Germ warfare

Out of nowhere it seems that Moses has a burgeoning interest in hand washing. Every time we're around a sink, he gestures to wash his hands, and if he doesn't get to wash his hands (say, for the fifteenth time that day), he melts into one of his newly-popular tantrums. Either this is an extension of his hydrophilic self or we're witnessing the early presentation of OCD.

-Lindsey

Why it pays to read blogs

I've read about the hormone-disrupting chemical, BPA, found in plastic bottles on many, many blogs and found myself sick at the thought of tossing away all of Moses' old but hardly used bottles ($) only to buy new BPA-free ones for his brother, but thankfully, after reading some other blogs, I learned that Babies R' Us is doing a bottle exchange on all Dr. Brown's, Avent, and Playtex bottles with BPA (in the US and Canada). This morning I returned 1 Playtex, 4 Dr. Brown's, and 6 Avent bottles (all used) to our local store and received store credit for their full selling price ($51). Now, I just have to figure out which BPA-free bottles I want to buy for baby #2. We didn't use bottles at all with Moses until he started PDO at 9 months and then he'd only drink from Avent bottles so there's no telling how his brother will take to them. I'm just excited that we won't have any additional out-of-pocket expenses for bottles. Hooray for blogging mommies!

-Lindsey

*Of course Moses missed out on the BPA-free bottles but millions of kids have grown up on those BPA-containing bottles so I'm not too concerned about adverse effects--but we'll play it safe, especially when it's of no cost to us.

**I'm not sure how long Babies R' Us is doing this, but it's worth the trouble of collecting all the bits and pieces of your bottles. Also, the sales associate I originally talked to on the phone didn't know about the exchange, but her manager okayed it.

***Zellers in Canada is also doing this, too.

Home again, home again.

So after a long, tiring week in the Dallas Metroplex, we are home again. We had a nice time but Dave and I agreed that we'd never turn a work trip into a family trip again because it was too exhausting for both of us. Maybe when Moses is older and I'm not pregnant we'll give it another go, but for now, we'll just say our goodbyes to Dad at the airport and hope he brings us back something cool.

We did have a great time seeing family and friends and visiting the zoo though. He saw grandparents, great-grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and more that I don't know the official titles of--some of whom he'd never met. We also met up with one of my good friends and her husband at The Cheesecake Factory, yum, where Dave and I took turns walking outside with Moses because he refused to behave (figures) in the restaurant. He's just at that age where he's into everything and sitting still is not an option. I also took us to the Ft. Worth Zoo, where Moses enjoyed the un-zoo parts most--the stairs, the men with brooms and dustpans, the golf carts zipping around--not the animals. He only took interest in a bear, a crocodile, and the aviary--everything else either scared him ("no, no, no, bye, bye") or was wholly uninteresting to him.

One thing he's taken away from our trip is a love for airplanes. Each one he saw in the sky would bring about pointing and the repeating of "pane, pane" until we, too, acknowledged its existence.

One thing Dave and I took away from the trip was the damage a coyote caused to our rental car. Seven days of driving in Dallas traffic, and we're fine. Forty-five minutes from home, and we hit a coyote with a death wish who seriously damages our front fender and air conditioner. It's just not right. I think Mother Nature should carry insurance for such occasions because we really, really aren't looking forward to handling this with ours.

Enjoying his great-grandparents' backyard and toddler-sized bridge

Learning the art of sunscreen application

Failing at sunscreen application

"Talking" on the phone for the first-time ever, to Dave's dad (Papa)

Crocodile!

The gorilla

Moses' reaction to the gorilla (vigorous head shaking)

Eh, rhinos, so what?

Moses and the bear "connecting"

-Lindsey

Road Trip

We're in the DFW Metroplex this week. Dave is attending a teaching institute so Moses and I decided to tag along for a mini-vacation and last hurrah before his brother arrives. I expected to update and post pictures of our adventures, but it seems that after I packed the camera's USB cord, Dave decided to unpack it so the pictures will have to wait until we return.

