BIG BOY!

hiya, super q!

it's been a while, eh? sooo much has happened since i last wrote a note to you. you have grown by leaps and bounds. you talk up a storm now....you have so much to tell us about things that interest you and things that you do not like. you are quite opinionated and we are starting to see some of those terrorizing threes we saw with your sister a few years ago. in our experience, three is much harder than two. you are different from sissy, though, in that you are very quick to apologize and soften your tone. i hope this trait continues.

you have made such big progress in these last six months. you are about 75% potty trained, you have learned to jump with both feet and to jump off of things, you have learned to do a forward roll and walk on a balance beam and jump on a trampoline. you have learned how to sing and talk and dance and MAKE US LAUGH with your constant burping and tooting (on purpose. what's the deal with this...is this stuff programmed as a default feature for males???). you are THIS close to mastering dressing yourself and getting your shoes on...you are a bit reluctant, though, and really love for mommy to take care of you. you are cuddly and sweet. you love to kiss and be kissed. you also love to wrestle. you LOVE LOVE LOVE your sissy. you guys fight a lot, but you also play really well together and are super sweet to one another a good bit of the time. you are a super big human brother to your waffle cat most of the time. you also are 100% responsible for him being named after a breakfast food as you were unable to say "la fu" when we got him seven months ago and your pronunciation of la fu came out "waffle."

let's see...what else have you been up to? well, you have settled into life in hong kong far better than the rest of us combined. for a long time, we were convinced that you simply did not remember our life in texas, but recently, you have begun to tell us that you want to go home and that you miss your baba and your doggies. i am not sure if this is an original thought from you or if you are regurgitating what you hear us say. as it turns out, we are GOING HOME in a few weeks...we are all so very excited. i can't wait.

i am eager to see what you remember about texas...i am curious if you will remember which room is yours....how much you remember the dogs....what you think of the back yard....if you remember the park near our yard. i know that being a 3yo boy will be much easier in texas than it is here, though you are quite the trooper.

you can easily walk miles upon miles with little-to-no grumbling. you love to ride the bus, love to flag taxis, and even enjoy the boats (you had pretty terrible car sickness as a baby, so i am rather surprised at how well you do on the boats). you take all the sights and sounds in without any issues...i am curious to see how you do with the quiet and space back in texas.

you are now my shopping partner. you do great on our trips through the wet markets and into the small grocery and corner stores here. i am interested to see how you will do when we are traipsing through a HUGE HEB and you are having to ride in a cart. i also am curious how you will do with having to ride in a car seat in a personal vehicle. car seats are not possible here unless you own a vehicle. we do not.

the absolute biggest challenge with living here has been the EXTREME lack of a social life for you and me. we decided to not enroll you into school simply because it is extremely expensive here, and we are not interested in paying what equals a mortgage payment so that you can play. granted you would have been learning a lot of stuff, too, but it's not like i can't teach you at home. as a result of our decision to keep you out of school, you never have anyone to play with. you have no friends that you see regularly (and neither do i). i am SO excited to get back to our community in pville and to reconnect with our friends...and especially to watch you grow your very own friendships. i know it's in you...you have become such a social guy and try to get other kids to play with you...it just doesn't usually work out well due to language barrier or other issues.

as always, buddy, you are a bright, beaming light in my life. i love you more every day even if i regularly tear out handfuls of hair over your antics :-) you keep me on my toes, keep me laughing, and warm my heart every single day.

if you could, though, please stop pooping on the floor...and especially stop picking it up to carry it to the toilet. k?

i love you, you crazy boy!

-mommy

QRA v 2.5.000

QRA 2.5.000 (QRA) is a high-performance model designed to keep your life interesting and fun. this model comes complete with dimples, gigantic blue eyes, and strawberry blonde hair. this model also can be difficult to program as the current operating system tends to run Why 1.0 and No 1.0 intermittently. QRA is a significant upgrade from earlier models and includes the features listed below. Refer to the Known Issues section for information about limitations for this model.

