12 months!!!

Happy Birthday Tank!!! One year has just flown by with many happy days and wonderful memories!!

We continue to be in awe of all his adventurous moves! He is on the go non-stop: climbing up the stairs and now down just as fast, he signs more, all-done, and eat/drink. He understand the signs sit and dirty. We are still working on please and thank you. He cracks us up of climbing in Alvin's bed, crate, and even the rabbit cage! LOL I placed the rabbit in there with him and neither seemed to mind.

We enjoy our trips to the park and taking walks in the early mornings. Its so hot by lunch time its been hard to enjoy the month of July. Since his birthday we have set up the backyard with a swimming pool, garden cottage, lawn furniture he and get up and down now on his own, his push car, etc. He likes to cool off and run around and get dirty these hot afternoons.

The 12.5 month well check up went great!! Tank is 21 lbs and 30 inches tall. He continues to have a head size in the 91 st percent!! Otherwise he is measuring tall and skinny!! He has experienced many spills lately, which has been hard on mommy. He seems to bounce back and recover just fine. He continues to be very vocal on what he wants and when he wants it. We are working on using the signs more in that frustrating time for him. He likes pulling out the applesauce and other yummy treats from the fridge. Cracks me up! He just started clapping his hands and dancing to music (July 31st)!!!

I am feeling good being 12 weeks pregnant with a 12 month old!! He keeps me on my toes and I enjoy every minute of the day!

Tank's first waterpark experience (8/5). He loved the lazy river and his first waterslide! He was amazed in the tall buckets that dumped water. This was Chip's first time with Tank in the water. One woman complimented Tank in how well he gets around, plays, and has fun in the water at his age. After two hours we were pooped and hungry. Grand time had by all!

11 months!

We had a great week in Chicago over Chip's first Father's Day! Tank had his first kids meal off the menu at Bob Evans!! He enjoyed the turkey, mashed potatoes, and carrots!! We arrived there safely that evening. Tank was a trooper making the 12 hour trip straight. Chip did a wonderful job driving as I was really car sick. The first two days we had beautiful weather!! Tank enjoyed swimming in Nonnie's little pool! He practiced stepping in and out of it a million times. He was able to get in and out himself after all that practice! He enjoys his early birthday present too. The tunnel!!! He loves crawling through it and even pushed the car all the way through as well all on his own!! Smart cookie!!! He had his first Portillo's lunch and we played at the mall playground. He had a blast! Adrienne and Anna went on the merry-go-round with us too! We ate blueberry pancakes on the veranda to celebrate Father's Day. Tank enjoyed watermelon too (first time he tried it, he wanted nothing to do with it)!! Tank loves dogs!! He and Denny had a blast together! It was great to see Uncle Kevin, Great Aunt Terri, Great Uncle Steve, and cousin Trevor, my friend Amy and her two kids too! As always, we were sad to leave.

We went to Cartersville for a visit. Tank received many early birthday gifts from his aunts and uncles. Kristin and Patrick gave him the cutest cowboy hat from their trip to Texas! Betsy and Jared gave him the alphabet train, which he loves. Bumble B and I made Tank's chocolate and raspberry birthday cake!! I had a blast over two days of baking and decorating it!!

As soon as we got home from IL I started Tank on whole milk and he started sleeping through the night without nursing!

Tank is on the go!! Its never a dull moment trying to keep him occupied! He continues to figure out ways to get through the blockade up the stairs. He has also watch Alvin get under the gate so Tank turns himself around feet first (because that is how we go down the stairs!) and tries to push himself under and through. Tank is too big to fit, but he tries. He is also getting himself up on the couch. Its takes a bit of work, but he can do it. He likes answering the door and swinging it back and forth. He has even tried to bust out a couple of times ;)! We go to the park often and take walks in the morning before its too hot or sometimes we go when he wakes up from his afternoon nap. He has narrowed the nap times down to 1.5 hours to the minute still twice a day. We have been successful in sleeping 8-5 am consistently. Though he has been up and atem' by 6 or 6:30 for sure! He loves strawberries and popsicles! We went out to a chinese buffet and he loves it! Probably really bad for him, but in moderation. He has enjoyed mac n cheese and spaghetti. He went in the sprinkler for the first time!! He enjoyed it the first time though then the four consecutive times he stopped in the middle of it and cried!!! I captured the experience on camera so it will be a good laugh when he gets older!