We're having a good time here. Moses has gone swimming each day (I even went swimming with him, gasp!) and tomorrow we're going to hit up the Ft. Worth Zoo. I can't wait to see his face when he sees all those animals!

I'll be sure to post all about our adventures when we return later this week.

-Lindsey

The benefits of insomnia

For the last week, I've had terrible insomnia--unable to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning. It's usually discomfort, a busy baby, or an overactive mind that keeps me up. I try to sleep in, but it's difficult to get back to sleep once I've been awakened (usually by a tiny boy's voice). I might nap through the day, but it's poor sleep. Thankfully, every few nights my body and mind give out and I crash for a good 5 hours. I talked to my doctor, but surprise, surprise, I'm just destined to not sleep for the next 8 weeks. . . and then for months after that.

So, I've decided to look for the positive with this insomnia:

1. Magnum P.I. reruns air at 3 a.m. on Fox.
2. There's no little body to drag dishes from the dishwasher while it's being loaded.
   
3. It's easy to get school work done.
4. I've learned there's a mouse in our kitchen.
   

That's right, a mouse. I noticed some fuzzy movement on my counter early one morning and have consistently had the little guy's company each night around 2 a.m. since. I'm anti-poisons and kill traps so I've resorted to attempting a catch-and-release and it's getting a bit comical. In a way, I've befriended this mouse with our nightly "I'm gonna get you" game. I haven't had any luck catching him yet, and I feel a bit like a slow giant trying to capture some offending, wee-sized, quick-footed intruder. I sometimes talk to the mouse in slow motion and belt out a fee-fi-fo-fum just for good measure. Crazy, I know. But, it's 3 a.m. and insanity thrives at this hour. I'm calling our landlord tomorrow though because I fear there's more than one and as much as I love furry little creatures, I'm a little tired of this fat-and-mouse game.

By the way, at this moment, I'm naming this boy Tom, Tom Selleck Ring. Thank you, Magnum, for making my early mornings more bearable.

-Lindsey

Because I'm pregnant during the summer

I've had the urge to cut off my hair for weeks now despite my recent personal pledge to grow it out. These 40 extra pounds are just making the summer too unbearably hot and my hair was constantly in a sloppy ponytail in attempt to remain cool. This is the shortest I can remember my hair ever being. I like it though and already feel much, much cooler.

It won't always look this pretty since I never blow dry my hair or use a flat iron. Plus, I think styling it with heat would completely defeat the purpose of this short 'do.

-Lindsey

Mulligan

If it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, then I'm doing my gender proud. I started in the boys' room with a certain "look" in mind and have since completely changed direction. The back wall was lime green, now it's a brown called Cathedral Gray. The curtains were also green and now they, too, are brown. I'm much, much happier with the room since making the changes and feel like it fits this house and our family better. Moses seems to enjoy it, too--especially his big boy bed.

Here's the finished product:

View from the doorway

Moses' big-boy bed

The silhouette art work

The baby's crib is ready to go

The nesting dolls are my favorite knick-knack

Brown curtains and invaluable storage

The closet and play areas

More fun wall art

Moses is completely out of the crib now, which frees up the crib for his brother. His new bed is currently a trundle bed frame so he won't have far to fall during this big-bed learning period. Eventually, we'll get him a bed that isn't on wheels, unless it's shaped like a race car. Sigh.

The bunting flags were a project I worked on while at a hotel for my Mother's Day gift. I'd been wanting to make them for awhile but it was too labor intensive for my typical night at home. Cutting the flags took forever (I cut 35). Pinking shears would have helped prevent fraying, but since I don't own a pair, I settled for a zig-zag hem. I'm really pleased with the end result and Moses loves to stand beneath them while looking up and exclaim, "whoa, whoa."

There's now a large, free space under the windows where the trundle bed used to be. It's nice to have that space to play in and its size makes it possible to set up his circus tent without cursing its existence every time you pass. I'm planning on adding a small table and chairs in that area soon, too. Hooray for lots of space!

I had hoped to void his room of a theme when we moved to this house, but there's still a travel motif to the room. Considering Moses' current love for all things wheeled though, I think it's appropriate. Plus, we're open to change as his (and his brother's) interests develop.

