Pictures!

Cousins playing in the dirt.

Book time.

Notice the jacket. It was cold outside!

Ribs!!! Yummy!!!

Taking a walk with Grandpa.

Scrubbing the dishwasher with Mommy.

Yucky dirt!

This is the way I stroll.

This is the life!

No, I still haven't found my camera, but fortunately I send Patrick a few pictures each day via text, so I just got those.

Great Cook

Christine and I went into Lockhart today with the kids. While we were there, we went out to lunch at a bar-b-q place. One of the cooks was walking through and saw Alex smiling. He told him that with those chompers he could probably do in a rib good. So, after a minute he came back out of the kitchen with a little plate and one rib! Alex loved it. I never would have thought to give him a rib, but with his new molars and his front cutters so big, he made easy work of that meat. I was quite impressed. He ate most of it plus some of my mac n cheese, beans, roll and Christine's potato salad. What a big belly he had after that! I cant wait to see how great of a nap he gets today!

(He is down to just one nap a day now. He sleeps from around 11-1 or as late as 1-3 depending on the day. He refuses to sleep the second time around, so I gave up. He is a bit cranky in the evenings, but I like having him around more!)

Soon

Pictures will come soon. I can't seem to find my camera right now.

Alex got a new haircut Friday! He is so cute. Thanks, Mona!

Table time

Now that is what I call fun!

Little Boy Boots

He has lots of room to grow, but aren't they the cutest!!!

Shoes and more

These are the shoes I promised to show you as well as other adorable pictures.

Clementine came for a visit today and got to spend some time in Alex's cubbie. (He wasn't exactly happy she was in there, but he shared well.) They played well next to each other and even shared toys at times. They are so cute together. I think they understand what the other "says".

Shoes- not just for girls

Grandma Ludlow bought Alex some adorable shoes this past weekend. He loves them. He brings them to me and holds up his foot so I can put them on him. (Elizabeth and Alex have something in common!)

Yesterday, with his new shoes on, he got to walk through HEB instead of riding in the cart. Boy, was that fun. He loves walking and all the attention it gets him. He does insist I hold his hand at all times, though.

He saw the toy section and found a kitchen toy. When he pulled the faucet lever, it started singing. He got so excited, he started dancing right there and continued to pull the faucet to keep it singing. His dancing consists of squats and then an excited stomping and screeching. It was so cute. I wish I had the camera so I could have gotten it on video. I will try to take a picture of the shoes and get it on here, hopefully soon.

Clementine's One!

This last Saturday was Clementine's first birthday. Alex had so much fun with his cousin. Isn't she adorable in that fluffy pink dress?

Grandpa Franklin and Pam gave Alex a ball and book to play with and he didn't put it down for about the first hour we were there. Clementine seemed to like not having to share her toys with him. ("Oooooh!" --That is what she said when Alex came in the house. I think she remembered the mean boy who took her spoon and bonked her on the head with it the day before.)

Alex became attached to a new friend, Keiko. She is a friend of Chris and Christine's. He spent so much time on her lap, when we left, he even smelled like her!

Roman

Roman had a bad day yesterday and will be paying for it. I am taking him to a shelter today. Patrick and I agreed this was the best thing to do. We will miss him.

A new experience

I decided to let Alex go shirtless and diaperless outside this evening. I thought he would enjoy the breathability and freedom. I was right. He enjoyed it immensly. He even decided several times to just lie face down on the concrete patio which was still warm from the sun. He played in the dirt, grass, and tomatoes.

This boy was so filthy!! He went straight up to the bathtub after we came inside. The water had grass, rocks and dirt clods all throughout the tub. And getting the dirt out of his hair was really hard.

I love having a dirty child. I truly believe the dirtier, the more fun was had.

Pants on the .... Head?

He loves to wear anything on his head! He will throw blankets, towels, pants, etc. up on his head and thinks he is so funny. What a silly cook!

Tactile Fun

Yesterday, I decided to be Mommy of the Year and let my little boy play in stuff. I took him to the park and let him dig his hands in the wood bark and grass. I then brought him home and poured water in the tray of his high chair. Unfortunately, I decided to let him splash inside instead of taking him outside. I moved him shortly after this realization. After that, and a good nap, he got to sit in the high chair (again inside) and play in corn meal and beans. He made a big mess and had lots of fun. He got to taste it (I had to take out all of the beans => new mommy mistake), fling it on the floor, and sprinkle it on Roman's face. Thank goodness the vacuum worked so well.

I'm Home

How extremely grateful I am that I am able to stay at home with my little man. I love being a mom!!!

Farmer

I just love Alex in these farmer/engineer overalls. He has a farmer's tan, too!

A Pink Ride

He learned how to ride this last weekend. He cant reach the peddals, but instead pushes with his feet on the ground. He loves the noises it makes. Yes, it is a pink Dora the Explorer bike, but hey, it still sounds like a macho motorcycle. I think that makes up for it.

