Little Shopper

Daddy and Linky went to Tom Thumb for a couple of necessities . . . milk and pancakes! Since it was a quick trip, Daddy didn't use the stroller or shopping cart. Lincoln definitely enjoyed the freedom and marched around the grocery store like he owned it! Maybe he'll inherit his Daddy's love of grocery shopping. I've attempted this once, and it didn't go so well. Lincoln and I had very different ideas of what "waiting in line" meant, but I'm glad the boys had a good time!

More Animal Sounds

We've got to get to the zoo soon! Here is a bit more of Lincoln's expertise in action.

Ready for the Farm

If a farm was nearby, we would definitely be ready! We practice our animal sounds a lot. Here's a quick video of horse, cow, cat, and rooster. Daddy loves when Lincoln says "Doodle-Do" for the rooster!

Fun Birthday Party

Lincoln helped celebrate Hunter Nguyen's 2nd birthday this weekend at The Little Gym. It was a blast! Linc was by far the youngest . . . Hunter is two, and all the other kids were three and up. That didn't matter a bit to Lincoln, and he just ran around with the big kids having fun! His favorite activity was the little balance beam. We spent A LOT of time on the balance beam, and he would occasionally let go of the rails to walk on his own.

He also enjoyed the bar but had to have a bit of assistance. He would hold up his arms for me to pick him up and squeal! After a few chin ups, he needed to drop onto the mat! Whew, that's hard work!

The bubbles were fun to chase, and that's something he has lots of experience with. Linc elbowed the big kids a few times to get to the bubbles!

Of course he loved the balls and gathered as many as possible. It doesn't matter what kind of ball is around, Linc yells "BALL" and has to have it! He scored a few times at the basketball goal, but mostly just ran around picking them up and throwing them.After all that hard work, we had to have cake and snacks. I erred on the side of caution and didn't let Lincoln eat the cake by himself. Sorry buddy, but it's so much cleaner for Mommy to hold the fork! He enjoyed the cake, but didn't like the icing. What??? Is he really my kid??? Don't worry . . . I ate the icing he didn't want.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Hunter! Thanks for inviting us to a great party. Lincoln loved the gym so much. We already had him set up for gymnastics starting in September, and now we know how much he'll love it.

Backwards

Lincoln has decided that it's more fun to walk backwards than forwards. Hmmm . . . this doesn't sound like a good idea!

"I can walk backwards and take a drink from my straw at the same time! Wait, I'm going down!" "Uh-oh!"

"Maybe I'll stick with forwards for now."

Happy Daddy's Day!

I'm sure most fathers deserve more than just one day to be recognized, but we'll settle with one official day. Happy Father's Day to Kevin, my Dad, and Kevin's Dad. We have such great role models for how a father should be: caring, strong, patient, and wise. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't call our dads for something! I bet they wonder if we're ever going to grow up! I'm so proud of the Dad that Kevin has become. He's really taken on so many responsibilities that help me so much, we count on him for millions of things each day, he takes care of us and provides for us, and he and Lincoln have such an amazing bond that I love to watch grow. Daddy got to sleep in a bit today (9:30!) then Lincoln helped him with his cards and gifts. We gave him a new Polo shirt, books to read to Lincoln, and 5 super sized boxes of latex gloves. (Does that last one sound weird? Seriously . . . Kevin wears gloves to change diapers, take out the litter and trash and prep dinner. Don't judge - he'll be the last to get sick from any wild germs!!!! Besides, I think this was his favorite gift of the day!) He and Linc also got matching flip flops to wear - so cute!

Because it's a kid"s job to keep their parents on their toes, Lincoln gave us one scare on Father's Day. He was running through the house helping me put away the laundry and fell on the tile. He cried a bit, got back up and walked down the hall, then fell into screams. Kevin ran to see him and saw lots of blood, so he yelled for me to come quick. I kept a washcloth in his mouth soaking up the blood and tried to look for damage for what seemed like ever. The blood slowed, and I was able to take a look in his mouth to see nothing! Here's the picture that was taken 5 minutes (seriously!) after the fall! The bleeding stopped so quickly, and he was back to playing with his books like nothing ever happened! He never complained again the rest of the day. Whew, what a scare!

