Crafting Adventures: Star Wars Dress

 

May the 4th be with you!

...and with your spirit.

Wait, no, sorry, that's not the appropriate response.  

But little Bean did in fact wear her brand new Star Wars dress to the Saturday evening vigil Mass this weekend and she certainly looked adorable in it!

A peasant dress is really the perfect design for a quick, easy garment- easy to sew and easy to put on and take off of squirmy babies.

I used the free peasant dress pattern from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom in the 12-18 month size and I love the fit.  My little string bean is tall and thin for her age, and she's very mobile, so this tea-length is perfect.

I chose to do a simple hem on the short sleeves with no elastic, and rather than the 1" hem in the tutorial, I just trimmed the hem with a package of bias tape, so the overall dress is a tad bit longer than it would be if I had done a traditional hem.

I am committed to busting my stash this year- having to pack up my sewing room to move across town opened my eyes to exactly how much fabric I've been accumulating over the years.  This fabric in particular was purchased way back when I was pregnant with my oldest (who is now 8!).  It's a simple quilting weight cotton I picked up at JoAnn, and I had intended to use it to make a sheet for the crib to match her space-themed bedroom, but I ended up using a simple galaxy print instead and then running out of energy to make anything else.  I still have a bit of this Star Wars print leftover, so big brother might be getting a Star Wars neck tie soon.

How are you celebrating Star Wars Day?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {1 Year}

 Goodness, I can't believe it's been a whole year since our little Bean first shouted for the world to hear.  Honestly- she hasn't really stopped shouting!  But she has to be loud to be heard over her big siblings, who are so excited to celebrate her first birthday.  Here's a look at the last three months.

Growing so tall!  She might end up the tallest kid when they're all bigger, who knows?  With each growth spurt, she she gains height quickly and weight more slowly, so her pants are way too short before the waistbands are too tight.  It's so fun to see her wear the big kids' hand-me-downs- it's such a stark reminder of how much bigger they are, now, too.

Eating when she's in the mood for it.  She doesn't seem to dislike any particular food, but if she's not in the right mood, she'll just throw everything on the floor.  If she starts swiping her hands in the air when you offer her something, it's best not to even put it on her tray- whatever it is won't be getting near her mouth.  We recently took her to an allergist to confirm some suspicions about food sensitivities, so we're avoiding eggs and dairy in her diet (and, by extension, mine, since she's still breast feeding).  I've found a few different vegan muffin recipes to whip up for breakfast that please everyone, but I think she likes steamed vegetables even more than muffins.  Still, if given the choice, she would nurse for every meal- unlike her older siblings, she's not showing any interest in giving that up any time soon.  I'm going to try and wean her from day time feeding but continue to let her nurse when she wakes up and when she goes to sleep (and any time she wakes up in the middle of the night) and hopefully she'll accept the fact that there won't be bottles at daycare anymore in a few weeks...

Talking in her own little language, all the time.  She makes sounds like "Daddy" and "Mama" and even some that sound like "happy" and "baby" but I'm pretty sure she's just babbling sounds that feel good in her mouth, not attempting to use words with real meanings.  She will have long conversations with us, or her toys, with no intelligible words, but boy does she know what she's talking about!  And like I said above, she does shout an awful lot (particularly in church, or in the middle of the night) but it's a happy sound, so I don't like to shush her.

Making facial expressions exactly like her brother, it's uncanny.  Although, after hanging out with her cousins at Christmas, she started making a mischievous face, where she scrunches up her nose and shows you her teeth behind her little grin, and it looks exactly like the way her older cousin grins when he's proud of himself, so we like to think she learned that from him!

 Listening to every word her siblings say (and then babbling right back at them).  And she loves to dance to music, even if it's just the theme song to whatever cartoon the big kids are watching on a weekend morning.  

Sleeping when Mommy is not around, apparently?  Because she certainly doesn't sleep at night, and she certainly doesn't sleep in her own bed.  Our daycare provider assures me she takes long naps in a bed on her own without being held, but I don't know, I'll believe it when I see it.  Mr. Geek keeps saying, "Don't worry, she'll start sleeping through the night soon...any day now..." but I think he's jinxing us.

Loving being held; nursing; loud music; grabbing Mommy's glasses off her face; walking; climbing the stairs; chasing the big kids at the playground; broccoli; carrots; hearing her voice echo.

Hating shoes; having her diaper changed; getting undressed; getting dressed; sitting in the car seat.

So here we are!  I can't wait to see what she thinks about cupcakes at her birthday party this weekend...

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {9 months}

 Holy moly she's 9 months old- I know it's cliche to ask "how did that happen?" but seriously how did that happen???  I'm still constantly sleep deprived so the days just sort of...run together and now all of a sudden she's not this tiny, squirmy newborn, and her first birthday is right around the corner.  Let's talk about the last three months...

Growing at a slower pace now, so I can keep up a little better.  She's still very tall- pants are always too short for her- but she's not super chubby like she used to be.  Now that she pulls herself up to stand (!!) it's always so shocking to see how tall she is.

