The Wendlings

The next Piano Man

2009-06-21T16:33:00.001-04:00

Sometimes your child does something that touches your heart in an
unexpected new connection. Play on little guy!

Huxley Dancing to Rock Band

2009-06-17T16:13:00.003-04:00

Huxley loves to dance, especially when Daddy gets out Rock Band. He'll spin around, bounce, and stomp his feet. He even has his own guitar and drums to play, but he prefers just to dance.

Shoes

2009-06-14T15:32:00.002-04:00

Sometimes he likes to wear our shoes.

Huxley at 17 Months

2009-06-10T20:56:00.005-04:00

Huxley's really getting into the toddler stage. He knows what he wants and will throw a fit if he can't have it. I have to say the tantrums lately have been quite cute. When he's upset he stomps a foot on the ground, lets out a squeak, and claps his hands together really hard. He looks at his hands in amazement that he was able to clap so loudly and keeps banging his hands together as hard as he can. He completely forgets he's upset. Here's what else he's been up to lately:

Teething: We almost have a complete set aside from additional molars. He's cutting his lower canines, and then we'll be done with teething until his second year molars come in. I'm ready for a break from teething. Every new tooth seems to be worse than the last. He had many sleepless nights cutting his canines. This week he's been catching up on all the sleep he's missed. Monday he took a four and a half hour nap and then slept for twelve hours that night.

Words: He's always talking and likes to repeat what he hears us say. Here's a short list of what he's saying: Daddy, Mama, all done, doggy, nigh-nigh, bird, back, ball, get down, bye-bye, now what, stop, boom, peek-a-boo, thank you, and baby.

He uses "all done" whenever he wants us to stop doing something or whenever he's done doing something. One time he said "all done" after he pooped. He got a cut the other night and cried for a few minutes, then said "all done" and stopped crying. He also uses "all done" when he wants us to be all done with something. He's had quite a few scrapes from his outside time lately and will scream/cry "all done" while we are cleaning his wounds.

Climbing: He's able to climb onto the couch but hasn't made it out of his crib yet. I've placed pillows around his crib just in case he does decide to make the jump, but he seems happy rolling around in his crib when he wakes up.

Signing: We've been trying to teach him baby sign language for a while, and he's finally mastered his first sign, the sign for more. Of course, he doesn't just use the sign when he wants more of something. He'll use the sign when he sees something he wants but doesn't have, like a cookie.

Pointing to body parts: He will consistently show his belly upon request and may point to other body parts if he feels like it.

Baby He-man: He loves to show how strong he is by picking up large toys and heaving them across the room. This is only a small part of his destructive side.

Huxley's wheels

2009-06-10T20:41:00.002-04:00

We bought Huxley his first tricycle last week. We outfitted it with a seat belt to keep the monster in place, a bell to keep him happy, and a bar to push him around. We also taped his feet to the pedals to help him learn how to use the tricycle.

He really loved his first couple rides out in the trike, but now he'd prefer to push us around in it. It's an adjustable tricycle so it should last him until he's ready to move onto a big boy bike. He can push the pedals a little but needs much more practice.

Busy Huxley-filled weekend

2009-05-27T13:50:00.006-04:00

We spent our long weekend taking Huxley out and about. Saturday morning we went to the Children's Museum with Jason's Boss and his family. Huxley loves to play in the Playscape area. It's a room that's designed for 0-5 year old kids to run and explore. He played at the water table and then spent the rest of the time running around with a lawn mower. He ran and ran until he was too tired to stand. After his mowing adventure in the playscape, we ventured up to the fourth level, and he took a carousel ride with Dad and went through the mirror maze. He was pretty wiped at this point. We wrapped up our tour of the museum with a look at the fish tanks (aka doggies). He finished his morning with a cheeseburger and chips.

Later in the afternoon we went to a sprinkle park (Dillon Park). He wasn't too thrilled with the water. It wasn't the right temperature. Jason's mom and stepdad joined us at the park, but Huxley could not be lured into the water. He eventually sat down in a corner and played with a teenage mutant ninja turtle's calculator given to him by Jason's mom. We ventured over to the playground where Huxley had an accident...The adventure was over at that point, and we all went home. Huxley suffered no lasting injuries. He's gotten pretty bruised lately from all his outdoor adventures.

Sunday, we went to our neighborhood park in the morning and shopped in the afternoon with my mom. There's this great store at the Castelton Mall called Crazy Eights. They have really cute clothes for toddlers and babies. We got his closet stocked for summer. Toys R US wasn't far, so we stopped and picked up a lawnmower for Huxley. When I got home Huxley went crazy with the lawnmower. I didn't think he was ever going to sleep.

It rained on Monday so we stayed inside and rested for the week ahead. In the afternoon, Jason's dad stopped by with one of his dogs. Huxley kept trying to walk the dog but got pulled around instead.

