Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's day is always fun when you have a little boy around because mommy will always be his Valentine (at least for now ;))!!!!

Gotta love the shirt!!!

Jonah is 18 months!

My Handsome Little Man....

Yes, you read it, Jonah is 18 months old! And what a toddler he is....Weighing in at 25 lbs and 32 1/4 inches tall with 16 teeth that have been in for 2 months now! Even Dr. Meyer says that he can't believe how many teeth Jonah has and how big and straight they are.

Jonah is really starting to communicate with some words and lots of gestures and sounds. He understands what we tell him and usually listens ;). His favorite word is still "hot", but he also says ah oh (a lot), car, go, cracker, out, toes, uggles for bubbles and of course hi and hello. Jonah even says "cheese" to the camera! Everyday is something new still; just this past weekend Jonah started doing a bunch of hand gestures for "The Wheels On The Bus"....like the babies go "wa, wa, wa"... and the driver goes "move on back" and the wheels go "round and round". It's absolutely adorable!!! When we are in the car, Jonah knows to say "go, go, go" when the light turns green too! We are also working on sign language to help with frustrating times when words are not coming out yet. They do it at his school and Grandma takes him on Tuesdays to a toddler signing class sometimes. Jonah has gotten really good at signing, more, thank you, please, and gentle. Though there are still times of frustration when he wants to do something himself without help, or when he wants something he can't have where Jonah has definitely shown his stubbornness with screaming and even flopping to the ground in frustration, but so far it is short lived and he is easily distracted most of the time. Having a toddler is very busy, but so much fun and amazing to watch all the new things he does! :)

Helping Mommy change the sheets ;)
No wonder, I'm already 25 pounds...look at what a good eater I am!

Siesta Key Beach...

There is nothing like a day at the beach especially when you can go in the middle of January and still enjoy it. In fact, you enjoy it more because you are not dripping in sweat the minute you step onto the sand or burnt from the sun by the end of the day. In Sarasota, we are so lucky to be able to talk walks and play in the sand even January when the weather is cooler.

Jonah is quite an adventurer; picking up shells and sticks to make marks in the sand, chasing after the seagulls to see what their reaction would be, and pointing at everything around him from the ocean waves meeting the shoreline to the tourist sightseeing helicopter flying overhead. It's wonderful watching him discover the world :)

It's so much fun playing in the sand, picking up shells, and watching the birds!
....And watching the gorgeous sunset.

Visiting With Great Friends

After ringing in the new year, we were fortunate enough to spend a couple of evenings with a great friend of mine and her beautiful family. Mellissia and I have been close friends since college we swam together, played together, cried together and watched each other grow up with careers and kids. She has three beautiful children and a wonderful husband. They all came down from MA to get out of the snow and have some fun in Florida. Though it was not beach weather, we managed to get some time at the park together and out to dinner...once with the kids and once without.....I miss having "old" friends nearby and it's always so nice when they come for a visit!

Jonah, joining in the tennis match with the big boys....Tyler and Andrew.
The Walles Family!
Some fun pictures at the park....
Abby and Andrew getting lots of lovin' from Jonah :)

Winter Break 2010 & Happy New Year 2010!

Being a teacher definitely has it's benefits! Besides of course, teaching and nurturing young minds, I get great vacation time! Since I am working...it's definitely a pro to my profession! So, Jonah and I got to spend a wonderful two weeks together with no work! We played and colored and ran around at the park and went to read aloud at Barnes and Noble and sign language classes at the library and had playdates with "the girls"...and dealt with a cold and a reoccurring ear infection only to find out that Jonah is allergic to penicillin...But we are great and had a wonderful time just being together!

Playing with Scout....our favorite!
And the vroom, vroom cars....
Getting out to the park in the cool weather. Jonah loves going down the big slide on his belly and exploring! Something about that mulch....

Wordless Wednesday...The Jonah Walk

With not a worry in the world....:)

Happy Chanukah 2010

Chanukah is always a fun, festive time of year for us and now that Jonah is here it's even more fun! With presents and new toys, we all had a great time opening new boxes and watching his reaction filled with excitement as everything was unwrapped. It's amazing how Jonah already understands the concept of opening new toys. He makes the most hysterical face, wide eyes with an open mouth! It's too funny! ....and since Grandma and Grandpa got him a 4-wheeler that actually moves 1mph and a bunch of new cars and a Little People car track, he was amazed! Jonah also loved lighting the candles every night and danced as we sang the prayers. Every time he walked by the menorahs Jonah would stare at the lights and try to blow on them like they were birthday candles...too cute. Of course teaching him that they are hot and not to touch was key. Needless to say we had a wonderful time eating, celebrating, and laughing with our little man....what a difference it makes to have a little one around during the holidays....it's just that much (so much) more special!

The excitement was building....
Wow!!!

And there's more!!!....
So much fun, playing with cars...
Happy Chanukah!!!
Yes, it looks like Jonah was trying to touch the candles...but really he was just pointing and trying to blow them out :)
Family Opp.