Daniel Joseph is 15 months!

D money just turned the big 15 months last week, so I thought it would be a good time to post on the blog about all the new things he has been doing over the past few months! First of all, as you might have noticed from the pictures, D doesn't miss many meals. He weighed in at a solid 29 1/2 pounds at his well baby visit yesterday. His absolute favorite foods are raisins, cheese, hot dogs, spaghetti and meatballs, applesauce, bananas and blackeye peas. He will eat anything on his tray and pretty much anything leftover on Phil's. Since Dan loves food so much, it is no surprise that many of his favorite words involve mealtime. . .lunch, more, high chair, snack, cracker, chip, milk, cheese, all done, cheers, and a big "AMEN" when we finish grace.
Daniel is such a sweetheart. . in fact, he is such a well behaved and good-natured baby that he didn't even let us know that he had a double ear infection. . .thank goodness we did have that well baby checkup yesterday otherwise who knows how long it would have been before his super genius parents figured it out! Daniel was a trooper yesterday- he had to get 4 shots and then the yucky 15 month blood draw, where it took them about 10 minutes and both arms to get his vein. Poor kid! We made up for it with a special mommy-son date to Dairy Queen and Daniel couldn't have been happier with his hot dog, applesauce and ice cream cone!
Daniel is a very loving little brother. When Phil is having an emotional day, we will see Daniel go over and start to pat him on the back or try to give him a hug. He worships the ground Phil walks on and laughs at all the silly things Phil does at the dinner table. He tries to "hang" with Phil at playtime, usually they just play with their own toys but Daniel is very fascinated with whatever his brother is doing and tries to come over and help Phil pretend and build blocks. Unfortunately, Daniel can be a bit of a Godzilla when it comes to Phil's elaborate block and toy set-ups so Phil is not always willing to let Daniel play. D's feelings get a little hurt, so we are working on Phil loosening up a bit and giving Daniel a chance to be a part of his building.
The boys have lots of things they love to do together- watching Mister Rogers, going to the playground, playing in the sandbox, tackling Daddy, taking baths, going to Target and clowning around in their high chairs among them.
Daniel is at such a fun age right now, and it is a delight to see his vocabulary and personality blossom every day. My favorite part of the day is the huge sleepy smile he gives us when he wakes up in the morning. Daniel always greets Paul and I with hugs when we take him out of his crib. . .it is enough to make your heart melt! Happy 15 months, big guy!

On a hayride at the pumpkin patch

Enjoying a bath at Nana and Grandpa's house

Taking a solo walk on the sidewalk

An Extra Special 30th Birthday!

Wow- first of all, I can't believe I am 30. It sounded like the oldest thing in the world back when I was a teenager, but now that I am actually here it doesn't feel so bad. Especially since my friends already turned 30 this past year and paved the way into the new decade for me! It seemed like forever waiting to turn 16, and 21. . .but I didn't feel so bad that everyone else turned 30 first. November 5, 2009 was a great day- Paul took the day off work, the sun was shining and it was just beautiful outside! We had a really nice day as a family (except for the part where Paul had to go to the dentist and get a crown- his other reason for taking off work- BOOO!). Phil was super excited that it was my birthday and has been waiting for it all week. He just kept shouting, "IT'S MOMMY'S BERFDAY!" I was having such a great day enjoying calls and cards from special family and friends, but I had no idea that Paul was planning a big birthday surprise! We got the boys ready for bed a little early because we were expecting Jess and Adam to come over for dinner. Jess walked in the door with a beautiful birthday cake and Adam was right behind her with a present and I thought. . ."Hmmm. . .Paul said Jess and Adam were bringing dinner? But where is the dinner?" and Jess said "Suprise!" She and Adam were going to babysit for us so Paul and I could go out to eat together! What a treat! Paul and I went out to Bazbeaux on Mass Ave and had a great dinner, it was such a delight to spend time together. When we got home, Jess and Adam had decorated our whole house with all kinds of cute "30" decorations Paul had secretly obtained from our sweet neighbor, Cary. Then, as I walked down to the basement I saw Jess and Adam weren't the only ones waiting for us- Maureen and David, Eric, and Kristin were all there, too! Everyone had arrived while we were out to dinner and were waiting to have Jess' delicious cake and ice cream. It was so nice to be surrounded by the dear friends who have made all my birthdays special for the last decade and a half, and my wonderful husband who I hope to share many,many more happy birthdays with!

Mister Rogers and Elmo hit the town. . .

