Happily Ever After

It Made Me Cry

2012-01-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

God has been loving on me this morning. I made it to the gym while it was dark, had some ~~quiet~~ not-so quiet time (I had forgotten how loud it is), and in those early moments, my heart longed for connection with God - and of course, He answered, right there in my lost-mess-of-things shoes. He is so good, and I am most of the time so lost.

Before giving into the fact that a morning nap is not going to happen, I rushed to jot a few things onto the pages of my gratitude journal (which I have been semi-successful in keeping up with). I ventured back to Ann Voskamp's blog to revisit her original post about the Joy Dare and read this while I fought back the tears.

So true and real and close-to-home. It is all so fleeting.

Lord, let me be faithful today. Too soon it will be me who is letting go and saying good-bye, and it is You who I want him to cling to as he goes.

Then & Now

2012-01-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

Baby Boy turned 14 months this month. I realized that I had pictures from his two month birthday, January 12th of last year, so I thought it would be fun to compare. (I was going to try to get a current one of us together, but that didn't happen). Isn't it amazing the transformation that babies go through in their first year of life?

A little tired, eh?

and check out the decor (in January)

hey, it was the fussy era, remember?

a rare moment of peace and happy

And, BB the same week this year...

loves his peas

and cooking...

and cleaning.

He might be bigger, but don't let that fool you. He's still our feisty, little fire cracker.

Making Joy a Habit

2012-01-07T21:08:00.001-06:00

So, I know I have already written about my thoughts on 2012 and some things that I would like to see happen this year, and one of them was to be thankful for each day. I think this is such an attitude of the heart that God has been talking to me about. Why do I have so incredibly much and more than I could ever want or need but still find myself at times yearning for something else?

The simple answer is that it's complicated. The simple answer is also that it's a heart issue (isn't it always?). Where am I daily seeking my fulfillment and contentment? Not to get too deep, but as my mother would say, I believe I need an "attitude adjustment," just like I did when I was 7 and having a meltdown on Disney's Tom Sawyer Island. No meltdowns here, thankfully, but the bottom line is the same.

In the fall, I heard about Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts. I picked it up from the library and began reading. Honestly, I didn't make it very far through the book before I had hit my renewal limit (it was a little deep for my still sleep deprived brain to grasp before bed at night), but it did stir me. Voskamp's basic message (and I am sure I am over simplifying) is that giving thanks for and recording the small, daily things in life changes things, changes us.

It is so simple, but it's been so hard for me to start my own thankfulness journal. I just haven't stopped to do it, but I am purposing to begin now. Ann has started a Joy Dare for 2012, and in a very not-like-me move, I have decided to join in! I am going to daily record life's blessings and pray that God opens my eyes to what I have been missing. What do I have to lose, except hopefully, some un-Godly attitude?

I am blogging about all of this not because I think you will find it extremely interesting or enjoyable but because I am giving myself some accountability. I will check in periodically and let you all know how I am doing. Joy to you today, friends!

Do any of you keep a thankful journal? Anyone want to join me in the Joy Dare?

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Life in Series 1.4

2012-01-06T11:43:00.002-06:00

ed: I failed to mention when I originally posted that we have no idea what is on my brother-in-law's tongue in the first picture below. He didn't have anything in his mouth when the pic was taken, there wasn't white anything showing in real life, and the original pic doesn't show anything....so, who knows why something is showing up on here?!

It's been a long time since I visited this series, and that makes more sort of sad because I have so many things that I have wanted to post but never got around to it. Maybe I will go back and try to go back and catch up; we shall see.

Baby Boy is definitely a people person. He loves getting someone's attention (even strangers), and smiling at or talking to them. One of his favorite groups of people, however, are his uncles. BB has been blessed with several uncles, all of whom are awesome and great with him. For whatever reason, BB's uncles can get giggles and smiles like no one else. Maybe it's the male bonding, connection thing. You know, BB is all, 'Hey, you are a dude, like me." and his uncles are like, "Yeah, dude; you rock!" and BB's like "Yeah! you, too, dude!..."

Anyway, I digress. This series was taken over Thanksgiving, when BB was hammin' it up with his T-Joe.

Like Tio Like Sabrino

Seeing other people, especially family, loving on your kids is such a blessing.

love it.

(and thank the Lord for uncles- dude!)

Check out other posts in this series here.

Hello, New Year!

2012-01-02T15:26:00.000-06:00

Good-bye 2011; honestly, I'm so glad to see you go.

Whew, this past year, well....it was character building. I should probably leave it at that. :) In a lot of ways, it was one of the (if not the single) most difficult years of my life for several reasons, and I am so thankful to have lived to tell about it. lol...that sounds so melancholy but seriously. I know that it's easier sometimes to remember the struggles, but I truly have so much to be thankful for, so many blessings that I don't deserve, felt so much of God's love and presence and working this past year.

I'm not a big one for resolutions because I am incredibly terrible at keeping them. That said, there are some things that I would like to work on this coming year like organizing the house (I mean going through all of those drawers and closets that make me cringe when I open them because of the clutter loitering inside) and getting back to the gym (no, I don't need to lose poundage, but I can tell my body needs to be moving more. It's been talking to me about that for a couple of months, and I really would love to get back to yoga). I want to enjoy time with my sweet ~~baby~~ little boy and read books and smell the rain and take walks (and warm baths) and connect with people.

Most importantly, I want to be more thankful for each day (am I the only one who digs herself into a complaining rut sometimes?) and be more faithful to be consistently in God's Word - and memorize it. I feel like I need to re-start and refocus in several areas of life, and I know that only God can do that.

I want to enjoy 2012, whatever it may bring, and I want people not to see me this year, but to see a life transformed by Jesus.

Here's to a fresh start and a new year; happy 2012, friends!

Oh, and yes, we did have a wonderful Christmas (minus me being sick). We were out of town a good deal, though, so I am looking forward to being home and back into a routine this month. Hope you all had a fantastic holiday!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T07:09:00.000-06:00

From our family to yours.

We are so thankful for a God who humbled Himself and came to earth as a baby so that He could live and die for sins He did not commit because we had sins for which we could not pay. Thank you, God, for your son, Jesus.

Praying blessings on your holiday season and New Year!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

And a very special Merry Christmas from BB....

Birthday Stragglers

2011-12-22T09:58:00.000-06:00

I came across some other birthday related pics that didn't make it onto my last post, which I thought were blog worthy.

BB's present from his dad. He LOVES his swing, and when he sees it in the back yard, all sorts of pointing and 'talking' ensues.

No kidding, he wants to swing for 45 minutes at a time. SO, just be prepared to be out there a while if you give in to his pleading. Oh, and you can try taking a magazine and chair, but he gets a little testy if you try to sit down. What a mess!

BB about to open his present from Aunt Sarah. I haven't gotten a picture yet, but it's the cutest little backpack. I'm excited to use it when MOPS and Bible study starts up in the Spring.

