17 Months!

Yes, that is a drum that Adam is sitting in.... he climbs into anything & everything!

Little Love turned 17 months old today.

As each month passes by, I feel a wave of bittersweetness (is that a word?) pass through me. We are so blessed and appreciative that Adam is... kana hurra (a Yiddish expression favored by my mom)... growing and developing so nicely (knock on wood). He is soooo much fun to be with. However, I really wish I listened to everyone when they told me to not worry so much (HA!) and enjoy him b/c he won't be a baby forever. Isn't that the truth. Of course, when he was first born (up to 3 months, at least), I seriously couldn't imagine him growing up/getting bigger. It seemed like such a miraculous process (which it is)... how & when do you literally GROW?!? I actually asked my mom that... all the time... he was just so little (see side photo of "Our Little Family" when he was 3 days old)!

I wish I started this blog when he was first born (of course, I didn't even know what a blog was then, but anyway)... and took more videos... and more photos. Actually, I have taken A LOT of photos (Thank G-d for digital cameras!) but you still wish there were more. Adam (any baby, actually) is the definition of "precious".

That being said.... Adam is definitely a TODDLER now. He is 17 months going on... 24 months... as in Age 2... as in "Terrible 2s"!!! Yes, the tantrums have begun (well, they did months ago, actually, but are really coming on now). Adam has very "boy-like tantrums" where he screeches, bites, throws, and hits... usually in that order. Lovely. Fortunately, I usually can stop the tantrums at the "screeching" stage but if he's over-tired &/or doesn't get what he wants... watch out!!!

Most of the time, Adam is his usual "Little Love" self... smiling, singing, running up to me with a huge grin yelling "Mama" every 10 minutes (I love it). He is continuing to learn new words every day. Recent favorite words have been "wet" (e.g. saying "wet" when pulling at his wet T-shirt) and "dark" when I turn off the lights. He also says "Bye Bye" to EVERYTHING as noted earlier (e.g. "Bye Bye Lights" when I turn off the lights). Other new & somewhat unusual words have been: boots (how random, huh?), buckle (love the buckles on his booster seat) and Mezuzah (our Rabbi would be so proud). He is always talking, babbling, singing. When he's quiet, you know he's up to something. Here is some photographic proof: look carefully at these photos, which were taken today:



Some background... this morning, we had a playgroup with Tomas and Asha and I had baked brownies. A piece of brownie fell on the floor. Adam noticed the piece (which was quite large) the same time I did. He quickly picked up the piece and shoved it in his mouth AND crawled under the table so I wouldn't catch him... while saying "brownie" and grinning from ear to ear. That's our Adam. :)

A few current favorites:

Books:
-- A Dog is a Kid's Best Friend (book with photos of... doggies. Shocker).
-- Pajama Time (by Sandra Boynton)
-- Nighty, Night (Sesame Street book. He loves Bert, Elmo & Big Bird and can say their names).
-- Happy Baby -- First Words (he points out over 20 items... always including Doggy).
-- Good Night, Washington D.C. A really cute book with great pictures that I bought him at the airport.

Foods:-- fruit... especially melon, me me me (strawberries) and ba-na-na
-- maconi (macaroni & cheese)
-- chicken
-- PEAS (a new favorite. He likes to eat them one-by-one. Seriously).
-- Eggo French Toast Waffles
-- Any meal that Grandma makes for him. :)

Songs:
-- Any & all songs from "Free to Be You & Me"
-- Yankee Doodle Dandy
-- Where is Thumpkin (except it's "Where is Adam?")
-- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (he can sing THE WHOLE SONG now)
& too many more to list. Adam *loves* music. Fortunately, his music song at the library is starting up again next Thursday. Yay!

Happy 17 months, Little Love!!!

Conversations with Little Love

Adam has gotten really good at "filling in the blanks" when asking him questions. It's pretty funny. Here are some actual conversations that we had today:

Mama: Adam, what do you want to watch on TV?
Adam: Barney! (Once he hears "watch" he yells "Barney" without fail).