Eating breastmilk still, and she's really gotten the hang of solid foods.  We had sort of a relapse with our bottle feeding problems after Christmas break- 2 weeks of just nursing whenever she wanted spoiled her a little bit, and she really fought the bottle on her first day back at daycare.  She's back in the swing of things, though, and will drink the whole bottle without a fight (so long as the right person is feeding her- literally only one person in the world can give her a bottle without her fighting it- and so long as it's the exact right temperature and so long as she's allowed to hold the bottle but the person feeding her is not allowed to let go and so long as...)  She doesn't have time for your spoons and purees- if something is being served with utensils, she'll hold them, thanks.  She will tolerate applesauce in a pouch, but only if she's allowed to hold it.  She likes things she can gnaw on, like carrot sticks and broccoli florets and even pizza crust.  She really likes picking up those little star-shaped puffed rice snacks; she'll concentrate on it and pick up one in each hand, pinched between tiny fingers and thumbs, and then hold them out and show them to you.  And then she'll giggle and put them in her mouth and crunch with her two tiny, sharp teeth at the front of her mouth.

Talking a lot now, surprisingly- at least a lot more than her brother was at this age.  She loves to whisper "dadada", but she'll also say "nuh nuh nuh" while you change her diaper and "guh guh guh" while she plays with her siblings.  She doesn't blow as many raspberries nowadays, but when she does, she seems to be timing them for comedic effect.  There's still lots of squeals and sometimes she'll just sit in her high chair at the dinner table and just...yell.  Just open her mouth and scream one long, continuous sound, like the lead singer of a metal band.  You will not have a conversation without her.

Making facial expressions like the little clown she is.  She got to play with her cousins over Christmas, one of whom is just over a year old than her.  He scrunches up his nose when he smiles, and I guess she liked that so much that she's started doing it, too.  If she does something mischievous or otherwise thinks she's being particularly clever, she'll scrunch up her nose and squint her eyes and smile with her whole face, just like her cousin.  It's a purposeful expression, different from the way she smiles when something makes her happy or when she laughs.

Listening to every word her siblings' say, studying the sounds they make and the way their mouths move.  She's not quite parroting them yet, but any minute now I expect I'll be hearing her repeat them.  For now, she's definitely taking notes.  She also pays attention when we say family prayers; she definitely recognizes Grace Before Meals and will get excited because it means food is coming, but she also likes when we say bedtime prayers.  She doesn't seem to mind when I sing to her anymore- for a while there she seemed to not like it, but now she just laughs.  

Sleeping at daycare for naps, but not at home.  At home, she'll only nap if she's being held, and we're still struggling through the night 2 hours at a time (sometimes 3, but that's it).  We're full time co-sleeping again because it's just too much of a hassle to get out of bed so many times during the night.  Surely, one day she'll sleep through the night.  Surely....

Loving her singing red panda that was a Christmas gift from her big sister; the multitude of teething toys she now has at her disposal; standing up; crawling away too fast for you to catch her; feeding herself; her two older siblings.

Hating diaper changes; putting on clothes; getting buckled into the car seat; bedtime; jackets.

Much love,

The Geeks

Joy

 

May this Christmas bring you joy...

...however that looks in your current circumstances.

Merry Christmas!

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {6 months}

 Wow okay my littlest munchkin is somehow already 6 months old!  These last three months have flown by, especially once school started and I went back to work.  I guess it's because it's been go-go-go around here, and we hardly have time to catch our breath- quite the change from the leisurely pace of life that was the hallmark of my maternity leave.  So let's slow down for a moment and check in with little Bean.

Growing crazy fast, still.  She is absolutely ravenous, nursing often and not sleeping through the night, and so she continues to just grow and grow, faster than either of her older siblings.  A few weeks ago, I noticed her 3-6 month sized clothes were getting small- sleeves a little too short, the hems of pants showing a lot of chubby little ankle- but her belly wasn't busting out of anything, so we didn't size up until about a week ago.  When I put her in a 6-9 month sized footie pajamas, I knew it would fit better than what she had worn the night before, but I assumed it would be too long.  Well it's certainly a little roomy, but this little string bean is already tall enough- her legs are the perfect length for this size.  She loves to be upright, in a standing position, either jumping in her jumparoo or just being held so that her feet can plant themselves on a flat surface and she can stand with some support, and when she's standing like that, you really appreciate how very tall she is.

Eating breastmilk and a nibble or two of some solid food, but we're just at the beginning stages.  She finally learned to love a bottle- but not before several ounces of milk were thrown out at daycare because she would stop at 3 ounces of her 4 ounce bottles.  She's now eager to drink from a bottle at daycare, she wants to hold it, and she'll suck down 4.5-5oz without a second thought, and then wants to keep the bottle to chew on for a little while.  When I'm with her, she still wants to nurse every 2 hours, and at night it's sometimes even more frequently.  We introduced her to bananas a few days ago, and although she doesn't like the way they squish in her hands, she does seem to enjoy the way they taste.

