Ian went to Bed a Baby and Woke Up a Man

Will somebody please tell me where the past 9 months went? I know, he's only 8 months, but he will be 9 very shortly. Over the past few days it looked like Ian was teething one tooth on the upper deck. Yesterday, he suddenly had THREE teeth up there.

Ian wakes me up every morning. I love the days like today when it is with a huge smile. (Here is a long parenthases story... I woke up one morning last week and freaked out because I didn't see Ian in the bed. He had climbed up onto the headboard of our bed. I turned and looked at him and he just smiled). Anyways, this morning he woke me up. He was kneeling by my face and talking and smiling. Though, this morning was different. Ian suddenly knew WAY more 'words' than he did yesterday. He usually only says 'dada' and recently he added 'mommy' and 'mama.' However, this morning... 'papa,' 'baba,' 'didi,' 'ladapa.'

It was incredible. I was taken away. My baby is a man. How does he drastically change so much over one night? How is he so wonderful after only 8 months?

I will post my 101 in 1001 later today! Stay tuned! Have a wonderful Friday!

Blog out.

My Little Helper

Lately, Ian has been really into helping me out. He will help me cook in the kitchen, like when he takes the Tupperware out of the cabinets. Or when he helps with the blankets. He is currently taking them out of their spot and playing in them. Or from yesterday, he was helping me with my laundry:

See how blurry his arms are? He was busy at work. He had to move fast. I had laundry all over the place. Sometimes, he tries to help with the dishes too. Oh, what a little helper he has turned into. Just thought I'd give him a thanks.

Stephen went on a hike the other day. He found this and sent me a picture:

I love it when people do this sort of thing. It is so cute.

I would like to end my very short blog today with a request. My friend's baby was sick yesterday and he is in the hospital today. I don't know what is wrong. He is a month younger than Ian. I would be terrified if it were Ian. Anyways, my request is that you pray, send your wishes, hope, whatever it is you do, that he is okay. Call him CW. Thanks!

Blog out.

Silence of the Phone

Ever since I had Ian I have this really bad habit about leaving my phone on silent. I always do it. My phone is almost always on silent. I have to remind myself to turn it back on. This is a lesson I learned rather quickly. I would go all day without getting a phone call. Then, suddenly... as I'm putting Ian down to sleep, whether it be a nap or nighttime, my phone would go off. This is the only time during the day that my phone would ring.

Now, it is always on silent. That is my answer. I love this. However, I never use my phone anymore, except of course for texting. I just checked my voicemail and there was a message from Franny. Weird. Oh, look, there is also a few missed calls. On my phone, it just says "Notification" on the bottom for everything. I always assume it is for my low battery because I also never charge my phone. This is weird for those of you who knew me way back when. I was always on my phone. This is not true anymore.

Lately, it has been a fault. I have yet to return calls to wedding vendors and/or make calls back. Even my grandma called. I listened to the voicemail at about 6am this morning and decided I would wait until 10ish to call her back when she would be awake. That time came and went. I only remembered because my mom sent me a text message telling me that my grandma was concerned about this. Oops. I should teach my grandma to send me text messages.

Side note: I also need to call the 2 officiants we are considering as well as the photographer. Though, to be honest, the photographer will probably receive an e-mail, not a call. And, since we are being honest, I will probably e-mail the officiants before I call them. Sad? Maybe. I depend on the Internet. My phone does this too, another reason I never use my phone to make actual calls. It is basically a mini laptop I carry around.

I should make it my goal to answer my phone first. In order for that to happen, I must turn the volume on.

This is technically a Monday post so here is the deal with Ian:

• He said "mommy!" Given, he was crying when he said it, he said it. He wanted his mommy. B-e-a-u-tiful!
• He has TWO teeth! They are both on the bottom next to each other. He is still teething his upper ones though. I can see white. Still no breakthrough.
• When I hold his hands when he's standing and let go... he just stands there. Then, he realizes there is nothing to grab onto and lowers himself to the ground and crawls. He can stand. He is not confident.
• He climbs onto our headboard.
• He is a-frikin'-dorable!

