33 Things

I turned 33 this year, the day before my very first Mother's Day.  Since most of these posts are about Xavier and being a mom, I thought it would be fun to share some things about me.  So here you go, 33 things about me for my 33rd birthday!

1.  The house I grew up in had a treehouse, huge yard, front porch with tall pillars, none of which I have ever had in any of the homes I've lived in since being on my own.

2.  I have one sibling, my brother, who shares the same interests as me.  So much, in fact, that we both went to the same college, both majored in Accounting, both started our careers at Crowe Horwath, and both are CPA's.  Funny thing is, due to our age difference, we never attended the same school at the same time.

3.  I have an irrational fear of things that are 1 millionth the size of me.  Like ants and spiders.

4.  I get very excited about going to the beach.  It's all I can think about and I can't sleep the day before my trip.  But, when I get there, after a couple hours I'm bored and ready to do something else.

5.  My most favorite show ever is Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  I cannot get enough of the girl drama.  I am also obsessed with Breaking Bad, Mad Men (before it got weird), Modern Family, and Friends and Seinfeld reruns.

6.  When drinking water at restaurants, I always order a straw.  When the glass is half empty, it scares me to think the ice might fall out onto my face.

7.  I always thought I wanted 3 kids, but can now say I don't think I could handle it!

8.  I am great at multi-tasking, am meticulous, and weirdly observant.

9.  I am the world's slowest reader.  I hate reading and will only enjoy it if it's a blog, celebrity gossip, or on the kindle.

10.  Finding a good deal gives me a high and I brag about it to everyone I run into that day.

11.  Scary movies are a huge no-no.  Even hearing scary music on something I'm watching makes me cover my eyes or turn my head down and not watch.  But, I'm always asking "What's happening?!  Is it scary?!  Tell me what's going on!"

12.  I can sing along to the entire Law & Order SVU theme.  I am married to a lawyer.  For a while, all my best friends were lawyers.  But, writing, using words properly, and public speaking, aren't things that describe me.

13.  One of my biggest pet peeves is people who cough loudly or honk when they blow their nose.  Add in that it's done by a female, and I just laugh.

14.  I refuse to eat warm and cold things together.  A warm brownie topped with ice cream (both of which I love separately) will get left on the table.

15.  I am a superstar at asking questions.  Guess it's my line of work (auditor), but I'm always getting told that I ask questions people have never been asked before (usually about products or services).

16.  On my first trip outside of the US, I went by myself to Bali to meet up with a friend who lived there.

17.  I used to play percussion in the band.  I also played the piano for a long time.

18.  Food & drinks on our back patio, with some good music and the torches lit, is one of the best things ever.

19.  I found my first gray hair at my first job out of college.

20.  I hate running.  Even at the gym, I'll do uphill walking instead of running on the treadmill.  I joined track my freshman year of high school to be with my friends.  On the day of our first practice, Coach said, "Okay, let's run a 3-mile warm-up."  I ran home and never looked back.

21.  My husband agreed to us having maternity pictures taken about a month before X was born.  Most people don't know this, but the photos we had done were all done by me, my tripod, camera with a timer, and a great photo editor software.

22.  My favorite city is Columbus, Ohio.  Whenever I'm on vacation, especially for longer than a week, I can't wait to get back to Columbus.  Cold weather, snow, hot/humid days and all!

23.  My husband and I met at a bar (Club 185 in German Village) while out with a group of mutual friends.  I picked him up while on a date with another guy.  He was currently seeing another girl and was flattered by my forwardness.

24.  My favorite season is the fall.  I love when I can start wearing hoodies again, bundle up on the couch with a blanket and hot chocolate, and the anticipation of the holidays just around the corner.

25.  I wear my hair in a top-knot 6 out of the 7 days of the week.

26.  I kind of hate the organic trend thing going on right now.  I refuse to shop at Whole Foods unless I'm going for a chocolate chip cookie or the wine tasting.  Ironically, we send Xavier to an organic day care.

27.  I can't remember the last two days in a row that I went without eating some kind of chocolate.  I have to have it daily.

28.  I adore fancy things - Louis purses, Louboutin shoes, Lexus SUV - all of which I own.

29.  There IS a perfect shade of grey, especially when it comes to paint, sweatshirts, and nail polish!

30.  I don't like Chipotle.

31.  I stalk celebrities.  I follow E!Online, TMZ, celebrity blogs, etc.  I even recently went to New York and spent a few hours on the trip walking by Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker's homes, grabbed cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery (where the SATC girls went in an episode), as well as tons of other celebrity sites/restaurants they visit.

32.  I document the crap out of events, vacations, our wedding, honeymoon, Xavier's life, and save it as scrapbooks, or in this case, a blog.  I love looking back and reminiscing.

33.  Creating a fun and happy life for Xavier and Steve are my number 1 priority!

So there you have it!  A little more about me!

Zoo Days!

