Biceps?

Big Poppy and I like to be active. No surprise to anyone that knows us.

Admitly, I lost a bit of myself this past year while I was trying to be the perfect Happy Mom. Do you know what I realized? This Mommy is a lot happier when she has sweated out the stress of the day. Those quick workouts that barely cause a blimp on the heart rate monitor and the attitude "at least I did something" do not help me on my quest to being the perfect Wife and Mommy to Big Poppy and Little Guy.

This gal needs a good old fashion, sweating like a pig while breathing so hard it might wake a sleeping child.

And some mornings, it does wake a sleeping child.

At that point, the treadmill is stopped and it is on to weights - which I despise unless I'm strong and therefore avoid at all possible costs. Yes, I do realize to get strong I need to lift the weights. I said I was on the quest to be the perfect Wife and Mommy to my family, not the perfect workout parnter.

On this particular morning, Little Guy rolled out of bed and was ready to show me how to create biceps.

He has very good form, for a two year old.

He is also very good at counting to ten.

The only issue we have when Little Guy rolls out of bed to be my personal trainer is the weight size. I like him to stick to his one pounders. He is not always a fan of pink and wants to pick up the heavier, gray weights I use. (Notice I said "I use" - feel free to kindly remind Big Poppy we have an adequate workout room or that the weather is pretty nice outside these days. Is it shameful to enlist your help in getting Big Poppy back on the workout trail? You can also kindly remind Big Poppy that workout endorphines are a good thing and have him look to me as an example.)

Anyways, Little Guy is very good at bicep curls. He must get that from me.

The Joy of Running

When was the last time you experienced the joy of running?

18 Months & Growing

Last Friday Big Poppy, Little Guy and I spent the morning together - at the doctor's office. It was Little Guy's 18-month appointment. It use to be going to the doctor was uneventful but not, Little Guy is showing he is 18 months and is not a fan of strangers. Even when a cute nurse looks at him Little Guy was about ready to burst into tears and needed a great big hug from Mommy or Daddy (which I was more than willing to take...hmmm, maybe we should go to the doctor's office more often).

At each check-up visit we are sent home with sheets of paper that help Big Poppy and I evaluate if Little Guy is on track. There are some items that seem fairly standard such as:

• Walks fast
• Throws a ball
• Stacks blocks

Check, check, check.

Then we notice some gray areas or maybe I should say, some areas that make me wonder.

• Guard against falls - Does this mean I should put rubber foam on all of our floors?
• Supervise all play near street - Does that mean if it is in the backyard I don't need to supervise?
• Don't share cups - Are water bottles ok? Do they not realize how much Little Guy wants to drink from whatever Big Poppy and I are drinking from, especially our refillable water bottles?

I guess, it could just be me. While it might seem like common sense to me not to let Little Guy play in or near the street, it might seem perfectly logic to the next person which is why we have the oddest warnings are items.

All in all, Little Guy is a healthy, normal little boy. At one time he had four to ten words but these days he pretty much says three words.

1. Ball - at all times he wants a ball
2. Jtr - he still loves his puppy however the "e's" in Jeter don't quite make it out of Little Guy's mouth
3. Peese - this word is spoken after several (think double digit) reminders when he wants more of something ("What do you say?" times 15) and is of course followed with a cute little smile letting you know he knew what to say but really did not want to

Little Guy is still growing which is a good thing. I do not think he would like to have stopped growing so young.

Vitals at Eighteen Months
Height: 33 3/4" (90 percentile)
Weight: 26 lbs 9.5 oz (50-75 percentile)
Head: 47.5 cm (50 percentile)
Click here for the vitals at fifteen months.

Insert picture here - well, for some reason I cannot upload pictures right now. I'll be back soon.

15 Months

Yesterday was Little Guy's 15 month birthday.

We busted out the balloon's, cake, ice cream...ok, maybe we took Jeter for a walk on the drive, bought some tickets for a high school football team's fundraiser and splashed around in the bath until Big Poppy said "enough" due the large volume of water on the floor.

