TWO

Dear Conor,

Tonight I snuck into your room (as quiet as a mouse for fear of waking you) before I sat down to write this because I wanted to be near you, to freeze you in time.  Today was your second birthday and time is slipping by like sand through the hour glass.  This year has been a year of discovery, growth, frustration, sadness, and challenge but nothing can change that all in all the year has been a blessing.  You continue to amaze me each day with all that you learn, do, say, and feel.  Your independence makes me proud (though it might frustrate me at times) and your stubbornness reminds me of my own.  Your shyness is endearing and your comedic timing is awesome!

This year you have moved mountains.  You no longer stumble but run, you speak in sentences (fragmented as they are) instead of barely understood words.  You recognize your friends and ask for them by name when you miss them or are thinking of them.  You do the same with family (you call all your grandmas "mummum" and your grandpas "papa"  Danielle is "dani" Sarah is "yaya" Nolan is "yoyin") and you are very clear as to whom you are speaking about if we don't get it right the first time.  You have favorite things and preferences.  While you still have chubby hands, wrists, and ankles you have thinned out and no longer have the body of a rolly polly baby but that of a fast paced moving toddler but you are still beautiful.

You are a loving son.  You have started giving great big bear hugs and sweet little kisses.  You ask for "ups" when you are feeling sad, tired, or disconnected.  You amaze us everyday with your knowledge of the world around you.

This year, on your own, you mastered the letters of the alphabet.  You know what each one looks like and you can say them no matter how they are presented to you.  You also know your numbers though not as well.  You are learning to sing the alphabet by looking at the cards hanging on your playroom wall.  You also know your colors and have taken a strong preference to orange ("me wike arrange" you tell us).  You have taken swim classes and music classes and you have regular play dates with your friends.  You see your Jakan grandparents just about every week, your Papa Tom almost every month and you talk to your Trayner grandparents weekly via FaceTime.  Your aunts adore you and call you often and visit when they can.  Your godfather cherishes you and showers you with love and, even now, encourages you to be all you can.

Here is a list of your favorites as we perceive them:

Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Song: Wheels on the Bus
Favorite Book: Little Blue Truck
Favorite Character: Mickey Mouse & Thomas the Train
Favorite Activity: playing trains
Favorite Person: Baby Colin
Favorite Food: French Toast & Sausage
Favorite Comfort Item: "Ella" your blanket & Mommy

We no longer nurse and it has been wonderful to snuggle with you hold you close without needing to worry about you wanting milk.  In fact, you rarely ask anymore at all.  You are able to talk about Colin's milk and while I wouldn't say you are jealous you sometimes tell him he's had enough and you try to push him off the breast a little bit.  But you are easily reminded that he needs to drink milk and we often go and get you something to do, eat, or drink.

Speaking of Colin, a wrap up of your second year of life wouldn't be complete without talking about the amazing brother you have become.  Some thought you were too little to understand what was going on inside Mommy's tummy but I just knew they were wrong.  You had a strong connection to my pregnant stomach the entire time I was pregnant.  You kissed it, hugged it, talked to it, read it stories, and were always careful around the big belly.  You never exhibited any signs of jealousy and that did not change when Colin was born.  You were the first to see him and it was love at first sight.  You love him so dearly and while we struggle sometimes with how to safely love Colin I'm amazed at how tender you can be and how protective and proud of him you are.  You have loved introducing him to your friends and you never let your friends hold him without you right there.  His love for you is also very evident.  He smiles for you and tracks your every move with his eyes.  He stops crying when you laugh or bring him toys.  I pray that the two of you continue to be as close as you are now as you grow.

Conor, Mommy and Daddy both are so thankful to have you in our lives and we are so proud of the little man you have become over the last year.  But, no matter how much you grow you will always be our Baby!

Happy Second Birthday Conor Thomas.

xoxo
Mommy

First Birthday

Second Birthday

Birthday - Part 3 : the Grandparents!