QRA System Requirements

• Operating System : ElevenHoursSleepThreeMealsOneSnackEndlessHugs revision 10,000
• Hardware: Diapers/Pullups, Toothbrush, Countless Trains and Cars, Multiple Sets of Loving Arms
• Software: Milk, More Milk, Even More Milk, Peanut Butter, Ice Cream, Apples, Oranges, Strawberries, and Bananas

QRA Features

• QRA now understands 99% of commands and responds appropriately. Sometimes. Refer to the Known Issues section for further information.
• QRA runs Throw 1.0 with force and precision.
• QRA runs Jump 1.0 successfully.
• QRA runs Walk Miles with Mommy 1.0 successfully. Refer to the Known Issues section for limitations of this feature.
• QRA runs Play Nicely with Sissy 1.0 successfully.
• QRA runs Eat Everything in Sight 1.0 successfully. Refer to the Known Issues section for limitations of this feature.
• QRA runs Snuggle Sweetly 1.0 successfully.
• QRA runs Love My Sissy 1.0 successfully.
• QRA runs Learning to Swim 1.0 successfully.
• QRA runs Talking Up a Storm 1.0 successfully. Refer to the Known Issues section for limitations of this feature.
• QRA runs Counting 1.0 successfully. Refer to the Known Issues section for limitations of this feature.

QRA Known Issues

• QRA may respond incorrectly to some commands, launching and running Why 1.0 or No 1.0 instead of completing the command.
• QRA may launch Hold You 1.0 after running Walk Miles with Mommy 1.0 for only a brief time. If this situation occurs, reboot QRA or run Sleeping on Mommy 1.0 for about an hour.
• QRA may launch No 1.0 when offered green beans, tomatoes, or potatoes.
• QRA may launch Speaking Quinneese 1.0 when responding to commands or requests. If this situation occurs, run Ask for Further Information 1.0.
• QRA may abort Counting 1.0 after just a few seconds. If this situation occurs, run Count with Mommy 1.0.

Craaaaaazzzzzzy Baby

hiya, quinny

dude, you're killin' me! really. mommy is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too old for these shenanigans. i do not want to have to hunt and peck to find you in the house (fell behind the entertainment center after scaling it), hear daddy tell you to get out of the kitchen sink (you climbed a window sill, up onto a counter, and into the sink), help you fish your toys out of the toilet (yeeeecccchhhhhh!), hear the sickening thump-thump-thump as you roll down the stairs (or ride your space ship toy down the stairs), or wonder about any loud noises that are followed by a cute little "uh-oh."

you are an active little guy, quinn. even though you are old enough to walk with me, i still have to put you in a stroller when we go out b/c you have a tendency to bolt and/or terrorize your surroundings. on the plus side, your shenanigans got me a free fax AND some good advice about living as an expat while at office depot. after the fourth time i had to sprint after you in less than 7 minutes, the guy trying to help me just gave me a sympathetic smile and a free fax. thanks, dude (both dudes).

you've been having lots of fun these past couple months with a few sides of drama. it's winter, so we have been battling our fair share of winter ickies. you and i seem to be the most susceptible to these while daddy and sissy are not. i have to say that this winter is still way easier than last winter...you seem to have come away from last winter with more immunities. the weather has been pretty awesome...we have had some really warm weather, and recently some really cold weather...with snow. you are your mother's child, buddy. you weren't fond of that cold white stuff at all.

at just over 2 years old, you are talking quite a bit and doing other things 2yos do...like throwing tantrums and fits and being ornery. it's mostly pretty cute with a side of insanity. you are still very big for your age, so your fits can be dangerous to your health and ours, and sometimes it just plain looks HILARIOUS to see this gigantic child throwing a screaming, kicking hissy fit. i do get a lot of looks, though...i think that sometimes folks think you are much older than you are b/c of your size.

speaking of your size, you have recently gone through a MAJOR growth spurt. you have grown about an inch and a half just since your 2yo appointment, and you have had the leg pains to prove it. for about a week, you were waking nightly with a lot of whimpering and clutching of your legs. tylenol, water, and head rubs got you through that. you have blown through just about all of your 2T stuff and a good amount of your 3T stuff. you even have some 4T stuff that fits, which is a little crazy.

we are now just two weeks from our big move to china, and while i am SUPER excited for this adventure, i am dreading the initial acclimation phase. you are definitely a creature of habit, and helping you form new habits on a new schedule in a new place promises to be painful. we'll get through it, though. i think we will find so many new things to see and do that we all might be too tired to fight the changes. i hope, anyway.

i love you my little hurriquinn, quinnado, quinn-kong,

-mommy

Monkey Hugs

hiya, quinny!

