Monday, June 25, 2012
In case you think I've forgotten...
I promise I haven't. Forgotten to write that is. Just went through one of those periods when I have more to do than time to do it. And if you dear readers will be patient with me for just a couple more days, I will have plenty to share. I have cupcakes to share, as well as decorating stories (with pictures!). Just wanted to check in though and say I am still here and haven't abandoned this blog yet again.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
My Giant Little Baby
So today we had our 28-week appointment, and an ultrasound to get a size estimate. I love any opportunity to see my little guy, and today we had the added bonus of getting a 3D photo of Ben's face. We never had a 3D image of Will, so it was very exciting to see one of Ben. His little face is so cute! His eyes were closed and his little lips were all puckered up. He put on a bit of a show for the ultrasound tech, rolling and kicking whenever she would get a good shot. It seems he never stops moving!
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
For those of you who don't remember, Will was an exceptionally large baby. 10 lb, 7 oz at birth. Yes, I did type that correctly. There is a reason my son came through the sun roof. And before you ask me in your head, no, I did not have gestational diabetes, and Will had no blood sugar issues after birth. He was just a big baby. He has never been below the 99th percentile in height, though his weight percentile has been on a gentle decline throughout his life. All these factors are the reason I had an ultrasound today. My doctor, whom I love dearly, made an educated guess that our next child could likely be large. And since I was hoping for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) delivery, keeping up with the size of this child is important.
So we got in the ultrasound room and our tech started getting measurements. Two pictures in she said, "Yeah Mom, he is going to be big". And I just sort of sighed and rolled with it. As she continued to take measurements we got to see our perfect little guy. She commented multiple times on how good everything looked, and when I asked she pointed out that there was no fat accumulated on the baby. She indicated several areas where fat pads develop later in pregnancy, and there was no fat to find, which was fabulous news. If there had been fat accumulation she would have been concerned about my blood sugar. She told me, "you have no control over this. It is genetic- you just make big babies". The best part was I knew she was telling me the truth. I love our ultrasound tech as much as our doctor, and while she is a lovely, kind woman, she would have no problem telling me if she thought something wasn't right.
So at this point Ben is measuring 4 weeks larger than he is. After the ultrasound I had my regular appointment, which also went well. We decided that unless something changes pretty significantly in the next month, we are going to have another c-section. I am a little sad about this, but I know that my safety and Ben's is most important. And the up side is that if we do have a c-section I can schedule it a week before my due date- makes things easier on me and gives Ben one less week to become giant-sized in my womb.
I am a little bummed about how things have turned out because I have been working so hard to exercise and control my weight-gain with this pregnancy, and ultimately it didn't change the outcome. I don't regret the work because of the health benefits we have both received, but it is frustrating not to be able to control this more. On the other hand, I do not feel guilty. When I found out Will was big, I was devastated, and felt so guilty. I transferred a lot of my unhappiness about my body image and weight to guilt that I was making Will unhealthy, which turned out to be completely wrong, but I couldn't see that until much later. This time I know I have done everything I could to be healthy, and I can hear what my doctors are telling me and know it to be the truth. Eli sat there today and kept smirking at me and wiggling his eyebrows and when I would ask him what he was doing he would crow about making big strapping boys and swelling with macho pride. I am taking my cue from him and will proudly tell anyone interested about my giant little baby.
Monday, June 4, 2012
A half a year gone, and look what happens
Two friends, one a long-time blogger and one just starting, have by example made it clear to me that I have neglected this blog for far too long. One friend decided to start a blog to remove herself from the Facebook craziness and share her family adventures with friends, and another has returned after a rough patch of dissatisfaction with her creative direction and loss of motivation. Both write for different reasons, but both have committed to writing consistently, which has inspired me to get back on the horse.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Baby Boy at 21 weeks
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
The last time I wrote, I was welcoming the beginning of a new decade of my life. What I did not mention in that post was that Eli and I were also beginning the journey to welcoming a new life into our lives. On my birthday I was just shy of 6 weeks pregnant, the tiny life so new that we had not yet been to our first prenatal checkup. My excitement about this pregnancy was and is beyond description. We had a long road of trying and disappointment leading to this new life, and the relief of success and joy following is such a gift.
