Photo(s) of the week- Leprechaun photo shoot!

Ok, ok I know I started doing the "Photo of the week" because I was trying to limit myself to posting my (one) favorite photo of the week. But, this week, I just couldn't stick to one.

Freddie's Nana got him an adorable Leprechaun outfit to celebrate his first St. Patrick's day and tonight we had a Leprechaun photo shoot. Freddie has had a fantastic Paddy's day- he had swimming lessons this morning and he dove (leaned) off the edge on his own. His teacher said it was the first time she had a baby dive in on their own! He moved his arms when he was under water and once William brought him up he was full of smiles- so proud of himself!

Then this afternoon we played on the playground in the meadows in the sun. The big hit was not the swings, slide or merry-go-round but the...woodchips! He couldn't get enough of them! Only problem was he wanted to eat them. When the temptation became too much, we headed home for dinner.

Trip to the museum

Freddie and I usually go to the National Museum of Scotland at least once a week. It's a massive museum with just about anything you could imagine in it. We  usually just walk around the main floor for a few minutes and then head to the kid's area but there are actually floors and floors of exhibits just waiting for us.

The museum was remodeled a few years ago and, although I can barely remember what it was like before, I'd say it was well worth the millions they put in to it. The ceilings are incredibly high so there's a very spacious feel, every room seems very well-thought-out and it's really somewhere where I think all ages- baby, toddler, kids, teens and adults can enjoy. It was also recently picked as one of the top ten visitor destinations in the UK. So, if you live in Edinburgh or are visiting- be sure to check it out!

We went yesterday and met two of my friends and their babies there. As always, it's so fun to watch Freddie interact with others close to his age (one of the girls is a month older than him and one is only four days older). They crawl all around and really love to explore. There are musical instruments that they can grab (positioned right at their height- great design!), books they can pull off the shelf, hand puppets, blocks, drums and mirrors. Freddie cannot get enough of the place! His toes are always filthy with dust and he usually falls asleep the second we leave- both good signs he had a good time. :)

Here are some of my favorite pics from the outing.

The impressive Millennium Clock Tower (above) chimes very loudly every hour and always attracts a large crowd. It had just started to chime for 11am when we got there so I pulled Freddie up in front of it and pointed it out to him. I'd like to say he was blown away by the intricate sculptural details but in reality he just stared at the nearby escalator the entire time. Couldn't take his eyes off it! Ha. We'll have to go on it soon.

Freddie taking it all in (above) when we first got to the kid's room. He soon got moving and started exploring and pulling books down off the shelf.

Then it was off to the musical instruments to play a little tune. It took all his strength to reach some of them but when he did, it was well worth it. 











And oh what luck- a random piece of foam right next to the instruments! What a day! This was a huge hit- a lot of kids kept finding it, having a chew and throwing it aside, only for someone else to quickly pounce on it. I'm not sure if it was actually there as part of the toys or if it fell off someone's stroller or something (I'm thinking the latter).

Freddie attempted to escape at one point. Enough of that kid's stuff! He wanted to check out the rest of the place, too. After we played for awhile we took the kiddos up to the cafe for lunch and then it was a walk/run home to get him in bed for his nap. All in all- such a fabulous day!

Traveling tips?

Or "travelling" if you're from the UK. Either way- I need tips! Freddie and I are going to be making our way to Seattle in a week and a half. We are flying first from Edinburgh to Newark, New Jersey, and will have a 4 hour layover there before continuing on to Seattle. The first flight is around 7 and a half hours I think and the second is about 6 (I think- after a few hours you just try to blur out the rest).

I know some of you have flown with babies before and I'd like all the advice, suggestions and tips I can get. The two of us flew to Seattle last year when Freddie was 3 and a half months old and it went very well- he was a dream despite the fact that the airline broke our stroller and I had to spend our 3-hour layover carrying him (on me in the ergo), a backpack and pushing the broken stroller around. I was a sweaty mess to say the least. Freddie didn't seem to notice- he slept a lot of the way and when he was awake, he spent that time smiling and staring at everyone. 

He only drank milk, slept in the plane's bassinet and enjoyed going to the bathroom to lay on the mini-changing table and stare at the fluorescent lights. Now he's 10 months old, eats three meals a day and hates getting his diaper changed. Not to mention I'm skeptical he'll even fit in the bassinet! Anyway, no matter how crazy the trip there is, we can't wait to see our friends and family in Seattle, Kenmore, Vancouver and Portland. Freddie's been wearing his stars and stripes in preparation.

Seriously- if you have any advice, leave me a comment!!!!!!!!!!!

Photo of the week- a lazy Mom!

This week has been a little on the tough side for Freddie and I. I think there's a lot going on with him- getting another tooth, dealing with separation anxiety and trying to remember how to lay himself down when he is standing in his crib. We've had a few early risings too, so those challenges are all made worse by lack of sleep. Poor guy!

I'm trying not to do my usual over-analyzing, trying to figure out what's wrong process. I've decided to just go with it and do whatever gets us through the day in the happiest state. This has included multiple trips to Starbucks for an afternoon latte, eating lots of pasta for dinner (and soup- anything quick!) and some serious slacking in the clothes department (slacking- not lacking, in case you read that too fast).