good lord, dude. it's been six weeks since i last wrote to you, and my god, things have CHANGED. you have grown up more in the last six weeks than you have in the last six months. first, we weaned you off your zippy (sleep sack) because you became too tall to fit it comfortably. that went well. we had planned to move you to a bed in december, but after having to cut you out of your crib tent (after fighting with a stuck zipper for 30 minutes), it became necessary for you to move to your big-boy bed earlier. we also got you another haircut, and this one is very short. you look SO big. you are talking a lot now. you have many, many words...too many for me to easily count. you like to imitate everything we say, and you still have a good bit of your own language. you are acting out more (gotta love the 2s), and now that you are in a bed, sleep has become a struggle once more. it's doable, though. i know that when i look back on this time with you, the sleep struggles will barely register as anything more than another opportunity to read you five more books ;-p

one of your newest things is to be VERY attached to me. i think that some of your sleep troubles are coming from an increase in separation anxiety. some of this is bad, and some of it is good. one of my favorite aspects is your monkey hugs. buddy, when you give me a hug, you do it with every fiber of your being. you wrap your wiry little arms and legs around me and hold on as tight as you can. i can literally let go of you, and you can stay stuck to me simply by your own power. i love it. since we cut off all your hair, you are once again enamored with mine (i think the missing hair is part of the sleep issues too...you have pulled your hair to sleep since you were about 9 months old). while i feel terrible that we took one of your comfort objects, i am loving that you are using my hair for comfort once again (you started doing this around 5 months...stroking my hair when you were sleepy).

in a mere 3 days, you will be two years old. i cannot believe how fast this time has gone, buddy. it's been an absolutely wonderful two years. yeah, we had some really hard times, but wow...i wouldn't change it for anything. i love watching you love your sissy (and her love you). watching your relationship blossom is one of my greatest rewards. you miss her when she's not near you, and you seek her out all the time. you still do not interact with little ones your own age, but you do very purposely interact with sissy and her big-kid friends. this is so fun to watch. fortunately, sissy and her friends are still at an age where playing with you is fun to them...they do not get frustrated or grumpy with you. i know this will change soon enough, but for now, it's AWESOME.

you are currently climbing me like a tree and telling me "mommy, hold!", so i must sign off.

i love you my little quinnado.

-mommy

The Countdown Has Begun

hiya, quinny!

today, you are 22 months old. in just two short months, i will no longer think of your age in months...i will then think of it in years. this astounds me. i swear you just got here yesterday, yet, here you are bulldozing your way around the house and into my heart. you are a force to be reckoned with, buddy (do you see a pattern here?).

we have had a lot of fun this summer. you have grown by leaps and bounds in every way. you are taller, stronger, and more communicative all the time. you still climb anything that's standing still or at least a little still (like mommy), you are trying to jump, and you have mastered the stairs. we are planning to take the bottom gate down soon. it's not much good when you climb it all the time anyway, right?

you have started to put two words together to get your ideas across, but oddly enough, you haven't really added a whole lot of words to your vocabulary. you're just combining the ones you already had.

you have a new obsession : lightning mcqueen. thomas the tank engine has some stiff competition. i recently put a lightning sheet on your crib mattress and every time i go get you from your crib, you are telling me cah! cah! cah! you have a set of lightning PJs and you cry your big blue eyes out whenever i have to remove them from your person to put on your day clothes. it's tempting to let you run around in your PJs all day, buddy ;-p

in less than a week, you will start preschool for the very first time. you will attend a local church-based preschool on tuesdays and thursdays. i am excited for you and a little sad for me. i suspect i will be the one crying all morning while you crash toy trucks and cars. it turns out that all of the kids in your class are boys. ooooh, boy. i can see where this is going to go. sissy will be in class right down the hall from you, and i hope that you get to see her during the day and that this gives you comfort.

speaking of sissy, you have begun to interact with her more and more. you two chase each other all over the house most mornings. god forbid she gets out of your line of vision. you seriously lose your doo-doo anytime you are separated from her. dropping her off at her gymnastics class has become a very painful ordeal. you two still annoy one another, but you also love one another. i guess that's how it goes with siblings. ask aunt kimmy and uncle brian :-)

we have had such a fantastic summer visiting family and playing with friends. sadly, we have also lost a dear friend - one of your first girlfriends. she was bitten by a rattlesnake and died from the bite. i have never experienced a pain like this one, buddy. i cannot fathom what her parents are feeling. she was a friend we played with often, and to see you play with our other friends without her...well, there's a really big hole where she should be. i am so glad that you do not understand. sissy understands just a little bit, and that's more than enough to handle.

