morning

July 6, 2020

birthday day

We are having a lovely birthday day around here today!

Balloons dumped into your bedroom first thing in the morning, what a surprise!

birthday surprise from Mama and Daddy

birthday breakfast!

We're on cloud nine!

(or just thoroughly enjoying making a huge, fun mess out of the batting mama bought to make clouds for your birthday party!)

toys to take on the plane

One of the friends I've met through blogging is taking an airplane trip soon and asked for any and all advice for traveling with a one year old.

I had already been contemplating doing this post and that cinched the deal. I'll bet a lot of us have wished for advice on traveling with kids before so here's my take on what toys might be good for the plane.

Toys are going to vary by age range for sure and you know your child and his/her interests best but here's what I took for my nearly 16 month old son.

Roughly from left to right starting in the back:

First up the girly pink bag . . . I thought it would be simplest to have all of the toys in one place little pouch that I could pull out of the diaper bag and not have to be pulling the whole diaper bag out from under the seat and shoving it back in while holding David and keeping my seatbelt securely fastened. It worked really great actually and I just used something I already had and luckily David is not old enough yet to care what color it was.

I think I packed three board books, Goodnight Gorilla, one of our favorites being one of them.

This pinwheel was actually part of the decor at my baby shower and I have used them in various ways since then. David loves them and I knew it would be a small, lightweight, interactive toy to bring. It turned out to be my "go to" toy for the entire five days. It was great on the plane, in restaurants or while he was in the stroller and we were walking around.

I brought a straw because I thought again it was extremely small and lightweight and I could blow through it onto his skin or hair and he could bend it, etc. but I don't think we ever even pulled it out.

These pliers are from his toolset that he got for his birthday. We still don't know who gave it to us but it sure is getting a lot of mileage! These pliers are always a fun toy for him to play with and he enjoyed them on the trip as well.

The tinker toy is from his sweet Aunt Kim who let it be taken from the set at her house. It has been a favorite for awhile. He played with it a little on the plane but it is really better for rolling so I probably could have left it at home.

The "I" and the "D" "train cars" are from a set that spells his name that his Grandma gave him for Christmas. They connect with magnets and I just brought two for him to pull apart and put back together. We also use these as church bag toys too.

The plastic fish is a bath toy that squirts water or when empty, blows air. We used that more than once as I sang songs about fishies and made it swim, blew air on David by squeezing it, etc.

I brought the baby spoon because he enjoys chewing on the rubber tips. Since we didn't ever feed him baby food he doesn't really associate them with eating real food but lately he has really enjoyed pretending to feed me with them and I knew that would be a quiet, easy game we could get a lot of mileage out of on the plane. Turns out we didn't ever pull it out but if we had run out of other things I think it would have been good.

He hasn't really taken a pacifier since six months, preferring his thumb, but since the move he has found some and enjoyed popping them in his mouth or playing with them/chewing on them for short periods of time. I thought this might also help his ears on take off and landing.

The adorable lion toy is a gift from his great-grandma last Christmas. You push the bottom and the whole thing collapses. David thinks it is very funny and we used this one a whole lot on the plane.

The red white and blue cloth is a napkin. I stuck it in thinking it would be handy for peek-a-boo or hiding objects under for him to find but we didn't end up using it either.

I got the stickers because my mom had told me my sister-in-law had used them as a great plane toy for my nephew. We did use some on the way back and they were good for killing some time.

The little hedgehog is a finger puppet that his Sweetie gave him. He loved how soft and fuzzy it was and enjoyed me making it kiss him, etc. I also brought a little chick inside an egg finger puppet that is not pictured. He loves for me to pop that little chick out of the egg and say boo. Then he'll push it back in. He learned to say "chicken" on this trip while playing with it!

The bracelet is because I tried to wear fun jewelry that he could play with on the flight but that wouldn't set off the metal detector!

The bath glove with the animals on the fingers is a gift from his Grandma. I think it may have come from France even! I used the animals to "talk" to David on the flight and that was fun.

The toy ring was has turned out to be something we have used from his littlest days until now. It can be put on and taken off things and his Daddy even likes to make him giggle by hanging it on his ear.

This little Fisher Price truck and another we have like it were birthday gifts from his Aunt Gail. He has used them a ton and this is his smallest vehicle. He pushes cars and trucks around all day but I needed something really small for the trip. This fit the bill.

The travel Q-tip box is something I found as I was packing and cleaning out my toiletries bag. I thought it would be a big hit with my little guy who loves to figure things out and put things inside things but it wasn't that big a hit.

As I've written this I've realized how many of these things were gifts and am once again overwhelmed with how blessed we are with people who love us and our sweet boy.

I hope this has helped any of you who are anticipating traveling with little ones and as we're not done traveling, I would *love* to hear any suggestions, ideas and tips *you* have for traveling with little kids.

