Show and Tell, Part II (the tell part)

Alright so here’s the audio bits! Click on the “title” in order to hear the sounds. Some of them are a little big to download, sorry.

Animals
This is Ian naming some animals and other objects on a toy that he received for his birthday. Listen for “That’s a monkey.”

Be Careful Daddy
I slipped on a step. If you listen carefully he says “Be careful Daddy. Careful, please.”

Breathe
This is just the sound of him breathing with a zooey in his mouth. I know that’s maybe a little weird, but if I played this in a loop in my office? My blood pressure would be much better off, believe me.

Daddy
He woke up, and this is what he said.

Mommy
Apparently everybody in the photo album is mommy! Think about this for just a second… he plays peek-a-boo and laughs, because he knows it is a game… but it is also a sort of physical joke. This, if you think about it, may be his very first verbal joke. Listen to him laugh at the end… he knows he’s being silly.

Names
Ok so we didn’t get the whole family, I apologize, but he did name a few…

Not Red Green
Ok so you’ve seen pictures of him picking a drawer with a sucker… in this audio snippet, listen carefully. He says “Thas a red (something)” he then points at something that is green and says “Thas na red… Green.” As in this isn’t a red thing, this is a green thing. That, to me, is huge. That’s a brain working in there.

No Way
Here he names various colors, and you can hear the now infamous catchphrase “no way” in action, repeatedly.

Ready Set Go
In all its cuteness, here’s the magic phrase.

Show and Tell, Part I (the show part)

I forgot to mention Mommy’s b-day in addition to Ian’s.I didn’t forget to get her a present and a sort of card with ian pictures in it, but I did forget to mention it here. The highlight was making Ian present an armful of flowers to his mommy when we got back from daycare.

Melissa took the day off of work Monday because she was feeling bad… she’s been feeling horrible since Friday night. She’s doing much better now, and will probably go back into work as of today (which should be Wednesday if I get this entry up.)

As far as Ian news goes, he’s all about talk these days — but you’ll have to wait for the next entry to hear some of the latest things that he’s been saying. You won’t believe how quickly he’s learning.

Before I get started on the pictures, I wanted to mention that we went to our 2 year check-up today, and Ian is 27.8 lbs, 34 inches tall, and healthy. His ears even looked good. We asked the doctor about Ian’s troubles with ear infections, that this alone had us a bit worried about hearing loss, and she was not worried… she said the proof is in his vocabulary, and I agree. She was a bit shocked to hear him say “I did it!” for putting a tongue depressor in the wire-o binding of Melissa’s notebook… They apparently were hoping for a 20 word vocabulary, and he’s rattling of three word sentences… but really that’s par the course these days.

This is NOT a picture of me dancing to the theme of Spongebob Squarepants, no matter HOW it looks. Does Ian maybe look a little older than the last round of pictures? I think he does… hang on it gets worse. wait until the last picture of the entry… See this image larger.

We took the hardware off of these drawers, because the handles were sharp and pointy, and also because without handles, we didn’t ever have to worry about Ian getting into them, right?. After all, what’s left but some very slender screw-holes? Waaaait a minute. Is that a sucker? See this image larger.

Yes, our clever little boy defeated us yet again with a simple candy sucker… specifically the handle end. Stick it all the way in, apply pressure to a side, and pull. He didn’t get it more than an inch or two open, but who cares… the fact that he thought to do this floors me. See this image larger.

I’m not sure what it is about this picture, but when I look at it, for the first time I feel like I know what he’s going to look like when he’s older. Something about his head and neck — hard to say. Here he shows off his stair climbing ability. See this image larger.

Another Bad Night

The night I made the previous entry “Steps of Progress” was a rough one. A couple notes… Ian’s temp didn’t get too outlandish, but he was not able to sleep well at all. Very early in the morning, long before sun-up, Ian would not go back down, and so I took him downstairs to get some milk, which he had asked for. He also asked for “Teebee” which means television. Using a trick I saw Grampa Ray pull on a certain nephew of mine, I switched the TV to the doppler weather channel, sat down in the recliner Uncle Ben had suggested, and the two of us fell asleep until a less ridiculous hour. That recliner has already paid for itself about twelve times.

