Shake It

LBB spent the evening over at his PaPa, GiGi, and Auntie's house...and before we left, he got to spend a little time "playing" Auntie's WII game Just Dance.

And it was stinkin' adorable. :)

First, his little head would start bobbing. Then, he'd start bobbing his whole body up and down...

...and then, while Outkast's song Hey-a played, he shook his little baby bottom to the "Shake it, sh-shake it, shake it like a Polaroid picture" part. It was so cute! My mom tried to get some video of it, but as soon as LBB saw the camera he decided he was done. :)

He loves music so much, and I love watching him dance. :) Even when he was still itty-bitty, he'd sit in his car seat and bob his head up and down in rythm to whatver song was on the radio. He was born to dance.

No TV!

Two weeks ago, when our LBB was feeling very under the weather, all he wanted to do was sit on my lap and watch tv. He didn't want to read. He didn't want to look at a toy. Just tv.

And, at the time, I figured that he was resting, and it's always nice to be able to watch tv when you don't feel well, especially for a little guy who is only allowed a half hour of PBS Kids each day. :) (His favorites? Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, and Curious George. He liked Cat in the Hat for a while, but the episodes began to repeat themselves, and he picked up on it.)

But now.

Oh goodness.

Now I can't get him to sit and read with me for the life of me! There was a time when he would sit, be read to, and then read it to himself. But now, between a newfound discovery of television and all the walking he has been doing, LBB wants little to do with a book. So, this week, we are undergoing a little family experiment...no tv with LBB until Saturday.

And not that I have a problem with watching tv...I think if done in moderation, and if the content is educational, television can be useful for little ones. :) That is why when he does watch it, it is on PBS and only for a short amount of time. Before he got sick, he'd actually only watch 15 minutes and then be off. Now he could sit there for hours if you'd let him. :(

I'm hoping that this week off will help in get back in the swing of reading. :) We have a bag full of library books that we haven't even read...and we've had them for two weeks. That is completely unheard of! Normally, LBB and I finish a whole bag of books within a week. I miss reading with my little boy!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I've always loved Christmas, and once my Dear Sweet Hubby and I got married, I spent most Christmases wishing we had a little one in the house. :) And for good reason, as I can see now! Little ones add so much to Christmas...and I know this will become even more true over the next few years as LBB really gets into Christmas and knows what it is about!

Today we spent the morning coloring pictures of the Christmas story and reading his Children's Bible. :) I showed him one of his Shleich sheep and explained how shepherds take care of sheep. As we read the Christmas story from his Bible, everytime I said "Baby Jesus" LBB did the sign language sign for baby. (Such a smartie...now if I can just get him to say it!)

After he wakes up from his nap (which is really a second part of his morning nap...he woke up for a few minutes, quickly showed he was still very sleepy, and was promptly cuddled and tucked into his bed), we are going to make some cookies for Santa and listen to some Christmas music. Then soon after Dear Sweet Hubby should be home, and we can enjoy the beginning of a 2 1/2 day vacation with Daddy!

I love the holidays...but I love them even more now that I am a mommy. I love being in the kitchen and hearing a present being unwrapped by a sweet little boy who doesn't know any better yet. :) I love putting my LBB to bed and having the light of his Christmas tree filling his room. I love cuddling up on the couch and watching Christmas movies and reading Christmas stories. So many new memories...so many treasured moments.

And it's not even Christmas yet! Have a very merry Christmas just in case I don't post tomorrow!!!!

One Going on Terrible Twos

My goodness.

If the terrible two's are worse than this...I'm going to be eligible for sainthood or something. :)

Is it normal for a one-year old to throw a fit that can rival that of a three year old? I'm not sure if it is or not, but it's like someone flipped a switch on LBB. Two weeks ago, he was a sweet, semi-calm (he still had his moments), fairly well behaved little guy. (OK...he did have some issues causing trouble, but in comparison to now, that was nothing. LOL.)

Then BAM! He went from that to throwing himself on the floor, arching his back, screaming, and kicking when he doesn't get his way...which is apparently a lot in his opinion. Up until this evening, all the tantrums were at home.

And then, we went to Target.

And apparently, LBB did not want to do any more Christmas shopping for Daddy. So, he started fussing the moment I put him in the cart. By the time we got to the back of the store, it was full fledged crying. And me, being the softie I am, decided to pick him up out of the cart and push the cart all while holding 25 pounds of toddler.

However, that only pleased him for another 5 minutes or so...by which point he was now squirming, trying to flip out of my arms, and clearly getting frustrated. I let him walk a bit, since apparently that was what he wanted and he felt it necessary to show all the other Target patrons his newfound independence. And his newfound ability to bonk his head on displays.

