Santa has arrived!
Category Archives: Seasonal
The Monday Snapshot(s) – Christmas Eve Breakfast!
In his jimmer jammers at Pane.ra.
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!
This is my addition to PAIL’s weekly Monday Snapshot. Click on over to check out other fun Christmas Eve photos!
THIS Moment in Time (#8)
Oh boy! Daddy couldn’t say no!
The Monday Snapshot – Post-Thanksgiving Peace
We had a terrific Thanksgiving at my parents’ house this year – full of food, fun, and family! My parents usually like to have “just us” (sigh) for holidays and usually exclude our extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents), but this year, they invited my dad’s side of the family and it was awesome! It was awesome because of that – and that alone. I love big family gatherings, and we finally got to have one this year!
We came back on Friday and spent the rest of the weekend as our family of three… sort of! We hosted a friends Thanksgiving potluck and we made the prime rib and an apple pie. Our friends brought traditional sides (yay since my parents don’t do traditional meals) and three different marshmallow dishes. I didn’t know how good marshmallow dishes could be (again, because my parents do nothing traditional when it comes to food) – I had seconds of them all!
We bought a tiny little tree for Matthew this year since he’ll be obsessed with it and would have a hard time keeping away from a big tree full of glass ornaments. Already, he’s loved on his tree over and over again and I don’t see it stopping. My sister came with her three kids to stay the night last night – craziness! We had left-over prime rib that we put in baked sandwiches with Munster cheese. They were better than the original roast (they ALWAYS are!) and everyone was happy! Fun times!
“Matthew, give your tree a hug!”
Love this! The only way Matthew would sit with the big reindeer was if Daddy sat there too!
- This is happening more and more in this household… not sure what’s going on with the two ladies who used to hate each other but now randomly snuggle!
This is part of a weekly feature called The Monday Snapshot over at PAIL.
Fall Clean-Up
I was cleaning out Matthew’s closet today since the weather has finally changed for real. It’s cold. All he has in his closet that fits is shorts, jeans, and short-sleeved t-shirts – so it was time to pull out the sweaters, long-sleeved T’s, and more pants.
I’ve been slow in moving things out of his closet – it’s a big chore. I bought altogether too many clothes in 0-3, 3-6, and 6-12 month sizes. I was super excited about having a baby and bought enough clothes for two babies (but averaged $8 per item!) – it’s embarrassing (yet – my uber-honest self is admitting it here). I still had all of his hanging 6-12 months clothes on the top rack of the closet (the folded stuff was long gone because drawer space is much more limited than closet space), but needed to free that space up now for the 12-18 month pants and t’s that still fit, freeing up the bottom rack for sweaters, hoodies, bigger jeans for December onward, etc.
Going through all of the clothes I’ve bought for 18 months – 3 years, I’m proud to say that the buying has gotten WAY under control. I mean – besides his stack of sweaters (I just love sweaters on little boys), what we have of each item is perfect through next summer. No need for pants, shorts, t-shirts (unless they’re the Junk Food brand from Baby G.ap), or sweaters. I am so proud… and I’m even more proud that at least half of his future stash was bought at consignment shops!
He’s getting so big, I cannot believe it. I held up some 2T shorts and B asked if they were for a kindergartener. Nope – they’re for our boy next summer. Unreal. The fun part, though, is that they will be super cute – even if they mean he’s growing up. I can’t wait to see him running around in his cargo shorts and big-kid T’s 😉
“See ya, 6-12 month clothes! Onward and upward!” (Notice B’s nervous hand … that was actually necessary – Matthew almost tumbled during this shot. HA!)
Get Away!
What a weekend! On Wednesday, we decided we needed to get out of town – we just needed to GO SOMEWHERE. I suggested Kansas City because, well, I love it there and the last time we headed out of town, we went to Minneapolis so I didn’t want to do that again. We’ll go to Minneapolis soon enough, I’m sure (I love MSP – I would move there in a heartbeat if B wanted to).
We invited our friends to come with us who have a new baby – and they were itching to go somewhere too so they came down Saturday around noon. We had a great time!