We had another great weekend of weather, and I got a chance to spend all day Saturday with my little guy, since Steve had to work.  After an emotional trip through the automatic car wash, X and I took a short little trip to the zoo.

This kid doesn't discriminate.  The ground is just as exciting as the animals.

Spread-eagle.  That's how we roll.

He is such great company and I can't wait for another Mother/Son outing!  Here's hoping this week goes fast!

Memorial Weekend Recap

What an awesome holiday weekend we had filled with perfect summer-like weather!  Over the past few days, I've read some personal stories from friends who have lost loved ones while serving.  My husband served twice overseas and personally knew several people who lost their lives while defending our country.  It's so sad to think about.

We spent most of the weekend struggling with Xavier's, unbeknownst to us until this morning when I finally took him to the doctor, ear infection (whoops).  He had a fever last week, a cold, and was not himself all weekend.  I had lots of fun summer things planned, but didn't get to them all because little X-man wore Mama out.  When he is fussy like that, he doesn't let me leave him alone or he cries.  He needed held a lot.  It was a tough holiday weekend, but Grandma Pheanis came to town and cheered him up a bit while Steve and I went to see Book of Mormon.

Eeeee!  Look how close!

Xavier didn't seem to mind his ear infection while Grandma was here.  They went to on a long walk and to a nearby playground.

We went to a friend's house for a picnic.  Xavier got to see some of his best friends.  He had a blast and I did too.  I like watching him interact with other kids.  He's in his element around other people and loved all the attention he received.

Only babies can decode this conversation.

On Memorial Day, we served up a red, white, and blueberry breakfast.  It would also be fun to replace the "white" with Cool Whip.  Mmm, dessert for breakfast!

We had some friends over on Memorial Day.  It was Xavier's first experience in the baby pool and he took to it well!  He was a little confused at first (which is common of all new things he tries), but had fun when Steve showed him how to pour water on his little toes.  And, the Huggies Little Swimmers diapers are a must for anyone taking their babies out in the water.  The water makes the diapers suck onto the skin so all his waste gets trapped in the diaper.  They are great!

Um, this doesn't look like my bathtub.

Ahhhh, the water tickles my toes!

Can't see it all, but his shirt says "S.S. Cutie - Captain Adorable."  Awww...

We roasted marshmallows (because what's a summer gathering without them?), drank some festive summer drinks, and listened to Lady Gaga's Teeth radio on Pandora.  

Make mine a double!

Could this picture be any more perfect?!

Steve makes some amazing Sangria (as shown in my freezer meal party spread here).  I've heard of people putting a couple cups of Fresca in their Sangria to give it a lighter, less alcoholy-taste, but I think it would work better for white Sangria.  For our red Sangria, we mix a bottle of Carlo Rossi Sangria with some wine, and add fruit - either a can of fruit (what we use) or fresh from the produce aisle.  We have been told, by friends who just returned from Spain, that our Sangria tastes just like the real thing!  The fact that we use the Carlo Rossi stuff can be our little secret :)

Summer Bucket List

For our first summer as a family of three, I thought it would be fun to put together a family-friendly summer bucket list.  Xavier is becoming more alert and observant, and one of his favorite things to do when we are out is to people watch.  If he is fussy or crying, surrounding him with people and a new environment solves the problem in no time.  He is instantly fascinated by new experiences and faces.

Even though Xavier won't remember any of this, at least it will make for good pictures and memories for Mom and Dad to make :)

1. Go on a picnic where we play with bubbles and feed the ducks

2. Watch fireworks and light sparklers

3. Make homemade popsicles

4. Splash in the baby pool

5. Make s'mores by the fire

6. Play with sidewalk chalk

7. Vinegar and baking soda in a bottle science experiment, outside

8. Look for bugs

9. Go out for ice cream

10. Take a trip to the library
11.  Look at the moon

In other news, Xavier's baby fat fascinates me.  I love to pinch it, squeeze it, smoosh it, kiss it, poke it...  He is the chubbiest on his legs.  The rolls on his thighs, calf muscles, and backs of ankles kill me!  I.  Heart.  Them.  This past winter, I would take his pants off and turn up the heat, just so I could play with it!  Obsessed is an understatement.

Finger Food & Merry-Go-Rounds

We got the O.K. from the pediatrician to start feeding Xavier finger food.  We introduced Puffs and Yogurt Melts around month 8, but he didn't take to them very well.  The coordination between getting food from the table into his mouth resulted in such a mess!  And, he was so frustrated he couldn't get them in his mouth.  We haven't fed him finger food since.  I also was a little worried about the Puffs and Melts dissolving as quickly as they claim.  

Well, now that he's a month older, all that has changed!  He is a pro at getting food from the table to his mouth.  The first few times he did it, we were so excited with the "yay"s and clapping I think we scared little X.  Granted, there is plenty of food covering the floor and surprising us during diaper changes, but there is so much improvement from the last time we tried it.  

