Happy Holidays!

The month of November has flown by! I'm now 20.5 months old and growing bigger and taller every day. The doctor said that growth should slow down after 15 months but I'm not seeing that happen. I now weigh almost 31 pounds and am over 3 feet tall but it's hard to measure at home. I make mini sentances and can communicate just about everything I want/need to mom and dad. Life's pretty easy for me these days!

In November, we celebrated Dad's birthday, as well as Thanksgiving. Both were a blast because I got to enjoy the company of my family. For Thanksgiving, my Uncle Chris, Aunt Emily and cousins Sarah, Sam, and Ben all came to visit. Grammy and Grampy also came - We had a full house and tons of fun together! My favorite part was getting chased by Sarah, and wrestling with Ben. I loved watching Sam play with his little video game too, but I'm not sure Sam enjoyed my leaning over his shoulder and blocking the screen. :) We had tons of food, tons of laughs and just a real good visit with the side of my family that I don't get to see too often. Here's a group picture on Thanksgiving Day...

More pictures from November...
And now on to the next holiday - Christmas! We put up the Christmas tree and set out the lights, now we just sit back and wait for Santa!

I visited him recently to give him my list....I couldn't wait to see the big guy, but once I was there next to him, I didn't know what to do - cry or laugh? Instead I sat VERY still like a statue (next to him on the bench, definitely NOT on his lap though), I didn't move, speak, or make a peep. When mom finally said it was ok to get down, I ran to her screeming and burried my head on her lap. I love Santa and all...but lets face it - he's kind of scary for a little guy like me. Wishing you all a happy holiday season!!!

Fall 2007

A lot has been going on around here... lots of friends and family visiting (race weekend), fall festivities (Pumpkin patch), lots of holiday fun (Halloween). We've all been keeping busy!

First of all, my family came to visit for the race in early October - my great aunt/uncle, my auntie-cousins (2nd cousins I think, but they might as well be aunts), and all of my grandparents. Then after the hectic weekend, Grammy stayed on with me for another week, while mom and dad went on a trip to Mexico for their anniversary... I wasn't there physically, but mom and dad thought about me and talked about me all week. They even took a picture of me to prop up in the hotel room. :)

Click here for more Mexico pictures

I missed them just as much, though I had a wonderful time with Grammy. I perfected my hugging and kissing skills, played with a bunch of new toys, went out for french fries more than once.

After mom and dad came home, they took me to the Pumpkin Patch ("pump pump pass") - what a blast! Way more fun than last year... I must've walked a mile just so I could see and touch all the pumpkins in the fields. Then I took a huge nap when I got home.


And all of this led up to my new favorite time of year - HALLOWEEN! My cousin Grayson came over, and we both had our first real "trick or treating" event. We caught on right away... bravely walking up to stranger's doors and pleading for candy. Neither one of us could actually get the words out... the closest I got was "Trick mm mm" instead of "trick or treat". "boo" worked well...and of course "chomp chomp" which I've been saying for 6 months now. Either way- I enjoyed being a Gator for a night, and I'm sure my buddy the Lobster had fun too.

Here's my October pictures - enjoy!
October 2007

Sweet Dance Moves

I'm offering one-on-one lessons for those interested in learning these sweet moves.


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Skool is Kool

I love school! After my first day, I wasn't sure that I really enjoyed it, but now that i'm used to my teacher and the other kids in my room, I can't get enough of it!

Something that I learned at school...I love to color! And instead of just eating the crayons, I actually use them to color pictures at school, and I've actually gotten picky about using more than one color. :) This is my latest masterpiece (it's a duck with a real feather attached) I have a new drawing every week but this one is the best so far:

Today, when mommy picked me up, I stopped what I was doing and ran over to her and gave her a HUGE hug around her legs, then quickly ran back to the toys I was playing with. After a minute, I thought I better play with her too (didn't want mom to feel bad), so I went over, grabbed her hand and pulled her over to my toys to show her all the fun things I play with all day...then I pulled her to my chair ("shaya") and showed her where I sit for lunch ("unch"), which apparently is my favorite part of school...my teacher says that I sit there for 45 minutes...I'm the first one there and the last one to leave - I love lunch. Then it was time to go home and I cried and mom had to drag me out of there. But I'll be back next week and I can't wait!