When B and I travel, most things revolve around food. We are always looking for some place new to try, and are open to just about anything. Matthew is open to most foods too, so we’re pretty lucky there. What Matthew can’t handle, unfortunately, is a long dinner at a quiet restaurant. So, on Friday night we went across the street from our favorite KC restaurant (too quiet for Matthew!) and had some fancy Mexican food. I love Mexican food. I love it more than any other food type in the world. I cannot get enough of it. This place did not disappoint. But – Matthew was a hot mess and tired from the drive down, so we wrapped up pretty quickly and got him back to the hotel for bed. For some reason, the grilled chicken and superbly cooked veggies weren’t doing it for him (and truly – they were fantastic!). Sigh.
We did stop at a wine and cheese shop and picked up lots of fancy chocolates (B loves chocolate!) and a bottle of red wine for later. Matthew enjoyed sampling the cheeses which was nice since he didn’t eat much dinner 😉 B enjoyed picking out chocolates. I enjoyed just being out on a nice night!
Bedtime went ridiculously well – Matthew only cried for 30 seconds and he was out cold. We had our chocolate and wine but we feared waking him so we went to bed shortly thereafter. I think it was the earliest I’ve gone to bed in years (9:40).
Matthew woke up too early on Saturday and wanted to get out and about, so B took him out for coffee so I could sleep a bit. Matthew was tossing and turning all night long, and being a light sleeper and a nervous mother (I like to be constantly aware of how he’s sleeping), I heard every sigh, flip, and grunt. I basically had been awake since 4 AM so I welcomed a little extra sleep with great enthusiasm. I made it count 😉
We shopped and shopped – but really just walked and walked. It was beautiful in KC and the Plaza is perfect for getting out and about and just enjoying the weather. I did find some shirts for Matthew that I’ve wanted but refused to pay the ridiculous prices for – but they were on SALE so I got them (it was a crazy sale, ladies)! We went to our favorite place for lunch (Houston’s) because they have the BEST smoked salmon but what do you know? They changed the salmon since we were last there and it wasn’t cooked enough for Matthew. As everyone knows, Matthew LOVES salmon so we were super excited about getting this for him (cold smoked – ummmm!) but alas – we could not. We ended up getting him tuna (figured we should try it) but he hated it, lost his shit, and we were out of there.
Notice a trend???
I headed out with Matthew as B got our salads boxed up (best salad ever – I am so sad I didn’t get to savor it!) and we went back for a nap. Our friends weren’t in town yet so the timing was great and I snuggled with my boys. It does not get better than that! Matthew slept on my chest and sure – my neck was all screwed up and I didn’t really sleep – but my nose was buried in his sweet hair and I was in heaven! This nap lasted almost 3 hours. Wonderful!
We then headed back out with our friends and picked up cupcakes (more on this later), played at a park, and then grabbed a quick early dinner before the rush. Again, Matthew was not having it so we boxed up his food once we were all done and headed out.
What is going on with this kid who used to love going out to eat???
We all stopped at the wine shop again and got some goodies for the night. Upon returning to the hotel, we put Matthew to bed (not a peep out of him) and S and I sent our husbands down to the hotel bar with a free pass to stay out as late as they wanted, and to drink as much as they felt the urge to drink. S and I had a great time sitting on the sofa, dishing about the latest happenings in our lives, eating chocolates and cupcakes, and drinking wine. B bought me a bottle of bubbly and I drank that whole thing – and didn’t even get tipsy (what is wrong with me – I never drink so this makes no sense?!). We shared the best cupcake we’d ever had (strawberry lemonade and HOLY HELL it was GOOD!) and I got to hold her new baby the entire time (LOVE!). The guys came back late and expectedly tipsy. We all sat around and laughed and laughed before parting ways and going to bed.
GREAT NIGHT!
This morning consisted of a sleepy baby who woke up too early, had his morning milk, slept for another 15 minutes on my chest (oh my back!), tried to get up for about 45 minutes but was cranky the whole time, and then took a nap on me for 1.5 hours. I am not kidding – he went down for a ” nap” from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM. CRAZY! He woke up still tired and that’s when I got that cute photo of him with B on the sofa. I’ve never seen Matthew so mellow in my life! It was precious.
We headed out for brunch – back to the Mexican place – and had a great breakfast. The babies behaved and it was quite enjoyable. We then parted ways with our friends so that I could get to the highlight of the trip!
