Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Everything Changes

I haven't written in a long time.  Life has changed quickly, and a lot has happened.  The trip to creating a geeklet with little O has changed completely.  Orion's dad and I have decided to go our separate ways, and even though we will continue to work together to give O the best life he can have, we are no longer together. It was an incredibly difficult situation, but eventually we'll all be ok again.  That doesn't change the ability for the two of us to both be amazing parents.  At this point we're working toward becoming a team and building a totally different kind of relationship.  It will have it's awkward moments, it will have hard times, but I think together we can be ok.   I hope that someday he'll even be able to contribute to here, putting in his stories, sharing his experiences, and teaching us all about being a Geek Dad. 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Waffles

My son is the most amazing little boy in the world. He is caring, loving, and the funniest person I know. Last night, he was snuggly and lovey and I can't tell you how much I love that kid. Really, this post is just a rambling explanation of how amazing Orion is and that each day he shows me just how blessed I am to have him in my life. He's taught me so much about myself and the world. Last night's lesson: True love is sharing your waffle.



Tuesday, August 24, 2010

So this is love

Orion has started to mimic absolutely everything.  


From Orion 6 Months

He is cheesy smiles and sticking out his tongue...and so damn funny.


From Orion 6 Months

I love absolutely everything about this boy, even his sassy attitude and naughty tantrums.  I could literally hold him and kiss his face for hours and never get sick of it.  


From Orion 6 Months

How could you not love this face?  Someday I will give him the world.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Boys Weekend

Tonight I leave town for a quick trip back to my home town for a wedding reception.  Seth and O have decided to stay home, which means that they will have the first "Boys Weekend" they have had in a long time.  I'm hoping that they have lots of fun and giggles together without causing too much chaos.  I am looking forward to having with my friends, but know I am gonna miss them both.  Hopefully Seth has stories for me when I return on Sunday!!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

No no no

Orion has finally learned this word.  Now, I'm not surprised...it had to happen eventually, but now it's constant.  We went from having a little "yes" man to saying no to EVERYTHING.

Me:  Hey Orion.  Would you like some juice?
O:  NO!
Me:  How about a cookie?
O:  NO!
I then proceed to put the cookies away...while my son screams because really he DOES want a cookie, despite his protests.  
Me:  Ok, so do you want a cookie?
O:  NO!
I try to hand the cookie to Orion but he tries to slap it away.  I sit the cookie on the table and he walks over, picks it up, and begins to eat it.  

Have I mentioned that I absolutely love   having a toddler around??  At least he's cute right?

Monday, August 2, 2010

Baseball

Orion participated in a true American tradition this weekend....his very first baseball game. 



I wasn't sure if Orion would actually sit still long enough to enjoy an entire game, but when we had the opportunity to go we jumped on it anyway.  It was warm and sweaty, and a terrible game, but Orion seemed to love every minute of it.


I'm sure it helped that the mascot was a giant dog (PUPPY!!) and that the lady behind us kept giving him Oreos......but we had several different people ask us "Is he always this good?" while sitting at the game.  few things make me more appreciative of how awesome my kid is than strangers pointing out what I take for granted. 

Friday, July 30, 2010

Laughter abound.



After seeing that how could anyone be angry?  This is a normal occurrence at my home, and I never ever want to miss a minute of it. 

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Words......oh so many words.

Orion has changed so much lately that I really don't even know where to start.  His vocabulary is expanding super fast and he makes me laugh all the time with his parrot-like ability to repeat absolutely everything.  Last night he even repeated Seth's frustration but mimicking "shit."   I thought I would make a list of the words that he is using right now to kind of give you an idea:

Mom
Dad
Mouth
Nose
Eye
Dog
Puppy
More
I don't know
thank you
baby
yes
no
uh oh 
....ok so I'm sure they are more but I really can not remember them....but at least you get the idea. 