i am looking forward to what's next with you, quinny. you always keep me on my toes; life is NEVER dull with you around.

i love you,
-mommy

The Big 2-0

hiya, quinny!

today, you are 20 months old. this bugs me, dude. you are not supposed to be this "old." you look more and more like a little boy and much less like a baby every day. you are talking more and more...and throwing more tantrums, too. you spent at least 15 minutes throwing yourself onto the driveway in anger this morning when i wouldn't let you push your toy out into the cul de sac.

you are obsessed with shoes. you went to lunch wearing a too-large pair of sissy's princess sneakers, today. first thing this morning, you donned another pair of sissy's sneakers...this time, it was a pair of size 8 mary janes that are dark pink. you have no shame, buddy ;-p

you have stopped eating, but you have not stopped growing. i'm not sure how this works. you still drink a fair amount of milk, but other than that, you seem to live on air and a couple of graham crackers. you have even boycotted meat! the only things you will eat enthusiastically is rice and apple sauce.

you are very much a mommy's boy still, but you have fun with your daddy, too. you like sissy. most of the time. you get excited when you see her for the first time in the morning, and you ask for her when you don't see her. otherwise, she annoys you ;-p

you are enjoying summer and all the water play it allows you. you are a tough little cookie; fire ants think you are delectable, but you rarely cry when they bite you. going for a long hike or walking the dogs while riding in a carrier on my back is still one of your favorite things to do. you have full-on boycotted shopping cart seats (so fun!), and you are mastering the heart-stopping habit of tipping your restaurant high-chairs back.

it is still a daily challenge to keep you alive. you have no fear and you are incredibly strong...this makes for a challenging combination. you had your first trip to the ER a couple weeks ago and succeeded in shaving a couple years off your old mother's life, buddy. you had what seemed to be a minor fall, but after exhibiting some strange behaviors, you ended up getting the fastest mini van ride to the hospital ever. poor sylvia. maybe that's why she's leaking oil now...maybe taking her up to 110 didn't sit well with the gaskets ;-p

at the rate i'm keeping up with your blog, buddy, you may very well be two before i get it all down again. i will try harder to keep this information up to date, but considering the crazy amount of fun we are having all the time, it's not likely i will succeed. in the mean time, i know you will enjoy our trips to zoos, children's museums, snake farms, amusement parks, endless playdates with friends, and trips your grandmothers' homes!

i love you, quinnzilla!
-mommy

The Proverbial Weed

hiya, quinnzilla!

quinn, you are growing so fast we can almost see it happening. you have outgrown too many outfits to count, you outgrew the height limit on your car seat, your head is now over the top of your high chair and your feet almost completely rest on the foot rest. you went from a size 5 shoe to being tight in a size 6 in just the last four weeks. you are just bigger and bigger all the time.

you are having fun mastering big boy stuff...talking a little more each day. you have started calling me mahmi...it's more like ma'am and me combined than like "mommy." i love it! you've got some reasonably serious separation anxiety and stranger anxiety going on...sometimes. when we're in the house, you wail if i go upstairs without you, and you cling to me if anyone so much as looks at you when we're grocery shopping, but when we're playing at a park or at the sports fields, you just take off on your own and have no problem being 50 yards from me.

you have started to run in just the last couple days...it's pretty cute...and it's a workout for me :-) your last molar finally came through in the last couple days...i'm betting on sometime last night considering that you were up from 3:30 to 4:30 this morning expressing extreme displeasure. you now have all 16 of your 1-year teeth. i am pretty sure i see a swollen lump next to your left bottom molar...i'm betting that you will begin getting your 2-year molars in the next couple months. oh, goody :-p

you are completely down to one nap now, and you are already pushing it back. it started out being from 11:30 to 1:30, but you've already pushed it back to starting around 1 and going until a little before 3. this has caused a slight problem with sissy's preschool pickup time. fortunately, her school has extended care, so we are now picking her up at 3 instead of 2. she doesn't seem to mind, and this way you get closer to two hours for your nap.

speaking of school, i am looking into getting you started this summer a couple half days a week so i can get some work done (you and sissy will both go). i'm about to launch my own website as a "business owner," and you taking only one nap now leaves me with a lot less time to work. i am nervous about putting you in a program, but considering how social and active you are, i'm pretty sure you will adjust quickly and enjoy it.

i love you my growing-like-a-weed little big boy!
-mommy