yum!

Now that sweet Maria is on a good schedule in terms of napping, Thomas and I find ourselves with the perfect opportunity to spend time one-on-one in the morning for an hour or so during her morning nap.  We've made some care packages for friends and family recently, a few of which have featured a favorite snack around here -- homemade granola bars!  We've experimented with lots of mix-ins like walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips.  We have yet to find a combination that we don't like!

You need to hear Thomas say "spatula" in person -- it's almost as cute as this picture.

Featured ingredients

Thomas' little collection of ingredients he sampled between bouts of mixing

Pure deliciousness

Hey lady, enough is enough with that camera!

Sleeping angel

Since both Drake and I have decided to forgo chocolate for Lent this year, granola bars have tended toward the fruit and nut variety.  Celebrating the Resurrection is sure to bring chocolate back into the snack rotation!

moments captured on the prairie path

Living only feet away from a tree-covered, naturally-lit, bustling prairie path is lovely.  It's one of the many blessings about living where we do.  It's especially nice now that the warm weather is contemplating a full return, so the kids and I have been outside on numerous occasions.

Here are some photos - I'm no photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm fully confident that you'll get the general idea of what's going on.

When did the little 5 pound baby grow up to be such a big boy?

"Post!"

*Sigh* Maybe he'll actually look at the camera on his wedding or ordination day.  One can only hope.

Well, hey there, pretty lady!

Thomas was quite pleased that this stick looked like a "T." I, for one, didn't have the heart to tell him that I thought it looked more like the symbol for pi.

Sticks, leaves, dirt, bugs, AND rocks?  Bliss!

Here's to many more warm-(ish) days to come!

As a side note, I'll be soon posting some reflections on my recent media fast.  I was just anxious to get up a few quick photos of these beautiful Steed children.  I can't help it - I'm in awe of them.

help! my children are growing too quickly!

Several things happened tonight that made both of my children seem exponentially older.

Thomas ran up to me and said, "Wind up the chick please, Mommy!"  Just like that.  A full sentence (this is most definitely not his first sentence, but we've been working on asking for things politely and using more description than just the simple "please, Mommy") complete with nouns, a verb, and the bonus "please!"

Maria rolled over several times by herself from back to belly -- and seeing her sit in the Bumbo seat just makes her seem so much bigger and more mature :). 

My children are so beautiful -- and I am so blessed!

a little look at life

Tonight I leaned down to kiss the sweet, soft, cushy cheek that I found a few inches below my chin as I walked around donning the Moby baby wrap that has become a daily necessity.  Today was a rush-around, get-things-done-in-every-spare-moment kind of day...not ideal for celebrating the Sabbath.  But for those few seconds, I stood still, and it seemed that time did, too.  I took those moments to thank the Lord and our Lady for the gift of our children - the gift of which I am so undeserving and yet find myself with the immense privilege of having on a daily basis.  In the midst of the leaky diapers, the toddler tantrums, the sleepless nights, children are gifts.  They are not burdens in any sense of the word.  And one of the greatest (if not the greatest) gifts of all is that they are my path to sanctity.  I praise God for that - for the holiness that can be achieved if I merely forget my own plans, my own desires, my own way of thinking and trade it in for the plans of the Giver of gifts.      

Thomas is pure joy to be around -- and perhaps that's not the case 100% of the time, but then again, it's certainly not the case for me either.  The love he shows his sister makes me want to be more kind, more giving, more compassionate.  He loves to learn, whether it's colors, shapes, ABC's, numbers, the taste of an unfamiliar food, a new prayer, or a new way to make Mom and Dad smile.  He loves life, and I love it more because of him.

Maria, aside from being gorgeous, incredibly kissable, and a great, ahem, daytime sleeper, reminds me of enjoying the little things in life.  Whether that's food, clean clothes, or a good cuddle, Maria is pretty easy to please (unless, like the rest of us, she's overtired). She doesn't need the most modern stroller or latest play mat.  She appreciates what is given to her - and while a 7 week old can't differentiate too much, she certainly knows Mommy and Daddy, has learned to trust them, and relies on them for her every need.  Hmmm...maybe I could stand to learn a thing or two from her about trust.  Sounds like the makings of another blog post. 

And Drake?  Well, he's my soulmate, my confidant, and my earthly stronghold.  He challenges me to be a better person, a more faithful Catholic, a more selfless spouse, and a more adventurous soul :).  Sharing in the parenting of our children is one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.

Praise to the most holy Trinity for so many gifts - all of which I am undeserving and yet have been freely given.  And as we await the birth of our Lord on Christmas morn, I pray for the grace to live a life worthy of the coming of the Christ child.  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

First Haircut!

Sweet Thomas was born with almost no hair...and then he lost the little bit that he did have...and then he grew the most gorgeous red curls I've ever seen on a boy.  Needless to say, it was worth the wait.  But then it started to get pretty shaggy and, dare I say, a little too much like a mullet.  The Steeds don't do mullets.  So I caved in and called the woman who has cut my hair since grade school - she did my hair for my first communion and our wedding and everything in between.  And she was genius in redirecting Thomas so that she could actually do a little bit of trimming.  I think I can objectively say that he looks adorable!

