My Two Favorite People

Dear Tatum,

We met Daddy at Potbelly's for lunch today before running some errands and grocery shopping. I took this picture of the two of you and it is truly my favorite to date. You both look so happy. You both make me so happy.

I love you both.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday Daddy

Dear Tatum,

In honor of Daddy's birthday we endured a birthday marathon, which began last Thursday. First we gathered at Aunt Randi's and Uncle Paul's for some yummy deep dish pizza and a sinfully chocolate cake. Daddy received many nice gifts. This was a fun way to kickoff his birthday weekend.

Since Friday was Daddy’s actual birthday and we decided that he would take the day off from work so that we could spend the day together at the zoo. We had beautiful weather and enjoyed every minute of such a wonderful day. First we visited the monkeys and gorillas in Tropic World. They are always entertaining to watch, however, not so much to you. Your interest was redirected to all of the energy filled kids running by. You were so fascinated by the other children that you were not at all aware that we were standing in a mini rain forest.

Daddy and I then decided to get in line for the Stingray Bay Exhibit. We were able to touch the very slimy and prickly creatures with our bare hands. They were really cool to watch, as they would glide through the water. You were getting a little sleepy at this point, but managed to perk up when we exited the exhibit into the gift shop. You were fascinated with all of the bright colored plush stingrays. Daddy and I were looking for the best plush stingray for you when you decided for us by grabbing one and biting on it. We laughed as we headed to the register.

We then met up with Aunt Jamie, Uncle Mike and Michael and headed to the Dolphin Arena to catch the last show. Dolphins are such amazing animals and I know you will enjoy the show one day, however, this time you settled for just enjoying the music. We took many pictures and movies for you.

We made one last stop before leaving. The Butterfly Garden Exhibit... one of Mommy's favorites. It's such a beautiful exhibit with approximately 400 fluttering butterflies surrounded by gorgeous flowers. I was shocked to find that you were so intrigued by them. You watched as they passed by our faces and followed, as they would land on flowers. It was a great end to our first trip to the zoo.

We stopped for dinner on the way home for Daddy's Birthday, Uncle Mike's treat. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. We were all so tired and ready for bed. This picture we call, "Tuckered Tatum" expresses how we all felt. We were all sleeping within 30 minutes of being home.


The final part of Daddy's birthday weekend was on Sunday. We went to Grandpa Dale and Grandma Rhonda's house for a family party. You were so well behaved. Especially considering that you were passed around like a little hot potater. I don't think you have ever been passed around that much. To our surprise you were very calm and everyone had a turn. Before the party ended we took a group picture so that Daddy could remember this day.


Considering that you are fighting your first cold, you were an exceptional baby all weekend. You are an amazing little being that has made me feel like the luckiest person on earth. I look forward to seeing your smiling face tomorrow morning.

I love you.

Love,
Mommy

"Yea Daddy"

Dear Tatum,

We learned how to really stretch a day on Sunday. Something Mommy does not plan to do to either one of us again anytime soon. It was just too much on both of us. I felt just horrible having you in your car seat for so many hours while I drove, approximately 247 miles. Aunt Jamie and Michael were with us as well and just as exhausted. Unfortunately, we had two very important events on the same day to attend, Daddy's race and Aunt Michelle's Baby Shower. Here is how our day went...

We woke at 5:30am to get ready for Daddy's race in Joliet. We were on the road shortly after 7am to the track. When we arrived Grandpa Dale was already hard at work. Jason and Michelle brought Samantha out for the race. As they walked up to the trailer with her, Daddy said, "Hi Sam," and she waved her little hand. She just turned one last week. A couple of minutes later, Jason and Kylie arrived for day two at the track. Daddy was off to the grid and we headed over to a hillside spot to watch.

It was a lot of fun having company at the race all weekend. It was nice that so many friends came to watch.

On Saturday, we would say, "Yea, Daddy" as Daddy came around the race track and you would clap and wave your hands. You were so fun to watch. I am glad we were able to get some pictures of you cheering on your Daddy.

Jason B. sent Daddy an email on Monday with the following:

Tell your dad someone is gunning for his job...

Sam says: "If I were crew chief, I'd cut this many seconds off Uncle Keith's time!"

Here are some more pics that Daddy received from everyone.


Daddy had a great race and received a 2nd place trophy. We had to drive over to say goodbye as it was already 10:30am and we needed to pick Aunt Jamie and Michael up by 11:00am. We congratulated Daddy with hugs, kisses and then we hit the road. We took back roads out of the track to avoid the NASCAR Race chaos and made it to Aunt Jamie's with enough time to change you into a cute little dress.

Uncle Mike helped get all of us situated and we headed to Uncle Paul's restaurant to meet Grandma Vicki, GG, and Aunt Randi. As we were pulling up to the restaurant, I was explaining to Aunt Jamie how you would clap and wave your hands each time Daddy raced by, you must have been listening because suddenly from the backseat we heard, "Yea Daddy." Our heads whipped towards each other, with shock smeared on our faces we said, "did she?" Then you said it again and once more after that. I have only been able to get you to say it once more since. We have been working on it since, but no luck. Your Daddy would love to hear it. You are such a smart baby.

