Gina!

N is learning a lot of words. We’re also working on potty training. He is learning all about his body. He is concentrating very hard on getting his words right. And figuring it all out. This morning when he was sitting on the potty we had this conversation:

N (pointing to his penis): Gina!
Me: It’s a penis.
N: Mommy gina
Me: Right, mommy has a vagina
A: And me too!
N: Penis. Daddy gina
Me: No, N and Daddy have a penis Mommy and A have a vagina.
N: Penis.

When I changed his diaper he pointed to my breasts and said: “Mommy, gina!”. The boy got this sex differences down.

New developments

N’s new things:

- peeing and pooping in th potty when we put him on it
- “washing dishes”
- More words: boo (book), bana (banana)
- Signs: Hi, bye, draw

He’s a cute cuddly thing!

Words

These are N’s words:

- Mayim (water)
- Um (food/eat)
- Duck
- Boon (balloon)
- Ball
- Hot

Signs:
- All done
- More

Animals:
- Bear (ho ho ho ho)
- Elephant (brmffffffffffffff)
- Monkey (ooh-ah-ah)
- Dog (how how)

Two steps

N took two steps today. He really wanted to reach one of A’s toys so he just walked to it… Then he proceeded to walk around the house pushing the toy shopping cart.

11 Months

N was 11 months old yesterday. 11 months. I can’t believe it. Things N has been up to:
- Climbing up steps
- Climbing down from the sofa
- Sticking his hand in the toilet
- Unrolling all of the toiler paper
- Saying A-ba for daddy, A-ma for mommy, Ma-for water, repeat tik-tak for clock
- Signing: All done, hello
- Cinco!
- Not understanding where his feet disappeared to (under his socks!)
- Picking up toys and other objects if we ask him to
- Not liking having his diaper changed
- Biting
- Not sleeping, not sleeping, not sleeping.

Solo

Last night L went out to gallery openings and I put the kids to sleep on my own. First time in more than 10 months. Wow. Wasn’t too bad at all. Next step is finding someone else to put them to sleep.

Talking

I’m pretty sure that N is saying words. He says “Aba” when he sees L in the morning. He also says “ba-ba” for a sheep and can point to one on a page full of other images.

He also says “ba” about almost anything and A is quick to tell him: “It’s not Daddy, it’s Mommy!”

I think he’s also signing – today he made the sign for “all done” twice. Maybe we should teach him the sign for “sleep”.

A-ba!

N started saying “A-ba”. Sometimes he says it to L, but mostly to anyone and anything.

On the way home from flying her purple kite, N kept saying “A-ba, A-ba, A-ba”. A said “Aba is not here, there’s only mommy”.

The throne

A couple of months after N was born I decided to splurge on a cool high chair for A. It’s been great – she can get in and out of it by herself, it fits neatly under the table, easy to clean and it’s green.

N likes spending time under the kitchen table. A’s chair is a great attraction. This is not to A’s liking AT ALL. Every time N is under the table this is what we hear: “Noooooooooooooooooo! Go away! This my chair! My chair! Noooooo! Go to Daddy! Not here! Go to Mommy! No N! Mine! My Chair! It’s not for babies! Nooooooooooooooo!”.

Once L threatened to take the chair away and put it in the basement. A was all for it.

I put a note on the chair saying “Anyone can touch this chair, but only A can sit on it.” No one was impressed.

It looks like the message is getting across. N tries to stay clear of the throne.

Toothbrush

N loves our electric tooth brushes. He wants to hold it. He wants to brush L’s teeth. He wants to brush his own teeth. A and I got him a baby toothbrush at CVS, but it didn’t cut it. Today, the gang came home with new battery powered tooth brushes for all. N was thrilled. He brushed his teeth and said “bvvvvvvvvvvvvvvmmmmmmm”.