I’m Here!

I’m here, I’m here, I’m here!

It’s crazy to me that 7 months have gone by since my last post, but at the same time, it almost seems longer.  I’ve thought about coming back to this space more and more over the past month or so, but couldn’t think of anything worth while.  Then, I decided that I didn’t give a shiz and I’d come and babble away anyway.

That, and we are about to kick of a big DIY project next weekend and I got super excited to document progress here.  But, I figured I ought to come back and check in before diving on in with that.

A lot of life has happened in seven months.  We celebrated Eddie’s first complete holiday season, his first BIRTHDAY, went to Mexico, and have crammed as much as we possibly can into every day with out sweet boy.  Craig and I are continually amazed at what a sweet, funny, lovable kiddo he is.  Don’t give me wrong – amigo has his moments, you know the ones…the ones where we look at each other like “can you please make your child stop it?” hahahaha

What else, what else?

I started spinning in November and it’s re-energized my genuine desire to get the gym.  I spin 3-4 times a week and Body Pump usually once a week.  I’m recently started seeing a chiropractor after being unable to finish a run without any hip/leg discomfort.  He’s a miracle worker and I’m hoping to complete a dualathon this fall.

I picked up crocheting like a crazy person.  I’ve crocheted scarves for Christmas gifts for years, but this winter I branched out to challenging myself with different stitches and patterns.  I even joined a Monday night crochet group with a girl from work!  I have 3 different projects going right now – but I’ve made mittens, hats, blankets, more scarves, a sweater for Eddie, a top for myself…I’m telling you, I have a serious addiction to it.  It’s so relaxing for me.

We are wrapping up a Spring session of music classes with Eddie.  The first couple of weeks were stressful – like, it wasn’t even fun.  He acted out, didn’t listen to directions, and whined almost the entire time.  But in week three, he finally “got” it.  I think he came to recognize the room and the people and really came out of his shell.  He loves it now.  He claps along to the songs and has the silliest dances, he grabs the instruments to jam out and he really likes watching the other kids.  Craig and I have enjoyed taking him together, interacting with him in a different way and just watching him interact with other kids his age.  I’m so glad we put ourselves out there to try it – I think we will be signing up for more sessions this summer or fall.

I have so much more I could ramble about, but I think that’s good for now!  I’m so excited to start sharing more of our lives, projects, and every day haps!

Daycare – And Why I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way

You may or may not remember about a year ago when the daycare search started and it was a traumatizing experience.  I wasn’t a “daycare kid,” and so it was hard to imagine my son being one.  Picking a place is a huge decision – you are literally entrusting strangers (at the time) with your child’s life and well-being.  TALK ABOUT STRESS.

For Craig, it was easier.  He went to daycare, so while he may not remember specifics, he knows that he wasn’t traumatized and he turned out okay, right? (That last part is debatable.)

Eddie is almost 8 months into his journey as a “daycare kid” and I can confidently say it is the best decision we could have ever made.  And I never, ever, ever, EVER would’ve thought those words would come from my mouth.  But, I had something happen this week that solidified that this has been the right decision for our family.

I got this picture when I was at work from his primary caregiver, Miss Shannon (I cropped out most of her face, I didn’t ask permission to share her mug on the internets).  What do you see?

I see: An incredibly happy child.  A child that is loved.  A child that feels safe.

It literally brought tears.  Happy tears.  Thankful tears.

It’s certainly taken me time to get here.  There were some rough mornings that, when we arrived to daycare, Eddie would reach for Miss Shannon.  And it would sting a bit.  But, I’m your mom.  It made me feel insecure that he was so comforted by her and the other women that care for him each day.

More recently though, Eddie has starting crawling.  And every evening that I arrive to pick him up, I get the biggest smile ever, the happiest squeal, and he barrels towards me.  He’s so happy to see me – every.single.night.  The older he gets, the better he is at expressing his emotions and his ability to do so has helped silence any insecurity I have felt.

