2 years

So...I'm a little late with my Tucker milestone post, but wanted to document his 24 month checkup and all of the things he is doing.  We did visit Dr. Stone a little over a month ago, but better late than never! 

Weight: 27.4 pounds

Height: 34.2 inches

Tucker is in the 40th percentile for both height and weight.  Our boy is also holding strong with 90th percentile for head size! :) 20.25 inches...like I've told ya'll before, that sweet head is housing a big brain!

Vocabulary:

Wow...I can't even list all of his words.  He can basically say anything now!  He will try and repeat anything you ask him too.  He's recently starting fragments/sentences which is adorable.  His most common ones are:

"Pay outside"- play outside

"Come-on-Rusty"

"Mama coming"

"Daddy coming"

"Hey mama"

"daddy's mon truck"-how he describes Dustin's car...he thinks it's a monster truck.

"wake up daddy"

"good night"
"mama hope"-mama help

When he wants more of something he'll now say what it is he wants, like "more peach".   He is also starting to really sing songs.  His favorite is "tinkle tinkle little staar".  He loves to say the blessing before we eat meals and if we forget, he'll hold out his hand for you and say "amen amen?"  I also sneezed a couple of days ago and from the backseat of the car I heard, "Bess you mama".  He also has learned random body parts like, "aum pit hair" and "eyebrow".  I can't believe how much he is talking now.  I love it and can pretty much carry on a conversation with him now and know what he is talking about.  I'll ask him, "what did you do at school today?" and he'll say "pay"(play) or "cuhcle time"(circle time).

Eat:  We still have quite the eater.  There is not much food he refuses.  In fact, I can only think of a couple of things he doesn't like...Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melon, deli meat, and avocados.  He loves fruits and vegetables!  He ate 2 peaches tonight and still wanted more!  :)  So thankful that Tucker is a foodie!

Play:  Our den is filled with trucks, cars, tractors, diggers, and more trucks!  He still LOVES being outside and since Summer is here loves swimming.  We have a small kiddie pool in our yard and he is in and out of it all day long.  Daddy takes him on nature hikes and to the train tracks that are really close by to watch the choo choos.  He still loves reading too and definitely is much more interested in television now.  He very much enjoys these educational videos about monster trucks, firetrucks, helicopters, and boats.  And remember the scooter he got for his birthday...check him out!

Scooting and chewing his bubble gum :)

We have also easing into using the potty.  He tells me when he wants to go, at least 2 times a day when we are home together.  He has figured out about "potty treats"...so he goes and then gets some M&M's or Gummy Bears.  He is doing great!  We are in no rush for full blown potty training yet though!  I'm just going to let him do his thing and I'm sure we'll get there one day.

Sleeping: Tucker still loves his sleep, thankfully! :)  He goes down between 7:00-8:00, depending on our day and if it is a school night, and sleeps til 7-7:30 AM.  He is doing one long nap usually from about 12:30-3.  He has had to do some adjusting since starting his new MDO program with nap time, but he is doing great!

Tucker keeps Dustin and I laughing all day long!  This age is SO much fun and he is constantly learning something new.  He also says the cutest and funniest things now too!  Like I've said before, we feel incredibly blessed to be spending our days with our Tucker boy...and now he is 2!

Here on his Plasma car, his birthday gift from Gee Gee...when did he get SO big?!

21 months

Tucker is now 21 months old...I wanted to do a "Tucker milestone" post since our last one was at 18 months and he won't have another check-up until 24 months.  So, I figured this would be a good in-between.

I don't have any physical stats, but mainly wanted to jot down everything he is saying and doing right now.  Remember this is like our scrapbook...so I want to be able to look back and see all of these important moments!

Vocabulary:
awnmower-lawnmower
millmew-mailman or when he sees a mail truck
eacock-peacock
keecah-cookie
abble-apple
hotdog
baar-cereal bar
pop pop-popcorn
ongoose-orange juice
bebe-blueberry
kicken-chicken
harse-horse
baby
mew-cat, meow
woof woof-dog
rowr-dinosaur
cuck-truck
cuh cuck-firetruck
bus
car
choo choo
we-eel/wheel
elno-Elmo
ipad
book
boots
mud
shoe
noolk-milk
hat- for hats or any helmet
jasit-jacket
ish-fish
wing-swing
wock-rock
pap pap-pacifier
sizzers-scissors
sine-sun
bug
duck duck- for ducks, birds, pelicans, any flying animal that resembles a duck
sit sit-for highchair or when he wants to sit down
gangee- Granddaddy

Dustin thinks he could have a photographic memory!  He is very good at remembering things.  For example, when someone gives him a toy as a gift, he associates and remembers the person who gave it and says their name anytime he picks the toy up.  Also, he is very good with people and remembering their cars.  When we are driving down the road, he will see a car that looks like Dustin's and will say "dada".  Seriously, Dustin has an fj-cruiser...we see an fj-cruiser, maybe not even the same color as Dustin's, and he says "dada".  It's hilarious!

