Christmas!

So - the holidays kicked my butt! I never appreciated how the holiday triumvirate of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas can wear you out hardcore with a little one. There's just so much activity, so much to try and do that we've spent the last week recuperating :)

Christmas was so much fun, though. We hosted my brother's fam and my parents here and it was very laidback. We had a great dinner - although I think the best thing I made was some homemade mozzarella sticks - THEY WERE AMAZEBALLS! Totally making them again, you can even freeze them so you can enjoy them whenever. Tangent, yes, but worth the mention.

Rutherford had a wonderful Christmas. I put a lot of prep into it and it was so worth it. Both his grandparents teamed up to get him an adorable new kitchen for his playroom and he LOVES it! It makes sizzling sounds on the stovetop and he loves making coffee for his guests :)

I have a bit of video from Christmas and some pics from my mom so hopefully get them up soon, but here's some pics I got!

Elmo Has Arrived

Rutherford doesn't watch TV yet. I think he's old enough but we just have the one TV and we haven't really baby-proofed the family room (in progress though!) yet. So in the meantime, we watch short videos online.

In the mornings now we all snuggle in bed together before breakfast. Papa reads the news on his iPad and R and I watch a few videos on my Kindle Fire. His favorites are Mickey Mouse and ELMO. I'm not sure what sort of mystic baby voodoo Elmo enchants kids with, but man - it's real. Within five seconds R was hooked.

The video above is his favorite. I think the ducks are hilarious. I had forgotten how good Sesame Street can be, even if you're an adult. The duckies' subtle body language and faces are so effin funny. Ned and I sing this song a lot now. R loves to quack along.

Aquarium

Yesterday R and I hit the aquarium with PB and Colleen. We had a great time! I can't believe these two have been hanging out since they were just a few months old. They had fun looking at the fishes and especially loved walking around independent-style, sans mama's hand. R even took a ride on the teeter-totter and loved it. Cute little baby friends.

Baby Friends Christmas Party!

R hosted his first playroom party this weekend. We thought it might be fun to celebrate the holidays with a few friends, so Penelope, Ryder and Madison came over to play. We had snacks and cookies, colored, played with the felt Christmas tree (totally bomb by the way) and just had fun. The bubbas played really well together and it was so much fun! I've already starting thinking about a Baby Friends Valentine's Day party next!

Dog Chasin'

Rutherford LOVES chasing the doggies around. I don't let him do it too often because:

1. He is still Mr Wobbles and if he gets too excited, he gets moving too fast and bad things happen, like running into walls or sliding on strewn newspapers and doing the splits accidentally; and/or

2. The doggies get cornered and have no where to run away from his flailing hands and scary giggles.

But yesterday I let him chase Lucky just for a bit. Hilarious. Rutherford thinks it's the funnest thing in the world. Lucky kind of gives me a "please help" look.

Chatty

Rutherford is learning new words every day. Some things only Ned and I understand, but it counts I think! It's hard to keep up with everything he's saying, but here's a pretty comprehensive list:
- Hi
- Bye (pretty much the cutest thing ever)
- Cup
- Bowl
- Boo
- Mar Mar (doggie next door)
- Socks (kinda sounds like "tocks")
- Blueberries ("boobas")
- Lawnmower ("mambooer")
- Bubble
- Car
- Bird
- Mama
- Papa
- Bib
- Spoon ("dooo")
- Thank You ("da doo" TOTALLY the cutest thing ever)
- Banana ("nana")
- Grandpa ("gapa")
- Book

I'm sure there's more but wow so many new words! Smart lil Bubba.