This morning we ventured to the doctor's office for the 15 month check-up and shots. The best way to describe our morning - vocal.

Little Guy was not a fan of nurse one.

Little Guy was not a fan of the pediatrician.

Little Guy was not a fan of nurse two.

Little Guy was not a fan if I left the room.

Little Guy was not a fan if Big Poppy left the room.

Little Guy was a fan of snacks.

Little Guy let the entire clinic know he was unhappy with anything and everything.

How did it turn out? I'm skeptical of the some of the vitals because of Little Guy's vocal discord and the wrenching the body to get away from nurse one, the pediatrician and nurse two.

Vitals at Fifteen Months:

Height: 32 1/2" (90 percentile)

Weight: 25 lbs (50 -75 percentile)

Head: 47.5 cm (50 percentile)

Click here for a comparison at twelve months.

How's my boy doing now? By looking at him, you would never know he was full of piss and vinegar earlier. Go figure.

Swim Class, Please.

Little Guy loves the water.

I mean, Little Guy LOVES the water.

Many nights there are tears when it is time to get out of the tub. When he is at the pool (ghetto or real) there is normally a small (or not so small) fit when it is time to go. I have even seen Little Guy climb into our ghetto pool when it is completely empty, laughing at the memories of past pool experiences and smiling at the prospect of future swim opportunities. (Definition of a ghetto pool - above ground pool that is most likely an eye sore and has saggy sides to the pool. This is also known as a white trash pool which may be more fitting description of our pool since I grew up on the farm and there may or may not have been disabeled cars located on the premise.)

Recently the local warm water pool opened up registration for fall swim lessons. Registration began on July 28th. First thing Wednesday morning I completed the on-line registration and promptly received an email...returning families receive first priority, past families are serviced next and then us lowly new families will receive any of the remaining slots.

Now that a whole two weeks have passed, I wonder if it is acceptable to call the swim school and check in on the status of our registration. Luckily Little Guy is too young to grasp the concept he may or may not be in swim class for 14 (or was is 16) weeks on Saturday mornings with Big Poppy and I. I can only imagine the puckered up lips of disappointment if Little Guy is turned away.

Keep your fingers crossed for Saturday morning swimming this fall.

This is not a ghetto pool (aka white trash pool). This is a pool I would love to frequent more often...it will be two years before we return. :(

We have Not Left the Country

Has it felt like we've been gone for a while and does it feel like we have left the country? Let me assure you, we have been snuggled up nicely this month, in our home. We have not left the country NOR have we had much of dreamland trips. Our pleasant dreams have been apparently awaken each night for most of July with cries of pain.

It hasn't been Jeter.

It hasn't been Big Poppy.

It's Little Guy.

And now I know why. This past week Little Guy ran a low grade fever and it went up to 101 degrees on Monday and then again on Friday. When the low grade fever started, Big Poppy and I were waiting for a new tooth to pop through Little Guy's gums. Nothing surfaced.

On Friday I decided it was time to take Little Guy to see the pediatrician. He's been a very healthy little boy. The only times Little Guy has been to the doctor is when it's time for his check-ups. A quick look in Little Guy's mouth and the pediatrician found the problem. Little Guy is getting in a molar tooth and there is a cyst.

Here's a thought, if a cyst is nothing to be concerned about there should be another name for it. Saying the word cyst to a Mommy will cause the heart to stop momentarily. Maybe you should start a little differently instead of saying here, look, it's a cyst but nothing to worry about it. Once the tooth pops through the cyst will pop up and there will be lots of blood but don't be concerned. At this point, once the cyst pops through, the pain will be relieved and unfortunately there isn't really much we can do for the pain. And then follow-up with you think it will be another two weeks before the tooth pops through Little Guy's gums.

Little Guy also has an ear infection is in right ear and the pediatrician comment how great it was that he hasn't had one until now. (I guess we must be doing something right!) A quick prescription of amoxicillin and we are on our way.

