We're back.....

So we are back from vacation...early.

It turns out that when you travel on vacation, away from home, with an infant it is best if you bring the following: a thermometer, tylenol and motrin. It turns out that Nicholas got sick on Monday night with a fever, and then started teething like mad (all 4 vampire teeth and 4 extra molars). So he wouldn't eat, and couldn't sleep. Not even with pain killers. I was seriouslly tempted to try my mother's suggestion - brandy on the gums. I am still not ruling it out. So he wasn't doing well the last few days, and neither were Jon and I (let's just say sleep came infrequently). So we came home. He's doing better now. Of course, that might be because of the 8 teeth, 3 are now through his gums since last night, and 3 more are almost visible.

On a brighter note: Jon got a promotion at work!! Yipee!!! Also, my cousin Rachel Cwalina Palmer is expecting her first baby in March. I am really excited for her. Good luck.

Still to come - pictures and explanations of our trip to Tahoe. It was FABULOUS!

Nicholas and the BYU fan gene

For those of you who are new to knowing our family, Jonathan is a HUGE BYU fan. He has these BYU flip flops that are years old and are being held together by duct tape. I am expressly forbidden from throwing them away and getting him a new pair because they are "BYU flip flops." Like the BYU bookstore doesn't have other BYU flip flops. These are so old, I think he wore them when he was a Freshman, before his mission.

I got him a pair of BYU slippers during our first Christmas as a married couple, and he still wears them around a ton, and loves them.

I think it is a sad day when I realize that "fan" traits are inheritable. On Sundays, once his dad is gone to meetings, Nicholas likes to tromp around in his dad's slippers (above). Not being one to over do things, Nicholas takes off the slippers before wrapping himself in the BYU blanket and making a "mommy give me cake" face. I call it his pitiful face. He tries to get what he wants by making the face. It doesn't always work with me, but it always works with Jon. Especially when Nicholas does it while wrapped in a BYU blanket, or with BYU slippers.

In another inheritable trait, Nicholas has started to wear Jon's stinky BYU flip flops around - well try to wear them around. He brings them to me, then sits down. I put them on his feet, help him stand up, and then he walks around. He gets very frustrated when they fall off.

Stinker. Cute stinker. But still a stinker.

Our little firefighter

We went, on Monday, to the UC Davis Mind Institute. The UC Davis Mind Institute uses children of all ages (3 mo and up) for various projects to determine how kids' minds work, and how they develop. It is nothing painful. Mainly they sit and watch movies while things are playing, or various videos, and there are eye trackers that track their eye movement and see what they are attracted to on the screen. If you have a kid, they are great. For older kids, they offer all kinds of rewards (like $15.00 gift cards to Target). For younger kids they get t-shirts and toys. Nicholas got a stuffed zebra today.





Anyways, we went to the lab. They have this huge playroom/waiting room where you fill out the paperwork, and wait until they are ready for you. The playroom has tons of toys. There are train sets, legos, fake cell phones (which Nicholas found i nabout 10 seconds flat). And they have a fire truck. Nicholas found the cell phone, then took off to the fire truck. Here's some pictures of my little firefighter.

Shutter fly is updated

Shutterfly is updated with all new Nicholas pictures. You can view them at: www.nicholaswunderlich.shutterfly.com

Happy picture viewing.

Our July 4th

We had a fabulous 4th of July. We spent most of the day at Jon's parents, with Katherine (his eldest sister). We simply played, and played. And watched Nicholas play when al lthe adults ran out of energy.

For those of you who want to know how energetic Nicholas was, and how wiped the adults were, take a look at this picture - he fell asleep eating lunch. I guess at some point we all need naps. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

My little eater

Nicholas really likes to eat. Anytime, anywhere. But not anything. he is very picky sometimes. Cheerios are only okay if he is at Ana's (daycare). Cheeze-its are okay if there are other kids eating them, so are gold fish crackers. Trader Joe's honey wheat pretzles are okay anytime. As are Oreos (thanks mom, and Debby). Mac and cheese is always good. And a new addition to the menu - steak. Any steak. He just chews on that and wants some more. He only eats my grandmother's spaghetti sauce. Even when I make it he won't eat it. Applesauce and cinnamon are good, but applesauce without cinnamon is a hard sell. String cheese, of any variety, is edible. But pieces of cheese are not always edible. Bananas, strawberries, watermellon, raspberries, and nectarines are good. Oranges and lemons are only good if he picks them from the tree himself, and then gets to eat the rind too (I know, gross). Ketchup is better than anything you can dip in it. He simply dips things in it and licks the ketchup off until the ketchup is all gone, then he will consider eating what you placed before him. He's a stinker with food. To get vegetables, I have to blend them up and mix them into things - fruit yogurt with green beans, mac and cheese with broccoli, and applesauce with carrots. I simply have to hid vegetables everywhere (like father, like son).

First skinned knee

It happened one week ago today. It was Nicholas' first really skinned knee - complete with blood and tears from my crying baby boy. He fell on the sidewalk outside our house (he was running and trying to play tag with me). He skinned his knee and then cried on my shoulder for 5 minutes! It was nice to cuddle. But I wish he hadn't had to skin his knee to get the cuddles. Here's the picture.