Thursday, December 30, 2010

Resolutions

Just a short little end-of-the-year note that my 2010 Resolution was MET!  In case you forgot, I resolved to read at least 2 books per month.  Well, I managed 27 for the year, so I did a little more than 2 per month.  And, I may add a 28th book to that list before it's all done. 

Have a Happy New Year!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Milestone Alert

Brady passed another milestone over the weekend.  Saturday night he slept in the big boy bed for the very first time.  Went to bed and didn't have any issues.  In fact, he was still sound asleep when I went in to wake him up Sunday morning.  The kid was tired!



Nap time yesterday was successful, but shorter than usual.  But 2 nights in a row and not a peep out of him.  Off to a good start.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Thanksgiving, a little late

a few days late and with no actual Thanksgiving pictures to show you.  Alas, I'll tell you about our holiday anyway.  We hosted Thanksgiving this year at our house and had 2 of the 4 sets of parents out for some completely delicious eating.
This hostest was quite nervous about the bird cooking, since she has never cooked an entire turkey.  No worries, however!  After 2 weeks of non-stop Food Network viewing and cyber stalking the bird came out moist and tasty.  Cooked it upside down in a poultry bag (thanks to the tip from my faithful morning Spinner, Nancy) with a Bobby Flay herb butter mixed rubbed all over it.  Add to it creamy mashed potatoes and pancetta-mushroom-apple stuffing (yeah, it had all those ingredients along with 3 types of bread, including homemade cornbread!) courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.  Include a side of Blackwood Family green bean casserole (that is not made with cream of mushroom soup and tastes all the better for it) and the tasty side dishes and desserts that our guests contributed and you can say it was one fabulously awesome meal. 

And yes, I'll brag.  It was good.  Really good.  So good I'd even do it again for Christmas.  And I think I might! I love food. 

Brady has been quite enamored with his backpack that he got for his birthday.  We help to put it on and he just runs around the living room with it on his back, just like he's going to school.  So cute!  And so grown-up looking.  Sniff sniff.



Hop everyone else had a great Thanksgiving.  We have so, so much to be thankful for.  Really.  The list is endless.  Family, friends, health, home, etc.  It's a good life we have!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Life at 2

So, life as a two-year-old begins in earnest for Brady this week.  And that means it's time to update the blog with a more lengthy post to give you a glimpse of the B-man's life.  But most importantly to update with some information that I can use to scrapbook later on.  Because really, I'll still have time to scrap after I have 2 kids, right? 

Brady gets up about 7:15 - 7:30 in the mornings.  Sometimes he is very kind and will sleep in until 8 or so on Saturdays to give Mom & Dad some rest.  during the week Dad usually gets him up, changes and dresses him, give him a little juice and then heads off to day care.  He still takes one nap a day, usually around the 12-1 time.  then I pick up him about 4 and we head home.  He pretty much eats whatever we're eating, though he'll throw the occasional fit when the food is not EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED.  But we just stick him in time out for a couple of minutes and he'll come back to the table and eat.  Yes, he spends some time in time out.  quite a bit of time, actually.  I mean, not a ton or anything, but we're working through the tantrums and the emotional outbursts and the inappropriate hitting of people or throwing of objects. 

Speaking of behavior, Brady can get rather frustrated (he seems to be impatient and I know EXACTLY where that trait comes from and it's most definitely not his mother) when something doesn't go his way and he tends to hit people or throw things.  So, we've got to teach that's not an appropriate way to deal with our frustrated self. 

He's also quite the little daredevil.  Jumping into hay pits, jumping off stairs, doing somersaults off the couch, the kid doesn't really seemed to be fazed by much (and that one he does get from his mother, who once jumped out of a MOVING PICKUP truck just to avoid being forced to sit down).  He's got a cute, little smile and the greatest laugh.  Ever.  You can tickle him right underneath his chin on his neck and he just giggles and giggles.  It's pretty much the greatest sound in the world. 

