Eczema baby

So after two weeks I've been trying to keep Kade away from the allergies the doc told us about. Haven't seen any great improvements, but we'll keep trying and see what happens. She wants him on Zyrtec every day, but I hate giving him medicine so I've only been giving it to him on days when I know he'll be around dogs or anything else on the list.
Maybe for the next two weeks I'll try it every other day and see what happens? Wish me luck!

This spring there was a lot of...

waterbeads
(here used to sprout seeds)

window painting
for Daddy

sensory boards

and of course more window art
(crayon shaving art & pointillism heart)

small group discussions

cuddles when the weather wasn't great

stalking Daddy's Honor Guard posts so we could get pictures for Grandma

watching the jets during the DM airshow

pudding painting

mmmmmm 

random art ideas mommy came up with

Blarney stone crafting for our grandma McCoy!  We used salt playdough, colored sand, marbles, sequins, macaroni, googly eyes and sparkles.  Whew.  What a mess :)

weird snack experiments 

SHAVING. CREAM.

waterbeads in the water table!

Even a redneck pinata!

We learned that mommy likes markers in the bathtub a lot better than on the couch

and more shaving cream

Easter stamp making!

followed by "LET'S TURN EVERYTHING INTO A CHALKBOARD!!!"

We found uses for all that crud mommy doesn't want getting into Kade's belly or sticking to her butt!

We made our own easter decorations too :)

I hope someone finds these kiddo craft ideas useful for their own kids!  Table time is my favorite part of Kade's day - even if it does require massive cleanup overhaul afterwards (Le Sigh...)

Now I'm off to pinterest for summer crafting inspiration!

Tempus Fugit

It's been hitting me recently how fast this whole "baby" thing went by, and how much faster the "toddler" stage will pass as well.  It makes me sad.  Not just a little bit sad, but almost gut wrenching.  Here you get this one perfect little being, with no idea on how to appreciate all of the oddities and craziness that is parenting, and then suddenly it almost seems like it's all passing you by.  Just a silver bullet train that whizzed by and ripped out your heart with it.  I can't imagine how terrible my mother felt when I got married and left as soon as I turned 18.  No wonder she was so mad.  I'd never understood that until I'd contemplated my own son growing up and not wanting anything to do with me.  Those little arms squeezing my leg throughout the day are so ridiculously precious.  I will never be able to thank my father enough for giving me the means to stop ripping them off of me like I didn't have time to appreciate my son actually needing me.  But that's what we're "supposed to do" in order to get things done and be a perfect mom right?  I don't know when I started feeling like that's how it needed to be.  Hurry up and stop needing me so much.  Hurry up and be independent.  Hurry up and...where'd my baby go?  All the sudden my son knows where his head, eyes, nose, tummy, and fingers are.  He can ask for things and has figured out how to get exactly what he wants.  He has a sense of humor that makes my heart feel like it's going to explode and has turned my husband and I into high school sweethearts again.  There are no words for how amazing this child is.  Just pure raw love, innocence and curiosity in every millisecond moment.  Mommy's doing her best to slow down and show those milliseconds some love little man.

Kade (2 weeks old)