13 months

Well, this is an appropriate time to post the 13 month blog, right? Not like Andrew is 3 days from 14 months or anything ;)

Feb. 8th with his new toy organizer

Feb. 9th in the Church playroom

"By now, some little ones can cruise or even walk (and some can’t and that’s fine, too) and imitate you like a pro (you touch your nose, she’ll touch hers). Most will be able to drink from a cup (say hello to cow’s milk); say one or two recognizable words; and point to what she wants. Intellectually, it’s all about cause and effect now (if I drop my spoon, Mommy will pick it up…again and again). On the emotional front, expect some first attempts at friendship as well as a wide range of moods and behavior, from affection to frustration to full-blown stubbornness. Don’t worry too much about klutziness (i.e., frequent falls and lots of bumping into things), as your child’s depth perception (and plain old coordination) is still a work in progress. Bare feet or slip-proof socks may still be best for beginning walkers, but now’s a good time to buy a pair of proper shoes (just-right fit is key). In other news, diaper changes may become a battle of wills as your little critter loathes staying still for something so boring (and probably prefers to be bare-bottomed anyway). You may be concerned about an appetite slump, which is totally normal as Ms. Independence now wants to decide when (and what) she will eat. And speaking of eating, get ready for toddler food throwing, food blowing, and massively messy attempts at self-feeding. Clinginess and separation anxiety (yours and hers) might be big issues these days, so use tactics that’ll help minimize partings: Get your toddler busy before you go, and leave a little bit of Mommy behind (such as your photo, your pillow, or a lipstick-print kiss on the back of her hand)."
--whattoexpect.com

Andrew's developments:

• Making small passes between the couch and coffee table or recliner, etc walking on his own
• Has come to love clementines! He eats halves probably once a day.
• Loves playing with his stacking bowls and putting the rings back on the stacking pole thing
• Will sort through his books until he finds one that he likes, crawl over to you with it, and then crawl up on your lap to be read to.
• Can be found at least once a day sitting on the floor with a book open in front of him, paging through it studying the pages.
• Put his arms through his sleeves when you pull up the side of his shirt.
• Blows kisses
• If we let him in our bedroom he goes STRAIGHT to the bathtub for a bath.
• If you leave a door open anywhere he will book it towards there, and boy can that kid move fast!
• He has a new obsession with pulling open and pushing shut doors.
• Stacks his diapers and "helps" mama fold laundry
• Will color for about .5 seconds with his crayons and oversized sketch pad
• Has started to become shy or something, puts his head down/ buries it when you praise him or laugh around him, etc

That's about all for now... blog to come about being MIA, etc :)

P.s. we rearranged his room! It's so much cozier in there now, more functional, he sleeps longer since we can have the curtains closed and shades down AND he can't pull the curtain rod off the wall......again.....

Happy first birthday, Andrew!

How did we become parents to a one year old???

"If your one-year-old hasn’t yet mastered the art of walking, he may be clocking some serious miles anyway by hanging on to anything he can and propelling himself forward. (Don’t worry if your tot is doing neither of those — every child progresses at his own pace and some may not yet be pulling themselves up to stand.) In addition to cruising, he may be using his hands for some very important tasks, including holding his cup, picking up tiny objects, playing patty-cake, and waving bye-bye. He may also summon you with a loud and clear “Mama” when he needs something — even just a hug. Don’t be surprised if your little one protests (a lot!) when you leave the room these days.Separation anxiety is very common at this age. And while some toddlers are the life of the party, others may seem suddenly shy, which is actually developmentally appropriate. Try not to worry about it or other typical behaviors of the one-year-old set, such as hitting, not sharing, serious attachment to his bottle (though the time to ditch it is imminent), and picky eating. All are normal and most likely temporary as your child’s growing sense of independence leads to some trying moments. Weaning from the breast may be high on your priority list or months down the road, but either way, it’s one milestone that’s best approached with patience and a plan."

--whattoexpect.com

Andrew's birthday fell on a Thursday. His one-year check-up was on the same day. His grandparents got in on the 11th. So we were a bit confuddled about what to do when. We decided to do sort of a three part birthday celebration.