While at the restaurant we decided to feed you and Michael. We once again hit the road. Our destination was Argos, Indiana, which was a 2 hour drive. For most of the trip both you and Michael slept very well. Aunt Jamie had to jump in the backseat twice to entertain. We finally arrived to the shower. Not realizing we crossed timezones, we ended up being 2 hours late rather than and hour late. How embarrassed were we? At least we made it and we spent a little time with Aunt Chel and Uncle Dave before heading home. We ended up getting home just before 9pm. We were gone approximately 15 hours, 7 of which we spent in the car. Just too much.

Today is Wednesday and I feel we are finally back on schedule. It was a busy weekend to say the least. I am happy that we are able to relax this week. I am looking forward to Friday. It's Daddy's birthday and he has taken the day off so we can take you to the zoo. It should be great fun.

I love you baby girl.

Love,
Mommy

Today's book: "How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?"

Little Racer Girl

Dear Tatum,

You and I went to watch Daddy qualify for a race at Autobahn. We left early for the track and you practiced talking all the way there. Mommy turned off the radio so that I could hear your voice. You made me laugh several times as it sounded as if you were carrying on a full conversation again in another language. Once we arrived at the track, we were greeted by some high winds and DADDY!!! You were very excited to see him and he was very excited to see you as well. As for the wind, we took this short video of what your baby fine hair looks like blowing in the wind.

Some of Daddy's friends came out to watch as well. Jason brought along his beautiful little girl, Kylie. She has been to a few of Daddy's races already. You were very interested in her, as she was in you. Kylie is about 7 months older than you, so she is already walking, talking and eating very well on her own.

Grandpa Dale was so happy to have you at the track. He said the highlight of his day was rocking you to sleep in his arms. You were such a good baby all day. We are going back tomorrow morning to watch Daddy's race. We can sit track side and cheer him on like we did today.

After leaving the race track, we came home and got ready for a Luau. Mommy's cousin Kelli, graduated from EIU. Her accomplishment was celebrated with a party called, "Hoola by the Poola." I found a mini grass skirt and altered it slightly to fit you. You made such a cute little hula girl. Several party goers were amused by your little costume. We were swarmed by so many people at one point that I actually found it overwhelming. I can only imagine what might be going through that tiny brain of yours. You handled it pretty well and then Daddy and I took you inside for a breather. You enjoyed yourself at the party and even sang along as everyone sang , "It's Amore." Before we left for the evening, Daddy danced with you.

Mommy and Daddy should go to bed now. It's late and we need to be up early for Daddy's race tomorrow. We have a long day ahead of us. We also have Aunt Michelle's baby shower to attend in the afternoon.

Good night baby girl.

Love,
Mommy

"Da-da"

Dear Tatum,

It's been another busy week. On Tuesday we went shopping with Grandma Vicki, Aunt Jamie and cousin Michael. We decided to have lunch at Ed Debevic's. You enjoyed the music and were so happy that you began playing the table drums. We had fun until the ride home at which point you and Michael began taking turns crying. It made for a very long ride. We stopped a couple of times to see if there was anything we could do. We found that you both just wanted to be held... S-P-O-I-L-E-D.


Wednesday we had planned to go swimming at Bipa and GG's house. The weather ended up a bit too chilly and we ended up going just to visit. It was a lot of fun and I was able to take you down the slide for the first time. We also tried both you and Michael on the monkey rings and swing. Uncle Mike held each so we could take some pictures. It should be fun once you are both old enough to enjoy it. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough for us to take you swimming next week.



We met Daddy for dinner at Grandpa Dale's and Grandma Rhonda's that same evening. It was a nice visit and Grandpa Dale was happy to feed you your dinner. You kept us all extremely busy picking up all the toys as you dropped them from the highchair to the floor. Their dog Ellie tried very hard to kiss you as much as possible, but Daddy would tell her, 'No.' Ellie was able to sneak in a couple of very sloppy kisses on your hands and face. You didn't seem to mind. You definitely love dogs. Grandma and Grandpa were very happy to see you.


Thursday you went to Aunt Randi's while Mommy worked. Aunt Randi and GG said that you were great. You only cried when I left and after that you were just fine. They mentioned that you repeated "Da-da" quite a bit. Daddy and I first heard you saying "Da-da" that morning. We are so excited that you are actually speaking. Yay! Although you're not actually associating it with Daddy yet. Aunt Randi said that you also spent a lot of time clapping your hands. I'm happy that you are a good baby when being watched by family.

We ran some errands today and went shopping with Aunt Jamie and Michael. You love being outside or even going to stores. The bigger the store the better. You love looking at the enormous overhead lights and over sized colorful signs that hand from the ceilings. You are a very happy baby while shopping. You are definitely my child.

