Words With Friends

There has been a new addictive fad on the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s basically Scrabble, but not. Anyway, my friend Brittany got me hooked about a month ago. I had a game with her, her husband Danny, my mom, Devin and a couple random people. In playing this game, I’ve learned a lot of new words. One of my favorites, for example, is “qi.” Pronounced like the Greek “chi.” (No, not like the hair straightener.) “Q” is a 10 point letter. And when you land it on a Triple letter, you can really rack up the points for playing two little letters.

Well, I had gotten to the point in a game with my mom that we didn’t have many options left. I was going to play the word “wag” but thought I’d try to play “vug” because it was worth more points. Just to see if it was actually a word. Well it was! My mom didn’t believe me and wanted a definition. I opened my Dictionary App and sent her the definition.

So, what does my sneaky, conniving mother do? She plays “vugG.” But not just “g” and blank tile she made a “g!” That’s playing DIRTY MOM!!! She questioned my word, and then stole it. That’s just wrong!

 

Because of her little stunt, she ended up beating me by a whole 6 points.

Wordy Wednesday – Collin is NINE months old!

I can’t believe that Collin is now NINE months old! NINE MONTHS! That’s how long I was pregnant for! CRAZINESS!!! I feel like I the nine months I was pregnant, was twice as long as the past nine months watching him grown, play, and learn. Everyone tells you that you will love your children more than you will ever know, but what they don’t tell you, is that you can’t really understand what they are talking about until it happens. I mean, I knew that I would love Collin, but I didn’t know how much I would really love Collin.

The more that I look at him and spend time with him, the more I feel like my baby is gone. I mean, babies just lie there, not doing anything. Babies just roll over. Then babies learn to crawl. I have a crawler, who crawls almost faster than I can process that he’s gotten into something he should be getting into. I have more than a crawler, I have a cruiser. He pulls himself up on one side of the couch, holds on and walks to the other. He is almost walking alone! He’s almost more of a toddler than a baby. And this makes me sad.

• Weight: 19 lb 25% (although, after a couple of seconds on 19lb, it clicked back to 18.155 lbs. So, I’m not sure even though the nurse said 19.)
• Height: (I’ve decided, that because he can now stand by himself, he’s got height, not length measurements :) ) 29.5 inches tall 90%
• The doctor wants him on more regular table foods, so we’ll see how that goes in the next few weeks.

• I Thought he would have grown into his 12 month shorts by now, but they are still big in the waist, so he’s in 9 month shorts, and 12 month rompers, onesies, and shirts.
• Wears size 3 diapers
• Goes to bed at 8:00 and sleeps until 7:00 (most of the time!)
• Takes two naps during the day
• Understands “NO” and just when I say “Collin” very sternly. (Not to say he doesn’t go right back to what he was doing, but he knows “no”)
• Has been SUPER lovey lately. Giving me LOTS of kisses. I LOVE this!
• Still talks and babbles all the time. “Muma” and “Dada” are his favorites.
• Gets excited to see his daddy on the iPhone4. He’s been out of town a lot recently so we use the FaceTime feature and they get to see each other. Collin kisses the phone when he sees Devin.
• Drinks from his sippy cup during meals and throughout the day. I leave it on the floor where he can get to it, and sporadically he crawls over and takes a big drink.
• Has two teeth. I’m pretty sure the third will be here any day now.

• Moved up to a new class at church, he’s a Turtle now :)
• Kept climbing out of his ducky tub, so since we went to West Palm Beach, he takes a bath is the big tub. He thinks he should be able to stand up and walk from end to end and crawl around in it.
• He now shakes his head “no” when he doesn’t want something. Mostly with food, but he’s done it in the car seat too.
• He’s going to have my temper

 

• He refuses to eat breakfast and lunch. He will practically only eat if he can feed himself. Even foods he loves.
• He will play in the living room for hours. Literally, he played one day when I wasn’t feeling well, for two and a half hours with out making a peep.
• Likes to stand on his head
• Stands up by himself, without holding onto anything at all.
• Still doesn’t like to have his clothes or diaper changed. I think he just doesn’t like being on his back because he feels like he’s missing out on something.
• Was only using his exersaucer to pull up on, and hasn’t even done that is two weeks, so it made it’s way to the baby equipment resting ground upstairs.
• Went to Boca Raton/West Palm Beach for the first time this month (He does NOT like sleeping anywhere but his own bed)

