The Weldy Family

A Little Bigger Everyday

2012-02-17T09:00:00.001-06:00

He thinks he should sleep with a pillow now.

Nap time is much simpler when he has a pillow, book, and both lovey blankets.

When he climbs into our bed he must be propped up just like us. He can also scale just about anything; in and out of the bathtub, onto the counters, and he tries so hard to climb into his crib (but not out yet thank goodness!). The emotional pregnant lady in me is really brought out by his demands to be BIG. Why can't he just stay little forever?

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-nine Weeks}

2012-02-16T20:32:00.000-06:00

The Highlights:

How far along: 29 weeks.

How big is baby: 2 1/2 pounds and about 15 inches.

Maternity clothes: The only thing that's not are my pajamas and they should be, nothing like sleeping in a belly shirt.

Stretch marks: More evident this week...I think as the belly grows they'll just become more obnoxious, they had faded quite nicely. (Or maybe I had just gotten used to them...)

Sleep: Is a beautiful, beautiful thing right now.

Best Moment of the Week: Finally winning an auction on eBay. This may seem lame, but I've been stalking cute little girl outfits for several weeks now, and finally won! It's a patriotic bubble suit that should fit for the fourth of July.

Movement: All the time. Especially when something is resting on my belly (my arm, when I lay on my side, her brother's face when he's blowing raspberries), she really doesn't seem to like people invading her personal space.

Symptoms: The brown spots are back! When I was pregnant with Otto some pigment spots on my face, and they are coming back. But, I don't have Linea nigra this time which is interesting.

Food Cravings: Bagels have been pretty darn good this week. Cinnamon raisin if you're swinging by with breakfast. Avocados are also delicious.

Gender: A girl!

Labor Signs: None.

Belly button in or out: Out and itchy. I think it might be trying to develop a new stretch mark, something I didn't even think was possible at this point...not much room left for more!

What I am Looking Forward too: Meeting this little person!

Daddy: Seems to think he's getting a little pudgy, and has started biking to fix the problem. Why does he do this to me while I'm pregnant?! I'm pretty sure subconsciously freaking a little about how roly-poly I'm getting, not that he would ever admit it. This happened with Otto too, although it was at about 24 weeks.
Otto: Still waking up in the middle of the night but not starving anymore...I think now something is actually scaring him:( He doesn't want to go back to sleep by himself either, so for the last few nights we've finished the night in the guest room. (If he sees Daddy he assumes it's playtime.) Last night was better though and he stayed in his bed all night!

I thought about caking on some make-up for the picture, but decided to keep it honest...I totally went to the grocery store looking like this today.

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T21:38:00.001-06:00

We had a great day. It was really beautiful outside and Otto and I got to enjoy it with a walk to deliver cupcakes to the neighbors. He, no kidding, dressed up to make his deliveries! While I was getting my shoes he picked out a tie (blue with snowflakes) and applied a little of his Dad's cologne:) The 14 month old down the street was very impressed with his style.

We made these cupcakes, and they are delicious! Ours weren't quite as pink but they are yummy. Great strawberry cake recipe if you need one;) They were a great addition to dinner tonight (that was centered around bacon and asparagus) too!

Chris and I got to celebrate a little early last Friday. We hired an actual babysitter and went on a date! And I was okay! We might even do it again before Dos gets here:)

Amy, the sitter, (and my oldest sister's college roommate, speaks German, and is currently in seminary) said she had a great time playing with our very active little man and offered to be a back up if Dos decides to come flying out (ha!) and family can't get here to be with Otto.

Otto had a pretty good time too and woke up the next morning asking where Amy was:)

We went out to dinner, trying a new Mexican place down the street. It tops the list currently!

We had planned to go to a movie, but only the super scary (I can't handle them at all) shows had tickets available. Apparently romantic comedies sell out around Valentines, just fyi. So we went to the mall and wandered instead:)

It was just a little strange to be kid-less and out so late. (10:00pm-gasp!) But it was also fun to be Chris and Lydia for the night too--something we definitely need to work on repeating.

Happy Valentines!

Nana and Gaw-Gaw Visit

2012-02-10T20:15:00.000-06:00

Today Otto and I got to spend some time with my grandparents. My parents were also visiting and my mom and I took a walk around the neighborhood. My Gaw-Gaw came out for a bit and showed Otto his yard; he's always taken a lot of pride in how well it was maintained.

The guys in their 'wheels'.

Otto was very busy all day and hadn't taken a nap, too much going on to miss! My mom suggested a walk to see if he would catnap in the stroller. I assured her that he would never sleep, but that he would love to go exploring.

He face planted into the door frame in his rush to get outside and is now sporting a bruised cheek:(

Low and behold, ten minutes down the street he was out! I am so impressed with my mother's skills, it's like she has experience or something;) Otto rarely even naps on car rides, and has never fallen asleep in the stroller--I didn't even think it was possible!

He woke up when we transferred him to his car seat for the drive home and was a happy camper on the drive home. I was very impressed with his ability to function with so little sleep, he's turning into such a big kid!

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-eight Weeks}

2012-02-09T21:08:00.000-06:00

Twenty-eight weeks means seven months, correct? Dang. As my little sister says, "I need to get moving on making cute little girl things!"

The Highlights:

How far along: 28 weeks.

How big is baby: 2 1/4 pounds and about 15 inches according to Babycenter. I feel like she's probably a little bigger than that.

Weight gain/loss: 23.5 pounds. But the good news is my belly is balancing out the butt lately, I look a little more proportioned!

Maternity clothes: All the time. Unless I'm wearing a worn out pair of yoga pants from Ny&Co that they don't make anymore, I am crushed about this, they are so comfortable.

Stretch marks: In rare moments of craziness I consider posting a picture of my stretched out, bare belly in all it's glory. You know, as a psa for hormonal teenagers. I guarantee it would scare them right into a convent.

Sleep: Haha. See previous two posts about that.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting a box of baby (girl!) clothes from a friend. Little girl stuff is so pink!

Movement: She was literally shaking my stomach and I told Chris she was practicing her dance moves (shake what your momma gave ya!), he was not amused. She, apparently, will not be booty dancing. I also felt the hiccups for sure this week.

Symptoms: Starting to waddle more and more, bending over is starting to become a joke. Thankfully the muscle cramps disappeared this week, yay for mineral supplements!

Food Cravings: No cravings this week...I was nauseous for the better part of the week, possibly a GI bug or she was sitting on something important. Feeling much better now though and very thankful that the first trimester doesn't last the entire pregnancy!

Gender: A girl!

Labor Signs: Nada. Mentally I'm starting to get nervous though...:-/

Belly button in or out: Surprisingly didn't get any more pronounced this week. Thank God for small miracles.

What I am (NOT) Looking Forward too: More comments like the one I got at the grocery store this week. "Are you sure you're going to make it to May?!" Most likely, yes. But thank you deli lady for pointing out how freakishly pregnant I look when I still have three months to go.

Daddy: I think even he is impressed at how fast this little girl is cooking. Pregnancy goes by so much faster when you are chasing a toddler! Has a generic answer of "You're cute." when I freak out about how big I'm getting. Wise man, very wise.
Otto: Is getting so big. He moves so quickly these days, and I move slower, which isn't the best combination. Watching him 'run' is pretty much the cutest thing ever, I need to get it on video. This week he's been more cuddly, which is nice. I'm looking forward to having a little baby again just for the snuggle time!

No picture tonight...it's been a long day. But I did measure the belly--38.5 inches around at my belly button. She has got to be more than two pounds.

Ugh.

2012-02-09T09:27:00.002-06:00

Guess who was up at four am starving to death?

That would be our 18 month old with the hollow leg. And it really was hunger, not a let's party moment. He had a bowl of oatmeal (for a picky eater, he really loves the stuff) and a handful of dry cereal that he ate politely with his spoon. He also had a dirty diaper after waking (maybe the reason he woke up to begin with and then realized he was hungry?) thanks to his new love of raw carrots, and the combination of Bolthouse smoothie and lentil soup I tried to beef up his diet with yesterday. Too much fiber, mommy fail moment.

He wasn't thrilled to be going back to his crib (he'd gotten eight hours of sleep at that point) so I put him in bed next to me. Sadly, just as he was drifting off, Chris' alarm started snoozing. Every time it would go off Otto would pop his head up in a drowsy haze and say one of the many words he knows for food before going back to sleep. "Apple?" "Hot?" My baby has food Tourette's!

Not sure what our plan is today (other than naps all around!)...hopefully this is just a phase that he will literally grow out of soon!

Operation Get Otto Back on Schedule

2012-02-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

Otto has been a regular little night owl this week. Three out of the past four nights he has stayed up until ten despite our best efforts to get everyone ready and in bed by eight. (Parents included, I told you we're old!) This development is not so cool...he's obviously tired, but is afraid that he's missing something by being in bed. We've tried just about everything (same bed time routine, rocking, resettling) and so has he--down to the 'I'm hungry Mommy.' Every night about nine you hear his little voice over the monitor saying, "Oatmeal? Hot." And yes, we totally get him up and feed him again. Maybe he's growing?

He sleeps well once he finally falls asleep, waking up about 8:00am. He's ready for a nap by 11:00 and sleeps for about two and a half hours. Physically I feel like he's ready for bed about 7:30pm but he just can't let himself miss out on whatever we are doing. So today we made an effort to completely wear him out so bedtime won't be a fight.

We had oatmeal for breakfast, told Daddy bye-bye, and then got ready for the day. We browsed through Target, where Otto got his own pop-corn (major favorite) and a new toothbrush/tooth paste. Hopefully Toy Story toothpaste makes brushing less of a struggle.

Poor kiddo almost crashed in the car on our five minute ride home (these late nights really are wearing him out!) and he went straight down for his nap when we got home. Get this. While we were cuddling the rocking chair broke! Snapped right down the middle. I cried. Because one, it is the rocking chair that my grandfather gave my mother, and two, I am a fat pig! A water retaining sea cow in fact. I broke a solid wood chair without even trying!

(I called my mom, she's fine. And Chris can fix it so we're good, but still!)

After his nap we stopped at a local community college that just remodeled their pool. I was hoping that they would be offering little people swimming lessons (only indoor pool near us), but sadly they aren't yet. Otto had a great time exploring the campus and telling every person we passed "Hi!"

We also stopped at the neighborhood primary school (after school hours) and played on the play ground for a bit. We hadn't visited that particular playground yet, and Otto was thrilled to explore it. He was all about the 'wings!' and kept climbing up to the highest point of the jungle gym, trying to make me nervous I'm sure!

His hair had a run in with a bottle of hairspray.

All day I've been offering him food, trying to fill him up so hopefully he won't be starving at bedtime. He ate really well at dinner (once before Chris got home and then again with Daddy), so I'm crossing my fingers we won't have a repeat of the last few nights.

I just put him down and he was happy about it, even told Chris "night, night" and let me brush his teeth without complaint, so we'll see!

Otto's 18 Month Check-up

2012-02-07T20:31:00.000-06:00

So. I thought I had blogged everything in January, but I totally didn't. Otto had his 18 month well baby check-up and I need to record the stats so I don't forget!

Weight: 25 pounds 14 ounces, 50th percentile. He keeps trending down on the weight chart, hopefully we start holding steady soon. He is eating better these days, but only if we let him feed himself.
Height: 35 inches, over the 95th percentile. Big kid!

(I'm a little worried that we'll have to turn his car seat around sooner than we planned, he only has about 1/2 inch before he surpasses the height limit for rear facing:-/ Anybody else had that problem? We have a Britax Marathon and everything I've read says the baby's head should be no higher than one inch below the top of the seat.)

We also had a check-up for Baby Dos this week (Monday). It was the dreaded (at least for me!) diabetes test and so I got to enjoy orange flavored syrup first thing in the morning. I've been having a nauseous week and it definitely didn't sit well. Otto went to the appointment with me and was excellent in the waiting room and quietly ate a snack while I got my blood drawn and saw the doctor. He's a trooper! And when we got home he immediately took a two hour nap and so did I, the sugar crash is ridiculous!

Dos is doing great. Her heartbeat was in the 160's and I can really feel her movements now. We're at the point were body parts are becoming easier to pinpoint, she has a fondness for sticking her bottom in my ribs. I'm also doing quite well...24 pounds up. Yea. (Not!) Our next appointment is in two weeks (!!), this pregnancy is really picking up speed!

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-seven Weeks}

2012-02-02T20:12:00.000-06:00

Twenty-seven weeks?! Wowza, this is going fast. CHRIS! We need to work on her room! And name her! And make a playlist of labor music! And buy her shoes! And....*head explodes*

The Highlights:

How far along: Twenty-seven weeks. Some baby count downs claim this is the start to the third trimester.

How big is baby: Two pounds, and about the size of a head of cauliflower. 14 1/2 inches fully stretched out.

Weight gain/loss: I haven't weighed recently. I've found it doesn't help me eat better, just less. And I have to eat...general yuck happens when I don't. This girl (Dos) likes her cheese burgers with bacon and cookies.

Maternity clothes: I actually bought some! Otto and I spent two days browsing every store that has a maternity department and found a couple of tops that should work until the end and a pair of (full panel) jeans. We celebrated by playing at the mall playground. (Gasp! Yes, it's full of germs but he LOVED it.)

Stretch marks: I wouldn't go plural here, it's more like one continuous, ridiculous mark.

Sleep: I'm ready for bed by eight.

Best Moment of the Week: Third trimester?

Movement: Yes, and I'm started to be able to tell her position from it.

Symptoms: Dang leg cramps are back. They are an excellent reminder to take my mineral supplement;) The arch of my right foot is especially retarded.

Food Cravings: Tomatoes are still an absolute no. Raw, cooked, ketchup...taste great but make me so nauseous.

Gender: A girl!

Labor Signs: Random Braxton Hicks, but not many.

Belly button in or out: Out and clean;) When was the last time you could really clean all the crevices of your belly button? Otto thinks it's hilarious, and laughs when he pulls up my shirt. It's a real confidence booster to get laughed at by a one-year-old.

What I am Looking Forward too: Getting her room ~~completed~~ started!

Daddy: Thinks my new jeans are sexy. Wishes he could have a pair just like them. You should have seen his face when I explained that the spandex that pretty much goes to my armpits was actually part of the pants.
Otto: Called me Mama today without being prompted! (He had an owie that he needed kissed.) He's also into snuggling before bed/naps, and he ate cheese. It's been a week of huge changes:)

Jeans brought to you by The Gap.

Jenny's Baby Shower

2012-01-31T13:56:00.000-06:00

Woohoo! This will finish up all of the January posts IN January! Now if I could just fold the mountain of laundry on the couch my life would be pretty caught-up...

One of my college roommates, Jenny, is expecting a little boy in April. Her sister hosted a baby shower for her last Saturday and I was so excited to go. Even though Jenny and her husband Forrest live in DFW they are over an hour away and so I hadn't seen the pregnant version of Jenny yet. She is super cute, and we totally rubbed bellies and compared bellybuttons. (Mine wins, and Dos is a month younger than her little man...eek!)

The pregnant girls at the shower--Me, Jenny, and Christy.

Jenny's older sister, Christy, is expecting too, due in July. Tammy was excited to be the 'skinny' sister currently. I think it's fun that these little cousins will be so close in age.

Jenny, Tammy, and Christy

The shower was great, lots of family came, and Augie (Augustine Ransom--love their name choice!) received lots of things that he'll need. His great Aunt (I believe) made two adorable quilts that will match his nursery and make wonderful play mats. I loved all of the handmade things, I think they make the best gifts. His soon-to-be Aunt Seguin made the cake and it was delicious.

A few more shower guests. Leigh blogs too and has an adorable six month old named Ellie. She also takes beautiful pictures in the Houston area if you need a photographer!

Leigh with Ellie, Jenny, and Stuart

It was great to spend a few hours with other mommies and old friends while Chris and Otto had manly bonding time. And bond they did...Chris made the unfortunate mistake of putting Otto down for a nap without pants and had a repeat of the mess we dealt with a few weeks ago. Poor Daddy! Needless to say, neither of us will forget to make sure he's fully dressed from now on.

The Korean Weldy's are back in Texas!

2012-01-30T11:13:00.000-06:00

Daniel, Jackie, and Addison are back from Korea! This time they are back for good, and will be moving to a base here in Texas (!!!) in February. They are using their saved vacation time to spend a little time with family.

We drove down for a brief visit on Friday, Chris was anxious to see this little girl (and her parents!). He really is quite the softy when it comes the Addison, I can't wait to see the number our little girl does on him.

Sweet Addison decided against napping all day and was quite the trooper, but you could tell she exhausted by the end of the day.

She and Otto played really well together. They are five months apart and similar in coloring and size, most people would assume twins at first glance. Both are really into dirt and digging right now; their clothes were a mess!

