May 2010 updates

The last few months have gone by very quickly. Sorry about the lack of updates.

April is now speaking clearly and in complete sentences, for the most part. She started going to daycare 3 days per week and we're told that she's the most well-behaved and pleasant child in the place. Not that we find it hard to believe, but April is apparently a different child when she goes out!

Nicholas scored in the top 1% on this year's NYC gifted and talented exam. This time, we decided to investigate the choices, because we felt he was no longer being adequately challenged at PS65. Nicholas joined PS 29, where we hope he'll get a seat in the G&T program next year. In the meantime, he's in the "eagle" program, which is geared towards the gifted children. His teacher is able to focus more on Nicholas' needs and cater his work to him accordingly. He's bringing home homework intended for 4th graders (he's in the kindergarten).

We still read two stories to Nicholas each night, and some nights he reads us one. Now, however, after we're done with that, he'll read another hour or so on his own before going to bed. He's reading chapter books, and usually seems to read about 125 pages a night. I think at this point, he's read more books than me (I am not so proud to say).

Last month, Nicholas finally rode his bicycle for the first time without training wheels. Now, he's a real pro and is already doing tricks (I can hardly watch). April is also doing tricks on her tricycle, but hers are easier to watch.

Nicholas and April continue to play together very well, although at times we have to remind them to play nice. Believe it or not, it's April who tends to play too hard for Nicholas! We're making progress and think it'll work out.

More as it happens...

Pete

Nicholas turned 5, April talking more.

Yesterday, we celebrated Nicholas' 5th birthday, along with Kooky the "Pirate" clown, and a bunch of friends and family.

April has started talking more and more, although it's not always easy to know what she's saying. She's consistent with her "words," but you sometimes need a few repeats to get it. If you ask her to repeat herself, though, she does. She obviously understands just about everything we say and do and is usually happy to do what we say, although at times she can be very stubborn.

April has gotten very good at climbing up and down the stairs alone, and up and down from her highchair (also alone). I think the side of her crib will have to be left down soon, since it seems obvious she's going to start climbing out of it soon.

Nicholas is doing a great job of playing with and sharing his stuff with April, and even when she takes his stuff and tries not to share, he handles himself very well. Amazingly, he continues to try and doesn't give up - and I'm very proud of him for that. I don't think I would be as patient as he has been.

More as it happens...

Pete

June 2009 updates.

Nicholas graduated Pre-K yesterday. Even though he was eligible for one of the "gifted and talented" schools on Staten Island, Jen and I decided to keep him at PS 65, where we think they're doing a great job challenging him.

April has advanced so much, it's incredible. Though she still doesn't speak much, she clearly understands everything you ask or tell her and communicates, but without talking. She only uses a few words, but you'd have to see it to understand it.

More as it occurs.
Pete

Gifted & Talented test results.

Nicholas recently took the Bd. of Education's gifted & talented placement test, and scored in the top 3%, citywide. This means he could, theoretically, attend one of the three "best" schools in NYC, though we're going to keep him on Staten Island. Jen is investigating a couple of the schools on the island that host the G&T program, and if any dazzle her, we'll see about applying. In any event, Jen and I are very pleased with PS 65, where he has been attending, and may just keep him there. We shall see.

Pete

Pee Pee on the Potty

April, 17 months old, went pee pee on the potty tonight. In the middle of her bath, she asked and then did it. Yay! April still says little, but clearly understands and correctly responds to just about anything we ask or tell her. Thanks to Milena, she even recognizes dozens of Spanish words!

Our car was stolen a few nights ago. Aside from the material possessions that were inside (and there were plenty), Jennifer is more upset because of the sentimental value attached to the car -- it was my mother's. Mom purchased it for herself towards the end of her life, with Jennifer being the intended owner.

Nicholas continues to read and read and read. At this point, it seems that no matter you put in front of him, he can get through it. He's now reading books at night that are too long for us to film for youtube clips (10 minute cut-off).

Pete

April 2009, Updates

We've been in the new house several weeks now. Things are going smoothly. Nicholas' room, which remains largely "unfinished" is taking shape and he loves his new space. April seems to love her new room, too.

April continues to do a lot of babbling, but she clearly understands when you ask her something or ask her to do something. Some of her words are getting easier to understand, and she'll repeat herself when you tell her you don't understand.

Nicholas and April play together all the time. Sometimes rougher than we'd like, but April's pretty tough.

Two nights ago, our cat Pip had to be put to sleep. We'll miss her.

More as it develops.

Pete

Nicholas' report card

Last week, we had parent-teacher night at Nicholas' school and we received Nick's report card, which was perfect. Nicholas has been tested and confirmed to have a first grade reading level (he's in the pre-k) and we're told by some of his teachers that his communication and comprehension skills rival many of the 3rd and 4th graders.

