Fl Part III: Swimming

Swimming with his great- Grandad

Fl Part II: Vero Beach

This was Javen's second time at the beach (he was 4 months old the first time in North Carolina). He was really interested in watching the waves, people, birds and any other activity going on- as long as he was in my lap. He did NOT want me to put him down, even when digging in the sand caught his interest. Eventually he grew more and more comfortable with his surroundings and gradually left my lap...

Covering Mom up with sand.

Getting a little more space from Mom....liking this sand stuff!

Playing with Daddy.

Not even noticing I'm not behind him anymore.

This is my favorite picture of the day....look how hard they're concentrating!

My boys at the beach!

More to come!

FL Part I: Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Javen and Daddy playing in the Nashville airport as we wait for our plane.

Javen loved running around the posts in the Southwest boarding area and looking out the window and the planes, trucks and people moving around.

We're on our way! He slept for about an hour of our hour and a half flight. So good! He also worked on a little surprise for us to find once we landed. This kid hasn't had a blowout diaper in months! It's been so long that I actually stopped carrying extra clothes in the diaper bag because we never need them. We arrive in Orlando, change mister stinky pants and proceed through the airport to baggage claim with a naked baby. Why buy a gift shop t-shirt when we'll have his clothes in 10 minutes anyway?

Naked boy on the monorail to baggage claim.

While we were waiting for Daddy to get the bags a little girl near us asked her mother, "Mommy, why doesn't that boy have any clothes on?!" I'm sure I'll win Mother of the Year for this one.

Stay tuned....more pics to come!

Sneak Peak of Florida Trip

Beach Baby

We're at the beach. Javen is having tons of fun in the pool and we're taking plenty of adorable photos. He's not such a fan of his feet in the sand, but loves to dig in it from the safety of Mommy's lap. Plenty of stories and pictures to come at the end of the week. See you then!

Javen's Dedication/Mother's Day

Our Family

Mr. Curly Head

I'm sorry to report that I don't have any exciting new cute pictures of Javen to share with you right now.  We did have a nice Mother's Day weekend though! Jake's Mom came down for a visit and to see Javen's dedication at church on Sunday. (Someone at church took a family photo for us, but I don't have it yet to share with you.) 

Javen (ie Jake) was super sweet and gave me some flowers (which are now planted in our front landscape) a box of Izzie from CostCo (that made me laugh) and a (homemade) coupon good for 4 HOURS of alone time at Barnes and Noble...along with a gift card allowing me to purchase two new books. Those of you who aren't readers and/or do not have any children may not understand the amazing-ness of this gift. Just trust me, it's awesome!) 

This week we'll be gearing up for a visit with my grandparents (did I mention they live at the beach?) for a long weekend. Needless to say, I'll have plenty of wonderful beach and family photos to share upon our return. For now, I'll leave you with a shot of Mr. Curly head. (Hence the reason I can't bring myself to get him a haircut...I just can't part with those curls!)

The Reading Trend Continues

Javen loves to climb up into this chair with a couple books and Bubba (his plush dog) and read. (Totally unprompted by me, though sometimes he needs a little boost into the chair.) Currently, his favorite books are One White Sail, Touch and Feel Farm Animals and Dr. Suess' ABC Book. 

This week we went to Barnes and Noble and you would have thought we took Javen to Disney World. This kid LOVES books! 

Dried Apricot Oatcakes (Baby Cereal Bars)

I made these this morning for Javen and he LOVES them. The recipe is from Williams and Sonoma's Cooking For Baby cookbook.  Great cookbook with recipes for babies first foods to dinner ideas into the toddler stages. They recommend that you feed the oatcakes to children 12 months and over (it contains honey, which should not be given to babies under 12 months.)

Here's a way to feed your toddler his oatmeal without fighting over the spoon. You'll feel good about sharing this breakfast with your little one, as it provides all of the solid nutrition of whole grain oats, plus a little fruit for good measure, without the sugars, additives and preservatives found in most prepackaged breakfast bars.

Ingredients:

Vegetable-Oil spray (I used olive oil spray)

Old-fashioned rolled oats- 2 cups

Ground cinnamon- 1/2 tsp (I probably used 1.5 tsp....I love cinnamon!)

Baking soda -1/2 tsp

Salt- 1/8 tsp

Unsalted butter- 2tsp, melted

Honey- 1 Tbsp

Dried apricots- 3 Tbsp finely chopped

Finely shredded unsweetened coconut- 2 Tbsp

(I also added milled flax seed. There are a few recipes in this book that call for it so I had it on hand. Adds an extra punch of nutrition with no yucky flavor.)

(Makes 15-18 two inch rounds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with oil.

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add the butter and honey. Combine with a rubber spatula until all oats are coated. Mix in apricots and coconut. Heat 1 cup of water in a teakettle or saucepan until very hot but not boiling. Add hot water 2 tablespoonfuls at a time to oat mixture, stirring after each addition with a rubber spatula, until oats become wet and sticky. You will not need to use all of the water. With wet hands, mix oat dough a final time. Dough will be sticky and loose.

Using 2 large spoons, scoop and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. With wet fingertips, shape dough into 2 inch round, flat oatcakes.

Bake oatcakes until edges turn golden brown and centers are firm and not sticky, about 15 minutes. (I think 15 minutes might be a little long as mine turned out a little over-baked around the edges. I would try baking for less time or lowering the oven temperature.)  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. The oatcakes will crisp while cooling. (I found that they fall apart if you don't let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to the wire rack.)

To store: Hold cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. (I think we'll run out in 3 days. He's been asking for more all morning!)

Prom 2009

Jake has been busy running lights/sound/etc for a few proms in the area for the past couple of weekends. The first one was a Hawaiian theme and Javen and I got to go check it out before all the students arrived. (His Hawaiian shorts were just a coincidence that day. We didn't know that was the theme until we got there.) He LOVED the moving lights on the floor. He also loves to dance...

His shirt says "I Still Live With My Parents". Prom appropriate if you ask me.