Cruz is ONE MONTH

Happy One Month Birthday, Cruz Bennett.  While it pains me to admit that you are already a month old, it's also unbelievable that you've been a part of our lives for an entire month.  As I look back at the last four weeks, I'm convinced I've learned more this month than I have in any other month over the course of my life.  I feel like the three of us have grown closer together than I ever dreamed possible.  Your dad and I have loved growing into these new shoes of parenthood, discovering more about ourselves and our relationship every day.  You have brought such a newfound happiness to our lives.  I think I've had a permanent smile on my face every day since bringing you home, and it's amazing how every day just keeps getting better and better.

Cruz at One Month...

...You are a mover!  Everyone who listened to me go on and on about how much you moved while you were cooking away inside of me has now seen the proof.  Dr. Chandra, your pediatrician, even commented on how active you were when you wouldn't stop moving on the hospital bed!  You seem older than what you are, almost discontent at your inability to move around the room!  I think you are going to give us a run for our money someday!

...When you're not working those feet and arms, you can be quite the snuggle bug too.  You are happiest when you are in the arms of one of your parents, and especially love sleeping on our chests and holding onto our fingers as you sleep.  From your first day of life, you loved to be held, swaddled, and kept nice and warm with lots of cozy blankets.

...Speaking of swaddled, I don't know what we'd do without your Halo Sleep Sack.  I discovered it in your closet one night and you immediately slept three straight hours!  Not to mention, you look adorable in it too! 

...You are expressive!  Everyone comments on all the little faces you make, especially when you wrinkle your forehead and point your eyebrow bones down.  You kind of look like you're concentrating really hard on something, but other times, you look like you're scowling at us!  You are also a noisy sleeper.  Our favorite noises are your little snore, your Super Mario Bros. squeak, and your little lamb call you make when you eat!

...You are growing!  When we brought you home from the hospital, you weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz, and were 21.5 inches long.  At your two-week appointment, you weighed 8.9, and even grew a half inch.  You are a little under the 50th percentile for weight, but over the 85th percentile for length!  Your stats are proving to emulate your parents...tall and skinnny!  

...You love to nurse.  The nurses called you a prodigy from the start!  I wasn't sure if I was going to like the uncertainty that comes with nursing, but it's proved to be such a bonding experience for the two of us...it's one of my favorite moments of the day!  You eat about every three hours during the day and have been gradually making it about 4-5 at night.  This week, you surprised me and your daddy by sleeping from 10:30 to 4:45, without waking up ONCE!  You let me know when you're hungry at night, but usually go right back to sleep after rocking you a bit.  Your dad has also given you a few bottles and you take them down like a champ!  You're a good eater, a good burper, and on your way to being a good sleeper! 

...You are so strong, especially when it comes to lifting that little neck of yours.  Tummy time is a lot of work, but you seem to enjoy it.  You work and work and work and when you get tired, lay your head on its side and look as though you could fall asleep.  I have a feeling you might be a tummy sleeper if I'd let you!  This week, you are content on your tummy for a half hour at a time!  Sometimes, when you lift your head high, you also lift your legs and the very tips of your toes!  And last night, you got so high that you kicked your feet and rolled from your tummy to your back!  You were as stunned as we were!   

...You have a love/hate relationship with bath time.  At first, you despised them, especially when we couldn't fill the tub very full because of your cord.  After about three attempts, your mommy and daddy worked out a system.  While I wash your hair and scrub between your toes, your dad keeps you nice and warm by pouring warm water over your chest, over and over and over again.  We sing and laugh and try our best to make bath time enjoyable...sometimes it works and sometimes, well, we should know better than to give you a bath when you're hungry!

...You are quite the social lite.  We've taken full advantage of the warm weather the last month by getting you out and about.  You walked the mall with us when you were just four days old, have been out to eat six times (including a packed Texas Roadhouse), traveled to Allison and Hampton to visit your great-grandmas when you were just a week, have been to church twice, and have ran numerous errands with your mom.  Turns out, you're pretty easy to take along.  If it wasn't for one exception the night we were requesting to get you baptized, you've slept through every one of your outings! 

...Although you love to be cuddled, you also like your independence.  You enjoy stretching out on your favorite star blanket or lounging in your boppy pillow.  You love to look around and it didn't take you long to spot the TV, the windows, and our faces.  You definitely recognize your mommy and daddy's voices and LOVE being talked to. 

