growing baby

Ilya and I keep meaning to put lengthier posts up, but here’s some little tidbits before we forget them anyway.

Mateo really enjoyed his birthday party–it was a wonderfully warm December day (sunny, about 78 degrees) so we had a birthday gathering at the park.  The kids fed ducks (we gave them cracked corn as part of the party favors), played with bubbles,  took turns pushing each other in Mateo’s toy car, drew on the sidewalk and ate pizza.  After we sang Happy Birthday and blew out candles (Mateo’s favorite part!), Mateo took several bites of his cupcake and ended up with quite debonaire chocolate mustache.  (Ilya and I gobbled the rest of the cupcake that Mateo didn’t finish.)  The most memorable, for Mateo, part of the story was that his number 2 shaped balloon flew away into the air on the drive home.  We told him it went to go visit the moon.  For a couple of days afterwards, Mateo kept asking for his globo dos (#2 balloon).  The other day he said “dos, arriba, cielo, up” (two, up, sky, up).  I think he’s finally forgotten the balloon now though.

On Friday we took Mateo for his 2 year pediatrician appointment.  Mateo’s a perfect 50% again: 50% height at 34 inches, 50% weight at 27.5 pounds.  His head size is 48 cm across.  According to an online height predictor test, Mateo will be 5’10” tall at 18.  Seems about right; we’ll check back in 16 years!

Last night we went out to dinner with some friends from high school.  As usual, we got a booth so we could trap Mateo in (if he’s in a chair, he escapes and tries to run around the restaurant).  When the waiter came by, Ilya asked Mateo (in Russian) if he wanted water or milk.  Mateo ignored Ilya altogether and, looking directly at the waiter, ordered juice instead (in English).  Ah, Mateo!

These days, Mateo sings *all* the time.  His number one favorite is the ABC song, but he also sings Raffi’s Baby Beluga, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the clean up song, and a couple others.