Chunky Summertime

Well it has been a big week for the Chunk Head and he is really starting to come into his own. This past week we made a trip to Nana and Papa Zuniga's in Saint Louis and it seems that every time we are there he begins something new. I think it is due to all of the insanity, commotion, loud noises, and more playmates than he could ever dream of.

It all started one early Tuesday morning. Gaber, his Uncle Pedro, and I were at a secret fishing pond near their house. Pete was fishing while I was ensuring that Meat Hands didn't dive face first into the murky water never to be seen again. Gabriel has an unhealthy attraction to large bodies of water as well as large snarling animals. What can I say, my son laughs in the face of danger... literally, I'm not joking. So any-who, while I am keeping track of my son, Pete is starting to attract some fish. At one point he feels what seems to be a big hit, but looses it and the lure comes flying out of the water. I respond in disappointment, "Ahhhh man!" Then suddenly it is repeated by a small but not so quite voice playing in the dirt and sticks by my legs, "Ahhhhhhhh maaaaaannnnnn." Pete and I both look at each other and question if we truly heard what we think we just heard. We chalk it up to coincidence and move on for my boy has not uttered any words, much less a full expression with two components to it, and refuses to even say please in sign language because he is too stubbern and bull headed, even though he knows what it means and knows how to! So we continue, Pete fishes, Gaber gets dirty, and I protect the one getting dirty and stare at my fishing pole with yearning eyes. Suddenly Pete again feels a hit but looses the fish and we exclaim "Ahh man!" To out amazement our words are again echoed by the voice below me, "aaahhhhhhh mmmaaaaaaaaannnn." Then suddenly it dawns on the two of us! Yes he did just say that, my 13 month old son is a GENIUS! Over the next few days he also began to say "dog," "bark," and "ba" for bath.

Although we are surprised that his is saying words, we are not surprised at his choice of words. He is still obsessed with dogs and animals, and will search like mad any times he hears one. He is still a little water bug. While at Nana and Papa Zuniga's he had lots of pool time and loved every minute of it, throwing a fit every time we took him out. He had a routine of spending some time in the little plastic baby pool then trotting over to the big pool where he would fall into the arms of Anna or I waiting in the big pool. After some time there he would clime out on his own by the pool steps, make a b-line for the baby pool and it would start over again.

By the time we returned home last night he was completely exhausted from all the excitement. Despite his tiredness he refused to stop pacing every room in the house, laughing and babbling as he touched everything and reacquainted himself with all of his toys. He was very happy to be home. So happy in fact that this morning he decided that it was time for him to start learning to draw and color. So he found a pad of paper on the coffee table and a pen and tried to color/draw. We gave him a few pointers and he was off, making a few little scribbles here, then picking up his paper and moving a few feet to a new location. Then made a few scribbles, picked up his supplies, and moved on to a new location, and so on.

It seems like every time we go on a trip he comes back a different and slightly more advanced goof-ball.

(written by Gabe if you haven't already guessed)