the past few months in pictures....

• favorite phrase: "No it's not." or "Mommy did it."
• favorite color: not sure at the moment. maybe orange?
• favorite food: "mashed tatoes"
• favorite book: 'Eat, Cried Little Pig'
• favorite restaurant (if it can be called that): McDonalds
• favorite animal: not one at the moment. we're enjoying reading 'The Very Busy Spider' and making all of the animal sounds.
• favorite snuggle buddy: Mystery - the small velour blanket that had a horse head and tail on it.
• favorite pastime: jumping on the trampoline with Hannah
• favorite person: this would be a tie b/w Mama, Daddy, Hannah & Papa but I'm leaning more towards Hannah :-)
  

Where'd it go?

Hey sweet buddy,
It's been a while since Mommy's written you a letter! Sorry about that! I'm just slow.

Anyway you've been a very busy little boy. You're climbing on top of all of our furniture and jumping down. You can jump off the ground with two feet. You love the trampoline! You follow Hannah around and do everything she does. You're saying more and more words and sentences. All in all, you're growing up too fast!

"Where'd it go?"
"There it is!"
"Come back here!"
"Mama where are you?"
"I'm naked!"
"I like it!"
"Don't like it!"
"'Cuse me Hannah (or Mama or Daddy)"
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Kiss-mas!!"

Your hair is still as blond as ever too! I love it. You got your first haircut a few months ago. Mommy tried trimming it at home but I didn't do a good job so I had to take you to a stylist so they could fix it. They cut off all your cute little curls. But I put them in your baby book so we'll always have them.

We got our Christmas tree last week. Hannah helped pick it out and you love smelling it! You loved decorating it too. It was a little hard for you to hang the ornaments so we had to help you. Everyday you like to turn on the lights and then you walk around looking at all the ornaments. I've finally put more presents underneath and you look at those too. I can't wait to see you when you open all of your gifts.

I'm going to go so I can do some chores while you're napping. I just want to say that I love you very much! You're the cutest little boy in the world!!

Love always,
Mommy

Just a few pictures of what we've been up to lately....

You really enjoyed licking the batter off of the beater when we made Gingerbread Cookies.

You really did not like Santa Claus. You cried when I put you in his lap. Hannah, on the other hand, climbed right up and talked to him. Maybe next year?

Picking out our Christmas tree. I'll put up a picture of it soon.

Finally!!! A good Christmas picture of you guys!!

Such a Big Boy

Hey Monkey!!
I'm sorry I keep taking so long to write you letters! I'm a slacker!! I'm just going to do a quick update and I promise I'll write more often!

Well, summer is just about over and we've been staying home a lot lately. No more gymnastics for Hannah or playgroup for both of you.

We did go to the library yesterday and you guys had a blast. You played with the Dinosaur toys and the puzzles. You both played with the stuffed animals and the puppet theater. You had a blast stacking up the cushions and then knocking them down. You also enjoyed picking out a movie to watch - you got Veggie Tales Heroes of the Bible.

You can do the sign for 'A' and 'B'. We've not been doing sign language lately so I'm going to get us back to that. It's cute watching you do your little signs. We've also started watching 'Baby Einstein's Babies Favorite Places". While watching it you copied what they were saying rather than the sign language. You can say "market" and "florist."

You & Hannah are so sweet together. You play together a lot more and you'll generally do whatever she wants. Sometimes she drives you crazy and you'll yell, "Stop it!" I always laugh when you say that. If I tell either of you that I'm going to get Mr. Sad and spank you, you immediately run and get Mr. Sad for me. Even when it's you I'm threatening to spank!! You are so silly!!!

Some of your new phrases: (sorry if I've repeated any from last time)

• "Be right back." - as you hold up Pointer.
• "Ready get out!" - of the bathtub.
• "I'm done." - using the potty
• "Read it!!" - as you shove a book at me. Your favorite is Moo! Baa! La, La, La!!
• "Candy!!"
• "Drink"
• "Monkers!" - for Monsters, Inc. which you love to watch!!!
• Recently you've started saying, "I get it." and "I did it!! Good job!"

Another awesome development is that you can pee standing up. I went shopping one day and when I got home Daddy showed me how he taught you to stand up and pee pee. We lift the toilet lid and the seat and let you put your feet on the bottom. A few times you've twisted and missed but you do a good job. One day I started to put the potty seat on the toilet and you yelled, "No! Stand up!!" It was sweet. I'm so proud of you.
Today I took you and Hannah to Shoe Show to measure your foot and get the prices on some shoes. You were in heaven!! You certainly have a shoe fetish. You ran up and down the aisles yelling, "Shoes!" while looking at each and every pair. It was hilarious!!

