My First Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everybody!!! Last year, I was all tangled up in a tummy, and THIS year I was all snuggled up in a Tigger costume. How cool is that! I like being out in the open : )

After going for a run with my Mom and Dad in the park, we came home and got ready for trick-or-treat time. I was psyched! I kept hearing about all this candy I was going to get...(and not eat). Slightly after 6:15, Mommy and Daddy and I set out about the neighborhood to get our candy. About 7 houses later, I was about done. Everyone let me stick my hand into their bowl of candy, and I'd hesitate...then grab a piece and throw it on the ground. Each time. Each house. It was kind of funny.

When we got home, I played by the front door (still in my Tigger costume) and helped Mommy pass out candy. Daddy had to hold Scooter in the kitchen so he wouldn't bark like an insane dog and scare the little kids. Almost every trick-or-treater said "oh my gosh, what a cute little Tigger". I smiled at them because I knew it was true. I am a cute little Tigger.

Since there are so many Halloween pictures, my Mommy is going to email them out to everyone on her list. If you're not on her list and you'd like to get my pic updates, please let her know. (her email is listed on the profile page) If you're on her list and you don't want any more pictures, let her know that too. : ) Hope you like the pictures...Happy Halloween!

Love, T-i double GG-er

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Smells like roses

My Daddy left for Atlanta when Grandma and Grandpa left to go back home to Ohio. So, Mommy and I went from a full house...to just us two. For some reason, Mommy was more sad than usual when Daddy left. So was I.

Well, on Monday, the FedEx guy came to our door and we heard a 'plop' on the front porch. Mommy and I were on our way up for nappy time when we heard it and Mommy figured it was Daddy's work stuff again. After I fell asleep, she snuck downstairs to get his package, and guess what!!!! It wasn't Daddy's work stuff, it was FLOWERS! Daddy sent Mommy a dozen red roses packed in a gorgeous box and a red vase to match the kitchen. How sweet is he! Mommy got all teary. (Big surprise.) and our kitchen has smelled incredible ever since.

Isn't my Daddy just so good to us!!?!?!? I love you Daddy! love, TJ

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Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Grandpa Budic came to visit me! We went for walks and ate grilled cheese and I don't think I even cried one bit except when I had to take a nap.

One day, we went to the Lazy 5 Ranch. We got to see all the cool animals come right up to the car. I could actually see them this time because my car seat is now facing forward. FINALLY! I'm nearly 1 and I fit the weight requirement, so I can see forward and it makes a HUGE difference. Now my Mommy and Daddy can see my beautiful face while they're driving. Hoorah!


Anyway, back to the Lazy 5 Ranch. My favorite animals were the ones with huge horns. They tried to stick their heads in the window to lick us, but couldn't because their horns got in the way. Oh! And on the way into the front gate, two ladies got in a fight. They were yelling at each other and stuff. It was kind of exciting...until they stopped. No punching took place. Oh well. Hahaa.

Grandpa and Grandma walked me around the couch a million times because that's what I like to do now. They just held my hands and let me walk wherever I wanted. I kicked my toys and my Backyardigans ball all over. It was great!

I miss my Grandma and Grandpa and Grammie and Poppy or whatever I end up calling everyone. Love you, dudes!!!!

Love, TJ

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A quick note...

We miss you, Daddy!!!!!

Write more later...gotta go nap now!

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Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere!!!

I have my first cold. Not bad for being almost 1 year old! But it's a yucky cold, just the same. I think it's kinda cool that I can blow bubbles in my nose though. Green bubbles too! I have so much snot, that if I breathe out, a green little bubble appears. Very appetizing during dinner when we're all sitting around the table eating. Yummy! I've left boogie trails all over Mommy today. I'm sure she loves it. I haven't been in a bad mood at all though, even though I'm sick. Not bad, eh?


I experienced another type of bubble the other night during my bath-a. All of a sudden, Mommy heard a noise she never heard before...and then saw little bubbles popping up from my little butt. I laughed at the noise it made and it tickled my butt when my little farties hit against the bottom of the tub. Hehehehe! Farting is cool!


