Happy Thanksgiving

So I am the busiest kid I know.  I just got back from visiting my aunt and uncle in Boulder Colorado for Thanksgiving.  It was the most fun!  I got to eat a lot of mashed potatoes and see a lot of my family.  My aunt and uncle are having a baby soon and i think that I may have scared them just a little bit.  I can be a little bit of a handful.  My energy level is off the charts so I didn't sit still the entire trip!  I even came home with several more bruises than I left with.  Now, we are onto Christmas!  Judging from my first Christmas which was awesome this day seems kind of awesome.  My mom and dad told me all about Santa and we are going to visit him at Weaver's soon.  My mom made my list since my words consist of dog, leo, bye, and uhoh.  I want Santa to know what I am wanting for Christmas though so my mom has my back. 
Today my mom went to workout at the Lawrence High Track.  She took me with her to meet some friends and I got to play on the football field.  It was so much fun!  I crawled everywhere and played with my friend for a long time.  Best afternoon ever.  Now for a long nap and then I get to play with my cousin Liam which is one of my favorite things to do!

I am a handful!

Just like the title of this post states I am a handful.  I turned one year old and have become a bit crazy.  I have decided that when mom goes to work my main job is to trash the entire house.  I am aiming to wear my dad down completely so he has no more energy ever again.  Then, mom comes home to a messy house, a worn out dad, and she takes over.  The other day I took all the money out of my dad's wallet and spread it all over the house.  I even found a 100 dollar bill and was holding it threatening to rip it up.  I have been doing this all with a smile on my face! 
Last week I got my one year shots and things have gone pretty downhill from there.  My two front teeth are trying to come in and it hurts a lot.  My parents are trying to help me but I still feel the need to get up a couple of times a night. 
I have been saying "mama"  a lot more and that makes her feel good!  I have been able to say dada for a while now and mom felt a bit ignored.  I love both my parents because they are the greatest.  My dad takes great care of me during the day and he even gave me pesto sauce to eat the other day.  It was an accident because dad thought it was frozen pureed peas but it was actually pesto.  I smelled like garlic for days and boy did I have some tummy troubles. I don't think he will make that mistake again. 

Birthday Week

This has been the craziest and funnest week of my life!  First, I got to ride on an airplane and spend a week with my parents on vacation which was amazing.  Then, the day after we got back I got to go to the Stepping Stones Halloween carnival where I dressed up as a Ketchup Packet.  I was so cute!  Then, Tuesday it was my birthday.  I wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about but my parents were sure excited.  Everyone kept saying that they couldn't believe I was one.  I can believe it.  I have grown a lot this year.  I went from 7.5 pounds to 20 pounds and I have grown about ten inches.  I am huge!  My mom made a funfetti cake and my dad took me to lunch just the two of us.  I got to eat my cake with my friends at Stepping Stones.  They were really excited that they got to eat cake too.  One of my friends wolfed his cake down.  I was a little slower about realizing that it was food but once I got going I really enjoyed it.  Thursday was Halloween and that was such a fun day.  My grandparents came to Lawrence and we went to Mass St. to trick or treat.  I was a leprechaun and I got to say I was super cute.  My dad wore a clown outfit that you could blow up.  He was dancing all over Mass St. like a street performer.  My grandpa kept saying that now he knows where I get my hambone personality from.  It is definitely my dad.  My mom would rather no one look at her but dad loves attention.  So do I!  The more people to talk to the better.  It blows my mom's mind that I have never really had separation or stranger anxiety.  She said that she just keeps waiting for the day that I freak out when she leaves me but that day hasn't come yet. Saturday was the best day of all though.  My parents gave me a wonderful first birthday party!  I had so many friends and family come to see me and watch me eat cake.  My mom's friend Sarah made an awesome Frankenstein cake and then she made me my own pumpkin shaped and flavored cake that I could smash all over the place.  I had such a fun time.  I was so worn out when I got home that I had to wait til I took a nap to even look at all of my presents.  People were so nice to bring me things.  My parents joke that they will need to move now because of all the toys! 
So many people too fun pictures of me at my party that I will share.  It has been a great week and I can't wait for this next year.  I am sure that I am going to learn so much.

