spittin' image

While snapping photos for our "Keeping up with the De Luca's" post, I captured this adorable shot and just can't get over how much Teddy looks like my father in it! They are truly two peas in a pod. I'm often struck by the likeness, but lately I've also started to hear the same thing from friends and family who've recently joined Facebook and are seeing photos of Teddy for the first time. They too are shocked by the resemblance. As my little pumpkin grows I'm beginning to notice not only the physical similarities, but matching mannerisms too. It's in the way he moves and uses his hands. When my dad saw the above photo of Theodore, he said it looked just like his own father. Genetics are pretty darn amazing!

This afternoon Teddy and I are flying home to Minnesota for the Labor Day holiday! Ryan will join us on Thursday evening. I can't wait to be home.

huffy puffy

While living in Colorado last spring, we received a package from Grandma Alcott containing a number or goodies. One was extra special....and his name is Huffy Puffy. Huffy Puffy is a 1963 Fischer Price train engine. Judy's fantastic eye for adorable vintage pieces spotted him at an antique shop. We are so glad she did! Huffy (shortened nickname) has become a household favorite!

At first I was hesitant to give him to Teddy, I didn't want Huffy to end up with a sprained spoke or a loose wheel following an ultra-close baby inspection. After all, he'd seen his fair share of time around the track and his parts had the mistaken appearance of fragility. But after succumbing to what I assumed would have to be Huffy's fate I went ahead and gave him to Theodore while mentally preparing for the bereavement to follow. I'm happy to report, it is now 4 months later and Huffy is still happily chuggin' his days away. He is one of Teddy Bear's most treasured toys and I hope one day Huffy gets passed on to his own cubs.

Bennington, Vermont

Last Saturday, the three of us headed off to an area of Vermont famous for its beautiful trout streams and early 19th century covered bridges. It was lovely! The rivers were crisp, the Green Mountains were gorgeous, and the bridges stunning. Bennington is only about an hour northeast of us, so I hope we make the trip again soon!

The stream we spent the afternoon at was called The Battenskill. It flows under a number of beautiful red covered bridges and has lots of swimming holes.

It took Teddy a half hour to get brave enough to sit and play in the water, but once he did there was no stopping him! The little sweet pea just sat and looked at rocks forever. Doesn't he look like baby Moses!?!

One of the many bridges built in the early 1800's. They found that covering them helped preserve the wood and prevent rot. They were red because it was the cheapest and most protective paint of the day. There were some children swimming in the river, Teddy was fascinated :)

One of the coolest things we stumbled upon was the house you can see in the background. Norman Rockwell lived there for about 15 years during the 1940's and 50's! It is now a B&B, and the three of us must go and stay before we leave the area! It is hard to tell in the photos, but the entire location is very rural. Dirt roads and old farms, kind of amazing that we learned of it at all!

Practicing our two step in an old hall along the river. :)

Well, today Ryan has to work so Teddy and I will likely keep our adventures closer to home. We did go meet Ry this afternoon in downtown Albany for a quick lunch. He snuck out of the plant for about an hour...shhhhh ; ) Heck, it's Saturday folks...let your hair down, throw your hands up, go out to lunch! Wishing you all a perfectly perfect weekend!

I'll leave you with a photo of the cutest baby this side of the Hudson. Last night I told him to go in his bedroom and get ready for "books" (bedtime stories). By the time I got there he was ready alright, with with half the bookshelf on the floor. *sigh*

bathing suit beauties

Mama and Pepsi

Mom,

Last Monday would have been your 55th birthday. All day I'd planned on writing a nice birthday blog to commemorate the occasion. However, when I finally sat down to write, the lump that had been only a small nuisance in my throat throughout the day, quickly grew to twice its normal size. That, combined with an ever tightening "I miss you" chest ache, made writing beyond the bounds of possibility. There are still days when the yearning to lay my head down on your lap, when the desire to see you rock and read to Teddy, take over and everything else falls into the background. Monday was that day.

So rather then writing about a birthday memory from long ago or what I imagine we would have done to celebrate on Monday, I think I'll just say I missed you instead.

