16 SWEET Months

1.  You are ALL boy!  Rough, tough, rambunctious, always throwing things, always getting into something!  There is never a dull moment in this house. 

2.  You are becoming I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T!  You insist on doing everything yourself!  Feeding yourself, holding a big boy cup, putting the lid on your sippy, stacking blocks, coloring, stirring the pancake mix in the morning when helping Mommy, getting in and out of the tub....  If we try to help you, you move our hands out of the way.  I knew this stage would come, I just had no idea it would be so soon!

3.  Your favorite song right now is the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  You do all the hand movements and love to watch the YouTube video.  You will come up to me at the most random times and request that I sing it to you.  You sing, "itssssyyyy".  So cute :)

4.  Your favorite things right now are balls and trucks.  Or "baw" and "thuck"!  You LOVE them!  If we are somewhere else, you will bring all the balls and trucks to me one by one and say "Baw!" or "Thuck!"  I love watching you play with your trucks.  You push them around and make a motor sound.  You just look so grown up doing it!

5.  We finally turned your car seat around forward.  We were hoping to wait until our Hilton Head trip at the end of next month, but after a visit to the Newport Aquarium with some of our besties, the Webb's, we turned your seat around so you could watch Walker's DVD on the trip home.  (Really, it was time, you were having to bend your legs when you faced backwards.)  You LOVE being forward.  You point to everything.  Your very favorite part....seeing all the trucks!  When we pass a big truck, you say "Whoa!" then hold your hands palms up and say, "AT?" in the most cutest voice!  If we don't pass another one soon, you sign or say "more"! 

6.  You are saying so many words!  You bring me things wanting me to tell you what it's called.  When I do, you study my mouth and then try to say the word back. Oh, you put two words together for the first time a few days ago.  You brought me a cup from your play kitchen and said, "Mo mo wawa!"  (Read "More water.")  Of course Mommy had to call Daddy right away to tell him!

7.  You know lots of animal sounds and body parts and love to go through them.  (But for some reason, you keep mixing up your wrist and knee!) 

8.  You love to dunk your basketball!  And run as fast as you can from one side of the room to the next!  These are two things you and Daddy do a lot of together.  Daddy will say, "GO!" and you will run as fast as you can to the other side of the room.  Then you say, "Doe!" and run to the other side!  I think Daddy is secretly conditioning you!  It's a little early, Daddy.  Just a little.

9.  You L-O-V-E being outside!  Seriously, consistent warm weather cannot come soon enough.  Every time you hear us letting Baby out, you RUN to the door hoping to sneak out.  Even if you hear Daddy and I talking about letting Baby in/out, you run to the door.  You get so mad when we don't let you go out.  Mommy tells you it's cold outside and you say, "Brrrr" making me think you understand, but then you still want out and still get mad when I don't let you.  Tucker, Mommy wants to let you go outside and play just as bad as you want to go out and play, trust me!

10.  Another one of your favorite activities is climbing.  On and off furniture, over couch pillows when Daddy makes you a pile on the floor, on and off the dog bed, up and down the stairs (on two feet, refusing help!), the higher the better.  You could spend hours climbing the play equipment at the park.  And the slides, oh my goodness!  NO fear!  You literally dive down the slides head first.  If we're not on our toes, it could be bad. 

11.  Yet another favorite activity is playing hide 'n seek.  You like to find us and you also like to hide so we can find you.  You will whisper "ide" when you want to play, I guess because we always whisper to you when we tell you to, "Go hide!  Shhh don't let Daddy/Mommy find us!"  You crack up when we find you or you find us!  You love it!!!

12.  You have shown us some hints of what might be some tantrums....  I will admit, this scares Mommy a little bit....  You are generally pretty easily redirected, but you definitely know what you want when you want it.  Of course, this is much more evident when you're sleepy.  I hope those aren't previews for some bigger things to come, lil man!

13.  Still nursing.  We are working on cutting it back some.  Sorry to say Buddy, but I think starting next month we're gonna get a little more serious about it. 

