Dear Santa

Does anyone else have a kid that keeps watching commercials or going to a friend's house and seeing something new that they want for Christmas?  Especially when you're DONE shopping??

We had to have D tell us his list so we can write it out - but when we go see Santa, we just hope he sticks with it :)

With all this holiday and baby stuff coming to a head at once, life is getting pretty expensive these days.  But it will all be worth it.  We're 7 weeks away from baby...and just 2 from Christmas.  YIPES!

Robot Nursery

It's been awhile - as my mother has pointed out.  I never thought I'd go so long between posts but life gets in the way sometimes!  Like when you're pregnant! :)  I'm 31 weeks today and can't believe how fast time is flying.

We're busy getting ready for the new guy.  We've been cleaning closets - painting the nursery - washing car seat covers - digging things out of my in-law's basement - etc. 

I realized I never really revealed on here what the nursery will be.  There was no vote this time, sorry :).  We decided to do a retro robot theme!  It's been really fun to think about and I'm trying to get things together in time but time and money seems to go QUICK.  I'm making the baby quilt myself and made pretty good progress.  Thanks so much to my mom who has agreed to quilt it for me once I have the top pieced together.

Now we're working on wall art, the rest of the crib bedding and everything else in between.  I had planned to do a lot more on my own - but by the time I finish the quilt and the mobile I may be wiped out.  So I'm employing etsy.com full time!

Wish us luck!  Pics to come!

Halloween 2012

We had a great Halloween!  D LOVES Halloween and everything about it - so it was no surprise that he loved every part of his day.

He trick-or-treated in the morning with his preschool around Harper College - and got a HUGE bag of treats.  Then we proceeded to ACTUAL trick-or-treating in my in-law's neighborhood with my niece and sister-in-law.  It was great.

Here's the ninja turtle in all his glory:

Our children demanded costumes this year - my niece requested my sister-in-law be a bat.  D originally wanted more ninja turtle buddies - but last minute wanted Dain to be a policeman and me to be Catwoman - so I came up with a few things on my lunchbreak from work:

 

Buddies trick-or-treating - 2nd year in a row!

My newest niece enjoying her first Halloween! 

All in all - it was a success!

Spooky, Scary Skeleton Party!

D's 4th Birthday Party was a success!

We had his party this past Sunday at our regular location - the Peck Farm Park Orientation Barn.

It was a great day for a party and we had a great turnout.

Here's are the stations that we had set up for the kids:

BECOME A SKELETON:
The kids dressed in all black (or close to) and we had ribcage and leg/arm bone stickers so they could become a skeleton like the b-day boy in his skeleton sweatsuit.  I also had white face paint for any brave takers!

FEED YOUR SKELETON:
Cupcakes in black/white - with black and white skull sprinkles!  And some fruit, pretzels and candy to snack on!

COLOR A SKELETON:
Coloring sheets that said "I Shook My Bones at D's 4th B-Day Party"

SKELETON BUCKETS:
Bozo buckets - but no one sadly knows what they are anymore.  I had skeleton buckets set up - with eyeball balls for tossing.  This didn't really go off as planned - the kids just carried the buckets and balls around.  But it was fun!

MAKE A Q-TIP SKELETON:
Found a picture on Pinterest for this one.  We provided a sheet of black construction paper and a skull head - with glue and q-tips - and the kids created a skeleton on their paper!

MAKE A BONE NECKLACE:
Skeleton Candy Necklaces!!  They were a hit!

The kids played with help from their moms that came and we sang happy birthday to D.  After a bit I handed out the goodie bags - containing skeleton straws, stretchy skeleton toys, skeleton sunglasses, a gummy skeleton candy and two skull rings. 
Then we headed outside to play in the beautiful weather before it was time to take down the decorations.

I sadly was running around too much to take too many pictures - but I got a few!  Here's some of the fun from our great day celebrating the GREATEST boy!

Costume Decisions

Well he finally decided!  THANK GOODNESS.
And I'm happy to report that we've gone back to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle idea.

D will be Raphael this year (but make note - this is probably because they don't make a Michaelangelo costume).

Now - to see if I can find a way to convince him that I'm actually April O'Neil!

Book Time

Another book review!   A quick one!

