Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, I am most thankful for my wonderful family! Nick and Felix are my world, my comfort, my joy. I am so thankful them, as well as my parents and sister, in-laws, and extended family. Without them, where would I be?

Felix's new tricks include saying "mutz" for "button", saying please ("pees!") or doing the sign (yay!), attempting to repeat everything we say (careful!), naming all the things he does know (this rainy evening, everything outside was "wet"), throwing things crazy hard (well, not so new), and claiming everything as "meine" (he's got a little German in him :o).

Felix: 16 mos

Say What?!

Felix's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds, and he understands much more than he says.  (I've started cautioning Nick on his language during sporting events because of it.)

If you happen to find yourself around Felix anytime soon, please use this handy Fel-ish-English translation guide:

• "Ah Dah" = All Done
• "Ah-puh" = Apple
• "Ai" = Hi!
• "Bah" = Ball
• "Bock" = Box
• "Book" = Same
• "Bubbuh" = Bubble
• "Buppy" = Bucky (He said only once. Now he just calls him "Buh")
• "Bye" = Same
• "Go" = Same
• "Kah-kah" = Cracker
• "Kok" = Sock or Clock
• "Luka" = His friend, Lucas
• "Muh" = More
• "Muk" = Milk
• "My" = Mine
• "Nah-Nah" = Either banana or his friend Alana
• "Nek" = Neck
• "Nuk" = Pacifier, one I was hoping he wouldn't pick up on so quickly
• "No" = Same
• "Row" = Roll
• "Uh-Oh" = Same
• "Up" = Up, On or Off (haven't quite determined which, or else it might mean Light)
• "Wawa" = Water
• "Wock" = Watch (as in wrist)

He also attempts a quacking noise like a duck, but it sounds like he's clearing his throat.  Kid's got some German in him. :o)  He says "Rawr" when you put a puppet on his hand and he shoves it back in your face.  He raises one arm to mimic an elephant's trunk.  He will spin around and make himself dizzy if you say "spin".  I'm amazed that at this young age he understands a request like "put it back".  He likes playing with his little doctor kit, and actually attempts to use each item correctly.  His favorite book right now is the Go Badgers, My First Wisconsin Words book (probably because it has two pictures of Bucky in it).  He will give kisses when he's in the mood.  When I put him down for bed, he immediately turns over and points at the humidifier, my cue to plug it in.  My little, wonderful, amazing man.

Felix: 15 mos

Brains!

Halloween has come and gone.  Felix was definitely more aware of what was going on this year, but still very perplexed by the whole get-dressed-up, get-candy-from-people aspect.  I dressed him up in several Halloween costumes over the course of last week.

Felix's new daycare had a parents' night on the 28th.  Parents and children were invited to dress up, meet the teachers, collect artwork, and let their kids play around.  For this event, he was the cutest little lion.

On Friday, Felix's class was going trick-or-treating in the neighborhood around the daycare. Even though they made their own costumes (they were puppies), I sent him to Pooh Bear Daycare as a little Pooh Bear.  Aww!  Hopefully I'll get a picture of him in his puppy costume as well.

Finally, we all got dressed up on Halloween and scared the neighborhood as a family of zombies (Mama Zombie, Papa Zombie and Zombaby) on the loose.  Felix has got the undead stagger down, so it seemed fitting.  Nick and I enjoyed getting into costume as well.  Felix picked us out some nice candies, and we let him have a few baby-appropriate pieces. He did approve of the 3 Musketeers bar and Reese's peanut butter cup.

Felix: 15 mos

Just a Few Updates

A few things from recently:

Yesterday, Felix said "bye" to me for the first time when I dropped him off at daycare.  Aw.  He's starting to get the hang of when to use it, but isn't quite there.  Usually he says a big "buh-by-ee" after we've already shut the door on Nick and are walking to the car.

The kid is a natural mimic.  If you do something he hasn't seen you do before, there's a pretty good chance he will immediately want to do it.  We noticed it big time when I swept the floor a few weeks ago.  He HAD to have the broom and sweep (i.e., knock the handle into everything fragile in the area).  We've since put the broom in the garage where he can't get it.  His little Swiffer works just fine.

We've found the best way to tire him out at night.  He loves being chased, so Nick or I will pretend to be chasing him around our first floor.  It's a nice loop between the living room, hallway, kitchen and dining area.  We stomp behind him and almost catch him.  It's a nice workout for all of us.

Felix has five teeth and another that is just about to cut.

I'll be posting Halloween stuff soon.  Yay!

Felix: 15 mos

Playing in the Leaves

Last year, we got a great picture of Felix in the leaves.  I wanted to get something similar this year, so we bundled Felix up and took him over to the huge leaf pile next door.  He was... unimpressed.  The sound, the texture, everything seemed to put him off.  Or else he really just wanted to play with Nick's basketball.  Finally, some of the neighborhood kids came over to play in the leaves, too.  We finally got a few smiles when the kids started throwing leaves in the air.  Hooray!

Felix: 15 mos

Visitors

On Sunday, we had a visit from my uncle Steve, my aunt Lori, and their son, Eric. We'd never met Eric before, since Steve and Lori's last visit was before he was born. Luckily, we got to meet him on his first birthday!

Felix was napping when they arrived, so he was a little slow to warm up to our guests. Eric was right at home, eating Felix's crayons. To celebrate Eric's birthday, everybody got cake. Felix dove right into his, while Eric enjoyed smashing his. The boys got so dirty that we let them play in their diapers. By that time, they were feeling pretty comfortable with each other and started crawl-chasing each other around our dining table and "wrestling" on the floor.

Other than the Packers loss, it was a great visit - thanks again, guys! Hope to see you soon!

 Felix: 14 mos

 

Scrambling, in Pseudo-Panic Mode

We were tipped off last night and officially (though off-the-record) told this morning that Felix's day care will be closing permanently.  Today's his last day there.  Cue a sleepless night (sleep finally induced by a dose of NyQuil) and a tension-filled early morning. 

Thinking back to the places we toured before Felix was born, a couple stood out.  I called one this morning and they had openings!  Hooray!  We liked it the first time around, but as they couldn't guarantee an infant opening, we passed on it.  Now they have enough availability that Felix and his friend (whose dad tipped us off last night), and hopefully our neighbor's daughter can all be there together.  Our neighbors are on vacation and have no idea, so we've left messages with them today.  I also had to tell a coworker, whose baby was signed up to go to the closing day care in January.  I feel like quite the bearer of bad news today, so I've included a happy picture (of Felix and me with my new laser-eyes from Monday).

Update 10/11/10 - we found a place for Felix and his classmate Alana at the same center. Several other kids from our old center are there as well. They started on Monday, and so far Felix is doing well. One downside has been that the smaller room sizes make him more aware of other parents picking up their kids, so he's getting unhappy in the afternoon that I haven't come yet. And he's getting very clingy in the morning. I'm not sure if it's just a transition thing (that he doesn't quite recognize the people, friends, etc.) or if he's just developing separation anxiety (which we haven't gone through yet). But on the whole they tell me he does very well during the day and that he's adjusted well to their schedule and staff.

Our neighbors are still looking at different options - our new center isn't convenient for them.  But we have found out a whole mess of information about the center owner from them.  Holy crap.  Let's just say that cocaine, adultery, and divorce settlement were mentioned.

Felix: 14 mos