Hugh At 11 Months

Hugh at 11 months.....

Just as much joy as usual.  But...this month I got really upset at our photo shoot.  My legs ached from sitting, standing, kneeling and chasing him on my knees-trying to get a shot.  I just wanted to get a good shot of him in his striped leg warmers with the 11 month sticker on so we could compare. But this is what I kept ended up getting:

 But he won't sit still. He won't smile when I want. He won't stop moving. He won't look at the camera.  Won't won't won't.  Sorry for the lack of good pictures but I will still share some of them. 

Hugh likes to talk and loves to yell.  He will look right at you (With the below expression) and you just KNOW he is trying to tell you something important. 

He walks 85% of the time.  He is now trying to run after his big brother and throws himself forward when he gets to his destination.  Usually he hits face first.

Hugh loves to have something in his mouth. He prefers something long and skinny. We call it (I know inappropriate) his "pipe".  His very favorite item is the long yellow rolling pin that came in the Play Dough kit.  Sometimes he hums very loudly as he travels around with it.  This could be dangerous.

Hugh loves to eat. He is very meticulous with his fingers and picks up each piece while his brow is furrowed.  He concentrates very hard and when he runs out he lets you know. He is crazy loud while he demands more more more!  He doesn't yet do baby sign language for more or please.  That would be too polite for this little caveman.  He squeezes his hands in anger and swirls his feet below him until you put more food on his tray. 

Hugh likes to hide in the castle tent in our living room and sit quietly until you find him. This has caused me so much distress as I literally lost him one day for a few minutes.  He thought it was hilarious.  He likes to play with toys that make noises or move in front of him. 

Hughie still takes 2 naps a day but likes to throw his nuks out of the crib for a while first. He goes to bed well at night but still wakes up to cry about who knows what.

This 11th month was the month where he realized he HATES diaper changes.  Luckily it was just a stage and he is starting to already settle down, but for a while I dreaded those diaper changes.  I may or may not have left him in a too wet of a diaper until Andy got home. 

Hugh's hair is growing longer in the back and curling up nicely.  His eyes remain ocean blue. He has a dimple by his eyes when he smiles big.  He has 8 teeth and a smile that will melt your heart.

I know this boy is going to wrestle with his brother and dad on the floor.  I already see it. 

We are planning a small birthday celebration for this boy in the next month.  I'm excited to see him dig in to some cake, but I'm dreading the thought of my baby getting older and older.
Until next month....

Stuff that doesn't have a place

Sometimes I just want to share with you.  And many times the pictures or "stuff" that I want to share have no real storyline.  No matter how I stretch it, I just can't get an introduction, middle or end to wrap it up into one small little gift of  a post.  So I save it...hoping it will scoot it's way into another longer post. But even that doesn't usually happen.

So here it is.  The "hot dish" (are you from Minnesota?) or "casserole" or garbage pail.  The dump of pictures with no point.  Sit back and enjoy.

One of the Best Pictures of Bailee ever taken.

Barbies for Boys-awesome gift!  (A box of Lego "guys", many were actually girls. All had outfits and pieces that connected them with a career: i.e. someone on computer, skateboard champ, police man, garbage man, chef, waitress, construction worker, Gardner, biking mailman etc.  Now Eli can mix and match outfits and assessories just like barbies)

Have you ever seen a crock pot full of meatballs?
Over Christmas I saw one and I was ...I don't even know the word to describe how I felt. I had to take a picture.

I don't even think that picture does it justice. That whole big crock pot was FULL of meatballs. I have never seen a crock pot that full of anything before (unless at a luncheon or bridal or baby shower).  There aren't just meatballs floating on top-the whole thing was full.  And then they were gone.  Even though I didn't get to eat any (breadcrumbs in meatballs) I could tell that everyone enjoyed them.  But every meal is this large when we are all together.

I'm not sure how this happened.  This is not a normal skill for a 10 month old.  One day I walked in after Hugh's nap and there he stood-in his crib-with his pants off. The pants have a tight elastic waist band and that was why I was so surprised. I do not know how he was able to pull them over his diaper?

If you open the bathroom door-Hughie hightails it there. He wants to go in the bathtub.  His favorite place to be.  Without question.

