Tucker's first Christmas and it was full of holiday spirit! We had a quiet Christmas Eve and Christmas morning just the three of us. I did miss being with my parents to celebrate as it was my first Christmas without them.
On Christmas Eve we went to St. Anne's for a wonderful Christmas Eve service. We sort of had to bribe Tucker with puffs and milk but all in all he did very well. I think that he liked when we were standing and singing (which seemed to be a lot) but was restless when we were sitting. He did do a good job of flirting with a little girl in the pew ahead of us which was fun to watch. After church and after Tucker was tucked in bed, Brandon and I had a wonderful dinner just the two of us.
Christmas morning Brandon and I actually woke up around 7am and opened our stockings. We were finishing up right when Tucker was waking up so then we helped him open his stocking. Shortly after we headed downstairs to see what Santa left under the tree. Tucker was a little overwhelmed and loved pulling at the ribbon. Once the paper was off the gift he enjoyed tearing it, which we could not figure out. All in all, he has some wonderful cloths for this summer, a new sandbox, books, nice soft foam blocks, and trucks. Everything a little baby boy would want.
In the afternoon we headed up to Brandon's parents house to continue the celebration. Tucker did well for a bit of time and then I think that the overall excitement of the day got the best of him. While he was tired he just did not want to sleep. So unfortunately we all had to hear him cry for awhile. We are all still trying to get back on schedule!!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
USN Band Holiday Concert
For the past several years Brandon and I have attended the United States Navy Holiday Concert. This is something that our old neighbors Wes and Lori turned us onto. We loved it so much that this has become something that we look forward to every year and this year was no exception. Unfortunately when I sent my request in this year I received a letter back saying they were out of tickets but that we could still show up and claim an unclaimed seat. I was a little reluctant at first but we needed to get some Holiday spirit so we went. Luck would have it that we "scored" awesome floor seats in the back. This was perfect since Tucker was a wiggle worm the entire time. Brandon had some foresight and brought alone a foam letter and this helped occupy Tucker for awhile.
We even got to enjoy a nice stroll over to the National Christmas Tree and Tucker got to visit with Santa again.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year friends and family!!!
Tucker and Santa
I kept hearing about how my friends babies/infants would start to cry when they saw Santa and I was worried about how Tucker would react. While he was not laughing and smiling, he did not cry. Rather he did seem interested in who this big man was with a long beard though. So, Tucker's first photos with Santa.
Tis the Christmas Season - Family Christmas Tree
The day had come when we, the three musketeers, were going in search of our Christmas Tree. Not only was this a first for Tucker, but it was also a first for Mr. California boy.
Backpack, check. Hats and gloves, check. Camera, check. Christmas music for the car, check. Tucker’s bottle, check and double check. Christmas spirit, CHECK!!! And off we went to cut down the Lindley Christmas Tree. Over the fields and through the woods to the Christmas Tree farm we went. The farm was about an hour away and I had this vision of a forest of Christmas trees whereby we would scavenger our way around and at times get lost, much like we would in Maine. But tree farms are a little different down here so as we pulled in I was disappointed just to see an open field with trees growing on a hill side. Hmmm but I shook my head and realized that this was about a family day and starting a tradition of cutting down our tree despite what I had in my head.
With Tucker in a backpack and bundled up and a saw in hand, we set off. In the past my brother has always been the picky tree finder. Nope, too tall, too short, too plump, too skinny, not enough shape, too many dead needles, tip is crooked, not enough limbs and on and on. This would drive me INSANE! Well now it was my turn to put the trees under the microscope and I did. Soon I realized that I did not want to scare Brandon off so I loosened some of my requirements, but not by much. Tucker was a trooper and enjoyed every minute of it.
After some walking around, feeling the needles, trying to smell the trees and observing we decided upon a tree. Since Brandon was carrying Tucker I got down on my knees and started using some good arm power. Note: chain saws are NOT an acceptable way to cut down a Christmas Tree. Get real, get dirty and stop being lazy! So, half way through I realized that 2 trunks had grown together but we thought that I was low enough and we would end up with 1 trunk. Timber...ops. One fell and one was still standing. Hmmm?? Not good. So, we stood the fallen tree back up, took a picture and left the area quickly. Back to square one and now my arm needed a break. Not too long after we found another tree. This time we were a little more diligent and yup, 1 trunk, this is a go. So I got back on my hands and knees, crawled under the tree a bit and began the journey once again. Little did I realize that I was in some mud, ERGS! Eventually the tree came down and we had our Christmas Tree.
Another interesting note about Maryland Tree Farms, they have tree shakers. I am just used to getting the tree, dragging it and bagging it (not me personally doing all the work). Here, you get it, drag it and then the tree is stood upright and shaken. I am not too sure how I feel about this because conceptually it makes sense and it gets rid of all of the debris that is going to fall of the your house but on the other hand, seeing a tree gyrate as it does made it seem wrong. If I did not want to deal with the hassle of the debris then I should just buy a fake tree right?
So we now have our Christmas Tree, it is lit and decorated and Tucker really has not shown much of an interest in it. He tried to feel the tree but I think that the needles were a bit too prickly. So he went back to playing with his toys.
Oh, and on our way back home we stopped at a gas station and I looked and saw the most random landscaping sign. I had to take a picture of it since blacktop does not seem to qualify as landscaping to me. Hence the random photo in the slideshow.
Backpack, check. Hats and gloves, check. Camera, check. Christmas music for the car, check. Tucker’s bottle, check and double check. Christmas spirit, CHECK!!! And off we went to cut down the Lindley Christmas Tree. Over the fields and through the woods to the Christmas Tree farm we went. The farm was about an hour away and I had this vision of a forest of Christmas trees whereby we would scavenger our way around and at times get lost, much like we would in Maine. But tree farms are a little different down here so as we pulled in I was disappointed just to see an open field with trees growing on a hill side. Hmmm but I shook my head and realized that this was about a family day and starting a tradition of cutting down our tree despite what I had in my head.
With Tucker in a backpack and bundled up and a saw in hand, we set off. In the past my brother has always been the picky tree finder. Nope, too tall, too short, too plump, too skinny, not enough shape, too many dead needles, tip is crooked, not enough limbs and on and on. This would drive me INSANE! Well now it was my turn to put the trees under the microscope and I did. Soon I realized that I did not want to scare Brandon off so I loosened some of my requirements, but not by much. Tucker was a trooper and enjoyed every minute of it.
After some walking around, feeling the needles, trying to smell the trees and observing we decided upon a tree. Since Brandon was carrying Tucker I got down on my knees and started using some good arm power. Note: chain saws are NOT an acceptable way to cut down a Christmas Tree. Get real, get dirty and stop being lazy! So, half way through I realized that 2 trunks had grown together but we thought that I was low enough and we would end up with 1 trunk. Timber...ops. One fell and one was still standing. Hmmm?? Not good. So, we stood the fallen tree back up, took a picture and left the area quickly. Back to square one and now my arm needed a break. Not too long after we found another tree. This time we were a little more diligent and yup, 1 trunk, this is a go. So I got back on my hands and knees, crawled under the tree a bit and began the journey once again. Little did I realize that I was in some mud, ERGS! Eventually the tree came down and we had our Christmas Tree.
Another interesting note about Maryland Tree Farms, they have tree shakers. I am just used to getting the tree, dragging it and bagging it (not me personally doing all the work). Here, you get it, drag it and then the tree is stood upright and shaken. I am not too sure how I feel about this because conceptually it makes sense and it gets rid of all of the debris that is going to fall of the your house but on the other hand, seeing a tree gyrate as it does made it seem wrong. If I did not want to deal with the hassle of the debris then I should just buy a fake tree right?
So we now have our Christmas Tree, it is lit and decorated and Tucker really has not shown much of an interest in it. He tried to feel the tree but I think that the needles were a bit too prickly. So he went back to playing with his toys.
Oh, and on our way back home we stopped at a gas station and I looked and saw the most random landscaping sign. I had to take a picture of it since blacktop does not seem to qualify as landscaping to me. Hence the random photo in the slideshow.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Carter and Parkers 1st Birthday
Today we had a blast going attending Carter and Parkers 1st birthday. Go TWINS! Kiddos and adults alike had a blast (as documented by the photos). Unfortunately, I did not get a good picture of the birthday babies :( I am sorry
Cindy had fun showing us how to use the ball. Cheryl and Ali had fun jumping. Kids had fun in the moon bounce and on all of the various apparatuses.
