Trick or Treat

Adam had a blast trick or treating this year! We went over to Gayle's house and went out with her adorable girls, Sophie and Chloe, who declared that Adam was "the cutest doggie they've ever seen". :o)

Adam loved walking up and grabbing candy from bowls and then walking around with his treats. :) He enjoyed seeing all the costumes, especially the wolf one (see picture below). I found the wolf to be a little scary looking but Adam loved it (anything related to dogs, he loves). There was also a "real dog" on the loose. Adam chased him for a block or two, yelling "Hi Real Doggy" and "Woof Woof". So funny. Below are some pictures of our Halloween adventure. As you can see, I had trouble getting any decent shots and Adam's ears kept falling off. Also, Adam has no clue what "candy" actually is, which is probably a good thing, huh? All in all, though, a very fun Halloween with Little Love.
Little Love Doggy, holding tight to his candy

Mama & Little Love (could we look any more different?!?)

Sophie the Cheerleader and Chloe the Cat with Adam the Doggy

"Trick or Treat"

The Big Bad Wolf... Adam was fascinated with him. Personally, I was scared.

2 Tails... Adam the Doggy and "Real Doggy"

Happy Halloween!

Pictures from Adam's 1st Halloween at (just turned) 7 months:
Our little tiger

ADAM and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!!! :o(

Little Love had quite the day today, as did Mama. The day started off okay as LL turned 19 months today. Wow... my LL is really growing up. To celebrate 19 months, I bought Adam his first box of crayons and a white sketch pad. The crayons were designed for 2 year olds... that should have been my first warning. Actually, he did really well with the crayons at first. He was delighted to see them and started scribbling quite nicely on the paper. He held all the crayons in his hands and was very into his creation. Seeing him work so nicely, I meandered into the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Next thing I know, LL is coughing up purple. As in purple crayon. That he bit off. Fortunately, they are completely toxic-free and Poison Control (yes, I called them!) assured me he would be okay, which he seemed to be.
Artist at work

In his favorite squatting position

We left the house at 8 to head to Molly's house. The plan was for Adam to have a playdate with Riley since I had a Dr's appt. Long story short... Adam cried the entire time (2 hours) that I was gone. I was so unhappy to hear this. Apparently, he's been crying like this at school most mornings, too. When he is with me, he virtually never cries, unless there's a real reason. It's so upsetting to hear how unhappy he was. :(

When I got to Molly's around 10, the rest of our neighborhood play group was there and it was really great seeing everyone and catching up. Until the end of the playdate. When Adam BIT Riley. Yes, you read that correctly. Adam bit Riley. OMG. I saw the whole thing happen... Adam and Riley accidently bumped heads (seemed pretty hard). Adam started crying and put his hands on Riley's shoulders. I thought he was hugging her. No, he was biting her. He even drew a little blood. Needless to say, I was (still am) totally mortified. Adam went through a biting stage when he was teething and he playfully bites Steven now and then but he has never seriously bit anyone. So upsetting. I called the Nurse at the Pediatrition's office and she explained that toddlers have a "bite or flight" response when they feel that they are in danger and that he bit her to defend himself (after the accidental headbutting incident). Talking to her made me feel a little better but I'm still unhappy about it, of course. We went to another playdate after Adam's nap and he tried to bite Nathan over a toy!!! We stopped him, though. What is going on with my lovable little guy?!? Renee (Nathan's mom) assured me that biting is totally normal from 18-24 months and her Peed even warned her that it may happen. Normal or not at this age, I do NOT want Adam to be exhibiting this behavior (obviously). I am now nervous that he will bite someone at Montessori (like I mentioned before, he has never bit another kid before today). I don't know if the biting is occuring out of pure frustration or if he's also unhappy about being in school. Who knows. Regardless of the reason, my stress level is WAY UP as a result. :o( LL also threw up after dinner today and caught his finger in the drawer. You know, just so the day was complete. AAGH. Any mom readers out there who can relate to these days?!?

Thanks, readers, for letting me vent. Just had to get it out. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Seeking solace in Doggy
Finally managed to get one smile from Adam today. Happy 19 months, Little Love.