The first part came on January 4th. We took him to the circus! He was pretty transfixed for the bigger numbers started getting restless during the tigers but nothing some snacks and a nap couldn't fix.

On his birthday, like I said, he had his one year check-up. Shots and all. So we decided to go buy him a gift, and let him pick out a gift as well. He chose a xylophone and a peg puzzle. We also grabbed some triangle crayons and a large drawing pad. LOVE Melissa&Doug products!!

The last part came the next week on the 17th. We went to the Lowry Park Zoo after we all had breakfast. Arrived around noon and stayed until close at 5! We adopted an elephant calf, M-Pumi, in Andrew's name and got an annual membership. Andrew actually looked at a bunch of the animals and seemed interested which was great! We went on the safari ride which takes you into some exhibits/ behind the scenes of a few.... something I think we'll be repeating a lot. We also got a free ticket to feed the giraffes but we were too late in the day so we're thinking of going back later this month for more zoo fun :)

After arriving home we had his little party. He "opened" all his gifts, and ate his birthday cake - he was pretty unenthusiastic about getting frosting all over his hands but once he took a bite he loved it! (Recipe below*)

The adults had some cupcakes and moscato spumante hehe

I was a bit disappointed we didn't have a bigger party but #1 we have no parent friends yet/ Andrew hasn't made any friends and #2 it was so great to have all of his grandparents there to celebrate with him and #3 he's one. He's not going to remember. We all had fun and he was surrounded by people who love him to pieces so it was pretty perfect :)

Here are some pics:

Andrew at One Year:

• Stands alone for a few seconds at a time
• Will take a few steps on his own between things but refuses to try otherwise
• Hates all chicken except chicken nuggets
• No longer likes eggs
• Squeals and laughs all day
• Has learned to throw a ball back and forth
• Is matching shapes to their holes
• Has said "Mama", "Dada", "Yes", "No", "Ewwo" (Hello), and "Ligh" (Light)... and "Moooo" haha
• Has scooped up beets in his spoon and feeding himself
• Helps dress himself (puts his feet up for socks and pants/ pushes his arms through sleeves, etc)
• Will walk with you holding one of his hands
• Claps
• High-fives
• Will sort of sing  with you in baby language
• Bends his head so you can kiss him on the forehead
• Points
• Loves drinking water throughout the day
• Will book it toward any open door/ ungated Kitchen
• Drinking whole milk now
• Waving

*Sugarless Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting:

8oz (2 cups) whole wheat flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

pinch salt

10 fl oz (1 1/4 cup) water

6oz (3/4 cup)raisins

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp nutmeg

8oz (1 cup)carrot, grated

4 fl oz (1/2 cup)sugar-free applesauce

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F (190 deg C).

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Pour the water into a small saucepan and add the raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 mins.

Put the grated carrots into a bowl, then pour in the liquid mixture. Then, add the applesauce and stir the mixture thoroughly.

Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into a greased pan and bake for 45 mins to 1 hour, until a sharp knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Stir together one 3 ounce package of cream cheese, 1/4 tsp of vanilla and 2 1/2 tbsp regular frozen apple juice concentrate (thawed). Spread over the top of the cake once it's cool.

11 months!

Holy moly, our little man is almost one whole year old.

"Chances are your baby has developed an uncanny knack to get a hold of things he shouldn't have and get into places he shouldn't go. If he hasn't already done so, be prepared (with video camera on perpetual standby) for those first few steps as your child makes both physical and verbal strides this month. He loves games — especially those that involve pointing — and his interest in books will grow exponentially as he begins to comprehend more and recognize familiar pictures. A few things not to be concerned about: bowed legs (almost always normal and temporary); parental nudity (he doesn't care if you're naked as a jaybird as long as you're there!); and hitting milestones later than his peers. Remember, every baby is different and they master different skills — like standing and walking — at different ages. Children learn best and build confidence when you let them learn at their own pace, but if you're truly concerned, check with your pediatrician. More things to ask the doc: dietary questions, such as restricting fat and cholesterol in your baby's diet, and the best ways to ensure he gets the nutrients he needs. As for you, Mom, take a hint from your baby and get a move on, whether you're struggling with post-pregnancy weight or not. Regular exercise will not only help you shed pounds, it'll boost your mood and help you sleep better at night. Now who wouldn't want that?"

