happy st. patrick's day!

our little leprechaun - 2014

Were you an honorary Irishman in celebration of St. Patrick's Day yesterday?  Our family actually has some Irish in it (both on Eric's mom's and my mom's side) so we don't have to pretend for the day like many people do.  But if you are among those who pretend in order to partake in the day's festivities, that's okay, too!

Eric set up the crock pot first thing in the morning for our corned beef and cabbage dinner.  This was our third year making this meal for St. Patrick's Day and we love it so much that we're making a second batch tonight!  (Also because the recipe we use calls for only a 1/2 head of cabbage; what else would we do with the other half?)

St. Patrick's Day 2012

My dad was over to eat with us and we made Irish coffee to go with dinner.  Simon loved the corned beef and surprisingly ate the cabbage, too.  We had a lovely (and delicious) Irish evening at home!

Check out the recipe for Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage here.
You can also find it pinned on my Pinterest profile here.

Simon [1 year]

It finally happened; our baby boy turned one year old!  These last twelve months have been the happiest, most challenging, most rewarding, and quite literally the best experiences of my life thus far.  Simon has changed us in so many ways, and we love him for the joy and light that he has brought into our world.  His final month of infanthood was full of endless amounts of learning and developing as he quickly showed us how ready he is to be a toddler.  I made an extra effort to document every adventure, new skill, and special moment that happened over the course of Simon's last weeks leading up to his birthday.  This sentimental mama is feeling more than ever how emotional it is to watch your child grow so fast right before your eyes.  It was very important to me to not miss a single thing before our munchkin suddenly leaves his baby days far behind him (*sniff sniff*).

no longer an infant

first measurements on the height chart

smiles at the doctor's office

Simon's 12-month check up was promptly scheduled one day after his birthday and our boy was in such great spirits during the appointment.  His measurements clocked in at 29 1/3 inches tall (50th percentile for height) and 19.6 pounds (25th percentile for weight).  Dr. Polly was pleased with all of Simon's milestones and gushed that he is continuing to develop beautifully.  We received the go-ahead to allow Simon to have almond milk and got the all-clear to let him eat everything with the exception of waiting one more year to introduce nuts and peanut butter.  She recommended adding fluorinated toothpaste to Simon's brushing routine and assured us that we can wait until he is older to schedule his first pediatric dental appointment (by age three).  In addition to getting his 12-month booster vaccines, Simon also had his iron level checked, all of which he tolerated like a champ.  Eric and I had mixed views on the chicken pox vaccine, which Dr. Polly was happy to hold off on until Simon's 15-month, and even 18-month, check ups if we decide to proceed with the vaccine.  I left our pediatrician's office feeling wonderful about Simon's health and statistics as well as secure in knowing that the office's staff supports our feelings to ask questions and make our own decisions about the health care we want for our son.  Not everyone is so lucky to have a doctor who is supportive of parents making their own choices, and I feel so happy to have Simon be a patient at this wonderful office.

mastering the sippy cup

spaghetti fan

bathing in the big tub

It seems like Simon grew by leaps and bounds in the weeks leading up to his birthday.  As he approached the one-year mark, it was important to me to get him started on drinking from a sippy cup in order to begin the transition from the bottle.  I first purchased the Safe 2-in1 Sippy Cup a couple months ago to introduce it to Simon but didn't work with him on a regular basis on how to use it.  I pulled it back out last month to begin using it more routinely and he quickly figured it out in matter of a few short days.  He now drinks water throughout the day and even enjoys his sippy cup on his high chair tray during meals.  Mealtime has also become more mature (and more messy!) for baby as he is now eating exactly what we eat for dinner.  He finally had his first spaghetti experience and it was as hysterical as it was dirty.  Simon has also dined on many of Eric's delicious crockpot creations with homemade sauces, stir fry, and other delicacies.  Simon notices the different textures of his new meals, but still eats every bite without protest.  And speaking of protests, last month I didn't mention that we were having some issues with Simon fussing and crying and not enjoying bath time at all.  We realized it was time to transition him from his baby bath to the big bath tub.  I had to get in the big bath with him the first time, but the second time Simon bathed solo and loved every minute of it.  Bath time is now no longer a problem and he is back to his normal self and seems completely comfortable to splash and crawl around the big tub.  I was worried he might be scared, but clearly he was ready for the bigger space that he gets in the bigger tub.  Anything that makes our boy happy again makes us happy, too!

