Today, September 6, 2016 is my first day of preschool!  I’ve been making visits from my toddler classroom to the “big kids upstairs,” but today I move up officially.  My class is almost all boys (oy), so my teacher is going to have her work cut out for her!

I’ve been listening to “Peter and the Wolf” while getting ready for school in the mornings, so I was very excited to wear my wolf sweatshirt to class today.  Mommy’s pretty sure it’s actually a racoon, but there’s no convincing me.

Here I am during a recent trip to the finger lakes, celebrating the fact that I’m rounding the corner to my first year!  This month marked a lot of milestones, including three more teeth.  My top teeth poked through on August 20, 2016 and my fourth bottom tooth emerged on my right side the very next day.

In terms of physical developments, I can stack all of my colored rings myself, and I love taking things in and out of containers.  I’ve also started dancing (bouncing vigorously up and down and waving my arms whenever I hear music) … what I lack in coordination I make up for in enthusiasm!  I can also clap, wave, and make funny noises with my tongue on command.  Some of my favorite social pastimes include pretending to talk on the phone and blowing kisses.

I have two recognizable words.  My very first word was “mah,” meaning more, which I say at the table when I want to eat more of something (usually blueberries).  I also say “uh oh” (usually when I drop said blueberries on the floor).

Current likes: the cat

Current dislikes: being restrained or having something I’m holding taken away from me

So close to walking, and yet so far!

This was a fun month for me – among other things, I got to go to the New York State Fair!  Some of my favorite parts of the Fair were the animals, including the cows, goats, and chickens.  Mommy and I got to hold a baby chicken in the 4H building, which was really fun.  While we were enjoying ourselves, Daddy dutifully stood in line for three hours in the hot sun so that I could see the Paw Patrol.  I had fun learning about Tracker, the new doggy, and I liked climbing around the Paw Patroler van, but I was absolutely terrified when it came time to have my picture taken with the guy dressed up as Rubble!

Current likes: Anything Paw Patrol (well, almost anything)

Current dislikes: People dressed up in costumes — too scary!

Ugh, it’s been a hard month of teething.  I don’t like popsicles or frozen wash cloths, so my only solace is my chewy-fishy, which has fairly pronounced bite marks along my favorite chewing side.  He doesn’t complain, though – he’s a real pal.

Papa and YiaYia took me out to a very cool hibachi dinner with my cousins, and I loved it!  I came home talking about the fire I saw, and I can’t wait to go back.  And although I’ve become rather a picky eater, I ate a fair amount of chicken and noodles at this place … I really enjoyed dinner and the show!

Mind = blown

Hi, everybody!  Lena here, checking in to show you my new Giants gear purchased for me by my dad.  The pre-season has begun, and I can’t wait to join the rest of my family in cheering on Big Blue!  I’m not allowed to watch TV yet, but an exception may be made for a tiny bit of football time …

Go Giants!

This was a big month for me, in part because my new baby cousin was born, so I got to make a special trip to Washington, D.C. with Mommy to meet her.  I flew on a plane without any incident, and talked the ears off the ladies across the aisle from me!  I’m very chatty now, and I said “Mama” for the first time on July 3, 2016.  Although I don’t say it with intention, it sure makes Mommy pretty happy.  I’ve also figured out how to clap (did it for the first time on July 24, 2016) and will do it back to you if you’re willing to demonstrate.

I’m also becoming more adventurous with table foods, and have tried finger-food blueberries, cheese, salmon, and peas.  I liked them all!  Now I’m eating 4 ounces of pureed fruit at breakfast, 4 ounces of pureed veggies and 4 ounces of finger foods at lunch, and 6 ounces of finger food/purees for dinner.  I’ve been a little less enthusiastic about my milk, and recently went on strike at daycare.  Mommy and Daddy have figured out that if they switch my two 6 oz bottles back to four 4 oz bottles then I’m more likely to drink them.  I’m more of a snacker than a concerted bottle drinker nowadays.  This could, of course, be attributed to teething.  I got my third tooth (another one on the bottom left) on July 10, 2016.  So now I’m rocking a cute asymmetrical smile on the bottom and nothing on the top.

I had my nine month appointment a little late, so Mommy can now report that I weigh 20 lbs 12 oz, am 28 inches long, and have an 18.5 cm head.  In other words, I’m big and healthy (50th percentile for height and 70th for weight, with a head that’s just barely back on the charts).  Oh, and another development … my hair’s officially curly!

Current likes: feeding myself

Current dislikes: having my nails clipped or my pajamas put on

Summer is in full swing, and I’m living ice cream season to the fullest, attempting to stain every shirt I own!  As soon as this picture was taken I looked at Mommy and said, “whoa, this ice-cream is LITERALLY melting everywhere.”  It was, indeed.

My school has switched over to “summer camp,” which means they sent home a portfolio of all my artwork over the past year, and as you can see, I’m in full boy-mode.  Most of my waking hours are spent impersonating a dinosaur.  Sometimes it’s because I love them (“velociraptors are the fastest!”), and sometimes it’s inadvertent, because I’m having a toddler meltdown and growling uncontrollably.  Mommy and Daddy are going to switch tactics and try a sticker chart for positive reinforcement.  When I use my nice words to tell them calmly how I’m feeling I’ll get a sticker, and then I can trade stickers in for rewards.  It’s worth a shot, right?

Current likes: Vanilla (sometimes “manilla”) ice cream

Current dislikes: Actually being left alone after I tell someone to leave me alone

I’ve been brushing my own teeth for a while (well, mostly sucking the toothpaste off the toothbrush, but sometimes I let Mommy get in there for a more thorough cleaning).  But now that I’m a big three-year-old it’s time to start going to the pediatric dentist.  I made my first visit on July 15, 2016 and it was “sports day” in the office, so I got to wear my Giants jersey.  Everybody was really nice to me and I even liked the dentist … until he tried to look in my mouth.  Tears were shed, but I made it out unscathed and without any apparent cavities or issues.  Then I saw a really cool beetle in the parking lot and forgot all about the trauma I’d just endured.  Somedays it’s great to have a the attention span of a gnat!

Jack here, everybody!  Now that Lena’s very mobile, Mommy and Daddy have to find a way to keep her safe and contained while she plays.  The intent of the Baby Zone is to keep her away from my many toys with tiny pieces, but I love playing with her so much that I wind up bringing some of my toys inside her gate to play together.  Sometimes I’ll even share my favorites with her.