This is our 3rd year trekking out to Chesterfield (about a 45 minute drive) to attend this year's Strawberry Fest weekend. Our first year was the weekend I found out I had a miscarriage, and last year I was 9 months pregnant, and now this year Max joined us. Rob and I remarked how significant late April/early May has been for us in recent years. Despite the yucky weather this year held for us... I am so happy to have had a weekend like this with the family that I have.
The weather for the weekend was forecasted to be cold and rainy both Saturday and Sunday. We decided on Saturday morning hoping the rains would hold out. Hold out they did but, only long enough for us to get berries and a quick lunch... no petting farm or moon bounce to be had this year.
I had picked up sub sandwiches on the way out to the fields and we hatched a plan to pick strawberries first just in case Max had a meltdown. It's so funny to think that we still plan like this because this is how it is with Evie - have a plan and stick to it before she wears out early into any adventure. For Max, the adventure IS an adventure.... he loved the hay ride out to the fields, didn't mind hanging off me in his Baby Bjorn (he'd reach out and grab any plant he could when I bent to get a berry), he ate any berry I would allow him to eat, and was patient during our feeding frenzy (the frenzy was trying to beat the rains in the bitter cold - it was upper 50's/lower 60's but not everyone planned on the wind!).
So this trip was also a milestone for Max - his first strawberry (!). One is not supposed to let kids eat nuts or eggs or peanut butter until they are one year old. But, after Rob caught Max eating peanuts off the kitchen floor (while in Ohio the nieces accidentally dropped chopped peanuts off their Drumstick ice cream cones)... we figured he didn't have a nut allergy and we'd be OK to let him indulge in a strawberry a few weeks before his official birthdate. He. Loved. Them. Thank goodness I also packed some cheesy crackers for him to munch on because then I began fearing all those berries would lead to a potential messy diaper (they didn't).
Being out in the fields was a little more work this year due to the terrible crop. We had unseasonably hot (I mean HOT) weather early this April. Reports actually said the strawberry season was much earlier as a result... but we still waited for the big Fest date planned in late April. Unfortunately, the weather became very rainy and then very cold by late April. Result? Mushy berries. They were so deceptive. Big, red, juicy berries that were either rotted from the inside out or were like slime the moment you touched them - ugh! We really had to work to find sturdy berries and the ones we did find were both smaller than years past and less sweet. We still ate our weight in them... but still not as good as years past ;-)
Our total trip lasted less than an hour and a half and costed more than $60 (entrance fee, sandwiches, 10lbs of berries picked this year, and two fresh strawberry milkshakes). But, all-in-all... worth it. This tradition shall march on next year, too...
It's times like this that make a mom feel like a truly successful mom.
When updating some photos in Shutterfly.com tonight, the hubs shares this photo with me from his iPhone.
I couldn't be more proud. Max chose wisely when rooting around the recycle bins.
And for my fellow wine drinkers, yes, it's a cheap wine.... it's $7.99. I know, I know, appalling... but I swear it's a best kept secret cheap wine you should try. (*Not recommended for babies under 1 year*).
Max was initially hesitant to wear his sister outgrown helmet but after some playtime with it (many rounds of peek-a-boo) he grew to like it. He LOVED the bike ride. Now we just need the weather to cooperate again for us!
Right now I am most thankful that I have only committed to posting monthly updates of your growth & development for the first year of your life. These last few months, although totally eventful and fun, are greatly encroaching on my free time to do things like maintain your updates!
You and Evie still thoroughly enjoy each other's company... and I thoroughly love this fact.
You still like to crawl around with things in your mouth. Yes, like a dog. You will grab a small baby doll blanket, a baby lovey, a rubber bath toy, a small stuffed animal, one of Evie's little princess dolls.... even a bib... and then crawl around the house with the utmost confidence. You slap your hands down hard with each "step" and your butt wiggles along. It really is the cutest thing to watch you crawl. Your have determination in each step and you generally have a predetermined path. Lately your "go to" spots have been: - marching down the long hallway to wake-up Evie (if you get us up early in the morning) - straight into mom & dad's bathroom to explore the shower stall (it has a very low lip to crawl over. Sometimes it's still wet after we have showered earlier that morning). - under the kitchen table (you seem to actually enjoy getting stuck under the pub chairs. You will go there, often, and get stuck either under the lower rungs or hung up, hanging, over the higher rungs). See the video later in this post.
