My big, walkin' boy

Craig's been getting more and more adventurous with his walking, so we took a few videos on Sunday, and here's one. He didn't do his best, longest walking in this one, but I love how happy he is with himself for doing it. :) It's short, don't worry.

P.S. We're getting the ultrasound today! Hopefully the baby will cooperate and we'll be able to tell if it's a boy or girl.

WE'RE GETTING SISTER MISSIONARIES!

Today it was announced in church that our ward is getting sister missionaries and they are coming tomorrow!! I have waited 5 years to live in a ward where there are sister missionaries and I am so excited, I can't use enough exclamation points!!!!! I went and signed up for dinner for Tuesday night (the only other night that was taken for the week was Monday, so I figure we'll have to fix that). I also signed up for exchanges after dinner on Tuesday. I just really want them to know me and know that they can call me anytime they need a ride or anything--they share a car and I know what it's like have an area this big and bike everywhere. Plus the church is really strict on miles these days...worse than when I was a missionary. And this is really rural here, so not a lot of subdivisions or apartment buildings to tract. The upside (sort of) is that the elders we've had here in the recent past (not the most recent ones, they were really good) were major slackers so there's a lot of tracting and other work that definitely needs to be done. A lot of people they can recontact, you know? Anyway, I'm so excited, I'm just rambling. Okay, I have to go finish making dinner.

Just Strollin'!

I think I mentioned that we got Craig a little push-walker thing that converts to a sit-down ride-on thing when he's older. He took to it like Forrest Gump to a box of chocolates! He knew exactly what to do, and he even figured out how to steer it a little and get it moving again when he runs into a wall or the couch! I was so impressed. :) So, here's a little video of him doing his thing.



P.S. Ignore that trumpeting sound that happens part way through the video--that's just Robert in the bathroom, blowing his nose (or a foghorn, I'm not sure which).

Mmmmm...Cupcake Pops

Yesterday I got the urge to bake. I miss baking. A lot. But since I'm not eating sugar, it's hard to have baked goods around. So, I decided to satisfy my hunger for baking, I would make these Cupcake Pops and give them to the people I visit teach. Of course I had to try one, to make sure they were okay, you know. Don't worry, it was a mess up and was broken, so I think most of the sugar leaked out.

It was actually a lot of fun. I did a double batch, which I wouldn't recommend unless you have some help. These things are fun and easy, but time consuming. I found them here, at Pioneer Woman's blog, but she got them here, from Bakerella, who actually appeared on Martha Stewart to demonstrate them. Try it--it's a lot of little steps, but I think it's worth it. I will post the instructions and recipe below, or you can go to the other websites where I got them from.

You will need:
1 box cake mix (I used Devil's Food, like Pioneer Woman)
1 container icing (I used cream cheese, like Bakerella)
1 pack chocolate bark
1 pack white chocolate bark (I think they call it vanilla)
*Bakerella used pink melts, but I preferred the white.
Sprinkles, colored sugar, M&Ms, etc. for decorating (be creative...I wasn't really)
Lollipop sticks (I had bamboo skewers, so I used those)
Styrofoam block

To Make:
Bake cake in 9x13 pan according to directions and let cool. Crumble into a bowl and add the icing (maybe a little less than a full container). Form into balls (I did them about the size of a bouncy ball, but I think the others did them smaller) and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cool in the fridge or freezer (depending on quickly you want them to set) until firm, but not hard. For this next part (shaping), you can use a small, clover shaped cookie cutter as the others used, but I didn't have one small enough, so I just used my fingers to shape it into a cupcake shape--you know, narrow bottom and muffin-top. They actually kind of looked like mushrooms. (Which gives me an idea, but that's for another day.) Melt chocolates in double boilers or in the microwave at 30 second intervals. (If you use a pot of boiling water with a bowl on top, I would suggest not using a glass bowl but use metal instead. Also, be sure that the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl when it boils.) Dip the bottom of the cupcakes into the milk chocolate, set upside down on foil baking sheet and put the stick through the middle, but be sure not to go more than half way through the cupcake. When dry, hold cupcakes by the stick and dip tops into white chocolate. While wet, decorate with sprinkles, M&Ms, colored sugar, whatever you want. Stick into styrofoam and let dry. And you're done!
Makes about 25, if you make them the size of bouncy balls (Martha says it makes like 50, but she must make them tiny.)

For play-by-play photos, go to the Pioneer Woman or Bakerella links above.

Warnings? Who needs 'em!

I happened to be looking at the back of the highchair the other day when I read this warning for the first time:

Have you ever read something like this then realized that you have done all of the things listed?

My contention is, though, that all baby toys say, "Never leave child unattended." Of course, I agree, but within reason. If you never left your child unattended, what would be the point of having the toy if not to distract the child while you get a few things done (i.e. shower, do dishes, feed yourself...)? But don't worry, I keep a good eye on Craig...I just also know the value of a sane Mommy.

Dinner and a Movie

Does anyone else remember the Dinner and a Movie night that TBS (I think) used to have? I loved that...I wonder why they don't do it anymore.

Anywho--Robert and I went out last night for our anniversary. We went to this restaurant called The Montana Club (it's a chain around here), and I really liked it. Robert is the ultimate critic, but I think he liked it enough to go back, but probably not for the steak. (If you don't want to be kept from going to places like Outback because "it smelled like throw up one time when I went in," don't marry a chef.)

