Airplanes

We have discovered a new love, AIRPLANES!!! On our trip to Coronado Cade discovered airplanes. Seeing as though there is a naval base on Coronado, it was pretty much a given. We saw airplanes at the beach, on our balconies, and all over town. From inside our house he would hear an airplane, point to his ear and then try to go outside to spot it in the sky. He got so good at this he would often spot a white airplane the size of a speck in the sky before the rest of us would. He quickly picked up the airplane sign (similar to the "I love you" hand but move it up and down by your head).

He even paid attention during takeooff and landing on the way home. It was cool to have him notice something other than the tray table and lights. But more about flying with a baby later.

On tv today he saw a plane on the news (thanks Steven Slater!) and he was so excited, got down from his little table and chair and did the airplane sign and did his quick step in front of the tv. Gotta get it on video for you, I know.... So if you see me YouTube-ing airplanes for Cade or spending Saturdays at the airport, now you know why.

What he learned this summer

Time for the periodic skills update... Now that I've been home all summer with him (minus the eleven days stolen from my summer for district trainings and meetings...grr) I feel like I can take some credit for this skill aquisition. I mean, I love my daycare ladies, but c'mon...2ish months of me with my son has paid off. Here are some of the ways he blows my mind these days:

1. Crawls over and under chair rungs in some elaborate over/under army obstacle course fashion.
2. Baby signs out the wazoo: hat, shoes, head, bird, stars, plane, fly, more, outside, book, milk, want, ball, bath, please, bubbles, dog, drink, gentle, light, noise/hear, quiet, stop, rain, sleep, toothbrush, wait, where (that's 28 that I can count that he does on his own and in return to us!)
3. Goes to get his toothbrush and brushes his teeth (and steals Mommy's toothbrush. He's SO the only person on this planet that can get away with it without me throwing up)
4. Colors with crayons. on paper.
5. Swims! Isn't afraid of the pool, jumping in the pool, the ocean, seaweed. He can "monkey walk" along the edge of the pool to get to the steps the whole length of the pool. Not so much a fan of the backfloat, but we've made progress.
6. Dips. Not tobacco, but thanks for that vote of confidence. No no. This kid dips his food into a variety of condiments. Salsas galore, ketchup, pico de gallo, yogurt. Haven't exposed him to Ranch yet. That evil will be saved for later. This kid dips his Cheerios, Mum Mums, grilled chicken, fruit into whichever dip is on his plate. We've seen some interesting combos too. Strawberries in ketchup is kind of common. Just because it's on the plate, doesn't mean you do it, buddy.
7. Climbs. Cute at first, not so cute when he's hanging off the fridge like a little monkey or sitting on your coffee table like a little Buddha.
8. Waves. To freaking ev-ry-one. I like to do in & out shopping. Okay, that's an outright lie. I like to quietly, leisurely stroll through Target, Kroger, CVS when I need a quick tampon run, Taco Bell. Instead we have made friends ev-ry-where. I'm anti-small talk and this kid traps in small talk circles everywhere we go. "Oh Hiiiiiiiiiii, baby! Well aren't you cute. Yes you are, yes, you are so cute. [I stand there smiling, then smiling awkwardly at being the third wheel to this lovefest, finally they look me up and down to verify, yes, I possibly gave birth to such a gorgeous creature, baffling, I know, and then] "How old is he?" I quickly calculate (as if they'll know the difference) "16 months" Then I have to put up with "Oh, so he's not 2 yet? No. hmm." And then they give me a rundown of their grandchild's size and they tell me if they think Cade is big or small for his age. I don't know why I'm paying my pediatrician. If my insurance knew he was getting examined at CVS when all I wanted was a 2-second Playtex run they would be pissed that I still go to an actual pediatrician.
9. Growing teeth skills. This kid cuts teeth in pairs. Always has been 2 at a time after that first tooth popped through. Now he's cutting 4 at a time! So much for my sleeping in summer baby who was waking up at 7 blessed 30 back in June. Now we're up at 4:30 and again at 5:30. I can't complain, at least he is getting this teeth business out of the way FAST.


Night night bloggies. I can't EVEN begin to think of more skills. I'm sure he's got some cool other things going on worthy of reporting, but I'm exhausted from recalling small talk...and waking up at 5:40.

Ode to my Uncle Alex

Our trip to Cali would not be at all complete without a visit with Uncle Alex. Alex was in LA for a conference and drove down to San Diego to stay with us. We went out to Pacific Beach and hung out the first day, which was one of our summer haunts when we were growing up. Cade was 9 months old when they last saw each other at Christmas, so now at 15 months he's got some skills to show off. (Cade, not Alex, that is) Nick & I both think that Cade looks like his uncle, so it was cool to see them together. Mom says Cade acts just like Alex at this age, both scary and funny for those of us who know Alex. It makes me wonder what kind of boy and man Cade will be when he grows up. Here are the pics, enjoy.


Cade's amazement at pigeons and the crappy (literally) fish gutting station on the pier.

Like uncle, like nephew. Or something like that.