Stretch! Reaching higher and higher everyday. Still cruising? Yes. I have been waiting for you to be exciting to "walk". We pull you up by your hands and try to get you to step, but you get really upset. You prefer to sit and crawl unattended instead. I didn't think you'd take this long to have an interest in walking. Given the fact that you were rolling/squirming to your destination of choice by Christmas... I sort of assumed walking would happen fairly soon thereafter. Evie didn't walk until she was 14 months old. She seriously had little interest in self-propelled mobility always preferring to be carried from location to location. But you've been rather independent, so I was surprised you didn't start walking by 9 months. But, then again, you are only 10.5 months in this video. And you did discover this all on your own. Maybe by 1 year you will be walking... on March 31st, I found you improvising the step stool into a walker. Time to get the real walker out of the attic!
You are an incredibly light sleeper. If your door is closed and the hallways door is cracked, you will sleep well with us in the front room talking, TV is on, etc. But if I go to check on your and I open your door, it sometimes sticks a little creating a very small "thunk" sound as I pop it open. You will immediately squirm, and often times, sit straight up. Needless to say, I never check on you like I always did with Evie. With Evie I would rub her head and lean in for a kiss. Evie would be out cold moments after we hit the lights and wouldn't hardly move to morning. You, however, can be heard on the baby monitor looking for a pacifier and sometimes "wah-wah'ing" after awakening to something. We definitely have to be careful during your naps or they won't happen. Sometimes you will be so worn-out from errand running that you'll crash in your bucket car seat. We will very gingerly carry you in and switch you to your crib. I must admit, we could never do that with Evie. You are a pretty decent napper. But in general, things must be kept rather quiet and low-key around the house when you are down. Here you are sleeping in one morning. I couldn't believe the click of the camera didn't wake you - it normally would. I love that you still sleep with your butt up in the air.
Finally! You will hold your bottle up by yourself. This was not without me, basically, telling you to do this. We had tried in the past and you would get frustrated pulling your hands away and grunting. But at nearly 11 months old, you finally tried it out with me (a little forcefully) putting your hands on the bottle and walking away. Something must have clicked for you (maybe you now understand I am not simply pulling your arms away from your body but rather showing you where to hold) because you finished this bottle all by yourself! You even pulled it away and put it back in! Way to go, champ! Just in time for us to begin switching to sippy cups next month... Here you are for the very first time, March 25th: A bottle holding champ by March 31st:
Food. You really have decided enough is enough of being spoon fed babyfood. It seems to have happened overnight but it really was a little more of a progressive decision over the course of a week to two weeks. You loved Cheerios and other cereal-types of finger foods when we introduced them sometime last month, but you then quickly realized we were all eating a variety of things at the dinner table (you tend to be fed around 5PM but then continue to sit while we all finally eat closer to 6PM). This infuriated you to no end. You'd furrow your brow and growl. You'd squeeze your fists and "roar!" over not joining in with what we were all eating. So, I just started giving you... everything. You've had toast, strawberry/banana toast, lima beans, cut up cooked carrots, meatballs I made, black beans, squares of cheese, cottage cheese, pineapple, very ripe cubed pear, cut green beans, cut green grapes, unripe and sour mango, Yo Baby yogurt, bananas, and - just once - a few pieces of pizza. We've tried to finish up the baby foods that we have by either feeding you spoonfuls in between your finger-fed bites or mixing things... but you furrow that brow and grunt. You know. And you know that you are ready to be a big boy. *sigh* I'm excited that we can feed you other things and we won't need to remember to bring baby food everywhere we go... but I am also sad to think yet another stage has passed before my very eyes.
Yeah! Meatballs! Here you are enjoying your first try at homemade meatballs with green beans... so happy!
Learning. So far you now know how to wave "hi" and "good-bye", although you do it a little infrequently still. You typically use both hands in a squeezing motion. It's totally adorable. You also shake your head "no." I don't remember if I mentioned that one last month but I think you learned it then. It, too, is adorable but was also slightly annoying when we'd say " No!" before you got into things... And you'd grin shaking your head back at us. You also know how to turn pages in your board books when we read to you at night. I love how interactive our bedtime routine is finally becoming. You are very good at turning pages - not too rough and generally in the right direction. Lastly, I think you are a lefty. Evie would switch her hands back and forth for her first year, but you, you always eat with your left and use your left hand for detail work (like picking up little tiny things you find on the floor). You will take a piece of food from me with your right hand ( when in a position that requires it) but you will typically then hand it off to your left hand before eating. Mmmm, Southpaw here to stay (?).
You love a challenge... and creating challenges. You'll be great at backyard obstacle courses someday. Where things stand today, you love to get caught up in the kitchen chairs ...A LOT!
