first nathan's of the season.

It's become a family tradition to frequent our favorite local ice cream spot, Nathan's, every summer. And before you ask, no, that was not the inspiration for my son's name! :)  In any case, my Nathan is too little to remember going there last summer, so he was definitely in for a nice surprise tonight.  Against every instinct in my clean-freak nature, I let Nate hold his own cone. Hilarious!

sidewalk chalk, wagons, and flowers.

As we try to make the most of the beautiful spring weather and Nate's seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, we continue to spend many of our afternoons outside.  I think that it is truly amazing to watch him learn through all of his experiences.  In just the last few days, Nathan has learned and said all sorts of new words: stick, rock, flower, bubble.  All of them while spending some time in the fresh air and sunshine!

Spending time outside is great for little man, but even better for Chris at this point.  Life post-spinal fusion is slow going, but he is able to take walks with us! It's a nice time of the year for some outside PT.  In the meantime, Nate is learning to play with sidewalk chalk rather than eat it, how to pick pretty flowers, and play at the neighborhood playground. Here are some pictures of our outdoor fun!

outdoor adventures.

We've been spending a lot of time outside lately...and the way that this child loves being outside, I think we may just have to buy a swing set this summer! The warm days lately have just been too nice to be inside and Nate has so much fun playing with the other little kids in our neighborhood.  We've blown bubbles, rolled his ball down the driveway, ran like crazy, and collected sticks.  I love this age, it is so much fun!

nineteen months.

I guess it will be time to stop counting the baby-birthday months soon, once he turns two, but for now I will make the most of it!

Some recent Nathan-isms are:

• Running laps through the house each night chanting "go, go, go" 
• Every number is "two" and every letter is "E" 
• Learning.how.to.climb.EVERYTHING. Today he discovered that the drawers in the kitchen make a nice ladder!
• Coming out with new words every day, like: happy, hotdog & move
• Log-rolling through multiple rooms of the house and somersaults on the beds
• Says "please" when he wants something!

Here are some pictures of little man.  He is growing like a little weed!

eighteen months.

Nathan is eighteen months old now - wow! Every age seems to be a lot of fun, but I am really enjoying him right now.  Some recent Nathan-isms include:

• Still loving Sesame Street! Now, he knows how to say Elmo, Ernie, Big Bird, Abby and Grover. 
• Likes to jump around the house and says "jump, jump, jump" 
• Really likes the show Jake and the Neverland Pirates -- and walks around the house saying "yo" or "bye yo"
• Loves climbing.  My dining room chairs are currently on our sunporch to try to avoid this.
• Is starting to go to bed earlier!  Right now, he is usually heading to bed around 9:30-10:00 
• Gives lots of kisses and hugs

At his eighteen month appointment, he clapped for the nurse who weighed him and then again after the nurse gave him his shot.  Overall, he had a great appointment and is totally on track developmentally.  His eighteen month stats are:

• Weight: 28 lbs, 9 oz (80th percentile)
• Length: 34 inches (90th percentile) 

In three months he has only grown a half an inch and gained two pounds. And, here are a few recent pictures and some baby birthday ones, as well:

cousins.

Nate is getting to spend time with his little cousin Miles this weekend!  Here is a shot of them watching Sesame Street together, so sweet!

first haircut.

A haircut is no big deal, right? Wrong!

I finally mentally prepared myself for the fact that Nate was ready for his first haircut this week.  While I desperately did not want to cut off his little curls, which help him look like a baby rather than a toddler, I had a person ask me last week whether Nate was a boy or a girl. How's that for a wake-up call?!

We went to a local kids cut place tonight and I am proud to say that not only did he do great, but I also had the sense of mind to bring a little bag to keep his first cut little locks! Granted, we did have to hold his hands down for some parts and hold his head still but there were no tears and no crying (from me or him!). Thank heaven for a patient stylist and Elmo!

Here are a few pictures to capture this little right of passage. I miss the baby curls already!

hats.

When it comes to the ultimate balance act, I'll be the first to admit that I don't have it down yet.  Between being a mother and a wife, working full-time, being a good family member, keeping everything in the house going, playing accountant, dealing with the dogs, working in a small fraction of a social life ---how do people do it all? Or rather, do it all without having that little voice in the back of your head going Are you crazy!?!  There are a lot of hats to wear as of late and it makes me feel like I'm losing my head a bit. 

Of course, this whole 'crisis' stems from the fact that I am starting grad classes again next week. 'Cause I have time to that.  While some days make me feel frantic, I feel like these are truly defining make-it-or-break-it years of my life where I have to do it all.  I want to hit some personal goals and set a good example for Nate ... so when he gets older he won't ask why he has to do things when I haven't :)

Yup, we keep busy. That's for sure! But you know, I wouldn't trade this for anything!

hey, it snowed.

Pretty unexpectedly, or I guess it wouldn't have been if I had checked the weather, we got our first snow of the winter today!  I was working from home and glanced out the window to see all of these huge snow flurries outside.  Don't get me wrong, I think snow is beautiful to watch and fun to play in ... but that's where I draw the line. You know the drivers that you HATE when it snows out?  Yup, guilty as charged.  Granted, I'm not one of the hot shots who gun it and then spin out but I could definitely walk faster than I drive.

Anywho, when I went to pick Nate up after work (undoubtedly causing road rage for the poor people around me) he was outside playing in the snow.  Absolutely adorable, but then again I have a vested interest. Here are a few shots of him playing and a few from around our house :)

seventeen months.

It's hard to believe that we are almost at the year and a half mark!  The holidays are winding down and we are all trying to find our normal rhythm again.  In celebration of another baby birthday, seventeen months, here are a few 'Nate-isms':

• Nate is really picking up on the sign language! I started teaching him a few signs to accompany his words because they aren't so clear yet. Let me tell you, it is super helpful! Even though we only do a few with him, they make a world of difference.  Right now he knows: more, all done, milk, please 
• He walks around on his tippy toes. I think he wants to be taller!
• Tells me that "I didn't" most of the time, but sometimes "I did"
• The Sesame Street obsession continues
• Nate is becoming more more accurate with the whole self-feeding thing. If he is hungry and if he likes what you're doling out, he does pretty well!
• When his hair is wet, it goes past his shoulders. It's so curly dry, it's not a mullet -- I promise! :)  I know he needs his first hair cut but I dread it. I'm not ready for my baby to be a little boy yet.
• Nate can almost do a somersault. At this point, he pretty much stands on his little head and makes me worry that he'll break his neck
• Walks backwards and also walks around with his eyes closed

 And for your viewing pleasure, some photo memories to capture this fun age: