Children and Food

Feeding children can certainly be such an ordeal, but it is NOW definitely one of my favorite things to do!!!  I NOW love learning their likes and dislikes.  I even love my silly little girl's gags when she is sure to make certain she dislikes something!  And understanding Liam's constantly changing menu is always an adventure. 

Overall, Liam has always been a pretty great eater.  Up until the age of one, he ate ANYTHING I put in front of him.  This is when mama learned a HUGE lesson and realized they do not need to eat EVERYTHING organic and everything in each of the different food groups at least once a week (yep, I was almost that bad!).  When he hit age one, I can NOW look back and realize so many of his food aversions had to do with numerous ear infections, swollen adenoids, and molars coming in, but he hit a wall and literally lived on goldfish and milk for about 3 months.  Holding food in his mouth and refusing to swallow, we were very close to taking to him for food therapy.  But, he came around!  And as I have learned NOW, they ALWAYS DO!!!!!  ;)  Last Fall, Liam ate ANY veggie I put in front of him and hated carbs.  Last winter, Liam HATED meat, ate most veggies, and ALL fruits, but not too many carbs.  Now, in the spring, he LOVES meat and carbs, hates all veggies and fruit.  Love my little man.  ;)  I sure do love giving him his "treats" too...usually how I have to bribe him to get out of somewhere without a tantrum or just to reward him for being a nice big brother or "using his words".  His faves are cookies (which little does he know are nutrigrain bars) and ice cream!!!  Raisinets, fruit snacks, skittles and m & ms are some of his other faves!

Here he is...LOVES tacos and spicy foods...and using a "big boy" fork.  He will even eat buffalo wings--the HOT ones!  This was dinner tonight and he ate the meat and the taco shell.  No veg, rice, or fruit.  ;)  Duh--it is SPRING!!!!  ;)


In addition, it has been really cool watching Rowan and seeing how DIFFERENT she is from Liam in so many ways!  Food is just one example.  This girl will not eat ANYTHING!!  I tried a variety of things and have come to these conclusions.  1.  Every batch of homemade food is apparently very different and will all go bad because one certain little girl will refuse to eat certain batches.  2.  Cereal is fabulous...but ONLY brown rice cereal. ;)  3.   When you mix cereal flakes in with some fruits and vegetables, it makes her world a happy place!  3.  Mum mums are super cool!  4.  Water makes her gag.  ;)  5.  Pears must taste like lemons by the faces she makes.  The list could go on and on but you get the gist.  I sure am glad she is the second child because I have been able to laugh about it the whole way through instead of crying like I probably would have done with Liam!!!!   One thing I have had great success with and I hope she does not figure it out for a LONG time, is by giving her those organic pouches of mixed fruits and veggies (which btw are NOT cheap--high maintenance much???), I am SNEAKING so many great things into her...granted it all needs to have some form of cereal or milk in it, but none the less, she is eating it!  We are going to start finger foods now and part of me is a little sad...such a milestone and just reminds me once more she is getting SO big SO fast! 

And this is Rowan at dinner...ignoring me and her sippy cup of water and even her puffs.  Did not want to eat tonight...okay girlie!  She will always make up for it at her FOURTH meal.  It is her fave....cereal before bed.  ;)  And if only it would help her sleep through the night, mama would be a happy camper! 

And, DUH, brother's cup of water is super cool!  Just need to hold it the right way!  ;)

Love these kids....to be continued :-)

The Weekend

Friday afternoon we met Kristi and Emmie at the park by her house.  Liam and Emmie played so nicely and had a great time.  :-)  Friday night was a nice relaxing night...cheesesteaks from this place in Richardson that actually flies in the DAmoroso rolls from Philly...Rick picked them up on the way home and they hit the spot.  And we watched The Vow...okay movie.  Bedtime came early at 10 and Rowan actually let mommy  sleep til 4:30 and then did not get up again til 7:30!  She must have known I had my very first 10K!!!!

I did train a lot, but I was very nervous on Saturday morning.  The race started a little late, but the weather was great.  I had a little cold all week last week and felt really yucky on Friday, but could breathe again somehow right before the race started!  My new ipod also helped me so much.  I ran 6.2 miles in 53:14 and felt really awesome.  I was in shock when I saw the clock as I approached the finish line.  I am sooooo not the kind of runner that needs to know the course or keep track of my time as I am going.  In fact, if I did, I do not think I would do as well.  I was fourth out of 32 in my age group and 52nd out of 310 overall!  Such an accomplishment and I have decided a half marathon is definitely in my future...do not know when, but I WILL do it!!!

