Best Friends Best Friends

Holden has a BFF - I never expected him to have one so early on, but he cherishes his friend Harrison so much. Every time we say "Guess who's coming over?" he yells "Hahsson!" Here's why: for the past year and a half (my goodness has it been that long) his mom and I have been doing regular kid swaps. He comes over here once a week for the afternoon and Holds goes over there once a week for the afternoon. It has been one of the best things for the moms and the kids. They play really well together, take naps at the same time, and have so much fun learning and playing together. Plus I've really liked how it's allowed Holden to learn how to share, take turns, and get used to being around other people his age. And sometimes it's totally easier to have a friend over here to play with for Holds so he's occupied than it is with just him - as long as they play well together. And he and Harr are great together. I really feel so lucky that it's worked out so well.



Looking for bugs.

Goodnight Moon

holden has a very strict bedtime regimen now. we used to be able to just drop him in his crib and say a prayer and we were outta there! but now he has to read books to himself for a while (he's especially fond of anything about dinosaurs), then he likes to read Goodnight Moon 123 and then Goodnight Moon. in that order. and then he'll lay down and say prayers. he's so cute. at first, we just read the books to him but now he reads them to us.

this is holds reading Goodnight Moon:

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

the shift key on my laptop isn't functioning. if i hold it down and press really hard it will work, but it slows my 80 wpm typing considerably, so i'll have to write in lower caps until my awesome husband decides which laptop is perfect for me (he's doing research on it right now even). THE OTHER OPTION IS THIS - BUT I HATE ALL CAPS, IT FEELS LIKE I'M YELLING. and i'm not yelling - promise.

i sat down tonight and decided to start blogging again. i realized that i have missed this holden-and-family-centered blog of mine. i went through it tonight and read the posts i made when i was pregnant with holden. i'm pregnant again with his soon-to-be brother or sister (yay!) and i can't believe how much bigger i am this time around. let's just say i won't be posting any bare belly pictures this time. yikes.

i've missed talking about my beautiful, crazy, wild, loving, smart, silly, sweet, busy boy. in case you've missed him too - here are some pictures of him that wes took in tooele this weekend. we were there to memorialize my grandfather who passed a few months ago.

Sad Day

I am a little sorry to do this, but we're going to be taking a hiatus for a while. Probably a long while. Work has been so busy and I can't keep up two [personal blogs AND blogs, writing, Facebooks, etc. for my clients. And Wes hasn't been posting on here for some time because he's been working on a ton of side projects too. Sooooo, it is with great regret that we say goodbye for a while. We'll still be reading your blogs so don't forget about us. And I will still be keeping up my other blog alicesworld.wordpress.com and will include updates on Holds there!

Thanks for all the reading and comments!

New Words and Potty Training

Ever since he turned 19 months, Holden's world (and therefore ours) has turned much more verbal. He likes to name everything. He finally calls everybody in our family by their names: Kiera is Key, Katie is Kay, Ali is Aheee, etc. We stand in front of my closet and he touches all the different types of clothes and he goes through and names them, or repeats after me. My favorite is that he just started saying Thank You when he hands you thing. He says it "sanky."

I love that I can now discuss things with Holden - he understands the things that I say. Like if I need to set him down to get something, I can explain it to him sans the tantrum that used to ensue. Now he gets it most of the time. I like it.

Holden and I have started taking a Mom and Tot art class! It's basically a mom art class for us because Holden only lasts on each project about 10 minutes. And he never acts like he likes anything he's made until a couple days later. Yesterday, he came out of his room wearing this new hat we made. He looks like an Indian.


Holden has also started potty training. We're taking it slow - at first we just had him sit down on his toilet every now and then. But he wouldn't "go" until last night - Wes had him sitting there, reading books and talking on the phone (which Holden tried to flush down the potty a couple times). I was so proud of him! As soon as I got him, he took me in the bathroom to come show me what he did. He was so excited he held onto the tub and ran in place for 4 minutes shouting with excitement. It was so cute.

