Cutie

Communication

Signs:

Shoes
Bye bye
Cheese
Eat
Water (when prompted)
Brush teeth
Bath
Sheep
Duck
Ball
Please (when prompted)
More (when prompted)
Hat
Up
Down
Where is it/where'd it go/it disappeared
Nurse/milk
Book

Body parts he'll point to:

Tongue
Teeth
Nose
Ear (for both ears and eyes)
Penis
Toes
Feet
Belly/bellybutton

Animal noises:

woof woof (kind of a deep barking mmm mmm)
moo (occasionally - an extended mmmmmmmmmmmm)
quack (caw caw, started yesterday, along with the sign for duck)

Curls

At the park

The water features in the local parks are some of the best parts of summer. Xan is crazy about them.

Sunglasses and earmuffs

Three things

1. When he want to go outside he brings me his shoes (more often a shoe) to put on him and if I don't immediately comply, he sometimes takes matters into his own hand. Holding the shoe in one hand and his foot in the other, he uses his foot-holding hand to try and shove his foot into the shoes. When that doesn't work he'll occasionally set the shoe down and try using both hand to force his foot to go where he wants it.

2. He started blowing spit bubbles today.

3. We walked past the street that the ALACE office is on and he was mad that we didn't turn down it. I guess he not only recognizes the building, but also the way there. He'll be happy this weekend. We're going up on Sunday to spend one night on Peaks Island and 2/3 of the office will be there.

No pictures, sorry

But there are three new vids up.

More little things

Often when I pick Xan up and tell him it's time to change his diaper he protests by screaming and throwing himself about. It hadn't occurred to me that if I told just him it's time to change his diaper he might walk over to the changing table and pat it expectantly, but he totally does!

This week he started running over to me and launching himself into my arms, and sometimes comes over and grabs Bill or me around the legs.

Tonight he went to the bed and tried to get on it. He was happy when I asked him if he wanted to nurse, the first step in the bedtime routine. Then when I said it was bedtime, he signed brushing his teeth, which I had forgotten. Bad mama, good thing my kid is here to remind me.

On the way to the park today we passed a friend's house that we hadn't been to in a few weeks. He was annoyed that we didn't go in and let me know it. He has the same reaction sometimes if I walk by a T station.

Teeth 10 and 11

His two lower molars have come in, by the looks of them a few days ago. He's been having a rough time with the teething and didn't let me check on a daily basis.

Little things

When putting a lid on tupperware, or a cap on a bottle, he now knows which way is up and will turn it over if it's upside down.

He has a pair of sunglasses that he likes me to put on him. He immediately takes them off and tries to put them back on, but they end up around his neck. He seems satisfied with that.

He'll point to his nose, teeth, tongue, bellybutton, penis, and ear when asked where they are. If you ask him where his eyes are, he points to his ear.

Very new - he comes up to us and hugs our legs when he's especially happy to see us, and he now will sit in your lap (an sometimes prefers to!) when you read to him. This is big since he's never been a cuddler.

He's a little sleep contortionist, flipping around into odd positions several times a night. Spread eagled on his back. Face planted in the mattress with his knees under him and his butt in the air. Curled up around a blanket or a stuffed animal on his side. Doing a backbend on his side with his arms way over his head, back arched and head thrown back. Completely perpendiluar to his bed, with his face smushed against the screen of his tent.

This is development?

Xan loves putting caps and lids onto bottles and other containers. He's even used this to trick me. I had a tupperware of O's that I was doling out a couple at a time since he tends to sink his hand into the supply and come away with a fistful of ten or so, scattering even more. When he asked for it, I let him play with the lid and he tried putting it on the cup a few times, but if he reaches with his empty hand, I just held out a couple of O's. We had been doing this for a while when he again reached with the lid for the cup and I offered it, then at the last second he shoved his hand into the O's and grinned up at me with a triumphant "hahaha, SUCKER!" look on his face.

On a related note, he also digs those shape sorters. We may have to pick one of those up for him, as in actually purchase him a toy, which we've pretty much managed to avoid so far.

Packing in Progress

Tourist attraction

We had Thai for lunch today and the three people at the next table were enamored of Xan. It reminded me of something that happened a couple of months ago that I had forgotten until mom mentioned it on the phone recently.

We were all out to dinner (I don't remember where, maybe Vietnamese?) and a man a few years older than us approached. He said his mother, who was visiting from China, would like to take a picture with Xan and wanted to know if that was ok. We said sure so she came up and squatted next to him while her son took the snapshot. Our little mini-celeb.

Packing

So we've started the dreaded preparation for the move at the end of the month and it's... not going too badly, actually.

Since Saturday, we've packed a few boxes each evening and so far we've got 2/3 of the kitchen (not counting food), almost all of our books and Xan's books, all the boardgames, about half the bathroom, and most of the linens packed. The major stuff left is all of our clothes, the closet (!) and the random odds and ends lying about.

I really ought to weed through our clothes and toss stuff that is unused, as clothing will probably be a third of our move, but I really don't feel like it.

At least we know he's not a vampire

Xan threw a screaming fit because he wanted to play with a bulb of garlic. Figuring he was hungry, I cut up a nectarine, but he wouldn't take any. When Bill offered him some of the raw garlic he was chopping he happily gobbled it up and came back for more, over and over, getting upset all over again if the garlic wasn't offered up promptly.

9th Tooth

Popped through yesterday. It's on the bottom right, only his third bottom tooth so far.

New Stats

From the doctor's appointment today. I hope I'm remembering these correctly.

Height: 31 in (50th percentile)
Head circumference: 48cm (50th percentile)
Weight: 25 lb 6 (7?) oz (between 50th and 75th percentiles)

The screaming from the shots was the worst yet, because after the pain was gone he was still very mad about the whole thing.

Another First

This one not so great: first blood spilled. At a coffeeshop Monday he tripped and fell against a coffee table, hitting his cheek and upper lip. One of his teeth bit into the inside of his lip and he lost a drop or two of blood.