Fairy Godmother

Dear Baby Bird,

Today your godmother, Nancy, got married. She truly looked like a princess and had an amazing day.

You may have been the only guest of the wedding to wear two outfits, but I was really worried you would spill your bottle on your shirt, so you wore this handsome outfit to the ceremony:

 And came out to the cake reception wearing this:

We snuck outside for a family photo, which turned out great!

And a quick photo with your brother!

You now walk almost all the time, you are so proud of yourself and are growing into such a confident little man.

Daddy and his boys.

You love hanging out with Dad.

Nancy wanted a picture with you, but the night went past your bedtime, so the only photo we got was in your pjs. Still, what a special night with a very, very special godmother. We are so happy for her and so glad she will be a part of your life forever.

 

Love,

Mom

Independence

Dear Baby Bird,

Soon we will be celebrating Independence Day for the nation. Meanwhile, you are practicing your own independence.

You get very upset when one of us tells you not to do something you want to do, or when we take something away from you.

We love you very much and still need to protect you, even as you start showing your first signs of Independence.

Love,
Mom

Chicago Style Celebration

Dear Baby Bird,

The Chicago Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup Championship in hockey!  And, you were there during some of the games!!  Thankfully, Daddy can now shave his hockey beard.

You are really walking well now, taking 10-30 steps around the house.  Here is a shot of you by the Chicago Bean running toward the camera... giving Mommy a little scare as you approached some stairs.

We had a nice picnic at Millennium Park listening to a concert.

The Bean was great for weird photos of the family!

We strolled around Millennium Park and went to the tall water towers... you love water fountains!

This inspired us to walk down to Buckingham Fountain -- a real big fountain for you.  This picture is like a Where's Waldo... see if you can see the Fountain & Mommy (in purple).  We took time to smell the nice roses along the path.

We then took the "L" from Grant Park to the Sears/Willis Tower.  You had a bottle on the 30-second elevator ride to the 103rd floor.

At the pinnacle of the city, you bravely walked out on the Sky Deck with the family.  For a few seconds, you  were cracking up laughing at something!  What a happy little man!!

After the quick trip up and back, we crossed the street to get some Giordano's Famous Chicago Pizza.

By the end of this busy first day, we checked into our hotel and fell fast asleep!

The next day was a relaxing day in the hotel, just giggling, smiling, and swimming.

Sunday, we were off to the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry.  We saw so many fun things all morning, and got to meet your Mommy's cousin's son who is 4 months old - same grade as you!  The laughing display was your favorite... lots of people laughing out loud made you laugh hard!

What a great trip!  You're my little Champ!

Love,
Daddy

The early bird catches the video

Dear Baby Bird,
You are an Early Bird! You like to wake up early (sometimes as early as 4:45, often at 5:15, and almost always by 5:50)

This morning was one of those very early mornings, so after your bottle and breakfast, we headed out for a walk. Our yard has a lot of birds and nests, so you enjoy hearing the noise they make (and perhaps that noise is part of what's waking you up so early? We've already tried blocking out all the sunlight from the windows)

After our walk,we played in the driveway for a while, and I was finally able to catch a few  of your steps on video.

Love,
Mom

Strawberry Fields Forever

Dear Baby Bird,
Today was the first day of Strawberry picking season, and we were there bright and early! We got to ride behind a tractor to get to the field. You loved the ride, especially the way the wind made your hair blow!

 Even more than that, you loved taste testing the berries. They were delicious!

Brother filled our box full of HUGE red berries.

The tractor ride back to the farm was fun, too.

Love,
Mom

Summer Vacation!

Dear Baby Bird,
Brother is done with school for the year, so today officially started our new Summer Schedule. This means that Brother will be with us on Mondays and Fridays, and at your sitters or with you and Grandma the other days. You are going to be spending a lot of time together!

We started the vacation with a trip to the pool with our neighbor friends. We bought a pass this year, so I have a feeling we'll be going a lot. You loved crawling around and splashing and waving at people. So much fun!

Love,
Mom

11 months old

Dear Baby Bird,

Likes
Noise, people, being outside
Food of pretty much any kind
Getting attention, laughing
Standing by yourself, taking a few steps
Running behind a push toy
Splashing in water
Waving at everyone
Opening and closing doors
Swings and slides

Dislikes
Being told No
Having your hands and face washed or nose wiped

Love,
Mom