3 1/2 years old

As of yesterday, LittleBigMan is 3 1/2 years old. How did that happen?!?! He seems more and more like a little boy instead of a baby every day. He says some of the cutest/funniest things. Yesterday also marked the first night he slept in his new BUNKBED!!! To say he loved it would be an understatement. (The crafter in me already has a twin size quilt planned out for his new bed.)

Here we are on Wednesday finishing up the bed & adding a clear coat of wood protector...




And then yesterday-
Taking some important measurements on his new bed...


Ready for bed in the top bunk!


While I was typing this, LittleBigMan was singing "I love you Mom" set to a tune of his own making and then he changed the words to "I want some hot chai". He loves music, loves to dance and loves his brother. While 3 has been a challenging age for him at times, overall it is a lot of fun to spend my days with this exuberant little 3 1/2 year old-

3 years old

LittleBigMan turned 3 today.

Here's a day in the life of my 3 year old birthday boy...

I woke up to find him eating this interesting combo - crackers and Ovaltine.  When asked why he was eating Ovaltine with the crackers, he told me "the peanut butter is too way up high for me".  (He couldn't reach the peanut butter in the pantry)

I told him that today is his birthday and that we are going to have lots of fun today.  He got very excited, clapped his hands and ran to me.  He hugged me and said "Thank you for my birthday!".

Then he had fun in the bath.

We went to the library to enjoy storytime for the first time in several weeks.

He enjoyed the stories, songs and especially BUBBLES!

Then we went to lunch and even got some some ice cream.

Next up was a trip to the mall to enjoy the indoor playground since it was too cold to play outside.

He made 2 new friends and had so much fun.

On the way home he fell asleep.  He was exhausted!

Once Grandma & Daddy got home we ate some dinner & some yummy cupcakes.  Of course we sang happy birthday... and he loved blowing out the candles.

Lastly, it was present time. He got some money, a big Buzz Lightyear, a clock puzzle & a rocking horse.  He loved it all.

Happy birthday my sweet little boy!!!

Dentist appointment

LittleBigMan had his first dental appointment today.  He sat very still for the dental hygienist & didn't seem to mind getting his teeth cleaned at all...

Showing off his pearly whites...

All in all a great first experience going to the dentist's office.  His favorite part, of course, was the prize he got for doing so well.  The hygienist let him pick & he chose a little bouncy ball.

35 months old

I haven't posted much about LittleBigMan, though he has been doing & saying lots of fun stuff lately...

A few of the things he loves right now...
His little brother - gives him LOTS of hugs & kisses
Playing with Daddy
Taking pics with my old camera
Daddy's iTouch - he has lots of cool educational apps for toddlers on there
Money to put in his piggy bank
Puzzles
Doing things for himself - he's becoming quite independent
Singing... random made up songs (it's quite funny when he does this)
Enjoys getting food for our dog Chloe
Helping me take care of his little brother

A few of the funny things he has said lately...
Calls his pinkie a "pinkie bink"
Told his Dad "Here's the problem, no more tickling"
Picked up one of my sarcastic sayings and will randomly say "that's shocking"

Says "That's so fluffy" in a crazy voice (like on the movie Despicable Me)

When he can't reach something in the pantry says "That's too up high"

My baby will be 3 years old in less than a month.  I am reminded daily to cherish these times as they sure do fly by.

33 months old

LittleBigMan is 33 months old today.  I can hardly believe it!  There is so much going on in the life of a toddler... I'll try to hit the highlights.

