Day 335: Captain Destructo

Obviously a little rest did Little Buddy a world of good!  He was full of energy and craziness this morning!  Turns out we are going to have to do some rearranging.  His quest to find Charlie Brown on the DVD player is starting to get pretty serious...

Trying to pull the DVD player out of the wall.  Are you in there Snoopy?

All the DVDs are now in the dining room after he pulled them all off the shelf, opened them, and attempted to stuff them in the DVD player.  

His exuberance didn't end there. At lunch with our friends, he wanted to sit in a big boy chair by N.  Little Buddy was doing really well until one of his friends was leaving.  He was leaning over, trying to get down and say goodbye, when he fell head first to the floor.  And we have another giant bump.  Ugh.

 Nice little unicorn horn sprouting.

He was ok, but it's getting a scary how nonchalant we are now.  We are getting a bit too much experience with minor head trauma!  A little cuddling and napping restored his spirits, however, and he was soon showing Daddy how to do push-ups.

Such a strong boy!

Here's hoping that he finds a nice balance between calm and energetic tomorrow!  Especially when we take him to the zoo for ZooLights!

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 334: Pajama Day

It was a rough day.

Little Buddy's teeth started bothering him yesterday.  Whenever his teeth bother him, he doesn't sleep well, his sinuses start draining, and his stomach gets upset as a result of the drainage.  Suffice it to say that he wasn't feeling too good this morning (when he woke up around 4:45 AM--ugh).  We scrapped our Christmas shopping plans and decided to have a pajama day at home instead.

Poor baby and Momma watching some Sesame Street on the couch.

And he's out...for almost 4 hours!  Everytime I tried to move, he started to wake up, so we cuddled the whole time.  My arm was asleep and my neck got a crick in it, but it was totally worth it.

  

With an upset tummy, he hadn't been very hungry.  It's worrisome when my normally big eater won't touch a bite, so when he decided that he wanted to eat, but only in Daddy's chair like a big boy, I was all for it.  He eats well there, but you can't get him to stay!  And he keeps trying to stand.  Hopefully we will be back in the booster seat tomorrow.

After a good rest day, he was feeling much better by evening.  He wasn't a big fan of being cooped up inside all day, so I am hoping he will feel well enough tomorrow that we can get out and do things!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 333: A Cuddle Moment in Time!

Cuddling my sleepy boy as we watch holiday Charlie Brown movies.  He really can't get enough of the Peanuts gang!  And I will certainly take any second of cuddle time that he is willing to give!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 332: I See You!

I knew it was going to be a great day, when, after I put on the Christmas music after breakfast, Little Buddy threw his arms up at me and begged, "Dance, Momma?"  Absolutely!  I gripped both his little hands and we danced around the living room to Christmas Carols.  I wish I could have gotten a picture, but of course I wasn't willing to let go.  What a magical moment!

I did manage to get a picture of him playing one of his new favorite games: socks on hands!  For some reason, he's decided that his red snowman socks are much better suited for his hands than his feet.  He puts them on and then runs around the house yelling out, "Snowman!" 

 "But mother, these socks are perfectly fitted to my hands!"

We decided to stay home today and have a Mommy-Little Buddy day.  It was a great decision.  After playing in the morning, we got ready and went on a run to the neighborhood park that we had not been to yet.  I'm trying to stick with this "trying new things" theme when I can!  It was a success as Little Buddy was thrilled by a new playset to try out.

Big boy climbed up the chain ladder all by himself!  So brave!

 

Don't be too brave yet!

Climbing up the stairs...

...to go through the tunnel!  He was unsure at first until he saw me.  I called out, "I see you!" and he yelled it right back, laughing.

 

It was right here, in this moment, as I watched him crawling, giggling through the tunnel, that I felt overwhelmingly thankful.  The days are long, but the years are short, and I am so grateful to be with my Little Buddy right now.   I asked God to help me realize the importance of this time and to not take one, single moment for granted.  It's truly magical.

We ran home from the playground, ate a large lunch (all that playing had made my little guy hungry), and then had nap time.  After nap, I was working in the kitchen while Little Buddy played in the living room.  He had gotten to quiet, so I came out to check on him.  Instead of him reading the book he had brought down, I found this:

Book club!

When I asked him about it, he told me Elmo was reading "hand, hand, thumb" to "Noopy."  I really can't handle the adorableness!

