Just For The Fun Of It

When you're stuck in the house on a cold, wintry night, sometimes there's just nothing more fun to do with your time than to try and blind your child with the flash of your camera. Sorry, Norrin :).


Stop ducking the flash...damn auto focus light giving you warning.

Alright...if you keep rubbing your eyes, we're going to have to take another.

There's my lil ham!

Okay, okay...we're done now.

Today's Adventures

Norrin covered in our "paints".

The masterpiece

The artist having a grumpy moment.

The snow outside our window.

Today was the snowstorm...not quite the storms we have in good ol' upstate NY, but it made everything pretty and quiet...for a lil while. I baked some more bread (Oatmeal Molasses Bread) and Norrin and I did some finger painting. I used vanilla pudding with food coloring in it for the various colors. One of the girls at work gave me the idea for that and it worked marvelously. Rolo ate more of the pudding than Norrin did, but Norrin definitely won for being the one wearing the most pudding :). Todd came home from work early and we had a calm and quiet night at home...so far. There were two major falls today. Norrin fell off our bed while he was trying to push Scout off. He just kept pushing and pushing until there wasn't any more bed left and Norrin, Scout and the comforter all went falling to the floor. And as quick as I usually am, I couldn't move across the room quick enough. Then, at dinner, he fell off a chair. He insists on being a big boy and sitting on his own grown up chair, but then he gets it in his head that he wants to stand and the next thing you know, he falls. That wasn't really a major injury...he didn't hit anything, just scared himself. He sat for the rest of his meal :). Now he's playing with Daddy. He had a late afternoon nap so we aren't expecting much of an early bedtime. We'll see...sometimes he surprises us. Top Chef is tonight...my one serious TV addiction. Above are some photos, but I don't have any of today's bread. It was so good that we just ate it all up before I could take a picture.

Yesterday's Adventures in Cooking

As I said yesterday, I was on a cooking and baking spree...Norrin was my lil helper and everything turned out delicious. When Todd got home, we had bread and chili. Norrin ate more bread than chili, but the chili wasn't too spicy so he had no problems sharing with Mommy. After that he had a cheese stick (his third of the day). Then, Todd gave him a bath while I made hot chocolate for us. Norrin has no interest in the hot chocolate, but he insisted we share the Chocolate Mint Milanos with him. That pretty much destroyed any cleaning he received in his bath. We watched Kung Fu Panda...Todd and I enjoyed it more than Norrin, but he likes animals and it held his attention far better than Top Chef or Jeopardy does :). I'll post later all our snowy day adventures.



Cheese and Herb Bread...please note my "lil helper's" hand.

Vegetarian Chili- YUM!

Happy little helper.

Cookie face!

All clean now.

Prep For The Storm

So, everyone is talking about some sorta ice storm for tomorrow. Now, I have noticed a slight tendency to exaggerate here in Philadelphia (or they just have the tendency to get the weather completely wrong), but I'm in a cooking/baking mood, so I'm spending my day prepping warm, snuggly, and hopefully, delicious meals for my family :). One of the truly fabulous people I have met, Jen from PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) gave (yes, gave) me a breadmaker and I am giving it a try. I've started really basic just to see what its like by using a cheese and herb pre-packaged bread mix. If its as easy as everyone says, I might try a more complicated from scratch recipe. The bread will hopefully go nicely with the vegetarian chili I'm making for dinner tonight. Warm bread, hot chili...total comfort food :). Now all I have to figure out is what's for dessert. Norrin has been a lil devil today. He went to sleep around 7:30 pm last night, so I was expecting an early wake-up...which we got at 7 am, so not too bad. However, even the slightest shift in his hours can make for one grumpy lil boy. So, he spent the morning being high needs...which means he insisted I sit next to him while we watched Sesame Street and when I wanted to make breakfast, he needed to be held ("Uppa, uppa!"). I don't mind attaching him to me because I can see him taking in everything I do and it gives him a little bit of joy being able to "help" Mommy. Nothing makes him smile as much as when I ask him to push a button- on the toaster, the dishwasher, wherever. Its pretty cute to see how pleased with himself he becomes. Then, after two or three breakdowns over little things (and one minor injury-how he got it in his head to run face first into the wall, I'll never know), he finally went down for a nap. And if its a quality nap, I'll get my lil angel back :).