Then we went and saw the new movie "Duplicity". It was really cute. It had funny moments and some unexpected twists. There was one twist that Robert and I guessed in the very beginning of the movie, which is always a little disappointing, but it was a good movie for the most part. Not a lot of inappropriate stuff, compared to other PG-13 movies out there these days. Well, unless you count the times you see unmarried people in bed together. But you don't see any action when they're in bed, just talk. So, that's my review. I recommend checking it out in my favorite review site, kidsinmind.com, if you want to know everything about it, from words they say (like "butt" and of course more) to every immodest piece of clothing worn (and more). In fact, I think I'll add it to My Favorite Sites list on the side bar.

All in all, it was really a fun night. I especially enjoyed coming home and finding that the babysitter had not only done all the things I'd asked her to correctly, but she had vacuumed and thoroughly cleaned the high chair! And she's only 14! Yeah, she's my favorite, I think.

Coughs, runny nose, and fever

No, that's not Craig

Poor little Craig. He's got a runny (really icky) runny nose, a fever (not too bad, though), and he coughs like a seal begging for me to throw him another fish. I wish I could do more to make him feel better. When Robert and I were out last night we stopped at Wal-Mart to buy a better thermometer (got this one--it's awesome) and we decided to pick him up a couple new toys. We're not quite as indulgent as it sounds--he has a lot of toys, but he's outgrowing them and we've been meaning to get him something with the block shapes that he can fit into the right holes--he seems to love putting things in other things. We also have been wanting to get a little push walker thing since he loves to walk around holding onto the walls and furniture, so we did it. This morning, when he woke up, it was like Christmas! I feel so sorry for my poor little guy. :( I hope that made him happier.

Mommy's Little Helper

Finally, I can assign some chores to Craig! He's developed an obsession with the vacuum cleaner. We keep it in the corner of his room, so now whenever I go in there to put him down for a nap, no matter how tired he is, he pushes, squirms, and whines until I give him some alone time with the vacuum. Ever since I took this video, I've been bringing the thing out once a day for him and the vacuum to have a little play date. :) He cracks me up.



I love how when he finally realizes I'm there, he starts to talk and point at the vacuum, like he's telling me, "Look Mom, I made a new friend! Isn't he cool! He let's me push him around!"

P.S. This is our beloved $5 thrift store vacuum...it's commercial grade, apparently, so we have buy the bags and belts online (and attachments), but it sucks like a tornado. We love it, and when we first brought it home, Robert was literally pulling it out to show anyone that came over. What is it with Leal men and a yellow vacuum cleaner?

Onions strings

By the way, I made these the other day, and you can find the recipe here. They were really good, but let me warn you, if you eat a whole batch by yourself, you might feel a little queasy the rest of the day. I think it was worth it. :)

(FYI: The recipe calls for buttermilk, but I was too impatient to wait until I went grocery shopping, so I substituted with a little cheat--you just add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per one cup of regular milk, stir, and use like buttermilk! I also only used about an inch to an inch and a half of oil in my pan since I didn't have as much as the recipe says and they came out just fine.)

So, for our anniversary, we went to Denny's

We did go to Denny's last night, but it was because we were in Missoula for some shopping and had to eat dinner, so that's where we went, but it wasn't for our anniverdary. Robert and I are going out tomorrow night for our official anniversary date and we're going to place called the Montana Club (more on that later). As we were leaving Denny's, Craig got all excited about the stuffed animals in the claw machine case. (You know--the ones that are rigged so you can never win no matter how many quarters you put in and you end up spending more than you would just to go out and buy the stuffed animal at Wal-Mart?) I had $.50 in change so we got two quarters and put them in the machine, but just so Craig could see the claw thing move. Well, Robert moves it over this one little chickie laying right next to the drop bin, lowers it down, it grabs it, lifts it up, carries over to the drop bin, and drops it in! I was shocked! I haven't seen one of those machines works in years, and I have never seen one at Denny's work! I kept thinking at any moment it was going to not close until it raised up above the chick, or it was going shake so much it would drop out of the claw, or it was going to drop right before it got to the bin, but it didn't! I was so happy for Craig. It's actually a pretty cool little toy, I think. So, that's our most exciting news for the week, so far. :)

Four years, and counting

Well, it's our anniversary today. I was trying to think of something clever to do, or funny, or touching, but I guess my creative bug is tired or something. Craig already gave us our anniversary gift--he slept last night from 7:00 until 7:30 this morning without requiring either of us to go in to him at 5:00am! Way to go bubs! FYI: for the last 5 months I've been nursing him at 5:00am and starting last Saturday night Robert went in so I could complete the weaning process (sigh) and last night was the first night Robert didn't have to go in. It was fabulous. So, here's a picture to commemorate our wedding day, and my words of Happy Anniversary, Sweetie. I love you.

Youtube Temple Video

I posted a YouTube video at the bottom of the page about temples. It's similar to ones we've seen before, but I really liked it--it has Pres. Monson titled as the president of the church so I think it was made recently. It's just always good to remember why we build temples and why it's important to share that information with other people. I wish I lived closer to a temple. That's my goal for the next move we make. Or maybe I'll go spread the gospel to enough people in my area so they'll build one in Missoula. :)

I love Reader's Digest

Here are some little nuggets from my most recent issue of The Reader's Digest.