All of Lisa's babies! Reverse age order (from left to right) Daniel, Angela, and Chris.

East Texas Days 2, 3, and 4

2012-01-29T14:50:00.000-06:00

I'm making an attempt to catch-up the blog.

The remainder of our week in East Texas, post computer crash, was great. Otto had a fantastic time:) He LOVES his aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

There was lots of trampoline time, playing outside, feeding the animals, and park time.
My family has had their trampoline since I was eight or nine, and surprisingly the mat hasn't had to be replaced. Sadly, it succumbed to Michael's terrific weight and he stepped right through while show off his moves.

While Otto loves all dogs, and animals for that matter, but he has a special love for little dogs. Tanner is his idea of the perfect size:)

He helped Michael feed the animals, and was so impressed that they come running when you shake the food bucket. He also made sure to tell each animal what sound they make:)

We took several trips to the park, Lindale has a couple of great parks that are super kid friendly. Before our first trip we stopped at Sonic for Happy Hour. Everyone got a drink so of course Otto needed one too...he had water but was so excited to be just like everyone else.

We went with the intention of feeding the ducks, but they weren't interested in our offering of white bread so we fed it to Otto instead:)

He loved having Michael and Abbey chase him around the jungle gym; they are more fun than Mommy at this point.

And dirt. He is a huge fan.

On Thursday night my parents came home from their trip and on Friday my Mom watched Otto while I attended a continuing education class in Tyler. I'm doing my best to finish all of my license requirements before Baby Dos gets here. Saturday we had lunch with Chris' parents and sister before coming home. Otto was so happy to see his Papa (Nana and Lala too!) and was being super silly.

Okay, we're going to the park to enjoy this beautiful day, more catch-up later.

The Great Name Debate.

2012-01-24T15:52:00.001-06:00

Long time no see! I have excuses. I planned to post every night while at my parents (home now) to keep Chris updated on our days but sadly managed to fry the hard drive in my computer on the second day...like completely fried, wouldn't even turn on, bad. Chris is a genius and has fixed it for me, but it's like having a new computer and everything needs to be reinstalled:( And I left my camera cord in Lindale. I'm so collected these days it's not even funny. So how about a picture-less post until I can get it together?

This naming business is flat out hard. Chris and I tend to be procrastinators by nature so having a name picked out months in advance really isn't our style. We went to the hospital with several choices, but only two real competitors with Otto and that's probably what will happen with Baby Dos as well. But we need to get a move on and come up with some options! Girl names have always been hard for us, help please?

Here are our criteria: (ish)
We aren't into super frilly, girly names. Things that end in with an 'ah' sound or a 'y', don't really appeal, more direct names seem to attract our attention. Our preferences seem to be more androgynous with traditional spellings, something everyone is familiar with but not using. We don't want her to be Emily W. all of her life. (Nothing against the name Emily, it's just been in the top ten for too long. Also, Emily Weldy is a little repetitive on the y endings.) Nothing new or made up, we like names that have been around for awhile.

Our current list of possibilities include:

First Names: (Number is where the name ranks in the top 1000 baby names in the US last year.)
Meredith: "protector of the sea" 603, dropping in popularity over the last ten years. This was our girl name with Otto, still love it. Our only difficulty is finding a middle name that fits. Possible nickname of Merry.
Merritt/Merit: "little famous one, deserving of good fortune" Not in the top 1000 names. New to our list, really growing on us. (I think we are liking 'M' names?) Different, but known. Would need a more feminine middle name because of it's gender neutral status. Could be nicknamed Merry just like Meredith. (How would you spell it?)
Vivian: "full of life, vibrant" 158 and climbing. Great meaning, feels a little old school, but trending up again. (Maybe too fast, boo.) Brings to mind a confident, happy person to me. Chris might not be as sold on this one. Possibly ruined by Angelina Jolie.

Middle Names:
Grey: "grey-haired" Not ranked. Love this. And Chris is completely behind Meredith Grey, but I just can't do it because the lead character in Grey's Anatomy has the same name. Five years from now it most likely won't matter, but it does right now and I just can't do it. Sadness, because it pretty much fits our 'ideal name' specifications.
Anne: "favor, grace, prayer" 608. Simple, classic, I like it a lot. The only problem is it starts with a vowel and for a girl who's last name most likely will change in the future, initials are important. They would be MAW or VAW, but could change to just about anything, some not so pretty like MAR, VAT, MAD...see where this could go wrong? (This is also my mother's middle name.)
Tess: "variation of Theresa meaning harvester" 810. Simple and to the point. I'm not sure I like the way it pairs with Merritt, seems to flow together when you say the full name.
Afton: "unknown" River in Scotland referenced in the poem 'Sweet Afton' by Robert Burns. Also made into a song by Nickel Creek (Chris's favorite band). We both really like it but again, it starts with a vowel which makes it difficult to pair with our current first name choices.
May/Mae: "kinswoman" Mae is 988, May isn't ranked. Too much if she is actually born in the month of May? Love the simpleness and antique feel.

Weigh in and give your honest options on what names mesh well together or don't? And new names to add to the list! Anything that you think would fit our 'style' would be great! (This is your chance to voice your opinions family! After she's here its final:))

PS: Otto dumped an entire bottle of water on himself while we were driving home from the park this afternoon. He thought it was HILARIOUS that his jeans weighed five pounds and was laughing while he walked (waddled) into the house to change. Such a boy. He also lost the use of his hands this morning and had to eat his snack of almonds and raisins like an anteater.

East Texas Week Day 1

2012-01-17T21:53:00.000-06:00

We are in East Texas for the week. My parentals are in California livin' it up and so Otto and I came to Lindale to crack the whip (ha!) and keep things functioning. First thing on the agenda was to get Michael a haircut...he was looking a little shaggy after winning our gender reveal contest. His poor hair has gone from blonde to blue to green to a strange orange shade over the last few weeks. (Seriously Dad, what were you thinking letting your child be such a rebel?!;))

Otto set a good example and went first. He showed Uncle Michael that if you are brave and have a dum-dum there it's easy breezy.

Otto really does terrifically, everyone in the salon always comments on how calm he is, makes me happy! I can only imagine how traumatic it would be if he didn't enjoy it:-/ We'd probably have a long haired little boy running around. (Just like my parents! Haha!)

Michael was a little suspicious of our intentions...he thought he was just getting a trim but Otto talked him into a full cut!

Almost done, such a handsome little man!

Proof that Michael really got his hair cut! (Sadly, the after shots were blurry, I'm sure there will be one posted later this week.)

And a side note, Otto has decided that this is how he will be riding in buggies now. I'm not sure where he came up with this idea but he thinks it's the best thing ever. Now we just have to work on staying in the sitting position:)

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-four Weeks}

2012-01-12T21:17:00.000-06:00

Happy dance! 24 weeks is that all important 'viability' date! This little peanut would have a fighting chance if she decided to come out. (Please don't though baby, okay?)

The Highlights:

How far along: Twenty-four weeks. Six months, wow!

How big is baby: A cute little ear of corn, somewhere over a pound.

Weight gain/loss: I've tossed my scale in the closet, because it apparently stops measuring accurately at about ten pounds over my happy weight. My OB says I'm up 16 pounds, which feels about right according to the fit of my pants (tight!). I'll just be updating weight after in-office weigh-ins from now on. It's just too depressing otherwise.

Maternity clothes: Yes, most shirts and the belly band is starting to not cut it anymore...I feel the full blown maternity pants coming soon.

Stretch marks: Yes.

Sleep: Exhausted at night and fall asleep easily but waking up early...which is lame!

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to wander the girl aisles at Target!

Movement: Still so strange. The full body flipping always weirds me out, it's the most bizarre feeling! And you can see it from the outside now.

Symptoms: Heartburn...yeouch! Also certain joints are starting to melt, if I sit in one position too long I kind of stagger a bit when I get up until things loosen up. I have not been doing thigh presses but it sure feels like it.

Food Cravings: Cooked tomatoes hate me. Even washing a dish they've been on makes me squeamish. Also not handling sweets well anymore, the heartburn is back:(

Gender: A girl!

Labor Signs: Random Braxton Hicks, but not many.

Belly button in or out: The top half is pretty much out.

What I am Looking Forward too: All of it? Girl clothes, working on her room, getting BIG! (The bigger I get the closer we are to meeting her!)

Daddy: Actually brought up names this week! We've been talking (a little) about her name, but nothing is for sure yet. We're in the ideas stage for sure. If you have any suggestions we'll take them!
Otto: Cutest little boy ever. He's really turning into his own person lately and has decided that books are awesome and wants to read all the time. (I'm so happy about this, we were starting to think he didn't enjoy fiction like Chris.) He also learned how to spin in circles, 'float' on his back in the tub, and jump off the dining table bench. (from his bottom thank goodness, he's acts like he's on a slide.) He has been loving his baby doll, always asking for her when he wakes up:)

Man, being pregnant with a girl is so different than a boy! It's baby everywhere and not in a good way!

Otto is also doing a GREAT job feeding himself, tonight we had spaghetti for dinner and he actually ate it! (Because he was feeding himself...it obviously tastes better when the hand holding the spoon isn't Mommy's. And the big spoon is also preferred, we do have little people spoons he just doesn't want to use them.) He also knew that I was videoing him and does a trick;)

Park, Pizza, and Pictures!

2012-01-07T21:56:00.000-06:00

We had a great slow day at home today. Lots of down time and some playing in the backyard.

Otto LOVES his Dad and thinks he is the funniest thing around. (Chris was making crazy faces behind me.) He is also into being big and wearing Daddy's things, today it was his safety glasses and yesterday it was Chris' boxers as a hat.

Look at those chompers! Otto got 16 teeth over the last year, I am so happy that we get a little break before the two-year molars come in. (hopefully!)

We picked up pizza (Otto says 'piz-za, piz-za', always twice:)) for dinner after a stop at a new park that the munchkin and I discovered this week. Otto was so, so excited to see the play ground equipment and took off running as soon as his feet hit the ground.

He immediately went to the tallest slide and slid right down, almost flipping over the side! Mommy and Daddy are fuddy-duds so we moved to the little people side of the jungle gym.

This guy loves slides!

Love Chris' face in this picture, Otto is trying to throwing himself down the slide and Daddy is putting on the breaks!

The swings were also a big hit. (The light was fading and he was moving quickly, picture quality goes down.)

They tried the merry-go-round, which Otto thought was great. It was hard to catch them, they were moving so qucikly! Otto stumbled around like a little drunken sailor when they stopped:)

I love this stage so much, he is just so much fun right now. Everything that we do is new and exciting! Poor kiddo burst into tears when we had to leave:(

Ultrasound Results! (Take Two!)

2012-01-04T18:17:00.001-06:00

So, after yesterday morning's lovely disaster we went to our twenty-two week check-up on Baby Dos. (We even made it on time!)

Baby Dos checked out wonderfully, which was a relief. At the first ultrasound there were a few things that concerned our obstetrician (and us) but thankfully everything looks perfect now! Our little munchkin is somewhere around a pound and two ounces!

And there were a few late entries into the "Be the First to Know, Send me Embarrassing Pictures to Post on the Internet" contest. Great pictures too! Abbey and Michael definitely won:)

They painted themselves pink and blue, corresponding with their guesses, and Michael even dyed his hair blue! (My poor Dad was not impressed and had him try to cover it with brown with resulted in green. Can't wait until Otto is a teenager!) This entry, even though late pretty much rocked and they were the first people we called with the news:)

Here's another peek at our LITTLE GIRL! Isn't she beautiful?!

Sucking her thumb again! She punched the ultrasound wand and immediately put it back in her mouth, this one is definitely my child!

We are so excited that Otto is going to have a little sister, we think he will do a wonderful job as a big brother. He's been practicing with his dolly:)

Yay for Team Pink! Bring on the girl shopping and room decorating!

100% a Mom Now.

2012-01-03T11:43:00.000-06:00

This post is picture less because I care. You're welcome.

Otto was tired early today (or so I thought), and I was grateful because I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon during his normal nap time. How perfectly this was going to work out! Ha. Ha. Ha.

Two days ago, Otto learned how to take off his diaper. He is very proud of this new skill. See where this is going?

I put him down for his nap and he immediately went to sleep. At least I assumed he did, not a peep over the monitor, super quiet for 40 minutes while I got ready and worked out an insurance issue over the phone. As soon as I finished getting ready (make-up for the first time in a week!) a little sneeze followed by 'I was never asleep' talking came over the monitor. Hmm...what was he doing absolutely silently? The mess I opened the door to is almost unexplainable.

Poop everywhere. The floor, the wall, crib, sheets, and lovey. Everywhere except the clean and dry diaper in the corner of his bed. AND HE HAS HIS FINGERS IN HIS MOUTH! He wasn't concerned, just looked at me with a 'Hey Mom, guess what?' expression.

A bath (had to carry him to the bathroom practically by his ears, poor guy was covered!), a bleached bedroom, and a frazzled Mommy later we are almost ready to head to the doctor's to check on his younger sibling.

Never again will I put him down for a nap in just a t-shirt and diaper. Please join me in praying over the germs I'm sure he ingested?

PS: Mom, the airplane sheets didn't make it. And Chris? A video monitor for the next one, okay?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:25:00.000-06:00

We spent New Year's Eve here at home and had a great day. According to Chris, we will be starting the New Year off right each year by ushering it in with work...I was hoping we would start a tradition of napping, but oh well. ;)

We raked leaves in the back yard--Otto helped with the raking and bagging, but wasn't really impressed with jumping in the piles. I tried to encourage him by hiding a ball in the pile but he just gave me a scornful look and fished it out. Maybe next year!

Otto is still recovering from his head cold and hasn't been eating well at all. (Like barely enough to sustain a humming bird for the last three days, but managed to out grow his size 4 diapers?!) We tried to tempt him at lunch with an odd variety of foods. He eats better for Chris so Daddy helped him take bites. (Today he did much better, hopefully the trend will continue!)

After lunch Otto spent a little snuggle time on the couch watching Yo Gabba Gabba while Daddy and I got started on reorganizing the garage. Thankfully he has started to enjoy DVD's, it's has made it a little easier to handle this cold. (Chris and I can sing ALL of the songs.)

We spent most of the afternoon in the garage separating garage sale items, putting Christmas things in the attic, and rearranging to make more space to get in and out of the cars. Otto was trapped in the pack'n'play most of the time and he was not amused. He was more interested in running down the street (half dressed, he sheds clothes as the day goes on) than cleaning however, so in the pack'n'play he stayed.

Chris also got to try out his new saw, cutting trim to frame the builder mirrors in the master bath. Hopefully we'll get them glued on and painted tomorrow!

That evening we had black eyed peas and corn bread for dinner. (And for lunch today, I love them!) Otto got his finger stuck in a thermos and was a little nervous that it might be permanent.

Thankfully, Daddy came to the rescue with the vegetable oil. (And you can see, Otto immediately was fine and wanted the thermos lid back. Crazy kiddo.)

We'

We're still working on our goals for the new year, there will be a lot of change in the next few months and we need to prepare!

Christmas!

2011-12-30T07:30:00.000-06:00

Mass amount of pictures from Christmas with our families!

We started our Christmas celebrations on Friday, Christmas Eve'e eve, with presents and a slow day together at home. Otto's reaction when he woke up was perfect. When I carried him into the living room he let out an impressed, 'Wow!'. He did a great job opening his gifts and I think the favorite of the day was his baby doll, he loves her!

Blurry, but look at that face! He was so excited!

On Saturday morning we drove to East Texas and spent Christmas Eve with Chris' family at Angela and Justin's house.

Angela and Justin

Opening his stocking

Nana and Papa

Otto styled his puppy jammies and opened even more presents and enjoyed delicious food.

Cars! (The smaller the car, the louder the little boy sound effect)

The desk that Nana made him! Perfect for coloring.

On Sunday we got up and drove a few miles down the road to my parents house. All of my siblings and my Dad's parents were able to make it in and it was great to get to spend the day with everyone. My camera battery gave me fits the entire trip and wouldn't hold a charge, at this point I gave up and borrowed all of these pictures from Michael. Thanks buddy!

There were even more presents for the munchkin and more food for me! Otto wasn't really into the wrapping paper this year, he was much more excited about what was in the package! He only tore off enough to see what was in the gift:)

Styling his new shades from Stuart

Kyle and Sarah

Abbey!

Uncle Israel in his gilley suit. Otto wasn't so sure about it.

Presents! (My Nana in the background)

Hannah and Samuel (Only picture I had of you guys, sorry!)

Yes, we're a 4-H family:)

Baby Dos was there too!

Hope your holiday was as great as ours!

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-two Weeks}

2011-12-29T20:11:00.000-06:00

Twenty-two weeks, dang. That makes me hungry.

The Highlights:

How far along: Twenty-two weeks, in case you missed the first two mentions in this post.

