Day 30 - A Picture Of Someone You Miss

Last day of the challenge!

Unfortunately, I can't pick just one. There are too many people I miss. So I'm putting them in the order that I started missing them.


Uncle Charlie who passed away June 20, 2006
(he was a Cal Ripken fan if you can't tell)



My Gram (here with my Mom) who passed away August 2, 2009

 


My Mom who passed away May 21, 2010

 

My Dad who passed away February 12, 2011

Day 29 - A Picture That Can Always Make You Smile

* Insert any picture of Grant here*

Actually, I took a picture just for this post (ok, two pictures).

BABY BUTT! Baby butts make me smile. Well, specifically Grant's baby butt.

P.S. He peed on the carpet about two seconds after I snapped that second picture.

Day 28 - A Picture Of Something You're Afraid Of

Snakes! I'm super afraid of snakes. I don't even like being near their glass container at museums or zoos. Yuck! I can't stand it when people say "Oh you don't have to be scared of those little grass snakes!" Shut up. I don't care if they're a tiny grass snake or giant anaconda out in the jungle, they are all the same to me. I don't want them anywhere near me. I believe that people who own those giant snakes as pets should be committed. "Hey look at me! I'm sitting here with a giant snake wrapped around my neck like a scarf. Sure, this thing can unhinge it's jaw and devour a toddler whole...but I'm sure he wouldn't do that to me." Idiots. Just get a dog like normal people!

Day 27 - A Picture Of Yourself And A Family Member

Today's topic doesn't seem to want me to elaborate so that's what I'm going with. That's me and my Aunt Bonnie in 2009. We call her Boner :)

Macaroni & Cheese

I have a baby food obsession. Every time I go to Target or any grocery store I have to go to the baby food section. It's like a mission to seek out baby food that I perhaps missed on my previous trip. A trip to Target over the weekend, merely to exchange some shoes for Grant, led to the discovery of...wait for it...macaroni & cheese baby food! Who knew? I debated a little before finally putting it in the cart.

As with all of Grant's new foods, I tasted it. I was pretty excited to taste this one. Hello! It's mac & cheese! It looks like cheese sauce. There is something slightly unsettling about feeding your child something that looks it should be poured over tortilla chips. But after tasting it...well, I'm going to hold off on the nachos. It's pretty bland (how did I not expect that?). So my first thought was that Grant would hate it. But then again, he's never had good mac & cheese before...so maybe not.



First bite...

 

I don't think he's too sure about it.



But he went back for more.



He seemed to like it...maybe?

I think I have mentioned before that we're trying to teach Grant what "No" means. I read somewhere that now is a good time to start working on that. So when he does something that he shouldn't we tell him "No" and try to be firm. For instance, when he eats he likes to try to grab the bowl I'm feeding him from. In this case, he tried to grab the mac & cheese jar. So I said "No" and moved his hand from the jar. This happened several times and so I tried to be more firm. Well, he knows what it means because every once in a while he'll move his hand as soon as I say it...
 

And sometimes he just makes me feel like the worst person ever.



Day 26 - A Picture Of Something That Means A Lot To You

I think the person who created this challenge was running out of topics. But anyway, something that means a lot to me:

 

My engagement and/or wedding ring. It's not a great pic of them but it's only Tuesday and I'm exhausted. I had no energy or desire to take a new picture of them. But I love them...and they, obviously, mean a lot to me.

Eight Months

How time flies! Eight months old and getting so big. It's not fair. Grant is such a little man, it's ridiculous. In the past month he's been eating a lot more and he usually wants more when the bowl is empty. He's eating anything we feed him - even the meats! I had to get just the right mix of a fruit or vegetable, but I can get him to eat the meats now. And we're getting more adventurous with fruit and he's really enjoyed that. Some of the stuff we're kind of limited on. Our pediatrician recommends not introducing any citrus into his diet until he's a year old and that includes strawberries (longer if there is a history of family allergy but thankfully there isn't!). Do you know how much baby food has strawberries in it? We'll be able to get even more creative once he can have that. And he's making some progress, but not much, with the sippy cup. I'm hoping that some new ones I bought recently may help...but so far, I'm not seeing the improvement I hoped for.



Eight months old!

 We know Grant weighs about 17 1/2 pounds due to a recent trip to the doc's office for his first ear infection (and first antibiotic prescription). And while we're on firsts - we have a first tooth! It makes his silly grins even cuter. Grant still spends a lot of time in the baby jail because he's into more and more every day. Nothing is safe...



Especially not my coffee table books. Which he seems to think are his own.



We're also learning what "No" means. This is what I got when I told him "No" to climbing
into the coffee table. That face is hard to be strict with!


