First Haircut!

Mallory went for her first haircut tonight!  *tears*  I made a big production out of it to make it special and fun.  She has never seen anyone get a haircut so she was going completely clueless. 

The only part I think she understood in my explanation of… just me and you are going to go.  Daddy and Max are going to stay home.  They are going to put a blanket on you and then comb your hair and cut it with a scissors.  She picked out – Just Mommy and Me and Daddy and Max have to stay home.  : )  She was so thrilled that Daddy and Max were staying home!  She ran up to Max and told him, “Mommy and I are going to go bu-bye and we are going to get my haircut.  You and Daddy are going to stay home!”  Then she ran to Jesse when he came home and told him, “Mommy and I are going to go bu-bye and we are going to get my haircut.  You and Max are going to stay home!”  She probably even told the dog too!  Do you think her love language is quality time?  I better start planning some more Mally and Mommy dates.

She of course was extremely shy when we showed up and clung to me.  So they let her sit on my lap while she got her haircut.

The gal who was cutting her hair asked if I wanted to save any of it.  I said, oh gosh no!  and grabbed my camera.  : )  I’ll just take pictures of it instead.  Then she went and grabbed another stylist to take a few for me.

She would not look at the camera for nothing for her.

She sat so great!  She didn’t cry and she even let her blow dry her hair.

I didn’t get a before picture – but I got an after! 

Minney was there to hold her hand!  Actually it wasn’t Minney today it was Max.

I then took her to get ice cream!  A very special treat for this sugar loving girl and her sugar loving momma!

She was being such a ham and posing and smiling and letting me take her picture!  She recently started posing and I have no clue where she picked that up from.

We were sharing that one ice cream and she kept telling me… don’t eat it all!!  I told her I have to help her, if she ate that whole thing she would get a belly ache.

Then when it was getting really low she said, okay mom that is enough, no more.  (I seriously wonder if this child is 2 or 6!  The things she comes up with!)

I let her finish it off and then the next thing I know she is drinking all the ice cream that melted!

More!

Really getting every last drop!

I was trying to tell her that I think she got it all and she was peeking at me.

Done!

Then she tells me… I ate it all up and I don’t have a belly ache! 

Mad Craving

I’ve been having mad cravings for chocolate.  Like bad!  I busted open the chocolate chips and just started eating them… skip the cookie just give me the straight chocolate!

Then one night last week Jesse was running to the gas station and I requested a Twix.  Now he usually brings me home the mega huge one… like the one with 4 Twix bars.  This time he only brought me the normal size… with 2.  I was a bit disappointed.  Then I bit into the first bar and was even more disappointed.  That blasted candy bar was stale!  The caramel snapped instead of being gooey stringy yummy.  So disappointing!

So then yesterday the Schwans man showed up and I still have this mad craving!  Here is what I ordered from him and I am not in any way lying about this.  Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake.  Dulce De Leche (aka Caramel) Ice Cream.  Vanilla Fudge Sundae Cones.  Donuts.  Yes!  I ordered them all!!!  And you want to know what the Schwans man said… “are you pregnant again?”

I laughed really hard. 

NO!! 

He laughed. 

Then he tells me his daughter-in-law would chase him down when she was pregnant and get the mini brownies.  And my response… “OH!  Mini Brownies!  Where are those?”  As I start frantically searching my catalog for them!

Last night after I put the kids to bed it was just me, Jesse was working late.  I had that Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake on the brain.  I had it sitting on my counter unthawing all afternoon just waiting for when those babies were in their respective little beds snuggling and sniffing their blankets!  I bust open that box and rip off the plastic and cut in to it!  I cut it in half and then half again!  I take my honkin huge mega piece of cake and plop it on my plate.  And I’m thinking, Wow!  Lynn this is a bit over the top.  But then I think… If I would order a piece of cake at a restaurant they would bring me a piece this big, right?  And they would top it with chocolate syrup… I’m not adding the syrup it is okay!

My mad carving isn’t over yet… I’ve got 3/4 of that cake left… well it is on the verge of being 1/2 a cake…

I need to take my thinking about being a runner and make it happen ASAP!!

