Chichi Cupcakery: Happy 16-Month Birthday, Nicholas!

Dear Nicholas,

You are now 16 months, and a total little boy! This is such a fun age!!

In early October, you finally got your helmet off!! Your head shape/symmetry improved to within “normal” range, so you never have to wear the helmet again. I have to say, you tolerated it so well and you really looked so adorable in it. We also miss it a little bit because it really was a lifesaver as you learned to walk, and you still trip every now and then, and it’s sad to see the bumps and bruises on your head. But you have the most beautiful head in the world!

Playing with bubbles on one of your last days in the helmet

You are doing so well in school and love it so much that you no longer cry when Daddy drops you off in the mornings. You guys have your routine down pat: you go into the classroom, take off your coat, walk with Daddy to the sink to wash your hands, and then you usually take off to one of the bouncies, or you head to the tables to eat with your friends. Your teachers tell us that you’re very good at following directions, you love to sing, and you’re doing an awesome job eating all the food that they serve you (still wish you would eat that well at home, but we’ll take it!). You’re an awesome kiddo!

You are talking SO MUCH these days; it’s unbelievable!! You have a vocabulary of about 60 words, and it seems like you add to it every day. You mimic everything we say and do. Last month, your favorite word was “no,” and you would use it all the time, even when you didn’t mean it. You’ve started to learn it’s meaning, and don’t use it as frequently now. And now your favorite word – and food – is “kacker” (cracker). You have learned to say “cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese” whenever you see me pull out my camera or my iPhone, and it’s adorable! It’s also amazing how much you understand these days – it’s like we can actually communicate with you now ;-)

One of your other favorite things to do these days is to point out your body parts, with your nose being your favorite one. But you also love to point out everyone else's nose. So after you point to yours, you say "nose, nose, Daddy, Wiya" and you won't stop until you get to point to Daddy's nose and Wingnut's nose. You also know your eyes, mouth, and head, and say the words as you point to them.

Another favorite activity of yours is to sing and dance along with songs. You can clap, stomp your feet, and pat your tummy when we sing "If you're happy and you know it." You fill in the "E-I-E-I" in "Old McDonald" (and we gladly fill in the "O"). And you do the spider-climbing-hand-motions for the "Itsy Bitsy Spider." It is so cute! When you dance, you like to stick your hands up in the air and move them like you're conducting an orchestra, and recently you started shaking your head from side to side and stomping your feet when you dance. Adorable!!

You still love reading, and you now make requests. Your favorite book is “Moo Baa La La La” by Sandra Boynton, and you usually call it either “Moo Baa” or “La La La.” And you read the book with me and insert all of the animal sounds yourself. It is so cute!! Your other favorite book is one we bought in Argentina about ducks, and you refer to it as the “kack kack” (quack quack) book.

Speaking of Argentina, you took your first international trip in October to Buenos Aires. You did pretty well on the flights and slept almost the whole way…it was the frequent puking before and after the trip to Buenos Aires that was a bit of a problem (more for me given that I didn’t pack enough clean clothes in my carry-on). We spent a lot of time with your second cousins and you had a ton of fun with Tommy, in particular.

Riding in the wagon with your cousin Tommy, with your cousin Juan at the wheel

Your favorite thing was probably walking out to the balcony in the apartment, and then walking back into the apartment, and back out, and back in again. And the apartment overlooked the Belgrano R train station, so every time a train went by, you’d walk out onto the balcony and say “too too” (choo choo). I think your favorite part might have been all of the choripan (chorizo and bread) that you ate. You LOVED it and devoured it whenever you had a chance. We had a wonderful time with you!

Gobbling up a choripan at Valeria's house

At your 15-month doctor’s appointment, you weighed about as much as you did for your 12-month appointment (21 lbs. 6 oz., 10^th percentile), but had grown 2 inches (32 inches tall, 76^th percentile). But you’ve been eating a lot better and a lot more recently, and it seems to be working because you seem to be fattening up a teeny bit.

You celebrated your second Halloween, and were the cutest Yoda ever! And you celebrated your second Thanksgiving with my side of the family, and ate your first Thanksgiving turkey (and actually liked it)!

You now have 7 ¼ teeth (the top 4, the bottom 2, your left molar, and now your right one is coming in). You’ve learned to spin around (you and your cousin Alex had a blast doing this over Thanksgiving) and to run. You love to comb your hair at night after your bath, and you love brushing it in the morning while I get ready for work. You’re now on your 6^th haircut.

You can now call the dog to come – you bend over and pat your knees and say [your version of] his name, “Wiya.” I think that’s by far the cutest thing you’re doing these days. You like to “ride the bull,” whether it’s on Wingnut, Daddy, or me. I.e., when we are laying down on the floor, you like to come over and sit on us and bounce up and down…you now request it by saying “bull” as you walk up to us.

You are seriously the coolest kid in the world, and we are loving this age. It’s amazing watching you turn into this little boy right in front of our eyes. You are the most loved boy in the world!!