Behavior and Personality

In the last few weeks, it seems like you've gone through so many changes. Here is a short recap.
You no longer like the food that we've made for you, anything with veggies or soups that the nanny makes, you refuse to eat. So I had to buy a bunch of jarred food for you because some of those jars you eat just fine. Then for about a week you stopped eating cereal too, although last few days you are back to liking it. The food that we put for you on a tray in pieces at first goes on the floor, you pick it up look at it, and then throw it down (unless it's cheese), even after we say "No" and you seem to understand that too, because you follow up with a head shake. Then at some point you give it a try and if you like it, you eat it. So it's been a challenge to feed you. Before I could trick you into eating veggies by covering them up in yogurt, but that's no longer the case, in fact you don't even like the yogurt that you used to love so much. We did try "yo baby" yogurt yesterday and you did like that a lot, but of course it's because there is fruit in it and it's sweet unlike the one I have you before. You have no problem with fruits. But if you don't like something and you get frustrated, you make little fists with your hands and you do a little scream in frustration, like "stop feeding me". Lately you really dislike going into your high chair, you start crying immediately. Sometimes I manage to distract you if you put a few pieces of cereal on the tray before you get strapped in. I keep trying with signing language but I have yet to see you sign. :) So meanwhile you're getting a bit of a temper, which we're not that fond of... although entertaining we try not to laugh. I am sure if you do this all the time, we're definitely not going to find it very entertaining. Sure seems like mealtime in general has gotten to be a bit of a challenge.

As far as walking goes, you're making progress every day, you are still taking 3-4 steps on your own and then either sit down or leap into our arms. You have face planted a few times, when you decide to leap and we're not even looking or there. No bad accidents yet, luckily.
I've seen you attempt to get up on your own without holding onto anything, so you're still working on that one. When we hold 2 of your hands you start to almost run, and when we hold just 1 you're able to walk a bit better than before.

We've discovered your love for music and dance. As soon as you hear a tune, you start moving your body, and dancing... it's so cute. Also when you play with toys and you accomplish something instead of clapping (although we've seen you attempt to clap a few times) you start moving your body w/your arms side to side, it's very funny. It's sort of the same when you dance. I'll have to try and catch it on video.

You're talking all the time, and some of your words definitely sound like things that you're calling out. Like "ba" for bottle or balloon, but other things are just baby language... I sure wish I could understand what you're saying sometimes. You're able to copy the intonations in our voice pretty well, like "oh - oh", or "oh-no".
Well I am sure I am forgetting a bunch of other new little things that you do... your personality is developing so much already.

Fun times and Holidays

I am super behind on posts, so this is going to be one big one with lots of random pictures. I started this one way back when, and only finishing it now in 2009!

The day after your birthday we went hiking to Stone peak mountain near Cuyamaca Lake. We tried out your backpack for the 2nd time. You liked it in there for the most part. You especially enjoy it when you get bounced up and down... when daddy is running, a bit hard to run to the top of the mountain though. We also went to your first IMAX movie at Balboa Park with baby Kingston. This month has definitely been the busiest of all. I have a feeling it's going to be the case every December considering all of our birthdays are this month and the holidays.

Ready to go!

All the way at the top

Really pretty views

a stroll through Balboa park

Holding hands with Kingston at the movies? Gotta keep an eye on you two!

Cousin Sarah came to visit from Florida for daddy's surprise 30th birthday party which we were able to pull off brilliantly. Jeromey had no idea, and I was able to surprise him at Rock Bottom in La Jolla with a bunch of our friends waiting for us to arrive. He thought we were going to a friends Xmas party. :) It was definitely a night to remember. Here is your Birthday Slide Show.

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

Hanging out with Sarah

Enjoying a La Jolla Sunset together

Enjoying a Bike Ride along the Coronado sidewalk

You seem content, although there was some fussing for some reason, may be it was the cold wind or the sun in your face...

Christmas Eve, grandpa Dave came over to spend some time with us. Christmas day was spent with Jeromey's mom, Amber & Zac. We went downstairs to open gifts and we helped you open yours. The one gift I was excited about that I got for you was a Ball Popper. The reason I thought you'd like it is because you were playing with another toy that required you to pick up balls and put them in the hole and then watch them fall through little obstacles and come out. Once you pushed the ball in, you were so proud of yourself you would rock back and forth and sometimes almost try to clap. So I thought Ball Popper would be a lot of fun. Well I was wrong. We put in the batteries and turned it on, and you started crying immediately... it was really sad. You got so scared of it, as soon as you heard the noise (may be it was too loud) and then music came on, it was over, you were screaming, turned all red. So we put the toy in the corner and left it alone. Another time we tried to pull it out and just at the sign of it, your face would change.
Then a few days later we tried the toy again, but this time we sat you further away, you made a few wining noises, but you didn't really get as upset as before. Then the next time we sat you down in our lap and turned it on again, slowly but surely you warmed up to the toy and started to get interested in it, even trying to grab the balls as they were coming out. Now you turn the toy on yourself. Go figure, you like the toy after all... it just took a while for you to warm up to it.

opening gifts

the only box you were actually interested in opening

Not the reaction we expected to the Ball Popper toy... poor baby got so scared of it!
Huge tears came rolling down your face, I promise we turned it right off!