You may or not know the comedian Michael Ian Black.  He's most known lately for his commentary on the VH1, I love the 70's, 80's, 90's etc etc etc.  He's always been hilarious to me, and now I love him even more.

He wrote a book called "Chicken Cheeks"

It's a simple book - focusing on animal butts.  Yep...I said it...animal butts.

D thought it was hilarious when we got it from the library.  He had it memorized very quickly.  And laughed so loud when we read it the first time in a restaurant that people were turning around to see what was happening.

Famous pages are "kangaroo keister", "deer rear", "turkey tushie", "duck billed platypus gluteous maximus" and D's favorite "guinea pig buns".

It was a great book.  Hilarious as the animal stacked their booties on top of eachother to be able to reach honey up high in a tree.  I won't tell you how it ends. :)

So Guess What?

We're so excited!  D loves the idea of a boy baby.  So much that he was telling us that he didn't want a girl baby.  So, it's a good thing...IT'S A BOY!

(And we're not concerned they read it wrong this time - it was pretty crystal clear!)

Votes

No this is not a political post.

This is YOUR chance to weigh in on whether or not you think we're having a BOY or a GIRL.

We're finding out September 18th.  So you have until the 17th at midnight to vote....see the poll on the side.

GO!

Ninjago COSTUME?!!?

Seriously Lego folks, you're missing the market.  WHY OH WHY don't you make Ninjago costumes?

D has moved his decision from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to Ninjago.  (Granted, still in the ninja family). I've discovered that there are NO Ninjago costumes.  So I may have to buckle down and try to make one, if D keeps this as his decision.

For reference - here's the Ninjago guy D wants to be...the blue one, Jay:

There are some crazy parents out there who have crafted large helmets out of buckets and ducktape and paint and all sorts of good things - then styrofoam to make legs so that their kid looks like a Lego man.  However, my child is 3 - he will not put up with a bucket head - and will not be able to get in and out of the car in styrofoam.

So after some more research I thought, okay I can craft this...
Then I found this:

I mean, I'm not gonna do much better, right?  I should just plan on this being the costume and save myself a month of frustration and shopping, where I'd ultimately end up with something that would look nothing like a Ninjago, right?

There's still a part of me that wants him to have a Lego head.  But maybe we'll just get a Lego head container and make it into a candy bucket to drive the point home. 
Yeah.

It's Time for Halloween Shopping!!!

We've already started looking at Halloween costumes.  Of course we have - it's only 2 months away and I'm dangerously obsessed.

Mostly we started looking because D will tell me he wants to be an obscure "guy" like Blue Beetle or Hawkeye - and I was fairly certain that there weren't costumes for those.  So we hopped on our favorite costume site - officialsuperherocostumes.com to check it out - and we were pleased to find out they DO have Blue Beetle - but not Hawkeye.

However, while we were there - D discovered a set of guys that he's not been introduced to, but now has a dangerous obsession with...TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

So - I'm not posting pics of costumes YET for voting because it's up in the air.  Most days he's sure he wants to be a ninja turtle - but he occasionally throws out Batman, Optimus Prime or even a ghost or skeleton...so the voting is postponed.

Just know it's coming.  You know you're excited.

Steam, Process, Feed

When D was a baby I had big dreams of making my own baby food.  But with a full time job, full time husband, full time dog, full time house, etc...it just didn't pan out.  I did what I could but for the most part he ate organic jarred baby food.  Which is great.  But I still realized I might be able to do this more cost-effectively with my own ingredients that I choose.

The baby food-maker that's a combo steamer and processor came on the market just a year or so ago.  GENIUS.  There's already SEVERAL brands - but it seems like this is the answer I wanted!  These little machines handle both processes and take up little to no room in your house.  No pans to wash, no food processors to clean for a tiny amount of food, no mashing to be done in pots/pans/bowls. 

I just wonder if anyone has used one of these...this is the guy I'm considering for baby #2...the Beaba Babycook.

Most of the reviews are positive.  There's always a few Debbie Downers of the world too.  But it seems like a great idea!

Thoughts?  Have you talked to anyone who has one?

Will we or won't we?

It's been an argument as to whether or not we will find out what this baby is...