Nicholas likes massages.

Nicholas found Jen's massage oil and asked for a massage. While Jen was massaging Nicholas' back, he commented that he wished he had cucumbers for his eyes. He apparently got the idea from something he'd seen on television.

April running wild and Nicholas having fun.

From the moment April started walking last month, she has not turned back. She is so quick, it's difficult to keep track of her now. She's starting to say a few more words, and clearly responds to yes/no questions by nodding or shaking her head and sometimes will say "yes" or "no." She continues to be the happiest baby anyone has ever seen (everyone who sees her says so) and she is always smiling.

Nicholas continues to amaze everyone and has been playing chess a couple days a week at an after-school program that's run by one of the other parents. He's apparently the only pre-k student in the chess group and is able to hold his own against older, K and 1st grade students. Nicholas has piano lessons once a week, too, and he seems to be enjoying that, too.

At night, we have been playing games like Othello, connect-four, and Srabble. He occasionally wins at othello, frequenlty he wins at connect-four, but luckily (so far at least) he has not won at Scrabble.

More as it happens...

April started walking (Dec 30, 2008)

After many months of almost walking, April finally let go of the furniture and is walking 100% on her own. She's also starting to mimic more and more words. More as it happens!!
Pete

April standing on her own, 10 months

April has been "walking" around using furniture, toys, chairs, etc. for a while now. Today, she finally let go and stood in place while playing with a toy for a few seconds. Jen and I will begin helping her walk for real...

More as it happens!
Pete

April, almost 9 months old, said MOMMY today!!

This has been a great week for April. on Monday, she stood up on her own (holding onto the rails of her crib, of course); by Thursday, she had taken a few steps (still holding on); today (Friday) she said MOMMY!

More as it happens!!
Pete

August 25, 2008. April is 8 months old, 19 pounds

April has four upper teeth breaking through, and you can see their shapes and a little white poking through. She's been a little moody, but not as bad as we'd expect. She had a checkup and got some shots last week. She weighs 19 pounds. She is still saying "hi," "dada," "Pip" (our cat's name), and what sounds like "Nicholas" - but no "mama" yet (much to Jen's dismay).

April has started crawling, and is still "standing" in place when we lift her and let her hold onto things. She has not yet stood up on her own, but she is definitely trying.

Nicholas is still amazing everyone with his jokes, his personality, and his "presence." Everywhere we go people continue to be drawn to him and it's really amazing to see. He's compiled about 12 minutes of material (jokes) and when he's in the mood to tell them, you're in for a few laughs. Recently, he's added some "doctor doctor" jokes and I get to be his straight man for some of them.

Nick starts pre-k in less than 2 weeks and we're all excited about that. More as it develops...
Pete

July 22, 2008: April is 7 Months old

April started waving and saying "hi" a few weeks ago, but this past weekend she also started saying "dada." She babbles all the time and cries infrequently - only when she's hungry. A couple weeks ago, she also begun "standing" in place. We position her at the edge of her crib or playpen and she'll continue standing for long periods (5 minutes plus).

Nicholas continues to memorize jokes and likes to tell them wherever we go. He knows dozens of jokes and has tied it all together for about a ten minute act, which I never get tired of hearing. His timing and delivery have really improved and I rarely hear him make a mistake or miss a beat on one of his jokes.

We spent last week on "vacation" making several day-trips to places like Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos, the Bronx Zoo, and the Liberty Science Center in NJ. Nicholas decided to go with a mohawk and for the week away from work, I did the same. The photos are online if you don't believe me.

More as it happens...
Pete

June 1, 2008 - April's 1st tooth breaking through

April's first tooth (front, bottom) is breaking through. Although we suspected she was uncomfortable lately, we finally spotted the tooth earlier today. She weighed-in at 17 pounds about a week and a half ago. She got some more vaccinations and the doctor said she's doing fine. She's doing a lot of babbling, but no real talking yet. She's moving her lips and trying to mimic sounds. She smiles most of the time (if you look at the photos section of our website, you'll see this) and hardly cries. Recently, April has begun rolling out of her bouncer (which she is now firmly strapped into) and when placed on the floor she is able to roll around a little - though, no real crawling yet.

Nicholas is doing great. About a month ago, he ran our usual 2 miles, but ran the entire first mile without stopping to walk at all. Two weeks ago, Nick and I did a 3 mile trip after we returned from our usual 2 and he decided he wanted to run some more. Nick weighs 43 pounds now.

Nicholas was accepted into a new school on Staten Island called the Academy of Innovative Learning. It's a public school that only goes from pre-K to the first grade. He 'graduated' from his daycare center on Friday and will happily spend the summer at home with Jen. School starts in September!

