Alex - Day in Your Life - February 3, 2013

Superbowl Sunday - February 3, 2013 - Baltimore Ravens are in the Superbowl

sleepy boy * must get out all riding toys at once * pantry is you new favorite hiding spot * checking out Daddy shoveling the snow * wishing you were out there too

Alex & Elvis, best buds * checking out the snow * watching Daddy shovel * dying to get out there

1st Ravens jersey * Superbowl party at Grandmommy & Pop Pop's house * Maddie came to play



Trying on Daddy's hat * returning Daddy's hat * snuggles with Grandma * family photo

Alex - Day in Your Life - January 4, 2013

I set myself a goal, 1 day a month (weekend since I work full time) take pictures of Alex throughout the day to document the everyday existence.  We take pictures at holidays, birthday parties and other milestones.  This is my way of capturing you in your element, at this age, to preserve that which I may take for granted now but want to remember when you are all grown.

Here is January 2013:

happy when you wake up * your hair is filling in * you still love your bottle in the morning

fun with new toys * mommy's phone & Alex's phone * getting ready to race * cars * choo choo

breakfast * LOVE blueberries * independent & determined to use that fork

Noah (who you refer to as "Ho Ho" because he has a beard) & his animal friends

Alex & Elvis waiting for a snack from Daddy's popcorn can



Little Moments & Forever Memories - 1.30.2013

The summer I was 13 my Dad promised me we would go to Hershey Park (for those not from the East Coast it's a theme park in Hershey, PA).  My dad did odd jobs for the neighbors all summer - driving little old ladies to their doctor's appointments, fixing the neighbors steps, handy man kind of things.  All the money he earned from this he set aside specifically for our trip. 

When the day came I was so excited.  When I asked why my mother and sister weren't joining us on our adventure, my Dad shook his head and said they wouldn't enjoy it.  (I think he just wanted a day for me and him, even more so he wanted to go and I was his best buddy along for the ride).

We arrived at the park (a 2+ hour or so drive from our home) when the gates opened and didn't leave until the park closed for the night.  We rode every ride we wanted, some repeatedly over and over again.  We screamed on rollar coasters and giggled all day long.  Our day was filled with feasts of hot dogs, cotton candy and funnel cake.  This is a day that I will always remember.  As we drove home, I kept reliving the day in my mind and talking to him about all the fun we had.

As we came in the house that night, my mother was in the kitchen and the expression on her face was not a happy one.  She asked my Dad how much we spent on our little adventure - I learned in that moment that my parents did not see things the same way.  I realized that my mom thought it was frivolous to do what we did and spend the money we spent.  In that moment, I spoke up and said something so profound I couldn't believe it came from 13 year old me - in the most "matter-a-fact" tone I uttered these words:

"Mom, you can always get more money; you can't always get more memories"

With that I turned and went to my room.

These words that I uttered back then have been etched on my very soul since then.  Life is about the simple things - usually they don't cost much money but have a lasting impression and create the most wonderful of memories.

Buying ice cream off the ice cream truck in the summer
Going to the park
Spending TIME with my son

All this is background to what I really want to tell you today:

Last night, I had 2 whole giggle filled hours with my little guy.  Daddy went off to Bible Study and it was just the two of us (+ the dog).  Alex has mastered turning the Ipod Jux Box on and off and he turned it on last night (Ke$ha was set to play).  I began to dance around like a fool and before I knew it Alex came up, took me by both hands and begain to dance along with me.  He grinned up at me and wiggled back and forth.  We ended the night playing with cars on his ramp in the basement, followed by bath (his FAVORITE thing) and bed.

Lately our nights together have been busy and our time together has not been very long. I've noticed him being clingy at bedtime, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck and nuzzling into me.  He will cry when I place him in his crib with his blankie; he's tired, wants to go to sleep but his desire to spend time with Mommy trumps all that.  He misses me and it breaks my heart.  I work full time, which is the best thing for my family right now, for 4 years I was the sole provider - alot of pressure.  Last night was just the salve for both of ours souls; when I laid him down last night he gladly welcomed the embrace of his crib and looked up at me with a smile in his eyes and across his face. 

He may not remember tonight when he is all grown, but I will and it's these little moments - dancing around the living room with my boy - that I will cherish forever. 

Today's little moments become tomorrow's precious memories.

17 Months - January 2013

January 16, 2013

Dear Alex,

Happy 17 Months baby boy!  You have grown so much and embody the label “toddler” a little too well for Mama’s liking.  You are still your happy giggly self who makes his presence known.  You are continuing to become more and more independent and are growing into quite a little person.

