Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Costume Party 2012

Last weekend we reluctantly left the babe with Sam's parents (I say reluctantly not because I didn't want to leave him with the grandparents, just because I didn't want to leave him) and attended an out of town costume party with some friends.  Sam and his brother had been planning on being Willie and Jase Robertson from Duck Dynasty for some time (I'm proud to say it was my idea since Sam wanted to be something that embraced his beard).  When we found out that they would have a Phil with their group too, we decided to ditch my costume (I had secretly been working on a duck costume) and add Uncle Si.  Our costumes were good enough that people who don't even watch the show knew who we were.  I loved being Uncle Si because I got to walk around saying things like "let 'er rip, tater chip" and "it's on like donkey kong" and calling people Jack all night long.  Don't worry, the boys didn't have any shells for the shotguns at the party and they forgot about the duck calls in their pockets shortly after arriving.

I didn't get pictures of many of the other costumes, but here are the few that I did get.  At one point, Sam was walking around taking pictures with what I assumed was our camera.  Turns out, it was the host's.

Big Tex made an appearance.

Wooderson and Slater were there.

I'm not sure who this guy was supposed to be, but all of the other guys seemed to know.  He put a LOT of time and effort into his costume.

I have to say a HUGE thanks to the in-laws for staying at our house with Joseph and the dogs all weekend so we could have a little down time.  You guys rock! 

Momma Needs (Make That Won) a New Pair of Shoes

Last Thursday, we drove to Oklahoma City to participate in The Red Coyote's weekly Pack Pint Run.  This was our second time to "run with the pack," and we will definetely continue to do so when we can.  Pretty much, it's a 5k without the entry fees and pressure, you meet at the store at 6pm, then, as a group, run a 5k route.  It's actually a there and back route, so if you can't do the whole thing (or have little kids running with you), you just turn around early.  Everyone is very friendly and encouraging even though most of the regulars are marathon runners and they can easily smoke us newer runners.  When you get back to the store, they even have COOP ale for everyone to enjoy.  Sometimes they have bigger events like when the Brooks bus was there and they had a mini block party.  Seriously, if you live in the area you should check them out sometime.  We have had a blast both times we've gone. 

Back to the topic at hand, last week they held a Spooky Pack Pint Run.  Everyone was asked to dress in costumes and they had a contest after the run.  Of course, I couldn't pass up a chance to dress Joseph and I in coordinating costumes. 

Since his lederhosen hat was actually a Peter Pan hat, I decided to reuse it and dress us up as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell (I tried to get Sam to be Captain Hook, but he wasn't feeling it).  I wish I had a video of the contest itself because our little boy worked the crowd.  They started the contest with a few groups of costumes.  Based on cheering from the crowd, they selected the top two from each group to come back for the final round.  During the finals, Joseph was fine while the crowd was cheering for everyone else.  When they were all looking at and cheering for hime, he got his pouty face then started to cry.  When everyone stopped cheering and laughed, he turned on the ham factor with one of his big, cheesy grins.  Kiddo, you're a mess :)  One man jokingly commented about my accessory to which my husband responded, "yeah, but she had to push her accessory the whole way."

Well, we won the contest!  The grand prize was a free pair of running shoes!  They brought out a few of their top pairs for me to try on and told me to pick the ones I wanted.  John and Evan won one of the finalist prizes (a $25 gift card!), but I don't have a picture of them to show you.

Peter Pan hung out with Daddy while I tried on shoes.  I just love how his little hand is on Sam's in this picture!

I even broke in the new kicks with a nice little 3 mile run yesterday.  They aren't the coolest looking shoes they had, but they sure feel good.

When I get a copy of the whole group picture, I will add it to the post.  We had Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, old and new Batman, two butterflies, and Mario in our group.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Homecoming 2012

The week of October 20th was OSU's homecoming celebration.  As is our annual tradition, we attended a few of the festivities I mentioned in last year's post.  Next year we hope to attend more since Joseph will actually be old enough to enjoy the carnival and parade.

We started with walk around Friday night.  One of Sam's only requests when we were buying baby items was a backpack carrier and boy were we glad we had it at walk around.  I couldn't imagine trying to push a stroller through the crowds.  Of course, Joseph slept through 90% of the evening.

As usual, the crowds were huge.