He also says tells "tell me" "tell me" all the time!  This means he wants you to tell him what something is or who someone is.  It also implies, that he wants us to show him what something is.
He also has recently started taking mine or Dustin's hand and leading us to places or certain things when he wants something.
Right now, he has also started to mimic reading.  He will get a book and in his own jabber, will pretend that he is reading.  So cute!  I also hear him singing sometimes.  He will be walking around saying "lala" or "bababa" with a little tune.  He is still loving to read...we read lots of books daily!
We have also started helping him recognize colors.  The only ones he says so far are red and green.  And for now, he thinks everything is "ree" or red!

He is still eating very well and snacks a bunch too!  Still going to sleep around 7 and sleeping til 7 in the mornings with a long afternoon nap from 12-2.  In this past week, he now has a 2 yr. molar...sigh.

Tucker is still loving being outside!  And with a few glimpses of Spring weather this week, we enjoyed a lot of time outside.  We take long strolls around our block and he can't get enough of the swing in our yard.  He will stop and play in any puddles of water and throw sticks and rocks into the water.  The boy loves mud too!  Recently, he has started playing on the iPad too and getting good with puzzles.

A couple of recent videos...

I cannot believe all of the things he is learning every day.  Literally, it is something new every day.  He never ceases to amaze us.  We are fascinated with how smart he is!  We are also loving seeing the person that he is becoming and are so proud of him :)  I cannot believe we will be celebrating a 2nd birthday just a few short months from now.  Oh how quickly this time is passing...we are doing our best to savor every precious moment!  We are blessed beyond words to get to share every day with this amazing little one.  We love you Tucker boy!!! 

2012 Highlights

2012, you were great!  I made a resolution to start blogging and I did it!  A lot of wonderful things happened in just 1 short year...Tucker has grown and changed SO much.  Looking back it's crazy how much has changed in Tucker's life in just 12 months....

January- Tucker moved from the cradle, in our room, to his crib in his own room! 

              Tucker had his baby dedication and by the end of the month was pulling up

February- We traveled to Florida for Abbie and John Wesley's engagement party

                We celebrated Tucker's first Valentine's Day!

March- Tucker moved up to a new class at school and said goodbye to the Babybird room

             As a family we enjoyed Spring very much together!

             Loved going to the beach too :)

April- This was a big milestone month...Tucker took his FIRST STEPS!

May- Celebrated my first Mother's Day and it was such a sweet day :)

         Tucker turns ONE!

June- Tucker's first Vann family vacation

          First haircut

July- We celebrated the Fourth of July at the beach this year

August- New school year which meant another new class for Tucker

September- Pretty low key month...just some updates from my iPhone pictures 

October- Loving all that Fall has to offer

              Happy Halloween!

November- More iPhone pictures

                  We also spent Thanksgiving at the beach, which I did not blog about :( but it was fun!

December- Little one turned 18 months

                  Had our first trip to the North Pole Express

                 Celebrated a very Merry Christmas, Tucker's 2nd Christmas

Like I said before, 2012 was great.  We are BLESSED beyond words and I am so thankful for each day we get to spend together as a family!  I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for our family of three, I know it will be awesome.  Thanks to all of my readers for helping my little dream of becoming a blogger this year come true :)  Hope everyone has a wonderful New Years!

18 Months!

Tucker boy is now 18 months old.  I decided I would do these milestone posts when he went in for checkups with the pediatrician so I could have accurate, updated information...so here's where we are!

Weight: 29.6 lbs.
Height: 32.5 inches

Tucker is now in the 50th percentile for both height and weight...so looks like he is right in line with all the other 18 month olds, based on those numbers.  He is still in the 90th percentile for head size.  Like I said before though, that head is housing a big brain ;)

Vocabulary:  Our little one jabbers all the time and I love hearing it!  That jabber is becoming more understandable by the day too!  He can now repeat words when I ask him too...although sometimes it doesn't sound exactly right, he is doing a great job with his words.  He also does a great job signing for more and finished.  Words he uses daily and pronounces very well include:

Mama
"Mom, Mom"
Dada
"Dogga" for Dog
"Tactor" for Tractor
Bubble
Bye Bye
"Mo" for More
"Bo Bo" for Banana
Hotdog
"Tuck" for Truck
Choo Choo
"Buh-bee" for Baby
Sit
Stick
"Digga" for Digger
"Cahr" for Car...this is by far his favorite word right now!  He pronounces it with an old southern accent, it's hilarious.  He says it all day long.  The boy loves cars!

