Me and Moses: On the Road

Last weekend, Moses and I ventured to Wichita Falls for my sister Raychel's high school graduation. This trip marked our first road trip as a duo, sans daddy and other companions. I was worried how he'd handle nearly four hours in his rear-facing car seat so I scheduled our departure for his nap time. We left Lubbock on Friday morning around 10 a.m. and it was easy sailing for most of the trip. He napped for an hour-and-a-half after we left town and woke up at our halfway mark just in time for some leg stretching and diaper changing. The rest of the way I tried to keep him busy with random toys and miscellaneous things found in my purse. It worked and we got into Wichita Falls without a single fit.

Raychel's graduation was very sweet and intimate since she went to a small Christian school and graduated with only 7 other kids. I only got to see the beginning of the pomp and circumstance though because Moses insisted on running around and not playing nicely in the seat beside me. We ended up walking the perimeter of her school umpteen times in the terrible humidity, but it was better than having "that kid."

Lots of family was in town for the occasion so Moses got to see, and, in some cases, meet for the first time, great-grandparents, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, cousins removed or something like that, and aunts. With that many people around, he received oodles of attention and gifts that left him both super busy and exhausted. He played from sun up to sun down for the most part, enjoying the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, tricycle, and wagon my mom has been saving since my sisters' days on them and a lawn mower than his great aunt bought him. Thankfully, my family played with Moses a great deal and I was able to relax a bit. That heat was very tiring and my body did not want to keep up.

We left the following Monday, Memorial Day, and the return trip wasn't too bad either. He slept just as he had on the first leg and woke up in time to "mow" for a bit in Guthrie, the midway point. He really started get restless towards then and I pulled out all I could from my "mommy bag" by the time we got home.

Sadly, I left my memory card in our computer at home (but took my camera on the trip) so I couldn't take any pictures. The following were taken by my Aunt Sheri:



I'm hoping I'll get some more pictures from last weekend. There were some great moments and I wish I had had my own camera to capture them!

-Lindsey

The Wall

Despite being only 29 weeks, I feel like I have hit a wall in this pregnancy. Maybe it's the staggering heat I was exposed to over the weekend (97 degrees and severe humidity!), but I have no energy for anything and my body is revolting against me with newfound aches and pains. I'm just not one of those women who are joyously pregnant and I will certainly never have 18 children and even a third might be pushing it. I doubt my body (physically and mentally) is capably of carrying a child to 40 weeks so, at this point, I'm hoping this boy makes an early, healthy appearance like Moses did.

School starts this week so it's back to the books for the next month. Luckily, this summer session only lasts until June 28th and then I'm taking a break from school until next spring (my final semester of graduate school)!

Dave finishes teaching this week and then he'll be home with us for the summer. I'm hoping that with his help I can muster up enough energy to finish some projects before baby #2 arrives.

I'm hoping to post pictures from our weekend in Wichita Falls in the next day or two. Despite the heat, we had a wonderful time, and Moses especially enjoyed his Cozy Coupe:

-Lindsey

18-Month Check Up

Before Moses and I went out of town Friday morning, we had his 18 month check up. It was a relatively uneventful doctor's visit so we were on the road in no time at all (details to come). His weight was 24 pounds 9 ounces (30th percentile), his height was 34.5 inches (97th percentile), and his head circumference was 49.9 centimeters (93rd percentile). Dave joked that he's a pumpkin head on a toothpick body.

He still only has four teeth, but he's teething right now so we expect to see some new ones pop through during the summertime. Despite having so few teeth at his age, he's a good eater and can keep up with his many-toothed peers.

He also doesn't have too great a vocabulary, but he's really started picking up words and sounds faster lately. I think it's a benefit to have cold (and ear infection) season behind us so hopefully that'll help with his language acquisition. Dr. Gray wasn't worried about it (and we're not either) as boys are slower than girls in that department and Moses is on target for everything else. We're just eager to open up the lines of communication.

-Lindsey

Odd ducks

Moses and I went to the park to feed the ducks yesterday.



That sentence only sounds exciting.

I was looking forward to Moses' first time feeding the ducks at a local library (and cleaning out my bread drawer), but the ducks didn't flock to us as expected and Moses wasn't intrigued by their "we just ate, kid" attitudes so his interests quickly turned to the water and exploring the lakeside. Finally, two disheveled ducks somewhat responded to our feeding attempts, but it was still a little ho' hum and yawn inducing. I kept him on a short leash (literally, I'm not above leashing my child for safety reasons) because I feared he would either want to be too friendly with the ducks or jump in the lake (both assumptions were right), and those fears made for uneventful pictures, but hey, at least I documented the outing, right?

