Splash, splash, splash!

The kid is a funny one.

The Many Faces of Alexander

Fun photos from the past few days...

Grandma's boy!I do like to eat!

Ready to cook!I wanna pony!

Whatcha' got there?Making a mess with Addie!


You made me walk over here for that?Playing in the dump truck!

Playing at the Park!

Sadly, Mommy has to go back to work next week. So, we decided to wrap up her vacation with a trip to the park! We thought we were lucky that Grandpa was going to join us but turns out we got an added bonus when we got to the park and saw our friends Jeff, Gypsy, Cole and Addie (Alex's girlfriend)! We had so much fun and can't wait to go again...especially after Grandpa RETIRES!!

I have no idea what caught their attention!
Grandpa thought Alexander should go down the slide upside down!
I love my grandpa!
I like this swinging thing, Mama!

P.S. My little gym rat is finally big enough to wear the sweatsuit you bought him, Bates! tee-hee

Mommy reflects

I was washing Alexander's clothes this evening. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to do laundry and tonight was no exception. As I pulled out bibs, washcloths, burpy rags, t-shirts and pants; I also came across pajamas. Not any ol' pajamas but 18 MONTH old pajamas that were bought before he was born. I remembering thinking at the time, "there is no way my son will ever be big enough to fit into those!" and laughing at the absurdity. Alas, the time has come. Oh, right now, they will still be too big and I am willing to bet I can get a few more uses from the 12 month ones but still, their time will come. My baby is no longer a baby. He is a toddler. And I blame Trace Atkins for the melancholy I feel about this transition. I do not regularly listen to country music but, in the past few days, I've been running errands mid-day and had to listen to something because NPR wasn't available (and hip-hop is never an option when one teaches high school students). Atkins has a new song out called "Your Going to Miss This". This song stopped me in my tracks. And, instead of making that last stop to grab a few things, I drove straight home. The errands can wait. I don't want to miss this.

She was staring out the window of that SUV

Complaining, saying “I can’t wait to turn 18″

She said “I’ll make my own money, and I’ll make my own rules”

Momma put the car in park out there in front of the school

Then she kissed her head and said “I was just like you”
You’re gonna miss this

You’re gonna want this back

You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you’re gonna miss this
Before she knows it she’s a brand new bride

In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by

He tells her “It’s a nice place”

She says “It’ll do for now”

Starts talking about babies and buying a house

Daddy shakes his head and says “Baby, just slow down”
Cause you’re gonna miss this

You’re gonna want this back

You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you’re gonna miss this
Five years later there’s a plumber workin’ on the water heater

Dog’s barkin’, phone’s ringin’

One kid’s cryin’, one kid’s screamin’

She keeps apologizin’

He says they don’t bother me.

I’ve got 2 babies of my own.

One’s 36, one’s 23.

Huh, it’s hard to believe, but …
You’re gonna miss this

You’re gonna want this back

You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you’re gonna miss this

A Busy Day for a Thirteen Month Old Boy!

Alexander is thirteen months old today. He woke at 5 AM this morning, clearly remembering that Mommy has all week off so why wait another minute to play with her? (Here's hoping he can hold off his excitement until at least 6 the rest of the week).

Once the thick, freezing fog wore off, we were lucky to have warm-ish temps and a bright, sparkling azure-blue sky all afternoon. Just what you need to break the winter blues type of Northwest days. Alexander wanted to go outside and watch Daddy work in the yard. Since the chain saw was too loud, Alexander decided that walking up and down the driveway was much more appealing. We walked down the driveway, back to the house, down the driveway, back to the house...for over an hour. One of us is going to sleep well tonight!

Soon after the driveway journey ended, our friend Kayla came over for a visit. She is one of Mommy's former students and has made an effort to visit most every time she is home from WSU. She even came to the hospital the day after Alexander was born! At first, Alexander wasn't really sure he wanted to play with her, but after a nap, he was at least willing to sit with her for a few seconds so Mommy could snap a picture (for the blog, of course!).

The busy day finally wrapped up with bath time. We have started to sense that Alexander imagines himself as a merman, ruling over his watery kingdom. He would, if allowed, remain in the tub for HOURS. However, the king and queen usually determine that wrinkly skin means enough is enough and eventually pull the young prince from his watery throne. Once dried off, the water prince quickly transforms into...NAKED BABY! Clad only in his diaper, this young Tarzan-isk boy streaks through the house, laughing and giggling as the parental monkey's chase him through the jungle of toys. Eventually, our young adventurer is caught and is snuggled up in pj's and, along with his three blankies, he is placed in his crib so he can quickly (and it really is quickly) fall asleep and dream of waking Mommy tomorrow at 5AM to begin a new day one month older!

Night-Night!

Grandma and Grandpa...

...thank you for playing with me tonight!! Mommy and Daddy enjoyed their date night at Armondo's (thanks to Uncle Patrick and Auntie Melissa for the gift card). I sure hope I was a super good boy for you so you'll be willing to play with me again!

I love you!

Your favoritest grandson, Alexander

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I'll be your valentine!

Who can resist that face?

I love you!

It's awfully tiring being a Valentine!