Mama: Adam, who did you play with today?
Adam: Dada (It's always Dada, regardless of who he had playdates with).

Mama: Adam, What's Grandma taking? A...
Adam: Bath (This is always his answer... that someone's taking a bath. He's so serious, too. It's hilarious).

Dada: Adam, Let's take a...
Adam: Walk! (He knows it's time for a walk when Dada gets home. Last week he even reminded him... saying, "Dada. Walk. Outside."

Grandma: Adam, it's time to go...
Adam: Bye Bye Doggie (or whomever/whatever he's playing with. And I mean anything. For example... "Bye Bye Spoon", "Bye Bye Blocks", etc. Priceless).

Dada: Adam, do you want to play with this?
Adam: Open It.
Dada: It doesn't open, Adam.
Adam: Open It.
Repeat 10x. At least.

Mama: Adam, what book should we read?
Adam: Bert (his new favorite Sesame Street book, Nighty Night, with Bert in it).

Dada: Adam, what did you have for lunch today?
Adam: maconi (mararoni)
Dada: and
Adam: CHEESE
Dada: What else did you have?
Adam: chicken
(Actually, he had a grilled cheese sandwich. Close enough.)

Mama: Adam, what song should we sing?
Adam: Baa Baa (for Baa Baa Black Sheep).
If he doesn't want to sing himself, he'll say "Me Me Me" to listen to the Free To Be You & Me (Marlo Thomas, Baby!) CD.

Mama: Adam, Where does Mama have to go tomorrow?
Adam: Work!

And, my favorite...

Mama: I love you sooooo....
Adam: MUCH!

Chatting it up with Grandma... and Doggy

Some belated "shout-outs"...

First of all, thanks so much to all of you who responded to the last blog post about my going-back-to-work anxiety. It was definitely helpful to read! You gals were right... once I get to work, I'm really too busy to get upset. That being said, I do miss Adam. A LOT. I call 2-3x a day and look at his photo/talk about him. A LOT. He definitely misses me, too... runs up and hugs me when I get home (so sweet) and has been very clingy last night and all day today (not so sweet, but certainly understandable). Since Grandma (which he finally says -- yay!) is watching him until Labor Day, I know he's in the best possible hands so I don't worry about him at all. It's such a nice feeling (Thanks, Mom!) to know he's being taken such good care of and showered with love, hugs, kisses and attention (My Mom is THE BEST). I also really like my new school. The staff is small so I'm getting to know everyone... one of the advantages of working at an elementary school. Since it's a brand new school, all my materials and supplies are new (including a brand new computer, printer, etc.) which is really nice, as well. I am truly excited about my new job. Still nervous about Adam starting Montessori, of course, but one thing at a time.

The month of August has seriously flown by. As a result, I haven't had the opportunity to mention some recent fun adventures:

** Last month, we met Cousin Claire at the Baltimore Zoo! We had such a good time hanging out with Claire (and, of course, Cousins Paul & Jenn). It's shocking how big the kids have gotten. We've had play dates for over a year now, since the kids were 2 & 3 months. It's so great having the kids so close in age and living relatively close to one another. I love our playdates!

Unfortunately, I didn't realize I had my camera with me until we left the zoo and arrived at the restaurant (go figure). Fortunately, Jenn took some awesome zoo pics but I haven't been able to download them to my desktop (I did order the prints, though. Thanks, Jenn, for sending)! Anyway, here are some photos of the kids at the Belvedere Hotel/Owl Bar (?) where we ate, in Baltimore. It's actually where Paul & Jenn got married, almost 4 years ago. It was really cool to go back... they had such a beautiful wedding. Wow, have times changed since then, though! Anyhoo, here is a pic of the kids from last month. We are looking forward to getting together again over Labor Day Sunday.
Adam and Claire are checking each other out... to see who's the cooler cousin. Steven was the impartial, non-smiling judge. You can see who Jenn is voting for! :)

** A few weeks ago, my very best friend (forever!) from childhood, Ellen, moved back to the area from Seattle. Yahoo! I'm sooo glad she's back! We had a wonderful visit with her and she was finally able to meet Adam (about time, girl!). Anyway, Adam loved her, of course... and the adorable teddy bear she bought him (thanks, E!). Here are a couple pics of Adam & Ellen:




Have a great weekend, everyone!

