I've been tagged!

• Favorite person: Mark and I can say Graeme since he's my only baby right now :)
  
• Favorite food: normally ice cream - during this pregnancy, mmm, fresh fruit and peanut butter!
  
• Quirks about me: what isn't a quirk? lol!
  
• How would the person who loves you the most describe you in ten words or less? I can't ask him right now, but I know he'd come up with something sweet!
  
• Any regrets in life?
  
• What can you NOT live without? Knowing that "God his own he ne'er forsaketh" as the hymn says.
  
• Favorite blog: my own right now, b/c I'm enjoying getting it set up.
  
• Something you can't get enough of: Cuddles from Graeme and hearing Mark's voice on the phone this weekend!
• Worst job you ever had: Well, I actually didn't mind any of the jobs I had - one thing I disliked the most about my job as a sales person at Marshall Fields was standing for 6-8 hours of the day, especially since we had to wear professional clothes/shoes - that got old very fast!
  
• What job would you pay not to have? Ha! Depends on how much I'd be paying LOL!
  
• If you could be a fly on the wall anywhere, where would it be? On Mark's shoulder so I could see what he's going through at OCS right now.
  
• Favorite Bible verse: Psalm 139 has been a favorite for a long time. I find the foreknowledge and design of God even in my birth and into my life an extremely comforting thought, no matter what I'm going through.
• Guilty pleasure: Way too tired to try to think of what that would be!
  
• Got any confessions: Not right now.
• If you had $1000 to spend on YOURSELF, what would you spend it on? First, a plane ticket to see Mark; second, a new wardrobe (so I don't look like a frumpy mama!)
  
• Favorite thing about your house: That we have a house. I've really enjoyed having a house as opposed to an apartment.
• Least favorite thing: fear and worry.
• One thing you are bad at: Spatial judgment.
  
• If you could change one thing about your current circumstances, what would it be? Everyone knows what that would be: I'd be with my husband.
  
• Who would you like to meet someday?
  
• What makes you feel sexy? Mark.
• Who is your real life hero? Mark.
  
• What is the hardest part of your job? self-criticism.
• When are you most relaxed? On vacation or when I have a chance to let go of the daily "stuff" that keeps me busy.
  
• What stresses you out? Self-pressure! Unfortunately.
  
• Favorite quote: Oh boy. I'm too tired to look up one.
• Why do you blog? I started this one actually with Mark in mind, so he could keep up with Graeme's happenings while he's gone - but I've been meaning to keep up a blog so our family can keep up with us :)
• Who are you tagging? Anyone I can think of tagging has been tagged! I guess that's what I get for being new?

Add to the list...

...hard-boiled eggs and grated carrots mixed in yogurt! Two new things in one day WOOT!

And just had to share Graeme's exhausted self after he decided he wanted to take a walk Wednesday afternoon - he just started walking down the sidewalk with me following along, and we walked for a good 10 minutes before I decided he looked hot and we headed home. He looks like he's really "blazed a trail" doesn't he? Oh, and he picked a leaf as a souvenir!

Just some Graeme notes tonight

Last night, we lay on the bed together before putting him down and looked through a nighttime song book - and he actually looked at the pages while I sang some of the songs. It was a really sweet time - could have lasted 15 more minutes for me! As it was, it was probably like 10 minutes that we lay there together. That's the first time he's ever done that.

Dinner tonight: he ate a whole bowl of peas mixed with applesauce! That's a first! Woo-hoo! A vegetable!!!!!

He ate a lot today, actually - I'm trying to up his daytime calories to help night-wean. We're going to start working on that soon, as I'd like him to be night-weaned by the time #2 arrives...actually a little early would be great LOL! I've been reading about how to do that, and one of the suggestions is to set a time-limit on when you will not nurse - I think we're going to try me nursing him before I go to bed (11pm) and then no nursing until 4/5 am - we'll see how that works. I'm kinda nervous doing it on my own - it'd definitely be a lot easier with Mark here, but on the other hand, it would be nice to have him night-weaned by the time Mark gets back...so we'll at least try :) Now that he is enjoying solid foods, I feel more comfortable that he can "make it" without the calories of the night-nursing. My milk supply seems to be cutting back gradually anyway, so he's been naturally eating more during the day. Wish us luck! :)

Okay, and some super-cute pictures from yesterday - one of Graeme's favorite activities is playing with the hose in the backyard!

Graeme's Eating Habits...

