March Madness

We've been up to a little bit of everything this week. Tuesday was our Mommy and Me class, Wed. we ran errands and took some walks, Thurs. Peanut started in the "birds" class at The Little Gym. He loved it! We learned a forward roll and walked on a balance beam! Made some new friends and our favorite part was scarves and bubble machine. Friday it was beautiful and sunny. Peanut got his first application of sunscreen and was very patient as I applied it. Good boy. We walked to the park with Furry Pants in tow...

Loving these barefoot days

                   Furry Pants was happy that Mama remembered to pack a dish and water for him.

   Guess whose Daddy works across the street from the park! I told Best we were going to be there and he said he would walk over. I told him that would be great because I couldn't possibly hold the leash and push the swing at the same time. So here he is doing the impossible. Smile.

  I just happened to have the camera...so as long as he's got it under control...a few more pics are always good.

                    Yawning in the swing.  Either we're not pushing fast enough or it's nap time!
Friday evening we went to the church for the fish fry, then over to the high school for a used book sale.  Peanut got 7 new books!  I love to curl up with him and share a book, and love to find him "reading" on his own too. 
    Saturday morning we were off to meet our friends' new baby.  This one of Best's childhood friends and I absolutely adore his sweet wife.  We always have fun together and this was no exception. 

Isn't she precious!  I couldn't wait to hold her and she was so light and cuddly.  I can't believe my baby was once that small.   Her parents are so happy and rightfully so.  They are such joyous and caring people.  This baby is going to have a happy home to grow in. 

Love to get a pic of my boys together.

After our visit Best surprised me with an hour long massage!  Heaven!  He is so kind and I feel so loved and appreciated.  Carrying around my Peanut is one of my favorite things to do, but he is growing by leaps and bounds and my shoulders are feeling it.  The massage was pure bliss.

Today we are just taking it easy.  Went to the Czech Expo fest in our town.  Various products on display by local vendors in the community center.  It's set up right on what is the ice rink during hockey season.  Kinda makes me sad when there's no ice in that building. 

 But then I remember that it is SPRING and we plan on making the most of it!

Look at this blue sky:

It rained almost every evening last week and I am ready for soft green grass that my Peanut can play in and maybe even hunt a few eggs...

Happy Spring Friends and Family!

Silver and Gold

We were so excited to see our dear friends and their new little guy yesterday.  It was so nice of them to make the multiple hour drive with baby to share some food and fun with us.  We used to have quite the short trip to their house...two yards over, but family and work called them to relocate and now we miss the heck out of them!
So the grown ups chatted and got all caught up, laughing at how babies turn your world upside down, change your routines, priorities, sleep schedule, eating habits, and pretty much everything.  And then agreeing it was the best thing that had ever happened to us. Smile.

 This guy has been such a great friend to my husband...from the time they were wild, swingin' bachelors singing karaoke (kinda glad I wasn't around for that..) to sharing our weddings, and now new babies.  He can cook, has an awesome golf swing, cracks us up, and plays a mean game of Catch Phrase (more on that later).

 His beautiful wife with their bundle.  This guy is the cutest!  He has a dimple that evokes an audible "ooh" from everyone when he flashes his smile.   His Momma was my first real friend when I moved here.  I miss our walks and talks.  I just plain miss her.

 Did I mention this guy was funny?  They just couldn't hold it together... Just brought back such good memories of all the fun we used to have.  Reminded us that we need to hop in the car and make time for this.  We will this summer.

Ok, maybe if we give them something to hold....

 Gift from a friend.  Thank you. 

 Hey Buddy, let's play!

 Us gals do our fair share of cutting up too, but we can hold it together for a picture...ahem...

Best and I are actually both part Irish.  And we all like to celebrate, anything really.  So Best whipped up some corned beef and cabbage for dinner and I made us Shamrock Shakes for dessert.  Best and I have been forced to drink them several times this week as I perfected the recipe.  Smile.





