Birthday Party!

Wow!  Today was an amazingly fun time!!!  Today, we celebrated Archer, Henry, Cash, and Isaac's first birthday.  We had a huge party for all 4 boys and they had a blast.


Isaac had his first taste of sugar and I think it's safe to say he liked it.  We got all 4 boys to sit at a little table in the yard so they could enjoy their cupcakes.  We lit candles (and kept all fingers away from the flames) and then let the boys dig in.  Isaac went FACE FIRST!!!  It was absolutely hilarious!  All of the kids played with the water/sand table and we got pictures of the birthday boys, their mommies, and the Baby Mamas.  Here's a hint of the festivities from today:


The fun (messiness) is about to begin!

 "Let's get started, Grandma!"

Preparing to taste the cupcake:

 The first taste:

 Hm, this is pretty good!

 What is this thing?

 Who cares?  I'll just dive right in!

Yum!

No hands required

Cash's icing mustache.

"WOW! Have you tried one of these?  They're terrific!!"

Starting on the "cake" part of the cupcake

Mmmm...

Isaac's face... The "after" picture!

Icing on the elbow

...and the foot.

Crumbs EVERYWHERE!

Isaac says, "YAY! for cupcakes!!!"

Sitting with Mom for photo ops:

Playing with his new sand/water cart.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

 Anderson is having fun, too!

"Hey, Isaac, check this out!"

"That's pretty neat, Anderson!"

Fun with sand

 Hooray for messes!

All of the birthday boys:  Cash, Archer, Isaac, and Henry sporting their super-cool birthday shirts that Bethany (Archer's mom) made:

 The Baby Mamas! 

House Update (Finally)

Todd has made major progress on the shower.  We need to get to work on picking out doors...

There is even a cool little seat in the middle there:

Todd also got a new leaf blower a few weeks ago.  It's the kind that he wears on his back and is much more powerful than the old one.  It has definitely been worth the investment!!

I have planted a few little plants in a patch of the Druid Ruins in our backyard.  I had help, as you would imagine...

I am not sure whether you can see the soil smeared all over his mouth.  He had fun with the scoop and the dirt/mud while I tried to clear the bed of weeds.

Here's our final result - one jalapeño pepper, one banana pepper, one Roma tomato, one oregano, and one lemon thyme.  Now let's see whether I remember to water them every day...

11 Months!

Isaac is 11 months old today!  This month has been LOTS of fun.  He's learned some new things, like pointing and clapping.  We are also working to get his sleep "schedule" back on track as it's been off for about a week now.  Last night, he also said his first word!!!  It was "Yay!"  Naturally, right?  He's my kid...  He has said "mama" and "dada" and something similar to "hi", but this was the first thing he said remotely close to being in context.

In the past month, he's gotten a little longer and stronger, but, unfortunately, has lost 2 ounces.  He is back down to 17 pounds, 12 1/2 ounces.  I took him to the doctor's office and weighed him today.  I am glad that I did so that I can try to make some changes before his next check-up in a month.  I was worried that I was force-feeding him because he was taking 4 ounces of food (one container) at every meal.  Now I realize I may actually be underfeeding him.  <<sigh>>  I am still nursing quite often and even gave him 4 meals today.  I am adding some olive oil to his food (the veggies, anyway) to try to increase his caloric intake.  I don't want to force him to eat if he doesn't want something, so we're going to have to get creative on getting him to eat enough.  It almost doesn't seem like there is enough time in the day!


Candy and Henry came over to play in the pool today.  It was a warm 80 degrees outside, so the mommies ate some barbecue while the boys splashed.

Here's a quick video of Isaac demonstrating his ability to clap (and charm his parents).  It was *immediately* after I turned off the camera that he said, "Yay!"  Todd and I were so excited!  

This second video was recorded this morning.  I had already finished feeding Isaac his oatmeal and was eating my cereal.  I had some blueberries that I was adding to my bowl and decided to let Isaac try them, too.  I was thrilled that he actually tasted them!  He's not been a big fan of self-feeding over the last 2 weeks or so.  We did give him a bite of tortilla the other night, though, and he managed to turn it into a gooey mess before finally swallowing it...