My Gym Mondays

Today was the first official day of My Gym's nine week session. Now, Norrin and I have gone to two other classes, but they were freebies...this was the start of the classes I've paid for...and the only difference is there are more kids in the official "session classes". Norrin still had a blast, but I had to be more concerned with where he was running to (and who he was pushing out of the way to get there). The class is full of mommies and their girls, so that also makes for an interesting combo...out of the 10 kids in the class there's only three boys, including Norrin. I'm certainly not trying to generalize here, but the mommies in this class with their girl babies are very protective and when a brute like my son comes barreling across the room and throws himself into the ball pit without the slightest concern of who he might land on, it tends to put us on the outs :). So, I'm not expecting to make many friends in this class. Its okay...they can look at us like a couple of freaks...I find it freaky that they bring their babies to a room full of padded fun and all I hear is "be careful" and "don't touch that" and "be quiet". After running around like a crazy man, Norrin passed out in the car literally two minutes from home :). I carefully carried him inside and he is now sprawled out on our bed, fast asleep. Love that My Gym. This weekend is my off weekend (work three, have the fourth off). Tomorrow the cleaners come and Wednesday is our day to visit Grandmom and Grandpop Milligan. Saturday, we (Todd, Norrin and I) are hoping to get together with our dear friends, Dave and Mark. Although they have a really nice apartment and I'm not sure how gentle Norrin will be with some of their more fragile things. And Sunday is the Super Bowl. I can't say I'm too excited about the teams, but its a good day for vegging out on the couch and eating things I never eat the rest of the year...like Ruffles and Sour Cream and Onion Dip :). So, that's the plan for the week. We'll see what other things get added to the to do list.

My Baby Isn't A Baby Anymore

So, I was completely motivated to go through Norrin's toys, etc. to determine what he's grown out of, what I'm giving away and what I'm keeping for any future children we may have. I had already gone through the huge piles of clothing that were donated to us (half of which my enormous child never fit into), so it was time to dig through all the things I had buried in the toy box, the back of his closet, the far corners of his changing table. And I have to say, it was pretty emotional for me. I can't imagine my son ever being small enough for the little tummy time mat. Did he seriously fit comfortably in that itty bitty baby tub? I can't believe how big he's gotten and how much he's changed. All day yesterday when he wanted to be picked up, he grabbed my legs and would say "uppa". It was pretty darn cute and the latest word in his vocabulary. On top of my mad cleaning session, we read tons of books...Norrin kept bringing them to me and sitting in my lap, so what else was I going to do? Since I've read most of them a billion times, I'm pretty good at remembering the story, even when Norrin starts flipping ahead...makes me think we need to get him some more books. He amazes me with his ability to point to the various animals in each story. He can't tell me where his toes are, but he knows what a hippo is :). I also made homemade playdough for Norrin. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but he liked it when I pressed his hand into it. He thought it was pretty cool to see the lil outline in the dough. I also showed him how to cut out circles with a cup, but he wasn't as impressed with that. It was a pretty eventful day, which I love when I'm about to go back to work. I just want to take in as much of my son as possible...its the only thing that gets me through these next three days.

Inauguration Day

Now I'm the kind of person who avoids the news. I don't find the news to be very uplifting. They tend to tell you all the tragedies and then throw in a human interest story just to try and mellow you out, but by that point, its too late. I'm sucked into the doom and gloom and I question why in God's name did I choose to have a child in this craziness? Yesterday was different though. Our TV, like many TV's, was tuned into the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Besides, not watching the news, I don't tend to express my political point of views...I feel its personal, like religion. However, this man is so inspiring. He doesn't paint a pretty picture, he knows there's lots of work to be done, but he believes in this country and the diverse people who live in it. I don't expect him to completely clean up the mess of the last eight years, but I know he can get the ball rolling. All I had to do was look at the crowds of people that gathered in Washington. There were people of so many different cultures and so many different backgrounds and they had all gathered together to support our new president and with that, our country. How could you not be hopeful when you see that many people joining together for a common goal? Anyway, Norrin didn't find it too cute that the whole day was spent with the TV on and no cartoons. And he slept through the one outing we had for the day...Todd's trip to the doctor's to have his back injected. And while he's too young to understand the significance of our new president, I hope his life will be better for it. I know I'm ready for a lil change :).

Yes...A Week Has Gone By Without An Update

Pictures taken by Todd:


Norrin climbed the top of a big ramp...just to check himself out in the mirror :).

Norrin swinging on the rings...they had me put my hands over his, but he held on with a strong grip all by himself.

He liked it when one of the instructors rocked him on this giant half circle teeter totter thing.

He also liked rolling the multi-colored barrel around the room.

Norrin on the slide...what fun!

This was Norrin's face when they told him that it was time to clean up.

After a short period of pouting, Norrin tried to help clean up by finding the biggest and heaviest thing in the room...the turtle sandbox they dump the toys in :).

