My Kid is a Rockstar

Ok, so maybe rockstars don't chew on their mic cords, or slobber on the mic instead of sing into it...but he's still a rockstar in my book.

*Trevor is 7 months, 1 week and 5 days old*

Adventures in Breastfeeding

When Trevor was smaller nursing him was relaxing and peaceful. Nine times out of ten he fell asleep on the breast or just contently stared at me with those big dark eyes, intensely focused on the task at hand.

Nowadays, not so much.

Nursing an active 7 month old includes, but is not limited to: headstands and cartwheels (still attached to the breast mind you), pulling on my nose, poking my eyes, patting my chest (or face or stomach), sticking his feet in my face, trying to crawl off with nipple in tow and trying to laugh and nurse at the same time (which almost always ends in choking). Its more like juggling an oiled pig really.

Nursing an older baby does have its rewards though. For example, Trevor has now learned there is not just one boob, but TWO. A couple of days ago he was nursing on the right when he suddenly sat up and looked at the left (which was still covered). He then looked up at me, looked back at the left, slapped it a couple of times, looked back up at me with a wrinkled brow and slapped me again. So, I offered him the left and he gave me an enormous smile before latching on. I laughed so hard I almost cried. The boy knows what he wants and knows how to get it. Why ask when you can demand?


*Trevor is 7 months, 1 week and 2 days old*

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

4 years ago today Josh and I got married. WOW. Some days it feels like just yesterday, some days it feels like 25. LOL We've been together 8 years in all which is nuts. We decided to celebrate today since Josh had the day off and took Trevor bowling with us. This was the first time we had been bowling in close to two years! I remember now why I don't bowl often--Josh kicks my butt! I bowled a strike on the first set and it was all downhill from there. Lets just say Josh doubled my score. We had a lot of fun though and Trevor thought the bowling alley was the neatest place he had ever been. He liked watching everyone bowl and loved playing with the balls! Balls, blocks or anything with wheels make this kid happy as a clam.

After we finished bowling we played in the arcade for a little while. Trevor liked playing ski-ball with Daddy...

But didn't want to give up the ball when the game was over.

We literally had to pry it from his hands! He so wanted to keep it. We made it up to him by taking him to ride Bert and Ernie's firetruck...

and he really liked Ernie's hat. (Is it just me or does Bert not look too happy to be riding that firetruck?)

We had exhausted everything there was to do at the bowling alley so we decided to go eat at Cracker Barrel for dinner. Josh had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese and I got pancakes (Josh hates pancakes so I NEVER get to eat pancakes!). Trevor had a little bit of everything and some cheerios for good measure. He liked Josh's mac and cheese but absolutely LOVED my pancakes. He is my child after all! We realized that we had lost the one and only paci somewhere in the bowling alley (and we just don't do the carseat without a paci) so we ran by K-Mart to pick up one to get us home and grabbed a couple extra to replace the ones that are always disappearing around the house. I seriously have no idea where they go. While we were there I bought him a turtle car because I was still feeling guilty for taking away his beloved ski-ball (and the police car he latched onto at Cracker Barrel that wasn't baby friendly). It was a hit.

Then, tonight Trevor decided to surprise us with an Anniversary present......

HE TOOK HIS FIRST REAL STEP!!!!

He was standing up beating on a laundry basket about two feet away from the end table when he suddenly turned, let go and took a perfect full step forward so that he could reach the end table!! I decided to grab my camera to see if I could catch him doing it again and instead I caught this:

I was so excited (as you can tell by my escalating voice lol). We are so proud of him. It won't be long at all before he is running all over the place!

Happy Anniversary Josh, I love you! You are my rock. You're a wonderful husband, an amazing father and so much more that I won't mention here since our mothers read this blog. ;) I can't wait to see what the future brings!

*Trevor is 7 months and 2 days old*

7 Month Spam

Wasn't it just yesterday I was posting 6 month spam?? Sheesh. Most of these pics are from today. It was a wonderful virtually fuss-free day with 2 long naps and a peaceful bedtime. Just the way I like them. :)

You can't tell it here but he's standing on his own!

Helping Mommy unload the dishwasher...

Look at those TEETH!!

Waiting patiently for lunch.

"Are you going to give me something to eat or what?"

"I just want this much more"

"What? It works for the dogs!"