And so, this weekend, while we have not left the country, we have not had much dreamland, we have however, had plenty of ice cream and popsicles. Nice cold and soothing ice cream and popsicles to help numb the gums. Little Guy has been living it up this weekend.

Unfortunately, ice cream does not seem appropriate in the middle of the night. Tonight, Mommy is persona non grata. Big Poppy is down comforting Little Guy since Mommy just won't do. I'm up here, feeling guilty for all kinds of reasons but mostly I'm feeling terrible that while we can give Little Guy a little bit of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin) it really isn't going to stop the pain, just lessen it.

Poor Little Guy.

12 Months + 12 Random Thoughts

Last week Little Guy went in for his 12 month check-up.

How big is Little Guy?

He is SOOOOOO big. (Raise your hands over your head while you say it.)

Vitals at Twelve Months:

Height: 32" (97 percentile)
Weight: 23 lbs 12 oz (50 - 75 percentile)
Head: 46.6 cm (50 percentile)
(Want to compare this to the nine months vitals?)

As I thought about how much Big Poppy, Jeter and my life has changed in the last 12 month, I am overcome with emotions. The love I feel for the guys in my life over takes me sometimes. There are times, when I'm thinking about how lucky and happy I am, I become egocentric and truly believe that no other mommy or daddy could care as deeply for their little ones as we do for Little Guy. (In my saner moments, I realize that most mommy and daddy's feel this way - though, to stroke my own ego, I do try to them rationalize how it could not possible be true. Did I mention there are times when I might have a little ego at times? :))

Think I'm going to get all sappy. Wrong.

Instead, in honor of the 12 months, here are 12 random thoughts I had today ok, on Thursday, my writing has crossed the midnight line) (in no particular order).

1. I wonder how many others have thought, in a time crunch, it would be ok to set their child on the floor to have the dog lick clean while they do the dishes.

2. I wonder how many have had the previous thought and then wiped all the food from the high chair unto the floor to have the dog lick it clean.

3. What I need is an alternative world where a dish of ice cream a day keeps the doctor away.

4. I'm a little sad Little Guy slept well last night because now I don't have an excuse for a nice cold can of Coke.

5. Man, this lady can fit into her wedding dress from 14 years ago. I really need to step up the running...and probably forgo the can of Coke even after a night time party with Little Guy.


6. When I call to schedule an eye appointment, I really need to make sure I know what kind of contacts I wear. That lady does not like it when you say the ones that go on your eye ball.


7. Hmmm, I wonder if in a down economy the staff here should really be walking down the hall responding to text messages (my firm does not provide work phones, it was not work related).

8. Is it weird that my boy likes cottage cheese more than turkey? Can I use this to get Big Poppy to eat cottage cheese?

9. We need a poliy and pro...

I started this post on Thursday night. It is now Saturday morning. Little Guy will soon have another tooth pop through, his sixth, and this one is causing him a little trouble. I was very excited to get a full nights sleep last night. Even though I woke up about 45 minutes ago, I had a relaxing time just laying in bed for another 20 minutes. But then I started to worry. How am I going to finish my 12 random thoughts? I no longer recall what fleeting thought I had on Thursday. Instead, the remaining four come from short time ago.

9. I really need to finish the blog post. Well, really, what I need to do is make time to update how it looks and get back to posting more often. Maybe I should teach Jeter how to type.

10. The scale is your friend in the morning. Not so much at night.

11. Little Guy is going to be so excited for pancakes this morning. Maybe I'll mash up a banana to throw into the batter too. Oh no, I don't I did the dishes last night. Maybe the fairies helped me out.

12. I suppose I better contact the photographer. It's now a week past when she said she would have some sneak peaks ready for me. I hope this isn't a sign of how the pictures turned out. Little Guy was definitely not on his A-game that day.

Race for a Cure

Each year Big Poppy and I, along with few thousand others get together. We walk (or run) together to help support and raise money for breast cancer. The 5k walk is more about seeing all the people and hearing their story than any fitness aspect. In fact, I believe the first mile takes just as long as the miles 2 and 3.