The absence of that insecurity has also allowed me to take a step back and look at the situation in a different light.  Instead of it stinging that Eddie reaches for Miss Shannon or Miss Suzie or any other of the wonderful women that care for him – I am grateful.  He loves them so, so much – and it’s because they have shown him love and security.  What more can a mother possibly ask for!?  He spends his days being surrounded by so many people that truly love him.

The result of our family’s decision for me to work has meant that outside of special relationships with mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc – he has these “bonus” relationships at daycare.  I mean, can you really go wrong when you’re adding to your baby’s love tank?  I say no.

I’ve developed great relationships with “his girls” (as we lovingly call them).  He gets multiple “hello’s” when we arrive and multiple “goodbyes” when we leave.  I’m often stopped on my way in or out for someone to share a funny anecdote about something he did that day.  I’ve actually been followed out because someone “forgot to tell me and just had to share” the ridiculous conundrum Eddie got himself into that day.  I mean, really.  All signs point to a great group of women that take great care of my child.

I go to work every day and feel good about it.  It’s a social outlet for me, I like my coworkers, and I enjoy my work.  Being able to recharge allows me to come home and be a better mom to Eddie.  I think it gives me greater patience.  More appreciation.  More love.

I am not every woman.  I am not here to say that my being a working mom makes me better than a mom that stays at home.  It doesn’t.  Just like a mom that stays at home isn’t better than me.  I am here for the women that had the same fear I did.  Fear of the unknown.  I’m here to tell you that it will be okay.  You’ll find a situation that works for you.  That little face up there says so.

Edison – 10 Month Update

With a mobile, independent baby – gone are the days of getting decent monthly shots.  This all happened in the matter of 3 minutes.  No joke.

So, I missed a few months.  Honestly, many of the months blur together.  Things develop so slowly, you hardly notice anything at all.  And then the kid went and started crawling.  And growing teeth.  And pulling up on things.  Opening drawers.  Rolling over (finally).

The day Eddie turned 9 months old was the first morning I went into his bedroom and found him asleep on his stomach.  He had rolled just TWICE before that day.  That’s it!  Now he’s a rolling machine.

Just a couple weeks later, he was crawling.  He never really practiced or tried crawling – he just did it one day.  Seriously.  Even the girls at school were shocked – one day he showed up and started crawling.  We were convinced he might not crawl because his noggin is large and he has a lot of weight to haul around.

And along with crawling came pulling up and opening all sorts of drawers and cabinets.  Our world has been turned upside down.  Baby proofing is high on the to-do list and the pack and play and taken up permanent residence in the living room.  Gone are the days of plopping Eddie down and floor and knowing he would be safe.  Now, I turn around for 10 seconds and he’s already across the room.

Seriously – all of those things happened in the last 4 weeks.  It blows my mind.

He’s a feisty little sucker, too.  Thankfully, 95% of the time, he is easy-going, albeit extremely mischievous.  But, dang, the minute you take that empty Gatorade bottle away or don’t shovel food into his mouth fast enough – a meltdown ensues.  He gets over it pretty quickly, but for that 30 seconds my blood pressure sky rockets and I want to crawl into a ball on the floor.

No talking yet, but the different kinds of sounds he makes are increasing.  His laughter is infectious and his eyes literally sparkle when he is happy.  He grunts when he eats something he likes.  He communicates often by blowing raspberries.  The variety of sounds he can make leave me wondering if perhaps he hasn’t completely created his own language.

He loves to wave and clap.  His “wave” is perhaps the most pitiful, adorable thing I’ve ever seen.  His whole arm just kind of flaps around and he gets the biggest grin on his face.  He’s so proud.  The clapping comes about when he’s super excited and/or LOVES what he is getting for dinner.

Him and Myles are still big buddies.  Myles is so tolerant of the pulling, pinching, and grabbing.  Eddie will reach and grab his bone while Myles is chewing and Myles just rolls with it.  If you know anything about Myles, you know that Nylabones are literally an addiction for him.  Rudy and Myles get pretty possessive over them.  But, Eddie can reach in, grab the bone and Myles lets him.  Never an ounce of aggression.  Ever.

