Sleepyhead

Owen usually gets a little sleepy during his bedtime bottle, but he'll usually wake up once he's done eating. Not a couple nights ago! He was completely out and completely adorable while sleeping on Daddy's lap, just waiting for the transfer to his cozy crib.

A Divine Combo

I personally believe that peanut butter and chocolate is quite possibly the most divine combination ever created. I also happen to be married to someone who believes that peanut butter is an abomination. Because of this, I find it quite enjoyable to eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and then proceed to ask him to make out--just to see the look of horror on his face. He will only indulge me if I promise to brush my teeth and then wait about an hour.

Anyway, a few months ago, I got a craving for Puppy Chow (I know some people call it Muddy Buddies, but I'm sticking with Puppy Chow). After not having had it for years, it was fun to tempt my taste buds. Brennan and I made some today as a special snack for "Shrek the Halls" tonight. We're looking forward to introducing Brennan to this new favorite Christmas show!

The Original Puppy Chow

12 oz. box Crispix cereal
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

In medium microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until mixture is melted and smooth. Place the cereal in another large bowl and pour the melted mixture over the cereal. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated. Pour the powdered sugar into a large plastic food bag. Pour the coated cereal into the powdered sugar and shake until it is well covered with the sugar. Pour the cereal onto wax paper to cool and dry. Store in tightly covered containers at room temperature.

Christmas Blitz

We had quite the Christmas themed weekend! It started Friday night with what has become a tradition for us. We attended Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God" concert. We have now seen it three times and are blown away by it every time. If you aren't familiar with it, it begins in the Old Testament, telling the history of Israel and the foreshadowing of Christ, culminating in the birth of Jesus. It's a Christmas concert where Santa isn't invited. We actually listen to this CD year-round. It's one of my favorite albums ever. We highly, highly recommend it!

Saturday morning, we attended a Christmas brunch at the Richmond Convention Center and got to watch the annual Christmas parade from the cozy warm confines of the building instead of joining the masses by sitting out in 30-something degree weather! It was the first parade for both boys. Owen didn't really care about it, but Brennan seemed to enjoy it, particularly the big balloons.

Saturday night, we attended the Bethlehem Walk which was hosted by a local church in partnership with several other area churches. It takes guests into first-century Bethlehem, with scenes focusing on Jesus' birth, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection. We were pretty impressed by how well-done it was. It was a pretty chilly night, but the boys did well and the random fires throughout Bethlehem helped to ward off some of the chill. This may become a yearly tradition for our household!


Sunday morning, I was thrilled to open up our blinds and discover a light dusting of snow on the ground! It helped reawaken that yearly desire for a white Christmas.


We completed the Christmas blitz by attending a cookie exchange Sunday night with other families from our playgroup. Tons of people, lots of great food and fellowship, and plenty of yummy cookies to sample there and bring home with us. A busy weekend, but definitely fun-filled!

Tree Time!

We got our tree decorated last night. Brennan was so excited when I set it up yesterday afternoon. He kept wanting to show me the Christmas tree. Decorating it was even more fun this year because Brennan really got into it and was thrilled to get to help put the ornaments on. What a great time of year!

Thanksgiving Adventures

We traveled to Florida this past week to celebrate Thanksgiving with John's family. This was my first trip back there since we moved away over 2.5 years ago, so I was a little apprehensive about returning. I was quickly reminded of how thankful I am to not be living there anymore! Despite the warm temperatures (I'm a northern girl; it feels slightly weird to eat Thanksgiving dinner while wearing shorts!) and crazy drivers, we truly enjoyed our visit and the boys experienced some good quality time with their grandparents. Brennan warmed up to them very quickly and asked regularly where "dammy" (grandma) was, including asking as soon as we arrived home again!





One of the challenges with traveling means that sleep can be a bit disrupted. That was definitely the theme for our kiddos during the week. Brennan was so tired by Tuesday evening that it made mealtime a bit interesting! Only one other time has he fallen asleep during dinner due to extreme tiredness--and we were glad to get this time on video. Even though he was exhausted, he continued to "sleep eat" because he really wanted his waffle! (And, yes, we made sure he finished chewing his food and put him to bed before he fell out of the chair)

Owen turned seven months old yesterday. We celebrated by finishing our drive back home. I can't say it enough: we are super thankful for this little guy! He charmed everyone he met on our trip, smiled at everyone, and was thrilled to get held and loved on by his relatives. He's also been perfecting his sitting up skills, which means more interacting and playing with Brennan. What a joy Owen is to us!

