Happy 2007! (I'm 21 Months!)

Happy New Year! I hope y’all had a Merry Christmas! I am about as happy as an almost-two-year-old boy can be right now! First I had Christmas up in New Braunfels with Granna & Papa and my cousins Skyler & Katie. I got a train set, an art easel, cowboy boots & a cowboy hat, an Aquadoodle pad, little San Antonio Spurs Nikes from Uncle Todd, the “Cars” movie on DVD, some “Cars” shoes, and a “Cars” book (do you notice a theme?) I really got the hang of opening presents this year. I could rip the paper off a box or pull tissue paper out of a bag in less than 20 seconds! The next day I baked cookies with Granna. I loved cutting the Christmas shapes and shaking the sprinkles. Mommy and Daddy even let me try one after they came out of the oven! I went to see Santa Claus twice this year. The first time I was very excited to see him at the beginning. Mommy & Daddy asked me if I wanted to sit in Santa's lap while we were waiting in line and I nodding, "yes!" enthusiastically. They kept asking, "where’s Santa?” I would point quickly and smile. But, when my turn came, I got a little nervous. I cried a little and yelled, “No!” when I was supposed to sit in Santa’s lap. I gave Santa a “high-5” instead. The second time we went to see Santa was at La Cantera Mall. This time I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. I sat on Santa’s lap like a big boy—a little confused as to the point of the hullabaloo, but sitting for the camera none-the-less. My final episode with Santa this season was at home. Grandma gave us a singing cowboy Santa who dances. Whenever Mommy or Daddy would turn him on, I would shriek at the top of my lungs and yell, “Off!” But by the end of the week, I was requesting the "Santa song" wherever we went. On Friday the 22nd I left for Iowa. The flights up to Des Moines and back went well. They should have, I’ve flown enough (but Mommy still gets nervous about me before every flight)! It helped that I was bumped up to First Class on the flight from San Antonio this time. It was a nice Christmas present, but it made Mommy very uneasy. She kept asking, “doesn’t the nice lady know we’re traveling with an infant?” Whatever that means; I happen to be a toddler. As long as I had my cars and books, I was fine. Since we got up at 4:00 to catch our 6:00 flight, I went to sleep as soon as I was in the car on the way to Uncle Wes & Aunt Julie’s after we landed. Their neighbor, Shelly, had to pick us up since Julie was in labor at the hospital. Oh, yeah! I have a new boy cousin on the Breyen side of the family. Aunt Julie had Adam Wesley at 12:12 on 12/22. I got to go see my new cousin at the hospital the same day he was born! He was a fun Christmas present for the Papenfuss household. He was a big guy at 9 pounds 5 ounces, but still didn’t want to play too much with the rest of us. He slept a lot, but I still gave him lots of hugs and gentle kisses. He’ll be a lot of fun to play with in a year or two! I had a wonderful holiday up in Iowa playing with my other girl cousins Anna, Sydney & Ashley. I came home with an entire suitcase full of toys, too! I got a plethora of cars and trucks, a Cabbage Patch Kid named Nathaniel, “Cars” slippers and “Cars” p.j.s, dinosaur p.j.s, books, puzzles, toy animals, a doodle bear, a DoodlePro pad, and a toy garage. I’ll need three months just to unpack my booty. (Hmmm, just in time for my birthday loot from Mommy & Daddy!) Now I’m back at home. I meant to get this update out on New Year’s Day, but we all continued the nasty tradition of getting sick when the Breyen’s get together. I was down for the count the last four days. My fever broke yesterday, but I still have this cough. Mommy isn’t sure how much is a cold and how much is a reaction to the cedar trees that bother so many people here in San Antonio (including Mommy). Aunt Julie called yesterday to say that baby Adam was hospitalized with RSV, so maybe that’s the bug I’m fighting. Arghhh. Yesterday, I had my first temper tantrum—55 minutes of screaming, crying, throwing my cars, throwing my books, hitting the walls with my hands, swatting at mommy & Daddy, batting my sippy cup, dropping to the ground and kicking the floor with my feet then spinning in circles. At one point I heard Mommy say, “Who is this boy and what happened to our Nathaniel.” She was very happy Daddy was there to witness this dramatic shift in my behavior. I’ve been such a mellow kid until now he probably wouldn’t have believed her if he hadn’t seen the display with his own eyes. Yes, I do turn two in March; I’m just trying to prep Mommy & Daddy for what’s in store. (Grandma says I’m simply advanced for my age.) My obsession with cars is still prevalent, of course. Aunt Julie says it’s a “hoarding” issue. If there is a car in the room, I must have it in my hand. You can always find me holding a car, reading about cars or lining up cars end-to-end. I also love to dance. I play the music magnets on the fridge, lift my legs up high and stomp them down again or I sway my body from sideto- side and swirl my hips wide. Mommy says I'm going to get all the ladies. I’m also quite the neat freak. Oh no, I could care less if there are cars, books and toys all over the floor; I just want my hands, plate and sippy cup to be orderly. If there’s a speck of milk on my plate (where it doesn’t belong) or a crumb of toast on my sippy cup or some oatmeal on my finger; I scream at the top of my lungs and point to it. Forget the fact I’m wearing a bib and can wipe it by myself. I want to make sure everybody is aware of the travesty. My vocabulary is increasing everyday. I now say “Sorry” on a regular basis (I get a lot of practice). I said “Wuv yooooooo!” to Mommy and Daddy over Christmas vacation and almost made them cry (I’ll have to remember that one!) I still don’t say yes, but I nod with my whole body when I want something (like a Japanese bow). I’ve learned the power of using the words, “momma” and “dada,” too. I hope everyone reading this entry had a wonderful Christmas and a happy turn of the New Year. My resolution this year is to see how quickly I can frustrate Mommy & Daddy every day by testing their patience and their authority. 2007 should be a fun year!
Until next time, Nathaniel