Quick Hello

I don't have a lot of time but my grandma keeps saying that I need to get some more recent pictures on here, so I thought I would say hello and post a few pictures. I survived Thanksgiving and ate very little. I am not quite sure why nobody serves hot dogs at their Thanksgiving feast, but if I have it my way, we will get some traditions changed around these parts. I got to spend an entire week with my Uncle Chris and that was very, very fun. I even spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house 2 nights in a row. I have been a much, much better sleeper lately. Mommy is so excited she does not even know how to handle it. It is taking her some time to adjust to actually getting to sleep all night. She will get herself all trained to sleep all night and then that little sister of mine will come and she will be back to no sleep once again. I will tell you though that when mom and I get a good nights sleep we get along a lot better in the morning. I have taken on a new fascination of bucks and shooting them. I am obsessed with hunting shows and when the bucks come on I tell everyone to shhhhh..... I also got the Buck Hunter game and I love to play it. Well I mostly love to watch my dad play it and boss him around about it. Mom is a little worried that I know so much about guns and what they do and what we do to the deer but she does not get to talk about that in front of dad because we all know about him and his hunting obsession. You can only imagine the smile it puts on my dads face that I am this into it. Ok, well it is time to go. Stay warm everyone and from what I hear, there might be some snow to play in this weekend. Yippee!!!!!

Brrr.....it is getting cold out!

Hello all!!!! I have been quite the busy body lately. I don't walk, I run. I love to dance. I love to put my 4 wheeler on the futon in my new playroom and ride off of it. I love to chase the dog around and scream at him. I love to climb out of my bed, tour the house at night and yell for my mom. I love to get up in the middle of the night. I love to make my mom sleep in the rocking chair with me until her ankles swell and she can't take it any more. I love to start my daddy's truck every morning with him. I love to turn the lights off on my mom while she is trying to fix her hair in the morning. I love to throw things. I love to tell my mom no. I love to brush my teeth with my new Thomas the Train spin brush. I love to yell at Lindsey and smack her around. I love to throw balls at the fan. I love hot dogs, cheese and pickles. I love to eat supper at the table and not in my high chair. I love to play outside until it is pitch dark, no matter how cold my mom gets. I love to watch Monster Jam and hunting shows. I love going to see the kids at mommy's school in the mornings. I love going to Aja's and playing with all of my friends. Did I mention I love getting up in the middle of the night? I love playing with trucks and tractors. I love trains. I love watching my dvd player in the van. I love pretzels. I love yelling at my grandpa when he leaves the room. I love tormenting cats. I love to scare people with spiders, bugs and masks. I love playing hide and seek. I love bothering my mom when she is trying to do anything that does not involve giving me her undivided attention. I love horses, sheep and any barnyard animal for that matter. I love reading books at night before bed. I love swimming in the bathtub. I love helping daddy put things like desks together and using his tools. Did I mention I love getting up in the middle of the night...several times? Just making sure! Anyway, I think that is enough I loves for now, I should go take a nap. I don't think I slept for more that 2 hours in my bed last night. That will wear a guy out if you know what I mean.
Take care! Stay warm! Remember Santa is watching!!!!!!!!
~Blayke

November Already....

Wow, where has the time gone? I have been so busy driving my mom crazy I did not even realize the year has come to an end. My sister is going to be here before I know it. I better take advantage of being the baby for the next 2 months because after that, I am in for a big surprise. I have been busy over the last month going to pumpkin patches, visiting the farm animals, going trick or treating, throwing fits, telling my mom no, crawling out of my crib, obsessing over monster trucks and hunting shows and many other things that I can't think of right now.
I went to 2 pumpkin patches and at both I was so overwhelmed that I did not even crack a smile until it was almost time to leave. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of them, it just takes me longer than most kids to soak it all up I guess. It really frustrates my mom and aunts and grandma because they want to take all these pictures and they have yet to catch me smiling. I am just going to be a serious kind of guy in public just like my daddy. But before you go thinking I am serious all the time, get me behind closed doors and just like my daddy, I am a very funny, sometimes out of control kind of guy. The pumpkin patch in Grinnell was amazing. We could have stayed there all day. Mommy says that we will go back there every year. There was so much to do and see. There were tractors and horses and guns and ventriloquist and lots and lots of other things. I highly recommend it to all of you.
I was Mickey Mouse for Halloween and unlike some kids, I really enjoyed being in my costume. I went Trick or Treating in my grandma and grandpas neighborhood and got lots of candy. My grandpa dressed up too, he was Cookie Monster. We were out for about 45 minutes and that was about all I could take. My legs were tired and I needed a break. Plus, my candy bucket was getting really heavy. I did a good job of knocking on doors, and did say Trick or Treat a few times and was very good at grabbing the candy, I don't know how to say thank you yet, so mommy said that for me, but I did say bye-by to everyone. I did not like the houses that had things on the porch that talked to me, it freaked me out and made me not want to get close to the door. The houses that just had pumpkins were my favorite. I did like the houses that had dogs too because I love dogs. My favorite part of the whole night was handing out candy to the kids that came to grandma and grandpa's house. I liked seeing the kids' costumes in the comfort of my own territory where there was nothing jumping out and trying to scare me.
Things jumping out and trying to scare me leads me to my next favorite thing right now. Scaring people with spiders and bugs and mice. I think it is so funny to scare people and have them scream. Mommy screams the best and it makes me laugh really, really hard. Daddy screams so loud sometimes that it even scares me a bit. I love it when grandpa puts the big spider in mommy's hair and it makes her scream. I also have a book that has pictures of bugs in it and I love to show the page to mommy and daddy and listen to them scream. I think I am so darn funny.
I also helped carve pumpkins for Halloween. I spent a lot of time eating and trying to eat more of the inside of the pumpkin. Mommy and daddy could not get me to stop and when they tried to take it away or tell me NO, I got really angry. I don't know why but I love that stuff. Daddy told mommy that it would make me sick and he was not kidding. The next day I pooped something terrible. It got all over the place. Mommy was really happy about that let me tell you. Anyway, about the pumpkins....I love looking at them and talking to them and most of all I like seeing them when the candles are lit and it is dark in the room. I love anything scary right now....as long as it does not jump out at me that is.....I like to be in control of my scary things if you know what I mean.
Let's see what else, oh yeah, I learned how to crawl out of my crib over the weekend. So now every time I get up from my nap or up in the morning I just crawl out of my bed and bang on the door until my mom comes and opens it up. I did hurt my wrist the first time though and it hurt for awhile, but that did not stop me from doing it again and again and again. Luckily mommy came in when she did the other day because I was stuck on the top and could not get over. Thanks for saving the day mom!!! So, after some consultation with grandma and Aunt Deanna, mom has decided to leave the side of my bed down so that when I crawl out, which they know I will do every time, I don't risk getting hurt. It is still up high enough that I have to climb a bit, but not as much. I guess I am ready for a big boy bed now? I am just helping my mom not feel bad for taking my crib away in a couple of months.
Because my life is non-stop I am sure I could go on and on for days, but I will leave you with that and write again soon. I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween. Next stop....Thanksgiving!
Take Care
~Blayke

