Christmas!!!

Hello Friends! December was SO much fun! We put a tree in the house and I visited Santa (then he came and visited me when I was sleeping) AND I opened presents! I also gave presents and that was fun too! Aunt Donna and Big Uncle Mike gave me a present a couple weekends before Christmas (a big awesome Chuck Truck!) and I helped Momma open her birthday gifts so by Christmas morning I was a pro! Well, since it's almost the middle of January and my L key isn't working great I will summarize the holidays with pictures.

......so I just started going through the pictures and there so many I am going to break it up into a few posts. Then I don't have to skimp on the visual enjoyment.

Inspecting each tree looking for the perfect one! (In reality the wrapped up trees were much more interesting than the ones we were trying to choose from)

 Check this one out, Daddy!

 THIS ONE!

 I heard we're going to decorate this thing so I started us off.

 CHEEEEEEEESE!

 TA -DAaaaaa!

Santa!!!

The Big Brag Post: A Message from Momma

Knox just went to bed so I'll wait and let him tell you about the holidays. They were awesome! (especially for him!) In the meantime I am going to butt in on him and brag about his latest accomplishments. About a week before Christmas (a little before his 17th month day) something in his mind seemed to suddenly click and he started doing all kinds of new tricks. Before then he could point out a few animals in books and he would sign all done (sometimes). This is might be boring but at least I admit to the bragging and I need to get this all written down somewhere since it will most likely be a few weeks (at least) before I get out the baby book. Now for the great big list!

He pretty much only says 'car'. He seems to have gotten tired of saying 'cat' and although we thought a couple months ago he was saying 'dada' he wasn't. It was just the syllable of the week. He'll say 'dada' if we say it first. Sooooo, he pretty much only says 'car'. And occasionally he seems to say 'it's a car'. Technically a sentence, but he often picks up a car, says 'car' (I should video this) and we say 'yeah, it's a car'. Or 'it's a red (blue, green, purple) car'. So we know it's just a repeat of us. Anyway, EVERYTHING is a car. If something has wheels he is going to point it out to you and specify 'car'. Parking lots have become an adventure. He points and announces, 'car' to about every 3rd vehicle. He brushes off our attempts to point out the difference between cars and trucks as if we are the ones that don't know. If he doesn't know what something is then that must be a car too. Additionally he has an entire language of his own using consonants and vowels in no way associated with cars. I am sure there are words in there. He DEFINITELY knows what he is saying and thinks it means something coherent as there are inflections in his voice indicating statements and questions. There've been a few one time flukes(?) like on Christmas when he unwrapped a book with ducks on the front (he really likes ducks), pointed, and said 'du'.  Christmas morning he also seemed to be saying slide, something like 'shly' standing atop the slide Santa brought him.

Sign language. I have been doing sign language with him since he was weeks old and finally (FINALLY!) it is starting to pay off. After months of only signing 'all done' then learning 'dog' and then pretty much stopping signing all together, we suddenly have a whole list of signs!

- all done
- dog
- more
- water
- milk
- eat
- thank you (which he started doing on Christmas opening gifts)
- please (he started this one the day after Christmas)

His 'water' and 'eat' are very similar so you pretty much have to have an idea of if he should be hungry or thirsty, but he usually helps by simultaneously screaming at a cup or pointing at crackers. And his 'please' and 'thank you' are prompted by someone saying "Say please (or thank you)" but it's a HUGE step. We are working on getting him to "say" please when he wants something. If he drops a toy he has to sign please for us to pick it up. Hopefully within a few weeks this will replace the whiny grunts that currently signal he wants something.

Body parts. He points to his nose, ears, mouth, head (if you ask for his head or ask where he puts a hat), feet (or foot), and belly.

He loves to give hugs to animals alive and stuffed. He does this on his own all the time chasing down the cats, pinning them to the ground and laying on top of them giving great big hugs. It is super cute and I am very grateful to the cats for giving in to his affection. He will also hug on command, but even then if you aren't me, furry, or fake a hug is a great honor. He also waves bye on command. Of course he seems to love playing dumb here and waving when people turn their backs to actually walk away. He does this especially to strangers. He will also wave bye if someone leaves and shuts the door or if prompted by someone else's wave.

Ask him how big he is and he throws up his arms.

(Sorry this is getting long)

Animals and things he always knows if you ask him to point in a book.

