25 Months Old

Some Birthday Movies

Here are some movie clips from my birthday celebrations last month:

Santa! Ho Ho Ho!

Last Thursday I went to visit Santa at the library. Beforehand, mommy and daddy told me about him and I kept saying "Santa" and "ho ho" all day. But when it came time to go sit on his lap, I got really scared! Come on, some strange man in a red suit with a long beard who wants me to sit on his lap- tell me that's not weird?! Anyway, I didn't want to sit on his lap right away so he gave me my goody bag and we went and did art projects in the story room and walked around the library for a little while. Then mommy gently took me back to try again. I still didn't want to go up to him by myself so mommy went with me. This time I didn't run away but I still wasn't too excited about it. I didn't know what to tell him when he asked what I wanted for Christmas. All I could think of was "truck." Daddy captured some pictures of the event which we'll post later and so did the local newspaper. One of them even made it into the paper. The links to those pictures from the paper are below. Mommy didn't include the links to the pics where I protested sitting on his lap. No need to relive that! Anyway, despite the minor trauma, I am still talking about Santa lots:)

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Poopy in the Potty!

Last night I went poop in the potty for the first time! Yay!

Mommy has been slowly introducing me to the concept of the toilet and encouraging me to use it if I want to, but she isn't forcing me to. Before yesterday, I'd sat on the toilet many times with my little toilet seat insert, but I was kinda scared to actually do anything.

Then, last night while we were washing up to go to bed, I told mommy, "Potty," and pulled down my pants. Mom asked if I wanted to sit on the potty and I said yes, so she helped me do so. I like a little privacy so Mom went back to washing her face while I did my business. It sure sounded like I was doing something this time, so after I was done she checked and sure enough, I had went poop! Yeh! Still no pee, but Mom assures me that whenever I'm ready she'll help me get to the potty to do that, too.

I am TWO!!!!

Happy birthday to me!! I turn two today. And I will tell you so if you ask me:)

No big party for me today - a big snowstorm last week snowed in my grandparents and uncles so we'll have my party next weekend instead. Hope they shovel out by then, ha ha! Its gonna be a train party and I am so excited! Mom says there will be cake, too. Can't wait.

Check you later. I am gonna go play and enjoy my birthday.

Updates, updates, updates

So, we are way behind on keeping you up to date on my happenings! Its been over a month and a half since my last post - I apologize!! We've been busy moving from the apartment to the house on Oct. 6th and since them have been unpacking and trying to make the house pretty. Well, not so much me - I like to demolish whatever I can in the name of exploration and having fun:)

Anyway, I turned 23 months old on the 9th of October - right after we moved in the house. I keep growing and developing, saying more and more words. Mommy can't keep track anymore since I say a new word every day. Currently my favorite word is EAT! I am still a picky eater but I want to eat constantly it seems. I am also obsessed with sports and say baseball, hockey, football, and Touchdown!!! I also love my books of course. You can never read too many books. I love my Baby Beluga book but Daddy does not. He does not know the song so he won't sing it to me:( I am really into my Dr. Seuss books lately, too. And my counting books are getting good use. I can count to 3 now and sometimes even further although many times out of order. I know that I am turning TWO!!! soon. I am also interested in colors and shapes. Other favorite phrases include "Wowsie!" and "Oh buddy!" I love saying goodbye to people and will say so to everyone as we leave a public place. My goodbyes are regular bu-byes now instead of "see ya's." Mommy and Daddy kind of miss the see ya's.

Oh, last week I went Trick or Treating for the first time. I dressed up last year but didn't TorT. This year I was Superman or Superboy depending on who you ask. It was so much fun. Daddy helped me fly! We went to the Treat Street at the Alerus Center and then Daddy and I TorTed on our street while mommy stayed home. When I got back I helped her pass out candy to the kids coming to the door. I loved it! I got loads of candy but my parents only let me have some of it:( Not good for my teeth of something they said.

