Trial Run

My mind has been crazy with all things related to Lincoln's first birthday party. Perhaps I'm taking this a bit too seriously! I had this strange thought the other night . . . what if Lincoln didn't like his birthday cake? We had never given him cake so I couldn't imagine what his reaction would be, but all I could see was him spitting it out and shuddering. (Obviously he does this with lots of new foods that I give him!) I read that it takes 7-10 tastes before a baby decides he likes a new food, so I figured I better start now! I made cupcakes for our first trial run. Here's the play-by-play of Linc's first tase of cake:

"Hmmmm . . . this is interesting. It feels nice and moist, but I'm skeptical."

"I guess I'll try a big bite to really get the feel of this thing."
"Uh-oh. This bite was bigger than I thought."
"No turning back now. Just shovel it in."
"Glad I got a new tooth to help me with this!"

Luckily he LOVES cupcakes! He ate the whole thing and would've had more! I don't think we'll have any problem with the birthday cake . . . and we may not have anymore problems with gaining weight either! I hope the weight gain only applies to Lincoln. I managed to avoid eating one, but Kevin has had several already. He thinks he's going through a growth spurt too! For now I'm leaving off the icing, but maybe I'll add that next week.

Cute stuff

We finally got a visit from Minnie this weekend. She's wasn't able to come for the longest, but we all made up for it. Minnie and Linc really did some bonding and had a great time. Of course reading books was high up on the list, as well as snacking, shopping, chasing, and WALKING?????? Lincoln took his first two unassisted steps early Sunday morning, and repeated the effort twice Sunday afternoon. I'm sure an independently mobile boy is coming soon . . . am I to be happy or terrified?!?! We're doing our best to document the effort!

I've neglected to post this because I'm afraid of being turned in to CPS, but Lincoln loves his reflection in the oven door! I promise the bottom oven isn't hot when I'm cooking in the top oven. He loves to look at himself in any mirrored surface. Vain already? I'm sure it doesn't help that all he hears is how cute he is!

New (and Old) Favorite Book

Lincoln's newest favorite book is also one his past favorite books . . . Brainy Baby 123s. I've been reading this one since the day he came home, so you think he'd be tired of it. As with everything else he goes through phases, and right now this book is IT! He still likes the other books, but he'll dig through everything to find this one.

He even has a favorite page in his favorite book! For some reason the 7-8 pages are the best. He smiles and giggles when we count the 8 dogs and 8 bones. (Perhaps it has something to do with my 8 woofs!) We always have to pause on this page longer than the rest. Proof that we aren't ignoring the rest of the library . . . this picture shows how he "asks" me to read a book. When I say he asks, I mean he shoves the book in my face for about 3 seconds then drops it (hard) on my foot/hand/head/etc. Gotta be ready, Mom!

Tales from the Kitchen

Sometimes a meal is hard work . . . at this particular meal, Lincoln ate turkey, carrots and cheese. Obviously he was worn out by the effort and fell asleep after the milk!

After a brief rest, he rallied to join Daddy for a bit of ice cream. He loved his vanilla, but was definitely interested in the chocolate chips Daddy added to his own bowl.

11 Months

Personality . . . that's what I have to say about 11 months! It seems that every moment of this month was full of Lincoln's blossoming personality. He is so sweet, so excited, so animated, and also so dramatic, so opinionated and so stubborn. We play cars, read lots of books, throw the ball, and walk (assisted) for fun. He's learning how to put the shapes into the appropriately shaped hole. (He's best at the circle and square.) He loves to crawl under the table and peek around chairs and legs. He squeals with excitement that he's figured out the concept of peekaboo! Walking is still a work in progress. If he can hold onto something, he's gone in seconds! Most of our challenges come at diaper time and meal time. He HATES to have his diaper changed, and I can't understand it. Doesn't he want to have fresh britches? I assure him that it's for his own good - wait, I'm pretty sure that saying makes every kid mad!! Meal time is still challenging, and we both end up in tears occasionally. Sometimes he's interested in eating, and other times he spits out every single thing. Even things I know he likes! Today his favorite foods are cinnamon toast, string cheese, and vanilla wafers. Tomorrow - who knows?

Weight: 19 1/2 lbs - This eating thing is really hampering his weight gain. I hope he gets hungry one day soon!

Height: 29 inches - He seems very tall to me right now, but maybe that's because he's so skinny!

Words: Mama, Dada, Dock - He likes the "ck" sound at the end.

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll have plenty of "personality" blogs in the future!

