Sweettart Cravings

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2009-12-28T22:18:00.003-05:00

We had such a fun Christmas weekend! It was so wonderful not to travel this year. We celebrated & entertained at our home & it was very special to us.

The festivities began when we had a Christmas Eve party with appetizers and game night. Here is a peak at the spread:

We had Amie and Avery over, too. Corbin was very interested in Avery's big boy game

The boys played wii in the basement

Santa came that night! Corbin let us read him The Night Before Christmas. He loves that book!

First glimpse

Wow!

Can't wait to dig in!

Opening his electronic drum toy

The room was stuffed!

Opening his music table

Cool! Grandma Mary made him an ABC book and he also got a leopard that responds to touch.

Playing with his flashlight that he had in his stocking

The next day, we celebrated with Jon's family. Here he is with his new piano from Aunt Jeni

Playing with cousin Ethan

Daddy helps out with a new toy

Wrestling with Aunt Jeni on his new beanbag

Sadly, this is the last post of Sweettart Cravings. It has been such a fun journey these past few years! Now, we have a new blog to fill, starting after the first of the year. This blog will be more reflective of the entire family. Visit with us here: Team Kranz

From our family to yours, we hope you had a merry Christmas and have a happy, healthy new year!

We Are So Cruel...

2009-12-23T21:54:00.001-05:00

Christmas Celebrations Begin

2009-12-22T17:56:00.001-05:00

We celebrated with Grandpa Rick over the weekend. We had dinner out at HomeTown Buffet. Corbin didn't eat much except for the desserts (of course!)

We also took a trip down to the Picktown lights and Corbin marveled out the window once again at the cool house decorations set to music.

Here he is opening a gift. He is really good at it!

He loves his Duplos!

2 Year Appointment

2009-12-09T22:24:00.002-05:00

Here are Corbin's 2 year stats: 27# and 34" tall. It was the first time he didn't need to take off his clothing and he got to stand on the scale and against the wall for the first time. He is in the 50% for weight and 25-30% for height.

We went to the Mothers of Multiples' Christmas party on Saturday & Corbin had a blast.

Here is is before the party

new Janie & Jack outfit that Grandma Mary got him for his birthday

At the party, they had pictures to color!

Photo with Daddy

What did you get me, Santa?

Cool! A Blue's Clues See 'N Say!

Birthday Party

2009-12-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

I'm over a week late, but better late than never! Three children 2 & Under makes it a little busy around here!

We celebrated Corbin's birthday on November 22nd at 4 pm. We had the party here & invited our playgroup friends & family, too. It was kind of a large party. I think next year will be the first year we do a destination party- probably at a bouncy house. He's still too young this year.

The theme was Diego/Dora. Corbin had a fantastic time. He was running around, squealing excitedly the whole time. He worked up an appetite, too, because he ate all of his grown-up-sized piece of pizza, and of course his cupcake and ice cream, too.

Here's the cake that everyone else ate

and Corbin's egg-free cupcakes that mommy made

A couple decs

Corbin sat in a toy truck while he ate his pizza in the playroom

Cousin Ethan came

Opening presents. He was into it, but there were so many that I had to help to speed things along.

He loved this puzzle from Uncle Mike

Hmm, let me look a little closer

From Grandpa Rick

Time for cake!

The twins celebrated in their own way

Corbin's friend Braeden

He really loved the cupcakes

Mmmmm

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2009-11-20T23:16:00.002-05:00

Corbin turned 2 today!

We traveled down to Newport, KY, just as we did for his first birthday & visited the Newport Aquarium. It was a long day, but it was worth it. Corbin seemed to enjoy himself.

Here are some photos from our special day.

Walking in with Daddy

Ooooh!

In the Frog Bog play area

Some sort of jellyfish?

Sharks!

Save me, Daddy!

Petting the sharks

Afterward, we had lunch at McDonald's & we had this old man talk our ear off. He had some sort of affiliation with the University of Cincinnati football team, but we didn't ask his name. Either that or he was delusional! Either way, he was nice & he got Corbin an extra happy meal toy in honor of his 2nd birthday.

His party is on Sunday. We decorated the house for Christmas the other day, so that it would be pretty for his party. We're keeping it simple. The only thing I am really making is a cake for him, and that is out of necessity, since he has an egg allergy. Otherwise, we're going as easy as possible...

Almost 2

2009-11-16T21:15:00.003-05:00

Before he turned two, we wanted to document what a smartypants we have. He not only can recognize all of the letters and number up to 15, but he can count to ten in Spanish and do the phonics of all of the letters of the alphabet. I was lucky to get him to be pretty attentive this morning & get it on video.

Twick O Tweet!

2009-11-02T08:19:00.002-05:00

That's how Corbin said it!

He had a good time with Daddy, Uncle Ben & cousin Ethan the other night. Apparently, he would say it before he actually approached the door, so not many of the neighbors heard it. Jon said his costume was a big hit!

I stayed home with Grandma Mary & the twins & helped hand out candy to all of the cute trick-or-treaters. A very successful night overall!

Come on, Dad!

Off we go!

More Fall Festivities

2009-10-29T10:50:00.002-04:00

We've still been able to keep up a little with at least a little autumnal activity.

Jon took Corbin out to help rake the leaves last weekend. He really did try & help, too, by attempting to bag the leaves up for Daddy.

Yesterday, I carved our pumpkin for beggar's night, which is tonight. We dressed him up in his Blue's Clues costume the other day. He didn't like to get in it, but we were able to keep him mildly entertained for some pics.

He looks mischevious in this one!

Our pumpkin (rats)

I hope it goes well tonight. I'm very excited, as we actually live in a neighborhood with a lot of children. Corbin should make out pretty well in the hour or so that he will probably tolerate. And of course, Daddy and I get to eat all of the things that are too hard, too chewy, or contain any nuts or eggs.

I should also briefly mention that this blog will only remain Corbin's blog for another 2 months. At the beginning of 2010, I will be combining the twins' blog and Corbin's blog into one family blog. It will be easier to maintain this way, and you will only need to refer to one website for updates.

Here's a bonus pic of Corbin in his brother's bouncy chair. Looks comfy!

Big Brother

2009-10-21T14:13:00.002-04:00

We had Corbin's brothers on October 18th! Last night, we brought them home & Corbin got to meet them for the first time.

At first, the introduction didn't go very well. He got a little fussy at first, but Daddy took him outside to burn off some energy, and then we tried again.

A little hesitant at first...

He decided it would be okay to "count" the babies. Cameron is number one...

and Jameson is number two...

Shhhhh... baby's sleeping

Gently touching Jameson's head

with a little help from Daddy

Gently touching Cameron's head

Today, he was giving both babies high fives & he continues to pat their little heads.

Our Day at the Farm

2009-10-11T17:01:00.003-04:00

We had a great family outing this morning at the Pigeon Roost Farm. It was so much better than the pumpkin patch we went to last year. I figured I had better get out of the house while I still can & Corbin needed some fresh air.

There were so many children's activities for Corbin to do. It was a stroller-free day- we just let him run around & explore. They had these fun slides going down the hill that he will have to try out within the next couple of years, too.

The first thing that we encountered was all of the produce. Corbin went all through all of the pumpkin & gourd displays & we had to pry him away. We didn't want him to wear himself out before he got to the fun stuff!

I tried to get Jon to pose with him in one of these things, but was unsuccessful; I was game, though.

They had a lot of different animals on the farm. We saw turkeys, peacocks, goats, camels (!), bunnies, ponies, and many more.

This must be a free-range chicken

Here's Corbin going down one of their many slides for toddlers

We went on the hayride through the farm. We joked that maybe it would put me into labor. They have a recording that plays during the trip that teaches you about all of the farm's productivity. They grow squash, gourds, corn, indian corn & soybeans on the farm. They also kept bees there to pollinate the pumpkins.