How big is baby: Eleven inches, almost a pound. And according to BabyCenter, the size of a spaghetti squash...but that would be a really skinny spaghetti squash in my opinion.

Weight gain/loss: My morning scale says eight pounds. I'm sure the one at the doctor's office would say thirty; it's mean like that. (And honest.)

Maternity clothes: I got down the box, and it's now sitting on the closet floor...so far I've only used the belly band and transition jeans. (You know, the pair you bought post baby as you slowly shrank to a new normal? Or was that just me...)

Stretch marks: Yes.

Sleep: Hard to fall asleep this week, but sleeping like a rock when I do!

Best Moment of the Week: Feeling this little person move!

Movement: Picking up a little. Chris got to feel it too! (On Christmas Eve's eve, our little family's Christmas, so perfect timing!)

Food Cravings: Nothing particular, cooked tomatoes have been hard to handle this week as well as milk products, a little of the nausea returned but definitely handlable.

Gender: Feeling girl, simply because I physically feel so different this time.

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out: Getting more obvious by the day. Chris tries really hard to not looked grossed out when it's visible through my shirt.

What I am Looking Forward too: Finding out what we are having!

Daddy: Getting ready, not for the new little person we're going to be living with very shortly, but for classes that start for him in a few weeks. (He's going back for his Master's, yay Chris!) He's a first born and gets tense over things like tests and studying...not me! I loved school because of all the new pens and notebooks that came with it. That's why we've decided that Otto is a second born, not a first. Can't have him stressing over the small stuff!
Otto: Sadly caught a cold when we got home from East Texas. For the last few days he has eaten all of about three bites:( I'm pretty sure you can see him loosing weight poor kiddo. We've tried just about everything to entice his appetite but he's just not hungry. Hopefully he'll recover quickly and start eating again soon! And to add insult to injury his last canine just broke through today. (Bottom right, the left came in the day we got home from Thanksgiving.)

And just for fun. We're at that strange stage of pregnancy (heck, it's all strange) where your stomach muscles can't decided if they are going to tough it out or just give up the fight. Depending on the time of day my profile varies from the above picture to one of these:)

Left: Sucking it in with all my might. Right: Completely relaxed. Even my face looks fatter:(

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T07:30:00.000-06:00

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Twenty-one Weeks}

2011-12-22T21:07:00.000-06:00

The Highlights:

How far along: Twenty-one weeks!

How big is baby: Three quarters of a pound, about the size carrot in length.

Weight gain/loss: Somewhere between 5-10 pounds up, depends on the time of day I weigh...mornings only from now on!

Maternity clothes: Belly band is back in use, because while my pants still button they are very, very uncomfortable.

Stretch marks: I should just delete this section, there is no way they are going to go away...but then, they could always get worse...

Sleep: Better this week.

Movement: A little more powerful over the last few days. I was driving home and questioning exactly what I had eaten, there was some painful gurgling going on...then I remember I'm pregnant:) Apparently Baby Dos is not a fan of the seat belt infringing on his/her space and was letting me know with a roundhouse kick to my intestines.

Food Cravings: Today I've been jonesin' for Wheat Thins and cheddar cheese...there aren't any in the house and I am NOT going to the store for them; holiday shoppers are crazy!

Gender: Leaning more girl lately? When Otto gets to invasive with his belly button poking (belly buttons are his thing right now) the baby kicks him. I'm just fine with his younger sibling learning to defend itself early.

Labor Signs: Occasional Braxton Hicks, but trust me people...they aren't labor!

Belly button in or out: Hanging in there...barely.

What I am Looking Forward too: Christmas with our families!

Daddy: He's chill. Keeps those emotions locked down. The only real reaction I got out of him this week was when I told him I needed to have a good cry, that scared him a little. (I took a nap instead, all good.)
Otto: Proving to be more and more of a little boy every day. Still has no idea of what is about to happen in his world. Today while I was getting ready he was running around the bathroom brushing his hair, hiding my toothpaste, typical morning routine. In the mirror I caught him sneaking towards the toilet and quickly reminded him that that is a no-no. He grinned at me and ran in the other direction. I thought we were in the clear...I should know better. We finished up and headed out the door to run a few final Christmas errands. When we got home it was lunch and nap time for us both. I didn't go back into the master bath until after two pm where I found this: a brand new, fully saturated roll of toilet paper.

Neighbor Visit

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-06:00

We have a very sweet retired couple that lives next door. They think Otto is the greatest (such good taste!) and don't mind at all when he decides that their front yard is better for exploring than ours. Last night they brought him a Christmas gift and we had him open it while they were over.

He was a little hesitant to open it at first, I think he sure tearing the paper would be a no-no, but he quickly got the hang of it with a little encouragement.

A race car! Woo!

When he realized that the car was motorized he stopped unwrapping the gift and started trying to take it out of the box:) Jay picked it out because he knows that Otto is an adventurous little boy and enjoys big kid toys; for kids three and up! It lights up and does several different sirens while the back tires spin. Dianne was super sweet and made sure to bring spare batteries;)

He LOVES it! It was the first thing that he looked for this morning and while I was making breakfast he introduced it to his bff, the broom. I think it's a keeper! Thanks Jay and Dianne!

(Working on a 21 week post, hopefully it will be up tonight or early in the morning! 21 weeks, the downward slope!)

Miniature Golf

2011-12-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we finally used a Groupon that we purchased last summer. The weather was way to hot over the summer, and in the last few weeks way to cold and rainy for outdoor activities, but yesterday was beautiful. I'm glad we went, the course is pretty close to our house and was really well designed.

Otto was so excited to be outside and spent more time running in circles than he did on the greens, but I think he had a great time too.

His definition of putt-putt is more of a drop and retrieve over hitting the ball, but it works. Hole in one every time!

He did humor us a few times and practice his swing:)

Otto finished in first, Chris a well deserved second, and Baby Dos and I were third:)

PS: If you wake up to the little voice on the baby monitor saying, "Hiiii, stint-ty.", send Daddy.

Fun in the Kitchen

2011-12-16T21:28:00.000-06:00

Otto LOVES to help in the kitchen. Loading the dishwasher, sweeping, and especially mixing anything that's cooking. He heat checks everything and generally pronounces it 'Hot!'.

Yesterday he was helping while I was loading the dish washer. Generally I try to do this while he is sleeping because he has a hard time resisting the lure of the silverware tray and will grab a dirty utensil and run away as fast as he can. But yesterday he woke up more quickly than I was expecting and was trying to 'help'. We had several eye to eye 'No touch, yuck dirty.' discussions before I finally took him to the couch and turned on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. (Buys about 4 1/2 minutes of time) I finished up, added soap, and let him push start. This morning while unloading I discovered this:

A very clean, and surprisingly not dead, headless electric razor. I'm not sure how he managed to slip in it, but apparently he must have thought it could use a thorough washing too.

Today after breakfast Otto helped make a special treat for his Uncle Michael who broke his leg last weekend at a soccer tournament. We made cookies and Otto loved measuring and mixing the ingredients. While they were baking he played in his fort. (Diaper box from Amazon that has been taking up space in the living room for two weeks because he loves it.)

He also kept running to the oven to check the cookies progress and remind me that he was going to need a sample when they were done. This was illustrated by him saying, 'Hot, hot' and licking his lips.

He did get to try them when they were done because he stung together his first sentence by saying, 'Hot! Took-tee pleash?' It was too cute not to reward:)

Hope you enjoy them Michael and heal quickly!

Afternoon on the East Side

2011-12-15T10:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Chris was able to leave work after lunch and we took a trip to Richardson/Frisco. My parents were spending the day with my grandparents and we stopped by to say hello too.

My Dad and his sister Becky with Otto

Otto was quite a trooper for having missed most of his nap, and was very busy exploring my grandparents house and yard (in the rain!). If we had stayed any longer I'm sure he would have figured out how to open the front door, he is almost tall enough.

My sweet Gaw-Gaw has had a rough couple of days but was feeling much better and thought Otto was very amusing. Otto, sadly, wasn't into posing for pictures. This is as good as it got:

Gaw-Gaw, my Mom, and Otto

But most looked like this:

Or this:

Otto with his Great-Nana

We spent a few hours chasing Otto around their house before heading to Ikea. A few things on Otto's Christmas list were available in store only. Chris humored me and I wondered the entire store instead of going directly to the kids department, such a fun place to explore!

After Ikea we got to have dinner with Dave!

Otto was worn out after our late night (got home at nine! Late for us;)) and slept until 8:45 this morning. While I've been working on this post he has eaten his breakfast and gotten ready for his day, complete with shaving his peach fuzz. (Using one of Chris' old, now blade less, electric razors.)

Ultrasound results!

2011-12-10T10:54:00.000-06:00

There's been a lot of excitement building to find out what we are having. On Thursday night I sent around a text to family, "Okay peeps, send me a picture styling your team pink or blue outfit! Best outfit gets to know first! (Everyone else will be getting the results via SNAIL MAIL!)" There were some fantastic results. Blog worthy images.

There were lots of Team Pinks:

My Dad and Abbey

My Father-in-law (Most creative!)

Juan and Lisa

Sarah and Hannah (Fastest to respond, bonus points!)

And a few Team Blue's:

Angela

Israel and my Mom

At the appointment Otto styled his 'Big Brother' shirt:)

It was so hard to decide who to tell first. I mean, seriously there were some great pictures:) But our new little person made the decision for us. So without further ado, it's a.....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

....

Healthy human!

Baby Dos sucking it's thumb

A healthy modest human who was having none of our intrusive peaking:) Strangely enough, I'm okay with not knowing. It's almost like I expected this to happen. Our obstetrician wasn't happy with the quality of the pictures of Baby Dos' heart so we'll do a retake of those images next month and possibly find out what we are having then. :)

Sorry family, come back later!

PS: Chris is SURE he saw obvious girl, but this was after we had to show him his/her face so....

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Nineteen Weeks}

2011-12-08T20:43:00.000-06:00

The Highlights:

How far along: Nineteen weeks!

How big is baby: Half a pound, about the size of a large tomato.

Weight gain/loss: According to my scale, up about five pounds. In a week! Yikes. Maybe it's broken...

Maternity clothes: Still avoiding.

Stretch marks: Definitely not going away:)

Sleep: Comes and goes. Not very restful right now, crazy dreams and insomnia are kicking my butt.

Movement: Sporadic, at least once a day though, which is very reassuring. Still very light and short in duration.

Food Cravings: I really, really needed a Dr Pepper this week, in desperation I tried the caffeine free version. Eh, it worked to kill the craving but the blood sugar crash that followed was terrible! Truly isn't as good with out the caffeine:(

Gender: I took several online tests today (getting ready for tomorrow) and they all said boy. We'll see!

Labor Signs: Nope, nope.

Belly button in or out: Oh, it's out. There was one day this week you could see it through my shirt.

What I am Looking Forward too: Tomorrow! Anatomy ultrasound.

Daddy: I think he's excited for tomorrow too:) First time he'll get a peak at this baby which is always fun, and then he gets to have lunch with his main peeps! And get this, he gained five pounds too! Woo! (Either that or the scale really is broken.)
Otto: We went to Target this week to pick up a few things and wandered through the toy department. Otto is getting a baby doll as one of his Christmas presents (to practice his nurturing skills). Sadly our search didn't go that well, the only doll he didn't bite in the face and then throw on the floor was, get this, the Cabbage Patch doll dress as a puppy. Yeah, we might need a whole lot more practice than I thought. He's getting a sibling not a dog.

In other news, tomorrow is the big day! Somehow we were able to schedule our twenty week appointment a week early AND we have an anatomy ultrasound before we see the obstetrician:) This is going to be the first appointment that Chris has been able to make (fingers crossed that his work schedule doesn't change!) and we are taking Otto with us. I am super excited!

This pregnancy has had some differences from Otto's, but that's the only indication I've had that this could be a girl instead of another little boy. (More controllable morning sickness, no weight loss at the beginning, this baby is less active...) But then all the differences could just be because I've done this before and my body has wised up a little, who knows? We'll hopefully find out tomorrow! (And either way we'll be thrilled, healthy baby is the goal!)

And one more picture just for fun, Otto and his trusty hairbrush:)

Otto at 16 Months

2011-12-07T13:34:00.000-06:00

Otto is growing so fast. It's hard to believe he is already so close to being a year and a half! The last month has really been big for communication development. He started using the signs he knows again after a few months of boycotting. Mainly with people that he doesn't see everyday, but occasionally he will sign more or want to us as well. He copies just about anything you say or tries to...He has his own version of I love you ("Eyyyye la!"), can tell you your facial features and includes the names (Eye, mao, nose, ears), can say Mommy but doesn't use it unprompted, he can however, say 'tandee!' (candy) and does every time he sees me sneaking around with M&M's. He also has started using 'poon' for his favorite thing, spoons.

We tried finger painting last week, which wasn't as big of hit as I thought it would be...something about being told every three seconds not to eat the paint was a turn off for him;) Maybe in a couple of months.

He was, however, very interested in painting the refrigerator, so maybe an easel would help?

He is desperately trying to learn to jump and has every thing down except actual liftoff. He squats low and then straightens quickly to an attention position complete with the 'Wow, I did it.' face. So very cute. One of the things I need to get on video.

Brooms are still one of his best friends. Yesterday we were cleaning up after lunch when he and his buddy decided to get comfy on the couch. (I ran for the camera because he was actually holding it in his lap and giving it hugs, but he had propped it up neatly by the time I had the camera ready.)

He loves to be big. Anything you can do, he is sure he can do as well. :) At breakfast he always makes sure to check to make sure his bite isn't hot before eating it, blowing on it just like we do. If we are sitting on the couch or at the dining room table, he wants to as well. Thankfully, he is starting to understand that standing on the furniture isn't allowed and will 'sit like a big boy' with a grin on his face. He helps when getting dressed and can get his arms and legs into footie pajamas. (But not out yet!)

Male bonding time with Daddy

These last two pictures were taken before Halloween, (i.e. pre-haircut fiasco, and immediately following the catch Mommy's finger nail with your face accident) but I wanted to post them so they aren't lost in the files on my computer.

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Eighteen Weeks}

2011-12-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

The Highlights:

How far along: Eighteen weeks baby.

How big is baby: Five and a half inches head to rump, roughly the size of a bell pepper.

Weight gain/loss: Still holding steady at normal weight. Not quite sure how this is, I've already moved up a pant size for comfort but my rings are loose on my fingers. So my hips are expanding but I'm loosing weight in my hands? I guess my fat just shifts around like that:-/

Maternity clothes: Not yet. But like I said above, normal clothes are starting get a little tight.

Stretch marks: Still large and in charge.

Sleep: Great once I fall asleep, but it's difficult to actually get there. Darn you pregnancy insomnia!

Best Moment of the Week: Feeling this little person move!

Movement: Yes, four or five definite times in the last week. It's strange to me how I felt Otto at 13 weeks but this little one seems to be taking it slow. Chris thinks we might get our cuddler, but I'm thinking home skillet is using the placenta as cover.

Food Cravings: Not this week, sadly the nausea made a slight come back so less was sounding tasty this week. But no where nearly what it was in the first trimester so I'll take it!

Gender: Leaning girl this week but only because I have a great room plan.

Labor Signs: Less Braxton Hicks which is great because they feel so strange.

Belly button in or out: Freaky hard and pronounced when I'm standing. So, so weird. And it's starting to pinch itself closed, also strange.

What I am Looking Forward too: Finding out what we are having!

Daddy: In the zone. Working, tolerating my crazies, and even brings up baby names without being prompted. (Maybe he realizes that it takes us longer than the average couple to decide and we need to get a move on?) Hasn't gained back a single pound, darn him.
Otto: Hilarious. So much fun. If you tell him not to walk on Mommy's stomach because there is a baby in there he just smiles and says, "Puppy? Woof, woof!" He loves babies, but I'm sure if you gave him a choice between a sibling and a puppy he choose the dog.

Frizzy hair, zero make-up, and under eye bags brought to you by a really, really long day. And insomnia.

Otto's Version of Pond Hopping

2011-11-30T20:45:00.000-06:00

{Pond hopping is swimming in the fountains on Texas A&M's campus}(I never got to do this...my husband totally shot me down. *Angry eyes pointed at Chris Weldy*)

Otto is notorious for playing in the toilets. Up until this point it's just been by chance, when he happens to be in the bathroom (with someone) and sees the toilet lid is up...I guess the water is just to tempting. But in the last two days it's become a game. He has gotten into our bathroom twice with the specific purpose of using a hairbrush to 'mix' the water in the bowl. Not cool. I keep the door to our room shut and a baby gate blocking the guest bath to deter him, but today he figured out how to open our door. And he's so fast. I was literally running trying to stop him and he still managed to be elbow deep by the time I got there. So very gross.

Today, while grocery shopping, we picked up a little device to put a stop to this.

