Summer!!!

Summer is officially here and it feels like it! We have been having so much fun. Trevor has been gone a bunch but we've been really getting out while he's away and when he is home we have that much more fun. We've been taking advantage of the beautiful weather and hitting up the beach and the meadow at the Silver Lake Reservoir as much as possible. It has been so fun bringing toys and a picnic to the grassy meadow and now that we have our tent and kid bike seat the beach is a whole new adventure. We've been playing with lots of friends-Gus and Luke, Remi (and her new brother Beau), Agatha, Wyeth, Ella, and Bo have all been in the mix a bunch. Otto has two friends named Jack (Tarmy and Lawson) who just had super fun birthday parties and Agatha and Bo and Mila had great birthday parties too. Otto is taking swimming lessons with Ella and Bo every Saturday and it has been sooo wonderful getting together with their mom's and playing in the pool. Ali and Rachel have been hanging out a bunch too so I've been loving having them over for big long walks with Otto. And Otto has been getting a bit better in restaurants so we've been venturing out (to outdoor venues) and meeting friends for food or drinks on occasion. I love summer.
Just a quick note so I don't forget when it happened-Otto learned how to count to 10. He learned last month (19 months) and I've been meaning to make note of it for a while. And he's getting pretty close to being able to recite the alphabet song. He knows parts of it and I'll have to prompt him with a letter and he'll continue on to the next part. He's also memorizing his books. He can fill in the blank if I leave parts out. And he is still repeating our words and phrases like crazy. And Otto is beginning to use them in the correct context unprompted. For instance yesterday he was riding his scooter and we were cheering him on saying "you are doing it" then he stumbled a bit he said "almost." It was pretty darn funny.

Cabin

Otto, Trevor and I went to Montana for the week around the 4th of July. We look forward to this trip every year and this time was no exception. Even being at the airport was a blast. As Trevor and I say, the travel fairy was on our side-everything was seamless. All 3 of us slept the first leg of our trip and then our little puddle jumper over to Montana from Salt Lake had the best crew in the history of the world. They made the hour flight a blast. As we were taking pictures walking to the airplane (the first photo I posted) the flight attendant saw us and asked if we'd like to get a shot of Otto in the cockpit. AHHHHHH YES PLEASE!!!! The pilots could not have been nicer and even let Otto push a few buttons...we joked that he was in "Otto pilot" mode! Grandma Deidra and Grandpa Ray picked us up from the airport in West Yellowstone and after a bit of grocery shopping we headed out to Hebgen Lake. Once there we were greeted by a huge crew-Cori, James, Andreas, Sophia, Kodiak, Taz, Carrie, Anthony, Ellie, Stormy, Rick, Piper, and Tammi were all there. Otto LOVED playing with all the kids. Unfortunately they didn't stay long but the time we all did spend together was wonderful. Otto especially loved Pipie. She payed so much attention to him and Otto looked for her every time she wasn't playing with him. Once that crew left it was time for Jay and Jada's arrival. Otto loved having them around and we are extra thrilled because Jay was our staff photographer. He got some really great shots of our vacation. Otto spent most of his time running from car to truck to jeep to semi to suv to station wagon and to race car. Oh boy was he ever in heaven playing inside such a vast array of vehicles. He also loved the sea doos (which we called water momo's for his benefit) and playing with the wheel of the boat came in at a close second place. Otto also really enjoyed watching Trevor and I wheel the bicycles around. He'd run up to them and spend a bit of time spinning the wheels and pedals then he ask us to move them around the yard. He LOVED the trampoline as well. We would jump with all the kids and then we would jump alone and he would run around and we would sing "Who let the momo's out, who let the "fill in the blank" out over and over again. He couldn't get enough. Otto also loved looking at all the baby frogs in the yard-there were tons this year. He enjoyed playing in the lake and loved all the go-go's (Chinese word for doggie)and really loved the guinea pig (who he called gee pee). The highlight of our trip though was a really great long hike to Moose Meadow with all the family. I've never seen Otto run more in his life. With Kodiak helping him along he was unstoppable! He was adorable and it was just the cutest thing to watch his cool, big cousin helping him up up up the hills and down down down. It was just a great bonding trip for Otto and all his cousins. I think Otto really enjoyed himself!

19 month Duck photo and other stuff!

Otto's 18 month doctor appointment came a bit late...just after 19 months. Here are his new stats-
Weight: 27lbs 4oz 65%
Height: 35in 96%
Head Circ: 45cm 52%
Otto is getting a little antsy with the duck photos and we aren't a diligent about taking one every month but we did get at least one cute photo. He LOVES his cement mixer (he calls it a mee mama) so we took his latest duck installment with him holding it.
Otto is just growing leaps and bounds. He is sooooo verbal and honestly can repeat anything we ask him to say. He's also beginning to say little phrases like "I love you" or as Uncle John taught him "Go get it." He is big into possessives-Aunt Maria's keys and Mommy's hat. And says hi and bye a lot to everyone and everything. He is just cracking us up with what he knows. Trevor always warns him if he gives him a big bite of food by saying big bite and the other day he ate a pretty big bite of watermelon and said on his own "big bite." He also really likes to ask us to "hold ba ba please." It has been great hearing what's on his mind. Otto still has love for fans (pronounced haaaa) and cars and motorcycles (momos) garbage trucks...really all vehicles including bicycles. Still loves balls and reading "booooooks" and he loves to run. That little baby is just a joy. I also included a photo from a while back that I've been meaning to put in the blog. It's just a cute one of Otto doing a rim rattle at the YMCA. Trevor is below yelling SLAM DUNK. The yellow-ish photo was taken by Ali in Otto's room and the last photo is of me reading to Otto before bed...which has become so easy since Grandma Deidra's visit. We now just read books, talk about our day, say prayers and then tell him night night as we put him in the crib and he goes to sleep on his own. Hallelujah!