My birthday!

I want to tell you more about my vacation but I have more important news.  Yesterday was my first birthday.  My mom and dad took good care of me.  I went out for lunch with my dad and ate steak and mashed potatoes.  Then, my mom made me a cake and I got to eat it with my friends at Stepping Stones.  We all sat in our high chairs and chowed down on funfetti cake.  I was a little unsure about the cake since I ate so much at lunch but I still managed several bites and i even smeared the icing all over my face and arms.  My mom got me a t-shirt for my birthday that said "Today I eat cake!"  So true.
Saturday my parents are having a big birthday party for me.  It is a costume party and we are going to have food and games.  I am so excited to see my friends and play.  I even get to eat more cake that my mom's friend Sarah is making for me!  She is making a frankenstein cake for everyone else and I get a pumpkin cake just for me.  It is going to be awesome!!
Now that I am a year old I am really going to start doing some new things.  I am starting to let go when I stand at furniture.  I have fallen a few times but overall I can do just fine when I let go.  Soon I hope to be walking and I know you will hear all about that when that happens.  I know there will be tons of pictures taken over the next year so be on the lookout.
My birthday wasn't the only exciting thing to happen yesterday.  KU basketball started back up again.  My parents wised up this year about parking.  They usually sell their driveway to people who are going to the game.  It can be tough to stand outside in bad weather so my dad made up a schedule where people can prepay for the whole season.  We had four cars commit to a whole season parking pass last night so now those four cars will park in our driveway and my mom and dad don't have to go outside!  My dad is a genius!  The game was really good but we can't watch the next several games at our house because you can only watch them on time warner and we have dish network.  It was pretty stupid because I really wanted to watch the Jayhawks play.  My dad went to see it at a restaurant with grandpa.  KU was winning by so much that he left at halftime!!
Well, it is time to get up and get some breakfast so I will let you go for now but tomorrow is Halloween and I have a cute little costume planned so be on the lookout for pictures!

I have returned from vacation!

I am back!!!  I had the best week ever with my mom and dad in North and South Carolina.  I also have to brag that I am an awesome flier and strangers told me what a good boy I was on the airplane.  On the way home I slept the entire 2.5 hr last flight from Charlotte to Kansas City.
Our first stop was Raleigh, North Carolina.  We got of the plane and my parents took me to see Duke University's campus. Our friend Julie went to school there and we wanted to see where she went to school.  The thning is that my mom has never liked Duke.  Mostly, because of a rivalry in basketball that dates back to Christian Laettner a long time ago.  Anyway, even she admitted that the campus was beautiful.  We had so much fun walking around and I wore my Jayhawks t-shirt just to get people excited.
When we left Duke we drove to a smaller town called Holly Springs and we got to see so many friends at our hotel.  The wedding that we went to was on Sunday so we had a few days to see people and mingle.
I had so much fun at the wedding.  My favorite part was when my dad put me on his shoulders and we danced to "Shout!"  I was laughing so hard  I was crying.  All night people stole me to dance with me and the caterer made me my own little plate of yummy food like strawberries so I didn't have to eat salmon like everyone else.  Here are some pictures from the wedding.  I will write more soon to tell you about the beach!

One week til my first plane ride

So next Friday my parents are taking me on my first airplane ride!  I am scared, excited, I just don't know what to think.  I have heard from my mom that my dad isn't the world's greatest traveler so I am going to turn on the charm and keep him busy on the plane so he can't complain about anything until we get there.  My mom can handle a lot but dealing with a baby and dad on a plane may be enough to make her a bit nuts. 
We are going to Raleigh, North Carolina to see some friends of my parents get married!  My dad is a groomsman and I have been to one wedding before and I loved everything about it.  I have my outfit picked out and I am ready to dance at the party.  I have been working on my moves with dad and I gotta say that I am looking good!
After the wedding my parents and I are going to drive five hours to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a family vacation.  I am going to see the ocean and play in the sand.  My mom said all she wants to do is stuff her face full of crab and my dad wants to relax and play with me.  Wish me luck on the plane and on my vacation.