And because the camera was out, this is a glimpse of what our house is like from the time Daddy walks in the door until bedtime. :)

Thanksgiving and the Weekend

2011-11-27T20:28:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and got to spend lots of time with family! Otto was wired the entire trip, he just couldn't believe ALL of his people were there:) He even learned several more names and can now say Hannah, Lala (Angela), and Nana (Chris' mom). We've been working on Mommy all day today, I want a name too!

I stink at picture taking. All weekend I carried my camera around and didn't manage to get any pictures of mine or Chris' families:( I've really got to work on that.

We spent Thursday with my family and had a yummy meal and took Christmas pictures (Thanks Sarah!). That night we stayed with Angela and Justin and on Friday got to spend some time with Chris's best buddy Shawn. He and his wife Jessica are moving to California on Monday and although Chris has done a good job keeping it together I'm sure he is going to miss Shawn quite a bit.

Even though they will be so far away, we are very excited for them, such a wonderful opportunity!

On Saturday we were up early to take breakfast to Abbey for her fifteenth birthday. It's hard to believe she is already fifteen!

Then we headed to Juan and Lisa's for the day. Lots of yummy food and a ridiculous game of Phase 10 that Angela, of course, won:)

All in all a great trip! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Playdate Videos!

2011-11-18T17:00:00.000-06:00

Today we got to spend some time with Will, Joss, and Liv! (And their moms!)

I didn't bring my camera, but Otto and Will were having the best time so I took these videos with my phone.

Otto climbed on this little car and Will volunteered to push:)

Then they figured out how to open the safety latch on the TV cabinet and Otto wiggled his way onto the bottom shelf. Will helped him out by closing the cabinet door! Thankfully it didn't latch completely:) Otto was happy as a clam in his new 'fort'.

Lydia the Pregnant Lady {Sixteen Weeks}

2011-11-17T20:44:00.000-06:00

You've never read the poem/heard the Song 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady'? Oh, you're missing out...go here or here. Now, I don't have any real tattoos but I am covered in what my obstetrician calls Mommy Tattoos (stretch marks) so...

The Highlights:

How far along: Sixteen weeks. Already four months in!

How big is baby: An avocado, and I learned today that it's little heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood every day, crazy right?

Weight gain/loss: Zero pounds. I didn't start out by losing ten pounds like last time which is probably better for Baby Dos. Chris is down six.

Maternity clothes: I've been avoiding that box in the closet...Not terribly excited to go back to a limited wardrobe, although this pregnancy is opposite seasons that Otto's so I'll definitely have to go shopping in the next few months.

Stretch marks: No new ones. Yet. Not sure I have room for anymore, can you get stretch marks on top of stretch marks?

Sleep: Interrupted by freaky dreams. I have a fear of dead things, but for some reason I keep dreaming I'm a coroner and have to fish bodies out of the river. *shudder*

Best Moment of the Week: Getting back in the groove and actually feeling like making a meal plan!

Movement: Maybe? I think this little person's placenta must be anterior because I really haven't felt anything definitive. I can, however, feel my entire uterus when I'm lying flat on my back. (Made Abbey feel it too, she freaked!)

Food Cravings: Hmm, wouldn't go as far as cravings yet, but salty things are more appealing than sweet. Sugar and milk products make me nauseous, but less so than the first trimester. I have been making myself eat this time, every two hours, so I'll never be on empty, which seems to trigger the puke.

Gender: No clue. I've always thought we would have two boys in a row, but as soon as we found out about this little person we were sure it was a girl. Chris is still on team pink but I'm waffling. Either way we will be ecstatic.

Labor Signs: No thank you, but I can feel sporadic Braxton Hicks.

Belly button in or out: Ha. Ha. Ha. My poor belly button is already starting to stick out and I don't even really have a belly! Pregnancy number one left me with a mild umbilical hernia and separated abdominals, so I'm sure it will be impressive by the end.

What I am Looking Forward too: Really getting to feeling this little person move! Movement is so reassuring, I need it!

Daddy: Handling this like a champ. I married such a wise man, he hasn't said a word about my lack of, well, participation in anything. Even on the nights when he came home after a full day at work to find me wallowing on the couch in misery surrounded by unfolded laundry and scattered toys. He just made sure I ate something, fed/bathed Otto, and put him to bed. He's a trooper! Hopefully this second wind I'm catching sticks around and he can start making up a few of those pounds he's lost:)

*Trying to force flab to look like a bump!

Today Was A Great Day!

2011-11-15T21:05:00.000-06:00

We had a busy but great day!

It started with a delivery from Lowe's; we have a new washer and dryer!!! I am so excited! Can't wait to see how well they work, our old set had really started to struggle with getting things clean.

Otto was pretty surprised to see people in his house when he woke up but enjoyed watching them install the new washer and dryer while he ate breakfast.

He is sooo impressed with the new toys. He keeps shutting himself in the laundry room to admire them. Pretty funny to hear a little voice coming from behind the door saying, 'Wow!'.

After running a test cycle to clean out the factory gunk and for our entertainment, we headed out the door for an appointment to check on Baby Dos! Sadly, Chris got stuck at work so Otto and I went alone. He was so great while waiting, I was so very proud of him. My doctor was on call today and had delivered a baby in the morning that put the whole schedule behind. After waiting for an hour and forty minutes we finally got to see the nurse because my doctor was called away again! But it was totally okay, I didn't have any real questions for her and Otto was a champ while waiting--and I totally wouldn't want her to keep seeing patients if I was ready to deliver!

Here's a recording of our little one's heartbeat! Adorable right? (And squirmy! All the static is movement.) (And don't laugh at the weird image, YouTube wouldn't let me upload just the audio file and I didn't realize the picture had a person in it until it was too late.)

Our Weekend

2011-11-13T18:35:00.000-06:00

I've totally been playing the pregnant card this weekend. Heck, I've been playing that card for the last three and a half months:) We spent the last few days just hanging out at home, me doing a lot of nothing, Chris finished a fiction book (this is huge, the man only reads textbooks and calculator manuals) and rearranged the living room on a whim. The entertainment center is now where the love seat was, and the couch is on the big wall. Any ideas on what to hang above the couch in all that empty space?

Otto has been cooking all weekend, which is pretty darn cute. You hear his little awestruck voice in the kitchen (coming from the pots and pans cabinet) saying, "Wow!", and then his little feet running into the dining room where he lines up all of his tools on the bench. He mixed up some imaginary delights which he then eats with fake chewing and lip smacking. Pretty adorable. An Otto sized kitchen set in on the Christmas list:)

In other Otto news, he hasn't nursed in a week so I guess we're done? He's only acted like he misses it twice, both times were in the morning when I didn't have his breakfast waiting when he woke up. And tonight I got him to eat broccoli! Granted it was pureed in potato soup and laced with bacon but he ate it!

Chris at the Dentist

2011-11-09T11:00:00.001-06:00

On Friday, we got up early and drove to East Texas. We needed to return Michael and Abbey and Chris had an appointment to have his wisdom teeth removed. Chris' younger sister, Angela, works at the surgery center and got to assist during the procedure...Chris survived and didn't come out of recovery with a Sharpie mustache. It was her chance for payback and she didn't take it! Chris was pretty silly in recovery, and we decided he would be a hilarious drunk.

Last non-chipmunk photo:)

She even drove Chris back to her house afterwards to sleep off the anesthesia in her guest room, such a sweet sister:) (And I heard a rumor that she sang Soft Kitty to him [ten points if you've heard that song])

Grumpy patient suffering though ice packs

While Angela drove Chris home I made a quick stop at El Lugar (best place to eat in Tyler) for lunch (pregnant=must eat every two hours or suffer the consequences) before heading to the pharmacy to fill his prescriptions. I felt a little guilt for going without Chris but recovered when I saw this: Delicious!

Otto had a BLAST bouncing back and forth between my parents house and Angela and Justin's. He got to hang out with my Mom while we were in Tyler and while he was there he got to hold a chicken!

Helping feed the animals!

And the next morning he got to enjoy his breakfast in the hammock on Aunt Angela's patio:)

Aside from being a little obstinate about taking his pain medication, Chris did really well considering the trauma his face went through. When he woke up that evening he asked for a hambuger, crazy guy! (Ate about a third using a knife and fork)

He did swell quite a bit. Look! What Chris would look like thirty pounds heavier! He almost has a dimple!

We came home Sunday afternoon and thankfully Chris had Monday off for additional recovery time. Hopefully by the end of the week he will be back to normal!

Aggie Football!

2011-11-08T11:16:00.000-06:00

{Let's back up a weekend}

On the 29th we got up early and drove to College Station. A very sweet new mommy friend gave us tickets to the Missouri/A&M game and we were excited to go! (We're really getting the hang of going out as just Chris and Lydia:)) Otto got to play at my sister's house while we were at the game, thanks for watching him Hannah and Sarah!

First deck!

Definitely the best seats we've ever had! It was a completely different experience being able to read the players names on their jerseys without using binoculars:) It was hard for me to keep track of the ball, I had to keep switching to the big screen to find it, just reaffirms how talented at sports I really am! Can't even watch without getting confused.

The band is always fantastic and puts on a great halftime show!

Sadly we lost the game (in overtime!) but it was so fun to go! Thank you Sarah for making it possible!

My parents and younger siblings were also in town (the only person we were missing was Israel!). That's when we shared our big news about baby number two, although they all swore they already knew. (My dad thought I was looking pudgy?!) When we left Sunday afternoon we took Michael and Abbey with us for Halloween and to spend the week.

Halloween!

2011-11-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun night yesterday! Michael and Abbey came home with us from College Station this past weekend and they only added to the party. (Oh, I didn't mention we were in College Station? Post about that coming soon!) Shawn and Jessica came over too, which was great, they are moving to California at the end of the month (!!!) so it was great to get to hang out with them a little before the big move.

We had taco soup for dinner while waiting for it to be dark enough to go trick or treating and even then we were one of the first people out. We were excited! (And had a little person that needed to be in bed by a decent hour, but mostly excited;)

Otto wasn't bothered at all by Michael's costume, (scary wolverine, but if any girl between the age of 5-50 asked he was Team Jacob) Abbey was grilled cheese complete with a grill in her mouth. Otto's costume got lots of comments and a girl even took his picture to show her boss! He did a great job wearing it and proudly marched down the street grinning ear to ear.

Otto and his entourage:)

He loved going door to door, and didn't even realize that people were giving him candy. He was just excited to meet new people and say "Hi!'. This kid is such a people person.

His face looked like this leaving every house. So proud of himself!

They gave me a glow stick Mom!

After walking up and down the street, we headed home to hand out candy ourselves. Otto had to inspected his loot and try a few M&M's.

Hmm, what are these things?

Doesn't he look so big here? (Michael helped him with the M&M's, he only had three and was still SUPER hyper all night.)

When we got home, Michael and Abbey took a cell phone and grocery bags and hit the neighborhood themselves. They came back with fifteen pounds of candy between the two! (And yes, they are too old to be trick or treating, but they are from a small town where neighborhoods are non existent and this was their chance.)

With their loot:)

They may be a little nutty, but we love them. Seriously, who wouldn't want an uncle who can do this?

While we were handing out candy, Chris decided we needed a jack-o-lanturn to attract more business so he whipped one out in five minutes. My man can carve a pumpkin people.

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe night!

Otto Will Be An Only Child....

2011-10-31T10:02:00.000-05:00

...for less than seven more months!

Dos Weldy due May 3rd 2012!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Otto the Wrecking Ball:)

Very Much a Boy.

2011-10-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

Do all little boys naturally know how to make car sound effects? Chris and I don't go around the house adding race car noises when we sweep or vacuum, or get down on the floor and race toy cars around the room. But Otto does:) Where did he get this? Is it one of those natural reflexes guy are born with?

Date Night!

2011-10-23T21:51:00.000-05:00

Last night Chris' company hosted an evening function, and get this, my in-laws drove in (2 1/2 hours!) to watch Otto for us! He had a fantastic time and even cuddled with his Nana at bedtime.

Yes, those are grass stains on Otto's jeans, he was playing hard!

We so appreciated them coming to see us and watch our little guy, it was the first real date night we've had since he was born. Totally of our own making, we like hanging out with him, and having to be home by his 7:30 bedtime is an excellent excuse for the fact that we generally aren't far behind him. We're old, seriously.

Heading out for a night on the town! We didn't get home until midnight (gasp!) and I have been feeling it today. Our lifestyle has really changed since college:)

Thanks for lending me your dress Hannah!

We stopped for a pre-dinner snack at Wendy's on the way. (I know, first night out and we go to Wendy's? It was good, I recommend a baked potato with chili.)

The party was at the Oncor building in downtown Dallas, on the top floor patio! We had (second) dinner with Chris' co-workers while watching the sun set on the Dallas skyline.

After dinner we moved inside for casino games. I learned that roulette is not my friend, blackjack is more my style and helped me break even for the night. Chris actually made (fake) money! We came home (oh so late) to a quiet house where everyone was sleeping. It was a fantastic, and much needed, night away and we are so thankful to Chris' parents for babysitting for us! Thank you guys!

We are really so blessed with family that volunteers to watch our kidlet. Granted, I'm slightly crazy and have a hard time with leaving him with anyone, but they are all very understanding:) Remember this day? My Mom was great and basically drove around town all day, bringing Otto to me when the class I was taking took any kind of break, even the five minute stretch variety. Our family is very good to us. (Love how I say we'll possibly take a date night soon in that post and almost a year later we actually do! Haha!)

This week...

2011-10-20T21:24:00.001-05:00

Otto is so glad to have his Dad home, and so am I:) It's nice to be back to our normal routine. Or semi-normal I should say, as both my guys have been sick this week. Chris with some sort of flu that kept him home from work Monday and Tuesday, and Otto with a major head cold. Poor little guy is super gunky, and we've had a couple of rough nights. But hopefully we are on the up swing. (Please, please, please!) He also got his fourth first year molar at the beginning of this week which probably didn't help.

Here are a few pictures from Saturday, when Daddy got home!

Writing a welcome home note on the sidewalk.

Otto was so happy to see him. In fact, when Chris (who didn't even go look at the plane bathrooms let alone use them) made a pit stop shortly after getting home, Otto sat outside the bathroom door waiting for him to come out! No privacy in this house:)

Chris took the point and shoot with him on his trip, so maybe I should upload a few of those photos...:)

PS: Chris has put Otto to bed the last two nights. Without nursing first!!! We're almost weaned, only nursing first thing in the mornings but I have a feeling that will disappear shortly.

Kudoo's to Single Parents

2011-10-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

Chris has been out of town this week with work, and let me tell you Otto and I are both tired. I miss our morning routine where the guys get ready for the day together and I get fifteen extra minutes of alone time to wake up. Otto has been asking for his Dad quite a bit, especially when I won't give in to what he wants. Thankfully Daddy is on his return flight now!

But all-in-all we had a pretty good week filled with lots of distractions. We had lunch with friends on Monday, a play-date with a neighbor on Tuesday, and Uncle Israel spent the night with us on Wednesday!

Calling MG!

Israel was in town for the week attending driving school for UPS! He did AWESOME even though it was incredibly stressful and exhausting, and is now a driver! Yay Israel!

On Friday we scoped out the surrounding neighbor hoods for garage sales. Although I'm pretty sure that Chris will never leave me home alone again, but I am sooo excited about what we found! Look!

It took me all of nap time to sort though it, but now I have a fantastic fabric stash! See? Lots of cotton prints in all colors, some home decor fabrics, replacement needles for my sewing machine, a cutting mat, and even several colors of chenille!

If you see me anywhere near a fabric store in the near future, send me home!

Playdate!

2011-10-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

We love getting together with Bradley baby friends. Otto loves playing with people his age, and I love getting to talk/compare notes with the other Mommies!

On Monday we had lunch at Charlotte's house. She's still the easiest to take pictures of because as the youngest (of the first set!) her walking skills are still developing:)

William is seriously one of the funniest babies I have ever met. He says things like 'How you doing?' and tells jokes in baby talk, complete with facial expressions and animations, and then laughs at them.

All of the babies play well together and teach each other new tricks. Otto was very busy while we were there showing Charlotte the best ways to open cabinets, clear surfaces, and climb on the fireplace. (Sorry Jess!)

Otto is a big fan of the ladies, Ben and Jefferie might have to sit him down for a man-to-man talk sometime in the near future:-/ While we were there he played tackle with Charlotte (she won) and kissed Liv! He was very sweetly admiring the baby while I took his picture and half a second later he went in for a smooch!

Kissing not biting promise!

Liv was very sweet and took all of his attention in stride. She is a doll of a baby and look how much she has fill out in just a few weeks!

Jess holding Liv!

Begging for brownies:)

We love our play-dates!

Otto at 14 Months!

2011-10-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, so were halfway through month 14 but I wanted to record a little of what our crazy guy is like at this age.

