Wale's Influence?

Kevin was hoping for a baseball player, but it looks like our friend Wale may have inspired Josh in a different direction.

I'll take the Fillet of Cod

Once  Josh  began  eating  solid foods  I eagerly began steaming  and pureeing them.  Like my friend Becca I  found  baby  foods rather disgusting but making my own it's not so bad and saves some money.  Actually,  more than once I have shared Josh' s meal just because those strawberries looked so good.  So far Josh has had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, zucchini, pears, prunes, cantaloupe, strawberries, mango, and bananas.  He has liked them all, although the carrots didn't like him.  I've even experimented by mixing some of  the fruits together...yummy!


For my birthday my mom bought me a large food processor so that I can puree and freeze in bulk. (She insisted it was the worst birthday present ever, I obviously, felt otherwise). So with my new kitchen toy I decided to get my First Meals recipe book out and see what new foods I could make. Here is what I found and I've got to admit, I'm not so sure about this...
*Cheesy leek sweet potato and cauliflower puree
*Fillet of Cod with a trio of vegetables
*Braised beef with carrots, parsnips, and potatoes
*Tasty ground beef with sweet potatoes and tomatoes

and look what's ahead at the nine month mark:
*Fillet of fish mornay with vegetables
*Flaked cod with tomatoes and zucchini
*Quick chicken couscous

I'm not sure because I don't check the supermarket baby isle very often, but I really don't think Gerber offers these selections!

What a Lucky Mom I Am!

I've always known that I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with Josh, but today I was very thankful for it!  This morning we had play date and went to the Children's Museum, where the boys got to "run" around and explore. (Tye ran, Asher crawled really fast, and Josh went as fast as I carried him).  Then we went to lunch and the boys were so good while us moms got some time to talk.   We came home and took an hour a half nap together with Maggie.  Then this afternoon we went and played in the sprinkler with cousin Owen.  What a super day for the both of us.  I didn't do a single load of laundry, sweep or vacuum, or even cook.  I am very spoiled and even more aware today of what a great husband I have!  Thanks daddy for working so hard so that I can enjoy our son.  

Field Trip

Josh took his first field trip to the zoo with his play date buddies last Thursday.  It turns out that the rest of Houston ISD decided to visit the zoo that day as well!  I'm not sure Josh really understood the concept of the zoo.  He seemed to enjoy looking at the kids more than the animals, however, he did seem fascinated with the fish.  His older buddies enjoyed the petting zoo and Josh enjoyed watching them.  But the carousel was my favorite!  All three boys had such different responses.  Tye, the oldest, wanted to hold onto momma more than the moving animal pole.  Josh, the youngest,  gripped the pole so tight that he didn't even need momma around.  His little face couldn't decide whether to be sad, scared, or excited. And Asher had the time of his life!

Stage Two

The garden is now in stage two of progression.  We have finished shoveling in the fill dirt and now we only need to add the nutritious top soil and manure.  It took two truck loads and many trips with the wheelbarrow to accomplish stage two.  Kevin would transport the dirt and I would rake it smooth.  Josh helped by sleeping (which actually was a huge help because we didn't have to worry or entertain!)  My back is sore and my hands are calloused, but I feel better than I have in a long time.  It's funny how the more difficult something is the more rewarding it turns out to be! 

Six Months!

I can't believe our little man has been around for 1/2 of a year, my how times flies!  After my last post I found out that many other babies can stand up at this age, but we still think he is pretty spectacular.  Here he is sporting his 6 month t-shirt showing off his new talent.
 

Normal?

I'm not exactly sure what a typical 5 1/2 month old baby can do, but I'm pretty sure this isn't normal. To be fair, we put him up against the posts, he didn't pull himself up.  However, he did stay up for over 5 minutes.  We like to call him Sampson around here!

At Grandma's Request

2000 Pounds of Dirt

What do you do with 2000 pounds of dirt?  Well, after hauling it bag by bag from the truck in the front yard 100 feet to the back yard, our goal is to plant a flourishing and healthy garden (and after all that work this garden better grow!).  After months of talking, reading, and planning, we are officially one step closer to actually getting the plants in the ground.   I have really enjoyed making Josh's food, and thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could grow his food before I pureed it?"   Really neither Kevin nor I have any clue what we are doing, however, we are lucky to be surrounded by family that are extremely competent in the garden growing area.  So here are the first pictures, and if the garden is successful, look for more to follow.

My plea to Chevron

To anyone important that works at Chevron that may be reading this blog,

My dear friend Rebecca's husband works for your company.  He is an excellent worker and you are very lucky to have him.  His goal was to come to the Woodlands at the end of the month for further training (like the over achiever that he is) and bring his lovely wife and new son to stay at our home.  However, he recently found out that the training is full and they cannot come.  PLEASE, please, please open another spot for him.  Not only will it benefit your company, it will allow two long lost friends to see each other again.  We will do what ever it takes.  And if playing nice doesn't work, then I'll just send my 5 month old baby to your house and you can listen to him cry all night about the situation.  

Potentially your new favorite customer,

Misty

Spoiled Rotten

Josh and I just got back from a trip to Albuquerque to visit my folks and we were both spoiled rotten! Josh was outfitted with new clothes, had professional pictures taken, and given the undivided attention of his grandparents. I was relieved from diaper duty for five full days, relished the freedom to take naps, and was pampered with a day at the salon. We had a super visit and here are the pictures to prove it.