Applause please....

Mom here. Micah, by going to bed right on schedule, has provided us the opportunity to enjoy a quiet evening and a bottle of wine, which has prompted me to wax poetic on our growing little boy.

Our sweet boy... Today has been all about "Mama" and clapping. Micah has FINALLY gotten into clapping. It is just so touching for my appreciative applause to be joined by his little hands clapping together too--equally as proud and expressive about his accomplishments, be they maneuvering a spoonful of food into his mouth or finishing a diaper change. I guess, clapping his hands in the past was never as gratifying as "clapping" two object together in his hands, so before today there wasn't much applause. We were all about the applause today.

At bedtime, Micah toddled over to his book case and pulled down the book he wanted to listen to (I am a bunny), then carried it over to the rocker and attempted to climb up in it for story time. Sweet love.

I like GG's plums

Yesterday I went to the Frank-Lloyd-Wright-designed lagoon to feed the ducks with Mommy and my GG (her Nana).



The ducks didn't get very much.






Later, I helped excavate the playground.


It was tasty, too. I share this highly acquired taste with my cousin--he knows what's up! (You should have seen my diaper this morning-- you could have polished some lumber with it's contents.)


Hey--And don't diss that hat man! A) It's not like I get to do my own shopping and B) they tell me it's UVA protected

GG gave us some of her plums which I have been enjoying ever since. (Really!)

Last night I was full of energy and ran around before bedtime, despite still being under the weather. Dad tried to sober me up by giving me Nick's dissertation to read.
But I still had lots of energy:



Eventually I settled down with Nicholas the Bunny.

Anatomy lesson

Today when Mom came home I stuck my fingers in her eyes and played with her eyelashes. Then, when Dad finished reading "Daddy Cuddles" at bedtime, I showed him my anatomical expertise by pointing to the eye of the little boy on the last page and saying, "eye". To further prove my point, I twisted around in his lap and touched Daddy's eye.

I'm a good boy

I sleep all night without waking up until 5am. Then Mom feeds me and I go back to sleep until after 6am, sometimes close to 7. I play outside, eat my breakfast and don't make a fuss when Dad brings me to Sausan's. I eat more breakfast, play with my friends and have a nice big nap. When Dad comes back, we play outside and eat dinner. Then I take a bath and read stories until it's my bedtime. I lie down in my crib and get comfy, thinking of spoons, red cars, and Nicholas the Bunny after Dad leaves.

Except when I get sick.

Car! Car! Car!

Okay, so maybe it sounds more like "Ka! Ka! Ka!" when I say it out loud, but my parents know what I'm saying and that's all that matters in my quest to get-what-I-want-right-now! For some reason they have become very reluctant to let me "push" the car. I know it is for riding in--and once in the while I'm in the mood to be a passive passenger--but pushing it (by the handle) imbues me with a sense of, well, of being a big kid. In the immortal words of Too Short, "I wish a was a little bit taller!*" but for now I have my dad--the human ladder.


* I also wish I was a baller -- I love balls! Especially my new bouncy plastic green ball

ambidextrous

Just so you know, I actually use my trusty spoon too. See (warning do not watch if you have a weak stomach) :

I'm baaaaack!

Daddy's been monopolizing the computer and pulling all nighters (something about "FINALLY acting like he's a PhD student" --or so Mama's been saying under her breath). In any event, you may have noticed I haven't been able to keep you all up to speed with my life--and it's fast, let me tell you!

So fast you can't catch me on film:


Not to mention my twig and berries have been upfront and center long enough!

Mama took me clothes shopping on Sunday (boring!) and just as I was about to drop off to sleep this little boy with the neatest squeaky shoes ever toddles over to visit me while I was trapped in my stroller. Incidentally, Mama disagrees about the shoes--but she is only saying that because I was more interested in the shoes than my nap. In any event, I was just sitting there minding my own business and the kid bit my finger--wait!--and wouldn't let go. I screamed and Mama came to my rescue, prying the kid off me. The other Mom kept on saying "sorry baby, sorry baby" and I was like, "Who are you calling a baby? I'm a TODDLER now!" (Mama wants me to add that yes, it left a deep bite mark.)