More details of the monthly tree. I think it was my favorite thing from the party, and I was sort of sad when we finally took it down.

Oh, and recipes! I had several people ask for party food recipes, so here you go (if I haven't already gotten them to you):

(Whoot! Whoot!) Pumpkin Chili

Chocolate Orange Cake - as cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I took a poll, and it was a toss up as to which cupcake people liked best. They were both delicious, but I think the cream cheese frosting has my heart.

Note: we are generally avoiding grains at our house these days, so the cupcake recipes are coconut flour based (and also honey sweetened). Also, I just made the cake batter as directed and poured it into muffin tins, and the cooking time was pretty much the same as the original recipes called for.

The Par-tay

2011-12-21T20:12:00.000-06:00

So I realized today that I never posted about BB's party; time just got away from me! SO, before Christmas has come and gone, here's a recap with pictures that I do have. (BTW, I also want to do a catch-up post because there's been a lot going on, not the least of which is my ~~baby~~ sister's wedding last weekend. sniff!) I have decent pictures of the set-up (thanks mostly to my sister. Thanks, Erin!), but I am sad that I didn't get pics with our friends and family who came. We had a great turnout, and we are thankful to all who were able to come help us celebrate. Thanks also to my parents who came into town a little early and helped pull everything together; I totally couldn't have done it without them!

When gearing up for BB's party, I began looking for a theme, something I could use as a starting point for food and decorations. After batting around several ideas, which I couldn't seem to get into, I prayed for inspiration, and God graciously gave me an idea that I could finally run with. I wanted something that went with Fall because it's my favorite and our house would already be decorated with Fall colors. I also wanted to do something that probably wouldn't work as BB got older. I can already envision trucks, robots and cowboys for future birthdays, so I stayed away from all of that cuteness. I finally decided on Fall owls with the theme of 'Guess Whooo's Turning 1!' Here's the invite (sorry it's sort of hard to read, but it's mainly so I remember anyway):

We used pingg.com, and though I had some initial technical difficulties, it turned out working pretty well. It was wonderful to not have to address envelopes, and all of the RSVPs were easy to manage and organize. I did end up having to pay a small fee for "premium" services, but it was definitely cheaper than paper invites would have been.

Onto the party pics:

Tables, tables, everywhere! At one point, we even had a table set-up in the entryway so that we could sit to eat, but thankfully, it didn't stay up long.

(it seems I didn't get a good close-up of the owls, but you can see them a little better here)

I wanted to use cake stands to create more varied heights, but when push came to shove, there just wasn't any time to think much about the dessert table arrangement. :( We ate pumpkin chili with cornbread/crackers/chips buffet style and feasted on cupcakes for dessert. Yum.

For the decorations, I found some printables on Etsy that were perfect! We personalized some of the little owls with BB's name and a 1. They were so fun and easy to print off and use around the house.

BB's Monthly Picture Tree. Owls, trees, get it? :) We didn't end up leaving it on this side table where it's clashing with the wreathe, but this was a pretty good overall pic.

and the (cup)cake!

We had to give BB a little bite to get started, but as you can see, he got the idea quickly after that and ate the whole thing. The eating series just sort of cracks me up because it's so BB, wacky faces and all.

Let Him Eat Cake!

The guests we actually got pictures of:

Sweet friends. That little gal (with her grandfather) is just 3 weeks older than BB; such a cutie.

Daniel's grandfather and BB

We said no presents, but some people couldn't resist. BB made out like a bandit!

BB LOVES this cow from my parents! And so do I because he will sit in his crib and listen to him sing Old McDonald instead of crying if he wakes up early or hasn't gone to sleep yet. AMAZING! BB also likes sticking his finger in the cows mouth while he's singing. Yayy for Cowley!

The busy board my dad made for BB, which is also a favorite.

Playing with my father-in-law's dog Roxy.

Oh, and we had balloons because BB is wild about balloons. They were a hit and definitely money well spent.

My sister and brother-in-law couldn't make it for the party, so they came to visit the next day. Thanks for coming Tia and T-Joe! (of course, Cowley made the pic; BB carried her everywhere for a while)

Thanks to everyone who made BB's birthday special!

The Big 1(2)

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Party pics are coming. I am going to try to get some pics from family because we honestly didn't get a whole lot with our camera, which I am trying not to get upset about.

SO, in case you all have missed it (just kidding, how could you?!), our Baby Boy is officially 12 months old! It's hard to believe we have such a big boy, one year old running around our house. BB likes to keep busy and is always on the look-out for something to do, which means that I am always trying to make sure he is occupied, lest he get, ahem, creative.

He had his one year appointment on Friday (happy birthday to me!), so I have stats this month, which is always fun.

Baby Boy, here's a look at what you have been up to:

Height: 32 1/4" (off the charts)
Weight: 27 lbs (off the charts)
Head Circumference: 18 1/2" (75%)

You are wearing mostly 24 months and 2T clothes, the latter especially if it's a one-piece outfit like a jumper. Your torso is definitely long, so we are always rolling your pant legs up. You wear a size 6 shoe and size 4 disposable diaper.

Firsts:

*Birthday! party, cake (sort of), and all that jazz
*Visit to a farm. You loved the goats
*Two nights away from mama. You and your dad did great!
*Long-ish nap not at home. I went to pick you up after MOPS, and you were out cold in a swing (also a first. This never worked when you were little). I was in shock! You probably slept about 30 minutes, and it sort of ruined your afternoon nap, but I was totally impressed that those ladies got you to sleep.
*Crawling from the bottom to the top of the stairs all by yourself. You actually just noticed the stairs for the first time this month, as well.
*Pointing (which I don't seem to have a picture of yet :( )

This month has been busy in and out of town and having relatives. You have done wonderfully with all of it, though, and per your usual, you are happy with a lot going on (except when you are really tired; now that's another story). You are still a little shy around new people, but you warm up quickly and do seem to be pretty social. We are also still having some separation anxiety, but it seems to pass fairly quickly if I leave you in the nursery or with someone while I run errands.

You are doing so many things that it's hard to know where to begin, and I know I will forget something. You are "talking" up a storm these days - to the dogs, about your new swing (which you LOVE), saying bye bye and waving, hi and hello if we put the phone up to your ear or just randomly to the neighborhood, boo and uh-oh (in proper context), mama and dada (will say it when prompted as well), and on and on about so many things we can't understand yet. You are understanding a lot and will surprise us when you pick up something we are saying in conversation. You can follow simple commands, though you don't always choose to do so (we are working on that).

Your favorite play time activities mimic real life. You love to sweep, vacuum (with your play vacuum, though the real vacuum is still cause for big excitement when you see it), use a spoon to "stir" pots on the stove, turn the lights off and on, and help us let the dogs out of their crates in the morning. You really want to be involved with whatever we are doing. You got a swing for your birthday, and you also like to spend a good deal of time in that. Yesterday, it was 45 minutes before you were ready to get out, and then you wanted to push it for yourself. You love for us to sing. Your favorite song still seems to be The Wheels on the Bus, and you will prompt us to sing by singing "round and round," or at least your version of it.

