20 Months Old!

There are so many funny/cute/interesting things that Tripp is doing now that I want to be sure to remember in 6 months, 3 years, or 10 years.  Below are some that I know will make me laugh later, and might make you laugh now!  Join me on a walk down recent memory lane...

• Every morning when he wakes up, there's very little crying.  Instead, he stands up in his crib and very politely says, "MaMa, DaDa, WaWa, Please" --- asking us to bring him "wawa" (anything in a cup - milk or water)
• They sing lots of songs at school, so it is no surprise if he busts out a bold rendition of any of the following songs/poems while playing or riding in the car:
• ABCs
• Rain Rain Go Away
• Old McDonald (with a puppy, cow, or boy on his farm.. or occasionally, a pig)
• Five little monkeys (jumping on the bed)
• Five little ducks
• It's Raining, it's Pouring
• ... and more!
• He's starting to put together phrases and sentences.  I was surprised the other day when he heard a sound from another part of the house and looked me, raised his eyebrows, and said, "What was that, mama?"  Whoa. 
• He loves "Monkey George" (i.e. Curious George) and "Elmo" --- constantly wants to watch one of them on TV when we're at home, and we usually have to tell him that they're night-night so he'll drop it and find something else to do.  We aren't necessarily anti-TV in our house, but when you get the Abby's Flying Fairy School theme song stuck in your head for an entire 24 hours, you know it's time to take a TV-break, for everyone's sake.
• He LOVES his daycare and all of his friends & teachers there.  He talks about them every day on the way to "school" -- Miss Ash-ey (our favorite teacher, Ashley, pictured below), Mimi (Mila), Ari, Day-Day (Davis), Av-ey (Avery), Mako (Miss Jamaico), Vonka (Miss Veronica), and others.  but those are his favorites.
• Lately, he's been wanting to check to make sure everyone's "OK".  He'll sit at the dinner or breakfast table and the following conversation ensues.
• Tripp:  Mama, ok?
• Mama:  I'm ok, Tripp.
• Tripp:  Dada, ok?
• Dada:  I'm ok.
• Tripp:  Tripp ok.  ok. <continues eating>
• We've taught him to (sort of) spell his name.  Usually, it's T-R-I-P.   Who needs that last P anyway?
• He loves trucks of any shape, size, or kind.  He points out fire trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks (though I'm pretty sure he thinks they're "toe" trucks, since he usually points to his feet) and pick-up trucks.  Also loves a "bool" bus and choo-choo train.
• The airplane fascination is growing by the day.  There's this little airport near by (Peachtree Dekalb) that has a playground next to the runway... nothing beats an outing to see the airplanes go "up up up up" and "down."
• ... i'm sure there are more.  I'll post them later, because this is as far as my brain is going today!

And some daycare photos:

Reading one of many "Llama Llama" books

Music with our favorite teacher (and frequent babysitter), Miss Ashley

Pushing our friend (not sure of this boy's name). 
Note the marker all over Tripp's shirt, pants, shoes.
Pretty typical for him to come home covered in marker,
which USUALLY comes out of his clothes.

Happy Hump Day!
Meg

15 Month Stats: Status Quo!

We recently went to the doc for our routine 15-month check up.  Height & weight stats have remained in the 50th percentile, growing at the average rate, I suppose.  Head circumference still in the 90th.  As Tripp's dad would say, "Look at the big brain on Tripp!"

Here are the details:

• Weight:  21 lbs, 14 oz
• Height:  31 inches
• Head Circumference:  19 1/4 inches

In general, at the doctor's office, Tripp is a joy, playing with the crinkly paper and laughing....

until the doc enters the room... and then he falls apart.

Every.
Single.
Time.

 C'est La Vie!
Meg

7 months

Tripp flew past the 7 month mark this weekend has started rocking back and forth on all 4s, but (thankfully) not quite crawling yet.  He is, however, on the verge of bustin' a move.  He is experimenting with grasping for objects that are just beyond his reach, and has been shuffling/scooting some, both backwards and forwards.  Saturday morning, when I went into his room to get him up, he was sitting straight up in the crib, just talking and playing.  Time to lower the crib again, I suppose! 

Many of you have told me that I need to appreciate & enjoy this stage because once he is mobile, it's an entirely different ball game... So, I am not pushing him to excel at crawling just yet.  Just taking it one day at a time!

In the food department --- Tripp is still enjoying anything pureed, and we have been experimenting with more table foods such as Ritz crackers, teething biscuits, and puffs.  He's getting to be rather good at using the sippy cup, though I think he prefers to bite it more than drink from it.   

Below are some recent photos from daycare:

Feeding himself

Playing with a green car
(ironically while wearing a car on his shirt)

Eating his Q-tip/Paintbrush during an Art project

Tripp & Giraffe

In other news, my friend Erin Moore Allen just delivered a 9+ lb (still nameless) little boy in Jacksonville, Florida on Monday morning.  Tripp can't wait to meet the little guy & we wish the whole family the best!