...You love your daddy, especially when he marches around the house with you, improvising silly songs to the tune of whatever is in his head.  My favorite is when he sings, "When the Saints Go Marching In," while you kick your feet to the beat.  You also love when I sing songs from church to you.  When you really get into it, I can start to see glimpses of some very cute cooing.

...Your car seat has about a five minute "wake" period.  After that, you're out like a light.  You love riding in cars and especially love going for walks outside.  We had no idea we'd be able to show you around the neighborhood in the middle of November!

...your favorite place to sleep (besides with us), is your crib.  We were planning to put you in a pack n' play next to our bed, but you, nor I, could get much sleep with that set up.  You take a good morning nap and sometimes, even a long afternoon nap in your crib.  As we speak, you've been out for over two hours!

Maternity leave is like nothing I ever imagined. I have this newborn baby at home, a little life completely dependent on me; however, I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life. Mornings spent lying face to face with my little one; telling him about his family, his life, and his God. Rocking him to sleep in the recliner, then breathing in his baby scent for the next two hours.  Singing him to sleep, then watching all the little faces he makes as he drifts deeper and deeper into dreamland. Watching the clock waiting for Beau to get home so the three of us can laugh and love and soak in all that is Cruz. I feel incredibly blessed and sometimes undeserving of the love that God has placed in our lives.

Wow, what a month!  It's crazy how much you have changed since October 12.  You are such a strong little guy and we are continually amazed at all you can do.  I can't wait to celebrate all the blessings in our lives during this upcoming holiday season.  It's Christmas time, baby, and there are so many happy moments ahead.  

Love you forever...

Mom 

All in the Family...

Last Saturday night, my family celebrated my brother's birthday by lying on the floor, surrounding our babies, laughing as Charly attempted to warm up to her new little cousin by stealing his pacifier and sitting on his belly.  We imitated their little (and big) noises, overexaggerated silly faces in hopes of getting a smile in return, and took turns passing around our littles in between dinner and birthday cupcakes.

 
Tonight, while Beau was at a networking meeting, Taylor came over in desperate need of assistance in writing an annotated bibliography for a college class.  The three of us, Cruz in between, had some tummy time in front of the laptop screen, searching for primary and secondary sources, while cheering on Cruz and his attempts to record the longest ever head raise.

Sometimes I laugh and wonder what my family did before these sweet little ones entered our lives.  What did we do to pass the time at family get-togethers?  What did my mom and I talk about on the phone?  What did we take pictures of?  

Oh, how could I forget...

Speaking of cats, it seems ours has recently accepted her fate.  The fate of a little baby that cries and poops and disturbs her twenty-something hours of sleep each day, all while consuming way more attention from the love of her life, her Beau, the man who used to cuddle with her after work, and hang out for long hours in the basement 'man's room.'  Life is not the same for Jade, but she's learning to settle for less.  

Or at least learning to share.       

Milestones...

Cruz is a go-getter.  I knew this fact for the 41 weeks I carried him, as he moved non-stop.  And now, all who have seen our little one in action have seen proof of this activity I talked about while pregnant.  Whether he's sleeping, eating, or stretching out on the floor, our little dude is kicking his feet, throwing gang signs with his hands, or attempting to climb up our chests as we attempt to cuddle with him.  Every day, he's proving to be his parents' son...he's always on the move, always working hard, always on his toes. 

This is most evident during one of my favorite times of the day...tummy time.  It's amazing to me that babies know just what to do when they are placed on their tummies - it's go time for them.  Cruz is a champ at tummy time.  Every day, he lifts his head a little higher and enjoys his view a little longer.  A part of me feels sorry for him because he is working so incredibly, frustratingly hard; however, a part of me could watch him all day long.  He gets such a look of determination about him.  His forehead wrinkles, his neck elongates like that of a brontosaurus, and his eyes brighten as if he's just witnessed a miracle.  When he really gets into it, his entire body works, from the wrinkles on his forehead to the tips of his toes.  Tummy time evolves into baby yoga and Cruz rocks out the superman position.  I think he took his Halloween costume a little too seriously this year...