Joseph did wake up in time to enjoy the last few house decs.  I think he looks adorable peeking over the backpack, but I am a little biased. 

Can you believe this is our only family pic from the whole weekend.

The next day, we decided to watch the game at one of the tents Eskimo Joe's had set up.  We did this in case I needed to take Joseph home to nap since people would be coming over after the game and we didn't want him to be cranky.  Fortunately, he slept through over half of the game in the noisy tent!  I had a great view of three generations of Parks' from where I sat.

When Joseph did wake up, we broke out the go-pod which made him happy.

Especilly since he found the guy sitting at the table next to us very amusing

After the game, everyone met up at our house for a chili bar which was simple and tasty.  We had everything you might need for hot dogs, frito chili pies, baked potatoes, and a simple bowl of chili.  Of course, I didn't get any pictures.

Joseph is 5 Months Old

Five months, I can't believe it!  This month Joseph became a rolling fool.  He prefers to roll to the right, but can roll both ways if he needs to.  Sometimes I put him at one end of the room and let him roll to the other end, then I either turn him around or carry him back to the starting point and let him start again.  I joke that he might as well be crawling because he can figure out how to roll between furniture and everything.  This is one time that I'm glad we have a sunken living room, at least he can't get out of the room (I'm sure I will be hating this feature when he starts crawling and walking).  I've already posted about a lot of the events Joseph attended during his fifth month of life, so I won't repeat those here, but I am including a few different pictures from the last month.

Joseph - 5 Months

Joseph started eating solid foods this month and he can't get enough! 

He wasn't too sure about the first couple of bites, but after that he was grabbing the spoon to put it in his mouth because I wasn't moving fast enough.  After a few nights of just rice cereal, we started adding veggies.  His favorite is peas, but he will eat anything I give him.

One weekend when OSU wasn't playing, we had a spur of the moment, quick trip to Dallas.  While we were there, we were able to visist Uncle Ty and show him that Joseph was supporting his Aggies that day.

Joseph loves to pull on Sam's beard.  In fact, Sam is hesitant to shave it off now because he is afraid Joseph won't recognize him.

He also discovered the mirror and lambs above the swing this month.  Sometimes I don't even know when he wakes up from nap because he will be looking at himself and playing.


Oh, he also got a new ride this month.  Since he loves his jumperoo so much, we decided to break out the doorway jumper.  We put it in the kitchen entryway so he can hang out while I cook. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Oktoberfest

Since we're always looking for fun, new things to do, Sam and I decided to go to the Tulsa Oktoberfest last week.  We also thought it was a great time to make our little man his first costume... lederhosen.  Since I was unable to find a pattern or online tutorial, I did the best I could to make what I feel like are a decent replica.  I realize the hat is a little Peter Panish, but its the closest tutorial I could find (she added an elastic chin strap, but I didn't have to since Joseph never tried to take it off his head).  My favorite comment of the night was, "He even looks German."  Ha!  He's 3/8 German, so I can see why someone might think that.


Doesn't he look thrilled to be there.

Appearantly, we weren't the only ones with the bright idea to go on Thursday night and beat the crowd.

We listened to lots of great music? 

We couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of Joseph with people in authentic German attire.

This guy asked if we were taking a before and after photo.

Joseph wasn't too sure about the giant chicken.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Juke Joint Jog

Since we didn't get to run an actual 5k at the zombie bolt, we laced up our running shoes and participated in the 25th annual Juke Joint Jog the next weekend.  It was raining, it was windy, I pushed a jogging stroller with a rain cover on it the whole way, and when I finally crossed the finish line I felt like super woman.  When I was in college and worked at Joe's Clothes, I volunteered to help with this race a couple of times, so it was fun to actually participate.  Luckily for me and everyone around, Joseph slept the entire race.  Sam ran the race too (and met me at the finish line with a high five :), but he changed out of his wet running clothes before we took a picture. 


Here is the wole crew:

Monday, October 15, 2012

Cousins ~ OSU Edition

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching my nephew, Bryar, while my sister hosted a baby shower here in Stillwater.  Since it was an OSU game day, Bryar showed up in his OSU gear.  Of course, this warranted a cousins photo shoot.

They started off happy.

But then Joseph got so upset that his taggie couldn't even comfort him.

So I sent Joseph inside with daddy and took a few solo pictures of Bryar.



After a couple of naps and with the help of my sister, I decided to try a cousin shoot again.  They started off happy again.

They even did some bird imitations?

But then Joseph threw another fit.  Cousin Bryar tried to grab his flailing hand,

which only made matters worse. 

So we took a quick side by side comparison picture and called it good.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Zombie Bolt

Last weekend, Sam and I participated in a zombie bolt 5k.  For this particular race you could either run as a mortal or a zombie with the zombies trying to steal flags (think flag football) from the mortals.  Since I don't like the thought of someone chasing me, Sam and I signed up as zombies while our friends John and Heidi ran as mortals.  Originally, the bolter zombies (the kind we were, they had three different kinds) were supposed to run the entire 5k, but during the week leading up to the race, it was announced that we would only be running 80% (skipping the beginning, very middle, and end).  Oh well, we still decided to go enjoy the people watching.  Unfortunately, my phone bit the dust on Monday, so I have very limited pictures to document this glorious occasion.  When Heidi blogs about the race (hint, hint) I will link up to it so you can see her pictures.

We arrived prior to the race so I could have the professionals do my zombie make-up.  My only request was nothing too crazy since Joseph was with us and I wanted him to be able to recognize me.

I think it looked even creepier when I smiled.

Joseph went to the race with us and hung out with Heidi's mom and Evan while we all ran.  On the last leg of the race, we stopped where they were so we could help get Joseph back to the starting line.  Luckily, he wasn't too afraid of me.

Here is an actual conversation that took place that day as we were waiting to board a trolley that would drop Heidi's mom and the kids off where they needed to be (their daughter was participating in a certain area of the race, so Heidi's mom was going to hang out by that area with the boys) when I realized that I wouldn't have time to ride it all the way back before the race. 

Me (turning to the two couples in line next to us that we had talked to a little bit): What kind of zombies are you?
Them: Wanderers
Me: Awesome, she's a wanderer too (pointing to John and Heidi's daughter).  Is there any way that you can help her get the stroller off the trolley at the stop?  I will put it on, but I can't ride the trolley like I had planned.
Guy with his back to me as he turned around: Sure, as long as you don't mind a guy with blood in his beard thouching your baby's stroller.
Me (laughing): I think this is the only time that is acceptable. 

Needless to say, it was a day full of laughs that I will remember for a long time!

Friday, October 5, 2012

What's Up With the Letters?

A lot of people have asked me what's up with the letters in Joseph's monthly pictures.  Well, you know how many people put their babies in onesies with corresponding numbers for their monthly pictures?  And you know how I like to do things slightly different?  Well, I'm spelling out Joseph's name.  So far, he's my little Jose :)


We finally made it to the doctor for his four month check-up Monday and found out that he now weighs 15 lbs 8 oz and it 25 1/2 inches long.  As his doctor put it, he is perfectly average (barely above 50% in both categories). 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tuesday {Ten} Baby Edition

I decided a Tuesday Ten Baby Edition was in order since I haven't written a Tuesday Ten in a while and many people have asked me about baby items, both for themselves (some have asked me directly, some have published blanket questions to anyone that will answer) and as gifts (these have been direct questions) since Joseph joined our family.  Since we were unwilling to buy too many baby items before Joseph arrived, I relied heavily on friend recommendations and appreciated them helping us out (true story - I had a minor freak out as we were driving to the hospital for a false alarm during which I kept saying, "We don't even have a car seat!"  Sam assured me that he would buy a car seat for us before Joseph was ready to leave the hospital.  Since it was just a false alarm, we bought one on the way home the next day.).  So, without further ado, here is my list of top ten baby items.  Some are common "duh" items, some aren't, but all of them have been used and loved by our little family. 

1.} Moby Wrap ~ Yes, I am a baby wearer.  When Joseph was little, he was in the Moby wrap all. the. time.  It gave us bonding time that I hadn't been able to have the last nine months and allowed him to feel comforted while I had my hands free to do stuff.  I still use the Moby when grocery shopping and such.  One big perk of the Moby is that strangers touch him less than they do when he's in his car seat.  At first the Moby seems a little intimidating, but after you watch the online video a couple of times, you will be a pro.  It also grows with your child by offering different wraps/holds as the child reaches various weights and developmental milestones. 
This is 3 week old J in the Moby while I got my thrift on trying to get stuff for his nursery (I promise I will post about it someday).

2.} Muslin Blankets ~ As far as swaddling blankets go, muslin or gauze is the way to go!  They allow you to get an awesomely tight swaddle (even if you don't know what you're doing).  Also, since they are a light weight material, you don't have to worry about the blanket adding too much extra warmth, just dress the baby in appropriate clothes (this is extra helpful in the summertime).  We used the Aden and Anais brand (I know they are available at Target and boutique stores), but I'm sure other brands would work fine too. 

3.} Car Seat Caddy ~ Since we bought the car seat spur of the moment, we didn't bother getting the entire travel system at the time.  I'm so glad we didn't because we talked to some friends and did a little research and decided to just go with the caddy (some brands call it a snap and go system).  I love our caddy!  It's small enough that it easily fits in the back of my Forrester and light enough that I can easily get it out and put it back in the vehicle.  I even ran with it the other night (long story short, a spontaneous out of town run with friends turned out to be an awesome night) and was impressed with how well it did. 

4.} Dirty Diaper Bags ~ Dirty diaper bags are a must, especially when you have a little one that poops as much as our guy.  I use them often including when we are on car trips and will have to carry the diaper with us for a little way and when we are visiting people (because really, who wants to smell dirty diaper every time they open their trash can.).  They even come with this handy little dispenser that clips onto your diaper bag and are lightly scented.

5.} Mesh Bumper ~ Our little guy moves a lot in his sleep.  As in, when I go get him from his crib he has ofter spun 180* and is pushed up against the side. 
Luckily, he started doing this while he was still sleeping in the pack and play so we were able to do a little crib bumper research before we moved him to the crib.  I knew that we wouldn't be leaving the plush bumper in there, but I was worried about him getting an arm or leg stuck through the slats.  We found the perfect solution for us in a mesh crib bumper.  I know, I know, technically you aren't supposed to use a bumper of any sort, but I assure you my husband and I both pressed the mesh to our faces and had no problem breathing through it.  At this point, I am more concerned with him breaking one of his little limbs. 

6.} Mabel's Labels ~ So these totally aren't a necessity, but I still love having them.  Even though he doesn't go to day care, it's nice having Joseph's name on his belongings when I drop him off at the nursery.  The labels on his bottles have already been through multiple steam sterilizations and still look brand new.  I actually got a back to school value pack, but haven't used any of the clothing or shoe tags yet.  I'll let you know how those work out when the time comes.  Since I bought a discount certificate through Mamasource (a deal a day site for moms), they were very reasonable priced (just be forewarned that Mabel's Labels is a Canadian company, so you might get a call from your bank asking about an out of country purchase :).
 
7.} Backpack Carrier ~ One of my husband's only requests was a sturdy backpack carrier.  We went with the Chicco version and both my husband and Joseph love it.  In my opinion, the best part about this carrier is that my husband is willing to wear it.

8.} Car Mirror ~ A car mirror is such a simple thing, but I didn't think about it until I finally started driving with Joseph in the car and wanted to be able to check on him (more often than not, he's giving me his mad face in the mirror). 

9.} Dreft Stain Remover ~ The mom of one of my students last year introduced me to this amazing item.  It works wonders on those stains little ones are known for making.  Now that Joseph drools all the time, I seriously spray the neckline of all of his onesies as I put them in the washer.  In case you are wondering, the Dreft stain remover is located in the baby section, not with the laundry products.

10.}  Pack and Play ~ This is a fairly common item, but I'm still including it because we use it a lot.  Joseph slept in it for the first three months and still uses it at least a couple times each month as we tend to travel a lot.  It's very easy to put together and pack up, provides a comfort zone for him since he is familiar with it, and solves the problem of us having to figure out where he will sleep while we are traveling.  We got one with a newborn sleeper level which was very convenient when I was getting him out multiple times per night at first.  Our pack and play also had this cool little attachment that would vibrate it, such a lifesaver. 

And there you have it, my top ten baby items.  I also love our Go-Pod, but don't feel that we've used it enough to include on this list.  Oh, and our swing.  I don't know what we would have done without our swing those first few weeks.  J still naps in it daily.  What are your favorite baby items?