December Review Part II

The Festival of Trees....
Look at that one Grammie!


Gentle touches...


I like this one!


This one is nice...


More gentle touching :)

December Review Part I

Cole LOVES the Advent Calendar...in fact, he had two going! He loves opening the flap...

Getting the coveted chocolate out then offering it to Daddy but popping it in his mouth before Daddy can get to it...


And then playing with the opened flaps from the Calendar....


I didn't know he would like the calendar so much but he would run to where I kept it on the counter and take it down and bring it to me as soon as he remembered (which sometimes was before breakfast!) I have a felt Advent calendar that is shaped like Santa and I saw somewhere someone put a chocolate in each day. I think I might see if a chocolate will fit in mine for an added incentive to move the Santa day to day on the felt one instead of having to buy these store bought ones. Either way, I think the Advent Calendar has become a must in this house :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday-Boys...Big and Small!

First, the "big boy" showing Cole how it is done....

Next, Cole giving it a try and giving us his "shy" look....so cute!



Giving us his smile (this is what he does when you say, "smile"...lol)


And this is the face you get when you tell him to, "say cheese"...love it!


I think his "cheese" is better than his "smile" what do you think? :)

Mom Monday

Getting to work...

Arranging them just right...

Time to put them back!

You Know You're A Mom When...

- The banging and clanging that goes on with the above game does not bother you at all!

- You spend more time picking up what you just put away because a little man seems to be just behind you taking it back out again!

- You literally spend hours in the toy stores going over each toy to find just the right one for your son...you even take him along to trial run a lot of them! :)

- You get excited about hand-me downs for clothes that are 1/16 your size!

- You eat healthier than you have in a long time because you feed your son really healthy and have fallen into the habit of just eating what he eats so you don't have to cook twice!

- You now have competition for the chocolate from the Advent calendar.

- You are at a party and get food on your shirt from a certain someone wiping his face on you...you only stop for a second to contemplate the issue and then spend the rest of the night not even trying to hide the food stains!

- You and your husband finally leave a party at 9:30 P.M. ready for bed and your 14 month old is still going strong!

Fridays Fun Facts

Here is what Cole is up to...

- He is now in a size 5 regular and size 5 overnight diaper.

- He wears a size 24/2T clothes although he could probably do 12 months in the waist...he needs the bigger size for the length...still long and lean!

- He wears a size 6 shoe now!

- He LOVES singing and dancing toys! We now have a Rudolph Mommy had as a kid, a Santa frog and the bunny and frog we have had out for a while.

- He still likes the Burmese mountain dog costume as a toy :)

- He has taken to pulling his blankie out of his crib and taking that with him to breakfast and takes it out at night when he starts to get sleepy :)

- He is being more talkative (thank you God!) and babbles a lot now. He attempts to communicate now to get what he wants but a lot comes out "ba" so he sounds a lot like a sheep! Today in church he yelled out "ba" during the announcements...lol. I think it was fitting though...the Christmas pageant was about to start and there were sheep in that...lol.

- Some words he does say regularly are: Mama, Dada, Papa (my Dad), bup (up), bu (Buster...my parent's dog), gap ga (cop car...this is not because we see these a lot! I mentioned it when someone was pulled over on the side of the road and he repeated it for 20 minutes after that and it stuck...lol) and he says "ah..." he says this for all Christmas lights/anything pretty :)

- He is into playing the "shy game" where he thinks it is cute to tuck his head when people speak to him but peek at them too. At the same time, my parent's had a Christmas party last night and he was a social butterfly AND today at church he let a church member we have become close with hold him without even a glance back at me! I think this is pretty good considering he is cared for by my Mom and is basically with Tony or I the rest of the time. I work hard to socialize him and I hope it is working...seems it might be!

- He still isn't a big fan of meat. When I got pregnant with him meat was my enemy and I never really got the taste for it back. I guess he is following Mommy's lead.

- He LOVES fruit. I haven't found one he wont eat yet! His latest favorites are grapes, cantaloupe, and pineapple.

- He is great with the tree! We don't have a gate up (I actually don't own a gate...haven't had to yet.) He looks at the tree and occasionally touches an ornament but does so very lightly and he hasn't touched the presents...I know, we are very lucky!

- He likes to stand on the step stool I have to reach the highest shelves in our cabinets...I think it makes him feel like a big boy being able to see on the counter.

- He likes to help a lot more. He started putting away dishes for me tonight! Of course they weren't in the right drawers but I stopped myself from stepping in because I thought, at least he is willing to help! :)

- He continues to LOVE music. He sings, dances, you name it. If music is playing he won't be far from it tapping his toe, singing, clapping or busting a move for you! :)

Lots more of course but these are the highlights! :)

Thankful on Thursday...