Tonight, as my friends from work, Josh and Nikki, stopped over to see Cruz, we decided to dazzle them with a little tummy time.  As Nikki and I cheered him on from the floor, Cruz decided to take baby yoga a little further.  His feet got so into that he ROLLED OVER!  A true milestone!  I think Cruz was as surprised at his accomplishment as the four of us were...he stared at us in complete disbelief!  After we realized what had happened, the room erupted in applause!  Nikki was shrieking and high fives were exhanged across the room, all while our little star stared wide-eyed at the excitement surrounding him.  After Josh and Nikki left, Cruz decided to make sure this milestone made the baby book, and rolled over three more times! 

We'll see if Cruz can continue his stellar yoga moves again tomorrow.  I have a feeling that in no time, he'll be rockin' downward dog.  I'll try and capture his mad skills on our Flip camera...someday, he'll get a kick out of how focused he looks!

Swampy Serenade to a Spaghetti Supper

Last night, Beau and I sat down for our first dinner at the table since Cruz has been born.  It was memorable to say the least.  We made one of our favorite, go-to meals of spaghetti marinara, Caesar salad, and garlic bread.  Beau started cooking while I fed Cruz; this was all in attempts to get him nice and full so that we could get nice and full, together, instead of in the typical shifts we've mastered the last few weeks. 

It started splendidly.  We poured a couple of glasses of wine, breathed in the fumes of roasted garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes, and set the table.  Cruz hung out in his swing and we sat down, smiled at our achievement, and quickly began shoving in our extra large plates of spaghetti.  Did we drag out our dinner in attempts to stare romantically at one another and soak in each other's company?  Did we turn on our favorite Pandora station and let Frank Sinatra sing us into our food-induced comas?  Did we enjoy deep, intellectual conversation about life, dreams, and plans?  Not exactly.  Instead, we took turns repositioning the pacifier into our son's mouth, laughing at the look on his face as he longingly stared at us from the living room, and listened to the swampy, nature sounds that played from his motorized swing.  We felt like we were eating supper in the middle of the Everglades.  I kind of felt like Shrek.  And halfway through our meal, Beau decided he wasn't feeling well and on the way to the bathroom, threw the remains of his Caesar salad and spaghetti into the trash.  

Tonight, we'll try again.  A Pepsi roast is in the oven and a six-pack of Bud Light Lime awaits me in the fridge.  Will I eat my mashed potatoes with one hand while I nurse Cruz with the other?  Will we eat our dinner in the middle of the Everglades, or enjoy it on the beach, as the sounds of crashing waves and humpback whales sing to us in the background?  When it comes to a new baby in the house, the world really is our oyster.    

Perhaps our failed attempts to eat dinner at the table together is the reason Cruz has experienced dinner at about every restaurant in the Cedar Valley.  As Beau puts it, restaurants are Cruz's kryptonite.  When he was just five days old, he slept through pizza at the OP.  A week later, he slept through subs at the OP.  He's slept through Jordan's birthday dinner at Mulligans, a packed Texas Roadhouse, and a Saturday night at Amigo's.  Perhaps tonight's dinner should include a quick drive around town beforehand, a car seat, every light in the house turned on, and peanut shells on the kitchen floor.    

Yesterday, Beau and Cruz had some guy's time at Old Chicago.  Beau was bummed that the Bears weren't on TV, so the three of us headed to Old Chicago after church.  Cruz got a good, two-hour nap in, Beau watched the first half of the game, and I tried on some clothes at Express.  By the time we left, we were all three smiles.

Literally.

We think we caught some of Cruz's first genuine smiles this weekend.  On Friday, he smiled twice at me as I was telling him stories of RC Cola making me burp when I was a little girl.  He focused on my face so intently, then smiled twice when I drug out the 'ohhhhh' sound in Cola.  And yesterday, Beau was talking to his son about the Bears' pregame and caught the same sweet smile a few more times.  I even managed to catch it on camera.  He just loves being talked to and definitely recognizes our voices.  If that doesn't make a parent feel pretty amazing, I don't know what would. 

Despite our somewhat screwy dinner last night, yesterday was such a great day.  It seems that every day that goes by, I think to myself, 'that was Cruz's best day yet.'  He's such a sweet baby and every day it seems we discover more and more about his little self.  Like the way he loves grabbing onto the collar of my shirt when I nurse him, or the way he loves grabbing onto our fingers as he drifts to sleep.  Or the way he seeks to impress his dad with his strong neck muscles as Beau attempts to hold him on his chest, or the way his little feet kick to an undefined rhythm as he chills on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor.  And as we discover more about him, we discover more about ourselves as parents along the way.  I'm figuring out his cries, when he's hungry, when he's tired, or when he just wants to lay on a blanket and stretch.  There is nothing more encouraging for a parent than figuring out what makes your baby happy.  And it seems like our puzzle is getting easier to piece together every day. 