Otto and Dad

The week we got back from Italy was a busy one. Goa got her neck surgery and I had a few jobs so Otto had his first babysitter. Olga, our friend's nanny, watched Otto for a few days and Jera, his Chinese tutor also watched him. He loved both and seemed to have a really good time. Trevor also pitched in a lot and took care of Otto over the weekend when I had a big catering job. These photo's are from his weekend with his Dad. They went to the car museum...how I've never taken Otto there yet remains a mystery. He LOVED it and ran around pointing out all the "cool cars" and got his photo taken in a real race car. The photo of him passed out holding two new cars is on the way home from the museum. Trevor also took Otto to a carnival in the Valley with Gus and Luke and Remi AND managed to fit in a trip to Chinatown. I think Otto was disappointed when things returned to normal and I took over watching him. The final photo was taken in his bedroom after he just woke up. Otto was stalling changing his diapers...he learned the word no now and he loves to use it!!!

Grandma Deidra and Goa

The night we flew home from Texas we met Grandma Deidra at the airport. The following morning I flew to France to meet Trevor and we vacationed in Cannes and Sicily for a week with out Otto. He didn't miss us for a second because he had his two favorite Grandmother's doting on him day and night! Grandma Deidra was the ring leader taking Otto to the park, indoor playground, children's museum, and buying him two really cool trucks from Costco. They watered the plants together and went on a lot of walks and played in the backyard and with his stroller. Otto was a different baby when we came home. He grew about a foot and knew so many new words-he was already really mimicking us quite a bit but he REALLY picked it up the week we were gone. His favorite word was "Owie." Grandma Deidra cut her hand and told Otto she had an owie and he still associates her with it. When we mention her name Otto says "owie" or-and this is the one we really love-he immitates her very sweet musical laugh. I love that when he thinks of his Grandma Deidra he thinks of laughter. I think it proves what a wonderful time they had together!

Chicago and Texas

I have been so slow in updating Otto's blog. I'm sorry!!! We were really busy in May. Otto, Goa, and I went to Illinois for a week came back to LA for two days then went to Texas for another week. Sadly we were never able to take Otto's 18 month duck photo but I have other cute photos to add. Illinois was great. We stayed with Karin, Peter, Aiden, and Gillian. Otto was pretty shy around everyone but i know he was happy to have the kids around. By the end of our stay he was calling Gillian "Gia" and following her around. We visited Goa's friends and family and Otto really enjoyed himself at their houses. We also took a 4 hour road trip up north to Ann Arbor, MI to visit the Riley's! we had a blast and Otto really loved hanging out with Asher, Felix, and Hazel. It's a kid's paradise up there! We played at a bunch of parks, went to the petting zoo, hung out with neighboorhood kids, and walked for ice cream. We rounded out our stay by meeting Trevor in Chicago on mother's day and had a ball taking in the sites of the city. Otto loved playing in the fountains at Millenium Park. Later we went to aunt Janine's and uncle Jim's for a wonderful birthday/mother's day dinner. Our whole trip was outstanding!
Next we were off to Houston for Stacy and Ryan's baby shower. The party was all time and Otto really enjoyed playing with all the kids. Stacy's neighbor has a golf cart and he generously let Otto, Goa, and I take it for a cruise around the neighborhood!!! I've never seen Otto happier! I have to get him one of his own. We had lots of fun at the playgroung in the mall and swimming in the pool and playing with the twin's toys. Cooper and Tucker are going to love their new home!

What Otto is up to now

I forgot to add this photo of Otto and Goa under the most magnificent tree I've ever seen at the botanic gardens in Australia.  And I just took the one of Trevor reading to Otto in bed the other morning.  I couldn't resist sharing both and writing about what Otto is up to these days.  He is SO BIG and SMART!  He is really understanding language now.  It is remarkable how much he knows and how fast he is absorbing it.  So fast that I was compelled to introduce a second language and  I got him a Mandarin tutor.  Jera has only visited once so I'm not sure how effective she will be but I hope that just being exposed to another language will be a value.  He is getting very capable these days and can really navigate stairs well both at home and at the playground.  He pretty much goes on the play structures all by himself now.  He can go down the slide no problem and LOVES to hang from the bar above the slide.  He loves to kick and throw balls and play kick the ball down the hall at Goa's and can make a goal (and says "goal" while he does it) and can make a basket when I ask him to try.  He can make some new animal sounds-he says "Ba" for sheep "Whooo" for owl and makes a little snorting sound for pig.  He still raises his arms for ponies and does a little arm over the head wave for a duck.  And when we say flower he sniffs and when we have to go to the bathroom he says "shhh shhh shhh" a trick he learned from his Goa.  He also still likes to dance with a one arm pump, walk backwards, and jump, and turn around.  He also will kiss and hug us on demand!  Goa was the first to discover that new trick.  I was at work and she was watching him and she asked Otto if he loved his car and wanted to kiss it and he walked over to her and have her 4 little kisses on the cheek.  Oh boy, I've never seen her so proud as when she was telling me what he did!  He loves Aunt Stacy too.  Trevor and I went to Las Vegas for the weekend and she came to help Goa watch Otto and during that time they really bonded even more than before.  She told me he would fall asleep on her neck!  He is just so fun right now.