You react to other babies and animals with excitement and a rush of babbling, pointing, and smiles. You are always picking up books and magazines to look through, and it doesn't seem to matter if there are pictures or not, you are just flipping through.

You are getting more and more independent and seem to know what you want to do and where you want to go, which sometimes results in big tears when I insist that you can't go or do.

You haven't been as picky with your eating this month, which has been so nice. Generally, you are eating three big meals a day with one solid snack around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. You typically nurse 2-3 times a day, though some days you ask to nurse more. You are really liking peas, carrots (steamed), grapes and Lara Bars these days. Sweet potato pancakes are still a breakfast favorite, and you like beans, chicken and hummus anytime. You have six teeth (4 top and 2 bottom), so that seems to have made chewing easier.

Sleep has been better this month, praise the Lord! I think I can officially say you sleep all through the night now, which is fabulous. I just need to get to bed earlier myself, and we will all be well rested. You are taking two naps a day better than ever before, but it's still sort of hit and miss. Your morning nap is usually 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, and your afternoon hour has been maybe 1.5 hours. I miss the 2 hour afternoon naps you were having there for a bit, but I am thankful for some consistent napping.

Likes - animals (dogs especially), reading books, singing, sweeping and vacuuming, anything electronic, swinging and eating.

Dislikes - diaper changes, getting into the car seat and car rides, not getting your way

Love you, sweet boy! We can't believe you are ONE!

In the Off Chance that You Can Relate...

2011-11-18T13:35:00.001-06:00

So, in case you ever have one of those days, take heart that it's not just you. Today, I have been that person.

To start, I dropped BB off with the sweet child care ladies at MOPS and left him there - crying - because we are dealing with some separation anxiety these days. Poor guy.

Once settled into MOPS myself, I realized that the casserole I brought for brunch (my group was in charge this week) was not quite cooked in the middle. Yayy, runny eggs...Totally not normal for me, and yes, embarrassing. Sorry ladies!

After picking up an exhausted BB from the nursery, I walked out to the car and realized that I was totally the inconsiderate car that was cuddled up so close to the white line that no one could park to the right side of me. sigh.

To top it off, I most certainly did ignore the slight off-smell coming from my son's diaper as I laid him down in his crib when we made it home from MOPS. He fell asleep in the car (after some screeching), and as you all know my struggles with baby sleep, I wasn't about to wake him up with a diaper change and risk no nap this afternoon. Thankfully, I don't think a dirty diaper is going to kill him.

And it's only noon.

In other news, we have BB's 1 year check-up this afternoon, so hopefully, that post will be up soon.

Until then, all I have to say is, TGIF!

One Year Ago Today

2011-11-12T20:36:00.001-06:00

Our Baby Boy is 1 today! We sang, we celebrated, we threw a party, and now we are pooped. Whew. I'll recap later (and finish a few, other posts, as well), but a good time was had by all. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

D Day

2011-11-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

So today was my due date, last year at least. I was 40 weeks, big, fat and hugely pregnant and looked ~~a lot~~ exactly like this:

Yikes!

How did my stomach ever even stretch that far?? Seriously.

Oddly enough, I remember looking down and seeing my ankles looking like themselves again that day instead of the swollen, puffy stumps that had begun to be the norm. Apparently, I even took a picture to commemorate the occasion! (You are so welcome! I just knew you wanted to see a picture of my ankles today. :) )

Actually, looking now, those feet still look a little gross and swollen to me, but I guess it's all relative. And this blog? It's for posterity, so I am going with it. Moving on.

Fast forward a year, and BB and I went to Chick-fil-a for the first time together after I found out that the play date I thought we were going to was not actually today. (Yes, this is now my reality; I am losing my mind!) We were already dressed and out of the house, so I decided to make the most of it and run a few errands, but a break was in order because BB was getting antsy in his car seat. Thankfully, Chick-fil-a is right across the highway from Target. Once there, BB was more interested in eating the Lara bar that I had hanging out in the diaper bag than the chicken nuggets I bought (he eats an entire bar by himself- in one sitting- these days, which is pretty crazy to me), but at least he was thoroughly mesmerized by the other kids around us. BB played in the little playground there (another first), enjoying himself immensely as he tried to climb up the slide the from the bottom.

What a difference a year makes. (for babies and ankles)

Party Pinning

2011-11-07T09:44:00.000-06:00

I finally signed up for Pinterest before BB's party so that I could easily collect and store ideas I came across. I'm not a Pinterest junky (or Facebook or blogger for that matter, but you guys already knew that), but it's been fun to pin for a bit here and there. Below is some inspiration I have come across in the past month, some of which I am going to incorporate into the party somehow, most not. All fabulous. There really are so many great ideas out there. Are you guys pinning?

PS - sorry the pics are huge. I'm sure there is a pretty easy fix for that, but I don't have time to investigate right now. :)

Source: milkforthemorningcake.blogspot.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: naturallyknockedup.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: pauladeen.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: karaspartyideas.blogspot.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Amelia on Pinterest

and this one? not at all party related, but I LOVE the idea of this. wire crates are not at all attractive hanging around the house.

T Minus 1

2011-11-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here we are, and I can't believe it. I am writing BB's 11 month post, but we are actually only ~~two weeks~~ 1 week away from his first birthday. As temperatures have finally relented and the wind holds a touch of fall in its whispers, I find myself thinking of last year. Of being hugely pregnant and nesting and slowing, all the while working working working, determining partner's tax liabilities and quarterly payments and reviewing returns.... now, here ~~I am.~~ we are. So far from wrapping up for maternity leave and preparing for our first baby. It's almost too much to comprehend, and I find myself getting sentimental about my little baby growing up. Then I think of the 5 months of incessant crying and no sleeping, and I say, "Praise the LORD we have made it to a year! Hallelujah!" Thankfully, time does have a way of healing things, though I am still not sure that I won't need some therapy after this past year. (just kidding! sort of...) I am thankful and SO happy to be past much of that and to instead have a little toddler boy in front of me who loves feeding himself and laughing, listening to music and dancing, trying to run and sweeping (even if there is still crying involved :) ).

What a difference a year makes.

Stats:

I'm not sure how much you are weighing, but it's around 27 or 28 lbs. Walking has definitely helped slim you down, but you are still tall and solid. You wear 18-24 month clothes, size 6 shoes (with a little room to grow), and a size 4 disposable diaper. You are on the verge of outgrowing your one-size cloth diapers, so I am trying to decide how to tackle that new hurdle.