18 Months

Time Flies! 18 months have passed and I grow more and more into a little kid each day. I'm now over 28 pounds, 35", and in size 7 shoes! My vocabulary is ever changing - several words actually sound like real words now, and I'm also putting 2 words together to make sentences (more cheerios, uh-oh fall, hot ouch, oh no, my dad, dump truck, trash truck, help me, etc.). I start jabbering the minute I wake up (standing in my crib yelling "mommy") until the minute I go to bed at night ("nu-night mama"). I have 16 teeth and eat just about everything though have started turning my nose up to veggies. The doc says this is fine since I love fruit and will eat fruit all day long if my diapers could hold it! :)

My favorite past times - playing with trucks, cars, trains, balls, blocks, sticks and rocks. I love stacking them and lining them up. I organize them based on type/size and create little piles with them (so Brun). I even like to play make-believe with my other toys...lining them up and moving them like a train, making train noises, or waving a block in the air and making airplane noises. I'm really starting to think outside of the box. :)

Dad has become my new favorite person- I still run to Mom when I'm scared or have a boo-boo, but lately - seeing Daddy is the highlight of my day. I love searching room by room for daddy yelling his name. I'm so intrigued by everything that he does (my new favorite word - "tools" since I've been watching dad do some work around the house).


A few other changes around my house...I started going to daycare for just one day a week, and Mom continues to be busy with new clients so this is helpful. I also have a new babysitter for Thursdays and Fridays during the day if Mom needs her to come- she's a sweet lady in the neighborhood that reminds me of grammy and nagy (except she's a bit more expensive). I'm also learning about poop (pup) and pee (pete pete), not sure if I'm ready for potty training yet (though my Doctor thinks so), but I now know where my poopy is and can point at it (in my pants, of course), and I know where the potty is but for now I just like climbing on it.

With Hannah gone (see previous post), I've now taken a new liking to Otis... Yesterday, Mom walked in the room to see Otis with my matchbox truck on his back (and the day before, there was a little purple octopus on his back) - he's been pretty good about letting me play with him like that (he used to jump and run to the other room when I went near him). Mom still tries to keep tabs on us though, because Otis is a big boy and he might be too rough with me. But I'm growing pretty fast and will soon be caught up with Otis. :)

Gotta run now.... I hear the trash truck coming!!!

Bye Bye Hannah

I have to say bye-bye to one of my favorite pals this week, Hannah. Of my two doggy friends, she's my favorite, but unfortunately she's kind of old and has become unpredictable with kids and babies, even though she slept by my crib to protect me for the first year of my life. Hannah will be happier in her new home in Colorado though - plus she gets to go on a plane to get there! We're all pretty sad about it but it's better for everyone in the long run. Mom and Dad try to keep us sperated to be safe, so I don't have many pictures with Hannah...but here's one from the other day.

To Miss Hannah - you will be sorely missed in our household. We'll all remember how you wag your little butt every time you're happy to see us, how you plop your head down on our laps to be pet, and how you lick our fingertips when we walk past you. You've been a wonderful part of our family and you'll never be forgotten in our hearts. Bye-Bye Hannah...

To Jack, On Your First Day Of School

To my sweet Jack,

Today is your first day of school, and I can't explain how much I love you and am proud of you. You were so brave (too brave)... you let me hold your little boy hand while we walked to the door and as soon as it opened, you slipped away from me and ran to play with your new friends, "kiz" (kids) as you call them, and the mountains of unexplored toys. And as I left you with your new environment (abruptly as we parents were instructed to do), I caught a glimpse of you through the window and watched for just a moment, mesmerized at how quickly you became a little boy, and how there's very little baby, if any at all, left in my sweet Jack. And now I sit here writing you this note to express how very much I've enjoyed watching you grow into the little boy you are today, and how I will cherish watching you grow into the man you will become. But in my heart you will always be my sweet, sweet baby Jack.

You only go to school on Wednesdays, and it's only a half mile away from home, but I know it's going to be a whole new world for you. This, Jack, is the beginning of your childhood, but please take your time for Dad and I, because there's so much more to come.

