6 Months Old

Jonah Buddy is 6 months old. Where did the time go?  Really....where did it go?

Today he figured out how to crawl.

He's already into everything, but thankfully he's pretty slow still.

 Yes, that's right Jonah....I caught you. 

Jonah is also eating real food now.  He's eaten avocado, bananas, sweet potatoes, and peas.  All of which were pureed with love by his momma.  He likes everything with a little fresh ground pepper.  I walk around his chair with my pepper mill and ask, "would you like fresh ground pepper on that sir?" 

He loves being outside. (Good thing since we're outside so much for baseball games these days.)  He went swimming the other day for the first time and loved it.  Splashing water is fun!  

I feel like the next 6 months will fly by.  Before I know it we'll be celebrating his first birthday.  How will I handle this little one growing so fast?

Photo Shoot Rules to Follow

I am not a professional photographer.  

For every decent picture I take there's about 5 before and 5 after that aren't so great.  I do however have some rules that I try to follow so I don't pull my hair out, get frustrated, scream at the kids, and give up during  a photo shoot.  When I follow these rules I'm not as disappointed when going through the pictures later on my computer.

1) Prepare everyone ahead of time with what you want to accomplish.  

In this case I told the kids before we were standing in a chigger infested field sweating that we'd be taking some pictures standing, some pictures in the chair (and yes, we'd take turns getting to sit in the chair).  Sometimes Carter would hold Jonah and sometimes Evan would hold Jonah.  If they know what's going to happen ahead of time it's easier to move from one pose to the next.  

2) Shoot in digital!  It takes so much of the pressure off.  You can snap a million photos and hope there's a good one in there somewhere.  

This series is a perfect example.  Evan is a stone cold poser!  He looks directly at the camera, smiles, doesn't blink and even attempts to comfort Jonah all while looking right into the lens. 

3) Listen to their ideas.

 Rather than fighting with Evan about holding the bluebonnet in the picture (which I started to do), let them have their way for a few pictures.  What does it hurt?  He's excited that we used his idea and even though I'm not going to hang these on the wall, I still enjoy them and they make me laugh a little.  Trust me...a strong-willed child needs to be heard, accepted, and validated often.  This was an easy way to do that without a huge fight.

 4) When it's sunny use the "1...2...3...open" approach. 

 They're not going to be able to stare into the sun while you set up your shot.  To avoid as many squinty eye and closed eye shots explain to the kids that they can keep their eyes shut until you count to three and say open.  Practice inside for a while so they understand what it feels like and how to open their eyes and not look crazed.  

You might still get a picture like this though.

5) Make sure you're the only one with a camera at the photo shoot.  

It's frustrating to upload your pictures when you get home thinking have a decent picture of all three boys but one is actually looking at someone else's camera.  

Only have one person giving direction too.  When there's too many leaders and too many cameras the kids get confused and frustrated.  You will not get good pictures if they are frustrated.  

You have to keep the models happy!

(Evan's goofy smile in this one cracks me up.)

6) Don't let the models eat...not even the props. 

7) Most of us mommies aren't professional photographers so lighting may not be perfect and your composition may be off a little. The easiest way to improve your pictures is to eliminate distractions.

  Don't let them wear distracting clothing.  Solid color shirts are best.  

Jonah's socks were really cute that day, but the label on the bottom was distracting.  Pay attention to those things and remove them from the picture.  

Also look for things like houses, people, or telephone lines that might end up in the background of your photo.  Your kid may look cute but if there's an old junker car in the top corner of the picture you won't be able to use that for a greeting card.  Try your best to pay attention to these things.  Sometimes they can't be cropped out.  

8) Don't be too hard on yourself.  Accept that you're doing your best and capturing memories that you otherwise wouldn't have if you didn't try.  

Texas Bluebonnets

We finally has some rain here in Central Texas.  A lot of rain!  With a lot of rain comes a lot of flowers.  Bluebonnets are the state flower here and if you live in Central Texas you take pictures of your kids in bluebonnet patches.  It's just something you have to do.  You dress them up, you take them into a field, you get chiggers, you sweat, and you say things like, "look here...smile please...just a few more...come on guys...".  It's great fun.  