...are definitely expanding!

Last night - bean and cheese quesidilla with grated carrots snuck in ;)

Today's meals:
Breakfast - banana/blueberry muffin, some of my berry "Go-Mega" smoothie - Odwalla
Lunch - a *bunch* of blueberries, again, obviously a fave! Tried the PB&J - didn't go over so big today. Cubes of cheese.
Snack - half a banana
Snack #2 - half an orange (yes, a whole half an orange all on his own!)
Dinner - 5-6 raspberries (he seems to really like these!), potato with cheese, a few bits of apricot, and tried to get him to eat a bit of broccoli with the potato - he's too smart for that LOL!
Yogurt & multi-grain cereal mixed in.

So the continued quest is to get veggies in there. Part of it is that his eating reflects my habits - but I mean, he can't yet eat a raw carrot, and doesn't seem to care for things like corn with butter or green beans....it's kinda tough.

I just got this book from the library: "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals"
There are some really creative ideas that I would *never* think of on my own for getting veggies in foods that kids won't even notice. She has a whole list of "juices" made out of spinach, carrots, and all kinds of veggies/fruits that you put in things like cupcakes, milkshakes, even mixed in muffins! And 1 Tab. of the spinach juice equals 1/4 cup of raw spinach. I will not be forever-masking vegetables for my children, but on the other hand, you can't literally force a 1 year old to eat what he just won't eat. So I think incorporating some of these strategies will help get more nutrients in his food, and hopefully I can continue to work on gradually making vegetables more appealing/getting him used to the taste.

Summertime Fruits!

I love the bounty of summertime fruits! And I've been expanding my list of personal fruit eating, as well as getting Graeme to try different tastes....so here's what we bought at the grocery store this weekend:

Golden Kiwi (a little sweeter and slightly more "tropical" tasting than the green)
Red Raspberries
Apricots
Nectarines
Blueberries
Cherries
Oranges
Bananas
Grapes

What a list! Cherries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Grapes were all on sale - it's amazing how much cheaper they all are when they are "in season"!

Graeme tried raspberries and apricot tonight and liked both!!!!!

And he likes...

PB&J! Add that to the list of approved foods :) Yey - finally LOL!

Graeme's Diary 6/6 - 6/13

He ate rice with broccoli in it tonight! Just a little victory, but I felt like such a happy mama putting a VEGETABLE in my little boy! I figure I'll start hiding them in stuff he likes until he gets used to the taste and textures.

Molar #2 appeared a few days ago. They're only in a little bit, so I'm not sure if there will be continued "teething" or not, but at least their both through the skin.

Monday and Tuesday he woke up from his nap in the middle of my piano lessons, and I don't know what it was, but it seemed to me someone replaced my normal sweet child with a crazy little boy. He was hilarious! Monday it was like he couldn't decide whether he was happy or sad - he kept holding his red ball and crying like the world was ending...didn't want to be consoled (yes, this does make teaching very interesting), finally he brought me the ball, pushed it into my lap, and proceeded to walk away calm and happy as a clam. I don't know what was the issue there, but he and the ball were not getting along, apparently.

Tuesday he decided to scoot around the floor backwards in his diaper. It was SOOOOO funny! He'd never done it before, and hasn't done it since - but he spent a good few minutes scooting around and looking up appreciatively at us as we laughed at him. Of course, by the time I thought about going to get the camera, he stopped doing it.

He's doing some pretend playing with some little animal plastic shapes he's got. In the bathtub, he places them "Just so" and almost looks like he thinks they're talking to each other or something. It's funny. Seems early for true "pretend", but hey. He comes from good stock ;-)

Whenever I start singing, or if we're playing with a toy that makes music, he likes to clap his hands to the music. No, not perfectly with the beat, but actually, sometimes! He's trying. This just started, so I'll try to remember to sing with him during the day, because he really enjoys it. I have taught Kindermusik after all, right?!!

Mmm, he's discovered cherries this week and seems to really like them (that makes two of us!).

We spent an hour at the park this morning. He's gotten to be very interested in watching the other children - I know he is just soaking up all the things they do and I can see he's really thinking about playing with them, like it might actually be fun LOL!

He started bringing me books again yesterday, just at random times during the day, interested in actually sitting in my lap while I *read* the book to him. That was encouraging to me, as he'd kind of dropped his interest in books the past few weeks.

Well, I have some "help" now - that's it for now, folks :-)