Year is Almost Over

I know, I've only blogged once during December and I don't want you to get your hopes up that I'll pick up the speed soon.  I'm thinking December is just going to be blog-light.  I've put together a list of excuses for your viewing pleasure:

1. Turns out I'm only home for 19 days in December.
2. Of those 19 days, Brian is gone for 6 of them (so I'm playing "single mom" this week - a role I'm not a fan of).
3. I'm pregnant (yes, still... I know I haven't talked about it much but that doesn't mean it isn't real).
4. It's Christmastime which means I have to buy presents, coordinate travel, and cook baked ziti for Brian's work Christmas party (it makes sense in my head... must go with it).
5. I'm building a house (cross your fingers, supposed to be done in mid-January) and I surprisingly have responsibilities attached to that - even though we leave a lot up to the builder.
6. My mom has cancer (come on, if she can throw the cancer card why can't I?).

So, since we are getting close to a new year, I thought I would share with you some new and cute things Monkey has been doing recently. 

A while back Monkey began tearing out pieces of books with thin pages (i.e. not board books) and the pages of catalogs that Daddy would give him to play with because "he wanted the catalogs."  I would find these little pieces of paper all over the house.  But recently, Monkey has become quite considerate and now, after he tears out the pages of catalogs that Mommy gave him because "well, Daddy already did it so it was just easier to continue to give them to him" he brings the torn out pieces of paper to me.  Now, I get to collect all the paper and I don't find any sitting around the house.

So, if you recall, a while back Monkey found my underwear drawer and had started to wear my underwear as scarves and other accessories.  I had to relocate my underwear and I left a few pairs for him that I never wear.  Well... what I didn't tell you is that my bras are in a drawer underneath where my underwear used to live.  So, Monkey has also been in my bra drawer.  Usually he just takes them out and piles them on the ground.  But, the other day he decided to wear one along with his underwear (that sentence was just really weird to write) and when I went to put on one of my bras the drawer was empty. 

So, I said out loud, "Where did all my bras go?"  and Monkey was off.  He ran out of my bedroom and one by one brought all of my bras back to me.  I don't really know how I feel about the fact that my 15-month old knows the word for bra.

My tall and lean baby has some wardrobe malfunctions.  Since his torso is long but his legs are short, he is still wearing 12-month pants.  But, since he is lean even the 12-month pants are too big in the waist.  So, when he isn't wearing his shoes, his pants start to slide down.  While this gives him a very "urban" look, it also makes him trip over his pants while he is running with abandon throughout the apartment.  So, I started to tell him to pull his pants up.  At first he looked at me like I had two heads.  Then he "figured it out" and would start to pull his pants down.  But, just last week, when I said it again he actually pulled up his pants.  He has repeated this behavior enough to make me think he now understands the actual words. 

And finally, my new favorite thing... Monkey blows kisses.  Granted, I have to blow about 6000 kisses to him, then he smiles and I get one kiss in return, but it is so worth it.

Okay, we are soon off to NJ for Christmas.  I'll try to remember to take lots of pictures and videos and post them.  Hopefully, next year Monkey can spend Christmas in his own house with a tree since last year we were moving and this year we will be up North. 

And I'll leave you with this image... Monkey climbing out of pot in to which he had previously climbed.  Happy Holidays!!