No, No, No!

Even though he went to bed on schedule and slept through the night, Bubeaner woke up again at 545a.  We believe he may have slept longer but for a little diaper failure.  He soaked through two sheets!  We have a waterproof pad in between sheets for easy removal/change.  However, somehow Bubeaner managed to get the edge of the second sheet.  Oh, well....

Bubeaner watching Plaza Sesamo early in the morning

Due to his "incident" Bubeaner ended up taking an unplanned shower with Dad in the morning.  He is really enjoying taking morning showers with Dad.  He particularly enjoys getting ready at the same time.  Dad makes it even more special because he pretends to do the same things with him like trimming the beard, applying deodorant, brushing teeth and hair, etc.  Bubeaner loves it! 

Happy Bubeaner was teasing aunt Pau with food.

 He would offer her some but then take it away when she reached for it.

The only problem we face is getting him dressed.  Bubeaner has discovered he loves being naked.  The moment he's set down, the towel goes flying and he runs around the room naked trying to avoid Momma.  Inevitably Momma wins but it's getting harder to catch him every day; he's becoming more mobile and quicker as Momma becomes slower due to Bubita growing.

Nothing like some seafood to lighten the heart.

Today we spent a quiet day at home.  Momma had to run to the dentist for a quick fitting of her new night guard (it appears Momma grinds her teeth at night), but Bubeaner stayed home with Meme'Licia.  He even took an early afternoon nap probably still exhausted from the early morning.

Bubeaner was fascinated by the fountain in the town center.

We imagine the edge was purposely made so wide

to keep little ones from easily getting in there.

Bubeaner does not appear to be in pain from teething anymore.  His mood has been better.  He is still needy and wants to be around Momma the majority of the time.  In fact, he has been asking to be carried by Momma a lot.  He usually prefers to walk.  Bubeaner's eating has also not picked up yet.  He's getting pickier as to what he will actually eat.  Very picky.  Pretty soon we may be driven to a very limited menu: breakfast - waffles or pancakes with fruit and lunch/dinner - grilled cheese or peanut butter/jelly sandwich with fruit.  Sometimes he will allow for some yogurt and the occasional egg too.  We are not sure if this is still related to teething, pain, or just part of this developmental stage.

Dad showing Bubeaner some of the light features on the fountain/plaza

And as part of his current developmental stage, "no" has become a regular part of our day.  He won't say it, but will shake his head.  He uses it every day, all day long.  Bubeaner lets us know if he does not want the shoe or clothes options we have offered, or if he does not appreciate our food selection for his meals, or pretty much for anything that comes up during the day.  And he is adamant!  No means NO. 

Momma and Bubita at 30 weeks 5 days

Today Bubeaner was finally able to climb on to the couch by himself.  Aunt Pau mentioned she'd seen him do it before, but this is the first time we see him do it.  We imagine it took him a little longer because he needed his legs to get a tiny bit longer.  Of course, this also means that we now have to watch for him getting on and off the couch and increases the odds of him falling.


We also made another not so pleasant discovery.  Bubeaner was a little ornery today and ended up on time out a few times.  He did not complain and just sat there until the timer went off.  However, afterwards, he went back and sat on the "time out area" of his own accord.  He did wait until Meme'Licia and Momma were watching and then proceeded to babble and play.  It was almost like he was showing us he didn't mind time out.  It was disconcerting reminding Momma of some very familiar character/stubbornness trends.  Bita and Bito Pepe are probably laughing somewhere enjoying this.  Oh, boy!

Natural Mimic

Well, as we expected Bubeaner did not sleep well.  He woke up two times during the night and then was finally up for good at 545a.  We have no one to to blame but ourselves.  We just hate that Bubeaner suffered from a lack of sleep.  Although Momma's hip pain was pretty bad during the night.  Poor Dad was kept awake between Bubeaner crying and fussing and Momma tossing and turning all night long.  We might reconsider staying out so late next time.

