Happy birthday to my baby boy!

Our dear Solomon Asher Horn hit the two year milestone today.  I'm just astounded at him.

Solomon has grown SO FAST.  I know this is a common occurrence for youngest siblings but it's especially true of our Solly.  He abandoned sippy cups months ago and he's even trying to copy Clive in the urination department.  I'm hoping and praying having an older brother to model the process will speed the potty training process along significantly!

Keeping up with his siblings paired with his natural inclination towards curiosity and strong physical motor skills means Solomon is into a lot.  He's an explorer and experimenter, to be sure. (And now you know *exactly* why I've not blogged much in the last year.  Keeping Solomon safe and occupied is a full-time job!)

Solomon is also extremely joyful and loving.  He's also saying loads of words now and even trying to count to ten using his fingers.

Solly is also proving to be an opinionated and stubborn little guy.  God is certainly increasing my patience in working Solomon towards becoming a manageable and pleasant toddler!  

For Solomon's birthday soiree we hosted a morning playdate with some of his little friends.  Of course Solly's pals are also the youngest ones of their families so many older siblings came along to party too (which is just lovely for Chloe and Clive). We had such a blast partying together!

Since Solomon's absolutely favorite dvds to watch are old Sesame Street episodes (you MUST check out the vintage Sesame Street flicks available at your library -- hilarious, entertaining and educational in a truly old school and fun way) a Sesame Street party was the obvious choice.

We love you to pieces, Solly-wog.  Happy happy birthday to our crazy little Mexican jumping bean!  Can't wait to watch you grow!

Apparently two year olds don't really do birthday party games.  Get's too complicated for them.  Still it's fun to watch their little brains try to figure it all out!  This was for pin-the-tail-feathers-on-Big-Bird. 

The birthday bambino!

Opening gifts

This was an Elmo-faced strawberry platter whose lower portion kept getting nibbled on by children passing by. 

Broccoli faced Oscar the Grouch.  Obviously.  Or maybe not so obviously since he's sans mouth.

We had so many kiddos partying with us (15 in all -- only a crazy woman like me would dare attempt that many little bodies in my small house) that we did lunch in shifts.  This was the little kid shift.

Big kid shift.

He's a pro at blowing out candles.  Especially when they're only 5 inches from his mouth.

Crazy Clive and his equally crazy buddy, Sammy.

Sesame Street character party favor bags.  These took FOREVER but they were super fun to make!  Even if they look very little like the idea I pinned on pinterest.  Please tell me they at least vaguely look like Ernie, Cookie, Elmo and Oscar?

Playing outside and getting dirty.

So thankful for all these dear friends!

Chloe and the older kids chowing down.

I was extremely proud of my free-handing of Big Bird.  Though I realized later I forgot to give the big yellow guy any arms.  Guess I'm not cut-out for the world of illustration after all. 

Happy birthday to me! (and an exercise in estimation)

Happy birthday to me!  We celebrated my 34th birthday this weekend and though I didn't get to sleep in and I didn't wake up 10 lbs. lighter, it was a good day regardless.

I woke up to sweet and thoughtful gifts from my Matt.  New and improved travel coffee mug -- yes!  Then I got most of the morning to myself (HEAVEN), took Chloe to lunch and out shopping to spend some birthday cash.  Then I cooked up EXACTLY what I wanted for dinner.  Steak with mushrooms, homemade wheat bread, oven-baked potatoes topped with plain yogurt and cheddar cheese, pear/cranberry/walnut/blue cheese salad and peach cobbler for dessert.  And while I LOVED partaking in last year's dark chocolate and cherry pavlova I didn't feel like putting forth that much effort this year.  (If you've never attempted a pavlova, I highly recommend it!  Read about my pavlova journey here.)

It's good to be 34!  I don't even care that I'm seriously close to the 30's midpoint.  Whatever.  I could care less.  My life is stuffed to the gills with blessings; the biggest being that all my sins are forgiven.  What can top that?!?  If my life had a theme song, Psalm 32 would be it!