He has morphed into a total daddy's boy and Seth and Orion tend to sit around giggling profusely all day long.  It's so contagious.  Orion is also a funny kid in general, so he has me rolling all the time, even when he is being really naughty (which tends to be frequently) For example, last week Orion crawled up onto the couch and grabbed the remote control from the back of the couch.  Seth tried to stop him and said "Orion give me the remote." Instead of handing it over he threw the thing across the room.  Seth put on his mad dad voice and said "Orion Alexander!"  to which Orion replied "Uh Oh."   I lost it. I had to leave the room I was laughing so hard.  It's very hard to stick to my guns when he acts like that!!  I love him and his sense of humor. 

Thursday, June 17, 2010

15 Months

Yesterday was a pretty eventful day.  Orion had a Dr. appointment early in the morning, so I took the whole day off to hang out with him.  We started our day by going to get our oil changed in the Tucson.  Not thrilling, I know, but Orion likes to stand at the door of the shop and watch the mechanics as they work on the car....and I love to watch him doing so.  After that was done we went to Target where we got him some new shoes (since he wore holes in the soles of his current ones!) and wandered around wasting time until his doctor's appointment.  When we finally arrived at the doctor Orion received the last 2 shots that he'll have to have before Kindergarten!  I can't believe he's done with them, but am incredibly grateful that he is.  They weighed and measured him too, and he weighs 22 pounds (20th percentile), is 30" tall (20th percentile), and has a 19" head (75th percentile).  I think that means he is built like a bobble head, but it's the cutest thing in the world.  After the Dr. he went to work with daddy for a while because I had an appointment I couldn't drag him to.  I then went to pick him up and we went to get some lunch with Daddy, which meant Orion got to hang out with him more.  The older Orion gets the more attached to his daddy he seems to become.  He's slowly moving away from being a mommy's boy and towards being a daddy's boy (and I'm sure Seth loves every minute of it).  After lunch we went to the capitol so that Seth could show off Orion just a little bit more.  On the drive to take Seth back to work Orion fell asleep in the car.  I let him nap for a little while, but then woke him up so that we could go to the children's museum.  He loves to play in pretend  kitchens with dishes and food.  He will take them out of the cupboard and put them on the table over and over.  His little brain fascinates me.  I also let him paint his own face.....in what I think was supposed to be camouflage.....or maybe a butterfly.  I really don't know. We went to the "special exhibit" which was all about sounds.  Orion loved seeing all the different things and making lots and lots of nose.  After running around like crazy hitting up the blocks & every button he could find, we went downstairs to the water play area where Orion splashed around like a mad man.  He was having so much fun that he didn't want to leave, but the time came and I had to gather him up and drag the soggy, multi-colored, sad baby out the door and back to meet up with Seth.  We got back in the car and started to head home, but decided to hit up a drive through in order to grab something to drink (the Children's museum is thirsty work I tell ya) which ended up morphing into a super healthy meal of chicken nuggets and chocolate milk.  We got home and gave the boy a bath to wash off the contaminated water and face paint that managed to get not only on his face and hands, but in his hair.  Quickly after that Orion grabbed his blankey, crawled up to the couch, and fell asleep.  Such a big day for a little person.  Now we're back at the grindstone, him at daycare and us at work.  *sigh*  I want to go back home and play with him instead.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Laughter abound

Orion is amazing.  His laughter is contagious.  I wish there were words adequate to fully explain everything that he means to me, but alas, I am at a loss. He's so incredibly intelligent that he blows my mind.  Purely by observation he has learned where things are located (like his favorite cookies) and will go to the right cupboard and point up when he wants one.  He also can locate a loaf of bread in the breadbox, or the juice in the fridge.  He is also extremely curious, and his growing height means a whole new level of things for him to see for the first time and no surface he can reach is safe.  He loves to look at books, and will often bring them to me to read to him.  He loves to throw or kick a ball.  He absolutely loves going on walks, and playing at the park.  He's starting to understand questions and when you ask him something he'll almost always give you an answer (usually "yeah").  He can even nod his head.  He just may be a genius, but he is stubborn as heck.  No matter how many time I tell him no, redirect him, or anything else he will do what he wants to whether I want him to or not, most of all playing with my Stephen King books (which secretly makes me proud as hell!).  We even rearranged the location of the books to put his books where the SK ones were previously located thinking maybe that would stop him, but instead he just changed where he goes to look at them.  His favorite is my "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" pop-up book.  I try to keep it away from him most the time, but usually end up breaking down, pulling it off the shelf, letting him crawl into my lap, and read it to him...and let me tell you that it's just terrible to have to do that (sarcasm anyone??)  Also, he dances.  He loves music, bobbing his little butt up and down, bouncing around the house with a smirk on his face.  By watching us he has learned to headbang (every rocker momma's dream).  However, he hasn't learned the appropriate time yet to do so, which makes me laugh so hard.  This lead to one of my favorite ever geek moments from my little dude. 