Big week ahead...for MAMA!

Big week ahead as I'm going back to work after a 1.5 year leave! I was an elementary school teacher for 4 years before heading back to grad school full-time for 2 years. After I received my Master's Degree in counseling & development 5 years ago, I began working as a high school counselor. I loved my job... the kids were *wonderful*, staff was great, etc. but the hours were long... sometimes up to 12hours a day! So, I've decided to go down a new path as an elementary school counselor. Technically, it is a "new job" since I've never worked as an ES Counselor before. However, I've worked as an ES teacher and a HS counselor. So I'm hoping the transition will be relatively smooth. I'll be working at a brand new school 3 days a week (perfect!). I got to meet the staff at the school retreat a few weeks ago and everyone seemed great. I also have been assigned a mentor, a veteran ES counselor, who I'll be meeting on Tuesday.

Adam will be starting school! That's right... we're starting him early! :) Actually he'll be going to the neighborhood Montessori School. They are opening a second school, also brand new, this year. It will be the first time they'll be having a 1 year old program. The school opens after Labor Day so he'll be with my mom until then. Besides two short trips when Adam stayed with Grandma or Bobbe/Zaide, he has never been away from me. Of course, he has spent loads of time alone with my mom and Steven, but besides that, I'm *always* there. The first word out of his mouth when he wakes up is "Mama" (which I, admittedly, love). He is very independent and has never been clingy. That being said, he always "looks" for me when he's playing, to make sure I'm there. Honestly, a little part of me feels like I'm "abandoning" him by going back to work part-time. I know this sound ridiculous and I know he'll love playing at Montessori all day. As we all know, Adam is very curious, social, etc. so I'm sure he'll be very happy. I'm also a little bit nervous b/c he's beginning to throw temper tantrums (screeching, throwing, etc. Fun Times!) which I know is common for his age. Still... he's such a wonderful, happy, little love -- I hope that his teachers see that. Most importantly, I hope he's really happy (and taken excellent care of!) in his new little school. And that he learns. A lot. Kidding! :)

Any advice from you working mamas out there?!?

Enough about me... we've had a fun week here, despite Adam having a cold. Here are some photos taken this past week...

Adam in all his glory. The belly picture is for you, Aunt Christioli! Oh, mess in the back is courtesy of Adam. He still LOVES throwing his laundry around. Ugh. The wet spots are from leaking water in the sippy cup... in case you were thinking it was something else. Don't worry... we took off the shorts right after the photo was snapped.

Adam loves playing on the deck. He is saying "Uh Oh" in this photo as he drops a block down. That's our boy.

Don't let that innocent smile fool you. Love the shirt, by the way, Uncle Joey!

Adam & Dada blowing bubbles. It's hard to tell who enjoyed it more.

Catching a bubble!

Sweet Home Alabama -- a note from Adam

Dear Bobbe & Zaide,

I had so much fun visiting you in Birmingham this past week! Your house is so much fun to play in, especially the basement. I just *love* all my new toys! I also loved playing outside with the kitties and swimming in your pool. My favorite part of the visit was going to the zoo. I loved seeing all the animals and especially enjoyed getting soaking wet in the fountains!

You are the BEST Bobbe & Zaide. Thanks so much.... for everything! Can't wait to see you again... hopefully soon! :)

Love,

ADAM
xoxo


Reading the zoo map with Zaide

Kneeling to see the animals

Up & Close with Mr. Camel

I *love* water fountains!!! Any Auburn fans notice my T-shirt?

Adam's Top 10

Here are Adam's Top 10 Favorite Things (of this week, at least), in completely random order:

1. Doggies. Dogs have topped Adam's favorites list for months now. He really is so crazy about dogs, though... all dogs. He *loves* books about dogs, dog stuffed animals, etc. After mama, dada and water, we hear the word "doggy" most during the day.

