Peter is 9 months

This past month has been the month where I have noticed the most changes in Peter in his short little life. He has made some huge developments lately and I am (obviously) loving them!

In the past week and a half, he has started using consanents. He started with "ba ba ba ba" and has now progressed to "ma ma ma". Love!! Spencer and I are now trying to get him to do "da da da da" too. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure it's next! He also loves to shake his head no all the time. He doesn't necessarily mean "no" when he does it but when he does it and I say "no no no" along with it, it just cracks him up.

He is pulling to stand on everything and is cruising on furniture, letting go of one thing and grabbing onto another. He can crawl up our steps with minimal assistance (though we are right behind him b/c it scares the crap out of me). He will only do it though if Spence is at the top of the stairs as he needs someone to cheer him on from the top. He is starting to walk holding onto our hands and wants to walk to us if he is standing up on something. He doesn't have enough balance to stand on his own yet, but I would guess that he'll be walking before Spencer did (SYT was 13 months).

We had his 9 month apt last Friday. He weighs 21lbs, 8oz. That's 77% for his age. The unfortunate part is that he is only 17% for height. Yep, he's a total chubster :) He loves to eat but for the most part, all he gets is fruits, veggies, beans, and a little meat (only in the past 2 weeks). It's not like he is getting a bunch of processed food at all. We don't even give him bread yet! His only processed food is cheerios, really. Apparently, I must have really high fat milk. Spence was also a chunk, but he was certainly longer so looked a little more balanced. I'm sure Peter will slim out some once he is walking. Is it terrible that I love his sweet, chubby, kissable thighs? I promise, I won't let him be a 90lb 4 year old (we had one in clinic two weeks ago- horrid. To me that verges on child abuse.), but, for now, I just love his sweet cheeks, belly, thighs and feet!!

For the most part, he is a great sleeper. He goes down by 7 every night and has zero problems falling asleep. He occasionally wakes up between 2-4 in the morning- I would say maybe 5 times per month? His normal wake up time is between 5:30 and 6:30.

He did get sick last week for two days. He had a fever, runny nose, really red cheeks, and just looked sick. He slept well throughout the whole illness, thankfully! Often when Spencer would get sick as a baby, he would be up a few times a night fussing and needing tylenol. Peter slept just fine and even napped well. We didn't take him to the doctor as he wasn't acting sick, and I made sure to clear him with the nephrologist to make sure he didn't need to get catheterized to check his urine for a kidney infection. They said since he had an obvious cold that I didn't need to. I'm glad as it was a really short, obviously viral illness that he is completely over now. I took him to work with me on Thursday morning to get some paperwork done, and he was sooo good. Thank God, my team all loves babies and my attending docs weren't mad at all!!

It's fun to be a mom to both my boys. I seriously thank God every day for them and count my blessings ALL the time.

Can we talk about Glee for one hot minute?

Dear Glee Cast, Writers, and Producers,

I have a few things I'd like to tell you about this current season. In no particular order.....

1. I still love Rachel. A lot. And I really love most of the New York scenes. Kate Hudson is fabulous and I have enjoyed their sing-offs. I also still love Kurt. And I really, really, really love that Santana is moving in next week!!!!!!! She has always been a favorite of mine. She's a definite piece of work but she does it well.

2. The blond cheerleader you brought in to replace Quinn and Santana? She sucks. She's not cute (at all! Sorry, I know that's not nice but she's not.), she's mean without having any redeeming qualities, and she doesn't have a voice to back anything up. I don't even remember her name as I'm typing this.....that's how bad she is. Get rid of her, please.

3. The Diva Off show was one of the best of the season. The first song was awesome and reminded me a lot of the Gaga songs they used to do. Tina Chang ROCKED her song, and anytime that Rachel and Kurt "sing off" is awesome!

 

 

4. With that being said, most of the episodes of this year have not been good. B and I used to always watch together and liked the show equally. Now, I can barely get him to sit through an episode. The songs aren't as good, there are too many solos and not enough group songs, there needs to be more accapella numbers, and NONE of the new characters really catch/hold my attention enough. Well, Jake (Puck's brother) is good- he can sing, he's a decent actor, and he's cute. The rest? See above for the cheerleader, Marley can sing but she's not interesting, and the football player is just fine- nothing special. Blaine has a fabulous voice and I loved him last year. This year, he is just okay. They're trying to use him to carry the entire high school part of the show and he just can't do it all alone. I wondered if things would fall apart with people graduating, and it's happening. Boo!