Stephen had Brian and Charlie come over today. There is just something about 3 grown men on the floor playing with a baby that tears at my heart strings. Ian loved it. He was so happy. Even after they left, he was laughing at everything. What a wonderful little boy.

Blog out.

Pros and Cons

I have made a 101 in 1001 list. I will post it soon. I am having a dilemma though. I'm going to go ahead and tell you that #3 is "Switch to Wordpress." I haven't decided if I really want to do this or not.

Layout

For me, Wordpress wins out. I love the Wordpress layout. Bloggers is boring. You cannot create "Pages" like you can on Wordpress either. That is really annoying.

Tracker

Wordpress also wins out here... I think. Blogger doesn't have one. I had to get the google one... it's called Google Analytics. Anyways, it is constantly messing up. I will lose veiwers days later. It's annoying. I like how Wordpress has theirs built in. And to my knowledge, it doesn't have any glitches like Blogger does.

Customizability

Blogger wins. You can customize until you are blue in the face. Wordpress cannot. (Like the new layout?)

Interface

I like Blogger's interface. It may be just because I'm used to it. But, I love it. It is easy and very user friendly.

Comments

Wordpress wins. Unless this glitch has been fixed, on Blogger you cannot have an embedded comment if you have a customized blog. Hence the extremely annoying pop-up window.

Hassle

Everyone already knows this web address. It might be annoying to have to switch it. Then, what if I want to change it again?! I don't know. I think it might frustrate some people. I already have the Wordpress address just in case.

I will think about these pros and cons. When I make my decision, I will post my 101 in 1001. I may have a new #3 though.

Blog out.

101 in 1001

Here is it, I have been working on it for a while. I wanted it to be great.

Visit the Day Zero website for more information on this awesome feat.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part)