Pool Weather & Video Update

Isaac got to experience the pool for the first time today.  It was sunny and in the 70s, so we took advantage of it.  I used the hose to put most of the water in, but then added some more warm water just to be sure it wasn't too chilly for Isaac.  He took a few minutes to get used to the idea, but then he played for about an hour in the water!

Here's a little video of Isaac having some fun in the sun.

These are a couple of quick videos shot over the last few weeks of Isaac doing his Isaac thing.  I thought those of you who hadn't had an Isaac fix in a while might enjoy watching a few of these.  The first video is Isaac on the move, crawling after the dog, as usual.

Our little boy stands all the time now:

A little fun with Dad after work:

Here he is in the midst of pulling every toy out of his toy bin (the truck Todd's PopPop made for Todd when he was Isaac's age).

Wednesday, a couple of friends came over to play.  The dogs in the backyard, of course, were the highlight of the boys' day...

One Word Wednesday

Teeth!

New Shoes

After much ado about not being able to pull photos off my camera...  I had a full memory card, so I didn't even take many videos between posts.  I am proud, however, to present a post that has nothing to do with problems in our house!  LOL


Here's the 10-month photo (a couple weeks late).  You'll note that Isaac is standing rather than laying down for this picture.  Think of it as representative of how life is going these days!  Ha ha!

Isaac's Nana (my mom) has been here since last Sunday.  She left this morning and we were sorry to see her go.  We had a *fantastic* visit and are already hoping for her next one.  Mom got to witness first-hand the difference a couple of weeks makes in Isaac's development.

Isaac is crawling everywhere now.  It's so fun to see him exploring his world.  Monday, his friend Isaiah came over to spend the day.  Isaiah's a bit taller than Isaac, so things had to be moved up just a little higher than they were.  It made for an interesting day!  Both boys crawl all over the place, then get to a piece of furniture and use it to pull up to a stand.  Isaac is getting faster daily and seems to be pulling up every time I turn around.  The good news is that he can now also get down from a stand, which was much harder to master safely.  Since it's a matter of time before he's walking, we have also gotten Isaac some new shoes.  I think they're adorable, but you can decide for yourself.

As of this writing, Isaac has 4 teeth.  He's got 2 more coming in and I expect to see them within the next couple of weeks (if not days).  Poor little fellow!  The top 2 came in simultaneously and now he's cutting the 3rd - hopefully this weekend so he can finally get some sleep (and so can we).  Here's a messy shot of Isaac's enjoyment of a teething biscuit a couple of weeks ago.

Isaac learned to clap this week.  His friends were here on Wednesday and he saw Henry, Anderson, and Cash clapping.  Apparently this was enough to convince him to give it a try.  He is *adorable* when he claps because he gets a huge smile on his face like he's proud of himself.  Today, he also began pointing.  I try to tell him what items are in front of him when he points, but it's usually "Mom."  :o)  I'll try to get video of Isaac clapping this weekend.  It's not something he'll do when prompted, so it's tricky to catch on camera.  Meanwhile, here's a little bit of him crawling and playing (though not as fast as he was moving today!)

Flood!

I know it's been a while since my last post.  Things have been a little hectic around here.  Mom arrived to visit us last Sunday and we've been having a great time, so far.


Last Wednesday, however, we had a mishap.  Our downstairs toilet took on a life of its own and flooded our bathroom and the entryway to the house.  At about 5:00, I heard the toilet making a few small noises (no one was in the room with it).  I figured I would ask Todd about it when he got home in a couple of hours.  Surprise!  The toilet decided not to wait for Todd's arrival.  A few minutes after the initial warning sound, I suddenly heard water gushing onto the floor.  I tried to shut off the water valve in the bathroom, but the water kept coming.  I ran outside and turned off the water main coming into the house.  Mom and I did our best to clean up the water and I made a frantic call to Todd to get home *now*.  We used, literally, every single towel in the house to mop up the water.  We are not completely sure that our floors are going to survive, but the toilet has been removed and reinstalled, so we're optimistic.  We borrowed a dehumidifier from a friend and had it set up for a few days.  It's hard to say how much water may have gotten past the waterproof barriers, however, since the water was all the way against the wall (where the barrier ends, obviously).  Anyway, I opted to try to save the floors rather than taking photos, so you are spared the visions of our near swimming pool...  Cross your fingers that this will be the last you hear of this particular incident.  I really hope the floors don't have to come out!!

