Brief Bits

Here's a quick round-up of what I've found on the web recently that got my creative juices flowin':

1.  From The TomKat Studio - Crab Shack Party
This birthday party idea... for a little boy named Tommy... to.die.for!  Connor's birthday is unfortunately just a week or so before Christmas, so I'm toying with the idea of throwing him half-birthday parties in the summertime so he can have fun with his friends.  This idea is definitely going into my file.

2.  From Bakerella - Hamm and Potatoes Cake Pops
One of these days, I'd love to attempt to make one of Bakerella's famed cake pop creations - they're so adorable, and she makes it look so easy!  I especially love her rendition of Mr. Potato Head - detailed instructions can be found here.

3.  From Design Mom - Once a Year Books
One of my goals throughout Connor's young life is to be really diligent at documenting his milestones and major events... and the little ones, too.  I love this idea of a Once a Year Book - chronicling the first 18 years of your child's life with a single picture and a little journaling.  These books are sold by an Australian company, and are about $69US.  Not cheap, but you could use this idea to inspire you to make your own Once a Year Book.

4.  From Noble Pig - Snickerdoodle Cheerio Cookies
Seriously, they had me at Snickerdoodle.  These look delicious, especially with the added crunch of the Cheerios... YUM!

5.  From V and Co. - Tie Rattle Snake Buddy
This looks like a really fun activity to do with your kids... definitely with a little boy.  And, a clever way to repurpose one of daddy's old ties.

6.  From 71 Toes - Home Tour
I love this blogger's home!  So beautiful and personal... check out all of her fun touches - her dining room, her family room and dining nook, and her entryway.  Just gorgeous! 

7.  From Crazy Domestic - Easy Menu Planning Using Days with Themes
This is a clever idea to help you break out of a menu planning rut - Mexican Monday, Takeout Tuesday, Favorite Friday, etc.  I really like this idea.

8.  From Leelou Blogs - HUGE $40 off Blurb book coupon code!
At the beginning of the year, I began Connor's Blurb book of the posts I wrote chronicling his NICU journey and entire first year... I have a lot of editing to do on it still.  But with a $40 off coupon code, BLOG2010, I now have an amazing incentive to get that book done before the August 31, 2010 expiration. 

9.  From Crap I've Made - Kitchen Art
Here's a fun little, inexpensive idea to dress up the kitchen...  spray paint silverware and mount them inside an open frame.  This looks like a fun one... I think I may give it a try!

10.  From Our Best Bites - Quick Tip: How to Cut a Kiwi Fruit
Did you know that "a kiwi a day, keeps constipation at bay"??  Connor eats a lot of kiwis.  ;)  This is one of those "a-ha" tips - how to cut a kiwi without wasting so much fruit - you'll be glad you learned about.

Well, there you have it... 10 great finds. I hope something here inspires you, too!

Sunday Sustenance

"Whatever you can do,

or dream you can,

begin it. 

Boldness has genius, power, 

and magic in it."

- Goethe

Brief Bits

Seven of the following 16 bits of inspiration on this edition of Brief Bits are food related... obviously I must have been hungry while surfing the past couple of weeks!  Here's a quick round-up of what I've found on the web recently that got my creative juices flowin':

1.  From Serving Pink Lemonade - Dinosaur Play Mat
Another oh-so clever idea out of felt that sure to keep LITTLE BOYS (because there will always be a lack of cute, crafty items for the gender) quiet and happy.  If Connor gets into dinosaurs, I will definitely be attempting this little project.

2.  9414 Jornada Lane
Finally... a DIY home-for-sale site done right!  Too many of them are so chintzy, and blah.  This one, in its simplicity with gorgeous photos that truly show off the home's best features, makes me want to find $180K to buy a vacation home in North Carolina. 

3.  From Life in a Peanut Shell - Homemade Peanut Butter Twix
O.M.Goodness!  I might have to give these a try... {sigh.}

4. From Just Cook Already - Fudgies!
{Salivating}  A very delicious no-bake chocolate cookie recipe...  YUM!

5.  From Just Cook Already - Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake
(Two in a row!)  This looks tasty enough to have for breakfast... all.by.itself.

