Summer Lovin’

Posted on July 11, 2014 by lksquared

I’m here, I’m here…not often, but I am. This little thing called WORK has been taking over my personal life & I LOVE IT! If you haven’t checked it out already, come on over and follow my LKSquared Photo business blog too, since that is hopefully where I’ll be spending most of my time! I can’t give up the personal blog … I’m sentimental like that, so I’ll be back here occasionally to keep my kid’s lives on record!

I’ve really been enjoying this summer! It’s been much different than last summer, with us being all settled in at the house, with a lot less wedding events for our loved ones, 2 little ones running around instead of one running and one sleeping all day….you know….small things!

We joined the pool, so most days Baby D and I hang out there during the day. It means a messy house stays messy, but isn’t that what summer is all about??? (Sorry Mister LK…the vote is with me…messy house = fabulous summer, unless I say it has to be cleaned up…then we better get on it!!!)

Miss A has been at camp for 2 weeks now and she is loving it!!! She has a great time with all her friends and this camp lovin’ Mommy is J-E-A-L-O-U-S of her days playing!!!!

The last thing we’ll talk about today is our annual Summer BBQ! We’ve been doing a 4th of July (weekend) BBQ for 4 years now, and every year we have such a great time with our friends & family! This year we had all the regulars plus Mister LKs childhood friend who happens to live 2 towns away! We had a great time with them & hope they come back again soon!!! We also had 2 visiting pups who got lots of love and attention & are always welcome back!

So that is a little bit of what we’ve been up to lately! I’ll be back with more updates this summer as we do lots more fun things!!!

xoxo

Baby D & His Crossbody Bag

Posted on June 6, 2014 by lksquared

Toddlers are known for their attachments to sacred transitional objects. They drag blankies around, teddy bears, bunnies, puppies…you know, the regular things you see them toddling around with. Then there’s Baby D.

The kid loves his crossbody. So much, I gave it to him and got myself a new one! Mister LK thought he got off easy with the 2nd being a boy and all…too bad he likes expensive bags more than Miss A!!!

Baby D Turns 1…and I Cry…

Posted on April 8, 2014 by lksquared

That’s a lie. He’s still my baby, and he’ll always be my baby. Future wife…I promise this will not make him a momma’s boy, just a boy who loves his Mommy. Even if he refuses to say “Mommy”.

Dear Baby D,

You and I have been through a lot together. We survived the storm, we survived Staten Island, we moved back home, we kept Miss A from drowning you, we made it through months of constant kisses from you fur-brother, we tackled Disney with you attached to me, we walked countless hours around town together, we’ve had dirty diaper blowouts, vomit in my hair, my hair in your mouth and my heart in your hands. Your happiness is contagious. Your smile lights up the room. You brighten everyone’s day. I never imagined I could love another baby as much as I love Miss A, but you’ve proven that I have more love inside of me than I knew I could ever feel. You make me proud every day. You have made this family a better one by simply being you. My silly, independent, strong, curious, content boy. My heart could burst with happiness when I think of how lucky we are to have you. You have been a pleasure since you came into our lives. I know that as you grow you will be less and less my baby boy. You will test your limits and struggle to communicate and learn what it means to be frustrated. I will miss this year I had you as my baby to snuggle and my buddy on all of my outings…but I am really excited for you to teach me more about this raising a boy thing I’m doing! Keep growing little man, and never lose that sweetness you have. I hope that this year brings you everything you never knew you wanted, because if it brings you all of the things you DO want, then we need to buy new phones & replace our remote controls!

With all of my love from now until forever…more than all the sand on the beach…

Mommy

11 Months … Mommy’s crying

Posted on March 30, 2014 by lksquared

OK…the reason that I am finishing this post today is because I need to document his latest milestone & I can’t avoid it anymore! This little boy said his first word today. Grandma heard it so even though I’ve been hearing him say it for 2 weeks now, I was never able to believe I was actually hearing a baby say “YES” as his first word…but it happened! Now…obviously he says dadada, and he says nanana for mama, but he doesn’t really use those words in context…more like babbling. I’ve asked him questions and I could have swore he said “yes” (light on the Yeh…heavy on the Esssss). Tonight, while on the phone with Grandma … I asked him a question and he answered “yESSS”. Clearly. More than once!

So enough about that…even though I’m freaking out about it all, he’s walking, he’s climbing, he’s 100% boy and 1000% the light of my life.

Even though I did catch him sitting in this photo, that just about never happens anymore! He is walking all over the place! I have found him on top of the table, standing on a chair, climbing his highchair, and climbing up onto the couch. We have a playroom full of toys, and all he wants is a washcloth & the vacuum! Are you still wondering why I love this kid like crazy?!?! He’s funny, his smile is contagious & HE CLEANS!

