Happy Thanksgiving!

Sending everyone safe travels and warm Thanksgiving wishes!

Ian and I are in Sewickley, PA right now hanging out with Tim's family waiting for him to arrive.  Tim is expected tomorrow all though we are not sure when.  It snowed all day today.  It was so overcast and gloomy but the snow actually made it beautiful and less gloomy.  Ian also experienced his first snow.  We bundled him up and took him down to the strip district in Pittsburgh.  We bought tons of cheese (Manchego and Humboldt Fog) and the best coffee ever (Intelligentsia).  Then we went to Dozen for savory scones and cupcakes.  

I have a ton of pictures and stuff to post when I return including Ian meeting his grandmother (my Dad's mother) for the first time for her 85th birthday and Ian meeting his Rotzell aunts and uncles.  

All 4's

Ian had his 4 month doctor's appointment today. He bounced back from his four shots much better this time than last.

His stats are all 4's:

Weight: 14 lbs.
Height: 24 in.
Head: 43 cm

Ian is back to being the mini-us we thought he was going to be. His 2 month 90th percentile was a total fluke. He is now under the 50th percentile. His weight is still pretty hefty though so we are going to hold off on rice cereal for another two months.

Ian helping rake leaves

I came back from Pennsylvania yesterday to a yard full of leaves. Today I tackled the leaves while Ian watched. He was less than enthused. Also, my neighbor passed on her son's Uggs for Ian. They are a tad too big for him but they are just so darn cute!

perfect dinner for a cold night

If I could eat one thing for dinner every night I might just choose to eat chicken pesto pizza. It is so good! A few nights ago our friends were over and we decided to make the pizza. We always use boboli pizza crust (just to make things easier) but since we had some extra time our friends made the crust from scratch. It was amazing.

And it is so simple to make: Grill chicken on grill or over stove. Cut chicken up into bite size pieces. Saute red onions until they are a little droopy. Put pesto on the bottom of crust, then layer the chicken and red onions. Top with fontina, parmesan, and mozzerella cheeses (you can just use the italian blend of already shredded cheese in a bag.) Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Easy peezy.

Blurry Land of Almost

So, Ian rolled over just like my grandmother said he would about a week ago. We all cheered! It was great. I was going to blog about it but then it never happened again.



With a four month old baby I am living in the blurry land of almost, not-quite-yet, and happened once but may never happen again. Everything is sporadic. Hence, I am starting to build up quite a collection of pictures that look like this:


One of the things I am constantly reminded of as a mother is that nothing is absolute, except for God. Therefore, I should be careful when using the words "always" and "never" when speaking about Ian. I learned this lesson late with Tim. (It is not helpful to say,
"You NEVER take the trash out". For some reason that does not make him want to take the trash out more.) However, with Ian it took me about two months to learn that as soon as I told my friends, "Ian never spits up" the next day he would spit up all down my neck, back, calves, and the floor. Case in point is the post below about Ian always taking two naps. Well I should have known better. For the next three days after I wrote that post Ian only took one nap. Go figure.

The one thing that remains constant is my lunch. I have reverted back to middle school. I eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich followed by a cream cheese sandwich. I even pack them in plastic bags and eat them in the car if I am going out to run errands. All I need is a Capri Sun and I will be transported back to sixth grade. Actually, scratch that. My mom gave us water in our lunches. If I had a Capri Sun I would be a much cooler sixth grader.



So Ian is certainly keeping me on my toes and it is fun to try to figure out what new things he may like tomorrow or what new sleeping habits he may acquire. His new thing this past week is drooling and blowing bubbles.

Books, books, books

So recently I have had a lot of shall we say down time. I have not had an extended period of what I am calling vacation since graduating college. Yes I know I have a job of raising Ian but let's be honest here folks: it is not that difficult. So I have had an abundance of time to just read. Several days a week when I am not cleaning Pippin's hair off of everything in our house or feeling like a complete slacker I will put Ian down for a nap and curl up on our bed with a mug of something hot and just read. I just finished the 989 page Truman by David McCullough and I must say I am very proud of myself. I am currently reading Three Cups of Tea which is extremely fascinating and will clear up even the worst case of couch potatoness.

I am also the first to admit that even the heavenly bliss of reading can get boring at points, so I was ecstatic when my sister Emily introduced me to Shelfari which is a way to track what books you have read and which books you want to read. So today I put the little Shelfari bookshelf on the right side of my blog. I was never good at keeping up with GoodReads or other community reading sites like that but this one is great because you can track it right on your blog. So feel free to peruse the bookshelf for some good reads. Also, let me know if you have any book suggestions. I am nearing the end of Three Cups of Tea and will need some new book recommendations shortly. Gracias!

