Month 27 - 2 yrs & 3 months for the rest of ya

Dear FIN,
This month we spent a couple of weeks in OBX - Nags Head, NC while daddy worked. It was a cooler month to be there. We didn't spend a lot of time outside, but I did try to get you out to the beach a couple of times - you hated it both times. Mostly because it was cold and windy. We came back to IL - a lovely winter wonderland. I got you to say Christmas tree very intelligibly. You love lights on a tree, and every tree with lights you made the point of pointing and saying "Christmas tree". Your language is still progressing at an alarming rate. This morning, you asked me "wheres the garage opener?". Why did you ask that specific question... well for Christmas this year you got a 3 button garage opener from Grampa's garage (aka. Grandpa Dahlke). It is your FAVORITE toy every time you go to their house. They just happened to have the real working one and not the decoy that he wrapped up for your present.
Christmas was not the craziness that people describe of their children... I think that will be next year. I know this because you cried when we took you to see Santa - we had to have daddy intervene (see photo). But for Christmas, you got a couple of neato things, your new FIN sized guitar, garage opener, plasma bike, FIN size chair. In other words, you are spoiled.
My favorite things about this month have been your need to sleep with things. Not just the same Toy Story character figures (not dolls), but with a Christmas card with picture of your cousins, random stuffed animals, a cooking spoon, dog leash, etc. The best part for you, was time with your cousin Maddy earlier in December, and spending time with the Cripe cousins. You have a very big heart FIN. It shows with how much you love your cousins mainly by identifying them and stealing their toys. I know it goes much deeper than that.
Love you FIN,
mommy

25th & 26th months... A few stories, and an update

Dear FIN,

I should almost cram month 27 in here as well, seeing that it will be the day after Christmas, and I'm most likely to forget that specific day as well... Its not that I want to, but you are adamant about not letting me get any computer time unless it involves Elmo and that rather annoying Potty Time game... its not even a game, its just Elmo sitting there talking to his friends saying "if you got the feeling, you should go!" I'm really not making fun, its great to see you want to play learning games. There is so much to share from these last few months, but I'll stick to a couple of my favorite moments and an update.

HIGH FIVE

Recently, we were at G&G Dahlke's house... or as you now refer to them, Grampa's garage (Rich), and Geepy (Pam). We attempted to get you to take a nap... little did I know that your daddy put you down in the crib without your pants on - thinking the jeans looked uncomfortable. About a half hour of crying, singing, and straight out yelling for me, I asked Grampa to look in on you. I saw him buckle in half laughing, telling me to go over by him. There you were, just your shirt on, poopy diaper ripped off and tossed on the floor, you holding onto the sides of the crib jumping like a bucking bronco. Grampa finally approached you when I was by his side, and with a great big smile on your face, you held your hand up to Grampa and said "High Five!" Grampa was left buckled over laughing again while I had to grab you in all your poopiness, and put you in a tub.

NUMBER FOUR

I believe on the same visit if not one right before that visit to the same grandparents house you learned a word that you have said in the past, but I managed to banish it from your vocabulary without much trying... But Grandma dropped the phrase "Oh F*&K". You have since dropped that same phrase with appropriate timing. Trying to get you to forget this phrase has not been an easy task. I've tried to get you to say "Oh Fork", fudge was too close, but you have settled on saying "Number Four". What has ensued from this ridiculous phrase has been your attention to numbers. You could count to about 12 before this incident, but since this new phrase, and spending time in OBX, NC and having to use an elevator daily, we say "Number Four" with gusto, and always following "Number Three", and going up to the number twenty. A prime example of turning that rotten lemon into a fantastic vodka lemonade for mommy...

OK, YOU BET

Today you have been a parrot. You have also acquired a little cold. I have been asking you a lot if your are ok... you never answer, but its my way of soothing you nonetheless. We get into the car to go to the YMCA pool and gym, and you say to me, "Mommy, are you ok?", Me: "Yes, FIN. Are you OK?", FIN: "You bet".

