I guess it goes without saying that I can't believe Jack will be 16 months old this weekend.  But I just said it anyway.  Because I can't.

I figured it might be time to record some of the habits and cute things of this age.  For posterity and stuff.  You know.

Weight:  22.5 pounds.  He is little!  But, listen, the kid eats like CRAZY.  His teachers can't believe how much he eats.

Our pediatrician's sage advice was this:  "Keep feeding him.  He'll grow."  Have I mentioned that I love our pediatrician?

Words:  Mama, Mommy, Dada, Daddy, Pablo, Lucy, doggie, ball, nana (banana)

Oh, and he also says, "HI!" with great enthusiasm when he enters a room, when someone else enters the room, when we pass someone at the grocery store...  He is a one man welcoming committee.

Walking:  No.  Running is more like it.

Food:  Costco pizza, of course.  But you know, he eats everything.  He had ice cream for the first time yesterday.  Eyes.  Lighting. Up.  He also tried, and liked, Thai panang curry.  Seriously, the kid eats.

Sleep:  He sleeps like a champ.  Twelve hours a night.  He goes to bed without a fuss because he likes bed.  This might be my largest personal victory to date.  And that includes law school.  Law school is easy compared to functioning on sleep deprivation when your baby won't sleep.

Favorite Things:  Balls.  Dogs.  Yo Gabba Gabba.  Being outside.

Least Favorite Things:  Rush hour traffic.  Nose blowing.  When the parent that he wants to hang out with at that moment (gasp) leaves the room.

Best Thing Ever:  Tickle fights.  He giggles and rolls around and it is the best thing ever, for his mama.

Hope you are rich with Costco pizza and tickle fights, like we are,
Heather

Flashback: Jack in June

I can't believe this was about a year ago.  I remember the day clearly.  I hadn't been back at work for very long, following maternity leave.  Jack had one of his first ear infections. (Little did I know that there would be more, there would be tubes...)  We were hanging out at home and it occurred to me that I should be taking pictures.

You know, that voice that you hear in your head, reminding you that this is all very precious, that outfit is cute (and not pooped on yet), he's just napped and is all rosy-cheeked, and if you don't take pictures RIGHT NOW, you will miss something fleeting and awesome.

So, I grabbed the camera.

And snapped these.  Looking at them now, be still my heart.  Holy moley, D and I make cute kiddos.

Who, incidentally, turn 16 months old this weekend, and now like to stare meaningfully into the camera while devouring chicken nuggets with messy hair.

I joked with Durel that he looked sort of like the guy from Prodigy with his hair like that.  To me, that just means that parenthood doesn't steal your sense of humor.  If it disturbs you, pretend I didn't say it.

Hope this finds you with your camera in hand and chicken nuggets on the table.
Heather

Dogs and Balls.

Jack loves Pablo.

Jack loves Lucy.

Jack loves balls.

I mean, he really loves it.  Look at his face!  Yikes.

Hope you love stuff today,
Heather

Peas.

My mother, Jack's Grammy, loves peas.  They are her favorite vegetable.  Full stop.

We have yet to figure out what Jack's favorite vegetable is.  He's burned out on green beans.  He's hit and miss with carrots.  He's skeptical of broccoli.  

Today, I tried peas.  Hold on to your hats, people.

There are three stages of peas.  First, there is exultation that peas have been served.

Then, there is laser-like focus while consuming the peas.

Then, there is celebration at having eaten all of the peas.

So, uh, suffice it to say, he's Grammy's grandson.  The apple doesn't fall far from ... the pea?

Hope you eat your veggies today,
Heather

Rock On, Dad

Jack loves his dad.  He wants Durel to hold him, play with him, take him outside, and hang out and be dudes with him.  

Durel loves his Jack.  He chooses the best outfits for him, plays ball with him, teaches him how to pet the dogs (gently!) and shows him the ropes.

I love seeing them together.  As the wife and the mama, it brings joy to my heart that I can't describe.  I can't wait for my guys' adventures to include fishing, camping, ball games, and all that other guy stuff that they'll do together.

To this wonderful dad and his wonderful Little Dude, a heartfelt happy Fathers' Day.

To the dudes, big and little,

Heather

I Like Lists.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm pretty Type A.  I like my lists.  I like coffee.  I like how coffee helps me to mark things off my lists.  Anyone who knows me also knows that I'm pretty fond of a Little Dude named Jack.

So, these two things converged when I found a list on Savvy Source the other day, entitled, 100 Things to Do Before Kindergarten.

Yes.  We have a long time before kindergarten.  But do you know how quickly time flies when you have a little one?  We'd better get started.  Each item we mark off will be a blog post.

Is eating veggie stix in the car on the list, Mom?

