6...7...8...9..10!!!!

He did it again!! We've been casually counting with Nicholas for awhile now, but we never really expected to see any results until he was a little bit older. His attention span isn't really the longest... But, a few weeks ago, he surprised both his Daddy and Mommy after he spilled all his little Gerber Puffs on the ground. Daddy sighed and started trying to return the puffs to their happy little green cup home with Nicholas's help. So of course, Daddy started counting. But Nicholas finished!!! Mommy was in the other room when she heard "3...4..." and she was very impressed. But when she heard "7...8...9..", she ran into the living room with her jaw dragging the floor!! Nicholas actually knows the order of the first 10 numbers!!! This feat has proven very difficult to repeat, though. Nicholas loves saying "TWO!!!", so he gets distracted very easily, very early in the counting. Plus, he throws in the occassional "Barney!" in the middle of counting.

But...he did it again!! (At his own pace, in his own time, of course!) Nicholas was playing with a pile of his diapers while Mommy was trying to discourage the mess she knew was about to occur. Then, he recklessly threw the top diaper to the ground and announced "1!!" He threw a couple more down and counted "2...3..." Now Mommy was very impressed since he'd successfully made it past 2!!! He had a little help with 4 and 5, then finished off with "6...7...8...9..10!!!" Mommy was so proud!!! She didn't even care that the pile of diapers on the floor was still growing!! I guess all those mathematics genes from Great Grandpa, Grandma, and Daddy are already kicking in!! :o)

I also found out that a little girl from Nicholas's Little Gym class is also counting to 10! (They're only a few days apart in age.) So, I suppose it's not an unusual feat at this age, but we're still very, very proud!! :o)

The First Blog!

Welcome to Nicholas's World!!! Nicholas spends his days making his Mommy and Daddy so happy and proud, but they tend to forget all the great Tales from the Crib! This blog will hopefully help us recount those crazy, cute, and ever-so-brilliant antics!!

Where to begin?! Nicholas is almost 17 months old now and is continuing to blossom into a smart little handsome boy!! He had his first sick baby doctor visit this past Friday!! He's had a few minor colds in his short little lifetime, but this was the first that required a visit to the pediatrician!! The poor boy was suffering through a fever, runny nose, and eventually a nasty cough. It turns out that he not only has croup, but an ear infection as well!! That cough just sounds so horrible and it came on so quickly!! The doctor prescribed him some delicious Amoxicillin for the ear infection (you must remember the yummy refrigerated pink stuff from your childhood...it smells so good!) and a one time dose of corticosteroids for the croup (the Walgreens pharmacist - super nice lady...I will definitely go back - suggested mixing the crushed pill in some chocolate syrup to disguise the taste...Nicholas was definitely a fan!!) The drugs seem to have kicked in and Nicholas is much happier and much more comfortable. We'll keep you posted on this milestone illness. :oP

In other news, Barney is wonderful. I grew up with such a dislike of the creepy, purple T-Rex that ran around hugging various children!! But, I just did not understand the preschool appeal!! Purple dinosaurs are cool!!! Especially when they sing and dance!! And who really cares if the child actors have not quite perfected their trade - they're kids! Plus, the show was made for kids who don't care if the acting is spot-on! Nicholas loves Barney. The huge smile that appears on his face when the Barney theme begins playing on PBS can just melt your heart!!! To all the nay-sayers who discourage TV-watching before three-years-old, I ask...how do you get dressed in the morning?! Everything in moderation. Nicholas also has a talking plush Barney doll thanks to his Auntie "Em". Nicholas involves Barney in quite a bit of his daily routine...it's just too cute!! Barney eats with him at his diner, drives around with him in his sports coupe, and sits with him as we read books. Barney also comforts Nicholas while he watches Barney on TV in his Pack & Play so that Mommy can get dressed/packed in a super rush to get to the pediatrician's office before it closes. We love Barney. :o)

So, that ends our first post. The rest will most likely be shorter. And don't expect frequent updates...you should know us better than that!! :o)