So, on to the exercise in estimation.  During my birthday shopping spree I happened upon a Payless that was going out of business and liquidating their inventory.  I almost didn't stop.  I was seriously disappointed with Borders' so-called liquidating sale and was skeptical that the Payless sale would yield any actual bargains.  It's tough to impress this super-cheap-coupon-clipping-bargain hunter.  But the sale was indeed worthy of my time.  8 pairs later I was one happy cheapskate!

What do you think I paid for these puppies?  Closest guess to my actual total will win . . . . something.  Really, I promise to put together some kind of fun mystery prize for the winning estimator.  I won't divulge the percent off I netted here but I'll give you a tiny clue.  Think more than 50% off.  Put on your estimating caps and give it a go!

Solomon was very excited about the new pile of footwear.  He spent a good 20 minutes (which is nigh an eternity for my busy boy) trying on shoes and stomping around the house in them.  Cuteness!

Caption contest

I think this photo I snapped of my curious Solomon is absolutely roll-on-the-floor hilarious!

Lemme esplain . . . .

I often plant Solomon on the counter while I'm mucking about in the kitchen.  I like to keep a close eye on my busy boy.  Of course, the problem with this counter-top set-up is that there aren't many toys up there to play with.  Believe me, I've TRIED providing Solomon with cars, spoons, bowls, travel mugs and Tupperware to keep him occupied but those items usually don't hold his interest long.

The coffee pot is obviously a different matter.  Since babyhood this boy of mine has always LOVED taking things apart and then putting them back together.  He often sits there happily removing and replacing the coffee pot lid while I'm cooking away. 

As you can see from the photo, Solomon noticed there were some drops of liquid remaining at the bottom of the pot.  And he was thirsty.

Is it bad that I grabbed the camera to capture this hilarious moment before taking the coffee pot away?

So, here's where you come in.  Write a clever caption for my coffee-gulping Solomon photo and you could win a prize!

What's the prize?  An apropos prize would involve coffee, no?  The author of caption I like best will net a bag of locally roasted yummy java beans.  And I WILL ship overseas so international entries are welcome.    I'll keep the caption-writing contest open through next Friday, November 11.

Happy penning!

A Heinous Injustice

My Solomon hit the 18 month mark a few weeks back.  He's growing and developing in every way imaginable!  He's a spunky (read: a disciplining challenge), independent, joyful, interactive, book-loving, dancing, rough-housing toddler. 

The Heinous Injustice, you ask?  He STILL wakes up in the middle of the night.  And I'm certain it's my fault.

Thankfully, he doesn't wake up EVERY night.  Whew.  And despite the occasional teething or sickness episode his sleeping habits were lovely between 6-14 months. 

But now he's up once a night 2-4 times a week.  For this nap-loving narcoleptic mom that's almost more than I can handle.  It's not like we're up for a long period of time.  Just long enough for him to suck back his sippy cup of milk while we lay on the couch together.

I'm pretty sure the problem with this boy's restless nights is that he's a milk addict and not taking in enough regular food during the day.  This week I cut him off (almost) completely from his sippy cup of milk in hopes that the milk-absence would force him to eat more solid food.  That seemed to help him eat a bit more than usual at mealtimes but still not as much as I expected.  I've also been feeding him a snack before bed in an attempt to fill up his toddler tummy.

The other complication in the Solomon sleep issue is that he shares a room with his older brother, Clive.  So, while I'm a 100% believer in the crying-it-out method my stubborn Solly can really wail and often wakes up my sweet sleeping Clive.  And then I have two boys to soothe back to sleep.  Said soothing sometimes translates as Clive crawling into bed with us.  Which means I end up sleeping on the couch since I don't enjoy being kicked or have my knees used as a pillow. 

All told, I'm not getting as much sleep as I'd like.  :(

HELP!  What else should I try?

Solomon's coffee consumption may or may not be linked to his sleepless nights.