Visit with Bobbe & Zayde

We had a wonderful visit with Bobbe & Zayde this weekend! It took Adam about 5 minutes to warm up to B & Z and after that he couldn't get enough of "Bobba" and "Zayd". :o)

Yesterday we went to the local mall since it was raining out. Adam played in the Looney Toons play area and had "mac & cheese" at The Corner Bakery. The highlight of the trip, however, were the ELEVATORS!!! Adam *adores* elevators (unlike his Mama who gets nervous being alone in one!) and was thrilled that we took 3 elevator rides. Last night, we enjoyed a pasta dinner in (Adam likes ziti!) and watched Alabama win the football game! Adam was especially pleased and even screamed "Alabama" after they made a touchdown!

Today was an absolutely beautiful fall day. We took advantage of it and went to a wonderful park with tons of slides, mazes, fun mirrors and a carousel. Adam had a BALL! He couldn't get enough of the slides (see picture above of his huge "slide grin") and just loved running around the place with Bobbe & Zayde. Afterwards, we had a nice lunch at Nordstrom's. Adam eats like such a big boy now and feeds himself so well with an adult spoon. It's just amazing. We can actually go out to eat with him now (usually....). Since it was past Adam's nap time when we got in the car, he fell asleep in 3 minutes flat. When he woke up, he asked for "Bobba" and "Zayd" but they had already left to go back to 'Bama. We can't wait for our next visit!!! :o)

Carousel ride with Zayde

"Is that my head?!?" Adam was *fascinated* with these mirrors. He sat/stood/even laid down for about 10 minutes, just pointing and smiling at himself. Precious!

Belly laughing with Zayde over "the falling water" on the walk back to the car.

Shopping with Bobbe at Nordstrom's.

Look how happy I am when Bobbe and Zayde come to visit! Come back soon! :o)

Two years ago

Two years ago today, my dad passed away after a long fight with pulmonary fibrosis. I miss him every single day and every single day I wish he would've met Adam. Wow, would he have loved him... his looks, personality, intelligence, etc. What joy Adam would've brought to him and him to Adam. It is truly an injustice and tragedy that I could not have them both in my life at the same time (Adam was born at the same hospital that my dad passed away in exactly 5 months & 4 days later). Yet, as my mom says, she feels that my dad left to make room for Adam. That Adam is the gift that my dad left. In a way, I believe this. Especially since Adam is so incredibly amazing. I know I'm his mom, but he really is. My dad had something to do with this, I know. Also, I seriously can't imagine my dad and Adam in the "same scene" if this makes any sense. It's interesting... people say that once you have a child, it's hard to remember life before the baby was born. For me, this couldn't be further than the truth. I am now living a new life than I had before: Live without Dad/Life with Adam. That was the way it was meant to be. In a strange way, it feels right. And yet it is truly heartbreaking that I... that all of us... couldn't have them both at the same time.

LL Update

So... I took Adam to the Dr. yesterday and I'm so glad I did. Turns out he has lots of fluid in his ears... yuck! No infection but definitely painful for LL. The Dr. put him on Allegra and nasal spray. Adam LOVES his medicine. NO JOKE -- he actually CRIES after being given the Allegra syrup and says, quite perfectly, "more medicine". Let's just hope it helps to drain the fluid. This is probably why he has been doing this weird & random "head turning" out of the blue. Hopefully, he'll be a happier camper at Montessori school now.

Adam is continuing to string two words together and it's hilarious. Recent sentences include:

-- No Mommy (hilarious)
-- MY Doggy
-- That book (saying that for a week or so)
-- eat chicken
-- make baba
-- go to sleep
-- Nice Mama (as he's stroking my face. The sweetest thing EVER).
-- Big Doggy
-- shake it (when I was holding his medicine bottle)

It's SO fun hearing him talk!!!

My mom is leaving for Spain tomorrow for 10 days. We are excited for her but will miss her very much. We hope that Grandma has a wonderful trip and Adam is hoping for lots of fun Spanish toys when she gets back!!! :)

WE LOVE YOU, MOM/GRANDMA SO... MUCH!!!

Fall Fun & Not-so-Fun School

We enjoyed beautiful & crisp fall weather here this weekend. Of course I had to take full advantage of it and dress Adam in curdoroys and an adorable barn jacket (Thanks, Aunt Samantha!). We also headed to a new park that we found online. They have a great "dinosaur" park for tots with lots & lots of slides (Adam's favorite -- see photos below). Of course, Adam says "again" everytime he gets off the slide. He loves slides, hates swings. Hates anything that he's confined in. Seriously. Anyway... we had a nice time at the park and a yummy dinner afterwards. Steven was thrilled to see his beloved Bama win the football game at the restaurant. :) All in all, a nice weekend... even though I worked for half of it (helped administer the PSATs at my "old school" on Saturday and attended my "new school" dedication on Sunday). Needless to say, Adam was NOT happy that Mama left him to attend these events. Which brings me to the next topic...