Seven Percent

So a big whopping seven percent of DC residents voted for John McCain. Although it doesn't seem that great he did score better than Bush who only got six percent of the vote in 2004. Ian slept through the entire voting experience. He was up however for a birthday/election party at Bill and Jaime's house. Ian was the sole Republican baby in attendance and had a grand time of debating some serious issues with his peers.

Halloween post

Ok, first thank you everyone for all of your advice and answers to my questions below. You were all so helpful with your comments!!!

So, Halloween has come and gone and I can't say that I am sad about it. I always tense up when Halloween comes as it can be quite a harrowing holiday in our neighborhood. Thankfully we got past the holiday with only one egg and not much money spent on candy.

This year we locked our doors, turned out our lights and went to Jesse and Kristen's house. We drank beer and ate pizza while coaxing kids to come over and take some of our candy. I think they were a little scared by the 10 plus adults standing around outside plus the dogs and the guys playing Baggo in front of the gate. Outside of Jesse and Kristen's house is an elephant and Tim thought it would be funny to take pictures of Ian on its back.


I also met up with my yoga friends and their babies on East Capitol Street. East Capitol was pure madness with hundreds of kids and their parents. My friend calls it "mardi gras for kids." It was great to see how all the girls and their babies were doing. Of course Ian decided that he was really hungry right around the time of the picture.

This past week my mom and grandparents came to visit. We had a great time and I am so excited that they got to spend some quality time with Ian as well. We went to the Library of Congress, one of my favorite buildings in Washington, DC. It was a cold rainy day so we came back to the house and made chicken soup from scratch. I love to cook and it was exhilarating for me to make my own chicken stock and then use it for the soup, which I had never done before. It made the house smell amazing as well. The next morning we went on a freezing cold and windy walk around the arboretum. The sun poked through just as we were leaving. Here are some pictures from the visit.

A Few Questions

Ok, I have a few "Mommy" questions. I could probably find the answer to these questions by googling or by reading instructions, but I trust my friends and family sources more.

1) Do you keep the bumper on the crib or do you take it off? Ian is starting to move around a lot in the crib and I think I heard somewhere that you take the bumper off, but he is also hitting and bruising his head.

2) Can you still purchase Johnny Jump Ups? I need one desperately as Ian is currently using my stomach and legs as his trampoline.

3) When is it safe to run with a baby in the jogger?

4) When do dogs stop acting like puppies and start acting like lazy dogs? Pippin is driving me crazy. He turns two in November. I am hoping his "insane" button turns off soon.

Family Photo Shoot

Last weekend we drove up to Pennsylvania for the day to get a family picture. Ian finally met his Uncle Seth and also got to play with his cousins again. As always Ian loves being held by all of his Aunts and his grandparents. Here are a few pictures from the day with my family.

Morning Photo Shoot

Ian was sick at the beginning of this week with a high fever and cold. He was definitely having chills, and the aches and pains that go along with a high fever. He would not let Tim or me put him down so we held him round the clock. After many doses of Tylenol he bounced back quickly and was ready for a photo shoot yesterday morning. I am so glad to have the little guy and his smile back!

Small Town Saturday

It was that perfect John Mellencamp, Bob Seger morning (and you know exactly what I mean, "Well I was born in a small town") as I made my way up 270 to 15 to Granthum, Pennsylvania . The air was crisp. I had my coffee in hand and Ian in the back of the car. The sun was out and the fall colors in full force. Everywhere I looked just seemed to lift the spirits. Stunning views from the front seat of the car.


I met up with my parents, Emily, and Gregs to visit my little sister Becky at school. We had a blast watching her play powder puff football (which by the way drew more crowds than any of my lacrosse games at Gordon) then we went to Ashcombe Farms where Ian had his first encounter with a pumpkin patch. He was less than enthused. It was very chilly out and he was not a fan of the wind, or the pumpkins for that matter. We went to a scenic overlook (which doubled as a church parking lot), and did a ton of walking and laughing.

Prepare to be Amazed

Ian can and will sleep anywhere (please see Appendix One for reference).

Appendix One:

Yep, fell asleep in the bathtub again. Ian is beginning to remind me of this kid in my high school English Composition class that had narcolepsy.

3 Months

I can't believe it but Ian turned 3 months old this past week. So much has happened in the past three months and our lives have changed dramatically. I found out I will not be returning to work until January (and then only part time). I am very excited about having these months at home with Ian. Tim is really enjoying his new job and is still getting out to bike a few times a week.