6.  From Someday Craft - D-A-D Photos
Clever idea for a gift for dads everywhere...  photograph your kids holding letter cut-outs that you can easily find at the craft store.  Frame them up as a collage, and it's ready for dad's office!

7.  From Make and Takes - Rich and Creamy S'Mores Milkshake
See #13 about why these will likely be served in my home soon.  This looks super-dreamy... and refreshing!  I love the recipes that have simple ingredients - uncomplicated and delicious.

8.  From The Storque - Pillow with Rosette Clusters
I think I'm going to attempt this pillow for the new chair in my new bedroom... so texturally (is that a word?) gorgeous!

9.  From eighteen25 - Summer To-Do's
This is a cute way to help your kids visualize all the fun things you have planned for their summers.  They could even help you come up with the ideas, and then help to check them off as the weeks roll by.  Kind of reminds me of an advent calendar of sorts, with activities to do...

10.  From Under the Table and Dreaming - Super Cool Wall Art
I LOVE THIS IDEA... and I'm going to pull it off for my house very soon!  She used gimp to "stitch" her photos together... but any Photoshop or scrapbook software would do the trick, too.  Search on Leo Reynolds's Flickr photostream here for the letters or numbers you want for your own project (there are thousands of variations to choose from - note: if you search for '0', type it in as 'zero').  Not only would this make a unique family established sign, but it would also turn out really nice in a kids' room or nursery (you could do just their name... or their name with their birthday... so cool!)... and this project would make an inexpensive gift as well.  Once mine is done, I'll share it on the blog, and then it'll be a part of the collage wall in my bedroom.

11.  From O'Keefe Family Fun - Collecting Beans
Such a clever idea for motivating your kids to be good!  I really like this and plan on implementing it as soon as Connor understands that not everything has to go in his mouth... and the concept of incentives. 

12.  From Fowl Single File - Sunflower Cupcakes
Sunflowers = Summer, to me.  These look like a lot of fun, and she even provides a step-by-step tutorial for decorating them.  Double bonus - the center of the 'flower' is an Oreo!

13.  From Picky Palate - S'mores Stuffed Brownies
My mouth is already watering... and if Brian happens to read this post, I'm pretty sure he'll demand that these get made, ASAP.  The boy loves him a s'more.  And this is a brownie... with real s'more ingredients layered inside... looks divine!

14.  From Picky Palate - Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Cookie Stackers
(Another two in a row!)  As a kid, Cap'n Crunch was one of my favorite cereals (yep, my mom was one of those awesome moms who let us have sugar cereals).  As an adult, I kinda like the roof of my mouth to stay intact... so, I can't remember the last time I had some.  After I saw this recipe, I'm pretty sure I'll be making an exception to that rule. 

15.  From Somewhat Simple - "Mom, I'm Bored" Jar
This is a fantastic idea for summertime kids!  Full of ideas to keep kids busy - some are fun, some not so much - it's the perfect antidote to hearing, "Mom, I'm bored!" all summer long.  She even offers up all the free printables for you to make your own.

16.  From The Wheatfield's Etsy Site - Land of Ampersand Print
I adore this sweet little print!  Available on Etsy as an 8x10 for only $15.

Well, there you have it... 16 great finds. I hope something here makes you hungry inspires you, too!

A work in progress

In January of this year, we decided it was time to upgrade our IKEA bedroom furniture.  It just wasn’t working for us anymore… my dresser was broken beyond repair, our nightstands were ridiculously small… and, we were tired of the “college-look”. 

So, a-furniture-shopping we did go! 

After a couple of weeks of intense searching, we decided upon a gorgeous set – bed, nightstands, and a large dresser we would share.  We had only seen this set in a showroom catalog, but were confident in the quality of the manufacturer.  Our order was placed, and we were especially happy to have bought it on sale.  Then, we patiently waited. 

Several weeks later, our dresser had arrived in the warehouse, and we heard that the nightstands were on their way.  Five weeks into our order, we received notice that the manufacturer was no longer going to make the bed we had ordered.  Period.  Not a chance of receiving the bed that matched the dresser and nightstands already made.  Five weeks into our order. Needless to say, we cancelled the entire thing… and begrudgingly started back on square one.

