Thanksgiving Catch-Up

We put a quite a few miles on the odometer last week. Warner and I drove to Muncie last Monday and surprised my mom (who had flown in that day) since we weren't supposed to arrive until Thanksgiving. Kevin drove up Thanksgiving morning to join us. We feasted at my Aunt Kathy's house Thursday, drove back to Kentucky Friday afternoon, then hit the road again Saturday for Lexington. The Platt's were gracious to invite my parents (who were still in town) to their family Thanksgiving at Billy and Leslie's, so we enjoyed another meal there.
We visited my Grandma Holbert at her nursing home on Tuesday. It was the first time Warner met his great-Grandma. Unfortunately she has dementia so she didn't remember me, my mom, or my dad (her son). But we were thankful for the opportunity to visit her.
My Mom and Aunt Kathy happy in the kitchen.
My Dad and Warner playing after dinner.
MaNell and I on Thanksgiving. She dyed my hair that day. I'm a brunette! Ha!
Melanie and Katie doing their "best cousins" picture. Whatever.
Warner playing with his cousins, Nanny, and Grammie at Aunt Leslie's house.

Spoon? No thanks.

We're trying to teach Warner to feed himself with a spoon. I read somewhere that children can master this milestone as early as 13 months, but I'm not buying it. I'm pretty sure it will be years before we'll get there.Alright, spoon is in hand. Not quite sure what to do with it, Warner decides to just use his other hand to feed himself.Yes, that is the plan. Just eat with the left hand. Wait, the spoon is coming toward the mouth ... no, that's your nose Warner. The spoon goes to your mouth, not your nose.
Maybe next time.

Hard at work

Warner is fascinated with the computer. Our Mac has a program called Alpha Baby that essentially locks the keyboard and mouse. It brings up shapes and letters whenever the keyboard or mouse is moved.
It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

Grand and Great-Grand Parents

Kevin was off work last week so we drove to Corbin, KY to visit his Grandma Hinkle on Thursday. We had lunch together and then headed to the shop (Hinkle Printing) to visit Uncle Benny, Aunt Kathy, Cousin Chrissi, and baby Kylie Beth. Here's a picture of Great-Grandma Hinkle, Warner, and Kevin. Warner wasn't so sure about Grandma Hinkle at first.Kevin's parents came up Saturday to watch Warner so Kevin and I could go to a wine party. He loved the time with them (as usual) and we enjoyed the night out. The party was a wine tasting of sorts, where each couple brought an unmarked bottle and we then voted on our top three favorites. A $10 bottle (Elvis "The King") beat out the pricey ones, so maybe Kevin will quit making fun of me for buying cheap wine now!

It's hard being Warner. Sometimes.

Sometimes it's not easy being Warner. That may sound like a humorous line (you are right, it is) until you see proof of what his parents put him through.
Like....
After running 3 miles with his Mom,
Grocery shopping with his Dad,
Being fed his favorite snack (cheese and crackers) out of his high-chair,
Playing in the kitchen cabinets while his Mother prepares supper, and
Wearing whatever his Mom and Dad can wrestle on him. Warner will let you be the judge.

Happy birthday, Emme

My cousin MaNell and I have always been close. With an 18 month age difference, mothers that are very close sisters, and a childhood spent living nearby, it's not surprising. But after losing Meredith, I am even more thankful now for our relationship.

For Warner, we decided that MaNell would be "Aunt MaNell", since she and I are so close, and "second-cousin-once-removed" doesn't really roll off the tongue. Emme doesn't call me Aunt Laura, but she does call Warner her "baby brother". It's pretty funny.

Warner and I drove to Emme's house Sunday for her fourth birthday party. With each gift she'd open, she'd exclaim: "thank you!". Then, she'd look at the gift and say "what is it?".
We got to see our Muncie family, including Great Grandma and Grandpa Warner. Warner was partial to my Aunt Kathy, probably because she looks and acts so much like my mom. But the peanut butter, brownie, and ice cream she fed him probably didn't hurt either.

Rough Day

Warner fell outside on the deck today and busted his lip. You can't see it that well from the pictures, but he's pretty banged up on his chin and bottom lip. I of course freaked out and cried right along with Warner. He bled for a while but it seems to be healing okay. I called the pediatrician (imagine that) and they told me they don't put stitches inside mouths, so I guess there isn't anything we can do. In the meantime, I'm thinking about making a sign for Warner that reads: "My mother does not abuse me, I'm just learning to walk".