Snow Day!

I had lots of grand plans about blogging while Todd was out of town last week.  Then the cold weather hit...  Our pipes froze and Isaac and I had to sleep in the Jeep.  


Okay, not really.  We stayed with our friends, the Cantins, for a few days.  Henry and Isaac had a very extended play day while Candy and Heather got great breakfasts made by Jason each morning.  You could say we made the most of a bad situation.  LOL


Here are a few pictures of Henry and Isaac mostly putting up with their moms taking pictures of them in the snow...  When we got home on Saturday morning, there was still quite a bit of snow in our back yard.  I think we actually had more snow at our home than at the Cantins' house, but I wasn't about to traumatize Isaac with another snow pose.

After exhausting himself in the snow, Isaac took a 2+ hour nap in the Pack 'n' Play.  Ivy kept an eye on him for me...

Air Mattress Fun

This is what happens when you don't deflate the air mattress immediately after your guests leave...

Isaac thought this was outrageously fun.  I missed the incredible onslaught of giggles that told me to get a camera, but you can see the ear-to-ear smile.

Quick Videos from Grandparents' Visit

If I wait until I have time to write about the great visit from Todd's parents, this will never get posted.  Here are a couple new games that Isaac learned with Grandma and Grandpa:

This one, however, continues to be the favorite.  Isaac and Jackson play this several times a day, sometimes for 5 minutes or more.

A cute picture of Isaac in some of his Hokie wear:

And from our fun last night with the grandparents (at a dance hall in Granger).

9 Months!

OK, so this post is a little late...

I took Isaac to the doctor yesterday for his 9-month checkup.  He actually weighs less than he did at Thanksgiving.  I guess he's burning a heck of a lot more calories with all of his crawling.  The doctor wants me to feed him 3 meals (each a full jar) per day, in addition to as much nursing as he might want.  He weighed in at 17 pounds 2 ounces, but was 17 pounds 12 ounces back in November.  (He's now 27 3/4 inches long, so he's over an inch taller than he was back at his 6-month appointment).  She assured me that she wasn't too worried, but she wants to check him again in one month.  So, we began our new feeding regimen today and, so far, Isaac seems quite content.  He has been really hungry for the last few days and I've been doing a lot of nursing, but I wasn't increasing his "solid food" intake as much as I apparently should have.  He did eat quite a bit yesterday, though not really on a schedule.  He only woke twice to eat during the night, which was a vast improvement over the previous night.  I fed him breakfast this morning, but he didn't eat a whole container of food.  Judy (Grandma) fed him lunch and he ate most of the jar of sweet potatoes and an entire jar of apples!!!  I think he probably already weighs 10 ounces more than he did yesterday morning!


We are all having a wonderful visit with Todd's parents this week.  They arrived on Sunday and we got to celebrate Christmas one more time.  Isaac got lots of fun new toys and a bunch of new chew toys (books).  He is happily showing off all of his new crawling skills and has been pulling to a stand any chance he can.  I am wowed by how much stronger he is this week compared to last.  He can crawl all the way across the room now, which he certainly couldn't have done last week.  He is really moving now!


Here's a little video of Isaac when he finally sat still for a few moments a couple of days ago...

Judy babysat Isaac for an hour this afternoon and I was able to get out for a pedicure.  I can't even remember my last one - it may have been last Christmas.  I know it was with Kristin, but I don't know how long ago it was.

Bathroom Update #3

Todd is still working on tiling the shower, but will be taking a break after today.  His parents arrive this tomorrow and will be here through next weekend, so he expects to take some time off to enjoy their company instead of working.  Yay!  Here's where he stopped today:

I got to take a bath in my Jacuzzi last night.  In a word:  awesome!!!  I had a book and a glass of wine.  I got to watch the sky darken through the sky lights.  I may never take another shower again because the bath tub is entirely too wonderful.  :o)

Entree du Jour: Butternut Squash with Corn

I would say this has been Isaac's favorite meal.  I couldn't feed him fast enough!  He finished his meal in record time.  I fed him a little more than I was "supposed" to since it was his first exposure to corn, but I am glad I did.  Hopefully, there will be no allergy issues.  I'm a little jealous of some of Isaac's friends' moms (Cash's mom, Stephanie, for example) because they seem to be able to feed their sons any and everything.  I have to carefully screen for milk in everything.  I still haven't called to make sure that he isn't allergic to anything else.  Hopefully seafood isn't on the allergy list because a lot of the "second foods" seem to have tuna oil in them.  I am not a big fan of worrying about everything Isaac might eat...

