I realize that this is very late coming, considering Levi turned one over two months ago. However, in the spirit of giving myself grace, I decided to still share some excellent pictures and facts about Levi that apply to him around June 8, 2016.

Prepare for an overwhelming amount of pictures.



We first celebrated Levi's birthday in a local park with family friends & coworkers of Clark's. It was very fun... except the high was 117 and by the time we rolled out the cake and candle Levi was ready for a nap. But then, what are first birthday parties but to snap some pictures, enjoy some company, and show off your baby... am I right?



We call Levi, "Mouse" as a nickname, so we did If You Give A Mouse A Cookie which was a lot of fun. We had way too much food, most of which melted in the heat, but everyone enjoyed it-- and that's what counts!


On Levi's actual birthday, we woke up early (per usual) and went downstairs. He was a little overwhelmed by all that he saw, but once he realized he got to rip the presents open he had way too much fun doing it. He also had no problem letting his big brother know that they were his.


Right around his birthday Levi officially started walking. Much like his big brother (who took his first true steps on his first birthday), Levi started cruising around (semi) gracefully just five days before his big day. He weight 18lbs exactly on his birthday, and was 27.75 inches long. Lover of cheese, grazing, putting everything in his mouth, and a bit on the small side-- this is why we lovingly call him "Mouse." (It has NOTHING to do with the fact that he's grown into his ears and made squeaky noises as communication when he was itty-bitty...or does it?)


On his birthday Levi:

- had six teeth (molars coming in-- this is still true)

- loves: climbing on the dishwasher, toys that make noise, bubba (Michael), mama and dada, clapping, playing "chase"


- first word: dada
- words he says/said clearly: this, that, ball, mama, dada, cheese, up, juice, nana, out


- favorite songs: if you're happy and you know it & what does the fox say
- favorite foods: tuna, bananas, snap pea crisps, cheese, spaghetti, black beans, Lima beans.
- favorite book: Baby Lit Books' Treasure Island


He's already grown so much since his birthday. I'm not sure my heart can handle it.

It's hard to believe we are closer to Levi being ONE than we are to him being a newborn. After passing the halfway mark, or even before, I was amazed with how quickly Levi progressed. Perhaps it's because he has a big brother to watch, but this kid just wants to GO.

He went from crawling/flopping like a seal at five months to quickly getting up on his hands and knees. As soon as he conquered that, he quickly started pulling up, sitting up, and cruising furniture. It's hard to keep track, truly, of everything he CAN do right now.


The biggest change, I think, is he's practicing his balance. I'll watch and he lets go of a toy, or the couch, or a shoulder and tests his two feet before quickly grabbing hold again. It's over in a flash, but when I look at him-- I know he's super excited, proud... and ready.

And I am SO not.

As if moving and testing his balance wasn't enough, Levi very clearly says, "Dada" ... all the time. The only time he spits out, "Mama" is when he's near exhaustion or upset and can't see me (though I, of course, see him). We're also 80% he's calling Michael, "Baba" for brother and associating "nana" with banana. He'll also rub his hands together for "more" and likes to wave his hands in the air to a song he enjoys.

Although Levi is moving and grooving faster than Michael did, he's a little peanut by comparison. Coming in four pounds lighter than Michael at this age, Levi is 15lbs 6oz and 25.75 inches long. His gums are also swollen on the top and the bottom in top... so we'll see which teeth win the race. (Michael's top two came in first.)


When it comes to food, Levi isn't exactly picky. Unless you try to spoon feed him-- then he doesn't trust it. But anything that's on our plates, or seems to be "real" food... he'll eat it.

Peas? Check! Green beans? Check! Apples? Bananas? Sweet Potatoes? Avocado? Check, check, check, check!

Oatmeal? Baby food? WHAT IS THAT STUFF?

So when I had a fleeting moment and grabbed a thing of baby puffs at Target, he was SO excited because they pretty much look like brother's goldfish crackers.