Rudy on the other hand?  Doesn’t love Eddie.  The minute Eddie comes near, Rudy gets up and walks away.  He’s growled at Eddie a few times and I wouldn’t trust to leave him unattended with Eddie.  If we are present, I have no concern over Eddie playing on the floor with Rudy around, but don’t have the same comfort level with Rudy as I do with Myles.

Craig is still the super awesome dad that he was the last time I checked in.  One of our favorite things to do is to just sit and watch Eddie take in the world.  We don’t talk – we just watch.  And laugh.  I love it.

What else, what else?  His hair is most certainly curly and it melts my heart.  After bath time it’s pure perfection – those ringlets!   He’s still huge – in the 100%ile.  At his last visit he was 2’7″ tall and 29 lbs.  He’s still very proportionate, just a big dude.  He wears 24 month and 2T clothing; size 4 shoes.  He hates hats of all kinds.  He loves Gerber puffs and though he can hold his bottle, refuses to 80% of the time.  He prefers to be served. 😉  High maintenance babe.  He isn’t a picky eater, though, and has eaten everything from fish to broccoli, carrots, pb&j, oranges, pears…kid hasn’t met a food group he doesn’t love.  But, he really loves his carbs.  #gotitfromhismama

What do I think is on the horizon?  He’s started self-weaning himself off of his bink.  We have it on stand-by if he becomes inconsolable, but otherwise has gone about a week without it on a consistent basis.  This is totally his own doing – we noticed that he started leaving it laying around, so we just picked it up and didn’t give it back unless he “asked” for it.  We still willingly give it at nap and bedtime, but mostly for selfish reasons – we want to sleep, too. 🙂  I had been a little worried about that transition, but turns out – he’s doing it for us.

I really think he will be walking by the time he hits 12 months.  He can’t stand himself up without pulling up on something, but if I stand him up and let go he has pretty good balance!  He also LOVES to be on the go and once he figures out how much more efficient it is to do it on 2 limbs rather than 4, I don’t think there will be any stopping him.

I can’t believe we have a 10 month old!  We love you, Big E!

Five on Friday – I’m Back Edition!

My favorite posts to read all week long are weekly “favorite” posts.  Having been MIA for a little bit, I have a backlog of some favorites to share with you all!  This week, I’ll share a little bit of everything.  Let’s get this party started!

.o.n.e.

When I drove to Tennessee in August, I knew I couldn’t make the solo trip depending on my short playlist of favorite singles.  I downloaded Serial and fell in love with podcasts.  Since then, I’ve added some other favorites including: Spawned, Note to Self, RadioLab, and Happier.  Happier and Spawned are my favorite to listen to during my commute to and from work and they’re the perfect length.

.t.w.o.

Amazon Music!  This is new to me and it’s amazing.  We purchased Amazon Prime a couple of months ago and I had no idea that I could create playlists and listen to their entire library of music!!  Gone are my days of buying songs on iTunes.  Greatest thing ever.

.t.h.r.e.e.

Fall weather.  Oh em gee.  It’s my favorite time of year.  September stayed SO hot in Wisconsin (uppers 80’s and 90!).  This week we hit a MAJOR cool down and temps are where they should be in the upper 50’s and 60’s.  It’s a dream.  Colors are just starting to change, the sun has been shining, and the temperature has been perfect!  Side note: While that isn’t my photo, Craig and I drove that road last week in Door County on our anniversary getaway.  So pretty.

.f.o.u.r.

Instagram/Etsy shopping – I follow so many adorable shops on Instagram.  Part of the reason that I took my October challenge is because of all the wonderful things I keep finding (and buying).  Some of my most recent purchases include the adorable green Sophie hoodie from Evy’s Tree.  Pricey, yes – but I buy them on sale.  AND they wear and wash great and can be dressed up or dressed down.  One of my favorite bloggers, Bonnie, recently opened up a shop called Hey June.  I purchased a sapphire necklace to commemorate my wedding month.  And finally, I recently bought Eddie a pair of those buffalo plaid jeans from Dudley Denim.  I missed out twice before finally snagging a pair before sellout last weekend.  He will be such a little stud wearing those this fall.  Instagram: My new favorite way to shop.

