Rollin' with Ronin

Independence Day

2011-07-09T15:53:00.001-07:00

I'm just getting over a virus, so this will be kinda short - I just wanted to put up some pictures from the 4th of July. We got to light sparklers in the yard for about 15 minutes before the rain started, but we got some fun pictures!

Until next time!

Fun with Friends and Family

2011-06-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm learning that summer is a really busy time! I've been having so much fun and I'm exhausted, so I'll let the pictures show you how cool my summer has been so far!

I've been spending a lot of time with my cousin, TJ - I love it when he comes over to play trains with me!

It was a funny coincidence that we were both wearing orange that day - but we can say that a sense of style definitely runs in the family :)

We also got to go to the playground this weekend with Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Tarl, and Uncle Louie!

There's a really cool hiking trail at the back of the "countryside" (the park), and there's even a bridge you have to cross over a little river to get back into the woods.

When we crossed the bridge on the tail end of the trail, we saw some dogs playing in the river - they had more fun splashing in the water than TJ and I did!

We talked the grown-ups into stopping at another playground on our way out of the park... hehehehehe...

This was when Daddy said I couldn't walk UP the slide anymore... he's such a fuddy-dud sometimes. He's getting as bad as Mommy!

But TJ and I had a lot of fun anyway!

We took a short break at home to rest...

Then we went to go visit my new baby cousin, Ty!

Mommy kept saying that she remembered when I was that little... but I don't think I was ever THAT little!

Ty and Uncle Jay :)

Ty and Nana :)

Then today, Mommy and Daddy took me to see my first movie in a real movie theater: "Cars 2!" We even met my best friend, Vincent, and his mommy and daddy there! I don't remember much of the movie (the people at the theater apparently were not aware of my nap schedule, so I missed the last half), but we had fun playing with my trains after the movie (and our naps) were done!

Well, like I said, I'm really, really tired from all this fun, so I'm going to sleep. Mommy says I need to get my rest so I can have the energy for even more summer fun! Until next time!

My Day Out with Thomas!

2011-06-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Guess what... I got to go visit the Island of Sodor and ride on Thomas the Tank Engine this weekend!! We got up really early in the morning, and went to Nana and Pap's house. Then we drove for a really long time to a place called Pennsylvania (that must be where the Island is), and found Knapford Station - although everyone kept called it the Strasburg Rail Road, but whatever.

We had to park far away from the station, but we got to ride on a school bus to get there! It was really fun!

There were lots of people and different conductors walking around, looking at the coaches.

We had to be really careful at the level crossings and watch for trains!

There were lots of other steam engines resting in the sidings, like this big black one - I thought he looked like Thomas' friend, Hiro!

There were lots of kids there with their mommies and daddies, and their Nanas and Paps, too. We walked around for a while, and then Thomas puffed into the station! We had to wait our turn to ride on his coaches, but when we boarded and sat down, we got to take a ride through the countryside and see horses and cows in the fields! The conductor even walked by and took our tickets, and Thomas had puffs of smoke while he chuffed down the line, and wheeshed steam, just like in the stories!

Here comes Thomas!

Thomas is always so happy - and really cheeky and useful!

Mommy and I watched all the trains pull in with their coaches.

I'm glad Mommy and Daddy were there with me - it was a little overwhelming sometimes!

Daddy was explaining about all the engines to me. I really learned a lot!

Me and my Daddy :)

My seat, riding on Thomas!

Daddy and Mommy pointed out all the cool horses and cows while we were riding.

The countryside was so pretty!!

After our ride, we got to eat hot dogs and drink lemonade for lunch, and then we walked into a big tent that had everything Thomas you could think of - t-shirts, cups, towels, books, lunchboxes, and even toothbrushes. They had all kinds of engines, and Mommy and Daddy let me get a couple, including Patchwork Hiro (I'd had my eye on him for a while!)

It was such a fun day, but I was exhausted, so I fell asleep as soon as we got back in the van to drive home. I want to go back and ride on him again, and Mommy and Daddy have been smiling when they say, "We'll see," so that usually means that we will :)

This was me, five minutes after we started driving home - I'm still holding onto my Thomas and my Diesel engines, though!

My Nana and Pap are the BEST! I hope they come with me next time we ride on Thomas!

I hope Nana and Pap are ready for LOTS of time playing with my new engines the next time they come over for a visit!

I gotta go play with my new engines now - hope you like the pictures! Maybe next time you can come with me to ride on Thomas!

Preschool Graduation!

2011-06-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well, not MY graduation, but some of my classmates graduated from preschool today! Me and the kids in my class (the 2-and-3-year-olds) got to participate in the program and sing songs with the big kids who are going to kindergarten next year. Daddy took some video (which will be posted once we figure out how to upload it) and Mommy took some pictures, so I thought I'd post them up.

We got to wear special shirts and hats that we made with fish and sharks and other ocean animals on them!

We sang songs and did hand gestures that our teachers taught us!

Then me and my best friend, Vincent, found some balloons to play with :)

This is me and Vincent and Olivia (my two best friends!)

We even got cupcakes after the program, and Vincent and I laughed at all the icing on our faces!

Well, after all that partying, I'm pretty tired, so I'm going to bed now - good night! Until next time!

Yay, Springtime!

2011-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I love Spring! I get to play outside again, which is one of my favorite things to do, and this year I learned about the Easter Bunny - he comes to your house and hides eggs, and leaves candy and other cool stuff in a basket. I thought I'd post some pictures of all the fun!

We took a walk in the park, or the "countryside," as I like to call it. It was a beautiful day!

I like pointing out birds and airplanes for Mommy and Daddy.

We found a big playground that had lots of slides - I love slides!

I went down big slides...

...and small slides...

...and I made Mommy nervous climbing UP the slides, too! :)

It has been raining a lot, too, so we've had to be inside a LOT. But it's okay, because I have fun with Daddy and Mommy reading books and playing with my Thomas engines.

This is me and Daddy - just us guys, hanging out :)

I love my Daddy!

It was really fun when the Easter Bunny came - he put eggs full of jelly beans all over the house, and I had to go find them. It was a really fun game, and he even left a basket of candy and books for me - and more coaches for Thomas to pull on the track!

It took a while for me to find all the eggs the Easter Bunny hid - he put them everywhere, including in my toy box, on my train set, and even in my shoes!

By the time I found them all, I had a whole bucket full of jelly bean eggs!

The Easter Bunny left me Annie and Clarabel, who are Thomas' coaches.

I was really happy about Annie and Clarabel - I'd had my eye on them for months!

The Easter Bunny also left some books about Thomas and his adventures - this is me showing Mommy all the cool pictures in the stories.

All in all, it was a great Easter, and it's a fun Spring so far! This summer is sure to be busy, since we're going to see the real Thomas in June, and pretty soon the pool will be open across the street. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures of my adventures this summer and post them here for you. Until then, go outside and enjoy some sunshine - I know I will be!

Picture Day!

2011-03-05T04:13:00.001-08:00

I've been so busy at school learning my letters, doing art projects, and reading Dr. Seuss books (it was his birthday last week, you know), that I forgot to post my school pictures! We had picture day last month, and even though I had to change my clothes to have my picture taken (which I was NOT happy about), I think the photographer captured my more thoughtful side... what do you think?

Anyway, there's lots going on this month, with St. Patrick's Day and our upcoming field trip to the grocery store, so I'll put up another post as soon as I can to tell you all about it! Until next time!

Lazy Weekends and Playtime

2011-01-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

I realized I hadn't posted any stories since right after Christmas, and Mommy and Daddy snuck a few photos the other day, so I figured I'd better post again!

We just had our first REAL snowstorm of the winter, and the snow (or "'now," as I call it) is everywhere! It's been really cold lately, so I haven't been able to go to the playground, or slide down the slide at school. Once in a while, we get bundled up and go outside in the Moon Bounce, but we can't do that when it snows. I really like being outside, but not in the winter!

It's okay, though, because my teacher always has fun art projects and stories and games for us to play inside. I really like to paint, and playing with Playdoh is pretty cool (but honestly, nothing beats snack time!).

I also really like to learn about colors and shapes. My teacher quizzed us on our letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and our names last week, and I was the only kid in class who could spell the letters in my name! I like practicing what I learn so I say my letters and numbers all the time - sometimes I count all the way home from school in the car! That is, if I'm not serenading Mommy from the back seat - my favorite songs are, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "These are the Months of the Year," and of course, "Thomas and his Friends!"

On the weekends, when it's windy and cold and we don't have to go anywhere, Mommy and Daddy let me stay in my jammies all day and we play with my Thomas engines! If I help Mommy and Daddy by eating my breakfast and doing something called "cooperating" during my diaper changes, they let me watch a Thomas DVD while we play :)

Sometimes I take Percy and his mail cars on the windowsill so they can puff around up there while I watch my Thomas stories.

The stories about Thomas and his friends are really interesting! My favorite DVD lately has been, "Thomas' Merry Winter Wishes," because there's a lot of snow in it :)

Mommy gave me a haircut right after this was taken... but don't worry, it's not too short! :)

You can tell by my "moustache" that I'm a big fan of orange juice :)

That's Toby that I'm holding - he's the only steam tram engine!

That look on my face in the last picture is because I'm about to drop Toby and tackle Daddy, which is another one of my favorite things to do when we're playing inside. I can run all the way across the room and knock Daddy over! I tackle Daddy so much, he even went to the store and got me a Troy Polamalu jersey - he's Mommy's favorite defensive player for the Pittsburgh Steelers (psst... they're gonna play in the Super Bowl!)

Well, I really should get to bed - I have a play date tomorrow with my friends, Peyton and Trent! Night night!

So Let Me Tell You About My Christmas...

2010-12-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas started early this year, in more ways than one! I got to go see my Nana D and Pap on Christmas Eve, and I got to open presents, even though it wasn't Christmas yet! Nana also made me lots of fruit salad and special cupcakes, which everyone kept saying were muffins, but I know a cupcake when I see one. I got to play with my Mom-Mom and Pappy, and my goofy Uncle Scott, Aunt Pam, and cousin Megan, and was so worn out from the morning that I was asleep in the car before we got home. I felt refreshed after my 15-minute car-nap, so I wanted to play with my new engine, Rosie, but Mommy and Daddy insisted I go to my bed and take another nap. This is where my stall tactics came in handy - they let me take Rosie to bed with me, so I had something to help me pass the time until they decided my quote-nap-unquote was over.

