Mommy and say "bubble book!" I do the same thing with an 'I Spy' book that has bubbles on one page

-When Wrigs starts barking really loud, I figure Daddy must be home, so I start repeating "Dada" and walk toward the front door. Sometimes it's not Daddy though, but I'm really excited when it is!

-I have a lot of new words! Once I figured out how to walk, I went back into a language learning phase. Now I can repeat: "duck," "block," "boat," "boom!" and "bye bye dada." I can say all on my own: "book," "night night," "up," and "go go go go!" I've also said my first few 'sentences': Mama book," "Bubble book," and "Mama (b)up" Of course these are all in addition to my other words, which puts my total around one dozen!

-I love to hold up a ball or a book and proudly announce to the entire room what I am holding! Also, I bring a book over to someone and tell them "book" to ask them to read it to me

-I say, "nana" when I find a picture of a banana in a book

-I've heard Mommy say, "Why did we teach him that?" when she has her hands full and I'm standing at her leg saying, "Bup! Bup! Bup!" and she has to pick me up!

-I know that "bup" is also to get out of the highchair, or carseat, or grocery cart, or crib....

-I also use "bup" to get down from someone's lap, but can repeat "down" if someone corrects me

-When I'm finished eating, I say, "Bup!" and take my bib off. If Mommy is taking too long, sometimes I start pushing my food off of the tray and onto the floor

-Mommy is very happy that she is no longer a 'function.' You see, for the most part, "mamama" only came out of my mouth when I was hungry or tired or had a wet diaper. But now, I look at her and say, "Mama" for no other reason than to acknowledge that she is there and smiling back at me! One time, I was standing with her in the kitchen while she was making me breakfast and went over and pulled at her pants leg. I said, "Dada!" and she said, "I'm not Dada!" So I immediately said, "Mama!" and she laughed!

-I still babble most of the time though, and will have days where I repeat random sounds over and over all day. Like the day I made space gun sounds (high pitched "pyou! pyou!), or the day I said "boom-ga!" all day

-Mommy keeps telling me how good watermelon and cantaloupe are, especially this time of year, but I just don't like them and spit them both out

-I love going to the beach and taking naps

-When I'm sleepy, I put my head down on the shoulder of whoever is holding me. I've also started to do as a way to give a little hug and let them know I love them. I also pat on their chest while I have my head down

-Mommy and Daddy did too good of a job not letting me watch TV, so now I have no interest in it. Mommy wishes that just sometimes I would sit and watch something so she could make dinner or flip the laundry. The only 'video' that I am interested in watching is an Australian video of "If You're Happy and You Know It." It always makes me smile!

-I play peek-a-boo in my high chair by turning my head and pressing the side of my face against the back of my seat. I can still see them when I look out the very edge of my eyes, but Mommy and Daddy can't see me that way because I hear them saying, "Where's Shay? Where'd did he go?" and then they are surprised when I turn my head back to facing forward and appear out of nowhere!

-It may not be as big an accomplishment as walking, but I can now put all four of the rings back on my ring stack toy

-I'm learning to sit and play with my toys by myself more often. Lots of times I catch Mommy watching me from the kitchen and I just can't help but to get excited and crawl over to her. Or I have to bring her and Daddy books to read to me. The pictures are OK to look at, and sometimes I can 'read' to myself, but I still like it better when someone reads to me

-Mommy says I going to 'school' soon so she can go back to work. I'm still on the fence about the whole idea

-I can rub my hands together like Mommy does when she wants to get the crumbs off of her hands

-One day, Mommy woke me up from a nap because we were going to be late for gym class, but tried to keep me asleep so I could keep sleeping in the car. We made it all the way outside before I woke up and Mommy realized that I had a pacifier in my mouth, and one in each hand! Which means that I was sleeping like that during my nap!

-Mommy is becoming an expert in hiding veggies in other foods

-I love soft things that I can fall onto, like the sofa, bed, mats at gym, doggie beds, or big piles of blankets

-When Mommy says, "Where's your bellybutton?" I can lift up my shirt and point to it! And then I want to life up her shirt (or Daddy's, or Grandmommy's, etc.) and show you where hers is too! 

-I also know where my hair is, and I'm working on finding my nose, but usually grab yours instead!

-I've started to practice coloring with big fat crayons. Mostly, I just want to hold them all, and then drop them all, and then do it all over again. My first piece of crayon art work was appropriately entitled "Confetti"

-I get to hold the spatula and wisk when Mommy is baking or cooking

-Every time we go outside and it's sunny, I sneeze. Every. Time.

