Sarah's first 7 months

Trevor's October

October was a busy month for this little man. First, it was celebrating Mommy's birthday. Then the Kerwes (carnivals) in and around town. Then came the CDC orientation and the first day he spent there (18 Ocotber). He arrived at 10 am and I picked him up at 3 pm. His "teachers" said he was a complete joy. Naptime was a little bit of a struggle and proved frustrating for Trevor. He couldn't understand why all of his buddies weren't playing with him during quiet time. But I guess Trevor got a little bit more one-on-one attention since he didn't sleep. The one thing that his "teacher" did say was, "Man, can your little boy eat!" No kidding!

Trevor was scheduled to go back on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next two weeks, but he came down with the nastiest flu I ever saw. He was stuffed up, had snot coming out of his eyes and had a cough that sounded like an 85 year old man, who had smoked for 75 of those years. But the kid was in good spirits through out...took him to see the doc just to make sure it wasn't anything like bronchitis and sure enough he was quickly on the mend. He seems to have recovered like no other, although every now and again, his nose will run (randomly and only once) and if he gets too over-excited, his cough will reappear as well. But other than that, he is good to go.

He is now cutting his last tooth, an upper canine, and after that, I think we are through with teething for a little bit. It's amazing how this process effects the body in different ways...his poor little "po-po" (butt) looked like hamburger meat the other day. It was raw and had a couple of open sores...we took a nice walk to the apotheke and got some healing cream and some other ointment to help with the pain. So far, so good. His butt looks incredibly better, although not back to complete normal...but again...his spirits and mood are good and he is working through the process. I will be VERY happy when all the teething is over.

Finally, we got to see Kelley and Cheyenne again. I can't believe in the 6 and a half years that we have been here, that this is the first year we were all together for Halloween. The kids had a great time doing the pumpkins and preparing their costumes. Trevor loved having Kelley around and even supposedly said "Kelley" at one time. He's working out some words, so I am not surprised, in the least, that he would go for her name. Just goes to show how much he loves her...

Trevor couldn't get enough of Cheyenne...following her around everywhere...crying if she got away and locked herself in her room for a little peace and quiet. I told Kelley that now, Cheyenne gets to know what it's like to have a smaller sibling get on your nerves. In due time, Cheyenne will have a true appreciation for all the time Kelley has spent with her...and will also understand why sometimes Kelley gets so annoyed and frustrated by her little sister. Siblings are fun!

And then of course, we had all of the fun of Halloween. Check the Garbo Gang blog to read about the whole story. Poor kiddo. I guess there was just too much going to for him to take in. But, puke washes out, no one was hurt and we now have a very funny story to tell at every Halloween.

Be sure to check back...November is sure to hold lots of fun stories and the countdown to the arrival of Meme & Opa is sure to start soon....!

Meme & Opa... ... ...

Mommy told me today that Meme & Opa are going to be here for Christmas! HOORRAY!!

I can't wait to see them again! I must have been a really good boy, since I am going to get to visit with them for the second time in 6 months!!!

Now, I am going to be really busy...practicing how to say "Opa" and "Meme" and other stuff.

This is going to be a really fantastic and really fun Christmas!

15 months

We can barely believe it...15 months? Where HAS that time gone?????

Big things are happening...no more high chair - T has graduated to the booster seat...eating off of plates...using utensils...and noshing on pizza slices!!!

Also here, you can see him in action...riding on his Polizei bobby car, eating away with his spoon and enjoying other toys that seem to be for such big boys...has T really gotten this big already???

Trevor has started to develop his own way of dancing (clapping his hands and swinging his arms around), we have started karate - mostly doing a "hiiiiii-ya!" karate chop, and I swear to the heavens above, he said "outside" the other day...

So....the little guy is quite busy...enjoying life and developing at a rate that my mind just can't quite keep up with!

Be sure to check out the vids here. Enjoy!

Fun with Ravioli

Check out the mess with this lunch!!! We were working with our utensils and the sauce got the better of the both of us!

This is the lunch when we went directly to the bath afterwards...sauce in the hair, ears, on the back of the neck, down the chest....now THAT is good ole fun!