As is typical for his age he is VERY active, constantly learning and soaking in everything.  He loves to talk (repeating everything he hears of course) and loves to sing.  He often makes up his own songs that are quite funny.  He enjoys talking about sting ray's, sharks, bears & monsters A LOT lately.  When asked how old he is he says "2 and a half".  He loves building with his blocks (especially with either me or his Dad or both of us).  He tells me "you the best of my friend" from time to time & makes sure our dog Chloe knows how much he loves her.  He enjoys watching Go Diego Go, VeggieTales and any Toy Story movie.  A few times lately he has told us that "I need to check my email" or "I gotta work" and sits down at the computer.  Naptime and bedtimes are getting worse... theatrics most nights, but he is a good sleeper once he falls asleep.  He still LOVES storytime at the library & just recently decided he wants to sit with the other kids on the floor (instead of in my lap).  Sometimes he talks to and kisses my belly... saying that there's a baby in there.  Of course, he also thinks he has a small baby in his belly.  Hahaha.  When asked if he wants a brother or sister, he usually says brother.  He recently started referring to Oklahoma (where most of our family lives) as "Hoka Moka"... not sure why as he knows how to say the state's name properly.  He has become quite the little helper... picking up his toys, getting his pjs/clothes, getting things from the pantry/fridge, etc.  Wants to do most things for himself, denying help and saying "Me do it".  He still loves puzzles.  He loves running around the house playing hide-and-seek with Troy and I.  His current obsession is with scissors.  I bought him a pair of pre-school scissors to ((hopefully)) keep the cutting of precious items to a minimum.  He loves ethnic food - Indian, Ethiopian, Greek, Chinese, Mexican, Italian... anything with a lot of seasoning/flavor.  (We still need to try the Thai restaurant near us- I'm sure he'd love it)  He likes to tell himself what a good job he's doing - "Good job (name)" when he's done something he's particularly proud of.  Has been able to sing the ABC song for awhile, but is now learning a few of the letters & sounds.  He can only consistantly pick out the colors orange & blue... starting to wonder if he's messing with us or maybe color blind, though this is probably just normal at his age.  Potty training is still going great - fully day trained, wakes up from naps dry & is starting to wake up dry or nearly dry in the morning.  If he wakes up with a dry diaper in the morning he asks "I get some chocolate for dat?" - since we usually give him a treat for that.  He loves to spend time outdoors.  While he loves going to a playground, he's just as happy playing with a stick/dirt/rock anywhere outside.  He is usually pretty sweet & mellow, but has started having a bad attitude lately when asked to do something he doesn't want to do.  Sometimes (especially when he's singing a made up song) he calls me "Stephie Girl".  He loves to laugh - if he hears us laughing at something funny he'll bust out with a very hearty laugh and say "That's so funny" (even if it's something he doesn't understand).  He's growing and changing so much.  I can't believe my baby will be 3 years old soon.

   

Two & a half years old

This post is a bit late... but here it is!

LittleBigMan turned 2 1/2 recently. He is changing, learning & growing so much!


Sayings
Likes to tell you "I'm awake" when he wakes up in the morning
Sings the ABC song quite well
Also loves to sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Muffin Man, Wheels on the Bus and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Says "I can't" a lot, when he really means he doesn't want to do something
Is always telling us he's a big boy
If you call him by a nickname he'll tell you "I'm not (nickname), I'm (name)"
Is always telling me/Troy "Mama/Dada I love you" and gives a big hug
Just started telling Troy & me "You my friends", and tells the dog "Chloe you my friend"
Talks and talks and talks all day long about anything and everything
Says "What do you want Mama?" and pretends to make me breakfast
Has started talking about things being big/small
Just said for the first time "Uh oh, spaghetti-o's" - not even sure where he heard that

Doings
Is climbing on lots of things (especially pieces of furniture he shouldn't climb on)
Likes to jump (straight up, both feet off the ground)
Loves to sit on a little stool we have
New favorite toys- play food, bowling set, backpack
Likes to play basketball
Is a good helper - helps put clothes away, clean up toys, etc.
Is fully potty trained during the day (even likes to go potty by himself with the door closed for privacy)
Always wants some sort of snack (especially cheese)
Sleeps in a toddler bed (we converted his crib)
Likes to try to buckle his car seat buckles (luckily isn't trying to unbuckle them yet)
Plays pretend
He is still short for his age - just now starting to fit into size 24 month pants.
Sometimes is really shy, sometimes is really outgoing.
Loves watching "Tomatoes" (VeggieTales), Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and Dora the Explorer.
I'm sure I'm missing A LOT of stuff, but these are the highlights

27 months old

LittleBigMan and his pal, Gorilla, eating breakfast


LittleBIgMan is learning and saying new things every day.  Here are some of the new cute/funny/strange things he's been saying and doing....