I was also quasi-teary on Cade's first day at the beach. He was kind of hesitant feeling the sand on his bare feet, but as soon as the water hit his toes he was running into the waves. We were cracking up, Stunt Man Cade at it again! He kept doing his sign for "more" and pointing to the water and saying "dat-dat-dat-dat" ("that-that-that-that"). So much for the thought that we would just walk along the beach to acclimate him to the new scene. Crazy kid. Gotta love my beach boy!

He definitely impressed Alex and seemed to fall back in love with his uncle the last few days. Thanks Uncle Al, for making the trip down! Miss you already!

-little buddy

Northpark, how I love thee!

So I've made it one of my life's missions to make sure my offspring love malls & shopping. In fact, after Cade was born I made sure his first mall experience was the Northpark experience. Only the best mall in Dallas (although Galleria tries).... Here are the reasons why I love Northpark. (and hate people who say "You drive all the way there?") Um, I didn't move to the suburbs to stay in the suburbs. I strategically chose a home that has easy access to 3 major highways so I can get around Dallas. People who live in the DFW area and stay in their suburb bubble are lame, and that's not me.

Wow, I really got off track there! Okay, so back to Northpark love.
1. This mall has the best stores. The Dillards here has a huge shoe section, and brought in the most amazing swimsuit selection ever. Um, if I can brag about a swimsuit collection given the trauma of swimsuit shopping you know it's good. Even better at 50% off!

2. The mall has a great movie theater. With real popcorn. By real popcorn I am referring to the fact that they scoop it fresh into your bag from the popper. Unlike other places that place it under heat lamps and then try to pass it off as fresh movie popcorn. I don't think so.

3. This mall has a Dallas Public Library in it, with fun little crawling playthings for my baby.

3 1/2. Puzzles galore and climby stairs and gorgeous murals! Me likey!

4. The pretty art. The floors are shiny and gorgeous and the art is amazing, and they bring in art. So you're getting a cultural experience also. You'd think Cade is running towards the art, but actually he notices the "up up" and the "down down" (AKA escalators).

5. The awesome food court with comfy chairs. You can get a fajita taco, Sonic drink, snappy salad, or crepe all in one food court. Their restaurants are also amazing, but I save my money for clothes and food court it.

6. The awesome bathrooms. You think I've gone to far, but if you are a breast-feeding mama you appreciate my tips from my months of experience (now over!) and you appreciate that I know that Neimans, Nordstrom, and Barneys are so nice to their nursing patrons they have special couches and seating areas. And they've raised their prices so high, you're not tempted to buy everything you see.

7. The Ann Taylor Loft here formerly had a Maternity section, now it does not. Which is sad, because Cade might want a sister one day and I might need to use it one day. Howev, I am enlightened so I put it on this list and spread the word to all you prego's out there to go online and buy, buy, buy their reasonably priced, amazingly fitting prego cardi's, shirts, pants, and jackets.

8. The night scene, dress up, throw on your heels and eat out at one of the fab restaurants. Scenesters of all ages walk the mall after 8pm. If you love looking at pretty people dressed well, this is where you go.

Rain, Rain, Lets go play!

One of the silly little things I dreamed about when I was pregnant was taking Cade outside to play in the rain. This summer gave us plenty of opportunity. Unfortunately the full on, running through the rain, chasing each other around the backyard, hiding under the trees for relief we were both laughing and yelling so hard wasn't captured on film. Instead, here is the next day, showing Daddy his baby sign for rain. I love that this kid loves the rain and isn't scared by even the most booming thunder. He points to his ear (baby sign for "hear") and then to the sky, looking to me with those big blue eyes like "What's that I hear, Mommy Dear?" (at least that's how it goes down in my head). Enjoy the pics!

Discovering shadows

Cade found shadows today! Here is in the kid's (Izzy and Cade's) favorite exploration place...

He ran away from his shadow a couple of times and it took me awhile to wonder what he was scared of. The weeds, a bug, what? Here he is waving at his shadow.

Gratuitous Izzy shots...

Our puppy princess.

Pump it up playdate!!

I was so excited to discover that Pump It Up has a Junior location in Plano that has "happy hour" for toddlers. That's right mommas, take your babies twice a week for 2 hours of playtime for kids 1-4. Mommies and Daddies can even play with the kids.

About 30 sec in Cade got scared. I guess the sheer size and loud party music were a little intimidating to little man (a-mazing jams, none of that child band nursery rhyme garbarge....no no. There was definitely some "Tub Thumper" and "Jump Around". If only there had been a little "Whatta Man", my friend Amy and I would have been in flashback central. Minus the hot brothers to stare at. :)


Anyways, Cade was scared but he gradually gave it up and his alter-ego, Stunt Man Sam, showed up. He climbed up this huge ladder to ride a slide with me. It was so fast and fun, we LOVED it!

Discovering that going backwards was a little fun too. Gotta go the wrong way to realize the right way is more fun!

