Busy Busy Busy

That's how I'd describe our little guy lately - busy!  He pulled up for the first time on Father's Day.  He just army crawled over to his exersaucer thing, grabbed the side, pulled to his knees & then pulled to standing.  I was right there, hovering, just in case he fell.  Michael didn't believe he did it on his own - he thought I helped.  I was freaking out a little because I didn't think babies are supposed to pull up this early.  Something must be wrong!  His little legs surely can't be strong enough to support his weight yet - he's going to hurt himself!  But Google reassured me.  I guess some kids pull up around six months old.  Whew...

As of last Saturday, Alex is officially a crawler.  No more army crawling here!  He went to his friend Annie's birthday party & decided to show off.  I think he has a little crush & was just trying to impress Annie, but don't told him you heard it from me.  He also decided it was time to start pulling up on all sorts of things - bar stools, toys, the fireplace, the coffee table...  I can just feel my blood pressure rising!  He can even stand up in his crib.  Luckily, we had already lowered the mattress.

As of today, Alex is EVERYWHERE.  In the dog bed, on the fireplace, in the bathroom trash can, in the dog's water bowl.  It may sound like we leave him alone too much but these things happen in a matter of seconds!  Turn your head & oops - Alex is somewhere he shouldn't be.  Michael picked him up from daycare today & spent some time with him before I got home.  As soon as I walked in the door, Michael said, "We have a monster on our hands."  I thought he meant Alex was in a bad mood but he was referring to his mobility & orneryness.  It didn't take long for me to witness it for myself.  Our house is an open floor plan, so a baby gate wouldn't really work.  We're discussing getting a baby jail (of course something I laughed at before I had a baby & swore I'd never get!)  But hey, those kids look happy - right?

Someone please tell this guy to SLOW DOWN.  I want to enjoy the baby phase a little longer but he's just growing up too fast!

Crawling!

Look at me, Mom!

 Figured out how to climb on the fireplace this morning

On the agenda this weekend: his first (professional) haircut...  Stay tuned!

Throwback Thursday

Are you ready for this edition of Throwback Thursday?  This one is hilarious (at least it's hilarious to me now, but it wasn't so much at the time...)

September 3^rd (Michael's Birthday)