Corbin was getting a little tired, as it was nearing noon by then.

Pumpkins everywhere!

Corbin did the Creepy TeePee Crawl all by himself! He was a little unsure, but it helped that the little boy who went right in front of him was very brave & led the way.

Ta Da!

He tried, but the Straw Tunnel was a little too crowded to get through

Corbin played for a few minutes in the corn kernels, where they had a bunch of toddler toys set up. Mommy was thankful that she got to sit down on a bench to watch him.

It was a very fun morning. We stopped for lunch on the way home & Corbin even waited until we got home to fall asleep. We all decided that was a good idea & all took 2 1/2 hour naps. :)

Go Blue Jackets!

2009-10-04T13:46:00.002-04:00

Corbin, Daddy and Mommy went to a Columbus Blue Jackets pre-season game last Sunday. Corbin did so well, and so did Mommy! Not too bad for a 22 month old and a woman who is 8 1/2 months pregnant with twins.

Corbin had his own seat for the entire game, and he sat there like a good little boy. He was a little clingy at times, but we think that he was put off by the loud woman next to us. As soon as she left, he stopped giving us so many hugs and started pointing at things again and going, "Look! Look!" and "Go! Go!"

Here's a pic of Daddy and Corbin

...and here's a picture of him enjoying the game!

Fall Festivities

2009-09-24T20:35:00.002-04:00

These are likely the extent of our fall outings this year!

Last week, my mom was in town, and since she got everything on my list accomplished, she thought she would treat us to an outing in Plain City. We got a lot of excellent food while we were out there & I also took the opportunity to take a few pics of Corbin in the pretty fall setting.

Here he is, checking out the pumpkins!

We had a hard time keeping his attention for a photo

We got a good shot with Grandma Mary, though!

Outside of Yutzy's, they had some animals that Corbin wanted to investigate

The next day, Grandpa Rick was in town. Since Jon was here to help, we wanted to squeeze in one last autumn activity before the twins come. We went back to Lynd Fruit Farm. First, we went to the fruit stand, where they had a new sampling booth, which enticed us to all try apple cider slushies and a caramel apple. We stocked up on blackberry cider, pumpkin butter & got a peck of golden sweet apples.

Next, we went to the corn maze, where they had a tractor pull. Corbin was a little small for it this year, as a chain was the only restraint. We still took his pic in one of the seats, though.

Here are the guys at the entrance to the corn maze

We see you, Corbin!

Daddy and son. This was the day of the Toledo v. OSU game, so Corbin is in his jersey.

Lastly, the boys took a hike up a mini hill for some exercise.

It was a fun day, but I ended up being absolutely exhausted afterward. I'm definitely done with the outings for now!

One-Sided Pillow Fight!

2009-09-08T21:09:00.001-04:00

Cheese!

2009-09-07T13:52:00.002-04:00

Happy Labor Day!

Corbin learned how to say "Cheese!" and smile for the camera today. It's been a long time coming, so I took several pics (I know they look similar, but they are all so cute I couldn't pick!)

The hat is his Uncle Ben's old hat.

A Couple of Cute Phrases

2009-09-05T20:55:00.002-04:00

Corbin has been cracking us up lately. He's a little comedian.

One new thing that he learned from who-knows-where is saying "Ah-choo!" and putting his hand over his nose/mouth at the same time. He thinks it the most entertaining thing ever.

He also plays hiding games. He will put Daddy or Mommy or himself behind something (like a pillow or blanket). Then it goes something like this:
Corbin: Dad?
Me: Where's Dad?
Corbin: Where?
(Dad is revealed)
Corbin: There he is!
... and then repeat 5-10 times. The cutest thing is that when he does it to himself, he calls himself something similar to "Pappy".

Corbin: Pappy?
Me: Where's Corbin?
Corbin: Where?
(revealing Corbin)
Corbin: There he is!

He's also figured out that he can try and distract us by asking for hugs. He did it the other day when he was in trouble. He asks for a "Cug?" And of course, we always give him a hug & then go back to business. Tonight he tried to get out of brushing his teeth by asking for a "cug."

Numbers and Letters

2009-08-26T20:34:00.002-04:00

This kid is pretty obsessed with letters and numbers, in case I haven't mentioned it before. He repeats every letter he sees & goes around counting things. He also spontaneously bursts into the alphabet and saying his numbers.

and believe it or not, he learned most of them from TV shows.

End of Summer

2009-08-17T16:25:00.002-04:00

Summer is almost over. It's too bad I couldn't be as active as I wanted to be with him, but I can't do much activity these days. Pretty soon, summer will be over, and Corbin will have two new baby brothers!

Still, we take advantage of the time that Daddy is home, and he takes Corbin out to play in the backyard when it's hot outside.

Here's a recent pic of him running free in the backyard. The sprinkler was going & it was pretty humid, so we just let him go.

Most of our time is spent indoors. And quite honestly, Corbin is watching more TV than he should because Mommy can't do a lot with him. He's really into Super Why right now, and Blue's Clues. He can count to 12, say his alphabet (skips a couple of letters here and there sometimes!), and count backwards from 10. I thought I was going to get lucky & have him perform for the camera the other day, but he faked me out & got a little silly.

Days off with Daddy

2009-08-07T22:04:00.002-04:00

Jon had taken a couple of days off from work because we had scheduled a vacation to Holland, MI and to the lake. Unfortunately, because I'm so uncomfortable, I just can't travel far. To be honest, I could barely do these outings. But I did, and I'm glad I was there, because Corbin had a great time.

We went to Alum Creek and also back to the spray park. Here are a few photos and a video from the past couple of days.

Language

2009-07-27T08:26:00.002-04:00

Corbin can repeat most anything these days- at least, he attempts to. I haven't counted his words lately. I lost count, but he probably uses 30 words regularly now. He's started to combine a few words, too. For instance, when we are going upstairs for bedtime, he will say, "Up? Bath?" Actually, now that I think about it, he mostly combines other words with "up", thus telling us the reason he wants to go up- whether that's up in our arms or going up a flight of stairs.

He has also started this mumbo-jumbo language that he thinks is coherent. It sounds a little like an Asian dialect, with lots of inflections. It's cute.

He's still obsessed with the alphabet & can identify all of the letters now & most of the numbers. If he sees something with letter on it, he wants to point to them and spell it out.

About a year ago, we bought him a trial pack of Your Baby Can Read, and we recently got it out since he is so obsessed with letters. He loves the flashcards. This morning, he identified the words "arms up" and "elephant" before looking at the pictures. I'm not pushing him into this- this is something he chooses to play with on his own & we just play along with him. Of course, at this point, it's memorization, but I surely don't think it's hurting anything. So, we're just going to continue to encourage him.

First Haircut!

2009-07-11T21:26:00.002-04:00

We did it!

I was sick of it frizzing out because i was too lazy to style it. Jon was freaking because he got the "pretty little girl" comments 3 times this week. It turned out really cute & it was not as emotionally hard as I thought it would be. Lots of pics...

Before

Steve from Blue's Clues makes it a little easier

He got to sit in an airplane!

Hmm... what's this lady doing?

A little snip here...

A smile for the camera! While she bagged up the first few locks of hair, he got a little more relaxed (temporarily)

This cut was right after naptime

Bribery with balloons

After- he still has curls!

His reward was that he could play in the play area

His keepsake certificate

Independence Day Weekend 2009

2009-07-05T22:04:00.003-04:00

We just got back from our vacation at the lake. Corbin had a blast. He was so excited to socialize with everyone, especially all of the visiting kids next door. He thinks he's one of the big kids, too.

Here's an action shot- playing frisbee with Daddy. Isn't that speedo suit cute? $2 at a garage sale.

Waving goodbye to the people who stayed back at the cottage.

See those curls? They are getting so long!

Pointing and commenting on some of the boats that were passing by

A cute pic with Daddy on the 4th

Walking between cottages

Another boat pic. He is missing one shoe!

