I speak in sentences!

• I ask “Doing now?” every 2 minutes, when I’m whatching mommy or daddy.
• I demand “Open now” to get chocolate covered raisons out of the drawer (mommy laughs when she later finds them all in my diaper!).
• I repeat “Yeah!” in approval whenever they do what I want. Daddy is teaching me to say a proper “thank you” instead of the Santa Cruz version (“sure”).
• I carefully enunciate my name: “Roo-dee”
• I say “Hi, Airplane!” and “Hi, Helicoptor!” and “Hi, Ocean Bird!” when looking at the sky.
• I exclaim “Oh no!” when I see an owie or poo in the tub. I also say “Oh no!” when my cars are upside down. Or when I put them in the freezer.
• I say “Ouch!” when I see spilled liquids. Then I run to fetch a car to drive through the puddle. But I call everything “truck,” even when it’s a car.

I say “truck” 150 times each day. I love dump trucks, semi-trucks, cement trucks, back hoes, excavators, and school buses. And best of all, tractors and fire trucks! (wee-ooo! wee-ooo! wee-ooo!) I watched our neighbor use a fork lift to take the body off a flat-bed truck (riveting!). And when we’re jogging, I clutch a wheel in each hand, and wonder what kind of truck they came off. My favorite books are “Trucks” and “Things that Go.” Mommy’s taught me to say “10-4 good buddy” when we’re driving down the road and I see a big rig.

I like bikes too… every night, I wait for mommy’s bright bike light to flash through the living room window. Daddy asks, “Who could that be?!” as if I don’t know… I yell “MOMMY!” and spin in circles when she opens the door. Then I help take off her bike shoes because I’ve mastered velcro.

My favorite night time reading is “Goodnight Guerilla,” which Daddy doesn’t get, b/c the only words in the story are “goodnight” and you have to make stuff up w/every page. Mommy makes the story different every time. Also, she reads Dr. Seuss like it’s Milton.

Mommy and I run to the ocean every weekend, and I’ve developed a special power. I can smell the ocean no matter where I am… I can point in its direction even when it’s out-0f-site.

Daycare is still great fun for me. I have lots of friends and I love to kiss and hug.

I can’t wait to go to Sweden to buy more Brio trains. I can make the train tracks on my own now! We’re going to take a fast train from Gothenburg to Stockholm… can’t wait!

I’ve been traveling a lot. I went to Washington, D.C. in February and saw the Lincoln memorial and the Capitol. But it was freezing and I really just wanted to return to the hotel to swim in the pool.

I’m a good traveler: able to nap and play quietly with my cars. When there’s someone in the seat behind me, I like to squish my face between the seats to talk to them. I bring Sophie the Giraffe and my own pillow and blanket. I tuck her in so she can recover from jet lag.

We went to Vancouver in February and I stayed at Grandma’s house so mommy and daddy could party at the Annual Hemlock Gong Show. We also stayed at Campers’ Paradise and spent the day at Mt. Baker playing in the snow. I love visiting our cozy trailer in the woods.

Some call me a woodsman… I eat crickets for dinner!

It’s always nice to come home though, to my own back yard, my own crib, my toys, and my tub.

And of course, my own toilet…

I love the birds in California… so many kinds! Mommy says in the New Year, we’re joining the Santa Cruz Bird Club because she loves to read their newsletter, THE ALBATROSS. They have weekend walks all over the county, and I’m an excellent walker with a keen eye for birds.

Puppies are pretty cool, too. I love to walk with Maggie, especially when Grandma lets me hold the leash!

Playing outside is so much more fun than inside. My Cat dumptruck is my favorite truck of all (and I have dozens!). I take it everywhere I go, pushing it through puddles and over piles of mud.

Can you see the squirrel? He came right up to the patio glass and we had a stare-down. What’s he digging for in our yard?

Who needs a horse when you can ride a worm? Notice Daddy’s Burning Man piggy bank in the background. I like to put spoons and cars in there, as my contribution to the BM fund.

PEACHES! I eat them off the floor and get all sticky.

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit in November, and looked after me for a week so mommy and daddy could go to Vancouver over Thanksgiving. They’re my new best friends. Grandpa has endless energy chasing me around the backyard. He’s taught me how to ride my trike, just as he taught mommy.