.f.i.v.e.

These pipSquigz are amazing.  Small enough to tuck into any bag and entertaining enough to keep our 10 month old happy for an extended period of time.  They easily suction to high chairs and tables and Eddie loves to pull them off because of the noise they make (“pop”).  They rattle, too.  And he loves to suck on them and throw them on the ground (and promptly begin sucking on them again when I hand it back – gross).  These were on a wishlist for Eddie way back when, and GiGi delivered.  We love ’em.

Linking up with April and Christina!

A Challenge For October

Oh, hey.

I’ve just been over here living life with the most awesome little person on the face of the planet.  I’m obviously not biased.

I’ve been keeping up with you all behind the scenes, reading blogs on the reg.  It just seems that after bedtime, I’m much more content reading about you all versus articulating any of my own thoughts.  Thinking is hard, guys.  It’s even harder when you have an extra human being to keep alive.  My  mind often is consumed with diapers and bottles and “Oh my gosh, is this food cut up small enough so he won’t choke? Wait, is it TOO small and he WILL choke!?”  It’s glamorous.  And I love it.

ANYwho.

For about a month now, I’ve thought about coming back to this space.  So, here I am.  Did I mention that procrastination is also a new trait of mine?  Sleep trumps all, folks.  Sleep. Trumps. All.

So, why am I here today?

Some time ago I wrote a post about my experience with Mint.  Mint has been the single thing that had gotten me on track with a budget.  And I was doing pretty good!  And then I had a baby.  Eddie has his own “budget” for clothes, formula, etc.  Turns out Eddie can’t stick to a budget.  TINY BABY SHOES.  HE NEEDS THAT SILICONE BANANA TOOTHBRUSH.  AND THE CHEAP PLASTIC STACKING RINGS.  THAT GIANT TEDDY BEAR!?  IT’S SO FLUFFY.  ALL. THE. THINGS.

Add to all of that, the fact that I have somehow managed to GAIN weight rather than lose it, leading to the purchase of clothes that I’m sad fit me comfortably. Blah, blah, blah – all of that to say that I’ve become a woman spending money like MAD.

What does one do when her husband has to sit her down to kindly remind her that money doesn’t grow on trees?

Irrationally blurt out that you vow to not spend a penny for A MONTH.

Yes.  I’m an idiot.

But, then he said that he didn’t think I could do it.  So, obviously, I have to.  Just to prove him wrong.  Because that’s what I do.

I’ve told my friends and coworkers (and all of you!) with the hope that it will help me stay motivated to prove my husband wrong.  I CAN do this.  However, upon telling my friends and coworkers – they’re reaction was along the lines of “why on earth would you do that to yourself!?”

Because: I’m an idiot.  But now, it’s about proving my husband wrong.  Whatever it takes, I guess?

Now, don’t you worry.  We won’t starve.  I’m still shopping for food and other things necessary for survival – it just means I’m passing on the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, that super adorable outfit, and all the adorable itty bitty baby shoes.  I CAN DO IT.

Checking in!

I feel like life is so good, but I feel like it’s been super routine – nothing special to read about!  Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been up to.

the original four

My parents were in town for about a week.  They hadn’t seen Eddie since he was a month old.  I think they were pretty shocked (because they said so!) at how big Eddie has gotten.  I took a day off of work to hang out with them and my mom took Eddie for another day instead of taking him to school.  It was so fun watching Eddie get loved on by my parents.  He isn’t a huge fan of strangers – he can stay pretty reserved – but he opened up pretty quickly.  I’m thinking he recognizes them from the few times we’ve been able to facetime.  I’m already looking forward to their next visit!