Baby Boy, here's a look at what you have been up to:

Firsts:

You have started running, or your version of it. You are not running all over the place, but you definitely try to quicken your pace. You also went to your first 'theme park,' which you seemed to really enjoy. The park is for kids, and you rode a pony (so excited when you saw the ponies), in an airplane, on a Ferris wheel, and on a carousel (resisted getting off of that ride), among others, sometimes by yourself. You did great and acted so big. You also started walking around the yard, and outside in general, by yourself, and you started your version of pointing, which is so funny. Instead of your finger, you move your whole hand in the direction of what you want or where you want to go, with the palm upturned. I can't help but think of Michelangelo's Hands of God when you point because it reminds me so much of the non-pointing hand in that piece, only turned over. You also experienced your first, major rain (that you could actually appreciate) this month. You love water, so you seemed to find the rain quite interesting. You discovered the stairs this month and are beginning to climb things.

What is this wet stuff?

We have had a lot of teething fussiness and separation anxiety this month, and I think we are all a little worn out by it. You were getting the last of your top middle teeth, and they seemed to really bother you. We have had moments of contentment and happiness, and I am so thankful for those!

Worn out after Kiddie Acres. Couldn't even finish your snack.

You seem to have a flair for the dramatic and are quick to show your dislike for whatever rubs you the wrong way. On the other hand, you do very well when there is a lot going on (after taking a moment to take it all in and get comfortable), and love to explore new situations. Once comfortable in an environment, you walk over to greet new people and ask others to pick you up. It's funny to see your personality now and recognize the same traits we saw so clearly when you were a newborn. Apparently, it's just you, and I pray that God uses all of that passion for His glory.

Looking so big here to me.

You are busy busy these days but not terribly interested in your toys. You are usually happiest when you are in the middle of what your dad or I am doing - cooking dinner, washing clothes, cleaning up, or something else around the house. You look so cute and grown up standing on the step stool beside us, and you are quite good as long as you can see what's going on. Your favorite is watching us fill up the washing machine and sitting on the lid and playing with the knobs while it runs. One thing you do consistently like is books, and you love pulling out books and looking through them. You have started getting bored of the books we have, though, so I am making a point of going to the library more frequently for new material.

You also like to play with the dogs, and you get excited whenever you see them after nap time or in the morning when you wake up. We encourage you to be 'gentle' when you pet them, but you still like to pull their fur and 'pat' them pretty hard. You have gotten into playing with balls, which Molly loves. I think you all will be big friends soon.

We are continuing to work on obedience, and you most definitely understand "no," though it's certainly not what you always want to hear. Most often, we have to stop you from going after the phone and computer. Overall, you are doing great when we Skype with your Mims and Cappie, and you know that the computer is off-limits when we are talking to them (though that doesn't stop you from attempting to grab the keyboard a couple of times). You like to test your limits, and your dad and I are having to be vigilant in our consistency.

You are still a big eater, though I think you have moderated overall as your growth seems to have leveled off a bit. You eat 3 meals and at least one snack a day, in addition to nursing 3-4 times. Some of your favorites these days flour-less sweet potato pancakes for breakfast, bananas, green smoothies, and chicken, though you generally eat most anything, except when teething. You are getting picky about how often you eat things (I have to remember not to keep feeding you the same things day after day, or you start not wanting to eat whatever it is at all, like eggs), and you seem to really enjoy new foods and foods that incorporate a sauce. You are wanting more and more to feed yourself, and I am amazed at how well you can pick up the smallest thing and put it in your mouth.

True to form, your sleep continues to be somewhat unpredictable, but you basically sleep from 6:30 or 7 until 6ish in the morning. We had a week where you were waking up closer to 8, which was heavenly - and unfortunately, short-lived. With a little encouragement, you have dropped your night time feeding, but you do still wake up sometimes in the night. I'm not at all sure what that is all about, but you usually put yourself back to sleep. You still fight naps, and though I think you still need two naps, it's a struggle to get you to nap twice. Unless you are really tired, you prefer to be up and at 'em. Or at least to be up and carried around the house. I attempt nap-time around 9 and 1, and your afternoon nap is the most consistent.

I know this pic is blurry, but I love it. It's one of the few times I've been able to snag a good smile shot recently. This pic is just so BB.

New skills you are working on include clapping, waving, pointing, dancing, and talking. You will sometimes clap or wave on demand, but it's usually a delayed reaction on the waving. You will say hi or bye bye along with the waving, though, which of course, is too cute. You clap randomly, and love it when we say "yayy!" or "hooray!" as you clap. In addition to hi and bye, you are saying Mama, Dada, and something that sounds like dit-ty (two syllables) when you see Harper or really anything that you are excited about. It's fun to hear you talk, but it sometimes takes me by surprise!

Likes: your books, especially Wheels on the Bus and the Dog book; singing, the dogs, being outside, being carried around (much of the time), lounging on the dog's pillow or on the floor
Dislikes: car rides, diaper changes, being told no

Telling Dad 'bye bye"

You are doing so much these days that I know I am forgetting something. BB, we love getting to see your personality more and more (though it's sometimes a challenge), and we thank God for letting us be your parents. Happy 11 months!

Friday, Friday

2011-11-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, friends! I'm feeling random, so here you go:

We have been busy, in and out of town, party planning, every day living. You know how it goes. BB's birthday (and party) is a week from tomorrow, and my to-do list is a mile long. I'm trying to keep the party simple (though it will be bigger-ish since it's his 1st) - I'm not a huge party person - but there is still food to cook and banners to assemble. I think it will be fun. In honor of BB's birthday, I am planning on posting a few things this coming week that will sort of wrap up BB's first year. In reality, I know I am being ambitious considering what all I still need to do, but I at least want to get his birth story finalized and slide show working. If only everything in my head could just materialize. Ha! Where's my fairy godmother when I need her?!

Thankfully, I have someone better in my court - big God who I am praying will help me prioritize what is important and let go of those things that aren't (which, let's be honest, is most things, right?).

My parents are coming to town next week, and we are looking forward to their visit. We haven't seen them since August, so this get-together is long overdue!

I think BB is trying to switch to one nap, and I have mixed feelings. As you all could probably guess, I have a love/hate relationship with baby naps (I would LOVE them if BB was a good napper, but that is only in my dreams), so I am sort of struggling with whether or not to just plunge into one nap or let the morning nap continue to peter out.

I can't believe the holidays are upon us. I love this time of year, but I am sort of dreading everything 'to-do' that goes along with Thanksgiving and Christmas, which sort of makes me sad. There has to be a way to simplify so that November and December can be enjoyable, and I am determined to find a way. All of this stressing, rushing, and shopping is just ridiculous.

Ok, so time to think about dinner. Happy weekend!

Nine Months

2011-09-27T15:37:00.001-05:00

Note: I wrote some of this before BB started walking, so some of my references might not make sense in light of this post. One of the many downsides to being so behind! And, yes, I know BB is almost 11 months; I am playing catch-up!

Warning. Picture overload! Guess I took a lot of pictures this month.