Bubeaner had many important texts to send out

Surprisingly Bubeaner woke up in good mood even though he had little shadows under his eyes.  Poor munchkin.  He was also a little more clingy and needy than usual.  He would come and get hugs and love from Momma more often than usual.

A Bubeaner's work is never done.

Lots of people to call. 

We also realized just how closely he watches our every move.  Nothing escapes his notice.  Bubeaner got into Dad's bathroom cabinet and out of curiosity we watched to see what he would do.  He was able to imitate Dad's morning routine almost step by step from deodorant, brushing teeth to using the beard trimmer.  He would even make the motion of gargling mouth wash!  WOW!  It really makes us wonder exactly what else he sees and imitates without us noticing.  Of course, we later found him playing with Momma's cell phone.  He was pretending to talk on the phone.  He even did a fake laugh during his conversation!

Imitating Momma getting ready 

Even though he was in a pretty good mood, we decided to take Bubeaner with us to the church group rather than him staying with Meme'Licia at home.  He had been so clingy and needy during the morning that it just seemed cruel to disappear on him.  The grandmothers were thrilled to see him.  They loved seeing how big he has gotten.  He was a little shy.  He has not really visited in a while so he was not as comfortable as he used to be around everyone.

One of his favorite things to do is to get 

on the bed/carpet and look at the ceiling while he talks.

He was pretty clingy there too.  It was not anything we did not expect.  He just wanted to make sure he was close to Momma.  At the very least, he wanted Momma within eye sight.  We were concerned about it disrupting the rest of the group.  However, most of the grandmothers made a point of coming over and commenting on how well Bubeaner behaved especially considering he was now walking.

Handsome Bubeaner

(We found out what happened to aunt Pau's sunglasses)

We did decide to leave a little early before we had a true meltdown.  They are not guaranteed but are more likely close to his nap time when he's not had a good night's sleep.  There was no reason or need to tempt fate.

Bubeaner dealing with the MomPaparazzi 

"Please no more pictures"

Bubeaner was fast asleep by the time we arrived home.  It only takes about 5 minutes to get there from church.  We were able to transfer him from the car seat, take off his shoes and pants for comfort and place him in his crib without him waking up.  That was just the level of poor Bubeaner's exhaustion. 

He was able to take a nice long undisturbed nap.  And afterwards, we were able to enjoy playing at home without any fussing or tantrums.  We did make sure he had an early bed time just to avoid any more problems tomorrow.

Dee Plane, Dee Plane

Today Bubeaner and Momma took it easy and stayed home.  We enjoyed a quiet time at home playing, napping, and just relaxing.  It was a good thing since Momma's hip pain has been pretty bad today.  We are assuming it may be a strained or sprained ligament around the uterus/hip area.  It started after the impromptu hospital visit and has progressively gotten worse.  (One of the reasons, we will deliver somewhere else if Dr. R is on call.) Sadly, there is nothing to be done until after delivery.


Bubeaner did a little better today in regards to fussiness.  This was probably directly related to the fact that he slept a little better too: 12 hours at night and a pretty decent afternoon nap too.

Dad was able to get away from work earlier than usual.  And aunt Pau was able to leave earlier also.  So Momma and Bubeaner headed out to the town center to meet them for a nice family dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  It was such a nice day that we were even able to eat outside in the patio.  And our table gave us a good vantage point for watching the planes headed to the airport. 

Aunt Pau kept pointing out the planes to Bubeaner.  And some how Bubeaner thought she controlled when the planes flew over head.  He would get upset when aunt Pau could not make planes appear on command.  We could not figure out a good way of explaining it to Bubeaner.  Afterwards we headed for some chocolate chip cookies that Bubita just absolutely needed that we enjoyed while we walked around the town center.

Unfortunately, with the later sunset and the wonderful weather we stayed out too late.  Way too late.  Bubeaner's bedtime is usually 630p-730p.  We were just heading home at 830p!  Thankfully, he did not appear to be phased by the late hour.  And he went to bed and fell asleep right away after Dad put him to bed.  Unfortunately, it still does not bode well for tomorrow.  We'll see what happens.