So, Todd was off from work today and we both took the lil guy (AKA Norrin) to the My Gym in Langhorne. Of course, before we went there, we had to stop at Panera for breakfast...love it! They have such a delicious breakfast and they aren't so crowded that Norrin can't run around like a little lunatic while we wait for our food. Norrin refuses to sit in a high chair...he will calmly eat his breakfast as long as he's on a regular chair like Mommy and Daddy. And most importantly, their coffee is fabulous...just what we needed before our hour of fun at the My Gym. Norrin had a blast just like last week and Todd loved seeing him in action. He was particular funny about things today. Its only his second time there, but he thinks he owns the place. We had to sign him up for the next nine week session, which officially starts next week. Its a great place for him to run out some of his energy and its great to see him interact with other adults and children. He passed out in the car about five minutes after we left, which is good since Todd and I had to go to King of Prussia Mall. Both of us needed shoes for work. We had lunch in the food court (not the best, but what did we expect from a mall?), I picked out shoes in less than half an hour...it took Todd a little longer, but his shoes have to be nice looking while mine will just be covered in blood in the first week. After that, we got Starbucks and headed home. It was snowing pretty consistently all day and everything is covered and beautiful. Not the best to be driving in, but it still gave our little trip a magical feeling on the way home. Now we're all snuggled in for the evening. Norrin and Todd are watching the Incredibles...until it gets to all the gun shooting at the end...I don't think our 15 month old needs to see that. Tomorrow Todd needs to go to Holy Redeemer for a cortisone injection for his back and I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday, so today really was our only fun day :).

Monday's Adventures

Yesterday was lots of fun. Norrin and I went to My Gym to try out a class in his age group. This place is pretty amazing. They have a ball pit, two slides, a well padded trampoline and padded things of all shapes and sizes for the kids to climb all over. At the beginning of the class, they do a warm up where the kids sit around in a circle with their parents...that lasted about five seconds for Norrin before he made a break for the ball pit. The teachers piled up square padded thingys for them to climb on and under, they pulled out foam wedges for them to roll down, they hung up swings that attached to the ceiling, they filled a sandbox with toys...I mean it was amazing the amount of fun they fit into an hour. They play music during the whole class and Norrin was dancing all over the place. He also decided climbing up the slide would be quicker than taking the stairs...when he got halfway up, he turned around and slid down. He loved the ball pit and was handing out balls to everyone in and around it...such a good lil sharer :). He screamed and laughed and ran around with kids his own age and it was just such a great time...then we had to go. Norrin tried to scale the gate that separates the lobby from the playroom and when he realized that he wasn't getting in, he threw himself to the floor and just cried and cried. When he realized that Mommy wasn't going to let him in, he tried to use one of the benches to scale the gate, but the benches don't move. Finally, in one last ditch effort, he ran away from me every time I tried to put his coat on. I had to actually grab ahold of him and wrestle him into his coat. I didn't even make an attempt on the shoes. And as soon as we were out the door and into the carseat, he fell asleep in less than five minutes. When we got home, Norrin "helped" me put the laundry away. The above picture is the stylish look he threw together when he dragged a pair of Todd's boxers out of the drawer. He also took a pair of my underwear and draped that around his wrist like a bracelet, but I wasn't able to get a good shot of that. After he was done dressing up in his parents' undergarments, we went downstairs to play in the kitchen. I set up a mini-waterpark with trays and bowls and spoons and Norrin has a blast while I get some cleaning done. Then we did a lil reading...and I entered him in the Beautiful Baby Search on Regis and Kelly :). My dad has been saying since the day he was born that I should enter him in that contest and it just seemed like something fun to do. They win money towards college if they're in the top five and 10 semifinalists win Gerber products (and I never turn down free food). I'm not expecting much...just because I think he's a beautiful baby doesn't mean America will feel that way. They say they want "happy babies" and I can't think of anyone happier than Norrin. That child laughs at everything...much like his mother :). And that was our day.