You're still singing, "Tinkle Tinkle Little 'Tar." Only now you sing it really loud and you laugh b/c you know you're making me & Daddy laugh too. It's sweet listening to you sing.

I'm going to go but I will write more often. I love you sweet little buddy!!!

Love always,
Mommy

Monkers

Hey Sweet Little Sammy,
We've been super busy this summer so I haven't been writing to you as often as I would like!! You're 18 months old - I can't believe it. Just yesterday you were my sweet little baby, so tiny and fragile. You've grown as warp speed!

You are so fearless and brave. You'll climb on everything and you never want any help. You can do everything by yourself on the playground at Sertoma. You go up the steps and can go down all the slides without any assistance. We go to playgroup there on Thursday and you're the only boy! You've learned how to climb onto Mommy & Daddy's bed as well as Hannah's. I've gotten used to walking into a room and finding you sitting on the bed :-)

We've done a lot this summer: swimming, playgroups, Hannah's gymnastics, traveling, grilling out, fireworks. Thankfully everything is starting to settle down. Hopefully we're going to sign you up for the Mom & Tot class at gymnastics this winter. I'm already excited about it.

Lately your favorite movie is 'Monsters, Inc.' but you call it 'Monkers'. You'll point to the TV and say, "Monkers? Monkers?" It's too cute!! The other thing you've been doing that I love is asking us to sing, "Tinkle Tar." Every night Daddy & I tuck you and Hannah into bed and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to you guys. You'll lay in bed and pull your shirt up so Daddy can rub your belly. And the whole time you're saying, "Tinkle Tar." I'll leave off the words at the end of every line and you know them... 'are, high, sky'!!! It's soooo sweet!!!

I love you and I promise I will write more soon. I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you!!!

I love you so much. You're such a beautiful sweet little boy and I'm so proud of you. Everyone loves you and Hannah and comments on how well behaved and quiet you guys are. They don't know just how much of a blessing it is to have you guys!!!

I love you buddy,
Mommy

Pictures of our summer (in no particular order)....

Swimming at OSP on the 4th.

You were scared of the Slip 'N Slide but had fun watching Daddy slide.

The birdhouse you painted at VBS the one night we went!!

We went camping. You dove right into the water towards Daddy. You look a little scared!!

Chilling with Pops on Father's Day.

This is Hannah's chore but you always end up taking over b/c you love to vacuum.

We went to the movies to see "Up". I love that you & Hannah will hold hands when walking somewhere.

Big Boy Bed

Well Little Buddy,
I finally put together the Spongebob toddler bed that I bought you last month.

You love it!! I was worried that you would keep getting out of it but we've only had to train you to stay in it 2 or 3 times. I think you like sleeping in a bed that looks like Hannah's. Plus you seem to like the freedom of getting in and out by yourself. I guess you didn't like being in prison...lol! You go to sleep a lot faster too! I'm also surprised that you don't wiggle down to the bottom - and off - of your bed.

The other day I bought the bed set to go with the bed. You'll sit on the bed and point while saying, "Punge-bob!"

Also, you're finally able to climb up onto all of our furniture. This goal took you a while to accomplish but you've done it! The other night you climbed onto Mommy & Daddy's bed without any help!! And you did it again this morning while I was making the bed. You're going to be a little monkey just like Hannah!

You've been doing good with going to the potty. Now when Hannah's using the potty you run in and do the sign for her! Such a cutie.

I love you little buddy!!

Mommy

Loving your bed and your underpants!

Hannah loves your bed too! Look at the sweet grin on your face!

Great Grandma Clark

Hey buddy,
I'm terrible about keeping up with your blog!!

The week before last we took another trip but this time we went to New Hampshire. But first we stopped in Maryland to meet your Great Grandmother who is 94 years old! She's Pop's mother and you & I have never met her (and Daddy hasn't seen her in 20 years). Unfortunately by the time we got to her house it was about time for your nap so you didn't get to spend a lot of time with everyone. Aunt Nota lives with Grandma and Aunt Janet/Uncle Bryan came over to see us as well. After your nap we went into the back yard to look at Nota's plants and you loved it out there!

After we left Maryland we headed to New Hampshire. Daddy had training for work so it was just you, Hannah, and me in the hotel all day. We would get up around 9am and go down for our free breakfast. After that we would come back to the room to straighten up and get our swim suits on. Then we'd swim in the pool for about an hour. After pool time it was lunch time and nap time for you guys. When naps were over we'd play and read books until Daddy got "home". Then we'd swim again before going out for supper. Finally, baths and bedtime. It was nice just spending a whole week concentrating on you and Hannah. No dishes, no laundry, no distractions.