Trip to Phoenix

So we went to Phoenix last week! Although Phoenix has never been on my top 10 places I want to vacate to, we actually managed to do a lot of cool things.

We chilled at the pool and got sunburned...a must for ANY vacation, duh.
Holden sporting his awesome surfing outfit. You know, just in case.

I pulled out my 15 year old bikini for one last preview and discovered that I actually fill it out LESS than I did 15 years ago. Not so nice, but that's motherhood for you, I guess.

Then we went to a Diamondbacks game!
It was such a cool stadium. It was super clean, had an "all you can eat section" (yes, of course we were in it), and a kids play area.


Holden loved the kids area for about 3 minutes until he discovered that there was a bigger, much cooler play area with huge slides that he wasn't old enough to go into . . . it was so sad. He threw a big tantrum over it because they wouldn't let him in.


While in Phoenix we also went to this Wild West show that was pretty cool. At this point, Holden was getting sick so we didn't stay very long. But he liked the gun show (as long as I kept the fruit snacks coming)

I kept telling Wes how good of a cowgirl I would have been, but he didn't buy it. He said I would be terrible at dealing with the heat and "roughing" it but consented that I'd be good at shooting and riding horses. I could totally rough it! As long as I had a nice bed.... LOL

Ok so I'm almost done! We also went to the Phoenix zoo which was really cool. It's 3 times bigger than the Hogle Zoo I swear and had lots of cool nooks with random animals, reptiles and birds. Holden would have liked it more were he not so sick. Sick babies are the worst. I felt so bad for him!

This is Wes's beard. I'm trying to get him to shave it. I mean, part of me likes the Mountain Man appeal of it, but only part of me. The other wants my husband's face back.

A Day in the Life of Our Busy Holds

1. He wakes up (happy after 12 hours of sleep).
2. He tries to wrestle away from us as we change his diaper.
3. He eats his yummy breakfast. He enjoys oatmeal or Life cereal and milk. Then he burps. On purpose. Repeatedly.
4. He "pays" plays) around the house, which involves running from one wall to the next or throwing his soccer, baseball, or basketball around.
5. He pulls down all his books from his bookshelf. We read books. Well, we read about 4 seconds of books. Then he reads to himself.
6. He takes a nap.
7. He wakes up and tries to wrestle away from us as we change his diaper
8. He eats his yummy lunch. He loves vegetables he can dip in Ranch dressing, minus the vegetables. Wes thinks he'd eat his own finger if it was dipped in Ranch. He loved hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza, and soups, and all fruits.
9. Lunch is followed by another round of on-purpose burping. We're regretting our laughter when he started doing this.....
10. We play outside and/or run errands and go on adventures.
11. He pulls down all his books. Again.
    
12. He takes another nap. Or just plays in his crib.
13. He wakes up (grumpy this time).
14. We go outside and play on the lawn or by the garden. He takes my garden markers out throws them around. Then he eats dirt.
15. I make dinner and Holden pretends to eat it. But mostly he just drinks milk.
16. He runs around the house again. Or pushes the vacuum around.
    
17. He takes a bath. Then brushes his teeth. First he sucks all the toothpaste off, then Wes or I take over.
    
18. He goes to bed. 9 on the dot. Don't expect him to go down prior, no matter how tired he is . . . he knows when it's 9.

Wes and Caleb's Birthday Bash - and The Crew

We had a combined birthday party for Wes and Caleb, since they both had birthdays in early May. It was bittersweet to be in Trisha's fantastic backyard, knowing since they're moving this month, there will be no more BBQ's there. Unless cool people move in. But cooler than Trisha and Caleb? Not a chance.

Cute Kristine, (Trish's sister in background) has been Holden's fantastic babysitter for the last several months . . . and her fiance in the background.

This is Holden, stealth little bugger he is, right before he steals off with someone's rootbeer. I caught him after he'd guzzled 3/4 of it. And Brad and Rachel, who are awesome. And Stacy who totally needs to get a blog, as we keep reminding her.

