All About Finn

Every once in a while I should be doing a post all about Finny.  I post about Tate a lot because he's got a lot going on and it seems like poor Finny is just tagging along us some times.  But we sure love him, so I need to update what he's been up to lately!  

First and foremost, he's growing.  A lot.  He's become this big, stocky, little boy.  He's like a solid, rectangular cinder block.  I keep calling him "Baby Finn" out of habit, but the kid is 18 months old this week.  He's a little boy now.  It's the pits, and it's delightful all at the same time.  Ahhhh, motherhood.

Finn now says 10 words: Noooooo (His first word.  He sticks his lips out all cute when he says it.  Hard to be mad when he does that.), Dada (his second word), Nana (he says it for his Nana and also banana/all food), go, wawa (water), Mama, this (when pointing to anything he wants), ow, ball, and basketball.  He also has a great Roar for tigers, bears, etc.  He's his own little man, that's for sure.  Tate was all over the verbal expression thing when he was Finn's age, but Finn just doesn't want to.  We ask him to repeat what we say and he says "no" or simply ignores us.  He's a stubborn little bean, and I guess he'll learn to speak more when he darn well pleases.  That's fine with me.  

I am very pleased that he finally learned Momma.  For months now he's only said, Dada.  Once I was putting him down for his nap and I said to him, "Finny, I sure love you.  Do you love me too."  He looked straight at me and said, "Dada."  All right then.  It's clear you have your favorite.

Finn used to "fold his arms" for prayer by placing his hands on his chest.  I never got a picture of it, so when he changed how he folded his arms, I immediately got the camera out.  

 It's pretty funny.  And always accompanied by this little smirky grin, cause he knows he looks funny and cute.

Another expression that I have yet to catch on camera, but I MUST do it, is his scowl.  He has the orneriest little scowl when you make him mad.  It's hilarious...and makes me kinda mad at the same time.  He's started throwing little mini fits.  Mini, cause they're short, not because they lack intensity. He has thrown himself on the floor, run around in circles, hit the walls or furniture, usually while yelling "NOOOOO", when he gets mad.  

He's recently learned to climb.  If we don't push in chairs he'll climb onto the chairs, then onto the table or desk.  Here he's pondering Tate's breakfast.

And here he's asking for Tate's breakfast.  Tate knows that once Finn is done with his breakfast and is freed from his high chair, he needs to push his place mat farther from the edge of the table because Finn will come begging, and if he gets his hands on the place mat, he could pull the whole thing off the table.  He hasn't succeeded yet, but he still tries.

 He also loves to get on the piano bench and plink on the piano.

 Just a cute picture of the boys sitting together at the science museum.

 Ramps are his new favorite thing.  Every time he sees one he runs up and down over and over.  We're at the science museum here.  There are tons of fun things to see, but Finny just wants to run up and down the ramp.

 And the kid really moves.  He has this funny little hoppy run that looks so unsteady, but he really moves fast.  I'm waiting for him to fall and split his head open.  So surprised it hasn't happened yet.  He's at that tricky stage where he really wants to be independent and walk around on his own when we go places, but he's not always obedient enough to stay really close, not touch things, or not run in the road, so we have to keep him confined a lot of the time and that's frustrating for the poor kid.

He is a very physical little guy.  We're trying to curb the throwing and hitting because it seems like when he's frustrated, he automatically results to being physically grouchy. He had his first week of nursery last Sunday.  I knew he'd be fine with me leaving, but I wasn't sure how he'd do with having to share with so many kids his size or smaller.  His teacher said she could tell he hadn't been around little girls much because he just didn't know how to be really gentle.  True.  He's just not a very soft or gentle guy.  She also said that a little boy laid down on the floor and fell asleep.  Finn went over and laid down on top of him.  You know, if someone's lying down they're fair game for a wrestling match, right? Dear me.

He loves ALL sports.  He shouts "Baaa" at the TV over and over when Glenn is watching any sport.  He also yells "Baaa" when we are out on a drive, walk, or jog and we pass a basketball hoop.He plays with any ball he can get his hands on, and is always excited when Dad gets home because Dad is very excited to foster his athletic skills.  For a while he was using Tate's ice cream scoops as his own little lacrosse sticks.  He'd put a little basketball in them.  Wind up with both arms, and throw the ball around.  Glenn was so proud.  

He's had a bit of a rough month.  Poor kid cut four molars this month, then had an ear and eye infection.  It was a VERY whiney and ornery month.  Sometimes he's hard to get close to, this kid.  Especially when he's grouchy.  He's just not a cuddly kid.  But then, last week, he learned to say Mamma.  And all of a sudden I got this glimpse of a sweet, loving little Finn.  Since he was a newborn he would scream at me when I sang to him at nap time or bed time and he would scream at me when I tried to hug him.  Even when he got hurt, I'd scoop him up and he'd yell at me, pushing away from me until I put him down.  But last week he warmed up to me a bit, he started letting me snuggle him and he cried when I was done singing.  It was truly a miracle.  It was like someone threw a switch and all of a sudden he loved me.  He ran to me saying, "mamma" when he was hurt or sad and let me hug him, briefly, but he let me without screaming!  He let me sing to him and snuggle him at bed time.  It was wonderful.  He's been more feisty the last couple of days, but I'm glad that there is a slightly more snuggly Finn in there.  He is a more stubborn, independent being than Tate, and that's just fine.  It will serve him well in life, in a lot of ways.  But it is really nice, lately, to know that he loves me.  That he needs me or that I can help him at all.  

Dad and Tate, however, have always been easy for Finn to love.  

 Finn adores his big brother and any time he can get him to hold still he's trying to tackle Tate or hug him, or just lie on top of him.  

 "Hey, Brother.  Do you know I'm up here?"

 "Can you see me now?"

"Hmmm, what if I play with your face?"

We love our little feisty Finny.  So glad he's our boy.