in like a lion

Happy New Year readers! We have enjoyed sharing all things Baby Jude with you in 2009. We anticipate 2010 will be busy keeping up with and training Jude the Toddler.

Jude tries to play tag with george

Winter has arrived in Chicago. It has been bitter cold and will be tonight again. That didn't stop Kara from bundling Jude in his stroller and visiting the zoo yesterday.

mommy and daddy brought me the lion for christmas

One thing we'd really like to leave behind in 2009 is Jude's new temper tantrums. Its the beginnings of the so-called Terrible Twos. Turns out they start when the kid is one.

but mommy I want the camera

We figured we should include the above photographic evidence of the difficult moments (i.e. screaming in the bookstore, in bed bath & beyond) because many of you wouldn't believe our sweet, smiling boy could show that side. You'll notice the blog posts get more and more spread out as mommy deals with more of Jude's emotions and active play habits.

George the dog meanwhile is dealing with a baby who really wants to grab him...a lot.

rare downtime for the dog

George's world is also more colorful than ever thanks to your generous Christmas gifts. George's tiny world is filled with new objects to dodge as he attempts to avoid Jude's grabby hands or the latest tiny toy tossed his direction. Poor dog. At least Jude provides a supplemental meal plan for George with the many objects tossed, dropped, or cleaned from his high chair. We figure that helps George put up with the kid a little easier.

Thank you for putting up with our erratic blogging schedule in '09. We look forward to sharing many days with you in 2010. Have a blessed New Year!

Shock and Awe

From Northwestern's Parent Review:

Your toddler may now have different ideas and plans and feelings from you on all sorts of issues. This a bit of a shock

and he may resist accepting it for a while.

When you say "no," he may fall to pieces, unable to hold the idea that what he wants to do is not what you want him to do. He may test his newfound knowledge by repeating the same behavior several times in a row. Do you say "no" each time?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

Christmas '09 featured 2 skype virtual visits with Grandpa Henry & Grandma Nancy, a trip to Champaign to have Christmas Day lunch with Grandpa Scott & Jane, cousin Libby, his aunts and friends. Jude got tired and a bit overwhelmed after a few hours of trying to interact with the grown ups. He had to stay awake for the short trip to Grandma Carole and Chuck's home.

At the end the gift tally is:

1 plastic lawnmower toy

a parking garage

an airplane

a 'going to grandmas' suitcase

several loud talking/dancing/barking or singing dogs/snowman/bears

a glowing snowman

a few new trucks

a workbench

a puzzle

several great books

money

a museum membership

great clothes including a leather motorcycle jacket

and some sweets and christmas ornaments

Merry Christmas '09

Jude will love playing and enjoying with his new toys and the memories of fun times with his family. But he and George plan to recover from their adventure first...by sleeping.

santa baby

We reached a milestone in the Miller house, our first time waiting in a long parent/kid line, and our first time to have Jude's official Santa photograph. you may recall he met the big guy on the streets of Forest Park recently. But this time Kara pulled out the fancy candy cane Christmas outfit and paid for the photo op.

thanks Brookfield Zoo!

The picture comes from Holiday Magic at the Brookfield zoo. It is an impressive display of lights, laser light shows (so we hear, we missed it), animals and caroling. We bundled jude in the bugaboo and spent several hours strollering and walking.

The other highlight was watching jude take his first steps in the snow. He was tentative and then kept stamping his feet. Kara thinks he enjoyed hearing the crunching sound his feet were making.

everyday play

Sometimes its the ordinary household items that Jude seems to enjoy playing with the most. Perhaps its because it reminds him of actual toys he has or has played with elsewhere? Or perhaps, to my and Toys R US's dismay, the ordinary stuff really is fun too.

Among Jude's favorite actual toys are those pretend plastic lawnmowers. We don't have one (yet) but there are a few at our church nursery and at the children's museum near our house. He's been known to go wild and push two around at the same time.

Kara wonders if that's where he got the idea for a new use for our folding outdoor Ikea table.

lawnmower interpreted

Jude also loves to play with food boxes. We discovered this in Baltimore when he had laugh out loud fun carrying around two boxes of Stovetop stuffing. He liked them so much he kept searching for the boxes when Grandma or his parents put them away. Back home in Oak Park, Kara pulled out her stuffing containers, a coffee can and a mac and cheese.

