Valentine's Day Traditions

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm not sure if holiday's are more fun for kids, or for their parents. Last year Maverick was still pretty little and couldn't do very much for 'fun.' So we left him home with James for a night to celebrate Valentine's Day and that was just fine. But this year...this year we are going all out and our night is going to be so fun!

For as far back as I can remember...our family has done a fun RED THEMED supper on Valentine's Day. We would wear nice clothes (dad always wore a red tie!) and eat meatloaf or spaghetti and red jello and red-dyed mashed potatoes (or anything else my mom could think to add food coloring to). Valentine's Day has never been just another Tuesday for us, oh no. We set the table with pretty white china from the china cupboard, and the part that was the most fun...eating in the dark with only candles lighting the table! Sometimes we would drink sparkling cider from goblets...sometimes we had something extra-special for dessert...mom and dad would exchange their cards and small gifts, and then Jamie and I always got something small to open. Usually it was bath and body lotion or fun socks...gel pens, chapstick...you know, stuff all little girls love.

Well...I now live a life where the boys outnumber the girls in my house BUT I DON'T CARE. What I loved about Valentine's Day growing up had nothing to do with it being a "made up holiday revolving around commercialism." The parties and treats in our classroom at school aren't even what I remember (I take that back, I DO remember shoebox decorating being stressful with our dear mother ;) I just loved doing something different and special, with our little family. Planning the 'menu' with our mom the week before...putting a table cloth on the table...and I distinctly remember eating in the dark was a highlight (dad hated that part, which is part of the reason we liked it so much).

So even though our parents are in Manson tonight having a red dinner of their own...we are carrying on the tradition for ourselves! And I wanted to share what I pulled together for our dinner table. Most of these plates were no more than $1.00 to add to my collection, and I love using them for things like this. Jamie and I have had fun 'planning' everything these past few weeks and I think our parents are secretly thrilled this is yet another way we get to bond as siblings in this new stage of life we're all in.

Who knew dying mashed potatoes pink would have had such a lasting effect on the traditions we would choose to carry on with our families/boyfriends/kids...haha. I'd encourage you to zero in on a few simple, easy, but special things you can do with your families to make today special.

Hope you're all celebrating love today! Love for your spouse, significant other, kiddos, but most importantly...love for our Savior! Which is the only reason we're able to know true love.

1 John 4:19: We love because He first loved us.

Happy Valentine's Day!

MmB

...also please remember with me this photoshoot from last year...

A centerpiece made from One Spot cake plates and ugly china!

Opinions on Sibling Spacing

If ONE MORE person asks when we're going to have more babies, I'm going to scream calmly communicate the following:

God will give us our babies whenever He's ready...but we're certainly not in a rush to have ALL THE BABIES as fast as we can.

Maybe it's because (as I mentioned at the end of this post) we are in deep the throes of teething hell...or maybe it's because every other person I talk to these days is asking but I need to know where people are getting the idea that after #1, you automatically become a baby-making machine. I did not sign up for that version of motherhood, you guys.

Disclaimer: There are people who do two under two and three under three and whatever under whatever REALLY WELL. In my experience over the past 17 months, I (pretty firmly) do not believe I am in that group of crazy amazing moms.

If you are feeling the constant pressure to have another and another and another when you're scrolling through Facebook while holding your still-breastfeeding ten-month-old thinking HOLY CRAP I WOULD HAVE A PANIC ATTACK IF WE HAD ANOTHER BABY ON THE WAY RIGHT NOW. Listen in precious mother-of-one...

There is NO RULE that says you HAVE TO have your babies AS FAST AS YOU CAN.

Did you know that?!

This 20-minute scenario was all I needed to know adding another baby ASAP was not exactly ideal. No part of me experienced what is referred to as 'Baby Fever.'

The terminology "Sibling Spacing" is all the rage. Having those babies as close together as your body will allow is a whole 'thing' these days. It's fine. But also...it's not for everyone. I'd be lying if I told you Josh and I are 'back to normal' in all areas of our life together after 17 months. Some days it feels like paying a few bills and keeping the baby happy alive is ALL I can handle...and even then, I find out I've forgotten something or messed up an invoice. I'd be lying if I told you this didn't result in conflict. Some days we communicate and serve each other well, many days we don't. Adding parenting to the marriage balance is hard, hard work! Especially when I'm essentially single-parenting nine months of the year...figuring out our groove in the off-season is (oddly) just as challenging as balancing everything on my own during Josh's busy season.

