Christmas in SF

Xander had a great time in Sioux Falls during Christmas this year!  He had so many fun people and toys and dogs to play with!

18 Months!

Today is Xander's half birthday!  He's getting so big!  Here are some pictures of Xander in his jacket with his train, getting ready to leave the house:

Xander plays with Blocks!

Xander LOVES blocks!

What's Up with Xander

Xander is almost 18 months old now!  He's such a busy kiddo, always finding something interesting to play with.  Xander's latest word is "ball," which he loves to throw and bounce on.  Xander has a new interest:  standing on anything that will make him taller, such as books, his tambourine, and boxes.  He also likes to sit on things now, like his elephant toy (not meant to sit on!), his Mollydog, and the aforementioned ball.  Like his father, Xander things running is fun!  He laughs as he runs back and forth across the house.  Xander is like a parrot these days in that he mimics sounds and words he hears.  We were listening to birds outside yesterday, and Xander was making bird sounds.  He also repeats many words he hears throughout the day.  Xander has no patience--when he wants something, he has to have it right away, whether it's food (he signs for "more" snacks) or milk (he signs for this, then goes and stands by the bedroom door).  I can't believe how long he is; at times, he still seems so small, but then moments later will seem so grown up.  Oh yeah, and Xander has a new favorite toy:  the scale.  He sneaks into the utility room and bounces up and down on the scale to see the numbers move and listen to the noises.  He's so much fun!

Xander Bouncing on Molly

Xander loves his Mollydog!

Sorry X!

Probably the most embarrassing post ever!  I think his signing is so cute :)  Sorry Xander!

Thanksgiving in SF

We had a nice Thanksgiving in Sioux Falls this year.  Xander was excited to play with the Little People nativity set, play croquet with auntie Kate and uncle Jack, and "color" on Gema's iPad!  He even had a bath in the big tub.  Xander took a long nap in the car on the way home, and has been out all night.  He had so much fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Xander's second Thanksgiving! We are traveling to Sioux Falls to visit his Mom's side of the family. He is being a trooper in the car, and so are the dogs :)

Leaves!

Xander was hard at work last week! I came home to find him raking the lawn! He is such a helpful little dude :)

The 5th Beatle

71 Weeks

Xander is 71 weeks old! I know this because I have received weekly emails since his birth updating me how old he is and what kids his age are typically like. The one from this week talked about mimicking adults. This is so cute! I returned home from working out and I was showing Paul some plyometric moves from class and Xander started doing squats and lunges all across the room!

Some of Xander's favorite words this week: Saying balloon and signing "milk," which he knows means directly from his mommy and indirectly via a bottle. I caught him trying to sign "poopiter" the other night, but he's still working on that one. Paul thought he said "down" a lot the other day, but that, too, is a work in progress. Things are going really well. Xander is playing, coloring, talking, walking, and eating a ton! He keeps us busy and is so much fun!

More Halloween!

We spent Halloween weekend in Sioux Falls this year.  We had a great time at Gema and Grandpa Jerry's house, and we went to the ZooBoo!  We returned to Omaha in time to go trick or treating.  Here are some pictures from the Tielkes:

 

We are super happy, and we haven't even entered ZooBoo yet!