Thank Goodness The Kid's A Talker

So, I survived my dentist appointment...barely. Dr. Lubin was super sweet, but I was a total wreck. It took multiple injections to make me numb, he waited a full fifteen minutes before starting, then I started crying, so he waited until I got through that, then I couldn't breathe because I had stuffed my nose all up, then he had to inject more once he got into the tooth because (surprise, surprise) I had two nerve branches and until he got into the tooth he could only numb one nerve branch. I can honestly say that everyone in that office, as well as the doctor were fantastic. I have a serious phobia and they were so patient and so kind to me. I will still have palpitations, but I made it through the first step. And now, I hurt. My mouth is sore and my tooth still aches (probably from all the stupid injections). I was warned that I would be sore for the next couple of days, but this house has never been so quiet. Tylenol and ice have been my friend and I'm living on some super mushy foods at the moment...oatmeal, anyone? I don't think Norrin liked the silence very much because he talked and talked and talked until he passed out last night. He was so chatty that when he stopped, it was so sudden that I reached my hand over to check his breathing :). Today is the start of three 12 hour shifts, so I'm hoping to keep my talking to a minimum (bet there are many people who never thought they'd hear that from me). Its not like I can ice my jaw too frequently in the OR...I'm lucky to get a bathroom break. Other than that, Norrin had a great time with Rita. She took him for a walk in his stroller, despite the cold and windy weather. He loves to be outside. When I got back, he acted like I wasn't there for about five minutes, then he shot Joseph a dirty look (my mommy is here now, so I'm kicking you to the curb) and ran into my arms. Norrin is in such a funny stage. He throws tantrums when we don't understand him (again I wish I had stuck to the sign language), but if I explain stuff to him, he's less resistant. He hates his carseat, but if I tell him where we're going and how long it will be, he acts like he's interested and doesn't fight me as much. Unless he's overtired...then all bets are off. Well, I better get going...Norrin and Todd are on their own because this mama has to work (yuck).

Barnes and Noble and A Bad Tooth

So, a couple of weekends ago, I took Norrin into Barnes and Noble and we were told to keep him quiet when all he was doing was laughing (quite heartily) at a couple of other kids...I've told this story to so many people that I can't remember if I blogged about it. I was so pissed off that I sent an email the second I got home to complain about the Willow Grove store. I'm still shocked that someone would ask me to keep my child quiet when he wasn't crying and wasn't being destructive...he was just laughing. Last night I got a response from the manager of customer retention asking me for a direct phone number to discuss the matter. Todd says they just want to apologize more directly, but I'll let you know how that goes. They can apologize until they're blue in the face, I certainly don't feel welcomed in that location anymore. Other than that, for the first time in five years (or so), I went to the dentist. Anyone who knows me knows I'm absolutely terrified of the dentist...it takes all my strength to open the door to the office, my hand shakes as I fill out the paperwork and I sit there with palpitations trying so very hard to remember to breathe. That being said, I know that I need to take care of my teeth because I've seen the nasty results of people who don't...I've operated on people with the most hideous abscesses and even someone with pus collected on their brain. I knew I needed a root canal...for years I ignored the pain that radiated up into my ear...and that's what I'm getting today. Rita and Joseph are watching the babe and I will be spending my free time at the dentist...oh how I wish I could be finishing that sentence with the word "spa" instead of "dentist". So, if you're the praying type, please pray for me. I need a good experience (well, as good as it gets at the dentist anyway) or I may never go back. In Norrin news, he has taken his conversation to a whole new level, he has long drawn out conversations about everything. He gestures and babbles and its all I can do to pretend that I understand what he's saying. He looks so sincere and its adorable...I wish I knew what all the talk was about :). He gets really irate when I don't know what he wants and those are the times I wish I had taken the sign language a lil more seriously (lazy mommy). Todd and I ask him to get things out of his collection of toys (scattered all over our living room), as well as point out things in the pictures of his books and Norrin doesn't miss a beat...the lil guy is smart. He even knows how to do things more effectively than his parents :). We got a game that you bang a ball with a hammer and another ball rolls down in its place...Todd and I were banging away at it like a couple of fools then Norrin comes along and showed us if you just push the ball down with the hammer you get the same effect without all the loud banging :). Truly amazing. Norrin also expresses no fear. The lil man climbed up on the back of my in-laws couch to look out the window while we all held our breath. Rita still can't believe that she had five kids that didn't leave a single fingerprint on her windows, but Norrin will climb to great heights and leave handprints all over :). His lack of fear amazes me...I love it and admire it. Of course, it also keeps me on my toes, but its worth it when I see how confident he is. And that's about it. Now I must focus all my energy on not hyperventilating at the dentist's office :).

Norrin Decorating Himself

Undecorating the Tree

Today I started taking down the Christmas decorations. Norrin didn't seem to think that was a good idea...while I was taking things off the tree, he was reaching into the ornament box, pulling out the silver balls and putting them back on the tree. He actually did a pretty good job and might have to put him to work next year :).

Reaching into the box...

And placing the ornament back on the tree (see the silver ball)

Picking the beads up off the floor...

And trying to hand them back to me to put back on the tree...yeah, I don't think so, kiddo.

Since Mommy won't put the ornaments back on the tree, I'm going to eat this cat toy instead. Its supposed to clean the cats' teeth when they chew on it...wonder how its working for Norrin's pearly whites.

How Norrin Spent His New Year

My brother, Thom came to visit on New Year's Eve and this is how Norrin spent a majority of his time that day...the kid slept almost three hours!...and still went to bed around 9:30 pm...I guess his first year really tired him out.