Happy Halloween

from the cutest Hokie Bird around!

Yum Dad, is that a cake walk?  Do I like cake?

Oh, hello ladies...I'm the Hok.ie Bir.d.

That's right, ladies.  Check out my tail feathers.

There sure are a lot of people here, Dad.  Do we know all of them?

All in all, it was just enough festivities for your first Halloween, buddy.  Next year, we'll be chasing you all around that gym.  Mama needs to start thinking of your costume now!  Grandma made some really good costumes over the years.  I don't think the jar of Peter Pan peanut butter will ever be topped.  We are homemade costume people.  No more store bought for us!

Goofy

You are such a goof, kid.  In the last week or so, you've started doing several silly things.

1.  You enjoy doing what Daddy and I have termed "trust falls."  You will randomly launch yourself at one of us...whether we're ready to catch you or not.  Sometimes, we aren't even looking at you when do it.  Luckily, you giggle with glee when you fall and seem to be keeping the trust falls to the play mat or a spot where you have tossed pillow.

2.  You love climbing into our laps and leaning back against us.  Then you slide down and lay between our legs, giggling.

3.  You have started laying flat on your tummy and sliding across the hardwood floors.  Sometimes you'll peer under the couch as you go by to see if you can spot any of your wayward toys.

4.  You need a patty cake intervention, child.  At least once a day you will either climb up into our lap or come over to us while we're sitting on the floor, grab our hands, and clap them together.  That is your sign that you want us to sing patty cake.  You are content to do this for a long time (30 minutes or so).

Tonight, you would come clap my hands together then toddle over to Daddy who would shake you gently to "roll" you, I would "pat" your back or your bum (and you would laugh hysterically), and Daddy would "toss" you in the air.  As soon as he put you down, you'd race over to me and clap my hands to start the whole process over again.

(Someday, Mama will have a half decent cell phone camera so we don't have tons of grainy pictures.  It's still better than Daddy's phone though!)

Game

Yesterday, Daddy took you to the doctor to get the second half of your flu shot (sorry about that).  I hate that I couldn't go, but honestly, it's better when I don't.  I get more upset about you being hurt than you do.  Daddy always says you cry for a minute or two, Mama cries for ten minutes.  Anyway... yesterday you were crying as Daddy walked out of the exam room and into the waiting room of the office.  In the waiting room there were two little girls.  You immediately stopped crying.  Daddy said, "Oh, since there are girls here, you have to be a big tough guy, huh?"

As soon as you walked out of the doctor's office, you started sobbing again.

You sure showed Daddy not to disclose your flirting methods with the ladies.

Some things are sacred, Dad!

11 Months

Age:  11 Months

Getting you to sit still is becoming quite a challenge!

Favorite activity:  Walking!  You took your first steps a few days after you turned 10 months old.  Now, you're walking more and more often.  Crawling is still your preference when you want to get somewhere fast, but your walking is getting better with every day.

Slides are awesome, MAMA!

Honorable mentions:  Can we talk about your obsession with soccer balls?  You love any kind of ball.  We have many.  When we go to work with Daddy, I see your little mind whirling at all the soccer balls around.  You go up to strange children who have a ball and YOU STEAL THEIR BALL!  If we ask you where your ball is, you look at it or go and get it.  This morning, you saw a ball that I had washed sitting in the sink to dry and clearly said, "Ba."  Not your normal "ba ba ba" but the "ba" that is the first part of the word "ball."  It's very clear to us that you mean ball.

Yes, this is another soccer ball.  I love them all.  This one sings, Mama!

Lately, you are also quite the chatty Cathy.  You are constantly chattering about something.  We're looking forward to the time when we can actually understand what you're trying to tell us.

You also love pushing the stuffed animal bin around the living room.  Most days, I come home from work and it looks like a stuffed animal bomb went off in the living room.  You're so pleased with yourself as you push it around the room.  It's exciting for us to watch your problem solving skills and your determination.  If you can't get the bin to move, you keep trying until you get it to move.  Sometimes, that means you lose your cool, get frustrated, and start screaming at it, but you don't give up.  I hope you keep that determination as you grow older.

