Fun Times!

This is such a fun age! Connor is 17 months old and is able to do so much now ... well, atleast he THINKS he can! :) He tries to put toothpaste on his toothbrush, tries to put on his shoes, tries to use a toddler spoon and fork, brushes his hair with anything that looks similar to a brush, draws with a pencil or pen, waves at every car that goes by, and even puts his dirty diapers in the trash! Restaurants aren't so much fun right now, so we are avoiding them as much as we can! He has so much energy and can't sit still long enough to enjoy much of anything ... even food! He stands in the dog food bowls, puts diapers in the air vents (clean ones, thank goodness!), puts clean pieces of toilet paper in the toilet, dips his food in ketchup and licks the ketchup off, and has the loudest temper tantrums in the WORLD! Whew ... he's a handfull but it's so much fun!! He has also added a few more words to his vocabulary! "Daaa" along with a wave is his way of saying BYE. He can say "hey!" "L, L, L" and pointing to the computer is his way of asking to call Auntie Liz on Skype. "Coo-kee" is cookie and "kaka" is cracker. He's trying real hard to say "treat" because he is OBSESSED with giving milkbones to Nestle. He "moooo's" at cows and says "tak-or" for tractor!

Since this is Lee's "busy season" at work and on the farm, I have been driving to Kingstree after work each day to get Connor. If I don't, it's 7:00 - 7:30 before I get to see him. It's not fun driving 30 minutes there and back, but it's worth every minute of it just to share these fun and exciting times with him. He's growing up so fast!

Finally ... WORDS!!

When we went for Connor's 15 month check-up, his doctor asked me how many words he was saying. Sadly, I could only think of 2 that he says on a regular basis ... "da-da" and "dog". Although the doctor assured me that it was nothing to worry about, I knew that many babies say much more than this by 15 months and I wanted mine to do the same. Within a week, Connor began saying so many more words. I'm not sure if after the doctor's visit, Lee and I started really listening to his words, or if he really improved his vocabulary since the visit. Whatever the reason, Connor is finally "talking" and it is so much fun to hear him!!

Words he can say:
DaDa (his very first -and only - word for a long time!!)
dog
na-nuh (for banana)
who-dat (see below)
ha (for hot)
Mah-ma (FINALLY!!!!!!)
Quack-Quack-Quack (from one of his favorite books ... 5 Little Ducks)
Uh-oh! (see below)
Dank-ew (thank you)
na-na-na (for no)
duice (for juice)

My 2 favorites (other than Mah-ma, of course!!) are Who-dat and Uh-oh!! Every single time the phone rings or someone walks in the door (at anyone's house) Connor stands up and says "WHO DAT" as he turns both hands over. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I have no idea where he got that from, although Lee says he gets it from me ... he says I'm nosey!! "Uh-oh" is a favorite, too, because Connor doesn't just say it when something "unexpected" happens, he also says it when he purposely does something. Example: When he's sitting in his booster seat and purposely drops his peas on the floor for the dog to come eat!! I know this isn't a "good" thing, and I correct him at the table, but I can secretly laugh about it on here!!

15 Months Old

I cannot believe that my little man is already 15 months old!! He seems to be growing up so fast these days! He is walking well (even runs at times), babbles non-stop (even though we can only understand a couple of words), and even tries to use a spoon to feed himself!! My baby is growing up!! He knows exactly how to hold a phone to his ear and will "talk" to anyone on it! A few days ago, he even kissed the phone when Aunt Liz was talking to him! I was amazed to learn that he can even make the "smack" sound when he kisses!! Precious!!! Oh, and he has actually called a few people so if we have "pranked" any of you, SORRY!!! When Nestle (our Cocker Spaniel) scratches on the door, he walks over to it and tries to open it for her. He HAS figured out how to open the doors at Mama's house. He LOVES sitting in his little chair from cousin Hannah ... he'll "kick back" like Daddy and even cross his ankles JUST like him!! (Those little eyes are ALWAYS watching!!) His Lovey taught him how to kick a ball over the weekend ... he LOVES any kind of ball! He tries to sneak up Lovey's stairs when no one is watching but let me assure you, he KNOWS he is doing wrong because he will climb one stair and look around to see if anyone is watching. When his eyes meet mine, it's like looking at a deer in headlights!! :) Connor still LOVES books and picks out the tractor in every book that has a picture of one in it. Vvrrrrrmmmmmm, vvrrrrrmmmmmm soon follows!! He isn't so good about sharing yet, but LOVES to tease!! When someone asks him to share whatever it is in his hands, he will stick it out and just as soon as the person goes to take it, he quickly draws his hand back and laughs out loud!! It really is hilarious, even though I try my hardest not to laugh as we are trying to teach him to share. I have been trying to teach him to give our dog a treat, but not Connor ... he wants the treat for himself! I'll have to wait a few more months to teach him this skill because as soon as I hand Connor the Milk-Bone (with the intentions of Connor giving it to Nes), he takes it and runs to another room! Connor is absolutely infatuated with tractors ... must be in the Morris blood!! You know it's serious when I have to enter Lowes through the exit door just so we won't pass the MANY John Deere lawn mowers parked at the entrance door!! Connor has a "moment" when we pass anything "John Deere" or tractor-related! He starts pointing, kicking his feet, and babbling! So, we just completely aviod that situation when we shop!! :) During our family Christmas get-together at Aunt Liz's house, Connor saw Uncle David's brand new John Deere lawn mower in their garage. He wouldn't let us forget that he saw it, returning to the door several times and pointing ... telling us through his motions that he wanted to go out and ride!! Sweet Uncle David took Connor for a few spins in the yard and Connor LOVED it!! I can't wait until Uncle David teaches Connor some of his baseball skills!! :) You'd be amazed at how well he can already throw a ball!! (I'm going to take credit for his sport skills even though Lee thinks he should!!)

