Cute and mine!

Remember my crush on this? Looks like I didn't need to justify cute as a reason for a purchase - Blake {and Isaac} bought me eight place settings for my birthday! Happy early birthday to me, since we'll be out of town on my real birthday. Hooray! I love my husband.

I promise to invite all of you over to eat off of these lovely dishes, but you'll have to share because there are only eight settings of them, and probably a lot of you.

Duet

How sweet. I'm going to teach Blake how to play piano so we can play like Fran and Marlo in 58 years {for our 62nd Anniversary}!



Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. He turned 90 in February.

Thanks for the video Abby!

Purse

I need a new purse. My old standbys are really starting to fall apart and one of my favorites suffered a broken zipper over the weekend. Sad. I can't ever seem to find purses that I like, in my price range, when I'm out shopping. I want to go with a purse from ALDO {click here} because Jennifer told me that they had a store in London, and I really wanted to get a purse while IN London, just never came across one I was so-inclined to purchase. I have found many I like on the website, but just want your opinions on what YOU like. Hopefully some of my choices will coincide with yours and my choice will be easier. Thanks in advance.

Here are my criterion:

1. $50 or less
2. Simple yet classy. It needs to go with many outfits. I like colors, but should probably purchase a brown, black or other more neutral color for functional purposes. I am open to options, but maybe something like this.
3. Not too small. Now that I have a kid, I've got to be able to keep necessary baby items, in addition to all of my stuff in the purse.
4. Not too big. I don't want it to be a total diaper bag, but I DO want it to be big enough for the basic necessities for quick runs.

Please help! And, if you're feeling motivated, you can scope out the shoe department too. I would like one pair of gladiator-style sandals for summer, additional dressy flats for work, and a nice pair of dressy, but comfortable black peep toes. Gosh, I'm needy.

Vroom vroom

Grandpa, you can take him out driving for his learner's permit in 14 years too. Maybe you can also teach him how to run over raccoons as well as you taught me (by grabbing the steering wheel and veering at them!).

It's good to be back

New look, public blog. Man, it feels nice not to have to sign into my own blog when I want to read it! Don't you think so too?

Congrats

Happy Graduation Ben! I still can't believe it, mostly because I'm in denial about my age, and the fact that I'm married with a kid. ;-)

What a difference a year makes. From this {senior picture last summer}:


To this {on your graduation day}:


We are proud of you! Love, your family!

Addicted

I am a total internet junkie. Here are my current internet addictions:

1. Checking my e-mail multiple times a day
2. Reading blogs
3. Hanging out on my mommy forum
4. Facebook stalking
5. Reading newspapers online
6. Online banking
7. Baby steals {they have one steal a day, and yet I check multiple times, for no reason}
8. Browsing online stores for clothes {usually for Isaac, rarely for Blake, and sometimes for myself}
9. Internet coupon hunting for my next grocery trip {I love saving $$!}

And non-internet addictions, just to make myself feel better about my internet junkiness:

1. Reading children's books, so I can decide which one to introduce next.
2. Making baby food. Just finished green beans now I'm on to pears!
3. Learning new church songs
4. Catching up with old friends over lunch
5. Taking walks
6. Trying to make Isaac laugh
7. Being a mom {yes, it's an addiction...I love it so much that I even find my mind sometimes drifting to thoughts of another child...and then I remember how much work Isaac is, and that he STILL doesn't completely sleep through the night...}
8. Trying to revive my old wardrobe in an effort to protect my pocketbook {so far, I've revived five pieces of clothing circa 2006. Woot!}
9. Picking at my face {a gross and bad habit, but really, my face looks like a teenager's at this point, which is where the thought of another kid would help. Those pregnancy hormones do wonders for bad skin - so, I trade sanity for vanity}
10. Having good conversation
11. Taking pictures and recording small video clips

Jumping the pond

We are back from our little trip to Europe. Here's just a snippet of what I think:

1. Everyone needs to visit London. I seriously love that city.
2. Traveling with a baby is pretty easy. Everyone is so helpful, and babies can make people around the world smile.
3. Jennifer: you are a lifesaver. Thank you for everything, including letting the stroller beat you up.
4. Look right and mind the gap.
5. I would do the entire trip again in a heartbeat {minus the screaming, melt-down, Isaac}.
6. If you have a baby and you go overseas, please invest in a Maclaren Quest stroller. It made our trip so much easier in so many ways!
7. Paris, for me, was a sufficient day trip. I'm not sure I'd enjoy spending more time there than that.
8. London has the best parks!
9. For more information, let's chat! :)
10. Please see the rest of my photos here and Jennifer's photos here.

