Sunday, December 5, 2010
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Jack, Evan and I set out on Friday (thank God for self employment freedom!) to get our Christmas tree. Jack grew up going to Bob's Trees which is about 45 minutes from our house. In our married Christmases together we've gotten from Bob's twice and been very happy, even with their pre-cuts. We got our tree from other places the other two Christmases and boy did they shed! I didn't care what it took this year, we were getting our tree from Bob's! So after a 45 minute drive out, we bundled Evan up and stepped out on the lot of precuts. I picked up the very first tree we walked by and that was the one. Jack felt that the long drive warranted some further shopping so we picked up a few others just for kicks, knowing full well we were going back to the first one. So after a 45 minute drive, 1 minute on the lot, and a 45 minute drive home... we had our tree!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Pop Quiz
Evan has begun "testing" us. From unprovoked slaps in the face to continually throwing food on the floor at meals, and then attempted biting when scolded. This has all just arisen in the last week, it seems. I guess this is where we transition from taking care of Evan into actual parenting! Prayers are appreciated! We are experimenting with disciplines. The one that seems to work right now is a shunning timeout. We had to use it a few times yesterday after we were slapped in the face. Sitting him on the ground and turning around with our backs to him brought forth the most reaction from him. Here we go to a new phase of parenting!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Would you like an apple pie with that?
Thanksgiving Menu:
- Turkey (of course)
- Stuffing
- Mashed potatoes
- Candied Yams
- Cranberry Jelly
- Applesauce
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Multigrain Tuscan Boule Bread
- Green Bean Casserole
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Peas
- Corn
- Pistachio Salad
- Tossed Salad
- And new this year, courtesy of our Korean visitors: Korean pancakes
Dessert:
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies
- Homemade Ice Cream
As usual, way too much food was consumed. In fact once we were finished with the meal, Jack dared Strom to a second Thanksgiving dinner. The challenge was accepted and they loaded their plates full of another round of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing (the essentials) and then prayed [for forgiveness for their gluttony]. And agreed they would be partaking of double dessert. We had a great time with family and friends, and are about to sit down to the traditional Christmas movie viewing (that half of us go comatose during). Hope you all had an enjoyable holiday too!
- Turkey (of course)
- Stuffing
- Mashed potatoes
- Candied Yams
- Cranberry Jelly
- Applesauce
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Multigrain Tuscan Boule Bread
- Green Bean Casserole
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Peas
- Corn
- Pistachio Salad
- Tossed Salad
- And new this year, courtesy of our Korean visitors: Korean pancakes
Dessert:
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies
- Homemade Ice Cream
As usual, way too much food was consumed. In fact once we were finished with the meal, Jack dared Strom to a second Thanksgiving dinner. The challenge was accepted and they loaded their plates full of another round of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing (the essentials) and then prayed [for forgiveness for their gluttony]. And agreed they would be partaking of double dessert. We had a great time with family and friends, and are about to sit down to the traditional Christmas movie viewing (that half of us go comatose during). Hope you all had an enjoyable holiday too!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A new chapter
The McDade family is starting a new chapter of life. Jack is officially self employed. It's something he's always wanted to do, but has been very careful about the right time to make the move. His last day at Fingerpaint was on Friday, and we're enjoying some family time in Maine for Thanksgiving before he starts this new and exciting chapter. I have no doubts that he'll do great. He's very ambitious and driven, a great self-teacher and a gifted entrepreneur. Congrats babe!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Fall Cleanup
I dread this time of year, at least as long as we'll be living here. Spring and Fall lawn cleanup is not just a chore, it's tribulation, a burden, an unholy mess. I counted 17 pine and oak trees on our property in the middle of the yard. This doesn't include the countless trees that line our property that also litter their needles and leaves all over. We fill up at least 50 30-gallon lawn bags each season. We have hired help three times and had some help last fall from Jack's family while we were in the hospital with newborn Evan. We tackled the lawn from hades this weekend. It was a gorgeous weekend, upper 50's and sunny. We had a little hired help for a few hours each day and managed to fill 52 lawn bags. And there's still more to do. *sigh* At least Evan played outside for some of it!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Daylight Savings
Fall back is usually something I somewhat look forward to... only for the extra hour of sleep or staying up an hour later. Of course I always dread the earlier darkness for approaching winter months. This year I've been dreading it because I have a kid with a pretty strict body clock that probably doesn't recognize Daylight Savings. I spent the last week preparing him for it, pushing off naps, meals and bedtime as much as I could. But when he caught a cold I had to cave in and let him set his own bedtime. Well, here we are on our first day of daylight savings and I have to say, I'm impressed with how well Evan did. We stuck to an almost normal schedule, maybe slightly on the early side for certain things.