• Had fun at the Children’s Science Explorium in WPB

• Had so much fun playing with a ball from his Tummy Time matt (That is now a tunnel) we got him a big blue ball. He LOVES rolling and chasing it around the house.
• Figured out that he can go in and through the tunnel. He thinks its fun to play hide and seek or peek a boo in it 
• Went to the Hands On Children’s Museum with his cousins, and LOVED IT
• Got a HOCM inspired homemade ball crawl

 

• Dances to Mickey Mouse Club House and other music
• Loves to make noise. Anything that he can bang together and get a noise out of he gets a big grin on his face and goes crazy. Like he’s saying, “LOOK WHAT I DID MOM!”
• TOOK HIS FRIST STEPS! On purpose! He took four steps (to get to his blue ball). Since then, my mom got him a Thomas toy that he can ride, or push. He LOVES pushing it around the house and pushing the buttons and dancing to the music. The first video is the very first time he walked with it. The second one is after we turned it around and he started dancing to the music.

Neapolitan Ice Cream

Because I told Bradley I would…

A few weeks ago my mom was over and we had some Publix Neapolitan ice cream after dinner. At the time I don’t think I had any, but my mom and Devin had a little. Last week Bradley stayed at our house while we were in West Palm Beach. I always tell him to eat whatever is at our house. It usually ends up being a pizza or two that we have in the freezer.

 

A few days ago I put Collin to bed and was settling down to watch some TV when I thought, “oh yeah, Neapolitan ice cream!” I went to the freezer and pulled out the container. It seems a little light. Little did I know what I was about to find:

Hmmmm… Brudder? Devin? Or both? Since Devin was on site with a client this week in Tennessee and had bad reception in the building he was in, I had the following conversation with Bradley, the next afternoon.

So, rather than having vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream, like I wanted, I had strawberry. Thank you Bradley and Devin. The point of Neapolitan ice cream is to have all three flavors! 

On a side note, I am thankful Brudder stayed at our house so Collin and I could spend an entire week with Devin in West Palm Beach :)

Psalm 127:3

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

 

My heart melts when I see my little man sleeping. He’s so peaceful and precious. I seriously could just watch him sleep for hours. I look at him and constantly find myself asking, “what did I do to deserve this perfect little boy?” And then when he wakes up and calls out “Muma” then gives me a big slobbery kiss when I pick him up… nothing is more perfect. How can people not fall in love with something like this?

Dear _________,

Let me begin by saying, yes, I know I have the cutest little boy, ever. And while I enjoy and appreciate the fact that, well, just about everyone, thinks so too, but a line needs to be drawn someplace. Over the last week and a half Devin and I have had a conversation multiple times. We feel like monkeys in a zoo. When we are out to eat, people feel the need to talk to us and ask all kinds of questions about Collin. It seems as though we spend more time talking to random strangers about our son, rather than talking to each other and eating. So, I decided to write them all letters.

Dear Woman at Sonny’s across the isle,

He’s eight months old. Thank you he is adorable. Now, please pay attention to your husband/boyfriend/brother/friend you are with. You are here to eat with him. Not to talk to us. No really. We’d like to eat too. Please. Stop staring at us.

Dear Woman at McDonald’s and your elderly mother,

He’s eight months old. I’m sorry my son dropped a fry on the floor. You didn’t need to come over and pick it up just so you could ask me how old he is. Your mother is a cute old lady that reminds me of my grandmother who I miss greatly. It’s nice that you have three grandchildren and your mother has five great grandchildren. May I finish feeding my son and myself now?

Dear People of Panera,

Old man in the corner booth- please stop making faces at my son. I’m obviously trying to feed him. I’m obviously by myself. I’m obviously having a difficult time doing so. You are not making things any easier by distracting him. Every time I almost get him to take a bite, you make a face and he turns his head.

People who work at Panera- I ordered my salad with no pecans and extra dressing. I didn’t want to have to walk back up here with my son to have to ask for extra dressing or to pick the pecans out of the salad. I also would like for the woman walking around refreshing students’ coffee to ask me if I need anything. The woman, alone, with the baby. I actually need a spoon, because you opted not to give me one with my soup. I guess the pecans can replace the spoon.

Obnoxious boys in the booth across the isle behind us- just SHUT UP! Yes, there is a baby over here. Thank you for being the “what not to be" example.

