Thanksgiving '08

- Looking sharp in that scholarly vest and tie -

- A boy and his guns -
[Just for the record, we are anti-toy guns in our house. So, when Marcelo picked up these puppies at Omi & Grandpa's house, he was quite intrigued].

Independent

I tried handing you a million and one things to capture your attention so you wouldn't crawl away from me while I was trying to take these pictures. That trick has obviously run it's course and is now highly ineffective. You managed to find the rock you're holding in your right hand all by yourself though, which allowed me this quick shot. The next morning, I found the rock in your crib.

Now that you can walk, oh yeah, did I mention you can walk now. Yes, yes, you started walking about two weeks after your first birthday. First, two steps, then within a few days, five steps in a row, and within two weeks you were walking all over the place. We even video taped your first few steps which is not something we do often. I have to charge up the video camera every time it occurs to me to capture something on video. It's like the dark ages. [Must remember to upload short video].

But anyway, you can walk and you are now Mr. Independent. Unfortunately this important milestone has brought along some nasty new personality developments: screaming, throwing yourself backwards in defiant demonstrations, crying, and more screaming. It's as though along with the ability to walk you were given some kind of revelation that you can and should demand whatever your whim desires. You have in fact, also figured out all the food possibilities in your menu and you are no longer delighted to try new the same foods and instead demand (soy, milk, and nut-free) crackers, which I should mention are not easy to find and damn expensive. I tested your resolve and you went on a three meal strike on veggies, fruits, and other delicious, sugarless, soy-less, milk-less, butter-less, foods until you got your damn crackers.

The other day at Costco, you showed some of your darker colors as you whined through the whole store. When I went to put Sofia back into the child seat next to you in the cart, you were outraged and screamed bloody murder followed by a violent and enraged shove of her shoulder. I was rather shocked. After all, I thought you were the sweet one. I usually have to reprimand Sofia when I hear you screaming and this time I kind of stood there like I didn't know what to do. When we went to leave, it took me several minutes to strap you into the car seat (oh yeah, you graduated to the big boy front facing car seat -I think you weigh enough, at least your head probably does). You were determined to not go in there using the backward back bend maneuver and I was afraid if I forced you in there, I would have child protective services called on me. But alas, I finally had to show you who was boss and strap you down. Maybe it was the food strike. I don't know. Luckily we haven't had any repeat incidents but I stopped going to the store for a while because of that.

You still don't say any real, comprehensible, or meaningful words. Not even "Mama". What's up with that? You do make a lot of noises and repetitive sounds. In fact sometimes you say "a mama ma ma ma ..." which I've decided means that you want something but not necessarily or even usually me. Sometimes it's just, "mimi mi mi ...", which I had to convince Sofia that you are not calling Ms. Mimi, her preschool director. I guess you're not going to be as good a talker as Sofia was but you certainly walk much better than her and you are such a "pretty boy". Ladies always stop me when I'm out shopping with you while Sofia is at preschool and comment on what a "pretty boy" you are and how much you look like me. I don't know why they say that since there's no other point of reference, although it is of course very true. I take it as a compliment of course but hopefully they stop saying that as you get older.

Halloween '08

You were such a good little chicken for Halloween. I wasn't sure how you would tolerate being put into tights and a feather suit, but you were great. You were quite the hit at Sofia's preschool. And, you even carried around your own basket when we went trick-or-treating. You got to sit in the forward facing car seat for the first time, and your eyes were all aglow with wonderment.

Fall '08

Face painting gets me back

I'm not a morning person --Sofia is. When Sofia gets up in the morning, she usually comes in to my room and gets in bed with me. When she hears Marcelo wake up, she asks me if she can go in his room. Sofia climbs in his crib and they play with stuffed animals. After allowing her to do this for several months with no ill effects, I figured it was a pretty good idea allowing me to get up at my turtle pace that I do knowing that Marcelo won't be crying for me and they are both well entertained.

On this fine morning, there was much giggling and they both sounded like they were having a swell time. I opened the door (which is usually not closed) and walked in expecting to see them having such good brotherly and sisterly fun. Instead, I was met by this site --Marcelo's face (and sheets) painted with marker. When I asked Sofia why she had done this. She told me, "but Mommy, he told me he wanted to be Spiderman".

1 Year

There's been so much going on the last few weeks that I'm just now getting around to your monumental one year post. For your birthday I made probably the most labor intensive, time consuming cake yet, Noah's Ark. When you saw all the little animal heads drying in a fruit box on the kitchen counter, your eyes lit up and you got all excited. You immediately tried to dive towards them. I let you have a rejected piggy that Daddy had made and you crushed it with your powerful hands into a mushy wad of fondant dough.


