Day 152 | Sleeping Forward Fold

I had to wake Robbe up from his nap this morning (the worst!) to pick Chase up from school and this is how I found him.

As I daydream about my old yoga-going lifestyle, I call this pose "Sleeping Forward Fold." You can't really tell from the photos (which is why I included so many), but he's actually in a seated position, leaning all the way forward with his head on the mattress. Impressive flexibility! 

On a side note, after making such an effort to include Robbe in posts awhile back, I'm starting to feel like Chase is being underrepresented. I'll try to remedy that tomorrow. 

Day 151 | A Small Deal

If the thumb-sucking wasn't adorable, I would be a lot more concerned about it.

I'm happy to report that Robbe's crazy growth has plateaued. You've got to celebrate the little things, right? At *almost* seven months old, he's still wearing mostly 6-9 month clothes.

That probably doesn't seem like that big of a deal except that he's been wearing this size since he was three and half months old (shout out to Krissy and Caia for lending us some much needed clothing staples!). He never fit into newborn size clothes, he was in 0-3 month clothes for one month and grew out of 3-6 almost as quickly. 

He's definitely inching toward the next size (and has been wearing that size in some items for months already), but I'm just glad that he's not wearing size 3T at this point...that was the trajectory for awhile!

Day 150 | Goodbye for the Season, Friend

Chris had the brilliant idea of heading back to the Wheaton Regional Park today to ride the miniature train and carousel. When we arrived, we found out this is the last open weekend until the spring. What amazing timing!

The park didn't disappoint again (as if it were a question). Chase was running from one attraction to another. In fact, when we arrived, he exclaimed, "carousel...hip hip hooray!" That's my boy. Which reminds me, I don't think I've mentioned Chase's new favorite phrase: almost every time we leave the house, he starts our adventure with, "What a beautiful day." Just the optimism we need to get our day off on the right foot. 

*A special shout out to Eli and Lily for making Chase's amazing tie-dye t-shirt. Thanks, guys!

Day 149 | At Long, Long Last

After 12 (twelve!) long weeks of waiting, our loveseats were delivered today. When we purchased them, the sales manager said it could be 8-10 weeks but more likely 6-8. Here we are 12 weeks and probably 10 phone calls later. Finally. 

To put it in perspective, here's what Robbe has managed to accomplish in the same amount of time: 

  -Mastered rolling over
  -Unleashed his belly laugh
  -Went from hating tummy time to loving it
  -Started sitting up
  -Started crawling
  -Became a clapper
  -Expanded his diet to solids
  -Was sleep trained
  -Went through a sleep regression
  -Was sleep trained again (maybe it'll stick this time!)
  -Grew an inch and a quarter
  -Gained two pounds

I'm happy to say it was worth the wait. We love the new addition to our living room (we were starting to forget what we picked out!) and now we can start finalizing furniture and art placement. Have I mentioned...finally!

Day 148 | Zucchini Pancakes

We had two proud members of the clean plate club today at lunch. Chase gobbled up his zucchini pancakes so quickly I decided that I should share another recipe with today's post. This is a good one!

Unfortunately, Robbe didn't get to test the pancakes, but he had no complaints about his avocado and squash combination.

Here's the recipe:

Zucchini Pancakes

• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed

Directions

• Blot grated zucchini with paper towel to remove moisture. Stir zucchini, eggs, and onion in a large bowl. Mix in flour, cheese, baking powder, and oregano (right in the same bowl, is fine).
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and pan fry until browned, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain pancakes on a paper towel-lined plate.

*Recipe modified from this website.

Day 147 | Pure Elation

See? He really does love his big brother.

Day 146 | Vegetable Friend

Another Wednesday, another Whole Foods craft. Today's was really silly and Chase had a blast making this vegetable friend.

Robbe got in on the action as well by trying to swipe/chew on as many of the vegetables as possible (and a paper bag). 

Love these classes!

Day 145 | Big Things for this Little Guy

It's official. We have a crawler.

As I've mentioned, I'm not one to declare milestones lightly. Over the weekend, the crawling really took off and, as of yesterday, he was chasing a ball (albeit, slowly) around the hardwood floors. That's serious work.

