Our Busy Little Boy!!!

Nicholas had his first “Water Babies” swimming class last Saturday. He loves the water, so I decided it was time to get him in a class. He was very excited to have his Daddy in a class with him too! Things went pretty well except that Nick drank A LOT of pool water. He did most of the activities with the class and had a lot of fun. He really liked when they played catch (he was reaching his arms out to try to catch the ball :0) and ring around the rosie! It was really cute :0) Unfortunately, Nicholas was pretty sick for the rest of the day due to the large amount of pool water that he drank and his new tooth breaking through. The poor little guy was up all night!

The next day, we took Jackson and Nick to the dog park. It was the first time we had taken them both. Jackson had a good time exploring the park and Nick liked seeing all of the dogs :0) Besides Jackson, of course, the black lab puppy was Nick’s favorite!! There was a park with a baby swing across from the dog park. So, we decided to go over and let Nicholas swing for a bit. HE LOVED IT!! Even though it was chilly out, he found the energy to laugh while John and I pushed him. I can’t believe how much he is looking like a little boy these days, not my little baby!!

Nicholas is taking a Kindermusik (it's how it is spelled...Kris!) class now. He loves music so I decided I would try a class with him. He LOVES it. We have had two classes so far, and he just beams the entire class. There are 9 kids in his class ranging from 3 – 18 months. There are 3 girls and 6 boys. Two of the boys are very close in age to Nicholas. They have a great time interacting with each other. Nicholas also loves to flirt with the girls! Nick is the singer of the class. I was so embarrassed the first class because he just kept trying to be louder than everyone else singing. He wasn’t screaming, just making noises. The teacher informed me that she loves when kids participate like Nicholas! I guess you can call it participating…haha! He loves when we sing and move around the room. He also loves to use the instruments…it is so cute :0) All of the other parents told me that they wish their kids were as enthusiastic as Nick. I am glad that he loves it and isn’t irritating the other adults!

John came to Nick’s Tiny Tykes gym class today :0) Nick had just woken up and is in a lot of pain from his new tooth, so it took a little while for him to warm up. But, he did seem to enjoy having his Daddy there! As you can tell, Nicholas has s full schedule now. He has Kindermusik on Mondays, gymnastics on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and swimming on Saturdays. He loves all of his activities and is doing great :0) He seems to do something new everyday. He is starting to stand on his own now, so it won’t be too long until he takes his first step!!! He is also working on feeding himself. He should be up from his nap soon, so I will wrap it up!! Take care :0)

Nicholas & Daddy before Water Babies

Nicholas & Mommy swimming

Look at me float on my back!

Jackson & Nick at the dog park

Swinging at the park

Always time to smile (even through the bink) for the camera :0)

Looking like a big boy (minus the bink!)

Catch me Daddy!!

Reading books before Kindermusik class

Look at me stand!

Passing out books to friends

Almost time to clean up and SING!!

Aftermath of Nicholas feeding himself!!

Nick on a saucer at Tiny Tykes

Trying a flip on the bars

Yeaaa Nicholas :0)

9 Month Pictures

Here are some of the pictures from Nick's 9 month photo shoot :0) I can't believe how old he looks!! He took his friend Ted along this time :0)

Our Little Baby is 9 MONTHS!

Nicholas had his 9 month checkup on Tuesday. He is doing just great:0) His doctor says that he has never seen a happier baby! His ear infection cleared up, so he got a clean bill of health. Nick is now on “table” and finger foods as well at Gerber stage 3 foods. He gets to try pretty much anything we are eating. He also gets delicious jarred dinners like lasagna, chicken & rice, vegetable beef, etc. They even make some ‘Lil Entrees, which are like TV dinners for babies. Like his mom, Nick is not too into trying new foods. He is having a tough time getting used to the texture of his new foods, but loves that he gets to feed himself some things. I put down some new foods for him to try on his highchair tray and he just goes to town! Most of it ends up on the floor (you won’t hear Jackson complaining :0), but some gets into his mouth. Then, we have the dramatic reaction to his new food, which can go on for quite a while. Once he spits out or eats the food, he starts over again! Nick’s feedings are taking a much longer time now, but he is getting the hang of feeding himself and having fun.

I posted some pictures of Nicholas trying some new foods and from his first shopping trip sitting in the cart without his car seat! He loved being able to see everything and took things off the shelves when he could reach. He also loved to throw things out of the cart (it was piled up right behind him)! He was laughing and showing off as usual, so he got a lot of attention (which he just does not enjoy ;0) and had a great time. Looks like shopping will be a little easier now that he likes it!

Walk, Wag, & Swim

We took Jackson to a Walk, Wag, & Swim today. It was SO much fun!! First, we took a 1 mile walk and then the dogs got to go swimming in a pool! We haven't really taken Jackson swimming before (he goes in the lake at the Dog Park, but that is about it) so we weren't sure how he'd like it. At first, he wasn't too sure about the water, but then he jumped right in :0) He had a great time fetching tennis balls (his and everyone else's!) and playing with the other dogs. He is quite the excellent swimmer!! We are going to take him swimming more from now on. Jackson was by far the cutest dog there :0) Nicholas loved being around all of the dogs and watching Jackson play! We all had a great time and will make this an annual family event. All of the proceeds go to “No More Homeless Pets in Utah”, which is a great foundation. They are how we found Jackson! Nicholas is doing so many new activities that we figure it is good for Jackson to have his own special events! Hope you like the pics!

