Whitney's Farm

I started a post about this place last fall but never published, so prepare yourself for tons of photos times two.

Here's last year...

for some reason or none, bob smacked this pony.

and then he felt really bad about it.  i think that's the only time he's ever hit an animal.  he's normally a peacemaker and pet lover.

i think he really believed he was going to be able to pick this up...

I think Bob might love Whitney's even more this year than he did last.  We've been known to go twice in one day.  And I like it too because -- it's free, there are swings for Owie, and so many yummy treats inside, like buffalo chicken dip and giant chocolate chip cookies... mmm.

Here's a day a couple of weeks ago when we went twice... (what a difference nine months makes!)

steering is still one of his all time faves

he can climb all the way up all by himself!

he's getting good at interacting with other kids at the playground with awesome comments like, "extuse me, may i pwease have a go now?"

owie loves to swing.  like most babies do.  (that little green blur in the background is bob.)

We'll be back, Whitney's.  Many times, I'm sure.

co-sleeping super-bed

We've got some {not so} new sleeping arrangements around here.

A couple of months ago Bob inherited a new twin size bed.  Which meant that his crib-turned-toddler-bed was up for grabs.  Owen had become dangerously huge for his cradle, and was spending most of every night in my bed kicking the crap out of me and Ben.  And although he never rolled onto the floor, it was a concern.  And thus was born one of my best inventions ever: the superbed.  {inspired here}

Okay so it's not so much an invention as it is a toddler bed pushed up against a grown up bed, with a memory foam mattress topper folded in half to make the two beds the same height.  But seriously -- all the extra sleeping real estate is life changing.  Owen has a whole space of his own, yet he's still right with me.  When he needs to nurse, I can just skooch over to his side, or pull him to mine.  Bob didn't start sleeping through the night until after he was one; for that first year he slept in our bed quite a bit, but mostly he slept in his crib, which meant I was up at least once every night nursing and rocking and carefully laying the boy back down.  (I learned quickly that I wasn't one to let my baby "cry it out.")  When Owie came along, I pretty much accepted the fact that he'd be sleeping with me.  And it seems that's what he had in mind too.  We both sleep better that way.

Bob's first night in his huge twin size bed...

More sleeping Bobby cuteness...

Sometimes he likes to get out of bed, turn on his light, collect some books, get back in and read until we catch him... "Mom, just go out of my room and leave the light on and I'm gonna read for five more minutes"...

Owie, first day in the superbed...

Another view (sorry none of these are any good)...

The super bed is a super fun crazy cuddle spot, too...

My precious little sleeping seven month old...

Once in a while Bobby wants to lay down in my bed, and of course I let him because I don't want my little firstborn to feel left out.  Finding these two pups sleeping together is about the cutest thing ever.  Usually when I go to bed I carry Bob to his room, but once or twice we've all spent the night together.

Owen's sleep routine has changed a lot over the past seven months -- for the first month he slept any and everywhere, months two and three we'd nurse/rock/bounce and I'd lay him in his cradle until his first night waking, months four and five I walked him to sleep in a carrier every night, and since the superbed was set up we just nurse and cuddle in bed until he falls asleep.

When he's ready to get up, Owen takes matters into his own hands.  He knows how to climb out!  He's escaped several times -- somehow he slides himself down off the bed face first and does a little back flip onto the floor without getting hurt.  Once I saw him do it.  Just this morning I laid him down, went to help Bob with something, heard a noise and went to check and found him in the doorway, making his way out to play.

So, I suppose super-bed won't last forever... but I'm really enjoying it while it does.

baby leg warmers

Ben loves to make fun of these, and pretty much every person in my family has asked, "What are those?" but despite all the ridicule I think Owie is absolutely adorable in them, and I've come to consider leg warmers to be an essential baby item.

So many reasons...

change a diaper without taking them off.
put them on or take them off without removing baby from car seat or stroller.
scrunch or stretch to adjust amount of leg coverage and toastiness.
protect little crawling knees.
show off cute cloth diaper bum.
more colors and patterns than you find on pants.
tight not baggy so you can always admire those chunky legs.

I could go on but it might start getting a little ridiculous.

Ours are Zootie B. Littles.  I bought them on zulily for a savings of a few dollars a pair.  (zulily = daily deals for moms and kids.  Click here for in invite.)

Hope all's swell with you and your legs are staying nice and warm.

birthday {28}

I just exported all these birthday pics as "angie 29th birthday."  wowza -- don't even know how old I am, and the saddest part is that apparently I feel a year closer to 30 than I already am.

My birthday was pretty cute -- low key and relaxed and no expectations, particularly since it fell on a Tuesday.

We met up with our playpals Betsy and Shane at the lake in the morning...

Then we all came back to our house for lunch and more play, and parted ways for nap time.

When Ben came home from work we met a few of my favorite peeps at Zen's Dog House for dinner.  Bob's not so into sitting in restaurants, so the outdoor area in the back was perfect.  Bob played ladderball, cornhole, and horseshoes, while we ate and drank and were merry.

(It was that guy in the white shirt's birthday too.  I was a little pissed because he got way more presents than I did.)

Owie Bowie was there too but he was tired; Ben had to take him for a quick drive to put him to sleep -- and that's how he stayed for almost the whole time.

Bobbert thinks he is a dog, so he had fun running in and out of the "pound."  (He just knows dogs go to the pound; apparently he doesn't realize it's not a place they want to go.)

'Til next year, I'm 28.  Seems like I'm starting to get a little old.

Remember cutie Bob on my birthday last year?  Watch HERE.

And this year...


(I think recording this little voice is my new birthday tradition; melts my heart every single time.)