Monday, June 28, 2010

The simple things in life...

Nothing more exciting than watching your own limbs create a splash...



And Nana & Papa had no idea how much we'd appreciate the open floor plan of their kitchen to allow for nightly laps around the house...


And God Bless the creator of one of Connor's most simplest toys....we pray we never lose 'Dora'


Mommy-Son date!

This past weekend was the first time in a while I had a one-on-one date with Connor. Mommy woke up well rested after Connor decided to sleep in, so we were full of energy & ready to take on our fun-filled day! Our first stop was Chuck E Cheese! Unfortunately, I was rather busy running with Connor through the aisles of video games to get any good photos. I will be prepared next trip with the camera, because I am determined to get a picture of Connor's precious face as he stares up at the Chuck E Cheese dancing/singing mascot! Connor like him, but isn't too sure of him at the same time! He loved to just stand & watch 'Mr. Cheese' boogie down, but made sure I was holding him. I loved it, since its rare for Connor to want me to hold him these days!

After leaving our first destination, we headed over to Chick-fil-a for lunch & inside **air conditioned** playtime! With the weather being a good 100 degrees outside and a good chance of rain, we were rather limited on where to go to get out of the house. Connor loves-him-some Chick-fil-a!
I was on a one-on-one lunch date with Connor, but Connor was on a one-on-one date with 'Dora'. She never left his right hand ALL day!


After devouring his lunch, we were off to the play area. It took Connor quite a while to become interested in climbing the steps and now...he's quite the monkey! I'm waiting for the day that I have to go up & rescue him from the top!


My little patriotic munchkin can easily spot an American flag from a mile away! It's seriously adorable to watch him stand there in awe over it blowing in the wind. I will definitely get some good shots of Connor on the 4th of July this year with his flag :)


This is the face I get when I turn on the car, set the music to Lady Antebellum's "Looking for a Good time", and start dancing! Connor just grins from ear-to-ear and gets a kick out of Mommy's dancing skills...as I'm sure every other person in the parking lot is as well!


After a little downtime at home, Connor was ready for his date night with Mom & his favorite partners-in-crime, Kaylee & Austin! After a wonderful supper, we were treated to ice cream as well. We had a blast! Connor was wore out from a busy day, but perked up quite a bit after some sugar!

As promised...

Don't blink or you may miss the video! You can ALWAYS depend on a child to not do what you want them to do when you have the camera all ready to capture the moment! Even though it's short, I was able to capture his adorable voice! Turn up your volume & listen for our best footage of "duck."

*And yes...I am very proud that my child is using a word! I will more than likely video every single word he starts to say in the months to come & by that time, I'll be ready for him to stop talking already!! Enjoy the clip :)

Friday, June 25, 2010

Duck!

Last night was a milestone night! Let's rewind to Tuesday, first. Tuesday morning I had a woman from Early Steps come to the house to evaluate Connor's development and communication skills. His pediatrician recommended an evaluation just to be on the safe side since Connor isn't forming words, aside from the occasional "Mama" and "Quack". He babbles all the time and sometimes we swear he says "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey," but I never know if he really is saying that or it just sounds like it. The woman evaluated him & said he was still pretty young & to maybe do another eval in a few months if he doesn't progress. She reassured me that boys are more mobile and less verbal compared to girls at his age. Ever since, Nana & I have been working in full force to get him to communicate better. That brings us to last night...

Nana came over just shy of Connor's bedtime. He ADORES his Nana, so automatically got a spurt of energy & ran around the living room in excitement. After circling the living room a dozen times, he took a pit stop to grab his animal-noise-making-cow that his Auntie Nicole/Uncle Craig got him. He brought it over to the sofa & started pressing the duck button...over and over and over and over.


He pressed it & would giggle & say "DUCK!"


Over and over and over!!


Nana & I just kept staring at him in disbelief! He was talking!!!! Without a doubt, he was saying an actual word in the right context! He would giggle in excitement & pride....then Nana & I would giggle in excitement & pride! :) I plan to video tape him the next time he's in action to share! Yay for Connor!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

One giant post!

Lots to blog...little time to do it! Here we go...

Topic #1: Southern Starz Gym

Last Friday, Connor had a B-L-A-S-T during the toddler open gym hour. There is nothing better than one giant room full of padded walls/floors and oodles to climb on. Connor easily wore himself out after all the excitement!
Balance beam...


Mat climbing...


Bopping on the trampoline...


Taking a short break to rest...


and the giant foam pit...


Topic #2: The Chaser & the Chasee

Combine lots of running and some peek-a-boo fun & this child giggles with delight! If you run, Connor is sure to chase you! Connor started this fun fascination with his Papa & now he will do it with anyone that is willing!

Shrieks of laughter as he runs around the kitchen...


He is hilarious...


Boo!


Topic #3: Spoon!