October is here already!

Hello everyone! The weather is changing and it is getting darker earlier and earlier every night. That must mean only 1 thing....Fall is here! I have been a pretty busy kid these days so I thought that before I start forgetting everything I am doing, I better fill you in. I went to the apple orchard a few weeks ago and had a great time picking apples and eating apples. It was cold and rainy, but I did not mind. I went with my mommy, daddy and aunt Stephanie. It is a good place to go with my daddy because he can lift me up to reach the really, really high apples that nobody else can get to. When we got home we made yummy apple crisp and mommy made some applesauce too. I just like to eat them plain and sometimes throw them around like a ball. Last night I took an apple to the bathtub with me. I ate some of it, I threw it at the wall, I talked to it and I put it inside of my cups and dumped it out. Oh the adventures you can have with an apple. I have still been tailgating alot and of course making lots and lots of girl friends. My favorite person is the guy that sells the turkey legs that has the microphone, he thinks I am the coolest kid. He says I am his "man"! He also thinks I am going to be the quarterback for the Hawkeyes someday...mommy says the kicker, I guess we will see! I got to see my brother and my uncle Chris this weekend. They were both in town for the football game. I got to see my uncle Chris a lot more than my brother because my brother went hunting with daddy both mornings this weekend. That also means that I did not get to see my daddy very much this weekend either. My daddy was feeling bad this morning thou and went to work late so he could see me and hang out for a little bit. I think he had more than 1 reason for going to work late, but I did not care because I got to hang out with him before I went to Aja's house. I sure do love my daddy!!! I got to go to the Iowa Homecoming parade on Friday night. I was a very good boy. I sat on mommy's lap on the curb for the whole parade. My favorite parts of the parade were the bands and the dogs. I love watching the marching bands and the flag girls. Speaking of marching bands....I also got to go to a Clipper's football game a couple of weeks ago and I was pretty good for the first half. I of course loved the marching band the best, but I did do a good job sitting and watching the game...as long as mommy gave me the play by play and reminded me to watch what they were going to do with the ball. Daddy came and picked me up at half time so I could go home and go to bed. Daddy has been working so much lately that he does not get to go to everything that mommy and I go to. I have started to get an attitude lately and think I am the boss of everyone. When mommy tells me it is time to get dressed, I tell her no. When she tells me it is time to change my diaper, I tell her no. When someone tries to help me do something and I don't want them to, I tell them no and push them away. If I want my mom to help me with something and someone else tries, I push them away. When I am really, really mad and mom tries to offer me everything under the sun....I tell her no. Mommy has started saying things like time out and spanking and I have yet to figure out what those things mean. Daddy tells her to stop talking about it and starting doing it....but he always lets me do what I want, so I am still not sure what those things mean. I have started walking all around town with mommy after supper without my stroller. I walk all over town picking up rocks, throwing rocks, talking to puppies, running, jumping and playing at the park. It sure is fun....and I again...I get to be in charge. Life is the best when I am in charge. I can't remember if I told everyone already or not, but my mom says I am going to have a baby sister soon. Everyone keeps bringing over pink clothes and pink blankets and pink head bands. I am sorry people, in case you have not noticed, those clothes are too small for me. People keep asking if I know what is going on. Of course I know what is going on. My mom is going to get fat, she is going to go away for a couple of days and she is going to bring home a baby that I get to feed and poke and play with. It is going to keep her up at night, it is going to make it so I don't get all of the attention anymore and it is going to cry a lot. I think everything is going to be ok. Alright, I think that is enough updating for now. Have a wonderful week everyone!
~Blayke

Hawkeye Football is here!