Thank you for a fun time!!!
Cindy had fun showing us how to use the ball. Cheryl and Ali had fun jumping. Kids had fun in the moon bounce and on all of the various apparatuses.
Thank you for a fun time!!!
Random Photos
I know I know, I need to stop taking photos. It is fun to document moments and well today, he looked especially cute (in my eyes). Brandon also felt the need to document me looking silly as I was trying to entertain Tucker while we were out to dinner the other night. Tucker had a blast and flirted with EVERYONE!
Tucker - 9 Months
I really do not have a lot to say about this past month. It has been going by so quickly. Tucker is a crawling machine and he pulls up on EVERYTHING. Cords never tasted better and if he is not allowed to play with it, he wants it.
Trying to take month photos and documenting it with a sign is becoming very difficult! This time I had to give him a shoe to distract him then throw the sign down in front of him. It worked but only for 1 shot.
Stats - 29" length and 19.4 lbs. He is still in the 75th percentile for length and almost the 50th percentile for weight.
Trying to take month photos and documenting it with a sign is becoming very difficult! This time I had to give him a shoe to distract him then throw the sign down in front of him. It worked but only for 1 shot.
Stats - 29" length and 19.4 lbs. He is still in the 75th percentile for length and almost the 50th percentile for weight.
Holiday Happy Hour
Last week we hosted the MRE Holiday Happy Hour and had a blast. I wish that I had more photos of the night but I was busy socializing and having fun. There were many highlights of the night, including Sam and Jake sitting in the car toy together as well as our neighbor asking one of our quests to move their car. Why one would ask, because he had to park in front of his house due to a heart condition. Regardless of the fact that he could have parked in his driveway. This is the same neighbor who smokes cigarettes and can't rake his leaves because of this heart condition so his wife has to do it. Thanks Lee and Greg for being good sports! The highlight of the night, well Tucker. He was finally able to have free reign of the house and he took full advantage of that. Brandon and I kept asking, "where is Tucker?" So forget all of the tiny friends and his toys, he wanted to crawl under tables, be by the front door, get into the recycling bin and best, we found him huddled over the beer. The moment was priceless and created a good laugh. He has a few years to go :)
Thank you all for making it such a fun night! We can't wait to host another Happy Hour.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
Ok, I can't believe that I never got a photo of Tucker with our 20 lb Turkey or any Thanksgiving food. His first Thanksgiving and I failed to properly document it with a Turkey. I did get plenty of pictures of Tucker with Mimi and Grandpa though. They had not seen him for 4 months so there were a lot of great photo opportunities. The other highlight for Tucker was chasing around my parents faithful dog Skooter. Now I am trying to convince Brandon that it is time for us to get a dog. Tucker needs a 4 legged friend! Overall it was wonderful to have my parents here for Tucker's firth Thanksgiving. We do not get to see them nearly enough so any time with them is cherished!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
A WHAT IN OUR BACKYARD??
Looks like we have a "nice" baby and Santa is going to visit us this year. Rudolph came for a visit and I think that he came to check out the best route to our house (Santa the Chimney might be a little tight feel free to use the back door which means we will leave the side gate open for you). Along the way, Rudolph decided to take a rest, I think that he thought I was napping, because gosh golly gee, as I was making Tucker his bottle, I looked outside into our backyard and there was Rudolph bashing in the sun in our backyard. I do not think that he found a good route out of the backyard but thankfully, after several attempts his magic jumping legs gave him some extra bounce and he was up and over the 6 ft fence. Next time I would rather he use the back gate or better yet, just assume that we have a nice baby and save me freaking out about how you are going to get out of our backyard.
Holy Crap was the phrase of my morning. Poor Brandon was in a Board meeting when a little panicked me finally reached him. How the did the deer get in our highly fenced in backyard and where the @#$% is this guy going to go? It is not like we live around a nice wooded area where deer come and go...hmmmm
Holy Crap was the phrase of my morning. Poor Brandon was in a Board meeting when a little panicked me finally reached him. How the did the deer get in our highly fenced in backyard and where the @#$% is this guy going to go? It is not like we live around a nice wooded area where deer come and go...hmmmm
Tucker - 8 Months
8 months and I am still scratching my head. It seems like just yesterday I was wobbling around. Now, I am running around trying to keep up with Tucker. He is like the Energizer bunny except it takes a LONG time until his batteries are drained.
The army crawl remains but at a MUCH faster pace. He looks at me and says "screw figuring out how to crawl on my hands and knees mom, this army crawl lets me check out things much faster.” Then, away he goes. Besides fretting where is is going, my other worry is what he is pulling himself up on. Usually, when out of the crib, he likes to pull up on objects that are safe so if he does fall, he can’t fall into/onto something. The only problem is that he has yet to figure out how to get down, besides just falling. That always yields a long hard cry :( At first I was so excited that Tucker figured out how to pull himself up but now, I HATE it, especially in the mornings. Rather than play with his toys in the morning, he is much happier pulling himself up and just looking, bouncing and sucking on the railing.
Taking Tucker's 8 month picture was monumental. Not only was it 70 degrees on November 7th, but it was also a remorseful day because the Republican ticket lost the bid for President. Tucker did his part by being a Tiny Republican Elephant for Halloween and insisting that we post a sign in our front yard. He is just worried that his toys are going to be taken away by President Elect. We all are. Nonetheless, politics aside, we are all embarking down some interesting, and at times exciting, pathways. For us, our excitement is watching Tucker and experiencing his “firsts” with him.
The army crawl remains but at a MUCH faster pace. He looks at me and says "screw figuring out how to crawl on my hands and knees mom, this army crawl lets me check out things much faster.” Then, away he goes. Besides fretting where is is going, my other worry is what he is pulling himself up on. Usually, when out of the crib, he likes to pull up on objects that are safe so if he does fall, he can’t fall into/onto something. The only problem is that he has yet to figure out how to get down, besides just falling. That always yields a long hard cry :( At first I was so excited that Tucker figured out how to pull himself up but now, I HATE it, especially in the mornings. Rather than play with his toys in the morning, he is much happier pulling himself up and just looking, bouncing and sucking on the railing.
Taking Tucker's 8 month picture was monumental. Not only was it 70 degrees on November 7th, but it was also a remorseful day because the Republican ticket lost the bid for President. Tucker did his part by being a Tiny Republican Elephant for Halloween and insisting that we post a sign in our front yard. He is just worried that his toys are going to be taken away by President Elect. We all are. Nonetheless, politics aside, we are all embarking down some interesting, and at times exciting, pathways. For us, our excitement is watching Tucker and experiencing his “firsts” with him.
Random Moments with Tucker
These are just a few cute photos of Tucker taken randomly the last couple of months. One of my favorites is Tucker with his sock in his mouth. Frequently we will find him crawling around the room with a sock in his mouth.
One thing that Brandon and I love doing is checking up on Tucker when he is sleeping. He always looks so peaceful. It is hard not to want to pick him up and cuddle with him or just touch him. We also like to see where his toys have ended up and on this night, it looks like the dog...well...you will see. This was NOT staged. I could not stop laughing when I saw this!
One thing that Brandon and I love doing is checking up on Tucker when he is sleeping. He always looks so peaceful. It is hard not to want to pick him up and cuddle with him or just touch him. We also like to see where his toys have ended up and on this night, it looks like the dog...well...you will see. This was NOT staged. I could not stop laughing when I saw this!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween
For Christmas last year Brandon got gave me a teeny republican pin. Sometime during the absurdly long feeding periods early on I was cruising the internet and came across Halloween costumes (the last thing I was thinking about was anything to do with politics). Then I stumbled on an adorable elephant costume but needed to find a way to convince my frugal husband that we should get the costume. So, I suggested that we could put the pin on the costume in the spirit of being good Republicans. He quickly agreed. I got my cute costume and he got a teeny Republican. It was a win win for all of us!
TEENY REPUBLICAN - VOTE MCCAIN!