I don’t know how my baby is turning 1 in just over a week. I know that so much has happened since he’s come into this world, but it really feels like yesterday! He also still looks like a baby to me which makes his walking around look so silly!

He’s an excellent eater, and when he isn’t cleaning his plate, he’s sharing nicely with his fur-brother. They are still best friends. He adores his big sister. Miss A thinks he’s more and more fun each day. When they laugh together, my heart melts.

He’s taking 2 naps a day, each 2 hours or so, and that really sucks the life out of my social calendar, but he’s such a good sleeper so I feel bad putting my need for human contact before his need to sleep & grow! He’s given up 1 bottle a day, so he gets 3 8oz. bottles a day now, and that’s pretty good considering he’s got just over a week of bottles left altogether! Bring on the straw cups & the milk!

For all of Baby D’s fans out there, a little forewarning that his 1 year post WILL be late. I’m knee deep in party planning, hot glue, craft paper, and cupcake liners! Once that is over I’ll be elbow deep in Matzoh & cleaning supplies so…the photo will be taken…and will be posted before he is 13 months….but I’ll be keeping busy to keep from crying a river into my keyboard, so, sorry in advance!

Baby D….I love you more every day. You keep me laughing even when my days feel like they’ll never end. Your sweet smile makes bad days good and makes good days better. Your curiosity is inspiring. You give me patience when I think I’ll never find it! I am so thankful you are in my life my littlest love. I am sad you’re growing up and so thankful that I get to watch you learn & flourish everyday.

Mommy & Daddy love you little boy. More than you will ever know.

xoxo

10 M<3nths of Love…

Posted on February 24, 2014 by lksquared

Second child syndrome people. It is real! At least this kid isn’t going to lack pictures of himself when he’s older…that I can promise! There’s no excuse why it has taken me so long to get these photos ready to be posted…except maybe to say that I am in denial that my baby boy is 10 months old! I don’t want to admit I teared up at the doctor visit when I had to schedule his 1 year appointment!

This boy radiates love. He is a sweet soul who loves to play and most specifically play in water…so what if it is toilet water! It is a job to keep him out of the damn toilets! Baby D had his doctor’s appointment this month and weighed in at a whopping 19lbs 15oz (25%) and a string beany 29 1/4″ (50%). He had some shots, and also had blood taken from his little finger! 2 vials….from his little tiny finger! He took his shots like a man with no tears, but made up for it with the finger squeezing screaming!

His favorite activity of the month is the unassisted stand. He crawls into the middle of the room and just stands right up! If he’s wearing a loose fitting shirt, he also will lift it above his head and play peekaboo! It’s pretty adorable!

He is still doing a mix of fighting off and grabbing at his BFF T. These boys have some sort of camaraderie! It’s like they know they are bound by some sort of man code. I’m just hoping that T’s aggressive tendencies don’t rub off on my sweet boy!

Favorite toy this month (and every month really) is the remote. He’s got remote radar, which is only slightly more adept than his phone radar. He actually hid one of the phones in the playroom under the couch cushion for while I searched & then went to unbury it 2 days later!

All in all these last 10 months with my baby boy have been wonderful & I am riddled with conflict over whether I’m happy or devastated that he is getting so big so quickly. A Mom’s dilemma.

Baby D….stay my baby please. Always know that I love you more than life itself. You are a dream come true & make Mommy & Daddy proud of you every day. Keep sweet my baby. Mommy will try to be on time next month!

Babyproofing 102…

Posted on January 23, 2014 by lksquared

How do you manage to not kill a baby when you have a screaming toddler? I think that is the 50 gagillion dollar question of parents to more than 1 kid…OR…20 thousand if you hire a professional babyproofer! I think I’ve mentioned here that I made it through all of Miss A’s life without babyproofing, she just got into different types of trouble. I had to remove things like crayons, markers, nail polish etc, so to save my house from her wrath, but I never had to cushion the coffee table or tie down the toilet seat.

Baby D is proving to me that there will be no comparing these 2 kids of mine in the, getting into trouble, department. He’s a lot more stealth-like with his mischief. He’s gotten his head stuck under the sofa, sticks his little fingers into the sockets, pulls all the cords out of the outlets, was caught splashing away in the (thank gd just cleaned) toilet, pulled down a glass bottle and shattered it along with it’s contents (salt)…and the slamming of the doors (that is certainly going to end in pain)…all at times when I am dealing with the drama that Miss A brings! How do you prioritize one kids mental safety over the other one’s physical safety? You cave and do a little babyproofing.

Since this is really my first go at this, I decided to do a little inter-searching, you know….googling “first things to babyproof for protection against a Macgyver baby”. The first site I came upon had a page of suggestions….in which these 2 statements were found.