I'm a couple of weeks late-again- but Baby Boy turned 9 months on ~~the~~ August 12th (ugghh). It boggles my mind that we are 3/4 of the way to 1 year. If last month's theme was attempting movement, this month's was on-the-move. (I know I will laugh at this once BB starts walking). Baby Boy is busy, busy, busy! He is so close to walking but settles for cruising and crawling everywhere at the moment. He did this funny whole body scooting, using his feet to push him forward for a couple of days before he crawled, then he was off. We have had a couple of free-standing, attempted steps, but I'm not counting them as first steps yet. Maybe I am just in denial :). It's funny because BB is certainly busy, but I honestly don't have much to compare him to because I haven't been around a lot of other babies in the past few years. However, recently around other moms or at the pediatrician, I get a lot of "Wow, he's really busy!" while their little ones sit quietly and contently on the floor playing with a toy - if only. I guess he really is busy. Ha.

BB is active but doesn't have much interest at all in toys. Instead, he wants to be into everything that is not a toy, and above all, on his way somewhere. Needless to say, BB is keeping this mama on her toes! With all of this activity, we have definitely entered the destruction stage. BB can make a room look like a tornado hit it in no time. He's especially fond of grabbing anything on surfaces and flinging them to the ground. Oh boy.

Right before we found out about his ear infection but SO sweet (and calm!)

Baby Boy, here's a look at what you have been up to:

9 Month well check stats (you have definitely done some growing since your 6 month check):

Height: 30 3/4 inches (>98%, a.k.a. 'off the chart')
Weight: 25 lbs 4 oz (>98%)
Head Circumference: 18" (70%)

You are wearing mostly 18 month clothes, though depending on the brand, you still wear some 12 month shirts and have also started wearing some 18-24 and 24 month pieces. I finally bought you some shoes, and you wear a size 4, though they are starting to get a little tight. You wear a size 4 disposable diaper for church and other outings.

Firsts:

*Tooth! Middle, bottom right. We can see the other middle bottom tooth and feel bumps on top.
*Standing up and sitting in your crib (or maybe this was last month :/ )
*Sitting up by yourself in general (this might have been last month, too...)
*Plane ride and visit to your grandparents out West. Overall, you did really well. I think you were having a growth spurt and a little separation anxiety, though, so you weren't sleeping great.
*Wedding shower (Your Aunt Erin's, and it was probably one of your last. ha! The ladies loved you, though)
*Green smoothie - you LOVED it.
*Shoes. Sniff, you look like such a big boy
*Free standing; no hands, Mom!
*Crawling! It's unconventional and Gollum-like, but it gets you where you want to go
*Ear infection. Hopefully, not the first of many.

Whew; this has been a busy month! We have seen a lot of friends and family, and overall, you have done wonderfully with being passed around, talked to, and played with. Sometimes you get upset if I pass you off to quickly, but once you feel comfortable in a situation, you don't seem to mind people you don't know well.

You are pretty much eating 3 solid meals a day and nursing 4-5 times. I feel like I am getting in a rut as far as what to feed you, but you usually happily eat most anything. Sweet potatoes are not a fav (makes your mama sad because she thinks they are so yummy!), and you are picky sometimes with carrots and okra. You drink well from your sippy cup and do drink out of a cup (since around 5 or 6 months), but the cup is not my preferred method at this point because it gets messy.

Another one taken during his ear infection. Just dripping with sweetness, poor baby.

Hamming it up in the Houston airport

Sleep has been an adventure this month. Between traveling, teething, an ear infection, and you just being much too busy to nap, it's been a little wild! Most of the time, your nighttime sleep is great, though, for which I am really thankful! You are still sleeping 7ish to 6:30 ish and eating once, though it seems like that last feeding is beginning to phase out - maybe I am just hopeful. I am reluctant to push you too hard on that, though, because I know you are so busy burning calories (and not eating) as much sometimes during the day. You also are pretty resistant to being pushed in the sleep arena in general. After your ear infection, you decided naps were not your thing again, and we had 2.5 weeks of almost no napping, which was not fun for you or your mama. Overall, you were pretty happy -though sometimes a zombie -so that's a praise. Naps have been better the past week, but we are not in a nice rhythm yet like we were before your ear infection. Maybe next month. You are also trying to drop your third nap, which is great, except for the fact that your other two naps are on the short side and early in the day. Perhaps one of these days we will settle into a more long-term rhythm.

Playtime has been interesting this month because you really don't seem to care about toys. You are liking balls, which is fun, but otherwise like keys, cords, the computer (which we battle about quite frequently), balloons from the grocery store, and sometimes paper, boxes, and miscellaneous items from the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. You are cute and like to site in front on the mirror in the bathroom and watch yourself while you play. You also have started to play with books, looking at them and turning the pages, which I love. You have discovered running water, the dogs' water bowl, and the toilet bowl, all quite interesting. Good times! Baby-proofing is in our very near future. You have started playing peek-a-boo, and you think it's so funny.

Enough with the pictures, Mom. Get me out of here!

I started simple discipline this month, teaching you the word, "No" and trying to be really consistent with using it, which is hard because sometimes you are in to everything. You do understand what I am saying, though you sometimes have selective hearing, especially when it comes to getting your hands on the laptop. You are looking to us more when reaching for things, as if to say "Is this ok?" and are definitely testing boundaries, which I think is healthy. We just pray that we do our job as parents in guiding you.

We are starting to see you spirit and determination more and more, but - as people have told us since you were just 3 and 4 months old, you really are a sweet baby. You give such sweet little smiles and bashful eyes; as your mother, I melt. You also have the cutest little giggle, which you can be a little stingy with sometimes, but you think Molly hacking and growling and being tickled are pretty funny.

You also began working on your waving this month, and it's so cute. Some days, it seems like you have really gotten the whole idea, motion, etc., and the next it's all out the window. It's fun all the same. You are also becoming more interactive in general and have started to appropriately direct 'mama' and 'dada'. Maybe these were your first words? When I was in Odessa, I heard 'mama' a LOT but no dada until we got back home. Pretty consistently the past month, you say something that sounds like 'hey,' and you seem to use it at the right times, which is funny. You have also started to repeat what we say sometimes, and it's cute but still taking us a little by surprise when it happens.

Retired this month: officially, the bouncy seat used while we get your bath ready and several of your baby toys.

Likes: running water, balls, eating in general, going outside, peek-a-boo, watching me cook dinner
Dislikes: having your faced wiped off after meals, me telling you "No"

Baby Boy, you are a joy, and first and foremost your Dad and I pray that one day God will win your heart. With all of that stubborn determination, we know that God has big plans to put it to good use. We love you!

Happy 9 Months, Baby Boy!

The Little Things

2011-09-19T14:44:00.001-05:00

We have been busy. Well, as busy as you can be when life is dictated by naps and bed times, snacks and nursing. Throw in trips to the grocery store, weekly commitments, errands, one-off meetings with friends, and oh yeah, laundry, dishes, cooking, picking up the house...and I find that life gets pretty full.

