It's Miller Time!

And no, I don't mean the beer.....hold on to your hats because this story is a doozy!!

To begin this tale, I will inform you that Darren's mom's maiden name is Miller. It seems that all the Millers (and descendants of Millers) like to eat their food right out of oven. Or better yet, if they could eat it while it is still in the oven they'd be happy! I had dinner at his moms house one time and the food was taken right off the stove and put on plates and the Millers were actually eating it right away! I had to wait like 10 minutes before I could dig in! Long story short - Millers like their food hot.....

Well, according to Darren, I like my food cold. (it's not cold, just a little warmer than room temperature and not hot enough to burn my mouth...a.k.a. normal temperature that food should be eaten at...hee hee) He would always comment (err....complain) that when we would eat at my families house, the food would be sitting on the table - steam and precious heat leaving the food - while we all got situated.

Well, the reason I've painted this picture thus far is because for the past two weeks or so I could not get Dane to eat solid food to save my life. I thought he just wanted to nurse more because he was teething or had an ear infection. I'd sit him at the table and get so frustrated with him (not outwardly of course) because he would tighten his mouth up so much that I could not squeeze the spoon in....Since he wasn't eating solids, he was getting up at night because of hunger.. Not this again! I thought we were out of the whole "getting up a couple times a night" routine....but, yet again I attributed it to teething or his ear infection.

Last night I had Darren try feeding him (Dad's always seem to have luck with stuff like this - doesn't seem fair...ha!) and he wouldn't eat for him either (I thought "yeah, it's NOT me!")...so Darren asked if I would just heat up the cereal/pears/blueberries for sh^&t's and giggles.

Wouldn't you know it, the little bugger ate it all up? We had to keep reheating it because it would get cold and he would tighten his lips up - but seriously?!? that's all it was!?!?

He has become his fathers son all right....a picky eater and his food has to be hot!!!

Dane's first snowball!!

I just wanted to share some pictures of Dane eating his first snowball. We are snowed in today and will not be able to see family :o( It has stopped snowing finally (we have about two feet of snow on the ground) but the roads are still un-driveable unless you have 4 wheel drive, and even then it's dangerous. To top it off, once the sun goes down all the roads are going to freeze over and becoming a icy mess....SO - thank goodness we had a back up plan! We have a turkey in the oven and Darren is cooking till his heart is content!! I am enjoying the day - cleaning up a bit here and there and relaxing. I think I have done about 12 loads of laundry....now I have to put it away which is the worst part! I am glad Darren picked up some Captain Morgan and Ginger Ale!! +slosh slosh+

Let it Snow!!!!

I know everyone wishes for a white Christmas....well lucky us! We get it to the extreme! We already have about a foot or so (see pic) and they are expecting at least another foot or so tonight! It is supposed to snow an inch an hour.

I went out earlier today because we ran out of wrapping paper (go figure....all the toys and clothes I bought Dane!) and all the roads and parking lots were clear and fine....but as soon as i got into my neighborhood KAPLOW!! They didn't plow yet, so i couldn't get home!! There is a slight incline...and i mean a slight slight slight incline to get onto my street and i couldn't make it up! I thought I could back up and get a "running start"...nope, didn't work. So i tried to get into the neighborhood and different way and ended up getting stuck. Luckily Dane wasn't with me because I had to walk home! Darren then came out (while i stayed back with Dane) and shoveled my car out. Go Darren!

Hopefully we are able to go to Uncle Larry's for dinner and drinks tomorrow! If not, we bought and turkey and fixings just in case we are snowed in....

I hope everyone is safe this holiday if you have to travel anywhere!!

His first one (and hopefully his last)

Dane has had a cough going on two weeks. :( I decided (with much persuasion from Darren - thank goodness) to take him in to the doctor. I thought he was just coughing from a couple different things 1. teething 2. it's really dry everywhere 3. he sometimes does it to get my attention. Boy am i glad i took him in!

There weren't any appointments available, but the doctors office i take him to has this program called Ready Care. If you don't have an appointment - you sign in and it's first come first serve. They have doctors that are staffed just for Ready Care patients, so the wait isn't too long (I think i waited about 30 minutes). It's nice and its one of the reasons we went with this pediatricians office. They have Ready Care hours on the weekends too - which is a major plus.