Strong man with Aunt Jeni

Jon put him in the hammock swing from Mexico. He loved it & giggled as he swung.

Playing cornhole. He loved that board with the little boy holding ice cream on it. He kept sitting on it & pointing to the ice cream, saying, "Iiiice!"

Random cuteness

On our last day there, Jon put him back in the swing. He was having some allergy/eczema flares & I had to give him some Benadryl. That combined with a beautiful day at the lake in a hammock knocked him out. Poor kid. He stopped scratching open his skin, though, so it worked. Here he is sneaking in a smile before he falls asleep.

This one was taken without the flash on, so it's a little darker. Here is how he slept for an hour or so. When he woke up, he had rope marks all over! He sparked lots of conversations as people passed by.

Some Video Fun

2009-07-01T20:54:00.002-04:00

Here he is saying some of the alphabet, E through J

In the sprinkler. He opened his mouth every time it approached- it was cute!

Here he is making a card for his Aunt Jeni for this weekend. We're working on colors right now- that's why I'm trying to have him pick up the yellow marker (not that it worked!)

More Outdoor Fun

2009-06-29T20:07:00.004-04:00

We've really been enjoying the new deck & the warm weather!

Getting his feet wet in the kiddie pool

Another cute smile pic

Dancing!

Helping out with the chores

Pop Up Fountains

2009-06-23T21:19:00.002-04:00

We went to the mall this morning & played in the pop-up fountains. Corbin loved them! He was giggling and squealing the whole time. He also found a ball & kept yelling, "A ball! A ball!" He was so excited!

That kid is fearless!

Latest Zoo Trip

2009-06-17T20:55:00.003-04:00

...and probably mommy's last trip to the zoo for a while. It's just too spread out & difficult for me to trek. I was so exhausted when we got home & my feet were aching.

Corbin had a great time, though! Some of the summer attractions were open now, and they were pretty interactive for him.

In this photo, he was in giggling fits over the zookeeper throwing snacks at the orangatuans.

Apparently, this is a hilarious sight to see

We visited the larakeets & Daddy fed them whie Corbin admired them

Then we met up with his friend, Sean (you may remember him from his first birthday?) at the aquarium.

Oooh, a stingray!

An abundance of blonde curls!

Little Artist

2009-06-16T20:51:00.002-04:00

If you know Corbin, you know he loooooves to draw. If he spots a pen, marker, piece of chalk, etc. he starts to whine until it's in his hands. He loves to create. We've bought him 2 doodle boards,and he's actually getting good at drawing faces. He draws a circle (or oval) and puts about 10 dots inside them for "eyes."

These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago, when he used washable markers to make this masterpiece. Here he is in action.

Getting started

Loving it!

His hand is blurry from working so swiftly

The masterpiece on our fridge

New Train Table

2009-06-14T21:22:00.002-04:00

We bought a train table for $30 last Tuesday. It was a deal we could not pass up, since we will soon have 3 boys in the house! I set it up right away, but then I had to put away all of the little pieces until he's old enough not to break them.

Close up of the airport

Close up of the hospital, police station & rail workers

I do have a few more posts lined up already, but I didn't want to squeeze them all into one. I will try & remember to update tomorrow, too, with new Corbin pics.

Corbin's 18 Month Appt

2009-06-07T22:02:00.002-04:00

Corbin had his 18 month appt on Friday. It went great!

He is 24 lbs even, which is 30th percentile. That is up from his usual 20th-ish or so. Probably all of that sloppy joe he has been eating lately. That kid loves that meal. He is 32 1/2 inches tall (50th percentile) and has a 19 3/4 inch head (95th percentile). That kid has a big noggin!

He is doing great with speech, which is reassuring. He is only "required" to have about 4 words by now that I can understand, but she likes to see about 5-10. Here is Corbin's vocabulary that mommy & daddy can understand:

-Hi
-I did it!
-cat
-Dad
-tree (rarely)
-bird
-bottle (more like "Boo-ta!", his sippy cup)
-all done
-dirt (rarely)
-scissors (rarely)
-Ethan ("Etah")
-up

Notice that he does not say Mommy or Mama! Little stinker!

Weekend

2009-06-01T21:06:00.002-04:00

We had a fabulous weekend! Corbin & I went garage-saling on Saturday & I scored some great deals, including 48 pairs of infant socks for $1 & this cute little speedo for Corbin. We bought new patio furniture & sat out on the deck for most of our meals, even breakfast.

Corbin was outside on Sunday from about 9 AM until 8 PM (except for his 4 hour nap), playing in the splash table and his wading pool. I didn't get pics of the wading pool yet (it's one of those $5 ones, but he loves it!). That will have to wait for another day. Here are some shots on the deck, though

Retrieving his pitcher to put more water in

Goofy face

Loves the fountain

Splash Table

2009-05-28T17:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a hot, humid day. I decided to get out the splash table that grandma and grandpa got him for Christmas. It was a hit with him and his cousin, Ethan, too. They splashed for about an hour. I had to practically drag them away from it for their naps- they just loved it! Corbin also likes to be sprayed with the hose apparently, but Ethan did not. It felt so much better in that water- I should know I got spalshed a few times myself.

Ethan gets a good splash in

Corbin brings in some props

These next few (with his mouth open) are of him getting sprayed with the hose

I'm sure we'll get a lot of use out of this!

Catching Up

2009-05-26T22:39:00.002-04:00

We had a busy weekend over Memorial Day, as usual. We got to see everyone at the 2009 Haute Dog Fest- it was a lot of fun! Then we got to relax & celebrate great-grandma's birthday at the lake. Here are some photo highlights.

He got to drum for the first time on a drumkit in the home studio. He loved it!

Co-star of the Haute Dog Fest- the Coney!

Corbin found a hackey sack

Daddy, will you show me how to play with this?

Found a seat just his size

Celebrating with great- grandma

Playing outside with Grandma KK

Swinging with Aunt Jeni

And before we go, here are a couple of drumming videos!

Sibling Update

2009-05-20T14:12:00.001-04:00

Click here to link to their blog & see the twins:

Twin's Blog

Little Dipper

2009-05-12T15:39:00.003-04:00

Corbin has learned to dip his food into sauces. Unfortunately, he likes BBQ sauce way too much for this to be a good thing. He dipped and dipped that steak fry into the sauce until we took it away from him. He was starting to gag from all of the spice! But that didn't stop him...

Outdoor Fun

2009-04-29T21:22:00.002-04:00

We had a couple of really nice, sunny days this weekend. Of course, we broke out the sunscreen & had some fun.

I must admit, it's so hard to get a photo of Corbin lately. He is so busy- he does not have time to pose! So here is what I could get.

One of his new favorite activities is scribbling all over the garage with sidewalk chalk. We don't do it on the sidewalk normally. He is just too impulsive. But I took a couple of photos out there just for show.

Scribbling over mommy's greeting

Bubbles from the new bubble gun

New canvas

Pardon the background, but he actually looked my way, so I had to snap it!

I'm Too Busy to Look at the Camera

2009-04-25T08:07:00.001-04:00

Sorry!

2009-04-23T10:31:00.002-04:00

I've been yelled at enough for it already... I'm updating!

Yesterday, Corbin did a fingerpainting on a paper plate. Too bad it wasn't the 4th of July- I had red, white & blue paints. I figured the highchair would be the safest place for it. So that the plate didn't get thrown onto the wood floors, Jon found some electrical tape to anchor it down.

Getting started

Getting into it. You will note that there are no smiles. This is serious work!

He decided to do a little body art while he was at it...

The masterpiece

Hunting Eggs

2009-04-12T21:55:00.002-04:00

the lazy way! We just hid some Dove chocolates in some eggs & let Corbin "find" them this morning when he first woke up.

