Funny Stuff

Well it appears that my computer is not letting me upload pictures so a little journal entry will have to suffice. One of Jansen's new words is oval. Yes, oval. He has a little cube that you push different shapes through (if that makes ANY sense) and he insists on doing the oval first. And once he's pushed it through he stares inside the cube and says, "oval? oval?" over and over. He also likes to point at the knots in the wood in our coffee table and say oval...which IS a correct assessment of their shape. And this morning we could hear him in his crib saying it again and again. Another unusual word he has acquired is rhino. Now if only I could get him to say cat. Something else he loves to do...drive the car. Nate's lets him sit/stand on his lap and then they go around and around the parking lot in our apartment complex. He is also having a hard time understanding what is real and what is not. He loves the bears that are on the padding of his highchair and he tries to grab at them. Then he whines and gets upset because he wants to hold them and hug them. He also has a book that has a picture of a piece of pie in it and he will grab at it and point and whine and then finally puts his mouth on the book and TRIES TO EAT IT OFF THE PAGE. I love this kid.

Big Boy

Jansen had his 18 month check up today. He weighs 25 lbs 5 oz and is 32 1/4 inches. He's a little below average for his height andweight but is in the 93rd percentile for his head. That's what counts right!? Just in case it's not, we've been having him work out at night before bed as is pictured below.
(Look at their tongues---they are so much alike!)

ABCs

Jansen loves a Fisher Price website that goes through the alphabet and shows an animal and the sound it makes for each letter. One day he started recognizing "A" and "R" and would say the letter and point to it. Ever since then he has just loved letters and has gotten really good at recognizing and saying some of them. One day I pulled up to Wal-Mart and he pointed at their big sign and said "A!" Now he notices letters all the time when we are driving, when we're reading, on food labels, etc. It's kind of a strange but great obsession for an 18 month old. I taped him naming and pointing to some letters while he's in the bathtub. (I'm sorry it's a little long. He tries to sing the alphabet song at the end though and it's worth the wait!)

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The Best Birthday Pageant Ever

I had the greatest day yesterday because I have the greatest husband ever. It was my birthday...to start things off, Nate stayed home from school and got up with Jansen in the morning so I could sleep in. When I got up, he had beautiful flowers for me that had rolled up money hanging from them! After we got ready we went to breakfast at Tim Horton's and then headed for the mall so that I could use my birthday money! Nate chased Jansen around the mall and I had a gay ol' time picking out some things. Nate had also planned for us to go to the Franklin Park Conservatory after Jansen's nap. We had so much fun there and saw some amazing plants, flowers, butterflies, etc. It was a beautiful day so we played outside the conservatory for a little bit and then had a yummy dinner at Applebee's. The whole day was topped off with my favorite treat---a slurpee. I can hardly wait for next year! (Just kidding Nate.)

COSI

Just wanted to share with everyone a place that has been a little piece of heaven for Jansen and me on rainy/snowy days. It's called COSI (Center of Science and Industry). It's an amazing science museum in downtown Columbus (driving on West Broad can be a little scary. I always pray the car doesn't break down) that has a special area called KidSpace designed especially for children under 5. It's basically a dreamworld for toddlers and I take Jansen there every other week or so. As always, I've included some pictures of our little scientist!

Apple

Yesterday Jansen said "apple" and pointed to a picture of an apple on one his wooden blocks. It was adorable! He says other words, but I think this one is our favorite so far. Here is a clip of him saying it.

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Weekend With Grandpa

Grandpa came to stay with us for a few days this past weekend. The weather was nice so we spent some time at a couple parks; we also ate at Skyline Chili and Graeter's Ice Cream. Jansen loved all the extra attention. Our couch is now empty again for whoever would like to come visit next!

Twins!

Okay, not really. But I look like I'm having twins! I'm only 15 weeks for goodness sakes. I have gotten bigger

a lot faster with this pregnancy. The wardrobe is dwindling quickly...

Surprise in the Engine

Nate opened the hood this afternoon to add some more coolant

and we found this...a squirrel or something built a nest in the

warmth of the Escort. We have no idea how long it's been there.

We're just grateful the whole thing hasn't ignited!!!

Scrambled Eggs and Kidney Beans

It's been said the only thing constant is change; that certainly applies to Jansen's eating habits. Last week I couldn't get him to eat a thing. But starting yesterday he has had an insatiable appetite for banana bread, cold but cooked pasta, cantaloupe, and the like. At the request of the customer, I served cold kidney beans and scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning.

18 Months Today!

Jansen's reaction when I told him he had to start going to nursery.
(Not really---we're the nursery leaders so he's been in there for awhile!)

Stevie Wonder

Jansen looks like Stevie Wonder at the beginning of this video.
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Moooo!

Jansen loves to make animal noises and his repertoire is growing. Here's a recent performance!

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Killer Boots Man!

I would be putting it lightly to say that Jansen is obsessed with his snow boots. He is wearing them by 6:45 in the morning and they come on and off all day. He can put them on by himself most of the time and he is very particular about putting them on the shelf of his dresser if he is not wearing them.