Tucker Turns 2!

Happy 2nd Birthday Tucker!



I can’t believe how fast our little boy is growing up. He really is the apple of our eye and we both feel so fortunate to have such a fun loving, energetic, happy go lucky boy like Tucker in our lives. He just lights up our life with his amazing smile and fun giggles.

As the days tick away Tucker is about to become an older brother. I do not think that he really grasps the idea that I am carrying around his baby sister but he will give my belly a rub and sometimes a kiss. While initially it might be a little rough for him when she arrives, since he really has been the center of attention. All in all though, I think that he will adjust well and be an amazing older brother. This based on the fact that he has such a kind disposition and takes well to other babies.

Due to her impending arrival, we moved Tucker into a big boy room complete with a toddler bed. He has taken to his new room and bed very well. However, like any toddler with new found freedom, he has, on occasion, ransacked his room. This would entail pulling EVERYTHING out of his dresser drawers (including diapers and socks), pulling all of his books off the book case, pulling cloths out of his hamper, taking apart his light, and once, he tore all of his wallies (pre plastered cut-outs) off his wall. Needless to say I was furious! But I think the novelty of haphazard behavior is wearing off and now he is pretty good about going down for his naps and bedtime without too much fuss.

We are looking forward to the upcoming year and having fun continuing to explore the intricacies of toddlerhood with Tucker. It is never a dull moment around here and that is the way we like it.

Snowpalooza 2010 Update

We are not sure what to call it....snowpalooza, snowmageddon, snowpocalypse either way mother nature decided to dump 34" of snow on us in a matter of 2 days (Friday and Saturday). This has basically paralyzed the region. We did not see a plow trunk until Sunday late late afternoon and even so, the roads are FAR from clear. Unfortunately we are expecting another similar storm starting tomorrow which is scheduled to bring 10-20 inches of new snow. Right now we are all wondering where to put the snow.

As the snow continued to fall, Tucker and I were left to weather (no pun intended) the second storm on our own. This called for some drastic changes to how we were going to survive in the house all week without Brandon. Basically, all the rules were thrown out the door. What is one to do when left alone with an energetic toddler and me feeling VERY pregnant? Presto, the air mattress came out. Instead of jumping all over the furniture I decided that it was time to jump on an air mattress. This helped pass some time. Other fun activities that Tucker engaged in, not typically allowed, climbing on the windows to look outside, climbing on his toy storage so he could really see outside and dancing on the coffee table. We had a little disco party one afternoon, I was going insane, so I figured that we needed to dance. Rather than try to bend down to his level I let him come up to my level. This was a hit for about 5 minutes.

All in all, in less than a week, we received a total of about 48"'s. I wish I had my nordic skis down here or even had a pair of snow shoes. Chaos ensued as the crews worked around the clock to try to clear the roads but where does one put the snow. Typically we received about 18"'s of snow in an entire winter, this was record breaking!! I just feel bad for the kids and teachers having to make up all of the snow days.

New Years Eve 2009

We rang the New Year in with the kids around 7:30! After all of the travel and trying to get Tucker back on a normal sleep schedule, we decided to ring in the New Year quietly with several good friends. Also, seeing that 2 of us are pregnant, we were not game for a wild and crazy night. The lack of consumption of libations on a celebration night can be a downer at times. Oh well. Next year I will be ready so all, watch out!!

The McMunn's hosted a great New Year's complete with a GPS serving as the New Year's Ball and balloons falling from the staircase. The kids (Tucker, Anna and Kate) had a great time!!! Unfortunately, we tried to watch the Annapolis family fireworks but due to fog, they were not visible. I highly doubt that those who were even at the event could see them. Regardless, we sparked our own fun and even better, topped it off with being in bed by 9:00. I think Brandon stayed awake and watched the ball drop but I was fast asleep!!!

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 was spent in South Carolina with my parents. Unfortunately, we missed the blizzard of 2009 but I was elated to leave Maryland and to see my parents. I know that they were equally excited to see us and of course Tucker. We had not seen them since the end of August.