Dear Conor,

You were so lucky that all your grandparents were able to make your first birthday party.  Grandpa Tom flew up and Grandma and Grandpa Trayner drove up (separately because Grandma came up early to help decorate and to help with the details and Grandpa had to work Friday night).  And of course - they all spoiled you rotten!

Grandma Janet and Grandpa Dennis got you a LL Bean Sled, pajamas, an Ernie doll, and a Christmas book.  The sled was a HUGE hit at the party!

Grandma Mary and Grandpa Adam bought you a cozy coupe - but it wasn't just any old coupe - it was a POLICE CAR!!!  You were so excited when you saw the picture on the box and your friend Braden kept saying "car car car".

Grandpa Tom put money towards your college fund and also got you a funny gift - a jar of pickles!

You are so very lucky to have so many grandparents who love you and enjoy spoiling you rotten!!!

xoxo
Mommy

Birthday - Part 2

Dear Conor,

We made it!!  It's party time!!  The date of your birthday party officially arrived!!  I was so excited - your Daddy was so excited - your grandparents were so excited.....everyone couldn't wait to celebrate the last amazing year we have all had with you!

Your party was Whale Themed (It's been a Whaley Great Year) and so I bought some basic blue hats and with my cricut I cut out whales and some number "1s" and added them to the hats.  They didn't look quite finished so I added little white pom-poms to the top.  Your hat also got a ring of pom-poms at the bottom!

Hats and Noise makers!

Entry Table - signing mat, hats, noise makers

 To the side of the entry table was the food table.  It had so many yummy things on it.  Amanda and Goddad Chris brought a lasagna, tuna fish sandwiches, there were cookies from Sue, a fresh fruit salad, chips from the Smith Family, salsa, goldfish, and cupcakes.  The food was a huge hit and there was barely anything left over!

On the opposite side of the room was the "Guess how Old I am Game"  It took up both bulletin boards and Grandma Mary decorated them so nicely! 

On the shelf above the food table was your cake.  I worked really hard to make it just right for you.  I made several whales and this was the best one.  It was very very very hard to make a whale from fondant and while it wasn't perfect it was the best Mommy could do!

We also set up a gift table and put one of the whale pinatas on the table to decorate it.  This one was full of tasty treats for you and your friends to open later during your party.  We also put your little favors for your friends on this table so they were part decoration that were actually your "take-aways"

Gift Table

 Between the two bulletin boards was your high chair which was set up for taking your smash pictures.  I couldn't believe how nicely the paper matched your chair - that was not planed!.

There were tables set up for people to sit at and tissue paper pom-poms hanging from the ceiling lights to decorate the room and make it feel a bit like you were "under the water".  I also brought some of your toys down for everyone to play with.  I brought your ball pit, your bead maze, walking toys, and some other small things.  You did a great job sharing your toys with your friends and your ball pit was a huge source of fun for everyone!

The first guests to arrive were your BFF Gordon and your cousin Nolan.  Gordon and you enjoyed spending time alone in your pit and you were having so much fun that cousin Nolan just had to join in on the fun!

Because he is still little his Mom and Daddy helped him stick his little feet in it.  Nolan wasn't too sure about being 100% in the ball pit but he did like holding them so we gave him on to play with outside of the pit!

Slowly your friends all started arriving and you were so happy to see them all!

Playing with Auntie Cathline

Carter, Neve, Sophie & Ryan

Neve

Charlie

Sophie

Sharing whales with Neve

Lots of Friends!

 After everyone played and had a chance to eat it was time to smash the cake!  Oh Conor - you were so funny!  Your fingers touched the frosting and you immediately started crying.  You did not like how sticky it was and you did NOT like it on your hands!  You kept trying to push the cake off your high chair tray.

Waiting for your cake

Happy Birthday Conor

Taking off the whale.

After the whale came off the cake and some of the frosting got on your hands and arms you started melting down, begging to be removed from the chair.  Miss Sharon was taking pictures for Mommy and she (thankfully) didn't take those pictures - it certainly isn't how we want everyone to remember your day.

