Make Lemonade?

Pepito is too cute.

This was Saturday, July 17 - He'd been walking for about 24 hours at this point and already a pro.  "Eating" a lemon, talking and walking all at the same time.  Love him.

Loves!

A new era

Just like we thought pepito came home from my parent's house walking!!!  He decided he was good at it Friday afternoon - so we didn't miss too much and Daddy promises that he has video that documents the first steps.  Poor guy - Daddy set him down at Grandmother's house to show us and we both squealed so loudly that it scared William and he went grabbing for anyone who wasn't squealing (the only person was his Grandaddy K...)  It might be the cutest thing I've ever seen!  I could've never imagined that feeling - pure joy and oh so proud of our little boy.  We swear that he changed significantly over the week he was gone - he left a baby and came home resembling an actual child - it's just wild.

 

And William must know his destiny - he's already learned how to shuffle sideways in preparation for football as a teenager.  Ha!  Over the past couple days he's really taken to walking more but is still convinced that crawling is faster, which actually - it is right now, when he really wants to get somewhere.  We've also noticed an increase in booboos from his toddling around.  He tripped over something, a towel I think, and fell into his frog ottoman this evening.  I know that the upholsterer added padding to it, but I guess not as much as I thought, because he had a pretty red spot on his cheek.  It'll be gone tomorrow though...no worries.

In other news - I think he's mad at me for "abandoning" him.  Seriously.  He doesn't want me.  He only wants his Daddy.  Seriously.  He pushes my head away when I ask for sugar.  I tried to tell him that come Monday I was his primary caregiver again and he should be nice to me but he didn't want to listen.  And screamed pitifully when Sam left for work.  And then again when he went to play with Auntie Hads and Robbie during my interview this afternoon.  Though, it's kinda sweet, because he does want to cuddle and let me rock him on the floor when he's being pitiful even though he's mad at me - I don't understand but I'm not arguing.  Sam just keeps saying that it's just a phase, and to remember the time when all he wanted was his Mommy.  I'm pretending it's not hurting my feelings.  I don't think I'm pretending very well....

No candid pictures because we just got the part to fix our camera, and no video because I'm too lazy and tired to relearn how to load a video onto the computer, but I will leave you with some of the cutest professional pictures I've ever seen.  Hadley has outdone herself and we've got birthday cake (or a Publix cupcake) smashing pictures on Thursday before we leave for the beach.  I just cannot believe he is almost one.  Insane.  Absolutely insane.

Loves.

Into the Wild Blue Yonder...

Pepito is headed up to Cleveland tomorrow to spend a glorious week with Mima & Grandaddy!!  I am so excited!!!  There is going to be lots of sleeping going on in this house - I can't remember the last time that Sam and I got to sleep 8 hours uninterrupted.  I won't even be THAT bored during the day because on Tuesday, in addition to a couple appointments, I HAVE AN INTERVIEW!!  Yep, you read that right, I could be employed very soon, so everyone cross your fingers and think lovely thoughts at 1pm on Tuesday!!

I think we might miss this cute face though. And he might even come back walking... I'd hate to think we missed that by trying to regain our sanity but he's standing all by himself REALLY good and occasionally takes the clumsy step forward.  We'll see.  Daddy has a video camera - so I hope he thinks to break it out if walking does happen!!

Loves.

The Fourth and a little More

I'm always behind in posting about holidays.  Such pressure to get the pics up in a timely fashion and I'm always failing miserably.  I was talking to Hads this morning while doing chores during naptime, and it occurred to us - it's not that we're bad housewives, it's just that we're tired and busy with the kidlets.  So, I'm officially cutting us some slack.  Though, that's easier to do now that the kitchen is finally clean and some of the house has been vacuumed.  

Our Fourth of July started on Saturday night with a cookout at Will & April's house.  Will has a shiny red smoker and had tending the ribs all day and THEY. WERE. DELICIOUS.  Seriously, we all stuffed ourselves silly.  So. Good.  Sam and I left plotting how to afford a new smoker.  Not going to happen, but we did go look at them on Sunday.  Just saying.  All three boys, April's Liam - Hadley's Robbie - and William, had a big time playing together and got filthy just like little boys are supposed to.  And we might've done the Hocutt's a huge disservice by teaching the toddlers how to climb in and out using the dog door....  Sorry!!  But they were super cute doing it.  William wanted nothing to do with it though and just explored the entire house and stole toys all evening.  