For those of you who have followed "In the Wings" for years, you will recall that we were informed that D was a girl for about a month before learning he actually was a boy.  So, needless to say I'm not the most trusting.

All that aside, I feel like I wouldn't mind waiting.  Being surprised.  Waiting to hear the doctor announce "it's a ___!!!" like they do in the movies.  But as Dain says, it's a surprise no matter when you find out.

I was the one who didn't want to find out if you hadn't guessed...and Dain, being the logical one, does.  But I have had a bit of a change of heart...just looking around our teeny tiny house and seeing all the stuff laying around.  Stuff that is not one iota neutral in gender...meaning that if D's done playing with it, and we have a girl...unless she REALLY loves superheroes...it's not necessarily going to be of full use.  So I'd like to do a big clean-out if it IS a girl this time around.

(PS - I'm not saying that any daughter of mine will be playing with pretty princesses and pink frilly stuff at all hours of the day [have we met?] and I would want any daughter to have a few superhero toys - but the chance of another Meyer offspring being as obsessed with "guys" as D is, boy or girl, is slim to none).

So - we may find out.  Maybe.  I still reserve the right to change my mind...I have 6 weeks.

Long Time - New News!

SOOOOO sorry I've been missing from this blog for 2 months.  Actually it's pretty much been longer than that.  But I have good reason...

WE'RE HAVING BABY MEYER #2!!!  

I've been sick as a dog with this baby and for the past couple of months I could barely find the strength to do anything after I got D to bed in the evenings - which is when I usually blog.
I still feel like garbage most of the time - but it's time to go public.

I'm 13 weeks pregnant tomorrow - and the little booger is already making me look like I'm about 5 months along.  Seriously OUT OF CONTROL showing.  Already in full maternity pants, and seriously, I looked back at the 2008 photos of my pregnancy with D, and I think I was 20 weeks before I looked this big that time!

So - here's the photo of the bambino from the last ultrasound a few weeks ago.  

We're still debating whether or not to find out what we're having.  We'll see how it goes...

For now - stay tuned.  I will have lots to post on with this pregnancy...and my little superhero who we think will be the best big brother EVER.

One of the best...

pictures ever.

Two of the best men ever born.

He Just Keeps Growing

Here's a few things that have been reminding me how big and grown up D has gotten lately:

1 - He weighs 42.1 pounds. 

2 - I solely purchase him shirts in size 5T.

3 - He has been whipping out new words (that Dain and I haven't heard him speak before) lately, and using them correctly in a sentence.  These include and are not limited to:  dork, actually, impressive, losers, creepy, etc etc etc...

4 - He's signed up for preschool.  Real preschool.  3 full days a week preschool.  Starts in a few weeks and I'm unable to believe it.

5 - He's signed up for a t-ball league.  Yep.  Look out Babe Ruth.

6 - He now prefers Top 40 music to any preschool tunes.  His current favorite is "Moves Like Jaggar".  Runners up - "Dynamite", "Party Rock", "Pokerface", "Good Feeling", and yes, "Who Let the Dogs Out".

7 - He can name every superhero, maybe ever. 

Ick - my baby is growing and growing and growing.  And there's nothing I can do about it.

New/Old Love of Dr. Seuss

We've slowly been reliving as many as possible of the old Dr. Seuss hits.  And...I have OF COURSE been loving it!

Here's a few hits...some that I'd darn near forgotten about (all of which D loves):

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb was a hit from my youth that I'm so thrilled that D got a kick out of.  It's so simple - but so cute.  The monkeys drumming and multiplying page by page are so brilliant. 

In a People House I didn't remember from my childhood - but Dain's family had it and D took to it immediately in his very early years.  We've recently checked it out from the library again to relive the fun.  Just a great book to go over simple items found around the house.

The Eye Book might have been D's FAVORITE book at about age 1, and still holds a special place in our hearts.  It's just things you can see - reviewed by a boy and a rabbit, but it's a classic.  He would "read" it to us starting at about 2 - because he had it memorized.

Marvin K Mooney Will You Please Go Now has recently become a hit.  I remembered it fondly, much like Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb from my youth.  I love it just as much as I did then I think!  I do wonder though - if it's not the best book for manners.  Yes, they say please - but the book's giant-handed narrative voice is just wanting this poor little guy to LEAVE no matter what means possible.  Not so nice.  But so cute!