Hello everyone! School is back in session and that means so is Hawkeye football. I am quite the hit at the tailgate with my black and gold striped overalls! My dad got some too, so we could match. You should see all the chicks my dad gets to talk to when he takes me down the street on his shoulders. I am not sure who likes the attention more, me or my dad. I got to ride the Hawkeye train to the first game with grandma and grandpa and that was pretty cool. I partied all day and got to ride the train home. I really had an awesome time. From what I hear, I get to do it all again this weekend. I am not going to ride the train this time though, I am going bright and early with mom and dad and then Aunt Kate is going to pick me up half way through the day because mommy, daddy, grandma and grandpa are all going to go to the game this time. Apparently, me hanging with the tailgate crew is not an option while they are at the game. I don't understand why not, but hey, I just do what they tell me around here. If anyone wants to join us for any home game, just get ahold of mom or dad and we would love to have you. We got an amazing spot this year....and hopefully for the years to come. I think I heard them say that next year I would get to go to some games. Something about how I can't sit still long enough this year. Oh well, in case you didn't know....I am there for the tailgating not the game!!!
I had my 18 month check up this week and they said I am right on track. I weigh 26 pounds and am 33 inches tall. I jumped up in the percentile rankings from 25th in weight to 65th. I guess those multiple hot dogs a day are really catching up with me. I also had my 1st dentist appointment this week. I have 12 teeth now finally. The dentist told me that my teeth looked perfect. Yay for me! Must be all of that brushing I do in the bath tub.
As far as the other things going on in my life, things are about the same. I chase my dog around, I climb on the table, I cry when mommy drops me off at Aja's, I would rather be at the park than at home, I am still obsessed with tractors and horses, I get mad and throw a temper tantrum every time I have to go inside, I love to play in the dirt, I don't sleep for crap at night, and my daddy is my favorite person in the whole wide world! Now, if I could just get him to mow the lawn every day, that would be great!
I am trying to decide what I am going to be for Halloween. I really like horses and tractors but there are not really any costumes that work for those. So, I heard mom say I might be a cow...who knows, I am sure she will change her mind 10 times before Halloween. As long as I get to go trick or treating and eat lots of candy....that is all that matters.
In the next month or so I will be visiting the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch, and I will find out if I am going to have a baby sister or a baby brother, so stay tuned for updates of all of these exciting events. I will leave you with a few pictures from tailgating!
Take care!!!
~Blayke

End of Summer 2010

Well, I am back from vacation and today was my last day of Summer break. I guess mom thinks she has to go back to work now. Yeah! Oh, did I say that out loud? I love my mom, but I love my friends and Aja too. I think my mom and I need a little break any way. She said something about needing to get back on a schedule, but what I think that means that I wear her out and she needs to go back to work to take a break. Anyway, I go back to Aja's tomorrow and I can't wait. The only thing I am a little nervous about is that mommy has been rocking me to sleep every time a I take a nap and at Aja's I don't get that. Aja did so well teaching me how to fall asleep on my own and be a big boy and mommy went and ruined that this Summer. I will get over it I know and mommy will not cave because she will not hear me screaming so it will be ok. Wish me luck tomorrow around 12 when nap time rolls around. Anyway...vacation was very, very fun! I got to go to the water park, on a cruise ship, I went swimming 4 times, I got to drive the boat with daddy, I went to a wine festival, I went shopping, I got to go on the golf course every night, I slept in the closet, I learned to hate thunder, I rode every coin operated ride that I saw, I went out to eat and was horrible, I got to be spoiled by grandma and grandpa all week, I found a new best friend..Aunt Stephanie and mommy got a little break. It was a very fun filled week and I had a blast. I did come home a little bumped and bruised though. I have a busted up lip, a bruise on my shin, scrapes on both legs and a blister on my toe. It is hard being me, let me tell you!!!! I spent the week wrapping my grandpa around my little finger! I bet he misses me right now. Ok, well maybe he is enjoying some peace and quite, but I don't understand why people need that. I got to spend lots of time with daddy which I don't get to do too much in the Summer. I even locked myself in the van when I went to vacuum it out with daddy. After the attendant at the car wash told daddy to call 911 and he did, I was a good boy and unlocked the doors. It was fun while it lasted! I learned how to say a few new words. I collected lots of golf balls each night. Overall it was a great trip. I wonder where we will go next year. Mom said she wants to go back but dad says we have to go somewhere new each year. Ok, whatever you say dad. I think that is about all for now.
Take care! Stay cool!
~Blayke

Where has this Summer gone?