30 weeks 2 Days!

Bubita is now officially past Bubeaner's gestational age at birth!  YAY!  Every day from now on is a bonus.  We are thrilled and excited.  We waited with some trepidation for this day to pass.  There are still way too many more weeks ahead before we are considered at term.  But this, at least, is one major milestone.

Irritable Bubeaner

Bubeaner has been extra clingy and needy of Momma's attention after the wedding weekend trip.  It might be as a reaction of not having Momma around for those 24-36 hours.  In any case, it made for an interesting time at gym class.  He did not want to try anything that meant he could not cling to Momma's leg or hand.  And whenever we tried coaxing him to try some of the slides the result was usually screaming and wailing.

He was temporarily distracted by the music.

Bubeaner loves to dance.

Once we got home, we decided to give him some BabyOrajel too.  Just on the off chance that maybe his teeth were still bothering him too.  Bubeaner was fine when we applied it to three sides.  But on the fourth side, he immediately jumped and cried when we touched that particular molar.  Poor little one, we just assumed he was all done with teething.  Aunt Lari, who is getting her wisdom teeth, commiserated over the phone with Bubeaner about the painful experience of teething.

Bubeaner on the one slide he tried

where he did not throw a tantrum.

Weekend Adventures with Dad

This was an adventurous weekend for the family.  Momma left early on Saturday morning for the second session of Becoming a Love and Logic Parent before everyone else left for the wedding.  It was hard driving away from a waving Bubeaner in Dad's arms.  Momma is eternally grateful that Dad works so hard to allow Bubeaner a stay-at-home mom.

Dad, Bubeaner and uncle Jeff with some Dad's California cousins

(Katie, Snow and Claire) 

Bubeaner, Dad and Grandma Ellen left sometime before noon.  All was well during the trip.  Bubeaner took his afternoon nap during the drive down.  He was refreshed when they arrived at the hotel.  There was another gathering/convention at the hotel.  It was a bit chaotic, but they made it to their room with no major problems to get ready for the wedding.  Bubeaner took that time to spend some extra energy running like crazy in his diapers around the room.

Bubeaner and his Godfather ready for dinner.

Bubeaner and Dad made a striking pair so handsome in their matching suits.  Dad was glad to catch up with his relatives.  And Bubeaner enjoyed meeting and spending time with his cousins, aunts and uncles.  He particularly was drawn to the girl cousins.  No surprise there.  Bubeaner flirted and went from one set of arms to the next.  Never mind that the boy can walk perfectly well.  He really liked aunt Claire from California. 

Getting some Grandma Ellen love

After the ceremony, Bubeaner had a wardrobe change.  The suit was fine for the meet and greet, but there is nothing more comfortable than pajamas for partying.  The pajamas also made it easier for Dad if/when Bubeaner finally fell asleep.  No dealing with changing an exhausted baby boy.

Bubeaner and his latest conquest, aunt Claire

Bubeaner did quite well for all the change and new people.  He even handled the later dinner time with aplomb, and we know Bubeaner does not normally allow delays in his meal times.  The only problem arose when it was bedtime.  He can usually go to sleep in his car seat/stroller even when there is a party going on around him.  It's one of the wonders and blessings of our NICU days; he can sleep through most anything.  We usually just need his pajamas and lovey.  For some reason that was not working this time.  Dad even took him in the stroller around the reception building to help lull him into sleep.  No luck.

A tired Bubeaner could not fall asleep.

Dad was despairing that he would have to make the 30+ minute drive back into town (the reception was out in the countryside) to take Bubeaner back to the hotel.  Dad had been hoping to spend a little more time catching up.  That is when aunt Meredith saved the night.  She rocked Bubeaner as she sang to him in Spanish. And voila, sleeping Bubeaner!  A boy sometimes just needs a little bit of the familiar.