Connor's been working on mastering the spoon for a little while, but I'm usually covered in sloshed-over apple sauce or some other substance that keeps me from being able to photograph the milestone! With lots of help from Nana while Mommy's at work, Connor is starting to look like a pro with a spoon. His left hand will sneak in every once in a while to splash around in his food, but most of the time, he is using his spoon (right-handed) and feeding himself like a big boy!
It takes a lot of focus...


But he shows so much pride when he's successful!


To reward the spoon success, Mommy treated Connor to some of G.G. Melveeta's cookies! Thanks G.G.!! They were yummy!


Topic #4: Hand-me-downs!

As Connor continues to grow at rapid speed, we have never been so grateful for the blessing of hand-me-downs. Whether its clothes, toys, books....you name it....we love it! We have been so fortunate to have such great family friends to donate to our collection since Connor was born. Connor wanted to model his newest edition--his jammies from his buddy, Austin. Thank you again!






And that about sums it up for now! :)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Grandparents = LOVE


Giant wet kisses for Papa!



Nana is already ready with goodies to share!



Excited, slappin' hands!


Gallopin' Gallopin' pony!

This little boy has got it made...
One lucky boy to have such a great set of grandparents
We love you, Nana & Papa!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Dear Papa...

Happy Happy Father's Day, Papa!
From your biggest fan,
Connor
(and Connor's Mom, of course)
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo






Monday, June 14, 2010

Party Time!

This past weekend was a blast! Connor's buddy, Austin, had his big 5th birthday party & we were lucky enough to join in on the festivities! Austin has such an amazing family & they put on the best birthday party! Fun activities to enjoy---kiddie pools, giant swing set, and the biggest bounce house/water slide you could imagine! The kids were busy for hours & it could not have been better for a hot Florida afternoon! Connor found himself yanking on anyone's hand that looked like they'd give in to taking him up on the big water slide! Matt's brother, Justin, was sweet enough to take Connor down the slide since he was already in his swimsuit. Connor spent most of the day trotting from the kiddie pool in the shade to the big bounce house slide to watch all the big kids. After tossing in some kiddie cups of ice cream & cake, Connor thought he had died & gone to Heaven! By the end of the party, I was exhausted (and Connor had not napped all day) so he should have been equally exhausted! Ha...Connor opted to NOT nap for more than 5 minutes on the car ride home, so Mom was pretty pooped-out at that point! I think Connor just had too much fun (or had too much sugar) :). We had such a great time! Enjoy the pics...and there are more to come, courtesy of Matt's dad's photography :). Enjoy!

A shot of the giant slide that was the hit of the party! Justin & little Miss Kaylee were trying it out!


Connor was enjoying the kiddie pool with all the adults trying to stay cool in the shade. Connor made sure to splash extra hard since the adults appeared to be too dry for his liking! :)


This is when Mr. Smarty Pants discovered the joys of folding down the side of the pool & watching the current of water pour out onto the ground. This went on for most of the party...


Connor made his way over to the big kiddie slide/pool, where he found some nice mud puddles to slosh around in. I kept having visions of when I would obsessively sanitize everything when Connor was a wee-little-boy.... and now I'm letting him prance around in the mud! I never thought I'd see the day....


He LOVED it!


Connor & Jordyn were enjoying the cake/ice cream break in the kiddie-size chairs. So cute!


After Connor kept wondering around the giant slide, we opted to have Justin take him down it to see what he'd think. His face looks somewhat unsure, but we're pretty sure he liked it!


My caged monkey...crawling around in the bounce house.


Candid kisses for my little guy after he was all dried off and we were ready to watch Austin open gifts. This was a rare shot where you did not find Connor standing in the kitchen under the counter where the bowl of cheese puffs were residing. Connor was not going to leave until that bowl of cheese puffs was gone...and all in HIS tummy!




On a side note: If you scroll back up and look at the photos, 7 of them consist of Connor grasping onto what Mommy likes to call his "Dora action figure". I have been saying for the longest time that Connor isn't attached to anything or have a 'lovey'. Well, this past week, Connor has proved me wrong. Out of nowhere...I mean...nowhere...Dora has become an extension to Connor's right hand. The silly little 'action figure' that was always stuck at the bottom of the diaper bag just in case he needed a toy, but never seemed to interest him when it was in his possession has become a toy that he carries ALL day and holds in his hand ALL night in his crib as well. He loves his Dora (and for the record--Dora is holding her map--that makes her slightly-less-feminine and a little more masculine right?!). Now I just have a fear of misplacing her...or better yet...Cooper finding a liking in her!

Thanks to the Sears family for having us join in on the family birthday festivities. We had a blast! :)

Connor's new favorite to-do's!

