Birthday Party!

Even though Moses couldn't have cared less, I threw him a tiny (smaller than tiny, actually, only 4 invitations went out and 3 of those were to family members) birthday party last weekend. Planning birthday parties is the only chance I seem to have at creativity these days. This year's party centered around planes since Moses loves anything relating to transportation. This wedding cake was my inspiration for the invitations and cupcakes.

I used a cupcake tower to display the devil's food cupcakes I made. Each was iced and topped with white cotton candy "clouds." I then used some wire to attach painted wooden biplanes to the cupcake tower structure. I added two red ribbon banners behind each plane, one that read "Happy" and another that read "Birthday."

Moses had a great time playing with his friend, Vivian, and visiting with Dave's parents. Moses wasn't into his cupcake (probably because Dave had already given him two cupcakes that day) but he successfully blew out one of his candles! He received even more Thomas the Train gear to add to what he'd already received (he's hit the train phase in a big way). He also got a dinosaur interactive book that he enjoys so long as we skip over the Tyrannosaurus Rex page.

Since Moses missed his napped that afternoon he was a bit a zombie for most of the party and ended up crashing shortly after everyone was gone.

Thanksgiving

Dave, Moses, Milo, and I traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico for Thanksgiving. There, we saw lots of my aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as my grandparents. It was a brief trip, but we had a nice time visiting with everyone. Moses enjoyed his deep-fried turkey dinner and even had seconds. Thanksgiving night he watched the big kids make S'mores in a desert fire pit and braved playing with a sparkler. I know there are some great pictures of our trip floating out there, in other peoples cameras, but my camera's batteries died.

Since Moses' birthday fell on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we celebrated by having a little birthday party on Thanksgiving night. He wasn't quite sure what to think of all the people singing at him.

But he was very sure of his cake!

Since we were on the road, this was the only shot I thought to take of our two-year-old eating Clementines on his birthday.

Friday night we stayed at Dave's parents house before returning to Lubbock. In all, it was nice to see everyone despite being a brief trip. The boys were great travelers so I'm hoping for repeat performances the next time we head out of town.

I thought I saw a puddy cat.

Moses "helped" make dinner tonight by sitting on the washer and sampling the raw elements I assembled. When I was dividing the stick butter I needed, he said "cheese" and held out his hand for some. I told him that it wasn't his precious cheese but butter instead and that he shouldn't just eat it plain.

Then, while I was washing an onion, he took 1 tablespoon of that butter and stuffed it into his mouth.

Are those canary feathers, Moses?

I made sure he had some real cheese to snack on after that.

Fall, Out Boys

I'm quickly learning how precious time is once your second child is out of that newborn stage. Milo is no longer sleeping a majority of the time, and while he's developing a routine, I still find my hands the fullest they've ever been: it seems I'm constantly keeping cars from getting microwaved while wiping up oodles of spit up and juggling a cup of coffee. Don't even get me started on the house.

As always, I've composed many a blog in my head only to not have the time to get my thoughts down on keyboard. I've been more diligent about taking photos though since it's the easier form of blogging these days. Here are some highlights:

Fall Planting: We bought some ferns and fall annuals for our back patio. Moses was incredibly helpful and quickly picked up on the dos (the don'ts were a little harder to comprehend). After he saw me packing the dirt around our newly planted flowers, he was suddenly a professional gardener and insisted that he pack the dirt around all our plants, new and old.


Milo watched us plant, pounding his fists when he wasn't satisfied with our pace. All his direction paid off though--I love fall colors.

Pensive Progeny: Milo reached a new level of awesomeness while sleeping. Such a thoughtful boy.

He's just one cool dude all-around though.

Cocoa: We're still taking our long walks most mornings even though the weather is turning chilly, and our new favorite thing is having a cup of hot chocolate when we get home. Even though Moses' mug only has a couple of ounces, it's the highlight of his morning--he even wakes up talking about "co-co." If these eyes and lips don't scream satisfaction, I don't know what else would.

Well, it's off to bed. I aim to blog most nights but usually end up falling asleep with Milo, at least tonight was a success!

Raw: It's all the rage

Moses likes to hang around the chopping block when I'm cutting vegetables for dinner so he can finagle some raw slices from me. Last night he surprised me by requesting and eating RAW onion (this was his third slice)! He really is my child.

