Happy Birthday!

Before we get to far away from the event itself, I do want to post some pictures from Douglas'...birthday week - that is the only way to describe it.

The week started on a Saturday with a shared birthday party with his cousin, Nadia. It was a great event with lots of Reinhardt Family and pumpkin painting and chili and cake eating. Douglas, this year,  did not cry when people sang happy birthday and was even interested in the candles. So all in all it was a success.

The middle of the week brought his actual birthday and Halloween, simultaneously. He wasn't as thrilled about that. (I think he prefers to share attention, or have other people get the attention). Many people were wishing him "Happy Birthday!" and his response was "No!" Cake seemed to bring him around but it took awhile. It was also an all day procedure to get him to get close to his Cookie Monster costume, but by the time we went to a Halloween/birthday party (and when I told him they were pajamas) he willingly put them on. The rest of the party went okay and he was even successful in blowing out the birthday candles.

We then finished out the whole week with a birthday dinner with the Irvines. By this point, he had gotten the hang of birthdays. He knew he wanted pizza (actually climbed into his chair and waited for the rest of us to join him), he most definitely wanted cake and he even tried to open his presents (with the help of Aunt Liz). Being that the Irvine family has most of their birthdays in the Fall (Oct 15, Oct 31, Nov 15, Dec 4, Dec 10) and that the holidays are coming - I think Douglas is going to think all of these special dinners with cake are a normal routine. January will be a rude awakening.

So, without further ado - here are some birthday pictures.

October already?

I am still asking myself where September went, and trying to figure out what day it is in October. Needless to say, it has been a very busy beginning of fall for us. Adam finally got a job right at the end of August, he is a Speech Language Pathologist in an Elementary school in the Rochester City School District. Long story short, there has been a lot of back and forth with HR getting his contract finalized and getting all of his paperwork done, but he is prevailing and has been working with kids for about a month now. There is a lot to learn when you start a new job, and a lot to get oriented to in a new district, so it has been a crazy month for him.

While Adam has been trying to adjust to his new job, Douglas was finishing up at his last home babysitter. We had two great home babysitters over the past two years, who were wonderful, but both have had new babies arrive in their respective families which forced them to pull back from babysitting for awhile. We were lucky to have these babysitters for as long as we have, and decided to transition to a real day care at this point for Douglas. The one that we have started at is just around the corner from us, Douglas' cousins go there, and they have a preschool attached to the daycare that he can transition into as he gets older. So...it seemed like a no-brainer. But, transitions are always hard (sometimes harder on the parents than on the children) and I had to wrap my mind around going to a building, instead of someone's home. Douglas started a couple weeks ago and it has been the best possible situation. The first day, Monday, he was so excited about the toys that he didn't even notice that I was leaving. He was a little more aware of my leaving the next day, but was very excited to go see his cousin, so he was easily consoled. It helps a mother's heart a lot to hear about all the fun things he is doing.  Currently, he is the only toddler there - so he has all the attention, and all the toys to play with. I have heard there will be another toddler (a boy) joining him at the end of the month, someone who is only 18 months. It will be interesting to see how Douglas has to learn to share, though I think he will enjoy having someone to play with. (Adults can only be so fun.)

Before another month gets by before I actually post this (I started it at the beginning of October, and it is now October 15th) I will get some pictures on here for you all to enjoy.

August is flying by!

It has been a very busy August to be sure. We started off the month with a week long vacation in the Adirondacks with family. As you will see in the pictures below, it was a great week with lots of sun and water to be had by everyone. My grandparents and aunt and uncle and cousins joined us for the week and it was a great reunion while we celebrated a couple of wedding anniversaries and a birthday.

It was also an amazing week for Douglas being in a completely new environment. He did remarkably well and I think the change in scenery sparked his speech and learning of words. By the end of the week everyone had a name and since then he has been learning words left and right.

Douglas and Adam in the kayak

Adam and Douglas in the swing looking over the lake.

Douglas' first real haircut from my sister.

Adirondack Museum - so many Boats!! (Douglas had to find them all)

Douglas and Mama on a Choo Choo!

Choo Choo!

Now let me interject for a moment. If you ever are in the Adirondacks with some small children and you need a place where they can run around - go to the Adirondack Museum. This place was a life saver for Adam and I. Every exhibit has a kid section within it, and the whole place is geared for kids to be able to access it. So there are more than enough interesting sections for kids of all ages. Douglas loved it, and we didn't even get to half of it. He had to see and point out every boat that he saw, while yelling BOAT! BOAT! He pointed and ran around the Choo Choo! multiple times. It was great!

Relaxing in the water.

Douglas and Nana. This was as wet as he got.
He is like his dad in that he likes to be on the water, but not really in it.

Playing next to the water with Dada.

After we came home from the Adirondacks. I had the next week off to spend some time with Adam and Douglas. It was needed as well in recovering from a week of sleeping in the same room as a 1 1/2 year old (they get up very early). We went to a local farm that had a petting zoo because of Douglas' new desire to name all the animals and touch them. He did see lots of goats, but as you will see, didn't spend much time with them.

Douglas on a tractor.

Douglas and Malorie on a tractor.

Douglas and Noah on a tractor.

We also spent a morning out at a local fish hatcherie looking at all the Fishies! (Everything is said with an exclamation point.) He loved looking at, pointing at and feeding the Fishies. It was a hit!

We also spent much time at playgrounds. Douglas has decided that he is a big kid now and prefers the big kid swings. It is amazing how fast they can group up at times - before vacation he was fine with the baby swing. After vacation - no siree bob! big kid swing or bust!

I will leave you with some other gems of Douglas' new vocabulary.

Orange - Issssshhh

Douglas - You ! (When ever you ask who he is, he will point to himself and say You! Might be time to teach some pronouns.)

Peach and Fox are dangerously close to expletives, so I won't repeat them here. Just know if it sounds like he is swearing, he is not, he is probably asking for some fruit.

Banana - manana

Tomato -manano

Till next time!

Dearest Friends,

Do not think that I have forgotten you all! Below are the recordings of the busy happenings of our summer so far. We have taken a day trip out to see relatives in Syracuse; Adam and I have gone away for a weekend wedding leaving Douglas with my parents for the first time; hung out with his cousins and other extended family and gone to a family fun BBQ for a local organization that we support. All the while many birds and other animals have visited our lovely bird feeders and provided much entertainment to us all. We have also tried to weather the high heat and lack of rain that June and July have brought us by playing in various kiddie pools. It has been jam-packed and fun, with no sign of stopping. Enjoy the pictures and I will bring you more after our vacation!

Douglas working on climbing a big rig for carrying rowing sculls.

Adam and I at our friend Katie's Wedding.

Me and the glowing bride!

If you look close, you will see our friend the chipmunk. This is where he hangs out.

A downy woodpecker visiting Adam's bird feeder.

A yellow finch visiting Adam's other bird 

Adam and Douglas

Eating watermelon with the cousins and Grammie!

Alicia & Aunt Sue at the Rehema Home BBQ

Douglas wanting to go in the Bounce House at the Rehema Home BBQ.

All of us after a carriage ride at the Rehema Home BBQ.

Douglas wearing Mama's shoes.