For some reason, this event is profound to me. When I started entering the Race for a the Cure 10 years ago, I had no idea the impact it would have on me. Every year I see or hear something that changes me. Not all of them are sad, some are funny. Here are the highlights over the years.

2000 - The Half-Rack Club - These ladies know how to have a good time.

2001 - Walking behind a man and his three boys and having it dawn on me their bibs said "In Memory of - My Mom" and realizing the youngest of the boys will likely not have many memories of his mom. He was just too young.

2002 - A friend of a friend walked with us this year. She was a young college student and I soon learned she lived most of her life with her aunt and uncle. Her dad had died in a car accident and a few years later her mom lost her battle with breast cancer.

2003 - Fight Like a Girl - This is the first time I remember seeing this phrase. I'm sure it goes further back, but really, doesn't this say it all. (This year, 2010, I saw a different play on it, Fight Like a Mom.)

2004 - This is a year I met a remarkable YOUNG lady. She was nineteen and a 1 year survivor of breast cancer. I cannot imagine the impact this has on her life and those around her. She knows how to fight like a girl!

2005 - Saving Second Base - This was the biggest group I have ever came upon and the group was split up! The power of friendship is simply amazing.

2006 - ThinkPink - A group of junior high students banded together to walk for their mom's.

2007 - Boobees - Need I say more. :)

2008 - Nana's Gang - 6 years free and countless children and grandchildren bringing a smile to her face.

2009 - Sleeping in for a Cure - I'm a loser and signed up for Sleeping in a for a Cure. This will be something I will regret missing out on.

2010 - Towards the end of the walk, we were next to a dad, mom and jog stroller. The little one was 2 1/2. It turns out the "mom" was not the mom. She was an aunt. The tag on the stroller said "In Memory of - The Best Mommy Ever".

We walk and support those who are fighting and helping every day. Little Guy's first official race was not one about having the fastest time. It was one about having the best time with those around us.

I'm good right here, with you. This is a lot of people. About 50,000 to be exact.

A 5k is a long way for me and it was early in the morning.

Just a few of our friends.

Raspy Baby

My baby isn't himself.

Little Guy has a spring bug of some sort. A runny nose, no problem. Wanting to snuggle all day and all night, I'll take it while I can get it - all too soon he'll run from the sight of huggy his mommy or daddy. The strained vocal cords are a little tougher because I know how his throat must hurt. The prospect of not going on our upcoming family vacation is disappointing, despite my own previous personal thoughts (new day, new attitude!) I was looking forward to showing Little Guy the magic around us.

The toughest part? It would be a toss up between 1) knowing Little Guy is uncomfortable and there is only so much I can give him and I can only give it to him every four hours (it seems to only last about 2 hours) or 2) the 3:32 am car drive so Little Guy can sleep while I hope my own eyes stay open to see any other crazy parents with one eye closed so their special little one can sleep.

Even though all kids catch a bug now and then, I wasn't prepared for how difficult it would be for me. In reality, while the lack of sleep isn't ideal but it's managable. Little Guy is very active and curious. He's getting more and more independent. For Little Guy to want to snuggle all day and all night and virtually ignore Jeter, we know he's not in tip top shape. I cannot describe how horrible it feels to know I cannot make him better. The children's medicine can help but with a cold its just going to take time.

There is an up side, Little Guy is on the mend. He had a good nights sleep last night which means Big Poppy and I had a good nights sleep. Tax day is coming up fast which means more free time. Vacation is around the corner and I do believe we will be on track for our departure.

The downside...Little Guy is wanting less snuggle time. It is a good thing, I do know this. But that doesn't mean I can't be slightly sad he chooses a toy over mommy. (The only logical solution, donate the toys.)

Big Poppy & Little Guy catching some shut eye.

Don't touch my food!

Happy Mom and I figured it was about time Little Guy try something new to eat, so I made him an avocado and cream cheese spread, at the recommendation of Happy Mom. If you're interested, the recipe is quick and easy.