Our tree - I made my first Christmas ornaments in school this month, so we put them on the tree!

As for Christmas, all week long, Mommy and Daddy were talking about how Santa Claus was coming and that I had to be good and listen, and he'd leave me a bunch of presents while I slept on Friday night... well, then why were they surprised when I woke up at 4:15 a.m., ready to open presents?! I'd been really good all week, but they still made me go back to bed! But, at least I managed to go back to sleep in THEIR bed, hahaha....

Four hours later, they finally said it was time to go downstairs - and they were RIGHT! Santa Claus DID come, and he left me all kinds of presents to open! But of course, I can't do anything on an empty stomach, so the first order of business was breakfast. COOKIES!!!!! with chocolate kisses... yum! I'm beginning to like the "Christmas version" of Mommy and Daddy - they let me get away with eating dessert for breakfast!

Daddy helped me open some freight cars for my train set.

It was hard to be patient, but I managed to control myself! You'd be surprised at how distracting my Mommy's cookies are!

This was the coolest Thomas set I'd ever seen (and the biggest!) Once Daddy takes some pictures of the new-and-improved track, I'll post some pictures.

The only frustrating thing about getting Thomas presents is that I had to wait while Mommy and Daddy struggled with getting everything out of the boxes! I don't understand why every piece has to be locked down with four different steel ties, plastic bindings, and super-sticky scotch tape.

Anyway, Santa brought me lots of cool stuff for my Thomas the Tank Engine set - my Nana D gave me a little engine named Rosie the day before, and I got the big tender engine, Spencer, and some neat freight cars with aquarium and zoo animals in them. Santa also left me lots of supplies to do my artwork, including a big Ironman art book and an easel of my own!

This book has markers, stickers, puzzles, coloring pages, and all kinds of other stuff, and it's all about Super Heroes! Of course, I had to take a few of the IronMan and Spider-Man stickers out right away :)

This is my new easel. Priceless works of art forthcoming...

I LET the Grinch steal my bean bag - this is RoninGreyWho, waiting for the Grinch's heart to grow three sizes so I can get my bean bag back. In the meantime, I'll be playing on my living-room-sized Thomas track that my Daddy set up...

I had lots of fun playing with my stuff all morning, and then after I took my nap, we all went up to Nana K's house - we ate lots of yummy food (my favorite, of course - the dinner rolls), and I got to open even more presents. I had so much energy after dinner that my Aunt Michelle and I played "Ring Around the Rosie" in the kitchen about 100 times! I was the only one falling down, though, until Daddy joined in - he always has fun falling down with me :) We were having so much fun that we got home WAY past my bedtime. I still wanted to play when we got home, but since it was really late I had to go straight to bed. It's okay, though, because we've had a couple of days to play since then. It's going to be tough to go back to school tomorrow and away from my toys, but I get to see my friends and my teachers, and we can talk about Santa's visit!

Cheesin' it with Thomas...

Mommy and Daddy slacked on getting the Christmas cards out, so this shot will have to do... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I hope your Christmas was as fun as mine was, and if I don't see you before then, have a really Happy New Year! It's gonna be a great one!

A Long-Awaited Return...

2010-12-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hi! Yes, I'm finally back! It has been a very long time since my last post, but I really do have a good reason for that - Mommy and Daddy got a new computer, and they're so busy playing Thomas the Tank Engine with me that they haven't really had a chance to set up the camera and download any of my latest photos until now.

Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote - I went trick-or-treating for Halloween in TWO different costumes (Thomas, and Clinton Portis, my favorite Washington Redskins football player), I visited a pumpkin patch and a fire station with my class at preschool, and I got pneumonia for Thanksgiving... don't worry, Mommy made sure I got some turkey a few days later!

Do you see how small I look on this slide?! It's not an optical illusion. That slide was HUUUUGE!!! And as you can see I did it all by myself!!! Pretty sure I scared the you-know-what out of Mommy and my teachers. Hehehe.

This is me in the maze at the pumpkin patch. It was pretty awesome. Again, I didn't have to hold anyone's hand or anything. It was such a blast. I was pretty worn out after all that running and laughing with all my friends from school. After the maze we went to pick out our own little pumpkins, which was cool with me 'cause I was able to chill out a bit.

I also got to visit my school on a Saturday night to see the Christmas Light Show! Mommy and Daddy and I drove through thousands of lights and they blinked to the Christmas music on the radio - but the best part was when we got to go inside and have s'mores and lemonade.

We ended up wearing some of the s'mores on our faces :)

I've also been making a lot of time for my indoor hobbies, now that the weather has gotten colder (and I've been sick recently with pneumonia, which is counterproductive to my efforts to go to the playground).

Daddy lets me play his drums once in a while - I'm getting pretty good!

Mommy and Daddy sometimes let me play on this cool new iPad thing - it's got animal flashcards that make the actual animal noises! I really like to listen to the lion and the fish (which sounds like water bubbling, hehehe), and it even spells the name so I can practice my letters. Oh, and by the way, my latest obsession is singing my ABC's ad nauseum to the girls in my preschool class :)

And, of course, I always make time to play with my Thomas and friends engines.

You can see some of my school artwork in the background of this picture. I had to get my hands messy for that one, but that's not such a big deal anymore.

You can see one of my latest "engines," Alfie, who isn't really an engine, he's a front-loader friend of Thomas's. He likes to feel included with the rest of the engines, though, so I make sure he gets some time on the track, too!

Mommy probably took this picture while I was watching a really exciting part of a Thomas story... he and his friends seem to get into trouble all the time!

Well now that Mommy and Daddy got the camera set up on the new computer, and are figuring out something called Red Eye Reduction, there will probably be a lot more pictures in my next post. Until then I think I'm gonna catch some Z's. 'Night.

Yay for Fall!

2010-10-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is starting to be one of my favorite seasons! The weather's cooling off, I get to eat apples all the time and wear my big clompy boots, and I'm having such a good time since I started preschool!

At preschool, I sing songs with my friends and my teachers, and we get to jump around and play all the time. We also have story time and nap time, but my favorite part of the day is lunch time! We do artwork, too - Mommy and Daddy said that we may need to get another refrigerator for all my paintings! :)

We also get to go on field trips at preschool. We went to the fair last week, and we're going to the orchard for my next school field trip, so I get to see how they make apple cider out of all those apples I saw on the trees when Mommy and Daddy and I went today. We're also going to the pumpkin patch for a field trip at the end of the month, but I saw some pumpkins today, too!

Mommy and Daddy said that this picture reminded them of the song that was playing when I was born - "Here Comes The Sun" :) This is when we were walking through the apple orchard.

I thought this sign was pretty funny!

This is a picture of me LAST year when we went to the orchard - I was so little back then!

And now... I'm a lot bigger!! ;) Haha! Just kidding... but I like that this picture makes me look like a giant!

I was trying to see how strong I am by picking up all the biggest pumpkins I could find!

The wall of pumpkins they have is really cool - it's very tall!

Here's me and Mommy with what she called a "nice, Ronin-sized pumpkin."

I really like being outside when the weather's cool. Mommy and Daddy and I have gone to the playground a lot lately! I love to go down the slides, and I also like to swing :)

Daddy pushes me really high on the swings!

It tickles my tummy sometimes when I swing :)

It's also been raining a lot, though, so sometimes we can't go to the playground or be outside. That's when Mommy and Daddy put the iPod on and we have dance parties in our living room! Check out my cool moves!

I also like to play with my Thomas the Tank Engine trains when we have to stay inside (in my favorite Thomas the Tank Engine jammies, of course!) I'm even learning to read with my Thomas books :)

For those of you who may need a translation, I'm saying, "Thomas [the] Tank Engine... picture of Ronin!" :)

Nana K got me these cool jammies for my birthday - I'm glad Mommy and Daddy said it's finally cool enough at night to wear them! They have Thomas all over them!

I love playing with my Thomas engines, so it's usually not so bad when it's raining outside and I have to play inside.

Sometimes, though, I get really sad when it rains too much and I'm cooped up inside for too long!

Mommy got this picture of me at my worst! She and Daddy keeping talking about something called "the terrible two's," but what else is there to do when it's been raining for THREE WHOLE DAYS but CRY?!

Anyway, I hope the weather stays clear for my field trips coming up - I'll try to get some pictures so I can post again soon! I'm going to go eat some yummy apple pie with Mommy and Daddy... until next time!

Not-At-All-Terrible Two's

2010-09-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Being two years old has been AWESOME so far! I got to have a birthday party, I started going to preschool, and best of all, I discovered Thomas the Tank Engine!

Thomas is so cool - I love to play with my little wooden trains and pretend that Thomas and his friends are going, "Choo-choo!" down the track. That's why I haven't posted anything for a while - I've been too busy "playing Thomas." :)

I really liked my birthday party this year. Mommy and Daddy put lots of balloons around, and a few even had Thomas on them! I got to eat hamburgers (one of my favorite foods), and some really yummy birthday cake, and my whole family came over to play!

Mommy and Daddy helped me blow out the candle on my Thomas cake!

These are some Thomas trains that I can actually play with in the bathtub... so awesome.

I even got to wear a bandanna and my very own conductor's hat!

I had fun playing with the balloons for days after the party. It was fun to pile them all up on the couch and then sit in them!

Since I'm a big boy and not a baby anymore (which Mommy and Daddy get sad about sometimes), I can go to preschool now. I've only been there a few days, but it seems to be really fun. There are lots of other kids to play with, and I'm making a few friends already - it's really fun to sit and listen to the teacher read stories with them!

This is me, telling my Nana on the phone all about my day at school.

Anyway, I'm anxious to get back to playing with my trains, but I'll post a few recent pictures, and I promise I'll post more soon. Until next time, big squeezes and big kisses!

I Love Summer!

2010-08-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Wow - summer is a busy time...but I've been busy having lots of fun! I just went to my first birthday party for my friend, Allison - she has a swingset that we played on for hours, and I even got to eat a bright orange cupcake! I also got to see my Mom-mom and Pappy, which is always fun because they give me lots of hugs and toy tractors to play with. But speaking of birthdays, Mommy and Daddy have also been busy getting ready for my birthday party, which is in a couple of weeks. I can't believe I'm almost two!

Anyway, here are a few photos that I took to show you!

