The power of words and a new lovey?

So, I think it was a month or so before Christmas that I realized I was going to have to start watching what I say. I have a tendency to just sort of think aloud, so one day when we didn't really have anything planned the conversation went like this:
Natalie: "What should we do today....ooo I know I think I'll make some cookies."
Collin: (quickly) "COOKIE?!?! COOKIE, COOKIE, COOKIE!" (big smile)
Now, we try to really filter what we say--yes even the dreaded spelling of words. And now that I think of it, most of the "filtered" words are food words. (I realized the other day probably half or more of his vocab is words for food...hmmm...and he does like his food--yet he is below the 50% for weight we found at his appt last week. Must be the activity level!) So now besides cookie, we generally avoid "beets", "banana", "bread", "yogurt", and the big one "CHEESE" (thanks Grandma Ebbens ;) ). Collin's favorite food these days is definitely cheese. I'm thinking I just need to start calling everything something-cheese. Like "Collin, it's chicken-cheese" or "it's green bean-cheese" :) The other day he ate about 3/4 box of mac & cheese! I had planned to share it with him when I returned from the pantry, but when I got back there was only a small bowl left! (and a very messy boy!) I have yet to find a kind of cheese he does not like--definitely takes after daddy on that one! (Mama is a velveeta girl!)

Collin is also talking a LOT more. He is such a little chatterbox and if you don't respond he just keeps repeating the same word over & over, louder & louder until he has your attention. Quite tiring by the end of the day ;) Sometimes I think he talks just to make noise. He even created a little game the other day. He likes the words (and the cereal by Kashi) Mighty Bites which he pronounces "Bitey Bites". So he would ask "Bitey Bites?" and I would say "no, not right now" or something similar. Then he would ask "Do Doos?" which is how he says Cheerios. And I would say no, not now. And so he would go back to "Bitey Bites?"--"No"--"Do Doos"--"No", etc, etc you get the idea. When he first learned to say Mighty Bites, he said it all day long. At one point we were out of them and I'm sure he asked hourly! One day when he was falling asleep in the car Dan tried to wake him (we were almost home) and he sleepily with eyes closed replied "Bitey Bites" :) We laughed.

People often mention how cute it is that he says "please" so much. But I always say, it's not so much that he is extremely polite, it's just his way of saying "I want that". Works well for us that it sounds so much nicer than he intends! Some of his most recent words are "on" and "off" (due to his love of lights).

So onto the subject of a new lovey...well, hopefully it will pass, but...
For many months now, Collin has had 2 lovies that he sleeps with: a small ducky w/ blanket and a fuzzy blue blanket. Well today right before nap Collin picked up a tissue which was on the floor from playing with it previously. I thought, no big deal & let him hold it (with Ducky & Blanky) as I rocked him to sleep & he napped with the "tissue". Didn't think of it again until 1/2 hr after he was asleep tonight he woke crying. I went in and he started crying "tissue, tissue, tissue". So I got him one and he laid down and went to sleep...hmmm...we shall see where this goes. (If you didn't already know Collin does have a "thing" for tissues or anything similar (tissue paper, toilet paper, napkin, etc) and loves to carry it around for a while...cleaning things, putting it in/taking out of cups, shredding, etc. Whatever.)

Oh and if you are looking for photos, don't forget to check the "Photo Album".

And for those of you keeping track of all the "non-toys"...clothespins have proved truly great. I just give him an new container to put them in/out of & he's good to go for a bit! :)

Oh yeah, and a new tooth this week...up to 16 now!

This and That (Updated)

*links to larger images have been fixed now 2/16/08

Due to Dan's work as Pastor to the international students on campus, we have had the opportunity to spend some time with some of the students in the Taiwanese MBA program here at UD. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet and we greatly enjoy them. And they all enjoy doting on Collin! It is so funny--they just love him--and of course he loves all of the attention.

I think at the beginning of the year he was a bit overwhelmed by the groups of 6 or more at a time gathered around him squeeling and making faces and saying "How Cute! How Cute!" But now, he expects it and just plays it all up! We all had a great time.

It has been snowing and snowing and snowing here. And since we are in a cul de sac with so many units, there is literally no where to go with the snow. So we have huge piles in front of each place. This was actually after a couple days, so I'm sure some of it had already melted and as you can see the pile is taller than Dan.

So I must tell about our traumatic bath night last night. Collin has been sick for about two weeks. Cold, turned ear infection turned terrible itchy rash. Every time I thought he was completely "covered" the number of spots would double! I thought no one would believe how covered he was and took a picture--although it doesn't even show that well in the pic, but if you look at the full size you will get an idea. Amazingly by the next morning it was nearly completely gone--definite answer to prayer!

Anyway, we were going to give him a nice soothing baking soda bath. And I was just making sure it was the right temp, etc and he usually sits on the potty chair during this point, but this time he was standing next to me and suddenly I noticed my toe was a bit warm....lovely. Anyway, after cleaning up that, he was playing in the tub, but then he slipped a bit while he was busy staring at the "baby" in the drain switch thingy. :) So that scared him and he was crying. Then about the time he was calmed...well...he was a bit too calm...and he pooped in the tub--ug I was just thinking a few days ago how surprised I was he had never done that yet. I knew I was in for it the moment I thought it... So then of course we have to start over, etc, etc etc. And with an overtired boy (from not sleeping due to the rash), it was quite the event.

I also wanted to get some pictures of "classic Collin" just to document it. Collin LOVES anything electrical. We call him our little electrician. When he enters a room he immediately notices all fans, lights, cords, and outlets--along with anything else mechanical, etc. He is just fascinated! Each day after his nap, he asks to play with his fan (which is a "word" he says without anything vocal coming out his mouth--it's just a sort of nasal sound or something, but the same each time :)) that we use for background noise. This started clear back in thanksgiving when we were at Grandma & Papa's house and "regular" toys just weren't cutting it. And his fascination for electricity has been since day one. A family friend said of her son with a similar attraction that he was "plugged in at the nursery". Well, that is true in more than one way for Collin! ;) I can remember in the hospital how he used to stare at the indirect lighting as he was falling asleep. At that time, I thought it was just the contrast, but now...
Oh and of course we've been having more "non-toy" fun lately. :) I've found some great books with ideas: Unplugged play, Toddlers Busy Book (heard about on http://unplugyourkids.blogspot.com/2007/10/great-resource-for-keeping-young.html which has some good ideas), and some other web sites, etc. It's great fun--not sure who enjoys it more. I just love watching him play & explore things like that. Below Collin was playing with cotton balls & a muffin tin. Another day it was clothes pins & a bucket.
And of course fort making! Collin has been into having the cushions off the couches lately so he can climb up & down himself. He likes to take a toy or book up there & just sit :) Or look out the front window to watch the snow plows, etc (plenty of those lately).