Someday, I will be able to tell Cruz that he was born during one of the prettiest falls in recorded history.  A fall that allowed for stroller rides in the middle of November and bare feet on blankets in the backyard.  A fall that allowed two parents to trade in a romantic dinner for two for a satisfied soul and some catchy swamp music.
   

The small things...

Today was a good day.  A midday trip to the mall with Cruz, sandwiched between a mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of buttery popcorn.  A night with no plans other than hibernating like three bears in the house with a good movie and a snuggly baby.  The reassurance of knowing I have a teammate to tackle the possible lack of sleep I'm going to get tonight.  And the face of a baby that makes it all worth it.

For the first day since bringing Cruz home, I finally feel like I'm figuring things out.  Instead of running around the house like a madwoman in the morning while Cruz slept, I took my time, made some breakfast, sipped a warm mug of hot chocolate, and stayed in the shower extra long.  I dried my hair and put my makeup on while Cruz slept in his lambie chair on the bathroom floor.  Later, I discovered that Cruz prefers the sound of a vacuum cleaner for sleeping instead of the soft lullaby music offered by his motorized swing; so, I vacuumed the living room, the hallway, the curtains, and the stair steps.  We snuggled for awhile and read a few books before I decided on a whim to take a trip to the mall.  It's only a matter of time before I'm unable to bundle my little one up and kill a few hours walking around a quiet mall.  Plus, now that the mall is dressed in its Christmas best, the Holiday season is in full swing and I'm itching to begin my Christmas shopping.  I loaded and unloaded the stroller on my own, made several laps up and down the mall, and even fed Cruz in the Von Maur bathroom without needing my mom to help situate a blanket over top of me.   

And because I am a realist and know that not every day will be a Superwoman kind of day, I am going to use the good of today to bring the Happiness Project back to life.  Because I know there will be days when I fail, days when my makeup doesn't get on, and the floors never get vacuumed.  Days when I'm too tired to write, too tired to think, too tired to see the good that comes with each day.  So, here's to the small, simple things making me happy these days... 
 
71.  Bath time.  Last night, Beau and I were discussing our favorite parts of raising a baby, and we both decided bath time was in our top ten.  The first couple baths were a little hectic; however, now Cruz is in seventh heaven.  I love our routine at bathtime.  As I get the water temperature and amount of suds just so, Beau strips our little one and carries him in the kitchen, cute little baby butt fully exposed for the world (well, neighbors) to see.  Then, as I scrub his little head of hair, the space between his toes, and his tiny little underarms, Beau continuously douses Cruz with a shower of warm water.  Usually, our bathtime is accompanied with an improvised song to the tune of whatever was on the radio last.  Family time at its best.

Bath time would not be the same without the following two products.  Our tub came with this little colander and it's saved us from a cold, crying baby at bathtime.

   
72.  I love talking to Cruz.  Having what seems like a completely one-sided conversation with yourself, until you notice two sparkly blue eyes riding on your every word.  He has even started shaping his mouth into 'coo' noises, like he's trying to reassure me that he does listen and would like to be able to talk too.  These little conversations are some of the most special moments I have with Cruz.  It's pretty amazing to think of him listening that way for the many months I was carrying him too.  To see his eyes perk up when he hears my voice is pretty unbelieveable.  Now if I only I could get my students to listen to me that way!

73.  Brothers and Sisters - I truly don't know how our parents survived without a DVR, let alone cable, when we were tiny babes.  I have developed a system.  Instead of watching my primetime TV shows when they are regularly scheduled, I record just about everything.  Then, during feedings, naptimes, and the occasional sleepless night, I catch up on my TV.  TV that now has the rewind, fast-forward, and pause capability...all much more appreciated now that we have a baby.  DVR has saved me from long afternoons and terrible daytime television. 

Among a list that includes Dancing with the Stars, Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's, Boardwalk Empire, my favorite each week is by far Brothers and Sisters.  It's the only show I have a hard time deleting from the DVR after watching it.  It's drama and a beautiful set, wine and delicious food, great music, and Gilles Marini.  Most of all, it has a depth to every episode, depth that usually leaves me with a smile on my face, or tears running down my cheeks. 