Started: Thursday, July 23, 2009

Deadline: Thursday, April 19, 2012

Not Done

In Progress

Completed

Link

Commentary

1. Get married.
2. Make a recycling center and use it.
3. Potty train Ian.
4. Watch an anime with Stephen.
5. Save for DSLR camera. I didn't need to! It was a gift. A wonderful, wonderful gift.
6. Have wedding pictures printed in a book.
7. Start scrapbook for Ian's firsts (or first year). 
8. Wear heels/wedges every day for a week. (0/7)
9. Have a picnic with I-han, Gloria, Tiffany, and Joyce.
10. Organize pictures on computer.
11. Save $10 for every goal acheived.
12. Take Ian to the beach. 08/15/09 - This was fun! Go read the blog on it!
13. Go on 20 dates with Stephen. (5/20)
14. No fast food for one month. (0/31)
15. Send out Christmas cards. Yes! I hope you got yours! :) If not, e-mail me your address and you'll get one next year.
16. Do something special (randomly) for 3 friends. (0/3)
17. Buy Steve Madden wedges. 07/24/09
18. Fluently speak Stephen's Love Language.
19. Go to the dermatologist.
20. Get family picture taken.
21. Graduate. Yes, but leave it to me to immediately start grad school.
22. Have my family over for a home-cooked meal.
23. Have Stephen's family over for a home-cooked meal.
24. Get new tires for car.
25. Expand family. Ian the sequel is due Jan. 15, 2011!!
26. Make home-made tortillas. Has not yet been accomplished, but I do have a recipe now! I might make them soon. :)
27. Bake Ian's birthday cake from scratch, by myself. Check and check.
28. Learn to sew.
29. Get recipe card storage. YES! Thanks to my wonderful bridesmaids!!! I'll post a picture of it soon. It's adorable.
30. Make my wedding guestbook. I have an amazing idea for the guestbook. Everything (well, almost everything) is bought for it.
31. Get body rockin'.
32. Eat at Neptune Subs.
33. Paint a wall.
34. Swim one mile nonstop.
35. Have a meal of food with Kevin, Cynthia, and Carina.
36. Conveince Stephen to get a manicure, pedicure, or massage.
37. Go 24 hours without cell phone. For my grandma Dorothy's 70th birthday, I forgot my phone in Austin...
38. Start savings for Ian.
39. Have a movie night with Stephen.We've actually had a few movie nights, but we do need more.
40. Run one mile without stopping.
41. Have crayfish broil.
42. Make own convertible dress.
43. Let hair grow out to natural color.
44. Organize my side of the bed.
45. Take grill to the park and have a BBQ.
46. Swim in the apartment's new pool. 07/23/09
47. Grow a plant.
48. Make a weekly chore list for the fridge and follow it for two months straight. (0/8)
49. Invent a coffee-breakfast-meal.
50. Get kit and calibrate monitor.
51. Become efficient in using GIMP.
52. Change my last name to Bendig (or Davila-Bendig).
53. Take a cooking class.
54. Make the cooking class meal for the family.
55. Cut coupons for 3 grocery trips.
56. Choose days to regularly update blog.
57. Be the first one awake in the mornings to have "me" time for one straight month. (3/31) This is happening, but not on purpose.
58. Clean out desk.
59. Make Goodwill donation.
60. Go kyaking with Stephen, but be more competent.
61. Watch Hangover again. OMG! I love this movie!
62. Get "welcome" mat.
63. Use reusable grocery bags 10 times in a row. (10/10) I keep one in Ian's stroller so that every time we walk to the store, I have one! I need one of those small ones that  you can keep in your purse.
64. Give monthly progress reports on this list. (3/lots of months)
65. Read 5 books. (0/5) - Book #1: 08/22/09 - Ian and I started reading Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon. I'm reading it allowed, might take a while.
66. Replace Stephen's truck.
67. Have 2 rituals with Stephen. (2/2) Read about it!
68. Be santa.
69. Get another game system. Can you say Wii?! Goodness! It is so much fun.
70. Perfect my mac-n-cheese.
71. Start a cooking segment of the blog.
72. Use an alarm clock other than Stephen.
73. Have a girl's night.
74. Have a Harry Potter marathon.
75. Go on a Honeymoon.
76. Watch the Congress bridge bats.
77. Start "Ian's Firsts" segment in blog. 08/11/09 - Read it!
78. Watch a movie at the condo with my parents.
79. Breastfeed Ian until 11-07-2010.
80. Make someone's day. Janet - 08/03/09
81. Attend a wedding that is not my own.
82. Keep Tattles and Tells active.
83. Eat a piece of pizza. I don't remember the exact date. But it was done. And I think I liked it. It was delicious.
84. Organize closet. It has been in progress for a while. Don't judge.
85. Mail a secret to PostSecret.
86. Watch the sun rise.
87. Watch the sun set.
88. Give random flowers to my mom, my grandmas, and my mom-in-law.
89. Eat a salad every day for a week. (0/7)
90. Get a massage.
91. Make an inspiration board.
92. Play a game of Monopoly all the way through.
93. Take Ian out of the state.
94. Leave a note in a book at a store for a stranger.
95. Take prenatals every day for a month. (0/31)
96. Send something sweet (as in sugary) to someone through snail mail.
97. Go bowling.
98. Introduce 101 in 1001 to 5 people. (5/5) Ashley, Caroline, Jackie, Geo, Brad
99. Do a different workout video a week 3 times a week for 4 weeks. (0/4)
100. Have a picnic and roll down the hill on campus that I used to with my family.
101. Do another 101 in 1001 for the day this one ends.

Mamama

Good Wednesday.

Yesterday was a bad day. Ian woke up very crabby. It was non-stop fussiness all day long. I'm pretty sure it is because he's teething, but usually he holds it together better than that. On top of that, I worked. Work means watching two more children on top of mine. Stephen knew my day was going rough so he decided to help.

I was so grateful because he took Ian after work and they went shopping. I was able to shower, do my nails, cook dinner, and eat without interruptions. It was the most glorious night I've ever had. I was very satisfied. When they were done, Stephen knocked on the door. This was in his hand:

Isn't this adorable? It's a card. Stephen does know how to be creative!