Now that we're trying to make a change (again) with our eating habits, I'm trying to steer away from the baby puffs and make things at home (that goes for the goldfish, too). Luckily, I found THIS recipe and molded it a little to make something that is Levi approved.

HOMEMADE BANANA-SWEET POTATO [BABY] PUFFS


Ingredients:

- 2 medium baked potatoes
- 2 bananas
- 1 C flour
- 3 tbsp oil (I used coconut)
- 3 tbsp water (or formula or breastmilk or another milk if your baby is older)
- Cinnamon to taste (optional)

Directions:

- Bake your sweet potatoes at 350 for 45 minutes or so, and if your bananas aren't SUPER ripe you can bake them for about 20 minutes to soften them and strengthen the flavor.
- After your bananas and sweet potatoes have cooled, put them and all your other ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Prep a cookie sheet with wax paper or cooking spray. Next you can do one of two things:

1. Use a piping bag or ziplock bag with the tip cut off to make little circular "puffs." I found this to be a little difficult, since the batter is pretty runny.

2. Spread all of your batter on the cooking sheet so it's not TOO thick but you can't see the cookie sheet through it.

- Bake for 12-15 minutes for #1 and 15-20 minutes for #2. Check to make sure the edges aren't burned/too dark.
- If you go with option #2, next you can use a small cookie cutter to cut the puffs into desire shape. I used stars!

Serve and see your baby's happy face.

On September 7th, Michael turned four years old. It's hard to believe that we are now housing a true preschooler rather than a toddler, but he doesn't let us forget it. He likes to tell everyone, "I'm four! First I was three, now I'm four, and next year on September 7th I'm going to be five!"

Way to give Mama a heart attack, kiddo.

But when he turned four, we were much to busy for a doctor checkup because we were on a trip. Where? Well, if you saw my previous post and follow posts to come, you know that we were at DISNEYLAND.


I'm pretty sure I was just as excited as him.

Once we returned, we took him to his checkup and did our usual interview. Michael is currently 45 pounds and 42.25 inches tall. The doc said if he continues on the path he's on, he'll be around 6'1".

That's a good thing, I know. I just hope I'm prepared for that day when it comes and I have to look up at my son.



Michael's Fourth Birthday Interview
What's your whole name? Michael Clark

How old are you? Four!

When is your birthday? September 7th

What is your favorite color? Green

What is your favorite animal? Dinosaur!

What's your favorite book? Disney-Pixar storybook

What's your favorite show/movie? A Bug's Life

What's your favorite song? "Trashin' the Camp" from Tarzan

What's your favorite food? Tuna

What's your favorite drink? Apple Juice

What's your favorite breakfast food? Cheese

What's your favorite dinner? Pizza

What's your favorite snack? Goldfish


What's your favorite thing to wear? Doctor costume

What's your favorite game to play? Candyland

What's your favorite toy? Emperor Zurg

Who's your best friend? Ezekiel

What's your favorite thing to do? Go to the park

What's your favorite thing to do outside? Play with "Mighty Machines" in the dirt

What's your favorite holiday? "I like Christmas."

What do you like to take with you to bed? Wrinkles

Where's your favorite place to go? Disneyland

Where do you want to go on a vacation? Everywhere!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Astronaut and a Baseball Player


For his birthday, Michael's grandparents got him a bike. The following is the face I got when I asked him to smile for the camera:


Someone tell him to stop growing up, already.

I'm not sure how we got here so quickly!

Levi was two months old on August 8th. He is now 10lbs 13oz (he gained two pounds in a month!) and 22.5 inches long (he grew an inch in a month!). He is completely obsessed with his hands, his play mat, and his big brother. A sound sleeper, he'll be completely zonked but if Michael says anything above a normal volume level, Levi's eyes will flutter and he'll look for his big brother. It's absolutely adorable. He loves to "talk", smile, and drool as much as he can.

When we had to go anywhere in the car it used to be stressful, but these days Levi has been sleeping nicely when we drive (Praise the Lord!). His crying has a slow progression from frustrated to angry, and it's not always slow. Overall he's a patient fellow... unless he wants to be held or is hungry (aren't all babies like this?).

