Decorating the Xmas Tree

Harrison's first attempt at decorating the tree. It didn't last long nor turn out so well :)!

Enjoy!

The Sound of a Bell

I remember last year about this time I read H "The Polar Express" for the first time. It was a night when Liz was working and I read it to him by the Christmas tree, just he and I. He was barely six months and he just kind of sat there on my lap, slapping at the pictures. For whatever reason I started getting choked up at certain parts.

Tonight we were getting ready for bed and he was very adamant about reading "The Polar Express" I am guessing because he and Liz have been reading it, as it was sitting on the dresser. Again I couldn't help but get choked up reading it, and I think it was for very much the same reason as last year.

The story is about having the child-like belief in something. And as H sat there on my lap, crazily pointing out the train and the reindeer and the wolves, I couldn't help but look at the back of his tiny little head - moving back and forth with every flip of the page - and think of how awesome it all was. How he is just starting to understand the world around him and how he will get to believe in all of these wonderful things - how his slate is clean and how much fun is in store for him. I also think that a part of me remembers what it was like to have that innocence, to believe in that bell.

I know sadly we all stop hearing the bell, it sucks. So I have a wish for you...If you get a chance this Christmas close your eyes and remember back to the days of when a shiny bell could capture your imagination. Close your eyes and see if you can hear the bell and let a little piece of that inner child - the one who still believes that if you wish hard enough anything can come true - let that child out, even if just for a few moments.

An Important Phone Call

This is H playing with a set of "keys" from his first briefcase set. He was pretending that it was a phone and he seemed to be taking a very important phone call. Excuse the poor quality it was shot in a hurry with our point and shoot. Also, our house normally isn't that messy - I think "Hurricane H" blew in that day - see post below - enjoy!

November/December Pics

Little Path of Destruction

"It's like he just leaves a path of destruction behind him"

We have a little joke that when either one of comes home we can quickly take a look at the house and see what kind of day it has been with H. On days in which "Hurrican Harrison" has hit you can usually find Tupperware scattered about the kitchen, legos and books strewn throughout the living room, at least one golf ball rolling around the hardwood floors and usually Riley in a tizzy running around the room.

H has entered a stage in which everything and anything can suddenly be turned into a projectile. The little man has certainly discovered that he has quite the arm. Brett Favre he is not, but by the spirals in which his monkey and other animals can quickly be subjected to he is definitely working on his form.

The curious thing about his new found love of destruction is his complete opposite side that is often turned like a light switch. The side in which he suddenly wants to dance or be held and will sit for minutes with his head resting on your shoulders quietly mumbling as if he is whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

I am no child development expert, and I am guessing that this is normal and if we were to take him to a doctor the diagnosis would be "one and a half year old boy"! In many ways this double personality, the lovey little boy who cherishes his tickle times and hugs, and the one who likes to stare you down as he slowly raises a plastic golf ball over his head taking aim directly at the dog all while shaking his head "No" and smiling at you, is just the kind of son I want. One who isn't afraid to test the waters, discover and live life but has the compassion to understand when someone needs a hug.

Don't get me wrong, we discipline him, and I think that is one of the reason's why he will pick up all of his animal magnets off the kitchen floor two seconds after he walks by and sends them flying off the refrigerator with one swoop of his hand, or gives his dog a hug and kiss two seconds after attempting to swat him with stuffed monkey.

I love this age, and I am sure that we are in for more entertainment/struggles, but we welcome them, even if it means sending in a recovery team every night to pick up the pieces of a certain tropical storm!

NOT a Laughing Matter

As a new parent, and a parent of a blooming toddler, one of the hardest things is drawing the line between what actions are cute and funny and what actions need to be stopped before they get to be bad behavior. Now at nearly 16 months you can't really "discipline" other than NO. But Saturday I found myself in one of those in between moments.

We were cleaning the house and H started copying mom and dad and started "dusting" with a coaster. I turned to do something else and just happen to glance back and saw that he had stopped dusting and had pulled himself over the arm of the couch and was on the coffee table. Like a scurrying monkey he was making a mad dash trying to grab the phone before I caught him.

