Still nothing much new going on..  Went to Santa Rosa again on Wednesday.. Austin was very excited to go to Nana&Papa’s!  Just hung out there and played all day, got home late that night.  He was WORN out yesterday from having no nap there.  He’s still feeling it today a little, I think.. but he is napping right now and had a good long nap yesterday so he should be caught up soon.  He had such a good time visiting them.. when we left, he yelled, “WUV you, Nana Papa!” out the window as we were leaving.  So cute to see how excited he gets now about the grandparents.  He’s also been randomly saying to me, “Mommy, we go airplane, Granny & Grandpa’s house.”  We are planning to go in May, so I think he’ll be pretty excited.  Last time we flew, he wasn’t really talking yet, so this time will be a new adventure on the airplane.  He narrates most everything now, everywhere we go, so he will probably be jabbering the whole time on the plane.

He changes every time I think I have him figured out.  The other day he was very stubborn, and ignoring me when I told him to do something or not to do something, and I didn’t know what to do by the end of the day.. so, knowing that he hates for me to clean his nose, I finally said, “Do you want me to get your boogers??”  And he said, “No, Mommy” (very humbly-lol) and promptly did what I told him.  LOL  It made me laugh on the inside even though I tried to keep a straight “serious mom” face on the outside.

He’s also getting better with his memory.. he has made a couple of little friends at story-time named Curtis and Gigi and at random times during the week, he’ll say “I see Curtis.. Gigi.. at STORY-time.”  He’s said it several times this week..I think he has a little toddler crush on Gigi.. he likes to tease her and smile at her.. so funny!

He still occasionally asks to “go home/take nap!” when we’re out places.. usually at church but the other day he did it at my G-ma’s house.. and he was tired, and it was naptime.. so I don’t think he’s doing it just to get to go home or get his way.  I actually think he likes his naps. ?? Is my kid weird?

Oh and today we were on our way to the store and he out of the blue said, “mommy’s name..Keyae Faneen”. ?  His little memory is going crazy!  I asked him daddy’s name.. “Kwis Faneen”.. then I asked him Granny’s name and he says Bonneeeee Hawiss, and Granpa’s name and he says Gwayne Hawiss.  I couldn’t believe he remembered them!  He needed a little reminding with Nana & Papa’s names but when I reminded him he said Dolowes Faneen, Wawren Faneeen.  So funny.  The conversations we have in the car are the best! LOL

Well, I guess that’s enough from here!  Like I said, nothing much going on.  Thanks for readin’!  Here’s some pics..

Playing with hot-wheels in the gravel at the Border Collie demonstration..

Playing with Elmo and Papa..

Flying kites the other windy day with Daddy.. he’s wearing his bike helmet b/c we rode our bikes there and I left his helmet on him b/c we were right at the edge of a golf course..

Don’t really have anything exciting to blog about ..  just been busy doing the same old thing..

Austin is really growing up fast.. too fast for my liking.  I would still like to freeze time for just a little bit.  Esp. after all of the news this last week or so..  a little 8 yr. old girl in the local area was kidnapped and murdered.  So sad.. I know that I will have to “cut the cord” someday, and put my faith in God when he goes off to school, etc. but right now I’m just glad that he’s with me all the time. I love my little boy with all my heart, and I can’t even imagine what the little girl’s mother must be feeling and going through.   What has this world come to?  I am definitely hugging my baby tighter these days.

Speaking of.. here is the big boy.. he found his sunglasses in his toybox, and wanted me to help him get them on, and then ran off to play.   Just played and played with the sunglasses on.. in the house. ?

He also figured out how to use binoculars the last time we were at Nana&Papa’s.. (have to run for now, and get some sleep.. we are off to Nana&Papa’s again in the morning for the day.)

Today, Austin said the ABC’s all the way to “Q,R,S” and then he got distracted..  but I think he may know the whole alphabet!    I was shocked.

