Nick's Thirtieth Month

Nick is forming a more definitive personality, with likes and dislikes, and the need to express those preferences frequently, and in loud decibels. He picks the music he likes by requesting, 'push button' when he wants a song changed, or repeated. I've had about enough Taylor Swift for awhile.

We won some new projects with John Deere at work, and appropriately, Brandi found a Deere tractor at the resale shop about the same time. It's a peddler, but he prefers to push it around. These toys are a brilliant idea - brand loyalty starts young.

Having children has taught me many life lessons. Lately I've noticed life really is constructed of more "no's" than "yes's" in general. There's very few things you CAN do that are safe and socially acceptable. But there's a ton of things you can't do that you just come to conform (or concede) as an adult: you can't stick cereal in your ears, you can't lick the TV set, you can't draw on yourself with a ballpoint pen, you can't take off your clothes on a neighborhood walk (well you could, but it doesn't always help your standing in the neighborhood. Unless you're smokin' hot, of course. Appropriate exceptions to every rule.)

Nick uses 'Jedi mind tricks' to charm others to his way of thinking. He asks the question in an awkward way, ("Are we going to the playground?") to get you to ask him what he wants, ("Do you want to go to the playground, Nick?"), then he replies with a resounding "OK!" as if to suggest it was your idea to go to the playground. Charm and psychology. He is just about conversational now, with complete sentences, and he only doesn't understand you when he chooses not to.

Nick is all about being a little helper now. He walked over to the dehumidifier when we had it apart, and voluntarily put the screen back on it, declaring, 'Tah-dah!' He knows to throw wrappers away in the garbage when he finds them. He even tries to help Grandpa mow the lawn.

We went to the zoo for an afternoon. We couldn't get him on the train at first, then couldn't get him off of it. He was pumping his fists, yelling 'choo choo!' for the entire audience. He wasn't real impressed with the carousel, and some of the animals were unimpressive. Loved the elephants, and the bears. His favorite part was birdwatching, of course. Once inside the bird house, he started naming them on site. He got small toy binoculars in a happy meal of some sort, and his first thought was 'birdwatching!' On his birdwatching TV show, they say, 'Be very still, and very quiet,' which he repeats to us frequently when he wants us to tune into his needs.

Favorite foods this month: smarties and sweetarts, Great-Grandma Little's jam and peanut butter on crackers, and Goldfish pretzels. And don't try to sneak an unauthorized soda past him; generic soda won't work, and he doesn't like Pepsi... Mountain Dew only.

Favorite book this month: 'The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat'. Actually, I love this book, too.

We got some swim time in with the warm weather this past week. He wears the same styrofoam floatie I wore as a toddler, and is content to float around on his own. He had a floating chair from last summer, which lasted about an hour, then we realized he was sinking quickly. Turns out there was a weight limit and he exceed it, ripping a hole clean through the side, not just leaking air slowly, but sinking speed like the Titanic.

A few nights ago while I was telling someone how well he's been sleeping, Brandi called to tell me that a 45 minute struggle had ensued in my absence, as he was hopping in and out of the crib furiously, with no sign of tiring. I came home, and had to lay along side the crib like a gate keeper, until he fell asleep. His room has been stripped of anything dangerous, and we put a gate outside the door in case he tries to escape. We're in that middle ground where he knows how to jump from the crib, unlock doors, find car keys, and it wouldn't surprise me if he could load the car and drive to the McD's for nuggets without us, but still doesn't know it's a dangerous world out there.

Click here for 30th month pictures.

- Jason

Nick's Twenty-Ninth Month

Nick loves money, but then again, who doesn't? And it's indeed all about 'how much?' OK, so he really doesn't understand what it is yet, or how it covers the diaper and Cheerios budget, but he will sit for an hour with the piggy bank and put coins in, and dump them out, over and over. He knows the names of the coins, too.

Brandi decided one evening she was tired of playing kid's games, and would teach Nick to play SlapJack! It turned out to be more like SmearJack, or ThrowJack, or ScatterJack. I guess this concept is still a little tricky for a two-year-old. Honestly, she said I wasn't doing it right either - I don't know how to flip them right. She was just upset that we were smokin' her at her own game.

Finally, some TV that doesn't melt the brain. Uncle Fayling made Nick a video from NASA clips, with shuttle launches and landings, rockets and space video. He loves it, and thank goodness - something we can watch together. With his love for airplanes, we were flipping the TV between SportsCenter and Jack's Big Music Show one morning, and came across the classic flick, "Airplane '79 - The Concorde". He was glued to that lousy 'B' movie for two hours, and got upset when commercials came on. It's hard to remember a time when Eddie Albert could anchor a feature film.