Separation anxiety. Adam is experiencing it. Hard-core. Ironically enough, he never experienced it during his first year, when most kids do. I think it has to do with me being back at work (ya think?) especially since it's every-other-day. It might be easier for him if it's every day since he knows to expect it. Of course, I wouldn't trade my Tu. & Th. with him for the world, but that's another story. Anyway, he is ultra CLINGY to me now. The only time he doesn't cling to me is when we're just chilling at home. He's a smart little bugger, though... the second I come down in dress clothes (for work), all he wants is for "Mama Mama Mama" to hold him. It's very sad. My heart breaks seeing this very happy little guy so miserable. :o(

Miss Annie and his other teachers (and even the directors) have noticed a change at school, too. He was so happy there for a while, then was sad for a week, then "back to normal" and now he's upset again. He was in really bad shape, apparently, on Friday. They said he was really fussy this morning but doing better in the afternoon. Steven even called to check on him... you know he's having a hard time if Steven calls (I was too afraid to... if I heard he was having a rough day, it would've been very hard for me to stay at work. No news is good news, right?!?). Anyway, they think he may have an ear infection since he's been pulling at his ear and acting fussy. Adam is NEVER fussy unless he's overtired. So to hear this is quite upsetting. When he's with me, he's so happy but I have noticed he's been a lot more tired at night and going to sleep earlier/sleeping more. Anyway, I'll be taking him in to the Dr. tomorrow morning. I am *not* a fan of taking him in. However, I'd feel really bad if he's had an ear infection this whole time that I didn't know about. He's never had an ear infection which is pretty rare for his age, so who knows?!? Let's just hope he's back to his happy little self at school on Wednesday.

For now, I'll leave you with a happier Adam at the park on Saturday... look at his grin on the slide pics! Classic!
More pics from Chicago later this week! :)

Conversations with Little Love, 2nd edition

Adam is cracking us up with his new words and phrases. Here are some actual conversations, word-by-word, that Steven and I have had with Adam this week:

Mama: I don't know where the pen is, Adam. (He *loves* pens. If he sees a piece of paper, he asks for a pen. Always). Maybe it's in the barn.

Adam: (checks his Little People barn for about 2 seconds and pops his head up). NOPE!. Yes, my 18 month old said "Nope" perfectly in conversation. It cracked me up.

Dada: Adam, can you give me five?
Adam: (hand up, huge smile on his face). FIVE!!!
Steven and I don't know who taught him that but it's adorable.

Mama: I know you're hungry, Adam, your bottle will be ready soon.
Adam: Make Baba!!!

Mama: Adam, why don't you pick out a book to read?
Adam: No no no book!!!

Adam: Piece (pointing to a wooden "piece" on the floor).
Steven: (picks up piece). Hear you go, Adam.
Adam: No, THAT piece (points to another piece).
Steven: Picks up another piece and hands it to Adam.
Adam: (beaming with joy as he was able to communicate which piece he wanted). Thank You.

Setting:
Living Room. 6 PM. Out of the blue, I hear...
Adam: Bagel.
Mama: What?
Adam: Bagel. Bagel. Bagel. He then proceeds to run in the kitchen looking for a, you guessed it, bagel.

Setting:
My car... I'm playing (for the millionth time), "Toddlers 101 Favorite Songs" CD. We're listening to "Wheels on the Bus".
Adam: ABCD! ABCD!
Mama: Adam, do you want to hear the ABC song?
Adam: ABCD! ABCD!
Mama finds song 12 on the CD, the ABC song, and plays it. When the song is over, she hears....
Adam: Again.
Mama plays the song again. And again. And again... kid you not. :o)

These are just a few of our recent conversations. I just love this age... we never know what will pop out of LL's mouth!

New photos and more Chicago stories later this weekend! Have a good one!

Trip to Highland Park, PART 1 -- Adam *LOVES* his cousins!

We had a blast in Highland Park (a suburb of Chicago) this past weekend! Too much fun to write about in one entry!