The Shape of Me... is our most recent fav.  I didn't know this one either, or didn't remember it.  But it's possibly the cutest one, with the best message.  The graphics are all done as silhouettes, and there's tons of shapes discussed - but the message of the book is that no matter what shape you are, be happy with the shape you're in.

MAN I love everything Dr. Seuss!

THANK YOU!

We MARCHED FOR BABIES a few weeks ago - and you can see by the gadget on your right that I raised a ton of money for the cause!

It was a beautiful day for a walk...and D sat happily in his stroller and just enjoyed our 5K walk the entire time.  We came to the hard realization that this will be the last year he'll fit (or want to fit) in the stroller we have so next year he'll have to walk or go have a playdate while we do the walk.

Here we are at the walk:



















It's so inspiring to see SO many people (I estimated 300+) at our location's walk - and there were tons of others going on all around Chicagoland that day.
I quickly came to the realization of how lucky we are just to have eachother, bringing everything into perspective.  So many teams had shirts in honor of babies who didn't make it.  And it was so inspiring to see the teams of people/parents/friends/relatives who gathered together to walk for this cause and hopefully make a difference for someone else or for their future.

A HUGE thank you goes out to those of you donated or wished us well.  It's always a great excuse for a good long walk along the river.  The added bonus is that we were recognizing an amazing organization that is out to help babies and parents...and what greater cause can you ask for?

Absentee Blogger

Uh - w here have I been?

I've been MIA and I have no idea why. 

I guess life gets in the way of blog sometimes - but that's...well...life I guess.

We've been busy painting the house a lovely shade of beige - in hopes of being market-ready.  Though that may or may not be realistic.  So if not, we'll just be the neutral family.

D has been growing and changing daily.  I'm happy to report that we've not had a pull up on in months!  He's started being REALLY in to dancing to mostly Top 40 radio hits.  His favorite songs have been Moves Like Jagger, Party Rock, Dynamite, and oddly...Pokerface (which he oddly calls, poke your face).

We're facing the reality of preschool and I think we've made a decision on the school.  Stay tuned.  That'll be a great post soon!

And I'm sure to have some book reviews coming up.  GREAT books coming home from the library with us lately. I'm sure you readers aren't thrilled but as children's books are one of my favorite topics of all time, I'll politely say get over it.

Hopefully I'll add some pics soon too. If I can get off my duff and remember to post ;)

Easter 2012

Easter was a hit this year.  D discovered the idea of the Easter Bunny early-on and starting compiling a list basically the day after Christmas.

We had a great time doing our usual routine - Chenoa for the day before Easter Egg Hunt and Boian celebration, and Sunday with the Meyers.

Here's some pics from the festivities...
You're welcome, mom.

 D and cousin Will - busy before the Egg Hunt.

D didn't really help hide the eggs - he more just sat and played with the grass/flowers.

The cousins with "Flat Stanley" in representation of cousin Joey in Las Vegas.

The annual post-egg-hunt picture.  With my "brother" Ross.

D and Will played pool.

Opening the Wolverine Jet gift from the Easter Bunny with Dad.

Ready to hunt eggs at Boopa's house.

Got one!

Haven and D playing catch.  And confused apparently...

He Came With the Couch

It's another book review - and yes, the blog title is the book title.

"He Came with the Couch" by David Slonim is an instant classic - and I could almost tell from just looking at the cover.

I love this book. The guy on the cover drew me in, in the midst of the clutter of books on the library shelves. He looked almost like a familiar character from Sesame Street, or the like. We even got home with it and Dain said "hey, is that a Muppets character or something?" When I read that one of the dedications on the inside was to the late great Jim Henson, I could see where the inspiration had come from, and how it had succeeded.

The cute as a button book is about a little girl named Sophie's family who needed a new couch (presumably the family dog had ruined theirs), and went out to rummage sales to find a new one. They ended up at a junk lot and her dad found a couch he loved and they loaded it in the truck and away they went. When Sophie noticed the little blue creature, she asked her dad who it was and he said "he came with the couch". They tried to get the little guy to leave, but Sophie finally called the family doctor in when he wouldn't budge and he was diagnosed with "upholsterosis" and needed to get out more. The family took the guy, couch and all, to see some of the famous sites - and he still wouldn't move from the piece of furniture in their home.