He's a hot mess, that's what he's like right now. Very independent, gets frustrated when he isn't able to complete a task on his own, highly mobile, loves exploring and outside, and thinks he's 14 years instead of months. Yesterday I caught him chewing a piece of gum, grinning ear to ear about how big he was. Sadly it was the gum I had just thrown in the trash. GROSS! (Getting into the trash cabinet is a punishable offense at our house, but this time I think he thought it was worth it.) (Yes, I had a mild heart attack and sprouted a few new gray hairs.)

His love of brooms and vacuums continues, and he can actually do a decent job sweeping. I've got to find him a kid size broom so it can be one of his daily chores;) Sometimes I think he empties his high chair tray into the floor just so we can clean it up.

Also in his quest to be big he helps with the laundry and tries to dress himself. If things don't end up exactly how he wants them, a melt down ensues. First born perfectionist possibly in the making.

His communication skills are really picking up. He now shakes his head yes and no, can say bellybutton, eye, and has his own word for outside. (and animations that include lots of arm flapping, pointing, and squealing.) While he understands simple commands and when you tell him NOT to do something, sometimes the obedience factor isn't really there. Most of the time he assumes you are playing a game, and will laugh and do exactly what you were trying to prevent. It probably doesn't help that his Dad cannot keep a straight face to save his life, generally ending up laughing as well because, 'He's just so cute!'. And he is cute but we are going to have to get over that. :-/

He loves to try and dress himself or put on his shoes. Or Daddy's shoes:)

He can tell you where your nose, ears, eyes, and bellybutton are and can tell you what a puppy says. Woof, woof! In the mornings he helps Chris get ready, playing in the empty bath tub until Chris is ready for Otto to brush his hair. He looovvveess hair and tooth brushes:) The other day I found the hairbrush in the silverware drawer and a butter knife sticking through the baby gate. Maybe he was making a booby trap?

His main mode of transportation is walking, with a hilarious version of running thrown in. He has 13 teeth, with the lower right molar coming through at the beginning of this week. Only one molar and two canines before we get a reprieve for awhile!

He is such fun and we love him to pieces!

Dave's New House and Great Grandparents

2011-10-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we drove to the other side of DFW to see Dave. He recently (last week) bought a new house! It's absolutely beautiful, he did a fantastic job picking it out.

Dave has a plethora of musical equipment, and Otto loved getting to play drums, piano, and a couple of guitars. He is a huge fan of anything musical.

Dave was making a birthday cake for a friend (from scratch! And he's still single ladies!) and gave Otto a spoonful of the left over icing. Otto is now a Dave fan for life.

This picture is blurry, but Otto's face is priceless! It's delicious Mom!

After our stop at Dave's we grabbed some dinner at Freebirds before stopping to see my grandparents. Otto was a little shy (total first, maybe because he was getting tired?) but quickly warmed up when my Nana bribed him with a teddy bear. He ran right over and kissed it!

And then he happily climbed into her lap to snuggle with it. Maybe we should invest in a white teddy bear...

My Gaw-Gaw loved getting to see Otto and was very impressed with how fast he is now! It must be the new shoes, he is much faster now.

We had a great Saturday visiting our peoples, except for the traffic snag we hit trying to get home. Word of advice, stay away from 635, it's a mess right now!

Just Between Friends Sale

2011-10-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

On Friday Otto and I went to a gigantic consignment sale here in Fort Worth. I'm a huge fan of bargain hunting and baby clothes, so half price day at a kiddie rummage sale was a blast. We found lots of great deals, including an umbrella stroller for four bucks! Otto is way into pushing things with wheels right now, so he is pretty excited about that one too.

The size of the sale is ridiculous, like convention center ridiculous. Otto is now set on stone washed jeans for awhile, I'm not sure how we came away with so many similar pairs, but at least they are a variety of sizes--he won't be wearing them all at the same time!

Aren't the patchwork pants a scream? I can not wait for those to fit!

We also found several cute, and barely worn, long sleeved shirts and sweaters.

And two jackets. The blue one looks homemade and the blazer was just too adorable to pass up. It should fit him early Spring, can you say little preppy Easter boy?

There is another sale in March, where they sell Spring/Summer clothes. Jenny, you need to come with me! Most of what we found was 1.50-2.00 dollars an item with exception of the blazer.

Lunch with Daddy Downtown

2011-09-23T09:54:00.000-05:00

I seem to be making a habit out of blogging once a week...we just really haven't been up to much, our days are spent chilling at home, taking walks and learning the names of body parts. (Otto can now find your/his nose, ears, and bellybutton!) (Oh, and on Monday he did get his second upper (right) canine, only eight more teeth to go!)

But yesterday we did do something fun. To celebrate Chris working with his company for four years we had lunch downtown. After eating at Potbelly, we walked to the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Otto LOVED it!

In this picture he is trying to take a flying leap into the water...you'll notice this is a recurring theme in most of the pictures. :)

One of the larger pools (attractions/exhibits?) is open for the public to climb down into. To do so you have to walk down slimy, water and algae cover concrete steps with no railing. It makes me nervous so I stayed above, but Chris is pretty sure footed and Otto was PUMPED so down they went.

All the way at the bottom. Chris said Otto was trying his best to get away from him, he really wanted to jump in!

Coming back up!

Yay! So neat!

One more pool, should I look at Mommy?

Or stand on Daddy's belt and check out the water?

As we were leaving we let Otto walk for a bit, it's a really good thing that he isn't that fast with his running skills yet because he immediately made a bee line back towards the water.

If you are in Fort Worth, this is another place to add to your site seeing list. :)

Saturday at the Park

2011-09-18T12:15:00.000-05:00

We've done a whole lot of nothing this weekend, which is pretty great in my book. Otto is working hard core on another molar, and it finally started breaking through yesterday. We went to the park in the afternoon to offer him a little distraction.

How cute is this?! He looks so big; walking across the bridge to show Daddy the jungle gym.

He thinks he's so big, and crawled right up the 'rock' steps. It was great having Chris with us, I could take pictures and not worry that Otto was going to take a running jump onto the monkey bars.

Poor guy was pretty serious, getting teeth is a very big job. He was happy to be there, I just didn't catch any smiles with the camera.

Swinging!

He was providing sound effects here:) Swings apparently make a race car noise. Brmmmmm, mmmmm!

And because Daddy was with us, they went down a few slides. Otto was a little shocked at first at the speed, but quickly caught on and enjoyed it.

And when we got home we listened to the Aggie game online (looking forward to next week, it's going to be televised!) and hung out the flag so the neighbors won't have to guess who we are cheering for! :)

Baby Liv!

2011-09-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

A whole week between posts? Wow. Losing my touch;)

On Tuesday we got together with our Bradley baby friends and got to meet two week old baby Liv! She is absolutely gorgeous--Kala and Jefferie did a great job!

Liv Hazel

It was so amazing how crazy tiny she is! There is no way Otto was ever that small! We all loved getting some baby snuggle time, it's so nice to hold a baby that isn't trying to squirm away.

Sarah and Sloan (coming in December!) cuddling with Liv

Beautiful girl!

Otto gave Liv about two seconds of attention diving head first into the ball pit. (Joss has an amazing play room)

Otto and Charlotte waiting on lunch. Sadly the baby gates didn't keep Otto from climbing into the dog's water bowl:-/

Look! Joss can style pigtails now:)

We tried for another group picture...which turned out a little better than last time! Sweet Will was not excited about sharing the couch with the other three crazies.

Congrats to Kala and Jefferie on their beautiful new addition and to Joss on her promotion! Liv is perfect!

Otto's First Lollipop

2011-09-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

Alternately titled, 'Otto's Bribe for his Second Haircut'.

Home skillet was starting to look a little shaggy. He has quite a bit of hair, but it grows significantly faster from the crown of his head than anywhere else. It only curls when it's humid, and given that we are currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, it's been pretty stinkin' straight. So, a haircut was in order.

I'm still too chicken to cut it myself, so we stopped at a salon this afternoon. Otto made friends with everyone in the waiting room and when the stylist called his name, literally jumped from me to her. He was so excited it was his turn! She used the clippers, and he did great, most likely because she bribed him with not one but two dum-dums. Here's the video:)

He only finished half of the lollipop, but that was enough. I swear it gave him super powers! When we got home he learned how to climb onto the couches sans help and opened the bathroom door to play in the toilet which resulted in me burning dinner while disinfecting him. He was a wild child until bedtime!

But doesn't he look handsome?

He also figured out that if you throw your ball down the driveway, Daddy will chase it.

Lunch at the Park

2011-09-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

We just can't get enough of the weather, so when Otto developed a case of the grumps after his morning nap, we decided a picnic lunch was what we needed. Poor guy is still working on those silly teeth, but good news, today his upper left canine finally came in!

Being outside worked like a charm, he perked right up!

On the way we picked up a tuna sandwich and cookies. (Impulse buy, and totally worth it.)

::clapping:: Yay for eating lunch outside!

It was pretty funny how serious he was about this cookie. But don't let the intense face fool you, he ate the whole thing. (Be shocked all you want people, but it helped that stubborn canine finally break through, and I consider it a win.)

After eating ~~dessert~~ lunch, we explored the jungle gym. Even though the weather has been great, we were the only people at the park. Maybe school starting has something to do with that?

Otto is way into climbing these days, he can pull himself up onto the couch if a parent is acting as human ladder. He climbed the steps to the play ground, which made him giggle uncontrollable, and then he did his best to crawl up the inside of a slide.
Up he goes!

Trying to muscle his way up where it got steeper...

And down he goes!

Maybe next time buddy!

Happy Labor Day! (And the weekend)

2011-09-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, is this weather great or what? We took not one, but two walks yesterday because it is so nice here. Absolutely beautiful and in the seventies.

Juan and Lisa came to visit over the weekend! We loved getting to see them and Otto showed off his walking skills. (Getting better all the time, although he still prefers crawling as his main mode of transportation.) On Saturday we took Juan to Central Market--such a travesty that he had never experienced the greatness of that beautiful grocery store.

I think he thought it was pretty fantastic, which it is. :)

And on Sunday we made a trip to the Stockyards because it's such a Fort Worth thing to do and Chris' parents are the first we've been able to drag along with us!

Otto is currently in a stage of waving and saying 'Hiiii' to everyone. I don't think he had even noticed the cows yet, there were so many people to make friends with:)
When he did see the cows, he was a little suspicious.

But wouldn't you be too, when a giant beast with horns is walking by not three feet in front of you? He's showing great discernment for one so young;)

We did a little walking around the shops and museums, and then stopped for lunch at Risky's Barbeque where Otto flirted scandalously with the waitress.

Everything about the area has been turned into a very successful tourist venture. You can ride in a stagecouch, watch a mock gunfight (sadly we missed this), get your picture taken on a living Longhorn, and ride a mechanical bull. Otto choose a photo opp sitting on a saddle.

Whenever we visit the Stockyards or downtown I'm always looking for backdrops, someday I want to do family pictures here. Sarah, what do you think about this one?

We loved seeing you, Juan and Lisa! Come back soon and I'll think of some more interesting places to drag you too!

Anna's Shower!

2011-09-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, so like I said my friend Anna was visiting Texas last week and we (me, my Mom, and three ladies who love Anna very much) threw her a baby shower.

Baby Shipley is also a surprise (props to you Anna, I couldn't resist the temptation to find out!) so the shower colors were pink and blue. Abbey stayed the previous week with me and we made some fun decorations. This was the table area, before food. Silly me, I didn't take many pictures:(

I love the way the pin wheels came out! We found the tutorial HERE, and they were so easy. For the size we made we used 12x12 scrapbook paper. The pom-poms were from a youtube video, and Abbey put them together. We also had a onsie clothesline, that the guest decorated, and a stash of diapers that people wrote midnight messages on, but of course I didn't get a picture. I really should be hauled out to the back yard and tossed into the snake infested pool.

Everybody had such adorable ideas, they came out great!

Anna at 24 weeks.

Anna and her sisters, Audrey and Haylee.

Otto was a hot mess during the shower. So many people to talk to and tackle! Ally is the youngest of a large family and was great with him, he thought she was pretty neat too:)

He's saying 'Hhhh' (Hi!) to someone:)

The hostess gift (car seat) was delivered to our house earlier in the week and Otto had partially unwrapped it several times. He was thrilled that Anna let him help unwrap it all the way!

The little lady to the left is Anna's Great-grandmother, and the baby's great-great-grandmother. Six generations!

The Wood ladies! (We missed you Kim, Jennie, and Emily!)

Katie, Christina, Ally, and their Mom, Sandy.

Anna, Otto, and I. Quite a difference from this picture, right?

Other than me not taking all the pictures I had planned, the shower was a great success. Anna and baby received lots of great things that will make the first few weeks much simpler and we all got to see adorably pregnant Anna! Can't wait to meet Baby Shipley, swing through Fort Worth next time you're in Texas, okay?

Snakes in the Pool!

2011-08-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

So. We (Otto and I) went to my parents house this past weekend. Abbey had to be returned (sadly), and my childhood friend Anna was in for a surprise visit from Indiana. In turn we threw her a surprise baby shower. (She is due in December with her first, and I am SO excited for her!)

When we visit East Texas, Otto enjoys all the animals (the goats are now 'pu-pu-puppies!'), seeing his fan club, and most of all swimming in pool. On Thursday night he got in with Michael to rinse off before bedtime and they swam for about twenty minutes. Friday was a ridiculously warm day, and poor Otto was a little grouchy from teething so that afternoon he and I got in the water to cool off.

Abbey was taking our picture from the side because hello, I have a blog and it likes pictures. Most of the photos turned out like this because Otto is a wild man in the water. :)

Love how he is giving the stink-eye here--Why would you make me stop swimming?!

After about ten minutes of loud splashing, swimming around, and teasing the dog, I looked into the filter, (which we were about two feet away from and had been for most of the time we were in the water. The light was best from that angle.) and see the drooping mid segment of a snake!

I am very proud of myself for not panicking. I mean, we were in the middle of the pool and I was holding a baby who probably would have thought that a snake swimming towards us was neat. And in the water running is basically glorified moon walking, not really possible. We did make it out however without disturbing the snake thank goodness. It's not like you can really aim for a snake's eyes like you would a shark. (Please tell me someone else thinks about these things...they're important!)

Israel was a total doll and immediately came out to defend us. (Michael and Dad were at soccer practice.)

The snake wasn't actually in the filter, instead it was resting between the filter and concrete patio. Even if I had had the foresight to actually check for snakes in the filter, I wouldn't have been able to see it.

Israel used an arrow to fling the snake into the middle of the pool, where he scooped it up with a net. It was a very angry little snake and kept striking at anything in range. Because it was of the poisonous variety and would most likely be back (looking for water) it was dispatched to the land of good snakes. (Dead ones!)

Even after it's head was separted from it's body, it continued to bite. Mean little dude.

Needless to say, the pool will be thoughly checked if we ever decide to get back in!

PS: Otto got his first molar sometime during the night Thursday! He is now working on two more and both canines...by next month he should be ready for steak!

Thirteen Months!

2011-08-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

Otto is thirteen months old today! Such a big kid!

He is so. much. fun. Everyday his little personality gets bigger and bigger. He thinks the strangest things are funny and cracks up over anything his Dad does. He and Chris are tight. If Daddy is home, Otto is with him insisting on doing 'man stuff'.

He absolutely loves balls, and this week Abbey taught him how to kick them across the room! Pretty impressive for someone who can't walk yet. (We're almost there, he is up to five steps (!) between objects, but it's really more of a lunge not a purposeful walk.)

One of his newest loves are the chalk boards inside the media cabinet. So cute! He actually does a pretty good job and most of the time uses his left hand. (And of course, he is proving me wrong here!)

He's growing like a weed (This poor outfit is reaching it capacity), and eats pretty well. Still can't handle milk and if he doesn't like what is put on his tray he simply clears it with one fail swoop of his hand:-/

We love this boy more and more everyday, happy 13 months Otto!

Fun with Abbey!

2011-08-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

Otto is absolutely loving having his Aunt Abbey around! And I am too, all the extra help chasing has been terrific!

Today, after Abbey finished her school we ran a few errands. First stop was the library where Otto did his usual exploring. He's a crazy child at the library, you can barely keep up with him.

After the library we stopped at PetsMart. Otto loves animals and we were hoping there would be a few puppies to see. Sadly there were only cats in the adoption section, but there was a dog being groomed that he got excited about and he really enjoyed the fish.

But did you know you can't take pictures in PetsMart? You can't. Strange. We only got a few before we found this out via a grouchy employee. :-/

Aunt Abbey!