Now I have two sick boys in the house! Jack has it the worst, with some nasty chest cold and fever that is moving up into the sinuses. Evan only has a runny nose so far. Poor kid has a chapped nose and cheeks from us rubbing the snot bubbles away so much. I started to catch the cold part too, but was able to fight it off with Zicam before it took over. Love that stuff! Good thing, too because I don't know how we'd all take care of each other if we were all sick!
So Evan is growing and developing every day! Just today he made two pretty big accomplishments... he fed himself applesauce with a spoon (pretty successfully!) and has learned how to sort and stack (with my tupperware). He's also getting much better at walking, and went all the way down the hall today! He can't stand up without pulling himself up on something, but once he's up he can usually get at least 10 steps and sometimes 20-25 before toppling.
I've been watching a lot of Food Network over the last year and have gotten really excited about trying new recipes. Sometimes I just need a little inspiration about what things go together and I whip up my own thing. My latest conquest is Asian Lettuce Wraps, which I made a couple weeks ago for my in-laws. I made it again tonight, and it will probably become a regular in the rotation until I get sick of it! Here's the "recipe" to the best of my knowledge in case anyone (Regan - your mom said you'd probably like this one!) would like to try it out! These are rough estimates on my quantities. You can always taste test and adjust ingredients in the sauce before adding everything back into the pan.
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (red or orange... I prefer red for the color contrast with carrots)
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
8 romaine lettuce leaves, closer to the hearts for the "boat" shape
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
sprinkle of sesame seeds
optional bean sprouts and chow mein noodles for toppings
- Brown ground turkey in deep saute pan. Remove from pan and then drain extra grease if any.
- Add carrots, bell pepper, and water chestnuts to pan. Cook for a few minutes until slightly tender. Remove from pan.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and crushed red pepper to pan, mixing together until sugar is dissolved.
- Return everything back to pan and mix with sauce. Top with some sesame seeds.
- Serve in lettuce leaves, taco style. Top with bean sprouts and chow mein noodles if desired.
This should serve 3 hungry people, 4 people with some supplementary side dishes, or 2 very hungry people with some leftovers! I served it with a side of brown fried rice with carrots, onions and peas.
This isn't a picture of my actual lettuce wraps but roughly what they look like!
Now I have two sick boys in the house! Jack has it the worst, with some nasty chest cold and fever that is moving up into the sinuses. Evan only has a runny nose so far. Poor kid has a chapped nose and cheeks from us rubbing the snot bubbles away so much. I started to catch the cold part too, but was able to fight it off with Zicam before it took over. Love that stuff! Good thing, too because I don't know how we'd all take care of each other if we were all sick!
So Evan is growing and developing every day! Just today he made two pretty big accomplishments... he fed himself applesauce with a spoon (pretty successfully!) and has learned how to sort and stack (with my tupperware). He's also getting much better at walking, and went all the way down the hall today! He can't stand up without pulling himself up on something, but once he's up he can usually get at least 10 steps and sometimes 20-25 before toppling.
I've been watching a lot of Food Network over the last year and have gotten really excited about trying new recipes. Sometimes I just need a little inspiration about what things go together and I whip up my own thing. My latest conquest is Asian Lettuce Wraps, which I made a couple weeks ago for my in-laws. I made it again tonight, and it will probably become a regular in the rotation until I get sick of it! Here's the "recipe" to the best of my knowledge in case anyone (Regan - your mom said you'd probably like this one!) would like to try it out! These are rough estimates on my quantities. You can always taste test and adjust ingredients in the sauce before adding everything back into the pan.
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (red or orange... I prefer red for the color contrast with carrots)
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
8 romaine lettuce leaves, closer to the hearts for the "boat" shape
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
sprinkle of sesame seeds
optional bean sprouts and chow mein noodles for toppings
- Brown ground turkey in deep saute pan. Remove from pan and then drain extra grease if any.
- Add carrots, bell pepper, and water chestnuts to pan. Cook for a few minutes until slightly tender. Remove from pan.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and crushed red pepper to pan, mixing together until sugar is dissolved.