Maybe our next attempt will be a little more awe-inspiring to his toddler brain. This one was just pathetic.

On a funnier note, Moses' new harness makes me laugh uncontrollably at times because it reminds me of this Saturday Night Live skit:

I smell a Halloween costume...

-Lindsey

Seeking Solitude

Over the past several weeks, Moses has developed a peculiar new quirk: whenever he has a bowel movement, he'll hide behind a piece of furniture. It's entertaining to watch because he'll suddenly stop whatever he's doing and move behind a certain living room chair or the dining room table before making a series of grunts and other telltale sounds that clue us in to his intestinal goings-on. I'm not sure if this act is out of a sudden need for privacy or if it's more about limiting distractions so he can properly focus on the task at hand, but for now, it's just one more thing to add to my "how-to-embarrass-my-teenager" toolbox.

Also, I think the spectacle will be invaluable come potty training time. Hooray for predictability.

-Lindsey

The Boys' Room, Part I

I've been wanting to work on the boys' (plural!) room for awhile, but for one reason or another, I haven't--until this past week. I've seen some great productivity in fellow (or recently) preggo bloggers and their projects inspired me to get off my duff. I've also been touring nurseries on Ohdeedoh for room ideas, which has done nothing but increase my "to-do" list exponentially.

This was the room before Sally, Maegan, and I used 5 gallons of white paint to freshen up the walls and change the maroon walls to a lime green that I've since grown tired of (it must be my hormones because I usually love anything painted green) and have pledged to repaint a taupish-grey color in the near future. I love how large the room is, but I miss the wood floors in our old place. These walls are also a bit too textured for my taste, but it's something we can live with in a rental.

I haven't completed the room yet (sigh). I'm still working on Moses' soon-to-be big-boy bed situation since we currently have a nice trundle bed in there, but I think it's too much bed for Moses and too large for the space so I'm rethinking that arrangement. Then, there's the wall that I need to repaint. I'd also like to organize the walk-in closet, too. After those three tasks, I should be done with the room and be free to move on to other (more important but less fun) tasks, pending a cooperative baby!

When you walk into the room, there's a storage space on the wall for Moses' often used shoes and jackets. I have all the supplies (except a letter--what will we name this baby?) so that Moses' little brother will have one, too. The wooden crate is meant to hold cds, not shoes, but a little repurposing can go a long way and, with a little training, hopefully save me from the daily shoe search.

Here's Moses' current crib and dresser that will soon become baby #2s. I loved this train idea and had been wanting to change the previous artwork for awhile so I used two pieces of fabric and Heat N' Bond to appliqué the plane. I was hoping to get away from the travel theme in the room, but I loved the idea of a biplane too much. This was a nice, lazy way to redo that large canvas and I'm pretty pleased. Plus, if I get tired of it, I can just do something else.

I took down the dirty mini-blinds and hung some cotton tab-top curtains which I dyed green and added a fun ball-fringe trim to. The green is a little darker than I intended as I've learned that cloth dying is a very delicate process with little room for error (that test strip really is important). I'm still pleased with the results and think they add more color and whimsy to the room. For the record, I'm now obsessed with ball fringe!

For storage, I found some great cloth bins at Dollar Tree and mini-suitcases at Hobby Lobby. They are wonderful for storing random toys and small books. I also bought a toy organizer from Target--it's so nice to be able to access the toys and put them away easily. Since we have a lot of white wall to contend with in that room, I hung up an old dart board I scored from an estate sale and two other pieces of art I've found in the last year.

There's a large part of the room that I haven't shown, but that will come with Part II, once I've figured out the bed situation and painted that darn wall. I'm running out of steam more easily these days (hello, third trimester) but I'm planning to have the other things done in the next month. We'll see.

-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

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

Can you say, "crick?"

Dave and Moses played outside Monday evening and when they came back in, Moses crashed. You know he must have been tired when he can sleep soundly in this position:



My body hurts just looking at those.

-Lindsey

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Last Friday night, Dave and I decided it was time for Moses' first hair cut. . .by me (thank goodness curly hair is forgiving). It wasn't a real hair cut so much as a trim since we only cut the craziness (read: matted mullet) at the base of his neck. He can finally ride in his car seat without his hair becoming a tangled mess.




-Lindsey

Family Time

Moses had a wonderful grandparents-filled time this past week. During the week, he saw two of his grandparents, and over the weekend, he saw the other four of his six grandparents.