While we were there I worked on "potty training" you. Well, you already go on the potty but I was working on you letting me know when you've got to go. You would wear underpants during the day and now you say "Potty" "Pee-pee" and "Poop." Since you've done so well you wear underpants while we're at home and pull-ups when we're out and about and at night. You are very comical, when you go potty you'll help me flush and then you wave bye bye to your pee or poop. Then you'll tell Daddy, "I pee."

Daddy & I are very blessed that you & Hannah are great travelers. You rarely whine and you're happy to just sit and look out the window or watch your movies. And I was very happy that you slept so well in your Pack 'N Play. I know that it can't be the most comfortable place to sleep but you never gave us a moments trouble.

You're talking a lot more too.
"I'm done."
"Cheese!!"
"I ticky (sticky)."
"Cookie!"
"Pongebob!"
"Tag!"
"Shoe." as you attempt to put on your shoes.
"Oscar" and "MayDay"
"Puppy."

I know there's more but I'll remember them after I've already published this post!

I just want to tell you that you're the sweetest little boy ever and oh so cute!! I can't imagine my life without you!!

Love you bud,
Mommy

Disney...Finally!!

Hey little buddy,
Sorry it's taken me so long to write about our Disney trip. I'm terrible I know.

You are an excellent traveler. You just looked out the window or slept the whole way. You loved swimming in the pool as much as Hannah and you really really enjoyed the Disney parks. I know you won't remember the majority of it though.

We went to Aunt Patti's house for Easter (Daddy's aunt). We had lunch and you played with Destiny. We also had an Easter egg hunt and you were hilarious! I would show you where the eggs were and you would pick it up and then throw it into your basket! You broke two eggs! I have it on video so that we'll never forget it.

I would say that your favorite ride/show of our trip was the Live with Playhouse Disney. You were standing, dancing and clapping. It was so sweet watching you. You enjoyed all the shows that we went to and clapped and chattered through most of them. When we had our picture made with Tigger & Pooh you leaned right against Pooh and I had to pull you off of him after the picture. I don't think you liked the Tea Cups that much - but they almost made me sick too so I don't blame you there! When we rode the Dumbo ride at Magic Kingdom you sat with Daddy but he said that you really liked it. At Animal Kingdom you got to play some African drums which you loved! You also liked the Safari that we went on. You pointed at all the animals and chattered though I'm not entirely sure what you said :-)

Unfortunately you got heat exhaustion even though I tried to make sure you guys drank enough water. I think your poor little body couldn't regulate your temperature because it was so warm out, then we would swim in a heated pool and you weren't getting your naps during the day. While we were at Animal Kingdom Thursday you were so warm and you just didn't seem like yourself. When we got back to the Condo that night you went straight to bed without any supper. When you woke up later in the evening I took your temperature and it was 103. So we gave you Motrin and prayed for you. You slept all night and when you woke the next morning your temp was down to 100 on it's own. So I gave you more Motrin and we stayed home while every one else finished Magic Kingdom. You took a bath, played, ate lunch and then took a nap. By the time Daddy picked us up to go to Epcot you were back to normal!! And you really enjoyed Epcot. I'm sorry Mommy let you get so sick. I just didn't realize that could happen to you.

You got a stuffed Lightning McQueen as your souvenir as well as a little set of Star Wars figures. You and Hannah spend a lot of times playing with those little men (Chewie, Yoda, Bubba Fet, a Storm Trooper, Darth Vadar, R2D2 and C3PO). So I've let you guys watch the movies and you love them. One day you sat for about 20 minutes straight watching one of them.

Here are some of the new things you can say: Bobby, Right there, and potty. I know there are more but for some reason my mind isn't working right now! You will go to the potty and tell me when you're done. While we're in Maine this coming week I'm going to work on officially potty training you. I think you'll do great. You can do the sign for food and drink now as well as moon and cereal.

The other day you and I planted sunflowers along the cross ties where we park the cars. They're already sprouting too! I would dig the whole and you would take a seed and drop it exactly where I pointed. You're such a good little helper!!

Saturday we went to see Monsters vs Aliens 3D. It was your first movie and you did great. There were some other kids there that cried just about the whole time but you loved it! You just sat with your little glasses on and ate popcorn and drank Rootbeer. It was so much fun.

I love you little buddy and I promise I won't take so long to write again :-)

Love,
Mommy