Tripp at 2 Years Old

My little man is turning into a big boy! He is officially 2 now. And, no joke, he has matured and chilled out in just a few short weeks. He is the sweetest little thing. A momma's boy for sure. I'm really happy about that. I could say that every day and still get the same big smile across my face just at the thought that my little man loves me so much. Ugh, I just love my little guy so much!!

I can't even believe a month has gone by since Tripp's birthday and I have not posted an update. Slacker for real. John took Tripp to his 2 year WBV. Those are my most favorite doctors appointments (if there is such a thing). I look forward to hearing how much they've grown and where they are in the percentiles compared to others their age. I couldn't go to this appointment because the day before his appointment I had to take Sophie to the ENT. So daddy took Tripp. Daddy said that the dr. said that Tripp is growing just as he should, is a big boy, and all around looked good. Nice to know!

Tripp is talking up a storm now and really enjoys telling us what everything little thing is. He has been talking pretty well since about 18 months, definitely earlier than Sophie. He is trying to talk in sentences now. They may only consist of 2 or 3 words, but he is really linking vocabulary to meaning. Just today he told me "mommy 2 balls here." There were, in fact, 2 balls! I thought well cool he knows what "2" means. Cool!! He also counted to 3 today. That was neat! Cutest thing he does is sing. He has been doing this for a while with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I did video this so I have to try and find it and post it. When he couldn't say many words he would try and hum the song and then the part that goes "Up above the world so high" he would say "up-a up-a up-a high!!" So adorable. He also really loves to say "poopy". What is it with kids and these words? He literally cannot breathe he is laughing so hard when he says "poopy" ... it's actually really funny. I'm laughing as I think about it.

Personality - Sweet, happy, curious, active, silly, smart, continues to be, and I'm scared that he will forever stay, fearless

Height: 37.5 inches, 98%
Weight: 28lbs 11 oz (56%) all muscle baby!
Head: 19", 36% Very excited about this because he did have a little tiny head there for a while. Sorry baby, but you did!
Size: Can still wear some 18 - 24 month pants, but pretty much in 2T these days. Shirts and shorts.
Shoes: Size 7
Diaper: Size 5
Teeth: Has all the teeth he should have at this stage. Teething was pretty eventful. One day he opened his mouth and he had all his teeth! He did go through a pretty bad biting stage at school. Could have been somewhat related to teething.

Interesting Facts:
1. Still poops 2 or 3 times a day. When does this stop? lol
2. Loves to sing.
3. Absolutely is infatuated with Barney. He used to call him "Bon Bon" and that was adorable. When I sing him the Barney song, he chimes in and sings with me and even gives me the hugs and kisses on que. I'll take that, even if Barney is annoying!! Also likes Yo Gabba Gabba.
4. Loves balls and anything sport related. Right now tennis seems to be what he is most interested in, but that's probably b/c John and I are always playing. I think he'll definitely be into sports. Which one is the question!
5. Isn't as good of an eater as he was. Does love fruit. I think if I could just feed him that all day, he'd be happy. He actually eats strawberries now, but bananas remain his favorite. Well, bananas and grapes. He eats eggs!! Woohoo!!
6. Wants to be outside at all times.
7. Likes trains and cars and really loves when we go by a construction site. He starts yelling "mommy daddy" and then grunts. And, wow, he gets extremely excited if the construction vehicles are actually moving and working. Whoa, you can't imagine the excitement on his face. I did try and video this. I must try again!
8. Loves the dogs and Sassy. He is starting to try and terrorize them.
9. Great sleeper!! Goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up at 7:30. I can only remember 1 time in the last 12 - 18 months that Tripp actually woke up in the middle of the night crying. What a joy! He does move all over his crib and still likes to sleep with his booty in the air.
10. Has climbed out of his crib, but only when Sophie climbs in it in the morning to wake him up. We are still sleeping when all of this is happening! Sometimes I wake up and she has all his books in the crib and she's in there with him reading to him. It's very sweet. It's not so sweet that she taught him to climb out of the crib. The curious thing is he hasn't tried to climb out any other time.
11. Kinda hates the car seat again. That's fun.
12. Still hates hates hates having his teeth brushed. Also isn't the biggest fan of the dentist, but is a lot nicer to the dentist than he is to us when it comes to brushing his teeth.
13. Likes to dump his drinks on the floor. We wisened up and stopped giving him cups and went back to sippies. But now he just dumps things out of his caprisun's and juice boxes.
14. Loves the dog food. When I say loves, I mean he loves eating it and playing with it. Nice. lol
15. Oh!! How can I forget a huge one? He is potty training. We aren't really doing it that much, but he does peepee on the potty quite often. He has poopied on it twice, I think. They are training him at school and have been letting him try to go on the potty for a few months. He goes pretty much all day, but still has incidents in between so he wears pull-ups. We probably should get serious about potty training.

If there is anything else I can think of, I'll come back and update. Here is Tripp on his 2nd birthday trying out his new big boy bike.

Photo Shoot

We met with our wonderful photographer last Sunday, March 7, to have Tripp's 2 year pictures taken. We met at the same house where we had Sophie's 2 year pictures taken. If you saw those pictures, you will surely remember the house. Sophie wore a pink tutu and pink cowboy boots and those were some of the most amazing pictures I have ever seen of her or any sweet little girl for that matter (am I biased? lol).

