Monday, January 24, 2011

Understanding a 22 Month Old

Ahwawa - I Love You. He's nowhere near saying it right but since I know what he's trying to say I love to hear it.
Dinner - Doodoo
Lunch - Dunch
Breakfast - Bullshit. I don't know - it just comes out that way. (See the video!)
Gilk - Milk
Colcut - Chocolate
Juice - Chocolate Milk. You would think chocolate milk would be 'colcut gilk' but . . .  it's not. He says 'juice' and points to where the Nestle Quick is kept.
Wawas - Water
Bubob - Spongebob Square Pants
Mitme - Mickey Mouse
Hammy Mam - Handy Manny
Pompas - Thomas (as in the tank engine)
Tissue - This actually means tissue. But it sounds am awful lot like choo choo which means trains. If he's got boogers, he needs a tissue. Otherwise he wants to watch 'Pompas'.
Cook - He says this when he is cooking in his kitchen!
LoLo - This is what he calls his cousin, Logan. Nathan, btw, is NayNay. Nathan randomly asks for LoLo sometimes. It's adorable.
Lily - Lily is of course the other cousin. I think he really does know who Lily is but he also calls all other babies Lily, including little black babies.
Hammy - Hammer
Goggy - Doggy
Gunky - Monkey (I don't know what's up with the G's)
Baf - Bath
Teef - He wants to brush his teeth
Ticker - Sticker. What he gets when he brushes his teeth really well. This sticker thing works, btw. He actually lets me get in there and brush really well so he can pick out a 'goggy' sticker.
Wat Way - That way or This way. He likes to tell you where to go.
Moom - I think he can actually say 'moon' now but he used to say 'moom'. He is fascinated by it and looks for it every night.
Hands - He wants to wash his hands
Eyes - The sun is in his eyes
Deetz - Dance. He has a great little chicken-like dance.
Syak - Snack. He loves snacks. Especially colcut.

These are the words of Nathan at 22 months, among many others of course. Hard to imagine he will be saying lots more in full sentences very soon. He is so fun to watch. I love him!

Friday, January 7, 2011

There's Nothing Like Christmas

I never thought I would be so happy to leave December. It was a FaNtAsTiC month! But a busy one. To catch my breath is to regain sanity. All is good in the world now. And I have so many great new memories (and pictures) to look back on now that I have the time to look back. Not only were we so busy when we returned from our NY trip, but I was still overcome with the emotion of it. So many things to revel in and ponder about . . .

Like the addition of a family member. Although it wasn't Nathan's first Christmas, it was Lily's and the first Christmas that we spent it with the kiddies and the NY crowd. It was a fun as everyone says and so very special. Nothing like the first time. And there will be so many more firsts, at least in terms of more family members joining the annual festivities. New spouses and kids to look forward to. That family portrait is getting really BIG!

But I have to say there was a bittersweet tone to it all, at least in my mind. It was maybe the first time I realized that even though there will be more Christmas's, they won't always be like that. Our families will grow. People will move. Or die. Sorry, but that's life. Things will change and you never know how many more of anything you will have. I don't know why I was able to look at it from this perspective this time. And why I never saw it this way before. Aging and having kids changes things I guess. It made me sad to think that in 20 years our Kepler Family Tradition may be so very different. I just enjoy it so much that I want Nathan to   grow up with it too. I want him to be surrounded by his aunts and uncles and cousins and enjoy the same traditions we have established over the years. Hanging out, dinner, Muppet Christmas, Secret Santa, dessert. Playing in the snow if we are lucky. And more recently, having Christmas morning together for breakfast and another round of gifts.I know there will be other traditions and other people to share them with but it's this combination of people in my life that make it unique and fun. If I could, I would give Nathan lots of siblings so he could look forward to a house full of people all the time. It's when I'm happiest - when all the brothers are present. But, he will most likely NOT have 4 other siblings to enjoy.And while he will have cousins here in NC, there will still be others missing in other places like NY.

I don't want to make anyone feel bad who is not involved in this particular Christmas fun. I have an open mind and heart for new traditions to come. But what we have in NY around this time of year is very special to me in ways I may never be able to explain.

Not to get all sappy on you. Like I said, aging gives new perspectives.

Another cool part of the trip to NY was the day in the city. Greg, Danielle and I went off on our own (sans babies) to the city. The reason for it was because Greg introduced me to an amazing book that took place over a few centuries in NYC. We saw churches and streets and landmarks from the book and it was really cool to talk about it with a little more understanding of its' history. I always enjoyed NY but was overwhelmed by it. Now I have much more respect for it and want to learn more. Being able to roam around (although very cold!) was fun. And freeing!

During the trip, in addition to the regular visiting around town, we were treated to a wonderland of snow. It snowed a bunch in NC - the first time in 30 years and where are we?! But I couldn't be upset that we missed it since we got a healthy helping as well. It was awesome. Nathan had a great time and, again, having the uncles around to play with was a bonus. It made for nasty traveling for everyone once the fun was over - but still, I can't hate snow for that. It was worth it to see my little boy standing in the white stuff up to his hips!

We may be getting more of that soon - the white stuff. Though not much I'm sure. Besides, the magical part of it has past I think. It's super special over Christmas I think.

Now we are settling into new routines. MOPS starts up again next week and I enrolled Nathan and I into a fun music class that happens Fridays. Today was our first day. He wasn't super thrilled about it but we have several weeks to adjust. We have play dates to attend, parties to give and attend and other big events in the coming months. Mommy is even escaping for a night away from the family! We're looking forward to a great year. Life is good and we can't wait to see what else it brings!