Here I am enjoying one of my favorite summer treats: blueberries!

I think it's funny when the blueberries turn my lips purple :)

When the weather's nice, I still really like to go for walks outside...

and I like to point out airplanes flying by to Mommy and Daddy!

When the weather's no-so-nice, I still have fun indoors playing with my toys... and Mommy's mixing bowls!

And I like to express my "inner Picasso" via Mr. Ironman-Potato Head :)

When snacktime comes, I like to relax on the steps... and sometimes our cat, Puff, joins me for some Cheerios!

I also enjoy some Goldfish crackers from time to time :)

And of course, I've been hanging out with Mommy and Daddy a lot - they're pretty fun!

See what I mean?? :)

Well, I need to go clean up my toys and get ready to have my bath and go to bed. I wonder if I'll still have to clean up my toys when I'm two...? Anyway, good night! Until next time!

Fun on the Fourth of July!

2010-07-08T16:48:00.001-07:00

I'm not feeling too well tonight, so this will be a short post - but I wanted to share some pictures we took from our 4th of July mini-celebration at home. Daddy got some fireworks and sparklers - it was awesome to watch them! Mommy and Daddy even let me play with some sparklers :) I also wanted to put up some pictures of some other fun times I've been having lately.

I like to help clean up! Especially since I'm the one usually making the mess - I guess it's only fair!

Well, I'm going to go get some rest - hopefully I'll feel better in the morning. Goodnight!

A day of hiking and fun!

2010-06-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

So I keep hearing that a picture is worth a thousand words and I got to thinking...
If I'm working so hard at figuring out how to actually say all of these words, then I'll let the pictures do the talking this time around... just so you know what you are seeing these are pictures of the day Daddy took me to the park and we went for a hike in the woods. It was so cool. I can't wait to go back and take Mommy with us!!!

My Day at the Zoo!

2010-05-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

So it turns out that Mommy and Daddy weren't kidding when they said they were taking me to the zoo! We all got up Saturday and went for a ride in the Jeep. At first I thought we were just in a store and I was getting a new stuffed animal, but then Mommy and Daddy took it away from me and we went through some other doors. I got soooo excited when I realized that we were at the zoo. First we went through the house of snakes. After that I got down and started running around cause there were so many things to see! But then I fell and scraped my face and forehead, but Mommy and Daddy were right there to get me and clean me off. I got my binky and everything suddenly got better. We spent the rest of the morning walking, and I was carried a lot too, all around the zoo looking at the animals.

This is just a shot of my cheek after the fall. You can't see much
because Mommy and Daddy are really good at wiping my face off.
I think it's all the practice they seem to want all the time. I just
keep having to put the mess back though.

This is Daddy telling me all about the animals there.
There were so many different kinds...

Like this guy, the Lemer. He looks a lot like Zaboo on Sprout!

There were also these cool signs with pictures and stories
about the animals. Kinda like the books I have at home that
Nana D gets for me. They are so fun to read.

I even got Mommy into the stories!!!

But then I saw somewhere I wanted to go...

What do you mean "Staff Only"? What's a Staff?
And why is only it allowed in there?

Fine! If I can't go where I'm not allowed to,
then I'll go play in the mud. I'm gonna be a
little boy no matter what!

Mommy carried me for a bit and told me about more of
the animals we were seeing. Some of them were familiar...

...like the tigers. Here's one that was walking back and
forth the whole time like he was waiting for something.

Also the Lion. We only saw this one, and all she did was lay there...

On the way to the next section of the zoo Daddy let me pet
the big Lion statue. I guess that's the same as the real thing... nah.
But Daddy and Mommy say they want me to keep my arm.
Whatever that means.

There were all new animals there too. Like this Llama.
I think he was hungry 'cause he kept sniffing at Daddy's
hand and then turning his head when he didn't smell
anything but a hand.

There was a really cute little deer there too.
She wasn't even taller than me!

We saw a bunch of big turtles...

Daddy even tried to feed one of them his hand.
The silly turtle tried to eat it too, but all he could do
was lick Daddy's hand.

There were colorful birds, just like on the walls of my room.

I think this one is chewing on the other one. I just don't know why?

Sometimes I stopped looking at the animals to watch
Mommy and Daddy. This time I was watching Daddy
try to get what he calls an artistic shot.

After the Zoo we went back into the store and I did get a
new stuffed animal. I picked the tiger 'cause it was soft and
cuddly, but also cool. The weather was warmer on the way
home so Daddy took out the windows in the Jeep and we
started to drive. It wasn't long before I was falling asleep,
but in my defense I did have a very big morning and it
was getting close to my nap time.

I was REALLY tired! Hope you liked all the pictures as much
as I liked the zoo. I can't wait to go back again. Well bye for now...

Good times!

2010-05-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day, and that you've been able to enjoy all the sunshine - I know I sure have! I've been outside a lot, except when it's been raining, but even then it's still kinda fun to run around and play :) I thought I'd post a little about what's been happening around here...

I've been experimenting with kitchen supplies and utensils, including Mommy's pots and pans, and found out that these things not only make yummy dinners, but they can also be fun!

I thought Giraffe would look nice in this blue colander hat...

Giraffe looked so cool in it that I thought I'd try it on - you can even see through it!

I've also been reading a lot, especially since Pappy brought over a bunch of different books for me to read! Mommy and Daddy had to get something just to organize all of them, but I love to read, so it's worth it!

Dr. Seuss is still my favorite :)

Even though I've been busy playing outside and learning how to cook and reading, I still like to find time to snuggle up with Mommy or Daddy (or Giraffe, or Monkey, or Special Blanket, or Panda) and relax!

Monkey and Giraffe are pretty funny... they always crack me up!

Monkey makes a good footrest, too!

I've been taking it easy lately, too, since I'm getting over a cold. I hope I don't get sick anymore this Spring or Summer - it's too nice outside to be cooped up inside and sick!

Well, I'd better go get some rest - I overheard Mommy and Daddy talking about going to the zoo tomorrow. It may just be a rumor, but I want to be rested and ready in case we're actually going to a real zoo tomorrow! If we do, I'll bring the camera so I can tell you all about it - until then, enjoy the sunshine!

Laughing My Way Through April!

2010-04-15T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I don't really have much to talk about this time - we've been pretty busy lately, and I've even gotten to stay out past my bedtime a couple of times! But I figured that I'd put up a few photos of us clowning around, since Mommy and Daddy say that today can be stressful for some people because of these things called "taxes." I'm not sure what they are, but I hope I can make everybody smile so they aren't stressed about "taxes!" Enjoy!

This isn't really a funny picture, but I like it, so I thought I'd post it first :)

This is me, just being my happy-go-lucky self!

Sometimes I like to make silly faces to make Mommy and Daddy laugh!

Peek-a-boo has been one of my favorite games since I was a baby - this is my favorite "special blanket!"

I have a big red ball, and I like to roll and bounce it back and forth with Daddy :)

I have a lot of fun playing "Bounce the Ball" with Daddy and Mommy!

Daddy cracks me up sometimes!

Before I play, I have to make sure my highchair belt is clipped, and then I can relax and have fun!

Sometimes I like to unwind with a binky and a good book...

And sometimes I play so hard that I can't make it to my crib before I crash into a nap!

Until next time, here's to good laughs and good naps!

Baby Steps and Sneezes

2010-03-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I last posted, and you'll have to forgive me - I've been battling a winter cold lately, and between the sneezing and the coughing and the runny nose, I haven't been up to it. I'm starting to feel better now, though! All those oranges that Mommy and Daddy have been giving me are helping!

I'm excited to say that I'm learning how to go up and down the stairs! I really like using the railings to go up, but Mommy and Daddy make me hold their hand most of the time. It's not that bad, I guess. They get tired too soon, though - I could go up and down the stairs for hours!

I start at the top...

...and slowly work my way down...

...step by step...

...until I reach the bottom. And then I do it all over again!!

It's important for a boy to have good skills... like horseback riding skills...

I've also been having fun with some cardboard boxes that... something was delivered in... hmmm.... I wonder what came in those boxes??

Anyway, Daddy set them up so that I could climb in and sit - I had a lot of fun playing around in them! I like horsing around with Daddy, too!

I haven't decided if I'll make my boxes into a car or a fort - they're just pretty cool to play in for now!

Sometimes when Mommy starts taking too many pictures, I start sticking my tongue out!

See? :)

Daddy likes to tickle me and make me giggle - he's really good at it!

Daddy's belly raspberries are EPIC! :)

Well, I'd better get back to bed - I'm still recovering, after all, and I need my sleep :) Until next time, be well!

Cabin Fever: More Snow, More Pictures!

2010-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'm quickly learning that you run out of things to do during big blizzards, while you're cooped up inside! Mommy has been a little camera-happy, so I thought I'd post some more pictures of our Cabin Fever days!

This is the view from our front door, during Round Two of the "Blizzard of 2010."

This is the window on the side of our house, in our living room - you can see how high the snow drifted!

I tried to keep my spirits up while we were snowed in...

I kept myself occupied by talking on the phone and playing with the TV remotes...

I also played with my toys, including my favorite dump truck...

...But it's really hard to deal with Cabin Fever! Sometimes I need a time out :(

Well, wish me luck - I'm going to try to get out of taking my nap again :) Until next time!

The Blizzard of 2010 (a.k.a. Silliness, just silliness...)

2010-02-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

It figures that it would literally take a blizzard to slow me down long enough to post a blog update! I've been very busy lately playing and learning all kinds of new things - I know all 32 of my flash cards (I'm still working on saying the words), and I really love putting my puzzles together. Plus, Mommy and Daddy got an old keyboard out, so I've been having fun playing that! I've also been practicing my dance moves - I love dancing to Toddler Tunes or the Wiggles (and sometimes Mommy and Daddy let me listen to some Black Eyed Peas... then I REALLY get my groove on!) Once I perfect my moves, I'll post a video for you!

Anyway, I thought I'd take a few minutes and post some new pictures for you, including some of the blizzard that came through a couple of days ago:

These are my cool Batman jammies - and our cat, Puff, in the background.

I like being silly when Mommy has the camera!

I'm learning all about shapes, colors, and how things move.

I've also been experimenting with different hairstyles...

I thought Daddy's numbers on the bathtub wall needed a little "something"...

Here I am, standing at the sliding door in our kitchen - you can see that the snow from the "Blizzard of 2010" drifted taller than me!