When you're low on sleep (as we have been this past week)...everything IS THAT MUCH HARDER. The communicating is harder and the patience-having is harder and the good-attitude is nearly impossible. Just forget about a cheerful, joyful, loving, serving spirit when the sleep tank is on empty. Even though I only have one kiddo, there are still days when it's all about survival. One can be hard too! Thank goodness every day is a new beginning and a chance to do better. Wanting time to catch your breath between babies is not a bad thing.

The pressure to quickly add another peanut to our little crew is honestly scary to me, even now. Our baby is still a baby and I want to enjoy JUST him for as long as I can. And there is nothing wrong with that! I picture dealing with newborn-i-ness on top of a barely-toddler in the midst of teething, sleep-regressions, and colds and I am not kidding when I say: I can't even. We barely survived this week (and from the looks of Maverick's gums, we're in for a loooong couple of weeks). The good news is, many of you CAN even and you rock it so hard. I sit in complete amazement when I see you moms with so many littles at church early AND looking fabulous. Or on Instagram being adorable. Or hauling your babes through Hobby Lobby without breaking anything. Rock on.

I tend to fall into the less popular camp that a healthy three-year age gap sounds lovely. Blissful, actually. I helped a mom-friend paint her basement this summer and she has kiddos who are 6, 9, and 12. They played wonderfully together. She told me when she brought their second home, she looked at her first (who was three) and said, "Alright. You're an adult now." And to an extent, that makes so much sense! Tying shoes. Potty trained (or close). Eating. Buckling seat belts. Being helpful with miniature three-year-old chores. I'm loving the whole idea. But I was like, what?? A fellow 'Cornerstone Mom' didn't have her babies like a literal machine? I didn't even know that was allowed!

So I'm here to tell you it is. It IS allowed.

Note: Jamie's little pointer finger. I can't.

This idea that those babies HAVE to be close together so they're lifelong best friends...is...how do I put this? Not necessarily a guarantee. I'm not buying into that current trend. I don't know if you know me and my sister...but we clocked-in at a solid FOUR-year age gap. People can hardly believe it since we look so much alike (that has become more of a compliment for me, and less of a compliment for Jamie ;) We played well together when we were little. Spent some time 'apart' during our middle school and high school years (by that, I mean we weren't BFF's but our 'time apart' still meant sharing a tiny bedroom and bunk beds until I was 14). And now...I'm not sure there have ever been better sister-best-friends. Seriously.

You guys...age gaps large and small mean nothing. Nothing!

Josh comes from a family with nearly perfect two-year age gaps between all four kiddos. It's what I consider to be a big, crazy family. Brothers are so different than sisters, though. And personalities play a huge role in the friendships and sibling bonds that will form. Which is something no one can know (except God!) when taking this family planning business into consideration. Josh has been closer to different siblings at different times in his life...right now it's tricky with a family this big because life stages are all over the place, jobs are insanely busy, and living farther than 10 minutes away makes it hard to get that daily-life-closeness Jamie and I have. It's not bad, it's just different and takes quite a bit more planning and effort. Boys communicate sooooooo much differently than girls so the 'effort' isn't always there. If I had to guess, I'd say he hasn't texted or talked to his brothers in over a week, maybe more. And they're all totally fine with it.

While we've been discussing this sibling-spacing stuff, I've observed that Jamie and I have been best friends for approximately the past seven years. Basically our entire 'adult' lives. Our life stages have been vastly different, and yet, we still easily connect. Consistently. Josh played well with his siblings who were all close in age growing up (and they have the stories to prove it) but currently, daily texting/talking/hanging out looks much different, despite that closeness in age. Recently, the only time we're ever all together (that's 15 people in our immediate family!) is at Christmas. It's just interesting to observe and discuss. Lately I've talked with other mom's who feel exactly like I do but are being sold this HAVE ALL THE BABIES SUPER FAST idea and I figured someone should speak up and say that's not necessarily the best way for everyone.