"So many of Lassie's fans want to ask: Is he allowed on the furniture? Of course he is--but then, he's the one who paid for it." Julia Glass

"Before the shopper could pay for her groceries with a personal check, I needed her address. 'What's your street name?' I asked. 'I don't have a street name,' she said. 'I go by Juanita.'" Phillip Horton

This one is actually from Parents magazine:
When my 3 year old daughter, Adaline, threw a plastic toy at her twin brother, Ben, he ended up with a small cut and a black eye. The next night, I was reading Ben the story of the Good Samaritan from his kids' Bible. When I explained that one of the characters had been beaten up, Ben said, 'Maybe his sister did it.'" I thought of Andrew when I read this. :)

And this is my favorite:

Where am I going, and why am I in this hand basket?

Despite the title, (which I just used because I think that line is funny) I had another thought when I looked over and saw Craig in this position right before I took this picture. Some people say Moses was more of a toddler than a baby when his mother sent him down the river in a basket. Do you think he looked like this at all when Pharaoh's daughter found him? If so, I'd keep him, too. :)

New blog list

I updated my blog list, so be sure to check out some of the new ones I put on. I was accumulating so many great blogs from other moms (people I don't know but are either funny or have some great information) that I decided to make a separate list for all my "Mommy blogs". Don't worry, you're all still listed as "Family and Friends."

There's nothing like a baby's laugh

This video is only sound. I was blowing on Craig's neck the other day and he started laughing his little belly laugh. The camera happened to be right there, so I turned it on and started recording. If I had tried to get it set up to get a picture, too, it might have distracted him too much and ruined the moment. I hope this makes you feel a little brighter today. I know I will be going back to it when I need a pick-me-up. There's nothing like a baby's laugh.

This is what a typical morning looks like for me

My sister-in-law did this post a while ago and I set the idea aside, thinking I would use it one day when I had nothing else to post. That day has come. I hope this is somewhat interesting for you. I enjoyed seeing things around her house, so maybe you'll find the same enjoyment. Basically, you take the same pictures I have below of how your house looks right now--no cleaning or fixing up allowed. So, here it is.

First is the closet. I actually just spent a couple days a few weeks ago sorting our clothes that don't fit and reorganizing everything. It looks better. (The stuff on the floor isn't normally there--this morning it suffered from the tornado, Craig.)

Then there's the living room. I guess this one can be labeled my favorite room of the house. I sit here sometimes and read while Craig plays on the floor (his toys are in here). This is also where we watch T.V. sometimes at night. (We are American Idol junkies, I admit.)

Which leads me to the next item. The T.V. Don't look at me--it was Robert's idea. He's been wanting a T.V. like this for a loooooooooong time, so we got it about a year ago. I dread thinking what it's going to be like trying to move it and mount it where ever we go next. (By the way, when we moved in, this corner was just the raised platform bottom where the stove sits. It had really ugly, un-grouted tile. Robert tore out the tile, built the supports and the top, and re-tiled everything. The little T.V. we used to have sat on a table off to the side. It was really awkard looking--bad feng shui. I think this looks really good. I was really impressed he could do it all without a how-to book. :))

Next we have the bathroom. It's small and our only one. Not much else to say about it. (Cape Lookout themed, of course--see poster on far wall.)

Then there's the laundry. I just did a bunch yesterday, so I lucked out on not having to show you overflowing hampers, except the towels. I didn't do those. Oops.

In my sister-in-law's blog she titled this one "The Kids", but since there's still only one, here he is. He's sitting in the doorway of the bedroom, watching me blog stalk.

And there's me. Remember, I couldn't wait until after I showered, dressed, and got cleaned up for the day, so this is what you get.

You also get to see what I have on my feet right now. My cozy pink slippers. I love 'em. I'd wear them everywhere, if I could. They have hard rubber soles, after all.

And my favorite shoes, other than my pink slippers. Ahhhh, slip-ons...a pregnant girl's best friend.And last (and probably least favorite) is the kitchen. I haven't done the dishes yet today. I usually dread them and put them off until sometime in the late morning or early afternoon. I complain about the smell all morning, break down and do them, then spend twenty minutes plugging in air fresheners and spraying room freshener around the house. An over-sensitive nose--not a pregnant girl's best friend.

That's it--I now tag anyone who maybe enjoyed this and doesn't have anything else postworthy. I look forward to seeing you all in your finest moments. :)

Mission Reunion

Just really quickly, I wanted to post this for any NCRM return missionaries out there. The Mabey's are having a reunion next month. Information follows.

2003-2006 NCRM MISSION REUNION

TIME-SENSITIVE INFORMATION: PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS NOW!!
ANY QUESTIONS—CALL PRESIDENT AND SISTER MABEY AT
801-943-9218 OR 801-599-2734

Date: Friday, April 3, 2009

Time: Socializing—6:00 p.m. Dinner & Program—7:00 p.m.
***PLEASE NOTE*** Traffic will be very heavy on this Friday. Allow ½-1 hour extra travel time depending on how far you are traveling.

Place: Sandy Utah Granite South Stake—2126 East Gyrfalcon Drive (10000 South), Sandy UT 84092 (use MapQuest for directions)

Cost: $5.00 per person. The money is helping to cover the cost of dinner. However, we don’t want lack of funds preventing anyone from coming. If you need to make any financial arrangements, please contact us.

Dress: Missionary attire (suit coat optional)

RSVP: Only if you are attending (REALLY, YOU MUST, so we know how much food to plan on) by sending in the form and your money (make checks payable to Dan Mabey) by Friday, March 27th: 10375 South Altavilla Drive, Sandy UT 84092.