Of course, going through our pictures, we do not have a lot with the pin on Tucker ):
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A Gathering of Pumkpins
I love that there are so many "firsts" for Tucker. Not only do we get to take him to fun places but I also have an excuse to take A LOT of pictures. I am not sure that I will have that excuse in the years to come or have a baby/infant that will actually put up with me taking all of my pictures. So, I am taking advantage of the situation.
Today, Tucker experienced his first trip to the Pumpkin Patch! He had fun feeling the different pumpkins, trying to put the stems in his mouth and picking up dead stems on the ground.
Stay tuned - Tucker has a kick ass Halloween outfit!!
Today, Tucker experienced his first trip to the Pumpkin Patch! He had fun feeling the different pumpkins, trying to put the stems in his mouth and picking up dead stems on the ground.
Stay tuned - Tucker has a kick ass Halloween outfit!!
My Preppy Baby and the Ball Pit
The air is getting crisper and with that, we are starting to transition Tucker's wardrobe. So, I have been trying to get one last wear. I told him that he could spit up all he wanted this way I would feel better about his cloths getting more use. Oh well.
Since we were headed to a birthday (Happy birthday Finn - sorry he was running around so much I did not get a picture of the birthday boy) I decided to dress Tucker in his dad's favorite preppy shirt :) I am really kidding. Brandon's comment - "Tucker, I could say great to see you in your sisters hand me down pink shirt but oh, you don't have an older sister. I am sorry you are wearing pink."
So off my little preppy baby and I went to Finn's birthday party at MyGym. Tucker's favorite part was this huge ball pit. Most kids would jump in and sink. I had to place Tucker in and he would sink a little. When he is a little older I am sure that this is a place that he would love to be. A great place for me to let him get all of his little boy energy out!
Since we were headed to a birthday (Happy birthday Finn - sorry he was running around so much I did not get a picture of the birthday boy) I decided to dress Tucker in his dad's favorite preppy shirt :) I am really kidding. Brandon's comment - "Tucker, I could say great to see you in your sisters hand me down pink shirt but oh, you don't have an older sister. I am sorry you are wearing pink."
So off my little preppy baby and I went to Finn's birthday party at MyGym. Tucker's favorite part was this huge ball pit. Most kids would jump in and sink. I had to place Tucker in and he would sink a little. When he is a little older I am sure that this is a place that he would love to be. A great place for me to let him get all of his little boy energy out!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sitting Up Tall
Instead of sitting like a tripod Tucker is now sitting up tall. His posture puts mine to shame!!
Friday, October 10, 2008
7 months and going STRONG
I really can't believe how fast time is flying! Everyday Tucker is into something new and different. For instance:
a) he likes to get himself into corners and usually that is because he sees a cord and thinks that it is another Tucker toy.
b) he likes to bat balls around with his hands and then go after them. Sort of like watching a dog fetch a bone but here Tucker keeps batting the balls and they keep on going.
c) he is sitting up tall and unsupported now. This really only started to happen about a week ago.
d) he LOVES for us hold/ support him while he is standing. Sometimes he tries to take steps, other times it is just the sheer joy of seeing things from a new vantage point.
The cruel joke that is played on parents is when they have just gotten used to sleeping through the night, the baby decides to start waking up in the middle of the night again. I only mention this because indeed, it has happened to us. As such, there is a lot to think about while trying to get Tucker back to sleep. While rocking in the chair the other night it occurred to me that no matter how tired I was, I was not upset that I was up trying to get Tucker back to bed. I actually enjoyed the quiet moment with him wrapped in my arms, head nestled against my neck and at that moment I realized how fast he is growing up. Months ago he would just fall asleep in my arms and now it is like he is saying "mom, no way, I am a big boy I want to play around." I guess that is the part of me accepting that he is growing up and that I have to let him explore on his own, wiggle woo out of my arms and onto the floor. I have not even made it to his first birthday and these things are already hitting me.
The other thing that popped into my head was that I do not know what I would do if something ever happened to my little baby. Sad thought but one that came out in the moment of tender love and just wondering if I rocked a little harder, hummed a little louder, would Tucker fall back asleep sooner or should I just cherish this moment and hold on tighter and a little longer because you just never know. I opted for the later and in those silent moments I put my head back and held on a little longer, not wanting the moment to end. Fortunately he fell back asleep and has been very good about sleeping through the night again.
a) he likes to get himself into corners and usually that is because he sees a cord and thinks that it is another Tucker toy.
b) he likes to bat balls around with his hands and then go after them. Sort of like watching a dog fetch a bone but here Tucker keeps batting the balls and they keep on going.
c) he is sitting up tall and unsupported now. This really only started to happen about a week ago.
d) he LOVES for us hold/ support him while he is standing. Sometimes he tries to take steps, other times it is just the sheer joy of seeing things from a new vantage point.
The cruel joke that is played on parents is when they have just gotten used to sleeping through the night, the baby decides to start waking up in the middle of the night again. I only mention this because indeed, it has happened to us. As such, there is a lot to think about while trying to get Tucker back to sleep. While rocking in the chair the other night it occurred to me that no matter how tired I was, I was not upset that I was up trying to get Tucker back to bed. I actually enjoyed the quiet moment with him wrapped in my arms, head nestled against my neck and at that moment I realized how fast he is growing up. Months ago he would just fall asleep in my arms and now it is like he is saying "mom, no way, I am a big boy I want to play around." I guess that is the part of me accepting that he is growing up and that I have to let him explore on his own, wiggle woo out of my arms and onto the floor. I have not even made it to his first birthday and these things are already hitting me.
The other thing that popped into my head was that I do not know what I would do if something ever happened to my little baby. Sad thought but one that came out in the moment of tender love and just wondering if I rocked a little harder, hummed a little louder, would Tucker fall back asleep sooner or should I just cherish this moment and hold on tighter and a little longer because you just never know. I opted for the later and in those silent moments I put my head back and held on a little longer, not wanting the moment to end. Fortunately he fell back asleep and has been very good about sleeping through the night again.
Junior League of Annapolis 5k Fun Run
On a nice crisp Saturday morning, we stumbled out of bed and pumped each other up to join friends in a 5k race to benefit Junior League projects. While I knew that this was Tucker's first race, Brandon informed me half way through that this was his first 5K. I asked if it was his last and he said nope. Hmmm It was our goal to use the race as a motivator to get back in shape. That meant that we were going to start running in the evenings but one thing or another always came up and well, our training began 2 days before the race. Ops.
It was our hope that Tucker would fall asleep since we had to wake him up but instead, he babbled and squealed (good sounds) the entire way. He was our cheerleader! We think that he had a good time. We certainly had a good time and ended up running most of the way.
Included are some pictures of us as well as fellow MRE friends.
It was our hope that Tucker would fall asleep since we had to wake him up but instead, he babbled and squealed (good sounds) the entire way. He was our cheerleader! We think that he had a good time. We certainly had a good time and ended up running most of the way.
Included are some pictures of us as well as fellow MRE friends.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Random Moments with Tucker
I am so lucky that I get to spend my days with Tucker so when he does cute things I get to laugh with him and admire him. But there are moments when he is above and beyond cute and I feel the need to share with friends and family.
One of his favorite activities is getting a ride on the train (laundry basket). We take a ride around the family room, hall, and kitchen. Yes we have a laundry basket (ops train car) just for this activity.
The other thing that we love to do is check on Tucker after he has gone to bed. Typically, when we put him down, he has a little energy left and with that, plays with his toys until he zonks out, usually holding a toy or surrounded by toys. These toys that are initially spread out around his crib in an orderly fashion and in this case with the picture, they were all lined up against the front of the crib wall where he in fact ended up on his knees.
One of his favorite activities is getting a ride on the train (laundry basket). We take a ride around the family room, hall, and kitchen. Yes we have a laundry basket (ops train car) just for this activity.
The other thing that we love to do is check on Tucker after he has gone to bed. Typically, when we put him down, he has a little energy left and with that, plays with his toys until he zonks out, usually holding a toy or surrounded by toys. These toys that are initially spread out around his crib in an orderly fashion and in this case with the picture, they were all lined up against the front of the crib wall where he in fact ended up on his knees.
Bath Time - Just Ducky
Sorry Tucker, I just could not resist taking pictures of you while you were playing with your ducks! He was so happy and looked so cute. I think that these are my first official bath pictures.