Here are the best pictures from that day.  

(I'm so thankful for digital cameras because we had a lot of duds.)

Carter 8, Evan 6, Jonah 5 1/2 months

Carter wanted one of himself laying down in the bluebonnets.

Evan is such a ham.  It's hard to believe I got one of him looking so serious.

They grow like weeds.

Always happy and always there to brighten your day.  

Blogging has become increasingly more difficult over the past few weeks and even months.  We no longer have a cleaning lady, so my mornings are spent cleaning up the house.  Before my mornings were spent reading blogs, writing blog posts, and drinking a cup of coffee.  Jonah is on the move now. Well....he's working his hardest to be on the move.  He doesn't crawl yet, but that could change later today.  He's almost there.  

Baseball has taken over our lives.  Both boys play and Shawn helps coach Evan's team.  I love going to watch them all dressed up in their uniforms.  Jonah enjoys the great outdoors and is usually happy being pushed around in his stroller.  After basketball he's used to hearing me yell for the boys.

Big things are happening to the Cheek house too.  We're in the very beginning phases of adding on some extra space to our house.  We've been meeting with builders, looking at land, and doing our very best to make the right decision.  We decided to stay in our house and add some fun extras.  As things get moving I'll keep you posted with updates and pictures.  

Until the next time I can sit at the computer I want you all to know....I think of you often and I'm so grateful for each person in my life.  

iHeart Valentine's Day

I don't know what it is about Valentine's Day, but I love it!  I love little hearts everywhere....heart themed clothing, heart themed food, and heart themed gifts.  I love chocolates.  I love the kids little Valentine's day cards and the parties they have at school.  

We don't do anything exceptionally special on Valentine's Day.  Shawn and I certainly didn't get all dressed up and go out on the town.  In fact, I write this blog post surrounded by papers for an upcoming website project, clean folded laundry, a plate with tuna sandwich crumbs, and shhh....a half eaten box of chocolates.  We didn't even have a special dinner (did you notice...tuna sandwiches.)  

I've received some pretty cool Valentine's day gifts in the past.  In junior high I remember getting one of those giant CD/Tape/Radio boom box with the big speakers from my parents.  It was all set up on the kitchen table the morning of Valentine's Day.  Valentine's day is just fun!  It's not a particularly important holiday, but can be special with little gestures from the ones you love.  

This morning I spent some time writing down some of the reasons I love Shawn, Carter, and Evan on cut-out hearts.  It's an easy project that didn't take me much time.  All I needed was some white printer paper and a thin Sharpie pen.  What was written is the important part.  When the kids got home from school I took them each aside separately and read theirs to them.  

To Carter, I wrote that he was the first baby I ever loved.  He helped me learn how to be a mother.  I love that he has blue eyes and can remember just about anything he's ever been told. 

To Evan, I wrote that I love his gentle and giving spirit.  I love the gap between his two front teeth.  I love how he's so precise about small things like how his socks fit or the way he likes to line up his toys.  I love that he'll give anything to anyone without thinking twice.  

To Shawn, I love that he loves the Lord.  He's a great father to boys and a friend to me.  He's smart and can always make me laugh.  He always holds Jonah when I need him to the most, and he never complains about getting up early with the kids.  He holds my hand while he drives and he's the perfect match for me. 

Shawn gave me a box of chocolates and a card.  The card, when opened, plays Don't Stop Believing (he knows I like a good 80's power ballad.)  I like all that stuff, but the most important thing about his gift was what he wrote inside the card.  He said, "You are a great mother.  I don't see how you do all that you do each day.  I owe you forever."  He doesn't owe me forever...I won't hold him to that...but it's nice to hear.  I can't think of a better compliment than to tell me I'm a good mother.  

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The Lengths We Go

Jonah has started laughing. 