When I returned home, we took the kiddos to the park for an hour where Rowan went in the swing for the first time and came home for lunch and naps.  Rick took the cars to get washed and I relaxed for a few hours.  At 3:00, I headed out to my pedi appt.  (Mother's Day present).  Afterwards, I did a quick shopping trip to find an "after ceremony" outfit for Rowan on her baptism day.  Scored the cutest little white romper that I am having monogrammed with her initials.  It will be perfect and comfortable for the party! 

I returned home around 4:30 and we fed the kiddos dinner and packed up for a block party down the street.  Liam had sooooo much fun playing in the water!  It was actually really chilly as the sun went down and the wind blew, so we did have to drag him out of the pool by 7:00 to get a bath and ready for bed. 

Rowan was soooooo good...Sophie and some puffs=a happy baby!

Liam and his buddy!

Daddy and Rowan hanging out!  She loves her "dadadadadada"  ;)

Playtime after the party...she is SOOO proud of herself pulling up!  ;) 

Rick and I put the kids down around 8 and made some NY strips on the grill while we sat out back with a few beers.  Rowan woke up at 10:30 and it was the start to a loooooooong night.  :(  Poor baby caught my cold and started feeling miserable overnight.

Sunday morning everyone was up by 6:30 :( and we decided to go to the 8:30 mass at St. Francis and then to 5th St. Patio for breakfast.  So yummy, but kind of a disaster.  Rowan put her finger into steaming hot breakfast taco sauce and got a slight burn.  Then, she gagged on mucus and a puff and puked all over the table.  Liam had a meltdown over the breakfast potatoes but we all made it out with smiles so I guess that was sorta success.  ;)

When we came home, we played for a bit and the kids went down for a very early nap at noon.  I headed out to Target, but Rick called me by 12:30 because Rowan was up and hysterical...I was pretty confident at that point it was another ear infection.  She cried until I came home and just wanted to be held by her mama.  She is SUCH a mommy's girl!!  She finally fell asleep on my chest while we waited for Carenow to call us with a room (LOVE that web check in).  The dr. confirmed a double ear infections AGAIN!  :( and we got some scripts and headed to Market St. to have them filled.  She slept the whole way home and the whole time at the store.  Poor sweet baby!

Liam and daddy were going a little stir crazy at home so I fed her, gave her some meds, and we all went to Matitos for some dinner.  Rowan is always happier when she is out of the house, so it was great for all!  Last night was another long night, but she does seem better today.  Now, Liam is sneezing all over the place, but is still very happy so hopefully no ear infection is in store for him!!!  Today we did get to the park and played a lot in the house...here is the typical scene in our house these days.  Liam "blocking Rowan from his chair yelling "no chair baby, no chair baby".  ;) 
Well I just spent 15 minutes and it will not upload so we will move on!  ;)

Okay, so this pic WOULD upload so I will leave you with this adorable face.  So proud and feeling better!  And Liam is very happy in the background because she is not on HIS chair!  ;)  Have a happy week!

Pulling up and soooo proud!

Such a busy week for my munchkin.  Today as she was trying to get to step #2, she was babbling "maamamamaaaamaaama" and "nananana"  Omg...I could eat her up!!!!

I mean, the legs???!!!  seriously!  ;)  so edible

And the face!  Soooooo kissable!

working hard!

She is keeping mama on my toes!!!!  :-)  So lucky to have her!!!!

Rowan Carley Blake--7 months!

I just love this girl!  I feel so bad that I forgot to post last week for her big 7 month bday!!!!  She is doing so many new things it is crazy.

She is making more sounds that sound more like words rather than screaming.  ;)  She said what sounded like mama while putting herself to sleep in her crib today at naptime!!!!  :-)

She is getting up on all 4s and rocking but still retracts back to her little scoot. 

She is pulling up on the bottom step and and the pottery barn kids' chairs--perfect heights for practice!

She is a great napper.  2 times per day--usually a short one in the morning and an 1.5-2 hour nap around 1:30.  But you are also very flexible as far as the time, which is very nice!

She is still not sleeping through the night.  Usually up at least 2 times at 1:15ish and 5ish then 8 for the day.  But every night is SO different! 