I have a recently discovered obsession for Stargate, specifically SG-1.  Lately I've been watching it daily in an effort to complete the entire series (I'm half way through season 5) which usually means that I am rocking Orion to sleep and watching Stargate at the same time.  He loves the show, which is something that makes me want to tear up anyway, but the other day he took it to a new level.  I started the show, and the theme song starts, and Orion, who is standing next to me begins to dance.  He's bouncing around, laughing...and then starts head banging.  My son is standing in my living room, headbanging to Stargate.  I have never in my life been more proud of my tiny geekling, and the potential hidden deep in him. 

Friday, March 26, 2010

Dancing.

Of all the things I love in this world, watching Orion learn something new is probably my absolute favorite.  He dances now.  Not a lot, and not often, but he does it.  It's mostly a quick squatting up and down to the beat of some music, but it's one of the cutest things I think I have ever seen in my life.  He loves to bop around listening to music, and giggles profusely any time daddy or I decide to dance with him.  Yesterday he was rolling with laughter in the back seat of the car as I tried to show him the proper way to head bang.  I'd do it, and then look at him and he would nod and laugh.  Oh, those moments fill my heart to the brim so close to overflowing.  He is also trying to blow kisses, which is heart melting.  He puts the back of his hand up to his mouth and just holds it there, but headed in the right direction.  So if you've read this, you'll now know that my heart is full and melting....sounds like we could very quickly have a mess! 

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

First Birthday Party

Orion's very first b-day party went off pretty well (if I do say so myself).  We had it Spiderman themed since those seem to be the colors he likes the most.  His cake was adorable, and decorations were kept very minimal (I mean, come on.  He's 1!).   The family arrived and gave gifts and there was absolutely no drama.  That was pretty exciting.  Orion and Blake played really well along with Griffen. Orion ended up getting a TON of toys and not nearly as many clothes as I had expected (and kind of hoped for) but I think he pretty much made out like a bandit!  There was lots of laughter and giggles.  My mom spent the morning getting food ready (which I know I over did) including a veggie tray, meat/cheese tray, crackers, cake, and ice cream...not to mention the lasagna and salad lunch I served like 1 hour before the party.   I like food, what can I say.   I am super grateful my mom was around to help me out though.  I felt like a damn chicken with my head cut off.    A #1 candle was stuck into the cake, but I didn't light it (fire + baby = not a great idea).  Happy b-day was sung and thanks to Holly the cake was cut and served.  I spent my time dishing up ice cream though and completely missed all of Orion eating cake....which made me sad.  I did get to see the aftermath of it though.  I also was so busy making sure everything was taken care of that I didn't take a single picture.  I'm hoping that I can get copies from the family that was there taking pictures.  UGH!  So anyway, it went well.  Everyone had fun, cake was eaten, presents were unwrapped, laughter was made......and I'm damn sure glad that it is over (and doesn't occur again til next year!!!). 

Friday, March 5, 2010

One year---a reflection.

