Friday's Letters

Trying a new link-up today...

 

Dear Virus That Just Won't Quit: You are a jerk and I hate you. You've completely derailed my life for the past week and a half, when I had some fun family time planned and had to cancel all of it. Not only that, you cost me $$$ since I was misdiagnosed with allergies (ALLERGIES?!?!?) and paid for both an office visit and prescription I didn't need. So, you suck. Big time.

Dear Karma: Hit me up with some good news this afternoon. You KNOW what I'm talking about. 'K, thanks!

Dear Justin: Just because you turned eight months old this week doesn't mean you need to do a mad dash for all the milestones that come with it. This near-crawling thing when I walked into the room yesterday nearly had me in tears.

Dear Cleveland Indians: Seriously? Getting swept at home by those nasty Tigers when you needed to AT LEAST split the series? I mean, REALLY??? Even the Browns managed to win their first preseason game.

Dear Ohio Weather: Loving this fall preview. My grass has never been this green in August. Remember this and repeat for next year.

Dear Poor, Neglected Toes: Just chill. You'll be pampered next week. Scout's honor.

Dear Three Sons O' Mine: Let's have more times like this. Less whining, more smiling. And, go.

 

Eight Months Old

Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but...

 ...have you seen my baby?




Yeah, me neither.

Okay, so maybe that was just a touch melodramatic. But for reals, it does seem a bit like I'm losing out on Justin's babiness pretty quickly. He's still wonderfully squishy and cuddly, but his face is losing the infant look, and he's hellbent on becoming mobile.

At eight months, Justin:

--is probably 20 lbs. No weight check for a few more weeks, so it's still guesswork.
--fits a little too snuggly into his 9-month clothes.
--has been backing off on his bottles as he decides he likes the taste of real food so much better.
--gums on mum-mums, but still has trouble with puffs. We keep trying.

--has three teeth! His first on top pushed through a few weeks back, and he's working on Number 4, that upper's neighbor.
--is THISCLOSE to mastering unsupported sitting. I can actually leave his side now while he's upright, but there's still a pillow behind him just in case.
--has been trying to shake some congestion since last week, so not a lot of smiling in this month's pics. He's coughy and phlegmy, but in true Justin form, it hasn't really affected his mood.
--isn't crawling quite yet, but desperately wants to be more mobile than he is. Apparently he has places to go and people to see.

--has expanded his vocabulary with the repetitive "deh-deh-deh-deh-deh-deh..."
--has been more into his toys lately. He LOVES the baby piano we bought when Nolan was little. He seriously bangs on those keys like he's a tiny Liberace.
--constantly does that happy, excited baby thing where it looks like he's gripping the handle bars of a motorcycle. LOVE IT.
--can't pick an eye color. I know they won't be blue, but maybe hazel? brown? green?

--makes us all smile and giggle daily.

Check out how he compares to Aiden and Nolan at eight months. :)

Poor, neglected blog :(

{SIGH}

I hate when I neglect my blog. It's always in the back of my mind that I haven't posted anything in nearly 3 weeks. And it's not like I don't have stuff to write about or otherwise document (because I do, and I will). It's just that other stuff is more important right now.

So, I'm gonna hit you up with the beautiful family photos I recently received from my fabulous photog sister. When you look at that these, be mindful that a) it was 93 degrees with about 100% humidity at 7 PM when we started, and b) my kids were NOT in the mood.

I still think they turned out beautiful :)
 

 

 

Our Week in Instagram

 Saturday 7/6/13: Most appropriate shirt in the HISTORY of shirts.

 Saturday 7/6/13: Sloppy, slobbery smiles. :)

 Saturday 7/6/13: I'm not very good at selfies.

 Saturday 7/6/13: Who needs Mom?! I got this.

 Saturday 7/6/13: Another rainy day, so tent time inside.

 Sunday 7/7/13: A family lunch out means everyone gets to eat :)

Monday 7/9/13: I made all these. Crazy.

 

 Thursday 7/11/13: A surprise cookie-o-happiness from the bestie.

 Friday 7/12/13: Afternoon lunch date with the hubster--beer and a patio. AWESOME.

 Friday 7/12/13: Brothers. Straight chillin'.

 

Saturday 7/13/13: OSU mural at Firehouse Subs.

Only 49 days left until the Buckeyes take the field...

Monthly Mumbles, July Edition

10. It has been raining for what seems like the last eight years. Seriously. We have patches of sun a few times a day, but then the thunderstorms roll in and the deluge begins and all hope for some evening outdoor time is lost. Apparently it's supposed to finally let up in the next few days. I suppose I should look on the bright side and be happy our grass isn't brown and dead (yet).

9. I took Nolan for his speech evaluation Monday afternoon. He actually passed that part of the screening with flying colors (of course, because it was THE thing I was concerned about), but he scored well below average in two categories: following directions and recognizing danger. Now if you follow me at all here on the blog-a-roo, or Twitter, or Instagram, or whatever, you are probably not the least bit surprised. He qualifies for "early intervention" in these areas, but only until he's three...which is in like three months. It's doubtful he'd benefit from one or two sessions anyways, so we've decided just to press on. I have no doubt that he'll master these areas, even if it is in is own time.

8. My sister is coming for a visit next week. I can't wait to see her and that pregnant belly, and I know the boys are excited to visit with their cousin. And (weather permitting), Megan has graciously offered to her talents to take our family portraits. I'm just a little bit excited. :)

7. I've been having a S-E-R-I-O-U-S problem with motivation lately. I know a large part of is due to all the single-mom duty I've been pulling. I have every intention of getting all the things done once the boys go to bed, but at that point, I'm just exhausted, and the couch looks sooooooo comfortable...and yet I know these are lousy excuses. Excuses are just so much easier. The battle rages on. {SIGH}

6. Had a slight 8-hour drama last week when I thought I didn't get tickets in the OSU Alumni lottery. Turns out I was just prematurely upset; I did get tickets, and to a Big Ten game at that!!! AND it's four days before my birthday!!! AND I'm taking my dad, who believe it or not, has never been to a game. Just another reason to look forward to October :)

5. My younger sister just posted that she's lost a whopping 52.6 lbs with Weight Watchers since January of last year. She looks amazing. I almost hate her a little. Almost. :) (Maybe that would help with my motivation problem???)

4. Justin's calm demeanor has taken a bit of a hit as of late; poor kid is teething, so his endlessly chipper attitude has suffered. And yet even an upset Justin is pretty easy-going. All he seems to need is some cuddling and maybe a teether, and then he's back to being our resident smiley, pudgy guy :)

3. I've been on a bit of a Pinterest binge lately. Which also is probably not helping my motivation problem (UGH, there it is again...).

2. Can't help but notice a correlation between Aiden playing T-ball, and Aiden suddenly eating better for the first time IN HIS LIFE. If playing a team sport is truly what's turned this around, I'm signing him up for soccer, and football, and basketball, and lacrosse, and ice hockey, and ultimate Frisbee, and youth jousting, and hacky-sack club, and whatever else keeps me from having to argue with him about finishing his dinner, for the love of GOD...

1. It's storming again. I might build an ark. If I only I could find some damn motivation...maybe there are ark-building ideas on Pinterest...