In, On and Under

The other day, Trevor really surprised me. I had stepped, quickly, into the other room while he was in the living room with all of his toys. When I came back, the little guy was IN his toy box!

He was having an absolute blast in there...then the new game started...help me out of the toy box, watch me get back in, then help me out again...

He is very upset these days, when all of his toys actually make it into his toy box and there is no room for him! So, then we empty it out and make room for him.

Soon after getting INTO things...he realized that other toys can be sat ON and ridden. Of course, not as well as the actually riding toys themselves...but other toys work too. He started with getting on the trailer of his train. Smart kid - he sat on it, so that the bar that a monkey hangs off of was his handlebars!!! But, as it was so low to the ground, he couldn't get much movement out of it, so he just sat on it!! HA ha ha hah haaaa.



Then, came the time to ride his cement truck. The spinning part on the back folds down (to spill out whatever you have in it) and he used that as his handle bars. He was a bit more successful getting somewhere riding this toy, but he had a couple of spills himself riding this one!



And last, but not least....Trevor realized that he can go UNDER things. He turned his walking toy upside down and crawled under it - actually, he started to crawl under it, took a little rest while there, then continued the journey through it. And this was just the beginning of being under and going through things....he now crawls under and through the coffee table (actually he likes to crawl ONTO the coffee table too), turns his backpack upside down and crawls through the support bar and all over that too, through our legs, sits on his beach ball and on Kelley's volleyball.

I swear, Trevor comes up with all these new discoveries and I seriously wonder of other kids do the same thing!! As I have said many times before...this kid is funny! And it is amazing to watch him explore and discover so many new things...or new ways to play with toys....this next year is certainly going to be as amazing and interesting to experience as was the first one!

Here are other photos of Trevor IN, ON and UNDER other things!

Homburg Kerwe

A couple of villages down from us was having their "Kerwe" - a small kind of carnival. The usual suspects were all there and we went as Heinz and his band, The Pflaz Gang, were headlining the entertainment that night.

We didn't anticipate staying too long, but Trevor really had a good time. Auntie Claudia (who is SO good with Trevor) took him on his first carnival ride. He was the only one on the ride and Claudia had a blast circling around with him. But, after a couple of goes...she got a bit dizzy, so Terry went on the ride with Trevor.

This kid is fearless! He loved it! Kicked and screamed and cried when we finally took him off and moved back toward the main area. But, he was calmed down soon enough, as behind the beer tents, there was a playground.

Up and down the slide and bouncy chair thingy and all the other kids...he was in heaven! And boy did that kid do some serious walking! We initially had him in the backpack...but soon let him loose as the crowd wasn't so bad and it was open area for him to really explore.

What really caught his attention was the stage and all the interesting stuff on it (speakers, guitars, drums, wires, etc)...Uncle Mishy - who spoils Trevor so - took him up on stage to explore all the fun stuff.

But then, Heinz and the boys started to play and Trevor was mesmerized! He stopped cold in his tracks when the band started playing and just stared at them. Then, we walked a bit closer to the stage...and then a bit more closer. He clapped his hands to the music and honestly, it was really cool to watch Trevor watch the band. It was almost like he was studying what was going on...how the instruments were making all that noise. Heinz is so super! He always waves to Trev, smiles at him and makes contact with him while he is on stage. I think Trevor is completely captivated by this guy, our friend, Heinz.

So...here, you can check out photos and a couple of videos of Trevor on his first carnival ride, playing on the playground and other shots of all of us having a good time at the Kerwe.

My Meme

Time sure did pass quickly while Meme and Opa were here...compared to last summer, we didn't get very many pics of the Beaner with his beloved Meme.

But here are a few. The boy loves his Meme and undoubtedly, Meme adores her little boy!!


check out the other photos of Meme & Trevor here

I wear CHUCKS!

Trevor's been walking, independently walking, for a few weeks now. Even before, when he would walk while pushing something around, I could never get shoes on the kid. We'd been to a couple of parties and Trevor would be walking (assisted) with just a couple of pairs of socks on his feet. TRAVESTY! All of our German friends were like, "uh, where the hell are his shoes?"

