First Mother's Day

This Mother's Day was my first one as a mother.  I was pregnant with Ben for last year's mother's day, but Pat and I both felt we couldn't really celebrate that and Father's Day until Ben was on the outside.  (That isn't to say other people can't.  We just felt that way.)  I admit I was a little nervous about what we would do.  On Team Cartwright I am pretty much the social planner.  I make sure we have a plan for holidays, and I make sure that people are celebrated on their big day.  I even prefer to plan my own birthday.  So while I wasn't expecting a giant celebration, the pressure was on for Pat to come up with a plan.

He did a great job!!  Pat offered to get up with Ben in the morning, but let's face it, after months of getting up with him I naturally wake up then.  But Pat went and got Ben for some morning cuddles!  They were quick cuddles, since Ben is not really one to just lie around in bed and snuggle.  Especially not so close to breakfast time.  Dagger even came and joined in the family love.  That was a perfect moment, so I was a happy camper right from the start.  Afterwards I got my gift and cards.  They were wonderful.  Gramma is a card ninja.  She can find a card for any occasion and they are always perfect.  (Did you know they make Happy St. Patrick's Day to my Son and Daughter-in-law cards?  They do, and Gramma has sent it to us.  Card ninja.)  I don't even try to keep up with her.  Well Pat follows along in her footsteps.  I might have to remind him to get people cards, but when he does they are perfect.  Way to go, Pat. :)

We met up with Meo and Omi for a late breakfast after Ben's first nap.  Ben was a fabulous dining companion!  He got to sample some of Meo's spinach crepes, which were super tasty.  He also chowed down on some baby banana pancakes I brought from home for him.  He had so much fun just looking around at everything.  He was sure to give Meo a great big Mother's Day hug too.  After breakfast all of us headed to the park by our place for a little play time.  It was great to get to wish Meo a happy Mother's Day, especially now that she is a grandma too!

After Meo and Omi had to leave, Ben got a chance to skype with Gramma and Grampa.  We will be seeing them in a few weeks, so we are trying to get as much skype time as possible.  We want Ben to feel as comfortable with them as he can, and sadly he hasn't seem them in person in six months.  After all that time enjoying the day with the grandmothers, Ben had to take another nap.

After naptime, my next adventure began!  Pat and Ben took me to a local state park for a hike!  Okay, it was more of a walk since we had the stroller with us.  But I loved it.  It was free (I like free things), some nice little exercise, and Ben loves being outdoors.  He had a blast riding around the trails.  We got to see some animal mommas too!  There were geese with their goslings.  We even got to see an owl with two baby owls!

To cap off the evening Pat grilled us a wonderful dinner or kielbasa and corn.  Ben of course loved the meat.  He liked the corn, but it is still hard for him to eat little things like that.  He is super cute opening his mouth for me to pop little kernals of corn into though.  After Ben went to bed Pat had one final treat for me- ice cream.  I have to say ice cream is a big way to my heart.

All in all it was a perfect Mother's Day.  I felt loved and appreciated.  I got to spend time with my family.  And I got ice cream.  Wonderful.

My boys dressed up for brunch.

I like this picture because we are all laughing.

Ready to hike!

Baby feet!

Enjoying the scenery.

Fun with Daddy.

Fun with Mommy.

Baby geese!

One of the baby owls.

Momma owl kept her eye on us.

The other baby owl.

My sweet boy I am honored to mother.

-Kim

Happy Mother's Day!

Pat and I want to wish a great big Happy Mother's Day to our fabulous mothers.  They have helped shape who we are today, and we would be nothing without them.  Thank you, Meo and Gramma.  You do so much for us and we are so thankful.  You are both also amazing grandmothers to Ben.  I couldn't ask for better people to love my little boy.

I want to say thank you to Pat for making my first Mother's Day so wonderful.  And a special thank you to Ben for making me a mother.  It is an honor to be Ben's Mom.

One of my favorites of Meo and Ben.

One of Gramma and Ben's first photos.

My wonderful boy!

-Kim

Thankful Thursday: Family Time

This week I am thankful for family time.  With two working parents it can be hard to fit in fun family time.  True, I am fortunate enough to have Ben with me every day.  But we don't have Pat with us.  And some days Pat works evenings, so he gets home either just as Ben is going to bed or after he is already asleep.  Weekends are awesome, but like every family we also have to squeeze in all the things we didn't do during the week!  Any chance that arises for us to have a few extra minutes of just us having fun as Team Cartwright is grabbed.  Today was such a chance!

We were able to have Pat join Ben and I at the office for lunch and a walk!  It is just a little thing, but it was so great to see him in the middle of the day like that!  Ben was super excited to see his daddy.  He just lights up any time he sees Pat.  Ben is also really enjoying going for rides in his stroller.  Family time, plus a little light physical activity for Pat and I? Score!