As you have probably noticed, I am behind on BB's monthly posts, though I feel like I need to be keeping up with them more than ever because he is doing something new every day. So, until I get my act together for a proper 10-month update, here are some things happening lately that I don't want to forget.

*BB is now a pretty steady walker, and he gets around pretty quickly. Thursday of last week he started standing up by pushing up on the floor. Big boy.
*I've been letting BB play outside by the back door, where I can keep a good eye on him from the kitchen. A couple of weeks ago, I looked out, and he saw me and smiled. Of course, I smiled back, and then he. waved. And I almost died of the sweetness.Unprompted and totally in the proper context. Like those first little smiles, God knows mothers need those little boosts.
*BB is really wanting to interact with the dogs these days; he holds out his balls to Molly, pets them, and imitates them if they start playing/growling at each other. Too cute, but too bad that M&H don't really get the fun yet.
*BB has been super sweet and affectionate lately. We never really had the newborn cuddly phase, so it's been so nice. Last week, he walked around the back patio, then came up to me as I was sitting on the edge, and just laid his head on my shoulder. I died right there. Be still, my heart.
*BB is also a little jealous of the dogs getting attention from me. If I am sitting on the floor petting the girls and he notices, he will make a bee-line to us, and throw himself into my lap. Uh oh. I certainly don't mind, though. :)
*Yesterday, BB moved up to the "Stepping Stones" class in the nursery. He's with the walkers! Where did my baby go?
*Daniel and BB braved it without me for over 24 hours this weekend, so that I could go help throw and attend a lingerie shower for my sister. They both did great, and I am so thankful and blessed to have a husband who offered to let me get away for a bit. If only I had gotten more sleep while I was gone...
*In true vampire fashion (or something like that), as of this weekend, BB has two top teeth poking through! Though we can see the two, front and center ones coming, it's the teeth on either side of the front, middle teeth that are already through the gums. For some reason, the top teeth are a little sad for me to see. I was excited for the bottom teeth because they are so cute and sweet, and it's fun to experience another first. The top teeth make babies look older to me, though, which makes me a little sad.

Ok, I could go on and on, but I will spare you. Happy Monday!

Green Smoothie Face

July 2011

With a Capital T

2011-08-22T14:20:00.003-05:00

BB's always sort of been on his own schedule, ready for things in his own sweet time. I've learned to back off and go with it (where reasonable, of course), but I am sure he and I will be doing this dance for years to come.

This time, he's ahead of the curve. His summer project, accomplished. Or maybe just beginning.

Get ready, world, because look who's WALKING!

9 Months, 1 week, 1 day

We are in TROUBLE!

On Saturday morning, we were trying out push toys at the consignment store, and he just let go and walked over to the end of a rack that caught his interest. Daniel saw it; I didn't. Then, we went home, and he walked a lot more.

It's not been the stereotypical, sweet image in your head of "Come to Daddy!" followed by a precious baby grin and choppy steps towards the adoring father, a golden glow of warm fuzzies enveloping the pair. Oh no. BB only goes where BB wants, and usually to things like the camera, computer, bed post, curtains... you get the idea (as seen in the video above). You know, the exciting things in life. It's ok. He still has an adoring Daddy (and Mama) looking on.

I am so thankful and glad that Daniel was home, and we just spent the day marveling at this little person in front of us. We didn't even get the greatest video of it all because we just kept looking at each other and saying/thinking, "Seriously?" BB's obviously not all over the place yet, but I'm sure he's working on it.

Daniel's reaction, "You are going to have a fun week," dripping with sarcasm and a sly smile.

Thanks for the encouragement, hubs.

Dear Lord, help us all.

Ready or Not

2011-08-15T12:12:00.002-05:00

It's Monday, and as I mentally walk through my week, thinking about and organizing my to-dos and errands and get-togethers and appointments, there are a few things that I am ready for.

Today, I am ready

For it not to be 1 million degrees so that BB and I can spend some time outside and not sweat to death. (Have I mentioned recently that BB loves it outside? I am going to die of heat stroke next summer. Seriously.)
I am ready to come to the end of this current nap craziness. We are past the total nap strike but still all-over-the-placeness is happening
I am ready to stop making excuses and honestly seek the Lord on where He wants me to be/do/say
I am ready for our neighborhood play date on Friday!
I am ready for our computer storage issues to be worked out so that I can post pictures on the blog again
I am SO ready to pick out clothes in the morning without having to think about how easy the nursing access will be. Summer dresses, how I miss thee.
No, I am not ready to stop breastfeeding. I'll deal.
I'm ready for soup season; it makes for some yummy, easy, one-pot meals. At the moment, just thinking about eating soup make me sweat, though.
Did I mention that I am ready for our picture issues to be solved? Right now, I can upload 1 - ONE - picture from the ENTIRE month of June. This one:

not exactly inspirational
or my favorite June moment
BB undercover?
le sigh

Anyone who has been around babies for any length of time knows that most certainly more than one picture was taken during a one month span.

I don't know if I am ready for BB to walk or not. BB? He's almost ready.
I am ready for Fall colors, smells, and jackets.
I'm ready to clean out and organize the pantry and master closet. Spring cleaning a little early, perhaps? or maybe, I'm just really late to that party.
I'm ready for BB's congestion to hit the road. Ugh. I am eliminating foods from our diets now. Any suggestions to clear out baby congestion?
I am ready for a little redecorating around the abode. The budget, however, is not ready for that one.
I am ready for some kitchen inspiration and energy. I feel so blah about cooking these days (generally speaking).
Speaking of, I am not ready to clean up the kitchen from a Sunday of family fun. Unfortunately, ready or not...

Happy Monday, friends.

Eight Months

2011-08-11T22:04:00.000-05:00

Everything has been ready to go for this post for almost all of this past month, but I was hoping some issues uploading pics into Blogger would be resolved before I posted this. Unfortunately, here we are, and I still can't upload the rest of the 8 month pics. (It's a problem on my end, not Blogger's). Anyway, I will try to come back and add pictures once we iron out the issues; there are some really cute ones! BB's 9 month appointment is next week, so I am holding off on that post until after that. Maybe I will actually be able to add pics to that one!

A month ago today, ~~A week ago today~~, Baby Boy turned 8 months old! For some reason, it seems so old, and I find myself really having to stop and think how old he is. Daniel is having he same problem and keeps saying he's 7 months. Time is marching on, that's for sure.

The name of the game this month has been movement, or at least, attempting movement. Baby Boy has been - and just ultimately wants to be - busy all.of.the.time. I am completely giving up on trying to predict if/when BB will crawl or walk. By the middle of last month, I had about decided that he wasn't going to crawl at all and just move straight into walking. However, the next thing I knew, he was getting on his little hands and knees and rocking, so who knows. I can say that, without a doubt, BB is focusing the majority of his energy on walking these days: holding onto our hands and tottering towards whatever catches his fancy. It's cute and crazy and back-breaking all at once. We have tried a walker with limited success. BB goes backwards wonderfully (and quickly) and has started moving side to side. We are making progress towards forward motion but not much and not terribly frequently. BB definitely prefers being 'free' and zooming around holding onto our hands. How can you say no to a sweet smile and little chubby hands reaching for yours, asking to walk?