Scrape the insides of a ripe avocado and mash with a fork in a bowl; add 1/3 cup of cream cheese and mix together; spread the mixture onto a slice of bread and enjoy! It is recommended to cut into pieces, after putting the spread on, if giving to a little one.

Little Guy accepted the challenge to feed himself. When I asked if he wanted my help, cause you know he's kinda missing his mouth, I got this look:

If you touch my food I'm gonna hurt you!

Okay, okay you do it yourself Little Guy:

Haha, I like how it feels on my skin. Who needs to pay for a facial when you can do it yourself? :)

                                                                      

A baby is coming! A baby is coming!

Our good friend Mack will beging the potassium drip at 8 am today. Keep mommy, daddy and baby in your thoughts.

It sure is fun waiting to find it if the baby will be sugar and spice or puppy dog tails!

A baby is coming! A baby is coming!

Dropping a Weight Class

If you have been keeping track you would realize someone turned nine months old last Friday - stay tuned for pictures of the professional kind - and if you know anything about well baby check-ups, you have been patiently waiting for the update.

Let's just say Little Guy is the picture of health and perfection. OK, the pediatrician may not have said those exact same words but I'm sure she was thinking "this Little Guy is sure one perfect little boy and I really wish I could utter these words out loud to his Mommy and Daddy". Not to worry Doc, I got the mind reading imagination ability down pat.

Vitals at Nine Months:

Height: 30 7/8" (95 - 97 percentile)

Weight: 22 lbs 4 oz (75 - 90 percentile)

Head: 45.5 cm (50 percentile)

(Want to compare this to the six months vitals?)

Up to this point Little Guy's height and weight percentiles almost mirrored each other. I want to assure you, even though Little Guy dropped a fighting weight class, we are feeding him. Man, we are feeding him. Just the other day Big Poppy asked Little Guy if it has started already, he was going to eat us out of the house. Big Poppy had previously been under the impression only teenage boys ate this much.

Now don't be jealous of how much Little Guy has been eating and still dropped a weight class. It's a problem you can have too, if you are willing to follow Little Guy's daily work-out. I cannot keep up such a rigorous schedule. Here is the secret to Little Guy's ability to eat and eat and eat and maintain a health weight.

Piss & Vinegar.

Piss is a four legged fluff ball.

Vinegar is an all fours snuggle bug.

Together, Piss & Vinegar chase each other around the house. Sometimes Vinegar thinks Piss needs his water stirred with love. Other times Piss will turn on one of Vinegar's toys. Either way, it always brings the other one running speed crawling. These two pals are never far apart.

But those are stories for another day.

Little Guy is one tough fellow. After Big Poppy warned Little Guy about the shot he was about to receive, Little Guy made it clear what he would do to the nurse.

 

Don't hurt me and I won't be forced to tear your head off like this.

As it turned out, there were no tears involved. Not even a flinch. Little Guy looked pain in the eye and he came out on top.

I think you tried to trick me with that needle. I didn't feel a thing.

Cryptic Codes, Strange Events and Truth or Fiction

I have a problem. According to a few friends, I like boy books. Now, through book club I have found another "boy" book series to read. On the down side, The Doomsday Key, written by James Rollins, is the sixth book in the Sigma Series. On the up side, this means there are five books I will need to figure out when I can read them (and what fake holiday I can make up to get others to gift these books to me - in hardcover, because sometimes I am a snob).

The Doomsday Key offers up cryptic codes. The historical is interwoven with an adventure to find the key, the antidote, to a long dormant strain of fungus. I enjoy seeing the historical symbols and the play on what these symbols may have meant and the clues it may lead your imagination. The way James Rollins brings together fact and fiction to develop the race between good and evil can make your heart pump.

I have struggled to tell you about this book. Partly out of guilt, I waited to read and did not finish before book club met but also because I do not want to do the book injustice. All I can say, if you enjoy Vince Flynn, Dan Brown or Robert Ludlum books, you will not be disappointed picking up something written by James Rollins.