He still loves music and will dance and sway and sing along.  Last week at church he even tried to sing with us, so I think we're already grooming a little musician.  Basketball games and athletic events are a bit of a challenge because he's not a big fan of sitting still in one spot for 2 hours.  He can be bribed with food (especially Bramlage Coliseum popcorn), but even then we're pushing it.  And mind you, if he's unhappy and doesn't want to do something, HE'S NOT GOING TO DO IT.  He's a bit stubborn or hard-headed or whatever you'd like to call it (and this one easily comes from both mom & dad, so we blame each other equally for it). 

He goes to bed about 8:00 and sleeps in his crib.  We have his big boy room all set up with a bed, but just haven't moved him over yet.  That crib is so nice since it keeps him all contained in one spot!  Plus, he loves being in it.  Even when he wakes up in the morning he just lays in there and plays or sings to himself.  I'm afraid he won't act quite the same in a toddler bed.  He's got a little puppy dog and a matching blanket that are his security objects of choice.  He loves those things, so we definitely do not leave home without them. 

He has a thing for hair and he quite often wants me to pick him up and he'll just sit in my arms while stroking my hair.  Don't know where that comes from, but he used to prefer putting his feet in my hair.  I much prefer that he touches with his hand now as opposed to those feet!  He still sucks on his right index finger occasionally, mainly when he's upset or cautious. 

And he loves the movie Cars.  He knows exactly where to go and on a daily basis he reaches into the entertainment center, pulls out the movie and says "I wanna watch Cars."  He is a big, big fan so they need to hurry up and come out with Cars 2 so that can be his first movie theatre experience. 

He really doesn't understand that there's a baby in my belly or that he's going to be a big brother.  We try to explain it, but he just gets irritated that he can't jump around on me like he used to.  Maybe once he sees the sonogram or hears the heartbeat in person it'll sink in more? 

Still a spitting image of his Dad, or at least I think so.  He does have blue eyes from his Momma, but he is a mini-version of his father.  And his feet - they are like boxes!  Short and wide!  Of course we can't buy shoes at Target or any place reasonable.  Noooo, we go to Stride-Rite for all shoes because he has to have a wide or you can't even think about squeezing those feet into shoes. 

Well, there you go.  A not-so-brief synopsis of life at 2.  It's a good life.  A really, really good life. 

Monday, November 22, 2010

Shootin hoops

Brady loves his new basketball hoop.  Thankfully one of the boxes for another birthday gift is just the right height that he can climb up and them put the ball in the basket.  We're working on a performance for Little Cat Slam Jam next year!

2 Years Old!!

That's right faithful readers.  Today Brady is 2 years old!  Kinda hard to believe; seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and thinking "they really just let you leave and take a baby home?  Shouldn't they give us more training or something?"

We had a small birthday party on Saturday, which was a big hit for the birthday boy.  He got lots and lots of fun stuff, much of it Cars related, so he's been on cloud nine.

Here's Brady earlier in the day, all smiles while waiting for his guests to arrive.

 Unwrapping his first gift and desperately trying to get through the plastic to the cars. 
 Shooting hoops on his new basketball goal.  Notice that he's holding a car while he shoots.  He wouldn't dare put his car down while he played with other things. 
 Testing out the new tricycle inside the house.  It's got a bell and he even has a little helmet, so we're ready for nice, warm day outside so we can ride up and down the street!
 The Cars birthday cake. 
 Eating the birthday cake.  Brady did eat some, but he again, he was more interested in his cars toys than he was the cake.  He seemed to like the cake better than the frosting, too.  And we do take some pride in that fact; it seems our kid much prefers sweets in the form of bananas, grapes, strawberries and other fruit as opposed to straight up sugar.  Woohoo! 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

17 Weeks

We're 17 weeks along now with Baby #2. 

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.


