A Month And A Half Later...

As the title says, it is a month and a half since I wrote my last post. (I guess using the word "write" isn't really correct since I type a blog...not write...). There is so much to update and so little time! I suppose that first and foremost I am excited to be able to actually use the internet again! Trying to keep up on a blog on a cell phone is not that much fun. The keys are hard to type on after a while, and I usually seem to have a lot to say (since I go so far in between posts). James and I are finally moved into our house and mostly unpacked, still working on some of the stuff. We have so much space we don't know what to do with it all! Braedan loves running around, playing in the kitchen and going up and down the stairs. He has a whole playroom to himself, the loft area, and he even has his own (not quite put together) bedroom. We're teaching him to sleep in his big boy bed which currently is just his little mattress on the floor. For the most part, we don't use the ball anymore to put him to sleep, we have graduated to gliding in the chair. That is so much easier to do, and then we just lay him down in his bed and he sleeps anywhere from 1-5 hours. I prefer the 5 hours (even though I cannot sleep because I still worry about him breathing right lol). After that he sleeps with me, which I don't mind. It's not going to be forever. Braedan is doing so much now! It seems like every single day he is doing something different and I wonder where he learns half of it from! Right now he is running around the living room with my computer cord trying to figure out how to plug it back in or get it into the wall (which of course is covered by outlet covers : ). He says many words: please, yes, mom, dad, cat, and imitates lots of words we tell him to imitate, he also mimics several things we say. He blows kisses, gives high five's, waves (that's new today!), blows his nose (of course not quite properly lol), if I ask him to put something somewhere he does it, he responds to a lot, and....he even throws huge temper tantrums where he lets his body just melt to the floor and whines and cries...and I just let him be. He thinks he's something else. He loves to play the drums, he experiments with the big drums every week after church, and his grandpa bought him a mini drumset for christmas that he LOVES to play with! He's gonna be a rockstar. Braedan also likes to have music on, and he tries to sing. You can always tell the difference between talking and singing because his pitch changes as if he's really concentrating. He's so cool! I absolutely love my little boy! I can't believe that he is getting bigger and growing older....and he's 15 months. Well, there is so much more I could go on and on and on and on, but I must go for now. I am loving being home with my little man (and the big man too lol). I love being able to cook and take care of something that we (in 30 years lol) own. I hope it gets a little nicer out soon so I can take B out and have some fun! Been bitter icy cold lately. But, he has a nice new snowsuit that nana got him for christmas so maybe I will take him outside to make a snowman or snow angel. I think it's time for some pic updates too! Farewell dear friends, enjoy the evening. Hot cocoa is on the way at my house!

[caption id="attachment_126" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="Braedan's first snow"][/caption]

Food Kick and Baby Face Updates!

I have been on a recipe food kick lately...since hubby and I pretty much make all of our own baby food, we have been opened up to a whole new world of combinations. There are so many fruits and veggies I have never tried before, and I love exploring! We just started using a new service called Door To Door Organics which allows you to purchase "boxes" of fruits and veggies for a great price. They have several different box sizes, and each week you can see what will be coming in your box, and you have the option to substitute items out. We ordered a "small" box for just $33, close to what we would have spent at the grocery store anyway on fresh stuff, only this is all organic and mostly local. In our box we received:

Bananas	4
Pluots, Dapple Dandy	1.25 lb
Strawberries	1
Valencia Oranges	3
Broccoli	1
Daikon, Bunch	1
Green Peppers	0.5 lb
Roma Tomatoes	1 lb
Romaine Lettuce	1
White mushrooms (8oz)	1
Yellow Squash	0.5 lb
Vidalia Onions	1 lb

 (and instead of the mushrooms we got 2 mangos).....The other great thing about this service is that you get in-season items, and it widely expands our cooking horizons.  So tonight for dinner I am going to make Roasted Daikon Radishes (radishes, carrots, onion, garlic, etc...sounds yummy!) and an Herb Chicken Bake. Can't wait to eat!

Now for my baby face updates! Braedan is getting so big! He is almost 10.5 months old, and at his last checkup he weighed 15 1/2 lbs. (under the chart), and I don't remember his height offhand. But his height jumped from the 22nd percentile to the 55th, and his weight dropped from 5th to under the chart. So doc was a bit worried about that. We are monitoring it and see where he stands at his year check up. He is just a picky eater. He likes to feed himself, and often, if he can't feed himself, he won't eat. He is eating finger foods, and other table foods, mashing things up pretty good even without teeth! Although, yesterday he started to cut his first tooth, and it looks like it hurts so bad! We have an amber teething necklace which we don't keep on him consistently, and I think we will now to see if it helps. My only worry is that it is a little loose, so it might now have the same effects if it were closer to the skin consistently. (For more info on teething necklaces check out my link to Inspired By Finn).