At which point...

...I did what any good mother would do, but what any independent, stubborn, strong-willed toddler boy would find inapprehensible. I tried putting him back in the cart.

And that unleashed it...the first full-fledged temper tantrum that LBB has thrown in public. I'm talking red faced, screaming, kicking tantrum. Pushing his feet against the cart in an effort to evade my efforts. And, once I got him buckled in, screaming so loud that we made the people in a ten-foot vicinity practially put rocket boosters on their feet and leave the area.

Serious. :)

I was that mom with the screaming kid in the store that couldn't do a whole lot more than try to gently tell him that everything was ok and that he had to sit in the cart.

Thankfully, however, LBB decided within 1 minute or so that his screaming was not getting him anywhere, and had gone back to peaceful, pleasant LBB. Whew.

Needless to say, while I should be cleaning and finishing up a few last minute Christmas gifts, I am sitting in front of this computer, drinking a nice cold Pepsi, and letting my brain "defrag" from a day's worth of temper tantrums. :)

One Very Special Daddy

Two nights a week, Dear Sweet Hubby works the closing shift and doesn't get home until hours after LBB's bedtime.

But, on the nights that Dear Sweet Hubby is home for bedtime, he always reads LBB's cross to him. "Dear Jesus, Please watch over me. The world is so big and I am still so very small. Amen." Sometimes it is changed to "So very sleepy." Or "So very medium." But, every night, it is Dear Sweet Hubby's job to read the cross.

So, needless to say, on those nights that LBB goes to bed before Daddy gets home, one of the guys in our home felt terrible that that little bedtime routine would be missed (yep, you guessed it, it was Dear Sweet Hubby. But I must add that LBB seemed to miss it too, and Mommy is definitely not as good at this part of the bedtime routine. :) ) So Dear Sweet Hubby got an idea...

...on the nights that he works late, LBB and I call Dear Sweet Hubby at work, put the phone on speakerphone, and my wonderful, sweet, loving hubby says the verse for LBB.

Sweet, isn't it? Everytime he closes, I am reminded of how very very very much my Dear Sweet Hubby loves LBB (as if I needed a reminder!) There was one night that I knew Dear Sweet Hubby was swamped at work, so we made do without calling, and my hubby was upset about it when he came home! Now that's dedication!!!!

LBB at One Year

OK. So, since I normally did a monthly post about what LBB was up to, I had to remind myself to do it for this month despite the general busyness that has been going on around here! But, it's not so busy anymore (yay!) and life is returning to it's semi-slower pace. :)

From 11 months to 12 months LBB learned lots, and subsequently, became more of a toddler than a baby. :)

• The day after his birthday, he started walking. He had been taking a few steps here and there, but they were mostly "accidental" steps. The day after his birthday, soon after we got home from the doctor, LBB decided that he was ready to walk. And walk he did. Now he walks almost everywhere, and is finally learning how to stand up from sitting position without having to pull up on something.
• Can use a fork or spoon...when he feels like it. He can "stab" his food and feed himself, but more often than not, he'd prefer us to do the "stabbing" and then hand the fork to him.
• He is a chatty little man. He can say actual words when he feels like it, but, same as with walking and nearly every other developmental milestone, only does it when he really feels like it. :)
• Loves reading aloud to us. He'll take the book out of our hands and begin telling us the story. It's absolutely adorable and yet another affirmation that I am doing a good job of instilling a love of reading.
• Loves to play music. On anything and everything...pots and pans. The wall. The table. You name it...if it's a hard, flat surface, it becomes musical.
• Is a BIG fan of sorting things into containers. It's quite comical, because everything needs to be put in a spot. In the bathtub, instead of playing with his Thomas the Train bath toy, he has to put Thomas in the little blue house. He loves his Schleich animals...especially putting them in empty wipe containers. Books go in bins. Blocks go in baskets. And Little People get put under his bed in the trundle. He is very obsessive about sorting!
• He loves fingerpainting. We got him a little smock at IKEA and it is perfect for fingerpainting...now he doesn't require a bath everytime he paints. Just half the time. LOL!
• Is a very fickle eater...I'm not exaggerating here. I am almost always worrying if he is getting enough to eat. His pediatrician says he will eat when he is hungry. But sometimes I think he is just being stubborn even if he is just hungry. But, when he does eat, he is a big fan of jelly sandwiches and mini beef raviolis. Definitely not the healthiest, but I always keep some of each on hand so if worst comes to worst, he is actually eating something. :( We have also had some issues with milk...when he was born, we had to put him on partial-whey formula because his eczema was so bad and that was the only thing that helped. When we switched over to whole milk, that darn eczema popped back up. We are currently trying out soy milk to see if that helps. Fingers crossed that it does!
• LBB is very good at letting us know what he wants. That's nice!!! A far cry from when he was itty-bitty and had to cry for everything. Now he'll point for his water. Reach for a pacifier (which we are adamently working on making disappear.) And even point to which color he wants next when painting.
• Loves the Christmas tree. And since GiGi showed him how to figure out what is in presents, loves to investigate the gifts under the tree. :)
• And he loves throwing things. Sigh. It was cute at first because he laughed like crazy when he did it. But now, it's everything he sees that gets thrown. We went to the library and my ban-shee little boy was throwing books off the shelf. Same at Barnes and Noble. He gets a kick out of winging his Schleich animals across the room. And laughs hysterically when he throws food on Cat #2. Trouble. With a capital T. :)

