My mom bought Bink a Busy Ball Popper for Christmas. For those you without one, it was described to me as baby crack. He LOVES the thing, but hasn't quite hit the age where he knows how to work it. Mostly he climbs on it and tries to take the balls out the eat them.
He, K, and Hubby have worked out a system though. K chases the balls after the spray across the room (and squeals about it). Hubby pushes the control button with his foot. Bink steals the balls to eat them and giggles at how goofy his sister is. Me? I take video for posterity.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Photo Friday & What Did You Get Right?
Bink and I visit Grandma every Wednesday night. Its actually a tradition that pre-dates him by a few years. First we'd just go shopping each week. It's amazing how much time we can kill in a Target with a Starbucks. Or any Target really. Then for a while we planned my wedding...making buttonaires, ironing "Team Groom" onto shirts for Hubby's friends, hot gluing sea shells to raffia. Later we took up knitting, called it Stitch and Bitch, and added another friend to the mix. And a lot more wine.
Shortly after the transition to Stitch and Bitch, I found out I was pregnant with Bink. Out with the wine for me and in with lots and lots of hand knitted baby booties (that he never wears because they don't stay on his feet for even three short seconds). Every week I'd update whoever would listen to me about which vegetable Bink was closest to in size that week. He's a sweet pea this week. This week he's a banana. That seems so big. That's big, right? It's only blahdy-blah-blah more weeks/days/seconds until he's due.
Amazingly, since Bink was born I've only managed to knit twice. Once at Hubby's parents house for a few days when he was very small and content to be held by Grandma and Grandpa. And once at work because the students wanted to knit during a club meeting. So not so much stitching going on at Stitch and Bitch anymore, but we seem to still manage to fill the time! Maybe with a little bitching...but mostly with laughing, wine, and video games. We're quite good at Rock Band and Wii Resort.
This week I was able to get to Grandma's earlier than I normally do and it just happened to be one of the few nice days we've had this year so far. Seriously, there is still some snow left from the big storm over a month ago. Instead of just chatting we took Bink to the park. He was thrilled to be outside and LOVED the swings. It makes me happy just thinking of all the swings in our future this Spring. If only it were 30 degrees warming and not raining. Or snowing. Or gusting at 30 mph. One day, I'm sure of it.
Last Friday I introduced the idea of What Did You Get Right?. I got lots of comments from you all about your triumphs for the week, so I think we should play again.
This week I slowed down a little while I was nursing Bink. Normally I use that time (the ONLY time he is still-ish anymore) to check email, catch up on tv, chat with Hubby and K, open junk mail, whatever I can do with one hand while seated. On Tuesday I took Bink up to our bed to nurse him before he went to sleep and instead of trying cram in twelve other things, I just watched him for a few minutes. I thought about what it was like with him those first few weeks when he got home from the hospital. I stroked his hair and sung to him. I just enjoyed his company. When he was finished he rolled over and gave me a little content sigh. I think he enjoyed our quiet time together too.
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Exciting News
Over the next few weeks there be some major bloggy changes going on 'round these parts! A few days ago Hubby purchased my domain name for me and is starting the process of building me a site there (don't bother going there, there is nothing to see yet).
I'm a little nervous at the prospect of changing my blogging platform (blogger to wordpress) and using iWeb to design the site. It will be great in the end, but I always hate the first few days/weeks/months of learning a new technology like that. I always mutter to myself about how if I was just doing it the old way, I'd be done by now.
So...keep your eyes peeled for the big unveiling! I'll let you know when there is actually something to be seen over there!
And also, here's a random picture of Bink. Just in case you thought I forgot your daily dose. Strange lightening, but I kind of like it.
I'm a little nervous at the prospect of changing my blogging platform (blogger to wordpress) and using iWeb to design the site. It will be great in the end, but I always hate the first few days/weeks/months of learning a new technology like that. I always mutter to myself about how if I was just doing it the old way, I'd be done by now.
So...keep your eyes peeled for the big unveiling! I'll let you know when there is actually something to be seen over there!
And also, here's a random picture of Bink. Just in case you thought I forgot your daily dose. Strange lightening, but I kind of like it.
And It Keeps Getting Better
A few of my favorite blogs have been talking about the best advice they could give to newlyweds. It got me thinking about the best advice about marriage that I had been given.