- Cat
- Dog
- Cow
- Fish
- Butterfly
- Frog
- Duck
- Bumblebee
- Car (of course)
- Flower
- Bird
- The sky (in real life not a book)
- The moon

I am sure there are others I can't think of off the top of my head and he is always amazing us by pointing to the random animal or object I try to stump him with. Recently at the aquarium his Gram bought him a big stuffed frog. It was in the middle of the floor when his Daddy came home and I told him to show Daddy his frog. It was right there and he was standing two feet from it kind of looking around as we are like "Dude,  it's right next to you!". Then he stuck his head in his car drawer (yes, there is an entire drawer in the entertainment center just for cars. It has worked wonders getting him to leave the rest of the entertainment stand alone.) reached around and pulled out a little rubber frog and showed it off to Daddy proud as he could be.  You can tell when he knows he is correctly answering a question because he does it with a big ol' grin.

He is also starting to figure out people's names if you ask him where someone is and he is learning the names of our cats.

Ok. I could probably go one all night thinking of every cool little thing he does, but I'll let you be for now and leave you with my video attempt at getting him to show off for you. I have to get it on video as he often gets stage fright when we ask him to show off in person. Keep in mind I said attempt  and ignore my weird voice.

Favorite Recent Shots

The Interview and Baked Goods

I am trying to be less neglectful of my adoring fans, so while I eat lunch today (blueberries, grapes, and cheese cubes- no ham even though it's on my plate. no thank you, Momma) I will tell you about all the fun I had yesterday. First thing in the morning we usually sit together and eat breakfast -I eat breakfast and Momma drinks her delicious coffee (I can only guess it's delicious because no matter how big and sweet my begging eyes get she won't share) - but yesterday Momma made cookies and right after we went to my friend's house and there were lots of friends and LOTS of different kinds of cookies. It was pretty cool seeing my friends and new toys and stuff, but when I tried and tried to get a cookie and yelled and yelled that I couldn't quite reach it Momma would eventually give in and give me a cookie to be quiet. Each time she said, "LAST one." I ate FIVE. They were delicious.

In the afternoon, Momma and I played outside for a long time. Then it got too chilly and Daddy had to go to school so we came inside and I climbed on the kitchen table a lot. Momma always takes me off. She just doesn't understand I want to be up there and I do not need help getting down! After that Momma put me in the big recliner chair and I was being super extra cute so she took my picture a lot of times. And I was still being so super extra cute that she filmed me on the video and it was like a real interview on TV.

Also, I learned where my belly is. It hides under my shirt.

While Momma baked cookies I gave hugs to Homer.

See why Momma HAD to take pictures???

Momma and I were yelling "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!" It is a fun game that I like to play.

My best interviewer impression.

Clapping!

 

I TOLD you it was under there!

 

And all this fun was on Momma and Daddy's anniversary day :)

Officially Bipedal

I can (am willing to) FINALLY walk!!! Just so you know I could have walked any time I felt like it, I just didn't want to then. Now I do. After Halloween Momma and Daddy started holding candy (my candy that I earned trudging up and down long, long sidewalks and smiling at strangers) out in front of me trying to make me forget what I was doing and sometimes I accidentally walked a few steps. Who can think about what their feet are doing when sugar is dangling in their face?

Then on November 9th Momma took me to the Toys 'R Us to buy me a "Congratulations You're Walking Toy" even though she said I wasn't quite official yet. We got the Popper! I got to keep it in my lap in the cart seat and the checker lady didn't even take it away from me. I was SO PROUD! Okay. Then we brought the Popper home and you see it has just 2 wheels (tricky) and I pushed that thing all over the place for like 45 minutes and then I was like "Hey. I need that comb and I need my George and that pretty much uses up my hands, so I put the Popper down and became an official biped.

Me and Sir Popsalot

Walking outside!

 

And of course... videos! The first video is me in action. The second video Momma was throwing that watering can in the air so it was spinning and spinning and crashing to the ground. Hilarious! (But Momma says I have to warn you that though my laugh is the absolute most adorable sound you ever heard, she is simultaneously filming me and throwing/retrieving the watering can so it might give you a headache. WORTH IT! Or just close your eyes.)

Good Grief!

This was technically my second Halloween, but it was the first one where I could really get in on the action. We started out at my friend Dorian's house for a pinata bashing. My friends Maverick and Wyatt were there too. I was actually a little afraid of the pinata witch flying through the air, but it turned out okay because Wyatt gave me the very first piece of candy that was busted out of her (by him). It was a 3 Musketeers. And it was delicious. I ate it right away.