If you've never experienced the first year of being a mother, I promise you that you have no idea how quickly time can go.  It truly seems like last week when I first held my beautiful boy in my arms...first kissed his beautiful face.  It seems like days ago that I first saw my son's smile and begged him to roll over.  Only yesterday when he first got up and started to crawl, and just this morning when I first cheered in glee as he took his first steps across my kitchen.   I don't understand where my time has gone.  How has my tiny bundle of baby somehow morphed into a giddy toddler so quickly??  I find myself sitting here begging time to slow down, terrified that I am going to miss something....or worse, maybe I'll forget that these little things ever even existed.  Our son is amazing.  He gives hugs and kisses.  He loves his mommy and his daddy like crazy.  He's friendly and playful, but shy and flirty.  He's happy.  I think that's most important.  I honestly believe that Orion is happy.   Not to mention that he is SO dang smart.  He can walk, uses a sippy cup, feeds himself, is starting to try to use silverware, and turns the pages in a book, found out how to turn objects sideways to get them out of a latched cabinet.  *sigh*  I'm amazed and entertained by him every day.  All it takes is a single look from him to make me smile.  Yesterday was his birthday, and on Sunday we're having a birthday party with all of the family.  I know he's little and doesn't know what is going on, but I want to celebrate not only his birthday, but our first year as a family.  So happy happy birthday baby Orion, who is not really a baby.  I hope that someday you can understand that me and daddy are both better people because you exist.   We love you very much!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Mommy baby weekend

This weekend Seth went out of town, so I decided to do something fun, just me and Orion.  Of course, the adventure ended up being bigger than just the two of us, but that's where it started.  Seth left town on Friday, so my sister kindly offered to take me home.  She ended up spending the night.  We cooked some quick supper, then with Orion in tow made a quick trip into Wal-mart for some essentials that we were out of (toilet paper, apple juice, hair dye, ya know..the important stuff!).  We of course had to look for b-day gifts for Orion while we were there, and Ashley managed to find an adorable pair of spiderman pajamas in just the right size.  We showed them to Orion and he grabbed ahold of them and drug them along throughout the rest of our shopping trip.  It was adorable to see him carrying around a hanger with pjs on it that was taller than he was.  He was so proud of himself.   Needless to say, he was exhausted after such an exciting adventure of spiderman pjs and pushing the cart around the store, so he went to sleep quickly after we got home.  Ashley spent the rest of the night using said hair dye and enjoying each other's company.   The next morning Orion was up bright and early (unfortunately the sun was not!!) and ready for more fun.  We ate some breakfast, got ready for the day, caught a super quick nap, and headed into town to meet up with my cousin Amanda, her husband, and their son Blake, who is only 6 months older than Orion.  We went and grabbed a quick lunch, and then we were off to the Children's Museum.  Now, origionally I was quite nervous about taking an almost-1 month old baby to the children's museum, fearing he would be stomped, trampled, and lost in the crowd (especially on a Saturday!) however it ended up being MUCH better than I had anticipated.  When we first got there Orion seemed to be a little bit overwhelmed with all the people and the stuff going on.  We decided to go into the play "Doctor's Office."  Blake chose to play with the giant stuffed dog in there.  What did Orion choose to play with you ask?  Well....umm......ok.  It was a stool.  Seriously...a red...stool.  He's easily entertained I suppose. 
 
I'm not saying I was concerned or anything...but really.....a stool??  Ok, I'm done.  After the Dr. office we took the boys to a car that was just their size.  They had so much fun driving it together and screaming like crazy people.  Orion loved to drive it.  He was once again very proud of himself. 

He did however let Blake drive too, and seemed to enjoy that just as much.  I'm not sure if you can tell here though:
 

I think these two boys may have quite a future ahead of them.....we may be in trouble!!

 

After driving around we hit up the grocery store, and a construction site.  We then went in to play a little bit of football.  Orion wasn't much on it but Blake really seemed to enjoy himself.  Orion tried on a jersey and some pads...I don't think he'll ever grow into them. 

 
 
We played in a semi, as well as a fire truck.  We hit up some toy tractors...and then mommy captured Orion for a minute of snuggles in the BIG CHAIR! 
.

We tried to paint Orion's face.  He eventually approved (by kissing himself in the mirror) but seemed a lot more interested in licking the stick than letting me paint his face.  
 
 
They played in the mole hills...which we forced Aunt Ashley to crawl through with them(she liked it.  Don't let her tell you any different!!).  They played in the water (where Orion kept trying to LICK everything!!).  
 