He loves the book “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” … When I’m reading it, I will stop at various points and he always fills in the right letters, I think he kind of has it memorized.  So today, he was putting together this alphabet puzzle, and when we finished I started singing the chicka boom boom song, and he said, “No, Mommy, sing ABC’s song.” 

It’s probably been months since I sang that song to him, the traditional one, so I said, “Oh, the REAL ABC song?” So I started singing it and he was saying some random letters.  I decided to see how much he knew so I said, “Austin sing it.”  Well, he can’t really carry a tune yet, so he was just saying the letters, and he went all the way to QRS.. and then got distracted by something or another and stopped.  I tried to get it on video to keep but when I got the camera, he wouldn’t do it anymore.

I was shocked.  He’s known all the letters for a long time, but he’s never put together the whole alphabet in the right order. I was really proud of him, but at the same time.. he’s growing up so fast..

Nothing really exciting has been going on.. just the same old thing..

Still saying new words, sentences every day.. growing like crazy.  On Saturday we went to Ashley’s bridal shower, and he didn’t have a nap.. So yesterday about halfway thru church, he starts whispering to me, “Go HOME.. take NAP!”  I have never heard a two year old beg for a nap. Hmm..   He said it to me about five times throughout the service. 

He likes to give BIG hugs and little  hugs all the time now.. and also big and little kisses.  He’s really a lot of fun. He’s also started saying, “Where ahhhhh, you?” in a sing-songy voice.. like Daddy, where ahhhh you.. Duker where ahhhh you… blue baba (sippy cup) where ahhh you??  Whatever he can’t find at the moment.

I finally loaded some pics into the computer so here are some highlights of the last month or so…

Watching his tiny train..

Figuring out that his Thomas trains will cling to the 50′s chairs..

Posing with his bicycle..

Inherited some form from his Daddy..

A free trial gymnastics class that we did at a place here in town..  We went by today and signed him up for a once a week thing.  I think it will be good for him.. he LOVED it, and had to do a lot of “waiting” his turn, which he needs to learn more of.  He was a little more outgoing there, too.  He cried when we left today (until we were halfway home!) b/c he was sure he was there to play on the equipment and he didn’t get to..

Some pics from Nana & Papa’s house..

Random bath photos.. he’s getting so big!

He looks so big in this pic!

Oh, and this weekend, I FINALLY finished the sock monkey quilt.. well, the front of it anyway.  I started it for his birthday last October, then thought maybe Christmas, but now it’s March.  I was afraid he’d outgrow it, and I had these diff. sock monkey prints, so I decided to try to incorporate all the different ones, and started adding borders, etc.  Well, now I think it’s big enough for him to take off to college.

The original size was a crib quilt.. The edge of it would be where the little brown and red 9-patch blocks are.. it’s much bigger now.  I just need to get the fabric for the back, the batting and then figure out how to get it in my frame.

Well, that’s enough for now!  Have a great week everyone!

One of the two year molars finally popped through!!  Yeah!!!!  Maybe this is the beginning of the end of teething for a few years.

So tonight, I was rocking Austin before bed, and singing to him, and in an effort to avoid the inevitable “going to bed”, he whispers to me.. “..go… Nana Papa’s house..”  I stop singing long enough to whisper back to him, “no.”  Start singing again.. He stops me and whispers, “…go… Granny Grandpa’s house …..”  I whisper back, “no.” 

???? 

Okay, tonight instead of going to bed, we’ll go outside in the dark and drive over to Nana and Papa’s or fly to Granny and Grandpa’s, and knock on their door, wake them up, drag them out of bed and make them play with you.  Because if we do that you’ll NEVER have to go to bed.   Oddly enough, they probably wouldn’t mind if we actually did that to them. lol

I love the things that his little working mind comes up with.

Here are a few of my favorite words that Austin mispronounces…

Kitchen sink:  Chicken sink

Pick-up truck:  Kip-up truck, or Kippuc truck

Hiccups:  Hippucs

Seven:  Say-zoo, or more recently Semmen

Six: Kiss

Sixteen: Kissteen

Upside-down: I-E-side-up-down (??-ha!)

