The Girl With The Pink Sneakers

Hey there! I figured since Hunter will be 14 months in just a few days I might as well do a double post of all the things that have been going on with my growing boy! As I mentioned before my posting will be some what sporadic for now as I hope to enjoy and live life rather than write about it. I feel that soon after I posted my last update our house was hit with a plague of illnesses that JUST. DOES. NOT. SEEM. TO. END! I’m blaming it on the late spring we are having and the fact that we can’t open the windows and “blow the stink” out of the house. First Hunter got a BAD tummy bug. Then we spent a Sunday afternoon in urgent care because he had a fever that would not go down and kept going up. This turned out to be nothing major just the start of another illness, a bad cold. Of course whatever Hunter gets Brian and I get. So, in addition to being sleep deprived (because a sick baby does not sleep well) we both feel miserable and it sure it tough to get better when you aren’t getting enough sleep. Hopefully this plague will end soon.

Now on to fun stuff! These past two months Hunter’s language has REALLY developed! He says several words (or versions of these words) truck, cheese, fish, giraffe, duck, whale, and I am sure more. He also signs “help” “please” and “all done”.” He also can imitate the sounds of a TON of animals. So far he does: cow, dog, cat, duck, rooster, bear, tiger, lion, monkey, frog, horse, turkey and my favorite squirrel (Brian taught him most of these). It is so cute!  He still LOVES to read books but really only likes books that have animals in them so he can make the sounds. When I come home from work I usually find Hunter and daddy engrossed in a marathon reading session.

When our friend Gardner came to visit Hunter even convinced him to get in on the reading action.

How can you say “no” to that face! This is a very different picture from last year when Gardner came to visit.

Why was Gardner visiting might you ask? Well, it’s is the season of Gardner after all but this particular weekend it was turkey hunting. Brian got to share the victory of getting a turkey with Hunter too!

Again, very different from last year!

Hunter doesn’t seem to have much interest in walking. He doesn’t even really pull himself up that often. We encourage him to do so by putting his toys on the the love seat. We usually have to help him to stand up and he will stand for some time playing with his toys. We also hold his hands and walk with him. Sometimes he thinks it’s funny and laughs but other times he gets kind of mad. I think he wonders what we are trying to do to him because he thinks he can get around just fine on his hands in knees. He didn’t seem that interested in crawling until one day he did so I guess I am not that worried. His pediatrician is not worried either. She said he is working on more verbal and cogitative skills right now. Boy is that the truth! It amazes me how much he understands and how quickly he learns things. I love watching him play because you can just see the little wheels turning in his brain, soaking it all in.

One MAJOR change in Hunter these past two months is sleep. We transitioned to one nap a day shortly after he turned one. It wasn’t that tough of a transition and it really helped that daylight savings happened around that time too. At first  I worried and  thought Hunter needed more sleep but I soon got over that. One nap a day is very nice! You can get more done in the morning (like maybe even go work out without having to rush back for a morning nap!) and Hunter doesn’t fight his nap like he use to. He takes AT LEAST a 1 hour nap if not longer (closer to 90 minutes on average when he is home with me usually 2 hours (plus!) when he is at daycare. I still struggle with him getting up too early which besides being annoying (especially on the weekend!) kind of throws him off for the day. Night time sleep has just been ok lately but I am hoping that is just due to the illnesses.

Hunter is slowly moving away from eating anything resembling baby food. He doesn’t even like it when I feed him yogurt or cottage cheese. He much rather feed himself. I try to give him a little bit of what we are eating for meals and sometimes he likes it sometimes he doesn’t. He still really loves cheese, most fruits, peanut butter on a bagel, green beans, broccoli cheddar bites and sweet potatoes. Everything else is hit or miss!

Well I guess that is it for this update. I barely took any pictures this month! Here is one we tried to get of all of us at Easter and one with him and his cousins!

Until next time!

Holy cats! I am so slow in getting this posted! I started it a few weeks ago and then just got busy with life as a mom of a 1 year old. I figured I better get it finished before Hunter turns 13 months this coming weekend!!!

