Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We were anxious to celebrate the holiday season with our little boy! What better way than to start with Christmas tree shopping. I have to admit, holidays are so much better when kids are involved! Mommy likes to go all out--Daddy is adjusting to that and the pictures at every event. Thanks, Daddy, for bearing with us! :)

Although it would have been fun to go to a Christmas tree farm, we felt the easiest thing to do this year was to stay nearby because of our busy schedules. We took a family trip to Pike Nursery to get our Christmas tree. Trenton put on his special holiday shirt our friend Mrs. Katie made and his Santa hat a teacher at Mommy's school had knitted. He looked precious and everyone was oohing and awwing at his festive attire. He was all decked out and ready to find the perfect tree!

Everything at Pike caught Trenton's eye. From the evergreens surrounding the store, which he would reach out to touch, to the fountains flowing with water, Trenton liked looking around from one spot to the next. He helped his Daddy pick out the best tree for our corner in the living room. Daddy even allowed him to help drive the car around to get the tree tied to the top. Trenton watched closely as the men worked to secure the tree on the car but seemed to lose his interest back at the house when Daddy unloaded it. The fence and a leaf seemed to capture his attention. Can we say easily distracted?

Our Little Helper

Our boy is so sweet! He watches us so closely and you can tell he wants to do whatever we are doing. He is our little helper!

Daddy worked in the yard this weekend cutting the crape mertle, trimming the bushes, raking leaves, laying mulch--you name it, he had our yard looking spiffy! Mommy and Trenton didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so even though a cold front had moved in, we went out there with Daddy. Trenton fit into the "manly" mode perfectly with his baby Carhartt overalls on. He just adores his Daddy and loved watching him work. Before long, he was all about playing with the rake. We'll have to get him his own little rake next year.

When Mommy unloaded the dishwasher Trenton was so curious about what was going on in the kitchen. He had never seemed interested in this before, but instantly he crawled right up to the dishwasher. After all knives, forks, or other dangerous things were out of the way, he helped unload all the spoons. Delicately, he gripped each spoon before placing it onto the dishwasher door. Then, he'd put them back and do it all again. It entertained him for so long!

It is so fascinating to see our little boy's mind churning. You wonder what he is thinking all the time! He is so smart!










Cleaning up the yard.



















Trenton wants to rake like Daddy.

















Trenton helps Mommy unload the dishwasher.

Thanksgiving

Gobble, gobble, gobble....Thanksgiving is here already! We stayed in town for Thanksgiving this year and went over to Granna and Opa's house to join Uncle Brad, Aunt Jacquelyn, and Ms. Sandi from across the street. Although he napped through the main course, Trenton was able to eat his plate of turkey, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls, and green beans while we had pecan pie. He loved his little place at the dining room table!

Traditionally, we play a game over holidays. This year we took out Apples to Apples. Trenton woke up for the tail end of the game, but had fun helping Uncle Brad chose his cards and then "shuffling" the deck.

We don't know how we got so lucky to have the most gorgeous fall! We were able to take full advantage of the beautiful weather again today by playing on the porch, swinging out back, driving Trenton's car down the driveway and walking the neighborhood. Trenton could even go barefoot which he loves. Aunt Jacquelyn played "Indian" with Trenton's mouth, which is a game she created where Trenton's noises sound just like Indians. He gets a kick out of it!

Christmas in November

Mommy, Daddy and Trenton went to Franklin, TN this weekend to see GiGi and PaPaw. We had perfect weather and were able to enjoy the outdoors the entire weekend. We went for walks through their neighborhood, played in the leaves, swung, and even tested out Trenton's new Christmas present from them, a slide. He babbled his newest words, Dadada and Mamama all weekend long, and talked up a storm in his own language of sounds when not saying those two words. He is definitely the most vocal of their grandchildren.

Although it was only November, we went ahead and exchanged Christmas presents with them. We will see them for a week around the holidays. However, it will be out in Colorado and too difficult to bring presents with all the baby necessities and ski equipment. Trenton loved his new slide, musical table, refrigerator magnets, and baby nativity scene that GiGi and PaPaw gave him. They are perfect additions to the new stage of his life--the slide for activity, the table for pulling up, the magnets to keep him occupied in the kitchen, a the nativity figurines for chewing!

It was a great visit and we look forward to seeing them (and Uncle Ryan, Aunt Suzy, Riley and Chase) in a few weeks out in Colorado!

First Words

Trenton said his first words this week--and three different ones! Although it may have taken place previously, it became apparent to us on Sunday (11/14/10) that Trenton's bababa was definitely a dadadada. Who knows how long he'd been saying it. Then, Thursday morning, when Granna picked Trenton up at our house for the day, Trenton said one clear bye-bye (more like baa-baa) but it was as we were hustling to leave. All three of us were real amazed by this one because it came out of no where, but yet he used it in perfect context. To top it off, Friday Trenton discovered he could say Mamama. All weekend long, Trenton was Dadada-ing and Mamama-ing.....we are still working on more bye-byes, though.

Bye-Bye Mullet!

Trenton's mullet had gotten out of control. Yes, it all practically fell out months ago, but that hair seems to grow fast and never get rubbed off, like other places on his head. In actuality, it was just a "trim." With Trenton sitting on the kitchen table at Opa and Granna's house, Mommy tried to hold him still, Granna did the cutting, and Opa attempted to distract him. Although it wasn't a perfect trim, it looked much better.

