Nash and Santa 2012

We took Nash to visit Santa again this year and here are some of the results from the encounter.

Nash is 17 months

I know, I really must be better at blogging more frequently!
Our little man is growing up so fast. He has definitely started to have a mind of his own, he is talking like crazy, he wants to do everything himself and is even showing signs of an (GASP) attitude............he get's it from his Dad. ;)

I figured it was time that I post some of the delightful Nasherisms that he has been saying lately.  Sometimes, I wish I had a decoder to break some of the language barriers.  Here is a good list:

CooCoo = cookie, also cookie monster
Nana = Banana
Caca = Cracker
Mimi = Grammy (we have tried so hard, but Mimi is so cute so it's sticking)
Bob-o = Grampy (also have tried to get this to change but it's sticking)
Bapes = Grapes
Cheesh = Cheese
Owl = an owl puppet that is almost as fabulous as Hoot Hoot but not for night night
Ni Ni = Night Night
Go! = Bye Bye
Ouside = Outside

Actually, as I am writing this list, I am reminded of how well he is speaking. He has just a few euphemisms that are hilarious.  What can I say? He is a genius.

First Family Vacation 9/15/12

It took us a little over year, but we finally went on our first family vacation!

We decided it would be fun to 1. Visit the beach 2. Visit family 3. See our newest cousin, sweet Ella Jane.  To Thousand Oaks, CA we went for a few days of fun and relaxation.  

When we were looking at plane tickets, there was a great fare to fly into Long Beach, which is only about 40 miles from our cousin's home. Seems like a fairly good option, right? NO! It took two hours to drive to their home in crazy California traffic. Note to self: Never do this again! But it was a funny CA experience. (Thanks so much to Janelle for driving us the whole way to and from!)

Day 1: We played at a new Disc Golf course, at which Isaac did AWESOME, Nash loved to watch Dad throw the disc, and I enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air with my guys.

Day 2: Beach Day! We took the day and headed to Malibu and Zuma beach to enjoy the waves and sun. Nash was a little apprehensive about the gigantic sand box and very loud, cold bath tub, but as long as Dad was close by he enjoyed it.  After, a few hours he started running towards the water and wanting Isaac to dip him in as the waves rolled in. It was great introducing him to something that I have always loved: the ocean. 

Day 3: Church Picnic day. Mark and Janelle's church was hosting church in the park, with lots of food and fun after the service. They had a lot of great activities set up for the kids and Nash loved the water stuff and the bubble pool.  Also, I think just running around other kids made him very happy.

Day 4: Beach Day again! This time we headed to Santa Barbara for more beach time and to enjoy the quaint downtown. What a darling little place this is and if I made multi-millions, I would totally live there. We had lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon building sand castles and splashing in the surf.

Day 5: Another two hours back to Long Beach to head home.

We were so grateful to our cousins Mark and Janelle for putting us up and toting us around all the great places in CA.  It was a great time and good memories made.

Nash is now 15 months!

Ok, I know, I suck at blogging regularly. It's just that finding the delicate balance of being a fantastic mom, incredible wife and a good employee is down right exhausting and my blog has taken the trunk spot.

What a summer it has been and we aren't done yet! Nash is 15 months old now and is growing in leaps and bounds.

This summer he went on his first plane ride (to IA), went camping (LOVES camping), was in his Aunt MaryAlice's wedding as a ring bearer (looked adorable in a tux) and will be visiting the beach this week.  All in all, it's been a great summer.

He is still a little skinny guys, but he is tall and smart. Today, our pediatrician, Dr. Blackburn said that he is in the 18-24 month stage for development as he is saying two word phrases, feeds himself and is running and climbing over everything.

Some of the words he is saying these days are:
Mama, Dada, Nana (means Banana), Mammy (Grammy), Bob (Grampy and no idea why?), Bye bye, Hi!, Ya, No, mmmmmmmmm (for all the delicious food he eats at home), All done, Thank you, Shoes, Bath tub, Diaper, Hoo-Hoo (hoot hoot), Outside, Milk, Nash, Baby, Dog. He is adding new words each week.