car seat shopping

satisfied with our selection

buckled up in Mommy's car

I mentioned last month that Eric and I were car seat shopping for a convertible car seat.  Along with selling several items online that we no longer use and getting a 25% off coupon via Babies "R" Us' Great Trade-In event, we were able to purchase Simon's first convertible car seat without having to spend any money out of pocket!  The seat we ultimately chose for my car is the Graco My Size 70, which you may have already heard by now was recently recalled (less than two weeks after we purchased it!).  With everything I purchase, especially baby items, I always automatically fill out and submit the product registration card so I can be immediately notified in the event of a recall.  After carefully reading the announcement and understanding that the seat was recalled because Graco “identified that food and dried liquids can make some harness buckles progressively more difficult to open over time or become stuck in the latched position,” Eric and I agreed that we feel safe in continuing to use our seat due to the fact that Simon never has food or drinks in his possession while in the car.  In addition, the manufacturer also stated that “this does not in any way affect the performance of the car seat or the effectiveness of the buckle to restrain the child,” so we feel certain that Simon is still safe while restrained in this car seat during travel.  Graco has yet to contact me about sending us a replacement buckle, so I will be contacting them myself since it is possible that my registration information didn't make it into their system before the recall was issued.  It can be scary when a product you use is recalled, but it is important as parents to not only be aware of pertinent information such as recalls but to also make sure you understand the facts.  We are still satisfied with our car seat purchase and are happy that Simon seems to love his new big boy seat, too.  He no longer fusses when we buckle him in like he did with his infant seat and instead greets us with big smiles and an eagerness to set off to wherever we are about to go.  We definitely can't complain about that! 

Super Bowl party

with Mommy's friends: Erica, Molly, Sara, and Michelle

bored by the boring game

We celebrated Simon's first Super Bowl by attending a big party at the home of my friend, Michelle, and her husband, Jay.  Simon was decked out in his festive quarterback onesie and new football leg warmers (Daddy wasn't quite a fan, but everyone else thought they were adorable!) and hung out like a little all-star during the noisy and crowded party.  As per usual, the boy caught a lot of attention and for the first time in months was comfortable being held by people other than Mommy and Daddy!  I was so proud of my little boy for doing well in the arms of many of my friends and also thankful for the opportunity to eat and visit without having to worry about him quickly becoming fussy.  He held on strong until it was time to succumb to a nap (who could blame him with such an unexciting game!) and finally nursed and snuggled in my lap for almost an hour.  Eric and I are continually grateful that we can bring our son to get-togethers and show off that he is able to hang with everyone.  I am also very happy that some of Simon's stranger/separation anxiety (completely normal at around 8-9 months) is beginning to go by the way side.  Being a social butterfly is one of the things that Simon does best, and also one of the personality traits that our friends and family love most about him!

