A Few Videos of Ross's Skills, Talents, and Tricks

So we're hanging in here at home.  Ross has discovered a whole new territory with crawling, standing, and scaling furniture.  Nothing and no one is safe now.  Doors must be closed, trinkets placed higher, and guards staked at every corner.  Little chubby fingers are just too eager to explore everything within reach.  
I just finished another sewing project for Ross.  He looks quite hilarious in shopping carts attempting to get comfortable - so I made a cover for it he can sit cozily in.  If you don't look too closely at the stitching it looks pretty good.  What can I say? I get too lazy to baste stitch things together.  Anyway - my new project was inspired from my friends' blog here .  I'm making some soft jingly balls for Ross with some fun material of sharks and monsters.  Super easy so far.  
We've enjoyed Steve this weekend.  He tells us this is the last weekend before Spring Break that he'll be able to lull about with us and not be married to his studying for tests.  This morning we had pancakes - even Ross - except he had a few substitutions for his...he wasn't completely sold on them, but in about a month I'm sure his tune will change.  Here are a few pics of Ross.  This is what happens when I'm trying to take his picture now...

This one turned out half decent. :)

Anyway - here are some fun videos 

Ross gets into these moods where one word becomes hilarious - this time it was Tiki Tiki Tembo's name....
 

This is the way Ross has found is easiest to get down from standing...

 

This is the transferring of body from chair to coffee table...

 This is Ross's response when he's about to be got!

Then it's when he's on the floor about to be got...

Ross has also become Fozzy Bear....

 

Baby Bums...

So Ross has been a bit of a bum lately - pun intended!  Haha.  Well - he has developed this idea that waking up at around 5:30 sounds like fun for one reason or the other.  Maybe just because he feels the need to talk to himself for a while, or wants a cuddle, or disorientedly rolled onto his belly and forgot how to roll back...or like this morning - peed through his diaper.  He was quite distraught about it this morning.  Our little schedule has been thrown off today so we'll see how it goes.

He was also a bit of a bum when yesterday I bundled him up in the morning to go out for me to exercise.  We were doing just fine until a couple of cute little dogs came to investigate us and gave a little lick to Ross's hand.  He didn't know how to respond until we'd been around our loop once and then promptly started crying.  I was a bit bewildered because Ross loves going on walks outside.  We'll have to try again today.  

He's also developed a fear of blenders - even the look of them! :)  And the fear of those little boingy door stops.  I find it quite humorous to watch him flick it, listen to the noise, start crying and look to me for comfort only to turn and flick it again when the noise has stopped...on a positive note - he's not scared of vacuums - he's quite fascinated by those, and he's definitely not scared of plugs, cords, anything technology related.  He'll scramble for those the second the possibility presents itself.

Anyway - on to bigger and better things.  I have a new sewing project of making a cover for the little seat in the shopping cart for Ross.  He's hilarious when you put him in the cart.  He isn't quite sure what to do with himself.  Should he lean back?  Should he lean forward?  What should he hold on to?  He just never can decide.  Well - I decided for him that a little comfy cover would make him feel a bit better about things when we go shopping.  

Ross has been enjoying scaling anything within reach to move about the room.  He can be quite brave trying to reach from the couch he's holding on to the chair - or me - apparently I've just become another piece of furniture for him to climb on that transforms into a cow occasionally.  He still likes to just stare at you like he doesn't understand when you're telling him something is "not for babies" and then go back to doing whatever he was doing...and then turning back to stare at you to see if you're going to do anything.

I have also come to the conclusion that Ross is becoming more and more of a daddy's boy.  Whenever Steve gets home - I'm quickly thrown to the dogs in exchange for Daddy.  Ross will even cry if I take him back from Steve right after he gets home.  I think Ross has been harboring hard feelings towards me from using the blue bulb to suck out his nose all the time.  I should make Steve do it so I'm not the only bad guy here!  

I just found out my best friend Maren Dille is coming to visit in April!!!  She has Ross's betrothed who she will be bringing with her - so we've got to work on some tricks and skills with Ross for him to impress her.  So much to do! :)

We also have my parents coming to visit in March for Ross's birthday!  We are so excited to have some grandparents come spoil this little boy some more.  It's not like he's an only child or anything. ;)

Well - mostly I just wanted to post these cute bum pictures of a boy who will try to climb up on anything.  He may be a bum - but he sure is a cute one...and has cute one. ;)

He'll probably be embarrassed when he's older - but just look at those legs ;)

What a little bum. :)

Happy Valentine's 2012!

