1. Thanks for your recent comments everyone. I managed to get 3 comments on my Atlanta post and I have to say, I love getting comments! A main reason I do this blog is just because it's a good way to journal what is going on in our lives, but also to keep our close friends and family updated on our goings-on so it's always nice to know that people are actually looking at this little thing I do! I love reading other people's blogs but I need to be better about commenting because it is always so nice to hear people's responses.
2. Barrett is officially weaned. That is sad to say, but he's ready. He was down to just one feeding a day anyway for the last few months and in the past 2 weeks he was showing less and less interest until it just finished. It is sad for me to know that this era is over, but I'm happy he was the one to make the decision and I feel incredibly proud that we were able to nurse for as long as we did. It is one of the things I am most proud of in my life, that I stuck with it, during the beginning when I cried in pain nearly every time and it was truly awful and during the 9 months that I worked full-time and had to pump and it sucked. I grew to really enjoy our quiet time together and while I'm sad it's come to an end, I am so proud of us for having done it for 16+ months. That little boy didn't have one single ounce of formula and I love that I can say that!
3. Speaking of his eating, Barrett is the pickiest eater in the world. I am seriously running out of ideas for what to do about it. He wants the same things all the time: yogurt, applesauce, cheerios or muffins, bread with hummus on it and cheese. That's it. He'll sometimes cave and agree to mix it up with some blueberries or strawberries, grilled cheese or rice and beans, but then if I try again a few days later, it all ends up on the floor. I know he's doing okay because he does have a chubby little belly, but I am out of ideas!
I tricked him into eating some sweet potatoes through this recipe: http://weelicious.com/2011/03/16/mini-sweet-potato-muffins/
and I also made these recently: http://weelicious.com/2010/06/17/apple-banana-muffins/. These are nice for breakfast because I can make a bunch of mini muffins and freeze them to thaw for breakfasts.
It drives me crazy to resort to applesauce and cheese every night for dinner as a backup. What do I do? Do I only give him what we're having even though I know he won't eat it, in the hopes that eventually he will once he's starving or should I be satisfied with the fact that at least he's eating something, even if it's the same 5 things all the time?
4. It was such a cold and rainy weekend. After a few days in the 90s last week (loved it!), it was back in the 40s this weekend. I commented to Tim that that added one point to the Atlanta column this weekend!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Barrett's big announcement
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Mother's Day 2011/Starved Rock
Okay, this post will be mostly pictures, to give you fair warning! We had a terrific Mother's Day last weekend. The weather was finally heating up and we decided to drive down to Starved Rock State Park, about 1.5 hours south of here. I had never been there before but had wanted to go for a long time. There were a bunch of different hiking trails, to different canyons and waterfalls, through the woods and along the Illinois River. We walked for MILES, so were exhausted by the time we were done, but it was a lot of fun.
I wore Barrett on my back in the Ergo for the entire time. Tim tried to wear him but B was NOT a fan of this. I don't know if it's because he wanted to be with me or if it was because Tim is wider and it was harder on his hips or something. You'll see in a few of the below pictures! But I didn't mind wearing him, the ergo is really comfortable so my back was okay the next day.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Atlanta or bust?
Rumors have been swirling at work for a couple years now that eventually our office might move to Atlanta. I haven't been really alarmed about it because our current leases weren't up until summer 2013 and a lot can happen in those few years! Just look at the changes in my life the last few years!
However (cue the ominous music), the official announcement was made this week that our office would be relocating into a gorgeous and very impressive new building in Atlanta July 2013 to merge with our other North America location.
Now cue the stress.
There's a lot to consider. On one hand, Tim and I have often talked about moving south. Each winter seems worse than the previous one and I would love to live somewhere with much more mild winters. There are so many reasons to leave:
1. Milder winters
2. SO much more affordable home prices! I was seriously drooling over some of the homes in our price range. They are my dream homes and are cheaper than our current fixer-uper was! We're talking huge decks, wrap around porches, dozens of full-sized trees on enormous lots, hard wood throughout, upgrade after upgrade - drool, drool, drool. What a change to actually have outdoor living space and to be able to use it!
3. We don't have close family or other major commitments keeping us here.
But on the other hand, my goal was to move closer to my family and Atlanta is much further - 9 hours vs 5 hours. And my other goal is to work less - if I move, I'll be further committed to my job.