I love you,
Mommy

My trip to St Louis

My 17th month has proven to be the best month ever! I had a visit from Nanna and Pop-Pop (see previous post) and then a trip to see Grammy and Grampy in St. Louis. I had so much fun! We went to the pool a few times, I learned how to use the slip-n-slide, and we went to the zoo (rated the best in the nation), and all around the town! I loved the zoo - so many animals and cool stuff...my favorite were the turtles (terter) and the fish (ish) and of course the gators (chomp chomp). It was too hot to see the monkeys and sea lions though. I did however, get to cool off with the penguins - they even splashed and got me wet!

All of this, yet a month ago, I showed little interest in the animals at the Charlotte rescue zoo...I'm tellin' ya - I've had a lot of changes this month. I repeat just about EVERYTHING I hear (yes, everything...watch your mouth mommy and daddy), and I mimic everything I see...I know my shapes, I know my racecar drivers, I know my animals and the noises they say, I know my different trucks and the sounds they make, I can sing now, my dancing has definitely improved, and finally I can say "help me" instead of "eh heh eh heh eh heh" in a whiney voice. And lets not forget that I found my nostrils this month and I like to let my finger hang out all day in there. All of this stuff is new this month. I don't know if I'm on target, advanced, or behind but either way - mom and dad are amazed at how smart I am and what I learn each day. Next month is the big "18" - can't wait to see what comes with that!!!

Here are some pictures from Grammy&Grampy's house and the zoo. Please leave a comment if you visit - I'm starting to wonder if anyone is listening... Thanks Renee, for your monthly contribution. :)

Bye Bye Nana and Pop Pop!

I had a great weekend with my Nagy and GB-Pops ("Nana" and "Pop Pop" as I call them)! We mostly just hung around and relaxed. One night we went to the Whitewater Center in Charlotte for a few brewskis (just water for me) and dinner. We had a blast watching all the rafts and boats (or "bow" as I call it). We also did some house hunting and driving around. Mostly though, I spent a lot of time reading my books (boos) with Nagy.

Here's a few pictures of us at the Whitewater Center and a few more from the last couple of weeks.

Happy August everyone!

Happy Birthday Uncle Chris!

My Uncle Chris(K) turned 30 last week and we all headed up to Troutman to celebrate! I had a ton of fun with my Aunts and Uncles and my cousin Grayson... Even Aunt Anna and Aunt JuJu were there. Here's a few other pictures from the birthday party...click here

Here's a couple of video's of the big show that Aunt Anna put on for us:

Monday, July 16, 2007
The Anna Show

Photos from June

This is a picture of me wearing Grampy's shoes - a habit which I thoroughly enjoy (wearing other people's shoes).

Here's a few more photos from this past month - in chronological order. From when Mom and Dad went to a winery in the mountains, to my visit with Nagy, then Grammy/Grampy and Father's day weekend, then when Uncle Tim and Grayson came over for dinner and a few others since then.

Mom's slacking about uploading these days. Anyhow, check the photos

out here!

15 Months Old

I'm now 15 months old - what a wild ride it has been! I had my 15-month check-up and a clean bill of health with that. I'm now 25 pounds and 33 inches long. And according to my doctor, I'm doing everything I should be doing, if not more, for my age. :) Mom and dad are so proud of me and all the things I learn each day! Each month, mom says "this was the best month so far" and then the next month comes along and it's even better than the last.

I say a bunch of words now and communicate in so many different ways. It seems like the last two weeks have been spent practicing these skills.... I have a handful of words that I use regularly and I add new ones to the list every couple of days. I can say mom, dad, Jack, truck, doggie, duck, cow, big bird, elmo, cookie, bagel, ball, bye-bye, book, fish, chair, cup, star, car, bear, that, ants, apple, bumble bee...and those are just the words that I use regularly - who knows what else I'm saying that Mom and Dad haven't been able to interpret yet! And though I say all of these wonderful words - you do need Mom and Dad to interpret them for now, I tend to drop a few letters here and there. I also know how to get their attention to help me with something, or to fix something, or find something, etc. I point at what I want and try to pronounce it, which is much nicer than pointing and crying. I also mimic other people and catch on quickly - show me once and I'll repeat it right away (like playing hide-n-seek with Dad or putting mom's shoes on her feet).

When I'm not learning new words, I'm eating. I eat all day long and there really isn't much I dislike (maybe raw tomatoes and raw peppers...that's about it though). Hey - if I'm going to be running around all day, then I need to keep my calories up!!! My favorite foods still seem to be fruits and berries (all fruits and all berries).