 There was no Momma, but he got his Spanish songs.

He was a little fitful once they returned to the hotel.  He managed to con his way on to Dad's bed for the rest of the night.  In the morning they joined the rest of the family for breakfast/brunch.  Afterwards, they headed home.  In a moment of pure luck, Dad decided to stop and have lunch on the way.  The drive back usually takes almost 3 hours, and we usually don't stop.  But for some reason this time, it took over 5 hours!  If Dad had not stopped, they would have had a fussy, hungry and angry Bubeaner on their hands.  An angry and fussy Bubeaner was bad enough.

Bubeaner with some of the other great grand kids during brunch

As for Momma and Bubita, we spent a quiet weekend missing our boys.  They were terribly missed ALL weekend long.  This also marked the 30-week gestation mark; two days from when Bubeaner was born.  Hence why we are no longer allowed to travel from the metroplex.  And as an additional precaution, aunt Pau spent the weekend with us like she's done every time Dad's been out during the pregnancy.  Nobody wants to risk a repeat performance from Bubeaner's birth with Momma alone in the house.  We were all thrilled when our boys finally arrived. 

Lake Visit

We took it a little easier today after the excitement of yesterday.  Our only plan was to visit uncle Gary and aunt AA.  We spent the morning with them relaxing on the deck overlooking the lake.  Bubeaner enjoyed spending time with them.  He particularly liked it when uncle Gary took out the riding lawn mower.  How could it not be exciting?  It's loud and it moves!  However, for all his fascination, Bubeaner was not yet ready for a ride on it.  After all, it's loud and it moves!  Maybe in a few months he will warm up to it.

The best part for Bubeaner was sitting on the swing bench at the water's edge with uncle Gary and uncle K.  Grandma Ellen took a great picture of the three.  Sadly, Momma did not have her camera with her.

Bubeaner could have stayed there all afternoon; he loves the water.  However, we had to get back to the house.  Momma had to make sure Dad and Bubeaner were ready for their weekend trip.  Grandma, Bubeaner and Dad were headed to the hillcountry for aunt Heidi's wedding.  Momma couldn't join them because of the traveling.  This will be the first trip Dad takes with Bubeaner sans the Momma.  He's excited and a tad bit apprehensive.

Hopefully, Momma's preparations will make it easier and as stress-free as possible.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today we celebrated Dad's birthday!  He was at work until later in the day, but it gave us time to make the final preparations at home.  We have to wait until the last minute because Dad tries to figure out what surprises we are planning including presents.  We make him wait as he should for the actual celebration.

Singing Bubita.

Maybe she'll be an opera singer like her aunt Julie.

Part of his present was to have been a visit to Dr. T to see Bubita for the 29/30 week check up.  Unfortunately, this appointment also coincided with a busy, busy week at work.  And aunt Pau couldn't attend either because it was not her day off.  But Grandma Ellen flew in for the sonogram.  She was quite excited about seeing her first granddaughter on the screen.

The sonogram was wonderful.  Bubita cooperated and showed off.  She swallowed, yawned, and even hiccuped while we watched. We also were able to see her little hand waving at us as well as her "chunky" little legs.  Dad would have loved it!  But thankfully he did not have miss the experience entirely.  The wonderful tech recorded another DVD just for Dad!

Notice Bubita's fat button nose?

The arrow points to what Dad calls her "Hobbit" feet.

They are HUGE!

Other than getting cuter, Bubita continues to grow.  She's currently measuring/weighing 3.5 weeks ahead.  (And yes, we are VERY sure that our dates are correct.)  The girl is a chunk at approximately 3 pounds 12 ounces at 29 weeks 4 days!  That's almost on par with Bubeaner's birth weight of 3 pounds 13 ounces at 30 weeks 2 days.  Momma just grows big babies. 

The placenta is still looking fine.  There were a few placental lakes, but small enough in size and quantity to not be too concerning.  The blood flow to and from the placenta was also normal.  Overall, Bubita looks good. 