After everyone left your party we tried to offer you the cake again to see if there was just too much going on for you the first time.  This time it was just Mommy and Daddy (with Auntie taking pictures).  Here's how that attempt turned out:

Still not sure about this cake thing!

Nope - not in love with it

Get me outta here!

Priceless.....

It's okay that you didn't like your cake Conor (even though Mommy worked really hard on it) because it isn't about the cake but about the special day that we got to spend with you.  Maybe next year you will want to try a bit of cake:)

We also opened your gifts at your party.  Mommy had a great idea to take pictures of the gift giver, you and the gift so that it would be easy to remember for thank-you cards.  You are very fortunate to have so many generous friends and family who not only came out to your party a week before Christmas but also brought you a gift to commemorate your first year.  Here are a few of Mommy's favorite photos:

Auntie Cathlin got you Instruments!

Loving the Tissue Paper from Neve's present

Braden got you fun books!

GodDad Chris wants you to love the Bruins like he does!

It was an amazing party little man but there was still one more activity to do before all your friends left - break the pinata open!  Since you guys are little we got a pinata that you pull ribbons to open it up rather than hit it with a stick.  It was very hard because the ribbons didn't open it up very easily but with a little help from Mommy and Daddy it opened and all the yummy treats came out (Annie's goldfish in green bags).

That's it Conor - that's your birthday in a nutshell!  Of course there were many pictures taken that didn't so stay tuned for a Grandparent's post!

xoxo
Mommy



Happy First Birthday - Part 1

Dear Conor,

Your first birthday was a busy day as we had so much to do to get ready for your big party the very next day!  We started the morning by taking some fun pictures to post on FB for Great Grandma in Florida to see.

While I packed the car with everything we would need and checked my list twice (I was feeling a lot like Santa Claus!) you kept bringing me your shoes reminding me that we needed to get going!

As soon as we were in the car you fell asleep which was the plan and you slept all the way through our first few stops which involved a hot chocolate for me, deposits at the bank, and a quick trip through the car wash!

Then it was onto Wal-mart to get some photos printed and picked up some last minute decorations.  While we were driving my phone buzzed and it was a text message for you!

It was cousin Nolan texting in with a special Happy Birthday message!  All your family members had been calling or texting but leave it up to cousin Nolan to have the best one!

Once we got to Wal-mart we had to wait for all your pictures to be developed.  I was printing them off to hang up at your party for people to guess how old you were in each photo. Here are a few:

Birth

3 months

7 months

12 months

While we were at the store we took a quick trip through the toy section and I let you buy a birthday gift with the money Great Nannie and Dar sent you.  You picked out a Giggle Friend (you had been loving on them at every store we went to for the past few weeks and you love playing their app on my phone).  I let you pick which one you wanted.

looking at all the Giggle Friends

Conor spies "Curly" still on the shelf.

You had all the gang in the cart with you but then you saw "Curly" on the shelf and you kept pointing at him (there was one in your cart but he was buried) so I took him down and you started laughing and shaking him.  I assumed that meant you wanted him and as I put the others away you didn't make a peep but when I tried to take Curly you held on tight so that's the one you picked!

Playing with Curly in the car.

After Wal-mart we had to go to Grandpa's house to drop your playset off for storage as we didn't want it to get ruined in the snow.  We played there for a little bit to make sure the heat went up as Grandpa was coming in that night for your party (we also cleaned the toilets!).  You love playing at Grandpa Tom's house......you especially love the big slider that you get to look out of.

After Grandpa Tom's we went home where we played until it was time for you to go to sleep so that Mom and Grandma Mary and Sue could go decorate the clubhouse for your party the next day!

My mom always calls me at 11:57am on my birthday because that's when I was born.  You were born late at night and since you had a busy day I didn't want to go into your room and wake you up so I just peeked in on your via the monitor and snapped this photo.....you were officially ONE!!!

 Happy Birthday Conor!

xoxo
Mom