Another funny Michael moment.  He’s had a rash under his arm for a week or so & had been putting hydrocorizone on it.  After he showered, he was rubbing on the cream while I got ready.  Then he said, “I just put toothpaste on my rash!”  He had grabbed the tube of toothpaste instead of the hydrocortizone!  He was like, “I kept wondering why it wouldn’t rub in.”  I couldn’t stop laughing!!  He jumped in the shower & washed it off but I was still laughing when he got out.  In his defense (kind of), he had been using the toothpaste we bought in Europe since we had run out & hadn’t put it back in the cabinet after we got regular toothpaste.  So, the tube was about the same size as the hydrocortizone.  It still makes me laugh just thinking about it!!  We both got off work early for Labor Day weekend.  I went to the mall before picking him up & got some pants & a shirt at Macy’s for him, two pairs of dress pants for me at Motherhood & some No Man’s Land Beef Jerky as a birthday surprise for him (he said later the jerky was one of the best things about his bday – ha!)  We went home & I decided to attempt some chocolate cupcakes for him.  The whole idea came from something I saw on my friend’s blog – ninja cupcake topper cutouts!  I printed off the ninja toppers & found a recipe on another blog for Guinness chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  The recipe looked pretty simple.  I told Michael he had to stay out of the kitchen since it was a surprise.  I mixed up the batter & put the cupcakes in the oven (making a huge mess in the meantime – baking is so messy!)  I was starting on the frosting when the oven timer beeped.  I opened the oven & found that my cupcakes were not cupcakes.  The batter had oozed out all over the pan & down into the oven.  It was the weirdest thing!  I was so upset.  I yelled to Michael, “Come here, something went wrong.”  He asked if I was ok & I said yes.  He said then it couldn’t have gone too wrong.  Then he saw the disaster.  I was so upset since I had busted my butt & had no idea what went wrong.  He was very sympathetic but also got a good laugh out of the whole thing.  It’s like the cupcakes were so angry, they had to escape the cupcake pan.  They didn’t explode – just feverishly tried to escape.  Michael took pictures of the aftermath while I tried not to cry.  I checked the recipe several times & couldn’t figure out what went wrong.  We had to leave to go to Dave & Buster’s for Michael’s bday but before we left, I decided I was going to give it another try when we got home.  I wasn’t going to let those cupcakes ruin me, dang it!  We went to Dave & Buster’s & played some games.  Michael had so much fun.  He kept saying how good life was & how blessed he felt.  All of a sudden we realized it was after 9:00 & we hadn’t really eaten dinner.  We finished up the games & called in an order at a Thai restaurant to pick up on the way home.  After we ate, I decided to tackle the cupcakes again.  The recipe called for baking soda & I thought maybe it was a typo & should have been baking powder but I googled it & baking soda is a common ingredient in cupcakes.  I thought maybe the problem was I didn’t sift the flour (even though the recipe didn’t say to sift it).  I decided to try sifting it just in case.  I planned to sit in front of the oven with the light on & watch the cupcakes for the entire 20 minutes in case they tried to make a break for it.  Michael decided to take a shower while I baked.  I was mixing up the batter & was getting ready to sift the flour.  The flour was in a large plastic container in our pantry (we have four – one for salt, sugar, coffee beans & flour).  Well, a little voice in my head said – maybe you should make sure that’s really flour.  Lo & behold, it was NOT flour – it was powdered sugar!  I tried to make cupcakes using powdered sugar instead of flour!!  Why we had powdered sugar in the largest container, I have no idea.  I felt really stupid but honestly was more elated that I figured out the problem!!  The mystery was solved.  I finished making the batter & explained my incompetence to Michael when he got out of the shower.  I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven & felt like dancing around – they actually looked like cupcakes!!  I mixed up the frosting but wanted to wait until the cupcakes cooled to put it on.  It was late so I went to bed – my back & feet were killing me but I was just happy I had real cupcakes & didn’t give up!

September 4^th

I got up & took Sadie for a walk since the weather was kind of cool.  The sun made it feel a little hot, though, and I noticed my fingers were sausagey (aka swollen) when I got home.    So cute!!  I also tried a cupcake & was relieved (and a little surprised) to find they were delicious!  Very moist & not too chocolately.  Michael was a big fan, too.  I was very proud of my handiwork.  The first fiasco made the second try even more of a success.  We loaded up for the first OSU football game.  We cooked burgers at Stephen’s house & ate salsa & French onion dip (oh & ninja cupcakes!!)  Then we walked around campus checking out the tailgates.  We didn’t put up a tent since most of our friends weren’t going to that game.  It was really hot with not much of a breeze.  I got overheated & grumpy.  We finally found a little area that was shaded & sat on the curb for a few minutes, so we could cool down.  Then we headed into the stadium.  We were in the sun the first 55 minutes but it wasn’t too bad.  It was a lot nicer when the sun went down, though!  We were winning by a lot at half time & we ended up watching a little more of the game on TV at someone’s tailgate & decided not to go back in because we were winning by even more.  We packed up our stuff & decided to head home a little early.  It was a good day!

So, which is worse?  Putting toothpaste on a rash or baking cupcakes with powered sugar??  Man, we're quite a pair.  Oh & when I said a little voice in my head told me to make sure it was flour, I have no doubt it was God.  I think He knew I would have had a full on mental breakdown if my cupcakes had failed again.  J I'm still relieved I figured out the problem.  And now I can actually laugh about it!

If you're looking for a good cupcake recipe, you should try the Guinness cupcakes (just make sure you use flour instead of powdered sugar - ha).  It was easy & delicious.  Kind of makes me want to try out another cupcake recipe on that site.  Although, I'm a little nervous about what kind of mistake I'll make this time!

ANGRY cupcakes

 Who knew this is what happens when you use powered sugar instead of flour??

 The mess...

 Finally - success!

