Happy (Belated) Birthday Uncle Timmy!

Dear Uncle Timmy~

Mommy told me to tell you she is pretty upset that she didn't put up a post for you on your birthday (January 26th)! She said she is especially mad because she did the same thing on Uncle Pat's birthday!!

I did get to talk to you on your birthday (thank goodness for Skype!) but I wanted to wish you a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you had a great time in Colorado celebrating!

I love you Uncle Timmy! Happy Birthday!!

xoxoxoxox

Love,

Colin

Tagged!

I was so excited that Heather at Team Carter tagged me in the Happy 101 Blog Award!! It's something fun!

The Happy 101 Blog Award Rules are as follows: List 10 things that make you happy, try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you then link back to my blog and create your list of things that make you happy.

Here's my list:

1. Undoubtedly, spending time with Chris and Colin on a day where we don't have anything else to do

2. Being with my friends and family

3. Ice cream

4. A really good day at work (which can mean that any number of things happen)

5. A day on the beach

6. The kind of smile that Colin makes when it causes his eyes to get all squinty

7. When Chris says or does something that makes me feel the way I did when we 1st met (that giddy excitement)

8. That song, "Say Hey, I Love you"...any time I hear it now it makes me so happy and makes me wanna dance!

9. Reading a really good love story, or watching one in a movie

10. Getting something fun, and unexpected in the mail

These Bloggers make me happy... As do many, many more that are not even listed here.

1. Heather at Team Carter

2. Adrienne at Our Unexpected Journey

3. Monica at Monkey Musings

4. Jennie at a Little Something Extra for Us

5. Lori at Banana Pants

6. Sara at Extra Smiles...Extra Giggles...Extra Love

7. Jennifer at Three's a Charm

8. Bill and Ria at Sharing experiences about life, parenting, and down syndrome

9. Chrystal at One More, More than One

10. Lisa at Bridget's Light

Just Keep Swimming

Thank you, Lori, for putting such a fun and unique perspective when things might not be going exactly how you want them to...

It's been a dificult week to say the least, but we're going to "just keep swimming"....

Thanks again Lori!

Meeting New Friends!

This has been such a busy week that I have not been keeping up very well with the blog! While the Flapjack Fundraiser was so much fun, we also had a great Sunday as well meeting new friends!

I am fortunate to have made some forever friendships at college and have remained close with them since then. One of those friendships is with Brandon and his wife Ashly. I spent a lot of time with those friends throughout college and they were such great friends to me! Since college, we have all remained pretty close and try to get together at least twice a year. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the whole group together, but we were so happy to meet up in West Chester to finally meet Brandon and Ashly's daughter Riley!!

Riley was due to arrive right around Colin's due date, but she decided to come a little bit early on April 1st! For a lot of reasons, we were unable to get together until this weekend to have Riley and Colin meet each other! We had such a great time!

First we met at the restaurant where Riley and Colin were such good little babies!!

We all got together for a group picture to mark such a great day!

Even though the Ram statue wasn't there while we were in college, we had to go and take more pictures!

First Mommy and Colin...

...Mommy with Colin in her belly back in March (the 1st time I ever saw the Ram statue)!

All the West Chester people, plus Colin! (Riley was already asleep in the car!)

Mommy, Daddy, and Colin...

Our Cause Hits TV!

We were fortunate enough to have Mark Fontes from WZBN TV -25 NJ (a local Trenton, NJ television station) come out and film the breakfast for the full amount of time. He interviewed Chris, Colin and I regarding our fundraising efforts. He did such a great job! We were honored to be asked to be interviewed and to put the Special Olympics of NJ and the Polar Bear Plunge in the media.

Please click here to watch the broadcast!

We have currently raised just over $22,000 for the Special Olympics of NJ's Polar Bear Plunge and currently have 45 CAT Crew Members! The Polar Bear Plunge takes place on February 27th at 1pm.

If you are interested in joining CAT Crew, please click here!

If you are interested in making a donation, please click here to get to my page!

Flapjack Fundraiser Follow Up

Thanks to Jorie, I have more pictures to post of the Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebees for the Special Olympics' Polar Bear Plunge!

Thank you so much volunteers!! Chris and I...
Uncle Brian and Aunt Maureen with Colin (they were volunteers!)...
Aunt Kimmy and Colin...

THE CAT Crew member...Colin Alan Tobin, himself (with Daddy).

Zach and Colin's buddy Liam hanging out at their table...

Nana and Grandad got a quick minute before leaving to snuggle...
Uncle Pat and Aunt Kristine!

Aunt Beth and Colin (just before he passed out)...Jorie and Zach, the people who helped FORM CAT Crew (and ordered all of the great T-shirts)!Grandpa and Gammy with Colin...

Thank You!

We wou like to send a big THANK YOU out to all of the people that made our Flapjack fundraiser for the Special Olympics' Polar Bear Plunge a HUGE success! We raised over $1,000!

Special thanks to Beth Tobin for organizing the fundraiser, the Applebees in Hamilton for hosting and giving back $4.50 of the $6.00 ticket sales, all of the volunteers who helped serve the pancakes, collect tickets, and handle the prizes/raffle tickets, all of the people who donated prizes, and all of our friends, families, and new friends who came out to show their support of such a great cause!