Tiny Tykes Class 2

Here are some pictures from Nick’s Tiny Tykes class today. There was a new baby girl, Larissa, in our class today. She was born December 25, 2005. Nicholas was flirting with her most of the class (and his teachers too, of course) :0) Nick got to do so many fun things in class today: balancing, rings, swing, trampoline, and the zip line! He loves to crawl all over the gym and explore. He also really loves the puppets and songs! It is great to watch him be so excited and have so much fun :0) I am so glad we signed up for this class!!

Talking, Standing, & Climbing Stairs...OH MY!

Well, it has been a pretty eventful few days! Nicholas said his first word…“MA-MA” :0) He said it a week ago, but I wanted to hear him say it a few more times before I posted it (you know, to make sure it wasn’t a fluke!!). So, here is the story of Nick’s first word. It was Wednesday, August 24, 2005. John had just left for work. Nicholas woke up and yelled “Ma-Ma”. Even though I was sure that it was a fluke, I ran in to his room. I was greeted with a huge smile and another “Ma-Ma” (arms up in the air for me and all)!! I was still unsure if he really knew what he was saying. But, he has said it so many more times. He also says “DA-DA” when John comes in the room now too :0) John still isn’t quite convinced that Nicholas knows what he is saying, but I am :0)

Then, the next day (Thursday, August 25th) Nicholas stood up :0) He used our laptop bag to pull himself up. He is pulling himself up on EVERYTHING now!! I thought it was crazy when he started crawling, but this standing thing is even crazier!! He is always standing, so I am sitting right behind him all the time. I don’t want him to fall and crack his head on anything. Better safe than sorry! Yesterday, Nicholas showed us another new (and scary) trick. He started climbing up the stairs! We were all playing in Nick’s new playroom in the basement and he decided he was bored. So, he headed for the steps (I was right behind him). I was sure he wouldn’t be able to climb the stairs, but he just took off! I will get some pictures and video of the stair climbing when John is here to spot Nicholas. I have posted some pictures of Nicholas standing and some of his “Free Play” at his gym last week! Enjoy :0)

Tiny Tykes

Nicholas & I had our first “Tiny Tykes” gymnastics class today :0) His teachers are Miss Ashley & Miss Erin. There is one other baby in the class! His name is Zachary and he is 11 months. I guess the other “Tiny Tykes” classes may have more kids, but I like our small class :0) Nick & Zachary hit it off right away. We started off with some exploring of the gym. Nicholas was crawling so fast all over the gym. It is all padded so it is nice to let him roam free for a bit. I am thinking of having John do the same thing to our basement :0) Then we had a circle time and welcome song. Nick loved the song. After that, we did some stretching (to a Kelly Clarkson song…haha). Nicholas wasn’t too into the stretching until we were all clapping for him. He sure does love his praise! Once the clapping started, both he and Zachary loved their stretching. Then we danced a bit and learned a forward roll. At first, Nick wasn’t too sure what to think of the forward roll, but with a little praise, he loved it. After that, it was time for more exploring. I took Nicholas into the ball pit and he LOVED it! He also went on the trampoline and slide. Then, we played with some mini hula hoops. Nick was holding one in each hand and throwing his arms up and eating them of course. He also showed some real talent by crawling with one in each hand.

Then, it was time to use some gymnastics apparatus. First, Nicholas hung from the high bar (after he chewed on it for a bit). Then, we practiced more tumbling. Finally, he did some walking on the balance beam. Miss Ashley & Miss Erin brought out some swings for the boys. Nicholas has never been in swing like it before and he LOVED it! After some fun swinging, it was “independent time”. This is when the moms hang back and let the kids interact with each other and the teachers. The teachers assured me that if Nick needed me, he could come get me. I was not worried…I knew he wouldn’t even notice I was gone! He loves to play with other kids. He looked over at me a few times, but had too much fun playing with Zachary to need me! Then it was time to clean up the toys. The moms and teachers did more of that than the boys! We also played “What Time is it Mrs. Fox?” and Miss Annie acted out a song with puppets. Nicholas loved the puppets. Zachary was trying to walk by and leave the puppet show, but Nick grabbed him by the back of the shirt and made him sit and watch! Nicholas was so excited withthe puppets that he started clapping by accident and surprised himself. It was so funny :0)

All in all, we had a great first day of “Tiny Tykes” :0) I am so glad we signed up! It is nice to get out and do something once and a while. We go to class on Tuesdays and get to go to 1 hour of free play a week too. All of the pictures are from the "independent time" today. I will try to get some pictures of Nick on the gym equipment next time. I figured since it is a Mommy & Me class; I better pay attention and do my part this time!!