11 Months and counting

Fin-e,

So you are closing in the big 1st birthday. This went so damn fast! You turned 11 months yesterday, and we celebrated as usual, got a babysitter, and me and your dad went out drinking. Ok, so we didn't. You dad is working hard in Philly, and I had an appointment to get a hair cut, so your auntie Jess came over to watch you for 2 hours. Then we gave auntie Jess and you a treat - PIZZA.

This month you learned to LOVE pizza. I had no idea until one night I sat down with a slice and you came barreling towards me, stood up, and put your hand smack down on top of the piece of pizza. It was a proud moment. You are also learning to feed yourself more. Anytime I go to feed you with a spoon, I have to have 2 spoons out. One that you play with and fling food with, and one with that I actually get food into your mouth.

You are starting to make some sounds that are close to words. Just this morning, you said "Done", to tell me you were done with breakfast. I wasn't sure I really heard what I thought I heard, but you pushed your tray away after you said it, so you really did say it. And last night you said "Up" to Jess and raised your arms to be picked up.

Another thing that you do is you make car noises when you play with your toy car. You make a car out of everything - shoes, water bottles, the dogs toys. Bottom line is, you are so smart. You absolutely melt my heart. I continue to believe I am the luckiest mom alive.

Did I mention how quick you are and how you don't like to sit still? Here are some pictures I took trying to get you to hold still.

I love you baby boy.

-mama

I'm not ready for him to be vertical

The lovely daycare lady, Leenie sent me this video of him walking. He was just this little guy not so long ago, and here he is freaking walking already. Its not right.

Raging Saturday night

So the other night we had dinner w/ the newly married Wes and Jess. They busted out the brand new china, not new everday ware, but china for a delicious meal of home prepared indian tikka masala, and veggie curry. The video doesn't encapsulate the full couple minutes of Wes making FIN laugh, but you get the general idea. Wes (aka FINs manny - but we decided it wasn't a great use of his Ph.D.) was blowing on the back of FINs neck, and he'd laugh hysterically. But then FIN started to anticipate what was going to happen and would just buckle at the knees and start laughing more. I know Jess got a better video, so if I get that from her, i'll replace this one taken with my cell phone.

Dinner was followed-up by dessert, prepared ala Becky style, Kopps custard, flavors of the day, Baihly's Irish Cream Coffee and Chocolate chip cookie dough. We are so happy for Wes and Jess - Congrats guys. Cheers to a long happy life together.

FIN UPDATE -

He is finally taking naps without me having to rock him. We had such a fantastic weekend with him. He's always been wonderful, but we are hitting an period that I am in love with. He isn't quite walking yet, but he is working so hard at it. He is also playing very hard. He plays by himself and with others. Its amazing to watch him turn anything into a toy vehicle. I don't know if he knows what a vehicle is, but this morning I caught him making motor noises to a water bottle and then, with Francisco's shoe. Its great.

He is getting over the flu that he had a week ago. He is starting to eat more foods by himself, and he is even sleeping better. I am so lucky I get to brag about my family and friends.

A moment I'll always remember

Ok, so most of you may not appreciate this - whoever most of you are (i'm finding there are always people lurking and finding me - with random parenting advice - you know who you are), but for those of you who are of sound mind - either pharmaceutically enhanced or not, whatever, I don't judge, you may appreciate why this means so much to me. In the past 2 months, to change FIN, I believe it should be submitted as an olympic sport, its quite a task. The little bugger squirms and slaps the wall, grabs the dirty diaper before I do, I'm sweating a little by the time I'm done. He crawls faster than the dog walks to a full bowl of dog food - and the dog is usually pretty hungry. In the moments of quiet, I find FIN just looking and taking in his surroundings. This is a fine example of FINs discovery of a new room. We didn't get his clothes back on after a diaper change - but thats ok, this picture makes my heart melt.
Don't even think of posting a comment about using disposable vs. cloth diapers here - or I'll mail you a used one of FINs :-)

WEEEEEE!

The simple pleasures. As of about 2 weeks ago, he stopped doing his SO BIG game, and instead, he just cuts to the chase and cheers himself on by clapping.

Generations

J. Francisco Nunez IV and Francisco Isaac Nunez VI. Though he didn't say it, I think he really enjoyed this moment with his grandson. (Taken 8/2/08)

10 Months Old

Yesterday, my beloved FIN turned 10 months old. We celebrated mostly by saying, "hey, guess who's 10 months old today?!", then we gave him his first beer. You'd agree with our logic, I mean after all, he IS SO BIG!

Dear FIN,

Every month I say to myself, I can't believe you are x number of months old. I try to put it into perspective with different analogies:

1. You are as old as the number of months I carried you
2. You are older than the amount of time spent in a school grade

This past month was a big month for you. You learn things so fast now - I tell ya, you figured out how to grow that first tooth, and then there ya go and grew another right away. You learned how to clap, wave goodbye, and hello, and can play the "So Big" game. I'm pretty sure you say "hi" and "what", but that's up to interpretation of anyone else that hears you say it... so I'll just include that in your list of 10 month leaps and bounds. You finally figured out how to do the pincher grab with your first finger and thumb, though you still have an interesting way to put cereal in your mouth. You will wrap your pointer finger around a piece of Kix cereal, and then roll it up and down your face till it lands in your mouth.

The new game that the dog has learned, is that as soon as you wake up, means that he can eat - and let me tell you, fatty is hungry. He shouldn't be since you also figured out that if you drop your food on the ground, it mysteriously disappears - hence Winston being on light dog food. So I digress, what Winston has figured out, is that if he goes into your room as soon as you start moving around in the morning, he'll lick your head through your crib bars, and then you are instantly up. Once you are up, we are all up. At 5 AM no less. I bought you room darkening shades this week - this did nothing to help your 5 AM wake up calls.

Next weekend your manny Wes and his hot-stuff woman Jess are getting married. We aren't taking you with us to the festivities because mommy and daddy need to get their drink on - er, a break, doh, I mean you need to spend time with your aunt Ana and soon to be uncle Carlos. Don't get all upset, besides day care, I have only had someone baby sit you 5 times in 10 months. That's how much I love you.

Love,

Your mama

Feed Me!

At daycare on Tuesday, Helene (day care provider) decided to have some fun with FIN and just hold the spoon in front of him.

Eaten by a frog

Here is a picture of FIN in the frog pool at Day care. Yet another argument that he'll make later in life that his toys at day care are WAY better than his ones at home. In response to that argument, I'll be left to say "well I told your babysitter to put you in water because you had a really bad diaper rash". Or I could take the really low road and tell him his daddy needed the toy money to buy booze, because his crying makes him drink - oh who am I kidding, FIN doesn't cry.

2 Teef

So whats new in my life - well 2 teef! This past week was a rough one, my mom says equally on her too. I got over my double ear infection, then I got the coxsackie virus (aka hand-foot-and-mouth disease), all the while, I cut my second toof. Mom stayed home with me during this tough time juggling me and work. It was quite the circus act.

Coming up next weekend, people keep saying I'm going to be dunked. I don't know what that means, but I guess its like a ritual bathing in front of a group of people. Baptism? Whatever, but theres going to be a party for me!

Heres a picture of me, and you can almost see both of my teeth.