This was Tripp's turn to shine. I just knew Tricia would capture some amazing pictures, after all Tripp is such a fun-loving, giggly, handsome boy. Tricia did the best she could with a cranky, I'm-not-having-this-picture-taking-thing Tripp. The pictures did turn out wonderfully, I just wish that Tripp wasn't giving the evil eye in so many of them. Luckily, most people can't tell that is what he's doing. I guess I can tell because I'm his mom and we know these things. Plus, I was there and saw him crying and avoiding the camera at all cost. He wouldn't even laugh for the word "poopy" which is crazy since when he hears it or says that word he almost instantaneously laughs - big belly laughs - for at least 10 minutes.

Here is a teaser picture that Tricia uploaded to her blog

Cherish Every Moment

A friend of mine posted a link on Facebook the other day about a little girl named Layla Grace. She was asking for prayers for Layla Grace and her family. I followed the link and started to read the blog. I realized as I was reading that the little girl, baby really, was dying as I was reading. My heart ached as I read her blog. It still aches today, because I was right, she passed away the morning I read her blog.

Life can be unfair, we all know that. But cancer in a 16 month old baby? How is that fair? How can that happen? This sweet little girl just turned two in November and lost her battle with cancer yesterday. I spent the majority of yesterday crying for her and her family. Thinking of my own Aunt and Uncle and cousins who lost a child and brother to a rare form of Leukemia when he was just a young boy. I tried to put myself in Layla Grace's mom's place, but my mind would not let me go there. It would not let me imagine what it would be like to lose Sophie or Tripp. I'm thankful for that, I don't want to imagine it. I pray that her family can find solace in faith and God and the memory of their precious daughter. I pray they can continue to live some sort of normal life. I always pray that Layla Grace's two sisters can adjust to life without their precious baby sister. I don't know how the family will move on. The only way I can see is that they believe Layla Grace is in a better play with Him and that they have felt an enormous outpouring of love and support from people, most they don't even know.

Tonight when I was putting Tripp to bed, I rocked him for literally 15 minutes. That may not sound like a long time, but it is. Tripp likes to have his books read to him, rock for a few seconds, and then wants to go to his crib. That's the way he likes bed time to work. He even points to his bed when he's ready to lay down. He must have known I needed the extra time with him tonight. He allowed me to rock him, he cuddled up into my neck and under my chin, and fell asleep. My sweet baby gave me extra cuddles tonight when I needed it. He even sat on the couch and watch a little tv with me tonight which is a rare, rare thing for him to do. And Sophie, my girl. She came in to Tripp's room while I was rocking him and asked me to put her to bed tonight. It's not unusual for her to want me to put her to bed, but to actually come in to Tripp's room, ask me if she could wait to go to sleep until I could put her to bed is out of the norm. I was happy to hear she wanted me and of course I put her to bed. Daddy started her bed time by reading books. When I was finished with Tripp I went to her room and sang songs, more than normal, told her several stories and rocked her for a long time. I told her I loved her and that I am so thankful she is my daughter.

I should do all that more often. We all should. I say this to myself and time passes and life gets busy and I start the awful thinking that I wish the kids would behave or I wish they'd take a nap or sometimes I think I wish they'd go to bed a little earlier because I just need a break or I'm tired. Selfish is an understatement for those feelings. I feel guilty for feeling that way, but I realize it's just part of being a mom, we all have our limits, and we never say those things in vein. The best moms feel that way at times. Well I've decided that's not fair. I'm going to do my best not to get caught up in being tired. I'm going to remember how lucky I am to have my children in my life, to have them healthy, and to have them at this stage where they want my full attention. It won't last forever and I'll probably find myself back in here sooner rather than later wishing my babies wanted my attention. I'm going to remember to cherish every moment I have with my babies. They are my life. I can't imagine it without them and I pray daily that I never have to.

I'll continue to pray for Layla Grace and that God help heal her parents and sisters and the rest of those lives she touched. If anybody reading this would like to read her blog, you can find it at Layla Grace

Peep, pee pee, and poopy please!

I can't even believe it's time to start thinking about potty training Tripp. He's not even two yet. I'm excited to think about no more diapers, but I shudder at the thought of having to take two kids to a public restroom. Ew.

I haven't mentioned here yet that Tripp has been going potty on the potty since about 18 months. Not consistently, of course, but the first time he went peep on the potty was at about 18 months. Ms. Monica, one of Tripp's teachers, calls pee pee "peep". I think it sounds much nicer, so I now call it that as well. Ms. Monica asked me about the time Tripp was 18 months if we were potty training. She was surprised when I looked at her and laughed. Why would I be trying to potty train a boy at 18 months? Hadn't even crossed my mind. Apparently he is very interested in the potty at school so she started putting him on it. He hadn't gone at school, but she encouraged me to put him on the potty at home. So I have been.

