Happy 1st Birthday Garrett!

October 24, 2009

Garrett turned 1 YEAR OLD! He has been the absolute happiest and cheeriest baby that I have ever met. He is completely FULL of snuggles and hugs and kisses. He will stop playing just to come over and put his head down on Mommy or Daddy's lap. 100% Snuggle Bug! Brad was out of town on his actual birthday so we celebrated a few days after with few of our friends and their kids. I totally copied this cake idea from my friend Cari Jessup from Utah and she won't even know it until she looks at the blog. Her "banana" cake turned out much better than this.

Here are all the kids at the party. From left to right, Parker and Garrett, Dallin Stewart, Henry Tingey, Kate Meulleck, Sam Tingey and Ashley Stewart.

Garrett wasn't too sure of the cake but he WAS NOT afraid to get down and dirty.

Pretty intense present opening. This isn't scared, this is determined.


Here are the words he can say at 12 months. Some words happen everyday but a few are just here and there.

Ma ma
Da da

Parker = DA-kur

no

night night = nana

yeah

all done= a-DUN

cracker = Kakur
thank you = tay too

hi = ha

At his one year check up he weighed 21 pounds 2 ounces(25%) and 30 inches tall (55%)

He loves to wrestle with his brother, eat as much food as possible, smile whenever he gets the chance, drool, sleep through the night, drink any liquid I can give him all day long, point at things, climb up and down the stairs, his binky, his monkey (hence the monkey party-inspired by his favorite stuffed animal from mommy's friend Jerilyn)and most of all he loves his mommy and daddy!

Food, Glorious Food

Name that food... Peanut Butter, yes that's the EASY ONE. The other food on his face is yogurt. Lately he has been getting really messy at lunch time. Parker has also been way into taking pictures so I take them whenever he lets me. Even with that messy face he is still the cutest! And then there is Garrett who is always messy. Here is the classic spaghetti mess picture.

CLEAN OR DIRTY, I LOVE THESE BOYS!!!

It's cuter up close

Click on this storyboard to make it a bit bigger so you can see the lizard better.
So Brad caught this and brought it into Parker and he was in HEAVEN! He was so gentle with it and let it run all over his arms and back and even on his head. He is definately his father's son... really good with little crawly things.

He was devasted when we told him he had to put it back in the "wild." So to comfort him we told him this was just a baby and it's mommy lizard was probably worried about him and we needed to put him back. Like most of our plans, it backfired. Parker came up with an even better plan. "why don't we just go get the mommy lizard so they can be together and we can have both of them."

One of those days

Today was one of those days as a mother where you can not help bursting with pride while tearing up from both joy and sadness. Parker had his very first day of preschool today. He simply could not wait for this day to come. At his school they have all the kids bring buckets instead of backpacks. So cute.

I could not handle the excitment in Parker's face in first picture. So cute. Just ignore that he looks like he is doing the potty dance, just a coincidence.

On the drive to preschool I was prepping him on minding his manners and all those things mothers say. Plus I explained to him that I was going to drop him off and leave. Here is how the conversation sounded....

Me: "When we get to preschool I am going to come in with you but when you are comfortable I will leave."

Parker: "But then you'll come back?"

Me: "yes"

Parker: "NO! don't come back"

Me: " Parker, I have to come back and get you...You can't stay at preschool forever."

Parker: "But why?"

Needless to say, he was little excited for this day to finally come. When we got there he jumped right in and gave his teacher, Mrs. Kircher, a really big hug. (He knew her already because she came to visit him at home a couple weeks ago) Next, he was off to playing with toys. I stood by him and watched him play a bit like all the other mothers until Parker stopped playing, stood up and said in a very loud whispery voice...

"Mommy (pause) you're supposed to leave."

I asked him for a kiss and hug and I was off. He didn't even watch me leave. Heartbreaking and reassuring all at once.

Two and half hours later I patiently awaited with all the other parents for the gate to open. I will always remember looking through the window and seeing my little baby sitting on his square on the floor with his classmates. He looked up and saw me in the window and his face lit up and waved. So well behaved and so innocent. I love him more and more with every milestone in his life.

Just Hangin' Out

Updates:
Garrett will be 11 months on the 24th and eating as much big people food and as we can shovel in. He loves to laugh and literally wrestle with his big bro. He is our little dare devil and my guess is he will be walking before we even know it.
Parker starts preschool tomorrow and can not wait. He has been asking to go to school since we enrolled him back in April. He is becoming such a little man and an AMAZING and patient big brother.

I took these pictures on sunday afternoon while they were playing outside to get all their wiggles out from church.

Garrett loves the camera and could not stop smiling,
Parker on the other hand.....

They love each other so much already. I always hoped my two boys would be like this together.

Orange County Zoo

Cute little zoo for a cute little family. This zoo was just the right size for us. It only took 1-2 hours and we were done. But there were plenty of fun things for Parker to do.
Garrett even loved it.

They had a little area where the kids could not just pet the goats, but brush them with cute little brushes. Parker dove right in and loved it.

Outside the zoo they had some pony rides. They had "walking" ponies and "troting" ponies. First Parker went on the walking one and enjoyed it so much we thought we might give it a try with the trotting ones. I wish, oh I wish I had a video camera for the troting one. His whole body bouncing up and down with a permanent grin on his face. No, my hair did not grow in seconds, this is a girl that worked at the place. She was tied to Parker's pony so she could control the speed.

Garrett with Daddy on the sidelines waiting to get big enough for his turn. So proud of his big bro.

the walking pony.

Some of the animals we were able to see. Not pictured was a couple of bears labled as black bears, but they looked pretty brown to me.

Parker and Garrett

Yesterday we had the pleasure of driving to Mission Viejo to spend the afternoon with Sara Lehman and her family. Sara was one of my great friends from High School and college. Parker had such a great time with her boys. Their youngest (wes) and Parker are only a couple months apart. Their personalities are very well matched. We can't wait to hang out with them again.
Behind their house they have a 54 acre park with all kinds of paths, a playground, rec center and kiddie size hedge maze. Such a blast.

THis is going to be one of those SUPER embarrassing pictures for his future girlfriends to see, but as a mother I feel it is my duty to not only take a photo like this, but to post it. Reading the Kohls ad with his bathing suit tan lined legs waiting for that perfect moment on the potty to complete his "mission."

Garrett peeking through the stairs sporting his fashionable two bottom teeth.