He’s not impressed with me when I throw the pebbles all over, but I clean them up with the leaf blower.

Grandpa knows what every boy wants: a tractor!

Mommy had the whole week off, so we went jogging together every other day, and saw a snowman with a surfboard on Christmas morning. Where did they get that snow?!

I had so many presents under the tree that I’ve spent 3 days opening them, and there are still some wrapped.

My favorite Christmas toys: fire truck and station, school bus, the wooden train, and the Dr. Seuss books. The best book is Go Dogs Go! because in the end, they have a dog party. Mommy loves it when I say “party!”

Mommy thinks Mr. Potato Head is the best toy, but I think he’s weird. The farm animals are fun, too… I like it when the pigs and dinosaurs play together in the barn. Grandma gave me hotwheel cars and built a ramp.

And like everyone else after Christmas dinner, I drove while drinking and texting.

When mommy yells “happy feet!” I dance the Maniac song from Flash Dance.

My molars are big now. I went to the dentist, and he said I have Ginger Vitus. That’s probably from kissing too much.

I have hundreds of words in my vocabulary… Mommy gave up writing every word on the list. The word that gets the biggest reaction is “F#*k!” Grandma gives me the benefit of the doubt… saying I’m getting my Ts and Fs mixed up, suggesting that I’m trying to say truck. I know exactly what a truck is.

Okay, they’re rolling off my tongue now… so many words!

• Nicities: “Good Morning,” “Please,” and “Thank you.”
• Nature’s surprises: “Flower,” “Squirrel,” “Bird,” “Puppy,” “Pumpkin,” and “Tree.”
• Toys: “Duck,” “Book,” “Truck,” and “Train.”
• Foods: “Oatmeal,” “Cheese,” and “Peaches.”
• Demands: “I did it,” “I want it,” “Let’s see,” and “Mine.”
• Mommy’s favorites: “Happy” and “Mermaid.”

The best time of day is morning. I’m so talkative.. in fact, mommy phones at 8am when she arrives at work, and we chat for a while.

I loved walking around downtown Santa Cruz on my puppy-leash for Halloween, dressed like Tigger-the-Tiger, with Daddy as The Rhinestone Cowboy.

Grandma, Ruth, and Don visited for a few days. They brought me a John Deer truck and a giant bag of blocks. Daddy said, “Take this beer to Grandma.” He was so pleased when I marched right to her. Of course I know who she is! They looked after me so momma and daddy could go party with their friends for Halloween.

I’ve never been so proud as I was when I took Maggie for walks. She is the prettiest puppy, with her pink leash and matching harness. I puffed up my chest with pride, and held my chin up high. I am an expert dog-walker because I’ve been practicing with the wooden wiener dog mommy brought back from Sweden.

I’m affectionate now… a big Love Bunny. Daddy kisses me on the mouth every day. I kiss mommy’s legs. I hug real tight. I love spooning. And when mommy sits cross-legged on the floor, I back into her, saying “beep, beep, beep” until plopping down on her lap.

I like dancing to Motown during morning coffee. In the evenings, it’s electronic. Sometimes I’m so happy I spin in circles.

We sleep on the boat 1 night during the weekend, and then have champagne for breakfast.

After that, we walk to Harbor café for greyhounds and coloring.

On the walk home, Daddy likes to cover me in leaves.

In the backyard, we play with the blower.

It’s like a Ralph Lauren photo, hey? I’m very handsome from a distance. Up close though… I am definitely not GQ material. I have the grubbiest nails. I like to chew on nail files and suck on nail clippers, but those weapons don’t get anywhere near my fingers and toes!

I’m also tinky-winky sometimes… Molars on all 4 sides!

I’m sleeping with my very own blanket now. I love it so much that I drag it around the house, and sometimes lay on it cheek-down to feel its softness.

At the Toddler Care Center, I learn all kinds of things I’m not allowed to do. Then at home, I do them! For example, I climb the dining room chairs, up onto the table.

My new favorite food is raisons, especially yogurt-covered. I get fruit for dessert every night… my favorites are peaches and berries. Grandma makes excellent rice pudding and bran muffins.