Well! There seemed to be so much anticipation leading up to Hunter’s big day that when it was all said and done I took my sweet time getting around to writing this update. I know that some people make a big deal about a baby’s first birthday and yes I agree it is kind of a big deal the reality is it’s more of an “event” for the people celebrating it than actual baby who is being honored! I wanted to commemorate this day in a special way but I also did not feel the need to go over the top with a BIG party.

My in-laws graciously offered to host the party at their house and we were lucky enough that Hunter’s birthday fell on a weekend so we were able to celebrate on his actual birthday. We invited a small number of guests, mostly family, and close friends. Our theme for the party was froggies since one of Hunter’s favorite toys are his bath froggies. I ordered Hunter an adorable first birthday shirt just for the occasion.

I just wish I would have gotten a better picture of him in it! It says, “Hoppy 1st Birthday!”

We served a simple lunch and of course some of Hunter’s favorite foods, broccoli cheddar bites, and sweet potato fries.

My sister-in law, who owns her own bakery, made the adorable cake.

The only decoration we had was one that I am very proud of because I made it myself! Now, I am not a very crafty person but when I saw that one of my favorite bloggers made  this cute banner I knew I wanted to try and do it myself. I actually found a FREE template for the triangles here.  I printed out a TON of pictures. Probably the hardest part of this project was deciding which pictures to use and making sure I had a good smattering from the early days of Hunter’s life to now. Other than that it was pretty easy! Here is the end result.

So cute and fun! We currently have the banner hanging between our dining room and living room.  Hunter had fun opening his presents, and hanging out with his cousins, grandmas and grandpas, aunt and uncle and his buddy Henry.

Cousins!

Henry is observing Hunter as he opens his presents. His birthday was just two weeks later!

That Grandma Charlene sure knows how to find his tickle spot!

When it came time to blow out his candle Hunter was pretty excited.

But he wasn’t a big fan of eating the cake. I guess it was just more fun to play with!

True to form, Hunter refused to take a nap before his party so he was pretty tired after all was said and done. We tried to get a good family shot but I think too many people taking a picture at the same time since none of us are all looking at the camera in any photo.

But my dad did get this adorable shot of my and my one year old baby!

No post can describe the joy this little guy brings to my heart every day!

Probably the biggest change during Hunter’s 12th month was mobility! He stopped army crawling and REALLY took off on those hands and knees. If Brian or I try to leave the room he comes tearing after of us.

Brian was excited because Hunter was finally awake when he came home from ice fishing with a nice fresh catch of fish. He tried to recreate a photo he has of him and his grandpa.

When I took Hunter to his 1 year doctor’s appointment he weighed 21lbs. 4oz and measured 2ft. 6in. That’s a long way from 8.1lbs and 20.75 inches.

I am so grateful each day that God has allowed me to be Hunter’s Mom. I hope to continue these updates as he grows up. It helps me too look for the extraordinary in each day and to remember all the joys and challenges of being a parent.  I also hope to get back to writing about fitness and healthy eating only this time from the perspective of a mom. For the most part though I want to live life rather than write about so if my posts are a little few and far between oh well! I busy enjoying this guy!

*I started writing this the day before Hunter’s birthday but then got busy with life!

Well, it’s the day before Hunter’s first birthday and for the past several days I have had many many many thoughts about the past 366 days (remember 2012 was a leap year!). I am not sure if I can put into words the reflections I’ve had on what it has meant to take on this new role of mommy and how it has so profoundly changed my life.

I’ve been remembering those early days in Hunter’s life where I felt like I was moving in a sleep deprived fog and always had an ache in the pit of my stomach because I was afraid of doing something “wrong.”

But at the same time I would look at this tiny being that Brian and I had brought into this world, my heart would swell and I would weep with joy. I couldn’t believe that something so small could fill my heart with such love and I couldn’t believe that he was mine! My son!

I wish I could tell you that things have completely changed, that in a year I have gained complete confidence in my mothering skills and that I always know what to do! I am pretty sure that NO MOM is ever 100% confident in EVERYTHING they do. But, that scary feeling  I would mess up eventually went a way. Sure I have my moments of doubt but as I’ve gotten to know my son over the past year my abilities to respond to him have become second nature.

Probably a major turning point in my journey as a mother is when Hunter began reacting and responding to me in ways other than crying and demanding more from me than just food. It’s like he woke up one day and said, “Hi Mom!” I couldn’t tell you exactly when this happened but it definitely changed things!

