A Nigel Update

Making pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving

A lot of folks have been asking us how Nigel's doing down here in TX. In short, awesome as always. We're not without issues — Operation: Potty Training starts Christmas Day — but he's adjusted really well to our new surroundings. He pretty much goes with the flow. He likes having a room that's big enough for all of his toys, and he's enjoying our explorations. Honestly, the only thing he had a hard time with in the beginning was understanding that Tim wasn't here when he woke up during the week. I can only guess that since we were all together 24-7 when Tim was out of work for so long (April-mid-September), he just assumed we'd be together 24-7 in Texas. Going to see Tim at work has helped with that, although he does have some sad mornings. And he desperately misses his extended family. When he talks with them on the phone or during web chats, he frequently will ask "Do you want to come over to my house?" Heart breaking! The other day we saw a woman in Whole Foods with a distinct pair of glasses, and Nigel said, "Hey, she has glasses like Mandy. I miss Miss Mandy."

But for the most part, he's just trucking along... learning lots of new things. He quickly picked up lyrics to several Christmas songs this year and he can count to 10 en espanol. I know a lot of parents say this about their kids, but Nigel really IS a genius! He's been speaking in complete sentences for a long time now, he started recognizing letters before he turned 1, he says "nice to meet you" at parties and I think we're on the cusp of writing the alphabet. Nigel's favorite pastimes theses days are cooking, playing with his cars and trucks, riding in his little seat on the back of Tim's bike, exploring new playgrounds and making things out of Play-Doh. And his love of books is still strong. Some of his recent favorites are Three Little Tamales, D.W.'s Guide to Perfect Manners and The Night Before Christmas, which my mom recorded for him last year. 2011 is going to be great for him: Potty training, summer camp, preschool and new friends!