In Case You Haven't Heard

2009-04-08T18:53:00.002-04:00

Click her for sibling update

also, Corbin said "Birdy" today, in context. He stopped because he heard chirping & announced, "Birdy!"

Chuck E Cheese's

2009-04-04T16:07:00.002-04:00

We went to Chucky's place today. It wasn't quite like how Jon & I had remembered it, but all in all I guess Corbin had fun. They have a little toddler section to play in, but my complaint would be that there were only 3 rides in there + a slide. We got some good photos, though, and Corbin actually ate the pizza (just when we thought he was going to throw that last piece on the floor, he started stuffing it in his mouth.)

Giving us a funny look on the Stuart Little ride

Doing some inspecting

This place isn't half bad!

Sliding

I like this stuff!

Having fun against the glass

and when he figured out how to do the slide himself, this is how he chose to slide down it

Busy Busy

2009-04-01T20:16:00.002-04:00

We have been so busy lately. I watch Ethan during the day now, and Jon is getting home a little later these days with his new job. So, by the time he gets home, we eat dinner, put Corbin to bed & I either study (for a test that is coming up in less than a month) or we veg out & watch TV.

We have booked a trip to Vegas (childless) in May. Right after we booked it, I started to second guess myself. How can I leave my baby for a weekend without going crazy? I am worried that I won't truly be able to enjoy myself b/c he'll be confused/scared, etc. I'm sure it will be fine after the fact, but I don't want worry to ruin my last baby-free vacation in a long time. Grandma KK & Grandma Mary are going to help us out. A big thank you in advance!

I don't have any new photos, although we have done a lot of interesting stuff lately. We went to the zoo yesterday. It was sunny, but not too hot. Perfect really. The boys had a great time looking at the animals. It must have worn them out b/c when we got home, Ethan took a 3 hour nap & Corbin took a 3 1/2 hour nap! Today, we went to a small children's museum. It doesn't have a lot of frills, but they really enjoyed themselves playing with all of the toys, chalk, etc.

Also, I have made it to 8 weeks! It's 20% over already!

Sand Table

2009-03-22T21:31:00.003-04:00

We had a very busy day today. We attempted church (Corbin didn't want to stay in the childcare, so we left), we went to the zoo & played in the yard.

Jon set up the sand table for him today. Apparently, sand tables are a very serious matter to a 16 month old. He was so intense!

I tried to take video, but it was helplessly boring, since he wouldn't acknowledge the camera. So, still shots it is!

Jon shows him how to keep the sand in the box

After a half an hour, we were able to get him to sort of look up

We also set up his new toddler bench!

Mommy-Son Days

2009-03-18T17:03:00.002-04:00

Jon has been in Virginia for the past few days, and Corbin & I had the place to ourselves! Thankfully, the weather has been gorgeous, so we were able to enjoy some outdoor time.

Yesterday, on St. Patty's Day, we went to the zoo. His shirt says, "I'm not Irish, but kiss me anyway."

We saw some flamingos right away. Corbin loved them, especially because they are so close to the fence.

His favorite part is always the aquarium. Here's a baby manatee eating some cabbage

Transfixed

One last animal shot

Today, we hit the trail & went to one of the parks. I just let Corbin run around, because the equipment was designed for older kids. He loved watching the geese & running around in the field

He found a stick that he insisted was a great toy. Of course, that made me nervous, so I had to do the whole bait and switch with a sippy cup

He learned a new word. Geese!

After nap, we went out in the backyard. He was determined to pick both balls up

Hey Mom! I could use some help here!

Lady, I said I need assistance!

Peek a Boo!

I see you!

Teething- the Finale

2009-03-13T20:06:00.002-04:00

Corbin is teething in a bad way. I'm very happy to say that we are almost done (for a while) Tooth #15 and #16 are on their way through right now. Those are the lower canine teeth for Mr. Fussybutt. We have all of our molars, and 2 of them are now fully erupted. The other 2 just look like little razorblades. It's incredible how fast these buggers come through. Just the other day, I swear his bottom left molar popped through fully in 24-48 hours. That hurts!! I'm so glad we are almost done until we get those 2 year molars. I need a break from the running faucet mouth.

Here's the little guy just hanging out (upside down) in the playroom.

...and here's a shot that shows off his mouthful. It was taken about a week ago, so it's already a little outdated!

New Blog

2009-03-08T17:28:00.002-04:00

Please come check out my new blog! We have something to tell you!

Roo Number 2

New Wine Cabinet

2009-02-27T14:42:00.002-05:00

Normally, I wouldn't post about new furniture, but this was cute.

I was stuffing Corbin's diapers in the family room, which also happens to be where we put our new wine cabinet. We hadn't baby-proofed it yet, so Corbin was still exploring it. Well, when he saw me putting the diapers together, he thought he would help me out & put them away...

Hmmm... this looks like a good place for them!

Yeah, I think they fit pretty well in here! This has to be what this thing is for!

There, I am all done! All my hard work paid off- all neat and tidy!

He also put the directions to assembling the cabinet in there! Hahahaha!

Sliding Down the Stairs

2009-02-24T21:42:00.003-05:00

Corbin has been going down the stairs for a couple of weeks, but cautiously. All of a sudden, today, he decided he needed to go a little faster. This video has him sliding down, although it is a little slower than he was doing for me earlier. I think he was a little thrown off with both of us looking at him. Jon had never seen him do this before in this clip:

Also, we have cleverly shown him a new "ga-ga" in the pantry that he loves just as much as the cats cookies: freeze-dried banana coins. So now he begs for those!

Ga-Ga's!

2009-02-23T07:54:00.002-05:00

Boy, thanks a heap, grandma! lol

Corbin learned a new word, "cookie," which refers to those Trader Joe Cats Cookies. My mom brought them over when she babysat last week & taught him that they are kept in the pantry.

So now, I have to contend with a little boy who stands at the pantry & yells, "Ga-Ga! Ga-Ga!" until we get him one. It's cute, but he's going to be sorely disappointed when he doesn't always get a Ga-Ga.

Crunchy, Crunchier...

2009-02-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

I went to a new store today! It was very tree-huggy & had all the products I would buy for my baby if I was uber-rich. We already cloth diaper. We mostly use Bum Genius brand, but they had these beuatiful fitteds over there. I really hope to have a reason to buy newborn fitted diapers soon- they are adorable!

I indulged a little bit & bought Corbin a new color diaper, a new eco-friendly sippy cup, cloth wipes & an amber teething necklace.

I love the cloth wipes. They are so super soft- organic velour and terry. I think Corbin's gonna love 'em.

He's trying to get used to the teething necklace. It only works on him if it's hidden under his clothes. Otherwise, he wants to try & yank it off. If you're wondering WTH an amber teething necklace is, click this link:

Never mind. The link isn't showing up. Just google it.

Here is my little model. These pics were taken this afternoon in the living room.

Sporting the new dipe, with bonus drool-strings. (look at that skinny lil thing!)

New Tunnel

2009-02-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

We went to Ikea yesterday & Corbin got a new tunnel! At first, we had to cox him to go in it. I went through it & he cried the whole time. I guess he thought it was eating me. Finally, after throwing toys into the middle for a while, he got the hang of it & started going through it by himself.

I tried to do a Valentine's Day shoot today to make a card for Jon, but the photos didn't turn out too well. He was waaaaay to wiggly, and I couldn't adjust the camera quick enough, let alone get a pose out of him.

First Hockey Game

2009-02-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

We took Corbin to his first professional hockey game last night. I was very nervous as to how he would do, since we would be out past his bedtime. He did really well! He was unphased when the cannon went off & when a hockey puck came crashing into the glass in front of him. We've decided that this makes him goalie material.

The Jackets won in overtime (although we headed out with 7 minutes left in the 3rd period), so I think Corbin is a good luck charm. He also got to see Stinger & 2 goals scored in front of him. He loved clapping along with the crowd.