I decided to start putting him on the potty after bath since, in typical boy fashion, he likes to try and pee on the carpet when I take him out of the bath. To my surprise, Tripp would peep on the potty 50% of the time. Then he started telling me he had to peep. The first few times I put him on he didn't go. But then jackpot - he went! Then he told me he had to poopy. That was fun. I put him on the potty and he didn't go. I gave him a little while to gain his composure so he could keep trying, after all M&Ms were on the line, but he told me "ah dun" (all done) so I took him off and proceeded to grab his clothes. I turn around and what do I see? Tripp pooping on the floor ... running across the hall pooping. Yep! Tripp pooping all over the floor. Awesome. It was then I learned I had to be smarter than him, but also that he knew when he had to go potty. I find this amazing.

First poopy potty (as he would call it) - Tripp told me he had to pee pee so I took him to the potty. He was taking a long time so I was trying to coax him off thinking he probably had already gone in his diaper. But, to my disbelief, he ended up pooping ... it was hilarious ... he was laughing and yelling and getting a big kick out of it. He was trying to stick his head between his legs so he could see down in the toilet - yes, I know, nice - it was hilarious. I should've videoed it. That would have been something fun to pull out on his first date. I started yelling for John and he came running in ... so did Sophie. We had a big party in the bathroom celebrating Tripp's first poopy. We ate M&Ms by the potty. lol Sorry for TMI, but I have to write this down since my child is a potty training prodigy. Ok, not really, but I am excited that he's poppied on the potty a few times since and he's not even 2! And, btw, I've brought up M&Ms a few times. That is the "prize" he gets for going potty. It worked for Sophie and it seems to be working for Tripp.

Let me just say that I am not getting my hopes up. I'm not pushing the potty training thing, partly out of laziness (sad, I know), partly due to my fear of having to take 2 babies to the public potty, and partly because I'm not sure if Tripp is ready. But some days I wonder if I'm doing enough, if I should be encouraging. Tripp moved up into the big kid room at school last week and he has been going potty every day. Sometimes he has a dry diaper, sometimes not, but he is going. Ms. Monica was so excited to share that news with me. Tripp really likes going potty. I told John today maybe we should buy some underwear for him and see how he does. Maybe he won't like being wet in underwear and will start using the potty. Maybe this will be the beginning of the end of diapers. I guess only time will tell.

Happy Halloween!

What a great Halloween! I really, truly enjoyed Halloween with the kids this year. I've enjoyed it every year, but mostly because I loved how cute the kids looked in their costumes. This year was fun because the kids actually enjoyed Halloween.

Halloween was actually a week long this year starting last Sunday. We went to trunk-or-treat with the Mallory's at Drew's sister's church. That was cute. People decorate the trunk of their cars and hand out candy. Tripp was a little nutso walking from car to car, but all-in-all it was fun. Kids got a lot of candy!

Tuesday night we went to Kroger for their trick-or-treating Halloween party. It was a little lame, but I do give them props for trying. It was raining pretty bad and everything was inside. My guess is that they set some things up outside on a normal night. They had a haunted house that went through the deli freezer. Justin was scared and wouldn't go through. I carried Tripp and Anthony held Sophie's hand all the way. It was cute. Older kids were screaming through the haunted house. The actors (um, employees) did a good job not jumping out and scaring the little kids. When we were at Kroger today grocery shopping, Sophie asked if we could go back into the freezer lol She has a good memory! They also did some face painting, decorate your own cookie, and gave out candy.

Friday was trick-or-treating and Halloween party at the kids' school. They had a ball! Since the parties were at different times depending on the classroom, I went up and hung out with Sophie for her Halloween party and John went up for Tripp's party. The kids really loved having us there. So much so that I had to bring Sophie home with me at lunch. She was crying and carrying on and I couldn't bare to leave her. She took a nap and I worked. They also got to walk around to the different classrooms and trick-or-treat in their costumes. It was very cute!

Finally, the real thing today! The Mallory's came to trick-or-treat with us and to watch the UF vs UGA game. I won't say who won (Go Gators!!!) so not to tick off my UGA friends, but I was a happy camper. It was hard to get the guys away from the football game and it was getting late (and Tripp was oh so ready to go!) so Holly and I started off with the kids. The guys met us a few minutes later. It was a little bit chilly, nothing like the cold weather of Halloweens past. Not only was it chilly, but it started to rain. It rained earlier in the day and stopped so I thought we would be in the clear. Nope. It started pouring rain just before we left. Some kids and parents just kept trudging through the rain for candy - actually some parents came to the door with bags while their kids sat in the car (really????) - we waited for the rain to slow. It did. We took off.

Marly, Sophie, and Tripp had a great time! I wish we had gotten some video of the night. I need a new camera for that. I lost my little video camera. This was Tripp's first Halloween as a walker. Last year we pushed him in the pink car and Sophie was very hesitant to walk up to doors. This year Tripp thoroughly enjoyed walking from house to house, up the stairs to the door, and getting the candy (and grabbing more if the opportunity arose!). Sophie loved every minute of the attention and playing the big sis, let me walk first role. Tripp was in awe of the older kids in costumes. He was priceless tonight, it was like he was in his element. And, Sophie. Sweet Sophie. She just wanted the candy. Candy, candy, and more candy ... and sneaking a piece to eat here and there ... that girl has a sweet tooth! Marly is like a pro. She went house to house, getting her candy, walking down the steps, and moving on to the next house. Well-behaved as always! Sophie and Tripp always enjoy their time with her. She's like another member of the family.