More as it occurs...
Pete

April 2008 updates

For the past month, April has been consistently sleeping through the night - 10pm until 7am'ish. She's babbling a lot, making a lot of eye contact, and only seems to cry when she's very hungry.
She's sitting up and able to hold her head up by herself. And, rolling over is getting easier for her.

Nicholas has developed an interesting habit of not using contractions. For example, he'll say "do not" or "cannot" instead of "don't" or "can't." Even if we repeat what he says using the appropriate contraction, he'll avoid it when he repeats himself. A friend of ours, Erin, pointed out that it's actually a very powerful way to talk and it gets your attention. We'll see whether it lasts.

Nicholas has been riding his bike (with training wheels) more regularly and can peddle so fast that I have a hard time keeping up. He still falls off once in a while, but has gotten better at falling/jumping off without hurting himself. He does, though, have a strange habit of crashing into fixed objects because he seems to enjoy the moment of impact. Daredevil?

More as it happens...
pete

Feb 28, 2008 - April "talking?"

Yeah, we know nobody's going to believe us, but April has started mimicking sounds, just like her big brother Nicholas used to do at this age (2 1/2 months). April definitely mimics us when we say "hi" and she moves her mouth and tongue as though she is trying to say "hello," but so far she has not said hello. Hopefully, we'll get to capture one of these moments on video and upload it to our site.

Nicholas continues to love his sister. He enjoys helping feeding, burping, and playing with her.
And when she cries, Nicholas always tells us April is singing.

April occasionally sleeps through most of a night, and still only cries to let us know she's hungry. Normally, when she's awake, she appears alert and simply watches and listens. Sometimes she "talks" but I think it's just because she likes the sound of her own voice.

Interestingly, I recently pointed out to Jen that Nicholas no longer refers to us as "mommy" and "daddy." Instead, he's calling us Mom & Dad. We're not sure why he thought to change but I guess he's just growing up!

More as it develops...
Pete

Feb 16, 2008 - April is 11 lbs, 21", Nick is 42 lbs.

April is doing nicely. She sleeps through many nights, but does seem to prefer a bottle every 3 or 4 hours. Yesterday, she got her first set of shots at Dr. Broillet's office. She stays awake for several hours at a time and seems to enjoy watching us do whatever we're doing. She smiles a lot and except for feeding time, she never cries. Nicholas really seems to enjoy having her around and is doing everything he can to help!

Things have been sad and a little hectic around here since mom died last month (Harriet). Nicholas has been very sad and often talks about missing Nana. He seems to really understand that she's gone. The ironic thing that we've all been thinking about is that if April had not been born a month early, she would never have met mom. Mom went into the hospital on April's actual due date. I guess some things are "meant to be."

More as it happens...
Pete

January 10, 2008 - Update.

April is doing well, she sleeps pretty well, and except for her feedings every 3 or4 hours, she spends most of her time sleeping. She was having trouble keeping down her formula and mother's milk. Yesterday, we took her to the hospital for some special x-ray tests that showed us she has a severe reflux problem. The solution is simple, we need to mix plenty of rice cereal into the milk or formula and she can keep it down.

Nicholas continues to amaze us. He loves his sister and has been helping take care of her. He helps feed, burp, and even helps us rock her to sleep. He's also become quite the chef and kitchen helper. He helps prepare meals, he cuts and stirs-in ingredients, sets the table, and even helps do the dishes.

We continue to Nicholas 2 or 3 stories a night and lately he's really beginning to read some of the words on his own. He's been able to "sound out" words for some time now, but he's really beginning to recognize and read many words more quickly. When you combine his confidence level and the fact that he has memorized many of his stories, it's amazing to watch.

Nicholas seems to have mastered the days of the week, time, the daily schedules of the people around him, and counting. He enjoys reminding us how many days there are to Saturday, or the fact that he might not have school tomorrow because it's Thursday. He has started to memorize phone numbers and has begun calling people (especially Aunt Shirley & Uncle Tommy) to whom he wishes to speak. At first, we thought he was pretending, but we soon realized he was really dialing numbers and calling people.

More as it develops...
Pete

April Loretta Weinman was born

April was born at 6:06PM on December 15, 2007. Although she was a month premature, she weighed-in at 7 lbs., 5 ozs., and was 18.5 inches long. She will spend a few days in the hospital's ICU before she gets released, but things are looking good so far.

3 Years, 3 Months

Nicholas recently asked me to teach him to play chess. I expected him to lose interest once we began, but he surprised me by picking it up rather quickly. We played one game Monday and again on Tuesday. Wednesday, he played against Jennifer, who did not expect that Nicholas really knew how to play. Nicholas knows each pieces' name, how it moves, and he understands the goal of protecting his king while trying to attack his opponents' king. While I want him to get better, I hope to continue beating him for some time!