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| Bath time Sept 2008 |
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Trip to CT
The traveling continued a couple weeks ago when we packed up the car and headed to Connecticut/NYC for the weekend. One of Brandon's friends was getting married in the city and I felt that Tucker was too young to leave with a babysitter. So, instead of staying home I decided that it would be fun to go see some family members while Brandon was attending the wedding.
My godmother was so gracious and allowed us to set up camp at her house, toys and all! Tucker also got to meet Cousin Barbara and Bill and briefly met his new first cousin Nate. Unfortunately, time was limited so we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked with everyone.
We have decided that while the trips are a lot of fun, it is time to enjoy the wonderful fall weather in Maryland.
My godmother was so gracious and allowed us to set up camp at her house, toys and all! Tucker also got to meet Cousin Barbara and Bill and briefly met his new first cousin Nate. Unfortunately, time was limited so we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked with everyone.
We have decided that while the trips are a lot of fun, it is time to enjoy the wonderful fall weather in Maryland.
I Just Could Not Resist
The new spokesman for the Republican Party is now Tucker (: He was given this outfit as a gift (from one of my closest friends and a Democrat) and wears it with lots of Love! See Republican's and Democrat's can be friends.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tucker - 6 Months
We have reached the 6 month mark and each day is even more amazing than the last. Tucker is truly at a fun point where it is hard to just put him down and let him play by himself. I want to join in, especially when he is laughing and inching his way around the floor. I feel so lucky to be experiencing all of the great moments with him. Baby proofing has begun! I actually can't wait until he is moving around a bit more on his own. I see the frustration on his face when he wants to get places and wants to check things out but physically can't get there.
I guess the big milestone that we are embarking on is the introduction of solid foods. He has been eating rice cereal for about a month, but now we are introducing fruits and veggies. He started off with Prunes and loved them. Now we are trying avocado. Thus far things are going well. I am not too experienced to know how messy or not messy babies are with solids but in my opinion, and to my pleasure, Tucker is not a messy eater thus far. We have our moments when he decides to start laughing and thus the food in his mouth gets all over his bib or he sticks his fist in his mouth but other than that, things are tame.
Tucker has also been a great traveler. From driving to Maine to just sitting in his stroller, he really likes motion. I guess that explains why he does not sit still too long and is very happy to be in our arms sometimes just moving around the house. This makes going places very easy for us and makes my morning walks with a group of friends much more enjoyable. Sometimes he falls asleep other times he is just happy to be chewing on a toy while taking everything in.
Since these blog updates will eventually be part of Tucker's first book, I need to take a motherly moment and say that Tucker adds so much joy to my life. I cherish the moments that I have with him as well as the moments that I have with him and Brandon. I never realized the power and impact of these feelings until I had him and each day I feel so fortunate. These feelings have also helped me appreciate more my parents and the love that they have for my brother and I and the opportunities that they provided us as kids. I know that Brandon feels the same way with regards to his own childhood and realizations. Also, I never understood why they would be concerned and worried about things that we were doing and now, I get it! So thank you to our parents for the love and Tucker will always know how much we love him as we will always know how much you have loved and continue to love us. We can't wait to keep sharing our joys with you.
I guess the big milestone that we are embarking on is the introduction of solid foods. He has been eating rice cereal for about a month, but now we are introducing fruits and veggies. He started off with Prunes and loved them. Now we are trying avocado. Thus far things are going well. I am not too experienced to know how messy or not messy babies are with solids but in my opinion, and to my pleasure, Tucker is not a messy eater thus far. We have our moments when he decides to start laughing and thus the food in his mouth gets all over his bib or he sticks his fist in his mouth but other than that, things are tame.
Tucker has also been a great traveler. From driving to Maine to just sitting in his stroller, he really likes motion. I guess that explains why he does not sit still too long and is very happy to be in our arms sometimes just moving around the house. This makes going places very easy for us and makes my morning walks with a group of friends much more enjoyable. Sometimes he falls asleep other times he is just happy to be chewing on a toy while taking everything in.
Since these blog updates will eventually be part of Tucker's first book, I need to take a motherly moment and say that Tucker adds so much joy to my life. I cherish the moments that I have with him as well as the moments that I have with him and Brandon. I never realized the power and impact of these feelings until I had him and each day I feel so fortunate. These feelings have also helped me appreciate more my parents and the love that they have for my brother and I and the opportunities that they provided us as kids. I know that Brandon feels the same way with regards to his own childhood and realizations. Also, I never understood why they would be concerned and worried about things that we were doing and now, I get it! So thank you to our parents for the love and Tucker will always know how much we love him as we will always know how much you have loved and continue to love us. We can't wait to keep sharing our joys with you.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Colonial Williamsburg - Labor Day Weekend
For Labor Day weekend Brandon and Tucker whisked me away for my birthday. While we have had some fantastic trips this summer with our respective families, I really wanted some quality time away with just Brandon and Tucker. We had talked about wanting to go to St. Michaels but with the Bay Bridge backup due to a lane closure the decision was simple. This was the perfect opportunity to slow down and enjoy learning about a simpler way of life.
One of the highlights of the trip, even before we got to Williamsburg, was teaching Tucker "Sweet Caroline". Oh, those were the days in Boston at The Harp. Someday I will tell him those stories but they are not age appropriate right now. I had to resort to doing something to get Tucker to stop crying and guess what, it worked (: I think that Brandon even got a laugh out of it. Usually Ba Ba Black sheep works but there are only so many repeats of the song before he decides the song is phooey.
With three days to explore the Historic Triangle, we decided to start with Colonial Williamsburg. WOW! We were not able to go into every building or take any tours (stroller issues and at times crying episodes) but we did take advantage of what we could when the times were appropriate. It was fun exploring 18th century streets and interacting with ladies and gentlemen in period dress while they were pursing tasks common to living during that time period. I can't wait to return when Tucker is a little older.
The last two days we headed east and west along the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown and Yorktown. While both areas were very interesting, we agreed that we were not as impressed as we were with Colonial Williamsburg. Nonetheless, it was still interesting to visit an old Jamestown Settlement and tour some of the Revolutionary war battlefields at Yorktown.
Like any new thing we do with Tucker, there is always a lesson or two that we learn. I guess this time we had two. The first, pick up dinner before you head back to the room for the night. Room service usually sucks. We did this because after we spent the entire day out there was no way were were going to be able to go out for dinner. By the time we got back, Tucker needed some play time before his last feeding and bath. Which leads us to the second lesson. Book a room with a balcony so you have someplace to go and hang out after putting your baby down, which is usually MUCH earlier than your own bedtime. This left us to trying to read by slivers of light from the TV until we gave in and just watched TV.
Like our trip down, we had some excitement on our way home. Rather than enduring the DC and Richmond traffic, we decided to take a more rural and what turned out to be a more direct route home. I just did not want the trip to end (: Along the way, there were more signs for Discount Cigarettes and NASCAR stores than there were 7-11's. This sets the setting for what was about to come next, the Griswald wagon (National Lampoon's Vacation). This car was not only stuffed with a family of 6 (one kid sitting between the parents in the front seat), but it also had a canoe on top (reminded me of the grandmother) and the kicker for me, a box of Franzia (HORRIBLE box of table wine) stuck up against the back window like a slug. The moment of it all just made me laugh and thus I was then on a mission to take a picture of this car making sure to get the Franzia. So, as I was about to snap my picture, the car suddenly turned off at a Super Walmart. It would have been appropriate if I had decided to then nurse Tucker in a Hooters parking lot (which almost did happen).
One of the highlights of the trip, even before we got to Williamsburg, was teaching Tucker "Sweet Caroline". Oh, those were the days in Boston at The Harp. Someday I will tell him those stories but they are not age appropriate right now. I had to resort to doing something to get Tucker to stop crying and guess what, it worked (: I think that Brandon even got a laugh out of it. Usually Ba Ba Black sheep works but there are only so many repeats of the song before he decides the song is phooey.
With three days to explore the Historic Triangle, we decided to start with Colonial Williamsburg. WOW! We were not able to go into every building or take any tours (stroller issues and at times crying episodes) but we did take advantage of what we could when the times were appropriate. It was fun exploring 18th century streets and interacting with ladies and gentlemen in period dress while they were pursing tasks common to living during that time period. I can't wait to return when Tucker is a little older.