2. Barney. Yes, our child loves Barney, the purple dinosaur. Steven still refuses to admit this and thinks Barney is the most annoying talking animal ever. :) We let Adam watch 10 minutes of Barney every day and he is enamored. Every time he sees the remote control he picks it up and says "Barney". Every time. He also cries for Barney when we turn the TV off. He is also know to stand up and clap to the Barney songs.

3. Dirt, mulch, sticks, rocks.... our boy is definitely a boy. Adam seriously LOVES being outdoors and LOVES getting himself DIRTY. He could seriously dig dirt for 30 minutes straight, complete with a throwing dirt match afterwards. Lovely.

4. Fruit. Any & all fruit. Fruit is the only food that Adam can not get enough of. He LOVES bananas (he sounds SO cute when he says ba-na-na), all melon, all berries, peaches and even prunes. I think he inherited his love from fruit from my dad who was also adored fruit.

5. Bubbles. Adam can spot a jar of bubbles from a mile away. He LOVES to watch people blow bubbles and he tries to catch them.

6. "Outside". Adam frequently goes to the door in the kitchen, leading to the deck, and cries "outside". He loves going on walks, riding his bus on the deck, playing with dirt (see #2), etc.

7. Water... in all forms. Adam LOVES water... the pool, sprinklers, puddles, his sippy cup full of water, water bottles, etc. Definitely a H20 kid.

8. Songs/music. LL can sing parts of over 10 songs now. He absolutely loves listening to music. Lets just say that Steven and I know all the words to the "Toddlers Sing" and "Free to Be" CDs. We are known to sing verses of certain songs to each other at night.

9. Blocks. We bought Adam the Mega Blocks (big legos for little tots) and he learned how to stack and build the blocks. He loves to build a tower and then knock it over.

10. (Last & hopefully not least...) Mama & Dada. Even when LL is playing independently, he'll still come to us every few minutes with an excited "Mama" or "Dada" and give us a hug.

Bonus... Adam's new favorite phrases are "open it" and "uh oh"... we hear each phrase about 10 times an hour. We always get nervous when we hear "uh oh" as you can imagine.... :)

Adam with BIG DOGGY, sitting in his blocks storage container... which he loves to climb and sit in... :)

Blog note: We are leaving for Birmingham, AL on Thursday for a visit with Bobbe & Zayde. We are SO excited to see them & spend time in B'ham (not so excited about the plane ride, though!). Anyway, I will update the blog when we return next week...

More new words...

More new words...

- banana (ba-na-na)
- monitor (for baby monitor)
- ite (for light) may have already included this word before?
- me me me (for things he wants)
- rain
- wet
- burp
- no
- melon
- tea (according to Grandma)
- mommy
- daddy

8/20:
- dark
- all done
- bacony (macaroni)
- me me me (for strawberrys and "Free to Be")
Songs: Baby Shark and Wheels on the Bus and love of my life
- spoon
- rock
- shoes
- camera
- remote
- wheel of fortune
- moon
- cup
- grapes
- melon (already mentioned?)
- MEZUZAH!
- toot!
- work
- fish(y)
- purse (per Grandma)
- GRANDMA
- phone (already mentioned?)
- book (already mentioned?)
- cheese
- no no no
- bye bye mama, dada, doggy, etc.
- cup
- two
- buckle
- ear
- Elmo
- Big Bird
- Bert
- bunny (already mentioned?)
- mail
- pool
- nap
- boots
- much (I love you so... much)
- free and honey (in songs only)

Songs:
Grease: you're the one that i want (do do do --- Adam's part)
Free to Be

8/30:
- cracker
- maconi (getting closer to macaroni!)
- bah bah SHEEP (added the sheep to it)
- diaper (when I asked him what it was. he NEVER asks for it himself).
- fan (i think?)
- ice
- fox

Adam's "Bottom" Line :o)