This is the front of our house after Mommy and Daddy shoveled our sidewalk 6 or 7 times.

It might be Spring before we can get to our shed!

This is the view from our front door - the fence is almost buried in snow!

The piles of snow are taller than most of the cars in the neighborhood!

Well, I'd better go - Mommy and Daddy don't get too many snow days to stay home with me, so all they want to do is play today! Until next time!

My Second Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's already 2010 and I'm just now posting Christmas pictures... but what do you expect when Santa brings me new toys to play with? Actually, it's pretty hard to tear myself away to even post these pictures, so I hope you understand if I don't have much to say this time :)

Mommy and Daddy said that Santa took this picture when he was finished putting presents underneath our Christmas tree. The little stuffed dog you see in front is Scout - he talks and sing songs to me, and even says my name!

As you can see in this picture, Santa stopped to watch a little "It's a Wonderful Life" before he left to continue his deliveries :)

I had fun ripping the wrapping paper off of my presents!

Santa brought me a set of Disney books all about letters, numbers, manners, and all kinds of other stuff!

I also really like the flash cards that Mommy and Daddy got me - they have pictures of all sorts of things, and some are furry, some are shiny, some are rough, and some are even sticky!

I also got my first drum of my very own! Now I can play along with Daddy!

This is one of the really cool outfits I got for Christmas - this one was from my Nana K. I really do like it - Mommy just insisted on taking this picture at 6:00 a.m. before I was really awake!

These are some cool jammies that my friend, Zoey, sent to me all the way from Ohio! I was having some fun in this picture making my hair full of static crawling around on the couch :)

And even though I've been busy with the holidays, I still try to find time to learn new things and practice everything that I'm learning - this is me practicing eating with my own fork! Yummy, bananas!

That's about all I have time for right now - I have new toys that are being neglected! Until next time, Happy New Year!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2009-12-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a quick break from playing to post some pictures of the snow that fell over the weekend! It was the first time I've seen real snow, and boy, did we get a lot of it! When I went out to play in it, I wasn't sure what to think - it was cold, white, and flying everywhere in the wind, drifting so high that it was above my head in some parts of our yard. I thought the coolest part was the big black snow boots that Mommy and Daddy got me to wear - I clomped up and down the sidewalk for a long time (at least until my nose was running too much and Mommy said it was time to go back inside!)

This is Daddy when he was shoveling the path in front of our house - it was already pretty
deep, and it hadn't even finished snowing yet!

Here I am, out playing in the snow the next day. See how deep it got?! More importantly,
do you like my cool black snow boots?

I played in the snow a little bit, but it was really cold! I also couldn't do much in the huge
blue mittens I was wearing... like my hands are that big!

I'm still not sure about the snow - it seemed kinda fun, and Mommy and Daddy started
talking about a "snowman," which sounded pretty cool, but I never saw him. Maybe next
time it snows I'll find out more about that...

After a while, I'd had enough - it was time to go inside for some hot chocolate!

Speaking of hot chocolate, I'd better go make sure we have enough to make for Santa when he comes to visit in a couple of days. I can't wait until Christmas!!

Holiday Excitement!

2009-12-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

So according to Mommy and Daddy, Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! I thought I'd share some pictures of us getting ready for Santa to visit.

This is our tree - Mommy and Daddy won't let me touch anything, but it's really pretty to look at!

I like the Elmo ornament the best!

It's really cool when we turn off all the lights and the tree glows...

Mommy found some Christmas-y Elmo jammies for me - they're a little bit big still, but I don't care!

Mommy thinks I'm cute...

I had to have a serious talk with Puff about not chewing on the Christmas tree... I think he got the message!

It snowed a little bit last week, so I've been spending a lot of time at the front door waiting for
it to snow again...

...then I got bored waiting for the snow and decided to carry my sippy cup around with my teeth :)

It's really exhausting getting ready for Christmas!

Until next time, stay warm and safe, and remember to bake your cookies to put out for Santa!

Growing up Ronin

2009-11-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

First let me say that I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving! Mommy and Daddy and I stayed home and in our jammies, and Mommy made a big dinner with turkey and lots of potatoes and veggies - my favorite were the butter croissants. I had three of them by myself! I was very tired after the excitement of the holiday - I didn't waste any time letting Mommy and Daddy know I was ready for bed!

I was SO ready to go upstairs for bathtime and bedtime!

I've been trying to learn as much as I can lately about what big boys do, like wearing shoes and feeding myself with forks and spoons. Some experiments have worked out better than others, but I've had lots of fun!

Daddy helped me tie his sneakers when I wanted to try them on.

It was much harder to walk around in Daddy's shoes than it is in mine! I still had fun, though!

One night, Mommy and Daddy let me eat my Jello with my spoon all by myself! It got a little messy, but it was yummy!

Sometimes it's just easier to go for the Cheerios!

My Daddy and I have been having a lot of fun together, now that I'm walking and running better! I like to play around on the floor and wrestle, and sometimes Daddy will surprise me and tickle me!

Daddy got me good with the tickling one day... but I'll get him back one day :)

Until next time, enjoy the turkey leftovers and remember: it's okay if you make a mess, because it can always be cleaned up :)

Tricks, Treats & Pumpkins

2009-11-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a little while since I last posted...and it's getting kinda late now, so this might seem a little short. But don't worry, there will be plenty of pictures. So where to start?

So I have this blanket... it's a polka dot blanket with a knot in one corner and let me tell you, I don't know what I would do without it. I carry it with me wherever I can get away with it. Mommy and Daddy even go so far as to try a replacement blanket when they need to wash this one, but they aren't foolin anyone.

What do you mean you have to wash it?
And you think another blanket is going to do?

Earlier in the month (of October) Mommy and Daddy took me to Catoctin Mountain Orchard to play in the pumpkins. It was soooo much fun. I was still getting used to my new shoes and walking in the bumpy grass though. I'm much better at all of it now.

Oh yeah!!! I am learning to eat with what Mommy and Daddy call "silverware," but mine are plastic so I don't get it. It's fun though, and I get to make a lot of noise so everyone's happy!! I'm still learning about patience, so the spoon doesn't always do the job.

I also got to dress up and "trick or treat" for Halloween this year. I was too young, says Mommy and Daddy, and it was too yucky out last year. This year I had to be a Lion and stay out after bedtime!! My Green Lantern costume Mommy and Daddy got me last year was too small this year. But guess what? So was the mane to my Lion costume. I really didn't like having that on, so Mommy and Daddy took it off right away. To be honest I wasn't completely thilled with the rest of the costume either, but I guess a kid has to do what a kid has to do to get candy. But now Mommy and Daddy are saying I can't even have any!! Really? What's that about?

As you can probably tell from the pictures it's been a full month. Halloween, "silver"ware, pumpkins, blankets, not to mention walking around with a bowl on my head, and giving Giraffe some cuddles. You probably also noticed my binky in a few of those photos. Mommy and Daddy were trying to keep me from using it, but then 5 teeth started to pop through my gums and it doesn't feel too good. So I get to use my binky for while longer.

It's way past my bedtime now, so I better go before I get caught using the computer after bedtime. I will try real hard to get more pictures and more posts up soon. Bye.

Athlete or Artist?

2009-10-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy wonder sometimes if I'll be an athlete or an artist, but I say, "Why choose?!" I really love playing and running, and I'm glad it's football season, as you can see by my choice of outfits every now and then!

They may not be off to a great start, but I still say, "Go 'Skins!... And
Steelers!"

But I also recently learned how to draw with crayons in the bathtub, and I think being an artist is really fun! This is my very first drawing:

I used red and orange washable crayons to create my first masterpiece
on the bathtub wall. I think I'll just call this, "Number One."

Drawing is really fun! I can't wait to try it with real crayons and paper!

Oh yeah, and check out the cool giraffe my mommy's Aunt Doris and Uncle Wayne gave me - it's so soft, and I like to snuggle up with it.

Sorry the post is so short this time - I've got lots of places to go and things to do! Until next time!

The Last Days of Summer

2009-09-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hi, there! It's been a few weeks since my last post - my birthday, I believe. I've been very busy practicing my walking, so I haven't had much time to do anything else! I'm getting really fast, too!

I had my one-year doctor's appointment after my birthday, and I'm still in the 10th percentile for weight (20 lbs, 6 oz), so that means I'm growing at the rate I'm supposed to. I've been trying lots of new foods lately, and have really liked plums, kiwi, rice, and cheesy scrambled eggs! I also got some vaccinations at the doctor's office, and a week or so later I had a reaction to my varicella (chicken pox) vaccine... I got a rash all over my body, and I had a little fever for a few hours. It was really irritating, and I was cranky for a few days, but it eventually got better. Now I'm just fine!

This was taken only two weeks ago, and now I don't even need to hold Mommy's or
Daddy's hands to walk around!

Today, Mommy and Daddy and I went with Uncle Tarl and Aunt Rosemary and cousin TJ to Sugarloaf Mountain, and hiked up a big trail to the top of the mountain! It was really cool to walk through all those big tall trees, and to see so far once we got to the top. My Daddy carried me the whole way - he's really strong and has great balance! Mommy got some pictures of us on the mountain.

It was a lot of fun hiking to the top of the mountain!

Well, I'd better get to bed - I'm exhausted after all that hiking today! Sweet dreams!

My Birthday - Part Two

2009-08-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

After two whole days of celebrating, I can finally wind down and post the rest of the pictures and stories from my first birthday!

Yesterday, my Mommy made me a cupcake to eat after lunch, and she and Daddy even put a big "#1" candle on it for me. I was a little tired, so I just had some of the icing and then took a nap. When I got up, I played for a little while with all the books and squishy sports balls they got me for my birthday, then I had my dinner. We went for our normal after-dinner walk, and I had my bath and went to bed.

I was so tired from all the fun yesterday that I slept in until 7:00 a.m., but when I woke up and Mommy brought me downstairs, I saw that Daddy had put up even more streamers and balloons for my birthday party! We had breakfast and I played for a little while, then I took a nap. When I got up from my morning nap, my Nana D, Pap, Mom-Mom and Pappy were all waiting for me downstairs! Then lots more family came over, including my Nana K and my other Pappy, my Uncle Tarl, Aunt Rosemary, and cousin TJ, my Uncle Scott, Aunt Pam, and cousin Megan, and my Aunt Beth, Uncle Jay, and cousin Ava! Everyone had a yummy lunch, then I opened some presents... well, Mommy and Daddy opened most of my presents since I wanted to practice walking and visiting with everyone.

