Memories

Uncle Paul took this series on our camera after Ray and Mika's wedding service, at a chapel on UWO campus. Beautiful place.

I have been lax about this, so am started to be afraid I'll totally miss recording some cute/peculiar toddler doings, as I am tired and my memory is shot. So, a few memories:

- for a few months, Nolan would screech and yell NO!!!!! and protest when you tried to get his PJ top off in the morning, or his shirt off in the evening. It was like he thought his skin was being removed. One the article was removed, he'd be distraught if it was tossed in the hamper, and would, if possible, clutch it to his chest and run off with it. Poor little man. I wonder if he just couldn't define where he stopped and the shirt started? Around the same time (17-22 months old), and in a similar way, he'd occasionally freak out about having his nails cut.

- He used to hold books upside down, and point at (and methodically natter nonsense at) the pictures. Now he holds them right side up, names the objects in the photos or chants the storylines he's memorized, and skip to the end so he can close the book with a triumphant "The End!!!"

- At some point he began regarding our walk in pantry as a combination toy box and fast food place: if he's bored, he'll wander in and grab pots, pans, appliances to play with, or come out with pasta or canned goods and say "Noodles? Cooking?"

- Will stir anything, anytime. Will stir a pot of pasta noodles with every long utensil he can reach, trying each one, but settling on the wooden spoon most times.

- He's got our number big time. He knows that if he fusses I often give in (I have to stop that). He'll get a piece of cheese from the fridge, annihilate it, and go back fror more with an escalating volume and pitch request series...."cheese? Cheeeese? CHEEEEEESE! CHEEEEEESSSSSSSE! WAAAHHHH!". Aughhhh! Or, he'll do a sly little leg-hug- grab-hand walk into pantry asking for a "cacker?" then- a pantomime that basically says "Oh, My!!! Look at that tin of delicious decadent cookies Oma bought, up on that shelf!!! Maybe one of those would be nice! Join me??"

- Sometimes if he comes in with us at night, he'll puff and sigh and hummock around like a little animal in a shed until he backs up against me (with me backed up to the edge and hanging on) and fall into a deep sleep spoonwise with his curly little head on my arm. Cute. Not conducive to sleep though.

- He wakes up in our bed saying a tentative little ".... ... mommy?" and then if he sees me right away he'll say "Mommy!!!!!!" in a tone of deep happiness and relief. Then he might say "Cuddle, nigh-night" meaning he wants to nurse and cuddle a bit, or might come over, put his cheek against mine (basically with his head on my head) and say "Love youuuuu!". Never fails to melt me, even if he was awake a lot overnight and I am aggravated and exhausted.

- He can be imperious- especially to Mike. He'll just hold his empty bottle up and demand "Bottle!!!", and push Mike out of bed with his feet to go get one. But, he tempers it with a sweet "Thank-you, Dad-dy" when he gets the bottle back, filled.

Thats all I can think of right now- I know I am missing most of what was in my head in the wee hours yesterday about doing this post, but maybe it'll come....