Chocolate: Chock-it

Curious George: Kiss George

Austin: Authen or Ottin

Chris: Kwis

Kelli: Keyee

His name: Ot-in Fan-een

(he has been learning that Mommy&Daddy have first names, too. One day I needed something from downstairs so I called, “Hey Chris” from up here and so Austin yelled too.. “HEYYYY, KWISSSS!!”  Shocked us both. )

OH, and today, when I was getting him dressed, he looked up at me and said “big hug” (that is where we hug and grunt) so I big hugged him and then he looked up at me and said “Mommy …  wuv you.”  AWWWW.  I think I melt into a puddle about 100 times a day.  (on a good day.. on a hard day, maybe 10. ha) 

Well, that is all. I just wanted to write down some of these before I forget them.  His speech is changing every day. He’s losing more and more of his baby words all the time.

Hope everyone has a good week!

No new pics this time, either.. just a little update.  We have just been doing the same old thing lately. 

I still don’t think the molars have broken the gums, but at least he has been back to himself lately.  The other day, though, I came upstairs and he was awake (early) from his nap, but instead of yelling “mommy!”, he was just laying in his bed crying softly to himself!  I hadn’t heard him from downstairs.  When I asked him if he wanted some Tylenol, he just shook his head yes and let me rub his cheeks for a while.  I felt so bad for him.  He was just laying there by himself having a quiet little pity party!  I would have never heard him if I didn’t happen to come upstairs to check on him. 

He’s saying lots of funny things now, and will say hi to the other kids at the library.  We went to story-time today, and he likes to check out a book by himself now when we go.  So after storytime was over I picked out a book, and he carries it along with Daddy’s library card up to the counter and reaches as high as he can to put the card on the counter (he can’t even see that high) and does the same thing to put the book on the counter, and you CANNOT help him.  He is very independent about some things.  Then the librarian hands him the book and card back and THEN he’s ready to go home. He does not want to leave until he’s checked out a book. 

Last week, Chris checked out the books we picked while Austin was still playing in the children’s section, but when we went to leave, he ran across the hall to the checkout desk, and was NOT understanding that Daddy already did it.  He was not leaving.  So, not wanting him to collapse in frustration at the change in his very independent routine, I went with him up to the counter when it was our turn and whispered to the librarian if she could please pretend to check that out for him again.  He was none the wiser, and very happy and left skipping instead of laying in the floor crying.  Crisis averted.

He’s learning that he has to wait his turn when he goes to check out a book.  There are little blue arrows on the floor indicating where to wait in line, so today I said “go get in line, stand on the blue arrows.”  He literally went and stood ON the arrow.  I’m so glad he loves the library.

Since he’s filling in words to some of his stories, I wondered if he had memorized some other things, like his bedtime song and prayer.  Well, he HAS.  Some of the words, not all of them.  It goes something like this..

(me:)Tis so sweet to trust in…. (pause) Austin whispering: JeeeZus

Just to take him at his … “wood”

Just to rest upon his … “pomses”

And to know thus sayeth the … “lode”

and at the end.. Oh for grace to trust him… “Mo”

The second verse says “Just in simple faith to plunge me”.. when I stop he says “punge”..

Then I always start his bedtime prayer with “Dear God and Father in Heaven”, so when I pause, he says in a whisper.. “heeven” , We’re so thankful for the blessings of this …”day”, and all the many blessings of … “wife”. haha 

Yesterday in the truck, he said “fun choo choo”.. I said, “Fun choo choo?”  He said “NOOO mommy, FUNN choo choo!”  (I sat staring, trying to figure out what he was saying if he wasn’t saying fun..) Then somewhere in there he said “Daddy drive,” and I said yah, Daddy’s driving the truck.  Finally he said “no mommy, dwy roun fun choo choo train”… Okay it took a little bit for me to figure out he was telling us to drive around and find a train to watch!   What in the world goes through his brain.. it is always working.