Pregnancy has been good the second time around, though more different than I would have suspected. Unlike my first pregnancy, I have had a multitude of symptoms to deal with, including 3 months of morning, afternoon, and evening sickness. Yuck! Aside from said sickness, none of the other symptoms have been particularly bad, though my repressed immune system has made allergy season much, much worse than normal for me. I have such sympathy now for those who go deal with severe allergies every year. I don't know how I would cope.
One of the good differences about this pregnancy is my exercise routine. When pregnant with Will, there basically was no routine between working until 7 months along and then moving to a new city almost 1000 miles away from our apartment in Baltimore. This pregnancy I have been at the YMCA as much as possible. In the first 2 trimesters I was there 5 days a week more often then not. These last 3 weeks have not been as good because of travel and appointments, but I am back in gear this week and plan to continue this routine through the end of the pregnancy. I feel so much better and have not gotten nearly as big as I did the first time around. May I just ask, where has yoga been all my life? I scoffed at yoga for years but have now seen the light. I have a yoga class every day of the week and it is my favorite activity by far.
We found out in mid-March that our new bundle is a little boy! Will is going to have a baby brother, and I may apply for combat pay. :) In all seriousness though, I am delighted to have another little boy. Before we knew, when asked Eli and I would both say it would be nice to have a girl, to have one of each. And there was plenty of talk about how wonderful a little girl could be. When the ultrasound tech was taking the images, she initially thought we had a girl, only to correct herself two minutes later when the umbilical chord moved out of the way. If there was ever a sure-fire way to know if you truly had a preference, that would be it. Thankfully, I was just as happy to learn he was a boy as when I thought he was a girl.
Choosing a name for this little guy was a bit more of a process than with Will. Will's name had been decided upon long before he even existed. This time, we had plenty of girl names ready, but not another boy name. I went though one of those giant baby name books and made a list, then made Eli do the same thing without seeing my list. The list of common names between the two lists was depressingly short, so it sat untouched. The day we found out the gender, while we were waiting for the doctor, I asked Eli what he thought about Benjamin. Eli, in his customary way, thought for a quiet minute, then said he liked it just fine. A few weeks later, after learning that Benjamin happens to be a family name on Eli's mom's side of the family, we agreed on a middle name from my side of the family. Benjamin Armstrong Roberson is what we decided upon, and Will very gladly will tell you that "Baby Ben" is in my tummy.
Speaking of Will, good grief is he growing up fast. He is all boy, and such a talker! ( I know, big surprise he is a talker, he is my child.) He loves to play pretend and lines all his toy vehicles up to make them into one huge train. He is currently obsessed with the movie Cars, and runs around the house quoting lines from the movie. Potty training is happening slowly but surely, probably more slowly than necessary but that is totally on Momma and Daddy. He graduated to a toddler bed in early March, and has done much better than I could have hoped. We still find him sleeping under the bed fairly regularly, but he is staying out of things for the most part. He likes to tell stories and play at the park, and he absolutely knows how to turn up the cuteness factor to try to get what he wants. Will is also going through what I am told is the typical emotional, dramatic 2-year-old phase. Everything is either a huge joy or a huge tragedy. We get several mini-meltdowns on any given day. The funny thing is if you can get a word in edgewise to tell him what is going on, he normally calms right down. I will offer something and he will scream and moan " I don't WANT that!!", and if I can get through the noise enough to remind him he isn't being forced and ask him how to say it nicely, he will calm down immediately and say "no thanks, Momma."