I won't ruin it - but they finally agree to let him stay...and when they need a new chair, it seems they acquire a second friend. Made me hope there was a sequel!

It's ADORABLE and catchy. Not too long, not too short, and D absolutely loved it!
You will too.

Added to the Amazon list almost directly after the first reading:)

Ring Bearer part deux

He did it! And was fantastic!!

Thanks to some "guy" bribes, Angry Bird fruit snacks, and sweet dance moves...D was the perfect ringbearer. He and my niece Haven were adorable!

Here's some pics from the wedding!

Ring Bearer

Oh yes! Dain's brother Kohl is getting married on Saturday and D is the ring bearer!

He's very excited about the wedding. He knows it's going to happen and I think he'll be ready to dance his pants off at the reception - as he's obsessed with many current dance-song favorites - most noteworthy is Party Rock by LMFAO - which he sang along to with the DJ at Disneyworld, and has been dancing to in our living room on a nearly nightly basis.

The problem is...he does NOT like wearing his tuxedo.
Nope.
Tries to pull it off himself.

He has never been a fan of button-down shirts - because he thinks they are jackets. This tux is no exception - and 3 times worse because there's not only the button down shirt, but a button down VEST, and then the jacket. OH BOY.

So - we've tried to convince him that he's dressing as The Penguin (a la Batman) or Agent Secret (a la The Backyardigans). We hope it works. Dain's also been pumping him up saying they will BOTH be wearing tuxedos...since Dain is in the wedding as well.

I'm not above bribes though. I'm considering having a back-up new "guy" in my bag. The problem is - I don't think he'd let go of it for the walk down the aisle. And I don't know how kindly the bride and groom will take to a superhero or Star Wars legend accompanying the rings up the aisle of the church on their big day.

Oh boy. Stay tuned. It could be interesting.

Easter Bunny

This Easter Bunny is getting concerned/tired...

D has been asking for things, and then changing his mind or adding to the list. We're trying to get it firmed up.

On another note - he's starting to tell us what he's going to ask Santa for...so he's ready!

Is anyone else out there with a child with a never-ending list...let me know.

Boys Aren't Like Waffles...

but now they are!
Here comes the latest book review!

If Waffles Were Like Boys by Charise Mericle Harper


This book is absolutely a MUST SEE if you have a boy - or know little boys in your life. I've added it to my mental list to buy for anyone I know who has a boy baby at any time in the future.

This book is simple, catchy and adorably cute! The story about similes between everyday objects and little boys is made only more amazing by the perfect illustrations. Ms. Harper has written an instant classic!

"If waffles were like boys...breakfast would be a battlefield". Cute, right? All the pages start with the boy interacting in everyday life with the object (sitting to a breakfast of waffles), and the next page features that object springing to life in only the way a boy can (waffles having a battle around a fort of milk cartons, etc).

The objects and their references just get more and more adorable...
"If socks were like boys...laundry baskets would be pirate ships".
"If shopping carts were like boys...grocery stores would be racetracks".
"If pillows were like boys...bedrooms would be superhero hideouts".
The list goes on and on. You have to see it to believe it!

Check it out...or buy it! I guarantee if you're a mom of a boy you'll be smiling and nodding through at least a few of the pages. And like me, you'll want to share this with all your friends! (Plus your boy will love it too!)

"Vacation"

We went on vacation?
Yes that's a question mark, and yes we went to Orlando which is part of the reason I only had ONE measly post in the month of February.

We went to Orlando to head to Disneyworld. We had a countdown on D's calendar, we watched the Disneyland movie 300 times, and we talked about it nonstop.
We arrived on Monday the 20th and went to the Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, and were off to a great start.

When we took our bus ride back to our hotel - I started getting stomach cramps - and by the time D was in bed asleep I needed to go to the ER.
I spent the next 2.5 days in an Orlando hospital with an obstructed bowel.

I am thankful that of any of us - it was me. If it were D we'd all have been a mess, and if it were Dain that would have left D and I to fend for ourselves and my tendency to worry would have made me want to camp out at the hospital with Dain. Plus it was Dain's birthday on that Tuesday - so he needed a little bit of celebration.
Because it was me, Dain and D were still able to go to the parks and stay in the hotel, and get some special time together to bond. Which I'm glad for. And D will tell anyone who'll stand still about his trip.