With Daddy before we left

And Mommy

Game-time!Blurry cell-phone pics

For those of you who don't know already, his hair is coming in curly!

The drool-challenged photos from the other day. He loved that balloon & carried it around all afternoon!

It's Been a Long, Long Time

2009-02-04T21:06:00.003-05:00

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. I have been working at night & getting settled in the house. Our days are often full of checklists to work off of, errands to run, etc. I have even been forgetting the camera at important events, like a family reunion this past weekend. Really slacking here.

Corbin is doing well. He did take a tumble down the stairs last Wednesday, but he is fine. Very resilient, that kid. His new favorite activity is climbing on top of his rocking chairs or his play workbench. That's a disaster waiting to happen.

He is a virtual fountain. He has a plethera of drool inside that body. I kid you not- today I was wiping his drool away for a photo I wanted to take of him with a balloon. I wiped & went to snap the photo, but the drool string was back already. So I wiped again, went to take the pic & hmmmm... back already? I did that 2 more times after that before I was able to get a drool-free photo. But then he tilted his head down again, and it came dripping out.

He has 3 molars now, I think. I haven't seen that upper right one, but I felt it tonight when brushing his teeth. And both eye teeth are popping through. So we have 11, soon to be 13. At least we are halfway done with the baby teeth. It seems like he's getting a lot more teeth erupting lately.

I will have to get a video of him imitating the Yo Gabba Gabba dancers. Jon & I were cracking up tonight at him dancing along. They do these sequential dance moves. For example, they might put their arms up first, then spin, then drop to the floor & jump up. He will try his hardest to keep up with them. He does the moves along with the TV, and sometimes he tries to anticipate the next move & do it ahead of time. He's so stinking smart.

He is also obsessed with cats, as anyone who has seen him lately knows. He will find a cat where you didn't know one existed. There might be one on someone's sock or a book. Wherever there is one to be found, he will announce it!

2009-01-20T12:25:00.006-05:00

YouT.ube was giving me issues, so I had to go with another video hosting site. Unfortunately, Blogger won't let me embed this one, so you will have to click on the link. Actually, you will have to copy & paste it. I am not sure what the issue is today, but the link won't work either!! Sorry for the delay. He gives us some commentary during the video, too. It takes him a long time to eat applesauce. Yogurt is easier because it sticks to the spoon better.
http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x52/Omrithekat/

I'll Be Darned!

2009-01-19T14:46:00.003-05:00

We have another tooth erupting, the lower right canine (cuspid). It broke through the gums this afternoon. Ouch. Poor kid.

In other news, I gave him a little cup with applesauce in it & a spoon & he fed it to himself. I took a video of some of it. I will post it later when Jon gets home.

We Have a Molar

2009-01-19T07:39:00.002-05:00

... and apparently, we've had it for a while, because it's already down quite a bit. It is just in a very hard to see position. Yesterday we saw it when Corbin was giggling during a diaper change. It's the upper left one. No wonder we've had static-cling baby lately!

The bottom right one is really swollen & should be here any day.

We're still getting settled in the house. Having a 14 month old running around all day makes it kinda tough to get things done & after he does to sleep, we're exhausted!

Internet!

2009-01-13T22:06:00.003-05:00

So happy to be back online!

We were all sick during the move. I don't recommend that! However, we are all well now, so we are starting to really work on getting the house in order.

I took Corbin out in the snow this afternoon. We are expecting more snow tonight, but I wanted to take him out today & give that new sled (and our new hill) a spin. He is all smiles lately, as long as he is well-medicated with infants' ibuprofren. He's got both bottom molars coming in, and it's made Corbin into a static-cling baby. He's gotten more cuddly, too, and has learned to butt his forehead into ours & give a big, wet kiss.

Here are a few photos from today:

Sorry there are so many, but I just couldn't choose! This is a fun age!

Sick Again! Just in Time for Moving Day!

2009-01-03T12:51:00.002-05:00

Corbin is ill again. He woke up, drank some milk in our bed & then up it came. The sheets just got out of the dryer. Then we took a load over to our new house & got him out of the car. Before he got inside, he threw up in the garage. Jon rushed him outside on the grass & the poor kid just kept heaving & crying. Poor thing.

We went down in his new playroom & began to set some of it up. That occupied him for a while, but then he started to lay down on the carpet. So we left Jon at the new house & came back to the condo for a nap. Well, I should say that he napped & I re-loaded the van up with misc. odds & ends.

Thankfully, we have family in town to help play with Corbin while we unpack, but it looks like they have their work cut out for them today.

Christmas Pics!

2008-12-31T08:58:00.002-05:00

You mean there's a toy in there?

I love my Busy Ball Popper from Santa

Slam Dunk!

What? I am not getting into trouble!

Our Christmas Sickie

In my new sled! Can't wait to sled down our little bunny hill in our new backyard!

Cool! A Yo Gabba Gabba guitar!

A sick boy needs lots of cuddles

In great-grandma's toddler rocker

Hopefully next year, I won't be so sick. Mom & Dad didn't get too many photos because I just looked miserable most of the time. Thanks for looking!

Packing Up

2008-12-30T21:37:00.002-05:00

The camera isn't completely packed away, but everything is in disarray, so I am not yet uploading Christmas pics. It's just too messy around here! We had a great Christmas & hope you had a great holiday, too. I have some cute photos of Corbin in his new sled that I will soon share. He was very sick on Christmas Day, so he looks a little rosy in all of our photos. Poor little bug.

The renter signed the lease to our condo tonight, so that is another weight off of our shoulders. We close on Friday, get possession Saturday night & have the movers coming on Sunday morning. There are so many deadlines & appointments to make within the next few weeks.

Also, we will be without consistent internet coverage from Sunday the 4th until Tuesday the 13th, so posts will be few & far between, I think.

I hope everyone has a very happy & safe new year!

We've Been Elfed!

2008-12-22T14:57:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

New House

2008-12-14T09:18:00.002-05:00

Here is our new house! We move in less than 3 weeks! It is very kid-friendly. The other day, we were there when the neighborhood kids got off the schoolbus- there are lots of them! It has a lot of room in the backyard for Corbin to run around, and it has a great finished basement, which will become Corbn's playroom.

Front of the house

Backyard

Corbin's playroom

Family Room

Kitchen

Living Room

Master

It's going to be so great to have more room for Corbin to play & explore!

Walking

2008-12-08T08:23:00.002-05:00

I don't have any new photos today, but just wanted to note that Corbin is walking everywhere now. Pretty soon, he will probably be running. He can get himself up in the middle of the room now & take off.

Also, we have put an offer in on a home that is very kid-friendly. It has a huge finished basement that could be Corbin's playroom. Cross your fingers for us, pray- whatever you've got, we'll take!

Holiday Blur

2008-12-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. We have a lot going on, with Thanksgiving travels, trying to rent our condo, trying to buy a house, teething, etc. Here are a few pics of Corbin over the past week or so.

Eating some turkey & sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving Day

I know, Nick, I don't have quite as much hair as you!

Attempts at taking a 1 year photo (FAIL)

There's just too much work to be done- no time to sit still!

So sleepy that he actually fell asleep on Daddy. He hasn't done that since he was a couple months old.

Uh, I don't know about this guy!

Santa, I have been good. I promise.

The Works

2008-11-25T21:23:00.002-05:00

We went to the Works on Saturday morning for a playdate with one of the Mommy's groups & Ethan got to come along, too. Corbin was having a very nasty day teething. Coupled with the fact that his morning nap was 20 minutes long, he was a Krabby Patty that day. So no smiles, but he seemed to have a lot of interest in exploring all of the tables.

Playing at the block table

Watching a glass blowing demonstration with Daddy

Ethan, look at these cool blocks!

Well, what are you working on?

This table is even cooler than the one at the doctor's office!

