.mommy saturday.

It's true what they say...Saturday's ARE a special day, and today was a momma and finn kinda Saturday, which makes it that much more special.  Roy was out doing manly things, like camping outside in a UT January. Luckily it's been a mild winter, but still, I'll leave that one for the boys.  The morning started out a little rough with Finn clinging to me like a little tree frog, because he did not trust the vacuum cleaner that had been left out.  Why do you ask was the vacuum out?  Well that has a little to do with a mischievous little boy who was left to his own devices while mom cooked breakfast.  Perhaps Finn got a little peckish waiting for breakfast because he somehow managed to dump an entire container of fish food out.  While Finn played with his eggs for breakfast I vacuumed that mess up, and then proceed to sweep up the majority of the eggs from the floor where Finn had so kindly thrown them.
After such a messy/clingy morning I think we both needed a restart.  Finn hit the sack, and I hit the showers after working out.  I'm always amazed at how the simple act of shaving my legs can make me feel like a new person.  So here we are as new people: Finn freshly napped, and me freshly cleaned; and already it is better.  We got out of the house and enjoyed the weather, Finn tried smarties for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed them, and Roy returned home safe and sound.  He has left again to meetings, but he is home safe.  So it is just Finn and momma again.  Good thing finn is so good at entertaining.

its mostly me singing if your happy and you know it, but finn shows off his clapping skills, and even waves at the end...he looks towards our back porch because that's where daddy comes and goes.

.big and small things.

I finally turned off the TV after I realized there wasn't much of anything worth watching.  That's the good and bad about having basic tv...not a lot of options, but it limits your time wasted if you just choose to turn it off.  Instead, I'm just choosing another medium to waste my time.  
First off Finn: (he's the first of many things)

Today was another rough eating day for Finn.  I don't think I would be as concerned if he was a little fatty, but because he's a little twig of a thing, I worry. Does this feel like this is the only thing I talk about anymore??? because it feels like its the only thing I think about anymore.  Feel free to give advice, or ignore my first time mothering fears...it is what it is.
If I'm hating his food aversion, I'm absolutely loving his dancing.  This kid boogies at the slightest hint of a tune, cracks me up. 
Secondly, Roy:
I never actually posted about this, but he did sell his first business early last year, and started another one....check it out here http://kineticmotions.com/ .  It seems to me that his mind is ever in the process of learning and doing new things.
We get lots more time with him now, because he served his time, and is done with the condo board.  No more 11:00 pm phone calls about light bulbs being out, and other such rubbish. 
Lastly, Me:
When life is going good, do you ever start to wonder, when something is going to stir it up?  For example, we've lived in our house for nearly 5 years and haven't had any major problems (unless you count the great ant invasion of 2011).  I keep thinking, "it's only a matter of time before something big like the water heater or the furnace go out."  I probably just jinxed myself for saying that, but that's what I think.  Life isn't easy for us right now, we are having to make lots of changes and adjustments.  We have, and continue to go through growing pains in every facet of life, but I feel like more then anything we have been abundantly blessed, and I don't want that to change.

.happiness is.

happiness is realizing I can do hard things...like giving birth to little Finn P with no pain medication, and going weeks sleep deprived because there are more imprortant things like making sure little man is fed and soothed.

happiness is watching that little man grow and learn new things through his first year like:
how to say dada, mama, baba, nana, and other jibberish
waving and finding noses, kittens, dogs, and belly buttons
rolling, crawling, and cruising around furniture
dancing, pointing, and playing hide and seek

happiness is finally having teeth to chew with...there are now offically 4, with molars in the line up as is apparent from all his ear pulling.

happiness is being a parent to a healthy happy little man, who loves and needs you more then anything else.

happiness is our one year old Finn

.the party.

Your first birthday is a big deal, well at least for the parents...or in my case me.  Roy would have been happy just to do something with just the 3 of us, but I insisted throwing something for family.
I simplified my original plans, mainly because I didn't want anything more to deal with.  So we just did dessert and gifts, but it was just perfect.

The spread

cupcakes on homemade cake stands...thanks to my sister Holly

Finn P loves taking things out of bags

really mom?

he really wanted that candle

not sure about the cupcake

the frosting is pretty good

not bad

sugar is good

 We are so blessed with wonderful family that cares so much for us and supports us in everything we do.  It was wonderful to share a year of celebration with the people we love the most.
After our fill of sugar and conversation we headed home for dinner and much needed sleep.  We also discovered that we could feed little man more cupcakes...

He still lacks the girth to hold onto his pants when he is pulled out of the walker.
What a grand day to celebrate our little Finn!

.what life feels like lately.

Does anyone else look like this after dinner?

notice the nice big chunks of food in his hair, and yes the ever constant stream of teething snot 

This isn't going to be a problem is it mom?

Along with his new found picky eating habits has also come the desire to get food everywhere!!  I do manage to get a bit of food into his mouth before he decides to spit, throw, and smear his food like a little Picasso. 
I feel like this is our life right now, I clean up one mess only to turn around to find another one being made by this little Tasmanian Devil.  He loves everything in the kitchen right now, whether it's the Tupperware closet, dishtowel drawer, broom, filing cabinet, or the trashcan, he wants it.  Today I'm determined to get to the store and arm myself with some child-proofing equipment to keep him out of some of those drawers, and perhaps give myself less to clean up.  Along with all his curious mess making, he is teething something awful!  He has been one onery cuss...and I say that with all the love in my heart.  I'm trying, despite all his grumpy, messy, clingy-ness, to focus on all the wonderful blessings we have...and it certainly helps.  But there are just days you are going to be overwhelmed and done at 10:00 in the morning.

.for old times sake.

So long 2011, you are now another year past and gone.  We rang in 2012 by retiring early for two main reasons: 1-Roy goes to bed before 11 nearly every night...he gets ornery and not much fun...its just how it is. 2-Finn doesn't care what time we go to bed, he's up at 7:00 or, in our case, 6:30 today.  Am I the only parent who thinks this way?  I say this because, everyone I talked to stayed up, even with babies that wake up early.  Maybe I'm just an oldie or I care too much about sleep, but I'm going to wait until my kids are a bit older to stay up and ring in the new year. 
But here is what we did to enjoy our early night in.
We made pizza and baked it on my new pizza stone.  It was a bubbly crispy mess of goodness.

Roy was stoked to use the GIANT spatula he got with the pizza stone, I mostly just enjoyed how stoked he was about it.

We enjoyed out pizza with some martinellis and watched a movie, and then we said goodnight to 2011.
Here are other things being enjoyed around here:
The dishwasher: Finn has radar for dish time, because it means he gets to play with all the dirty utensils, and spinning fan. 
Haircuts:  This picture shows some of Finn's crazy locks...especially around his ears.  Grandma trimmed while I held.  He looks less like a rag-a-muffin, and more like a little boy now.

Dump Trucks:  This toy gets pushed around daily

 Wranglers:  These pants are so big on the skinny little dude that we have to roll them up, and he doesn't have much holding them up, but he looks so irresistibly cute, that we wear them regularly.

 Garbage cans:  Don't know what the attraction is, but Finn can't seem to get enough of the trashcan.  Here he is checking out the discarded martinelli's bottle.  Needless to say, the garbage is outside a lot.

As you can see life is wonderfully enjoyable around here, we have been blessed immensely this past year and can see the hand of the Lord in all of our successes, struggles, and ultimately our growth, and we put our trust and faith in him for the coming year.