Happy 1st Birthday AJ!

One year ago today I was nervously clinching Alex's hand in the delivery room as a flood of emotions came rushing in. When would I be able to hold him? What would he look like? Will he be healthy? Will he have blue eyes? Will he really be a he? What is motherhood like? Will Alex and I know what to do for him? Would he look like daddy? Would this epidural last until I delivered him? Man this epidural is fantastic!

So many questions were crowding my brain and before I knew it, it was time to push. After a few painless pushes (seriously, I couldn't feel a thing!) Alexander Joseph Turner, Jr. arrived at 12:07 pm screaming his head off. He was perfect. I held him tight and with tears streaming down, I knew he would change my life forever. He has changed my life and the past 365 days have been the greatest days God has given me on earth.

AJ has a sweet spirit. He loves to be held, cuddled, and kept close. His first word was "Yay!" and says it every time someone is cheering or clapping their hands. He goes crazy when watching The Price is Right! He loves to wave and say "Hi" in a soft, gentle voice. He loves the remote control and can spot it from a mile away. He can stand and take a couple of steps on his own but hasn't quite walked yet. When he wakes up, he will hold his arms up like he wants to be picked up from his crib and then he falls down and crawls away really quickly. He thinks it's hilarious. He loves the vacuum cleaner. He loves playing with water. Bath time brings him so much joy. He just stands at the edge of the bath while it's filling up, claps his hands, and screams "Yay! Yay! Yay!" He has a handsome smile and is a big flirt. AJ one of the happiest one-year-olds I have ever meet and melts my heart every day. I love you sweet son! Happy Birthday to you!

Here are some pictures from his birthday bash on Saturday

My mom and I created this masterpiece ;)



Cousins

Alex, family, and friends had been slaving away at our backyard for the past month trying to complete it by AJ's birthday party. It was finished (concrete, curbing, sprinklers, sod...just not the plants) on Friday and we couldn't even utilize it because it was raining and freezing! Oh well...all 35 of us were cozy in our home.


Opening presents in his new rocking chair from Nana (actually it is an old rocking chair that Alex had when he was a boy!)







Devoring his cake...he LOVED it...almost as much as he loves his girlfriend Cailin (on right) :)

The Family

Nana

Popi and Mimi

Don't you think AJ looks like Alex? Those were taken on Alex's 1st birthday in Honduras. What cuties!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog over the past (almost) 2 years. I'm not sure it's really a blog since I don't write much...it's more like a photo gallery of our little family. In any case, it's been fun for me and I hope it's been fun for you. Have a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving, all you faithful turnertot readers/lookers. :)

p.s. A BIG thank you to Max and Sarah for putting their photog skills to use on our crazy family. They managed to get some awesome shots despite the 50 mph winds! We are thankful for you!

WHOOOAAAAA!

thanx, max, for this cool pic of me flying in the air. :)

Scarecrow and friends

AJ's first Halloween was quite the experience. He got to meet up with all of his neighborhood friends for the Rancho Santalina Halloween Costume Parade. All the superheroes and princesses were there along with Micky Mouse, a dinosaur and the most adorable penguin ever. Then he went trick or treating and got a kick out of knocking on doors. Who knew that would bring him so much joy?! To finish the evening, he cheered for daddy's football team only to watch them lose. Boo. If he could talk, I think he would say the highlight of his day was eating the marshmallows that Mimi gave him as a treat for being such a great scarecrow.

Scarecrow friends

Mimi and Popi love AJ sooooo much


Walking the parade route


Most of the kiddos in our small community

Pumpkin picking time

We spent Saturday at Bates Nut Farm with some good friends. The kids had fun feeding the farm animals and we enjoyed picking pumpkins, taking pictures and eating homemade goodies.

Fall fun

Mr. Model

Celebrating Natalie and baby girl

Cameron checking out Baby Barker's amazing Wagamama bed

view from our backyard during a random early morning thunder storm

Logan William is here!

I am finally an Auntie!!!

*not that I don't count GAG babies as my nieces and nephews...but you know what I mean.

My sister-in-law, Diana, labored long and hard all day yesterday (at one of the most beautiful hospitals ever, the brand-spanking-new Kaiser Irvine)and finally had to have a c-section this morning. She is a rockstar. Her, my bro and Logan are all doing great despite the lack of sleep and food. I got to hold the cutie pie this afternoon and it made me want a tiny baby again...kinda. He is a beautiful mixture of Di and Matt, with the cutest little chin and big chubby cheeks.

Congrats Matt and Di and HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOGAN! Welcome to this crazy world.


AJ says, "Hurry up and come home so I can give you knucks, couz."