Dr Matt Nolan -- UAF

Dr. Matt Nolan

455 Duckering Bldg.
Water and Environmental Research Center
Institute of Northern Engineering
University of Alaska Fairbanks
matt.nolan@uaf.edu

Home

May - November 2006
10 months - 15 months

It's been a while since the last real update, so this one covers a lot of ground. Summers in Alaska are busy even without chasing after a toddler...

May-June

Not long after the last update from the end of May, we took Turner with us on a trip to McCall Glacier. Unfortunately, some last minute trouble with logistics prevented him and mom from going on the trip, but they made it as far as Kaktovik anyway. You can read all about that trip here, with a few pictures below. By mid-May he was already cruising around the furniture and able to climb normal stairs. He had a few simple words in May, of his own creation, such as for doggie (heavy breathing) and papa (making a popping sound with his lips) and a lot of pointing and grunting. By the end of June, he could say and sign 'more'. Usually what he wanted was more momma, but it wasnt long before 'more' was applied to just about anything. He was also pretty giggly. His sleeping patterns still left something to be desired at this point, as he mostly slept with us. But for a while we had him sleeping in his own crib, as long as he couldnt see us. By the end of the month, he was walking around freely.

Turner: "What do you mean I'm not going with you?"

We were all a lot happier once we got back together.

This was Turner's first visit to the Artic Ocean (he's returned there twice since).

Visiting the Arctic Ocean is hard work.

Still cruisin' in early June.

Turner: "Aren't I just too cute?"

I'm giggly too -- 19 MB

Turner: "You have blue eyes Mr. Bunny. Or at least one blue one."

Dad: "Yes, Sam, it's true, I haven't showered in two weeks."

Though he doesn't use a lot of words, he's pretty good at letting us know what he wants.

Turner: "Good sandwich mommy!"

Turner: "Now let's try yours!"

Mid-June is a nice time for walks in the backyard, but it can get a little buggy.

Our little elephant baby.

Turner: "MORE watermelon"

He's had four teeth for a few months for a while, but now the next four are coming in.

Turner: "I'll just stay in the new refrigerator until you fill it with food. It's just my size."

One evening Turner was just highly receptive to learning new things. He learned 'high five' and 'more' on this night.

High five! 5MB
More? 5 MB

Turner likes to read.

Even on his own -- 8MB

We didnt do a lot of bike riding this summer, but we did go on a few trips around town.

We walked a lot though, in preparation for our hike in August.

Part of our 'standard' loop, down the hill and back towards Farmer's Loop Road.

Almost walking -- 31 MB

After several months of cruising, and a few weeks of being tricked into walking unassisted for a few seconds, Turner finally voluntarily began walking on his own all of a sudden (29 June 06 at 9:21PM to be exact).

See the first steps here -- 5MB

See the second steps here -- 5MB

Turner: "It's not how big your truck is, its how you use it."

July 2006
11 months

The better part of early July involved a trip to Denver. I put on a meeting in Boulder, and of course we had plenty of time with family there. Turner was a full-on toddler by now, still a little wobbly, but able to go where he wanted. He was also getting signficantly more expressive and more intelligent. You could still distract him away from something he wanted (but wasnt supposed to have), but as soon as you were finished with the distraction he would head straight for whatever you thought he had forgotten about. By the end of the month he had figured out how to climb the stairs in our house, which are quite steep. Peek-a-boo was long one of his favorite games and by mid-July he was the one hiding from other people.

Turner: "Can't we walk to Denver?"

Lost in Spaceway.

Turner went to his first baseball game...

Or is it a concert? 2MB

Unfortunately (or not!) it was rained out after a few innings.

Turner: "I feel so... naked!"

Being naked is great! Why havent I been naked before?

Turner: "Hey, I'm naked here and going to get old some day -- no pictures"

I couldnt resist one more.

Either Barney's on TV, or grammee is taking a picture.

Turner: "Do my red-eye reduction contacts make me look like a space alien?"

Dylan and Hunter took every opportunity to keep their little cousin happy.

Tristan wasn't quite sure about this new little guy on the block.

We went to an amusement park, but it was so hot even in the shade that we needed to keep riding to get a breeze.

At least the water was cool -- 5MB

Turner: "I promise never to do what ever that camel did to deserve that!"

Turner's first bowling lesson -- they dont make balls or shoes in his size.

Strike!

The pink one was Turner's favorite.

The pink one tastes good too.

Turner makes a good caddy.

Turner was glad when the meetings were over.

We spent some time with Rob and his family while in Boulder.

I think Izzy was glad when we left.

Time to go home! 2 MB

Turner was glad when we got back home. That box is his favorite toy.

August 2006
12 months

Once we returned from Boulder in mid-July, all of our attention turned towards our next trip to McCall Glacier in early August. This time Turner made it with us. You can read all about that trip here, along with lots of pictures, including those of his first birthday (here is the same thing, but with less text about glaciers and more about Turner). By this point, he was a pretty good walker (and backpackee). He even did pretty well walking over the irregular rocky surface. "More" (pronounced more like "Mo?") was his favorite word, spoken several hundred times per day. On the glacier, he was our entertainment source in the cook tent, spending time with everyone. He was remarkably happy on the trip, despite four new molars coming in. Just after we returned from the glacier, he stopped breast-feeding. He was already down to mostly just one night time feeding, but then just gave it up. I think he discovered that he could have a limitless supply of whole milk from a bottle, and began drinking about half a gallon a day. At this point we could not get him to sleep on his own, and we were refilling his bottle several times a night, and could not change his diapers fast enough to keep him dry, leading to his first diaper rash.