Likes to sniff things and then says "mmm... 'mells good"
Yells "MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, MOMMYYYYYYYYYYYYY" for me when he wakes up in the morning
Just told me "Wait one second"
LOVES to take pictures with my camera
Is very slowly learning his colors
LOVES playing with his water table
Saying more and more short sentences
On Saturday stood up and said "I go potty" and went to the potty all by himself (his underwear were even dry)
Uses some of his toys like they are nun chucks - hits himself with it - says "ow" - and then continues doing it
Begs for "brefass" (breakfast) all day long as if he doesn't get MORE than enough to eat.
Just learned to jump with both feet off the ground
Has started whining what feels like ALL THE TIME
Likes to kill ants, but says "oh no, spider" anytime he sees any other type of bug
Thinks there are monsters outside his window
Just today has started making gorilla (his favorite stuffed animal) go on the potty and eat breakfast

26 months old

What has our 26 MONTH OLD been up to lately?  Lots!

Sayings:
Says "No more monkeys jumpin' on da bed"
"Daddy, wut dat?" (daddy, what's that?)
"Go away, Chloe"
"Sit, right dare" (sit right there)
Counts to 9 (or 10 if prompted)
When asked how old he is, he usually says "Four"
Tries to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider, Muffin Man, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Wakes up almost every morning asking for "Cheese!"
Frequently says "Come here, mama!" So he can show me what he's doing
Calls a toot a "Burp" (thanks to his daddy)
Says "Daddy, you stink"
Says "Spank you, hard" when he thinks someone else is being bad
Loves to sing made up songs (that no one else can understand)
Has started saying "I love you" without being prompted

Doings:
Loves to build things with his blocks, especially airplanes and "helicocters"
Sometimes loves to say "hi" and wave at random strangers, other times is quite shy
Wears underwear at home and does a good job of going on the potty.  He had a setback after our last roadtrip, but is getting back on track slowly.
Starting to run with a more normal movement (instead of left arm pumping and feet flailing side to side)
Loves to build more intricate designs with his Legos.
Tries to exercise with us - he's especially good at yoga
Loves our scooter and runs to it every time he goes in the garage
Loves the wooden tool set he got from Grandma & Grandpa (especially the hammer)
Learning his colors (so far he knows "oranges", white and sometimes green)
Recently started humming his own songs
Loves to listen to "mukik" (music)
Has become a good helper (wants to help clean up, cook, get things from his room, etc)
Pats your back as he hugs you.
Can be quite bossy to anyone and everyone.

23 months old

LittleBigMan will be 2 years old in 1 month. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE???  Time goes by too quickly, that's for sure.  Here's an update on our little guy:

He loves eating "ogurt" (yogurt) and "eareel" (cereal) for "brefass" (breakfast).  He loves spending time with his "Grama" (grandma).  He no longer cries every time I put him down for a nap/bedtime.  He usually lays down so I can cover him with his "bankie" (blanket).  He loves his sit and spin toy and puts his gorilla and monkey on there with himself.  He loves to run around and play with the doggies.  When I'm on the phone, he says "Kasey" thinking I'm talking to her.  He loves his cousin "Paw-kerrr" (Parker) and baby Sadie.  He thinks all babies are Sadie.  He loves the indoor playground at the mall - loves to stand up top and hear the echo of his voice.  He loves to push things with his feet.  His tongue is almost always sticking out when he's thinking (maybe it helps him? LOL).  He L-O-V-E-S jackets/shirts with pockets.  He L-O-V-E-S to play in our big shop vac "boxsh" (box).  He loves going down slides... big slides, little slides, ALL slides.  He loves playing with his puzzles and shape sorter here recently.


