Happy Halloween plus some more teeth

Happy Halloween everyone! And happy birthday to my uncle Daren who is 28 today! Well, I am going to dress up as a... wait for it... Monkey today. You know, since Mom and Dad always call me that anyway, they figure its a fitting costume. Anyway, here are few pics.


In other news, my two top front teeth popped through (one Monday and one today) so now I have 4 teeth total. My bottom teeth are fully visible now so here's a picture of that.



Still recovering from our vacay in Orlando - it was super fun. I really liked the Disney characters and all the animals at Seaworld. I'll have a slide show and post on the vacation later. Peace out for now.

-Nickster

Oops! Turned 11 Months

Oopsie! I turned 11 months old on Tuesday and forgot to post my specs. Well, according to the not-always-accurate Mommy measurements, I am 30.5 inches long and the scale says I am 24 pounds about. I have had busy month with: teething (2 and counting), walking (I am getting good at it and pretty brave), exploring (T-R-O-U-B-L-E, I now do stairs), playing (I attend 2 playgroups a week and I've had numerous playdates as of late), eating (Mommy wants to know why I like to eat paper so much), and being silly. I've clapped a few times but don't do it very often. I also like to squeal a bunch.

This coming month will be my last before I turn one! Time flies. There is some exciting stuff on the horizon, I am told. Daddy has a conference in Orlando the 20-25th and we are going with him. Disney World, here I come! When we get back, I get to trick-or-treat for the first time, although Mommy says no candy for me this year. Then, it will be time for my birthday party. I don't know what that is but Daddy keeps telling me I'm gonna like it. I'm going to my first birthday party this weekend for my friend, Lilly, so I guess I will get a preview for what I am in for.

Guess I Look More Like Mom

10 to 11 Month Slide Show

Tooth Number 2

My second front bottom tooth popped through today. Man, this teething thing ain't fun. I have been fairly decent to live with lately, but you can tell I'm in pain at times. I am always chewing on my fingers, drooling tons, and occasionally I'll let out a little whimper/whine to let everyone know that it still hurts. It is hard to sleep through the pain, and I let out a little cry in my sleep and roll over before settling down and drifting off again. Mama says, "Poor little buddy," and gives me my teething medication. Did I mention before that I love my teething tablets? They are the best. Sometimes, I go and find them if I can and bring them to Mom when I want them. I always smile when she opens up the bottle. And that Orajel stuff is helpful, too. It makes my gums and tongue numb which feels weird. We'll see if the top front teeth want to pop through soon or not. Well, I'm going to go watch the Bears. Peace out.

Walking Video

I Have a Toofer

I got my first official tooth today. Owie!!! I have been teething this whole past month or so so its about time. I love my teething tablets! They really help. The bottom 2 front teeth buds have been swollen and really raised for a few weeks and you can see my teeth buds on the top too so there might be more on the way soon. Anyway, this first tooth is my bottom front left one. Mommy has been checking my gums with her finger every morning and this morning she felt the edge of the tooth. It hurts though, so I don't like her feeling it with her finger but I touch it a lot with my tongue. By this afternoon you could definitely see the little white edge above my gums. No way I am going to open up wide and let Mommy take a picture of it! I can not be bothered with such things.

9 to 10 Month Slide Show

My 2nd Trip To North Dakota!

I'm Walking!!!

I just took 5 or 6 six steps across the living room while watching football on the television. Daddy had predicted I would walk at 3:24pm this afternoon so I was only about 6 hours late. Not too bad! Hopefully my parents will catch me in action on the video camera soon. Okay, back to football. Go Bears!

10 Months Old - What a busy month!

Hi everyone! Wow, I've been busy this last month. I think it will take a few posts to really explain it all. Let's start out with my stats. I had my check-up at my pediatrician's office just last Tuesday. Now, I was almost 10 months old at this point so my percentiles might be a little skewed, but oh well. I weighed in at 22 pounds 11 oz. (75th percentile) which is cool. Momma thought I was at least 23 pounds by now because our scale at home said 23 pounds and Grandma Kathy's scale in Regent said 23.5 pounds! I am still pudgy but I am definitely getting longer and leaner. I am 30.25 inches long which is pretty tall - 95th percentile. My head measured 17.75 inches around. Mom thinks the nurse was being generous in her measurement there - its in the 50th percentile this time instead of the 25th percentile like all my past head circumference measurements.

In other developments, I am continuing to crawl everywhere my heart desires and at a really fast speed. You should see my butt wiggle from behind when I get going! I love cruising around furniture and am constantly pulling up on whatever I deem suitable for that purpose (my parents' legs, the toilet, the patio door, etc.). I can also stand on my own!! I can do it for as long as 4-5 seconds at a time. I stand the longest when I don't realize that I'm doing it. If I notice, I usually plop myself down or get wobbly and fall over. Walking should come soon. I love to walk around the house while holding onto my parents' fingers. I just love exploring in general. Mama noticed this month that I am noticing more and more new things and am really finding the world around me very interesting.

My speech is coming along. I currently am obsessed with g sounds. Ga, goo, ggggggh, etc. So, now I can do b's, d's, g's, ma's, and n's. My waving abilities depend on my mood, but I have also just started to clap now. That also depends on my mood! Oh, I love to watch commercials on the TV! Mama hates that. When the TV is on, whenever a commercial comes, I turn my head to see it, even when its on mute!! Mama wonders what's so magical about the commercials. Grandma Sharon said my dad liked commercials when he was a kid, too! Now he hates them. Go figure. My other likes include people, animals, and being outdoors. I am pretty social, although now I play shy at first before I turn on my charms. I will hide my face in Mama's shirt, then peak out and smile! I usually have no problem going to a new person, and I still enjoy being held until I decide its time to go crawling. I love, love, LOVE both dogs and cats and squeal with delight when I see them. I love to pet them. I say "eh, eh, eh" and crawl after them. In fact, I know how to pant like a doggy. I usually do that or use my fake cough to get attention or just to be cute. I also recently discovered my tongue and now love to stick out my tongue once again. At a playdate I had just this past Thursday, my friend Lilly who is a few weeks older than me was doing it and I thought it was pretty cool! Now I am doing it as often as possible. I also still enjoy making raspberry sounds.






Still no teeth though!! I think they are coming though. I have had a few crabby days and restless nights that seem to point to teething. Also, the pediatrician said that both my top and bottom gums are really swollen and you can feel the teeth buds. Maybe a bunch will come in at once? I don't know if that sounds fun. It doesn't keep me from eating, though. I can gum all kinds of soft, small pieces of fruits, cooked veggies, meats, breads/cereals. I am eating whenever my parents eat or else I get jealous, and most of the time it is what they eat, too, unless it is not baby-friendly.

Okay, this post is long enough. In the next one, I'll have to tell you all about the cool 2 week long trip Mom and I took to North Dakota. It was so much fun! I got to fly on a plane! So cool.

Before I go, a big birthday shout-out to my Grandpa Alfred, my cousin Savannah Wilson (the big 2), and my friend Olivia Miller who is 1 all have birthdays today. September 9th is a pretty special day! Check you later.

A new trick!

Today I learned a new trick. Mom and I went to Subway for lunch. There was a big long line so I watched the cool ceiling fans while we waited. I wish we had some of those at home! They sure are interesting. Anyway, as we waited, a man eating his lunch took a shining to me and started waving at me and smiling. I smiled back. Then it was our turn in line. Later, while we were eating, the same man was exiting the shop and he smiled at me and waved again as he was leaving. This time I waved back! It was the first time I've waved. Mama thought it was so cool.

After Subway, we took a drive to Lawrence again. We stopped to see Mama's friend and former internship supervisor, Tracy, on the KU campus. It was my first time meeting her. She was nice. And I waved goodbye to her, too, as we were leaving her office. This waving thing sure is fun.



Next we stopped to play with the Rack-Meltons. I got to see my girlfriend, Cordelia, again. We played in the playpen together so their big ole dog Ranger wouldn't love on us too much. He loves babies, me included. And I love him, too. Puppy dogs are my favorite. I also love the doggy at the playgroup I go to every Tuesday morning, but I digress.






