EASTER AND SPRING BREAK

WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD

The key obsession continues

Golfing at Par Tee Zone
Climbing in the tunnels at Par Tee Zone


Nate and Grandma Amy at my parent's houseAunt Erica and cousin Lauren: after Nate and Lauren's egg hunt Saturday night


Lauren and Nate at my parents
Lauren Nate and my dad


Easter morning (Nate HAD to have those frog pjs)
Nate's constant companion at my parents house 15+ year old dog Mickey
relaxing after all of the excitement

Easter party at Russell's

I didn't crop myself out of this- I promise- I took this myself while holding Nate. I was suppose to be a picture of both of us together, but it just got my boob and Nate! Oh well, good one of Nate... meaning he is actually looking at the camera!
Russell boys at Russell's easter party

My attempt to get a picture of Nate's whole Easter outfit- I need to get a camera with a quicker shoot speed. Mine takes sooo long to snap- he isn't holding still anymore! Check out the sweet shoes.

Sticky Situation

After breakfast today, Nate decided he needed a little more syrup to wash down those french toast sticks! This kid definitely has a sweet tooth!

Mr. Independent

Nate moved in to a toddler bed this week. The first night was hard, I ended up sleeping on the floor in his room. The second night he got up twice. By the end of the week, he was sleeping through the night. When he woke up in the morning the first day, he just stayed in bed and called for me. A few days later I never heard him wake up, only his door being closed shut- he woke up and started to play. This morning I woke up with him in my room! So he is definitely getting comfortable with his independence!



Hungry, why wait?! That is Nate's motto (okay, Snickers had it first, but it works for Nate too!) I was making dinner one night this week and Nate kept saying he was hungry. I tried to give him a piece of cheese and some carrots to snack on. That was not enough, pretty soon I found him with all of the cereal boxes, opened, on the kitchen floor. At least I know if he was ever left to his own means, he wouldn't starve!

Weekend getaway

Wasserbahn... not 4 stars, but better than no stars! We went to Wasserbahn indoor water park this weekend for a little family getaway. We met my parents for dinner in Williamsburg Friday night (so they could drop off my little brother), did a little outlet shopping, then par-tayed!.... sort of
3rd time was a charm... we took Nate to the pool 3 times before he liked it!
[Attempt 1] Friday at 4:30 pm
reason for failure: really crowded, lots of noise
[Attempt 2] Friday at 7:30 pm
reason for failure: still really crowded, tired Nate, discovered the arcade
[Attempt 3] Saturday at 8am
SUCCESS! Just opened, not very may people- finally, Nate has fun!

It is a pretty small water park, so it was really packed the first few times we went. I was really glad we stayed over so that I could keep trying to see if Nate would get use to it. The crowded pool didn't bother Nate- his favorite part of the night was opening the hotel door and running in the hall. At one point I watched him walk up to doors and listen, if he could hear kids inside, he would say "knock-knock" and knock on the door! Oh yes, and I brought donuts- another highlight for Nate. Even though the actual destination was not 4 stars, it was so nice to just get away with our little family and do something just for fun!

Pictures above are: Nate on my lap (how attepmt 1 and 2 ended), my bro and Chris racing on the floating logs ( I dominated), Nate peaking out of the door, my bro and me and Nate, Chris and Nate playing in the arcade, Nate eating a donut running in the halls

Tiny Spaces for tiny people

What is it about little boys and forts and tents. Nate loves to play under the table and in the closet- usually with the door closed- problem is he can't open it once he has closed it- so when he is done he yells "mama! open peas". I remember I had this little nook in my bedroom growing up where I would put all of my dolls and spend hours playing in there... I guess you feel more safe being in a smaller space when you are so little......

Two of my favorites

Little Boy
and

Bow Tie

True Story

Friday night we went out for gelato with friends. On our drive home the interior lights started to fade. Chris tried to turn the dial up, but they were already at the brightest setting. He said, "I think we are losing power." We just replaced the battery the night before so I think it impossible. Within 30 seconds the car is completely dead! Where would be the absolute worse place to have your car die in Coralville on a Friday night at 7pm? On the strip turning into the mall, of course! Niiiice. Just days earlier I had told Chris we should just start the car on fire and start over with a new one. So when Chris got out of the car to wave people around (because the emergency flashers weren't sign enough that the car was dead!?) I opened the door and yelled to him, "Fire!" and he started laughing and agreed that I had been right. Luckily the husband of the friends we went with was coming over for a little H3 so he was behind us shortly. We pushed the car across the intersection into a parking lot. I took Nate home in the friends car and they waited and called tow trucks. At least, for once, there wasn't a blizzard this weekend. It would have made the whole fiasco that much better!