Then I got to have my very own little cake with a picture of Elmo on it! I was pretty tired by then, but I had some icing (that's really the only part I like) and then I took my afternoon nap. By the time I woke up, my Nana K was the only person left downstairs, so I got to say goodbye before she went home. I had a lot of fun at the party, and I played with the toys I got after my nap. I also got a lot of really cool clothes for when the weather gets cooler - it almost makes me look forward to the cold weather!

All-in-all, I think I really like this birthday stuff. I got to spend time with my family, I got to play a lot, and I got to have icing two days in a row - if that's what birthdays are, I'm really glad I get to have one every year! Anyway, here are some pictures from the past two days - thank you to everybody who made my first birthday so special!!! I love you all!!!!

I was being a ham at lunch and having fun while Mommy took some pictures - my birthday puts me in a good mood!

These were the cupcakes that Mommy made for me - I ate the icing off the one with the candle on it! Daddy took a video of it, but I was tired and cranky so I prefer not to post that piece of footage, if you don't mind.... :)

I got a few really cool books from Daddy and Mommy, including one that has a picture of a big purple cat in it! Crazy!

Mommy and Daddy got me a really funny Elmo "jack-in-the-box" that talks!

I had some fun with my own cake today at the party - the icing was really good!

This is me and Mommy - she's helping me open a big present from my Aunt Michelle and Nana K. It was a big red "Cozy Coupe" for me to drive (as soon as Daddy puts it together!)

This is me and Daddy looking at an awesome card from my Uncle Scott that plays music from an ancient video game they were talking about called "Pacman."

When we went on our usual after-dinner walk tonight, Daddy took some cool pictures that I wanted to post for everyone. As you can see, I was a happy boy after all the celebrating for the last couple of days. Being 1 year old feels pretty good so far... :)

Until next time... here's to another awesome year!!

My Birthday... Part One

2009-08-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Guess what - I am one year old today! This past year has gone by very fast, and I've learned so many things, like how to roll over and crawl, how to eat solid food, how to say "Mama" and "Dada," and... drumroll, please... how to WALK! That's right! I took my first steps last Saturday, and Mommy and Daddy have been so busy ever since trying to spot me as I stumble all over the place that we haven't had time to post the news :) I love practicing, and we even got some video of my practice today!

Here it is folks - you better hide the breakables! I'm coming over!

I was really excited this morning when we all came downstairs and I saw the pictures of Baby Elmo that Mommy and Daddy put up around the living room. I even had a pile of presents waiting, and Mommy and Daddy let me open one up after breakfast - it was a little Elmo!

Mommy and Daddy put up streamers with Elmo's face on them, and a big banner that they
told me said, "Happy Birthday!" on it!

One of the hanging decorations had a big picture of Baby Elmo on it, with a big number "1" -
hey, that's how old I am today!

These are the rest of the presents I get to open after my nap - I can't wait!

Isn't he cool? This is Elmo - he was the first birthday present I ever opened :)

This is me and Daddy, having a blueberry muffin for breakfast. It was a yummy beginning to
my first birthday!

Then we played and took a walk in the neighborhood, and now I'm getting ready to take a nap because all this excitement wore me out! More later!

My First Shiner!

2009-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right - I had my first black eye this week, and I'm not even one year old yet! I was trying to pull myself up on a banister, and my hand slipped - before anyone could catch me, bam! My face hit, right on my nose! It didn't hurt that much, and I didn't even cry, but my eye and nose got pretty purple a couple days later. Mommy and Daddy tried to get pictures, but the camera couldn't really capture it. Here's a few pictures, anyway!

It's sorta hard to see, but that shadow on my nose and under my eye is
actually my first black eye!

I was pretty proud that I got a "shiner!" Mommy and Daddy said that I'm
so adventurous and active, it probably won't be my last!

I don't actually drink Dr. Pepper, but I love stealing Daddy's and playing
with the bottle :)

I've also been learning how to move around a little better, and I even figured out how to climb the stairs! It makes Mommy really nervous, so she or Daddy usually follows me pretty closely.

Here I am, climbing up our stairs from the living room - I can climb up
all four flights of stairs to my bedroom! That is, if I don't stop on the
second floor to play Daddy's drums :)

This is just me and Daddy goofing around - I have so much fun when he
squishes me with pillows!

I gotta go take my after-dinner walk around the neighborhood now, then it's bathtime! Sweet dreams!

Rub-a-Dub Dub!

2009-07-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Guess what, readers - I got to take a bath in a big boy tub for the first time last night! Mommy and Daddy set me up with this really cool bathroom, and I even have an Elmo on the tub faucet! I really liked it - so much so that Mommy and Daddy felt compelled to take pictures... so enjoy!

Sometimes I don't understand why Mommy and Daddy feel the need to
commemorate certain things on film....

I felt like a grown-up in the big tub!

The bumper in my tub has all kinds of letters and shapes on it - it figures
that Mommy and Daddy have to get an educational accessory for something
as fun as bath time!

One of my favorite parts of bath time is the bubbles!

Until next time... happy bathing!

On the Road Again... for the First Time!

2009-06-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hi, All! I've been very busy lately, and had an especially exciting weekend! It was my first road trip, which I think means that you get in the car and drive for a looooong time, and I got to meet my friend, Zoey! I had seen pictures of her, and her parents, Ms. Trisha and Mr. John, but I finally got to spend some time with them at their house in Ohio and play for the weekend. I had a lot of fun, especially playtime with Zoey and chasing their two cats around the house :)

I was hoping to put more pictures up, but it turns out that Mommy and Daddy actually took more video than pictures, and they still haven't gotten the right stuff to post the videos online yet. But, as soon as they are able to do it, I'll put some footage of the weekend up here. Until then, here are a couple of pictures....

Isn't Zoey pretty? She tried to teach me to say some words, like "Vroom!"
and "Moo!" I'm still practicing... :)

Zoey and I were also practicing sticking our tongues out - Daddy got
her on camera while I read one of her books.

I liked reading some of Zoey's books together - she even had a copy of
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" that Ms. Trisha read to us!

I got to take some of my toys along on the trip, including one of my
favorites - my toy dumptruck driver!

Zoey also has a "crazy face" she does when she's really happy (and on
command, which is really funny!) She's so much fun to hang out with -
I hope I get to visit her again soon!

I also had a recent visit from my great-grandparents, Mom-Mom and Pappy! I like spending time with them, and they loved watching my new trick - walking while I hold on to a grown-up's fingers :)

I always have fun when Mom-Mom and Pappy come to visit!

Well, I should go practice walking some more - I'd like to be able to walk on my own by the time my birthday rolls around in August... until next time!

Happy Days...

2009-06-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Not much has been happening lately - I've just been honing my crawling skills (I can make it all the way across the living room in about 6 seconds!), and practicing standing and stepping around furniture. But, Mommy and Daddy have been taking lots of pictures lately, and wanted me to share some, so even though I don't have much to say, I thought I'd post some of the latest pics :)

I really like crawling around the living room.

I like to practice standing and walking on
the coffee table - it's just the right height!

Daddy put this gate up at the bottom of the steps so
I don't hurt myself - I still like to shake it and make
noise! One day, I'll be able to go up the steps myself...
every time I do this, Daddy says, "Attica! Attica!"
Not sure what that means, but he thinks it's funny :)

I like to play with anything with wheels - I like to spin
them as fast as I can. This is Daddy's skateboard -
maybe one day I'll get to ride on it!

Daddy cracks me up sometimes! This is me, laughing
at him while he puts my jammies on me before bed :)

I have to say goodnight to the monkey family
on my wall before bedtime :)

Maybe by my next post, I'll get to talk about walking around by myself... but I don't want to get ahead of myself, so if there are any other pictures to share before then, I'll post them. Until next time!

Dr. Seuss says...

2009-05-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

So, I've pretty much loved books my whole life (all 9-and-a-half months of it), especially my Dr. Seuss board books. I recently became a fan of "The Tooth Book," because I have two teeth of my own now!! That's right - my two bottom teeth finally sprouted! Mommy sneaked some pictures while I was having fun in my jumper.

You can see my two bottom teeth in these pictures - they help me chew
on my Cheerios and other yummy things!

And as you can see, I love my Dr. Seuss books :)

Otherwise, I've been really busy pulling myself up on the furniture and practicing slowly side-stepping up and down the couch and coffee table. Mommy and Daddy say I'll be walking soon, and I can't wait! Then I can finally get to all that hard-to-reach stuff on top of tables. That stuff is much more interesting than my toys.

I had my latest 9-month check-up last week, and I'm 17 lbs, 9 oz! Mommy and Daddy say that their muscles are getting big from carrying me around because I'm getting bigger and heavier, so the way I figure it, it's really a win-win situation - they get a workout, and I get lots of attention and get to be carried around! Sometimes, though, I let them have short breaks while I play on the floor or in my pack-n-play. I gotta keep working on my crawling and walking muscles, after all!

Well, I need to go work up my dinner appetite - I see a water bottle on the coffee table that I'd like to knock over onto the floor and play with. Until next time!

Milestones!

2009-05-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

What a month! It's been a long time since my last post, but believe me, I've been really busy! Not only have I learned how to CRAWL (yes, you read that right), but I've also become an expert at eating Cheerios :) But I thought that since I'm turning 9 months old tomorrow, I should take a few minutes to fill you in and share some pictures...

I have the greatest rattles - they make all SORTS of noise!

Pardon my drool :)

I still really like playing in my jumper!

So, I crawled for the first time on April 30th. Mommy and Daddy kept trying to hold me on their laps, but I knew that if I could get on the floor and try to crawl again, I could do it. So I squirmed enough that Daddy let me down on the floor, and I did it! I crawled about halfway across the living room - Mommy grabbed the video camera and got some footage, but we haven't figured out how to post it. Sorry, folks - I'll make sure Mommy and Daddy get video up here soon! In the meantime, here are some pictures :)

Crawling is really hard work! I have to take a breather every now and then...

Also, I got to try Cheerios! They're pretty fun to eat, and they feel really good on my gums. I've been concentrating so much on crawling that I haven't had much time to devote to my teething endeavors. So, I'm still all gums... for now :)

Anyway, I should be getting to bed - using my muscles so much with all this crawling makes me really sleepy! Until next time!

