Take Me Out To the Ballgame

Today Dean and I took Noah to his very first baseball game.  The Astros were playing... hmmm... somebody.  And, the winner was... hmmm... not sure.  We didn't make the end of the game.  OK... so we are not true fans, but we had the opportunity to go, so we went.  I think Noah enjoyed it.  He didn't want to leave the stadium and kept saying, "Nooo... not home.  Want baseball."  Here he is sitting outside Minute Maid Park.

Before the game, I decided to again print him out a few pictures... of the stadium, the mascot and of course, the train filled with oranges.  When we got to the game, I think the earlier picture preview gave him a good idea of what he was going to see.  Noah really enjoyed looking out onto the field.  He did the best sitting at the top of the steps, but unfortunately he ended up being in the way, so he had to move.

What is a baseball game without yummy park food?  Daddy arrived from the concessions in the nick of time with hot french fries and cracker jacks. 

It was a fun afternoon at the ballpark.  It's definitely something we need to try again.  And, maybe get a redo on the family picture. 

Three

One day I plan to accept full responsiblity for why my son requires a brass band and a week of celebration for any and all birthdays. Because, well, I love birthdays and isn't it fun to have something to celebrate. On Noah's birthday, Daddy took the day off of work, and we headed to the zoo. Summer temps have already hit Houston, and it was so hot. I will be honest. Noah did not love the zoo. I think the animals were a little too big and real for Noah. And, did I mention it was hot?

Here we are waiting for the sea lion show, which did not start at the posted time. We did not make the show.

Here are Daddy and Noah checking out the dinosaur section of the zoo. Noah was not a fan. He kept saying, "no... not dinosaurs."

The most fun Noah had at the zoo was running around the play area. I love this picture because it reminds me of this picture from two years ago. Wow! It's amazing how much my little man has grown.

Here we are heading out from the zoo. Notice the rainbow striped pencil in Noah's hand. On our way to the car, Noah's eagle eye spied this baby through the gift shop window, and since it was his birthday, Daddy was more than happy to fork over 4.99 for it.

After the zoo, we decided some a/c was in order, so we had lunch at the Downtown Aquarium. Noah loved the aquarium.

He must of sat in this exact spot for about 30 minutes. Everytime a fish would pass he would say, "Bye fish. See you later."

We also ordered dessert for another rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Noah.

Did I mention that we went a little overboard on birthdays this year? This was the fourth birthday cake/candle lighting for Noah to celebrate age 3. How could we not? He loves it so much.

We had such a good time at the aquarium. It is definitely a place we plan on visiting again.

Catching Up

Since we've been back in Texas, we have had the chance to catch up with some old friends. Today, Noah became reacquainted with his old friend Claire. It has been quite a while since they've seen each other, and what a difference a year makes. We met up at a coffee shop/play zone for some caffeine and fun. What a great way to spend an afternoon.

Here is Claire looking like such a big girl in her cute piggy tails.

Come on Noah. Follow me.

Time to slide.

Monkey see. Monkey do.

Wheee... this is fun!

The Stair Climber

Our recent living arrangements have vastly improved Noah's stair climbing abilities. He alternates between counting the steps as he goes up and down, and saying "climb, climb, climb."

Don't you worry Momma. I got this.

Holding onto the railing. So careful!

See. At the bottom. Safe and sound. And, you were so worried.

Limbo

We are officially back in Texas but currently without home. Our good friends Tim and Catherine have graciously opened the doors of their lovely, three-story, Ethan Allen decorated in beige and white home to us, and we hope to leave it fairly unscathed as we depart at the end of the month. Our house is coming along quickly, and the closing is set for the end of the month. We've been out there a couple times, and it looks great.

As for Noah, he has adapted pretty well to the various changes of scenery. He has officially been out of therapy for a month, and I am getting pretty anxious to get things started again. Next week, I am meeting with a private clinic that offers both speech and OT, and Noah will also have his initial evaluation for the state early intervention program. We have also set up an appointment with a developmental pediatrician, but that isn't until October.

The biggest news on the Noah front is that I signed him up for preschool. Sniff. The program is from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM two days a week. It seems like a long day to me, especially for a little guy who still takes 2.5-3 hour naps a day. The preschool coordinator is probably used to dealing with first time mothers, and she said that they were pretty accommodating if I wanted to pick him up before naptime. I am considering it, but I think I will wait and see how it goes. Overall, I think the whole experience will be very good for Noah and for me as well.