The story was always the same...can't get them on, he balls up his feet, pulls them off as soon as I get them on (while he is kicking and screaming) etc, etc etc.

So, on this particular day...I explained to Trevor why it was important that he practice wearing his shoes in the house. I explained to him that if he wears them, we can walk pretty much anywhere. And...I swear to the heaven's above...he HAD to have understood me.

On this day - he not only quietly sat in my lap and allowed me to put his socks on...but was very agreeable with letting me put his Chucks on. And then, he actually got up and walked around and started playing like he had always been wearing them. No adjustment period, no checking them out or squirming around with them...everything just went extraordinarily normal.

So here you have it...the first day Trevor officially wore his shoes and carried on. Be sure to check out the videos of him walking and climbing around! Click HERE.

Chocolate Ice Cream...Yummy!

Okay...I feel really REALLY guilty for no cake smashing pictures. But this makes up for a small bit of that guilt.

While in Trier...Meme gave Trevor his first taste of chocolate ice cream. He was addicted! Cried the instant she took it away!!

Just like Daddy - a choco-holic in our midst!!



And Opa trying to make things all better by trading the ice cream for some juice. Obviously (you can tell from the photo) the trade didn't go over so well!!!

Trevor's 1st Birthday - Part II

Wow...now that I am putting this entry together, I realized just how bad of a Mom I am......no pics of Trevor at the party....no pics of all his little friends....just all of us adults having a really good time. Hey! At least I got a photo of his pirate cake I was so stressed about making!

So...we had his 'official' party planned when everyone who needed to be there could attend. It was also the night before Meme & Opa left to go back to the States.

The party was a huge success...we had a set of twins over, a 6 month old, a 21 month old...lots of goodies came Trevor's way....and the poor kiddo missed out on it ALL!

He was superb at keeping pace with all of us for the 3 weeks that Meme & Opa were here. We really put him through some paces, but he held fast and was a really terrific kid through it all. But it did catch up with him.

Just as all the guests were arriving for the party...Trevor was swooped up and taken into the kitchen for dinner. Then the evening bath and off to bed. He missed it all! He didn't even see his pirate cake - and believe when I say...there wasn't but a small sliver left at the end.

So! No cake...both times. No party...both times. Not much special for the little guy on such a momentous occasion. Geesh...I think I need to make this up to him. I think I will make him a cake this weekend and let him have at it. Poor kid.

highlights of everything trevor missed ----> here.

Kelley

Kelley was in love the minute she first saw Trevor...and the feeling is mutual. He loves her enormously and laughs with her all the time. She was super with making faces at him and getting him to giggle with delight.

There even got to be a time when he would imitate what she was doing. These two are really fantastic together!!

Heidelberg Castle

We were almost desperate to get Fritz to Heidelberg...we knew it was a must go destination...but with weather and nighttime activities, it was a hard outting to arrange. But...we finally did...and it couldn't have been a more perfect day.

After cruising the main drag...eating lunch at a fine micro-brewery...we headed to the castle. I didn't think Fritz would be interested in taking the guided tour, but Terry got ticket for Bev, Fritz & Cheyenne. Terry and Kelley did some of their own walking and exploring around while I took Trevor to a quiet spot under a tree so that he could be free of his backpack for a while.

And that boy really brings in the attention. An older lady with her granddaughter stopped by so that the kids could play together. Trevor made a bee-line for the walkway and passerbyers couldn't help but say something to me about how sweet he is (of course!)...

So, the snacks and juice were broken out and Trevor and I had a really super time playing and exploring together while everyone else did their own thing. Later on, we were joined by Terry and Kelley and the four of us had a really nice time hanging out on the lawn together. You can tell in the pics. Check them out here!

Cheyenne

Trevor had SO MUCH FUN with his sister, Cheyenne. She crawled around on the floor with him and played tag...hide and go seek...she made him laugh so hard, it brought tears to everyone who could hear him.

She's a great big sister and you can feel the love these two have between them.