{10 on 10}

One of my resolutions for 2013 is to take more photos.  Yes, I want to improve my photography skills, but the goal was set primarily so that I would get better at consistently documenting our life.  I saw a cute idea here and here where the bloggers posted 10 pictures from the 10th day of each month.  It seemed like a fun way to keep it real, so here goes nothing.  This could possibly be the most boring thing you've read all day.

1.  I could have taken this picture at least ten times throughout the day.  I've been nursing a seriously sore throat, and my rigorous treatment plan has consisted of hot coffee, hot tea, and hot cider.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

2.  Seriously a kid after my own heart, drinking the milk after finishing his morning cereal.  We can't be wasting any of that organic stuff.  Judging by the price, it's made from golden calves.  Just a little Old Testament humor for you.

3.  We set up this vintage (that's the cool way to say old these days) barnyard set for Anders while Andreas and I showered and got ready for the day.  Don't let the picture deceive you.  This lasted about 30 seconds before Anders got bored and got to work ripping all the curling irons, nail polish, and hair products out from under my bathroom sink.  

4.  Morning snack for bigs and little.

5.  This is what Sunday's naptime looked like.  I worked on my Exodus homework for Women's Bible Study (see golden calf reference in number 2) while Anders slept.  Oh wait, he's not sleeping.  He's destroying his room and playing with his toys.  This is pretty much his naptime M.O. these days.

6.  This picture is just depressing.  This is the third pacifier my baby has bitten through in a week.  I wasn't ready to break him of the habit yet, but if this keeps up we'll have no choice.

7.  Weekly list-making, accompanied by cookies.  And catching up on some correspondence that I've been meaning to do the last couple of months.  Aren't the cards pretty?!

8.  After naptime, Anders 'helped' Andreas work on the gutters for a bit.  It's only the beginning of February, and we are already having to prep the yard for warmer weather!

9.  This is Anders saying cheese and smiling for the camera.  I couldn't resist including the picture because I think his cookie mustache is just adorable.  

10.  We ran a bunch of errands yesterday.  Since we were already out, we decided to hit up Freebirds for dinner.  They have a 'Kids Eat Free' deal on Sundays after 3!  That's code for 'Mommies and Daddies Can Share An Entree and Eat All Their Son's Chips and Salsa' deal in case you were curious.

{Bump Watch}

This Tuesday, I hit the 32 week mark.  My BabyCenter phone app sweetly reminded me that I'm gaining approximately a pound a week now.  As if any woman at 32 weeks needs a greater reminder of her weight gain than the simple task of getting dressed every morning.  

Speaking of getting dressed, I'm not exactly sure how it happened that I'm wearing a pink, striped shirt two weeks in a row for my 'bump' shots.  Coincidentally enough, these happen to be the only two pink shirts I own.  Maybe it's all the estrogen pumping through my body.  Maybe it's my way of dealing with becoming even more outnumbered as the only girl in the house.  More likely it's the fact that I have ten or fewer shirts that are still acceptable for me to wear in public.  Odds are you'll be seeing at least one of these again if I can keep these weekly posts going.  

And even though I can't detect much belly growth when comparing last week's photo to this week's, there is at least one obvious change.  I got my hair cut!  You see, as soon as Anders entered the world, my hair started falling out.  Thank you, hormones.  It continued falling out for about a year, and then the baby hair fairy paid me a visit.  Neither phase has been all that flattering.  I have no idea what's in store for me after baby #2 is delivered, but it was time for a change.  For me, this was a big change, the shortest my hair has been in over ten years.  And bless my stylist's heart.  Cutting a pregnant woman's hair must be a thankless job.  Even though I would say that I'm a pretty level-headed pregnant lady, nothing induces emotional instability faster than a drastic hair cut.  I maintained my composure during the appointment, but I'm pretty sure my stylist-friend could read my poker face.  Thankfully, it didn't take me too long to really appreciate my new reflection.  I will admit that my husband's sweet and approving comments helped me get there faster than I would have on my own.  But here I am, happy in all my short-haired, big-bellied glory.  

Happy 32 weeks, baby boy.  Can't wait to meet you soon!

{Week in Review}

Last week was a blur.