I wouldn't say she was my 'built-in-best-friend' growing up...but that almost doesn't matter now that we're adults and can't imagine going longer than 12 hours without talking (I only say 12 because we have to sleep).

I'm throwing the stupid pressure to have our kids as fast as humanly possible...out the window. If that's what you want or how you see your future family...good! Fine! Go you! You're more of a Super Woman than I will ever be. I might be changing diapers for eight years straight, but I'd like to give my body a chance to re-set between pregnancies and a year of breastfeeding (I want to be as healthy as I can be heading in to #2 and I know I'm not there yet!). Josh and I have a little more time to keep finding our new normal (I feel like that's more important that reproducing at a rapid rate!), and maybe even catch a few nights of solid sleep between the teething and sleep regressions. #PLEASEGOD

Ultimately, God will give us our babies whenever He's ready...whether we think we are or not. If we find out I'm pregnant tomorrow, the joke will definitely be on me and my adorable big mouth. And by 'joke' I mean 'baby'...which would be undoubtedly be a blessing. I'm just here to say...there's more than one way to do this motherhood thing. Maybe it's cranking those kiddos out quick. Maybe it's creating a little more space in between. Maybe it's having two, waiting 20 years, and then adopting a couple more when God calls you to. I have no idea! I obviously don't know how our family will look (because I really think it might include a couple African beauties)...just enjoy whatever moment you're in with however many babies you've got. And for the love, stop asking other people when they're going to have more!!! ;)

MmB

How to Train your Dragon...umm I mean your Toddler

Here are a few ways I successfully decorate our house with a 17-month around...without sacrificing anything I love along the way. I do not put up a gate around our Christmas tree. I do not undecorate the bottom shelf on our book cases. I do not childproof the cupboards and drawers. I generally live by the phrase, "we houseproof our child." Perhaps an unpopular way to parent in our millennial generation, but it's working really well for us so far (I say that, understanding we've only been doing this for 17 months...I barely know anything...but I do know that Maverick understands the word 'no' and we use it frequently).

I feel like there's a balance between pretties Maverick can learn to 'not touch' or 'be gentle' with...and then there's just asking for it. I honestly don't have anything too precious within his reach. Nothing extremely valuable, breakable, or tiny tiny...because that doesn't seem wise (and also because we don't own a lot of that kind of stuff). But I do keep even my lowest shelves styled with picture frames, old books, flameless candles, mason jars, etc. and for the most part, he steers completely clear of all of it. And other than that...there's really nothing anywhere else in our house cluttered-up on his level. A HUGE reason I believe in and love a clean, clutter-free house (aside from the 2-3 months we 'do' Christmas...a lot of good training happened during those months).

In the living room Maverick's toys are confined to one crate and three small baskets under the TV. The crate keeps the toys we 'have on rotation' while the baskets keep his tractors, Legos, and balls sorted. He knows exactly where his toys are and knows how to ask for help if they're put away and he can't quite get the door opened. As long as he's gentle I don't mind him touching the shelves or the glass doors, though sometimes he needs reminding. I don't want our house to be full of furniture I'm terrified for him to touch. He can learn and explore and touch whatever he wants to, as long as he's doing it respectfully. And I don't see any reason that training can't start now.

In every room of our house, Maverick has a 'thing' he likes to keep 'hidden' to come back to. In my bathroom, it's my plastic diffuser attachment for my blow dryer. That thing can keep him busy for 20 minutes sometimes! In Josh's bathroom, it's a purple, plastic back massager. Again, something baby-safe and interesting for him to haul around the house playing with. In the kitchen he likes to pull out the tupperware/lids from two bottom drawers...he knows he's not allowed to touch the trash cupboard or the cupboards underneath the sink, but when I can redirect him with something fun and safe for him to play with...he has no problem leaving those cupboards that are 'off limits' alone. And now he knows those tupperware drawers are 'his.'

When/if I'm showering while Mav is awake, I shut all three bedroom doors and the bathroom doors, and I turn on PBS to keep his attention for 10 minutes so I'm not asking for a dishwasher-detergent-eating-accident to happen. For the first few weeks after Mav was crawling-mobile and walking-mobile I avoided showering while he was awake until he had learned the boundaries, but he can easily handle it now. Especially if Peg + Cat is on. 

