Again, I am a little behind in the posts. I am a firm believer in "better late than never". Lance had an awesome birthday. After all, how can you beat braces off (a new smile), Steelers in the Superbowl, 3 birthday dinners, AND banana caramel cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting and caramel swirl? Now that gardening season is over, my passion has really been channeled into making exciting cupcake creations. This one was one of the best for sure! I think everyone loved them. I found myself asking, "what is better than cream cheese frosting.....CARAMEL cream cheese frosting!".
Evan is 13 months today. He is starting to walk and feed himself with a spoon! He already has a sense of humor and loves tackling his big brother. Evan is so proud of himself when he wobbles from place to place, and I adore the look in his eyes when he accomplishes something. We have encouraged him to walk, but he has always been a baby who does things in his own time and does not seem hurried. As I've mentioned before, being laid back does not mean that Evan is not persistent or has no strong will. During our morning spoon-feeding lessons, he is always insistent that I give him the spoon and the bowl to practice on his own. Despite my strong inner urge for cleanliness (an urge that was not present before motherhood), I usually allow Evan free reign with the yogurt and the oatmeal. I know that this is his education, his practice session. By the way, aren't those beautiful eyes?!
Daddy wanted to get Evan's hair cut a few months ago, but he met resistance from the three women in Evan's life (mom, amma, granmom). We compromised and agreed to get it cut shortly after he turned one. The easier thing this time around was that we already knew the where and the who. Benjamin has always gone to Cool Cuts and has always had his hair cut by Colleen. After all, its hard to not choose a place that has cars to sit in, movies to watch, a train table in the waiting area, and is right across the street from our house. Evan took to this thing like a fish to water, and there was never a tear, never even a slight look of fear in his eyes. It may have helped that his big brother went first and showed him how it is done. My boys looked so handsome and I was so proud of them. Before I knew it though, daddy had agreed to a "faux hawk" for Evan. I will say that he wore it well.
Evan is about ready to walk, and he is on his way to being a big conversationalist. Now that he is standing for longer periods he is launching forward into a half-step. Although as soon as he realizes that he isn't holding on to something, he falls on his butt with a thud. It is too cute. You can tell that he is excited about this new feat, as he always looks at you and smiles as if to say, "did you see that?!". My sweet baby is also mastering more words and advanced forms of babbling. In the past week he spontaneously said "clock" while we were setting the timer on Benjamin's clock. He also mimics many of the words and inflections that we say. For instance, when he falls he says "uh oh". This data is all just further confirmation that Evan is turning in to a little boy.
I believe we have a case of the post-Christmas cabin fever. We have been mainly at home for the past few days, as the boys are playing with their new toys and the weather has been uninviting to say the least. Although I long for the great outdoors, I have enjoyed watching and playing with the boys. Unfortunately, I have also enjoyed far too much sugar from that cake I made and the stocking stuffer candy (both grandmothers seem quite fond of this approach). I think we will even polish off the Egg Nog tonight.
Evan's birthday is quickly approaching. This is the first time we are experiencing the immediate post-holiday birthday since Evan wasn't even born yet last year. I must say that I do not feel ready to buy birthday gifts and plan a party so soon after Christmas. I am excited about Evan's birthday, and feeling particularly nostalgic about this time last year right before he was born. I fondly recall the excitement leading up to that moment when my water broke, shortly after we went to bed on January 3rd, 2010. I remember a quiet New Year's Eve in 2009, one that was full of anticipation about the joy awaiting us.
As I'm sure many babies do, Evan is ramping up his repertoire of skills as he approaches his birthday. He is standing by himself for longer periods, walks freely while his hand is held, throws a ball, giggle snorts, and says several words. Just the past few days, as I frequently found myself in the kitchen, Evan has said "cook" on more than one occasion. It is likely no coincidence that he has also improved his eating skills and has pretty much mastered the art of eating with two teeth. By the way, where are those other teeth?! Most of all there's that noticeable change of a child who is just more aware of human interaction and the world around him. I love the way he looks over at me whenever he tries or experiences something new.
Benjamin has also developed some new skills. The coolest is his newfound understanding of humor. The latest joke around here is the one where you ask someone, "hey, you know what?", they then say, "what?", and you say, "nothing". We do this back and forth for a while, and Benjamin also enjoys saying, "you got me", or "I got you" afterward. He is also a very sweet boy. Today he accidentally knocked Evan over and made him cry. He then apologized to Evan and, when Evan didn't stop crying, Benjamin spontaneously sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" to him to ease the pain. It was precious, and it worked.
We have had some good times over the past week, and we are looking forward to another year of fun with these awesome boys.
I realize that Hawaii has come and gone and there is no post. Rest assured that Hawaii will be covered, but I had to post on Christmas first. For the first time in my life, I understand the idea that Christmastime can be quite tiring and stressful. Maybe it is having two kids, having just gotten back from Hawaii one week before, or a combination of the two. We have gone non-stop since we got back and I am just now feeling like I can take a breath. We always have such expectations of all that can be accomplished during this holiday, and it is hard to live up to them. When I saw the cover of Bon Apetite, I just HAD to make the cake. I knew, but did not know, that it would usurp the small amount of free time that I had. Somehow, the sense of accomplishment and the incredible taste made it worth the extra energy and stress.
This was the first Christmas that Benjamin really began to grasp the idea of Santa and the specialness of this day. He couldn't stop asking questions about Santa. "Why does he come down the Chimney?", "How does he get out of the chimney", "Why does he use a sleigh?". It was also our first Christmas to uphold the myth of Santa with real consistency. I was not ready for this.
This was Evan's first Christmas! It has been about as long as anyone has ever had to wait for one. Although he does not understand the magnitude yet, he has been game for it. Christmas is right up his alley. Evan loves food, loves being together, loves toys, and loves sharing laughter. I found out tonight that he loves prime rib and has an affinity for the kitchen. I was holding him for a bit as I was cooking and he spontaneously said, "cook". I couldn't believe it. I do believe this child has eating/cooking in his bones. He has a good life in store!
Most important of all, I have been ever aware of the true reason behind this holiday. Despite the stress, Christ has been at the forefront of my mind. He is the end all, the be all, the ONE who makes life meaningful and gives up hope for eternity. I pray for all of my friends and loved ones, that they can experience this most awesome gift.