During our first year of marriage there were some forces outside of our control that added immense amounts of stress to our relationship. Those of you with blended families will likely understand immediately what I'm talking about. Those of you who are not should know that step-families are challenging even in the best circumstances and when everyone has all their oars in the water. (At some point I will do a post on step-families in general so you understand where I'm coming from with this.)
I tried for months to bite my tongue on an issue that I felt like I needed to let Hubby handle on his own. I didn't want to nag him. I didn't want to fight. But I also didn't want to be angry and resentful and that was the road I was heading down.
I went to my mom for advice..and maybe to bitch and complain and be told that I was right. My mother has raised four children. She's survived the step-family dynamics. And she and my step-dad have been married for almost 20 years.
There are a few things you should know about my mom. She's no nonsense. She doesn't put up with pity parties. And she will not tell you that you're right just to make you feel better. She also has the kind of marriage that try to model my own after.
She and my step-dad got married in the height of their children's obnoxious years. Their newlywed stage coincided with teens, tweens, and overall brattiness on behalf of me and my brothers. I'm sure we didn't make it easy for them. Blending two families is never easy. Except they made it look that way.
They made it look like everything was easy. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean that it was apparent then, and it still is now, that they love each immensely, they love all of us children immensely, and that they could weather anything because of that.
Looking back now through the lens of my own step-family experience, I'm sure it wasn't easy. I'm sure there were lots of things in my self-centered youth that I missed and took for granted and just generally had no clue about. But more than anything, what I remember about that time is how obvious it was that they were in love.
As simple as that sounds, you don't always see that in parents (your own, your friends, strangers on the street). It was so obvious that we used to tease them and I was complain about how "gross" it was that they held hands when we went to the mall. Because there is nothing more embarrassing to a teenager than having to admit you have parents at all...let alone parents who would dare to hold hands. IN PUBLIC!
The reason I'm telling you all this is so that you understand why I would put so much faith in my mother's advice (outside of her being my mother and all).
So I went to visit her and complained. Poor me. Hubby won't do it my way. Hubby won't do EVERYTHING my way. If it were me, I would do it this way. Why didn't he just KNOW to do it this way?
And she may have (gently) pointed out that I had never mentioned any of this to Hubby. I'd just expected him to know how I would do it and do it that way. Wasn't that what it mean to be married? You just knew what the other person wanted. Right? Right? Oh. I see.
Not only did I have to be willing to tell Hubby what I was thinking, I had to be OK with disagreements. I had this idea in my head that couples who were right for each other never fought. Now I know that couldn't have been further from the truth. Couples who really care about each other and their relationship don't just disagree from time to time, sometimes they flat out argue or fight. Sometimes they do it in a mature way. Sometimes they do it in, ahem, less mature ways (like storming out the house and going to Target to hide).
Couples who really care, care enough enough to disagree with each other. They care enough to speak up when something isn't right. They care enough not to let things slide that will eat away at them later. They care enough to fight because sometimes fighting is the harder thing to do. They care enough about the marriage to constantly strive to make it stronger and to not just take the easy way out.
I went back to Hubby later and told him what I really thought. And we argued about it. And eventually we reached a solution that worked for us. Was it comfortable and easy? No. I'd have rather just come home pretended everything was fine and watched a movie. Was it the right thing to do for our marriage? Absolutely.
We were able to take a situation that could make or break a young marriage and use it to make our relationship stronger. And we really are a better team for it.
I try to remember that advice when the big things creep up. I'm not talking about the pile of clothes on the floor instead of in the hamper. Oh wait, those are mine. I'm talking about the BIG stuff. The stuff that eventually defines a marriage. The stuff that you know you won't sleep that night if you don't do the right way. Those are the things not to short change your marriage with by at least trying to talk it out.
Do I get it right every time? Not even close. But I keep trying... because I want to have the kind of marriage where my children complain about how gross and in love their parents are too.
During our first year of marriage there were some forces outside of our control that added immense amounts of stress to our relationship. Those of you with blended families will likely understand immediately what I'm talking about. Those of you who are not should know that step-families are challenging even in the best circumstances and when everyone has all their oars in the water. (At some point I will do a post on step-families in general so you understand where I'm coming from with this.)
I tried for months to bite my tongue on an issue that I felt like I needed to let Hubby handle on his own. I didn't want to nag him. I didn't want to fight. But I also didn't want to be angry and resentful and that was the road I was heading down.