Talking up a storm, once you get her started!  Although she didn't in the beginning, she now cries to get your attention, rather than just grunting.  Sometimes we joke that her little whine sounds almost like a puppy, so we'll ask, "What's the matter, little puppy?"  She loves to blow raspberries or just randomly spit at you to try to get a reaction.  And she is really experimenting with her voice lately, cooing and singing, squealing at a painfully high pitch, and smacking her lips and repeating "dadada" which of course Mr. Geek loves.

Making facial expressions that favor her big sister more now than they did in the beginning.  She's got a beautiful little smile, and we all fall all over ourselves to earn one.

Listening to her obnoxiously loud big siblings.  She loves to listen to her big sister laugh, and will giggle right back at her.  Her big brother has decided he needs to speak to her in a very high pitch, for some reason, even though I keep reminding him to just talk to her like any other person.  She thinks it's hilarious, though, and will squeal and laugh at him.

Sleeping at daycare, apparently, but certainly not at night.  Again, I know this is why she's growing so fast- because all she ever wants to do is nurse- but man this lack of sleep is difficult.  Both of the big kids were sleeping at least 4 hours at a time by now, but not Bean.  Sometimes we get a 3 hour stretch, before midnight, but then after midnight she's up every 2 hours- or sometimes, every hour.  I'm surviving on coffee and prayers, at this point.  

Loving nursing, all the time, always; tickles; her big siblings; bouncing; putting things in her mouth.

Hating being in the same room as Mommy and not nursing; her car seat; socks; sleeping in her bed.

How quickly is your little one growing?

Much love,

The Geeks

Currently, Bean is... {3 months}

 Somehow, Bean is already three months old.  I realize I haven't written her birth story yet- and truth be told, I may never do so, as this one was both rather uneventful and also extremely personal- but here we are with a recap of the first three months!

For the first time ever, I have been able to use real maternity leave- 12 weeks of paid time off that I didn't have to earn, that doesn't come out of my regular reserves of vacation or sick time.  Plus, I used almost no vacation time during the pandemic, so I had lots of hours saved up, so I added an extra month on to the end.  All this means that I will not be going back to work until the school year starts, when Bean is just over 4 months old- the longest I've ever had with any of my babies.  And also the most stress-free- I'm not worrying about whether we'll be able to pay rent, I'm not worried about whether we'll be able to visit with family over Christmas because my vacation hours haven't been completely wiped out, I'm not worried about whether my freezer stash of breast milk will be big enough, and I'm not rushing back into the grind while my body is still physically recovering from nine months of pregnancy and the stress of birth.  I still think the perfect amount of time would be 6 months, but I'm still excited to have as much time as I do and I recognize this is a privilege that most American moms do not have.  To top it all off, Mr. Geek has been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, so even after his 3 weeks of parental leave were up, he's been here at home, helping me when I need it.  Sometimes that means changing a diaper between work calls, and sometimes that means taking his laptop outside while the big kids draw with sidewalk chalk and I sneak a nap with the baby.  He's obviously not a full-time parent during the workday, but eliminating his commute has meant slow rather than frenzied mornings, and he gets to spend quality time with all three kids while I cook dinner in the evenings instead of sitting in traffic.

Day 1

Growing quickly!  She was my smallest baby at birth, and in the first few weeks grew the fastest of the three, but now she's on a nice average trajectory, growing at a perfectly average pace.  She had a small head at birth, so hats and headbands slipped into her eyes and upset her, but some time during the last three months her head got much bigger, and headbands and things that should fit her now are much too small.  So, once again, we have a baby who won't let me do her hair!  Baby clothes are definitely a big weakness for me- my favorite thing to shop for when a new baby comes along- but I haven't needed to do much to stock Bean's closet.  She's got hand-me-downs from both older siblings, and they love knowing that she's wearing their clothes- I try to find pictures of them in the same outfits to show them.  Add to that the fact that grandparents don't listen when you tell them you don't want them to buy her any clothes, and we've got more outfits than she can possibly wear!  Plus, I've really enjoyed sewing some outfits for her, so she has a few special handmade pieces along with some girlie touches added to more masculine things she inherited from her big brother.

Eating exclusively breast milk, which once again feels like an enormous achievement.  Like her big sister, she had a natural instinct to latch from the moment she was born, but her latch isn't all that great, technically speaking.  I had lots of IV's poking into me when I was in the hospital, and my hands were the only places that they could catch a vein.  Let me tell you it is REALLY difficult to hold, much less nurse, a baby when you've got tubes running out of your hands!  Plus any time the IV line would get kinked, the machine administering my medicine would set off an alarm, and I'd have to move my arm back to a limp position by my side so that the line could straighten out.  All of this meant that nursing this baby in the hospital consisted of quickly getting her mouth where it needed to be and then just holding her with one hand- or no hands at all, propped up on a pillow- without any time to carefully adjust how wide her mouth was opened or the angle she was lying at.  And although we only did this for two days, it was enough to establish some bad habits that we haven't been able to shake, so nursing is sometimes painful (though it's gotten much better as she's grown and her mouth has gotten bigger) and I'm dreading the arrival of her first teeth.  It's obviously not affecting her ability to eat, so I haven't been too worried.  However, she won't take a pacifier, which doesn't have to be a big deal, except for the fact that she pokes herself in the eye trying to suck on her thumb and makes herself mad in the process.  And also, we're really struggling to get her to accept a bottle, which is kind of necessary if she's going to go to daycare next month, and I think it's related to her bad nursing habits.  I have built a small freezer stash and still have time to add to it, but we've really got to figure out the secret to getting her to drink it!