He LOVES to be outside. Every day he wants to go play in the grass, sandbox and with his disc golf target. He loves the park and wagon rides. He loved camping and we have gone to the mountains a few times for dutch oven dinners and he cries when we leave. We have taken him to the splash pad where he just giggles and laughs, even though the water is -5 degrees.

We have been watching Sesame Street in the mornings and he can't get enough of the Bruno Mars song Don't Give Up that he performed on Sesame Street. He requests it every day by shaking his head and singing ooooohhhh eee ohhhhhh.  He also sings, lalalalalalala Nash's song (it's really Elmo's song but we changed the lyrics)

Reading is his favorite thing to do. He will bring you book after book after book! He just loves to sit in his reading corner and flip through books and be read to. I couldn't be more proud of this habit.

Parenthood really is the biggest blessing and just so much fun! We are enjoying every moment and look forward to each new phase.

Nash turned 1!!!

Ok, so we are a little behind on the monthly post.

Nash turned 1 on May 25! Wow, it's amazing how quickly a year has gone by.  So exciting to see this little man grow and all of the great things he can do now.  He is such a joy and blessing in our lives and we love him more every day.  Here is the month's list of loves:

1. He just LOVES to snuggle........still
2. Officially was done crawling the week of his birthday
3. We have a gate at the bottom of the stairs and he helps to tidy the main floor by throwing everything that is left out over the gate.  Apparently he inherited a tidy gene, not sure from where though.
4. If there is a soft cuddly blanket left out he will run over and throw his body down and rub his face all over the cuddle blanket.
5. He eats like a champ!  Pretty much anything put in front of him he will eat. With refined tastes of course. No regular milk for this kid, oh no! It's Almond Milk only.
6. He just jabbers and talks way, with a few legible words thrown in there like Mom, Daddy, nana (banana), ni ni (night night), Bob (Grampy), ba ba (bye bye)
7. He really is into EVERYTHING but we love it. He has a curious mind and he is just so dang smart!
8. I think much to Isaac's chagrin, this little guy could be a sports fan. He loves to throw balls, kick balls  and watch the big kids play basketball.
9. He is a sharing guy. If he has any type of food he will offer you a bite, very sweet boy.
10. He sleeps ALL NIGHT LONG!!!

 

Nash is 11 Months Old!

This is it. The month before he is the big 1 year old! I can't believe this is happening already as it just seems like yesterday we were anticipating his arrival. He really does just get better and better and we are enjoying every minute of it. Here is this month's list of favorites:

1. He can now open and close doors, drawers, cabinets etc
2. He is walking!  It was such a proud moment for us and he is always so proud of himself
3. When we leave he responds with big waves and "Ba Ba Da Da or MaMa"
4. Copy cat, he is starting to copy many of our habits. Sweet and Scary
5. 6 teeth in total now!! Little chomper
6. The attitude is definitely showing through, such as back talking-oh my we are in trouble
7. Talking and more talking.
8. If there is a blanket on the floor he will rush over to it and roll his face all over the softy and smile.
9. Dirty dirt, this little boy loves the dirt

First Time in the Sand

Today, Nash and I went to visit my BFF Shante' and Ben.  Ben is 5 and is so great to hang out and make silly faces at Nash. They have a huge sandbox in their backyard that is so soft and fun to play in. We thought it would be great for Nash to sink his toes in the sand (preferably this would take place on a beach in 85 degree weather, but we take what we can get with 60 degrees and a sandbox)
He loved to feel the silky sand in his toes and fingers. He was especially good at finding things that didn't belong in the sandbox and throwing them out of it, after thoroughly inspecting all objects in his mouth first. (hoping this phase passes soon)
Most of all, some darling photos came from it. Enjoy!