I know this isn't anything very exciting.  I mean, we didn't even eat out or anything (saving money!).  But I love that we were able to take a few moments out of our busy schedules to spend time as a family.  I am thankful for the chance to have family time with my Team Cartwright.

Daddy being silly.

My lunch dates. :)

Daddy, decorum! This is a place of business! ;)

My sweet hubby brought me flowers too!

Riding in style.

Picture with Mommy!

And one more with Daddy

-Kim

I'll never get tired of this

Oh baby giggles.  Is there anything better?  I never get tired of trying to make Ben laugh.  If I find something he giggles at, I keep doing it as long as he finds it funny.  It can be the most random things.  Yesterday it was my saying "Dada" over and over.  Pat saying it was not as funny.  For some reason my saying it-hilarious.

Ben has gone nuts for my scooting around the floor, Pat singing Elvis, being tickled, being lifted in the air, and any number of other things.  Each time is something special though.  I know this time where he finds Pat and I to be the funniest people ever is very short.  I want to treasure each and every baby giggle.

Today's big giggle warmed my heart because it seemed to come from a place of pure joy.  I had to try to stealth camera it, so it isn't the best video.  But more baby giggles are here.

-Kim

It's getting messy...

When I first started reading up on baby led weaning, the one major drawback mentioned was the mess.  This is understandable.  Babies have to learn how to pick up food and how to get it into their mouths.  Once it is in the mouth they have to learn how to move it around and chew and swallow it.  This happens without a lot of teeth to help hold to food in.  So a mess should be expected.  Then add to it that food can slip off the tray, or babies can forget they are holding something and just let go all willy-nilly.  Not to mention the fun that can come from throwing and dropping food.

Pat and I were very okay with this.  I assumed with a baby there would be a mess regardless of what method of introducing solids we used.  We prepared for it.  We got good bibs to use and made sure Ben had a big tray to push his food around on.  We don't have carpet under the high chair, so cleaning the floor wouldn't be hard.  We also knew we would possibly have to do baths after every dinner.  All fine.  Then we started feeding Ben.

I am not going to say there was no mess, there was.  But it really wasn't that bad.  True, sometimes I say "No, Sir, food stays on the tray" more than I thought possible during a single meal.  I understand that he is going to drop and sometimes toss food, but it isn't something we want to encourage.  It does get all over his hands.  It also gets around his mouth.  He often drops food on his lap, but the bib covers most of it.  So far the biggest mess has been when I let avocado get on his sleeves.  Part of what helped was the fact that Ben didn't really like messy foods.  He didn't want to just dip his fingers in stuff and then lick it off.  He didn't like grabbing clumps of goopy food and trying to eat it.

Until now.  We have found our messy food.  After weeks of trying to find different ways to prepare oatmeal so Ben could pick it up, I gave up and just gave him a spoonful of what I eat for breakfast.  And he loved it!!  It is pretty thick, but it is still goopy.  He happily grabs handfuls and shoves them in.  Along with getting it in his mouth, he spreads it all over his tray.  And his face.  And now his head.  This morning was the messiest we have gotten.  There was oatmeal in his eyebrows.  It was on top of his head.  It was in his ears!  But I have to say, he was as happy as can be.  I think a fair amount made it into his belly too.

I'm glad we have an aresonal of 'clean' foods for Ben to eat.  This comes in handy when we are out in public or just don't have time to do a major cleaning.  He still hasn't needed a full on bath due to food consumption.  But I am loving my messy baby when he eats his oatmeal.  I am happy he is trying new foods.  I think we will find so much more he enjoys if he is willing to get a little messy.  And I am loving the messy baby pictures.  I'll have to save these for when he is all grown up.

So far not too bad...

It's good for the skin, right? :)

Happy Baby=Happy Mommy

-Kim

Weekend Visit

This weekend we got to visit with my Aunt G and Uncle D!!  They were in town from out west.  Ben, Pat, and I headed over to Meo and Omi's place Thursday after work to hang out with them.  We hadn't seen them in forever, so it was so great to get together.  Sadly Pat had to work for a bit, but Ben and I were able to hang out until I had to get Ben home for bed.  G and D were so sweet and brought some great gifts for Ben.  They so did not have to do that, and Ben really loved them!  G and D currently have two grandkids, one of whom will be 2 soon.  So they know what babies like.  Ben really enjoyed meeting G and D, and of course playing with the toys.  He had a great time having dinner with everyone and entertaining us all by being so cute.

