More Holiday Fun!

Happy Holidays!

Joseph in the Snow

We spent just as much time getting ready to go out in the snow as we did playing in the snow, but it was worth it to get these pictures. :) The boots were a complete nightmare, but we're going to see if plastic baggies on the feet make it easier next time. Once we got outside the only real problem was that as soon as Joseph falls or kneels down he can't get back up (picture the little dude in A Christmas Story). Joseph's been really good with amusing himself and playing with his toys, and sometime in the past few weeks it seems his 2 yr. molars have appeared! Which has motivated me to finish his baby book, I mean, we probably should have that taken care of before he turns 2 right?

Joseph and the Wii

Joseph is apparently a fast learner. After watching us all play with the Wii over Thanksgiving he decided one night that he'd give it a try. He pointed the remote at the screen, stood on the fit, and even mimicked us conducting an orchestra with Wii Music. Cool jammies huh?

Fall has flown by!

It's been way too long since our last post...crazy how fast the past few weeks went by! Jay is done traveling for the year, so now we're gearing up for the holidays and hoping his back feels better instead of worse sometime soon. Joseph seems to have gotten taller, and definitely more talkative. Today he threw up for the first time. Lucky for us it was on the kitchen floor and only happened once. It scared him a little but after a minute of crying he was back to his normal self. Since it warmed up a bit he helped us rake the leaves outside to prepare for the eventual winter wonderland. Maybe they'll actually come collect the yard waste soon. If not I expect a credit on my tax bill! Did I just say that? I really am getting old....

Totally Toddler

Well if I had any doubt, today I realized that Joseph is totally a toddler. He runs and plays with play do, but when he's feeling more helpful he puts away his laundry and feeds Rosco. He's learning to eat his food with a fork and spoon, and brushes his teeth when he's done. And today he wanted to drink from a "real cup" instead of his sippy this morning, so I took a little video of the monumentus occasion. Actually more impressive is that apparently he hasn't been using his pacifier during nap time at daycare. So last night I put him in bed without one and off to sleep he went, no fuss or noise. One would think you could just cut cold turkey based on that performance, but no, when I attempted the same thing when putting him down for a nap today, he screamed and cried so after 15 minutes I decided we would go with the "weaning" method instead of cold turkey. Did I cave too early?

Happy Halloween

We all dressed up in our costumes last night and hung around the neighborhood for the usual festivities. Joseph trick or treated up and down three streets, ringing doorbells, waving buh-bye with his flashlight, and even uttered a thank you to one candy-giver towards the end of his travels. He lasted a full hour and was spent by the time he went to bed at 7:30. And he slept a full 12 hours which was nice for us since we were at the annual party in the hood. Though Jay could have probably used a few more hours....I'll be surprised if he doesn't go out and get french fries. :)

Trick or Treat

Joseph partook in some pre-Halloween festivities this weekend at daycare and in "downtown" tosa. On Friday he wore his dinosaur costume to school with his hair all spikey (but of course I forgot to bring the camera) and we had dinner there with the other kids celebrating. Then on saturday the village (just a mile down the road from us) had a trick or treat event with the local businesses, so Joseph sported his warmer frog costume to make the rounds and collect his candy. He's become quite a fan of candy lately. I'm trying to limit him to one piece a day, but he always repeats "more more more" when he finishes. Hopefully once Halloween is over and the pumpkins filled with treats are put away he'll forget about it (out of sight out of mind right?) On Halloween night we have trick or treating in our neighborhood, and this year it looks like Joseph will actually be awake for it! His bedtime is usually 7:15ish, though last year it was more like 6. We're happy for the change, but who knows what falling back will do to the routine. (Please please please don't let it mean that he will be waking up before 6....that would be waaaay to early......and yes, I know I'm spoiled....but I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I can!)

Picking Out a Pumpkin

Joseph and I went to Apple Hollar yesterday and met up with some cousins for some apple pickin and pumpkin patchin. He had fun eating apples covered with dirt (ok not covered, there were only a few times I couldn't get to an apple before he did) and as soon as he saw the pumpkin patch he went straight for the fatty pictured above. He tried to lift it but couldn't quite get the 16 pounder off the ground. He also enjoyed watching the billy goats they had at the hollar, and he may have enjoyed feeding them a few kernels of corn that apparently they were not supposed to have (who knew, I mean the warning was posted on signs and everything but that was after we saw the kernels lying on the ground). So we did some fun things this weekend, but in general Joseph wasn't in a very good mood. He seems to be going through another funk. Today he wouldn't stop crying unless he was sleeping, outside in his stroller, or in my arms while I walked around (meaning I had to be upright, no sitting down and cuddling, only standing). Needless to say I'm a bit tired and a bit relieved that he went to bed early. But he did let me sleep in until 7:30 this morning and hopefully he'll be happier tomorrow.