Nicholas is looking forward to the birth of his new brother or sister. He believes it is a boy - and when we refer to it as "her" he always corrects us.

Nicholas is spelling and reading now. He likes to spell words and is always asking how things are spelled. He comes home from school and does his own homework most nights, too. At night, when we read stories to him, he is able to sound-out many words and is probably going to be reading sentences soon.

Nicholas likes music and seems to really like rock & roll. If you visit the video section of our website you'll see a few recent "music videos" Nicholas wanted to make showing off his ability to "play guitar" and sing along with a couple of his favorite songs.

Nothing else new, I'll continue posting when I can.

Pete

September 2007 update 3 years 1 month

Nicholas moved upstairs at his daycare center and is now with the 4-year olds. He's now learning to write and his spelling skills have improved dramatically. Nicholas can read and spell many words and is getting good at sounding-out words that are new to him. In the "video" section of our website you will find a clip of Nicholas naming all the cars in our neighborhood one night just before Nichoals' third birthday. At this point, Nicholas can not only recognize EVERY car we spot by manufacturer, he can also read and/or recognize many model names/numbers.

Our pediatrician and his partner both told Jennifer last month that Nicholas was among the three brightest children they had ever met in their practice. But, what they said set Nicholas apart from the others was Nicholas' personality and sense of humor.

Nicholas has accumulated a large repertoire of jokes and is quite good at telling them. He fully understands the timing and delivery required to get a laugh. He's also becoming quite the magician. While he cannot quite conceal any item he palms, he understands the slight of hand and distraction required to make something appear and/or disappear.

Nicholas continues to do more things himself and insists on us not helping him with things like getting dressed/undressed, going to the bathroom, getting himself something to eat or drink, and even bathing and brushing his own teeth! He's very low-maintenance.

More as it happens or as it occurs to me...

Pete

34 months old, updates.

Nicholas, who started climbing in and out of his crib last month, now has free rein in his crib. We leave the side down so that he can climb in and out more easily and safely. At night, he even goes to the bathroom and then back to bed without any help from us.

Nicholas now likes to do a lot of things himself. While we were vacationing in Disneyland, in Florida, Nicholas started swimming by himself (with us nearby, of course). Our hotel had a big slide that Nick would come down himself, swim back to the edge of the pool, climb out, and up the stairs, and then again, slide down. Over and over. He wears either a life vest or inflatable arm bands, but requires no help from anyone.

Conversationally, talking to Nicholas is really like talking to a 6 or a 7-year old child. Not just his vocabulary, but his ability to reason and think things out.

Lately, when we go to a pool or a park, Nicholas has been playing with older children that age. He mixes right in and gets along nicely with the older kids, who don't seem to mind his company at all.


More as it happens.

Pete

33 Months, Future marathoner?

For months now, Nicholas has been asking to go running with me on the weekends, but until recently I'd always said no. A few weeks ago, we gave it a shot by running together towards the Hilton Hotel, which is about 3/4 of a mile from our home. We've done the trip several times now, with Nicholas jogging most of the way. We end the trip with a Yoo-Hoo in the hotel lobby, followed by a bus-ride home.

Yesterday, we ran in the other direction to the shopping center where Nicholas gets his hair cut. We ran about 3/4 of a mile and walked the last 1/4, and after his haircut, we walked the mile back.

Pete

Going to the bathroom alone.

Nicholas started asking to go to the bathroom alone, without help from us, this weekend. He's quite comfortable doing number "1" by himself now, and no longer requires assistance. He likes his privacy (but who doesn't?).
Pete

Nothing too new to report

I noticed it was a couple of months since my last post, so here's a quick update, although there's really nothing new happening.

Nicholas is enjoying his new school, having moved a few months ago. He had no trouble adjusting and only occasionally asks about his old school and old friends. Nicholas has Spanish classes and already he brings home assignments that we can barely help with!

The carousel where we had Nicholas' second birthday opened for the season a few weeks ago and on opening day, Nicholas' photo appeared in our local newspaper, the Staten Island Advance. If anyone wants a copy of the page, let me know and I'll email it to you (it's already scanned and ready to go).

Nicholas' vocabulary and his memory for details continues to astonish everyone with his conversations in which he asks and answers about meaningful things and in which he expresses sincere concern for what others are saying.

I cannot remember the last time Nicholas had an accident, and he now requires privacy when he's in the bathroom. For the past couple of months, he'll ask for help with his clothes, but makes us leave the bathroom and close the door until he's done.

We'll continue to post videos and photos, so keep your eyes on the site.

pete

Nichoals is now 2 1/2 years old (30 months).

Toilet training: Nicholas has only had one or two accidents since the last post, so it's safe to say he's toilet trained. He's gotten quite good at holding it in, too - especially when we're not near a toilet or when we're in the car.

