Gotcha!

I have been stressing lately and trying what feels like nonstop to get Rudy to eat vegetables and more fruit (currently, he only will eat watermelon).  But last night I succeeded in getting him to eat some vegetables!  I found a "just-for-one" cauliflower and cheese sauce frozen thing in our freezer and decided to give it a try.  He gobbled it down -- probably because it had a similar look and feel to his mac and cheese, which was the exact reason I thought it might work.  Even though it was covered in cheese, it still counts as a vegetable!  Self...high five!

Rudy and I had a busy weekend (what's new?).  Rudy helped me clean out Gran and Grandpa's cabinet and refrigerator.  Since we moved in, Grandpa has consistently complained that there was too much stuff shoved in everywhere.  So we threw away everything that was expired (which we had to do at Greenbriar and had a similar pile, even though we had only been there less than 3 years).  Rudy loves taking things out of the cabinet and refrigerator so this project was right up his alley (in the beginning, at least... then he got mad he wasn't the center of attention).  Gran was happy, Grandpa -- well, not so much.  You would have thought I threw away his keepsake treasures.  I think he's still inspecting, trying to figure out what is gone.  

We also have been trying out some new food accessories for Rudy.  I have bought 3 different sippy cups with straws.  The first one was awesome, until it leaked all over.  The second one didn't leak but it was also near impossible to get any liquid out, period.  The third is a wonder.  I will be buying a couple more and getting rid of the others (because I wouldn't want to clutter anything up!)  We also tried out some "snack pods."  The top lid is made of soft rubber (??) with a bunch of slits in it.  Rudy can get his hand in and pull out snacks, but if you turn it upside down, the snacks won't fall out.  It seemed perfect.  Until Rudy's intense inspection began and he quickly figured out he could hold open one of the rubber pieces and THEN dump it out and the snacks would spill out.  Luckily, he used it as it was intended the rest of the time.  And if I fill it with something besides Cheerios, it won't be as easy to dump, even with Rudy's trick.  Some Cheerios would still spill out when he did it the right way (he'd pull out a fist full and a few stragglers would come out with).  Rufus stayed close by.  Peculiarly,  Rufus won't eat Cheerios off the kitchen floor, but he couldn't get enough of them off the living room floor.  Rudy caught on and would give some right to Rufus, too.  So they sat and watched Mickey Mouse and ate Cheerios one morning.  

I finished some craft projects over the weekend.  Here is the present Rudy will open at his birthday party to reveal whether he will be getting a little brother or a little sister:

Rudy loves the wrapping paper!

This thing was way harder to wrap than I had anticipated, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  Rudy can slide off the lid and either pink or blue balloons will come out.  Can't wait!

I also finished his set of birthday blocks that will also be used as balloon holder centerpieces at his party.  John cut the blocks for me and drilled holes down the center to hold the balloons.  Tony and Patrick helped me paint them last weekend.  I compiled 86 different pictures of Rudy from the last year (like that was hard) and printed them off on thick paper, cut them in squares, and decoupaged them to each side of the block.  One side I left blank and glued on wooden letters that I painted white.  It was more of a project than I expected, but I'm happy with how they turned out and I'll be able to keep them beyond just his party.  

 the backs

the fronts

And speaking of wrapping, I also wrapped my State Fair competition entry.  I entered the "gift-wrapped box" category.  Two years ago I won the pink ribbon (4th place), skipped the competition last year, and I'm back this year pining for a blue!  (By far, one of the oddest things I do)  Gran has been busy working on her entries.  She does the paper craft, wreath, and Kentucky Derby glass collection categories.  

I was also able to help out at the new house this weekend thanks to Gran for watching Rudy and the weather for being less than 100 degrees.  I went over Saturday around noon and John and I were going to decide on the three colors for the back bedrooms...ya know, an hour or so.  Four hours later we had colors picked out and I was suckered into doing a little painting, too.  (For those raising an eyebrow, we bought the low odor, no VOC paint and the windows were open and fans were on)  John and I took Rudy with us to Lowe's on Sunday morning to get some items for the day. 

He sure loves being with his Dad :)

John said, "Really?  You're taking a picture at Lowe's?"  How could I pass up taking a picture of this cute pair?

John and I painted all day -- until about 7:30 pm.  I may have overdid it, but I was loving seeing progress and I was so happy to finally be doing something there.  We didn't get the rooms completely done.  One bedroom still needs a second coat (probably because we had to re-paint it from the first color we picked out because it just wasn't right) and the door and window trim needs some touching up.  But wow, what a difference paint makes!  And the best part of the day, Gran and Grandpa brought Rudy by to visit.  He's a big fan of the new house.  Gran said as they were walking up he got really excited and started squealing.  He walks around and inspects it all.  

