Mommy Minute: Kason’s 1 Year Update

Hey y’all!

Kason Michael is ONE! December 29 was the big day, and it came and went so fast. I realize that I am posting this update late, and that’s mainly because his 1 Year Check-Up was pushed back to February 11.

Kason weighs 23 lbs. 12 oz. (75%) and is 32 inches long (95%). He now has 8 teeth, and LOVES to use them. He doesn’t bite us, or anyone else thankfully, unless of course you put your fingers in his mouth to check his teeth. He does, however, like to bite his stuffed animals and crawl around with them in his mouth (it’s really quite funny). He’s also, slowly but surely, growing more hair!

Kason was officially off of formula after his birthday and I cannot believe how easy it was. He gradually weened himself over the course of a month (around the 11 month mark), so stopping the formula was absolutely no issue. He also quit drinking from a bottle around the 11 month mark. That was all him too. He naturally preferred to drink from a straw. The last month or so that he was on formula, he drank from his sippy cup. I realized he was ready to stop the formula because he wasn’t drinking the whole serving I was giving him. He went from having three 8 ounce bottles a day, to only two 8 ounce bottles a day (one in the morning and one before bed). Shortly after that switch he stopped drinking all 8 ounces in one sitting, so I bumped him down to two 6 ounce bottles a day. I purchased his last formula refill in December and when it was gone, I didn’t buy another. He’s now on 2% milk and has had zero issues. I started him on whole milk, but it was upsetting his stomach. When we switched to 2%, he stopped have the stomach issues. I give him a cup in the morning, a cup mid day, and a cup before bed. We had a VERY easy time switching from formula to cow’s milk, and it was all because of him. He led the way and I just followed.

He is SUCH a good eater! I can already tell this boy is going to eat me out of house and home. He will eat pretty much anything you give him, but I’ve noticed he is starting to become more selective. For breakfast he has a plain waffle, torn apart into bite sized pieces, with either cut up strawberries or bananas. For lunch he has a variety of things. His favorite thing to have is sandwiches. He eats grilled cheese or peanut butter usually, along with a side of fruit or crackers. He will sometimes have a hot dog, chicken, or whatever I’m having that day. For snack we change it up from time to time. Sometimes it’s goldfish, cheerio’s, fruit, or as of recently cinnamon applesauce. For dinner he eats whatever we are having. He’s super easy when it comes to meal times thank goodness. He also drinks a lot of juice and water throughout the day. My favorite juice to buy for him is Mott’s for Tots. He has had apple and fruit punch with no issues. The only juice I have found that does not work for him is Cran-Apple and Apple & White Grape. He liked the taste, but he pooped all day long and they were giving him diaper rash, so we had to stop those.

This little guy got so spoiled over Christmas and his birthday that we are swimming in toys. He does play with a lot of different toys, and is now to the point where he actually plays. He still, however,  prefers to play with paper, explore around the house, and play with the tv remote. His favorite stuffed animal is still his Scentsy Lion and he cannot sleep or leave the house without it. We went to the zoo for Valentine’s Day, and his Lion disappeared unfortunately. I found one on eBay thank goodness, and that should be in sometime today.

He’s currently in size 12-18 month clothes, and I’m thinking by next month he will be making the switch to 18-24 months. He is not a fan of socks and shoes. He takes them off immediately. I have learned that it’s best to not even put them on him until we have reached our destination, and that when we do put on him shoes, they need laces and we have to tie them really tight with a double knot so that he can’t get them off.

He is finally walking! He took his first step at the beginning of last week, and has been progressing more and more every day. It’s so fun to watch him and cheer him on. He gets proud of himself when he walks for a good while. He is still a bit wobbly, but his balance is getting better every day.

I hope y’all enjoyed today’s post. I can’t believe Kason is already a year old. Like everyone says, they really do grow up SO fast!

xoxo,
Casey

Trip to Lake Tahoe!

Hey y’all!

Check out my VLOG from the trip!

Kevin and I recently got back from Tahoe and we had such an amazing time! We decided that instead of us going crazy with Christmas gifts for each other this year, that we would take a trip instead. It was my first time in Tahoe, Kevin has been several times and it’s one of his favorite places to go. We stayed busy on the trip, and were constantly out doing something.