The Joys of Teething...

2009-04-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I was officially 8 months old yesterday, and I suppose the only thing I have to say about that is that it HURTS! My teeth, or the things that are apparently supposed to "sprout" into teeth, hurt so badly that Mommy and Daddy had to break down and get me something to help with the pain. Luckily, Mommy's friend Miss Trisha (my online friend, Zoey's, mommy) recommended Hyland's teething tablets. They help me feel okay enough to get some sleep, thank goodness! And Mommy and Daddy let me try chewing on some frozen mango today, which felt pretty good. Usually all I can do is find the nearest thing that will fit in my mouth and CHOMP down - usually that's my own hand, but my blocks work pretty well, too.

I couldn't decide which color block was better to chew on... so I tried
all three!

As you can see, teething is NOT fun. It does NOT make me happy.

Anyway, things have been pretty busy around here otherwise. I got to spend some more time with my cousin, TJ - he's still too little to play with me yet, but Daddy says someday he'll grow big enough to come over and play. I can't wait! I'm also still practicing being up on my hands and knees, but it's really hard work, so my practice sessions are pretty short. Mommy and Daddy took some videos of my practice, just in case I get the hang of it - then they can get it on film and post it up here! So... stay tuned, because it won't be long!

Until then, here's hoping there's some sunshine to break up this rainy April!

Onward and Upward! Also, a Special Welcome!!

2009-03-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

So it's been a little while since I was last able to fill everyone in on what's been going on here. There's sooo much to tell. I guess I should just jump in with both feet and start. I was having a little trouble with my solid foods and I wasn't feeling too well as a result. Mom and Dad started feeding me more fruits (which you will never hear me complain about ;-). They also started giving me new bottles, filled with apple juice and pear juice. I can't get enough of that stuff, let me tell you! Mom went to the market and got me some squash so I could try something new since we are avoiding peas and other "binding" ( that just doesn't sound good at all ) foods. I really enjoyed the squash, so Mom got me more. I think I am starting to catch on to things here. I let Mom and Dad know I like something... they go get me more of it!!! I can live like this. Speaking of the good life, I got some sweet relief for my aching gums. Zwieback toast!! It's the first food I have eaten with my own hands! It's REALLY messy, but OH SO GOOOOD!!!! I also tried some celery but Mom and Dad just laughed at me. Apparently I was making some kind of "face", whatever that is? All I know is I wasn't about to keep chewin' on that. Something about it just didn't sit right with me. Maybe I'll give it another try later.

Mom had a friend from college visit, named Jeff. We all got to go to lunch at the Potomac Grill and met another friend from college named Liz. Everyone was really nice. I hope I get to see them again soon.

As for that special welcome that was previously mentioned... the highlight of the past couple of weeks has been the build up leading to the birth of my new cousin T.J. My Dad's brother's first baby boy. He was born on March 18th, weighed 7 pounds even, and measured 19 and a 1/4 inches long, same as me when I was born except for the weight. I haven't been able to meet him yet because of some rule the hospital has about "non-sibling" children under a certain age not being allowed back in the labor and delivery department. Something about germs or something. I don't know. Uncle Tarl, Aunt Rosemary and T.J. are all home now so we are planning a visit over to their house real soon. I can't wait!!! Mom and Dad already got to meet T.J., but I think they are pretty excited to see him again!

When we weren't running around getting new food and juice, or going to the hospital to see family, we have been having a blast rolling around on the bed and floor. I am starting to figure out I can use my arms and legs at the same time when I am belly down, but not for very long yet. I still get where I need to go. One way or another. When I get tired of rolling or working on my crawling posture, I like to fly around the house. Dad seems to like it too!. Sometimes I think he might be sillier than I am. Mom's always laughing at us, so I guess neither of us are doing too bad. Are we?

Jump Around, Jump Up, Jump Up and Get Down!

2009-03-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been a blur, sometimes pretty literally! I've spent much of my time lately jumping, bouncing, kicking, rolling, reaching, grasping, and even dancing (with Mommy and Daddy's help, of course), so time has sort of flown by. And I had my first visit to the eye doctor, which made the way I see things fuzzy for a couple of days, so I'm not sure if I really even know what happened for a while :)

I really love my jumper, now that my knees can bend when I touch the floor, because I can bounce for a long time and not get tired! I laugh all the time when I really get going, and most of the time Mommy and Daddy join in.

This is me, doing what Ronin's do best! :)

I can also tell that I'm growing up to be a big boy - you wanna know how? Because Mommy and Daddy let me try to drink from what they called a "sippy cup," and it looked sorta like what they drink out of... only it also kinda looked like what I drink out of. Anyway, Nana D was happy to help me out!

This is my cool green sippy cup - I'm not sure if I quite like drinking out
of it as much as I thought I would. At least I look cool...

I can also tell I'm getting big because my mouth hurts all the time! Mommy and Daddy say that I'm "teething," and I get the impression that "teething" is only something very grown-up kinds of babies do from everyone else's reaction to learning that I'm doing it. It gets better when they let me chew on this little blue ring from the freezer, though, so it's not all bad all the time.

I also got to try a new food - prunes! They're very different from everything else I've tried, all dark and sweet. So, for those who are keeping track, I've had rice cereal, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, and now, prunes. Mommy says I get to try things called "peaches" and "squash" soon, which must be good because she and Daddy get pretty happy talking about it.

Prunes are pretty good, and they leave really cool stains on everything, too!

Another interesting day was the day that Mommy and Daddy took me to the eye doctor. They said that my eyes dilate differently - I don't really know what that means, but all I know is that I see everything pretty well for me! Anyway, the doctor was nice and all, but she kept turning all the lights off and shining a really bright light at me, which was really strange. And then she put drops in my eyes, and that was really awful! After a minute it was okay, but then everything got really fuzzy, and she started shining that light in my eyes again! I was glad when the whole ordeal was over, and she told Mommy and Daddy that my eyes are okay, they just maybe formed a little differently before I was born. Unfortunately, I have to go back to that place in a few months - I hope I don't have to get those drops again, or deal with that bright light!

Anyway, I gotta go practice my rolling - apparently they say it'll help me "crawl," which I overheard will let me finally get to go where I want to go myself! Until next time!

Happy (Belated) Half-Birthday to Me!

2009-02-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

Well, ladies and gentleman, drumroll please.... I'm a whole Half-Year old now! Yesterday marked 6 months since I was born! I wanted to post something yesterday but I was partying a little too hard and lost track of time :) Here I am, sleeping it off...

Mommy and Daddy also explained that yesterday was Valentine's Day. In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd post some pictures to see if I can get any dates, since that's how Mommy and Daddy met.

Hi! I'm Ronin. I like fine dining...

I like to laugh...

...and I like surprises and learning new things! Like here, when I found out
that I'll need to get girls flowers and stuff on Valentine's Day when I get older!

A Messy, Busy Week...

2009-02-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Daddy said I only have a few minutes to write my post tonight, since it's already past my bath time, but I wanted to pop a couple of pictures up so that everyone can see what a messy week it's been. We've been really busy this week, and the normal schedule hasn't been so normal. But I've been pretty happy all week since the Steelers won the Super Bowl!

I've also been happy because Mommy and Daddy have been letting me have solid food every day. I got to try sweet potatoes this week, which are pretty good, but much thicker than the other food I've had. Daddy even let me try a little banana - Daddy has to make it for me since Mommy gets nauseous around bananas, but I thought they were pretty good!

This is me, enjoying my peas. I like pears better, but Mommy and Daddy
say I need my vegetables, too. At least they're a really cool green color, as
you can see!

I like eating solid food - it makes me feel like a grown-up!

I've also been working out my legs during my tummy time, and I think I'm figuring out how to put my knees up and push myself off the floor. Mommy and Daddy keep saying that I'll be crawling soon, but I'm not sure what that is, so I'll just keep trying to push along on my knees until I figure it out :)

I recently figured out how to get my socks off, thank goodness - one of my
favorite things is being barefoot. Apparently, I even take them off in my sleep....

Well, it's time for my bath now - bath time is so much fun so I don't want to miss it! Until next time!

Comfy, cozy fun!

2009-01-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

I've been having lots of fun this week! It's been so cold outside that Mommy and Daddy and I have tried to stay inside as much as possible, and when you're cooped up in the house, Mommy says you have to find your own fun. I had fun this week playing with my jumper, and playing peek-a-boo with Mommy and Daddy.

I was goofing around while Daddy was doing laundry... it still cracks
me up when I think about how fun that basket was!

This is me, playing peek-a-boo with Mommy in some blankets.

I also have to say that pears are yummy! They're much different than the peas that I had before - they were okay, but these pears are so delicious that I try to gobble up every bite! I must say, I really like this "solid food" that Mommy and Daddy keep talking about. I can't wait to see what's next!

I love kicking my feet and bouncing around in my jumper - my feet can
even reach the floor now!

I also discovered that my crib is pretty comfy to sleep in. It's sorta nice having my own room, and my own bed. I like to stretch a lot when I sleep... what can I say? I'm growing! According to the doctor, I'm over 14 lbs. now! Anyway, that bassinet didn't give me enough room to really sprawl out. My favorite place to sleep is still with Mommy and Daddy, but it's nice to know that I have my own space if I want it!

Well, I gotta go catch some more zzz's - I want to try to top 15 lbs. by the Super Bowl :)

Episode IV: "A New Hope"

2009-01-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Although I usually wake up in a pretty good mood, I was especially happy when I woke up this morning. Not only am I becoming a pro at eating pureed peas, and not only are the Steelers on their way to the Super Bowl (yay!), but I got to watch Barack Obama become the 44th President of the United States. I slept through some of the ceremony (what can I say? inauguration ceremonies are not the most exciting events for a 5-month-old to watch!), but I got to watch all the people gather together and cheer for him, and I watched all the musicians play and sing. Mommy and Daddy are pretty happy, and hoping that he can make a difference in healthcare and education so that I can grow up big and strong, and have every possible opportunity to be whatever I want to be.

This is me shortly after I woke up this morning - Mommy and Daddy call me
a "morning person"... and wonder where I get it from!

