Moving Yet Again

Hey Boy,

This is your old man. I have to apologize for making this year so crazy for you. We started out by living in Whitefish Bay, WI. Next, we moved to Prairie Crossing (from here on referred to as Stinkytown). Then, it was a series of two temporary assignments, one in Massachusetts and the other in North Carolina. After 9 months on the road, we are back in Stinkytown, at the cusp of moving yet again to our new home in Highwood/Ft Sheridan, Illinois. The difference is that the house that we are moving to is hopefully going to be the last move for you until you are done with high school (lets hope so anyway).

Last weekend, you and I had a "man weekend." We spent the entire weekend with just you, me and the dog. We really had a blast. I can't talk about all of the fun that we had because your mother will eventually read this, but, let's just say it was one hell of a party. One of my favorite moments was when you snuck into the pantry, opened a container of powdered gatorade, and started drinking the powder with the scoop. I quickly took it from you, used the powder to make you a Gatorade with water, and put the Gatorade powder away. When I held the glass up to you and ask if you wanted some of "this" you quickly went into the pantry, pointed at the Gatorade powder and said, "That 'this'." You are definitely becoming more proficient at communicating.

Your mother and I are so excited for your brother to come. We hope that you and he can become great friends, although, we know that as a big brother, you will feel obligated to give him the occasional swirly and/or beat-down. That is what big brothers are for. We know you will be a good one.

I love you, son.

Month 28, and then some...

Dear FIN,

As usual, you keep us so busy that I don't even get in the time to write you about your 2 yr and 4 month mark. And again, I find myself trying to wrap my head around the detailed changes we see in you this past month. Clearly your language is becoming refined, your phrasing is right on as usual. This past month you looked and pointed at something, and in an exclamatory tone you said, "Holy balls!", (thanks a lot for that one daddy).

Since we are still in the Outer Banks, NC, there aren't a whole bunch of different places to go here. We drive on 2 roads, the beach road, or the parallel Croatan HWY. As you sit in the back seat when we are driving on one of these 2 roads, you distinctly remind me of (now this is a stretch, and a movie lesson) Debra Winger's father in the movie "Forget Paris". He would sit in the back seat too, and name off all the places they drove by in the movie. You point out to us where you play basketball, where daddy gets his coffee, where the chicken/french-fry place is, where you played that car driving game at the movie theatre, where the pizza place is... WE GET IT, you're observant.

Not only are you observant, you are picking up words to music. You don't just sing the last word in a song anymore, you sing entire phrases. Now normally I wouldn't mind this, but since I spend every waking moment with you, this slightly stings... You pick up things better when you are with your daddy. I have gone over counting, and the alphabet with you repeatedly. You sit down with your dad for 20 minutes, and you can identify letters and numbers. You can also sing the alphabet song clearly. This makes me equally as proud when you sing the song at the top of your lungs going through a store, as your proficiency with using my iPhone and all its subsequent applications. People don't just stop and stare, they marvel, and then ask, "How old is he?!". I'm all, "OH I KNOW! I hire him out for birthday parties and to program TVs too".

Here is a picture of you at a co-worker of your dad's, on Teddy the paint horse. You LOVED this!

Love, Mama

A new friend

This past weekend, we all traveled to Portland to visit the Ewald family, to for the first time, introduce FIN to Anders Vergenz Ewald - 10 months. FIN took to his new friend right away, though we as the parents will tell you, he took to Anders much yet unused toys. They were an interesting pair, Anders who just crawls, and FIN, the tazmanian devil, would be interested in each other, one watching the other, hugs, kisses, but the second I would come near Anders, FIN would go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. I fear what will happen when FIN's sibling arrives.
Due to a tragic event that cut our visit with our much loved Ewald family short, there was a moment when the adults were comforting and planning. While we were around the pair of new friends, but not actively interacting with them, I caught a glimpse of FIN feeding Anders Fish crackers and telling him "good boy!". After that, I just paused to watch them, and FIN was patting his new friends back, soothing him when the adults were not. I love to think that they will be friends for life.
We are so very sorry for the loss of Ander's uncle John Vergenz. He will be missed, and our love and thoughts go out to the Vergenz family.

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).