I recently had a visit from ALL of my grandparents too - first Nagy/GBP and then Grammy/Grampy, two weeks apart. We had a blast! I was a little sad when they all left, but I rmembered all the games they played with me and I just follow mommy around with my books/toys and make her play with me like they did. :) Also, Father's Day was a ton of fun too - I made a plaque of my footprints for Dad to put in his new office, and we also went out to breakfast and spent the day hanging around.

I've got a new sitter who comes to the house in the mornings before my nap so that Mom can get some work done. She's tons of fun and loves to play with me. Sometimes we go outside and play with the neighbors too. Then Rebecca goes home and I take a nap for 4 hours so Mom can continue working. After that, Mom's done working and I'm done sleeping and we play and eat until the night comes. That pretty much sums up my life!

I wish Mom could write for me more often, but she can't turn her back for one second - that's all it takes for me to get up on the kitchen chair (and ultimately the table like I did today) or the couch or whatever else I'm not supposed to do. So, sorry for my absence, but please check back every now and again for new updates!

Busy, Busy, BUSY!

It seems like there's always something going on around me these days and I never have time to tell my blog viewers about it! And with the new season comes more work for Mom - when she gets a chance to blog for me, it's only after her work is done. Sorry everyone, priorities...I DO want to go to college some day and I hear tuition will be expensive in 17 years. :) More on this later...

Anyhow, since my last post - I've been busy perfecting my running, sneaking, taking, hiding, and whining skills. Yep, I sneak something that I'm not supposed to have (tv remote, paper from dad's desk, mom's cellphone, even a pair of scissors!), then I start running, I hide in another room, then I whine when someone takes it away from me. That's my daily ritual - it keeps us all busy here. :)

I've also been busy outside helping mom in the garden, and playing with the dogs.


I still have issues with grass though... I can walk on it but when I fall and actually have to touch it to get back up - well that's another story.

Also, my cousin Grayson had his first birthday and we all had a blast celebrating at his house. Check out the pictures here...

Now back to that college stuff - We would love it if you would join our friends and family by signing up with our U-Promise account. Every time you purchase a product with the "U Promise" logo (seen here)


a portion of the cost will be contributed to my college savings plan (no charge to you of course). There are thousands of household products already on the program (regular stuff like laundry detergent, cereals, soups, etc.). Every penny counts... If you'd like to join the program - Check it out here! We certainly appreciate the support - Thanks to all of you who have already signed up!

That's all for now - I've gotta go for a walk in the neighborhood.

Summer is here! (almost)

Just when I got comfortable walking indoors, now mom and dad make me walk on the grass (not nearly as easy as it looks). I just can't resist the outdoors though - so I'll keep practicing. Mostly, I can't stand the grass...it's itchy and uneven..sometimes cold and wet too, but Dad has warned me that I better start liking it or I'll miss out on all sorts of fun things with him. For instance - I went to my friend's birthday party last week, and it was mostly outdoors...there were all kinds of fun toys to play with and climb on but I had to get brave and maneuver the lawn to enjoy myself. In the end, the grass won and I learned that touching the grass was ok (after mom forced me to walk barefoot). Since then, I've been getting more and more comfortable with the grass - but I'd still prefer the concrete (maybe I'm destined to be a city-kid???).

I do love being outside though - I stand at the door and SCREAM when someone comes in or goes out and shuts the door before I can squeeze through (any door leading outside... my house has 5). So now mom and dad sneak in and out and try to hide it from me. One reason I love going outside is because it means I get to put my shoes on...I just love the way my shoes sound when I walk in them. I slap them on the floor with each step and it gets louder and louder. They sound the best when I get to walk in the empty house that Dad built. Maybe it's the hardwoods, maybe it's the echo - either way it's cool.

Here's a few pictures from the last few weeks...click here

Can't wait for Gray's birthday party this weekend!!!

Happy Easter!

April is already half over - where did the time go? I've been real busy perfecting my walking skills (running skills). Here's a couple videos from last week:
Sunday, April 1, 2007
FINALLY - FOOTAGE OF JACK LAUGHING!!!