Speaking of growing up big and strong, Mommy and Daddy made me pureed peas this week, so that's been part of my dinner for the past couple of days. It was a little strange eating bright green food, but after a few bites, I decided I really liked it! I heard Mommy and Daddy say that if I do well eating peas, then maybe I can try something called "pears" soon... I don't know what that is, but I'm excited to try it!

Mommy also explained to me that since the Steelers won their last game, that made them one of the teams that will play in the Super Bowl, which sounds like the most fun football game to watch! I'll have to make sure she washes my Steelers outfits so that I'm ready. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks - until next time!

This is one of the outfits I'll be wearing on Super Bowl Sunday... go Steelers!

Resolution, Shmesolution...

2009-01-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

How can I make a resolution for the New Year when I haven't even been here for a year yet? So, this has been a time full of new discoveries for me. Since I'm told that a picture says a thousand words, I'll post some pics of the last couple of weeks, and it'll be like I wrote a novel... not bad for only being 2 weeks into 2009!

I thought it was pretty funny when Mommy and Daddy just
started making noises that sounded like... um, well... you'll just
have to watch and listen to the video...

This is me, relaxing in Mommy's favorite bib!

Aren't feet just fascinating? I like to spend my time grabbing them and
practicing my version of Baby Yoga!

These are just some pictures after my bath - Daddy gave me a rockin'
faux-hawk! I thought the occasion deserved some quality drool.

Yeah, I know... what can I say? I'm adorable!

I like how Daddy made it look like I have a spout coming
out of my head in this picture!

This is me, discovering REALLY cold weather for the first time... what was
that Dad? It's always warm in California? Hmmm....

Until next time, stay warm!

T'was a month before Christmas...

2008-12-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

... since my last post, all manner of critters were stirring but Hurley the most. Sorry, it's the holidays and I just couldn't help myself. So much has happened since my last post. I tried rice cereal for the first time, I had another doctor's appointment (ugh, and more shots), and I've really been practicing my tummy time routine... oh yeah, and of course, I had my first Christmas!

I'll start with the rice cereal. Mommy and Daddy decided that I was old enough to try it, since I turned 4 months old on the 14th. I don't know what they were so excited about - it was so strange! It was so different, and trying to eat off a spoon was a completely new experience. I'm not sure I'm quite ready for any of that yet... although I hear pureed carrots are pretty good, so maybe I'll give those a try sometime.

This is me, not enjoying my rice cereal!

My doctor's appointment went as well as can be expected. Especially since it ended with a needle in each thigh. I handled the first like a champ, or so I'm told. The second on the other hand was a different story. The nurse said the second was "thicker" and we aren't sure if she meant the vaccine itself or the needle being used to inject it into me. All I know is I didn't like it, not even a little bit. Mom and Dad have gotten pretty good at calming me down though. Do you know how fun it feels to have a Kleenex lightly brushed across your cheeks? I do!!! The doctor told us that I am growing just fine. I have doubled my birth weight (now fighting in the 13.2lb. weight class). He also said that my head was in the 50th percentile for growth, while my body was in the 15th. Mom and Dad say I have a big brain. I guess that's a good thing?

Christmas was a blast! I got to have my very first Christmas morning with my Mom and Dad, and Hurley and Puff, at home. We opened some presents and Dad read me a touch and feel Petting Farm book. Mom cried while recording video of story time. Probably something she should get used to as I have no plans of getting any less cute. After Mommy "put herself back together" she helped me open a present from my Great Aunt Michelle. It was the funniest little round cow that vibrated and played music when you touched it's nose. That was just the beginning of the noisy toys though.

Me and my Daddy, reading a story Christmas morning.

Me and my Mommy, opening presents! I think Hurley was a little jealous :)

Later we went to my Nana D and Pappy's house where I slept through almost the whole visit. Mom and Dad opened my presents for me, which I am really thankful for. I got some cool new cloths, stuffed animals, toys and a whole set of Dr. Suess books. Mom and Dad got really exited about those, so I guess I can't wait til they read them to me. After that we went to my Great Aunt Doris and Great Uncle Wayne's house. I got to see my cousins Brynn and Kieran, opened some more presents (to include some really cool clothes and toys, not to mention a giant panda that's at least twice as big as me), and took a nap in my Nana's arms. Mom and Dad had some dinner, and then I was feeling left out so Dad let me have a bottle that Mom brought for me. A little while later we went home to feed the crazy (previously mentioned) dog, and swap our opened presents for some wrapped ones we still had to give away. Then we went to my Aunt Beth's house. There I got to see my other cousin Ava. More presents too!!! I don't know what to do with all the swag I got. I guess I have lots of time to figure it out though. I got a GlowWorm, a basketball hoop that boosts my self confidence by cheering at me, and a really cute elephant. Lots of people wanted to hold me so I didn't sit still for very long. After a few hours Mom and Dad were joining me in my rendition of The Twelve Yawns of Christmas, so we decided to head back home. Once we got everything out of the car and into the house, we changed into some PJs and settled in for the night. It was a big day!

All the excitement of Christmas wore me out!

The next day I slept, and then I slept and then I slept some more. Oh yeah, I had a few breaks in there for eating and messing my diaper of course. Mom and Dad stayed in their PJs all day too. It was so nice to just vegetate at home for a whole day. That's what the holidays are for, right?
On Sunday Mom dressed me in my new Steelers onesie (finally!!! whew!) only to find out that we couldn't watch the Steelers game. No harm, no foul though. Turns out the Steelers stomped the Browns 31-0! Could it be the power of that onesie? I'm not saying it is, but can you prove it's not? All I know is I have a feeling I am going to be spending quite a few of the upcoming Sundays wearling Steeler black and gold. Especially since the Redskins sort of poo'ed the diaper with their season.

I'm off to take another nap. What can I say, I want to be well rested for all these new toys I have to play with. That and I guess Mom and Dad could use the time to get themselves some dinner. Good night to all and to all a good... oh you know the rest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! Well, this has been an exciting week! I got to celebrate my first Thanksgiving... I'm not really sure what that is, but I do know that I got to spend a lot of time with my family, and that everyone was eating a lot of food. Mommy and Daddy said they were the most thankful this year for me, and if I had to pick something, I think I would say that I'm most thankful for Mommy and Daddy, too :)

This is how Thanksgiving started - which was before the tryptophan!

I woke up in time to go to my great-aunt and great-uncle's house.
I got another short nap while I was there, though!

First, I went to my great-aunt Doris and great-uncle Wayne's house for dinner. I got to meet my cousins, Brynn and Kieran, and my great-aunt Jeannie and great-uncle Ronnie. Meeting and hanging out with all those people made me tired, so I took a little nap in my travel swing while Mommy and Daddy talked to everyone. My Nana D played with me when I woke up while Mommy and Daddy ate a bunch of turkey and mashed potatoes.

I also traveled to my Aunt Beth's house for dessert, and I got to spend time with her, my Nana K, and my great-grandfather, who we call "Oupa." He came to visit all the way from South Africa, so it was nice to spend some time with him. I hope I can go visit him sometime - maybe my Mommy and Daddy will take me to see him and my other family in South Africa soon!

This is me with my Daddy, Nana K, and Oupa - Daddy made sure I was
wearing his favorite bib for dinner! :)

Apparently, Thanksgiving is what Mommy and Daddy call a "holiday," so they got to stay home on Friday and spend some time with me. We played and relaxed, and I took a lot of naps because I was so tired from all the excitement of Thanksgiving! Then on Saturday, we all went to my great-aunt Michelle's to have dinner so we could spend more time with Oupa before he had to fly back home. I stared at him a lot because I knew it would be a while until I would see him again.

Mommy and Daddy and I relaxed after we got home, and have pretty much been relaxing today, aside from a trip to get groceries. Mommy and I have been sneezing a lot lately, so I'm glad we're home today!

Well, I should probably go - halftime just ended, and the Redskins are playing the Giants, who Daddy says are pretty good. Until next time!

Growing Pains... Aches... Coughs... Sneezes...

2008-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted anything for a little while, but you'll have to forgive me. I have been busy fighting off my first cold. Please, hold the applause... It all started with Daddy not feeling very well, and coughing really loud. It even scared me out of my sleep a couple of times. I'm getting used to the noises though. After a while of Dad not feeling well, me and Mommy started coughing and sneezing. I guess that went on for about a week or so. I know I got to spend two whole days at home with Daddy because he had time off. Then I got to spend another weekday at home with my Mommy because my coughing was pretty bad and Daddy and Mommy didnt' think it would be a good idea for me to leave the house. All I know is I got lots of cuddling, hugs and kisses. We are all starting to feel better, and Mommy and Daddy keep talking about how strong my immune system (whatever that is?) must be.

This is me not feeling very well. I'm still as cute as it gets though.

Even though none of us were feeling well, we still found the energy to smile and laugh and have some fun. In fact, Mommy and Daddy kept talking about how happy they were that I was in as good a mood as I have been. What can I say, I like to smile. Since I was in such a good mood, Mommy and Daddy took me to meet my Oupa (that's Afrikaans for Grandfather, even though he's my Daddy's Oupa, I don't know the Afrikaans word for Great Grandfather yet). We got some pictures of what Daddy was saying was four generations. So I am pretty sure we are going to post those soon. And speaking of Grand parents, my Nana D stopped by for a visit today. I thanked her by spitting up on a nice Sunday jacket that she had on. All jokes aside, I was just happy to see her and my Pap again. I missed them!

You're looking at the business end, but this is actually a really cute frog
that I have grown quite fond of. Don't believe me? Try to pry it from my Kung Fu grip!

So apparently I also like to grow as I can't fit into any of my "newborn" clothes anymore. I can't even fit into my 0-3mo. sleep sacks. Mommy and Daddy went out and bought me new jammies today, so don't worry about me. I still sleep like a baby.

Mommy and Daddy keep showing me pictures of this really cute little girl named Zoey. My favorite is the one with the "Pebbles" do. I am really looking forward to meeting her and her Mommy and Daddy.

Well I am getting kinda hungry, and my little fingers are getting kinda tired. So I am going to wrap this up here. I hope everyone that reads this is doing well. I will do what I can, between naps, messy diapers, and growing too big for my clothes, to get another post up soon. Til then...

A momentous week...

2008-11-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure about waking up so early these days... but at least I get to sleep in the car!