Well - I think this is the most I've ever gotten into Valentine's Day!  I think finding some fun ideas on Pinterest inspired me to make the most of it. Here are a few of the ideas I found.  Steve sure enjoyed all the surprises and little treats.  We had a great fun day.  

We started it out with a breakfast from the heart. ;)  Steve couldn't remember the last time I made him breakfast - yes - so this was a momentous occasion.  It turned out quite cute, and it was super delicious!

 
I also learned how to properly melt chocolate as I made some chocolate dipped strawberries, and I made some delicious molten chocolate lava cakes - the kind you get on a cruise or at a fancy restaurant.  Ross was a very happy little boy during the day and towards the evening remembered he is currently an only child and can scream for whatever he wants.  However, he did go to bed quickly and quietly and stayed asleep for most of the night so Steve and I could enjoy a romantic Valentine's evening. :)  I was trying to take cute pictures for his first Valentine's Day...I miss the days when he would just sit there and smile for me.  He's way more fun now - but I have to get creative to get a decent picture out of him now...and still - it didn't turn out.

Hmmm - a nice paper...

Why would I look at the camera when there's a colorful picture to look at.

I don't care if you're making every embarrassingly crazy sound there is in the world, smiling is for 9 month olds...

Okay - I'm done with this...

What do you want??

Oh - here's a smile.  My favorite is how his hand is positioned - it would have been perfect with him holding the sign!!  I guess I'll have to take care of that for him...

So with all these magazine worthy photos I've just taken - here's what I came up with in the end...

Happy Valentine's

By the time I had our romantic dinner made it was close enough to "getting Ross ready for bed" time that we delayed our dinner.  When we came back I heated it up - and it was still quite delicious if I do say so myself...just take a look. :)

Steve already enjoying the night!

This is the first time I've cooked Filet Mignon - it was quite delicious actually.  Yum.

The beautiful flowers got for me even though I told him he could get them later. :)

Our molten chocolate lava cake...it was pretty amazing - and simple ingredients too! 

    Steve has been pretty crazy busy with school, so I had fun planning our Valentine's.  He quite enjoyed it too.  We finished the night off with a round of Mario Kart...yes - we're that obsessed.  We can be quite brutal to each other playing it too...what a way to spend Valentine's. :)

And theTables Have Turned...