“Never leave your baby alone for even a minute unless he is in his crib or playpen………Once you’ve made your home safe, and made yourself aware of the risks to your child, it’s important to just relax and let your little one explore. Only by being given the freedom to investigate his surroundings can your baby truly learn and grow.”

Uh-huh. I see. Let me get this straight. Stick your kid in a cage, then sit back and relax while they are free to explore their cell. Just how long do you think my kid would stand for that?! I say -10 seconds!!!! I bought the outlet covers, and some baby gates to keep him away from Miss A’s things and am now in search of something that will stop the damn doors from swinging! I’m not….NOT….putting him in a playpen, and his crib is for sleeping. I’m packing up anything in his reach, or close to his reach. It’s a good thing Mister LK didn’t let me replace quite every decorative thing I had before the storm! I’m letting him fall a little, and cry a little, and learn a lot. I’m going to lock the cabinet under the sink because he is the type to want to check out what is in there. As we come to each new problem, I will pray the big girl gives me a break and lets me keep at least half my eyes on him, and if not, I hope the 5 lives he has left last at least until he’s more sturdy on his feet!

Speaking of the next problem….

At least I buy organic, all natural dog food!

9 Months Old Already?

Posted on January 18, 2014 by lksquared

Hi 9 months. It’s nice to see you. Can you go away now please? Go back where you came from and give me my baby back, ok? Thanks. Surprise, surprise, you aren’t listening…just like everyone else around here!

New since last month…I didn’t think it was possible, and I’ll stop jinxing myself, but the kid moves more than the NYC subway system. I can get about 20 minutes a day of him in the exer-saucer, and that is in 5 minute increments! I’m tired! His crawling has turned into this weird spider walk on his hands and feet. He’s ridiculously fast. I can’t pee without him getting into something or somewhere he isn’t supposed to be! I have baby gates now…something I never had before…o keep the baby OUT of things! He has all 6 teeth now. 4 on top, and 2 on bottom. I believe the teeth are done coming down for the time being, since his face has cleared up and so has his mood! Except for that damn ear infection he had during this month! He took his first antibiotic at 9 months old (like a champ)…pretty damn good for a formula fed baby who slept on his belly since birth! We spent one day a week at the doctor for 7 weeks until we got that ear infection diagnosis! Not that I ever wish for my kids to be sick, but when they are in pain, you look for a concrete reason with a medicine fix!

Drool status…going strong. Teeth or no teeth, this boy can drool. If he’s dressed, he’s wearing a bib. I change his bibs every 2 hours or so. They are always soaked. It is gross. He’s like a slug. Everywhere he crawls, he leaves a trail of slime behind. It is helpful when he crawls off when I’m dealing with Miss A and I can’t seem to find where he’s gotten to!

He is still putting everything in his mouth. Including a ton of food! The flavor combinations I can feed this kid rival the judges of Top Chef! I hope to get lots of recipes up here on Fridays! I hope I can keep it up! His babbling is getting clearer, and he’s been heard a time or 2 saying Mama. He’s got Baba, Lala, Nana….and he screams. In public. Loudly. It’s fun when I’m at a restaurant…and unlike Miss A…this one doesn’t have a bobo to stick in his mouth and make him quiet!

He is still having his love affair with his puppy. He spends his days chasing T around and we really can’t decide if he’s trying to get him off his face, or coaxing him TO his face!!! He has started to really grab at T & pull hard. I am shocked, but it must be true love because T just sits there & takes it. Makes no sense seeing as how if I move my foot in bed, he growls at me…and I am the one who butters his bread, so to speak, or literally. Whatever.

Baby D, you are growing too fast. Slow it down ok? You are keeping me on my toes and there’s no one I’d rather run around after like a lunatic! You’re a sweet sweet boy, and a wonderful little brother. When you see your sister, your face lights up and my heart melts. When you wake up and smile at me, I just want to freeze time. You’re a good boy little man and I am looking forward to all that you are going to teach me!

10 months…here we come!!!

8 Months & Late Again!

Posted on December 29, 2013 by lksquared

Oh 8 months. How you try to kill me! Miss A and I had the same thing happen around now. Baby D is non-stop. He is getting into everything, and everything that Miss A never even looked at. Is it pre-programmed in the brains of little boys to make a beeline for the cords, wheels, remotes? How is it possible that this BABY knows what an IPhone is??? Mister LK just figured out what an IPhone is!

Thinking back to my experience with Miss A around 8 months, we had just moved into our house, she was equally as mobile, and I was feeling equally as “stuck”. It’s a little bit better these days since I have Miss A to entertain Baby D sometimes, and I also have my exceptionally helpful M who comes once a week to take care of the things I don’t do around here, and watch the kids while I run errands. This 2 naps a day, 3 meals a day, 4 bottles a day schedule is really making me feel trapped.