- Return everything back to pan and mix with sauce. Top with some sesame seeds.
- Serve in lettuce leaves, taco style. Top with bean sprouts and chow mein noodles if desired.
This should serve 3 hungry people, 4 people with some supplementary side dishes, or 2 very hungry people with some leftovers! I served it with a side of brown fried rice with carrots, onions and peas.
This isn't a picture of my actual lettuce wraps but roughly what they look like!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Birthday Boy!
Evan turned one year old last Thursday, the 21st. Everyone says it, but it's so true... they grow up so fast! All day I was saying to myself "Exactly one year ago I was...". At 4:30pm I grabbed Evan as he was enjoying a snack of goldfish and I put him on my belly like they did when he first arrived. Yup, they definitely change a lot in a year. He was squirming trying to get more goldfish into his mouth!
We didn't really do a lot of special stuff on his birthday. It was just Jack and me with him, and he didn't realize we were paying extra attention to him and trying to give him special treats at dinner.
We officially celebrated on Saturday with a little party for him which included our families. Evan got a bunch of new toys and clothes (thank you everyone!). So we should be all set to deal with cabin fever now! We sang to him in typical McDade fashion (horribly out of tune and sync). We had pizza, ice cream cake and cupcakes, with way too much left over. He had his first tasty treat - a cupcake! He had dinner first, and then played for a little and when we put him back in the high chair for the cupcake he burst out into tears! He was having so much fun playing and was very upset to be confined again. He eventually stuck a ball he was holding into the frosting and then put it in his mouth and realized what a treat was in front of him. He devoured the whole thing, aside from a few bites he shared with me and some bits and pieces that got stuck all over his face! Evan had a great time with his new toys and playing with his cousins. But most of all, he showed off and took his first steps! He hobbled a little the last couple days with steps that we were hesitant to actually count. But then in front of everyone at his party he went and took 9 steps! And then he applauded himself!
Watching Timmy Time with Aunt Catherine
Evan with cousins- Tiffany (15 mos), Levi (4 mos) and 1 year old Evan!
We didn't really do a lot of special stuff on his birthday. It was just Jack and me with him, and he didn't realize we were paying extra attention to him and trying to give him special treats at dinner.
We officially celebrated on Saturday with a little party for him which included our families. Evan got a bunch of new toys and clothes (thank you everyone!). So we should be all set to deal with cabin fever now! We sang to him in typical McDade fashion (horribly out of tune and sync). We had pizza, ice cream cake and cupcakes, with way too much left over. He had his first tasty treat - a cupcake! He had dinner first, and then played for a little and when we put him back in the high chair for the cupcake he burst out into tears! He was having so much fun playing and was very upset to be confined again. He eventually stuck a ball he was holding into the frosting and then put it in his mouth and realized what a treat was in front of him. He devoured the whole thing, aside from a few bites he shared with me and some bits and pieces that got stuck all over his face! Evan had a great time with his new toys and playing with his cousins. But most of all, he showed off and took his first steps! He hobbled a little the last couple days with steps that we were hesitant to actually count. But then in front of everyone at his party he went and took 9 steps! And then he applauded himself!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Catching up
I feel like there's so much to blog about that I never get around to because of my future techie kid who gets jealous when I use the laptop. So here I go catching up...
Labor Day - We had a blast at our friend's Andy & Aubrey's BBQ. There were a bunch of other families and friends there. Evan had fun "playing football", holding lovey up at gunpoint, playing with bubbles and dressing up as a cowboy. OK, maybe we had fun staging most of that, but at least he went along with it!
Thanksmas - about a month ago now we celebrated "Thanksmas" with my family. We got together with my parents and sisters and their families (sans Erika who is doing grad school in Boston, and Sabina/Steve/Levi who were visiting his side of the family). We celebrated all of the cousin birthdays, ranging from January - October. We went apple picking and on a hayride. We also had a Thanksgiving dinner since my parents are in Florida for Thanksgiving and all us daughters celebrate with our in-laws. It was a beyond gorgeous day... warm and sunny, bright blue sky.
