Mrs. Clean vs. Meal Time

I always wondered how my mild, undiagnosed case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) would affect my role as a parent. Sure, I pick up Alex’s toys and store them in their assigned bins every time he goes down for a nap. Sure, all his onsies have their own stack based on size, color, sleeve length and the amount of banana stains. And sure, his jars of baby food are organized in rows (5 deep and 2 high) and by type (veggies, meats and fruits) with labels facing forward. But none of these actions have a direct affect on Alex, and only maybe later in life will he have a memory of how his mother was “neat.” But then I started observing the eating behaviors of other babies and reading more of those “how to be a parent” books, and realized my behavior may be having an impact on his willingness and ability to eat table food.

Thus, since he is just weeks away from turning one, I needed to rethink meal time. It would no longer be about food quickly filling his tummy, and instead it would be a new exercise in physical development (ie. master the pincher grip) and an exploration in texture, taste and mother’s tolerance. So I threw all ambitions aside (poured a glass of wine) and set a bowl of lasagna on the middle of his high chair tray and walked away. At first his hunger outweighed curiosity, as the amount of food in his hair was less than that in his mouth. But then the adventure began, the mess grew and lasagna soon found its way onto everything within a 3 feet circumference of the high chair. Needless to say, his face, clothing and hands took most of the burden, but the floor, dog, and wall also fell victim to scattered mini noodles and red sauce.

This hour of so called “eating” was then followed by another hour of cleaning, bathing and laundry. I am beginning to think it is OK for him to be behind in some things … or at least until summer is in full swing and we can put Alex in the high chair on the deck with the hose in hand. Not that my OCD is limited to the indoors, buy my anxiety may lessen when I can count on Mother Nature to help me out with this mess.

11 Month Pictures

Because of Alex’s new walking status, this past month has brought so much excitement and adventure to the world of an 11 month old (and his parents). At least five times a day I am positive this is the fall that will take us to the emergency room. But at least 100 times a day I am positive that this is the funniest and most entertaining that Alex has been as a baby. So now that he is upright and moving on two feet, Alex's new favorite activities include:

1. Exploring – No room is out of reach and all objects are worth the effort to shuffle his size 4 ½ (wide) Stride Rites.
2. Demolishing – His walker now serves as a bulldozer bumping into, pushing and rolling over everything in its path, including the dog and the 6 month old Festa twins from down the street.
3. Kicking – At first it was just a ball (No Lie! And unprompted by organized soccer drills!), but now he realizes anything on the ground is fair game and has become especially fond of dribbling his blue, plastic bowling pins.

I am sure he is mastering a new hybrid sport that will be featured in the Summer X Games of 2027, so we will eagerly watch as he continues to train for his explorer - demolition man - soccer player - bowling career.

Click here to enjoy more of his 11 month photos.

Our First Easter

Being parents has given us many new perspectives and experiences, and this year’s Easter was no exception. What was once a holiday spent at Coors Field is now a week long event filled with shopping, egg hunting, eating, and decorating. Our traditional one bag of pastel M&Ms was no longer enough, and I was forced to hit the mall in search of the perfect Easter outfit, the perfect Easter basket, and the perfect non-edible Easter gift (no peeps yet)! But more memorable than Alex's gingham basket liner from Pottery Barn or his flat front khakis from Baby Gap, was the time spent with family. A holiday like this is just another great reminder of why we moved back to Ohio and how lucky we are to have such gracious and enjoyable family in our lives.

Plus, you got to love a little guy waddling through the grass in search of a purple, plastic Easter egg. Click here for more Easter photos.

Walk the Line

After taking his first steps on March 19th, which consisted of three tiny shuffles between mommy and daddy, Alex has been working hard to take his new skill to the next level. And as of this weekend, we can officially say that Alex is walking. It started on Friday night with 10 - Frankenstein like - steps across the family room and escalated on Sunday morning to him chasing Casey around the kitchen – drunken sailor style. Of course, with this new feat has come many, many tumbles and bruises (can’t let him loose without supervision yet), but also new excitement and energy from an already enthusiastic little boy.

So despite my hovering, and his wobbly legs, this is definitely becoming Alex’s preferred method of transportation. And yes, the skin-tight, aerodynamic clothing seen below created less wind-resistance and contributed to his walking success.

Capitol Girls

Alex’s travels continue. This time it was just a short weekend road trip up I-71 to Columbus for Andy’s annual fantasy baseball draft, but Alex got a chance to meet up with a few of his favorite girls that live in the capitol city. He spent all day Saturday hanging out with Ava Trainor (9 months), and was fascinated with her long bangs, shaky legs, contagious smile and giant chest of toys. On Sunday, Alex had lunch with Ella Schneider (12 months) and was impressed with her ability to eat table food, flirt with the entire wait staff and walk freely away from mommy and daddy’s arms.

On both dates, Alex did his best to play hard-to-get, but couldn’t help to flash his 7-tooth smile every now and then. So despite the toy stealing and shirt pulling, I think he may just have a crush or two.

Click here to view more pictures from the weekend.