All-in-all this was a fabulous Halloween. The kids loved it and I loved it. Oh!! Wait!! I didn't mention the costumes. Tripp was Spiderman with muscles. It is honestly one of the cutest costumes I have ever seen. In the beginning he wouldn't put the mask on, but by the end of the week he was an old pro and kept the mask on for us. All the parents who saw him loved the costume! I let Sophie pick out her own costume this year. She picked a pink Spidergirl costume that was super cute. That's why I picked Spiderman for Tripp. Well the costume didn't fit well and had a hole by Tuesday so I purchased a new costume for her. She wanted to be a butterfly. I was looking so last minute for a costume and just could not find a butterfly so I settled on a fairy costume that had big wings .... or so it did on the cover of the package. What a sham. When you see the costume, you won't see any wings ... that's because they are so small you can't see them. They're there, they're behind her back. I was so annoyed by that. Of course, Sophie didn't seem to mind. She loved her star light wand and her light up skirt. She was happy with her pitiful butterfly costume. Marly was Little Mermaid. She had a red wig, not sure where it went. She was adorable and the red wig was a hoot!!

Halloween 2009 was the best yet!

Yellow River Game Ranch

Gabby and Jason and their 3 beautiful kiddos (Haylee, Mya, & baby Jace) were here visiting from North Carolina over the weekend. Gabby and Tara have been best friends since junior high school back in their Florida days. I love Gabby and her family and I always look forward to their visits.

We needed to get the kids out of the house and take them somewhere fun. It literally had been raining for like a week. As you can imagine, a house with 6 kids (8 if you include Anthony and Summer) is just crazy. Tara suggested that we go to Yellow River Game Ranch. It's a bit of a hike to get there since it's all the way down by Stone Mountain, but it was a fun trip. All types of different animals just roam around and eat out of your hands. Except for Tripp's hand - he didn't share much. He wanted to eat the food himself instead of sharing with the animals. No worries, it was carrots, graham crackers, and animal crackers. It looks like all the animals are behind fences, but they aren't.

The big animals - the puma, buffalo, pigs, bears, goats - they were caged, but the rest were not. So what was left to roam? Hmm .. deer, chickens, peacocks, squirrels, turtles, rabbits. I guess there were less free-roaming animals than I realized, but just the fact that deer were hanging out with us was cool. Especially the sweet baby bambis! The place was stinky, but pretty cool. For the most part, the kids were really good. Tripp kept trying to go under the rails and through fences, but what else was to be expected? I should also note that we were there right smack in the middle of nap time so towards the end the kids were antsy, but did much better than I expected. They all had a very good time and we made some nice memories. It was truly a nice family day!

Sweet little baby deer.

Sophie and Daddy feed a big deer.

Tripp is snacking ... shouldn't he be sharing? I love this picture so much! Notice the deer in the background licking his lips. Hmm ... what would taste better, the carrot or Tripp? lol

Notice that Tripp is eyeing the carrot. lol They had fun feeding the deer. The deer were so gentle and friendly. They followed us down the trail for a while. Pretty neat.

I didn't know you could actually feed a squirrel. Don't they carry rabies? Eek! Cute anyway.

These donkeys were begging for food. They weren't neglected, I promise!

Staring at the tall goat in amazement.

Tripp finally decided to share "his" food.

Interesting nursery lol

Well hello there Mr. sheep!

This is what you call a feast!

As Sophie was running away from the bear cage she said, "I'm not scared!" Yeah, ok. lol The bears were cool. We were throwing apples into their cages and they were catching the apples right in their mouths.

All the kids

Blessings

My sweet baby girl is going to be 3 in just about two months. I cannot believe it. I know that every parent goes through this and thinks "how can my baby be 'insert age'" I've said this about every 6 months for each kid. I love that they are growing up and that they are becoming so fun and learning so much, but at the same time it's so sad to see them becoming independent (and sassy) and growing. Time goes by so fast and I wonder if I appreciate the time I have with my kids enough. I think I do, I hope I do, but I'm going to try and appreciate it even more. Some days I wonder how I was blessed with two such sweet babies.

Sophie is so full of love and happiness, she truly enjoys her life. She smiles about everything and boy do her smiles go on forever. She has such a beautiful and contagious smile! Her innocence is so sweet. She loves her daddy more than life itself. She loves me, too, but as soon as daddy appears it's like I'm not even there. It doesn't bother me, though, because she gives me my time too. I love that she has that bond with her daddy.

Tripp is so full of energy! Boy is he full of energy. He is into anything and everything. He's very curious and very interested in what's going on . He is strong and stoic and serious. When he laughs, he gives belly laughs! His laugh is also contagious, but for different reasons that Sophie's. First, it takes an act of God (or a lot of tickling) to get Tripp to laugh. But when he starts laughing, he doesn't stop. He giggles, snorts, runs out of breath, and then laughs like he doesn't have a voice. It's the sweetest sound I've ever heard. He truly loves me, but he also likes his daddy time. He loves to be outside and loves to throw and hit balls. He also likes to spot small items, in the grass for instance, and stand over them and point and grunt. He's learning how the world works and you can see it on his face. The ladies love his hair and he's getting more handsome as the days pass.