In a couple of weeks my best friend will be coming to visit in order to paint the spare room to become Will's new room. We are going to decorate it with Thomas the Tank Engine decals and the walls will be painted sky blue and grass green. I think it is going to be great, and I know Will is going to love it. We will also be adding a waterfall to the murals in the nursery, along with a big turtle with Ben writing in the shell markings. Plans for these rooms have caused me to start nesting early, and I know I am driving Eli out of his mind. But I get so anxious worrying about all the things around the house that I want done before Ben arrives, because I know it will be months before we are really back to any kind of normal once he arrives. I got in such a tizzy Saturday that Eli let me have my way, but only once I promised that Sunday afternoon I would take a break and go see a movie in order to protect every one's mental health. I agreed, and as usual in these situations, Eli was right.
That is as much as i think goes in this particular blog. I have several entries under the topic of baking, and books I have read that I will share shortly, and if I am a slacker please feel free to call me on it. I truly want to be more consistent with this blog.
Monday, January 2, 2012
A New Year, and Goodbye to my 20's
So we welcomed in 2012 very quietly at my house. Eli and I made it to midnight, but just barely. I know that 2011 was not a good year for many people, but we really can't complain. Given the ups and major downs of 2010, 2011 was nice for us because it was steady. No huge highs, but also no terrible lows. Given the circumstances I say that counts as a pretty good year. I am looking forward to all that 2012 will bring for my family.
Just a day after saying hello to a new year, I have had to say goodbye to a decade. Today I turn 30-years-old. I am no longer in my 20's. To be honest, this doesn't bother me a bit. I would be lying if I didn't admit this birthday has caused me to pause and reflect, but I came to no negative conclusions. I am glad to be 30. I hope that my 30's will be a time of really enjoying adulthood and being confident and satisfied with my decisions and the direction of my life. I want to be less concerned with what I "should" be doing, and more concerned with what will make me and my family happy. A decade of not worrying what other people think sounds really wonderful, doesn't it?
Just a day after saying hello to a new year, I have had to say goodbye to a decade. Today I turn 30-years-old. I am no longer in my 20's. To be honest, this doesn't bother me a bit. I would be lying if I didn't admit this birthday has caused me to pause and reflect, but I came to no negative conclusions. I am glad to be 30. I hope that my 30's will be a time of really enjoying adulthood and being confident and satisfied with my decisions and the direction of my life. I want to be less concerned with what I "should" be doing, and more concerned with what will make me and my family happy. A decade of not worrying what other people think sounds really wonderful, doesn't it?
Monday, October 3, 2011
5 Years and Proof My Husband Knows Me
In just a few shorts days, my wonderful husband and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary. It really seems crazy that we have been together for 7 1/2 years, and married for almost 5. Crazy because that time is both forever and a blink of the eye. I am so incredibly lucky that I am every bit as happy today as I was on my wedding day; happier really as our lives are so much fuller.
We have done so much and grown in a multitude of ways since we began dating. We got together the summer after college graduation; I started to make a list of some of the things we had experienced/survived together but stopped because I realized that the particulars aren't necessarily interesting to you dear readers, and regardless a list wouldn't begin to explain our experiences and history. I would imagine that most couples that have travelled more than a handful of years together happily (at least mostly) would say the same thing.
So to celebrate what we both consider our first milestone anniversary, we agreed to be a little extravagant with our gifts. We talked about general budgets and went on our merry way. I puzzled for a while over this- Eli is not particularly easy to buy for as he rarely has a burning desire for any "thing" and what items he puts on a wish list tend to be very modest. After a lot of thought I decided to get him a new subscription to satellite radio, and a pair of replacement ear buds with microphone for his Iphone. When we bought the Caliber in 2008 it came with a full year of Sirius free, but we had to let it lapse at the end of that time because we didn't feel we could afford such a luxury item. Eli had been sad to see it go, especially since we were just transitioning to the daily commute that would be keeping him in the car up to 2 hours a day. I was able to get him 15 months worth of the radio and stay within budget (yay free previews and discounts for being a return customer)!
