My Little Leprechaun

Thursday was St. Patrick's Day.  I'm the first to admit I have not one hint of Irish in me, nor does Beau; however, when it comes to celebrating all that is the Emerald Isle, I go all out.  All I need is an excuse to bake something sweet, dress Cruz in something cute, and dye our beer green, and I'm there.  Next year, I've decided it's time to celebrate my own roots by honoring the great Oktoberfest.  And for Beau's Danish heritage, well...

???

Thursday was St. Patrick's Day, and the only thing missing from the Jorgensen house was a kilt and a bagpipe.

We wore our kelly green...

...and drank green beer (with GREEN olives).

We baked, frosted, and sprinkled two dozen cupcakes...

 

...and danced a jig or two.

...I made my first ever shepherd's pie, which turned out marvelously if I do say so myself.  I guess mashed potatoes on top of tater tot casserole really does have a place in my kitchen.   Side note: Trust me...it was definitely one of those tastes-better-than-it-looks meals. 

...and even Cruz had a chance to try a little green in his life.  Avocados, aka, 'Baby Guacamole.'  He was pretty skeptical at first; however, by the last few bites, he was all over it.  

 

And most importantly, we had plenty of time to 'observe' the holiday with lots of quality, Spring Break downtime.  Oh how I've loved my days at home with Cruz.  My camera has had a hard time keeping up with him this week.

 

 

When we have it...

I believe that in this life, things come and go so that we may truly appreciate what we have when we have it.  It's one of the reasons I love living in Iowa.  Yes, the winters are a little longer than I'd like, and the snow gets to be a tad bit more than the 'white Christmas' I always hope for, but living through a hard winter each year only makes the birth of a new Spring that much sweeter.

...The first grilled hamburger that much sweeter.

...The first warm walk in the neighborhood that much sweeter.

...The first car wash, followed by a drive on University Ave. with the sunroof down that much sweeter.

And now, I'm realizing this genuine appreciation as a mom.  Being away from Cruz during the week is tough, even tormenting some days.  But as I've learned through this process of balance, being a working mom has made me appreciate the time you do have at home that much more.  Every second counts.  Bath time, diaper changes, and bottle feedings become the highlights of my days.

This week is Spring Break and fortunately, I've had time to appreciate all of the above.  Every year, mother nature decides to reward us educators with the season's first Spring-like forecast, usually with a '60' sprinkled somewhere in there.  The blinds go up, the red door opens, and our cat naps for hours in the sun spot in the living room.  Windows are cleaned, rugs are washed and replaced with new, and I'm suddenly itching for flip flops, capri pants, and a Dairy Queen blizzard.

Look who's sitting at the kitchen table with Mom and Dad!

 

Having a week at home with Cruz has been a dream.  The kind of dream I always pictured when I used to think about my life as a mom.  Like sipping a cup of coffee in one hand, and feeding Cruz oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon with the other.  Sitting face to face at the sun-streamed kitchen table, making each other laugh, and planning the day ahead.

Or folding laundry in the middle of the living room floor, sitting next to Cruz as he shoves a clean sock in his mouth, and reaches for every other sock I attempt to fold.  Or throwing a warm blanket over his head and carrying him to the mailbox.  Or cooking supper while he plays in his Moses basket at my feet.  It's the simple things that make this life feel so right. 

I have loved these days together.  I loved getting to see how Cruz has changed since having him home everyday during maternity leave.  He squeals and plays peekaboo.  He shakes his head 'no' and sits like a big boy in his stroller.  And he takes two and a half hour naps in his crib!  He's grown into such a happy, content baby, and these days at home make me all the more ready for summer break.

My big boy reading a book...

And "potty training," aka, helping Mom clean the bathroom...

Somebody's hair is coming in...
 

Spring Break has Begun!

One part water, one part hydrogen peroxide, and a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap.  This is how my Spring Break began.  Friday night, as Beau was getting up to take a picture of me asleep on the couch (I must have looked really cool), he knocked over an entire glass of wine wine.  On our cream carpet.  So, at 10:00 at night, I discovered the effectiveness of this beautiful little concoction, as well as the Sham-WOW we won during last year's Toad's Chili Cook-On.  

My mission statement for Spring Break 2011?  It can only go up from here!

After two incredibly busy weekends the past couple weeks, I was ready for a weekend at home.  A weekend that included the basics: 

Like tackling Mt. Laundry...

And disguising Beau's extra strong coffee with extra sugar, and discovering the beauty of a Wal-Mart apple turnover...

We did our usual Friday night dinner-and-a-Target-run, with beer battered fries and ranch at The Screaming Eagle, and a cart full of paper towels, Downey, eyeliner, and rice cereal at Target.  Saturday night we stayed in, cuddled with Cruz and watched 127 Hours.  Sunday was church, a sump pump installation, and a new project that was supposed to take an hour, but of course, ended up taking much longer.  Such is home improvement, I guess.  

Cruz had a great weekend.  He is officially a carrot eater, and gets really excited when he gets that first bite.  The first round of carrots are gone, but I haven't decided what is on the menu for tomorrow.  Today I made butternut squash.  Yum.

Cruz also developed a new trick this weekend.  All of a sudden, while I was getting him dressed this morning, he started moving his head from side to side.  He did it over and over and over again, and looked incredibly silly.  At first I thought he was having a seizure; however, quickly realized, due to the smirk on his face, that he was proud of his new development.  This little head shake continued all day long and morphed into something that looked similar to Tourettes.  The more response he received from his audience, the more he did it.  Kind of scary, kind of adorable.

