Thanksgiving with Grandma!

I love how much these two love each other!

Intro to the potty

Certainly it's too soon to start potty training, but I think it's not too soon to introduce Phin to the potty chair. This is the chair I have for him. It doubles as a step stool - and will hold up to 150lbs. Right now, Phin considers it - something like a fun step - that he likes to crawl around on at the gym. But hey, we're all about low pressure starts - right?


This look is something between "ninja practice" and "yoga practice." Whatever it is, I love it!

And this little piggy cried wee wee wee

all the way home.

It's true that the coat is much too big for him.
I neglected to get a 24month coat at the end of winter last year. SO, when I found a 3T his fall for a great price, I decided to get it and let Phin grow into it. He has a matching hat/mitten set that he pulls off of his head as quickly as possible.
We had not been out to the swing set in a long time due to the rainy rainy weeks that we have had. Today it was a whole fifty degrees outside, so we put on our coat and enjoyed the swing for a few minutes.
Needless to say, Phin had fun swinging and getting some fresh air.

TWENTY-THREE

We went to the doctor for Phin's checkup.
He's in the 50-75% for height, 25-50% for weight and 90-97% for head size.
SO, I guess he has extra large brains. :)

The doctor asked all of the regular questions.
The only surprised looks I got was for telling her that he sleeps from 6p-6a daily and that he knows his alphabet.
She asked me if he knows 3-4 words. I said "oh, he knows over... twenty." The eyebrows went up again in disbelief. Afterwards, I started counting his words - trying to make sure I was not exaggerating like proud mama's do. I have a list at the end.

I learned that instead of teaching him body parts he can't see (on his face) I should be teaching body parts he CAN see with his eyes. Done. I also learned that while it's quite messy, I should let him start feeding himself with a spoon. Things like oatmeal and yogurt that will sorta stick to the spoon.

Here is the list of words my son can say:
ant, yak, book, coat, walk, egg, mama, dada, duck, frog, dog, block, this, that, no, nose, eye, ball, fox, mouth, cookie, mail.
He says "tou" for toucan. He mostly said "gazelle" tonight but it was his first time. He says "dock-a-di" for crocodile.

So, my son can say more than twenty words.
I am a proud mama, but I am also a precise one.
:)

Today is the day...

That is what Phin decided last week. On Wednesday of last week, he decided he would be a walker instead of a crawler. So, up onto his feet he went. Using both hands in the air to balance and he was walking across the living room floor. Even almost a week later, it still surprises Dan when he looks up and Phin was moving by foot.
BUT, this is Phin's new reality. He's growing up and it's so very exciting and also scary. I love to which him increase his awareness. Today he copied me stretching my arms over my head during his breakfast... It was cute. We are trying to master our "ears, eyes, nose mouth" and he's very good at "nose" and even sometimes takes his pointer finger UP his nose to show me that he's very sure where his nose is. :)
Then there is the email checking he's doing...
He's becoming the boy that God made him and it's so exciting to get to know him and learn about him. It seems that Phin really loves books and reading. All day long he's looking at his books and he loves to be read to. He knows his ABC's and practices the letters in and out of order often. As we walk through the grocery store, he will make the sound or letter "s" - I will say "sea lion." He will say "t" - I will day toucan. He will say "u" I will say "umbrella bird. He says "v" to which I reply "vulture." On and on... We must look super crazy while picking up goat milk and acorn squash.
Who knows what this may mean for his future, but I know that right now, I am nothing short of delighted to be his mom.

mini-muffin eating

knee walking.

Phin's new chair

I bought this chair in 1996.
When we put the nursery together for Phin, we put this chair in his room. Since he's been walking, we have moved it to his play area.
He kinda loves it.
I put a small lambie and also a Teddy Bear in the chair - well, until Phin noticed the chair. You can see the Teddy on the floor and that is where he stays most of the time. In and out of the chair... that is part of Phin's day - everyday!

Computer time

Have you checked your email lately?

If you are EP, you understand that even when watching a video, there is always time to make sure you aren't missing anything online.
"Tell your father 'thanks' you kids..."

grrrrr - gorilla...