The second time around, we knew we had to look somewhere new and fresh… so we stopped by the stores we thought we couldn’t afford, naturally.  And we fell in love with a new set!  Lucky for us, it was on sale… and at the sale price, it was barely within our budget.  They also said we could expect our new furniture to arrive within 4-6 weeks.

We were happy and relieved…  maybe this stupid saga of re-doing the bedroom would be over soon, after all.

Ha. ha.

Now I will rant: 

The dresser arrived 7 weeks after we placed our order.  The nightstands at 14 weeks.  And the bed?  STILL.NOT.HERE.  We’re at 16 weeks and counting…  it’s beyond ridicurous.  To ease our anguish, we were given a 3.7% discount on our order.  (Which was actually kind of insulting more than anything.) 

We purchased this furniture direct from a national retailer… when it was ON SALE, even posted in a print advertisement… and the exact furniture we wanted was displayed on their showroom floor – right inside the front door.  We’ve spent hours on the phone trying to get a current status on it.  We’ve been lied to about multiple phone calls made to us and voicemails left for us that never happened.  We even stopped by the showroom one day (around the 13-week mark) to make them tell us face-to-face that the bed hadn’t even been made yet.  Their only excuse for the delay (after we were told 4-6 weeks when we ordered it) was that we had ordered “custom” furniture.  What the what????  That’s their flimsy excuse.  IMO, “custom” furniture is a unique piece… hard to find another with that same combination… NOT a REPLICA of a piece displayed in EVERY store’s showroom across America. 

The sad thing is that I’m emotionally attached to this furniture.  This is the exact style of bed I wanted.  The one we were searching for even the first time around.  Sure, we could cancel it, make them come get the dresser and nightstands, and refund our money…  but then where would we be??  I hate square one.

This is stupid, I know.  They’re just material objects, I know.  There are bigger things in the world to worry about, I know.  I just want the d%$#! bed already so I can move on to more important things.

My fingers are loosely crossed at the moment that the bed might be delivered this weekend… I just can’t hold my breath any longer.

EDITED TO ADD:  Well, we were lied to (strong word, but that’s the truth) once again.  Called the warehouse scheduler directly only to learn the bed is still on a truck somewhere in America.  Now we’ll be lucky to have it in our home before the holiday weekend.  Which will put it at the 18-week mark.  {boo.hiss.}

End rant.

Anyway… on to a sneak peek!

I’ve mentioned before that we’ve been working on this for awhile, and the pieces are slowly coming together.  I hate having projects that take this long.  I can easily lose interest and move onto something else, making due with the current state of things.  But, when you sell nearly all of your old bedroom furniture in one weekend on Craigslist, and your nightstands become a TV tray and a plastic tub, you have to hang in there.

Like I mentioned, we have a portion of the furniture already.  Waiting on the bed, and a chair will hopefully be ordered in a few weeks.  The bedding was decided upon and purchased back during the first furniture order… I love it, and can’t wait to see it on the bed.  {sigh.}  The lamps and most of the accessories are made/purchased and in place.  All that’s left are the walls – need to order the scroll piece for over the bed, make the doormat stencil project for one wall, and complete the picture wall for another (something like this). 

Once everything is complete and in place, I’ll post photos, of course. 

Hopefully before the summer is through!

To the father of my son…

You're his favorite playmate and best buddy, 

and I love watching the two of you together!

You’ve become an even better father 

than I knew you would be.  

Thank you for being our rock, our provider, 

and our best friend…

And for always making us your top priority.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

We love you!

Happy Father's Day!

Any man can be a father.
It takes someone special to be a dad.

WE LOVE YOU!

Sunday Sustenance

"He didn't tell me how to live;
he lived,
and let me watch him do it."

- Clarence Budington Kelland

The stats of 18 months old

Saw Connor’s pediatrician this morning…

At his last well-check (at 15-months) he was 19 lbs. 13 oz. and 27” tall.

His current stats:

Weight – 21 lbs. 2 oz.

Height – 30”

Head Circumference – 46.75 cm

So, for the growth charts, this puts him in:

GROWTH CHARTS	Adjusted Age (15 mos.)	Actual Age (18 mos.)
Weight	10th percentile	5th percentile
Height	20th percentile	slightly below 5th percentile
Head Circumference	50th percentile	25th percentile

Pediatrician’s pleased, we’re pleased…  it’s all good.