Hello everyone! I can't believe that the Summer is almost over already. I have been so busy driving my mom crazy, I have lost track of the time. Softball is over now and that makes me very sad, but the girls did very well and ended up placing 4th in the state. They even gave me a shirt! Too bad it is way too big and will not fit me until I am 5. Oh well, at least I can say I got the shirt, right? The weather the last couple of weeks has not been very nice. Mom is a wimp and does not like to take me outside because she says it is too hot and humid. Our swimming pool is messed up and is losing water so mom says we can't keep filling it back up and dad has been so busy with work that he has not had time to look at it. I heard mom say that she would be happy if dad just knocked that thing down next year. Oh well, I guess that just means more trips to the other pools for me and I am ok with that. I have been missing my friends at daycare this Summer as I have only been going 1 day a week. Don't tell mom, but I am actually excited for school to start so I can start going to Aja's every day again. It is a lot more fun there then with my mom. I have been doing very well at gymnastics these last few weeks. I am getting very good at doing a front roll, I am working on my jumping, I say, "tah dah" and really like jumping off things. I am learning more and more words every day. Mom says I am supposed to know like 30 or some outrageous number by the time I am 1 1/2. We will see about that. I got to see my uncle Chris last week for a few days on his trip from Kansas to his new home in Chicago. I love him! I spent a lot of time with my aunt Kate this weekend as she leaves for her move to Pella tomorrow. Good thing my aunt Stephanie is sticking around! I hope I get to see her as much now that softball is over. She came to my house a lot during softball season. She had been sick for a few days with food poisoning and I think my screaming gave her a headache, but she is better now and gives the best horsey rides. I think it is really funny to push people over and crawl on their back and say "neigh, neigh" so they will give me a horsey ride. Speaking of horses, I am going to the Johnson County fair this week to see all of the animals, and tractors. I can't wait!!! I get to go to the truck and tractor pull tomorrow night...it will be so fun. Mom said she is not real excited but because she loves me so much she said she would take me. I am going on vacation all next week to Lake of the Ozarks. I can't wait! It will be so much fun. I won't get to see my daddy for a few days because he has to stay home and work for the first part of the week, but he is joining us for the end of the week. I get to be with mommy, grandma, grandpa and aunt Stephanie the whole time though. It will be a fun time. I am going to go to Pella this week and see my aunt Kate's house and check out the town for a little while. We are going to take many trips there and spend the night, but mom said this time we are not. I got a dvd player to watch movies while mom is driving this week. It is really cool, but I have not quite figured out the whole concept yet. I don't stay interested in tv for longer than a few minutes. I do however love the show wipeout and sat and watched that for 35 minutes the other night. Of course I got up during commercials, but as soon as it was back on, I was back on mommys lap talking all about it. It is so cool!!! Mommy laughs and screams the whole time. My obsession the last 2 weeks has been my daddy and the lawnmower. All day long I ask where daddy is and as soon as he gets home I beg him to go mow the lawn. Today he finally took me out to mow and the thing would not start. Let me tell you how happy I was when daddy brought me inside without letting me mow. Needless to say, mommy put me in the car and took me to grandmas. I quickly forgot what I was sad about. I got to play in the sprinkler at Grandma and Grandpa's house today, it was very fun. I also convinced Grandma to hold me and let me watch grandpa mow the entire yard this afternoon. Grandma said it was very boring watching Grandpa walk back and forth, back and forth. I don't think that is boring at all! Well, I suppose I have told you enough. I will be sure to let you know all about vacation when I get back. Have a wonderful rest of your Summer! I know I will!
~Blayke

Summer Time!

Hello all! Long time no blog! Sorry, I have been so busy outside, or standing by the door screaming at my mom to go outside that I have not had time to sit down at the computer. The only time I am inside and happy about it is when I am sleeping or eating! I have been spending a lot of time in my pool and at the softball diamond/park. Go Clippers! I am learning new words every day. The one I am trying hard to master right now is, "motorcycle". My mommy thinks it is so cute when I try to say it. I have been busy seeking out buses, trucks, tractors and motorcycles every time I leave the house. Well, even when I don't leave the house, I stand on the porch and yell bus if I can see one. I have been to see my dad at work 2 times this Summer and I got to help him drive his tractors. I was soooo excited when we pulled on to the job site that I could not even contain myself. I get to ride in the tractors and help my daddy drive them and honk the horn. I don't know why he leaves me home with mommy all day, I should get to go to work with him. I would be good....I promise, but my daddy might get a headache from me yelling out truck and tractor ALL day long. I have a hard time just talking, I have to scream whenever I have something to say. I am getting geared up for our annual 4th of July party this weekend. Last year the weather was cold and rainy, we are hoping for sunny and warm this time. I can't wait to go to the parade and see the fire trucks and tractors and trucks and dogs and horses. Did I mention that I love tractors and trucks? Mommy said there might even be some buses in the parade. Oh my gosh, I can't wait! I got to go see my Aunt Kate's new house a couple of weeks ago. It is a cool house, with a cool swing set in the backyard for me, but it is in Pella and that makes me sad. I guess mommy and I will have to take weekend trips to go see her and her swing set. My Uncle Chris got a new job too and his is in Chicago! The nice thing about that is that I heard that I might get to see him more now. He only lives 4 hours away, not 5, but he might get to fly home on the weekends to see me. I hope so, I sure do NOT get to see him enough. I did hear that he might be coming for a few days soon, so I am keeping my fingers crossed on that one. My brother and sister have been gone visiting their mom for a month and I sure do miss them. My sister comes home this weekend, but I am not sure when I will see my brother again. Mom and dad don't really talk about it in front of me, but they keeping saying it is giving them a headache, so I just stay out of it. I sure do miss him though. I have been helping my mom with the vacuuming and sweeping during the day and sometimes I help her wipe things off too. I spend a lot of my day bothering my dog and trying to find the cat. My dog loves it when I crawl all over him and pull on his feet and use him as a footstool. The cat, well she just runs away and stays outside until I go to bed. My grandma's cat plays with me though and that makes me happy. I know when I am going to my grandmas house when we get about 2 blocks from her house and I start making the sound that her cat makes. I don't really know where I am going with all of this, so I guess I will end it there. Have a safe and fun 4th of July weekend! I know I will!
Take care!
~Blayke

Wow, I think Summer is almost here....