It's wonderful to see that he's made such huge strides in feeling comfortable with his grandparents lately. Before, he was very timid and unsociable around them, but now, he'll ask for them to pick him up and freely give them hugs or kisses. It's so nice to see that he's coming out of his shell--it's only taken 1.5 years!

My Mom and Kelly visited with my sister Paige on Saturday, and Dave's parents came down with his niece Jasmin on Sunday. Unfortunately, I've been lazy with pictures lately and only have a few--of my Mom and Kelly's visit not Dave's parents. I really should try to pick up the camera more these days and give everyone a fair shot (no pun intended).




The only bad thing about our weekend is that Moses seems to have contracted Fifth Disease and started exhibiting the cheek rash on Saturday. He's feeling great now, but his cheeks are red in all the pictures. I think it's safe to say that by age two he'll have acquired all the immunities he'll need for a lifetime. I guess it's better he gets them out of the way now than have two sick boys.

-Lindsey

P.S. And, yes, I'm going in for a blood test today to make sure I've already got the Fifth Disease anti-body and I'm not ask risk for an infection while pregnant. I think the chances are pretty good I've had it before, but I still have my fingers crossed!

Some good news...

Yesterday, our allergist's office called with the results of Moses' blood test. The nurse said that his milk protein results were low and that he'll most likely outgrow the allergy, but in the meantime, we're to use rice milk and cut dairy from his diet to see if it helps with his congestion. I'm game for that move, but we'll see how Moses does with a new "milk."

However, the nurse also said that Moses' peanut results were positive and that we should still avoid all peanut contact. I expected to get a classification for the blood results (0-6) but she didn't give me one. Even though they don't indicate severity or sensitivity in an individual--only the likelihood for a reaction, I'm still curious and will ask the doctor at our next appointment.

-Lindsey

P.S. I'm finally done with school this semester. Let the fun (and cleaning) begin!

Reading Nuts

Over the weekend, I went to the library and picked up "The Peanut Allergy Answer Book," which is recommended by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network that Dr. Herman referred. Since I'm one of those people who wants to know everything possible about a situation (or diagnosis), I was very pleased with the wealth of information this book provided. It taught me a lot about food allergies, most importantly:

"The reactions that peanut-allergic patients experience can vary from exposure to exposure: one time, an exposure may cause a mild reaction and the next time, the same exposure might cause a more severe reaction. The severity of a reaction and risk of anaphylaxis are not predictable by skin testing or RAST tests (blood tests) (92)."

Here I was expecting to learn just how bad it was from the blood test when that's not even possible--we just have to assume the worst can happen and safeguard Moses from all contact with peanuts. We've decided to avoid tree nuts too as a precaution due to the risk of cross contamination (i.e. made in a facility that also processes peanuts). You can never be too careful...

-Lindsey

Affirmative - Allergic to Peanuts (and Milk!)

Today we visited an allergist, Dr. Herman (Thanks Misty!), to see about the reaction Moses had to peanuts on Monday. We thought we were just going in for a consult because I was told over the phone that Moses had to be antihistamine free for seven days prior to allergy testing and since he had Benadryl on Monday and Tuesday we'd have to wait. However, once there and visiting with Dr. Herman, he said that we should go ahead and test since we'd still get a positive or negative reaction to allergens from Moses.

I was not prepared for that change in plans and my purse seriously lacked adequate distraction tools. Thankfully, they had puzzles in the exam room and a sink with little cups for Moses to drink from. Two hours of distraction--I'm exhausted.

Moses did really well with the prick test (it's changed so much since I had the test in my teens). He didn't cry and was content to play with the office toys and not scratch his back during the 20 minute testing period. He was tested for the 19 most common allergens--animals, grasses, trees, foods, etc.

After 20 minutes, the nurse and doctor came to survey the results. If you aren't familiar with allergy testing, there's a control "bump" that helps them gauge the reaction of the tested allergens. Moses' control bump rated a 2+ and was compared to the other 19 "bumps." The only bumps, or positive reactions, worth noting were for milk and peanuts--both rated a 2+. I was shocked about the positive reaction for milk since we've never had an issue with milk, but the peanut reaction was pretty much expected after Monday's incident. Dr. Herman said we should count our blessings that Monday's reaction wasn't more troublesome because his vomiting was a sign of anaphylactic shock.

