MANIE...
That is what I call Ms. Mary. She was so good to me. I got frozen fruit pops and a whole lot more! We went on some wild adventures...swimming, the duck pond to feed the turtles, fish and ducks, walks all around and more. She brought out my creative side. I was an artist every day! Mom is home for summer so now I get to have my adventures with her too.
















We love Manie!

IS THIS THING ON?...
You've lost that lovin' feeling! Oh...I got a new microphone at Gymboree. It echoes through springs! We are having a blast singing all the tunes and practicing saying my new words. To be honest, dad is having the most fun. He thinks he can sing!
Here is a list of a few words that I am saying now: cat, dog, duck, purple, green, yellow, dada, mama, grandma, out, up, down, go, no, yes, ice, drink, please, that, me, let's go, come on, where did it go, where you goin', box, hush, night-night, ball, car, truck, swing bath, backpack, dot, book, eyes, mmm for cow and baa for sheep (Mom used to call cows "big woo-woo's")...more to come when mom remembers them or I add new words. A magazine mom was reading says that an 18 month old adds 9 new words to their vocabulary each day! WOW~I should be talking in no time!

La, la, la, la

STINKER WINKER!...
Reagan is having all kinds of fun in the tub these days. he loves using the tub crayons to color on the walls of the bathtub. His favorite color for this is green. We discovered that purple does not like to wash off very easily. Of course he loves that color too :) Bath time is always exciting at the Taylor house!



















Silly faces!

A DAY AT THE OIL RANCH...
Fun with the fam and great friends too! Mom, dad and Aunt Meme (plus my little cous) took me to the Oil Ranch. We met my girlfriend,Julia and Mandy and Justin too. The weather was perfect and I was ready to enjoy all the new sights and sounds. There are a lot of new smells too, but we will focus on the other things. One of the first animals I saw was a rooster. Aside from a duck, this is my favorite these days. I love to say "err,err,err,err,err." That means cock-a-doodle-doo! Then it was time for a pony ride. I'm an expert in this area. I already rode a pony at the rodeo. This time, there was no safety buckle. Mom had to hold on tight. It was a bumpy ride, but I enjoyed it. Next up was the milking cow. It was covered in flies, but I didn't mind. The ranch hand said they were out of fly spray. EWWWW! Dad jumped right in and helped me milk my first cow. Now I know why I don't like to drink that stuff! That was a process, but I did great! Julia gave it a try too after seeing how much fun it was. She did not like the up close version though. She got swatted by the cow's poopy tail-YUCK! Then we all jumped on the hayride together. This was loads of fun! The driver took us deep into the pastures to feed the cows their "candy." These are either some hungry or well trained cows. They came right up the the tractor and ate right out of our hands. Even the calves were ready for a treat. All the cows had beautiful coats, but they were SLIMEY! At first I just threw the food or dropped it in the hay, but then I got brave and I let the cow eat right out of my hand. Feeding all those cows made me hungry for a snack so we ate one on the way to the train. Round and round we went on the choo-choo tracks before heading out to get some lunch. We had a great day in the sun and will visit again this summer.

MOO!

SONICARE...
Ask me what a 100 dollar toothbrush is good for...brushing crocodile teeth for one. (It is also good for belly rubs...it tickles.) Mom says I am in a great place in life. I love to pretend. I walk around talking on the phone, passing it off to mom for a few words and then taking control of the conversation again. I love puppets and techno music too. One of my favorite games these days is chase. Dad makes a really good "monster" and mom serves as a great "base." They hear my best belly laughs during these games.
















At 18 months I have 16 teeth.

ON 3 WHEELS!...
Aunt Melissa and Uncle Gene came for a vist. I love those guys...look what they brought me! I now have 3 wheels to help me get around--my very own Radio Flyer tricycle. WOW! I thought it was the neatest thing. I crawled out of bed and waddled to the living room to find this thing just waiting on me. What a great start to my day. I started off with everyone pushing me around the house, but by the end of the week I could use my own legs to get around. Mom calls that "Flintstoning." I ring the bell as I go. I am such a big boy now. I can ride a trike.





















Ding, Ding!

There goes her hair AGAIN!...

Mom said it was time to get rid of the dead hair and move get a "chemo cut." I wasn't so sure, but I went along for moral support. It turns out that Alan (her hairdresser) keeps very interesting magazines on hand. I just pulled up a chair and waited. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it) :) Mom tells a different version. Something about me flirting with a long legged blonde and squirming all over the place until she let me free to dig through the 20 somethings purse and try on her sunglasses. Either way, mom lost a lot of hair and dad was in for a surprise. He was in Oklahoma and would not see her "do" until the next day. I was a bit confussed for awhile. I still like to hold onto mom's hair as I go to sleep and play with her hair too. Mom saved her ponytail for me for a few days, but then it just all started to fall out of the rubberband--YUCK! So, sadly, mom had to throw it away. I tried to stick that thing back on her head a few times I even grunted and pointed and cried, but I think I finally have the picture. Mom tells me that she has short hair now, but that as soon as she can she will grow it back out for me. I will try to be patient. Now I just rub her head instead.