Grandpa is such fun to play with… He used his teeny-tiny screwdrivers and his great, big fingers to replace all the batteries in my toys. Now we’re playing with my remote controlled car, and my wooden train set. He also makes toys from scratch. He puts me in a box filled with empty water bottles and drags me around in it. He cuts the bottom off water bottles, dips them in soapy water, and lets me blow through the spout to make huge bubbles!

Undalay, Undalay! I am unstoppable. I get so excited sometimes that I scream, while doing squats, clenching my fists, and stomping my feet. I disco dance in the kitchen, with dad’s laser and the stereo booming. I run laps around the house, but outside they restrain me in a puppy dog harness and leash.

At my 15month checkup, I was 32” tall and I weighed 25lbs. I’m a big boy!

 I talk!

• “Mommy”
• “Dad”
• “Baby”
• “Bye”
• “Hi”
• “No Way!”
• “Whoa!”
• “yah”
• “blue”
• “two”
• “shoe”
• “bird”
• “doggie”

The doctor said that at 18months, I’ll learn a new word every two hours!

Let’s see… what else do I do… I hang out with dad in the yard:

I like to throw things into the toilet and flush. I like to take food out of the cupboard, take a bite, and put it back. I like sucking on the pepper and salt shakers. My favorite things to eat are ribs, watermelon, shrimp, and shoes. The freezer is “the dessert drawer.” When mommy and daddy open it for ice cream and cocktails, I smuggle ice cubes.

I have become very helpful. Mommy gives me things to carry and I love to put things away. I fetch her slippers and start the laundry machine. I also know how to operate the dishwasher, fridge, and the laptop DVD drive. I LOVE buttons big and small! Sometimes I put things in my never-to-be-found-again place (dad is still searching for the remote control). We’ve started a 10gallon piggy bank, and dad gives me coins to deposit every day.

Martha and Raeleen (my caregivers) came for a “home visit” What a surprise to see them at my door! daddy made them a steak barbeque while I showed them around the house, and then they all shared stories about me. My favorite girl at school is Frieda. She’s purrrdy.

Daddy took us to the county fair, and we saw goats, sheep, cows, horses, chickens, roosters, and a GIANT train!

When we’re on the boat, daddy puts me in a life jacket and harness. Mommy and dad drink champagne Sunday mornings while I wave and holler at every passing paddler, sailor, and seagull. I love sleeping in the aft cabin and watch everyone through the port holes.

When Mommy comes home from work, I tug on her skirt and pull her to my bedroom to play with toys. My favorite is the truck that says, “Fire up the rear turbos!” and “Light ‘em up, good buddy.”  We play underwater crash-up derby in the bathtub every night. I know how to wash my hair by myself. It’s Such Joy to unplug the drain in the bathtub and then try to stop the water with my hands, feeling it gushing through my fingers. While we’re air-drying, we lay cheek-down on the soft, plushy bath mat.

The Grandmas were fantastic while momma and dada were on vacation. I got to eat Spaghetti-Os and Goldfish. We played dominos and went for long walks. Grandma taught me to nod my head like a cowboy (like, “yessm”). I had a few tantrums, but they just sat back and watched. Toddlers are skilled protesters. We know how to go limp and become impossible to carry. If mommy tries to lift me up by the rib cage, I raise my arms above my head and slip right out. Mommy and daddy are taking a “Positive Discipline” class and they’re reading a very thick school book… not sure where that will lead.

At my 12-month check-up, Dr. Sidell found that I’m at the 84th percentile for height and the 44th percentile for weight, so I’m getting taller and leaner all the time. I’m tall like a sunflower!

I’m quite athletic, resulting in lots of scrapes and bruises. I fell under the doctor’s table just before my shots. In Bellingham, I fell out of the trailer when banging on the screen door, and (to mom’s horror) tumbled down two stairs. I speedcrawl, or walk with my hands poised to brace the fall and my shoulders hunched up around my ears.

Sometimes I put my hands behind my back like a penguin. I’m practically running when mom and dad chase me.

I’m artistic, too. I often sing myself to sleep, and I hum like Grandpa. I’m building my vocabulary and say:

– “No, no, no, no, no,” when I mean yes
– “Pup” to show Grandma that I love Maggie
– “Uh oh” when I can’t resist being naughty
– “Hoot Hoot” (to answer mom’s question, “What sound does an owl make?”)
– “Muuuuuum” and “Dada” when hugging their legs

I’m oh-so-curious, exploring everything. Mommy says I have many skills.