Strangely, all through this talking and planning time, Eli never once asked me what I wanted. Even more strangely, I didn't really notice. Typically Eli will ask for my input before buying a gift. He doesn't always get the things I suggest,(which I actually really like) but he at least asks. But the time came and went and one day he just let me know he had ordered my gift and it would be arriving in a couple of days. He had it delivered to the lab so I wouldn't see it by accident if it was left on the stoop by the deliverer. Of course this lit a fire under my behind and I immediately ordered the subscription. The plan was to hold on to our gifts and actually present them to each other on this Friday. Unfortunately, in my haste to catch up with him, and the haste of the person selling me the subscription, the radio was activated the day I purchased the subscription, rather than our anniversary. I spent a fruitless 20 minutes on the phone trying to get it corrected with no success, so I told Eli we would have to exchange gifts early. He didn't seem to mind this, and in fact seemed very confident about his gift.
It was only in the day leading up to the exchange that I really started to wonder what he may have gotten me. My sister and best friend were both full of ideas- they got me so excited that I started getting nervous. I had been messing with Eli and told him that I had to go pick up his present because it had been delivered early, and I needed the Caliber and a tape measure to measure the hatch because I wasn't sure if it would fit. This really threw him for a loop. So after we put Will to bed I asked him if he wanted his present 1st or 2nd. He said first, so I made him put his shoes on and go out to the car, closing his eyes as he approached so he couldn't see anything. Once inside, I first gave him the ear buds, which he was delighted with and laughingly said could be his entire present. I told him to hush and turned the car on and the radio. He was so excited. It was probably the best gift giving I have ever done.
As we walked back into the house I was getting more and more nervous. He retrieved my gift from the basement. It was in a big black garbage bag, so I had no idea what it could be other than it obviously was somewhat heavy. Eli made me look at the ceiling while he removed the garbage bag. What I saw when I looked down made me immediately start crying- I was beyond excited. What he gave me was:
That's right dear readers, a 5 Quart Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of these since we got married! This, the Cadillac of all stand mixers, and it is mine!!! If I ever had any doubt about how well my husband knows me, and how much he really does pay attention to things (even if his short term memory isn't always the best :) ), that doubt is gone forever. This was the most thoughtful, wonderful gift he could have possibly come up with. I know that some women would consider various forms of bodily harm towards their husbands if given a kitchen appliance as an anniversary gift, but not me. This present was perfect.
We have done so much and grown in a multitude of ways since we began dating. We got together the summer after college graduation; I started to make a list of some of the things we had experienced/survived together but stopped because I realized that the particulars aren't necessarily interesting to you dear readers, and regardless a list wouldn't begin to explain our experiences and history. I would imagine that most couples that have travelled more than a handful of years together happily (at least mostly) would say the same thing.
So to celebrate what we both consider our first milestone anniversary, we agreed to be a little extravagant with our gifts. We talked about general budgets and went on our merry way. I puzzled for a while over this- Eli is not particularly easy to buy for as he rarely has a burning desire for any "thing" and what items he puts on a wish list tend to be very modest. After a lot of thought I decided to get him a new subscription to satellite radio, and a pair of replacement ear buds with microphone for his Iphone. When we bought the Caliber in 2008 it came with a full year of Sirius free, but we had to let it lapse at the end of that time because we didn't feel we could afford such a luxury item. Eli had been sad to see it go, especially since we were just transitioning to the daily commute that would be keeping him in the car up to 2 hours a day. I was able to get him 15 months worth of the radio and stay within budget (yay free previews and discounts for being a return customer)!
Strangely, all through this talking and planning time, Eli never once asked me what I wanted. Even more strangely, I didn't really notice. Typically Eli will ask for my input before buying a gift. He doesn't always get the things I suggest,(which I actually really like) but he at least asks. But the time came and went and one day he just let me know he had ordered my gift and it would be arriving in a couple of days. He had it delivered to the lab so I wouldn't see it by accident if it was left on the stoop by the deliverer. Of course this lit a fire under my behind and I immediately ordered the subscription. The plan was to hold on to our gifts and actually present them to each other on this Friday. Unfortunately, in my haste to catch up with him, and the haste of the person selling me the subscription, the radio was activated the day I purchased the subscription, rather than our anniversary. I spent a fruitless 20 minutes on the phone trying to get it corrected with no success, so I told Eli we would have to exchange gifts early. He didn't seem to mind this, and in fact seemed very confident about his gift.