The Webers, who also think they are moving . . . we beg to differ. Sorry Laura it loooks like Wes cut you off . . . and the Thompsons who are new and we love them too.

Oh there you are Laura and Jeanette with the cutest baby girl ever. And Michelle and Scotty, our very closest neighbors!

And Heather and Garret - you guys need a blog too! Looks like Wes missed pictures of Colleen and Maura, who both moved from the ward but we can't quite let them go . . . LONG LIVE THE IVINS WARD!!

Gee Mom, is She Really For Me?

Holden has many girlfriends. We joke all the time with our friends that our kids are going "out" with each other. But we actually are kind of serious about matching up Holds with Liesel, our friends' Paul and Lara's new bebe. Holden met his betrothed a few weeks ago. And I think they're in love.

He was so intrigued by her. It's like he was saying, "gee mom, is she really for me?"

Well maybe Liesel is too young to know what true love is, but I'm sure Holden isn't. She is beautiful! He especially loved holding her foot. He already worships at her feet!


I think they're destined for each other. Holden agrees.

Don't Sell Your Soul to Buy Peanuts for the Monkeys

We went to the allergist yesterday to see what we were allergic to. I thought she'd test him for all kinds of allergies, but luckily she just tested for nuts. When we got there Holden was super happy, he played with the toys and talked on his Lego cell phone.


The doctor was fantastic. She answered a lot of questions and gave us a lot of material to read. She said to make our house peanut and cashew free, entirely (sad for mommy and daddy since we love peanut butter sandwiches), and to be staunch about not letting anybody give us any candy with peanut butter, etc. (ie no more Reeses peanut butter eggs, grammy Pammy!). Plus she said we shouldn't even be around it - so nobody should be eating peanut butter or peanuts in his presence. It's like a poison to him.


The nurse came in an gave him scratch tests on his back for Almonds, Peanuts and Cashews. He's HIGHLY allergic to cashews. And very allergic to peanuts. But showed no reaction to almonds. She said in kids Holden's age, they show their reaction to these allergens more in anaphylaxis - where it shows up all over his body, especially on the skin. They blow up, throw up, etc. And then they get older, they tend to more have the wheezing, asthma-type reaction to it.

Not only did the peanut and cashews make the parts of his back swell, but it also flared up his exzema. (sp?). So she gave us a prescription for that as well. And I was armed with two expensive epi-pens. Epinenephrine is somehow a cure-all. It's just your body's way of fixing things and that's what the epi-pen will do if Holden is ever not responding to Benadryl or seems faint, etc. after a reaction.


He wasn't so happy during and after the scratch tests, but words cannot describe how upset he was when the lab did blood tests. They took blood out of his arm vein like he was an adult! It was so sad. I had to hold him tight and he was so strong and fighting so hard that they couldn't get any blood - he wouldn't relax enough. So they had to do it all over on the other arm! It was so sad. He was so upset.

It's sad to me that he'll never enjoy the simple pleasure of a peanut butter and jam sandwich. It's also sad to me that I won't be enjoying them either. Did I tell you? I ate one last week and washed my hands so carefully - but like an idiot I kiss him on his cheek later, and he totally ballooned right there. So sad.

He'll be the boy sitting at the nut-free table, hopefully not alone. He'll be the boy with the mom who yells at NWA and Delta (via email) for introducing peanuts back into their snack selection. And the mom who scrubs down the seats of the airplane with hot soap and water and yells at the flight attendants for giving peanuts to the guy next to us. Ah nuts!

He's Back - With Jazz Hands

Students of some of the finer forms of international dance will instantly recognize some of the regional influences Holden incorporates into this particular interpretive dance piece. Marrying roaring 40's dixieland dancefloor moves, indigenous Central African tribal war ceremonies, and Bible-belt, mega-church holy-rollers, Holden expresses with a fluidity of motion a richly emotional message that, although words fail it in every regard, can be best interpreted as, "Mom! I need a nap and I got poops in my pants!"