Mommy is weaning from nursing.  We are down to 3 times per day.  5 am, nap, and night.  I think I may be having a harder time than you!!!  :(  Hope by June 7th to be done!

She is becoming a better eater.  LOVES baby mum mums and puffs...and I have been getting a lot more of a variety of fruits and veggies in you through the happy baby pouches.  You even tried sweet potato and turkey the other day and gobbled it up!  Cereal is definitely your fave as well as squash and bananas.

She cut two teeth!  Craziest thing...we were just at the drs. 2 weeks ago and he said they were a long way off!  Last week, I thought you looked a little swollen and sure enough on Friday one broke through and yesterday, the other did!  It is your two bottom middle teeth--same as your bro.  He actually cut them on the exact same day which is crazy!  May 10th!  Only he was only 4.5 months and you are 7.  :-)

You are such a lover...want to be held all of the time still.  You even give little open kisses and snuggle so well on mommy's shoulder.  You are waving and clapping now by bringing your hands together.


Favorite toys include...remote controls, notebooks (of course!), balls, anything with buttons, anything that rattles, keys, water bottles, empty containers of any sort.

We are loving watching you grow and learn!

Mother's Day Weekend

What an amazing weekend.  I feel like Mother's Day is like a second birthday now!  Rick made it extra special.

Friday afternoon we headed to Kristi's house for a playdate with Emmie, Blake, and Jett.  It was lots of fun for both Rowan and Liam.  Rowan just loves watching the big kids and Liam always has fun with Emmie and her toys!  The train set is a big hit and it was funny to see how different the boys play with it as opposed to the girls.  Thank goodness Mr. Ken knows how to put it back together!!!!  ;) 

We had burgers on the grill that night and both kids were in bed pretty early.  Rick and I got a few last minute things together for the garage sale the next morning.  (I actually put like zero effort into getting prepared, but still made 20 bucks on a rainy Saturday morning, so I cannot complain too much!) I was in bed by 10 and read my book for a bit and it was a good thing because Rowan was up again at 1 and 4 and 5!  She did cut two teeth last week and has just wanted to be held--not really grumpy, just needing comfort.  I do love the extra hugs and kisses, even if they are in the wee hours of the night!!!

Vicki arrived at 7:30 on Saturday morning and we were all set up in my garage by 8 for our first customers.  We only had 4 cars all morning ;) but she made 27 dollars and we were able to just hang out and chat for 4 hours so it was fun!  Rick took Liam to Piper's bday party from 10 til noon and Rowan hung with us for a bit and then took a nap from 11:15 til 12:15.  It was a great morning, even despite the rain.

We did lunch and naps and I went out for a run with Mother's Day present #1--an Ipod!  FINALLY!  Some form of technology and a great way to make my runs a little more fun!!!  I did 5 miles while listening to some awesome music Rick downloaded for me.  5:00 was church and both kids were down for the night at 7:45.  Our babysitter arrived at 8 and Rick and headed to downtown McKinney for some drinks and apps.  We started at the landon winery and did a tasting for 5 dollars each!  Then, checked out Churchills and got a bite to eat.  Next, was Grottos...a little weird but some good music and our fave came last...Cadillac Pizza Pub with an awesome band and some yummy beers.  We were home by midnite, but had a great date night.

Sunday morning, I slept in a bit, woke up to a pedi gift certificate and adorable homemade cards.  Rick cooked breakfast for us and then we headed to the park.  After, we decided to check out Angelina's on the lake for lunch because it was such a beautiful day outside.  WILL NOT BE BACK!  Ugh.  Dirty and food was awful.  In addition, Rowan exploded out of her diaper and ate naked, so they may not want us back anyway.  ;0  It was still a fun time with the fam, with some good laughs, and a yummy margarita.

The kids fell asleep on the way home while I ran into target so naps were done!  ;(  We all know how that goes...30 minute catnaps = no relaxation for the parents in the afternoon.  UGH again, but we did manage to have some fun outside and before we knew it, it was dinnertime!  NY strip on the grill, corn on the cob, asparagus, garlic bread, and LOBSTER TAILS---YUMMO!  Liam loves himself some steak now and ate 3/4 of mine!!!!  We did baths and both kiddos were out by 7:15.  Rick and I were also in bed asleep by 9:30.  Such a fun weekend!