Lincoln's fall today made me think about how many times I'll clean up these types of falls. Moms are often in charge of injuries, but on Father's Day I remember one incident when my Dad had to clean me up. I fell in the street in front of our house (around 7 years old), and Dad whisked me upstairs to the bathroom to clean the pebbles out of my knee. He didn't have a gentle touch like Mom, but a firm comforting hold that made it all better. The little scar on my knee reminds me that Dads are always there when you need them. I know Lincoln will have a memory of his Daddy holding him tight and fixing him too.

Happy Father's Day!

Pool Party!

We just hadn't had enough of the water after swimming lessons today, so we went to a pool party! Lincoln had fun playing with his buddy Connor . . . well, they didn't actually get along the whole time, but they made up over a bowl of goldfish crackers! Thank goodness for snacktime! Lincoln got to try out the raft, and he enjoyed it for a bit. I'm sure he also enjoyed the girls saying how cute he was looking! I'm happy to report it was another sunburn-free outing because we lathered him up early then reapplied the sunscreen and kept his hat on most of the time. It was such a fun afternoon. Thanks for inviting us Laura!

Fun and Games

I asked Lincoln to find his nose . . . I thought he would drop the block before he grabbed his nose, but I was wrong! At least he knows where it is!!!

We're playing the animal sounds game in this picture. I lay out the blocks from Ms. Kristi, and we name the animals and practice their sounds. "Mooo" for the cow is good, "Meh" is not exactly right for a dog, "Neh" is ok for the horse, and I just get a blank stare about the pig. The sound for cat is usually "Meh" like the puppy dog. He screams it like crazy when one of the cats walk by!
We went back to the old favorite . . . peek a boo!
I see you!

What a fun kiddo!

Just Looking Cute

There's no story behind this picture . . . Lincoln was just hanging out and looking cute! I'm not sure what he'd just done, but he was clapping for himself. I guess he thought it was pretty good! (I know his toe is sticking out of his shoe. That happens often, but he never complains so I guess it doesn't hurt!)

First Swim Lesson

Woo hoo! The first day of swim school is finally here, and we're all so excited. First we had to make sure Lincoln had on enough diaper protection. They require a swim diaper and two plastic swim panties, so nothing stands a chance to escape! (Mommy and Daddy really like that!) We checked it all out and waited for Miss Amber to begin our class.

"Is it my turn yet?"
Lincoln didn't seem nervous and didn't cry when we started our class. Little Joey on the other hand was losing it! (His Dad was having a hard time holding onto him in the pool - I mean he really didn't want to be there!) Lincoln was really watching him, and I got a bit apprehensive that all the kids would start crying too. (You know sometimes it's contagious!)

Luckily we started our activities right away, and all but Joey had a great time. We sang songs, splashed, kicked (sort of), floated (assisted), blew water bubbles, played with rings, and slid down the slide. Lincoln got anxious a few times when the activity didn't allow him to hold onto me, but he did great. He enjoyed sitting on the raft, climbing on the island, and playing with the rings the most. Patrick, Joey, Lincoln, Carolina, Dillon, Allie, Miss Amber, and the parents all sang the "check baby's diaper" song, and we were all clear! Now we can continue!

He did not enjoy the kicking exercise, but he did allow me to let go after a minute. There was not going under this week (whew!), but we'll work on that next time.
Swim school is definitely a winner after lesson one! We had fun and only a few tears. There's no judging around there because everyone else either has a kid that's crying too or one that was crying a minute ago. I know we'll practice our skills a few times before next weeks lesson, and Lincoln will be swimming before we know it!

More Tub Fun!

Lincoln still loves the bath and is excited to play in the tub every night. We read plastic books and play with cups and letters, all while splashing, singing and sometimes getting clean. I remembered to take a few pictures during tonight's bath.

I should also mention that Lincoln is an expert drinker and loves water. He often drinks the bathwater and giggles. Daddy doesn't like this part, but since he doesn't do the baths he doesn't get to say no!

