MA

Dear Roman,
These days ‘ma’ or ‘mama’ has replaced ‘hi’ as your most used word.

In the morning while you sit and wait for breakfast it’s MA MA MA MA MA MA at the top of your lungs as though you are an impatient New Yorker and I am your short order cook who can’t get the meal to you fast enough!

At the library you were sitting at the computer with headphones on watching a learning game. A duck came on the screen which was very exciting so you screamed (at the top of your lungs)  MAMA MAMA A DUCK! In the library! I was laughing so hard I didn’t even care if everyone was staring.

You seem to always scream my name even though I am usually no more than a foot away! In your world I am clearly supposed to be readily available at any given moment to get you something, read you something, play with you, share in your excitement, you know- tend to your every need. I am more than willing don’t get me wrong. It just makes me laugh when I think back to the days when I used to long to hear one single ‘mama’ come out of your mouth instead of ‘dada’.

I love you buddy!

Roman and other kids

Dear Roman,
Lately it has really been feeling like summer- nice weather, days spent outside and a later bedtime for you which means we get to hang out as a family in the evenings. Every Wednesday you climb into your stroller and we head down to Marina Park for the farmers market. We weave through the crowds of people selecting fresh fruit, baked bread and other yummy “treats” as you call them. It doesn’t take long for you to become covered in sticky fruit juice from all the cherries, strawberries and apples you’ve sampled. Nothing a good splash in the fountain can’t clean off.

Tonight, after touring all the booths we headed to the lakefront so you could play in the sand. Shortly after you settled in with a good stick and some rocks a little guy your age showed up with a bag full of sand toys- buckets, shovels, rakes. The look on your face screamed JACKPOT! Your dad and I looked on as you made your move walking calmly over to the boy. You stood in front of him for a minute with a slight smirk on your face surveying the toys. Then you pointed to the really big shovel as if to suggest I want to play with that one. The kid looked at you and handed you a smaller rake. You didn’t take it instead continued to point to the big shovel. The little guy handed you the rake once more and you gave in, taking it and feeling pleased with your new borrowed toy and the new buddy.

It’s so much fun watching you interact with other kids. Most of the time you are pretty good at sharing although if you are really into a toy I have to do a lot of encouraging to get you to hand it off to another little person.  A lot of times you try to redirect a kid coming towards you to take something you are playing with. Like if you are holding a really good ball and a kid spots it you will pick up another toy and hand it to them before they can take your ball. But for the most part you adore being surrounded by other kids hanging out at the park or the beach and get disappointed if there aren’t any other kiddos.

I foresee many many days this summer spent playing around the neighborhood!

21 Months

Dear Roman,

It is very obvious that you are growing up as you continue to be more independent and add more and more words to your vocabulary. It amazes me to watch you go from a little boy I carried around on my hip to a big boy who can feed himself, get up on all the furniture without assistance, take direction (albeit selective), sleep through the night, open doors, close doors, walk up and down stairs and can play alone for several minutes at a time.

Before I forget and you go and change again, here is the “official” list of what you are into at 21 months:

LIKES- balls- kicking and throwing balls and watching kids play baseball and basketball, bubbles, motorcycles, your elephant tee, babies, the alphabet song, slides, bugs, Elmo, swings, a snack before bedtime, cymbals or as you call them ‘dong dong’, drums, cheese, stickers, crayons, sleeping in your crib, yogurt, cameras, books- but now more story books and less of the touch and feel variety, cats, your tooth brush, your blanket, pacifier, skateboards, stuffed animals, ‘treats’ as you say which can mean anything from a Flinstones vitamin to a mini cupcake from the local bakery.

DISLIKES- water on your face, sitting down for mealtimes, abrupt transitions, your parents hovering over you, the high chair- so it has been moved to the garage, dirty hands, most food- definitely vegetables- you won’t even look at them and forget getting you to try something new, diaper changes, goodbyes, waking up- sometimes very crabby in the morning or after a nap!

Last Day of School

Class Photo 5/2009

Dear Roman,
Today was your last day of preschool. We break for summer and we will return in the fall, but there will be new kids, new teachers and a new classroom. So today was filled with lots of emotions- for your mom anyway. As I watched you running around class with all your friends for the last time I couldn’t help but reflect on the year and how much you have changed, grown and how much you have learned.

When we first began going to preschool you were barely 14 months old. I thought it would be impossible to get you to sit still in a chair at a table for snack time. The first month you mostly avoided snack all together and opted to run around playing while others sat and ate. Then as the months passed you took an interest in what your friends were all doing and started to sit at a table for a moment or two. You tried very hard to change the rules to an “eat a snack while running around playing” policy, but to no avail.  Eventually you gave in and started sitting and eating just like everyone else. And today you sat right down at a table, ate your snack and drank your water out of a little glass without spilling.

