Greetings

Beau has finally mastered the word "Hi". We've been working on it for a while and when we would say "Hi Beau!", he would just smile and wave. I would plead with him, "Beau, can you say 'HI'? Say 'hi' for Mommy. Hi! Hi! Hi Beau!" ...Just a wave back. Until late last week. We finally got greeted back.


Nap schedules at the Furlongs are really up in the air right now. We used to be clockwork over here. Two naps a day. Two hours each. It. Was. Awesome. These days naps are hit or miss until we figure out the new ideal time slot. One particular day last week we were having a "miss". Beau was jumping around in his bed, singing and laughing. Usually he ends up throwing out his passy and Baby and gets upset after doing so. He'll fuss a bit until I go in and collect the discarded items, place Baby in hand and passy in mouth, lie him down, and try again. These days this little ritual goes on about four or five times before he finally settles down and goes to sleep. This day was no exception. However, each time I went in, the moment he spotted me, I was politely and enthusiastically greeted "HEY!".

As Promised...

I swear he doesn't cry all the time. Just when you interrupt something he is doing, like, walking toward a storm drain, playing in the toilet, climbing on the fireplace, or eating dog treats.

See? Here are some good ones. Don't 'cha just want to kiss those cheeks off?

Spring Break

I guess you've noticed a lack of postings here. It is Spring Break, after all. Don't stay-at-home moms and one-year-olds get a Spring Break? Air brushed tee shirts, anyone?

No, really the reason I haven't posted anything for a couple weeks is twofold:

1. Nothing really exciting has happened here in Furlongville. Beau is great, strong as an ox, healthy as a mule, and BAD. Tantrums. This boy can throw a tantrum. We are working on that... Pictures are hard to come by because now, when he sees the camera, he wants it. And when I don't let him have it, guess what happens... Same for videos. He loves walking up and down our street with the other kids (and we parents, too...don't worry). Beau loves walking, period. He gets mad when you pick him up and doesn't like being told which direction to go, either. His vocabulary is expanding everyday it seems. The newest additions are "WOOF WOOF" (more like a "uh uh" grunt, but we'll take it. He'll say it everytime he hears a dog bark.), "Beau", and "OOOO". I had a mediocre video to include at the end of this post to demonstrate these couple words; however, Leo did some sort of upgrade-y thing-y to the computer and I have no idea where it went. (Let's all look forward to the comment that my husband will leave mocking my complete and utter lack of computer know-how.) I'm beginning to the think the tooth fairy is going to have it easy over here at our house, as we are still counting in at ONE tooth.


2. Aside from nothing major happening, a TON a minor things have been going on, keeping me away from the keyboard.

Let me expound...

1. Oooo...I'm really feeling the numbered lists today, aren't I?...hehe. Ok, number one... I started rehearsals for a show I'm doing at the end of April. Four nights a week, sometimes five. Crazy schedule. The details of the show warrant an entire post for themselves, so we'll save that for another day.


2. I have temporarily (anyway, I hope it's temporary) lost my mind. I cut off all my hair (a classic symptom, no?), I left my keys in the door and COULD. NOT. FIND. THEM. meanwhile giving complete strangers the open invitation to come on into my house, oh, and please, use my key. Don't forget to help yourself to the car key too! Luckily, it turned out OK. Oh yeah, and lastly, I registered for a half-marathon. In two weeks. Yeah. Now, I've been a runner for a long time, but never done anything over a 10k (a bit over 6 miles) at one time. I just tell myself its just running two Peachtree Road Races back to back. That seems do-able? Right? Anywho, I've spent my spare time pounding the pavement so I'm not a complete embarrassment and the guy in the golf cart with oxygen and megaphone doesn't have to come by and go "Ma'am, the course is closed now. You've exceeded the time limit and we are going to reopen the roads now. I'm afraid you are going to have come with us..."


3. I have morphed into a tween boy. Meaning, I saved up some money and I purchased a video game console. I did. For me. Not my husband. Me. I don't know if any of you out there have played Rock Band, but I could be obsessed. I can literally play it for hours on end...and I have. I force my husband and other unwilling participants to play with me. Yes, my own mother has rocked the guitar. In fact, just typing about it makes we want to go downstairs right now and pull out those damn drums. I might need rehab, or better yet, there might be an entire episode of "Intervention" dedicated to my Rock Band habit.

So, there you have it. My lame excuses and a deeper insight to the complete dork I am. My hand to heaven, I will try and get some picture of Beau here soon. No promises on if they will be good or not...

