Two!

Nana Ellen brought a cake to the shore to celebrate!

Just a year ago...

My baby boy

What to say about the little bug at two??

He's wonderful, amazing, delightful and funny!

(Note--the bullets below kept going all Wonky and I am tired of trying to fix them!)

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  Loves to read books--favorites are Dr. Seuss, Goodnight Moon, and Snuggle Puppy


Says the funniest things, like "excuse me" when barreling past someone or wagging his finger at poor Claire saying "No no no Claire--my ______(insert cookie, cracker)

Still loves avocados and will eat nearly a whole one.




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  Weighs 21 lbs...sigh. still wearing some 6-12 month pants but seems a bit taller. I will let you know after the pediatrician visit!




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  Loves the water--jumps happily into the pool, played in the ocean waves, splish splashes in the tub until forced to leave. Our boy is a water bug!




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  Snuggles, gives kisses, and still prefers to be carried when at all possible. What can I say? He's still light enough to tote and I love it!




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  Learning to use a spoon, but needs help here and there if something is messy and he doesn't want to use his fingers.




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  Might be ready for potty training. Has expressed interest in sitting on the potty and taking diaper off...but still a bit unclear on what to do once he's there.




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  Goes back and forth between very easy to put to bed and very tough. Travel usually throws him for a loop for a few days.




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  Flies like a champ. I think we are nearing 30 flights now and he does a great job napping or playing with crayons and sticker books. We rarely have to haul out the DVD!




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  Has a love affair with "Dora" and sings "Dooo dee doo doo Dora" and dances to request a show.




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  Still has wild and crazy hair when he wakes... I love it and cannot bear to cut it!




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  Is very nurturing. Feeds bottles to stuffed animals, places them in stroller, shopping car, car seat and covers with a blanket for naps.




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  Says "sorry" and "thank you" and "please" most of the time.




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  Has a beautiful smile with the prettiest white teeth.




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  Is a social butterfly. He cheerily waves hello to the front desk lady at daycare and when he enters his class, the kids swarm him with hugs and say "Hi Morgan". He still thrives in the company of other children. I love to watch him interact.
  

  
  

Summer at the Shore

We had a fantastic week at the shore. Jeremy's relatives meet up once a year and there were four two year olds for Morgan to play with! He had a blast riding in his cousin Brady's wagon and splish splashing in the waves.

We had an early 2nd birthday celebration while we were there--although the little guy won't officially turn two until Sunday.

I'll be working on my 2 year update...but must get back to work for now! I'm in the office all week. Busy Busy.

Silly Boy

We're enjoying summer right now. Yesterday we spent the afternoon in the pool and something became readily apparent. Our guy needs swim lessons. He is a holy terror around the water--jumping in without waiting to see if Mom and Dad are paying attention and giving me a heart attack even while wearing a life jacket. I made some calls today and found a Mommy and Me swim class that we can start when we get back from the shore.

Fortunately, the ocean will be much colder than the water at home...so I don't think any of us will be doing much more than dipping our toes.

Today has been spent packing and doing laundry, getting ready for some time away. J has been working hard for the past month and it will be great to spend some time together relaxing.

Morgan changes every day and is turning into quite the comedian. I will do a two year update when we get home as his birthday is 2 weeks away!

Our friend Doug will be here that week and I am so excited to see him! Jeremy's college roommate is very dear to us and it is his first visit to the desert :) My hubbie is very excited to try out the new pool basketball hoop that he got for Father's Day!

Funny Stuff

I would have a picture of this--but our @#$#$# stupid camera batteries went dead at the moment that I tried to capture a shot of Morgan putting two of his stuffed animals out on the lawn to go "Potty".

He left his tiger and his bear on the grass and told me "poo poo".
He then wiped the animals' hineys and congratulated them on a job well done!

Morgan has become quite the nurturing parent to his stuffed animals. He feeds them snacks and tucks each one in under their very own blankie while he pats their backs and whispers "shhhh...." if mommy is disturbing their nap time.

Toddler Travel Tips

Keeping Busy

The Travel Stroller (June 2008)

We're home after a wonderful weekend in Dallas! I am so glad that my friends Aubla, Jocie, and Liana could meet up and hang out with us! It was great to have a girls weekend and I am very grateful that my mom made the trip to baby sit for me Saturday night. I enjoyed visiting a few Dallas hot spots with my ever so chic friends--Highland Park is a far cry from El Paso! Thank you Thank you Ladies!!

I made the trip solo with my nearly 2 year old and wanted to post on some of the items that made my trip so much easier!