ready for a date with Bliss

second time meeting Lila

  

teaching Bliss to sit

During this last month, Simon got in a lot of play time with his baby friends.  We hang out with Bliss the most since her mommy, Jen, is one of my closest friends.  On one gorgeous Saturday, we packed up both babes in my car and had a fun day of thrifting, checking out a local cloth diaper shop, and having lunch with our wee ones.  Both kids were on their best behavior and us mommies had fun scoring some great bargains.  Every time we get together, Simon and Bliss show so much interest in each other and it makes me really happy to have them starting a friendship so early in life.  To Jen's observation, Bliss tries harder to reach her upcoming milestones such as sitting up and being more social when she is around Simon, possibly because she is with a peer to show her how it's done (she is 6.5 months younger).  Simon seems to absolutely adore her and I've caught him trying to share toys with her by handing them to her, and she is so close to grabbing them from him!  The boy and I also finally got a second play date scheduled with Lila, daughter of my friend, Nicole.  The first time we met Lila was last summer, but I had failed to get any photos during our outing together.  This time, we met up for breakfast on a rainy morning I had off from work and then went back to Nicole's house for play time.  Miss Lila is 3.5 months younger than Simon but the two of them were great playmates.  They followed each other around and shared toys (one was always interested in whatever the other was holding) and were absolutely adorable together.  Ensuring that Simon has good social skills is very important to me, and so far he is doing beautifully all on his own!

happy traveler

fully on the move!

[VIDEO]

baby gone walking

The biggest news that I am so happy to report is that Simon is walking!  It was a process that took Simon a few weeks to master, but it all happened so quickly nonetheless.  After figuring out how to stand up completely unassisted and without holding onto anything, he began trying to move his feet.  When he didn't immediately topple over (which happened several times, to be expected), he was able to get about two or three steps in before falling.  We cheered with lots of excitement and even tried encouraging him by trying to have him walk between us, but when Simon would lose balance he'd simply revert back to crawling to get to his destination and seemed completely satisfied with that mode of transportation.  He continued to practice and after about 2 weeks was clearing anywhere from 7-12 steps before going down.  Maybe it was because he realized he was getting a better handle of his balance, because it was then that Simon finally began getting back up after falling to try again.  The best walking practice to watch was Simon chasing after Eric from behind the couch, around the ottoman and back again.  Now, Simon is two-footing it everywhere.  He's shown no trepidation about braving the slippery linoleum floor in the kitchen and bathroom and will quickly pick himself up after a spill to keep going.  His skills improve more and more each day, and he seems so thrilled with himself to be up on two legs like the rest of us.  We are so proud of our big boy and so far no moment has compared to when for the first time, my son walked into my arms to give me a great big hug.

 sharing a snack with Cho-Cho

 Mommy & Daddy's friends

 family of three

If it's even possible, we fall more in love with our son with each day that passes.  Simon never fails to show us how smart he is, how much he loves his family, and how interested he is in life and all that surrounds him.  We've shared so many wonderful experiences during our first year with Simon as a family of three; such as celebrating his first big holiday, my first Mother's Day and Eric's first Father's Day, introducing Simon to food, taking our first family trip, Simon's first Christmas, and so much more.  A part of me feels like it would be so much fun to go back and do it all again, but I am also looking forward to our future.  We still have SO MUCH more to experience, teach, and learn with Simon and I really am excited for all of it.  I talk every month about how mind-blowing it is to watch your child grow, but nothing has hit me in the heart like my boy turning one year old hit me.  This tiny, yet bigger, amazing person is the most amazing part of our lives and we treasure the world that he exists in.  It has truly been the best season of our lives watching Simon take his first trip around the sun.

Simon [11 months]

We have now arrived to the very last month before Simon's first birthday!  I am trying my best not to be daunted (or too emotional) by this milestone and am instead attempting to get a jump-start on the party planning.  The theme has been selected (which you've probably already figured out if you follow me on Pinterest - yes, I've recently become addicted), the date has been chosen, and I will be shortly setting off to tackle my list of DIY items for the event (this is a huge deal because I am not a big DIY-er) in our pursuit of saving money.  On that note, I've had to give in to the realization that we will have to keep Simon's birthday party on the smaller side.  While I dreamed of throwing him a monster-sized bash complete with bells and whistles and surrounded by everyone we know, a shindig of these proportions just isn't in our budget right now.  We've settled on having the get-together in our little house and are keeping the festivities small.  I know in my heart that it is much more important that we make Simon's first birthday special instead of expensive.  While he may not remember any of it, the rest of us will, and I want our family and friends to have memories of how lovingly--not lavishly--we celebrated the momentous occasion of our darling son turning one.

baby's first omelet!

big boy with his bottle

escape artist!