Probably the most surprising and challenging thing that I’ve had to deal with (and I’m sure this will come as no surprise) as a new mom is sleep (or lack there of!). I had no idea you had to teach your baby to sleep or that their sleeping patterns (much like everything else!) change SO MUCH in the first year. After I got over the shock and realized that what they say is true (you will NEVER sleep the same again) it wasn’t so bad. I still get frustrated and anxious when Hunter isn’t sleeping because I can see how it affects him. For the most part he is a happy easy going guy but when he gets low on sleep it is a different story!

I’ll admit I do kind of miss those first three months when I would let him sleep ANYWHERE especially on my chest!

It has been so fun to watch Hunter change, grow, and learn so many new things in just one year. When you think about it they start out as a cute little blob that only eats, sleep, and poops.

And by one year they talk, can get themselves where they want to go, have preferences for things, understand what your saying, and eat solid food.

When I think about it I have given up a lot of my “old life” to be a mom and I haven’t quite gotten it back yet. I don’t workout as much, my house isn’t in the order that it use to be, I don’t cook as much, I don’t blog as much, I don’t even read blogs very much, my focus at my job has changed and so much more. But for right now I am ok with that. I have embraced this new role and as long as I can do some things that I enjoy occasionally I am good with that. Perhaps as Hunter gets older that I will start taking more me time but honestly when I am not working and home with him, I just want to be with him, playing with him, and interacting with him.

Sometimes at night as I am holding him, right before I put him in his crib I still find myself shedding a few tears. My love for this little guy is so profound. I sometimes still can’t believe how lucky I am. I try my hardest to cherish each day, each precious moment I have with him. This past year has gone so fast and I am sure things never slow down. I love being a mom and I am so grateful that I have my Hunter boy in my life. I look forward to watching him continue to grow and change and to discover how my role as a mom evolves and changes too!

Celebrating one year as a mom!

Blink! There goes another month! Thought I better get an update up before we celebrate Hunter’s FIRSTH BIRTHDAY (GAH!).  It is funny to sit down and write these updates. Sometimes I feel like the day to day life of a mom with a baby is pretty routine but other times I feel like SO much happens in a month and I can’t even begin to remember it all!

I tried to get a picture of how big Hunter is these days but he doesn’t sit still or pose with the elephant  for long!

I jumped on the scale the other day with him and according to that he weighs almost 21lbs! He also seems REALLY long to me these days! I won’t know the “official measurements” until his 1 year doctor’s appointment later in February.

One fun and excited thing we did this month was take Hunter to his first swim lessons!

It is a parent and child class which basically means we get the babies use to the water by singing songs, having them reach/swim for toys while we hold them, have them “jump” off the side of the pool into our arms, and dunk them underwater! Hunter seems to really like it, especially when Daddy blows bubbles in the water. I like it because for 30 minutes I get to hold him and he doesn’t weigh a thing! Plus he is really cuddly! Grandma Charlene often stops by when she’s done with her exercise classes to say “hi” and help get Hunter cleaned up and changed!

Sleep has been going ok. I have buckled down and started “nap training” which basically means I don’t rock Hunter to sleep for naps any more and let him fall asleep on his own. The crazy part his he doesn’t cry at nap time he just goes crazy playing and rolling around, talking, knocking his paci on the slats, sticking his arms and legs in the slats (we use to have breathable bumpers but he played with those too). I use to go in and “make him” go to sleep by rocking him but he was even resisting that and then not sleeping very long! So, I let him try for an hour on his own. Sometimes he falls asleep but most times he doesn’t and then I get really lost on what to do next. Do I keep him up until the next nap/bedtime? Do I try again in 30 minutes? Is he ready for 1 nap (I don’t really think so but that is what everyone tells me.)? If he skips his morning naps he usually crashes hard for the after noon nap. If he misses the afternoon nap then it is usually too late in the day and too close to bedtime to try again. Either way I end up with a cranky overtired baby. I really don’t know what to do and  I am afraid if this keeps up it will affect his night time sleep which has been really good lately, usually 11 hours a night! I’m sure as you can tell from past posts, sleep is one thing that really  stresses me out! I have no idea why I think it is SO important for Hunter to get enough sleep. I guess I just know my baby, and I know what he needs to be a happy guy and this includes a few good naps.