Bubeaner and Dad

After the appointment we ran several errands including picking up Dad's absolute favorite cake: Basking Robbins chocolate and mint chocolate chip ice cream cake.  Meme'Licia helped decorate the house.  And Bubeaner was allowed to stay up a little past his bedtime to celebrate with Dad.

Bubeaner is not too sure about being so close

to the now lit candles.

Dad loved his presents, his food, his cake and, above all, being able to watch the NFL draft with his boy on his birthday undisturbed.

Happy Birthday Dad! 

May you have many, many more.

It was a good day.  Momma did have some more mild cramps towards the end of the day.  They were probably due from exhaustion from spending most of the day out.  But they went away pretty fast.  There was no need to visit the hospital again.  That would NOT have been a good birthday present.

18-Month Check-up

Today was Bubeaner's 18-month, well-child check up.  We made it to Dr. Z's a little late for some unknown reason.  We started getting ready with plenty of time, but somehow ended up rushing.  Unfortunately, Bubeaner fell asleep on the drive to the office.  And he was not too pleased with being woken up to go inside. 

Bubeaner refused to show off his awesome walking skills for RN Sandra.  He was not even happy about stepping on the big-boy scale.  And smart boy that he is, he immediately recognized the exam room.  He stuck to Momma like glue.  No way was he letting go.  Any shots coming his way would have to make it through Momma first.  Ah, silly little boy.

He did relax once Dr. Z came in for his exam.  Bubeaner continues with his Dr. Z infatuation.  He even babbled, talked, and showed off his drawing skills.  He now weighs 27 pounds and measures 31 inches.  That places him at the 46 percentile for weight and 27 percentile for height.  The height was not a surprise considering we have to roll up all his pants.  The boy has adorable, but short, legs.  His weight was a pleasant surprise.  We are thrilled that he is now at that percentage.  It's reassuring to know he is getting plenty of nutrients.  And then there is the head circumference measurement... it's officially off the chart.  OK, it's not a big surprise since it's been in the 90 percentile for a while now.  Goodness, it was measuring at 30+ percentile on the regular chart when Bubeaner was still weighing and measuring in the preemie growth chart.  The boy just has a big noggin.  It's cute.  It's adorable.  But it's also big.  Dr. Z is not concerned....  She just needs to look at the parents to know big heads (hopefully not full of hot air) run in the family.

Dr. Z was also pleased with his verbal and gross motor skills.  Bubeaner is doing a great job for his age, not even taking into consideration his prematurity.  Way to go Bubeaner!  We also discussed the propensity for premature babies, particularly those born before 32 weeks, for developing ADHD and autism later in life.  She did confirm that there is a slightly higher incidence in premature children for these conditions.  Even with the amazing and miraculous medical advances, we have not yet been able to fully mimic the environment of the womb.  However,  Dr. Z does not see any red flags regarding these conditions at this time.  Bubeaner is meeting the developmental milestones appropriately.

Unfortunately for Bubeaner, the exam did not end there.  He did have to receive two more booster shots.  Just when he thought he was done, RN Sandra came back in with the "bad" news.  He cried.  And he was NOT please with RN Sandra.  Poor RN Sandra gets all the bad looks.  On the bright side, these are the last shots, other than the yearly flu vaccine, until he's 3 years old.  YAY!  Bubeaner may even learn to forgive RN Sandra during that time.  As a prize for being such a brave little boy, Bubeaner was given a lollipop.  Now, he is usually not allowed sweets (except when his aunts and Dad decide to break the rules), but everyone deserves a lollipop after getting shots.

Unofficial Hospital Tour

Well, the cramps did not go away even after spending 4+ hours resting with legs elevated, lying on the left side, and drinking 64+ ounces of water.  Instead they were joined by lower back pain, upper abdominal pain and some contractions.  So the on call doctor sent Momma to labor and delivery at 830p.

