Overdue update

Hi all, Mommy will be blogging for Finn today, there's so much to say and he's a slow typist. :)

Talking
Finn seems through with babbling, and has been jargoning these past few weeks, which is like he's talking in a foreign language all his own. He'll say something... maybe I'll catch the word kitty... and then he'll laugh uproariously (while I just stare at him uncomprehending). But I know it will get better as each of us learns the other's "language".

He consistently says Hi, bye, Momma, kiggy (kitty), and now Dadda. It turns out he was calling Geoff something all his own (sounded like "Gegaw"), but we didn't catch on. Now his d sounds are better and we can hear the "dada". Kiggy sounds more like kitty too.

And in addition, he has (on single occasions) said doggy, up, momo (mormor which means grandma in Norwegian), no, and tree (that I can remember).

Well-baby
It's been a few weeks since his last well-baby visit (sorry!), but at last measure he was about 23 pounds and just shy of 30 inches long. He mostly wears his 18 month old footies (by Carters), but he can still fit into some of his 12 month ones. (Isn't it crazy how Carter's runs soo small!) He also has two more teeth for a total of 5.

Walking
Finn didn't take his first steps on his 10 month birthday like we thought, but we believe it is from lack of motivation and nothing more. He can stand by himself for long periods (especially if he has forgotten that he is doing so), stand from sitting without the aid of furniture, and squat pick something up and stand again without holding onto something. It seems to me like he could take some steps, but he has fallen so many times (a goose egg a day keeps the doctor..) perhaps he is just being cautious.

Eating
Finn has gotten much better at feeding himself (he has to, as he rarely lets anyone feed him), and has mastered the putting of spoon or fork into food and then into his mouth. Unfortunately (for us all!) the food rarely makes it there :(

Fun
Finn is such a happy boy, and he likes to sing and dance :) His activeness is sometimes more than we can deal with however. Now that spring is here, we'll have to take this boy outside to get more air and exercise.

A few weeks ago we went to the zoo! We had such a good time we got a membership and went back the next week. Finn's favorite animals were the elephants and the tamarind monkeys (I think).Giraffes!
Meerkats!

Tamarinds!

We also go to the park and Finn tries to eat the tan bark. He is very stubborn about this and tries over and over again to eat it. It's cute how he'll turn away from me so I can't see and then put it in his mouth super quick. :) After a while I get tired trying to stop him and we play in the grass instead.Playing cards with Grandpa...

Family
Finn loves the family portraits, pointing to them often until we lift him up and name everyone. He really likes the McCool family portrait even though he doesn't see them (in person) very often! Finn especially loves Grandpa John and when with him insists on sleeping on his chest. They share many delicious and unusual foods (one of Finn's favorites is persimmon (dried and fresh)).

mmm... num nums

Sick :(
Anyway, he has had a bad cold and cough this week, so sleep is eluding us all (poor baby). I think that's enough for awhile, until I remember something else cute he's done...No I still don't see it Tante Mikki...