I can't believe I haven't posted since August! So much has happened, and I am afraid I have forgotten all the little details! Luckily I keep a journal to so that will help my future posterity. Dean is growing up and getting so big and WAY to smart. He is talking so much and getting into everything. He has quite the personality, he is funny, kind, sensitive, caring and mostly ALL BOY! He is rough and tumble all the way, loves to throw anything (and always at the most inappropriate of times, like during sacrament) and he loves any thing that involves sports, especially wrestling. We have grown and became a little smarter as parents too. It amazes me how much I have changed and grown as a parent, I am no expert but I am learning so much everyday, especially learning to be patient!The summer was so much fun! Dean absolutely LOVES being outside we spent everyday in our backyard, playing in the sand box, with sprinklers, the dogs and the swing set! Dean learned pretty quick how to climb up the slide, it made me nervous every time he would climb up there. The first time he did it Dusty and I weren't watching him closely and were putting up the tent for a camping trip, the next thing we knew he was walking up the slide! H is such a daredevil! By the end of the summer he was climbing up the mini rock wall. We went out side these last few days that it was somewhat warm and he headed right to the climbing wall and climbed right up, he has grown so much and is so much more steady on his feet! Everyday he asks in his sweet little voice "outside" or "bye-bye" and then throws a fit when he doesn't get to go anywhere (that is fun and where I am practicing my patience). I can't wait for warmer weather so we can get out in the backyard!
For Halloween Dean was a monster, and he was the cutest monster EVER! I worked with him everyday asking him what a monster would say, "RoAr." He was so cute with his little roar, now it is a big Roar and he knows all the animals that Roar, like a lion he loves to tell me anytime he sees one what it says! Dean didn't understand going trick-or-treating and getting candy in his pumpkin! We went with our friends Emily, Lexi and Baby Taven to Story Time and trick-or-treating around the businesses in Morgan and Dean was to interested in everyone else and running as fast as he could!
For Thanksgiving we worked on our gobble-gobble, that was a little tricky but it was so worth taking the time to teach him. It was hilarious to hear him say his version of the turkey's "gobble-gobble." After Thanksgiving we worked on our Christmas sounds! Dean loved anything to do with Christmas! I taught him what Santa says "ho-ho-ho" and from there he took it in his own direction. Anything to do with Christmas...a tree, reindeer, snowman, angels, etc...was "ho-ho-ho." Our neighbors put up a whole Christmas scene in their yard, complete with musical lights and blow up Santa's workshop and Dean LOVED it! Every time we went out we had to go and look at the scene, Dean would light up and loudly say "HO-HO-HO." For Christmas we went California and spent time at Disneyland! Dean loved that too. I know he won't remember it, but it was so worth it to take him and see his face (plus he was free) light up at everything around. Dean did really well on the flight there and back, and was such a good boy the entire trip. He loved It's a Small World and the Merry-Go-Round. We took turns going on the adult rides with my family. We spent the rest of our time going to our favorite beaches and places to eat. We spent Christmas day on the Beach where Dean played forever with his new football and we found starfish! One of our favorite parts of the trip was going to Coronado Beach and finding black sand dollars. In our excitement no one was paying close attention to Dean or the waves (we knew exactly where he was at all times) and they came up and knocked him down! He was soaked, but he loved every minute of it! During the trip my Dad drove everywhere in the mini van and if you know my dad you know his patience wears thins very quickly and the traffic in California is horrible, put those two together and it makes for a fun time! However, Dean was not having any problems on our vacation. Anytime my dad pushed on the gas or slammed on the brakes or went around a corner, Dean would loudly yell "WEE-WEE-WEE" and everyone would laugh, it would instantly lighten the mood. I love that baby Dean!
Lately we have been busy with wrestling. Dean has absolutely loved wrestling with Dusty! Dean has gone to a few practices with him and he couldn't get enough. The first couple of times Dean went, he would get upset when daddy showed the boys a move, he was a little concerned daddy was getting hurt-he is a sensitive little boy! After a few times Dean wanted to get in on the action and wrestle! The boys loved having Dean and nicknames him "pebbles" much to Dusty's dismay! Dean would always find someones head gear lying around and would put in on! He loves to shake your hand, get in his stance and then wrestle, watch out he has a mean single leg! He is learning so much and I can see how athletic he is. He truly loves sports. He constantly has a ball in his hand, and he loves watching football and basketball on TV. The other day he brought me the remote, pointed to the TV and said "football." I know it is every dad's dream for their son to grow up and be the all star athlete, but in our case, Dean is well on his way, he has a great throw and with (unfortunately for my things) great accuracy! Dusty had a VERY successful season and won Region. I am so proud of him for working so hard and taking his team so far. He has had a long road and this win was so great for him and his team. The school and administration was also so happy to have a winning team. They even finished in the top ten at State. However, his success was a little bittersweet because at the same time Dean was so sick, we spent three days in the hospital with Bronchiolitis, phenomena, RSV, high fever, and dehydration, Dean was ultimately diagnosed with Asthma induced by illness. It was a rough couple of weeks trying to get him healthier, but we are much better now!
That is a little recap of what has been going on in our lives. Now we are just waiting for Spring to come so we can get outdoors! Dean keeps us entertained daily with his funny antics and mischievous ways! Dean loves to play with soda cans, after a family dinner we had a bunch left over so dusty put them in the laundry room. I had left the door open and apparently Dean had fun! I went to put laundry in and found a can of Sprite in the washer! That kid is too much! Dean also loves to READ, and act out the story. I have worked really hard to get him to love books, he still isn't in love with them, but every once in a while he will bring me a book to read, he still loves to just run and play! His favorites at the moment are Bear Wants More, anything with Elmo and Abby, and I'm Not Bobby..which is not my favorite but Dean loves it! He says "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby" all the time, and he says it loudly. The other day we were in Target and he kept yelling Bobby so loud that everyone that passed would say, Hi Bobby, and he loved it which would make him say it even louder! Dean is also so friendly and outgoing! He loves to say hi to everyone he sees, especially kids is own age. At church he is constantly saying Hi to all of the kids and trying to run after them and play! Dean also loves nursery and playing with the little kids, he does not like clean up time and usually looses it by then! I am glad to see he is so social and loves other kids. Sometimes he is a little to social and gets upset when people do not say hi back to him, especially in the grocery store! Dean is saying so much these days, and loves to mimic and words and sounds we say! It is hilarious to hear him talk and try and communicate with us. His little mind is moving so fast! He also loves to jump and has quite the vertical, and do somersaults all over the place! Last night my VT came over and he decided to show off, like I said he loves people and putting on a show! He climbed on top of my coffee table, which I never allow, he did somersaults on the couch, which I do allow downstairs, jumped everywhere, and threw his baseball at one of the ladies! He was all over the place, they probably thought I had the wildest child, which I do, but he is usually more restrained!
I can't believe how fast time is going, Dean will be two in June! I love being a mommy to this little boy. I love watching him grow and learn and make new discoveries, he really is so smart. I see him watch us and everyone around us and he picks up things we do all the time. We have to be on our toes to make sure we are setting a good example because he says and does everything we do! He is still my favorite little boy in the entire world and I am so grateful to be his mommy.