Well - as we speak - Ross is still experimenting with his new found tactic - tantrums when it's nap time.  I thought this wouldn't happen until he was at least 18 months or older.  He's quite the performer.  He started it yesterday.  Steve and I were both bewildered when he was screaming his little guts out for about 15 minutes before passing out into dreamland.  Ross NEVER does that.  He has ALWAYS been so good about going to sleep.  If anything he would just chatter to himself until he fell asleep after being put in his bed.  It seems as of yesterday his room was as nice a place as roaming through a barren desert.  We'd walk in there with him to change him or get something and he would start his fake crying.  When he first started his tantrum during nap time, Steve and I thought something was wrong - so we got him back up twice...both times the second you picked him up - happiness and laughter...the kind of laughter that makes you feel like the victim of a bad joke.  Now we parents may be a bit thick - but after the third time of getting him up we caught on...and after 15 minutes of tantrumming he was out for the count in the weirdest position you could imagine.  A favorite of mine was having his face smashed up against the netting of one of the sides with his leg propped up on the other.  Should have taken a picture - darn.
Today apparently is no different.  He's given up though after 5 minutes this time.  Hopefully he'll catch on.  He's had a bit of a runny/congested nose lately - so the blue bulb has become a foe of his.  I used to be able to give him a toy to distract him and he wouldn't care, but after a few times - this smart cookie caught on - he's fought me every time the bulb comes in sight.  I've found though - he's been fake crying more and more.  Huge tantrum this morning while I was sucking his nose out, but the second I was done - happy as a pig in a poke...so - it's time to figure out the tantrum stage I guess and not jump every time he cries.  
Cute Ross is getting more independent as we speak.  He loves practicing standing up - unless he's in a position that he thinks is too tricky for him.  He likes scaling the couch and sometimes practicing walking around - his feet are still trying to catch on to that one.  He loves to play with cords...and doesn't like being taken away from them.  If you call him on it - he just tries to throw you one of his winning smiles to assure you he has everything under control.  And then looks at you with disbelief and a touch of disdain as you drag him away from the "not for babies" area.  I think one of his favorite toys is a toy hammer used to smack balls into a drum bucket.  We like to yell "Hammer!" like Thor whenever he's playing with it.  
Ross also likes to use you to get where he's going.  He has no problem grabbing, twisting, pulling, or smacking any part of you to scramble to something he sees.  He has become the ultimate bottomless pit when it comes to finger foods or any real people food you give him.  I have to stop him eating at times because I'm worried he's over doing it and will get a belly ache.  Today he ate yogurt, cheeries, scrambled egg, toast, and a bit of sausage...and I had to stop it again.  He could care less about strained foods now and gets mad when you offer it to him.  
I've also found Ross is a player.  Last night we went with our friends the Listers to Red Robin for dinner (I had to get out after 3 days of Ross's cold and being stuck inside).  The waitress doted over him and was trying to get him to smile when we first sat down...he just stared at her with his big blue eyes and then showed off how he can put cheerios in his mouth.  When she came back - another waitress had stopped to coo at him and he smiled at the her right in front of our waitress.  Of course jealousy occurred and Ross just relished in it.  He would try and slump all "Joe Cool" like in his high chair swinging his legs nonchalantly drinking his sippy cup and snacking on his cheerios.  Finally towards the end he gave our waitress a smile.  Obviously he wanted to leave with her wanting more.  Haha - I'm not sure what we're going to do with him.  ;)  We had a good laugh though.
I think I could go on for ages about Ross - how he likes to poke out his belly when he's getting frustrated or likes to be swung around everywhere, or still sucks on his toes, and gives slobbery mouth kisses, or will choose one person that makes him cry whenever he looks at them (when he's in a grumpy mood) and then will love them the next day.  How he loves baths and trying to stand up in the bath, or watching cars go by outside.  He just is a bundle of fun.
Steve survived another grueling week of tests.  He didn't come home each night until at least 8 - which made for pretty long days.  It was like being in single mom mode.  He did well though - and we're happy.
We did pretty well with our tax return which has allowed the moon and stars to align so I can get a nice SLR camera.  I'm so excited - I've been researching for a while.  I have just resurfaced as well because I got addicted to another book.  Yes - that's why blogging has taken a bit.  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton is quite the read.  I couldn't put it down.  It's about a girl that was found on a dock from a voyage from England to Australia with no one to claim her.  A family takes her in, she grows up, finds out half the mystery and then passes away only for her granddaughter to solve the rest.  The characters were so bright and then dark and the mystery was killing me the whole time.  It was super tempting to read the end of the book about a bajillion times.  I was kind of creeped out the entire read too.  I loved it because it would jump from time periods giving you clues here and there of what had happened.  I totally recommend it if you want a page turner.  Absolutely delicious.  
I supposed I need to start cleaning again and being productive when Ross is asleep instead of curling up with my book every spare moment.  That's what happens - every time!  
Anyway - there's an update. :)

Attempting to climb up...

The "stuck" position

Halfway there...

He has so many hilarious little faces...what a goof :)

So this is my Valentine's wreath - yes a DIY one - I've finally started on one of those things.  It's supposed to be a heart - but I couldn't find one, and was happy just to get a wreath itself!  This is where I got the idea.

What a cute boy...mmmm - just love him!

    
Ross is playing with his toys above and showing off his new learned skills below. :)

If You Build It...He Will Come

So since Ross has become more mobile, obviously - he needs to be distracted from being attracted to everything he shouldn't be getting into.  I have found one almost unfailing tactic that gets him every time....

 

Freedom...

