HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHRISTOPHER!!!!

I can't believe it, but he's really two! We had a good day today. He got a wooden bowling set from his Uncle Angelo. He really loves it. The rest of his presents will be coming on Saturday at his party. I really still can't believe that he's two!

Christopher's Turning Two

Christopher's birthday is coming up fast. I can't believe that he is already turning two. Time seems to have flown by. I am amazed each day as I watch him grow. He knows all of his colors, can count to 10, recognizes the numbers one through five, and is starting to recognize some letters. As it gets closer and closer to his birthday, I find myself looking back. I know that he hasn't had the easiest life. We are still trying to keep his eczema under control and itches a lot. He has so many allergies they are hard to keep track of. His apnea has kept him from sleeping through the night, and we are still waiting to hear about his possible asthma. He, however, seems to take all of these in stride. He is so much fun to be around. I am so glad that I am able to watch him grow everyday.

His party will be on the 4th. I am very excited because I know that he will have lots of fun. I am working hard to get everything together. There will be two different types of cakes. One which everyone will enjoy and one which I will make for Christopher. I will also bring Rice Dream for him, and a home made pizza. I want to make sure that he will be able to have the same types of food that his party guests will be eating. The theme for the party will be The Backyardigians, of course. Christopher can name all of the characters and really loves to watch them.

We hope to see everyone on the fourth!

Jemez Springs

Yesterday, we all decided to go to Jemez Springs. Millie and the gang met us at the our house and we headed to Smith's to buy a yummy lunch to take with us. We got lots of different fruits, some bread, and chicken. We then headed out on the long 75 minuet drive.

When we got there we headed straight for the water. Evelyn and Johanna were very excited to

get in. They had lots of fun hopping from one rock to the other. Bea got in the water for a little while, and then joined Christopher who was throwing rocks in the water. After a little while, we all sat down and ate our yummy lunch. It was really nice to eat and listen to the sounds of nature and look at the beautiful view.

After lunch, we went on a long hike. Bea, Millie, and Tere stayed with us for a little while, but then decided to turn back. Christopher did a really good job keeping up with Eveyln and Yohanna. He was very willing to continue up, but I decided that we needed to go back. When got to the bottom, Bea gave everyone some candy. After that we packed up and headed back to Elena's.

Millie and the girls stayed there for a little while and then headed back home. We all had a really good time. Hopefully we can do it again soon.

Rail Runner

Grandma Elena and Patsy decided to take a ride on the train to Santa Fe. Millie, Tere, and the girls met us at the station and we waited for the train to come. It was really windy that day, so we had to wait by the wind blockers. They didn't block all of the wind, but they did help some what. Christopher was excited at first, but then he got scared when the Amtrak train went by. The train was very fast and very loud and he didn't like it.

When our train arrived Christopher was afraid to get on it. He didn't like it until it started going. Christopher and Bea sat across from each other with their grandma's sitting next to them. We brought crayons and stickers for them to play with. They had the greatest time playing with each other. The train ride was about an hour long with a few stops along the way.

When we got to Santa Fe, we got on a couple shuttles which drove us to the plaza. We arrived at the plaza and there happened to be a cool celebration taking place. There were lots of stands selling jewelry and other things. They had a main stage with live music. There was also plenty of yummy food.

Christopher fell asleep and missed this part, but Charlie and I had fun walking around and checking everything out. Elena and Patsy went off on their own, and the girls had fun dancing to the live music. We ate roasted corn (my favorite), fajitas, hot dogs, and Italian ice. We spent a couple hours in Santa Fe and then got back on the shuttle and headed back to the train station.

At the station, we had to wait a little while for the train to come, so we checked out the gift shop and bought Christopher a toy train and a train sticker book. On the ride Christopher sat with his grandma and told her about all the things he was seeing. Bea fell asleep.

We finished our awesome day at Fuddruckers. It was a great day. Hopefully we will be able to do it again soon.

A Sandy Time

In an effort to help Christopher deal with some of his sensory issues, we bought him a sand box and a water table.

He loves to play with the water table. Everyday he goes out on the deck and splashes and splashes. He pours the water from one cup to another and sends his cars down the mountain. He could spend hours playing with the water. He would have me uncover his sand box, but he didn't really want to get in it. He would also stand on the out side of it and put a couple of toys in the sand, but he wasn't ready to sit in it.

Yesterday, I asked him if he was ready to get in and he said yes. I helped him get in and he was very happy. We played together for a long time. Christopher had lots of fun using the shovel. I was so proud of him. The sand on his toes and legs didn't seem to bother him. He was quite happy to sit and pour the sand on himself. This is huge considering it took me months to get him just to put his hand on the sand.

Afterward, it was time for him to take a bath. He was really excited. He loves to splash in the tub. He had so much fun, that when I took him out of the tub he feel asleep before I could get his diaper on.