Dylan - 19 Months and Counting

Two years ago when my sister, Kelly-Ann, and her husband, Chris, told us they were expecting, I was excited for them. The baby would be the first grandchild in our immediate family, and I would officially become an Auntie.

I have to admit, although I was excited, I was also a bit apprehensive. I personally don't have a lot of experience with babies. I was the youngest in both our immediate and extended family. There was only one baby cousin after me, and when I got old enough to baby-sit, the kids on our street were already in Kindergarten or elementary school. Dealing with kids has never felt natural to me-- I managed to avoid even holding a baby until I was 24 years old!

A new born Dylan (top). Baxter and Dylan (bottom).

Dylan was born on September 20, 2008. He started out life tinged yellow (he was a bit jaundiced) and a full head of hair. And as is typical with newborns, for the first few months, Dylan didn't do a whole lot. He ate, he slept, he cried, he spit up (a LOT) and most importantly, he was immobile. You could put him down in one spot, and he would stay there. Each time I saw him, he could do something new! He could smile, he could laugh, he could hold something.

Dylan at 5 months.

In the photo above, Dylan is hanging out with Baxter. They are playing with their toys together. This photo was taken after Dylan had made his next big achievement-- he learned to roll. Maybe learning to roll doesn't sound like much, but I was amazed by the places he could get to by wiggling himself around on the floor.

Dylan air swims at ~7 months.

Before Dylan mastered the art of crawling, he went through a hilarious phase where he would lay on his belly, and flap his arms and legs up and down. It was like he wanted to crawl, but hadn't quite figured out what to do with his limbs yet. It looked like he was swimming the butterfly crawl on dry land.

But once Dylan figured out crawling... There was no stopping him. Suddenly... He was mobile! Capable of getting into anything and everything. Nothing can hold him back. He has investigated the dust bunnies in the vents at home, and sampled some dirt in the garden. He dipped his feet in Lake Sicome (but wouldn't get his knees wet), and has started watching Flames hockey with his dad.

Dylan at 8 months (crawling). Dylan at 10 months.

Dylan at 10 months with Auntie Amanda. Bullying Uncle Tom.

As far as I'm concerned, it's pretty easy to understand how a kid could become utterly and overwhelmingly spoiled. Dylan has a smile that could light up a room! You can't help but melt when you see him-- even after he's been causing trouble. It even makes changing poopy diapers more tolerable (which I admit, I've only had the pleasure of doing on one occasion).

Even though (at this point) Dylan won't remember much, he's been lucky enough to have a lot of experiences this early in life. Dylan has flown to Phoenix, Arizona, to visit him grandma and grandpa. He's also flown with his mom to San Francisco, and ridden on a bike over the Golden Gate bridge. He's also been camping in a tent!

Dylan with mom and dad in San Francisco. One year old.

Now that Dylan is walking (and running), he is working on talking. For several months he's been regularly using "Dada" and "Uh-oh." Although, pretty much everyone is "Dada," and "Uh-oh" is not always used when an accident has occurred. In fact, a few months ago when Kelly-Ann told us about an incident where she was in the middle of making dinner. She had pots boiling on the stove, and chopping that needed her attention. And then she heard it... An, "Uh-OH!" from the pantry. When she looked inside, there was Dylan. He had squeezed out an entire bottle of maple syrup all over the floor and all over himself! "Uh-oh", indeed!

Dylan has added "hotdog" to his vocabulary, and apparently "Baxter" (but I have yet to hear that one). Every time I see him, he has learned to do something new! He can open doors now, resulting in the purchase of child proof door handles. He can wield a hockey stick. He has a nearly full set of teeth. At the end of an evening out, he'll give you a kiss and wave good-bye. And he has apparently become very attached to his blankie. He'll use it to console himself after he gets in trouble.

Dylan at 17 months.

Dylan's second birthday is less than five months away. I can't wait to see what he'll learn next! Because anything Dylan learns is something I learn too. This little guy is a treasure to our family!

So... now that you know all about my nephew, I leave you with this:

Dylan's first haircut.

Hmmm... I really need a haircut too!