we are officially baby - free!

Our peanut turned 1 and is now officially a toddler. 

First steps

Nojus took his first steps not holding onto anything tonight. He was following the box of the sewing machine that his Papa kept pushing away and wobbled about 10 steps forward. How quickly do they grow up! I told Lukas that most likely by the end of this summer Baby might be able to run with him. From there, Lukas went on sharing his dreams about how they will be playing together and sharing toys and on and on and on..  as I type this, I am pretty certain that Nojus won't be running by the end of summer and that toy sharing most likely won't be happening but it's nice to dream.

* UPDATE on 4/3: From there, within days he is walking more than he is crawling. 

Conversations with a toddler

At bedtime last night. After story time, with lights already off.

L:  I want that thing, Mama.
Me: What thing?
L: That thing.
Me: I don't know what 'that thing' is. Can you use other words to describe it?

After a couple more times going back and forth.

L: I want a good night song.
Me: Hmmm.... You mean a lullaby?
L: yea yea yea!!!!! (very joyfully) A lullaby!!!

❤️ this kid.

About Lukas at 2 yrs and 8 months

Favorite books:
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Favorite toys:
Trucks
Fire trucks

Favorite color:
Orange

Favorite food:
Guacamole
Discovered candy (Valentine's day at school) and is obsessed
Dried cranberries
Smoked sausage
Smoked mackerel
Bread

Most frequently used word:
'because'

Favorite movies:
Moana
Masha & Bear series on Netflix

Strongest characteristics:
Confidence
Self-sufficiency
Stubbornness
Loves making his brother and friends laugh

Easily counts to 10 in both languages, with some help counts to 20. Knows how to spell his name (we replaced letters in Bingo song).

Loves singing, randomly just blasts out an ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (which sounds more like "tinkle tinkle") or some other song.

Has a great imagination, loves pretend games (e.g. pretend cooking, pretend talking to people on the phone, pretend seeing a firefighter fighting fire, etc.)

Uses color to describe things all the time (e.g. I asked him to hand me a spoon for the baby. He asked me if a purple one was ok).

Up until a couple days ago he was calling me 'Mama'. The last two days he mostly has been addressing me as "Mommy".

My heart is exploding with love for this kid.

Nojus at 11 months

1. Lots of babbling.
2. Uses two fingers to grip Cheerios and other small bites.
3. Loves avocado and bread.
4. No doubt is right handed (though we could tell it already two-three months ago.
5. Gives the sweetest hugs.
6. Thinks Lukas is the most hilarious person on Earth.
7. Believes that every door and every drawer out there is designed to be opened specifically by him and every single little thing that is in those drawers simply does not belong there.
8. Takes two naps a day, most of the days.
9. Moved (finally!) from a Britax infant seat to Graco 4 in 1. Mama's hands are happy as it was getting way too heavy!
10. Proudly rocks his 3 teeth with two more on the way.

gems out of lulu's mouth

January 2018 (2.5 yrs old)

Lukas just took a shower, dried off, and while still naked, is dancing in the bathroom. Then he looks at me and says: "I am dancing with my pee-pee".

One morning, Noah, Lukas and I got in my car ready to go to Lukas's school but my car wouldn't start. "I think the battery is dead" I say. "We will take Papa's car". As I am taking Lukas out of his seat, he says to me: "I'm going to fix it. I just need a screw driver and a hammer."

On a Saturday morning, Noah attempts to play with Lukas's potty (for some reason he is obsessed with it). Lukas tells him, "negalima, Baby, negalima." Then he points to a baby rattle toy and says, "Play with this, Baby. Yesgalima."

Noah 9 months

Noah's favorite things to do at 9 months old:

• Crawl super fast!
• Play with his brother - they laugh and crawl around together.