It was only in the day leading up to the exchange that I really started to wonder what he may have gotten me. My sister and best friend were both full of ideas- they got me so excited that I started getting nervous. I had been messing with Eli and told him that I had to go pick up his present because it had been delivered early, and I needed the Caliber and a tape measure to measure the hatch because I wasn't sure if it would fit. This really threw him for a loop. So after we put Will to bed I asked him if he wanted his present 1st or 2nd. He said first, so I made him put his shoes on and go out to the car, closing his eyes as he approached so he couldn't see anything. Once inside, I first gave him the ear buds, which he was delighted with and laughingly said could be his entire present. I told him to hush and turned the car on and the radio. He was so excited. It was probably the best gift giving I have ever done.
As we walked back into the house I was getting more and more nervous. He retrieved my gift from the basement. It was in a big black garbage bag, so I had no idea what it could be other than it obviously was somewhat heavy. Eli made me look at the ceiling while he removed the garbage bag. What I saw when I looked down made me immediately start crying- I was beyond excited. What he gave me was:
That's right dear readers, a 5 Quart Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer!!!! I have wanted one of these since we got married! This, the Cadillac of all stand mixers, and it is mine!!! If I ever had any doubt about how well my husband knows me, and how much he really does pay attention to things (even if his short term memory isn't always the best :) ), that doubt is gone forever. This was the most thoughtful, wonderful gift he could have possibly come up with. I know that some women would consider various forms of bodily harm towards their husbands if given a kitchen appliance as an anniversary gift, but not me. This present was perfect.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Cake
Ok, I know I have shocked you. 2 posts in one day blows way past expectations for this blog. But this has been a big week, and I have LOTS to share!
So, as mentioned in the previous post, Will's birthday was Sunday. We decided to have a party for him on Saturday the 24th. We went with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme,(one of Will's favorites) and I decided we would make individual homemade pizzas for dinner. We invited all our friends from Eli's lab, and our friends here in Festus who have a son 6 months older than Will. All-in-all I think we had a good plan. I decided we needed a festive cake to go along with the party's theme; a cake that would really make Will excited. I can tell you I succeeded in giving Will that surprise. I can also tell you I almost killed myself getting it done.
The Friday before the party, Will and I went to the St. Louis Zoo with our friend Julie and her son Jake, our frequent play date partners and good friends. Julie's father joined us and Eli even came from the office to walk around with us for a while. A good time was had by all. Julie, being the saint that she often is, offered to keep Will for me the rest of the afternoon so that I could get busy baking the cakes. I took her up on the offer and went directly home.
The cake I chose to make is from an idea on sproutonline.com. Sprout is a cable channel composed entirely of PBS shows for preschoolers. It is currently Will's only source of television, and regularly shows party and craft ideas. The cake is actually relatively simple- instead of using traditional cake pans, bake two standard size cake recipes in 12 mini loaf pans. Once baked, use 2 of the mini cakes to form Thomas (I cheated and used unrolled and stacked swiss cake rolls for the barrel of the engine), and decorate the others as train cars. Create a track out of sugar wafer cookies and crushed chocolate cookies, and top frosted train cars with candy freight. Not too bad, right?
Well I never accurately account for the time needed to put big baking projects together. I did get all the baking done on Friday afternoon with no trouble at all. I made half of the cars from a banana cake recipe that I knew Will loved. I made the other half with a great moist chocolate cake recipe- both can be found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. The banana cake got cream cheese frosting and the chocolate cake got a fluffy white frosting with a touch of orange extract. Saturday I spent the first hour I was awake doing little chores and ushering Eli and Will out of the house (Eli took Will to the Transportation Museum so I could work on the cake without interruption or chance of Will seeing it too soon). I began putting the cake together at about 9:15am. I didn't finish until almost 2:00pm. This was for a simple cake!!!
