Tucker turns two!

Happy Birthday Tucker!

We love you so much Tucker. You are so funny and cute and sweet and special!!



Your favorite thing in the world is your brother and and he loves you more than anything! You love all vehicles, especially trains but you also love to draw and color and play art. You are a dancing machine and a climber - happiest outside playing. You absolutely love, love, love puppies and have named your first fish Nemo. You have so many words in your vocabulary and learn new ones every day...and we have found that you are definitely happy about being able to verbally communicate - even if it takes us a few tries to figure out your new words.

We feel so lucky to have you in our life - you are a constant joy, my sweet baby- I mean big boy!

Tucker's 18 months!

How can it be that eighteen months have passed since my baby arrived? I feel so very blessed and lucky and happy to be celebrating this fun milestone. Happy 1 1/2 years Tucker! We all love you so much.

Tonight, Tucker decided to change up the plan for his monthly photo.


He had a mission.




He did it. Look at that proud grin...

and utter joy as he points at Daddy!

His big brother is proud, too.
Who knew there was so much fun to be had on a tiny windowsill...

We marvel daily and sometimes hourly at how much Tucker understands and how quickly he is developing. Every day he seems to learn a new word and or sound for a word. He still loves to be outside. He's started to push the balance bike around a bit and really enjoys pushing the 3 wheeler around outside. He still likes to go on the back of it with Owen, but he's a bit too big for it to be a comfortable ride now, so that doesn't usually last long.

Tucker wants to do whatever is big brother is doing and he usually wants whatever toy his big brother has, too. He loves to play with his cars, chase balls around the house and yard, frolic in water, pet puppies, read stories and dance and jump and climb. He ;ikes almost every type of fruit but other food is hit or miss most of the time. He loves to be in his stroller, is very gentle and sweet with animals (stuffed and alive), and is absolutely a cuddlier. He always gives us great big kisses and hugs and loving smiles. During meal time, the boys often sit across from each other and practice nodding and saying yes, no, Owen, laughing, and they copy each other making funny sounds/words. Meals are usually followed by some silly game like chase around the house. We love it!

We love you Tucker!

Stats: 20% in height and weight (31 1/4 inches and 22 lbs 8 oz) and 60% in head circumference (19 inches)

Tucker is 14 months

Happy 14 month birthday Tucker!

Tucker is my
Totally sweet
Unique
Cute
Knowing
Energetic
Really really loveable
little baby boy.

He now has 3 1/2 teeth, long curly hair, little to no separation anxiety at day care, a major love for the outdoors, a clear ability to say Daddy which he seems to say for both mommy and daddy, a growing interest in books, a new bed in the room he now shares with his big brother, a new favorite game where he loves to stack blocks and books, a desire to climb on anything and everything, a serious love for going fast down big slides and jumping on trampolines and in bounce houses and going for rides on tricycles, an ability to understand his parents when they ask him to go get his shoes and his jacket or to run to his mommy or big brother for a big hug, an understanding that when the garage door opens after school he can run very fast to the door with his arms open and greet his Daddy, and luckily for his parents, a personality full of love and happiness and a fondness for cuddle time.

Tucker we love you so much.

Tucker's first year

Happy 1st Birthday Tucker!

Dear Tucker,

We love you. We love you. We love you. We can't express how much we love you.

This year has been so incredibly special because you joined our family. You are precious. You are sweet. You make us laugh and bring us joy. We especially love witnessing the growing bond between you and your brother who is very smitten with you. He sings, "I love Tucker" songs repeatedly throughout the day and gives you big fat kisses and hugs.

In a flash, you have changed from a teeny tiny little baby to a walking, toddling little boy. You have two teeth and the most innocent smile in the world. You have dozens of expressions and we are constantly surprised by how much you understand and how well you communicate with us. You make sounds for mommy, daddy, oh-oh, hi, on, and off. You have started to sign "more" though you usually only do it when prompted. You walk! You climb the stairs in seconds flat and you know how to get off beds or couches or even the stairs by turning around on your belly and sliding down (of course we do our best to only let you test this skill of yours in safe places). You often walk directly to your high chair when you are hungry. Yesterday you completely surprised us. We had the highchair set in the lowest position because earlier in the evening you sat next to Owen at the kids' table. As we were putting/playing, you quietly climbed into the high chair and then made a noise to let us know you were sitting there, hungry, and ready to eat. You did the same thing this morning for breakfast!

You continue to be comforted and nourished when Mommy nurses you, but you enjoy most of your meals on your own, with finger foods. You love to feed yourself and seem to like just about everything you have tried, with the possible exception being chili and plain broccoli. There is no doubt, however, that your favorite food is green beans.

You love to dance and are still soothed by rock'n'roll. Death Cab for Cutie is your favorite, but you are happy with just about any type of music. The second you hear it, you start to dance and bop and usually you end up with a huge grin on your face. You also love to climb on things and to play outside. You dart for the door every chance you get. You are happiest when you are walking around with something in your hand and you really like to play with toys... the play kitchen, cars, books, musical instruments, and loud toys are your favorites right now.

