Box Boy

Hi, everybody! Just thought I'd give you a chance to see my latest cuteness:















I stopped by Oma's house for a little visit with her and Winston.

Oma read to me while I tried to put some square pegs in some round holes. I guess I'm a free thinker.


Is there anything cuter than a baby, er, rather, a BIG BOY in a box? My mommy put me in the box to distract me from pushing the buttons on the oven, which I feel compelled to do at every opportunity.






















I stopped by Grandma T's house to show her my frog costume and play with her rubber elephant.



At the Rocktoberfest dinner, my friend Maggie came as a kangaroo. She even had her own baby kangaroo in her pouch!










Mommy distracted David Beckham (Orson) and Princess Zelda so I could steal their carrots.













My neighbors Lynn, Denise the Cat, and Joel got acquainted. Lynn and I had a good time playing together.











Dyan had a visit with Sara, Maggie and Matt.


















Princess Zelda borrowed Dyan's zany costume to disguise herself from her many adoring subjects.















Daddy was a hula girl, but he had to change out of his coconut bra after I broke it. I just wanted to see what was going on in there.






















David and I got in on the story Toni read to Orson and Zelda.



















Yesterday, after Mommy came home from school, Daddy made us sandwiches and we went on a windy picnic at Greenwood Park. After we ate the sandwiches and peanut butter Rice Krispie treats, I took a crunchy walk in the leaves, and then I graduated from the baby slide to the big kid slide.








That's all for now - see you next time!

Party Animal

Between all the partying and all the playing, it's a wonder I have time to sleep. But I must be getting at least enough sleep to be healthy, because my pediatrician was pleased with my growth and development at my almost-15 months checkup. At 14 months and 2 weeks, I weighed 23 lbs 9.6 oz (moving me up to the 40th percentile), and I was 2' 6.51" (the 38th percentile), while my head was 47.5 cm (the 60th percentile - it must be all those books I read making my brain expand).

At home, I've excited my parents by learning the opposite of my favorite word ("UP!"), which is down ("dah"). I've also been really into singing my original compositions about babies and milk, and into making fierce, funny faces for comic effect. My unassisted walking continues to blossom, a little at a time; I've figured out that it's easier for me to balance if I'm holding on to something, anything (like a Little People figurine or a puzzle piece or a sippy cup), even though it's not attached to anything holding me up.

Since I last posted, I've celebrated Mommy's 38th birthday and my great-uncle Dale's 50th birthday. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live so long. Wow. Anyway, here are the pictures of my antics in the last week and a half:

Afternoon coffee with my bgf Maggie and her parents at Talkies in Ohio City.

Birthday brunch for my mommy, hosted by Nonna, attended by me, my Oma, and Grandma T.

Big enough to be trusted to sit on the bench in the fitting room and eat my snack and not get down on the floor and fling hangers around.

Uncle Dale's 50th Birthday Party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood:
he really loved the pink Tinkerbell purse I helped pick out for him.

Visiting with the Trusko clan at the party.

I really dug Uncle Dale's pretty birthday necklace.


When I got really tired, my cousin Ashley let me snuggle up with her.
I am all about nooks and crannies lately. I love to play behind the small couch and under the big couch and anywhere there's a me-sized space.









While Daddy took Mommy to Cleveland Public Theatre to see "AtTENtion Span" and to the Flying Fig for dinner, I went to Oma and Ono's house and played with Oma's friend Vicky; we got along so well that I made the effort to say her name.
Also, Oma helped me make a handprint painting and framed it for me to give Mommy for her birthday; Mommy loved it, and put it on the shelf next to my handprints from last year, which are really small in comparison.

Doing some serious walking on the plaza in front of the eastside Trader Joe's.
I love that Trader Joe's has shopping carts in my size!
The eastside Trader Joe's also has sidewalk chess.
I played pretty well considering I had never played chess.


Drumsticks are great for drumming but also for chewing, pointing, and waving around like a magic wand.I like to help.

How handsome am I in my French-looking, chocolate Tofutti moustache?

Nonna came over for a sleepover when my parents went to the Uz Jsme Doma show, and she taught me how to blow on my pinwheel.

Have you ever seen feet cuter than these? I highly doubt it.

Sunday Stroll

I did it! I did it! I took my first step! Then, I took a few more! I think it's great, but for some reason, my parents both started crying. I don't know what's wrong with them. When I took my first step, to Daddy, Mommy was right there ready to video it, since they kind of felt like it was coming. And then I did it, and there were hugs, and laughs (me) and tears (my silly parents), and then Mommy rushed to download the video to the computer - and realized she didn't press the button on the camera all the way and missed it. Doh! Fortunately, I felt like doing it a couple more times this morning, so she caught it on the third try:

Or if you prefer YouTube, you can watch my step here.

