Putting up Christmas

We have all of our Christmas decorations up.  You were very interested in the large lollypop outside in Winter Wonderland and were carrying that around yesterday for a little bit.  Adorable!  Last night you were looking out the windows and noticed the lights in the trees and bushes.  Tonight at dinner, you noticed the big tree lit up on the deck and seemed excited.  We brought you in the living room tonight to have you "help" us decorate the tree.  It was really so you would see what we were doing.  You were really interested in the lights and were upset when we made you put them down.  When we plugged a strand in that you were holding, it was cute to see you look at the little bulbs more intently and touch them.  And try to put them in your mouth.  We gave you a couple of ornaments to play with but when you got upset that you had to give them back, daddy decided that you would play better in your room.  I am sitting in the living room right now typing this up enjoying the pretty tree and finishing up a cup of cider.  We are excited to celebrate Christmas with you.  This coming up weekend, we are going to Calloway Gardens with Grandmere and Bill.  We can't wait for you to see the lights!

Love you buddy!

Thanksgiving 2014

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year by taking you to Napai (your dad's dad) and Beverly's house.  Nana, Dominique, Grandmere and Bill and your Aunt Lindsay were there.  Your dad smoked a turkey and I made green bean casserole.  I made a mac and cheese for your Aunt Angela and Uncle Dwaye and Alex as they were having their own family time at their house with Uncle Dwayne's mom coming over.  Your dad smoked a turkey for them the day before Thanksgiving which was nice of him.  He was happy to do that for them.  You were very interested in sticking close to me and your dad at the Sadosky house.  Lindsay had her dog Rocky there.  When he would bark, you would jump.  I think you were very interested in him, but wanted to be close to us that day.  Just seemed a little more clingy than most days.  We actually like that you want to be close to us, but you are normally happy to be around Grandmere and Nana.  After we had dinner, we talked for a bit and then headed over to see my Aunt Bernice and Uncle Rudy and my cousin Jeff and their mother, Emma.  They live about 15 minutes away and we haven't seen them in a while.  Uncle Rudy and Jeff finally got to meet you in person.  You did great over there.  You sat in Aunt Bernice's lap and played with a few toys at the table.  It was around 8 pm, so we decided you were probably in need of getting to sleep.  We stayed the night at Nana's house.  She had her pack and play set up, so you went to bed pretty soon after we got there.  You were great that day with only 1 nap that morning.

The day after Thanksgiving, Nana took us to breakfast at J. Christopers.  You were pretty good, but got a little restless towards the end.   We had a great meal and you did great at eating.  It's really cute watching you eat.  They were in the process of putting up a Christmas tree, so you were interested in looking at that.  It was very cute seeing you notice the 1 ornament on the tree and the star on top.

We came home right after that as you fell asleep in the car.  Daddy and Uncle Dwayne went to the gun range nearby and shot skeet.  I started decorating the yard with lights and Winter Wonderland and you had fun picking up sticks.  Jerry next door was cutting his grass, so you were interested in seeing that that looked like and walked over that way. Susan and Jerry Burgess next door are the sweetest people and adore you.  We are very lucky to have them as neighbors.  I think they have 7 grandkids, so they have lots of practice.

13 months and SANTA!!! (and Priscilla the Pig)

Yesterday was a big day!  You turned 13 months and you got to see Santa again this year and you got to go to Lenox Mall AND you got to meet Priscilla the pink pig.  We were most interested in you meeting Santa.  I think your Aunt Angela said a while back that this is the year that you will probably be scared of him….and you were.  If we could have guessed, me and your daddy and Grandmere would have thought you would have LOVED him.  You were really scared of him.  The girls behind the camera were shaking bells to get you to look at them to take our family photo.

Yesterday we were going to take you to get your hair cut, but we put you down for a nap instead. You never napped, so we decided that you would nap in the car.  I think you fell asleep about halfway to Atlanta.  You woke up happy.  We walked around Macy's for a little bit and smelled cologne and looked at things for Daddy for me to get ideas for Christmas. Daddy took me to the jewelry counter and asked what cross I like.  (He bought me one a couple of years ago however it fell behind the bathroom counter)  We need a long magnet to get it out.  I told Daddy I liked a round diamond necklace instead but that I don't really want that kind of expensive jewelry.  (I think he may have bought some earrings I picked out as he was at the counter with you after I bought him a new shirt)

After Macy's, we went to have some lunch in the food court.  You were parked next to a table with some pretty girls that you were looking at and interested in.  They thought you were really cute!
Grandmere got there right as we finished up, so we met her near the ice cream shop.  They shared their smoothie they got with you.  You really liked it.

