For Nathan's first Halloween, he was only 6 months old and of course had no idea what was ever going on. We dressed him up like an adorable dragon and he happily obliged.

Last year he was a year and a half. Fully aware of costumes and but not sure how he felt about them. My first attempt was a semi-homemade family costume. Nathan was a hot dog and Will and I were Mustard and Ketchup. I thought this was great, Nathan was not quite on board.

So a last minute run to Target the day before Halloween and we were lucky to find a suitable alternative. Much more comfortable, Nathan trick or treated as Superman. 

This year, he picked out his own costume (he's had an obsession with frogs ever since my dad got him a little stuffed one a few months ago). He loves the costume and has happily worn it to more than one Halloween playdate, two Halloween festivals and even got his picture taken for our town's local newspaper wearing it. (We definitely got our $20 worth!!)

He had been practicing saying Trick or Treat for days before the big event. Trust me, he knew those were the magic words that would get him lots and lots of candy! Halloween night was definitely a success. We trick or treated in my parent's neighborhood and although he usually forgot his line by the time we got to the door, he was very good about saying Thank You each time he got a piece of candy.

We put him to bed at 8:30 and for the next 2 hours listened to him jump up and down in his crib singing the ABC's..... signs of a well deserved sugar rush. He finally crashed around 10:45 and when he woke up this morning he immediately asked where was his costume and when were we going to do trick or treat. So aside from the cruel reality that Halloween only happens once a year, and he's now got 364 days to wait for his next one, I would say our 3rd Halloween was our best so far!

Changes...big and small

It's hard to believe in just a few short months, we will be welcoming our second bundle of joy! Since this will be our second time around we are in on the secret and know that a very small person brings very big changes. So from now until March, I will be savoring my 8 hours of sleep each night as well as my 2-3 hour "breaks" during Nathan's afternoon nap. Both of those luxuries will pretty much be non-existent once Baby #2 shows up. But I guess an adorable little newborn is totally worth the sacrifice!

We have been trying to prepare Nathan as much as possible. He has been the center of our world for the past 2 1/2 years and although I am so excited for him to have a sibling, I worry that his tiny little world will be shaken up big time. We have stocked his bookshelf with lots of Big Brother/New Baby books. We talk about the baby in Mommy's belly, although according to Nathan it's in his belly. And we tell him all the exciting things he'll get to do as a big brother.

I have moments where I get very sad knowing he won't be my little baby anymore, that someone new will be taking over that title. However, the truth is that he he hasn't been a little baby for a long time. In the past couple months he has changed so much. I can carry on full, coherent conversations with him. He can dress himself including putting on his own shoes...talk about a time saver! And this week he learned how to pump on the big boy swing! In our little Chenivan world, it's the little things that bring us the biggest joys.

The black ring of defiance

Nathan loves taking baths. What he doesn't love is having his neck washed. Every single night he willingly lets me pour water over his head and his eyes to wash his hear but try to go near his neck? This kid has the reflexes of a jungle cat.

He bends his head down as low as it will go and yells "No tickle, no tickle" over and over. Apparently his neck is extremely ticklish! I try telling him "I have to clean your neck, it's my job." And then the screaming changes to "No it's your job, no it's your job."

I don't know what to do. On days that he's been out playing in the dirt, he can get really dirty and I've seen the infamous black line kids get in their little neck creases. If he doesn't let up on me soon, I'm going to have to invest in some turtlenecks. Good thing the fall weather is coming!

Driving Mr. Wonderful

We spent Labor Day wknd back in NYC and we had a great time hanging out with friends and family. Today's drive back was not ideal though because of the non-stop rain. However, after being stuck in the car for 7 hours (Rain = Traffic) and not feeling well due to an end of summer cold, my main squeeze never cried, or even fussed, the entire ride! He's done this ride so many times, since he was just 2 months old, that he is a pro now. He sings, he colors, he plays, and lately he carries on LONG conversations with me. We have never once used a DVD player or suffered through hour after hour of a children's CD. Did I luck out with this guy, or what??

**Disclaimer** Nathan does not drive naked. This is actually a picture from last week when we were driving home from the beach. His bathing suit is hidden beneath Winnie the Pooh. But the picture went with the driving theme so I used it anyway.

You know you're a mom when...

You say things like:

Please don't put your grape in your armpit.

That's a lady, please stop calling her a man.

If you let me brush your teeth, I'll let you flush the toilet.

Waving the white flag

For all the

refusing to brush your teeth and locking your jaw shut every single time I attempt to get in there myself,

ripping whatever you're eating into a thousand tiny pieces then throwing them across the room,

standing in front me while I vacuum and refusing to move out of my way,

asking to eat 24/7 then telling me "I no like it" no matter what I give you,

dumping a bowl of cheez-its on the couch,

to having a daily red-faced, snot-nosed, can't breathe because you're crying so hard meltdown over NOTHING....

I give up.

I give in.

I surrender.

(Does admitting defeat against the terrible two's make them them go away any faster?!?!?!)

For months now, Nathan has had an obvious disdain for brocolli. Nothing worked. Calling them trees. Covering them in cheese. The tried and true "Here comes the airplane" trick. This kid's no fool and he was determined not to let a single piece of broccoli enter his body.

So imagine my surprise when the other night at dinner, when presented with a plate full of meatballs, pasta, chicken and broccoli....he ate 4 huge pieces of broccoli and didn't touch the good stuff like meat and pasta!!

I don't know what got into him but I hope it stays for a while!