74.  Quilts.  It's that time of year.  Time to carry in a stack of firewood and fill our living room with quilts and blankets.  To add clutter to an already tiny room in the form of homemade patches of navy, red, gold, and green.  Now that we have Cruz, our house is completely cluttered with cute baby blankets.  And while he may have a blanket to match about every outfit he owns, I'd say I'm making great use of them.  You can never have enough blankets.

Yesterday, Cruz's Grandma Mary, Great Aunt Becky, and Great Grandma Sanders came to visit.  Great Grandma Sanders surprised us with the newest addition to our quilt collection.  Cruz's very-own, handmade, patchwork quilt.

Complete with little Cubbie Bears.  

We are thrilled and I'm already thinking about Cruz's next bedroom.  He showed off on it for his guests, entertaining us with a round of tummy time and some cuteness.  That's about all he's able to do right now ;)   

75.  Mukluks.  Enough said. 

It's Saturday morning and I smell eggs frying on the griddle.  Happy weekend! 

Happy November

Today is November.  Today is Election Day.  Today is Cruz's three-week birthday.  The October that I anticipated more than any other month in my life has come and gone and now, as quickly as I can turn the calendar to the eleventh month of the year, I begin to think of all that is Holidays.  I'm already thinking about sausage and cranberry stuffing, the first snowfall, and sugar cookies.  Thinking about how I might finagle a 5:00 am Black Friday shopping spree with a baby this year.  Thinking about It's a Wonderful Life, a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows, and a new roll of wrapping paper.  This year, I am blessed to be home with my baby during the upcoming Holiday season and I look forward to lugging that Chicco stroller in and out of mall parking lots, bundling up a growing baby in his sweet little snowsuits, and spending lots of time under the Christmas tree.  I can't wait to hang an extra stocking on the staircase, read Cruz his first Christmas stories, and dance with him to my favorite Christmas music.  And because I'm still getting used to these new shoes of motherhood, I'm hoping this Holiday season can be about the simple things, about soaking in the sweet little moments with a sweet little baby.

But before I get too ahead of myself, let's not forget about November.

I love November for so many reasons.  For Daylight Savings time, curling up under the covers and relishing in the extra hour of sleep that goes along with it.  For movie nights, popcorn nights, sappy Lifetime movies, and thick blankets.  For fall cleaning, tall boots, and new wool scarfs.  For turkey, sweet potato casserole, and Grandma's cranberry jello.  For Christmas lists, Christmas lights, and Christmas shopping. 

I love November for so many reasons.

Especially this one.

It's unbelievable that Cruz is three weeks old, but it's even more unbelievable how quickly Beau and I have melded into our new life as parents.  It's by far the most significant transition and change of our lives; however, you don't have a lot of time to 'practice' before the real thing.  We have so much to learn, but pride ourselves in how far we've come in just three weeks.  Little by little, we're figuring things out.

Things I've Realized Thus Far About Becoming a New Momma...

1.  Parenthood can either drive a husband and wife apart, or bring them closer together.  Beau and I have leaned on one another more in the last three weeks than we have in our last three years of marriage.  A supportive attitude, frequent hugs, and lots of laughter are essential on the new road of parenthood.

2.  Time out of the house takes on a whole new meaning after becoming a mom.  A week after Cruz was born, I went to Target by myself for a total of 20 minutes.  I felt like a fish out of water.  I needed breast pads, eyeliner, and baby hangers, and couldn't get out of there fast enough.  I think I called Beau four different times in the 20 minutes I was gone.  Tonight was my first true 'time away,' from Cruz.  I voted and got my hair did.  To all expectant moms out there...make your first 'time away,' a trip to get pampered.  A pedicure, a hair highlight, or an eyebrow wax.  There's a reason my hospital gives every new mom a gift certificate to the spa.  It makes you feel a little more human, a little more you, and a little less milk machine. 