Tucker was delighted to reconnect with his friend Skooter (15 year old blind and deaf Cocker). I am not too sure how much Skooter enjoyed Tucker's attention but Tucker sure let us know that he is ready for a dog pal. The true test is whether I am ready to handle a toddler and a dog while being pregnant. We will see.

Much like the rest of the East Coast, it was a little cold in South Carolina. We had left our golf clubs home knowing that it was going to be cool. Instead we explored a little. We went to the USS Yorktown, wandered around Charleston, went to a Fire Truck Museum and of course went to the beach a couple of times. Seabrook Island had also just finished an amazing sports complex that fall so we were able to take Tucker to a great playground as well as take him swimming! He had a blast in the water which was encouraging since he was not always too happy about being in my parents pool this past summer.

Christmas was a blast with Tucker!! We waited until Tucker was asleep on Christmas Eve to put our presents under the tree and then sometime in the night Santa arrived with more gifts for everyone as well as filled the stockings. Needless to say Tucker was very surprised when he woke up on Christmas morning to see the tree full of gifts. He quickly ran over to a gift and wanted to open it. He threw a mini tantrum when we dragged him away so we could open stockings. Actually the adults had started a little before Tucker woke up so, if need be, we could help him out. So we gathered around my parents bed and introduced Tucker to his stocking. At first all he wanted to do was open Brandon's stocking gifts until he realized that there were actual gifts in his stocking. Soon he was a pro and having a blast opening his gifts.

After stockings we quickly cleaned up and started cooking breakfast. This did not sit well with Tucker as he wanted to start opening the gifts under the tree. I think that he thought that this was torture. Here the gifts are all out and now he still can't open anything as it was time for breakfast. Eventually he will learn the and did survive breakfast. By the time we all sat down for gifts Tucker was more than eager to show off his unwrapping skills and he did. He was VERY good about waiting for his turn and at times was a great helper in unwrapping gifts. We were all blessed to receive such great gifts and we all basked in watching Tucker open gifts and play with them. It was such a special moment and I felt fortunate that we got to share the excitement and experience with my parents. As a parent, it was so much fun to watch and to experience Tucker's excitement.

I am already looking forward to Christmas next year and even more excited for Tucker to share the experience with his new baby sister.

Happy Holiday's to all and Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year!!

Pre Holiday's 2009

I am getting very slow in updating our blog. Life seems to have taken over. With a very active toddler and being pregnant, all I want to do is sleep when I can. We had a great end to the fall and early start to the winter.

This year we stayed in Maryland and spent Thanksgiving with Brandon's family. Tucker had a great time with his cousins. Shortly after Thanksgiving we had our first snowfall and Tucker was very excited about playing outside. Unfortunately we had neglected to get toddler mittens so he had to wear my mittens. It did not seem to stop him from exploring.

One of Tucker's greatest fascinations is trains. He LOVES them and with that, we took him to Homestead Garden's after Thanksgiving so he could see their elaborate train set. We actually went several times and each time, he was elated and kept pointing and saying "choo choo."

Since we were spending Christmas with my family, we had an early Christmas celebration with Brandon's family. Again, Tucker was happy to spend time with his cousins and this was a test to see how he was going to do when it came to the real day and opening gifts. After banging away on the piano and eating a delicious Roast Beef meal, we opened gifts. At first Tucker was a little confused and was more interested in being neat about his opening. With each little tear he would hand the paper to either Brandon or me. We were a little worried that opening gifts on Christmas was going to turn into an all day event. However, he soon got the hang of opening gifts and by the end, was more interested in playing with his toys than opening gifts.

Florida trip and Leaf Day

Florida in November, we could not complain especially since it was in the 70s and we were not far from water. Tucker and I decided to tag along with Brandon on his quarterly management meeting, but not without trepidation. This was Tucker's first flight and we were both very nervous about a) room on the plane and b) how he would react to take off and landing. All in all, he did very well however, we will not be flying again anytime soon with him. Despite having an open seat for Tucker, he still was not too happy about being confined on a plane nevertheless, in a tiny row. Two plus hours is just a little too much for a boy who never stops moving. Our saving grace, flash cards!!!