This past weekend I was fortunate enough to have three whole days to spend with my little man! We did so much...well, I did so much. He pretty much had no choice but to participate. We played, he napped, I cooked, we played. On Saturday we went for a walk at some parks near the house and I decided to get out the camera. Not much cooperation from the munchkin. He just wanted to pick the grass...and eat sticks.

Hmmm...I'm gonna eat it. (It was in his mouth two seconds
later, completely unpreventable. Oh well.)

And I took a few more today...he just so damn cute, how can I not? Plus, I love this little romper. It has little crabs all over it and I love orange on him. It's still a bit big because it's 12 months but it's still adorable on him. And those are his first pair of real shoes!



He smiles like this a lot now.

 

He'd rather pick grass than look at Mama!



Sitting on Daddy's jeep!



Handsome devil :)

Now, my project for the next few months: get started planning Grant's FIRST BIRTHDAY! This year has just been flying by and it's going to be here before I know it. I have a theme in mind but my main problem is finding somewhere to have it. My ideal place is having it at the park where we like to walk. They have big shelters you can rent out with grills and lots of tables. I just love the idea of having a cook out/picnic kind of thing. It's simple. The problem? August is H-O-T. And the party can't be at our house. It's just too small. So I'm taking suggestions...

Baby's First Easter

I've had so much to post lately! Grant's first Easter was a good one! We spent the day at my Mother-in-law's and ate way too much and were pretty lazy for the rest of the day. It was very exciting to make my first Easter basket! Obviously he can't have candy, so I sort of put some stuff in there that he needs and a little bit of fun stuff too.


Grant's first Easter basket!

  

Hmm...what's this?







Yay it's for me!

 

He pretty much just pulled stuff out of it and looked at it
until he realized...


 

What's that?


 

There's grass in the bottom!




The book we got him and his new teether Sophie the Giraffe. I was reluctant to get that for him but he seems to like it (although she's currently missing and I'm thinking she may be in my backseat.

  

Brodie got a basket too! I didn't want him to feel left out.


There was so much food! This is what I made:

Mac & Cheese in the crock pot - yum!

 

Hash Brown Casserole



A batch of molasses cookies

 And also the Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie from my earlier post. There was all sorts of yummy stuff! We had a great meal and it's always nice to spend the day with family. Grant had a great - and exhausting - time playing with all his toys at Grandmas. I'm hoping to get a picture up soon of Grant with the giant stuffed bunny his Grandma got him for Easter. Hopefully I can get one of him not wrestling with it. What is it with him and wrestling stuffed animals? Anyway...since I don't have one of him with his bunny, how about one of him as a bunny?

Cuteness

Day 25 - A Picture Of Your Day

This is what my day looks like. I spend 8 hours a day right there in that cubicle (at least it's roomy) - not counting potty breaks and lunch. 

And I stare at that picture (which is changed a couple times a week because I have so many cute ones to choose from) on my computer monitor that is roughly the size of the screen at a drive-in movie theater. And I try not to think about how I'd much rather be home with him than sitting there with my poop/pee/blood covered paperwork that smells like the livestock barn at the fair. 

New Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I decided to do a dessert for my second new recipe this month (I'm doing really well sticking to my goal!). I got the recipe from Hollie at Life As A Lofthouse who always posts great looking recipes. I saw her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (click on that for the recipe) a while back and I've been trying to find a reason to make it. Let's be honest, I do not need a whole pie sitting around the house. So I made it for Easter! It was apparently a hit because I put the empty pie plate in the kitchen sink this morning to soak (a couple pieces came to work with me for co-workers).



Ingredients



Crimp your pie shell to make it pretty

  

Foamy eggs and adding the flour



Adding the sugars



I couldn't resist adding a picture of my favorite - and lately less used -
kitchen appliance. I love this mixer!



Adding the butter...mmmm butter

 

Adding the chips



Ready for the oven!

 

Done!



I drizzled some chocolate syrup for looks



I always forget the whipped cream...



Right before I stuck my fork in it!

 Notes/Suggestions:

• I used Pillsbury ready made pie crust instead of the frozen one that Hollie used but either one would work. I use the Pillsbury crusts a lot (chicken pot pies, quiche, dessert pie) so I wanted to use what I know.
• SO easy, anyone can make this pie (and everyone will be impressed!)
• I need to read directions before starting...I added the whole bag of chips when I only need half. I had to pick out roughly a cup of chips.
• I did not forget the whipped cream.

Just an FYI, Hollie has a lot of great recipes so check out her blog! I've also made her Lasagna Roll Ups which were great too.