In the past month you've made a lot of developmental progress. You are finally starting to understand "No No" and sometimes you even listen. You've started voluntarily handing me little pieces of things you find on the floor when you see me, instead of immediately stuffing it into your mouth like before. You clap for yourself when you feel you've done something good. You are drinking better from a sippy cup instead of using it as a weapon or launching it toward the floor. You started taking one step while holding on to the sofa and going to the ottoman. You still don't say any words though. Not even the "Dada" that we were hearing before. I think you've just shifted focus to walking and other developmental skills for a bit. When you see someone you know, you greet them by pointing at them with a big smile and then quickly retracting your hand and then doing it again. You're still drooling like there's no tomorrow. I know next time I get a good look in your mouth, all of your baby teeth will probably have suddenly appeared.

Right after you turned 11 months, you had a scheduled check-up with your allergist again. You were skin tested for a few more things and now you are the lucky recipient of additional allergies to eggs, peanuts, and mixed nuts. Not good news at all, but what can you do. It is what it is. And although I received the news with a level head and knew that it just simply meant we would need to avoid a greater variety of foods, I think it will get harder as you get older and if/when you are not in my immediate supervision. When we are over for dinner at some one's house I have to give suttle reminders that you cannot be given any "tastes" of things with butter or cheese, or whip cream, etc, etc. And just last week Abuelo seemed bent on giving you plastic bagies with peanuts to chew on at Kiri & Ann's rehearsal dinner. It's hard to get people to understand that it could be more serious than just a skin rash. And it makes me feel a great deal of responsibility knowing that I'm the only one here to protect you even if I have to sever relations with certain people because they just don't get it! (no, just kidding about that last part). Soon we will be taking you for a blood test that will hopefully give us more specific information as to the degree to which you are allergic to all these things including the already known milk as well as soy. The soy test will be important in determining whether we can end the financial hemorrhage that is the Nutramigen hypoallergenic formula and hopefully allow us to switch you to soy milk as well as other soy products. Please don't be allergic to soy.

At your one year check up it was confirmed yet again that you are still a wee little man. You've made progress moving in weight percentile from the 3rd to the 5th percentile since your 9 mo. check up. coming in at 19 lbs. You're at 29 inches for length (25th percentile) and 16.5 cm head circumference (50th percentile). At this age Sofia was a quarter inch shorter than you and she weighed 25 lbs. (90th percentile). Hello, when are you going to start growing. Maybe if you didn't poop so much during the day you could grow a little. The only thing I'm not complaining about is that you still wear #2 diapers. So I guess, we'll wait until you weigh the required 20 lbs to put your car seat forward facing. I had planned to switch you to Sofia's old larger car seat and out of the infant carrier one but since your cousin Autumn has been coming over more often she's been using it so you may have to stay in the infant seat a while longer. You only got one shot this time and you have a healthy, spirited, but short cry over it.

When you wake up in the morning, you either put yourself back to sleep for a little while or entertain yourself in your crib for a while. Sometimes, Sofia and I go get you and you are delighted to see us and ready to start the day. Sometimes, Sofia asks if she can go play with you when she hears you talking to yourself. She climbs in your crib and you guys play for a while. When I go in, I find a bunch of stuffies and toys scattered throughout the floor. You have a very good attitude riding in the car and you almost never complain about being put in your car seat. I have a little toy for you but you usually like to make toys out of your shoes and socks which inevitably must come off. I spend a lot of time putting your socks and shoes back on. One of your favorite times of the day is when Daddy comes home. You see him and immediately start crawling as fast as you can towards him and usually make him hold you for a while.

Everyone comments on what a good little boy you are and I so happy that it's really true. I can't wait to see all the new things you learn in the next year. I know it will be any day now that you will be off and walking.

1st Birthday Party

I tested several cake recipes without milk and eggs. None of them tasted very good to me but both Daddy and Sofia approved and you seemed to enjoy the cake too. I made you the most time intensive cake on the planet, Noah's Ark. You were very intrigued by the animals and wanted to crush them and devour them all. It was such a little work of art that for the first time ever, we didn't cut the cake during the party and served cupcakes instead so it could have a longer viewing life.

You loved, loved, loved the balloons and weren't at all freaked out at being malled by a bunch of kids and balloons on top of you.

I don't know if I can remember all the gifts you received but I think it might be fun to look back at it some day --

Ikea bib, plate, and sippy cup set - Mommy (& Daddy)
Ikea wooden train set - Mommy (& Daddy)
Land of Nod orange suitcase set, savings bond - Grandma & Grandpa
Farm truck and animals - Uncle Rick, Cheryl, Mat & Jason
Baby Einstein infant toy - Aunt Sandy, Alex & Jason
My first radio controlled train, train conductor hat and handkerchief, $50 - Abuelos
Alphabet book - Uncle Peter & Holly
Ikea Gift Cert. for toy cabinet - Tia Marcela
Gymboree outfit - Cousin Andrea
Rock t-shirt, blue ugly monster doll - Kiri & Ann