Then we went to a Halloween party at my buddy Nico's house. Lots more of my friends were there too and we all went trick or treating. Momma helped me walk up to the houses AND she said trick-or-treat for me. I am thinking next year I will take over that part. But it still worked this way and I got tons of yummy candy. My friend knew the people at one house and they gave us brownies. Mmmmmmm. I walked and walked with Snoopy, but when my poor little legs wore down I got to ride around in a wagon with William The Great Pumpkin.

After that neighborhood ran out of candy (well I am sure they were about to) we hit up Gram and Buelo's house. I must have trick-or-treated extra great at their house because I got candy and animal crackers AND a new car. Then we went to Amy and Landon's house where I trick-or-treated extra extra great and got a whole bag of candy in a special owl bag filled up just for me! I sat in their house and played and played with my bag of candy. I threw candy, and ate candy, and rolled in candy. Speaking of eating candy... after my 3 musketeers and my brownie, I got to eat half of an almond joy, a big reese's peanut butter cup AND a starburst. Overall, it was the Ultimate Halloween Experience.

Ready to head out for the night!

Dorian the Skeleton, Charlie, Mack the Pilot, and Wyatt the Busted Pinata

Getting four boys (and one sweet girl) together in a normal picture is not easy

I told you not to touch my costume, Skeleton!

 If you look closely, you can see me cowering from the creepy, swinging witch. Notice the protective arm all set to ninja chop danger. Don't scare me and then get to close.

Cccchhhhhoooocccccoooooollllllllaaaaaattttteeeeeeeeee...........

Setting off for the actual tricking and treating!

Wait. I need a quick break before we start.

Comin' through! Do you see the great pumpkin in the corner?

 I forgot to mention that Snoopy was on a leash.

 And Charlie finally gets to see the Great Pumpkin. He really is real :)

Big news next post!

15 Months and Counting

First of all I am getting enormous. Remember when I was in the ZERO percentile for size? Well. Prepare yourself because now I in the TWENTY FOURTH percent. That 2-4. Wow. Told you I was huge. 22 pounds 11 ounces. AND I am 32.5inches long. That's the 86th percent. Watch out people, there's a monster comin' through.

Actually you don't need to watch out for me because there is some scary stuff out there in the world. Mostly you can find me hiding with my Momma. Momma and Daddy call it being shy, but I call it 'there's a stranger up in my face trying to talk to me but I don't know how to talk (so what do I do?)'. Also, did you know there are things out there (some people call them toys but toys are something you want to play with and I do NOT want to play with these things) that talk and move at you. Momma says Mickey Mouse is dancing. DANCING! I will show you dancing and what Mickey does is not a dance. Attack mode. It is definitely "toys" in attack mode that Momma has been showing me at the store. Scary stuff guys. Scary stuff.

On a better note, it is FINALLY a bearable temperature down around these parts and we have been doing lots of fun stuff outside. But, speaking of outside, I have to tell you how Momma has been teasing me lately. You see all I want to do is go play outside and several (several) times a day Momma opens the doors "letting the cats out (or in)" and then just as I get there, she SHUTS IT IN MY FACE. Not cool people. NOT. cool. Then Momma has the nerve to be annoyed at me for screaming and banging my head on the door.

Occasionally Momma does take me out there into the amazing OUTSIDE and we do fun things. We have been to see pumpkins, partied at fall festivals, rode on hay, been to the park, played in the backyard, danced in the street...... whoa. Just listing everything is wearing me out so take a look for yourself.

Walking with Momma and Daddy.

Daddy! Let's go this way!

What happened to this one?

My friends Kaede (in green) and William (in blue). I am SO excited!

I fell on my face on the wooden stairs at the back door. One of my favorite places to play in the back yard. Momma took these pictures because she says I almost never have  actual tears.

 Sunday at the park.

 Happy birthday Daddy!

 I can stand by myself!

 All this activity is wearin' me out.

 Mmmmmmm... Mango. I also eat apples like this.

 Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Street Festival.

 And lastly Momma insists on hanging up my underwear for everyone to see. Diaper laundry day.

Ok and if you made it all the way to the end of this crazy long post you get the secret surprise at the end. I took a step by myself! Then I took THREE steps by myself when Momma bribed me with her drink. And three again when she bribed me with a cupcake (that particular cupcake was DEEElicious. But it had crazy blue/green icing that made me poo bright greenish blue for 2 days.) If you wouldn't mind, tell my Momma to stop bribing me with stuff. I don't want to walk anywhere. Have you seen how fast I can crawl? PLUS how do you expect me to drive my cars around from way up there. Crazy People.