Turkey and Birthday Cake

This year was a very special Thanksgiving - it was Papa's Birthday! We celebrated two birthdays - my Dad's and Uncle Coleman's - who has a birthday just a few days after Dad. We went to Willison, FL to visit with my Dad's side of the family - Grammy Betty, Poppy Ray, and Aunt Kandi. We are so happy Grandma made it home from the hospital (with heart and kidney complications) the day before Thanksgiving. Toby just couldn't wait to eat cake, so we gathered around to sing happy birthday with our tummies still full of turkey!

Here are some great pictures of the family...

Aunt Sharon, Cousin Sasha, Uncle Coleman and Poppy

Grammy, Toby, and Aunt Kandi

Poppy and Toby

Mama, Toby, and Toby's new best friend - Romeo

We spent some time with Paul ( Toby's prosthetist ) too! Here's Toby and him watching Elf on a projector at his house. Toby loves Paul - can you tell?

Toby is getting better and better at copying what we say and our mannerisms...he's really starting to entertain us! We realized we say a lot, "Toby - I'll be right back" while holding out our forefinger. Toby started doing it back to us last week. He looks at us, so serious, puts up his finger and says "Back mommy, Back" and then he'll run off! It took Ronnie and I a few days to get what he was saying/doing... and then we realized and laughed our tails off. I tried on some small regular clothes on my growing prego belly and I said to the boys, "I look stupid." Of course...Toby turns around and says, "Stuupidd" and thought it was funny enough to keep repeating for hours.

We've been working on his need to physically touch, hug, and kiss everyone. More or less...he tackles them and some children aren't fond of it. We've been trying to teach him about other people's space and teach him how to hug and be gentle. He's doing better and learning so fast! Now he tells me he wants to hug someone by wrapping his arms around himself and swaying! Too cute!

Toby got his big boy bed this past weekend...an early Christmas present. He was super excited about it....more because he can bounce all over it than because he's to sleep in it. He now sleeps on a twin mattress on the floor in our room. The first night he rolled off and pitifully cried for mommy. Second night he climbed in our bed, and last night I got in bed with him. Maybe by Christmas he will truly understand it's his bed and he's going to stay there!

We've also been busy decorating for Christmas. We put up our Christmas lights outside and our giant Snowman which Toby turns on and off all day long. He says "Wake Up Snowman" as he turns him on, and "Night Night" when he turns him off. He loves to give him hugs too. He also went with us to pick out a tree from the Boy Scouts and actually helped us decorate it. I thought for sure he would want to climb up it or tear it down but he didn't. He stood on his stool and helped hang ornaments. What a big boy! Then later that night he digressed to jumping on the couch and practically climbing the walls...which is more his age:)

and the final product...

Oh my! I'm still in shock! I laid down tonight with Toby in his new bed and 15 minutes later he was sound asleep...with NO yummies. This is the first night ever (in almost 23 months) that Toby has not nursed to go to sleep. Hallelujah! Stay tuned... we will know the sex of mystery baby #2 in less than 2 weeks!

Love, The Kings