Our Special Day

2008-11-20T21:54:00.001-05:00

He kind of woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Or maybe it's because I greeted him with a flash.

We met Sara & Sean for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. They are friends from the internet! We had a nice time chatting. Jon & I played "keep Corbin from having a meltdown while out to eat" (one of our favorites!) while Sara & Sean calmly ate their french toast. Sara's really nice & her little guy is so well behaved!

Sean can play peek-a-boo by himself!

Peek-a-boo!

Here we are (minus Jon, the photographer):

Corbin waves good-bye to Sean

Thankfully, he slept on the way to the aquarium, so he was ready to go when we got there.

Obligatory waterlife shot:

Cute shot with Daddy:

I think he wanted to get a little closer to these guys

He wasn't too sure about the alligator turtle, though!

In the frog section, they had these large frogs that had sound effects when you pushed the buttons. Corbin got a kick out of it. He looks so proud for doing it, too!

I'm not a bird person, so I don't know if this is a parrot or what. But it's pretty!

Eating out of Jon's hand. Corbin thought this was so cool! A few of them almost dive-bombed us!

Random shot

Petting the Sharks

And when we came home & put him to bed, he had his last bottle of breastmilk. (sob) My stash is gone. I'm sad that he doesn't get any more of my milk. We've been trying out the cow's milk for the past few days & he is doing great with it.

Happy First Birthday To Our Little Boy

2008-11-20T06:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Corbin! We love you so much!

# 8, 9, 10

2008-11-19T08:10:00.003-05:00

Corbin is in teething overdrive. Ouch- poor child! He is whiny, clingy and overall generally unhappy. Today's goal is to get this pain under control. Time to upgrade the pain reliever to Infant Ibuprofren & get more teething tabs.

He has two on the bottom coming in & one of the eyeteeth. I have heard that the eyeteeth and the molars are the worst. I can't tell if he has anything going on in the molar department b/c he won't let me see back that far.

Today is also the last day he is 11 months old. We are taking a special trip to the aquarium tomorrow, as well as meeting up with another internet friend & her baby in the morning. Should be a fun day, even if it is a little sad for mommy.

First Birthday Party!

2008-11-17T09:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Corbin's first birthday party! Thank you to everyone who contributed to the time capsule. We looked through it again last night & are just so pleased. Corbin is going to love this in 17 years! Everyone contributed such a broad spectrum of items, too- it was very special to us & we hope our little guy treasures it as much as we already do. Here are a few highlight pics. More pics up later on Picasa. I may also post some video clips, too, but I need time to work on those & we have a busy day today.

Smash cake- I had to make it egg-less

The adults' cake:

Couple Decorations

Stripped down to just the dipe for cake eating:

Cake Time:

Mmmm cake:

Starting to have a little too much birthday:

The three babies that were there:

Playing with his Uncle Ben (who is tossing him up and down)

Cousins in matching hats

Yo Gabba Gabba

2008-11-14T08:04:00.002-05:00

I have ruined my son.

Experts say no TV until age 2. It interferes with their development & their ability to learn. But I have found something that allows me to take a shower whie he's sitting in a high chair...

He loves this DJ Lance guy. Whenever he's on screen, Corbin giggles & claps. Or he races up to the TV & watches it waaaaay up close, ruining his eyes, I'm sure.

COSI

2008-11-07T15:13:00.002-05:00

We finally made it out to COSI today, which is like a children's science museum. We might have to get a membership there b/c Corbin loved it! He especially liked the waterplay area. He got a little overstimulated though, and refused to nap today. We met up with some other kids in our group there.

I love his face in this one. You can just see those wheels turning!

He had his mouth open in a lot of pics because he was squealing with joy

Who's back there?

Okay, I'm ready for more water!

Whatcha doin' Luke?

I had to get a couple of pics of him balancing on his tip-toes to reach the water table

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:12:00.002-04:00

Out trick or treating with Daddy

A scary witch!

What did I get?

Mmmm...candy!

Then we passed out candy to all of the neighborhood kiddos!

Happy Halloween!

First Steps

2008-10-29T09:32:00.001-04:00

We finally thought to catch some steps on video.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-27T09:24:00.002-04:00

We took Corbin trunk or treating last night. It was fun. Free candy, hot dogs, doughnuts and cider!

We got to run into a few of Corbin's friends. Everyone looked very cute in their costumes!

Little froggy! We actually have two different costumes this year. All together, they cost us $2! :)

Waiting in line to trunk or treat

Checking out the birdie at the "zoo" trunk

Petting the turtle

With Mommy

In front of the Buckeye trunk

On the hayride with Daddy

Soon, he was getting so sleepy! We had a very busy day, and he ended up falling asleep in the car on the way home.

I did give him a taste of a Dum Dum sucker this morning & he got some animal crackers there that he will eat as well. But Jon & I got to eat the hard chewy fun stuff!

All on a Saturday Night

2008-10-25T21:42:00.002-04:00

Today we carved our pumpkins. It was our first family experience with them, and I think it went pretty well!

Corbin was really curious as to what I was doing when I was scraping the innards out. He was hanging on the table next to me, trying to see up as high as he could.

We roasted the pumpkin seeds & half of them, I made into pumpkin seed brittle. The brittle was made with butterscotch caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon & cayenne pepper- really yummy!

There aren't many regular toasted seeds left!

A is for Apple, by Corbin

2008-10-21T12:56:00.004-04:00

I agreed to a little photo shoot today because Grandma Mary wants an "A" picture for her alphabet scrapbook.

What are these?

They are very interesting! I need to study it a little.

With our pumpkins. I think we are carving them this weekend!

I tried to pick them up, but they were too heavy!

Then Mom tried to bury me in apples and pumpkins. But I escaped.

Hi there! I see you!

After our shoot, I took a little time out to smell one of the last surviving flowers. And pick it apart.

Thanks for looking at my new fall photos!

Circleville Pumpkin Show

2008-10-18T13:53:00.005-04:00

We went this weekend- twice, in fact.

The first day was an outing with one of my mom's groups. It was fun, but entirely too crowded. We went in the afternoon & could barely find each other. It took about 30 minutes just to park!!

This morning was a different story. We went with my in-laws & nephew- we got there before everything opended, so we were thankfully able to find free parking. And we were able to step right up to the prize-winning pumpkin for a photo shoot, too, and walk right in to the bakery famous for selling pumpkin doughnuts (yesterday, there was over an hour wait!)

I ate pumpkin hot chocolate, pumpkin pizza, pumpkin doughnuts and pumpkin chili. The chili was my favorite. Yum!!

We watched a parade. This float was spooky- it was supposed to be the Scooby Doo Gang float I guess.

Corbin snacked on some puffs while he watched the parade.

We ran into the Pumpkin Man!

Mommy and Corbin with the prize-winning pumpkin

With cousin Ethan & Aunt T

Six-foot wide pumpkin pie

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

How do they do this? Grow it around a mold??

His Own Language

2008-10-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

It's funny- I can understand him, but I am sure no one else can! Here's his vocabulary:

"Hi deh" = Hi there!
"TAKE dah" = Thank you
"Det deh" = Kitty
"Uh Eh" = Uh oh

Thank you is the funniest. He will hand me something & I say "Thank you!" and he yells back at me "TAKE dah!" with a pained expression. It almost looks like he's pooping b/c he puts so much effort into it!

First Steps

2008-10-15T20:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it had to happen at some point.

Corbin took his first steps tonight. We have been encouraging him to stand on his own lately. We have been putting him between the two of us & letting go & see what he does. He's been getting better & better at the standing thing. Tonight he surprised us by taking steps!

The first time, he was standing for maybe 5-6 seconds on his own & then took 3 very tiny baby-steps, catching himself between each one. Then he lunged forward & fell. The second time, he took 1 medium-sized step,then a small one, catching himself between each step. Then he fell back on his butt. We tried to encourage him to do more, but he must have been tired, because he was done "playing" like that.