There may be question or two regarding how my boyfriends Mitch Rapp and Edward Cullen are handling this new series. As of today, Mitch is still my number one and Edward number two (and thank goodness Big Poppy takes me serious enough to talk to me about my boyfriends). My favorite player in The Doomsday Key is Seichan, even though I am unsure if she's a good guy or bad guy...my guess good guy who uses means you do not expect from a good guy. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the misunderstood.

New Workout

Ever get tired of the same old workout routine? Well I have a new workout for you. Really it comes from Little Guy, but he has yet to start writing so I'll help him out. To Little Guy it is called "Outta my way, I'm on a mission," but you can call it the Army Crawl.

To start, lie on the ground face down. Extend your left or right arm out as far as you can reach, then pull the rest of your body ahead without lifting off the ground or using your other hand to push. Think it's easy? Whether he's on smooth flooring or carpet, Little Guy moves ahead with ease. As for me, I manage to move on the wood floor, but the carpet...forget about it. Let's just say a snail would win the race and I'd still be at the start line.

Little Guy has just reminded me of how out of shape I am, how about you? Who says you can't learn anything from a baby? Happy Exercising!!

Poser?

I am begining to think Little Guy may be a poser. A camera poser that is.

Let me give you a recent example. Like any good mommy, I decided to branch out Little Guy's food selection. I made him peaches. Who doesn't like peaches? They are sweet. They are tasty. They are peaches. The first time Little Guy ate bananas we could not shovel them in fast enough (that is still the case).

Given how much Little Guy enjoys bananas, I thought peaches would be a slam dunk.

How wrong I was. Little Guy tried to prove me wrong.

I tried to give peaches Little Guy. He refused. A head turn to the right and mouth claped shut.

Big Poppy made faces to get Little Guy to laugh and allow me to sneak peaches into his mouth. Little Guy laughed until the spoon came near. Then the mouth flew shut and Little Guy gave me the stink-eye.

And then I remembered, the camera. Any time the camera comes out Little Guy strikes a pose and usually something fitting for the situation. This was no different.

There are no signs of Little Guy's refusal to eat peaches.

You would never guess any time the camera was put down this poser sealed his mouth tight.

I mean, Little Guy's mouth could not be wedged open for anything...except the camera of course.

How many pictures does it take to finish peaches for breakfast? 17.

The lesson we learned. Little Guy will do anything we want with a camera around. He is a great poser.

Side Note: Little Guy eats peaches just fine after this first taste day. No camera needed.

Side Note 2: On the same day of the tasty peaches, Little Guy had cauliflower for the first time. No camera needed and Little Guy wolfed them down. What kind of kid prefers the taste of cauliflower over peaches?

Same Day Procedure

As you can tell, I have not been around here much lately. Big Poppy, Little Guy and I were preparing for a minor, same day procedure on Thursday. The time had come for Little Guy to have his circumcision. For a couple reasons, Little Guy missed his window of opportunity right after birth. If you do not have this done right away you will need to wait six months for the use of anethetics.

Even though this was a same day procedure, Big Poppy and I both wanted to be there and then have a couple days at home with Little Guy. Big Poppy took Little Guy to the pre-op appointment by himself. As a precation our pedtrician recommended a nebulizer to ensure Little Guy's lungs were clear.

This is what I came home to that day. Little Guy has quite the mask. Trust me, it looks worse than it is. Little Guy is normally laughing while this runs for 10 minutes (about every four hours).

With the all clear, on Thursday we woke and prepared for the procedure. I thought the hardest part would be Little Guy's eating restrictions. After going to bed around 9 pm on Wednesday, Little Guy did not wake up at all during the night (which is normally a good thing) but this meant Little Guy could not have anything for breakfast. Big Poppy and I decided to wait on breakfast too. If Little Guy must suffer, then so would we.

When we arrived at the children's clinic/hospital, Little Guy was once again a happy little boy. Perhaps a little confused on the sweats in public (which is wearing a lot of right now). So far there were no signs of a hunger fit coming.