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I will remember more...if I do, I'll post later. I definitely need to round up the weight and height measurements from his last appointment, but I'm not in the mood to right now. :)

A Sesame Street Birthday Celebration

The blizzard did not get the memo that it was supposed to wait until after my little man's birthday party. :) Unfortunately, the roads were treacherous and not many people were able to make it. But, family was there and we all had a wonderful time nevertheless!

LBB was a little crabby as we sang Happy Birthday to him. :)

Clapping for himself since he took the frosting eyes off Elmo. :)

Random Monday Thoughts

*Watching LBB's personality blossom as he goes from crawling to walking makes me smile. He is a very funny boy.

*I never imagined how messy a toddler can get when he insists on feeding himself his applesauce.

*Schleich animals can get a lot of air when thrown from a high chair.

*Pretty pyrex casseroles sitting on the stovetop make me happy.

*I really need to start going to bed earlier. Beginning tonight.

*LBB's birthday party turned out just the way I hoped...but if the snow had held off I would've been much happier. :)

*Life is about taking pleasure in the little things. Fresh white snow. A toddler's toothy smile. Slobbery LBB kisses. A clean(ish) house. Lovely music. And a loving hug to look forward to when Dear Sweet Hubby gets home from work. I don't think I've ever been happier. :)

One little fall...

LBB was walking tons on Tuesday. Walking tons on Wednesday. And then...on our way to pick up the mail, he fell in the hallway. :)

Not even a big fall...just a little one, but he was not expecting it at all. The poor little man just laid their screaming as I picked him up. A few cuddles later and lots of reassurances that he was fine, LBB seemed much better.

But he also seem much more hesitant to walk. Don't get me wrong. He still walks...it just takes a lot more encouragement on our part and the distances are just a tiny bit shorter. :) However, I am fully convinced that a little bit day by day and he'll be back to chasing Cat 2 and giving me a run for my money. LOL

Oh...and I'm in the middle of watching Pride and Prejudice (the 1995 TV version). I love Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Pure perfection. :) I just had to share. I finished the book yesterday (WOOHOO!!!! A classic novel finished all while chasing around a very active LBB!) so I was very anxious to get my hands on the movie.

Terrific Tuesday...

That's the best way to describe today. :)

When I first thought about writing in my blog today, I was going to write about dinner tonight and how I succeeded into "tricking" my little toddler into eating something really good for him. :) I'll start with that, but trust me, the latter part of this post is much more exciting.

As you all know, LBB is a picky little man, not uncommon for his age. I, however, have been on a quest (much like the one in Monty Python and the Holy Grail...you know, coconut shells for horses, french soldiers throwing livestock, and enlisting the help of a man named Patsy to help aid me. OK...none of that is true, but this quest would've been much more entertaining if even one of those things occured. LOL) Anyhoo. I digress.

So, for dinner tonight, I gave LBB a sippy of chocolate milk (hey, don't judge. It was chocolate Ovaltine, so therefore somewhat healthy. I figured it was a nice little treat after 4 shots at the doctors...and I'm a sucker for those big blue eyes of his, so I spoil him a bit.) And then he finally dug into his dinner...Masterful Mac N' Cheese. I got the recipe from the cookbook "The Sneaky Chef" but I really didn't follow it very much. Here is my version:

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MASTERFUL MAC N CHEESE

1 box macaroni and cheese (you can use the Kraft kind, but we splurged and bought Trader Joes Organic White Cheddar and Macaroni)
4 baby carrots, cooked until soft-reserve the water that the carrots cooked in
A handful of bread crumbs (we made our own, and to make it even healthier, I suggest using wheat bread instead of white)

Begin cooking mac n' cheese according to box directions. While water is boiling, place cooked baby carrots in a blender and turn on to "liquefy" setting. Add carrot water as needed until carrots look like baby food. (SHORTCUT: Use 1 jar of carrot baby food) Set carrots aside until macaroni is done cooking.