Recently Maverick has decided toilets are just about the most interesting thing there is. It's not ideal for him to stand near the back and touch the handle and sides, but at the same time...kid's do that kind of crap all the time. I can't keep him from touching every. little. thing. when he's genuinely curious and it's not exactly hurting him. It's just more reason for me to thoroughly wipe the bathrooms down every couple of days and wash his face and hands more frequently. I don't want a house where he's scared to play or touch anything...he pooped on a throw pillow once and it was seriously no big deal. If I have anything that's too special or expensive for us to live our life...then that 'thing' needs to go.

I believe it's important to train Maverick responsibility for his belongings, respect for other people's things, and how we behave when we're other places. Those are big concepts for him to fully grasp yet, but he is showing signs of being able to understand. When we're at Nana's house, he knows he can't play in the fireplace ashes. When we're visiting friends, he automatically knows not to go near the pretty shelves. It makes going places much more enjoyable for both of us and in the event where he's in a 'mood' and tries touching something more than three times, he gets a swat, an explanation, then a hug and a kiss.

As for some of our other basic 'house rules'...we keep our shoes picked up and put away in a bin near the door. Most of our trash cans are 'hidden' from plain view, and that makes keeping Mav out of the garbage pretty easy. We keep remotes, phones, pens, coffee/water glasses out of reach at all times...because again, when Mav spilled coffee on my 12-hours-new rug at Christmas, it's because I left it somewhere asking for that to happen. Yes, he is smart enough to be trained...but at the same time, he's ONE! If I can't accept this kind of stuff when it happens as an accident and move on with life...then it's pretty clear my treasure lies exactly where it shouldn't. What good chance for a heart check whenever something gets lost/spilled/broken/ruined during this parenting journey.

One last thing that keeps me sane...we keep the toys in this house PICKED UP. Before nap...we pick up. Sometimes before supper...we pick up. Before bed...we pick up. Before we leave the house...we pick up. I rarely (if ever) find myself tripping over toys or frustrated at my house being a mess, because the toys are 're-set' two to three times each day. We're getting VERY close to him understanding how to do all of this completely on his own. And I don't just do it for my sanity...Maverick plays better when he has LESS stuff strewn all over the house. Getting his toys out each day and unloading one basket to discover everything he has in there is half the fun. He needs that fresh start, or he just ends up bored with everything after five minutes.

And that's basically it! We're nailing it in this area right now, however...

I'm writing this blog after two AWFUL Maverick-nights. Today I announced to Josh:
1. This is why we can't have kids close together. I will actually die of sleep deprivation. I'm sure that's a thing.
2. Maverick may very well end up being our only biological child because I'd like to adopt children who already come with TEETH IN THEIR HEADS. Perhaps not the correct heart to have for the adoption process? Whatever, IT'S JUST HOW I FEEL TODAY.

And this morning when Patti walked in the door for a Nana play date I said, "It's mommy-needs-a-margarita-at-lunch kind of day." This following a text that read: "HURRY AND COME PlAY NANA. WE ARE IN TEETHING HELL."

Hey. I've never claimed to not be dramatic. Here's to hoping tonight is better. Then again, maybe I should keep expectations low. Really low. So I guess here's to hoping I only need three cups of coffee tomorrow instead of four.

MmB

Winter with a toddler...

I'm always looking for new ideas for stuff we can do this winter to make it go by as quickly as possible, so I thought I'd share our list with you! Right now we've got a pretty good rotation down that keeps me sane and also keeps Maverick happy and busy. Don't get me wrong...there are days where we don't leave the house (and mommy does not cater to Maverick's every mood when he doesn't feel like entertaining himself) but these are some of the entertaining winter things we're loving right now...

Library: We don't go here as often as we probably should (so. many. kids), but when we do Maverick loves it. From the puppets to the Lego table...he's easily entertained for an hour or more. Plus it gets him around other kiddos and I like that too. It's on my list to check out Toddler Time...but if you read this blog, you know how I feel about things like this. Anyone want to go on a mom date with me so I'm not as overwhelmed? ;) Best part? It's free.