15 Month Check-Up

2009-05-27T13:43:00.005-04:00

He is 17 months now, but a couple months back he had his 15 month check-up. Here are the stats:

Weight: 25 lbs 11 oz - 64th percentile
Height: 32 1/2 in - 83rd percentile
Head: 48 1/2 cm - 82nd percentile

He was on track development wise doing everything a normal toddler does (run everywhere, throw tantrums, etc). He also received two vaccines; MMR and Chicken Pox. His next doctor's appointment will be after his 18 month birthday, and he'll get a full round of shots at this appointment.

Rocking Out

2009-05-13T13:45:00.013-04:00

Jason bought Rock Band for the PlayStation. I think this is probably the tenth time he's bought Rock Band. Huxley really likes it, so hopefully Jason won't sell it anytime soon. Huxley doesn't play any of the instruments but dances like crazy as soon as Jason starts up the music. Last night he was stomping his feet, clapping his hands, and rolling around on the floor.

He first started dancing shortly after his first birthday. One of his birthday gifts was a refrigerator magnet that played music. It always seemed to get him bouncing. Now that he is a pro at this walking stuff, he stomps his feet whenever he feels like dancing.

After he stomped around the living room for a while, he went over and bounced and bounced and bounced in the bean bag chair. Then he climbed onto the couch for the first time and had snuggle time with his dogs. When he first climbed onto the couch he laid back, relaxed, and watched Daddy play Rock Band for a few minutes. Of course he is a toddler, so he didn't stay still for long. He noticed two doggy-like toys on either side of him, and the torture began. Go to our picture gallery for more pictures of Huxley dancing.

More-More-More

2009-05-09T16:13:00.003-04:00

Huxley has become very communicative. Something clicked in his brain, and he has started communicating to us about his world. He points out birds, lights, doggies, and fish (which he refers to as doggies). He even started using the sign for more. I've been trying to teach him to put his finger in his palm when he wants more food. He bangs his fist into his palm. It is very cute.

Vocab Update

2009-05-06T20:55:00.013-04:00

He says so much, but you have to understand his language. Here's a few of words he says, that we can understand....

The old phrases/words:

Mama, dada, all done, and nigh nigh

New phrases/words:

Get down - We tell the dogs this a lot.
Sit down - He likes to stand up in his rocking chair. When I tell him to sit down, he smiles and repeats it back to me.
Good job
Doggy/Good doggy - We need to teach him bad doggy.
Baby
He tries to say bird but doesn't quite get out anything more than "b"
No
Thank you - At his play date today, he was stealing toys but said "thank you" when he stole them.

Shopping with Huxley

2009-05-06T20:13:00.004-04:00

Grocery shopping with Huxley is always a joy. By the time we get home the bread is smashed, the chips are in pieces, and the cereal boxes have all been chewed through. To keep him occupied while I unload the groceries, I normally give him something heavy like a gallon of milk or his diapers. He tries to be baby He-Man and lift the milk or box of diapers. Last week we gave him a 24 pack of cans to play with. He was busy stacking the cans for an hour. He even made a four can tower.

Easter

2009-04-13T18:13:00.005-04:00

We visited my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Curt on Easter where Huxley participated in his first Easter egg hunt. Aunt Sandy paired the little ones up with a buddy. Huxley was paired with his oldest cousin Austin to help find eggs. Austin did pretty much all of the hunting, but we did stage some photos of Huxley finding eggs we threw down in front of him. In the end Huxley shared his loot with the rest of his cousins.

Favorite line from the hunt: (Derek to Thadd) "What makes you think you need more candy? You can't even see your toes!"

Click here to see more pictures from Easter

Fun Outdoors

2009-03-18T10:47:00.005-04:00

Huxley had to be bribed with a tape measure to come inside and have dinner yesterday. We've been spending 2-3 hours outdoors each day since the weather has been nice. We go to the park in our neighborhood, take walks, and just explore the outdoors.

A week in pictures with Huxley

2009-03-16T11:57:00.011-04:00

Giving his Piano a hug. He's a very affectionate baby.

Playing with mama's pans - they are great noise makers.

Throwing balls in the ball pit - he especially likes to throw them backwards over his head.

Revisiting the retired toys.

Trying to get to his milk.

Fun with lasagna.

Huxley at 14 months

2009-03-06T20:02:00.005-05:00

He's changing everyday now. He's starting to give up one of his naps and seems to need less sleep overall. He's also figuring out all of his toys like his shape sorters and stackers and will clap for himself when he gets a shape into the sorter. If he can't get a shape into the sorter, he'll cheat and remove the lid. Here's what else he's been up to in the past month...

Fascination with his feet: He's been constantly looking down at his feet when he walks, which means he's running into everything and getting lots of bruises.

Words/phrases we've overheard on multiple occasions: "good job," "nigh -nigh," "all done," "inkle-inkle," and "k." He says "nigh, nigh," whenever I put him down to sleep - that's when he's actually happy about going down to sleep. I'll tell him "night-night," and he'll tell me "nigh-nigh." We'll go back and forth with this several times. "Inkle-inkle" is from "Twinkle-twinkle little star."