We look forward to watching you grow and change, but it is also difficult to say goodbye to this last year. We will forever remember what it felt like to hold you for the first time and how it feels to cuddle you in our arms today. You like to gaze into our eyes and touch our faces with your soft tiny fingers; these gestures surly comfort you, but we wonder if you understand that they comfort us more. You warm our souls and remind us daily that we are blessed to be your mommy and daddy. We all love you so much. Happy Birthday!

P.S. We had some major technical difficulties this morning so this slide show is missing a few pictures at the end from today. I'll will repost it once I get it fixed.

Happy 11 Month Birthday Tucker!

Happy 11 Month Birthday Tucker!

Tucker,

In the past month, you have really started to transform from a baby to a little toddler. Two weeks ago, you took your first steps and last night you really started to get the hang of walking!! You can now stand up from a sitting position and walk all on your own! Your record to date is about eighteen steps! You love to climb onto chairs, so much so that we have to watch you closely as you enjoy climbing from the chair to the table top! You haven’t had any more teeth come in but you are eating more and more finger foods. So far, you have taken to peas, carrots, corn, green beans, and cheerios and you appear to like chili and corn bread and spaghetti or macaroni n cheese most of the time. You absolutely LOVE to dance to music. Since you were a teeny tiny baby, music has soothed you, and now as you change into a little boy, music continues to hold your attention and make you smile.

We have to keep a close eye on you when we’re downstairs because if we accidentally leave a door open, you dart for it immediately. You also are sneaky and will quietly crawl your way into the bathroom or find your way up the stairs. Such an explorer! It’s hard for us to decide what your favorite activity is, but we have it narrowed down to the following: riding on the tricycle with big bro, playing on the cardboard slide, playing in the toy kitchen, or crawling up the stairs and onto chairs.

Tucker, you bring us so much joy. Your big brother loves you and regularly says, “ohhhh, him’s so cute” or “ohhhh, Tucker I love you” or “Tucker, come here” and you go! We love to watch you play with Owen. You are always happier when he’s in the room with you, well, that is as long as he’s not trying to play on top of you!

We are looking forward to our first Christmas with you, Tucker, and we can’t wait to take you up into the snow. We’ll be sledding with you in no time.

We love you baby boy!

Happy 10th Month Birthday Tucker!

Happy 10th month birthday, Tucker!

This past month has been a big one for you, Tucker! Your first two teeth came in last week, just a couple of days apart. You have started to eat more and more finger foods and so far you really like bread, eggs, and sausage. You often make loud sounds when you want cheerios, puffs, or teething biscuits and you have started to sign for "more". You have become a cruising fool and love, love, love to stand up on your own. You walk around with whatever push toy you can find and often crawl to areas you really don't need to be in, like the bathroom. Two of your new favorite games are crawling upstairs and sitting in big boy chairs. Every time music is on, you start to dance and bounce, you are so cute!! We love to watch you play peek a boo - where you hide behind the blanket and then move it quickly and laugh when you see our faces. And our neighbors and your teachers really get a kick out of your newly developed waving skill. You are growing so fast, Tucker! We love watching you become a little boy.

Happy 9th Month Birthday Tucker!

Happy 9th Month Birthday Tucker!

Today we had Tucker's 9 month appointment and Owen's 3 year well visit and we received healthy reports for both boys. They each had their blood drawn for blood counts and anemia and they both received a flu vaccine. Owen had the nose mist and Tucker had the shot.

Owen also tested his eye sight and hearing. He passed the hearing test with flying colors but froze on the 2nd half of the eye test, so he'll be tested again at year 4. The doc says that's very normal. He weighs in at 27 lbs 7 oz and is 35 3/4 inches tall.

Tucker has had a big month. He's officially crawling all over the place now on his hands and knees. He has started eating puffs and cherrios and will soon be practicing with more finger foods. He can sit up from any position and pulls himself up and continues to cruise all over; he's even taken a couple of steps as he is pushing the high chair. According to his doctor, Tucker has healthy stranger anxiety and is on track with his sounds. He's now regularly saying "ma ma" "da da" and "na na". Kris is convinced is second word is daddy! He still doesn't have any teeth, but two are bothering him and we expect they'll come in soon. He is still a big boy at 20 lbs 2 oz, but at this age, that's is just 50th percentile! We've had a few rough nights this month with some teething pain, but he is usually very happy. Like his big brother, his happiness is definitely correlated with food and good naps. Just the other day, his morning nap was 2 1/2 hours. I had to wake him up for his lunch time breastfeeding session!

Tucker's stats:

Height: 27 3/4 inches (Owen 26 3/4 inches)

Weight: 20 lbs 2 oz (Owen 18lbs 12 oz)

Head: 18 inches (Owen 17.7 inches)

We love you so much Owen and Tucker!!! You make us so happy.

so precious

Happy 8th Month Birthday Tucker!

