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Happy 18 months! Friday, February 29, 2008  Today marks the day that my little baby is one and a half! Seventeen months sounded like a baby still, but 18 months seems like he's all little boy. However, any way you look at it, life gets better by the day! This month, Benjamin added tons of new words to his vocab, and even started stringing them together. He'll also mimic most words that you use, so please be careful if we're lucky enough to see you soon. His favorite words are no, dad, yum, chicken, yes, car, backpack, I did it (thanks for the last two, Dora), counting to three, book, dog, cat, breakfast, help, up, down, and a bunch more that suddenly aren't coming to me. He figured out that adding "momma" to the end of any request is a surefire way for him to get what he wants. He tried some new foods, and while his diet is still rotten, he's at least getting slightly more adventurous. He likes honey mustard, and really, any kind of dip. Honey mustard stains, by the way. He's been to Northern Virginia 6 times in the past few days, and remains a dream-baby when it comes to riding in the car; and a great house-hunter to boot! He loves Gymboree class, so we've been trying to make it at least once or twice a week. He still loves playing with toilet paper. That never gets old to him. Some dislikes include clothes, diaper changes, and being stuck inside on these chilly winter days. He continues to get more snuggly as he gets older. Not having been a very cuddly baby, I feel like I really missed out on those snuggles, but there is no shortage of them now. He's the spitting image of his father, but has my personality (and temper). Luckily, we've not had more than a handful of tantrums so far. But, they are definitely on the rise. He is not a big fan of the word no. Unless he's saying it, which usually means that he's dramatically shaking his head no. He "helps" with the dishes and laundry (check your fork if you come over to eat) and even helps simplify what we pick to eat for dinner by peeling the labels off of our canned goods. (If you see the can of "BS" in the cupboard, it's actually Grandma Brown's bean soup...a NoCo delicacy). He generously gives hugs, with the back pat included, and truly has a heart of gold. I am sure I am missing a ton of things, but I'll end the rambling with mentioning how lucky we are to have such a sweet, caring, loving, and healthy little boy in our family! ~Courtney posted at 8:32:10 AM Benjamin <3 House hunting Wednesday, February 27, 2008 So, my excitement and anticipation from Sunday turned out to be a big bummer. We put an offer in on a fantastic house, but lost out due to a couple hours of bad timing, and the fact that we weren't the only people who realized what a good deal it was. I was SO bummed, because it was seriously the perfect house for us, and a steal in our price range. But, I imagine we'll find something we'll like equally as much. Benjamin and I took a quick trip out today to look at some new listings. He is the best house-hunter ever. Well, kind of. He says "wow," in just about every room. He walked into one particularly ugly bedroom (lime green...I seriously had to put my sunglasses back on) and was looking all around saying "Wow! Ooooooh, wow!" And then laughing as he went into the next room. I hope it was just a "wow" of sensory overload. That's what I'll keep telling myself. Oh, and Happy Birthday Elise! We can't wait to have a little get together with you and Greta (and all of your parents, of course) this weekend! ~Courtney posted at 8:23:09 PM Dinner conversation Monday, February 25, 2008 Me: Benjamin, do you love daddy? Benja: Emphatically shaking head no. Me: Do you love mommy? Benja: Continues to shake head no. Says: nah. Me: Benjamin, do you love Jello? Benja: Jello? YUM. So, there you have it. ~Courtney posted at 6:59:06 PM Dontcha wish... Sunday, February 24, 2008 To the tune of "don'tcha wish your girlfriend was hawt like me,"... Don'tcha wish you knew what we were up to? Okay, you probably don't, but exciting stuff is happening in the A&C household right now. To be continued... ~Courtney posted at 9:02:15 PM Boo for ice. Friday, February 22, 2008 Winter here is pretty lame; especially compared to last year in CO, and my childhood in NY, but I have to say that I am SO bummed about all of the icky ice we got overnight. Benjamin and I had hot plans with some new friends this morning. And now we don't. The roads are pretty slick, and based on last week's ice, you'd have to be a moron to get on the roads with people who have NO clue how to drive in bad weather. The plus side is that Andrew is working from home today, so he pops his head up occasionally to say hello. ~Courtney posted at 9:34:17 AM Watch your change... Friday, February 22, 2008 Benjamin got his first piggy bank! He's slightly obsessed with it, and gets pretty upset when he's fed the pig all of his allocated change. I think he probably has more money in his bank (after 3 days of "saving") than I did by the time I was five. We'll call it inflation. Yeah. That's it.  ~Courtney posted at 7:41:42 AM Great Children's Toys! Thursday, February 21, 2008 Benjamin has a bunch of toys made by Melissa & Doug. They are great quality, wooden toys. We have about 5 puzzles, the toaster oven, and a few other things. Anyhow, my friend found this site at Christmas-time and ordered some things for her son. We revisited it today, and amazingly, ALL of the Melissa & Doug stuff is 1/2 off! I ordered Benjamin a stackable train (only $7.49 and almost identical to the $50 one at Pottery Barn Kids!), the wooden art easel, and some supplies for that, all for less than the regular cost of the easel...and that's WITH shipping! Anyhow, check it out before it's all gone! Andrew...I was tempted by the kitchen, but resisted. ~Courtney posted at 3:55:55 PM Chocolate chips and extra extra sharp cheddar Thursday, February 21, 2008 I've been cutting back on my caffeine intake this week, and randomly, I've stopped sleeping...what the heck? I loathe anxiety. On a funnier note, Benjamin's lunch yesterday consisted of a chunk of extra, extra sharp cheddar cheese (he dropped it and said "oooow!" when I told him it was probably too sharp...), 3 chicken nuggets, a cereal bar, and 12 chocolate chips. Each was offered alone, in hopes that he'd eat it, but the chips are the only thing that made it into his belly...sigh. Pick my battles. 
~Courtney posted at 5:36:17 AM I used a sick day Wednesday, February 20, 2008 So, this mom-gig doesn't really have the best sick/vacation leave, but this morning, I called in. I don't know if I am getting the flu, am just too tired to be alive, or am getting some other ailment that would likely come from too many slimy toddler kisses. It worked out well, for me, as Andrew has been so busy with work, but didn't have any meetings this morning. His job is so cool, in that they are insanely flexible about hours, flex time, and needing to help out family. He had some extra hours banked from some very long days last week, so he won't even need to work until 8 tonight to make up for it! Great perk, for sure! I feel a tad better after getting 10 hours of sleep, but am still feeling lethargic and gross...UGH. I guess I should be thankful that I made it this far without getting sick. ~Courtney posted at 9:07:14 AM Benna Vote! Tuesday, February 19, 2008 I forgot to post this last week, but Benjamin made his first trip to the polls last Tuesday afternoon. We voted at our local elementary school, and Benjamin was SO excited about the penguin artwork, all painted by 3rd graders, hanging on the walls. He was also pretty psyched about the gymnasium. He made some friends while we were there, and people in the lobby were giving him their "I voted" sticker. He ran around yelling "I vote! Benna vote!"  ~Courtney posted at 2:40:04 PM How can this be? Tuesday, February 19, 2008 I had NO clue it was possible to have so many things annoy me before 6 am. The biggie (unless you consider waking up at 3:40, with no way to blame Benjamin for it, and tossing & turning in full-fledged panic mode the most annoying thing) was getting ready to leave the gym, and noticing that the toys I had donated to Toys For Tots at Christmas were still sitting there, next to the desk. I'll be the first to admit, I procrastinated with dropping them off, and when I did (about a week before Christmas), the box had already been emptied. I specifically asked if they'd be doing another drop-off, and they assured me they would. Anyhow, it ticks me off. I mentioned it to the guy working at the desk, and he said he'd pass it along, but when I think about how excited Benjamin was to open his presents, I just feel really sad that someone else (and their parents) didn't get to experience that. ~Courtney posted at 6:12:33 AM 103.1 Monday, February 18, 2008 That was the temperature Benjamin woke up with at 4 am last night. Andrew ended up going to work, because it seemed silly to waste a day that we could use in the future when we're under the weather. Once he woke up for the morning, the fever was mostly gone, but he was lethargic and sad for the entire day. The two of us took a 3.5 hour nap this afternoon. I am still in my pajamas now. I ALWAYS get dressed, and go figure, the one day I didn't, we had a "doorbell guest." More on that below... He also asked me to go to bed by 6 pm. Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight, and will wake up feeling much better. So, maybe it was the pjs, or maybe I am just looking oh-so-young these days, but I had a funny experience this afternoon. A federal investigator come to the house today, as they are doing a background investigation on one of my neighbors. It's a common procedure for maintaining/obtaining security clearances, which I know enough about, so I was happy to oblige, but when I answered the door, she seemed confused and when I asked her if I could help her (child on my hip, mind you) she stated her title and what she needed, but that I looked so young it caught her off guard, and she couldn't interview minors for her task. HAHAHAHAHA. As if. I assured her that I am pushing thirty, and quite far from being a minor. I did, however, thank her for the compliment. She thought I was the baby sitter! In other news, my dad and Karen visited for the weekend, and we had a blast. Benjamin REALLY opened up around them and was having so much fun. The trip went by far too fast for all of us! That's about it from here. I was hoping to delve back into my gym routine, but since B was feverish, and I am anti-take-your-sick-kid to activities, we just stayed at home. And ate ice cream sandwiches to feel better...tomorrow is a new day. ~Courtney posted at 7:05:39 PM Happy Valentine's Day! Thursday, February 14, 2008 
~Courtney posted at 7:17:21 AM Alarm! Wednesday, February 13, 2008 Benjamin slept late enough that Andrew and I were able to hear our alarm clock go off this morning. I'd say it was probably the first time in 12+ months. The 6 months prior to that timeframe don't count, because he was up around the clock, and just because he slept late, didn't mean we got sleep! We're excited. But don't get jealous quite yet. Our alarm was set for 6, and Benjamin started making noise 2 minutes later. ~Courtney posted at 11:00:21 AM Mommy's Little "Helper" Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Benjamin has taken a very big interest in helping me out lately. The other day, he cleared his bowl of chicken nuggets by dumping the remains into the dishwasher, and then throwing out his bowl. He also helps by emptying the dishwasher (which tends to be dirty dishes throughout the day...) putting things into the silverware drawer. I managed to catch some of it this morning. This doesn't go in here, it goes in the silverware drawer:   Right here:  Maybe I should get some clean tupperware out...  Nah, I am going to help some more:  Let's just put this away:  I think I'll make some noise with it first:  Actually, I'll just leave that here:  I love helping! Clap for me!  ~Courtney posted at 9:40:19 AM Random Observation Sunday, February 10, 2008 I went to the mall this morning to get my iPod repaired. I didn't know how long it was going to take, so I decided to go when Benjamin was napping, since Andrew is home today. Normally, I don't pay all that much attention to the riff-raff at the mall, but for some reason, they seemed to be out in full force today. So, as I am waiting, I realize that almost EVERY teenage girl had on sweatpants. When I was in high school, if you wore sweatpants, there were pregnancy rumors floating around within the hour. You just didn't wear them. I am not claiming to be proud of my (lack of) fashion sense in the mid-to-late-nineties, but I can guarantee that I NEVER left the house looking as sloppy as most of those kids look. Wow. I am getting old. ~Courtney posted at 1:49:36 PM Motorcycle for sale Friday, February 08, 2008 We are offering a preferred reader discount (read, if you are reading this, you're considered a preferred reader) on Andrew's motorcycle that we need to sell in the next couple of months. If you're interested, click the "contact us" link to the left, leave a comment, or, if you know us, give us a call! 
~Courtney posted at 7:07:28 AM Fun at Port Discovery! Wednesday, February 06, 2008 Benjamin and I just got back from a fantastic morning with Holly and Elise. We met in downtown Baltimore to visit Port Discovery, a really well-done children's museum/activity center. Benjamin had a blast, and by the time we left, we were both ready for a nap. I woo'd him (w/ food and a Dora DVD) to stay awake for the drive home so his nap could happen in his crib, rather than the car seat. After a quick costume change, we went straight to his room where he went straight to his nap. We are going to check out a couple of properties in Annapolis this afternoon/evening, so fingers crossed that it's a GOOD nap! I don't know that I have the energy to look at homes and deal with a toddler melting down at the same time! No pictures, because it was hard enough to chase after him. I think we'll go back really soon so Andrew can check it out as well, and we'll take the camera then! Plus, maybe I'll have cut B's crazy hair by then... ~Courtney posted at 1:27:44 PM Spinning! Tuesday, February 05, 2008 For those who have known me for a long time, you probably know that it is VERY hard for me to get dizzy, and I love the way it feels to spin around and around and around. My child may not look one bit like me, but he did get my love for dancing, spinning around, and that light-headed feeling that comes with it. Hopefully these won't make you dizzy! He holds on for dear life, but squeals with laughter the entire time!  