We recently moved the new pictures of the boys to a different wall.  We also added a big framed family photo.  Of note-you can't tell the size, but the boys pictures are 8x10's and the family photo is the next size up (11x15?) in a larger frame.  (I feel like they look very small in my picture). All the frames are brown, but each one has a slightly different design (Hugh's is very plain, Eli's has 3 grooved borders and the family one is "weathered" meaning it almost looks like dark brown drift wood) but I couldn't get a good picture that made the pictures look the way I wanted. Or how I think they actually look.  Also, we know they are hung straight because Andy treated himself to a laser level and had a lot of fun hanging them.

This year we had a small Christmas party. We live very close to a neighborhood that has tons of Christmas lights up for the season.  The weather was perfectly mild that we all bundled up and walked it.  The kids loved it and I think the parents thought it wasn't too shabby either.  And although we didn't really get a shot of the whole group, we did attempt to get the bigger kids (there were 3 babies not in these shots) to all look our way.  Sorry, Connor just couldn't really get in there and as you can see, we had no success getting full on smiles from them all at the same time.



This was much needed.  Thanks PW for making us pose for this picture.



Well that's it for now.

What's happening here?

The boys and I will be gifting Andy a free, quiet, man weekend.  He can do whatever he wants (after he finishes his to-do list of course) while we drive hours and hours to visit my sister, For the Love of Naps. I'm so excited. Because of illness they missed Thanksgiving and because of the Packers and time constraints we only were together for 1.5 days at Christmas.  My mom, Grandma Barb, is coming along to help me with the drive and to hang out with us.  I've heard Ed might be mixing Lemon Drop Martinis.  Lots of Lego and train time will be had.  We will also be able to give Sydney her birthday present and share some ice cream for her 2nd year of life has begun and is happening RIGHT NOW!

I'm gearing up to make a late night drive and to handle sleeping in the same room with Hughie who still wakes frequently at night.  Hoping for no snow while we drive. So far we've been blessed with healthy kiddos. 

Stay tuned for an update on our fun trip.  Hugh's 11 month report and pictures. My top 10 list of things I love sparked by text conversation with a friend who I really like but who has a totally different top 10 list.

If you are a parent...

If you are a parent...

 -You know the true meaning of bedtime. You either (finally) have it down to an art, or you despise it.

 -To you sleeping in is anytime after 7 am.

-It is bliss to go grocery shopping or to Target alone. BLISS.

-It is almost impossible to take more than 3 bites of your meal without reminding, reprimanding or disciplining. 

-You are learning to pick your battles.  And you usually learn the hard way.

-Sometimes you parent a certain way, without even thinking about it.  Later, looking back you will feel judged for how you did things differently than Joe, Sue or Harry.

-You can't remember what you did with all your time and money pre-kids.

-Sometimes you decide (in fear) to fix a terrible habit with another terrible habit. (They say it's all a phase right?).

-You are confused how to keep the kids clothes organized.  You probably have multiple bins and big bags of clothes ranging 0-3 months up to 3T.  You have to remember to pass back to your sister, cousin, friend A and B and mark the clothes that are your own with your initials so you can lend them to friend C.  Pull out the winter clothes, bring out the summer clothes.  It is a never ending cycle.

-Laundry builds and builds and builds.  If you have a baby it is especially horrific.  There is always a FULL basket full to be washed and folded and put away.  And when you have a kid that naps 2 times/day, it decreases the amount of time to get in that room to put it away.  Towels, sheets, burp clothes, wash clothes, dish towels, socks, underwear, pants, onesies, long sleeved onesies, sweatshirts--the list goes on and on.

-Watching an important game on tv is very hard to do.  (Besides the many interruptions, take note of some of the very inappropriate commercials that are on). 

-Your child wants to bring a toy or a book to the car.  He or she will drop it during the ride and leave it there.  Somehow your car becomes scattered with cheerios, sippy cups, snack containers, books and toys that talk to you when you drop something else on it.  You won't have the time or the hands to clean up that car when you get out-you are holding your 1 year old, your purse, the gallon of milk and your keys. 

-Events like golf and movies need to be planned months in advance (unless you are lucky enough to have a cheap babysitter or free family in town to watch your kids whenever-in which case all your friends envy you).

-The thought of sending your child to school for the first time sends chills down your spine.  It's exciting and scary for all different reasons.   

-If you are lucky like me, your child will eat all of his fruits and vegetables.  But nobody would know it, because you pop a sucker in their mouth at the store so you can concentrate on your list without having to answer all their questions.  Good luck making that sucker last through aisle 3.