Saturday neither Pat nor I had to work!  Yay!  We are so grateful for our jobs, but it is always nice when we both have the full weekend off.  We took Ben to the park for a bit, and got a chance to get some things done around the house.  After a lovely family day, we met up with Meo, Omi, Aunt G, and Uncle D at Wine on the Fox.  I know, it sounds strange to take a baby to a wine event.  But it actually is pretty family friendly.  It was outside and the weather was great.  It was a tad windy, but otherwise just perfect.  They have live music, lots of room to hang out and relax, and free pop to those who sign up to DD!  Woot!  There were a lot of kids there, and Ben really enjoyed just watching everyone and seeing what was going on.  As always, he was great with all the people coming up to say hello.  (Meo and Omi know a ton of people in town.)  Uncle D and Aunt G enjoyed the local event as well.  After Wine on the Fox we went back to Meo and Omi's again to BBQ.  While I had planned ahead and packed food for Ben, I didn't think about how late we would be out.  So I didn't have jammies or a plan for the evening.  We just winged it!  That might not sound like a big deal, but I tend to be a planner, especially when it comes to Ben.  So just going with the flow and not worrying too much about his schedule was a change.  Ben of course was great though.  We ended up staying out with him until almost 8!  Yeah, not really that late.  But for Ben it is!  He hasn't stayed up that late since he was super tiny and pretty much just slept all the time.  I thought it would be good to see how he did, since he might be up late when we drive to visit Pat's family this summer.  I don't plan to keep him up to late, but I like to know what I'm in for if it happens.  Ben got a little tired, but he had a great time!  He went to bed with no problem.  Best baby ever.  :)

Sunday we attempted to have more outdoor time, but it was a little rainy.  We ran a few errands and then just spent the day focused on playing.  During the week we get so busy with everything that has to get done, it is wonderful to just relax as the three of us and play.

The big development of the weekend is that Ben is starting to get a bit more mobile!  He isn't crawling yet.  But now when he is on his tummy he rocks back and forth.  Plus he has started to push himself so he scoots backwards.  I have read that it is common for babies to start off pushing backwards before they go forwards, so Pat and I have to watch out!  Finishing baby proofing is a big priority for us now.  I know I'll miss this time where Ben stays where I put him.  But I am super excited for the fun of him getting around.  Every new stage is so exciting!  True, things get crazier.  We will have to watch him even more closely.  We'll have to be super careful of everything that Ben could get into.  But every stage is just so much fun!  I am so excited to see Ben explore his world even more.

All in all, another successful weekend for Team Cartwright.  I'm hoping we get to spend a lot more like this.  I love when family comes to visit us.  We get to see them and I don't have to pack.  Score!  We had a great time visiting, and we had a great time just the three of us.  I love our little family and treasure this time we have together.

Excited to go see people!

My boys

Ben loves his new toys!

Fun outside

At Wine on the Fox

Ben, Meo, and Aunt G hanging out

Pat and Uncle D having fun

Part of the crew!

Ben loves his daddy

My handsome guys

Flying!

Chatting with the guys

So happy, it was hard to sit still!

One last picture with Mommy

I stayed up so late!

-Kim

Thankful Thursday: Extended Family

This week I am going to keep going on the family theme.  We are fortunate enough to have my Uncle D and Aunt G visiting from the west coast.  (Yes, using initials until they okay names here.  I'm trying to be respectful of people's online information.) I am so happy they are here!  The last time we saw them was at my cousin's wedding, back before Ben was born.  They only time they have seen Ben he was still doing his time on the inside.  I am so happy they will get to meet him!  

Beyond G and D, I have a great aunt and uncle in my Uncle W and Aunt C.  These four people have been there for me my whole life.  They've been to birthday parties, soccer games, school plays, graduation.  I know I can count on them to be there for me on a moment's notice, and to be there for Ben.  We are so blessed to have these people who love Ben so much.  Along with these great aunts and uncles come some pretty amazing cousins.  I am lucky that I grew up with all my cousins being in the same town.  For awhile Uncle D and Aunt G lived two houses away from us.  I went to school with my cousins.  We were all at each other's events.  We still have a great time when we get together.  Unfortunately, we are all spread out across the country now.  But every time we get together it is wonderful.  Pat is also blessed with some pretty great extended family.  He also grew up close with some of his cousins.  Some of them I am now fortunate enough to have as friends too!  

I am so thankful for this extended family.  Family really means the world to me, even more so after becoming a mother.  I am so thankful I know Ben has an amazing extended family.  While I'm sad his aunt and uncles live farther away from him then I would like, I know the love and think of him often.  Uncle J is already an amazing uncle.  He loves Ben so much.  Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Chris are wonderful too.  I am so excited for Ben to get to meet his cousins in person next month.  I wish we all lived closer together so Ben could grow up with his cousins, but sadly that isn't in the cards right now.  But I fully plan to do everything I can to get those kids together anytime we can.  I will do my best to foster friendships between them.  Cousins are some of the best friends.  They know you, they know your family.  And they are family, so they are hard to get rid of. ;)

This Thursday I am thankful for extended family, mine, Pat's, and Ben's.  Team Cartwright is really blessed.

And here is a picture of Ben.  You know, because he's cute. :)

I'm so excited to meet more family!!

-Kim