Ian’s doctor appointment revealed another nasty ear infection, poor kid.

Steps of Progress

I’ll start with the only particularly bad part of this last week. I believe it was Saturday night the 24th, we went out shopping, ended up staying too late, and subsequently threw off Ian’s eating schedule. Normally not a big deal, but he ended up eating a bowl of seafood chowder… very quickly. It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t seem like too big a deal at the time, but in hindsight very clearly spells disaster. That night I awoke to hear “cough. Cough. COUGH COUGH –” and then silence. I got up and shuffled to his room. I heard him more or less thinking about getting up, and then immediately he threw up. And then immediately again. Melissa and I stayed up for an hour or so, running up and down steps to throw old waterproof pads and blankets into a soak bucket and laundry machine. This unfortunately threw off the cat, who flipped out and started puking and pooping in a few places in the house. When we had most of this taken care of, Melissa sent me to sleep, and she slept as much as she could in Ian’s room, as he continued to throw up with exponentially greater rest times after each bout. It was crazy how quickly he rebounded from this, and was fine.

Ok, so. Tonight he has a 102-ish temperature, so maybe “fine” is not a great word. Tomorrow morning, off to the doctor.

Anyway… so let’s talk a little bit about this week. Ian’s vocabulary is basically exploding. He’s saying things like “Ready, set, go!” and “1, 2, 3’s!” and “A, B, C’s!” as well as “I dunno!” The “ready, set, go” is particularly hilarious, and clear. “RedDEEEEEEEEEEEEE? SetGO.” He’s going a lot more “That’s Barb, that’s Raaay.” “Connor.” and “Dis is Dave. Dis Meeshaw” “Gramma Suuuue.” And he is really understanding how to say “my” object. Like “my block.” He’s also able to communicate much better in general. We understand what he wants most of the time verbally, and it is awesome. He also likes to hand us things and say “Heur!” (Here!) or “Thargo!” (There you go!) Full conversations happen now… he leads me by my finger to the couch, says “siddown… sit.” and then hands me my game controller “Heur!” and follows it up with “Game-uh.” If I get a recording of any of these, I’ll put them up on the blog immediately, I promise. That last thing I mentioned, where he had envisioned me playing a game, and showed me what he wanted… has been a crazy game of its own. Melissa and I have been dragged around the house by our finger for the last several weeks, to help him achieve whatever goofball scheme he had bounding around in his head. Earlier this evening he specifically wanted me to go down the stairs into the office holding the handrail, while Mommy skootched down each step as Ian observed from the top step to make sure we were doing it right. That’s par the course.

On Monday, the 25th, I decided to push the envelope a little bit. He was doing well in the morning, so we packed up the car and went to Babies R Us. We got him a potty, a booster seat, a new gate for a segment of the stairs that goes down into the very lowest level of our house, and a set of metal silverware. I know, this is kind of crazy to do this to him all at once, but so far it has worked great. Here’s some pics and I’ll explain as we go…

Here’s the booster chair we got for Ian. Can you reach the table from there kiddo? See this image larger.

No, Daddy’s being silly. Speaking of silly Daddy… you might be able to make out in the background that the gate blocking off the entertainment center area is gone. He can get to any of those gadgets. This was based on a concept that I started to learn on my own watching Ian over the Florida trip, but that was cemented by an episode of Super Nanny. The more you open up small steps of trust to your child, the more he’ll grow into and accept that trust. I also remember how Ian’s cousin Connor seemed to light up and glow when I let him take pictures with my expensive camera… trust is good. See this image larger.

Ian tests out the potty. The only important thing he’s learned so far, really, is just that this is a potty, and that one sits on it. One step at a time, folks. This is a nice one too… you can pop the seat off of it and put it on a REAL potty to make the transition easier. See this image larger.