Even Maxwell

She even copies Max!

I get Max a bottle and Mally is on my heels requesting something to drink, but it must be in a sippy cup so she can be like Max.

Snack Time

I came in from work one afternoon and Mally was still asleep, but Max was not.  I probably got something to eat and he saw that and started humming, twirling his hands and kicking his feet begging for a bite.  So I got out his treats and then decided to put them in a little dish and see if he could work on some fine motor skills.

Needs more work.

Would rather just eat them off the floor.

Oh this face!

He is into making faces and it is so funny.  One night we are all sitting at the table eating supper and Jesse is feeding our pet duck… I mean Max (it is like feeding ducks we break little pieces off and toss them at his tray) and Max wasn’t liking it but he kept eating and he made that face (above with a little more scrunching) and we laughed.  Well then he kept doing it on purpose.  We laugh.  He do it again.  He is starting to turn into the class clown and likes it when we laugh at him.

Shall I just help myself, mama?

Focused!

Then he discovered the wipes and starts banging his snack dish on the wipes.

Love that he is sitting with his legs crossed.  He does this a lot.

Sometimes I stop and think, Max you are all boy.  He takes his bed apart – he will untie his bumper – Mally never did that.

His highchair is next to a taller plant/tree and I was giving him a spatula to chew on (thought he might like it on his new teeth that are coming) and he will take it and stick it in the plant leaves and shake it.

He bangs everything.  He likes to make noise.  He also likes to throw things off his tray.  Mally threw things off- but not as much as Max.  He totally does it on purpose and then looks over the edge and looks at them on the floor.

He was having a grand time with this banging and yelling!

Uh-oh.  A little too much fun we woke up Mally.

She was not impressed with getting her picture taken when she woke up.

Max fell over

and started banging on the floor.

We moved to the kitchen because Mally spotted that Max was getting a snack – and she needed one too.

She is much happier now!  Juice and Teddy Grahams that will make any little girl happy.

Max spies ‘real’ food and starts humming, twirling and kicking… he would like a sample. 

Extreme Copy-Cat

(FYI: I fixed my video in the post below.)

I think I have mentioned a couple times how much Mallory is two steps behind me doing everything that I am doing… and I do mean everything.  I have been battling a cold (for months it seems) and when I go to the bathroom to blow my nose she is following me getting a kleenex.  If I grab a second one – she does too!

I was chatting with my mom in emails today about this new menu calendar she showed me.  Calendars and I are like BBFs!  : )  So of course this totally got my attention and I went into action and started trying to make my own… because you know I don’t have enough calendars in my life – how about another!!

Anyway – her calendar would require me to get to the store and get the materials and I just don’t get to stores very easily… and I wanted it NOW!  : ) 

So I just printed off my favorite free printable calendars and did the ‘ol write out my menu with a fun pen.  : ) 

Then it lead me into thinking… I should take pictures of my meals and make my own recipe cards!  I just got a brand new fancy camera for Christmas and I should really get to learn it and this might help my need for a creative outlet.  Blah blah blah blah…

None of this has to do with what I want to post about.  : )  I wanted to tell you about my copy cat daughter who drives me crazy girl!  I was telling my Mom about my meal planning/recipe making and how I just wish my kids would let me have an hour (just an hour) in the kitchen to create/make supper every night with out having Mallory copying my every move and Max not humming and twirling his hands and feet demanding a steady stream of food to be placed on his tray… he really would just like the steady stream of food to placed directly into his mouth, but I make him pick it up off his tray and feed himself.  Evil, I know!  ; )  It keeps him occupied for a few moments, however he is perfecting this so called thing as self feeding that he is humming and twirling every few minutes until the next dump of food hits his tray.  And he is so over baby food – he wants the real food!