 Cream cheese icing - yum.

 Ninjas!!

I bet now you're thinking about asking me to bake something for you.  I'm obviously SO talented in this area...  Ha!

Kindle Cover

My lovely & talented sister-in-law was nice enough to make a padded cover for my Kindle.  I bought a small piece of fabric at Hobby Lobby (nothing really jumped out at me, so I went with a fabric that matched my phone) & sent it to her.  I got the case a few weeks ago & love it!!  Now I don't have to worry about the screen getting scratched in my purse & it's super cute.  I especially love the flower button.

Kinda makes me want to learn how to sew & be crafty.  Eh, never mind.  I'll just rely on Starr for that!  J

Six Months

Well, this post is over a week late & I forgot to do my Throwback Thursday post yesterday - I'm such a slacker!  I'll try to get back on track soon.  J

I can hardly believe it but Alex is six months old!!  I told Michael a few weeks ago that Alex basically was almost a year old & not far from graduating high school.  He says I have a tendency to be over dramatic.  I don't see it.

Alex is a busy guy.  He can sit up by himself & is already a pro.  He's still army crawling & he's started climbing on pillows.  It probably won't be long until he's climbing on the furniture!  He lets you know when he wants to be picked up - he crawls over to your feet & starts to fuss.  He still loves to be outside.  I bought him a small pool yesterday.  He liked to sit in it but didn't want to move around much, but today he got a little more adventurous.  I think he's going to be a water baby!

We have to keep a good eye on him - he loves to find shoes on the floor to chew on & he thinks electrical cords look like fun.  He has toys all around him but he likes to play with anything that's NOT his toy - ha.  He's eating cereal twice a day & a veggie or fruit once a day.  He's tried sweet potatoes, carrots & bananas.  He makes funny faces with the potatoes & carrots but still wants more.  He liked bananas at first but about halfway through, he decided he was not a fan.  I don't blame him - bananas are gross!  Here are a few recent pics.

Six months old!

 Paper is delicious

 Already feeding himself with a spoon (ok, not really...)

 One of his favorite sleep positions - knees tucked under, booty sticking up

 Listening to internet radio on the TV

 Climbing!

I'm so happy I've gotten to spend the last six months with him & I look forward to the next six months (and beyond)!

Shoes!

As you already know, I ♥ shoes.  So, I've decided to start a periodic posting of shoe recommendations - shoes I've purchased, shoes I want to purchase or shoes that just make me happy.  Let's get this shoe party started!

I LOVE summer in regard to shoe options.  There are so many!  Winter is my least favorite shoe season but that's a post for another day.  In the summer, you have pumps, wedges, espadrilles, sandals (with & without heels), flats, flip flops, sneakers...  Fun!  Before we left for Cabo, I decided I wanted some white sandals to go with a couple casual dresses I had.  After much searching, I decided on these:

They are really comfortable since the insole is cushioned.  A little more than I usually spend for simple sandals, but I had a coupon.  Plus, I've found from experience that spending a few more dollars on comfort is worth the price!  That doesn't necessarily mean comfortable shoes are always more expensive but I would buy these over hard, flat sandals any day.

I originally was going to buy these from Target, but they were out of stock (still are).  They come in several different colors & are really cute.  In fact, since then I've seen three people I know wearing them!  You might check your local store to see if they have any.  Great summer shoe!

I saw these the other day on Piperlime & I'm trying to convince my practical side that I need them.  J

Unfortunately, they're out of my size.  But I found them on Nine West's website...  They have several color options but I'm drawn to the tan ones.  Neutrals are very much in this season!  Don't you agree that I just must add them to my collection??

Teva's Olowahu are my favorite flip flops.  I have them in several colors.  They're so comfortable (they conform to your foot over time) & a little cuter than plain flip flops.  I definitely recommend them!

Finally, I'll leave you with my latest shoe crush.  These make my heart flutter but I won't be buying them anytime soon unless they go on a major sale!

What about you - any recent shoe buys or shoe crushes?

Throwback Thursday

This Throwback Thursday is going to be short but the next one is going to be REALLY good.  I'm sure you'll be anxiously waiting for it all week.  Ha!