We are putting together a “slide show” as part of the program. We would love to have a picture of you (while serving). You may either include a print along with your RSVP (it will be returned to you at the reunion) or email your picture (by Friday, March 27th) to Elder Andrew Child at andrew.child@hotmail.com. If you have emailed a picture previously to Andrew, you don’t need to send another.

Time Change

Last night Robert and I were on our way to bed, then we remembered that we had to move the clocks forward one hour. Then I went to get ready (wash my face, brush my teeth, etc.) and Robert complained about how long it takes me to do it all. It claimed that it takes me under 10 minutes, if that, and that he should time me. When I left the room, the clock said 10:08. When I came back in it said 10:18.

"Alright," I said, "so it takes exactly 10 minutes, but is that so long?"
Robert mumbled something and we went moved on to saying our prayers. Robert said it, and this is part of how it went:

"Please forgive us our shortcomings...and please forgive me. Forgive me for moving the clock ahead 5 minutes while Sherry was in the bathroom."

The moral? It only takes me 5 minutes to go to the bathroom, wash my face, brush my teeth, and put my hair up at night! :) (And Robert's a cheater.)

The Adventures of Craigorio and The Amazing Snow Baby!

Unfortunately, despite the fact that it got above 60 degrees last week, and the fact that we planned a barbecue on Sunday to celebrate spring, it decided to snow two nights ago. The last time it really snowed, Craig was a little too young to appreciate it so I decided that he and I would make the most of this LAST SNOWFALL OF THE WINTER (hint, hint Mother Nature)and that we would make a snowman. I got him all suited up, got myself suited up as well, and out we went. He seemed to be a little interested in the funny white stuff, but also felt bound by his new, puffy marshmallow body and lack of hands. (He kept staring at the blue suit where his hands should have been and turning them over and over--he tried using them too, to push through the snow, as if to say, "I guess this could work...let me see what I can do with these.") I set out trying to make the snowman, but soon discovered the snow was ultra-dry and didn't stick together well. So, I piled it up as best I could, made a mouth and eyes, and put a hat and gloves on it. So, here it is. Craig and his temporary sibling. I was interested to see how he would respond to this other little being (kind of an experiment for the future, if you will). This was his initial reaction.


Well, we still have 5 months or so to work on it.

I love this little guy!

So, this is what I see most mornings when I'm doing my hair and makeup (sometimes I get it all in during his nap). First, I hear a pounding on the bathroom door, I look down and see the little Peeping Tom peering at me through the door crack. Then I poke my head around the door and say "Boo!" and he smiles. :) What a cutie. He loves to watch when I blow dry my hair.



(That's okay Craig, I'm used to people pointing and laughing at me.)

This little video (only 15 seconds) we took yesterday. (I didn't realize I couldn't rotate the videos after I download them--sorry). He's been taking a few stumbling steps now and then. This time he took an almost step, then fell and hit his mouth on my leg. I think his little pout at the end is so cute. :)

Updates

I forgot to update you all on my little chia head man. It took about a week, but he did start growing hair. I was later informed by the mother of one of the Achievement Day girls that if you put them near a fire or in warm place (since it's winter and there isn't much sun) then they grow more hair quicker. Live and learn. So the first picture is before I gave him his most recent hair cut and the second is after. I decided I kind of like the punk look he had going on in the first picture. Maybe I'll let it grow this time.





In other news, my Scentsy experience left much to be desired. In an attempt to not discourage those who may be interested in the future for themselves, I will simply state facts, and try to leave out opinion. Two people showed up to the party on Friday. They came at 11:30 even though it "started" at 10:30. They ordered a total of $28. One girl who couldn't make it (and called beforehand) works at a nursing home and said I could bring the stuff by there, leave it for the weekend, then pick up the orders later. Then she called and said that her boss only wanted me to leave catalogs and not the stuff (liability and all). On Tuesday, two people who couldn't make it on Friday were really interested so I said they could stop by Tuesday night to look it over, but then I realized I had to go with Robert into town anyway, where they live, so I planned to stop by one of their homes instead of them coming here. Then the nursing home girl called and said that they wanted to quickly look through the stuff before they made any purchases, so she asked if I could stop by that night also (Tuesday). I ended up being out with Craig (who had been sick and not sleeping well so was extremely fussy) until well after his bedtime and got $65 more in orders, for a total of $83 and like five hours of calls, parties, and stop by's. (Okay, so I didn't totally leave out opinion.) I'm sure this is a great business for a lot of people and I may be willing to try it again if we move to a bigger area with more opportunities and people willing to spend money.

Current Events

I realized it's been a week since I posted last. I just haven't had anything post-worthy, I guess. So, I decided to just type something about what's going on in my life.

Craig is not gaining weight. In fact, he's even lost some--13 oz. in two months. Is that a lot? He has grown in inches, though, so maybe it's just the crawling and moving around stuff. He's kind of doing more "cruising" too and he's on is second cold in two weeks. So, I guess all of that factors in. I try to stuff him with food. Once I found out he had lost weight, I tried stuffing him full of more food than usual. Up until then he ate A LOT it seemed. Now that I'm trying to feed him more often he has gotten so picky. He won't eat oatmeal and he'll usually eat about 6-8 spoonfuls of whatever I'm feeding him, then begin pulling it out of his mouth and pushing my hand away when I try to give him more. Yesterday at lunch, after trying to feed him 3 different things, I ended up just giving graham cracker piece after graham cracker piece until I got two whole crackers down him. It took about an hour--he can be the slowest eater when he's feeding himself. I called the doctor and they want me to bring him in on Monday. (I already had an appointment scheduled for myself next week anyway.) I think they'll suggest supplementing with formula or something, but another problem is that I'm kind of limited on what I can give him--nothing dairy-based. He's never been able to handle cheese, yogurt, eggs, or beans. I'll keep you updated.