New things he's saying...
"Rock climbing"
"I did it"
"Turn it"
"Wuts happen" (What happening?")
"Have it"
"I got it"
"Write it"
"Okay"
"Get away"
"Fire...hot"
"Iss tuck" (it's stuck)
"Wut er do-een?" (what are you doing?)
"That tickle" (that tickles)
"I gotcha"
Counts "1, 2, 3" before doing something he thinks is important, you know, like going down the slide or throwing a ball

my personal favorite - I ask him where's the goober and he points at his dad and yells "Goober"


...and SO much more!  It's fun to hear him say new words and phrases.  Just yesterday, I stood outside his doorway listening to him after he woke up from his nap.  He was listing all of the stuffed animals in his crib (monkey, "eebra" (zebra), doggie).  It sounded like he was having a conversation with them.  It amazes me how much he understands and tries to say in his deceivingly sweet little toddler voice. I say deceivingly because shortly after the nice little conversation with his animals I heard him saying "ut-up" (shut up) over and over.  Maybe the monkey was telling him something he didn't want to hear?

22 months old

Our LittleBigMan is 22 months old today.  We went to the YMCA with one of Troy's co-workers.  A and I swam while Dada played basketball.  We had a great time.  A still loves the water.  I think I'm going to take him to another Baby & Me swim class soon.

LittleBigMan has a lot to say these days.  It feels like I say this all the time, but he is definitely having a language explosion - new words, phrases and small sentences.  Here are the new things he's been saying...

"Did it"
"Isss smowing" (It's snowing)
"Brrr... cold"
"Gra-ma" (Grandma)
"Maggie, shu-up" (Telling the dog to shut up)
"Dada sleeping"
"Swimming...  water"
"Iss good" (in response to being asked if he liked his food)
"Cute"
"Bless you"
"Want some"
Loves to ask about "Pah-kerr" (Parker), "Ka-sey" and "Say-sie" (Sadie)
When asked where Dada is during the day, he says "at wurrrk" (at work)
"Sharkbait" (from Finding Nemo)
"Bre-fass" (Breakfast"
"Co-eee, good girl" (Chloe good girl)

New things he's been doing...
Wants to play "bas-et-ball" with Dada
Helps pick up his toys without too much of a struggle
Loves to play with his cars and says "vroom vroom" and "beep beep"
Tries to help put on his shoes (not very successful at this yet)
Potty training is coming along slowly... he does seem to be becoming more and more aware of when he's going potty.  When we put him on the potty chair, he's very good at pushing and trying to go.
He tries to jump, but doesn't quite get both feet off the ground.
Loves to run (especially away from me when he's in trouble!)
Is sometimes shy around strangers, while other times he turns into a big ham.
He LOVES to build with legos/duplos/mega blocks.
We working on learning colors.  He says everything is green.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all that comes to mind right now.

21 months old

It is hard to believe my baby will be 2 years in old in only 3 months. Here's what he's been up to lately...

He's about 31 inches tall

He weighs around 25 lbs.
He wears size 18 month clothing, toddler size 5 shoe, 3T-4T size hats

Some new things he's been doing...

He's become very affectionate... lots of hugs and kisses

He likes to give a family hug (if Troy's holding him, he'll pull me into the hug too)

He can point to and say most of the animals on our animal flashcards
He's liked books for awhile, but now he LOVES books

He hates diaper changes, so I've been trying to get him to use the potty more often
He can be quite whiny when he doesn't get his way, but cheers up quickly.
He has some awesome dance moves... he LOVES TO DANCE!!!
I don't let him watch much t.v., but he LOVES the Curious George movie
He lip syncs
He tries to whistle
Typical of his age, he is a bundle of non-stop energy

Some new things he's saying...