August 24^th

Had my life insurance testing today.  They did blood work, took urine & asked some questions.  I didn’t have to fast since I’m prego – sweet.  The weather FINALLY cooled down today.  I took Sadie on a walk & it was so nice.  I hope it stays this way – I’m done with 100+ degree weather!

August 25^th

Michael had his life insurance testing today.  He was really nervous about the blood work – it was so cute.  I guess it’s been a long time since he had to give blood.  I hate needles but he just hates blood or anything medical/yucky.  He was worried he’d pass out.  He did fine, though.  J  We ate Hideaway Pizza for dinner because they had an online special – 50% off.  We got fried mushrooms & the Sweet Sedona pizza.  YUM.  I hadn’t had that pizza before but I really liked it.  We watched Wipeout while we ate & after dinner the nugget started partying.  I put Michael’s hand on my belly & the nugget really went crazy for awhile.  Pushing & punching or kicking – some of the thumps were pretty hard.  Michael was like – “OMG, what is he doing??  I’m not sure you should bear this child – he’s crazy!”  It made me laugh so hard.  We were both cracking up.  I don’t know if it will be that funny when he gets bigger & still whacks me that hard…  But at least I can laugh about it for now.

*Thinking back, I doubt he said "OMG" but you never know...  J

I'll leave you with this video of Alex trying sweet potatoes for the first time.  He made some funny faces but kept wanting more.  I can't believe he's going to be six months old tomorrow!!  Slow down!

Five Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Five Milliliters

When we decided at the beginning of March to book our trip to Cabo, I was determined to save up enough milk for Alex rather than put him on formula.  Don't get me wrong - I don't think formula is bad at all.  I've been nursing Alex because it's been pretty easy for both of us.  I was never dead set on it - I think you should do what works best for you & your baby.  But I didn't want to start formula solely because we were going on vacation.  Luckily, I had a pretty good head start on frozen milk before I went back to work.

Every time I'd try to calculate how much I'd need vs. how much I currently had, the song "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent would pop in my head.  You know - "Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes..."  I don't know, something about the numbers just got me.  Maybe because it felt like I'd been pumping for that many minutes trying to get enough milk - ha!  Also, the song was on GLEE not too long ago, so it was fresh in my mind.  The only way I could get the syllables to somewhat match up with the song was to use milliliters instead of ounces.  So go ahead - sing along!  "Five thousand one hundred seventy-five milliliters..."  It almost works. 

I'm a dork.  I made my goal, though.  Alex had enough milk for the six days we were gone.  Whoo hoo!  But my supply diminished when I got back even though I pumped while on vacation & we had to supplement with formula this weekend.  Doh.  Oh well, I met my original goal & I don't have a million bags of milk taking up room in the freezer.  Hopefully now I'll finally be able to get that song out of my head!

First Food!

We decided to give Alex his first taste of rice cereal tonight.  It's the first food he's ever had other than milk.  He took right to it, leaning forward as far as he could to get another bite.  He really wanted to hold the spoon & feed himself but I don't think he's quite there yet - ha.

Such a big boy!  In other Alex news, someone's learned how to sit unassisted.

 Well, mostly...  J

He's usually too "on the go" to sit up for long.  But he has the ability!  And I don't think it will be long before he learns to sit up on his own.  Oh and did I mention he's a pro at army crawling now?  The boy can MOVE.  Turn your head for a second & he's across the room before you know it.  He's not far from actually crawling either.  He pushes up on all fours a lot - he just hasn't figured out how to propel himself forward without face planting. 

I love that little guy!!

Throwback Thursday

Another week has gone by, but I have a good excuse for not posting anything since last Thursday.  We've been in Cabo!  Our friends got married at a resort down there.  It was super fun!  It was also my first time away from Alex overnight.  It actually went really well.  More details about our vacay soon...  But for now, here's another look back at my pregnancy e-journal.

