Weekend with the Grandparents

Nikos has had quite a busy weekend! Yesterday, we drove up to visit with my parents for the day and have dinner with them (to celebrate Gus' birthday, which is this week). I brought my camera, but completely forgot to bring it with me on our walk to the little playground by my parents' house. Nikos sat in a swing for the first time (he held on to my arm for dear life!), and then went down the spiral slide with Daddy. I wish I had pictures! I do, however, have pictures of him trying to eat my cell phone on the drive up:

Then today, Gus' parents came to visit us for the same reason. Nikos was unusually cranky at the start of their visit, but he eventually found his happy place again! Here he is, having fun with his yia-yia and pappou (and trying to eat yia-yia's burrito)!

He was so exhausted from all the excitement that he completely fell asleep while nursing, and missed out on his bedtime story. This picture is from about ten minutes ago, as Gus transported him to his crib...

Say it with me: awwwww! We love our little man! :)

Mr. Smartypants

Alright, I need to take a minute to brag about what a smarty our baby boy is! These two videos (both from today) illustrate the point rather nicely. :) The first one is of Nikos putting the balls back into his ball-popper toy (it took some coordination!), and the second is him waving at Charlie (the cat, AKA the love of his life). It's crazy how much he learns and changes EVERY DAY! Enjoy!

Three Years!

8 Month Letter

Dear Nikos,

Today is a very special day in the P household! Not only are you officially eight months old (that's two-thirds of a year!!), but today also happens to be the anniversary of the day that Daddy and I got married three years ago! We knew then that we wanted to have kids, but we had no idea just how lucky we'd get. You are an incredible little guy, and you continue to bring so much joy to our lives!

Your eighth month has been filled with some pretty drastic changes that seemed to happen overnight. One day, you just decided that you were going to start inching your way around. It's still pretty funny to watch: you plant your head firmly on the ground, push with your feet, then push up on your arms to look around. You have completely mastered the art of rolling both ways, and will quickly roll like a log towards the edge of Mommy and Daddy's bed if we look away for even a moment! You may not be crawling yet, but you are definitely inventing your own ways of getting from Point A to Point B. We are truly in for trouble when the crawling begins!

A few days after the inchworm movement began, you decided that it was high time to start babbling. You only do it when the mood strikes you, but it is adorable! You are particularly fond of the letter D, which is why Daddy is convinced that you have already said your first word ("Dada" or "Daddy"). I, however, don't think it counts, because you're just experimenting with sounds and you don't associate the word with the person (yet). Daddy and I are just going to have to agree to disagree. In the meantime, let's hear some "M" sounds ("mama," anyone??). Seriously, though, you make more and more fun noises every day, and I'm sure you will say your first word (with meaning) soon. Neither Daddy or myself would be surprised if it was "kitty" or "Charlie," because of your undying (if not reciprocated) love for our cat.


Most recently, you decided to start waving back at us when we wave at you. It came out of the blue-- like you literally thought to yourself, "Hmm, that looks fun... I'll give it a go!" My jaw just about hit the floor when you waved back for the first time, but you were all smiles. I can't wait to see what other new tricks you have up your sleeves!

Another big part of your life right now is food. You love to eat!! When we first gave you rice cereal, I thought that you hated eating and would never get the hang of it. But as of two weeks ago, you are officially eating three meals a day! And now that I'm on summer vacation, I've started making your baby food instead of just buying it from the store. You've recently tried meats (chicken, turkey, and beef), avocado, blueberries, green grapes, and yogurt! The peaches, grapes, and figs out back are almost ready, too, so it looks like you'll be enjoying lots of fresh fruit this summer. You've also learned a new trick: picking up puffs or Cheerios from your tray and (sometimes) putting them in your mouth and actually eating them! Such a big boy! I suppose it helps that you finally got your first tooth this month. Steak dinner, here we come!