We’ve also spent time with other family on both sides of my family.  I don’t see them often because of distance, so June has been a special month full of family.  We have some get-togethers coming up with Craig’s side, too.  Busy, busy!

Happy Father’s Day!

Craig celebrated his first Father’s Day!  He is such a good dad.  Really.  Eddie just adores him – Craig is clearly the favorite right now.  I’m okay with that, too.  I get lots of snuggles and smiles – but man, the kid just lights up like no other when Craig comes around.  It makes my heart so happy.

Anxiously awaiting the doc

Eddie had his follow up with the Craniofacial Specialist.  I was so nervous for this appointment.  HOWEVER.  It went better than I could’ve hoped.  Eddie does NOT need a helmet!  HOORAY.  His measurements are still out of whack (his head is still wider than it is deep), but it’s showing some improvement.  Also, the doctor told us that helmets only help for children that have a flat spot; Eddie’s head is symmetrically flat.  I don’t know the science behind the “why,” all I care is it means that I don’t need to stock up on sweet decals for a helmet.  He also assured us that his head will continue to improve since he is sitting up so well and when he gets more hair it will be even harder to tell.

So what’s on deck for the rest of the summer?  Craig and I are headed to Summerfest for a date night.  I’m searching for a weekend to get to Nashville to see my girlfriends (I MISS THEM SO MUCH).  One of my dear friends is getting married in the fall, so that means I have a bachelorette party coming up – party, party!  And Craig has a family reunion.  Just enough to keep us busy, but not overwhelmed. I’m looking forward to it!

Hope you’ve enjoyed your first days of summer!

Edison – 6 Month Update

Each month is truly proving to be better than the last.  This month brought a lot of development and firsts.  But, even more than that – the more time that goes by, the more we realize that we have a cool kid.  Like, he’s really neat.  His personality is awesome – he’s such a character.  He is just so much fun.

height
2′ 6″
100%ile

weight
24lb 4oz
100%ile

head
18.27″
99%ile

naps
Since we’ve brought Eddie home, I’ve been a crazy person about bedtime routine, naps…notsomuch.  He still doesn’t have a schedule – we simply allow him to sleep when he is tired.  Lucky for us, he can sleep anywhere…including bowling alleys and Brewer games.

clothing
Well, he is solidly into 12 month clothing.  Depending on the brand, some of it is a bit snug, but the next size up is all too big.

bedtime/sleeping
He still dictates his bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30.  He sleeps through the night without eating, but we may be up just once to give him back his bink.  I’m incredibly grateful for his sleep!

eating
BIG MONTH!!  We started solids!  I thought that I’d try baby-led weaning.  Yeah, that lasted all of 2 days.  I hated the mess and Eddie was just happier if we helped him get the food into his belly.  So, I bought a Baby Brezza and I LOVE IT.  All I have to do is chop up the veggies/fruit – turn it on, walk away and in as little as 15 minutes later, I have baby food!  It’s awesome.

I’m certainly not opposed to store-bought food – and purchased some organic pouches to take with us if we are out and about.  And if it came down to it, I’d feed Eddie just about anything if he was hungry (child gets hangry real fast), but my preference is to know exactly what his little belly is ingesting.  Please remember this is coming from the mother who will give him tummy time on our floors – and having two dogs means that he often gets a mouthful of fur.  So, take it all with a grain of salt.

I also haven’t been following the rule suggesting that you introduce a new food no more than once every 3 days.  I guess it’s easier to identify allergies that way.  And I know that’s important, but we haven’t had any issues thus far with me throwing caution to the wind and throwing all sorts of variety at him.

development
Blowing raspberries like it’s his job.  So much, that there was even one night that Craig asked what we could do to make him stop.  hahahahahahah.  I never got tired of it – and still think it’s hilarious.