14.  You still LOVE music and to dance.  You are in love with Sara Bareilles.  Mommy won't even pretend that I like it.  I don't.  You say "uh uh oh, uh oh" when you want to hear her song King of Anything because the song starts out that way.  You will point to the laptop or one of our phones and want us to pull the video up on YouTube.  Daddy got you started on this.  Again, Mommy is not pretending to be pleased about the fact that another girl has taken a small part of my baby's heart.  I fully blame Daddy.  What's worse is Daddy apparently gets the song stuck in his head and goes around humming it for hours after you've listened to it.  That girl is gonna need to find some new boys to mesmerize!

15.  Absolutely nothing in this house, or anywhere for that matter, is safe anymore.  The top of the counters, the inside of drawers, the top of dressers, the ice and water dispenser on the refrigerator door, everywhere.  There's no where too high.  Just when we think something's out of our reach, you pull a basket or stool up and there you are with it in your hand.  I can almost picture items in drawers scrambling for position furthest away from the opening when you walk into the room, "Tucker's coming!  Quick, hide!"  :)

16.  You still love your silky.  You sleep with it for bedtime and nap time and will go to your room and get it when you're sleepy.  And your Taggie, you love it too.

17.  You got your first haircut!  (Pictures to come!  Mommy's so far behind!)

(Okay, sorry that was 17 things for 16 months, but I didn't do a 14 or 15 month post and you're doing so many things!!!)

Tucker Bug,
You are just so full of personality!  So full of life and laughter and love!  Mommy and Daddy cannot get enough of you!  You are the center of our world!  The past 16 months have been the absolute best time of our lives!!!  We love you way more than you will ever know. 
Happy 16 months, Bubby!
xoxoxo
Mommy :)

Only One Way to Travel -- Tucker Style!

I mean, does it get any better?!

Home Alone

It's exactly 10:00 am on a Saturday morning and I am home alone.

"Home alone." That's such an odd phrase. Odd because it's such a rarity. I cannot even remember the last time I was home alone. Probably sometime more than 16 months ago! Ok, maybe not that long. Wes does take Tucker to the store with him occasionally and on other errands, but with the way our schedules are, it's very rare that I am home and Tucker is not here with me.

This morning Daddy took Tucker to play basketball at one of the high schools in town with some of our other Daddy friends and their sons. (Special thanks to the Gaither's for the father-son opportunity!)

So, what does one do when you are home alone? I've already worked out this morning (remember my boot camp?), not that I would choose to do that during my home-alone time.

I'm definitely not cleaning, though with the exception of some scattered toys, the house is in pretty good shape anyway.

I could take a nap, but I've never been a 45 minute napper. I need at least a good 3 hours!

We have a birthday party later this afternoon, I could start getting ready for that, but it's still early and I wouldn't want to taint my always-makes-a-fashionably-late-entrance reputation. After all, it's me taken years to perfect that reputation!

I think I'll catch up on some of my blog reading. Things have been a little crazy and I'm way behind.

What do you do when you have those precious few minutes to yourself? Obviously this mama needs some suggestions ;)

To My Valentine

When I think of us,

I think first of two people falling madly in love,

talking for hours,

finding out all the reasons why we were "made for each other."

Then I think about two people getting married,

starting a home,

fulfilling dreams,

and finding out what being together through all of life's ups and downs is really all about.

Now I think about two people who know what it really means to love each other.

I think of best friends who share each other's dreams and sorrows.

I think of lovers who still find moments of passion in everyday life.

I think of two lives made one by God and a love that will last always.

When I think of us, my heart is so thankful to God and so full of love for you because you will always be the one for me.

Happy Valentine's Day, Wes!

I LOVE YOU TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS!