Well I'm sure most of you won't believe it, and I'm sure we're being judged, but Ross just finally went into his own room.  Yes...FINALLY.  We were planning to do it ages ago, but one thing or another kept coming up.  First off - Steve thought Ross would be really lonely all by himself...I was the light sleeper out of us though so I was wanting him in his own room much earlier...but I felt guilty...well that and plus it was easier to take care of him when he was just at the base of our bed anyway.  But then you look at the cons - snoring is out of the question - opening drawers or reading before bed - not a chance in heck.  We decided when he was around 7 months we were good with him going in his own room...and then we had family coming to stay with us so we figured we'd just keep him with us till they left...and then we had more family come...so we figured we'd just keep him with us till they left...and then we went home for Christmas which was set up for us to share a room with Ross anyway...so we figured we'd just keep him with us till we left...and then Ross concocted the croup right when we got back...so we figured we'd just keep him with us till the croup left...And now - here we are - Ross almost 10 1/2 months old - and he's finally into his own room.  I wonder if it also had to do with his room being where all our storage is too - not too homey.  SO - I went to town on it this last week and performed a miracle!  If you looked in the closet in Ross's room - you would think it was a work of art.  It is AMAZING how much stuff I fit into that little space - and it's even fairly easy access too.  I'm considering going out for hire and becoming a professional closet-junk-packer.  I was very proud of myself - well - still am! :)  Ross's room looks more like a room now which has put me at ease about him being in there by himself.  I forgot what it was like to read in bed...and I love it!  It's funny how little things like that can make such a difference!
We also finally lowered his crib down for him to sleep.  (Yes he's 10 months old and we hadn't lowered the crib.)  Ross is one content little baby.  When he was 2 months old - you would be holding him and he would start fussing.  So - you lay him on the ground on his back and he would be happy as a clam.  He never saw a need to roll around or get moving.  He took forever to roll over.  Sitting up was normal, but crawling hasn't been one of his goals in life either I think.  He does an army crawl now which he quite enjoys, and rolls here and there.  He's just barely been pulling himself up at times, but never tried it in his crib - so we left him as he was.  I'm definitely not complaining that he's just now getting mobile.  He's just a funny sort with how chill he is about getting around. Although he's getting more restless now.  Church yesterday was like doing an acrobat's act in the circus!  Ross wanted to sit, then stand, then have you hold him, only to want to go to someone else, then back to you, then back on the floor - all in the midst of being tired for his nap that he was of course missing for church.  (That's the only downer of having your child trained to sleep in his bed - there's no chance EVER he'll go to sleep anywhere else unless he's beyond exhaustion and put up a good 2 hour fight.)  We adore him though - he's such a goofball. 
I am convinced if we had believed in reincarnation - Ross would have been a monkey and a puppy in the life before.  He likes to pant and flap all his arms and legs with his tongue sticking out when he's excited, whines like a puppy, loves it when you rub his belly, and chews on everything.  THEN - when he's playing with a toy on his back, he ALWAYS uses his feet to examine and hold it along with his hands.  He loves to grab everything too...REALLY hard...things like - your face.  Steve has some battle wounds that Ross left on him from that.  If it's been a while since I've clipped his fingernails - then you're a goner if he gets his grip on you.  He's a great pincher too.  I think he could defend himself solely on pinches when it comes down to it.  So there you have it - a monkey puppy - a ponkey, or a muppy.  Whatever he is - he sure it cute and kissable.  I just love it when we go in to get him up how excited he is to see us.  He'll give kisses to you which consist of an open mouth and a tongue lick - but kisses nonetheless.  He's figured out how to put balls into the right holes now in his little drum, and he loves touching the parts in the touch and feel books we have.  Ross has also mastered the fake cry to a tee.  It's very impressive - maybe he'll be an actor someday too.  He still adores his Johnny Jump Up.  He becomes Tarzan when he's in it yelling at the top of his lungs while swinging and bouncing around.   I love walking into his room after he's fallen asleep in some insane position - smashed up at the top of his crib, completely upside down, or half out of his pajamas and blanket - he really is a little monkey.   I just can't imagine life without that little Roscopants.  We just want to eat him up all the time!  
So there was Ross's little update.  Steve is hanging in there with school.  He's been getting back into the studying phase.  We decided we are going to plan some outings for him to look forward to - the school, home, sleep, school routine is getting a bit old for him - so we're going to shake things up a bit and doing some venturing out.  He's brilliant though - and so dedicated.  Ross and I are so proud of him.  I've been finally buckling down and taking a look at how to do food storage...I was reading the story of the 10 virgins and their oil lamps again in the New Testament, and realized - wow - I could be the one with no oil - I have the lamp (or the outline of what I should be doing - and even have the means of doing it) but is it full and ready?  I know that parable is used so many different ways - it's really a beautiful parable, but it stuck out to me this time as regarding food storage.  So I put together our 72 hour food kits (wahoo!) and am working on getting the rest of the 72 hour supplies gathered...then it will be working on having a little bit of a food storage.  We're poor college students who aren't going to be staying here forever - so it doesn't really make sense to have 2 years worth yet.  I'll be setting the goal at 1 month and then 2 months, and then hopefully I can get to 3 months before I sort ourselves out wherever we settle with the 2 years.  
I also started a book club with some sisters in our ward.  My goal is to keep it simple and casual - which so far so good.  We're reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  I'm super excited.  
We've had a few nice sunny days lately which have been fun to go and enjoy.  I really haven't minded the spurts of rain we've had.  It really hasn't been a bad winter at all.  Rather odd I think.  I'm not complaining though.  It's been nice to enjoy.  
Well - there's an update!  Whew.  