Dear Woman at Chili’s who just-so-happen-to-get-seated-next-to-us,

He’s eight months old. Oh your daughter is nine months old? That’s nice. I got my Tiny Diner from Babies’R’US. I also got the high chair cover from there as well. Yes, he’s eating Goldfish, and yes those are Teddy Grahams. He’s got two teeth. Yes, they are on the bottom. Oh, your daughter has two teeth on the bottom to? That’s nice. Yes, he is wearing shoes. Yes, I can see your daughter is not. That thing attached to his sippy cup is a NoThrow. It keeps him from throwing his cup on the floor. Yes, you probably could make one yourself. No he’s not walking just yet. Yes his is crawling. Yes, he is trying to walk. He’s close. Ok, we are going to go now. No we aren’t from here, so no, I’m sorry, we can’t have a play date.

Dear Waitress at IHOP, who isn’t our waitress,

He’s eight months old. It isn’t necessary for you to walk by our table every 5 minutes to tell me how handsome my son is. I already know that.  No…no… he’s not your fiancé That’s not cute, just a little creepy. 

Dear people-of-the-world,

He’s eight months old. I know my son is adorable, handsome, cute, and another attractive term you’d like to use. His smile is amazing, his little giggle is the best thing in the entire world. He is a very well behaved boy. I know I am very well prepared and my high chair cover, tiny diner, and NoThrow, are great things. May we please eat our meal in peace now? Without you smiling, waving, and making faces at us?

 

Thank you,

Erin

Awe, That's Sad

I decided that since I didn't read any blogs this week that I would catch up since Devin is driving home.

So anyway, the ticker at the top of my blog has always been counting how old Collin is. Well I knew that he's almost closer to nine months than eight months so I looked to see what it actually was. Imagine my surprise when I see "3 months 1 week and 6 days." I was like, " what the heck?" Then I realized what was going on. It changed to a countdown until his first birthday!

It was so sad to see that! My baby, who really isn't a "baby" baby anymore will be ONE in three months. Holy Crap! Where did this year go? I mean seriously, he's feeding himself all the time, standing by himself, bending down to pick things up without falling, cruises along the couch and anything he can get a hold of, and is working on walking! Babies just lay there. Collin definitely doesn't just lay there. He's on the go!

I know I'm not the only one in this boat, but it just hit me like a ton of bricks all if a sudden. And it made me sad. That's all.

Something(s) New

My brother (more affectionately known as Brudder) gave me his very first iPhone not long after I had Collin. I learned to like it. Most of the time. Anyway, I got a fee app for it a while ago to update my blog, but for some stupid operator error I couldn't get I to work.

As the world know the new iPhone recently came out, and my amazing hubby got me one! It was supposed to come in the mail on the 19th. This week he got an email stating it would be here by the 12th. It came on the 9th!! So I've had an iphone4 for a couple days now. The difference from the first one to this one is incredible!

Devin is traveling this week so Collin and I packed up and went with him. We are in a smaller hotel than the one we stay at on Altamonte Springs, so Collin is in the same room with us (we usually have an apartment style inn). It's going to make for an interesting week.

ALL that being said, I'm laying in bed, in the small hotel room where Collin is sleeping, playing with my new phone, updating my blog! My brain fart went away and I was able to get the app to work so I can update anytime I want. I'm no longer a slave to my computer! If I have an epiphany at the doctors office, I can blog about it :) the odds of this actually happening are slim to none, but the option is there.

By the Way…

I found my shorts! A few days ago, I was in our closet looking for something to wear and then I had an epiphany! (Imagine that right?!) Our shoe rack from the old house is too big vertically for our new closet. So at the moment it is just leaning against the shelf on the back wall. Behind the shoe rack is a 3-section laundry basket with dry clean only clothes. I don’t know what made me look back there, but for some reason, I did. And somehow my shorts made their way into the dry clean basket that only gets checked once in a blue moon. THAT my friends is how you lose a pair of shorts! They got thrown into the wrong basket. Mystery solved!

How Do You Lose a Pair of Shorts?

Seriously? I can understand a sock here or there being eaten by the drier monster. But I’ve been looking for a pair of shorts now for like three weeks! It’s hot in Florida these days and I just bought those shorts a few months ago. It’s not like they are sitting in a pile of laundry someplace either. I originally thought they were. I rummaged through MANY different piles before giving up and thinking, “they’ll just turn up.” Over the past few days I’ve done about a hundred loads of laundry. Every article of clothing we own is currently clean and folded or hung up. Except for my shorts. I have NO IDEA where they could be! I’ve looked under the bed, behind the washer and drier, nothing, nada, zilch. So I’m wondering, am I the only one who can lose an article of clothing (other than a sock, which also bugs me, but it is more understandable somehow than a pair of shorts or a shirt)? Someone PLEASE tell me I’m not alone here!