Compound: What a long strange trip it's been...

Happy Birthday Nicky Beans! Wow, what a year, who would ever have suspected that Mark and I would not only have a baby but would find it so incredibly entertaining? A little over a year ago Mark and I were heading to the hospital with no idea what to expect to find out what brand of little bundle of joy we were having. At that point, all I really wanted was an epidural (and maybe a milkshake) and for my feet to return to human. By three o' clock we were a whole new type of family and now, a year later, we are another type of family still and looking forward every day to the constant daily change that becomes part of your life once you have a baby. Just this weekend Nicky, who has been tottering around for a while now, took off and started really walking. He had his first bacon and egg breakfast. He learned how to say both "Wow" and "Whoa" and added to his "UhOh" and "OK" commentary on the state of his life. He learns things in giant leaps, seeming not to be paying attention until suddenly he just starts doing something new like he has been doing it all along. It is amazing to watch. A grin and a giggle has become our favorite way to start the day and more than makes up for his reluctance to go to sleep at night. For all of you that have shared this first year with us and helped us out while we got our "kid legs" and everyone that came to the compound for the party, Thanks for helping to make this past year so wonderful.
We love you,
Mark, Alli and Nicholas

The year in Pictures

Hmm, these contractions are really uncomfortable, I am ready to go to the hospital now! This was at about 12:30 with a little over two hours to go. Amazingly enough, I was on time for possibly the first time in my life! I was really looking forward to that epidural....

July 19, 2006

Welcome to the world little man!

August 28, 2006

Here I am at one month wearing my first big boy outfit. I haven't found my smile yet but I like to snuggle. We are leaving in a minute to go to Tampa to visit my Grammy D and Unka Ed. It will be me, mommy, grammy, dad, robert and Wioletta.

September 4, 2006

Here I am at the Labor Day party. Not even two full months old and they are already teasing me and making me look goofy!

October 23, 2006

Look at me! Almost a week after my 3 month birthday, I have figured out how to sit up in this thing and I LOVE my toy! (This ended up being the best money we spent on the kid all year long! Sadly, he has outgrown but we have given it to another family and hope their little man loves the 'donut' too)

November 2006

Yea!!!!!! I found my smile. All month I have been giggling and laughing and my mommy is thrilled!

December 2006

Here is my first picture with Santa, aren't I cute in my blue Grandpa hat? Next year I will really have the hang of this!

January 2007

It's a New Year, and I have really big plans for this one. New Years Resolutions: Learn to Walk, Start Talking, eat food that isn't liquid.

February 2007

7 Months old and I am getting cuter every day.

March 2007

At 8 months my parents have to pull out the big guns. The floor is littered with stroller, pack-n-play, the donut, the walker and they really need to get on the childproofing thing. I have a deep love for cabinets and anything inside of them and I can stand up now so any day now I will run the house!

April 2007

Told you so!!

May 2007

Next stop...THE WORLD!

June 2007

This is my first Father's Day. I don't think any kid has ever been as crazy about his Dad as I am. Since I can do a lot more stuff now and it's a special day, I'll bet Daddy will be willing to spoil me with a swim and a GoKart ride AND a tractor ride. Then we can lay in the floor and I can climb Daddy mountain for a couple of hours. What a great day!

July 19, 2007

It's my Birthday, It's my Birthday, Gonna Party Like It's my Birthday!

WOW! What a birthday week! I saw my Grammy,my Babcia and Dziadek, My Grammy D, My great Granny, all my local friends, I saw most of my friends from Poland, we had Camp Compound and Lindsay and Cammo spent a couple of days with me and we went to the Georgia Aquarium and saw fish and Penguins and Whales, we rode everything with wheels on it and we planted a tree just for me! All my Grandparents and my Parents and even my Great Granny helped dig the hole and we planted the Nicky tree that is going to grow up along with me! I had a great year, can't wait to see what next year will be like! Til then...

Look at me standing up!

My new wagon

My Little Pony

My First Cake! It's really ugly but I am the only person in the world mom would bake for...and it tasted pretty good. Grammy will make me pretty ones later when I am old enough to get picky