Playground for Kids: This is a little bit of a drive for us (just a half hour to Ankeny), but sometimes a morning drive to get us out of the house is a welcome change. On Monday a friend invited us to come try it out, and Mav loved it! I wouldn't recommend it before walking-age (crawlers are free, but I think most of your time would be spent making sure your crawling baby isn't trampled), but you can bring in snacks and spend as much time there as you want! Mav lasted just shy of two hours. They have family passes, punch cards, and daily admission...I think we will do a punch card here next winter for sure.

Church: When we're on top of our weekly schedule, Mav has three opportunities to play with his buddies at church. On Sunday's during our regular church service, on Tuesday's during play group in the gym, and on Thursday's while I'm in Bible Study. Honestly, there's nothing better than sticking him in the nursery for two hours to play while I get to spend two hours in Bible study. It gives me the small break I need for a fresh boost of mom energy and he has fresh toys and kids to play with. There's a small charge for Mav to be in a classroom during Bible study, but it ends up being $4/week...which is basically nothing. 

Chick-Fil-A: Do other people consider this an 'activity' for their child like I do? Mav and I like breakfast dates when it's not quite as crazy, but going over the lunch hour is fun too. We go about every other week to keep the play place entertaining (it's not huge...also something I like), and I sip my iced coffee. Josh does the lawn care/snow removal here and we like frequenting businesses that also support our family. :)

Mall Playground: This thing is probably not as much fun for kids over the age of three (or maybe four?) but Mav loves it. We can spend a good hour here too. A little more than that if we start our trip with a stroll in the shopping cart through the aisles of TJ Maxx. Bonus, then I can use their shopping cart to haul the diaper bag, baby, AND my coffee to the other end of the mall. Another fun place that's free!

Shopping Rotation: Between our bi-weekly trips to Sam's, Target, Fareway, occasional trips to Hobby Lobby, Lowe's, and Thiessen's...Mav gets to experience lots of new things just from our regular shopping trips for boring stuff like paper towels and toothpaste. He likes the samples and books at Sam's Club...the fake flowers at Hobby Lobby...and the free popcorn at Thiessen's. The equipment at Lowe's is always fun for him to get out of the cart and explore and I like getting out of the house to do some roaming for myself. We usually invite Josh along for the Sam's Club/Thiessen's/Lowe's trips. ;)

Swimming Opportunities: Every Saturday all year, you can pay $35 for five, hour long 'swimming lesson' in the warm therapy pool at Mary Greeley. It's so awesome. $35 gets you five 'lessons' (I'm using the term 'lesson' here loosely because it's really just floating around getting your baby/kiddo used to water...there is a sweet lady there as an instructor during the hour) and you can bring whoever you want to get in and swim or watch on the side. Last year I brought Jamie a bunch of times and my mom came to watch once. I'm planning to invite my G'ma along this year. 

Certain hotel pools in Ames also allow open swimming for a small fee. Friends have invited us to the Country Inn (kids are $2, adults are $4 I believe?) and it's so fun to bring snacks and toys and have a 'pool day' in the middle of winter.

Day Trips: These are mostly for mommy and daddy, but we like loading up and going places on a whim, when we're able to in the winter. A couple Saturday's ago Josh got up and said, "when are we going to go visit my grandparents?" and I was like, "umm whenever you want." He said, "wanna go today?" and within a half hour we were loaded and headed up to the farm. We like taking trips to stay in the cabin at Twin Lakes, to visit Nana in Ankeny for some exploring, and to Manson to stay with my parents for a couple days every once in awhile. I want to make plans for a trip to see the Magnolia line at Homemaker's again and The Container Store in Des Moines soon, and Josh and I have our sights set on day trips to Pella, Boone, Dubuque and when spring comes, Independence and Dyersville. 

Pumpkin Patch: I know taking your kid to a toy store just to play sounds a little weird. But the Pumpkin Patch downtown has a few play areas where kids are totally welcome to come do just that. We were there twice last month! There's a train table on the main level and then a kitchen area + more trains and activities upstairs. Sometimes we buy something, sometimes we don't. But I like knowing where I can get a unique kid birthday gift when I need one.