He also said that Moses can continue with milk products for now, but we might have to cut them out of his diet if his "numbers" are too high. Also, his milk allergy might be the cause of all his congestion and ear infections of late. We're to avoid peanuts at all costs and carry an EpiPen in case of an allergic reaction. The good news is that he's not registering for any hay fever type allergies at the moment, but Dr. Herman thinks he has a good chance of developing them when he's a little older since Dave and I both suffer from inhalant allergies. We'll still take this brief reprieve even if that's the case!

We're still waiting to hear about the severity of these allergies pending a blood test Moses had today (with the smallest needle I've ever seen--he did so well). The results of the blood test will determine what part(s) of milk Moses is allergic to and whether or not we can continue having milk products. The test will also tell us how allergic he is to peanuts and give us a "number" to watch over the years. Dr. Herman said that in some cases kids can grow out of a peanut allergy and watching the "number" over the years is the best indicator of such possibility.

That's all the excitement we can handle for one day. Moses is conked out and I wish I could take a nap too, but school work is calling me...

I'll keep you posted on the results of the blood test. Keep your fingers crossed that we see low numbers.

-Lindsey

P.S. Here are some pictures from our gardening adventure yesterday to counter the unwelcome news of today's post. I have to say that it's hard to communicate "be gentle to plants" to a 17-month-old boy--thank goodness the water hose, dirt, and my Taco Bueno cup were more fun that my newly potted plants.

In case you've missed his mug

I haven't been so great at taking pictures lately, but I thought I'd post the few I have taken recently.

The first set is from our craft time yesterday. Moses has a real marker fetish and loves coloring on anything and everything. Usually, sitting him in his high chair with washable markers and paper works wonders but this time he confused his high chair with hunger. I was making lunch in the kitchen and came back to this...


Thank goodness my little clown is using non-toxic markers.

This second set is from today when I tried to photograph his "rain curls." No picture does them justice but I tried. There's also a cute picture of him finding my belly button or "bell butt" as he calls it.



-Lindsey

Meet the Weathermen

Each member of this family has some bodily quirk that allows for rain prediction with uncanny accuracy.

Dave: An old football injury to his shoulder makes it ache when precipitation is imminent. This makes him sound much older than his 28 years.

Me: My epidural entry-point aches like some sort of bone bruise for days leading up to ominous weather. It's made me reconsider drugs for this second child but only for a second...

Moses: His hair kinks up into dreamy curls the day of a downpour. Maybe I should check for some cancellations at our local photographers? One girl's picture-day nightmare is my boy's opportunity for unworldly cuteness.

Bella (the dog): She freaks out and shakes uncontrollably for hours before it begins until it passes. She also won't leave our side, or she'll hide in the bathroom. I imagine her reciting the mantra, "think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts" in a doubtful, girly inner voice for the duration of a thunderstorm.

I didn't mention our cat, Ninja, but I'm sure if we could extract the prescient behavior from the psychotic we'd learn she's also got a talent for weather prediction. And, while not a member of the family per se, my van starts running funny up to a day before the rain comes.

So, I think we're overdue for a surname change and possibly an exhibit at your local freak show. Look for us, the newly-christened Weathermen (or Meteorologists, but the boys may have a tough time learning to spell that one), coming soon to a city near you.

Weathermen or not, I'm looking forward to today's daytime storm: nothing's better than a nice shower and a cup of coffee (decaf).

-Lindsey

Oh, nuts!

Moses might have a peanut allergy.

I can't even fathom that sentence since there's no family history of food allergies (although the lengthy history of hay fever doesn't bode well for him) and well, Dave and I love nuts.

Last night, Dave fed Moses some peanuts. I told Dave that I didn't think Moses had had an actual peanut before, only foods that have been in peanuts' proximity, so he stopped. About fifteen minutes later Moses' eyes were itchy and red with a rash, his voice was raspy, and although his breathing wasn't labored, it was noisy. I called our doctor's on-call nurse and she said to give him Benadryl and take him to the ER. On the way to the ER he vomited but seemed better afterwards.

We hung out in the ER for an hour-and-a-half before we decided to go home and call his pediatrician in the morning since his eyes were looking much better and he was playing vigorously. He obviously wasn't experiencing anything life-threatening, and we thought he was probably just picking up more germs there anyway.

I called his pediatrician this morning and they are in the process of getting Moses a referral to an allergist. We should hear something about an appointment in the next few days.

Dave and I are both hoping it was something other than the peanuts that caused his reaction since a peanut allergy is lifelong, potentially life-threatening, and requires a lot of food scrutiny, but I think our optimism is just hope. Maybe we'll get lucky...

-Lindsey

Well, he had the worm...