 

5. I miss Will Schuester. I get that they were trying to change things up a bit and allow Finn to have a role which isn't completely terrible, but Will is great and they need to bring him back!

 

 

Are you watching this year? Are you struggling to like it too? What do you want them to change or do differently? Please, please pull it together writers and producers................I miss eagerly awaiting your show every week!!!! 

Random thoughts

Well, thanks to the encouragement yesterday and an email from Emily, I decided to go for it. I bought the baby bag and a darling pair of earrings! Yea! I know I'll use them both, and I knew I had the $$ that I've been saving for something fun. Thanks for the help, ladies!

It's snowing here. We're supposed to get 3-8 inches tonight. Yikes! We've gotten a lot of snow in the past month, and I've really enjoyed it. It makes everything look so pretty, and we really need the precipitation for our lake water levels. I know that by March I'll be DONE with it, but for now, I'm just enjoying the white.

Spencer has a birthday party on Saturday for a kid in his class at daycare. I actually know the mom as she is Peter's kidney doctor. It's at a local playplace that I know he'll love. I'm not sure how many other kids in his class will be there. Peter is also going though he won't be able to do much. B has a golf show he wants to attend, so it's easier for me just to take both boys. It's one of Spencer's 1st friend birthday parties, so I hope he has a great time!!

We're going to do our taxes this weekend. Last year we had to pay due to taking too many deductions (and not discussing how many the other person was taking). I'm hoping we don't have to pay this year!!

Our other weekend plans involve making homemade chicken pot pie, making muffins, getting stuff ready for Spencer's Valentine's day party at school, and cleaning our room. Yep, we live on the wild side ;)

B's birthday is in just a few weeks.................any thoughts on fun gifts that your husband/bf/significant other has loved lately? He doesn't "need" anything, per se, and I am ALWAYS getting him new golf stuff, so I'm kind of bored with that. I'll take any ideas you have!!

Happy Thurday!!

Quick update and convince me, please!

Guess who said "ma ma" last night???? Yep, my sweet Peter! He's only been saying consonants for a week or so (ba ba ba ba ba......) and hasn't yet said "da da" which is usually a baby's second hard sound, so to hear ma ma last night was incredible!! B heard it too, so it wasn't just me making it up :) I honestly love him just a little bit more every single day and just want to eat him with a spoon!

By now I'm sure that most of you have seen a blog post somewhere about the Kate Spade Surpise Sale. I really want a new diaper bag, but I certainly don't "need" one. The black and white stripe one that I was really loving already sold out, but the above one is still available. Obviously, it's adorable with great colors and a bow and, at $149, I can afford it. I'll be using a diaper bag for at least awhile longer to tote along all the stuff that comes with kids. Sooooo......do I splurge on something I don't need but want? I'm not very good at spending on myself when it's a "luxury" item (I, however, have zero problem spending money at Target- anyone else this way?). The sale ends today, so let me know asap if this should come to my house!! I just need a bit of convincing one way or the other. If you hate KS diaper bags (or purses for that matter), let me know that too (and why!)

Rumor has it

I have read in a few spots that Chrysler will be releasing a 2014 version of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. My bff's husband who works for Chrysler says that nothing is concrete yet.........

 

As soon as I heard the rumor, I started squealing, jumping up and down and googling as fast as possible. B (the not very fun practical one) states we need to know about things like gas mileage, seating, ability to hold car seats, and cost. All I really want to know is if there is going to be wood paneling on the sides. If there is, I don't care about anything else, I'm ready to plunk down my down payment!! We are really hoping that my car lasts another 2-3 years (it's already almost 10 years old), and that would be just wonderful timing, wouldn't it?

 

Does the picture above make your heart pitter patter? I hope they keep it boxy- I love boxy looking cars!

Instagram?!?!

Well, I'm on it......here is my account. Or you can find me at upnorthpreppy. I haven't done much yet with it. To be honest, I'm not even following very many people yet. It's going to take me a little bit to get the hang of it, remember to check it, remember to post pics, etc. But, I'm trying it out! Does anyone know if there is a way to get comments sent to your email? I hate having to peruse through days of posts to look to see if anyone has commented on my photo. Also, if you are on Instagram, let me know so that I can follow you!!