On a more positive note, Robert and I are finally going out tonight for our Valentine's Day! Since he did all the cooking for the thing with the Elders Quorum, we didn't get to spend a lot of time together that night. So tonight we're going to see a movie and have dinner. I'd better start thinking of conversation topics now--it's been a while since we had some time alone to just talk to each other and not have Craig there. :)

I planned a Scentsy candle party at my house this morning at 10:30. I got about five RSVP's, all no's, and as for the others...I have no idea if they're coming or not. So, I find myself in the awkward position of cleaning the house, getting myself prettied up, and setting out the party stuff (and making something since I promised a "treat"), and not knowing if anyone is going to come. Plus, I'm off sugar, so I don't want to make something and have it sitting around here all day. Maybe I'll just make something like banana bread (something Robert will be sure to eat) and herbal tea or something. If I'm going to do that, I'd better hurry. I only have an hour and a half. Or maybe all day. Who knows. Hey, everyone--please RSVP if you're invited somewhere. For the hostess' sake. Thanks.

We FINALLY got Craig a cell phone

I believe that these days, kids need cell phones. I mean, Hannah Montana has one, all the kids on the Nickelodeon shows have one, and all the cool kids in the play group have them, so why not Craig? It doesn't matter that he can't talk yet, he'll look cool, and that's what really matters. I just want him to feel comfortable around (and better than) his peers. Is that wrong?

JUST KIDDING! Robert got a new phone and, since Craig had already destroyed the old one by sucking on it, we gave it to him. It doesn't work (he can't dial out) but he likes to see it light up. Plus it's been so off limits for so long, sometimes he just clings to it in one hand and plays with other toys with the other. So, it is kind of like his first cell phone. :)

Photo shoot

I hadn't done a photo shoot with Craig in a while, and I was beginning to realize that he has grown up a lot recently (a friend pointed it out to me). I looked back at old photos and videos and decided I wanted to get some updated ones. Being so mobile (he took one tiny step without holding on the day before yesterday!) it's hard to keep him still enough to take any good pictures. He's always going after the camera and I have to keep backing up. But I got some pretty good ones, I thought. So, here they are.

This first one is obviously of me. Remember, I'm only 12 weeks along, but I look like I'm at least 16-18 weeks! I am a little embarrassed when people ask me when I'm due and I say September! Since the date is Sept. 1 and Craig was a few days early, I sometimes cheat and say August. I thought the best way to embrace my belly would be to post it on the blog and just get it over with. The funny thing is, I didn't look like this with Craig until at least 20-24 weeks! Well, here we go!

Craig's Valentine's Day

Thanks to Grandma Judy and Grandpa Eric, Craig had a little valentine! I had planned on making sugar cookies yesterday or something, but two weeks ago the doctor took me off sugar (expect for the cake I had last night) so I didn't do anything. He won't remember it anyway. But in the mail came his first little valentine! It was a little card, a fun plastic bag (which he loves), and three little chocolate hearts, which daddy got to eat. But before daddy ate them, Craig had his fun with them, too. He'd stuff one whole heart in his mouth (wrapper on), let it drop, and laugh. It was really cute. So, thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Valentine's Day

So, this year, the Elder's Quorumn President had a great idea...he wanted to do a dinner for all the elders and their wives at The Springs and to have Robert cook it! And they wanted to do it on Valentine's night, not, like, the next week or something. I had kind of been looking forward to going to a movie and dinner, just the two of us, since we don't get a chance to do that much anymore, but Robert was kind of committed. It turned out really well, though. The food was great (of course), and at my request, Robert made a fabulous chocolate cake for dessert. He's not a huge fan of chocolate so he wanted to do something else, but I persuaded him. Everyone seemed to have a great time and all during church today people kept stopping Robert and I and commenting on the food from last night. So, I'd say it was a hit. They had all the men have cards for their wives at the table and they provided a rose for every wife as well. It was really nice. On top of that, Robert had gotten me some beautiful flowers. They are red mini cala lillies--the same flowers we had at our wedding. So that's what the picture is, the rose that everyone got and the cala lillies. And of course the cards we got each other. We're hoping that next weekend we'll get to go out to our movie and dinner since we didn't get much time together last night. :)

Just a quick one

I was sitting here at the computer, waiting for the video (below) to upload, when Craig let out a frustrated little yelp at my feet. I looked down and it seemed like he had knelt on one of his sleeper feet and tried to crawl, but realized he couldn't move. So I picked him up to help him out, the I realized what he had really done. He had somehow gotten his legs crossed inside his sleeper and down the opposite leg holes. It looked so funny to me that I had to take a picture, but it's hard to tell. I hope you find this a little funny, at least. I thought it was hilarious.

More?