Ok Go

Valentines! heart day part 2

Nate LOVES to get the mail. Every day he asks 2 or 3 times each morning to get the mail. Valentines day was so great because Nate received mail FOR HIM! He was so excited! The best valentine he received was from Aunt Daz (Chris's sister who is at Duke). She sent Pirates of the Carribean valentines that came with TATTOOS!

Tattoo! Tattoo!Tattoo! That is all I heard the next 3 days until it rubbed off. What a couple of studs! Chris had a matching one too.

Heart Day part 1

True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter
of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion.
-Gordon B. Hinckley

I read this quote on Valentine's Day and it ended up ringing more true than I could imagine! I took Chris up lunch, but was unable to stay and eat with him because Nate was asleep. I had a big night planned with chocolate fondue, candles- I was even going to get dressed up.... but I fell asleep while putting Nate to sleep! Chris came in and moved me to our bed at about 8:30. How romantic! What a hot Valentine date I am!

Cute Idea Brooke O.

My cute friend Brooke O. did a post about how she loves rearview mirror pics. Today when I looked in the mirror I couldn't resist snapping this shot. MY FAVORITE SIGHT- a sleeping baby! Nate is great about transitioning from car to crib so it is wonderful when he falls asleep in the car right before nap time and I can move him to his crib and cut out all the hard work. He crashed after a fun and sugar filled V. Day party with friends while I drove up to school to take Chris his V. Day lunch- heart shaped pizza, of course! The thing that looks like a nose on the front passenger head rest is the strap for the baby mirror on the back of the head rest. V. Day picture post to come.

Baby Buzz

Answers to all of the questions...

[Exact Due Date] September 4th
[Wishes] Chris wants to have all boys
[Predictions] Chris- boy
Jen-girl
[Pregnancy thus far] No morning sickness again! Hooray!
The only thing I get really bad is break-outs! No glowing skin for me!
[Nate] Loves putting stuffed animals under my shirt and saying "baby!"
[Latest cravings] circus peanuts, Taco Bell, Little Debbie Cosmic brownies

Cookie monster

THE STRIKE IS OVER!
Nate's hunger strike, that is.

For a strike to end, both parties have to give something to the effort.
I rewarded a full dinner with an Oreo. SUCCESS!

Will get back to normal soon

Lame lack of posting... I know. Here is what's up. I am frantically trying to get us an apartment in Milwaukee for this summer from May to July, get Chris an apartment in Des Moines for August, get us a new apartment here for August to May, and get a storage unit for all of our stuff this summer. So I will be posting soon. Every waking hour has been working on these projects. Yesterday Chris said to me as I was sitting in our computer chair at the computer, "You sit there a lot!" Oooooh I am so glad that everything is on the internet right now. It makes a lot of this busy work so much easier! I will post this weekend. P.S. Thank you for all of your tricks for the hunger strike- he is eating again! I tried to make it fun and it worked!We aren't back to normal eating... but maybe he won't... I forgot they drop down after 18 mo. THanks for reminding me! You guys are great friends.

Mommy S.O.S.

HELP!

Nate enjoying lunch a very long time ago!!
Where did that binky come from?!

I NEED HELP! So for about a week now Nate has refused to eat. He says that he's hungry but then when I put him in his chair and give him food, he says, "naw" or "all done". Grrrr. I have been trying his FAVORITE foods: yogurt, pizza, cinnamon rolls- nothing! He will maybe take one bite then say all done. I know doctors say that kids sometimes only eat enough to sustain themselves and nothing more- and that is not a lot of food to us- but I swear he is not eating enough for even that! I have cut out snacks so that he will be really hungry, but still no results. He at least is drinking milk, juice, water- but I can only get him to eat maybe one bite per meal. What should I do?! Suggestions? What am I doing wrong?

[Best Entertainment]

We like to watch kid songs on youtube.
Nate LOVES this video.
Every time it ends he says, "Gan! Gan!"
It is pretty entertaining except for the
strange Mad'Donna dance solos!

[Best News]
A healthy baby is on its way
and will be here in September

An important first for a Russell boy

[Best Sight]
My little boy teaching himself how to eat
pizza by the slice!

That piece of pizza is seriously the size of his head!