So Close

I want to walk soooooo badly. I will grab anyone's hands if they will walk with me. I'm just not sure about walking without a big person's hand. It seems a little dicey. I've had a bunch of walking practice lately. My parents and I went to New York Sunday and Monday, and when I wasn't cruising in my stroller I did some good walking there. Tonight, Mommy and I went on the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood's Haunted House walk with our neighbors Lynn and Joel, and I walked as much as the big people could tolerate, and then just a little more. I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a great time.

Here I am, in my very own seat, en route to La Guardia. I took my new baby (AKA "Baby") for his first plane ride. I had to give him his pacifier to keep him quiet.

I loved watching the horses in Central Park, and for a little while, I was content to hang out in the grass with my parents.

But then I was ready to go already.

I gave Daddy a really intense workout, trying to keep up with me. By the time we left, I had a good bit of Central Park absorbed in the knees of my pants.

While I was off running around, Baby kicked back with a cold drink.

On Monday, I got my walking practice in at Columbus Park in Brooklyn, which was fitting, since it was Columbus Day.

Finally, it's gotten cool enough to wear my new, fuzzy, footed pajamas. I giggled at how soft they were when I put them on the first time. Sleeping in these jammies is some first class sleep, people.

I love books so much. One of my favorites is my Nonna's Rock-a-Bye Baby book. The button that plays the song is the first button I ever learned to push; now, pushing buttons is one of my favorite pasttimes, and in fact "button" ("but [pause] eh") is one of my latest vocabulary words.

Tonight I donned my frog Halloween costume for what I hope will be the first of several occasions. While I was waiting for Lynn and Joel to come over, I hung out in my costume and pulled a bunch of books off the shelves.

Here I am, waiting in line for the Haunted House tour, just before I got fed up with being stuck in the stroller.

Joel was really cool about walking with me and carrying me when I was getting super tired toward the end of the walk. After it was over, I got to meet our tour guide, Bruce.
I've had a big night, plus I wore myself out today playing with a couple of awesome big kids (Aunt Joyce's friends Liam and Noleen) at my Grandma T's, so I've got to go to bed now, before I fall over and bonk my head on the keyboard.

Go Tribe!

Grandma T has been trying to teach me to say "Go Tribe!" to support our Cleveland Indians. I can't really say it, but I have learned to wave my arm when someone else says it, so that's progress. It's pretty amazing that not one but two Cleveland teams are in the playoffs this year. When I think about the previous seasons and this one, the one difference I can think of is my own presence in the city. I'm not saying I'm personally and solely responsible for Cleveland's successes, but you have to admit, when you consider the evidence, that it's possible that I'm the key.

Not much new to report, developmentally. I'm still building the confidence I need to take off and walk without holding on to anything, but I think October could be my month.

Since I last posted, I've gotten to see several of my very most favorite people in the world. Here are the pictures to prove it:


Grandma T is so lucky she has all of us big kids to lend her a hand with Lilliana. Bella and Bailey and I like to help. That's just the kind of kids we are.
The only thing I like better than taking off my shoes and socks is taking someone else's socks off. Here I am at Grandma T's with Uncle Sean and Bailey.

Grandpa came to visit last weekend, and I showed him the skeleton made of bells we have up for Halloween.

Grandpa took me for several figure-eights around the kitchen table and coffee table on the scooter he gave me for my birthday.

I had fun watching some football with Grandpa (Go Browns!), but even better still, he let me hold the remote control!

We watched the second half of the Browns' game at Aunt Jillian and Uncle Sean's house, and Uncle and Daddy gave Bailey and me the giggles flipping us upside down.

Today, Mommy and I stopped by Nonna's to pick up the stroller we left over there the other day. I was excited to see Nonna, but then I was so surprised that Oma was there, too! I got to play with both my grandmas at one time! What could be better than that???

This afternoon we went to Victorio's in Parma for a late lunch. I had an awesome grilled cheese, and then the nice man who owned the restaurant took me over to his aquarium to show me his turtles. I liked the turtles, but I couldn't figure out why there weren't any fish.

It's time to go pick up Daddy from work. I'm so glad that both of my parents will be off tomorrow and Monday and can spend all their time with me! Happy Columbus Day!