-You will probably travel, read, cook, visit, relax, exercise and sleep less.  You may be able to prioritize a few of these.  Nobody said that being a parent is easy.  Most will tell you it's hard.  But I don't know a parent who won't gush, brag and share all the terrific parts of being a mom or a dad.  I remember hearing the phrase "It's such a miracle".  Annoying.  Sounds so cheesy and generic.  But can I tell you....it's true.  Hugh Lou and E-Case would never be if Andy and I hadn't made that exciting choice.  I hope it doesn't sound as if I am judging those who decide not to have kids. Those are folks that will have their own long list of things they learn and experience.  And can you imagine the sleep and Patience these folks must have?

Miracles. 

A post for the baby book

We have a real babybook for both boys.  Neither one are filled to the brim, but they've been started. But this is the main reason I have this blog. A babybook wouldn't be able to record this event as well.

Round Here

What's going on around here?

Just hanging out and movin' on.  Literally Hughie continues to move on.  He's walking up a storm and it makes me laugh. I lliterally laugh out loud to see when he decides to walk. Arms in the air. Ready to throw himself forward when he is done, hoping to land somewhere soft and fluffy and safe.

He's been called Hugh-ser the Bruiser. He definitely has rough knees from his passionate crawling but has had scrape after cut after bruise already on his face.  Love that boy.

Here he is:

MOVING ON

Eli is doing a good job himself of moving right along. As usual.  I can't tell you how big of a boy he seemed when I took him in the pool for his swim lessons.  Not a baby any more. Gulp.  He says the best things. The most funny things.  This is the best age for words coming out of his mouth.  More than once a day Andy and I share a laugh over the things he says. I could have a whole blog devoted to him and his funny little mind.

He is getting ready for school.  Big boy school.  Since I am home with him more I try to do something related to learning daily. He likes it. No he loves it. He thrives.  He wants me to sit right next to him and talk him through the activity.  He wants praise. He wants to sharpen his pencil. He wants to show Daddy when he comes home. He wants to do 1 more page in his workbook.  He is proud and he should be.  I love that he has an interest in learning.  Here is what we did yesterday.

He is learning, slowly, yes slowly, to trace letters and try to write them by himself. I am not sure how important it is that he holds the pencil correctly but often I find that my heart starts beating hard with frustration that he could be so much more neat, tidy, efficient with his letter writing if he was holding the pencil well.  It is hard because when I try to show him, me using my left hand, we both study how the fingers are gripping. but no matter how long and how often we look, we can't get it right when he tries to hold it with his right hand.  I'm hoping Mrs. Teacher: For the Love of Naps could maybe help with that next week when we visit? Otherwise it is something I'm just going to let go and he will just get it on his own-this I'm sure. 

That's what is going on around here.  We have a free weekend coming up and plan to get some stuff done around the house. I continue with my goals for the year, drinking more water, treadmill and even new recipes (besides the risotto, I have made cauliflower soup, lettuce wraps and cauliflower/broccoli soup).

Andy's goal for me is yet to be revealed to my readers. But he has set a goal for me. I'll post some updates when I feel I am accomplishing it.  It's a tough one!

2 years....

So it's officially been 2 years this week since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
I still don't believe that I have it.  Do I? Andy would say yes. My friends and family would all say yes.
Not much has changed from last year to this year (see this post).

I still continue to attempt to move on from the doom of a gluten free diet.  I just can't believe I am reading labels as much as I am.  I can't believe I'm not just dipping in all the time. Standing back more and not trying, tasting, licking.  It's ok because it's better me than either of my boys. I can relate so much to this blog post:  http://rachelmariemartin.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-ups-and-downs-of-celiac-disease.html
She is an amazing writer.  Topics she covers such as motherhood are so well written I email friends to say "Hey-I thought of you when I read this". But mostly I can just sooooo relate. She has a son with celiac and she has so much sympathy and empathy for him.

I continue to be grateful for so many great friends and family.  How cheesy that sounds. How so typical for someone to say that. Especially on a blog where the friends and family are scrolling through the Moving On space and wondering if it's them that has been so helpful. Yes YOU! Yes you and you and you and you.  So despite it sounding cheesy-I hope you feel my vibe. I hope you know how grateful I am to have each and every one of you in my gluten free life.

I delivered Hughie in the hospital that I work at. They didn't let me down.  I survived. I ate and ordered again.  I still miss restaurants. Mostly I just miss having options.  I love reading descriptions and picking. Oh the joy of having a choice.  This has been the year of teaching the word "Gluten" to Eli and having him ask "Celiac Mama?" Ahhhh the words I never knew when I was 3.5 years old.

