I have been in Las Vegas (a horrible, wretched place) since Sunday for a planning conference. In addition to Vegas being just a terrible place, the whole family, including Colin's parents who were in town last weekend, caught the flu. Between conference sessions I collapsed in my hotel room, and Colin had to take care of a very fussy Nikolai in between getting sick and trying to rest. It was a bad few days.
BUT, today I got home and rushed to daycare to pick up Nikolai. When I got there, he was sitting in his new classroom eating graham crackers and drinking milk from a sippy cup like it was no big deal. He ignored me for a few minutes, then stood up with his graham cracker and took two steps!!! This was his first bono fide step without holding onto anything! Then he just got down onto the floor like nothing happened and crawled away (to steal another kid's graham crackers). It was pretty amazing. . . I feel very lucky that I showed up just in time to see Nikolai's first steps, although I've convinced myself that he knew he could do it ahead of time and was just waiting for me to show me what he figured out (look Mom, no hands!).
He was pretty fussy still tonight - I'm pretty sure he is mad at me for disappearing while he was sick, and Colin is pretty sure that he is mad at him for not taking good care of him while I was gone (since he was so sick himself). So, we hope he forgives us, or at least forgets . . . .
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Happy Birthday Nikolai!
Nikolai turns one year old today!! I am in such shock that it has been a year, and at the same time can't believe it has ONLY been a year since he was born. It seems like he has been a part of our family forever already.
My co-worker Sara just reminded me of how I stayed at the office until 4:30 on the day I went into labor because I was trying to finish a spreadsheet! I was having contractions, but thought that I was just really uncomfortable. I don't think I ate anything all day because I felt so strange. We went to the hospital at 11 that night, and Niko was born at 3:25 am on April 25th. We got a lot more sleep last night than we did this time a year ago.
Niko is celebrating with cupcakes at daycare today, and then we have a party with all his grandparents and great grandma. I'll post some pictures later.
Happy Birthday Baby!
My co-worker Sara just reminded me of how I stayed at the office until 4:30 on the day I went into labor because I was trying to finish a spreadsheet! I was having contractions, but thought that I was just really uncomfortable. I don't think I ate anything all day because I felt so strange. We went to the hospital at 11 that night, and Niko was born at 3:25 am on April 25th. We got a lot more sleep last night than we did this time a year ago.
Niko is celebrating with cupcakes at daycare today, and then we have a party with all his grandparents and great grandma. I'll post some pictures later.
Happy Birthday Baby!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Braden & Niko dining out
We ate dinner out on Saturday with our friends Gabe & Robin, and Heather & Braden. The new Gordon Biersh Brew Pub downtown is tasty and has great beer. Niko and Braden got to hang out together and steal food from each other. Niko was good, except for poking Braden in the eye with a french fry and then a particularly screeching crying fit when he decided he wanted a bottle instead of more calimari. Braden, on the other hand, was exceptionally well-behaved! 
Friday, April 18, 2008
Outside!
It is finally getting warm enough to play outside. Here are a couple photos from the front yard a couple of weeks ago. Niko enjoyed playing with the leftover fall leaves still in the yard. Grandma helped him find all the good ones.
That's great it starts with an earthquake . . .
So very early this morning, Colin and I woke up to the sound of continuous tapping. I thought it was Nikolai rattling his crib bars at first, and then we thought it was squirrels in our walls. I only just realized that the earthquake in Illinois happened this morning at 4:30 am, and that it was rattling our house. Crazy! I'm just glad it wasn't squirrels . . . I couldn't get back to sleep because I was thinking of these foamy-mouthed rabid squirrels that were probably hiding in the closet, waiting to jump out and bite us. . .
Friday, April 11, 2008
Not Little!
I am having some serious issues lately as I've been discovering that Nikolai is not a baby anymore! The latest thing is that he no longer wants to be cradled or "held like a baby" while he is drinking his bottle before bedtime. Instead, he wants to sit up next to me leaned against the arm of the rocker while he holds the bottle himself. He is also slightly indignant when I try to feed him jarred baby food for dinner instead of real food that he can feed himself.
He has quite a will of his own, and expresses it every few minutes with either screams and whining or giggles, depending on what he thinks. I'm pretty sure that he is working on something approximating "ah ma ma" and I even heard an "addy" the other day after Colin had walked out of the room.
While I was dropping him at daycare one morning this week, his teacher told me to wait before I put him on the floor to play, because she had to lock some doors and put some things away so that he couldn't get into them. All the other babies are too little to get into trouble. I guess it is a good thing he is moving up to the toddler room this month!
We've also been having fun at swimming lessons at the YMCA. He had his first lesson last week and seemed to like it. He was a little intimidated at first, but soon got the hang of splashing and kicking. He didn't cry when we went under water, but he seemed pretty put out by all the water in his face. Since his first lesson last week, bath time has become a mess. He is so excited and splashes water so far across the bathroom that I can only fill up the tub a little bit for fear of causing a flood downstairs. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in the pool tomorrow morning! Also, he took a 2 hour nap after last week's lesson, which is highly unusual. I just found out from my mom that he is going to the same Y where John and I learned to swim. I remember how much fun we had with the kick boards, but they use noodles now instead. I hope Nikolai has similar good memories someday :)
He has quite a will of his own, and expresses it every few minutes with either screams and whining or giggles, depending on what he thinks. I'm pretty sure that he is working on something approximating "ah ma ma" and I even heard an "addy" the other day after Colin had walked out of the room.
While I was dropping him at daycare one morning this week, his teacher told me to wait before I put him on the floor to play, because she had to lock some doors and put some things away so that he couldn't get into them. All the other babies are too little to get into trouble. I guess it is a good thing he is moving up to the toddler room this month!
We've also been having fun at swimming lessons at the YMCA. He had his first lesson last week and seemed to like it. He was a little intimidated at first, but soon got the hang of splashing and kicking. He didn't cry when we went under water, but he seemed pretty put out by all the water in his face. Since his first lesson last week, bath time has become a mess. He is so excited and splashes water so far across the bathroom that I can only fill up the tub a little bit for fear of causing a flood downstairs. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in the pool tomorrow morning! Also, he took a 2 hour nap after last week's lesson, which is highly unusual. I just found out from my mom that he is going to the same Y where John and I learned to swim. I remember how much fun we had with the kick boards, but they use noodles now instead. I hope Nikolai has similar good memories someday :)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Waaaahoooooooo!!!!
Rock Chalk all the way!!!
Can't get enough highlights? I can't. . . .
Congrats to the KU Jayhawks - NCAA Champions!
Nikolai slept through the game, but with the volume of basketball that has been played on our tv lately, we're pretty sure he thinks of the tv as the "basketball machine." Since Niko has been born, we've won the Orange Bowl and the NCAA B-Ball Championship. Coincidence? Who am I to judge. . .
Friday, April 4, 2008
Guy Stuff
Nikolai is a busy man these days. He is still cruising around, but getting closer to walking. He is climbing and getting into everything that he can! His favorite game is throwing and chasing balls around the house. We went to Wichita last weekend, and Nikolai got to meet his cousin Angel, Elaine & Tobias' dog. They hit it off very well and gave each other lots of kisses! Tomorrow is a big day - we are starting swimming lessons at the Y. He is getting closer to his first birthday, which is unbelievable. On the Move
Here is a photo of Niko and his little red wagon walker. He loves it and uses it to run around the living room. He gets stuck when he hits a wall or runs into furniture. Depending on his mood he will either try to turn it around or push it from the other direction, or, rest his head on the handle and cry until someone turns it around for him.
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