I've also included a new movie of you in the Sesame Street walker at Grandma Vicki's house. You are doing we well in it and can get around quite well. I'm thinking we should get one for you at home.

We have a very busy weekend planned. Should be fun and exciting since you are going to see Daddy race for the first time.

Good night baby.

Love,
Mommy

Today's book: "Mirror Me"

8 Month Update

Dear Tatum,

Yesterday you turned 8 months old. Every month is more amazing than the last. Your ability to roll and move around on your belly has encouraged Mommy and Daddy to begin baby proofing discussions. Even from the floor you are trying to get your little hands on everything within reach. Although you aren't able to crawl yet, you are able to maneuver your little body across a significant distance. You use your hands to turn yourself on your belly in the direction in which you want to go and roll like a pro.

You babble pretty much all day and I just pretend to understand and respond with silly responses. I love to hear your voice and I am just waiting for one of your words to make sense. We are still almost sure that you know how to say "hi," but we are waiting to hear more consistently before we claim it as your first word. We do practice other words throughout the day in hopes that you will eventually decide to give one a try.

The teething process has been painful for all three of us. Mainly for you, although Mommy and Daddy are just as miserable being unable to sooth you. There is nothing worse to a parent than not being able to soothe their child when they are in pain. The other night we tried all of the tricks... frozen teething rings, teething tablets, cold wash cloth, baby Tylenol, etc. We ran down the list only to find that each was just a temporary solution until we gave you the Tylenol. You finally settled down and drifted off to sleep around 1AM. We can feel your two front teeth know and think they finally cut through the gum. I am hoping the pain is gone for a bit until the next tooth comes. You fell asleep tonight without any problems.

We are still introducing new foods. The past few days we have been trying green beans. You were not happy with them until this evening, you suddenly wanted more and more. Now that I think about it, loss of appetite is one of the side effects of teething. This would make sense since you were not very interested in your cereal and fruit meals either.

The above picture was taken of you and Daddy on the fourth of July walking back from the pier. Your Daddy loves you so much and I thought this was a sweet picture of the two of you. I plan to have this printed for your album and to hang in our home.

Well, that is all I have for now. It's late and I need some sleep so we can have fun tomorrow.

I love you.

Love,
Mommy

Today's book: "I like colors"

July 4th

Dear Tatum,

Your first 4th of July was a lot of fun. We celebrated TJ and Gracee's birthdays during the day. Your Uncle Larry grilled his signature golf ball shaped burgers for everyone. They looked small until you reached the center at which point it was difficult to wrap your mouth around it. They were very tasty though. He has become quite the grill master at all their parties.

Before cake and presents we took you for your first boat ride. Captain Larry took us for a tour of the lake on a pontoon boat. You were fine as long as I let you drink my water. I'm not sure you are actually drinking the water, since most of it ends up down the front of whatever you are wearing. I think you just enjoy the act of drinking from Mommy's water bottle. Once around the lake, we decided to have the captain drop us back off at the pier. Aunt Jamie and I thought it might be too much sun for you and Michael. The other kids stayed aboard as they were patiently waiting their turn for a ride on the waverunners.

After the cake and present opening, we headed to Grandpa Larry's for a private fireworks display. Uncle Dave invested quite a bit of money and planning in making sure we had a great 4th of July show. Unfortunately, you and Michael were sound to sleep before the major ones began. Mommy videoed a small portion of the 20 minute show for you. We were all so impressed with Uncle Dave's planning and how he orchestrated the fireworks. It was obvious that he put a lot of thought into the show. I know you will enjoy the metallic colored bursts of light next year.

The next day your Great Grandma Marie and I bathed you in the kitchen sink. I was happy that we were able to spend time with your Great Grandma Marie since she lives so far away. I know she enjoyed our time together as well.

Good night sweetheart.

I love you.

Love,
Mommy

Summer Fun

Dear Tatum,

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and we are heading out to Indiana. First we are going to Gracee and TJ's Birthday Party at Uncle Larry and Aunt Jen's house. Of course, you will be wearing your new red, white and blue dress. The party should be lots of fun.

You will also be meeting your Great Grandma Marie for the first time this week. She has flown in from Florida and we are lucky enough to spend some time with her this week. I now she is excited to meet both you and Michael.


Last Saturday Daddy and I decided to stop at a car show down the street from our house. You weren't interested much in the cars, but you of course enjoyed the people. As always, Daddy admired the Corvettes. I thought you might one day like this picture since there happens to be a blue M&M behind the wheel.

Here is a picture of you and Grandma Vicki. We went to visit her at work and you were dressed in one of my favorite outfits. The hat, skirt and matching Mary Jane's look so adorable on you.

Your cousin Michael is a snappy little dresser himself. His little camouflage flip-flops were the icing on the cake. He was not bothered at all wearing the little flip flops and he kept them on his tiny little feet so well.

I loving seeing how both of you are growing and changing. You are both so happy.

Goodnight my happy girl.

Love,
Mommy