Eating still seems to be going well. I have to admit I am a little slow to introduce new foods to Hunter. He just has his “favorites” and since most of them are healthy we just keep rolling with it. A new recipe I tried this month was Broccoli Cheddar Bites.

Super easy and he LOVES them!

Not sure if you can tell from the above picture but Hunter has 3 new teeth this month! So that makes 4 on the top and 3 on the bottom, not really sure where the 4th one on the bottom is, it seems like he has been teething FORVER and I know that this is just the beginning!

Our friend Gardner came for a visit this past month and look! He and Hunter have matching jackets!

Hunter becomes more mobile each day. He is still army crawling but pushing up on his hands and knees more frequently and even crawling forward a little bit. Still not pulling up to standing on his own but he’ll get there. He is definitely working on verbal and fine motor skills. Boy! Can that little guy talk. Sometimes he reads books to me! I don’t know what he is saying but he sure seems to think he knows what the story is about! He is also getting very good a mimicing us and naming specific items. The quilt that he always plays on has pictures of labrador retrievers, deer, fish and ducks. He will point to each animal and make a some what correct sound. It’s pretty cute. And of course there is always the endearing momma and daddy!

He still LOVES trucks! Every night before bed we sing the “Clean Up” song and pick up our toys. The last thing to get put away is the big truck and Brian and I will push Hunter on it while he “parks” it for the night!

That’s it for this month! We are already looking ahead to celebrating his 1st birthday in almost 2 weeks! Hard to believe that last year at this time I was 39 weeks pregnant! Watching Hunter grow and change this past year sure has been amazing! I am sure I will have more reflections to share on my first year as a mom in the up coming weeks. And the fun has just begun!

I swear it’s taken me a week to get this post up! What with being sick myself and taking care of a sick baby who wouldn’t nap things just got delayed!

I am sure I say this every month but can time PLEASE just SLOW DOWN a little bit?! I feel like before I know it I’ll be sending Hunter off to college! I am sure this month went even faster because of the business of the Holiday season. For the first time in a long time I found myself getting more into the Christmas spirit.

For the first time, in a couple of years we actually went to cut down a Christmas Tree!

It was so fun and pretty to have in the house during these dark days of Winter and Hunter LOVED the lights!

As you might be able to see from the above picture Hunter got his two front teeth! Here’s a little better picture!

I seriously sat on the floor taking TONS of pictures of him before getting this one! So cute! We thing the next top two will soon be on there way!

Another Christmas tradition Hunter got to experience was making Lefse and Christmas Cookies with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson.

Well, he watched and played with grandma while mom and dad helped. He really loved the Lefse sticks!

Hunter also experienced his first snowfall!

Unfortunately he wasn’t a big fan of being all bundled up. He could barely move!

Unfortunately, Hunter’s stranger anxiety really kicked in this month. The day before Christmas Eve Hunter was really having an “off” day. My friend Marianne and I planned to meet up and take Hunter to the Mall to see Santa. Bad idea!

My usually happy go lucky guy was all tears that day! He wouldn’t even allow me to push him in his stroller through the mall, I had to carry him the whole time! He was still pretty emotional that evening when I took him to my brother’s house for a pre-Christmas celebration. Fortunately he perked up for Christmas Eve.

We started our official Christmas celebration with the 5pm Family Mass at Church. To be honest I was a little distracted by how cute Hunter was interacting with his buddy Henry who just happened to sit by us.

Remember how little they were the first time they hung out? After Mass it was home for a quick supper and then to bed for our little man.

It was really nice to spend Christmas morning in our house with just our family. We opened the presents we got for each other and some extra special ones our friends gave Hunter.

Hunter also watched a Christmas classic with his Daddy, A Christmas Story, while I made breakfast!

After Hunter’s morning nap we spent Christmas day with my family. Hunter still has a great love for trucks and Grandpa Bob picked out the PERFECT present for him!

A BIG truck! This toy is pretty cool! When he starts walking he can push it from behind and when he is even bigger he can ride on it. For now he is content just to roll it back and forth and press the fun buttons that make noise.  Hunter isn’t fully crawling yet (with his tummy off the ground) but when we put him down on his back he immediately rolls and army crawls towards the truck!