He can also sit up solo, but if he turns his head too quick, he will topple over.  His core strength is SO good, but he still isn’t rolling.  He’s only done it twice (tummy to back) unassisted.  I asked his doctor about it and her response was simply “maybe he just doesn’t like to roll.”  Alrighty then.  But, in all seriousness, she did say that he is more stable when he is sitting up than most kids his age, so it’s all give and take.  And truthfully, with his noggin, I can’t say I’m super surprised that he doesn’t dig the rolling tricks.

likes/dislikes
He loves food.  He smiles and coos all through dinner time.  But gets real mad if I don’t scoop it up fast enough!  He hasn’t come across a puree that he doesn’t love!

He loves getting kisses from Myles and has started reaching for him to get the kisses.  So, while I want to be conscious of what I’m feeding my kid, if I turn my back, my dog is licking his face.  So what?

He still hates tummy time.  And being hot.  This summer should be super fun.

other notes
He still has eczema pretty bad on the back of his legs.  Itchy kid.  His doctor indicated that some studies have shown that it could be an indication that he is more susceptible to allergies.  She then advised us to give him peanut butter sooner rather than later because other studies have shown that early introduciton can help deter a peanut allergy.  OMG I would want to DIE if my kid had a peanut allergy.  I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER.  So within 24 hours, you better believe I was offering peanut butter.  I’m happy to report that there has been no reaction.  #hallelujah

We have our follow up appointment with the Craniofacial specialist in couple weeks.  Truthfully, I’ve seen significant improvement in his head shape just within the last week or so – I’m still hopeful we can avoid the helmet.  But, if not, I’ve already tracked down a baller tshirt Eddie will wear that says “Helmet hair, don’t care.”  He will OWN that shiz if he has to.

mama/papa updates
We are good, good, good!  No complaints!  I know more than anyone that life is full of peaks and valleys and we’ve been living through a pretty awesome peak lately.  Craig and I get along pretty dreamily 99.9% of the time and Eddie is a saint.  The dogs can drive me batty sometimes, but we still love ’em.  All happy news.

Big E’s first Brewers game!

Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn

Remember that time I told you that you might get three posts in a week.  And then only got one? Blogging is hard these days.  I can’t even say I don’t have the time or energy.  I’m just lazy.  And I’d rather spend my evenings catching up reading about all of you than sharing my own boring daily haps.

We did manage to get out of the house on a week night (gasp!) with Edison to enjoy dinner with friends a couple weeks ago.  Having a kid that goes to bed at 7pm makes week night plans awfully challenging.  But, we made plans to be prepared – and though dinner didn’t start until 6:30, we managed!

It was so much fun to get out of the house and break up our routine a little bit.  Plus, Eddie got to meet three more of our friends!  I hadn’t seen them since before Eddie was born.  Yikes.  We literally had plans with two of them the week Eddie was born, but I wasn’t feeling so hot, so we canceled in hopes of doing it that weekend.  But then, Eddie had to go and be born on Friday and totally hijack our lives.  The nerve.

We then had plans with them to enjoy dinner in their new home a couple months ago and then Eddie had to go and get sick for like a month straight, so once again, we had to cancel.  I mean, the kid was literally shitting on people.  I can’t take my explosive baby into a new home!

But, we finally made it happen.  And it was so much fun.

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo (since our dinner date was on May 5th!) we obviously had a Mexican themed evening.  As I was madly searching the interwebs for a stellar side dish to bring, I stumbled across this Mexican Street Corn recipe.  Yes, please.

I didn’t want the hassle of grilling corn, nor did I want to expect our gracious hosts to do it for me, so I decided I would just deconstruct it into a yummy side dish!

Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn

2 Tbs olive oil

4 c frozen yellow corn, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

3 Tbs crumbled feta cheese, plus more for garnishing*

2 Tbs mayo

2 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp ancho or guajillo chili powder

Juice from two limes

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add corn and stir occasionally until toasted.  Add garlic and remove from heat to cool.

In a bowl, combine the toasted corn mixture with remaining ingredients.  Garnish with feta cheese.

You can easily adjust the amount of cheese, mayo, cilantro, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to satisfy your taste buds.  Enjoy!