I guess that is how you say, "hello!"

What I don't understand though. is why the next day at daycare when I "said hello" to all my friends why everyone was so upset and kept on saying, "no, Micah...gentle!"

This is a confusing world.

Good thing I have my trusty spoon!--there are some constants in this world, afterall.


We also went to the park on Sunday. (waaaaaay more fun!) I got to eat sand--which is surprisingly good. So good, in fact, I kept on diving in for more. It was hot and sunny and pretty perfect out:

Exposed

So that I never have to face the indignity of a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, my parents decided to share this with the world:



(Sorry it's sideways)

Lucky 13

I am 13 months old today--Yay for me! From here on out, mom and I agree, stating my age in months is annoying. "Oh, hi! Meet my baby, he's 22 months!" or "Oh, my little one is 17 months old."

Just say "almost two" and "nearly one and a half" people!



I think I'll just start saying I'm one and a half right now.


And yes, I still have my trusty spoon in hand. And yes, I think I look lovely in pink too.

goose egg

Yeah, that's going to leave a mark. So, I'm not divulging all my secrets, but lets just say, mama left me in my crib to take a nap (which I soooooo didn't want) and well, gravity is a b*tch. Suffice it to say, a horrible thud followed by my scream (yeah, I cried, I'll admit it) is what brought her running back into the room moments later. Man, what's a kid got to do to get a little attention these days, anyway? Mama would like me to add that there is no sound more harrowing than the thud of what can only be described as your child's body hitting the floor from an elevated height. Calm down mom! We had our trusty Mr. Happy ice pack to make it all better.

p.s. They lowered the mattress in my crib! I didn't realize that what all these cool shiny things were for:

You can't catch me!

Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me,
I'm the crazy-Chilean-spoon-wielding-lady-bug man!

Is it bedtime yet?

Micah's mama here. I had to gush just a little about our new bed. Our backs are already thanking us. A serious intervention (read: expense) had to be had given Micah is not getting any lighter. But I believe it is a worthwhile investment. Micah gives it his seal of approval too:



The only problem is this bed is considerably higher than our last garage sale gem and as deft as Micah was at slipping himself feet first off the bed, this one has quite a drop! I wonder if he thinks he's shrinking?

Where's Grandma & Grandpa G?

Hi, I survived the potentially disastrous walking demo near an open body of water to live to tell another tale. This is a tale of woe and sorrow. Grandma and Grandpa G left sometime ago (it is really hard to say exactly when, when you are chronologically unaware.) Here we all are at Nanny and the-man-who-does-not-go-by-any-name's house, enjoying some rather good margaritas. (I think Grandpa G is retelling the St. Paul Island National Forest Unit A and Unit B story, again!)

On another note, have you ever noticed just how good your thumb can taste?
I highly recommend it. Grandpa wouldn't take part, despite my satisfactory slurps, but this is coming from the guy who taught his children to search for stray chocolate chips from opened bags on the grocery aisle shelves. Go figure.

When I say I can walk, I really mean it

See:

bye bye

Sadly I had to use my waving bye-bye skills yesterday to some very dear friends. Mama and Dada's friends, Nick and Kristin Fiori, are moving to New Haven where, once Kristin has my new playmate baby ?, she starts her postdoc at Yale. Mama and dada thought I was sleeping in the back seat, but I think I heard them sniffling. I guess even adults cry sometimes.

Here we are just before we left (I was really sleepy):


Here I am digging in some great dirt during the party:


And, one from the archives--my one month old birthday at their house last summer:

officially a toddler

I've been a bit busy lately. Gramma and Grampa G are in da' house enroute from their va-ca in Alaska. I thought I'd debut my moves for their visit and show off a bit. (They have rewarded me handsomely, I must say!)

Check out my new moves here:


I'm a little annoyed about the cupboards...I used to be able to get into those and I recall some pretty nice pots and pans reside in them there cupboards. (Pots that make some great (loud!) sounds when you bang them.) But hey, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade--check out the sounds those cupboards make with those baby proofing locks!

Walking is tiring stuff. I often have to make pit stops to refuel:


I'd chat longer, but I gotta scoot. Later skater.