Your love of books is continuously growing – you will pick one out, bring it over and hand it to me.  Then you will proceed to plant yourself either beside me or in my lap and go through the book.  Once this one is done (if you find it interesting enough to let me get all the way through) you will then get up and select another and the process starts all over.  Your current go to favorite is:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

-          You know duck and dog by name and the sound of dog, cat, sheep and fish.  As we go through the book, you wait excitedly for the pages you know and chime in accordingly.  Mama was so proud that it only took you being shown one time and you picked up that sheep says “baa” (though yours is more of a short “ba” rather than the typical Baaaaa).  When I taught you what I fish says I just showed you the movement with my mouth, you giggled and did it right back at me.  You are such a copycat (I fear this will get you in trouble at times).

Your love of food was evident from the time you had your first jar of Gerber.  Fruit is still a big favorite – when you see bananas in the store you get excited, holler “nanna”, and point until we reach the display.  You like to hold the bananas as we go throughout the store as if they are a trophy you have just won.

There are days I look at you and still see my little baby; you still love your milk in a bottle on the morning car ride, you still have chubby round cheeks, your hair is slowly filling in but not enough to make you look older just yet.  I cling to these things as I know I will blink and you will be this tall young man.  Oh how I love the sound of you excitably saying “Mama” as I appear in the doorway each night, it warms my heart and I look forward to the smile that spreads across your face as you run to award me with hugs and slobbery kisses.  With every fiber of my being I love you sweet boy…you are my world, my soul, with you I have such purpose and I finally feel like I am who I was created to be.

HALLOWEEN 2012

Alex,

This year was the first time you got to go trick-or-treating and boy were you a fan!  Once you got the hang of the fact that you got to keep the things you put in your pumpkin pail, there was no stopping you.  You exemplified the term "big boy" on halloween night; needless to say I was proud of you but also stood in awe of this little person you have become.  You wanted to walk up and down the sidewalk to the houses, you would fuss and flail if I attempted to carry you.  You wanted to carry your own pail - expect you had to cave and let Daddy take it at the end of the night as it got to heavy for you to pick up!  If allowed, you would systematically empty someone's bowl one piece at a time into your pail.  You were picky too; if someone handed you candy, that was fine you would put it in your pail and be on your merry little way.  If YOU got to pick, you would dig through until you found the brightest colored package and select that one.  Daddy and I noticed that YELLOW seemed to be the theme of your choice.  I guess with all the brown and silver found commonly on candy packaging, the yellow of Peanut M & M's stood out.  At one house someone had a whole plate of Full Size candies and you moved things out of the way to claim (using both hands) a box of lemonheads.  You were very decisive in your choices; in that when we went to one house where there were two bowls - one with candy and one with Scooby Gummy Snacks - you started for the candy bowl then saw the other one, put back the candy and took a Scooby Snack package as your prize.  All in all we're guessing we went to about 25 houses (I took you up one side of the street while Daddy held down the candy distribution at home and then he took you on the other side).  You got quite a loot too - 78 pieces of candy / treats and 4 little tubs of Play Dough!!! 

Crazy to think that this time last year you were in 3 month PJ's and now you're walking around in your Winnie the Pooh costume charming your way into another piece of candy. 

All my love,
Mama  

Halloween 2011

Halloween 2012

1st Treat

 Checking out contents of pail at the end of the night

Family Photo

3:48 am Wake Up Calls

October 22, 2012

 Alex,

You woke up at 3:48 am with a cry; me being Mama I’ve learned what your different cries mean.  It’s strange, I can tell by the pitch, fervor, sound what is going on and what you need.  Before you were born, people told me I would learn.  Over time I would know what was a hungry, sad, scared, tired, angry cry – each different in their own way.  Last night, it was a cry of pain, I think those darn teeth (your lower molars) are trying to make their way into your mouth and are giving you a fit full of pain.

When I came in you just looked at me with a sad expression and reached your arms up to me.  As I lifted you up you snuggled close knowing that everything would be okay because Mama was there.  I gave you your “teethy medicine” (Orajel) and we settled into the rocking chair to see if you would go back to sleep. 

As you very well know by now, you are a wiggle worm.  You are constantly on the go and won’t sit on my lap or allow anyone to rock you.  In one way it makes me proud as I see your fierce independence and I am so amazed at how much you have grown and learned.  The other side of me feels the bittersweet tinge of reality that my little peanut is growing up.  I say at that to say that last night, you let me rock you.  You laid your head against my chest and sucked on your fingers as you do when you’re tired.  You would occasionally look up at me as if to check and see if I was still there.  You then moved to lay in my arms, as I cradled you I found myself amazed at how big you had gotten.  The legs that used to barely reach across my lap now dangle off to the side.  For what seemed like forever you just laid in my arms and stared at me, as if you were memorizing me in that very moment.  You reached up and touched my nose, my lips, and my hair – as if to be sure I was not just a dream.  In that moment I didn’t care that in an hour the alarm would go off to tell me I needed to get up and start my morning routine (shower, get dressed, pack lunches, etc.).  In that moment time stood still and you were my peanut again; I need those little reminders for the days when you’re testing limits and being “curious” … I am thankful for those moments when time stands still and I am reminded that you are and will always be my little boy and I will always be your Mama, a title I treasure with every fiber of my being. 