Way Too Fast

Tonight, when putting Tucker to bed, I realized just how fast he's growing up. It just hit me all of a sudden! Okay, maybe not all of a sudden. I think every monthly update I have done has included the words "You are getting SO big SO fast!" But still, I never fail to be amazed at how fast Tucker is growing up! I mean where did my baby go?! He is such a big boy, so independent, so NOT a baby. That makes his Mama very, very sad. :(

After nursing him tonight, I rocked and rocked him. He put his hand in mine and his hand was just so big! I have always been in love with his hands, well every part of him for that matter, but his hands are a favorite. I hold them and wonder about all the things he will do with them through out his life. How he will play catch with Daddy with those hands. How he will hold my hand as we walk into his first day of school. How he will hold his baby brother or sister with those hands one day. How he will shoot many winning basketball shots with those hands. How he will hold his own baby with those hands. Okay, I jumped WAY ahead there with that one. The point is those hands aren't so little anymore and neither is my boy. He is growing up so fast.

I rocked him as long as he would let me before he started pointing to his crib. He's such a big boy that he just doesn't need Mama to rock him until he's sleeping. I kissed each hand and then those delicious cheeks before laying him in his crib. He blew me a kiss and then rolled over, snuggling his silky. Such a big boy.

I just hope that big boy always thinks his Mama Rocks!

I love you Bubby! Just don't grow up on me too fast. Mama needs her baby big boy for at least a little while longer!

All Kinds of Tired

After a busy weekend and a Monday at work, I am T-I-R-E-D!

So tired in fact, that I might have encouraged Wes to stop for take out on his way home from work even though I spent $180 on groceries only days ago, just so I wouldn't have to come home and wrangle up some dinner.

So tired that I might have allowed my toddler to eat preztels that I had previously told him "No" to after he decided he was done with his take out after only a couple bites.

So tired that in an effort to make sure my son ate more than just pretzels for dinner, I put a saucer of peas on the living room coffee table for him to eat while he played with Daddy.

So tired that I might have finished my dinner and hit the couch, leaving Wes to entertain Tucker till his bath time (not that Wes minds that at all!).

So tired that I allowed Wes to bath Tucker, get him ready for bed, give him his night-night snack, and clean up the kitchen. (Thank God for an AMAZING husband!)

And, yes, my kitchen was a mess even though we had take out! Mostly from breakfast and the dry oatmeal that I allowed Tucker to graze on until Wes got home with the food! (He loves dry oatmeal! Weird, I know, but Wes said he also liked it as a kid. Can something like that actually be genetic?!?!)

So tired that I might have pretended to not notice when the dog ate the peas that Tucker had dropped on the floor. (She'll pay for that one tomorrow! She probably won't eat all day. I hope those peas were worth it! Talk about a natural consequence! Do dogs get natural consequences? Sure they do, but that is a little too delayed to be effective...).

So tired, that I am now obviously in stream of consciousness mode!

Here's to hoping y'all had a tired-free Monday, but if you were tired, I hope it's because you had a weekend full of busy activities that involve the ones you love!

Aunt Jenni Pooh!

Yesterday morning, bright and early at 7:20, Wes, Tucker & myself headed east to Eastern Kentucky University to cheer on the Washington County Commanderettes, specifically Wes's sister Jennifer, in the All "A" Classic Tournament.

Tucker was only slightly more interested in climbing the bleachers and up and down (and up and down...) the stairs than what was going on on the court. However, he still knew who he was cheering on!Okay, so that was an honest attempt at getting a picture of "Jenni Pooh's Biggest Fan" when sitting in Daddy's lap was the absolute last place he wanted to be! I think Jennifer was the only one who could wrangle him in! Tucker LOVES his Aunt Jenni Pooh!Unfortunately, the Commanderettes lost a tough, tough game. They played really hard and put everything out on the court, and we are so proud of them! The team that beat them, Owensboro Catholic, has a girl on their team, a sophomore, who is the 3rd leading scorer in the nation. Yes, you read that right, in the NATION! She's pretty bad too! We'll be seeing her playing for a D1 school in the next few years.

Anyway, after our long morning and probably a thousand flights of stairs, Tucker was ready for a nap.

We're so proud of you #22!!!!