He's a Maniac, Maniac on the Kitchen Floor

New Favorite Things about my Boy

New favorite things about Holden:

• He's starting to say "yea!" when I ask him questions. Like, "Holden, do you want to have some yummy dinner?" "yea!" But then he doesn't come follow me to the table. He just keeps playing. "Holden, do you want to go on a walk with mom?" "yea!" and then turns back to his toys. At least his first reaction isn't "no!"

• He eats oatmeal. I always wanted the kid who would eat oatmeal and Cream o' Wheat instead of the kid who eats sugar cereals (me, btw).

• When it's bedtime, he runs to his crib like he can't wait to get in. Seriously, he's been doing this for a week now. I'll say "Holden, do you know what time it is? It's night-night times!" He grins, runs to his room and starts pulling on the bars to his crib. Needless to say, we love this one.
  

Anniversary Getaway

Wes and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary by ditching Holds and having 24 hours to ourselves. It was actually really fun! We missed him but he was so happy playing with his Grammy Pammy that he barely noticed we were gone.

The first thing we did was drive to Heber to the Avon theater and see Taken (which was freaking awesome). I cannot even remember the last movie we went to with each other. It's always him going with his friend or me with my friends. We never go to movies because Holden can't sit still and hates TV. And I can't really blame him for not wanting to sit through "He's Just Not That Into You," you know?

And then checked into this divine Bed and Breakfast in Midway called Invited Inn. I wish we had brought our cameras. The B&B was so comfortable, pretty and homey we absolutely loved it. They won my heart because they served Afternoon Tea and they won Wes's because of the private sauna in our bathroom! The bathroom was bigger than our kitchen at home. They had a jetted tub (as displayed below) AND a sauna AND a steam room in our own bathroom. It was amazing.

We went to dinner at the Blue Boar. Seriously, I would die happy if I had my last meal at the Blue Boar. We had shrimp, duck confit (don't look that up), Filet Mignon & Boar Ribs. It was amazing. Our breakfast the next morning at the Invited Inn was fantastic. We ate enough German pancakes to last us until dinner, all to the peaceful sound of trinkling water. Ahhhhh. It was wonderful.

My Little Anti-Vegetarian

My son is a meat eater. A carnivore through and through. He used to eat vegetables - broccoli, sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus were his favorites - but now he looks at me like I'm nuts when I offer them. I try to sneak them into his mouth behind chicken so he can't see them, but as soon as he tastes it, he pulls out the offending greenery and, disgusted, drops it off the side of his high chair.
I think all this meat eating is changing his personality. He's more aggressive and demanding now. He's still sweet though - loves giving kisses and all that - but I'm a little worried he's going to turn into a caveman. Me love meat!
Maybe this is a boy thing. Maybe his body is craving what his body needs . . . does that sound right? I'm not sure. It sure is making him strong, though. He pulled and pushed this huge industrial cart all around Honeyville Grain. And try putting him down for a nap when he's not in the mood; he's so strong he can leave bruises. LOL I'm making him sound like a monster. But seriously. He's amazing. He's now walking up AND down stairs, not crawling. He holds onto rails and insists on going up and down like a big kid. He's such a big kid. My big, wonderful, loving, barbarian viking.

New Things About Holden

I haven't posted for a while about all that my little guy is doing. So here are some new things about Holden:

Poor Holds is teething: And this time, it's not just one tooth. It's like all his lower teeth all at once. I don't know if he's getting his uppers yet because he won't let me see. All I know is that he's in a lot of pain.

He loves going outside: The only thing that makes him happy is going outside. Good thing it's good weather right now. He can say about 15 words: He says Mama, Daddy, Dedee (Holden's name for himself), Popcorn (sounds like tkl tkl), Ball, Dog, Nana (for Nana Lois), one, two, three, and on. Just cute little words.

He loves the daycare at the gym: He can't wiggle out of my arms fast enough now. We get to the gym in the morning and he takes off like a speeding bullet towards the slide. It's so funny. Guilt-free work out for me.

We have to go, go, go: Right now since eating holds no pleasure for him (teething), we just have to get out. He loves running errands, playing outside and just going.