We met with the nurse, found the hospital pjs and then waited. In a play room with other families waiting for their turn to have their little one taken back to the doctors for a couple hours. Our doctors were great. These are people I would recommend to others or use again. A great feeling when you precious little one is going to be put under.

The procedure went fine and about one and half hours after losing Little Guy to nurses and doctors we were invited into his recovering room. Then the hunger fit began and who could blame him!

Now I must admit I was not prepared for how Little Guy would look. The nurse went over how to do everything for the next few weeks and I was visible taken aback on how Little Guy looked. The nurse noticed and reminded me he would not remember this, it would be harder on us.

Oh, but the first time I changed his diaper once we were home. Tears came from Little Guy because it was so tender. Tears came from me because of the discomfort (OK, PAIN) I was causing with the ointment. For the next couple days Little Guy was on a steady dose of pain treatments and baths (the soaking in water helps little boys). Big Poppy and I determined it would be better for him to change the diapers for a couple days - not that he liked how it caused Little Guy pain but then there would only be one of us in tears, one of us able to hold the tears back and one of us doing the diapering.

This morning, I changed my first diaper in just about two days. There were no tears but there was plenty of anxiety in its place. We are currently double diapering for added padding/protection since Little Guy is on the move, even now.

Today is the start of the Christmas festivities for our family. A Saturday brunch today and Sunday breakfast followed by Santa Clause tomorrow. I sure hope Little Guy does not cry for Santa.

Brandy Slush

Sometimes in the summer I will whip up a brandy slush to keep in the freezer and drink on a hot Saturday night. Right now I am weighing my options of purchasing brandy in the "off" season. Then I am considering my options: 1) drink it myself to sleep thru the night or 2) have Little Guy rub some on his gums to help him sleep thru the night or 3) stare at the bottle at 2 am wishing I had the mentality to follow thru on option 1 or 2. For those that do not know me, I will be staying the course with option 3 but instead of staring at a brandy bottle, I am likely staring out the window wishing there was something I could do for Little Guy.

In the course of seven days, three, YES THREE, teeth have popped up. The first two are in the back of his mouth, which is unusual I hear, and the last one poked through Saturday night right on his bottom front. Little Guy has really handled it pretty well, except for at night when he needs constant reminder Big Poppy and I are here.

Night one of this I was game. I love snuggling with Little Guy. Night seven I was very thankful that around 12:30 Big Poppy decided to take Little Guy into the spare bedroom so one of could sleep. I checked in on them around 4:30 and by 6 am Big Poppy, Little Guy and Jeter were all back in our bedroom.

I really do love each milestone. Watching Little Guy grow and become his own person is wonderful. Big Poppy and I have the best seats to watch this growth. However, it might be nice if Little Guy slept thru the night tonight which is why I weigh my brandy slush options before I head off to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Having One of Those Weeks

You know those day's you wish you could just restart. I think the last seven days could be dramatically improved. After I gripe, I will share the wonderful things that have happened over the past week, but today, I gripe.

Day 1: Made it to Grandpa's. All is well. Big Poppy watched Little Guy while I met up with a dear old friend. All is still well. Little Guy decides sleeping through the night is a thing of the past while we are at Grandpa's. Did I forget to mention there were eight of sleeping in Grandpa's living room. I was amazed how soundly most of them slept but still felt bad for the ones that were awoken by Little Guy.

Day 2: Happy Thanksgiving! My darling goddaughter wanted to spend the day with the other side of the family and I am so blue. I make the trip mostly because of her and her family. I try to remind myself she is young but fail miserably and act a bit childish myself. Not a becoming attribute in your teens let alone in your thirties.

Day 3: After lunch with Grandpa, Big Poppy, Little Guy and I head off to Syd & SoyBoy's house. With a quick stop along the way to pick up SoyBoy, we arrive with no troubles. The day is moving along rather nicely and then night time falls. Big Poppy is ill. I mean, he is ILL. We were forewarned by an uncle that he and his kids had fallen ill and it turns out Grandpa and another uncle were sick earlier in the week.