Little Blue Chair

We're retiring R's exersaucer in the kitchen - he hasn't used it (except as a snack receptacle) since he started walking. But I wanted him to have a lil something in the kitchen that was his size. I picked up this really cute plastic chair and table combo from Ikea (actually online as they didn't have it at our local store). Anyways, he LOVES it! In the morning he sits in his chair and has his milk, and in the afternoons he eats his snack there, too. And of course, he invents new ways of playing with it - this morning pushing the chair all around upstairs was the thing to do. I'm hoping it takes him a while to figure out how to use it as a step stool, but until then, have to keep a close eye on him! :)

Mr Wobbles

Haha! Rutherford walking is SOOOOOO freaking cute. We call him "Wobbles." I love to see him teetering off to chase the dogs or go after his ball. He's pretty good at breaking his falls, too. Just love this little guy!

Happy Halloween!

What an awesome Halloween - Rutherford had so much fun! Our little buckaroo looked sooo adorable. All of the neighbors were fawning over him and his fabulous cowboy costume (thank you to Grandma :)

He really enjoyed going to the different houses, and he loved picking out candy and dropping it into his treat bag. Everyone commented on what a beautiful little baby boy we have!

First I carved a couple punkins (Haha just a quick job!)

Then I grabbed R's cute little treat bag:

 

R getting into his buckaroo costume:

 

Getting the evening started:

 Trick or treating with Papa:

He looks so happy! He was a little ham in his costume!

Heading back home with lots of nummies:

Walking!

Our little cautious Cancer took his time - but yesterday he was ready to go go go - Rutherford is walking! Next stop T-Ball!

My parents just happened to be dropping off a few things off at our house and R started walking about three minutes before they arrived. Good timing :)

Constitutional

Rutherford loves to go for walks on our street now. He holds onto your hand tight and we walk up and down the neighborhood. Sometimes he likes to touch all of the sprinklers we pass by. Other times he can't wait to see "MarMar," (Marlon) the Maidas' doggie who lives next door. And of course if we can sneak a peek of the goats down the street, well, that kinda makes the whole day, know what I mean?

R still isn't walking but he has been standing on his own a lot more lately. My little cautious cancer. Adorable.

New Kicks

We bought R his first pair of Converse today - bright green! He looks so cute in them. They were my favorite sneaker growing up, I hope to pass along good fashion sense to my boy.

Ned picked up a pair, too, in gray. What cute boys I have now.

The Week in Pictures

Vocabulary

Rutherford is picking up new words and signs quickly - not necessarily saying them, but understanding and remembering them. Like parts of the body, small actions and names for toys and such. He is the smartest!

Also last night he said "Thank you!" He has been signing it for a while but last night while I was getting him ready for bed I told him thank you when he was a good boy getting dressed and he said "Ta Doo!" Totally the beginning of thank you! :)

15 Months Old!

Our little Rutherford is 15 months old today. He has definitely turned into a toddler from a little baby. He's started feeding himself some of his veggie purees for lunch and dinner and I can't believe how quickly he catches onto new signs, vocabulary, concepts and play. I love watching him grow.

In other news, we are SOOOO ready for fall to arrive here. It has been so crazy hot this summer, seriously 90+ almost every day since mid-July. That's totally insane for San Diego. I can't wait to put on a pair of jeans and eat some pho - come on fall!

We had family dinner at the ranch last night, I brought a dessert I made in the slow cooker. It was called a "goober cake." It was like a pudding cake, made it with chocolate and peanut butter, soooo good with ice cream. It seemed like a neat old-school recipe. I'd definitely do it again.

Next month at family dinner we'll be doing pumpkin carving - whee! Going to invite Penelope and and Ryder and their families for the fun, too. It'll be a potluck thing so hopefully my parents can relax a bit more than usual. :) Happy Bday Rutherford!

Naptime

R is sooo cute when he goes down for his naps. I give him a big kiss and hug and now he puts himself to sleep - but he talks to himself and rolls around quite a bit beforehand. I like watching him on the monitor :)

The Week in Pictures...

 Riding the carousel at Balboa Park with the fam.

 Went back to my super short pixie cut! The upkeep is awesome - roll out of bed and it looks cute. Winning :)

 R loves his green smoothies - this week we added figs from the Ranch.

R loves walking around the playroom - holding onto one finger.