*You could use cotija, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me.  Feta was a great sub!

///

 I think this would be a great dish to bring to any BBQ this summer.  Lots of flavor and it can be served at room temperature!

 

Edison – 5 Month Update

You guys.  Seriously.  Being a mom is the most favorite thing I have ever done in my entire life.  Eddie is, like, the coolest person I’ve ever met.  I want him to grow up and talk and play – but at the same time I’m devastated that he is already big enough to laugh and interact.  I want time to hurry up and slow down.  I feel all the feelings, all the time.  Ugh.

height
still huge
weight
still huge
head
still flat.  and huge.

naps
I should just take this part out.  The kid doesn’t know what a nap is.  He cat naps if we/school are lucky.  Otherwise he just goes all day long.

clothing
Some 9 month and some 12 month.  hahahahaha.  He’s huge.  Still proportional, though!  He’s in size 4 diapers, too.  No one can believe he is “only” as old as he is.  I had a “moment” in Target this week when I was looking for more sleepers for him.  …I had to go to the toddler section and buy legitimate pajamas.  Like pants and a top.  They didn’t have any sleepers big enough for him.  I got emotional.  No, I’m not kidding.  Dramatic, maybe.  But kidding, that I am not.

bedtime/sleeping
Between 6:30 and 7:30 depending on his mood.  Some nights he’s probably “ready” by 6pm, but we hold out in hopes he will sleep later the next morning.  And other nights, he’s pretty wide awake at 7:30, but we put him down anyway.  Our bedtime routine really helps him wind down and once he is in his crib, very rarely do we have to go back in for him.  There have been a couple exceptions, but I’m fairly certain those instances included growth spurts and/or just not feeling well.  He definitely hasn’t gotten to a point where he messes with us and tries to prolong bedtime.

eating
We started added rice cereal last month, as recommended by his pediatrician.  We had backed off the amount of formula we were giving him because we thought he was developing acid reflux.  Well, since adding the rice cereal, he very rarely spits up anymore.  And he’s back to eating the same amount he previously was at each sitting.  I’m happy we were able to easily resolve that!  Little boy loves to eat and it could’ve been a real headache trying to get any stomach issues resolved!

development
His core is so much stronger.  Since seeing the craniofacial specialist last month, we’ve been super OCD about him being on his back.  We’ve asked his teachers to literally record the amount of time he spends in the saucer, the bumbo, tummy time, etc.  When he is home with us (and awake), he is either in his go-pod or being held 80% of the time.  He will spend a little time in his monkey chair now and then simply because he does tire out and we have things we need to get done.

Truthfully, I think I see improvement in his head shape.  Yes, it’s still flat, however it’s gaining a little bit of shape.  Whether or not it’s enough to avoid a helmet next month, I have no idea, but I feel like we are moving in the right direction.  Fingers crossed!

He can also “stand” now.  Obviously we are holding his hands, but he can lock out his legs and stand for a decent stretch of time.  He looks like such a big kid!

likes/dislikes
He loves this orange ball thing I bought at Target awhile back.  It’s easy for him to hold.  It rattles and it’s brightly colored.  He also enjoys trying to shove it into his mouth, however it’s about 15x bigger than his mouth, so that’s never going to happen.

He loves eating his hands, too.  Whether they are mittened or not, they’re frequently in his mouth.  He hasn’t tried sucking on any fingers, so I figure it’s harmless.

He also loves mornings.  He never ever cries in the morning.  Even if he wakes up, I can take my time getting to him because he will just talk to himself until we arrive with a bottle.  The smile I get every single morning, first thing, is my absolute favorite thing about my day.  It’s so big and genuine.  It’s like he’s truly happy to see me.  It melts my heart.  And while he is so happy and content in the morning, if he wakes up in the middle of the night he YELLS until we go in to give him back his bink.  I have no idea how he differentiates between night time waking and morning waking, but I’m not complaining!