John showing Rudy some tools

Rudy's latest favorite toy are his bats.  That's right, wooden bats.  Last weekend a group went to the Sliders baseball game and it was bat night.  They passed out mini wooden bats.  Rudy loves them.  Gran tried to hide them but Grandpa gave them right back because, "he really likes them."  Right now he is harmless with them -- bangs them together, uses them as a walking stick, etc.  But as soon as he starts swinging, we are going to have problems.  

Bats - first toy he finds in the morning

 Sure, I'll play the piano, as long as one bat stays close and I'll hold the other. 

The house is coming right along.  Hopefully I'll have some progress pictures to show soon :)

Family Fun Weekend

We had lots of visitors over at the Ballweg household this past weekend and Rudy loved it!  He's a sucker for attention and loves to show off.  He's at a really fun age -- interacts with everyone and is entertaining to hang out with. 

Uncle Tony and Patrick came in town late Wednesday night.  They were nice enough to agree to watch Rudy for the day while I was at work.
 

Around 11, I text Tony, "Did you get him to take a nap by chance?"  (he usually goes down about 10)

.  Tony's response:  "Answer" (with this picture)

And wearing a new outfit...couldn't help by laugh.

Mom and I overlapped our lunches so that Tony and Patrick could go out to lunch.  Of course he slept while they were gone.  So much for "sleeping when he sleeps" :)  

They introduced him to the piano -- thaaaaaaaaanks for that one

They were so excited for the day and had all kinds of ideas they were going to do with him -- in the end, they had Dad take over about 3:00 (its been really nice having Dad home from work early lately -- Rudy is always entertained by him) so they could take naps..."Jen, he just doesn't stop!"  It didn't help that they were running on 4 hours of sleep either!

On Friday we took him over to Great Grandpa and Grandma Ballweg's house for a visit.  Rudy sure makes himself at home where ever he is.  They had a big ball for him to play with and he was good (easy to please).

Rudy sure loved having their company all weekend -- he squealed every morning when he saw they were still there and was always wanting to hang around them. 

The Minella's and Jimmy also came in town on Saturday.  We had fun in the pool and lots of dancing.  Rudy LOVES showing off his moves.  I need to get some video asap.  It hard not to smile when he starts groovin'.

Having a baby (I can still call him a baby - he isn't one...yet!) that needs his naps and hates to take them, especially when there is action going on, made me a bit nervous at the start of the weekend.  We couldn't just "go home" for a nap.  But thanks to everyone cooperating with my demands (which I don't think were expected to be as "intense" as they were -- lots of "shh-ing"), Rudy got his peaceful sleep. 

Bath time!  And developing quite the farmer's tan from his swim shirt

On Monday, Rudy and I had a nice, quiet day to ourselves.  We ran some errands and just hung out.  He has been a lot of fun to be around and I love spending time with him. 

One smart cookie

Rudy is one smart cookie.  Of course I've always thought of him as advanced :) but he keeps surprising me!  Last night, Dad says, "You know, Jen, Rudy can understand what we are saying."  I looked at him puzzled, where is this coming from?  And what are you talking about?  He says, "Seriously, watch this."  He was sitting on the couch and Mom was in the recliner.  He hands Rudy his sippy cup and said, "Go take this to your Grandma."  And sure enough, he did it!  John and I were dumbfounded.  I said, "No way, that was a fluke."  But apparently he did it the night before when Mom asked Dad for a pair of glasses.  He handed them to Rudy and he took them to her.  Unbelievable.  I guess I should start watching what I say around the little monster. 

The Keough boys have all been taking turns spending a few days at Grandma and Grandpa's and Rudy has been having a blast.  He loves being around other kids.  They have been playing lots of catch, swimming, watching movies...it makes me even more excited to be giving him a sibling soon.  I can't wait for them to be able to play together.  Although, Rudy needs to understand how to be "gentle" and not hit so much.  I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt because "its not like he can understand our reprimands" -- guess that's probably not the case!  

John took off early one day to swim (he was feeling left out of all the fun stuff) and Rudy was thrilled.

 Having fun with Daniel

 Trying to get Zoe

 Melts my heart

Zoe AND Riley...bonus!

We spent an afternoon going back and forth between Lowe's and Lumber Liquidators trying to decide on a floor.  The one we really liked was at Lowe's but had a higher price tag than we would prefer.  So we went to Lumber Liquidators and found a similar product (same material and size, but different color and varying sized boards) but it was much cheaper.  Lowe's price-matched Lumber Liquidators on the flooring we wanted AND gave us 10% off.  We were doing internal somersaults.  Flooring: Check!