"Here go, baby"

"Here go, mom"

"Wash hands" (likes to use the hand sanitizer)

Says " 'Mon" (for 'come on') and pulls your pants/shirt to get you to follow him
Once he pulls you to where he wants you to be, he tells you to "sit!"

Says "dine-ore" (dinosaur) and roars a lot

Can point to and say most of his facial features (nose, eyes, cheeks, chin, mouth, tongue, teeth, hair, ears, eyebrows)

He's learning that things belong to individuals (not everything is his!) and he'll say "Dada's" when holding something that belongs to his dad.
Just learned the word booger (isn't that nice)
Starting to say simple sentences like "monkey's in bed"
He likes to ask for one of his favorite foods: "Ap-bel-saush" (applesauce)

Typical conversation with LittleBigMan...
A: "Momma!"

Me: "Yes, sweetie?"
A: "Momma, momma, mommeeeee!"
Me: "What do you want A?"
(repeat several times)
A: "momma, vroom vroom Rooooaaaarrrrr!"

18 months old

A few days ago Baby A turned 18 months old. He is getting more and more fun... and more and more mischievous.


Fun/funny stuff...
says "ank ewe" (thank you)
says "uh ewe" (love you)
says "ewe, poo poo"
when asked how old he is, he holds up 1 finger but says "two"
loves to brush his teeth
loves to wash his hands
loves to tickle people while saying tickle, tickle
just started saying "aw, baby" when he gives you a hug
calls everyone mama, though will say the right name when prompted
loves to talk on his play phone
says "oh man!"
taking a cue from his cousin Parker, he loves airplanes and makes an airplane-ish noise
says "broom broom" (vroom vroom) a lot

Mischievous stuff...
climbs on everything
gets into EVERYTHING
wants to drink out of regular cups and will tip them onto the floor given the chance
squeals when he's ticked off
throws himself on the floor when he's ticked off
he's bossy toward the dogs
sometimes sticks his finger at you and says "no" when told to do something
finds things he's not supposed to have and takes off running with them
is a little piggy and begs for your food (I would love to eat a meal in peace!)

Sometimes I look at him and want to pull my hair out, but usually I look at him with total and utter amazement. He makes us laugh many times a day which usually makes up for the not so good stuff he does.

17 months old

Baby A is 17 months old today. Where has the time gone?



What has he been up to lately? Well...
He can say about 25 words.
He is now running.
He LOVES to give hugs and kisses.
He calls out "Mama" in the morning.
He calls his dad "Mama" sometimes.
He LOVES to dance... seriously LOVES to dance.
He LOVES being outdoors and would spend every waking minute out there if he could.
He pretends to talk on the phone.
...and much more!

16 1/2 months old

Baby A is about 16 1/2 months old now. He's learning and changing all the time. Here's what he's been up to lately:

LOVES to take a bath and says 'ba' (bath)
LOVES bubbles and can say 'bub-lll' (bubbles)
Can say 'na' (snack)
Tries to be bossy with the dogs, saying things like 'dow' (down)
Imitates animal sounds like growling and moo
Loves to say Mommy - sometimes toward me, sometimes not
Really likes petting (or terrorizing) the doggies and says 'do' (dog)
Tries to say shoes
Jibber jabbers alot

Likes to try to help out around the house, like putting things in the recycle bin or trash can, try to sweep and even trying to vacuum


He loves to give kisses, even to the dogs.

He really likes music and dancing. He's really getting into dancing more and more. He has some pretty fancy footwork.

He's learning to step over things (like a door threshold or rock) instead of getting down to a crawl.

He's learning to listen and obey pretty well. Also, learning to be more quiet so he can get away with more stuff before we can tell him to stop. LOL

He likes to walk around with his arm cocked back ready to hit anyone who passes by him. "No hitting" is heard a lot these days.

He loves the wheel accessory for Wii Mario Kart. Turns it like a steering wheel (not sure how he knows to do that.) Kind of makes a vroom noise when he does it.