Here's the list, in no particular order.

1. Go to the zoo

2. Visit a farm

3. Go on a hike

4. Play with kittens or puppies

5. Catch a frog

6. Make a gigantic mess

7. Help clean up a gigantic mess

8. Master the monkey-bars

9. Swing high up into the sky all by themselves

10. Try ice-skating

11. Go sledding

12. Make a snow-man

13. Blow bubbles

14. Plant seeds and watch them grow

15. Have a pillow fight

16. Jump on a big bed

17. Jump on a trampoline or in a bounce house

18. Hang out in a tent

19. Spend days at the beach

20. Build sandcastles

21. Go fishing

22. Go out on a boat

23. Play with blocks and puzzles

24. Read the classic picture books

25. Read a classic chapter book

26. Check out library books with their own library card

27. Get a passport

28. Carve a pumpkin

29. Hold a newborn baby (to see how much they've grown)

30. Love a special doll or stuffed animal

31. Bake cookies and cakes

32. Help plan their own birthday party

33. Go to the circus

34. Go to a museum on a quiet weekday

35. Play hide-and-seek

36. Play a board game

37. Do nothing whatsoever all day

38. Try a sport

39. Watch a sporting event

40. Learn to swim

41. Be tickled in hysterics

42. Paint and draw as much as desired

43. Have the use of scissors and glue

44. Display artworks and other creations around the house

45. Learn to use a camera (and keep an album of the results!)

46. Play with clay

47. Pick flowers

48. Climb a tree

49. Gaze at the moon and stars

50. Toast marshmallows

51. Learn to eat an ice-cream cone

52. Watch a sunset

53. Learn to write their own names

54. Learn their addresses and telephone numbers

55. Learn their parents' full names

56. Set the table

57. Clear the table

58. Help wash the dishes

59. Learn to say their pleases and thank yous and excuse mes

60. Watch fireworks

61. Go to the ballet or theater or a puppet show

62. Put on a ballet or play or puppet show at home

63. Face paint

64. Dress up in costumes at will

65. Learn rhymes and poems and songs by heart

66. Have a dance party

67. Enjoy friends at preschool and at the park

68. Invite friends over to play

69. Get to know grandparents

70. Play with cousins

71. Become attached to a wonderful preschool teacher and/or babysitter

72. Learn the name of our president

73. Know the name of their town, state and country

74. Be familiar with a map of the world

75. Listen to music from many different ages and genres

76. Hear and learn words from a different language

77. Learn the difference between trash and recycling

78. Grow their own vegetables

79. Learn to ride a bike (or try!)

80. Take a road trip

81. Draw a self-portrait

82. Slurp alphabet soup

83. Learn to twirl spaghetti on a fork

84. Pick apples

85. Star in a home movie

86. Learn a magic trick

87. Try different hair-dos

88. Practice writing letters

89. Practice counting to 100

90. Make up stories

91. Send a letter

92. Receive a letter

93. Ride on a merry-go-round

94. Give away toys and books to less fortunate children

95. Learn the value of coins and bills

96. Keep a piggy bank

97. Try a musical instrument

98. Have a heartfelt wish granted

99. Have a heartfelt wish denied

100. Receive a million (make that a billion) heartfelt kisses and hugs from their parents!


It's going to take a while.  But I'm in.  Stay tuned!


Hope you like lists, too,
Heather

Cookie Madness

This weekend, Durel and I were happy to have lots of family over to celebrate an early Father's Day.  My parents were there; Durel's parents were there, and my lovely brother-in-law and sister-in-law were there.  Durel boiled crabs, bridging the cultural crab gap between the Lousianans and Marylanders present.

[Quick cultural note:  In Louisiana and in Maryland, it's a delicacy and tradition to eat blue crabs.  However, the methods of preparation are different.  In Louisiana, the crabs are boiled in a big pot outdoors with spices in the water, as well as corn, potatoes and other "groceries."  In Maryland, the crabs are heaped with Old Bay seasoning and steamed.]

Maryland, baby.

Anyway, the crabs were great, as were the side dishes I prepared -- potato salad, garden pasta salad, and for dessert... Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies.

Yup, you read it correctly.

I found the recipe online and could.not.stop.thinking.about.it.  So, I made them when I knew I would have plenty of people to share them with.  They were a hit, to say the least.  They were delicious.  They are highly addictive and very rich.  Jack had half of one as a dessert treat after dinner, and his look says it all:

mmm...cookies...

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from Jenny of Picky Palate

2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 pkg. Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE cookies.