Love,
Mama

Mama's Wish List

When Alex turned 6 months old I quickly realized my baby was growing into this little person and I started to put together a Mama's Wish List for him.  Just things I was looking forward to.  I found this list recently and started to update it with notes as many of these wishes have already happened:

Mama's Can’t Wait List (as of February 2012;updated 10/2012):

1.       Watch you take your first steps – 7/16/2012 – the day you turned 11 months old, you began to walk; your first step without falling was on 7/9/2012, then on 7/10/2012 you took 2 steps, but on 7/16 you walked from Daddy to Mommy without missing a beat. J

2.       Your first word - DOG

3.       The first time you say “Mama / Mom / Mommy” - saying Mama came quickly after Dada....and it makes me smile every time.

4.       The first time you say “Dada / Dad / Daddy” – you called your papa “Daddy” on his birthday 4.13.2012 – that totally made his day!

5.       1^st time in a swimming pool (since you love your bath, I think you’ll like it!) – Verdict is in – YOU ARE A FISH; You love water, the pool, your water table…yup, it’s a big thumbs up on this one J

6.       1^st time at a playground (hopefully Annie’s Playground – it’s really cool!) – ended up being at Lynn Stacie Getz playground since it was closer to our house; we’re planning to go to Annie’s Playground sometime soon 5/2012)

7.       Take you to the circus (and get a light up twirling toy and cotton candy)

8.       1^st baseball game (hopefully the O’s will be better by then – 10/2012 – the O’s are in the playoffs for the 1^st time in 15 years….hopefully they’ll continue to do well and we’ll catch a game at Camden Yards in the next couple of years)

9.       1^st football game

10.   1^st time fishing

11.   Dance in the rain / jumping in puddles

12.   Watch a thunderstorm through the bay window

13.   Run through sprinklers on a hot summer day

14.   Introduce to you to the wonder of bubbles! - another thing that you LOVE, and another word you say "bubbles"; you will say this at the sight of bubbles, a bubble wand, a bubble bucket, a bottle of bubbles...yup, you know and love your bubbles!!!

15.   1^st haircut (supposedly on your 1^st birthday, but it will depend on how much hair you have, still waiting for more hair to grow 10/2012)

16.   1^st McDonald’s Happy Meal (really hope they still have the toy in it by then)

17.   1^st piece of artwork

18.   1^st Ice Cream  / Ice Cream Cone (perhaps at Brooms Bloom J) – you had bites of mine on the OC boardwalk (it was strawberry banana from Kohr’s Brothers); looking forward to the day you get one of your very own J

19.   1^st time playing in the snow…10/2012 I think that’s going to happen this winter – they’re saying we should get 20+ inches of snow!!!

20.   1^st time buying an ice cream dessert off the ice cream truck

21.   1^st yoohoo and car ride with Daddy (childhood tradition)

22.   1^st cupcake at the bakery

23.   1^st time at the state farm

24.   1^st visit to a theme park (Hershey Park has to be your first, it’s a tradition…there’s a story)

25.   Dancing on the big piano at FAO Schwartz in NYC

26.   Visiting Santa at the Macy’s in NYC

27.   Dressing up and going Trick-or-Treating on Halloween – 2012 Can't wait!!!! J

28.   Visiting the zoo

29.   Visiting the aquarium

30.   Teaching you how to bowl / taking you bowling for the 1^st time

31.   1^st Merry-Go-Round ride

32.   1^st ride on an airplane

33.   1^st ride on a train

34.   1^st Bible Verse memorized

35.   Visiting the train garden this year (2012) – last year you were only 4 ½ months old and didn’t really get the whole concept.

 With the holiday season just around the corner, I am looking forward to sharing / introducing Alex to our favorite traditions.  I know they will be a little bit sweeter as he will be able to participate in more of them and is more aware of things now.  I'm hoping he won't be frightened of Santa this year (since he's more aware); last year he sat there and was perfectly content (as you can see below). 

Holiday Traditions in our family currently include:

October:

- Visit Webers Farm and pick put pumpkins (while eating cider donuts and drinking apple cider)

- Carving pumpkins

- Decorating the house (inside & out) for fall & halloween

- Dressing up & giving out candy to trick-or-treaters (including 4 giant bars given for best costumes, winners decided on the spot by myself and hubby).

**New this year** - Dressing up Alex and taking him trick or treating

November:

- Pumpkin flavored baking (bread, pie, etc) & Pecan pies :)

- Thanksgiving dinner with the family

- Our wedding anniversary & my birthday are both in this month

- Black Friday shopping & lunch

- Visiting Santa the weekend of my birthday (started tradition last year)

December:

-Decorate house (inside & out)

- Christmas tree

- Baking Christmas cookies

- Stockings

- Christmas gifts at Grandma's house

- Christmas Eve with family

- Christmas Dinner with family