Reiman Gardens: Free day, on the first Wednesday of every month, is our favorite! There isn't a ton to do there in the middle of winter, but the warm butterfly room is small (just Mav's size) and fun to explore. During the spring/summer/fall, there is easily enough to keep kiddos busy for a couple of hours outside and inside. They sell year-long passes that are super affordable, but until Mav is 'running and jumping' age, I think we'll stick with Free Day.

Snowtime: Once or twice a week I bundle Maverick up (which he hates) and we go for a short romp in the snow. Sometimes it's just a walk up and down our sidewalk. Sometimes I make him put on boots and actually walk through the yard...a couple weeks ago we sat on the deck and threw snowballs against the house for a while. Either way, the whole process got us outside doing something, and I got some cute (sad) snow pictures for Instagram. 

Mommy's Favorites: We do Mav-stuff quite a bit (obviously)..but there are days I declare MOM DAY and we hit my favorite places. Burgie's for a coffee date (Mav snacks on animal crackers and watches Einstein's while I visit), JB Knacker for some antiquing, the Story City Antique Mall where I whip through in 45 minutes or less while Mav enjoys a 'walk' in the stroller. I like stopping at Overflow on the first weekend of every month to try my luck at finding cute kid clothes for 50 cents each. Maverick and I both head to the salon about every eight weeks for a hair cut (him) and a lip wax (me). On days it's above freezing I like to bundle up and do a quick neighborhood walk. And I can't exactly pretend the HobLob and Target trips are all for Mav...they just happen to be places he really likes and I can mix in to the rotation of winter 'activities.' 

Add in the visits to see friends and their new babies/kiddos... and I'd say we've been staying downright busy lately. I have a love-hate relationship about it, but Maverick seems to be pretty when we're on the go. When he stays busy he naps and sleeps better, and I get some of the social activity I know I should be more intentional about engaging in with other moms. 

Happy February, everyone!

MmB

Maverick: 17 Month Update

Fun at the library!

Doing a little re-decorating of his own in our living room after Christmas.

The blog has been notably Maverick-less as of late, and I'm starting to feel a little bad about it. While it's more of a 'creative writing' outlet for me, it's also for documenting our life as a family. Instagram helps me remember most of his milestones, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading through his monthly updates when he turned one...in fact, I was surprised at what qualified as 'news' during his first three months of life. "Finding and eating his hands?" Big whoop, this morning he played at an indoor playground for almost two hours then downed a banana for a snack. How is it even possible that much can change in a year? If I didn't have written documented proof, I wouldn't believe it myself.

Spending a lot of time at the mall/library/CFA/church play places these days.

Maverick doesn't like: winter coats, hoods, winter boots, snow pants, hats, and ESPECIALLY not mittens. I think he might always be a summer-loving pool baby. :) 

Anyway...these here are a few of Maverick's Favorite things...it's funny to see what has stayed the same and which things have drastically changed.

BATHTIME- I'm convinced we could leave him in the tub for an hour. Longer if he has toys to play with. I've started flossing, taking off my make-up, putting on lotion, using face masks...an extravagant beauty routine is accomplished every three days when Mav gets a bath. To say we both look forward to it would be an understatement.

SWIMMING - We weren't in a pool for about three months, but we've been to three hotels this month and Maverick hasn't forgotten a thing! It's more fun now that he's able to crawl and walk around on his own (and 'jump' in standing up) but that means pool time is a whole lot less 'lazy' than it was last year. Practicing this winter is a good thing (for both of us).

SNACKS - He frequently walks to his snack cupboard, pulls stuff out, and brings it to me to ask if he can have it. I'm not big on letting Mav snack all day long...but now that he gets breakfast at 8:00, he's allowed a small mid-morning snack. And one small after-nap-snack. The toddler schedule and routine we've finally accomplished is so amazing.

TRACTORS - It's common for Maverick to spend the first half hour after breakfast playing with one tractor all over the house. The tractor he picks changes, but ONE can occupy him for a looooong time. He knows where the farmer goes to drive, and can match each animal to the places they're supposed to go. He's also mastered his farm animal 'puzzle' and matches the animals and is pretty good at putting them in their shape.