A couple of tips:

• The recipe calls for more flour than normal for the chocolate chip cookie dough.  That is right.  You want the dough to be stickier, so that it's easier to mold around the Oreos.  
• Use Double Stuff Oreos.  Don't be afraid.
• Use wax paper or parchment paper to line your cookie sheet.  These bad boys are sticky.

Make them!  And tell me how you love them!

Heather

Uncle Dagwood

Uncle Dagwood and Aunt Cristy are total rock stars.  They live in Albuquerque.  They blog funny, interesting, and crafty things.  They do things like ride their bikes from Vancouver to San Francisco.  (That was last year.)  This year, they rode their bikes from Albuquerque to Austin.  (Yay!)

Jack is completely smitten with Uncle Dagwood.  He thinks he's the coolest thing since, well, Costco pizza.  (And you know how he feels about that.)

Stop taking pictures of us.  We are bonding.

So, if you teach me to ride a bike, I'll teach you peek a boo.

Hope this weekend finds you filled with family you love and impromptu peek a boo,

Heather

Yo.

Yesterday, Jack got his 15 month shots.  Shot day is not fun day, even if they do use Scooby Doo bandaids.

When we got home from the pediatrician, I decided to try something.  I just started DVRing Yo Gabba Gabba, based on the enthusiastic recommendations I've gotten from mama friends.  "Hey," I thought, "it can't hurt, right? I'll see if he likes it."

Um, yeah.

I know that's a horrible picture.  I know he's standing too close to the television.  I also know that he was giggling, dancing, clapping, and babbling in response to what I can only describe as a Dee-lite video for toddlers.

Yo Gabba Gabba = seriously good stuff.  It's so cool that even The Flaming Lips go on it.

Hope today finds you giggling, clapping, and eating your snacks,
Heather

It Happened Again

Several months ago, I discovered Jack's deep love of Costco pizza the hard way.  I bought a piece to eat on the fly, gave him a few bites, and he completely melted down when there was no more.  With a full cart and a post-surgery foot impeding my mobility, I was forced to ask a friendly looking mom to buy me another piece of pizza while I distracted my hungry, Gremlin-like baby.  I blogged about it here.

Saturday, it happened again.  

Before you chastise me for not learning my lesson the first time, I really did think I was handling it better this time around.

First, I bought a slice of cheese pizza FOR JACK, with a Diet Coke FOR ME.  I did not intend to eat the pizza.  I knew that Jack would chow down on it.  This was a good plan.  I confess that I did take a few bites.  Like four.  Because I love Costco pizza about as much as Jack does.  But really, I was a paragon of self-control.  And the slices of pizza are not small.

Jack ate.  And ate.  And ate.  And then the pizza was gone.

And he cried.  He frantically motioned toward the plate where the pizza had been.  He looked at me with what I can only describe as fear in his eyes, as if to say, "What?  How can there be no more?  Say it isn't so!!!"

I shook my head in disbelief.  "But I didn't eat any!," I thought to myself.  Glance at empty plate. Glance at Gremlin baby.  "It's happening again."

Perhaps in a fit of precognition that this might occur, I had parked my cart very close to the food line this time.   I sized up the young couple eating their pizza next to me and decided that they looked trustworthy enough to make sure no one babynapped my cart while I was fifteen feet away.  I asked them to keep an eye on Mr. Pizza while I bought him more pizza.  No problem.

He ate about half of the second piece, and I helped him with the rest.  For procuring the pizza, pizza was my prize.  Crisis averted.  Dinner eaten.  It was Saturday night fever, Costco style.

So, to the second nice lady who has helped me out of a Gremlin Pizza Crisis at Costco, I thank you.

To Costco, for making the most addictive cheese pizza on the planet,  I guess I thank you, too.

To the Costco pizza-selling lady who saw what was happening, and recommended that I "just buy the whole pizza next time," I guess I thank you, too.

Hope your weekend was cheesy but Gremlin-free,

Heather

Relax

Kick your leg out if you have to.

Keeping it real,

Heather

Favorite Things

Jack and I have a lot of fun together.  This picture is proof.  It is brought to you by many of our favorite things:

• Bates College (my alma mater; note the onesie)
• Target (note the telltale red cart)
• yellow purses (awesome)
• Starbucks inside Target
• Starbucks scones (note the telltale crumbs around mouth and on shirt)

Of course, this happy guy makes me happiest of all.

Hope your weekend involves things that make you happy,

Heather

Butter My Biscuit

While I was out of town for Memorial Day weekend, Jack to breakfast eating to fully adult levels.  Take note:  scrambled eggs with fresh basil, bacon, and a biscuit.

Well, butter my biscuit, he's sure turning into a little man!

Hope your eggs have basil in them, too.

Heather

Dudes

Mad about plaid, and mad about these dudes.

Hope your Memorial Day weekend was divine.

Heather