The next haircut is mine :)

CAN YOU HEAR THE BEAT?...
I've taken music classes at Gymboree since I was 6 months old. I got the beat! I recently moved up to the music 2 class and now I have even more freedom. Ms. Sera lets us choose our own instruments to play in the class "jazz band." I usually switch instruments a few times during the session, but I always beat on the drum.

Boom, boom, boom...

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!...

18 months and I'm not complaining! Mom started my big day with a berry bowl, a giant whole wheat pancake and eggs. It was good to the last bite. Yum! We always try to do something extra special on my "birthday" and today was no exception. We were busy and having a blast the whole day through! Mom and I spent the day moving from activity to activity and finally ended up at the park. We played with some of the neighborhood kids and a boy from Russia too. I slid down the slide by myself for the first time and then tried my best to climb back up again. Mom was still at the top waiting her turn to come down. We were HOT and sweaty but we didn't mind at all. A day in the sun was a great celebration for me!

Here is what I am up to these days; this is where my mom gets to brag a bit...she is so proud!

Reagan has a definate opinion on things these days. I guess the apple did not fall too far from the tree. You can ask him what he wants for breakfast or what he wants to wear and he will attempt to show you. He will shake his head no in opposition and mumble the word "no" too or he will giggle if you have made the right selection. These days we hear no quite often when chicken is on the table. Reagan is enjoying meatloaf instead...who would have thought? He waves hello and tells you bye-bye and is now including strangers too. He blows sweet kisses, gives open mouth slobber kisses and now includes smooches (with smacks) too. Reagan will now show his love independent of being asked to do so. It is so sweet to have him walk up and plant one on your leg or hold on tight until you pick him up. And don't think you can hide either (not that you would want to.) Reagan can open doors and more. We had to get knob covers to keep him out of danger zones. He actually let himself into the garage one day. Luckily I was watching! He can run, turn in circles and climb onto the couch with ease. He can "Flinstone" his feet to push himself in his car or on his new trike too. His gross motor skills have really developed and his fine motor is soaring! RGT is still using both his left and right hand to complete tasks like feeding himself with his fork and coloring his pictures. Reagan can use his crayons to draw staight lines and some curves aswell. He loves markers and pens and colored pencils too. Some days it looks like the right hand is winning and then it is back to the left again. Side note-he uses his right hand to flush the toilets. :) He can blow his nose and signals to you when his diaper is wet. maybe potty training isn't as far off as I think. I Reagan still loves to read and has even started reading to me. It is amazing to me to hear the tones in his voice or hear the way he mimics my speech patterns and pauses. He knows to point out things in the pictures, where the front and back of the book are, how to turn the pages in order and what is up and down. We can literally sit for an hour just reading and singing songs. These are some of my most treasured moments. Reagan can act out the songs too. He sings along and uses his hands and feet to help me sing about the "Little Piggies," "Twinkle, twinkle," "5 Little Ducks," "5 Little Monkeys," "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and more. The piggies are his favorite right now, but twinkle, twinkle helps put him to sleep. Reagan can tell you what sound all the barnyard animals make. He will also include and owl, tiger, cat, dog, bear, lion, elephant and I'm sure a few more too. He can tell you where all of his body parts are (elbows, chin and cheeks included.) AND...HE KNOWS HIS COLORS TOO! He is working hard on his shapes now. Most of the time he can put the correct shape into his shape sorter. Reagan is also experimenting with numbers. You can say "show me one" and he will hold up one finger. He tries very hard to hold up 2,3,4,5, but we are still working on muscle control in his fingers for that. Listen closely though...you can hear him try to say the numbers. If you take Reagan outside bring your shades. The sun is "so bright" and he will cover his eyes and squint. You can even show him a picture or draw a picture of the s un and he will do the same thing. He is making associations between real life and pictures--he is my little genius! When the day is done this little man knows that it is time to clean up. He likes for everything to be in its place and will tell you when something is missing or just mixed up. Sometimes Reagan notices before me. It is so hard to believe that Reagan has developed so many skills and talents so fast. He is our miracle baby and we are amazed daily by his good nature and love! I think my next list should be all the positive things that Reagan has taught me about love and life, family and time spent on the important things.

BUTTERFLY vs. WASP...
YIKES! We have wasps. All these flowers attract more than just butterflies. Plus, mom thinks that the wasps are "getting" our caterpillars. We have gone from 15 to none. :( Butterflies still visit the garden each day so we should have more soon, but what do we do about the wasps?
