Simon's diet has greatly expanded over the course of the last month.  He is a regular cheese eater now (his most frequented being mozzarella string cheese), although he has had cheddar as well.  Cho-Cho often shares his cottage cheese with Simon (which the boy surprisingly loves!) and has gotten to taste bites of mango and peaches along with it.  Other foods now often gracing the presence of Simon's high chair tray are: Greek yogurt, spinach, cantaloupe, green beans, whole grain pasta, pear, chicken, and ham.  He has also tasted rice and a bit of waffle (each only once), but I'm not so sure how I feel about him eating those foods on a regular basis just yet.  There was one food I went back and forth on about whether to give it to Simon, and that was egg.  Based on what I've read and with whom I've asked, the opinions about egg are varying.  Some say eggs are okay around 9-10 months if baby is successful with solids and is only served the yolk; some are firm about waiting on egg until one year; others feel that if there are no family allergies to eggs, introducing them when baby is on solids is fine; one mom said she never separated the yolk from the whites and her child never had a reaction; and so on and so forth.  Eric and I discussed it, and ultimately we decided that we felt comfortable letting Simon try egg yolk.  And the result?  It was a success!  The boy willingly and excitingly gobbled up his first bites of cooked egg, and now he is a regular omelet eater with Mommy and Daddy on the weekends.  We've put cheese, meat, and veggies in Simon's baby omelets and every nibble is almost always completely devoured.  As we happily expected, Simon hasn't had any reactions to egg other than sheer delight when served his delicious yellow breakfast.  Now all we have to worry about is that silly monkey escaping from his high chair!  (Yes, I grabbed a camera before pulling him off the high chair; sometimes you just HAVE to get photographic evidence.  All parents are guilty of this at some point!)

view from the backseat

growing out of his "sleepy chair"

Ergo rider

While he hasn't yet exceeded the height and weight limitations for his infant car seat, Simon is reaching the end of his time in the infant seat and will soon graduate to a convertible car seat.  With the help of the Facebook group and website for Car Seats for the Littles, I began doing some research on convertible car seats and figuring out which seat would fit best for long-term rear facing in my car.  After reading and looking up prices, I selected a seat that best matched our needs at a price that we can afford.  During my winter break from work, I set off selling some of our unused and unneeded items online as a way to begin a car seat fund.  I'm happy to report that we've surprisingly been doing a great job of getting rid of clutter and have made some decent cash!  In the mean time before we are able to purchase the new seat, Eric and I are already practicing what Convertible Car Seat Life will be like by pulling Simon out of his infant seat when we get out of the car in public.  The boy is getting quite heavy to carry around in the infant seat while out and about, so leaving the car seat in the car is much easier.  As a result, Simon has spent a lot more time riding in shopping carts and in my Ergo carrier when we go places, the latter being an extra great workout for me.  Even though I have a hard time not being emotional over Simon growing up, I am excited about his coming transition into the convertible seat; this mama LOVES getting to buy new gear for her little guy!

first Christmas presents

Christmas Eve at Pappy's

first Christmas smiles

The biggest event to occur during Simon's eleventh month of life was of course: Christmas!  We started the holiday with our Christmas Eve tradition of having dinner at Lester's.  It was a full house with the three of us, my dad, Lester, Benjamin, and Kristine and her three daughters.  We also always bring Courage with us to play with his doggy cousin, Peanut, so the evening was quite lively with the two pups running around.  Simon opened his first Christmas presents from the family and was, as expected, more interested in the wrapping and boxes that his gifts came in.  We dined on a delicious ham dinner and snacked on Eric's famous fudge for dessert (baby excluded).  Simon had lots of fun playing with everyone and showing off his talented moves and grooves.  Eric's Aunt Sam arrived later in the evening from the airport with her boyfriend, Matt, and we were very excited to see her for Simon's first Christmas.  Our family had a great time at Pappy's, and the presents--both given and received--were special and wonderful.  Simon was lucky to get some pretty cool stuff from his grandpas!

