Shapes

So Brian has been very interested in shapes lately. He can correctly identify star and moon (they were his first) and also heart. He can also say those names very well and names the shapes corectly when asked what they are. He knows all the others - circle, oval, square, rectangle, and triangle but he doesn't always say the right name if you ask him. I can ask him to find the triangle and he will correctly pick up the triangle out of all the shapes almost every time, but if I show him the triangle and ask him what it is he says circle. I think that is mostly out of not being to say the names very well. It's pretty cool. He will look for shapes in everyday things and point them out to me. He's such a cool boy.

What did you say?

Just for record keeping sake I have decided to compile a list of some of the words Brian says the most.

Mama
Dada
Nana
Papa
Mimi (more like Mima)
Pops
Janelle (Na-nelle)
Ryan (Ry)
Elmo
Big Bird
Bye-Bye
Go
More
Car
Truck (more like truh)
Airplane
Helicopter
Key
Bang
Boom
Whoa
Moo
Baa
Neigh
Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
Who-who (an owl)
Roar
Oh-oh (a monkey)
Woof
Meow (he doesn't really say the 'e' sound)
Quack
Duck (sounds a lot like quack)
Firetruck (not exactly pronounced correctly, but close enough)
Night-night (more like nigh nigh)
Moon
Star (sounds more like scar)
Circle (somehow there is a 'g' when he says it)
Oval
Heart
Boo
Light (sounds like lie with an 'h' on the end)
Brian (more like Bri)
Eye
Nose
Mouth
Teeth (more like tee)
Bath
On
Off
In
Out
Up
Down
Open
Close
Color
Help (always whiny and always sounds like Ha or Hal)
All-done (he signs this and mumbles/grunts the syllables)
Again (this one he signs and just makes a 'g' sound without ever opening his mouth)
Please (sounds like pea sometimes with the 's' on the end)
Thank you (he signs it and grunts the syllables)
Hi (this is what a farmer says)
Hot (more like Ha)
Cold
Eat (more like eee, but in a very high pitched voice usually)
Cracker (sounds like cacker)
Milk (this one is weird - he calls it nee)
Drink (sounds like Dree)
TV (not one I am happy about)
Yes
No (luckily he has not used this word in defiance to us yet)

I'm sure there are several others, but those are the ones he uses the most. He seems to leave off the last letter of most words and there are still several consonants that he rarely says. He has also reached a point where he will try his very best to repeat a word you say to him. His vocabulary is growing daily. It's so fun to see him learn new words and then use them to communicate with us.





Here is a short list of the words that Brian can sign well and signs often. Most of these words he can also say and usually when he really wants something he will both sign and say the word.

Eat
Drink
More
All-done
Please
Thank-you
Bath
Help
Again
Sleep
Love





Something else that Brian has started to do is become obsessed with the alphabet. We got him some alphabet magnets, alphabet bath "stickers", and an alphabet puzzle for Christmas. He loves the alphabet song and asks us to sing it to him all the time. He also asks to take a bath more now because he wants to play with his alphabet. As an extension of this new found love of letters he can now recognize letters anywhere. He can't tell us what letter it is specifically yet (except for 'O') but he knows what letters are. When he sees a letter he usually says e e e over and over again. It's pretty awesome. He will point to letters on clothing, on the TV, on anything he sees letters on and gets all excited about it too. We are working with him to try and recognize individual letters, but aren't pushing it too hard right now.





What's a post without a few pictures? Hopefully I haven't posted these before.

This is Brian looking at a fire and saying "Hot"

Christmas 2008

Christmas this year was fantastic! We actually got to see almost all of our families and still even begin our own family traditions. Jason and I were really looking forward to Christmas this year because Brian was old enough to enjoy it and love on his family that he doesn't see so often.

This was the first year since Jason and I have been married that we actually had spending money for Christmas time. Now don't get me wrong, Christmas is NOT about gifts or presents and we plan on making sure our children know that, but we still went a little overboard with presents for Brian. We decided that in our family some presents will come from Santa and some will come from mom and dad (not that Brian knew the difference this year). In my family all the presents were always from Santa. Because we purchased so many gifts for Brian, we were worried about him being too overwhelmed on Christmas morning. We actually started giving him gifts to open on the Sunday night before Christmas. He caught on really quickly and soon we had to watch him to make sure he didn't grab presents from under the tree when we weren't looking.

On Tuesday my mom, dad, and brother got here (my sister was already here visiting with us). They got in that evening and we all went out to dinner. Brian was a huge grouch because he is teething (a whole other story...). We hung out Tuesday night after Brian went down and played the Wii (my Christmas present from Jason) together and had SOO much fun.

Wednesday morning my parents came over (they stayed in a hotel downtown) and since Jason was at work my mom, dad, sister, and I (and Brian) headed to see Santa! We were all worried that Brian was going to scream bloody murder especially after his performance at the restaraunt the night before. When we got there I pointed out Santa Clause and talked him up tp Brian the whole time we were in line. I talked about all the other kids and how they sat on Santa's lap and told him that he was going to sit on his lap too. It was finally our turn and I introduced Santa to Brian and set him down on his lap. He was a doll! It was perfect. We got the BEST picture (not digital) and several others. I think Brian did so well because he was the center of attention. Everyone was saying his name and being silly and waving to him. He was eating it up.

After pictures with Santa we all went out to Breakfast/Lunch/Brunch. I loved the family time I got with my mom, dad, sister, and brother. And I loved that they got to spend quality time with Brian - something they don't get a lot of.

Christmas Eve (still Wednesday) I had made a full Christmas meal for everyone including Turkey, Greenbean Casserole, Potluck Potatoes, Rolls, Borwnies, and Chocolate Silk Pie. Everything turned out great and my timing of everything was perfect. It was awesome. I was really proud of myself.

Christmas morning my family came over and we all opened presents and had a wonderful time. Brian was in heaven! He would open a present and then ask us to open it so he could play with it. He would play with is by himself for a few minutes and then he would carry it around to everyone in the room to have them hold it/play with it with him for a minute or two before moving on to another person. Once he played with the new toy with everyone he would want to open another one. It was so cute.

(Brian after opening his 'Elmo Live!' from Mimi)

After opening a ton of presents my family left to go home and Brian went down for a nap. Jason and I pulled out the Wii and played a few of our new games we got (Wii Fit, Shawn White Snowboarding, and Call of Duty). After Brian woke up from his nap we headed to Jason's parents house for more presents and more family. What a fun time! It was great seeing Brian and his two cousins (Jackson - 1 month older and Lennon - 2 months older) all playing and running around and having fun. Jason and I spent the night at Nana and Papa's house. Jason left for work early in the morning and Brian and I just hung out until that afternoon.

Jason's dad and his wife and two kids came to see us on Saturday. We all hng out and played Wii and opened presents all day. We went to dinner together and really enjoyed seeing them.

Overall, Christmas this year went by really fast, but was so much fun. I can't wait until next year!

Now for sticking with me this long - some pictures!
(There are WAY too many and it's hard to choose...)

Look at that concentration!

ELMO!

"Car!"
Brian got a TON of cars and he LOVES them!


"Belly-button"
Brian kept doing this when he got excited. I don't know why, but it was funny (and cute).


Notice the drool?


Such a handsome little boy!