Second Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. So much more fun now that you are older. We left cookies out for Santa and in the morning we asked you who came last night and you said "Santa!" (all day I said "Who comes tonight? and you'd at first always say Erica!!") You very cautiously opened your first present and it was a drill. At first you jumped back in fear and said "Sharp! Ouchie!" because we've taught you not to touch Daddy's tools. But we had to explain that THESE tools are for Alistair. I hope you can tell the difference because they look incredibly real! Maybe not a good gift idea, but it sure was a hit with you! You got a drill, saw, jig saw, and chain saw! After the first present, you got excited and said "More!" You opened two gifts, took a 2 hour nap, and then we waited until about 2pm when Cathy and GG Ruth showed up to finish the rest. The slowest moving X-mas I've ever had! Normally kids rip through gifts in about 2 minutes! But you had to appropriately play with each toy after you opened it which I think is a great idea.

I forgot a few other things going on at 21 months. You know your numbers 1-10. I discovered this because I was snapping your buttons and counting them as I went. After I said 7 I stopped counting outloud and then you said "8, 9!" You also know your colors of the rainbow. Sometimes purple and green end up being labeled as blue. And at first your automatic answer when we asked what color something was was "Yellow!" but then you'd look closely and say the right color.
You also are singing songs! You love Raffi "Apples and Bananas" and sing "Oot Ooot oot!" You are singing part of your ABC's and sometimes out of order like "a b c x and z" You sing EIEIO and on that barn..." and in the car you sing along to anything!
You are also putting 2-3 words together "Go Tutu's house" "P U Moki!" "Open door please"
You are also very good at saying please and thank you. If you demand something like "More More!" we say "More what?" and you say "More please!"
Last night we did a good job at eating dinner so I said "Give me 5!" and you slapped my hand and they YOU said "Up high!" and put your hand in the air. I guess dada taught that to you today, just one time! You have an amazing memory!!
You are really into smells. Fragrant flowers. You notice bad smells too! This week you've been taking 2-3.5 hour naps! You have been waking up really early. And we are having some tummy issues with going to the bathroom. But hopefully this too shall pass! You are a funny hambone and you are very friendly and outgoing. You imitate every word you hear. We just think you are a genius!

21 Months

I remember last Christmas thinking "This time next year you are going to be 21 months old! Almost 2!" and I couldn't even picture what that be like. And yet here we are! I can't believe how fast time is going by. You are a full on toddler now. My little baby is no longer a little baby (but you will ALWAYS be my baby even when you are all grown up!) Here are the latest stories from 21 months old:

At the bank, I let you roam around on your own (I normally strap you to my body in the ergo when I run errands). You never stray too far from mama. But you walked up to the front of the line and turned around and smiled at everyone standing in line. Then you turned your head and saw at eye level, a perfect miniature porcelaine Christmas village on display, just open for touching. You stood there and admired the scene, quietly examining the village from a safe distance. Then you turned back to me and in front of everybody you stuck your little finger in the air and wagged it back and forth and said "No no, breakable". It made EVERYBODY laugh!

You were in the high chair eating breakfast and you had 2 forks in your hand, one was slightly bigger than the other. Dada asked you "Which one is bigger?" and you held them both up and closely examined them and then held the right one out and proudly exclaimed "Bigger!" We were both very impressed.

You parrot back ANY word we say. It's pretty funny at times. Dada and I will be having a conversation and dada will say something like "I'm talking, full blown!" and you will chime in and excitedly say "Full Blown!" You also understand everything we say too. I said to dada "I think Moki is stuck in the stairwell since the door is closed" and you immediately stood up, ran into the living room, opened the door and said "Moki!"

You are still terrified of Santa. We saw him at the foodcourt, and at first you were giggling at him, but then when you realized I was bringing you into the santa room for a photo, your giggling turned into nervous laughter and you cling to me for dear life. One day you won't be scared of this man. You LOVE your snowman (no man). We are borrowing him from the neighbor girls since it's your favorite toy at the moment.

You are saying "tutu" instead of "dudu" and today you said "Tutu how! Tutu how!" (meaning let's go to Tutu's house!)

You know how to use the ipad and our iphones. You know exactly which apps are the ones you want to play with. You love the pbs kids apps and can pick out your shows like Curious George "George! George!" Thomas the train "Thomas! Spencer!" Elmo, Wyatt, Daniel Meow Meow Tiger. You don't watch too much tv, but when I'm cooking dinner sometimes you like to relax and watch your shows.

You LOVE local aunties. You gladly say "Aunty!" and want to be scooped up by any Auntie who wants to hold you. You are a super friendly outgoing boy who gladly holds new friends by the hand.