In addition to the walking and crawling practice, BB is now a proficient roller and uses it to get where he wants to go. He doesn't spend much time sitting these days. He might sit and play for a short while, then it's reaching for something and onto his belly he goes. I sort of don't want to think about what I am going to when he is actually crawling or walking. It's difficult to get anything accomplished some days as it is because he isn't content to be in one spot and can't maneuver himself yet. I sometimes try to avoid walking right in front of him as I am moving about doing house chores because, though he may be content, as soon as he sees me, he's fussing and holding his arms out for me to pick him up.

It's also been a very vocal month for BB. In addition to the babbling that started last month, BB is now practicing his intonation, pitch and volume on a regular basis. It sounds like he is having a conversation, without any real words. I have always joked that he is going to be a talker like his dad, and so far, I think I am right.

BB still enjoys being around people and, on the whole, we haven't had any separation or stranger anxiety. PTL! Just a couple of times has he cried when being passed off to someone he doesn't know well, but those times have been when he's tired and out of sorts.

BB had some congestion and a snotty, runny nose off and on this month. I'm not sure what that is all about, but hopefully, it has passed. Otherwise, he has been healthy!

Baby Boy, here's a run-down of what you have been up to:

We unfortunately had to go to the doctor the middle of July for an ear infection, and with diaper and clothes on, you weight 24 lbs and 11 ounces. ~~No stats this month because we didn't have a doctor's appointment (and we don't have a scale at home)~~. You are still growing, but I think you may have slowed a little. You seem longer and leaner to me these days and am really interested to see where you are at your 9 month appointment in August. I do know that we are dangerously close to all of the 25 lb weight limits for little seats, swings, and jumpers. Sad day, but those things are not too interesting to you anymore anyway.

You mainly wear 12 and 18 months clothes (I am finished buying anything that is not at least 18 months), but some of your 6-12 rompers thankfully still fit. Barely. You are in size 4 diapers when we use disposables. I looked at shoes a couple of weeks ago and, though I didn't end up buying anything, I think you would wear a size 5. With all of the walking you are wanting to do, a pair of shoes is on the to-buy list for this next month.

Notable Firsts:
*Tottering around daily while holding onto our hands. You can also balance yourself holding onto a chair or the side of our tub (a favorite because you love playing with the faucet) and take a few steps while only holding onto one of our hands.
*You have started to cruise a little and to pull up, though the pulling up is not consistently successful. You try, though!
*We finally have little bumps on your bottom gums the last couple weeks of this month, and it looks like your two bottom, middle teeth are coming in. You are officially teething, but after our 5 month fussy era, a little teething has not been bad at all. (Thank the Lord, and I am praying it stays this way). You are still pretty happy - though sometimes a little fussy - even with a couple of bad napping days.
*We had a day with two 2 hour naps for the first time ever, and it was absolutely glorious! Not surprisingly, we haven't had a repeat, but you have been sleeping for 2 hours (or close to it) for your middle nap more consistently than ever before.

You are still sleeping from 6:30 or 7:00 at night until 6:30ish in the morning, and eating once. Your nighttime feeding has been all over the place, but, thankfully, this past week it is more consistently in the 3:30 - 5:00 AM range. You are still generally taking 3 naps a days ranging from 45 min to 2 hours. I thought you might be dropping your third nap, but it looks like it will stay around a while longer. You wake up too early in the morning and don't sleep long enough for your first two naps to happily forgo a short nap before dinner. We go through our nap or bedtime routine, put you in bed, and you go to sleep on your own. You do need a dark room, and we use white noise, as well. You are sleeping SO much better than ever before, and I am so so thankful! You actually seem to want to go to bed, and it is wonderful that naps and bedtimes aren't usually fights anymore.

You are still eating well and have started to more consistently eat 3 meals each day, though we don't always feed you breakfast, depending on what is going on and your interest. Your favorites are still yogurt and avocado, but you happily eat all sorts of veggies from our CSA box (eg. squash, eggplant, sweet peppers, etc.), egg yolks, meats, fish and beans. You seem to like white potatoes ok, but sweet potatoes are not your favorite. I unfortunately also have to avoid feeding you tomatoes because your little face has consistently looked red and irritated after you have eaten them. As a rule, I steer clear of feeding you grains and dairy (other than yogurt) and try to make your meals as nutritionally dense as possible. My goal is to cook something for dinner that is 'real, whole' food and baby friendly so that I am only cooking once. These leftovers are also good for lunches later on in the week. I am trying to keep things varied and interesting, though I think we all are getting a bit tired of eating squash 50 different ways. In addition to your table food meals, you are still nursing well. You have been eating every 3-4 hours, but sometimes you go even longer between nursing. I am trying to figure out if you are truly not hungry, or if you are just too busy to eat. I really try to keep an eye on the clock and not let you go too long without eating, but sometimes, you just won't have it. You generally don't want to eat much in the first thing in the morning. Again, you are too busy playing and wanting to walk around to be interested in sitting still to eat. I am planning on doing a little research to see if I can't find a way to make sure you are getting enough to eat without making one or both of us frustrated and upset.

Your favorite toys this month rattle, have lights and music, and open and shut (pages on a book, flaps on boxes, crate doors, etc.). You often prefer to play with and chew on anything that is not truly a toy - the laundry basket, a tube of lip gloss, a round hair brush, nail clippers (closed of course), wooden spoons, plastic measuring cups, and the list goes on. As I mentioned, you are not a huge fan of sitting still to play, but when you do, you pick up everything and shake it up and down to see if it will make noise. If the item itself doesn't make noise, then you are apt to solve that problem by rubbing it back and forth on the wall or hitting it against something else. You have also been passing toys and things from hand to hand for a couple of months, and you are always doing this these days, inspecting every angle. You are also, unfortunately, loving the dogs toys - as they are scattered around the floor sometimes - and I found you chewing on one of their sticks the other day. It was one of those "it's too quiet" moments for me, and it was so gross to find out what you were up to. I am sure that was only the first of many times that I will feel this way. You are also liking stuffed and soft toys more these days.

You are enjoying books more and more, and it makes me so happy to see. Your favorite is Noah's Ark, and you will sit still in my lap (or your dad's) and listen to the entire thing and sometimes hand it back to me to read again. You sometimes get animated and excited when we read books you like; it's so cute. You also like The Wheels on the Bus, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Baby's First Easter consistently. We still read Goodnight Moon last before bed every night.

