Walka

Marek is all but running assited everywhere now. If he has a chance to get a hold of any ones' hands he's off and going fast.

He's nailed solo standing, and can hold it for minutes, squat down, and go back up easy. He even stands on the wobbly bed.

Yesterday was all about solo walking for Marek. He's solo walking 6-12 steps constantly now. He can even stop, stand for a moment, and start again.

All this is making family walks very unusual. Marek walks the first blosk assisted, with Leo tied to me and the ergo carrier on my back. Then I hoof it for 4 blocks with Marek in the carrier to give Leo some exercise, then for the last block it's Marek's turn to walk again. Add to the mix Marek's need to stop for flowers, rocks, and leaves.

People on the street are amazed how gentle Leo is as his leash is often not tied to me and instead Marek and I both hold it. It requires constant vigilance watching Leo so he doesn't pull the baby, but I consider it good training for Leo.

Looking foreword to nature walks with the family once Marek can solo walk.

With the cooler weather glad Marek can wear jeans now to protect his knees when he plays on the ground outside, but missing playing at Grimstone wading pool.

Dog

I've been hearing it for weeks, but it's only been clear a few times. Now it's clear most of the time. Today even Mountain Man declared it; Dog.

Marek's second word is Dog.

He's obsessed with them. He finds them everywhere and emits a high pitch sound and then dog, dog, dog, dog.

He knows which houses have dogs, and when we go to Leo's best friends house Marek squats down to see the dog nose the will inevitably poke out from under the fence.

Tsk, tsk, Ahh!

I'm trying really hard to push the water drinking from a cup right now. Marek is getting into handling the cup. The reason for this, in true Marek form, he likes to feed me water. He likes it because I go "tsk, tsk, Ahhh" after a pretend sip. I like it because when I go "tsk, tsk, ahhh" I get Marek's imp grin.

Gotta love the imp grim!

Walk the Doggy

Marek is absolutely obsessed with the dog leash.

He likes to put it on himself, play with it.

Right now to accommodate all the walkers in the family, I clip Leo to myself for the first few blocks while Marek gets to walk. During this time Marek insists (with a toddler like tenacity) that he walks the dog by holding on to the dog leash. Luckily, on the second part of the walk (while Marek is in his carrier), their are lots of flowers to distracts him from the dog.

P.S. We call this grim Marek's "imp grin".

Happy Feet

Marek's walking is progressing fast. Marek is now walking just holding onto 1 (sometimes 2) of my hands. Now, if I could just find a way to walk both Marek and the dog at the same time.

Finding new places for him to walk is my current obsession. It's times like these I wish I lived closer to the great out doors.

The proof is in the pictures

Pay attention to the feet. Yes, that is a step.

I scorted video fottage of a dozen steps free styled, but have to figure out how to retoate before posting.

Bonk

A little demonstration of why Me Hungry by Jeramy Tankard is Marek's favourite book.

3 STEPS

For the last 24 hours Marek has been all about free standing. Seeing his proud smile as he stands unassisted is just the best. He doesn't even fall down. He loses his balance, saves it, or squats back down when he's done.

Last night Mountain Man saw his first unassisted step. Today I saw him take 3 steps unassisted, then 2.

Mountain Man and I are both so sad to see the end to his adorable crawl coming. He even looks like a toddler now, after having a big growth spurt. His Buddha belly is gone, and Marek is supper lean and long now. Marek is now almost as tall as some 18 -21 months we now.

Marek's new imp grin makes up for this. It's such a wicked cool grin. Hopefully I'll catch it soon for you.

Free standing

For the last week we've been seeing more and more little bits of Marek letting go when cruising. But I'm talking teeny tiny seconds here.

It really started yesterday, Marek power squatted himself up to standing all on his own, and held it for what seemed like an eon. He did it again in the bath, and I had enough time to call Mountain Man in and for him to potentially have taken a picture (sorry, camera wasn't close by). Today he's doing it tonnes. He even squatted up and down a couple times holding onto his ball.

Every time I turn my back he's standing all on his own in the middle of no where.

Since I haven't gotten a picture of him free standing yet, I give you another current obsession; the fridge. He likes to take everything off the door shelves and put them back; particularly the soy sauce. Being able to open and close the door over and over is just a bonus to him.

Wait, there's more

All in the same day to.

How much trouble can one 11 month old get into

Only a toddler parent could understand.

I like to think of this as M's Captain Jack Sparrow look

Add a little bit of Keith Richards, Glen Gould and voila!

I'm declaring ...

waving.

Marek waved bye bye to Dada this morning, and then later to the mail man truck. I have no video of this yet, so please accept the following instead.

The mail man delivered Marek birthday present from me today. I'm having a very hard time resisting opening it. 3 weeks until 1 year old.

Mountain Man and I are both amazed at the development of Marek while we were at the cabin for a few weeks:

First word.
Walks assisted for really long stretches of time when he wants to.
He shot upwards at can reach way more now.
Stands unassisted for moments, and thus cruises between objects,
Points at everything he wants.
Plays with cars and trucks now.
Dribbles ball with feet.
His understanding vocabulary has shot through the roof.
Everything in and out of their proper containers.
Stacks stacking cups a bit.

His cruising has developed so much. Through small spaces, along walls, from objects of different heights.

Yesterday he noticed an air plane while with Mountain Man, and keeps looking for them. Later in the bath he noticed a bee on the window. When Mountain Man squashed it, Marek kept demanding it's return to the window. Pointing and looking, want bee. We couldn't distract him from it. His memory is so good now.

We noticed in yesterdays bath he has a want sign. Looks a lot like the sign for milk, but it means "gimme".

Oh yeah, and as of yesterday he walks up and down the stairs with assistance.

First word declared ...

Dada

Mountain Man came out of his bedroom, and everyone in the Fonda family heard it; Dadadada

Within a few days he had it down.

I'm not talking about the sound Dada.

Nope, Dada means Mountain Man.

I don't think Mountain Man is tyring anytime soon of his son crawling to him, climbing into his arms, and saying Dada.

Melts all of our hearts and brings a tear to the eye of the most hardened cynic.

A Pitt Lake Family

The start of the end

I love Marek's crawl. I think it's adorable. The deliberate thump thump thump.

Life goes on though and the first week of August was the start of walking.

Proud of the little man, but sad that my baby's growing up. Makes me want to grab him and run away from the passing of time.

I'm sensing the cabin is going to be expensive as a parent