Vroooooooom! (4.10.09)

A "vroom vroom" of his very own! Thanks Cousin Silas, for letting Bubby use your old wheels! They are the talk of the town (or at least of Bubby!)
It was like he knew exactly what to do-- even tho he'd never really seen a steering wheel other than in Poppy's truck. He grabbed ahold, steered away, and even beeped the horn... then he decided to sit back and cruise (perhaps in cruise control?) and let Gramsy do the work. These were from last week, and as i was uploading the photos earlier tonight, Christian saw them, and got veryyyyy excited. He first said "Vrooom!!", and then whispered..."Poppy"-- since EVERY vehicle is now referred to as "Poppy", simply b/c Poppy's truck is his absolute favorite vrooming "thing" on earth.

the classic Christian 'scrunchy face'

Hoppy Easter

It took a few ridiculous tries (lots of whooping and tickling and "look over here"s) --
but we got some Easter shots of the 3 of us before he lost it. and before my back went out. the kid's getting heavy!

The guys out for a brisk Easter walk...
Christian didn't have a jacket so we bundled him up w/blankets
and he almost fell asleep in the little car!

His little "hoppy hop hop" wind-up toy bunny

Due to the unfortunate events of the day (with my back), there aren't any pictures of Bubby's first Easter Egg Hunt at the Janes's. Apparently he was getting the hang of picking up the eggs, putting them in the bag, and actually leaving them in there! I was sad to have missed it! :(

observant

Christian loves to look at pictures of babies. Often when i'm on the computer he will crawl up in my lap and look at picture after picture of himself and other babies (if i'm looking at someone's online photos, etc...)

Last night I scooped him up to show him a baby picture and he said "Baba"... and a few seconds later, he said "vrooooooom". Just as I was about to tell him that babies don't go "vroooom", I glanced at the screen and there, to the far right, was an ad for a vacuum cleaner.

Can't put one past HIM!

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

Ever since the trashcan incident, everything "non-touchable" is now referred to as "HOT!!" by Christian Alexander. He repeats it over and over and over in a breathy whisper, pointing at whatever object he's been told not to touch... today it was Poppy's glasses, sitting on the coffee table. Yesterday it was the bird's nest sitting in our bedroom on a shelf. "Hot!" he says very emphatically, as if warning us (and himself) against the danger that looms just within reach.
The testing of the limits has also begun... I guess a milestone that deserves a post of its own. He's been told not to drop his food (or throw it) from his highchair. And he knows EXACTLY what that means. He takes whatever food he is no longer interested in eating and holds it threateningly over the edge, his arm fully extended sideways... and glances up to see if we're watching. Gathering up every serious nerve I have (he just looks so adorable, it's hard not to smile) I say, "No dropping food". He stares at my face, studying the level of seriousness, almost evaluating whether or not it might be worth it to drop the handful. Then he slowly brings it back to his tray, and seems satisfied with the HIGH praise he receives. ... most of the time. This morning I turned my back and heard a crust of bagel hit the floor. I turned around to an "innocent" looking babyface, and squelching my impending smile, I gave his little hand a flick along with the "No dropping..." reprimand. He cried for about 3 seconds, and then looked at me...and Growled!! I wish I had it on video. It was classic baby rebellion, roaring forth from the mouth of MY little angel!
Here we go!!!!!!!!!!

Looking Innocent...

Not so Innocent...

Hey Ma, Look what i found! It helps me balance ...

Uncle Seth would be proud!
I can't wait to show all my friends!

Do I hear Baby Photo Contest??
I use this part to help me balance!
Oops, I fell!

Can't Keep me down!
Woooahh!

Why all the pictures, Mom?

buggee!

Gotta love the baby talk! The past few days have been filled with constant chatter and babbling-- mostly variations on the word "bug-gee" (with the emphasis on the second syllable). Sometimes it sounds like the Cadbury Bunny (Bug-gaw), sometimes it sounds like "Boogie". There isn't a specific person, place or thing that elicits one or the other, it just seems to be his favorite thing to say.
He has been practicing walking on his own (self-initiated) for the past 2 days... standing up from a sitting position, finding his balance (often with a piece of clothing or a toy snagged from the diaper bag or his bottom drawer), and toddling for 3 or 4 steps. Fall down. Repeat. Over and over and over...
It's amazing that he never gets frustrated with the process of falling down and getting back up. It's just sheer determination and the joy of experimentation I guess. He's had some close calls with banging his head, but so far no bruises.
Yesterday we spent a long time sitting outside on the front steps, playing in the dirt and watching the cars, trucks, and busses "vrooooom" by... another obsession (the vrooming sound). He gets so excited every time one passes, and his focus is so intense.
Last night while dave was stir-frying some chicken at the stove, Christian pointed to him from his high chair. I told him Daddy was cooking... and a moment later he tried to say it: "cuk-ka". It was so adorable, and we thought it was just a simple mimicking moment... until this morning when i was loading the dishwasher as he sat eating his breakfast. He pointed at me and said "cuk-ka" -- and I realized what he was declaring. I guess the sounds were already in his brain from saying "cracker" (basically the same pronunciation), but the fact that he recalled on his own through observation totally astounded me.
Some other cute recognitions: this morning I was singing "Maresy-Dotes and Doesy-Dotes" to him while changing his diaper to try to get him to hold still. As I sang, I wondered if I should be singing something with more "real" words in it... but all of a sudden he grabbed his ears (which he's been learning the word for), and I had to stop and realize that I'd just sung ..."if the words seem strange, and funny to your ears..." I'd sung it so fast, I didn't even know I'd said anything worthy of comprehending... but apparently my little budding genius did!
One of the things he's not allowed to touch is the bathroom trashcan. I have told him a few times that it's a "no touch", and it's "dirty", but not too often since he's not often tempted by it. This morning I was in the bathroom and he crawled in, pulled himself up using my pant leg, pointed to the trashcan, looked at me, and said, "HOT!" I find this not only hilarious, but completely fascinating-- seeing as he doesn't even know what "hot" is, he just knows it's the reason he can't touch the fireplace. . .
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!