Once in Tampa Tucker and I had a good time. We visited the Lowry Park Zoo, which was a very nice zoo and very kid friendly, as well as a fun children's museum. The last day, Brandon did not have meetings so we made it to the beach. Tucker had a blast!!! He loved digging in the sand with shells and running in and out of the water.

What awaited us upon our return was a lawn FULL of leaves. Tucker had a fun time playing in the leaves while we labored over packing bag after bag of leaves! I like trees but HATE the fall when all of the leaves fall!!!

Happy Halloween

Tucker wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Our little monkey had a great Halloween which even included a little trick or treating. Of course we are eating his candy for him.

Tucker decided that he wanted to trick or treat with 2 of his friends, Anna and Zoe, so the dad's took the kids out to eat after we all had a nice pot luck dinner at our friend Janet's. Brandon said that Tucker was very good and even waited his turn for the candy.

Prior to Halloween we had every intention of going back to the pumpkin farm that we went to last year. Unfortunately the weather never cooperated so we settled for a small pumpkin patch nearby. Because we were so late in getting our pumpkins and due to the weather, we never ended up carving the pumpkins. Much to Brandon's dismay and much to my delight. Next year Tucker will be old enough to understand but I just did not want to deal with the mess.

The same day we got our pumpkins we also went to a little Halloween festival at a different location. This is where Tucker rode a pony for the first time. He seemed to have a good time. He also REALLY enjoyed his ride behind a tractor in a pumpkin car. At first, while the tractor was idle and we were waiting, he was not too keen on being in the car. But when the tractor started moving he was very excited. It really is the little things that get us all excited and happy!!!

Fall 2009

I have gotten a little behind with our blog. Our biggest news is that Tucker will be big brother come May. If only Tucker would understand that I need naps just as much as he does and that I am not a jungle gym. I have tried to tell him that Brandon is the jungle gym and I am the one who gets all of the hugs. Someday he will listen.

While the pregnancy has slowed me down a little, Tucker and I have taken several field trips (only a couple I have pictures from). The first was to a place set up with an enchanted forest/maze and a petting zoo. Tucker thought the maze was fun but was definitely more interested in the animals. He really has no fear when it comes to any animals, as you will be able to see as he tries to back into a baby goat. We have also been to the National Zoo and to the Maryland Science Center.

On a nice crisp day Tucker and I ventured across the bridge to the Eastern Shore to a huge pumpkin farm. While we did not get any pumpkins we did have fun playing around on their playground. Tucker really enjoyed climbing in the tractors and touching their giant tires. This has become a fascination of his. When he sees cars he tries to go up to them and touch their tires and this did not stop him when he saw the tractors.

The last set of pictures is from a trip to Longwood Gardens in PA. WOW! What an amazing place. We drove up to meet up with my college friend Heather and her husband before they move to Australia. Tucker LOVED the train set. He was going nuts watching them. Hmmm...what is he going to get for Christmas this year?

Tucker continues to amaze us and he is growing up so fast. Before you could count the milestones weekly or so but now they seem daily. Just the other day he was saying shoes and next thing we knew he was in Brandon's size 11 penny loafers trying to walk around the kitchen. Tucker definitely impresses us with all that he understands. While most of the time he listens to us we are still working on those No moments with him. Hopefully he will learn to stop turning the TV on and off and to stop dialing the phone.

August in Maine

Wow, where is the time going? We are having the time of our life with Tucker. He is so much fun to be with and ALWAYS on the go. Now that he is walking our lives have changed and as such we are perpetually tired having chased him all day. We basically went from crawling to running and he has not slowed down since!

We feel so lucky to have such a fun loving always smiling and laughing, toddler. He truly makes our days when he graces us one of his big smiles or better yet, will run up and give us a hug. As each day passes he understands more and more. Just the other day I asked him to bring me a book and then sit down next to me for which he proceeded to get a book and then with straight legs, dropped right down next to me.