Soon it was time for me to drop Little Buddy off with Daddy so that I could go to class.  Then the boys had their own adventures!  I guess Little Buddy was bound and determined that Daddy was going to let him drive the Mustang when they got home.  He got his wish!

"I'm ready to take it for a real spin, Daddy!"

It really was a great day with my little guy.  As the semester winds down and I have less distractions pulling me in dozens of directions, I am trying to focus on "seeing" him, really seeing him.  I don't want to just watch what he does, I want to interact and be part of it and appreciate it.  Honestly, two is becoming one of my favorite ages as he becomes so much more playful and independent.  He is just growing up so fast and I don't want to miss it.  I see you, Little Buddy!

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 331: We Now Return to Our Regular Routine

Even though the past week of turkey and football were fantastic, Little Buddy's lack of sleep and schedule were really messing with his mood.  I was thankful to get him back to his normal routine today.  Speaking of routine, I realized that I haven't blogged what our routine is now.  It has certainly changed from the beginning of the year (he doesn't nap in a stroller for one thing!), so I think I should record it.  It's funny to me that I recorded our schedule every month for the first year in Little Buddy's baby book and that I rarely do it anymore, especially since there is so much more going now!  So let's start:

6:00-6:30 AM

Little Buddy is still a very early riser!  He wakes up, calls out for me, and then plays hide-from-Momma in the crib for about 15 minutes before he lets me pick him up.  It can be annoying when we are running late, but it's also adorable.  He also gets a little upset when he realizes that Daddy is at work.  After he lets me get him up, we get dressed and head down to breakfast.

6:30-7:30 AM

Little Buddy eats his normal breakfast of bananas, toast with butter, Wheaties, and milk.  We also FaceTime with Daddy for a little bit and then work on our letters/numbers board.  We finish by brushing our teeth while singing our ABCs and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

7:30-9:00 AM

During this time, Little Buddy plays, colors, looks at books, and causes some general toddler mayhem while I get ready for the day. Then we normally leave to go to boot camp (some days we stay home to run and play at the local playground).

9:30-11:00 AM

Little Buddy hangs out in his stroller and watches me work out at boot camp (he even cheers me on and counts for me sometimes).  He likes when we sing Wheels on the Bus!  Once we are done working out, Little Buddy plays with his friends at the park until it is time to leave for lunch.

11:00-12:30 PM

When we are out and about at lunchtime, Little Buddy loves to stop somewhere for grilled cheese (at home, he normally has the same!).  Many times, like today, Daddy joins us!  We go several places, but Jason's Deli is one of our favorite stops.

Little Buddy enjoying his appetizer of corn muffins and croutons before his grilled cheese and fruit arrive.

12:30-2:30 PM

We leave lunch and drive home.  Little Buddy normally falls asleep on the drive.  When we get home, I transfer him directly to his bed, where he normally sleeps for about 2 to 2.5 hours.  I am still in awe that he naps like a regular kiddo now, for more than 30 minutes and not a in a stroller!  

2:30-5:30 PM

Our afternoons are pretty open and we just do whatever strikes us.  Today we read several books, colored, played with cars, and decorated Little Buddy's foam Christmas tree.  Other days we play outside, paint, bake, or play with Play-Doh.

Art time!

5:30-7:00 PM

 Daddy normally gets home around 5:30 PM and we have dinner.  Then we all play together as a family before heading up to get Little Buddy ready for bed.  We put away his laundry, change him into pjs, and read bedtime stories.  Normally Daddy reads to him, but tonight I got to do it while Daddy put some things away in the nursery.

Storytime for Momma Bones and Baby Bones!

After stories, we all say our prayers together, give hugs and kisses, and say goodnight.  Then I turn off the lights, turn on Baby Scout's lullabies, and go downstairs while Daddy rocks him for a few minutes.  He doesn't need rocked for but a few moments before he asks to be put to bed.  Daddy lays him on his pillow and pulls up the blanket.  We can then hear our little guy singing and talking through the monitor before he fades to sleep.  

We are truly blessed.  Honestly, sharing my day with Little Buddy is so amazing and I am so fortunate that I have the opportunity to do it.  Now, our days get a little rough when he doesn't nap or starts getting fussy, but all in all, I will cherish these times forever.  I hope that when Little Buddy reads this blog, he will cherish our time too.