Proud Papa

While I was out grocery shopping, I received this text message about Moses from Dave:

"He totally got in his chair and started watching Primal Grill..."

If you know Dave at all, you know he loves his barbecue and is a loyal follower of all things Steven Raichlen--so this development made him one doting dad.

Com(id)a

Well, it's that time again. Moses fell asleep while eating. I think I'm going to start a whole new blog just for those pictures since it's all I seem to post lately. I might just start adding captions, too, in the same way icanhascheezburger.com has done with LOLcats.

This is probably one of my favorite asleep-at-the-meal pictures so far because he was obviously still eating when he fell asleep--hand on fork, hand in bowl.

(yup--Moses is still in his pjs--for the first time in awhile we didn't have anywhere to be today so we're having a lazy day.)

Night Cap

There's nothing like a little yogurt before bed...

Week 1 Mash Up

I've started several posts over the course of the week but haven't completed any due to the overriding need for sleep, food, or child care. The following is a mash up of some of those incomplete posts:

I knew there'd be an adjustment as we transitioned from one child to two, but I didn't realize how much easier one child is in comparison. Now, I find it difficult to find the time to sleep, clean, and even eat. I've heard people say that pregnancy weight comes off much quicker with a second child, and now I know why! I'm constantly on the go and rarely have time to indulge in anything except Moses' leftovers. Every moment of craziness is worth it though because we have these moments to enjoy:

On Friday, we had our first (and last!) trip to the grocery store as a threesome. Between the nearly two hours of prep work required to leave the house with two children in tow and the chaos that ensued towards the end of our shopping trip, I must have burnt 2000 calories. If the Steeplechase can be an Olympic event, shopping with two should also be a sport. Moses did well standing in the basket of the shopping cart but found the grocery goods at his feet too tempting not to step on them. Once we had that issue resolved, Milo woke up. Let me say that steering a shopping cart, minding a toddler, and feeding a newborn is not a task for the weary. Checking out got even hairier. I think I may have scared the young woman behind me in line into lifelong abstinence. I've since resolved to take only one child to the store with me for now until I have better mastery of two (and maybe a third arm).

Moses is using a spoon like a pro now, and this week, he mastered eating yogurt, cereal, and soup with minimal mess. As a cereal fanatic, I couldn't be prouder of my little Cheerios eater. There's nothing like enjoying a breakfast of toasted oats together in the morning while his little brother snoozes. His obsession with yogurt is a little scary at the moment, but I guess there are much worse foods he could be addicted to.

Moses has also started climbing tall furniture and reaching counter tops with the help of a toddler-sized chair he's had for ages but only recently found worth his time. I've had several mini-heart attacks this week as I've found him on top of our desk, laying atop our console table, and (once!) at our butcher block with a knife. These recent events have me reconsidering our household layout and I expect we'll be doing a lot more toddler-proofing in the coming days.

Dave's parents and niece also stopped by on Saturday to see Milo and Moses (and us, too). Milo enjoyed all the attention from his grandparents and Moses was giggling non-stop with his cousin, Jasmin.

I aim to start posting regularly again soon and will be sure to post more pictures of the boys, too. Poor Milo's life hasn't been chronicled nearly enough as it should have been at this point, but I'm going to make an earnest effort to get the camera out more these days.

Just like old times

Thank goodness Moses hasn't let the recent changes in our household affect his tendency for inopportune sleeping.

Pasta la vista

We knew he was getting tired, but a hungry belly was keeping him from his daily siesta. It was nothing a little Newman's Own and noodles couldn't resolve.


Sweet dreams my bearded boy.

-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

My 2nd "Day"

I've been meaning to regale you dear readers with the quiet details of my second official Mother's Day, but the Mother's Day activities themselves have had me in an allergy coma for the last few days but I'm finally coming out the other side.

Mother's Day weekend was relaxing and enjoyable. Saturday evening, Gran (Sally) watched Moses so Dave and I could catch a movie. It may not sound like a big deal, but that was the first "date" Dave and I have had since we got married in November! Moses hasn't exactly been a chill kid so we're excited that he's finally mellowing out and not overreacting to every new situation (like being babysat)! He was so worn out from his time there that he went down an hour early, too--falling asleep while showering with Dave and remaining asleep while I put on his pajamas. I wish I could tire him out like that every day, but I know that with his fatigue would come my own, and I just can't bounce back like he can.