All kids have made-up words. Some of my favorites, from Nick's ever-moving lips to my tired ears: 'meno, meno, meno' which is him saying, 'mine, mine, mine.' And 'goolicious' which is his word for 'delicious'. And he says, 'thaaaaaaank-YOU!' when he takes something from you - the humor is in the inflection. He also says, 'there you go!' an awful lot. He's very good about using 'please' and 'thank you' and 'I'm sorry'.

His grandpa bought him a tricycle, which cost more than the ten-speed bike I purchased new in 1983. He's actually figured out how to pedal before understanding how to steer, so there have been a few minor collisions.

He was high above the ground in a jungle gym at the playground, where there were pictures of all sorts of things stuck on the wall. There was a young lady there with other children who appeared to be a teacher. After Nick astutely observed the apple, the worm, and the book, she pointed to the can of beans in the picture. So, of course, he didn't just say 'can', he said, 'beans'. "Did he just read that?" she asked. Sure looked that way.

He's into the big tubby now, having outgrown the laundry room utility sink. He loves playing in the tub, and hates having tub time end. And like always, he's a ham for the camera, even in the tub. Although, not as much as he loves taking pictures of himself. I included one of his many self portraits this month. Thank goodness the days of expensive film are long ago.

Click here for 29th month pictures.

- Jason

Nick's Twenty-Eighth Month

Brandi has raised Nick on a relatively strict routine, and we are reaping the benefits. His little internal clock is up at the same time each day, and down each night, right on schedule. I realized we have a lot of routines we've set over the past 2 1/2 years, and he'd be the kid that could raise himself if we disappeared. He says good night to the animals in his room, counts to 20 before we tuck him in, always puts shoes on to go outside the door and remove them coming in, gets dressed in the same order every time. No more rocking him to sleep for an hour - it's five minutes of rocking, and he says, "Cribby, please." I still can't get over how the kid eats everything. We sit down to dinner together each night, and he fills up on whatever mama is cooking! Favorite foods this month: cheese pancakes (this is cheese melted in a tortilla), ice cream (obviously from the video), and jelly beans. The picture here is Nick having dinner with us at the Bob Evans. He's used to being out in public, and no trouble at all. This was our last stop of the day after playing with the train set at the local bookstore.

We made a lot of progress in the athletic department. His Aunt Miranda got him a small hoops rim for Christmas, which we finally brought out. And his grandmother sent him a set of golf clubs (like, real ones, for people of height 22" to 40", with the Pinehurst bag tag). I came home one afternoon, and his grandpa had mowed a fairway and green into my back yard: butter container for the cup, and red handkerchief on a broomstick for the flag. And he loves kicking balls like soccer. But birdwatching?! His word this week is birdwatching, and a 'mee-taw' bird, apparently from a cartoon. All the action that matters is overhead nowadays: birdwatching, airplanes, helicopters.

Nick's comprehension amazes me more each day. When we bring home one of the small cardboard (Boynton) books, he's either reading it, or has it memorized in about 2 days. Brandi is auditory, and I am very much visual. We can't tell just yet which one is Nick's strength. He's now counting to 20, and understanding it, and knows the alphabet on site. He can pick out about half the states on a US map. Most impressive, though, is how he understands abstract concepts. He blurted out, "This chicken is delicious," at a meal this week. He knows when we pull out of the driveway which way is the playground, and as soon as the wheels cut west instead, he protests. He understands wrenches work with bolts, and loves to sweep the sidewalk.

Play time is all about slides: the 'big green fish' slide at the local playground, sliding off the beach ball (that's what he calls it when he rolls off) in the living room, and treating mama like a slide when she curls up and he slides off of her shoulders. Brandi has found a good gym during the week that has a nice setup for Nick to play while she works out. He mixes with the other kids easily, probably from all the time spent with his cousins. He still loves older women - he chases the four-year-old blondes at the playgroup.

He is master of the 'one word request.' He uses full sentences often, but he frequently seems in a hurry, comes barrelling up to you, out of breath, and blurts out his immediate needs in just a single word. For example, "Dinner", "Playground", or "Car Ride."
The lines he uses most often: "I'm ok" (even when he's in tears about something), "I fixed it," and "Knocked it down."

Wanna know what we're watching this month on kid TV? Here's the Moco Jumbie!

Click here for 28th month pictures. You'll notice the pictures are now compiled in a photo album site, so the images can be downloaded.

- Jason

Nick's Twenty-Seventh Month

Nick really grasps concepts now, more than just associating names with objects. When he's cold, he pretends to shiver and says, "Brrrr, it's cold!" He got pinned in between the couch and the table, and he yelped, "I'm stuck!" We practiced alot with his books: hot and cold, up and down, spiny and smooth. He requests car rides, the playground or playing outside. We've started that age-old practice of spelling things around him now, but I don't expect that to last long either. (If he knows what Dora the Explorer is spelling, in 3 different languages, what makes us things we're being so slick that he won't catch on?) My favorite this month: he knows cars, and he knows trucks. He can identify a Fiat, a Ford and Porsche on site (you thought I was talking about generic idenfication of cars... that's too easy! Hear that, if any of my clients at Ford are reading this?) He still gets slipped up sometimes with first-and-third-person relationships. He'll get upset, then stop crying and ask, "What's wrong?" He's his own phsycologist.