Now I've never been great at dressing Freddie up in cute, matching outfits. He has adorable clothes, thanks mostly to his Irish side of the fam (no offense to us Americans- we are naturally just more casual!), but I am just too lazy and, especially now, he doesn't want to sit still long enough to get anything on. He would much prefer to just be in his birthday suit all day long.

So, earlier this week we were getting ready to go to the bucks and then the playground and I couldn't find any matching socks. This isn't anything new- I rarely match them up and, even if they do go through the wash together, Freddie likes to carry them around in his mouth around the house and I never know where they end up. But, the problem was, there was only one of his socks in the pile of clean laundry on the couch. I couldn't be bothered to walk the thirty feet to his bedroom to look for another one, so I just put one of mine on his other foot.

It looked ridiculous but his feet were nice and warm and it meant we could exit the house in a jiffy. They both have stripes on them too, so they kind of match anyway, right?

Freddie is 10 months old!

Happy 10 month birthday to our little Freddie! It's definitely been the best 10 months of my life so hopefully the same is true for him. :) In some ways it seems like it's flown by and in other ways, it seems like he's always been here and been a part of our family.

Freddie gets up between 6 and 7 every morning and is, usually, in the BEST mood. He often plays around in his crib for awhile, chatting to himself, before crawling to the end closest to the door and standing up to wait for us. William or I will go get him, sing a good morning song ("good morning" over and over again basically), say good morning to things in the room and friends and family in his poster on the wall and then bring him into our bedroom.

I'll give him some milk (he's always really hungry) and then the three of us will read a book or two before finally getting out of bed. Freddie crawls back to his room with us and gets his diaper changed and dressed for the day (or at least until he gets covered in food and has to be dressed again). The three of us play for awhile while William gets ready for work.

He's getting more adventurous every day and loves a challenge. He likes to find toys or socks or anything if we hide them. Sometimes I put a little toy in his barn and velcro it shut. He furrows his brow and thinks about it for a minute and then, using all his strength, pulls the velcro apart and finds the toy- beaming when he does. He shows his strength pulling himself up on the couch and chair as well and has even started taking a few shakey steps when we hold his hands.

The three of us eat breakfast around 7:30-7:45. Today it was oatmeal with various toppings (dried fruit and walnuts for me, coconut and dried fruit for William and cinnamon and applesauce for Freddie). After breakfast, we sing our clean-up song and clear the table and wash Freddie's hands in the kitchen sink. Freddie and I wave goodbye to William at the door and then again at the window. Freddie is definitely getting the hang (hand) of waving! Yesterday, after we watched William drive off, he sat on the floor and waved his hand at the window above him.

Freddie has a morning snooze shortly after that and I work/clean/blog/do laundry/shower and get ready for the day. When he wakes up, he has some more milk and then we are ready for our first outside-of-the-house activity of the day. Yay! We go to the playground or to the pond to wave at the swans or to story time at the library or to the museum to play in the learning centre. Sometimes I incorporate a run on the way to one of these and he spends that time looking at other pedestrians, the birds or dogs. He prefers if it's not too sunny but doesn't get as frustrated with the sun in his eyes as he used to. I think I need to get him some baby shades!

We're usually back home for lunch. This is the best meal of the day for both of us because Freddie does the majority of it on his own. He has toast with cream cheese and avocado or PB & J or PB & banana. This is usually followed by some fruit (peeled plum or pear or banana or strawberries) and yogurt and then a rice cake or two. We usually listen to Pod-a-doodle-do or a football podcast while we eat. Some of you might not be aware that my other career (other than cancer research and being a mom) is fantasy football manager. I'm superb at it (a couple weeks ago I was 81st of over 2.5 million people) so it's vital I stay clued into any injury or transfer news.

Freddie has another nap shortly after lunch and I work/pump/clean/do laundry/blog and think about what we can make for dinner. When he wakes up, we play for a bit, he has more milk and then we decide what to do for our next outside-of-the-house activity. Sometimes we go to Starbucks and then the playground or museum or the store. When we get back, we see if any of our American fam is on skype and say hello to them. Freddie now knows the sound of skype ringing and gets really excited. I put the computer on the couch and shove it as far from the edge as possible so he can stand up and see it but not quite touch the keyboard.

Before we know it, it's 5pm and time to make dinner. The day flies! Freddie now eats pretty much whatever William and I eat for dinner, which is great. He usually starts with a veggie (loves steamed broccoli and parsnip), then we feed him his main course (pasta, fish, spuds, curry...) and then he has fruit and a rice cake or two for dessert. He LOVES when we hide the rice cake in one fist and then have him figure out which hand it's in.

My favorite time of day is after dinner, when the three of us get to play together. We chase Freddie around the living room, play with his toys and read books. He sometimes has a bath- depending on how much crusty food is stuck in his hair. :) William usually changes Freddie and gets him into his PJ's while I put on a load of laundry or check the weather for the night (I'm obsessed with knowing the temperature so I can know how many layers to put Freddie in- it's a huge OCD thing that I've had since he was born. I can't shake it!)

After milk from me, reading a book and singing a song with his dad, Freddie is in bed and usually asleep in minutes. We've been trying to stretch the bedtime to 7:15 but some days he's just too exhausted to make it past 6:45. It's exhausting being a ten-month-old!

Well, that was long but fun to write! The days go so fast and each one is filled with so many smiles, laughs and snuggles. When he does something cute or funny, I always think to myself- write that down! I never want to forget any of these fun little Freddie moments.