Every little boy's dream vacation

...if only every hotel had a construction site like this right outside their window!!

More details to follow.

Speech therapy assessment

My Mom took me to a speech assessment today. It was like a fun playdate! Despite the fact that the room had 4 adult strangers, I quickly warmed up to the room because there was a picture of a train on the wall. We played ball, puzzles (one had a really cool tractor!), identified things in pictures. I frequently paused what I was doing to turn around, point to the picture of the train, and exclaim, "Doh doh!" (my way of saying "choo choo train"). We did some activities which I love like filling and pouring, fitting rods into holes, fitting puzzle pieces, drawing lines. When the lady blew bubbles at me, the bubbles were fine, but on the bubble bottle was this small yellow dump truck that I had to point out! Definitely nothing wrong with my eyesight! When I was asked to make a block tower with 13 blocks, I stopped after the 9th one when I saw that the tower start wobbling. I knew it was going to fall! After much coaxing, they got me to put the 10th block on, but down it came tumbling! I knew it! The only thing that I didn't seem so keen on was the pretend play taking care of a teddy bear. Hello, please, that is girly! Can you give me a truck or car or something a little more interesting, please??!

The assessors determined that my problem solving skills are higher than my age, at a 27 to 30 month level. But for expressive language, I am talking at about a 14 to 18 month level! They recommended early intervention through six months of weekly 45 minute speech therapy sessions. They claimed that waiting too long would risk a developmental delay. Kids often act out their frustration from delays in aggression. I hope that this helps me express myself better! Meanwhile, I enjoy saying new words like "backpack" (I like walking around wearing Dora's backpack) and jibber jabbering away. My parents are enjoying my toddler talking phase and are cherishing it as long as they can, because they know that it all changes so quickly and that they'll miss it.

First Trick or Treating

...what is this mysterious gift?

25 month follow up

My doctor was still concerned about my speech delay, so she is sending me to speech therapy. My fontanel still hasn't closed up but the neural surgeon said that anterior fontanels often take four years to close up. I gained a pound in one month, so I am growing!

Run, Sebi, Run!

Here I am being the "Muh Train". (I say "Muh!" a lot...) I run a big loop from our family room, through our kitchen and playroom. This evening, I ran this circuit for about 20 minutes straight! My head was soaking wet from sweat afterwards!

Ditto

...a third birthday celebration, this time with my Mom's family. I love it everytime!

My own language

Well, my parents keep trying to get me to say words, but I am just such a happy-go-lucky mellow dude that I am oblivious to their efforts. I do have my own language. Here is a sample:

mama - mama, hold me, pay attention to me!, hey you!!
NO!! - no, mine, get away from me, haha I can copy my sister!
Yo - yes
muh - more or milk
mup - up
ne deh - i want that
wazaa - what is that
huhuhuh - dog, hot, steam engine
doh doh - choo choo train
beep beep - car
smack lips - fish
pbbb - horse
baba - chicken

I've also been singing "Ee-i-ee-i-o" part of Old McDonald, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and my circus train song. Well, at least I can get the rhythm right, even if I can't carry the tune quite yet.

Apple harvesting time

I smell apple crumbles, yum yum yum!

2 - 3 - 4

What a fun joint birthday celebration with Rowan and Eliana!

Negative?

Three days after my second birthday, I can't stop saying "No!" I woke up today and for everything that my parents ask me, I've been saying, "No! No! No!" It has suddenly become my favorite word! Could this be the beginning of the "terrible twos"?

2 year checkup

I'm 31 1/4" tall and 22 pounds, less than 3% on both measures. Since I'm still not saying many words, the doctor suggested I see a specialist about my ears and hearing. The specialist said I was fine, and told my Mom not to worry about my speech delay, citing that his son had a speech delay and now he is a pre-med at Harvard!

First haircut

...enough snickering about my mullet baby hair. Got my first haircut today!

I'm 2!

a-Ma in town

I wish she would be around all the time to play with me!

Feed me

An awesome behind the scenes Oakland Zoo tour!

Teacher assessment

Now that I am almost 2 years old, I can technically move up into Isabella's classroom. However, my parents are concerned because I still don't say many words. So my Mom had a conference with the teachers who said but for the speech, I am really smart! I can do and complete all my activities from start to finish. I know what is expected of me, what should be done, and always clean up. I seem to understand everything that people say to me, and respond and follow directions well. I recognize what is right and wrong, and am very well behaved. I seem to be trying to say the words but can't get them out right now. Well, they'll keep trying but I'm doing it at my own speed...

Overhead throwing

My new milestone!

Nice place for a nap

I've found the best places to nap! Here I am catching some zzz's in Montefioralle, Italy; Santorini; Parthenon in Athens; on a gondola in Venice; on a quiet Brooklyn street; Split, Croatia; at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul...

On shore

More details to follow. See more pictures from the Shore Excursions here.

All aboard

I hate this life jacket! Luckily the rest of the time on board the ship was great. More details on the cruise to follow. See more pictures from the cruise here.