But I teared up the first time. I don't know if he's going to actually keep going with this & start walking or what. It was exciting!

Day at the Arboretum

2008-10-14T15:06:00.003-04:00

Today Corbin and I went to the arboretum to see some fall foliage and have a picnic lunch. It was a gorgeous day for it. I was very impressed by the grounds. It has 8 miles of walking trails & it was beautiful.

Here is some landscaping in the Japanese gardens

A pretty reflection sight

We walked up to the house on the grounds

Fall photo session

I took a lot of photos of him in the seasonal garden. Here is one of many from the blue bench

After the arboretum, we went to the bakery to look at birthday cakes. I think I am going to order an outer-space cake- white cake with possibly a blueberry filling? My little baby is growing up so fast! *sniff*

Apple Picking

2008-10-12T16:24:00.002-04:00

Today we went to the orchard & picked Suncrisps and Melrose apples. I can't wait to make some apple crisps and apple pie!

My arm looks a litle huge in this photo, but my light colored backpack got washed out, so it sort of blends into my arm! lol. It was too bright outside, so it was hard to get a good shot of us.

They had a huge tent set up where we bought blackberry cider, peach cider, pumpkin butter, peach butter, peach salsa, & peach bread all made at the farm. Here are some of the cute decorations.

We watched them make fresh popcorn in the large kettles & ordered our "lunch", which was cinnamon-crusted cashews and a funnel cake

A few choice pumpkins

We had a good time. We were supposed to meet up with 3 other families, but it was so incredibly crowded that we only found one of them. We had never been, so we had no idea what a big deal/destination place it was. Next time, I will take phone numbers with me. Oops.

I can't wait to go during the late summer next year, when they harvest their peaches. Fresh peach pie- yum!

Buckeye Dipes

2008-10-10T11:48:00.002-04:00

I went to a biannual consignment baby sale this morning & unexpectedly encountered a woman selling Buckeye dipes! Had to get a couple!

Front

Back

Back of Buckeye Dipe #2

Halloween Ensemble- Thanks Grandma KK for my cool shirt!

Corbin with a Walker

2008-10-08T16:03:00.002-04:00

We got out the activity walker my mom bought at Once Upon a Child & Corbin really took to it! He makes this "Ha! Ha!" sound when he pushes it. The only drawback is that it's the only thing he wants to play with, so I have to chase him around a lot.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-05T20:18:00.004-04:00

Today we took our first annual trip to the pumpkin patch! It was unseasonably warm today- near 70! Next year we will definitely wait until a cooler day so it feels more like fall.

Here we are at the farmer's market! During October, it becomes a pumpkin patch with hayrides, a corn maze, pony rides and a haunted forest.

This is the tractor (filled with hay in the middle) that pulled us out to get our pumpkins

Getting ready to go!

On the hayride

Yeah!! Hayrides!

Getting lost & cornfused in the corn maze

Checking out the cornstalks

Mommy & Corbin inspecting pumpkins

What is this thing?

Jon picks out our pumpkins. We were the last family to pick them & get back to the tractor because we were taking so many pictures!

When we were done picking our pumpkins, we went to the barn & had some apple cider. As you can see from Corbin's wet overalls, he thoroughly enjoyed it!

With Daddy in the barn

They also had a mini petting zoo, which included 2 calves and a puppy.

But the puppy was a little too tired for pets

And at the end our day, we certainly could relate to that puppy!

First Tailgate!

2008-09-28T20:01:00.002-04:00

Saturday, we went on our first tailgate with Corbin! He was such a good baby- happy and playing all 8 hours! He did take a half hour nap in the morning, but that was all the time he could spare for sleeping. He was too busy making friends and exploring!

Ways to survive a tailgate with a baby:

1. Enlist 2 or more eager pre-teens to entertain
2. Set up cooler barricades
3. Don't sweat the small stuff (like filthy socks)

Here we are in the back of our tailgate at 8 AM. I was an hour and a half later than Jon & Corbin b/c I was making food.

When we say "O!", Corbin will do the "H!"

New friends

Corbin listens intently to the Buckeye chatter

With Grandma

Our favorite play quilt put to good use

It was a little chilly in the morning, so I had to put a hoodie on him. I thought this pic was so cute!

Belated 10 Month Pose

2008-09-27T21:39:00.002-04:00

Our little guy is 10 months old (and 1 week).

These photo sessions are getting very difficult. Since he is mobile, I can't pose him and then take a step back to snap a pic. Unless I am really, really quick!
Jon had to help with this month's photo- in fact, he ended up in most of them!

Soon we will be making invitations for his first birthday party! We are going to do a time capsule theme & are asking people to bring an item for Corbin's time capsule, which he will open on his 18th birthday!

Slegle

2008-09-22T08:13:00.003-04:00

I apologize for slacking so much on the blog. I think we are finally done travelling for a while. Here are a few pics from this year's trip to Slegle.

Playing with Grandpa Rick

Checkin out Great-Grandpa Kranz's hand

Now accepting kisses

Great Grandma Kranz baked me a 3/4 birthday cake! I have to practice, after all, for my big party in a couple of months!

Cute Butt Shot

2008-09-17T20:59:00.001-04:00

This is a pic of Corbin in his new diaper, taken up at Slegle. It's the first time I have used prefolds on him & I love it!

A Couple Quick Pics

2008-09-07T20:23:00.003-04:00

from Grandpa Montgomery's birthday weekend!

Happy Birthday, Great-Grandpa!!

I get to crawl all over the place! Great-Grandma lets me get away with everything!

Dancin' on the tabletops!!

Holland, cont.

2008-09-04T13:38:00.004-04:00

Here are the remainder of the Holland trip pics. Sorry I have been slack again. Holiday travel messed me up a little.

We took a walk along the shore on Saturday. I wore Corbin in the Bjorn, and it was quite a workout for my calves to walk with him on me in that sand (not to mention the pounding waves!)

Getting ready to go- in my aunt & uncle's backyard

Walking along. It was a very bright day out, so we squinted a lot. It was near 90 degrees, too.

Waves

We walked down to the state park. This is a view from the pier.

Us on the pier- there wasn't a rail or fence- we sort of had to balance.

Getting ready to swim in Lake Michigan with Daddy

In the water- in hindsight, I should have put a lifejacket on him. The waves were pounding that day. He had gone in the night before & loved it, but the waves scared him a bit that day.

Daddy helping Corbin get his first sand castle experience

Playing independently

Ooh that's cold!

Playing in the sand

One last smile for the road!

Nine Month Milestones

2008-08-28T08:25:00.003-04:00

Corbin had his 9 month appointment today, and he was 18 lbs, 13 oz (25%), and 29 inches long (60%), with a big 19 inch noggin. While he has been sleeping through the night like a log, he decided last night to change it up a bit & get up twice!
He is crawling on all fours now, pulls himself up on everything, cruises around wherever he can reach, and he also climbs the stairs as of Tuesday. We put up the baby gates blocking the stairs and he was very mad about it.
Here are a couple of action pics.

I'm gonna make it up there

Here I go!

I'll take a short break. I sure am proud of myself!

Oh there's more!

What? I'm allowed to do this, aren't I?

My 9 month pose

D@mn baby gates!

Sailing

2008-08-27T10:21:00.002-04:00

Corbin went sailing for the first time last Friday night, in Holland, MI. We stopped by my aunt & uncle's home on the way back from Chicago. Lake Michigan is so pretty. Now Jon wants to go back!

Getting ready to go!

Sporting their cool Diego lifevest!

Daddy & Corbin

The sun started to set. We left around 7:30 and got back around 11. Corbin got to sleep on the boat. It went well until he woke up & I realized I had no bottle for him- I had forgotten it in the car!

There were a few other sailboats out as well.

Mommy & Corbin

One last view before the sun goes down.