Moo

I've been dairy-free for 17 days now. I forgot to call my Dr. on Wednesday to check in on how the dairy-free diet is working for Isaac and me. {Insert shameful looks here!}. By now, I should have been able to eat a piece of cheese or something, but as it's Saturday and they aren't open, I suppose the check-up phone call will wait until Monday....but I'm betting I'll forget again since I'll be so busy planning for the trip to London! So, what I'm saying is that being dairy free sucks, but I've adjusted, and I'll probably be dairy-free for four weeks before I add stuff back in. I won't dare add anything in while I'm on vacation, on the slight chance that it might piss Isaac's digestive system off, and then we'll ALL be miserable!

I'd sure love a giant glass of chocolate milk right now though, and I have no one to blame but myself!

Case #67849302

Usually, life at our house is pretty ordinary. But today, we came home to a pretty gruesome crime scene. The culprit made off with a clean escape, only to be caught minutes later!

The evidence:


The felon {with ears back in shame!}:

Spiffy

Happy Senior prom Ben-jammin {and Shai-NA!}! Sorry I'm a week late with the post. Next up, graduation. Holy crap. Just yesterday, you were a baby biting my chin, and pulling my hair {"Fly like a birdie!"}....ouch!

Isaac in motion

A short clip for your enjoyment. He's turning into quite the little ham. :) Of course, he might just be THAT entertained by my stupid face and noises.

Jumper Crazy

Functional

My obsession with Baby Legs has deepened. Meet Baby Arms! It was supposed to be fairly warm out today, so I dressed Isaac in a short-sleeved onesie. However, it was still pretty cool this morning, and I didn't want to change his clothes again. So, to help ward off the morning chill, I just gave him some sleeves. It was easier than a coat or hoodie, and Isaac rocked it.

Ooh la la

In preparation for our upcoming jaunt to London, I embarked on a search for the perfect travel passport wallet to help keep me organized, and make travel with a baby just a tiny bit easier. You would not believe how hard it is to find a wallet when you know exactly what you are looking for! Etsy answered my call. The best part is that I bargained a cheaper price on this one with the seller. She was really a peach.

Outside: cute!
Inside left: Passports, photo ID slot, and plane tickets
Inside right: Paper bills, change pouch, and two pockets for credit cards, etc.

And it all fits into my new Ju-Ju-Be Light Diaper Bag/purse. Empty, that bag only weighs 6 oz! Perfect for travel! :)

Banana Freak

Check this out: two bananas, right?


WRONG {sort of} - they are Siamese bananas. Technically, it IS still two bananas, but they are connected about half-way up. We can't open one without opening the other as well. So, Blake and I both have to be in the mood for a banana or one of us has to eat two bananas in one sitting. You can imagine Blake's dismay yesterday morning when he wanted a banana and I didn't. These poor bananas will probably be made into yummy banana bread in a few days.

Dairy Free

Eating dairy free is tough. I already had a slight little mess up. I ate one crab meat Rangoon Friday night, forgetting that cream cheese is used for part of the filling. Happily, it didn't seem to bother Isaac too much...yet.

In an attempt to help plan better meals this week, here's what our dinner menu looks like:

Monday: Leftover homemade chicken noodle soup
Tuesday: Homemade BBQ pork sandwiches, tater tots, canned pineapple, and garden salad
Wednesday: Oven baked chicken with baked beans and garden salad
Thursday: Grilling out - pork patties, chips, carrots, and strawberry Jell-o with bananas
Friday: Fried rice and egg rolls
Saturday: Leftovers clean-up

Only 10 more days of this dairy-free madness. Then, I get to slowly add stuff back in. I'd give anything for a piece of cheese right now. At least Isaac seems to be feeling a bit better.