This post is really just a reminder to me to count my blessings every day for I have so many in my life.

Tripp at infant Swim

This is Tripp at week 2 of Infant Swim.

Swimming to Michelle


Floating


Swimming back to steps


Rolling over from float




He made it!


My little chubby monkey looking a little dazed and confused. But, regardless, how cute is he?

Infant Swim Lessons

Sophie & Tripp have been taking infant swim lessons for 2 weeks. These aren't the typical lessons, these are the survival swim lessons. The class basically teaches the child what he or she should do if he or she falls in a pool. The classes are only 10 minutes each per kid and only one kid is in the pool with the instructor at a time. Kids learn the following in sequence:

- To hold their breath underwater
- Swim with their head down
- Roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe
- Roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool, crawl out or be rescued by an adult
- To perform these self-rescue skills first in a swim diaper, then while fully clothed

When the Sophie & Tripp started the classes they knew nothing, they couldn't swim or float. Wow, it's amazing what has happened in just 2 weeks, in just the first day even. In just day 1, both Sophie and Tripp could swim a few feet to their teacher. A few feet doesn't sound far, but in a 10 minute time frame, they learned to swim a short distance with their head down and eyes open. In 2 weeks they have both learned to hold their breath under water, open eyes under water, swim a short distance, float on their backs, and roll back over from a float to resume swimming.

The first day of class Sophie screamed, the panic kind of scream. I was warned by a few people that this might happen. Tripp, on the other hand, laughed. Laughed! He laughed at basically being dunked and let go of in a deep pool of water when he had no idea what to do. Michelle, the Instructor, actually said that Tripp is only the second child she has ever taught to laugh. Well that's my crazy ass kid for you. LOL The second day Sophie was really excited about "swimming" but when she got to class she cried again. So did Tripp. Again this is typical. This is also why the classes are only 10 minutes. A lot of water and air can get in the belly and cause gas among other things so that lessons are short. Kids also can't eat or drink in the 2 hours preceding class (this is an entirely separate ordeal for the kids). Anyway, on the 2nd day Sophie was crying but in the midst of it would say to Michelle, "I want to swim now." It was pretty funny!

I've learned not to underestimate my children. I think they can do so much more than they are giving credit for. A little patience and guidance certainly goes a long way. Sophie actually loves the swim part. She doesn't like floating at all and it's a bit of a struggle to get her to float, but she can do it. She also did an excellent swim - float - swim sequence today. She swam to the steps! Tripp is an amazing floater. That kid can float for at least 10 seconds. Michelle said he has a buoyant bottom so sometimes it's hard for him to roll all the way over or swim under the water but he does it and he does it well. I'm pretty amazed by him because he is so young and is doing everything perfectly. I'm feeling much safer about having the kids around a pool. I really am!

I took some pictures at the end of last week. I'll take some at the end of this week too. But you can see that they can swim and float. I'll post the pictures in a separate post. Pretty dang amazing!

Tripp at 15 months

Tripp had his 15 month WBV on 5/26, the day after he turned 15 months. The dr. said Tripp is doing well in all respects. She said he is physically on par with an 18 month (no kidding!). He's not really talking much, but she wasn't very worried about that and neither am I. Sophie didn't talk until 18 months and not really well until 2. My mom said I didn't talk until I was 2. We are late talkers!

Personality - Fearless, daring, active, energetic, rough, sweet, smart, and somewhat cuddly. Still nothing but boy!!

Height - 33 inches, 90% - 95%
Weight - 24 lbs 14 oz - 50% - 75%
Size - Wears mostly 12 - 18 months, 18 month pjs, can wear 18 - 24 month shirts.
Shoe size - 5.5
Teeth - 10 teeth (8 teeth, 2 top molars). Top molars have just broken through and bottom molars ready to appear any day. Teething has been rough this time around!

Interesting Facts:

1. Starting to snort when he laughs. The laugh of his - constantly changing, but still weird. It's like he hasn't quite learned to laugh. We still laugh when he laughs. Love his little laugh.
2. Has turned into a biter. Boo! He has been written up 3 times for biting. I feel so bad for the other kids. I'd rather my kid be the bitee instead of the biter. He has been bitten, but only once and a few months ago.
3. Likes to hit and bite me at bedtime. Apparently he does this routine with only me and his teacher Ms. Marie. I guess he loves us the most! That's what I'll tell myself anyway.
4. Likes to flop off things, like our bed, the couch, etc. He thinks it's funny. Mommy doesn't.
5. Can say mommy, daddy, doggy, and Sassy. He points to the dogs and says "duggee". Same with Sassy. And he really only says mommy or daddy when he's whining or crying. But he does say those 4 words!
6. Knows anything and everything we ask him to do. No kidding. He may not talk, but he totally understands everything.
7. If you ask him a question, he likes to answer with a grunt. I think the grunt is his "yes".
8. He can definitely sign the word "more".
9. Loves to throw things, especially balls. Actually has a pretty good arm too! Daddy is really excited about that. He also likes to hit the ball of the t-ball set. He laughs hysterically when he does that.
10. Loves petting Sassy.
11. Loves, loves, loves the pool. Absolutely loves the water.
12. Is pretty good at drinking from a cup. I'm impressed. He also loves drinking out of straws.
13. Is taking swimming lessons and we have found out that he's a pretty good floater.
14. Blows kisses, waves bye, gives real kisses. All the good stuff.
15. Learning to use a fork and spoon. Is pretty good at it if the food is solid, like oatmeal.
16. Is a climber! Loves the park, the slide, swings. Anything like that.
17. Starting to have seperation issues. I have to basically pry him off me when I drop him at school in the mornings. Same with at the church nursery. Makes me want to cry!