Hope you're having a great week!
Meg

6 months!

It is hard to believe that Tripp has been with us for 6 months today!  It has been THE most fun, surprising, unpredictable, insanely busy, and crazy 6 months of my life thus far.  Below are a few things to note from Tripp's first 1/2 year on Earth... Bear with me, as this is a brain dump and may seem like incoherent rambling.

• Tripp is generally a happy baby.  He laughs a lot, enjoys meeting new people.  He has a great toothless grin and is always flashing it for any audience.
• He is currently eating any type of baby food.  Squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, peaches, pears, and pumpkin, to name a few.  We are starting to introduce some solid foods that do not come in a jar or pouch, or 'table foods.'  It is fun to watch him experience new tastes and textures.
• He is rolling over and sitting up, but not yet mobile (a blessing!).  However, It is not uncommon to find him scooting around the crib at night or during naps.
• Speaking of sleeping, Tripp is a great sleeper.  He generally sleeps 11 hours per night, from 7:30 pm to 6:30 am.  He takes a morning and afternoon nap during the day.
• He loves his voice, and wakes up each day making screeches, oohs, and aahs. Some of the sweetest sounds come from his crib in the morning.
• He loves daycare and the teachers adore him.  It is fun to watch them interact with him and also to observe him interacting with other infants.  I am glad that he's getting to experience playing with other children and learning to be social.
• Tripp has been a healthy baby.  He has had croup once and currently is getting over a mild ear infection, but otherwise, his immune system is working well.  He gets snotty and congested from time to time, but seems to kick it quickly.  We feel lucky for this and hope it continues (but don't want to jinx it!)
•  He is starting to teethe, as we can see the two lower teeth just below the surface of the gum.  He drools a lot and is gnawing on anything in his path, so we anticipate some teeth breaking through any day now.

And a few recent photos:

Sippy Cup Action

All Smiles!

Exersaucin'

New Natchez-based Christmas Outfit
(Thanks Nanny Meng!)

Hope you all enjoyed this 6 month re-cap.  Thanks for allowing me to indulge.  I know I will enjoy reading it in another 6 months and again in 6 years.

Happy Hump Day!
Meg

4 month check up

Tripp went to the doctor on Friday for his 4 month check up. All went well and he is growing quickly! The doc was pleased with Tripp's head control, ability to roll all around, and that we had been experimenting with rice cereal.

In other news, I decided that in our next house, I will have a changing table installed, complete with a mirror and crinkly paper. Fascinating.

Meg

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The long awaited...

... PHOTO SHOOT POST!  As promised, here are some of our favorites from Tripp's 3 month photo shoot.  Jeff Keesee did a great job, and if you are in the Atlanta area, we highly recommend working with him for your children's photos.  They are, as you can tell, fantastic and I cannot wait to call Jeff again to capture Tripp's various milestones.

The photos were taken under a shady tree in Piedmont Park in Atlanta on a beautiful September Sunday.  All photos were shot within 1 hour.  Tripp was a trooper and cooperated to the very end... probably because he had a full belly, an empty diaper, and plenty of stimulation.  Don't we all behave when we find ourselves in such pristine conditions?

Without further ado...

 The daygown was a gift from my great Aunt Rose.  The note on the gift said, "Sorry Matt.  All little boys need something pretty."  I agree.  The beautiful day gown made for some fabulous photos! 

 Hangin' with Daddy (couldn't they be twins?!)

Playing with our favorite toy du jour.  Little toes.

Look at those strong (and chunky) legs! 

One of my favorites.
Candid.  Innocent. Curious.  Flexible.

Priceless Smiles.  Countless freckles.

Our Little Family.

Note:  For those of you who are related to us, you'll likely see some of these photos again come Christmas time, in your respective stockings, so hold tight on asking me for prints.  Gracias.

Stay tuned for rice cereal updates next week.  We are headed down that path this weekend - wish us luck!

Meg

6 weeks today!

... and loving my bouncy seat!

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4 weeks old today!

... and such a big boy!  

Tripp is still doing well, growing like a weed and getting more alert each day.  He is starting to smile (though we are not sure he knows what that means & we are pretty sure that he does it only when he is relieving himself of some gas in his belly) and loves to be in his stroller.  Here's a picture from this morning.  And yes, his hair is still red.  We plan to invest in Coppertone stock so we can keep all of our skin from being burned...

For today's morning stroll, we went down to Piedmont Park to check out the scenes (& hang with the many homeless folks).  Such a cool, green oasis in the middle of midtown Atlanta.  Here's a picture of Tripp sleeping peacefully while circling the park.

Hope all of you had a great holiday weekend!  

Meg