Nico is 1 1/2 years old TODAY

Happy 18 months Pumpkin head!

From 1107 Abuelita visit

Motor Skills-

• He's been signing away with the couple signs that he knows like a CHAMP.
• He also loves signing along to different songs: The itsy-bitsy spider, If your happy and you know it, and Ring around the Rosey.
• Abuela got him a set of fat CRAYONS which he has loved using to make his Picaso-esque art-work.
• He brings me his MOMMY/BABY ANIMAL PUZZLE when he wants to play with it and we put the puzzle pieces in each spot...over and over again =). He twirls the little puzzle pieces until they are in the right position ( somewhat) and then FORCES THEM IN...haha.
• When we play with his friends we do: TuTu--they all hold hands and we walk around like a train--Nico with a huge smile;ear to ear. Hands up--they put their hands in the air and wiggle their fingers. Touch the floor--they all hit the floor like they are playing the drums. Vuelta--they all do circles. Jump--they all (some actually) jump...and Nico gets on his tippy toes since he hasn't figure out the jumping just yet.

Language skills and Other random things-

• There is a list of about 17-20 words that he can say; 8-10 signs that he uses regularly; and a couple cool tricks that we use to show off when he's on SKYPE like fist pump, high five, push-ups, legs up(for sit-ups), and the latest addition to his tricks...SQUATS. Mommy has been doing a lot of squats in the living room and Nico joins in now.
• Last night he said HAPPY!!! His newest word!!!
• He is copying words and imitating sounds a lot these days. As some of you know, my mom works at a Daycare, The Growing Place, in Coral Gables with the "WALKERS" class. She has been preping Nico for his transition into daycare next month. His newest words are: CLEAN UP! When my mom says it, he repeats it, and starts walking over to the toy baskets and starts putting stuff away. I wish I could bottle this obedience up in a bottle and take it out in say...15 years when he's probably not gonna wanna put ANYTHING AWAY when I say CLEAN UP!
• He is also really good at cleaning his high chair with a rag. The other day we left him in the high chair while we were putting his lunch plates away and when we looked up, he was wiping his high chair with the rag!!!
• Every now and then he says BYE BYE...in the most adorable way. And when Peter comes home, he opens his arms really wide (so wide that they are almost behind him) and RUNS to Peter to give him a HUG!!!

  From 1107 Abuelita visit

• Nico likes makes likes making animal noises! When we point through an animal book he has, see them on TV, or see them around the complex(just the cat and dog) he makes their different sounds: meowwww for the CAT, he barks for the Dog, he Growls when he sees a tiger/lion, and he neiggghhhhhs when he sees a horse!!!!
• Yesterday with papa, he starting playing a new game....Its called: LINE THEM UP. In this game, Nico gets all his cars and lines them up---in a very straight line, I might add---and then papa saying:"On your mark.... Get set....Gooooooo" and pushes all the cars forward in a RACE! And Nico LOVES IT!!!
• His favorite GAME ALL-TIME is PIC-A-BOO! He absolutely loves it...especially when I hide and then POP out and scare him. He rolls over with this HUGE BELLY LAUGH...It's MY FAVORITE TOO!!! He sometimes pops out from behind a table and says: TAHHHH---and then starts laughing again. That's his way of scaring me...hahaha.
• He more into books these days. The last week he's had me read him "Goodnight Moon" a couple times before bed.

  From 1107 Abuelita visit

Pool Update:

From 1107 Abuelita visit

It's finally started feeling warm enough here in LA to get in the pool. Nico and I have been practicing going under water and jumping into the pool off the edge (from sitting position) and kicking with the noodle! He especially loves RACING other kids when they are in the pool, when i'm doing all the leg work and he's just saying: Gooooooo. I hope it stays warm a little longer!!

From 1107 Abuelita visit

Teeth update- His last 2 teeth are making their way in!

Eating habits: He's been eating like a little man...and a lot MORE!!

Sleeping habits: Last month I reported how well he had been doing with sleep...and HE CONTINUES to do GREAT! In the last month, I think that I can count on one hand the times that I had to wake up in the middle of the night!!!! It's so EXCITING, and I'm so proud of our teamwork that led to us accomplishing this. Rested baby=happy mommy=Peace-filled family!

From 1107 Abuelita visit

Everyday is an adventure. I know Peter is really enjoying teaching and doing things with Nico as he has been DOING more stuff. Needless to say...I LOVE hanging out with my pumpkin head. Every night I don't think it's possible to love him any more than I already do....and then I see him in his crib in the morning, and I realize that my heart must have grown while I was sleeping...Because I DO LOVE HIM MORE!!

TE AMO MI REY!!!!

I love being your mommy!

Thank you for making me so HAPPY!!!