Scotland comes to Clifton Park - we had visitors from Scotland for about a week! A hopeful hire for Fingerpaint and his wife flew over for an in-person interview and to get to know the area. Jack had networked with Steven Grant through Twitter. Turns out the Grants are the Scottish version of us! They're celebrating their 4th anniversary this month, have a 1 yr old (and a 2 yr old... they're ahead of us on that!), visited the Dominican Republic for their 1st anniversary, love all the same shows as us... needless to say we had a blast with them. We found ourselves thinking in a Scottish accent by the end of their visit! Steven went in to the office with Jack for 2 days and Sarah and I got together with Sara J and Danielle (FP wives past and present). We had a great time showing them around the area and just hanging out getting to know each other. I must admit, the thought of hosting guests we had never met was a little intimidating, but I'm so glad we had the opportunity and pray that it's just the beginning of our friendship with them.
Celebrations - Jack celebrated his 27th birthday (we're the same age!) on Oct 1. We FINALLY went on a date! We got a babysitter and set off for dinner at the newly opened Buffalo Wild Wings. Well, it was their first Friday and we were looking at about an hour wait. We found it silly to be paying a babysitter a mile away while we sat around for an hour so we went to Sakura (sushi and hibachi) for dinner instead. We were determined to see a movie that night since we've only been on 2 movie dates since Evan was born. We had slim pickings but opted for "The Town" starring and directed by Ben Affleck. We were very pleasantly surprised. Although the story is nothing like the Departed, it impressed us to that degree.
Oct 1st also marks a new celebration in our family... Steve and Sabina Ronald's anniversary! In a very special and intimate wedding celebration, Sabina and Steve tied the knot! Here they are with their little "Ring Bear".
We also celebrated our 4th anniversary on Oct 8. We're officially celebrating with a date night in 2 more weeks when my sister will take Evan for an overnight but as an unofficial celebration we went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Evan in tow.
Surgery - we had to postpone our anniversary date because I actually just had surgery. If you're shocked that you were out of the loop, don't be. I actually hardly told anyone beforehand because I myself wasn't even thinking about it... probably a good thing so I wouldn't get worked up! When I was pregnant with Evan they discovered a cyst on my ovary that they kept an eye on for the next year and when it didn't resolve on its own, they recommended having it surgically removed. I put that off for about 9 months and then finally went for it. It was outpatient surgery, and lathroscopic, and also really downplayed. We also didn't tell many people because the way it was explained it seemed no more intense than getting some fillings at the dentist. Well I spent about 8 hours at the hospital (3 of which were pre-op) and left with 4 very small yet very sore incisions, very nauseous and very groggy. Jack stayed home the rest of the week. Evan plays quite aggressively these days! The first few days were pretty rough but within a week I was pretty much back to 99%.
Well, the bub is up from his nap so I will leave with a few more autumn pics.
Labor Day - We had a blast at our friend's Andy & Aubrey's BBQ. There were a bunch of other families and friends there. Evan had fun "playing football", holding lovey up at gunpoint, playing with bubbles and dressing up as a cowboy. OK, maybe we had fun staging most of that, but at least he went along with it!
Thanksmas - about a month ago now we celebrated "Thanksmas" with my family. We got together with my parents and sisters and their families (sans Erika who is doing grad school in Boston, and Sabina/Steve/Levi who were visiting his side of the family). We celebrated all of the cousin birthdays, ranging from January - October. We went apple picking and on a hayride. We also had a Thanksgiving dinner since my parents are in Florida for Thanksgiving and all us daughters celebrate with our in-laws. It was a beyond gorgeous day... warm and sunny, bright blue sky.
Scotland comes to Clifton Park - we had visitors from Scotland for about a week! A hopeful hire for Fingerpaint and his wife flew over for an in-person interview and to get to know the area. Jack had networked with Steven Grant through Twitter. Turns out the Grants are the Scottish version of us! They're celebrating their 4th anniversary this month, have a 1 yr old (and a 2 yr old... they're ahead of us on that!), visited the Dominican Republic for their 1st anniversary, love all the same shows as us... needless to say we had a blast with them. We found ourselves thinking in a Scottish accent by the end of their visit! Steven went in to the office with Jack for 2 days and Sarah and I got together with Sara J and Danielle (FP wives past and present). We had a great time showing them around the area and just hanging out getting to know each other. I must admit, the thought of hosting guests we had never met was a little intimidating, but I'm so glad we had the opportunity and pray that it's just the beginning of our friendship with them.