DEU 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

14 Months Old

Connor is now 14 months old and so much fun! He is walking well (although it's still that cute little "waddle" which I LOVE!!) and he sometimes even tries to run! Lee and I enjoy chasing him around the house while he runs (and falls) and laughs. He has a mouth-full of teeth which REALLY hurt when he chomps down on my finger. I didn't realize babies teeth are so sharp and jagged!! :) He still isn't talking too much although I think he has finally made the correlation between Lee and "Dada." Sadly, he isn't saying "Mama" but I feel certain that it's coming real soon!! :) And yes, I'm ready ... even though I know I'll regret saying that one day!! :) He has said "Mama" a couple of times and each time I thought to myself "That's it!! Now he's going to start saying it!!" WRONG!! While playing outside, he waves at EVERY SINGLE car that drives by. His favorite thing on this EARTH is a tractor. Every time he sees one, he says, "Vrmmmmm, vrmmmmm ..." He isn't scared one bit of the loud noises they make and would ride with his Granddaddy on a tractor ALL DAY if we let him! He even has a John Deere night light which he unplugs from the wall and Vrmmmmm vrmmmmm's!! He will do the same thing when he is reading his John Deere book! I forsee a John Deere birthday party sometime in my future. WHY am I not at all surprised? Connor also loves looking at pictures of his cousin, Hannah. Since they live in Nashville and we don't get to see them as often as we would like, I have made a point to often show him a frammed picture of Hannah which I have on an end table in my den. Just the other day, we were playing in his nursery and he walked (waddled) out. I listened to his footsteps and knew he was just in the den so I waited for him to return (He won't stay gone without me for long!!). Just a few seconds later, he returned to the nursery with the frammed picture of Hannah in his hands. I said. "Connor, who is that? Is that Hannah?" I almost cried as I watched him immediately kiss her picture!! How precious! Hopefully they will be moving back to SC real soon!! We miss them so much! We were so glad to be able to see them at Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! Sloan and Hannah are planning a trip to SC this summer and we are so excited! I have recently learned that Connor is not afraid to get dirty! He had his first experience with mud puddles when his "Lovey" (my mama) let him play in them when she came to visit! He had the best time splashing in that nasty water! As a friend said, "That's why they make soap and water!!" He also enjoys feeding the cows on his Granddaddy's farm and isn't afraid of them either! Connor has brought so much joy to our lives and we are enjoying each and every minute with him. He is truly a gift from God and Lee and I thank Him daily for this precious gift he has blessed us with. God tells us in the bible ... "Train a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6) This is my resolution for 2009 (and for the rest of my life)as I want Connor to love the Lord and walk with Him each day of his life.

Happy Birthday, Connor!!

I cannot believe it ... Connor is officially ONE YEAR OLD!! Exactly one year ago today, Lee and I finally got to meet the special little baby boy who would changed our lives forever. He was absolutely the most beautiful thing we had ever laid our eyes on! Connor continues to amaze us each and every day!! He can now walk across a room, feed himself "real" food (yes I do, Claire!!), give kisses (with an open mouth), wave "bye-bye," climb up and down stairs, dance, drive a battery-operated toddler-size 4-wheeler, pet the dog, flush the toilet, say "dog," clap his hands together when he is happy, and he has even managed to pull every single pot and pan out of my kitchen cabinet - onto the floor - and bang them together - while sitting on the cheese grater! Connor has brought so much happiness and laughter into our lives . God has truly blessed us with a precious miracle from above and for his, we are so thankful. We love him so much!! Happy First Birthday, Connor!