On a happier note, I had a great coupon day. I've started couponing since I contribute zero to our household income at this point. I figure I can at least try to save money while I'm staying home. So, I clip coupons, print them online, and visit coupon blogs for tips. I went to Meijer and Kroger today and got $156 worth of groceries for just $72! And Warner put up with two grocery stores in one day. Definitely a success.

Happy Halloween

Warner was a turtle on Friday for Halloween. After wresting him into the costume for the fourth or fifth time (we had lots of Halloween activities this week, and I'm a mean mother) we tried for some pictures on the front stoop before trick-or-treating. As you can see, Warner was more interested in rolling the pumpkins off the stoop than getting his picture taken. We then played in his house a bit before heading out.Warner wasn't so sure about the whole idea of walking up to neighbors and getting candy.
After visiting a few friends on our street, we headed to the other side of the neighborhood where my Bible study friends live. We met my friends Kelly and Candace and their sons Ethan (chef) and Will (pirate) there.
Warner managed to chew open a package of jujubes and swallowed one piece before we could stop him. We did let him have a pumpkin cookie, which he loved. I'm sure the no-candy-policy won't go over so well next year.

12 Month Pictures

I'm excited to report that we made it out of Portrait Innovations for less than $100 (a first), and got the entire session on CD. Probably should have rolled the pants ... they're a bit too long.

The little things

Some days it seems bedtime will never come. The days drag by and I'm not sure I can handle being a mother for even one more minute. But then the weeks and months flash by and I'm caught off-guard when I realize Warner's a year old. Where did the time go?

I don't want to forget a moment. I want each one etched in my memory, forever in my heart. But my mind (and memory) isn't what it used to be. I can't tell you what I ate for dinner last night or what we did three days ago unless I write it down. So I hope this blog can be my memory in cyberspace.

I started putting Warner's socks up to my nose when I took them off, then in a funny voice said "pee-oooh! Those are stinky socks!". He thinks it's hillarious. So now he pulls his socks off multiple times a day and shoves them in my face. He waits expectantly with a smile on his face for me to sniff, make a face, and say "pee-oooh!". Then he laughs. He sometimes tries to put the socks back on his feet, laying them over his foot or toes. I can just see the wheels turning in his mind ... "I know these go on my feet, but how did she get them on there like that?"
We're working on the word "no". So far Warner's favorite "no-no's" are playing with the fireplace, unrolling toilet paper, splashing his hands around in the toilet, and throwing food on the floor from his highchair. It's hard to be consistent and I often get overly frustrated when I've said "no" one too many times. But I want to remember those moments, too.
He's figured out how many things work. We'll hold him up to a light switch and he'll flip it up, then quickly turn his head to the light to see that it's come on. He also points the remote at the TV to try to turn it on, and has figured out how to turn on the singing snowmen my mom got him (thanks Mom, it's not Halloween yet and I've heard the singing snowmen 100 times already).
Each night Warner takes a bath. We start by crawling up the stairs. This could take 20 seconds, or 10 minutes, depending on his mood. I generally put his milk on the top of the steps as the bait to get him going in the right direction. Once upstairs I chase Warner around his room, trying to pull off his clothes while he's busy pulling clothes out of the dresser or books off the bookshelf. Once the tub water starts running, it's only a few seconds before he shows up in the bathroom, ready to be set in the tub. Bathtime isn't over until Warner tries to throw each of his toys out of the bath and then look at me and laugh. It's so funny to watch me put each of them back into the tub.

What a happy boy. What a blessed Mom.

First Haircut

Warner got his first haircut Friday. It was special because the same person who gave Kevin his first haircut (Jo) cut Warner's hair for the first time. He wasn't too sure about it when we first put him in the chair ...
But thankfully Jo had a hairbrush for him to chew on.
As long as the brush was in his mouth, he was okay with whatever was being done to his head.
The finished product!

Golfing Fun

We enjoyed a few holes of golf this weekend in Somerset. Nanny, Grandaddy, Warner, Kevin, and I played together Thursday night. Warner was interested in driving the cart and playing with the extra golf balls. Whenever we'd let him on the green he'd pick up the balls before we had a chance to putt. It kept the game interesting.
Nanny got an eagle on a par-4, so I think Warner was good luck!