The last two days we headed east and west along the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown and Yorktown. While both areas were very interesting, we agreed that we were not as impressed as we were with Colonial Williamsburg. Nonetheless, it was still interesting to visit an old Jamestown Settlement and tour some of the Revolutionary war battlefields at Yorktown.
Like any new thing we do with Tucker, there is always a lesson or two that we learn. I guess this time we had two. The first, pick up dinner before you head back to the room for the night. Room service usually sucks. We did this because after we spent the entire day out there was no way were were going to be able to go out for dinner. By the time we got back, Tucker needed some play time before his last feeding and bath. Which leads us to the second lesson. Book a room with a balcony so you have someplace to go and hang out after putting your baby down, which is usually MUCH earlier than your own bedtime. This left us to trying to read by slivers of light from the TV until we gave in and just watched TV.
Like our trip down, we had some excitement on our way home. Rather than enduring the DC and Richmond traffic, we decided to take a more rural and what turned out to be a more direct route home. I just did not want the trip to end (: Along the way, there were more signs for Discount Cigarettes and NASCAR stores than there were 7-11's. This sets the setting for what was about to come next, the Griswald wagon (National Lampoon's Vacation). This car was not only stuffed with a family of 6 (one kid sitting between the parents in the front seat), but it also had a canoe on top (reminded me of the grandmother) and the kicker for me, a box of Franzia (HORRIBLE box of table wine) stuck up against the back window like a slug. The moment of it all just made me laugh and thus I was then on a mission to take a picture of this car making sure to get the Franzia. So, as I was about to snap my picture, the car suddenly turned off at a Super Walmart. It would have been appropriate if I had decided to then nurse Tucker in a Hooters parking lot (which almost did happen).
Playgroup - Kate turned 1
Last week we helped celebrate our friend Kate's 1st birthday. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the birthday girl, she was too busy flirting with all the boys (: Sadly Tucker was not one of them but he was cool with that, he was a bit occupied watching Charlie devour a cupcake (: Thank you Debbie for hosting a fantastic playgroup!
Here are several photos from the party!
Here are several photos from the party!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tucker - 5 Months
How time is flying!! There are a lot of things I can't remember and choose not to remember when Tucker was only weeks old. However, it is hard not to forget, like most babies, his inability to talk and move around. Now we have a chatter box who LOVES to laugh and squeal like a dolphin and who, like his mom, can't sit still. No longer can we leave him on the floor and jokingly stay "now don't go anywhere". He is an inch worm. A lot of this has just transpired over the last several weeks when he was finally able to roll over from his back to his stomach. He accomplished this task while we were in Maine and now he is a rolling machine.
Other milestones. We have started to feed him rice cereal and thus far, he loves it. Of course what follows is an absolute mess. He likes to put his hands in his mouth while it is full and then thingk it is the greatest thing to touch his face, head, legs, and the chair. He has even taken the spoon from me a couple of times and proceeded to glop the food on his face and down his bib. I was in stitches laughing the first time and thought it was silly the second but the third...well now I keep a wet cloth nearby just in case.
Thanks for keeping up with Tucker's Months. So far he is around 26.5" (most likely going to be tall like Brandon) and around 14 lbs (on the lighter side but we are working on beefing him up).
Click the photo to see more pictures.
Other milestones. We have started to feed him rice cereal and thus far, he loves it. Of course what follows is an absolute mess. He likes to put his hands in his mouth while it is full and then thingk it is the greatest thing to touch his face, head, legs, and the chair. He has even taken the spoon from me a couple of times and proceeded to glop the food on his face and down his bib. I was in stitches laughing the first time and thought it was silly the second but the third...well now I keep a wet cloth nearby just in case.
Thanks for keeping up with Tucker's Months. So far he is around 26.5" (most likely going to be tall like Brandon) and around 14 lbs (on the lighter side but we are working on beefing him up).
Click the photo to see more pictures.
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| Tucker 5 months |
Kennebunkport Here We Come~
The bags were packed, the car stuffed and Tucker fed and off we headed to spend 2 glorious weeks with Mimi and Grandpa Smith. Since Tucker had been sleeping through the night we decided to leave close to his bedtime and drive straight through the night (10 hrs) with the final destination Kennebunkport,ME. Yes, the trip was taxing but Tucker was a rock star and slept virtually the entire way.
Needless to say, I was in heaven. My summer was made when all in one day, after I took Tucker for a dip in the pool, I was on the porch looking out on the ocean, wearing a fleece (yes the temperature drops in the evening), drinking a beer, and laughing with family as Tucker rocked away in his chair. I could not have asked for a more perfect moment. Later in the week we ate lobster (one of the ones that Tucker was sitting next to in his photo) and fresh corn on the cobb!!
Unfortunately Brandon was not with us for the entire 2 weeks as he had a business trip. It was unfortunate for several reasons, the most obvious because he was away but also because the weather was spectacular the first week. The second week, the clouds rolled in and we had some rain. It still did not deter us from going to Freeport (LL Bean baby), Nubble Lighthouse, and Perkins Cove/Marginal Way. We were also around to view what looks to be President Bush's last visit to Kennebunkport as a sitting President. No more traffic checks, oozy men, massive Coast Guard boats, and protesters. It has been pretty cool to witness being up there while the President is in town but like most residents, I am happy to see town return to normal. For such a small area, things get a bit chaotic. For Tucker, he got to experience the roaring of the Motorcade and even poo pooed the protesters who were in town.
I am already looking forward to next summer when Tucker is older and can really enjoy being in Maine. We can take him to the beach, go in the ocean, go out on the boat, and even maybe taste his first Lobster (I have not consulted with the food books on that yet). Hopefully we will also be able to see more friends. I realized my hopes of seeing tons of people were too unrealistic with a 5 month baby.
I can't forget this moment, it was truly the "line" of the vacation. Brandon, Tucker and I were out to breakfast with Sarah and her husband Scott. We were led to a table by a nice younger man and upon arriving at the table asked for a high chair so we could turn it upside down and put Tucker's infant carrier on it. So we get it but before leaving the table the young man asked, "do you want a kids menu?" This young lad definitely did not realize that a baby, who was sitting in an infant car seat, was not going to be up to the task of eating a kids side portion of homemade pancakes!
Needless to say, I was in heaven. My summer was made when all in one day, after I took Tucker for a dip in the pool, I was on the porch looking out on the ocean, wearing a fleece (yes the temperature drops in the evening), drinking a beer, and laughing with family as Tucker rocked away in his chair. I could not have asked for a more perfect moment. Later in the week we ate lobster (one of the ones that Tucker was sitting next to in his photo) and fresh corn on the cobb!!
Unfortunately Brandon was not with us for the entire 2 weeks as he had a business trip. It was unfortunate for several reasons, the most obvious because he was away but also because the weather was spectacular the first week. The second week, the clouds rolled in and we had some rain. It still did not deter us from going to Freeport (LL Bean baby), Nubble Lighthouse, and Perkins Cove/Marginal Way. We were also around to view what looks to be President Bush's last visit to Kennebunkport as a sitting President. No more traffic checks, oozy men, massive Coast Guard boats, and protesters. It has been pretty cool to witness being up there while the President is in town but like most residents, I am happy to see town return to normal. For such a small area, things get a bit chaotic. For Tucker, he got to experience the roaring of the Motorcade and even poo pooed the protesters who were in town.
I am already looking forward to next summer when Tucker is older and can really enjoy being in Maine. We can take him to the beach, go in the ocean, go out on the boat, and even maybe taste his first Lobster (I have not consulted with the food books on that yet). Hopefully we will also be able to see more friends. I realized my hopes of seeing tons of people were too unrealistic with a 5 month baby.
I can't forget this moment, it was truly the "line" of the vacation. Brandon, Tucker and I were out to breakfast with Sarah and her husband Scott. We were led to a table by a nice younger man and upon arriving at the table asked for a high chair so we could turn it upside down and put Tucker's infant carrier on it. So we get it but before leaving the table the young man asked, "do you want a kids menu?" This young lad definitely did not realize that a baby, who was sitting in an infant car seat, was not going to be up to the task of eating a kids side portion of homemade pancakes!