Every month, when I write these letters, I tell you how wonderful you are and how much Daddy and I love you. And it's all true, every word of it! But there's something about this age right now that is so wonderful-- you are so interactive, you smile and laugh easily, and you are just so much fun to be around! Eight-month-olds are the best! One of my favorite things to do with you these days is stand in front of your closet mirror. You look at our reflections, touch the mirror, and CRACK UP! Then you turn to look at the "real" me (not the reflection), and it makes you laugh even harder! And when you're nursing, you insist on holding onto the TV remote control or the phone, like it's your little baby. Seriously, how could anyone NOT love you?? You are the best baby in the universe, and we are so lucky that you are ours. How could the ninth month possibly top this one? We're not sure-- but we're ready to find out!

All Our Love, ALWAYS,
Mommy and Daddy

Ode to Charlie

Charlie is one cool cat. When we first got him three-plus years ago, he was a complete wild child. He'd been living on the streets before he was taken in, and he didn't really know how to behave himself inside a house. He had so much energy! Just watching him run at top speed back and forth through the house was enough to make your head spin! He also liked to attack anything (And I mean anything) that moved. We had to lock him out of our bedroom at night, because he'd attack our feet while we were sleeping. Then we had to child-proof the kitchen cupboard where we store his food, because he figured out how to get in there (and shred the bag of kibble). He really gave us a run for our money!

Nowadays, he's mellowed out quite a bit. He still has moments where he gets all wild-eyed and runs through the house or tries to attack our feet while we're walking. He still does certain things that he shouldn't, like occasionally scratching at the cushions on our dining room chairs, or jumping onto the kitchen counters. He's not perfect. And honestly, we were worried about how he would behave around Nikos.

Little did we know that Charlie has a soft spot for babies!

It is so amazing to see how he behaves around Nikos! Nikos thinks that Charlie is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and will practically throw himself out of my arms to get closer to the kitty. When Charlie walks by, Nikos wiggles and squirms and laughs and babbles and just gets SO worked up! He loves Charlie's soft fur. And he loves to try and pull on his tail or his ears or his whiskers. All of these things make Nikos squeal with delight! The crazy part is that if Gus or I grabbed Charlie's fur, or pulled his tail, or played rough in any way, the cat would fight back! He'd swat at us with his claws, try to bite us, or at the very least, run away! But Charlie is unbelievable tolerant with Nikos. He just stays put, and never fights back. He doesn't love having his fur yanked on, but I really think he understands that Nikos is just a baby and doesn't know any better. I think he also realizes that if he holds still, I am better able to extricate his fur/ears/tail from Nikos' grasp without causing further damage. But no matter what is going through his little kitty mind, I am so grateful for how he treats my baby. I love that cat, even if he can be a stinker at times!

P.S. Charlie always gets extra cuddles from me after he lets Nikos "play" with him. He is such a good kitty!

I'm Meeeltiiing...

So we just got back from Owen's birthday party, which was fun but HOT! Our current temperature is 103, but I'm thinking it was hotter than that at the party. Yikes!! Luckily, they had a kiddie pool set up in the shade, and the water was nice and cool. Nikos was pretty happy in there for quite a while, until I think he actually got TOO cold (I'm fairly certain they cooled the water down by dumping a bunch of ice into it... it was chilly!). He also had some sort of reaction on the way to the party, either due to the heat or to the sunscreen he was wearing-- his face got all red and blotchy! Luckily, his skin cleared up after a bit. He had me worried! Anyway, he was a mess, but seemed to enjoy himself overall. In fact, he had so much fun that he conked out on the car ride home:

He's currently asleep in his crib, with our A/C running at full blast. I am so glad we had that installed when I was pregnant-- money definitely well spent!

We have a tooth!!

Yesterday (or perhaps the day before), tooth #1 decided to finally poke through! And it's a sharp little bugger, too! I can still see the bump of the second tooth in his gums, but it doesn't seem to be hurting him, for the time being. He is back to his happy old self! Hooray!!

Anyway... Today, we're going to Owen's birthday party. I can't believe it's been a year already! Owen is walking all over the place now-- he's really a "toddler" these days! That is so crazy to me! Anyway, this will be Nikos' first kiddie party, so it should be fun. I will report back later! :)

Waving!