I've also been busy exploring the outdoors, discovering new uses for my toys, and just having fun. I now make "vroom vroom" sounds when playing with my trucks (dad taught me that), and I practice balancing all sorts of things on my head (mom taught me that)...seems silly but it's a ton of fun! I'm really starting to get a handle on this "language" business and I know when Mom is talking about the bear, or the ball, or the truck, or the dog, or my toes, or my hands, or my head. I can't say all of those words but that's why I point at them or touch them instead. I'm still learning my signs as well, but that's pretty slow going. I recognize when mom or dad uses a sign, but I can't quite figure out how to use the sign myself (except for Doggie - I can do that one).

Last week I visited my newest friend Ava in Atlanta. Ava was born a month ago and I just loved trying to figure her out! I also visited my old friend Mr. Easter Bunny (as seen above - same bunny as last year, only this time I'm much bigger in the picture). We went to my friend Ella's house for Easter Sunday. I got to pall around with my Aunts and Uncles and buddies too. Check out my pictures here.

I recently had a stomach bug - a whole week of eating nothing but crackers and juice. And since I wasn't interested in my bottle that week, I decided to stop using it all together and now I only drink from a cup. I also like digging my teeth into my cup...speaking of teeth - My molars grew in a couple of weeks ago...they hurt pretty bad, I was fussing all night while that was going on. Mom thought maybe I had an ear infection and took me to see the doctor - no ear infection but the Doc pointed out that I have my pre-molars coming in as well - which will make a total of 8 teeth... a whole lot of stuff going on in there! No wonder I was fussy!!! And with the dismissal of my bottle, I've also started eating with a spoon...I have a hard time filling the spoon myself though - I usually pick food up with my free hand and put it on the spoon, then put the spoon in my mouth. This process makes an even BIGGER mess for mom and dad (food flings pretty far when it's launched from a spoon).

Even after not eating for a whole week while I was sick, I still managed to gain a pound since my birthday (24 pounds) and moved up to size 5 diapers and size 5 shoes (I wonder if there's a correlation between diapers and shoe sizes???).

Next week, my grandpa (GB-Pops) is getting inducted into the Hall of Fame for basketball during his college days... we're all traveling to Indiana to honor him (and all of my great aunts and uncles will be there too), I'm not sure how patient I'll be during an award ceremony - fingers crossed that they serve good food to keep me busy!...We'll be sure to post some pictures afterwards!

Off and Running!

Well, not quite running...but I sure do enjoy practicing my walking skills!!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007



Also, here's a few pictures from my weekend

I'm One Year Old!!!

Yep, a whole year! This last month has been amazing... I've learned so much and accomplished so much. I make new noises, I use my brain differently, I speak differently, I ride in the car differently, I have new ways to get around, and yep - I grew a lot too! I'm now 23 pounds and 31.75 inches long (still over the 95% for height and over the 50% for weight)! None of my clothes fit me (too short, again).

I'm really starting to perfect my walking skills too - after a couple of spills, I stopped walking for a while, but now I'm back at it, big time! Check out my videos:
Wednesday, March 14, 2007


Grammy and Grampy came to visit for my birthday and we had such a good time! I got my very own Elmo cake - at first I wasn't sure of it, especially since 15 people were staring at me with cameras in their hands... but after a few seconds, I dug right in.

My aunts and uncles and friends all came to sing Happy Birthday to me and brought me so many new toys and clothes (even 'Kasey Kahne' socks!). Did you know that I'm featured in my very own Sesame Street book (thanks Aunt Amy and Uncle Joe) and that I have my own gift certificates to McDonalds (thanks Nagy and GB-Pops)? I also got a picture book of all of my family members so I can learn their names (thanks Aunt Kelly and Uncle Tim). I got some new books, new bath toys, new Little People toys, you name it! Mom and Dad got me a red Radio Flyer wagon and I just love tooling around in it.
Check out my pictures here
Aunt Kelly's pics
Aunt Jill's pics

Now that I'm a year old, I can eat anything (except for peanut butter and shelfish of course) and I just love food! Grapes are my new favorite this month (thanks Grammy). I also love to throw my food on the floor when I'm done eating (thanks Hannah and Otis). I started mixing whole milk with my formula a month ago, but I like straight milk way better (and Mom's wallet likes Milk better than formula too). I will drink my milk in a sippy cup during meals, but I'm still not nuts about ditching my bottle in the morning and night. We're working on it though.
Here's a few other pictures from my 12th monthIt's been an amazing year and I'm definitely looking forward to whatever comes next!

