Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Today we 3 Beardsleys are relaxing at home watching the Macy's Day Parade and cooking. In the afternoon, we'll go and join some friends for Thanksgiving dinner. We're bringing the green beans, apple pie, appetizers and rolls. Mmmmm. There is lots and lots of dough rising in our kitchen right now!

It's so nice to be at home with family today and tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday. I'm so happy! Hope you all have great holidays!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

14 Months Old

A week ago Joey celebrated his 14monthday. We are so excited to have this happy guy in our family! He is now walking!! Yea!! It started with a few hesitant steps here and there and then for distances he was sure he could cover without falling down. Now, he goes anywhere he can, walking. He still can't stand up when he has fallen unless he has something to pull up on, but he is going pretty long distances!




Although he still isn't saying or signing too much, he understands alot of what we say. He knows where to look for airplanes and likes to point at them. He is increasingly interested in children closer to his age and touching them and playing with them. He likes to build with blocks and understands how to connect them and take them apart. He loves pushing his walker around, and playing with Mocha and getting into any cabinet that we don't have a child guard on. Matt has seen him sign "milk" and "juice" but I have yet to see.

We are working on eating right now. Although he is a really good eater and not very picky about food types he is VERY particular about food textures. He really hesitates to eat anything that is not pureed which is starting to become a wee bit difficult. For example, he'll eat pureed chicken, plain, but won't eat chicken cut into very small pieces. He's only just now starting to eat little teeny pieces of soft bread, although he's been eating and chewing up crunchy crackers for months! Children are so strange! He'll eat beans (like black beans or black-eyed peas) mushed up, but acts like they are a totally different food he's never tasted before if they are cooked and soft and whole. There are lots of times that it would be helpful to smear a little peanut butter on a piece of bread and give it to him, but he's just not there yet, so we are hoping in the next month or so to expand his little palate. He's JUST started eating whole cooked peas and carrots in pieces although he's been eating the pureed ones for nearly a year. whew.

Right now Matt is feeding him and he is eating bread that he adamantly refused 15 minutes ago and pineapple pieces that he spit out last week. If you are looking for consistency, look to God, not to your child! :-)

Aside from the minor food battles, Joey is weighing in at 22 pounds which puts him somewhere between the 10th and 25th %. We're excited that he is catching up to his age group. He has a great time with the little boy that I take care of and on those days is usually napping once. He can still easily take two naps in a day, but one is pretty short, 45 minutes or so and one is 2+ hours. Most days he just has one nap. He is working on learning how to go down stairs but will still try head-first if left to his own devices. He sleeps about 13 hours at night from about 7:30/8 to 8:30/9. Although I didn't mention it, Joey is totally weaned and has been since 12 months. He was nursing 2 times a day for the first part of his 12th month, then once a day in the morning and towards the end not at all. He didn't seem to miss it or mind at all.

I think that's all I can think of for now. Hope you enjoy the video!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Citrus Trees and a Project

We are really lucky to live in a place where we can grow, in our own yard, citrus fruit! Last week as a housewarming present to ourselves, we bought a grapefruit and orange tree. Our last house had a great lemon tree and we loved having it.
Here is a picture of our new trees:



The great part is, they weren't expensive, and they will grow and produce fruit. The bugs here are so minimal that the climate is ideal for growing!! Which brings me to my project. The side of our backyard was full of some overgrown bushes, LOTS of rusty yard "ornaments", toys, and other randomness under said bushes. I spent my last day off, digging, pulling, panting and wrestling these beasties out of the yard. Here are some in-process pictures:


This is the area that was going to be gutted. At first I thought I'd be removing 3 plants....


Here I've removed the first. Much harder than I thought!


4 out now. Already more than I thought were even there. The last one on the left turned out to be 2, 1 very large one, and 1 tiny one.



And here's the spot now that it's all gone. Now we have a place for some plants and our great citrus trees. I had a really good time doing this. It's really neat to know that you are working on something that belongs to your family! I can't wait to show some pictures of the yard later on. And another cool thing is, even though we don't have the cold cold weather and the snow :-( We are able to plant vegetables and flowers (different kinds) all year long!! Stay tuned for pictures of lettuce and broccoli plants!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Our Halloween

Matt and I carved a couple of pumpkins....







Joey helped us, by holding some of the candy we were going to pass out later. When we got to the neighborhood where we were going trick or treating, we found out that Joey likes chocolate!


I guess that's what teeth are for!

Then we put on Joey's costume. It was lent to us, by the people that I babysit for.



Joey had a great time! Last year he was only a few months old, so we stayed home and passed out candy, but this year, he really got the hang of it. Even though he couldn't say "trick or treat" he learned to pick out a piece of candy from the bowl and even got to eat a little in the end. He loved watching all the kids walk around in their costumes, and was cheery far past bedtime. We all had lots of fun!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Do you have a newborn??

And do you use disposable diapers??

http://www.babycheapskate.com/

I am tempted to get them and keep them for a Baby Shower gift!!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Vote!

(and get free stuff!)

If you're going to be politically responsible, then you should enjoy the benefits.....

http://jsnotes.com/2008/11/03/free-stuff-for-voting/

I am definitely planning on getting the Starbucks, since they are on every street corner, and am considering taking Joey for his first Krispy Kreme since tomorrow is my day off! Now I just have to decide if it is worth a 15 mile drive. I am seriously considering it though....

Saturday, November 1, 2008

So Funny

Beware!

I'm sure you've all seen this skit from Saturday Night Live, but since we've only got a few more days before the big serious day, here it is for your enjoyment!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/34465/saturday-night-live-palin--hillary-open

It's a crime that SNL let Amy Poehler leave. She made Clinton, who is really not at all humorous, hysterical.

Oh GREAT, now someone has to go home and change!


Can boys match without being embarrassed? We decided yes, so here are Joey and Ethan sporting their matching Jammies. We hope that these guys can be great friends as they get older!


You hold my baby, and I'll hold yours.. (notice Ethan is nearly as big as Joey!)