A has developed some new words and things this weekend.
First, I showed him a toy cow and asked what it was. He correctly identified it (well, in A speak, which SOUNDED like cow.) I then asked what noise it makes, and he correctly said Moo! YAY, A!
He loves to say Bepah, and started yesterday when he saw a man. No, not a man who looked ANYTHING like Bepah, but a man. He was very excited when we told him today that Grandpa was coming to see him.
Anyway, it seems as though they did really well together today. It didn't sound like A cried at all, except when Grandpa tried to put him down for a nap. They played, he ate well, and Bepah even followed him up the stairs. Bepah mentioned that A told him what he wanted, which was a very good thing, but that he has a firm use of the word no. I was very surprised to hear this.
Back to the grind for A and me tomorrow. M is still off! He's a poopy head.
Up, up and away! Nope, this isn't about A being a moving machine (although, of course, he is), and it's not about my frequent listening to the Fifth Dimension album in high school... instead, A's first sorta sentence today was "Daddy, up!"
A's bedtime story tonight was Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?, and he did a great job echoing many of the sounds, especially:
Moo
Boom
Speaking of boom, this word came from A's favorite new game--Boo! A chases me around the house, I turn a corner, and jump out and say Boo! when he gets to me. He proceeds to laugh hysterically. It's awesome.
We were watching Friends the other night (Huge surprise, I know), and Joey was auditioning for a commercial. His audition had him screwing up "Mmmm, soup." As a result, A heard the word "soup" so many times, he picked it up. It's hard to differentiate soup and shoe, but he does it and it's pretty clear which is which when he REPEATS it.
I can't figure out how to make this both readable and fit into the allotted space. You can click on it to see it larger.
Another new word. I pulled out his Backyardigans sofa, and was promptly told that it is a share (chair).
We just realized we forgot to add another word to his list... coat!
(Head above second button)
(January 30, 2009)
(Head halfway between first and second button) (Head at first button)
(February 14, 2009)
(late August, 2007)
Since I will probably forget on Wednesday, here's your Way back to last year picture....
I'm not sure exactly when this was taken, but I uploaded it from the camera on 2.12.08.
It's the famous Teacup Planter picture!
How do you like the new look?
As before, the header is from scrapblog.com
The new layout, however, is from myonecuteblog.com.
Is it easy enough to read, or should I change the colors and stuff?
Spider season has started at casa S. (How's THAT for alliteration?) I am trying to live more eco friendly, but the amount of upkeep these buggers require in this Old House (surrounded by those Old Trees) has me thinking exterminator. I never used to get creeped out by bugs, but suddenly I just do.
Moreover, when we removed the window A/C from A's room this fall, we discovered these bugs. They remind me of dinosaurs, and they REALLY creep me out. I found them in the crevices of his window. I bring this up because we found at least one yesterday, again in his room (it was hanging out on Horton's nose (that's right at my eye level over the changing table)). Exceptionally curious people that we are, we went on an investigation of the internet (whatsthatbug.com--great resource) and determined it to be.....
EW...
A brown stink bug.
Eww. Go here if you really want to see this disgusting creature. Luckily, I found this on the Rutgers ag dept's webpage, and the Rutgers ag dept is literally right around the corner. Maybe we can help with some research or something cool.
You know the one... she gives her kid a toy to entertain him at a store and then just buys it when he starts screaming rather than give it up.
That's me.
Well, not as bad as all that. After bath night the other day, and A wanted to take his Elmo book into the tub (and screamed when I wouldn't let him take the 1--cardboard, 2--music playing, book in the water), I decided to go get him a Bath Book. Impulse shopper that I am, I got drawn into the Valentine's Day table and let him take a look at the books there. They weren't much, I was looking for something new to add to our nightly read, so I planned to get him a book from the table. He fell in love with this small Elmo's Valentine book, and I even needed to bring two to the register--one to buy and one to scan.
The makers of this book are dumb. WHO thinks it's a good idea to put a little piece into a book that's made of paper? A book specifically for a toddler who will, at least lose, at most destroy this piece? Nonetheless, A loves his book and walks around with it all day!
A goes to town on his glider. For love of all that is holy, please turn off the sound!
Want to hear the cutest laugh in the whole wide world? Turn your sound back on:
Alex spins! (the other video is way better, but I won't torture you with my lovely singing voice).
As a kid, I really disliked wearing overalls. I couldn't figure out how to work the straps. Despite this, I LOOOOVE putting my son in overalls. He is just too stinkin' cute for words in them, and well, it's really easy to dress him in them!