And, what hasn't changed? His favorite thing is to be held and cuddled in the sling. If he could spend all day in someone's my arms, he would.

I had been avoiding the idea of potty training. In fact, whenever anyone asked me when we were going to start, I'd just say I wasn't sure. Honestly, part of me was afraid that I'd be the failure. That I'd be the mom who had the kid in diapers until kindergarten. This isn't to say it'd be Michael's fault, but mine. I'd be the one too afraid to start potty training him that he'd just be in diapers forever.

Why? Because I grew up in a home with all girls. Besides my dad, of course. I had two sisters. That's it. No boys. No ideas on how to work potty-training with his, well, parts. I just wasn't sure I could handle it.

Well, a little over a week ago Michael had a killer diaper rash we were trying to get rid of, so he was running around naked. Granted, he likes to do this anyway, but there was a purpose to his nudity this time around. After a couple of accidents (which were expected), he ran over to me and said, "Mama, I don't want to pee on the floor, I want to go on the big-boy potty."

Can you imagine my face?

We rushed to the potty, and for a moment I hesitated. What do I do? Do I grab a stool and have him stand, or do I just let him sit on the thing? Would he be traumatized if he stood and missed and got it all over the floor instead?

He sat.


Now, Michael has a potty. I bought it one day when I was fed up with diapers... two months ago. Then, as you may guess, I whimped out and we didn't start potty training.

Well, after our one potty success (which involved a lot of cheering from me, high-fives, and a couple M&M's), Michael kept asking to go.

The phrase "potty treat" became a thing.

Before I knew it, we were potty training.

The next day we went shopping for Super Hero underwear. Michael decided that only Super Heroes wear underwear.


We even ran errands with him in his underwear with no incidents. He asked to use the potty at the bookstore. Inside I was giving myself high-fives.

All I had to do was wait for him to be ready. Maybe if he hadn't had that awful diaper rash (which is gone, by the way), it wouldn't have happened this way, but you never can tell. He's had one awful day where he was missing Clark and just kept having accident after accident where I was distraught, but the next day he was back on track.

Pooping is still a thing.

Yeah, you read that right.

He's gone once on the potty after a few hours of telling me he didn't want to go. That first time I offered him a diaper and he said no, and then offered him the chance to go to The Disney Store if he went. Wouldn't you know, it worked, and Buzz became a part of our family. He even has to sleep in our bed, or very close to it so Michael can tell him good-morning.


After that one success, he's now asking for diapers when it's time for #2, but since we have so much success with going #1... I'm not pushing it. I don't want him to feel pressured to rush this. I want him to go on his own time and be confident.

Oh, and the standing thing? Yeah... we're not there yet. Say what you like, but that's something else we will face as time goes by.

What were your potty training tricks? I know everyone doesn't resort to bribery out there!

I have to admit, the past couple of weeks have been rough. I've kind of been wishing time away, not really investing as much as I should into playing and enjoying Michael. We have our on and off days, but lately it seemed like most of the days had been "off".

I love Michael more than words can express, and it pains me when we have hard days. I wonder if I'm scarring him for life if I put on a TV show rather than run around the house for the hundredth time with him, just so I can sit and have some quiet time. Or if I'm not doing as much as I should because he doesn't know more than five letters and can only really count to two. After all, there are kids who can count to six and are younger than him, and kids who know the alphabet song already. Shouldn't Michael know more?


It seems to be that our society puts a lot of pressure on where Michael should be and what I should be doing to get him there. So on days where I'm worrying about all of that, and then turn on the TV instead of deciding to do a letter-of-the-week craft, I panic, and think I'm somehow stunting him.

When Clark's gone, I admit to getting lazy some of the time. I have so much admiration for parents who do this more often than I do, especially single parents who have to do it all themselves all the time. But ultimately I realize that I just worry too much about how I'm parenting, rather than just parenting. Does that make sense?