There's really a lot to think about. I've been offered a very generous relocation package and there's definitely some appeal in moving. I grew up used to the sight of a moving van in our driveway so I do get a little antsy if I stay in one place for too long. In our current house, I'm closing in on tying the record for the longest I've lived anywhere. Oh and the houses! Have I mentioned they're amazing?
Tim and I have a lot to discuss. He'd obviously have to find another job down there and we'd have to consider our long-term goals and if this would be a step in the direction of where we want our lives to go. Fortunately, we still have a year to think about it before we make a decision.
But in the meantime, here's a sneak preview of some of the houses that are making it very attractive to move on down south. One of these houses was such a beautiful home at such an amazing price that I'm tempted to buy it right now anyway. :)
However (cue the ominous music), the official announcement was made this week that our office would be relocating into a gorgeous and very impressive new building in Atlanta July 2013 to merge with our other North America location.
Now cue the stress.
There's a lot to consider. On one hand, Tim and I have often talked about moving south. Each winter seems worse than the previous one and I would love to live somewhere with much more mild winters. There are so many reasons to leave:
1. Milder winters
2. SO much more affordable home prices! I was seriously drooling over some of the homes in our price range. They are my dream homes and are cheaper than our current fixer-uper was! We're talking huge decks, wrap around porches, dozens of full-sized trees on enormous lots, hard wood throughout, upgrade after upgrade - drool, drool, drool. What a change to actually have outdoor living space and to be able to use it!
3. We don't have close family or other major commitments keeping us here.
But on the other hand, my goal was to move closer to my family and Atlanta is much further - 9 hours vs 5 hours. And my other goal is to work less - if I move, I'll be further committed to my job.
There's really a lot to think about. I've been offered a very generous relocation package and there's definitely some appeal in moving. I grew up used to the sight of a moving van in our driveway so I do get a little antsy if I stay in one place for too long. In our current house, I'm closing in on tying the record for the longest I've lived anywhere. Oh and the houses! Have I mentioned they're amazing?
Tim and I have a lot to discuss. He'd obviously have to find another job down there and we'd have to consider our long-term goals and if this would be a step in the direction of where we want our lives to go. Fortunately, we still have a year to think about it before we make a decision.
But in the meantime, here's a sneak preview of some of the houses that are making it very attractive to move on down south. One of these houses was such a beautiful home at such an amazing price that I'm tempted to buy it right now anyway. :)
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Parenting 101
Up until now, our parenting choices have been pretty successful, I'd say. Parenting an infant may be mentally exhausting, but relatively easy. Is baby hungry/wet/dirty/tired? Then I guess you have to feed/change/put baby down. Ta-da! That's pretty much all you have to worry about in most cases. If they survive to a year, I think you can give yourself a big pat on the back and call yourself an amazing parent.
But from here on out, things get to be more challenging. I first realized this a few weeks ago when we enrolled Barrett in a class at My Gym. For those of you who don't know, My Gym is a location where they have all kinds of activities for the kids - slides, swings, a ball pit, trampoline, etc and the kids spend the hour doing a mixture of group activities with the instructors and playing on their own. Surprisingly our little social butterfly was a bit shy and timid at the class. The time came each class for a group activity, sitting in a circle and singing or playing a game together. All the other kids seemed to do so well in participating along with the teacher. But Barrett wasn't so interested in sitting and listening and squirmed away to trot off to explore a different area.
I looked at Tim - "what are we supposed to do?" And my great co-parent, my parenting partner, my backup, just looked at me and shrugged. I want Barrett to have fun, which is the entire point of us doing this class and if he sees something else that catches his interest, I don't want to force him to sit there, have him cry, and basically take all the fun out of the class. But at the same time, he needs to learn to follow instructions and sit quietly and participate with the other kids. What to do?
In the end, we let him go off and go explore on his own. I figure that the most important thing at this particular event was for him to have a good time. Was this the right thing to do? I don't know. I am scared that from here on out, our parenting decisions are only going to get harder and harder!