 
Looking forward to a week at home with my little bobble head.  I have big plans in store for us...plans that involve books and cuddling, and maybe a walk or two outside.  Keeping my fingers crossed for some sixty degree temps!

Five Months Old

Tonight is Spring Break Eve.  I sigh a deep breath of relief.  We've made it through the first half of this semester, and before we know it, we'll be lying in the middle of the backyard, sipping on sun tea and introducing our baby to the green green grass.  Can't wait for this.

Tonight was perfect.  After a not-so-good day of two, twelve-hour flu bugs, Beau and I were relieved to feel back to normal.  Cruz took down his carrots like a champ, soaked and splashed in a bath, and fit snug as a bug in a new fleece (six month) sleeper.  We cuddled with his favorite blanket, read Goodnight Moon, and fell asleep in the recliner.  His hands felt especially soft tonight, and his head smelled especially good.  And as we cuddled, I drifted off in a day dream of the last five months of this baby's life...

 

Five Months.  I'm having a hard time typing this.  Cruz has grown up so much this month, and although I think every month that goes by is the most fun, I still feel like it's passing by too quickly.  I'm more than ready for a full week at home.

Cruz has turned into a baby full of spunk this month.  He makes fish faces, blows spit bubbles, and is quite good at the 'motor boat.'  He growls on the way to day care in the morning, and goes crazy tugging on his plastic chain attached to his car seat.  He loves sitting in his bumbo seat, loves going for walks at day care, and loves hanging out like a big kid on his daddy's shoulders.  He sees everything, smiles big when we pick him up from day care, and would play peekaboo for hours.  

This month has also been about discovery.  Cruz is intrigued by everything around him, whether it's his feet, the TV remote, my hair, or his toys.  He loves textures and is awestruck by the living room carpet.  He'll roll himself off his blanket, then run his fingers back and forth across it, mesmerized by the way it feels.

 

Another interesting discovery Cruz made this month was the cat.  He cranes his neck to follow her, and reaches for her tail with his mouth wide open as if it's his dinner.  Jade is becoming a little more friendly with him; however, darts away pretty fast when his hand reaches for her face.  

 

I can't believe Jade is allowing this to happen...

 

Cruz is showing signs of being quite the independent boy.  He holds his bottle by himself, reaches for it as we're mixing it, and knows exactly what to do with his pacifier.  Cruz can sit by himselfl however, he becomes a little Humpty Dumpty in a matter of seconds.  This explains why I don't exactly have pictures of this milestone!

 

 

Another thing Cruz seems to be figuring out is crawling.  He's always been a pro on his tummy, and lately, we've witnessed signs of mobility.  He pushes up on his hands, lifts his chest off the ground, and kicks his legs like crazy.  If you leave him in the middle of the living room floor, he'll eventually work his way across the room.  The problem is, he usually grows frustrated on his tummy and wears himself out.  Beau and I get so excited for this next phase, however, know things will change once we have a mover!  

The last big milestone this month involved Cruz's first baby food.  The month began with cereal before bed and now, he gets cereal in the morning and veggies at night.  So far, we've only tried carrots, but after a full week, Cruz has proved to be quite the fan.  We're almost finished with the first round of carrots, and I'm looking forward seeing his reaction with the next dish!

Happy Five Months, Cruz!  Soon you'll be able to lay around in your onesie all day long!  Spring is coming!

Dear Cruz...

Hi baby,

This week, as we say goodbye to your fourth month, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic.  I'm not sure if it has to do with Chris and Windee welcoming their new little arrival this week, or attending a baby shower, or getting caught up in the videos we took of you during your first few weeks of life, but I'm having some baby fever and wishing I could snap my fingers and hold you when you were a week old.  When I look back at that time of your birth, everything was so new, so fresh, and so unreal, that it's hard to remember the details.  Now that I've had time to break in these mama shoes of mine, I do wish I could go back from time to time and just look in on you when you were so tiny.  

You are just changing so much, growing and learning more every day, and sometimes, I feel my head spinning trying to keep up with you and stay 'in the moment' amidst all that is life.  Life is so busy and I just wish I could stop time every now and then.  Keep you as you are until I'm ready to see the next stage.  It just goes so quick...it seems like every day, you're doing something new and I blink and it's gone. 

What a fun fourth month you had!  Your smiles are constant and so contagious.  You know exactly how to charm your dad and I.  Your giggle melts us and you've become such a funny little addition to our family.  You just belong.  We've melded together into this little unit that just works.  We work like pretzels and peanut butter, strawberries and chocolate, and freezy pops and summertime. 

I know that I cannot stop time, but I can control what I do with the time I have every day.  It's about cherishing every detail of this time in our lives.  This time of discovering how to be parents, discovering how to raise a child, and discovering how to balance and make the most of this time we have together.  You challenge me to be a better mom and a better human being every day, and little by little, I'm learning.

So in short, I know you don't have much control over this one, but please don't grow up too fast.  Don't grow tired of cuddling with your mommy after work.  Don't stop giggling that little burly laugh when your dad and I rub our foreheads in your tummy.  Don't lose your wondrous fascination with the world around you.  And don't you lose those forehead wrinkles.  Stay small, at least until I can figure out how to soak up and remember every piece of you...

Love you to pieces and pieces...

Mom