So much of his development seemed to start when we went to Maine. He had just started to really walk right before we left for Maine and was understanding some things but nothing too spectacular. By the time we left he was running all over the place and was acknowledging body parts. I know, it sounds so simple, but I was so amazed and excited with everything that he was learning. It must have been Maine :)

It was wonderful to be able to spend some much quality time with my parents since we rarely get to see them. I know Tucker sure had a blast with them, especially since Mimi and Grandpa kept insisting on ice cream for him. Tucker also had a great pal in Skooter (my parents 15 yr old deaf and blind Cocker), and I know that Skooter LOVED all of the chicken nuggets that Tucker dropped on the floor for him. After moving several items and vigilantly watching others, the house for the most part, was Tucker proofed. I do not think that my parents were expecting Tucker to be as active as he was. That was when Mimi decided to find my old matchbox cars and trucks and after that, Tucker had a new love affair with cars!!! It was rare to see him walk around the house without a car in his hand, and that still continues today.

Since Tucker decided to wake up between 5:00-6:00 every morning, we decided that it was best to let him run off some early morning energy on the beach. So every morning we took him to the beach and coincidentally this was also the time that dogs were permitted to be on the beach. Tucker had a BLAST playing with the dogs and he even got to meet Mrs. Bush and her two dogs on several occasions. He also loved playing in the sand and in the water. There really was no better way to start the day off!

During the days we had many little trips and expeditions for Tucker. For me the most fun was taking him to the beach to really play in the sand and water. He loved to find ditches to crawl into and really loved the tidal pools where he could pick little snails off the rocks and throw them back in the water. He also really liked to watch the waves break and occasionally they would break right in front of him. I am envisioning LOTS of time on the beach next summer as he will love building and digging more.

Tucker also got to experience a lot of firsts...his first swim in the ocean, first boat ride, first lobster, first trip to LL Bean, first touch of an elephant and many more. Tucker also got a nice wave from President Bush (George) as he was fishing and he did pretty well the first time we took him to church but the second time, well he was more interested in playing with the cars and looking over the sea wall. The good and the bad, it afforded me the opportunity to catch up with a friend and his two kids during church. The bad, I really wanted Tucker to sit still so I could enjoy the church service. Maybe next year.

Unfortunately Brandon was only able to take off a little over a week. After he left, Tucker and I went on several trips to catch up with friends. Our first trip was to Portsmouth to see our friend Leigh. After a great lunch we discovered a wonderful toy store!!! Then we headed to the Boston Aquarium to see Daniele and for Tucker to meet Jack. They had fun together at lunch!!! We were also fortunate to see Auntie Sarah and to finally meet Mackie. Tucker provided an early baby proofing lesson for Sarah as he managed to find EVERY remote control possible, pull out the carbon monoxide detector from the wall, turn over the dogs water bowl, and pick up ever nice sea shell possible. Boys. Then we headed up to see Andee and Avery in Guilford! Secretly Andee and I are planning Avery and Tucker's wedding :) They were just too cute together and had so much fun playing around. Hopefully all of our trips to see friends will become yearly since we do not get to see them nearly enough. Next summer I would like to add more because there just is not enough time to see everyone and it always breaks my heart when I leave and I think about everyone that I was not able to see.

After three great weeks it was sad to leave but we look forward to our time in Maine again next summer! More importantly, Tucker can't wait to see Mimi and Grandpa again so he can get some more ice cream :)

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We had a wonderful weekend celebrating the 4th with friends as well as watching some great tennis and golf. On Saturday, before we headed to Annapolis for the 4th of July parade, Tucker did some yard exploration and car driving.

DIRT DIRT DIRT whether in the sand box or around the yard, Tucker finds it and gets dirty. Much to my chagrin! So he did a little investigative work by our fence where our neighbors dogs have been digging and Brandon has tried to fill the holes with excess dirt. Then Tucker decided to play with his ride on car. He did some walking and riding with it until he told us he wanted to ride down our little hill. He saw a friend doing it the night before and thought that it was very cool. First and second time it was a hit, the third, MAN OVERBOARD. There was a little blood but nothing that was not cured with an ice cube and a big hug. Surprisingly, he was back on the car and wanting to go back down the hill shortly after.