Another thing he HAS to do lately, which is good for me and my injured shoulder, is get in the car by himself.  And the truck. ??  So we have a rubber-maid stool in the back of the truck just for that purpose.  Otherwise we’d be standing in the driveway all day and he would never make it into the truck, but you CANNOT touch him or help him or he has to get out and start over.   But independence is good, it just takes patience for us and we need to leave a little bit early to allow for the process.  He also has to buckle the top part of his car seat, and sometimes the bottom part with the big buckles.  Oy, did I mention patience? ha!  But standing in the driveway or a parking lot for 5 extra minutes (hopefully 5 ha!) is way better than throwing him in myself and listening to him cry and scream and be frustrated. . . which would then lead to me feeling like I need to scold him for throwing a fit, when he’s only throwing a fit, b/c he’s growing up and trying to be independent and I’m not letting him.  Then I would feel like I set him up for it, and therefore would feel responsible and guilty for scolding him.  Oh the mental anguish. haha   

He hasn’t been throwing any more fits, though I’m not convinced they won’t show up again.. just glad they’re gone for now.  He seems to start to work toward one when he’s frustrated so if I can manage to recognize that I can head it off.  He likes to do things for himself, which is a natural part of growing so …. it takes the patience of JOB!!!!!  If I stay calm, then he stays calm.  Not always easy, but sure does make it all work out better.  Him doing it takes 3,4,5,SIX times longer than if I just took over and did it for him, whatever it might be ….  …  But if I wait it out long enough, and he tries 10 times or so, then he says very calmly, “Mommy do it.”  And then we move on.  He’s getting faster at getting in and buckling up though.

He’s a tender little soul with a sweet spirit, just trying to figure out how to grow up.  I’m just trying to help him the best I can…. did I mention how much Patience it takes? haha   I love my little cub!  That’s it for my update.. everyone but the grandparents have probably stopped reading anyway. ha!

Love you guys!

The memory is blossoming now..

(Austin’s that is, mine is going down the drain!)

Austin has been saying words to some of his stories for a while now, but lately, after reading him a library book only once or twice, he can fill words in for me when I stop.  Sometimes, saying the sentences even. He seems to remember everything!  And I’m pretty sure that sometimes he is reading a word or two.

He is also remembering things from the past.  On Sunday, I asked him on the way to church, “Are you going to say hi and shake some hands today?”  He replied, “No.  Go storytime.  Watch Suzy (librarian) read books!” ??

We also went to Nana&Papa’s house to visit on Saturday and got home at about 10 p.m. He slept on the way home.. woke up briefly, and then I put him straight to bed when we got home.  On Sunday morning when he woke up, I asked him if he had a good time at Nana’s house.  He nodded his head yes, and then said, “EAT apples, EAT grrlld cheese…  play trains.. etc.” and listed the things he did there the day before…  He’s making another leap it seems in his thinking and memory.

And while we were there, he was trying to put together this little Thomas Take-Along track that Nana has, and we couldn’t get it together right.  All 4 of the adults were looking at it, trying to figure out how it went together.. We finally put it together and just settled for it, knowing that maybe it wasn’t quite right.  Nana just told me today that when we were doing that, she heard Austin say “piece” a couple of times.  None of us keyed in on what he was saying, but after we left, she later found 2 more pieces for it in the garage.  He was trying to tell us he needed the missing pieces.. and none of us got it!  No wonder we couldn’t get it to look right.  He only plays with this toy every couple of months or so.. how did he remember enough to know that there was a grey plastic piece missing??

And just this morning, he was watching his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD and he was quoting some of the words BEFORE the characters were saying them!    Either he has a really good memory, or I am letting him watch it too much!! ha!  Maybe a little of both.