You may ask why no pictures??!??!  Well, my camera was left at the Derby party LAST Saturday and I did not even realize until yesterday!!!  We will have it back on Wednesday and I will annoy again with pics, but for now just a quick update!!!  :-)  Happy Monday!

nothing special, no pics, just some sweet things I want to remember about my babies at this age ;)

Well this week has flown by.  Not sure why.  I just looked at both of my kids today and cannot believe how big they are already.  :/ 

My housekeeper commented on how tall Liam is getting and how much he is thinning out.  I.KNOW.  He is just like a little boy now.  UGH!  He has been working super hard on his talking again.  That yucky ear infection 2 weeks ago set him back a bit, but this week he has been using tons of two word phrases and even some 3-4 word phrases.  Some examples:  hi baby, baby poo, poo diaper, (notice a pattern ;), mmm juice, blue crayon, fish bowl, pants pocket (he is obsessed with pockets), cool shoes (and obsessed with shoes), cool car (and obsessed with our new car!  ha!), mommy's car, and the most hilarious and we have no idea where he got it from COOL DUDE!  ;)  Now, his articulation still has a LONG way to go, but he is trying and for now, I just want to eat up some of the words he says in "Liam language"...they sound so stinkin cute!!!!  For example:  puffs are poiffshs (HA!), crayons are colors, he annunciates S on the end of words with so much force ;), pants are patsssssssss ;)  He also likes to touch all of the parts of my face and name them now. (nose, cheek, head, ears, eyes, hair, etc.)  He likes to do it to the baby too but is not so gentle all of the time.  :/  She adores him and LOVES the attention either way! 
Love hearing his little voice.  His loving ways melt my heart as well.  He is SUCH a hugger and kisser in the house.  He LOVES to hug and kiss the baby and me all day long.  He is such a great helper these days...cleaning up and even goes to get his own diapers when he needs to be changed.  In the same way, he tells me when he has poo in his diaper--July is hardcore potty training and it looks like he is well on his way to getting ready!!  WAHOO!  Love him so much!

Miss Rowan has been quite the social butterfly this week!  She had so much fun with the other babies at Finley's party last Sunday.  She was so excited she even scared some of the others with her LOUD talking and squealing.  Her personality is hilarious!  Then, I took them to the gym childcare yesterday for the first time.  I really need to get these runs in and I am just so tired at night.  I have been hesitant taking both of them, but it could not have worked out better.  Our reservation was for 11 am.  Liam ran right in yesterday and cried a little today, but was fine after two minutes.  Now, Rowan, I think she wanted to push me out of the door so she could play with her friends!  She was HILARIOUS!  Exploring the whole room with her worm crawl and the teachers commented both days on what a happy baby she is!  The one guy said he just giggled at her the whole time...she was talking up a storm (SURPRISE!) and flapping her arms like a crazy person.  We think she is still trying to clap when she does that, but I think she also uses it for "hi" as well.  Today, I went in to get her (after a full hour!) and she was still happy as could be and even turned away from me, like "okay, I will play more.  Bye, mom"...this girl has cracked us up from the start and I am sure we will be laughing for MANY more years to come!!!!  ;)  She has started trying to pull up and is up on all fours rocking to try to crawl.  Almost there!!!  Regardless, she gets ALL OVER the house with her worm crawl.  She loves to stand when we hold her and points her toes like a ballerina.  I swear she is going to be a dancer!!! 

I guess that is all for now.  Nothing much.  Just want to freeze time.  It is going WAY TOO FAST!!!!  And I am loving every minute of being home with them!  :-)

Great Run for a Great Cause

As you all know, this cause is close to my heart.  Not only for the possibilities of Liam being diagnosed, but also for my cousin Melyni who is 35 and has Aspergers.  I felt so much positive energy as I lined up to start and it stayed with me throughout the race.  I got 4th in my age group with a time of 28:04 (PR!).  I felt GREAT!!!  My friend Heidi is truly my motivation to sign up for all of these races.  She even talked me into a 10K on the 19th!  I am all registered and kind of freaking out, but I am determined to complete it!!!  Greatest part of today was seeing my hubby and two angels standing at the finish line cheering me on!  AMAZING feeling.

Crossing the finish line!  Such a high!!!

Discussing the course ;)

The birthday buddies in their strollers.  Preston and Rowan are 6 hours apart.

So thankful this girl pushes me!!!  :-)

Now off to a Derby party and looking forward to some delish adult beverages!
Happy Cinco De Mayo as well!!!  :-)