2011-08-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know I keep promising beach pictures, but things keep happening that are blog worthy and the poor beach trip keeps getting bumped. They are coming. Eventually. Promise. (Again)

Yesterday, my Mom and Abbey made a spur of the moment trip to see us. (My Dad had a change in flight plans) They got to our house in time for dinner, and the best part is Abbey gets to stay the week with us! Granted school starts for her on Monday, so we will be up to our ears in online classwork, but she gets to hang out with us when she is done! Otto is beyond ecstatic and has shown her around the entire house including his special hangout in the pantry. He is such a show off and pulled out several special moves in the swimming pool tonight which resulted drinking about half in the water.

They have been playing together all day, and it is so stinkin' cute how much he likes her. (Sarah, Abbey would like me to point out that he has hugged her several times today.)

Not only did my Mom bring Abbey for Otto's entertainment, she also brought his pony! He was so happy to see it.

For dinner tonight we made Southwestern egg rolls using the baby deep fryer...much, much better than the previous attempts that were baked. Fried food is amazing.

Except for forgetting the spinach in the filling, they were fantastic! I recommend that everyone go out and buy a baby deep fryer. Immediately.

Excuse the darkness of the pictures, I am trying to learn how to use the light scoop but obviously my efforts are quite enough. :-/

It has been a day.

2011-08-17T21:49:00.000-05:00

Not a bad day per-say, but definitely a day. Otto and I hung out at home, he is still recovering from a summer cold and is super snotty. Happy as a clam, but full of mucous. I had to suction his poor little nose three times so he could breathe while nursing. He HATES it, and I'm not a huge fan myself. We have every kind of nasal aspirator on the market and sadly he hates them all, although I will say that the Nose-Frieda is the most effective. And now that he is one, he has learned how to fight back...I caught a few kicks in the stomach this afternoon that couldn't have possibly come from someone who is just a measly twelve months old. :(

To apologize for the suction torture, we colored for a little bit before lunch. I was folding up the crayons when he decided to get a little creative and decorate the dryer.

Look at that independent standing!

Is it silly to be proud of him? I mean seriously, that's pretty dang good for a three day crayon user. And he picked green! Sign of a genius!

I couldn't even correct him for making a mess, I did however get on to him a little when he ate the crayon. :-/

Delicious!

And because I couldn't let Otto be the only one to make a mess today, while making dinner this evening I dropped a full container of oatmeal on the pantry floor. Otto was playing on the pantry floor (read: clearing the shelves) (Hey! Don't hate, it keeps him entertained. Otherwise he would be finding a way to open the oven, kid you not.) and was amazed at the mess.

He was a doll and cleaned it up for me.

I still haven't wiped down the dryer...think it will stay there for awhile, too cute to erase!

While making dinner I burned my finger on a skillet, took a piece off the end of my thumb with the potato slicer, and then chopped an onion. Smart, smart, move. I was really feeling intelligent at that point.

It's been a little of an in the mommy trenches kind of day. But the sheets on my bed are freshly washed, the kiddo ate fairly well, and I actually made it to the gym in time to watch 'I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant'.

Beach pictures next, promise promise.

Weekend

2011-08-16T23:17:00.001-05:00

We got to go home this weekend and saw LOTS of family. Otto not only got to play with both sets of grandparents and the majority of his aunts and uncles, but also cousins from both sides of my family!

He did pretty well handling all of the commotion, only getting a little nervous a few times. (We've hit a mild patch of stranger danger.) Everyone was very quick to reassure him. He is a much loved little boy. So loved in fact that they got him a pony.

Seriously. Michael and Abbey have deemed it "Sunshine" and it will reside at my parents, as we're just not set up for a pony right now.

Cute, isn't it? ;) Otto loved it! It was so adorable how hard he tried to rock it on his own.

We sang happy birthday to him which he thought was the bomb. His reaction is so incredibly cute. I smile every time I look at these pictures.

Singing?! For me? AMAZING!

Abbey made Otto a special miniature birthday frozen peanut butter pie, of which main ingredient is tofu. It was super delicious and he had no idea he was consuming protein by the handful. WIN! Can you tell that he loved it?

(Here's the recipe, we have always used honey. Try it sometime, it won't disappoint!)
After his pie he went directly to the swimming pool where he showed off his bubble skills. No fear at all; his face goes in the water every time.

I am so proud of his water skills...I don't think I reached his level of confidence until I was eleven;)

Did you notice all of the pictures on this post? I got my camera back! Woot! Long awaited beach pictures up next!

Otto at 12 Months

2011-08-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

Excuse me, Otto at one year. It's like a switch flipped on his birthday, he knows that he is a big kid now. Over the last two weeks his behavior and demeanor have changed dramatically.

It's not uncommon to find him standing hands-free, and a few days ago he discovered that pushing a walking toy is fun! He will even take a step or two while lunging from one piece of furniture to another. Walking is not far in the future! He is becoming quite the linguist, and seems to speak several dialects of baby. Everyday his babbling sounds different and he has added several new sounds including 'h' and shrieking. The latter is not a favorite of mine:-/ He has also copies sound that you make, and thinks it great when you repeat a silly noise that he has made.

He has learned to point. And point he does. At random things like the chalkboard (inside our media center), and the he will proceed to babel quite dramtically until you carry him over to scrape his fingers nails down it. And he thinks it hilarious. Where did we get this kid? People actually enjoy that noise?! He also thinks his tongue is a fun toy, this age is the best!

His good eating patterns have flown out the window. Heaven forbid he eat anything remotely nutritious, and protein is not his thing. Fruit, he will eat in any variety whenever it is offered, but man can not live on blueberries and grapes alone. If you have any tips I would love them! He has also shifted his love of spoons to forks. Once he learned to actually get things to his mouth on a spoon (literally like three bites later), he tossed it to the floor and demanded a fork. If it's not challenging, it's not worth doing. Yesterday he did succeed spearing a noodle, hopefully one makes it to his mouth soon! Thankfully he has decided that nursing is cool again...at least he is getting some nutrients from that.

He inherited the ticklish gene from his Dad, but actually enjoys being tickled. (Chris assumes the fetal position if you even mention the word) Otto will encourage you to tickled him and then try to crawl away shrieking (only time it's cute!) before stopping so you can catch him and continue. He also loves to wrestle and has mastered the 'punch you in the trachea' move that can lay a parent flat in under three seconds. I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm (most of the time!) his constant tackling stems from his desire to be with you all the time. He loves to be involved in whatever Chris or I am doing; cooking dinner is difficult while holding a 24 pound person!

No post is complete without pictures (hence the lack of posting...my camera is in route though!), tonight my guys took me to dinner for my birthday. They also got me a kindle which is so neat! I love it already.

Otto had spotted a puppy:)

One Year Doctor's Appointment

2011-08-05T20:49:00.001-05:00

Otto had his one year check-up on Wednesday. Here are his stats just for the record!

Height: 32 5//8 inches (over 95th percentile)
Weight: 23 pounds 10 ounces (65th percentile)

Still a big kid, but definitely slimming down, probably because he insists on feeding himself. We need to improve this boy's aim, most of makes it onto the spoon falls off halfway to his mouth!

Colorado (Part Two)

2011-08-04T22:12:00.000-05:00

The week in Colorado was a big one for Otto, not only did he turn ONE but he also learned a few new words (puppy, baby) and how to open doors! There was no stopping his constant exploration of the cabin, and everyone's belongings, poor Charlie had no place to rest from the Otto adoration. He is such a sweet dog and was very patient with the constant mauling.

He also traveled to two new states, only forty-eight to go!

New Mexico!

We happened to stop at the state line at the same time as the US Army Rugby team. One of the team members even took a family picture for us! Sadly, you really can't see all of our faces because of the sun:(

Colorado!

On Otto's birthday we took a walk and tried to get a few pictures of our busy little guy. We didn't have much luck because there were so many distractions (stream, grass, chipmunk!), but we did get a few keepers.

This is the stream that he drank out of later in the week! The boy is strong in this one.

Otto and Daddy! They were spinning in circles trying for a smile, promise we don't hold him like that all the time!

Otto and Mommy! We've come a long way from last year and we both survived!

That evening we had Otto's current favorite meal, spaghetti, for dinner before eating cupcakes!

We got one of each that the store had and they were delicious! Otto had the Snowflake cupcake, which was vanilla cake with butter cream icing. He LOVED it and put on quite a show eating it.

At 9:15 (central time) I snuck in and took an 'exactly one year later' picture. He changed just a little! :)

Colorado!

2011-08-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

Can I just say again how fantastic Colorado was?! It's nice just to have a change of pace and scenery every once and a while, but when the scenery is so beautiful it's doubly amazing.

The group in the valley below the cabin!

Jessica, Shawn, Leo (Charlie), Sonia, Susan, Chris, Otto, myself, and Janay!

The people who made this trip possible. Thank you Leo and Sonia!!

The cabin, on a hill eleven thousand feet up. Climbing to the second floor was killer! The first morning we were there we took a walk down the hill (and then we had to climb back up!) to the creek. Otto was still in his pajamas with a hoodie on top, had to keep the baby warm! Temperatures were in the seventies while we were there but dropped to the forties at night.

In the creek! Otto loved the moving water. I was my favorite part too; so clear, Chris' feet are covered (and numb) in this picture.

The guys were a little nuts and decided that tubing the 'river' was a great idea. They were freezing but said after about three minutes you went numb and couldn't feel the pain anymore:-/ Needless to say none of the girls were convinced to join the fun.

We spend a few afternoons in Breckenridge, which is such a cute touristy town. The flowers were amazing and everywhere. So fresh and brilliant.

I got to go white water rafting while Chris and Otto had an adventure day. (They went for a hike where Otto saw his first deer and drank from a stream!)

We really enjoyed the change in daily routine, getting to spend lots of time together was so great! We took lots of walks, one afternoon walking/hiking to a small water fall near the cabin. Otto loved the off road adventure in the stroller, lots of bumps! He sported his mohawk for the ladies:)

Pushing the stroller picture, we've still got it! ;)

Our attempt at a family picture, Otto is a mover these days. Charlie (the Dressler's dog) was just out of the picture and Otto desperately wanted to catch him:)

Otto is a mess these days, wanting up, then down again. He loves to ride on your shoulders, but it can be hazardous to the carrier.

We really had an awesome time and are so grateful to the Dressler's for inviting us to join them. Thank you Leo and Sonia!

Birthday pictures next!

Home again!

2011-08-01T17:01:00.001-05:00

Colorado was fantastic. Cool, beautiful, and relaxing, everything you could want in a vacation. We got back early, early Sunday morning and spent the rest of the day catching up on sleep. Today has been spent unpacking and uploading pictures.

Otto had a great birthday, it's hard to believe we have a one year old now! He doesn't have any trouble believing it however, and learned to say "puppy", to open doors and scavenge for rocks while we were away:)

Here is video of the cupcake smash on his birthday. He absolutely loved it!

Don't worry, he didn't choke but Chris stopped filming just in case. He ate almost all of the cupcake, hand over fist, before I took it away and upset him greatly.

Pictures coming tomorrow!

We're back!

2011-07-20T22:06:00.000-05:00

...but not for long! On Friday we leave for a week in the mountains outside of Breckenridge. Otto is one lucky little boy, he will see the ocean and the mountains within a week. (And turn ONE!)

I, like a stud, left my camera at my sister's house:( All of the beach pictures will have to wait until I get it back. Luckily, we have a point and shoot so we won't be camera-less on our trip next week.

Right now we are washing clothes and repacking bags, getting ready for a long road trip! Otto got an early birthday present (DVD player) that hopefully will make the drive a little easier for him. If there is internet where we are staying I'll post updates, but if not, you'll hear from us in a week!

Playdate at our house!

2011-07-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the other Mommies and babies from our Bradley class came over for lunch. It was so fun to have a house full of babies, gorgeous sweet ones at that!

Sweet Charlotte!

William!

Pretty Miss Joss!

It was so much fun to get together, especially now that the babies can actually play! Everyone is mobile now, but Joss is running circles around everyone else, that girl is fast!

We tried to take a picture of all four munchkins together, but they were not having it. This, believe it or not, is the best photo out of about ten.

Will and Charlotte were not excited about having their picture taken, Joss wanted down, and Otto was very confused as to why everyone was so upset.

Kala and Jess were spotting in front of the couch while Sarah tried to get the babies attention, but all four of us could not stop laughing over the absolute meltdown that started as soon as we sat them down.

Kala is seven weeks away from her due date. Miss Liv will be here before we know it! I am so excited to meet another gorgeous Ellison baby!

Sarah is also expecting, and I am sure it's a girl;) Will is going to be a great big brother. He has such an even temperament, and didn't hold a grudge when Otto clobbered him about three minutes after they walked in the door. (Otto was very happy to see him.)

How big is Charlotte? So big!

We are leaving for the beach on Friday, so the silence on the blog will be because we are on vacation! I"ll take lots of pictures, promise!

Sunday

2011-07-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

This morning started way to early. Otto was up and ready to go at 6:40 this morning:-/ We got up and had breakfast before playing in the living room for awhile. About 8:15 he realized that getting up early is for the birds and went down for a nap...I sadly did not, but uninterrupted time in the bathroom was nice. Forty-five minutes later he was up again and ready to wake up his Dad.

We went to church and sat in our usual spot in the media room. Otto was a bit of a stinker today, Chris had to take him outside to play on the play ground because he got a little loud. Crazy kid is at an rough stage of development, physically very able but lacking communication skills to express his wants and needs. He is also still learning boundaries and what exactly it means when we tell him 'No'. But he's super cute!

Cindy hung a puppy dog key chain from the storage rack and Otto was fascinated by it. The family that operates the media room are very sweet to Otto and humor his very inquisitive nature.

We came straight home after church because our 'up at the crack of dawn, took a short morning nap' boy was very ready for lunch and a nap. While he slept Chris added some mounting hardware to a mirror for me and I caulked the frame we made for Otto's bathroom mirror. Now it just needs a quick coat of paint and it will be done!

When the munchkin woke up we played for a while in the living room. He is really enjoying this toy his Nana sent home with us. He can even use all of it's functions correctly, smart kiddo!

Otto has started a lovely new activity called self weaning. At least, I think that is what is going on. For the past several days he only wants to nurse at bed or nap time, any other meals need to be big kid food. Even first thing in the morning he will only take one side before being ready to get down and play. He is obviously hungry but doesn't have the skills to feed himself 100% and won't let us spoon feed him. So today we decided to try a little whole milk in a sippy cup. He thought it was okay, but only drank about an ounce. Because of his milk intolerance in the past we are going to wait 48 hours and watch for reactions. If he can't handle cow's milk we will try a sippy of soy milk at meal/snack times to boost his protein intake. Does anyone have experience with this? Is he trying to wean? He's only 11 months, I'm not ready for this!

Shawn and Jessica invited us over for dinner (which was delicious!) at their new apartment. Otto was so, so excited to chase their cats...the poor cats were a little less enthusiastic about the situation. He also surprised me and climbed right up the staircase without any hesitations. I am now very, very glad we live in a one story house!

While we were eating, Otto, who was sitting at the table in his booster seat, started CLAPPING! I, true to form, started freaking out because he finally decided to clap!!! Chris was less impressed because apparently this was old news as Otto had clapped for him several days ago. What?! How did I miss such a event? One that I have been coaching him on forever? Oh well, but for the record, he now claps! And it is so stinkin' cute.

Now we are home, the kidlet is in bed, and we will be heading that way shortly. Goodnight!

Saturday!

2011-07-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

Today gets an exclamation point because it was a great day. Having Chris home is wonderful.:)

Otto and I went for a walk this morning right after breakfast (Chris was playing basketball with friends) and stopped at the three (count them, three!) garage sales in our neighborhood. We met several neighbors, including a family with twins. We had to go back with the Pathfinder to pick up our finds:)

The hall table and ivy pots are what we found today, everything else is a combination of Goodwill and Nana's house. I'm just terrible about remembering to unload the car, it's empty now, promise!

Otto went down for his nap right before Chris got home. Lucky boy too...Chris was nasty. Three hours of pick-up games and a couple of blisters=a good time in his book.

Gross!

After Otto's nap and a change of clothes for Chris, we made a trip to Lowe's with a stop at Cici's for lunch. Otto is BIG fan of pasta with red sauce and thought it was great that the noodles were big enough to pick up and feed to himself. The bib was the only thing that remained clean:-/

At Lowe's we purchased supplies for my latest crazy scheme. No, the bookcase isn't finished yet, but my excuse is I can paint it anytime, but I need Chris to help with the miter saw.

See? He does a great job. He also replaced the blades on the porch ceiling fan.

Look what we did! Much better right? It took us all of nap time and about thirty minutes after Otto when to sleep for the night. Hopefully we'll get a little faster when we do the mirrors in our bathroom. (This is Otto's bathroom.)

This afternoon we played, had dinner, and Otto went swimming in the kiddie pool. He was more interested in the water spigot than the water in the pool and actually stood unassisted for about twenty seconds becuase he was so distracted. Walking is just around the corner!