Our boy seems to be doing different things daily, and it's just amazing to watch him grow and get excited when he does something new. He says mom, mamma, bob, ktktktkt (we think he's trying to say kitty), and occasionally I catch him saying something close to "dat" (like da da), but some are far and few between. He's been crawling and walking around furniture like crazy since about 9 months, and now he is pushing up and standing all by himself! He also is learning how to hold objects and stand by himself. I am just waiting for those brave little steps! He is learning how to push a ball (both little and BIG!) and how to point, and spoon feed himself, although spoon feeding doesn't always happen lol. There are just so many changes I can't keep up with them all! I am so glad though that hubby and I finally bought a new camera charger, we weren't able to take pics (other than cell phone pics) for a while. Now we are clicking away!

Well this has been a long post, but some updates were essential! We have other updates to share, but I'll save that news for now until we know more facts! Let's just say we are excited for a change (and no I am not pregnant!) For now, enjoy my dinner recipe!

Roasted Daikon Radishes

2-3 daikon radishes
1 bag of baby carrots for less preparations
1 whole onion
salt
pepper
olive oil
1 clove garlic

Turn oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle and slather olive oil evenly on a flat baking pan.
Then peel and cut the daikons into 1/4 thick round slices. Try to be consistent with the cutting so that it can cook evenly. Spread it evenly on the baking pan.
Chop the onion into big chunks and spread it along with the baby carrots onto the baking pan
Mash the garlic and throw it on top of the vegetables.
Season the vegetables with salt & pepper and drizzle additional olive oil to cover
Put it in the oven and let it bake for about 45-60 min. uncover.
Good eats!

My Boy Is 8 Months...Wow!

Yeppers, that is true! I cannot believe how fast time is flying by! It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital hoping and praying for B to be able to come home, and now he's sitting up, almost feeding himself, and on the verge of crawling! That's right...crawling! YIKES! James and I occasionally would work with B on "how to put up his hands and knees," but yesterday all of a sudden he just did it by himself! He mostly just scoots backwards right now, but he sometimes gets one or both knees up (and then falls shortly after) and sometimes he gets himself up in "pushup" stance. It's all too cute and funny. I will have to post videos once I upload them!

On another note, B is also starting to get more happier by the day. His times away from mom and dad seem to be getting much smoother/easier, and he is just so playful now; more playful than ever before. It's ust amazing! We thought he was on drugs a few days ago! He still has his moments though, and that's ok. He also does much better in a car seat (FINALLY!) except when he is really trying to sit up. He can't stand having to be half laying down in his baby car seat, but he's still just a little guy. Time for a new car seat soon I think!

I am hoping to start posting more on here now that we are settled into our new (rental) home. I was just thinking today of how nice it is to have a backyard and a deck where people can just come and relax, and I can have more than one person in my kitchen and not be crowded. It's amazing. Although, after having a kitchen of this size, I don't think that I could ever go back to having a smaller one. Especially not on my Betty Crocker days lol. 

Well, B is in bed (has been for over an hour, knock on wood!), so I think it's time for mommy to get a nap in while she can! So I think I may do just that. And I may upload a pic or two as well, just for cuteness sakes! Good night to all!

 

[caption id="attachment_89" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Braedan just being happy."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_90" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Braedan playing in the grass."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_91" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And playing in the grass."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_92" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Time To Eat!"][/caption]

Always On Mondays...

That's the line...Sunday's and Monday's Lil' B does something new, every week. Never fails. This week it is screaming. It's actually kind of cute (but can be annoying to some I would assume!)He is so verbal now, responding a lot to everything...but instead of goo goos and gaa gaas it's AHHHHHHIIIIIIHHHHHIIIIII (that was a high pitched scream...). I think he can scream in a higher pitch than I could ever sing, but it's just so cute!

On another note, we're starting to see when he's "playing" us. It's cute too, but I am sure it will get old fast. We can definitely tell when he is faking a scream cry. The best is when he is "crying" but smiling at the same time, and he knows we caught him. 

We did find out what his fav food is so far, bananas! He loves em a ton! It's a long way from his apple reaction before...don't think we'll be trying those anyways, last time he ate em his arms broke out. But he loves those nanners! Today we gave him sweet potato for the first time, and he liked it alright...just had to mix it with cereal and milk first. 

Braedan gets his 6 month check up this Friday, and I can't wait to see how much he's grown! We already know weight-wise he's grown, last Thursday he had an appointment and he was already 14lbs. 2oz!! Just crazy. He's a ham though. I just can't imagine my life without my baby boy!!!!