It seems like Tripp isn't doing as many new things as fast as he was, but rather mastering his skills. Like running. He's gotten really good at escaping and running! I feel like he's doing more than I can think of to post, so I'll come back and update as I think of things.

Tripp at 14 months

I haven't posted updated stats since 11 months. Darn it I'm a slacker! Tripp has done so many things. I wish I could break it down, month-by-month, and get caught up, but I can't. The new things he does daily are getting blurred and I'm not sure when he did what. But here is what he's up to these days:

Personality - Fearless, funny, active, energetic, snuggly (when he wants to be), sweet, smart, and rambunctious (but in a good way). All boy!!

Height - I don't know, but he's tall!
Weight - Approximately 24.5 lbs
Size - Wears mostly 12 - 18 months, but is starting to transition to 18 month shirts and pjs.
Shoe Size - 5, possibly 5.5 We need to get his foot sized again. His current shoes are starting to look tight.
Teeth - Still 8 - 4 top, 4 bottom. His top left molar popped through the other day, so I guess 9 teeth now. Thankfully, I thought he was going to bite his fingers off. This was truly the first tooth that seemed to really bother him when coming in. Poor dude. His gums are all white on the top.

Interesting facts:
1. Poops no less than 4 times a day. Talk about regular!
2. Loves hitting. Yes, hitting. I hate it, he loves it.
3. Bright eyed and bushy tailed when he wakes up. He's happy and ready to go.
4. Eats pretty much anything, but particularly loves bananas, blueberries and grapes. Absolutely loves them.
5. Hates strawberries and eggs.
6. Finally a good napper (at home, not school). Typically takes a 2 - 3 hour nap per day.
7. Loves Sophie. Adores Sophie. It's so sweet. Sometimes when he's upset or crying or cranky and I can't settle him, Sophie will pat him and tell him it's ok and he'll settle right down. It melts my heart.
8. Knows where his mouth and nose are.
9. Can sign "more".
10. Can follow simple instructions like "let's go upstairs", "let's go wake Sophie up", "get your sippy"
11. Runs, not walks. Still falls all.the.time. He's fondly called "My Tripp & Fall" by his teacher Marie.
12. Is a total boy - likes to eat mulch, throw everything, play with cars, get dirty, poop with or without a diaper on (uh, yuck!).
13. Enjoys climbing on things - in the dishwasher, in baskets, up stairs, on top of furniture, on the fireplace. You name it, he'll climb on it.
14. Likes to put things in and take things out of bags, cabinets, drawers, etc.
15. Can do those little towers that have multiple pieces. He can take the rings off and put them on again, not necessarily in the correct order, but he can still do it.
16. Loves to play psycho in the bath tub. Can climb in and out of it, which is terrifying to me since he flips out like a dang fish but it's not water he's flopping in and out of. It's called a hard tiled floor. Ugh.
17. Likes to run and dive onto the dog beds.
18. Runs around the house like mad. Especially loves running around the kitchen island and behind the kitchen table and chairs. It's more fun when he's chasing Sophie or she is chasing him. That is a big game in our house.
19. Walks with a strut. He sticks his chest out, shoulders back, swings his left arm and keeps his right arm straight. He gos full speed forward that way. It's pretty funny! Cute, but funny.
20. Babbles a lot but really doesn't say words. He knows mama and refers to me, says dada but not really to john, but also says "this", "waz that", and i think he's saying "dawg" and meaning dog, but i can't be positive about that. I swear yesterday he said "hi" but I haven't heard it since.
21. Absolutely loves the water - both pool and beach - and after this weekend we now know he's not picky and likes the sprinklers too.
22. Loves being outdoors. Loves to explore. These go hand-in-hand. Will cry to go outside. Sophie was the same way. Interesting!
23. Loves music. He actually dances and runs around when he hears music he likes. When Yo Gabba Gabba comes on the tv, he perks up, smiles really big, and starts trying to hop up and down (his dancing). In his car seat when he likes a song (typically some type of rap or hip hop) he starts banging his hand and moving his body forward and backward. It's really adorable. Since I have no rhythm but have always wanted to be able to break dance, I think I'm going to enroll him in a hip hop dancing class so he can learn to break dance for me. Fun, right?! :-) He seems to have more rhythm than Sophie (poor baby. She dances like mommy and daddy, not a good thing!).
24. Has been drinking from sippies since about 9 months, can drink from a juice box, and even a capri sun. Has got this drinking thing down. Now when will he learn to stop throwing food?
25. Still a crazy sleeper. All over the crib, rolling from side to side and top to bottom all night. How he sleeps, I don't know.
26. Still has the funniest laugh ever. It's so contagious. People hear it and laugh because it's just so cute and funny. I've gotta get it on video. It's morphed into more of a laugh than it was, but it's still not really a laugh. Love it!
27. Hair is getting lighter and lighter and I'm wondering if I'm going to have another blond-headed child. He still has great hair. It's starting to feather a little and curl and stick out at the ends. OMG my little baby has model hair :-) See picture below.
28. Has gotten much better in the car seat. Has his moments, but at least it's not solid crying. It's more sporadic than constant.
29. Had his first hair cut after his 1 year birthday. Pictures to come of that. he wasn't a big fan.
30. Really smart. People tell us he acts much older than a 14 month old and he definitely looks bigger than one. He can be devious when he wants to. He knows exactly what he's doing, like he has a made a plan, especially when he's doing something he knows he shouldn't. It's pretty impressive.
31. Has a bit of a temper. Can be laid back, but mostly he wants his way and likes to vocalize when he doesn't get his way. He's definitely a handful. LOL
32. He's just solid. Really not chub on him except his thighs (yep, gets that from me!). I'm amazed at how solid he is. So are most people. I wonder if he'll have abs at the age of 5 like his cousin Anthony.

