Vacation Part II

We spent the first part of our vacation in PTC with the whole family around to help out with the P-man. Unfortunately, I did not capture too many shots during this time period. I blame the inherited Eckrich tendency to blow completely good photo opps, especially those where the entire family is assembled.

Here are some of the PTC shenanigans:

Caught dancing in the bathroom.

Preston was very happy to partake in the afternoon basketball session with the whole fam. Here he is showing off his skills to Cael. Not surprisingly, "basketball" is Preston's newest word, (no joke). He started by saying "beh...ball," but it has progressed to "beh.. keh-ball." A 3-syllable word? Not bad for 16 months. 

Showing Jase how it's done, with some help from Uncle Mike. Kobe who?

Taking a breather.

"Look, Uncle Mike. My belly."



Uncle Mike setting up the P-man for the alley-oop.



The awesome thing about PTC is that EVERYONE owns a golf cart, and it is the preferred method of transportation (there are 900+ miles of paths around the town). Preston still has to wait a few years for this privilege, however.



Playing with Jason's stylish hat. Maybe if he's lucky he will acquire some sense of style and ability to accessorize from that side of the family. He certainly won't be getting it from me.

Who knew? Apparently Daddy can pull off the Jason Mraz look too.

Pool night! If my memory serves me correctly, (and it is entirely possible that it does not...) this is the P-man's 1st indoor pool experience. He clung on for dear life, and had a look of trepidation the entire time.

Uncle Mike and Dad trying to lighten the mood.

Aunt Sarah also trying to ease the tension.

"Whoa, guys. I'm still a little freaked out here."

Getting a little more comfortable.

Hanging in there with Grandpa E.

Finally chilling out a little with Grandma & Grandpa E.



The P-man's 1st Official Vacation, Part I.

On Thursday, May 17th, we all eagerly boarded the plane for Preston's first real vacation. Little did we know, we would destroy the P-man's spectacular sleeping habits from that day forward....

The first stop on our vacation was Peachtree City (PTC), Georgia, for the Annual Eckrich-Quinn-Birmingham Reunion/PTC triathlon. This years participants: Uncle Mike, Aunt Sarah, Great-Uncle Tom, 2nd cousin Jase with fiance Kari, AND, for the first time EVER, Daddy!! It was tons of fun, but apparently the 7am start time was a little early for the P-man, so he was a bit of a crankster for most of the race, and then slept through the ending. Oh well.

Go, Daddy, go!

Crossing the finish line, still with pep in his step.

Preston was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

Hardly visible, but the "Go Daddy" artwork is there...

The whole crew!

 I am so excited for Preston that he has such an incredible group of relatives (Daddy included) to look up to as he grows. Watching the triathlon every year is so inspirational, and I am so proud to call these fine triathletes my family...
With a little luck maybe Mommy will one day participate. Or I may just play the college-athlete card indefinitely.

To be cont'd...

Pardon the Delay

We are finally home from vacation, and I am quite behind on P-man updates...

Mother's Day weekend cont'd:
Preston also enjoyed his 1st Family Day at the Marine Base in Mattydale, where Uncle Dan is now officially stationed as a Marine reservist...

Big trucks!

Preston LOVED the volleyballs. Must be genetic!

He was not a fan of the cotton candy, and much preferred feeding it to Daddy.

I also have more self-feeding pics, which seem to rate high on the cute-meter, so figured they were worth sharing:

"Oooo..." One of his favorite sounds.

the power of concentration.

I'm proud to report we're making progress on the feeding front....both in Preston's ability to feed himself, and my ability to tolerate the ensuing mess. The thought of giving him a spoon with anything pureed still makes me twitch, but we've made great strides, people. See below. I actually gave him food in a dish, AND a utensil. And he didn't automatically dump the bowl and start flinging penne everywhere. I'd like to thank daycare for that. I think they've helped foster these skills in a more disaster-friendly environment.

Notice how he's not wearing a bib. That's because he refuses. Apparently at daycare they manage to get one on him, but at home, he rips that sucker right off.

We spent Mother's Day at the cottage (first time back this season!) and Preston thoroughly enjoyed exploring a new place, and of course, playing with Gracie. We are still working tirelessly on "cat," but to no avail. She is still a dog in his book.

Dancing with Grandpa.

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!

"That."

Next up: vacation. Unless I figure out how to post efficiently from the ipad, there is probably going to be a bit of a hiatus. To be cont'd...

Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt

I knew that one day my child psychology course would come in handy. Of course, that was 10 years ago, so yes, I had to google for a refresher...
Preston has transitioned quite nicely into the 2nd stage of psychosocial development, autonomy versus shame and self-doubt. What does that mean? It means HE wants to open the box of cheerios (see previous post). I don't think anyone will be surprised at the extent to which he now likes to exert his own free will. It's his way, or the highway. Unfortunately this stage comes with a fair bit of whining, but I guess it goes with the territory. It's fun to see him want to do things on his own, despite the mess that usually ensues.
I have also enjoyed watching him develop his "pretend" skills, which I guess I didn't realize started at this age. He loves to grab whatever bag or purse is laying around and turn and walk for the door, waving bye-bye, like he's ready to head out. He has also pulled cereal boxes out of the recycle bin, reached his hand in, then brought it to his mouth and pretended like he's chewing....very impressive, I think. His favorite new thing is hiding out under the kitchen table and waiting for me to come find him, like we're playing Hide and Seek. Except he hides in the exact same spot every time. 
He's also become quite the comedian, and does things to be intentionally funny, and then smiles at you like, "aren't I funny?" I'm sure all kids do this, and all parents think that their kid is the funniest kid ever, but sometimes I actually do think he might be the funniest kid ever.
Here he is pretending he is Mr. Cool:

    He did this for the first time the other night; tried backing his way into the cupboard and then tried closing the door, waving bye-bye to Matt and me.

Here he is pretending he's going for a bike ride:

And finally, sitting in the frying pan:

A Cheerio Disaster

This is what happens when you give a baby the whole box of cheerios to entertain himself while you are trying to prepare yourself (and him) a somewhat-wholesome lunch...

Another fun comparison

Last weekend I toted Preston down to Binghamton with me for the Annual Alumni Volleyball Game. We met up with my old teammate Sara "D" and her daughter Isabella, who is roughly 2 months older than Preston. Her husband volunteered to watch both toddlers while the moms enjoyed a few shining moments of volleyball glory, just like back in the day.
 We've gotten them together on several occasions since their birth, here is the photo progression:

March 16, 2011. 1st meeting.



October 28, 2011. Nirchi's.
Wow. That is one chubby looking baby.



November 19, 2011
Isabella's 1st bday party.

April 28, 2012