Lots of Firsts

Thank you, Aunt Lindsey, for our last minute outfits!!

We have had lots of firsts lately! Labor Day, Auburn game, a new year of Mother's Day Out, new words. We are busy, and very entertaining!

First of all, Turner has been stringing words together SO much lately. Tonight I said, "Say thank you, Daddy" and he said it! I've caught him over the last 2 weeks really catching on to talking. "I want nana" means I want a banana. I figured this out when he walked over to the counter and pointed at it. This is extra special because it is fruit, and he is a carb-etarian usually. And today he ate all the apples out of my fruit cup from Chick-fil-A and all of my fruit cup at Taziki's. Still no meat, though. But progress.

However, before I brag too much about my talker, let me say he doesn't quite have it all down yet. Example - I pointed to a pretty yellow butterfly and pointed it out to Turner as it almost landed on him. What did he say? "Dawg!" No. And, whenever I pick him up at MDO, he says "Daddy!!" No. He's getting there, though.

Speaking of Mother's Day Out, it went great! When I was walking Turner to his room, though, he promptly walked to his old classroom, opened the door and walked in. He had a little sadness in his eyes when I told him he was across the hall. But, he was with these ladies and has had a blast!!

I knew he would. And John Burke is just chillin in his regular nursery classroom!

Here are their pictures on the chair, compared to Turner's from last year (he was 9 months).

Ignore Turner's beauty mark - he had an altercation with some rocks on the playground.

Wow, so these pictures kinda make them look alike to me.

Sidenote - this was really early the first day last year because I had to stop by the doctor's office and do a blood test to confirm I was really pregnant with John Burke (I really was in denial.) Not the case this year!!

Then last weekend, we went to our first Auburn game as a family of four. Heath had high hopes, since Turner did great at 6 games last year. He did okay, but he is all over the place now. He had to hold this water bottle and its cap just so.

And brother did NOT enjoy the noise. We made it a quarter and a half and then Kate and I left with these turkeys and this little bit

and headed back to the house. We are very very lucky that the Hendersons have a place in Auburn for us to crash in such situations!! I must say, it was a great trip to Auburn - but Kate and I did keep looking at each other and saying things like "Remember when we didn't bring a double stroller on to campus for the games?" (We pushed Ellie and Turner in it together across campus) and "Aww, remember tailgating all day?" Ahh. We had a heart to heart with some sorority freshmen walking out with us. I think it involved me pointing to my 4 month old in the Baby Bjorn and the double stroller and saying something like "Live it up, this will be you before you know it." I am sure they thought we were cool. We promised them we had JUST been at Auburn. They were very sweet, but probably thought we were living through them. Hmmm :).

Then, John Burke celebrated his first Labor Day. We spent it with friends and family at my parents' house. A lot of swimming and grilling and playing in the yard. So nice. I am having a hard time with summer being over, but the cooler weather is sure helping!

Lindsey calls that hat Dad's Ranger Joe hat

Some pictures stolen from Evan's blog :)

Meanwhile, John Burke is "talking" and laughing all the time. I forget how sweet those little sounds are! He had his first bit of rice cereal. It was so uneventful, though! He just ate it like he had been doing it his whole life (4 and a half months)!

Turner dribbled it everywhere and took forever to master it. John Burke, no big deal! I haven't been doing it regularly yet, though. I don't know why - just not wanting to rush things! I mean, he is already in the exersaucer!!

Seems like such a big boy. I say all the time that I am glad he came second - if he had been my first, I would have really worried about Turner. That turkey didn't even sit up on his own until 7 months!! John Burke can't sit up alone yet, but his neck control was better in the delivery room than Turner's at 7 months!!

Then last week, John Burke went to the park for the first time (after cuddling with Gina at Big Blue). He liked swinging.

It was more out of necessity, so Turner wouldn't do things like walk in front of swings, which he still managed to do. He walked right in front of Kate, she clocked him and he went airborne. Really. He flew to the ground. Lindsey and I were laughing, and he looked up, rubbed his head and said, "Ow." Then he walked away. No tears. Spastic - I don't know where he got that?!

And, he got his first pair of New Balances. He looks like he is going to get his permit to me. So old!! He is obsessed with them. The first night I tried them on him, he would barely let me take them off to put socks on with them. He begs for his "shoooos."

I will leave you with some pictures from Chloe's baptism Sunday. So sweet - she is tiny. Too bad her Daddy couldn't find time to get his haircut :(. Just kidding, everything was very nice - thank you Derek and Stacy.

The oldest and youngest Starr family members