Happy Halloween (for my Mom)

My mom has been asking me to post some Halloween pictures for quite sometime so I thought I better do it before posting Christmas pictures gets here.  Our original plan for Halloween was this adorable sock monkey costume for Logan and we borrowed a dragon costume for Stockton.  However...

 ....due to a last minute Woody costume that my sister gave Stockton a few days before Halloween, we did a last minute switch over to this...

I didnt do a very good job of getting a picture of them together.  It turns out trying to get a picture of them at the end of the night when all they want to do is tear into their loot isn't the best timing.  Then you just end up with pictures like this.  (And these are the GOOD ones)

Here is Stockton and his buddies out Trick-or-Treating.  Is it just me, or does Stockton look tiny next to these two?  And he is the OLDEST of the group!

Family Pics 2011

I am sure all of my 10 readers have already seen our pics on Facebook, but I needed to document them since I just LOVE all of them so much!!  Here they are...

My 1 year old baby

 August 25, 2011

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

7 months old

8 months old

9 months old

10 months old

11 months old

1 year old

I can't believe Logan's first year is already over.  The more I tried to savor every minute of my baby boy, the faster it seemed to go.  When I close my eyes and think of Logan at 1 year old, these are the things I want to remember....

• His big toothy grin that he gives away so freely, especially when he knows he is being naughty.
• The way he puckers his lips and scrunches his eyes when he talks to you so seriously and says "Goog, goog".  And the way he points his little finger when he is trying to show you something he wants.
• Watching him run away smiling or laughing when he knows its time to get dressed, change his diaper, or go to bed.
• Having to pin him down on the floor with one of my legs so I can change his diaper since he doesn't understand the concept of holding still.
• His independent eating.  He doesnt like to be fed, he has to do things himself.  But since he hasn't mastered his spoon and fork yet, we have to get the food on it and put it down on the tray for him to pick up.  If you try and hand the fork directly to him, he wont take it.  He does that with alot of things.  He won't take things directly from my hand, I have to set it down in front of him and then he will pick it up.
• The way he has mastered the art of dodging you while trying to wipe his face or nose.  It is next to impossible to get his face cleaned, so don't jug me that it is always dirty!!
• The way he will come over and sit in mine or Troy's lap for a second while he is playing just to check in and then he goes right back to playing.
• The way he growls like a little Gremlin when he plays, mostly with his trucks or animals.
• His love for playing in the bathroom.  Whether it is climbing up the step stool and playing in the sink or taking advantage of us forgetting to close the toilet lid.
• His wispy/curly hair sticking out behind his ears.
• Him learning at such a young age how to antagonize his older brother.  Whether it is rough-housing or taking something of Stockton's and turning and running while Stockton chases him crying, he is already a pro.
• The way he waves bye-bye by just moving his wrist up and down.  It is especially cute when he randomly does it to strangers without being provoked.
• Him always having bruises on his head from either falling down or running into things b/c he is so top heavy with his big noggin. 
• The way he hits you with toys.  Even though he is a little stinker when he does it, the naughty grin that follows is just priceless.  It was especially funny when he beat Daddy up with the drumstick.
• The way he wont let us hold him to put him to sleep.  We just put him in his crib and he literally moves constantly until he falls asleep.  Sometimes, and I repeat, SOMETIMES, he will let us cuddle him a little before he put him in his crib.  This usually involves him being sweet, looking up at us and then sticking his fingers in our mouth and stabbing our gums with his razor sharp finger nails.  
• Putting us through 3 hours of torture every Sunday at church because he doesn't know how to be still for more than 3 seconds. 
• His chubby, little bow-legs and chunky butt. 
• The way he rests his head on my chest when I get him out of his bed in the morning.  
• His no-fear, do anything attitude.
• The way he backs down the driveway to the street grinning at me because he knows he is going to get in trouble.
• His long, think eyelashes and the color of his green eyes that are exactly like his Daddy's.
• The way he walks in place when he is throwing a fit and then plops himself down on the ground.
• And the way he will come and lay on you when you are in the floor with him to give you loves.

I don't ever want to forget the light that I have seen in him from the very first second I met him and I just don't ever want to forget the way I feel everyday when I get to see this face...

A new hobby????

I tried my hand at fondant cake decorating this weekend for my awesome friend, Sarah's, birthday.  She loves owls and I was inspired by a cake my friend at Audzipan Anthology made.  I am pretty proud of my first attempt and am anxious to do something fun for Logan's birthday in a couple of weeks.  What do you think??

Side note:  I made the fondant myself.  It was super easy and yummy!  Check out the Audzipan Anthology for the recipe I used.  :)

State of Denial

I haven't been able to believe that Logan's 1st birthday is just a couple weeks away until I took this picture of him today.  My baby goggles finally came off and I was able to see how grown up he actually is.  It makes my heart sad to think of him of a blossoming toddler instead of my precious baby.

(Don't you love the skid marks on his face and his goose egg/bruise on his forehead?  Typical Logan.)

