Halloween

2008. I thought I should specify the year these photos were taken since so much time has lapsed since my last post. 2009 could have been a possibility.

Our family kept Halloween low-key, but we still enjoyed the usual costuming. Moses reprised his Yoda role from last year, and we slapped a Monkey hat on Milo. Voila! Halloween.

Since both boys are too young to really trick-or-treat, we visited Gran and Granpop's house for one treat - a toy monster truck. I really hope Moses doesn't think future trick-or-treating will yield such prizes or he's in for a real let down.



We then went to our friends' house to hand out candy with them and enjoy the holiday. They have two daughters, Vivian, who is 8 months older than Moses, and Olivia, who is just a month older than Milo. Moses and Vivian enjoyed handing out candy, but Moses threw in the towel after spotting a kid in a monster mask. The ensuing freak out was legendary. Since he wasn't the same happy kid after that, they shed their costumes and played to their hearts' content.

My little tadpoles

I'm not sure if it was the tree and snail motif on Milo's pajamas but Moses thought Milo's belly was a good place for his frogs. Then, he found the superfluous little pocket and had to put a frog in there too.



I was able to snap some of Moses and Milo together, which is usually a pretty tough feat. Strangely, it's Moses who is the difficult one to photograph: he's usually a big, weird mouthed blur.



Milo was enamored with Moses the whole time we were playing on the floor. He just kept watching and smiling at his big brother.

Goody, two shoes!

I heard about this cloth shoe tutorial from a friend and I couldn't wait to try it out. I was a little nervous because I haven't done much sewing recently other than the bunting flags for the boys' room, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the results and have become addicted to making them! These are my first two attempts, but with each pair the quality and time spent improves so I have a few other pairs in the works right now, too. I'm experimenting with and without the suggested interfacing because it's not allowing me to gather the elastic as much as I'd like.

I'm hoping to appliqué some onesies to match the shoes later this week (if he stays put long enough).

-Lindsey

36 weeks 5 days

Today marks the day in gestation that I had my sweet Moses. On November 27, 2006, while watching Heroes, I noticed that I was having painless contractions 3 minutes apart, lasting for at least a minute. I called Labor & Delivery and was advised to drink some water and lay down in case it was just false labor. Nope!--almost immediately after that call, my water broke and we knew it was really happening. Fourteen hours later, we had our little boy--our big little boy at 7 lb. 8 oz. and 20 inches despite being a little over 3 weeks early.

We were ill prepared for his early arrival because I planned to pack my hospital bag the day I hit the 37-week mark so my hastily-packed suitcase was a mishmash of Dave's clothes and summer sandals. Since I'd also expected to have a big, full-term baby, I'd only bought a "going home" outfit suitable for an 8-12 pound infant not the actual newborn size. Even though he seemed large weight-wise, he hadn't yet put fat on his long body and poor Moses was swallowed by everything we put on him. We left the hospital with him in the hospital-provided t-shirt and hat (and oodles of blankets since it had snowed the night before).

Since then, I've vowed to be as prepared as possible for our subsequent child(ren), and I've had my bag packed for weeks with clothing appropriate for both me and the baby. Now, it's just a waiting game, but I feel much better knowing that I'll have clothes that don't read "Hobbs Track" and our little boy will come home in something better than a white t-shirt.

-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

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

Just like Daddy

Moses was watching Dave put on his socks and shoes this morning before work and decided that he, too, wanted to put on socks and shoes, but not his socks--his Daddy's cool socks. He grabbed a mismatched pair of Dave's socks and insisted that he wear them. By insist, of course, I mean "elicited a series of caveman-like grunts and precariously balanced on one foot while thrusting his other in Dave's face." Then, his stocking-clad feet ran off to his room, and he returned with his new shoes. This is the result:


I think this is the equivalent of a little girl tiptoeing around in her mother's high heels (hey, where are my high heels?). I'm only guessing his toddler brain must think Daddy's socks make him run faster because when the last lace was tied, he was off:

Yes, I did send him to PDO looking like that.

-Lindsey

The Scoop

Moses' current obsession involves anything spoon-like. He'll take the average dinner or wooden spoon, slotted server, or shovel (of any variety) and attempt to scoop up and carry anything he can with his selected utensil/tool. Yesterday he carried blocks; today, balls. It's pretty cute, except that he frequently gets frustrated when the object falls off while he's walking around, and he has to scoop it up again and again. I was very close to taping a ball to his wooden spoon tonight out of sheer desperation for quiet, but that would make me a bad mom. A mom who makes things too easy and turns out a son who expects the world to fall at his feet. Right? Right.

Here he is "cleaning up" with me before bed:

These other pictures are from this morning when it dawned on me that I dressed him for a fictional government holiday. It's not evident in these shots really, but you should have seen the rest of the outfit--complete with a red, white, and blue jacket and pair of shoes. Isn't his mountain of curls fabulous?




Here's a belly shot from tonight, too, at 22 weeks 4 days. I know I haven't posted these for a couple weeks, but this house is absent a full-length mirror so I have to enlist Dave, and I simply forget to ask.


-Lindsey

A blogger's logger

I'm a little uncertain how I should feel about the coming winter. On one hand, Moses' poor skin is red and irritated, which requires frequent lotion application; on the other hand, we can finally tap into Moses' supply of winter clothes (which we've been hoarding since last season's sales). Skin issues aside, it's kind of hard to compete with this:





The plaid-shirt ensemble has me humming Monty Python's Lumberjack song. Once started, the tune is impossible to forget! It's going to be a long, long day.

-Lindsey

Like a sack of potatoes, a very large sack of potatoes.

Recently, I bought a few clothes for Moses at Gymboree's semi-annual sale, and, holy moly, the kid is wearing 12-18 months---at 7 months old! The clothes look enormous, but sure enough, they fit. I'm amazed and a little sad at the same time. Where did my little boy go? If I must dress this toddler that replaced him, I suppose I'll do it in style. That little orange and green number from my July 2 post is new. Plus this fantastic shirt:


He also got these roll-up cargo pants in khaki and navy blue:



Watch out world, a very dapper man is being groomed for greatness.

-Lindsey

An Easter Weekend Story

Saturday morning: We woke up to snow! What? In West Texas...in April? NO! Yes.



The snow made us lazy. We vegged all Saturday. However, someone almost figured out how to roll from back to stomach. Too bad he couldn't take his eyes off that mobile, or he'd be a champ.



Sunday morning: Easter! It's still cold! What to wear, what to wear? Mom knows. This outfit was a Christmas gift from GramGram and G-Dawg(my Mom and Kelly). Isn't he the bee's knees?




The Easter Bunny dropped off some goodies for Mos at his grandparents' house (Sally and my Dad). Thanks Gran and Granpop, er, Easter Bunny. He can't get enough of his books and Jumperoo!




Tuckered out. We sleep.

-Lindsey

EXTRA, EXTRA, read all about him...

Moses graciously modeled his new summer hat for us today. He's quite the looker, isn't he? Once these pics get out, I'm sure all the neighborhood paperboys will, er, hang up their hats.

-Lindsey

He's a Suitor!

While vacuuming in preparation for his great-grandparents' arrival last weekend, Dave and I were delighted to find our little man found the vacuum's sounds very soothing. I had heard a vacuum could calm a baby but goodness, he was out in a minute flat. Sadly, I no longer have an excuse for not vacuuming!

P.S. Isn't he adorable in his new duds!

-Lindsey