Chasette

This is how I found Chase just a few minutes ago....

I think Zoie would like to have had a little sister.

The Kids

The kids wore their Easter outfits to church today. I just wanted to use some of the pictures to point out the personality differences between my eldest children.

8:45 am- Zoie is dressed and ready a full two hours early. I snap a few pictures.


8:50 am- Tobin has just had pudding in his pajamas (what kind of Mom lets her kid eat pudding for breakfast?) At least he has picked up on Zoie's pose...


It was closer to 10:30 am before I actually got him cleaned up-- but he does clean up nicely!

Chubby Chase (and chubby Mom):

For a Select Few

There are very few people who can appreciate this news.

After an (almost) three year hiatus, this is back in my life:I am swept away in a cloud of linguistic ecstasy...

Mom-ese

My Dad speaks German. Both of my parents speak Czech. My older sister speaks Bulgarian. My brother thinks he can speak French. Me? I speak Mom-ese.

I don't mean to brag, but from Boppy to Bumbo-- I am fluent in the language of babies and baby gear. Exersaucers, walkers, infant seats, bouncy seats, car seats, jumperoos, play gyms, and a multitude of swings have been a part of Rasmussen decor for years now.

We have had an ongoing familial struggle over strollers. It seems that each new situation calls for a different type of stroller.

With Zoie we owned a travel system stroller, a jogger, and an umbrella stroller.

When Tobin came around we upgraded to a double stroller, a double jogger, a sit-n-stand and retained the umbrella stroller. This doesn't sound too unreasonable until you account for the amount of space that each stroller takes up. And then account for a lack of storage space in our garage and car.

And now I have three children of my own and a fourth during the week. Even with the "Black Beast"-- our giant SUV-- we just could not handle the stroller inventory necessary to transport (and restrain) these kids. After years of explaining to Lance why I needed four strollers in the garage (his domain)-- I promised him that I would look for one magical stroller that I could keep in the car at all times.

And so, with varying degrees of remorse, we have parted ways with the following:

Graco tandem duoglider (again with the Mom-ese). Bulky, heavy and cumbersome. But took a beating (particularly that time it fell off the Busch Gardens tram) and it was easy to navigate. Too big to keep in the car.Baby Trend Sit n Stand-- fabulous concept. The easiest and most practical of the group. But the birth of the third makes it a moot point. Again, too big for the car.
Baby Trend Expedition double jogger. There just doesn't seem to be a time in which I can jog with only two kids. The largest stroller of the group. But fantastic for beach trips.Single umbrella stroller-- the word single says it all.With our proceeds from the sale of the aforementioned items, we purchased this:Chicco Citta Twin umbrella stroller. Is lightweight and fits great in the car. I am thrilled to always have a stroller on hand. The kids love sitting in it and sometimes fight over the coveted stroller seats. However, it is too wide for many doorways and is a bit unwieldy. But Lance is happy to have a stroller-free garage and I am happy to no longer have to justify each and every stroller to him.

If you happen to see a manueverable, lightweight, inexpensive quadruple umbrella stroller-- let me know!

Six Months- Fun and Games

Chase is six months old today. I just love this age.

He is starting to play with toys. We have so many baby contraptions that my home looks like a Babies R Us showroom.He is a great eater (not much of a surprise there).

He is happy as long as he has someone's undivided attention-- its probably a good thing that he is the youngest of the brood. He will most likely be happily spoiled all the days of his life by his older siblings and parents. He is decidedly less awkward-looking. His random bald spots have filled in. His eyes no longer appear crossed-- okay, well maybe a little. His baby fat has taken over... everywhere. Its ridiculous and adorable.

Since he is our last baby, I am quickly finding myself becoming one of those annoying moms who mourns the passing of each baby stage. I will say things like, "I just packed away his 0-3 month clothes" and then make a frowny-face. Yeah... its annoying. But unavoidable.

Tobin Brady

Lance is in charge of Tobin's hair. This usually means that Lance is the one to shave Tobin every few months. I am scared of clippers and therefore make a big deal about "Lance being completely in charge of Tobin's hair."

This has come back to bite me.

This is how I think Tobin looks best:

But this is Lance's vision for Tobin's hair:

And I suspect (and fear) that this is what it will look like in a few months:
Good thing that kid has such a cute face.

Love and Hate- Television Style

I do not spend hours watching television each day-- some days we don't even turn it on. However, I will NEVER be one of those people who say crazy things like- "I don't really watch tv", with a look of disdain on my face. (In my experience, those are the people who watch more tv than anyone).

I love television. I love Thursday nights on NBC. I love any CSI that does not star David Caruso. And I love this show: Lance and I just finished Season 7 on dvd. Loved it. Love Jack Bauer. Love Tony Almeida. Love Chloe O'Brien. We aren't watching the current season-- but will watch it as soon as its released on dvd (so no spoilers, please!)

I have a weird obsession with television commercials. Funny commercials can make me laugh louder and harder than anything. But when I see bad advertising, it just makes me furious.

Does anyone else hate this Kay Jewelers commercial as much as I do? (In case you were wondering, I do a perfect reenactment of it). I was counting the days until Valentine's Day just so Kay Jewelers would pull this line of advertising. For those not familiar with this marketing monstrosity, here is the full commercial in all of its mind-numbing stupidity:

Blowout- Birth Control at the Super Target

I generally have three to four children with me at any given time. During my morning errands, I have three adorable boys at my side (or in my arms). I get smiled at a lot.

The smiles I get from strangers range from the "Aww... what a bunch of adorable kids" to "You are crazy... but good for you" to "Those boys had better behave in my store".

I have my usual response: a half-shrug and grin that can read as "I love being a Mom" or "I know I'm crazy... but what are you going to do?" or even "Don't judge me... I'm doing my best!"

A few weeks ago, I visited Target. I had Chase in my arms and Tobin and his friend Riley were in the shopping cart. Everyone was behaving. I was leisurely browsing. It was a great day to be at Target.

I felt like I was getting "smiled" at more than usual and had pasted my "response" smile permanently on my face. I noticed a familiar odor and knew my browsing would have to be cut short-- due to a poopy diaper. As I leaned down to locate the source of the unpleasant aroma, I caught a glimpse of a bright green "stripe" on my otherwise solid maroon shirt. Oh. Source found.

Turns out, Chase had a blowout IN THE CARSEAT. I was too busy corralling children to notice and I had succeeded in wiping it completely across my shirt THIRTY MINUTES previously. Then, like the idiot of the century, I walked up and down the crowded aisles of Target with a dumb grin on my face. I have no idea how it took me so long to notice a) the scent or b) the neon green color of the human waste on my clothing.

I figured by that time, half the store was aware of my situation-- so I continued to leisurely make my way to the bathroom, without a care in the world, and then behind closed doors, I furiously tried to remedy the situation... after capturing this picture with my phone(be SO glad it is poor quality):

I figure if even one young, impressionable Target employee left that day with a glimpse into the "real life" scenario of a mom and decided to postpone procreation activities-- then Chase's bowel movement will have served a noble purpose.