Celebrations - Jack celebrated his 27th birthday (we're the same age!) on Oct 1. We FINALLY went on a date! We got a babysitter and set off for dinner at the newly opened Buffalo Wild Wings. Well, it was their first Friday and we were looking at about an hour wait. We found it silly to be paying a babysitter a mile away while we sat around for an hour so we went to Sakura (sushi and hibachi) for dinner instead. We were determined to see a movie that night since we've only been on 2 movie dates since Evan was born. We had slim pickings but opted for "The Town" starring and directed by Ben Affleck. We were very pleasantly surprised. Although the story is nothing like the Departed, it impressed us to that degree.
Oct 1st also marks a new celebration in our family... Steve and Sabina Ronald's anniversary! In a very special and intimate wedding celebration, Sabina and Steve tied the knot! Here they are with their little "Ring Bear".
We also celebrated our 4th anniversary on Oct 8. We're officially celebrating with a date night in 2 more weeks when my sister will take Evan for an overnight but as an unofficial celebration we went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Evan in tow.
Surgery - we had to postpone our anniversary date because I actually just had surgery. If you're shocked that you were out of the loop, don't be. I actually hardly told anyone beforehand because I myself wasn't even thinking about it... probably a good thing so I wouldn't get worked up! When I was pregnant with Evan they discovered a cyst on my ovary that they kept an eye on for the next year and when it didn't resolve on its own, they recommended having it surgically removed. I put that off for about 9 months and then finally went for it. It was outpatient surgery, and lathroscopic, and also really downplayed. We also didn't tell many people because the way it was explained it seemed no more intense than getting some fillings at the dentist. Well I spent about 8 hours at the hospital (3 of which were pre-op) and left with 4 very small yet very sore incisions, very nauseous and very groggy. Jack stayed home the rest of the week. Evan plays quite aggressively these days! The first few days were pretty rough but within a week I was pretty much back to 99%.
Well, the bub is up from his nap so I will leave with a few more autumn pics.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
11 months!
So what's new with my almost 1 year old? I'm trying to expand his cuisine options, which gets difficult for a little dude with only 2 teeth! Some new things that we've had great success with is string cheese, pesto pasta, quesadillas, fish, meatballs, and ground turkey. The fish has to be marinated. I had made fish tacos for Jack and I one night and gave Evan a little try. He couldn't get enough, surprisingly! So I cooked him some more the next day with no seasoning and he didn't touch it. So now I marinate it the same way as the fish tacos every time and he gobbles it up - olive oil, lemon juice, chili powder and allspice. He doesn't like many veggies but he loves green beans and peas. I sneak tomatoes in to the pesto pasta and spinach into quesadillas. I'm trying to think of some ways to sneak other veggies into his diet.
He's starting to self-wean. He's just not as interested in nursing anymore... but he's not very interested in cow's milk either! We've only tried it for a few days, and I know it's a rough transition for some kids, but Evan seems ready to move on!
He hasn't shown much interest in trying to walk but we've caught him letting go of his prop when standing a few times and freestanding for a few seconds. He just got a walking toy for an early birthday present and he's still learning how to use it. He starts moving too fast and ends up on his knees and will then walk across the room on his knees. It's super cute!
I've noticed that he's really been developing his spacial intelligence. He's figuring out how certain objects fit into others. He gets a really intense face when he's learning too! When he tips out his toy bin I notice that a lot of the time he'll pull out balls. I think he's going to be a jock! My nephew did the same thing when he was little and he ended up playing football, baseball and soccer (now college soccer!). He's expanding his vocabulary ever so slightly. A lot of stuff is still "dadadada" but there's more mamama or just "meh" happening, nanana, bababa, bebebe, bwabwabwa and some other random syllables. It doesn't seem like he's associated any sounds with a particular object yet. He will "motorboat" when he's playing with his trucks though. Is that just a boy instinct?
He's starting to self-wean. He's just not as interested in nursing anymore... but he's not very interested in cow's milk either! We've only tried it for a few days, and I know it's a rough transition for some kids, but Evan seems ready to move on!
He hasn't shown much interest in trying to walk but we've caught him letting go of his prop when standing a few times and freestanding for a few seconds. He just got a walking toy for an early birthday present and he's still learning how to use it. He starts moving too fast and ends up on his knees and will then walk across the room on his knees. It's super cute!