Then there is Mallory who has to have her Baby Maxwell in her Baby Maxwell’s high chair and she has to feed her Baby Maxwell everything that I am feeding Max.  Plus she needs a sample for herself.  Plus she is moving around the kitchen two steps behind me doing everything I am doing.  I peek in the oven to check on what is cooking – she walks over to the oven and pretends to look in.  I grab a spatula to stir she is “momma, I need a spoon.  momma I need to stir too.”  AHHHHHH!!!!!! 

So I was telling my Mom about this and she emails back and says “They do grow out of that phase but of course I’ve never seen one quite as copy-catty as she is so it might take a while.  I can see her having the invisible friend that has to eat supper with you”

Then I tell her about my trip to the grocery store on Monday…

When we went to the grocery store Monday morning she had to push her own little cart (which I was fine with because it keeps her from touching everything and running off) and she kept looking behind her saying “come on kids” and waving her hand… because I kept turning around looking at her saying things like… come on girl.  Ya comin kid.  Then she had to go to the bathroom (for the second time, I might add) and I grabbed Max and the diaper bag and started walking and she is not coming and trailing behind.  Mallory, come on!  She comes and she is carrying an imaginary bag and says… I had to get my diaper bag!

Then after we get to the bathroom (for the second time) she refuses to go!  (She needs to do #2 – she will love me when she is 16 reading about this!)  I am so frustrated because we just abandoned our carts for the 2nd time and I have to lug Max back to the back of the store in some po-dunk store so we are tripping over pallet jacks and boxes (we shopped locally and small town grocery stores are something else – no restrooms so you have to use employee restrooms)  and having to squeeze Max between these pallet jacks in his carseat plus he is on the verge of being done with having to sit in his carseat and just wants a nap… to have her NOT GO!

So I give her the warning that we are not coming back in here.  If she needs to go – she best do it now.  She doesn’t.  We fumble our way back out to our cart and she immediately starts hollering about “My butt hurts” and she is grabbing her butt and doing the I-gotta-go-potty-dance.

So she doesn’t technically talk about imaginary friends – but she does an awful lot of pretending/talking/imitating to things/items I can’t see.  : )

Oh and here is one of my recipe cards I made.  I even made up the recipe… granted it wasn’t too creative or fancy, but it is a start. 

You could totally use parmesan cheese instead of gouda too.  But I had left over gouda from this recipe.  Molly is one of our friends and she is an amazing cook!

Mally’s Interview = 2-1/2

Now that Mally can talk and understand I want to do interviews with her.  Ask a bunch of questions and see how her answers change over the years.  Plus I’m finding that going back to watch these videos are so fun. 

She is not a good interviewee!  She is very much in the copy stage so she has to do everything I do.  She had to have her own ‘camera’ and had to tape me and ask me the same questions.  So it wasn’t my ideal interview… but this is exactly how she is right now.

It is a really long video – just a warning.

Here is my Mally Rae at 2 1/2 years old.

Popcorn & Twix

Last night we had our first movie night with Mallory.  I have never put a movie in for Mally so she isn’t all that familiar with movies.  Heck, it is very rare that Jesse and I will watch movies.  Anyway, I thought last night would be fun and something special to do with her. 

I talked about in the morning before I went to work with her… tonight after Daddy is done with work and we eat supper… we are going to put Max to bed early and You, Me and Daddy are going to watch a movie and eat popcorn!  Her response = yay, lets do that now.  : )

She was very excited, and was sure to let everyone know, that it was just her, mommy, and daddy and Max had to go to bed.

Jesse and Mally left to go get the movie and the snacks while I put Max to bed, picked up toys and set the “theater”.  I don’t have very exciting theater items – something I need to keep a watch out for.

We rented the kid movie, Rio.  For snacks we had gummy worms, popcorn, and a Twix candy bar (specially requested by me).  She ate and ate and ate and ate!  I finally had to hide the popcorn for fear she was going to turn into a kernel!  And she actually sat and watched the movie and giggled and seemed to understand some things that were going on.  During the last bit she wanted to snuggle on the couch and she was trying to make a nest – she was getting tired. 