So lately a lot more time has been invested in having mommy-son time, and less time on the computer blogging or making cleaning the priority. Be patient with me as I catch up, but I promise some awesome recipes and plenty of change in the weeks to come.

Until and through then, I will be focusing on what matters most-- our little family.

Don't get me wrong when you read the title. I do not love when Michael is grumpy because I can't understand what he wants, or he's not getting his way, or he doesn't want to share. That grumpy Michael pushes my buttons and reminds me that not all days of motherhood are made of sunshine and daisies sunflowers.

No, I love sleepy-grumpy Michael.

We don't have much of a nighttime routine. We never have. Every time I try to launch one it gets shot down with travel or Michael not wanting to go about what I think should be the nighttime routine. I mean, as much as "I'm the parent", I can't seem to force Michael to sit down and read a book with me before he goes to sleep.


While I love this idea, and hope he takes to it when he's older, if we spend half of the afternoon getting to know what the brown bear sees, singing "Jesus Loves Me", and wishing the moon goodnight... why must I force him to do it at bed time?

Lately he seems to like to watch an episode of Sesame Street before he goes to sleep. Something about those characters (especially Elmo and "Elmo's World") get him in the mood for bed. Sesame street, a snack cup full of cereal (rice chex or cheerios preferred), and a cup of milk. The only trick is getting him to sit in his chair rather than stand directly in front of our TV.

However, once Elmo goes off, it's like he knows immediately what's about to happen. He knows he's sleepy, knows that it's time for bed... but he has that last hoorah of trying to fight it. The "nos" begin, "more Elmo" is asked for with "please" in between the sleepy tears... but he's ready. And after we are finished brushing his teeth (which is a battle off and on), he doesn't fight me when I tell him it's time to lie down in the "big bed" (aka our family bed, not to be confused with the "green bed", which is his bed and still only used for nap time).

There are some nights where I honestly get annoyed. Where I don't understand his protests when he so clearly is ready for bed.

But most nights, I just smile in spite of it all. I love sleepy-grumpy Michael because he wants to stay awake. He doesn't want to miss a moment of what might happen if he shuts his eyes and gives in to dreaming. He wants to love on Luna a little longer, or try to color more toys (instead of his coloring books), or he wants just one more snack. He tries to hold on to the day as long as he possibly can.

And while many parents may want to rush off their children to bed so they can get some things done (and sometimes this is my attitude)... I have started really loving this part of the day/evening/night.


Why? Because to me, Michael wanting to fight his sleepiness in order to stay awake is a special kind of love. It means that he enjoys his day. Even days where I may lose my temper, or days where we can't go outside because it's raining, or days I drag him around to run errands; even on those days he still wants to stay awake just a little longer.

I can hear him already when he's older. "Five more minutes?"

You can tell this photo is over a month old because Wrinkles the Bulldog is nowhere in sight. Yay for having a lovey!

Michael is 18 months old today! When did this happen? When did the itty-bitty baby we brought home from the hospital who had to have weight checks turn into a booming toddler with an appetite? I would certainly like someone to tell me! I know, I know. This is just the beginning of experiencing how quickly time goes by.



While Michael is still a picky eater, his palate has expanded somewhat. Michael's favorite foods right now are: cheese, Plum squeezable pouches, strawberries, applesauce, and all sorts of bread. I'm trying desperately to get him to eat new things. The other night we tried tomatoes... but no such luck. And, as you may recall from a certain Friday's Letters, his absolute favorite thing is homemade mac&cheese and green beans. At least I know there's one vegetable he'll eat! He has taken an interest in carrots but I still need to figure out the best way to cook them. He really wants them raw, but he's not quite old enough/ready to eat them like that.

Ballons, or "boons" as Michael calls them, are one of Michael's favorite things. The only reason he loves going to the grocery store is because when we first walk in there's a huge
display of balloons. It keeps him happy until we hit the baby aisle and buy a "smoothie" (pouch). The picture is from a day we went to the park and stumbled upon a birthday party coming to an end. Michael ran up and started saying "boons" and the mom was kind enough to give him two of them.