Turner liked the glacier.

September 2006
11 months

After returning from the glacier, our attention turned to several glacier meetings we held in Fairbanks in early September, one of which involved a big party at our house. We used the party as an excuse to build a deck that we had wanted to for a long time. You can see a timelapse movie of construction and lots of photos here. You can see photos of the party here. Turner by now was a big boy. He picked up many new words, most of which sound like "Ba?" or "Mo?", but he also says "Bye" like a champ, and can even blow kisses. By now he actively runs around, hides behind furniture, climbs up anything that stands still, turns the knobs on the stove, and would lead you by the hand to something he wants and points at it. For example, he knows the milk supply is actually not in the bottle but in the refrigerator. One thing we had been struggling with since he learned to walk is that he likes to walk to the garbage can and throw things away, just like his parents. Unfortunately, he throws away his shoes, pens, and basically anything he can lift, which is quite a lot. About this time he learned to say "No", usually by scrunching up his lips and gesturing with his figure "No No No". For a while he would say this while throwing things away, apparently thinking that the words were part of the ritual when throwing things away. But eventually he figured out the No meant No and would often react by feeling sad and crying, or feeling mad and crying. He also became quite the biter and slapper, especially when about to fall asleep, but once he figured out the saying No and biting was different than No Biting, he learned that Gentle and petting went together, and slowly our bruises healed.

The finished deck.

It was a long party for a little boy.

After the meetings were over, we all went on an excursion to Gulkana Glacier.

Gulkana -- the family glacier.

See?

After the excursion, we stopped at Mike and Annie's Lodge at Black Rapids, where Turner was the bar tender.

October 2006
14 Months

October was a big month for Turner's mental development. By the end of the month, it was clear that he understood much of what we were saying, or at least some of the nouns and verbs. For example, we could ask him to throw away his dirty diaper and he would pick it up and throw it away. Or we could ask him to get a new trash bag, and he would get it and even help put it in the can. We could say "Where's momma?" and he would go looking for her. He also continued to be the cute little boy he always was, but now he didnt just look like a little boy, he acted like it too. From about 6 months to 12 months, he barely gained any weight and stayed between about 22 to 24 pounds. But by the end of October he was up to about 30 pounds and noticeably fuller and taller. All that milk was being put to good use apparently.

We began October at Octoberfest in Fairbanks. Turner was the only one wearing real lederhosen, or drinking milk.

By now, Turner had been walking for several months and was pretty good at it.

He's a good climber too -- 29MB
And a good reader -- 21MB

We took a trip to visit Brian in Barrow.

Grammee Scott came with us. We got an ocean view room at the local hotel.

We brought Brian a little gift, but Turner want to keep it for himself.

We found a whale on the beach, but our bags were full so we decided to leave it there.

Turner was fine with that, as long we got out of the wind. This was his third visit to the Arctic Ocean, so he was getting bored with it anyway.

Turner: "What do you mean we're going back out into the wind?"

We tried to do a little more trail clearing before winter.

It wasn't long before the snow fell though.

Somebody was a sleepy head on the trail.

Turner gets hungry after hiking.

See?

He likes to work off a good meal by mowing the floor, which gets him hungry again.

But that's ok. We dont want him wasting away.

But there not much chance of that. Given how much milk he was drinking, he quickly learned that he needed a third hand if he was going to get anything else done., like climb all over momma.

Turner: "What are you drinking?"

One of his favorite past-times in between milk bottles was to see how much food he could stuff into his mouth. Strawberries are great for squashing. He ate so many this night his eyes began turning red.

October is of course time for jack-o-lanterns.

It didnt take him long to figure out that they have two pieces.

Turner: "Mo?"

Turner: "Mo? Mo?"

We normally take him for showers, but for a while we were on a bath routine.

Turner: "There's room for two!"

Turner: "These bubbles are only from splashing. Really."

Bath and sauna in one night.

November 2006
15 months

It's now mid-November, and Turner is a big boy. He's got more words, is able to walk over or avoid obstacles with ease, can climb ladders, and knows what he wants (except when he first wakes up). Despite our best intentions, he's landed on his head more than once, but he shakes it off pretty quickly. We've also got him sleeping on his own now, which as before only works when he can't see us from the crib. At first he learned to wake himself up out of a deep sleep once he felt us lowering him into the crib, so that he would wake up and start screaming. But after a few nights on his own, he gave up on that and has been sleeping fairly well through the night. He wakes up at 3AM just about every night for a quick cuddle, then goes back to sleep. He's also given up drinking milk during the night, but for some reason still has a persistent rash that comes and goes. His mental abilities continue to improve and he gets the basic idea of how things work, especially things he sees us doing all the time. One of his favorite things to do is fill the VCR slot with his puzzle pieces. He understands "No" much better now and sometimes figures out himself why we ask him not to do things, like touch the hot wood stove. He knows how to say please ("Sss") and keys ("Sss"), and knows that when we say thank you its a good thing. Though occasionally he throws a tantrum when he doesnt get what he wants, like standing on the TV, he doesnt go out of his way to be defiant or mean, though occasionally he does get into a funk of wanting to slap momma.

He had figured out a while ago how to get up on the first step, but only onto his knees, so we were never too worried about it. But then he had a flash of inspiration to put his foot onto the step instead of his knee, and within minutes he was at the top step.