We left our camera home for the parade and well, speaking frankly, it was not a camera worthy event. Friends and Tucker yes, it would have been nice to get some shots but the parade itself, much to be desired!!! Maybe next year we will be able to stay for some music and fireworks. Instead I was more than happy to get home and watch the Boston fireworks on TV!!!

June Adventures

The big news is that Tucker is FINALLY starting to walk. He still prefers to crawl when he wants to get someplace fast, but more and more he is starting to walk. We call him the drunken sailor since he is still a little uneasy on his legs. All in all, the walking has capped off a little toddler that can now get anywhere and will climb up and down anything. We have only had one minor casualty (see 4th of July pictures) but that was due to some reckless car driving. Seat belts were definitely not in use!!!

June has gone by like a tornado. We have kept very busy with little excursions. Tucker took his first train ride at a little park and he even got to shake Cal's hand. Well, a plaster one that is. We met one of my college friends and her daughter in Baltimore at the Maryland Science Center and enjoyed a fun time in the Kid Zone. They had a lot for Tucker to do and explore. Besides being intrigued with Cal's hand, Tucker also really enjoyed his time around the water area. So much so that he figured out how to spray himself as well as, others around him.

We look forward to more adventures in July.

Tucker's First Hair Cut

We are 3 days away from Tucker turning 15 months and the time had come, a hair cut was NEEDED. I was getting tired of having to correct people when they would say things like, "SHE looks so cute." AHHH Tucker is ALL boy!!

So we headed to Pig Tails and Crew Cuts for Tucker's first hair cut. What an amazing place to take a kid. He got to pick between a fire truck, airplane or police car in which to get his hair cut in. He wanted to sit in the police car but was amused by the other 2 chairs during his cut. They saddled him up with some toys and a cape and away they went cutting his hair. He actually sat relatively still much to my amazement. We were able to save a little bit of his hair and all in all, happy with his first cut. Well, the bangs are a little shorter than we wanted but oh well.

The Adventures of Storyville

Once upon a time there were 2 toddlers and 2 mothers who were seeking a mighty fun adventure. They searched and they searched until one mother found a place with a child sized village (indoors of course). This magical village is a place where kids can explore various environments and discover new activities. Eager to try something new and to get others involved, word spread quickly that they were going to go on a trip to Storyville.

One Two pack the snacks, Three Four jump in the seats, Five Six a clap and a clap, Seven Eight a wisp and a whirl Nine Ten and off to Storyville we go! With two little kids all buckled in their seats and two moms eager for a chat, the car headed north to Rosedale we went.

In Sum this place was amazing! There were seven themed learning areas within the mighty village and each area included a different activity as well as books and engaging materials to help promote literacy. Tucker enjoyed playing in all of the various areas!!! We had a great road trip with Janet and Anna and look forward to more fun adventures this summer!!

A Goofy Moment with Tucker at Dinner

The other night we had our first BBQ dinner outside. Brandon's parents came down and Tucker, in true fashion, was a cracker jack. The funniest moment was Tucker playing with his bib. Normally I would not capture these times on camera but he was being so jolly about it and having a lot of fun showing off!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy

Brandon celebrated his 3? birthday the other day and well, I had to capture the gift moment. Tucker was more than happy to play with the paper once it was off the gifts, as well as the ribbon. One of Tucker's gifts to "Daddy" was a box of Froot Loops since every morning Tucker begs from Brandon for his cereal. I am not sure what I am encouraging the sugar but it was a funny treat. The big surprise, thanks to a friend, was tickets to U2 in Sept. Brandon LOVES U2 and well who knows when we will ever have a chance to go again. Happy Birthday Brandon!

The Blue Angels - USNA

Fat Albert is where? As I searched the crowd I was lost. No silly, Fat Albert is in the air. This coming from a real USNA Blue Angel spectator to a novice.. I look up and sure enough, a mammoth, what looks to be a cargo plane, is flying up the river and this signifies the beginning of the Blue Angel Show.