Hello everyone! Long time, no update. My mom has been really, really busy and has not let me use the computer, so she and I apologize. I have not been feeling the best the last 2 weeks. I am trying to get my 6th tooth. I know, only the 6th. I don't know why my teeth are coming in so slow, but everyone says that is a good thing. As many problems as these teeth are causing me, I would be ok with not getting any more ever again. People say that I might need some more teeth if I want to eat more things like chips and steak and stuff. Well, as far as I am concerned, I have enough. I have not been sleeping well either. I have been getting my mom up several times a night. I am sorry mom, I just miss you so much that I can't go 8 hours without seeing you! I am still climbing all over the place and get lots and lots of bumps and bruises on a daily basis. I don't worry too much about them, I just get up and move on. Everyone worries that I am hurt, but guess what guys, I am one tuff dude, I don't cry!!!! Well, ok, I cry when my mom drops me off at Aja's now, or when she leaves the room. I just love her so much, I want to be with her all of the time. I think maybe she does not have those same thoughts because she just keeps dropping me off and keeps leaving the room. Speaking of being with my mom all of the time, school is almost out for her and we will get to spend every day together. I heard her say that we will get to go on lots of walks and go swimming this Summer. I can't wait! I also start gymnastics on June 7th. I am so excited! I heard I will get to climb and run and stuff...what more could I ask for? I think I will get to go to Aja's a little bit each week so my friends don't forget who I am and so Aja does not miss me too much. My mom said something about wanting some peace and quiet to lay out and go boating. Jeez Mom, must be nice!!!! That is ok, I will have fun without her! My brother and sister will be going to their moms house for the month of June, I don't know what I will do without them. It sure will be quiet in our house. I don't know what mom will have to yell about for an entire month. I think she might have forgot, she will have to be the one to take the trash and recycling out that month. Maybe I can help her do that. I am starting to say more and more words these days. I know Dallas, Cat, mom, dad, more, Chuckie, hat, and a few other random ones as well, but I do not use them as much as the others. My mom and Aja really want me to start using "done" more than I do. When I am done eating I just scream and throw my food on the floor so they know I am ready to get out of my highchair. I guess the more appropriate thing to do is to say, "done". Ok, I will try harder! I don't say "no" yet, but I am getting really good at shaking my head when my mom tries to give me something I don't want. She thinks it is so cute. I also must confess that I am somewhat of a bully. I get in lots and lots of trouble for hitting and throwing things at people. They tell me NO, they put me in time out and I just keep going back for more. I think it is funny to hit and I smile while I am doing it. Mom says that is not "cool". Sorry, mom, I do think it is "cool". I think that is about all for now. I am pretty sure that as soon as my mom gets done with work next week, there will be more time for updates and pictures to be posted. What else will she have to do with her time? You can only hang out in the pool for so long you know! Take care everyone!
~Blayke

It is great to be me!!!

Well life is pretty good for me right now. A couple of weekends ago my Uncle Chris came and visited me. He was here all weekend and I was spoiled rotten the whole time! My mom is still recovering from that spoiling. I am big into throwing myself down on the ground and screaming when I don't get my way. Usually one of my siblings, or my aunts pick me up and make it all better. There are times though that only my mom is around and she does not give in to me. Well, not right away anyway. Usually if I am persistent enough and scream loud enough, she will at least give in and take me to the park. There are only a handful of things that really make me mad: Not being outside, not being able to climb on the table, not being able to drink what you are drinking, and when my brother and sister walk away from me and are not there to entertain me. I am a tag-along and I am very entertained by everything my brother and sister do. My favorite thing to do is go to the park and hang out with them and their friends. My mom loves it when I am entertained at the park so she can make supper. I love to climb on everything right now. I am a daredevil and I have no fear. I can climb on anything, you name it, I can climb on it. I can even stand on things that barely have room for my feet to balance on. I am a bit of a wild child. We went to Toys R Us last week and my mom convinced my dad that he needed to buy me a basketball hoop. I smiled at him and he caved. I am a little charmer like that. Anyway, I have a new basketball hoop and I spend a lot of time shooting hoops. My mom moved a lot of my toys and ALL of my balls out to the porch, so I spend most of my inside time there. I stand in the door and watch all of the other kids that get to be outside and scream at my mom about how it is not fair. My life is so rough, I know!! I have not been sleeping well lately. I go for like 3 days sleeping well and then I go on a 4 day stretch of getting up and screaming several times during the night. My mom is getting pretty tired of this nonsense. She says I am a big boy now and I need to stop interrupting her sleep. I am sorry, but I like to check on my mom sometimes during the night to make sure she is doing ok. Sometimes my dad tries to come in and help me, but that makes me even more mad. I scream even louder when my dad comes in the room. I think he is confused, I wake up and scream because I want to check on my mom, not my dad. Oh well, I think they are slowly learning. Well, I have lost my train of thought so I am going to wrap this up. I have to call my grandma and see if she can come pick me up tonight because my mom is stuck in yet another meeting, jeez, she sure does get stuck in those a lot!
Take Care!
~Blayke