Working Up an Appetite

You'd think I was a slave-driver around here the way Lincoln works . . . this particular night he was mowing up a storm! He mowed the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, the hall, and on and on and over and over. Sometimes he yells while he mowing. I guess he's yelling because the mower is popping and singing pretty loudly.He really gets into it and ducks his head to go so fast!
I guess he worked up an appetite after all that hard work. He got the pancakes out of the freezer and took them to his hiding spot. (He "hides" between the couch and ottoman with stolen food.) He got the pancakes out of the box and brought them to me in the kitchen. He was so insistent that he wanted pancakes, so dinner was chicken, pancakes, green beans and strawberries. Whatever . . . I love a happy kid!

Another celebration

We celebrated another graduation recently when Kevin's cousin Ryan graduated from high school. We made the drive to Aledo to hang with the Kuhlman clan and play with our cousins. Ryan gave Lincoln his first tee ball bat, and Linc was so excited! I warned everyone to stay back because it was a wood bat. I have enough trouble not getting injured when Lincoln swings the plastic one . . . I'm a little scared of the damage he can do with this one! Thanks for the cool gift, Ryan.

Lincoln and cousin Mason enjoyed each other. Linc tried to show him about trucks and how they make the motor sound.
Ava and Julie played too and watched the boys and their trucks. Ava is such a sweetie!
The cousins (minus babies) gathered for the requisite picture . . . I'm officially the party pics girl!

Ryan has decided to go to Arkansas, and we're so excited. I know he'll love being a Razorback. Go Hogs!

Lincoln had a great time at the party. He constantly wanted to go outside, but it was so hot! Seriously, should it be 100 degrees already? A new toy, snacks, and an Elmo dvd made the car ride tolerable. I think we have a few less busy weeks ahead of us . . . wait, I can already think of a playdate, swim lessons, and a birthday party in the near future. Whew!!!!

80s Roller Rink!

We celebrated Samantha's 30th birthday this weekend with an 80s skating party! It was hilarious and tacky! Lincoln did not accompany us, but I'm sure he had fun with Nana and Pops.

Here we are dressed as 80s as we dared!

Eric and Samantha really got creative!

Dan (Magnum PI) and Kevin

Jason and Shannon (obviously Madonna!)

The group at the skating rink. The whole place was filled with Junior High kids, and they thought we were crazy. They even asked us to pose for pictures with them!

A few weird notes: James got his shorts for the party at the Goodwill for 99 cents, Gina brought her own skates, Katie and I used our crimping irons from 7th grade (that still worked!), and skating rinks are EXACTLY the same as they were in the 80s.

I guess we'll have to teach Lincoln to roller skate one day . . . in case he gets invited to an 80s party!

Little Fish

Somebody around here is a little fish! I took Linc swimming for the first time on Saturday, and he loved it! We are lucky to have access to a very private park & pool, and we are going to take full advantage this summer. We got all suited up, swim diapered, and lathered in sunscreen and headed out. (Note: I just heard that you shouldn't put on the swim diaper until you get to the pool because it doesn't hold pee. I'm glad we didn't learn that the hard way! I'll remember for next time.)

At first Lincoln thought it was funny that I was splashing around in the baby pool and was content to watch. I slowly introduced him to the water, and he got used to it faster than I had expected. We splashed, played ball, chased the boat, and laughed a lot.
Of course, we had to take a snack break under the canopy after a while. This new Honey Graham cereal I got is a sure winner! I can't get him to stop eating it!

Back to swimming . . .

It was funny to watch Lincoln walk in the water. He took REALLY big steps! There were a few falls which meant a few face-first dives into the water. Linc kept trying to wipe the water off his face with his wet hands, but it didn't work so well! I'm so glad he enjoyed the pool, that we got to try it out without a crowd, and that the pool is only one mile away! I did learn a very important lesson during our first swim - a full coverage swim top for Mommy is a must. I'm pretty modest and don't have a skimpy top, but I immediately went to purchase a tankini. A few times Lincoln felt apprehensive and grabbed my suit, and I'm definitely sure more is better where that's concerned!