We commanded a space station and pretended to be an astronaut.  

 

We flew an airplane, played giant chess, read books, and then landed an airplane.  Needless to say it was a BIG afternoon!  We had so much more planned, but by the time we left the Children's Museum nap time had come and gone, and driving to our next location Orion passed out.   We spent Sunday just snuggling, reading books, and watching X-Men.  My son was exhausted.  Now you can ask if Orion really had as much fun as I make it sound like, or if I'm just making it up because I enjoyed it....but for me, this face says it all. 


 
 
Now does this say "excitement" or does this say "help I'm crazy" or does it say "My mom locked me in a plexiglass box and I can't get out...that's for you to decide.  Either way, I'm so thankful for the amazing adventures I get to have with my favorite little boy.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Baby's Birthday

Well, it's official.  Yesterday I mailed out the invitiations for Orion's first birthday party, so I guess it's really happening.  I can't believe my baby is growing up.  I can't believe he's going to turn 1 when it seems like only yesterday when I first held him in my arms.  *sigh*  oh well.  I hoping that his party goes well, but I've honestly never hosted a party so I don't have a clue what I'm doing.   Bleh.  So anyway, that's been my excitement.  Other than that, O has been a busy little body running all over and jabbering up a storm.  

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Right around the corner

Ok, I know I brag about Orion too much, but can I really help it that he's awesome?  Less than a month and he will turn 1.  I am not ready for my baby to become a toddler (although I think it's too late for that).  He's finally up to 2 teeth, and is walking furiously (and hillariously!).  We're starting the base plans for his birthday celebration, and I can't believe it's coming up so quickly.  I don't really want to have a huge party, because I think it's kind of a waste, but at the same time I think it's important to have all those who love Orion present to celebrate his first year of life.  This little man has made more of a change in my life in 1 year than anything else that I have ever encountered in my life.  I am so incredibly grateful to have an amazing son, a husband who is the love of my life, and a family that loves and supports our son as much as we do.  Who knew he could bring such diverse people into agreement about anything?  I knew he was up to some magic in the womb, I just didn't realize how deep that magic would go!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Baby Steps

I can't believe that Orion is already trying to make the move from standing to walking. It seems like yesterday when he finally took off crawling on his own, and we're moving on yet again. So far the most he has taken was 3 steps in a row, but that's pretty dang good if you ask me. He will still choose to walk holding on to things if he has any chance at all, so we have to practice far from any furniture, etc however, we're heading that direction. He has gotten really good at clapping his hands, waving at people, and making mad faces. He absolutely loves playing with other kids and gets really excited about going to school in the morning, which makes it easier to take him. What I am saying is pretty much that my son is awesome, growing, and amazing me every day. I'm already trying to start planning for his first birthday. I can't believe that it's just around the corner.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

10 months and counting

I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Before I know it Orion's first birthday will be upon us (and boy am I NOT ready for that!!). So, Orion is really trying to start walking, he waddles around the coffee table and is starting to get more daring with his reaches. The holidays were great. We got to spend lots of time with the family and Orion seemed to really look like he was enjoying all his presents....well...at least the ripping the paper part. He got lots of fun (noisy) toys like a drum and xylophone. He also got a large tractor, a fire truck that makes noise, some clothes....the list goes on and on. His grandparents may spoil him a little bit. He is very vocal at this point too, so that's lots of fun. He's definitely trying to start repeating phrases that we say and a lot of what he says sounds like real words. It's pretty amazing. He's incredibly curious, so much so that we actually ended up rearranging our bookshelves so that the shelf he used to reek havoc on is now the shelf with his books on it (take that smarty pants!!). The weather here has been SO cold though and that is frustrating because it makes it really hard to go outside or do anything. I'm beginning to get a little stir crazy. The snow around here has been insane too. We've got more snow in the last couple weeks than we normally get the entire year. Ugh. Anyway, that's what's happening around here. Orion is amazing as always and he's such a smart little boy. We really are blessed in life.