Sometimes, we go to Sonic and have a little family picnic for lunch.. we go park at the edge of the lot, and put his food on the console between us, and we eat in the truck while he watches the cars go by (and trucks and fire trucks, etc.)  The other day, when he was done, he gave me his food, and climbed over the console into Chris’s lap to “drive”.  I told Chris, “give him the key and see if he can start the truck.”  Well, he knew right where to put the key, and proceeded to start the truck right up.  Like a pro.  It was hilarious.  Then he threw it in gear!  It’s sort of the edge of a big lot, so no cars are around, so recently, we let him do it again, and then Chris let the truck roll just a few inches.  He got the biggest smile on his face and started moving the steering wheel back and forth and thought he was really driving.  So much fun!  Except I hope we’re not laying the foundation for him sneaking out and taking the car around the block when he’s like 13 or something!  ha

Oh, and the other night while I was rocking him before bed, it was dark, and he started whispering..”nigh, nigh ku-to (Pluto) .. nigh nigh Mickey, nigh nigh…. Dah-ull Duck … nigh, nigh Goofy … nigh nigh …. … Pete!”  He just started saying goodnight to all the Mickey Mouse characters that he could remember.  ??  Silly kid!

Well, that’s all I can remember right now that I wanted to write down (or else I forget! I’m so bad about writing in his baby book!  I need to get it and go through my Xanga and see when things happened and update it!)

No new pictures today!

Austin has now been in his big boy bed for exactly one week, and has gone to sleep every night on his own, (after I rock him, sing to him, and get him really sleepy!) and hasn’t gotten out!  I’m so relieved.  He says just about anything now, and talks all the time.  It’s so fun!

He’s still working on the two year molars though, and I’m wondering if they will EVER come in!  Today was his worst day yet.  Crying, and falling down in the floor, and kicking, and screaming.. He would say he wanted one thing, then he would say he wanted the opposite, there was just no pleasing him, b/c he himself didn’t know what he wanted.  Oy, I wanted to cry for him!  (and I almost did a couple of times)  At about 8:00 tonight, he finally snapped back into himself, and what a RELIEF!  It was breaking my heart to see him so miserable.  Tylenol didn’t even seem to do that much for him.  He didn’t scream so much after the Tylenol, but he still had a runny nose and whined and sniffed around at every little thing.

To complicate matters, I had promised my Grandma that I would come and visit today, and take her grocery shopping.. had planned to leave Austin home with Chris and spend a leisurely day there, maybe working on a puzzle with her, doing errands, lunch, etc. but this morning, he was NOT letting go of me!  Clinging and screaming, clearly not feeling good, and yelling things like NO Daddy, NOOO, BYE Daddy! .. every time I tried to leave.  So I just ended up taking him with me.  He actually did okay, only whining and sniffling in the grocery store but no major crying meltdowns.  He kept saying “that way, Mommy, that way, Mommy” and pointing back towards the way that we came in.  He didn’t want to be there, but he sucked it up and we made it through the shopping.  Though I did cave and buy him a hot wheel.  Oops, does that make me a bad mother? ha!  I felt so bad for him.  Even with the hot wheel, he was STILL whining and sniffling.  Which is so not like him.  He had this this tense look on his face most of the day and the only time his facial muscles relaxed was when I would take my hands and put them flat on his face and massage his cheeks around his jaw joints.  I know it must have felt good and relieved some of the pain b/c he would sit there and let me do it for a long time.  Poor guy.  He still managed to give my G-ma a great big hug and kiss when we left though.   The good news is I think I felt the points of them tonight, just under the gums!  Aaaaaggghhh!!  This can’t happen soon enough.  I’m sick of the teething, and I’m pretty sure Austin is too!

We had planned to make a day trip to Santa Rosa tomorrow, as Valentine’s Day is Nana&Papa’s anniversary so let’s hope the gums aren’t so angry tomorrow and that we all have a nice day!  That’s about all that’s happening here! 

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

Here are some pics from when Mom&Dad were here..

Posing with Daddy..

Box that I turned into a choo-choo for him..

His favorite place to hide.. it’s easy to find him though, b/c he just stands in there yelling, “MOMMYYYYY, MOMMY!!!!”

Before we left to see Thomas&Friends live on stage..

(wearing his Thomas shirt!)

Showing Grandpa his toys and playing the day we brought them home from the airport!

Grandpa reading his I SPY book to him.