Happy 100 days

Baby boy Tucker is 100 days old today! Our good friend Jin told us about this Korean tradition almost a year ago when we were beaching it up on the shores of Maui.

Also when I used to look like this:

But enough about me.

This Korean tradition celebrates a baby's first 100 days post-birth as a child is technically a year old at this point (if you are a subscriber to life beginning at conception). Many babies did not survive more than a month or two before the age of co-pays, well visits and immunizations. Traditional Korean families do not take their babies out of the house or have visitors until they reach 100 days, and a big party for friends and family usually ensues; they treat it like a first birthday.

The belief also stands that babies kind of turn a corner at 100 days in terms of starting to sleep really well at nap time and night time and interaction during wakefulness is longer with lots and lots of smiles. Well friends, I am a believer.

Tucker went to bed at 8:00pm on the eve of his 100th day and I had to wake him to nurse at 4:30am (preferable for me over getting up to pump). He woke at 7:15am as he does every day (is there an alarm clock in that crib??), was back down at 8:45am with approximately 2 minutes of self-soothing action and slept for 2.5 hours! He was up at 11:15am and even though I attempted to break records zooming through the grocery store, he was back asleep where he remains this very second in his car seat before I could get the car in the garage.

He cries very little, is self-soothing regularly, sucks his thumb, smiles a lot, makes sounds that we call "talking" when looking at us, watches his big sister like a hawk and even notices and tracks the dogs walking by. The "talking" thing is funny because he only does it at night after Sophie has gone to bed - as if she fills up the airwaves and he can't get a word in when she's around.

I think my pictures of the boy from a previous post are more appropriate here, so you get to see them again :) Happy 100 days, my dear boy. You were created one whole year ago. That just blows my mind. Love love love love you with all my heart! While we may not be having a big 100 day birthday party, I'm sure your dad and I will be enjoying a new recipe from Pinterest and maybe a toast with a bottle glass of wine.

Ode to Costco

Boys and girls. As if I needed another reason to love Costco.

The organic products we already buy:

Flax seed

Granola

Chicken

Ground Beef

Frozen broccoli

Canned tomatoes

Apple juice

Milk

Eggs

Rice Milk

Half & half (we like dairy)

And last weekend I just scooped up one for the boy and one for the girl: Hanna Andersson organic cotton pj's. Love love love them. Sophie has practically worn a pair out that I bought her last year. You like the running pose I made with this spaceship boy's pj's, right? I figure by the time he's wearing these, he'll be running circles around me. Just wanted to see what that would look like.

About a boy

Three months old and stealing hearts already.

Hey ladies. Names Tucker. 

I'm a drooling machine.
Just one more way I am proving to be different from my big sis.

Get. In. My. Belly.
We have a thumb sucker.

Weekend, where HAR you?

My lack of posts means that this one is going to be lengthy. Stay a while, wontcha?

What she's saying:
Where HAR you = where are you
My turnies = my turn
That's mines = that's mine
It's darky = it's dark in there
Bay brudder TuckTuck = baby brother Tucker
Good merrning = Good morning (with an Irish accent)
I wanna hold you = I want you to hold me

What she's doing:
She LOVEs the Llama Llama books, courtesy of Gmom and Gdad for Christmas. She is totally obsessed with feelings and emotions asking on every page what the llama is doing or feeling. She also loves My Little Ponies. Like, sometimes asks for My Little Ponies as soon as she wakes up. Phrases like "I love you. What's wrong with you? I know, Tuck Tuck. (when he cries) Look at me. I'm very tired. I need to color. We're going to Costco!" are constantly heard around our little casa lately. She makes me laugh so hard every day. Soph still loves going to school and has started talking about her friends and her teachers by name! Speaking of names, she even calls me "Aims" on occasion. What a little sponge. At two years old she is still sleeping 12-13 hours at night, and Tucker has started giving us 7-9 hours straight. We Barbers must love our sleep.

What he's doing:
Tucker is three months old! Right at 13 weeks he started doing that awesome sleep thing. Nursing is going so much better this time. He still has no schedule during the day other than me enforcing Eat, Activity, Sleep, and then he's usually down for bed between 7 and 8 (tonight he went to "bed" at 6... say a prayer, please). He has almost outgrown all of his 3mo clothes. So, to sum it up, basically, I think he's a little angel.

