Happy Guy

This is Gabriel laughing hilariously because he has just stolen my pen and thinks that he is getting away with something. The chase is on!

Hammer Throwing Contest

Can you see the bruises? They cover Gabe's forehead in all shades of purple, blue and yellow. You would think that any child who was learning to walk would get a few bumps and bruises, right? I only wish this were true.

We call them tantrum bruises. Whenever Gabe gets mad, or things don't go his way, he proceeds to bang his head on whatever is closest. Most often this is the floor (hardwood), but he will also used the table, wall, door jam, and most recently, me.

Chris is certain that his head is made out of some non-organic, indestructible metal. All I know is that it is hilarious. When he first started doing this, I always came to his rescue after the first whack or so. This obviously resulted in less bruises. Now that I have realized this is getting our of control, I just let him bang away. Resulting in a constantly bruised face, but I figure the only way to get him to stop is to ignore the behavior. FYI- Laughing at headbanging, just makes him madder.

So when I am asked if I entered him in a Hammer Throwing Contest, perhaps I should just be happy I'm not being asked when was the last time that I beat my child.

14-Month Old Reads!

OK not true. But he really, really loves books. Although he doesn't read, he loves to point at the pictures and ask "dat"? .....over, and over, and over again. I am very proud when he actually identifies the picture by name, i.e. banana. Besides, he's way cuter than that 17-month old who can really read.

Co-Whatever!

In the past few days, I have been thinking about concepts, other than baby massage, that sound much better in books than in practice.
1. Co-Sleeping: For those who don't know, co-sleeping is the practice of the whole family sleeping together in a "family bed." We did this for about the first 3 months, but mostly because I was too lazy to actually get out of bed to breastfeed him. But now, are you kidding me? I will peek in on Gabriel while he is falling asleep as he tosses, turns, cartwheels, and kicks. I mean who can sleep with a little heel in their rib or an elbow in their face. I know that some people sing the praises of co-sleeping, but not me. At least not until they make a bed larger than a King.
2. Co-Bathing: Like co-sleeping, but in the tub. Yeah, we tried this once. Six inches of water can cover about 50% of Gabriel, but really only about 10% of me. It's not so fun sitting ankle deep in a bath tub, shivering. And let's be honest, since giving birth, there are parts of me that should be covered with a generous layer of bubbles.
So basically, be aware of anything your read involving the word "Co." They paint a pretty picture of bonding with your child, but can leave you sleepless and begging for a hot shower.

My, how things change in a year

Last year at this time Gabriel had just learned to smile. His first real commuication, and how sweet it was...

This year, we can get the kid to stop talking! He talks so much now we can hardly keep up with the new words that he is learning. So far he says: Mama, Dada, Emma (a dog), Genie (our dog), Hot (FYI- anything with fire, smoke, steam, or anything that you blow on is "hot"), Grampa/Papa, Banana, Ba-ba (which we are trying to get rid of), No, and most recently Book. Which he loves, by the way.

When he doesn't feel like using his words, he signs to us to let us know what he wants- i.e. More, No, and here is is below asking for something to Eat....