We met up with Steph, JJ, and Chloe from Blawndie’s Blawg and had a super fun time! We went to a local park and let the kids and hubs play while we chatted. This was my first experience meeting a bloggie friend and it was super fun! Matthew was exhausted (really? After a 1.5 hour morning nap and 10 hours of sleep prior to that?) and very stoic, but he showed his dad what it’s like to parent solo at the park 😉 The kids swapped sippy cups and Matthew attempted to steal a kiss from Chloe before he realized that we were trying to photograph them. HA! Chloe was just as cute in person as I was expecting (I can’t get over her cuteness and her blonde curls!), and we escaped the morning without a hair pulling incident (Matthew loves to pull hair – a lot!), so I would call it a success. 🙂
Matthew was asleep before we hit the road – he crashed while we were filling the car with gas. He slept the whole way home and was still exhausted when we got home. He was in bed at 8:30 sharp – sound asleep. B says he’s going through a growth spurt and I’m starting to buy into that.
I didn’t take a lot of photos but these capture some highlights:
Monday Snapshot
So this Monday’s snapshot is not about Matthew, and it’s not about parenting, and it’s not about IF. It’s about ME!
This is my latest project… or… these are my latest projects. They’re not even half done, but they will be done this week and up for sale soon on Etsy. Mama’s making this family some (a little) money. HA!
This post is part of PAIL’s weekly series, The Monday Snapshot. Please head over to meet our guest host of this week, Mrs. Gamgee! To join in, click on the link and add in your post!
Color Me Happy!
I have never been a pool girl. Never.Ever. I have never been confident in my body, even at my peak fitness level, so pool time just wasn’t going to happen for me.
Until now!
I took Matthew to the public aquatic center today. We were there for 3 hours. We went with another mom friend of mine and her SWEET daughter. We all had a ball! And it was not so warm… Topped out at 76 American degrees (are we the only ones who measure in f?) as we left. If was 69 when we got there, but it did not matter… We had a super time. We had so much fun that I bought a summer pass and we’re going back tomorrow!!!
I now understand how some families live at the pool in the summer…. I may be one of those mothers. I need to stock up on Little Swimm.ers and sunscreen. It’s a good thing I bought 2 new swimsuits the other day. Matthew and I are set!!!!
I think I’m finally getting the hang if this SAHM gig of mine. 🙂
First Real Mother’s Day
Today feels like Mother’s Day to me because Matthew has napped TWICE in his crib, for over an hour each time! He’s napping now! YAY! Now – this does not mean he goes down for naps easily. Oh no. I nurse him to a drowsy state, lay him down, pat his back, sigh as he starts to howl, and then… this morning… I decided to walk out. I decided today that this baby needs to learn to fall asleep without nursing, because in 1.5 months (sniff, sniff), he won’t be nursing anymore. I don’t want him to have to adjust to too many changes at once, so I just decided on a whim today that I’m done holding him for his naps.
I was spending 2-3 hours a day in the glider in the nursery – and that just wasn’t good for anyone. The house was always a mess because I had no time alone to clean it up, I was becoming resentful of having no time (not even 30 minutes) to myself, and Matthew was not sleeping soundly in my arms – he would wake up several times. He used to transfer to his crib so easily – it was ridiculous how easy it was and it was working. But he got a cold two weeks ago and he’s only been napping in my arms since.
So anyway – I walked out today and he howled and screamed – this was true “crying it out,” but I refused to give in. I texted my dear friend about it and she reassured me that I was doing the right thing. After 35 minutes (holy hell!), I went in, laid him down, rubbed his back and nose, and watched him drift to sleep. I did the same thing for his afternoon nap but after only 10 minutes of howling – and he’s been asleep for an hour and 25 minutes so far. He’s even woken up twice in this nap and put himself back to sleep without any visits from me.
Finally – some time to myself! I’ve caught up on laundry, dishes, etc. And now I’m reading all of my friends’ blogs on a real computer and not just my phone – while eating home-made spiced nuts made by my wonderful husband. How fantastic this feels!
So Mother’s Day. Holy smokes – B went ALL out this year! Last year was a let-down because I didn’t even get a card, despite being almost 8 months pregnant. I was not a happy mother-to-be. But this year? Oh you guys! I didn’t get a Mother’s Day – I got a Mother’s Weekend!