Speaking of teeth, forgot to mention that I got my eye teeth in a few months ago when we were still in KC. Now I only have my 2-3 year back molars and I will have a full set of teeth. We'll have to wait until I get to the doctor to learn my 2 year stats, but we do know that I am 28 pounds about right now.

Well, that's it for now. Enjoy my pictures from the last 2 months!

22 to 23 Months:



23 to 24 Months

Help me plan my birthday!

Way Late on my 22 Month Update

Yeah, Mama sucks and is way behind on computer stuff. Better catch you all up, huh? Well, on Aug. 28th the packers arrived and packed up all our stuff. Then me and Mom had to live in a house full of boxes for 5 days until the moving truck came on Sept. 2nd and hauled away all our junk. Next, it was off to our friends the Dunn's house where we stayed for 4 nights while Mommy finished up her dissertation stuff and such. It was really fun because Lexi and I had a blast playing! I miss her bunches. Before we left town, our friends Liz and Gabby threw us a goodbye party (see the post below) that was so much fun! A bunch of my little friends came including Lexi, Lilly, Iz, Claire, Eli, Joseph, Khary, Khalil, Valerie, Charlotte, Louise, Jacob, Merani, Zoe, Kieran, London, and Linc. I already miss everyone and our playgroups and such. Mommy is so boring and I haven't made any new friends yet. I have played with other kids at the playgrounds up here but most of them have been older than me. I think big kids are cool!

Anyway, after leaving KC on Sept. 6th, we drove up to Omaha and stayed over night with my Great Aunt Jeanne. I had fun visiting with her and my cousins David and Debbie and Steve. I played on Debbie's swingset and with her kitties! Aunt Jeanne's kitties were pretty fun, too. Well, Sept. 8th we finally took off for EGF and drove the 10 hours up there in one shot. Mommy's junky car made it all the way no problem despite doubts from lots of people. Ha ha!

It was so nice to see Dada again and roughhouse with him! I missed him! We settled into the apartment with Daddy, but I wish the rents would let me run outside more! They won't let me go out on the balcony by myself since its 2 stories up. Since we aren't on the ground floor, I've gotten practice at walking up stairs unassisted. At first, I thought I couldn't do it but Mommy had not doubts I could. She knew I only needed practice since I wasn't used to it being our old house was a ranch style. Anyway, I learned to hold onto the handrail for support and I say "Step" every time I take a step:)

I've come up with lots of new words in the last month, too many to list. But my current favorites are "eat" and "water" (for drinking and to take a bath) and "car." I also have some sentences like "I sit" and "I step." Mommy still wished my enunciation would get better so she could understand my Nicky Chinese, or as Matt calls it, Chinglish. I get frustrated when she can't understand what I'm trying to say. And when I want to do things myself and she won't let me, that really gets me angry! I LOVE to play clean and I push around the broom and Swivel Sweeper all the time. I continue to be obsessed with books and computers. Mommy says she's gonna have to wean me off TV when we move to the new house. Despite not having tv for the last 2 months in our old house, since being in the apartment I have become transfixed with the tv despite the fact that we don't have cable and only get 4 channels.

We had our house inspection last week and as long as the sellers agree to make the fixes Mommy and Daddy asked for, we will be moving in on Oct. 6th. That is only 2 weeks away! We all can't wait.

For all you in ND, come visit us soon! I'll be having a big shindig in Nov. for my birthday. For my friends in KC, I miss you! Can't wait til our next visit.