I tried a few months ago to teach Craig the sign language for "more" to little avail. Periodically I'd try again, but I wasn't very persistent. However, he recently has gotten into this bad habit of yelling at me whenever he wants more food. It's quite annoying, but more so when we're in a crowded restaurant and all anyone can hear is the little baby yelling at his parents for food over the noise of thirty other people and little kids. We've taken our food to go in more than one restaurant lately for that fact. (I'm not kidding, he was loud and people were staring--I know I shouldn't care what other people think, but it's nerve racking, and who wants to eat like that?) So, I decided it was time to try the "more" thing again. To my surprise, he picked it up in no time! He's not a pro--he just sort of crosses his hands or slaps them together--but it works! He doesn't yell anymore for food, so I consider that a success. He even does it on his own, without any prompting from me sometimes, like he's really communicating. It's a good feeling.

Just some cute, random things

I know I haven't posted anything in a little while, and no pictures in a little while longer, so here are a couple. This first one was funny to me since until recently, Craig has whined until I came and saved him from predicaments like these. This time, though, I was in the other room and heard a lot of heavy breathing and like he was putting a lot of effort into something. I went into the kitchen and saw this. He wasn't frustrated at all--and he wanted to get out by himself. So, I let him and he did it!



This next picture was just one of those times he was looking extra cute and I happened to have the camera sitting there.

Worst mother of the day award

(Imagine a picture of cheese here with a red circle around it and a line through it.)
(Sometimes I can get pictures off the internet onto my posts, and sometimes I can't seem to manage it.)

Anyway, the whole point of this post is to tell you about Craig and cheese. Or, more broadly, dairy. He's had dairy (cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheese) in casseroles before and it didn't bother him one bit. Last night I gave him a half slice (1/2 oz) of cheese on a piece of bread for dinner. He slept for the first couple hours of the night, but woke up screaming like his crib had collapsed on him at 10:30. It seemed that nothing would help him to calm down, although he was very "musical" when I started nursing him. He fell back alseep (only after Robert held him for a while) but for only an hour. He was up, literally, the rest of the night. Sometimes he'd start to doze, then arch his back, pull his little knees up, scream and cry until the cat was dashing around the house like she was on speed, then relax after a little distraction and go through the whole routine again. Periodically he'd burp and I could just feel the heartburn as his eyes would tear up and his little bottom lip would stick out and he'd cry again.

Have you ever felt like the worst mother in the world?

Have you ever cried along with your child because the pain that is causing them to cry was caused by you, and now there's nothing you can do to take it away?

Eventually, it passed, and with it came it the biggest, stinkiest, yuckiest, poopie diaper I have seen since he's started solids. So far today he's taken one three hour nap, another 2 hour one, and now he's been asleep for another hour. Poor little guy--he needs it. Mommy needed it, too. I slept during his first two naps, but I decided I needed to get something done for the day during this next nap. Uh oh, sounds like he's awake.

By the way, Robert has to work something like 12 hours today. I'll have to think of some way to make this up to him. :(

Super Bowl 2009

So, we had a Super Bowl party last night. Originally, we had planned it for Sunday and had invited twice as many people and their kids as can fit in our apartment, but we thought it would work out. We bought lots of food. Let me repeat, we bought lots of food. I recall a couple of conversations going like this:

Sherry: Other people are bringing things, you know.
Robert: I know, but we already have most of the ingredients for this. All I have to buy is ____ (insert ingredients here).
Sherry: But we don't need this much food.
Robert: Honey, there's going to be like fifteen people there, plus kids.
Sherry: (Sigh) Do whatever you want, I guess. (Because I know you will anyway.)

Then Sunday before the Super Bowl, the bishop held one of his firesides that he does periodically. The topic? Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. And yes, he did specifically mention watching the Super Bowl. (He told us how he hasn't watched a Super Bowl since 1995, but then he admitted it was only because that's when it switched from Fox to NBC and they don't get that channel--at least he's honest.) After the fireside, the Super Bowl party potential attendees gathered to discuss the matter. Most of us were willing to just do it on Sunday anyway, but there was one family (or wife) in particular who was quite persistent about it. So, we talked about it and figured that we could just DVR it, meet at 6:00 (when people got off work) and with skipping commercials, it would only take a couple of hours to watch. Everyone was fine with that, so the next day Robert and I went shopping. We bought a lot of stuff, and the only thing I was able to persuade him not to buy and actually didn't mysteriously end up in the cart anyway was syrups, 7-Up, and ice to make italian sodas.

The week passes, we talk to the friends we've invited and everyone's excited, yadda yadda yadda. Sunday comes around again and we confirm again with one family, they had confirmed with another (the ones who were the most persistent about changing it to Monday) and then we talk to another family and they say, "Sorry, not on a school night." What?! I want to shout. They were coming as a family of 5 and now what are going to do with their share of the food? Why didn't they call?! I glower inside, knowing we shouldn't have bought all that we did. (Side note: my biggest problem with all this food is the effort and time to make it, the dishes I will have to clean up, and all the leftovers being too much for Robert and I to eat and therefore having to waste it and the time and energy put into it.)

So, Monday comes (along with purchasing of a couple last minute things, to which I try to dissuade Robert, but he has his justifications, since two other families are still coming) and we cook, clean, prepare all the day long. 6:00, the doorbell rings, the first family comes in (the one with only one child and a baby not totally on solids yet). We wait for the second family (the one who wanted to change it to Monday, with three kids, and who were coming directly from work so they might be a little late). We start the game, we eat, and we finally call at 8:00 because they haven't shown up yet. They don't answer, so we leave a message. They call back and say "they forgot." Baloney. They confirmed on Sunday, we saw them and talked about it Saturday night, and they were the ones who wouldn't come if we did it on Sunday! I think wifey got home from work, was tired-er than she thought she would be, and backed out. So, as I predicted, there is lots of money worth of food in our fridge, only two of us to eat it, and still dishes in the sink waiting to be done. All I have left to say about it is this: grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

About the game: I can't believe the Cardinals lost their lead in the last 30 seconds! The Steelers were playing dirty, too, and they did not deserve to win this one. I'm guess I'll just be happy that the underdogs nearly ripped it out from under the big, bad Steelers.

