…was filled with turkey and a lot of Nick and Sierra. We visited Victoria’s cousin Sandy and her husband Phil (“Uncle Phil”) and their turn children (Nick and Sierra) for their first Thanksgiving in their new home. We had a wonderful time!
Connor got to play with Nick and Sierra and Daddy got to see Uncle Phil’s (now Nick’s) GI Joe collection that included a jeep similar to this:
Daddy was impressed with Uncle Phil’s GI Joe collection. Daddy had the original GI Joe dolls, but does not remember having a jeep (is that right Grandma?). To put that jeep into perspective, Connor was able to sit on it and scoot it around.
Connor also attended his 1st Holiday parade in Reston, VA. He got to see Mighty Mouse, a yellow dinosaur (or maybe that is a giraffe), Mr. and Mrs. Claus, police cars, and fire engines. He had a blast and was a trooper through the cold, wind, and rain (at the end).
We got to watch Mommy ice skate with Aunt Sandy. Boy, that was funny and scary. So much so, that Connor slept right through it all.
Connor’s vocabulary has been increasing. He was saying “Nick” before we even made it to Nick and Sierra’s house on Thursday. By the time we left their house, he had said “RaRa” (short for Sierra — Nick used to call his sister Sierra this when he was Connor’s age). He also was saying “Uncle Phil”. Most of the time it sounded like “apple” but we knew what he was saying because he was pointing in Uncle Phil’s direction. He is also saying “milk” which comes out like “mork” because he is trying to say “more milk”.
This evening, he surprised us by saying book all on his own. It was bath time and we were getting ready to take him upstairs and he remembered he wanted his book…the next thing I notice is he is running to the table and says “book” (very clearly) and then picks it up. That is not one of the words we have been stressing for him to say, so that just goes to show they definitely learn at their own pace.
Connor was sad to go, but one good thing about being home is now we have is undivided attention during meals and can get some food into him. It seems like when we visit family, he is too distracted or wants to go play…so eating takes a backseat. Well, when we got home he ate and ate and ate…you would have thought we didn’t feed him this weekend.
We also found out that Connor loves banana bread. Aunt Sandy made a few loaves of this and Connor ate his fair share of it this weekend.
I’ve learned quite a bit over the past couple of years, but one thing I have learned (or finally can appreciate) is that my brother and I had a great childhood. As I get older and my memory begins to fade, it is hard to recall all the good times we had. Spending time with Connor and showing him how to use the old toys that my Mom has kept for her grandchildren (GI Joe figurines, my old doctor kit, etc..) helps me recall those memories. So Mom, here is a well desired, “Thank you from Connor’s Daddy and Uncle!”
Back to the title…
For many years, my Mom would bake Gingerbread men and me and Uncle Danny would decorate them and then hang them on the Christmas tree. This year was Connor’s first introduction to our tradition. (I can’t recall the last time we did this but hopefully it was sometime prior to us being teenagers.)
But let me tell you…I think I won the price for best decorated gingerbread man this year (Grandma usually won this when we were growing up). Of course, Mommy was trying to beat Daddy, but Daddy was declared the winner (by me of course).
When you look at the pictures…
Notice how Mommy is concentrating on her gingerbread man (or woman) she is making.
Notice how Connor watches what to do and then picks up what he should be doing with the gingerbread men.
Watch how he figures out that stuff he is putting on the gingerbread man is edible and starts to eat the candy instead of decorate the gingerbread man.
We made popcorn this evening. Here is a pic of Connor after he pulled over a chair from the kitchen.
Notice how he is waving at the camera. That is a first! As soon as the flash came on to focus on him, he knew what was happening and started to “ham it up” for the camera.
Uncle Danny and I both were commenting on how grown up he looks.
Over the past couple of weeks the bedtime routine has been slowly changing. Connor has always been a great sleeper and the only real trouble we’ve ever had was those couple weeks after his second surgery. Since then he has been sleeping great!
We have been quite consistent with his bedtime routine which works well for us. Lately, I have been noticing how he is well aware of what time it is. “Go Diego Go” is his favorite TV show and he usually knows within 10 or 15 mins of the show beginning that it is coming on soon. He’ll come to us and say “gooo Deigooo gooo” We tell him, “Not yet, but in a few minutes.” and he waits patiently.
He also knows when it is getting close to his bath and bedtime. Lately he has been playing with the tunnel set that Grandma bought him last year. These are collapsible tunnels like this.
He plays in these after Go Diego Go is done. Soon thereafter he realizes it is bedtime and then he actually starts collapsing them himself. He can collaspe the small tunnels himself and then asks for help with the bigger ones. Then after that, it is upstairs for his bath, diaper, pajamas, and teeth brushing.