Honestly, having an iphone makes everything SO much easier. Prior to December I had a dumb phone. Just text and talk. Now that I can take pics, check FB, get online, check my email, etc, it's a whole different world! I feel like I've finally caught up to everyone else. Still not on twitter though! Should I be there too? Augh........overwhelming!

Another pinterest recipe roundup

Some good, some bad, all made and rated by me......

B made these eggs and spicy beans for dinner last week. Incredibly easy weeknight meal and really, really good. I love the fact that these can be altered for a variety of diets (dairy free, vegetarian) when you have guests who have a more restricted diet. We added a little more red pepper and a little more goat cheese than what was called for. We put in 5 eggs for the three of us. It's pretty much a one skillet meal (besides the cutting board for chopping), so clean up is easy as well. This is definitely going on our weeknight rotation.

Jessica posted  this recipe a few years ago and when I went to make it this winter, the site was gone (it was her other blog). I freaked out and flew onto facebook to find out if she could email it to me. We were headed to a party and I knew this was "the" dessert I wanted to take. I have pinned the trifle I make with the poundcake. It's beyond rich, is utterly delish, and looks so pretty at a party. Don't you just think that trifles just scream elegance and effort? What's awesome about them is that they aren't hard, they just look that way :)

We have made this salad twice in the last three weeks. The first time we also threw some chicken on top. Tonight we added apples and celery for added crunch. It's a fabulous recipe and holds up well (even with the dressing on it) for the next day's lunch. Highly recommended. Also, Madison (the blogger) is a real sweetheart, so add her to your blog roll!

This peach smoothie is just okay. It calls for a teaspoon of nutmeg and that really, really overpowered the taste (and, to be honest, I used less than that). A touch of nutmeg would have been good but what she calls for is just too much.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I have to bring these cookies to your attention. They are a little involved with the piping into heart shapes but definitely worth it! I've made them the past three years and they get rave reviews every time. The red velvet is delish and cream cheese frosting is always good, right? Annie is always spot on, so if you are ever looking for something to bake, I would always suggest her site first!

For Spencer's class this year, I am going to have him help me make these rice krispie treat pops (scroll down) for his classmates. We're going to make a big, thick pan of rice krispie treats, cut them out with cookie cutters, place them on sticks, and then pipe pink and red frosting on the top around the edge or write words on them like conversation hearts. I still need to pick up the bags and ribbon to go overtop. I'm hoping they'll turn out cute! I'm going to take them to the infant room teachers as well.

For Thanksgiving, I was in charge of the rolls as well as the apple pie. I used this recipe for the rolls. Honestly, they were, by far, the best rolls I've ever made and probably the best I've ever had. They were puffy and buttery and just melted in your mouth. Yes, they are styled after Pillsbury Crescent rolls, but these are 1,000,000,000 times better. Spencer loved helping to roll them up too!

What new recipes have you tried? I'm always looking for good recipes for dinner and love to bake pretty much anything!!

Three movies in 2013??

Friends, this could be a miracle. Okay, maybe not a true miracle but definitely something to put into the recordbooks. B and I will probably see THREE movies in 2013. Astonishing, isn't it? You see, we're really not a movie couple. We saw a movie the week before Spencer was born and then didn't see another movie in the theater until the week before Peter was born. That is two whole years that we didn't make it to a movie theater! We can't even say that we rent movies regularly or subscribe to Netflix. I think we may have watched 2-3 videos in that same two years (though besides The King's Speech, I can't tell you which ones). We do go out on dates- it's just almost always just to a good dinner or out to another couple's house.

This weekend we went out on Saturday night to see Les Mis. I cannot believe how good it was! I've seen it on stage a couple (I think 5?) times and have never really liked it much. The movie, however, was marvelous!!!! Marius was my favorite character- his voice was amazing. I was absolutely amazed by it all. I think the settings were spot on and really made you get into more than a stage production ever could. Love, love, love.

His freckles are so fabulous and I loved his hair!!