UPDATES

Well FIN, I feel like this is more mommy outing myself than your update, but we learned a while ago that you are going to be a big brother! You can say big brother, but I don't think you embrace that we are bringing in your new sibling (your nemesis, the one that steals your toys, the one that will steal all your attention... and maybe one day, your best friend).

We have also been going between our place in Grayslake and Outerbanks, NC (Nags Head). We have been living ON THE WATER... I know I'm taking every day for granted when I just have to roll over in bed, and there straight out the glass door in the bedroom is the gorgeous view of the OBX Sound. Soon we'll be back in IL full time.
We will be buying a house soon in IL *gasp*, in a place that will offer schools that we feel good about sending you. All this for you baby boy.

I love you FIN!

-mama

2 yr Stats

Height: 35" - 75%
Weight: 30.5lbs - 75%
In great health and the doc said, "he's a real neat kid".... great doc, neat huh.

24 Months! Happy Birthday

Dear FIN,
Happy 2nd birthday baby boy - you will always be my baby boy, though you are clearly not a baby anymore. Your birthday was a fun day. Grandma & Grandpa Dahlke came over to spend the day with you. You got to play like a wild man (not out of the ordinary), eat your favorite foods (lord help me, the golden arches) and cake, you had to nap, but you also got to go and pick out your own birthday presents.
Your language has increased so much in the past week. You now are starting to say couple word sentences. You haven't had your 2 yr doctor appointment yet, but we weighed you and you are tipping the scales at a whopping 33.5 lbs. You've also grown a lot. Your 2T pants officially fit!
So we are home from Cape Cod. We decided when you started to call us lovey with a Mr. Howell like lower lip, it was time ;-) You are ecstatic about having your toy room back, as am I the space to lose you in the house.
Here are a couple pics for your birthday breakfast... yep, I made you waffles, egg, had fruit there for you, and you looked at your plate, then at the cake, then your plate, and pointed and said, "I want cake". I decided Marie Antoinette wasn't so crazy when she said "let them eat cake"... so I did let you.


I love you my FIN!
-mama

Example of how fast time flies

23 Months old
9 Months old

My boys, 14 months of growth.

23 Months

Dear FIN,
This month you are finally wrapping up that one year old bit and rounding the corner of being 2. I can say that I love you very much, but this whole being 2 years old is soo overrated. You are too smart to keep up this facade, I think you should just drop it, walk over to me, give me that big hug, and say "yep, I'm ready to use the potty and speak in full sentences, and not scream to get my way", oh yeah, and don't forget the all important, "I love you mom! You are so awesome for taking me to the pool everyday, and finding all kinds of activities for me while we hang out in Cape Cod!" Oh a mother can dream and wish
FIN you have been a fun companion out here on the coast. We have spent time with "Auntie" Alanna, and G&G Dahlke. We have gone to the beach, to Martha's Vineyard, to Boston Aquarium, Hyannis, and Province Town. So much to keep us busy, its amazing we still get along. The important thing is we do. You are biting me significantly less, and hitting less frequent (or I'm getting really quick at moving out of the way).
Coming up this next month is a visit from Auntie Ana & Uncle Carlos, and G&G Nunez. We are going to Vermont this weekend to feed your penchance for maple syrup and mine for Ben & Jerry's ice cream... ok so your daddy has to work at a clinic, but we can make it sound purposeful.
Some key things this month have been you talking in sentences. You very clearly say "I want X". Its nice to know what you want finally. I want a drink, but thats neither here nor there (and some would say not appropriate for this 23 month note to you, but you want to know your mama early on, and when I say NO OLIVES, I mean NO OLIVES!). Oh Finny baby, this time has gone by so fast with you. I'd tell you to stop growing, but then I wouldn't have anything to report on... I love all these stages!
A new trend of "going green" is a foot, so here is us going green with your toy... the box the new espresso machine came in. You love it, its a natural toy, and its going to save your mama/daddy a whole lotta green on buying coffee :-)