Needless to say, the party went very well. Will was so excited about everything- and didn't immediately realize he got to eat the cake. Below are some pictures of the work-in-progress and the final product.
So, as mentioned in the previous post, Will's birthday was Sunday. We decided to have a party for him on Saturday the 24th. We went with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme,(one of Will's favorites) and I decided we would make individual homemade pizzas for dinner. We invited all our friends from Eli's lab, and our friends here in Festus who have a son 6 months older than Will. All-in-all I think we had a good plan. I decided we needed a festive cake to go along with the party's theme; a cake that would really make Will excited. I can tell you I succeeded in giving Will that surprise. I can also tell you I almost killed myself getting it done.
The Friday before the party, Will and I went to the St. Louis Zoo with our friend Julie and her son Jake, our frequent play date partners and good friends. Julie's father joined us and Eli even came from the office to walk around with us for a while. A good time was had by all. Julie, being the saint that she often is, offered to keep Will for me the rest of the afternoon so that I could get busy baking the cakes. I took her up on the offer and went directly home.
The cake I chose to make is from an idea on sproutonline.com. Sprout is a cable channel composed entirely of PBS shows for preschoolers. It is currently Will's only source of television, and regularly shows party and craft ideas. The cake is actually relatively simple- instead of using traditional cake pans, bake two standard size cake recipes in 12 mini loaf pans. Once baked, use 2 of the mini cakes to form Thomas (I cheated and used unrolled and stacked swiss cake rolls for the barrel of the engine), and decorate the others as train cars. Create a track out of sugar wafer cookies and crushed chocolate cookies, and top frosted train cars with candy freight. Not too bad, right?
Well I never accurately account for the time needed to put big baking projects together. I did get all the baking done on Friday afternoon with no trouble at all. I made half of the cars from a banana cake recipe that I knew Will loved. I made the other half with a great moist chocolate cake recipe- both can be found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. The banana cake got cream cheese frosting and the chocolate cake got a fluffy white frosting with a touch of orange extract. Saturday I spent the first hour I was awake doing little chores and ushering Eli and Will out of the house (Eli took Will to the Transportation Museum so I could work on the cake without interruption or chance of Will seeing it too soon). I began putting the cake together at about 9:15am. I didn't finish until almost 2:00pm. This was for a simple cake!!!
Needless to say, the party went very well. Will was so excited about everything- and didn't immediately realize he got to eat the cake. Below are some pictures of the work-in-progress and the final product.
Birthday Boy!
If you would be so kind, we will all just overlook the fact that it has been seven months since my last blog post and move on. Thank you so very much.
We celebrated my son's 2nd birthday this past weekend. It is impossible to fathom how much my life has changed in those 2 years, or how quickly that time has passed. I am so thankful that I get to be with him throughout the day; perhaps more thankful that I AM thankful at this point, because I remember all too clearly that it was not all sunshine and daisies in the beginning.
Will is, I think, a very normal 2-year-old little boy. Just like all kids his age he is ahead of the curve in some areas, and still catching up in others. We had his check-up on Monday, and he is 38" tall and weighs 31lb, 6oz. He is so far off the height chart at this point that they show us the chart, and then point to his dot way above the top percentiles. No need to say anything else. His weight is average, as is his head circumference (things you don't realize you will keep track of before becoming a parent). We assume that all this height at his age attributes to his, well, clumsiness. Of course, the Davis klutz gene can't be ignored either. He can't quite get both feet off the floor yet when trying to jump, and while his climbing has improved at a scary rate, he can still fall down in the middle of an empty room for absolutely no reason at all. His fine motor skills are improving too, but we aren't jumping ahead developmentally there either.