Nate and I took Chris's favorite lunch up to him at the law school yesterday. I came fully prepared: bib, plates, napkins, and a knife to cut up Nate's pizza. He took 2 bits of his diced pizza and got up, pulled off the bib and left. He found himself a new seat by the pizza box and grabbed himself a slice- and to my surprise- stared to eat it without having me cut it! He ate it upside down, so the practical mom in me was cringing at the thought of him dropping that greasy slice on his shirt, but the good mom in me grabbed my phone and snapped a picture of this very important first in our baby's life. Whenever I see him to things like this, I hear that Pullups song in my head, "Mommy, wow! I'm a big kid now!"

Best Part

Today my best part of the day was this: After Nate's nap I gave him a cracker and he took off running. Curiously, I followed him to see what he was up to. He ran to the front door and sat down then started doing scissor motions with his legs- opening and closing them (something he does when he gets excited) and then pat the spot next to him for me to come sit. Completely random, but so sweet. Check out the nice bed head he still has from the nap. And of course, another good part of the day was more furrowed brow displays. Sorry this picture was bad. I was laughing at the furrowed brow and not looking at the picture itself. This is his TRUE furrowed brow look- chin down, brows furrowed, looking up at you. He was trying to show me his disappointment that I didn't come to sit by him right away because I was trying to take a picture of him to email to Chris. What a manipulator!

Gelato, YUM!

Tonight Chris' parents came over after Nate was down so we could go out on a mini-date. We went to Capanna for some gelato off the recommendation from our friends the Dixs. THANK YOU! It was so de-lish! And here is the great part- it has up to 70% less fat than ice cream! Check out their website
http://www.capannacoffee.com/gelato
For those that live here there are 2 locations, one up by Stoddards and Streets and one in the ped mall. I know it isn't really the season for frozen treats... but just do what I did- wrap a napkin around your dish to keep your hand warm- OH! Here is the best part! You can get muliple flavors- the bigger the dish size, the more flavors you can get! Bambino= 2 flavors all the way up to Grandissimo = 5 flavors. I got a grandissimo with 2 flavors, Berry also Chocolate Peanut Butter. It was like having a chocolate cake with berries on top- so good! Okay, just thinking about it makes me want more!

The Furrowed Brow

When Nate was a baby he would furrow his brow, which was so uncharacteristic of a baby and made people laugh. Now the furrowed brow has returned. He does it when he dislikes something- like me trying to take a picture of him. I tried to get a couple of pictures, but it is hard to take pictures of a moving target. I think some are still clear enough to be laugh-worthy! He is covering his eye in some of them because of the flash. I finally got a clue and turned the flash off. I love the expressions kids make. Hats off to Kate Oldroyd. I think she has some of the best expressions I have ever seen a kid make. Maybe we will get lucky and Nate is going to be an expressive kid like that. This new face sure makes us laugh!

18th month bliss

Ever stop to think.... I finally have it all. This is what I have always wanted. With pictures like these... how can I not?

Graham Cracker Train

The tradition: on Christmas Eve growing up, the Russell kids would make a graham cracker train (much the same as ginger bread houses- lots of frosting and cand) to use up some of the kids excitement about Santa and kill time before going to bed. The rule was you got to eat the candy off of your train in the days to come- so they used to mainly be cargo trains packed with candy... now it's just for fun so we really get creative. Daz made an aquarium this year... Jon made a med school (fitting since he is applying right now). Mine was very uninspired- just very colorful. We always have great memories of the trains and every Christmas we talk about "remember the year when "so and so" made this train" etc. It's been a fun memory. This was the first year Nate "participated" but it is my 5th. We didn't get any pictures on Christmas Eve itself, of the creation process, just the days after of Nate trying to sneak candy.

The captions that go along with this picture is I told Nate "no" he couldn't have any candy right now and walked out of the room- thinking the train was safe since all of the chairs were pushed against the wall. Ha! The little sneak pushed the chair right up to the table. I didn't think he could do that! THe next picture I am trying to stop him from demolishing Trudy's car.

BUT AT LAST... I GAVE IN!

CANNEEEEE!

AND NATE WENT TO TOWN!

THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY... OH THIS IS BETTER!

ONCE AGAIN, HAD TO RESORT TO DESPERATE MEASURES


I SAID "ONE MORE" AND NATE SAYS "2 MORE"

Did you know...

Did you guys see the extra scene at the end of Pirates III that starts out by saying "Ten years later..."? If you haven't seen it, go to the end of the movie, right after the credits. You can't find it by scene selection, you have to fast forward through all the credits to see it. It is definitely worth seeing! Adds to the story!