10 Months

10 Months old (closer to 11 by the time this post gets published)

 

"Not the hat!"

 

 

"This hat again."

 

I guess this will do.

 

Being silly before lunch

Loving his little personality develop

 

And I thought Natasha was a dare devil... this

kid is going to give me a heart attack!
 

 But I love him so much!

Tunnel fun

 

 

 Sliding at the park

Enjoying an apple with dad... my handsome boys!

 

Nom nom nom

 

I thought by now Nikolaus would be walking.  But, I'm kind of glad that he is not.  He is a busy boy and he sure does love to climb.  His newest trick is downward dog, but I'm pretty sure he is going to flip himself over into a somersault by doing it.  Natasha claims that she taught him that.  He is also starting to balance without holding onto anything, but he then squats down and goes back to crawling.  It is also a challenge to change this kid's diaper.  He rarely lies still, but I am getting better at putting a piper on him while he is standing up.  You gotta do what you gotta do.  

Now on to the better of month 10.  Nikolaus is a great eater.  I haven't found a food he doesn't like.  He loves the German pancakes that I make in the morning and just like his sissy, he loves rice and beans.  I'm definitely more comfortable giving him bigger pieces of food too.  I don't know if it's because he is our second or if it's because he is a really good eater.  I don't think we gave Natasha apple until she was well over a year old.  But, Nikolaus had no trouble biting pieces off and chewing them up.

 

Nikolaus' little personality is continuing to develop.  He loves to imitate the sounds we make... clicking our tongue, grunting and chuckling.  I have to say that my favorite thing that Nikolaus does is look for his sissy.  When I buckle him into his car seat, he always looks to his left for Natasha. Since Natasha started preschool, she is not always with us.  And Nikolaus is more fussy in the car seat when she is not there... It is so sweet.  

 

I can't believe our little man is going to be a year old in less than two months!  It is unreal how time flies by.  I'm just glad that Nikolaus still likes to be held, because who knows how long that will last.

Preschool

 

 

  Meet and Greet at Preschool

  Checking out some of the puzzles at her new school

Daddy came too!

She loves the dollhouse

First official day of Preschool

Being silly

Excited for her first day!

Off she goes...

... Such a big girl! 

Yellow day at preschool

Natasha has been in school for two weeks now and she loves it.  And to be honest, I love it too!  I do miss her, but it is a nice break and it gives me a little extra one on one time with Nikolaus.  I am also just so excited for her.  I look forward to picking her up and trying to pry out of her what she did and learned.  Thank goodness her teacher posts what they did in school outside of their the classroom, so I have something to work off of.  So far, everyday has been "awesome" (Natasha's words, not mine).  She has already been super helper at school, which consists of setting the table for snack time and ringing the bell.  There is also a class bird, named Boomer.  And next week it will be our turn to take him home for the weekend.  Natasha has quite a few friends in her class that were in our parent and me class last year.  It was nice to see so many familiar faces on the first day of school.  But, Natasha was most excited to have one of her best friends in her class, Noelani!  These two girls get along great and between Stroller Strides and school, they see each other four days a week!  We are looking forward to a fun school year.  I still can't believe my baby girl is in preschool.  

End of Summer Fun

Swinging at the park

Everyone loves the tunnel slide

Water table fun at Mimi's

 

Baby Beach in Balboa

 

Yes, he ate sand and yes, I let him.

 

Train Ride at the Spectrum

 

 Water Park with Kiki

 

 Splash Pads on a hot day

 

Train Ride with Brooks and Auntie Lizzy

at the Irvine Regional Park

Petting goats at the OC Zoo

End of summer means UCLA Football

tailgates at our house!

9 Months

 9 months, already!

 

 

 It was too hard to get a picture of him

 sitting up with the blocks

 And it is even harder to get him to wear his Viking

 hat long enough for a picture

 Riding around in his car

 Playing at the mall

 Accepting his sister's love

 Definitely a dare devil

 I love it when we can get him to wear a hat

 The "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" rules doesn't

apply with our little man

Lunching with Mimi

  

Nikolaus is 9 months old and he definitely keeps us on our toes.  A crawler and a climber, this kid knows how to get around.  He likes to practice walking too, while we hold his hands.  Nikolaus also has four teeth.  One bottom tooth sprouted last month and was all alone until his 9 month appointment.  His pediatrician saw three more coming in at the same time.  Luckily for us, he has been a trooper... Must have a high threshold of pain (like his sister).  Nikolaus continues to thrive and according to Dr. Cox, he has great eye contact and social skills.  Here are his stats from his appointment:

Weight: 19 lbs. 15 oz. (50th percentile)

Length: 28 1/2" (50th percentile)

Head Circumference: 46 1/2 cm. (85-90th percentile)

Nikolaus loves being outside and who doesn't when you have so much to explore (and put into your mouth).  I'm not used to having a baby move this early or put everything in their mouth.  Nikolaus has tried dirt, sand, leaves and sticks.  And he goes back for more!  What can I say, he is all boy. Even though he likes to explore and play with new toys, he still loves to be held.  Especially in the morning when everyone is trying to get ready for the day.  I guess he just wants a little more attention and cuddle time after sleeping 12 hours.  Nikolaus still gets plenty of attention from his sister.  I think she knows he is getting bigger and more durable because she has been tackling him more and pulling him down on herself more.  He doesn't complain, but I continue to warn Natasha that he will be bigger than her one day and he will get his revenge.  Other than that, it warms my heart to watch our two loves play and interact with each other.  And make each other laugh!