22 months

Dear FIN,
Life has been so hectic (in a positive way) I didn't let you turn 21 months. We just skipped to the ol' 22 months. Its difficult to wrap my brain around everything in the past couple of months, the changes, what you can do that you couldn't as of real recent. So we are now in Cape Cod for the remainder of the summer. For 2 weeks, it was just me and you, and we did all kinds of things to keep busy while daddy went away to the Boundary Waters with the man trippers, and spent a week out in MA alone to get some serious work done. We spent our days with G&G Dahlke, G&G Nunez, your cousins... even Madelyn came to visit from Phoenix. She gets bigger every day and oh so cute!
So more about you... you are getting better at piecing words together. You love to still say "DO NOT" when you aren't happy with results of whatever you are doing. You come out with phrases on a whim that catch me by suprise. You will say "want to do this", but then not say it again. My fave of fave's that you do right now though is you sing with me when its time for a nap or bed time. Now I don't claim to have any sort of voice that anyone would want to listen to, but since i'm the mama, you deal with it. I sing you the same Willy Nelson song as part of our routine and you now sing with me. When you don't get right on with the note, you work on harmonizing until you get close. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I just love it. One of these times, I'm going to have to record this little phenomenon and share. Here are a few pics of cousin Maddy, your mama & Aunt Sara, and you on your new Radio Flyer (thanks to the neighbors moving that wanted to get rid of kiddie toys).

Changes a foot... again

FIN,
Since I last wrote, you have been a head strong 20 month old. I know you are itching to have a conversation with us about life, things you like, and dislike. I know this because you pick up that toy phone, I mean the REAL phone we give you *wink wink* and you have the most intense conversations. Is that what we look like on the phone, or are you taking it to a new level?
One of the very cute things you do lately is when we take your shirt off, you immediately cover up your nipples and laugh. I can say for a fact, that neither me or your father do this - at least I don't. I have to tell you about this because one day you will stop, and I will likely forget this little idiosyncrasy and its just so funny.
You now go up and down the stairs standing, you repeat every word we say, and just when I think you knew your colors, I ask you to tell me a color of an M&M - I ask you "What color is this?", you say "THIS"... "Ok, whats this color?", you say "COLOR!". Oh well.

So to update everyone on what has been going on with the family, we have been given an offer to move out to Cape Cod for the summer. I know, we just moved to Illinois, but come on, Cape Cod, on the beach. It'll be like the John Cuszak film, "One Crazy Summer", except that we won't put an e-color on Winston, and none of us will be doing crappy shows at the Dew Drop Inn. We are attempting to rent a house on the ocean, but nothing is set till we get there. I will for a short period of time turn this blog into a daily or weekly diary of our time summering in Cape Cod (did I just sound like Mr. Howell from Gilligan's Island just there?"

Lastly, we have had a family of skunks living under our back porch. So far, its been a harmonious co-habitation of space, however, we did hire the Critter Ridder to come out and set some traps to catch all 5 - 11 of them. Maybe this little fact helped us make the final decision on just swooping up the Cape Cod offer, who knows, but we are excited to no longer co-habitate, and to spend time on the East Coast!