We got there midday on New Year’s Day and spent time walking around town, and getting familiar with the area. We rented out ski gear, signed me up for a lesson, and had dinner and drinks close to our hotel. We stayed at the Lake Tahoe Resort and our room was nice and spacious. The location of our hotel couldn’t have been more perfect. We were right in the middle of everything, and right next door to Harrah’s Casino, which we frequented almost every day! :)

The second day, our first full day, we spent the day skiing at Heavenly. The lift was pretty much right next door to our hotel, so it was really easy and convenient to get to. We got there around 9:00  and my lesson started at 10:00. My lesson lasted until about 12:45. I had to take a lesson because I had only skied one other time, about eight years ago, and it was a freaking disaster. Even though I didn’t get to ski much, I’m still glad I took one because I learned the basics of how to stop and turn. You could tell they would only teach the very bare minimum so that you would pay for the next lesson. After my lesson Kevin and I had lunch at the lodge and then he took me on my first lift. My instructor didn’t really explain things very well in my lesson, so Kevin really helped me throughout the rest of that day. After skiing we headed back to our hotel and went to dinner at The Brewery where we shared a pizza and had a few beers. It was definitely our kind of spot! After dinner, we went to the casino and spent the rest of the night there.

The third day we decided to ski again, this time at a different location called Sierra. We had some time to kill, since we were only skiing half the day, so we decided to stop and take a walk near the lake. Part of the lake had frozen and there were quite a few people out, walking their dogs and pulling their kids on sleds. We got out and walked around, and took pictures. It was really beautiful! I really preferred to ski at Sierra compared to Heavenly. It was a lot more relaxed, and the atmosphere was more chill and comfortable compared to the “commercial” feel that Heavenly had. Kevin took me on my very first run, and oh my gosh it was fun! I ended up wiping out a few times, but that’s to be expected seeing as how I’m a beginner. I was pretty proud of myself that I was actually able to ski a whole run without falling! Especially since I had had such a bad experience before.

The fourth day was probably my favorite day. We spent the whole day driving around Lake Tahoe, walking around taking pictures, and stopping by the little towns. The first town we decided to walk around, we found a wine bar and stopped for a few tastings. That’s another thing that I absolutely love to do! We had lunch at a place called Fat Cat there in town, then headed to the next destination. We ended up at a resort where there was a small Casino, and a restaurant right on the water. We had a couple drinks there, played a little Three Card, then headed out again. That evening we stopped in Genoa, and visited the oldest bar there. It was really cool to hear all the different stories about it. After that we headed to a late dinner at David Walley’s. We both ended up getting the same thing, a blue cheese crusted steak that was absolutely amazing! We shared a bottle of wine, and finished it outside by a fire. We headed back to our hotel, and of course ended our night in the casino.

The fifth day, our last day, we decided to ski again at Sierra. It was really nice because it was a Monday and there wasn’t nearly as many people. We skied the Green a couple of times and decided to ski a Blue. Kevin really likes to ski the Blues, but I was really nervous and knew that if I didn’t try it at least once, that I would probably regret it. Let’s just say that I am 100% content on skiing the Green’s, and have no intention of skiing a Blue again! We ended up having dinner near our hotel at this local pizza place. Oh my gosh, it was SO good! I had a spicy blood-orange margarita, and it was the best margarita I have ever had.

The next day, our sixth day, it was time to head home. Our flight was early, so we didn’t have a chance to go on any more adventures that day. With one short layover, and the time change, we didn’t land until 5:00pm. We were excited to see our kids and they were pretty excited to have us back too!

It’s always sad when a vacation ends, but it’s also nice to get home and get back into the normal routine. I was really glad that Kevin and I were able to get away for a little bit and spend some time together. We both had a really great time, and I can’t wait to go back again. I would love to go back during the summertime. Kevin has been both in the winter, and in the summer, and has said that summer’s spent on the lake there are SO fun.

xoxo,
Casey

VLOGMAS Day 3 - Mommy Minute: Kason's 11 Month Update

Hey ya'll!

Welcome to VLOGMAS Day 3! Today is all about Kason's 11 Month Update. I cannot believe we are less than a month away from his FIRST BIRTHDAY. It blows my mind that this year has gone by so fast, it makes me miss having a brand new little baby! (Baby fever in warming up...!)

