Dad out, Yaya In!

So this last week has been wonderful!  I took my first step on my own, got my first haircut, and hung out with Ingrid most of the week!  So you could say life is great right now.

I am not walking just yet, but I am very very close.  I love to pull myself up and cruise anywhere and everywhere.  Feeling around and getting into things is so much fun to do.  We have a gated cube in our family room that I practice in, but it is only a few feet wide and I am ready to get out more!  I need more room.  So when I am out crawling in the hallway or by the couches I will pull myself up and turn.  My mother follows me mostly and tries to get me to walk to her when I am up and facing her.  Most of the time I crash down to the floor, but there have been plenty of times when I have taken 1 step towards her.  It is not walking, but I am literally getting closer to it!

My dad headed back to work.  He was moaning and groaning about it, but it didn't matter to me because for me last week was great!  Ingrid stayed with my for a few days and we had a blast.  It was so much fun that I didn't really want to sleep at all.  In fact I skipped a few naps because I just wanted to have fun.  I got to crawl everywhere around the house and practice pulling myself up too.  She must have been tipped off by my parents because she didn't let me open drawers or pry open cabinets.  Maybe next week I will get through!

We are working on clapping and talking together.  "Clap clap clap"!  In only a few days I was able to clap and even remember it from the day before.  I am having so much fun with her!

So one thing that I have developed is an unbreakable bond with my blanket.  I have a blue and red blanket that I use as a pillow, but mostly I snuggle with it during naps and at night.  If you show it to me or offer it to me I light up.  My dad will put it on his shoulder and I just dive right in and snuggle with it/him!  I just love the way it feels!  My parents wash it often because they think it gets pretty nasty after a few days... so apparently I drool!

This blanket not only serves as a snuggle tool, but also helps me get whom ever is watching me to come into my room!  All I have do is drop my blanket over the edge of the crib and cry.  But cry a lot once it falls.  It works every time!  They look into my room with the monitor and see what I have done and come running in.  Suckers!!!!


As a general update I am not talking still.  Babbling?  Yes!  Saying Dada?  Yes!  Mama?  Nope.  Is it driving my mom nuts?  Oh yeah!  She has started to openly complain.  Poor thing.  She has a birthday coming up and is begging for "just one Mama".  We'll see!  Hopefully I can deliver, but if I can't I will remind her I am only 10 months old!

My hair cut wasn't too much of a production.  Only the hairs over my ears were trimmed.  My mom was all worked up about the scissors being too close and when the hair was cut they were quickly put into a baggy!  I have no idea why, but I am sure it is important!

With Love,
Colin



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10 and counting!

On Saturday I turned 10 months old.  Double digits baby!  I am as happy as ever, but lately am going through a growth spurt.  I can't get enough food or sleep.  I wake up in the morning or from naps cranky and impatient for food.  My parents are starting to feed me some really strange things, but whatever it is I can't get enough!

Normally I will eat mushy cereal and gerber fruit/veggie, but lately they are working in more and more real foods.  Bananas, applesauce have been around for a while, but in the last week I have gotten chunks of cheese, turkey, bread, apples, pineapples, and pancakes!  My mom made Matthew and I pancakes this Sunday, and holy cow were they good.  I downed two of them!

Since I am cruising more and standing for many seconds at a time, I get to see what Matthew has been playing with all this time.  Legos are one of his absolute favorite toys in the house.  The other day I noticed that Matthew did not watch me play, but for the first time actually played WITH me!  The big guy was trying to teach me how to put them together.  He started kindly explaining things, but I wasn't interested.  I immediately grabbed with "aircraft carrier's" tower and started to tear at it and gnaw on the red piece!  You should have seen the look on his face, but then remembered I am still a baby (plus my dad helped rebuild it!) 

I am still not saying "Mama" or "Mom".  It is killing her, but she has convinced herself that I say "Hi" now.  Poor Mom!  I might not be speaking a ton or shouting a lot of words, but I am learning a lot.  For instance, I can remember where my toys are if you hide them and if you put one out of sight I will hunt it down!  I have mastered crawling and I am fast if you ask me.  I will crawl from drawer to drawer and cabinet to cabinet opening and closing them.  I know they aren't toys, but man is it fun to pull myself up and open and close and open and close a drawer!  When we got home tonight I noticed something near the handles... I will have to check them out tomorrow!

So that is pretty much it for this week.  This week is my dad's very last week with me at home.  He has been with me nonstop since October 22 and it has been great.  He is back to work on the 14th, but with him out the door means INGRID comes back through it!  Which is nice!  I can't wait to spend quality time with Yaya, I have a lot to show her.

With Love,
Colin

In with 2013!

Goodbye to 2012 and hello 2013!

My first "year" (technically not over yet) was amazing!  Besides being born and meeting everyone... I was rather busy:  First smile, rollover, crawl, word, wave, peek-a-boo, how big, and step!  I was able to visit all four of my grandparents, have my mom and dad stay home with me for a few months at a time, and touch down in 8 states!  It has all been so fun!

So Christmas has come and gone and let me tell you how amazing Santa was to Matthew and I!  We got all sorts of toys, clothes, and more toys!  Matthew had to open my presents for me which is ok for this year only, but next year they are all mine!  It was all smiles in the Daniels house and has been since too!

During Christmas my grandparents stayed with us for 8 days!  It was amazingly fun to have them here!  Of course we were spoiled and I am pretty sure I was held a record amount of time.  Diapers were changed with more care, outfits were put on rather than thrown on, my requests from the crib were responded to so much faster, and hugs and kisses were given none stop.  It is always amazing to have them here, and I think I overheard them say that they are returning for my birthday!  Can't wait!

Butter came over to watch Matthew and I for an overnight.  My parents celebrated their anniversary up in Portland so Butter came over to watch us.  We had a blast.  We made a winter poster with a snowman made of toilet paper and hanging hand prints that will last forever!  We headed off to get some ice cream after dinner and of course Butter gave me a taste.  Love that Butter!

So 2012 is officially over and 2013 has begun.  I am excited for everything that is front of me and the fun times we are going to have!

With Love,

Colin




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