New school: Nicholas started a new daycare center about a month ago, where he has more fun and more structured learning with no television. He spends part of his day with older children (4 and 5 years old) and has been doing just fine.

Talking: at this point, Nicholas can talk about just about anything. His vocabulary and his feel for the English language is astonishing us all. He forms complex, grammatically correct sentences that would rival some teenagers!

Counting/Spelling/Time: Nicholas can count and can add/subtract fairly quickly now and is able to tell you how many of something he is looking at, how many have been added or removed, and can re-total quickly. We recently added a grandfather-clock type chime to our home computer and every hour Nicholas has gotten into the habit of counting the chimes aloud and announcing the time for us. He's grasped the concepts of naptime, lunchtime, dinner time, etc. based on the actual times, and has become accustomed to keeping track of time.

Nicholas now weighs 39.5 pounds.

More as it develops...

Pete

Happy New Year!

Anyone who saw us and Nicholas this holiday season at Harriet's house or at our house knows that Nicholas is a little man who never runs out of things to talk about.

Nicholas, who fully believes, received many gifts from Santa. Nicholas is already talking about next Christmas.

Potty-Training. As of a few days ago, we started Nicholas on big-boy underwear and we're really trying to do the potty-training thing. He's pee'd on the potty literally every night for many many weeks now, but has only finally done poopy this past week. He's successfully let us know when it's time to go BEFORE he goes in his underwear several times and we think we're off to a great start. He's also waking up dry in the mornings!

Counting. Nicholas has graduated from simply being able to count to being able to count things. He can quickly decide how many there are of something and if you add or subtract a few, he's able to quickly to tell you the new total.

Thanksgiving Weekend at Ray & Rose's

Nothing too new to report.
Anyone who was present at Ray & Rose's last Saturday got to see Nicholas, who was a big hit at the party. From his usual chitter chatter to his dinner-interuptions such as "excuse me, grampa, I have to ask you something... can I have some more green beans" to his growing list of "why did the ___ cross the road" jokes, he never ceased entertaining everyone in the room.
And, even though he stayed up many hours past his usual bedtime, Nicholas showed no sign of becoming cranky (nor did he sleep late the next morning, to our surprise).
I'll keep posting news as it happens...
Pete

What's New.

Last week, Jennifer and Nicholas began searching for a new daycare program because we don't think Nick is being challenged enough where he is. We've recently noticed him exhibiting "baby-like" behavior and we're also disappointed with the amount of baby television shows they watch at his daycare center.

Jen had her eyes on an "after school" program called Fast Track that meets only one day a week for 2 hours. Although Jen was told that they began accepting kids at 3 1/2 years of age, after meeting Nick and putting him through a short test a couple of weeks ago, they said they'd make an exception for Nicholas (2 years 2 months old). Last week, Nicholas was invited for a free session to see how well he fit in and he did wonderfully. In a room of 4, 5, and 6 year olds, Nicholas was able to sit patiently, listen to and then answer questions about different stories and videos, and he even participated in a role-playing exercise.

For those who have not seen or heard Nicholas in person lately, you would not believe you were talking to a 2 year old. He speaks so well that except for an occasional word that he may have trouble pronouncing, he is really able to have adult conversations and is able to retain and process information and facts.

We're not sure what we'll be doing yet, but as always, we'll keep you posted.
Pete

Pee Pee on the potty!!

Nicholas, who has done pee pee on the potty literally every night before his bath since my last post, finally asked to do pee pee on the potty at school on Friday. The people at school are going to continue to work with Nicholas to see if they can move him up to poopy on the potty! We'll keep you posted.

Photographic Memory?

Tonight we discovered that Nicholas' memory is much better than we had imagined. Up to now, we knew that he had a gift for remembering names and we knew his vocabulary was very strong. We also knew that he could remember the words to songs and fill in the blanks when we read him stories, but tonight he went one better. While Jennifer was reading him one of his stories and she paused, Nicholas continued "reading" the story from memory. He was able to go a two or three sentences before Jennifer would give him another push and he'd go another sentence or two, LITERALLY word for word.

Pete

Potty Time

Last night, Nicholas asked to do pee-pee on the potty. We put him on his potty seat (that sits on the real toilet) and, sure enough, he did his thing. He also said he wanted to do poopy, but all he could manage was some gas!

Update

It's been a short while since I posted, so I just wanted to update anyone who reads these posts. Nicholas is still amazing everyone with his ability to speak so well - he really talks now. He expresses his likes & dislikes and sometimes has even expressed himself with a little attitude.

Nicholas is thinking things through better and is beginning to understand consequences. It's been months since we have had to put him in "time out" and when he does something even questionable, he immediately says he's sorry and that he doesn't want a time out. We're also able to reason with him and tell him why something is good or bad, and he seems to really understand.

