Birthday Week Day 1: New Kicks

In honor of birthday week, we are going to do a post a day to celebrate our little guy.  Enjoy!

Andrew turns one on Friday. In 4 days, an entire year will have gone by since this little nugget entered the world. How is that possible?  I was just pregnant and filled with anticipation on who this person in my belly would be! But here we are and to celebrate, we decided to accomplish another "first" before his 1st birthday.

If you are a Facebook friend, you will remember that Andrew took his first steps last Sunday.  Here is a little video that captured this momentous event:

Since we have a soon-to-be walker on our hands, we decided he should have some proper footwear. 

Enter Stride Rite.

We have been loyal customers to this kiddo chain since James got his first pair of shoes back before his first birthday. We find that the value of the product is great as is the customer service so we head there whenever new shoes are needed. After a slightly traumatic haircut, we thought that getting some new shoes might cheer Andrew up a bit.

We were wrong.

This is what happened when the nice sales lady tried to measure Andrew's foot:

And this is what happened when we tried to get him to walk around a bit in his new shoes:

I guess shoes are just not his thing. Or strangers. But he did pull it together once he got used to everything. 

His foot is slightly smaller than James' at this age measuring in at a size 4 vs. James' 4.5 wide. His new little shoes make him even more adorable than he already was. Time to get movin' and conquer the world...or at least the living room. :)

A Nemo Pool Party

Guess who had a Nemo swim party this weekend??  THIS GUY DID!!!

Armed with is new goggles and his puddle jumper floatie, James and his friends hit the pool for some fish-like birthday fun. There were lots of laughs as the kids enjoyed the Cub Run indoor pool.  From the slides to the fountains to the lazy river, there were lots of ways to stay entertained and James did it all!

Once the kids were sufficiently waterlogged, it was time for lunch and the greatest looking Nemo cake I could find (thank you, Giant!). Everyone seemed to have a great time - especially the birthday boy!

Happy Birthday, Buddy!!

xoxo

Happy 4th Birthday, James!!

It's hard to believe that this little baby...

...is now this big kid!

Today we celebrate our James. He is a kid who has the biggest heart, the biggest smile and the biggest laugh of anyone we know.  This year, he became a big brother and does an AMAZING job with Andrew. He couldn't be more loving and wonderful with his baby brother. We are SO proud of him.

And as part of our tradition, we made a video that highlights the amazing kid that James is.

Happy 4th Birthday, James!  

We love you!!!

Andrew's Monthly Photo Project: Eleven Months Old

It's February 25th which means that we have reached another monthly milestone: 11 MONTHS!  Time has certainly flown by and Andrew is THRIVING!  This kid has SO much energy - it amazes us every day.  He is curious and sweet and just wants to play and have fun.

Andrew had some big milestones this month:

• This kid is ON THE MOVE! And boy is he FAST!  He has mastered crawling and is getting ready for his first steps. As of late, his most favorite mode of movement is on his firetruck with Daddy pushing. And when they are chasing James well...that is the icing on the cake.

• He is eating like a champion these days.  From turkey meatballs and macaroni to bananas and blueberry muffins, there is nothing this kid won't try.  He is full on eating school food and is loving it all.  

• This little man is officially into EVERYTHING!!  He is always on the go which keeps us all on our toes.  His favorites include Lucy's food and water bowls, Mommy's cookbooks in the kitchen island and anything in the bathroom.

Happy 11 Months, Andrew!!

Andrew's Monthly Photo Project: Ten Months

We are buried under 25+ inches of snow, but that doesn't stop this little guy from growing.  Today we celebrate 10 months and Andrew is ready to party!

In honor of the record snow fall we just experienced, we decided to dress him up appropriately for this milestone. And speaking of milestone, here are a few things that Andrew is currently crushing:

• Andrew is ON THE MOVE!  This kid is everywhere and it is never where he is supposed to be.  Not only has he mastered crawling, he is cruising on anything he can reach. The coffee table, the kiddie table, the couch, the dog...it doesn't matter.  First steps are around the corner for sure.

• Nom, Nom.  Andrew is HUNGRY!  And he doesn't want silly purees.  He wants REAL food so we have been experimenting with all kinds of table food.  From macaroni and meatballs, to sweet potatoes and peaches, there is nothing this kid doesn't shovel into his mouth.

• We officially have 2 more teeth bringing the official total to 4 which is very helpful with all the eating I described above.

• Daycare has caught onto his growth and is moving him into the Infant II classroom in a few short weeks.  He has been spending some time each day with the bigger babies and seems to really like it.  I'm sure the little babies in the Infant I class are ready for him to go.  He keeps stealing their pacifiers and tossing them across the room!

Happy 10 Months, Andrew!!

Andrew's Monthly Photo Project: Nine Months

Merry Christmas!!

In addition to this joyous occasion, our little man is celebrating his 9 month birthday.  9 MONTHS!  Time is flying by way to fast for our taste.  He needs to stop growing!  But alas, our Andrew is an active little guy who is eager to explore the world around him and continues to grow and thrive.

Since it is Christmas, we decided to make Andrew's monthly photo a little festive. :)

We once again have a slew of milestones to report:

• This kid has mastered crawling.  He is into everything which means the house is baby proofed as best it can be.  He really loves getting into James' business - whether big brother likes it or not.  If James is playing with his trains or cars or books, Andrew is right there next to him.
• One of his most favorite activities as of late is Gate Dancing.  He loves to grab onto the bars of any baby gate and just boogy woogy. 
• The kid has a good grasp on who he is these days.  When someone calls out "Andrew", he is turning his head.  Lately, he mostly hears, "Andrew - that is not for you!" when getting into something he shouldn't. :)

• Things in the high chair are progressing great.  He loves to snack on puffs and yogurt bites and is a pro at the sippy cup.  He is eating more foods than I can count and is loving most.  Peas still seem to be his nemesis but we keep trying!

• Haircut #2 is in the books and he is as handsome as ever.  The experience at Cartoon Cuts was a lot better than the first - way less tears.

• We have 2 more teeth about to make an appearance, but he seems to be handling them pretty well.    

HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!

Oh...Hello, Santa.

So this happened last night:

Turns out that Santa is the scariest monster out there and the only way to get James to kind of go near him is to physically hold him down and force him to take a family photo. The kicker - exactly 47seconds after this photo was taken, James went and gave Santa a high five.  I feel as though I was played.

Andrew was unfazed.

Merry Christmas!