Words... they are coming a mile a minute. He now can say:
Outside
Cheese
Byebye
Banana
Catcher
Apple
Beepa (Grandpa)
Truck
Byebye, car
I'm done (and he will hold out his plate when he says this too)
Baby
Mine
Cookie
Cracker
Elmo
Mabel (his main teacher)
Ashley (Ashy, his old main teacher)
Book (more like Kuh, but we get it)
Blanket (again, we get it, although anyone else might not)
Pictures from recent weeks:
M got this hat when the Student Council went to Medieval Times. The Yellow Knight even signed it. At A's birthday party, my godson wanted a birthday hat, so I pulled this out for him. A discovered it in his toy bin, and wanted to wear it.
Giving Daddy hugs.
The previously mentioned 18 month photo shoot.
"Visiting" with his friends. He loves to pull down this picture and the family picture with Grampy, Grammi, and Mom Mom.
"Talking" on the phone with Daddy (who was on speakerphone). Notice the family picture?
Bad lighting, but a nice shot.
I don't remember what was going on here, but do you see the Pyrex bowl up to his lips?
London Bridge?
Listening to music with Daddy.
The Z's returned this awhile ago, and we haven't gotten around to putting away (hopefully another friend will use it!). A discovered a new seat for himself yesterday.
As always happens when Mommy Swiffers, A wanted to help. he was a GREAT helper too!
Loving Mitten this morning.
Last night, we discovered A has ANOTHER tooth. This is on the other side of the bottom, another one way back--maybe a molar? Parallel to the one in the back he already has!
A has another tooth! It poked through sometime yesterday and I felt it while brushing his teeth. It's to his left of center. So he has four in a row!
On Saturday morning, A woke up saying "Ew Ew Ew Ew." Then he went back to sleep. Since he got me sick and I was blowing my nose, this was a favorite word. He'd say it every time I blew my nose. Nice.
He is making a lot of random sounds these days. We have no idea what he's saying, but it SOUNDS like a sentence. It's kind of funny to hear "Be bah, moh mah, etc etc Mama!"
I continue to be amazed by how helpful A is to us. I was trying to clean something or other yesterday, and A kept helping--to the point of stealing the broom from me. M was doing some laundry, and A took the laundry basket and was carrying it around the house. So funny. He's so good at listening too. M loves to tell the story that I was cooking one day, and put a bin of flour at my feet. A picked it up and took it into the family room to show Daddy, who said "I don't need that, but Mama does. Please bring it back to Mama." Sure enough, A brought the bin back into the kitchen and put it at my feet. He does this kind of thing all the time. I know it surely won't last, but it's so cool that he UNDERSTANDS us and does what we ask now. It's amazing that although he can't necessarily communicate every thing he wants to us, he understands the random stuff that we ask.
It's a really fun game to ask A yes and no questions, because he'll nod his head. "A, are you going to see Ms Ashley at school?" Nods yes. "A, are you going to see Michael at school?" Nods yes. "A, are you going to see Grammi at school?" Nods yes. "Is Penelope going to be at school?" Shakes head no.
Within two days, he picked up his new teacher's name and will repeat it. So he can say Mabel, and clearly communicates Ashley (who apparently hangs out at our house) by saying Ashy.
Here are some pictures from daycare.
A doing something with wet flour, I believe. Look at all that hair!
Another from daycare. This was the picture of the week for his room. It's tough to see here, but those are cookies shoved into his mouth. Again, look at all that hair!
Here's some of his artwork:
(That didn't scan so well... his art is more centered)
I know, I'm terribly delinquent at uploading those pictures. If, after I bring all the Christmas stuff out (in search of A's missing slipper) and get it all back again, I am still awake, I will take care of it tonight!
Anyway, A has moved up to the next room at daycare! WOO! I'm not really clear on the details, because they were all given to M, but apparently, they didn't get the number of kids A's age they anticipated. So it seems as though his most recent teacher in the toddler room has gone away (she was part time to start with) and the three kids in A's room have now been moved up to the next one. We are really happy because the three boys are now the youngest in the room so will be learning from older kids. In addition, they have a much more structured routine, including nap time AFTER lunch. This, I think, has been the hardest transition for A and for us because he MUST be exhausted by the time naptime comes plus we don't know what to do when he starts getting sleepy and cranky at 5pm... should we keep him up until bedtime? Should we put him to sleep (sacrificing our two hours a day with him)? Etc, etc. We've basically pushed his bedtime to 6:30, which is encroaching on 6 some days.
He now sleeps on a map on the floor as opposed to a crib. He also gets new foods, snacks, and... JUICE. I wasn't quite ready to introduce juice, but I guess it's too late now.
On another note, A's potty arrived yesterday. He was excited to see it, but then started pushing his truck along the seat and into the pot. Ew. When I asked, "Do you want to sit on the potty?" he enthusiastically nodded yes. So, we went through the whole taking off everything and sitting on it (snap crotch stuff will be no more as he moves into 2T stuff!), and he was happy for 2 seconds then wanted off.
Tooth #6 appeared! After brushing A's teeth last night, I ran my finger along his gums to discover another tooth, way back, on the other bottom side. I think it's a cuspid, but can't really be sure.