For development, according to the tests the pediatrician grades on, for social/personal, fine motor, and language, he’s testing at his chronological age of 18 months.  For gross motor he tested out at 9-12 months.  {?!?!}  Whatever.  We’re seeing a PT on a regular basis, and I think Connor is doing just fine.

We have a referral to go see a pediatric dentist about his teeth coming in.  Sadly they’re stained (we hope that’s all that’s wrong with them) from the antibiotics and vitamins he’s always been on… and might be decaying from the meds.  Yay.

Next appointment with the pediatrician?  Not until he’s 2 years old.  Yay!

My friend, Teresa, who had 26-wk preemie twin boys over 10 years ago (and a full-term boy over 2 years ago), made an interesting comment the other day.  She said that when you bring a full-term infant home, that’s it… no one’s intervening, you don’t have a dozen different opinions coming in from everyone about what’s going on.  But, when you have a preemie, no matter what level of complications they endure, you have a barrage of people constantly telling you what to do, and what you’re doing wrong.

Don’t misunderstand me… I believe that the intervention can be good for the entire  family, if it helps the baby to progress.  But, with so many different opinions… it’s such an intrusion sometimes.  (And running from appointment to appointment is beyond exhausting.)  You constantly have to measure it against your own parental instinct and intuition.  It can make you so weary!

The good news is that Connor’s pediatrician is now questioning whether or not we need ongoing follow-ups with his neurologist and ophthalmologist.  Goodness knows we could certainly handle 2 more specialists off our plate!

And on that note… we’re back to our previously scheduled posts.

18 months old

Dear Connor,

Just 18 short months ago, you surprised your father and me with your miraculous birth, and ever since, you’ve never ceased to amaze us.

Because I don’t want to forget how fun you are at this stage:

• You know how to give the best kisses and hugs – they’re so sweet (even the open-mouthed ones you offer)!  You’ve recently associated “love” with kisses – and it’s to die for. 
• I don’t want to forget how you love to giggle, and are developing quite the sense of humor right now.  Sometimes, you’ll cruise on over and just start laughing out loud, for no reason, until I chime in, too. 
• You love to be tickled, and will guffaw over the slightest touch on your back. 
• You have to try whatever we happen to be eating, and are adorably relentless until you have a morsel of it in your mouth.  Your current favorites are yogurt, kiwis, and strawberries.  You’re getting much better about drinking fluids, and just recently figured out that the sippy cup is not the enemy. 
• You absolutely love to go outside, and checking the mail is one of the highlights of your day. 
• You’re just beginning to enjoy storytime… which is good, because there are a lot of books we want to read to you.
• Baths are a special time for you and Daddy – he lets you splash and play and be silly (whereas bathtime with Mommy is all business). 
• When you go to sleep at night (and you are such a good sleeper – nearly 12 hours every night with 2 naps during the day), it’s so funny how you “require” at least 2 binkies – one for your mouth, and one for your right hand, which you tuck behind your back. 
• You love to play catch with Daddy – catch with Mommy doesn’t bring the same amount of giggles and joy to your face. 
• You’re cutting at least 3 teeth at once right now, and one’s your first molar – which explains a lot about the mini tantrums and fussiness you’ve been having lately… I’ll have to remember to cut you some slack. 
• When you’re around other kids, we love how talkative you become – you definitely want your voice to be heard.  You understand so much right now, but for some reason still insist on calling Daddy “Yayaya”.  You’ve also started “singing” lately, and new syllables come out of your mouth every day. 
• You’ve mastered quite a few animal sounds, know how to locate several body parts, understand which room is where in the house and which toy is which, and we’re so impressed!
• You get excited at the prospect of going shopping (probably because we still don’t take you out very much), and are such a good boy to sit so patiently in your stroller until we’re through. 
• You have a keen eye and adoration for anything electronic… anything with buttons to push.  One of your favorite toys is the spare, battery-free TV remote, because it looks just like the one that operates the TV.  You already understand that seeing the DVR menu means that your show will come on and you shriek in excitement until it plays.  You absolutely adore “Yo Gabba Gabba”… DJ Lance is your favorite… you’d be happiest if I let you watch it all day long.  When Daddy’s working from home, you love to pop into the office to say hi… but we can’t leave until you’ve had a chance to play with the mouse. 
• Now that you’re mobile, you’ve figured out that you can run from the camera.  So, for the next while, many of the pictures I’ll be able to get you to hold still for will happen while you’re strapped in your high chair. 
• And how you love being mobile!  We have to make sure you’re all gated in, or not take our eyes off of you for a second, because you’re much too quick these days… and you’re not even walking yet!

