Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Happy Birthday, Papa!



My dad is 58 today! Although he would tell you he is "28." Ha! We celebrated last night since Jay has to work on Thursday evenings. We met at Chili's for dinner. Here we all are, minus my brother, Eric, who had knee surgery recently and is still recovering. We missed him!



Dinner partners


(Note in all of these pictures Hunter is staring at Holden. He is fascinated with him.) :)




Eating out is never dull with the boys. Hunter is at a really nice age where he is easily entertained by his surroundings, isn't old enough to want to get down and walk yet, and is happy as long as he has food in front of him. However, he is not exactly quiet. Luckily Chili's was crowded and loud! Holden is a little live-wire and likes to play "musical chairs" with anyone who will indulge him, in this case, Grammy. :) He made her switch twice with him. He also managed to turn a red crayon into a gun and was "bewing me" (what he says for shooting since the gun make a "bew, bew" sound.) We do NOT talk about guns in our house...I swear it is an inate BOY THING!



This picture cracked me up with Hunter's orange face (he ate about half of a BIG bowl of mac n' cheese and a bunch of mandarin oranges) and also the amount of food in his bib pocket. Thank goodness for whoever invented these!




My dad's bday usually revolves around a theme every year. Last year, it was tropical. This year, it was pirates! My mom went all out. Papa and Holden got matching pirate gear to start with. "Arrrrr!"




There was a treasure hunt (follow the yellow streamer pieces) with a big X marks the spot and pirate treat bags at the end! Holden always makes out so well on Papa's bday! I am sure next year Hunter will have to join in, too. He was happy to play with the streamers this year.




Wasn't the cake cute?! The boys "helped" him blow out the candles.




Some other randoms from the evening. Holden apparently didn't want Grammy left out of the dress up fun, as he concocted these outfits for the two of them (top right) later on. He also helped Papa with his cards and presents. And I don't care what anyone says, I know Hunter looks a lot like his brother did at his age, and like his daddy, but I definately think he bears some resemblance to my dad, as well.



Group picture

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Finally, a video clip of the boys helping Papa blow out his candles. Happy birthday, Dad/Papa!

We love you!



Sunday, January 23, 2011

Spaghetti Sauce, Exploring, and Cuddle Time

So these pictures really don't tie into each other or have a specific theme whatsoever; I just thought they were cute. :)
Hunter is loving his Gerber Graduate meals and tears into them with gusto. Spaghetti sauce is particularly delightful to clean up.

He thinks he's one cool cat when Holden is napping and he can get into big brother's things without him knowing. Normally he would be scolded mercilessly by said brother. The sippy cup is a forbidden item that he just loves to get his hands on. Look at this face! He knows he is getting away with something.

Ooh, and the tow truck. Holden's beloved tow truck. Holden would be mad if he saw this...

...and he would scream, "He's SLIMING IT!" if he saw this one!

When Daddy got home the other day, Holden was still napping. So Daddy and Hunter had some quality snack puff/cuddling/sitting on shoulders time. (I even captured Jay's lovely red Cardinals shorts that he wears around the house.)

Daddy also likes quality nap time with Holden now and then.

My little ankle biter and me

I rarely get good pics of me and both boys in which all three of us are smiling, because I'm usually the one taking the pics. Jay snapped these while we were being goofy before bed the other night. I will treasure them because they are not staged and show how much fun we have together. Love my boys!

And in the spirit of this exciting (for us!) Sunday: GO BEARS!!!!

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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Big Boy Haircut, Swimming, and Gymnastics


We've tried to "spice up" the wintertime blues with a few changes recently! :)

Hunter was BADLY in need of a haircut...I had started to call him "Donald Trump" baby because of the amount of hair and how he had a big "v" shape that came forward into his eyes if I didn't swipe it over to the side. I hated to cut it before he turned one because I knew he'd look older. But when it also started curling out in "wings" behind his ears, I knew the time had come. Holden and I took him to Cookie Cutters so he could sit in the little red car. He did a great job and was very passive; just looked around at everybody like, "what are we doing here?" The beautician (yes, she has a tattoo on her neck; a little rough around the edges but she was really nice) and I were cracking up because he kept chewing on the apron and getting hair all over his mouth and face. Yuck!


I am noticing in these pics how rosy his cheeks were that night. :) It is SO COLD in Illinois right now! This weekend the HIGH was 11, with a windchill of -25. His little cheeks get so chapped between his drool and the cold, dry air. I can't keep enough Vaseline or Aquaphor on them.




Here is the "after"shot. He looks like such a little man!


Profile shot! Jay was making fun of me for taking this.



I am ONLY posting these because it was Hunter's first time in the baby pool at 4 Seasons, and they are cute of the boys. White as a ghost Mommy + extra winter pounds due to my love of holiday food = SCARY!!! And man, do I need to touch up my roots. But we had a great time at the pool regardless. I'm glad my boys love me just the way I am! ;) I had Dr. MLK Day off so we went to Holden's swim lessons as a family and then enjoyed pretending we were in the tropics.
The baby pool felt like bath water. Hunter was splashing up a storm (which is why he is blinking in the picture below) and at times would have jumped out of my hands if I would have let him. Definitely going to be my daredevil.




Holden has started a new gymnastics class at The Jump Spot with his buddy, Cade. He is really enjoying it and looks forward to it each Monday night. It's a great way to get some of his surplus energy out! Holden is often very cautious, much like I was as a child, but I am glad to see that it doesn't seem to affect him on the gymnastics floor. He even loves to do flips on the bars (with help) and forward rolls, which scared me to death when I was little. It's fun to watch him.


Holden and Cade

(with Colin's head in front of them! Ha!)

The instructor asked on day one if they friends after observing the group for about 10 minutes. They have been placed in separate circuits for small group time ever since. The dynamic duo! :)

During gymnastics last week, Jay and Colin hung out and built a block tower. I don't know who was happier that they had the other to play with. ;)


Finally, a picture of Holden and Mrs. Ringer, his Kindermusik teacher. He had to make the decision between continuing Kindermusik in the spring or taking gymnastics. It was a hard choice for him because he really enjoys both. Mrs. Ringer is wonderful, and he loves her. She is the sweetest lady and truly loves the kids that she works with. One day, she even saw on facebook that Jay was sick and I had to work, and offered to come to our house and watch the boys for the day! We would not ask someone outside of family do that, but it's just an example of what a genuine person she is. We will really miss her! It was actually Holden's idea to get a picture with her. I must be rubbing off on him! :)


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Sunday, January 16, 2011

The C's and the H's

I love how the Cunningham and the Hobson boys are all C's and H's, first and last names. :)
Colin, Cade, and Chase came over last Sunday to (finally) exchange our gifts, since my boys had been sick and we didn't want to pass germs on. Holden was so excited to see his buddies! The boys tore open their presents in record time. Holden kept saying, "Hey Cade, can you say 'gank you to me??" Ohhh Holden, just worry about your own manners!

Chase decided to turn his big brothers' Lincoln Logs into bongos. :) Is he not the most adorable little guy?!

When Hunter got up from nap, he "helped" Chase open his present. I love how his hands are out in this picture like, "ta da!"

"Hmm....Chase, I believe I would like to chew on that block you have there."

"No prob, buddy! Here, have a lick! It's quite tasty."

"Okay, Chase, now I think I want that ball you have there."

"Oh yeah, there's two of them! Ready, set, chew!"

"Now chew and look at my mommy so she quits bugging us."

"Should we switch?"

I thought Holden and Cade looked so cute watching Max and Ruby together. (WHY do kids like that show? It is the most obnoxious thing ever!)

And...we got all 5 of them looking in one take! We are so thankful for the Cunninghams and their friendship. Holden truly loves his pals and talks about them all the time. I know Hunter will love having a buddy just his age-as soon as he learns not to try to chew on him. :) Oh-and right after this cute shot-Holden and Colin jumped up to play and Hunter flew head-first off the couch and landed on his head on the floor. Just keepin' it real around here. Let's face it, this is 5 boys ages 5 and under that we are talking about. He made a full recovery and only screamed for about 3 minutes. Colin and Holden apologized for the possible brain damage.

I just thought these were cute from later that evening at Memaw and Pepaw's. Holden and Hunter were using Pepaw as a jungle gym.

Hunter looking gangsta.

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Saturday, January 15, 2011

9 months!



My baby boy is 9 months old! I remember feeling with Holden at this age that he suddenly wasn't a baby anymore. The same would be true this time around. I feel like I blinked and so many things changed! He has four teeth, working on a fifth, he is crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, and trying to climb, he absolutely refuses to eat baby food and wants to feed himself everything, is saying "Mama and Dada," taking less naps, and just seems so BIG!




He is still my smiley guy and generally is just a happy boy. As long as he has food and his sleep, he's good to go. He loves interaction and Holden is still his favorite person in the world.





My little "Future Quarterback," as his shirt says. My dad has recently begun referring to him as "Tank," because he's such a big boy and will barrel himself around. Hunter LOVES to eat! It is SO refreshing after my picky first-born! I think he is going to be a meat and potatoes boy; he prefers meat and veggies so far and the only thing he really won't eat well for me is fruit. He would eat cheese of any kind all day long if I let him. So far he has tried and liked: spaghetti, ravioli, a cheeseburger (ate half of it!), grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, pancakes, waffles, mac n' cheese, green beans, diced carrots (a favorite-he will gobble them up as fast as I can put them on his high chair tray), tacos, pizza, chicken, and hot dogs. He also really enjoys the Gerber Graduate meals that say they are for toddlers or preschoolers. I just started trying them this weekend because the ones for his age were so soupy, and he does NOT like to be spoon fed AT ALL anymore. He wants to do it all himself. My poor mom gave him some vegetable soup concoction by Gerber the other day and gave up trying to feed it to him, so she poured it on his tray. She had to change his outfit and said it was an absolute mess. The boxes say he should be walking/running steadily, but so far he has devoured them with no problem. Like I said, the only thing he doesn't like are fruits or other sweet things. Again, total opposite from Holden. I can get him to eat bananas and pears but not very much. He spits out mandarin oranges, peaches, apple bites, and the dried baby fruit items. I figure as long as he's eating veggies well he's okay. (And if his size is any indication, he's doing just fine-he weighs 22 lbs, which is only 9 less that his 3.5 year old brother, and is 30.5 inches long, which is the 97th percentile! Jay and I are both shorties so we find this humorous.)