I swear two seconds before, pepito was sitting happily with Liam...

William must've played himself out because he slept really late on Sunday, we didn't make it to early church he slept in so late.  Then I cut the grass and I'm assuming we did something...oh - pepito went to B&B's to play and we went and oogled over smokers.  That's right.  Then around 3:00 - we went swimming at Green Island.  It seems poor William has always missed a nap when it's time to go swimming - so he was a bit fussy again....  He does love the water though...especially with his Daddy.

Followed swimming with sandwiches at B&B's, which was supposed to followed by joining in the festivities downtown complete with fireworks, but since pepito refused to nap - that plan was foiled.  We had to go home and put him to bed.  Boo.  I was hoping he would wake up at 9:00 and we could just head down there anyway but no such luck. We heard the whole neighborhood trying to light their houses on fire though.

his favorite place...

All in all - it was totally low key and good.  And even better than Sam still got Monday off.  No idea how we spent that day, I barely remember breakfast this morning, but I assume it was nice.  We might've cleaned the house..who knows.

In other news - pepito's tush is all clear and we are done with antibiotics.  Thank goodness.  He really hates having to take medicine, not even the grape flavor would make up for having a syringe stuck in his mouth twice a day.  He's back to his happy self though for the most part.  We had some kind of weird afternoon yesterday - all he wanted to do was scream and be held, but then he would crawl out of my lap just to scream some more and try to climb back in.  He couldn't figure out what he wanted, but I'm thinking it was his Daddy, because when Sam got home he put his happy face back on and was an absolute joy.  Just wish he would do that for me more often!

He has starting lunging/propelling himself forward if he decides to crawl.  It's hilarious.  And he can kneel on one leg - so I'm sure walking isn't too far away.  God help us.  I can't keep up with his mess as it is!  And he has so much hair now!  Not a full head by any means, but enough to mess up on top and it gets so curly in the back after sitting in the carseat/bathtime.  I love it all messy - but Sam keeps insisting that he brushes it down.

I'm counting down the days until we can start weaning to milk and not have to buy any more formula!!!  Yay!!!  I guess he'll just have to have milk in a bottle though, because he still hasn't quite mastered feeding himself.  Oh well.  He has starting picking up empty bottles and putting them to his mouth, so we'll see.  All in good time I am sure.  He REALLY didn't want to eat his mixed veggies the other day for lunch so I made him a scrambled egg - and that went over OK.  I can't decide if it wasn't a huge success because he was being a fussy butt or because he didn't like them.  Guess we'll try them again soon just to see.  We are going to stop giving him a biscuit at Saturday breakfasts at Chickfila because on Monday he literally choked on a whole mouthful of compacted biscuit.  He's too good at chipmunking food until no more will fit and the biscuits are so mushy that he can't swallow them.  So - that's why the eggs.  We'll see if they'll make us a side order and let him eat that until he gets more teeth.

He figured out how to knock on doors to get your attention.  He does it when we're on the screened porch but he also did at B&B's house to get Bill to stop reading the paper and come play.  It tickled the grandparents to see him knock with a closed fist.  He's too cute and is really starting to figure things out.  Of course, he knows "no", but Sam asked him to hand him something he wasn't supposed to be eating last night and William put it in his hand.  It's so much fun watching him learn things.  I seriously can't believe that's he's almost ONE!!

Loves.