Mother's Day was equally unproductive and productive since we spent most of the day either napping and working in the yard. Outside, Dave removed an annoying tree stump and an oddly placed bush to open up our enclosed patio area and allow for a larger play area. It's a simple but huge improvement. Dave and I got to enjoy our dinner (Dave's grilled shrimp kabobs with mango salsa) in peace since once again Moses pooped out early from another busy day.

Our little gardener: he's a surprisingly good helper in the yard.

Our interior patio area: the removed stump and bush
were near where Dave and Moses are standing.

My Mother's Day doesn't end there though because Dave is treating me to an evening alone in a hotel so that I can get some much needed R & R. It'll also be my first night away from Moses, which is just one more step in our preparations for baby #2's delivery. I can't express how badly I'm looking forward to a solid night's sleep since I usually end up in Moses' room at 4 and fall asleep with him until the morning. I love our snuggling but it doesn't allow for too restful a night.

-Lindsey

Avoca-dose and more

Moses fell asleep while eating his afternoon snack of avocado. I didn't realize avocados were on the list of sleep-friendly foods. I must keep them in mind for bed time (insert scheming-mom laugh here).


Later in the evening, we had Mexican casserole and rice for dinner. Notice Moses' excellent use of the spoon--I think he's upped his food-to-mouth ratio to 50%. I can hear utensil mastery coming round the bend. Next, chopsticks...



-Lindsey

My good eater

Since things are slowly settling around here and returning to normal, we're able to back on some semblance of a routine. I love preparing good lunches for Moses and I and hated that the last few weeks consisted solely of takeout, fast food, or, at the very least, odds and ends we had around the kitchen.

We don't shy away from giving Moses junk food but don't make it a habit either. I tend to think that restricting junk food makes it more "valuable" in children's eyes so we just permit it in moderation for the sake of him knowing what it is and curbing his interest. He's had fries, sipped on soda, and eaten a donut or two, but that's not what he loves. He's a sucker for veggies! Nothing can keep him from devouring green beans, carrots, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, and edamame.

Today for lunch, he had chicken breast with BBQ sauce (I think of it more as finger paint) and Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts! We enjoyed our yummy food while listening to Peter Frampton, and Moses hammed it up for the camera. We're sitting on the floor because our once clear dining room table is now covered in things I need to find a place for in the house.




Awhile back I bought the Bird's Eye Brussels sprouts packaged for individuals thinking I'd be the only one in the house who'd enjoy them, but I was wrong. Moses (my little beggar bird) ate the first ones I prepared, and I had to make another package. Since then, they've been a regular part of our diet and even Dave is a fan. Who knew Brussels sprouts were making a come back?

On another dining note, Moses is hugely interest in eating with silverware. He's not so great at it, but 1 out of 5 attempts is successful. It's so adorable to watch him concentrate so keenly on scooping his food and then making it into his mouth. When he succeeds, you can really see him beam!

-Lindsey

P.S. Doesn't he also look a bit tanner in those pictures? I think he does have Dave's coloring afterall--he just needed a bit of sun. Hooray!

Just a little rouge

Over the weekend, I broke out the blueberries again. It'd been awhile since Moses had had them, and as you can see, they were sorely missed. He did well making up for lost time though.





-Lindsey

From the weekend

It was freakishly warm last weekend so Moses got to play outside with his dad at least one more time before fall settles in. If you didn't know, Moses is the stereotypical boy in that he loves being outdoors and getting dirty (we're talking ring-around-the-tub type dirty). After a good time outside, it's sometimes hard to get him inside peacefully.

We've also found a miracle in Baby Mum-Mums. They are rice rusks (which taste and dissolve like paper), and Moses adores them. One day last week, his teachers at Parent's Day Out told us that after finishing his first mum-mum in record time, he went over to his diaper bag, dumped out the contents, and secured a second one.

-Lindsey

Acocado!

Last week, Sally (Gran) came over to watch Moses while I had class. Moses had a great time and even devoured a whole avocado.

-Lindsey

Sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Moses loves blueberries, but I don't think it's mutual. His poor hands and face were blue, blue, blue after this snack.

A Week O' Fun Pictures

We've had a wonderful week here. Moses is moving about, eating well, finding his funny bone, and becoming quite the book lover.








-Lindsey