I almost forgot to mention your road trip to Ohio with just dad and Evie. Dad wanted Evie to see the cousins while they were on spring break (really maximize that playtime) so he drove overnight (!) with just you and Evie on a Tuesday night in late March. He drove the 7.5hr distance while you two snoozed and cruised comfortably in the backseat. I, however, fretted during the time you were all in the car at such a late, late time. Thankfully all went without a hitch and you all had a wonderful time... so wonderful that your daddy took zero photos of the trip. Oh well, daddy can't take care of you both and document every moment. Meanwhile, back home, I took off of work to tackle many household chores and activities. It was hard work but really rewarding. I was ready and waiting when you all returned once more four nights later. It's rumored dad might try this trip again since it went so well.
Tub Time! You love a bath - what baby doesn't. Sometimes I let you hang out on the outside of the tub and watch Evie. She'll hand you chew toys and get your fingers wet. You screech with absolute delight. You are still in your bath seat for bath time but I admit I have let you sit up in the tub without it. You can sit up just fine... its the 80 yr old tub we have that is the problem. The porcelain tub is incredibly slippery... even I had to use a bath mat when showering in there pregnant with Evie. Soon, soon you'll be sitting in there carefree. Until then, lotsa laughs to be had playing with your chair.
You tell great babble stories complete with raspberries and big smiles. Your facial expressions crack us up and you are simply, an all-around, happy baby. Here you are in your first "interview". I will miss all your baby talk someday. With Evie I couldn't wait for her to talk. With you, I am sad to think this will all fade away someday... soon:
Easter this year was on Sunday, April 8th.
This also happened to be my 35th birthday.
Really? Am I THAT old?
My folks came up from North Carolina on Good Friday and then left Monday morning (taking Evie with them for a few days - through Thursday late morning).
All in all, a good weekend albeit TOTALLY EXHAUSTING. I don't have a clue how I spent the first 4hrs of Easter Sunday undressed and in my pajamas but I can assure you, I was totally busy the entire time.
Dying eggs the night before (Our Easter celebrating activities seemed to get a little hectic when we realized we had many tasks to do before E. Bunny arrived the next morning).
He was here! Evie suggested we leave Mr. E Bunny's snack out front, looks like he got it! He left a note and some rabbit poops, too. Silly rabbit.
Evie got all kinds of things this year. Chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Robin Egg malted milk balls, Reeses Pieces, a pink tutu, 2 pairs of girly socks, a striped summer dress, a bunny-themed tic tac toe game, candy, candy, candy!
Max got a wee football from Lala. He seems to really enjoy it. Which is good, I can't afford college for both.
Evie assists Max with exploring his goodies in his basket. Here she is kindly offering to eat his bunny grahams, too. What a sweet big sister.
Good thing Mr. E Bunny brought Max some sippy cups in his basket - looks like he's as ready for 'em as I am.
Evie's pointing to how there's even an egg in the downspout - silly bunny....
Evie is quite thrilled with an egg filled with money (and mom is quite thrilled that she's quite thrilled 'cause the contents maybe totaled 15¢ and won't rot her teeth).
Evie beelined all over this backyard - she's a pro. And look how nice she looks against my brand new backyard fence built just the night before!
I love this picture of Evie discovering an egg after going on her second rounds. Cracks me up. We stumped her with an egg hidden up in this railing planter.
Max was content to just be outside. He really enjoyed snacking on Lala's tasseled shirt.
This is our 3rd year trekking out to Chesterfield (about a 45 minute drive) to attend this year's Strawberry Fest weekend. Our first year was the weekend I found out I had a miscarriage, and last year I was 9 months pregnant, and now this year Max joined us. Rob and I remarked how significant late April/early May has been for us in recent years. Despite the yucky weather this year held for us... I am so happy to have had a weekend like this with the family that I have.
I had picked up sub sandwiches on the way out to the fields and we hatched a plan to pick strawberries first just in case Max had a meltdown. It's so funny to think that we still plan like this because this is how it is with Evie - have a plan and stick to it before she wears out early into any adventure. For Max, the adventure IS an adventure.... he loved the hay ride out to the fields, didn't mind hanging off me in his Baby Bjorn (he'd reach out and grab any plant he could when I bent to get a berry), he ate any berry I would allow him to eat, and was patient during our feeding frenzy (the frenzy was trying to beat the rains in the bitter cold - it was upper 50's/lower 60's but not everyone planned on the wind!).