Now to the title “Connor is getting to us…” When we lay Connor down to change his diaper and put on his pajamas he knows what is coming and tries one last ditch effort to get downstairs. Last week, it was signing to us he was thirsty or hungry (and of course we would take him downstairs for a small snack or something to drink). After a couple of nights of not eating his snack, we wised up and would ignore his “request for something to drink or eat”.
So this week, Connor turned up the pressure on us. He figured the “hungry/thirsty” routine had been overplayed, so now he goes straight for our hearts. He says, “Downstairs. Downstairs. Downstairs.” and then puts his hand on the side of his face as if he is sleeping on a pillow. We think he is telling us he wants to go downstairs before he goes to bed. We try not to buy into it and tell him, “No…it is bedtime.” He tries a couple more times and then starts with the tears. It was starting to break my heart the other night and tonight it just got to me. So much so, that I turned to Victoria and said, “He is breaking my heart.” She agreed with me. It really is amazing to see how they can learn to tug at your emotions to get what they want. Soon, he’ll be playing Mommy and Daddy against one another.
No, we did not and have not given in and after our kiss and our nightly routine of laying him in his crib he quickly falls asleep with very little fussing.
Connor — your Mommy and Daddy are trying to be strong but you sure are becoming a master of using those beautiful blue eyes (welled up with tears) to get to us.
We went to the doctor about two weeks ago for a follow up appointment after Connor’s 2nd surgery (to fix scar tissue from the 1st surgery) and she informed us that it was scarring again. So, she put us on a “special plan” and wanted to see us back in 2 weeks. Today. was that follow up appointment and we are relieved to tell everyone that Connor is doing much better and the doctor was thrilled with his improvement.
We still have to do the “special plan” but we are slowly lessening the procedures in that “special plan”. So, she wants to see him back in 4 months to double check on the remaining scar tissue, but believes he is on his way to healing. There is still potential for further problems, so please continue with your thoughts and prayers for Connor. We appreciate it!
Mommy, Daddy, and Connor went to the Bluebird Gap Farm a couple of weeks ago. Check out the pics of Connor climbing up the ladder on the play ground. He kept going up the ladder then down the slide, and repeat.
But wait…as we were watching him, he stopped dead in his tracks about 3/4ths of the way down the slide and started fussing. I thought maybe his foot was caught and he didn’t know how to get it loose. I was wrong…above further investigation there was “stink bug” on the slide our a fearless son didn’t want to “hurt it”. The only bugs I am scared of are spiders…so his fear of “stink bugs” must be inherited from his Mommy (maybe Grandpa?). 😉
Anyways…notice the sequence of events — it is like his hair is standing on end because he is scared (it was the static electricity from the slide) — pretty cool photo Mommy! (Click on one of the pics to see more.)
The other night I took Connor up to his room to change him and like normal, he ran into his room ahead of me so he could try to get into something. This night he opened his closet on the side where his Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo Halloween costumes are kept. I came in, swooped him up, and laid him down on his changing table.
The next thing I notice, he is trying to tell me something. He is pointing to the closet and saying what sounds like “honey” to me. I listened to him repeat it 4 or 5 times. I wasn’t sure what it was, so I let him down and over to the closet he went again. He was pointing at his outfits saying what sounded like “honey” to me.
I put him back up on the changing table. Now, Daddy was trying to be too smart for himself… I figured our genius son figured out that Winnie the Pooh loves honey, so I will say “honey” to Daddy so he will be proud of me. So, I turned to Connor (all proud) and said, “honey, yes, honey”. He looked at me for a second and then kept saying what he was saying before. (His way of telling me, “you’re wrong Dad, can’t you understand what I am saying?”)
I went about changing his diaper and then shortly after I him changed and stood him up to put his pants on, the big light bulb went off in my head.
He is not saying “honey”, he is trying to say “Halloween”. It was coming out like “ha-ween”. He kept saying “ha-ween, ha-ween, ha-ween”. So, I was all proud (that I figured it out) and turned to him and said, “Are you saying Halloween?” And with the cutest smile, he looks at me and starts to bop his head and shoulders up and down (that is his way of nodding his head).
Connor’s “first mobile” Halloween was great! He quickly learned what all the fuss was about and was going house to house with his friends Abby and Issac.
Here is a picture of Connor at Grandma’s house running down her sidewalk…he was just getting warmed up!
Check out his photo gallery for additional pics as well as the 1st house he went and got a treat at.
We attended the Fall Festival at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton for about 1 hour with Abby, Issac, and their parents on Saturday and then headed over to Grandma’s house and then back to our house for the “trick-or-treating”.
Here are some videos of Connor at the Fall Festival:
