Entertainment Beyond Baby Gear

As parents, we invest a lot into obtaining the latest & greatest baby gear that's out there... don't get me wrong, the bouncy seat for us is invaluable- at least for me to be able to cook, shower, or eat :) But as I discovered (and clearly have forgotten) with Kaely, I could (and can) save a ton of money because what they really want to play with are things that belong to us parents or are basic tools around the house. For Kaely, it's always been anything and everything in the kitchen- pots, pans, spoons, etc. Or, more so, my shoes. I catch her in my closet constantly, stealing my shoes and clopping around the house. This has gone on since... just over 1 year old? Maybe 2. Sadly she's starting to actually fit into them- that's just scary.

So, Chase's "Growth Spurt" this week has seemed to be more developmental and strength related. All of a sudden yesterday he was awake all day. I mean, truly, all day. He took two 10 minute naps, but did not sleep until Dad held him around 6 when I went to the store. So about 1 1/2 hours nap between 7 am and 9 pm- I was stumped. That also meant lots of required entertaining of the baby. The burp cloths serve lots of purposes- from his constant spitting up (the child eats a ton- and clearly over-eats), to almost being a "blankie" that he holds and chews on, to playing peek-a-boo. Very effective for a good 15 minutes (LOL). Then we have sitting him on the couch. Sounds random- but he loves this more than his bouncy seat (he hates the swing), more than the entertainment mats, etc because he can see what's going on at our level, and maybe because he feels like a "big boy?" My favorite discovery last night, was how he loves to look at the laptop (ugh!), and is intrigued by faces/people... so I realized, duh! I turned the webcam on (not on record), and voila! He is highly entertained by the baby that interacts with him on the computer. Haha! Side bonus? We work on core strength as he sits up to do it.

I have been shocked this week as he has shown he can sit up (for short periods) on his own, holding just my fingers. He is nearly there working on rolling over (he was so near these milestones months ago- but the heavier he gets, the harder it seems to be), he keeps twisting around checking everything out around him. Already mentioned his backwards scooting transportation methods. Showing real interest in solids now- I'm starting to wonder if I can keep up with his demands, so it's good timing. His curiosity continues to grow. Last night he slept all night, He fell asleep- on his own- around 9pm, then didn't wake up until a bit after 6am to eat. Granted, I was in some pain, but holy crap! :)

So- yes, I'm in another stage of being amazed and awed by our little boy who is growing insanely fast! As my sister mentioned yesterday- it seems he skipped a full month of growing- went from being small and behind, to bigger than his cousin, and now in 6 month size clothes! I am still working on wrapping my mind around it- but I'll just keep grinning and bragging in the meantime :)

A Whole Bunch of Nothing

Pretty much what describes the week now... aside from the typical chaos of watching two infants and a high energy 1st grader. AH! Not a whole lot of updates... Still working on milestones such as rolling over- which actually he's been making a lot of progress today as he keeps twisting to look at what is beyond his head... soon I hope! We've tried apples, pears, bananas, and peaches now- his favorite (go figure) is the bananas- loves them! Still only feeding an ounce or two of the food a day though- just enough to play with flavors- still relying 95% on breastfeeding. But he is gaining weight steadily- that's for sure! His strength increases daily- no longer worried about his bobble head, and he's been able to sit for a minute by just holding onto my fingers- crazy! He's been rebelling against tummy time- he just lays there and either stares at me, or falls asleep- refusing to move. UGH! He does scoot around all over (if I let him) on his back- lifts his butt high in the air and launches himself backwards. It's great until diaper changing time- then? Good luck!!! Either way- things are good, just going through the days and losing track of time :)

Happy Mother's Day!

First, a Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there- and now all the grand-mamas and aunts and everyone who has an impact in our lives. I am twice blessed to be a mama to the best two kids ever! (Even if they drive me batty)... My hubby is stacking up the points for Father's Day- Dave and Kaely had the surprises lined up this morning- even if Chase helped by making sure everyone was up by 7am (really???). Started with breakfast in bed (served on a baking sheet-hahahaha), complete with OJ, coffee, oranges, grapefruit, cinnamon rolls, bacon and eggs- oh my! Delicious! (Just don't look at the kitchen!). Kaely made a "scroll" for me- complete with the things she loves about me, and what I help her do. I got a new charm for my bracelet - reminds me of a candy heart with "Best Mom" on it. One of my favorites though was the classroom cookbook- absolutely hilarious. Each child contributed their favorite recipe- and her teacher typed what the believed the ingredients were, how much, how long, etc- awesome. Then on the opposite page was a real recipe for what they mentioned... too cute! Chase and Dad got flowers, and Kaely painted the frames for me... overall- best Mother's Day ever! We got to go see our moms as well, and made it home in time before we had full out meltdowns from our little man. Finished off the night with ordering pizza- what a way to end the day!