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 330: Did That Just Happen?

After so much fun the yesterday, Little Buddy was still interested in having some adventures of the days.  His first adventure of the day was pretty surprising to Daddy and I!  After playing upstairs for a bit, Daddy and I found Little Buddy CLIMBING into his crib!  It seems he learned out to use the window edge to hoist himself up.  After climbing into the crib and pretending to sleep for a minute, he then climbed out.  Oh boy, oh boy, it's going to be a new world!

 Did that just happen?!

Thankfully, he doesn't seem too interested in climbing out of his bed.  I am actually pretty surprised that he didn't think to use the window bench as a step earlier, but he's always loved going to bed.  Hopefully we can avoid transitioning to the big bed until I am on break.  Sleepless nights of trying to keep him in bed are not on my wish list right now!

Once we got Little Buddy out of the crib, it was time to go run some errands.  We headed to Home Depot so Daddy could get some stuff.  While there, Little Buddy and I looked at Christmas stuff and, low and behold, found a musical Snoopy stuffed animal!  Since he is now obsessed with the Peanuts gang, we had to get it for him.  He was in heaven!

Following our errands, we headed over to Mr. M and Ms. C's house to watch the Browns and Steelers game and continue our fun football weekend.  Little Buddy was so happy to play with C and N again, plus J came for a bit too!   

Little Buddy and C playing in the toy of the moment, the Barbie Jeep!

 

Little Buddy's first drive-in movie date with N!

Also, amazingly enough, the Browns actually BEAT the Steelers!  Did that just happen?!?!  It was great to be with other Browns fans for this momentous occasion.  I am pretty certain this is the first Browns' victory over the Steelers in Little Buddy's lifetime!

 

Momma, Little Buddy, and Snoopy celebrating the Browns Victory!

 

So in love with Snoopy!

It's been a wonderful Thanksgiving Break with Little Buddy, but it is making me a bit anxious for tomorrow.  I know that our little guy is not going to like that Daddy is headed back to work, but I think he will be happy to be back on his normal routine.  Hopefully, he'll stay in his crib tonight!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 329: Go Buckeyes!

It was a big day in our household today: it was time for OSU to play Michigan!  Daddy has been working to fully espouse Little Buddy in this great college football tradition.  To get ready for the game, they got dressed in their gear and worked on their cheers outside.

Go Buckeyes!

Brutus has arrived!

Ready to run over some wolverines!

Our friends Mr. M and Ms. C came over to watch the game and brought C and N with them.  The kids had a lot of fun, but they weren't as entranced by the game as the daddies were.

C, N, and Little Buddy playing.

The aftermath of watching a football game with thee toddlers!

And the Buckeyes won!  It was great to share the game with fellow OSU fans and I know Little Buddy was very excited to have friends to play with on his pirate ship.  He had so much fun that he passed out immediately after everyone left (his nap was about three hours late)! 

After Little Buddy woke up from his late nap, we decided to start decorating the Christmas tree before bedtime.  Little Buddy helped put the first ornament on the tree, which happened to be his very small hand print from two years ago.

Such a big boy now!

He was still a little sleepy (and therefore a bit cranky), so tree decorating didn't last very long.  Of course, because he took a late nap, he wasn't really interested in bed time even though he was tired.  Currently, he's quiet in his crib.  We'll have to see how long that lasts...

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 328: Grocery Carts, Charlie Brown, and Elves: Our Version of Black Friday

For a lot of people, the day after Thanksgiving is when you load into the car and head out on a shopping spree for Christmas gifts.  We keep it more low key and, because we are hosting an OSU party on Saturday, loaded into the car and headed to the grocery store!

Because it wasn't very crowded (not a lot of people go to the grocery store the day after Thanksgiving), we let Little Buddy have another chance at driving his own cart.  He did so much better this time!  He stayed with us, loaded his cart with the items we gave him (and not just with what he grabbed off the shelves himself), and said "cuuuuuse me" to each person he passed.  He was so adorable, he even charmed a bakery lady into giving him a cookie.

Just another day; eating cookies and shopping for fruit.

After a good nap, during which Momma did school work and Daddy hung Christmas lights, Little Buddy and Daddy went outside to play while I finished working on my readings.  They had a lot of fun outside and Little Buddy was quite the photographer and took a lot of pictures.  His favorite subject to photograph was his best buddy, Chesney.