Anyway, after that we met up with one of Mama's friends, Sarah, and her son Aiden. Mama hadn't seen Sarah since internship and we hadn't met her (almost) 4 month old son yet. He sure is a big boy already. And he already has a tooth! I'm not too jealous, though. We had fun checking each other out, and Mommy and Sarah got to catch up.

It was a pretty good Friday. Hope the weekend is just as good.

9 Months Old!

I turned three quarters of a year old yesterday! Yes, I am getting to be such a big boy. My pediatrician appointment got rescheduled and won't be until Sept. 4th so it will be more like my 10 month check-up. In the mean time, we'll have to make due with Mommy's calculations. According to her measurements, I am about 29 inches long (67th percentile), I weigh about 23 pounds (80th percentile), and my head is 27.5 inches around (25th percentile). Mommy and Daddy say I am thinning out a bit and getting longer and leaner. I guess that's normal for kiddos my age. I still have plenty of baby chub left, though. I continue to explore new tastes and textures with solid foods and now prefer real solids to purees (although I still love fresh applesauce).

I am also getting around really well and have become an expert crawler. I crawl all over the house. I like to explore and get into tight spaces and anything I'm not supposed to touch. My favorite thing right now is trying to pull down the speaker stand for the small surround sound speaker by the couch in the living room. I have succeeded several times, and each time it falls it scares me. Mommy tries to distract me and has explained several times that it will "fall, go boom" but I am just too curious. They swear I always go for the things I am supposed to stay away from. I am still quite into practicing my standing and cruising around furniture. Now I can hold on with just one hand!

Dada is my new favorite word. I also use Mama frequently as well as Neh, my word for nursing. I can also say Ba but haven't decided if I'll use that for ball or bunny. The other day when Daddy came home, he said "Hello!" and I imitated his inflection. It kind of sounded like "El-O" and my parents were quite impressed. I haven't repeated it since, though. As is normal for 9 month olds, I have entered my separation and stranger anxiety stage now. I still like people, but now I act shy and take a little bit to warm up before I start smiling and jump into a new person's arms. Also, when I decide I want my mom, I make it known! Even when I'm with Dada, I will call for Mom or go find her (now that I'm crawling so well). I really love my Dada, though. Mommy says that it seems like Dada is my happy word and Mama is my upset word. She doesn't like that so much, but Dada is really fun and Mama keeps me safe. Makes sense, right? I am still a happy baby who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Yesterday was not only my 9 month birthday, but also my parents' 5th wedding anniversary! Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! They celebrated and went out to supper at a fancy restaurant. I spent a few hours with my first official babysitter other than my grandmas. My parents' friend Megan came over and played with me and we had a good time! I didn't cry at all. Mom was very proud of me. The night before, we had a house guest - our friend David Mitchell from Chicago. He and Daddy went to the baseball game that night and then he stayed overnight. He hung out a bit and played with me yesterday. He's fun! So, it was a long and exciting day. Daddy and I fell asleep on the couch together a little before 9pm. Enjoy the pics!

Me and Megan

The whole family

Daddy and I conked out

Nicky Videos

Nicky saying Mama back in April:



Nicky saying Dada in July:



Nicky doing some complaining to the camera:

#1

#2

Nicky crawling around:

My 8th Month

My 7th Month

Crawling, Cruising, Eating and Stuff

Hello everyone! Mommy thought I had better get on here and give you guys an update before I turn 8 months old tomorrow. My 7th month was a busy one, let me tell you. First off, I'm now on the move. I started to lunge forward and push up onto all fours at the end of my 6th month. At the beginning of this month, I was moving myself around haphazardly through a combination of lunging, scooting, and minimal crawling. My parents called me "Stealth" because I could move myself from one end of the room to the other, but usually when no one was watching. They thought I might skip regular crawling since I wasn't really interested in perfecting my crawling, and instead I was trying to stand up. In fact, I was pushing up into what looked like a bear walk position, but could never really figure out how to stand up on my own. Mommy told me, "Silly, you need to pull yourself up by holding onto to something like my legs or the furniture." I practiced and now I am indeed pulling up into a standing position and just starting to cruise around furniture. It is my favorite thing to do!! I also figured out the crawling thing and know now how to move my arms and legs together. I could still use a little work on my technique but walking interests me more, I think.