wearing a skirt I made for her, and a headband that was, in fact, too big and kept slipping into her eyes

Talking less than her older siblings did at this age, but I think that's mostly just because she prefers to listen to what they have to say.  When the house is quiet, after they've gone to bed, she'll tell me all about her day in coo's and goo's, but when everybody else is talking, she'll just watch with wide eyes and a big smile on her face.  She will, on occasion, squeal for her big siblings, but mostly she prefers to listen to them talk.  She doesn't really cry much, either.  Mostly she'll just grunt when she wants something- if she actually cries, something is urgently wrong (generally a gassy belly, or she's slept more than 4 hours during the night and is now very hungry and Mommy isn't waking up fast enough).  People have labeled her a "good baby" for this tendency to not cry, which makes me uncomfortable- there's no such thing as a bad baby, and a baby who cries is certainly not bad, she's speaking up for what she needs the only way she can.

Making facial expressions exactly like her big brother, it's uncanny!  It's funny- when Chief was born, everyone pointed out her resemblance to me, and when Peanut was born, everyone immediately noticed his resemblance to Mr. Geek.  But when Bean was born, all anyone would say was how much she looked like Peanut- not Mr. Geek.  As she's grown, her face has started to look more like her big sister, but her nose is the same as her brother's, and the faces she makes are exactly like his- especially when she's uncomfortable or upset.  

wearing another skirt I made for her, and a onesie handed down from her big brother

Listening to her siblings talk and act silly to make her smile.  She rewards their antics with big, beautiful grins, and so they continue to sing to her, and read her stories, and make all sorts of noises that they hope she'll imitate.  

Sleeping sometimes, I guess?  We hit a stride about a month ago where she would sleep for 5 or 6 hours at a time at night, but we've got another growth spurt going on, I think, so we're back to only getting 4 hours at night, if we're lucky.  I try to take advantage of her long periods of sleep to pump some milk, but if that "long period" is 1am-5am, I'm not exactly leaping out of bed between those times to hook up to my pump.

wearing leggings that belonged to her big sister

Loving her big siblings; tickles; people who smile at her; music; space and freedom to kick her legs; cuddles; bath time; being carried around so she can watch whatever is going on.

Hating pacifiers; bottles; too much silence; being in the car seat if the car is not moving; being swaddled.

So there we are, three months gone already!  What are your little ones currently into?

Much love,

The Geeks

It's a...

 

...girl!

We're so excited to be welcoming a new baby girl this April.

Well, most of us are excited.

Peanut is not excited, which he will state forlornly if you ask him.  It's okay for the baby to be a girl- like, she has his permission to exist- but he doesn't have to be thrilled about it.

I think he's softening a little, though.  He loves to talk to her and kiss her goodnight, and now calls her by her name instead of just Baby or Little Bean.  And he still gets excited talking about the duties of a big brother and how much she's going to love him.  Just don't ask him point blank how he feels about the concept of a sister.

Not gonna lie, I'm pretty pumped.  I know a mom is not supposed to care either way, but baby girl clothes are just so much more fun... We finally had a slow weekend on our hands, so I cranked out a few sewing projects, whipping up some simple little dresses.  And since Bean will have a girl cousin born probably the same week, I took the opportunity to make what will probably be only the first of many matching outfit sets for the two of them!  (I'll share a look at the outfits on Instagram once my sister has had a chance to unwrap hers!)

Alright, be honest- which is more fun, baby boys or baby girls?

Much love,

The Geeks

Doing Some Homework

 

It's time for Peanut to hit the books- he's got some studying to do!  Luckily, Chief is a star student and is willing to tutor him.

That's right- Peanut is becoming a big brother!  

He's so excited- both kids are so ready to have a baby in the house after meeting their new cousin a few months ago.  And what's even more exciting is that my other sister is also pregnant right now, and we are due within days of each other!  Two little cousins are coming that will be practically twins!

So Peanut has until mid-April 2021 to learn everything he needs to know about being a big brother.

Of course, he's hoping for (well, demanding) a baby brother, and Chief is really praying for the sister she's always wanted.  Me, I'm just ready for morning sickness to go away.

Much love,

The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Paw Patrol Ryder

It's time for the last tutorial from our family Paw Patrol costume: Ryder!  Of course the baby runs the show around here, so he got to dress as the human master of the Paw Patrol pups.  While the steps below show you how to make this for a baby, it will easily translate to a larger size for an older child (or Dad!) simply by using more fabric, since you're going to make your own pattern using clothing that fits your Ryder.  Of the four Paw Patrol costumes, this one involves the most sewing- and a zipper!  But don't fret, I know you can do it- no job is too big, no pup is too small!