Naughtiness gets time out

Alex took his first time-out today. He bit me again and has been getting away with biting way too much. It hurts! So mean mommy sat him in a chair in the corner for one minute and listened to her baby wail his apologies. I told him I still loved him and he gave me a big "I will be good always" kind of hug.

Wouldn't that be great if one time-out meant that he never will bite again! (I know-wishful thinking.)

Almost There!!

Alex has been practicing all day! Up and down, over and over again. I am so proud of his persistence!

We took him to the doctor today afraid that he had another ear ache. As it turns out, he is getting a molar! It is not out yet, but has formed a blueish blister on his gums. No wonder he has been so unbearably cranky!

Peer Pressure

This past weekend, we went to Grandma Franklin's house where Chris, Christine, and Clementine were as well. Clementine is walking now and was showing off her skills to Alex. He seemed to be thoughtful about this new thing she was doing.

He would try to stand and take some steps while we were there. Ever since, he has been practicing over and over again. He will try to stand and thinks about taking steps. Sometimes the steps work, but most of the time he lands on his bottom. Good thing he has lots of padding there!

Christine said that once they are able to squat down and pick up a toy then stand themselves back up, they will soon walk. Well, that is what my little man did today. I was so proud of him.

It's about time!!!

Disregard last post

I just removed the last post if you were wondering where the pictures of Roman went. He is going to stay with us, just farther away from Alex. There is no where for him to go as of yet and until a proper second home can be found, we will keep him.

First Steps

Last night we were in Temple with my parents. While Patrick and I were out, Dad got a video of Alex standing by himself and taking two to three steps on his own!!! I am upset I wasn't there, but this is soooo exciting. If you look at the Blogs on the right, you will notice that Clementine started walking too. Hers was quite a bit farther, though. Yea!!!

The Vocalist

Cuteness Squared

Woohoo! We're down to two!

Two naps, that is.

Yes, you read that right. My little one loves to sleep. We just recently were able to get him down to only two naps a day instead of three. Supposedly most babies are down to two naps around 9 months-Not my kid! I started noticing on the monitor that he was not sleeping, just playing quietly in his crib the whole time during one or two of his naps. That is when I said, "That's it."

I now keep him up in the morning until 9:30 and he sleeps for about an hour. Then his next nap is at 3:00. This has become his two hour nap. Yea, Alex!

My little one is getting on a schedule and Mommy is loving it!

Oh what fun was had!

We spent the weekend with my parents. On Monday, John came to visit and brought his three girls. Gianna had fun stacking blocks for Alex and letting him knock them over. She made sure they didn't fall on him or make too much noise. (Her sisters were sleeping.) It was precious to watch how she took to him. He was happy to have someone to play with as well, though he is still learning how to play with others.

Most of the rest of the family was there as well as a Skype call with Christy, Zak, Bill, and the almost-here Yonas. Seven more weeks!

I was able to scrub the baseboards in the dining and living room, use the shop-vac to suck out the water that had accumulated in my dad's old sailboat, take a car ride through Belton to see all the newly built stuff, and play with the family. What a great weekend!

On Friday I will go back with Alex. I have been hired as my Mom's maid. I am excited to start. I need to help with income since I quit my job. There are many things (like dirty baseboards and other low-lying items) that I have noticed since having my son crawling around there so often and I want them cleaned. I will be going every other week and my dad/whoever-else-is-there, will watch the kid. Yea. Sounds like a winning situation from every angle.

Is he one or two?

Alex has begun to express his voice on lots of things these days. He is quite loud and will swat his leg as he cries. He gets himself all worked up. We are trying to teach him baby sign language, but even though I think he understands me, he doesn't quite get how to talk back. This, along with his insatiable need for independence has led me to believe that the "terrible twos" are, for us, beginning a bit early. It is draining to say the least. He is still happy and smiley, but he will get frustrated when he finds out that he can not open the fridge or drag his walker on his back.

Tonight he threw an all out tantrum because I took away his graham cracker. (I am perfectly okay with being the mean mommy sometimes.) This fit lasted for a good ten minutes with him rolling on the floor and screaming at the top of his lungs. When he finally calmed down, we tried dinner again. First bite- good, second bite- fit. We were just about to leave my mother-in-law's house anyway, so we just packed him up still screaming and gave him a sippy of milk. He finally calmed down after about another ten minutes in the car. By that time I doubt he still knew what he was crying for. He finished his dinner at home with no fuss. (thank goodness)

I have spoken to some friends about these fits and they all say it is normal. Talk about testing out the mommy skills early. Good thing I have practice with lots of kids screaming at me all day!

Big Helper

He saw me getting out the hand sweeper and dust pan and decided he needed to be involved. He held the pan while I swept, then cried when I needed to use it. Then the mop came out and he was soooo excited. He "mopped" my floor pretty well. I can't wait until he is old enough to do the real job so I don't have to!