Till later my friends, and FIN,
Becky (mama)

20 Months

Dear FIN,
So for a few weeks now, I've just told people you are 20 months. They all buy it because you are as tall as a 3 yr old. But its official, you have hit a milestone that marks nothing other than you are rounding that curve to the 2 yr old mark really fast.
Your language skills are remarkable. You will pretty much say anything we tell you to say, and you started to shock us with phrases that we don't realize you even knew. We already know how smart you are, but you are a lover too. This morning when daddy, or as you call him "Kiko" left the house, you said "wuv woo", which I know you mean, "Love you". Oh achy breaky our hearts.
Over the weekend you got to have an overnight with your grandma/pa Dahlke. Gramma said she was going to buy you a tricycle, instead, we come home to you sporting some pretty classy driving skills in a mobile bug. They bought you your first car. First a pony, and now a car - I can honestly say, I don't know these people. There were no pony's unless they were part of an hour long trail ride, and there were no cars until I was 16. You are spoiled!
Last week was a sad week. We said good-bye to the house we brought you home to when you were brand new, and we said good-bye to our beloved "Leanie". Leanie was your, for all intense purposes, day care provider, but she was much more than that. She was the person that helped me figure out the best of you - and FIN, she loves you very much - highly evident from the scrap book put together, and all the pictures she took of you!
This week, we are trying to get our lives in order in our new home. Figure out all the places to go, shop, etc. 10 minutes in the car this morning and you were out like a light. I'm sure it has nothing to do with all the hard playing you did yesterday with your cousins, aunts/uncles, grandma/pa Nunez. I'm so interested to see what the next month brings. Maybe full phrases all the time, who knows!
Wuv woo,
your mama.

Independence

So I was told by Nunez Moment Fan Club that I need to be more diligent about updates. I do apologize for not updating the blog sooner, we have had a few things going on, and its kept me from getting to a computer to give updates about FIN and the family. This has been an exciting month. Just this week, we moved to the new house in Grayslake, IL in the Prairie Crossing community. More importantly, FIN got himself a new cousin! Madelyn Ava Yu! We are so so exciting about her arrival! We are going to Visit her in a week!
OK, so I know everyone wants to know what FIN has been up to... well growing, at an alarming rate! Pants that fit 2 weeks ago are now capris - just in time for the warmer weather. He has become more and more head strong about everything he does. I mentioned to Francisco the other day, "Where does he get that from", I wasn't even kidding, I truly wanted to know where he got that from, and Francisco said "gee I wonder, 'Miss knows everything what she wants', he gets it from YOU lady". I was all "Moi, head strong?!" Well, ok, so I'm a directive, rather than being directed. Anyhoo, I guess for the fan club this isn't interesting... So I digress.The boy is very independent. LOVES buttons. Especially his parents. But everything has a "buts" - thats FIN for Button. And atleast its "buts" now and not a pointing little finger at what he wants calling it "shit". Yes, FIN has dropped the s-bomb, the f-bomb, and boy let me tell you, if you laugh at it, he will come up and whack you one on the head. Thankfully, the swearing has past, and we are on to new more G-rated words, like birdie.
Here are a few pics from our last day in Milwaukee yesterday. And the one on the slide is from the new park by the house.

19 months

Dear FIN -
This has been a whirlwind month! We have sold the house, we have find a new house and baby, I'm so very excited for you to be in this new house! Lots and lots of room to run, the community seems really great, you'll be a FIB (to be explained to you when you're older). And if the community isn't great, well heck, we are only renting this first year to make sure we are making the right decision.
So your accomplishments this month, while still subtle, have been coming daily. You now can name all the colors in your color book. It totally took me by suprise. When I bought the book for you, you were about 10 months old. I would sit with you on my lap, flip each page, and say the color; 9 months later you can flip the pages and say each color. Awesome. Now I don't feel bad holding out on giving you M&M's until you tell me the color. And yes, lellow is acceptable for yellow.
You walk up and down stairs. No more crawling up them. You have no fear of just rubbing those chocolatey fingers up and down the wall as you make your way on the stairs - I'm totally OK with this, the house is only ours for 1 more month. There are so many other things you have begun doing, but I have to mention, you started swim classes. Not only are you the cutest thing in the class, but you are a rock star in the pool! Yes yes, the babylicious body helps, but you can kick your feet and paddle your arms on command, and you lunge for toys in the water with no fear as you sink like a rock - before I catch you, of course.
I am excited for what this next month has to bring, like your first baby girl cousin, thanks to Aunt Sara & Uncle Henry, due any day now!
Here are a couple pictures of you playing around the car. Your favorite word is CAAAAAR!
Love,
Mama

Updates...