So Nikos the Super Baby has learned a new trick!! For the longest time, I have waved to him whenever we stand in front of a mirror together. Then I would hold his little hand and make him wave back at me. We'd also walk around waving at Daddy, the cat, the bird, etc. Anyway... Fast forward to yesterday morning, when we stood in front of the entry hall mirror for a minute and I gave him a quick wave hello. I was about to walk away, when I realized that his little arm was flapping, and he was smiling at me! Could it have been a fluke? I waved again... he waved back. I waved AGAIN... he waved back. I waved at the cat... he waved at the cat. I waved at the bird... he waved at the bird! I couldn't believe it!! He must have thought it was hysterical, because he'd wiggle, giggle, and shriek after waving. Anyway... he's still not completely consistent with it (sometimes he'll just bury his head in my shoulder instead of waving), but he's doing it nonetheless! And out of the blue! I am such a proud mama right now! :)

Also, it seems as though we're starting to understand each other more, day by day. Like with the waving thing, for one. And then yesterday, the cat was falling asleep on a chair near where Nikos was eating his lunch. He kept looking over at the cat, then back at me. I pointed to the cat, made snoring noises and pretended to be asleep, and Nikos started giggling like crazy. There really is a little person in there, not just a baby! I still can't get over the fact that we MADE him. It's so weird... and so cool!!

Poor Baby!

Today has been another rough one with the little pumpkin... He's been very clingy and cranky. I had to set him down for a few minutes this afternoon, and he started wailing. I finally got a good view of his lower gums:
Poor little guy... It looks like the two middle teeth are on their way in, and maybe some other ones on the sides?? It's hard to tell. But he is seriously miserable... I have given him Tylenol, teething tablets, Baby Orajel, things to chew on, everything and anything I can think of... But he's still unhappy. I just hope they cut through quickly so I can have my happy little guy back! :(

Father's Day Odds & Ends

First, I had to share this video... One of my coworkers was cleaning out her classroom this week, and was giving away an old keyboard. It still works perfectly, and I figured that Nikos might enjoy it! Anyway, he wrote a little song for his daddy... You can tell it's for Daddy because that's what he says at the beginning! (turn up the sound and listen carefully!)

Next up: a picture of the Father's Day present we made for Daddy yesterday! While Gus was gone fishing with his dad, my mom and dad came down for lunch and helped out with the fingerpainting (which was fun, but very messy!). This is what Gus saw on the couch when he got home (without any fish, I might add):

Today has just been sort of a "chill" day... Nikos has been VERY cranky, and we're waiting for that first tooth to cut through at any moment. I made Gus breakfast, and then he's spent most of the day working in the garage (per his request). We walked down to the park after lunch, then I went and got us some Slurpees because we were all hot. Here are a few pics from the park:


I'm making us a nice dinner tonight, and we'll just relax in front of the TV once the peanut goes to sleep. All in all, a very nice Father's Day (and a great way to start my summer vacation). :)

Happy Father's Day!

I just wanted to wish my hubby a happy first Father's Day, and tell him what a great daddy he is (because, really, he is!). Nikos is very lucky to have such a caring and involved father figure in his life. Just like I am lucky to have an awesome dad of my own! :) I'll post more about our weekend later, but in the meantime, enjoy the slideshow I made of daddy-and-baby pics! :)

Beginning Babbling

Whoa! Over the past few days, it's like some sort of switch has clicked on inside of Nikos' brain, and he's begun to babble like crazy! He's always made plenty of noise, but suddenly the consonants have appeared: "ga," "da," "ka," "ba," etc. He is so funny to listen to! It's especially cute when he babbles to his toys, because it really seems like he's trying to talk to them! Anyhow, I took some video. This is not a representative sample, because he gets a little quieter as soon as he sees the camera, but you'll get the idea!
Naturally, Gus is convinced that his first word is going to be "Dada," and I wouldn't be all that surprised (since he says "da" a lot, and hasn't said "ma" at all). Still, my money is on "kitty," because of the way he lights up and starts chattering whenever Charlie walks into the room. But only time will tell! :)

Becoming Mobile

I think Nikos is starting to become more mobile. For the longest time, he hasn't been all that interested in moving around. He's been perfectly content just bouncing in his jumperoo or sitting on the floor with his toys. But lately, he's started acting like a little inchworm when he gets onto his stomach. I took some video of him doing this today-- what do you think??