Then it was off to meet Santa.  Because we had an appointment, we got to go right up in line.  As soon as you saw Santa, you got really upset and didn't want to be anywhere near him.  Grandmere tried to hold you and you got upset.  I was holding you at first.  Finally daddy held you and you just sat next to Santa in daddy's lap.  When Santa would talk to you, you got upset.  I could tell that you were just not used to the long white beard and white hair and bright red clothes.  We are going to try to see him again soon when we go to Calloway Gardens the first weekend of December.

After Santa, Grandmere put you on the floor to let you walk around.  You were so excited about that and walked/ran all around the hall of the mall.  I was nervous you were going to get stomped on.  When it as time to put you back in the stroller, you didn't want to go back.  You prefer to walk and be active.  It was really time for a nap, but you stayed awake and checked everything out.

Before we left to head to dinner, we bought tickets for the Pink Pig and took a ride on it.  Priscilla the pig was there sitting in a chair taking pictures with the kids.  You were interested in her, but not interested in sitting in her lap.  Maybe next year!  Daddy gave up his seat for me, so he didn't get it ride it.  He took video of us though which was very sweet.  You were really upset having to sit down in the seat, but once the little pig train started moving, you enjoyed looking at everything. The train took 2 loops around the same track.  The 2nd loop, you were reaching out to the lighted white Christmas trees.
Grandmere was sitting behind us, so she enjoyed watching you on the train.

After that, we headed to Maggianos for dinner. It's a neat Italian restaurant that Aunt Angela and Uncle Dwayne and Alex like to go to every year.  Alex had a swim meet yesterday, so they weren't able to join us.  Alex did really good at the meet and won first in 500.  He's a great swimmer!

We had a fun day yesterday getting ready to start preparing for Christmas.  It's so much fun having you hear to celebrate with and make memories special for you.  That's something we talk about all the time. It's your turn to be a child and have wonderful Christmas memories to have your lifetime.
I was telling daddy about a time when I was 8 years old in this neighborhood.  Our neighbors up on Kurt Lane had a Christmas Eve party and my sister and I were invited with all the adults and kids.  Santa came to visit at the end of the party and that was so much fun.  That was my most favorite Christmas memory.  Your daddy said he remembers being in Garden Hills as a child making cookies for Santa with his parents.  We want to make your Christmas special this year and every year!
Love you so much Sam!

Your getting smarter

The past few days you're really using your finger and pointing at things and making a little sound. Tonight I left your night light on and was out here on the couch and you were in there playing and just talking. I went in there and thought you might have a dirty diaper and you did. When I was changing your diaper you were laying there and beating your hands on your chest and laughing and it made me laugh out loud and then you laughed out loud louder. It was the cutest moment yet. Lately when we got home you want me to hold you all the time but I think you only do it with me because you know I will pick you up. Because it's getting closer to December I have been in the holiday spirit. I put these little sticky vinyl stickers on your window and when I took them off the other day you wanted to play with them and you had so much fun. So I bought some Christmas ones at target and put them on the window by your highchair. One of them is Santa so we are trying to teach you who Santa Claus is.  Daddy does a good "ho ho ho Merry Christmas". I think you're catching on to who Santa Claus is. Tonight during dinner I put a video on of Santa Claus. 

We can't wait for you to sit in his lap this year!  

Oh another thing you were doing tonight in your room is falling off the Ottoman and landing on the doggie pillow. You are definitely an active boy!

Something cute you have learned

You just picked up a piece of trash on the floor and I said that's trash and you went over to the trashcan and put it in there. Smartie pants!!

Milk milk milk

Last week you went off formula totally. Now you are only drinking milk. It's hormone free and organic. Yesterday we tried to sending your milk in sippy cups but Janet said you did not want to drink it. So we are going to send just one sippy cup and two bottles to transition you out of the bottle during the day. I'm sitting here watching television and there are holiday commercials starting to air. In just a couple weeks it's Thanksgiving and in six weeks it's Christmas. Macy's was featuring holiday clothes for babies and toddlers and I look at them and think that you aren't that much younger than these little toddlers. Our little boy is getting big. I love you buddy!!

Halloween 2014

You were a hit at Halloween. You were dressed up like a puppy and you look just like a big puppy stuffed animal. We went up to Heritage Hills Baptist Church where they have trunk or treat.  We ended up seeing our neighbors there look!  Before he went you were very very cranky as you hadn't slept much that day. Looking back it would've been better to take you to day care and keep you on the same schedule as normal. Nana watched that day while daddy and I went and did some work on my rental house in Tucker.  After trunk or treat we came back home and went and saw Jerry and Susan. They just loved seeing you and thought you were precious!  Seriously everybody at the church said how cute you were!  At daycare Mira Janet gave you all a pumpkin with your name on it which you got the day before. Tonight I was playing with it with you and taking out the candy and getting really excited and you ended up carrying around a Tootsie Roll. Finally broke in half in and you were playing with the chocolate.