Where my son really shines though is in language skills. Imagine, a son of mine being a talker!! At 24 months they want to see him putting at least 2 words together. Will has been putting 3 and 4 words together for several months now, and even goes for a 5 word phrase once in a great while. The funny thing about this though is that unless you are around him all the time you would never know how much he talks. In public my son turns into his father- quiet and observant until he feels comfortable, which can take a while. Once he finally lets loose, he usually surprises the people around him.
We have had so much fun with Will, and it just keeps getting better. He waits for his Daddy to come home so they can go play in the backyard or the car. He loves playing with his fire truck or school bus, but also loves to cuddle his puppy or teddy bear. He is experiencing those wild swings in mood and emotion that often result in the dreaded tantrum, but thankfully they are usually brief and handled without too much trouble. On the rare occasion when he truly loses control of his emotions he seems as much confused as to why he can't calm down as anything else.
We have also entered the phase where he wants to make all his own decisions. This one is hard for me, mostly because I have been so accustom to his laid back personality. Now I have to remember to present things to him in such a way that he feels he gets a choice, which when you are in a hurry isn't always easy. He wants to be independent so badly, and boy what a tug-o-war that can be for a Momma. We are working through it just like everything else.
I am so looking forward to what this next year brings. Of course, I am also worried too. We have some big milestones to get through in the not too distant future, including potty training and a big boy bed. I get the worry lines on my forehead just thinking about that. But it seems like every big worry looks so silly in retrospect, so I know we will get through it all with a happy little guy.
We celebrated my son's 2nd birthday this past weekend. It is impossible to fathom how much my life has changed in those 2 years, or how quickly that time has passed. I am so thankful that I get to be with him throughout the day; perhaps more thankful that I AM thankful at this point, because I remember all too clearly that it was not all sunshine and daisies in the beginning.
Will is, I think, a very normal 2-year-old little boy. Just like all kids his age he is ahead of the curve in some areas, and still catching up in others. We had his check-up on Monday, and he is 38" tall and weighs 31lb, 6oz. He is so far off the height chart at this point that they show us the chart, and then point to his dot way above the top percentiles. No need to say anything else. His weight is average, as is his head circumference (things you don't realize you will keep track of before becoming a parent). We assume that all this height at his age attributes to his, well, clumsiness. Of course, the Davis klutz gene can't be ignored either. He can't quite get both feet off the floor yet when trying to jump, and while his climbing has improved at a scary rate, he can still fall down in the middle of an empty room for absolutely no reason at all. His fine motor skills are improving too, but we aren't jumping ahead developmentally there either.
Where my son really shines though is in language skills. Imagine, a son of mine being a talker!! At 24 months they want to see him putting at least 2 words together. Will has been putting 3 and 4 words together for several months now, and even goes for a 5 word phrase once in a great while. The funny thing about this though is that unless you are around him all the time you would never know how much he talks. In public my son turns into his father- quiet and observant until he feels comfortable, which can take a while. Once he finally lets loose, he usually surprises the people around him.
We have had so much fun with Will, and it just keeps getting better. He waits for his Daddy to come home so they can go play in the backyard or the car. He loves playing with his fire truck or school bus, but also loves to cuddle his puppy or teddy bear. He is experiencing those wild swings in mood and emotion that often result in the dreaded tantrum, but thankfully they are usually brief and handled without too much trouble. On the rare occasion when he truly loses control of his emotions he seems as much confused as to why he can't calm down as anything else.
We have also entered the phase where he wants to make all his own decisions. This one is hard for me, mostly because I have been so accustom to his laid back personality. Now I have to remember to present things to him in such a way that he feels he gets a choice, which when you are in a hurry isn't always easy. He wants to be independent so badly, and boy what a tug-o-war that can be for a Momma. We are working through it just like everything else.
I am so looking forward to what this next year brings. Of course, I am also worried too. We have some big milestones to get through in the not too distant future, including potty training and a big boy bed. I get the worry lines on my forehead just thinking about that. But it seems like every big worry looks so silly in retrospect, so I know we will get through it all with a happy little guy.
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