A Weight-y Issue

At Owen's six-month check-up, we learned that he had gained virtually no weight since his four-month appointment. A disappointment, to be sure, as well as a matter for some concern. Since solids were still a challenge for him, it began to look like a milk supply issue. We immediately began supplementing with formula, but that presented it's own challenges. First, it was simply getting him to take a bottle. Then, between nursing, supplementing, and attempting solids, it seemed like I was constantly trying to get him to eat, which took up all his awake time and left him no time to play. Then came the somewhat difficult decision to stop nursing him. Thankfully, both Owen and I have adapted well to our new feeding arrangements. He takes a bottle like a champ and has finally decided that opening his mouth for solids might actually mean that he'll be rewarded with something tasty.

We headed in for a weight check this morning. Boy, were we surprised! After about 2.5 weeks, he's gained nearly 1.5 pounds--putting him at 15 lbs., 7.5 oz.! We are so thankful that he's gaining weight well and really thriving on his formula and solids.

Country Boys

Since I love country music, we listen to a LOT of country music throughout our day. Brennan really enjoys it and has a blast dancing to the tunes. His current favorite: "That's How Country Boys Roll" by Billy Currington. I got some of his moves on video (but, alas, when the camera comes out, the silly behavior starts), and even Owen showed some of his excitement.

Upright

Now that he's six months old, Owen definitely shows much more interest in being upright and engaging more in "conversation" with the rest of his family members on a little more level playing field. We've been working with him a bit on sitting up without assistance and last night was the first night he achieved more than just a few seconds. We loved catching this milestone on video!

Box Art

Thanks to Amazon Mom and a special promo code in my "Parents" magazine, I placed my first online order for diapers. While it might not be practical (or as cost-effective) to do that on a regular basis, it was really nice to have them dropped right on my doorstep. For Brennan, the best part was the huge box the diapers were shipped in. Its been a place to park his vehicles, and now it's becoming a huge work of art. Who knew what many functions a box could have!

Halloween!

We went to a Fall Festival last night at the West End Assembly of God, which is right down the street from us. It was a pretty significant production and A LOT of fun. I think this could join apple-picking at Carter Mountain Orchard as an October staple. Special thanks goes to Pete and Vallie Woods for lending us super-cute costumes for the night.

Our costume-resistant boy finally relented and discovered that it can be quite fun to be a tiger (or a Tigger) for a day.


Owen went as a Hershey kiss (sweet, round and yummy -- just like him!) -- not a princess, as one or two people thought.


Brennan was more participatory than usual and actually played many of the games, which earned him his choice of candy from a tub. He was especially good at dropping the clothespin in the bucket, tossing the bean bag, and throwing the football (I wish scouts from UR had been there). He wasn't especially good at limiting himself to one or two pieces at a time.

We gathered at 6:30 for a big treasure hunt, where candy was hidden in straw across a patch of ground cordoned off by hay bales. Brennan waited with anticipation, but when the rush was on he stayed rooted to the hay bale he was sitting on. He came away with a foot-long piece of straw, which probably made him the big winner in his mind. More lucrative was the trip to the Henrico police department table, flanked by a cruiser and unmarked Dodge Charger with blue lights blinking and flashing. One of the officers beckoned Brennan forward and then dropped a fist full of candy into his pumpkin bucket. Just like that the night's bounty increased by about 50%!

And a good thing too, because this boy likes his chocolate bars. A Snickers bar has served as both a late-night snack and an after breakfast dessert since we returned home.

On that pace it's a good thing we have another Fall Festival tonight at Staples Mill Road Baptist Church!

Half a Year

Has it really been six months already? Hard to remember what life was like before Owen entered our world. He is probably the most happy baby on the planet--sleeps like a champ, rarely fusses. We are definitely blessed! He has gotten much more comfortable in his exersaucer and doorway jumper. Solids are still a challenge with him, but I'm hopeful that a little more practice will get him eager to move on to some yummy items! He loves to smile and laugh at his brother. It's fun to listen him discover the many different and fun noises that he makes, complete with random happy shrieks. Happy half-birthday to our little man!

Last Meal

If I had to choose a last meal, I think it would be this chicken pot pie. Seriously, try this. You won't regret it! The best part is that it makes two pies, so you can freeze one for later or give the other one away.