One room down, 2 more to go.

-Lindsey

Chutes and Ladders

I joined the boys at the park this morning.




-Lindsey

Family Time

Dave's parents and niece were in town yesterday. It was nice to visit with them and Moses especially had fun playing with his cousin. He's finally at that age where there's real interaction between the two of them.

-Lindsey

Paper Cuts

I'm still working on the boys' room, but I'm nearing the finish line. I needed some cheap wall art so I turned to Moses for inspiration. Since silhouettes are all the rage these days, I fashioned Moses' likeness from some paper, mounted it on a contrasting color, and placed it in a spare frame. Voila! Cheap, personalized art. I actually did two frames with Moses (mirror images) because I plan to replace one with his brother's image when his brother is a) not kicking my insides repeatedly b) capable of holding his head up.

Doesn't he have a nice profile?

UPDATE: To make the silhouette, I found a picture with a good profile shot, cropped it to the size I wanted, and printed it on our home printer. I used tracing paper to outline the silhouette and made a template from cardstock. This was my inspiration.

-Lindsey

Early mornings at the park

Since his summer break started, Dave's been waking up with Moses in the morning and letting me sleep in. I miss my mornings with Moses, but the bigger I get, the earlier 6 o'clock seems. While I slumber, Dave and Moses ride to a local park to enjoy playtime in the cooler morning air. I can tell Moses is enjoying this extra time with his dad because he's become less of a mama's boy and tags along with Dave everywhere he goes. It's a little sad for me, but at the same time, it's a blessing since his brother will soon upset the status quo.

This morning's fun:





-Lindsey

Fish out of water

Moses loves his swim gear almost as much as he loves swimming. He especially loves his surf shirt because it's made from Lycra and usually spends a couple of minutes rubbing his chest and tummy after it's put on. So soft...

-Lindsey

What boys' mothers dream at night

I don't know what it is about boys, but there is some inherent rough and ruggedness to their behavior at even the youngest of ages. Moses is definitely a fan of anything dangerous and gives me mini-heart attacks each day. His face is usually covered in an array of bumps, bruises, and, now, mosquito bites. I think all of this led to some feelings of guilt that have crept into my dreams.

Two nights ago I dreamt that a CPS worker came to inspect our house because Moses' bumps and bruises were brought to their attention and concerned them. She looked over the house and proceeded to wrap every inch of it in a bubble-wrap type substance and left.

I don't think our house is the problem so much as Moses' need to play with reckless abandon. Nevertheless, his battered appearance is influencing my dreams and making me feel worse.

-Lindsey

For those with girls

Since we're all about testosterone in this house, the closest I'll come to dressing a girl is sharing my finds. While on a recent trip to Dollar Store for some storage containers, I happened across the most adorable ruffly, two-tiered, toddler-girl skirts--for only a dollar. I had an sudden urge to buy as many as possible but stopped myself because I would no doubt have trouble justifying the purchase and end up gifting them to friends and random mothers on the street.

I realize there are two schools of thought regarding such establishments and their wares--I do or I sure-as-hell don't. So, if you are in the "I do" category and have a girl, check out your nearest Dollar Store (found here at the one on 50th and Boston).

They are just cute enough that I'm considering a third.

-Lindsey

Asleep at the meal

These asleep-while-eating pictures might be a dime a dozen now, but they never get old. Wait. Is that what all mothers think about photos of their kid? Oh yeah...

This was taken last weekend after Moses and Dave returned from swimming at a local pool. Moses is quite the water bug, and he exhausted his dad and himself with never ending requests to jump into the pool. A full stomach makes for great napping.

-Lindsey

Bicycle built for two

Dave and Moses went for a spin in Dave's (early) Father's Day gift today. I really thought Moses was going to be afraid of the bike trailer, but he loved it and even refused to get out of it when asked. Sure, we'll have that battle every time it's used, but at least he'll have had a great time, outside with father.

We're looking for a toddler's bike helmet.

-Lindsey