The boys had such a great time celebrating Halloween! We knew right from the beginning that Phil would be Mister Rogers this year- he loves to pretend to be his hero on a daily basis so it was a given that he would love dressing up like him! And love it he did. . .he was so proud of his tie and sweater, and got the biggest grin on his face any time someone said, "Oh, HI, Mister Rogers!" He kept checking himself out in any reflective surface and he loved the way he looked! Daniel dressed up as the boys' other favorite "superstar", Elmo. Paul and I had to laugh because Daniel's reaction to the Elmo costume was further evidence of how opposite our little guys are. . .Phil at that age would have absolutely freaked out if we tried to zip Elmo's fur on his body but Daniel LOVED it. He had the biggest grin his face all day because he was eating up all the attention that being Elmo got him. Even though I was really sick on Halloween with an icky sinus infection, Paul picked up all my slack and made the day a really special one for the boys. Thanks, honey!!! After a little visit to our Irvington neighbors in the afternoon, we all headed up to my parents' house for the official Halloween festivities. Of course, we had to have a photo opportunity by the special pumpkins that my Dad carved for each of the boys. He is a talented woodcarver but now I think he has found a new calling, those pumpkins were the coolest! We had the traditional Worrall Halloween hot dog dinner with the family (although, I must say that my parents have stepped up the hot dog dinner from my childhood days. . .these hot dogs were off the GRILL. . .yum!) then it was time to go trick or treating! The boys loaded up in the wagon and Grandpa pulled them around to all of their neighbors' houses. The boys stayed in the wagon the entire time. . .even though Halloween is exciting, it is still a little intimidating! Seeing all the spooky decorations and big kids in costumes, their eyes were like saucers. After about 5 houses, we were ready to head back and relax at Nana and Grandpa's house and the boys enjoyed running around the house with their plastic pumpkins and listening to the doorbell ring until it was time to finally take the costumes off and go to bed! What a special day.

Homecoming 2009

Jess and Daniel

The boys lounging and snacking

It was another year of fun (and chilly) tailgating for the crew! Every fall, we head back up to Purdue for at least one big tailgate. When we were just spring chickens, the tailgate would involve Breakfast club, kegs and actually going to the game. . .then it evolved into RV's, tents, campfires and a weekend long adventure. Now that we are a little more grown up and Purdue seems to no longer enjoy winning football games, we have trimmed it down to one amazing day with a legit tailgate setup, quality food and beer in BOTTLES. Add two babies and we are really grown-ups now!
The boys had a great time this year (as usual) having free reign of the tailgate activities and intramural fields. Fortunately, all of our friends were more than willing to take turns following them around as they explored. And explore they did- Phil was convinced he could just walk right up to the water tower with the big P on it he saw at the top of the hill. . .but no matter how far he walked it just never seemed to get any closer! The boys also enjoyed a day of eating WHATEVER they wanted without mean old mom prodding them to eat peas and carrots. At one point, I found both boys standing on top of the cooler so they could reach the food table with all hands in the chex mix.
After listening to the miserable game (and a rest in the car listening to Mr. Rogers for the boys) we headed on to campus to catch the marching band's post game performance and check out some campus landmarks that Phil loves, like the fountain and the bell tower. We even went into one of the buildings and rode the elevator up and down, a highlight for Phil and D money. It was another fun tailgate, and we are so grateful to our friends for making it a special memory for the boys!

Darlin's 86th Birthday!

Last week, we celebrated a really special day- my grandma, Darlin, turned 86 years old! Darlin is the greatest great-grandma to the boys and they just love her. Her name was one of both boy's first words- now Phil is able to say "Darwin" and Daniel calls her "Daaahr!!!!" They were so excited to go to a restuarant for Darlin's birthday and to have cake and ice cream at my parent's house. As their present to Darlin, they were super well-behaved at dinner so we could all enjoy the delicious meal at Matteo's in Noblesville. Phil was cracking us up as Darlin opened her gifts, "Dat's a nice outfit, Darwin!!!" I posted a DVD that Paul and I made for Darlin below. We had a great time celebrating with the family. I feel so lucky that my boys have Darlin in their lives!

We now have two toddlers. . .

It's official. . .Dan is a walking fool! He has been taking steps for a while, but in the past few days he has really taken off, toddling around the house from one thing to another instead of crawling! He is pretty proud of himself, as you can see in this video. Besides walking, Daniel has figured out how to get more of what he wants. He has been saying "more" and using the sign for a while in his high chair, but now he has determined he can use it all over the house! More guitar? More tackling? More Elmo? All D has to do is ask. We had our friends Jess and Adam over for dinner last night and when Jess walked out of the room Daniel started frantically signing and saying "MOH!, MOH!!" Daniel just can't get enough of Jess, or "Ass" as he calls her. Here's a video of Daniel doing both his tricks at the same time, walking and asking for more!!