Easter

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give you an update on Easter and the other awesome thing that happened over the last week. First, Easter! I had a great time playing outside and getting my Easter eggs. I was however very confused because my mom got me eggs that look like balls and I could not for the life of me figure out why Grandma's lawn was full of balls! Anyway, with the help of both mommy and daddy, I got the job done. I got lots of fun stuff in my Easter basket from the Easter Bunny. The best present of all was the basketball hoop. I threw the ball into the hoop all afternoon and night. My mom finally made me go to bed at 8:30. I love that basketball hoop. I can slam dunk and shoot the ball. I get really close to the hoop though and so mom is trying to get me to back up a little and work on my free throw and 3 point range shots. Give me time mom! I also got a bat that looks like a carrot....look out, I don't quite understand that everything is not for hitting. Sorry, I am only 1 you know. The other exciting news is that my brother moved in with me last weekend. He is my most favorite person in the world. I get so happy every time I see him. I can even say, "Hi Chuckie" I can hardly eat dinner when he is at the table because I am so busy smiling and laughing at him. I try to do everything he does and I follow him around the house like a little puppy. I really hate it when he has friends over because he kind of ignores me and I just don't understand why. He also takes me to the park and plays with me. My bother coming to live with me is the best thing in the whole wide world. I have overheard mommy talking about how much she likes it too....something about how he is such a big help with me. Please, like I am a problem.....come on!!! I have a real problem hitting other kids and my dog. My mom is trying to get me to stop but I think I am just so cute when I do it. She tells me NO, moves me to another spot in the room and walks away from me. I scream, get up and go back and do it again. I don't know how you feel about this, but I think it is a pretty fun game. Mommy told me that as soon as my uncle Chris gets a new car he might come to see me. I have not seen him since Christmas and I can do so much more now. I heard he might even want to take me on at the basketball court.....ever been beat by a 1 year old? Well, look out!!!! If you practiced as much as me, you would be this good too! Well, I suppose that is probably enough for now. I must get back to my obsession, and I might even sneak a nap in there somewhere!
Take care
~Blayke

Spring is here.....

Hello everyone! The weather sure is nice outside and I love it more than anything....really I do! I want to be outside every waking minute and if I can't....you had better look out. I like to go to the park and play basketball with the big kids. I always get in the middle of their business and take their ball away from them. Good thing the kids around here are so nice to me!! My mommy tries to get me to play on the equipment or swing but I always return to the basketball hoops and the balls. Over Spring Break, I went to several parks and met a lot of kids. I think 1 day I even had my mommy take me like 4 times. She is such a sucker for a temper tantrum. She likes to tell the story about the day that I was throwing a fit, hitting her legs and bending her toes backwards because she would not take me BACK to the park. I am sorry but I love it there!!!! Yesterday it was raining and I spent all afternoon screaming at Aja about it and then drove my mom so crazy in the evening that she put me to bed at 7:15. Well, she thought she was really smart, until I woke up at 4am ready to start my day. I guess she will not pull that kind of nonsense again now will she. As you can see, I have really started to develop an attitude now that I am 1. My grandma says that hopefully I will get it out of my system now so that when I am 2 I will know how to conduct myself appropriately. I am still crying about the fact that Kansas lost to UNI, but everyone here is happy about it so I am not getting too much sympathy. I have heard talk around my house about converting the office into a playroom decorated in KU stuff. My uncle has sent me so much and my mom does not know what to do with it all, so she thought this might be a good idea. Daddy says maybe we should go purple and yellow instead. Not funny dad!!! Speaking of dad, I don't get to see him much these days now that it is nice outside and staying light longer. He works a lot in the Summer. When I do see him though, I say, "Hi, Dad" That makes him smile. I even say it to Aja's husband when he comes home too. I got to see the baby chicks at Grandpa's bank this week. I was not really interested in them until my mom told me they were kittys and then I was all about them. I even grabbed one of their cute little heads. I guess that was too much because I did not get to touch them any more. I have my first Easter Egg hunt this weekend. I am excited! I hope I get a lot of candy. I even hear that Miss Iowa and the Iowa Women's Basketball players are going to be there. Did someone say basketball? Oh, sorry! Anyway, my grandma thought it would be a good idea to practice my egg picking up skills the other day, so she put some eggs in the yard, had the basket all ready for me to put my egss in. I picked 1 up and headed straight for the basketball hoop and never got any further. What those were not balls? My bad, I am only 1 you know. Anyway, I hear I get to go for a long walk at Kent Park with mommy and her friend tonight so I better get going. Have a fantastic rest of the week and weekend! I hear next week is supposed to be really, really warm!!!!

~Blayke

It's March!

Happy almost Spring day everyone. The weather has been getting nicer and mommy and I have been getting to take some walks around the big town of Oxford. I like to get out and check out the sights. I got to play at the park for the first time yesterday. I went in the play structure, went down the slide a few times and got to swing on the swing. The part I liked the best is watching the big boys play football. I can't wait until I am old enough to play with them. I have been making my mom crazy climbing on everything. I figured out how to push my dump truck up to the end table and climb on top of it, stand up and dance. I know, I know, I am going to get hurt. Don't you worry about me, I am a very careful boy. I got my pictures taken last weekend as you can see. Don't I look cute? I was not really very excited about being there, but I was a good sport and gave mom some good shots. I am sending out pictures for everyone when we get them back so if you are wondering where your thank you card is for the wonderful presents that I got for my birthday, not to worry, they are all written out and ready to go. My mom just told me to wait until we get the pictures back so I can send them together. So, be looking for those in the mail towards the end of next week. I am starting to get settled into a routine at night and as much as mom likes it, I know it makes her sad that I am growing up so fast. I get to take a bath in the bathtub now, then I put my pj's on and I am off to bed. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that mom still lets me have a bottle at night when I go to bed. Shhh....don't tell anyone, I know I am not supposed to but I think mommy likes to hold on to a little bit of her baby. I know it is a matter of days and she will tell me no more, but you better believe I am enjoying every last minute of it. When I see that thing I go crazy, and don't even try to let me see it and not get it. Oh well, like everything else, when it goes away, I will be fine. I will just let my mom know how unhappy I am about it. I am going to my friend Jayden's birthday party next weekend at the rec center, I hear we get to go swimming, yeah!!!!! Anyway, I better get going. I hope you enjoy your pictures!
~Blayke