Feeling more like himself than he has in weeks, Moses got up at his somewhat-usual time, 6 a.m. I guess he's not used to being such an early bird again because this was the scene at 8 a.m.:


At this rate, he's in for a long day.

-Lindsey

Stop and smell the roseola

As it turns out, Moses has Roseola.

Soon after I updated that his fever was gone, it came back. It was bizarre because he was cold as ice that morning, but then very warm at 101.7 degrees just hours later. That weaker fever stayed with us until last night, but after showering with Moses, Dave noticed a rash forming on Moses' lower trunk. As the night went on, the rash worsened and sleep was hard to come by. Moses and I stayed up until 2 a.m. before I could finally get him to sleep, but even then, he slept fitfully and was constantly tossing and turning.

This morning the light-pink rash is still present but doesn't look too bad. I called his doctor who confirmed it was Roseola and said the good news was that he was no longer contagious. Whew. Being stuck in the house for nearly a week hasn't been fun. The rash might last up to 3 days, but the the end is near. And, Moses now has a lifelong immunity to Roseola--at least I won't have to worry about caring for two cranky, restless boys with it.

He's playful this morning and seems to have forgotten the terrible night. Hopefully, we'll have good days and nights from here on out.

-Lindsey

The name is Dish. Petri Dish.

Well, once again we've contracted an illness over here. Moses came down with 102.8 degree fever (his favorite temperature apparently) after his nap on Saturday. I thought he had another ear infection because he was exhibiting all his usual symptoms except this time gagging accompanied the fever and fussiness. Lovely... Well, after two terrible nights of sleep and a persistently high fever despite the alternation of fever reducers, I took him in to the doctor.

The good news is that for once, an ear infection isn't the culprit. His ears were "perfect," in fact. This time, however, he has a viral infection (correction: we have a viral infection). This bug causes fever in children for 3-5 days and creates an obnoxious amount of congestion, which causes a sore throat. He also has viral conjunctivitis (pink eye), which makes him look especially pathetic.

For the most part though, he's in good spirits and happily plays so long as his fever isn't spiking. The rough part comes at night when I'm not so diligent with the Tylenol or Motrin. He spends most the night rolling around and whining, and I spend the night making sure he gets some sleep. I think he'll be better soon, but it's just a matter of time before I die of exhaustion...

I look forward to summer and days void of day care.

UPDATE: His fever broke last night so he's doing much better today. Hooray!

-Lindsey

The swing of things

Dave and Moses spent some time outside recently. It's been really windy here lately, but every once in a while, it's very pleasant--perfect for swinging.

-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

Soliciting Stroller Reviews

We're now starting to think of the things needed for two children. We're fortunate in that we are set in the boys' clothing department and other things needed for first time parents, but we're stuck when it comes to stroller options.

We're looking for an inline, double stroller that's compact enough to fit in my van. The single Graco Quattro stroller we have now barely fits in the van with the rear sit erected, and since Moses will be in the rear seat once his brother gets here, I need a double stroller that doesn't require me fold that seat down. I'd also like something a little more rugged since my new favorite warm-weather past time is walking with my son(s) in tow. Any suggestions?

My dream stroller is the Phil & Ted's Sport with Doubles Kit:

But, it's nearly twice as expensive as the Graco Quattro Tour Duo, the double's version of our original stroller:
I know we've got a lot of moms out there who read this blog and might have some input or other stroller suggestions. Please, please, leave a comment or email me with your thoughts. I like having some research before investing in something, and what's better than personal experience and word of mouth?

Thanks,
-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

Toe-tally unfair!

This morning I broke my pinky toe running after Moses. The floor is still littered with things I need to put away, and I tripped over our game, Cranium Turbo Edition, which weighs the same as a small elephant, while chasing down the source of cranky screams. I'm not proud of the words Moses heard from my mouth when little toe met box, but I was in whole mess of pain.

So, now, my once favorite game is forever "the enemy," and I've decided toes are ridiculous--it's unfair that the only thing I've ever broken can't be treated medically.

(I say that my toe is broken, but without an actual X-ray, I guess it's my word against the toe's, and having the only mouth in the pair, I think I win.)

-Lindsey

Nutty = Sleepy

Nowadays, Moses gets downright goofy when he's sleepy. I think it's some form of delirium because he just giggles endlessly at nothing in particular, acts silly, and throws his body all over the place (pillows, couches, laps, etc.). When this stage hits, I know he'll fall asleep in a heartbeat if we go "night, night." This sleepy cue is much preferred over crankiness.

-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!