I am now 22 pounds and a bit over 28 inches long. I continue to enjoy babyfood but would prefer to have what Mom and Dad are eating. Mommy did share some of her yummy soft peach with me the other day. She was impressed when I gummed it and ate it instead of just sucking on it. I just want to be like the big people! I hate it when they eat something I can't have yet. But, I am continuing to add more foods to my repertoire every few days so that I will be ready for table foods in a month or so. The only thing I haven't liked so far is mashed potatoes. Mommy and Daddy were surprised by that. Mommy thinks its a texture thing maybe. I also am not sure if I like squash or not. The jury is still out on that one.

Now that its summer, I really enjoy being naked. I prefer no clothes if possible. I also wish I didn't have to have my diaper on much of the time. Its a treat when Mommy lets me go without it for a little bit. Speaking of naked, I am also very into bath time. I like to splash loudly and kick my feet so the water sprays outside the tub! Mommy and Daddy also just got me a baby pool that I tried out for the first time last week. It was fun to splash in it and play with the toys that came with it.

I have been saying Mama for a few months now, and I use it quite often. Not only do I call for my Mom when I want her, but I also tend to say Mama quite loudly when I am upset or want something. I don't know, I guess I figure she usually fixes things for me. I am quite attached to her, too. Just yesterday, however, I finally said Dada a few times. We'll see if I build it into vocabulary along with Mama and lots of grunting. I grunt so much that Mommy and Daddy continue to call me Monkey. It doesn't help that I also like to hang upside down and I can be quite the little card. I like to be tickled (on my feet and my sides) and sometimes funny faces or noises can make me giggle. I also know how to ham it up and be cute to get attention. But watch out if I get frustrated or can't get something I want! I can make quite a ruckus. I guess I am finding my voice. I am also enjoying my toys much more these days and can entertain myself for much longer periods of time. Mommy is thankful for that, although when I'm bored or want to be picked up again, I let her know it!

Well, that's it for now. Happy 30th birthday to my Godmommy, Tiffanni Wax. I can't wait to meet her new baby when he/she arrives later this month.

Feeding the Monster

I have been eating solid foods for a month and a half now. So far, I have enjoyed most of them, although breast milk is still my favorite (can you blame me?). The only thing that hasn't worked at all is bananas. I puked up the ones I had at my Grandma and Grandpa Laub's house. It was not pretty. I puked 5 times in all. Yucky. Mommy says we'll wait a few months before we try those again! Also, barley cereal is really hard for to digest yet so we backed off on that, too. Below is a list of the foods I've had so far. I am continuing to try single ingredient foods to make sure they all agree with me. Once I have a number of them under my belt, Mommy will mix a few together for me. She has put some of the fruits in my baby cereal already, and I have moved up from soupy smooth purees to slightly chunky food now. So far, applesauce, sweet potatoes, and cherries are my favorites. Mommy is making most of my food from scratch since she has the time and means. Since she like cooking, she has enjoyed cooking for me.

Nicky's Food Diary:

Cereals- rice cereal, oatmeal, barley cereal (shelved for now)

Veggies - carrots, avocado (actually a fruit), sweet potatoes, peas (next up: squash and green beans)

Fruits- bananas (yucky), apples, apricots, bing cherries, watermelon (next up: peaches, pears, and melon)

Me eating my spoon filled with sweet potatoes

Enjoying some cherries

My Adventures in Lawrence

Hi guys! Long time, no type, right? Sorry, me and my parents have been busy. For example, last week Wednesday and Thursday Mom and I went to Lawrence Kansas where Mom and Dad used to live and work for awhile. Its only 45 minutes away from KC. Anyway, Mommy was invited to participate in a research meeting for a research grant she used to work on as a Graduate Research Assistant a few years ago. It involved a supper on Wednesday evening and an all-day meeting on Thursday. So, we drove down to Lawrence Wednesday and stayed overnight with our friends the Rack-Meltons. Mommy actually met Jennifer when they worked together at that same job at the Beach Center on Disability at KU.

