Little Bunny

Last year, I celebrated Easter with a little 'bun'ny in the oven.  I bought my first plush bunny, filled an Easter basket just so, and ate an extra Cadbury Egg (or two).  It was a special holiday, as it was the first one since becoming pregnant, and the first one to view through the rose-colored 'mom-to-be' glasses that just made everything a little more sentimental and sweet.  

Last year, this soft little plush bunny sat untouched in a perfectly placed Easter basket, a basket that honored a baby who was about the size of a strawberry.

And this year...

 

My little 'strawberry' is a watermelon.  A watermelon who giggles and sits up tall and tries to eat the ear off the poor plush bunny.

Easter is coming.  Bunnies and babies and eggs and chocolate.  "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," "He Arose," and "Because He Lives."  Pastels and potato salad, bonnets and breakfast at church.  Hope in an empty tomb and praise to the One who paid it all.

And...

...a poor plush bunny and his new friend.

 

  

Happy HALF YEAR Cruz!

I can't believe it's true, but our little Cruz Man is SIX months old!  It's amazing to me to think that one year ago, I was filling an Easter basket for a baby-in-waiting, and you could hardly tell I was pregnant, and now, one year later, we are raising a healthy, happy baby boy.  Life is incredible that way.  

Once again, Cruz had a big month.  So many milestones, it seems like every day he is doing something different.  With the new realization that there is a great big world beyond his secure little home, Cruz has had lots to explore.  He's definitely interested in everything, from his new foods, to his toys, to his cat, and our faces, and it seems that the wheels in his little head are always turning...  

The biggest milestone this month would probably have to be this...

Cruz can sit!  He took to the whole sitting thing pretty quickly, and morphed from 'supported sitter' to 'sitter' in what seems like a couple of days.  He's sturdy and steady, which has made playtime especially fun now that we can face him.  He's stacked blocks, knocked down towers, typed on his laptop, and nuzzled noses with his family of stuffed animals.  He sits upright in his stroller, loves sitting in his high chair, and even sat like a 
'big boy,' in a high chair at Famous Daves. 

Another big milestone this month was the discovery of two perfect little teeth!  A couple weekends ago, we thought Cruz had caught another cold.  He ran a little fever all weekend, slept more than usual, and we couldn't keep his nose dry.  He seemed better Monday morning, so we brought him to day care.  By the time I picked him up for the day, he had two little pearly stubs sticking out of his gums!  

Cruz's favorite time of the day is supper.  About 5:30 every night, I put him in his high chair and fasten a bib around his neck.  He immediately gets excited, swinging his arms up and down, kicking his feet, and squealing up a storm.  By the time I sit down with his food, his eyes light up and he opens his mouth, just waiting for the first bite.  This time together has become one of my favorite times of day.  

What started with an ounce of carrots a day, has morphed into three-ounce portions of apples and pears, sweet potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, squash, avocado, and bananas.  Other than the broccoli, which Cruz was a little skeptical of, he's loved it all.  His favorites were the pears, bananas, and butternut squash.  This week, we move onto peas, and although the bright green frozen ice cubes look pretty, I wonder if Cruz will feel the same about them.  Stay tuned to find out!

Cruz's favorite toy has to be his jumper.  Not only did he figure out how to make the toys 'work,' but he's become quite the pro at jumping.  He's crazy, and sometimes he gets going so fast, he surprises himself.  It's adorable to watch his little feet go, and something about his moves remind me of Elvis.  He's got the hip-sway down to a science!  

 

Another cool trick Cruz acquired this month involves the word, 'no.'  I'm not quite sure where he picked it up, but he loves shaking his head back and forth, especially when we say, 'nooooooo.'  The more you do it, the more Cruz follows.  It's hilarious now; however, we're in for a treat when we decide that 'no' needs to be taken a bit more seriously!

I can't wait for our next doctor's appointment to see how much our little pudge has grown.  He feels so heavy to me!  He's about outgrown his whale tub, and has definitely outgrown his cute little hooded towels!  He can still wear most of his 3-6 month clothes, but it won't be long before we pack that away too!  He loves his bottles, loves his morning cereal, and loves his veggies and fruit!


Lots of 'firsts' to mark off Cruz's milestone list this month.  Last weekend, he had his first non-family babysitter.  Jennifer, one of Cruz's daycare 'girlfriends,' stayed with him while we had a night out.  The night must have went over well, as it seems their little relationship has only gotten closer since then! 

Although Cruz is starting to look more and more like his mommy every day, I think he acquired his dad's charm and wit.  He's laid back and content, and quite the little flirt.  I think he has the daycare girls wrapped around his chubby finger, and he was causing quite the stir at US Cellular the other day.  He's got the eyebrow raise and the shy, half-smile down to a science.

What else does Cruz love this month???

...His dad, especially when he carries him on his shoulders!  Cruz thinks he's king of the world up there!