Baby laughter that bubbles up from their bellies is one of the sweetest and most joyful sounds on Earth.  I'm speaking from memory because I haven't actually heard Jonah laugh yet.  One time he came really close to laughing during bath time, but it didn't last long enough to satisfy my need for baby laughter.  

Others have heard him laugh.  My mother heard him laugh.  Some friends at church heard him laugh - a lot apparently.  Shawn heard him just this morning.  Not I though....not I!  

It's certainly not for lack of effort though.  I spend a lot of time holding him up in the air making goofy noises and faces that require me to throw all self consciousness out the window.  I've tried singing silly songs.  Apparently the surprise "POP" in pop goes the weasel isn't that funny after all.  The reaction I normally get is a look from Jonah that says, "what's this lady thinking?" 

Have you been there?  Are you with me?  Do you make the most ridiculous faces and voices in an attempt to make a baby laugh?  It's a good thing I'm not a comedian because if I had to get paid in laughter I'd be flat broke!

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Evan's After School Routine

 Each and every day after school Evan rushes into the house so he can be first on the piano.  He may not be a musical genius yet, but he's certainly working on it.  

After 20+ years of teaching piano lessons Shawn has finally decided to start writing his own piano method.  It will include a lot of American folk songs and some original tunes.  The most unique part of his method will be that he includes instructional videos (something he does well) that correlate with the written music.  Featured in the videos will be Carter and Evan.  Carter thinks he's going to be famous.

It's fun for me to help brainstorm how to distribute the videos and files but beyond that I can't be of much assistance.  I'm no musical genius....I also don't practice. 

I had to throw this picture of Jonah into the post just because he's so darn cute!  This is his Joey from Friends, "How you doin?" look.  

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Mom Acne and a Solution

I hate to admit it but I don't have soft silky skin like this sweet little 3 month old.

I have skin like a 14 year old....boy!

I've heard stories from my mom and a few of my aunts and yeah...I don't think my skin is going to get better over the next 25 years.  

During Christmas break my cousin's perfect-skinned girlfriend gave me a tip for an inexpensive acne fix.  

Baking Soda and Cetaphil.  So far, it seems to be working pretty well.  All you have to do is sprinkle a little Baking Soda onto one squirt of Cetaphil.  Rub together and massage on your face then rinse clean.  For one thing, it feels GREAT on your skin and after you're done your cheeks will feel a lot like this...

...silky, smooth, and baby soft.

I was reading the back of the Baking Soda label and it's good for way more than smoothing your skin and clearing mild acne.  

You can....

remove dirt, wax, and residue from hard-skinned fruits and vegetables, and

clean burnt pots and pans.

I also didn't know this but you could clean stainless steel with Baking Soda.

You can sprinkle baking soda in the baby's bath water to help cure bad diaper rash and it can make baked goods, like my special oatmeal cookies, rise. 

What it doesn't do, is wipe the scared look off Jonah's face when he sees a giant zit on his mother's chin.

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This Weekend

This weekend we...

went shooting at Gran & Gramps' house.

(Photo not from this weekend but it's a picture of Evan holding a gun...I thought it worked well enough.)

I went from having long hair to having very short hair.

I took a spin class at the YMCA....as a result I can't sit on any hard surfaces.

We took basketball pictures.

We played basketball.

(Photo courtesy of Shawn's camera.)

We took basketball pictures - round two.

We played basketball - round two.

We signed up for Little League baseball.

We had a baby play date at an old friend's new house. 

Special Oatmeal Cookies

What could be so special about oatmeal cookies?  When you add orange zest and a whole bag of white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips they go from ordinary to something special.

It's a cookie you can't walk away from.  If you're a one cookie for dessert type of person think again.  These are too good to walk away from after only one.  You'll feel the need to eat them until your stomach hurts.    

These cookies are also special because it's just about the only cookie recipe I ever make.  They're so good no one complains about the lack of variety.

Orange zest is one of those ingredients that elevates a dish and heightens the flavor of other ingredients in a recipe.  Chocolate for example goes well with orange zest.  At Thanksgiving I found out that orange zest goes great with sweet potatoes too.  