Simon's first time looking at Christmas lights

walking with Daddy

in front of my favorite Charlie Brown house

After leaving Lester's, we went home for a bit to recharge our batteries (i.e., feed and change the baby and put the dog to bed because he was exhausted from so much play!) before heading out for our other Christmas Eve tradition.  Just like last year, we headed over to the Pebble Creek Christmas lights in Rocklin for our 9th Christmas Eve in a row.  Simon slept during the drive over, but awoke the minute we were parked and pulling the stroller out of the trunk.  To avoid a cranky baby, I decided that it would be best to just carry Simon to keep him happy while kicking myself for leaving the Ergo at home.  Thankfully, he did just fine being carried in my arms and gazed very curiously at all of the twinkling lights around us.  This experience was very surreal for me because in nine years, this was the very first time that Eric and I weren't walking the neighborhood alone as just a couple.  As we are no longer a twosome, sharing this tradition with Simon was so joyous and heartwarming.  I am already looking forward to next year and am hoping that over time the little one will become more accepting about riding in the stroller; he'll be SO heavy to carry by then!

our family on Christmas morning

exploring his new treasures

Santa baby

Christmas morning was fun and exciting at our house!  Promptly after waking up, Eric and I exchanged gifts with each other as Simon played with the discarded wrapping paper.  We checked out some of Simon's new loot from the night before and changed into our new pajamas (Eric and I both bought them for each other and Simon got his Christmas morning pjs from Cho-Cho a few weeks back).  We did some prep for breakfast and waited for everyone to make their way over.  This was the first year that I requested everyone wear pajamas, so when Lester, Kristine, Sam, and Matt arrived for our traditional omelet brunch, I was happy to see them dressed accordingly!  My dad baked biscuits from scratch, I baked pumpkin and Devil's food muffins, and Eric was in charge of the loaded omelet station.  We also served bacon and fresh fruit, enjoyed egg nog, and sampled coffee specially brewed in my new Keurig!  Baby got a delicious sampling of breakfast complete with egg yolk, ham, and veggies.  After breakfast, we gathered to watch Simon open his gifts from Mommy and Daddy (plus a few more that Cho-Cho snuck over), and Eric, Simon and I also exchanged gifts with Aunt Sam.  Our boy was well-loved on by our family during his first Christmas, and our laid-back, relaxing celebration was a nice way to spend the day.  Our tradition of having more of the 'hoopla' on Christmas Eve at Lester's and the lazies at our house the next morning really seems to work out so lovely for everyone.  Simon surely loved all of the attention he received and was in awe of his many new and shiny toys!

our little monkey

with Great Aunt Sami

3 generations

As I mentioned above, Eric's Aunt Sam was in town for Simon's first Christmas.  This was her third time visiting since Simon's birth and the trip marked the end of her longest stretch since her last time here in May.  In addition to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Sam joined us for an afternoon at our house to spend quality time with her two nephews and me.  Simon played in his jammies while us adults ate the Chinese takeout that Sam treated us to while we visited.  Sam took some pictures of Simon and we also got a few shots of them together back at Lester's (where she was staying) before she had to prepare for her flight home.  It means so much to us to have Sam in Simon's life since Eric's mom isn't with us.  It is important to us that Simon has a relationship with Sam and even though she lives in Las Vegas, Eric and I will make sure that Simon knows she is a member of our family.  Some day I hope we will be able to take a trip to visit her, and if we are lucky, Sam will hopefully continue to visit us here to see her "favorite grand nephew."