Peace Offering

It is the Easter season, after all. I decided to put our past "problems" behind us and do something nice for that damn dog. Ok, ok...in all honesty, I was sick and tired of looking at Leo's circa 1994 bedspread that was doing doggie bed duty. So I made Baxter a new bed. Black and white stripes with red damask trim is much easier on my eyes.



Let's just say if I find poo on this work of art... it will hit the fan.

March 1st in "Hot"lanta...hmmm.

Leo and I would both like to publicly apologise to Glen Burns, the local weatherman. "Snow, yeah right. Way to be overly dramatic, Glen."



2 hours later I was leaving the gym and by the time I got to my car I was COVERED in snow.



When I got home, we bundled up the little guy and let him see the white stuff for the first time. It was a bit too slushy to play in, but he was happy just to walk around in it for a few minutes.

per request...

Tyra: (flashing photo) Heather, you are still in the running to become "America's Next Top Model"...

Heather: (falling to her knees, weeping) Oh Tyra! Thank you so much!

Tyra: Well, you are 8 inches too short, 10 pounds too fat, your teeth are crooked, and you can't walk the runway...but your pictures saved you this week....Let's see them again, shall we? These are fierce.

Mid-day crisis

I. Cut. My. Hair. Off.


I couldn't take it anymore.


Think a cross between Peter Pan and Zach Efron.



(images from Photobucket)

That's me.

One Year Run Down...with a side of melt down.

Yesterday morning Beau had his one year check-up at the doctor's office. I ALWAYS schedule morning appointments, as somehow, someway, someone with my DNA is a morning person. It just always makes it easier to do things in a time slot when you're pretty sure your kid is well rested, well fed, and ready to negotiate any sort of tantrums or fits of rage.

Beau has always been so good at the doctor's. He would only whimper a short minute after he got his shots, and was really his charming self the rest of the time. The nurses found him to be cooperative. Our pediatrician impressed with his his social skills. The receptionists LOVE him and fight over who gets to flirt with him as we are checking out. So in general, not a bad experience.



UNTIL YESTERDAY.



I don't know what it is about turning one, but suddenly, the kid has memories of the pediatrician's. Now, the last time we had been there was about 2 months ago to get the second dose of his flu shot. And he had done wonderfully. Today, we walk into the little room they put us in, he looks around, and decides no thanks. His eyes get really big and started to well up. He looked at me like, "Please, don't do this to me. If you love me, you won't". The whimpers started as I was stripping him down to his Pamper. The nano-second I sat him on the scale to be weighed, all his emotions came hurling out in wails and screams. Getting weighed. Thrashing around and shrieking on the scale. Although, I have to say, I have had similar situations myself late in pregnancy when those evil witches "had" to weigh me and make record of it. But I digress.


The melt down continued as the poor nurse measured his head and height. It continued on the way back into the room. As the nurse came and got us for the vision test. During the vision test. On the way back to the room. As we waited for the doctor to come in. As I was trying to read the doctor's lips as she was talking to me (I certainly couldn't hear her). By the time she is examining him he is in full break-down. Ear-piercing shrieks that would break your heart. Crocodile tears streaming down his blood shot face. Full body convulsions. I'm sure all the other kids who were hearing our little outburst echoing down the halls and through the walls were nervously wondering what torturous activity was being done to that kid, and hoping that they would not be next. And not once had the first person even whispered the word s-h-o-t.


Then he got three of them.


He really lost it. Like all the anticipation and build up had payed off and it was as terrible as he had remembered. Thanks a lot mom. I begged you to get me out of here and look. Look. Told you so.



We finally got home and Beau took a three hour nap.
I needed a cold shower and a hard drink.
All before lunch.

***********************************************************

One year stats:

weight: 22 pounds 8 ounces

height: 28 and three quarter inches


Currently Leo is doing round-offs and back-hand-springs because we are finally weaning off powdered gold, er, I mean formula. It's all "big boy" food from here on out.

I am eagerly awaiting the delivery of Beau's forward facing car seat! He hit those magic numbers of being over 20 pounds and one year old. I can't wait to be able to see him in the car and hand him things to shut him up, ahem, I mean, entertain him. (PS. Tip for other moms: look online for big baby purchases like these toddler car seats. RipOffs R Us had the one we ordered for $275 and not even the color we wanted. We found the same one online for $209. Free shipping.)

Tooth watch 2009: Still that lone little ivory. Not even an incling that another is trying to poke through.