READING - He asks us to read to him all the time. He will find a book in his room and bring it out to us in the living room, then climb up on our laps. This morning he crawled into a tiny spot between the chair and the tall shelf in his room and sat reading books while I got ready for the day. I kept peeking in on him because I kept getting that 'he's too quiet something is wrong' feeling and he was just in there flipping the pages of his books! GAH!

TALKING - So. Much. Talking. He's suddenly able to communicate much more effectively than he could even a month ago. He points to things, 'asks' for things, and tries to repeat after us when I request he say, 'More' 'Please' 'Thank you' 'Up' 'Yes' 'No', etc. Most of what comes out of his mouth sounds like 'Deeees?' But his inflection and tone changes depending on what he is 'telling' us. He likes to cry 'Maaaaamama' and say 'Da!' and 'Dada!' all day, but my favorite is when we change his diaper, he points, I say 'Wenis' and he goes, 'Nana!' Haaaaahahaha...his 'real' Nana does not like it so much. He also says, 'Uh oh' and 'OooooOOoooO!' when observing stuff.

TV - This is a bad habit we've started this winter, but I have just decided I'm not going to feel guilty about it. The list of things he's allowed to watch is pretty slim...Baby Einstein YouTube shows, tractor videos, anything on PBS...and we will turn it on if we have friends over and want to visit during dinner like adults without a whiney baby at our feet (or I'm meeting a friend for coffee/we're visiting someone and I flip on my phone for a 20-minute Einstein video). It's never on for more than an hour a day, and never more than once in a day (if he watches in the morning, I don't turn it on during the evening and vice versa)...but he's started going to the coffee table, getting the remote out of the drawer, handing it to me, and then squealing because he's excited. Perhaps a sign of too much TV? Perhaps a sign it's winter and when we're in the middle of an ice storm and stuck inside the house...this is how we deal. Either way...he loves it, it's semi-educational, and on the worst teething days, it gives me the sanity I need to carry on.

Cuddled up watching Elmo on a snow day...

So good at playing on his own...

A rundown of some other stuff favorites...

He likes putting his toys away and just generally putting random things inside of other things (the other day I found Ball jar lids hidden away in a yogurt box I had sitting beside the door to throw away). He likes the vacuum, the dryer, faucets, and 'wrestling' on beds and couches. He LOVES to be scared. He inspects new things very precisely. His favorite thing about Christmas was all the lights being turned on every morning (and his trees, of course)...along that same note, he likes lamps. But not just one being turned on...ALL OF THEM have to be turned on. We have two in the dining room and two in the living room and he will point and shout 'Dees!' until they're all on. It's hilarious. Another 'word' he says all day is 'Dis!' or 'Dhis' (like 'this' but with a D). He likes helping us turn light switches off and on when we enter and leave rooms. He likes looking out the window at the traffic and the snow, though his feelings about snow are still generally negative. He likes walks in the stroller, walks around Target/Fareway/Sam's Club. The play place at Chick-Fil-A and the mall...he likes watching other kids and will observe them as entertainment, but he's still happy to play by himself or ignore them altogether. He doesn't 'get' sharing' yet, but he also doesn't get upset when kids 'steal' things from him...so I'm not tackling that too hard yet. He fully understands what 'no' means...and it seems like we're in a phase where I have to say it a little less these days. Whereas a few weeks ago, it seemed like I spent all day following him around, saying no, redirecting, saying no some more, and enduring the fits that came from that. I guess we're in a spot where we're reaping those rewards before we go through it all over again. He doesn't usually get too 'rough' when he plays, but he quickly learned what 'nice' touching and 'gentle' meant during Christmas. And that translates well when we're in other places and especially when we're around other little babies.