Late Night Fiasco

We live in Lawrence, Kansas and that means that basketball is everything!  So on the first day that the team is allowed to practice together for the season there is an event called Late Night at Allen Fieldhouse.  My mom wouldn't let me go because it was going to be too loud but I hear it is super fun.  The basketball players do skits and there is a scrimmage and they always play a really cool video that gets you pumped up for the season.  There was going to be a ton of people so my mom and dad and a few friends who were in town headed up to the fieldhouse at 3:45 and doors opened at 5:30.  The show started at 6:00.  When they got there the people were everywhere.  Lines going in all sorts of directions and about thirty minutes before the doors were going to open my dad found out that his friend and his backpacks were not going to be allowed in.  They decided to run home to drop them off.  While they were gone they opened the doors early!!  People forgot all about the lines and it was madness.  People just turned and started running towards the fieldhouse.  Mom was worried because dad wasn't back yet but she didn't know that he got in a side door and was already inside.  Mom kept her eyes on her friends in front of her and one friend behind her.  She inched closer to the door and it was wall to wall people.  She got about three rows away from the door and all of a sudden the doors shut.  All of her friends except one got in and she was left outside.  So after about 30 minutes of waiting in a swarm of very angry people mom decided it wasn't worth it and she went home by herself.  Dad kept calling to apologize but she just picked me up early and loved on me instead of watching basketball players do silly skits.  So it was definitely a crazy evening but I got lots of snuggles so I am happy!
Saturday was the KU homecoming football game so we went to tailgate super early.  I love to tailgate because I love to be near people and my mom let me eat all kinds of food that probably wasn't very good for me.  I got passed around and watched some kiddos play football which I thought looked awesome.  That night I got to go to dinner with three out of four of my grandparents and that was super fun.  I love to spend time with them.  Here are some pictures from our crazy week.  Tomorrow I will tell you all about the photo shoot for my one year pictures and how I ate at Strouds for the first time.  The last time I went I was still too little to eat anything but today I chowed and it was unforgettable.

A Homecoming Weekend

What a weekend and it's only Saturday night.  I have been such the social butterfly the past few days, soaking up what it means to live in a college town.  There are a lot of reasons why my mom and dad decided to stay in Lawrence after college but Homecoming weekend was one of the big ones.  My mom and dad met making a homecoming float their junior year of college.  My mom's sorority paired with my dad's fraternity to make a float with moveable parts.  My dad's fraternity was largely an engineering fraternity and they are all very smart.  Their float won the homecoming competition that year and mom and dad started dating right after.  So every year during homecoming my mom and dad go to the parade and think about how much fun they had in college.  
This year the homecoming parade was a lot different because it was down Mass St. and not on KU campus.  There was also a scheduling issue and it was at the exact same time as the zombie walk to raise money and canned goods for the hungry.  People bring a canned good and they dress like zombies.  Then, they walk by zombies up and down Mass St.  It was so funny to see a pep rally with a football coach and people dressed like the undead walking around the same area.  I loved every minute of it.  My mom and dad dressed in Ku gear but they dressed me up like a zombie.  I really hated the process of having makeup put on my face and body so it wasn't perfect but I think people understood the look that I was going for. We were quite the group but I had a blast.  Not scared at all!
That's all for now because it is past my bedtime and I am going to get my pictures taken tomorrow so I need my beauty rest.  Tomorrow I will tell you all about how my mom was almost trampled trying to get into late night at Allen Fieldhouse.  This is a humorous story but you will have to wait til tomorrow. 

