Firsts

Last week Noah and I did a lot of things for the first time.  And not little things either.  My cousin, who is the closest thing I have to a sister, had her daughter's first birthday party on Saturday.  Of course, we wanted to be there.  Except she lives in New Jersey and the Husband was going to be out of town on business.  I felt like there were a lot of logistics associated with traveling alone with a very mobile toddler, but once I realized I'm going to a baby friendly home with a pack-n-play, car seat, toys I was pretty much sold.  Grab Noah, grab a suitcase and go!  Unfortunately, I did have to bring a car seat, which gave me heart palpitations.

On travel day, I was hitting up the bathroom while we were waiting for our taxi (if you know me, you know that I pee all the time!) and Noah kept coming in and out of the room.  This in of itself is not unusual.  But then I realized he was opening and closing the door.   I was proud and having an 'Oh Shit' moment all at the same time.  Luckily, he doesn't spend all day opening and closing doors yet. This coming from the boy who would climb the oven- maybe I'm finally getting a break!

Next came Noah's first taxi ride.  Less than 20 minutes later, we were at RDU and I had Noah, a car seat, a 44lb suitcase, and my old diaper bag; Kate Spade was deemed too small to make the trip.  Deep breath, and I threw Noah into the Ergo.  I bought a Brica car seat bag with wheels a few days before our flight.  Car seat rolling behind me in the right hand, suitcase in the left, OiOi across the body and into the airport we went with the baby monkey on my back.  It actually was very smooth!  I decided to gate check the car seat, which is a bit of a pain in the ass but I'm nervous about checking it and will take a free seat on the plane any day of the week (though both our flights were full this time).  Got through security easily, bought a coffee and lunch to go and played around at the gate a little bit.  Both of our flights were so easy and considering it was Newark, barely delayed (20 minutes late on the way out, on time on the way home).  Noah was very good on the plane, and just sat on my lap, read some stories, ate some snacks, played some games.  On the way home, the man next to us slept the whole time so I think that speaks for his behavior!  Of course, to Newark is only about 59 minutes of actual air time so that helps.  But seriously, the traveling was not as bad as I thought.  The Ergo was definitely the most important piece of the puzzle for us.

Have trains, will travel.

First birthday parties are always fun and Noah capped off the day with his first bath with cousin Paige.  He wasn't as excited about that as everyone else was, including Paige.  But it was so funny to see two little baby bellies in the tub together.

And our last first of the weekend was when we arrived home Sunday.  After a Father's Day dinner at our favorite, Nanataco, Noah got a solo bath at home.  It became pretty clear that some other business was about to happen to defoul the clean water.  I grabbed Noah and dangled him over the big potty and told the Husband to get his little potty from downstairs.  Now, we have this baby potty because a few months ago Noah was getting interested in the potty.  He will sit on it, but has never actually christened it.  But Sunday, Noah peed and pooped on the potty for the first time!  We were all very excited!  And the Husband took some photos that perhaps invadedNoah's privacy just a bit.  I won't share them here; I don't want his first boss to Google him and find them.  We'll just save him for his first girlfriend when he's 15 to break them out.  So we've been using the potty a little bit, but no pressure.  I'm not sure I'm ready and I'm pretty positive he's not either.

Dumping May

I've been a little lazy with keeping up with the blog lately and I'm not even sure what is taking up my time.   So here is a Photo Dump of the whole month of May since I pretty much neglected Sandy Pages.

May 5- Just a day at the beach in Ocean Isle.  Noah stayed in this position for about four hours.  I got one of the worst sunburns I've had in a while from hoovering over him for just as long.

May 9- Healthy Moms PJ playdate at Brilliant Sky Toys.

May 13- Mother's Day.  Snack time at Foster's Market after our planned Duke Gardens picnic got rained out.

May 15- testing out a friend's wagon.  Noah loved it- 2nd birthday present perhaps...

 

May 16- We started the day with a little reading in bed with the gang.  Then a trip to play with the new turtle sandbox Noah got at my mom's house.  Most of the sand, along with the rock landscape ended up in the water ring around the sand, surprise!

