Containment...Finally!

Well, we finally fenced in our back yard so that our little man could run free. What a difference this has made for us! 4 years ago when we bought this house, we couldn't see why we would ever need to fence in our 1/2 acre yard until the day that Noah escaped. It was then that we decided we need to be able to let him lose. So, here it is! We have enjoyed lots of family time in the backyard.




Now...if only they made air conditioners for backyards so we wouldn't die in the Alabama summers! :)

New Backyard Toys

Thanks to some very generous friends, we now have some outside toys for Noah. He is in HEAVEN when we let him go out back to play. He will spend hours climbing up the ladder and going down the slide and climbing in and out of the boat. We are planning on getting some sand for the boat so he can have the beach in his own backyard. Yay!

A Bug for my Bug

Yesterday Noah and I went to get some books for our trip to Oregon at the local thrift store when I found this ladybug bean bag chair, also known as the "manbug chair". He loves to sit on it and read, which is a plus!

Noah watching Elmo

Showing off his new chair

Diaper Cake

Another diaper cake that I just finished. I liked using the flowers on top for the last girl one, so here it is for a boy!

Timeout

Well, we have entered the timeout phase of parenthood. I have a new appreciation for corners-the always dreaded place of my childhood-and timers. I think I can still here the beep of the little red and cream color timer my mother use to use for our timeouts. And I can distinctly remember thinking that I would NEVER put my kids in timeout. So, here we are. 2010...23 years later...walking my son to the corner and letting the countdown begin. I wasn't sure if Noah was ready for this concept, but then again, the Terrible-Almost-Twos have arrived. Sure enough, after a couple of tries, he stayed put!
This morning he was doing his usual furniture climbing when I expressed to him that if he did it again he would have to sit in time out. He looked at me, got off the furniture, and walked over to the corner and put himself in timeout. (It was quite the site!) I then had to try to convince him that he was in fact, not in time out. Once he realized that he had not been put in time out, he was off and running...back to furniture climbing...and then back to timeout. So, here we go. Let the game begin, as it is going to be a long journey. And, I want to thank my mother for being ever so patient and consistent with me. I now know that it WAS just as hard for her as it was for me. :)

Please, Thank You and Sorry

Well, we have finally made it! Noah has learned to say the three phrases we have worked so hard at: Please, Thank you and Sorry. Sometimes we have to help prompt him, but for the most part he knows them well. Yesterday during lunch I handed Noah his plate and he said "Thank you mama!" It was very cute. He is also great at saying sorry when he knows he is going to be in trouble. It is always followed by a hug or kiss.

Friends

Here is a picture of Noah and some of his friends from the gym. (Steven, Abby and Sam) He gets to play with his friends 3 days a week and really seems to enjoy it. Abby, is also very special to Noah. We like to tease that this is his first crush. He talks about her non-stop. If we drive by the gym, he actually will point and say her name. When we show up in the mornings, he always runs over to her and gives her a hug. They are so sweet together. It has been fun to watch his friendships develop!

Happy 18 Months!

Noah,
18 months have flown by already. You have grown into such a big boy, and we are so proud of all that you have accomplished. You are very social and love to talk. You have a group of friends that you love to play with at the gym and it is so special to watch you with them. You love to read and help us sing to music. You always surprise us with your ever expanding vocabulary. It is very helpful now that you can tell us what you want! Here is a short list of some of the things about you in this moment of your life:
-You love lawn mowers (especially riding with daddy). You actually say "I want to ride the lawn mower with daddy"
-You still love cars (and trains and anything with wheels!)
-You have started to say "Amen" after we pray with you at night
-You like PB&J sandwiches along with Cottage cheese and applesauce. You are just like your daddy.
-You can point and say most of your body parts including sticking your finger up your nose and saying "booger" (Compliments of your father)
-You have made friends and have started calling them by name
-You love to climb...on everything!
-You are finally starting to get some more teeth...I thought you were never going to get them all in.
-You have been using the sentence "I like ____, followed by, I love ____" to persuade us to give you what you want. Usually it has to do with wanting crackers or the lawn mower.

Well, as you can see, you are one busy boy. I hope that you will enjoy these highlights. We sure enjoy all of your giggles and surprises that you bring our way.

With Love,
Mom

Look, I have a new car!

While helping me cook dinner, Noah decided to turn my pantry into his own personal raceway!

Birmingham Zoo

We took Noah to the Birmingham Zoo to celebrate the 4th of July weekend. The weather was actually mild, so it was most enjoyable. Noah had a lot of fun. He was not that excited about the smaller animals, but he sure enjoyed the larger ones. He also used some of his animal words that we have been working on such as Tiger, Rhino, Duck and the sign for alligator. Noah also put on a good show as he 'roared' at the lions. Needless to say, after a long day at the zoo, he slept well on the way home!

Guess who I am?!

One silly boy named Bubba!

Hurricane Noah

This is what happens when you give Noah both freedom and a few minutes alone.