Kason experienced his first Halloween and his first Thanksgiving since the last update. He was a lion for Halloween and was so cute! But he absolutely hated his costume, especially the headpiece. We trick or treated around the neighborhood with the whole family which was a lot of fun. Thanksgiving was really nice as well. Kason got his fair share of our two Thanksgiving feast's and pigged out, both lunch and dinner, on turkey, stuffing, and mac n cheese.

Kason is still not properly crawling, he still scoots around on his butt. He got a new nick name with some of my family members on Thanksgiving, "Scooter". I'd say it's pretty fitting. He's not standing or walking yet, which is the hot ticket question right now when we see people. I think I have a little bit of a late bloomer on my hands, but that's ok, he still has plenty of time to figure out the kinks and will do it when he's ready.

He JUST cut his top two teeth yesterday. What's crazy is that they weren't there when he woke up that morning, and literally sprouted over his afternoon nap, with two little white caps breaking the skin. Yes, BOTH top teeth are ascending at the same time, which explains the Beast Mode he's been in the last few weeks. I'm so happy that he will finally be getting a little bit of relief for Christmas and his Birthday. But that relief won't last long unfortunately, because he still has a lot more teeth to grow.

Kason has been obsessed with Ariel's dog bowls. Any time he gets the chance, he makes a bee line for them and gets food and water everywhere. I have to remember that when he's roaming to put the bowls up on the counter so he doesn't get into them. He's also been having a ball screaming at the top of his lungs, at the highest pitch possible. It's 100% a game to him, and currently his favorite one. He does it when we are out to eat, grocery shopping, and when we are at home. This kid has some serious pipes. He definitely is giving Mariah Carey a run for her money with his ear splitting shrieks!

Kason only say's one thing, "Gah". I've been practicing with him on getting hime to say other consonants like "Ma", "Da", and "Ba", but all he's interested in saying right now is "Gah". It's really cute too because he will repeat you, and will say it if you ask him to. I'm hoping this next month I will be able to get a "Ma" out of him. Maybe that will be his first birthday present to me! He also learned how to clap and say "yay" this month and it is the cutest thing ever. He doesn't actually say "yay", it's more like "aaahhhhh!". He knows when it's appropriate to clap, which is even funnier. If I say "good boy!", he starts clapping. It's absolutely adorable.

Over the next few weeks, we are gearing up for Kason's very first Christmas. We are super excited and can't wait to see his awe and wonder at everything. He's going to be so fun! A few days after Christmas we will be celebrating his First Birthday, which is absolutely insane! I'm so excited for his birthday party. His birthday falls on a Monday, so we are having his party on Saturday the 27th. We decided to do something at the house with our family and friends. I really just want to be comfortable, and be surrounded by loved ones for his special day. His party theme is going to be epic! I'm so excited for you to see what theme I chose and how I'm decorating!

xoxo,
Casey

Mommy Minute: Kason's 10 Month Update

We're in the double digits ya'll!! I cannot believe my baby is 10 Months Old. Time is flying by so fast.   I feel like there's not a whole lot to update on this month, but then again there is. I think this was more of a "maturing" month for him, and his little personality has really been shining.

The biggest thing that happened this month is that he started crawling. He still doesn't crawl the "proper" way, and I really don't know if he ever will. He still scoots around using his arms and his butt, and he has gotten fast with it. We had to get a couple baby gates because he was going into every room and was all over the place. He's also started pulling up too. He doesn't pull up to standing on his feet yet, but he does pull up and stand on his knees. I've stood him up while he was holding onto his V-Tech Sit to Stand and he stood there for a good minute. Getting his footing and his balance down is the only issue. I really think he's going to be pulling up completely, and standing, in the next couple of weeks.

He's been eating a lot more table food lately, and less baby food. He still just has his bottom two teeth, but has gotten so much better with textures and flavors. He's chewing a lot more, and is getting so much better at feeding himself. I gave him a waffle for breakfast this morning (no syrup), but on  most days he still has oatmeal. Lunch has been the biggest change so far. Normally he would have one to two packets of baby food, but lately he's been having a sandwich. He's had peanut butter, grilled cheese, and turkey and cheese. I just make him half of a sandwich, minus the crust, and tear it into little pieces, and he feeds himself. For dinner I have been giving him one packet of baby food, and then he has some of what the rest of us are eating. He's had chicken, beef, pasta, veggies, etc.  I haven't notice any kind of food allergies either which is good. 