We refinanced the house, and as exciting as that was for us, it wasn't much of a photo-op.  A representative from the title company, or whoever is responsible for the stacks of paperwork that accompany closing, actually came to our house.  Hello convenience.  For someone who unloads and entertains a toddler during multiple errands a day, this was a priceless service.  Yes, it's weird to have a stranger sitting at your kitchen table minutes after you finish eating dinner, but the awkwardness was worth it.

Anders and I had a playdate with my MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at the Ark, and apparently I was too busy playing with my kid catching up with the ladies to take any pictures.  I would totally recommend this fun and free indoor playground to anyone with a preschooler in the area.  

Other unphotographed events this week included me getting into a fender bender and hosting a Super Bowl get-together at the house, although obviously not at the same time.  For the record, the fender bender was not my fault, and all parties involved walked away unharmed.  As for the Super Bowl, it should come as no surprise that I found the halftime show to be the most entertaining part of the game.  Beyonce's got moves.  Not family appropriate moves, but moves nonetheless.  

I did manage to capture a few quick images at the park with Anders the other day.  It's been such a warm February this year, and we are both always grateful to get outside a bit.

One of Anders' favorite things to do at any playground is feed the mulch through equipment slats.

The only drawback to playgrounds in the wintertime is the static.  Anders is shocked constantly, and each time he looks at me with such surprise.

Static, what static?

In other news, I'm pretty sure I have a future Olympic athlete on my hands.  I don't think we'll be ready for Sochi next year, but keep your eyes peeled.

Basketball?  Discus throw?  Soccer?  We'll have to wait and see!

{Bump Watch}

Mother of the Year, I'm not. Less than a month from my firstborn's 2nd birthday and a mere two pages of his baby book are complete. So it comes as no surprise really that with my second pregnancy I've completely failed to commemorate the process. There is no clever journal, no creative photo montage. No layette has been washed in baby-safe detergent, no coming home outfit has been purchased. (I'm actually starting to freak myself out a bit as I write this).

But sweet baby boy, know that we love you. Far and I pray for you, dream about you, and anticipate your arrival. We talk excitedly (and nervously) about what our family will be like once you are finally here. We teach your big brother about how to treat and care for you.

So here is my late attempt at documentation. At 31 weeks pregnant, I spent ten minutes running back and forth across my bedroom trying to take a decent self-portrait of the baby bump. I hope to squeeze a couple more of these in before your arrival, but let's not hold our breath.

{Week in Review}

Some weeks I am hyper-aware of God's goodness.  My perspective is filtered, and I'm able to grasp the preciousness of simple moments - searching for undamaged acorn 'hats' along the sidewalk with my sister and my boy, clumsily practicing yoga poses in my aunt's kitchen, coloring polar bears around the kitchen table as a family.  How I wish I could cling to that feeling in moments of ingratitude!

This week Anders and I were able to take a quick roadtrip to my aunt and uncle's new house.  We were fortunate to have my sister come along with us, and we met my mom and cousin there so it was quite the gathering.  The overnight trip included exploring the new house, searching for deals at a few resale shops in town, chatting, eating, and yes - an informal yoga session led by my mom in the kitchen.  

When Anders wasn't playing with all the toys he was spoiled with upon our arrival (the monster truck above could not be abandoned for picture taking), he was more than happy to explore the machinery in the giant barn.  A riding lawnmower and mulcher to sit on provided easy entertainment, but I'm confident his favorite 'toy' was the trail wagon.  Uncle Buck was more than happy to oblige Anders with an off-roading expedition, which pretty much cemented him into Anders' list of favorite people for life.

The rest of our activities this week were more relaxed.  We dug around the piles of acorns readily available throughout the neighborhood in search of perfect specimens.

Andreas helped Anders get a little more comfortable on his bike, which he clearly loved.

I'd say he's getting the hang of it.

When we found an awesome wooden chest on our neighbors curb, we happily adopted it.  Anders quickly saw its potential.

After biking and jumping, we moved the party inside to color some Arctic animals (our most recent preschool topic) and eat a snack.  What do you get when you mix Nutella toast and a boy roaring like a polar bear?

Complete with messy polar bear kisses.

{Week in Review}

This week I decided to begin teaching preschool lessons at home.  'Teaching' and 'lessons' are actually misleading descriptions of what we are doing.  It's nothing near that impressive.  Essentially I created a curriculum of weekly topics that Anders and I will study together using books, crafts, songs, and other activities.  As I reread that sentence, I still think it sounds way too formal for what we are doing, so let me show you.  This week, our topic was Winter.  One day we read Spot's Snowy Day and made a snowman (note:  the bigger the drool circle around the neck, the deeper the concentration).