The first post is dedicated to Adam's love for his cousins Jake, Evan and Zach. We're talking ADORATION. Every time one of the boys would walk in the room, Adam would smile. When one would leave the room, Adam would cry after them. All weekend long we would hear "JAKEY.... EVAN..... ZACH!". The boys are absolutely *amazing* with Adam. They love to play with him, pick him up (their favorite), feed him, hold him and make him laugh. They are very protective and proud of him, telling everyone about their their baby cousin, Adam. :)

The sweet thing is, they have always been this way with him. When the cousins first met Adam last August, Steven thought they would say hello to him and then go off and play, basically paying no attention to him. After all, Adam wasn't even 5 months yet, Jake was about to turn 7 and the twins had just turned 5. How much fun could a baby be?!? Well, Steven was wrong.... it was love at first sight all around for the cousins (see photos below)! We have been very blessed to have spent a week together at Thanksgiving and at the beach in June, besides a few mini trips. We can't wait to get together again in April!

Adam and Jake during their first meeting, 14 months ago (August 2007). It was during this visit that Aunt Samantha noticed that Adam had 2 teeth -- at not even 5 months. No wonder why he was already biting *everything*, as seen above!

Adam & Jake -- Oct. 2008

Evan & Zach with baby Adam -- August 2007

Hanging with E & Z, Oct. 2008

Sharing a laugh with Cousin Evan

Snuggling up with Cousin Zach

Bobbe & Zayde's 4 guys (Great photo... too bad Adam wasn't looking up, though. GRR!)

P.S. Adam learned the word "NO" this weekend. For example:
Mama: "Adam, it's time to leave the park"
Adam: "NO!"
Lovely.

Off to CHI-CA-GO (as Steven would say!)

We are headed to Chicago tomorrow to visit...

Aunt Samantha, Uncle Jeff, Jake, Evan and Zach!!!

We are SO excited!!! We will be visiting a farm festival/harvest day, a children's museum, etc. It will just be great hanging out with everyone... first time since our wonderful beach trip in June.

Blog updates & lots of pics later next week!

Have a great weekend, everyone....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!!!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! xoxoox

I'm so glad I could spend your special day with you, even though it was Yom Kippur! I have to say, Mama was right about your chicken soup... it's SO good! The best I've ever had! :o)

I'm so lucky to have you as my Ama (I mean, Grandma)! You are so loving & patient with me. You teach me new things each day and it's so fun playing with you and going for our walks (especially when we see Dakota & other doggies).

I love you SOOOOOOOO much, Ama. You are THE BEST.

xoxox,

Little Love
I love our hugs! (Picture taken in March)

Little Love Update

Now that Adam is 18 months old, he is really becoming more "toddler" and less baby. Here are some examples:

-- Adam now says "thank you" when given something (sooo cute)

-- If you show Adam an item and ask whose item is it, it is *always* dada's. For example:
Mama -- "Adam, who's bag is this?"
Adam -- "It's Dada's bag" (Yes, he nows says the full sentence!)

-- Adam can follow directions really well now and seems to understand (and repeat) *everything*. We really need to be careful as to what we say around him. I learned that the hard way after someone cut me off on 66 and I missed my exit (let's just say that a certain "S" word was spoken... and a certain little guy repeated it. Twice. With enthusiasm).

-- When Adam is hungry, he'll now say a food item. For example, when he was hungry for dinner he said "waffles". Usually, though, he'll say "chicken" or the ever beloved "baba" (bottle -- yes, he's still on it -- only 2-3 a day, though). When he wants to go for a walk, he'll say "walk" and when he wants to be put in his crib after we read/sing/talk at the end of the day, he'll say "sleep". It's so nice to be able to communicate with him (kinda, sorta) now.

-- Adam can feed himself with a fork & spoon pretty well now (even though a glob or two always falls on his shirt... and he refuses to wear a bib, takes it off in 3 seconds). If I give him applesauce, he'll say (without me telling him) "applesauce" and then "spoon".



In other LL news, Adam is dealing with some pretty hardcore separation anxiety right now. It's really the first time that he's had it (only very mildly before). On the mornings that I go to work and he goes to school, he CLINGS to me to the point that I can't get dressed without him melting down. Also, when we go to playgroups now, he'll sit on my lap with his head buried in my shoulders for a minute or two. This all started when I went back to work, of course. He was teething last week (look at all his teeth in the photo... I think they're almost all in now!) so he was pretty miserable at Montessori. I was really concerned about this... fortunately, Miss Annie said he was back to his playful self today (thank goodness).

