My Little 11-Month Old!

Only 1 month away from a year; so hard for us to believe! You have become such a big boy; can my little baby be that close to being a toddler??? We've already started planning your first birthday, and though I'm excited for this big day, I'm also sad that I will be saying goodbye to my little baby...You've started "cruising," and will walk around any piece of furniture you can get your hands on. In fact, I think you spend the majority of your day on 2 feet rather then crawling! And this new trick definitely wears you out. You are still taking 2 long naps: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You sleep about 11 hours at night; 6:30 am is your normal wake-up, though you do, on occasion, surprise Mommy and Daddy with a 7am wake-up!!

Playing with your older brother is definitely your favorite past-time. You still think he is the funniest thing (and Porter feeds off your laughs!) You get so excited when he walks into the room, and I have no problem leaving you two alone to play together in his room...he is relatively gentle with you; in fact, it's usually Porter complaning that you've hit him! Oh, the fun of 2 little boys is only just beginning!!

You've gotten SOOO much better at feeding yourself. You can hold your own bottle, and we've even dropped one...you get a cup with lunch now. You're eating more and more grown-up food; you love pulled chicken, mashed potatoes, fig newtons, waffles, and yogurt. We've been buying less and less baby food...but you still get at least one jar a day. You are not that fond of real fruit (minus blueberries!) so I usually have to make sure you get enough during the day. I've decided texture is part of your issue, so anything slimy is pretty much off limits. But, we keep trying, and I remain hopeful that you will one day eat sliced banana!

You remain our sweet little man! You have definitely become more attached to us, and get rather upset when you aren't immediately greeted with a hug and a kiss when we wake up, get home from work, etc. How can we complain when such an amazing little boy loves us so much???

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

Another year has gone by...so hard to believe! You have become such an opinionated, bright, funny, loving little boy! You definitely keep Daddy and I busy, but know how to make us laugh at any given time. You have been completely potty-trained for about a month now; this accomplishment never seemed possible, but you surprised us...as usual! You have many favorites: Toy Story (Buzz Lightyear in particular!), cereal bars, juice boxes, the zoo, playing outside, the beach, GAMECOCKS, going to the library...I could go on and on. You are normally pretty agreeable, but do have the ability to throw a tantrum; and when you do, oh boy...everyone better stand back!!! You go to bed around 8pm and sleep until 7am. Your naps are becoming fewer and fewer; I would say you probably nap about 50% of the time. But, on the days you don't nap, you actually remain pretty content. And, when in doubt, if we put on a video for some "quiet time," you normally end up falling asleep on the couch. Many people remark on how bright you are; you speak in 6, 7, 8 word sentences. You can tell us where everyone lives, from Aunt Leslie in New York to Maylee in Asheville to you in Blythewood. You can do almost any puzzle we give you...even the ones your cousin Tyler gave you with no pictures to follow. Your memory often amazes me; you can remember what we did at the beach last year, but for some reason can never remember where you put your cup :) You're still going to school 3-days a week, and your teachers have nothing but good things to say. You know your colors, the alphabet, can count objects, and can even "read." Well, actually, if we've read a book multiple times, you can recite it back to us...that amazing memory again! You are basically responsible for dressing yourself; once we're gotten your clothes facing the right way, you have little difficulty doing the rest. Porter, you are a wonderful little boy, and we are so lucky you joined this family 3 years ago...We can't wait to see what you'll do next!!! September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

January 2009

March 2009

May 2009

July 2009

September 27, 2009

G. G-O. Come on Cocks, Let's GO!!!!

Saturday, we took Porter to the Carolina's first home game of the season -- Florida-Atlantic. Porter had a great time last year, and we figured this year would be no different. My mom was nice enough to babysit Bowman, so we (along with my dad) headed off to our tailgating spot after Porter got up from his nap -- and had a bath! Craig and his fraternity brothers have been tailgating in the same spots since they graduated, and it's nice to see the group continues to grow -- as we all continue to add children to the mix. Porter was very excited about seeing the Gamecocks and Cocky...in fact, it was all he would talk about for days!



Thankfully, the weather was pretty close to perfect, and Porter was perfectly content for the 3 1/2 hours leading up to the game. We grilled out, had lots of yummy sides, and everyone was excited to finally hear "2001."



Our friends Cory and Ashley Rogers brought their little girl Caroline for her 1st game. She's about to be 2, so it was perfect timing for introducing her to the sights and sounds of the mighty Gamecocks. Isn't she a cutie???

I kept hinting to Cory that he may be hanging out with his future son-in-law...Don't these 2 blondies make such a cute couple?? And holidays with the Rogers?? Superb!!!

Porter was ALL smiles when it was time to walk to the stadium...and, of course, he convinced his Daddy and Grampa Bud that he needed to "ride on their heads" all the way to the stadium and up to our seats. Good thing that task does not fall under Mommy's things to do!!!

My Little Gamecock!!!!

I absolutely love our team's entrance...is it wrong for me to say it's the best in the SEC?? "2001" always gives me chills, and I love seeing Cocky appear inside his black box. I could watch these moments over and over again!!

It was a fun night, and Porter made it through half-time. He was a little scared of the fireworks, but loved the band and, most of all, he loved seeing Cocky! But, he did remark he liked watching the game better on TV...it was just "too loud!" Well, maybe he'll enjoy it more next year!!

Mommy's Little Helper

Or not!

Bowman has discovered his latest fun trick...taking out all of his clothes! Oh what fun for Mommy :)

A Brave New Boy

This past weekend was, as usual, BEAUTIFUL! Craig and I know we only have a few more weekends like this left, so we set up the sprinklers and had a fun afternoon outside. Bowman has never really liked spraying water, but this weekend he decided to get a little closer. And, amazingly, he loved it! I just thought the pictures were ridiculously cute; a definite must post!

I See Porter's Underpants!!!!

At T-minus 2 weeks 'til my oldest turns 3...unbelievably hard to believe...I have to take a moment to brag on Porter. Potty-training has had its ups and downs; there were days when I thought I would certainly have the only kindergartener in diapers! Now, Porter's been in underwear for quite some time, and going "pee-pee" in the potty was not an issue. But, we struggled with the other; some days he would refuse to go in the potty and would cry for a Pull-Up until finally Craig or myself would give in. Well, about 2 weeks ago, Craig and Porter came home from work/school...Daddy announced all the Pull-Ups were being thrown away...and miraculously IT WORKED. From that day on, not only has Porter gone to the potty for EVERY bathroom moment, but he's been wearing underwear all day AND all night. Yep, he's sleeping through the night without a Pull-Up. He's been completely dry during the day, and has only wet the bed 3 times...woo-hoo! Obviously, we won't be going back to the Pull-Up, and I certainly expect more accidents in the future, but I couldn't be happier for him. Some days I can hardly believe what a big boy he has become...is it weird that, in a way, it makes me a little sad???