--whattoexpect.com

He got tired of my photo shoot REAL fast lol

Andrew is crawling on his hands and knees about half the time now (still army crawling the other half), pulling himself up on EVERYTHING and doing the downward dog pose every so often. One of these days that kid is gonna up and walk away and my mind will be blown.

He has 5 teeth now, the 6th one is workin' it's way out. He is taking it in stride though, almost 6 teeth in less than two months and he's been as happy as can be lol.

His meals are getting chunkier! Slices of steamed carrots, cottage cheese, halved blueberries, chunks of salted avocado.... and this just in-- Graham Crackers! He's chompin' away like a pro.

Naptimes have changed a bit, we typically have a meal when he wakes up, a snack two hours later, and then he goes down within an hour of the snack.

....UPDATE... today we did three hours until a snack and then a quick cuddle, diaper change and down for a nap. It worked great and he passed out the second he was in his crib both times!

We're going to hopefully get in some outdoors play time this week, maybe try to go to a park or something for the weekend. We also have tickets to see the Rockettes Holiday show this Saturday! Yay! I've met a Rockette but never seen them perform live, haha!

Other than hangin' out with the little man not much is going on. I've been TERRIBLE at the whole working out thing lately. I worked up the gusto to do yoga on Sunday but that was about it. Gonna try to do some stuff tonight/ do another round of yoga tomorrow morning.

Well, that's about it! Here's some pics :)

TTFN! <3

Gifts are slowly being wrapped.... these are all Andrew's! They all contain clothing haha! Really mostly for me, but I figured he'd like the tissue paper, right? ;)

Hanging out in front of the Christmas tree-- he's been SO good about leaving it alone!

Mama/ baby time :)

Gah! Our little man is TEN months old already!

....WHERE has the time gone? It is insane how fast it goes.

"Don't worry if your formerly voracious eater suddenly turns up his nose at lunch. As his growth (finally) starts to slow, his appetite will decrease as well. One thing that definitely won't decrease is his desire for discovery, which can lead to some serious climbing. Keep in mind, though, that babies learn to climb up long before they learn how to get down, so be on the lookout for potential spills or strandings. In other news, chances are your baby is now able to get what he wants by pointing. He may also be able to stand alone (for a second) or even walk unassisted (the chase begins, Mom!). You (and/or your baby) may be ready to wean (or not) so make a plan (though be ready to revise your timetable, perhaps more than once).

Some pretty weird behavior problems may pop up around now, including head banging, rocking, rolling, teeth grinding, and hair pulling. While no one's exactly sure what's behind such (generally nonhazardous) behaviors, they may simply be a way of blowing off steam and are often triggered or increased by stress. What else is baby up to? He may be biting you or Daddy or his big brother — definitely a habit to nip in the bud. He may also become fearful of things he never feared in the past, like the vacuum cleaner or your neighbor's pooch. As for you and Daddy, now's a good time to build a united front when it comes to discipline as your baby's desire to do his own (possibly dangerous or hurtful) things will only grow as he does. You'll no doubt get plenty of opinions on spanking and determine that physical punishment is never an effective way to discipline a child."

-whattoexpect.com

** Random thought.... after much discussion with our pediatrician and each other, we decided to get Andrew a flu shot. He had the first about two weeks ago and the next in another 2 weeks. He had no symptoms or reactions and it made us both a little more relaxed. This article is what helped us decide.