Eating:  Still a great eater!  Not much has changed since his 15 month old post.  Loving fruits, veggies, and chicken.  His new favorite thing is chicken sausage...looks like a hotdog, but more healthy :)

Sleep:  Also, still on same schedule as 15 month post.  Still gets in 2 naps when he is home and 1 during school days.  Bed time is 7ish and he sleeps til about 7am.  No changes in our good sleeper, thankfully!

Play:  LOVES all cars, trucks, and trains.  He enjoys reading very much.  We will sit and sometimes read 5 or more books in a row.  Although, he doesn't watch TV, we watch Barney on youtube occasionally and he really likes Barney! (I like Barney too...singing, dancing, very educational.)  One of his new favorite play things to do is "clean".  He likes sweeping, pushing the swifter, and dusting.  He will also sit with me in the kitchen and help me cook too...quite the little helper!  Outdoors though, is still his favorite place to be!  He loves it outside and will explore, discover, and find all sorts of things to play with.

So hard to believe Tucker is 18 months old now...he is full of energy and so active!  We are having so much fun playing, teaching him new things, and watching him learn everyday.  He is SO loving and gives the best hugs and kisses :)  We cannot get enough of his laugh either, it is amazing.  We are blessed beyond words and beyond thankful that God gave us Tucker :)

And here he is at his 18 month old checkup...big boy!

And here is that amazing laugh we can't get enough of...

  

15 Months

Tucker turned 15 months on the 18th of this month...I held off on this post, since I knew he was going in for his checkup today at the doctor.  

Weight= 25 lbs. which puts him in the 60th percentile for weight.

Height= 32.25 inches which puts him in the 80th percentile for height.

Head Circ.= 19 3/4 inches which puts him in the 90th percentile for head size...no surprise there, he has always been at the top of this percentile since he arrived.  That head is housing a Big brain! ;)

Vocabulary: His vocabulary is growing every day!  Favorite words right now include:
Mama
Dada
Hey or Hi
Bye Bye
Tucker
Doggie
Bubble
Choo choo-this one is definitely his favorite word right now.  He says it ALL the time!  Everything is a choo choo currently...18 wheelers, vans, bulldozers, buses, really any sort of large automobile or heavy machinery with wheels is a Choo choo!  It is hilarious!  In all fairness though, they do resemble each other, right?  Large, boxed shape, pieces of machinery, all with wheels..I can see how it could be confusing!  I know he will soon learn the differences between them all, but for now the excitement he has about seeing all these different kinds of choo choo's is priceless!

Eating habits: Still a Great eater!  Dustin and I both realize how Blessed we are when it comes to Tucker's eating style.  There is not much food the boy doesn't enjoy.  And let's just say those things he doesn't enjoy are the more unhealthy options...crazy right?  He definitely did not get his mama's sweet tooth!  Of course when I indulge I want to share with him and he wants no part in it!  He loves ALL vegetables.  Likes most fruit...although melons are just not his thing.  Raspberries are by far his favorite!  He could eat an entire container in one sitting!  Will eat most meat that is offered to him.  Chicken and Shrimp seem to be his favorites...and when we splurge he really enjoys hot dogs with no buns.  His diet mainly consists of vegetables, fruits, beans, with some meat and the occasional pasta or potato.  Definitely clean eating :)
Favorite snacks: popcorn, cheerios, Annie's cheddar bunnies, raspberries, blueberries, peaches

Sleep: Again, we have been blessed with an Awesome sleeper which we are SO thankful for.  I think sleep plays a huge part in why he is so happy.  He is well rested and you can tell for sure!  We are still doing 2 naps during the day. (except when he is at school 2 days a week, then it's just 1 long afternoon nap)  He plays hard and definitely is ready for his naps when it is time!  Morning nap is usually from about 9:30-11 and then afternoon is usually from 2-3:30.
Bedtime is still fairly early around our house, only because the schedule works for us and Tucker is always ready for bed at night.  He usually goes down around 7P and sleeps through the night until 7-7:30 AM.  On school mornings, I usually have to wake him up!  Can you believe that?! We are all well rested around here and it is Amazing! :)

Play:  He is still really enjoying music and dancing!  He loves dancing to the group "Need to Breathe" in the mornings.  Not into TV at all right now...the Only thing he will watch at all is Barney and that is not very often.  Very much into discovery and figuring new things out, which explains his new interest in puzzles.  Still loves being outside and would walk around our yard all day if we would let him collecting sticks.  Also, loves books!  He will sit in his room by himself and flip through/read books.   Again, with the choo choos...he likes pushing trains, trucks, and cars around and saying "choo choo" over and over.  It's adorable!