This month, we put away your (or maybe my) beloved horse jumper. You are too heavy and tall to really get any good jumping in, and you weren't wanting to be confined. Your bouncy seat is also set to be put away, but it is still getting a little use at bath time (the only real use it's gotten for months).

Likes: books, walking around inspecting everything, cords of any and all sorts (trying to address this before some shocking action happens), looking at yourself in the mirror, playing with and talking to the dogs, spending time outside

Dislikes: having your mouth wiped off, diaper changes, car rides and road trips

Happy 8 Months, Baby Boy!

What a Week

2011-07-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

First of all, BB turned 8 months on the 12th, and though his 8 month post is written and ready to go, I can't get our photo program to cooperate so I can add pictures and post the darn thing! grr. Frustrating and a waste of time this week.

Anyway, it's been sort of a big week for Baby Boy. This time last week, his first tooth had just broken through (middle, bottom right), and I decided that a persistent diaper rash was yeast related. Yuck, but it was time to wage war with a little tea tree and coconut oil. Poor guy, we were slathering and smearing at every diaper change. I also feel bad that it took me a while to identify the rash because we haven't really had any diaper rash at all before, so I didn't really know what was "normal."

Then, on Saturday, it was off to San Antonio for Daniel's grandfather's 90th birthday party. Good times, and I believe it was BB's first birthday party, which is sort of hard to believe after 8 months. I guess he has missed a couple sleeping.

Ok, so fast forward to the middle of this week. BB's diaper rash is all but gone, so hooray for that. However, his nose had gotten a little runny, he had a cough, was starting to pull on his ears, and by Wednesday, he had a temperature of 99. I watched him all day, but he slept well and didn't seem to feel badly. He was just calmer than normal, which was actually nice. He had also had some of these symptoms off and on for the past couple of weeks, but they never lasted more than a day or two and he always seemed to feel fine.

On Thursday morning when I picked him up out of his crib, BB felt really warm. I took his temperature and it was close to 101. Poor baby was not feeling well, didn't want to play, and was just sort of moaning and crying. So, excluding the fussy era visits, I took BB to his first sick visit later that morning, and he has a left ear infection. The doctor also said it looked like a couple of his top teeth were starting to come down. Double whammy. No wonder he didn't feel well.

A couple of doses of antibiotics later (those antibiotics are going to be fantastic for the diaper rash, I am sure. I guess we'll keep treating a while longer), and BB is acting much more himself this morning. Now, we are gearing up for a visit from my side of the family this weekend. All I have to say is, please ignore the clutter; it's been sort of a big week.

At the party with Aunt Katie and Uncle Ironman.
These two always take such great pics with BB!

Let Freedom Ring

2011-07-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

So, this may be the first "this is what we did for [insert event]" in over a year. Maybe. Heck, I haven't even published BB's birth story yet, though I do have a draft typed out and hopefully you will see it sometime soon. Or before his 7th birthday.

Either way, here's a little taste of our 4th of July. In a few pictures. (unfortunately, other pics, such as those of dinner with friends, just didn't happen :/ )

BB practiced his crawling stance

can you spot the Mol-dog?

and rolled around a bit

then, he got all cute

and patriotic on us.

Time for some lounging.

all of that national pride is tiring, you know.

onto a sun-dappled photo op

can photo editing help sun spots?

wish I would have realized this at the time...

Let's be honest;

BB was more interested in the foliage.

That's better.

Now, onto more important things

So very interesting

We know that our freedom isn't free and are so thankful to the men and woman who are serving our country. We are forever indebted.

Life in Series 1.3

2011-07-05T07:06:00.000-05:00

This post is part of a series here on the ol' blog born out of my need to share groupings of pictures because, well, I want to. I like how multiple pictures taken in short succession capture emotion and hint at a bigger story. As with all of my blogging, unfortunately, this series will most likely appear erratically. To check out others in this series, click here.

Start 'Em Young

An Introduction to Technology

via the iphone

(Long story short, Daniel has an iphone that he only uses for data. Otherwise, we don't have fancy cellphones anymore, so this truly was BB's intro to the smart phone. Apologies for the blurry pics. They are honestly not this blurry in real life :/ )

"Now, son...this is an important piece of equipment..."

"Oh, oh, let me seee!"

"Look, Mom!"

"This is so cool"

and now, for the inspection...

wait for it...

a bit of instruction

wait for it...

"if I can just get it in the right position..."

"Score!"

and there. into the mouth it goes

you knew that was coming.

Yum!

"but look at the fun things it can do..."

Whatever, Dad. This is the best teether ever.

Circa 6 months & 3 weeks

Can You Say Perfect?!

2011-07-01T18:05:00.001-05:00

I stumbled across this recipe today, and it fit too perfectly with my 4th of July recipes not to share. If I make it to the store in the next couple of days, then I will definitely be making these on Monday!

Happy weekend, friends!

Red, White, and Blue Yogurt Pops

Foodie Friday: A Fabulous Fourth

2011-07-01T07:31:00.021-05:00

As the temperature in the summer rises, my interest in spending time in a hot kitchen wanes. Dramatically. Unfortunately for me, despite my lack of interest in cooking, my husband and baby both still want to eat... as do I, for that matter.

Thankfully, I have come across some meals this summer that are fairly quick, easy, light, and most importantly, tasty. Many of the dishes use in-season veggies, which is another plus considering we have started buying CSA boxes again. (more on that another day).

In honor of the holiday weekend, I wanted to share a few of my current summer (read - light, easy, and veggie-licious) favorites with you- all web finds. Happy 4th of July; here's to good eats!

Grilled Corn and Feta Salad

Mains:

Pioneer Woman Greek Salad - we have eaten this salad about 3 times in the past two weeks, not including leftovers. We add meat and make it all a wrap, and it's delish. (pita and Naan bread have both been yummy wrappers)
Salmon with Basil Romesco Sauce - so good it makes this non-fish eater go back for seconds

Not as light but yummy and still a change from the typical burgers and dogs (also a good use of in-season veggies):

Baked Eggplant Parmesan - a little bit time consuming, but not bad and yummy. Oh my, the cheesy goodness! I used some zucchini, as well, and loved it
Crockpot Eggplant Parm - I probably like the recipe above more, but the slow cooked version is still delightful and so convenient. Sprinkle some meat on top for heartier appetites.

An alternative to the heavy hamburger:

Yukon Gold White Bean Basil Burger - with in season potatoes and basil is yummy.

Also excellent are portabello mushroom burgers, though I don't have a recipe for that one. I always just wing it when I make those. I'm wanting to try a black bean burger because I think it would be light and delicious as well, but it hasn't happened yet.

On the side:

PW Grilled Corn and Feta Salad - almost a meal in itself. Love this.
PW Potatoes Au Gratin - ok, so this one isn't super light, but it's comfort food and good for family gatherins'

For dessert:

Banana Soft Serve - so easy, it's outrageous - and fantastic
Coconut Milk Ice Cream - make it chocolate, even better

and don't forget your watermelon and iced tea. :)