 

May 18- Another campus bus trip. Someone looks like a student already with his gear on.  This time we hit up Sugarland's for some cupcakes and gelato (yes we had both and it was delicious). Then a run and rest in the quad.

 

May 19- Noah's ready to run with me.  He looks like a 70's or 80's workout video man.  Later that day we went to Duke Gardens and had a great Makeup Mothers Day picnic.

May 22- 6 Peonies for our 6th Wedding Anniversary. My wedding bouquet was pale pink peonies. 

We started our anniversary off with a trip to Got To Be NC.  This was a little State Fair and so much fun!

They even had a tractor parade, which as a big hit though you can't tell by his face.

Yup, I'm wearing my wedding dress (hello padded bodice!) on the couch with my cathedral length veil and Tucker too. We went to see Wicked at the DPAC (excellent excellent excellent!) After relieving the babysitter I donned my dress and settled in to watch a little bit of the New Jersey Housewives.  I try my dress every year and it has never zipped all the way up since May 20, 2006 but I still rock it around the house.

 

May 22- Happy Birthday Dad!  A fun family hike at Duke Forest ended in tears because Noah did not want to leave the bridge we were hanging out at.  He cried the whole way back to the car.

May 25- Noah was such a trooper at the car dealership mostly because they had tracks and I brought trains.  He hung out through two hours and a test drive.  Then off to Fridays on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn for dinner with friends.  A fun Friday until I got the loaner car stuck in the parking lot on campus... oops!  (And no, we did not get a new car.)

May 28- We hosted a Memorial Day staff BBQ for the Husband's co-workers; around 28 people and I actually did not stress this party!  Luckily we were able to bring in the main dishes, but I made White Chocolate Strawberry and Cream Cupcakes and Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Drizzle.  AND! It came out of the bunt pan (If you remember THIS debacle).  I also made Rainbow Fruit Skewers but forgot to take a picture.

May 31- Posing in the back yard.  He now constantly goes up to this tree and asks for another photo.

And that was May... 

Not A Winner

I am not exactly an optimist, but when it comes to a prize I truly and honestly believe I am going to win.  Every March I have serious conversations with The Husband about what we will do when we win the HGTV Dream Home. (Me: MOVE to Dream Home immediately; The Husband: SELL the Dream Home without one visit).  I will seriously ask The Husband on Dream Home winning evening if I should change out of my PJs and put on makeup for when they knock on the door. Sadly, they have not knocked on my door ... yet.

So when I entered the Joggermom Marathon, I knew I would win a prize.  I had my eye on the BOB Revolution, but certainly would take a Baby Jogger, or any free jogging stroller!  I finished the Marathon with a few days to spare.  The Marathon really did jump start my running and I felt good about the whole month when I was running (except for my crazy sunburn in the first week).  You can see my Daily Mileage Sheet HERE.

I submitted my mileage sheet and a photo of me and Noah sporting our 'running bib' and waited for the winners to be announced on June 2nd.  Luckily the winners are selected at random and not by who finished first, because no lie some Momma finished on May 3rd!  On Saturday, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw the update from Joggermom Marathon that the winners would be emailed around 9:15am and the prizes are first to respond, first to grab!  So I reviewed the strollers, put them in order of desire, and saved it for quick copy and paste.  I then proceeded to refresh my Yahoo Mail every 15 seconds... okay I'll be honest, every 7 seconds.

At 9:35am, I realized I had not won one of the 7 prizes.  And I was genuinely surprised and saddened.

Good thing I don't play the lottery!  Of course, we do have the obligatory conversations about what to do *if* we won (Me: buy a beach house & new carS; The Husband: contact a lawyer & accountant, 2012 Honda Accord).  Though I do think it's a lot more fun to play any game or contest with someone who is excited because they are convinced they are going to win.