Basically, we had his 9 month appointment and after talking to the Dr, we decided to hold off on the shot. Later that day we decided to get it, made an appointment for less than a week away and then he got sick. He had a super runny nose and a cough for over a week and that combined with the article and Dr.'s thoughts and also that we were starting music classes with Andrew made us know it was definitely the right decision for us. **

What is new with Andrew:

• He is regularly pushing himself up to sit up.
• Exploring boundaries.... mainly doors and the stairway gate.
• He tried for maybe 2 or 3 days to pull himself up to stand without any luck and BOOM this morning there he was standing up in his crib playing with the framed photo of himself. Now he can hardly go 5 minutes without standing :)
• Feeding himself EVERYTHING and loves it!
• Swimming in the bathtub. Sitting is no longer an option.
• TEETH! He has his two bottoms, his top left is coming in well and his top right is soooooooo close to popping out!
• He is becoming social! I am so glad because I am such an introvert. But thanks to these music classes we've been taking him to, he is getting more adventurous. The first class he stayed right in front of me, wanting to crawl into my lap and stay there. The last class was today and I had to drag him back once or twice to participate in the songs cuz he was rolling around on the floor, hanging out with the other tots.
• That being said, he took some of his first LEGIT crawls yesterday!!!! They were tiny but he is getting it! Huzzah!!
• It is so neat to his personality coming out. He definitely is bashful but SUCH a little charmer/ flirt. He is a people watcher and observer to the extreme and is so very patient and focused. I just love every single thing about him and think he's perfect in every way. And of course I am not biased at ALL on that ;-P

We bought him a toy truck that plays music and he loooooves it. We weren't going to get it until Christmas but we have a super secret thing goin' on and we needed it for that, haha. More details on that to come later.

We have all the thanksgiving. Fall decorations up but I am soooo eagerly awaiting the day after Thanksgiving so we can put up Christmas decor!!!! Our new tree is sitting in it's box in the living room as we speak.

How hard is it to find kid's books on Thanksgiving? We ended up searching 5 stores and finally Barnes and Noble had I think TWO that were holiday appropriate. Yikes! But it's cute and has facts in the back so whatevs.

Getting excited for the big holiday! We have ham, green bean casserole, cheesy potatoes, and pumpkin pie on the menu (and actually we bought turkey specifically to make turkey salad sandwiches for leftovers the next day on homemade buns. The perfect meal after decorating ;) We also are planning on lounging around, going for a walk and watching the big parade! We're loving coming up with new traditions for our family come the holidays :)

Alright well I guess that's all for now. Food post to come within a day or two here, cuz God knows I could talk about food forever lol

TTFN! <3

Slipping through my fingers all the time...

...I try to capture every minute 

The feeling in it 

Slipping through my fingers all the time 

Do I really see what's in her mind 

Each time I think I'm close to knowing 

She keeps on growing 

Slipping through my fingers all the time 

Yup, my brain is currently playing the Mama Mia soundtrack.

Brace yourselves, this is going to be a random post.

So first off, where is November going??? It's already the 8th! Gah! Too soon it's going to be Thanksgiving!

We have a few music classes for Andrew, an enchanted tree lighting ceremony, early black friday shopping, and I have a dance/photo project happening in Minnesota the weekend before Thanksgiving. It's hectic!

What's on the menu for Thanksgiving? Well we are all about the classics. Every year we have ham, cheesy potatoes (though I tweak these every year), green bean casserole, stuffing and pumpkin pie. This year I am also making Turkey salad sandwiches, purely for day-after Thanksgiving sandwiches on homemade buns. YUM.

Our plans also include watching the Macy's parade on TV, some moscato and probably some board games.

I'm hoping that by the Sunday after we will have our Christmas tree up! I am itching to decorate! :)

I am practically drooling over the good holiday movies:

Nightmare Before Christmas

Sound of Music

Home Alone (1&2 only)

Miracle on 34th street

The Santa Clause

and I will of course be watching tons of those corny Hallmark holiday movies when Jesse is working haha!

Getting so excited for Christmas shopping and that first Christmas with our little man! I can't believe he is almost a year old. Yikes!

I am so excited for new holiday traditions for our family, I love my boys so much <3 <3 <3

What are family traditions you hold dear?

Well, I guess that's all... just thoughts tumbling out of my head really.

TTFN! <3

P.s. THIS

TWO WEEKS UNTIL CATCHING FIRE OPENS!!! :-D

Our weekend in pictures 2

What the what?!?!? It's NOVEMBER?!?!? When did this happen?