I remembered how I had to lift you up to the miniature sinks to help you wash your hands and realized that now you can reach them yourself and go to the sink, turn on the water, get the soap and wash all on your own without direction.

Each phase you were in brought a new class experience. At 14 months you were confident and enthusiastic- running around hugging everyone, spinning,  dancing and touching everything in sight. Then came separation anxiety around 17 months which meant you stayed close to my leg, hesitated to explore and became terrified of the only dad in the class. Now at 20 months you have come full circle and are back to your outgoing, enthusiastic self.

Preschool gave you the opportunity to explore paint, sensory tables, play doh, musical instruments, song and dance, and lots of great toys. You learned how to be gentle toward your friends and how to play with others. You learned that there are rules in life- like chairs are for sitting on not standing on,  no climbing on tables or furniture, crayons do not go in the mouth (although you break this one constantly), slides are for going down not climbing up, food must be eaten while sitting and toys get put away after they are played with.

Today you waved and said “bye bye” to all your teachers and friends. With a big smile on your face you grabbed my hand and we walked out the door of your first classroom for the very last time. And I started to cry a little because I absolutely hate goodbyes.

xo,
Mom

First day of class 10/2008

MOM

Roman,

I cannot wait for the day you realize how truly amazing your mother is.

We love you Natalie… you are the rock that grounds our little family.

Photos added!

I’ve post some new photos on Flickr:

April 2009

May 2009

The Artist

20 Months Old!

Dear Roman,
Your Dad and I can’t believe you are 20 months old today! It’s hard for us to imagine that you were once a baby and it feels silly calling you by that name. You are a happy, content, particular, inquisitive, observant, visual, social little boy who is growing up so fast.  Before I forget, here is what you are really liking lately:

YOUR ROUTINE- you are a kid who thrives on a structured daily routine! each morning you wake up eat breakfast, play with your toys and read a few books. Then we take a morning walk (unless it is raining), have a  snack and are in the car heading to a class- preschool on Mondays, Gymboree on Wednesdays and French on Thursdays. After class it’s lunch and a nap. Afternoons we are off on another walk (weather permitting) to the park or lake where you play until dinnertime. Then Dad comes home from work just in time to give you a bath with bubbles, read bedtime stories and you are tucked in for the night by 7:30.

BEING OUTSIDE- you are happiest running around, exploring and playing with friends at the park.

STROLLER- you still really enjoy riding in your stroller and saying ‘hi’ to everyone we pass on our walks.

BOOKS- sometimes I find you looking through books, studying the illustrations all by yourself. Other times you come running to me with a book in hand ready for me to read it to you. You have old favorites, new favorites and you are very specific on what you want and don’t want to read.

MUSIC- we’ve been listening to the same cd over and over and over in the car. You have big opinions on which songs you like and repeatedly ask for a song to be replayed (you say ‘more’ over and over), skipped over (you say ‘no’ while shaking head) or for the volume to be turned up (you yell ‘up’ and mimic the way my hand turns the knob).

BUGS- actually you say ‘yuck’ every time you see a bug in a book or on the ground. BUT you are completely fascinated and keep going back for a second look.

TABLE- you have been eating at your little table instead of in your high chair and you seem to love it. It took a couple tries to get you stay seated while eating (because you are always moving) but having tables and chairs for snack time at preschool has helped a lot with getting you used to this concept. Now when you ask to eat you will run to your table, pull out the chair and sit down before i can even get the food on the table.

INTERACTION- this funny thing you do while playing is to involve random objects, stuffed animals or people. The other day we were at the park and you took an interest in a rock. Before I knew it you were saying ‘hi’ to the rock, picking it up and handing it to me. I knew what you were up to as this sort of thing happens a hundred times a day usually with a stuffed animal or toy. I just thought it was pretty funny you were making friends with a rock. You asked the rock to ‘come’ and it/we followed. First you showed the rock the slide that you aren’t allowed on (because it is too tall) by pointing to the slide and shaking your head no to the rock. Then you had the rock follow you to the sand box where you showed him the shovel and bucket you liked. The rock interacted by talking in a funny voice- the same voice that every chosen object/stuffed animal makes. Imagine how ridiculous I looked holding a rock that talked. the things I do to keep you content!

We love you!

First Haircut

Dear Roman,

Today you got your very first haircut! You loved sitting in the airplane chair and pretending to talk on the toy phone you were given for a distraction. In fact you didn’t want to leave when the hairdresser said she was finished. I could tell you felt very big kid from the entire experience and you seemed to have an extra bounce in your step for the rest of the day.

Dada Bubbles

Dear Roman,

Bath time is becoming your favorite activity lately. Every evening you run around saying ‘Dada bubbles’ because Daddy gives you a bubble bath when he gets home from work. While sitting contently in warm water surrounded by toys and bubbles you become very attentive which means it’s a good time to get you to repeat words. Our favorites tonight were:

Shampoo- which sounded like pampoo

Bravo!

Bateau