What a beautiful life cycle

OUR 2nd MOTHER'S DAY TOGETHER...
I have to admit that I did not realize the full impact, the importance, of mother's day until I became a mother. I know now all the blessings of the job. The worry, the stress, the smiles, the laughs, the sleepless nights and early mornings and a new day everyday. I only wish I could hold on to each moment, each memory before it passes. I wish I could record all our interactions; each time he acts out a song or story before bedtime or rolls over and smiles at me in the morning. The longer we are together the fuller my heart becomes. How did I ever live without this little man? What did I do with all my spare time?
Reagan has learned so many ways to make me laugh and smile. His "mum, mum, mum's" and "mum ma's" will do it everytime. He know when to lean in for a kiss and how to grab on tight to my leg for protection. What an amazing feeling! My son already knows that I am his protector, his safe place. I have learned so much and of course have a long way to go, but God gave me the greatest gift of love in Reagan. I could not ask for more. Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's! Celebrate your little one. They will always be little to you.

We had breakfast at the Omni and I ate more fruit than anyone else! YUMMY! I even had eggs. Then we visited with Grandma Hamm and my Great Grandma's too. We're planning a family brunch next year that will include both sides of the family.

MY FIRST ART CAR PARADE...

I know the sound a car makes..."VOOM!" I see cars all the time, but these cars were different. Some were big and some were tiny and others did not look like cars at all! Grandma and mom laughed at a few and I just stared in amazement. This was a test of my senses; loud sounds, smelly fumes and lots of people in costumes too. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed sweating outdoors. IT WAS HOT! I think summer is finally here. Maybe next year I can drive the lego car. Mom wants to drive the mirrored car or blow the bubbles in the bubble maker mobile. What car do you want to drive Grandma?

Butterflies fly not drive

GRANDPA'S BACK IN TOWN...
Grandpa was back in town last week. We met grandpa, Donna and the rest of the fam at Papadeaux for some good tastin' seafood. I loved every bite of mine and then I loved every bite of dad's too. I had fish for the first time and grandpa couldn't believe how much I could eat. Mom tried to tell him that I have hit a growth spurt...there is just no fillin' me up. It was a good thing I wore my surfing clothes too because we almost had to grab the life ring off the wall and swim out of the restaurant. We were flooded in and stuck in the parking lot for almost 2 hours. The rains came and the waters did rise. People were walking in the streets with water up to their knees. Mom and dad were so glad that I could sleep in my car seat; 10 pm is much too late for me to be wide eyed. I was a champ. Even after the firetrucks woke me up I just helped navagate us with my sweet little sounds and words. No cries. We were all exhausted and feeling quite dirty and ready for a bath.
















Never trust someone else to take the picture :)

MR. MUNCH!...
It worked! Our butterfly garden is a success. We check on it everyday and of course take pictures of our discoveries. Reagan is loving it and so are mom and dad. We romp though the mud to make sure they have what they need. Mr. Munch was our first caterpillar. Dad names him because he eats so much. He almost devoured an entire milkweed plant by himself. You can see his pictures below. We are mourning the loss of that guy. His crysalis did not hold to the branch. But, we have lots of juniors to follow now. At least 15 of them! We see Monarch's fly, drink nectar from the flowers and apparently lay eggs often and now it looks like we will see even more. We marked the garden with a new pinwheel that Grandma bought for us. Reagan tried it in several places in the yard. It's final resting spot is stuck in the mud of our new butterfly garden. FYI-a defined space and mulch are to follow. This is still a primative garden :)

Should I put it over here?

EATTIN' BREAD...
The neighborhood duck pond is one of our favorite places to go. Ms. Mary (RGT's sitter) takes him several times a week, but she buys the ducks real feed, cracked corn and such. We stick to bread. Trouble is Reagan loves bread too. He usually eats a piece or two in the process. As soon as Reagan's feet hit the grass he was off down the hill. He was so excited that he did a face plant into the mud. Poor baby, had grass, dirt and mud all over his face and hands. He just frownded and looked at me like "what do I do next?" I showed him how to dust himself off and wiped his face clean and he was good to go. This visit we found a turtle that wasn't shy at all. He actually came to the edge of the pond to eat. He even snapped at the duck who tried to eat his piece of bread. Reagan couldn't have that so he started throwing in whole pieces of bread for the turtle. Before too long we had all the ducks, the big turtle, a baby turtle and fish waiting to be fed. Reagan loved it! He wasn't too happy when the bread ran out...I don't think the animals were either. We had to quickly move on to something new. Reagan discovered the bridge. He ran across the bridge time and again laughing and peering over the edge at the lillypads below. They had large white and yellow flowers blooming and were absolutely beautiful. I wanted to stop and take tons of pictures of the little man; he just wanted to run. The next thing he saw was a ball behind a neighbors fence. You can tell by his face that he was very upset that he could not have it. I had to convince him that we had a blue ball just like it at home. It was time to head back. Reagan was asleep before we ever hit the door. A tummy full of bread on a warm spring day will do the trick everytime.

Give me that ball!