Jude the builder

Jude tried shaking them for awhile but then he figured out they also worked as blocks. Kara was just happy he was grabbing something other than her cellphone, keys, or breakable objects.

mommy tells me this is a developmental milestone?

The one flaw in the plan was that Jude figured out how to open the mac n cheese box and spilled a few pieces. A little packing tape solved the issue. It seems like we better keep that packing tape handy for the next few years!

I vow to conquer all childproof latches!

The great Dorito caper

That extra bag of Doritos in the kitchen waiting to travel to the basement storage pantry? Ya... whatever happened to that thing?

The story opens with a mysterious crunch crunch from the front hallway. Kara's quick steps and surveillance photos help solve the crime!

a semi-authentic surveillance photo

Doritos are Greg's favorite snack, and sometimes a dinner entree, when Kara isn't home. Jude apparently decided they were just too good to send to storage.

is this the color my mustache would be?

Jude managed to tear open the bag and help himself to a few chips. Kara believes it to be his first taste of Doritos, however Greg might give another answer.

its not a mouse or George... its Jude

Kara was laughing so hard she had to grab the camera and share the moments with all of you.

the guilty but adorable party

rudolph's relatives

Jude and his parents stayed up late the other night (8pm for baby!) and spent a freezing evening strolling nearby Forest Park. The small stores had live window displays and treats for Christmas. Our favorite was a green faced 'grinch' complete with his small pet dog wearing antlers.

bundle baby

We zipped Jude in his down-filled jacket and snowpants (Thanks Grandpa Henry & Grandma Nancy!) even though there was no snow. He seemed comfortable even if his dad was chilly.

his baby 'sleigh'

Kara wanted to show Jude the live reindeer because he seems to smile and react to animals. She was not disappointed. He instantly perked up and reached for them.

jude meet the reindeer

They even had a handler with a small reindeer the children could touch. Our brave little boy enjoyed feeling the soft animal hair.

Jude also got his first introduction to Santa Claus.

friendly santa

It was a fun night. Jude thanked us by sleeping in til 8am the next morning instead of waking up at his usual 7am.

18 months

We hope you're holiday preparations and celebrations are going well. Here is a look at the Miller Christmas Tree of '09. And...drumroll please...check out the wooden fench Greg built around the tree to keep little Jude from touching it.

Christmas Tree '09

keeping us busy

Jude forces us to stay engaged with his baby moves because we literally never know what he'll show up with next in his little hands. Now that he can walk and squat down, he's quick to pick up shiny objects, even if they happen to be trash or especially plastic water bottles.

'wow'

Jude says a few words now. He says 'Dat' for any object he wants that he can see. The cutest phrase he says at the moment is 'Oh Wow'. This is reserved for when he looks at something new. That was his reaction to this morning's first snowfall of the season and the Christmas tree in our living room.

Jude also makes noise by playing. He is constantly banging and clanging...moving toys and household objects around. Has anyone seen Greg's keys yet??

on the go!

cutie!

We are fortunate to have stayed with or visited with friends who are familiar with this busy, into everything toddler stage. Kara's college housemate Doris has a nephew, so Jude's activity was not new for her during our trip to Raleigh.

aunt doris & Jude at UNC

Greg during our visit with his high school friend Lisa

Sometimes the 'Oh Wow' turns into 'WAAAA' when Jude takes a tumble. He falls easily and often. I never realized simple things like lifting your foot onto a book or mat would take practice and several falls, to accomplish.

A recent fall at the mall where Jude's forehead broke his impact on concrete scared Kara. She rushed Jude to the doctor and received a strange 'prescription'.

the unusual medical mark

The pediatrician used a red sharpie to mark the swelling on Jude's forehead. It allowed Kara to monitor if the squishy bump grew in size. Jude's head was fine by that evening. But it was two whole days before the marker came off!

50/50

Baby Jude had his 18 month check-up on December 1st. He weighs 26 pounds, 2 ounces and is 32 inches tall. Both of those are at exactly 50th percentile on the baby growth charts. We are so pleased with our 'average' size baby with his above-average joy and smiles for everyone he meets.

do i look average to you?