His favorite toy, or thing to do, has been his wagon. My parent have a wagon, and one day while they were babysitting they took him on his first ride and he absolutely loved it. We finally got one of our own so he's been able to ride in it more. He absolutely loves it and it's the cutest thing. He's so observant, and loves to look at everything and to people watch. Not only does he love riding in his wagon, but he loves being outside. It calms him, and makes him so happy. He also likes to go shopping. He loves riding in shopping carts, and loves seeing all the people. I can't go anywhere without him hamming it up with at least two people. 

Now that he's crawling, I can tell he's getting a little more independent. When we are at home and he gets bored or fussy, he likes to change the scenery and play in his room by himself. Normally he's in the living room with me, but lately he's been liking going to his room for 30 minutes or so and playing in there. My grandmother gave me this little three-tier shelf with colored buckets for my baby shower, so that's what I keep his toys in in his room. I set it up in his closet so when he goes to play, I prop open his closet doors and he pulls everything out. I love how I have that set up because when he's not in there playing, I put all the toys back in the buckets and shut the doors, so the toys are out of sight and his room stays clean and organized. He's also been getting a lot more vocal, but still isn't saying any words, or sounds, except for "Ga". I practice with him every day with "Ba", "Ma", and "Da" but he just laughs and says "Ga". He still is screaming, and making other noises, but isn't pronouncing anything else just yet.

I can't believe he's already 10 months old and that his first birthday is right around the corner. Where has this year gone?? It's seriously so crazy to think that almost a year ago he was born. It makes me sad to think about it, but at the same time I'm excited because he's starting to do more. It's really fun to watch him grow, and to see him have new experiences. He is full of personality already, and is very particular and strong-willed. Both Kevin and I are the same way, so we are definitely going to have our hands full with Kason!

I hope ya'll enjoyed this months update. Kason will be celebrating his first Halloween this Friday, so I will definitely have a blog post up of both him and Lexi in their costumes. We are going to hang around and go trick or treating with our families so it should be fun. I'm thinking of vlogging that evening, but I'm not 100% sure yet. Whatever I decide to do, I will definitely let you know here, and on Twitter & Instagram @caferg_xoxo. 

I hope ya'll have a great rest of the week and a Happy Halloween! 

xoxo,

Casey

Mommy Minute: Kason's Daily Routine - 9 Months Old

Hey ya'll!!

I have a new Mommy Minute for you today, and it's an update on Kason's daily routine. Now that Kason's a little older, his routine has changed and he's doing more than just sitting in a swing or playing in a bouncer. I'm going to go over what he does on a normal day, what he eats, his napping and bedtime routines, and what he does for entertainment throughout the day. I also am going to talk about how we handle running errands and getting out of the house.

Now that Lexi is back in school, Kason gets his day going a little earlier than he was in the summer time. Lexi and I are up and starting our day about 7:15 every morning (Thursday's are great because she has late arrival, so we get an extra hour). Lucky for me, Kason isn't the type to cry as soon as he wakes up. He usually wakes up and plays with his stuffed animals for a while before I go and get him up. I like to focus on Lexi first thing, and get her ready and out the door before getting Kason's day started. After Kason is up and out of bed, he gets a fresh diaper and has his first bottle of the day. He has three 8 ounce bottles a day, for a total of 24 ounces.

After he has his first bottle, he plays in the living room and watches Disney Jr. for about an hour. I keep most of his toys in the living room at all times because that's where he spends most of his time. After he plays for a little while, he's ready for breakfast about 10:00. He has oatmeal for breakfast pretty much every morning. I make 4 ounces of formula and mix it with Gerber's Instant Oatmeal. It's my favorite thing to give him because he meets his daily iron requirement plus extra vitamins and nutrition, he gets that extra formula in case he decides not to drink one of his bottles during the day, plus it's really filling and holds him off until lunch.