Old Fashioned Deep Dish Chicken/Beef Pot Pie

Filling

½ cup butter

2 pckg 10oz each frozen mixed veggies

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups chix or beef broth

2 chix or beef bouillon cubes

4 cups cooked chix or beef cut into 1 inch cubes

½ cup flour

2 cups frozen hash browns

1 tsp thyme leaves

¼ tsp garlic powder

Pastry

1 pckg 15oz refrigerated pie crust

1 egg beaten

2 tsp dried parsley

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for two minutes; gradually add milk, chicken broth and bouillon cubes (breaking up as you stir). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in chicken, set aside.

Cook mixed veggies according to package directions, drain.

Cook hash browns in boiling water for 6 minutes or until tender, drain. Add veggies, hash browns, thyme and garlic powder to chix/beef mixture.

Divide evenly between two 9 inch deep-dish pie pans. Place pie crust on top of each pie. Fold excess pastry over the top of each pie and press with a fork against edge of pan. Brush crust with egg; sprinkle with parsley leaves. Make sure to slice slits in tip of pastry to let steam escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until filling starts to bubble and pastry is golden brown.

Same

Same outfit, same Bumbo. Off the charts cuteness!

Brennan at 4 months

Owen at 5 months

Long Time

Wow, it's been a long time since our blog has been updated! Sometimes, life gets a little hectic and crazy and blogging takes a backseat! And it's sad to say that I'm currently using the excuse of updating the blog to postpone cleaning my house. Oh, well.

I attempted this morning to get some photos of the boys in their "Big Brother/Little Brother" shirts. It mostly worked. Brennan has entered the defiant phase which makes it very difficult to get him to cooperate with anything, including posing for photos (which he used to like). Ah, the joys of an almost three-year-old!

Brennan has also been busting loose with TONS of words lately. We've lost count of how many words he's saying these days. Some of his favorites are "dada home" and "stop sign." He's also recently said his name for the first time and he loves to repeat words that we say. Last night's funny repetition was "dirty butt"--I was changing a messy diaper at the time! He's also started calling for objects when we ask him to look for something. For example, we were at a friend's house and he was outside playing. He came back outside and didn't have his shoes on. We immediately went outside to try to find his shoes (especially since it was starting to get dark), and I asked him to help me look for them. He started wandering around the yard calling "Shoes! Shoes!" All the while, his shoes were by the front door (and yes, I did put shoes on him before he went outside, but he somehow came back in and took them off without me seeing him). He does this with a number of objects--his cup, his toy stop sign from his train set, the moon. We can't wait to hear what he's going to say next!

Twins Love

Playoffs begin today. May this be the year. We're showing our love in this house today! Don't let us down, Twins!

Hot Stuff

Brennan recently developed a fascination with Daddy's sunglasses. He loves to wear them and finds it especially fun to push them up on his head. It appeared time for him to have his own sunglasses.

Welcome October

After a long, hot summer, fall has finally arrived. I couldn't be happier about; I'm definitely ready for a reprieve from the heat and the humidity. October ushered in the temperatures I've been craving, as well as letting us indulge in some fun fall activities, a couple new and one yearly tradition.

Friday night, we visited Tom Leonard's Farmer's Market where they were hosting a Friday night movie in the pumpkin patch. Friday's feature was "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", so we thought it would be fun to introduce Brennan to this classic. Bundled up in our jackets (except for Brennan, who is a bit reluctant to shed the cloak of summer), sipping on hot chocolate and cider, and munching on popcorn, we settled in to our hay bale seats and geared up for the movie. It was a great family activity, hopefully one that will be repeated in future Octobers.

Saturday morning, we indulged in our yearly tradition of apple picking. Off to Carter Mountain Orchard we went to get our fill of all things apple. Brennan was more interested in it this year, and it was fun to introduce Owen to this tradition, even though he spent most of his time in the stroller or in the sling. Twenty pounds of apples later, we said good-bye to the orchard for another year with visions of pies and purees for Owen dancing in our heads.

To cap off our Saturday, we ventured out to the Republican Roundup, hosted by our congressman, Eric Cantor. There was free food (always love free food) and activities for the kids, plus the requisite speech from Mr. Cantor himself. We enjoyed running into some friends of our from playgroup and getting some good time with them, which easily transitioned to a quick ice cream run afterward for a fun dessert outing.

A ride on the little fire truck was all we could convince him to try!

