Friday, June 25, 2010

Cleaning Up

I've spent the day clearing cobwebs from underneath kitchen cabinets, mopping floors, picking up small items off the floor, washing dog bowls, making sure there's nothing under beds and furniture, closing bathroom doors, pulling out Clara's small toys and putting them aside, moving cords, plugging up unused outlets, etc, etc, etc, because of yesterday's new development.



I think my life just got more difficult.

Oh, and that little whiney cry thing he's doing on the video? He does it almost non-stop. He's trying to drive his mama to drinking.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Messy

"Got something new for me to try?"


"Oh yeah, that's the stuff."



"Hey, where'd it go?"



"Here it is!"


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Seven Months


-- Robert is soooo close to crawling. He's very frustrated right now and wants to crawl very badly. He gets on his hands and knees and can scoot backwards. As of Saturday, he can go from lying on his tummy to sitting.


-- He started waving hi right around 6 months. He uses his whole arm.

-- He also loves to give kisses. He stays very still and waits for you to kiss him and then he leans in for a kiss with his mouth opened. Needless to say, they're some of the slobberiest (albeit sweetest) kisses you'll find anywhere.

-- His curl is getting long. It is out of control in this humidity, but boy is it cute! It's the first thing most people notice. Daddy mentioned cutting it off last week but don't worry, I set him straight.

-- Still not sure what color his eyes are going to be. They look brown, but when he's in bright light you can tell that they're brown in the middle and blue on the outside.

-- The boy loves the water. I wish they made a mobile bathtub so I could just drag him along in water all day. We'd both be much happier.

-- He's loving the outdoors. He didn't much like taking walks until this week. Now we make it all the way around the neighborhood instead of only half a block.

-- He's outgrown most of his baby gear :( I can't put him in the bouncy seat or swing anymore and I've moved him out of the baby tub. I'm still using his infant car seat though because he falls asleep in it pretty frequently.

-- Speaking of sleep, he's still a big stinker. The only good naps he gets are ones where he falls asleep in his car seat. He'll sleep for an hour or two. If I put him down in his crib, he may sleep for 15 minutes tops and then he's wide awake. It is so frustrating. I spend the better part of my day trying to get the little booger down for naps.

-- Night time is better, but not great. He's getting 5-6 hours some nights before waking, but it's hit or miss. He did 8 hours one night last week. I still need to work on getting him back in his crib instead of bringing him to bed, but I'm just exhausted. He's going down around 8-8:30 and wakes between 6-6:30.

-- The boy doesn't like Sunday school. Actually, that's putting it mildly. He pretty much loathes being in class. He did great the first week and since then he screams the entire time. I know part of it is teething but he's also having some separation anxiety. Mama doesn't know how to deal with this; Clara never went through it. I don't particularly care if he cries the whole time. It's not going to kill him. I just hate that the nursery workers have to deal with him and I don't want him upsetting the other kids.

-- He's a Mama's boy for sure. He doesn't like for me to get too far away. If I go towards him and pass him by, he comes un-glued. He will play by himself and with Clara for quite a while, but when he's done he is done and I had better pick him up.

-- He's not thrilled about eating solids. He tolerates it sometimes, but most of the time I get a few bites in him before he completely loses it. He will eat a few bites of green beans, peas and avocado, but then he gags and throws up his whole meal every single time. He also hates oatmeal. He likes sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, bananas, peaches and squash ok. By that I mean he doesn't throw up. He usually eats 2 ounces (or less) and occasionally 3 if he's really hungry. He's had Gerber puffs and cheerios and doesn't just love them either. He just fusses the whole time he's in his high chair.

-- I love the little guy, but boy is he a lot of work!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Father's Day Weekend

Chris and I had a wedding to go to Friday night down in League City. We had originally planned on leaving both kids with a babysitter. It would have been Robert's first time at a sitter. After trying unsuccessfully to get him down for the night with a bottle the week before, we decided he should probably tag along.


Trying to figure out how to get a bottle in him has been tough. First one I didn't pump enough and when it ran out he went nuts. It was also a fast flow nipple so he was done in 5 minutes. Second one was a slower flow and that just ticked him off. He also ran out again. I tried to get him to take formula but he wasn't having any of that. (Can't say I blame him. I forgot how much that stuff REEKS!) I have no idea how much he eats in a sitting, but I haven't been able to pump a whole lot anyway. I get maybe 2-3 ounces each pumping session. Pumping three times to maybe get one bottle's worth of milk is not cool.

Sooooo, all that to say we decided it was in everyone's best interest to take him with us. We were going to be over an hour away, and stuck on a yacht for 4 hours, so it probably wasn't the best time to leave him for the first time.

Clara stayed the night with friends and had a great time. Robert did pretty well. The wedding took place on a yacht so it was pretty close quarters. Wouldn't you know it, he started fussing minutes before the ceremony started. I think he can sense my fear. We gave him a bottle and then started shoving puffs in his mouth to keep him quiet. For some reason they turned the a/c off and after a few minutes in the heat, he was done. We sat on the back row just in case I had to get up with him and I did end up going back to the bathroom with him right at the end and missed the last 2 minutes or so.