Then we could hear the thunder and out of no where, there were 6 Navy F/A-18 Hornets overhead and they gave us the most amazing performance. This was my first time watching the Blue Angels and I was excited. Tucker on the other hand was flat out scared! He would not let us put ear plugs in and much preferred to cling onto our necks for dear life. We shouldn't complain because it was some nice cuddle time but we felt bad for him.

Hopefully these pictures will amaze you all. Fortunately I have a good friend who had her camera and took these amazing pictures!

May 2009 Updates

The Past Month....





I am not sure where to begin as I have fallen a little behind with the blog and so many things have happened.... To us, each day is an exciting day with Tucker. He is a boy who just wants to explore the world, but still on his hands and knees. Brandon thinks that he will be walking by the end of the month (May). I feel like that Tucker has another month to go, especially considering June is almost here.

One of our projects for the Spring was to build Tucker a sandbox. We wanted one big enough for Tucker and his friends. 30 bags of sand later, and a fancy top, Tucker has a dream box! We all love to play in it with Tucker. Kudos to Brandon!!!

Tucker participated in his first swim class with Brandon. We thought that this would be a fun father son activity. Unfortunately Tucker was very apprehensive about the pool. At first this surprised us since he LOVES bath time. All he wanted to do was to hold onto Brandon and the pool rail. My theory, the pool area was too hot and stuffy. Heck, I went one night and wanted to sprint out immediately. When we went to Mystic, CT we took Tucker to the hotel pool a couple of times and he was very happy to be in the pool and moving around with us. Hopefully he will be ok at the pool club this summer.


We were all very fortunate to take a nice trip to Mystic, CT a couple weeks ago. Brandon had some meetings so Tucker and I thought that it would be fun to tag along. It was nice to get out of Maryland for a week and the bonus, we got to see some family and some friends. On our way to Mystic we stopped and had dinner with my brother, his son and wife. We had not seen them since Nate was a newborn so it was fun to see how much he has grown. We stayed with my godmother which was also a very splendid treat for us. He had a great time exploring a new house and yard :) One of the highlights of the trip for Brandon was going to the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum Home of the USS Nautilus in Groton, CT. We all went on the Sub but no one was more impressed than Brandon. Tucker and I thought it was too tight. Tucker and I also went to the Mystic Aquarium. What a fantastic aquarium. They had these amazing outdoor tanks where you could watch penguins swimming as well as beluga wales. We tried to watch a Sea Lion show but Tucker just did not want to sit still.

Immediately after we returned from CT we had some house guests, my parents. It was wonderful to see them and for Tucker to have some time with them and Skooter! He razzled and dazzled them and in true grandparent fashion, fed Tucker from his first ice cream cone. I cringed and thought of the mess but went along with it. Fortunately Tucker did not make a mess at all. He LOVED the experience!!! The trip was short but we will see them again soon this summer!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone Balk Balk!!





Our surprise. Tucker went to the White House Easter Egg Roll. The process began around midnight on the day the White House said they were going to release the tickets online. After 45 min I gave up and headed off to bed. Only to check in the middle of the night and then I really started up again around 7am. In between feeding Tucker I kept refreshing the page and finally I got through. PURE LUCK. As one reporter from the Washington Post noted "the chances of getting tickets are now comparable to winning a Mega Millions lottery." I did not realize this at the time but out of all of my friends trying for tickets, I was the only one. How funny the Republican who could care less about President Obama gets the tickets. Ha... It was purely a non-political day despite the numerous Obama t-shirts and hats being worn.

So, I just figured that I would get the maximum number of tickets (6) and then share the extra ones with friends. I finally got around to reading the fine print and out of the 6 tickets there were only 2 adult tickets. Hmmm. Fortunately Brandon did not really want to so I invited my friend Janet and her daughter Anna. She was the one who told me about the Egg Roll so it was only fitting that she come with us. We all met up the night before in DC for a nice dinner (Janet found 2 rooms 2 blocks from the White House for a fantastic price) and a good nights sleep. As we headed off to the Event our husbands headed to work. Our tickets were for the 9:45-11:45 segment but they said that we needed to be there 1 hr before the opening. This is one of the areas that they need to improve next year. We got in line around 8:20 and did not get into the event until 10:30. They did a VERY POOR job getting people in and to our surprise, there were a lot of very rude people who could care less that a) we were in front of them and b) that we had strollers with toddlers. This was a bit upsetting. Oh well.