And around.  Whoa...  Crash! (Not really...I just needed a break):  Did you see that, dad?  Benjamin signing for "more." He also said "peeeeease."  Ooops...maybe not quite yet!  That was funny!  Okay mom...time to get up!  ~Courtney posted at 8:13:02 PM Pop! Tuesday, February 05, 2008 With my dad and Karen's visit approaching, I thought it'd be a good idea to get Benjamin working on saying words like "grandpa," or "pop." We've done it in the past, with pictures, but since he's added about 40-50 new words to his vocab in the last few days, it seemed like a good time. He liked Pop. And started to "pop those bubbles" like they do in Gymboree class. Then ran over to the bubbles yelling "pop! pop! pop! bubba!". We just spent the last 20 minutes "popping those bubbles." Guess we'll try another name next time! Or, we'll just call him Bubba. Thoughts on that? Dad? Can't wait for your visit! ~Courtney posted at 7:31:51 AM Waffles Monday, February 04, 2008 We've been making breakfast at home a lot more than we used to, for no other reason than the best "diner" within a few minute's drive is Bob Evans. So, after about a million pancakes, we decided we needed to get a waffle iron. We ordered it from my favorite online retailer. However, it wasn't until this past Saturday when we had a chance to try it out. I just made a boring mix, using the Heart Smart Bisquick box, and they were pretty lame. Andrew said that if he put enough butter and syrup on them, they tasted great. Imagine that. Here is an image of my first attempt at using our new waffle maker:  As you can see...not so hot. I got a LOT better with a bit of practice, and this is our final result (and yes, that's bacon that Andrew has on top of his waffle):  If you have any great waffle recipes, send them our way! A friend gave me a couple of good ones to try out from the Martha Stewart and Williams Sonoma sites, but I am always looking for more ideas! ~Courtney posted at 8:28:50 PM It's in the genes... Saturday, February 02, 2008 Phone conversation I had about 45 minutes ago: Them: Hi. This is Eric from ADT Security. Me: Hi. I am cooking. Eric: Oh, okay. Yes, it's your smoke alarm. Me: Yes. We're having fajitas. Eric: Can I ask your name for security? Me: Yes, it's Courtney ****** Eric: Thanks, Mrs. ***** Have a good night. Me: WAIT! How do I make this thing stop beeping?? So, as you can see, I managed to set off some smoke detectors. Moments (maybe seconds?) prior, we were sitting at the table, peppers and onions mostly cooked and waiting in a bowl while the chicken cooked, and Andrew says "This is fun. When was the last time we cooked like this?" (it had truly been a team effort over the hour or so, prior). As I am responding that it'd been awhile, the noise began. So, imagine Andrew. Running around like a mad-man. Because of my family, I know to NEVER cook, especially on the indoor grill, without at LEAST one towel within quick reach. So, I was waving that at the alarm, opening windows and sliding glass doors...it was hilarious. Seriously. Well, in retrospect it was hilarious. As we sat down to our dinner (finally), we both broke out into a fit of the giggles, and I said that i had to blame it on my genetic coding. My mom has prepared the best meals I've ever had in my life (and I've had some good ones out and about!), but not without our fair share of smoke detector fun. At Christmas, Emily's boyfriend Brian was ready and waiting with a towel while dinner was cooking. We both brought this up at the same time. Of slight concern. The alarm (right outside of his door) did not wake up Benjamin. He barely moved, in fact. It was one of those good and terrible things, because we had a REALLY long day, and I didn't want him to wake up! But, down the road, it'd be really awesome for the smoke detector to actually wake him up! And for those who care...today was fun (despite B's REALLY short nap) and I think February is going to be the upswing we need. Oh. So. Badly. Oh, and the fajitas were fantastic. In case you care. ~Courtney posted at 9:08:34 PM So, it's February now... Friday, February 01, 2008 January 2008, despite my hopes that we'd start the year out fantastically, was horrific. Between 3 weeks of healing from the wisdom teeth, 3 cases of the stomach bug, a lingering cold, and what seemed like endless doctor's and dentist appointments, the month just stunk. Add in being stuck at home because of aforementioned illnesses, Benjamin's wacky sleeping, and not exercising, I am surprised I haven't had a nervous breakdown! Anyhow, February has to be better. Right? I have made a decision to push the bulk of January out of my mind, eliminate the things that have been really stressing me out, re-start my resolutions that I'd set for '08, and get back on track with life. So, here's to a fantastic February. If it stinks, at least it's only 29 days! ~Courtney posted at 1:37:39 PM |