Soon, I will upload some more photos of Holland & our walk along the beach.

Long Lost Zoo Photos

2008-08-25T20:10:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I forgot to post about our zoo trip in early August! We went for Jon's company picnic, and Corbin had a great time! Here are a couple of pics.

We got him all dressed up in his monkey safari outfit

He had the best time in the aquarium. It was just his height!

We got a great view of the manatees!

Looking around the aquarium with Daddy

Mommy wore him most of the afternoon

The kangaroos are out in the open- you just walk through the area where they are.

No story here... just a penguin.

It was a fun day- it wasn't too hot, and we got a lot of exercise. I can't wait until next year when we can take him to the waterpark next door!

December '07 Meet-Up

2008-08-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

I am so far behind on keeping up with this blog. I promise to do better this week. I think I have a lot of material, I just need to find the time! We just got back from a week-long trip to Chicago/Holland, MI, and I feel like I am more in my element. It was too hard to keep up with internet stuff in the hotel room.

This past Monday, Corbin and I travelled to Bloomington, IL to meet up with some online friends and their babies, who were also due in December of 2007. We went to an aquatic center & let the babies splash around in the pool while we chatted.

Corbin meets Miss Mina

Stephanie arrives with Mr. Carson

Three Little Waterbabies ready to go! Look- Corbin and Mina have matching strollers!

Corbin & Mina play ball. Carson is in the background getting used to the pool. It was great- zero-depth.

Mina is a good splasher!

Here are the three of them playing. Shortly after this photo was taken, Mina decided to crawl over Corbin, so I had to nix the camera in the pool idea & pay more attention!

This is cute- they are both reaching out for baby shoulders!

Carson & Corbin crawl for the coveted puffs

Mina decided she could pin Corbin down

My lil guy gets some tickles from Andrea

Andrea starts collecting babies

We brought toys, but the best entertainment came from a puffs lid and a water bottle

Cutie Carson goes for the camera

Kisses!

I asked the lady next to us to take a photo. She did & I looked at it in the LCD screen & thought it looked great. I was shocked that we all looked at the camera on the first take. When I uploaded the pics, I realized that Carson had his finger in his nose. But it gives the photo a lot more character!

2008-08-15T14:12:00.002-04:00

The other night, Jon & Corbin were playing & Corbin was in fits of laughter. I had to run downstairs to get the camcorder & then be careful not to "ruin the moment"...

Teeth Shot

2008-08-14T12:21:00.002-04:00

I don't know why, but i am fascinated by my son's teeth. I think it's because it makes him look & seem so grown up to me! When he was eating spaghetti for lunch, I noticed that he is looking quite toothy!

How Big is Corbin?

2008-08-14T06:28:00.001-04:00

Soooo big!

The Inchworm

2008-08-12T19:53:00.002-04:00

Many of you have already seen Corbin's "crawl," which is really a scoot. But he gets where he needs to go and fairly quickly at that, so I don't know if he will ever master the "all fours" crawl that we're used to seeing.

Fangs

2008-08-07T17:44:00.001-04:00

It's official- Corbin has 6 teeth! I took this photo to show #5 & 6 coming in, but I realized that it shows off his "fangs" well.

Another (Busy) Day in the Life of Corbin

2008-07-31T19:59:00.006-04:00

Hi! It's Corbin & I want to tell you about the day I had on Tuesday. My mom is so crazy- she followed me around all day with the camera, as if she doesn't have enough pictures of me!

Ack! That is bright!

Good Morning!

I had my first bottle of the morning, but I only took about half. My mouth hurts lately, and it makes me not want to eat as much. I do like to chew, though!

Presto...

Chango

Mommy puts me in the Jumperoo in the kitchen while she makes Daddy some coffee & lunch. Yeah, we know he's totally spoiled!

Daddy comes downstairs after getting ready for work & gives me some smooches. Usually, he gives me smooches in bed when Mommy brings me to him, but this morning, I surprised everyone by sleeping in an hour later than I usually do.

Daddy puts me back in my Jumperoo & plays a silly peek-a-boo game with me & then leaves for work

Mommy gives me some sweet potato puffs to keep me occupied while she brews her coffee

She also makes me breakfast. Today, I am having peaches, pears & oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon.

Mmmmm!

Yuck!

Just kiddin! I really like it! What really happened is that Mommy let me hold my own spoon & I gagged myself. Leave it to her to take a picture!

Then we go upstairs to my room, where I get a little nakey time while Mom draws my bath

Go Buckeyes!

Privacy Please!

I look a little like E.T. here. Tee hee!

I just got this new handmade towel from a lady I don't even know (she knows my Grandma). I like it! It keeps me very warm!

New Dipe

I see my standing table & must play with it!

Oh look! Here comes Miss Lula, my kitty!

Must...grab...tail!

Must...grab...kitty!

I didn't get her, but Mommy takes me to the basement, where she plays on the computer & I get to chase Lula around then. Yay!

I often hold my caterpillar victoriously over my head! Mom's glad she got a picture of it!

This is my "Mom, pick this up" pose.

Mommy pumps & I play on my mat with my Cars bat- it's my favorite!

Then I conked out from all of that playing. Shhhhh!

Mom woke me up! I can't believe she did that! She didn't think I would sleep for a whole hour though. She says we have someplace special to go to

We're going to the library for baby laptime!

I invited my friend, Emma. She is a month younger than I am & her mommy & my mommy are good friends.

Emma, I think they are about to begin!

After the singing, dancing & stories, we get to play!

New toys to play with!

We ran into my friend Carter, who goes to my playgroup on Mondays

Then the four of us went to Starbucks across the street, but Mommy didn't take many pics in there. She didn't want to look like she was doing investigative work! I had a bottle latte, no whip.

Mommy got lost on the way back home. She thought she would go the back way, but there were a lot of streets blocked off due to construction. So since she was taking forever, I decided it was a nice time for a nap.

She's pumping & on the computer, so I played on my playmat again.

Then I get my appetizer of Mum Mums while she fixes her lunch.

And mine. I am having pumpkin, with barley and nutmeg.

And I wash it down with a bottle!

Oh yeah, while I was eating my Mum Mums, she also stuck some brownies in the oven

Then Mommy got me ready for the pool. It was 90 degrees today, so I was hot. We invited Emma & her mommy, too.

I'm ready to go!

Matching cars! Aren't we cute!

We got back from the pool & I was cranky, so Mommy "wore me down."

When I got up from my nap, I was still cranky!

Mom made avocado & banana for dinner

But I am still so tired!

As soon as I was all washed up, Daddy came home!

Daddy carries me upstairs & puts me down on the bed, as usual, while he changes into casual clothes.

If this photo were larger, you would be able to see my "fangs." My upper laterals came in, but not the centrals!

Ethan's mommy & daddy are going to see Dave Matthews in concert, so we get to play with Ethan tonight!

Cousins

They strapped us into the car- we're going someplace!

I have to size him up.

We're at the park!

Hey, ladies!

Mommy gets nervous when Daddy pushes me on the swing! But he doesn't listen, and I love it!

He also decides to let go of me a little on the slide

I look scared, but it was sooooo fun!

Ethan went, too

After we get home & everyone's eaten, we get to play downstairs

I really liked to pretend i was in a bumper car

Daddy found it was just easier to wipe my bum like this since I kept rolling over

These are my new PJs. Yeah, I know they are a tad big!

I got my last bottle

And Daddy puts me to bed. He's better at it than Mommy.

Good night! Thanks for sharing my day with me!

How to Sway Dad to Buy a $300 Carseat

2008-07-25T09:16:00.003-04:00

Get your team colors, that's how!

Doesn't it look like he should be holding a martini glass? I should photoshop one in! lol

Here we go, the smile shot!

We went out for a little ride to the ice cream shop after it was installed. I think he likes it!

He was checking everything out- he can see out the windows now!