And on a completely unrelated note... Today was the second-to-last day of school, and we had our fifth grade promotion ceremony. It went really well, so that was a HUGE load off of my back! Afterward, since we were all dressed up, we (the 5th grade team) decided to take pictures together outside my classroom. Here's one of the better ones. I ♥ these ladies!
(From the left: My student teacher, me, Kate, Kori, Gina, and Gina's student teacher)

A New Skill

As it turns out, our little man is surprisingly skilled when it comes to using straws!

How do we know this? Well... The weather here has been absolutely beautiful all weekend, so we decided to make a little family trip this afternoon to a local ice cream parlor for some milkshakes. We sat to drink them at a table outside, and took turns holding a very-wiggly Nikos on our laps. When Gus was holding him, he started reaching for daddy's shake. Once he got hold of it, he pulled it closer to his face, and it became clear that he planned to put the straw in his mouth. We watched to see what would happen. Quick as a flash, chocolate shake began to climb up the straw toward his mouth!! Gus had to quickly pinch the straw off so he couldn't drink any (no milk until he's a year old!), and then we had to pry the shake from his hands. We were laughing so hard!! This kid has some serious suction! I am now convinced that I need to get him some of those sippy cups with little straws-- I bet he'd love them! Who knew??

In other news... I know I promised more pictures, but I haven't been able to deliver on that promise for two reasons: first, my camera needs new batteries, and second, I found out last Tuesday that I need to move out of my classroom completely by this upcoming Friday. Since our school district decided to go to full-day kindergarten next year (instead of AM and PM), it's causing a lot of people to get shifted around into new classrooms. Anyway, I've been packing like crazy and am usually pretty wiped out when I get home. Only a few more days, though! :)

And finally, I want to wish a HAPPY DUE DATE to Sacha! I cannot wait for that little girl to arrive-- YAY!!! :)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

This is, decidedly, the busiest time of the year for me. Things have really kicked into high gear at work, as the end of the school year rapidly approaches! Just look at this past week: Monday was Memorial Day, Tuesday was 5th-to-6th grade articulation day (we met with the middle school teachers all day to "bridge the gap"), Wednesday was our Volunteer Tea, Thursday was our big field trip to Riley's Farm, and Friday was our school's annual carnival. It only gets busier from this point on! This upcoming week, we have a band concert, several full rehearsals for our promotion ceremony (which I'm in charge of), the showing of the 5th grade puberty video (yay), two assemblies, and another major field trip. And then the following week, we have yet ANOTHER field trip (did I mention that I've done most of the legwork for all these field trips??), then another full-blown rehearsal, then the real-deal promotion ceremony, and then SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!!! In the midst of all this, I have to get my classroom prepared for teacher check-out (stacking all my textbooks on the back counter, cleaning out every desk, stacking chairs, etc.). And it's slightly more complicated this year, because our school will be undergoing major renovations next year. Translation: I am going to have to move out of my classroom at some point, temporarily, while they remodel it. With this in mind, I plan to start going through all my junk and getting rid of the things I really don't need or use anymore so that I'll have less to move. It's a lot to do in such a short period of time, but I should get a lot done while I still have 32 pairs of hands to help me! :)

Anyhow... Despite being so overwhelmingly busy with work, I have managed to take a million cute pictures of Nikos recently, which I will do my best to upload in the coming days. It's hard when my weekends are busy, too (practically everyone we know seems to be getting married this year! which means that there are bridal showers constantly!). sigh... I can't WAIT until summer!