Weekend!!
We had a great weekend with Yaya in town. We threw a surprise 60th birthday party for Gdad, ate, drank, and were merry. I never feel like I take enough pictures anymore. Perhaps because I'm too busy enjoying the company we keep. Our weekend, in limited photos:

Sophie and Gdaddy after the "surpriiiiiise!"
We practiced "surprise" all week, and had to make sure
to keep her away from Gdad so that she didn't give away the surprise!

Tucker absolutely LOVES his Yaya.

Sophie loves Uncle Shawn (and balloons)!

Mommy and Soso.

Tucker with his beautiful grandmothers!

She was playing a game that went:
"Where is Sophie? HERE SHE IS!"
and jumping out of balloons.

Tummy time!

Tucker slept here, like, all weekend.

**love**

Jumping with baby brudder TuckTuck.

Taking a break to tell Tucker
"I love you. I'm so glad you're here!"
***melt***

Jumping with Yaya.

Snuggle 'em

This morning, Sophie said "I wanna snuggle 'em." How could I resist the request, or the opportunity to take a couple of really sweet pictures? I guess this makes up for her coloring on the family room wall with her red marker two days ago. Almost. Ok, ok, it's forgiven.

And the award goes to...

It is award season, folks. That seems to be all I hear about on television these days. (Well, I lie: political debates, the Super Bowl and whatever is going on in My Little Ponies. But, back to the awards.) I started to wonder if nominated, what awards would I win?

The first one that immediately came to mind was Most Locations for Stashing Diapers. What a prestigious award. I'd like to thank the academy... With one child I thought having diapers in one unmistakable place was the best way to go. With two children, I've changed my mind. We have diapers in: 1. master bedroom 2. Sophie's bedroom 3. Tucker's bedroom 4. downstairs family room 5. my car 6. the jogging stroller (only takes one ill-fated trip to the park to come up with that one) and 7. my purse. My Coach purse. My prized Coach purse that Bryan gave me as an anniversary gift (the year for 'leather') that now doubles as a diaper bag. Oh, motherhood. So humbling.

The second award I'd be a shoo-in for would be Persevering the Picky Eater. I wrote earlier about a dinner time meltdown and having to cover food with multi-colored sprinkles to get them in Sophie's belly. But serve a meal created with love, a dash of patience, some creativity and kindness and you might find as I did that they'll try just about anything. I also try to remember that everything is cyclical. Something she loved yesterday might disgust her tomorrow. Try again. And again. I actually read one time that you have to offer something 20-25 times before a child might agree to eat it. We've come to a new understanding that she has to try at least one bite before she gets the food she knows and wants.

Our latest creation was a hit. Fruit and Nut Bites, adapted from this recipe. I didn't invent this gem of a snack, but I made it bigger and better for Sophie.

Mom, take the picture so that I can devour
my special snack!

Fruit and Nut Bites.

Sophie's Fruit and Nut Bites
1 Cups dried organic figs
1/2 Cup dried dates
1/2 Cup walnut pieces
1/2 Cup whole raw almonds
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
1/4 Cup water
1 Cup shredded coconut (we used sweetened)

Blend in food processor until everything comes together in an almost-smooth consistency. Form small balls - teaspoon or tablespoon size - and roll in coconut. Refrigerate and serve cold. They're a little gritty in consistency because of the figs (which is why I didn't hesitate to add the ground flax). And by gritty - think Fig Newton gritty, just the nature of the fruit.

The final award I think I have already won: Marrying Into the Best Family Possible. My in-laws and extended family have made me really happy to call our new town "home." They have been so supportive, helpful and generous. They have taken me in as their own and I couldn't be more grateful. Did you know that I am even getting one morning a week totally to myself to exercise? Brilliant. Sophie goes to school and my MIL watches Tucker. I know that my immediate family would love to be the ones sweeping up Sophie from preschool and giving Tucker his first bottle. But while we live 600 miles away, I rest assured they are happy knowing how well we are all cared for here in KY.