my football fans

playtime with Bliss

just like Mommy

Time is ticking by so quickly.  Our babbling, expert-crawling, cabinet-opening, door-closing, phone-and-remote-and-water bottle-stealing baby is growing up right before our eyes.  While I was pouting about our infant soon becoming a toddler, Eric remarked to me: "I'm excited for Simon to get bigger; it means we will get to do so many new and cool things with him.  But, I know it's different for you because you're his mommy."  He was right, it is different for me.  I am so not ready for my little boy to become a Big Boy.  Even though I could sit around sentimentally looking through pictures and whimpering over all of his outgrown clothes (which I actually did do when we tackled our huge baby clothing organization project!), I'm finding some comfort in reminding myself that even though we're almost through his first year of life, we do have many more fabulous years with Simon to come.  And above all else, not being a baby anymore won't mean that my boy won't need his mommy any less.  At least, that's what I hope.

Simon's nursery revealed

I know, this post is like 11 months late.  But what else can I say other than that I've been a little busy?

It's no secret that the nursery wasn't finished when Simon arrived.  That's actually an understatement because in reality, the nursery pretty much wasn't even started.

Over the course of a few months I slowly got to decorating the room, somewhat replicating the simple idea I had in mind.  I wanted an owl theme with the incorporation of a few small elements relating to Eric, since Simon is his prized first born son after all.

(No offense to any future sons we may bear!)

Anyway, here are the very long-overdue [to me] photos of Simon's nursery.  While it may not look like much, I really love his room with its matching and--at the same time--non-matching qualities, the array of bright colors, and the embracing coziness.  I'm happy when I come in this room.  And so is Simon.  Unless we're trying to put him to bed...  Oye.

Simon's nursery

I purchased the blue dresser at a thrift store years ago

it was previously in our office

crib from Babies "R" Us

bedding (breathable mesh bumper not part of the set) from Target

owl wall decals found on Amazon

owl hook from World Market

this dresser was a Craigslist find

wooden "S" sign found at Marshall's

white frame: invitation from my 1st baby shower

hanging owl ornaments were part of a gift

gray owl found at Ross

frame from Michaels

photo courtesy Shannon Squires Photography

this frame is another Marshall's find

photo courtesy of Kristine

owl bank purchased from Etsy seller whitedovecrafts

blue/white/brown blanket knit by a coworker for my 3rd baby shower

the owl pictures are wall decals I found at Ross and decided to frame

mats were custom cut for me by Athena

frames are from IKEA

drawer knobs also found at World Market

soap/lotion dispenser from Pier 1

we use it for hand sanitizer

red frame: invitation from our 2nd baby shower

white frame: Abominable Snowman movie poster we had in the office

gray frame: Abominable Snowpeople Family print from Etsy shop berkleyillustration

blue children's table scored in IKEA's "As Is" section for almost 50% off

will be perfect for playing, coloring, etc. when the boy is older

lamp is another World Market find

owl speaker from Toys "R" Us

the famous chair where Simon takes his monthly photo

I haven't rocked him in this much, but we have fun doing photoshoots here

(remember the owl pillow?)

"Baby Simon" banner from 1st baby shower

cube organizer and storage bins from Target

penguins and My First Cthulhu plush were gifts from Simon's 'uncles'

we gave Simon the Laugh & Learn Love to Play Puppy for Easter

owl puppet was a gift (from IKEA)

photo: Eric's hockey team "A win in honor of baby Simon!" after his birth

(photo courtesy of Kristine)

hockey team beanie was made by the wife of one of the players

owl babushka found at Target... Simon's favorite toy right now!

Daddy affectionately named it, "Babushkowl"

Disney books scored at Goodwill

top photo: ultrasound at 18 19 weeks

middle photo: one of our maternity photos

bottom photo: one of Simon's newborn photos 

white rug purchased from Marshall's

I hope you enjoyed Simon's nursery!