We actually got snow on Tuesday, which totally played into my Winter theme.  This was a miracle because I was starting to think  that explaining the concept of snow to a toddler in Texas was a cruel joke.

At my mom's suggestion, I tried to get Anders to catch a snowflake on his tongue. His success was limited by the fact that he was only willing to stick his tongue a millimeter beyond his lips.  But he was amused by the fact that the snow stuck to his shoes.

The next day Anders decided to do some yoga while I changed his sheets.

This is Anders doing his best impression of a dancing robot.  I realize that probably doesn't make much sense, but suffice it to say that he has a DVD that teaches numbers through a 'robot dance'.  Please feel sorry for me for having to view such content.

Nanny (my sister) came to visit us later in the week and treated us to sno cones.  Anders loved it, which is no surprise since he's obsessed with all things sugary and delicious.

On Friday afternoon I decided to take Anders to Petsmart.  I wish I could say I thought of the idea on my own, but I had seen a friend on Facebook post something about free toddler entertainment and thought it was a great idea.  It was probably a fair mix of torture and excitement for Anders seeing as how I reminded him every other minute that we were not taking any of the animals home.  The Doggy Daycare viewing wall was our first stop.

We also looked at guinea pigs, which totally backfired when the crazy kind Petsmart worker took one out for Anders to pet.  He promptly poked it in the eye while I stood a foot away.  They smelled.

We checked out the birds and fish too.  I was actually hoping we might find some lizards or spiders, but apparently those are not hot commodities in the pet world these days.

I did learn one thing - it's impossible to get a picture of your child's face while in a pet store.   I hope everyone enjoyed all those photos of the back of Anders' head!

Over the weekend, Andreas and Anders ran around the backyard playing soccer.  

Anders was spellbound watching his dad juggle.

We also ventured out to a local park where Anders did some exploring.  The weather and light were gorgeous that afternoon, and even though he refused to look at the camera I think we got some pretty cute shots. 

{Week in Review}

It dawned on me as I reflected on photos from the past week.  Regarding the grand debate of nature versus nurture, this post serves as hard evidence for the nature argument.  The complexity and importance of both facets shouldn't be overlooked, but even as I sit at our table typing this, my toddler son is squeezing a string cheese between his fingers with all his might and chuckling to himself as he passes gas.  I assure you that Andreas and I have not modeled either of these behaviors.  Let's make some further scientific observations.

Each time I bake bread, Anders helps in the same capacity as he does with most domestic projects - dancing underfoot, eager to examine the mechanics of the task at hand.  With breadmaking in particular, this includes attempting to stick his fingers in the dough hook of my mixer as many times I will allow before moving him off the counter.  He's also very enthusiastic about punching down the risen dough.

Sadly this week, Anders was sick with a cold (see reference: Germ Pit from last week's post).  As far as I could tell his energy level was unaffected, but he was tired and irritable.  Every afternoon we were both equally desperate for entertainment, and every afternoon I did my very best to avoid allowing him to watch endless hours of television.  One day, we decided to occupy our time with a bubble bath.

Anders loves to play with bubbles, rub shaving cream all over his body, and splash.  Basically he's super into anything that involves making a gigantic mess in the bathroom.

Thursday we continued our seemingly endless stretch of indoor play.

This time the new bunk bed served as our jungle gym.  I feel like he is so easy to read in these pictures.  "Hey, Mom!  Look at me!  Do you think I should do it?"  What's truly amazing is that he hasn't actually figured out he can climb one more ladder rung onto the top bunk.  I'm not looking forward to that realization.

By Friday, it was clear we were ready to get outside again.  We walked around the neighborhood puddle jumping.  Anders got his pants and shoes completely soaked and then decided he was too tired to walk back and needed to be held.  Mom fail.  Next time I'll push the stroller behind him just in case.

When we were almost home, I tried to coax Anders into laying in our neighbors' leaves for a cute photo op.  Instead he chose to perform the can-can dance while repeating 'kick' at maximum toddler volume.

I love my little boy.  I can't believe I'm about to have another one!