But from here on out, things get to be more challenging. I first realized this a few weeks ago when we enrolled Barrett in a class at My Gym. For those of you who don't know, My Gym is a location where they have all kinds of activities for the kids - slides, swings, a ball pit, trampoline, etc and the kids spend the hour doing a mixture of group activities with the instructors and playing on their own. Surprisingly our little social butterfly was a bit shy and timid at the class. The time came each class for a group activity, sitting in a circle and singing or playing a game together. All the other kids seemed to do so well in participating along with the teacher. But Barrett wasn't so interested in sitting and listening and squirmed away to trot off to explore a different area.
I looked at Tim - "what are we supposed to do?" And my great co-parent, my parenting partner, my backup, just looked at me and shrugged. I want Barrett to have fun, which is the entire point of us doing this class and if he sees something else that catches his interest, I don't want to force him to sit there, have him cry, and basically take all the fun out of the class. But at the same time, he needs to learn to follow instructions and sit quietly and participate with the other kids. What to do?
In the end, we let him go off and go explore on his own. I figure that the most important thing at this particular event was for him to have a good time. Was this the right thing to do? I don't know. I am scared that from here on out, our parenting decisions are only going to get harder and harder!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter
Happy happy Easter! My parents came to visit and we had a brief break in the torrential rain for the 2 day weekend, so that made the weekend even better. It was a very quick weekend, but nice of course.
Here are some pictures from Easter Sunday...
Barrett and the grandparents
Clearly it was bordering on naptime
The Easter bunny did pretty good this year. I think he hit up the Target dollar spot. The basket was loaded with bunny ears, bubbles, a fishing net, sidewalk chalk and empty plastic eggs.I He considered filling the eggs with treats like goldfish crackers or puffs but thought that would be a lot of work to wash and fill the eggs. What a lazy bunny!
B's favorite part of the Easter basket were the bubbles. He kept saying "bubbles, bubbles"
My favorite part of the Easter basket was the fishing net.
Our little Easter bunny!
He was so happy when we finally went outside to blow the bubbles.
And he cried when we stopped. I think he could have stood there all day.
Our delicious Easter meal - ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and fruit salad.
I finally was able to use the china I'd bought at an antique store a few years ago. Perfect for spring! Of course I laugh that we bought it at an antique store when it's basically my parent's wedding china and what we grew up eating every holiday meal on. It's gorgeous - stark white with very pale blue flowers.
And a close up shot. Pretty, isn't it?
But what to do with all that leftover ham? Well, have I got the recipe for you. Here's a family favorite that we eat every Christmas with all the leftover ham. It is wonderful.
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
1 cup butter, softened (can go a little lighter on this)
3 T poppyseeds
1 onion, grated
1 T worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
2 packages of party rolls (I used Sara Lee)
cooked ham
slices of swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl stir together butter, poppyseeds, onion, w sauce, and mustard.
Arrange rolls on cookie sheet.
Slice rolls and spread butter mixture on bottom layer of rolls. Top with ham and cheese slices. Replace tops and spread butter mixture on top of rolls.
Bake 10-12 minutes, until rolls are browned and cheese is melted.
A great way to eat up leftover ham!
Here are some pictures from Easter Sunday...
Barrett and the grandparents
Clearly it was bordering on naptime
The Easter bunny did pretty good this year. I think he hit up the Target dollar spot. The basket was loaded with bunny ears, bubbles, a fishing net, sidewalk chalk and empty plastic eggs.
B's favorite part of the Easter basket were the bubbles. He kept saying "bubbles, bubbles"
My favorite part of the Easter basket was the fishing net.
Our little Easter bunny!
He was so happy when we finally went outside to blow the bubbles.
And he cried when we stopped. I think he could have stood there all day.
Our delicious Easter meal - ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and fruit salad.
I finally was able to use the china I'd bought at an antique store a few years ago. Perfect for spring! Of course I laugh that we bought it at an antique store when it's basically my parent's wedding china and what we grew up eating every holiday meal on. It's gorgeous - stark white with very pale blue flowers.
And a close up shot. Pretty, isn't it?
But what to do with all that leftover ham? Well, have I got the recipe for you. Here's a family favorite that we eat every Christmas with all the leftover ham. It is wonderful.
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
1 cup butter, softened (can go a little lighter on this)
3 T poppyseeds
1 onion, grated
1 T worcestershire sauce
2 T mustard
2 packages of party rolls (I used Sara Lee)
cooked ham
slices of swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl stir together butter, poppyseeds, onion, w sauce, and mustard.
Arrange rolls on cookie sheet.