Fresh from his afternoon nap, sporting his zooey… A couple things to notice here. Number one, is this is the naughty step, and Ian is on it. We haven’t introduced him to the concept of the naughty step yet, but he sure seems like he has an inkling of what’s to come based on that face. (If you happen to not know, the naughty step is a sort of solitary confinement, without the confinement part. Sentences handed down by the judge usually range from 1 to 3 minutes.) Another thing to notice is that there is now no gate blocking off the steps. Ian is free to go up to the bedrooms and bathroom, or down to the office. You can see a gate in the office in this shot, but it has since been removed. See this image larger.

Here Ian uses the booster chair to sit at our table, like an adult. The high chair has been moved downstairs to live until a new baby needs to use it someday. You’re probably thinking Ian didn’t like this move based on this look. But hang on a sec… See this image larger.

See? Happy lil camper! (The gate on the right only blocks Ian from a small area where the kitty’s food is… this is only to buy the cat a few moments to start running, if need be, and nothing more.) See this image larger.

Ian joined Daddy downstairs to watch a video, and climbed into his own chair for this photo opportunity. Climbing into chairs isn’t new, but this sort of “joining Daddy in the office” thing is a kind of milestone. See this image larger.

Of note, I followed Uncle Ben’s advice and went to Big Lots to buy a recliner. It was extremely inexpensive. Brandon helped me get it home today and I set it up in the living room. Although I think Melissa and I were both wondering if it would come in handy, the aforementioned temperature Ian has been running today justified its use immediately. We rocked him to make him feel better, and Melissa is currently sitting on it with her laptop, typing away… Well worth the cash already! I’m sure you’ll see it in pictures soon.

Welcome to the New Site!

Here we go! A whole new site for Ian at age 2. Welcome aboard and don’t forget to bookmark the new location!

I’d tell you the keyboard shortcut to help you out, but then you’d forget to delete the original bookmark. COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE CHALLENGE!!! See if you can figure out how to delete the old bookmark without deleting all of your bookmarks!

Edit – All flash movies, all images, and all banners should be working now. That makes it official, the blog is done moving!

Two Years Old

(First a quick note, I added some pictures and some extremely great sound clips to an earlier entry called “He Nose So Much…” please check ’em out! [You can click on the title in the previous sentence to go directly there.])

What can I say about this that won’t sound cliché? Our tiny little bundle that only grunted upon arrival at 2:45 in the morning is somehow 27 lbs with a little attitude and a growing vocabulary. If I went back in time to that night and could tell myself and Melissa a few things about the Ian of the future, would the me from two years ago want to know that Ian seems to prefer pickle slices to spears, that he is showing signs of being less of an Elmo fan and more of a Cookie Monster devotee? Or would we want to be surprised by every subtle nuance Ian has had to offer? The now-a-days me is wise enough to not even turn back time, if I could. Every day has been a fun new discovery, no matter if things are up or down.

I know this is going to put this entry completely out of order by starting with a photograph from later on, but I think this is probably the most fitting image for Ian’s birthday, hopefully you’ll agree it is worth the organizational sacrifice —

“The Great White has a protective lid that closes over its eyes just as its powerful jaws snap down on its helpless prey.” See this image larger.

Ok and now back to the beginning of our story…

This is from the night before his birthday, and he’s checking out the pile of envelopes and wrapped presents. Here he eyeballs a box from Grandma Sue… See this image larger.

…but, you can’t open them until tomorrow after school, kiddo! See this image larger.

A raspberry for that idea. See this image larger.

Dinosaur puzzles, and other goodness! Thanks to each and every one of you for your awesome gifts and cards! Ian got hands on with each card and whether or not you’ll ever see it — he thanked each of you personally on video. (Maybe I’ll get that up here someday!) See this image larger.

You look like you’re enjoying that pizza, kiddo, but I think we all know what time it is… See this image larger.

“IT TIME FOR COOOKIEEEEE…. I mean… CAAAAAKE!” See this image larger.

A special “mush” cake is handed to Ian to preserve the elegant Cookie Monster design for future generations. (I kid.) See this image larger.

See? An extended pinkie makes for a more distinguished pose while stuffing one’s face with cake and polka-dotted frosting. See this image larger.

“It’s ok that I just ate a candle, right?” 😉 See this image larger.