Then this morning she wakes up and opens up our door and I was sleeping hard so it kind of scared me to hear her come in so I sat up and see that the lights are on out in the living room/kitchen area.  Why are the lights on?  Mally tells me “Max is awake.”  Did you turn the lights on?  She says, “yeah, I couldn’t see Max.” 

I get up and I go straight into the kids room to get Max up and Mally is following me and she is in there with me and I notice something in her hand and it looks like a piece of wood and I can’t get my eyes to focus and see it.  She is just kind of holding on to it.  Mally what is in your hand?  I forget what she tells me, but I think Jesse says… I think it is a candy bar!

We don’t know what she really did… but I think I have a feeling… She got her stool out of the bathroom put it down in the kitchen near the light switch, turned on the light, then must of seen the popcorn bowl from the movie party, moved her stool over to the counter, reached the bowl and started eating popcorn while looking around, spotted the left over Twix bar I didn’t eat (which is shocking because I don’t leave a Twix bar laying around uneaten), and ate it… then Max must of woke up and she went in there and turned his light on by climbing up his crib, then came to get us.

She has never gone out to the kitchen before when she wakes up.  Her first stop is always our room.  I guess I need to make sure all the special snacks are up a higher level and out of her reach now!  : )

Maxwell–8 Months

Maxwell… Little Drummer Boy… He is really into Mally’s little drum set she got for Christmas.

He has recently changed his giggle.  It sounds a bit like woody woodpecker.  I need to catch it on video soon.

He is starting to notice Maggie (the dog).  When he spots Maggie he either squeals or giggles and starts flapping his arms.  If I ask him, “where’s the puppy?”  he will get a big smile and start looking around the room for Maggie.

I do not style his hair – it naturally does this.

He likes to do patty-cake and itsy-bitsy-spider.  When I start doing the songs with him, he looks for Mally to see if she is doing it too.  He also seems to be taking an interest in music – if we are singing he starts blabbing with us.

He still hums A LOT.  He hums if he wants something.  He hums if he is happy.  He hums if wants to be held.  He hums if he starting to get fussy.  I’ve started calling him Hummer, he hums so much.  I’ve also started calling him Max-a-roni… which Mally caught and she calls him that all the time and tells everyone “That’s Max-a-roni”.  Sorry bud!  Along with humming his noises include… mama and nana.

He is also very much a momma’s boy!  When I come in at lunch time and he hears me, but can’t see me… the humming starts.  As soon as he sees me the fake crying, hand twirling, leg kicking happens.  When I pick him up he wraps his arms around my neck and hugs and bites on my shoulder!  He is definitely my snuggly baby!

Loves food!  He may only have one little bottom tooth but he loves people food already.  He will be in his highchair and if you bring over a plate of food (for yourself to eat) he is stretching and reaching trying to get a good look at your plate to see what you are eating.  Then he starts humming and twirling his hands until you give him a sample.  Once you give him a sample and he likes it… the humming will continue until the next bite.  He likes real food way more then the baby food.  He is also doing so well at self feeding already.  I can’t get him to take a sippy cup yet.  I try and try and try – nothing!  He won’t do it.  He will drink out of a regular cup and he really likes that.  If I am holding him and I take a drink he is looking at me with his mouth wide open reaching for my glass for his turn.

I think I have officially stopped nursing him and started pumping.  I’ve been attempting this for awhile now, but I would get lazy and would just nurse him – however he started fighting nursing and it was a crying battle… which makes it an easy transition, right.  : )  It is a love/hate thing for me when they give up nursing.

No crawling yet. He has mastered the art of sitting though. He has recently started reaching forward for toys and falling over on his belly and he doesn’t get mad (which is shocking) and he will lay there for a bit on his belly and then rolls over to his back. He doesn’t like to spend too much time on his belly before he either rolls or gets mad. We have all attempt to get him to crawl – but he has no interest!

He likes to stand now.  He likes to stand at the toy box and pull out the toys or stand at his play table.  He doesn’t have very much control so you always have to help him stand there.

He seems to be a much happier baby lately… when he is not teething.  And when he is happy he is such a good happy content little boy!

Mally @ 8 Months.