3.  Motherhood has introduced me to emotions I've never felt, nor knew existed.  For the first time since being home with Cruz, I am eating lunch, by myself, with no one else here to hold Cruz.  I'm eating a plate of leftover spaghetti, staring at my peanut who is happily swinging in his lambie cadillac swing.  Instead of holding and rocking him for an hour after feeding him today, I decided to put him in his swing, do my hair, and eat.  Cruz is perfectly content and looking rather adorable staring into the little mirror directly above his head; however, his mom is feeling guilty for not holding and snuggling with him.  Package feelings of guilt, overwhelming joy, frustration, helplessness, exhaustion, and can't-catch-your-breath happiness with a hormonal, new breast-feeding mom, and you are sure to be on one wild ride.  

4.  Accomplishments take on a whole new form after having a baby.  I used to be doing something every minute of every day.  Going from one place to the next, running errand after errand, and deep cleaning every crack and crevice of our house on a weekly basis.  Now, accomplishments come in the form of whether I can get a shower done by noon, a load of laundry done a day, and figure out something to eat every night.  Accomplishments come in the form of stretches of four or five hours of sleep in a row, a successful tummy time, and a freshly bathed baby.  My to-do list has changed drastically, but little by little, I'm enjoying doing less.

5.  There is nothing in the world more relaxing than rocking a sleeping baby. 

6.  I can't imagine what my parents did when they were up with their babies in the middle of the night.  DVR has saved me from long, sleepless nights and utterly bad daytime TV.

7.  Before Cruz, I went to the bathroom 20 times a day, and ate whenever I felt like it.  After Cruz, I rarely make the time to do either.  I still crave McDonald's milkshakes though.

8.  Never wake a sleeping baby.  Never wake a sleeping baby.  Never wake a sleeping baby.

9.  I may not get as much done during the day; however, I find myself moving a lot faster.  For example, I have Cruz in the routine of taking a pretty good morning nap.  He's consistent, yet, his nap times vary from about an hour to three hours.  Yes, I could sleep during this time; however, find me a new mom that actually follows this rule.  So, I'm in a constant ambush to outbeat the clock.  I shower, throw on makeup, blow dry my hair, shove in something close to breakfast, write a few thank you cards, clean my breast pump, take out the trash, empty the dishwasher, check my email, pay a couple of bills, make the bed, and wander through the house with a clothes basket, loading up burp cloths, dish towels, and baby blankets, all while keeping one ear open for signs of a hungry baby boy.  I'm waiting for the day when his routine changes and I have to shower with a baby on the bathroom floor...

10.  As difficult as it may be to drag myself out of bed for the 3 o'clock feeding, remember that it is peaceful hanging out in the dark with my little man.  When he's 18 and I'm lying in bed wondering where he is at 3 o'clock in the morning someday, I have a feeling it will be anything but peaceful! 

Our new little pumpkin...

Two years ago, a silly looking Joe Dirt and skimpily-clad referee joined forces to celebrate a Halloween night that included a haunted house, some karaoke, and a few margaritas in the basement of El Mariachis, a little Mexican dive on College Hill, owned by none other than, Mama Mariachi. We played pool, danced with friends, and took pictures with other costume-laden strangers. This year, Halloween looked a little different at our house. It involved a pair of warm leggings and my favorite mukluks. Sitting on the floor, clasping warm bowls of chicken and noodles, snuggling a baby dressed in a white fleece sleeper with little orange pumpkins, and stopping to pause ‘Scared Shrekless,’ or ‘The Office,’ to grab a burp cloth, warm a bottle, or pump a fresh one. Yes, Halloween looked a little different at our house this year.

This weekend, we celebrated Cruz’s first holiday and we celebrated in style. Fall is one of my favorite times of year for so many reasons. I love the weather, the colors, the clothes, and especially the food. Each year, I try to outdo Martha Stewart by cooking as much comfort food as possible. Crock pot roasts and soups, breads, bars, cider, and anything pumpkin. This year, I wondered if I’d have the time or the desire to continue to cook after having a baby. And thanks to many special friends at Price Lab School, I haven’t needed to think about grocery lists for the past two weeks, as we’ve had meals brought to our house almost every night. Thursday night, however, I rediscovered my inner Pioneer Woman, thus beginning of weekend of wining, dining, and baby lovin’.

Home-Baked Cookies and Milk.

Although Cruz only enjoyed one of the two for his first Halloween, he did enjoy his first of many experiences cooking in the kitchen with his momma. I celebrated missing a Thursday night of parent/teacher conferences by spending some time with my boys in the kitchen. We filled frosty pint glasses with Sam Adams’ Winter Ale and sweet red wine, stuffed babies in oversized lambie chairs, and baked warm, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies. The dimmed cabinet lights and the click click click of the kitchen timer created the perfect combination for Cruz to sleep through my baking spree. Beau made some life insurance calls and I filled baking sheet after baking sheet with my favorite secret recipe.