His latest updates:

• He loves anything that has wheels that he can drive around and make car noises.  Seriously, if he even sees a picture of a car or truck, he starts with his growling sounds.
• He is learning how to work the sympathy system and show a little jealousy.  If Stockton is crying to me, he will run over and squeeze himself between us into my lap or he will immediately start crying and run over to be held.
• He is still in GO!GO!GO! mode at all times.  He has to be constantly moving and doing something.  He doesnt know the definition of sitting still.
• He is learning how to be a grumpy pants and has no problem showing his bad attitude at anytime of the day.
• He is becoming much more affectionate.  He likes it when I just sit in the floor while he plays so he can come over every 2 mintues, crawl in my lap, give me a hug, and sit there for about 30 seconds before he is back to business with his toys.
• He somehow already knows how to annoy his brother and is already learning to some self defense wrestling moves.  He will get on his hands with his butt in the air and ram into Stockton with his head.  I will admit, Stockton deserves it most of the time.
• He has mastered the art of running away from me laughing when he knows it is time to either get dressed or get his diaper changed.

His birthday is sure creeping up fast, I better get into gear planning something.  I know he doesnt really need a big party, but I feel like if I dont at least do something similar to what we did for Stockton's then I will be a horrible mother and will further damage his fragile ego as the 2nd child.  So if anyone has any ideas, let me know.  Also, if you know how to make a truck cake, send me some tips! :)

Potty Training and Prayers

I am not in the mood to make a detailed post, but I just wanted to document that after 2 1/2 days of intensive training, Stockton is officially potty trained!!  Thanks to some good advice, it was alot easier than I anticipated.  It almost makes me wish I would have done it sooner.  Maybe not.  I also thought is was interesting that Stockton is exactly 2 1/2 years old today.  Happy kind-of Birthday, Stockton! :)

Oh yeah, and he also said the prayer at dinner tonight for the very first time.  I am looking forward to many years of listening to children's prayers. So cute.

Time for some documenting

This past week I have been consumed with the realization that Stockton and Logan are growing everyday.  And not only are they growing, but they are doing it very quickly.  Much faster than I would really like.  There is so much about them that I don't want to forget and so much that I wish would never change.  So I figured I better write some stuff down before I blink and they are teenagers.  Here goes:

Logan:

• I worry everyday about what is in store for me the older he gets.  (Prepare yourselves for a cheesy, only-a-mother-would-understand comment)  From the time he was born I saw a light in him that I didn't see in Stockton.  It was a kindness and a lightheartedness in his eyes that I really can't describe.  I still see it in him everyday, but he is just so full of energy that I don't know how he will ever be contained.  He has been walking for about the past month (since 9 1/2 months) and is already a pro.  He rarely even crawls anymore, he would much rather walk.  He can stand up from a sitting position, and doesn't need to pull himself up on anything.  He has also mastered going up the stairs, hasnt figured out how to go down yet, but he can fly up, that's for sure.  It is weird for me to see such a little guy walking, but at the same time, I wouldn't expect anything different from him. 
• He is the happiest, most go-lucky baby in the world...as long as he is getting what he wants.  As soon as that changes, he goes from 0 to 60 in about 2 seconds.  He knows how to be stubborn and he knows how to throw a fit.  Watch out world, we have got one more strong-willed boy coming your way.  
• His hands are still out of control.  He loves grabbing everything he possibly can and sticking his hands in peoples' mouths and faces.  I think he could potentially grow up to be a thief b/c he is so fast and can grab anything that you think is out of his reach.  Everyday he does at least one walk-by grab.  I will be holding him, walking through the house and will notice that he carrying some object that there is no possible way he could have grabbed without me noticing.  
• He is starting to enjoy reading.  And when I say this I mean that he will actually let me open a book and turn it 2-3 pages before he becomes Godzilla and wants to destroy it.  He mostly enjoys books with pictures of animals or babies.  I am learning that if I read him books that I can interact with him by touching him or making funny noises, then I have a better chance of getting through those.  This may seem normal for a 10 month old baby, but Stockton would sit still and let me read to him as long I wanted from the time he was born.  So to me, it is a little frustrating.  Reading is my "Paranoid Mother" issue.  I don't buy into all of the Parenting Guides that try and convince you that if you dont do things a certain way then your baby will not turn out normal, but somewhere along the way I got it into my head that if I dont read to my kids at least 15 minutes a day then they will grow up with no imagination, have ADD and not do very well in school.  I am paranoid, I know, but as far as I am concerned reading to them everyday will only have positive affects on them so I am OK with being OCD about it.  Anyways, back to Logan...
• He loves to growl.  My sister seems to think he is a Gremlin.  I am confident that he isn't, but not confident enough to feed him after midnight.  He mostly growls when he wants something from you, when he is looking at pictures of animals, and when he is driving his trucks around.  And sometimes just when he is walking around the house.  This is what worries me about feeding him after midnight.
• He has 6 teeth so far.  Both sets of front and bottom middles and the 2 right beside the middles on top.  He has started grinding them together and he makes the cutest face when he does it.
• He is starting to get a little more cuddly.  He still wont let me hold him until he goes to sleep, but he at least rests his head on my chest and lets me sway with him for a couple minutes before I put him in his bed.  Those are the times I wish I could hold him forever.
• Finally, he is a total Daddy's boy.  When Troy is home he pretty much wants nothing to do with anyone or anything else.  If me and Troy are in the same room, he goes to Troy over me every time.  Anytime Troy is in the floor, Logan will walk over and either nuzzle him with his head or sit with his back up against Troy and just lay on him.  It is really sweet.  Stockton is such a Momma's boy, I am glad that Troy has a little buddy. 