Future photographer!

 Daddy and Little Buddy!

Also, because Little Buddy had been such a fan of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (he couldn't stop going on about how they made toast and popcorn for their dinner), we let him watch the A Charlie Brown Christmas while we started decorating inside the house.  I think he has a new favorite cartoon!

Loves "Tarly Brown" and "Noopy"!

We finished our day with the introduction of a new family tradition.  We had gotten Little Buddy an Elf on the Shelf at the end of the holiday season last year and are excited to introduce him to the fun this year.  For those that don't know, the Elf on the Shelf is a book with an accompanying doll.  The story explains that every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, each family's scout elf watches over the children and then at night, once everyone goes to bed, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report back to Santa about what activities, good and bad, took place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each morning, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house, the scout elf and the family play an on-going game of hide and seek.  Little Buddy is still a little young to understand the "reporting to Santa" part, but I think he will get a kick out of looking for the elf each morning.  The elf normally gets into some type of "mischief" for the kids to find.  I am really excited!

 

Daddy, Little Buddy, and "Pat" the elf (Little Buddy picked his name) reading Elf on the Shelf.

 

Momma and Little Buddy reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the book Grammy and Pop-Pop recorded for him.  He loves to hear their voices!

It was a great day hanging around the house together, but I know Little Buddy is excited to see his friends tomorrow and watch the Ohio State Game!


Good night and Go Bucks!

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 327: Happy Thanksgiving!

We were so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Little Buddy this year.  Even though it is technically his third Thanksgiving, it is the first one where he is really aware of the festivities going on around him.  I loved starting the day sharing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with him.

The Sesame Street float was a big hit!

We were lucky enough to have two Thanksgiving celebrations today: the first was Thanksgiving lunch with Uncle C.  Little Buddy really dug into his turkey, his cranberry "jello", his broccoli, and, of course, his pumpkin pie!  I think "pie" may have replaced "cake" as his favorite dessert word!  It was adorable to hear him ask for more "punt-kin" pie!

 

Time for dessert!

 

So yummy!  Yay for Thanksgiving!

Later on, it was time for our first Friendsgiving!  We went over to Mr. E, Ms. E, and O's house to celebrate the holiday with all of our friends who weren't traveling or didn't have family in town.  Mr. M and Ms. C were there with C and N, Mr. S and Ms. L were there with R, and Mr. C and Ms. J were there with J and C.  It was such a blast!  The kids had such a great time playing (even though that meant they were a bit too busy to eat very much) and the adults enjoyed hanging out with other people who didn't mind that their kids were not going to sit still and eat a full Thanksgiving meal, lol!  There was so much food and it was all delicious.  I think we may have started a new tradition!  Yay for Friendsgiving!

We are so thankful for our Texas family.  They mean the world to us!

I know that Daddy and I are so thankful every year for our Little Buddy.  Watching him grow up and being a part of that growth is such an amazing experience.  Oh Little Buddy, we are so, so, so thankful for you!  And when asked what he is thankful for (or what makes him happy), Little Buddy named all his family members, Elmo, pancakes, grilled cheese, and Chesney.  And grapes.  Oh and pie.  :)

I am excited that the Christmas season is now officially here.  The holidays are so much fun now that Little Buddy has an inkling of what is going on.  We'll be in Ohio in less than a month!  Until then, time to start decorating and getting into the spirit.

Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 326: Working Around the House

Because Daddy was off and Thanksgiving is tomorrow, we decided to stay around the house today and take care of some things.  First on Little Buddy's list?  Stealing a fedora out of Daddy's closet and playing outside!

Blowing bubbles together!

Playing on the pirate ship.  

While we were outside, Little Buddy seemed to think that Daddy needed some help on pirate ship maintenance.  He went inside, got his tools, and put his handyman skills to work!

Something needed hammered!

 

He looks a little too excited to have his saw out!

Little Buddy then wanted to help me with some of the Thanksgiving baking.  We worked on his rolling skills.  I can't wait to just turn over the pie crusts to him!

Future pie baker!

Little Buddy was pretty excited later when Uncle Chad came over!  He is staying the night and we will be having Thanksgiving lunch with him and then heading out to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with some of our friends and their kids.  It will be a lot of fun!

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma