Wordless Wednesday: "running laps around the house"

Updates!

I'm OFFICIALLY back! Thanks to my recent facebook deactivation, I plan to blog more frequently. I'm ashamed to admit that facebook was becoming an addiction for me; it was detracting from my school work and family time. For me, blogging is far more productive.

We just celebrated the one year anniversary of home ownership. Dane has updated several rooms: tiled the bathroom, extended the hardwood from the kitchen into the dining room, replaced several light fixtures, applied new paint to the walls, etc. I tend to be the project planner, he is the project executor. What a perfect partnership! Pictures to come.

Robbie is developing quite well. He is now 19 months and has approximately 40 words. Granted, they aren't all full words (most are approximations). However, he communicates well. He also knows a handful of signs. At his recent doctor's visit, he came in on the 95th percentile for height and 85th for weight.As I'm learning more about how to reduce problem behaviors in my graduate program, I get to actually apply some of the procedures to Robman. He's my little guinea pig! Maybe the terrible two's won't be as terrible with the help of a master's degree. We can only hope.

We recently traveled to Richmond, Virginia to visit Ged (Grandpa Ed) for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun touring the city and going to some amazing restaurants. We look forward to our next visit.

We also had the pleasure of hosting two of my closest friends for the weekend: Miss Lindsay Robinson (NYC) and Miss Katherine Joslin (Chi). It's so nice to know that friendship can outlast the time and distance between us. I Love these girls!


We are looking forward to relaxed, family-filled Christmas break with lots of good food and good fun.

These are a few of my favorite things (this week):
1. Buddy the Elf. Best Christmas movie EVER.
2. Shutterfly's sales. 40% photo cards? Yes, please.
3. LOFT savings cards. 2 sweaters and 2 blouses. Score.
4. Toast on market. Fortunately for us, the one in New Albany is never as busy as the one in Louisville. Best breakfast we've ever had. As Dane says..."it looks like something on Top Chef"
5. Lego DUPLO. Love walking in on Dane building and Robbie destructing duplo creations in the living room. Pics to come.

Alright friends and family! Keep me honest! I will be back at least once a week. Promise.

Wordless Wednesday: Waving?!

Wordless Wednesday: Rockin' the Sippy Cup

And...I'm back.

So it's been way too long.

Here's what's been going down with the Merris fam.

1. Our new house! We finally decided on a lovely little 3 br, 2 bath with an unfinished basement in Georgetown, Indiana. I tell people we live in Louisville because Georgetown is a suburb of the Louisville-Metro area. It was built in the 80's, so we've been having fun with home repair projects. Dane's currently tiling the bathroom (it used to be carpeted...yikes!). We plan on putting hard wood throughout the dining room and hallway (the kitchen already has it), revamping the master bath, and finishing the basement. Our neighborhood is set on a natural lake so long walks with the stroller are wonderful. We have a great backyard...a requirement for me after renting. There's something so satisfying about owning land. Moving is a huge process, made even huger with a baby. I'm still getting through boxes to this day.





2. The holidays! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. It was so great to celebrate with family so close by! We're getting really good at the whole dividing the holiday between the families thing. We're lucky to have such understanding parents, although when there's Robbie time involved, it's a little more competitive. :) We also decided to host a redneck new year's party. Everyone came up with some pretty amazing costumes!






























3. Robbie's many advancements: crawling, pulling to stand, cruising, table foods, Dada and Mama babbles. They all happened so fast! He gets into absolutely everything. He somehow found a bar of soap today and was literally snacking on it. He much prefers to play with things that aren't toys at all: vacuums, lamps, computer cords, curtains, fireplaces, etc.


4.My new found addiction to Lost. My spare time has been dedicated to my obsession with this show. Now that I've made it to the series finale, I can get onto other things, like doing the dishes and taking showers. Not to belabor the show's merits, but it's pretty philosophically and emotionally challenging. Matthew Fox isn't too hard on the eyes, either. Although I don't completely agree with most Lost fans on the disappointing finale (as it left me in tears), I do have to wonder why the writers left us viewers with quite so many unanswered questions. Luckily for me, there are plenty of bloggers out there dedicated to answering my many questions. If you haven't had the opportunity to check out this show, be warned: once you start, you cannot stop. But it is conveniently available on netflix on demand should you want to commence your addiction. If anyone out there wants to engage in a Lost morality discussion, I'm game.


5. Dane's project in Lancaster, OH. He's wrapping up his work in Ohio and getting ready to head to Kentucky! Robbie and I can't wait. It's going to be so wonderful to have him home every night!

6. The YMCA! We have a wonderful Y about 10 minutes away from our house. They have great childcare, too. It's nice to have an hour to myself everyday; all mommies should workout. It makes parenting so much easier. I've been trying out all sorts of group classes: zumba, turbo kick, piyo, etc. I've decided Zumba isn't for me...too hard to keep up.

7. Coupon clipping. I've never been a coupon clipper. But, coupons are great. I've been saving at least $20 off my grocery bills just from spending a few minutes every Sunday going through the coupons in the Sunday paper. I also find great coupons at couponmom.com. It's also a wonderful way to plan meals throughout the week. Clip coupons!

8. My resolution to blog more often. I hope you'll hear from me at least once a week.

Until then, have a great week!

babywearing

It's been way too long. I've vowed to post more, so I'm going for once a week from now on. Here's hoping...

Slings. Bjorns. Carriers. Womb simulators. In a word... LOVE.

These not so modern inventions are the olive branch between baby and mother (and father!). We have two.

When Rob was a newborn, I bought a padded sling by balboa baby. Before I had Robbie, I'd often think of peaceful babies asleep in the cribs. This, unfortunately, was not the case for our little one. When I think of my peaceful baby at that age, I think of him in his sling. For some reason, the sling seemed so unnatural to me! Even though it worked to calm Robbie, I still doubt it's effectiveness and safety. I often feared he had stopped breathing because his face was not out in the open. I put my hand on his chest to check if it was rising and falling; I'd put my finger in front of his nose to feel his breath. The way babies sit in those things seems so uncomfortable, too. Sometimes his feet would be folded up so that his toes were practically touching his collarbone. I checked and double checked the directions. I know I was following them correctly. Personally, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't find sleeping in a sling comfortable. However, I am partial to a good hammock. I guess you have to think about how cramped babies were in the womb...maybe they crave the "crampedness" they experienced for nine months. Supposedly the sling I own is usable for up to 25 pounds. Given the amount of money we invested, I planned on using it until Robbie outgrew it. We used it until Robbie was 3 months...around the time he became particularly interested in holding his head up and away from me so that he could see the world around him. The sling,therefore, was no longer an option. His required method of transport was his back on my chest, being held outward. The $60 sling, used for a grand total of 3 months, is now collecting dust in our coat closet.

I came downstairs one day to find Dane busy at work... with Robbie in the sling. Pretty funny sight.

Although I regret the expense, I can't say I regret putting the sling away for good. Like I said before, I was always a little leery of it. Regardless of how I felt about it, though, I was determined to see it through. It was Robbie who made the decision to bag the sling through his angry protests every time I tried to put him in it.

Robbie is great in the mornings. Such a happy little guy...cooing, chatting me up, laughing at my tickles and funny faces. He takes two solid naps throughout the day and usually wakes up smiling from both. It's right around 4:00 when my little angel turns into a miniature demon. (A term of endearment, I promise). Toys bore him, exersaucers annoy him, swings disgust him. What he really wants is to be held. Enter the baby bjorn. Another pricey carrier, but well worth the money. I'd recommended it to anyone having a baby. I bought so I could have two hands to help my dad move. Moving days are stressful, but I've never had a more wonderful day with Robbie. He loved hanging out in the bjorn, watching all the action. He eventually fell asleep in the forward facing position, so I simply turned him around so his face was on my chest. It was great on my back, too. We used it again at a family outing with my mother, father, and sister in-law. We went fishing and checked out some animals at the petting zoo and even did a little shopping. No protests from Robman, who usually gets pretty aggravated after about 20 minutes of being in his stroller without a view.

For some reason, I always used to laugh when I saw a baby being carried in a bjorn or a sling. They look so silly! Silliness aside, slings and bjorns are a Godsend.

Rules for My Unborn Son

Dane and I happened upon this book while shopping in Southwest Harbor, ME. The shop is called Under the Dogwood Tree. The owner has some very unique things for babies and children. I could spend hours in there (Dane, unfortunately, could not). I had to buy this book because it's so darn funny. It reminded me of one of my best friends, Katherine. A boy that follows these rules would be the right boy for her. (especially this one: Never turn down a girl's invitation to dance.)

After buying it, I googled it. Turns out the author not only has a book but also has a blog. Check it out!

A couple of poignant rules for Robbie:

Stand up for the little guy. He'll remember you.

When in doubt, wear a tie.

Ride in the front car of a roller coaster.

Let napping dads lie.

Offer to carry a woman's bags. Especially your mother's.

Don't date the bartender.

Short pants are for little boys. Decide for yourself when you are a man.

When it comes to opening presents, no one likes a good guesser.

Sit in the front of the classroom.

Until you are a doctor, never answer your phone at the table.

Don't be a mooch.

Have a favorite song. It doesn't have to be cool.

Marry the girl, you marry the whole family.

You won't always be the strongest or fastest. You can be the toughest.

Don't loiter where there is a dispute that doesn't concern you.

Honking your horn won't make them go faster.

In the long run, loyalty trumps ambition every time.

Nothing good happens after 3 am. I promise.

Girls like boys who shower.

Spend time with your mother. She's cooler than you think.

You are what you do, not what you say.


There are so many more I'd like to share!


P.S. Yes, I changed the name of the blog. I thought a family blog would be less exclusive!