Tucker,

In the last month you have really become a mobile baby! You absolutely love to scoot all over the place and boy oh boy, you are one fast kiddo. You also started to pull yourself up on into a standing position and you started to cruise along tables, ottomans, and couches. You have started to wave and we know you have also found your way into a sitting position all on your own at least one time! My favorite new trick of yours is your "ma ma" sound. It's so cute. Technically, it's your second sound as you started off with "ba ba" but most often you say "mmm" and "ma" "ma ma"and most of the time it appears as though you are making the sounds when you want me. Whether you are extra tired, in need of a hug, or are hungry it's usually the sound you make when you are on the hunt for me or once I get you in my arms. I love it!

You also really like food and are now at three servings a day and so far you have enjoyed everything you have tried. Applesauce, pear sauce, peach sauce, green beans, peas, bananas, mangoes, oranges, squash, carrots, and many mixed medleys to name a few. All of your food still comes in the form of a puree - except for smashed bananas which you loved. No doubt, this next month is going to be a great deal of fun as we introduce more and more food!

You are a joy to be around, Tucker, and we love you so much!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 7 month birthday Tucker!

Tucker we love you. You are so sweet and precious. You continue to warm our hearts and make us smile every time we look at you.

In the last few weeks, Tucker has mastered his roll. He loves to roll to a toy or just back and forth for a little bit of fun. He can also sit up on his own now-which is extra cute because he really enjoys to play with his toys. He is scooting around and just begining to get up on his knees. I know it won't be long before we have two mobile boys on our hands!

Happy 6th Month Birthday Tucker!

It's amazing that six months have passed since the birth our sweet Tucker. How is it that half a year has gone by quicker than a blink of an eye? Will I ever come to terms with this reality?

This month, Tucker has learned a few new things. He's learned how to roll over from front to back and back to front and does so now with purpose and glee. He's now had a month worth of non-maternal daycare - shared by his loving daddy, Aunt Jamie, Granny, Nana, and Granddaddy! Thank you helpers! He started rice cereal at the start of the month and has also enjoyed his first few days of carrots mixed into his cereal. Today, he surprised both Kris and I by happily taking a sippy cup full of breast milk! Woo! He has also started to play sitting up a bit more, although he can't do it on his own yet. He's teething, but he doesn't have any teeth. I keep expecting a tooth to break through the skin any day, but I have been saying that for over a month now, so we'll see how soon it actually happens; I'm in no rush, but I would like for this current wave of pain Tucker seems to be experiencing to disappear!!

Here are a few photos from this month...

Cousin Dylan, Tucker, and Owen in the pack n' play

He loves music!

Could he be any sweeter? This is Tucker's first time in his jumping toy and boy was it a hit. He wore himself out bouncing and actually slept like this for almost two hours.

quite possibly one of my favorite pictures

Tucker's 5 Months

Happy 5th Month Birthday Tucker!

Tucker is growing so fast. Even though we're not experiencing it for the first time, we're constantly in awe and amazed how quickly he develops.

He is very interested in his toys - especially those that he can stuff into his mouth or ones that make noise. One of his favorite things to do now is sit in his little exercise play toy, pushing all of the buttons to hear the different noises they make. He isn't showing any signs of teeth yet, but he does drools like a fool.

Like his big brother, he loves to fall asleep to rock n roll. His favorite music is Death Cab for Cutie, but really just about anything will do if he's tired. He is usually out within one to two songs, but he still has a hard time staying asleep if we try to lay him down. Maybe it's our crib mattress! Recently, he started to sing himself to sleep and the sounds are just precious.

In the last month, he's rolled over a few more times, but for now he seems to enjoy on his belly and spin himself around. He's done full 360 turns a few times- usually when Owen's moving all around him. He is always touching and grabbing whatever we have near us - so we have to be careful to watch him if he's in our lap while we're eating.

Tucker started baby cereal last week and has spent the last few days working on adjusting to his new schedule and routine. He also enjoyed taking a bath in the big tub with his big brother and taking a dip in the kiddie pool.

We constantly feel incredibly lucky and blessed.

Happy 4 month birthday Tucker

We love you!

Owen saying, "I love you Tucker" early this morning

on the eve of the big day

playing in the crib with big bro earlier in the week

swingin' in the yard last Saturday

Tucker's 3 Months

Tucker is 3 months old! He's so wonderful... cooing, laughing, smiling.....just perfect.

This morning, Tucker and I were still laying in bed, cuddling. Tucker was sleeping and I was enjoying watching him sleep. Owen wanted to see us, so he came upstairs and climbed into bed to join us. He immediately began to pat Tucker and then kissed Tucker ever so softly on his head, saying, "i love you, Tucker". He repeated this 3 or 4 times and then leaned over for a kiss from Mommy. I'm not sure there is a more perfect way to wake up on a Sunday morning.