I'm also excited to see my progress in running in black and white on the daily mileage spreadsheet.  I'm going to continue to keep track of my miles in June just because I'm OCD like that.  But the American Tobacco Trail is closing in my area for 9-12 months on June 11th to be paved and extended by bridge over I40.  I'm excited about both of those things; I run much faster on pavement with the stroller and I'd happily run to Southpoint and over I40.  But where am I going to run in the meantime (9months!) and sadly I will have to drive there...

What I'm listening to

I've been doing really well with my Joggermom Marathon. I did have a slight hiccup when I got a little too much sun at the beach.  (read: fried my back to a crisp).  We really had an amazing time otherwise though. Even with my 5 or 6 days off of running I'm 17 miles in and we are on day 16 of the month.   The best part is I'm running longer and keeping or improving my pace (right under 10 minutes a mile).  I've even run my fastest mile pushing the stroller since last fall (8:56!).  I think I get into my groove easier when I'm listening to my iPod.

I rarely change up my playlist so I can easily pace myself with the music.  It took me a long time to get my playlist right.   It's oddly complicated.  How long is the song, what's the beat, do I know the words? The only song I really change around is my slow song.   Some songs I love or find inspirational, or seem like they would be perfect, but just don't work on the run.  Like Sara Evan's Stronger, I love the message of this song but it's too long and too slow.  Even the Dixie Chicks' Ready to Run, it just doesn't make me want to actually run though it seems perfect.  Maybe it's a Country thing?  I'm thinking of switching a song out to J. Cole's Workout.  We'll see..

Here's my playlist:
- Nelly- Just a Dream
I love Nelly!  That's all.
- Florence & the Machines - Dog Days Are Over
This song is one of my favorites on the playlist- it really gets me moving faster.
- Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On
I fell in love with this song when I figured out it has the same back beat as Modest Mouse's Float On.
- Lostprophets - Rooftops
This is my slow song and pretty much the only song that changes on my playlist. It's my rest song.
- Kanye West - All of the Lights
A longer song but there's so many artists that it still feels fresh.
- Nelly - #1
If I played baseball this would be my intro song.
- Glee - Sing (original artist My Chemical Romance)
I don't even know why I've picked this song, but it's my ending song during a 5K race and I kick it up a notch when it comes on.
- DJ Khalid - All I Do Is Win
This would be my other baseball intro song pick. I love this song.  I  do the hand motions while running to this song- it's not me waving at you.
- Chris Brown/T-Pain - Kiss Kiss
I love Chris Breezy, sorry Rhianna. No Air with Jordan Spark? Love!
- Mariah Carey/T-Pain - Migrate
My favorite MC song off the E=MC2 album which I have worn out.  T-Pain always makes me laugh too.

Strawberry Scones & Sentences

Last April we took Noah strawberry picking and had an amazingly awesome time.  We picked, took some pictures, and I baked my signature strawberry pie.  He wasn't walking yet, or grabbing strawberries with reckless abandon. 

This April, we met some friends right before going out of town to pick a few strawberries we could enjoy before leaving.  This trip out was a disaster for me.  I did not have any fun and I'm not really sure Noah did either.  We were both cranky and Noah just kept grabbing, squeezing, and eating all the berries.  Red, green, rotten, off the vine, in our bucket, smushed, dirty, it didn't matter; they all ended up in his mouth or squished to death.  He literally took a bite out of each berry we picked.

Once we returned from our trip we were ready for more strawberries.  This time I felt better about going because the Husband was coming to help reel in my strawberry-vampire baby.  This time Noah picked the berries we asked, was very helpful, and didn't put a single one in his mouth!

 

A week or so later we were out of strawberries again and I needed another fix.  I wanted to make strawberry scones (again).  So out Noah and I went into the heat to see which of his berry picking scenarios would prevail.  It was in the high 80s, and we went after nap (3:30pm) so I knew I was pushing my luck.  But Noah went along with berry picking trip #2 scenario and happily picked red berries and put them in his bucket; not eating a single one again.  In fact, Noah uttered his longest full thought.  It took about 60-90 seconds but he said, "MEEE!! Strawberry. Pick. Red. Bucket."  The translation is, "I'm picking strawberries!  Pick the red ones and put them in the bucket."  I have never been so proud of my little boy!

