The Valdez Family Blog: January 2008

15 Months Old

Devin is 15 months old and a total kick. He started saying a few more words. His vocabulary includes dog, nanna (for banana), dadda (everyone is dadda), and apple (pronounced aaaaappppuuuullll). It is very cute. He also is signing up a storm now. If you ask him if he wants to take a bath, he'll sign for bath and help you take his clothes off. Then he squils with delight and runs naked to the bathroom. It is so funny. I'll have to get it on tape.

Devin has almost a full set of choppers. He's got the eight teeth up front plus all four molars and two canine teeth. The other two canine teeth will be here shortly. Then hopefully we'll get a repreave for a while before the 2nd molars come in.

Our boy still loves the outdoors. He'll play with a broom or a simple toy forever. He loves it so much, he'll totally throw a fit if you bring him inside before he is ready. He definitely has an opinion about things.

Devin is sleeping pretty well. He usually wakes up at least once...I can't wait until this teething business is over! Most of the time you can turn on his music, give him a pacifier, and he'll go back to sleep on his own. Other times, it doesn't work so well. One nice thing is that he'll go to sleep on his own pretty well now. We have a good bedtime routine and it works great.

Devin is also still eating up a storm. He really isn't too hot on plain yogurt or cheese anymore, but the rest is all fair game. He loves green vegetables in particular. So far, he is a fan of mexican, italian, indian and thai cuisines.

Changing Devin's diaper has been a bit easier lately. He will actually sit still for a minute or two. And he will hold up a foot to help you get dressed. It is so much nicer than having to always wrestle him down.

Music is still big for Devin. He has figured out how to work every alarm clock in the house so he can turn on his own music. A very smart kid. I better keep the keys to the car hidden.

More Pics from Our Lake Tahoe Trip

Here are some more pictures that I have been meaning to post for a while now. Enjoy.

Devin's favorite sign - "Help." He looks like he's actually say the word too.

Help Mommy! I can't reach the phone on the table.

Mommy and Devin getting ready for some drawing time.

Hey Mr. Clever!

Devin taking the bear chair for a ride.

Ah....giving the bear a hug.

Devin loving his first fort daddy built!

Ah...now we have a walkie talkie to go with the fort. Excellent.

Hi Mr. Handsome. But who dressed you?

Devin found Mommy's eye lashes!

That outfit is much better coordinated. Although some needs to tuck in the diaper. haha.

Lake Tahoe Trip

We made a trip to Tahoe last week to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We went before the storm hit and loved watching the snow fall for the subsequent three days. It was beautiful, and we all had a great time.

Here's a picture of Devin in front of the patio (before all the snow came).

Here is Devin having some indoor fun.

Here's a picture of our porch after the first night. We were calling the snow on top of the table our "snow cake."

Here's the path to our condo that someone kindly shoveled out for us.

Here's the snow pack after two days...you can hardly tell there is a table and chair in this picture.

This poor tree couldn't take all the snow and ended up leaning over our walkway.

So pretty.

Here's the car. Thankfully, someone shoveled the snow all around it. We had this much snow both nights. Now I understand why people walk in the winter...it is quicker than unburying the car.

Hmmm. Looks like we aren't going out the driveway any time soon. Thankfully, the snow removal service showed up a little while later. They had to use tractors to move this amount of snow two days in a row.