While we were there they showed previews for The Great Gatsby. Oh, it is going to be GOOD!! Baz Luhrmann (director of Moulin Rouge) is directly Gatsby and it looks so similar to Moulin Rouge which is one of my favorites. Lots of over the top lighting, singing, colors, flashiness, fashion, etc. It's definitely not going to be a refined version of the book which I think I will like. To me, Gatsby is all about the craziness that led to the destruction and this is going to showcase it well!

Our third movie of 2013 will be Catching Fire. B hasn't read the books but did think that Hunger Games was entertaining, so we'll definitely be catching installment two at my request.

Did you see and love or hate Les Mis? Are you excited about either of the other movies? What other movies are you dying to see in 2013? Are you a movie buff or a movie rarity like us?

We relegated to the basement......

We're living in the basement from now until Thursday after work. This will be more time than I have ever spent down here in the three years we've lived here :) It's all for a good reason though! On Saturday Blair and a friend from church installed hardwood floors in our family room (goodbye, icky, dirty carpet) and now the refinishing/staining/sealing begins. There was a Groupon this fall for hardwood floor refinishing, so we jumped on it. Our kitchen and entryway floors needed to be done for maintenance and we decided that installing hardwoods in the family room at the same time so that all the floors could be stained the same color would be a good idea.

Since there is no way in the main floor or upstairs without being on hardwood, we have to walk around our house to the basement sliders to get in. This will be interesting in heels with a carseat since it's uphill to our driveway! Oh, and it's also wintertime! We are going to eat out two nights and do another meal in the crockpot for dinners. Luckily, we are at work all day and the kids are in daycare as I'm not sure what I would do with two kids in the basement all day for 4 days!!

Our main floor looks incredibly bare except the playroom which is jam packed with EVERYTHING. It's amazing. I cannot wait to see it all put together next weekend. I just ordered a new rug from Overstock and am hoping it arrives at the end of this week. This truly is our "year of the house" as we have this floor project almost completed, another floor project coming up (new tile in the laundry/mud room/1/2 bath), and saving for/making decisions about our 2014 kitchen redo. Yea for getting stuff done!!

Peter is 8 months old....

 

My sweet-as-pie baby is 8 months old already!

Peter's favorite thing to do is eat. Can you tell by those cheeks? His thighs are even better, ladies and gents! He's a great nurser and bottle taker when at daycare. He gets 5 feeds a day all about 5ish oz a piece. He eats baby food/finger foods twice at daycare and once at home. He is not picky in the least and is getting a great variety of foods. We have been doing a little more baby led weaning this time around and giving him a lot of finger foods. He still does get some purrees as I want to make sure he is getting used to lots of flavors. I wouldn't say he has any favorites, but things he is currently eating include: homemade chicken noodle soup (he LOVED everything about this), squash mixed with apples, spinach mixed with pears, baby split pea soup, blueberries, cheerios, peas, sweet potatoes, and cantelope.

(In my Christmas Bote Tote)

He is sleeping through the night much more regularly now. He got his second tooth this weekend, so both nights were kind of rough. He definitely struggles with sleep more than Spencer did and small changes in schedules, environments, or illnesses really upset his sleep habits. In general, he goes down around 7 and gets up anywhere between 5 and 6. He usually takes a morning and afternoon nap at daycare- the length is all over the board.

He is crawling everywhere and has even gotten himself up the step in between our family room and our kitchen. He is pulling to stand on everything. He constantly blows raspberries (zerberts) but is not really babbling yet. I wonder if that is due to the biscuit (ie- pacifier). He is crazy about his and I wonder if having something in his mouth regularly is preventing him from making more noise. Anyone want to weigh in on this?

 

He has one "look" as a lot of our family and friends say and that is just this wide eyed grin. He is a truly happy baby so much of the time. We did have another kidney ultrasound on 12/31 which showed good interval growth of both kidneys and stable hydronephrosis. Essentially, nothing new has reared an ugly head; yet nothing has improved either. We're just stable, and I will take stable anyday. We don't have to go back to the nephrologist for six months- yea! He had bronchiolitis a few weeks ago, but other than that ucky weekend, he has been a healthy, healthy boy! I'm so glad he got his flu shot this year :)

 

Love you, PUT!!

 

Edited to add:

Spencer at the exact same age the above were taken of Peter. My boys look very little alike. Spencer is so me/my side of the family and Peter is so his daddy!! Funny as their middle names are the opposite: Spencer is after B and Peter is after me.

 

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