                                 

At home we made Strawberry Scones from an online recipe/blog (Confessions of a Tart) that I quickly pinned to Pinterest.  I made a single batch a few weeks ago and the dough was a bit sticky but tasted fine.  On this day I made a triple batch and it wasn't quite as sticky for whatever reason.  I always use 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat flour whenever I make any scones.  The only other substitutions I made were to use whipping cream instead of half and half and I used my Kitchenaid.  These scones are amazing!  I have two freezer stashes left, one baked, and one as dough to pop in whenever the mood strikes again.

The other thing I made with my strawberries is Strawberry Butter.  I thought it was going to be like  Apple Butter you buy in the mountains, but it's much simpler than that- strawberries and butter.  I think I'd use Country Crock butter if I were to make this again instead of Land o Lakes stick butter just so I could spread it easier but otherwise it is what it is.  It was very tasty on my morning bagel; the butter and the jam in one step.  I did roll it and freeze it, per the recipe but it was too messy in the fridge.  Instead I just stored it in tupperware.

Jean's Berry Patch is estimating one week left in their season and this is our go-to berry patch.  But a few others in the area think they'll have about a month left.  Blueberry season is next and we are very excited!

Fashion Friday- OOTD X2

I'm linking up with LC at The Brunette Bride for another Fashion Friday Outfit Of The Day.

I have two outfits today and yes, I left the house in both of them.

#1: Running with the Husband (racking up my Joggermom Marathon miles) and a park playdate for Noah.  I included this because I wore this to a pre-planned playdate with a friend and I 'chose' to wear this.

• old Gap racerback tank top
• Champion by Target sports bra
• Athelta running shorts
• Asics running shoes

#2: From a naptime shower to the end of the day.

• Banana Republic dress
• Flirty Braided Rainbow sandals
• Fingernails are Essie Sugar Daddy (3 coats and it's still really pale) and toes are still (tho re-painted) Ole Caliente

First Trip to the Dentist

When should you take your child to the dentist for the first time?  This question and it's multitude of answers kept "Dentist-Noah" on my to-do list for almost a year.  Noah got his first two teeth together at 6.5 months old.  Around his 12 month appointment our Pediatrician started gently asking us if we'd taken Noah to the dentist.  Whenever I would answer, "No, but it's on my list." She would say it was fine.  Online I've seen recommendations for taking your child as soon as they get their first tooth, within 6 months of the first tooth, at age 1, before age 3, and at age 3. Our magic number is a few days shy of 21 months.

My dentist doesn't see children before age 3, but they did recommend a few Pediatric Dentists they recommend.  After perusing their websites (yes, I always cyber stalk doctors before I pick them) we picked Dr. Mauney at Clifton and Mauney Orthodontists and Pediatric Dentistry.

Lets just say I was impressed.  This was the nicest doctor's office I'd ever seen.  Floor to ceiling windows, furniture I wanted in my home, lots of kids toys, and the kicker, a big chalkboard that said, "Welcome Noah!"  All the hygentists were so friendly and very nice.  We went back and all the chairs are set up right next to each other.  There were 3 or 4 older kids getting their teeth cleaned; all sitting very quietly, relaxed, no issues!  Noah sat in the chair with a few trucks while we answered a few questions.  Then we met Dr. Mauney; he counted Noah's teeth (16!).  There were some tears (Noah's).  Then the hygentist took Noah over to some car ramps while we were able to talk with the doctor and go over questions.  Noah still uses a paci at night and during naps and in the car.  He said it's not causing any problems and we don't need to get rid of it... yet.  We are planning on trying to phase it out by the end of the year (or Noah's 2nd birthday) but we were assured there's no rush and he's still a bit young.  I liked the way our questions were answered with  a few different options, what studies show, and his philosophy on how to solve the problem.

Noah didn't want to leave his cute new lady friends and the fun toys at the dentist.  But he won't have to visit them again for a year.  All in all a great first dentist visit!  For any of my local friends, I highly recommend them.  

(full disclosure: post written without Clifton & Mauney's knowledge)