I love water: splashing in the pool, swimming in the lake, showering outside, or drinking from the hose and puddles.

I climb everywhere: onto patio chairs, up step stools and ladders, into the stroller, and up the boat stairs.

I’m an expert button pusher, and can operate the washing machine, stereo, and fan. My curiosity has its price. I like to carry and drag things, and sometimes I lose track of them, so remote controls and phones go missing.

I squeal like crazy during my morning tickle.  I love to jump on the bed, or let Daddy toss me onto the fluffy down comforter or clobber me with a pillow. I have upside down time every day.

Daddy bought me a helmet and we go for bike rides around Capitola, with me in my chariot behind the cruiser. I spend the entire trip yanking on the helmet.

Exploring at Day Care is especially fun, now that I spend 2 days/week with so many friends. When I’m sad at drop off time, the kids come running to comfort me, petting my head and rubbing my back. I know Daddy peeks through a hole in the fence and watches me play. I’m no longer the baby there… there are kids younger than me. Here I am learning to brush my teeth.

Nap time at Day Care is hard though. The nap room has cots instead of cribs and it’s tough to fall asleep. Martha and Raeleen sit close by to help me relax, but my naps are brief and I’m wiped out those days.

At home, the bedtime routine is easy. Mommy gives me a bath, reads a book, tucks me into my sleeping sack, and gives me a bottle. She says goodnight to bunny, monkey, teddy, mouse, and me, and we sleep until 8am. Now that I sleep on my tummy, the bald spot on the back of my head is gone, and my curls are coming in nicely.

My backyard is great fun! I have everything I need: dirt, grass, pebbles, a swing, and plants.

I’ve been off formula since June… just having organic whole milk and juice (with a straw!). My favorite foods are peaches (slippery!), fig newtons (not the guts), and prosciutto (with sand).

I visited Grandma and Grandpa in Summerland, and went to Okanagan Lake every day with mom, dad, Uncle Terry, Auntie Alice, Tamiyana, and Alexa. Daddy swam like an alligator, with me on his back. And after mom lubed me up with sunscreen, I did a face plant into the sand.

It was fun seeing Auntie Gail and Doug too… I remind mommy of Uncle Tony, the way I squat and eat lemons. At Grandma W’s house, I made such a mess of her spaghetti that she had to give me a bath. Both Grandmas are coming to look after me in August… can’t wait to see them again!

This month I figured out what my feet are for! I can free-stand, holding nothing but a banana. I’ve been cruising around the house, leaving my grubby little finger prints on all the furniture. I’m slamming my hands in all the cupboards and drawers. And I can take a few speedy steps before falling on my bum. I am so proud of my new skills! When I’m too tired to walk, I zip around on hands and feet, instead of crawling on my knees. Yep, I’m on the move. You should see my muscular quads! My face is looking a bit rough, though. Right now I have a cut lip, cut forehead, and some bruises.

Oh, I had such a happy Cinco de Mayo!

Mommy was in Sweden, so she missed out on the festivities, but I had a great time with Jason and Brice. We went to the beach and had a rib barbeque.

When mommy came home, daddy took us to the beach for a bonfire. When I gaze at the ocean, I feel like the world is full of possibilities! I am so curious, I just want to explore it all!

At my birthday party, dad strung a giant duck piñata between the trees in our backyard:

It was creepy looking, so mommy bashed it so hard the stick broke. She banged away, and… Oh Joy! It was filled with baby bottles!

Daddy bought me a beautiful cake that said, “Happy Birthday Rudylicious,” and there was a 1 candle for me to blow out!

Well, I’ve made a big adjustment since sleeping between mommy and daddy in the cabin of our sailboat! Now I sleep in my own crib, in my own room (and usually through the night)! My naps are on schedule  too, so the whole family is happier and well rested. But when I’ve had enough of my crib, I know just how to get mommy to lift me out:

She can’t stand it when I chew on my beautiful bed… but solid walnut feels better than any teether, and I have 6 teeth now!