If you have a canister of Quaker Oats you have the basic recipe for these cookies.  Add a few extra ingredients and take out the raisins (yuck, who wants raisins in a cookie?) and you have something special to share with friends. (...Or you can bake the cookies on a day when no one is home and eat them all by yourself.)

Special Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from Quaker Oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 Tbsp. butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

the zest of 1 orange

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt (this is an optional ingredient, but I never skip the salt)

3 cups oats, quick cook or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 bag good quality white chocolate chips

1 bag good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on the medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. (I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer).  While your mixer is running add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and orange zest.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  This should resemble something similar to a thick icing.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add to your wet ingredients in thirds with your mixer on low.  Mix just until combined.  Scrape down edges and mix quickly once more.  Add oats and mix until just combined.  Remove from mixer and add white and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Mix with a wooden spoon.  (I've gone through several spoons with plastic handles that have snapped in half trying to mix this batter.) 

Use a small ice-cream scoop to make even sized cookies.  Drop on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cook on the middle rack of your oven for 10 minutes.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack. 

These cookies freeze great (if they last that long.)

***

My kitchen counters are good for cookie baking and baby bathing.  

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10 True Confessions

I'm going to tell on myself in this post.

If you're feeling like a slacker mom just compare yourself to me then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

1. I don't clean my own house.  True story.  I pick things up. (But don't look in my closet.)  I organize (Oh yeah...don't look in our game closet.)  I haven't mopped the floors or vacuumed the whole house in over a year.  Before you freak out and think I live in the dirtiest house in America....I've hired someone to clean.  She does the dirty work.  I feel for her on occasion when she has to clean Carter and Evan's bathroom.

2. I haven't cleaned out the vegetable drawer in my fridge since before Christmas.  At this point I'm a little scared to.  There is a bag of grapes in there that has probably grown arms and legs and is planning a rebellion.

3. I just pulled a load of laundry from the dryer.  It's been there since last Tuesday.  If you see me at the grocery store next week I'll most likely have a wrinkled shirt on.

4. I was late to both boys basketball games today.  I was feeding Jonah but still, I could have started five minutes earlier I guess.

5. There are some soiled pants belonging to Jonah soaking in my kitchen sink.  I don't feel like dealing with them yet. (That's why I'm blogging.)

6. Wait for it.....wait for it....MY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE STILL OUT!

7. I watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

8.  I'm pretty sure Jonah was watching it last night too.

9. Everyone in my house can work any Apple product you put in front of them but can't change the toilet paper roll when it runs out.  Myself included.

(I feel good that Shawn is the only one with a cup of coffee. Carter on coffee....yikes.)

10. I had chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes for dinner.  Then two hours later I ate a bowl of cereal.

The one thing I feel good about today....

I'm glad I could help you feel good about your skills as a wife and mother.

Jonah turned 3 months old today.  I can't believe 3 months has gone by.  Can't it slow down just a little?  This is why I don't nap.  I'm afraid if I close my eyes for just a minute I'll wake up and Jonah will be 6 years old like my last baby.

I also don't nap because I am really grouchy when I wake up.

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Swaddling :: One of the Best Tricks I Know

There are several products out there to help you soothe your baby when they get a little out of control and need to calm down.  Here at the Cheek house we use a baby straight jacket.  They're really hard to find here in the U.S. but are widely sold on Russian websites.  

Just kidding!

I don't really use a baby straight jacket (or shop on Russian websites).  I do however swaddle my baby so tight that you could compare it to a straight jacket.  I received the SwaddleMe for a baby gift this time around and the greatest flaw is I only have one.  Jonah will spit up on it and it will end up in the laundry basket.  Now, if I only knew how to use the SwaddleMe I'd be up a creek.  Alas, when Carter was born I learned how to swaddle the old fashioned way and used the same technic with Evan.  We use a regular square blanket and it seems to work just as well...almost better because in the middle of the night I couldn't handle the velcro on the SwaddleMe sticking to everything it came in contact with.