We spend Friday nights circling the grocery store as Nick pushes one of the carts for little kids up and down the aisles. He never reaches for anything on the shelves, just loves to push. Never unsupervised, though, as he'd mow the little old ladies down, focused intently on their coupons and not watching out for a high-speed toddler with a steel battleram, as he tries to pick up speed on the straightaways.

He got to tubby in Aunt Megan's whirlpool tub. Brandi convinced him the bubbles were fun, and to look closely at the jets as she turned them on... and then it rifled a vicious projectile of water square into his face and thrust him back about 3 feet into a hosed and pathetic heap. Funny, yes. But a face full of water, at what feels like a PSI comparable to a space shuttle launch when you're only two, is a tough way to learn how a whirlpool tub works.

When he and mama returned from Atlanta from their stay, I was so happy to see them. (And the 150 people aboard Northwest Flight 472 were happy Nick was home as well.) I reached for my son and told him how happy I was he was home. He responded affectionately with simple terms: "Pizza!" At least he's easy to please. He eats a ball park frank like a man, bun and all. (No onions and relish yet, although I haven't offered it to him, either. And sometimes the parts get consumed separately.) Still loves spicy food. But he can't get enough popcicles. Note to other parents: sugar-free popcicles are helpful for good poos.

He followed his mama into the bathroom last week (gotta remember to lock the door) and sat down on the little potty next to her, on his own. So naturally, we encouraged this activity. Then he reached for a magazine, and we got a cute picture. When you see the picture, I want you to know he only reads the articles! ;) (And the magazine wasn't mine, I swear!) Mama shook her head at him, and questioned whether this material was appropriate. Then he pointed to the girl in the picture and said, "Mommy!" Of course, that was the perfect response for the situation. Once again, that's my boy - always got the right answer handy when he needs it.

Click here for 27th month pictures.

- Jason

Nick's Twenty-Sixth Month

Most of Nick's big words this month are directly related to the growth of his big head: waffles, popcicles, hot dogs, and noodles.He's speaking in full sentences now, so it's clear when he wants to go for a car ride, or visit Aunt Megan. He walks up to his cousin Seth and hugs him. He still has no use for the younger Thatcher, who just steals his snacks and toys. He sorta treats Thatcher the same way he reacts to the dogs - he waves his finger at him and says, 'No, no.' This is a short-lived scenario, though - strong Thatcher will be able to bench-press small Nick in a few months.

The TV shows are sinking in now, so no more Law and Order. He watches one show where they introduce animals to kids, and he know some animals on sight that I have never head of: jaguar, kinkajou, lemur, tapiers, armadillos, dolphins, kangaroos. And he can make the sounds for all of them.

He experienced his first tornado, and his first Georgia snowfall. He and mama went to Georgia to get out of the cold, and they got a foot of snow. Here in Michigan, we had the coldest January on record, and the second-most snowfall on record... all in a single month. We made a snowman for the back porch, and each day, Nick would say, 'Bye, bye, snowman,' as he melted.

Grandpa Mantel is teaching him to play chess. He knows all the pieces by name, and is just getting the hang of the movements. When he wants them, he says, 'Where are my pieces?' I've been told if a kid can play chess at 2, he's a genius. No, he's not really that close to genius status, but as long as he loves to learn, we'll keep feeding him new stuff. This week, Brandi started working on the 50 US States.

One night about 3:00 AM, Brandi thought she heard the door open from the kitchen to the garage, but figured it was nothing and rolled over. Luckily curiosity got the best of her, and she investigated. Nick had crawled out of the crib (only the second time he's done that), walked to the garage, opened the door, turned on the light, and was riding his Cozy Coupe around the garage. He was one button away from opening the garage door, and wandering off. So the next night we rigged a rope tied from his door to the closet to contain him in his room. We have the childproof door handle covers to stop him from opening doors - you need to pinch them to grip - but he figured those out in about five minutes. He hangs on the with his weight, and turns the handles. I was prepared to barricade him his room as a teenager, but not this soon.

All the books from his infancy he is reading to us now. He read me a book over the phone the other night, and he now sits in my lap and reads to me instead of me reading to him. All the little bits I would insert to the stories for color, he now does on his own. When he sees the elephant wearing red socks, he yells 'Boo!' (because we don't like the Red Sox, get it?) When he sees the smooth dinosaur, I always rubbed his bald head - now he rubs his own head for the word 'smooth', and he yawns when the dinosaurs stay up late. He's in-between memorizing and reading. Most of the books he has memorized from two years of reading to him, but he's picking out those words in other contexts as well.

Click here for 26th month pictures.

- Jason