The weather has been fantastic this April… in the mid-70s! Here’s Seabright beach, where I like to suck on the succulents:

Here’s Crow’s Nest beach, under the patio where mommy and daddy drink margaritas:

There’s a lot of wave action here, so mommy lets me crawl toward the water, and then she snatches me up at the last instant, letting me splash my feet in the surge. I love to watch the pelicans and surfers, and play with the other kids on the beach (although one mean boy kicked sand in my face!).  

Daddy lets me play in the dirt and crawl through puddles in the rain.

Mommy lets me help her shelling peas.

And then I shower outside, naked in the sunshine, standing in my ExerSaucer:

Mommy is off work for all of April, finishing her “Baby Bonding” leave. During our first week, it was 20 degrees every day, so we spent much of our time at the beach. I love the taste of kelp and sand, but Mommy has to keep washing my tongue off because I choke on so much gunk.  

We go to the library to hear Billy read stories. She’s an old British lady with a lovely accent and expressive face. Of all the children, I’m certain she favors me because she lets me sit at her shoes and tug on her stockings while she reads. My favorite story so far is the Dr Seuss one about the elephant in the tree trying to hatch a bird. Like Grandma, I also enjoy the recipe books.

We’ve been running in the jogger stroller every other day, which konks me out immediately. Mommy tracks our mileage on her GPS watch, and sings to me as she runs. We usually go to Capitola and back, which is only 3 miles total. But it’s a nice habit to head to the ocean and watch the surfers at Pleasure Point while she stretches.

We’ve been doing lots of baking and cooking too. I’m eating loads of fresh bread these days, and the odd cookie off dad’s plate. Daddy is taking full advantage of her time off… working long hours on the house. By next month, we should be able to put some nice photos up on my blog to show off his accomplishments. The bathroom and kitchen are almost done, but the courtyard has a long way to go still.

I started swimming lessons today, with a 10 month old girl and a 15 month old boy. I kick and splash more than the other babies, but they have other skills, like walking and talking. It’s odd to have to share toys with the kids at the pool and library. I see the advantage though… at the beach I pretty much took over another boy’s pails, shovels, and baseball bat, and he didn’t mind a bit!

We go to Jade park a lot and mommy lets me roam. The swing is a blast, and I laugh and laugh as mommy pumps us up into the air!

I’m 10 months old now… almost 22lbs, and 30inches tall! I’m in the 85th percentile for height and the 65th percentile for weight, and the doctor is tremendously impressed with my growth! I’m now eating table foods like toast, bananas, cheerios,  and pasta.

In the past two weeks, I’ve mastered my crawling skills! I’m zipping around our new house, opening doors and pulling on drawers. I use the living room furniture to cruise around, and sometimes I even free-stand! I get  the occassional bruise and bump, but I tough it out.

I’m sleeping in my beautiful walnut crib, with my puppy, monkey, and bunny. It’s in mom’s and dad’s room, instead of mine, which is nice so I can ease into my new routine. I’m usually able to sleep 6 hours in my crib before I need them to come fetch me around 3am. I’m taking a 10am and 3pm nap too because all this crawling and exploring is exhausting.

My two top teeth have come in, though it’s hard to get a photo of them:

There’s nothing more fun than having a bath with my ducky, octopus, pelican, turtle, whale, and crab. Especially having a bath with mom… she keeps putting my head under water so I’ll pass my swimming lessons at next month’s Seahorse class. Did I tell you she’s taking the whole month of April off? We’re going to swim, run, and bask in the sun in our back yard. She’s going to build me a sandbox, and daddy’s building us an outdoor shower so we can cool down (and so I don’t track sand into the house).

When Courtney and Grandma came to visit, we went to the Monterey aquarium and I fell in love with the penguins, jelly fish, and sharks.

We also played at the beach in Capitola.

Hope you like these pictures… Courtney took them, and she’s keen to teach me photography:

Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while. Mommy does my typing and she’s been awfully busy with work and school. And Daddy’s been looking after me during the day and then renovating the house late at night, so he hasn’t been able to check my spelling either.

Anyway, I’ll be 9 months this coming weekend! I have my two bottom front teeth now, each one pearly white and straight. They’re strong like a bunny’s, and Daddy gives me lots of carrots to chew on. They’re also great for chewing on toes, mine or anyone’s.