There’s so much more I want to remember, I’ll have to start keeping a list.  If you would just slow down… for a few minutes…  ;)

Connor, you’re a wonder and an absolute joy!  We’re so grateful that you are our son!!

Love, Mommy & Daddy

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 11, 2010

Always on the move! – June 16, 2010

What… doesn’t your kid kiss the TV remote, too?? – June 16, 2010

Spike. – June 10, 2010

Scenes from the High Chair – June 16, 2010

Taking a break from his new friend, the sippy cup. – June 16, 2010

The face he gives the camera about 85% of the time now. – June 11, 2010

Big, 18-month-old BOY! – June 16, 2010

It's done!!

I have been wanting to do a silhouette of Connor since before he was born… then he came early, had that stupid helmet to wear, yada yada yada.

But, after all that, what better time to “commemorate” his beautiful head shape… right?!?

So, at his final CT appointment, I asked for the originals of his photo study pics to be e-mailed to me.  (When else would I have the most perfect side profile shot taken of him?)

Ultimately, I knew I really didn’t want to bother with the simple method of cutting out his picture, painting it black, and attaching it to paper…  I’m not so good with the scissors or the exacto knife.  And, sometimes I can be too much of a perfectionist.

I’ve owned a version of Photoshop Elements since Connor was born, but have never had the time to learn it.  I’ll dabble with it here and there, but I always end up getting frustrated and going back to my simple Scrapbook Factory software.  But, to make a good, clean silhouette, with a transparent background, I knew I would need some expert help.

Enter Uncle Scott.  :)

Not only did he convert Connor’s photo to a beautiful silhouette, he even added some hair texture, an eyelash, and a little lower lip (Connor was sucking the lip in the photo).

I LOVE IT!

I added the text and the colored background with my simple Scrapbook Factory software… and now it’s being printed at Costco for a whopping $1.49.  I’ll frame it up, and proudly display it in my family room!

And then I had to make one for my bedroom, too!

Fam-damily, just click on the above image to download the full-size 8x10 version for yourself, or the one to the right for a full-size 5x7.
  
Isn’t Scott the best?!?  We think so!

All caught up... for now.

After weeks of seeing 1000+ unread posts in my Google Reader, I’m all caught up.
It feels good…  but it’s my own doing.
I read too many random blogs.  {sigh.}

But, I won’t be caught up for long, because soon I’ll be taking a bit of a break…

Doing a little bit of this:


To end up here:


So we can see some of these people:


And I’ve got so much to do before the big day arrives!!

(So, I’ll be getting behind again, shortly.)

To be honest, I’m mostly trying not to completely stress out over the fact that I’ll be doing it ~by myself~ with an 18-month-old… one who does not like to hold still.  Yay.

“I think I can…I think I can…I think I can…” 

So, it’s TTFN…  there are a few scheduled posts and some super-quick updates planned while I’m on break, but nothing terribly exciting.  When I’m officially ready to get back into the swing of things I have some great plans for more freebies, along the lines of the ABC poster I previously posted.

Stay tuned!

Sunday Sustenance

"What lies behind us 

and what lies before us 

are small matters 

compared to 

what lies within us."

- Emerson

Brief Bits

It's been awhile since I did a "Brief Bits" post...  so I've narrowed it down to my top 19!  (Random number, yes.)  Here's a quick round-up of what I've found on the web this last while that got my creative juices flowin':

1.  From Clean Mama - Summer Fun Container
I love the concept of this idea...  having a container/envelope/list to choose daily "fun" activities from.  The surprise that would be "what are we going to do today?" is so fun!  I really want Connor to have fond memories of his childhood... full of fun and adventures.  And because I need to say it one more time... FUN! 