In my haste of all the hustle around here, I think I forgot to post your 18 months checkup stats, so here they are:

Height 34" - 92 percentile

Weight 28.5 lbs - 80th percentile

18 Months

Dear FIN,
Happy 18 months today. This has been quite a fun filled month. Not only the things you continue to pick up, but our family is on the move. This past month you learned to count to FIVE, tell me and everyone else around us when you have to poop, and very clearly state when you are unhappy with us - there are others, but the sentence ends so nicely after three. In addition, we put the house on the market, I left my consulting firm, your daddy got a promotion, and we are moving to Northern Chicago - not all in that order.
In the past week, you have been to two different zoos. You seem to enjoy it, but mostly you like the sea gulls. Not the foreign animals that are shipped in a locked up for your enjoyment, but the crap eating, low swooping, shitters that annoy the heck out of everyone else. First the Lincoln Park zoo in Chicago, then the Milwaukee zoo. We let you run loose at the Milwaukee zoo. You loved it. People enjoyed watching you. So ensued the following photos of our time there with your parents, and your non-biological aunt Jess & Uncle Wes.

The last picture shows our image of you for about an hour at the zoo. We joked that we should put a number on you with 26.2 on the runners tag and we'd just cheer you along the entire time. You ran non-stop - till I got you pop corn. Then you decided it was ok to slow down. I know this says a lot about your independence and that you may be a taller older self when you are doing this at 18, but until then, and I'm certain the bribes will have to be more than popcorn, I will do whatever to get you to slow down and include your mom & dad.

Love,

Mama

Leprechaun

Yesterday at Leanie's house, she had green-day. Of course, I missed the mark and dressed you in a grey shirt and green pants. You made cookies, St. Patrick's day pictures, and you even came home with a bird tattoo on your arm (temporary of course). Here are some of the pictures to mark the occassion. You did lose your tattoo in your bath, however. Look, if your first tattoo doesn't say "I (heart) Mom", you're gonna get it washed off till it does.

The new baby?

Dear FIN,
Your father was caught red handed with a new baby. When asked the baby's name, "I don't know... Kiko's guitar!". The plan is that you will inherit this some day. So warm up your hot lil' hands... You will get the chance to play "Kiko's guitar".

17 months

Baby boy,
Today you turned 17 months old. Like the other months, you have begun to pick up new things, but this month has for some reason been much more noticeable. For example, you have begun jumping. I mentally picture you doing a very similar move on a skateboard some day - if your father has anything to do with it. Just tonight you told me "no" for the first time. No to the question "Since you are throwing your food on the floor, are you done?". Why you defiant little...
On a very very positive note, you have begun to go to bed like an angel. No more rocking and singing and lulling you to sleep for 20 - 50 minutes a night. We have 3 rocking chairs, all with very sad sounding creaks in them after 17 months worth of rocking you incessantly... ok, I take that back, for the first 4 months, we bounced the shit out of you on the yoga ball to get you to go to sleep. I guess as a parent, I can crack this up to 1 of 2 things, not really reading the "healthy sleeping baby books" from cover to cover on how to get you to sleep well from the start, or 2, I really enjoyed rocking you. Yeah its both.
Very late last evening, your newest friend, Anders Vergenz Ewald was born to your Auntie Saralyn and Uncle Dave Ewald (non-relation aunt/uncle). If they weren't 2000 miles away, the 3 of us would be in a car, on a plane, in a train to see them this second. I know that you 2 will get along great. You have the most gentle soul about you when it comes to being around babies. You love to say "hi baby" to other babies. If we saw them now, I know you would say the same to little Anders.
I love you baby,
-mama

While I was away...