I cannot believe he is 15 months already!  Time is flying by and we are having SO much fun with him! We play all day long and there is never a dull moment in our house now.  It is so much fun seeing him learn, discover, and explore.  His personality is so special too.  Loving, gentle, full of energy, curious, happy, and just a joy to be around.  We are loving watching him evolve into this little person full of his own personality!  We are so blessed and I thank God every day for giving us our precious Tucker boy!

at the Doctor's office during checkup today

Loving those trains!

Tucker turns One!

Well...it's official our baby is now a year old!  How did this happen?!  How is it that one whole year has already passed by so quickly?  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing Tucker home from the hospital and now we just finished celebrating his first Birthday!

The party was Great!  We love Eric Carle books, so we decided on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" theme for the party.  We decided on the park for the location.  I felt like it was a perfect place with how much Tucker loves being outside and how much he loves to swing, run, and play!  

I had his outfit made with "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" on it :)

The book provided great inspiration for the party food!

 

Dustin made the signs in photoshop and I used large popsicle sticks to hold them up.

Jennifer, a girl I went to high school with made the cakes and they were Adorable!  She did such a great job and they tasted so good to... I cannot say enough good things about her cakes!

Juiceboxes for the kiddos.

Bubbles for the party favors.  Again, Dustin made all the labels in Photoshop and I think they turned out great!  (A big thanks to him, because I am clueless when it comes to things like this!)

And cake pops made by dear friend, Alex!

Tucker had so much fun and played non-stop the entire party!  We had such a great day with friends and family.  His first Birthday was wonderful and it was a beautiful, sunny day!  We couldn't have imagined a more perfect first birthday party for our Tucker boy!

First steps...

I am in no hurry for my baby to start walking.  I would be perfectly content for him to remain on my hip for as long as possible!  With that said though, every milestone is so exciting and this one is a Big one!  Tucker has been "cruising" for awhile now...roaming all over the place, but holding on to all of the furniture, appliances, doors, etc.  Just yesterday though, he started letting go for the first time.

And then today this happened...

So...this literally just happened today and these videos are from just a few hours ago!

I'm so glad technology allows us to capture these incredible firsts and wonderful memories!  Dustin cannot stop laughing when he is watching him walk, he thinks it's hilarious!  It is pretty funny though, huh?  I'm sure Tucker will be a pro at walking very soon.  Looks like he will be walking just in time for his first Birthday :)

Ten Months

My sweet Tucker,
Ten months!  I cannot believe time has passed by this quickly...we love watching you grow every day, but at the same time I wish time would slow down!

You are still a very busy boy and all over the place.  You are still not quite walking yet, but crawl SO fast! It's hard for me to keep up with where you are sometimes, because you move so quickly!  You walk around holding onto things, not wanting to let go just yet.  I know it will be soon though.  You are still loving being outside, it's definitely your favorite place to be.  Swinging, strolling, or riding on your new toy...you love it all.  We recently hung a swing for you in the front yard and you LOVE it.  You cannot get enough of that swing!  You have recently started clapping more too and when you are swinging high you will start to clap, it's so cute.  Besides clapping, you have also learned to point at people and things.  It's amazing how much you are learning.  Your newest discovery that you really enjoy now is music.  Even if it just one of your toys that plays music, when it comes on you will start to rock back and forth and when you are standing you will move both feet back and forth almost like you are marching to the beat.  Daddy and I think it is so funny and love watching you do this :)

You are still a great eater.  You will try anything and there are very few things that you dislike.  You are now eating anything we do, just smaller pieces...which has definitely made us eat even more healthy.  It is so much fun introducing you to new foods.  Your diet consists of lots of fruits and veggies.  We have also starting introducing a sippy cup with your meals filled with water.  You are doing a great job learning to drink from it...still eating around 5 bottles a day as well.  I still rock you to sleep every night around 7 PM and you sleep til' 6 AM.