Holden loves to read: For someone who has no attention span with toys, it's interesting that he likes to read so much. But really, he can't stand listening to the whole book. You have to speed read to satisfy him.

TV is a no go: I didn't let Holden watch TV for the first year or so of his life. But now, when it would be nice to have a little peace while I'm trying to make dinner every night, he doesn't like it. Seriously, he can't hold still long enough to care about it. It was the same thing with binkies. I didn't let the hospital give him one and then when I figure out it would be nice to cork him, it was a no go. Oh well. Probably a good thing.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Pool

I wish I had a picture of Holden yesterday at the Lehi Legacy Center Pool. On the spur of the moment, we decided to go swimming with Papa Ted and Nana Lois down in Lehi. We hustled down there, bought a $7 swim diaper, because Holden's baby one was too small, and a $5 pass and thought we were going to have the time of our lives watching Holden splash and play in the water.
Have you ever been to the Legacy Center? They have this huge bucket of water that fills up and then dumps all over the kids area. It's totally cool to watch. Totally not cool to get dunked by it. That was the second mistake I made. I sat with Holden near the kids area with our backs to the big bucket and we got dumped on by the bucket.


The first mistake was letting Holden walk on the sidewalk by the pool, he totally slipped on the floor and fell on his bum. That really ticked him off. And then getting dumped on basically ruined his life. After that, he was terrified of the Legacy Center. He had both arms wrapped tightly around my back. Everytime I tried to remove them and switch positions, he'd start this lip quivering thing that broke my heart - and then started bawling. Not even Papa Ted could make him happy.

The only thing that slightly amused him was watching the babies go down this water slide mountain. He never let go of me, but he would crack a grin if the babies jostled and bonked a little down the slide. He must have my sick sense of humor.

PS - I haven't updated this blog in forever. I am focusing my attention on my personal/work blog http://alicesworld.wordpress.com. Catch you later!

Holdens' Bday Bash Recap (Finally)

These have been a long time in coming, I know. Here are the pictures from Holden's First Birthday party. The theme, if you can remember back that far, was Wizard of Oz.



















Holden LOVED his cake. He's like me; he loves anything sweet. He carefully and delicately picked off one of the tiny frosting apples off the cake, decided he liked that, then picked up the whole piece and shoved it in his face. He had it so far up his nose we were worried he couldn't breathe!




It was a fun day. He got loads of attention, fun presents and toys, and we all got to visit with our family and friends.

Go Diego!

I turned on Cartoons last night for Holden in a desperate effort to finish dinner. Holden gets inexplicably cranky around 6:00 PM. He's not hungry, he's not poopy, he's not ready for bed, ???? Anyway, I feel quite pleased with myself that I have gone 13 months without relying on TV as an entertainment source for my kid. And I realized last night that even if I had, it wouldn't have worked. Holden could not have been less interested in Go Diego. He looked at it for five seconds and then moved right out of the living room to come stumble around underneath my feet in the kitchen.

I guess I should feel pleased he likes me so much. But I sure wish something would capture his attention for more than 5 seconds. We go through toys and rooms like you wouldn't believe. We probably need to get out more; but when you're working from home it seems overwhelming to leave the house. I feel thrilled when we make it to the gym twice a week.

Anyway, my munchkin is calling....

Holden's Kissing Cousin

Holden is now walking. I would show a video of this but Wes is the technologically-advanced one in the family (next to Holden) and hasn't taught me yet how to post these things. It will be coming soon though. But you'll see who Holden is walking towards below. This is kind of like a video....

This is Olivia, Holden's cousin once removed. He's totally obsessed with her. And she plays so nicely with him.

But if you know Holden, you know he only wants one thing: to bite you. He was appropriately dressed up for Halloween as a vampire bat. He loves to come in like he's looking to kiss you and then lock his 8 teeth into you and bite. It's terribly painful and terribly funny.

And he's got the Warren persistence in him. He'll just keep at you until he's got you right where he wants you - and then "kiss and chomp!"