Frankenstein is on the loose

Turner's got the walking thing down now, although he's pretty funny looking doing it. His teachers say he walks better than the rest of the bunch, and he's the youngest one of the group that should be doing it. But it's amazing how much his balance has improved, even in a week. So, hopefully he won't look like Frankenstein much longer. Arthur says sometimes he looks like a sailor on shore leave. He wrote his column about it this week, so you'll have to check out the Tville Times. Tuesday will be the big day--NUMERO UNO! We plan on sending cupcakes to school that day for he and his friends to enjoy at snack. We'll have something small for him to dig into here at the house so that we can take pictures and capture it on video for all of you to see. Both of Arthur's sisters will be in Mobile the weekend after his bday, so we'll head down there then for a mini-celebration. Arthur's mom still has the ceramic candle holder (and candle!!!) from Arthur's first bday, so she plans on putting it on a small cake for Turner. And of course there will be some presents involved in the next week or so. Hard to believe it's already been a year! Next Wednesday, we'll go to Dr. Shearer for shots and his wellness check-up. Next up, getting rid of the bottle and formula!!! fun, fun......

And the winner is......

Just to brag a little........This afternoon when I came into the daycare I noticed signs posted everywhere announcing the winners of the Mardi Gras floats in the parade Monday. And the poster read: Overall Winner--Josie Gilchrist (who I might mention was ADORABLE with her little shopping cart filled with throws that she personally hand delivered to EVERYONE --not to mention the fact that it was topped with an umbrella!!) Girl Winner--Lizzie Reed (who was styling in a feather hat that she managed to keep on) and Boy Winner--(drumroll please...) TURNER MCLEAN!!!!! Yeah!!! All of our hard work did pay off! :) His first Mardi Gras event and we came out a winner! doot-dooda-doo!!

Turner Walks!

Second update: Okay, it seems to be working again. Hope you can see it now.

Update: Sorry folks! Seems like Blogger's having trouble with the video. It worked last night when I uploaded it, but now it doesn't work. I don't have the video with me, so we'll have to wait until this evening and try it again.

Bridgett was the first to witness Turner doing more than stumble a couple of steps to the next handhold. He really walked Monday night and she called me about it while I was away covering the city council meeting. The video camera was in my camera bag, and thus, no video of the blessed event. So to make up for it, here he is on Mardi Gras, showing off his new skill.

Happy Mardi Gras!

We decorated Turner's wagon for the Mardi Gras parade at the daycare/preschool today. Turner seemed to enjoy himself. Except for the part at the end when he didn't get his cup filled with beads.









P.S. --Arthur did a great job of getting these posted quickly, but let me expound a bit....You'll notice the parade ended up being in the hall at the daycare because it was a little too cold outside for toddlers to be parading! Also, poor Turner was taking a nap when it was time for the parade to start, so we woke him up for it. So, if he looks a little dazed and confused, that might be the reason! We had "rehearsed" the night before and Turner was doing such a good job of throwing beads around the house, but either sleep deprivation or too much excitement/too many things to watch kept him from throwing any the day of. You'll also notice that his hat ended up being a fixture in the wagon since he wouldn't keep it on his head that morning. Arthur, being the proud papa and not the newspaper reporter for this event, didn't get any pictures of the other "floats" in the parade. Everyone did a great job, and I can tell you from personal experience, we spent about 8 hours decorating it for 10 minutes of fame and then it took me about an hour to un-decorate it so it could be used as a little red wagon again.

Snow Day!

It snowed today in Clarke County with Grove Hill getting about 4 or 5 inches. Of course, this was the first snow since Turner was born, so we introduced him to it. He wasn't too sure what to think about it.
Well, I wanted to get the pictures up before the snow melted. I'm sure Bridgett will get on here later and fill in all the details I've left out.







UPDATE---Everyone keeps asking me if Turner is walking now after looking at these pictures. (He's doing such a good job of standing up by himself in them, isn't he?) Well, last night he walked halfway across the den by himself TWICE. He had been taking 2-3 steps here and there, but last night was the first time I've seen him really manage himself for several steps and with balance (without looking like he was trying to run to get to the next piece of furniture to hold on to). He strode across that room like "I know what I'm doing. I'll get there without falling down or holding on to anything!" So, maybe by his first bday he'll be walking on a regular basis!

Mardi Gras Parade

If you're near Clarke Prep Monday (President's Day) around 10:15 am, stop by and watch Turner debut in his first parade! The Daycare is having a Mardi Gras Bike Parade around the school parking lot and Turner will be throwing beads from his little red wagon. I'm hoping Arthur will be able to sneak away from the office and get some pictures if you can't join us for the fun!

shuttle launch

Arthur leaves tomorrow to go watch the shuttle launch this weekend. Turner and I will be staying home and not making this trip. 12-4 am on Sunday morning just doesn't seem like a good fit for an 11 month old to witness the astronauts heading up to space. But Arthur deserved a good bday present for number 37, and luckily Aunt Lynn knows the right people. So, pray for me this weekend as I spend 4 days alone dealing with master Turner. I'll probably be tired and ill from flying solo myself for so long of a time period. If you're bored in the next few days, come visit us and take him off my hands for a few minutes! :) Be sure to ask Art about his fabulous time in FL when he gets back!