Free Cold Stone Tonight Only!

Today (9/30) from 5 to 8 pm get a free 3 oz Kate’s Creation at Cold Stone Creamery. This creation includes caramel apple ice cream mixed with chocolate shavings, graham cracker pie crust and apple pie filling! A donation to Make-A-Wish is suggested but not required. Be sure to check it out and support a great cause!

Jumping Boy

I've been putting Owen in his doorway jumper and exersaucer a bit more lately to help him exercise his legs a bit. He doesn't really like it all that well, but today was the first day he actually seemed relatively happy in the jumper. I'm looking forward to the day when he really gets to be "jumping boy" in it!

Five Months

Owen turned five months old yesterday. The time is just flying by with him! I can't say enough about how much joy this precious little boy has brought into our lives. Last night, John and I got to have some rare time with just us and him and we certainly enjoyed getting some quality time with this little guy!

Owen's Likes:
Smiling and laughing at Brennan
Smiling in general
Wiggling
Rolling from side to side
Playing with the fish on his activity gym
Playing with his hair while he nurses
Being kissed and hugged

Owen's Dislikes:
Being in his exersaucer for any length of time
Solid food

Arts Around the Lake

We headed to the University of Richmond after church today to check out the Arts Around the Lake show. We were a little puzzled when we arrived because we got down to the lake and there were no exhibits. Despite the perfect weather outside, we discovered the show was relocated to the basketball stadium because a chance of rain was in the forecast. Off we went to take a quick peek at some of the art exhibits before heading back home in time for lunch and naps. UR is such a beautiful campus that we definitely enjoyed our walk there. Brennan was in little boy heaven with leaves, pine needles, and trees galore.

We also got to check out the brand new football stadium that just opened this year. We've enjoyed getting to see UR play each year that we've been here, but don't think we'll be able to make it to a game this year. So it was fun to get to see the stadium, even though it wasn't game day and charged with energy.

Tiny Tastes

After holding off until almost five months, Owen started his journey toward solid food. It was a little sad for me--it means my baby is growing up! But I am excited about making his baby food and introducing him to all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. He actually ate very little of the cereal (can't blame him; rice cereal is pretty bland!), but I'm hoping he'll get used to things after a few days. Then, it will be on to all the fun things waiting in the wings for him!

Art

Playgroup yesterday afternoon was all about art. Our host had boards lined up in her backyard for kids to paint on, many different colors of paint to choose from, stencils to use. It was quite the set-up! After a pretty spectacular meltdown from Brennan when it came time to actually put the paint shirt on, he seemed to really get into the project and enjoy creating the kind of masterpiece only a 2.5 year old can create.

A work in progress

The finished project--a great keepsake for him!

Hats

Grandma Downer recently returned from a trip to Panama, and she sent the boys some fun baseball hats. There was definitely some hat-love going on in our house last night! I even think Brennan may have slept in his hat last night!

Peek!

Brennan has always been fascinated with his little brother, but he's lately started actually playing with him. The new favorite game is peek-a-boo. He holds a blanket or a burp cloth up and then drops it, yelling "peek" or "hi" in the process. Owen loves to laugh in response! It's such a joy to get to see my boys enjoying each other in such simple ways.

Finding God in a Can Opener and Pizza

We love our house and neighborhood for oh so many reasons. One of the reasons why we love our neighborhood is right across the street. The house across from ours went into foreclosure earlier this year and remained vacant for several months. In mid-summer, it was purchased by an older couple, Tim and Lori, whose last name is Brennan and who have a granddaughter named Naomi. It was meant to be.

They recently moved in and we've enjoyed starting to get to know these new neighbors with the crazy name connections. They have proven to be incredibly friendly and just all around great people. I've had two examples in the last 24 hours that have solidified our good opinion of them.

I pulled out chili ingredients yesterday and attempted to open them with our manual can opener. No luck. The blasted thing wasn't rotating so I was out of luck. With Brennan eating and naptime quickly approaching, a few tears were shed as I tried to figure out what to do (that didn't involve opening it with a knife, a saw, or a rock--all ideas courtesy of Google). Inspiration struck when I remembered that Lori wasn't working so I thought maybe I could borrow theirs. As it turned out, they had two can openers. Rather than just loaning me their can opener, she gave me their extra one so I didn't have to go out and buy one.