Flamingos

R and I have hit the zoo quite a bit in the past few weeks. After second nap I have to get out of the house as it's (STILL!) ridiculously hot and the playroom is like a sauna after 2pm. The upside is little guy gets to check out all sorts of fun animals.

He's really beginning to see the animals more and more. This visit, we watched the flamingos, some monkeys, birds in the aviary, goats and his favorite - the meerkats. Rutherford lights up when he sees those guys and calls them "Boo." Love my little honey bunny!

Happy Naptime Wake-up

I think (hope!) R's sixth tooth has broken all the way through... he's been cranky for a while now but today he seemed in better spirits. I hope he's feeling better! Now if it will just cool off, my life will be perfect!

Mirror, Mirror

We installed a mirror in Rutherford's playroom over the weekend. He loves it! He likes to make faces with me in it, and today I caught him talking to himself a lot in it as well.

The Gymnast

R LOVES taking small "jumps" off his chair and onto a pile of blankies. I love watching him make up little games as he explores his playroom :)

Bif

Neddie named R's new dolly baby "Bif." It stuck and R loves to pick Bif up, give him a hug and toss him around the playroom. What a cute little sweetie pie we have!

Lunch

Peek a Boo

R likes to play peek-a-boo with his blankie :)

New Teeth!

What a trooper! So Rutherford has been crabby the past week or so, with a bit of sleeplessness. But, nothing too bad - so I felt terrible when I noticed yesterday he's cutting two new teeth! Poor doober must not have felt very good for a while and I just chalked it up to him being a grumpus. What a sweet little boy to weather teething so well! We all went out yesterday and shared some Pinkberry to celebrate his new teeth (well... and I wanted fro yo).

Last weekend, Rutherford went to Penelope's birthday party! Our Kindermuisk teacher, Miss Annette, was there and led some singing and dancing for all the babies (six at this party!). R had a good time and got some fun scarves and a jingly jangly rainbow-ribboned bell thingie in his goodie bag. Awesomeo! Here's a few pics from the party:

Big Boy Shoes

Found some adorable sandals for R this weekend. It's about time he had some shoes, he's been my little barefoot hobo for so long. Now that he's getting a little more interested in walking, I also want to acclimate him to wearing shoes sometimes. He looks soooooo cute in them. Also, he didn't seem to mind them at all! I thought for sure he'd try to rip them right off, but he actually sort of seemed excited to wear them. How cute is he?

Getting Around!

Today, for the first time, Rutherford used his little push cart - standing up and walking! Until today he'd just push it along his knees. He was very proud of himself!

Fun with R

As we're settling into our second year with R, I just can't believe how much FUN he is. He and I have a great time together. I am so lucky to be able to spend this time with him.

Happy Birthday to Rutherford!

Today our little son turns one year old! We feel so blessed to have such a smart, sweet, fun-loving and adorable baby boy.

Yesterday we had a big picnic party at our local park for R. The Houston Grands flew in special for the occasion - and also brought Rutherford's great-grandma, Grammit! It is her first time visiting San Diego and also her first time meeting Rutherford, so we were so happy she could come, too.

So many of our friends and family joined us to celebrate R's birthday, it was a great day. 

Rutherford enjoys his cupcake - Grammy made him a yummy low-sugar banana-blueberry treat!

Neddie, Grammit, R and me.

The grandparents!

 Rutherford is super sweet and loves to share his cupcake.

Group pic :)

Happy birthday to our big boy - can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Picnickin'

Rutherford and Penelope enjoying a picnic on this beautiful first day of summer!

Rutherford was a sweet little gentleman - fed Penelope some yummy dried mango and strawberries. (He also kept smacking her on the head, but let's focus on the sweet stuff - haha!)

Awwwww...

Push It

Rutherford is almost one year old! We (of course) cannot believe it, and it seems as though he's making big strides each day. He is getting very good at signing, and signs for "more," "milk," and "all done." He's close on "mama," and this week I've been concentrating on "bath," "book" and "thank you," so hopefully he gets those down pat soon!

