STACKING

So here are the promised "stacking" photos. This is all Otto wants to do now. He is either stacking what ever he can get his hands on, nesting his cups, or carrying a block around the house. He likes to put his toys in all kinds of little nooks and crannies. Yesterday he was taking the blocks from the living room, carrying them into the kitchen and putting them in his highchair. It is really a fun stage. He is also really into playing by himself which is a great skill. Also, now that he really has the walking down the language is coming back. He repeats what you say a lot. He gets some of the sounds and the inflections. It is really cute!

The next morning he stacked his banana pieces.
That is really hard considering how slimy they are!

Devil Hat

Mom made me this hat before I was born, but because I have a small head it still fits. Dad hasn't seem me where it for a while and when mom put it on me this past weekend he insisted we gets some pictures. I am eating a croissant in the pictures, my new favorite breakfast food, just like mom!

Stacking Blocks!!!

So tonight I learned how to do the coolest thing ever. After dinner Dad and I were playing in the living room and I started stacking my nesting cups on top of each other. Then Dad got out some blocks and I was stacking them. I was so intently playing that I didn't even want to stop to take a bath! It is the coolest thing ever. Mom took about 100 photos of me doing it which I am sure she will post tomorrow, but for not I just had to share what an awesome thing I learned today.

New Look

Well, as it has been almost a year I thought we were do for a new look. I think I am in my "green phase". Wait until I post the pictures of Otto's new room. It is still being painted but it is getting close. To say that it is green might not really be giving the full picture. It is GREEN! I painted the lower half of all the walls with magnetic chalkboard paint. Actually three coats of magnetic paint followed by two coats of chalkboard paint. It will be so cool to have walls he can play with. For his birthday I got him some really cool wooden magnets. I think we are going to hold off showing him he can draw on the walls until he is older. Over spring break we are going to IKEA to get some new furniture and final touches for his room. Then the big moment, he will be moving out of the nursery.
I have mixed emotions about it. I really want to be able to go into our room when he is napping and not have to sneak into bed at night, but... he still seems like my little baby. He has never been more than 6 feet away from me at night. Right now the nursery is connected to our room and his crib is just around the doorway from my side of bed. He is not moving far down the hall but it will be much further than he has ever been. I am really not sure how I feel about this whole growing up thing. I love when he learns new things, but I want him to stay little forever too. I am probably not the only one who has thought this before.
Well right now he is fighting his first real cold with a cough and everything. Poor guy does not feel good at all. Plus he got vaccines on Tuesday so he has had a double whammy. He is sleeping right now, but I don't think it will last long so I really should be trying to get something done around the house.

Kitty

One of my greatest joys is my cats. I belly laugh with joy at the mere sight of them. Lately Grendel has been brave enough to let me touch her. She has up until now always managed to keep her distance. Now that she has learned she likes what I have to eat sometimes she is much more interested. I have also learned that is fun to try and feed her...

The other game we really like playing is the give a toy through the crack game. She gets on the basement side of the door, just out of my reach, and I try to give her toys. It keeps us both out of trouble for a while!

oh, and did I mention, I have slept through the night for the most part every night since we got back from Chicago on Friday. Dad is going out of town this week, that is when I will get up at night. Have to keep mom on her toes.

My first pickle

So there is a story in the Faden family that has been told many times. When Ben was little, Eric took great pleasure out of feeding him pickles. Ben would apparently take a bite of the pickle, make a horrible face, shudder, then a few seconds later he would forget how much he hated them and try one again. Eric thought this was so funny he did it all the time. To this day Ben refuses to eat pickles. Ben has been waiting for Otto to be old enough to try pickles to seek his revenge. Well last night we gave Otto a pickle to see what he would do. It was a good thing Ben wasn't here, this might have broken his heart, Otto LOVES them. He is shown here eating Dill Pickle Slices.

as promised, photos from Leo's par-tay

Let's start with a classic, Otto's first taste of cake!

Luckily Leo is such a good friend he doesn't mind when I eat his presents.

I am also allowed to play with all the new toys, SCORE!

Leo's Grandma, me, Leo and Henry (I am trying to eat his presents before he even sees them)

Check out this piano!

So good I will even share with Henry.

Had to end with this classic photo of Leo on his birthday, priceless....

He slept the WHOLE night!!

I only have a quick minute before Otto wakes up, but I had to share this exciting bit of news with you. Last night Otto slept through the night for the first time. He went down a little after 7, and woke up at 5:45, Eric went in and gave him a NUK and said it wasn't time to get up yet. He was quiet until 6:17 when he started talking and wanting to get up. It was wonderful. The last few nights he has only been getting up once and he hasn't been nursing so we have been seeming to slowing be getting there, but this was the first time. It only took 11 months!
We went to Leo's birthday party this past weekend which was so much fun. Otto had a blast. I forgot our camera even though I put it right by the door, but Megan is going to give me her pictures. When I get them I will post them right away. Must run, will have more later.
-mom

more cute pj's

Nonna Jen found these cowboy jammies for Otto, pretty darn cute!


Otto often has some of the most spectacular bed head I have ever seen. Eric says his hair used to stand up straight. It still does, there just isn't as much now. I don't dare take a comb to Otto's head, who would want to mess with a look as good as this!

fun with Leo

If Leo can climb in it, or on it, he does. As seen here.