At the park, and sometimes around the house, Nicholas has proven himself quite the daredevil. He's now climing and then jumping from taller heights, and he thinks nothing of running up and down some pretty tall ladders. Luckily, he's only suffered minor cuts & bruises so far, but at the rate he's going I'm sure we have lots of surprises in store for us!

Nicholas is always willing to try new foods, and is still eating healthy, well-balanced meals. The only real "candy" he has had so far is an occasional lollipop (regular and "tootsie" pops), and an occasional scoop of ice cream. We're sure that after a little more exposure to the other kids at school, he's going to start asking for "real" candy, soda, and not-so-healthy foods, but for now we've been able to avoid them.

Nicholas does a magic trick where he takes an object, shows it to you, closes his hand, puts the object in the other hand and (after saying Abra Cadabra, of course) asks "where did it go?" Then he'll make it re-appear. He's not too good at the slight of hand yet, but we think it's amazing that he understands the trick.

Nicholas now weighs 35 pounds.

That's it for now.
Pete.

Talking up a storm.

Nicholas' sentences and his questions, in particular, are getting more detailed and inquisitive. He asks everyone he meets their name (he never seems to forget a name) and where they're going. That usually turns into a conversation - and it's difficult to even get through the supermarket without literally dozens of conversations with strangers! People really enjoy talking to Nicholas and he definitely enjoys people!

Nicholas' grammar and enunciation are both improving daily and he's beginning to spell short words, like cat & dog. At this point, we hardly have to interpret for people what Nicholas is saying, since he speaks very well for himself.

Pete

Pee Pee on the Toilet! Happy 2nd Birthday!

Nicholas, for his 2nd birthday, last night decided to do pee pee on the toilet, instead of standing up in the bathtub. He stood on the toilet seat and did his thing.

Pete

Nicholas does the Electric Slide (23 months)

Nicholas, 23 months old, did the Electric Slide at uncle Michael & Aunt Maj-Brit's wedding, Aug 5, 2006, Warwick, NY. The lighting was poor, but this video is still worth watching. Hometown: Staten Island, New York.

Nicholas sings his A B C's (23 months)

Nicholas, 23 months, tries the alphabet song... Staten Island, New York USA.

Quite the Swimmer!

Nicholas, who for the past couple of weeks has been swimming with arm-floats, no longer requires anyone hold onto him in the water. He is able to kick his hands and feet to propell himself in whatever direction he desires, and does not mind when we let go of him and let him swim on his own. He also likes to jump into the water from the edge of the pool and does not get upset when he goes under water -- although it scares us when he comes up coughing-up water (and laughing, of course!).

Pete

Pledge of Allegience, Part II

Nicholas has officially recited the Pledge several times, from beginning to end. He's still a little shy about doing it "on the spot" but has said it for several family members over the phone. He had trouble with "indivisible" at first, but is now saying that part, too!

Pete

Pledge of Allegiance

Just in time for Independence Day, Nicholas has been practicing the Pledge of Allegiance. He basically knows the whole thing, but has not yet recited it from beginning to end in one stretch.

He can quickly and confidently count to 20 and continues to speak more clearly and with larger words.

Nicholas has started letting us know when he's wet so we can change him promptly, and has urinated into a cup while his feet are in the tub, but has not yet urinated in the toilet (though he keeps trying).

Pete

Almost time for Pee-Pee on the Potty?

Nicholas, last night for the first time, asked to do pee-pee on the potty on his way into the bath. He stood on the edge of the toilet and squeezed, but had no luck. Tonight, he was able to go (into a cup) only after he got his feet wet in the tub. He also tried sitting on the toilet to do #2.

We think he's going to be toilet trained soon.

Also, Nicholas has become very good at the ladders in the park and can now climb them all at a very fast rate. He's able to go up the ladders and down the slides almost as fast as we can!

His speech is also getting better all the time. His sentences and questions are getting longer and his responses more precise. Every day he amazes us with new responses and questions that we haven't taught him!

Climbing Ladders

At the playground yesterday, Nicholas, for the first time ever, climbed a four-rung ladder that took him to a landing about 4 feet off the ground. He did this with no help from anyone (although my hands were only inches from him). Nicholas repeated this task several times because it proved to be a faster route to his favorite slide than the stairs.

I'll take some photos the next time I have Jennifer with me so that one of us can stay near him while the other takes the pictures!

-Pete

Under the weather

Nicholas, for the past couple of weeks, has continued to be on-and-off sick. The past week has seen two visits to the hospital Emergency Room, where he's undergone a barage of blood tests and chest xrays, only to confirm nothing is wrong. We even had a "bloodborne bacteria scare" that ultimately involved a contaminated test and no bloodborne bacteria! All we know now is that they strongly suspect a virus, so there's not much more we can do except wait.