And here's the baby bump.  Doesn't look like much here, but it sure feels like it's protruding.  The maternity clothes have been dragged out of storage and are getting daily use now.


We'll find out whether we are having a boy or a girl on November 30th.  Stay tuned!

Football

Oh, it's the middle of November and I've only posted once this month.  Bad, bad blogger am I.  Here's some pics from a recent football game. 

Little chilly in the morning, so we started out with the hood up. And holding our puppy dog, which along with its matching blanket, has become the security items of choice for little B.  We go nowhere without them.  They, in turn, go in the laundry quite often.


Stuffing his face with food.  Pretty typical.
 His own cup was not enough.  Nope.  Had to steal Mom's water bottle, too.
 Exhausted, tired and in no mood for a post-game picture once we arrived home.  But doesn't he look so cute in his football jersey?

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloween Sneak Peek

Brady's costume this year is a dragon!  Here's a sneak peek of what little B will be dressed as for all the festivities this weekend.  Isn't he adorable?





Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pumpkin carving

This past weekend was pumpkin carving time at the Smoller house.  Brady joined in this year, though he wasn't quite sure about the entire process. 


Eyeing some of the pumpkin guts during cleaning.



Brady got to clean out some of his own pumpkin.  He thoughts it was funny to reach in and pull stuff out, but getting in with a spoon and cleaning everything off the sides didn't last long for him!

Smoller Family of Pumpkins

Smoller Family of Pumpkins lit up with candles at dusk.  Oooooh, spooky.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Waking Up

Just a little glimpse into mornings with Brady. You may have to turn up the volume, but you can hear him talking long before we even enter the room.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Announcement!

I think most of the Smoller Family readers already know, but just in case you don't, we will be adding to the family! 
Yep, Baby #2 should make an arrival sometime in April 2011.  This baby momma has been sick, sick, sick and oh so tired.  But now that we're past the first trimester things are getting much better.  I feel tons better and am finally starting to get an appetite and enjoying food. 

I bought a big brother shirt for Brady.  As usual, he could care less about what he's wearing and he had no intention of actually looking at the camera.  These shots are the best I could do.






Wagon ride

No day at the Pumpkin Patch is complete without a wagon ride of some kind.  We put the boys in a wagon and pulled them around for a bit.  I think this is the last year they'll both fit into the same wagon.  Next year they'll each get their own!


Pumpking Patch animals

The Pumpkin Patch had a small petting zoo, so we had to check it out, of course.  Most of the animals were smart enough to stay at the back of their pen, far away from the hands of curious youngters. 

The boys checked out the doves and the pigeons. 





The pigs, unlike the other animals, did stay near the front of the pen.  Perhaps because of the food? 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Looking for Pumpkins

You can't go to the pumpkin patch without picking out some pumpkins to take home.  So the B's looked and looked for pumpkins and found just what they wanted.


Monday, October 18, 2010

Zip line

The B's tried out the zip line at the pumpkin patch - with adult help, of course.  I imagine they'll love that part more and more each year.

Pumpkin Patch Hay Pit

B really, really loved jumping into the hay pit.  Did I say that already?  This kid has no fear, at least when it comes to jumping. 

Ready?
Jump!
 Shake the hay off.
 Jump!
 Again!

Pumpkin Patch

We hit the Little Munchkins Pumpkin Patch over the weekend and, needless to say, the B-man had a fantastic time.  We met up with our good friends Kandy, Dave and Braxton.  Brady and Braxton attend the same day care and go to the church nursery together, so they're little buds.  I've got more pictures to post later, but first up you can enjoy Brady's favorite part of the day.  The Hay Pit!  The kid LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to jump, so he was in heaven.  I think we might have to install a hay pit in the forest out back!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Somersaults

 Brady has kind of figured out how to do somersaults.  None of them would qualify as a perfect 10, but he still loves to roll around on the floor and especially the couch.  Apparently looking at the world upside down is all sorts of fun!