Connor loves that he has the ability to hoist himself up into his carseat all by himself. Connor will pull you out into the garage, pound on the car door until you open it, crawl in & pretend Mommy's car is a jungle gym, then hops into his carseat and chills out...as if it's his own little La-Z-Boy recliner!
Connor has had his ball pit for about a year, but was just recently taught how to launch all 200 plastic balls out of the pit (p.s. Thanks Matt). We enjoy playing 200-ball-pick-up on a daily basis now! Whatever keeps him happy... :)

What's causing all the excitement?!


This is the face of a child that could not be happier...


No one, not even exhaustion, was going to get in his way...


His loud shrieks & contagious giggles emphasized his determination...

................
To catch the vacuum!!!!!


While many were relaxing on the sofa watching the U.S. soccer game this past weekend, my living room was full of sweaty boys running in circles non stop! Even after the pure exhaustion & barrels of sweat, Connor still wanted more!

"Why do you look so tired?! More vacuum racing please!"

Monday, June 7, 2010

Birthday wishes...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday my dearest Matt...

Happy Birthday to you!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Growing boy!

I used to be on-the-ball with Connor's monthly updates & 'firsts', but it seems that once he became mobile & his 'firsts' were occurring almost everyday...I kinda ran out of time! As Connor is now 18 months old, here is a quick catch-me-up on what he's been up to lately!

~Connor does not have a normal lovey item like most kids (ex. stuffed animal, pacifier, blankie, etc). My child's newest lovey item is....bananas! Yep--when Connor wakes, when he gets fussy, when he's feeling blue--he'll walk you straight into the kitchen, stand under the bananas on the counter & whine until he gets one! It works wonders in the grocery store too! Our first stop is always the produce department--Connor will help pick out his weekly banana supply & sit content in the shopping cart for the entire grocery store outing just holding onto his beloved banana! I have to watch him closely though...as he likes to eat the banana...the entire banana...peel & all! He's my little monkey!

Here's a shot of Connor enjoying Mommy's new invention: the banana push-pop. I cut a banana in half, slightly peel & let Connor enjoy squishing his banana straight out of the banana peel.


~ Connor has enough toys for us to open our own Toys R Us. He usually has his select favorites & the others rarely get touched. I was thrilled to see Connor finally get use out of his fun turtle ride that he got from Nana & Papa last Christmas! He looks so grown up as he hops right on & starts bopping along on it.


~Connor has always enjoyed reading/flipping through books that have musical buttons. Just recently, Connor discovered his ability to push the buttons all by himself. Talk about one happy kid! He loves to stand at the coffee table, take his pudgy pointer finger & continuously push each musical button.






~Over the past few months, Connor has also learned how to climb on & off the couch. It still catchs me off guard when I poke my head out of the kitchen to find this little munchkin running back & forth on the sofa! Connor likes to hang his head over the side, run across the couch, or just stand & belly flop onto the couch. Rarely does he sit....unless Jeopardy is on! :)


~Here's Mr. Wise guy prancing around after he figured out how to rip off his britches! If you're wondering where he's headed....he loves to run into my bathroom to open & slam the shower door as hard as he possibly can. The harder he slams the shower door, the louder he chuckles!


~The picture below is one of Mommy's biggest accomplishments lately! I don't know how many times Connor would pull me out into the backyard to help him climb the ladder to his slide & have me push him down the slide on a daily basis. Just this past week, Connor has learned how to climb the ladder, do a little happy dance standing up, sit down at the slide, wait for Mommy to count "1,2,3 and GO!", then push himself down the slide all by himself! This gives Mommy a free hand to entertain the dog, clean up the patio, pull weeds, etc. Connor & I are much happier with his recent discovery! :) My little independent boy!


~My favorite thing that Connor has picked up on doing over the past few months is holding hands. He LOVES to walk up to you, grab your hand, and lead you to where he wants to go. It's so weird & neat (at the same time) to see how much of a little person Connor has become! My baby is growing up!

~I am determined to get a photo of what I witnessed yesterday. Nana came over last night, said hi to her little Connor, and asked for a kiss. Connor gave the sweetest little wet, slobbery kiss you will ever see. That moment just melt my heart!

~Connor's biggest passions include rocks, dirt, toy balls, climbing, water, and the vacuum cleaner.

~I was really good at documenting when Connor got a new tooth...up until he began to get 3-4 teeth at the same time! I believe Connor has 4 new molars and 4 'i' teeth still making their way through.

~Connor is wearing mostly 24 month size clothing, although his footie jammies are getting a little snug already. He wears size 7 shoes & size 4 diaper. He's still in the 90th percentile for his weight, height, and head size :). We encountered a (big) little boy at the pet store the other day that was Connor's age~ he was one of the first kids I have come across that fit into the tiny percentile of children that are bigger than Connor at his age!

So...thats about it for my updates. Connor continues to grow like a weed everyday! He's my little munchkin :)