What you need:

-white fabric
-red fabric
-yellow ribbon
-blue ribbon
-a white separating zipper
-white long-sleeved onesie/shirt
-jeans

Here's a look at Ryder:

image via Paw Patrol

This little boy wears a variation on his Paw Patrol uniform depending on the weather and the type of rescue, but his standard look involves jeans, a long sleeved white shirt, and a puffer vest that is 2/3's red and 1/3 white with a yellow accent and blue trim, plus the paw logo on his chest.

1. You're going to make your own pattern for this vest, so choose a shirt that fits your Ryder a little loosely, if possible.  I went with a rather boxy onesie; it may even be helpful to choose something one size too big because this style is not going to provide much stretch or give.  Turn the onesie (or shirt) inside out, tuck in the sleeves, and tuck in the bottom snaps, so your left with what looks like a tank top.  You're going to trace around this to create your pattern.

2. Fold the inside-out onesie in half, with the back portion on the outside, and lay it on top of a sheet of blank white paper.  Trace around the outside, giving an extra quarter inch of seam allowance on the top, arm hole, and side; do not give any seam allowance on the fold (you're going to be cutting a piece of folded fabric to get a completely symmetrical piece).  Now unfold the oneside and fold it in half again, this time with the front on the outside.  Trace this one with the seam allowance all the way around, and take care to mimic the dip in the neckline.  You're going to have two pieces for the front of the vest, so you'll need that seam allowance around all sides.

3. Now, remember this vest is color blocked, so before we cut our fabric we're actually going to cut this pattern in two pieces.  Cut your paper pieces (both the front piece and the back piece) in two just beneath the bottom of the arm hole.  For the yellow accent, I chose to use a bit of 1" ribbon.  Now, follow my math here for a moment: you're going to use 1/4" seam allowance to attach the top to the ribbon, and then the ribbon to the bottom.  So your ribbon will be 1/4" shorter on both the top and the bottom- meaning you'll have 1/2" yellow strip between your two pieces of fabric when it's finished.  So, in order to keep the same overall height of your pattern piece, you would need to remove 1/2" of paper total, or 1/4" from each piece (since it's now been cut in half), right?  But then you need to add a seam allowance to those pieces, too.  And the seam allowance is...1/4".  SO, all of this math means that all you have to do here is cut your paper as shown above, and that's it!  (For both your front pattern piece and your back pattern piece.)  Of course, this fancy math hinges on you using a 1" yellow ribbon as your accent piece- if you use a different size...you'll have to do the math yourself.  To cut your fabric, fold a piece of white fabric in half.  Lay the top portion of your back pattern piece right along the fold and cut around the pattern (remember when you unfold, you'll have a completely symmetrical piece).  Lay the top portion of your front pattern piece away from the fold and cut around it (so that you end up with 2 pieces).  Repeat with the red fabric and the bottom pattern pieces.  Cut 3 pieces of yellow ribbon- one the total width of your back fabric (unfolded), and 2 the width of your front fabric pieces.  (If you want to get fancy, you can line your vest by cutting the same pattern pieces out of a lining fabric, but without the color blocking, and sew it to your main fabric before attaching the zipper.  I'm not fancy.)

4. To assemble, you're going to start by attaching the color blocks together so that you have full front and back pieces.  Use that 1/4" seam allowance and sew the bottom of the white fabric to the top of the yellow ribbon, and the bottom of the yellow ribbon to the top of the red fabric, so you end up with a fully assembled back of your vest and two fully assembled front pieces.

5. Next, place one front piece on top of your back piece, right sides together, and sew together at the top of the shoulder.  Repeat with the other front piece.

6. I used blue ribbon to trim the arm holes rather than a strip of fabric because it makes things easier (and it's possible when you're dealing with someone so tiny).  Pin the blue ribbon around the arm hole, with the right side of the vest facing up.  (Ribbons don't really have a right or wrong side, but if they did, you'd be pinning it with the right side facing the right side of the vest.)  When the whole thing is done, you're going to fold the ribbon out (it'll almost be like a tiny little cap sleeve).

7. Now you're going to put the whole thing together, so you're going to turn the vest wrong side out, with the ribbon sandwiched in the middle.  Sew a straight line right down the side, and your vest is mostly assembled! (of course you have to do steps 6 & 7 for both front pieces)

8. Rather than having to worry about hemming, you're going to attach another piece of blue ribbon all the way around the bottom of the vest.  Do the same thing for the neckline.

9.  Now you need to attach your separating zipper.  I used the instructions that I found here at Professor Pin Cushion, but I'm going to come clean- I didn't really account for a zipper stop at the top of the vest (because yes, I had to cut my zipper down) so the zipper head would come clean off if you zipped it all the way up!  Be smarter than me, dear reader.

10.  Finally, the little paw badge.  I cut out some paw print shapes from white fabric and a badge shape from the red fabric.  I used fabric glue to attach the paw print to the badge, because the pieces were so small.  Then stitch around the badge to attach it to the white portion of the left front of the vest (the wearer's left, that is); this is an applique technically, so use a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.