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| KPT 2008 |
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| Nubble 2008 |
Tucker Thorson - Baptized
On June 27th Tucker Thorson (his Christian name) received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at St. Ann's Episcopal in Kennebunkport, ME. It was truly a very special day for our family. As we sat on the pew overlooking the ocean, prior to the service, I felt this overwhelming emotion of love and felt so fortunate to be able to share the special day with my parents, my brother (Tucker's Godfather), my friend Sarah (Tucker's godmother), Mrs. Fuller (a close family friend) and of course my husband. What also made the day special was that Tucker was being baptized by the same Reverend that had married Brandon and I and at the same church. Each occasion we were both blessed to be surrounded by so much love.
After the ceremony we thought that it was only fitting to go to The Wharf for a nice lunch. Fortunately Tucker fell asleep so we were able to eat in peace (:
After the ceremony we thought that it was only fitting to go to The Wharf for a nice lunch. Fortunately Tucker fell asleep so we were able to eat in peace (:
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| Baptism |
Sunday, July 20, 2008
I missed Tucker while I was away...
So, even though I was gone for 24 hrs, I still missed my little baby! I thought about calling home the morning of the golf tournament but I knew that that would be a bad thing. So, when I arrived home, I just could not get enough of Tucker and thus I decided to take too many pictures of him. He has really started to take on a personality and it is just so much fun to watch.
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| Tucker Mid July |
Webhannet Member Guest with Mom
Ok, so this is not just a Tucker Blog but also a family blog so I have decided to include a post about my 24 hr trip to Maine. I know I know, it was a short trip to make especially with a 4 month baby. But Brandon was so nice and watched Tucker while I flew up because there is tradition in playing in this tournament for me and I did not want to miss it. For the past 7 years my mom and I have played as a mother daughter team with one of her good friends and daughter. Keeping with the tradition we dress up according the the theme, hence why we are wearing lettuce and a radish (which you can't really see) on the back of our white hats. For me, it is a special day and one that I would NEVER miss!! Hopefully next year our schedules will align so we can all go up for a week or two. All in all, the weather was awesome and we all had a fun time together! Thanks Mom, for inviting me back to play. I Love you!!!
Mother Daughter
Our Team
Cute baby trying to catch the beetles
Mother Daughter
Our Team
Cute baby trying to catch the beetles
Monday, July 7, 2008
4 Months and Mom Still Takes TONS of Pictures
Today Tucker turned 4 months! Holy @#$^% where is the time going?? Each day we are blown away by the new things that Tucker does and that also includes the things that he does not do, like NAP!!
Yesterday we put him in his exercauser for the first time and while I think that he was a little overwhelmed at first, he definitely seemed to like all of the different activities. He even figured out how to rotate around in the seat. I am sure that this is going to be a favorite of his when he can fully comprehend all that it has to offer.
Some of the Tucker's new milestones:
- When he smiles he actually gives us an audible sound as well. Hearing him laugh is hysterical!
- LOVES babbling on and on, sometimes we think that he is actually answering us.
- Loves playing the airplane game, just another movement and form of exploration.
- Has figured out how to move around in his crib with a sleep positioner. Each night when we put him in bed we place him on his side in the positioner with foam inserts against his back to help him stay on his side. The other night, when I was getting ready for bed, I went to check on him and somehow he had flipped to his other side and the foam was still in place. When I went to check on him later, somehow he had moved so he was diagonal in his bed with the sleep positioner still in place around him. I was beyond perplexed! Or the other night when I was in our office I heard some bells and thought, oh no he is awake. Well I let some time pass and never heard a cry. So I decided to check on him. Well he was still holding onto his Pig toy.
- Sleeps through the night for the most part (occasionally we have to get up to turn him on his side or get him to suck his thumb but it is rare).
- Still does NOT like to take naps much to my dismay. It takes a lot of energy and patience to get him down and this is usually after a good amount of crying.
- Sucks on not only his entire fist but also his thumb on a regular basis.
- Will play with rattles and move them from hand to hand.
- Rolled over once from tummy to back but we feel that any day he will be doing it daily.
- His discovered the wonders of splashing in the tub.
My motherly revelation is that while some believe that Sippy Cups are for Chardonnay, I figured out that Burp cloths are for twisting off beer caps!
Click photo for more fun pictures
Yesterday we put him in his exercauser for the first time and while I think that he was a little overwhelmed at first, he definitely seemed to like all of the different activities. He even figured out how to rotate around in the seat. I am sure that this is going to be a favorite of his when he can fully comprehend all that it has to offer.
Some of the Tucker's new milestones:
- When he smiles he actually gives us an audible sound as well. Hearing him laugh is hysterical!
- LOVES babbling on and on, sometimes we think that he is actually answering us.
- Loves playing the airplane game, just another movement and form of exploration.
- Has figured out how to move around in his crib with a sleep positioner. Each night when we put him in bed we place him on his side in the positioner with foam inserts against his back to help him stay on his side. The other night, when I was getting ready for bed, I went to check on him and somehow he had flipped to his other side and the foam was still in place. When I went to check on him later, somehow he had moved so he was diagonal in his bed with the sleep positioner still in place around him. I was beyond perplexed! Or the other night when I was in our office I heard some bells and thought, oh no he is awake. Well I let some time pass and never heard a cry. So I decided to check on him. Well he was still holding onto his Pig toy.
- Sleeps through the night for the most part (occasionally we have to get up to turn him on his side or get him to suck his thumb but it is rare).
- Still does NOT like to take naps much to my dismay. It takes a lot of energy and patience to get him down and this is usually after a good amount of crying.
- Sucks on not only his entire fist but also his thumb on a regular basis.
- Will play with rattles and move them from hand to hand.
- Rolled over once from tummy to back but we feel that any day he will be doing it daily.
- His discovered the wonders of splashing in the tub.
My motherly revelation is that while some believe that Sippy Cups are for Chardonnay, I figured out that Burp cloths are for twisting off beer caps!
Click photo for more fun pictures
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| Tucker 4 Months |
Saturday, July 5, 2008
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
We would all like to wish everyone a Happy (belated) 4th of July. Some may ask, where is Tuckers flag? Well, after going to every supermarket, party store, craft store and random other store in a 10 mile radius we could not find a simple flag that we could hold. We couldn't even find little flags to put in cupcakes that Brandon made. Either this means that we live in an unpatriotic area or the stores actually sold out of the flags. The cynical part of me (and yes I could go on an entire diatribe here but I will save my political opinions for another day) says that it was a combination of both because I sure did not see a lot of "extra" flags being displayed around our area. Shame on those unpatriotic people!! At least we were all wearing some color combination of the flag yesterday and we are proud to have an American flag flying outside our front door!
So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!
God Bless America
Love BB&T
So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!
God Bless America
Love BB&T
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| New Album 7/5/08 7:56 PM |
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tucker's First Beach Vacation
We just returned from Tucker's FIRST trip to the ocean. The trip in itself was monumental in that it was his first time to the ocean, it was also his first overnight away from the comforts of his crib, first time in a car longer than 45 min, first time vacationing with Brandon's parents, sister and cousins, first time playing in a swimming pool, first time rolling over unassisted, and first time that Brandon and I were able to go out to dinner by ourselves!! Of course we ended up discussing Tucker half the time but it was nice to have our own mini date night.
While the ocean was way too rough to take him near, we did take him to the kiddie pool and he seemed to have a blast. That or he just liked his crab outfit (: On the second day we tried very hard to make it a beach day but the weather got in the way. After walking from the condo to the beach we found out that the beach was closed due to thunder and lightening and they would re-evaluate the situation shortly. We waited and they ended up opening the beach pretty quickly. We scouted out our area, cognizant of high tide, put up Tuckers beach tent and Brandon started to feed him. Twenty minutes into it all the thunder started to rumble and then wham, downpour and thunder rumbles turned in to loud cracks. Thankfully the feeding was almost done but we all had to scramble to take everything down and run for cover. The lifeguards tried to make us leave it all up but no way. Needless to say we got wet and Tucker was pretty much oblivious to it all. We did not go back to the beach that day. On our final day the wind off the ocean was pretty strong and Tucker just could not find his groove so our day at the beach was very brief. Oh well.
All in all Tucker got to hang out with his Grandparents, his cousins Will and Kate and Brandon's sister Aunt Robin.
