Friday, January 6, 2012

November 2011, or Happy Birth Day month, Whit!

Hey everyone! I know you've all been waiting for this post...because I'm about to introduce you to my little brother! First, here we are on November 3rd, when Pa came out to visit us. Pa, like many of us, thought that Whit was going to arrive earlier than he did, and had planned a trip.

Here we are outside of BW3, where we put down an embarassingly large number of wings:
We celebrated my birthday again...
Pa knows I love Thomas...
Here's what Mommy looked like two days before Whit arrived...I don't think she could have gotten much bigger!

If you haven't heard the story of Whit's arrival, here's a synopsis of November 5th, 2011. Mommy's labor was really fast, and by the time she and Daddy were getting into the car, Whit was almost here! They went back in the house, and made it as far as the laundry room before he was born! Aunt Beanie had come to our house to hang out with me while Mommy and Daddy were laboring, and then Papa was walking through the front door when he heard Whit cry for the first time! They got a ride in an ambulance to the hospital, but they sent them home after 6 hours. We ate dinner as a family and watched football that night!

Here's Barrett Whitlow Collier during the 6 hour hospital stay:
Mommy and Whit:

Whit getting weighed...he was 7lbs 10oz, 18.75 inches, born at 10:14am at home!

Papa and his grandsons:Here's me meeting Whit for the first time...I think he's pretty cool. I had been kissing and hugging Mommy's tummy for months, so it was great to see him in real life!
Mommy and Whit...and yes, this is exactly how Whit arrived at the hospital. Hokie hat, wrapped in a blanket. :)
Sleeping after a busy day of being born:

Mommy and Daddy so excited about getting to go home early:Heading home:
Here are Whit's first few days of life:
Daddy says that babies make him sleepy...
Here's Whit in his cupcake hat again (thanks, Aunt Lori!):
Snuggling with Daddy again...


First pumped bottle with Daddy:Hanging with Aunt Wubby:
This is my cheese face:
Whit with Nonni:
Whit is about one week old here:
Daddy and I outside while Mommy and Whit are inside. We raked all the leaves up and jumped in them...you know, man work.
Taking time out to love on my little brother...
Whit's first Hokie game:

Whit's first real bath was so much fun!
Are you seeing a trend here? I love my little brother so much. I do like to hug and kiss and snuggle him, but sometimes I don't know my own strength! I do try to pick him up and walk him around, but Mommy has to help me.

Nonni and Whit:
Nana and Whit:

Mommy and Daddy put up the Christmas tree a couple days before Thanksgiving this year so we could enjoy it with the family on Thanksgiving. It was so much fun!Here are our sleigh bells with the year we were born on them...thanks, Nonni and Papa!

Here I am with Aunt Wubby and Whit Thanksgiving morning, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I think we're going to make this a tradition...it was so cool that I actually sat down and watched it!
Reading a book with Aunt Wubby:Aunt Wubby and Whit later on Thanksgiving:

Papa and Whit on Thanksgiving:
Whit in my Thanksgiving bib:

Daddy and Whit Thanksgiving evening...do you see a trend when Whit and Daddy are together?Mommy says Whit is a good sleeper...he gets enough practice! :)

Daddy and I watching football...all universities must be represented in our house. Go Bucks! Go Hokies!
Here's Whit with Daddy again...
It's been an exciting month, getting to know Whit. He's a great addition to our little family! Mommy is really outnumbered, but she loves every minute of it!

October 2011

I know we're back-tracking, but Mom is really trying to get caught up! Here we go with October 2011! It was a jam-packed month, and lots of fun!

One of my favorite activities is making a giant pile of pillows and blankets, then saying, "Set, go!" and running and jumping into the pile. It's awesome to hurl your body through the air without caution. If you're lucky, I'll grab your hand and make you go with me!

My mom just found out about the train in Staunton...so we went and rode it for about an hour one day. I was in heaven. Here I am on one of our many trips around the track:
The conductor let me pull the whistle after each trip around!
Isn't it awesome? It's called the Gypsy Express. I can't wait for it to reopen in the spring!
Checking it all out...

I have to get off the train? I pity the fool...October is also an awesome month because it's my birthday! Here we are at my party:
I love Thomas the Tank Engine, so Mommy got me a Thomas cake for my birthday. I promptly took the trains off of the cake and licked the icing off of them so I could drive them around. They are a welcome addition to my train collection.

Mom was surprised when I blew the candle out all on my own...but I've seen it done a time or two, so I was ready!
I had so much fun with this pile:

Not sure if you know this, but school buses are one of my favorite things. On my birthday, October 20th, Mom took me to see and touch a real one! Here's my face when we pulled up to the school bus:
I'm in heaven...again.
This is the best day!
Then, my birthday dinner at Chick-fil-a...what an awesome second birthday. Nuggets and ketchup...easy on the nuggets.
My best bud Beckett is 4 days older than I am, and I got to celebrate his birthday with him. Just the guys...
This is Blake, Beckett's big brother, my other buddy (we're more like brothers...just ask our moms).

Going to Carter Mountain has become a tradition for our little family. Here we are picking out pumpkins and picking apples with my Aunts (Beanie and Wubby) and my cousin Elias (who I like to call Yay-yas).
Looks like Mommy swallowed a pumpkin in this shot:
I love the fall!
Have you tasted the apple doughnuts? They were almost worth the hour wait in line. Not kidding.
Putting apples in bags...
Me with my Aunt Beanie...she met us at the park in Staunton and took my two-year old pictures!
Here's Mommy with baby Whit as an inside baby:
And here's Mommy's favorite picture from my two-year photo shoot:
Mommy thinks I'm a very handsome boy, but is more proud that I'm sweet, smart, and grateful. :)