And Ian, boy how Ian has grown. He is on a pretty basic schedule right now and is still a great sleeper - one nap in the morning, one in the afternoon, and in bed by 9 or 10pm. He still wakes up for one feeding in the middle of the night but falls right back to sleep again. He is a charmer and loves to smile and make the most adorable sounds. His favorite place to be these days is standing up. His legs are strong and he loves to push off the floor, couch, or whatever he is standing on. Tim and I think he is going to walk before he crawls. He has started to grip anything that is close enough whether it be a blanket, hair, or a toy. He also is shoving everything into his mouth- though his fist still remains his favorite.



Over the past three months Ian has had a ton of visitors. I did not have a chance to post pictures of some of his visits with family so I am doing so now.

Great Grandmother, Nina, Aunt Diane, and Aunt Abi came to visit and we went to the National Cathedral.

Uncle Matt flew in for a visit.

Ian and I went to Pennsylvania twice in two weeks. Ian got to meet Aunt Jodi and spend quality time with Mom Mom, Poppy, and all his Aunts and Uncle.

Autumn is here!

The weather has turned chilly and that means longer walks outside. I have been driving to the National Arboretum to walk a few times a week. It is especially beautiful there at this time of the year: the herb garden is in full bloom, the roses continue to pop out, and the trees are plush and changing. Our front yard seems to be at its peak as well. The pomegranates are ripe, the roses are still blooming, and the mums are bright.




I love to bundle Ian up in sweatshirts for his walks. He is my very own pillsbury doughboy.

Twinkle Pose

The yoga studio that I LOVED and went to twice a week during pregnancy has closed temporarily. I was so upset when I heard this because I was just about to start trying the Mommy and Me or Itsy Bitsy yoga classes. Ian is really starting to move around a lot and I think he would have enjoyed the interaction with other babies as well.

Therefore, I have started to do Itsy Bitsy Yoga with Ian at home. We do it twice a day and he really seems to enjoy it. It is a fun diversion for me as well. There is a great book that teaches you the different moves for you and your baby. I first tried it when Ian was only a few weeks old and it didn't really work so well. Now at three months though he loves it. Pippin on the other hand is a bit skeptical.

For 12 weeks I have been reading baby books...until now.

As of today I am swearing off all baby books. All they do is drive me crazy.

It all started reading about how Ian should be advancing each week. "By eight weeks your child should be able to lock eyes with you", and "by 10 weeks your child should be able to grasp an object dangled in front of him." I about died when Ian couldn't do either by week 11. What is wrong with our baby? Was it the tuna I ate while I was pregnant? It was the tuna wasn't it? Too much mercury.

I started to lose it. Just ask Tim.

At one point Ian couldn't follow a moving object in front of him so Tim put him on the fridge as punishment.


Ian didn't get the severity of his lack of visual advancement.

Trying to put Ian on a nighttime schedule was even worse. Every book I read told be that by eight weeks my baby should be sleeping 8 hours through the night and that he should be putting himself to sleep. Well Ian doesn't fall asleep until close to 11pm and only after being fed frequently for two hours and then rocked and ricked to sleep. This just wasn't working for our schedule. So, I did what these books said. I tried putting him in his crib every two hours; did the whole eat, activity, sleep thing; walked; cajoled; nursed; tried several days of bath, bottle, book, bed...until now. Seriously, if I don't burn these books I may lose it.

And so I put away the books, purposely left a coffee ring on one of them, and did a mental pro/con list.

And I'll tell you what I found, Ian IS a great baby. He just doesn't thrive on routine. He is totally go with the flow. He will nap just about anywhere. He has a beautiful smile. He is so even-keeled (unlike his mother) and good-natured. He will lay on his back and play by himself so I can drink my coffee and blog.

And he IS advancing, just not exactly as the books say. He can lift his head while on his stomach and hold his head steady when sitting up. His legs are strong and he can lift himself up when someone is holding his hands. He loves walks and getting licked by Pippin. He has a great mullet and his back hair finally fell out (thank the Lord because I was getting ready to schedule him a waxing). He likes the church nursery and barely ever cries unless he is tired.




So, the dark side is behind me. I have turned over a new leaf. No more books.

Going

Going

Gone

"Dear God, Please let the Browns win so my son can have a happy fulfilling life"

Ian is destined to have a long sad life: He is now officially a Browns fan.

Uncle Pete sent Ian a Brown's onesie and he has now watched his first Brown's game. Judging from experience he will start becoming depressed in a few weeks and said depression will last until February with a quick feeling of ecstasy around draft time, hope of a better team and season lifting his spirits for the summer months, and then a slow and steady decline into depression around this time next year. It is an awful way to go through life. The prayers have already started.