My new favoritest toy

The doctor told Mommy to use a cane while she is doing physical therapy to fix her back. Since she adamantly refuses to use it (meaning she is too vain), I found it today and discovered all sorts of new fun!

(Note: this one year boy isn't narcissistic like his thirty six year old mommy. Good to know.)

Bye-Bye, Hi, Hi, and Alexander takes a tumble

Kisses for you!

Alexander wakes early. Very early. Most mornings we wake to his adorable baby chatter around 5AM. We aren't sure if he is talking to his blankie, his binkie, Mickey Mouse, Pluto or us. Once Eric lifts him from his crib, he is on the move. Most days, I leave the house with Grandma TV (using webcams to talk with Eric's parents) in the background and Eric starting breakfast. However, the past week has brought a new twist. Alexander insists on walking me to the door. He walks with me to the front door, blows kisses, says, "bye-bye" and proceeds to shut the door behind me. And when I arrive home, I am greeted with his toddler run to the front door accompained with baby giggles and shouts of "hi,hi,hi" over and over again. Every working parent should be so lucky.

"Why do we fall down? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up."

(for you movie buffs, this is a quote from Batman Begins).

This afternoon, Alexander and Daddy walked to the mailbox. Alexander got moving a little too quickly and he fell. On his face. Bruises and scrapes, a bit of crying, but he's ok. Once Alexander recovered (and Eric shared the Batman quote with his son), the two boys started the long trek back to the house. Only this time, the smart one year old was very careful with his stepping. If there was a twig, he went around it. If there was a larger rock, he went around it. There was no way he was falling again! See, normally, Alexander barrels over and through anything that is on the floor and in his way. Obviously, he learned that falling can hurt more than normal, when this evening, instead of barreling through Guybrush...he walked around him. I think GB is more thrilled with the learning curve than we are.

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

I'm willing to bet, as a child, you knew exactly how to get to Sesame Street. My memories of Big Bird, Snuffleupagus, Oscar, Bert and Ernie are happy ones. Who didn't know how to Do the Pigeon Dance or that Oscar loved trash? Or how about waiting for the Count to reveal the number of the day? Good times. I swear every time I turned on the TV, I could find my way to Bob's Grocery and my Muppet friends. I realize now that my parents were wiser than a 5 year old and knew exactly when it was on and would point us in the right direction. Finding Sesame Street on TV now isn't near as easy. It's either on in the early hours (admittedly, Eric isn't awake enough to face Elmo) or at noon. Since I was home this week, Alexander and I watched plenty of it because let's face it...everyone should know how to get to Sesame Street.

Dancing with friends


I really like this, Mama!

A special concert with Sugarland!

(you can stop humming the theme song now)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORELLI!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Cousin Lorelli turned 5 in Disneyland this week!
We love you!
Uncle Eric, Auntie Chelle, and Alexander

Milk and Molars

Anyone remember when their molars came in? I don't. But as I watch a teething Alexander, I am glad I don't remember. I believe there are two coming in and it is misery. Selfishly, I love that he is clingy and wants to be cuddled because that behavior is so abnormal for him. Other than that, I hate watching him suffer. I'd gladly take this pain for him.

We're transitioning from formula to milk. Probably should have done it before this point but we've never claimed to be perfect parents. We're using whole soy milk. I swear Alexander has a milk allergy; Eric and our pediatrician disagree. I'm the Mom so I win (Eric's on board but secretly, I know he thinks I'm overreacting). We are all in agreement that Alexander is allergic to peanut butter. I take fully responsibility for slipping my son pb (just a little on the tip of my finger). Hives. Itching. Projective vomiting on Mommy. A sleepless night because I was convinced he was going to go into anaphylactic shock so I made many late night visits to the crib to watch him sleeping in peace. Needless to say, there has not been a repeat of pb. We have a prescription for an epi pen and an appointment with an allergist. Food allergies do exist on the Munson side so we'll meet with the allergist to determine where this adventure leads.

Favorite photos!

My big boy haircut!


Happy Birthday to Me!

I miss Grandma and Papa!

And so it begins...

This is life with Alexander Wayne. Joyous. Festive. Happy.

Alright, so I should have started this blog when he was born. I thought about it. Often. I had plenty of time during naptime while I was home on maternity leave. I had all summer as well. I guess it's taken going back to work and realizing how fast he will grow up. Before I know it, he'll be in college and leaving me. Hmm. Let's just live in the present for now.

In the past year, Alexander has progressed from being completely helpless to I-want-to-do-this-all-on-my-own. I'm surprised he hasn't potty trained himself at this point. Seriously. Mr. Independent is in the house!

Milestones of the past year include (like they are any different from what other babies experience in the first year?):
First smiles at 7 weeks. Sitting up at 3 months. Solid food at 4 months. Crawling at 6 months. First teeth at 6 months. Cruising furniture at 7 months. Said "mama" before "dada" (good boy!) at 9month-ish. Took first steps at 10 months. Starting signing "eat" and "more" at 11 months. Celebrated his first birthday with many loved ones surrounding him. And is now climbing, running, and saying many words like bye-bye, kitty, ball, more, and I love you Mom. Ok, that last one is just in my head...

I'll do my best to keep this updated. Seems we can find some interesting stuff to share about the kid. And maybe ourselves too.