Of course, Adam is still up to his mischievous & curious ways. I went into his closet for 3 seconds and I walked out to see that he climbed up onto his chair and was reaching for things on his dresser (check out the very serious look on his face in photo 2 followed by pure glee in photo 3). Yes, everyday is an adventure with our Little Love. xoxo.
Yes! Mama isn't looking... time to climb up on my chair!

OHHHH.... look at that! I need to reach it... Concentration time...

GOT IT! YES! Oh no, there's Mama...

Mama, quit making me laugh so hard... I'm going to get hiccups! :o)

Wordless Wednesday: Adam at School!!!

Here are 2 pictures of Adam at school! Sorry about the quality... the first picture was taken through the window, before Adam could see me. He's the little guy in the middle... with Olivia and Jackie (his best friends) sitting next to him. Miss Annie is reading them "Good Night, Moon" (one of Adam's favorite books).

How do you like how Adam is raising his hand in the 2nd photo?!? Classic!!! :o)

P.S. I posted a LONG entry right before this one (it is located directly below this entry, titled "The Past 5 Days") if you want to check it out...

The past 5 days....

Wow, the past 5 days have been incredibly busy! Keep reading for a (very) detailed description... pictures at the end... :o)!

Let's see... At 7 am on Saturday (Adam's 18 month birthday!), my big brother, Steve, arrived from L.A.! Yay! Adam and I went over to see him at my Mom's at 7 am and hung out until both Steve & Adam were ready for a nap. I am very close to both my brothers and we try to get together 3-4x a year, which isn't bad, considering they're in CA and we're in VA. My little brother, Joe (Uncle Joey), wasn't able to come since he just started a new job. Anyway.... we hung out on Saturday morning and on Saturday night we all went to dinner at the Japanese Steak House. Food was great... Adam, not so much. It just took SO LONG and he was getting very restless. Every few minutes, we would take turns taking him outside and he would run up and down the sidewalk, which was very cute to watch. Went to bed late Saturday night and got up early Sunday morning to...

Go to Lancaster, PA, my mom's hometown. My mom, Steve, Adam, (husband) Steven and I made the trip to visit the cemetary where my dad is buried. My dad passed away 2 years ago this month so I was really anxious to "visit" him and, in a way, "introduce" him to Adam (It was Adam's first time in Lancaster). The cemetary is filled with my mom's family and my dad is buried right near my grandparents (my mom's parents). Adam picked up a rock and leaf right away and put the leaf (without us telling him to) on my dad's headstone which was a really special moment.

My 2 Uncles and Aunt joined us at the Cemetary as well as my cousins Jamie & Ben and their spouses and kids. Adam got to meet his 3rd cousins, Samantha & Alex, as well as his Baby Cousin Mila, who's 6 months old. We all went to lunch afterwards to catch up. It was a long car trip but Adam did well, for the most part. We listened to A LOT of "baby rock" and he slept for the majority of the ride home.

Went to work on Monday and then went with Steve to pick up his wife, Elizabeth, at the airport on Monday night. Usually they travel together (obviously) but Elizabeth had a big event at her PR company this past weekend so she wasn't able to come in until Monday night. It was wonderful to see her... she's so awesome. I got really lucky in the SIL department with Elizabeth and Samantha (Steven's sister). We had our Erev Rosh Hashananah meal on Monday night and it was so nice being together. Yesterday, Rosh Hashanah day, we hung out all day with Steve and Elizabeth and were very sad to say good-bye to them. Fortunately, we will spend a week with them (and Joey & his girlfriend, Hillary, who's also great) in December in Palm Springs.

Back to work and my night class today... only got to see Little Love in the AM. I rushed home to tuck him in but he had already fallen asleep before 8. I went in (Steven had only put him down 5 minutes before) and he looked at me and said "sleep" and went right back to sleep. I'm looking forward to a "Mama & Adam" day tomorrow!

So, that's how the past 5 days have been! October will continue to be busy... I will post as often as I can. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the new season! :)
Adam loves his Uncle Steven! He kept calling "Uncle Steven" whenever he wasn't around. Sooo cute!
Adam & Aunt Elizabeth, who Adam adores. He also loves the new fishy book she bought him (Thanks, Aunt E!).

P.S. Yes, I know Adam just turned 18 months old & Yes, that is a bottle that he's holding. That's an entry for another day...