This is the card. Adorable.

This is the inside of the card. I'm not going to lie. This brought tears to my eyes. Is that bad? I absolutely love it when I get things like this. I'm glad that I found Stephen. My bad day was turned around. I was able to put Ian to bed then watch a few episodes of HIMYM with Stephen.

On another note, I've been working on my 101 in 1001. I only have about 25 of them. Why is this so hard? I will finish this list though, I promise.

Also, I had to call my mom this morning because there is a scorpion in Ian's room. Yes, I really called my mom to come handle it. Sadly, Ian will not be able to call his mom to kill scorpions, he'll have to call his dad or grandma. Don't judge me. I'm sure my brothers would do the same, they are terrified of scorpions. Why, oh why does my new apartment have to have scorpions? Living on the greenbelt is proving not to be all it can be. Though, it might still be worth it, I'll tell you in a year.

To Do List:

• Clean out car
• Get car inspected
• Look for wedding shoes
• Buy the most glorious Steve Madden's ever
• Get my Jacqueline dress from Jackie
• Watch mom kill scorpion
• Be grateful for my family

Blog out.

Mini Vaca

Good afternoon!

As promised, here is Mommy Goggles mixed in with a Houston updated. We left for our trip Saturday morning at 4am. I know, sounds crazy right? But Ian hates his being in the car. So, we have to leave while he's sleeping. It worked out. We stopped twice. The second time I decided to go ahead and sit in the back with him. As soon as I got back there, he was out like a light. Here is the proof:


Adorable right? You have to tilt your head to the right to get the full effect. We got to Houston around 7:30 am and ate at Classic Cafe. Mmmmmm. We hadn't been there in forever. It was so delicious. When we got back to the soon-to-be-in-laws' place, Ian played on the porch. He saw Honey go through the doggie door. So obviously, he had to go investigate:He didn't go through the door. But, we sure did want him to. Oh well though. Later that night Amy came to join us at the Bendig's. She made the best margaritas that Stephen's mom feel in love with. We ordered pizza and forced Stephen into watching He's Just Not That Into You. It was a wonderful movie. I loved it.

Sunday, we decided to venture out to Kemah. Ian had a blast in the fountains. He was the only kid there! We went really early though. He loves water. It is adorable:

Then, we got hungry. We had to wait for Joe's to open. So, we sat inside because it was so hot outside. It was way past Ian's nap time, so we had to find ways to entertain him. Here he is with Grandpa:

I love his face! He's thinking "Why on Earth are you letting this man hold me?!" Hahaha, Ian and his faces. Then Granny Janny took her turn:


They are dancing to the music. We had a blast at Kemah. But alas, the trip had to come to an end. On our way out of town, we stopped by Starbucks. The whipped cream god, aka Robe, gave Ian his favorite surprise:


He thoroughly enjoyed it. Then Ian got to see him up close and personal. Uncle Robe got his practice in:

AH! I love this picture too. Ian loves Robe, I promise. It was just sunny and stuff. Robe loved Ian. It was fun. Then, we began our 3 hour, 3 stop journey back home. We made it though! Now, I must get back to reality and wedding planning! Oh, how exciting!

I hope that everyone had a good day.

Blog out.

Sunday Surprise

Good evening readers. We just left Houston for home in Austin. I am currently writing this blog in the car. Is that sad? We just left Starbucks downtown and we are one our way. Ian is full of “dada”’s in the back, Stephen is cruising, I’m sipping on a chai tea, and the Lion King soundtrack is softly playing in the background. It is pretty relaxing.

I will save our Houston update for tomorrow because Ian is highly involved in that update. And well, it isn’t Monday. Though, this blog does stem from a small portion of the trip. Amy, Granny Janny, Stephen and I were sipping on margaritas, about to start watching He’s Just Not That Into You when a preview came on.

The movie looked absolutely terrible. However, one of the ladies in the previews was writing a blog about her cooking. I decided I am going to try and do a weekly (haven’t decided the day yet), blog about a new meal I have cooked. I am trying to become more domesticated, so why not right?

