Bunny Beans!

March 31, 2013

Easter morning with a two-year-old is awesome.  Finlay is pretty excited but that might have something to do with the amount of jelly beans (or "bunny beans" as he calls them) he has consumed.  Here are some pictures of our Easter celebrations so far!  It is only 9am PST, so there will probably be another post about our day/weekend.

I have been on a new website called "Fun at Home with Kids" and made what they called "Bunny World" out of felt.  It is a playmat with bunnies, a carrot patch, and secret places to hide eggs.  The theme is counting to 10 which is what Fin is really interested in lately.  Here are the 10 eggs.

Bunny World

A secret place to hide an egg.

Look!  An egg!

Carrot patch complete with fence.

Bunnies.  One is already missing its cottontail.

Seamus loves to watch the Easter mobile hanging from the dinning room chandelier. 

Cupcakes.  Golden vanilla with a raspberry-butter-cream frosting.  Decorations thanks to Nans!

Finlay in his new Easter bonnet.

Cake!

Bunny Kikis! (Cookies)

Seamus' Easter Basket

Finlay is excited about the eggs the bunny has hidden all over the house!

Here's one in the money tree!

There's one in his bowl!  Inside each egg were some jelly beans and a note from the bunny.  She lead him on a hunt to find his basket.

Wow!

One behind the oatmeal.

One egg with his song books.

One outside with his new digger and bulldozer. 

Here's his basket!

Yay!

Seamus got a blankie and a stuffed giraffe. 

He was pretty happy about these soft things.

Well, I better go deal with the sugar high/crash.  Fun!

Little Seamus

March 29, 2013

So you may have noticed that I missed a post.  Seamus turned two months old on the 14th, and between bouts of mastitis I just couldn't muster up the energy to make cupcakes or write a post.  So, I will dedicate this post to the progress of Little Seamus.

He isn't so little anymore.  People seemed shocked when I tell them how young he is because he is so big.  He is into his 3-6 months clothes and some of the onsies are already stretched to their limit when he is in a cloth diaper!  He is long and chubby and strong and just beautiful!  He has pretty eyes that are more round like mine.  He has developed a few expressions and I see more of my family in these curious, concerned, mischievous and gleeful looks.  So we have one kid who is Tyler's cloan (or Megan's, according to Lorna) and one kid who looks more like a mix between me and my brother...  so far!  They change so fast that who knows who he'll look like.  Maybe just like himself!

His personality is emerging, little by little, each day.  We are getting to know each other.  Seamus isn't quite interested in most toys right now but he really enjoys looking into anyone's eyes and talking and smiling.  He coos and makes other sounds and he even giggles!  He is loving the curtains in our bedroom and the mobile above his change-table.  But he is most interested in his older brother!  He lights up when Finlay interacts with him and he swings his head around to locate his big bro.  Fin coos at him and Seamus coos right back with a big grin and bright eyes.  Finlay helps him with his soother and tells little Seamus that "it's okay, I'm here," whenever he cries.  Seamus will stop crying or whimpering whenever Fin tries to calm him down.  It is so sweet.  Seamus has really taken to his big brother Fin.

Here is Little Seamus smiling at his Grandma (Lorna).  These days, all we have to do is catch his eyes and he smiles.  He also smiles in his sleep.  And most mornings I awake to him cooing and I open my eyes and he is smiling right in my face!  If Seamus isn't tucked under Tyler's arm while we are sleeping he wiggles his way over to me and snuggles in!  

Seamus isn't a big fan of being outside.  He fusses whenever he is put into his sweater or hat.  On this particular day it was sunny and about 15 and he was still annoyed!

Take me inside please.

Almost smiling!

We are so in love and enjoying this wonderful stage of infants.  Seamus is turning into a playful, talkative, adorable little person! 

Bye-bye Training Wheels

March 5, 2013

All is well on the Western front...  I mean out West...  here...  home.  Auntie Carleigh is back in Aus and I am on my own with a 26 month old and a 7 week old most of the day and it is just fine.  The training wheels, so to speak, are off and we are rolling.  But, we are at the point now where my goal is no longer "keep everyone alive" and has migrated beyond meeting their needs - I want to enhance their growth.  You are only a baby/toddler/kid once and for so brief a time.  Lets play!

This learning through play thing can be hard on Mama.  I am on my toes, even when they are napping.  But I also have to take care of myself.  Got mastitis again this past weekend from, no doubt, stress and running myself ragged.  So I have given up sugar for the month of March.  We'll see if I can't build up my body and immune system so that I can be that mom I want to be.

So what's going on with the kidlets?  They are growing whether I "enhance" things or not.

I took this picture at breakfast the other day because, well, I thought they all looked adorable.  Finlay gets some crazy bed-head.

Seamus has this concerned look on his face 90% of his waking hours (or minutes).  Is he saying "help me!"?

What does this look say?  He looks less and less like Finlay every day.

We made donuts one Sunday morning.  Finlay has so many words and he picks up more every day.  It is the important words like "donut" and "beer" that you want your toddler picking up before other lesser language concepts.

Finlay and his new "pack-back."  It's too "heavy" to carry up the stairs.  He was calling out "I need help!" and straining (with sound effects) to lug himself and his back-pack up the stairs.  Then he gave up and sat down.  I had to take the baby off and put him in a safe place before I could help.  Both kids do a lot of waiting for me lately.

Eating his apple in front of the house.

Seamus is ready for Easter.  "Where's the bunny?"

The "Pineapple Express" came through the other day so it was an indoor day for us.  We built a fort of sheets and blankets in the living room and played with toys and ate snacks inside of the fort.

Finlay shared his snacks with his favourite friends, as seen above, his bear, deer, and blankie.

Carleigh got him some shoes from H & M.  Check out the model.

Finlay and Seamus getting some love.

Funny expressions.

Fin and Car-Car at Cafe Nap-Time.

Finlay and Seamus in Fin's bed.

Pretty happy people.

Almost caught a smile on camera.

Back to his funny look.

Fin nails the dodder-smile.