Slice rolls and spread butter mixture on bottom layer of rolls. Top with ham and cheese slices. Replace tops and spread butter mixture on top of rolls.
Bake 10-12 minutes, until rolls are browned and cheese is melted.
A great way to eat up leftover ham!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Barrett - 16 months
Barrett is now 16 months. Can I still call him my baby even though he looks, acts and sounds like a toddler? I say YES and since I'm the mom, I get to make the rules, right?
He is transitioning to the toddler room at daycare. It's so different! They sleep on cots, eat at tables and chairs instead of highchairs, and talk to each other. There's a little jungle gym with steps and a slide, although Barrett hasn't quite figured out that he needs to sit to slide so it always makes my heart jump to see him standing at the top of it. I still stop by at least half the days around lunchtime to hang out with him for a few minutes. Some days he's thrilled to see me and other days he's like "mom, what are you doing here on my turf?" But he always is sad for me to go so I know he is happy I stop by. The other kids in his class crowd around me and fight to get on my lap, so at least I'm sort of appreciated. The other 4 will be fighting to sit on my lap and get my attention, as the new face in the class, and he'll go walk away to check something else out. Ah, I'm already being taken for granted.
His personality is coming out more and more every day. It's fun now, because I can tell what he's thinking. It's fun to see those little wheels turning in his head. Sometimes they're cute wheels, like "how do I fit this shape into this hole?" or "if I throw this ball, Payton will go and chase it!" and sometimes they're naughty thoughts like "I'm going to wait until Mommy's back is turned and then I'm going to drop this piece of food on the floor!" He is generally a really gentle child. I see the other kids his age pushing and shoving and grabbing, and that is just not him. When other kids take his toys, he just looks confused, not angry and it's just not in his nature to push another kid down. Sometimes the mama bear in me wants him to push back and stand up for himself, but I'm glad I got the loving and sweet child and not the bully.
He gives these sweet open mouthed kisses and has started giving great hugs. Lately he's been pretty clingy to me sometimes and puts his arms around me and rests his head on my shoulder. Very sweet!
Things he says:
Momma
Daddy
doggy
shoes
milk
more
blanket (doesn't sound much like blanket but I know what he means)
Barney (a new one!)
up
down
uh-oh
hi
bye
bubbles
baby
papa
He's definitely going through a verbal phase lately and seems to be constantly picking up new phrases. What a fun age!
He is transitioning to the toddler room at daycare. It's so different! They sleep on cots, eat at tables and chairs instead of highchairs, and talk to each other. There's a little jungle gym with steps and a slide, although Barrett hasn't quite figured out that he needs to sit to slide so it always makes my heart jump to see him standing at the top of it. I still stop by at least half the days around lunchtime to hang out with him for a few minutes. Some days he's thrilled to see me and other days he's like "mom, what are you doing here on my turf?" But he always is sad for me to go so I know he is happy I stop by. The other kids in his class crowd around me and fight to get on my lap, so at least I'm sort of appreciated. The other 4 will be fighting to sit on my lap and get my attention, as the new face in the class, and he'll go walk away to check something else out. Ah, I'm already being taken for granted.
His personality is coming out more and more every day. It's fun now, because I can tell what he's thinking. It's fun to see those little wheels turning in his head. Sometimes they're cute wheels, like "how do I fit this shape into this hole?" or "if I throw this ball, Payton will go and chase it!" and sometimes they're naughty thoughts like "I'm going to wait until Mommy's back is turned and then I'm going to drop this piece of food on the floor!" He is generally a really gentle child. I see the other kids his age pushing and shoving and grabbing, and that is just not him. When other kids take his toys, he just looks confused, not angry and it's just not in his nature to push another kid down. Sometimes the mama bear in me wants him to push back and stand up for himself, but I'm glad I got the loving and sweet child and not the bully.
He gives these sweet open mouthed kisses and has started giving great hugs. Lately he's been pretty clingy to me sometimes and puts his arms around me and rests his head on my shoulder. Very sweet!
Things he says:
Momma
Daddy
doggy
shoes
milk
more
blanket (doesn't sound much like blanket but I know what he means)
Barney (a new one!)
up
down
uh-oh
hi
bye
bubbles
baby
papa
He's definitely going through a verbal phase lately and seems to be constantly picking up new phrases. What a fun age!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