I quickly ran across the room, told him NO and set him on the couch. He, as he has been doing lately, was talking, animatedly, pointing to the phone as if I had just interrupted a serious mission. I told him NO again. As I was about to turn away the little monkey stuck his tongue out and made the motor boat sound - you know the one - something like pffftttt.

I had to quickly stop from laughing out loud. I asked Liz if we were doing time outs yet and she asked "why"? As I told her SHE started laughing.

I was going to let it go, figuring that he wouldn't understand why he was going for a time out after the fact...well, the little turkey kept doing it, and laughing at me. So I put him in the corner and sat with him as mom set the timer for one minute.

He looked at me like I had just stolen his ball, threw away his stuffed monkey, and stolen his juice in one foul swoop. Of course he started crying as it was probably the longest minute of his very young life.

I think he has forgiven me, but now I know that phrase that parents always give and kids never believe -- "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you". Because well, it did hurt, a little, especially having to be the one who issued that first bit of cruel and unusual punishment to such a sweet little guy...but something tells me that this was the first of many to come!

Taking Time to Say Thank You

Tuesday is Veteran's Day, a day that is often overlooked by many as a day that simply means that the post office and banks are closed. Unfortunately growing up that was often my take, but as I've gotten older I've realized how much the military has affected Liz's and my life. We both have family who have served in different branches of the military, and their duty to country has ensured many of the freedoms we take for granted on a day to day basis.

So, Thank You, thank you to those who have put country above self, to those who have given so much to make sure that our way of life is preserved.

If you get a chance to personally say thank you to a veteran, please do so. It is the very least we can do for the many brave men and women who love our freedom so much they were willing to risk their lives for it.

Riding Trucks

I have been playing around with Flickr's video feature and uploaded this video of H trying to ride his truck. This is a Tonka dump truck that in no way is meant to be ridden but Harrison is obsessed with trying to find ways to do so....enjoy!

16 Months - The Boo Edition

These last few weeks have been pretty much awesome. I think this might be the most fun I've had as a parent, and there isn't a day that goes by that your mother and I don't talk about how "crazy" you are.

You have moved into your "collection" stage. It started with Gords, which you first started calling "ba's" You had to have one with you constantly. It has since evolved into grabbing whatever you see first. It starts the moment you get out of bed and carries on all throughout the day. Whether it is a gord, a monkey, a doggie, stacked cups, whatever, you get obsessed with "things" and have to have one in your hands at all times.

Your ability to remember things is uncanny. Long gone are the days where we could hide something or distract you to make you forget. Now you seem to lock in on something and won't forget it. You are/were obsessed with the hair dryer, constantly stroking your hair and saying "dra" "dra", even pointing to our heads. And again, the moment you wake up, you roll over, hop up in your little sleep sack, and say "dra, dra", before we even have a chance to get you out of bed.

You are constantly saying new things. Often times calling something one minute, then after we say the correct name, you catch on and start calling it by its correct one. It still amazes me and how quickly you catch on. In fact I've had to watch myself a few times. One day as we were watching a Purdue game I was a little upset, as I often am these days when I watch them, I stood up and threw my hands up and almost yelled. You jumped up threw your hands up and yelled right with me. A quick lesson in fatherhood of how much you watch us for your cues.

You have a bit of independence, and need to create your own spaces. You love to pick things up and take them to your little chair, set them in the chair, sit down, then reach behind you and hold them on your lap. It's as if the chair is yours and whatever you put on there is in your "safety" zone. You also love to climb up on the big couch and push off all of the pillows. And if mom or I are sitting on it, you try to push us off. Once we get off you sit there with a proud little smile on your face.

As crazy and independent as you are, you are still very much a cuddler. You love to sit on our laps, often times sitting on us, getting up, sitting on us, getting up....You have a crazy obsession with dancing. Apparently you and mom dance while I am at work, and now you want the CD player on and want to dance all the time. So much so that you grab our hands and stick them out straight as if we are ballroom dancing. If we don't dance with you right away you stand in the middle of the room and twhirl in circles. baby. Cuddling you at this age is almost as sweet as it was when you were just a little baby.