Here is Tripp with his cool hair.

Funny story

This morning I went to get Tripp out of his crib. He was awake and in the video monitor I could see him standing up just chilling out. Definitely nothing was in his crib with him. After I finished getting dressed I went into his room and he was squatting down and borderline yelling and pointing at something in the center. As I got closer I could see this big blob of poop in the middle of his bed. Gross! I checked him out and undressed him in the crib since I figured the poop would be all over him. It wasn’t. There was a little bit up is back, but not what I was expecting since there was a big blob of it in the crib. I have never seen anything like it! He didn’t really have any on his shirt, his hands, the back of his pants, etc. Just in his diaper, a little on the very bottom of his shirt, and the tiniest bit on his back. How did that blob get there? The funniest part was he was just squatting there pointing at the poop and talking to it, kind of yelling at it. It was like he didn’t know what to do with it, but he knew not to touch it. I wish I could have gotten it on video!! It was so funny that it made my morning! LOL

Perspective

Last night I was reading a friend's blog and came across her post about a separate blog about a little girl named Cora Paige.  I found this blog just after I had posted in our mom thread about what a nightmare dinner time is around here.  Let me back up.

For some reason between the hours of 5:00 and bedtime all hell breaks loose around here. I fondly refer to 5:30 as the "witching hour."  Sophie generally cries to be picked up by whoever is cooking.  It makes it extremely difficult to cook.  She doesn't stop and sometimes really goes into hysterics.  Tripp used to be as bad, but now that he is mobile (crawling, walking) he is better and will generally play by himself for a few minutes.  If dinner isn't on the table by 6:00 we are in trouble.  I am not joking!  

Dinner starts off like any other family dinner.  We put food on the plates, cut up kids food, let them eat.  No more than 5 minutes into dinner, Sophie starts getting out of her seat and wondering around.  Sometime she wants to feed Tripp, but usually she wants to run around like a crazy girl.  It takes a lot of patience to try and get her back in her seat and eating.  Eating is a different story.  She used to be good at it, but she's entered that toddler stage of always wanting one thing - like chicken nuggets.  Ugh.  Meanwhile, Tripp is eating his dinner like a good boy but is finishing up.  He's a pretty fast eater.  When he is done eating he starts throwing food to the ground and banging his head against the highchair.  I don't know if this is dangerous, but it sure seems like it is.  He thinks it's funny, but it scares the crap out of me.  So now we have Sophie crying/screaming because we are making her sit in her seat and Tripp banging his head on the highchair.  John and I haven't even started our food yet.  It's a nightmare.  I hate dinner time these days.  After dinner everyone returns to the angels they are.  It's really weird.

So back to the blog I mentioned above.  Here I am complaining about dinner time and then I read the blog.  My life is so good.  I have these two beautiful, healthy, amazing children who I love dearly - and who love me - and I have husband who is so helpful, so wonderful, that I really cannot put my feelings for him into words.  And then there are families out there dealing with the tragedy of losing a child.  It makes my "nightmare" dinner so trivial compared to the nightmare of burying a child.

I felt like such an idiot after I read that blog.  This sweet family of 3 were so happy - Mommy, daddy, and 9 month old baby Cora.  Cora was just a month younger than Tripp.  She was sick with her 3rd ear infection, which is not really uncommon, so they went to the drs.  They mentioned 2 other weird symptoms that they had recently noticed and left that appointment with the terrible and tragic news that their daughter had cancer.  I cannot even imagine.  Just thinking about this again is bringing me to tears.  Tears of sadness, anguish, disbelief.  How can a little 9 month old be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer?  This has got to be one of the worst fears of a parent.  

