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!!!

"All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth... My Two Front Teeth...My Two Front Teeth"

Well...Ok, I'll settle for just one front tooth!!!!
Finally... I have one itty bitty tooth to dig into all of my toys. I obviously don't need it for chewing since I do just fine with my gums, but it sure is cool to touch with my finger, and Mom's thrilled that it's looking more positive that I might escape the odd missing-tooth gene that runs in the family. :)

Once it gets a little bigger, Mom will try to take a picture of it to show the world (or just the viewers of my blog)!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!

9 Months Old!

It feels like it was just the other day when I turned 8 months old! But 9 months- now that's a milestone... 3/4 of a year old. I'm just shy of 20 pounds and I'm 30.25 inches long. My weight gain has bumped me to the 50th percentile, while my freakishly long body keeps me in the 95th percentile. If you've seen my dad, it would all make sense...But the big growth has been in my head! It's now 18 inches, bumping me into the 50th percentile (it's always been around the 10th percentile until now). My Nagy says that little heads run in the family, but we'll see!

I'v accomplished a lot this past month:

*I've survived my second cold (and my first fever!).
*I've learned how to walk while only holding onto mom's fingers (I use my own strength to do it, and just use mom for balance...and I'm fast too!!!). I'm working on using only one hand and holding the coffee table with the other.
*I've figured out how to get underneath and around just about anything that's in my way or piques my curiosity... ANYTHING. I crawl under the dining room chairs, I crawl inside my exersaucer... under my walker and rocking horse...under the lazyboy when dad's relaxing...and of course, under the Christmas tree!!!!
*I've figured out how to get into the sit position after crawling...it's a lengthy process but it works. Aunt Amy showed me a few tips, but in the end - I figured out a completely different way to do it.
*I've started "dancing" when there's music on... well, sort of - at least I bounce a little and wave my hands and kick one leg. It all stops when the music is off.
*I've eaten so many new foods too - cheese, yogurt, bread, all kinds of veggies and meats...whatever mom and dad are eating for dinner!
*I THINK that I said "doggie" on numerous occasions now. Mom and Dad aren't sure if I really said it, but I only say it when Hannah or Otis come near me.
*In addition to doggie - I have added several other words to my vocabulary, like bababa and kakaka and anything that follows a sloppy raspberry. This morning, I was whining and reaching up at mom and said "mamama" - she thinks I was calling for her, but we all know it's too early for that...or is it???
*I met Santa Clause (see previous post)
*Most importantly - I've learned how to get what I want. I now SCREEEEAAM whenever I drop something (which I like to do repeatedly), or when I'm bored, or when I want something that mom took away from me, the louder I scream, the quicker I get what I want. :) It's my new trick. They try to resist, but in the end, mom and dad cave in every time.

All and all, it's been a great month! I had a blast during Thanksgiving at my friends Ella and Kellyn's, and then again at Aunt Jill's wedding! Can't wait until Christmas - Mom says there's tons of stuff under that big shiny tree for me... I like the wrapping paper, in fact, I've already started unwrapping most of the presents (even the ones that aren't mine - sorry if one of those is yours).

And oh ya... still no teeth but the doc said my gums were swollen today (though she said that 2 months ago).

Aunt Jill's Wedding

Aunt Jill and Uncle Chris got married on Saturday, and I got to go to the wedding!!! My babysitter and her family were sick so Mom and Dad packed me up and brought me to the wedding. I had a blast...I even got to dance a few times!!!

Check out our pictures here...Kruger Wedding

Me and Santa

I met Santa for the first time. Everyone thought I would be scared of him but I wasn't - he's a pretty cool dude! I especially loved his long beard and big red suit (red is my favorite color). Here's a few more pictures from my visit with Santa...

GO GATORS!!!

Birthday tracker

Aunt Kelly found this cool birthday tracker... Mom's still trying to figure out how to use it, but this is what it looks like. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My first Thanksgiving was a blast! We packed up and headed to my friend Ella's house for the day... I got to spend lots of time playing with my cousin Grayson and my Aunts while Dad and my Uncles goofed around on motor bikes that were WAY TOO SMALL for their tall bodies bodies. :) And for dinner, I got to eat turkey, squash and mashed potatoes. Here's a few pictures of our day.

I did it!!!

I've figured it out - I'm crawling!!! Well, it's not the most graceful crawl, but I can move one arm and and then one leg, then the other leg, but when it's time to move my other arm forward, it gets stuck under my legs and then I'm back to square one. Then I start all over again until I get to where I want to be. :) Dad's gone backpacking but he'll be so proud of me when he gets home!!!!

Look at me go!!!


How did I get over here????