a thousand apologies

So my mom wants to apologize for not helping me post recently but things have been pretty crazy around here.  I had my first ear infection which resulted in many sleepless nights and my mom didn't know which way was up let alone have time to tell everyone about it.  Then, sadly my great-grandmother, who loved me so much, passed away.  I had a lot of family in town for the funeral and my parents were exhausted.  Now though, we have our act together and promise to do better.
Today is my 11 month birthday.  I can't believe that I have been here for 11 months.  My birthday is exactly one month from today and I have a fun party planned.  It is a costume party and all my friends are going to come to play.  Here is my monthly picture that I take with my best friend, Grunty Sheep:

Yesterday my mom and dad spent several hours having a dance party with me while we played with my toys.  It had been a long time since we had a day to just hang out together and it was awesome!  So much attention and love.  My dad is the funniest singer ever and my mom is pretty good at back up.  They are both awful dancers but at least they try! Today my dad had a horrible headache so I got to hang out with my mom all day.  We went to a birthday party at the pumpkin patch and a fall festival at Pendleton's Country Market.  Lots of outside time and we got to see lots of friends. 
In two weeks I get to ride on my first airplane ride.  I am super excited to go on vacation to North Carolina but my mom and dad are super nervous about taking me on the airplane.  My dad is a very nervous flyer and my mom is nervous that she will have her hands full that day.  She needs to remember that I am usually a pretty good kiddo.  Ok, I promise to write more often but it is after my bedtime.

So my dad hit the road a few hours ago for a bachelor party in St. Louis leaving my mom and I to tackle this weekend alone.  She sure has us busy today.  I am going to go tailgate for the KU football game for a few hours which will be so much fun.  My parents have been tailgating at my dad's old fraternity house for several years with the same people and they are kind of crazy about their tailgates.  Usually they start six hours before the game even starts!  My mom and dad are usually so tired they don't even go to the game!  We are aiming for two hours today but I am sure excited.  Maybe my mom will let me try some tailgating food.  maybe not.  I guess I will have to wait and see.  Then, later we are going to Shawnee to see my mom's college friends and I get to play with so many kids.  I hope I can hang with them.  I also hope that Carroll doesn't mind when I accidentally trash her house because recently I have been a little destructive!
Last week was so busy mom didn't even have time to help me write my blog.  My aunt and uncle were in town from Colorado and mom helped them register for baby stuff for my new little cousin who will be getting here this February.  Mom loves baby stuff.  She also loves registering for things.  There is something really great about pointing the little price gun at stuff and then adding it to the list.  Best feeling ever! 
My mom took three days off work last week just to spend with me.  I did hear her telling dad that it isn't much of a vacation when you have a child but she still said she had the best time with me.  I tried my best to give her the best smiles and hugs everyday.  We did let dad sleep a lot and mom said that he was the one who got the vacation between the two of them!
I am so glad that fall is here even if I had a great time swimming all summer.  Fall is when I was born, KU is really pretty, Halloween is right around the corner and my parents are planning a big party for my birthday.  My mom needs some game ideas and ideas on how to plan a theme party.  It seems like a lot of work but she is really excited about it.  Today, I want everyone to cheer KU to victory.  I know it is weird to say that about a KU football game but I have a good feeling about this.  I am going to be the good luck charm this year.  Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Go KU!!!!

I just tried to watch the first half of the chiefs game with my dad and grandpa but I didn't make it very long. Dad was trying to give mom a little break and right before halftime we came storming into the house and I was screaming! Part of me didn't understand what noise my body was making since I don't cry very often but I was really going for the drama king award. Once I got a huge bottle and Jammies all was right with the word.
This weekend is Labor Day and we have so much going on. My aunt and uncle are coming to kc and we are going to see my great grandparents in Seneca Sunday for the Labor Day picnic. I hear there is a cake walk. My mom loves cake so I am hoping to be her lucky charm! Maybe she will share her winnings with me.
Today I turned ten months old which seems crazy to my parents. We celebrated with a pretty sweet haircut and mom got highlights. I feel like a million bucks. Pictures coming soon.