Your personality shines more and more every day.  You are such an active, playful little boy, but also so sweet and love to hug, be cuddled, and held.  If I lay down with you to take a nap, when you wake up I will lay there with my eyes closed so you think I am still sleeping...you will wake me up by putting your face on top of mine so we are cheek to cheek.  It is the sweetest, most genuine sign of affection.  You are such a loving baby.  You are so funny too and keep me and Daddy laughing constantly.  You love to laugh and smile...still the happiest baby we know :)  You have recently started blowing on mine and daddy's faces to make funny noises with your mouth and you think it is the funniest thing ever, so do we...it's hilarious!  We are still in awe that you are ours and that we have the privilege of spending every day with you.  You bring so much joy and happiness to each of us daily and you make life so much fun. We are so thankful for you Tucker boy and love you beyond words!

Nine Months

We're back!  I know it has been awhile since my last post.  We have been all out of sorts around here...dealing with Tucker's first ear infection, along with Tucker's first fever, which then led to a pretty nasty cold.  Dustin has also been traveling for work and mission work recently.  With all that said, I haven't had much time to blog.  During all this though, Tucker turned 9 months old!  Yes, I am a little late with my monthly letter to him, but better late than never, right?!

My sweet Tucker,
You are now Nine months old!  Time seems to pass faster with each new month and you are growing up right before our very eyes.  You are a very Busy boy and all over the place!  You love finding new places to explore and new things to rummage through all throughout the house.  You pull up and stand holding on to things with no problem at all and can crawl SO fast now!  You are loving pushing your push/walker toys all over the house and you look so proud when you do it.  Daddy and I think you will be walking very soon!  Your favorite thing to do right now though is be outside and we cannot wait for the weather to stay warm so we can keep you out more.  You also let me know sometimes that you weren't quite ready to come back inside just yet and will get a little upset that we couldn't stay outside longer.  We also make it a daily thing to check the mail together...you seem to enjoy this or I think so!

Dustin, the creative one like I've mentioned before was not available to do his fancy monthly picture collage...so this month ya'll will just have to enjoy my photos without the collage :)

You are becoming quite the "foodie" and love most anything we give you.  After your nine month checkup, Dr. Stone said you could have basically anything we are eating, just diced.  We have enjoyed letting you try all sorts of new fun foods!  You are now eating 3 meals a day with your bottles in between.  You are also doing a great job of feeding yourself!  You weighed 21 lbs. 9 oz. at your last visit with Dr. Stone and are in the 75th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height.  I still rock you to sleep around 7pm every night and you sleep til' 6 am.  

Your personality is so much fun and blossoming every day!  You are so loving and so sweet and will give Daddy and I kisses now :)  You are still loving laughing so much and find things so funny, especially Rusty!  You are learning to wave and clap too which is so much fun!  You are babbling all day long and say "da da" and "ma ma" the most.  We enjoy spending our days with you and watching you explore and discover something new every day.  We feel blessed beyond words daily that God gave us you and treasure each moment we get to spend with you!  It is so hard to believe that 9 months have come and gone...it has been an incredible 9 months!  We love you our Tucker boy :)

Eight Months

My Sweet Tucker,

You are a little over eight months now.  By the way, the days of getting you to lie on your back on your blanket for our monthly photo session are over!  I couldn't get you to lay still on your blanket for more than just a few seconds :)

You are so active now and so full of energy!  You are all over the place...crawling, standing, pulling up, falling...you are a busy, busy boy!  You love pulling up and standing on anything.  You also enjoy pulling things down off of tables, out of baskets, and always exploring trying to discover something new to get into.  You have recently started to dislike having your diaper changed, probably because you are so busy and don't like to slow down at all!  We are enjoying every minute of you and are having a blast trying to keep up with you!

You are still loving your food!  We have recently started adding some textures into your purees.  So far..your favorite is still Zucchini with some little pastas added to it.  Mashed sweet potatoes are definitely a close second!  You are still drinking 6-8 oz. bottles and eating solids just at lunch and dinner, since Dr. Stone wanted us to wait and add the 3rd meal after your nine month visit.  You are really enjoying feeding yourself super puffs now too!  You look so proud picking them up and pushing them into your mouth :)

Sleeping is still going good too.  I rock you to sleep around 7pm. and you sleep usually til' around 6 am...although it has been a little earlier in the past few weeks.  You seem to be enjoying sleeping in your crib and rolling all over the place throughout the night!

Your little personality is shining more and more everyday.  It's amazing watching you grow and develop.  You laugh ALL the time.  You love to laugh!  Daddy and I love watching you laugh.  Your laugh is hysterical!  You wake us up every morning with your smile and that is such a Delight to wake up to each day.  We are beyond blessed to have you in our lives and are SO thankful for you!  I can't believe another month has come and gone...We Love you Tucker boy :)