I went to my mom for advice..and maybe to bitch and complain and be told that I was right. My mother has raised four children. She's survived the step-family dynamics. And she and my step-dad have been married for almost 20 years.
There are a few things you should know about my mom. She's no nonsense. She doesn't put up with pity parties. And she will not tell you that you're right just to make you feel better. She also has the kind of marriage that try to model my own after.
She and my step-dad got married in the height of their children's obnoxious years. Their newlywed stage coincided with teens, tweens, and overall brattiness on behalf of me and my brothers. I'm sure we didn't make it easy for them. Blending two families is never easy. Except they made it look that way.
They made it look like everything was easy. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean that it was apparent then, and it still is now, that they love each immensely, they love all of us children immensely, and that they could weather anything because of that.
Looking back now through the lens of my own step-family experience, I'm sure it wasn't easy. I'm sure there were lots of things in my self-centered youth that I missed and took for granted and just generally had no clue about. But more than anything, what I remember about that time is how obvious it was that they were in love.
As simple as that sounds, you don't always see that in parents (your own, your friends, strangers on the street). It was so obvious that we used to tease them and I was complain about how "gross" it was that they held hands when we went to the mall. Because there is nothing more embarrassing to a teenager than having to admit you have parents at all...let alone parents who would dare to hold hands. IN PUBLIC!
The reason I'm telling you all this is so that you understand why I would put so much faith in my mother's advice (outside of her being my mother and all).
So I went to visit her and complained. Poor me. Hubby won't do it my way. Hubby won't do EVERYTHING my way. If it were me, I would do it this way. Why didn't he just KNOW to do it this way?
And she may have (gently) pointed out that I had never mentioned any of this to Hubby. I'd just expected him to know how I would do it and do it that way. Wasn't that what it mean to be married? You just knew what the other person wanted. Right? Right? Oh. I see.
Not only did I have to be willing to tell Hubby what I was thinking, I had to be OK with disagreements. I had this idea in my head that couples who were right for each other never fought. Now I know that couldn't have been further from the truth. Couples who really care about each other and their relationship don't just disagree from time to time, sometimes they flat out argue or fight. Sometimes they do it in a mature way. Sometimes they do it in, ahem, less mature ways (like storming out the house and going to Target to hide).
Couples who really care, care enough enough to disagree with each other. They care enough to speak up when something isn't right. They care enough not to let things slide that will eat away at them later. They care enough to fight because sometimes fighting is the harder thing to do. They care enough about the marriage to constantly strive to make it stronger and to not just take the easy way out.
I went back to Hubby later and told him what I really thought. And we argued about it. And eventually we reached a solution that worked for us. Was it comfortable and easy? No. I'd have rather just come home pretended everything was fine and watched a movie. Was it the right thing to do for our marriage? Absolutely.
We were able to take a situation that could make or break a young marriage and use it to make our relationship stronger. And we really are a better team for it.
I try to remember that advice when the big things creep up. I'm not talking about the pile of clothes on the floor instead of in the hamper. Oh wait, those are mine. I'm talking about the BIG stuff. The stuff that eventually defines a marriage. The stuff that you know you won't sleep that night if you don't do the right way. Those are the things not to short change your marriage with by at least trying to talk it out.
Do I get it right every time? Not even close. But I keep trying... because I want to have the kind of marriage where my children complain about how gross and in love their parents are too.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday Treats
Need some fun or crafty ideas to try out this Tuesday? I've got you covered!
Also for those of you keeping track from Friday's post, I was down a total of 1.2 pounds in my first WW week. I'll keep you posted on my progress this week!
- Some adorable nursery decor ideas from Baby Cheapskate. I really want to try these!
- Rookie Moms' post on how to make a toddler playlist to help kids unwind before naptime. I wonder if this would work with a nine month old?
- Monthly photos to take with baby, again from Rookie Moms. I'm totally going to do these with our next little-y one. So cute!
- A great perspective on how its OK that motherhood is hard sometimes. My Mom Genes is a great site for lots of reasons, but this particular post really spoke to me.
Also for those of you keeping track from Friday's post, I was down a total of 1.2 pounds in my first WW week. I'll keep you posted on my progress this week!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Creating a Nursery on a Budget
Happy Monday! Head over to Baby Cheapskate for my guest post on putting together a nursery on a budget!