Don't taunt me cow!

Gorgeous

This hat is so gorgeous, I wish I had a little girl to wear it, or that it would fit my head so that I can wear it. I'm giddy just posting about this. I'm so in love!

New 6 month developments

What is it with kids and always trying to keep their parents on their toes?!?

Remember that chronic eczema Isaac had? Turns out there is more to it than that. Even after the eczema cleared up, he was still suddenly waking, and inconsolably screaming, at night {multiple times, sometimes every hour!} and barely sleeping, {unless he was in his car seat, which is a total no-no; just an act of desperation on the part of some VERY tired parents!}, he has had a runny-ish nose since his cold in January, and occasionally he'll get some hives. He's fussy whenever it's nap time, irritable at other times, and refuses to be put on his back. All issues surface around nap or bed time. The rest of the day, you'd never guess there was anything wrong with him!

The new diagnosis: milk protein sensitivity.

Since he is still 100% breast fed {with a few solids - rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal}, it was advised to cut the solids for two weeks and for mom to stop eating all dairy. Just the obvious for now - milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream, etc. {boo hiss to all of it}. If it doesn't improve after that, I'll have to avoid even hidden dairy, like those seen here. And if it's not better after that, I have to ditch the nursing and move him over to a soy or allergenic formula. I really hope it never gets that far. There's just something wrong with the born and raised dairy farm girl having to avoid dairy altogether, but Isaac is totally worth it.

Other than the new development, he is doing spectacularly:

Weight: 16lb 8 oz (35%)
Height: 27 3/4 in (90%)
Head Circumference: 17 1/2 in. (60%)

I like this

And I have no idea why, OR what I would do with it. Aren't chickens in the kitchen supposed to be good luck? Would this count because it's a rooster? I don't even really like chickens....So, I guess I'll just admire from afar.

Happy Easter

From our family to yours, Happy Easter. Wishing you all a very blessed holiday!

Isaac loved his surprise from the Easter bunny, who cleverly forgot the Easter grass so that Blake and I don't have to pick it all up. That Easter bunny is *so* smart I think he/she deserves some sort of special treat... :)

6 months

Isaac was 6 months old on Tuesday. His well check isn't until next week, but we took him to the doctor anyway because he has rashes all over his body. Diagnosis: chronic eczema, courtesy of mom... *sigh.* With his wet diaper on, he weighed 16 lb. 12 oz., we'll get more stats next week.

Happy half-birthday sweetie!

Freebie

I love free things. I ordered a gift box set of SKY Baby Legs from Baby Steals when they ran the 52% off deal a week ago. Happily, the BL's arrived in no time. Then today, I came home and Blake asked why we had another box of Baby Legs?? Actually, he was kind of upset thinking that I had ORDERED more...I admit, I have a slight obsession with them. Turns out, Baby Steals just sent us double of my order, while only charging for one. Now, I know they were free, but do I return them even though it was their error? Do I keep them and let Isaac have two pairs of the three in the gift set? Do I give them to someone else?

They are cool, aren't they?


This is all very reminiscent of my free curtains, only I didn't have to call all over the world to find the free stuff this time. :)

Absent

Sorry I've been gone! Now that my work with the musical, "Good News" is over with, I've got a whole plate load of things to take care of at work regarding Holy Week, Easter, First Communion, and a couple of funerals for early next week. Every year, this whole Lent-Easter season catches me off-guard, and EVERY year, I end up swamped with work things and feel like I barely have time for myself...you'd think a girl would learn...

So, to occupy your time among my sparse blog postings, you can watch some video that Blake took of "Good News." Video 1 is of "You're the Cream in my Coffee," that's my little brother singing and tap dancing. Video 2 is of "The Varsity Drag." It's just cool dancing for high school kids. Also, thanks to Ben (the little tap-dancing brother) for uploading these suckers to YouTube. Thank heavens for techie little brothers. Goodness knows I never would've gotten around to doing it.