He jumped, banged on the inflatables, rode a toy car, flirted with baby Audrey (former helmet buddies, current beautiful head pals!) He LOVED it. It was so cute to see him chase the other babies around.

A moment of rest before jetting off to the next adventure.

Added bonus, mommy workout. Jumping, squatting, crawling, chasing your child... score! Totally made for a non-guilty pizza lunch at yummy hole in the wall, Napoli's, next door.

Only vent for the day: Mommies who check out. I don't understand how you drop off your 3 year old and then lean up on an inflatable, oblivious to him knocking over and crawling on the younger babies. I find this happens especially at mall playyards. It's in-sane. Only at the mall you have to be baby bodyguard because literally there is always about 2 seven year olds who are leaping from slide to climbing house and jumping 5 feet down from things, running backwards up slides and pushing your 1 year old out of the way. I hate those kids. And yet, there you are, surrounded by 30 oblivious mammas who aren't on baby bodyguard/shadow duty...do you tell demonic seven year old to watch out for the babies and make him apologize to your silent child? Clearly you haven't seen some of these moms, it's kind of scary. You're going to jumped if you yell at their child. Question is: would you rather it be the mom nursing the infant who has had 4 hours of sleep all week or the white trash woman double fisting the Route 44's?

Why I Love Summer Break

#1 Coffee & Chocolate crossiant at posh little coffee shop with bestie & my baby. Followed by shopping at Northpark!

(yes Virginia, that IS a heart in my latte!)

#2 Seeing my baby be a big boy & relishing in the moment when he's out and about, not stuck in daycare.

#3 Hanging out in nap clothes with my kids. We play all sorts of things, Izzy, Cade, and I. We take turns chasing each other, we play in the pillows on our big bed, we cuddle on lambie rug, we make forts out of couch cushions, we play in the yard rain or shine, we nap together on the couch. We are a fierce threesome and I'm glad God brought us together. I love them, love them, LOVE THEM! #4 Seeing how Cade looks like mini-me and mini-Alex (my brother) when we were kids (see pic below).

#5 Being in a happy mood when Nick comes home from work and doing our weekly breakfast out as a family. He makes me the happiest girl in the world, and I love him!

Swim Swim Swimmy! (and a booby story)

Swim Pics from Lolli & Papa's Pool! Mr. Turtle is so the pimpest baby float we've ever seen. Only thing missing is a cupholder. And a motor. I'm so calling it: in the next 5 years baby floats will have joysticks and motors so they can propel themselves across the pool and Mommy doesn't have to disrupt her tanning flip schedule by motoring baby manually.

We do own 3 baby sunhats. Elephant, fishy, and light denim. Of course we couldn't find them as we packed up the pool gear so we borrowed Daddy's Aggie hat. And rocked it. (of course)

This is not the time, nor the place. But I miss prego boobs and bf-ing boobs. Okay, I don't miss the hard as rocks watermelon days or the oops-I'm-leaking days, but I am missing the Pam Anderson perk-tastic boobies of yore. Turns out I was in the percentage of women who deflated. I would have rather kept the last 4 prego pounds in the breast department. (only if perky, of course) I'm feeling insecure. Like I'm honestly, on a daily basis no less, remembering the day in middle school when my brother's friend called me flat in the middle of the hallway during passing period. Yep, a 6th grade boy told an 8th grade girl she was flat. I'm such a geek, my response was something like "Oh yeah? Take away the L and I'm still skinny, take away the L and you are FAT!" In my head it was a kickass comeback. It left him stumped long enough for him to shut up and me to walk away. I've forgiven him... not because I'm a saint, but because of the apology 8 years later. He really was chubby at the time. Now he's grown up to be a handsome man and when he ran into me in the bar he told me I was hot ("No seriously, I mean HOT!" was his line) so all is forgiven.

Anywaysssss, on a NOT flat topic, Cade's pumped up floaty rocks his world. So does pool time.

Forward-Facing Baby!!!

So, pics from the day of firsts. After his haircut, we turned around his carseat to be forward facing. His long legs were getting a little cramped sitting rear-facing. So, although Nick & I got plenty of kudos from the CareSafe carseat installation technicians a few months ago for having our 12 month old rear-facing in his toddler seat, we had to turn him around.


He freaking LOVES it! It's so adorable to see him pointing, oohing and aahing as he sees stuff on the road. He even knows red light (he raises a stop hand) and green light (he babbles and points forward)...good training, I say, esp if I check a text at a red light.

So the real danger appears to not be that he is forward facing, but rather, that I am totally engrossed in his facial expressions as we drive. I've even (uggggggggh) bought some nursery rhyme and baby song cd's. They are so LAME, but track 27 on the nursery rhyme CD has challenged me in learning ALL the verses of the "I had a cat and my cat pleased me, I fed my cat under yonder tree. Cat goes fiddle-I-ee"

Going to have to move on to the Raffie and Joe Scruggs classics that I can actually enjoy. I just can't really stand listening to little kids singing nursery rhymes. I SO prefer me some Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert. I do risk Cade becoming a little Glam Rocker... but it's worth it. Right?