Thanksgiving in Florida

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving in Florida with mom and dad Aoun, John's sister Lily, and her husband, Joe. In this picture, Nicholas is opening a neat fishing toy that Grandad Aoun brought for him.

They're everywhere!

Nicholas loves stop signs and was thrilled to find them all around the neighborhood where we stayed. He can name the letters O and P now.

Father and Son

Hurry! They're getting away!

Nicholas' had a great time chasing the birds!

Posing for a picture

Let's Go!

Nicholas loved the warm weather in Florida. He enjoyed taking walks (well, he ran most of the way) to the beach every day.

Nicholas and Mommy at the beach

Nicholas and Grandad

Nicholas and Grandad spent lots of time playing during our vacation. They also took lots of walks outside to see the ducks at the nearby pond.

"I love Aunt Lily"

Nicholas became Lily's shadow while we were together. He asked for her whenever she wasn't in sight.

Uncle Joe has a cool computer!

Nicholas and Uncle Joe bonded while they played on a neat kid's website.

Family photo at the beach

The Aoun Clan

Time to clip my toenails!

Wow! Look at this tree!

Nicholas was fascinated with the Christmas tree and enjoyed "helping" decorate it. He thought he should be able to play with the ball ornaments t hough.

New Wheels

Riding my bike is fun.

But not as much fun as finding stuff in the cracks of the sidewalk

and giving it to mom or dad.

Time to Mow!

Since John worked hard all week, Nicholas decided to help him with the lawn on Sunday.

It's more fun this way!

Who needs "toys" when you can play in the kitchen cupboards?

House Work

This is Nicholas' idea of helping mommy fold the sheets.

Nicholas loves to help me vacuum. It's on and he's really doing it in this picture!

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's

Last week Nicholas and I spent a few days visiting my parents. Nicholas loved playing outside while we were there. He became pretty attached to his grandparents and followed them around the house as much as possible. He calls them mama and papa, which he came up with on his own. Nicholas also got to meet some of his cousins for the first time during this trip.

I know my belly button is here somewhere!

Nicholas and Kate had fun playing on the stairs.

Splenda Anyone?

Nicholas and Anna (sorry her head got cut off) discovered that Grandma's cupboards weren't toddler proof! They had a great time exploring all the goodies!

I love Sesame Street podcasts!

Even though the pictures don't convey it, Nicholas gets very excited when it's time for his favorite (and only) podcast. He especially loves Elmo!

Nicholas' new reading spot

Chillin

I have no idea what Nicholas was watching but he sure looks comfy!

Where Did My Baby Go?

I just had Nicholas' 18 month pictures taken and laid out his previous pictures to compare. Starting at the top left and going clockwise, they were taken at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months (guess we were so sleep deprived we forgot to get the newborn photo!). His chubby cheeks have disappeared and even though you can't tell from the picture, he has a lot more hair now! It makes me sad that he's growing so quickly but he's also tons of fun! It's a bittersweet thing that I know you moms understand.

My Guys (cute, aren't they?)

John started his new job this week and Nicholas made sure he was up early to see him off.

Ok, got my shoes on. Let's go!

Hmmm... How does this thing work?

Let's Call Daddy

Nicholas loves to pretend to call daddy. When John really is on the phone, Nicholas hears his voice and then looks at the phone trying to figure out how it all works!

Morning Ritual

Every morning when Nicholas wakes up he asks for his baba (banana) and milk. Then we go into the office, wave good bye to John, and watch for the school bus. Then play time begins.

Daddy makes a great horse!

Playing peek-a-boo

Dress Up

Nicholas thought it would be fun to try on daddy's clothes. He looked like a little ghost running around and loved the big cape!

Smelling the Flowers

One of Nicholas' favorite things to do outside is to walk to the entrance of our neighborhood and smell the flowers. Sometimes he tries to pick them, too.

Creative Card

John got very creative this year and made me a very special birthday card, poem included!

Welcome!

I finally decided to start a blog so it will be easier to keep everyone updated on our lives, but mainly so you can all see how Nicholas is growing and changing. He is a very busy toddler these days! He keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh a lot!! Enjoy!