My Friends in KC

Mommy and I have been up here in EGF for two weeks now, and Mommy finally got all our pictures uploaded from the past month. Before we left KC, we were sure to spend lots of time with our friends there. In fact, our friend Liz hosted a farewell party for us and all our friends from our parenting group in KC. Mommy made sure to take lots of pictures that night:)

21 Month Old Waterbaby

Hi y'all! I'm 21 months old as of Saturday! We have busy day planned visiting my friend, Clayton, in the morning, and then Mommy is working on genealogy in the afternoon with the help of a friend and will even busier Saturday. So, I thought I'd give you the monthly update a little early. We didn't do anything special for the 4th of July because I'm not a big fan of loud noises so Mommy and Daddy didn't think I'd enjoy the fireworks. But, we did grill out and hang out at home which was nice after our crazy week before that getting our house ready to be sold. Since then, we've been spending a lot of time (even more than the usual) outside the house since we've had a bunch of showings and open houses. We've went out to eat, to coffee shops, to malls, to the playground, to the spraygrounds, and to the wading pool. We've spent a BUNCH of time in the water, as is my preference! I l-o-v-e the water. I am always hopping in my baby pool when we are at home, but the pool and spraygrounds have been so much fun, too! I am a social butterfly and make friends instantly. I love summer. I have a nice little farmer tan, but that's only because Mama always makes me wear my rashguard shirt at the pool. I'm getting really blond, too, from all that sun. Although, it has gotten so hot this past week (over 100 degrees)that I have been telling mommy its hot and blowing (my way of signing "hot") whenever we go outside or get in the car. You know its roasting out when a toddler thinks its too hot!

Last week my daddy was off from work before he started his new job so I got to spend lots of time with him. That was fun! On Thursday we went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead. Daddy helped me feed the goats and I had fun playing on the playground there and checking out the duck pond. Too bad the next day Daddy had to leave for Minnesota. He started his new job there this Monday. Mommy and I both miss him tons!! I talk to him bunches on the phone and blow him kisses before we say bu-bye. Hope our house sells quickly so we can all be together again soon.

This week I got to go to the Wonderscope Children's Museum with my friend Clare. They have a cool indoor playground with ramps and stuff just for babies and toddlers plus a play store with playfood, grocery carts, an ATM, and everything a real store would have. In the lunch area, I enjoyed checking out the play submarine and watching the big kids feed koosh balls into the air tubes and watching them come out the other end of the tubes. So cool! Mommy has a whole list of things she wants us to do before we leave Kansas City so I'm sure she'll keep us busy.

I keep working on my words. I say a bunch of new ones all the time but only some of them really stick. Mommy counted 30 words that I definitely use regularly: Mommy, Daddy, Yeah, No, Yuck, Yum, Hi, See ya, Puppy, Doggy, Kitty, Beep beep, Toot toot, Car, Ball, Nicky, Bobby, Pretty, There, Owie, Baby, Eye, Happy, Cookie, Hoot, Hee-haw, Up, Didy, Thank you, Sorry, Go, Good, Cold, Hot, and Dirt. I am currently obsessed with dogs - every animal is a puppy according to me, and cars - every vehicle is a car, I say, although I am really more interested in trucks and tractors then regular old cars. I have said truck before but prefer to refer to every vehicle as car now. I have told both of my parents that I love them. Mommy thinks I have a bunch more words but that they just can't understand me most of the time because my enunciation is bad. I'll keep working on it. My Grandpa Huizenga says I'm speaking Chinese. I continue to adore reading. My books are currently my favorite toys. My favorite books right now are The Very Lonely Firefly, Tractor Factory, and Moo, Ba, La La La.

Oh, we got to see my grandparents a few weeks ago when we made a trip up to Grand Forks to look at housing options. I got to hang out with Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Bob while Mommy and Daddy looked at houses and apartments. I even got to go in the big pool at the hotel which I was really excited about. Every time I saw the big pool on the way to our hotel room, I squealed with delight. Mommy and Daddy did decide on a house for us to buy, too! After some negotiations, our offer on the house was accepted, but it is contingent on the sale of our house in KC, so sell, house, sell!! The new house has a whole lot more room, a fenced yard for me to play in, and a cool fish pond. We'll post pictures as soon as its a done deal.