Plus there are fun pictures of Bink's nursery! In fact, here's a cute picture of Bink in his nursery to get you motivated. So go already!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Photo Friday With A Twist
I took this photo last weekend while I was learning all the settings on my new camera (hence the blue coloring). I love this picture because it really captures Bink's personality...always curious and looking for something to get into...and adorable. It helps his case that he's adorable.
Now here's the twist...in the mornings I listen to a great country station on my way to work. Every Friday the DJ asks listeners to call in and talk about what they got right that week. At first I thought it was really cheesy, but as I listened to people sharing things they were proud of (even really small things), it grew on me. I tried to think of something I'd gotten right this week. I could come up with a huge list of things I did wrong.
I called the baby by the dog's name (and our dog's name isn't even a human name...it's Buttons). I lost my temper with K over something stupid she hadn't done the way I wanted. I hadn't spent enough time with my husband, instead trying to cram a few hours of sleep in during the evenings before the Bink gets up at 1:30 a.m. like clockwork. Unreturned emails and phone calls. A to do list with nothing crossed off.
It was really easy to come up with things I didn't do well. It was a lot harder to come up with things I did right. So I'm going to ask you all each week, what did you get right? It doesn't matter how small, sometimes you need to celebrate putting your shoes on the right feet or remembering to brush your hair before you leave for work (or maybe its just me).
Here's what I got right...This week I started back on Weight Watchers. I've spent the last nine months hoping that the baby weight would come off with me just eating junk food and not exercising. Surprisingly, it hasn't. So, Monday morning I weighed myself, cringed a little, and wrote it down in a notebook. I've tracked everything I've eaten this week and while I haven't been perfect I've been pretty good. And I'm down a pound so far. I'll weigh in again Monday and I'm hoping for continued success.
So leave a comment and tell me what you got right this week! Or tell me how adorable Bink is getting into trouble in the picture above, I'll take either!
Hosted by Cecily and Kelli
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Upgrade
The Bink recently gave up his infant carrier to the relaxing, luxury of his big boy car seat. You can see him here testing out the new accommodations. I think the internal dialogue went something like this:
Why am I in this silly seat with only my shoe to play with?
Seriously? My shoe? Maybe Mommy doesn't realize this isn't a toy.
Ugh! And the paparazzi are back! I'm just sitting, nothing to see here!
Mooommy! I'm still in this seat and we're not even going anywhere. And I have no binky. And my overalls are too short.
Yawn. Well, if she is going to leave me here, I may as well get comfortable.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Things I Learned Today
Bink's daycare was closed today, so I took the day off to stay home with him. Here's what I learned today:
- Cat toys, especially jingly feathered ones, appeal to both cats and babies.
- A naked baby, left undiapered for only a few moments while a bath is drawn will pee all over your clean sheets. If the sheets are dirty, he won't even notice his diaper is off.
- If you spontaneously decide to give the baby a bath off his regular schedule, he will reward you trying to eat the plastic shower liner.
- Once you rediaper the clean baby, he will poop before you can even snap his onsie on.
- A baby can get his socks off before you even finish buckeling him in the car seat. If the socks miraculously make it until after you start the car, it's only because he was waiting until you were distracted by driving to try to eat them.
- Nothing is more entertaining to a baby than his reflection in a dressing room mirror.
- The best entertainment for a baby in a high chair is a few empty plastic sauce cups. He will spend most of lunch playing with them and throwing them on the floor instead of eating his baby food. Until...
- He realizes whatever you are eating for lunch is infinitely more appealing than both the plastic cups and his own baby food. Even if its only vegetables, beans, and rice.
- A baby can be cranky and screaming at his mommy, but if a stranger says hello he will light up and beam an adorable smile at them. When the passer-by is gone, its back to crank pot behavior.
- When a baby is being carried, all he wants is to get down. When he's down, all he wants is to be picked up.
- That one time you pick him up and he snuggles into, wraps his little baby arms around your neck, and gives you a slobbery, toothy kiss makes all the rest of it worthwhile.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Nine Months!
Dear Emerson,
You are nine months old today. It seems like that can't be, I swear I just brought you home from the hospital. I remember being so worried about you when you wouldn't gain weight fast enough. You had little tiny chicken legs and I thought they'd never plump up. Just look at you now! Mommy can hardly lift you, you are so heavy and tall!