UP & DOWN

Alex was taught by Grandma Franklin how to get down from furniture and Mommy taught him this morning how to use Roman and a box to get up. He has been going up and down all morning!
UP Down

Baby Signing Time

Alex has been watching Baby Signing Time at home. This is my brilliant boy signing "baby" as I sing the beginning song. So sweet.

Three cheers for the Birthday Boy!!

We were all excited to celebrate Alex's first birthday. So much so that we celebrated three times!! On the Sunday before, we went to Grandma Franklin's house for brisket lunch and cupcakes. Alex and Clementine had a blast together in their diapers. Alex wouldn't eat the cupcake, but Clementine definitely loved hers. On his real birthday, poor thing had to go to daycare and didn't get picked up until 6 (bedtime.) Not much excitement that night, but he did get woken up to the birthday song. Then the following Saturday, we had crabfest and bday party at Grandma and Grandpa Ludlow's house. This was a big family get together and Alex decided he liked his chocolate cupcake! Yea!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!!!

My angel is officially one year old today at 12:10 this afternoon. My, how time flies when you're having fun!

A new kind of exercise

He loves to climb!



...but it sure is exhausting!!

Yummy!

While at Cracker Barrel the other day, I gave Alex the lemon from my tea and found out that he LOVED it! The waiter brought him a plate of orange slices and he spent the entire time chewing on them. He likes the rind, too. Weird. I also learned that he loves strawberries. Not a good idea while in clothes-even if he is wearing a plastic bib. Even his diaper got pink.

3, 2, 1. . .

The countdown is on! Only 8 more school days until I am a SAHM!!!! I am so excited and nervous I can't stand it! I am trying to plan as much as possible in order to have some semblance of normality with all the new "free time".

Happy Mommy to me!!

Is there a more perfect mother's day gift than to offer your baby to God? I think not. We dedicated Alex to the Lord yesterday and had a good number of our family come to celebrate with us. Even Patrick's dad (Papa) and Pam made it up for a while.

Afterwards, we all went to our house for pizza and cake. (Thanks mom for helping out!) Alex crashed as soon as we got home. When our friends came over with their kids, it was quite a happy home. One of the kids thought Alex had woken up and so decided to go in his room and turn on the lights. He didn't like that very much. But, it allowed our family and friends some time to hang out with him.

Alex got a few gifts including toys, a bible, books, clothes and a piggy bank. Thanks everyone!

Happy Mother's Day to us all!

Before and After

Before: Notice the long locks. After: Daddy gave him a trim. Before: "What is that brown stuff over there? I wonder what it tastes like." After: "But I am having fun. I don't want to go to bed."

REALLY?

Alex went to the doctor yesterday. We thought he had pink eye and found out he also had another ear infection!!! I thought he was over that. Even the doctor was stunned.

Summer please come quickly!

life after surgery

He had his ear tubes put in and his adenoids were removed last Thursday. It took him a while to get over the sleepiness of the anesthesia. I relished in the fact that he was once again laying still in my arms for more than two minutes. He was so drowsy that he didn't even flinch when the nurse took out the IV. My brave son!

He is on antibiotic ear drops twice a day, antibiotic liquid three times a day, the nebulizer twice a day and ibuprofen for pain management every four to six hours. I think the medicine is reducing his appetite and upsetting his tummy, making feedings very difficult. It is so frustrating. Oh, and apparently when addenoids are removed the sinuses fill with mucous to aid in healing and then drains profusely out the nose. That doesn't help him with eating very much, either.

Seven more Mondays. That is all the time I have left until I am an official SAHM! I can't wait to have a son who is well and NOT on antibiotics.

A day at the park, et al

Big Daddy and his Mini Me


Bathtime fun. How he loves his turtle toy!


Ooh, what's that?


During Spring Break,we went to a park and Alex was able to experience grass. A very cool new thing to feel and taste.

Happiness

Today, Alex started clapping! He was really happy and started smacking his hands together as he would with toys. Patrick clapped and Alex continued. I tried to get it on video, but of course, he stopped as soon as the camera came out.

It was sooooo cute!

What's for dinner?

That is the worst question anyone can ask at 5:30 when I still have to bathe, feed, nebulizer treatment, and put to bed Alex. (Patrick usually comes home after Alex's bedtime.)

I end up staring into the pantry and fridge for endless minutes trying to see what I can whip up fast enough that I can still eat and sit for 10 minutes before going to bed at 9:00.

That is why I started to use Emealz. This site is great!! It tells me what to make, how to make it, and gives me a grocery list that goes with it! I am stoked. I tried one of the recipes tonight and really liked it. I think everyone should check it out.

Laugh Until You Cry

Right when I stopped taping, he started crying. It was all too much fun for him.

I love seeing my men together!

A little pushy

This is REAL talent!

They painted his hands and he slapped the paper. Such talent at such an early age. Notice how well inside the lines he is?

Best Friends