He is also very into “pretend” play. He loves to “cook” in his new kitchen and feed us all of his creations. He has several baby dolls that he loves to hug or push in his shopping cart. One has a pacifier that Aedan will put in its mouth and say “baby night-night” as he pats its tummy or head.

He loves to read and especially likes “Where is Spot?” (my favorite at his age too!) which he will bring to us while asking “Where is he?” He is still a master at animal sounds and can do an elephant, duck, horse, cat, bird, chicken, cow, goat, sheep, snake, lion, bear… and probably more I am forgetting here. The sheep is new and he will bring us his farm books to find the “baabaa” plus loves his “baa baa black sheep” book. He also loves to pretend he is an elephant by walking slowly and making his arm a trunk while making his elephant sound “aroo!” He got to ride an elephant at the Rennaissance Festival this year and while he was totally solemn during the process he is so proud of himself when we watch the video.

Aedan’s favorite foods are mandarin oranges (he will eat an entire HUGE can in one sitting), cheese, yogurt, chocolate, and ice… Nonna got him hooked on the crushed ice she is always munching and now he will run around asking for “ice! iiiiice?” so we taught him to add “baby” to the end and sing “da da da da da da dum” so now we have a little Vanilla Ice rapper baby. I just hope he doesn’t destroy the few teeth he has (still only 4!) He also has definitely developed a sweet tooth… he knows Grammie usually keeps sweets by her chair and when we visit he will run up to her and ask for “snack” while signing “more please.” I hate him having candy, but I know how much it means to her to be able to hold him for a few minutes (usually he is just too busy to slow down to be held!)

We are getting ready to move right now and I am pulling out all of his baby things to pack and/or sell. He has gotten so excited playing with so many of the toys he is really too big for - it’s adorable! It has also been so nostalgic for me - these first few years just fly!!!

And here he is this year (no big smile since he was 1/2 asleep!) :

My baby is growing up so fast!!!! He’s still bald and chubby and sweet, but other than that, he has changed soooo much!!! I love seeing all the changes, but I just wish I could slow it down a little - it seems like yesterday that he was that tiny crying baby!!!

He also occasionally says:
nay (horsey sound)
ooo (moo-cow sound)
u-u (buck buck - chicken sound)
uf uf or ow ow (dog sound)
bebe (baby)

The past couple of days, he has started kissing EVERYTHING special… first it was the animals, and this afternoon it was the pictures in his books… He knows he’s being silly and giggles the whole time, too!

Aedan is also finally back at school. I picked him up early the other day so that I could take him to his doctor appointment and his teachers were so sweet about him, calling him their “model student!” After we were so worried about him napping (he lays down on his mat and goes to sleep all by himself!) and being left (recently he doesn’t even cry when Nonna leaves!), this is just such a releif! I’m also really excited that this year he gets art time, outside time, and books read at school - he has even asked Ms. Teri to read to him! He looked so cute and tiny sitting with his class at their little table for lunch. He is the youngest in the class and you can definitely tell!!!

Speaking of the doctor appointment, we LOVE our new pediatrician! Aedan’s doctor since birth, Audrey Tamm, just took a position at a hospital as a pediatric hospitalist, so we switched to another doctor in the practice, Joseph Edralin. Dr. Edralin came in and sat down on the floor to play with Aedan immediately and actually did all of his examination down there! He was also really sensitive to our concerns about vaccinations, and very knowledgeable and thoughtful about the issue! We’re soooo excited since we were really worried about losing our sweetheart pediatrician, Dr. Tamm!

Though “Mama” is still really rare and often mixed up with “Nana” (”Dada” and “Gaga” are pretty much interchangeable too!) - I am finally hearing it.

His favorite word remains “snack” but “cup” is coming in a close (and convenient!) second… We know where his priorities are in any case! He is so funny saying “cup” - it’s really “up” (without the “c”) and then he sticks his little lower lip out as if that’s a required part of the word!

Aedan also says “night-night” (”nae-nae”) which really means “pacifier”…), “kitty-cat,” (”ki-ca”) “banana” (”na-na!” - his favorite snack), “read,” (”ee”) “uh-uh” (for “uh oh”), and “no.” He still signs very well for “no” (shaking his head), “more” (ASL - putting hands together), “come on” ((he uses his whole arm to gesture and nods his head that direction!) and “please” (ASL - rubbing chest).

The favorite new trick, however, is animal sounds. When he’s in the right mood, we have heard a sheep, a rooster, a chicken, a dog, an owl, a bird, and a duck. However, we CONSTANTLY have either a little monkey or a kitty cat along with us. It is utterly adorable!!! He loves to look at pictures or videos of monkeys or kitties too and will go to the computer or his books and ask for them by pointing and repeating the sound! Soooo cute!!!!

I have a cold. (And no, the irony of the fact that I have a “cold” in 90 degree weather is not lost on me.) It is not life threatening or incapacitating. I’m not staying home from work or calling the doctor. However, chasing after a 14 month old and constantly providing new and exciting activities as well as cleaning up after the same feels like cruel and unusual punishment right now. I just want to be able to curl up on the couch, watch tv, and eat some Jello. Doing that right now would mean having a five pound cat, a ten pound dog and a twenty-four pound monkey all climbing on or around me crying for bites of Jello. All of course, to the tantalizing musical interludes of Backyardigans….

Technically, I could ship off the monkey at least to his grandparents, but then of course I would worry if he was happy or not, missing me or not, etc. plus, I would miss out on one of my few free days with him… Thus, my original comment about needing to freeze the world around me, indulge my selfish sicko desires, and come back when I am feeling better.

Honestly, the freezing power could be used for so much as a parent… time to clean, cook, go to school, work, or party without missing a beat… hmmm - somebody get on that, please?