Christmas at Home.

This year instead of traveling for Christmas we decided to stay at home. We told my family that we wouldn't be coming to New York but we would love for them to join us here. How blessed we were that my parents and my brother and his family could join us. My oldest brother wasn't able to come but it was nice for the rest of the family to be here.
My parents arrived the Sunday before Christmas and left the Monday after(they stayed with us). My brother and his family arrived the day before christmas and left the day after(stayed at a nearby hotel). This year we were able to take Noah to his first christmas at Hershey Park and it was so much fun to be able to take my parents as well. My child ate 7 tiny pieces of chocolate and was wound for the rest of the night. I'm not sure he even felt the cold. I couldn't belive my baby was not only big enough to go on rides by himself but was willing to. We have had some issues this month with him being clingy to momma.
The Stockings are hung. My niece and nephews stocking join Noah's and Honey's on christmas eve in hopes that Santa will come. Noah with one of his stocking gifts.

Where Noah spent a good amount of time watching his new movies

The cousins in front of the tree.

My parents with all their grandchildren.

Christmas morning was everything I had hoped it would be. We woke up at 7am and heard Noah Tamirat in his room so we turned on the living room lights and the video camara and then let him out to discover everything from santa. As he was opening his stocking my parents woke up and they were ready to take pictures and enjoy watching him open all his gifts from santa. My brother and his family arrived soon after Noah had opened his gifts so my niece and nephew opened their stockings and gifts from their parents and then all the kids got the gifts from my parents. Noah opened gifts from his aunt and uncle and cousins and gave them the gifts from us. My niece loved her ethiopian scarf and her ugandan bead necklace. It was a busy day but so nice to have family here and be in our own home so Noah could play with ALL his toys and not just a few.

December already?

Wow am I a bad blogger or what? No blog posts at all for the month of November you would think we were hibernating. It was a bit of a crazy month I guess. Noah and I spent our first time apart and not by choice since I spent 3 1/2 days in the hospital with an ecoli infection in my kidneys. Sean brought noah to visit me in the morning and then again in the afternoon for a couple hours at a time but a 2 year old and hospital room just don't mix.

Noah also got his first big injury. We had Jake over to play and the boys were hugging goodbye when they tipped over into the entertainment center. Noah Tamirat cut open the back of his head and got 3 staples and Jake banged up his face. A little to much trauma for this momma lets hope we don't do that again soon.

We traveled to Florida for thanksgiving this year and its clear that Noah is no longer a good traveler in the car. Before coming home we purchased a new portable dvd player and it ran non stop from all the way home.

Christmas will be at our house this year so we are busy decorating and getting ready for company..

Happy Halloween.

Yesterday we took Noah to the trick or treat event at our local mall. We got there to late for most of the festivites due to nap time but Noah did get to play the duck pond game ( I was so worried he was gonna flop down in the baby pool and I would have had a soaking wet otter). And of course we got to do some trick or treating. Outside for the games and to get our treat bags.

Having crackers before we get started.

The most Adorable sea otter baby.

Dumping out the goodie bags at home. Two bags one from the regular trick or treating and one from the mall kids club.

Some cool new pumpkin shades.

A record of growth thru pumpkin patch pictures.

Ok so it was requested that I show some pictures of this year and last year to show how much Noah has grown and because I don't want to let down my fans. (Kim this is for you). I have posted pictures of Noah last year and then this year in the same or close to the same spot.

Enjoy.

2nd Annual Albright Family pumpkin patch trip.

Last Saturday we made our trip the pumpkin patch. We went back to the same place we took Noah last year and again he had a great time. After spending 2 hours Noah was getting cranky so it was time to leave and get a nap but I'm sure once he is past napping age we will be spending many more hours there. Here are a few pictures..there are more on Face book for those of you that follow us there. The corn cave a favorite from last year.

A couple of the pirate ship. He was to small for this last year.

The gravel pit(new this year). A little boys dream he would have spent all day here.

The red tractor. We have a picture of him on the same one last year.

Duck race game (new this year). Anything that involves playing in water is fun.

Big barrel slides I think these were new this year to..Noah loved them.

Riding the pedal cars. You have to be 8 yrs old to ride by yourself but Noah really wanted to go on them so Daddy drove. I love how daddy is worn out and Noah is all relaxed with his drink.

In the pumpkin patch finding the perfect pumpkins.

Hay ride back to the barn. We have our pumpkins its time to go home.

Man they grow to fast.

Are you ready for some football? This picture was taken just after he kicked the football.

These pictures kill me because my "baby" looks so much older the 2. I think I need to keep the longer hair it makes him look younger.