The other super cute thing you're doing now is dancing, and pushing buttons. You love buttons in general, you always notice them on our clothes, but you also love toys with buttons and most of them start playing a song once pushed and if you're sitting down you start to rock and do a little dance, and if you're standing up then your little bum starts moving back and forth with a huge smile on your face... it is the cutest little thing! Also We got you this Lion toy that starts playing music when it's touched and at first you had such a funny reaction to it. You smile super big, let out a squeal and then you start dancing to it. I hope I caught it on video. Ok I am sure I have forgotten a few other things, but I better wrap up this post.

1st Year Video

I uploaded the video that was shown at your 1st Birthday, a recap of your first year. Daddy and his wonderful friend Jason worked on it all night long, and now we can enjoy watching it whenever we want to look back and see how amazing our 1st year with you was. What an awesome memory to have.

We love you so much!

Another Tooth

So I randomly noticed yesterday that another tooth popped up next to your other 2 on the bottom. It's actually pretty noticeable and I am surprised that I didn't see it sooner, but I guess I wasn't checking for any new teeth for a while and this one didn't look like it bothered you too much, so I really have no idea when it came, but I am guessing at least a week ago. :) You have 7 teeth now, but you don't really like to use them. We try and go through the chewing motions, but I keep seeing you just swallow things you put in your mouth. For example when you eat cereal or other pieces of food that you should really start breaking down w/your teeth, instead you swallow them whole, I end up having to break them into smaller pieces because I am afraid that they might get stuck. Hope you start doing that soon.

Happy 1st Birthday little Munchkin Sascha!

Oh my... is it really true? A year has flown by and now it's going to be a little toddler. Well not so fast, since you're not really a toddler until you start walking which you're not doing just yet.

Here are your 1 year old Stats:

weight - 19 lbs 10 oz (25%)

height - 30 inches (80%)

head circ. - 17 inches (7 %)

I was convinced that you were over 20 lbs, but looks like I was wrong! You sure are tall though, and have a small head (certainly doesn't seem like it!)

You had your 1 year shots and you weren't happy about them, you only got 2 of them, and we'll be coming back for the 3rd one in a little while. Ouch... I am so sorry for those!

Your newest accomplishments are standing by yourself for a brief period of time, although you do not yet stand up on your own. Also we've seen you take 2-3 steps on your own and then you leap into our arms. You cruise around the edges of furniture and you babble a ton. You love books and you even talk to the books, as well as the little bear that is in your crib, you talk to him as well. You favorite words are dada, daddy, or dad. I keep trying to get you to say mama again and you haven't in a while... You're eating more table foods, it's pretty messy, but I guess that's how you learn to feed yourself.

You're almost off the formula, since I have been mixing whole milk with it for a while.

Sometimes you still refuse your bottle at night, may be I should feed you dinner sooner... so that you are not as full come bed time.

You have gotten very playful. You flip pages in books, you put things inside containers and take them out like your fish tank. Also you love toys where you have to push a button to get music playing and often you even dance to it. You still love watching Wilbur in the mornings.

It is much harder to go places with you or friends houses, I constantly have to keep my eye on you. You crawl all over and pull up, and since not many houses are "child proof" it's a work out to keep up with you, but it's also a lot of fun to watch you go to a new place and explore everything.

Mommy and Sascha

I love this one!

sitting pretty in your adorable dress and balloons

You had a fun party. Family, friends, babies and lots of toys. Oh my how spoiled you are... here are some pictures from your big day.

that's my cake? Yep, grandma made it just for you!

You hated the hat... oh well!

The cake you tried, but very little... didn't care much for it

Thanks to all for my wonderful gifts! I am one spoiled little munchkin

Thanksgiving & Mommy's Birthday

Sascha celebrated her first thanksgiving holiday. We visited my family that day, and then went to have dinner at Jeromeys mom's house. Sascha had her first complete 'table food' dinner, no baby food at all. She seemed to really enjoy the turkey and the mashed potatoes.

yummy

all smiles

too full to smile here...

Then we decided to make our 4 day weekend into a 5 day weekend by taking Monday off too which also happened to be my birthday. We drove up the 101 and went to a late breakfast near Swami's beach and then took a little stroll around the area. It was a beautiful sunny day, and an awesome birthday to spend with the family. Later Jeromey surprised me with desert (after we had a dinner date) and the rest of the family was there too. Lots of fun! Here are a few pictures from our day.

always a happy little munchkin

practicing our walk

wow, that's high

Saying "happy birthday mommy!"

all 3 of us...

surprise!

even Sascha was there for the surprise!