Then, just today, I pulled into the driveway after returning from Thrive, our church's women's ministry, and Lori was just returning home as well. She came over with a pizza box in her hands and said she ordered a large pizza and wanted to share it with us. Now, I had also just been wondering what I was going to feed Brennan since it was getting past noon, and this answer appeared almost instantly.

With financial pressures looming overhead like a big, black raincloud, it's easy for me to lose God in the midst of it all. I find myself wondering if He really does care about us and our troubles. And then things like this happen in most unexpected ways.

Sometimes God just appears in the strangest places and at the strangest times. For me, this week, He's shown up in the form of a can opener and lunch. For some, that might not be that big of a deal. But it's balm to this stay-at-home mom's heart.

Shape Shifter

Kids change your life. Everyone knows it. They force you to move beyond yourself. Caring completely for little people utterly dependent on you for everything can be wonderfully rewarding and tear-your-hair-out difficult all at the same time. Kids bring about change in an obvious way. No more going out without a babysitter. Dates require some serious planning ahead. The house isn't as clean as it once was. No more sleeping in. Sometimes even sleeping through the night is a challenge!

But then there is a more subtle way that kids bring about change. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Once you have kids, things shift around on your body. Clothes that once fit just don't quite work the way they once did. And this can be a hard thing to come to grips with. I was faced with this a few days ago as I began to take stock of my long-sleeved garments in preparation for fall and winter (bring it on, cold weather!). Even though I knew this, it hit me more poignantly this time around, particularly as I had to put away shirts that I loved but have no chance of ever fitting into again. Birthing and nursing two kids has forever changed my shape. And that's okay. I think it's worth the trade-off. Besides, I get some new clothes out of the deal!

I was reminded of these thoughts when I came across this article on the blog "Blissfully Domestic: The Smart Girl's Guide to Life." And then I looked at my kids and embraced my changed shape once again. Some things will probably never go back to the way they were pre-kids, but I'm good with that. My boys are well-worth it.

The Beginning

We have been waiting for this day. A few weeks ago, we started to cautiously introduce the subject of potty training to Brennan. His response has always been a resolute "NO!" After reading a potty book from the library and watching an Elmo potty video, he's been a little more open to the concept. Then came the purchase of the potty seat. He really could have cared less about it, but we've been trying to implement "potty time" a couple times a day. Each potty time has been punctuated with a number of requests for "down!" Last night, a Clifford book held his attention a bit longer. Nothing has happened on the potty yet, but we're on the road to freedom from diapers (for this one anyway!).

And, yes, he will probably one day hate this photo!

Picnic in the Park

We headed out to Maymont Park to celebrate John's extra day off. Perfect weather was the norm for the weekend, and today was no exception. After checking out the petting zoo and the Japanese Garden, it was time to find a perfect picnic spot. Sitting in the shade brought a nice respite from walking all over the park (for those who have never been there, it's HUGE! I think it's around 100 acres!). What a fun way to end our long weekend!

Boy on a rock

Daddy and a boy

Daddy and his boys

The view above our picnic spot

Owen's first Labor Day. He was enjoying a break from his labors of being a baby.

Lovely Morning

With the long Labor Day weekend awaiting us, we decided to break out of the normal pattern and venture out and explore a bit of Richmond while enjoying the gorgeous weather that September has brought with it.

Stop #1: Country Style Doughnuts. John is the doughnut connoisseur of the family. He tried these doughnuts a couple months back and declared them to be the best that he's ever eaten. Off we went to see if they lived up to the claim. What makes this shop fun is the atmosphere. It felt like we left Richmond all together and sat down for breakfast at a small town somewhere in the Midwest. People watching there was great fun, especially watching the local elderly folks come in and gather around the counter, enjoying their coffee and shooting the breeze. The doughnuts were really good as well (and the price was certainly right!). For $1.59, you could get an apple fritter that looked to be bigger than Brennan's head! Of course, we had to leave with some more tasty treats for later...


Stop #2: The 17th Street Farmer's Market. We had heard about this particular farmer's market, but never quite got up the motivation to head there to see it for ourselves. Today was the day. Now, this is a permanent farmer's market, so I was expecting a bit more than what was actually there. Despite the many empty booths, we were able to find some great produce for a good price. We came home with some zucchini, peaches, green beans, sweet potatoes, a watermelon, and lots of thoughts on how to use our newly purchased local produce. It has made me eager to check out some other farmer's markets in our area and see what other fun food items we can get to help our area farmers.