He also started clapping yesterday. It's not on command at this point, but you can tell he's proud of himself. As silly as it seems, clapping was one of my favorite developments with Chase. There's something very sweet about babies expressing their excitement in this way.

Now, if only he can get his tummy troubles under control so he can fully enjoy his new diet (why do solids have to cause such a shock to the system?) and sleep a little better. Yep, still struggling with that one. Some day, friends. Some day.

Day 144 | A Visit to the Dentist

I just might have the most cooperative, patient toddler in the whole world.

Chase's first visit to the dentist could not have gone better. The Berenstain Bears did a great job of preparing him for what to expect (not to mention planting the seed entirely). And the dentist and her team were beyond sweet and accommodating. Chase went in with a smile on his face and left even more excited. Robbe even managed to melt a few hearts with his smile while we were there.

*The bottom right photo is just part of Chase's loot after his perfect patient performance: a balloon made out of a latex glove (hysterical) and a toothbrush. Yippee!

Day 143 | Tennis Pro

 

Chase has been asking us to play "tennis ball" almost every time we walk by the courts on the way to tree park. We picked up a mini racket yesterday so today was the day to make all his dreams come true.

The morning played out less like a training camp and more like free play with a racket and new type of ball, but I guess you have to start somewhere. Chris and I even managed to play a little bit while Chase ran after his ball and Robbe entertained himself in the corner of the court.

I don't think we're raising the next US Open champion, but you never know.

Day 142 | Little Swimmers

Chase started his swimming lessons today. Turns out they are not as much "lessons" as they are "just get in the water and entertain yourself while lifeguards tell you to blow bubbles." Still, it was a worthwhile Saturday activity and it'll be nice to get both boys around the water more.

Chase had a blast at the pool and didn't hesitate to get in or jump off the edge. He's come a long way! 

And even more impressive was how happy Robbe was to be playing in the kiddie pool. He crawled a little, practiced going back forth between sitting and crawling, and did lots of splashing. He had the biggest smile on his face the whole time. It was fun to watch.

Day 141 | The Great Frederick County Fair

And great it is.

After a rough night (Robbe will grow out of it eventually, right?), the fair is exactly what we needed to restart the day. 

It was the perfect day for fair-going. We managed to squeeze in all the animals, 4-H exhibits (my personal favorite), tractor playtime, and, of course, yummy food, in just two hours. 

And, good news: Chris has discovered the perfect corndog. He even went back to give the workers accolades. This is the real reason we keep making the trek to this fair...the corndog and the apple dumplings. We'll see you again next year, good friends. 

Oh...and the fair isn't the same without you, Jason and Erica! We have continued to take the photo in the trunk to keep up tradition. 

Day 140 | Feeling Crafty

I've made a decision. I'm going to dedicate my child-free Tuesday and Thursday mornings to crafting. It's only about a half hour of time, but I'll take it. I finished a secret project on Tuesday (to be revealed at a later date) and I started a new one today. Any guesses what it is from the above photo?

I'm working on a growth chart for the boys. I'm still finalizing the design concept but the first step is painting and today was the day. My goal is to complete it in time for Chase's half birthday in October (I figure I'll try to make a hash mark every six months). 

As I wait for the first side of paint to dry, I'll sip my chai latte (have I mentioned how this was the best purchase ever?) and enjoy this comfortable, overcast day. Ahhh...it almost makes up for the fight the three of us got into over breakfast. :)

Day 139 | Corn Crafts

*Me: Knock, knock.
Chase: Who's there?

Me: Corn

Chase: Corn who?

Me: Corn crafts!

Chase: hahahahahaha

We spent another morning at Whole Foods crafting...this time with corn, popcorn that is. Which, for the record, is Chase's favorite corn (he said so last week). Robbe even got in on the action today. He just tried to eat the paper, but I think that counts. We were even lucky enough to have John join us for the fun. The boys had a blast running around a new park afterward, too. Such a fun morning. 

*Chase is really into knock knock jokes lately. The more random (example above), the better. I'm pretty hysterical to a two year old, it turns out.