After breakfast he's free to play and do what he wants. He literally started scooting around the day after I posted his 9 month update. He's not scooting in the crawling position and instead is hobbling around in a sitting position. I'm so happy he's finally moving around because it's really impacted his overall mood throughout the day. He still gets fussy here and there, but for the most part he has been so much more content. It's opened up a whole new world for him and he is steady exploring around the house and making his way to all the different rooms. After breakfast is also when we will go shopping or run any necessary errands. I like to go after breakfast because he's got some energy and his belly is nice and full, so he's more likely to be content for a longer period of time.

If we aren't leaving the house, he is usually ready to take a nap around 11:00. If we are out and about, he just takes a nap when we get back or will sleep in the car. If he takes this nap, it usually lasts about an hour and a half. When he wakes up, he's ready for lunch. We've been experimenting with different foods, and have been incorporating table food with his baby food. As far as baby food goes, he is on Level 3 (but I still get Level 2 in some flavors because he likes them). He used to only eat Gerber, but once we changed to the Level 3, he no longer would eat it. He's really picky when it comes to textures. It's weird, because he will pretty much each any table food we give him, but if it's baby food with chunks in it, all bets are off. I think he gets confused because he's used to his baby food being really soft and smooth, so when he tastes the same flavor but has to now chew it, it throws him off. Right now he's been trying different brands and types. One's that have worked so far are People's Choice, Beechnut, and Plum Organics. I give him either water, or water mixed with a little apple juice, to wash down his lunch. He continues to sip on that cup of water, or juice, throughout the whole day.

After lunch, he has another little burst of energy to roam around and play. He also has been really loving our dog lately. Ariel, thankfully, has been loving him too. Kason is constantly trying to steal her toys, but she's no push over. She is really gentle and careful with him, but has zero problem taking her toy back from him! About 2:00 in the afternoon, he's ready for his second bottle of the day.

He's ready for another nap around 3:00-4:00. If he had a morning nap then he will sleep for about an hour and a half to two hours. If he hasn't napped all day he will take a really good nap that lasts about three hours. His naps really depend on the day so I don't have a strict napping schedule. If we are running errands in the morning, he may be ready to go down at 1:00 or 2:00, and will eat his lunch when he wakes up. Depending on how hungry he is, he will have a snack before or after nap. He likes the little dissolvable puffs, Goldfish crackers, and frozen fruit in his mesh feeder. His favorite snack is sting cheese. Funny right? I break off little pieces and he loves it. He eats the entire thing, too. 

I cook dinner around 6:00-6:30 most nights, and that's about the time he gets hungry. I feed him a pouch, or jar, of baby food, and then he gets a little bit of what we eat. We had pot roast last night, so he had some beef, veggies, and mashed potatoes, and did great with all of it. Other things he has had and done well with are chicken and pasta. When we go out to eat, we are steadily giving him new things to try. The facial expressions and reactions to different foods are priceless!

After dinner it's bath time. I was bathing him in the kitchen sink, but recently moved him to the real bath tub and he absolutely loves it. He has two rubber ducks and an octopus that he plays with. I fill the tub up about two inches deep with water and bubbles, and he splashes and plays while I scrub the day away. After bath, I lotion him up and put his PJ's on. Sometimes he plays, and sometimes we read a book. He loves it when I read to him. He has a lot of fun looking at all the pictures, and touching all the pages. Right before he goes down for the night he has his third and final bottle. After his bottle, we all give him lots of love and put him in his crib. He is a very good sleeper, and sleeps through the night until morning. Very rarely does he wake up at night. If he does, it's usually a bad dream and he is back asleep in a few minutes. I've only ever had to go in there and comfort him a handful of times since he started sleeping through the night.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! If you have any questions, or video/blog requests, please leave them in the comments below.


xoxo,
Casey

Mommy Minute: Kason's 9 Month Update

Hey ya'll!!

Kason is 9 MONTHS OLD! I can't even believe how fast his first year is going by. We went to the doctor today for his 9 Month Well Check and I have a big boy on my hands. He weighs 21 lbs. 3 oz. (75%), is 29.5 inches long (90%), and has a head circumference of 18.9 inches (99%).

