Nolan-Speak

I have a little chatterbox on my hands. Nolan's vocabulary has exploded in the last month or so and it's just fascinating to have little conversations with him. Here are a few of my favorite words that he can't quite correctly pronounce...

noonles = noodles

poopul = purple

boobies = blueberries

wamermemen = watermelon

wook = work (as in Daddy goes to work)

Ginesign = Einstein (as in Baby Einstein)

I'm in awe that he's learning (and correctly using) so many words that I haven't "taught" him. He knows a few of his colors, practically every animal, counts to five and proceeds to talk to every person he meets. When, on occassion, people don't respond to him, he seems surprised. He looks at them like "My Mommy and Daddy understand me, why can't you?" Soon he'll be speaking in mini-sentences...and shortly thereafter the "Why?" stage will begin. I have more fun all the time being his Mommy!

The "NO!" Season

I was really hoping we'd bypass it, but it came nonetheless. Nolan has always been sweet and very agreeable but in the past couple of weeks he has exerted his will like never before. If I had a quarter for every time he yelled "NO!" at me today I'd be able to fill up my gas tank. In today's economy that's a lot of no's! Truthfully, it catches me off guard. I don't expect my cuddly baby to be so passionate about what he wants and doesn't want. When he's especially belligerent Nolan lets his no's be known with body language as well. He practically stages a sit-in and plants his little tushie right on the ground in defiant opposition to my parental authority. And it's just not cute. It's annoying and it makes my blood boil. There, I said it! I am definitely not the most tolerant mommy in town.

Now that I've publicly decried my child, "mommy guilt" is kickin' in and I probably ought to even out the scales a bit. In the midst of the "NO!" season, Nolan is still a kick in the pants and laugh out loud funny. We were in Seattle at Todd's step mom's house this last wekeend and he followed Oliver the cat around for four days straight, meowing at the top of his lungs. He loves that cat (even minutes after Oliver stratched his face in four different places!) and talked about "cat" on the plane ride home. For the record, we are not getting a cat. The meows would be even more unberarable than the no's.

Our Trip To Tahoe

We had a great getaway to Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 winter Olympics. As this was a business trip for Todd, he wasn't able to have as much free time as Nolan and I did. The majority of the time that the three of us were able to spend together was in the pool. Nolan was ga-ga about the water slide and couldn't get enough of it. Every time he reached the bottom he'd shout "Gin!" (translation: "again." For the record, my child is not a juvenile alcoholic!) One afternoon Nolan and some friends and I took the cable car up to High Camp above Squaw Valley. Unfortunately, the view from the top was rather unspectacular due to the smoke and haze from nearby fires. We also drove to the South Shore of the Lake and visited my "home away from home" in the summer of 1992.

Todd flew out this morning for Seattle and Nolan and I will join him on Thursday. We will spend the weekend with Liedahl family and friends, many of whom we haven't seen in four years. This will be my first time flying alone with the little guy and I am a tad bit nervous. Prayers are appreciated!

Looking out the cable car

A little smoky, eh?

Beautiful Emerald Bay

Fun in the pool

A Good Hair Day

Nolan was born with tons of thick, black hair. He had so much hair at birth that it took the nurse in the delivery room three washings to get the "gunk" out. Although his hair is nowhere near black now, it's still thick and unruly, much like his Daddy's. In the morning Todd and Nolan look like Daddy and Baby Porcupine. It's actually quite endearing and is just one of their many similarities that I adore.

Since Nolan has so much hair he is no stranger to haircuts. His first was at four months and it was beyond traumatic for him. I seriously think he'll have "flashbacks" someday of his "horrible childhood" with crazy people coming at him with clippers. Anyhow, Nolan has probably had eight more haircuts since his first and the soundtrack for all of them is torturous screaming and crying. Until today!

At twenty-one and a half months Nolan finally had a tear free, positive experience! I don't know if I should chalk it up to his age, the fact that he understands more of what is going on around him, or just a darn good stylist, but Nolan was actually excited for his haircut! He climbed right up into the little Jeep "chair" and looked at himself in the mirror as the smock went on. I beamed with pride but now feel like the worst Mommy on the block because I didn't have my camera with me to document this milestone in his life. Oh well! Hopefully today was the first of many "good hair days" for little Noles.

Our First Out Of Town Visitors!

My Mom and Dad left this morning to drive back home. They stayed with us for a week and we were so glad to have them visit us! Nolan loves spending time with his Grandma and Grandpa and I love watching him interact with them. (For the record, I love spending time with them, too!) We didn't do much that could be considered "out of the ordinary." Mom and Dad basically joined us for a normal week. They were able to observe Nolan's gymnastics class, play with him at the park, and watch him enjoy the cute "Toddler Town" activities at our neighborhood version of Chuck E. Cheese called Super Frank's Fun Adventure. And, in true grandparent style, they spoiled him with plenty of hugs, kisses, cuddles and lots of new toys and clothes, too!

While Mom and Dad were here Todd and I snuck away for the weekend to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. Neither of us had ever been to Monterey and we had such a relaxing, quiet time together. Truth be told, we both slept 12 hours both nights and took a two hour nap on Saturday, to boot! Sheer bliss!

Now we're gearing up for two back to back trips. Next Wednesday we head to Lake Tahoe for 6 days, we'll be home for less than 48 hours, and then we'll jump on a plane for a Liedahl family reunion in Seattle for 5 days. We are very much looking forward to our travels and feel blessed that Nolan, so far, has proven to be an easy little traveler!