Enjoy, and listen for that piano! :)

You're the Cream in my Coffee


The Varsity Drag

Old school

This brings back memories. The prizes are the best!!

world traveler

As of last Friday, Isaac and I are going to....LONDON!!! I'm still in shock over the quick decision making, but the plane tickets were cheap and we need a vacation. We are super excited, but just wish daddy could come too!

Daredevil

I'm not referring to Isaac...I'm referring to Grandpa. This is what he does when I'm not around. Then he asks his partner in crime, Grandma, to document it! At least they had fun.

Sit

Isaac is almost as good at sitting as Sophie. He's just growing up and learning how to do things SO fast!

Can't a guy get some pizza??

Isaac is totally obsessed with watching us eat. Check it out for yourself:

Birthday Hat

Who wears it best?

Birthday Boy Wayne:

Uncle Don:

Uncle Chuck:

Isaac:

Older than the dirt in his garden

We threw my uncle Wayne a surprise 55th birthday party last weekend. After reading about many fabulous parties in the blog world, I was inspired to stick with a theme {Wayne is older than the dirt in his garden = Flowers in empty beans/peas/etc. cans; dirt cups; everyone brings garden-oriented gift}. It was all about garden stuff and I think everyone had a good time. Wayne was totally surprised. I kind of want to throw another party now! :) Here are some highlights:


Please notice the pendant banner that I made!! :) I'm proud of it, can you tell???

I'm a fan

...Of this dinnerware line from CB2. Seriously cute, and on sale! Now, how do I convince myself that "cute" is a good enough reason to justify a purchase?

5 Months

Our little guy is growing up so fast. I can't believe how quickly 5 months passes by.


Currently, Isaac is:
1. Fussy due to what we think is teething {I'll let you know when that sucker finally comes through!}
2. Grabbing at everything {which means pulling hair, glasses, touching his books while we read, etc.}
3. Watching us eat intently
4. Lifting his head up while he's laying down
5. Working on mastering his tri-pod sit
6. Laughing out loud
7. Hugging!!
8. Sporting some awesome rooster tails on his head as his hair grows! {see below, look closely!}

Mush, Sophie, Mush!

It was so gorgeous outside today that I decided to take the kids for a walk. I think Sophie forgot that she's supposed to be a dainty pomeranian that walks right along-side the stroller. Instead, she tugged and pulled, and basically gave Isaac the walk for me. All I had to do was follow behind! Next up...Iditarod!! Mush, Mush!

P.S. We're so dangerous, we walk down the middle of the street!! Actually, Sophie's so careless...it's her fault!

Book buggy

I kind of like this weird-looking book and toy buggy. I think I'm drawn to the antique, yet weird modern twist that it has. Blake thinks it is ugly so won't let me ever get it for Isaac. Not even when Isaac reads this post someday and begs me for it. Boo...hiss.....


P.S. Sorry I've been absent. Work and musical keep me busy, and it's been entirely too nice outside to spend time at my computer! ;-) Plus, we're flooded with orders for Pocket Sophies, so we're trying to get those out ASAP!

Pocket Sophie

Do you live in a cramped apartment and don't have room for a real pet? Have you always wanted a pet but don't have the time to take care of one? Missing something to cuddle with at night? Then we've got what you need. Introducing the Pocket Sophie! She goes anywhere and doesn't require any maintenance! Play with her when you have time and then stick her on a shelf when you're done. No barking, no shedding, no feeding. Pocket Sophie is already house trained. She will never whine, and will always be waiting for you when you get home. Take her to bed for a quick cuddle before going to sleep. She's as soft as can be!

Pocket Sophie can be yours for $1, or three easy payments of just $0.34! Just send a self addressed stamped envelope to our house and we'll mail you your very own Pocket Sophie. But wait, if you act within the next 24 hours, we'll DOUBLE the offer. That's right. TWO Pocket Sophies for $1. This is deal that's too good to miss. Get yours today!

Leash and hot male model sold separately

Caution: Never leave Pocket Sophie near vacuum cleaner, open flame, or sink.