Our hotel turned out to be the best decision. It was not on property - but had a free shuttle to all the parks at different times of day, free breakfast every morning, and was a two-room suite with fridge and microwave (much like an Embassy Suites).
The Magic Kingdom was so much more bright and vibrant than I remembered from my last trip (which was in early high school), and the crowds were not bad at all. That place is a well-oiled machine.

D loved all he saw. He was hesitant to walk in to each ride/show - but once inside he loved it. He did have some fears but nothing to scare him off of rides altogether. His favorite was probably Star Wars (according to Dain) - or the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.

I was out of the hospital for our last afternoon at the parks and got to see a few things and we got to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and snuck in a little souvenir shopping!

I'm still devastated that I missed that 2.5 days (which were bad enough as it was), and that I only got two 1/2 days in the park after all we'd saved and planned for. I missed seeing D's face when he got to have lunch with the Disney Junior characters, and how he reacted to the Star Wars ride or his trip down Splash Mountain. But the joy in his voice when he talks about it is worth it.

I have a few pictures. With me laid up, and usually the only one who takes pictures, Dain had to remind himself at times so we only have a few posed shots. And a couple I took the first day...




Also - I got this quick video (not the best quality) of D at a DJ booth show in Magic Kingdom the first night we were there. They starting playing his current favorite song, Dynamite, and he was SO excited. He was really holding back too - I think because he was so overwhelmed by the fact that he had just met Chip, and that the music was so loud. But still - you can see he let himself dance and sing along a little (he knows all the words!). I love that I got this!


All in all it turned out to be a good thing. I won't delve into my stay at the hospital, or medical conditions. Just know I feel fine now...and ready for a vacation.

Soccer Boy

D's soccer class is all over - and I wish I would have signed him up for the 2nd session. He loved it! He was SO good in the class - and was so into it. He talked about going to "soccer ball" all the time.
It was a "break away" class - where I just was to leave him at the door, but as we were running late to the first class I sat in because I didn't know that - and I snuck in some secret video.




He loves it - and I can't wait to sign him up for either soccer, basketball or baseball in the Spring!

We're going...

to DISNEYWORLD!

Yippee!

The anti-traditional hippy in me feels slightly like a cookie-cutter right now - same as I did when we got a house in the suburbs and a Golden Retriever. But alas, it's all in the name of growing up and having a family. Plus it's SUPER FUN ;)

So we're going the week of February 20th and will have a ball I'm sure. Staying off-property solely for cost-effectiveness and to have a 2-room suite with free breakfast every morning and a free shuttle to the parks!

D knows we're going. He doesn't really understand the wait though - but he's going about it okay. I put a Mickey head on his bedroom calendar on the day we're going so he can watch the days pass.

In the meanwhile we rented the 1990 classic - Disney Sing Along Songs, Disneyland Fun from the library, and we've been watching it a minimum of once a day. This has been good because it is getting him in the excited mode to go (mostly for the Star Wars rides he sees on the movie). However it's bad because when the super-awesome clothes and bad hair of 1990 came on the screen for the songs, so did Roger Rabbit, who was a hit at the time. D had no idea who he was when he came on - however after the hundreds of viewings, he now fully expects to see Roger Rabbit at Disney World when we go. This is not good. We'll have to tell him Roger's on vacation (ha, that worked with his late fish, Robin, RIP).

I'm excited - I haven't been since I was in early high school. Things are going to be a lot different than they were then!

So prepare to see some cute pics when we get back.

You May Notice...

I'm doing the March for Babies again! I added my "gadget" to your right - that links to my fundraising page.
The walk is April 29th - but any donations are always appreciated early!

Let me know if you want to walk with us!

Snow Boy

Here's our little snow boy. He LOVES being out in the snow - had his first trips in the sleds we got for Christmas from Grandma Denise, made his first snow angels, and of course engaged us in many snowball fights.





These are all from day 1 in the snow - finished up with these of the hot chocolate finale!



Many more pics to come soon from today's jaunt in the snow with cousin Haven.