Scribbling: He's able to scribble a little with crayons. No great works to put up on the refrigerator yet.

Little imitator: Our dogs are bulimic, so they make a lot of messes. I was trying to clean one of their messes yesterday while keeping Huxley from playing in it. I gave him the paper towel roll, and he tore off sheets for me. When I was done cleaning the floor, Huxley began wiping the floor just as I did. He will also imitate words we say. We'll tell him "good job," and he'll walk around saying "good job."

Dancing baby: He started dancing almost as soon as he could walk. At first he bounced when he heard music, and now he quickly stomps his feet back and forth.

Figuring out his body parts: When I read the book Five little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, he starts smacking himself in the head. If you ask him wear his belly is, he'll lift up his shirt and start playing with his very big belly.

Feeding others: He gets a kick out of feeding people cherrios and gold fish crackers. Jason has a zombie with detachable body parts, and Huxley will take an arm off the zombie and try to feed the arm to Buffy.

Adventures: We've had many walks in the wagon and trips to the park since the weather's been nice. We're also still going to Gymboree two - three times a week. This week, Huxley has a playdate with his new playgroup.

More words

2009-02-25T10:10:00.003-05:00

He's been saying "all done" like crazy lately and appropriately too. This morning he added another word/phrase to his repertoire, "thank you." The girls who watch him at the gym both heard him say it when given his milk. He's such a polite baby.

Huxley's Chores

2009-02-21T10:40:00.003-05:00

Huxley loves the sweeper. Here's a video of him making an attempt at sweeping the kitchen. At the end he has to inspect what the sweeper caught, and mommy has to take the sweeper away.

Huxley's Latest Tricks

2009-02-20T21:16:00.005-05:00

Lately, it seems like he's just exploding with new tricks. Everyday he does something new. Here's a recap of his latest and greatest accomplishments.

Praising himself: Whenever he gets a shape into his shape sorter or almost gets a shape into the sorter, he gets a big smile on his face, looks at me, and starts clapping.

Pointing: A while ago he figured out he could poke things with his finger and that was great fun. One morning he rediscovered the lights in the house and kept pointing up to them. All day long, he pointed at all of the lights he saw. Eventually this led to pointing to other objects aside from lights.

Walking: He started walking a few weeks after his first birthday. When he first began walking, we called him Franken-Baby. He wobbled back and forth with his arms out to the side. It didn't take long for the wobble to turn into a run. He's so impressed with himself that he'll put his hands behind his back while he walks. It looks like he's strutting.

Climbing: After he started crawling, it didn't take him long to start climbing up the stairs. Now he's moved on to bigger obstacles like the play center in his toy room, chairs, and the bathtub.

The refrigerator: He loves to make giant water messes at the refrigerator. It's wonderful.

Grunting: Instead of crying, he grunts for whatever he wants whether it's his water or goldfish crackers.

All done!!

2009-02-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

That's what Huxley's been saying lately. It normally takes some prompting, but he's started saying "all done." Although, it sounds more like "ah done." Close enough.

Adventures in food...

2009-02-18T11:30:00.009-05:00

Now that Huxley's a year old, he's able to try new food that could have possibly caused an allergic reaction or an upset tummy. Here have been our latest adventures in food.

New Foods: Peanut butter, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, smoothies, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, watermelon, cookies, & spinach quiche. He's had spinach before and hasn't like it but loved spinach quiche. When he was done eating he took his leftovers and mashed them together with his hands.

Favorite Restaurant: Red Robbin - He loves it because he gets to eat crayons and play with balloons.

Messes: He loves to throw his sippy cups on the floor, and they of course explode. The only sippy cup he will drink from happens to be the exploding kind.

Huxley's Security Blanket

2009-02-18T11:10:00.007-05:00

A nurse practitioner recommended placing a burp rag/diaper in the crib with Huxley as soon as he rolled over. Ever since Huxley was four months old, he's slept with his burp rag. The past couple months he's developed a deep attachment. He takes it with him into the bath tub which makes bath time very messy. When he gets out of the bathtub I have a dry one waiting for him. He also likes to have it during dinner time and while he's playing. If he needs to have his hands free to play with a toy then he shoves the rag in his mouth - a convenient storage place for everything.

Huxley's First Wagon Ride

2009-02-09T17:45:00.001-05:00

Today was the first nice, warm day since Huxley got his wagon for
Christmas. After a long day of teething pain, the wagon was just what
he needed to cheer up!

Birthday Cake Video

2009-01-19T07:03:00.004-05:00

Here's a video of Huxley eating his dinosaur birthday cake. He loved the green icing.

Huxley in motion

2009-01-19T06:52:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple of videos of the monster walking.

Bye-Bye Bottle

2009-01-19T06:44:00.005-05:00

He's been officially broken of the bottle. I got rid of the bedtime bottle feeding Friday night, and he's adjusting well.