Least favorite activity:  The temper tantrums have begun.  You are a mellow, happy, easy going kid...until we take something you want (and can't have) or make you stop walking.  Oh heavens the screaming.  Luckily, you seem to forgive and forget quickly.  I could do without the screaming and crocodile tears though, ok, buddy?

This swing is super fun!

Milestones:  Uh, WALKING, of course!

I'll just move this over to the other side of the room.  See you soon.

Words:  Still no Dada.  Your favorite word right now is "ma-me."  We keep working on Dada though.

I'm playing with Catch Me Kitty, Mama, what do you want?

Sleep:  Naps are hit and miss.  Bedtime, however, is sacred.  You usually fall asleep between 7 and 8pm and we don't hear more than a peep from you until 6-6:30am.  The last few days, you've been "sleeping in" until 7:30am.  It has been delightful.  Of course, the time change is coming up in 2 weeks...we know we're on borrowed time.

The Wombat eating a wombat.  (This one's for you, Grandma!)

Best Moment: Those first steps may have been the best moment this month.  When you sit in my lap and grab my hands so that I will clap (and do patty cake) is also pretty wonderful.  However, when I'm singing to you at night and you lay your head on my shoulder and wrap your arm around my neck, my heart melts.

You look so grown up...even with no shoes on.

Worst Moment:  The temper tantrums are not fun.  I fear this is just the beginning.

No, Mama, I wasn't just eating this book.

Eating: We are slowly trying to give you less purees and more finger foods.  However, YOU are more interested in squishing said finger foods between your fingers.  You will eat the little bites when I put them in your mouth.  You have recently learned that feeding Mama is much more fun than eating your dinner yourself.  Hooray, now Mama's eating dinner twice.

You're also fascinated with spoons.  You haven't mastered the spoon yet, but playing with it is lots of fun.  You'll get it someday, Little Guy.  Don't give up!

I'm not getting any food this way, Mama!

Teeth:  Seven and counting!  We think you're teething again, but we haven't been able to see any white spots (no sticking our fingers in your mouth...you bite!).

I refuse to open my eyes until you stop flashing that thing in my face, Mama.

Pumpkin Carving

Last night, we carved our first family pumpkins.  Well, to be honest, Daddy carved the pumpkins.  You and I just made a big mess.  It was so much fun!

Before

What is this?  It feels...icky.

So I'm supposed to take all this stuff out?

I'll just use this spoon, ok, Mom?

Chicken.

Hmm...what's this?

I wonder what it tastes like...

Ack!  Not good!  Not good!

This is just the first of our new family traditions.  We can't wait to start more new traditions with you, buddy. 

Pumpkin Patch

This afternoon, when I got home from work, we went to the pumpkin patch.  It wasn't a big pumpkin patch, but since you're so little, we figured a big pumpkin patch with lots of people wasn't a good idea.  This one was perfect.  Not crowded, low key, and just big enough to keep you busy.

We're off to the pumpkin patch!  (We had to wake you up to go...it took you a minute to wake up.)

First, we took a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch. 

We saw cows and chickens during our ride.  You loved watching them.

Hey Mom, what's this thing?

Ooo...I like these.

PUMPKINS!!!

I want this one....and this one.

So...you say I can choose any of these?  Decisions, decisions...

Hey!  This pumpkin is my size!  I bet I could eat it.

Time to go already, Dad?  Five more minutes?  Please?

There was a lot for you to take in, Wombat.  But we all had a good time.  You enjoyed playing in the dirt, licking the pumpkins, and watching the other kids running around.  We left with three pumpkins: a Daddy pumpkin, a Mommy pumpkin, and a Baby pumpkin!

Daddy and I look forward to starting all kinds of new traditions with you.  This is just the first of many.

Tomorrow, we carve our pumpkins!

Nighty Night

Every night, we read Llama Llama Nighty Night  (and let's face it, a couple other books, too).  We've read it so many times, I can recite it from memory.  For the past few weeks, when we get to the end of the story where Llama Llama is snuggling with his Mama and going to sleep in his bed, you take out your binky and try to put it in Llama Llama's mouth.

It's just about the cutest thing ever.

It's the little things you do each day that make me stop and appreciate just how wonderful you are and how much we love you.

We love you, buddy!