Tribute to my only son

It occurred to me that Anthony was 5 before I started this blog.  I have a baby album for him but I didn't keep up with it.  So here are some of my favorite photos of Anthony from when he was younger......

Anthony a few days after he was born.  This cradle was loaned to us by our friends Bob and Margie. First Anthony slept next to me in my old baby bassinet, but sometimes he would nap in this cradle. He was such a good sleeper, and the only one of our children that didn't want to be swaddled and didn't mind sleeping on his back.  He slept for eight hours the first night we brought him home. Once he fell asleep he was usually out for the night.  But I do remember daddy and I walking him in the stroller around in the house in circles, trying to get him to fall asleep.  Once he was out, we could pick him up and put him to bed without disturbing him. I remember not wanting him to wake up in the middle of the night if his diaper got too full. So I would go in his room and change his pants while he was sleeping and he still wouldn't wake up.  I remember when Daddy and I were trying to watch our first movie together after he was born. (My baby's daddy)  I had a heck of a time getting him to go to sleep and we had to pause the movie what seemed like a million times. I was a paranoid parent, with him being my first child, I kept the baby monitor while he slept even though we were in the next room.  He made the funniest noises is his sleep and even though he slept thru the night, I never did.  I must have went to check on him twenty times a night. I used to which I had a video camera to record him in the mornings.  I would listen to him outside his door in the mornings. I could never see him or be sure what he was doing, but I could tell by all the jumping and giggling that he was having a blast.  Mama was his first word. I still remember the first time he said it.  It was in the morning.  He had been awake for a little while and had been playing quietly in his crib.  He started to get fussy, but I was trying to sleep a few more minutes so I didn't get him.  I guess he got tired of waiting because he said, "Ma Ma Ma Ma Mum." I got right up to get him after that and he was all happy.

 When we first got Lucy

 

 

Anthony loved his jumperoo.  He would jump in that thing until he fell asleep and if you went to take him out of it he would start jumpimg and then immediately fall back asleep.  Once we had Grandma and Grandpa over for a fancy steak dinner and we had to stop eating because Anthony got diarrhea all over his seat to his jumperoo and a puddle on the floor.

His old bedroom in our first house on Conreid Dr in Port Charlotte.  His room was yellow with a Care Bear border.  (I thought we were having a girl when we picked it But the border and matching lamp were in green and yellow so it could go either way.)  Aunt Kim got him that inflatable duck for the bathtub but I used it to store his stuffed animals.  We used to sit on his floor and I would read to him for hours.  He loved books and paid attention.  He recognized all the animals in his baby books.  All I'd have to do was ask where one was and he would point. He's sit between my legs while I read and when he got up to get another book or toy, Lucy would take his spot and he would try and push her out of the way.

 

Anthony loved his binkies.  This one was his favorite.  He would love to be silly and put two in his mouth and laugh.

This is in our old family room in Florida.  He was walking around with the box to his Mr. Potato head on own head.

 

This was taken at story time at the library.  This was before Mr. Spence worked there.  The librarians name was Ms. Kelly.  She may have been part deaf. She talked a little strange and when she read the children books she would pronounce some of the words wrong.  Anthony loved Ms. Kelly. Sometimes he would sit on her lap while she read.  Anthony says he doesn't remember story time but he went every week.  The girl standing in the pink is Cameron.  She is in Anthony's ccd class.

 

 

                                     

This is one of my favorite pictures.  This is when we moved back to Florida for a few months.  Cousin Kayla is on the left and cousin Kaylee is sitting on Daddy's neck.  I can't believe Daddy didn't break his back that day.  Anthony had so much fun with his cousins.

This is me and Anthony at the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers.  We went with Bob and Margie and their son Eric.

 

Anthony loved playing cars.  Sometimes he would drive and crash them, but most of the time he would line them up in these huge loops.  Every one was always facing the right direction.  Yesterday Emily was playing cars with Aunt Kim and pointed out which one looked like Grandma's jeep.  That reminded me that Anthony used to do the same thing.  He knew which one was a Jeep, which ones were Mustangs and several other make and models. He could even pick out, in seconds, out of his giant car collection, which one was the only one that his trailer could attach to.

 

Here is Anthony playing in a pile of leaves shortly after we moved to TN.  Grandpa didn't want him playing in them because he was convinced he would get worms.  I guess he doesn't remember me and my sisters playing in them all the time when we were little.. But there was no way we weren't going to let him play in them.  This was my first season change in twenty years.  In Florida everything is green all year.

 

Grandma took Anthony to Hope Depot and Lowes every week they had their builders workshop.  When he got older he didn't want her help anymore.

 

Anthony and Lucy in the closet in the basement when we lived in Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 

I love this picture. I used to have it hanging in my cubicle when I worked at Elavon. Anthony used to love going on trails with us when he was young.

 

Anthony playing with the magnet toys we got him from ToysRus along with his Cars (the movie) toy box for his 3rd birthday. I searched and searched online for hours trying to find him the perfect present.  He loved those things. We still have them.

His Thomas the tank helmet with matching elbow and kneepads.

 

"Driving" Daddy's white work van

At the TN valley fair

 

Grandma took this picture right before a trip to Cades Cove.  I might have been Mother's Day. I'm not sure.  Until this year, we have gone to Cades Cove every year on Mother's Day. Anthony used to love it there. I remember when we would drive off after seeing deer, he would say, "Goodbye deer! Go find your friends. He outgrew Cades Cove.  I guess that's what happens when your parents take you every single Sunday for an entire year.

Anthony and Carysa jumping in the bounce house that Aunt Chris got him for his 4th birthday

 

Anthony collecting flowers from Grandma's yard.  There's another picture of him shaking the wet flowers over his head.

 

This is Anthony playing with Lucy in the kiddie pool on our deck. He's wearing Ninja Turtle underwear :)

Anthony slept like this often.  He's a typical man.

Cameron Ogle trying to help Anthony learn to ride Carysa's new bike.  He was afraid of riding without training wheels.  He was either five or six and then one day he did it like it was no big deal.

 

Anthony helped Daddy paint the walls of our 3rd bedroom, which was previously used as his toy room, when we found out we were expecting Emily.