Here is Colin, welcoming the patrons!

Of all the pictures that were taken that day, I don't have any to post! Potentially more to come if I can gather some from other people!

Physical Therapy Update

Colin is working hard during physical therapy. He definitely lets you know when something is hard, or he doesn't feel like doing it, but if you find the right distraction, he will do what you are trying to get him to do.
We are working really hard on Colin's upper body strength in order to support himself on his tummy on extended arms. We were having a difficult time doing it on the floor, so when Miss K put Colin on the ball, all he needed was a little encouragement from Daddy and he was pushing up pretty far!

9 Month Check-up

Today we had Colin's 9 month check-up with Dr. Uma! Can you believe that Colin will be 9 months old tomorrow?!

We just love her so much! She has been absolutely wondeful for us throughout this journey and we are so thankful that she is watching over Colin! Thank you Dr. Uma!

At 9 months old, Colin's:

Weight is: 16 lbs. 15 ounces (10th percentile on standard chart)

Height is: 27 3/4 in. long (50th percentile on standard chart)

Head circumference is: 43 inches (50th percentile on standard chart)

Colin can:

- Sit unassisted for long stretches of time while playing

- Roll from tummy to back and occassionally, back to tummy

- Wave "hi" and "bye bye"

- Push up on extended arms on tummy

- Hold and drink his bottle by himself

- Makes many sounds

- Yells loudly when he feels like you're not paying attention to him

- Says "mamamama" and "dadadada" (at least that's what it sounds like)

- Brings hands to midline and switches objects from 1 hand to another

- Is so sweet and loving...he loves to touch faces

- Has a funny personality...makes "chandler"/"cheesy" faces when he knows you are taking a picture

- Sleep on his tummy

- Wiggles when he gets excited or "dances"

- Loves the ABC song

- Splashes in the bath

- Is learning how to swim and loves the water

- Loves going to school to be with his friends

- Has a girlfriend

- Loves his mommy and daddy

...and many more!

We are so proud of Colin and all of his accomplishments! Here is Colin this morning with Miss D during developmental therapy. He had a great session today!...and at the end of the day, there is NOTHING like a little Mommy and Colin snuggling time!

(Don't mind my end of the day messiness!)

I Did It!

I had posted a little while back about how excited we were here that Colin was beginning to sit. We were so excited that he would "prop" and hold his own for a few seconds!

Wellllllll....Colin sat for long stretches this afternoon! I decided to try and give the boppy pillow behind him a whirl and see if he would sit there unsupported. While I was putting some things away, I put Colin on our bed in a sitting position and he did pretty well with it. I moved him to the floor next and put some of his favorite toys in front of him.

And guess what?!?

He literally sat unassisted (without pushing himself back) for 10-15 min. stretches!! He never complained and just played!

Of course, when I started snapping pictures in his "I Did It!" t-shirt (thanks again Jen!) he got that silly "Chandler" face again (which was cute though).

After the toy would become out of reach,

he would do the "baseball slide" onto his tummy,

prop himself up, and then roll over onto his back!

We are so proud and excited here!

Patrick Henry Hughes

This is an amazing story about a man who looks at his disabilities as "abilities" and has such an amazing talent in music. Patrick's dad in this amazing story shows how parents will do anything for their children...

So inspiring!

Bye Bye San Diego!

Well, Colin now understands waving "hi!" and "bye bye!"!! Chris and Colin were watching the end of the Jets game last night and as it was ending, and the Jets were winning, Chris started saying "Bye bye San Diego" and Colin starting waving!!

It's such a fun new skill that has kept us laughing all weekend!

Happy (belated) Birthday Uncle Pat!

Mommy missed updating the blog on Uncle Pat's 25th birthday (which she feels very badly about), but I thought today would be a perfect day to say Happy Birthday Uncle Pat!!

Nana and Grandad picked Mommy, Daddy, and me up to head down to Somer's Point for a birthday dinner with Uncle Pat and Aunt Kristine! I was so happy to see them!

We went out to eat and I was such a good boy at the restaurant (like I always am!).

You know what's funny? I have such a personality now and am such a ham! I know when someone is going to take a picture of me and I am a complete cheeseball as the orange light lights up! You know that show Friends? Well, Mommy, Nana, and Grandad think I'm just like Chandler when he has to take pictures. He just can't get a normal smile out! Mommy said she tried to get my cheeseball smiles, but caught the tail end of them...

Everyone just laughs and laughs when I make those smiles!

After dinner, we went back to Uncle Pat's apartment and I played with Uncle Pat and Aunt Kristine!

Then, we had some of the birthday cake! Mommy let me have some and I just LOVED it. In fact, she was teasing me because every time she would take a bite, I would open my mouth thinking it was for me! She gave me a lot though and I loved every bite! Before we left, all of the "kids" took a picture together. What a great day! Happy Birthday Uncle Pat!!

xoxoxoxoxoxxo

Love,

Colin