Yours always, Katie

And in an effort to not let the resurfaced grief wreck havoc on a gorgeous summer week, Theodore and I hit the pool for a fun, carefree dip on Tuesday morning. I'm excited to report he is really starting to make strides in the pool! The most notable difference was a desire to put his face in the water! It was hilarious, he would slowly bring his little nose toward the water and then shriek and giggle once it touched. I think by the time we get back to MN he will be ready to really enjoy the lake.

The above photo makes my heart melt.... it is just so 100% Teddy. Happy as a lark with a Tupperware full of cantaloupe, raspberry stains on his face, and a little Buddha belly showing the signs of both snack and pool water consumption.

And since this is a blog posting were I seem to be jumping all over the place, I'll make one more bounce back to the birthday arena by wishing my ever so cherished sister-in-law Diane a wonderful birthday. Wish I'd been home yesterday to give you a big ol' heart hug.

Keeping up with the De Luca's

Since arriving in New Yawkk, we've found it a bit of a challenge fitting in with our Italian American neighbors. Ryan's pickup truck along with his aversion to pomade isn't ideal and I need more track suits. However, after changing the spelling of our son's name from "Teddy" to "Teddi" and reforming his dress code, I think we are making more friends. At first I was nervous to send him out to play with the other bambinos, poor baby looked so naked ...no pinkie ring, no St. Francis of Assisi medallion hanging from his neck? Thankfully though, a man at the pool had 3 or 4 extra chains so he gave one to Teddi and told me with a wave of his hand to "fawgheddaboudit." I decided not to mention the chocking hazard involved with a chain around a 14 month old's neck.

tubtime

BRACE YOURSELF. Cute baby in bath. Viewers may be overwhelmed with adorableness. Possible side effects: instant smiles, spontaneous laughter, and just plain ol' joy.

airport anticipation

Ryan left last Thursday for a canoe trip in Wisconsin. Teddy and I had a great time while he was gone, but by Sunday evening we were excited to go pick him up at the airport. Teddy knew Dada was coming home and took his surveillance duty quite seriously, remaining vigilant despite an hour delay in arrival!



Yep, you could say Teddy and I both like to hold him pretty close :)

a time of transition

Teddy's first year has been guided by a strict sleep schedule. It is one area of parenting where I am definately a little over the top. By six weeks old we insisted all naps be in the bassinet rather than a playpen, swing, being held, ect. Better to help him understand that when he's in the bassinet or the crib, it's ni-ni time. We avoided motion-filled sleep (stroller, car seat) and instead worked hard to teach self-soothing techniques and how to put himself to sleep. And in this area, I will go ahead and say....so far so good. Today, he is an excellent sleeper. He lies down awake, happy, and there are seldom tears. So when he started having trouble falling asleep for his afternoon nap, I knew there was a change underway.

I'd been expecting the transtion from two naps down to one nap, and that day is here. We officially made the shift last Sunday, taking the morning and late afternoon nap and combining them into one mid-day snooze. Probably doesn't seem like something that needs to be shared with the whole world, but for us this is a HUGE change in the daily routine. Rather then having to be down for his morning nap by 9:30, we now have the whole morning to ourselves. No nap until 12:30! It feels like the world has opened up with possibility. We can now sign up for some fun little classes, go run errands, do whatever we want! I have lots of ideas and I'll keep you posted....but for now it's just another example of making the transition from baby to toddler. This morning we are off to our favorite park in Saratoga Springs. Hope you all have fabulous Fridays!

PS: BIG birthday shout out to our most favorite 6 year old! Happy Birthday Dexter!! We love you all the way from New York to Minnesota! This is Teddy's most adored photo of you. It is hanging up on our bulletin board near his high chair. He points and giggles at your cool wheels during every meal :) xoxoxo!

sweet and simple

I haven't taken enough video of our lil' pumpkin lately. This morning I decided to pull out the camera and capture some sweetness. Normally when Teddy plays with his tractors he is pretty energetic, loudly making chug chug noises as he pushes the vehicles aggressively across the living room floor. Today though he was so quiet, still, and studious. The peaceful playtime helped him achieve a new accomplishment....

Months ago we received a few "Little People" pieces from Grandma & Grandpa Alcott and ever since he has been trying to figure out how to get the farmer to sit in the tractor. At 13 months, lining the pieces up correctly is still pretty difficult. It's the whole hand/eye coordination thing, tricky tricky. Today was the day though....he did it! As you can tell from the video, he's awfully happy! He just wants to do it over and over again. Such a doll.