When I mention play dates with other friends you are quick to pat yourself on the chest and say "Alistair!" We play the laundry game and as I fold the clothes I ask you whose they belong too. You say "Dada. Mama, Alistair" all at the right times! I mentioned we were going to see your friend Phoenix and you quickly pointed to the toy of his we are borrowing and said "Phoenix!" You know what items belong to whom!

You just got over a horrible stomach virus (you threw up 3 times!) but luckily you are never sick for very long.

You love to say "Woah! Biggun!" (big one)

20 Months old

You are talking up a strom now. Putting 2-3 words together, imitating every word we say. New favorite foods are olives, cucumbers, humus, pizza (every cardboard box you see you say "pizza!!"), shrimp, Thai food. Some days you have an amazing palet, other days it's hard to get you to eat anything. You like to play games. Sometimes you purposely put the puzzle piece in the wrong spot and look at me grinning waiting to hear me go "Unnnn. Wrong!" We feed the hippo in the storm drain rocks. When the wind blows you climb up me and squeeze my neck and say "Wind. Cold. Brrr" and we snuggle close. You get anxious when it gets dark (which is starting to happen earlier and earlier each week) and you say "Dark. Dark!" and you want to go to bed right away. Sometimes you'll look for the nearest crib if we are out at a friends house when it gets dark! You like to say "watch!" for things you want to observe (me playing music while I teach; the robot vacuuming the floor; Elmo on the ipad). You discovered the ipad this month and love pbs kids shows. You say "Ipad! Watch! Elmo!" You know my computer and the projector sheet are vital to your Elmo watching. New words this month "Toothpaste (doot paste); toothbrush (doot brush), Helicopter (heti copter); Submarine (tum ba reen). You love getting the mail. One day I left the door to my printer open and you grabbed the whole stack of music and went shrieking by me like a bolt of lighting squealing "Mail!!" as you threw the papers around. We had a play date with Jace and Phoenix one night and I told you since Phoenix really loved the lion toy we should give it to him. But then I said "Oh, but Jace is coming too. We need to give him a toy. What toy should we give Jace?" and you looked at me, bolted over to your toy bin, rummaged through, and pulled out the perfect toy duck that has a pull along string and you said "Jace! Duck!"
But then a few days later we went over to Phoenix's house and there were toys EVERYWHERE. But somehow you zeroed in on the lion toy (you never played with!) and picked it up and walked it over to me and shoved it to me and said "mama". I said "remember when you gave that lion to Phoenix?" and you said "No". Pretty funny. We are on a wait list for a mommy toddler pre school that meets twice a week. We went as a visitor and you had a great time. I think it would be fun for us to do together. I gave you your first big boy hair cut and did a really good job. But you look so much older. You are so friendly and funny. We are going through a little bit of a separation anxiety again at this age. You cry when I have to go to work, but only for a few seconds. You aren't sleeping as well anymore and have been getting up several times a night and end up sleeping with me. We've had a few night terrors this month which are more terrifying for the parents! I think it's just all growing pains. Your little brain in on over drive and you are learning so much stuff at such an incredible rate. We tell you something once and you remember. Before bed, dada pointed to an airplane and told you it was probably going to Maui. Then the next morning when we saw an airplane you said "Airplane! Maui!" and dad and I just looked at each other amazed! You love to color "Paper! Color! Crayon". and sometimes you help me clean up. You sing songs. The other day at the beach you were staring at the ocean and started singing "Hush a baby. Hush a baby" (for hush little baby). And you love Raffi's I like to Ooot Ooot ooot ooples and banoonoos!

