family portraits

We recently got back from a family reunion in Oceanside, California. I am still getting over the fact I forgot my camera and missed out on taking tons of beach shots. However, while there, we did get our family picture taken. It is always nice having updated family photos.

Tank turns ONE

First the bad.

Although I am feeling quite nostalgic about Tank's first year coming to a close, I just spent the last hour of my life cleaning up the biggest mess up to date on my journey in motherhood. It all started with me leaving Tank naked while getting a diaper and ended with him and many of his surroundings covered head to toe in poop. No joke, head to toe in poop. Whatever you are imagining, that is what is was.

Perhaps the kicker was after he was all cleaned up and smelling relatively normal, I stepped in the wet spot on the carpet that was still drying from him throwing up the night before at his birthday party. (Apparently, the cousins were sneaking him mass amounts of gummy bears). Or the kicker could be, when I was tucking Little Bug in for her nap she discovered her beloved blanky was covered in her baby brother's poop. Glad she noticed it, but gross.  Needless to say, Tank is not too popular over here at the moment.

Now the good.

We do love just about everything about this little guy. At the moment, he can say 'dada' and 'num num (food)' and he is getting pretty good at telling us 'no.' Especially when it comes to diaper changes. He is also really into waving 'hi' and 'bye bye' to just about everyone...unless, you come to close. He is also thinking about walking, but he not quite there yet.

Onto his big day!

This is the mess Little Bug created while I was making the pies for Tank's birthday party. Although it was not fun scrapping it off the counter top, flour and water can entertain this girl for hours.
 

This is the mess Tank created while I was making pies for his birthday. It is pretty hard to be productive sometimes...

Our happy birthday sign I am loving.

Tank could not stop looking at it, despite all the silly noises I was letting Little Bug make behind me.

Just a pic of our yummy desserts that we all, in particular Tank, enjoyed a little too much of.

I was commenting to Andrew right before family started coming over, that first birthday's seem to be really for the parents. However, I stand to be proven somewhat wrong. This was pretty much the reaction we got from every one of his presents. He loved them all and was genuinely pleased.

Overall, I would say he had a pretty good first birthday. And that evening when all was quiet and clean, I was feeding Tank his last bottle and he fell asleep peacefully in my arms (he has not done that in months). It was one of those perfect moments that makes up for all the 'other' moments. Happy first birthday to a very special little boy.

climber

Tank figured out how to climb into the dishwasher about 3 months ago. He has now mastered the couch and our bed and I just caught him climbing up our dinning room hutch. I am now starting to get a little worried about what the upcoming months may bring.

He knows he has been caught.

ballet recital

This past weekend Little Bug had her first ballet recital. It was quite the big event for a three year old. They had two dress rehearsals, a student celebration party, picture day and her two regular classes all the week and a half before the official performance! We're a little tired. Little Bug had a blast and was quite the cute little ballerina.

Bug cannot stop talking about the little girls with "tappy shoes" (tap shoes) and their bright pink costumes. We will see what she chooses to do next fall!

rose bush

When Tank was born my mother excitedly gave me a yellow rose bush. With the haze that comes along with having a newborn, I didn't realize what a nice and thoughtful gift this was. However, I am loving its' little cheery blooms both inside and out this year. Not to mention, the reminder they are that summertime is fast approaching. Yay!

outside

Tank loves everything about being outside. The best was when I found him eating a giant worm. I noticed something dangling from his mouth and as I went to grab it, I realized it was a worm! I pulled it out like a piece of spaghetti. Yuck.

Anytime our front or back door opens, Tank is magically there at our feet clamoring to get out. He only complains about few things in life, being hungry and having an outside door shut. So, here he is enjoying both delights; eating sand while outside.

staring contest

We have a big Costco size container of licorice that we're all enjoying around here. However, it was hard to enjoy it with a little one giving you an intense guilt producing stare. He doesn't cry, smile or beg, if you are eating something he wants, he simply stares directly at you. As you can see, his tactic works.

tasty fun

my little bug

I can't take credit for this photo. A photographer friend, who is more along the lines of an artist, took it. I love it how it captures Bug's joyful spirit.

family

Little Bug drew her first people this week! I love those long legs and tufts of hair some of them have. She said it was a family, with a daddy, who went to work, and a mama who stayed home with the little girl and baby. And do you see how the mama is 'holding' the baby?