Rudy didn't mind tagging along, either.  He even "helped" push the cart --- which meant I couldn't stop and had to walk in circles the entire time we were there.

We also spent a morning in Arthur, Illinois again picking out our bathroom vanities.  We struggled for awhile, but we left with all 4 bathrooms complete!  What a relief.

John has been working on the house nonstop.  He's a trooper.  Things are moving right along, except for a minor setback with vent ducts, but we should be back on track soon.

Here is how John spent one morning...getting ready for the plumbers to come add pipes for the new bathrooms and laundry room.

I have been busy planning Rudy's birthday party and getting my creative juices flowing on all the projects I want to do for the new house and how we are going to decorate.  I have so much in mind.  I'll post pictures as I get working on things :)  But the closer we get, the more excited I am to be there!

And how could I almost forget?!  I had a baby appointment July 10.  Everything was good for the both of us.  The baby's heartbeat was 148 and my stats were all normal.  I've been feeling pretty good -- still get waves of nausea and some days my tiredness hits me like a ton of bricks.  But the nausea has absolutely gotten better and I have had lots of hours of energy!  Moving in the right direction, at least.  On the downside, I feel huge.  I keep trying to reassure myself that "they" say it all comes on faster with the second, this is normal, etc.  But yikes, I'm a little apprehensive about how big I'll be at the end if I am this size already!  Here I am at 16 weeks...

Only 2 weeks, 2 days until we have a sonogram to see if Rudy will be getting a little brother or a little sister!  I've been anxiously waiting, but then again, how am I 18 weeks already?!?!
 

11 months old and ready to move out

We have one very independent man on our hands.  As far as he's concerned, he doesn't need us anymore.  He wants to walk around on his own, feed himself, and do it all (if only he could).

Rudy is becoming a champ at walking.  He walks everywhere and its his preferred way of getting from point A to point B (unless he's in a real hurry, then screw it, he'll speed crawl).  Some sprints are as much as 15-20 steps (I'd guess) and other times he take 2, falls, gets up and takes 2 more, falls, and continues on.  But he rarely gives up and crawls instead -- he's persistent and not a quitter, that's for sure!  He doesn't want to be held, unless I'm trying to do something -- then I have a whining baby hanging on to my pant legs.  But he generally wants down, where ever we are.  Recently Gran and I took Rudy with us to Sam's Club to buy groceries.  We came fully equipped with the cart seat cover and wipes to keep any and all germs and dirt away.  By the end of the trip, Rudy wouldn't sit in the cart and wouldn't be held.  He was only content and not screaming if he was walking on his own.  And so we left with a baby with black hands, toes, and knees.  What can you do?!

For about the last couple weeks Rudy has decided he isn't too interested in "baby food" anymore (of course I had just stocked us and LeeAnn up with at least a months worth of baby food).  He will still eat his oatmeal and prunes for breakfast and I can occasionally get him to eat some of the fruit and/or the dinner varieties, but that's about it.

The main foods on his menu right now:

• Green beans (only if they are offered first and no other food options are in sight)
• Macaroni and Cheese, the shaped noodles (the kid can't get enough -- I thought the mac and cheese addiction started in the later years??)
• Elbow macaroni with red pasta sauce (doesn't compare to mac and cheese, but he'll take it)
• Really any pasta 
• Watermelon (and keep it coming)
• Bananas
• Gold fish
• Cheerios
• Gerber puffs

And once he is done with his smorgasbord of food, he has learned to throw it down to Rufus.  Which wouldn't be so bad except while Rufus is bent over eating one thing, Rudy keeps throwing and I have to clean noodles or jelly (who would throw away a biscuit with jelly??) out of the back of Rufus' hair.

We offer him pretty much anything we are eating -- some foods he eats and some not so much.  I'm still terrified of him choking so I am not the best at offering him new foods that I'm not sure about, but I'm getting better.  He's 11 months old and already I'm thinking, "How in the world do I get him to eat more vegetables?!"  I considered getting "Veggie Straws."  They come in a potato chip bag and look similar to the puffs he eats.  Upon careful inspection, hoping to find the words "equivalent to x number of vegetable servings," I found nothing.  In fact, the ingredients didn't even list vegetables, only potato flakes and celery powder... good try, I guess.  

Our move into Granpa and Gran's went very smooth and so far so good.  Living with Mom and Dad definitely has its perks, for all of us.  

Rudy loves company and attention and he gets lots of it.  