Our Little "Prince" Is Turning One!!

Whew ... what a day!! Today (well, yesterday now) we celebrated Connor's first birthday with a house-full of the BEST friends and family ever!! We really appreciate all who made the trip to celebrate this special occasion with us!! Connor had a blast and absolutely loved all the attention. He had the cutest "Lil Prince" cake (to go along with the whole 'lil prince theme) and it was the BEST cake I have ever eaten. Connor seemed to agree!! :) (see picture!!) He got LOTS of new and fun toys!! Someone told me today that I need to turn his bedroom into a playroom so I will have somewhere to store all of his new toys!! I can't wait to play with all of them with him! He even sported a new hair cut today!! I know, I know, he isn't officially a year old yet but I HAD to do it ... his bangs were so long and were hanging down in his eyes!! Not anymore, though!! Ms. Cindy took care of that for us and Connor was so good the whole time!! We couldn't believe how well-behaved and still he was. Just hope he is like that next time we go!! (yeah, right!!) Thanks to everyone for making Connor's first birthday such a special one! We love you all!!

A Lesson Learned

Since Connor is beginning to walk (well, he takes a few steps and falls down, laughing), I decided the time has come ... time for me to break down and buy Connor a pair of shoes. Although some people think that even little babies need shoes, I don't understand the purpose of putting shoes on babies who can't walk. If it's because their feet get cold, that's what socks are for. If it's because shoes will help them learn to walk, they'll walk when they are ready to walk ... I'm in no hurry. Anyway, Mrs. Yevonne, Connor, Noa Kate and I went shopping at the beach today and yes, I bought Connor some shoes!! Before coming home, we decided to check out the new (to us) Lowes Foods. It was almost time for supper so Connor was getting a little fussy. I grabbed a bag of Graduates Finger Foods from his diaper bag, hoping they would hold him over until I could get back to the car. Thankfully, those Graduates Finger Foods worked their magic once again!! I was able to grab a few more items in peace before heading to the checkout. At the checkout, I had to unload my buggy so I couldn't continuously hand Connor his little snacks. Instead, I grabbed an Eclipse gum container and gave it to him. This gum package was new to me ... instead of the paper that gum usually comes in, this was actually in a plastic container with a pour top. Anyway, I paid for my groceries and headed out to the car where Mrs. Yevonne and Noa Kate were waiting. As I was pushing the buggy, I looked down at Connor and noticed that he was chewing on something. I stuck my finger in his mouth but couldn't feel anything. When I took my finger out, he continued to chew! I grabbed the gum container out of his hands and looked at it closely. I noticed that there was a thin, plastic wrapping around the very top of it and about an inch of it was GONE and I knew exactly where it was!!! I immediately stuck my finger in Connor's mouth again to see if I could get it out, but I still couldn't feel anything!! I picked Connor up out of the buggy and he started gagging and coughing ... his eyes were watery and red ... and he was choking!! I left the buggy in the middle of the parking lot (pocketbook and all) and ran across to the other side of the parking lot to Mrs. Yevonne. On my way, he started vomiting!! He vomited 3 times before he FINALLY, after what seemed like HOURS, let out a loud cry. I have never been so scared in my entire life!! I know that I have just experienced the first of MANY scares involving my child and that really frightens me! It's the most terrible feeling! In the childbirth class Lee and I took, they showed us what to do when a baby is choking, but all I could think about was "This is a piece of a plastic wrapper ... not a piece of a hot dog!! It's not going to come out by doing what they taught us to do and he's going to suffocate!" Thanks to the good Lord above, Connor is okay. I don't know if the piece of plastic came out in his vomit, or if it went on down - right now, I don't even care. I'm just so thankful that he is alright. Looking back, this lesson seems so obvious ... I mean, this is something that I would have sworn I would never do!! But without stopping to think, and without looking closely at what I was giving my baby, I made a mistake that I hope to never make again. I think that sometimes during those chaotic moments in life (like at the grocery store with a hungry, fussy baby with a few more items to get), we loose our ability to reason and make wise choices. Let this be a lesson to all ... please be careful ... even in the most stressful situations, stop and think about what you are doing! Always take the time to make wise decisions ... especially when it involves your baby!!