You are turning into such a big boy and it's both wonderful and heartbreaking to watch you change so quickly. Gone are the days when you were content to cuddle with your Mommy on the couch for hours. Gone are the days I can even change your diaper without it feeling like I'm wrestling an alligator.
I'm so proud of the boy you are becoming. You are so curious and independent. You crawl all over the house like you own the place. You'd crawl anywhere we let you like that. You want to touch everything, put it in your mouth, teeth on it a little for good measure. You love to cruise along the couch, seeing what fun you can find. And you find fun and joy in everything, even crumpling up junk mail. And you make my life more fun simply because of your smile.
You babble and laugh all the time and you are FULL of opinions. You so expressive and its amazing to watch you find new sounds and noises to try out. You giggle to yourself when Daddy tickles you and you laugh out loud when Sissy plays with you. You so full of love and happiness every day.
You have your Daddy's handsome smile and beautiful blue eyes. And you love to share that smiles and bat those baby blues at anyone who comes near you. Grandma pointed out that people stare at you when we go places and they do. People stop me to tell me how handsome and cute and sweet and happy you are every time I take you anywhere. You seem to brighten people's days with your adorable little gummy grin.
You love to feed yourself and will stuff whole handfuls of rice in your little mouth. You do a happy dance in your high chair when you like your food or are feeling silly.
My favorite time of day is just before bed. You've had your dinner, taken a bath, gotten into snuggly pajamas...and then its just me and you. We cuddle up in the big bed and you nurse until you fall asleep. You make the sweetest little noises when you are sleepy and sometimes I snuggle with you for a while longer after you've fallen asleep. Then Daddy moves you to your comfy crib to sleep the night away (or at least until one a.m. when you need your midnight snack).
One day I'll look back on these middle of the night feedings and miss them, I think. I like having the quiet time with you, just the two of us. At four a.m. it's just you and me, buddy!
You changed my world nine months ago. I was not prepared for how much it was possible to love someone so tiny! Now that you're growing so much bigger, my love for you is growing too. I love you even more today than I did then. And I will love you more tomorrow. I will love you always.
Love,
Mommy
You are nine months old today. It seems like that can't be, I swear I just brought you home from the hospital. I remember being so worried about you when you wouldn't gain weight fast enough. You had little tiny chicken legs and I thought they'd never plump up. Just look at you now! Mommy can hardly lift you, you are so heavy and tall!
You are turning into such a big boy and it's both wonderful and heartbreaking to watch you change so quickly. Gone are the days when you were content to cuddle with your Mommy on the couch for hours. Gone are the days I can even change your diaper without it feeling like I'm wrestling an alligator.
I'm so proud of the boy you are becoming. You are so curious and independent. You crawl all over the house like you own the place. You'd crawl anywhere we let you like that. You want to touch everything, put it in your mouth, teeth on it a little for good measure. You love to cruise along the couch, seeing what fun you can find. And you find fun and joy in everything, even crumpling up junk mail. And you make my life more fun simply because of your smile.
You babble and laugh all the time and you are FULL of opinions. You so expressive and its amazing to watch you find new sounds and noises to try out. You giggle to yourself when Daddy tickles you and you laugh out loud when Sissy plays with you. You so full of love and happiness every day.
You have your Daddy's handsome smile and beautiful blue eyes. And you love to share that smiles and bat those baby blues at anyone who comes near you. Grandma pointed out that people stare at you when we go places and they do. People stop me to tell me how handsome and cute and sweet and happy you are every time I take you anywhere. You seem to brighten people's days with your adorable little gummy grin.
You love to feed yourself and will stuff whole handfuls of rice in your little mouth. You do a happy dance in your high chair when you like your food or are feeling silly.
My favorite time of day is just before bed. You've had your dinner, taken a bath, gotten into snuggly pajamas...and then its just me and you. We cuddle up in the big bed and you nurse until you fall asleep. You make the sweetest little noises when you are sleepy and sometimes I snuggle with you for a while longer after you've fallen asleep. Then Daddy moves you to your comfy crib to sleep the night away (or at least until one a.m. when you need your midnight snack).
One day I'll look back on these middle of the night feedings and miss them, I think. I like having the quiet time with you, just the two of us. At four a.m. it's just you and me, buddy!
You changed my world nine months ago. I was not prepared for how much it was possible to love someone so tiny! Now that you're growing so much bigger, my love for you is growing too. I love you even more today than I did then. And I will love you more tomorrow. I will love you always.
Love,
Mommy
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