Hangin' at the Block Party

Our neighborhood had its annual block party on Saturday, September 12th. It was a beautiful day and we had such a good time. Last year, we were only able to stay for a short time as Myles was only a few weeks old. We are constantly amazed at what a difference a year makes!
Luckily, we arrived early, so Myles got to spend some time in the inflatable jumping house all by himself.
Miss Sarah, the teacher of the music class that Myles attends, made an appearance at the block party! Myles loves music class and especially loves playing with the instruments and other props that Miss Sarah always has with her! We usually have music class inside, so it was particularly fun to be outside this time! Many of Myles's friends from the neighborhood were there as well, so it was really fun!

The Waukesha Fire Department sent a fire truck to the party, so Myles got a good, up-close look at the inside and outside of one of the fire trucks that he hears often (the fire station is only a few blocks from our neighborhood, so we hear lots of sirens).Myles really enjoyed hanging out with the neighbors. We took his Lightning McQueen car (a big hit with all of his friends), so he was able to run all over the place! However, he has had a little trouble understanding why he can't take it in the street anymore - that was sooo much fun!

Labor Day Weekend

Myles went for his first boat ride on Friday, September 4th. He took it all in quietly at first, but then had a lot of fun standing on the side of the boat pointing and shouting at the things he saw. He really enjoyed spending the evening with his friends, Lauren and Morgan, and Mommy and Daddy enjoyed seeing their friends as well.

Saturday, Gramma and Grampa A. came to spend the day with Myles while Mommy and Daddy headed to the first football game of the season. Myles had a great time playing with Gramma and Grampa - they got out his water table, took him to the park, played with lots of toys and had many laughs.
Sunday, Myles took Gramma and Grampa to the zoo and everyone enjoyed the beautiful day with the animals!

Myles had a big day on Labor Day when he took his first big steps all on his own at the park. He made it about 2 1/2 steps before he fell. He has taken a few here and there since then, but he just isn't ready to be a full-time walker yet. However, he practically runs behind his Lightning McQueen car at the park and is doing circles around the house with his walker.

Lotza Fun Friday

Myles and Mommy had a fun Friday morning at The Lotza Fun Room. It is a great place for little ones! It was so fun to let Myles play and play without having to stop him or tell him "no". I believe it will become a regular hangout for us. We went with 2 of Myles's little friends from down the street and their Mommy. After playing, we headed to McDonald's for lunch. Myles took a great nap after his fun morning and is enjoying playing with Daddy as Mommy blogs. Looking forward to a great weekend!





Myles loved playing in the ball pit! His favorite part was throwing the balls out and then screaming with delight when we threw them back in with him. The pretty little girl in the ball pit with him is his friend, Ava.



He was a natural in the car after all of his practice with his new Cozy Coupe!



Myles really enjoyed this mailbox. He played with the butterfly on top and then had a blast putting letters in the box and taking them out again.

Workin' Toward Walkin'

Myles continues to enjoy doing things on his feet. Standing at his water play table, standing and opening / closing the gas cap on the Cozy Coupe, standing in the kitchen and pushing chairs around, etc. He doesn't quite have the balance or the confidence to take his first walking steps, but they can't be too far away. He's really started moving around with his Lightning McQueen car, which is for riding or walking behind. Here's a few minutes of video we took a couple nights ago.

Party Hearty...

Myles's weeklong first birthday extravaganza concluded with a bang today at his birthday party. In attendance were Grandma and Grandpa T., Uncle Dan, Aunt Tiff and Cousin Cole, Gramma and Grandpa A. and Aunt Jenny. Judging by the presents received, you would think there were three times that many guests. Myles is clearly a very loved, and now spoiled, little boy. There are too many gifts to list, but some highlights appear below.

The updated classic from Mommy and Daddy. Cousin Cole provided the ride.



Grandma and Grandpa T. gave some really cool handmade, wood train cars, with which Myles was fascinated.



Gramma and Grandpa A.'s Lightning McQueen ride and walk behind car was a big hit.



He LOVED the water play table that Aunt Jenny gave.



Uncle Dan, Aunt Tiffany and Cousin Cole gave Myles the awesome 30th anniversary edition of the Cozy Coupe. Sa-weet.



The lucky kid was so buried in new toys, he didn't know what to play with next, so we had cake. The cake turned out great - delicious with a perfect drawing of one of Myles's favorite toys.



The Littlest Big Boy had an excellent celebration! Thanks to all of our wonderful family for making it such a great day for Myles!

Happy Birthday, Dear Myles!!!

Well, the big birthday bash is planned for Sunday, but we celebrated today also, which is the actual date. It's been a wonderful year and it passed by in a flash.

Myles had a wonderful birthday. The highlights are numerous. When he woke up, Mommy and Daddy sang Happy Birthday! to him. Then, at his daycare home, he received some really cool presents from Angie and her family, who threw a little party for him. On the way home from daycare, he received a call from Grandma and Grandpa T., who sang Happy Birthday! to him again. Around dinner time, he received a very mushy birthday e-mail from his Gramma A and loved it. When we returned home from dinner, we found a couple of packages on the front porch from Aunt Jenny and Uncle Mike, which were "extra" gifts so he'd have something to open on his birthday. We opened them and found some great birthday books which he paged through and enjoyed right away. After his bath, Uncle Dan and Aunt Tiff called and wished him a happy birthday, too. What a wonderful family he has!

The big action for the day was Myles's birthday dinner on the town. We were delightfully surprised when Myles selected our favorite local Mexican restaurant for his special meal - a very sophisticated choice for a 1-year old. There Myles did not enjoy the chicken strips and fries we ordered for him, but he did eat the squash and crackers Mommy brought. Still, it was not a total bust. Myles fell head over heels in love with our lovely young server, Xio. He flirted shamelessly, exploited the birthday boy angle and, at one point, even grasped her hand and refused to let go. She returned his affections with a piece of birthday cake topped with one candle and a group of friends to sing to him one more time, which he absolutely loved.

All in all, a wonderful celebration of a fantastic first year and the first day of Myles's second year...

...and many more...

Mommy took this picture at 9:00 AM this morning, marking the exact moment that Myles turned the ripe age of one:



Myles and Xio:

Feliz cumpleanos a ti:

Living it up with birthday cake:



One more time for good measure:



Opening a present from Aunt Jenny and Uncle Mike!

A haircut? No, I want 'em all cut.

Big weekend. First, Myles had a really fun visit from Gramma and Grampa A. on Friday, who visited for the afternoon and stayed overnight to babysit so Mommy and Daddy could go out on the town. Although Myles gave them some fairly standard trouble at bedtime, it was pretty clear that all three of them had a good time.

This morning, after Gramma and Grampa hit the road, we were able to get a quick appointment for Myles's first haircut. A few quiet tears on the ride over, but Mommy did just fine once we got inside. This was something that Mommy had been putting off for some time, not wanting that milestone to pass until absolutely necessary. Myles will be a year old in a few days, and it was time.

From a parent's perspective, a first cut is a big deal anyway, but it also somehow made him look so much more "grown up." Where he has been a baby his whole life, he's really starting to look (and behave) like a little boy. All in all, it was a good experience with a very nice, patient lady at the McHaircut stand.

"Before" shot of "that '70s baby" while waiting for our appt.:



Myles was a little nervous with a case of ants-in-pants, but pretty good overall for a one-year old in a new and strange situation:






Who is this big boy?



Back home, Mommy and Daddy still can't get over it. From Daddy's perspective, he looks as grown up as I did in my kindergarten class photo: