How To Celebrate 31

When you turn 31, it's important to have as many celebrations as possible.  First, get together with your awesome in-laws for lunch at Brick Oven the weekend before your actual birthday.  Eat lots of pizza and salad and soup, and when you tell the waitress you're there for a birthday, eat every last bite of the giant bowl of ice cream she brings you for dessert.  Then, open gifts and eat brownies and enjoy the sunshine at a nearby park.  This is step one.

There is, in fact, a napping baby Sam in that bundle.

A cute cardigan (with sparkle buttons!) . . . 

. . . and a rain jacket.  Nice!

World's best brownies, right there.

Next, on the actual anniversary of the day of your birth, you should wake up a couple of hours before your infant son does.  Even though your body is just doing what it has been conditioned to do, he'll surprise you with an extra long stretch of sleep.  But of course you'll just need to lay in bed, waiting instead of sleeping.  It's okay, though, because when you do finally "wake up", your husband and daughter will be making a special birthday breakfast of eggs benedict and yogurt and orange juice for you.  (So fancy and delicious!)  It will make your morning awesome.  Then, when it's time for your baby boy to take a nap, hold and rock him for a while, whilst your toddler plays happily (and quietly) plays by herself.  Heads up: she'll poop in her new undies and you'll have to set down baby boy after all to help her clean up.  (You win some, you lose some.)

Later, enjoy a fun family date to Snowbasin for a gondola ride and french fries at the top.  (Visit the fancy bathrooms with your potty-training daughter three times while you're there because you're afraid of any puddles happening on the lift.)  Take a million family selfies and enjoy the views of the skiers on the mountain as you ride back down.  When you get home, get a bit of lunch and get your girl down for a nap, and while she sleeps, head on a walk to the store with your boy to grab eggs and cocoa powder so you can make your cake later.  Chat with your grandma on the phone on the way, and try to keep the baby awake on the return trip.  Note: he'll fall asleep five minutes from home (bummer!) but will end up sleeping in his carseat in the house for a good 40 mintues after that (nice!).

Cool airplanes flying in formation on our drive
to the resort.

There's one decent enough to post to instagram!

"riding on the gondola"

Don't do it, buddy! Stay with me!

Oooh, look!  Baby cows!

Aw, man.  I lost him!

Later that afternoon, after your daughter wakes up, welcome your mom and sister and brother-in-law in and enjoy a fun visit, including a little outing to the park for some swinging (the first time for baby boy!).  Come home and eat a delicious dinner (with your dad, too, who came after work) of Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches, Spinach Salad, and chips.  And of course that decadent and rich and amazingly chocolatey Molten Lava Cake for dessert (which you must remember the sugar at the very last minute! PHEW!).  Open another gift from your mom - a cute new skirt and top - but forget to take any pictures (besides the obligatory birthday cake candles and fingers pose) of the whole evening.  That should pretty much wrap up your actual birthday.  It'll be awesome.

"no pics at the park, but this sideways video of Sam's first time in a swing"

Finally, a week later, cash in on your gift from your thoughtful husband: a sisters night of fun and food.  Instead of going for the laser tag he suggests, you should probably opt for some cosmic bowling (with really bad selfie skills, but plenty of laughs) followed by dinner at Formosa (tiny spicy chicken - every. time.).

Last, but not least, rejoice that you have such an amazing life full of wonderful people, family and friends.  And realize you're pretty much the luckiest girl around.  That's it.  Everything you need to make a practically perfect celebration of 31!

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Sam

Whew.  Sam is six months old!  And, actually, by the time this is actually getting posted (because . . . life and stuff keeps me away from my computer more than it used to, which is actually not a bad thing, but it does make getting posts posted in a timely fashion less likely) he'll be closer to seven months!  How is that even possible?  I keep thinking of things that we did last fall and remembering that we did them when Sam was with us, which means that said events or outings happened half a year ago!  How does time go so fast?  I just don't know.  But here are some things you should know about our six-month-old Sammers.

• He has learned to spit - like he sticks his tongue between lips and lets the slobber (or food, if he's mid-meal) fly.  And he loves it.
• He still loves, loves, loves to jump in his doorway jumper (or on your lap while you're holding him).
• He has the biggest and best smiles.  Period.
• His giggles have matured a bit - the other day I got him giggling and he sounded like a kid to me instead of a baby.
• He squawks/shrieks when happy/excited, especially while jumping in the doorway.  We call him our jumping pterodactyl or our shrieking frog.  Here's a video of proof.
• He had his first real cold.  And it was so sad.  He's always been a stuffy-nosed sort of guy, but this was super stuffy/super green snotty + coughing + not wanting to eat.  Poor baby.  Lasted about a week, but he seems to be doing great again now, thank heavens.
• He pushes up on his arms to lift his whole chest off ground.  He hasn't figured out how to the get the legs underneath him yet, but he sure does want to move.  He'll do a push up, then flop back down to his tummy with his arms and legs going a million miles a minute.  Someday he'll get everything coordinated and be off like a shot.
• He does move a bit: by pushing himself backwards on his tummy.  He can also pivot and turn using those strong arms.
• He can sit up unsupported for a few seconds, or longer with the boppy (unless he gets too excited about reaching for something or kicking his legs and tips over).
• He LOVES bathtime.  He splashes like crazy in the tub, and more often than not, I leave the experience almost as wet as him.  He can make that water move.
• He has eaten oatmeal, applesauce, prunes, sweet potatoes and squash and was up to a couple "meals" a day until he got sick.  Since then we've sort of had to start over from square one with his shut mouth or tongue smile (to stop the spoon from sneaking in while he grins) or new spitting skills.
• He's still quite a sporadic sleeper - some (more like a couple) nights with 4-5 hour stretches between feeds/wakings, but most nights it's more like 2-3 hour stretches.  And the past few days it's frequent wakings plus refusing to stay in his crib.  I'm hoping it's teething and when these stinkin' teeth finally break through he'll at least sleep on his own again.  For however long that will be.
• His spitting up has dropped drastically in the past month.  (Thank heavens.)

And now its time for (too many) pics.  I didn't actually take these on this six month birthday, but I did take them the day after.  So they are fairly accurate.  Even if the post is late.

Watch Samuel grow: 5 months | 4 months | 3 months | 2 months | birth