I've noticed that he's really been developing his spacial intelligence. He's figuring out how certain objects fit into others. He gets a really intense face when he's learning too! When he tips out his toy bin I notice that a lot of the time he'll pull out balls. I think he's going to be a jock! My nephew did the same thing when he was little and he ended up playing football, baseball and soccer (now college soccer!). He's expanding his vocabulary ever so slightly. A lot of stuff is still "dadadada" but there's more mamama or just "meh" happening, nanana, bababa, bebebe, bwabwabwa and some other random syllables. It doesn't seem like he's associated any sounds with a particular object yet. He will "motorboat" when he's playing with his trucks though. Is that just a boy instinct?
Friday, September 17, 2010
A bunch of videos
Flattulant from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
uh yuh yuh yuh yuh from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
My new face from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
Big cup from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
Skype from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
Here's Evan skyping with Aunt Catherine
Bathtime from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
I wanna be just like Daddy
Ok so Jack was actually copying Evan in each of these pictures, but they're still wicked cute!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It's that time of year
No, not Christmas... although I did see Christmas stuff out at Michael's a few weeks ago. And one of my neighbors has their lights up already. Well, not already...still. They still have their lights up. No, it's that time of year where I let go of my beloved summer and commit to liking fall. I really don't mind the season on it's own. It's the reminder of the imminent long winter that prevents me from fully loving it.
But I'm committed to liking it now. I turned on the heat for the first time this morning. I can handle the house temp a little cooler, but I'm not sure Evan can. Especially since my fellow summer lover hates wearing socks! Plus my thin-blooded now-Floridian parents were coming over and I didn't want them to freeze! The leaves are starting to change. I can get away with cooking heartier hot meals. The flip flops are getting less use since it's cool enough to prefer socks. I bought cider donuts and apple cider. I'm looking forward to going apple picking with my extended family on Saturday (Evan's first time!). And we're going to have a Thanksmas dinner afterwards. We were just going to keep it low key with a bbq or pizza, but my sister Ginger being the adorable kook and cook that she is happened to have a large and small turkey in the freezer and threw that idea out there. My parents are in Florida for Thanksgiving but visit for Christmas but we have a low-key Christmas dinner so this is the second time we're having a big Thanksmas dinner before they head south.
I like this season even more now that it reminds me of the anticipation we had before Evan was born last year and life with newborn Evan. The late night chilly walks trying to trigger labor, cooking up a storm to freeze a bunch of meals, checking into the hospital, bringing him home and going for walks with the stroller running over the crunchy leaves. It all stirs up such wonderful memories of my little bitty guy who is now a chatty crawler/climber who eats solid foods, has a tooth, plays in the bathtub, torments the cat and wears 18 month clothes.
But I'm committed to liking it now. I turned on the heat for the first time this morning. I can handle the house temp a little cooler, but I'm not sure Evan can. Especially since my fellow summer lover hates wearing socks! Plus my thin-blooded now-Floridian parents were coming over and I didn't want them to freeze! The leaves are starting to change. I can get away with cooking heartier hot meals. The flip flops are getting less use since it's cool enough to prefer socks. I bought cider donuts and apple cider. I'm looking forward to going apple picking with my extended family on Saturday (Evan's first time!). And we're going to have a Thanksmas dinner afterwards. We were just going to keep it low key with a bbq or pizza, but my sister Ginger being the adorable kook and cook that she is happened to have a large and small turkey in the freezer and threw that idea out there. My parents are in Florida for Thanksgiving but visit for Christmas but we have a low-key Christmas dinner so this is the second time we're having a big Thanksmas dinner before they head south.
I like this season even more now that it reminds me of the anticipation we had before Evan was born last year and life with newborn Evan. The late night chilly walks trying to trigger labor, cooking up a storm to freeze a bunch of meals, checking into the hospital, bringing him home and going for walks with the stroller running over the crunchy leaves. It all stirs up such wonderful memories of my little bitty guy who is now a chatty crawler/climber who eats solid foods, has a tooth, plays in the bathtub, torments the cat and wears 18 month clothes.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Back online
Ok the title is a bit deceiving because I've been online here and there, but the home-laptop has been on the fritz for almost 2 months now. It would only work when plugged in and would hibernate whenever it came unplugged... even if it was shut. This left me pretty unmotivated to blog. Not to mention that most of our pictures/video end up on Jack's work laptop since we got our new Canon 7D. Well the laptop is fixed now, thankfully under warranty. I still have to get a bunch of video/pictures from Jack's laptop to post but here's a few things I have access to right now.
