Election Day KittyWatch 2012

Upon leaving the polls on Election Day 2012, we found a stray kitten that refused to come out to be rescued. It wasn't for lack of trying on Tate's part (it's really too bad we're allergic to kitties). We never could catch that kitten - though with all that empathic yelling, I can't imagine why... -  but if we had we would have named it Barack! ;o)

 

Election Day KittyWatch 2012

from Amy B on Vimeo.

I CAN'T EVEN!

Words escape me when I try to tell you just how much I love this video of my cutie dancing at his Aunt Rachel & Uncle Jeff's wedding on October 6th. It's just SO Tate! Cure for sadness? I GOTS IT. And now so do you. Don't say I never did anything for ya. ;o)

Dancin' Tater

from Amy B on Vimeo.

Tiny Tate

A week from today Tate will be two years old. T-W-O. I'd be in disbelief if my boy wasn't already doing, saying and BEING so much to remind me of the fact that he's getting older with each day. I was looking back this morning at some old videos and came across this one, filmed when Tate was just 3 months old. Oh, it made me smile! I'm so glad I have some proof that my larger-than-life son was once this small and defenseless; I swear I blinked and he was a toddler! A really freaking amazing one, at that. :o)

Tate's Morning Routine from Amy B on Vimeo.

Patty Tate

"And mark it with a 'T'...and put it in the oven for TATER AND ME!" He had fun singing this to family during a visit to Indiana. He's a a ham. No doubt!


Patty Cake Tate
from Amy B on Vimeo.

Wild Animal

This kiddo slays me! "It's Tate Burton!" Poor guy has water-table messed hair and is sucking on his fingers - and making some strange, never-heard-before blowing sound? - due to the beastly second-year molars coming in, and yet I still think he's cute (and smart) as can be. :o)

Wild Animal from Amy B on Vimeo.

21 month catch-up

It's been a long, long while! I often feel bad about not keeping this blog up, since I like to have it for posterity. Yet every day I spend with my amazing little man, I realize that the memories are collecting in my mind and heart, and that's enough for now.

It's very busy having a toddler to run after; I give a lot of credit to people like my sister who stay home with multiple kids and don't get a break. Being a stay-at-home-mom is by far the best, yet hardest, job I've ever done but I love it even more than I thought I would. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their days with this little cutie?

 

At 21 months old, Tate is so bright - he talks a mile a minute, occasionally using sentences including conjunctions and (proper) pronouns. When you ask "What's your name?" he responds "Tate Burrr-ton!" with a cute little British accent. He counts to 10 all by himself and can identify quite a few letters and colors. He's a champ with silverware and can eat a whole thing of yogurt (his favorite along with peanut butter toast, broccoli and strawberries) without making a mess. He has so much energy and never stops moving. Never.

 

His favorite thing is baseball; he likes to play it, watch it and talk about it nonstop - even in his sleep! He has quite the arm and swing, and never goes anywhere without his baseball and glove. While watching the Tigers a couple weeks ago, he pointed to the TV and said excitedly, "Dey hit the ball...dey run the bases!" Yes, Tate, yes they do.

Swiiiiing, batter batter! from Amy B on Vimeo.

 

He doesn't need a lot of sleep to be awesome (tired mama alert!) and is very funny, making us laugh all day long at the things he says and does. Like, when he has a messy diaper, he comes to me and says "I poop, mama!" and while I'm changing it, he waves his hand in front of his nose and says "Shew-weee!" And then when we go take his (cloth) diaper to the the toilet to spray it out, he watches me patiently and then flushes the toilet, waving and yelling "BYE BYE, POOP!"  This kid is a trip.

He gives hugs -complete with pats on the back- and kisses freely, says "please, thank you, bless you and excuse me" without being prompted, and will say "I love you, mama!" out of the blue, which always leaves me gobsmacked and feeling so proud.

When he wakes up in the morning, he often asks "Where dada go?" with his hands raised in a question, and when he hears the garage door open at the end of the work day, he runs to the door and yells "Yaaaay, dada home!" I love watching Mark and Tate play together - they have such an awesome bond that warms my heart and makes me so excited for what the future holds.

It amazes me how wonderful and all-around great our kiddo is and I feel so beyond lucky that I get to be his mama. I know it's a mother's job to think their child is the sweetest, smartest and best thing ever, but really? MINE SO IS. On that note, I'm off to play with my boy - he's singing "Happy birthday to mama" right now and I don't want to miss a thing.