The best kind of bubbles are church bubbles! I get to play with bubbles at church with the girls that play with me during the service. They're all really nice and I like to try and grab each round bubble as it floats by me. Then I squint when it pops. Silly me!


Well, gotta go catch my zzzzzzz's! Love, TJ-farty-pants

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Boo!

Who is at the center of this family?

That's who!

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Spooky!!!

On one of our walks today, my Mommy pointed out all the Halloween decorations covering people's houses and lawns. I was especially enamored with a skeleton strewn across a perfectly manicured lawn a few houses down from us. I said "ohhh! dadadada!" as I pointed at it. While my Daddy is very skinny, he isn't a total skeleton...so Mommy told me about Halloween traditions and such. Anyway, I digress. During our walk, she told me about monsters. The only monster she believed in (until today) was the sock monster. He's a little fat, white, lint-filled monster that eats socks. But not whole pairs of socks. Just one sock...from several pairs every few loads or so. However, tonight, she realized there is yet another type of monster. This monster is the measuring-cup-eating kind. As a little boy, I have a fondness for playing with measuring cups. Well, we're not sure where exactly they go after awhile. My Mommy is missing her 1/3 cup from all 3 sets of measuing cups she has. Hmmmm. Hence, the reason for believing in the measuring-cup monster. Spooky!!!

Last year at this time, I was inside my Mommy's tummy. Daddy reminded my Mom about this while he was carving "TJ" into a big pumpkin after dinner tonight. They reminisced about it while I was playing with Scooter and, well, measuring cups on the floor. I don't remember much about last year, except that I was snuggled tightly inside my Mom's pumpkin-like belly and had a few weeks to go before I saw the light.

It's hard for Mommy and Daddy to remember not knowing me. They kept saying that. And I guess I can't remember not knowing them either. Actually, I'm glad I don't remember not knowing them, because I really like it out here.

I love you fellow pumpkin-heads! Love, TJ

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Mommy Who?

My Mommy turns into a different person when she watches sporting events. For instance, tonight. The Indians game is going on and I can hear Mommy and Daddy from my crib. Mommy turns MEAN! She tells Manny Ramirez that she hates him and she'd like to meet him in an alley so she could rip out his fake hair and beat him up. She tells the umpire that he's an idiot and KENNY WAS SAFE! She basically says words that I'm not even supposed to know exist...and Daddy even yells at her. : )

All I can say is "Go Tribe"!! Otherwise, I'm scared to see what my Mommy will be like in the morning.

I love you everybody! TJ

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Pumpkin-Head TJ

Today, we got to pick out our pumpkins for Halloween! We got a little one for me, and a big one for Daddy to carve. Cool, huh! There were tons and tons of pumpkins to look through and I got lots of pictures taken by them. So far, I love Halloween...and I don't even know what candy is yet!

I like to do the bear crawl lately. When I transition from the carpeted living room to the ceramic tiled dining room, I usually bear crawl for awhile til I get to my new favorite toy...the trash can. Yes, I love to go after this germ-infested can. As you can imagine, Mommy and Daddy love to move it into the laundry room every day. Along with the two floor vases and potted tree in our living room. I am crazzzzzzzzzzy!

I got to go on two very long walks today. Mommy took me for about 50 minutes this morning...which is almost twice as long as usual. And Daddy took me for almost an hour this evening. Man, I got spoiled with walks today. : )

Well, I have to go pop some popcorn and get my hot dogs ready for gametime. Go Tribe!!!

love, tj

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Snakey McSnakes

I forgot to add something to yesterday's blog. Mommy and Daddy and I saw a big black snake when we were driving. So, what did Mommy do? She pulled over so she could get out and investigate!!! (We were in a to-be-built development so there was no one around...don't worry!)

When she got out of the car, she saw the big black snake up close and it had black and white designs on it's belly. It was so cool.

We're not sure if his name was Snakey McSnakes or Roger. He wouldn't tell us.

love, tj

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Boy, oh Boy!

Yesterday, Mommy and I went to our very first playdate. I got to play with Kate, Samuel, Mindi and Alexia. We had so much fun! I wasn't shy at all which surprised Mommy a lot. I got right into playing with all the new toys they had. My favorite was Kate's dishwasher. She shared with me and let me take out all the dishes and forks and spoons, and then open and close the door about 12 thousand times. It was great! I was the youngest guy there, but I didn't act like it. I can't wait to do it again someday!

I have a new "thing" I do when I'm eating. It makes Mommy very frustrated with me because I'm becoming very picky and fussy with it. Whenever I'm bored or feel like playing while eating, I just chew up my food (or not) and stick out my tongue and let it slowly fall out of my mouth. I kid you not, I do this all the time now. Even with my favorite foods!!! I also had my very first temper tantrum today when Mommy took her remote away from me and gave me my toy one. I wanted the REAL remote and I let her know it. Boy, did I let her know it.

Well, I have to go chew up my food and spit it out now. Write more later! Love, TJ

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PeePee Pants

I have sort of a lot to say about the past few days. My Aunt Carey was here and we did lots of things together with my Mommy. Yesterday, we went to a store where they had lots of dancing Santa's. When you pressed a button, they wiggled around and sang a song. So, Mommy and Carey pressed all the Santa's buttons and made them all sing and dance. I bet other people were annoyed, but it made me giggle and laugh so much. My face just lit up!!! It was cool.

Speaking of giggling and laughing. Mommy made my Aunt Carey pee in her pants. Yup, you heard me right. She was laughing so hard at something my Mommy said or did that she peed in her pants. Aren't babies just supposed to do that? Anyway, I found it kind of humorous. I think they were taking pictures of themselves with their cell phones and seeing how terrible they could make the pictures look. They made silly, ugly faces and couldn't stop laughing. My Mommy won...and she wasn't even trying. hahaha.

When we took Carey to the airport today, I cried. Then I slapped her right in the face. It was kind of funny. They both laughed, and then cried too. Mommy didn't make much fuss at the airport, but she sobbed on the way home.

I got some New Balance kicks at the store yesterday too. My very first pair of running shoes. They're Velcro too. Comin' back in style, baby! : ) Oh, and I tried on my costume for Halloween today. Mommy wanted to make sure it fit...and oh, does it fit. I look like a million bucks! : )

My Daddy's coming home soon! My Daddy's coming home soon!

love, TJ

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Crying over spilled milk...

Hi Everybody! Gosh, I miss my Daddy. He is working in Vegas this week and I miss him so much. He is my friend. We wrestle together. We play with blocks and trains and all sorts of things. My Daddy is great at singing the ABC's with me and Mommy thinks it is the cutest thing ever. Only 5 more days without him....ew, that seems long.

I like to ski on my hands. I take books or cds (as seen in the pic) and I just slide all over the house with them. It is so much fun. My Mommy wonders what goes on in my head. : )

Today, Mommy and Aunt Carey and I went to Target together. (Aunt C came here to visit and see our new house and everything...it is great fun!!!) When we got home, Mommy brought all the bags in and set them on the washer and dryer. She was making my dinner and putting the groceries away. When she picked up the bag with the milk in it, it was sopping wet and spilled all over. It went in her brand new shoes, in the washer and dryer (through the doors), in between the washer and dryer, in all the other bags and splattered on the floor. I heard her say a bad word too. For some reason, the plastic ring on the top of the lid was not on correctly. So...she poured out the rest of the gallon of milk down the drain. She did not cry over spilled milk. Almost though.

This is Sonny. My Mommy wants him reallll bad. He is a great doggy and we're trying to get him and Scooter to be friends. Maybe it will work. Maybe not. Mom sure likes him though.