Ross and Steve addicted to Angry Birds.  Steve even got his dad addicted to it too!

Such a cute face!  He scratched his poor cheek with his own monkey grip!

So Ross has this shirt from when he was 3 months old, and I found this 18 month one for 75 cents!  Too bad I didn't take any pictures of the other one when he was little.  Dang!

Ross exploring the new wonders of his bed.

Doesn't he just look like he's up to mischief?

So I LOVE Bajio's Shrimp Tacos and found a recipe that was strikingly similar.  It was delish!  I love a good honey glaze shrimp and mango salsa!

Ross and Steve playing fort.  Ross couldn't decide if he was in or out.

When we went to New York with our good friends The Dilles - pretty much our shopping experience consisted of a magnet, crazy socks for Steve, a onesie for Ross, and this sharp New York Suit I got for him at Century 21.  Doesn't he look adorable?!

Such a stud!  Don't worry - Steve got dressed for church too. :)

 Above is Ross feeding himself!

Here is Ross the Puppy:

Water Fights??

We had quite an evening tonight with Ross.  Everything was going per usual.  Ross had eaten his dinner and I was about to give him a bath in the tub.  It's Steve's job to undress him and bring him to me, and then, after bathing him, Steve takes him back and gets him in his pajamas.  Quite routine.  
Tonight as Steve was bringing him in to me, I was teasing him to watch out so he wouldn't get peed on by a naked baby.  Steve of course proclaims with his nose in the air "I haven't been peed on in months!"  He always assures me that Ross just pees in the bath water while I'm bathing him too so he doesn't have to worry about getting peed on afterwards either.  Well - while I was bathing Ross - he was just splashing up a storm.  I was teasing Steve not to come in or he'd get soaked.  Obviously Steve sneaks on in to play with Ross.  Right as he stepped in the door, I took a big cupful of water and splashed it at him - mostly getting the floor and barely touching him.  I attempted again in vain.  Steve laughed and teased me while he got Ross out of the bath.  
As I was cleaning up in the bathroom I decided Steve needed a little cleaning behind the ears.  I used the squirt bottle I got from the hospital and filled it up nice and full, (with warm water - I'm no so mean as to use cold...this time.) and then sneak attacked Steve with it right on his head.  He sat there quite stunned and I was very pleased with my success.  He was calling back threats of revenge as I went to finish cleaning up, when suddenly I heard him yell in complete surprise!  During all this time of pouring water on Stephen, Ross was lying naked on his towel in front of him waiting to be dressed...well I'm pretty sure Ross thought Steve wasn't soaked enough and really wanted to contribute, because he added his little fountain of love all over Steve's legs and pants.  He stopped for a moment when Steve yelled out in surprise...but then happily emptied the rest of his little tank all over Steve.  I believe this just goes to show you shouldn't call your victory before the race is over...or just don't let naked babies pee all over you.  A very sound piece of advice if I do say so myself. ;)