16 Months

I mostly got away from doing the monthly posts after Dax turned 1, but today he is 16 months and it seems like a good time for another update. Here is a snapshot of our little man.

Thankfully spring is here. Kind of. While we still never know what each day will bring, we have been thrilled to spend more time outside and Dax could not be happier. He is completely in his element out in nature and hates the rainy days when we are stuck indoors. 

First time feeding the ducks geese.

Eventually some ducks showed up.

Loving life

 Dax also loves animals. He can name so many different critters and sometimes he even shocks us (What one year old will name sloth, iguana, etc...?). On a recent trip to the zoo, he was so excited to see some new creatures in the African exhibit.

The African Addax has Dax's name in it's name - so silly!

We are consistently impressed with his growing vocabulary and it has become pure joy to communicate with him. His memory is incredible and we are truly amazed with our little sponge. Though he clams up anytime we are outside of our home or daycare, here is a little shout out to some of the people he loves. *The video would not load here so you will have to visit the link to see it.

And, no surprise here, he still loves to play with balls. His basketball hoop continues to be a favorite toy, but he has also branched out to throwing his baseball and kicking his soccer ball. I would enjoy watching almost any sport that Dax likes to play, but get a little extra excited when he shows some enthusiasm for soccer. :)

On a less happy note, Dax is still teething. He has a never-ending stream of drool down his chin, but rarely complains. One of his molars has popped through making the total count 7 with 3+ working their way in.

A cold carrot feels good on those swollen gums. Bonus if this little boy who avoids veggies at all costs eats a bit of it!

He also recently had a haircut. The fourth haircut of his little life. At some point we will lose track of how many times we have visited Kids Hair, but for now, every time is another milestone. He came out looking cute, but was not happy with the experience. Note the tear-stained cheeks.

The best new development is that Dax has started to express his love for us. For awhile he would say, "I you" but it has now turned to, "Love you." Melts our hearts every time. We love you, too, buddy!

Bet On Your Baby

Are Jake and I the only ones who are totally addicted to this awesome new game show? If you haven't seen it, then you should definitely check it out - Bet On Your Baby, Saturday nights at 7 on ABC. I know what you're thinking... Saturday nights? Lame! Well, don't you worry. We always TIVO it and then watch it at a more convenient time. Our Saturday nights are typically saved for catching up on other shows we have missed throughout the week. Still lame? Ah, the life of parents. :)

Although we really do love the show, I am only posting about it because of the awesomeness that it brought to our annual family trivia game. Every year, Jake prepares family trivia for Anna's birthday. This grew out of a tradition they had when they were younger and has become quite the epic experience. This year, Jake changed it up a bit and formatted it after several popular game shows, including Bet On Your Baby. That category was too great not to share. Play along if you'd like...

First, he showed us the question. Then linked to a video clip, which revealed the answer. I posted the videos immediately following each question (the links will not work). Spoiler alert: The correct answers are posted after the final video!

Correct answers: A - Spare Bedroom, B - Orange, C - Hello Bugs!

Mommy's Special Week

Jake here:

The 8 days from May 4th - 12th included Kristin's birthday and Mothers' Day! This is a pretty special week!

We didn't have any big plans, but Dax and I think that mommy enjoyed relaxing. We started off by going out to brunch at Jensen's and did some important shopping.

Dax refuses to commit to "Righty" or "Lefty"

That is a lot of milk.

Where's Mommy?

Love this.

For Mothers' Day, we made pancakes at home in the morning. Dax seemed to like the sausage better than the pancakes... that is, until Daddy started dipping them in syrup. Mmmmmmm...

We went to the Olson's in the afternoon and convinced Dax to wear this awesome "hat."

How humiliating...

Also, Mommy got creative and made some paint from scratch. Dax used the paint to make some great pictures!

Happy Birthday Kristin and Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms!!!

Dunk!

Have I mentioned that Dax loves balls? He LOVES balls! Basketballs have long held an extra special place in his heart. While he will now say baseball, soccer, big ball (exercise ball), beach ball, and football, he used to only differentiate between ball ball (basketball) and ball (anything else round). We recently got him a basketball hoop and since it is still snowing outside (May means nothing in MN), he plays with it in the house and he is getting pretty good! Check it out...