The Entertainer

Nick has swimming class on every friday. He loves it! Mike took pictures at our last lesson and Nick was in a giggle mood that day. They toddlers all wore flippers in the pool, which wouldn't stay on Nick's feet - he kept saying "oh no!" when he'd lose a flipper. This week we took underwater photos and I'll get a copy of that photo in two weeks at our next class.
Nick doesn't blow bubbles with the water like the other kids do, instead he tries to drink it. Eeeeewww!

Nick turned 1 1/2 on Valentines Day. I couldn't resist this shirt! He is a ladies man! My mom takes Nick to Kindermusik on thursdays and Nick likes Hannah. He smiles at her all during class.






Just being silly





Going for a walk while daddy flies the helicopter






Look up! It's a bird! It's a plane! Well almost...it's a helicopter or as Nick would say "helah"


Mike went to Nicks Kindermusik class yesterday and took some video and pictures of Nick and Grandma (Nick calls her "Amma"). We keep this little guy busy. Wednesdays he now has a class at The Little Gym where he plays on balance beams, sings songs with other kids his age, and gets to tumble around. Thursdays he does Kindermusik with my mom and Fridays we have swimming. He is Mr. Social in all 3 classes, but he is really into Kindermusik. Most of the class they sit in a circle and sing, play different instruments, and then they get up to dance. They pick out two scarves and then they wave the scarves up high then "freeze" and then they wave the scarves low and "freeze". It is hilarious to watch Nick dancing around and then freeze. Nick will stand right infront of Teacher Sue, he studies her intently. They play a song about a dog named Oreo and the kids pass around a big black and white dog that is almost as big as Nick. Here are some photos taken yesterday, Mike said he was cracking up throughout the class watching Nick.

Mr. Clean

Thought I'd send out a couple new photos of Nick Knack. He's growing and changing so much every day. His words are getting clearer and he's definitely letting us know what he does and does not want which is actually very nice. His favorite word right now is "no", but it's not a defiant no. We'll ask what he wants for breakfast and he usually says "cereal" or "saus" for sausage. But if we ask him "do you want cereal?" he says "no" but really does want it.
Yesterday he really had me laughing until I was crying. He started walking on one toe, but the other foot was flat. So he was stepping high then low. And he knew he was being funny so he kept walking like that back and forth in front of me. Then he did it again at my parents house tonight and had us all laughing. He's decided he likes being the center of attention.
Anyway, here are some new pictures and a video.

The double fisted drinker. Milk in one hand, juice in the other. Mommy had a Mai Tai in one hand and Margarita in the other. Mike has a suction cup dart gun that Nick loves. He says "darts" and we shoot the darts to stick to a window, he steals the darts and runs! On this day Mike stuck the darts on Nicks forehead (I promise he didn't shoot Nick in the forehead with the dart gun). Nick was really into fish lips on this day. That's also how he kisses. He was playing the other day and stopped what he was doing, climbed over his stack of books all the while doing fish lips and coming toward me to give me a kiss! See mom, I can hook a big daddy fish! My Uncle Michael and Aunt Nita gave Nick this bubble machine for his birthday. He loves this toy! Mike recently repaired it, as we have worn it out several times. Since it's too cold to play outside, the bubble machine is now a bath toy. Boxes are fun!

This morning I was making cookies and I asked Mike to vacuum. Well, Nick loves to vacuum and he knows where it is. So he went to the closet while making vacuum noises. We keep his little popper in the vacuum closet along with the swiffer. While Mike was vacuuming, so was Nick with his popper. I didn't get the camera out quick enough to get Nick making his vacuum noises, but you can see in the video how he is copying dad.

Welcome 2009

Last weekend we went to the Aquarium (yes, again. we like it there) with our friends Kirby, Megan and Jeff. It was in the high 50's with no wind at the coast! In January??? What???? It was a beautiful day! Mike took some great photos during the sunset.

I love this photo! I want to sing Popeye the sailor man when I see Jeff's lower lip sticking out like that. He is so cute!!!





We love the otters!

The Seahorses. So pretty.

Like father, like son....

Our first child, Mashka. She still avoids Nick even though he is nice to her. Oh well!

The lounger. Nick and all his friends chillin in the chair and watching The Wiggles.

Nick is in swimming lessons again and is loving it! We like his new swimming coach. He was Mr. Social Slacker today at lessons. He wanted to play on the steps and stick his tongue in the water. He didn't pay attention to the singing at all. So the instructor came oven and got him and used him as an example of how to float on your back. He did really great! He loves the showers at the pool too, I'm not sure....he seems to get a kick out of all the naked women. He smiles, starts talking and laughing. I'm not sure if he's flirting or laughing at them....we may have to start therapy. Elizabeth, I may be calling you soon....