We love waffles, apparently

I made waffles this morning for this first time in a looooooooooong time. Craig's never had them, but I think they're his new favorite. He's had a cold this week and his appetite has been a little down. All he'll eat a full meal of is applesauce--everything else he'll take about five bites of, then gag and spit it out on the sixth. (That was really fun when we were at some friends' house on Monday and he spit spaghetti out all over their carpet.) Anywho, he loves his waffles, though. Can you believe this little guy:

ate one whole one of these (with applesauce, of course, and no syrup)?

What a champ, at least I thought so. By the way, if anyone is interested in a really great waffle recipe, I thought I'd include this one. It's my favortie, by far. It's better than any Krustees or Bisquick or anything from scratch I've ever tried. It does require whipping egg whites, which if you don't have an electric mixer or at least a hand beater, I wouldn't recommend. If that's you, sorry. The fluffy egg whites really make this recipe.

1 3/4 cup flour 3 egg yolks
2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup veg. oil
2 Tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt 3 egg whites, beaten stiff
vanilla and cinnamon, optional to taste

Preheat waffle iron. I start by putting the egg whites into the mixer, turning it on high, and letting it go while I do everything else. They're usually stiff by the time I'm ready to fold them in. (In case you don't know, beaten stiff or stiff peaks means that when you lift the beater out of the egg whites, it leaves a peak.) Measure the dry ingredients into a speparate bowl and blend. Combine egg yolks and milk, then stir into dry ingredients. Stir in cooking oil. Carefully fold in egg whites. Do not overmix. Pour into waffle iron (my waffle iron takes about 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per square) and bake until waffles stop steaming. Hope they turn out well for you! I make a whole batch (see above picture and add two) then I freeze them in twos and toast when I'm ready to eat them.

Chia-head!

I am the assistant in our ward's Achievement Days and yesterday we had a really cool activity. I loved it so much, I made one! It's a homemade chia-head. The girls had fun decorating theirs with ribbons and buttons and multi-colored paper, but I decided to make mine a boy. Robert thinks I did it to make fun of him, but I tried to tell him that it's going to GROW hair, so it won't always be bald. He still takes it personally. :) I think it's cute. Here are the directions:

Supplies: knee high nylons
1 cup potting soil
Empty (clean) yogurt cup (Yoplait with the narrow mouths works best)
2 tablespoons grass seed
Googley eyes
Permanent marker
Glue gun (not glue stick)
Paper, buttons, ribbons, etc. to decorate "shirts" on the yogurt cups

Directions:
Place grass seed into bottom of knee high
Top with potting soil and form into a ball or "head"
Tie a knot at end of "ball"
Glue on googley eyes and draw mouth with marker
Decorate yogurt cup as desired
Fill up yogurt cup with water (at least1/2 to 3/4 of the way) and check water daily
(the tail of the knee-high soaks up the right amount of water to keep the grass watered as long as you check the water level daily)

I have mine on the window sill and will let you know once it starts growing hair. We have no idea how long it might take, but the other fun part is once it starts to grow, you can trim it, put bows in it, be creative! I thought it was so cute and a great indoor activity for kids, especially home schooling. Or even family home evening--we read Alma 32:28 and related this to planting a seed in your heart, etc. Let me know if any of you do it and how they turn out.

Thppptthhppt!!

We love to blow zerburts (sp?) on Craig's tummy and cheek (as I'm sure most people do to their babies) and he loves it, too. He loves it so much, in fact, that he decided to return the favor. :) The first time he did this, I was rocking him and singing to him, trying to put him down for a nap, when suddenly, I feel his little lips on the inside of my arm.....and then he blew. It was pretty good for the first time and I couldn't help but laugh. Now he does it whenever he wants to be funny. :) This video was last night--I only got him doing it once since he became so distracted by the camera that he lost interest in Robert's arm. That's why the camera goes black a couple of times--he kept noticing it, so I'd try to hide it. Anyway, it's pretty cute, so I hope the video is good enough to see it.

Swagbucks

Have any of you heard of this Swagbucks thing? It's a new way to search online that gives you "swagbucks" every time you search. Use this instead of google, for example, and get gift cards when you've earned enough bucks. It's only a little at a time, but it adds up. There's one lady who says she saved all her bucks for a year and used the gift cards she got to do her Christmas shopping. It's powered by google, so you get the same search results and the only difference is you get points for your searches, which then turn into giftcards of your choice! It's pretty cool and it only takes a second to sign up and begin searching. Click this link and it will take you there, and it will track that it came from my blog so I will get a point for every point you get! Hope you all enjoy it.

This is why I sometimes call him StinkFace

I love this face Craig makes. He does this, then he breathes in and out really hard, like a bull waiting to charge. Silly boy. :)

I was bored yesterday (duh) and decided to take a picture of Craig's hair. (Yeah, I was that bored.) No matter what I do, I cannot get it to stay down. Most people laugh and say it's cute, and I tend to agree, but Robert thinks it looks too messy and always tries to tame it. What does he know, anyway?