I have two cookbooks, so most of the recipes will probably be from that. Or they will be slight variations. Or, they could be anything that I find particularly alluring. Deal? I am going to try my hardest to make this happen. I will have to admit, I am pretty excited about this new portion of my blog. I am not a cook by any means. Whenever I help my mom cook, or cook with her watching over my shoulder, by little brothers response is always “YOU made this? It tastes good.” Like, wow! It’s never tasted good before. I don’t know whether to take it as a complement or an insult. I try the first.

Sneak Peak:

Ian on the way to Houston.

Blog out.

Calling the Bluff

Stephen and I spent much of our time trying to call one another's bluffs. Do you remember my last post when I told you I found Stephen's wedding band? Well, that's where this conversation starts. Here is how it goes:

A: We should get tattoos on our wedding fingers.

S: Is that my wedding band?

A: No. I would make you get both.

S: Well... ok. I have an addictive personality though, so I will become addicted to tattoos.

A: Oh yeah. Divorce.

S: You don't want to hear my ideas?

A: Fine, I will entertain them, but I'm going to roll my eyes at you.

S: I know.

(Stephen then describes to me a back ying-yang tattoo that is extremely intricate involving a ninja, a samuri, and a dragon. Shortly followed by another, equal as dumb, tattoo on his chest that would result in having his name written on it. My dad is laughing at Stephen. Out loud).

A: *rolls eyes* Yeah, still dumb. Divorce.

Stephen is 25 years old and has no tattoos or piercings. He's trying to call my bluff. He will not. He won't even get one to begin with. I do think it's adorable how he has such odd plans for tattoos though. Tattoos that he will never get. Lately, Stephen has been winning all of our conversations. I usually end the conversation with "tushay." Not fair. I will start to win.

Water Therapy

Since we brought Ian home and gave him his first bath, he seems have fallen in love with water. As many of you know, Ian had colic for the first 5 months of his life. The ONLY way to soothe him was with water. You could just walk into the kitchen and turn on the water faucet. He would just stare at the water and it would mesmerize him. On his bad days, I would turn on the shower and we would either sit in the water, or on the toilet. He wouldn't always stop crying, but it helped control it some. (**Note, he loves the outdoors too**)

I blame this on Stephen. Stephen is a complete water boy. Remember my last post? He's like a dolphin. Yesterday, Ian got to use his little baby pool that his Aunt Lisa got for him. He absolutely adored it. He stayed in there until he was a big prune. I always pull him out eventually, he has yet to actually want out. Here are some pictures!

Those pruney toes!! This isn't the greatest picture of them, but I promise they are there.

He is just adorable. I had to post that one.

Ian must put everything in his mouth. So delicious.

Adorable. Notice M's leg in the pool in the background. She wanted to play too.

I love the outdoors and water as well. My only problem is that Ian is super white. Whiter than Stephen. I'm super paranoid that he will get sunburned in about 5 minutes. He has yet to be burned... or even tan for that matter. I lather that sunscreen on.

Moral: I love knowing that when Ian is upset, I can just take him outside or to some water. It ALWAYS calms him. It is wonderful.

Aerobics!

Good evening all! I hope all of my readers had a wonderful day. I did. But, you'll have to wait to hear/see about that.

I just got done with my aerobic workout. I chose to do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It was fun! I did the phase one. I'm all sweaty still. I'm awaiting Esteban to get back from his workout so that I can shower. Yes, I have to wait to shower. You don't realize how free your schedule is until you have a baby. He's sleeping by the way. Anyways, I think I'll stick to Jililan Michael's on my aerobic's days for a while. Or at least until Stephen and I figure out a plan. I know on Saturday's we are going to swim and trade watching Ian. That isn't too feasible during the week with our work schedules. (Stephen also recently bought me a soccer ball, I cannot wait to use it!)

I am enjoying being all sweaty. I didn't realize how awesome it was when I was younger. It is awesome, just incase you did not know it.