Thank goodness it is the weekend!  This week has been hard.  My mom has been working a lot to hire new workers for her classroom, my dad had a few big meetings, and I was teething a bit so I was a little grumpier than usual.  I wish that this first tooth would finally come in so I could get some relief but I am almost ten months and no sign of it yet.  Maybe before my first birthday I will have a tooth. Maybe I will have to eat soft foods for the rest of my life.  Hope not!
I have really been working on pulling up to stand this week.  I am a really good army crawler but I have never been into getting on all fours with my tummy off the ground.  This week I can get onto my knees and pull up.  Sometimes I need a little help but I really enjoy practicing.  Last night I decided to pull up to stand on my carseat.  That didn't work so well because it kept bopping me in the face.  My mom took a video but she accidentally took it upside.  Darn iphone!
My dad takes really good care of me while my mom is at work during the week.  We play a lot and do lots of fun things.  Yesterday my dad decided to rearrange some furniture so that I couldn't escape the little play area.  Well, once I went to bed and it got dark my mom went walking to get something out of her purse that was sitting on the china cabinet.  All of a sudden dad heard a huge bang and mom was laying on the floor.  Some really naughty words were coming out of her mouth and dad came running.  My dad was relaxing and forgot to move the big chairs that were blocking the way and mom tripped right over them.  She has an enormous bruise the length of her forearm and she decided to not speak to dad for several hours after that!  Mom was very glad that I was safe in my bed because if you know my mom she is not a very graceful person.  My grandpa used to tease her and call her Grace as a child because she fell down so much.  She was glad i didn't end up on the floor with her. 
Wish me luck because tomorrow mom is going to try to take me to a huge garage sale and to visit my great grandma who broke her leg!  Keep it real!

So today my mom took me with her to workout. She does this a lot because she has horrible working mom guilt and can't bear to leave me after she gets home from work. Her trainer, Karen, is so nice bc she plays with me and gives me cups to gnaw on while mom works. Today mom ran with me in the stroller. I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair. I even loved throwing all of my toys out of the stroller as mom ran causing her to have to stop to give them back to me. That was awesome!
Once we got home I got to crawling all over the house.  We have old hardwood floors that my mom and dad try to keep clean but it is pretty impossible.  I am partial to crawling with my tummy on the floor and when I am done I look like the bottom of a swiffer pad.  I hate to brag but usually I am a pretty cute kid but today I was a hot mess.  First, I was covered in avocado, green beans, I had a puff stuck in my hair, and the front of my outfit looked like I had been rolling in dirt.   If you know my mom she deals with babies all the time at work and she is used to messy babies so she didn't think twice to take me out in public like that.  She took me to the store and I am so embarrassed because people were staring at me like I was neglected or something.  Needless to say, I took a very long bath tonight and now I smell terrific.
It was a good day playing with my family and now if I could just get this tooth to come in I would be all set!  Keep it real!

My Name is Beau

Hi, my name is Beau Bloom.  Welcome to my blog.  I wanted a place where I could share my thoughts on my world, tell you what my parents are up to, and show you lots of pictures of the things that make me happy, mad, and the people that I like a lot!
This is me:

Maybe you want a little backstory on how I got here and who my parents are.  My mom's name is Colleen and my dad is Eric.  They met each other in 2000 when they were making a homecoming float for their sorority and fraternity.  They got married a long, long time later on October 18, 2008.  After another long four year wait I came along on October 29, 2012.  It was the best day if I do say so myself!  I knew immediately that these were people that I could have fun with.  I fit right in from the very beginning.  My parents are a little weird and I really like that about them.  People are always telling me that my mom and dad do some silly things sometimes but they also take really good care of me.
My best friend in the whole world is my dog, Leo.  He is such a great friend.  I love to chase him all over the house and sometimes I try to pull the hair on his face.  If you have never pulled the hair on a dog's face I would not recommend it.  He did not react favorably and my mom kind of freaked out so if you want a calm mom and a calm best friend keep your hands to yourself.  Here is a picture of my best friend Leo. 

My mom is telling me that my bedtime was three hours ago so I better get off the computer and try to get some shut eye.  Busy day tomorrow.  I am doing a stroller workout with my mom and some of her friends.  It feels good  get my fitness on!  Keep it real!