After Isaac finished eating, I set him on the kitchen floor while I put my dinner in the crock pot.  Isaac is not wearing pants today because it's in the 70's outside.  Gorgeous, January weather.  LOL  God bless Texas!  Anyhoo, he seemed to crawl much better on the hardwood without the slick pants he's been wearing.  I can tell he's getting stronger and enjoying crawling much more.  Not nearly as much belly-crawling...  He's also pulled himself to a stand a couple more times.  It's so fun to see how proud he is of himself when he does it.  Hopefully I will be able to capture it on camera at some point so you can share his excitement.  :o)


In other fun news, even Todd has noticed that Isaac's laughing more now.  He loves to be tickled and seems to generally be having more fun.  He still gets a huge kick out of me trying to crawl on the floor, too.  He's such a joy to watch.

Bathroom Update #2

The bathtub is finished!  All it needs is a good cleaning and I can use it.

Todd also started tiling the shower.  He is about to change the tile pattern from here on up, so this was his stopping point yesterday.  As you can see, we are each going to have 2 shelves (there are separate shower heads) and there will be a small seat in the middle of the back wall.  We are still debating what to do for the shower doors.


On the right, you can see the red towels on one of my Christmas gifts - a towel warmer!  Last year's gift was a heating system to go under the floor tiles.  Are you noticing a theme?

Isaac Feeds Himself (Sort of)

Warning:  These videos are much longer than usual.  The first one is 1.5 minutes (if you're in a hurry, skip to about the 40-second mark) and the second one is over 2 minutes long.


I may have missed my window of opportunity on getting Isaac's horrible expressions from trying to eat his Gerber Puffs.  I tried, though.  This video will give you a hint as to what his reaction has been to the Puffs.  The funny part is, he'll make these faces and then stick another one in his mouth!

After this, I fed him some sweet potatoes, but he was still hungry afterwards.  I thought I'd try to give him some banana.

Isaac has started really crawling over the last day or so.  It looks like a zombie crawl and more like a real baby crawl now.  He does opposite arms and legs as he crawls (which is correct, there's better balance this way).  I had to relearn to crawl to help him learn because apparently adults do it wrong.  If you haven't crawled on the floor in a while, get down on your hands and knees and try it.  You'll see what I mean.

Splish Splash

Isaac was takin' a bath...  Isaac loves to take his baths!  His favorite bath toy is his rubber ducky.  It keeps him occupied while I bathe him, so everyone comes out a winner.

Favorite Toys

This was taken on my iPhone today.  Note the plethora of "appropriate" baby toys in the background.  Note that they are the toys he was sitting in when he decided to crawl over and grab this toy instead...  Jackson is not going to understand what's happened to his peace and quiet...

(In case you can't tell from the white on white in this photo, Isaac is holding a well-chewed "Nyla" dog bone).

Yes, we have no bananas!

He ate some of the bananas, but not all of them.  But then he spit them up 20 minutes later.

Bathroom Update #1

There will be at least one other bathroom update within the next 48 hours (I think).  Todd's currently working on tiling the walls in the shower!  The bathroom counter and sinks were installed on Saturday and they look *amazing*!  It worked out really well for us.  We hired these guys to install our kitchen counters several months ago and were thrilled with the way they turned out.  We were going to use the remainder of the slab from the kitchen counters to install in our bathroom.  Since the kitchen install, the company has moved.  I am not sure whether the piece just didn't get moved or it broke, but one way or another, they didn't have the remainder of our slab (which we'd paid for).  The gentleman, Demitri, who helped us before told us to come pick from one of their other remnants and they'd just give it to us.  This was even better than expected!  The counters downstairs are very light and are exactly what we wanted for the kitchen, but we wanted something a little different for the bathroom.  Voila!  Ask and ye shall receive...  To give you a perspective, I'm standing with my back to the shower, the entry to the room is on my left (beside the tub) in this photo.

 Todd got the water running!

 We have drawers under the sinks, as well.  I love it!