Day 138 | Making Progress

I wouldn't say we officially have a crawler at this point (remember official declarations take a lot from me), but Robbe is definitely making progress. He's up to about three lunges forward before landing back on his belly. 

More updates to come...

Day 137 | The Evening Lineup

Chase has been allowed to choose which one of his stuffed animals he sleeps with for awhile. His choices are always very interesting and he rarely chooses the same "friend" twice in a row.

Lately, he has been asking to line up a second friend and sometimes a train or two on the chair next to his crib. When I went in last night after I put Robbe down, this is what I saw: four stuffed animals and a train (hard to see in the photo) all lined up, staring at him through the crib. It's a little creepy to have all those eyes on you when you're sleeping if you ask me, but if it makes him happy...

Day 136 | Sunday Shopping

What a wonderful Sunday morning. We got a bunch of morning snuggles from our sweet six month old before his older brother woke up. We enjoyed a low key, relaxed breakfast (Robbe even participates now). And then Robbe got to take his morning nap at home before heading to church. Chase had a blast at the church's nursery and Robbe seemed to have fun during the service thanks to all the solo attention. We also stopped for some yummy papusas for lunch on the way home. Whew...sounds busy!

The title of today's post and the photo above comes from the morning breakfast discussion we had with Chase while Robbe was sleeping. We were looking through the paper and Chase was intrigued by the ads for toys (surprise, surprise!). He ended up selecting toys for all his cousins. He's so generous. I'd say he made a lot of good decisions...the outlier being his choice for his cousin Eli. Hope you enjoy the selections from a toddler. :)

*You'll notice I used first names (instead of middle names) for the cousins. I didn't want there to be any confusion and I figured since no one is pictured, it was the right call.

Day 135 | Lincoln's Cottage

We discovered a new historical attraction really close to our house: President Lincoln's Cottage. To be honest, we visited the grounds of the cottage and not the cottage itself. You need tickets for that tour...and it's an hour long. Not exactly what we had in mind for today.

Instead, we participated in the family day. There were fun "civil war games" (like giant bowling balls and pins?), two storytimes, card making for veterans (not Chase's favorite activity...I guess we need to start teaching him more about patriotism), reenactments, and a petting zoo (Chase even petted a duck, rabbit, goat, and guinea pig...but not the turtle). And, much to my dismay (mostly for the sake of a photo), Chase would not make a stovepipe hat. Urgh, what's wrong with that kid?

We had a lot of fun even if the rain tried to ruin it for us. I look forward to touring the cottage itself at some point, but for now this introduction was perfect.

*On a side note, Robbe had his first official forward crawl this morning. He really wanted Chase's water bottle. More updates to come as his crawl becomes more efficient.

Day 134 | Yay for Caia and John

Have I mentioned how much I love play dates with my mommy friends? Chase and John are finally starting to play together (they did great today!) and Robbe even got in on the action a little. What does that mean? More chatting time for the moms...just what I needed today.

Fridays are the best. 

Day 133 | One of My Favorite Places

I have a confession: 

I think, taking into consideration all the amazing places I've been, my bed is on the top three list of my favorite places.

Is there really any better feeling than crawling in between soft sheets and resting your head on a cool pillow to make your soul happy? Of course, it helps that I get to share it with the love of my life (my husband, that is, and not the little guy pictured above, thank goodness!). 

I've recognized my love affair with my bed, and sleep as a whole, has grown dramatically with my nightly baby wake ups and feedings. One of my favorite moments of the day is putting a happy, zonked-out baby back in his crib and walking as quickly (and quietly) as possible to be enveloped by my blankets once more. Ah. Just thinking about it brings me to a happier place.  

Day 132 | Train Watching

Every now and then we do something blog-worthy after naptime (usually I blog our morning shenanigans). Can you believe it?

Since I had dinner in the slow cooker yesterday (it was delicious, by the way!), we busted out of the house to do some up-close train watching. We only had to cross two streets to get to this prime viewing spot. Chase enjoyed helping me count the train cars (although he always ended up with five) while eating his snack and Robbe was just happy to be outside enjoying the scenery and his toys.