You are growing up more and more each day. Each day is filled with a new adventure, something new learned, and a little bit more of your baby-ness disappearing. As I've said this is the most fun I've had, and I think that we have had so far as parents. Your personality is overwhelming at times, but beautiful and I hope that you continue to have this beautiful spirit as you continue to grow up!

15 Months - The Special Place Edition

There are very few places in my life - or should I say in my adult life that I really consider special places anymore. Yes there are a few places that I love going to or that bring back fond memories but very few special places.

We went back to one of those special places with you last week. It was a place that reminded me of growing up. Of spending summers as a kid with my brother, where we got to be real brothers. Getting admonished for "horse play" in the house. Where we used to throw lawn darts up in the air and run around like idiots trying to avoid getting hit by them. The place where I learned what work really was...and not because it was hard work, but because I saw the passion that my grandfather had for his land, the perfection in everything that he did.

It was a place where you fell under grandma and grandpas rules, where you got to eat cereal with honey, from a honey pot on the table with a cool little honeycomb. The place where you stayed up late watching the Last Shogun because it was on TV and your grandparents watched that sort of thing...and you loved it. A place where magic happened not because IT was magical, but because the love, the peacefulness, the beauty of the land around it was magical.

It was the place where you played games with your grandparents friends and had fun, even when you were a teenager who wouldn't be caught dead letting your mom drop you off at the movies let alone playing games with your grandparents and their friends. Where you learned how to play lawn croquet and still, to this very day, can picture you and your brother stepping on the balls and knocking them out of the way, wondering how you had never heard about this game before!

You got to experience this place. Granted it was different than the way I had experienced it, but it was still awesome to see you there.

You got to pick corn out of the garden and pick fresh apples off the tree. And then walk around eating it for the next hour!





You got to ride around on the riding lawn mower...which I might add, we never had in our day!



You raised the American flag, just like so many of the Lucas grand and great grand kids have.





Unfortunately you didn't get to experience great grandpa singing Reveille to wake you up, like he used to do to us...though you didn't need it waking up at 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM in the morning!

It was a trip that you will never remember but I will and your great grandparents will. It was something that I wanted to do with you since you were born and will never be able to do it again.

They are selling the magical place. Moving on to something smaller, something more manageable. It is the right thing to do, they have worked hard to maintain it and its now time for them to relax. It's sad, but it is O.K. because I know that even though the house might be gone...the magic it brought to me, to our family, and now to you, will always be there. It will be in our hearts and in our minds. It has been passed on to you through experiences you will never remember but through love that you will always know.

This might differ than some of your other monthly updates but it's something I thought you should know about. Another little piece of your mother and I that has been passed on to you. Little bits of our family history, our family love that we may forget to tell you someday but that you should know about.





You can see all our pictures by clicking here

Our Trip to Purdue

Rain, Rain Come Again...

So I have to preface this video. The day before we shot this it was raining out and the rain was hitting the Chimney. You could hear the rain hitting the metal outside through the fireplace and H was absolutely enthralled by it. We gave him his bath that night and as soon as he was out he raced back to the fireplace to hear THAT noise.

We shot this the next night. It had just begun raining and he was obsessing over hearing the sound and wanting more (that is the sign that he is making). It is a little long - three minutes - but we thought it was pretty cute at how intense he was about listening to the sound and how he wanted MORE!.

Parenting

As a parent you can't really tell you if you are good, you hope that you are doing a good job, but you'll never really know for a a good twenty years or so...at least that's my theory. But as H has started becoming a little boy, and as we find ourselves trying to teach him and lay the groundwork for the years to come, I find myself learning new things everyday. So here a few of the things I have learned:

* It's OK to walk outside with your barefeet
* Sometimes it's ok to cut across the grass
* Letting out a shout, just because, is good for you
* Laughing at nothing at least once a day will make you smile...even if you are crying at that moment
* It's OK to fall down, it's even better when someone is there to pick you up
* Naps are good
* It's OK to cry
* If you can get applause for eating sweet potato's, standing up, signing, take it, and run with it!
* Your mom and dad will always be there for you...even when you don't think they are, they are probably three steps ahead of you

14 Months

I swear that you are going to think that your birthday is a week or two later than it really is if you go by my blog posts, but I am trying to stay as caught up as I can. I am also hitting a small dilemma, I've always said that I wouldn't be one of those parents who rattles off their kids age in months after a certain point i.e. "Harrison is 22 months", so I am trying to figure out the best cutoff - I think a proper time is a 18 months because then I can just say a year and a half.