Walking, running, jumping, dancing (he has his dad's moves, for sure...poor guy). He has this armchair I ordered him for his birthday, and one of his favorite things to do is run full speed and dive into it.

New annoying skill: taking his own diaper off. So far its only when I'm trying to change him...but this might present to be a problem in the future.

So that's pretty much the one year summary....

I will now be accepting applications for someone to take him to his 15 month check up in May...

The Best Year of My Life....so far

Me and my ONE YEAR OLD!

Last Sunday Beau turned one. A whole year. Geez Louise. Were does the time go? And what does every one year old need? An over the top party of course! A Dr. Seuss inspired party with 30 of our closest family and friends!

For those of you who don't know me, parties really get my juices flowing. All of a sudden I am taken over by the instantaneous urge to bake and craft. A couple trips to Hobby Lobby later and...

These were the invites I sent out. Thanks to Lori and Katie who tirelessly cut out hams and plates. And when I found one that was not good enough, and made them do it again, they didn't curse me...at least not out loud. It takes a special person to put up with my pickiness.

Well, I guess you remember the cake catastrophe? (If not, please read the previous post) This is what I came up with after that. 2 large 3 layer cakes and Beau's small smash cake. Thanks to my good friend Jaime who gave me cake decorating lessons and let me use all her fancy cake equipment. That is a "Green Eggs and Ham" made out of fondant on top of the cake with the circles. I had originally made a "Cat in the Hat" hat for the top of the other cake. But I scrapped that idea when each one I tried to make had an uncanny resemblance to a certain part of the male anatomy. A striped one. But one none the less. (Maybe my calling is making cakes for bachelorette partys...hmmm). Anywho...continuing...The yellow "flower" I made out of tissue paper and a styrofoam ball and some floral wire. It is supposed to be the flower from "Horton Hears a Who". I used a couple Seuss books as part of this center piece, and more books were used on other tables, too.

I also came up with little rhymes Seuss-style. On the buffet, there was one next to the cookies I made for guest gifts (in cellophane bags with a little blue satin ribbon, I might add). It said, "Coming to our party was oh-so-sweet, please enjoy this tasty treat!".

Ok. Ok. Enough showing off how cute and crafty I am. Thank you for letting me have my moment. I put a lot of work into it...

Anyway, it was lovely day, which I am thankful for, because I was concerned about everyone having enough room to move around. People were able to sit outside (and all I had to do was lure them out with the beer cooler). Beau was not too happy that his favorite friend (the cake monster) was also banned to the backyard. But I wasn't going to risk another disaster.

The annihilation of the smash cake: At first Beau wasn't so sure. He just kind of sat and looked at the cake. Then he put his finger in. Then his hand. It took him a hot minute to warm up to the idea of putting his hands all in it. Once he did, it was on. Although, I think in the end he didn't get too much IN his mouth.

Leo and the Birthday boy (after a quick bath) opening presents.My sister Lori and her boyfriend Matt enjoying some yummy cake.Busted! Me-maw is caught letting Baxter lick her plate. It was a wonderful day, and a wonderful memory...if not for Beau, for me. Who knows, maybe in the distant future, Beau will be able to step into his time-travel-space-jet and visit his first birthday party. I don't think he'd be disappointed.

FOR SALE

One gently used, neurotic, over protective, hyper-active, slightly loveable, beagle mutt he-mix.

Disclaimer: Don't be fooled by this sweet face and waggly tail. He is BAD.

You thought the Ritz crackers and bed turds set me off? Oh no. This one, well, it takes the cake. Pun intended.

These were in the process of becoming a birthday cake for the record books. Too bad they didn't make it through the 30 minutes it took me to take a shower this morning. That dog jumped up on the counter, opened the foil, and proceeded to eat a cake and a half. Plus the frosting off one side of one that had been finished. I kid you not, as I am typing this, my blood is boiling and I swear steam is about to shoot out of my ear canals.

Ok, let me walk you through this madness. On the far left is the cake that was iced and got licked. On the stove there were ORIGINALLY 4 cakes on the cooling racks with foil over them. As you can now see, the one on the left is COMPLETELY gone and the one on the right got half-eaten. He must have heard me coming down the stairs.

Or he was full.

Luckily, he couldn't get the ones in the back.And these two on the far right were spared too... but I think that is just because I really tucked the foil under that one. Thank goodness.A close-up of the damage done here. It was so cute with little multi-colored fondant stars.

Is it just me or does anyone else realize that this always happens when Leo is out of town?

Hilarious.

Dog house included. All sales final.