Day 4: I eat lunch with Syd, SoyBoy and my aunt. Syd did a good job cooking. With the help of my family, we load up the car and put Big Poppy and Little Guy in the back for the trek home. When you are under the weather the best place to be is your bed. We make it home without incidence but shortly after we arrive, Big Poppy is ill again. I sleep on the couch.

Day 5: Happy Birthday! Well, really I forgot it was my birthday because I was trying to get everything cleaned up from our shortened trip. Little Guy was given banana's for the first time and LOVES them. Seems like a good day right? Then I get a call from the insurance adjuster reminding me I was rear ended on the previous Tuesday. Boo. Thankfully, no one was hurt and my rear bumber can easily be fixed.

Day 6: Back to work, or maybe not. By now most of my family has been knocked out and if I thought I was immune, I was wrong. I spend the day in bed and on the couch.

Day 7: Back to work. Really, I tried to go back to work. After getting grief for being back so soon and a few clarifications that food poisoning is not contagious I feel it is safe to get to work. Oh wait, my computer is not allowing me to access any files. Have I been fired but blocked the memory? Several co-workers assure me that is not the case. Around 3 o'clock I declare the computer the winner and go pick up Little Guy early.

And now I am here. Ready for my new week to begin in the middle of the week.

It's going to be a great week! I can feel it.

Stay tuned for the great things that happened during the same seven days.

Half Birthday

Little Guy celebrated his half birthday on Thursday. We decided to keep the occassion on the DL but somehow the peditrician found out about it anyways and invited Little Guy in for a small party.

After wowing Little Guy with her charm, the doc got down to business.

Here are the vitals at Six Months:
Height: 28 1/2" (97 percentile)
Weight: 20 lbs 10 oz (90-95 percentile)
Head: 43.5 cm (50 percentile)
(Here is a refresher of the vitals at four months - there are links to earlier months too.)

Little Guy is tracking perfectly. He is reaching all milestones right on target or slightly ahead. However, we did get a reminder not to carry Little Guy so much anymore. This will help him achieve crawling. I can not say I am a big fan of letting Little Guy become frustrated on the floor but I will do it.

As you can see, Little Guy has no clue of what is about to happen next. It is a good think the memory is short when it comes to shots otherwise I am sure he would not be so happy right now.

And then the dreaded shots happened. Little Guy was confused on what just happened.

But within minutes he was ready to roll again.

However, last night he was a bit tuckered out and fell asleep early (and on the couch).

www.don'tlikepeas.com

As a baby gift, we received a Beaba Babycook along with a Cooking for Baby cookbook. I cannot describe how excited I was with this gift for a couple reasons. 1) It had been my idea to make Little Guy’s baby food and 2) I never knew there were actual products out there to make the mashing easier. These can easily happen without a Beaba Babycook or a baby cookbook but I like knowing there are three lovely ladies who knew me well enough to think I would be interested in making Little Guy’s baby food (I had not shared this with anyone).

Recently I was able to try out the Beaba Babycook. The amount of time, effort and money involved in making your own baby food is nothing. If you are lucky like me, someone will help you with the “start-up” costs. If you are smart like some of my friends, it will dawn on you all the tools you need are probably in your kitchen already. After a few uses, I already love my Beaba Babycook but you can get the same results with a blender or magic bullet.

I love peas. I mean I LOVE peas. I could probably eat them every day and not tire of the taste. I do not eat them every day because Big Poppy says, “I eat them.” Little Guy is going to fall into “I love peas” side of the coin if I have anything to say about it.

The debate began with Big Poppy getting Little Guy. Do you notice what the bib says?

After Little Guy's first bite it appears he is enjoying his first taste of peas.

I might even say Little Guy loves peas.

Though I will be the first to admit he is not ready to feed himself yet.

Making the pea puree was super easy.

Steam the peas to retain more nutrients. Then blend/puree with nothing or a little water or formula, depending on the consistency desired. You can freeze in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a bag for up to three months or enjoy it all now. See how easy it is.