2.  From Picky Palate - Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies... made with ICE CREAM!  Sounds delicious.

3.  From Sutton Grace - Infant Seat Canopy Cover
I would have LOVED to have one of these when Connor was still in his infant seat!  Blankets draped over the top don't stay there, and with a preemie or any little baby, the last thing you want is to encourage strangers to breathe on them.  This would make a great baby gift, too.  Her tutorial looks really easy to follow... maybe, just maybe....

4.  From Just Cook Already - Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars
Love me a bar cookie... YUM!

5.  From Living With Punks - Land of Nod Inspired Floor Cushion
I love this... the perfect spot for a kid to sit!  I've actually considered buying something like this for Connor.  She posts a very thorough tutorial, too.  Just wish I was able to sew this with my currently non-existent sewing skills.  Isn't it great how I post so many incredible gift ideas for Grandma Rogers to choose from??  ;)

6.  From Cocoa Daisy - Ali's Artist Tray
This is tops on my wish list right now!!  Remember when I included Ali Edward's Photo Type Case on a previous Brief Bits post?  For $67.95, they send you all of the pieces to make this unique wall hanging for your own family (you supply your own photos, of course) designed by Ali Edwards.  {sigh.}   

7.  From Make It and Love It - Flower Wall Hanging
I really like the graphic-ness of this idea...  a great piece for any little spot in your home.  Nice tutorial, too.

8.  From Little Miss Momma - Button Headband Tutorial
I've never been a big headband wearer, but after seeing this idea, I'm rethinking my whole position on headbands.  So cute!

9.  From Ohdeedoh - Wet Sidewalk Chalk
I've never heard of this before, but apparently soaking your sidewalk chalk in water overnight gives the chalk a more velvety texture and makes the colors more vibrant.  Going to have to remember this one for next summer...

10.  From Make it Do - Gorgonzola Pear Salad
This is the time of year I could eat a salad every day... but only if they're as delicious as this one looks!

11.  From Our Best Bites - How to Pick and Cut a Watermelon & From The How-To Gal - How To Pick Out a Perfect Watermelon
Summertime = Watermelon!  I still have to remind myself that there's more to picking out a good watermelon than knocking on them in the produce department.  Both these posts had easy-to-remember tips.  Plus, Our Best Bites describes how to cut that melon into perfect little cubes... I'll have to give that a try!

12.  From Noodlehead - Dishmats
Maybe I'd feel like washing dishes more often if I had a pretty dishmat to dry them on, versus a boring old dishtowel.  I actually really like this idea, plus it'd be a lot more absorbent than the towels I own.

13.  From Lifehacker - Soak Onions in Water for Tear-Free Cutting
I've posted previously about how onions and I just don't get along...  I'm definitely going to give this tip a try the next time a recipe calls for them.

14.  From Caryn Said Yes - Collage of Emotions
I thought this was a fun idea to do with photos of your kids... a neat way to capture all of those silly and not-so-silly faces.

15.  From Make It and Love It - Ruffled Shower Curtain
One of these days, my guest bathroom/kids' bathroom is going to get a makeover...  I really liked her idea here - just a little frill, but not too much.

16.  From Alphamom - Father's Day Gift for Your Superhero
A fantastic and super-clever idea for Father's Day!  Plus she offers up free printables of the labels on each item, so you can make your own!  Love it!

17.  From The How-To Gal - Gorgeous Flower DIY Tutorials
Here's a great round-up of some "grown-up" handmade flower tutorials... serious ones.  And they're gorgeous.

18.  From The Cook Next Door - Chicken Tortilla Soup
As soon as fall hits here, this recipe will be moving to the top of my gotta-try-it list.  Looks sooo good!

19.  From Blue Cricket Design - Framed Mirror
Another idea to file away for that bathroom makeover... a great tutorial for finishing off that plain mirror in the bathroom with a little bit of molding and a mitre box.  {Note to self:  learn how to use a mitre box.}

Well, there you have it... 19 great finds.  I hope something here inspires you, too!

Say Cheese!

