I'm a Big Brother

On Monday morning my baby sister was born at the hospital. When I woke up in the morning I got to go see her, mommy, and daddy. At first I was not so sure about the whole thing, the baby and the fact that my mommy was at the hospital in a strange bed. After a little while of visiting I decided to hold my sister, but only long enough for daddy to snap a couple of pictures and to get a closer look at her.
After my visit I got to go back to Meme and Papa's and play with my cousin Gwen for a little while until Papa got home to go back to the hospital. We visited for a little while longer and then we went to get something to eat.
I visited the hospital a couple of more times on Tuesday and then today I got to come back home since mommy and my sister got to come home from the hospital. I am still getting used to the idea of having a baby in my house, but I am sure it will be okay. I will have pictures of me at Christmas and of my new baby sister to share soon. Have a good New Year's!

Christmas Events

A few weeks ago my mommy and daddy took me to Rose Hulman to decorate a gingerbread house. Luckily the house was already assembled and all I did was decorate it. It was okay, but I was done decorating by myself after about five minutes so my mommy and daddy helped me decorate the rest. This is the what my house looked like at the end.

Then last Sunday, I went back to Rose Hulman with my daddy and mommy to meet my Aunt B for her work Christmas party. I saw Santa for the first time and I even sat on his lap. I got a new toy, a Tonka school bus. After we left there we went to a party with some of my daddy's work people. I played with the kitty while my mommy and daddy played a game with the big people. My mommy did manage to get a few pictures of me under the table with the kitty. She thought it was cute, even though her and my daddy don't really like cats too much.
When we got home from all of the parties my Meme, Papa, Aunt B, Aunt Kayla, Uncle Jared, Gwenie, and Max cam over to watch the finale of Survivor and to eat some pizza. It was a lot of fun playing with my cousins. I still have more Christmas stuff coming up in the next couple of days that I will post about and then soon after I will update you all on my baby sister's arrival.

My Very own Christmas tree

This year my daddy thought it would be fun for me to decorate my own tree so at my house we have two trees. I got to put whatever ornaments I wanted to on my tree and I even decorated my room with a few ornaments on my door and dresser knobs. I also have a little tree in my room, but it is too small to decorate. My mommy took a picture of my tree for me to share with you.

This is my very won Christmas tree. As you can see it has M&M lights and topper and even has a few ornaments. My mommy says maybe after Christmas we can get some more M&M decorations for the tree next year.

Traveling

Over the past two weeks I have been gone 9 days. I have slept on a couch for one night in Fort Wayne while we were there with my Grandpa and Uncle Joey when my Grandma passed away, one night at home, then three more nights in Fort Wayne before coming home for a day to get ready to go to Indianapolis for the A/G youth convention for three nights in a hotel. Although I do not understand everything that has went on these past few weeks I did get to have fun, play, and see people I don't see a whole lot throughout the year. My mommy took a few pictures of me while we were at the convention so I could share them with everyone.

Me taking over daddy's job.

Me being a cool kid.

I also got to make my baby sister a bunny at Build-a-Bear. I stuffed her, gave her a bath, named the bunny, Belle, and got her birth certificate before taking the bunny home. My daddy helped me do all of this and I hope my sissy really likes it when she gets here.

Daddy and I waiting to stuff sissy's bunny.

Me grooming the bunny.

Me registering sissy's bunny.

Two Years and Growing Strong

Although I was just at the doctor last week for breathing problems, I went back today for my two year check-up. I know I have been two for almost two months, but when I was there right after my birthday it was for a rash and the doctor wanted to reschedule my check-up for later so I could get my flu shot when I came. So anyway, at my appointment today I weighed in at 30.5 pounds and was 3 feet tall. The doctor said that I am growing well and am in the 75th percentile for both areas. I don't have to go back for another check-up until I am three.


At two...
I am into doing things on my own.
I like to read books both with mommy and on my own. However, sometimes I get a little tired reading on my own and this is how mommy finds me.