Oh the other highlight of the trip was the fact that he rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time. That was very exciting!!! He has not done it again but I feel like any day now it will become a daily event!
Click the photo for more pictures.
While the ocean was way too rough to take him near, we did take him to the kiddie pool and he seemed to have a blast. That or he just liked his crab outfit (: On the second day we tried very hard to make it a beach day but the weather got in the way. After walking from the condo to the beach we found out that the beach was closed due to thunder and lightening and they would re-evaluate the situation shortly. We waited and they ended up opening the beach pretty quickly. We scouted out our area, cognizant of high tide, put up Tuckers beach tent and Brandon started to feed him. Twenty minutes into it all the thunder started to rumble and then wham, downpour and thunder rumbles turned in to loud cracks. Thankfully the feeding was almost done but we all had to scramble to take everything down and run for cover. The lifeguards tried to make us leave it all up but no way. Needless to say we got wet and Tucker was pretty much oblivious to it all. We did not go back to the beach that day. On our final day the wind off the ocean was pretty strong and Tucker just could not find his groove so our day at the beach was very brief. Oh well.
All in all Tucker got to hang out with his Grandparents, his cousins Will and Kate and Brandon's sister Aunt Robin.
Oh the other highlight of the trip was the fact that he rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time. That was very exciting!!! He has not done it again but I feel like any day now it will become a daily event!
Click the photo for more pictures.
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| Beach Trip June 2008 |
Friday, June 20, 2008
MRE Playgroup
Tucker ventured out for his first real playgroup this past week. He was definitely overwhelmed with all of the action at first and but then he found his kicking let me just babble away "groove". His friend Eloise (who never seems to cry and is the perfect sleeper) was there to help keep him in line and the ducky definitely was the highlight of his morning. His friend Finn and Charlie from walking and coffee were there to take the edge off as well. Plus he got to meet some other baby friends. Thank you Jamie for hosting!!!
Click on the photo for more pictures.
Click on the photo for more pictures.
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| Tucker Playgroup |
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
3 MONTHS AND GOING STRONG
The 4th trimester is over according to Dr. Karp and boy have the last 3 months been LONG. But we are making some headway. The duration of his crying has decreased but he still has trouble taking naps and just falling asleep. Which means I have little time to clean the house because if I do put him down for a nap it requires being nearby for a bit in order to keep plugging him when his binky falls out. Which really means, I spend more time on Facebook now... But back to Tucker, my theory is is that he really just wants to see the world and is afraid that he is going to miss something. Every time I take him out to meet up with other moms and their babies, or even just to walk around, he perks up and is an active looker and talker. So while it is frustrating that he does not want to settle down for naps, it is fun watching him take it all in.
As for milestones, he is making the FUNNIEST sounds and blows bubbles in his mouth, loves to droll and have me wipe his mouth, LOVES grabbing onto things especially a few favorite toys (never enough), is doing very well with tummy time and is sitting up very well in his Bebepod. You can see it in his eyes that he is ready to get on his knees and explore.
All in all, family life is awesome and Tucker is a daily reminder of how fortunate we are.
Click on the photo for more cute Tucker pictures.
As for milestones, he is making the FUNNIEST sounds and blows bubbles in his mouth, loves to droll and have me wipe his mouth, LOVES grabbing onto things especially a few favorite toys (never enough), is doing very well with tummy time and is sitting up very well in his Bebepod. You can see it in his eyes that he is ready to get on his knees and explore.
All in all, family life is awesome and Tucker is a daily reminder of how fortunate we are.
Click on the photo for more cute Tucker pictures.
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| Tucker 3 months |
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Auntie Sarah comes to visit
And the visitors keep on coming... To many she is known as "Goff" or "Sarah" but to Tucker, she is known as Auntie Sarah. Last week Sarah came down from Boston for a visit. While Brandon was gone, Breck got some Goff time and Tucker got some Auntie time. She swept in and stole Tuckers heart, it was Love at first site for him. He had seen pictures and heard stories but now it was the real person. It really was a special 4 days of bonding for all of us!!!
Click on the photo for more pictures
Click on the photo for more pictures
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| Goff Visit |
Crabs with Vermonters
Tucker has been busy meeting family members this past month. Tony and Joanne (Uncle and Aunt) came down from Waterbury, VT (yes for all of you home of the Ben and Jerry's factory) over Memorial Day weekend to visit Ame and Ian (cousin and boyfriend) who are living in DC. On Saturday of that weekend they decided to take a road trip to Annapolis to meet Tucker as well as to "get down and dirty" with some Maryland Crabs. We took them to a local establishment where we got to sit on picnic bench's on the water and watch these Vermonter's attack the crabs. Brandon and I opted for something less messy. One of the more memorable moments, besides seeing family members and me having her first summer ale (Sam Summer and oh did it taste sooo good) in over 11 months, was a line from our waitress regarding Tarter Sauce. I had ordered a fried haddock sandwich and wanted Tarter sauce. After asking for it 3 times and saying that they had just brought me mayonnaise the waitress came out and said "here I brought this sour cream out to show you that that is tarter sauce, you can tell by the color." Not the finest moment for our waitress.
Click photo for more pictures
Click photo for more pictures
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| VT Beards |
Play Time - New Fun
I fell in love with a toy from K's Toys (I am the Boss) before Tucker was born and was determined to either get it or try to make something like it. I opted to try to make something somewhat similar (maybe someday I will break out the sewing machine and get creative with fabric) with and old sheet and box from a stroller. One of my friends told me where I could buy the balls (Toys R Us) and presto. Overall the concept is somewhat the same, sans the animal, and best part much cheaper. For now we put the bebePod in the box to help him sit up and from time to time add some of his toys that he likes to play with. The result, Tucker likes sitting in the box surrounded by all of the balls!!
Another thing that Tucker LOVES is his Musical Elephant when he is in the pack n play changing table. This is actually the second Elephant as we broke the string on the first because we kept pulling it when he was younger. At first, he did not like the changing table and just CRIED!! Now, he does not mind the changing table as long as there is some music. Brandon and I even like listening to the elephant!
Next time I will have to post some pictures of Tucker on his real changing table in his nursery. There is a print above it that he ABSOLUTELY adores. He can stay on his pad for a long time and just kick around and talk as he not only amuses himself but us.
All in all, when Tucker is with his toys, he is having a great time and we LOVE watching him play with them!!
Click Photo for more photos
Another thing that Tucker LOVES is his Musical Elephant when he is in the pack n play changing table. This is actually the second Elephant as we broke the string on the first because we kept pulling it when he was younger. At first, he did not like the changing table and just CRIED!! Now, he does not mind the changing table as long as there is some music. Brandon and I even like listening to the elephant!
Next time I will have to post some pictures of Tucker on his real changing table in his nursery. There is a print above it that he ABSOLUTELY adores. He can stay on his pad for a long time and just kick around and talk as he not only amuses himself but us.
All in all, when Tucker is with his toys, he is having a great time and we LOVE watching him play with them!!
Click Photo for more photos
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| Play time may |
Happy Birthday Day!
Tucker wanted to say Happy Birthday to dad (May 21st) and mom has been slow to post this on the website for Tucker. While we did not get a birthday dinner in yet (fondue night will be soon) Tucker was able to present dad with a cake from Maggie Moos .
Click photo for more photos
Click photo for more photos
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| Happy Birthday Dad |
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Family Visit
Tucker is a popular little man, as his Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle came to for separate visits. They really just wanted to pinch his adorable cheeks. First, Mimi and Poppop (Breck's parents) came for a night on their way North to Maine. They met Tucker the day he was born but had not seen him since. How he has grown and immediately they were welcomed with TONS of smiles. Hopefully by the time they seem him again in a couple of months he will be laughing! Unfortunately, I could not convince either of them to change a diaper. They both claimed that they had enough 30 or so years ago with twins. Hmmm....
A couple of days later Uncle Drew (Breck's brother but she refers to him as Ru Ru to Tucker because there is no way Tucker is ever going to be able to pronounce Drew) and Aunt Ashely came down from CT to visit. This was a first visit not only to Annapolis but also to meet Tucker. After 6 hrs in the car they finally arrived around 11:30 pm. Blood shot eyes and all, Drew was very eager to meet Tucker. Of course, Tucker gave both of them a knockout smile (yes he was still awake much to our dismay). While we had a slow start on Saturday (Tucker decided to be a little fussy in the morning) we showed them a bit of Historic Annapolis and The Naval Academy. Drew even got some baby parenting tips. However, we could not convince him to change a diaper either. We figured that this would be great practice for the arrival of their baby in September. Oh well, maybe next time.