Joseph's 18mos Stats

Height: 35 inches (98%)
Weight: 27lbs 6.5oz (70%)
Head: 47.75cm (50%)

It seems we were right about his height and weight. Doctor says this puts him on track to turn out around 6' 2"....but only time will tell!

Pumpkins & Animals

We went to a petting zoo last weekend while the weather was still warm, and while Joseph doesn't much care for the animals and the noises they make, he did enjoy the pumpkins. Even though the animals scare him, he is starting to learn the sounds that they make. He can do a duck, cat, dog, and we're working on monkey, cow, and snake. He's been in a better mood the past couple days, so hopefully the crankiness was just a phase or teeth coming in. His 18 mos checkup is Tuesday so we'll have some new stats soon! (and we'll find out whether or not his ears are all clear) We think he is somewhere around 28 lbs and 35 inches, judging by where he measures up to the kitchen counter. Pretty soon there won't be much that is out of his reach!

Touchdown!

Dinnertime

Joseph started out using a fork to eat his bowl full of pasta last night, and somehow while we weren't watching the pasta went everywhere and the bowl ended up on his head. Joseph's been a bit moody (ok not just a bit, more like totally moody) over the past week, but we assume it is because he has two teeth coming in. He's also fell victim to a few biters at daycare, so I'm sure that hasn't been fun for him either. (though I do think it would be worse to be the parent of the biter.) His favorite things to do still include looking at books, dancing to music, playing outside, and most recently he has also decided that he enjoys walking the dog. I of course hold onto the leash as well, since Rosco tends to walk people as opposed to letting people walk him, but Joseph must hold the end of the leash and the plastic bag. (I'm hoping this is something he still enjoys when he's older.) He's chatting up a storm so with any luck he'll be talking by the holidays. And hopefully his hair will be longer by then....it's a bit too short for my taste. Who knew the kid had that much forehead?

Joseph's Funny Face

With 18 mos right around the corner, Joseph is looking and acting older with every week that goes by (doesn't he look like such a little boy in that second picture?). His latest development is his "sense of humor" which he displays by wrinkling up his nose, squinting his eyes, and doing a fake laugh when he thinks something is funny (actually captured on camera in the first pic!). Not sure about the rest of him, but his feet are definitely bigger. He was wearing a size 5 in sandals this summer and when I took him to get measured for gym shoes he was a size 6 1/4! His feet look huge now as he runs around the house. That's right....runs. Not a full blown track star run, but faster than a walk. Though he doesn't say much that is intelligible, (he has his words like "up", "frog", and "truck"), I think he actually understands most of what we say. Last night I asked him to give Jay a can of olives that I was holding and he took the can out of my hand, walked across the room, and handed the can to his dad. Pretty nice huh? He'll be taking out the trash before you know it!

Vroom Vroom!

Football, Football and more Football

Joseph sported his allegiance to his parents favorite teams all weekend, and even as he lies in his crib he is still decorated in Steeler-wear (hope Uncle Timmy was at the game, cuz it was a good one!) We were all going to watch the Bears game at a friends house tonight with a few fellow Illinoisans, but Joseph started melting down an hour ago and went to bed, so I stayed here and Jay went to go "represent". Every time we think Joseph's bedtime has finally pushed past 7pm, the little man puts us back in our place by throwing a fit at 6 o'clock! Oh well, it gives me time to update the blog for all you avid viewers. :)

Enjoying Summer While We Can

We're trying to get in as much fun in the sun as possible before the summer comes to it's inevitable end. These pictures are from the beach a week or two ago (who can keep track), and this past weekend Joseph had fun playing in the sprinkler at our friend's house, in the pool with his cousins, and in our backyard (though that didn't last long so we decided to give Rosco a bath instead). Tonight was Joseph's turn for a bath, so fun in the water continued until he dropped a few floaters and the tub had to be evacuated. If I still had my whistle from back in the life guarding days I would have given three long signals to call in the poop patrol. But alas, there was no whistle and it turns out that I am now considered poop patrol.

Joseph and Rosco

Every morning Joseph gets very excited to greet Rosco (calling him Ra ra or Ra co). They have a lot in common really. They both love to play ball, neither of them listen very well, they just can't get enough food....two peas in a pod. Except for one pea is quite a lot bigger than the other and the other pea walks upright. Rosco does knock Joseph down on occasion, so you'll see Joseph flinch as the dog walks by, bracing himself for a fall or lick to the face. But for the most part they both enjoy each others company. (though I'm not really sure if Rosco enjoys Joseph crawling over him like a piece of playground equipment, but oh well). Joseph moves up to a new class tomorrow....the second toddler room! I think that is the class where they work on perfecting their attitudes and manipulating their parents.