Now Chris and I are about to find something on Netflix to watch. Hope everyone had as good of a day as we did!

Friday

2011-07-08T21:34:00.000-05:00

Woot, woot, it's Friday!

Today Otto got up at 7:40, thirty minutes later than normal again. A girl could get used to this! Chris got up and off to work while we ate breakfast and got ready for the day. I was sans caffeine today until about noon, and remarkably did just fine. Those thirty extra minutes must really be doing something;)

When Otto went down for his morning nap I cleaned the master bath and worked on the bookcase for a bit. The outside is now primed! And thanks to a brisk breeze I'm now a few shades whiter than normal.

I also started re-staining a little display shelf that I absconded with from my parents house last weekend. It was my mother's when she was a child and originally came from Germany. Isn't it cute? I love the scalloping.

At this point Otto got up from his delightfully short (45 minute) nap but he was sweet enough to play in his bathtub fort while I showered. Then we moved to the living room and I made a few alterations to an outfit that I am making for a friend's baby...this is the first thing I have made for someone else, and I'm very afriad that it will fall apart the first time they wash it!

When I finished we heading out the door to run a few errands. I needed to make a few returns and stop at the monogram shop. Of course today also happened to be the hottest day of the year yet, only 108 in DFW. Our last stop was at Aldi, because I have a sickness when it comes to grocery stores.

While we were there we picked up a few new snacks for Otto to try, raisins, dried cranberries, and canned asparagus. He tried the cranberries and asparagus at dinner tonight and while he didn't really like the fibrous texture of the latter, he loved the cranberries!

When we got home, there was a package from my mom waiting in the mail box! And guess what was inside? Spoons for Otto! He was ecstatic about his new toys.

He even managed to sneak one into bed with him at nap time. You can't see it here, but when I went to get him after he woke up he was grinning ear to ear holding a spoon.

Look how big he's getting, isn't it sad?

Between nap time and getting dinner (breakfast night) ready, Otto and I rehung a few decorative objects in the master bedroom. Why you ask? Last night after I blogged Chris suggested rearranging the bedroom. Being my mother's child I thought this was a great idea, and so at 10:30pm we were moving the bed and dresser. When the bookcase's facelift is complete and is back in place I'll post pictures.

At dinner Otto was playing entertainer and kept repeating the word ball after Chris. In the past it has always come out 'bah' but tonight he mastered the whole word. Go buddy!

We are now back at the dining room table playing with our computers...and being the wild and crazy people that we are we might go finish rehanging everything in a bit:) Night!

Thursday

2011-07-07T22:17:00.001-05:00

Today was, well, exhausting. We didn't do much but Otto was very involved in whatever I was doing and just a little clingy. I'm pretty sure that his teeth are bothering him and are the cause, but they are no where near ready to come in so the next few weeks might be pretty rough. :(

He woke up at 5:30 this morning but immediately went back to sleep after nursing and then slept until 7:40. Woohoo! Thirty extra minutes of sleep for me! After waking Chris up, Otto had breakfast while I packed Chris a lunch and put on my tennis shoes. When Chris left for work, we when for a walk. It was eighty degrees at 8:30 this morning which is much nicer than the 100+ temperatures we've had all week.

Otto went nuts for a little dog that had escaped from its yard. He was so excited to see a puppy! He seems to prefer little dogs to big right now. He is generally in awe of large dogs but literally chases small ones:)

He almost jumped out of the stroller! It has a five point harness, but I have only been using the bottom two because one top latches was missing part of the buckle. Needless to say, when we got home that was immediately remedied.

Otto went down for his morning nap and I cleaned up a little, had breakfast (turkey sandwich), and took a shower. When he woke up we took a trip to Goodwill because I don't enough projects to work on already, including the barely touched bookcase on the back porch. We had a pretty successful trip, found a mirror and a tool storage rack for the garage!

It was lunch time when we got home, and Otto had corn, black beans, and a little leftover tuna with wild rice.

He hasn't really had corn as a finger food and apparently he doesn't like it. He ate everything but the corn and when I tried to sneak a piece into a bite he spit only the corn out! This is his tray when he was done:) Two spoons and lots of corn.

After lunch we played for a bit and then Otto went down for his nap. He took two fantastic naps today, both two hours long. After he woke up we played, made dinner, and got into the trash about fifteen times. (Him, not me...I got to clean it up:)) We even took a bath in the big bath tub in an effort to take his mind of the grumpiness. Chris had to work late and didn't get home until seven. Otto was very happy to see him and stayed up until all of seven thirty before he crashed.

Chris and I are now both sitting at the dining room table with our computers, Thursday night full of fun!

Wednesday

2011-07-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Day one!

Otto woke up earlier than normal today, about 6:45, and consequently was about thirty minutes ahead with his routine. As soon I got him out of his crib he was on the hunt for his spatula, which he found in the living room. How cute are these pajamas? For some reason he looks so old in plaid pajama pants!

After nursing we played for a bit before ~~jumping on~~ cuddling with Chris to wake him up. Otto is excellent at waking up his Dad, it's either wake up and catch him or let him take a nose dive off the bed;) Chris generally wakes up.

While Chris got ready for the day, Otto play in his bathtub fort (garden style tub full of toys, don't laugh it works!) and I packed Chris a lunch of leftover grilled sausage. After waving good bye to his Dad (Otto follows him to the car every morning, I'm sure he would climb in and say 'See you later, Mom!' if he was physically able.) we had breakfast and a little playtime before Otto was ready for his first nap. Poor guy was a little grumpy today, I think he is starting to seriously work on his molars.

While he was sleeping I tidied up in the kitchen and puttied the nail holes in the bookcase from our room. Last night Chris and I carried it to the back porch so it can finally be painted. During the transfer from bedroom to porch we succeeded in pulling off the back board...oops!

I think it's going to be painted white, but I'm open to suggestions!

Because of the short fuse Otto had today we stayed close to home after his nap instead of running errands. We had lunch (tuna and wild rice) and played with just about every toy that we have, by that then it was time for nap number two. (Naps are nine and one right now.) While he was resting I did a little laundry and tried to finish a few sewing projects, but sadly my machine was have a grumpy day too. He took a great nap, two hours, and woke up in a much better mood.

Around four we headed to the gym where Otto played in the nursery while I spent a little quality time on a treadmill. Thankfully there weren't many people in the cardio room and I was able to put in my time without being shown up by a senior citizen. :)

Otto was the only baby in the child care center and the babysitter greeted him by name. We've only been twice, so it made me feel a little better about leaving him to play for a bit. He really enjoys all the extra attention and today they had a playroom pet, two yellow belly turtles, which he thought were great.

When we got home it was time to start dinner. Otto was super excited to see his Dad and played peek'a'boo with him using the dining room curtains during dinner. And now it's bedtime!

See? Super riveting day. Tune in tomorrow for more of the same!

Fourth of July Weekend!

2011-07-05T23:34:00.000-05:00

We went to East Texas for the Fourth of July holiday and started the weekend at Chris' parents. Otto was thrilled to see his Nana and Papa, and even more thrilled with the living room full of toys that his Nana had for him. :) (My Mom and Lisa are both fantastic grandmothers and have a ridiculous amount of Otto appropriate entertainment at their houses--they might even have more than we do!) We arrived late Friday night, and because of the power nap he had in the car, Otto stayed up past midnight playing with the balls, (practically) life sized stuffed pony, and jumping turtle. This little guy in nothing if not spoiled!

In the morning his Nana took him outside to swing, which he absolutely loved. It probably helped that she also gave him a wooden spoon to hold as well:)

Later that afternoon we headed to my parents where we spent the night. Early the next morning we went blueberry picking!

Blueberries are probably Otto's current favorite food so I was excited to see how he would react when he found out they grew on trees. He didn't disappoint, and was quite adept at picking and eating as many as he wanted:)

Abbey went with us to the fields, and Otto was very content to have her carry him around and hand feed him berries. I'm pretty sure she was feeding him from the bucket, and the boy was in heaven. He really loves Abbey and is very comfortable with her, probably because she is so perceptive to his wants/needs.

We picked a gallon, in addition to what Otto ate, to bring home with us. The rest of the day was spent swimming, watching the guys play soccer in the goat pasture, and grilling yummy steaks for dinner.

Michael's hat is like Otto's spoons...attached to his person at all times;)

Instead of coming home Sunday evening, as originally planned, we stayed an extra night so that my brothers could take Chris bow hunting...for fish. At night. Sounds strange, and it is, but the guys had a great time and Chris caught/shot a fish! (Carp or something similar, about twenty inches.)

Hope you all had a happy 4th!

Also, I've been a crappy blogger lately so in an effort to redeem myself for the next week I am going to post our daily happenings. Prepare yourselves for some very, very riveting stuff...lunch menus and nap schedules coming up! :)

Baby Apron

2011-07-01T09:39:00.001-05:00

Otto is all boy. Complete with the messy eating habits that stem from his desire to squish things before putting them into his mouth. Because of this, most of his outfits have permanent stains. Now, I realize this comes with having a little person who is learning to feed himself, but still would like to get more than a wearing or two out of his church clothes before they are designated for play only.

We've tried just about every bib on the market. Most are too short, and we end up with a pile of food in his lap, and the bibs with pockets (plastic) make too much noise and are distracting. He's too busy playing to eat! Meal time at home generally consists of a naked baby in the high chair with a pool dunk after eating to clean him up. In public this just doesn't work;)

He also loves to figure out how things work, and has learned to to take off the bibs we have with Velcro attachments. I've made a few that are reenforced with snaps, but once again they still aren't long enough to actually protect his clothes. So, when I came across this pattern last week I was super excited to try it. It ties and extends past his waist, win! If I ever meet this mom in real life it's going to be awkward, because I'm going to walk right up and hug her neck for sharing such a great idea.

The Bapron!

If you are an expectant mommy or have a little person in your life, trust me, you are going to want to make a few of these!

Now, granted these aren't fool proof. Yesterday we were running around town getting a few things done and Otto was snacking on nuggets and fruit from Chick'fil'a. As soon as he figured out that his shirt was safe from crumbs and chicken juice, he rubbed a nugget in his hair and we finished our errands grease mohawk:)

And the spoon. It's how he accessorizes these days. I cleaned his room today and found two baby spoons and my favorite kitchen spoon. Let's just be glad he's not into forks :)

Eleven Months!

2011-06-26T23:21:00.001-05:00

...and one day. Apparently I've been off a day all week. Eek! So much for all the great sleep I've been getting this month (major progress in that category!) obviously it isn't doing any good. :)

But for kicks, because we celebrated by going to the pool and letting him eat a corn dog, let's pretend that today, and not yesterday, was Otto's eleven month birthanniversary, okay?

So like I said today we went to the pool, and predictably Otto loved it! Because it was the weekend there were lots of other people swimming and Otto did quite a lot of gawking at the older kids and their pool toys. We're going to have to find this boy some water toys!

Swimming is the best!

Otto has been all over the place this past month. He is into everything, and thinks he is big stuff. He is always underfoot and likes to 'help' in the kitchen, unloading the dishwasher (and the cabinets) is his specialty;)

Pretty much the only way to cook dinner these days is to give him his own spoon and pot to 'cook' with while I work. And if I don't get it out for him, he helps himself! Opening cabinets, toilets (ick!), and pulling the handles off drawers are his current favorite activities. He loves taking things apart and seeing how they work, future engineer maybe?

And the spoon's? BFF's. Big, little, he loves them all. We are down to two baby spoons because after a meal he will carry his utensil off and play with it. Hopefully I find his stash soon or we'll be back to eating with our fingers. He was using this kitchen spoon as a drumstick before his snack and wouldn't let go of it when I put him in the highchair. Peaches eaten with a giant spoon taste better.

And if he isn't carrying around an eating utensil, it's this little hammer. I prefer the days this guy is his friend because it's a little more baby safe:)

(Ten minutes into our day and he has already found the hammer)

After dinner most evenings we head outside and take a bath in the swimming pool. He loves splashing and it makes for easy clean up. He insists on feeding himself these days, and even tries to use his spoon correctly, which makes for a messy baby.

Spaghetti is delicious!

This month he has really started to comprehend what we saying and tries to communicate back. I'm working on a baby quilt for his room and had it spread out on the floor while measuring. Otto crawled over to investigate and when I explained that 'Mommy has a blanket on the floor!' (I'm really clever these days.) When he crawled away grinning I thought he had simply lost interest, but two seconds later he was back, dragging his lovey! He laid it on top of the quilt and smiled at me as if to say, 'Look! We both have blankets!'. Smart guy! I need to start giving him more credit!

He is also starting to tolerate milk products a little. Woohoo! Indirectly (through breastmilk) he is doing much better, and only gets a little gassy. In the last week I've had cheese and frozen yogurt (Braum's Cappuccino Chunky Chocolate, AMAZING! ) and let me tell you, the world is a better place because of milk products. Hopefully, with a slow introduction, in a few months he will be ready for whole milk. Cross your fingers!

I can hardly believe that in just four short weeks we will have a one year old. Fastest year of my life!

For Jenny

2011-06-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

I found this while organizing Otto's closet.

We had been married about two months when my friend Jenny gave us this outfit. Doesn't she have excellent taste? ;)

In other news, look how much his hair has already grown!

Swim Time!

2011-06-22T13:36:00.001-05:00

This morning we went swimming at the gym!

Otto styling his super happy face:)

Otto is running about thirty minutes ahead with his schedule today, so when he woke up from his morning nap earlier than I had planned we just left early. Because free swim hadn't started when we arrived, I decided to try out the on-site babysitters (gasp!) and spend a little time in the cardio room. Otto did great! I'm pretty sure he got extra attention from the staff for being so cute and friendly, and having a psycho mother who asked to be called if he so much as sneezed didn't hurt either;)

I picked a treadmill in the corner, next to an elderly man, thinking that grandparents are generally sweet and won't laugh poor wusses who can't handle sweating....yeah right! This little man was probably in his eighties and kept giving me bring it looks, so not to be outdone I cranked my incline and speed up to match his. (healthy power walk...don't laugh, that's about as intense as I can handle) Twenty minutes in I was doing my best to look cool but he just wouldn't quit! About that time I realized he was wearing a 'Silver Sneakers' shirt and carrying a personalized sweat towel, the man was obviously a professional. Thank goodness he finished his workout shorty after that or I probably would have fallen off the machine. My legs are going to hurt tomorrow!

When free swim started I picked up Otto we changed for the pool. In an effort to be better about blogging I brought the point and shoot to take a few pictures, but the munchkin wasn't having any of it. Delay getting in the water to take pictures?! What was I thinking?

4th of July swimsuit!

I (dumbly) thought that he would let me take few pictures while he played on the top step. Ha. ha. ha.

I pinched him between my feet and turned on the camera. This picture is all that I got before he, I kid you not, dove off the top step head first. I caught him by his foot, so he only went in to ears, but the half second his face was under took about five years off my life. He thought it was great, and came up laughing. Camera went back in the bag at this point so both hands could be glued to the baby.

He caught this duck while paddling around the pool and played with it the entire time we were there. When we left he politely gave it back to the life guard, which was a big deal. (Lately he has had a difficult time when things are taken from him.)

We came home to yummy lunch of black beans and rice. Chris isn't a fan, meals without meat aren't his thing, surprise surprise, but Otto and I love it.

Otto is napping now, but later this afternoon we might venture out. I need a new swimsuit, everything in my drawer is either pre-baby or maternity, and needless to say aren't that flattering.

Downtown Dental Appointment

2011-06-21T20:39:00.001-05:00

This morning I had a scheduled dental cleaning, so after attempting (and failing) a morning nap, Otto and I headed downtown. The dental office that we go to is on the same block as Chris' office and while it's a little more complicated to get to the office, it's easier for Chris to schedule appointments and for me to get a cleaning while Otto hangs out with his Dad.

Otto loves going downtown, there is always so much to see AND he gets to see Daddy in the middle of the day.

While I was at my appointment, the guys took a walk to the Water Gardens. Chris told me that Otto just wanted to jump in! Crazy kid loves the water. This week we joined the local YMCA and have been going to the pool to beat the heat. (Hence the lack of posts, we're been busy!) While we're at the pool I can't put Otto down at all, he crawls right to the water and will just climb (fall) right in. When we are in the pool he is very sure of himself and now puts his face in the water on his own accord. The lifeguards all laugh at how incredibly enthusiastic his is, but I'm sure they are watching him extra closely in case he attempts something extreme. After about twenty minutes in the water I'm ready for a nap:) He is generally very upset to leave, but eats and sleeps well when we get home!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Otto absolutely adores his Dad. In the last few weeks it has really become apparent that Chris is his best friend. If Chris is home Otto is his shadow, following him around trying to do what ever he is doing. It's gotten to the point where he pretty much wants nothing to do with me when his dad is around, he won't even nurse if Chris is in the room. (I'm okay with this, I get plenty of one-on-one time with him during the day, and Chris doesn't. Although being treated like chopped liver is strange sometimes.)