11.  Ryder needs to wear a white shirt and jeans, and then the vest on top, zipped about 3/4's of the way.  You did it!

What's your baby going to be for Halloween?

Much love,
The Geeks

Currently, Peanut is... {1 year}

Okay so we're fast approaching 13 months, actually, but this poor child definitely suffers from #secondchildproblems - Mommy just never has time to blog about his milestones!  (That's why he got a 10 month update instead of a 9 month update like his sister.)  But hey, better late than never- so here's a look at Peanut as he celebrates his first birthday.

Growing tall and lean, as always.  Just as we went in for his 12-month check-up, his clothes started getting too tight.  I don't know if it's the brands he's wearing or what, but there seems to be a very big difference between 9-12 month and 12-18 month in boys' clothes that I just didn't notice with Miss Chief.  Not only are the waist bands very forgiving, but the shorts are just very, very long.  (I guess nobody wants their little boy to wear short-shorts when he starts to get tall?)  Carter's seems to be the only exception- 18 month clothes from Carter's fit him perfectly and he doesn't look like he's swimming in them.

Eating everything, all the time.  He gets his own kids meal at restaurants now, which is enough to make me never want to eat out ever again- this little piggy is going to eat us out of house and home!  It's harder than you'd think to avoid dairy; I've got a butter alternative for cooking at home, and I don't cook anything with cheese in it (but everyone else can add cheese when the dish is plated), but you really don't think about how many things are made with butter.  Daycare is having a particularly difficult time with accommodating him, which is surprising, since lactose intolerance is pretty common even if milk protein allergy maybe isn't- the other day they fed him some buttery crackers and freaked out when his face turned red and swollen.  Mr. Geek explained on the phone that no, they probably shouldn't feed him crackers that are described as buttery on the box... He does drink soy milk at daycare, which required a doctor's note, although the doctor still won't run any actual tests to determine that it's the milk protein which causes the skin reactions.  A couple of weeks on soy milk seems to be messing with his stomach though- he's bloated, gassy, and has had a blowout diaper every single day this week.  We haven't been able to definitely pin it on the soy, though- it might be teething, or an ear infection, or some other food we haven't isolated.  Either way, he'll pretty much eat whatever you offer, whether it makes him sick or not.  (And when he's full, he'll throw it on the floor.)

Talking if his big sister will let him get a word in edge wise.  I've always heard that second children take longer to start talking than the eldest and that seems to be true for him.  If Chief isn't in the room, he'll babble at me without reservation- but it's still mostly babbling.  He'll say Mama sometimes when he's asking for food, he'll say his sister's name if he's really happy and wants to get her attention, but mostly his favorite word is Hi.  He'll crawl up to you, grab your leg to stand up, then grin at you and say, "Hi.  Hi. Hi!"

Making facial expressions like the little flirt that he is.  Yesterday at Panera, he was sitting in his daddy's lap shoveling food into his mouth, and he looked over and saw two women enjoying their lunch at the next table.  He proceeded to drop what was in his hand onto the floor and wave at them with a little grin on his face.  One waved back and he laughed and looked down, then raised his eyes and looked at her again.  I swear he's studied Flynn Rider's whole playbook!

Waiting for cupcakes at his Captain America birthday party

 Listening to every word his sister says.  He is absolutely enamored with her!  She'll ask him for a high five, or a kiss, or to say 'hi", and he'll do whatever she asks.  (Meanwhile I'll ask for kisses all day, and won't get any.  Well, unless he's tired and just wants Mommy cuddles.)  He loves music, too, and will dance and wiggle when he hears any song- even the hymns at Mass!  (And if you ask him, "Are you dancing?" he'll giggle and dance some more.)

Sleeping ALL NIGHT LONG.  FINALLY.  He's finally at the point where I can put him in his crib still awake and he'll either quickly fall asleep or, if he does get upset, it's just complaining and not desperation.  (Does that make sense?  I swear moms can tell the difference between a "hey I want to keep playing" whine and a "No I'm sad I need you" cry.  For real.)  He'll also nap during the day now which is very helpful- close to 2 hours in the morning and maybe an hour in the afternoon.  (At daycare, not so much.  He'll get about an hour or 90 minutes in but that's it- too many noises and too much fun to have.)

Loving his sister, probably more than anybody else in the world- well, except for his Mommy (sorry Mr. Geek- but you get the Daddy's girl!); shoving food in his face; flirting with strangers; toys that play music; standing up and plopping back on to the floor really fast; tickles; clapping his hands; taking selfies.

Hating saying goodbye at daycare; "all gone"; diaper changes; getting in the bath; getting out of the bath; being put down for even a second.

Well, we did it.  We made it a year with this little dude.  He's already quite the trouble maker- let's hope we survive another year!

Much love,
The Geeks

Currently, Peanut is... {10 months}

Yes, yes, I am supposed to do these posts every three months, but Peanut will be 11 months this week and I still haven't posted his 9-month update, so...it's a 10-month update.  Sorry, buddy!

