A New Year, A New Update

It has been an inexcusably long time since we last posted on the blog...not since last decade! What can I say? The end of the semester was just hellish, and then I couldn't bear to sit at a computer for any length of time once my grading was done. In my defense, I have posted some info on facebook. Regardless, life has gone on, and Arlo has grown so fast that he seems to be a blur of walking, running, chattering toddlerness. Our little baby is going to be 1 year old in a week. It makes me so proud but hurts my heart as well; however, I will save my gooshy, 1st year post until next week. For now, let me catch you up a bit.

Arlo was lucky enough to have 2, count em, TWO Christmases this year--one with his Grammy and Grampy Casey in AL and one with Nennie and Grumpy in NH. Gifts were plentiful, and I even got to do the whole "mom thing" and put out milk and cookies for Santa. BLISS! Arlo had a chance to spend time with his Aunties and Uncles (in both AL and NH) and play with his cousin Colby, as well as meet with our many family friends in Barrington during our annual Christmas open house.

In the past few weeks, Arlo had a multitude of new experiences. He went to the zoo in Montgomery, the children's museum in Dover, and the natural history museum here in Gainesville; thus, we now know that little man loves capuchin monkeys, African drums, and giant sloth skeletons. He also got to roll around in the snow, which he enjoyed until it found its way into his coat, and sled down the driveway. He ate his first bite of cake (carrot) and discovered the wonders of goldfish crackers. He also learned how much more fun a toy can be when it is stolen from your cousin--sorry, Colby!

As of today (and he adds to the repertoire every day), Arlo can do the following:

• Walk very easily and steadily
  
• Run with a bit of a wobble
  
• Dance and clap along to music
  
• Say mama, dada, grandpa, nennie, kitty, yah, and tree
• Hammer the blocks in his punch-and-drop toy
• Replace the balls in the punch-and-drop
• Open books and turn the pages WITHOUT always feeling the need to munch on the book as well
• Remove and replace rings on toy cone
  
• Point to pictures of people when you ask their names
• Gently pet the cat and dog
• Give hugs and kisses
• Wave hello and goodbye
• Give high fives
• Put a phone up to his ear
• Imitate scribbling (in fact, he wrote a little note of scribbles to Santa)
• Drops an object, says "uh-oh," waits for me to pick it up for him, plays with it until I turn my back, and then repeats the whole process
  

I'm sure that I'm missing all kinds of subtle and not-so-subtle other milestones, but these are the major ones that I can think of at the moment. I go back to class on the 5th, and Arlo will start part-time daycare then as well, so a lot is about to change. We will keep you posted.