Biking the Silver Comet

For our birthdays, Granna and Opa gave Mommy and Daddy a child's seat for their bikes and Trenton as helmet. Since it was gorgeous outside, we decided to take Trenton on his first bike ride. We went to the Silver Comet Trail, a paved path that had formerly been a railroad connecting Atlanta and Birmingham. Half the leaves were gone, but it was really pleasant biking through the canopy of orange, yellow and red that remained on the trees. Although Trenton seems to get a little frustrated with the helmet, we think he enjoyed his first ride. He soon fell asleep for a quick nap but was awake by the time we returned from our ten mile excursion.


Daddy and Trenton as the Copilot


Little Lance in training!


Here we go!


Riding down the Silver Comet


There was a little bike shop along the path.


The fall leaves were beautiful!


Trenton is fast asleep on the bike ride.


That was tough work! Trenton needs some water!

Happy 10 Month Birthday, Trenton!

Trenton has grown up so much this past month! Not only does he look more mature, he acts more mature. It became very obvious this month that he was all boy, and that he was going to give us a run for our money to keep him out of trouble! Anything and everything interests him, and we constantly have to stay on our toes.

Although he has always been well under weight, his chubby baby appearance has disappeared. He really has the lean, yet muscular, toddler look now, and as Opa says, "This boy is solid!" According to the last time they weighed him, he weighs a little over 19 lbs. It feels like we've been in size 3 diapers for eternity now but I'm sure he is working his way out of them soon.

Trenton still has only seven teeth this month, but is eating a whole lot more. He has started to enjoy more "human" foods now which haven't been completely pureed so a baby can eat them. As long as we tear his food into small pieces, he can eat pretty much anything. Mommy and Daddy like to take Trenton to breakfast because there are several foods easy for him to pick up and eat like biscuits and scrambled eggs. Also, Chick-fil-a has been a popular lunch spot because Trenton likes to eat the inside of a chicken strip. Plus, there is tons of activity at restaurants so Trenton is entertained the entire time! Just watch out for this social squealer. He may try to talk to you from across the room.

Trenton was lucky to have his Opa off each Thursday with Granna this past month. That is Trenton's favorite day because he gets to spend it with the grandparents. They enjoy morning "play" at McDonald's, walking the neighborhood, grocery shopping, and much more!

We have a crawling machine on our hands! Trenton absolutely loves maneuvering his way around the house on his little hands and knees and exploring everything. Our mornings are eventful. The funniest is when he traps you in the shower because he now pulls up on everything. He stands and bangs on the shower glass door. Of course, he just smiles and laughs at you as you attempt to persuade him to back up so you can get out. That little stinker! Then there is the toilet. Trenton now attempts to climb the toilet in curiosity of this odd shaped thing, and you definitely have to keep the toilet lid closed because he's been known to splash around with the water. As if the bathroom isn't enough, when you are in the last few moments of dressing and head into the closet, you think you would be in the clear. Before you know it, Trenton has followed you into the closet. Watch where you step--a munchkin is near!

Now that you know how much he moves, imagine trying to change his diaper. It's like changing a diaper on a moving target. Most of the time we think we have it on there good enough.

Our little guy has also acquired the nickname Trenton "Beaver" Wagers. He is all about gnawing on things (or people unfortunately!) We had to put a gummy cover on his crib rail to prevent any further damage from those little teeth. Things you just don't think are possible to chew on....cabinets, chair legs, door stoppers....whatever is in his crawling eye-sight, Trenton approaches mouth first ready for a good gnaw.

Lastly, Trenton is a splashing fool! Baths completely drench us these days, but he enjoys them so much that we don't mind. We just have to be really careful and are adamant about not letting him stand or crawl in the tub.
















Look at my trick!
















Oh, what is this I see?

It's another sign for me to play with!

D & D's Wedding Weekend

We joined Daddy's friend Damian in St. Petersburg, Florida for his wedding this past weekend. It certainly was a packed weekend with the Daddy's birthday on Friday, the rehearsal on dinner that same evening, the wedding on Saturday, and a baptism on Sunday. Nevertheless, it was nice to see everyone. We especially enjoyed seeing GiGi, PaPaw, Aunt Suzy and Uncle Ryan. We sure missed Cousins Riley and Chase, though, and look forward to the next time we see them.

The plane ride to Tampa was perfect. Trenton was his normal self sleeping through the flight. Daddy's family had decorated the hotel room for Daddy's birthday. Like usual, Trenton liked the balloon best. All weekend long, he was a trooper, staying up past his bedtime to join in the festivities and smiling at everyone he saw. He is such a happy baby, and we feel very blessed for his loving personality. When possible, he did get in a brief nap in someone's arms and this helped him catch up on his zzz's. Poor guy--we really messed up his nap schedule that weekend but I guess that happens. Plus, it didn't help that the time changed this weekend!

The wedding was ideal for a baby, starting at 2:30 in the afternoon. That allowed Trenton to have a good morning nap. Then, he fell asleep on the way to the church. We thought that was perfect because he might sleep through the entire thing, but just as the ceremony started, guess who woke up? He lasted for the first fifteen minutes before making noises in excitement. He sounds like an animal these days when he "talks." Mommy and Trenton spent the rest of the ceremony in the soothing room with the other young babies/children. Mommy's favorite part of the reception was when she and Trenton had their first dance together--I think it was the Cha Cha Slide--haha!


Daddy, Mommy and Trenton at the reception

PaPaw, GiGi and Trenton overlooking the bay.

Trenton fast asleep on PaPaw during part of the reception.

Trenton and Audrey at the brunch after her baptism.

Trenton with Aunt Suzy

He had fun sitting at the table with the adults.