Before: we told him he would get to sit in a big special chair and wear a cape.  Bonus: it was covered in doggies!

Yeah.  Pretty shaggy.

 

Heyyyyyyyyy, watch it, lady!

Combing Daddy's hair!  Perfect distraction!

Just a few more snips...

Sucker!  Sweet! ;)

Cute!

 Many thanks to Daddy who took these great photos and to Julie who cut Thomas' hair in 5 minutes!  We'll see if Mommy can handle trimming in time for the holidays!

a little thomas vocab update

I'm finding the toddler stage with Thomas to be both incredibly challenging and insanely adorable all wrapped into one sweet, limit-testing, endlessly active, into-everything package.  Sometimes my limits are tested to a near breaking point, and 5 seconds later I'm convinced God has never created a more adorable child.  But all the while I'm in awe of him - I can't seem to help it.

Lately Thomas' vocabulary has been exploding - seems that there's at least one new word or sound he's able to say with each passing day.  Here's a running list:

• Truck (if you've spent more than 2 minutes with Thomas in the last month, I'm fairly confident you've been told this word two dozen times at minimum).
• Jesus
• Priest
• Cracker
• Door
• Tree
• Kiss 
• Daddy (ahem...)
• Cheese
• Keys
• Please
• Thank you
• Fish
• Doggie
• Juice (he's never actually had juice yet, but it's what we call Pedialyte thanks to several recent stomach viruses he's had)
• Ball
• Animal sounds - moo, hiss, bzzzz, roar, and, if we're lucky, buzzing his lips with his arm in the air for an elephant

Sorry that I don't have some recent photos to include in this post - we've been so busy lately, and I haven't taken time with the camera.  I'll get a picture post up here soon!

sprinkler park!

We took a little family outing to a sprinkler park nearby - not only was it fun to play in the water and sand, but it was so cute to watch Thomas interact with the other kids.  Whenever we go to library programs, play places, play dates, etc., I'm always astounded at how social he is!  He gets out of his stroller, sticks close to me for a minute or two, and then just goes up to kids armed with a huge smile and lots of waving.  It's adorable, and I'm not sure where he gets his outgoing nature...it surely isn't from his introverted momma!

Thomas and Daddy checking out a water-squirting seal

Woah there!

Some sand time...hopefully he wasn't taking notes from the sand-throwers out there

Kindly declining the photo-op

Water break!

Playing in his own personal pool (aka a large mud-bottomed puddle)

The mark of a good day: curly wet hair, dirty hands, and a smile!

so cold but oh so tasty!

Thomas had his first try at ice cream a few weeks ago - I don't think he's decided quite yet if he likes it or not.  The taste is delectable, but the freezing cold on those baby teeth is a little strange.  Here's a little photo documentary:

Looking forward to a (hopefully) nice cool summer!

and we have a walker!

So jolly

 Steady...steady...

Yippee! (Pretty sure he's much more impressed by his walking than by the knock-knock jokes)

Thomas soon started taking laps around the apartment - several laps, in fact!  That will make for a better video, so we'll get that up soon.  Stay tuned!

recent peace

We live in a university town, and with that comes, of course, bi-annual graduation ceremonies.  This past weekend, several of my MSW classmates walked across the stage to receive a diploma for years of intensive academic work.  This pursuit was something I began and then ended after one semester as God blessed us with a pregnancy.  A few of my classmates had posted photos on Facebook, and I saw another at Mass yesterday.  It got me thinking about how drastically different my life is in relation to theirs.

And then I realized something.  I wouldn't trade what I have for any sort of diploma and "job" in the workforce.  I was overwhelmed with the peace I felt about that.  I looked at Thomas thumbing through a Missalette and felt small movements from the baby in my womb; I knew that, for me, an MSW and job search would not be fulfilling.  I simply know it's not my calling right now, and God has made that so abundantly clear to me.  I could not be more thankful for this peace...a peace that has existed for quite some time but that I never gave much thought. 

This peace has enabled me to support my husband 100% in the journey toward his doctoral degree; it's allowed for my full attention to our children and doing exactly what they need (anything from reading to Thomas to resting for the baby's sake); I can, without hesitation, be excited for my colleagues, harboring no resentment whatsoever; and, I can honestly tell people that I have no current desire to complete the degree when they ask, thus affirming my vocation even more.

Congratulations, graduates!  And thank you, sweet Lord, for your gift of peace! 

a favorite activity

If you've been over to our apartment during the day in the last few months, I'm sure you've witnessed Thomas' obsession with looking out of our big windows.  With most kids, the TV really "sucks" them in...but not with Thomas.  Oh no, he'd much prefer to look out the window, watch the cars (and preferably trucks!) roll by, and squeal with excitement over the whole ordeal.

Why yes, my sweet red hair is shimmering!  Thanks for noticing!  

I hear one coming!

Kinda busy here, Mom.

WOAH!

Now he's working on saying the words, "car," "truck," and "bus."  But sometimes he's so mesmerized by them that he can't help but shriek and bounce around.  And I must say, it's quite a sight to behold!