Enjoy my monthly slideshow and a video of me playing at the playground at Deanna Rose. Check you later, homies!

20 Months & BIG NEWS!

We're moving!!! That's right, we're leaving good ole KC... Here's what's going on: Daddy got a job as the city administrator for East Grand Forks, MN (right across the river from where Mommy and Daddy went to college and met) and he starts his job Aug. 4th! The last 3 weeks since he found out have been super busy. First, the parents had to clean the whole house and get it ready to be sold. Mommy says this is called "staging" and it involved them packing up half of our stuff and furniture to make the place look nice and big. They moved all of my toys from the living room to my room and even the TV went into the garage! It was no fun because they only had 3 days to do all this before our first open house. They were so busy and didn't have time to play with me:( So, a bunch of my friends had me over to play at their houses while Mommy and Daddy worked on our house. That was way more fun than hanging out with them anyway! So, Daddy will have to be in EGF early next month but sounds like Mommy and me will likely stay behind in KC until the house here sells. Its a bit up in the air which is freaking Mama out. We are making a trip up to the Grand Cities this weekend to check out houses and other housing options (aren't sure if we're going to buy or rent yet)so we should know more after that trip. Mommy says I get to see my Grandma and Grandpa Huizenga and my Uncle Dusty so that should be fun! Anyway, please pray that our house in KC sells quickly and for a good price so Mommy can quit her worrying! Then we can concentrate on the move and getting to know our new home. Mommy says its really pretty and closer to all our family. She did warn me that its way colder with more snow and that they are probably going to teach me this game called hockey in a few winters. Hmmmm.... I'm going to miss Royals baseball, all the fountains around KC, and my awesome friends here. Its gonna be sad to say bye-bye to them:(

Ok, well in other news, I turned 20 months old on the 9th. Only 4 more months til another birthday party! I keep getting taller and people keep telling me I look like a little boy instead of a baby. I now know how to say my name (Ni-te), pretty, ball, there, and a bunch more words that I can't think of right now. I'll have to add more later. My favorite word continues to be NO!!! I love my books. And having them read over and over and over again. I still have 12 teeth (all of my first 4 molars are popped through) but more seem to be on the way. My hair is pretty darn thick and now it is very wavy, too, just like Mama's. I got another haircut at the barbershop on Saturday and Mommy says I look just like a minature Scott. She says she prefers my hair longer though, and won't quit talking about how the hairdresser cut too much. Thank goodness my hair grows quickly.

We've been doing lots of stuff this past month including hosting water playdates at our house once a week (until the house had to be sold and then we had to stop:( ), going to playdates and playgroups, going to the park, playing outside whenever I could which usually involved me jumping in my pool, and attending classes from the summer co-op that my mom's parenting group organized. So far I've done Toddler Tunes (like Sing & Sign), Paren-Tot gymnastics, Spanish Songs, Yoga for Littles, and if we stick around in August I get to go to a Fingerpainting Dance Party and a class on bubbles. Fun!!

Hi, Hello; Bye, See ya!!!!

I am obsessed with greetings these days. I love saying Hi. And I am an enthusiastic waver. But, my new favorite phrase is "See ya!!" I like to say that as we say goodbye. I also play "goodbye" where I get on my ride-on truck or sit backwards on my push-toy (I use it as a scooter) and wave bye-bye to Mama and Dada and say "See ya!" and they have to say it back. I'm starting to get into the pretend play thing. I also love play kitchens and cleaning tools and anything going on in the kitchen. Mommy jokes that they will have to send me to culinary school. I also love cars and enjoy any chance I get to pretend drive in cars or trucks or grandpa's tractor. I've got the steering wheel thing down!

Well, better say Goodbye again. I gotta take a nap. But I hate saying goodbye!!! I cry every time someone leaves whereever I am at. I love people and want to keep playing with them. Mommy calls me a sensitive social butterfly. Anyway, bye bye, see ya!!

