2010 - Here's to a New Beginning

Well, alright, as we roll out into a new year and a new decade I (like everybody else) have set some goals. One of the goals I've set (a full list can be read at my alternate blog http://buildauniverse.wordpress.com) is to blog about Nile and life and myself at least once a week, hopefully more like once a day. I've also set a goal to take at least one photograph of Nile (sometimes with me) a day.

I feel like I'm losing out on documenting some of my little man's biggest milestones because I seemingly never have my camera and I've been focusing my blogging on less personal things, and by less personal, naturally I mean things not involving Nile.

So to start this thing off right, I thought I'd jump in with a little update. Starting with myself, since I have a little less going on, 2009 was a whirlwind year. All of the events of the year have really got me jazzed for moving onward, upward and out. I will be moving back to the Provo/Orem area in February. I'm starting classes at UVU this week. I'm going to be finishing my Bachelor's degree in Forensic Science. I'm really looking forward to it but am also quite daunted at the thought of balancing Nile, full time work, full time school and any semblance of a social life/personal time. I am, however, very glad to be making personal progress.

As for Nile, the boy continues to amaze me. All parents are very fond of touting the latest achievements of their children and as much as I'd like to say I'm different, I can't help but regale the world with Mini-Me's skills. Nile is 2 and 1/2 and already speaks nearly as clearly as his 4 year old cousin. Nile has really begun to master the sentence. Nile's responses to questions are probably the funniest of his language skills.

Me - Should we go see Grandpa?
Nile - Probably not at work.
Me - Yes Nile...Probably not at work...

Me - Hey Nile? Would you like some Mac and Cheese for dinner?
Nile - Yeah...Sure.

Friend of Aunt Heidi - Is your mom's name Casi?
Nile - No, her name is Sweetheart.

Nile has also developed a good mastery of emotion. Nile is very quick to identify when He, me or even cartoon characters are Sad, Scared or Happy. When he notices someone is sad, he will often ask if they're going to cry. It's been helpful, though, for me to know he's learning emotions. When he's acting strange I can ask him if he's happy or sad or scared and get a real answer. When he sees someone he thinks is sad he will also ask to give hugs or kisses. His father also relayed an experience where he was feeling down and Nile helped him wipe away tears with his blanket.

Nile's really gotten into movies lately, too. His favourites include Cars, Wall-E, Toy Story and Monsters vs. Aliens. Generally speaking he will pick one movie and watch it at least once daily until I suggest something new at which point he'll watch the new movie until I again suggest something new. Cars is a perennial favourite. He loves talking about Mater, Mac and Li-ning A-Queen, Sheriff and Doc, Big Red, Chick and King. He does, also, love chatting about Wall-E and Eve.

Nile is currently in the process of potty-training and seems to be grasping it really well. He does well at the Sitters and at home which has given me hope that he'll continue progressing and be fully potty trained in the next month. He's always been so independently minded that it's almost comforting that he needs prodding and suggesting to remember he needs to go. I have to hang on to these little shreds of dependence lest I miss my infant too much.

Nile and I have been very blessed and lucky to have such a good home with my parents. They have been more than accommodating and have really helped to make us feel at home and feel like we're always welcome. I am still looking forward to moving out. They have done so much to help us recover after the divorce and I really thank them for that but I am also more than ready to be in my own home again. I miss cooking, I miss having quite, private time, I miss really being in control of what and how and where and when and all the silly little things that most people never think about. I miss doing my own grocery shopping. I miss those little tiny details.

So, here's to a new beginning. A new year, a new decade and a new future.