Anyway...14 months. You are at an a difficult age now. Not because you are difficult - anything but - but more so because you are at a stage now where you are mobile, mobile to the point that you are almost running. And you are so inquisitive that you are constantly on the move - trying to pull up on things or pull things down to your level. So its difficult because you are quickly becoming this little person but you can't tell us what you want. You can't verbalize all of these new things that you are seeing and touching so it is hard for you because you can get frustrated so easily when we don't know what you want.



It is a fun time to be a parent. I am seeing myself as less a caretaker and more Sherpa. Strange analogy, I know, but it works. I see us guiding you more often now. Trying to show you how to manage certain things, like getting off the couch or a chair. Trying to show you that maybe taking a header off the couch isn't such a good idea and that if you just slide off backwards on your tummy, your feet will hit the floor first and not your head. And to see you pull it off for the first time without help is so rewarding.



You are also figuring out how to just be by yourself. Not that we are leaving you alone often, but the other day as I was trying to get your breakfast ready I couldn't hear or see you. As usual I went to "Oh, Crap, what is he doing" mode. I quickly went to the last spot I left you - your room - and found you just flipping through your dog book. Content, talking to yourself like you were reading. It was so cute. I actually walked away quietly so as not to disturb you...only to slowly peak around the corner again just to watch you one more time.



Your mother and I can literally watch you for hours with smiles on our faces. One of the greatest joys, now that you are slowly (or quickly, depending who you ask) gaining more and more personality is watching how you play with Riley. You regularly wake up and reach out for him as he comes into your room. You actually walk up and pet him or throw your arms around his neck and lay your head on his back. It's amazing, at least to me, because it was just this sudden shift of acknowledgment on your part. Like, I have a dog, and I can pet him, and I LOVE him!

Watching how you play with mommy is also adorable. It is great to see her scoop you up and watch your face light up. Or seeing you run over to her with something in your hand, like, "LOOK, PAPER!" "It isn't it amazing!" It's like you have to share everything with us and it just makes us laugh and melt all at the same time.

You met your cousins in California and it was great to see you guys together. You weren't quite sure of what to make of them at first but you slowly warmed up to them and they to you.



Sharing was a new concept to you, especially with two year olds. Negotiating who got to play with what was like brokering a truce between waring countries at times, but it was a great experience and absolutely fun to watch you play with your cousins. We are already making plans for "California Camp" and "Indiana Camp" when you all get a little older.



This past month has gone by so quickly. They seem to be flying by faster and faster now. We are trying to expose you to many things now, even taking you to the State Fair! You loved the animals and every time the big John Deere tractor drove by you had to point.

We are excited to see the fun we will have as summer turns to fall and to continue to watch you continue to grow up to be a little man!

Soccer Mom

"So Kiburz, you ready to be a soccer mom now?"

"Ah, Lucas, I'm a hockey mom, NOT a soccer mom!"

That a girl!

Sign of the Times

There are moments in your life when you realize that you are entering a new phase. There are the obvious moments, like when you graduate from school, get married, have a child. These moments, while defining rarely sneak up on you. They are moments that despite their huge implications, are manageable because you have time to prepare, understand them, and accept them.

Then there are the other moments, the moments that sneak up on you subtly, like a summer cold. You're fine one minute, the next you're not quite sure what hit you.



I am not sure how it happened. One minute we were talking about gas prices and the next minute we were comparing fold down seats, automatic sliding doors, and DVD systems (we opted out of that trap).



Now, mind you, my experiences with minivans center mainly around those sweet old Dodge Caravans. The sticky sweet feel of vinyl trimmed seats, the long road trips spent on a cooler next to the door. Not because I wanted to, no, because I was the only one who wouldn't complain the whole way. So my view was either the back of the headrest or the flashing landscape out the sliding door window.