Nicholas' symptoms continue to be a persistent cough and occasional, sporadic fevers, both of which have caused him to miss a lot of daycare this past few weeks.

The doctors are apparently reluctant to label Nicholas as asthmatic, but we think they're leaning towards that diagnosis. Nicholas gets two nebulizer treatments per day of two medicines that could be used by asthmatics but we're not sure how much they help.. only time will tell.

Throughout everything, the most encouraring news is that nothing has prevented Nichoals from being his usual, happy, talkative, and playful self. His eating, drinking, sleeping, and bathroom schedule have remained normal.

-Pete

More talking & catching

Nicholas has gotten a little better at catching, and can now catch a tennis ball from about 3 feet away. (Last week we shot some video showing that, hopefully it will be edited/uploaded soon into the video clips section of the site). He has gotten better at using his hands to catch (rather than simply catching what bounces off his chest) and he's quicker to close his hands as the ball hits his chest. His aim has also improved when he throws the ball back.

His sentences are getting longer and he's getting more creative with his questions and answers.

For the past few weeks, we've been getting used to Nicholas telling us when it's time for "night night" and we're able to bring him upstairs to his crib while he's awake and put him to bed. He likes to say "good night," "night night," "I love you," and "see 'ya" before he turns in.

-Pete

Genius?

Yesterday, while shopping, a speech pathologist overheard Jennifer and Nicholas talking to each other and was astounded by what she heard. Jen asked, and Nicholas answered, many questions for the pathologist, who could hardly believe Nicholas was only 20 months old. She told Jennifer that Nicholas, in her opinion, was a genius, and that he should be tested. She took our number and said she'd get back to us. We'll keep you posted...

-Pete

Real Sentences

Nicholas, for the past couple of weeks, has been forming longer sentences. He's gotten better with pronouns and knows, for example, the difference between he, she, me, you, ours, and yours. He's also learned the tenses of some words, so that he knows to ask, "how did you sleep?" but will answer, "I slept good." (we'll work on the use of "well" instead of "good" later!).

Nicholas has the ability to remember the answers to silly trivia (like the first president, the current president, the president that freed the slaves, etc.) as well as real information, such as some simple math questions, his age, his birthdate, and his eye

Pete

Nicholas was sick last week.

We were so busy that I did not have a chance to post any information about Nicholas' being sick last week. He started with bronchialitis, which may be seasonal for him (he had that almost a year ago to the day) and it led to high fevers (up to 105 degrees a few nights). Our doctor monitored Nicholas' progress each day and eventually, he fully recovered. Unrelated: Nicholas started becoming more comfortable with his pediatrician, Dr. Broillet. After a few days of seeing him each day, Nicholas started acting like himself and he eventually talked up a storm at the office. The doctor and his partner commented that Nicholas spoke like no other 19 month-old baby either had ever seen.

Day Care & Updates

Nicholas started day care last week, and so far he seems to enjoy his visits. He's doing three days per week for approximately 5 hours per day. Updates. Nicholas has gotten only slightly better at catching a ball, but is considerably good at throwing. From as much as 7 or 8 feet away he is able to throw a ball to me and - on target - 4 out of 5 times! (He uses his right hand for throwing). Nicholas' vocabulary continues to grow and his sentences are getting longer. Nicholas weighs 30 pounds, as of about a week ago.

Nicholas can catch a ball.

Posted: 24 Jan 2006 08:45 am Post subject: Nicholas can catch a ball.
It's taken lots of practice, but Nicholas can now catch a ball tossed from a few feet away. He knows to hold his hands out and if the ball hits his chest or his arms, he is able to close his arms in time to catch the ball. We've also been noticing he favors his right hand, which he uses almost exclusively for throwing. Even when Nicholas has a ball in each hand, he will inevitably throw the one in his right first, then shuffle the one from his left to his right before throwing it from his right.

Left & Right & More talking

Posted: 07 Jan 2006 08:34 am Post subject: Left & Right & More talking
Nicholas knows his left from his right. We started noticing a while ago, but after a few weeks of us asking questions and testing his knowledge we can say for sure. Nicholas can raise his right or left hand, and even his right or left foot when you ask. When we dress him, he knows which hand or foot we're asking him to put in or out of his shirt or pants, and will give a high-five with the hand you specify. Nicholas is talking more clearly each day, and is putting together different combinations of words to make longer sentences. He's also become quite good at repeating whatever words are said to him. He'll be 17 months old in a few more days... Pete

Lots & Lots of talking

Posted: 26 Dec 2005 12:34 pm Post subject: Lots & Lots of talking
Nicholas apparently knows more than he's saying. He never ceases to amaze us with new words the he throws into conversations. For example, when one of his toys needed fresh batteries, who knew that Nicholas knew about batteries! (And where they were kept, and where in the toy mommy & daddy needed to install them, as well as the correct screwdriver (which is now in a NEW hiding place) for the job). Nicholas is good at remembering names and always shocks visitors (like at our Christmas party last night) by greeting them with a "hi so-and-so" for each person who arrived, some of whom he'd only met once before. Also, Nicholas knows the difference between mom and dad's parents. When dad says "hi mom" on the phone, Nicholas knows it's grandma "nana" and similarly when Jen says hi to her mom on the phone, Nicholas knows it's "baba."

