I love you, Momma

This is Melissa writing my first blog entry.  A few days ago, Tani started saying "I love you, Momma"--Neysa and I have been regularly telling him that we love him since he was born, and it's amazing to now receive Tani's words of love.  He often says it spontaneously.  He also started giving kisses-- a little slobbery, but wonderful.  He loves to cuddle in Mommy's bed when he wakes up in the morning.

We are beginning to talk about going to a new house-- we don't yet know exactly where we'll be moving.  We needed to reassure Tani that he'll be coming with us, and then he requested that our new house have a basement and a garage...we'll see...

We saw baby Amani (my cousin Mike and Liz's 3-month old daughter) this weekend, and Tani has been pretending to be baby Amani.  This includes pretending to nurse.  He is now fully weaned.  I am grateful for the 2+ years that Tani nursed and I am now also grateful that he is weaned.  Tani also often pretends that he is a bunny.  And sometimes, he's curly bear, a character from Elmo's potty video.

We had 2 full weekends-- from May 21-25, Grandma Diane and Grandpa Arthur came to visit.  We went to MayFair in Allentown and Tani had his first paddleboat ride.  He also picked out a pink hand-sewn snake and a small wooden tow truck with a car as a present, and before Grandma and Grandpa returned to Atlanta, they got him a little Thomas the train engine.  I showed Tani the plain version and mud-covered version.  He chose the mud-covered version, then later tried to take off the mud.  He loves Thomas, and pretty much anything with wheels.

This past weekend, we celebrated with my cousin Nicole as she graduated from college and then spent 2 days with Tani's cousin Max, Uncle Mitch and Aunt Val, as well as Grandma Susan and Grandpa Morris.  We visited Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia, which was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been, and has wonderful fountains for children to play around.  Tani and Max had a wonderful time running around and getting wet together.  My mother organized this visit, which was a real treat for my father, who is turning 70 on June 9.  While we were sitting at lunch, Tani sang the whole alphabet song and baa baa black sheep.  He sang quietly, but also seemed to enjoy the audience.   On the car ride home, he sang along with the CD--he loves the They Might Be Giants Alphabet CD, especially, "Go, go go for G"  He was disappointed when our car ride, which was over an hour, was over-- he wanted a longer drive and asked to go to Providence to see Ezra (his 3-year-old friend who is Joanna and Rebecca's son).