On this Thursday I am thankful for flowers. I know it may sound small but you have to enjoy the small stuff right? For my birthday last week my mother bought me a bouquet (thanks Mom!) and this week we are still enjoying them. Cole loves to smell them (he makes the cutest sniffing and snorting sound to signal he wants to smell them...lol) and occasionally he also thinks it is funny to try to eat them (he doesn't really...he finds the horror on my face with his attempt funny). They say, "Stop and smell the roses" and I get why. They are so beautiful, smell wonderful and you can't help but smile when you smell them. I love the intent of flowers (nobody ever sends them to be mean), I love the variety of them, the beauty and as I said before, their smell. I am thankful today for flowers.

What are you thankful for?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Silly boy! Now, what I will confess is that I just may have taken this one step further after these photos and showed him how to blow your cheeks up using the glass and make a pig nose on it too...I may have.... :)

Poll Results: Favorite Christmas Treat

I LOVE fudge and my Mom makes amazing fudge. My favorite used to be her chocolate with M&M but peanut butter is surprisingly moving to my favorite...she makes a really creamy, sweet one that isn't too "peanut buttery." I would say Cole's favorite would be the chocolate from the Advent calendar if that were an option :) He hasn't tried fudge yet but LOVED the M&M cookie from our visit to Santa, loved the gingerbread man we had at the Gingerbread House Extravaganza, and LOVED the candy cane he got from Santa on our train ride so I would say unfortunately, he has Mommy's sweet tooth!

For the two of you that said that you avoid it all I am VERY impressed. I really do avoid it for the most part but I can't avoid it completely. Good for you!

This year I found a recipe on a blog I follow for "Christmas bark", which is chocolate and vanilla chips melted down and crushed candy canes and I am going to try this recipe for my Mom and Dad's annual Christmas party. I am also going to try a recipe a co-worker's 11 year old made in his home-ec class, oyster crackers with ranch, dill, and some other seasonings. Finally, I am going to make a recipe I forgot about but love, fudge brownies with frosting and crushed peppermint candies. All will be going to the party but I am sure I will have to try one or two and since Cole takes after his Mommy, I bet Cole will have a taste or two! :)

Mom Monday

You Know You're a Mom When...

- You put your son in his diaper box and attach a bungie cord to it to pull him around the house...NEVER were you this creative even in this simple form :) (See picture above.)

- You and your husband sit and watch "Winnie the Pooh's Blustery Day" on T.V. while your son is fast asleep in his crib! :)

- You stop for a moment while Christmas music is on and your husband and son are in the room while you decorate the tree and you think, "THIS is the way Christmas is supposed to be."

- You don't mind listening to the dancing frog with a Santa hat sing obnoxiously loud the same chorus line over and over and over because you delight in the joy it brings your son.

- You covet the snuggle time when your son is willing to give it...even if that means your arm feels like it is going to fall off or you are going to be a little late to work.

- You drive around looking at Christmas lights on houses with your son; you smile big each time you hear your son in the back say, "Awww..." for every house he sees!

- You now spend more time downstairs in the church nursery than you do upstairs with the adults :)

- You meet more people day to day simply because your son draws them in!

- You are so in love with your son that you begin to think about just how amazing it would be to have another one or two (or three!) of him running around while your husband thinks you are completely nuts (especially when it comes to the "or three" part!)

- You continue to be eternally grateful for this miraculous gift from God and you thank Him every day.

Please Pray...

My husband was coming home on Friday from a run in to town when he met the ambulance pulling out of a neighbor's house and very quickly a truck pulled out after the ambulance. A van coming in the opposite direction pulled into the house and immediately turned to follow the ambulance too. These are new neighbors who I have walked by their house several times in hopes to catch them to say hi and introduce Cole and I on our walk but I haven't caught them yet. I was told by another neighbor who sold them the house that the man was the new Minister at a church in town and they had a cute little dog and two kids...one about my son's age or a little older and one "new baby" maybe a month or two. I was anxious to meet them.

In church today my Minister informed us that the baby had been rushed by ambulance to the hospital. I then remembered my husband telling me about the ambulance he saw and how at the time he told me I said that I hoped they all were well but I prayed even more it wasn't one of their children. The minister then informed us that the baby had died. My heart dropped. I was expecting to hear maybe that it was still in the hospital or was really sick but I didn't expect to hear it had died.

Never-the-less, my heart sinks. Another lesson learned at the deep sorrow of others. I am saddened that I didn't try harder to meet them aside from looking to see if they were around their yard to stop in while Cole and I were on a walk. I wish I had gotten to meet this precious Angel that has already gone to be with God well before what I am sure her parent's and older sibling feel should have been her time. My heart breaks for this family.

Cole wanted to be rocked to sleep today for his nap and I always treasure this moment but I sure had a harder time putting him in his crib today once he fell asleep. I cannot imagine the grief of the parents' and I pray that I never have to know. I distinctly remember my best friend's parents saying, "You always expect your children to bury you...not you bury your child." God bless this child and her family in their overwhelming time of need. May this family's faith sustain them in the days and months to come.

My prayers are certainly with them and I ask that you say a prayer for them too.