He loves to close cabinets, doors, etc.

He knows about the display on the back of my digital camera and likes to see the pics right after I take them.

He loves his toothbrush. He doesn't seem to mind us brushing his teeth. He really enjoys when it is his turn to brush them.

Sometimes he tries to say cheese and scrunches up his face when I go to take a pic of him.

He amazes me just about every day with something new he's learned.

And let's not forget, he seems to be at a point where he only needs one nap a day. I have been dreading this, but it was inevitable.

Before and After

Baby A received his first haircut yesterday. He doesn't have a lot hair, but it was getting pretty bushy in the back.

Before:


During:


After:

I'm a-walkin'... oh yeah, I'm a-walkin'

First steps

Baby A took his first steps today!!! Granny G was tickled pink to get to see him do this.

Here is a video we took later in the day. He is quite wobbly, but well on his way to walking now.





And... Baby A is getting his two front top teeth. (He hasn't had any new teeth pop in for about 6 months now) Things sure are changing quickly with our little boy!

The life and times of a 13 1/2 month old

Here's what Baby A has been up to lately...
No walking yet, but still crawling like a little maniac (he's especially fast when naked, LOL)
He is quiet and fast moving, so you have to keep a close eye on him
He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES bath time. He crawls at mach speed to the tub when he hears the water running.
He LOVES to eat. His recent favorites are just about any fruit (other than bananas) and almost any veggie (except potatoes). He loves cheese. He loves yogurt. He loves turkey, chicken and salmon. He loves trying new things. We are slowly starting to give him more table foods, but mostly sticking to the food I make him.
He loves to feed himself with a spoon. He's doing ok with a spoon and enlists the help of his other hand as needed. (Big mess!)
He still nurses a few times per day and knows the sign language for milk.
He seems to be learning that I am Mama.
He calls just about everything dada.
He can say and point out a ball.
He can roll the ball back and forth to us.
He's wearing 12 month clothing and about 6-9 month shoes. (Little feet)
He is definitely thinning down, but still has plenty of baby fat on him.
He says "no" and is starting to hit from time to time. (Naughty!)
He loves playing outside. He seems to think dirt, sticks and rocks are all edible.
He is starting to drink water out of a sippy cup really well. Before, he would get the water in his mouth and then let it dribble out or spit it out.
He loves his doggy Chloe. He loves to pet her (or rather poke her in the eye and pull on her legs).
He is jibber jabbering a lot more lately. I would swear he says "stop it" sometimes.
He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to dance to music. (This is quite a sight to see.)
He is a pretty happy-go-lucky little guy.
He adores his cousin Parker. I suspect the two of them will get each other in plenty of trouble as they get older.
He says "boo" to himself in the mirror in the car and laughs at himself hysterically.
He cries at every naptime and bedtime. (This gets old)
He still naps twice a day - at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
He sleeps great at night from about 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
He laughs a lot and is mostly a real joy to be around.

This picture cracks me up, so I thought I would share it. Wouldn't it be great to know what he was thinking?

First Word

Baby A's first word is "no". Sure he's said ma-ma, da-da, ba-ba and even uh oh... but he doesn't yet really understand what they mean. He is atleast learning what "no" means. For instance, if he tries to play with the recycle bin we tell him "no" and try to redirect his attention. He'll crawl back to the bin and put his hand really close to it and look around to see if anyone is watching. If he sees us watching him, he'll pull his hand back and say "no" and shake his head. It's really funny... but of course we have to hold back our laughter.

As I mentioned in my previous post, he's become so animated lately... shaking his head vigorously as he says no, really trying to communicate with sounds, and unfortunately exerting his free will (nice way of saying that he now has temper tantrums).

Here's a video from when we went to dinner this evening...

One Year Old

Today is a bittersweet day. Sad because my little baby isn't such a little baby anymore... but exciting to see who he is becoming. I love you Big Man!