Gametes In Love

I don’t think Gamma’s camera stopped taking pictures last week-end while she, Gappa & Auntie P hung out with G. She took over 300 shots. I’ll subject you to 12 🙂

Carseat was hungry. G was happy to share his cheerios

Babies in cubbies

Ponytail Friday (Porcupine style)

From G’s first Caltrain trip

Waiting on the train: it’s not as fun as it appears

Tain comin’

The ride

How G plays baseball.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWtDoDxxD0Q]

(he hasn’t figured out yet that someone else needs to pitch him the ball… but hey — he made contact once)

G can count. To 10. I don’t know about you, by this blows my socks off.

Tonight as we were cleaning up toys after his playdate with Special K, I was picking up his stacking cups. I counted, 1, 2. He then added 3. I said 4, then he added 5. We went all the way up to 10 (with him only not pronouncing 8, but knowing 9 comes next). S was watching it all, and while my jaw was dropped, he said “Oh yeah, he can do this. He just won’t do it when you ask him to.” We did this approach to counting 3 times in a row.

All this means is that I get to stalk him with my video camera now. Who knows when he’ll do it again.

But the boy can count.

Lazy week-end mornings. Dino jammas, and one super cute bootie.

This is the last month that my little man will be 1. It’s a sad feeling.

I spent this morning looking at G’s first year slide show and it made me weepy. He was so little, and it felt like only yesterday. I know there are days that I just can’t wait to get him to bed-time so I can reclaim my sanity, but overall I’ll miss who he is at each stage.

G and Neko have been bonding this past month. Neko doesn’t seem to mind G as much anyway. We’re still a ways from G and Neko sharing cuddles at bed-time, but at least Neko lets G get within a foot of him without hissing. I’ve got photographic proof too! Neko really likes the backdrop I use for our monthly photos. I don’t know if it’s the smell, or the texture, but as soon as it’s set-up, he runs to sit on it and mark it with his paws. Actually this is kind of useful for me since I get a subject to get my camera settings adjusted before the 5min shoot with G takes place. When Neko sees G delivered to our “set” he used to run away. Now, it’s a stare off between biped and quadriped kid on who gets to stay. As much as G regrets this, normally Neko gets the boot, and G is subjected to us trying to get him to smile.

So what has led to G and Neko being friendly? Food. Figures! Apparently men are not the only animals you get to through their stomachs. This applies to cats too as it turns out. We started having G feed Neko in the afternoons whenever possible. G likes it, since he gets to dump the bowl of pellets. Neko likes it because he gets to eat. It’s a win-win. If G is really lucky, Neko lets G touch him once as he chows down. Key word: once. Then he gives G the stink eye. But hey, like I said — we’re making progress.

G’s athletic skills are really coming out these past few weeks. The kid is apparently not only good at kicking balls, but also making baskets (Ms. S has video of him getting a basketball into the toddler hoop 6 times in a row) and also hitting wiffle balls. I’m really excited that maybe, just maybe, G will actually like to exercise (unlike his mother) and stay healthy in his adult life. On the other hand, I’m so not knowledgeable about sports. I have a feeling S and I will be sitting on the bleachers at his games with a play manual in hand just so that we can keep up with what’s going on. Also, I see football games playing in my living room while I cook Thanksgiving dinner. I’m not sure how I feel about that last part.

Now onto the good stuff…

Weight: 24lb 6.5oz

Number of teeth: same as last month: 16.

Words & Phrases: not much new this month (I think G used up his word quota last month), but he is speaking more in phrases and attempting to carry on a conversation. While much of his phrases sound like “Mamma! Bear. [Griffinese gobbly-gook goes here]. Fall Dow”, there’s more of an exchange between us now. Still on the “newly recorded” list I have:

* oops
* yuckie
* raffe – Giraffe
* hot
* heavy
* cib – crib
* garbage
* zeba – zebra
* rofin – dolphin
* I’m fasted – I’m fastest (you have to imagine him shouting this as he’s running wearing only a diaper around the house as we try to tackle him for shower-time. Yes, trust me, he IS the fastest)
* woket – rocket

Favorite food: same as before. He also has acquired a taste for bean & cheese burritos. Yum. He’s really rejecting meat though, which is a concern. The kid needs the protein, but turns down just about everything with protein (cheese no, unless melted into something, no meat, no tofu, occasionally yogurt)

Favorite activity: being chased around the second floor of the house before school

My hopes for next month: molars to either be out, or stop trying to come in. I’m tired of this.

Potty-trained?: No, but I’m having a hard time rationalizing to myself why I really need to “wait” for him to tell me he is ready. I’m trying to psych myself into putting plastic wrap all over the house, and going diaper free for a few days. I might want to do this after we get into the new classroom at school and he sees the bigger kids using the potty. Oh and also wait for the transition to his new bedroom. I just don’t want to change too much on him. Or maybe I’m rationalizing that too.

Naughtiest moment of the month: Making a spice soup on my kitchen floor. We really need to figure out how to child-proof the spice cabinet. And by “we” I really mean S 🙂 Spices are expensive… plus I don’t like vacuuming.

Sweetest moment of the month: Godzilla impersonations in the mornings.

Temper tantrum meter: Moderate.