Just Goofing Around

Friday, March 2, 2007

Dog Stuff

I love my dogs... plus they have the coolest stuff - like big plastic bowls, small pieces of food...don't forget about all that accessible water!!! Mom turned her back of 30 seconds, and this is what I found...
What you can't see in this picture, is that one bowl is already emptied all over the floor, soaking my clothes... and the other bowl is my new toy - I love slapping the water with my hand!!! Luckily it was bath time anyway, so Dad cleaned me up and put me in some warm, dry clothes.

Sweet Dance Moves...

Mom and dad said I must dance like the mailman because I didn't get these sweet moves from them!

Here's my original dance moves...

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And here's my latest moves!!!!!

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Check Me Out...I'm Walking!!!

After a week of doing onesie-twosie steps from Mom to Dad and back again, this week I took a nice long walk across the room! Mom stood me up and let me go, and there I went...all by myself. I walked from the recliner to the foyer (that makes sense if you've been to my house) like a big boy. Mom stood behind me because she didn't think I could do it but boy did I surprise her! Dad was just as shocked when I did it again for him. And now, it's all I want to do (even though I fall most of the time and don't get very far in the process). Mom's trying to catch me walking on video so check back soon!

11 Months Old!!!

This will be my last post as an "infant"... they say I'm a "toddler" after I pass the 12-month mark. Mom gets a little weepy when she thinks about that, because it seems like I was only an infant for such a short amount of time. I'm already at the phase where I don't want be held or cuddled for very long ...there's way too much excitement elsewhere. Sorry Mom! I guess that's what being a "toddler" is all about!

I'm now 22 pounds and 6 ounces (as of last week), and between 30.5 and 31 inches (I was 30.5 last month, and this week I've had to retire several outfits that are now too short). I'm not yet walking, though I'm on my way there! I can walk behind my push-toys now, where as before I would have to run behind them as the wheels sped up, but I've figured out how to control the speed and walk casually while holding on. I cruise across large spans of nothingness and sometimes let go all together until I reach the next thing to hold on to. I've figured out how to wave bye-bye, though it's not yet consistent. And I can play patty-cake, though I'm not very precise with making my hands connect. I'm still saying mama and dada, though not quite discriminately (I was before but have stopped that for some reason), and I now say "duck" and/or "doggie" (not sure which one it is but it's definitely one or the other or both). Lastly, I now point at EVERYTHING and try to get Mom or Dad to tell me what it is that I'm pointing at. I make a cute little fist and stick that index finger out there...stretch my arm in the direction that I'm looking...and I say "dat!!!" (or "dut").

Other than that, same old, same old! Every morning I wake with the goal of learning something new, and every night I go to sleep completely satisfied with what I've learned. Check out my 11-month pictures here. Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!!

My First Ski Trip

I went to Beech Mountain for a ski-trip this weekend! Well, I suppose it was just a "trip" since I didn't really ski with the rest of the family. Maybe next year? Mom tells me that in Colorado, kids learn to ski as soon as they're able to walk!!! I think that's a bit young for the Carolina skiers though.

So I didn't play in the snow like Mom and Dad - but I still had a blast horsing around with my buddy Grayson. First thing we did was move the furniture out of the room and tossed all of our toys onto the floor. We played for hours and hours each day! I love his toys and he loves my toys. Mom and Dad took turns skiing and hanging out with me so we all got to have some fun.

On Sunday we all went out for pizza before driving home. Grayson and I shared food, everything seemed to be going well, and then we both exploded into screaming tantrums (guess we were officially DONE with our vacation). Good thing Mom and Aunt Kelly ordered their beers before hand - it made it more amusing to them. Dad didn't think it was as funny though and Uncle Tim was pretending that he wasn't dining with us. Jeeze... can't a couple of kids have a little melt down every now and again??? Too bad mom's camera wasn't handy for this ordeal- it was quite the scene! Once the pizza arrived, we settled down with a few pieces of pizza crust. Whew!

You can see Mom's pictures here
Aunt Kelly's pictures

Where Have I Been?