Life is stressful around here on so many levels.  And yet, as I held my sweet firstborn this afternoon as he sipped (okay, more like inhaled) his milk-filled sippy cup, all was right in the world.  I felt my whole body relax as I held him close to me, thanking God for the miracle sitting in my lap and the other growing within me.  And at that moment, I knew God was keeping my family close to Him, just as I held dear Thomas close to me.  We'll get through all of this...and I think it's going to mean a lot more intentional taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, even if it's simply during milk time.

some sweet photos

I know I've been slacking in the photos department...so here are a few gems to make up for lost time :)

 

I fall more and more in love with this child every day.  And really, I struggle to put into words the immense love, joy, and beauty that God has placed in my life in the form of this beautiful child. What a ridiculously unbelievable blessing.

family reunion of sorts

Our family took a long road trip this weekend up to the Wausau area of Wisconsin.  My grandmother lives there in an assisted living home, and many of my dad's siblings were flying in for a surprise 90th birthday party for my grandfather.  Since so many family members were going to be in the same area, we blocked out the weekend in our calendar as well to make the 8 hour drive (one way) up there.  It was great, though, because most of this family has never met Thomas since our wedding was the last time everyone was together.  And to top it off, Thomas was a hit!  Despite so much travel time, he did amazingly well and was so happy to see everyone (and just simply be out of the car) when we arrived.  His great-grandmother was completely mesmerized by him, and all the great-uncles really got a kick out of his seemingly constant clapping and waving (sorry, Uncle Bob...he's not quite fist-pumping yet).

I definitely had good intentions about taking more photos of the trip, but sadly that didn't pan out as I had hoped as I was busy with motherly duties the majority of the time.  We sadly didn't get any of Thomas with his great-grandpa, so it looks like another trip is in order sometime!

Our family with Thomas' great-grandmother

Most of the family (minus Great Grandpa Joe, my dad (the photographer) and a couple of my uncles' spouses)

Overall a great trip...just wish we had had longer to spend in the (chilly) state of Wisconsin!

A Charmer

As I was doing our usual routine with Thomas for his afternoon nap, I teased him about how many poopy diapers he's had today.  I admittedly was a little frustrated because it's been nearly every diaper today!

 
As I leaned in to whisper to him, he looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes and thick eyelashes and planted a sweet kiss on my cheek.  How the heck could I be mad after affection like that?

Let the Children Come to Me

Lately I've been thinking more and more about how to incorporate prayer into my family's daily life, especially with regards to our children.  We try to attend daily Mass when we can.  We've recently been praying the Angelus at noon (or thereabouts), and part of our night time routine consists of singing a few Catholic hymns to Thomas before we lie him in his crib. 

I'm not sure if this is "enough."  I know that's vague, and that quantifying prayer is impossible (nor is it the goal), but I can't help but wonder what else we can be doing.  When Thomas wakes up in the morning, we go over to a crucifix and say "good morning" to Jesus, thanking Him for a restful sleep and new day to give Him glory.  And we say "good night" to Jesus as well.


What do you do with your children?  What does family prayer look like in your home?

A new trend?

Think this trend will catch on? Water as finger food!

12 Month Well Baby Check-up

Yesterday we paid a visit to our pediatrician for Thomas' one year appointment.  The result?  Everything looks great!  Here are some highlights:

• Thomas weighed in at 21 pounds - this number shocks me based on how much this kid can eat.  I am in awe of his metabolism (and  little bit jealous too!).
• He is 30 inches long.
• He can "say" these words: cheese, Jesus, dada, Cheerio
• He's clapping, waving, pointing - completely endearing.
• He can self-feed...still working on coordinating that spoon a little bit better, but he's getting there!
• He crawls, pulls up, cruises...I think a little more confidence and practice will have him walking all over the place.

He can start eating berries now and even can try seafood (just in time for Lent!).  We might venture into watching Baby Einstein or the like sometime soon.  Up to this point, we haven't once turned on the TV for him, and we're really in no hurry to do so.  But I think those types of videos can be learning experiences as long as a parent is there to interact with the baby by pointing out shapes, colors, characters, etc.  I know there will be times that I need to sit Thomas in front of the TV with a 30 minute video or something...but for now, I'm hoping to make any TV time just like any other parent-child activity.

Looking forward to this next year of growth and development!   

Happy Birthday, Thomas!

On this day exactly one year ago, my son and I were sharing a very close moment - his birth!  What a whirlwind it all was.  I'm in awe of the gift of life and am indebted to my son for teaching me so many things in such a short time. Below are some photos from his birthday party this past weekend...he sure had a blast, and we did too!  Since the highlight of most first birthday parties is the cake-eating, I've featured it here:

 

The birthday boy

 

A homemade birthday cake

 

Let the sugar fest begin!

Yum!

Taking care of business

 

Destroyed that cake

Oh, hi!  Did you want some?

 

A very necessary bath

Necessary indeed

Scrubbing away

I love you, Thomas, and I'm so very proud of you!  Happy 1st Birthday!