This past weekend, I (mama) went to Phoenix to visit FINs auntie Sara. She is preparing to equip FIN with his first baby girl cousin - Madelyn Ava Yu, due May 3, 2009. I swear that while I was away he grew.

Temper

I picked up FIN from Leanie's house yesterday, and she tells me that he had his first temper tantrum - because she wouldn't let him in a drawer that obviously held the secrets to his universe if he could only get in it! He pouted his lower lip, and stomped just one foot, and made a wimpering whine.
I've been witness to this face before, its quite manipulative. He has it mastered to make me believe that when he is 21 years old and I'm ready to take him out for his first drink, that he will ditch me and remind me about how I made his life a living hell at almost 17 months.
I feel like a lot of my time is spent saying "no" to FIN, and I remind myself how important it is to let him explore and experience things... sorta like yesterday, when I went to make him dessert (boxed cake), and I got the hand mixer out, and he lost it when I turned it on - and not in a good way, and now I know that making cake with hand mixer, not a good experience. Playing with light switches till the neighbors ask if we are having electrical issues, a great experience.

Page boy

It was me and FIN at home today.

16 Months

Dear FIN,

Happy 16 months Mr. bucka bucka -

(For those that don't know, those are FINs favorite words up to this point in his life, but that is slowly changing. Listening to FIN walk/run around is like playing a game of Pac Man, except I'm the retarded ghost that just can't seem to catch Pac Man on level 1 of the game. It goes something like this "Bucka bucka bucka bucka bucka bucka weeeeeeeee", like Pac Man eating up the little dots, then getting the corner prize... yep thats what FIN sounds like running around.)

So I digress, of course you have other words in your arsenal that you use when you want to be cute, like:

"Hi",

"Baby",

"Coco" (general term for all dogs),

"No",

"E-I-E-I" (Singing Old McDonald)

"You"

"This"

"DaDa" (just to piss the Mama off),

and finally "Gampa" (Gamma D. says he uses it correctly, but he also says this when playing with the light socket - awesome)

This past weekend, you spent Thursday - Sunday w/ my parents (Gampa & Gamma) while your father and I went to Florida. No we didn't go to Disney, but you don't know what that is yet anyway. We basically pined for you all weekend. I don't know if it was the constant responsibility that we had a hard time pulling ourselves away from, or the cabin fever from days upon days of hanging out indoors while its 10 degrees outside that we missed more, but I guess in general, the overall cuteness factor of you is what we missed most. Your little pinky has to feel like weights that you are dragging around, because you've got quite a few people wrapped around them.

On a final note for this posting, you are quite the sharp little kid with electronics. I'm sure you out-wit the average RadioShack guy when it comes to gadgetry - leave you alone with your fathers Blackberry for 2 minutes, and you have some how figured out how to unlock the key pad and dial the Milwaukee emergency line... I'm not sure what you're trying to call them about, but kiddo , my cooking ain't THAT bad!

Here is a picture of you from this morning when you held still for about a nano second.

Love,

Your mama

Dancing boy

Most days, FIN wants to go in the basement and turn on cuban music and just let loose. Here is an example of what goes on in our house.

Guacamole

Video of FIN lovin' his guacamole. This makes me want to drink a margarita! (original video date 12/16/2008)

New Year's Day 2009

So, boy,

I thought it was time for your old man to write a little note about your progress. It is a short story, but, it unfortunately outlines my child-rearing skills up to this point.

I made everybody pancakes and bacon for breakfast - one of my favorite things to do on a lazy day off. We all ate ourselves silly, and I had to end up throwing away a couple of half-eaten pancakes.

We then proceeded to take our eyes off of you for a few minutes (as any parent knows, these are famous last words). At the end of that time, you approached us with evidence that you had opened the garbage can and proceeded to munch on one of those half-eaten pancakes. I can't argue with you, though. They were pretty tasty.

We love you, son.

Your Old Man