Well, I need some sleep. Had a busy day. Love you guys! ~ TJ Stinky McStinks

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Bed Head

If you wake up in the morning with bed head, does it mean that you slept well the night before? If so, I've been sleepin' really well lately. It probably doesn't mean anything more than that you have hair and it's messed up...but it's more fun to think of it the other way. Speaking of hair, my hair is just getting more and more orange. It matches my Tigger Halloween costume perfectly. Maybe it's because I like squash and sweet potatoes and carrots so much.

I took such a long nap today, Mommy had to wake me up for a late dinner. I had no problem going back to bed an hour and a half later either. Mommy and Daddy tired me out by playing so much baseball with me. Mostly, I just like to throw the bat around. I haven't gotten good at actually hitting the ball yet.

Kicking is fun too. When I walk around the living room (Mommy holds my hands) I like to go after and kick anything that is remotely in my way. It's so much fun. I giggle and laugh when I step on the toy instead of kicking it...because I almost fall over. Silly me. I am a silly, silly man.

Well, gotta go back to bed now. I'm depressed from watching the Indians tonight. But it ain't over! They are going to come back so tough! Love, TJ

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SOOOO BIG!!!!!!!!!!

I had such a good time in Cleveland on the East Side and the West Side that I almost didn't want to come home! I got lots of prizes and kisses and hardly cried at all...seriously! My Mommy and Daddy missed me so much and it took me a few seconds of looking them over when we picked them up from the airport before I let out a big grin. Mommy was scared there for a second. She thought I forgot about her. But I didn't. You should see my feet and hands. They are lookin' pretty yucky from my scabs and all. Those blisters took a toll on me, but I have been feeling better for a good while now.

I learned a new trick from Grammie while my 'rents were in Chicago. It's called "soooo big!" and I can do it really well. When someone says "how big is tj?" or "how big are you?" to me, I respond with a great big smile and throw my arms up in the air like it's my job!

As you can see in the pictures, I do it in my high chair, in my babyjogger, and everywhere else too. Sometimes, I get so excited, I just throw my arms up without anyone saying "so big" or asking me how big I am. I am just too cool.

Last night was my first night in my own crib in over a week and I really liked it. Thankfully, I slept through the night so Mommy and Daddy could have a break. I think I'm out of my "middle of the night wake-up trend". It was just a phase. I promise to stop doing that now.

It was a beautiful day today in Charlotte. When I woke up at 7am (yep! 7am!), it was in the 50s and I had to wear a hooded jacket for my morning walk with Mommy. It felt great. Then, Mommy and Daddy took me for a ride in the babyjogger at 6 and it was beautiful outside. I welcome the fall weather to Charlotte. Now, if it would just rain....

Love you all! Love, TJ "So Big"

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He did AWESOME!!!

He did it! He did it! I'm gonna brag about my Daddy now. If you're not interested, you may want to stop reading now. : )

The morning started out pretty warm ... and just got hotter and hotter. Mommy and Daddy went into the Top 100 tent about 45 minutes before the start of the race and just prepared from there. Daddy was really nervous. Mostly because he didn't know what to expect as this was his first marathon.

After kissing good-bye (yuck!), Daddy went to his corral, and Mommy walked through the trillions of people toward the 2.5 mile mark. At 7:59, the race began and Mommy met her friend Lisa again to cheer on Daddy. Mommy, Lisa, and Noelle ran from place to place and got to see Daddy a whole bunch of times. The streets were packed with cheering fans at least 5 deep on each side of the road for nearly the whole race. It was an awesome sight to see. Truly!

At one point, Mommy and her friends had to actually jump into the race and run for awhile just to get to the other side. Lack of planning on their part...for cheering on the wrong side of the road. Whoops! Anyhow, Mommy ran with Daddy for a teeny bit at mile 14 and at mile 16.5 to give him water and Gu. She got teary-eyed each time she saw him because she was so proud. (What a mush-ball!) It was scorching hot, but Daddy ran like a champion. A real champion. He came around the corner for the last half mile and Mommy screamed like a crazy lady for Daddy. He waved at her and then finished his race up the hill and around the corner.