Jesus loves the little children . . . even Solly

By day's end I was ready to offer up my third-born for adoption.  It was THAT kind of day.  My Solly was crabby, clingy and full of impertinent screaming today.  Blech.

I sure hope he's getting sick.  Yes, you heard me right.  That would at least explain the bad behavior.  If he's NOT sick then there are troublesome days ahead for me and monster toddler boy!

Solomon epitomizes the phrase *busy boy*.  My boy doesn't often sit still.  He only remains stationary for really engaging activities like reading books, dismantling sippy cups or digging in the sand.  Even when reading books he has his limit.  I think he might have ADD.  Seriously.  If he doesn't like the book he slams it shut after only a few pages and squirms his way off my lap to choose another book from the shelf.

So tonight after literally wrestling him into his diaper and jammies, we sat down to read our pile of bedtime books.  He was not so cooperative. Solly slammed several books closed after only a few sentences.  UNTIL we came to the book Jesus Loves the Little Children  that is. 

I sang through Jesus Loves the Little Children  all the way through and Solomon sat quietly and helped turn pages.  And then he opened the cover to read through it AGAIN.  His recent insatiable squirminess highlighted his sudden attentiveness.  As I sang through the book a second time, I couldn't help crying a bit as I realized God was speaking.  Speaking soft soothing words to my weary impatient soul and reminding me of the unchanging truth of His love.  He loves the little children of the world -- even my crabby pants Solomon. 

And so should you, Alicia.

God has given Solomon to me as a priceless gift.  I know that's trite but God hammered me with that truth tonight.  Precious, loved, dear and known by God.  I let those words wash away my frustration.  Why was I irritated and impatient with this beautiful bundle of boy again?

I am humbled again and transfixed by the idea of God's unconditional love.  Jesus loves Solomon regardless of his actions and affections towards him (or lack thereof).  That's such a huge thought.  Especially now that I'm momming it to three little ones.  I so often find my expressions of love wavering up and down through the day as the kids please or displease, upset or delight, fight or make peace. 

Lord, fill me up with your kind of love!

Happy First Birthday, dear Solomon!

My baby Solomon turned one last month!  ONE. 

Did someone push the fast-forward button on life lately?   Seriously, it's ridiculous.  Every time I look at Solomon it seems he's sprouted taller, interacting more and getting into fresh mischief. And he's getting too big to snuggle up and fall asleep on me!  That's the saddest aspect of baby growth in my mind. 

So, what's Solomon like?  He's the BUSIEST boy I've ever seen.  He's generally very laidback and unflappable.  Predictably, Solly follows closely on his older brother's and sister's heels to try and be a part of whatever they're doing.  His motor skills are amazing for his age.  He attempts to put his own shoes on, he thrives on picking up tiny items from the carpeting, he can throw a ball towards you (better to his brother and sister most times), and he's a whiz at the shape sorter toy.  

Since reaching the one year milestone, Solly has come alive!  He's interacting a lot more and starting to use sign language.  He loves board books -- especially any tactile or tab books.  He's also very keen on music.  Solly's got his own little bopping dance he does when he hears a peppy tune. 

In spirit, Solomon is definitely a happy guy.  Not like he's laughing bubbling-ly all day long but he's a contented quite happy.  Lately he's been doing a funny squished up kind of grin when he's extra pleased with himself.  And that's usually after he's caused destruction somewhere.  He excels at creating massive entropy (Definition: Entropy is the quantitative measure of disorder in a system.)

I'm so thankful God brought Solly into our family. He completes us.  He's a true joy and blessing to our home.  

We love you, Solomon Asher Horn!  Here's hoping the next year doesn't go by quite so fast as the first one did!

Eating help!

Now that I'm a mom of three, I'm learning how true the adage is that "Every child is different".

Overall, our Solomon is an extremely easy baby.  I'm not sure if that's because of his temperament, birth order or gender.  Or maybe it's just because I'm a much more laidback mom now than I was with baby #1.  And even though each child is different, I feel more equipped with tricksy mom tactics up my sleeve now that I've been at this a few years. 