Tired out from a long day of playing hard. So stinkin' sweet.

I Think I'm Turning Green...

And I don't mean big-ugly-angry-hulk-green, I mean Eco-friendly or more specifically more friendly to my family. Inspired by an online conversation, I started doing some research about common household cleaners and was horrified when I found out what is *really* in those suckers. NASTY STUFF! Apparently using chemical cleaners is one of the number one worst things you can do for your health. Ever. Almost 80 percent of the chemicals in household cleaners have not been tested for lasting health effects! When you use these chemicals in your home, these chemicals react with our ozone, stick around in the air for a LONG time and leave nasty residues on hard surfaces, carpets etc. Many never break down and over time indoor air pollution can cause all kinds of illness and diseases.

This link is a great starting point for researching household chemicals. Here are some of the points that I found most interesting:

"An EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) survey concluded that indoor air was 3 to 70 times more polluted than outdoor air."

"Another EPA study stated that the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air."

"National Cancer Association released results of a 15 year study concluding that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home."

"Cancer is the Number ONE cause of death for children."

"There has been a call from the U.S./Canadian Commission to ban bleach in North America. Bleach is being linked to the rising rates of breast cancer in women, reproductive problems in men and learning and behavioral problems in children"

"Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. The Canadian Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada identify common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers."

There is WAY more information in the article, give it a read.

Anyway, after doing a ton of research I decided that I would challenge myself for the weekend--do all of the cleaning without using any commercial cleaners or air fresheners. Guess what? My house has never been cleaner or smelled better.

I cleaned everything with these ingrediants: White Vinegar, Baking Soda, Water and a Lemon.

I got stains out of things I've never been able to remove before using vinegar and baking soda and my microwave wiped clean in about 2 seconds after steaming half a lemon inside. My linoleum looks better than it has since we moved in and with no residue! My toilet is shiny and so are my faucets, I even cleaned my carpets with a steam cleaner using, you guessed it- vinegar and water. I know exactly what you are thinking right now. You're thinking that my house must stink to high heaven of vinegar, but I assure you it does not. The vinegar stinks while you are using it but the smell disappears as soon as it dries and takes any other annoying odors with it plus it disinfects! (If you are cleaning an area you feel needs REALLY disinfected you can follow up with some rubbing alcohol.) The result is a really clean (and clean smelling) home. Instead of using toxic air fresheners I simmered some cinnamon on the stove and the house smelled delicious. I was amazed at how well these home solutions worked and now I'm a total convert. No longer will I expose my sweet little boy to the nasty crap in household cleaners. I LOVE the fact that my house smells CLEAN instead of smelling like chemicals.

I'm putting all of my store-bought cleaning supplies on freecycle tomorrow. The only things we are keeping right now are laundry detergent and Dawn but I've been reading that I can make those things too. One thing at a time.


Will you take the challenge? Make your home and your family healthier--throw out your commercial cleaners!

First Trip to the Park

It was a gorgeous day today so we took Trevor to the park for the very first time and he had a blast! We ran into some old friends from High School and their two little girls and all of us had a great time. Trevor loved the swings and the tunnel in the toddler park. I have tons of pictures to share!













We spent most of the afternoon there and by the time we got home he was thoroughly exhausted! Here's hoping he sleeps well tonight!! :D


*Trevor is 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days old*

My Little Explorer

Trevor has discovered that his room, while obviously not good for sleeping, is great for playing! There are all kinds of cool toys hiding in there! Every time he gets a chance he makes a break for his room. Of course all of the toys in the living room aren't nearly as cool as the ones in his room! Many times during the day I follow him into his room and watch him doing this:

And when he is finished, I pick the toys all back up. Again.


*Trevor is 6 months and 2 weeks old*

Before and After

So many things have changed since Trevor was born. Including his nursery check it out 6 months post-baby!!

*Trevor is 6 months, 1 week and 6 days old*

Snow Day!

We finally got a decent snow! I'm counting this as Trevor's very first snow since one wasn't enough to count and the other just dusted the ice. LOL

It warmed up some today so we decided to take him out to see the snow before it all melted away. He immediately wanted down (he loves to go outside!) so I let him down in the snow for a couple of minutes. He really wasn't all that impressed with it, but I got a couple of good pictures.

His hand print in the snow.

*Trevor is 6 months, 1 week and 5 days old*