Growing more quickly again.  He's got long, skinny little legs and a chubby little belly that's just begging to be tickled.  He's wearing 9-12 month clothes right now, but his skinny little ankles poke out of the end of his pants.  (That's fine, it's summer now- he's mostly wearing shorts anyway!)


Eating like it's his job, or something.  He spent a couple of months sleeping through the night, but is back to waking up to nurse again- every 3-4 hours, like clockwork.  After some initial skepticism about food, he has decided he REALLY likes this whole eating thing.  I'm pretty sure if you just continuously handed him something to eat every moment of every day, he would- the kid is a bottomless pit!  However, unlike his sister, who would wave her hands when she was done eating (so that we would clean them- she's always been very prim and proper) he announces that he's done with the current offerings by throwing it on the floor (or offering it to his sister- which I'm sure will continue when he's older and there's something on his plate he doesn't want to eat).  With Chief, we definitely lived by the mantra, "Food before one is just for fun."  I certainly haven't let up on nursing or bottles- I still expect that to be his primary source of nutrition- but feeding this guy is much more than just an experiment in learning how to eat.  I have to be fully prepared to feed him probably half of what is on my plate at any given meal- and honestly, he feels like it's his plate and I'm just eating off of it, rather than the other way around.  If I dare to take a bite, he gets mad!  In fact, the other night, at a Mexican restaurant, Mr. Geek tried to give me a break so that I could actually eat something and started offering bites of beans and rice from his plate- literally the exact same thing that I was offering- but Peanut knocked the fork away and waited for me to offer my own.  But if Mr. Geek literally handed me his fork and I held it up to Peanut's mouth, he would accept the offering.  He eats enough that it's getting to the point where we'll have to start just ordering him his own meal, rather than feeding him from our plates.  I'm having visions of grocery shopping for teenaged Peanut and my wallet is already hurting!  One complication is that we have confirmed a dairy allergy in him (likely a milk protein intolerance, not lactose intolerance).  He breaks out in hives if either of us eats dairy.  We weren't sure at first, but when I tried feeding him whole milk yogurt (which he loved, by the way) his back and stomach broke out in angry, itchy welts.  We've got some prescription topical medication for when it's really bad, but otherwise we use a baby version of Eucerin to keep things under control.  He might also have a sensitivity to eggs and/or soy but we haven't been able to definitively prove that yet, and the doctor doesn't seem interested in running any actual tests- she says to just keep experimenting with food.  Soy at least seems to be causing a lot of gas for him as we've introduced more into his diet (like a soy milk-based yogurt alternative) but then again we can't rule out the mountains of other food he's been eating as a source of that gas.  The doctor thinks he'll probably outgrow this by the time he's two years old or so, and I hope she's right. 

Talking basically in complete sentences now.  I wish I could understand what he's saying!  His sister seems to be a pretty good translator for us- sometimes it's like listening to Han and Chewy carry on a conversation!  He'll make all sorts of noises with his pacifier in his mouth and if you pop it out, it's like he doesn't even notice- he'll just continue the train of thought.  (But once he's done with his little monologue, he'll search for that pacifier.)  He particularly likes to pick up a toy, hold it up for you to see, and then say something about it.  At first I thought he was asking me to play with him- offering me a ball or a stuffed animal- but when I tried to take it, he pulled it away from me and set it back down next to him.  So he's definitely just showing me his toys, not giving me permission to use them ;)

Making facial expressions meant to elicit a response.  We joke that he's a big flirt, but honestly, he is.  He prefers female company, and he'll look at you out of the corner of his eye, dip his chin a little bit, and then let a grin slowly spread across his face.  (I think he's been studying Flynn Rider's playbook, if we're being honest here.)

Listening to his sister, intently.  He loves when she sings to him- real songs, made-up songs, unintelligible noises.  He loves when she talks to him- real words, made-up words, gleeful shrieks.  She has made it her role in life to get him to giggle; he's discovered that he can make her laugh, too, and tries to do so at every possible occasion.

Sleeping if it's convenient for him, or if you're holding him, or if he's in a moving vehicle and just can't take it anymore.  Like I said, right now he's sleeping in 3-4 hour spurts during the night, and during the day we'll get maybe 2 full hours of naptime (but not all at once- in 1/2 hour or 1 hour increments).

Loving his Mommy (and I gotta admit, this whole Momma's Boy thing is pretty awesome); playing with his sister; eating everything edible in sight (and perhaps even things that are not edible, so we have to be vigilant); tickles; pulling people's hair; listening to his sister read him a story; throwing things on the floor or across the room; crawling to places he's not supposed to be; ignoring a room full of toys to mess with the one thing in the room that's not for him.

Hating when Mommy tries to eat from her own plate at meal time; having to wait even one second for the next bite of food; the concept of sleep; having a stuffy nose; remedies for stuffy noses; "baby jail" (aka the play pen, where he does not have access to forbidden objects).

We're quickly approaching the one year mark!  Where did my baby go?