19 Months Old!!

I turned 19 months old yesterday! I'll try to add some more updates soon, but please be patient. We have be so very busy lately. First of all, I have been teething a ton. Owie!!! In the last month, the last 2 bottom front teeth and all 4 of my first molars broke through. It was so painful. Poor me!

We got back from a 10 day trip to North Dakota last Monday. It was so fun! Since then we've had a garage sale, Mommy and Daddy went to a concert (without me:( ) while I had fun at my babysitter Jessica's house, and I've been participating in a summer school co-op my mommy's parenting group is putting on. This month, I am participating in Parent-Tot gymnastics, Toddler Tunes, and today we took at tour of a farm down in Pleasanton, KS. It was a lot like my Grandpa Bob's farm except this one had pigs, goats, and horses. I really loved the baby kittens they had there - they were only a few weeks old. Anyway, I gotta go take a bath. I got dirty at the farm:)

My Trip to North Dakota

18 Months and Long and Lean!

Long time no chat!!! Sorry, we've been busy. Mama's been working a bunch on her dissertation and I've been wanting to be outside as much as possible. Anyway, there's lots to catch you up on. First I turned 18 months old almost two weeks ago already. But, I just had my doctor's visit last Thursday. Guess what? I am still tall - 34.25 inches which is in the 90th percentile. However, now I am a skinny dude - 25 pounds even which is in the 30th percentile. The doctor says I have the same build as Mommy. She called me "long and lean" and said I was doing great. Guess all that running around burned some of my baby chub off. Oh, and my head continues to be in the 25th percentile for circumference. Other than that, here's what's been going on this past month: Daddy turned 32 in April (and we had yummy chocolate cake), Mommy and I have been going to the park a lot (check out the pics), I have a new cousin, Abi, and another new 2nd cousin, Jada (my cousin's Holly's new daughter) who was born on my Mommy's birthday (May 14th), and my Mommy turned 31. We also spent Mother's day weekend in Minneapolis because my daddy had a job interview in Marshall, MN (nice town, but he didn't get the job). I got to play in the pool. Fun! Oh, I just got another tooth in with more on their way! The other bottom left tooth popped through last week and now the other right one is coming. So are a bunch of my molars. Ouch!!! Mom can feel the edge of one of them already popping through. Why do they have to all come at once?! And on top of that, I have the nastiest seasonal allergies this year! Yuck! I guess the pollen count in through the roof here in KC.

Tomorrow we are taking off for a week in North Dakota!! Mom's not sure how I'll do with all the driving. Hopefully I'll sleep just enough but not too much. We are going to visit both sets of grandparents plus my new cousin Abi. Can't wait. Better go prepare for our trip. Hope too see everyone in ND! For everyone else, have a great holiday weekend!!

Welcome Baby Abigail

I have a new cousin!! Actually, she's my first one. Baby Abigail Sophia Huizenga was born last night. She belongs to my uncle/Godfather Byron and my aunt Becky. I get to go meet her next month. Can't wait! Check out the pictures Uncle Byron sent us last night:

My 17 Month Update - A Few Weeks Late!

Gosh, my family has been so very busy lately. Mommy has gotten barely any time on the desktop computer and has instead mainly used the laptop so we can stay out in the living room where most of my toys are. Problem is that the pictures are stored on the desktop which makes updating the web albums hard. Anyway, she finally got it done today so enjoy!

More to come - LATER!

The Easter Bunny came on Sunday!