Poor aunt Pau, who arrived this morning after an 11-hour flight from Hawaii and worked from 2p-8p, came to stay at the house with the sleeping Bubeaner.  We were extremely grateful and appreciative.  We can't imagine her exhaustion.

We did learn that someone has a sick sense of humor at the hospital.  The drop off for LDRP (Labor & Delivery) is THREE LONG towers AWAY!  Yes, that may not be a problem under normal circumstances.  However, when a person is pregnant and in pain, that distance might as well be a mile away.  Finally, we were able to get a nice policeman to guide us to LDRP.  The nurses were wonderful.  The rooms were quite spacious.  And, of course, as soon as Momma was in a bed and Bubita hooked up to monitors all the pain, contractions and cramps started easing.  Dr. R was on call.  (He's not our favorite.  But you take what you get.)  He checked Bubita and Momma.  He was so "gentle" that Momma threatened Dad she would deliver at the hospital across the street if Dr. R was on call when Bubita decides to make her entrance. 

Thankfully, everything was still in order.  No preterm labor, just a little trial run.  So after a few hours of observation, Momma and Dad headed back home some time after midnight... after a quick stop at Whataburger for a pancake platter.  Hey, Bubita NEEDED pancakes after that scare.

1st Hair Cut!

Bubeaner spent most of the day with the guys (Dad and his Godfather, uncle Jeff).  The first order of business was Bubeaner's first hair cut.  He technically did not yet need one.  His hair is thickening but it's still not very long at all.  But the back was just a little (tiny little bit) long.  Dad and uncle Jeff took him to Bruce, Dad's long time barber.  Girls were not allowed.  Dad explained there were some things that guys did on their own.

Bubeaner did was very brave and did not cry or move even though Bruce used the clippers for some parts.  Bruce was very good with him too.  We are thrilled that it was a good experience for Bubeaner.  Bruce was thrilled to be cutting the hair of the third generation of H-Boys.  It was a sad reminder that Grandpa John was no longer with us and made it bittersweet.  Sadly, we don't have any pictures of the actual haircut.  The camera was "resting" at home.

Bubeaner with his Godfather enjoying lunch

Afterwards the guys headed off to enjoy some good pizza and guy talk.  Bubeaner really enjoyed the pizza.  What's not to like of bread and cheese?  Afterwards, the headed to one of Dad and uncle Jeff's old hang out during our single/childless days to enjoy a good pint of beer.  Bubeaner enjoyed hanging out on the patio flirting with the wait staff.  Of course he also made a move for one of the beers.  After all, he's one of the guys.

Bubeaner will have to wait a few (preferably 20) years

before trying this out

During this time, Momma was auditing a parenting class on Becoming a Love and Logic Parent presented by some friends/former co-workers.  They had great tips and tools.  It was all common sense things that we just had not thought about.  We will be implementing some of those tools pretty soon with Bubeaner.  And hopefully sometime after Bubita is born and Momma can attend some training, she will be helping them out teaching some of the classes.

Bubeaner had a very early night due to a lack of afternoon nap and a day full of exciting new adventures.  This worked out well for Momma.   During the afternoon, Momma experienced some cramps and had to rest for most of the afternoon making sure to drink plenty of drinks.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Dad woke up extremely early today to take aunt Pau to the airport.  She's headed to Hawaii for uncle Tony's college graduation.  We had all hoped to attend, but, unfortunately, our doctors do not recommend that we travel at this time especially that far.  We are all extremely disappointed not to celebrate with Tony... and, of course, visiting Hawaii would not have been a hardship either.