19 months old

19 months old. Can this be true?? I remember last year thinking when you were 7 months old at Halloween "This time next year he will be 19 months!!" And it was so hard to picture a little toddler running around at the time. Next year you will be 2 and a half year old talking up a storm in complete sentences! Your dada and I are enjoying you SO MUCH! You are SO funny. And SO expressive. New things this month: You are obsessed with the roomba vacuum robot cleaning. You say "Wo-bot!" My all time favorite word this month is your way of saying "Ladybug"...."beak-a-bug". I love it!! You call daddy's mustache a "mutmash". You are still big on doing something you know to be naughty and wagging your finger in the air while you pout so sad and say "No, no. Break-able". You know the word "naughty". And you call Ruby "No no, naughty. Knuckles". Since we call her knuckle head for being so naughty! You LOVE your little red piano. And you like to play songs, and then say "Mama!" and you pull me over to your piano so I can play you songs. You sing "EIEIO moo moo", "ABC" (the first 3 letters and then you hum and sing random words for the rest), and Hush little baby "You sing 'baby' and then hum along". And funniest of all? Dada taught you the word "butthole", which you love to point out on the cat. You were curious as to what that thing was, and dada told you. I wasn't going to tell anyone else you knew that word, but then your wonderful nanny Erica was watching you and you went up to the cat, pointed, and said clear as day "Butthole". She found it hilarious too. You love saying "Erica" (it's more like a Ear-ica". You love stickers. You learned the word "Hippo" and that a hippo says "Blub Blub Blub". You love throwing rocks down the storm drain, and think a hippo lives down there. I love it when I'm teaching and you are playing on the front porch with Erica and you say "Mama!" and you stand in the doorway of my music room and smile at me and watch me teach. Sometimes you dance along to the music. Today you said clear as day "Have a good day!" to our neighbor Tommy! You talk about Poppy playing piano and guitar. You still think the Quaker Oats man and the Newsmans own boxes are your great grandparents PopPop and GG. You have been having fun with an ap on our iphones called autorap. Are you going to be a rap artist?? You know what everything belongs to (tutu's glasses, dada's shirt, mama's shoes etc).
I took my first trip ever without you. It felt so weird at the airport. Like I was missing my head. I was anxious and I cried a few tears, but I knew you would have so much fun with your dada and grandparents. I had a wonderful time with my best friend. The highlight was sitting on the couch from Friends on the WB tour. I can't wait to take you to Disneyland one day. It's my favorite place on earth!

Typical schedule

I'm taking my first trip without my baby this week Thursday! I'm going to see my best friend Jenna in California. I have spent every single day with you the past 19 months! I wonder how I will do! Dada and Tutu and Bycle will be manning the monkey for 3.5 days. I printed out this schedule for them to follow and thought I'd put it on your blog!

TYPICAL SCHEDULE FOR ALISTAIR

Wakes up anywhere between 5:30-7am. If he wakes early, I stay silent but give him a bottle in bed with me and let him read books till 6:45am. Quiet time. If he wakes up 6:30-7 I don’t feed him a bottle but fix him smoothy at 7am instead.

Open his curtains/windows and air out bedroom. Change diaper

7am Smoothy. He usually doesn’t have a huge appetite until closer to 8am. Drinks smoothy on his walk.

7-8:30 playtime. Lots of outdoor time.  Good time for beach.

8/8:30 breakfast: Oatmeal with yogurt, scrambled eggs and avocado, granola w/milk

8:30-9:30 more playtime.

9:30 or 10am Change diaper. Fix a bottle of 10 oz. Ergo, dark room, sing songs, nap. Make sure panda bear and some books are in the corner of his crib.

Usually naps 1.5-2 hours. Change diaper.

Open his curtains/windows and air out bedroom

12am snack (string cheese, apples/pears, raisens, banana, yogurt, goldfish)

1pm Lunch (ham and cheese sandwich, left over dinner chicken/pasta, mac n cheese)

2:30 Change diaper. 8oz bottle and quiet time in his room for 30 mins (read books, cuddle)

5 or 5:30pm Dinner

6:30 bath time

7pm Night diaper. 10 oz bottle, sing songs, bed time. Make sure panda and books are in crib. Put him in crib awake but sleepy after bottle. Press the mobile. Hand him panda. Sit on the floor next to his crib and put hand on his tummy.  

A Year and a Half!

I guess I already did a post just a week before you officially turned 1.5 years!
But here you are, at a year and a half! You are obsessed with Bikes. Bycle afterall is the nickname you gave your Grandpa. Now when we ask "Do you want to go for a walk?" you squeal "Bike 'eyed"! We got you a balance bike which you have been apprehensive to use. I think the seat just doesn't make you feel secure enough. So I went on amazon and found the coolest tricycle that is a 4 in 1. It starts with a back seat that supports your back with straps and an adult handle that controls and steers the bike. Those items can come off as you grow. You love it, but you love riding on the front of the bike in the child seat with Dada the most! Mama isn't very good at bike riding so I don't dare take you myself.
Today, you tried singing for the first time!! ABC's! You even matched my pitch. I've noticed you could match pitches even back at 11 months. Most kindergarten and first graders can't match a pitch. You have a puzzle that makes noises and you imitate the ship noise with the perfect pitch. But today you were so cute singing "ABC", you clearly understood what it meant to sing a song.
The other day we were reciting all the different dogs you've met. This is how our conversation went:
Me: Boo Boo
You: Boo Boo
Me: Cleo
You: E-O
Me: Rocco
You: Rock!-O
Me: Coco
You: Co-Co
Me: Miley
You: My-O
Me: Ruby
You: NO!!! KNUCKLES! Re-bee-o (Re-bee-o is how you've been saying Ruby lately)
We call Ruby a Knuckle Head and more often than not we are yelling NO RUBY! You are such a Knuckles!"