*UPDATE* For those wondering how switching to the big boy bed was going I have one word *AMAZING*. Noah gets in bed and we cover him up and he goes to sleep without a problem and has since the first bed time. He has a shelf next to his bed now that we put some books on and when I wake up in the morning and go in to get him he's just sitting in bed reading books. I hardly ever wake up to crying, screaming or the sound of 'momma" over the monitor. He loves his "cars" bed. On the potty training I decided not to push it to much yet since we are traveling in November for thanksgiving we will let Noah go on his own time schedule until Dec and then we will step it up with the big boy undies . He is starting now to tell us when he has to go. Sometimes he makes it sometimes I think he's telling me as he's going or just after he's done but its a small step in the right direction.

September-A month of Change

September rolls around again. Weather is changing and fall is in the air. When did this little guy

Who slept here

And here

Turn into this big boy

that napped here

And will now sleep here.

Last September we started sleeping thru the night in the crib and got rid of bottles..this september we ditched the crib and we are going to start working a little harder at losing those diapers.

2 months of being 2.

So today we are 2 months into age 2. I have to say the first month I didn't notice anything different. And then the traveling started. As most of you probable know Noah and I flew to TN at the end of July for the big AGCI picnic. After a couple days there we rode to Texas and spent a week with another agci family. We then boarded a plane home to Maryland and after spending two days at home we were back in the car for a road trip to Ohio for a couple days. All that has left me feeling like I never want to leave home overnight again because the behavior has gone off the charts.
I don't know if its the result of all the travel and being away from Daddy or if this is just a new phase we are going thru but its not pretty. A lot of hitting, pushing, screaming mostly directed at momma. If something isn't working the way Noah wants it to he seems to think its my fault. At times he thinks we should feed him his meals or else he doesn't eat there has also been food throwing. Noah Tamirat seems to do much better when he is on a routine. Not to say that we can't alter his day here and there because we can and we do but for the two weeks we were traveling his routine was completely blown up and that was not good. I will say that since we have been home he has been doing great sleeping in his crib all night and his naps are now consistently 2 hours. He still takes his nap from 11-1 so much earlier then others his age. So yes I'm thrilled that the sleep is happening because we all know how much I love my sleep but the behavior seriously needs adjusting. Honestly if I could choose I would go back to less sleep and better behavior.
So how am I dealing with outbursts. I would love to say that I'm patient and calm and that I never lose my temper but I'll keep it real. I'm doing my best to stay calm and patient because I think he responds better to this but there are days when I swear if he pushes one more button he won't make it to 3. I know that I need to work on being a better mom. I'm certainly not perfect and I try to do a little better today then I did yesterday. I know that someday we'll look back and think man the two's were easy can we have those days back. But until then we'll do our best to help little man deal with the growing pains of being two. His language skills are getting better and we continue to encourage him to "use his words" to let us know what he needs or what is wrong. Nobody said parenting was easy but with each hug, kiss ,snuggle and I love you we know that its totally worth it.

Wordless Wednesday

Back from our adventure.

Hey its me Noah Tamirat. Momma and I are back from our big adventure to Tennesee and Texas. I enjoyed seeing all my AGCI buddies but boy did I miss Daddy. I don't think I understood that he wasn't coming until he left us at the airport and I had a bit of a melt down (sorry momma). The airplane was good once we got in the air and mommy gave me toys. Here are some pictures of the fun. The AGCI picnic had lots of water fun.

And a big ball to play with. There was a playground and a bounce house to so maybe mom will post more pictures from the picnic another time. Some of the pictures in this post were taken by other families.

While we were in TN we stayed with my old hannah's hope roomate Silas and his family.

Here's me and my Buddy Si Si at a playground near his house.

This is Si and I with Olivia. She was at Hannah's Hope with us and her family stayed with Silas's for the weekend to. Mom where is my shirt I feel underdressed. Silas I miss you bud we need to hang out again sometime.

After spending a couple days in TN we took a very long roadtrip to Texas with another Hannah's Hope roomie Fin and his family.

This is me, Mekele and Fin on the porch at cracker barrel waiting to go eat.

Finny and I watching his brother Tucker play video games.

Nothing like a wagon ride with your buddie.

Finny and Asher. Asher lives in Texas and he came to visit us at Fin's house. We enjoyed our time in Texas with the exception of that earache I got the first day there and all that medicine mommy and Fin's mom kept making me take. I liked the pool and I miss Finny and Asher. I miss Fin's brothers and sister to.
We came home from Texas a few days earlier then planned. Mommy and I missed Daddy and I'm pretty sure he missed us to.

On the plane going home to dada.

Boom Boom came on the big trip with us.

It was great to be back home but we quickly followed it up with a roadtrip to Ohio. My pap pap had to have surgery but he's doing good now and we are back home. While we were there I got to meet my cousin Caylin (baby Cay) and see my Aunt Kera (Akey). Mimi, Aunt Tammy, Uncle Terry and cousins Angel and Stephanie were there to. I'm hoping we don't travel again soon. I like being home to sleep in my own bed and play with all my toys.