I have to go now!

Amanda out.

P.S. I found Stephen's wedding band today!

Excuses, Excuses

Good morning! It is a very early morning. 5:22 to be exact. I woke up at about 3:45 and decided to get out of bed at 4:45 and begin being productive. Ian awoke me with a wet diaper. He hates wet diapers. I am hoping that that will be mean he will be potty-trained easily, but probably not. Anyways, so far this morning I have had a mini arm workout. I am also now watching Third Rock from the sun as I drink my lovely morning coffee and write my blog.

This brings me to today's post. Excuses. Last Monday was supposed to be the first day of working out for Stephen and I. The beginning of a 3 month challenge. Well, it was my first day. And today is again my first day. Notice that I called this morning's workout a 'mini' workout. It is because it was tiny. I did some push ups and a little bit of weight lifting with tiny weights. Let me begin from last week. I was unable to do my leg workout before Ian woke up. He was having a cranky day. Awesomely, I decided it was a good idea to do my leg workout with Ian strapped to me in his Bjorn. (Note: this is probably a good idea to a person who regularly works out). I wasn't weightlifting. I was doing lunges and squats. I did so many I felt great!

On another side note: I did the squats in front of a mirror. When I would go down, Ian couldn't see himself, we would pop up and he'd see himself and laugh. This was so fun! This is probably why I got carried away. I love to hear his laugh!

Continuing on... My legs started to feel shaky. So, I stopped. For the remainder of the day, my legs were not sore. They were numb. I felt like jelly. Amy can attest to this next portion (along with my entire family). My legs HURT for a week. Today, I feel like the normal sore feeling and it's been a week. Thus, my workouts were put on hold. I was convinced that I pulled every muscle in my legs. (**Note to self** Do not squat and lunge with nearly 17 pound baby repeatedly when you have not worked out in ages). I was unable to get down and up with ease. I thought I saw a bug, and I couldn't hop up. If you know me, this is incredible. I will sacrifice others to get away from bugs!

Needless to say, with this morning's workout, I took it very easy. I need to be able to carry around Ian. So, I went light on the arms. Hopefully, today is the real beginning to my challenge against my fiance. Whom by the way is doing great. He swims at Barton Springs twice a week with my brother. Stephen is much like a dolphin. He hasn't swam in forever, yet he jumps into the pool and leisurely swims to the other side with ease. He looks so graceful. I'm so jealous! I need his abilities!

Since this blog is about excuses, I'm going to go ahead and throw one out there. WARNING: Do not click the following link unless you want to bawl your eyes out!! Pray for Dylan. This is the blog that I somehow came across and have been following. I always check my blogger page before writing my blogs. Not anymore, write THEN read. I cannot read that blog without tearing up. I am so grateful that Ian is a healthy baby. I feel terrible for any baby that has to have IV's and endure that sort of trauma. Poor thing. I can't even imagine. I'm thinking about ordering some of the family's orange wristbands. (This site has driven me to do research on Dylan's cancer, it has an 85% 5+ year survival rate on young children, so keep him in your prayers, it is a lot of trauma for the poor little guy).

Onto a happier topic: I have a notebook in which I will begin brainstorming for my 101 in 1001 days. Read Chelsea's blog to get the gist. (I do not feel like making this blong (long-blog) and longer!) I do not know when I will be posting this list. But, it will be sometime, hopefully before school starts back up.

And of course, Ian. Monday's blog would not be complete without my darling boy. He amazes me daily.

Here is Ian in his new shoes! Aren't they adorable? I cannot get over them. I love them.

We took Ian to the mall. This is a new thing, him sitting like this. I guess he's lounging? Lol. He would just bend to get his food. He's so flexible!

Ian standing on Stephen. That blue block is his favorite block of all times. I do not know why. That adorable shirt is from Franny. Yes, Ian still wears 3-6 month clothes. (But, only buy him 9 month old clothes, he'll need them soon).

Me and Ian messing around. See that block? It's a different part of the day!

