Grandpa

This is a very hard post to write and the reason I have not updated Otto's blog. Otto lost his Grandps on January 4, 2011. We are devastated and I am so sad for Otto. He loved his Gramps so much and I feel the loss for Otto so deeply. We had such a wonderful happy family and household. Every morning Otto and I would come over and his Grandpa would either be up reading the paper or Otto would shout and bang the cabinets until he woke him up. Grandps would drink his coffee and Otto would sit on his lap and try to spill it. Or Otto would play with his feet or pat his back or pull his belt loops. Otto's Grandpa always had the biggest smile for him and always made time for him and would reserve all his energy (which was very hard) to swing Otto on his leg or give him raspberries. When we would give Otto baths we would put him on the kitchen table to dress him and his Grandps would come over and kiss him untill he giggled like crazy. No one could get Otto to laugh like his Grandpa. They shared such a special relationship. Otto loved him like crazy and Grandpa loved Otto like crazy. He was the best...what other Grandpa would pick up and move across country just to be next to his Grandson? Otto's Grandps would immitate all of Otto's sounds and they would laugh at their shared language and it was his Grandpa who taught him sign language. Gramps taught him the sign for fan and it became his universal salute to refer to everything he loved...mostly fans though! I cherish all the photos that we took of Otto and his Grandpa. There aren't too many but the ones we have are so representative of their relationship. Like the one on this post. When we brought Otto home from the hospital his Grandpa would not put him down. He held him for so many hours the first few months of his life. Otto would just sleep in his Grandpa's arms while Grandpa watched TV or napped himself. I think that really solidified their bond. Now we have a few pictures of Grandps on the refirgerator and everyday I ask Otto to point out his Grandpa so he won't forget. And he hasn't. I'm so happy that my Dad got to know Otto and I know their paths will cross again. I'm just sad that his Grandpa never got to take him fishing-something I knew he wanted to do. I'm sad I never got to hear their conversations-something that I really wanted. But I will always tell Otto stories about his Grandpa and how much his Grandpa loved him and how much Otto loved his Grandpa. He really was his second Dad.

14 month duck

Otto wasn't thrilled for this photo shoot-he had just woken up from his nap. He and the duck were very serious this day but I like that they are holding hands-or rather holding wing and hand.

Christmas

Otto spent his second Christmas in Salt Lake. We had great weather and took Otto cross country skiing for the first time and he really enjoyed it-well most of it. We didn't have proper gloves for him so his little hands froze and by the end of the tour he was pretty unhappy. But I'm excited to take him again the next time we are in snow. Only this time we'll be more prepared.

Back in LA

December has been busy so far!!!  I've had a lot of work so Otto has been playing with Gram and Grandps and Dad a lot.  He's been having so much fun and I've been loving coming home to see him once my jobs are over!  We've had some beautiful mid-70's weather and have spent most weekends outside. When I'm not working our days have been action packed.  We went to Ora Duplass's 3 birthday party, we went to Chucky Cheese with Gus and Luke and some other friends, and tried to go to Shana and Nick's holiday party but ended up missing it by a day.  Otto was a trooper despite he mix up.  The reunion between Otto and his Dad was the best.  Trevor grew a mustache so even I was a bit taken aback when I first saw him.  Otto paused a moment then got a HUGE grin on his face.  He knew immediately that he was looking at his DAD.  Trevor grabbed him and hugged him and didn't put him down for the rest of the night!  Otto also got his first haircut this month.  We put his highchair out on the porch and strapped him in.  I was a bit nervous to hold a pair of sharp scissors so close to his little squirmy body but it ended up ok and I think he looks really cute-the picture of him in the red shirt is post haircut.  The other photo was taken in front of the Science Center downtown.  The summer weather we had in the beginning of the month has left and now we are in the middle of a predicted 10 day spell of rain.  Because of the rain we are forced to do indoor activities and the Science Center is one of our favorites.  Otto, Trevor, and I all had a great time!    

13 Month Duck Photo

Here's the latest Duck Photo.  Otto is HUGE and just to prove it he really wanted to stand next to his duck.  I like how casual he looks in this shot.  I had to work this day so Trevor did the photo shoot.  He got lots of cute ones but this particular shot was so different from all the others we had to choose it for his official 13 month image.  Trevor sent the photo to my phone so I could see it while I was at work.  It made my day!!!! 

Otto WALKS!!!!

Otto's big accomplishment now that his is a one year old...he learned to WALK!!!!  It happened in Texas so unfortunately Trevor missed it but we skyped and got it all on video so it is pretty much like he was right there with Otto.  We had been practicing with Otto all month letting him take a few steps on the carpet kind of stumbling back and forth in between Stacy and I while we sat on the ground.  And Gram and I practiced with him by letting him "get" us around the corner of a bed.  All this practice payed off on Saturday November 20!!!  He just sort of figured out that he could get anywhere he wanted to go by toddling around and so he did.  Later that day we took him to a little outdoor mall area in the Woodlands where a lot of kids play with the hope of inspiring him to walk more and explore the big Christmas tree and fountains.  It worked and he walked all around and loved it.  I've posted some video of his new accomplishment.  And the photo is of Otto celebrating how big he is on a donkey statue.  He's SOOOOO BIG!   

More Texas

Texas is huge so it deserves a few posts!  Plus we did so much  I can't fit all the pictures in just one entry.  We spent a lot of time at HEB-the coolest grocery store ever.  It is massive and has so many unique delicious items and best of all it has CAR CARTS!!!  Although they are impossible to steer they pretty much rock and Otto loved going to the grocery store because of them.  He is pictured very casually driving the green version.  The photo of Aunt Stacy and Otto was also taken at HEB.  We were shopping for Thanksgiving after a long day of playing at a Woodlands playground.  Otto was exhausted and snuggled with his Aunt for quite a while.   He even rested his cheek against hers but sadly I didn't get a photo of that.  They were both soooooooo happy and cozy!  The next photo was taken at Ryan and Stacy's neighbor's house.  Clearly Texans, they had a hay bale longhorn that Otto loved to ride.  After I took this shot I realized that Otto was wearing University of Texas orange while sitting on top of a longhorn.  Hmmmm...do I detect a little foreshadowing?  Maybe but I think he's sticking to his roots with the Gator blue socks.  Orange and Blue let's go Gators!!!!  The last two shots were taken outside the ice skating rink in the Woodlands.  Otto's love for bright orange cones has not waned.  He got so excited when he saw the first and then he noticed a whole row of cones to play with.  Christmas came early for Otto!!!!