On Saturday around 2:30, I was working on Matthew’s birthday banner when my friend, Denise, came over with her daughter. This surprised me because she was scheduled to come over at 5:00 to take photos of Matthew for his birthday invitations. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on, but B had booked pedicures for the three of us girls for Mother’s Day! How nice (I really needed one!)! As we were walking out, he put cash in my pocket and said to stop at the frozen yogurt place afterwards and then handed me a gift bag saying to open it with the girls when we got there.
So we’re waiting for our pedicures and I opened the bag, and there was a gift for each of us. B had picked out a special book for each of us and they were all very fitting to our unique personalities and our current life situations. How nice is that? We loved our pedicures and then went for frozen yogurt as advised to do (this is not a paleo/primal snack) before heading home. B was making a huge dinner for the three of us! We took Matthew out for his photo shoot while he finished up our dinner. It was the best dinner I’ve had in a long time!
On Sunday, the fun had not stopped. I woke up to find a card on the pillow next to me. It was from Jackson, our boy cat who sleeps up by my face every night. An hour later, out on the kitchen table, there was another card – this time it was from Janie, our youngest kitty (she thinks the table’s her special sitting place). A while later, there was a card on the vanity from Lily, my precious cat who’s pulled me through some rough times. I brush her every single day up on the vanity, so that’s why her card was there. I went to get dressed and there was a new dress hanging in the closet from my hubby. And finally, at one point when I went into Matthew’s room, there was a card waiting for me in the rocker – the card from my sweet boy!
B gave me his card on Monday morning. So I truly had a full weekend of love and appreciation! B and I write long notes in our cards to each other – and this weekend was no exception. He wrote me a heart-felt note from each of the three cats, Matthew, and himself. That’s a lot of sentiment to write for one holiday!
It was a wonderful day – and weekend! The only regret is that we did not get one single picture of Matthew and me together. Oh well – we have some from the day before! Because I don’t have Mother’s Day photos to share, I’ll share some fun random ones from the last few days!
The Most Positive Time of the Year
It’s pre-spring – not quite spring, but definitely moving out of winter. Living in Iowa, you usually brace yourself for an awful winter full of cold, wind, and snow. This year has been different – it’s been warm, it’s been sunny, and it’s not been snowy. I usually find my mind wandering to happy spring planning around early March, but given our mild (and I dare say, pleasant!) winter, I couldn’t help but start my spring planning in early February when I was out walking with my son in 65 degree temps.
This is the most hopeful time of the year for me. I am a gal who laments the winter months because I don’t like darkness. I crave sunshine and I need bright lights on wherever I go. We burn through a lot of light bulbs at our house during the winter months. It can be 0 degrees outside, but if it’s sunny, I’m a happy gal! When the winter months show signs of fading away, I start planning – and I plan big! I think of all the things I’m going to do during the spring, summer, and fall months. I plan my race schedule, I plan our weekend trips, I plan a big vacation, and I plan outdoor activities for my family. I’m a planner – and pre-spring is my busiest and most hopeful time of year!
My family used to consist of just my husband and me. We were two peas in a pod who were extremely physically active. We ran countless races together, did adventure races together as a co-ed team (and won one!), hiked, traveled, etc. All of it, we did together. Then we decided to have a baby. For a couple who persevered at everything we tried, the family building process was hard on us. It didn’t work. We fought through a couple of years of infertility and after 2 IUI’s (both BFN’s), an IVF cycle (BFN), a FET cycle (very early miscarriage), and another fresh IVF cycle, we were finally pregnant. Whew! Two years and 3 months of hard, emotional work paid off and we were on our way – and we were blessed with an easy pregnancy and an even easier baby boy. So now? Now I plan activities for three!
I love this time of year, and I love it even more now that we have a baby. My son, M, is 8 months old and is the happiest baby I’ve ever known. Wherever he goes, he’s happy and engaging everyone around him. He does not fuss and his attention is easily diverted if he gets a little squirmy. He goes easily to strangers and loves to interact with everyone. He’s EASY – and he’s FUN! And now I’m planning our life and activities around him, and I LOVE it! I get to plan activities for our family that involve other kids, the outdoors, and laughter!
Let the planning begin!
All the Sun For You 