A family picture! I love it. Ian and Stephen are identical twins, it's eery.

Quick tidbits about Ian:

• 5 people stopped me and asked if Ian was 4 months old yesterday. Exactly 4 months old from all of them. Ian is double that. Is he really that tiny?!
• Ian can readily feed himself now. He's a pro.
• In the dressing room at Macy's yesterday, Ian tried to take a walking-step towards my mom. NOT YET! YOU'RE TOO LITTLE!! (He's already standing on his own for a bit)

Random thoughts:

• Caroline *bridesmaid* made a blog!
• I have made uber amounts of wedding progress. For you married ladies, what did your moms wear to your wedding?
• I rekindled an old romance with Jackie. ;)
• Google Analytics stinks! It keeps messing up my 'hits.' I have no idea how many people actually visit my site.
• Today will be an awesome day!

Did you read all of this? I know Kelsi probably did, she's dedicated. Kelsi, we need to get a meal of food ASAP!

The Goggles of Mommyhood

I haven't posted in forever because I thought that I lost my memory card. I found it. It was in my camera. Don't question me. I didn't want to post without Ian pictures. He is so much more interesting than my words.

You readers should be proud. I have gotten a lot of wedding details decided. I bought things. I scheduled things. I e-mailed vendors. I made a calendar of events. Amazing. Stephen picked out his groom's cake. It is a neat idea. We decided on the the cake-cake... adorable. Budget? Check. Guestlist? Mostly done, I need addresses. Dresses? Check(ish). Oh lovely.

Oh, this is a shocking revaltion, I cooked dinner for the family. A real dinner. Amy did help. But, I cooked. You can start breathing again. I'm trying to cook more.

Okay, onto Ian. He is starting to "talk" a lot more. Still no momma.... just dadda. We are going to the Riverside fountain today. It should be fun. He liked it on the 4th of July. Scarily, after he pulls up onto furniture, he lets go and just stands there... by himself with no help. It terrifies me.

Picture time:

Ian and I this very morning! He's getting so big.

Everything is blurry but Ian, I'm so good.

(You're welcome, for knowing somebody so awesome)

This onsie is adorable. My moms bought it for Ian. It says "I'm no cry baby!" It is perfect, because he is a cry baby.

Stephen took this picture a while ago and thought he was so clever.

I adore this picture of Ian. Priceless.

During the 4th of July, we got some naked pictures. They will be great for when he's older. :)

Austin Energy shut off my A/C yesterday for 30 minutes and it was 80 frickin' degrees up in this joint. It woke Ian up. He was all read and sweaty. I, luckily, have a child who sweats when the temperature is 78 degrees or above. Poor kiddo. It went back down after an hour. The damage was done. He was awake.

Alright. Well, I got to get to work now. Not to mention, drink my coffee.

Amanda out.

4th of July

Happy 5th of July! I hope that everyone had a good 4th. I know we did. I was very nervous about it. Of course Ian had a good 4th last year, but he was in my belly. I just didn't want the fireworks to scare him. Here is a progression of our night:

We are about to leave to go to grandma and T-bone's place. Ian's outfit is adorable. We ended up meeting up the Aaron and Rachel there too. Then we began our journey to the fountain park. (My mom had us an entire picnic all packed up, omg, delicious).

Ian in the water! At first he had clothes on, then he had none, then he crawled right to the middle, the he went flat and was like a worm in the water. It terrified me. Ian LOVES water! I had to run and get the camera. He was putting his face in the water spout you see. Fearless. Do we have ourselves a swimmer? I (and mostly Stephen) sure hope so!

Then he hung out with T-bone and snacked to pass time. He was so excited that he was being allwoed to stay up past his bedtime. It was adorable.

The fireworks started!! Ian loved it. He was just mezmorized by the fireworks. He just starred and starred at them. But, he was exhausted.

Ian is still watching fireworks and trying not to sleep. My mom gave him back to me and he promptly fell asleep during the finale. They let a few fireworks go off after the finale, that woke him up. He slept the whole way back to the apartment. And he slept wonderfully at night.