Overall, Daddy finished 61st out of 45,000 people. Can you believe that? We are so proud of him. Read Daddy's blog for more details about the heat and all...it was brutal. They even stopped the race after 3 1/2 hours and made the rest of the runners stop. Apparently, they were bringing in ambulances from an hour away...wow!

Well, I'm off to bed. Go Tribe!!! (Please win so that I can read about it in the paper when I wake up in the morning)

love, my daddy's son tj

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Daddy's Big Race

My Daddy is going to run the race of his life tomorrow. GO DAD!

My Mommy and Daddy went to Chicago for a big race. Mommy is injured and has to have knee surgery #4 to get better again, but Daddy is ready to go! Mommy ordered a shirt for her to wear on race day with my picture on it. Below my picture, it says "Go Daddy! Go!" She was going to wear it while she cheered for Daddy around the course but it didn't get to her in time. She was very sad about that. Daddy was too...when she told him about it. But, I am there in spirit, of course.

While they are in Chi-town, I am here in Cleveland. I'm having fun with my Grammie and Poppy and I haven't really missed my Mommy and Daddy a whole lot yet. But...I've heard the same is NOT true for my parents. I guess my Mommy had a very hard day yesterday without me. Today was hard too, but I think she's getting along okay by now. I guess she's pretty attached to me. Probably cuz I'm so cute. : ) To get her mind off of me, she went shopping with her friend Lisa. They walked down Michigan Avenue and took pictures and looked for shoes. Instead of buying shoes though, they spent a lot of time in the Disney store and bought me a prize. I can't wait!

I'm posting some pictures of Mommy and her friend Jen who is in Chicago for the race too. I'll write tomorrow with details of Daddy's race. Pray for him. It is going to be pretty hot. But shhhh, don't tell him I said that.

Love, TJ

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Learning to Share

I am a great little boy. Feeling better every day. My blisters are very gross and Mommy and Daddy wince at gag at them sometimes. But I honestly don't feel them at all. Pretty cool, huh!

I've begun sharing too! I have given my Mommy what I had. She now has a high fever and flu-like symptoms. "Excellent", she says.

Love, TJ

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Comfy Suit

This is me in my "comfy suit". Mommy put me in it because it has footies attached and it was cold in the morning when we went for our walk. I am still pretty sick, but I'm through the worst of it. Isn't that wonderful? My blistery rash looks a bit worse, but my mood is better and I am not in so much pain. Gosh, I'm glad this is almost over. I don't really feel like writing much more. I need my sleep because I am a growing boy. Love, TJ

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Waiting in the ER

Hi! I'm in a very sad state right now. I still have a pretty decent fever, I can hardly eat or drink, and I've developed a very ugly rash with tiny blisters all over my legs, arms, hands and feet.

Mommy and Daddy took me to the ER last night because it had been two whole days of screams from me...and I wouldn't eat or drink. So, we went on a trip to the pediatric ER where the waiting room was all fishes and whales and polar bears and cool things on the ceiling. My Daddy is running a huge race next week, and yet he still sat in there with me amongst the toddler puking and the millions coughing and sneezing.

My doctors were very nice to me, except that they took my temperature "the old-fashioned way". I didn't appreciate that very much...but Mommy promised me popsicles so I already forgot about the discomfort. (Are any of you squirming in your seat right now?) : ) Anyway, I was such a good little boy. I let them stick things down my throat and feel my little body. It turns out that I have two giant ulcers on my tonsils and a disease called hand-foot-mouth disease. I'm on some new meds so HOPEFULLY I will feel better soon. I'm not out of the worst though, so your prayers are greatly desired.

All of this....because Mommy had to take me to the Y. I told her I didn't want to go there. Hmmm. I think she feels pretty darn guilty. But I still love her lots. I hope to have better news for you tomorrow!

Love, TJ Sicky-Pants

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