I read this blog just before bed last night and could not sleep.  To be honest, I cried uncontrollably and eventually cried myself to sleep.  I cried for the family, for the baby that lost her life so early, for me because I lost perspective on life, and for the thought of losing my children one day.  Being a mother is the best "job"  I have ever had, but it is also the hardest.  I am so thankful for so many things.  The blog put my life in perspective and made me remember how good I really have it.  I've learned that as a parent you are constantly walking a fine line - do you discipline this time or let it slide, do you bargain with this to get that, do you ignore this behavior so you can "pick your battles" and discipline a worse behavior later?  I just don't know.  

Last night at dinner all Sophie wanted was to sit on my lap and eat my food.  This is recurring - she always wants my food instead of hers (even if it's the same) and she doesn't want to sit in her seat.  She usually wants to eat then take a break and play then come back and eat ... this could go on for an hour if we let it ... or she simply ones to sit on daddy's lap.  Whatever it is, she doesn't want to sit in her chair and eat.  We really want her to sit and eat dinner.  We don't want to foster a bad habit by allowing her to get up and down at dinner.  So we put her back in her seat.  If she won't stay, we assume she's done and take the dinner away, unless she says otherwise and gets in her seat to eat.   That's how the "experts" say to handle this behavior.  However, now I wonder if I should just let her sit on mine or John's lap?  How many more years will this go on?  Probably not forever.  Is this issue really that big a deal?  She'll grow out of this stage I'm sure.  I think Cora's parents would say to me that I'm lucky to have a baby who can sit on my lap and to cherish this time even if it's not the behavior I want because I don't want to look back one day and wish she were here to sit on my lap.  You know?  I know I can't think like this every time Sophie does something we don't like, but I can put it all in perspective.  I'm blessed with the life I have and I need to remember that.  I need more patience and I need more perspective.  I certainly gained the latter from Cora's parents.  Even after the loss of Cora, they remain strong, thanking God for the short time they had Cora and for using her life positively - affecting people like me and families all over.  I know God works in mysterious ways, but it's so hard for me to understand how he works through a baby like this. I know this baby is with God and that's about all that makes me feel at peace with this.

So for now I'm going to remember to be thankful for all the time I have with my babies.  To give them even more kisses and hugs and tell them I love them even more than I already do.  I'm going to read that 12th book to Sophie when I put her to bed, even though I tell her only 3 or 4 books and after each one I keep saying only 1 more.  I'm going to nurse Tripp another few weeks because that is special bonding time for us.  I'm going to hope and pray that dinner time becomes less chaotic and try to deal with it with patience until that time happens.  I'm going to remember every day how wonderful my life is and that I have the two sweetest babies on this earth.  I will remember how blessed I am and I will continue to thank God for that.  And, to the sweet family who lost Cora, I will pray for you and for her.  I'm truly sorry for your loss.  You have reminded me how special life really is and that time with your children is the most important thing in life.  

We have another walker!

Tonight when we got home from picking the kids up from school, I set Tripp down on his feet, let go, and watched him toddle right over to John.  He took multiple steps on his first try.  Just like that.  See for yourself!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

I took a ton of pictures. Here are my favorites.

All of the pictures with the brick wall and water feature were taken in the courtyard where we had lunch. The kids really loved this area. There was the prettiest little rainbow that spanned the length of the water. Here is Tripp checking out the rainbow.

Justin and Sophie checking out the water. Notice the rainbow to the left of Justin.


I took this picture when Justin all of a sudden decided to plop down in the middle of the walkway because there was a rock in his shoe. I don't know why I thought this was so funny. I guess because every single person in our group stopped to watch what Justin was doing. Even Tripp was watching!

Cousins and best friends!

Such a sweet picture of Justin. He's normally moving or making faces while playing so it's rare to capture him just chilling.

Summer really loves the kids. She is always ready to help me with one or both of them. This particular day, she was all about Tripp and he loved it! I've never met an 11 year old girl who loves babies this much and truly wants to spend time caring for and playing with them.

All the kids - big and small - loved the slide! They could even see their reflection.

My sweet little man standing up. He is growing up so fast!

One of the many beautiful sculpture/ornamental objects in the garden.

Sophie loving on the girl statue.

Hanging out with Mr. Frog. I told Sophie I was taking this picture for Pop Pop and she actually sat still and smiled for some of the frames.

Tripp poking his head out of the cave (with help from Summer).

There was a really cool tree that was low to the ground with a ton of branches. Justin made good use of it and climbed up it.

Look who I caught being silly - a butterly and a dragonfly a/k/a Sophie and Daddy :-)

Um, I don't even know what to say about this picture. My sweet little angel, my handsome little man. I just love him!!

Sophie hitching a ride with mommy.

The 3 Muskateers!

I think I have the cutest kids on the planet.

Tripp crawling his way up to the top of the 3 story treehouse.

Sophie likes to feed Tripp. Here she is sharing her Goldfish with him. She's very sweet with him and she's starting to act like a little mommy.

Here is that fish/bug thing I mentioned in earlier post. Not sure exactly what it is, but it's cool. And if you look just beyond this sculpture, you'll see some of the buildings that are Downtown. Like I said, this is a little piece of heaven in the middle of a big city.

Tripp's turn to hitch a ride.

The family together at the end of a perfect day at the gardens.