I have stories that reach from around March 21st to April 11th… I need to get it out here onto the blog because I’m beginning to lose some of the stories in my head or my scattered notes.

Over the course of the last several months, Ian’s vocabulary has been incredible. He’s been picking up words and using them in context, properly. I don’t have any excellent examples of this, but he’s surprised Melissa and I a couple times, now. “Did he just say ‘perhaps?'” or “Hey Ian, what’s that stuff bees make honey out of?” “Nectar?” “Good boy.” (April 11th – Ian talked about his “real” dinosaur tonight. Said it was “splendid.”) There have been a few times recently when he’s asked what a word means, rather than gloss over it in a coversation.

Nina repeated a small sentence back to me the other day, and we have that on video, to come shortly. You’re going to love that one.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Nina’s able to (at times) handle a pen or crayon correctly, better than Ian can currently, and probably better than I do after 25 years of mostly using a keyboard. I also saw Nina in church pick up a crayon and start trying to draw with it. I’ve since seen her hold a pen or crayon incorrectly, but it is crazy to see a one year old pulling off that kind of stuff. You want another example? She can turn pages on her own. I’m not talking about the boardbooks. Yes, she can turn those, but she can turn PAPER pages. And just once, I saw her grab a thumb-full of pages and let them go one at a time, like an adult perusing a magazine.

April 1st – Nina pointed at the tissues and said “Dissue.”

Was extremely odd to get a phone call from Melissa’s number, and it was Ian. “Daddy, are there TWO blue blankies at home?” (Trying to ensure that they weren’t accidentally leaving one at daycare.)

Neither of us saw this coming, Ian was offered a banana, but then we gave part of it to Nina. We couldn’t undo that once it happened. Giving him a new banana just meant that he wanted both the new and old banana. We were frustrated with Ian, but he’s had to share almost everything since she was born, so one could imagine him thinking *Do I really need to share my fruit?* Especially when almost 90% of the bananas ever purchased at the grocery store since his birth, have been for him. Don’t get me wrong, we know he needs to learn to share, but maybe he had a point to be upset on this one.

Ian is able to open his car door to get into Melissa’s car.

Nina was walking pretty well 6-8 steps by the end of March. By April 6th she was making it across rooms and pulling little stunts like being able to step on something as she walked over it. She was also going all the way across rooms by the start of April, and at one point just stood there applauding. She was up on her feet for as long as 30 seconds with one crossing of the living room. April 8th, she walked across the living room and back again. Also on April 8th, Melissa and I both compared notes and discovered that this was the day when our little fighter went from “walk, fall, crawl” to “walk, fall, tough her way back up to a stand, and keep walking.” So proud of you little girl!

April 6th, Nina fed herself with a spoon. When Mommy cheered, Nina clapped along. For the rest of that week, when Nina fed herself, she’d clap in self-congratulations.

April 6th, Mommy was unaware that her cell phone rang in the living room… Mommy was surprised to see Nina walk into room with her cell phone, and hand it to her. (In case you don’t get that, without using words Nina just said *You had a phone call, Mommy.*)

Nina and I read a book of opposites almost nightly. She has been learning the things I do as examples. I’ll point to us when I say near, and point far away when I say far… she points far away too now. Up and down? Her little arm or arms go up and down, most of the time. But the best has got to be awake and asleep. I always pretended to sleep on her head during “asleep.” Now both of our heads slump over at the same time.

Aunt Melanie got Ian some green sand for his sandbox a long time ago. We put it in the sandbox as the weather turned to spring this year, and Ian was thrilled. Melissa went to take a picture, and as Ian posed for the shot, as if Aunt Mel could hear him or writing the photo’s caption, he said concisely “I am happy with my green sand.”

Ian hit his head on Melissa’s car door mirror in the garage while running through. I heard him crying about it, and it shook him up pretty bad. It is funny though to hear what he says, immediately Mommy – “What happened?” Ian – “I wasn’t watching what I was doing, and I ran into the car.” I think most kids wouldn’t start that sentence with “I wasn’t watching what I was doing…” As amusing as this honesty is, is it more funny that a few days later he put his bike helmet on and ran into the car mirror on purpose? Melissa said he was giving it a little test. Round Two: Ian.

Ian, April 11th, “It’s gunna load up in a few minutes.” (Regarding a Netflix-streamed tv show.)

Ian said something so wonderful this morning but I can’t remember it, at all. I’m really disappointed in myself for not making some kind of note. Life is coming at us pretty fast, right now.

Prayers for Uncle Chris’s recovery. He’s been going through far too much lately. Hang in there, brother!