I'm pretty strict with my gluten free diet.  But I'm pretty loose with my gluten free diet.  I can't decide which that I am.  I remember when I told my brother at Christmas 2 years ago that my lab work came back showing I could have Celiac Disease (this was before my biopsy that proved it).  He told me he had a friend who came over and who couldn't even use pans in the same kitchen as those that have had gluten.  When I was diagnosed I giggled in fear.  A defense mechanism I suppose.  "Do I really need to use a separate pan and colander? Should I use a different spatula? Should I throw away our wooden spoons? Get a new toaster? Really? I mean will that really affect me?".  I was told yes.  I have read a bunch of blogs and community boards of people who are so sensitive they react very fast and very severely. I don't think I lay in that category.  But I definitely don't go by unharmed.  I would say at least once a week I have a tummy ache and I spend 1-2 hours tracing back what I touched or ate. I usually can't track it.  I'm very free with touching the boys food and then continuing with my own meal. I don't frequently wipe the counter when I should and probably lay my food down on top of something that had gluten there before.  Half the time I'm just careless and glutenize myself.  We dirty a lot of pans-double that what we used to. I love watching Andy batteling the burners-2 different spatulas, 4 different pans goin'.  But I'm a mom and I help Eli with his playdough.  I need to butter Hughie's toast. I can't afford to use gluten free pasta for all 4 of us now.  Sometimes people ask me to read the label or aren't sure and I shrug and say "I'll eat it anyways".  I should be more careful. 
It's my body and my health.
Keep reminding me love ones.

I still haven't done a cheat day.  Do you think people do that?

So here I am. Still enjoying life. Still alive :).  2 years and counting and moving on. 

Eli 3.5

This amazing boy lights up my life. 

He has beautiful eyes that just take my breath away.

He is a mini-Andy.  He is smart as a whip and full of joy. Total and 100% joy.

When someone leaves the house he likes to announce how many boys and how many girls will be left in the house.  (He knows that Bailee is a girl).

He doesn't like to play by himself and thrives with friends.  He is more like his dad on how social he is.

He loves to kick balls in the basement. He says "Hiiii-ya!" as if he is doing a karate move.  He tries to kick field goals if you hold the football for him and he even likes to do soccer "headers".

Eli is in to legos, trains, art projects, marbles, games, books and puzzles.  Have I mentioned the puzzles?
He can do a 100 piece puzzle in less than an hour and only needs a few reminders to match the colors. 

He challenges us with a little bit of older boy attitude. He loves to talk about ninjas and shooters (nerf guns) and would love to romp aggressively all day.  He plays bedtime games at for hours (although a little less lately) hard core. 

Eli is stubborn.  Loud. And funny.  He likes to cup his hands over his mouth and laugh when he gets in trouble. He has the phrase "I'm sorry for not listening mama" down.  He usually remembers to say "excuse me" when he interrupts but doesn't wait for you to finish what you are doing before he bosses you.  He likes to call "Hughie" from the other room and yell over and over again for him even after reminders that Hugh can't yet follow instructions. He likes to open the bathroom and bedroom door and tell Hughie to close the door so Hugh can get in trouble. 

Eli is sensitive when I'm upset. He checks on me to see if I'm ok.  But he doesn't yet understand that I'm a real person. But that's ok because I'm the perfect mom for him. I think he tries to bully me in to playing with him every moment of every day.  He is the one who forces me to surrender, push through, count to ten and start over.  And when he sees me crumble and then straighten back up, he smiles because he knows he is the reason for my happiness despite my fatigue in the moment.  He glows when he feels special.

He walks slow to the car and wants to bring a new toy every ride.  This is one of the battles I hardly ever fight with him.  When I come home from work I can always hear Eli running towards me, jumping up and down, "Mama mama, mama mama!"   He always asks "how was your day?" and always makes sure that he knows who made dinner so he can say "did you make this all by yourself? thank you".

Eli still is a very, very slow and small eater.  He will pick his vegetable and fruit up with his fingers and eat the whole serving before touching any portion of the main entree.  He loves cereal and tacos (or anything wrapped in a tortilla).  He doesn't like pickles (yeah! no sharing for me).

He adores his grandparents and cousins.  I dream of inviting each cousin over (separately) for a sleepover with him. 

Here are some non-professional shots of Eli in action.

(Sorry for this huge photo dump.  But a mom is a mom.  1 picture won't do it.  We brag. We adore. We gloat.)