1 year old

I made it to my first birthday! I had a great birthday party! Thank you to my grandma for the wonderful cakes, my aunt Kate for the amazing slide show and my aunt Stephanie for just helping in all the ways that she does. I had a lot of people come to my party and I want to thank all of them too for all of my awesome presents! Don't be sad, but right now my most favorite thing is the balloons. Mommy brought them all home and they are taking over the house. It is so cool! My brother also got to come to my party and that was so cool. I love to play with him and I like to do everything he does. I hope he can come for a long time this Summer because we have a lot of fun together. I had my 1 year check up yesterday. I weight 22 pounds and I am 30 inches long. I guess I am right on track with all the milestones I am supposed to be accomplishing. I have to learn 20-30 words before my next check up at 18months. That means I have at least 17 to learn. I don't know about you, but I like trying to accomplish the physical milestones a lot better than the academic ones! I don't like to sit and listen to books and I don't like to sit still long enough to play mommy's silly little finger games. Give me a ball and I will throw it far, give me some stairs and I will climb them all day, but this sitting still stuff is no fun for me. I guess I will try and learn some words, but don't be mad if I can't learn 30 in the next 6 months. I have been trying really hard to get my mommy to take me outside. I point to the door and blab on and on, but she still does not let me. She said it is still too cold to play in the grass, but soon enough I will get to go play at the park. I am holding you to it mom, don't you think I will forget this one. I scared my babysitter on my birthday, she was downstairs making lunch and I was upstairs napping when she heard a loud thump....it was me, I learned how to climb out of the playpen where I sleep. She was not proud of me, but I was sure proud of myself. I even walked away from it with no bumps or bruises. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. I have my 1 year pictures this weekend so mommy has been stressing about what to have me wear. Seriously mom, I really like hanging out in just my diaper, so if that works for you, let's do it! Yeah right, my mom is a clothing crazy woman, there is no way she would ever let me get away with that. I am sure she will come up with something! She is going to get a bunch of wallet sized pictures and send them out in the thank you cards that I have been working on, so stay tuned for my 1 year pictures. If you did not come to my party, don't worry, she told me she would send you guys a picture too. Ok, I think that is about all for now. I will keep you posted on any new words I have learned or any adventures I go on now that the weather is starting to get nice.
Take care!!

~Blayke

I'm almost 1 you know....

Hello everyone! I am almost 1 if you were not keeping track. I got my first hair cut last week and boy do I feel like a big boy now. I was very good in the chair. I went to the place mommy gets her hair cut and Aunt Stephanie's friend Jodi cut it for me. I sat on mommy's lap and played with some really cool combs, sucked on a purse hanger and watched mommy's gum....before I knew it, it was all over and my hair was all over the floor. Mommy says I look so grown up now. I have been loving swimming lessons, even though mommy has had to work late the last 2 times and has not gone with me. What would she ever do without Aunt Kate and Aunt Stephanie? She sure is lucky....and so am I of course!!! I am still improving on the walking. I can turn in circles now and I can almost run. I am pretty talented in that I can carry things, throw things and drink from my sippy while I am walking. I know, athlete in training....just ask my mom and dad. I am getting really good at climbing.....mom and dad are placing bets as to when the first visit to the emergency room will come. I can climb up on my rocking chair and reach just about anything I want to. I push it to where I want it and then just climb as high as I need to. I also have this shopping cart that Santa brought me and I like to climb in there too. Look out trees, I am coming to you next. I figured out how to pound on the gate long enough so that it comes loose from the wall and then I can push it up and crawl underneath. There is no stopping me! I can also move furniture that people think will prevent me from climbing stairs, I made it all the way to my bedroom the other night before anyone figured out where I was. I got caught drinking from the dog dish last week. Daddy told me that it was yucky and mommy told me to, "Stay right there, I need to get the camera". She is so funny sometimes. I have almost given up my bottle completely. I do not get it during the day anymore and I only get it at night when I go to bed....and when I wake up in the middle of the night screaming. Mommy is working herself up to getting rid of it completely. She let Aja do the hard part and she is being a softy on the night time routine. I did hear her say that she was going to make it her goal that when I go to my 1 year check up on March 2nd that I will no longer have my bottle. Get out your earplugs, there are going to be some long, loud nights in the Albert household. Mommy says once she gets past this hurdle, the rest of my childhood will be a breeze. I will be the decider of that one! Ok, I better get some supper because I have swim lessons tonight. PS: Big birthday party coming up...can't wait!!!!
~Blayke

swimming pictures

Here are some pictures Aunt Stephanie sent from my first night of swim lessons!