I am talking a lot more and learning new words almost daily. Watch what you say mommy and daddy you never know what I will repeat.
I like to color and do other craft projects (stamps, paint, play-doh, etc.)


I also play cars and trains.
I can jump and run.
I am quite the big boy now.

Grandpa and Grandma time

This past weekend we went to visit my grandpa and grandma Landin in Fort Wayne. On the way there I got a little warm so I decided to cool myself off. My daddy turned around to find me looking like this.

When I got there my grandma gave me a surprise that had markers that were in a car, stamps, paper, books and wooden cars to play with while I was there and then I got to take them home when we left. They also took me to Chuck E. Cheese while my mommy and daddy went out on Saturday night. I had a really good time and won a ball. I don't have any pictures of this since mommy wasn't with me. We are going back to visit again in a couple of weeks for Thanksgiving so I will try to take some pictures then.

Trick-or-Treating

On Thursday we had our first night of trick-or-treating. My mommy came to get me after work and we went to Aunt Kayla's house so Gwenie, Max and I could get into our costumes. Our first stop was the library where they were giving out books as treats and I picked a train book.

Me waiting on a bench at the library in my knight costume to pick out my book.
Me reading my book while I waited for Gwenie and Max to pick their books out.
As you can see, in the short time that it took to pick out a book and find a seat to sit on, I had taken off all of the velcro pieces of my costume as well as my helmet.
Our next stop was my great-great grandma Dorothy's apartment. This is a picture of me showing her my costume.

Once we left there we headed out to my Papa and Meme's house to have our usual Survivor night and to go trick-or-treating at their house and their neighbor's house. It was a long day, but I had a good time.
Then Friday, mommy took me to a costume parade at Toys 'R Us. I got to see Geoffory the giraffe and walk through the store getting candy, coloring pages, stickers, and some other things. I also did not have to wear my knight costume, but I decided to be a tool man which made it much more enjoyable. My mommy said since we had some extra time I could play with the train table and look at the other costumes.
This is me looking at the costumes as a tool man.
After mommy and I had ran a few errands we went to meet Gwenie and Max to do some more trick-or-treating. I was a knight again, Gwenie was a princess, and Max was a loaf of Wonder bread. Mommy tried to get a good picture of Gwenie and I, but this is what she got.Us walking up to our great grandpa and grandma Fennell's house. Then we went to see Aunt B at work and mommy tried to get a picture of all three of us. This is even more difficult than just getting a picture of two of us.

She did get an okay picture of me with my costume on at Rose Hulman.

We made a few more stops after we saw Aunt B and met up with daddy, but mommy didn't get any pictures of that.

Zoo Boo

Yesterday I got to go to the Indianapolis Zoo for their Zoo Boo event with my mommy, aunts, and cousins. My mommy decided it would be something fun to do since daddy was leaving for Atlanta. I will share some pictures of the day to let you know everything I got to do.
When we got to the zoo Gwenie and I had to get trick-or-treating bags.
Before going to the dolphin show we went to the game area and went through the hay maze. While I was in there we only hit one dead end where I stopped to take a dance break.
After the show I saw this bus and decided I wanted my picture taken with it.
We also got to ride the Round-go-Merry which for those of you who don't know is the Merry-go-Round that goes backwards.
Then we found a craft area and I got to make a tool box with my mommy. I also got to see a lot of animals and my mommy took a picture of me in the Oceans area like the one my daddy took last time we were at the zoo over a year ago. She will post it on the side.

My Busy Week

Last week I had lots of fun things going on. On Monday and Tuesday I went to Indianapolis with my mommy and daddy for my daddy to do a show. We got to stay in a hotel on Monday night. I just wish the hotel would have had a pool so I could go swimming, maybe next time. On Monday night I got to help daddy tear stuff down for Tuesday's set. Mommy said I was a big helper and was so cute helping daddy work. She of course took some pictures.





I also took a little break to show my "rocker" skills.

Then since we were in town on Wednesday I got to go to reading group at the library with my friends and then we went to lunch and the park. This is me and my friends playing.