Next weekend we start Waterbabies swim class at the Swim School. (It's indoors, so I won't have to worry about sunscreen and the heat! It was 100 degrees on Saturday!) One year ago I couldn't have imagined that I would have a toddler taking swimming lessons. I'm so proud that he's being open to this new experience, and I can't wait to watch him learn to swim. I know, I know, the only goal of our summer session is for him to hold his breath under water, but it's a huge step! Kevin thinks we may have the next Michael Phelps! Watch out, Olympics 2026!

Bye-Bye Bottles!

I forgot to mention a BIG transition for Lincoln . . . no more bottles!!! We went to the cup around 10 months (why didn't I blog about that?????) but kept the bottle for bedtime. At Lincoln's 12 month appointment, Dr K suggested we stop the bedtime bottle ASAP. Well, he doesn't live here so he doesn't get to make all the rules! I put it off as long as I could, but this is the second week of the bedtime cup. It's gone remarkable well, especially considering my anxiety. On the first night, Daddy continued his routine of two stories and gave Linc the cup. I stood by the monitor with a bottle waiting for the inevitable meltdown. No meltdown!!! He seemed to burp quite a bit, which was out of the norm. We took the suction thing out of the cup, so he's really a big boy now! He doesn't drink as much, but he's still sleeping about 11 hours. Sigh - just another reminder that he's not a baby anymore.

14 Months

Apparently I've forgotten to make the "monthly update" post a couple of times, so I'll try to catch up. At 14 months, Lincoln is one wild little man! He's such a sponge and picks up everything . . . the good and the bad. He is still very sweet and loves to cuddle, hug and kiss with Mommy. He also can throw a fit like I've never seen and can be extremely bossy! Is there a stage called "Almost Terrible Ones"???? Here are his stats:

Weight

22 pounds - He's definitely not fat! He goes through phases of eating a ton and not eating much. Our consistent favorites are sweet potato fries, carrots, green beans, roasted chicken, crescent rolls, and ice cream. New this month: black beans and brownies!

Height

No clue - Seriously, I can't get him to stand in one place long enough to measure him. The growth chart on the wall is looking sad because we can't put a new marker on it. Maybe he'll cooperate one day soon! He seems to be about the same height as the other kids at school, so I'll assume he's normal.

Words

Dada - ALL the time! Whenever Kevin enters the room or walks by, Lincoln shouts Dada at least 10 times . . . as if I didn't know who it was!

Ball - Since he loves tee ball, golf, basketball and all other types of balls, we hear this word very often.

Mama - He rarely says this anymore, which breaks my heart. I'm trying to reintroduce it, but he's only interested sometimes. While he won't say Mama, he won't let me be one inch away from him. Seriously, when will this phase end????

Mah - This one means milk, and he says it often. If he spies his cup, he yells "Mah" until he's got it in his hands.

Uh-uh - Actually Uh-oh, but it's close enough. We're still in the stage of purposely dropping things just so we can say Uh-oh. My back is still holding up despite countless retrievals of whatever object he's thrown from the changing table!

Moooo - The cow sound still applies to all animals. Whatever!

Dock-ah - Socks and shoes still get this word. I'm counting it as a word because he only says it when I ask him to get his shoes or when I put on his shoes. It is very consistent, though not exactly correct.

Up - He's very clear with this word when he wants up in a chair.

Na na na na - Lincoln asks this in the question form when he knows he not supposed to do something (unplug the lamp, dig in the trash, etc). He then repeats this as a statement when I confirm that in fact it is a no no no no.

Fun Party Tricks

Lincoln makes a motor sound when pushing his cars around.

If I tell him to go to his room and get a diaper, he pulls one out of the diaper stacker and waits on me to come change him.

He can find you anywhere in the house if you yell "Do you want some ice cream?"

He uses the bat to rake the ball out from under the changing table.

Lincoln can point to his toes, his nose, your nose, and his ears when asked.

What an amazing kid! I swear he learns so many new things everyday, and I can't even remember all of them to record. I'm sure I'm missing a few "skills" . . . oh, well! We're just enjoying each moment with this little sponge!