...well, most of the time :)

...his mom.  He thinks I'm funny and likes to give me kisses.  Most of all, he likes pulling my hair.  Hard.    

...Baseball.  He usually isn't too into the TV, but when baseball is on, he's all about it! 

 

...The TV remote.  We call this his Grandpa Curt pose...

...his bed.  It's definitely a favorite spot Cruz's.  He loves to play in it while I pick up his room, and lately, has started pulling himself up by the crib rail.  It won't be long and we'll be lowering it!

...Sophie, the giraffe.  For all you momma-to-bes out there, this is the toy to buy.  

...Ron Sock-o
 

It's been another wild and crazy month, but oh-so-fun.  Cruz's smile has become the meaning of happiness to Beau and I, and we are having so much fun with him. 

Sidewalk Chalk

This week has been a busy one.  A rat race.  One of those weeks where everything takes longer than I think it's going to.  One of those weeks where I just get caught up with something, and another takes its place.  My to-do list is out of control, and somewhere between taking pictures of Farm Bureau agents with NU basketball players, counting ballots for graduation speakers, grading thirty-six multi-genre papers, writing lesson plans for a project on To Kill a Mockingbird, paying an overdue daycare bill (oops), sending four swimsuits back to Victoria's Secret (gross), and shipping a defective flash drive across the country...

I remember this.

And I know that it's all o.k. 

 

Because after a day is done and I rush like mad to daycare to pick up my little sprout, my to-do list just doesn't matter all that much.  My little six-month-old has taught me so much about what's important in this life of ours.  He reassures me over and over again with his accepting smile and innocent love.  

Babies are amazing that way.  They don't care about how the house looks, or how much money's in the bank account, or the number of hours punched on a time card.  They just want to be loved, and accepted, and played with.  Every time I look at his face, he reminds me of this.

Lately, I've been thinking about sidewalk chalk.  A long driveway, a barefoot baby, and a bucket full of red, blue, green, and purple.  Afternoons spent outlining our shadows, drawing smiley faces, and perfecting our names in bubble letters.  This week, I find myself longing for chalk-dust covered hands, a glass of iced tea, and simplicity.

Happiness is...

... a weekend at home.  A weekend with no plans other than catching up, making a mess, and cleaning it up again.  A weekend with Cruz and his dad.

 

...Happiness is a Friday afternoon post parent-teacher conferences.  An early pickup, a happy baby boy, and an overdue request for Size 3 diapers :)

...Happiness is a Thai Chicken Pizza at Doey Joey's.  The sweet and spicy peanut sauce reminds me of one of the first 'cool' meals Beau and I cooked together in our hilariously bad kitchen at 'the duplex.'  Thai chicken, marinated in a sesame peanut sauce, sprinkled with cilantro, and wrapped in crispy lettuce leaves.  They were amazing, even though they took us two hours to make.  We tried them a couple summers later.  They took half the time, and tasted half as good.  Skills and expectations...skills and expectations...

...Happiness is 'Cruz at PLAY.'  He is an explorer and a discoverer.  We spent a large portion of Saturday morning unpacking toys I had purchased for him and 'put away' for just the right day.  He was mesmerized by the blocks, but still sees everything as a teething device.  

 

...Happiness is a 'sitter.'  Still not too fond of the falling over thing, so we surround him with soft objects like pillows, blankets, and Ron Sockos.  He can sit for pretty long periods of time before falling like a Jenga puzzle.  You never know which way he's gonna go, but it's similar to the last second shot in a basketball game in the fact that it seems to occur in slow motion.  

...Happiness is a home-cooked meal.  Chicken roll-ups, my favorite green beans with basil and cherry tomatoes, and some good ol' Stove Top.  Happiness is eating our dinner to the tunes of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,' thanks to Cruz's jumper.  We don't even notice the sounds as we inhale the food in front of us :)

...Happiness is reusable grocery bags.   I'm a fan.

 

...Happiness is the best baby toy on the planet.  There's a reason this, and Sophie the Giraffe are on Amazon Baby's Bestseller List.  This toy gets us through tired baby diaper changes and the Nose Frida snot sucker experiences. 

...Happiness is devouring a bag of Whopper Robin Eggs.  I have a love/hate relationship with all that is Easter candy.

...Happiness is sweet baby feet that blend together with plush baby blue like cookies and cream.

...and a kitty who timidly wants in on the Sunday afternoon action (or is just vying for a spot in the sun).

...Happiness is a baby in bibs.  A baby who is working on those teeth as if it was his job.  Before I had kids, I always said I would never be a mom who let her children run around with snotty noses...

...then I had kids :). 

 

 

...Happiness is watching Michael Scott's proposal to Holly on The Office.  Either motherhood has made me more emotional, or that was a tear-jerker!  Definitely one of my top five best TV moments...ever.

...Happiness is this...

...and this...

 

...Happiness is a Sunday morning in pajamas, a Sunday afternoon in pajamas, and a Sunday night in pajamas.  

 

Have a good week :)