If you have a baby, are about to have a baby, and don't do a lot laundry like me here's a tutorial on how to swaddle your baby the old fashioned way. 

Step 1:

Find the perfect swaddling blanket.  My favorite one is a handmade blanket a past piano student gave me.  It's the perfect weight and stiffness.  When the handmade blanket is dirty, I like muslin blankets. I like to double up the muslin blankets to give extra weight to the fabric. Plus, it's harder for the baby to wiggle out of two blankets.

Step 2:

Lay your blanket out flat and fold down one corner.  Tip: If your baby falls asleep feeding like mine does make sure your blanket is already spread out and folded somewhere so it's ready to lay him down.  I like to have mine ready in the crib so I don't have to transfer him a second time.

Step 3:

Center your baby with his head just above the fold.  Make sure they are done stretching and have relaxed their arms.  Some babies like their hands down by their sides and some like them across their bellies.  It can take a few tries to find out just what your baby prefers.  Now, fold one side over his body, tucking it behind his back.  It's ok to roll them slightly to one side so you can smooth out the blanket underneath them.  They won't stay asleep with a big uncomfortable wrinkle under their back.

Step 4:

Take the bottom corner of your blanket and bring it up to his shoulder.  I like to tuck the bottom corner under Jonah's shoulder so he's less likely to unwrap himself. 

Step 5:

Take the last corner and fold it across his body and tuck under his back. Usually this is enough to keep them warm and comfy.  If it's chilly or you think your baby needs the comfort of extra weight have another blanket handy to place on top.  

You're finished and you're welcome.  This is the solution to not being able to place them on their tummies for bed time anymore. 

I tell ya, this works every time, and it was one of the most useful things I learned when Carter was a baby.   Would you believe me if I said Jonah fell right asleep after I wrapped him up?

**If you need a closer look at each step click on the picture to view a gallery of the photos from this post.**

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Family Photo Shoots

Whenever my mom's side of the family gets together we take photos.  We take just about every combination of photo you can imagine.  We do each family individually...sisters...brothers in law...and last but not least the cousins.  We have years when each person is sort of smiling.  We have years when there's a few criers in the bunch.  Some years everyone is in the picture and some years a few will be missing.  For me (and maybe a few other cousins) this is the worst part of each Christmas gathering.  You have to stand there while everyone tries to make "the baby" smile.  There's a lot of cameras flashing and hand waving, "Yoohoo...over here...ok, me next...look this way." Every child's name is being simultaneously yelled by their mother hoping for that perfect smile.  Most years the pictures turned out just like this one from 1984.  We all look drained, a little stressed, and confused.

Oh boy...how the tables have turned!  Guess who was waving their hands, calling out names, and making a lot of strange baby noises trying to get kids to smile?  A few of us from the photo above have grown up, stepped behind the camera, and threw out all self consciousness.  We waved our hands, said our children's names in a sing song voice, and did all that we could to get them to look at the camera and smile.  It doesn't work.  They just won't listen to sound advice and instruction.  

Why is it that between 1984 and 2011 a better formula for family picture taking hasn't been discovered.  All the kids still look drained, stressed, and a little confused?  

The one constant however is Grandma.  She's the only one who looks at the right camera, at the right time, and smiles. 

Followers of this blog all know who Jonah is.  (The kid on the left.)  The kid on the right is Landon, my cousin Michael's son.  Michael and I are exactly one month apart.  Jonah and Landon are about 3 months apart.  Baby photo shoots are hard.  They don't stay still and rarely look at the camera.  These two guys kept taking turns spitting up and drooling.  (What you don't see is the giant drool stains I tried editing out before posting this picture.) 

After seeing the pictures of Jonah and Landon I recalled a few pictures from the 80s of Michael and me.  

     

 Since my mother is so tech savvy these days I have her to thank for the retro pictures.  She was able to scan old pictures onto her computer AND attach them to an e-mail. (Way to go Mom!)

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