Anyway, I took him in and the doctor said his lungs are clear (no bronchitis - yay!) but he has an ear infection in his right ear. I was surprised! He hasn't been pulling at his ears or giving me any signs that he was in pain. She said his ear drum was really red and pussy - so she prescribed him amoxicillin. I know that medicine all too well. I think I spent most of my childhood with an ear ache. I remember one Xmas i had an earache in both ears and i just cried all day - it hurt so bad. I hear (no pun intended) it's genetic, so i am just crossing my fingers, eyes, and toes that he has Darren's ear genes. At least he likes the taste of the amoxicillin (bubble gum) and drinks it right down!!

Little man had some more meat for dinner the other night! He really likes ham. I rip a few pieces off of what i was eating and put it on the tray of his high chair. He can pick it up and put it in his mouth all by himself! I even gave him a couple of green beans, but he didn't like them so much (he doesn't like anything green) He also loves feeding himself his cheese puffs. Lately he grabs the spoon too and guides the spoon full of food into his mouth. I'll let him think he is feeding himself as long as he wants! What a big boy he is.....ugh..... he is growing up so fast! I still cant believe he is 7 months old already!

He now weighs 20lbs! He gained almost two pounds since his 6 month checkup - that seems like an awful lot, but he has been eating solids now consistently for a month so i attribute it to that. Ugh! What a big boy!!! He is almost growing out of his 9 month clothes as well. After the holidays I am heading to Kohl's to stock up on clothing! I need to get him 12 months stuff already - yowza! I just packed up all his 6 month stuff! Thank goodness they have such good deals at Kohl's and it seems every time I go there everything is 50% off!!

We are so excited to celebrate his first Xmas! I bought him so much stuff - and I am sure he is going to have more fun with the wrapping paper and bows than what's inside! Hah! I will be sure to take lots of pics!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

No wonder Chai is overweight!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've been uber busy!

Dane is doing so well, he is still rolling around everywhere and every once and a while gets his legs in the position to crawl - and he will jut forward and then start rolling again - any day now he will be a crawling machine!! He also has two top teeth coming in (poor guy, I can tell they are more painful than his bottom teeth were). He has been sleeping through the night like a champ - most nights he doesn't wake up at all from 7:00pm - 6:00am and other nights he only wakes up once at around midnight. I definitely feel like a new woman with all this sleep I am getting, plus I am reading again since I am confident that I can go to bed later than Dane and know that I will still get enough sleep! I have read three books in the past month YAHOO!! I love reading, can you tell?

My monkey is eating solids like a champ too. He loves his yogurt bites and his cheese curls (they look like actual cheese curls but are for baby's and don't turn your fingers orange). He is eating solids three times a day and nursing 5-6 times a day. At each solid food feeding he gets a jar of either fruits or veggies mixed with oatmeal (banana flavored oatmeal is his favorite - come to think of it, anything banana tastes good). This weekend I am going to pick up some baby food that has meat in it. We did give him some ham from dinner the other night and HE LOVED IT! If we have something from our dinner plate that I can share - we do and of course Dane loves trying new things.

He has learned that if he drops some puffs on the floor then Chai will happily clean up after him!! He thinks this is hilarious - I did too at first until I realized he was doing it on purpose!! I have to keep Chai in the other room when I feed him now or she will gain even more weight!! While it's nice that she cleans up for me, I don't think its healthy for her to eat all this food....she is a little chubby!!

I have attached some pictures of this blessed event to share - enjoy!

Sunny Side UP

Ever since Dane has been able to roll over he sleeps on his tummy.....well, the past couple of nights he not only sleeps on his tummy - but his cute little hiney is sticking straight up in the air!! The pics are a little dark because I took them with my cell phone (no flash) but hopefully you can see!

Sunny side up!!

Poor guy, he is

growing so fast I didn't remember that i needed

to update the clothing he

has at daycare.

He spit up on his pants last week and they wanted to change his pants, and the only pair in his drawer were these tan 6 month pants...poor guy - they were so tight on him and his hiney was sticking out! It would have been better just to wipe the spit up off his pants, but whatever!! It was a great photo-op!

He is doing so great at daycare and at home!! He is just a happy kid!! He LOVES Cora....he smiles and laughs every time she is in the room and in petting distance.

We will be getting our tree this

weekend and taking some holiday pictures - so everyone can stop bugging me to send out photo's!! Hee hee, just kidding...I know that it's now my duty to make sure I send out pictures of Dane... :o)