Easter

Long overdue...
Stan, Fred, and I had a quiet Easter just the 3 of us and it was really a wonderful weekend. All the grandparents were out of town so there was no mad dashes to get to spend time with everyone. The Saturday before was GGP's 83rd birthday and we got to take him out for lunch with Uncle Jeff and Aunt Mary. When we got to GGP's house who should be there to surprise us, but Aunt Mol and Joey! She was even able to stay to join us for the neighborhood egg hunt which was a blast and we hope to make it a tradition. And even though there were no grandparents to impress, I still was able to have Fred wear a button down shirt and real pants (no elastic waist for this holy holiday!).

Warp Speed

No cute pictures, but just thoughts I want to remember...

So things feel like they are moving at warp speed around here. Wiggly will be here before we know it (May 4th) and is certainly flip flopping around inside to make me take notice that they are almost here. I've started freezing meals (which I don't know why but makes it seem like this baby is just around the corner). I'm also interested to see if Wiggles shows up early with the amount of contractions I've been getting already. I can't remember this many so far before having Fred... but there are a lot of things I can't remember anymore! =) So far my feet have stayed in human proportion, we'll see if that lasts.

Fred however is really making me feel like time is at warp speed. He has become the human sponge of knowledge and words. Anything he hears he can pretty much mimic and repeat (so keep your salty language away from him). He can recognize all the letters, a good amount of numbers, some shapes, he tries colors but rarely has success matching the correct color word with the actual color except for blue, and just about every emergency vehicle and piece of construction equipment. While driving he calls out letters he sees all over the place on signs etc. Whenever he finishes reading letters he always look to us and says "Fred", like he just spelled it. He tries to sing his "ABC"'s which is one of the funniest things as it is just a collection of random letters to a tune and goes on as long as he feels like it. He also just recently started trying to mimic back "Hey Diddle Diddle". Which is pretty stink'n cute. He also is just seeming more of a little person because of how funny he is! He makes us laugh all the time - but recently he has created his own joke. He started saying something that sounds like "Sammi-go-bee", I think just fun sounds put together. But he says it to be silly and in the funniest inflections, and we can say it back to him and he laughs. To have our own inside joke just makes him that much more grown up. It's happening all to fast yet is just soooo fun!

How to eat an Apple

Dive in

Eat with gusto


You have finished when only 2 seeds remain.

Yes, he did eat the core, but daddy at least took the stem out.

Oh Happy Day

Fred turned 2! And this sounds weird but I'm so proud of him. I don't know why exactly it makes me proud that he is two, but its just an overall feeling of "look at what you can do now!" We also have seem to have conquered our fears of birthdays as previously noted. There was a lot of practicing. Reading Arthur's Birthday and any other book that had pictures of cakes and candles. Singing the Birthday song occasionally, talking about the up-coming party... which usually ended with him shaking his head saying "No! NO! NO!" Then about 2 to 3 weeks before the big day, he started a passionate (well more like obsessive) love affair with Thomas the Train Engine. I got the Happy Birthday Thomas book from the library and we started reading that. I think too the whole "I get gifts & toys!" really helped. I made some Thomas & friend cakes in the hopes of not creating trauma when we sang. So here is a video of all our birthday happenings. It is long, and really meant as a reminder for mommy's electronic baby book I've got here. My favorite part is his high little voice of trying to hold it together and not cry while naming all the cake trains by name. So now when it's your special day you may just get a call from Fred wishing you a "Happy Day!"

to kathleen

you were warned.

Big Boy Bed

I know, I still have holiday posting but before I forget this story it needs to be recorded in the electronic baby book. Fred got his very own big boy bed on Saturday and was very excited about it. After two false starts of trying to sleep in the bed and ending up back in the crib, last night seemed he was determined to sleep in the bed. We were way impressed. He looked so cute and small in the bed when we went to bed (and just a tad sweaty from being wrapped up in covers and wearing a fleece sleeper).

2:00am - some whimpering and a couple of cries, expected. I get into the room and look to the bed, no little boy there. On the floor. Not totally shocking and I debate whether or not I pick him up and place him back in the bed or do I just leave him. He's semi-fussing and patting his behind meaning he wants a blanket and to be tucked in. I decide, I'll leave him on the floor, so I cover him up and go back to my own bed.

6:00am - morning fussing and cries but they sound weird. I enter the room carefully so as not to step on him in case he rolled closer to the door. Not expected, I can't find him anywhere although I still hear muffled cries, finally I spy two little stripey pajama clad feet sticking out from underneath the bed doing their best Wicked Witch of the East imitation.

I guess try try again?

Toddler - 1 : Mom - 1

Life with the strong willed child: A battle to put pants back on after a diaper change, and a desperate attempt for more TV by attempting to give a full body hug to the electronic. I might not have won the pants battle but the TV stayed off.