Another adage I'd like to pen when it comes to children is this, "You can make a kid do almost anything -- anything but sleep and eat."

Segue to my one big issue with dear smiley Solomon Asher Horn -- EATING.  He is 10.5 months old now and wants to be independent in all ways possible.  (This tyke is already climbing up our steep staircase, trying to throw balls, and standing up and rocking himself on the pint-sized rocking chair.  Slow down, baby!)

Hence, the feeding struggle.  He wants to feed himself. Fine.  But he only has 5 teeth, some of which aren't even through all the way.  So chewing most foods is a problem.  He wants to hold his own spoon. Great.  But he also likes to play with the spoon and fling food off it catapult-fashion.  That's not so great.

My feeding strategy for Solomon is all about DISTRACTION.  I place Solly-sized chunks of soft foods on his tray and also give him a *distractor* utensil or toy.  That way he usually has two hands occupied so I can sneakily slide a spoonful of something into his mouth.  It's a dangerous and risky business this.  Truly.  I'm constantly looking for the right moment to sneak my spoon in and trying to avoid detection by Solly.  And believe me, it's not pretty when he gets a hold of or knocks away my baby-food-laden spoon.  (The picture above is evidence of our daily feeding mess.)

Because we go through this crazy eating rigamaroll Solomon usually doesn't eat enough solids during the day.  Which means he wakes up at night to be fed.  UGH.  He's been sleeping well through the night since 5 months and I will do anything it takes to keep him (and me!) sleeping well. 

I need your help and advice!  Have any feeding tips or food suggestions for me to try with my messy boy?

Happy six month birthday, Solomon!

Six months?! Really?!?

I know we all say this but triteness doesn't make it any less true. Time FLIES. [I won't tack on "when you're having fun" because honestly, my job doesn't feel too fun most days. Being a stay-at-home mom certainly has its fun moments but overall it's tiring work.]

Our happy Solomon Asher has added much joy to our household. As the pictures show, he is THE smiliest baby to grace the Horn home. And believe me, that's not an easy award to win. Clive was a vvvvvvvvvvvery social baby. I'm fairly experienced in doing the regular mommy tricks to induce baby smileage. With Solly I just have to glance his way to create super grins.

Solly is truly an easy baby. (Or maybe I just know what I'm doing now and I'm exuding a more confident mommy vibe to soothe him? Right, that's it.) He's sleeping well through the night now, eating solids at 2-3 meals, rolling over, laughing, and getting close to crawling.

My special time with Solly is during his morning feeding at 5 a.m. Though it's dark and ridiculously early, I enjoy snuggling with him on the couch. He's all mine in those quiet moments. After he chugs down his bottle, I burp him and he usually falls asleep quickly on my shoulder. Lately I've been letting him sleep on me for a bit so I can enjoy this fleeting baby moment. It won't be long before he's too big and squirmy to sleep snuggly on me.

Instead of doing the standard monthly chronology to celebrate Solly's 1/2 birthday, I thought it'd be more fun to do a pictorial showcase of Solly's memorable firsts.

Happy six month birthday, sweet Solomon!

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Birth


















First time ever plotting world domination






















First time getting too much love from an older sibling

















First time ticking off older brother by garnering attention


















First time attending doctoral degree commencement

















First time smiling for Buelita (and not impressing Gramps)





















First (and last) time Daddy attempted to put me in the sling

















First unbearably long car ride





















First meet-and-greet with Raggedy Andy





















First huge special smile for the bouncy seat toys





















First time being abandoned on the grass at a picnic

















First time experiencing toy overload





















First time wearing a skull and crossbones





















First big kid swing ride with g-ma





















First time being dressed up in a flower headband by my sister





















First time showing off my almost-crawling skills

















First cheek-to-cheek photo op with mommy





















First moderate level 1.2 mile hike