Playing outside on a blanket. We miss the summer already!
My new face
Who knew Baby Orajel had 2 uses for teething?
Apparently Evan is finished with these childish toys so he took it upon himself to throw them in the garbage.
If I don't want it, you can't have it either from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
Here's Evan "sharing" his food with Daddy.
Humph from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
I haven't figured out exactly what this means. Sometimes he imitates me doing it. Sometimes he'll do it when he's frustrated. Sometimes he'll do it when I'm changing his diaper. Sometimes he'll do it when I make a different face at him. Whatever it means, it always makes me laugh!
Belly Laughs from Jennifer McDade on Vimeo.
Good ol' changing table fun
Monday, August 23, 2010
10 months old!
My little boy is 10 months old already! He's all hands & knees when crawling now, and man he gets around fast! He pulls himself up like a pro and sometimes when he lets go, he'll hover a little before plopping on his behind. He's started pivoting when sitting up using just his legs. It looks like a little breakdance move! He loves throwing his toys down the stairs. It's pretty funny watching him crawl back and forth to grab a toy and then throw it through the banister slats!
He's understanding more and more. Hopefully getting the hang of the word "no". When he's in the right mood and you ask him for a kiss, he'll come at you with an open mouth until he gives you a kiss! He's adding more and more consonants to his "vocabulary". Dadada is still the most used. He'll occasionally through Daddeeee into the mix. He also likes to say nanana, rarara, and once in a while he'll throw in a mamama.
He FINALLY popped a tooth last week (for my own reference - August 17th is when I first noticed it). He loves feeding himself and has almost completely phased out being fed. He'll still do yogurt for lunch, and maybe 1 or 2 baby food meals in a jar a week for dinner. He loves bagels, macaroni, toast, string cheese, most fruits, and surprisingly canned green beans and frozen peas. He'll eat a little ground beef or chicken. I need to find a way to sneak some more veggies into the mix. He likes throwing his food on the floor with a very defiant look on his face. Drives me crazy! But I think he's still too young to pick a fight with over it.
He's sleeping VERY well these days. He'll still do 11-12 hours at night and now he'll take about a 2 hour nap in the morning and afternoon!
He's getting over his stranger anxiety. He's still a little sensitive if some people make the wrong face at him, but he's doing better at letting other people hold him besides me or Jack.
He's understanding more and more. Hopefully getting the hang of the word "no". When he's in the right mood and you ask him for a kiss, he'll come at you with an open mouth until he gives you a kiss! He's adding more and more consonants to his "vocabulary". Dadada is still the most used. He'll occasionally through Daddeeee into the mix. He also likes to say nanana, rarara, and once in a while he'll throw in a mamama.
He FINALLY popped a tooth last week (for my own reference - August 17th is when I first noticed it). He loves feeding himself and has almost completely phased out being fed. He'll still do yogurt for lunch, and maybe 1 or 2 baby food meals in a jar a week for dinner. He loves bagels, macaroni, toast, string cheese, most fruits, and surprisingly canned green beans and frozen peas. He'll eat a little ground beef or chicken. I need to find a way to sneak some more veggies into the mix. He likes throwing his food on the floor with a very defiant look on his face. Drives me crazy! But I think he's still too young to pick a fight with over it.
He's sleeping VERY well these days. He'll still do 11-12 hours at night and now he'll take about a 2 hour nap in the morning and afternoon!
He's getting over his stranger anxiety. He's still a little sensitive if some people make the wrong face at him, but he's doing better at letting other people hold him besides me or Jack.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wedding season finale
Where have I been for the last 3 weeks? It's been crazy. Jack and I took off on adventures to opposite sides of the country on July 29. He flew off to Seattle and I drove to Boston with Evan. Jack was the best man for his life-long friend Tom Garrity. We determined earlier in the summer that while it would be awesome to have a family vacation in Seattle, Evan would not endure the trip. So I went to Maine to be with his family with a night in Boston to visit Dan & Tara Van Horne (& Alex!). We had a blast catching up and even though they're over a year apart, the boys played together so well!