Vacation in Vegas

Posted: 05 Dec 2005 04:32 pm Post subject: Vacation in Vegas
We spent last week with Susan & Pete in Las Vegas (or Su-su and Pee-ah, according to Nicholas). Susan put us up in a spare bedroom and both she & Pete showed us all the town. Nicholas had his first (and second) tantrum ever and we're hoping not to see too many more of those! We hope it had to do with the long flight and time change, but only time will tell. Nicholas is now quite an accomplished runner and climber. From some of the photos (under 2005, vacations, vegas) you'll see him climbing monkey bars and the stairs to some very tall slides. Also noteworthy is Nicholas' vocabulary. He's speaking more and more phrases and some short sentences (like "How are you? I'm fine") and is seemingly able understand most questions and directions. He'll answer yes or no to let you know whether he wants to do or eat something and he'll let you know when he doesn't want to do or eat something. He's also able to repeat many words & names (most clearly) and knows to say please, thank you, bless you and excuse me, as a situation dictates. Pete

Talking...

Posted: 03 Nov 2005 12:20 pm Post subject: Talking...
Nicholas is speaking more clearly each day and is stringing words together to make longer sentences. He can even repeat and appropriately use some large words, one of his favorites being "helicopter" (we see them at the park often). "How are you?" has become his favorite question, which he will ask you over and over, despite your answer!

26 pounds & 32 inches tall, as of 10-03-05

Posted: 03 Oct 2005 10:32 am Post subject: 26 pounds & 32 inches tall, as of 10-03-05
Earlier this week, Nicholas visited the doctor and weighed in at 26 pounds (again) and 32 inches tall.

More progress...

Posted: 25 Sep 2005 08:21 pm Post subject: More progress...
Nicholas has continued to add new words to his vocabulary and is now stringing together two and three word sentences. He's also able to repeat just about any word you ask him to say, so we're being EXTRA careful about what we say around him! Nicholas has also gotten very fast and is almost running. At the playground he climbs and quickly walks through the jungle-gym and slides, but the swings are still his favorite. We've not taken as many videos lately, but we'll try to put some on the site soon.

Counting to 10 and more...

Posted: 28 Aug 2005 05:25 pm Post subject: Counting to 10 and more...
Nicholas, as of a few days ago, is able to count to 10, believe it or not. When we count and pause, he will complete the next number. Example, we say "one" and he says "two." He usually fills in numbers 2, 4, 8, and 10. Last Friday, Nicholas had another doctor appointment and got a couple more shots. The doctor, who has always commented how advanced Nicholas is, was shocked when instead of the usual 1-year-old cries, Nicholas verbalized "no more."

First Birthday Party

Posted: 15 Aug 2005 12:13 pm Post subject: First Birthday Party
August 13, 2005, as many of you know, we celebrated Nicholas' first birthday at my dad's house (Bruce & Milena). Although Nicholas was not feeling well (he'd been throwing up) he made it through the day without too many complaints. If you have any photos or video to share, please let us know!!! Our photos, of course, are already posted on the site. Pete & Jen

First real steps

Posted: 15 Jul 2005 03:47 pm Post subject: First real steps
Last night, Nicholas took several steps in a row - and repeated it several times when we asked him to walk, which he pronounces "oak." He's also become quite proficient at using his toys as crutches so that he can walk around the living room basically at will. It'll only be another day or so before he's completely walking on his own altogether.

Posted: 02 Aug 2005 07:55 pm Post subject: Walking
I can't wait till we 3 could run together. UNCLE RANDY

26 pounds on July 13, 2005

Posted: 13 Jul 2005 05:09 am Post subject: 26 pounds on July 13, 2005
Nicholas is 26 pounds now. He's still walking only a few steps at a time (unassisted) but is standing & balancing in one spot for much longer periods (up to a minute).

Baby Steps & More New Words..

Posted: 07 Jul 2005 07:36 am Post subject: Baby Steps & More New Words..
Last night, Nicholas slowly took 5 or 6 steps in a row - and he repeated this several times before getting tired. He should be walking any day... He now knows by name and can say: Apples, Bananas, Apple Juice, Cat (with a silent "c") Horse, Dog, Bob, and a few others. He is also getting better at singing "row row row" and knows how to do the hand-gestures associated with Incy Bincy Spider.