P.S. When you're blogging and you suddenly realize that the pitter-patter of little hands and the thump of little knees has stopped, and you can't even hear the bull-waiting-to-charge breathing, go check to make sure that your baby isn't picking the crud off the kitchen floor and eating it. (I know, I should sweep more often.)

Bleak...Boring...Day

What do you do when it looks like this outside, everyday for numerous days in a row, it's too cold to go for walks, you feel like you're on the verge of puking every minute of every day, you have a bored 8 1/2 month old baby hanging on your pant legs, and you have no vehicle to escape the monotony? Me? I call my family and complain, but if anyone else has a better idea, please let me know. (Sorry to be such a downer, but I wanted to post something since I haven't had anything post-worthy happen for the last few days, and this is my life right now.)

It's days like today that make me wish we lived in California, Florida, or someplace with a little Vitamin D in the air. And that we didn't live on the top of hill, and that we had neighbors. Okay, I'm done.

What's that term...Twerd?

I guess that's what I am. In about 14 days I have read almost all four of the Twilight books. (I'm about halfway through the last one now.) And I've seen the movie, so I guess that makes me an official "Twerd." Robert would say that the part that makes me a Twerd is the fact that I read about 16 hours a day and it takes me three days to do a load of laundry and a sink full of dishes. Craig eats and gets his naps, and his diaper gets changed. I eat, usually, and go to the bathroom, whenever absolutely necessary, and I begrudgenly make calls and run errands when I start getting past due notices, but otherwise...I read. On the bright side, I'm almost done and I can't wait to find out what happens to Bella!!! Things have taken a turn I never would have expected. Once I'm done, I will go back to normal life, I promise. Robert thinks this is weird and that I have a problem. Please, those of you out there who can relate to this on any level (whether you got sucked into Twilight or some other addictive book series) please let me know I am not alone so I can prove it to him! However, despite his total lack of understanding in this area (Robert is totally not a reader--he can read, don't get me wrong, but he just doesn't get what the big deal about reading is), he still surprised me last night by coming up with unexpected tip money, again, and offering to watch Craig while a friend of mine (another Twerd) and I went to the see the movie! Thursday was the last night it was playing. I think it's gone today and I totally thought I was going to have to wait until the DVD came out. So, the guys hung out together and watched the kids while we took off to the movies and Coldstone afterward. It was a lot of fun--something neither my friend nor I have done in a LONG time. So, thank you Roberto, for letting me embrace my inner Twerdness! I love you!

What do you do on your day off?

Do you think electricians rewire their house on their day off, just for fun. Probably not.

Do lumberjacks go stack wood on their days off, just for fun. I don't think so.

Do computer programmers play with computers on their days off, just for fun? Probably more often then you'd think.

But what does a chef do on his day off? He says to his wife, "I know what we can do today! Let's make a gourmet meal from whatever we have in the house and invite someone over for dinner!"

And what does a chef's wife think of when she's hears her husband say that? I really don't look forward to a day worth of dishes, since most chefs use every pot, pan, dish, and utensil in the kitchen...twice.

However, we came to a compromise and this is what the menu ended up being:
Shrimp Bisque, steak medallions with marsala and mushroom demi glace, potatoes gratin, french-style green beans, and creme brulee for dessert.

We invited an older couple who have invited us to dinner twice now and we hadn't had them over once yet. It went really well and everything turned out deliciously. I was going to take pictures, but I was so busy keeping up with the dishes I didn't have time. :)

Catching up

Here are some pictures from Christmas. First we emptied our stockings and Craig got lots of little things, like a toy car, a little rubber football, some other stuff, and these cute antlers.

This is all of us with our loot. Robert bought me a new bedding set that's I've been wanting. I got him some dumb little things because I was under the impression that the car was our Christmas present this year and we were going to just get each other stuff from the Dollar Tree to open on Christmas morning. He got a little book of inspirational thoughts, candy, screwdrivers, a red kitchen towel that says "Naughty" (my favorite), a whoopie cushion, and some other stuff. However, I guess he came into some tip money from all the banquets they did in December and spent it all on me. Which was fine with me, expect I wish there was some way for me to get something a little better for him. Oh well. He also got me a collection of Jane Austen movies and some other things I've really been wanting. Craig got some cool toys and books--things that we got him mostly to occupy him for longer periods of time and make our lives a little easier. (That's how we justified it.)

This is how the kitty spent Christmas Day (and practically every day.) She got a new toy for Christmas, too. No, I didn't pose her.

And last but not least, some of you already know our news, but I bet the rest of you can guess! Yep, we're expecting number two! I'm due the beginning of September so I'm only about 6 or 7 weeks along. Craig will be 16 months by then. I was trying to find one of those neat pregnancy tracker things to put on the blog, but I couldn't find one that fit and that I liked. I liked the one that Tammy and Bonnie had on their blogs. Could one of you please tell me where to find it? Thanks.

I'm Back!!!

I have returned from the land of the undead (can you tell I've been reading Twilight?). Or, in other words, the land of the internet-less. I have considered posting a long, detailed harangue of the trials and tribulations we have suffered the last month without internet service, but I think I will keep it short. (Some of you have already heard my complaints anyway.) Let me just say that I have missed you all and I am WAAAAY too dependent on technology. (I bet we can all remember when we didn't even have answering machines, let alone computers.) I greatly look forward to catching up on all your blogs and will be posting Christmas pictures and more soon. See ya tomorrow!