Karl and Holly's Wedding

Last weekend, Paul's younger brother, Karl married the beautiful Holly Sinar at CYO Camp Rancho Framasa. Karl is the youngest of the Zink 10 and the last one to get hitched, so this was an extra special event for everyone! We were so excited for another wedding at camp- Matt and Mary Beth and Jim and Kim were also married at camp weddings, and it is a beautiful place that is very special to the Zink family. It was a perfect day- sunny, not too hot, a little breezy, glorious sky. . .and a perfect celebration to match. The ceremony was at 4:30 at the outdoor chapel with a reception following in the main hall. There was live music, which was the highlight for Daniel. D money had the time of his life, and was a little upset that I wouldn't just let him crawl right up and join the band! He had his eye on the trumpet and the drum kit, and was pretty determined to make that happen. Daniel crawled pretty much all over the reception, and the funniest part for me was when his cousins Seth and Delilah (who are 6) were crawling around following him everywhere. Pretty soon Daniel had a herd of cousins and other tiny guests laughing and following him around. . .of course he got so excited about it he face-planted on the floor of the mess hall and got a bloody tooth. Poor Dan- but he recovered quickly and was back into trouble. Phil had a great time, too, he loves to see his cousins and there is so much to explore at camp. By 7:30 the boys were ready to crash so the three of us went back to the cabin and went to bed- even though I was sad to miss the rest of the party we all fell asleep right away, chasing those little guys around can take it out of you! Paul stayed up and enjoyed some time with his family, it is not often that EVERYONE can be together like that and the Zinks know how to make the most of it. Thanks to the new Mr. and Mrs. Zink for a wonderful time, and welcome to the family, Aunt Holly!

It's such a good feeling. . .

As we have discussed earlier on this blog, we are Fred Rogers Superfans at the Zink house. A few months ago I checked out the "Going to the Potty" book at the library and Phil was enthralled- "Moh Mr. Wogers Potty Book Pweese, Mama!!" Needless to say I had to renew it 3 times. He would just sit and thumb through it on his own for 20 minutes at a time, and every time we would read it to him we would just say "Any time you want to go on the potty, Phil, you just let us know!" Basically, my parenting philosophy is WWMRD- What Would Mister Rogers Do? So I decided to take his approach to potty training which is to be really supportive and informative, then just let the child decide when they are ready. Tonight, Phil decided he was ready- he was in the tub and made some bubbles (if you know what I mean) and we asked if he would like to try the potty. Well, once I got it out his face just lit up. He sat down on it and said "Your feet touch the floor!!!" (a quote from the MR potty book) and within 2 minutes he had pooped and peed. Mr. Rogers, you are one cool cat. We are forever in your debt. Phil was so proud, and so were we, so we sang the "I'm proud of you" song to Phil. He could have never gotten off the potty he was so delighted. Who knows when he will be ready to do it again, but tonight was a special night for all of us!

Phil on the potty beaming with pride!

The boys and Boots enjoying their new favorite episode of the Neighborhood, where Fred visits the circus. And now, a video I took of Phil the other day. While I was fixing lunch, Phil decided to wrap an electrical cord around his neck a la Mr. Rogers' tie and give an impromptu performance to his reflection in the oven door. ( Don't worry, the oven wasn't on and he was closely supervised with the cord :)

Daniel turns ONE- part 2!

We had Daniel's official birthday gathering at Nana and Grandpa Phil's house on Sunday, August 9. We wanted to make sure Darlin could be there since she and D are best buddies so my parents were gracious enough to host again. Daniel sure was happy to be at Nana and Grandpa's house surrounded by the people who love him best!

Elmo decorations! Note the sweet Elmo ball caps the boys are sporting above. My mom and dad are dangerous when let loose in the party store!!

The chocolate cake I made. . .before D money demolished it in true one year old fashion! It was my first cake from scratch (not just "yeah it's from scratch, I scratched my butt while I was making it"- my mom's favorite line.) Darlin said she thought it was yummy, and that is all the validation I needed!

True love- D money adores his "Guh Guh" and the look on his face in this picture tells it all.


The "men" enjoying some Parmesan Ranch Chex mix after their workout on the trampoline. Phil, Will, Charlie and D.
Post-cake Daniel. It took a lot of time to clean up D and the floor around him but it was TOTALLY worth it.

The end.

Daniel turns ONE- part 1!

On Thursday, August 6 our little D money turned one whole year old. Where on earth did this year go? I feel like I blinked and my little baby turned into a big guy (who still looks like a baby since he has no hair yet :) I decorated the house the night before after the kids went to bed and Daniel was so thrilled to see Elmo and balloons all over our house when he woke up! He just kept yelling "EEEEELLLLLLO!!!" What is it with the red guy? While Paul was at work we had so much fun playing out in the backyard with our little friend Henrik in Little Tikes wonderland (Thanks, Nana and Grandpa Phil!) Daniel especially loved going down the waterslide. Our friends Maureen and David came over for a birthday pasta dinner and the boys' favorite coffee cake. Daniel soaked up all the attention and pretty much loved turning one!