August 19^th

Had my monthly appointment with my OBGYN.  It doesn’t feel like it’s been four weeks since my last appointment – time has really flown by!  I guess that’s what happens when you’re not anxiously waiting to confirm the gender!  Everything is still going good.  She said my detailed ultrasound came back fine.  She measured his head, body & leg today & estimated he weighs about 1 pound, 6 ounces.  Crazy!  I’ve gained about 15 pounds so far.  How exactly does that work??  Oh well, she’s not concerned about my weight, so I’m trying not to be either.  At least at this point, it’s pretty much all in my belly.  I don’t look forward to later when I’ll be big all over.  Yuck.  Michael & I decided to be super responsible adults & signed up for life insurance.  In the event of something horrible, the surviving parent (or the nugget if something happens to both of us) will have a decent chunk of money for future expenses, the nugget’s college, etc.  It’s a 20 year policy, so it’s a financial commitment but one we feel is worth the piece of mind.  I do feel super old, though!  I guess I am about to be 31 & have a kid.  I’m officially grown up…

August 20^th

Went to a friend's house to have dinner with her & her daughter.  Her daughter just got engaged, so we celebrated the engagement & the pregnancy.  They went to Europe over the summer, so we shared our pictures with each other & talked about the trips.  They’re basically the reason we decided to take a day trip to Florence & I’m so glad we did.  It was a fun night & the food was delicious!  Spinach & artichoke dip (one of my faves!), bruschetta, meat pasta, pasta primavera, bread & ice cream & strawberries for dessert.  No wine for me but I definitely enjoyed the food!

August 21^st

Finally had time to unpack from the lake & Houston & do laundry.  Met Christine at 3:00 at Babies R Us to start the registry…  All I can say is thank goodness she agreed to help me!  Michael & I would have imploded trying to go through everything together.  I had done research on some stuff & had a list to go off, but it was really nice to get her opinion on stuff since I’m pretty clueless in general.  We made really good progress & even had time to start the registry at Target.  I still need to make decisions on some stuff like the stroller, car seat, bedding, nursery décor but I felt so much better getting it all started.  We grabbed dinner & then headed for the Just Between Friends sale.  We got early access being first time moms.  We weren’t quite sure what to expect.  It’s baby/kid/maternity consignment items at the Expo Center.  The website said to bring a laundry basket with a belt tied to it to put all your stuff in.  Ha!  We had a good laugh picturing all these pregos dragging laundry baskets!  Neither of us are flea market/garage sale people, so we figured if it was crazy, we’d just walk out.  I’d rather pay full price than dig for good finds while fighting off the other crazies…  But it actually wasn’t bad.  It was organized well & I didn’t see any super crazy moms.  I found a simple changing table in natural wood for $20!  Now I don’t have to feel bad about spending the money if I end up not using it that much.  And it’s pretty similar to one I was looking at online that cost $90.  I was super happy with my purchase!  I also found a cute diaper bag for $15.  I got really, really excited because I found a Phil & Teds stroller.  It was in pretty good condition (needed to be cleaned a little) & was about $125 cheaper than retail.  It included the doubles kit, which I wasn’t planning on buying now, and a rain protector.  I called Michael & he said to buy it but then I realized it didn’t have the canopy on it.  Christine & I tried to find replacement canopies using our phones to at least get a price estimate but no luck.  So, I decided not to buy the stroller since it was missing a major component (and one that doesn’t seem easy to replace).  Who tries to sell a stroller for $325 without the canopy??  I’m so glad I didn’t buy it – I would have been so upset when I figured out there was no canopy.  Oh well, now I’ve seen the stroller in person & I know I like it.  I think we’re going to go for the Explorer model.  I found a site that gives 10% off but I’m hoping to find an even better deal if I keep looking.  I found the Sport model on a site with 15% off but now that I’ve read about the Explorer, I think it’s the one I want.  We’ll see…

August 22^nd – 24 weeks

I spent the day pretty much lounging around – I was exhausted from Saturday’s cleaning & shopping.  Yoga helped me wind down, but the weekend definitely went by too fast!

Well, it's late so I don't have much more to say...  But stay tuned for a Cabo post coming soon!