Birthday Eve

We took some pictures of Ian in his Birthday Boy shirt before tomorrow when he inevitably gets it all messed up. I’ll share all the pictures on his birthday in the evening.

Again, the rate at which he is learning is crazy. Tonight we told him to tell his cars goodnight, and he said “night night cars!” and immediately turned the power off on each of them, before returning them to the toy box. He only had three out, but there are four in the set, so he started digging under the couch with a long plastic spoon, trying to reach them.

We explained that the fourth was in the toy box already, so he could just put the spoon in the toy box too. And he said “No.” Melissa and I shrugged, because we were already feeling pretty thrilled with the extended clean-up. But his “no” was explained in full when he ran to the kitchen, and we heard the drawer open, the clattering of the plastic spoon being returned to its proper home, and then the closing of the drawer.

He Nose So Much

(First off, I want to open up with a shout-out to my nephew Connor, who turned 7 today and is cool!)

On Sunday, Melissa, Ian and I went to a train exhibit in Meijer Gardens. It was the frosting on the cake of a fantastic weekend. Ian was just a lovable little guy the whole time and there were a lot of smiles and laughter throughout.

Today was Monday, and the usual Daddy and Ian shenanigans were going on around here… But first let’s talk about Ian’s nose. He’s got a bit of a headcold going on, and his nose is running. I took this as an opportunity to try and teach him. So he went from his original state, which was “knowing how to wipe his nose when handed a burp rag” at the beginning of last week, to “knowing to go get a burp rag and wipe his own nose when requested” to “learning how to blow his nose by exhaling through it” to “wiping his nose without being asked” to “pushing the ottoman over to the counter, climbing it, grabbing a tissue, and blowing his own nose into the tissue without being asked, and then throwing it in the garbage when described by his daddy as ‘icky.'” The last two stages I only got to see executed once each, but they were so spectacular that they were worth mentioning.

Ok and now other stories of the day. He has these plastic tupperware-like canisters he keeps his train parts in. They’re made out of a kind of plastic that it seems like nothing sticks to very well, so I had him start decorating them with stickers because up until now, he hasn’t had any clue what to do with a sticker once it is given to him. I mention this only because if very rarely does Ian show a face of pride, but watch him if you see him go near these canisters, because he absolutely beams when he looks at them. Definitely something like “This is cool,” but also “I did this.”

I asked him if something tasted good today and he said “Mmmmm dee-ishus.” Here’s a sound clip of this one…

While we’re on the topic of cool things that Ian has said recently, please give this one a listen, and again, watch the volume, folks… parts are very quiet and parts are loud. Click here to hear Ian say mmHmmm, and a few foods.

A few minutes later I asked him if he wanted a fruit snack or cookies for dessert… and… (get ready for this one) he said “Bofth.” Now look — I don’t know how he could know to say that — it shows a level of complex understanding that I’d assume should simply not be happening yet. But that is precisely what he said. “Bofth.” Just the fact that I gave him choice A or B and he chose C is so endearing to me… Melissa must have felt the same, because when I texted this to her she replied “that’s our boy.”

We put three teddy bears in a chair today and it was fun watching Ian decide that the bears really need a blanket… and some pizza (plastic food tokens)… and they each needed a ball… and a truck. It looked to me like he’d read “If you Give a Mouse a Cookie” one too many times. See this image larger.

I took him out on a sledding run today. Threw him in the sled, ran ahead of him and pulled him around the yard. I went one lap and started a second one, asking “Are you having fun Ian?” “Noooo.” “Oh, you want to go back inside?” “mmHmm!” (The latter said sweetly, like in response to an offering of cookies.) See this image larger.

Maximum Verbosity

One fantastic effect of the trip — over the course of those days, or maybe it was when he got back, I’m not sure which — Ian’s ability to verbalize improved twofold at least. We were both positive he was doing better, but the people at daycare were in shock over how much he was trying to say. We’re very proud!

You can pretty much get him to TRY to say anything, and often he tries very hard to explain things to you from his perspective. New words include Grampa Ray’s name, “RAAAAY” and “bowwie” for berry, “diyishush” for delicious, and as you heard a couple entries ago, “versary!” for “anniversary.” Last Monday Ian said “blessoo” after I sneezed. This is a fantastic time for everybody to cut down on swearing, by the way… seriously!