Other new words for Michael: "eh-mo" (Elmo), "bow-balls" (snow balls), "we-ow" (meow), "church" (the "r" gets a little lost but otherwise this one is very clear), "dance"... and I'm sure there are more. He's working on saying "teeth" and "fish" but the "th" and "sh" sounds always seem to come first. It's adorable, but it really seems to be frustrating Michael. I'm hoping he can get it soon (for his sake as much as my own)!

I promise you're really close to the waffle cookie recipe!
Brushing Michael's teeth is the biggest battle. Don't be fooled by this picture. He loves to take the toothbrush, suck off any toothpaste that may be on there, and then slide the toothbrush around his mouth a few times and call that brushing. For whatever reason he hates having the front teeth brushed, so I end up having to "torture" him and do it for him. I'm hoping this will get easier as he gets older.

Although Michael's sleep schedule has been a little off these past few days, he is still napping consistently in his own bed. He even leads me to his bed in extreme circumstances of exhaustion! It's so exciting to me. I haven't started night-time transition because I know it's going to be way harder, but it's coming.

More than anything, Michael loves quality time with his Dada.


Being outside (especially if there's snow).

And... (what you've been waiting for)....

Waffle Cookies


Ingredients:

- 2/3 c flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 c butter, softened
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp maple syrup


Directions:

- Cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, syrup, an vanilla. Gradually add your dry ingredients (you don't have to premix them).
- Heat your waffle iron to the medium to medium-high heat setting. Make sure to coat it with cooking spray or butter every time!
- Drop about 1 tbsp of batter in each "square". Make sure they're semi spread out!
- Cook for about two minutes/ until golden *If they really brown it's ok they're just a little crunchier.*
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar or I think I cinnamon/sugar mix would taste good, too!

Easy and super delicious, especially for breakfast/waffle lovers!

Inspiration for this recipe came from Crazy About Cookies! For more Michael updates make sure to watch Friday's Letters.

TGIF!!!

Favorite picture of me and the little man from this past week :).
I am so thankful it's Friday. I must admit this past week is a bit of a blur. I felt like I was constantly running on empty. Now, don't get me wrong, it really was a good week (for the most part). Michael and I are really getting a routine down... until he decides he wants to do something to throw it off, or I do. But, ya know, that's life!


Dear Twin Bed
I am so excited we finally invested in you. Michael was never going to sleep in his crib. Ever since the first night we were home and we let him cuddle in bed with us, and then the second, and the third... co-sleeping became our way of doing things. I'm so thankful it was (and still is). However, I am very excited to start Michael in his own room. And I must say, he is taking to you quite well for his naps right now. Not to mention he loves having his own bed to climb onto to for reading or playing time.



Dear Weather
You are truly being ridiculous. I feel like every time I get to do this type of post I feel the need to mention you. Tuesday alone we had snow, sleet, rain, and then sunshine and a high of 55. Are you kidding me? Today it was sunny and sixty, and tomorrow we're under a warning of freezing rain! Make up your mind already!


Both pictures from Tuesday, February 19th.

Dear Kitchen
I promise I will clean you... eventually. I am learning to accommodate my picky eater and make things that he enjoys... as well as sneak in a thing or two that might be green. Please don't start smelling funky or anything due to me not being able to wipe you down every night. You should be thankful I love to cook. You are dirty because you are loved.

Waffle Cookies Recipe to be posted in the upcoming week!

Homemade Mac & Cheese Recipe to be posted soon. Green Beans recipe here!


Dear Michael
I am so thankful for you. You are 100% boy, and that is such an adjustment for me coming from a family that consisted of three daughters (myself included). Please be patient with me as I learn not to freak out over every bump and bruise. You seem to be falling on your head a lot lately from all your running, and you're making mama want to buy you a helmet. Just so I don't turn into that mother, could you maybe slow down just a little... please?



Have a happy weekend! I leave you with a quote to make you think :).
Check out Quotable Life's Facebook Page Here!

The idea for this post came from Ashley, of The Sweet Season.