He's starting to 'help' empty the dishwasher. He's learning how to carry his dirty diaper to the door (for me to throw outside in the trash). When I come to take something away from him (like my phone, the remotes, my earrings) he's started 'handing' things to me when I ask for them like he's helping instead of me just snatching stuff he's not supposed to touch. I let him put the wet laundry in the dryer if he doesn't throw too much of a fit about the door being closed (another favorite...opening and closing ALL doors). I've started getting out paper and Crayons every couple of days for him to try so we can start working on colors, but he's not super interested in that yet. He knows where his hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, tummy, wenis, feet, and toes are, which I'm pretty proud of. And he likes the 'So big!' and 'Where's Maverick? - PEEK!' games. Loooooooves being tickled in his neck, the palm of his hand, feet, and my favorite, in his 'arm pitties' (don't ask me why we say it that way, we sort of just started to and went with it). Some days he prefers speed-crawling to walking, but some days he will just 'tour' around each room of the house and do laps for 20 minutes before settling in to play with toys. He likes giving and getting kisses, but doesn't always like it when Josh and I kiss and leave him out. Which we find to be hilarious. He likes throwing and 'catching' balls...and by catch I mean chase after balls when they've gone right by him.

How I find him at least once a day...in a random spot in the house flipping pages and pointing at his books.

Brushing all those naughty new teeth he has...

Now...for the stuff Maverick doesn't like. He's can be very sassy, vocal, opinionated and whiney. On a good day, the bad attitude usually only shows itself during mealtime or right before bed. But during a week or two when teeth are coming in...it's 'round the clock.

TEETH - Why are teeth so hard. He got three during the last bout of teething (two in the back) and with it came my very first, "I can't handle him being like this for another minute so he's going to bed at 7pm" mothering-moment. We made it through with a couple bottles of infant ibuprofen and extra cuddles before naps and bedtime. However, today he woke up for the day and from naps whiney and his toothbrush was pink after brushing...so I think we're in for another interesting week.

FOOD - I'm pretty sure if he could, Mav would be happy with bottles of milk all day, a couple snacks, and nothing else. Some days he seems like the worst little eater. Some days he's great. We definitely have more bad days than good in this department though. I've tried to be diligent about offering a balanced meal, he eats what he wants (he doesn't get more of his 'favorite' item) and the rest either goes in the garbage or back in the fridge for him to try again at the next meal. When he was getting those dang teeth, we spent almost every mealtime plopping him down, letting him fuss and cry for 20 minutes (barely eating anything), then calling it 'done' and moving on with life.

DIAPER CHANGES - This comes and goes, but it seems like for the past couple of months...diaper changes and changing clothes are the worst thing about his little life. He haaaaates them, especially if he's interrupted while playing. I try and do them as soon as he gets up in the morning, after nap, and as the first thing in our bedtime routine...but the extra ones thrown in throughout the day are a struggle. I rarely have to discipline him about it, but kicking, flipping, rolling, and waving his arms to hit are not allowed in this house.

LONG CAR RIDES - For so long I was training Mav to NOT fall asleep in the car while we were cutting his morning nap...so now I think he associates being in the car with staying awake. I'm not really mad about it...but we generally avoid trips longer than two hours for this reason. And that's not exactly hardt, being that my parents live an hour and a half away and Josh's parents are only 30 minutes away. There are times, though, where even that hour and a half drive is more than he's willing to put up with and toys and snacks don't even do the trick. So we crank Jon Foreman or Katy Perry (depending upon who is driving) and high tail it home. Christmas Day is the only time we've traveled during naptime in the past six months...and I'll say, it certainly wasn't the highlight of our Christmas memories this year.

Doing some exploring at Reiman Gardens.

Trying the snow day after day to see if he will warm up to it (haha see what I did there) but we haven't had much luck.

 I guess based on the fact that his 'dislike' list is significantly shorter than the list of things he loves...he's pretty easygoing and sweet overall. I think we'll be keeping him. ;)

Here's what every day looks like right now (this is more for me to remember in the future than anything):

8:00 - Wake up, diaper, breakfast
10:00 - Small snack
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Bottle, nap
3/4:00 - Nap over, small snack
6:00 - Supper
7:30 - Bedtime Routine, diaper, bottle, books, cuddles
8:00 - Bedtime

18 month pictures are scheduled for March and I can't even believe Mav will be a year-and-a-half old! Last year during his six-month pictures, it was one of the warmest days of the spring (we were both in shorts by the end of the day!) and it gives me hope that winter might be winding down a little bit and spring (and even summer!) is in sight! Here's to hoping anyway... ;)

MmB