when did this happen?!

15 months 

  weight : 26.11 lbs = 75% 

height: 33 1/4 inches = >95%

on the scale with a cracker in hand.
he's worried he might wither away.

have you ever seen the Backyardigans?  a cartoon themed around the adventures one can have in their own backyard. well living with grandma and grandpa echols  makes that cartoon feel more like a nonfiction. gabe is ALWAYS walking over to the sliding glass door and hitting the glass and grunting or growling.. {translation: take me outside to explore.... please. he's very polite.}   so off we go, literally we could be out there for hours of mind blowing entertainment.

 our first stop is always grandmas tomato garden. i used to let him pick a tomato thinking he would carry it around like a precious little pet. i dont know what i was thinking. if he can get his hands on one he immediately crushes it and then licks his hands.... antioxidants anyone?

 then we have to go check out the situation on both bridges. you heard me right, both, meaning two bridges in one backyard. could this be anymore awesome?

 

on to the big boy toys. he takes an imaginary ride on the 4 wheeler and jet ski.

complete with self made motor sounds...of course.

 we eventually end up at the little boys toys section of this backyard wonderland.

which i'm grateful for because i feel like this "little boy" time is passing to quickly. 

you know when your grandma calls someone a "little shit" and its not even considered a swear word because really there is no other term that fits better. 

well.....

gabe likes to push his limits, so knowing he cant go in the street, he sits in the gutter and sticks a foot on to the pavement. turning to look at me with a shady little grin on his face.

i cant think of a term that would fit better for this situation!

but i dont swear! ;-)

when the adventure is put on hold for the moment due to nap time, its a mix of emotions. I LOVE NAP TIME, because nap time = me time. but when i put him in his crib and notice he takes up more then 1/2 of it, i cant help but think.."when did this happen"?. he is no longer a baby....he's a real live toddler and i dont really know how i feel about that. i love that he is independent, but i hate that when i walk in the opposite direction he doesn't follow me anymore. he gives me a look like "go ahead and do what you want but i'm going this way". WHAT!! he used to not want me out of his sight, and call me selfish but that "stage" should last longer then 15 months. i hope its a long time until he doest want ME to follow HIM. so until then i will keep tagging along on his adventures.

 and take comfort in that fact that although he is getting big, he's not quite this big!

REMEMBER

9/11/2011

Ten years have passed.

It seems insane. 

The rubble gone

but not the pain.

Reflection pools now take their place.

the towers gone

a different face.

So lets remember

though the pain may fade.

the ultimate price, too many have paid.

lets make them proud

let us stand tall

unlike the towers

WE WILL NOT FALL.