 Let the games begin!  We LOVE this game and after Best and I beat once we decided to go Mommas against Pappas and well...I'll be fair and admit the boys won.  I have done some thinking on this and have come to the conclusion that while I'm sure our clues were much better, it just takes us too long to get out all we have to say.  Cause we're women.  I'm sure the boys would agree.

 The morning called for coffee and breakfast burritos while we watched the new friends play. What a great way to start the day.

                                                       It was hard to let them leave.

 

Not goodbye, just see ya later.

Nine is Fine!

Oh gosh it has gone so quickly...It just seems like yesterday I gave Best the cup that I had written "World's Greatest Dad" on and waited as he read...and then did a double take...and then looked at me with moist eyes and asked "really?"  And then nine months later there we were:

 Best's shirt says "My Wife Rocks".  He surprised me by wearing it the day I went in to be induced(9 days overdue).  Peanut was quite stubborn though and after lots of pitocin we were sent home only to return the next day.  You bet I made him wear it again!  I really do have the best husband.  SMILE.

6 lbs 12 oz., 20 inches

And here we are nine months later:

21 lbs 4.5 oz,   28 inches

It's been so fun to watch him grow and change.  He can just stand up by himself right in the middle of the room now.  He can walk when pushing his toy car.  He claps, plays peek-a-boo, eats lots of foods and drinks from a cup.  He is nosy like his Momma and loves to crain his neck to see where people are going as they pass his nursery window.  He knows that he can get the attention of his older, furrier, brother by picking up his tennis ball or dropping Cheerios from his highchair.  He knows that if he scoots out of sight one of his parents will follow (and he stops and turns to make sure of it!).  But most important of all he knows he is loved.  And we know it right back.  My favorite thing in the world is when he is getting drowsy and puts his head on my shoulder and gently nips at my neck.  Little love bites. 

And boy does he love his daddy!

 Best plays this game with him where he pretends to be asleep with very exaggerated snoring and Peanut tries to wake him up.  Best can play possum for quite awhile until Peanut get a hold of his ear.  He is strong.  The little one.  (and you too dear!)

Another favorite (since birth) is "here it comes".  Best just puts his hand up in the air and repeats this phrase as he moves in for a good tickle.  I don't know which Peanut likes more, the anticipation or the actual tickle. 

Remember that cup I made?  See below:

Nine month check up went great!  Here we are ready to go.

 

There was a warm day this week and tomorrow promises to be nice as well.  We are ready for Spring!  I have made Peanut an Easter basket and we are ready to bask in the sunshine.  I laughed today as he crawled into the closet and pulled out his swimsuit and flip flops.  I can't wait to see him in those trunks.  With about a gallon of sunscreen on...

 

Here are just a few to share our week:

 

My little bookworm

New toy from the thrift store!  Hoping the bargain hunting skills will rub off on him...

Talking about new toy. 

Often when he speaks he will crinkle his nose and use quite an authoritative tone.  Often these dialogues will be directed to inanimate objects...

And these last two remind me of how little he still is...

 (In his little "night dress")

...and just how much growing he still has to do. 

SO BIG!

Best taught Peanut something new and it's just the cutest ever!  He asks "How big are you?" and Peanut responds by raising both hands over his head like this:

He does a little wave with both hands too. We've been working on waving bye bye to Best each morning as he leaves for work. 

   Nothing out of the ordinary this past week.  Just alot of playing, a few errands, and general housework with my little buddy.  He really makes even the most mundane tasks fun. Like when we were stuck in line forever at Wal-Mart and we just played peek-a-boo and itsy-bitsy spider and laughed out loud. I think it cheered our fellow shoppers. Correction, I know it did because they told me. Smile.

Working on our problem solving skills getting blocks in and out of the coffee can with a hole in the lid!

Laundry Helper loves to pull the clothes out of the basket and can unfold as quickly as I can fold!

Sometimes he likes to crawl right into the toy bucket...

Here he is eating a cinnamon raisin muffin.  I love it when he stops and looks right into the camera as if to say "OK Mom, here's the shot you want."

But then again, sometimes it's so great to capture him when he isn't the least bit interested in what I'm doing, but completely absorbed in his own  world...

Have a great week friends and family!