I continued on to Maine the next morning and for the first time ever, I arrived by 10:30am! It's a lot easier when you're heading out from Boston! We said some quick hellos and then sent off Papa Jon, Strom, Catherine and Joseph for an overnight hiking trip. We enjoyed some quiet quality time with Gram and Aunt Regan for the next 2 days. You would never know it was the week before her wedding by looking at Regan. Our days were spend sunbathing, lounging in the pool, shopping, going out to dinner, watching movies, stargazing, campfires.... pretty much the usual! It was suuuch a relaxing week leading up to her wedding.
Jack flew in to Portland on Tuesday (Aug 3) after enjoying a few days with his cousin and exploring Seattle after the wedding. Unfortunately, we both ended up catching some nasty stomach bug that we managed to kick right before the wedding. It left me a few pounds lighter (only 1.5 more to go to the pre-preg weight!) but it also left my dress looser!
The wedding went off without a hitch (other than a song mixup at the reception). The weather was PERFECT... 73, partly cloudy and a light breeze. The setting was gorgeous. It was a grassy amphitheater behind the public library in Camden which is a quaint coastal town in Maine. There was a harbor across the street with a bunch of sailboats and yachts. The cool thing about the location is that when we went to Camden after Jack's graduation, we explored around the town after dinner and came across the amphitheater and Regan said "I'd love to get married here someday"... and she did! Something else that was really sweet about the wedding is that Regan had never seen Strom in his dress blues before, so they both got to have a "see each other for the first time" moment in what they were wearing for the wedding. She came down the aisle to the very fitting theme for Band of Brothers before marrying her military man. After a sweet ceremony and some pictures, we headed to the reception around the corner at the Whitehall Inn, a lovely maintained yet historic B&B. They hired a 4 piece band that played hits from the 40's. Such a classy reception. So much dancing to be done, and somehow I didn't get enough! It was so sweet, none of us wanted it to end. We probably spent over an hour saying goodbye over and over again.
Evan was such a trooper. I had been so nervous about this day because he's pretty set in his nap schedule and can be a huge grump if it's thrown off. But he sucked it up and was a blast at the reception, crawling all around the room and giggling and dancing with us. It was such a sweet way to wrap up our wedding season for the year. We miss you terribly Regan & Strom!! Can't wait to see you on your way through NY!
I continued on to Maine the next morning and for the first time ever, I arrived by 10:30am! It's a lot easier when you're heading out from Boston! We said some quick hellos and then sent off Papa Jon, Strom, Catherine and Joseph for an overnight hiking trip. We enjoyed some quiet quality time with Gram and Aunt Regan for the next 2 days. You would never know it was the week before her wedding by looking at Regan. Our days were spend sunbathing, lounging in the pool, shopping, going out to dinner, watching movies, stargazing, campfires.... pretty much the usual! It was suuuch a relaxing week leading up to her wedding.
Jack flew in to Portland on Tuesday (Aug 3) after enjoying a few days with his cousin and exploring Seattle after the wedding. Unfortunately, we both ended up catching some nasty stomach bug that we managed to kick right before the wedding. It left me a few pounds lighter (only 1.5 more to go to the pre-preg weight!) but it also left my dress looser!
The wedding went off without a hitch (other than a song mixup at the reception). The weather was PERFECT... 73, partly cloudy and a light breeze. The setting was gorgeous. It was a grassy amphitheater behind the public library in Camden which is a quaint coastal town in Maine. There was a harbor across the street with a bunch of sailboats and yachts. The cool thing about the location is that when we went to Camden after Jack's graduation, we explored around the town after dinner and came across the amphitheater and Regan said "I'd love to get married here someday"... and she did! Something else that was really sweet about the wedding is that Regan had never seen Strom in his dress blues before, so they both got to have a "see each other for the first time" moment in what they were wearing for the wedding. She came down the aisle to the very fitting theme for Band of Brothers before marrying her military man. After a sweet ceremony and some pictures, we headed to the reception around the corner at the Whitehall Inn, a lovely maintained yet historic B&B. They hired a 4 piece band that played hits from the 40's. Such a classy reception. So much dancing to be done, and somehow I didn't get enough! It was so sweet, none of us wanted it to end. We probably spent over an hour saying goodbye over and over again.
Evan was such a trooper. I had been so nervous about this day because he's pretty set in his nap schedule and can be a huge grump if it's thrown off. But he sucked it up and was a blast at the reception, crawling all around the room and giggling and dancing with us. It was such a sweet way to wrap up our wedding season for the year. We miss you terribly Regan & Strom!! Can't wait to see you on your way through NY!
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