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.