Much love,

The Geeks

Our Favorite Character Meet and Greets at Walt Disney World

The Geek Family Disney Trip 2017 looked a little different than the Geek Disneymoon.  One of those differences was the fact that we spent a lot more time meeting characters than riding rides.  We did meet characters on our honeymoon, but that wasn't necessarily the focus.  Here's a look at some of our favorite character meet and greets, in no particular order, from this time around!

BB-8 Star Wars Launch Bay, Disney's Hollywood Studios

This little guy beeped and booped and wobbled his little head around- it was pretty cool.  He wasn't quite sure what to do about all the hugs a certain four-year-old wanted to give him, but she had a great time.

Tinker Bell Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom

This was the first character we met on the whole trip.  Miss Chief was dressed like her, and we got a little Peter Pan onesie for Peanut, which Tink thought was just adorable.  It was quite early in the morning but this pixie was positively bouncing off the walls!

Belle Enchanted Tales with Belle, Magic Kingdom

This attraction wasn't technically a meet and greet, but it was still the coolest character interaction in the parks.  You travel to the library in the Beast's castle, where Belle is going to tell you her story, but she needs help, so children (and adults!) are assigned roles in the story.  Our Miss Chief got to play Chip the teacup, hopping up and down to greet Belle.  She did a great job, and afterwards, Belle gave her a bookmark!

Mickey Mouse Town Square Theater, Magic Kingdom

This was hands down the best Mickey meet and greet- because he talked to us!  Sadly, I hear Mickey won't be talking to guests anymore, so we're lucky to have met him when he did.  It was his birthday, and he told us we made his birthday extra special by coming to see him.  He also told us all about his roadster racer- and a certain four-year-old knew all about that!  It really was amazing to hear him talk- when he walked into the room and said "Hiya!" all of the adults audibly gasped!

Tiana Princess Fairytale Hall, Magic Kingdom

Tiana was so sweet and attentive, and, as you can see, gave the best hugs.  Our little princess was a little shy every time she met royalty, but Tiana really brought her out of her shell.

Baymax Hiro's Workshop Character Experience, Epcot

Baymax was...huge.  Huggable, but huge.  I loved the setup of this meet and greet, with all of the little San Fransokyo details.

Minnie Mouse Epcot Character Spot, Epcot

I really loved the Epcot Character Spot- we met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy here, and we didn't feel rushed from one to the next.  The interactions were wonderful and the pictures turned out great!

Anna Royal Sommerhus, Epcot

Our Frozen-obsessed four-year-old was positively awestruck to finally meet her heroes, so she needed a little guiding to interact with them.  I suggested that she twirl around in her pretty dress for Anna, who was very enthusiastic about the whole thing.  Elsa was a bit quieter- she is a bit less goofy than her sister, after all- but she did let us know that it's an Arendelle tradition to eat chocolate cake on your birthday.

Pocahontas Character Landing, Animal Kingdom

So I've gotta admit, we got in line for Pocahontas purely because I wanted to meet her- Chief had no interest in this meet and greet at all.  But as soon as Pocahontas invited us over, she changed her mind.  We told Pocahontas that we're from Virginia, and she said maybe she'd come visit our village sometimes since we're so close to hers.

Daisy Duck Tusker House Restaurant, Animal Kingdom

Tusker House is probably my single favorite buffet in Walt Disney World, and the characters in their safari gear are an extra treat.  There was a nice selection of North African and Mediterranean foods, and Chief tried a wide variety of things (not just her standard macaroni and cheese, although that was available, too).

Ariel Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Epcot

I'm not sure any of us were super impressed with the menu at Akershus, but as a one-credit meal on the meal plan, it's a better value than Cinderella's Royal Table if you're mostly interested in the princess aspect.  (I guess Scandinavian food is just...not exciting?)  Ariel was really sweet and of course commented on Chief's beautiful red hair, and at the end of the meal, there was a little parade throughout the restaurant where the kids got to follow the princesses around the room.

Tigger 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort

The breakfast buffet was really good at 1900 Park Fare- certainly better than Chef Mickey's- and it featured an interesting variety of characters.  We met Mary Poppins, Alice and Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, and, after we ate, we met Tigger.  Peanut loved how big and cuddly he was, and he pulled some pranks on Chief.  Overall it was a great morning!

Who are your favorite characters to meet?

Much love,
The Geeks

Highlights from the Geek Family Disney Trip 2017

As you may remember, we went to Disney in November to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary.  I realize it's now halfway through March, but I figured I should share with you how that trip went!

Rather than write a minute-to-minute journal of events, I decided to just fill up a post of all of my favorite pictures from the trip- most of which came from Disney's PhotoPass photographers (yes, we purchased Memory Maker.  Yes, it was worth it!)  So here are some highlights from the best family vacation we've ever taken:

Phew, that's a lot of pictures!  Check back later and I'll tell you about our favorite character meets, how our trip with kids was different from our trip without, and I'll let you know where you can find some of the sweet shirts (and ears!) we sported on this trip.

When's the last time you went to Disney?  When's your next trip planned?

Much love,
The Geeks