Nap time.

Beau decided to call it a no-stress Friday and cut out of work a little early. I ran a few errands and returned home to this…

So I made this…

Pumpkins.

Last year, Beau escaped Halloween without having to carve pumpkins with his holiday-obsessed wife. This year, we sat as a family in the middle of the kitchen floor, got arm’s deep in pumpkin goo, and carved Cruz’s first ever jack-o-lantern. Then, much to Beau’s distaste, I attempted to strip down Baby Cruz and put him in his very first jack-o-lantern to further torture him with another photo-op. The cold, slimy pumpkin intestines were nothing close to Cruz’s favorite Gap blankie, and before I could even stuff his little legs into the pumpkin, I realized it was not a good idea. We stuffed him into a bathtub of suds instead, then captured a few pictures of a sleeping baby and his personalized pumpkin.

Tricks or Treat.

Saturday afternoon, we took Cruz to my mom and dad’s to experience his first night of trick-or-treating. Although the wind was a little too cold for baby ears, we managed to get a few pictures of Cruz in his first Halloween costume. Although Cruz and Charly looked pretty cute in their puppy and penguin costumes, my little hot box didn’t last too long in his costume. All the pictures and clothes changing proved to be a little too much for our little puppy, so after his first bottle with Daddy, Cruz fell asleep for the remainder of trick-or-treating. We laughed at Charly as she attempted to get in on her own candy fun, snuggled with a sleepy Cruz, and enjoyed a night of tricks, treats, beef burgers, and cheesy potatoes. Mom was in seventh heaven to have both of her grandbabies at home and it was fun to see evidence of just how much our family has grown in a short year.

Five Little Pumpkins.

Call me a bad mom, but since Cruz has been born, I haven’t read one book to him. Sunday, we made up for it. Grandma Kelly gave Cruz a couple of Halloween board books in honor of his first Halloween and together, for about a half hour on the recliner, we memorized Five Little Pumpkins. Cruz was wide eyed and alert, listening to the rhymes and concentrating like a bookworm on the fat little pages filled with orange pumpkins. He especially loved the “oooooooooooooooo went the wind, and out went the light” chant, almost piercing his little lips in an ‘ooo’ motion to match mine.

Naps with Uncle Barbiturate.

As it turns out, Uncle Gabe really does live up to the namesake he gave himself. Gabe and Gina came Sunday morning to spoil Beau and me with an amazing lunch, and spoil Cruz to sleep with lots of cuddle time. While Beau and I stuffed ourselves with asiago and prosciutto stuffed chicken and caprese salad, Gabe and Gina got their baby fix with a happy little Cruz.

Superheroes and Award-winning Chili.

Every year on Halloween, our little neighborhood turns into a scene straight out of a Halloween movie. Costumes of all shapes and sizes parade up and down the streets, followed by parents pulling wagons, carrying flashlights, and rehearsing the common lingo of, “please,” “thank you,” and “trick-or-treat,” with their littles. This year, Fleur Drive was in extra good hands with the presence of three awfully cute superheroes.

It was Mom and Dad’s turn to help us with our round of trick-or-treaters, and once again, we snuggled with a sweet baby, and stuffed our faces with yummy fall comfort food, including Beau’s award-winning chili, and my favorite turtle corn. We sipped cider, listened to Uncle Taylor tell us about his gum-stuck-on-shoe costume, and filled and refilled our candy bowl as Iron Mans, princesses, dragons, and ladybugs flooded our porch and scared our kitty.

And as the last trick-or-treater stuffed his little gloved fist into our candy basket and the light in Cruz’s very first jack-o-lantern faded away, we rocked an exhausted little baby to sleep.

It was our first holiday with a baby and I definitely learned a lot. While simple traditions like carving a pumpkin may take a little longer, and trips to family may require a little more packing, babies have a way of making the holidays, like life, just a little bit sweeter and a lot more fun. It’s two little hands peeking from a little spotted suit, and a sweet little scrunched face peeking from under a puppy-faced hood that made this Halloween complete.

And blew the socks off of Mama Mariachi's margaritas any day of the year.

Happy FIRST Halloween Baby Cruz.