Stockton:

• He is getting so grown up and smarter everyday.  It is crazy to see him put his own thoughts together instead of just allowing us to control everything he says and does.  He is just so aware and interested in everything going on around him and is starting to have his own random thoughts.  This morning at breakfast he just pipes up and says, "Dis tastes good, Mommy."  And then again at lunch.  I guess he didn't think too highly of our dinner because I didn't get a compliment for that.  He likes to ask "Wha Dat?" and when I tell him he says, "Oh".  The other day at the park he brought me a flower and said, "Mommy have."  That one brought a tear to my eye.  One night we were going to bed and he chose his bedtime book, but I told him it was brother's turn for a book first and for him to sit on the floor and read his book until it was his turn and he said "O-tay Mommy, I read it" and he sat down on his floor and turned the pages while talking jibberish to himself and pointing at the pictures.
• He is talking up a storm these days.  His vocabulary is growing everyday and he will pretty much repeat anything that we want him to say.  His speech therapist wants us to start working on his pronunciation now that his vocabulary is getting so big.  He was eating some graham cracker bunnies the other day and he asked for more "Nunnies".  I told him they were Bunnies, not Nunnies.  I had him repeat the "B" sound for me and then told him to say "Bu-Bu-Bu-Bunnies" and he said, "Bu-Bu-Bu-Nunnies!"  He was so proud of himself.
• He loves doing puzzles.  He is so good at it, too.  He is already doing the 36 piece ones. He would do puzzles all day if I didnt get burnt out on them so fast.  Every time he gets a piece together he gets so excited and says, "I did it!"  I thought I would join in on the excitement so when I got a piece together I said, "I did it!" and he followed up with "Mommy, I did it, too!" 
• He got his mother's scared gene and he is becoming more and more afraid of the dark.  Even if it is daylight outside, but the blinds are closed in a room, he wont go in there unless I go in and open up the window first.  Even though I know he is scared he tries to say so matter-of-factly, "Mommy dark" so I will go in first.  At least he tries to be brave.
• Toy Story and Thomas the Train have taken the backseat to Go! Diego! Go!  For the time being, at least.  He must ask at least 20 times a day to watch it.  Although he doesnt just ask, he throws his hands in the air and says, "Watch Diedo!"  He is just so enthusiastic about it that it is hard to not be as excited about him watching it as he is.  It seems like lately he has been watching too much it, but it could be worse, right?
• He LOVES his "Naan-Naan".  His cousin Emily is probably his 2nd most favorite person in the world right behind Mommy.  Anytime she is around, the world around him ceases to exist and she is the only thing that matters.  He wants nothing to do with me or Troy and wants her to do everything for him.  The funny thing is that he calls her "Naan-Naan".  My name has always been Dawn-Dawn in my family because my sister couldnt say my name when we were little so somehow the name Dawn-Dawn was born.  (My middle name is Dawn)  We never told Stockton to call Emily Dawn-Dawn, he just picked up on it from hearing her say it so frequently.  That is what is so funny.  Not so much anymore, but it seems like anytime Emily was around, there was a broken record playing my name over and over and over again.

Stockton & Logan:

• They are both getting really good at pestering each other already.  Stockton thinks he can take any toy away from Logan as long as he gives him a "replacement" toy when he swipes it.  And Logan thinks he can just go take whatever he wants from Stockton because, well...he's stronger and almost bigger.  Plus Logan is already learning how to push Stockton's buttons to get a reaction out of him.  Logan will go do something to Stockton, Stockton will throw a fit, and Logan will just laugh like that is exactly what he was trying to do.  Shouldn't it be the other way around??  Logan is too little for this.
• Even though they do things to annoy each other, they are getting really good at playing with each other.  They already know how to rough-house each other and even though I think Logan is too little play the way they play most of the time, he just laughs and laughs and laughs so I am learning to just turn my head and let them do their thing.  It is funny to watch them feed off of each other.  Stockton will do something silly or entertaining and Logan will just bust a gut, so then Stockton will start laughing and they will both just laugh as hard as they can.  It was so precious to have Stockton all to ourselves and be able to play and laugh with him, but it is so much more satisfying to hear 2 little boys laughing together.  I hope they will always love each other as much as they do right now.