And then there was the night I got my iPhone out to show Ian a picture or two and he thought I was checking in with Grandma Sue… Click here to hear it, and be careful with volume, it gets loud!

Tonight (the 16th) Ian’s behavior in general was just flat-out smart. He pushed an ottoman across the room so that he could reach some lights and turn them on and off. He did some exercises with Mommy saying “Up!” and “Dowwn!” as he stretched up and touched his toes. He chased the cat around as usual, but tonight added with sincerity “Kitty, kitty waait! Waaait! Wharugon? Wharugon, wait!” And after we put him into the crib tonight he called to us as we were closing the door. “Mommy! Datty! Lavooh. Lavooh. Kitty, Lavooh.”

And so this is Christmas ’08, Part VII

And so, the final installment for Christmas this year, we end with the rest of our time with Grandma Sue, Uncle Chris and Aunt Annie! (I want to thank you guys for carting us around and your hospitality, as well as the Holiday generosity!) We begin right after we got back from visiting Great Grandma Betty…

December 28th… I read Chris scores to the Giants’ game as we headed back north. When we got back Ian needed some entertaining. See this image larger.

“Have you seen what this speedometer goes up to Uncle Chris?” See this image larger.

We weren’t getting enough smiles out of Ian at the moment, so I told Uncle Chris to give Ian a toss in the air. Not sure if that screwed up his back… See this image larger.

… but we did get a nice smile out of the deal! That night, we had planned on cruising back up to Grandma Sue’s, but ran out of energy. Uncle Chris offered up that we could stay another night, and we jumped on the idea. Ian had another bad night… he was so far off routine, you could tell he didn’t know what to do. The next morning we hit the road back to The Villages as Chris went off to work. See this image larger.

The night of the 29th we went to one of the Squares to meet up with Vicki and Joe, and Grandma Sue got the dance she’d been thinking about for a good long time. See this image larger.

We only had a few days left with Grandma Sue after our traveling adventures. Here Ian awakens happily at her place and watches a little TV. I think it was this night that Melissa and I got to just sit and talk in the hot tub. That was really great, and relaxing. There was also a night when Ian and Melissa and I got to go out again in a golf-cart and check out the lights. I think Ian will always wonder where all the golf carts are when he sees Christmas lights anywhere. See this image larger.

His feet are still cute, and I can say that — I’m not a big fan of feet. See this image larger.

The evening before we had to head back, and Ian starts really boogieing to the band with Grandma Sue! See this image larger.

It was also great that Ian got to see the whole Johnson/Kunze crew again at dinner that final night of the trip. Here again Ian rocks out! See this image larger.

The one spoiler of the evening was the handrail in the background of that shot. Ian sat down and lulled Melissa into sitting next to him, then he stood up as fast as he could and ran for three steps before hitting that handrail with his head so hard that it knocked him back on the bricks. Looking at it, I got a little miffed. How far out does that need to extend? (More on this in a second.)

Grandma Sue dropped us off at the airport the next morning and away we flew. We had a rough flight home. Ian was not happy and not much could keep him pacified. (My iPhone helped a lot, though.) Will it be better when he has his own seat? He wanted to sit on a lap, and then wanted to run down the aisle (which we did not let him do, of course) and then to sit on the floor of the plane.

We got home after a long drive… and were amazed the next morning when Ian was perfectly back on schedule. He had been so far off during the trip that we expected there to be a readjustment period.

I think staring at the above pictures long enough motivated me to write The Villages and tell them how I felt about their handrails, in as kind a tone as I could take. I got a letter back telling me they had moved flower-pots under the handrails. I figured they were just trying to placate me, but Grandma Sue called me that night to tell me she spotted the moved pots, and wondered how The Villages knew to fix it. So I told her my side of the story and we both had a laugh. Nice to know they’re on top of things! (Turns out, by the way, he never even got much of a bruise on that hit, not sure how he managed that.)

And so that was Christmas ’08!

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