Hunter loves his cheese and veggie puffs! Can eat a whole tub of them in one day if allowed. (Don't ask how I know this. Sometimes I use bribery to get through the day.)


In the middle and bottom left pics of this collage you will see Hunter's newest expression. We call it his "wild animal" look. He scrunches his nose up and shows his two front teeth, which currently have a gap between them. I am hoping it will close down the road but he's still adorable regardless. Typically he makes this face when he his eye on the prize: something to BITE! That's right, my sweet little baby is a biter. He doesn't do it out of anger or to be mean, he has just figured out that chewing on things relieves his sore gums from teething....but he HASN'T figured out that should not include people!!! He will crawl up to me, grin, and lunge at my knee, shoulder, arm, etc. The other day he got Jay's big toe as he sat on he floor and left some big ol' dents! I tried to be sympathetic but I was laughing so hard it may not have come across as genuine. Poor Holden has been the brunt of much of the biting. He loves his baby brother and is pretty good natured about it; he has learned to run fast when he sees him coming after him! He usually act like it's a game and giggles as he yells, "Hunter's trying to get me!" It is hard for me to know how to teach a 9 month old this is not acceptable. I can't discipline him because he is too little to understand. I usually squeeze his cheeks together (gently) with my hand and say, "NO BITE!" in a loud, firm voice. And usually he gives me a big ol' grin. ;) I feel like we have puppy around or something. Gives a whole new meaning to the term, "ankle biter!"



Seriously, though, how cute is his little face? Now that he is cruising around the house, he is even happier than he already was. He would get so frustrated when he wanted to move somewhere and couldn't. People always say, "Oh, don't wish for them to crawl; then you'll never sit down again!" But the truth is, I can get more done now that he can follow me, get around the living room to play and grab toys, oh-and chasing the cats is always good for about 15 min. of entertainment. The gates are up and the floor is always a mess, but he's so happy to be mobile. (Side story; this morning I just wanted to get a shower in before church. Hunter detests being in the exersaucer now that he can crawl, and I didn't feel like listening to him scream and howl, so I made sure he was fed and changed, shoved a tub in front of the gate to make it extra secure, dumped a load of his toys and scattered them for entertainment, and asked Holden to "babysit" him while I showered. Risky, I know. I showered in the boys' bathroom right at the top of the stairs so I could hear, and I still poked my head out every 10 seconds. The only time Holden hollered (and of course I was sure Hunter was going to have somehow swallowed an object or cracked his head on something, because I was being a horrible mommy and wanting to get clean) was when Hunter yanked his Highlights calendar off of the fridge and "ruined it" by chewing on it. Holden took it away and put it on the table, but the reason he came to me was to tattle that "Hunter did NOT say sorry, and he LAUGHED when I told him no!!!"


He has now taken over an entire corner of the living room. And he seems pretty happy about it.

My little crawling, climbing goof. He can't get past the first step-YET. It's only a matter of time. The cats provide endless motivation. At least I am now able to explain to Holden why they won't let him near them. I told him one day that he used to do what Hunter does. He got a knowing look and said, "OHHHH...so THAT'S why they hide from me!"

Hunter is extremely verbal; just in jibberish. :) He does say "Mum" and "Ma Ma" clearly, and knows what they mean. I love nothing more than getting home from work and having him grin, crawl up to me, put his hands up on my pants legs, and say, "Mum!" He also says "Da Da" but I'm not sure he's correlated that with Jay yet. He loves his daddy and likes to climb on him/roughhouse with him already. He also says a lot of "Ba, Na, Doo, Go, Goo, and Ju" mixed in with other foreign sounding language. :) We are working on waving and clapping. He will do both, but not on demand.
Crawling in the kitchen...



Excited to see Mommy...


Determination...



Almost there...


"I made it! Would you like me to bite you??"



"Just kidding! (For now.)"


An example of why Papa calls him "Tank;" he is not easily deterred.

While he likes to explore, Hunter is also having some separation anxiety, esp. when he's tired or I've been gone all day. So usually right around the time I need to cook dinner. :) He grabs my pant leg and tries to climb up me. Who can resist this face?

Sleep is better, but still not where I'd like it to be for 9 mos. depending when he goes down, he has been sleeping until 4:30am about half the time. If we feed him then, he goes right back down until 6 or 6:30. The other half of the time, he gets up between 12:30-1:30. I know I should make him cry it out, and I have on occasion. But I often grab a bottle on auto-pilot because he takes it and we both go back to sleep more quickly. I keep reminding myself I went through the same thing w/ Holden, and he is a great sleeper now.


Some snuggly time before bed w/ Daddy and Holden. Our baby is certainly loved and adored. We can't imagine life without him...bites and all. :)









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