It was a nice dinner and Robert was happy for a good chunk of the time. He would get fussy every now and then, especially when we were out on the deck in the heat. It was fun trying to find a discreet place to nurse, but we survived. The boat docked at 10:15 pm and we got home around midnight. We were supposed to pick Clara up around 8:00 but we overslept and didn't wake up until that time. We were soooo tired. We were worthless the rest of the day. I did mow the back yard that night though. I gave Chris the weekend off.

We woke up a little late on Sunday but managed to make it to church on time. I took pictures of Chris and the little ones for Father's Day but it was so humid out the picture is all foggy. Chris chose to go to Pei Wei for lunch and then we had frozen yogurt for dessert.


After naps we decided to go see Shrek. I enjoyed it but I don't think it was as good as the others. Robert was good. Until the movie started. I guess he wasn't too terrible. He was just really restless and wouldn't nurse well. He eventually settled down and fell asleep and stayed asleep til the end.

You're a wonderful daddy, Chris! You work so hard to provide for all of us, making sure we're happy and comfortable. I don't tell you nearly enough, but I really do appreciate all that you do for us. We love you so much and are blessed to have you in our lives!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Evenings

Right now our evenings are spent running through sprinklers and smiling on swings.....


sleeping in our most favorite place........


helping Mommy tend the jasmine......

and just plain enjoying spending time together as a family. I'm loving the summer!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Summertime

Summer is in full swing. We're feeling the heat and trying our best to stay cool. The easiest way to do that (in my opinion) is to just stay inside in the a/c, but having kids means I have to venture out in it occasionally.


We got a package in the mail from the best Nanny ever! Gourmet lollipops. Yum-my!


We took our fist dip in the pool last Saturday. Clara was scared at first but she relaxed and enjoyed herself after a few minutes. She was going underwater, getting splashed in the face and jumping in by herself, all of which she wouldn't do at the beginning of swim lessons last year. I was glad to see she hadn't completely reverted. Robert loved the water. He just kicked and kicked the whole time. He's much more relaxed and seems to enjoy the water a whole lot more than Clara did as a baby.




On Sunday we had our church summer kick off at the park.



And this picture is from today in the kiddie pool. I put just a little bit of water in it since Robert still falls over easily when he leans over. He loves it and sits and splashes like crazy. He'll stop for a minute, his lips quivering because he's so cold. Then he smiles and splashes again, shivers, smiles and on and on. Even Clara enjoys playing with him in an inch of water.

I turned on the sprinkler for her and thought he might enjoy it too so I put him in his bumbo and set him in the grass. He loved it. He was getting pelted in the face with water and it didn't even phase him.

Clara has swim lessons this week and next and Robert and I get to sit by and try to keep ourselves cool while she swims. After only half an hour out in this heat, I'm just worn out! Me and Robert both. I think he's fallen asleep in the car on the drive home from swim lessons every day this week.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

These Teeth!!!

These teeth are going to be the death of me! Not only is he producing copious amounts of drool, his sleep is completely out of whack, he is super fussy and in pain a lot of times and now? Now, he's biting. The boy is on the fast track to being a bottle-fed baby. Today was not a good day and he bit me while nursing at least 5 times. I know what I'm supposed to do to get him to stop, but now I'm nervous and tense the whole time I'm nursing, just waiting for him to nip.


Clara didn't get her first tooth until almost 10 months and I don't remember her ever biting, so this is new to me. I don't want to wean him this early, but by golly I'm not going to be his personal teether. I'm already his pacifier.

Friday, June 04, 2010

Lots of Firsts

I cannot tell a lie; some of these may not be official firsts. I suppose "first time caught on camera" would be more appropriate for some of the pictures.

First attempt at a sippy cup-- June 1


First teeth-- May 22 and 29


First swim-- June 5 (Pay no attention to the camera strap or bikini-clad bottom)


First ride in a shopping cart-- May 22


First Sunday school class-- May 23


First restaurant high chair-- May 15


Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Memorial Day

We enjoyed an afternoon at the park on Memorial Day. Chris and Clara have been busy building a little boat over the last couple of weeks and were eager to test it's seaworthiness. Clara helped measure pieces, she picked the colors and helped me paint the inside. The boat is named Bellissia and has two seahorses painted on the sides.


We invited a few friends out to witness Bellissia's maiden voyage. We were pleased to see that it did indeed float. Very well in fact. It didn't take on any water. Chris and Clara are awesome boat builders. She's so proud of her boat and tells all about it to anyone who'll listen.


Several of the adults took turns taking kids out in the boat and the kids all loved it. It was hot though. Robert and I took shelter on a blanket in the shade the whole time. I eventually stripped him down to his diaper. We threw some hot dogs on the grill while the kids played and caught bugs, then packed up and hit the playground on the way out, staying until almost dark. It was a hot, fun-filled day and I think everyone went home with a car full of pooped kiddos (and parents).

Mmmmmm

Here are a couple of pictures of Robert trying avocado for the first time. He didn't quite know what to think about it.



He wanted to like it. But in the end, the gag reflex won.


He's also had sweet potatoes, squash and banana. Peas are next in the lineup. I made the sweet potatoes, squash and peas from scratch and it's been so easy to puree and freeze. I wanted to make Clara's baby food, but was intimidated by the whole process for some reason.

He's been leery of all the new foods. There's nothing he absolutely loves yet. It took three days for him to come around to the sweet potatoes but now he really likes him. He's also gotten off to a rocky start with squash and bananas but I think he's starting to come around.