Bubeaner looks more and more every day like a little boy rather than a baby.  Yes, that may be obvious to everyone else considering that he is 18+ months old.  But it's hard to not see him still as our little baby.  Or may not to WANT to still see him as our little baby.  Sigh.

aunt Pau and uncle Tony during graduation

His napping was a little better today.  He slept for 2 long, restful hours.  We hope it's a sign of Bubeaner getting back to a routine.  However, he may just not feel well.  Last night we discovered a rash all over his little belly.  And he has also been showing cold-like symptoms.  This is a little concerning since we found out our little play date from a week ago may have had Fifth Disease.  It sounds scarier than it is in actuality.  It's a mild disease with some discomfort and quite common on young children.  The only concern is that it can be dangerous during pregnancy causing anemia in the baby.  The rash appears to have cleared some this morning.  Of course, he now also has some nasty flourescent green mucous.

April and uncle Tony celebrating.

We are so proud of you guys!

He was acting like he felt a little better in the evening so we went out for a family night dinner and some Rita's.  We usually stay at Rita's while we enjoy our Italian ice and watch whatever Disney film they are playing.  However, tonight Bubeaner got so cold eating the ice that we had to get his sweater and then leave.  He couldn't stop shivering.  And he refused to stop enjoying his Rita's.  Crazy boy!

At bedtime, we usually ready 1-2 books, say our nightly prayers and then sing for a little while before putting Bubeaner in his crib.  He has some obviously favorite books, but tonight was the first time he asked for a specific one.  In fact, Bubeaner insisted.  He took away the book we were going to read and went and got the one he wanted: La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)!  It's not surprising since it was also his aunt Lari's absolute favorite book up til elementary school.

SIDE NOTE:  There may not be Bubeaner pictures for the next few posts.  The memory card is full.  Momma's still has not found/bought the USB cord...so we have no way of taking pictures for a while.

Sleeping Boys

Some of the most precious moments 

in life are unplanned.

 

Gym Class Time

Bubeaner has started gym class again.  He is a lot more social than last fall.  He is in the next age level class.  And he is one of the youngest in class.  Bubeaner is even interacting with the other children more too.  He still does not actually "play" with them, but that's probably a little ahead for this developmental stage.  Bubeaner spends more time observing them and at times even trying to imitate them. 

Bubeaner and Meme'Licia dancing at gym class.

He also started using more of the "toys" available at the gym.  Bubeaner used to be more hesitant about trying some of the more elevated activities, but will now at least try them while holding our hand.  He also does not appear to need Momma or Meme'Licia to be right next to him at all times.  He's become more independent.  Bubeaner still looks around to check and make sure we are within reach, but then proceeds with his interests.  Lately, those interests include chasing the many different balls they have and playing with the inflatable tubes.

Climbing over obstacles to get the ball.

For some reason, Bubeaner is extremely interested in the kitchen trash can.  We can't seem to come up with a way to keep him away from it.  It has become especially hard now that he is mobile and tall enough to reach into it.  It's been challenging.  Interestingly, we should probably just let him learn the lesson on his own.

Bubeaner learned that it hurts 

when his hand gets stuck in the trash can.

Tough Guy

Tough guys go for walks every day.

They also wear hats and plenty of sunscreen.

Trying to run away from Meme'Licia

But they may cry when it's time to go back inside.

Happy Easter!

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter holiday.

We attempted to make it to the early mass this morning, but it did not happen.  So we headed out 40 minutes early for the 9am mass.  And would you believe that it the sanctuary was already full?  We were still able to sit on "our" bench but unfortunately right in the middle.  Bubeaner was very well behaved today.  He still commanded all our attention; between the two of us, we may have heard a tiny portion of the mass.  But it's progress.

Bubeaner and Dad showing off their Easter clothes.

We even enjoyed a delicious Easter brunch before the big church crowds descended on the town center.  We then headed home for a little nap before doing anything else.  Naps are a wonderful time in our home. And we needed to be rested before our Easter egg hunt.

Bubeaner investigating his Easter basket

Bubeaner was not very sure about his Easter basket.  It's not everyday that he gets a basket with candy and toys.  He soon got over his hesitation.  Bubeaner immediately went for the Peeps.  (Not surprising since they are Momma's favorite too!)  Of course, in the future, we should probably choose a different color for the Peeps rather than blue.  It never occurred to us that they would actually stain.  Momma's never last long enough to stain. 