I am a firm believer in getting babies on a schedule ASAP so that you know what to expect and so do they. They sleep better, eat better, and develop better (IMO) when they know what is coming and don’t feel the stress of the unknown. I however, am not a scheduled person. I like to go with the flow. I like to think of something I have to do and be able to hop in the car and get it done! ERRRRRRRRRRR not so much with this ball and chain!

This month, this big boy weighed in at 18lbs 3oz (20th %), and he is 28 3/4″ (75th %) tall. Our big chicken noodle! He’s basically eating everything, and he had absolutely no problem with the puffs. He loves the sweet potato Happy Baby puffs. Loves. His little pincher technique doesn’t let a puff fall to the floor!

About movement….he is a cruiser. Crawling is a 1 knee to the floor and 1 foot to push him along movement. He climbs up on anything he can reach. Sitting still isn’t really happening these days!

Feeding him his bottles has proven to be a tough task. I have to tie him into his Baby Bjorn bouncer chair (which I love & highly recommend) to get him to eat. I used to be able to lay him in there and he’d climb right out when he finished. Now…he throws his bottle and climbs out after a 1/2 oz. That’s fun! He think’s it’s hilarious!

He’s got a great sense of humor. He is always laughing and smiling. The only hitch in our little man’s happiness has been the TEETH. Holy teeth batman. He has the bottom 2, the top 2, and the next 2 are making their way down. You know what happens when a tooth is coming into this guys mouth? He will not sleep. At all. He also gets a crazy eczema episode on his face! Check out these big teeth & splotches!!!

We will be visiting the dermatologist in January. Sensitive skin just like his Mommy!

He’s babbling and his favorite word is Dada. Miss A can get him to say it over and over again! She thinks it’s awesome that he’s “talking”!

Overall month 8 has been wonderful. Baby D, you bring smiles to our family every single day. Even the sleepless days & nights. You are a sweet soul and a mushy boy who I can’t get enough of. I could kiss you all day if it wouldn’t cause your skin to hurt! Ok…I do kiss you all day and that is probably the problem with your cheeks! Looking forward to all your new moves in month 9! Love you little man.

7 Months Of Fun…

Posted on November 21, 2013 by lksquared

My chicken noodle boy is 7 months. He was 7 months about 2 weeks ago but I never got around to posting our updates.

That is because at 7 months old this boy thinks that it is a good idea to crawl, and start climbing, and get TEETH! I mentioned those teeth back in last month’s post, how they were probably coming, and then they did. The two bottom teeth. One right after the other. Popped right out. Now they are so big that it hurts a LOT when he bites me!

We had a little reprieve when his gums felt better after those suckers popped out, and now we’re back in the “holy bananas my gums hurt” mode and naps are shorter, crying is longer, but he’s still the most smiley baby I know! Grandma babysat while we had a weekend 2 weekends ago and she told me she was taking this boy home! I told her NO WAY LADY!

He’s eating more and more solids, and by solids I mean purees that I am making (thanks to Grandma’s Vitamix Hannukah present!!!!) Peas, Carrots, Broccolli, Pears, Sweet Potato…and the list keeps growing. He’s still not entirely interested in them, but he’s growing and happy and I have no complaints!

He won’t stop the moving thing…He loves his puppy brother…He adores his big sister…

His Mommy and Daddy love him and can’t get enough of him. This coming weekend is the last wedding of the season and I am so excited for our friends! I’m also looking forward to getting to spend the holidays with this happy boy and girl.

Half A Year Old & Handsome As Ever…

Posted on October 20, 2013 by lksquared

My baby is 1/2 a year old. 6 whole months. Holy Bananas.

He is a big noodle! 27 1/4″ tall and 17lbs. Long and skinny. He is a rolling machine and can make his way across the house with a combination scooting and rolling, if I let him! He’s sitting up pretty well these days. Although he is much like a big puppy dog. Huge “paws”, drools like a leaky faucet and he’s very floppsy!!!

He’s a kicker & will kick anything left near those adorable toes! He’s still talking non-stop and his noises crack me up all day long! Sometimes, when I need a quiet moment, I have to put headphones on because there is no place in the house that I can’t hear him!!!

He is eating 4 8oz bottles a day, and we’ve introduced solids. We had a little trouble with my mommy guilt that led me to give him organic formula, which tried to kill him. Like from one of those sci-fi movies Mister LK is always wanting to watch….the formula tried to kill my baby boy. So we switched back.

We now have our happy baby back! Hooray!!!!

Everyday it is more apparent how this little man is making our family a happier one! He’s always laughing & smiling…and when he sees his sister, his eyes light up and he is brighter than the sun! He is a doggie lover and a cat puller. And my daily reminder to smile and life will be good!

Baby D…please stop growing so damn fast. Keep those teeth under your gums, I’m not ready to loose that gummy smile! Keep doing everything you’re doing because you are perfect and we love you!

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