He's also close to saying "mama" as well. The "M" seems to be tricky but he's getting close. I cannot wait to hear it.

A few weeks ago we bought R a little ride-on toy, a giraffe. He doesn't quite understand the mechanics of it yet - he tries to stand on it when I try to place him on it, lol - and today he decided it was for pushin'.

He is the sweetest thing in the world.

Lunch Fun

Today, during lunch, Rutherford ate very well! Some peas and carrots, cheese, a couple strawberries from the garden (his new favorite) and he and I split a yummy pear, too. I knew he was just about done when he started dropping peas and carrots down his shirt. What a silly boy.

Oh and he loves having yogurt for dessert!

Love

I cannot believe how much fun Rutherford is. His unfiltered joy, curiosity and adorable little face fill me with more happiness than I ever thought possible. I love him more every day. He is the most wonderful little person in the whole world.

Little Deuce Coupe

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah

Rutherford is moving along so quickly, it's hard to keep up! First off, he's been eating much better this week. He's back on some purees (still some resistance), plus lots and lots of new finger foods - string cheese, blueberries, homemade sweet potato fries and my veggie bran muffins are his faves. The dogs have never been happier. Sometimes R takes a blueberry or piece of cheese in his hands and leans over in his high chair, hanging the morsel in front of Boo's face. He squeals with glee when Boo licks his hand clean. Everyone has fun.

Speaking of Boo, R has said his first two words! R now says "Dada" when looking at Neddie and he also says "Boo," although he's still getting the hang of that one. It seems to mean either doggie :) So amazing to start to see him communicate more every day.

He's also understanding words, too. He knows what "clap" means, "high-five," "bye bye," and more. He gets so excited when he successfully figures out what you're saying - it must be thrilling to communicate finally!

We have decided to turn the bonus room off the garage into Rutherford's play land. We tried the media room, but the wires, furniture, hardwood floors, etc., made the space not so hot for chasing a baby around. I have some big ideas for the new space - some definite DIY ahead.

We started by moving his toys and such out there last weekend, and he's already having a great time in his new playroom:

Hunger Strike

R has been an extremely picky eater lately. One day he was eating his homemade sweet potato casserole like a champ - the next day - poof - I can't get him to open his mouth for anything! No yummy yogurt, no pea puree, no oatmeal, no applesauce.

At first, I thought it was teething. I think his top teeth are going to come in soon (seems like they bother him for a week, then stop aching for a week, then back again), and I read a lot about teething affecting their eating.

However, I noticed he'd still eat when he could feed himself - Cheerios, that is. So I started trying more finger foods. What did I discover? That just like me, little Rutherford likes carbs. The boy will gobble cereal (Corn Chex is the new hotness), a bit of waffle and bread. His absolute favorite right now are these pumpkin bran muffins I made. At least those have some fiber and fruit in them, too! Tomorrow I'm making a new batch with grated carrot, apple and zucchini so I can hopefully make them into a more balanced meal. Those and the occasional dollop of yogurt is the only real food he'll tolerate right now. Trying to just go with the flow as nutritionally he's OK with just breastmilk and I figure he's just experimenting.

The good news is the dogs are extremely excited for mealtime, as R throws about 75 percent of his food on the ground. Boo even cleans off the high chair afterwards. Such good helpers.

R is getting very good at standing up. A few weeks ago he'd topple over easily when holding onto the sofa or coffee table. A few minor falls taught him to be more careful and now he can pull himself up onto nearly anything... and then he can slowly lower himself down, too. He learns so quickly, it is a treat to watch him work stuff out.

In other news, we met Aimee and Ryder at the park for a playdate, the Rs enjoyed the swings together. Ryder is about five months older than Rutherford, and it's crazy to see him sliding down the slide by himself, going up the stairs, saying "bye bye" and more - can't believe those milestones are so close for our little guy.