Thursday mommy worked so I went to afternoon with Aunt Kayla. As always I played and had a really good time. Then we went to Papa and Meme's for dinner and of course Survivor.
I got to sleep in a little on Friday and then we took off for Washington, IN for daddy to do another conference. Mommy and I got to relax and hang out at camp. I also got to go to Black Buggy on Saturday. I had a lot of fun just playing and hanging out at the lodge.
Me enjoying my whipped cream in a cone.
Taking a walk in the leaves at Camp Illiana. After this daddy and I wrestled in the leaves and "played" corn hole. Sunday we came home and relaxed for the evening.

Lunch with Mommy

Since my mommy has not been working as much we have been spending a lot more time together during the day and sometimes when we go out to run errands she takes me to lunch. The other day we were out and she asked me if I wanted to go to lunch and she let me pick where I wanted to go so I picked Pizza Hut and of course that is where we went. While we were there it was taking a while so mommy took a few pictures of me. This is mommy's favorite.

Shoe Organization

A while back I was putting things away in the closet and Gabe came in there with me, but he did not leave the closet when I left. This is not abnormal, but he was in there for quite a while and when I returned this is what I found. He had reorganized some of our shoes. I was impressed that he made such a pattern all on his own. I guess this is the beginnings of his sorting and matching skills.

A New Friend

A few weeks ago my mommy and daddy's friends came to visit for Rose Hulman's homecoming. Although we ended up not going to the football game we got to spend some time with our friends and I met a new friend. See my daddy and mommy's friends have a little boy who is just a little older than me and a little girl who is younger than me. So I got to play a lot with their little boy since they stayed at our house all weekend. We went shopping and out to lunch with our mommies on Friday. Then on Saturday we hung out at the house with our daddies while our mommies went yard saling. Then we went to the park that evening for music in the park put on by our church. After we got home I played a little then it was off to bed. On Sunday morning we went to church and then out to lunch at Red Lobster. It was great to meet my new friend and to see my daddy and mommy's friends too.

This is me and Nathan jumping in my backyard.

Family Fun

Over the past two weeks I have had a lot of fun with family and some new friends. First off, the last weekend of September was the Cory Apple Festival at my Meme and Papa's house. I got to go to their house four days in a row. The first night we went out to their house to have Survivor night after my cousin Gwen was in her first pageant. I went and watched and then went back to my Meme and Papa's house to eat dinner and some TV time. Then Friday, I went out to their house for the afternoon and evening. On Saturday I was out there all day and then again on Sunday for the parade.

Some Weekend Pictures



Finding some shade.








Waiting for the parade to start.








My candy from the parade.








Jumping in the bouncers at the festival.





Gabe, Spencer, and Gwen in the red wagon.

Birthday Weekend

Yesterday was my second birthday, but we had my party on Saturday and boy did I have a good time. I had family and some close family friends come over to my house for food and fun. One of my friends let me borrow his blow-up jumper, which all of the kids really enjoyed. I also got lots of cool presents and had some yummy cake. Then yesterday I went to church and got to go to my Sunday School class with all of the other 2 and 3 year olds. Then I went to Olive Garden for lunch with my grandpa and grandma Landin, Uncle Joey, and my daddy and mommy. I got to get a pizza kids meal which I ate almost all of. I was really tired after all that food so I of course took a very good nap before going back to church to play in the nursery with mommy. After church my daddy and mommy brought me home and I ate some food and got some birthday cake. Before I forget I have a few pictures to post of my birthday weekend.
MY BIRTHDAY PARTY
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20



SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Me enjoying my cake on my actual birthday.

Random Pictures

Well as I was looking at pictures of this weekend I found some fun pictures I thought would be fun to share.
My flashin' a sign at Steak and Shake while we were having dining during our kitchen remodel.

BLUES AT THE CROSSROADS
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Me in the jump thing.
Me helping daddy and enjoying some blues music


This is my little party we had after reading time at the library. This is me with Sarah and Gwenie enjoying our cupcakes.