Day 131 | A Long Over-due Morning Date

It's been 14 months (!!) since I've had a minute of time in the morning to myself during the week. Today, I had 45 glorious minutes of me-time with Chase at preschool (his second day went amazingly well) and Robbe taking his morning nap (I actually managed to coordinate it!).

Eventually, if this trend continues, I promise to take advantage of the down time for some relaxing, but today, the goal was to get as much accomplished as possible:

1. Prep dinner: This yummy meal is in the crock pot as I type.
2. Prep lunch: There's not much time for meal prep when Chase gets back from preschool.
3. Make baby food: Today's menu was spinach and avocado.
4. Drink tea: I managed to sneak in a little something for just me.

Whew...the 45 minutes went by really quickly (shocking!), but I enjoyed every second.

Day 130 | The Countdown Has Begun

We booked a vacation to Cape Cod! I couldn't be more excited to break out of our rut (the days all seem the same lately), spend some quality family time (yay for Grandma and Grandpa M joining us!), and see my dear, dear friend in her own environment.

We're a little over a month away from departure, but Chase is buckling down early to get ready for the trip. He needs to hone his foosball skills if there's any chance of holding his own against his dad (there's one at the house we're staying at). 

He kept saying the red guys were "broken," though. We need to work on the concept of the game, I guess. 

Day 129 | A Walk in Takoma

We took advantage of the cooler temperatures this morning during a stroll around the neighborhood.

Chase enjoyed a few samples at the Farmers Market, I enjoyed running into a few friends (we know people that live here!), and we got to try out the giant bench (it's been calling my name every time we walk by).

Day 128 | Chase's Choice

When we woke up this morning, I gave Chase the choice of what to do today: go swimming or visit a museum. His choice (in case it's not obvious from the photos)? Museum...he's such a DC baby. He selected the Air and Space Museum even though we've visited this one a lot. His reasoning? Daddy needed to go. So kind of him to be thinking of others.

Chase had an absolute blast. He was running from exhibit to exhibit so fast he was sweating. Down right giddy. And so fun to watch. 

Day 127 | While Big Brother's Away...

Little brother gets to go on his first shopping cart ride. He loved it! Was there really any question?

Day 126 | The First 1st Day of School

He looks so grown up, doesn't he?!?

We celebrated a big (huge!) first in our house today. It was Chase's first day of 2 year old preschool.

The morning could not have gone better. There were no tears (from anyone) and he was the only one in his class who got upset about leaving. He wanted to stay and play longer. I'm trying not to take that personally.

On the car ride home, Chase asked if he could go back to school tomorrow. I guess that means he had fun, right?

Day 125 | The New Look of Lunch

Yep...here it is, the new and improved lunchtime routine for this trio. Notice I said improved and not simplified. However necessary the solids-introduction is, it is not the easiest or enjoyable process (or maybe that's just my perspective). It will get easier, I know that and for now I'll just appreciate how sweet it is that Robbe couldn't be more excited about expanding his diet.

And for those of you keeping track, Robbe had his six month well visit today and here are the stats: 

• Weight: 17 lbs, 15 oz (60th percentile)
• Length: 28.25 inches (98th percentile)

He's happy and healthy and even showed off some of his new skills to the doctor: sitting up, getting up on all fours and moving back to sitting up from the crawling position. Pretty impressive!

Day 124 | Going Places

Today is the day: this little peanut is six months old! I wouldn't say he's been a barrel of fun so far today but he's got the afternoon to make up for it. 

Robbe fun fact: he's the best snuggler. One of the many benefits of nursing is that I get to experience the extra-sleepy, extra-snuggly version of sweet Robbe. His little head fits just perfectly between my cheek and collarbone, melting my heart every time.

*A couple of notes:
1. This photo was taken before our trip to the library. I swear I did strap him into the carseat before we left.
2. The reason he wasn't strapped in yet was to show off his new District of Columbia onesie. It outlines all the District's neighborhoods and I'm obsessed with it. 

Day 123 | Play Time

Robbe fun fact: he loves his brother. I mean, really loves him. He's always having more fun when Chase is around. Hopefully that fascination continues for years and years.