So, yeah, I guess this van is an upgrade to those vans and not because of any of the features. Rather because at least I know whatever happens, I'll be driving or sitting in the passenger seat and not "riding cooler" across the great American landscape.

13 Months

This last month has been an fast paced month. It seems like you are catching on more quickly to things...and developing your curios and mischievous side.



You have started talking more. You have moved from saying "Da" for everything and have started forming more word like sounds. You now say "haaat" for Hot, "up" "hi" "Dadda" "Mamma". You are also learning how to use your signs. You are very proud of yourself when you use "more". The first time you really did it to signify that you wanted more of something you stopped after you did it with a huge smile on your face, like "Look what I just did". You still smile each time you do it, and sometimes you do it to signal that you want something, but either way it is pretty damn cute!

You are moving around much better. You still get off balance when you are tired but for the most part you are much more stable. So stable in fact that you have discovered a new game in which you stand in the middle of the family room and start turning in circles getting yourself dizzy. The whole time a huge smile is spread across your face as you discover a new sensation.



Your curiosity can sometimes create hailstorm of tears as you still need to touch and play with everything. Now that you can communicate a little bit you become more agitated when we don't respond with the proper item that you are pointing to. Like we should know what a point and DA means. You love to put lids on things and play with straws, more specifically, dip the straw in and out of the water. We love that you are curious, and it is awesome to watch you struggle with something for a few minutes and then see the joy on your face as you figure it out.



You've been sick the last two weeks so you have been a little run down, but you have been slowly getting back to your normal self. Tonight as I was putting you to bed you started attacking me with your sloppy wet kisses and wide open mouth, that's when I knew my little man was almost back!



You can see all pictures on our Flickr page

Sunday Morning Walk

Heading outside before anyone is up. Little bare feet touching the cool concrete.

Tiny footprints trailing you as you walk through the puddle left from the early morning rain.

Ten steps one direction, stop, turn, twenty the other way and ten back. 1/2 a block. Stop. Turn. Turn around again. Going nowhere and everywhere.

Holding your hands up in the air, grabbing nothing, pointing to everything. The breeze picking up, hitting us in our face. Stopping, smiling. A huge smile now as your hair stands up from the cool gust of air. Might as well be a burst of life blowing right through you.

A Stick. Pick it up. Show it to me, like it is the best and only prize in the world.

Turn it in your little hand.

Move it towards your mouth. "NO, not in your mouth." A look like, "I wasn't really going to, dad." Again to the mouth - "NO."

Put it gently back in the grass, like your sending it back home. Pick it up again, because you aren't quite done yet.

Twenty more steps. Up the neighbors driveway, scoop you up.

Down the sidewalk again. A bird cackles. STOP. Turn, turn some more. Where is it? Point, point again.

A Stick!

Scoop you up...I think it's time for a bottle and a nap.

Dire Consequences

"No, Harrison, you don't need another chocolate chip cookie"

"*Whispers* Here you go, just a little bite"

"Honey, I said NO"

"He's not, daddy's having a cookie"

"That's why he has chocolate all over his face? You can't start undermining me already, you start now, next thing you know he has a pregnant 15 year old girlfriend"

"Wait, I gave him a bite of a cookie and now he has a pregnant girlfriend? H, stay away from cookies...and girls"

One Year Old

So it's official, you are a whole year old. We still can't believe it, and sometimes mommy still makes comments about how you aren't her little baby anymore.

You have a very distinct personality and it is becoming more and more apparent each day that you might be a little strong headed. You have started to point to everything you see and want to touch it all. You also love to be outside playing and sometimes get a little upset if we come inside before you are ready.



You LOVE to stand up in the bathtub and no matter how much we say no you will try to stand up at least a half dozen times before you start with the big old crocodile tears. You like to test us on other things - like opening the entertainment center cabinets - you are going to be mischievous but we are as prepared as we can be I guess!