When macaroni is done, strain the water out and place in a oven safe dish. Mix in milk and cheese according to package instructions, but instead of using butter as box directs, mix in carrot puree. (If you buy the white cheddar like we did, it will turn orange like normal Kraft mac n' cheese.)

Sprinkle bread crumbs all over top of mac n' cheese and place in preheated 400* oven for about 5 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are nice and toasty looking.

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LBB ate this right up...and even I didn't notice the carrots, which is saying a lot since I knew they were in there. I couldn't help but smirk to myself as he gobbled up his dinner. And he even fed himself a few times...fork in the bowl, stab a shell, in the mouth we go! So proud!

But. Onto the more exciting part of this post!!!!

LBB has been contemplating walking for a while now. He walks a bit, realizes he is doing it, then freaks out and won't do it again for a few days.

And then today, all of a sudden, he was standing about 4 feet away from me when I said "Come here!" Truth be told, I was expecting the usual...kneel down, getting in crawling position, and quickly crawl over to Mommy. BUT.

That isn't what happened. LBB walked! "This must be a fluke" I thought. So I set him 4 feet away from me again. And he did it again. And again. And again.

You get the drift. :)

I stood by the Christmas tree about 5 feet away from him, asked him to come over and look at the Christmas tree with me. Instead of walking, he pointed to the radio just as the Toys r Us jingle came on, and started dancing!!!! He placed his adorable little 1 year old hands on his adorable little 1 year old waist and swayed his little hips back and forth, all the while smiling like he was the cutest thing to ever walk this earth (by the way, I am totally convinced he is. :) )

And since then, he's walked to get toys. Walked with his popper toy. And, most amusing, walked to chase Cat #2. I don't think she knows what is about to happen. :)

Enchanting

That's the best word I can use to describe this past year.

As my LBB turns one, I look back on this past year and am amazed by so many things...how quick it's flown by. And amazed by every little moment of it. All the smiles. All the sleepless nights. All the hugs. All the cuddles.

The firsts...first Christmas. First smile. First Easter. First time crawling. Those first unsure steps (although he is still being stubborn about this. :) He can walk, he just chooses not to.) His first words. And all the little firsts that quietly slip in each and every day as our LBB learns and explores this world.

He is an amazing kid...and I know I'm most likely biased seeing as how I'm Mommy and all that. But everyday he does something that takes my breath away. Does something that amazes me. And something that just plain makes me laugh. If I were to post everytime he did something that struck me as funny, sweet, smart, or just plain adorable...I'd never leave the computer (and as a result, miss all those funny, sweet, smart, adorable moments!)

Not to say that this first year hasn't been filled with moments of worry. Or moments of pure exhaustion. All those typical first year experiences...worrying if my LBB was eating right. Worrying when he bumps his head. Being exhausted that first month when everything in our world was being turned upside down and we had a newborn that we were cherishing but trying to figure out (the joys of first time parenting. :) ) But in the long run, I wouldn't trade any of those trying moments for a thing...those moments make you cherish all the other moments even more.

The moment I held LBB in my arms after those hours of labor, after those months of waiting, I was convinced I couldn't love him anymore than I did at that moment. But, that's the funny thing about being a mother...each and everyday my love grows more and more for him. What I once thought was insurmountable love is trumped every day when I feel like my heart is about to burst from all the love. When he gives me a big sloppy kiss my heart melts into a puddle of goop. And when he nestles up into my neck as we are saying his goodnight prayers, my eyes get misty and I feel like there is no more perfect place to be. Funny thing, love is. Especially love for your child and from your child. This past year I've learned so much about love from such a small little heaven-sent package.

He teaches me daily that while I am not close to being a perfect mother (but oh how I try!), he is the perfect son. :) He is inquistive. Funny. Loving. Caring. Stubborn. Sweet. Adorable. Flirty. Amusing. Creative. Intelligent. Relentless. Helpful. And he unconditionally loves us. What an amazing thing that is. God's goodness shines through him daily, and I never stop thanking the Lord for that.

Looking back, I am nostalgic over this past year. I miss the little things like him sleeping in our bed every night. The non-stop cuddles. The pure necessity of needing us to be with him. But, looking forward, I am loving every moment of his "growing-up". The independence. The stubborness. The excitement he has for exploring, learning, and creating.

As he grows, I love watching the traits he gets from his daddy and I. I love watching the traits that are purely his own. And I adore watching him develop and fine-tune his personality everyday.