You were weaned just after we got back from Seattle (so you were almost 17 months old). You just stopped trying to nurse/didn't ask for it/didn't seem to need it. So I just stopped with the mindset that I'd nurse if you asked. And you never did! I was sad of course, because it meant that you were no longer my little baby. And breast feeding was such a wonderful bond and time together. I was waiting for the time to feel right to wean you. And it sort of just worked its way out naturally and beautifully.
2 weeks ago it was really hot and I went into your room to change my shirt. I looked up and saw gardeners across the street, so I immediately dropped to the floor to hide behind the bed to finish changing (they couldn't see me anyway, it was just my instant reaction). You were playing on the floor next to me with a puzzle and saw me without my shirt on and you smiled wondrously and said "Mama! A-mum (I want some)" and you stood up with your mouth flapping open and closed as you walked towards me. I stopped you and said "Remember? You are a big boy now. You drink from a cup". And you stopped and touched my chest and said "Baby". And I said "Yes, that's right. This is how I fed you as a baby!" and you smiled and turned around and went back to your puzzle.
You are so smart, putting things together. You understand everything I say. "Give this to daddy; Can you bring that shirt to mama?; Go show Daddy your toy; Go get your shoes" etc.
You learned the animals noises to donkey, hippo (blub blub blub) and whale this week!

18 months

In 6 days you turn 18 months! A year and a half! Time is going by so fast. Luckily you are the most photographed and documented little boy in the world. Words cannot explain how much we love you. You are just the light in all of our lives. Tonight when I put you to bed, laying on the bed with you in your dark cozy room, you finished your milk and snuggled against my face and breathed deep, relaxed, sweet smelling breathes and hummed your sleepy song. I swear I wanted to stay there in that very moment with you forever and ever. Our bedtime ritual is play outside, take a bath with dada and brush our teeth, get in our PJ's, drink a little bit of milk while we sing you songs, you get nice and sleepy and drowsy on the guest bed in your room, we scoop you up and give you a big kiss and say something sweet to you, lay you in your crib sleepy but awake, hand you "bear bear" your beloved panda, play your mobile, and sit down next to your crib and hold your hand while you fall asleep. It's all so sweet.
This month you discovered puzzles (or met meow as you call them!) and can put the pieces in the right places by yourself. You love your pull along bee. You love magnets. You love your bubble mower, and call lawn mowers "bubble". You are so well behaved. We took you to lunch in Kona at the thai restaurant above Costco, and you behaved better than any adult in the restaurant. You know what people "go together". When we facetime with Seattle you go through all the names "Poppy, Ama, Li-a (Lisa), Rocco, Bao Bao (Uncle Panda) and you remember things at their house (lights, clocks etc). You know Bycle and Dudu go together. You and Bycle are kindred spirits and are so bonded.

17 months old

On my iphone notes I write down little words and memories from each month so I don't forget. I know years from now I'll be saying "How old was he when he...." so I'm motivated to keep this blog up! At 17 months you had a vocabulary explosion. Every day has been a new word. Whatever word we say, you imitate it right back to us. I said "Oh man!" and you chimed back "Oh Man!" My favorite word this month? "Mut mash" (Mustache). On dada's face! Anytime you hear a motor sound you say "Airplane!" and we have to look for it. You point up at the moon (boon) and sun (nun). This month you have also learned the words "Ham, Bucket, Chin saw, boat, big cup, trees". You know the animals sounds to Cow, Kitty, Dog, Sheep, Frog, Elephant, Lion, Tiger, Penguin, Bird (you learned bird in Seattle so you saw Caw Caw like a crow!) You can count to 3! 1, 2, 3! You love your panda bears (you say "beo bear). You LIVE to be outside. You could seriously spend all day outside. 

You have a new nanny this week. Beloved Savanna (you called her Yay Yay Nana) had to go back to school. You were SO bonded with Savanna and hopefully she will still come visit us once and awhile. Erica is your new nanny. She is a kindergarten and first grade teacher so she has lots to teach you. She is very calm, quiet, and friendly. You have taken to her very well this week. You are such a social guy you would get along with everyone! Last night you slept from 7:15pm-7am!! That's the latest you've ever slept in to date. You also woke up happy (not crying!) You have a little babyproof photo album with everyone's picture and you love looking at it saying their names. Sometimes you find family member look alikes in your books. You think the Quaker Oats man is PopPop and show me him everyday in the cupboard. 

We are enjoying you so much Monkey. You are so smart and funny. You have so much personality. You are so busy and we love watching you explore your world. And you are just the cutest most beautiful baby anyone has ever seen!

Photos at 16 months

You are the most photographed child on this planet. I take multiple pictures every day! It's a little overwhelming trying to pick and choose my favorites! At 16 months you loved the aquarium, zoo, and you learned everyone's name!