Our Christmas festivities didn’t end there! Brian’s family rolled into town the day after Christmas! It was the first time since this summer that Hunter got to be with all his cousins!

He had such fun playing with all of them! So much fun that he took some MEGA naps back at our house during their visit. I wasn’t about to try to get him to nap at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with all that excitement going on! There always seemed to be someone to play with and make him laugh!

Brian’s cousin Barb sure made him laugh!

Of course there were more fun presents to open!

It was so much fun to experience our first Christmas with Hunter. I know he won’t remember any of it but I found myself trying to hold on an cherish these very special first memories!

Eating solid foods continues to go well. Hunter is starting to eat more “chunky” food and less purees and he enjoys feeding himself when possible. I find myself getting in a rut and feeding him the same things over and over again. I just need to get more creative!

Sleep has been all over the place lately. Before Christmas Hunter was having trouble sleeping through the night. Not sure if it was teeth or a sleep regression or what. The Holidays really messed with his schedule and there several late nights and missed naps. Other times he slept like a champ, probably because he was so exhausted. After Christmas an illness swept through the house so sleep  was disrupted once again. I guess the one thing you can count on with babies is you can’t count on anything!

Not sure how much he weighs these days but he is growing an changing into a toddler before my eyes!

As I mentioned before he is not fully crawling, just rolling and army crawling. He can stand for a few seconds while holding on to something but is not pulling up yet. He’s so close and he wants to be mobile so badly. I know that once he is, we are in for some trouble. I  think he is just sitting and observing his surroundings figuring out all the stuff he can get into once he is mobile!

Becoming a mom was definitely the highlight of 2012 for me! I love him more and more each day!

Hello there! Long time no blog! Long time no blog about anything besides my little man!

I know I owe you a 10 month update on Hunter plus all the fun of our first Christmas as a family of three and I promise that I will get to those soon!

Tonight I want to share with you how we are celebrating the conclusion of 2012 and ringing in the New Year! Brian and I were never really into celebrating the New Year in a BIG way. Usually Brian’s family was still in town so we would spend the evening with them SOMETIMES making it to midnight. Well, Brian’s family is already home after the holidays and with a baby that goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up at 6am we new we would not be “tearing it up.” Brian did however suggest making some of our favorite appetizers and eating in “shifts” throughout the day! We tagged teamed watching Hunter and did some of work while he napped.

We started out with lunch; Brian made us a HUGE plate of venison steak nachos.

He marinated some venison chops, pan fried them and put them on top of chips sprinkled with cheese and jalapeños. He put it all in the oven and when it was good and melted we took it out and topped it with salsa and avocados.

For dinner he made mushrooms stuffed with cooked shrimp, scallops and parmesan cheese.

After dinner Brian played with Hunter while I got the next appetizer ready, twisty pizza bread! I haven’t made this since our last Packer party way back in 2011!

So delicious and so easy! I don’t know why I don’t make this more often!

For dessert I made something REALLY special and I am proud to say a Kristin Original Recipe! A Bailey’s Irish Cream Trifle!

I used some ideas from this recipe but made some changes to make it my own!

Ingredients:

• 1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix (and the ingredients to make the cake)
• 2 pkgs white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 C of cold Milk
• 1 small container of Cool Whip
• 1 carton of Whoppers Candy (crush most of them placing them in a plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin) reserve some for garnish
• 1 C of Bailey’s Irish Cream

Directions

• The night before you need the trifle make cake according to directions on the package
• Once the cake is cooled poke holes in it using the handle of a wooden spoon 
• Pour 1 Cup of Bailey’s over the cake and in the holes
• Put in the fridge and let soak over night. The next day cut the cake into cubes.
• Whisk the pudding and the milk together let sit for 2 minutes
• Fold the Cool Whip into the pudding
• Get ready to layer! You can do this any way you want. I did cake, pudding mixture, candy and repeated 3 times!

I also considered another  layer of whip creamed with more Bailey’s mixed in but it was just a little too much!

Trifle’s are so easy and fun to get creative with. We haven’t dipped into this bad boy yet but I can’t wait to try all the flavors together!