A little sunshine

We've had one really nice day in the last week or so, and we didn't want to miss out. We even busted out Linc's new sun hat for our stroll. He's really into pointing and talking when he sees something interesting. I stop and describe lots of things along our walk. The new tricycle was a little more difficult to steer, but we'll get the hang of it. Before I know it, Linc will be driving it by himself!

A step in the right direction

Lunge . . . that's what Lincoln does! He will stand by himself when he wants to, which is usually in the bathtub. (Weird, I know.) He really prefers to lean on something or someone, and he really prefers to hold on to something while he walks. When we let go, he lunges to the next person or prop!

I've tried to remember not to carry him from room to room. Instead I walk him wherever we go. He can go really fast holding on to me, and he giggles with glee! One day soon I'll chasing him instead of holding his hands.

Cutie

Just a couple of cute pictures from the last few days . . .

Skinny Pants and the Diet

Lincoln will never have a shortage of clothes! I love to buy him clothes, his Nana loves to buy him clothes, his Minnie loves to buy him clothes, his Aunt Ally loves to buy him clothes, Samantha loves to buy him clothes . . . you get the picture! Also we're part of a hand me down group, and there's lots of good stuff to choose from. We get boxes and boxes to go through, select the items that are appropriate, add our outgrown stuff and pass it to the next family. (I think Lincoln has every Gap and Gymboree outfit from the last two years from our little club!) Of course we put Razorback items on the top of the rotation, and this one is a gem! Skinny pants and a fitted tee are not the most flattering, but he sure looks cute! Perhaps I shouldn't have paid attention to the 12 month tag and brought this suit out earlier.

I haven't aired many details of Lincoln's eating difficulties lately, but there have been many meal meltdowns. Here's the thing - he loves baby food! People food is weird, and Lincoln is always skeptical. A couple of weeks ago we gave up baby food cold turkey, and it's been a wild ride! Some days are great while some days are torture. Throwing food from the tray is fun, as is spitting it out after a taste. I'm not sure I'm glad he's figured that one out! Today's lunch was especially trying. I tried turkey (usually a winner), cheese (always a favorite), rolls (go-to food), french fries (who doesn't like french fries), fish sticks (much to Kevin's dismay, Lincoln loves the fish sticks at school), ravioli (have you met a kid who doesn't like Chef Boyardee), toast (how can that be offensive), blueberries and strawberries (best fruits ever). Here's what we ended up with: Lincoln sucked peanut butter off a spoon! Yes, you read that right. I resorted to slathering a spoon with peanut butter for him to suck on - several spoons of peanut butter that is. You know . . . whatever works!!! I can also report that he ate a wonderful breakfast of bananas and pancakes and a wonderful dinner of turkey, cheese, carrots, crackers and strawberries.
Whew! He was tired after that trying lunch and needed a nap to regroup. We had a fun afternoon of shoe shopping, but this time for Mom and Dad. He enjoyed tearing the paper from the shoe boxes. Again . . . whatever works!

When Dad got home he read a few of Lincoln's favorite books. He likes the ABC book and dances at the end when you sing the alphabet song.

Mi Cocina Baby

Every Friday night you can count on one thing - we'll be at Mi Cocina! The Kuhlmans and the Hoggs started the tradition more than 10 years ago, and they have allowed us (Kevin, me, Lincoln, Jason, Shannon, Eric, Samantha, and Matty) to join them each week. Any friends or relatives coming to town are welcome, and we've had some pretty large groups. It is so much fun to catch up with everyone and chat about what's happened that week. The Hoggs have been a part of every moment as we have become a family, and we count them as our family for sure. No decisions are made regarding wedding or baby showers, rehearsal dinners, wedding plans, vacation plans, or even just weekend plans without a discussion from the group. We are all so lucky to have a special night together. When I was pregnant I developed a serious hatred of Mexican food, but I always made it to Mi Cocina to enjoy the company and suffer through the food. I'm glad that phase is over! Lincoln made his debut at Mi Cocina on Friday, April 17, 2009. He slept peacefully on that first night.

David (the GM) and the staff are so good to us and love Lincoln. He charms them all with his sweet smiles and even has a buzzer reserved for him to play with. One of our favorite waiters has a daughter almost Linc's age, so we get to compare. Now that he's eating people food, we've had a few tastes. He's eaten rice, beans, avocado and tortillas, and I know it won't be long before he's ordering his own meal. For now, a few snacks and bites from my plate are enough. Check out the stylin' little man this week.