Happy Mother's Day!

"The Ideal Mother's Day Vortex"

Snagged it off a website for a laugh... fairly accurate I'd say :)

What A Character!

Literally... over the course of the past few months, Chase has acquired quite a few nicknames and character comparisons. Just for laughs... we have:

Thanks to my sister- she has used the term "Squishy" -compliments of Finding Nemo:

Then, we go waaaaay back to the tv show Dinosaurs... The baby is soooooo Chase:

Of course we have Rug Rats... Chase is Tommy Pickles, Nathan is Chuckie, and of course Kaely is Angelica... ha!

Who else? Ahhhh- I'll go back to my Stewie clip...

and my original Finding Nemo clip- is Squirt- the baby sea turtle... Chase's little face reminds me of him :)

I'm sure I'll come up with more over the months & years, but had to have a bit of fun with it :) Maybe one day he'll inspire a cartoon or book himself :)

A Weekend Escape

Okay... so it wasn't that far from the apartment down in Miami, but still- anytime you can have room service and housekeeping come in is appreciated! I'm not gonna lie, being able to wake up, put Chase in a stroller, and walk across the street to a Starbucks is a wonderful morning :) To top off the morning was a long overdue massage....

***Let me clarify that I began writing this post yesterday morning- and as it would be, chaos that is our baby boy prevented me from finishing this. LOL.

First, I'll say mini escapes are absolutely necessary for everyone. However, what comes with that are reality checks- and what made up our mini escapes a year ago are absolutely nothing like what they are here and now. As long as you hold on to those memories, and expect to go through the same carefree, relaxing, and crazy time- you may face disappointment. But... if you embrace a different atmosphere, a chance to stare and play with the crazy baby somewhere else, and sneak in moments of good food and ambiance, then maybe you can truly enjoy yourself. This is a lesson I'm still working on learning. I was bummed this weekend- it was a nice, even wonderful weekend- but it was most definitely not what I had set up in my mind.

In the end though, I had both my boys, gorgeous weather, pretty great food, and a little bit of down time. We have survived another round of flights- which is amazing. I feel a little bad for the gentleman next to us on the plane, because let's face it- it's either I nurse Chase before we take off, or everyone can listen to him cry. I opted for the former. Nothing like sharing pictures of grandchildren while Chase is under the blanket eating away. Ha!

In any case, it appears I've hit the point that I'll be posting less frequently- simply because the days blur together and sometimes I fall asleep on the couch and awaken wondering what day and time it is.

Well- here are some pics from this weekend, sorry so late!

Our balcony with the hot tub- no Chase didn't get to play in it ;)

 Dad & Chase watching the playoffs... go figure

 Ice Cream!!!

 LOL

 I love how unique all the accents of the hotel are... this was our room this time

 The only way to eat now- find a restaurant with a sidewalk patio- leave him in the stroller- he either plays or sleeps the whole time- it works!

On our honeymoon last year.... Chase this year... LOL

Yummmmm

Too stinkin' cute :)

Bravery or Stupidity?

Long overdue to write, but been a really long week! Had a full day of doctor's appointments Monday (including Kaely), so both kids were tired and not feeling well. Tuesday we had Nathan over, and both boys were recovering from their boosters. By the time my sister got back around 6ish, I was ready to fall over. Wednesday Chase had another doctor's appointment, by the time I dropped off Kaely at school, it was nearly time to turn around and wait in the line to get her in order to be at the doctor's appointment in time. The office was the worst nightmare. Full of screaming kids throwing things and banging toys- which led to Chase screaming in my ear for an hour. Sigh... Waited 90+ minutes just to have the doctor look at him for 60 seconds and say, okay- see you in 4 months. UGH!

This led to yesterday- Thursday- had Nathan again, and in trying to prepare for heading out this weekend, had a million things to do. So- my first attempt to bring both boys out in public (aside from walking to school)... hahaha... definitely interesting. Almost like those timed shopping sprees- trying to race around to get what needs to get done, done. Got a lot of confused looks, oh, there's two... you know, the usual :) lol. But amazingly they both were pretty good- although I can't say I'd recommend doing it on a regular basis!

Today we are running around trying to make sure I don't forget anything- have to tackle the task of looking human again (ha! easier said than done). Oh well- otherwise just more days in paradise! Going to miss my baby girl while we're gone this weekend, things have been a lot better since I shifted my focus and tried to do better at splitting my attention. She's been a big help with the boys- they love looking at her and all the silly faces she makes.

Praying for a good flight tonight, and a peaceful baby! One can dream, right?