Ultimately, I wanted to have a cluster of pictures on the wall documenting the growth of my son over his first 2-3 years.  Based on price and convenience alone, I chose Target Portrait Studios.  We’ll be sticking with them for consistency’s sake.  :S

I do realize that you get what you pay for… but, seriously?!?  (See his 6-mo shoot and his 12-mo. shoot.)  Ugh.  It’s a good thing we think he’s one cute kid!

Here’s what Target and Connor’s temperament produced this afternoon at his 18-mo. shoot… for the record, I hate the props (these are from the freebie proofs you can download online, so the quality is below sub-par):

 

 

 

If you’re on the “distribution list”, your prints will be delivered to you in the next few weeks.

 

The latest and greatest

May 24, 2010

It’s been awhile…

And, we’ve been busy!

Having a full-fledged, 17.5-month-old toddler in the house, and nice weather outside, doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for blogging, you see.  :)

But, I’ll attempt to catch you up…

Connor’s still attending weekly physical therapy sessions – things are going really well there.  He’s definitely got his cruising skills down, and has begun reciprocal creeping (essentially, crawling!).  While he still chooses to bottom scoot too often (why move from a sitting position when that’s how you want to end up anyway, right?), he doesn’t complain when we put him on his knees.  In fact, when we see him bottom scooting, all we have to do is remind him to get on his knees, and now he does!  If he starts from a laying down position, it’s knees all the way.

Houston, we have a crawler! - May 16, 2010

The most recent, BREAKING NEWS accomplishments:

• Saturday (May 29), nearly all by himself, he crawled up the entire stairwell!  (And, he wouldn’t stop until he reached the top.)
• Sunday (May 30), he mastered (finally) pulling himself up on the ottoman and the sofa. 

Check it out!

May 8, 2010

He’s already mastered pulling up to stand in his crib, and on occasion will pull himself up in his play yard or on his toy box.  Once on his feet, he cruises the entire perimeter of the family room, even walking along walls.  His PT thinks he’ll be walking on his own by the end of summer.  All along, my personal hope was for him to walk by the time he was 2, so we’re well on our way!

The probiotics we’ve been giving him for the past several weeks in his breakfast cereal have finally started to help him… and now everything runs like clockwork.  (Thanks, Dr. Andi!)  We’re always greeted by a major stink bomb at the end of his morning nap now… and we’re NOT COMPLAINING!  :)  Easy poops = happy baby!!

May 16, 2010

Lately, Connor is obsessed with anything electronic.  He can spot them from a mile away and makes a beeline for it as soon as he’s free from our arms.  He definitely knows the difference between “toy” remotes and phones and real ones, and has lost all interest for the fake ones.  If it has buttons, he must push it.  If he sees a computer mouse or a keyboard, he must touch it.  And he won’t give up until you let him, or leave the room.

He’s at a fun stage now, where he’ll mimic you and then remember the gesture in the future.  While my mom was here in April, she taught him to pinch his nose when something was stinky.  And Connor knows that passing gas is stinky… so Daddy gets this gesture a lot.  ;)  (In his defense, if Connor hears a cough or a burp, he’ll pinch his nose then, too.)

See the video below for his latest round-up of “tricks”!

Connor received two thumbs up from his ophthalmologist in the last month, and was cleared of Early Intervention evaluations until November. Other than the ongoing physical therapy and routine baby well-checks with his pediatrician, Connor should have it fairly quiet until July, when we visit his nephrologist for another round of testing for his urinary reflux.

And now, the picture dump…

 May 5, 2010

Baby Jail – May 10, 2010

LOVES to sit on shoulders! – May 26, 2010

May 23, 2010

Still just 4 teeth – May 16, 2010

Fascinated by the floor vents – May 29, 2010

Got all his hairs cut! 

Can’t believe how much he looks like a little boy instead of a baby. - May 29, 2010

I love to share!  Want a block?? – May 26, 2010

Loves to give hugs and kisses! - May 16, 2010

May 10, 2010

…and we have to redecorate! – May 8, 2010

Next up?

Connor and I are gearing up for our spur-of-the-moment, quickly approaching trip to Phoenix…  pray for me – a wiggly toddler. on an airplane. just the two of us.  But, we’ll have fun when we get there, plus Brian gets to visit between trips to LA.  Yippee!!