Yesterday Chris played a round of golf with a friend, and when he got home I recorded Otto's reaction to his arrival. (Even with sunscreen the poor man got fried, check out those ankles! Also, I don't think he was very amused about being attacked by the camera right after getting home;))

I thinks it hilarious how Otto expects to be tossed in the air, he loves it! Although he doesn't do it in the video, he generally hugs Chris and then gives me a 'see you later' look complete with a wave. Home dude loves his dad.

Otto is so blessed to have a father that loves him so much. Happy Father's Day Chris!

Four Generations

2011-06-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we had a birthday party for my grandparents who both turned ninety this year! I'm a terrible blogger or I would have had these pictures up much sooner:( But better late than never!

My Nana and Gaw-Gaw, Otto's great grandparents on my father's side.

Four generations!

Addy and Otto!

2011-06-13T10:11:00.001-05:00

On Friday, Angela brought Addison up, to visit us! We loved getting to spend a little time with them both, thanks for lending them to us Justin and Jackie:)

Isn't my niece just a doll baby?

While she and Otto share coloring and are just about the same size the similarities stop there. Addy is all girl and Otto continues to be quite the little boy, these two pictures really highlight the difference between them. Angela brought Addison's swimming pool with them and both Friday and Saturday evening the babies had a great time 'swimming'.

Otto went nuts, splashing and doing his version of the breaststroke; flopping around on his belly with the occasional face dunk for extra fun. (He's gone all the way under and came up grinning, he loves it.) Addy was a little more reserved, preferring to climb in and out or blow bubbles from the side, I don't think she got wet past her knees:) He is into everything and enjoys a mess, while she is quieter and reflects a little more before acting.

She could have just been trying to stay away from the crazy guy with the water hose;)

Addy thought the hill in our back yard was great, and kept running to the top, shouting "1,2,3!", and then running back down.

While she was enjoying that, Otto kept practicing his breaststoke:) He has the makings of quite the little fish.

Because Addison and her mother are traveling back to Korea on Wednesday, Addy left her pool at our house for Otto to enjoy. He was very sad to see her go, but wants her to know that her pool will be well taken care of! (Thank you Nana!)

Let's Go Mavs!

2011-06-12T19:33:00.001-05:00

Mavericks watch party happening at our house tonight! Chris and his buddy Shawn are big fans and are very excited that the Mavs have made it this far. Hopefully they will be able to pull off a big win tonight!

Chris grilled bratwurst for dinner on his new grill. He is loving it and so am I, outside cooking is so much cooler! (In temperature and awesomeness)

We just finished a great weekend with Chris' sister Angela and our niece Addison. Stay tuned for pictures of Addy and Otto playing together!

Otto is a hot mess. He learned several new tricks from his cousin and while she took two naps today, he decided one was enough. He was a very happy camper though, so maybe it's time to transition to one nap instead of two, we'll see!

First Haircut

2011-06-06T21:47:00.001-05:00

Oh my you guys, we got Otto's hair cut. He looks ridiculously cute and...different. In some ways I think he looks more like himself at about four months, but he also looks so much older. Very much like a little boy. I think he knows it too, he has been acting like he is tough stuff since getting his new 'do.

Last 'long' hair picture. Giving me the stink eye because it's so bright out.

Sunday afternoon we to a local (chain) kids hair salon. The shop was very geared towards making little people feel comfortable and had lots of distractions; televisions with video games at every station, lego tables, chalkboards, and the stylists chairs were shaped like cars. Otto chose the firetruck:)

The stylist that cut his hair, Brittany, was wonderful, and Otto thought she was great. Not only did she have his favorite color of hair, but when he wanted the comb she was using, she let him have it and simply got another. (Brushes and combs are a recent favorite thing)

He wasn't fazed by the process at all, there were way too many distractions. Brittany was really quick and when he moved she just moved with him. The only moment he was slightly grumpy was when Chris took his comb away (covered in hair and he was trying to eat it) but he cheered right up when he was given a blueberry.

I was there too, promise! See?

He was a little suspicious of the trimmer, but held very still and didn't even try to grab it. Yay buddy!

All done! It's very short, but at least it is even now and he won't look like a rug-rat as it grows out:) It is slicked down with gel is this photo, but today after his nap it was trying to curl again and couldn't, it's too short!

Otto really did a great job sitting still and being a big kid and I only teared up once; overall a very successful visit! And I think he likes it which is a plus:)

Uncle Michael!

2011-06-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

Michael has been staying with us this week! Sam had a dental appointment in DFW so Michael rode along and Otto and I met up with them to pick him up.

Michael is A LOT of fun and Otto has really enjoyed having him here. He has been following him around like a little puppy and emulating everything he does. They've played chase, wrestled, and even cuddled a little. All the extra interaction has led to terrific naps this week, and Otto has been eating like a man to impress his uncle. Michael has been a great house guest too. He's even done the dishes a few times! Which is nice because home dude gets a new cup even three minutes;)

Here are a few pictures from my iPhone that we've taken this week.

Look who I just picked up Chris!

We took a trip to Goodwill (looking for a skateboard so we could check out the local skate park) and found these golf themed gadgets for Chris. Michael was pumped.

We also saw a billboard advertising .49 cent drinks at Racetrack, yay baby!

This week was finals week for Michael, and every day he had a two finals to take online. Otto was a terrific ~~distraction~~ helper:)

We went grocery shopping and I even convinced Michael to use a few coupons;)

Chick'fil'a!

Michael eats all. the. time. And because Otto needs to do everything Michael does, every time Michael got a snack Otto would crawl over and beg for a taste. Because of this Otto has now tried teriyaki beef jerky:/

Although Michael is my little brother, he is no longer my little brother. I am ecstatic about this because for the longest time he has been taller, but I have been heavier...not anymore!

Today he took his last final (now officially an eleventh grader!) and celebrated by painting his face braveheart style, and running up and down the street shouting 'FREEDOM!'. I think most of the neighbors thought he was a deranged Mavericks fan:)

Michael really is an awesome guy, he has a wild and crazy side, but is also very courteous and compassionate. Otto is a very lucky kid to have him in his life....seriously, don't you wish you had an uncle that could do this?!

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T22:48:00.000-05:00

On Sunday night we drove to East Texas for a spontaneous, less than 24 hour, trip. We had a great time and got to see both my family and Chris'. Otto got to swim for the first time and Chris got to experience 'The Cliffs'. Although he is still suffering from the sunburn, he had a fantastic time.

It took Otto about three seconds to realize the pool was AWESOME! He absolutely loved it.

Look at his face, he was a very happy camper! We actually went swimming twice that afternoon because he enjoyed it so much.

His super happy cheese face:) This is my new favorite picture.

He really took off, Chris had a hard time holding him. The child had no fear, and was using both his arms and legs to crawl though the water. We have got to get this boy in swimming lessons, he will love them.

Addison also got to swim, but she was very polite about it. I think she thought that Otto was a little crazy:) Isn't her little pony tail adorable?

After swimming (the first time), while Otto was napping, we went to the Cliffs. Just a few miles from my parents house there is an old rock quarry that has flooded and has become the new hang out spot. There are several places to jump from the walls into the water, the largest jump being about fifty feet. It's insane, I was nervous the entire time we were there that some one was going to get hurt, the place is an accident waiting to happen!

Chris about to jump!

In he goes!

Seriously crazy! I did not jump.

We came home Monday night, tired and sunburned, but we had a great time. Otto has been napping wonderfully since our trip and slept better last night than he has in a while! We definitely need to go swimming on a regular bases if only to get a decent nights sleep!

Happy Birthday Chris!

2011-05-31T11:31:00.001-05:00

Sunday was Chris' 27th birthday! We spent the day hanging out together, we had plans to have family in for the weekend but sadly last week Otto caught a virus that covered him in spots and was quite possibly German measles. He is fully recovered now thank goodness and no longer looks like a little leopard baby:)

We started off the day with breakfast (in bed for Chris) and then went to church.

Every week Otto has a blast 'sorting' the tapes and cds, today I had the camera so I took a few pictures. He is getting pretty brave and today was holding a tape in each hand and letting go while standing. Eek! Thankfully the woman who runs the tape room is a grandmother many times over and doesn't mind his help:)

After getting home from church (and a nap!) we had lunch with watermelon for dessert. Watermelon is Chris' favorite fruit and he was excited for Otto to try it. We weren't disappointed with his reaction, he loved it too!

We stripped him down to just his diaper and gave him a piece on the back porch to control the mess.

What is this stuff?

At first he wasn't sure what to do with it so Chris showed him that it was edible.

After finding out that it was delicious, he wanted to hold it himself.

But soon realized that it was slippery and heavy so he resorted to an alternative method. :)

Watermelon is good stuff!

We turned on the sprinkler when he was done for a quick outside shower--he was covered in juice!

The sprinkler wasn't as much fun as the watermelon, but I'm sure when the weather (and water) gets a little warmer he will love it.

This post would have been up on Sunday evening but that evening after dinner we made a spontaneous decision to visit East Texas, and left 28 minutes later.Crazy yes, but we had a blast and are now home, sunburned and exhausted. Pictures of all the fun coming tomorrow!

PS: Happy third anniversary to us!

Ten Months!

2011-05-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today Otto celebrated turning 10 months and his Uncle Michael turning 16 years old! Good day!

He is a crawling/climbing madman and loves to be chased, especially if he has something he shouldn't have. But even with his super star skills in the crawling department, for some reason he still can't/won't crawl over door frames. The six inch shower stall lip? No problem, but going from inside to outside or vice versa doesn't happen yet, which I am a-okay with. If one of the off limits rooms (bedrooms, baths, laundry) door has accidentally been left open, its a guarantee that he knows and in 3.2 seconds will be pulling books off the shelves or wiggling under the bed. Over the past month he has learned to gingerly lower himself back to the sitting position from standing instead of just letting go and plopping down. This has boosted his confidence and he now cruises from one piece of furniture to the next.

He has started waving, choosing a little old lady in the grocery store as the lucky first person. She didn't even think I was crazy for spazzing out about it, just agreed that he was definitely waving:) He has since waved for his Dad and when I put him in his car seat to go bye-bye.

This is his cheese face, although generally his eyes are squished shut too:)

He is becoming more expressive of his needs. When he's hungry you can definitely tell, he will climb into my lap hugging, kissing, and helping himself. Eek! It's funny, but awkward as well. He loves his people and seems to know when Chris should be home from work. Yesterday, about 5:45, he was cruising the living room furniture asking for 'Mama' and he was not talking about me. When Chris does get home, Otto lights up and can't wait to play with his dad. At bedtime, and sometimes naps, he will find me, crawl into my lap and rub his head on my shoulder telling me he wants to go to sleep.

His hair is CRAZY. A haircut is in the future, just as soon as his Grandmother gets to see his curls one more time.(Mom, please come visit!)

This month he discovered spaghetti which he loves. He prefers foods with strong flavors and still doesn't like green beans but zucchini is a favorite.We still nurse at least five times a day and once at night, and he eats two meals (lunch and dinner) with snacks throughout the day.

He has mastered buzzing his lips, and when I'm driving the car I can hear him in the back blowing raspberries. Strange noises make him laugh, power tools are still a favorite, but the broom is a close second. He also loves sneezing (something that happens a lot for our allergy prone guy) and grins every time he does.

We love this little man!

Otto's First Word!

2011-05-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

It's official, he talks!

Tonight when Chris walked in the door from work Otto started beaming and squealed, "Mama!".

He has been using the repetitive mamamama syllable for awhile as an expression of want. Like when he is chasing a toy across the living room or when you are eating something and he wants a taste. Chris has been coaching him associate the word with me, but obviously that plan backfired and Daddy is now a 'Mama':)

How do you stop them from climbling?!

2011-05-20T22:05:00.001-05:00

Otto has a new skill. Climbing.

Notice how he looks at me to make sure it's okay, generally this isn't allowed.

The fireplace is his favorite target, and he is not deterred by anything. Yesterday he even fell off resulting in this lovely injury.

(The inflammation has gone down and it is now three small scratches.) (He also face planted into the entryway tile and bit his lip pretty severely. Yesterday was a rough day for us both.)

I've tried just about everything...creating a barrier with toys, padding, distractions, punishments...it's just too tempting. Any ideas on how to teach him not to climb/use caution or how to make the bricks baby safe?

The fireplace is just the beginning, today I chased him into the bathroom where he tried to climb into the tub. This evening after dinner he hopped up on the coffee table chasing a graham cracker. And he was so proud of himself:) Doesn't he know that skills like these will give his mother gray hair?

(He's not always naked, promise! But the little daredevil does seem to come out in him during outfit changes.)

This is Our House: (Otto's Room)

2011-05-19T15:05:00.000-05:00

When we found out we were having a boy, I decided right away that we wouldn't go with the traditional blue and white theme. I had grand plans for grey with lots of textures and elephants. Ha! What did we end up with? Blue and white, and I love it:)

Otto seems to like it too. The flags above the crib are a recent addition, he is attracted flags/banners/signs when we are in stores or schools so a few weeks ago we added some to his room. The pictures above the bed and toy box were all taken by Sarah:)

His curtains and corner chair were in our living room while in college, I found them at Ikea. The mirror is from Pier One and used to be in the living room as well. Otto's Nana found and refinished the changing table and dresser for us, both of which worked perfectly with the crib that we found on Craigslist. The crib converts into a toddler bed and then to a full, which I am excited about because I love it's shape.

The door on the right goes into the hall. Otto's toy box was a Christmas gift from his Nana and the center strip is magnetic. As soon as he stops chewing on things for fun we will break out the alphabet magnets that came with it!

Hopefully I will be able to find a chair that will fit the little activity table, but for now it just holds the fan we use for white noise and book overflow from the dresser. In the future we will probably transition to a full size dresser and exchange the changing table with a bookcase.

(Excuse the photo quality of this post, I was using the point and shoot while he napped, and I stink at picture taking.)

Otto's First Rangers Game!

2011-05-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

Today we took Otto to his first Rangers game. It took him a few minutes to adjust to the noise level, but he did great and I think he had a wonderful time. He was exhausted when we left, three minutes into the drive home he crashed, tired boy!

Yes, we are totally styling matching outfits. I figure I better get in my matching outfit while he is still young, before he can protest!

The entire day was so much fun, not only was the weather perfect, but there was lots of wonderful company and we snagged possibly the best parking spot available. We were the last car to pull into lot M, and because they had oversold the lot, we were told to park along the edge of the lot directly in front of the ballpark! Perfect!

Can't you tell I was excited about the parking? :)

Our group. Lots of little ones and their families. We went with with the other couples from our Bradley class and their babies. We missed you Connelly family!

We ran into my older sister's college roommate, how fun is that? She was sitting just a few rows behind us. Amy got to meet Otto for the first time and he thought she was pretty neat.

Joss' parents were the masterminds behind the day. Thank you guys for putting it together, we had a great time!

Miss Jocelyn has a new trick, when you point the camera in her direction she cheeses! So cute!

William and his parents were also there. The Strange family!

William has exciting news, in December he will be a big brother! Woohoo!

We left at the top of the ninth because Otto was past exhausted but too distracted to nap. Right in front of our car there were a couple of guys promoting Dr Pepper and giving samples. I grabbed one for the ride home. Woot! A wonderful end to a fun day! (And the Rangers won!)

This is Our House (The Dining Room)

2011-05-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

This is our dining room. Clean, simple, and functional.

Our home has an open floor plan, and the dining room is attached to both the kitchen and living room. For the stage of life we are in now, this design is perfect. I can make dinner or tidy the main rooms of the house while Otto plays. It is also great to have such a large space for him to explore, while the bedrooms and bathrooms that aren't as baby friendly are closed off. The dining room is at the back of the house facing West. It's window overlooks the back porch.

Chris made the benches and his mother made the table. The photo shelves Chris made from a plan that I found on Ana-white.com, and of course Sarah took all the pictures! The buffet is actually a dresser that we inherited from Chris' best friend's parents, if it ever migrates back into a bedroom I will reattach the gorgeous matching mirror. The rug under the table is from Lowe's, a patio rug for easy clean-up.

Now, I need your opinion. I have grand upgrade plans for this room. The goal is to add a little detail and warmth, beyond the basic builder boring, while adding a distinct separation of the dining room from the living room. (They share a large wall, 29x10.) I want to do something similar to this, but Chris is a little iffy on the idea. Thoughts? Sugesstions? DAD, THIS IS WHERE YOU COMMENT, OKAY? The main goal is to add detail to the room without clutter.

This is what the little munchkin was doing while I uploaded these photos, isn't he the cutest? Even sleeping he's adorable:)