This week was pretty exciting, for me and for Mommy and Daddy. Mommy had to go back to work this week, so I got to spend my days with my Aunt Michelle. We had lots of fun playing, and we even took a walk yesterday since it was so nice outside. I love spending time on her porch swing! Mommy said she missed me a lot, but that it's nice to know I'm being taken care of so well :)

When I woke up Mommy at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday morning for my middle-of-the-night snack, she wasn't watching the usual relaxing music channel - she turned on another channel to watch somebody named Barack Obama talk for a few minutes. She was so happy and smiling listening to him, and told me that I had been born at a very important time in history, because our country had just elected its first African American President. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about how hopeful they are for my future, which made me really happy. They tell me all the time that I can do anything I want to do, and be anything I want to be... hmmm... maybe I'll run for President someday!

On a different note, Daddy's been coughing and sneezing all week, and now Mommy is, too. They don't seem to like it very much, so I hope they feel better soon (and that I don't start coughing or sneezing)! But I am pretty tired (I still haven't quite adjusted to my new wake-up time of 5:30 in the morning), so I'm going to go take a nap now. Until next time!

Home schooling...

2008-10-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, have I learned a lot in the past couple of weeks! Daddy taught me how to make coffee, and Mommy taught me how to make spaghetti last week. Mommy and I are baking a pie together right now, so I don't have much time to post the details of my latest goings-on. I'll keep it brief :)

I had my first shower last week - I have decided, however, not to post the pictures that Mommy insisted on taking. She finally let me have some modesty! Daddy and Mommy took me to the doctor's office again on Friday - it seems like I'm going there an awful lot, but they insist it's normal. The doctor said that I'm 10 lbs 7 oz now, and 22 1/2 inches long - she said I'm in the 10th percentile, so I'm "petite," but that I'm growing just right! She also said my head measured in the 25th percentile, so Mommy and Daddy think I have a big brain already, hehehe :) I don't understand why I have to get shots every time I go, though - the latest round of shots made me really sleepy for a couple of days. As you can see, I was so sleepy that I even slept right through the errands that we ran the next day!

I also watched football this weekend, of course - I was happy that the Redskins won again, but Mommy's Steelers lost a hard-fought battle with a team called the Giants. I was pretty confused, because they didn't LOOK giant, but then again, I'm pretty small, so everything looks big to me!

Well, I'd better go help Mommy with the pie... I can't wait to help Mommy cook things that I can actually eat! See you again soon!

Searching for a costume

2008-10-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

So I'm snoozing in my bassinet yesterday morning, minding my own business, and I hear Mommy and Daddy say that we're going out to look for a Halloween costume for me. No problem, I think to myself - this could be fun. Then they dress me in the little get-up you see in the picture below... say it with me... "This isn't my Halloween costume??" I thought I could go trick-or-treating as a bug collector!! My Mommy kept saying how cute I looked in plaid, though, so I guess I'm okay with that.

So we went shopping to a couple of places - the first store didn't have a great selection of costumes that were small enough for me, so I showed my disgust by spitting up all over my Baby Bjorn. The second store had a cool monkey costume, but whoever thought a "0-9 months" size designation made sense for those of us who are under 15 lbs. is crazy! We didn't spend much time there, either, since Daddy had to carry me around the store in the car seat, so we went back home. Luckily, Daddy got online and found a really cool costume for me, so trick-or-treating should be pretty fun! Too bad I don't have any teeth to eat Halloween candy with.... I'll be sure to post a picture of my costume in a couple of weeks!

Time flies!

2008-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Wow, time really does fly when you're so busy eating and napping! Haha! Seriously, I have had a very busy week or so since my last post. Mom and I have been running errands a lot lately - I think she wants to get me used to traveling and going different places. I've been pretty tolerant of all the coming and going, but it was a little much when she wanted to spend an hour at Target the other day - I mean, c'mon, I am a boy after all. We just don't like "girl shopping!" I think I heard her say that she is taking me shopping again tomorrow with her and Nana D... I hope she was kidding.

On a high note, the Redskins pulled out another win this week. I love watching the games with Daddy and Mommy - I even got to wear some official team gear this past Sunday! Go 'Skins!

Daddy and me - Redskins fans for life!

Mom and I hung out at home yesterday, which was a nice rest for me. I got to spend some time kicking those funny plastic animals in my bouncer - all the music and lights really crack me up! Mom's friend in Ohio, Ms. Trisha, sent me some really comfy clothes that I've enjoyed wearing this week - my favorites are the onesies that she tye-dyed herself! :)

Having a fun time in my bouncer, feeling groovy :)

Well, apparently I need to go get a bath - Mommy and Daddy keep saying I'm stinky. Until next time!

Go 'Skins!!

2008-09-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show everyone how happy I am that the Redskins beat the dreaded Dallas Cowboys this weekend! I'm also excited to watch some of the Steelers game with Mom and Dad tonight (during the commercial breaks of "Heroes," of course!)

Go 'Skins and Steelers!!

What a week!

2008-09-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

I was really busy this week, but I'm finally taking a few minutes from my weekend napping to update everyone.

I got to visit my Nana D and Pap for dinner last Saturday, which was my first trip out in the car, other than my doctor's appointments. For some reason, all that traveling worked up my appetite, and all I wanted to do at Nana D and Pap's house was eat! Of course, that took all my energy, and I had to take a nap with Nana D.

(Top): This is me and my Pap - he's making sure I get my dinner!
(Bottom): My Nana D is great at letting me get my beauty sleep :)

Mom and Dad gave me another bath this week - I think I'm starting to get used to the whole weird experience, but I'm still definitely more comfortable in my nice warm robe than sitting in a tub of water.

(Top): I really hope this picture doesn't come back to haunt me....
(Bottom): This is me, wondering why Mom and Dad insist on bringing
the camera for my bath time!

Then Mom took me to see Mom-Mom and Pappy, my great grand-parents, and their dog, Jewel. I wanted to eat as soon as we got there, and I got fussy with Mom for not understanding that napping in the car makes me really hungry, but Mom-Mom held me and calmed me down so I could eat in peace :)

Me and my Mom-Mom

Like I said, it was a really busy week, and I'm exhausted, so I'm going to get back to napping on Daddy's chest now. 'Til next time!

This is Daddy, teaching me the finer points of the Playstation 3...

My Not-So-Secret Identity

2008-09-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

I have to say this has been a pretty decent week. The weather has been beautiful, and Mommy's taken full advantage of it by taking me and our crazy dog, Hurley, out for walks around the neighborhood almost every day. At first I was a little mad because the sun was awfully bright, but once I felt the soothing rumble of the sidewalk under the tires of my stroller, I fell right to sleep! I think Hurley had fun, too, sniffing the ground and barking at the other dogs in the neighborhood. One day, a butterfly flew around the stroller and decided to hitch a ride with us!

This is me just lounging in one of my favorite things - my bouncer!

I think I'm having what I hear my Mom and Dad say is something called a "growth spurt," which apparently means that I'm always hungry. I have been hungry a lot, and sometimes I eat so fast that I spit it all back up, which makes me cranky and even hungrier! Mom has to do a lot of laundry when that happens, because she has to change my clothes at least twice a day. That's okay, though, because I have a lot of cool outfits that my family and Mom and Dad's friends gave me before I was even born!

This is one of Mommy's favorite outfits, because she likes to call me
her "Stinky Boy."

Yesterday was a fun day, because I got to stroll around the neighborhood again and then Mommy played a rousing game of "I'm-gonna-eat-your-fingers" (she just pretends she's going to eat my fingers because I'm always flailing them about and punching her and Dad in the mouth). Then when Dad came home, we played our favorite game - "Bounce Ronin"! It's a lot of fun, but most of the time it wears me out and I fall asleep before the game is over :)

I'm Captain Adorable - Ronin's just my secret identity! Just kidding.
This is when I fell asleep last night after Daddy was bouncing me. Daddy
didn't even get a chance to put me down!

Today's shaping up to be pretty eventful - I'm already on my second outfit (which tells you the morning we've had so far), and later today my Nana K is coming over to visit me! I can't wait!

My first bath!

2008-09-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

After my dinner this evening, I got to try out my Rainforest bath! Mom and Dad filled it with nice warm water and some other stuff that bubbled and smelled good. I didn't like it too much, though, because even though the water was warm, I'm still too little to be completely under the water, so I was cold... and I HATE being cold!

See, I told you I don't like being cold!

Once I was clean, Mom and Dad wrapped me up in my favorite soft towel, and I was more comfortable.

Comfy and cozy in my towel

Mom and Dad also rubbed some lotion that smelled good on me, and dressed me in the new sleep sack that my Nana D gave me, and I was so warm and cozy that I fell right to sleep :)

Me and my Nana D

A Blog First!!!

2008-09-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well my Mom and Dad started a blog site for me today. I would have done it myself but my fingers are too small to use the keyboard and I'm not too good with letters yet. With most of my time spent sleeping, eating, and trying to figure out what all this stuff I'm looking at is, I'm glad Mom and Dad were willing to help me out on this one.

Anyway, I was born one month ago today. It's been a pretty exciting month. So exciting that I am often overwhelmed and have to simply take a nap. When I am awake though, I am finding my voice (not to mention the volume knob on it) and practicing for my future as a burping contest champion. Which reminds me, I absolutely love eating; this liquid diet thing really makes things easy on those of us that are dentally challenged. I think I might even be faster at eating than the crazy dog that runs around my house.

This is me a couple days after I was born in the nursery at the hospital.
Sleeping of course.

As far as my health goes, I have been to see the docto's a couple of times and they tell my Mom and Dad that everything is looking just fine. My umbilical cord finally came off a little over a week ago and now I have a cute little belly button (or so Mom and Dad keep saying). I am gaining weight quickly and already had my first "growth spurt". Don't ask me what a "spurt" is though. I am only a month old after all.

Mom and Dad keep taking all kinds of pictures of me. I think they said they were going to put some on this blog for me, so you all can see just how cute I really am. Keep checking back too because we have big plans for this blog. More news and pictures, and maybe even a new look for the page as a whole.

This is the mural that Mom and Dad painted for me in my nursery.
Let me tell you, I find myself getting lost looking at the walls.

This is the most recent picture of me.
I am guessing it was taken during yet another of my many naps.

Well, trying to dictate this without knowing how to speak yet has really taken it's toll. I think I need another nap. While it's off to la-la land for me, I hope you have enjoyed reading my first blog post and seeing my cute mug in the pictures. Til next time...