Local Water Disaster is Pint Sized

"Call Me Nu-Nu"

Since Mom first announced, "I'm pregnant." Dad has lobbied that Santiago's name be Noodles. Well, now it has stuck. If Santiago is asked, "Where's Mom." He will point to Mom. If asked, "Where's Santiago." He'll point to himself. If asked, "Where's Noodles." He'll point to himself. When Santiago speaks of himself he points to his chest and says "Nu-Nu."

Santiago wants to do more and more things for himself. At naptime this afternoon, he picked up a book, pointed to himself and said, "Nu-Nu" to indicated that he wanted to read the book himself. He can wash himself in the tub and pour his own milk (as long as the carton isn't too heavy). He likes walking everywhere and still enjoys pushing is own stroller. He will push Mom out of the way when he knows that he "can do it himself."

A, somewhat, typical day for Santiago

Santiago's day begins between 6:30 and 7 o'clock. He is always the first one to wake up in the household. He wiggles around in bed cuddling with Mom & Dad. Eventually he sits up looks at Dad and says, "Book!" Dad rouses best as he can get gets out a book to read with Santiago. After listening for a while he then says with emphasis "Milk!" and he and Dad head upstairs to get a sippy cup of milk. They return and Mom is up getting dressed. Santiago might return to reading with Dad or if he joins Mom, he'll brush his teeth (chew on his toothbrush) while Mom washes her face.

Then Mom and Santiago head upstairs to make breakfast. Santiago stands on a chair and directs and helps with the preparation. He determines whether he'll add banana, nuts or such things to his cereal. Generally he eats most of his breakfast while still standing on his chair in the kitchen while Mom is pulling things out of cabinets and the refrigerator. When Dad joins them, Santiago likes to join Dad to direct his breakfast preparation. Santiago usually prefers to play with his train or other toys to eating breakfast.

After getting dress, Mom, Dad and Santiago head out for a walk beside Town Lake. Santiago makes the choice of which path to follow. Along the way, he eats his fill of mini waffles. He enjoys getting out of his stroller at one point on the path and throwing rocks into the water. He then likes to push is own stroller for a while and ends up riding back on Dad's shoulders.

The remainder of the morning is spend meeting other kids for playgroups, going to classes or tagging along with Mom on errands. After lunch, one o'clock, it's nap time and after reading three of four books, Santiago sleeps for one and a half or two hours. He is a slow riser from naptime, unless Mom announces that they are heading out to some fun event like visiting Grandmom & Granddad or going swimming.

Mom, Dad and Santiago eat dinner around six followed by some playtime or another walk. Bath time is a fun time. Dad and Santiago bathe together. But there is more hype about "toothbrushing" that comes after the bath. Then the family reads more books together and by 8:30 it's "lights out."

It's been a while...

Santiago been busy this month building skills. His vocabulary is exploding. The other day he formed his first sentence. "Poo bye-bye" said after a diaper change. Ah, that will be good fodder for Mom embarrassing him in front girlfriends when he is fifteen.

He is a very expressive guy. There is no doubt when he is excited about something. His face lights up and he shouts and hoots approval.

His physical skills are developing as well. He is getting more comfortable with trying things out and enjoys the success of accomplishing climbing something new. Gymboree has been a great place for him to crawl and walk over and under things. He has fun when we go there. He is pretty intent on getting the instructor's, Jaime's, attention when he's doing something new and cool. He'll do it over and over again until she notices.

Santiago is reading. He can interpret pictures in a book and will flip through picture books on his own. He also sits down with Mom & Dad's books and papers intones "UUUUUUHHHHH" to Mom & Dad's pleasure and Santiago's glee. He recognizes the letters U, W and O.

He enjoys swimming, playing with the trains his cousins sent him, rolling tape rolls (which he calls wobble-wobble) across the floor, playing in and with water, going to the park and kicking his soccer ball around, reading and being read to, visiting grandmom & granddad's house, standing behind the doors to the washroom then busting out of the doors with peels of laughter, mariachi music, spotting cross-walk signs, cement mixers, green and blue city buses, school buses, and backhoes.

Vocabulary and Smiles

Santiago is building his vocabulary. He points to things in a request that it be named and is picking up words very quickly.

He learned cloud when flying to DC and now he loves to add cloud to instances when he mentions airplanes.

When near a pool, Santiago chants, "pool, pool, pool." He has developed an affinity for swimming, well jumping into the pool. Sometimes he likes being carried in the water and sometimes, not so much. But he loves jumping in. He throws his hands in the air, smiles ear to ear, squeezes his eyes shut and falls into Mom's arms.

Santiago's knowledge of truck and ability to identify them is impressive. He can name garbage trucks, cement mixers, back hoes, bulldozers, rollers, mail trucks (called mail man).

Santiago enjoys playing ball, chase and hide and seek (sans seek, he hides and then pops out of his hiding place).

Mom calls Santiago a trickster and is trying to teach him to say "yoink." He likes to tease. When getting a good-bye kiss from Dad, he turns his head away and waits with a big grin on his face.

He is a happy soul who smiles easily and likes to meet people (especially if they have a ball).