We love Santa!

The Great Snow - of Corvallis that is. Although it was a nuisance, the snow was beautiful and Nick grew to love it. Always our cautious child, we'd open the door to show him the snow and he'd shut the door and look at us like "why are you letting that cold air inside?" But then he changed his mind and we built a tiny snowman. Mike took Nick outside for about half an hour to play and he didn't want to come back in!

So The Nick loves Santa. We took him to the Corvallis Country Club for a brunch with Santa and he kept going back to see Santa. Nick says "Santa" pretty clearly too! He wasn't too sure about Santa at first, he just gave him the stare down. But once Santa handed him a wrapped present Nick had a look on his face like, "that guy just gave me a wrapped up box! He is soooo cool!" and then he kept saying "Santa" and walking back to him. We got a kick out of it.

MMMMMMM - ornaments taste good......

Nick playing in his kitchen at Grandma and Grandpa Edwards house on Christmas Eve. I bought these pajamas with the drop seat in them. I want to try to get a bare butt picture with the butt part down. Wish me luck.


Nick sitting in his new chair in his Hugh Heffner robe and his OSU slippers on. We're teaching him the important lessons in life - how to relax in style.




Nick has learned how to blow his nose! It is too cute. I know, not that exciting to everyone, but I'm thrilled! It is too cute - did I already say that? I guess everything he does and says is still adorable. I still have those new parent goggles on.

Our giggle monster!




Candy canes are a definite maybe...

Our little man

It's been a little while since the last update, the month of November just flew by. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I'm still full....The Kentucy Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie from New Morning Bakery that our friend Margo brought last year has become a new tradition. I order several for Thanksgiving and Christmas so we can freeze the pies and have some for later! Yummmy! Nick is just our little boy! He looks at us and starts telling us about his day. We still have no clue what he's saying, but we try to play along. Then he furrows his eyebrows and looks at us like we are total idiots because we don't understand him. He tries to repeat whatever we say. He'll pick up a book like "10 Apples up on top" and say apple. If you hand him a book upsidedown, he'll turn it the right side up and turn the pages studying each page seriously. Sometimes he reads the book to us. It's pretty funny. Right now if you do fish lips to him, he'll do them back and give you a fish lips kiss. It's hilarious, I laught until I cry everytime he does it. We are trying to get it on video. Anyway, here are some photos and videos from November! Nick loves to work the controls to the hover craft. He puts his little thumbs on the controls and moves them around to stear. It's too cute! A mini Mike!

Happy Halloween!

For Halloween Nick was a golfer. He had little golf clubs and everything. I ordered his costume a couple months ago and it was way too big. But then the day came to wear it and we had to pull and stretch and then use duct tape to make it all work. We went to the Corvallis Fair Grounds where there was a harvest party. They had a ton of stuff for kids to do. Nick was a little too young for it, but it was fun to see the other kids and their costumes. Megan, Kirby and Jeff met us there too. Jeff was a little bear - cute! He had paws and was just totally fuzzy and cuddly!











Nick had a doggie balloon animal made, he played with it until it was just a worm instead of a dog. I tried my best to re-create the doggie and made a terrific balloon blob. Guess I won't quit my day job.


















America's Next Top Model Baby Edition - Nicholas Monroe sporting the latest in fashion from Crazy 8.

























Nick with his spiked hair and "Hurley" shirt lookin' cool. Ready for fashion week.


























We went to the Aquarium again today - can you tell we like it there? Nick had fun at first, but decided not to eat much today. He's getting his 12th tooth in and was a little grumpy. But we had fun anyway.






















Nick is trying to repeat everything we say, it's so cute! He tries to say helicopter, blow dryer, upstairs, and sh@# - thanks to a slip daddy made. His list of words include : Bug, bird, ball, box, block, milk, bottle, up, down, shoe, all done, that, frog, plant, on, off, no, bye bye, amma (Grandma), appa (Grandpa), shark, whale, pumpkin, flower, bear, hug, oh no, balloon, burr, and a couple others I can't think of right now. Some words are more clear than others and his sentences are completely hilarious! We don't understand a word he says, but dadda keeps coming up among those ramblings. Of course I can't prove any of this since everytime I get the video camera out Nick becomes mute. That's where this video comes into play, I'm trying to get him to say "BUG" since everytime he sees a bug he says the word. Well except this time...




Don't worry, I get the bug. But Nick picks it up again and then takes off running down the hallway with the bug. He didn't eat it, but we had a good laugh.

And here is Nick with his latest obsession : The Wiggles. Oh no, not all Wiggles, just one episode OVER AND OVER again. Mike and I are going insane. But Nick wants his Wiggles! So here he is doing "The Flap".