11.08.2009

naterpataternatertatertot, er, nate

JESUS this kiddo just gets more FUN each and every single day. the deeper entrenched i get in this whole parenting gig, the more i think: this is so much harder/easier than i thought it would be! i think the age Nate is right now (16 months, 1 week, 4 days in case you have forgotten... which i know, of course, you wouldn't!) is such a challenge and such a joy. Gah... the whining... gah... the throwing of the food/ball/sippy...gah... the getting up early... gah...the nasty, nasty nappies...gah... the fits... gah...the inability to wash one's own hands/dress one's own body....gah... the faceplants into the floor (ok, admittedly, those are mostly funny). BUT OH... the joy:

i mean, who gets this jazzed about a Sonic drink?

For your Sunday (er, Monday morning? Tuesday?) reading pleasure, I'm going to attempt a few Nate-isms as of late:

Nate wakes up like clockwork at 6 a.m. It matters not what time he goes down (generally around 7:30 or 8 p.m.). When he wakes, he says "da-dee da-dee" over and over and over and over, occasionally punctured by the sound of the mattress crinkling as he holds onto the crib rail and JUMPS over and over and over and over until karl goes into get him. (clearly, he has figured out "mama mama" is NOT the morning person!) (also, he's in a REAL big daddy phase.)

Nate goes down for both naps and nighttime like a dream. (Well, in his crib anyway... out of town or in our bed is a whole other story! He has never been a good co-sleeper like i dreamed he would be... too thrashy...wants his own space.) I hope he never figures out how to escape artist out of his crib b/c i have NO IDEA how we are going to get him to sleep in an actual bed without falling out 14 times a night.) Generally, there are either no tears or a minute or two of whining, and then he is out. (I still do turn on the white/wave noise of his Sleep Sheep!) There are no more bottles (wah for me!). The removal of his bedtime bottle (about two weeks ago) was nothing. He didn't even appear to notice. He still has a little milk before nigh-nigh and will only drink out of the straw-sippys - that is how he has always been. I don't mind but they are kind of a bitch to clean!

Nate still eats pretty much anything (except tomatoes) that we put in front of him. His current favorites are pumpkin muffies from panera (ha!), waffles, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, yogurt, cantaloupe, mandrin oranges, apples, corn, uh, cheese, and, uh, pretty much whatever. we are working on using forks and spoons. he likes them but isn't quite there yet. he will give them up after a few minutes in favor of his fingers. (also he smashes his jelly toast violently to his face and gobbles it from the inside out. it's REAL cute.)

I could not even begin to list the words and concepts Nate is grasping. Yesterday, we were reading a book with a picture of a football in it and football was also on the tv. He pointed at it, said fou-ball and turned around and pointed at the tv. It was a pretty cute little connection. He can tell you his name (which sounds like "NAH") when asked (well, depending on the asker) and will hold up one finger when you ask him how old he is. He giggles when you ask him his age...he thinks that question is particularly hilarious as he did it last wednesday at our weekly girls night at the house and all us girls went bananas laughing and cheering for him.

Nate will pick up a "bu" (book), bring it over to me or karl, turn around and scoot his little butt backward into our lap. Such a big kid! We have been reading a lot as usual. Any book with a do-ggie in it (Biscuit goes to the Pumpkin Patch! Where is Clifford! Go Dog Go!) is assured to be a winner. Most dogs these days are referred to as Arlo - apparently it's an easy name for Nate to say, so all dogs (and some cats) are "arlo arlo." Generally, the second thing Nate says when he awakens is "arlo arlo." To credit him, Arlo does let Nate hug him and kiss him and occasionally crawl all over him, and never once has knocked Nate down (even accidentally in the yard!) or moved so much as a muscle as Nate does it.

Nate is REAL INTO helping us with chores, which is both a blessing and a curse. He will follow both of us around to "help." He feeds the dogs ALMOST on his own. And by that I mean he mostly drops dog food EVERYWHERE and the dogs run around after him panting b/c Nate prefers to feed them kernel by kernel (kernel? nugget? pieces?) while running around carrying their bowls and laughing.

He loves playing ba-ball (basketball) as we have a net on our street. This entails him carrying the ball to the net and handing it to me to shoot baskets. It's quite fun. Honestly, I am pretty sure Nate could spend every waking minute outdoors. In the past week, we have definitely been OUT more than in which makes me REAL scared for winter. (Park date, anyone? We prefer Allsop if you're local!)

He goes to Mother's Day Out on Mondays and I do, uh, other stuff. It's nice to be apart. I won't lie, I sometimes fantasize about being at work (especially since Karl has started something new and exciting - JEALOUS!) or doing a million other things I could be doing without Nate attached. And sometimes I think, depending on the opportunity, things might change, (who knows! i like both working and staying home!) but, overall, I feel good about where we are right now.

I MEAN LOOK AT THIS GOOFBALL GOOBER FACE (oh, yes, goofball goober. i'm trying to replace things like FUCKING ADORABLE and such as Nate, ahem, becomes my little parrot. Erm, wish me luck! My next Nate-ism's might include Nate's first curse word(s)!)


14 comments:

Jax said...

ohmyfreakinggosh he is so cute!!! ba-ball is ADORABLE and the whole sonic drink thing.. um.. wow. I hope I'm blessed to have a kid that is THAT CUTE and THAT HAPPY over the smallest things! I LOVE IT! :)

sdhorton said...

I think Nash and Nate were seperated at birth. He is doing a lot of the same things (of course they are two weeks apart). looking forward to another play date soon!!!

melissa said...

"my kids go ape shit for bubbles. i wish i loved anything the way that they love bubbles."

he's looking like a little gentlement, and i, for one, would REALLY like to see the inside-out eating of the jelly toast. xo

melissa said...

um, GENTLEMAN. you know what i mean.

Sarah H. said...

So cute! I have personally decided not to alter my potty-mouth. Instead, I will just dress Landen like a sailor...daily...so that his outfit can match his mouth. :) I hope we can all play soon!!

Chatty Fattie said...

1) You should get "Dog's Colorful Day" from the library. Elizabeth had a similar dog/book phase, and she loved it.

2) Tantrums don't last forever. One day he will be old enough you can beat him for tantrum-ing.

3) I was kind of half-kidding in #2.

4) He is too adorable. I kind of want to eat him with a spoon.

Leah Billings said...

Kids. Are. Fascinating.

I can't wait to have my little ones try out all different kinds of new foods.

I'm with your little man on the tomatoes, though. Bleh!

Stacia said...

such a fun age! and he is a-dorable!

The Smiths said...

I LOVE this post. Have y'all tried out Baker Park in Cammack? I think they put up some new equipment and did a big clean up after the tornados.

Maria said...

natertot is adorable like always.
Re: the transition to a bed and falling out, they make awesome mesh rails for beds. Totally worth it, and we just took The Boy's off his bed. Unfortunately, I sent them to goodwill. :(

Stacia said...

saw you jogging downtown today...I honked at you :)

the day's said...

adorable!!
and might i add, not too long ago v came running into the living room mad as a hornet...when i asked what was wrong she said, "ugh!! the dog ate my f'in sandwich!"
no lie.
proud parent moment.

sdhorton said...

oh btw i called my uncle a "cheatin bastard" when I was a little. we were playing a card game and i had heard it from the movie "short circut" of all places.

Lauryl Lane said...

i can't wait for the revelation of nate's first curse word! ;-)