William by Numbers

I can't believe how fast the past 11 months have gone by - Here are the highlights of the past month:

*Cruises like a pro but pretty much prefers to crawl.  It's much faster
*Will let go and stand on his own for a couple seconds - I think I might've seen him try to make a step out but it was promptly followed by falling so who knows what came first - falling or stepping
*Will eat pretty much anything put in front of him.  Especially homemade mac and cheese - "your baby smells like chedda"
*Really enjoys watching the big kids and trying to play with them.  Though that usually prompts a lesson in sharing for one, if not all, of the kids involved.
*Discovered the painful perils of a tushie abcess.  Not fun for anyone involved and results in a black and blue bottom.  Also, it made him terrified of any hands going in that general direction.
*He has TWO bottom teeth now!
*Remembers how to sleep through the night most nights now.  Thank goodness.
*Has some awesome war wound calluses on his knees and feet due to being unafraid of crawling on hard surfaces.
*Prefers fruit flavored puffs to cheerios - but who can blame him?!
*Says mama, dada, and ball - plus a whole lot of indistinguishable words/sounds
*Loves to scream and "scare" us - it's hilarious
*Really enjoys swimming but doesn't like to when he's tired
*Still wants a bedtime of 6-6:30
*Can throw a ball back to us when we play instead of just holding it waiting for us to take it from him
*Razzing is still his number one favorite activity
*Recently figured out how to snort and he truly believes that it makes his crying more pitiful
*Has found his tongue and shows it to us frequently now - too cute!
*Still refusing to feed himself a bottle.  He's definitely going to be THAT kid.  I have no idea how to get him to do it, he knows how, but would prefer to sit in my lap and let me hold it.
*Finally broke into the twenties - he's around 21 lbs - but still such a squirt
*Loves to give sugars and will almost do it on command
*Magnets are the coolest things ever and he really likes to put them in his mouth and then crawl around.  Thank goodness the alphabet magnets are not small enough to be a choking hazard!
*Likes to go exploring in the trash much to his mommy's displeasure.  Empty coke cases are the best (and one of the few that he is allowed to pull from the trash)
*Really likes to toddle around with his walking car thing but doesn't like that our house is small and he continually gets stopped by running into furniture and walls.
*Can put himself to sleep for naptime and bedtime - no rocking required - unless he is sick and then you better not even think about putting him in the crib for naptime - he only wants to be held.  Which is so sweet, so I was happy to indulge him for a couple days.

I can't think of anything else.  I know there is plenty of adorable things that he has accomplished but my brain has shut down...so there you go.  He just gets cuter and sweeter each day  - we are having the best time!

Loves.

No more world traveling.

My hubs doesn't know it yet - but it's official - he can not leave the country. ever. again.  Seriously - every time he leaves something terrible happens.  Usually it's just a horrible week of manic teething with a chance of painful ear infection thrown in for good measure.  Not this time.  Oh no.  We couldn't get off easy and just have to deal with something we're used to.  That would  be too convenient.

I really thought that since Sam would only be gone four days and it didn't appear that pepito was teething and his ears were clear that it would be clear sailing.  Not to mention that he was sleeping through the night like a pro again.  I shouldn't have said anything - pretty sure I jinxed myself.  Because what we ended up with was a huge abcess on pepito's tush.  HUGE.  What started as an innocent tushie bump that was immune to diaper creme became a red painful deep welt literally overnight.  It's awful.  Poor baby.

I got an appointment on Monday afternoon with Trina the Nurse Practitioner.  Love HER.  I would totally marry her.  Love her that much.  But anyway, she lanced, squeezed, laughed at my singing "Do You Love Me" to the screaming babe, slapped a bandaid on his bottom, and we were good to go.  Well good to go to rush over to the Medical Center Lab to give them a sample of the nastiness that was squeezed out of his tush to test for whatever is in there.  Nevermind that I was supposed to be at my in-laws house for dinner and still had to go to the pharmacy to get his antibiotics.  Luckily, my sweet mother-in-law was also running late and offered to pick up little man on her way home so I could go to the Target pharmacy by myself.  Bless them and their 15 minute 'please wander around the most fun store in the world' turn around time.  I heart Target.

I made it a policy to leave his tush alone for awhile, lest I further traumatize him, but when I got him up this morning it was hard and swollen again.  I made another appointment for late morning and he got it lanced, squeezed, etc. all over again.  Everyone in the doctor's office felt so bad for him - probably because everyone in a five mile radius could hear his screams.  Whatcha gonna do?  The NP gave me props though for rolling with the punches and not sobbing which was nice.  Made me feel like a decent mom even though I always feel a little guilty that I never cry when he does.  I guess I've become accustomed to the sound after surviving the first six months of his life....just saying.

