Gabriel Turns 1!

We celebrated Gabriel's 1st birthday a few weeks ago. I can't believe this kid is already 1! The last 6 months have seriously flown by. I'm pretty sure he turned into a toddler the day of his birthday because it seems like he's 1 going on 3 now. He decided to start walking the week before his birthday. He's now running, climbing, dancing, signing, talking (in what sounds a lot like Hebrew), and doing lots of pointing. He also refuses to be spoon-fed any kind of food and demands an adult-sized utensil at every meal. He's pretty easy going most of the time, but definitely knows how to throw a tantrum when things aren't going his way. He's a total daddy's boy and loves his big brother. He follows him everywhere! They play together really well but when the occasional argument arises, Gabriel knows how to hold his own (i.e. pulling hair, pinching, and full-body tackles are some of his favorite moves). He is a really fun little guy to have around and we're glad he's part of our family!

first words: da-da, ma-ma (finally!), hi, no-na (Noah)

favorite food: shredded cheese, avocado, cottage cheese, apples, black beans

favorite song: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"

favorite book: "That's Not My Truck"

favorite toy: talking Elmo doll, mommy's keys

favorite naughty activity: turning the computer off, unplugging the TV (usually when he wants attention!)

first signs: "all done", "milk"

We had a great time celebrating his birthday with family and friends. Here are some pics from the festivities:

Gabey walks!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hi everybody, Noah here. I couldn't think of what to get my mom for her birthday and my dad had some lame ideas about flowers or making her a card so I decided to take matters into my own hands and hack into her blogger account. You see, I'm a child of the 21st century so even though right now I write all my letters on top of one another and my stick figures look more like spiders with multiple limbs coming out of the same place, computers allow me to overcome the limitations of my fine motor skills and verbal abilities.

So, for my mom's birthday I'd like to tell you all some things that make my mom great. First of all, she is incredibly patient with me and my little brother. I mean, we go out of our way to make her life difficult. This isn't malicious in any way, it's just what we're supposed to do and trust me we are good at it. In fact, Gabriel may be better at it than I am (he's a quick learner). She's also really good at dealing with my dad, who, let's face it, is not well in the head. I'm pretty sure that med school and residency has turned him into some sort of medical robot so that he knows fancy words but none of them make any sense. The good thing about this is that he pretty much does whatever mom says but otherwise he's really not very useful in any way I can see. I mean it would be one thing if he made good money but we all know that hasn't happened. The best thing about my mom, though, is that she is really, really interested in me and everything about me. I mean I can tell her anything that I did during the day that I thought was interesting and it's like I discovered penicillin. I never have to worry that she's going to be there when I need her, I feel safe and taken care of and she also lets me express my individuality, supporting my clear talent for dance with great enthusiasm. So, here's to you mom, happy 31st birthday and thanks for being the best mom an almost 4-year-old could ask for!

Also, here's a video my dad made me make. Don't worry about Gabriel screaming in the background, it's not because I knock him down 10 seconds into the video, he just can't stand that I look better on camera. Plus, you'll see, he freezes up when the camera is on. Anyway, my poor dad, he's really grasping at straws for presents this year and is using me and my brother to try and get away with not getting her anything good. . .