Well, I don’t know if we’ll make it until midnight but it was fun to get back in the kitchen!

I hope to have a 10 months update on Hunter and a reflection on 2012 and becoming a mom!

Have a fun and safe night and Happy New Year!

Whew! Another month has just flown right by us! I thought I better get a post up before Hunter turns 10 months (on Christmas Eve!).  I think every day being Hunter’s mom is more fun than the next. Every month he seems to learn something new or do something super cute! When I get him down for the night and survey my often messy house I have so much happiness in my heart! I also feel that every morning when I get Hunter out of bed that he has grown over night! He is getting SO BIG!

Trying to get a picture with him and his elephant is not easy these days!

At his 9 month check up he weighed in at 18lbs 3oz and was 2 feet 4 inches long! I felt like it took him awhile to fit into 6-9 month clothes but he is DEFINITELY ready to move into 12 month clothes!

Hunter’s personality is developing more and more each day. It is amazing to me that he already has likes and dislikes and he can understand what we are saying. I like to think we are raising a very well rounded boy. His favorite toys to play with are trucks and baby dolls.

He sits for long periods of times rolling his trucks back and forth. He even makes a little vrrrroooommm sound! It is too funny! I don’t know how he knows that is what he is suppose to do!

He may be your typical boy loving his trucks but he also likes baby dolls! I discovered this when I dropped Hunter off at daycare. He saw one of Lilly’s dolls and got SUPER excited. That night when we got home I got out the baby doll we used to get Izzy use to the idea of a baby in the house and he went crazy for it! He loves to pat the baby’s head and when we ask him if he can kiss the baby he does it! It is too cute!

Hunter also really loves books!

We read every night before bed and also before nap times as a way to quite down. He loves to turn the pages, open the flaps on some books, and feel the different textures on the touch and feel books.

Speaking of sleep, things have been going really well in that department (hope I didn’t just jinx myself!) and dare I say we might finally be falling into a predictable schedule? Hunter usually goes to bed by 7pm and sleeps through the night ( I still dream feed him before I go to bed, not really sure when, if, or how I should drop this), waking up between 6am and 7am. He also takes two naps a day usually in the morning starting between 9am and 10am and an afternoon nap starting between 2pm and 3pm. I would say 95% of the time he falls asleep on his own at bedtime. Naps are another story. He seems to fall asleep and nap for an hour or more just fine when he is at daycare but home is a different story! I will watch him and he seems to get tired, yawning, rubbing eyes, quiet, maybe fussy. So I get his room ready change his diaper, maybe read a book, snuggle him and put him in his crib. Then he seems to spring to life! He rolls all over the crib laughing, talking, squealing! I let him try to put himself to sleep for 15-30 minutes but 9 times out of 10 I have to rock him to sleep and then he only sleeps for 45 minutes! It is kind of frustrating! I’ve tried putting him down earlier and later but nothing seems to help. His doctor said I should keep doing what I’m doing and try to let him fall asleep on his own. Oh well! Something to keep working on! All I know is that well rested baby is a happy baby (and momma too!).

Feeding also continues to go well. Hunter is eating more chunky food and even feeding himself! I really get a kick out of him eating! I would say his favorite foods are banana and avocado (mashed together) and sweet potatoes!  It has been so much fun trying new foods and being able to offer him food from my own plate. He has two bottom teeth and is working on getting his top two teeth so he can chew chew chew!

He is not crawling yet but he finds his own way to be mobile. He rolls, or scoots himself backwards or in a circle. He is so close to crawling and tries so hard! I keep thinking it will be any day now!

(Blurry because he’s bouncing up and down)

Hunter is VERY social with other babies! I  am sure this comes from all the play time he gets with Lily at daycare! When ever he sees other babies or even kids in general he gets super excited and doesn’t want to stay in my arms. He had so much fun playing with his cousins at Thanksgiving. He is a little hesitant with other adults, especially men without beards (weird I know!).

I didn’t know it was possible buy my love for my little boy just keeps growing and growing every day. I love to watch him explore his world and continue to grow into the little person he will one day become. I am really looking forward to watching him experience his first Christmas and before you know it it will be his first birthday (gasp!).

That’s all for now! I hope to update more frequently with all our Christmas adventures!