We are entering a whole new territory in terms of meal time.  We now let him sample all the foods we eat (blueberries, blackberries, chicken, mashed potatoes, watermelon, avocado, broccoli (we steam the sh*t out of it), Fro-Yo, etc.)...  Oh, this boy loves FroYo.

He enjoys the new foods, but still prefers the Puffs because they are easier to pick up and aren't as slippery as some other foods we give him.  Eventually, we will switch to a less expensive substitute, Cheerios.  As much fun as this has been, it is a whole new type of mess making.  Like two-hour-old-mashed-avocado-behind-the-ear messy.  Be prepared for a few extra dirty bibs, face wipes, and swiffer pads.  His main source of nutrition is still coming from the bottles, but our pediatrician wants him to learn the skill and have it mastered by month 12, when we start to wean him off the bottles.

We took Xavier to a park downtown this weekend to ride the merry-go-round.  He thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did I, as I've not ridden on one for 20 years.

                             

Xavier is also babbling a ton now.  I swear the other day he said "hot-dog."  Most proud mama ever.  He also has taken to calling everybody "da-da."  Makes for funny moments when he does this to all of Steve's friends.

                              

Memorial Day Planning

Memorial Day is just around the corner!  A time to remember those who served, our Vets, and that our freedom isn't free.  We always celebrate Memorial Day with family and friends.  I am so excited to officially kick off the summer!  I love a festive outdoor party, so my ideas this year include streamers, string lights, s'mores over the firepit, bomb pops, sparklers, and lots of yummy drinks (with paper straws, of course)!  The idea of a s'more bar at the end of the night completely excites me.  And, I heard of someone putting crushed chips on their hot dogs?  Oooh, sign me up!

My husband got this way-cool cast iron skillet for Christmas and has been making the bomb pancakes in it ever since.  Maybe for Memorial Day, we'll kick it up a notch with red, white, and blue toppings on our pancakes!  Strawberries, cool whip, and blueberries?  Hmmm....

Below are some clothing ideas for your little guys.  If you plan to buy any of these items, better hurry!  Baby Gap is currently offering 40% off everything until 5PM tonight!
Hat -- Chambray Shorts -- Red Button Down -- Plaid Shorts -- Flag Tee -- Boat Shoes -- Canvas Slip Ons

I'm sure at some point, it will be so hot and humid that all we'll want to eat is Popsicles.  This Zoku popsicle maker is the best thing ever.  I can turn liquid juice into a Popsicle in just 5 minutes.  Add some OJ and bubbly, top with strawberries, and you have a Mimosa pop for breakfast in no time at all!  

For more ideas on how to festive-up your Memorial Day, check out this link..

9 Months

Best Friends

Holy Moly, the time is flying!  Little guy just turned 9 months old!  Time to start planning for the 1st Birthday (don't worry, I already have some sketches in the works).

Stats: 24 lbs. 7oz. (94 percentile), 30 in. long (94 percentile)

Personality Traits:  Happy, fun, curious, excited, easy-going, loves to laugh
Favorite Activities/Signature Moves:  Fake kisses, wind blowing through his hair, Momma's wiggling feet, whispering "da, da, da, da...", head-butting (he's a professional), clapping his hands, attracting attention at the grocery store, laughing at crying babies which is becoming very regular at day care, backwards crawling which results in him getting stuck under the dresser, and Daddy's claw hand.

Dislikes:  the sound of the vacuum cleaner makes him cry (and I laugh, haha!)
Dad's Proudest Moment:  It's been a difficult month with Xavier getting HMFD, Roseola, two ear infections, and a mysterious rash that won't go away, which at times made me want to snap my fingers and disappear bottle-feeding difficult.  I sometimes give up on feeding and Steve gives it a try.  On several occasions, about 5 minutes after I've given up, I'll hear Steve singing, "You can tell everybody... you can tell everybody..." over and over until I look at him.  [For those of you who don't know the song, it goes "Girl you can tell everybody, yea you can tell everybody, go ahead and tell everybody, I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man"]  Steve got Xavier to take that bottle. 

Mom's Proudest Moment:  I left Xavier on his play mat in his room while I took a quick shower.  I turned on his radio for him and Katy Perry's Roar was playing.  When I came out, he was sitting exactly where I left him, smiling, and shaking his shakers to the tune of "Talk Dirrty to Me."  Mama for the win.

An exchange while taking the photo below:  

Steve:  Walks in to X's bedroom

Alli:  You're blocking my light.

S:  Moves a little

A:  You're still blocking it.

S:  Moves a little more but now casts a shadow on X's face

A:  Ugh, seriously can you move?

S:  It is like LifeTouch studios every morning in this room! *in a very annoyed-sounding tone*
You know what I say to that?  Deal.  He's only little once :)

Camo Cutie - notice the curls making their debut above the ear.

I'm slacking this month and didn't get to put together a list of Xavier's 9-month favorites.  Hoping to include them in next month's post.  But, you can see all other Monthly Favorites HERE.