Reading is a favorite past-time

I know he's young but he loves books. We read every single day. Sometimes we read the same book over and over again. This book he's looking at in the video is quickly becoming one of his favorites. He "kinda" store it from Auntie MaryAnn. He likes to look at each letter and the pictures of the words that start with each letter. Sometimes he reads the letters and sometimes he just turns the pages. If you listen closely, near the end you can hear him saying "ant" - which is pictures on the "A" page.

Phin is a chaser!

MaryAnn's baby chair is by far is favorite!

and his preference is:

Daddy started this:

head butt

Phin pokes and pushes past full.

dog bed

dock-a-dile

more ball still

more ball

September Danger Steps

all the way outside!

Phin's Halloweeen Costume

What would be a better option for our son than that of - NINJA.

Jack-o-lantern

I got in trouble with my sister for not posting about Phin's first steps (yesterday) on facebook - and for no posts about the jack-o-lantern that Phin and Dan made.
I hope this will make it up to her.

Hats and Cameras

Little boy, you should learn now that when it comes to hats and cameras, I have no control. Mommy apologizes to your fourteen-year-old self.

Phin playing



the egg isn't ON his face, it's in his MOUTH!

September Wedding.

The last "family picture" that I have of Dan, Phin & me is from last November.
So, when a picture of us together was requested at Dan's brother's wedding - he happily posed.
There were two cameras, and Dan is looking at one while I am looking at the other - but it's a family picture anyway!




(If you look close, you can see that Phin put his little baby hand on my shoulder - which I find completely adorable.)

fancy feet on such a big kid!

He is a kid. Kids like to be bigger, stronger and older.
His first demonstration will be that without fail, he stands on *stuff* to be "taller" in his baby jail.

Ep's TEETH:

Extras from the archives

Phin's bathtime:

Nap with Dad:

Swinging at Gma's:

Phin's new shoes:

ep is happy

Phin does like to play with his wooden trailer and cars that we got him in New Orleans.


This is Phin's "wave"

Muzic in the air...

It seems that Phin's first instrument will be the bongo drum.
Sometimes, he plays it like a drum.


Sometimes, he tries to climb it like it's a toy. We are working on the idea that instruments are NOT toys. :)


Phin is also becoming very fast. Check out his speeding crawl!


And again, have another look at those teeth!

*insert witty excuse here*

I have felt busy and rushed but over the next two days, I plan to try to get the blog updated. Feeling rushed, I have not photographed my boy as much as usual, but the lack of photos for the last couple of months has taught me a valuable lesson. My camera is back in hand!

These first pictures are of Phin's face. His face is changing all of the time. I took these pictures because sometimes he does funny stuff with his face. He doesn't realize it's funny because he doesn't really have access to a mirror all of the time - but to me, they are. On this particular day, Phin is learning that he has a tongue in his mouth.


Also, notice how many teeth he has in his mouth in this picture. Keep track because more show up as the pictures progress.


Phin has also been cruzing like a maniac. This is an example of his new walking abilities.

Carpet

I grew up in a house with carpet. There are good things about carpet. It's warmer and more cooshie under foot. However, there were times a child I wished we didn't have carpet. An example would be when I was sitting on a comforter, wishing someone could pull me across the room. That thought crossed my mind shortly after putting Phin into the laundry basket. See, first I saw the baby and then the basket and thought it looked like a good fit. Phin sat inside, relaxing and then the thought came to me. I grabbed up the front of the laundry basket and took him for a stroll around the wooden floored living room. Probably, I was more excited by the ride than he was. I doubt he'll even remember ever doing it. What he may remember though, is losing his balance and falling out of it sideways. Being 1 is hard!

In the yard with Maggie:

Phin's official 1yr old picture.

It first happened yesterday with eggs. I figured it was just - not hungry anymore.
Today, it happened with yogurt. I think it wasn't particularly hungry and then on top of it, he was being a curious boy who have lived on this earth for only a year.
What happened?

I put the yogurt in his mouth and he opened his mouth - full of the yogurt and let his tongue push the yogurt out of his mouth - some, onto his jammies. With subsequent bites, he continued to smear it all over his face with his hands.

This happened three times and then breakfast was over.

Here is his 1yr old picture.