We had a great birthday party for you at our house. Your mother worked very hard to make it a great event. The theme was "Sailboats" complete with a mini cake for you and a larger cake for your guests.





Speaking of guests, you were able to meet your great grandparents, GG and Grandpa Lucas, my dad's parents. It was the first time they met you, you were a little leery at first but warmed up to great grandpa after he taught you how to "pat the cake, roll it, and THROW IT IN THE PAN" which you absolutely loved. You also took a liking to your great aunt and uncle - my Aunt Lannie and Uncle Dick.



You have started taking anything, a play phone, a shovel, a dog, anything and pretending that it is a phone. You walk around holding the object to your ear and your other hand to your other ear, like you are trying to hear. I am not sure what that says about your mother and I's phone habbits, but you have picked it up somewhere. This has reminded of the Harry Chapin song, "Flowers are Red" because I hope that you continue to use that imagination, that ability to grab whatever and make it a phone - and I hope that as parents we let you foster that imagination without killing your curiosity.



You absolutely love animals. You have learned to make a panting sign when you see a dog and if you see Riley or your stuffed dogs you start making the panting noises. If you see a dog when we are taking walks you have to stop and point and pant. It is amazing really , you can hear a dog bark from seemingly miles away and you have to stop and find it before you can move along. Your mom and grandma K took you to the zoo on your actual birthday to pet the elephants and feed the giraffes, which you apparently loved.



You are still a little mini mite - as I like to call you. You were in the 5th percentile for weight tipping the scales at 18 pounds, 13 ounces. 50th percentile for height at 30 inches. You might be small but you are healthy and you sure are an active little man, so we really aren't that concerned...though the likely hood you are going to become a middle linebacker for the Boilers and the Packers seems to be a little further off than I had wished :).

Your mother and I can't wait for you to start talking and to see how you progress each day. Your going to be a crazy little man and we get glimpses of that each day. One year down and we couldn't be happier at how much fun we have had with you. Sure we have had some rough days, but we have been blessed with such a happy, healthy, beautiful boy. We know we are lucky and we are thankful each day that we have you!



You can see ALL our Birthday pictures here!

Things I've Learned in One Year of Fatherhood

- That it's not about the lack of sleep it's about the interrupted sleep

- Even though you just changed an incredibly wet diaper, there is still more and it will get you the second you take the old one off

- The time spent washing bottles and baby clothes will roughly be the same amount of time you used to spend exercising, reading, watching t.v. etc.

- For the first six - nine months you will wonder when he will start moving, after that you will wonder why he won't stop moving

- That you ABSOLUTELY. MUST. TOUCH. EVERYTHING. YOU. SEE.

- That saying NO for the first time will break your heart and it barely gets easier the 2nd and 3rd time

- You realize that NO is good for both you and he

- That mommy is a saint for being a milk vendor for the first 8 months

- Somehow no matter what mom and I are talking about it will eventually come back to you and how cute you are

- That what you didn't know today is only temporary because you seem to learn something new everyday

- That coming to get you out of the crib and seeing you peek through the crib slats is one of the only reasons I don't mind getting out of bed at 6:00 AM on a Saturday

- That toys seem to reproduce nightly

- Riley really cherished being the only "child" and now resents your mother and I

- He doesn't resent you so much, especially now that you feed him from the high chair

- That I can't think of how you looked when you were first born, and that makes me a little sad

- That I know now, no matter what I do in life that it will never compare to being a father

- That I am scared everyday that I will screw this up

- I am comforted everyday knowing that your mother will be there to save me (and you) if I do

- That I can't wait to teach you to do so many things - and I am not sure where to start

- The best way to end a day is putting you to bed and kissing your sleepy little head good night

- Picking you up from the sitters is absolutely fantastic because you walk over and grab me around the neck

- That you have brought your mother and I closer than I could have ever imagined

- That I am thankful everyday for your sweet little soul, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for our family

11 Month Pictures

This is the first month I haven't written an update - I feel terrible. But I am putting up pictures and will have a 12 month post before his birthday.

Enjoy all the pictures by visiting our Flickr page.


11 Months


At The Zoo With Pappa Roger and Grandma Lis


So Excited!