Sorry that my posts have been few and far between... Mom used to have all the time in the world (sort of) to update my blog, but now that I'm cruising all over the house, she's got to keep her eyes on me at all times - even when we're in her office... I used to just play in my exersaucer or on the floor, but now I'm up and knocking all of the books off the shelves, and pulling on the blinds, and opening/closing the door... I climb up onto her computer and pull all the cords... I pick through the trash... you name it! As fun as it all sounds, Mom doesn't have extra hands for typing. :(

Anyhow, I'll be turning 11 months old in one week - this month has flown by! I saw my first snowstorm, but I'm getting over a chest cold so Mom wouldn't let me go outside to play - it's ok, I got to watch it from the inside...

I saw my first superbowl with my buddies, though we didn't care much about the game... we just enjoyed knocking each other over and steeling each other's pacifiers...

I'm going skiing with the family this weekend with the family! I'll miss my doggies, but I'm sure they won't miss me since I chase them around all day. I'll post more next week for my 11 month update!

10 Months Old!!!

Only 2 months until I'm one year old! Isn't it exciting? Every day mom and dad are amazed while they watch me learn another new task. And nothing pleases me more than exploring new ways to use my toys and to get around. I actually "think" about how to do what I want to do, and strategize about different actions. I still fall short a few times before getting it right, but I'm sharp and catch on quickly! I'm starting to mimic mom and dad when they show me new things (like clapping, and using my toy hammer, and starting/stopping my musical toys, etc). I love using my toys for their intended purpose - I finally figured out how to put the pieces together and the shapes inside the box, etc. Putting things inside of other things is way cool.

I'm now 21 pounds and 30.5 inches long. My growth seems to be mostly in fat, rather than length these days. I'm happy to report that I now have 2 (maybe 3) teeth and have had my first hair cut (a few hairs and only around my ears and neck but hey - a cut is a cut). I'm sad to report (very very sad) that I've outgrown my bouncy seat... yes, my bottle-drinking, tv-watching, stuffy-nose-sleeping, monthly-picture-taking, plush, blue, bouncy seat is gone. :( One day I bounced too hard and snapped it. Rest assured, there's a new seat in play - though make no mistake...it is NOT my bouncy seat. However, mom's going to use this chair now, for my monthly photo (seen above).

My top 10 favorite things to do:

1. Pull up on anything and everything.
2. Once I'm up, I like to drop small objects and pick them up without getting down.
3. I like to cruise from furniture to wall to toy to mom and back again - I'm starting to cruise with one hand and sometimes no hands at all (using my pot belly to balance against something)!
4. I also love to chase the dogs and laugh at them as they scurry to the corner or hide in another room.
5. I love taking baths in the big-boy tub where I can crawl around and splash and really stretch my legs. Bye-bye baby tub!!!
6. I REALLY love riding around on my little car and airplane. I've figured out how to push myself too (so that mom and dad can save their backs).
7. I love following mom into whatever room she's going to (even the bathroom) and I'm fast enough now that I can keep up.
8. I love playing with all of my crib toys that I couldn't reach until now.
9. I love talking to my toys, and my binkys.
10. After a long nap, I love seeing mom and dad peek into my room to wake me up... I get so excited and I kick my legs and squeel and fling my blanky around. Then I scurry to my knees and stand up and rock against the crib rail until they pick me up and hug me. And...
11. I LOVE getting and giving hugs... ( I know - I said top 10, not 11 ).

I've been getting my little fingers into everything so mom and dad have really had to clean-house. They even put little annoything latches on the cabinet doors. :( It's ok, it's only a short crawl to dad's office where I can chew on all of his construction plans and reach up to the top of the desk and knock all of his papers to the floor (he hates that because I ruin the organized piles).

In the next few months, there's talk of "walking" and I CAN'T WAIT to see what that's all about!

On With 2007

Although 2006 was amazing, I'm eager to get on with the new year. I'm ready to have my schedule back, my routine back, and everything else back to normal!
I am very grateful though, for all of the wonderful things that have graced my life in this past year (well, past 9 months)... I'm grateful for:

• My bottle
• My binky
• My blanky (definitely my blanky)
• My dogs
• My toys
• My bathtub
• My Gerber puffs
• My health
• And most of all, My family who love me very much and tell me all the time that they can't imagine life without me.

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope 2007 is as amazing as 2006 was!!!