The highlight of my day was meeting Julie Foudy! She is my soccer idol. There were not a lot of activities for Tucker but he did not mind. He loved getting his picture taken with the various PBS animals, crawling around in the grass, listening to Fergie and playing with Anna! Both kids were fantastic! I kept waiting for Tucker to melt down due to a lack of a morning nap but it never happened. Of course I did give him his first chocolate chip cookie and I loaded him up with snacks while we waited in line.

All in all we had a fantastic day and I felt so lucky that we got to go to the Roll!!!

13 Months

A month has passed and our little boy is now officially a toddler and doing all of the things a little energetic toddler boy does. Unfortunately he is still not walking and he is not showing any signs of walking. I am trying everything from bare feet, to strategically placing empty diaper boxes around the house to holding him and he does not want to walk. Much to my displeasure of course. I really do not want him to grow up fast but it would make life so much easier if he would just walk. That and he would save a few pairs of pants!

Tucker has also experienced his first taste of custard and gelato (the fancy stuff of course). He had no complaints and even asked for more. This has made Brandon VERY happy! Other notables, Dirt dirt dirt. Besides Tucker's normal outdoor inquiry of dirt and twigs we learned the lesson not to let Tucker sit in the back seat with shrubs or vice versa. We went to get some shrubs the other day and since they did not fit in the trunk they got to ride in the back seat with Tucker. We saw him playing with the shrubs on the way home but the welcome surprise was when we opened his door only to find his mouth, nose, and hands covered in dirt as well as his car seat. That called for an immediate bath!

Each day is a joy and we look forward to our new experiences with Tucker! Stay tuned for after Easter Photos! We have a surprise.

I forgot to add that Tucker also experienced his first babysitter and I went away for 3 days leaving Brandon to some good old father son bonding time. I am not sure who was more worn out when I returned, Brandon or Tucker.

Tucker Turns 1

It is official, Tucker is now 1. What is even more amazing is that we, as parents, survived. I was a little nervous the first few months but after we figured him out (a lot of trial and error) and he figured us out, we all started to get a little more sleep and have a lot more fun!! All in all, he exhibits all of the curiosity that is bestowed in a 1 year old. Brandon likes to call him the dismantler because anything that he gets ahold of, he first tries to put in his mouth and then tries to rip it. That seems to be the true test of whether something is worthy. Or if he can crawl in it, through it or hit it (meaning windows).

Tucker’s birthday week started off with playgroup. My friend Janet and I (whose daughter Anna turned 2 the same day as Tucker) co-hosted playgroup that week. We had around 20 fabulous kids over to the house and they all had a ball while the mom’s got to sit back and hopefully relax. The best part was when Brandon came home to check out the playgroup and exhibited an expression of bewilderment. I thought that he was going to turn around and walk out. But once he got past all of the shoes and jackets he decided to stay a bit. Tucker also enjoyed his first taste of a cupcake (Brandon made them while I felt the need to decorate them with peeps). Needless to say, after playgroup, we were all “Tuckered” out.

Then on Tucker’s real birthday we had a small family party. Brandon’s parents, sister, and cousin’s came down for the afternoon to help celebrate with Tucker. This time we decided to buy him a cake and with that, came a baby cake cube. At first Tucker did not know what to do but then he figured it out and made a nice mess.

Looking back, we have had an amazing year with Tucker and we look forward to many more days, months and years. I said to Brandon and a few friends the other day, I feel like Tucker is taking years off my life. We sit and play and share LOTS of laughs everyday. Any worries that I might have for the day seem to be washed away when I look at Tucker’s face and realize that my only concern in the present, is helping him learn and overall, have fun.