Mom helps me more than I could have ever expected.  I'm not entirely surprised that she makes our bed (she's always been anal about that), helps clean Rudy's bottles, does our laundry with hers, and makes delicious dinners (not that I expected it -- don't get me wrong, I appreciate it immensely) but homemade smoothies in the morning before work, packing my lunch for me, and overall just being around -- she really goes above and beyond!  Not only do I love the help but her company, too.  She is making my life so much easier.  And this, in a roundabout way, is making John's life easier, too.  What's the saying, "Happy wife, happy life"?? :) 

Rufus is attached to Dad whenever he's around.  Mostly because he feeds him well...steaks, popsicles, anything and everything.  Rudy is quite a fan of the popsicles, too.

And having neighbors next door with a pool has been great, too.  The Kramps are nice enough to let us come swim pretty regularly.  And being right next door, it isn't a hassle to run over and swim for 30-45 minutes and come back home for naptime/dinner/bedtime.  Rudy does good in the water for about the first 30 minutes or so; "swimming" around, splashing, and he especially loves standing on the steps.  Then he just wants to walk around on the concrete surrounding the pool, which wouldn't be a big deal except with the smoldering hot temperatures we've been having lately, the concrete is wayyy to hot to be cruising around on barefoot.  I tried to put his sandals on him tonight.  He still isn't too sure about shoes yet.  I probably should get him in that habit (especially if he is going to be walking around places like Sam's!).

 4th of July Eve

"Raise the roof because there's not enough room for all the good stuff"

Rudy is a master cabinet-opener.  It is his new favorite thing to do.  And Gran has a cabinet full of plastic plates, bowls, etc that he loves to get into.

 I love the squatted baby stance -- might be my favorite

 Notice his hair cut?  This time he went to his live-in barber, Dad, for a buzz.  I almost teared up when he got done.  My little baby is looking like a little boy now.  When did that happen?!

Jenna, Robyn and I got together this weekend for a play date with the boys.  It was nice to have some adult time and be entertained by the little ones, too.  Nolan and Rudy only wanted the toys each other were playing with (especially Rudy -- he was pretty grabby) and kept fighting over the same toy.  Luckily, they are easily distracted into wanting something else.  Levi is sitting on his own now and was very entertained by Rudy and Nolan.  He kept laughing at them and having a great time.  It was a lot of fun for everyone!

 Rudy went to grab a toy and decided to sit without paying attention to his surroundings and tried to sit on top of Levi.  Its hard to see Levi's expression in this picture, but he was laughing at Rudy, thankfully!

 This one cracks me up.  The ball actually just missed Levi, but it looks like it is headed straight on.  And Rudy looks so innocent -- probably the one second he wasn't causing trouble.

John and Ray have been busy working at the new house.  Ray is getting close to having the wiring done and John started on drywall last week and got a lot of it hung.  John and I also spent a day in Bloomington last week doing some shopping for the house and bought the rest of our cabinets and our kitchen countertops and FINALLY found tile for the backsplash and bathrooms that we agreed on (let me tell ya, I felt that was a major turning point in our progress).  We also figured out the master bathroom layout (after 3 hours of playing, "or we could put the sinks here, the tub here...") and purchased the claw foot tub (John says I better take at least one bath a week to justify having it.  I said that was fine...I'll be happy to relax in the bath while he watches the children).  And I think we may have decided on the flooring (for the 10th time) <--- I wrote this a couple nights ago and just came back to add pictures and since then, we are back to not being decided on the flooring.  Of course.  The furnace guy will hopefully be done soon so we can turn the air conditioning on and I can get to painting (yea, 100+ degrees for two weeks and Ray and John have been sweating it out).  And are you sitting for this??...we may be purchasing doors real soon.  That's right, moving into a house with doors!  <--- And we also DID order the doors!!

 Our closet

 View of our master from the back of the room -- the front part of the room will be like a "sitting room" and the doorway to the left will be the master bath door and the door to the right leads out to the hallway

 View of our master from the front -- the french doors to the left lead to the back yard and the doorway in the room leads to our closet

 Our master bath with some walls chalked in -- the square to the left will be the toilet room and the square to the right will be our shower

 Some walls still need to come down here and be added, but this was a full bath but (where the red line is) will be split to be the half bath and the washer/dryer room

 The kids' playroom

 The hallway taken from the end of the library

 Right side of the kitchen

 Left side of the kitchen

The pictures don't do it justice, because they really all look the same with white, empty walls.  But after weeks of looking at studs, wiring, insulation, etc, white walls make a HUGE difference!

 Living room -- just to show how this room has become the catch-all for anything and everything

The open backyard -- definitely in need of some grass!

Slowly by surely, we are getting there...