It's been a little while since we've updated the blog - chalk it up to the holidays, as well as some flu and illness in the Healy household. Luckily it was nothing serious, and knock on wood, we are all feeling better.

Despite the illness, we've had a great time over the past few weeks visiting with family. We started out celebrating Geema's birthday with Michael at the beginning of December. Sethie had fun coloring on a birthday card for Geema, though he didn't quite understand that he didn't get to keep the card for himself!

Grams came out to spend the holidays with us from Chicago, and we have been having a great time catching up with her. We hosted our family Chanukah party at our house, and we all had lots of fun together. Seth enjoyed the special latkes prepared by Uncle Bill, and had lots of fun opening his presents and singing with his family.

We spent Christmas Eve with Grandpa Joe and Grandma Nancy, and Seth had a blast having the run of the house. His grandparents were thrilled to be with him for the holiday, and they loved seeing all his new tricks. On Christmas Day, we headed up to Framingham to spend the day with Lindsay, Jeremy, little Lila, Aunt Sandi, Tom, Danielle, Zach, Grandpa Joe, Grandma Nancy, Nana, and Uncle John. It was a wonderful day, and Seth had so much fun playing with his cousin Lila, who is only four months younger than he is. They ran around chasing each other, with Seth trying to hug Lila and Lila trying to kiss Seth. Seth also had a great time playing with Nana. He was making her soup with Lila's play food, and he kept saying "making soup for Nana."

Christmas night we headed up to Western MA to be with Grams, Papa, and Auntie Lissa, and we have been having a great time. Seth is the center of attention here, and he has been doted on by all his relatives. He got an inflatable sled with a back support from Grams and Papa, and he has been having so much fun riding it. We push or pull him on the sled, and Jason taught him to say "Wheee!", which he says with enthusiasm. He has also enjoyed Papa's hot tub, and he has had his pick of people to read to him.

Seth has received so many wonderful new toys this holiday; he is a very lucky boy! Some of his favorites are a cool set of stacking blocks that look like logs from Auntie Lissa, a nice polar fleece blanket from Grams, the sled from Grams and Papa, a tamborine from Geema, and a football or "feetball" as he calls it, from Grandpa Joe and Grandma Nancy. Presents aside, we are very lucky to have so many people that love Seth!

Seth has also become quite his own little person these days! He has developed a very independent streak, and wants to do things himself, hence his new phrases "I do it" or "Sethie do it." He is definitely the one in control - he likes us to sit in certain places or play games certain ways, and of course, we obey! :)

His language has also exploded in the past month! At daycare, they call him "the little parrot" - he repeats everything he hears, and remembers a lot of it! At daycare, he likes to say "one second" and "that's the rules" because he hears that a lot.

With us, he says so many new things it's hard to keep track! He says "I love you" and "Bless you" reliably, and is working on saying please and thank you. He likes to say "I made a basket" when playing basketball, and "I made the food" when cooking with his pretend food. He says "heavy" and makes a grunting noise when picking up something heavy, and has picked up the word "Sorry," which he says as a filler in sentences.

He has a new favorite book, Buster's Echo, and he likes to talk about the "mean rat" in this book all the time. There is also a dog bone on the book, and Grams taught him that dogs eat bones. So, Seth likes to run around saying "dogs eat bones," and as a joke, says "Mommy eats bones, Sethie eats bones," etc.! He also likes to walk around the house talking on the phone to his grandparents. He can talk for 10 minutes with stream of consciousness babbling and words thrown in! It is so cute. He likes the sound of Grandpa Joe's name, and chants it repeatedly!

He has graduated to speaking some sentences, such as "I make the soup with watermelon," and we are constantly amazed. He loves to read books to himself and to be read to, and we are playing games where we work on taking turns. He also made up this funny game from one of his kids' songs about different people having animals on their heads. He decided he would get his stuffed animals and put them on his head! He requests the songs that he wants, and then wants to hear them five or six times in a row.

He loves these two Baby Einstein DVDs about animals and the farm, and has learned so many new words, like "wombat" and "hay." He has certain puppet shows in the DVDs that he thinks are particularly funny, and he also likes to see those five or six times!

Seth can still be, shall we say, opinionated, over certain things, like getting dressed and leaving a particular place, but we are all learning to adapt to his new independent streak. He also has made a big leap in understanding shapes, colors, and letters, and especially, numbers. He decided to count the balls in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and he counts "1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!" Though we are not actively toilet training, he also had his first time going pee-pee on the potty - three times in one night!!

We are having so much fun with Seth, and we can't wait to see what comes next!