Attack of the Naked Baby!


Goof Ball


Walking and Talking


Quack!

Laughing so as not to Cry

I have waited to write this because I haven't really known what to say. But one of the reasons - as I've stated before - that I started this was to give you context of your life, the events that make you, well, you.

Someday when you are older your mom and I will tell you about a very rough stretch in our lives. When mommy lost her grandmother and we lost a baby, all in the matter of two months.

When we found out about the baby it was very difficult. You were actually with us - I'll never forget trying to keep you amused with your squishy turtle book while looking at the ultra sound monitor looking, hoping, for a heartbeat. I remember being glad that I had you in my arms because I could focus on you and not really on what was going on.

It was an odd feeling driving home. I was still in shock and had so many different feelings, but the biggest was being hollow - not empty - just hollow.

I was trying to figure out how I could be angry and sad and hollow all at the same time. But I was also trying to figure out how I could have these feelings knowing that I had such a wonderful little boy sitting in the back seat. And that is what brings me to you.

The only way that I can figure why this happened - and what I keep telling mommy - is because you needed your own angel to watch over you.

You will never know how much of a role you have played in our ability to get through this tough stretch. I have often looked at you with tears in my eyes thinking about your little brother or sister and have been quickly moved from tears to laughter.

Your wonderful little soul. Your ability to look at us and make us laugh or smile with a little noise or a dance or a "Da, Da", has been a blessing that your little heart will never know.

So, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being you and for being such a wonderful boy. Because through all the times when we could have cried you have been able to bring us laughter and joy. It isn't always easy, but without you this would have been a million times harder...so, in those moments when what we really want to do is cry, we can laugh. Laugh at the beauty that is you, and that is our wonderful family.

Thanks,
Mom and Dad

10 Months 2 Week Pictures

Uhm, Wasn't Me!


Double Trouble


Spring Time


Workout Anyone?


Buddies!

See more pictures by clicking here

10 Months

This last month has been like no other. You are not only mobile but you are figuring everything out, it seems, like every day.

The amount that you have progressed is pretty amazing. It really does seem like every day you are figuring out just how mobile you can really be. It started off with crawling, one robotic hand and leg movement at a time...it has since progressed to you pulling yourself up on everything, including the dog!



You have quickly figured out how to walk between furniture and are even getting so brave as to reach further than you probably should...sometimes grabbing what you reach for other times falling a little short, usually leading to a tumble and some tears.

You love standing up on your own and seem to celebrate it each time you push yourself up. It is funny to watch each time because it is like a hundred new experiences each day. Your curiosity is amazing and it seems like you have to touch and feel everything. You wave your arms around every time you see something that fascinates you.



This past weekend you participated in your first swimming class at the YMCA. You seemed to really like it towards the end as you slowly got the hang of it. You even went under water without crying...you were stunned and we both thought you were going to let out a big scream but you held it in like a super star!



You're personality seems to come through more and more each day. The funny little things you do are countless, but the best seems to be when you try to mimic mom or I when we stick our tongues out like frogs. Sometimes you just open your mouth moving your tongue inside, other times you manage to stick your tongue out every 3rd or 4th attempt.

You also have started to learn how to dance. It is actually quite cute. When mom was out of town we started listening to the iPod when you were eating. You started doing a little move, almost a shimmy in your high chair. You like to bounce up and down when you are standing up playing and almost clapped your hands just a few days ago.

We can officially count 7 teeth now! It seemed to take forever to get just one and now it seems like they have come in bunches. It is pretty funny to look at you because it looks like you have little chicklets stuck in your gums, but soon you will have a mouth full of teeth.

The thing that most amazes me is the amount of words that you seem to understand. You definitely know what doggie means, and you know when you see one. When we are outside and you see one you stop and wave your arms and say "Da" "Da". You also know your name and look when we call you. You keep saying dada and we are trying to get you to associate that with me. Just in the last few days you have started making mama sounds so now the race is on to see which one you associate first!

This is all an awesome experience and the last few weeks have seemed like a blur. It is truly fun, even if it is exhausting being your mommy and daddy.