All in all, it was wonderful to see family and for them to meet Tucker!
click the photo for more pictures
A couple of days later Uncle Drew (Breck's brother but she refers to him as Ru Ru to Tucker because there is no way Tucker is ever going to be able to pronounce Drew) and Aunt Ashely came down from CT to visit. This was a first visit not only to Annapolis but also to meet Tucker. After 6 hrs in the car they finally arrived around 11:30 pm. Blood shot eyes and all, Drew was very eager to meet Tucker. Of course, Tucker gave both of them a knockout smile (yes he was still awake much to our dismay). While we had a slow start on Saturday (Tucker decided to be a little fussy in the morning) we showed them a bit of Historic Annapolis and The Naval Academy. Drew even got some baby parenting tips. However, we could not convince him to change a diaper either. We figured that this would be great practice for the arrival of their baby in September. Oh well, maybe next time.
All in all, it was wonderful to see family and for them to meet Tucker!
click the photo for more pictures
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| Drew Visit May 2008 |
New Places to Sleep
So Tucker has discovered that sleeping does not just occur in the his crib or in the infant carrier. The first time he fell asleep on Kojo the Croc we thought it was cute but figured it was a one time occurrence. The second time, I thought he was looking at himself in a mirror but was relieved to find him asleep so I could take a nap (listening to the advice from everyone that when the baby naps, you nap). Now, the third time maybe he really does have a new friend and likes to sleep on Kojo. Our concern of course is that he likes to sleep on his belly!!!
Click photo for more pictures
Click photo for more pictures
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| Kojo May |
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
2 Months - Time is Flying!!!
The 2 month milestone and we are still kicking away. Maybe not as sleep deprived as we were a month ago but Tucker still picks inopportune times to be awake (night and usually up just for a binky). It really is amazing, the simplest things can really bring the greatest joy.
Yesterday Tucker had his 2 month visit to the Dr. and he weights 13 lbs and is 24". We do not need weights around here. When we want an arm workout we can do arm curls with him and soon we will be able to bench press him (: Ha!
So here are some updated pictures. I had to stick the Dodger one in for the proud father. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Mets fan all the way and would not get caught in anything that has to do with the Dodgers! Since I have known Brandon, the Mets have of course been the better team. He is too scared to make season bets on who the better team will be because he knows that I will win.
No milestone lessons today...if we have not learned some of the basics by now we are in TROUBLE.
Oh...he did have a diaper that weighed 7 oz's this morning and it was all Pee!!!
Enjoy!
Yesterday Tucker had his 2 month visit to the Dr. and he weights 13 lbs and is 24". We do not need weights around here. When we want an arm workout we can do arm curls with him and soon we will be able to bench press him (: Ha!
So here are some updated pictures. I had to stick the Dodger one in for the proud father. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a Mets fan all the way and would not get caught in anything that has to do with the Dodgers! Since I have known Brandon, the Mets have of course been the better team. He is too scared to make season bets on who the better team will be because he knows that I will win.
No milestone lessons today...if we have not learned some of the basics by now we are in TROUBLE.
Oh...he did have a diaper that weighed 7 oz's this morning and it was all Pee!!!
Enjoy!
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| 2 months |
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Just Because...
Ok, so I am becoming one of those camera happy people who feels the need to capture all cute Tucker moments.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
DOGS GALORE
Ok, some will ask, why all of the dogs? Well, this is what happens when mommy sits for 45 min every 2-3 hours feeding Tucker without anything to do but stare around the room and think about random things. No, I have not started watching Soaps or the Morning Talk shows (not even the Today show). However, I should start watching Ellen so I can pick up on some dance moves. They might come in handy on a rainy day when I have to find new ways to entertain Tucker!! Nonetheless, the latest result of my boredom, seeing how many stuffed dog animals we have in the house (yes a couple are my own) and then thinking what a cute picture this would be with Tucker. Presto!! As you can tell, we like dogs but do not have one YET. In retrospect, as much as we wanted one, a very wise move.
To our amazement, Tucker is growing FAST! We keep saying that we need to make a t-shirt that says "Mom's Diner, 5 star rating from Zagat's" as he is definitely gaining weight and, as a sign of a full baby, always takes a 5 min cat nap after feeding. He is one happy Patron and comes back for more.
Milestones - Tucker graces us with smiles and coo's and loves to let his eyes explore his surroundings. Of course one would think that this added activity would tire the Master out but no, quite the opposite. He can't get enough and as a result fights going to sleep, much to our dismay. I hope that he has not inherited my inability to sit still! He needs some of his dad's peaceful calm. He even had a visit from Sherri and much to our amazement, he slept!! She definitely has/had the motherly touch and he can't wait for her to come back for some more play and sleep time!
Happy April!
Click Photo for more fun Tucker Pictures
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| April |
Monday, April 7, 2008
1 Month Old
Tucker is officially 1 Month Old TODAY! How time flies. Now he is just getting ready to watch The Masters with Mommy this week. He is just as excited as I am to listen to the music.
Lets see...milestones; what we have learned as new parents:
1. Sometimes you have to resort to midnight drives
2. If you are helping to change a diaper, NEVER stand at the end of babies feet...
3. Gripe Water works
4. No matter how bad your voice is, still sing
5. My Brest Friend is Awesome (nursing pillow)!!
Click photo for updates
Lets see...milestones; what we have learned as new parents:
1. Sometimes you have to resort to midnight drives
2. If you are helping to change a diaper, NEVER stand at the end of babies feet...
3. Gripe Water works
4. No matter how bad your voice is, still sing
5. My Brest Friend is Awesome (nursing pillow)!!
Click photo for updates
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| 1 month |
Sunday, March 23, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EASTER BUNNY!
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| Easter |
Tucker wanted to wish everybody a Happy Easter!
He is looking forward to his first Easter Egg hunt next year!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Welcome Tucker
The waiting game ended on Friday March 7, 2008 at 2:38 am as Tucker Thorson was born 10 days early. He was 8 lbs and 20.6 inches and is very healthy. We are all doing very well and after 4 days in the hospital, are happy to be home and settling into our new lifestyle. Needless to say, sleep is a luxury but we are enjoying every minute of our time with Tucker.
These are some of the top 5 lessons we learned in the first few days (of course most have to do with diapers and changing):
1. ALWAYS pack at least 1 extra outfit, even when you are going home from the hospital.
2. When changing the baby, pull all clean clothing away from the bottom area.
3. Always have the wipes ready and to do not pour water over the baby when trying to wet the dry wipes (this is when you are using the nice wipes provided by the hospital).
4. When changing the baby, hold feet and hands so they do not find their way into areas that you are trying to clean up.
5. When in doubt, USE a pacifier!!!
Of course if you are sleep deprived you will always forget one of these rules so we have to add another lesson;
6. When you do not learn from #1, go home and immediately pack an extra outfit in each diaper bag!!!
Check out some early hospital and home pictures.
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| March |
Friday, February 29, 2008
Baby Room
Ok, so after having to replace some drywall due to mold, replace most of the trim, replace a few doors and tackle a few other minor projects, the baby's room is DONE! This is now the kick @%% room of the house if I do say so myself. Brandon and his dad spent 2 long days installing wainscoting and then we spent some tedious hours painting. Tip; if you ever install wainscoting, make sure you sand it before you paint it. Lesson learned! So here are a few pictures (we have added some more stuff since) of the baby room, sans any wall hangings.
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| Baby Room |
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Junior League Gathering
I just wanted to say thank you to my Junior League friends who came together to throw me a baby shower. Thank you so much. I had a wonderful night and true to your word, there were NO games, no embarrassing moments, and nothing frilly (well except for Megan's cupcake tree which was YUMMY)!!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Golf in December - Seabrook Island, SC
Christmas in South Carolina means time with family and GOLF!! Here are a few pictures...Awesome courses. The Croc's were hibernating!!!
Click on the photo....
Click on the photo....
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| Seabrook Dec 2007 |
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