Bubeaner keeping the Peeps away from Momma

After the candy, we went outside to wait for aunt Pau before hunting for eggs.  Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Fleta, our nice retiree neighbors from across the street, were outside and invited us inside their home to meet some of their grandchildren/great-grandchildren that were visiting.  Those were pretty stressful 15-20 minutes!  They are wonderful and we love to visit with them.  However, their home is decorated in white and light (very light) beige.  Bubeaner was still holding on to a blue Peep and his other hand and mouth were completely covered in blue sugar.  They are so laid back they told us not to worry about it.  Thankfully, we made it out of there leaving no little blue hand prints behind.  Phew!

"Man, who left all these things on the ground?!?

Don't they know they have to put their toys up

after they are done playing?"

After that stress we were ready to start our egg hunt.  It took Bubeaner only a couple of eggs to get the hang of collecting them in the basket.  We are still not sure what he thought.  Bubeaner almost appeared to be upset and frustrated that just as he finished collecting the eggs from one area he would notice there were more on the floor.  It was like he wondered who had not picked up his toys. 

"Wait a minute.... There is something in here!!!"

The best part was when he realized there was candy and animal crackers stuffed in the eggs.  Suddenly it was no longer a chore.  He was eager to finish picking up the rest of the eggs.  Silly boy!

Easter Family Picture

And we even saw the Easter bunny hanging around the neighborhood during our afternoon walk.  Bubeaner didn't really pay much attention to it.  We assume someone must have lost their pet rabbit.  We had seen it a few times before up and down the street.  Lucky little rabbit has somehow managed to elude any of the neighborhood dogs and cats.  Or maybe he was just waiting around for Easter and checking out the area.  He may go home now that his work is done.

We even saw the Easter bunny!

The rest of the day was spent quietly at home relaxing and ingesting tons of sugar.  Surprisingly, or maybe not, Bubeaner was ready for an early night. 

Bubeaner was NOT happy that Momma ate his chocolate bunny's ears

Momma needed to make sure it was safe to eat.

Easter Preparations

Today we planned on a visit to uncle Gary and aunt AA.  So we packed up and headed out early.  Originally, we were only going to stay for a couple of hours.  But we were having so much fun we ended up staying for lunch too.

One little drawback to the toddler seat....

 

Bubeaner really enjoyed watching uncle Gary use the riding lawnmower.  It was cool!  He also enjoyed eating some pickles.  Mmm, yummy!  It was nice and relaxing to sit out in the patio and just enjoy the cool spring breeze watching the ducks swim in the lake.  Of course, we stayed so late that we missed the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  But we were not worried since there was a later one scheduled at the church.

Bubeaner is pretty expressive

But by the time we got to the church, Bubeaner was sound asleep.  We actually debated for quite a while what to do: wake him up and do the activities or just go home and wait for next year.  Bubeaner ended up waking up while we debated.  So we decided to give it a try.

Sleeping Bubeaner with his Easter egg basket.

We did not stay for long.  There were too many people, and it was a bit chaotic, not to mention stuffy.  There were unattended children running around like crazy everywhere.  And most of the other activities were mainly geared towards older children.  He might be more interested in a few years.  So we headed home to do our own Easter preparations.

Momma and Bubeaner unsure about this Easter egg hunt

We decided to forgo the egg painting/decorating.  It would have been too messy and Bubeaner would really not be able to participate much.  Instead we opted for decorating Easter cookies.  He knows and enjoys cookies so we had his attention the entire time.  He even helped decorate them.  Bubeaner even decorated one all on his own.  He did a pretty good job too, until he decided to add his own special mark to it.  But even with that it looked great. 

Bubeaner decided his cookie needed a lot of color

One must ensure quality control measures are observed.

The frosting passed Bubeaner taste testing.

And every masterpiece must be have a signature mark....