-Mommy signed the paperwork to officially dismiss me from Early Intervention!

-I sit on my knees and bounce, especially when I'm excited

-I love to eat fish! Salmon and tilapia are my favorites. I even pick out the pieces of fish from my mac and cheese and eat them first

-If I am reading a book and happen to have my pacifier, I take it out to identify pictures, and then I stick it right back in!

-When I wake up, I often point to the bulletin board that hangs above my crib and ask Mommy to tell me what all the things mean (NICU diaper, March of Dimes sticker, sea shell from my Godmother, cross that was my Godfather's, etc.)

-I know what 'gentle' means and open my hand and rub it back and forth slowly on Wrigley's back. Usually, I can't control myself long though and have to grab his fur. He is so nice to me and I'm not sure why!

-I love being chased and being caught doing something naughty!!! My entire body tenses up and I smile and laugh like, "Huh huh huh!" Sometimes I crawl or walk away really fast, but sometimes I go directly to the person who caught me for a big hug!

-BOTH of my top center teeth are coming in now! They are about half way in, but you still can't see them when I smile, so I still look like Dracula in pictures

-I'm working on going backwards down the stairs or to get off of things like the sofa or the mats at gym. I still prefer to try to go head first

-I can hold my sippy cup with one hand and walk around with it. Not so good at putting it down though, so I just throw it when I'm done. Unless I'm sitting in my highchair, then I can get it back in the cup holder myself

-Sometimes before I put a piece of food in my mouth, I open up really wide and say "Aaaah!" because that's what Mommy says

-I took my first stand up shower because I had the stomach flu. Ok, make that first few stand up showers. Yuck

-The rings are my favorite thing to do at the gym. I can hold on to them the entire time that Mommy flips me upside down to do a backflip while holding my legs! I also learned to do an assisted forward roll on the balance beam. And of course, I can walk across the entire big red mat now!

-Daddy taught to to put both of my arms straight in the air when he says, "Touchdown!"

-I like to bring Wrigley his toys (and bottles that I have stolen from the recycling bin) and think it's so funny when he takes them right from my hand

-One morning, my eggs were a little too warm and I made this awful face and my body shuddered and I waved my hands back and forth really fast when I put it in my mouth. So Mommy blew on the next piece of egg to cool it down. Now, every time I eat eggs, I either blow on the pieces myself or hold it out to ask it to be cooled off for me

-Mommy had to reattach and reinforce the bumper pads on the edge of the fireplace because I kept taking them off

-I can almost climb on to the sofa by myself. A few times, I've used a pillow to stand on to help me reach better. I like to sit on the sofa just like everybody else, on my bottom, facing forward. I'm also a fan of standing on the sofa, but that's a no-no! And it's always fun to throw all of the pillows onto the floor

-I still love music. One day, I dozed off in the activity chair at Grandmommy's house while listening to my CDs. And I often hum or 'sing' the first few notes of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star/The ABC Song/Ba Ba Black Sheep. Have you noticed they all sound the same?? I use "ba" and "ah" as my singin' notes! "Ba ba ah ah hah hah hah..."

-When Daddy leaves in the morning, I have to walk him to the door and then I stand at the glass door and watch him walk away until I can't see him any more. The whole time, I say "Bye bye Dada!" over and over while I wave at him

-I've been to the pool a few more times and I'm starting to kick when someone pulls me around in the water by my arms. I either pretend like I'm walking or kick both of my legs at the same time like a dolphin. I do not like to be on my back in the water at all!

-Since the Olympics were on this month, Mommy and Daddy 'awarded' me with medals when I did something new or well. I got a lot of gold medals in climbing and walking and a few silvers in being gentle with Wrigley

-I continue to immediately spit out any food that I do not like. I've also learned how to blow raspberries when I don't like something with a pureed consistency. Mommy was not happy with me when I blew pureed cauliflower all over her face one day!

-At home, I'm usually in a shirt and my diaper, as you'll notice in almost all of my pictures!

If I'm not proficient with a spoon, I'll just have to figure out other ways to get the yogurt out!

Is it still raining out there?

This sauce is for fingerpainting, right?

Spinach unibrow!!!

Nap under the umbrella

Four pacis is still not enough!

Music is relaxing

"Where's your bellybutton?"

Ahh!

Betcha didn't know I was back here!

Watching my Australian singing YouTube video

Coloring/dropping crayons repeatedly

Blogging

Kicking the soccer ball around with Daddy

I've seen them do this before. Why isn't it working?

Caught in the rain!