I'm not going to lie, this month was a rough one! I love my boy more than anything, but he sure has put me through the ringer these past few weeks. He's been super fussy, all day every day. I talked to the doctor, and we've summed it up to two things. One, he's still teething. He has his two bottom teeth, and is working on the top teeth. His two bottom teeth came in pretty much a week or two apart so I have a feeling both of his top teeth are trying to come in at the same time. The second reason, I think this is the main reason, is that he gets really frustrated with himself. He hasn't started crawling yet, but he wants to SO BAD! He has been trying really hard, but he just hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. He can roll over both ways, and can move from a sitting position onto his belly, but he can't get up from that belly position which results in a full blow melt down. He's reaching for everything, and is constantly throwing every toy in sight, which make him mad when he can't reach for them and get them back on his own. At this point, I will be throwing a full blown celebration the day he learns to crawl, because I think that will solve a lot of his fussy problems.

He's been really into exploring what his voice can do. He's been making a lot more sounds, and he loves to experiment. Right now, his favorite sound to make is a high pitched scream. He screams so loud! And he doesn't discriminate where or when these screams occur. He will do it at 7am when he decides he doesn't want to sleep in, he will do it in the car, he will even do it in the check out line at Target in the middle of the day when there's only a handful of people around so that they all turn and stare at the same time. He likes to have squealing matches too. We've started the "Battle of the Squeals". He does it, I copy him, he does it back, and thinks it's the funniest thing ever.

He also really, really loves iPhone's & iPad's. Pretty much anything that lights up and makes noise he believes is fair game. He's like a mosquito to a bug zapper. He could be having a full blown mental breakdown until you pull out an iPhone. He immediately shuts up, his eyes get really big, and his mouth makes an "O" shape all while reaching as far as he can with both hands. This boy is something else. It's absolutely hilarious, but can get annoying when we are sitting on the couch and I'm trying to beat a level of Pet Rescue, and he's messing me up by reaching over me to get to the phone and falling into my lap.

His latest toy has been his V-Tech Sit to Stand and he really enjoys it. It has a ton of buttons that he can press that light up and make a ton of different sounds and noises. It can lay flat and sit next to him on the floor, or it can stand up on wheels, which is how we set it up. It will be good for when he starts to walk because he can hold the handle and push it. His favorite thing about it is the little purple telephone that detaches from it. Every time I turn the toy on, the first thing he does is take the phone off. I will put it back on and as soon as my hand moves away he's taking it off again.

He's definitely in the "Separation Anxiety" faze. He freaks out when I leave the room. Screams, kicks, cries, the whole nine yards. I will poke my head from around the corner to let him know I'm still there, or I will talk to him from the other room to let him know I'm close by, and he starts to laugh. But once I think he's ok, I turn back to leave again and the crying ensues.  He doesn't do it every single time I leave the room, but it is a daily occurrence. I know this is just a faze that he will soon grow out of. Again, I will be happy when he can crawl, because if he wants to see me he can just follow me from room to room.

He learned how to drink from a straw this month and I was super excited about it. If you've been keeping up with my Mommy Minute's then you know that I was trying to find a sippy cup that worked for him. He did finally learn how to drink from a regular sippy cup, and shortly after figured out how to use a straw. I really prefer the cups with a straw because they are much easier for him to drink from while sitting up. I mix his cup with half water, half apple juice, and he sips on that through out the day. I also introduced Mesh Feeder's to him at the beginning of the month and we have had a lot of success with them. He's getting a lot of practice with those on how to feed himself, and I've already seen improvements in his ability to feed himself in the last couple of weeks. He doesn't have the "pincer grasp" down quite yet, but he is able to pick things up with his hand and bring his hand to his mouth. He has about a 50% success rate of actually getting the food into his mouth, but it's getting a lot better! Next week I will be doing another update on his Daily Schedule and his eating routine, so I will talk more about that then.

Even though we had a tough month, it was still a good one. Little man is growing like a weed and is learning and doing new things every day. I can't believe it's almost time for me to plan his First Birthday Party. I already have some ideas and am getting pretty excited about it. Poor guy's birthday is four days after Christmas. After I had him I told Kevin that I wondered if it was going to be a bummer for him to have his birthday so close to Christmas. It may not be that big of a deal because he won't ever know any different. If any of you have kid's with birthday's close to Christmas, I'd love to know how it is for you!

If you have any Mommy Minute discussion suggestions, please let me know in the comments below.

xoxo,
Casey