Thanks!

Kelly

summertime happy song

Megan has inspired me and I'm working on a little video of my birthday day

(thank you for all of the well wishes!!!!)

I am stumped on a song though.

What song do you think I should pair with a little montage of our day on Monday?

Something summery, fun, happy?

Thanks!

Kelly

eleven months!!!

It is amazing to me that you are eleven months old!

It is so, so much fun watching you learn and grow!

You learned to eat {and love} smoothies this month! We make them with frozen fruit, banana and coconut milk and sometimes a splash of vanilla. You actually really advanced in your cup skills after I gave you a smoothie in a cup. Since it is thicker and didn't come at you as fast when you tipped the cup you gained awareness and control of drinking from your cup.

You are getting so, so good at it now and can pick it up off the table by yourself and set it back down somewhat gently at least a good percentage of the time. It helped when we switched to clear cups instead of the brightly colored cups with fun pictures that you liked to tip back and point to all of the things on the cups.

We'd love for you to learn to drink from a straw too as it would make restaurants easier since you still splutter water back out when drinking and we don't want you cold and wet. At home we change clothes a lot but Mama doesn't mind because I like dressing you in different things.

Until daylight savings time hit you'd been taking longer naps, generally around an hour or more but now your sleeping schedule seems to be all cattywampus.

We have begun to do more purposeful activities together and I really enjoy that. On this chilly day I put some dry oatmeal in the bottom of this box and you used your wooden spoon to move it around some but you really preferred just to use your hands. You are getting much better at not putting every single thing that you pick up into your mouth so you are getting to play outside more and in the dirt, wood chips at the playground, etc. I still do have to say, "We don't eat dirt." "We don't eat leaves." etc. though. It's completely worth it to see the joy you get from exploring.

You really like to be near your daddy when he's getting ready to leave for work in the mornings. You help him with things like putting on his shoes and getting his backpack ready.

You love, love, love the vacuum cleaner!!! You will chase it and the swiffer around and you like to try to push it yourself. You can do it too, you're strong!

You are playing in your room by yourself more. You roam all about the house and we really only keep the bathrooms and laundry/trash room offlimits to you unless we're with you. You love to open the drawer under the stove and I believe you have claimed it as your own. In addition to getting out the round cake pans each and every time, you put your own treasures in too. The past few weeks have seen your wooden spoon, scraps of paper that Mama has let you play with and a pair of your socks all take up residence there.

I love that you are starting to take toys with you from one place to another. It is so cute to see.

Mostly you pull things along with one hand while you're crawling but sometimes you find it more efficient to carry things in your mouth! It's pretty adorable. You especially like to put your socks in your mouth. Funny boy!

You got really good at driving cars around this month.

You have also learned to get on your tip toes to see more. I love to watch you do this.

You and Daddy went to downtown Grapevine to see the trains and take pictures while Mama was at a coffee with ladies from church one Saturday morning. You and your Daddy always have fun together.

You have started to fall asleep in our arms during church on Sundays and we both love holding onto this last bit of your babyhood before you turn into a toddler.

You like to growl. One night when Daddy was reading a book to you before bed that had a lion in it, he growled and then you surprised us by growling right back. You are so smart and fun.

You have two teeth on the bottom and three coming in on the top!

You have started to put things into other things. One day I got out a bunch of plastic lids and a plastic box and you had a lot of fun with that. You are also starting to help Mama clean up your toys and things.

You like to put your weebles into the door of the treehouse and then shut the door. You show a lot of persistence. We are so proud of you.

You have started doing the motions for "God Made The Big Round Sun". I was singing to you while I was changing your diaper and you started flapping your arms for the birds flying and grinning at me because you knew you were doing something really cool and my heart soared! Today you made the big round sun while we were video chatting with Nana.

someone is looking awfully tall of a sudden

Did you have these growing up?

I loved them. Maybe that's why I became a music teacher.

Can you spot one in the photo?

Kelly

10 months old!

Baby Boy!

You are ten months old!

You are so, so much fun!

We still go on lots of walks and you enjoy them.

You have been taking amazing naps - usually at least an hour long! Hooray!

The fire alarm went off in the middle of the night during the ice storm and you slept through it for an entire hour!

You and I have been having "cradle roll" class at home. I love to do the songs with you and see you interact with the toys. You held the flower up over your head when we sang that it "grew and grew and grew!"

One of your very favorite songs is "God Made the Big Round Sun".

You turn pages in books now on your own and point at things with one finger in books.

We thought you were trying to dump out your water cup at mealtimes but then we realized that you were turning it just far enough so you could see the pictures printed on the cups and then pointing to them. Cute but messy.

