Well Hello!

Holy Cow. I went from posting all the time, to once a week, to once a month? How did that happen? I know how. And I'm sure all of you do too. Adding a a man-baby to a million other full time gigs is a lot.

A Man-Baby he is too! He is huge and keeps growing. He is well over 33"and 30 lbs and he is not stopping (which I guess is good). I had to go buy all new clothes in 2T and he is just today 16 months. The 2T clothes look hilarious on him because he is not quite tall enough for them, so all of his shorts look like capri pants, but the smaller size makes him look like a sausage. I feel like he is going to grow up and ask me why none of his clothes ever fit him.

Easter was very fun. I was able to go to his school and see him hunt eggs with his class. I saw some of the 'bad' traits he has picked up in two of the other boys. These two little boogers were pushing the other kids out of the way and not sharing. Then yesterday Ike pushed another kid out of the way at gymboree! Ike is normally such a nice and kind person, but I think the 'way of the boy' is coming.

He is still very sweet, but his ornery side is coming through. Very recently he has decided that he has a way and that is that. However, at least for the near future, I am still bigger and stronger and this makes me win. :)

He he also started pointing to things and telling me what they are or what sound the animal makes; and yesterday I asked him where the apple was and he pointed to it and said "red". The apple was, in fact, a red one. He's a genius.

Anyway, for Easter we got Ike the ABC Elmo. I think I have mentioned before how much I loves the "ABC's". And he loves Elmo.

This little doll could drive a person crazy. Elmo does not always sign the "abc's" all the way through, but instead allows the child to become a sort of DJ by mixing up the "abc's". So, instead it is "abcdabcabcdefabcaaaaabcdefabaaa". And Ike thinks this is amazing. I, however, do not and would love to hear the whole alphabet in it's entirety. :)

Ike continues to be a dancing machine and loves to "find the beat" by getting really low and swinging his hands, kinda like a blues singer. I really need to get this on video. It is really funny. He is actually a really good dancer! Way better than his little momma, but we all know that is not hard-I have NO rhythm, but enjoy dancing with him just the same.

Things in mommy land are going pretty well. But just like everyone says, as soon as I got used to the way things were he switched it up on me. I'm really enjoying my new challenge as a mom.

I am the kinda mom that I that I used to judge. I never thought I would let my baby do some of the things I do. I will basically let him eat anything if it will make him happy or my life easier. We give him Sprite at happy hour, he eats candy, he drinks some of my coffee, I let him cry in the stroller or grocery cart simply because he is too small to walk and too big to carry and push something, I let him run all over public places as long as he is not in any danger. Basically, I am much more laid back than I thought I would be.

And I can feel the judgement coming from other mom's when Ike and I are sharing french fries and ketchup and a Coke or when were eating breakfast and he has his own donuts and is taking sips of my coffee. I used to be one of these people, but now I say "who cares". How can I tell this little pumpkin he can't have something when I'm eating it? Plus they don't knows that he normally has the best diet of mainly fruits and vegetables.

Probably the biggest thing I have learned from being a mom is that you can't judge a persons' parenting by one setting or a child by one tantrum. However, the mom with the Dr. Pepper in a bottle will still get the eye of disapproval from me... :)