He still hates being surprised with loud noises or sudden movements.  Does any kid enjoy that, though?  He also doesn’t enjoy tummy time, but he isn’t rolling over yet, so it’s a necessary evil.

other notes
I’ve had a couple people ask about his mittens and/or if there is anything wrong with his hands.  No, there is nothing wrong with his hands, but I appreciate your concern!  We have to mitten him in an effort to get his face to heal.  He still has that spot on the side of his face that hasn’t healed.  He keeps after it something fierce.  We do give him supervised “breaks,” from them, but we have to watch him like a hawk because he starts scratching like crazy.  We are still working through other skin irritation issues, but we may have a resolution.  Time will tell!

mama/papa updates
We are darn good.  I can’t remember the last time I had a truly bad day.  (Don’t hate me for saying that.)  That doesn’t mean that Craig and I don’t ever argue or that my child doesn’t have the occasional epic meltdown.  Those things definitely happen.  But, gosh, when they do, they’re such a small part of my otherwise wonderful day.  Motherhood has calmed me down a little bit (I thought it would do the opposite to this type-A girl) and I’m so much better at rolling with the punches.  Not perfect – but better.

I love, love, love watching Craig with Eddie.  He’s such a good dad.  He’s really proactive and really involved.  I’ve known for some time that I married a great husband, but every day I see more and more that I married a great dad, too. (awwwww)

In Eddie’s 5th month – it was Week of the Child at school.  We didn’t have stuff for all of the themes, but we did for a couple!  Hat day, track suit day, and sunglasses day are below.  We didn’t have a track suit, but we figured he could be a ref instead!  And he didn’t have sunglasses at the time (he’s been hooked up now), but he had that cute onesie in his closet to wear.  I loved getting him dressed up.  Just imagine if I have a little girl someday.  Oh boy!

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I’m super pumped for the next couple of months.  Craig’s birthday is coming super quickly and June means a visit from mama and papa G!  And a couple of my aunts!  I so rarely get time with “my side” of the family, I’m just tickled that I will have so much of it jam-packed into June!

Layered Taco Dip

Okay.  So, here’s the thing about this dip:

It’s easy. Like, so easy I actually had time to make it.  Take pictures of it.  AND blog about it.

Holy moly.

I know.

That’s pretty damn easy.

Before we get to that – how is everyone!?  I’ve totally dropped off the face of the planet.  I’m sorry (but, not really).  And don’t worry, I’ll have Eddie’s five month update coming this week.  Once I’m over the fact that Eddie is five months old.

Time is flying.

In a nutshell: life is busy. But, good.  Oh, so good.

Big E is healthy.  Big E is happy.  I still love my job.  Craig is still a superstar spouse (99.9% of the time). The dogs are still nuts.  Pretty much the status quo these days.  You might even get a third post from me this week to catch you all up.  Don’t hold me to it.

So.  This dip.  The dip that I slightly altered from this recipe.  I mean, it’s embarrassingly easy as it was originally posted, but I needed to throw this together in .005 seconds in order for Craig to take it Thursday night to a “party” where he watched the first round of the NFL draft with a bunch of other people that actually cared.  I guess Eddie and I didn’t care enough.  (In truth, I didn’t care at all.  In case you were wondering.)  But, it was good for him to get out of the house and be social without the little rugrat and his nagging wife.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo!

Layered Taco Dip
1 oz taco seasoning
16 oz refried beans
8 oz cream cheese
16 oz sour cream
16 oz salsa
small bag shredded lettuce
12 oz sliced black olives, drained
2 c cheddar cheese

Mix taco seasoning and refried beans together, set aside.
Blend together cream cheese and sour cream, set aside.
In a serving dish layer bean mixture, followed by sour cream mixture.  Pile on the salsa, lettuce, and cheese.  Finish it off with all the black olives your little heart desires.

And you’re done.

Also – as a side note – those Tostito’s Cantina Thin and Crispy chips are my favorite.  So much crunch.  So light.  So delicious.  Quite breakable, but I manage, so I’m sure you can too!

Enjoy your Sundays, loves!