The Travel Stroller--still indispensible after a year--this handy item which is available on Sky Mall and Stroller Depot converts from an airline approved car seat into a stroller with wheels that deploy from the bottom. It also comes with a sun-shade that is easily packed into your carry-on luggage. It makes lugging said toddler, luggage, a stroller, and a car seat doable even while traveling with one parent! Whoo Hoo!

A "busy kit" to occupy the little man in the air and while visiting friends and relatives. For our trip I picked up a few items from the Targ*et dollar aisles that kept Morgan happy and entertained during the hour long flight. I bought a pencil case and filled it with cut pieces of construction paper to fit the case--5 crayons, a package of stickers, and a small squishy toy that kept him busy smooshing and squeezing for quite a while.

Morgan loves stickers--and they peel easily off of any airline tray tables! A package of balloons works great for rewards and impromptu play. They are so cheap and you can always stuff a few in your diaper bag! I also love Crayola's Color Wonder line of markers and coloring books for a no muss no fuss activity. That way you won't have to apologize for your child marking up a friend's sofa or coffee table :)

A portable DVD player is great for longer trips, as well as some small books that fit into your carry on. I brought some little Dr. Seuss books that I picked up at Hobby lobby and Morgan loved the rhymes and animal sounds. To make a book last longer--we read it straight through the first time, and then go page by page talking about the animals, people, and colors. I ask him to hunt for a specific thing on the page and then to tell me how it sounds or what color it is.

I bring my own sippy cups, plastic utensils, and small snacks in zip lock bags. Never underestimate the joy that a prepackaged snack brings! Morgan loves the container just as much if not more than the food. He enjoyed his airline pretzels and even tried to steal a few from the passenger seated next to us.

I download kids music on my Ipod and let him listen--there are great tunes available on I*tunes for 99 cents each.

Always bring your own milk on the flight--most airlines do not stock it in their beverage carts. Powdered milk could work in a pinch with cold water to mix in. Most varieties are fat free so I would recommend powdered formula if your child is under 2 years old.

Finally--make sure you have any "security items" like your child's blankie or a favorite stuffed animal. Forgetting them is very stressful!

We will be on a longer flight in a few weeks when we head to the Jersey Shore. I am planning to bring a little Play**school garage that folds down to reduce space and an inflatable beach ball. J's mom is bringing the sand toys.

PS--you can prepare all you want...but you still need a sense of humor. On the trip home I ducked into an airport restroom to change the little guy and realized after I had gotten the diaper off that I was in a men's room! Ahem....

I would love to hear your thoughts on keeping the kiddos entertained!

Happy Summer Travels!

Looking forward to getting away

It's been a few weeks of ups and downs and I am looking forward to getting away for 2 days with my girl friends.

Morgan and I are hanging with the girls on Friday night and My mom will have the little guy Saturday... and I will be able to laugh, relax, and feel more like Jen and less like Mommy.

Morgan's tantrums have been tough to take--this alternating between the sweetest baby ever and a little monster wears me out. With J working so much I find myself (and sometimes poor Claire) bearing the brunt of the little guy's drama! If something isn't exactly the way he wants it there is a BIG meltdown. This happens to all two years olds! Sometimes Jeremy and I laugh when his fits are just too funny and sometimes he pushes all of our buttons and we have to count to ten.

Of course when J is home--he is awesome enough to handle bath time and bed time...the things he misses most when he works at night. Oh yes indeed, I am blessed by my husband. His sweet nature makes a huge difference, calming everyone around.

Today my little guy woke up happy go lucky, asking for "Jack" (Jack's big music show) and singing along through bites of cheerios and milk. He loves eating a bowl of cereal just like Mommy, but still needs help with the spoon because of the slippery cereal so I enjoy feeding him...something he rarely needs me to do but seems to enjoy.

I took him to pre-school around ten to see him smiling and happy to see his friends. He gave me a cheery little kiss and wave. Now I am waiting patiently for playground time to be over so that I can pick him up. He get's pretty grumpy when I try to haul him off the playground these days. Typical boy!

Sand Art

Thanks to B and to Kelli for their wonderful art project suggestions. Morgan and i did sand art for an entire hour outside today. It was great--I've never seen him pay attention to anything for that long! We used colored sand from hobby lobby, elmer's school glue, and some good old macaroni. We also bought a packet of Dora the Explorer stickers and morgan stuck them ALL on a piece of paper while naming the characters.

This was such a great opportunity for Morgan and I to chat and to learn together. Thanks you guys!