Swimming

Hello everyone! I had my first swim lesson last night! I was very cold and my teeth, all 2.5 of them, chattered the whole time. My aunt Kate went in the water with me and mommy and aunt Stephanie stood outside the pool and took video and pictures the whole time. There are 3 other kids in my class, 2 boys and 1 girl. I liked it and was a pretty good boy but I would have been much happier if my mommy was in the water with me. So, I think after listening to mommy and daddy talk last night that mommy is going to get in the water with me when I go back on Thursday. I would really love it if mommy and daddy would get in the water, but we will see. I will have to talk real sweet to my daddy to make that happen. I worked on kicking, splashing, blowing bubbles, floating on my back and doing turns from my back to my stomach. I DO NOT like the back floating thing, I think it is because I can't see what is going on. I am pretty sure I missed most of what my teacher was saying because I was so busy paying attention to everything else that was going on at the pool. I also spent a lot of time watching the daddy that was sitting on the side of the pool watching his baby. Overall it was a very fun time and I can't wait to go back on Thursday. I am walking all over the place now. I am walking more than I am crawling these days. I can even walk and drink my bottle at the same time. Pretty talented wouldn't you say? Well, I think so! I am big into climbing right now. I can push things over to the couch, climb up and then do a nose dive off the side. Mommy gets all freaked out but I think it is pretty fun. I think my mom is going to sign me up for tumbling after swim lessons are over. So, if you know of any place that does tumbling for small guys like myself, let my mommy know. I guess that is about it for now. Have a great week!
~Blayke

2010

Wow, it sure has been a busy start to the new year for me! I started the new year out taking 5 steps at a time on accident and just this past weekend I walked across my mommy and daddy's bedroom. Now just 2 days later, I am walking all over the place. I am so good, I can even kick the ball when I am walking, I can clap my hands when I am walking and I can even push people out of my way....and keep walking. Look out world....here I come. I am getting really good at patty cake..I can roll em and roll em and I can even throw them in the pan...or however the song goes. My grandma taught me that one! I wave every time I hear someone say bye-bye, and every time I leave the room. I am starting to make words that are more clear. I can say cat and Hi and I am working pretty hard on bye. Mommy is teaching me how to talk on the phone. I talked to mommy's friend Lisa tonight and said hi to her like 5 times. Funny the things that make these people happy!!! I was cracking my mommy up the other night when I was copying my daddy snoring on the couch. Mommy was laughing so hard she was crying. What is so funny about snoring? To tell you the truth, it was kind of giving me a headache. Why does Daddy snore anyway? Beats me!!! I have heard a lot of talk around my house about getting rid of my bottle and let me tell you, I am not liking what I am hearing!!!! I am a baby you know and I will tell you when I am ready to say good-bye to my bottle. Yeah, right tell my mom that one. She told Aja (my babysitter) today that the can of formula she gave her was the last one. Are you kidding me? I will be trying very hard over the next month on ways to make my mommy feel really guilty for taking her little baby's bottle away. Any suggestions would be appreciated! My mommy is not the easiest person in the world to make feel guilty!!!! I like that the weather has been warmer, I have been able to walk to Aja's in the morning and I sure do enjoy my morning and evening walks. Like my mother, I have to make sure nothing in the neighborhood has changed! Well, I think that is about all I have for now. Stay tuned for updates on the upcoming birthday party of the century and the terrible torture my mommy is going to put me through by taking my bottle away in 1 short month.
Take Care!
~Blayke

Here are some Pictures from Christmas

Happy 2010

Hello Everyone!
I survived my first Christmas and rang in the new year...asleep! I went to my grandma's house for Christmas and had lots and lots of presents but I was not too interested in opening them. I am more interested in climbing up stairs and pulling ornaments off of the Christmas tree. I did get some cool new toys though. It took me 2 days to open all my presents, that stuff wears a dude out I'll tell you what! I got a shopping cart from Santa and it is really cool. It sings songs and talks to me every time I move it. I really like that I can walk behind it so I can get to where I am going on my feet for a change. I got lots of other presents that make noise too. You should come over some time and see how cool it sounds when mommy and I get them all talking and singing at the same time!!! I got some new clothes and PJs and socks too, but only mom cares about that stuff. I got to spend a lot of time with my uncle Chris and I even spent the night at Grandma's house 1 night with mommy because daddy had to go in and plow the snow. I got pretty spoiled over break as well and I learned how to scream really loud when I want something or do not get my way. Mommy was not too sad to drop me off at Aja's today...we will just say that!!! I can do this cool thing where I shake my whole upper body when someone tells me to, "shake it"! It is so cute they say! I am getting really good at throwing balls....and everything else too. I know how to push my high chair try to the floor when I get angry and I know how to pitch a screaming fit when someone closes the gate when they leave the room. I had my first taste of dirt yesterday when I ate some of my mommy's plants. I really liked it, I had to go back for seconds I liked it so much. Grandma busted me though because she was changing my diaper getting me ready for my bath last night and found a lot of dirt on my tummy and in my diaper. I can't wait for the summer to get here so I can eat sand and grass and more dirt. I am a boy remember!!!! I still am absolutely fascinated with the stairs and I get really mad when people remove me from them or put something up to prevent me from climbing them. I don't see what the big deal is people!! I went to my grandma's side of the family's Christmas over the weekend and got to see a lot of family that I have not had a chance to meet. I loved it because it was really noisy and there were a lot of kids for me to watch. I did not however enjoy the car ride there because I hate being strapped down and told I can't move. My brother Chuckie was here for a few days over break and I had a blast with him. It is he who taught me how to throw a ball because that is what he did the whole time he was here...he threw my balls around. I am pretty cool like him now I guess. I feel like I am forgetting something and I am sure that I have. I have some pictures to put up from Christmas so if there is something I forgot to add I will be sure to do it then.
Take care and stay warm!!!!
~Blayke