Jennifer's husband, Phil, volunteered to babysit me along with his 3 kids while Jennifer and Mommy went to the events. Mommy was very thankful but wondered if Phil knew what he was in for. Phil said it was fine since he had to watch his 3 kids anyway, what was one more. Overall, things went pretty well. Mommy was only gone a few hours Wednesday evening. I enjoyed playing with Spencer who is not quite 4, Xavier who is 2.5, and Cordelia who is only 5 days younger than me! I also loved playing with their big doggy, Ranger, who is a Great Dane. I kept trying to french kiss him (you think it would be the other way around, right?). Cordelia and I did get upset right before Mommy and Jennifer came home because Xavier was mad that Spencer woke him up and that set us babies off. We got some crying in but not for long.

Thursday morning Mommy and Jennifer had to be at the meeting for breakfast at 7am sharp. Like my usual self, I wanted to be held by Phil most of the time while Mommy was gone. What can I say, I'm a lap baby for sure. By 11:30am, Mommy and Jennifer both were quite uncomfortable from not feeding us babies in over 4 hours, so Phil brought us to the meeting over lunch so we could get our lunch! That's good because I was continuing to be stubborn and refused to take a bottle again and did not eat much of my babyfood. The afternoon went well until the power went out at the house and the two toddlers started to rebel with no lights, tv, etc. So, Mommy and Jennifer bugged out of the meeting a little bit early to come save him from us. All in all, Mommy thought things turned out well. She says she owes Phil big time. It was just a bit stressful for the both of us since it was the longest we'd been apart and it was just a new situation. I didn't poop the whole time we were away from home! But, I got my normal rhythms back once we got home. I hope we go back to visit soon, although I prefer Mommy to stick around next time.

My first trip to ND!

Me and the rents just got back from my first trip to North Dakota earlier this week. It was a great time!! We were gone for a week and a half, and let me tell ya, we were busy! There were many days of driving. Not my favorite, but I survived by sleeping. Lots. Mommy and Daddy said I'm a good traveler. Despite my many snoozes on the road, I still slept pretty normally at night, too. What I enjoyed best about the trip was all the people I met! I love people! It was great to meet all the friends and relatives my parents have been talking about. I enjoyed smiling at and playing with them all. I was held almost continuously - what a dream! The only problem was that I resisted taking my naps because I didn't want to miss any of the action:) Both sets of grandparents also threatened to keep me, of course!

We heard many different opinions as to who I look like or take after on the trip. Many people said I looked like: my Uncle Dusty, a Laub baby, a Welsch baby, my cousin Jordan Ottmar, my mommy, my cousin Keith Deibert, my daddy, my Great Grandma Ardis and probably a few more that Mommy can't remember. Anyway, its clear that I am a good combination of both of my parents, just as my parents had believed. One of these days Mommy is going to get together some pictures to illustrate some of these comparisons.

Here is a run-down of my meet-and-greets: my uncle Dusty and his friend Josh, my Great Aunt Arlene Brewer, my Grandma and Grandpa Laub, my Great Aunt Beverly Koller, my Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle David Zentner, my cousin Tyla Wilson and her two daughters Kaydence and Savannah, my Great Aunt Arlene and Great Uncle Floyd Frieze, my cousins Holly and Jeremy Ottmar and thier kids Jordan and Jazlyn, my Godmother Tiffanni Wax and her husband Scott, my dad's former landlord Bernie Swang, my Grandma and Grandpa Huizenga, my Great Grandma Ardis Huizenga, my Great Grandma Eva and Great Grandpa John Deibert, my Aunt Becky Huizenga, my Great Aunt Virg and Great Uncle Dale Deibert, my Great Aunt Theresa Deibert, my Great Aunt Bonnie Iverson, my Great Aunt Barb and Great Uncle Rod Fossen and my cousin Paula, my dad's former piano teacher from childhood Hurdis Johnson, my Grandma Sharon's co-workers up at Glenburn School, my mom's friends from college Jessica Gunderson Ruhl and Amber Hoovestal (Mom and Dad attended Jessica's wedding during our trip), my cousin Toni Miller and her daughter Baylee, my cousin Loretta Frank. Mommy says there were so many more people we just didn't get a chance to see due to our cramped schedule. Thanks to everyone who made the great effort to come see us - we really appreciated it. Hope to see you all again really soon!!