This weekend was also fairly low-key but it's been so fun!

Friday we did our weekly shopping trip, Target and Whole Foods. We looked at all the cute baby clothes at Target and check this out:

How cute is that??? We were giggling like idiots and snapping pictures. SO many strange looks from others haha!

Saturday we just hung out at home, eating, watching movies, cuddling, bathtime for baby, etc.

Sunday we went to church for the first time in what seems like forever! It really refreshed and recharged me, such a wonderful feeling :) It was a Family-First Sunday (they do these about once a month I believe), so after service we sat on some bleachers in the shade, had bratwurst/pasta salad/ desert and Jesse participated in the Adults vs. Kids soccer game. Adults won 4-1! And currently Jesse is icing his knee lol

Later on we watched a bunch of FRIENDS (we're on the last season already...*sob*) and grilled burgers on the patio!

Well, we've got Andrew's flu shot appointment tomorrow, wish us luck!!

TTFN! <3

Our weekend and sick days....

Well. I have been MIA for a while because we have had a very busy week and we have all caught colds.

Yup, I've known this day was coming and I have been dreading it. I thought we might be okay but then the sniffles started.

Let's go back to the beginning....

Tuesday morning was Andrew's 9 month check-up. The doc wanted to give him a flu shot but neither Jesse nor I have ever thought they were a good idea and we ourselves never want to get one so we opted out.

Later that night, I was reading Parents Magazine and they had an article about the flu vaccine for children, and it actually put a lot of my fears at ease. Jesse's too. Here is what the article said.

So on Wednesday or Thursday of last week, we called the pediatrician to get a shot scheduled for the little man for Monday the 21st.

Friday is always our shopping day so we hit up Target, Old Navy, Babies R Us and Whole Foods to pick up things for the coming week. In retrospect, I usually wipe down the cart and sanitize our hands after getting in the car and this would be the one time I didn't. By Friday evening, Andrew had a runny nose.

Friday evening we went to our Church's Oktoberfest fundraiser. 

Bratwurst and sauerkraut 

Polka band

It was fun, but not sure we would ever go again. It was expensive and really dark and we don't really know anyone still after almost a year of attending the Church. We're all kind of sort of keep to ourselves haha...

Saturday morning we went to Wiregrass mall for a Breast Cancer walk...

...and it was SO much fun! Our friends told us about it so we showed up and registered. We walked behind the mall and around the hospital Andrew was born in and back. There were awesome costumes, neat booths AND the bimonthly farmers market was up by the time we got back, so we had a lot of fun seeing everything and will definitely be back to that again!

Click here to learn more about the PINK ARMY.

And here to learn about the awesome Florida Hospital group!!

Later that day we went to Westchase mall and attempted to go to a pumpkin patch but were running too late. Plus Andrew's nose was reeeeally runny.

Sunday we went to the pumpkin patch finally, yay! It looked like a lot of fun and if it hadn't been 483657 degrees out, I'm sure we would have enjoyed it a LOT more. BUT we saw some animals, Andrew got to experience new things, and we got a couple pumpkins/ found a neat horse riding place. So whatevs, worth it.

All tuckered out!

That evening we met up with some friends for lots and lots of sushi and then headed back to our place for some board games and drinks.

By the time we put Andrew down for the night, he was coughing and we had the sniffles.

Monday morning we called to cancel the flu shot since little man was sick and they made time to get him checked out that afternoon! We went in but the doc said he just seems to have a head cold. IF a fever shows up we are to report back immediately. OH and he gained a pound. We can officially stop trying to fatten him up now lol!

We (Jesse and I) were MISERABLE Monday. SO sick. We spent a lot of time in bed watching movies with Andrew and procrastinating.

Cuddled up between mommy and daddy

Today has been sooooo much better. We are feeling better, Andrew is gaining more energy and was giggling up a storm today and we got a lot of stuff done! Yay!

In the big bed!!

We are hopeful that by tomorrow we will be almost back to normal.

Well, off to do a gazillion dishes, make some baby carrots and put away the yummy soup I made tonight - courtesy of this awesome lady. You can see her recipes here.

TTFN! <3