You went with Mama each Tuesday to Rosa's to eat tacos and have lunch with the women from Ladies' Bible Class. They all enjoyed you and you liked them.

We had dinner with Miss Tiffany and you had fun playing with her hair, coat and purse.

You *love* the vacuum cleaner!

You began clapping this month.

You say "Dada" and you began saying "Mama" and "Nana". I don't think you know that nana has any association with a grandma or a fruit yet but you will learn.

Your very first word was "hi" but that was several months ago now.

When we let you down outside you try to eat the dirt, leaves, grass . . . whatever's handy.

You like to spend time with your mama and daddy. It is fun to be able to do things as a family.

You are "on the go" and taking it outside. Sometimes we sit out on the balcony together watching for Daddy to come home.

You had to have blood drawn for your allergy test and I hated it. But you did *such* a great job! I was so proud of you! You didn't even cry when you got stuck. You only began to fuss at having to be confined while the blood was being drawn because you wanted to be down exploring.

You are such an explorer that I now put you in the doorway jumper so you can watch me while I'm getting ready without getting into things like the trash can or the toilet brush holder and in the jumperoo so you can watch me iron but you are safe and sound away from the cord.

This month we took a big family trip to Central Market to get foods for all of us to eat since it seems you are allergic to milk, egg whites and wheat. We enjoyed a few samples too.

You crawl over *super* fast whenever the dish washer gets opened! You love to stand at the dishwasher and explore. This keeps us on our toes!

You also turned off a light switch all by yourself this month while I was holding you. You used one finger. You are getting so good at that. The one thing you're really a hold out on is the mini blinds. You do not want to touch them with one finger, you want to attack them!

You really experienced your first snow. Your very first snow was when we were in Colorado at Thanksgiving but Mama tried to take you out for a picture and it was cold and blowing and you wanted none of it.

This month it snowed & iced in Dallas and we got to have Daddy home with us for four days off of work because of the crazy winter weather. Mama decided this time to bring the snow in to you.

hmmm . . .

you explored

and of course tasted!

You learned to make the weebles go down the slide on the treehouse all by yourself! So exciting!!

You can now pull up wherever you please! Again, this keeps us on our toes.

We cheered for the Steelers.

You ate your first whole apple. Mama took a couple of bites out of it to give you some starting places and handles but you took it from there. You worked and worked on that apple and ate it down to the core!

Daddy had to take it away while you were a little distracted or I think you would have eaten the core, seeds and stem too!

You also started feeding yourself with a fork and with a spoon this month. We're very proud of you.

You still love to eat beans and rice and peas.

You tried some frozen mango today and loved it.

Sweet potato and meats, especially ham are other favorites.

Sometimes you still wake up for a feeding in the 4 or 5 o'clock hour or sometimes you will stretch it into the 6 o'clock hour! You almost always go back to sleep until sometime in the 7 or 8 o'clock hour and *every* once in a while until the 9 o'clock hour.

We went for a play date at Mrs. Jenny's house and it was such a warm day that you got to sit outside in the backyard in their high chair in just your diaper and eat your banana before we got dressed in some summery clothes that they let us borrow to go to the park and take a walk.

You and I went to visit Sweetie and our extended family.

We flew all by ourselves and you were a champ! You slept on the flight down nestled up against Mama and you didn't sleep a wink on the way home. You were pleasant though and we kept from disturbing our seat mates *too* much.

You are very attached to your mama. The other day when you stayed home with Daddy while I went to Mrs. Jacquie's, Daddy told me that when you woke up from your nap, you crawled over to the back door and sat fussing at the door. You wanted me to come home.

We went to storytime at the library with Mrs. Betsy with our friends, one of the ladies Mama used to teach with and her daughter and then for a play date at their house. We also went to night time story time with our other friends from church!

You learned to open drawers!

It's a skill you're proud of!

You and I played "chase" this month for the very first time, baby boy! You were crawling around on the floor and you kept acting like you wanted me to chase you. When I crawled after you, you squealed with delight!

You weigh a little over 18 pounds.

You began getting your third tooth right here at the end of the month.

You've started sitting cross-legged which is really fun.

You drag things with you when you crawl now. It is fun and funny.

Mr. John and Mrs. Sarah baby-sat you so Mama & Daddy could go on a Valentine's date to Starbucks and Half Price Books.

We enjoyed a Valentine's date out as a family

and you and I hosted a little Valentine's party at our house where you were the only boy.

You treated all the girls nicely and shared your toys and snacks with them.

You got several sweet Valentines from your friends and family and you got to wear the red and gray striped shirt that Mrs. Erin bought for you *last* Valentine's day when you were still in Mama's tummy!

It has been a great month. You seem to get more and more fun by the day, sweet boy!

We love you very, very much!

Mama & Daddy