Hi Everyone! I had so much fun this past Sunday! I bet you did, too! Did the Easter Bunny visit your house, too? Let me tell you about my Easter. First we went to church in the morning and learned about Jesus's death and resurrection. Church was really full again so we all sat in the crying room with some other families. Dada said that sitting in the crying room is not an excuse for all the adults to talk during the mass. Anyway, then we went home and I got my Easter basket. It was full of fun toys and books. I got bubbles, sidewalk chalk, play dough (that I've already tried to eat), some special toddler crayons (that I've also already tried to eat), some board books including Peter Cotontail, a wooden toy train, and a casinet. I had so much fun playing with that stuff and the plastic eggs and grass that came in my basket. Daddy even got out the bubbles and blew some for me. Those things are cool!! Can't wait to use my sidewalk chalk. Mama won't let me use that inside:( Ooh, I also got the coolest stuffed Easter bunny from my Godmommy Tiffanni. He is a baseball bunny and he is so soft! I love him! Wish we had pictures of him but our camera battery went dead. Mommy, hurry up and charge that thing! She also gave me some Nicky-sized Easter candy - good thing since Mommy didn't buy any candy for me. Mommy says the mini suckers Tiffy sent are the perfect size for me and she left me have one. Yummmm! I slept through Easter dinner but got to have some when I woke up. Mommy made orange glazed ham, scallopped potatoes with leeks, asparagus, a citrus spring greens salad with candied pecans, buns, and a strawberry lemon trifle for dessert. Super yummy.

Anyway, hope you all had a great holiday, too.

More New Words

I have now mastered saying "doggy," "thank you," "mooo," and "hoo(t)" (can you tell that I'm obsessed with animal sounds?). I am getting close on meow and ruff ruff. And just today, I said my first sentence. I am really enamored with my Dada lately, so everyday when I wake up, I start talking about my Dada. I usually get upset when Mama points out that my Dada is at work. However, today when my Mama said that, I repeated back "Dada at work."

16 Months Old!

My Vocabulary: Mommy, Daddy, Yucky, Owie, Uh-Oh, Kitty, Go, Didy, Yummy, Hi/Hello, No, Yeah, working on Thank you and Good Night

My Signs: More, Diaper, All Done, Eat, Drink, working on Sleepy/Tired

My Loves: exploring, playing with the big kids, practicing my words/talking, copying the big people, computers, the bathroom, watching Mommy cook, roughhousing and wrestling with Daddy (I pin him!), climbing, running, being outside, bouncing and jumping, singing and music, answering the phone (Hello, hello, hi, hello), using my fork and spoon (I can spear a Cheerio with my fork!), baths, books, making noise and screaming, my shoes

15 Months Old!!

14 Months Old!

My Trip to Union Station

As my mommy mentioned in her blog, she and I made a trip to the old time train station building here in Kansas City called Union Station right before Christmas. The KC Amtrak stop is still there. It also has a children's science museum, historical stuff, and changing exhibits there now. Anyway, every year for Christmas they have a huge toy train display complete with villages and dozens of motorized trains. It was so cool!!!! I loved it. I giggled and ran around looking at different parts of it from behind the plexy glass partition. Mama is promising me a toy train set of my own when I get a little bit older. I also got to go on a kids train ride around the big Christmas tree they had. So fun! Mama kept reminding me that I needed to stay sitting and once she reminded me, I listened. Here are some pictures and a video. Enjoy!

Merry Belated Christmas Everyone!

Change My Diaper!!

"What we've got here is failure to communicate." - The Warden in "Cool Hand Luke" (edited for correction:)

I hate wearing poopy diapers. Yuck! I want them off and changed ASAP. So, I've been working on the word "di-dee" for diaper and pretty much have it down. When I have a full pants, I tell Mom or Dad "didy" and try to get them to change me. Problem is that sometimes they don't understand me. They say my didy word sounds like Daddy or Dee-dee-dee or di-di-di sometimes. Phhhhth! Throw me a bone here! I want my dang diaper changed NOW! Yesterday afternoon, it took numerous attempts before my parents finally got it, and then they sure felt stupid. Serves them right. I kept going back and forth from one room to the other (Mom was on the computer in the guest bedroom and Dad was out in the living room)trying to get one of them to understand me. They didn't realize this until after Mommy finally understood me and then checked in with Daddy. Those two are such dorks some times!