The Conways at Irish Fest

Joseph had an action packed day yesterday....started out with fun in the sun at the Harrington State Park Beach and ended with Irish Fest. He walks just about everywhere now, and is getting more and more comfortable with the water. He likes it when you hold his hands and pull him through the water on his belly or back, and he'll walk and play in the water himself but doesn't yet understand how to close his mouth when he goes under. He ends up drinking quite a bit of it, and he apparently fancies the sand as well. (though after the first fist full went into his mouth I didn't see him do it again so I'm guessing he decided it wasn't that tasty after all). At Irish Fest he had fun watching the parade, listening to the bagpipers, and ate almost an entire chicken basket (which begs the question...why won't he eat chicken nuggets at home?). And of course now that he walks he has no desire to sit in the stroller for hours on end, so Jay and I took turns walking him through crowds and chasing him around during the music. He's on nap number two today and both have been long ones so I'm thinking we wore him out. Now why can't he just sleep in instead?

This is What I Looked Like

When I got home from daycare today

And after I ate dinner

I thought it was funny. Jay would like to know how to make sure it doesn't happen again. :)

State Fair

We went to the Wisconsin State Fair on Friday afternoon and Joseph loved seeing all the animals and enjoyed a taste of a deep fried oreo (you can get just about anything fried or on a stick at the state fair). Even though the line was too long for the 25 cent flavored milk that Jay wanted, Joseph still got to take his picture with the fake cow, which is all he really cared about. Too bad there were other kids waiting to climb on it....he could have stayed there quite happily for minutes and minutes!

Mommy and Me

Look Who's Walking

We had floaters in the bathtub tonight for the first time. Not fun. Next time I see him put his butt above the water I'm going to jump into action and put his little ars on the toilet!

Joseph in Lake Zurich

Joseph had a great time at the beach in Lake Zurich, IL on Sunday. He walked in the sand, and into the water (key word in this sentence being walked). I'd say he crawls just as much as he walks, but each week he gets a little better at it so I figure by the end of the summer he'll be a pro. He also knows where his head, ears, nose, and belly button are, and we're working on shoulders, knees and toes. And he definitely knows who mom, dad, rosco, and grover are (he sleeps with grover most nights). This week he's been waking up a little earlier, just before 6, and he's figured out how to switch songs and pump up the volume on his crib aquarium, which means we now awake to all kinds of fun musical tunes each morning. He seems amazingly tall, and has a full mouth of teeth (and judging by his behavior tonight...he's getting more. We had to bust out the tylenol for the first time in months). His eyes are definitely not blue.....but also not brown. They appear a grayish hazel, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they stay that way. Though how do you classify that on a drivers license?

p.s. the picture of Joseph on the ground reminds me of George Costanza on the velvet couch

Motivated by a Stranger

That's how the subject would read if we were writing an article on our activity last night. Every tuesday we head down to the park in the neighborhood for volleyball, and last night before the games started up we were just sitting around with our neighbors when Joseph started playing with one of the volleyballs. At first he was just doing his regular ball thing, throwing it and making fun noises, but then he started to walk with it. A few steps here, a few steps there. I think he was doing 5 or so with our neighbors but then a complete stranger (not as in kidnapper strange, but from a different block strange) sat down nearby and started playing with him. And would you believe that the little man took like 9 steps towards her? I'm hoping the volleyball was the motivating factor in this story and not the stranger, else we might have to actually start meeting new people to get him to learn how to walk. In the meantime, I've strategically placed a volleyball in the center of the basement amongst his other toys.

And yes, I do realize the picture has nothing to do with the story.

First Real Haircut!

Joseph got his first real haircut yesterday, and didn't even flinch! He enjoyed looking at all the cool stuff they had on the ceiling and the walls. It's not cut exactly as I described, but oh well. I suppose he's a little too young for gel and mousse anyway. And while we're on the subject of firsts....Joseph also had his first doctor's appointment with no ear infection, and his first glass of spoiled milk. (which Jay realized at lunchtime before giving Joseph his cup, after he had already had a glassful with breakfast). Yummmmm.

Joseph at the Beach

We took these pictures the weekend before we left on vacation, at a beach along Lake Michigan about 20 minutes from our house. The water was too cold to play in (which really ticked off Joseph) but once we got him to focus on sticks and sand he had quite a nice time. I think he may have gotten a little taller since then, and he definitely has more teeth! His balance is also getting better, he took three short steps all by himself yesterday! Though his preference is to walk with you while holding hands.

Happy 4th of July!

No picture this time because I forgot to update the blog before heading out of town for the holiday....so stay tuned for that in a few weeks! Joseph actually enjoyed swimming today with Jay (in a pool that he cannot touch the bottom in), but when he got dunked the smile faded a bit. He's standing for more than a few seconds now and likes walking around holding your hands, but no more than a step or two on his own. And he's quite the talker! (just not in words that make much sense) We're all on vacation over the next week....Rosco at his farmhouse back in Milwaukee, Joseph in Minnesota, and Jay and I are heading to Hayward (northwestern WI) on Sunday. A good time expected to be had by all! So be patient waiting for the next blog update (rather hypocritical of me to ask such a thing, as it is not a virtue that I posses!). And have a happy 4th!!!!