Thankful Thursday!

It is thankful Thursday again! Today I am thankful for my family. They say, "You can pick your friends but you cannot pick your family" and I admit that at times I curse this fact. My family is not perfect by any means. I have some family members that I am no longer in touch with for various reasons but again, nobody has the perfect family. For the most part though, I have a loving and supportive family and I am lucky to be able to say that I am in contact with family all the way up to Great Aunts and Uncles. Who can say that?!

Anyway, today I heard sad news...a man that travels to our hospital from other hospitals as part of his job was driving home last night when he got in a terrible accident. The man did not make it. He was 62 years old. I do not know any more than that but I pray he suffered no pain and that his family can find some peace. Losing a loved one is never easy but losing one tragically and at this time of year must be that much harder. The age of the man was enough to make me think it could have been my own father as he travels a lot in his job and in bad conditions because that is the nature of his job. I cannot imagine (nor do I want to for a long time) losing my father. My husband takes a boat to work every day and as we all know, the weather can turn very quickly on the water. My sister is traveling the country as an OT right now...I don't get to see her as much now...what if it had been her? My brother has Crohn's Disease and a spot on his kidney that still could be cancer, he is so young. Cole is healthy right now but what if? I know this is all so morbid but it is true. I mustn't take life for granted. I should know. I lost my best friend unexpectedly to a pulmonary embolism at 21 years old. Yet, it is so easy to forget the fragile nature of life once again.

I drove by the "accident site" today on my way to my other office and I couldn't help but think about how the exact route I was taking was the one he took to his death. Morbid I know, but it made me realize yet again how quickly things can change in the blink of an eye. We had a bad snow storm yesterday and I was out driving in it. I drove over an hour to and from a MD appointment and I drove the exact route that he took that day as well. I never once thought this could be my last day on Earth and I am sure he didn't either.

So with that said, I am thankful for family. This man's tragic death made me realize yet again not to take mine for granted.

What are you thankful for?

Almost Wordless Wednesday....

Cole and I went to the park in mid November with his friend Madison and her Mommy (my friend) and had a blast. See for yourself...

Snow...

The last week in October we had a few snow flurries but nothing that stuck. Then, on Nov. 5th we had enough that we woke up to some snow on the ground...here is Cole's first real experience with snow....

Assessing the situation


Reaching for a snowball


Thinking about moving...


And he's off!

Mom Monday...

You Know You're A Mom When...

- You have way more toys in your house than you ever could imagine many of which are prominently displayed in your living room! (see picture above)

- You are only putting out about half of your Christmas decorations this year (the breakable and ones that have a flame stay in the box for another year.)

- You begin to hate bedtime again (that is, you hate to put your child to bed because you love playing with him!)

- You no longer eat your lunch or run errands on your lunch break; you go visit your son!

- You love bouncing and rolling on your bed again just like when you were a kid only this time it is because it is now a favorite game of your son's!

- You're dinner now is often the leftovers from your son and/or what he feeds you AND if you have a meal your son usually ends up eating at least some of it even if he already ate! :)

- You finally understand why your mother said all the things she did such as "Don't jump on the bed/couches", "don't leave the fridge/freezer door open while you decide what you want", "don't lean on the faucet", and "either go in or out the door." :)

Poll Results: Thanksgiving

I must say this poll shocked me. I assume that aside from my Uncle Tom who gets my blog read to him some by his wife Karen, no men read my blog Therefore, I guess I am being sexist but I assumed more than myself would say they were not eating much because they were on a diet! LOL. Good for all of you who just don't care! I applaud and envy you.

I seem to be on a perpetual diet. I honestly have only eaten as I normally would for Thanksgiving for a few years now. I no longer do the "stuff myself" thing as I just don't feel good after. However, I am constantly assessing what I eat too. I lost over 30 lbs. before I had Cole and was doing well. Exercise was a big thing in my life and it was great. My condition (PCOS) makes losing weight REALLY hard aside from me just not eating right, etc. However, I was doing well with the help of a nutritionist. Then I got pregnant with Cole and I still did well. Then I stopped liking any foods except carbs...not good. But I still didn't gain an outrageous amount of weight. Then I breastfeed and lost ALL my baby weight quickly. Then, life hit. I have no time to exercise, exhaustion, Mommy guilt for taking time to myself, etc. So, here I am again. Vowing to get fit again. I want to be healthy. I feel good healthy. I need to be healthy to get pregnant again I just don't know where to find the time, energy, and how to drop the Mommy guilt. How do you/did you all do it?

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Okay so I am officially changing my Wednesday posts to "ALMOST Wordless Wednesday". For some reason (most likely one part genetics and one part my job- speech therapist) I cannot do a post with no words! However, I do try to keep it brief with just a small caption for the picture (except this post of course! LOL.)
A child-size bearskin rug :) This is the dog costume Cole will NOT let me be put away. He loves to play with it! I walked out the other day and saw this in the living room and I laughed and then had to take a picture of course :)