So, that last round of torture was supposed to knock it out.  Yep - I said supposed to - because guess what - within two hours - the abcess had refilled and was full again.  Only this time it was their lunch.  I have discovered that I love Rochelle from the answering service and hate her very rude supervisor Donna.  Just putting that out there.  I finally get through to the doctor's office at 2:15pm and get the wonderful news that it's now my turn to squeeze the yuckiness.  Yay.  It's a two person job at minimum.  I begged Hads to come over and help me hold him and I promised we would shut every door in the house and turn the tv on loud so her kid wouldn't be traumatized.  Sweet bestie - she did.  And it surprised both of us how not incredibly terrible it was.  I mean, it wasn't fun and not one of the three of us enjoyed any minute of it, but it went ok.  I know for a fact that I didn't get nearly as much out as the professionals, but maybe it'll help a little bit.  Either way - we're headed back in tomorrow - for the THIRD doctor's appointment in so many days.

But wait - it gets better.  So, we've made it through the day.  Daddy's coming home tomorrow, we've just got one more night.  He eats Risotto with mixed Veggies like it's his job (which it kinda is actually), changes into PJs, swaddled and off we go to watch Glenn Beck and drink the bedtime bottle, just like every other night of his life.  He's sucking it down, no fussiness, this is going to be easy.  He takes his last sip, I set the bottle on the radio cabinet, I'm about to prop him up to burp him and there he blows.  Projectile vomit all over himself, me, splashing off of me and onto the (custom upholstered) ottoman.  Yuck.  Double yuck.  Vomit stinks.

I try calling Hads but her apartment is a black hole for cell phone signals, so then I try my mother-in-law.  She calls me back and says, yeah, what could it hurt to go to pediatric acute care.  So, off we go.  I'm tired of being in the car going to doctors.  And so is William.  Though, he was in a surprisingly good mood for just depositing his entire dinner on my shirt.  The doctor said that there's probably no good reason for him throwing up and not to worry about it.  Give him some pedialyte, make sure he doesn't dehydrate, and tell the pediatrician in the morning.  Yay.  Atleast we had a credit there for some strange reason, so I didn't have to pay for him to tell me basically nothing, though I guess the credit means that we overpaid at some point.  Whatever.  I'm too tired to care.

I seriously can't believe that it's only Tuesday.  All this happened in 48 hours.  How is that even possible?  It feels like it should be Friday already.  Atleast Sam is coming home tomorrow.  If this was a normal trip he would be gone until Saturday and I would be on the phone with his boss begging her to let him come home because I'm about to literally lose my mind.  The funny part was - I was so proud of myself for not letting any of the clingy, screaming, crying baby behavior get to me.  I finally wasn't going crazy.  That was before I got thrown up on.  I'm just so tired of dealing with it.  I'm kind of scared for tomorrow to get here - I can't deal with anything else!

Oh - and did I mention that he has been waking up at 1:36 am every night on the dot?

Loves.

Father's Day

I know I know - Father's Day was three days ago - so I am way behind in posting an ode to fathers.  Oh well.  My darling sister came in town Sunday afternoon, so I've been busy having fun with her.

Sunday morning William and I got up super early and made blueberry pancakes for Sam.  He got breakfast in bed with a blue hydrangea in a tea cup.  Yum Yum.  He couldn't even finish all the pancakes we made!  And then, since we were already up, we went to early church.  Buddy's sermon was awesome and it was a great start to a great day.  After church, we came home, took some pictures in the yard, changed clothes and headed out to Bill & Becky's for Father's Day lunch with the whole fam.  We were super early, but everyone had fun playing with pepito.  Oh - gifts - I almost forgot!  William got Sam the Sperry's (shoes) that he wanted and a gel case for his Blackberry.  He also painted a picture for him that turned out 'lovely'.  It's hanging in our kitchen next to the Mother's Day picture - such proud parents! ;)

So that's what we did.  I think Sam had a good day, might've even managed to squeeze in a nap somewhere in there and his mom made carrot cake - so he was pretty happy.

Sam - you are an amazing man.  A sweet kind gentle silly father and I know William loves you more than life itself.  I always knew you would be great but could've never expected how I would feel watching you give pepito sweet little kisses.  We are both so lucky.  We love you very much.  Forever.