Frequent Flyer

I had my doubts. A late night flight to Texas. Three and a half days dedicated to house hunting. Multiple times of getting in and out and in and out of his car seat. Daily naps in said car seat. One offer from my sister to watch him for the duration which I turned down. And, despite all my misgivings, Noah was so great and sweet and perfect... at times, even better than Momma and Daddy.


He is such great traveler, which I suppose he was forced into since he took his first flight at eight weeks old. I am not sure I could count the number of times he's flown. I think I started to at the beginning, but should I count a roundtrip flight as one or each leg. And, well, math has never been my strong suit. Suffice it to say, it's a lot for an almost two year old. And, since his birthday is only 11 days away (sniff), this trip marks his final flight as a lap child. We won't be flying again until after his second birthday, and I think that Noah has officially earned enough miles for his own seat.

So, our trip was a success. We found a house., and it is in the suburbs. We are so predictable. It hasn't been built yet, so we are going to be able to pick out paint and floors and cabinets. The pressure. Here is our lot. Yay!

Our new home will have all the things on our must have list. It's a one story. It has a big backyard. There are several parks within walking distance. There is a nearby Super Target, HEB, and Sonic. Did I mention it has a backyard? Of course, there are plenty other reasons, but those are some of the major points. We are so excited, and we can't wait for the move.

Hello Old Friends

One of the best parts of our trip to Texas was heading to our old neighborhood and catching up with some of Noah's "old" friends. It has been six months since we've seen everyone, and in toddler years, that is a really long time. Olivia is walking, Barrett is talking, and Aidan is making some pretty awesome animal noises. We all met up at Aidan's house and played the afternoon away.

Here is Aidan.

Here is Aidan's very cool train table.

Here are the boys getting ready to play trains.

Here are Noah and Aidan playing trains.

Here are Noah and Barrett playing trains.

Here is Olivia.

She is a girl and not that into trains.

Here is everyone taking a snack break.

Here are Noah, Barrett, and Olivia chatting over snacks.

Same Thing, Different Day

Noah hung out with his friends at a park near our old house. It is a great place for toddlers to run (or crawl) around. On second thought, Noah was much safer crawling around this park, since I cannot recall any injuries, but this time he did get his first bloody lip by jumping off one of the platforms and bumping into my camera lens. He only cried for a minute. What a tough little guy!

Here is Noah at 19 months running up the ramp our "old" favorite park.

And, here is Noah at 10 months crawling up the very same ramp. It was purely coincidence that Noah was wearing the exact same shorts (different sizes) in these comparison shots.

Play Date at the Park

So, do you come here often?

I think that went pretty well.

Wait a minute. What is going on here?

Boys! No fighting! We can all play together!

Mr. Sandman

We spent a long weekend in Texas while Dean interviewed for jobs. It was great to be back, and Dean, Noah and I had the chance to catch up with lots of our friends. We ran the perfectly engineered and easily navigable roads, had several yummy meals, got in some hotel time, and even managed a little shopping at the Galleria. Noah stayed up way past his bedtime almost every night, but overall was such a trooper and rolled with the punches really well.

But, back to the yummy meals. Dean and I both agreed that tex-mex was a definite, so we called a group of friends and headed over to Lupe Tortilla for a kid-friendly dinner out. With a bedtime of 6:30 PM EST, Noah and dinner out usually don't go in the same sentence, but since it was "vacation," we decided to make an exception. It was quickly apparent that dinners out at Lupe would never be the same. As a married couple without kids, the huge sand pit/playground near the entrance to the restaurant would normally go unnoticed, but, now we have a toddler in tow. And, tired or not tired, with one glance, Noah was all in. He had a blast. He seemed to really enjoy the sand between his toes and of course, all the sand toys. I'm wondering if maybe I should take him to the beach more often.

I am sandy and dirty, and I love it.

Check out this rake!

Don't be confused by the look of sheer exhaustion. This is so much fun!

A Texas Tradition

Nothing symbolizes spring in Texas more than the bluebonnets scattered alongsides hillsides and roadways. Or, so I hear. It is common practice for families to take pictures in the bluebonnets. So, as Noah is a native Texan, this tradition was not one we wanted to miss. Just a short distance from our house is a state park that had a pretty nice patch of Texas Wildflowers. Psst... the blue ones are the bluebonnets.

It was easy to find a good spot for the photo-op thanks to the patches of crumpled grass and flowers left behind by the picture seekers who came before us. The bluebonnets were really pretty, and the bumblebees that were everywhere seemed to agree. So, we had to make this outing quick. Not much time to coax a smile out of Noah, but we did our best.