My LBB, on this first birthday of many, I thank God for the gift of you to us. I look forward to this next year of growing, learning, exploring, creating, and just plain having fun. And I am so very thankful for everything that you teach me. For every hug and kiss that you give me. And for every single moment of every single day with you. I can't imagine a more fulfilling job than the one I have of being your Mommy. I love you so very much, my dear little LBB. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

A lazy, lazy Sunday

Life has been busy lately...I'm always working on a project. Cleaning. Yadda yadda yadda. :) So last night, before I finally went to bed, I decided that LBB and I were going to have a day where we didn't need to do anything...no major cleaning. No projects. Just lots of fun.

So...that is exactly what we did.

We watched a big band show on PBS. We danced. We played drums. And we sang along. :)

We gave lots of hugs and kisses.

Cuddled tons.

Read lots of books. (8 to be exact!)

Had a nice leisurely lunch.

And took two nice long naps. Played lots. Giggled tons. And even managed to fit in a bathing for a jelly-covered LBB.

What a wonderful day...and what a wonderful way to spend the last day before LBB turns 1 tomorrow!

What a Sweetheart...

LBB got a coupon from Build A Bear Workshop today to get a free Animal for his birthday. :) So, we took a little trip to the closest Build A Bear (about 40 minutes away), and let him pick out a new friend for his Bearemy. He chose a very sweet, very adorable little white bear that has been named "Blizzard."

This evening, after we got home from the mall and grocery shopping, LBB, Dear Sweet Hubby, Bearemy, Blizzard, and I cuddled up on the couch to read a bedtime story. LBB smiled at his bears and read them a bedtime story as well...and then it was off to bed.

Here comes the sweet part. :)

We made a makeshift bed for the two bears out of a toy bin, and showed LBB how we put Bearemy and Blizzard to bed. We told him "Tuck them in now," and what did LBB do? He tucked them in. Ever so gently and full of love. And then we said "Give them kisses goodnight."

And the sweet little boy leaned forward and gave Bearemy and Blizzard the sweetest little kisses on their cheeks.

Sigh.

I love that LBB so so so much. :)

IKEA Lovelies

We stopped into IKEA the other day on Dear Sweet Hubby's day off...everytime we step into this wonderful store I fall in love with about 10 different rooms. And everytime we leave, I am happy that we live in a semi-small space and that there is a store like this out there that kind of tailors to that!

So, here's a few of my favorites...ideas that we took pictures of so we can implement them into our apartment as time goes on. :)

Love this idea of putting some cabinets at the top of the ceiling in the kids room...so much more storage of things that they don't need on a regular basis! (But I'd definitely do white doors.)

Crazy thing about this room...it's almost exactly what I've been planning for LBB's room when we redo it...with a few small changes. One thing I've decided is that lots of storage is a must for little ones!!!!

Sigh...isn't this bedroom just dreamy? I've got some convincing to do. ;)

Love this little art center...I don't really have a place for it anywhere in the house, but I so wish I did!

See the chair on the left? Dear Sweet Hubby has one like it. See the chair on the right? LBB is going to have one someday. :) Matching chairs for my two guys.

And IKEA doesn't have any of these is stock...just go to their website and type in "cutest baby in the entire universe." Go ahead. I'll wait. :) What did it say? "0 matches for "cutest baby in the entire universe." That's because we've already got him. :)

This is my dream house, by the way. All windows. Gorgeous lighting. Sigh.

Love love love this!

And especially love all these shelves! Dear Sweet Hubby has been trying to get me to do this in our house, and I keep ho-humming about it. But now I'm convinced. :) Now to figure out how to do it.

I love these shelves!

That's all! What a fun trip! I just adore IKEA.

Cooking for a Picky Toddler

I'm convinced it is nearly impossible.

One minute he loves a certain food, the next minute he doesn't even want to touch it. I've been surfing the web, perusing cooking for kids blogs, and trying new recipes here and there...but some days the meal I make is a bust and all he wants are Mini-Beef Raviolis. Ugh.

Definitely not the most healthy of choices! But, there have been a few meals here and there that he likes. :) For lunch yesterday, I made Pizza Breadsticks (I just mixed some chopped up pepperoni and mozzarella cheese into pizza dough) and he loved that. Then last night I made "Bangers and Mash." He ate all the sausage but would barely take a bite of taters. Sigh. It's all a hit or miss kind of thing. :)

So, my question for you is this: Any tried and true recipes that please your kids? I want to change it up from the normal mac n cheese type stuff (not that it's bad, I just want a little variety since we eat the same meals!)