It was a successful 4th of July! Ian loves fireworks! I hope that everyone's weekend has been wonderful. Tune in tomorrow for Mommy Goggles Monday.

P.S. Amy is coming up on Tuesday for Wedding planning!!

Blog out.

Rave

I have a few raves to throw out there today. Let me start this blog by stating my level of stress. Ian is going through an uber-attachment phase. I'm not kidding. Ask Amy. When she came to visit, I was having to breastfeed him about every 20 minutes. Yesterday, he missed his second nap, he was very cranky. On the plus side, he slept at night so I wasn't having to constantly lay down with him. Down side, he woke up around 1 AM and wanted to play. (He eventually went back down to sleep). Not only that, but wedding planning. I have been MIA so long, every single one of my bridesmaids (including my maid of honor) called me to make sure I was still alive and that I was okay, etc. How funny, Amy contacted me Monday, the other two, Tuesday. Yes, I am alive... barely.

Coffee is barely doing the trick for me these days. I need natural energy. When I gave birth to Ian, I didn't sleep for a week, I'm not joking. I had so many hormones running through my vaines, I didn't even want to sleep. Stephen thought I was insane. He kept telling me to get rest... he didn't understand, I was high on life. Literally. Hahaha! So, we devised a plan. We are challenging each other to work out in the mornings. I will have to wake up at 5:30 (meaning I will probably have to go to sleep before 2AM). But I'm hoping that the endorphines (+ coffee of course) will give me the energy I need to survive my day. Let's hope this plan works.

Now onto my raves. I've been stressed. If you know me, I never, ever cook. Ever. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we eat dinner with my parents. (My dad must see Ian at least 2 times a week or he suffers withdraws and calls us to come over so he can see him). Anyways, yesterday I was so tired, I cooked dinner for the entire family while my mom watched Ian. There is my first rave. I love how twice a week my parents hold Ian so that Stephen and I can eat a meal of food. Amazing. This makes my day/week every single week.

Next, Stephen. When discussing things that Stephen does, my mom and I often find ourselves saying "that's why he's a keeper." Yes, Stephen is a keeper. He went to Sun Harvest earlier this week (with Ian) to get me some coffee creamer. He came back with Kriek Lambic (black cherry). I got it at BJ's one time, it is amazing. I had a glass, it was relaxing. He also offered to watch Ian while I went to a movie and showered. I know this seems small. But at night, if Ian wakes up and there is no boob, World War III breaks loose. I did not accept this offer because I could not bare the idea of Ian waking up and being upset while I was enjoying myself. Needless to say, I would not be enjoying myself, thus defeating the purpose of going to the movies. But, it was an amazing thoughtful offer. The idea that he would volunteer himself for that torture just so that I can get some fresh air... he's a keeper. Things like this are constantly happening with Stephen, these are just two examples. I'm glad I'm going to marry him. :)

Finally, Amy, the maid of honor. Amy is extremely organized and must always be busy (remember, she was summa cum laude and top of her class? Lazy people do not get this honor). This has greatly worked out to my advantage. She is only working now because she graduated. She is twiddling her thumbs awaiting orders from me so she can plan a wedding. I'm thinking of hiring her as my wedding consultant... I can do that right? She has planned another trip up here next week (she was just here last week). Reason for coming? To plan a wedding of course. Oh and... to force me into getting a massage while she watches Ian. Did I mention she was paying for it too? This seems like the perfect plan, but I have yet to leave Ian with someone other than my mom, my dad, or Stephen. The thought terrifies me. What a lovely person. She is literally driving to Austin to get me a massage and to watch my child for free. There is a reason that we have been best friends since we were 5, this is one of them. I will also give her uber amounts of phone numbers so she can make calls for me and go to appointments with me. She swears she can hear the stress in my voice. Is that even possible?

Ugh, long blog today. Did you seriously read the entire thing? I have to go now, the boys are back from their morning walk. I seriously just got about 15 mintues to myself!

Blog out.