17 months

sweet ian turned 17 months old on june 20th! 

we have a walker!!  after 17 long months ian is finally walking!  what a stinker.  dave & i went out for my birthday and we left ian with dave's mom.  we were having a big family get-together that weekend, so our nieces and nephews were all in town.  our niece, annie is 19 months and has been walking for a while now and ian and her had fun playing together.  apparently, ian chased her around- on foot- while we were gone!  we left him there again the next evening to run a few errands and the same thing happened.  we finally got ian walking for good on father's day- and he's been off ever since!  it was a perfect father's day gift for dave & a perfect birthday gift for me! 

ian is still a really good eater.  we've definitely ran into some of the picky toddler behavior.  refusing to eat things that he normally likes, leaving a plate almost full.  we're still running into some issues with hives, so we are going to be making an appointment to see a pediatric allergist very soon. 

ian's mouth is now full of teeth!  after the issue with swollen molars, i looked in his mouth one day, and all of the sudden all 4 molars had popped through.  shortly after that, his 4th bottom tooth came in.  his little smile keeps getting sweeter!

we're still nursing in the morning, but it's winded down.  as of monday, we officially finished breastfeeding.  i didn't make it to 2 years, or even 18 months, but 17 months is awesome.  i'm proud of me and i'm proud of him! 

ian is getting better with sign language.  he has now added please (which he does with both hands) and occasionally no.  i'm currently working on a few other signs- mommy, daddy, and i love you.  but we have also been teaching diaper, dog, help me, and it hurts. 

ian also wants to be involved in everything.  he wants to help you close doors, flip light switches, close the garage, open things.  he also likes to hold the rail when you walk him up the stairs and close the baby gate at the top.  he also likes turning on his fan and his sound machine for naps/bedtime.  lately he's even helped me put clothes in the dryer.  hilarious!  he's definitely my little helper!

we are not potty training, but we have the materials for it.  we bought a potty for ian's bathroom a few months ago, and in the last couple weeks we bought one for downstairs.  we usually let him sit on the potty while we are running his bath.  we're not planning to force the issue though.  i was potty trained- practically overnight- at 22 months.  we'll see if ian does the same... 

here are this month's photos!

 ian and i at the petting zoo

 going on a walk

 reading a story (no photos with daddy this month for some reason)

ian and the 1st face he ever saw in this world, dr. barthel.

and i present to you... the anatomy of a monthly photo.  

this isn't getting any easier...

maxed out

scarf: vintage (was my grandmother's)

giant sunglasses: forever 21

maxi: old navy (maternity)

shoes: seychelles

for starters- i am totes not pregnant (despite how it may look).  i bought this dress the spring after i had ian, and i still enjoy its giant breezy qualities.  a few weeks ago i started following the concrete catwalk and i am currently participating in her scarf swap (i am mulling over a few scarves to send to my swap partner, but i just can't make up my mind).  i am pretty stoked about getting my scarf and trying to figure out how to incorporate it into my wardrobe.  these 30 days are all about thinking outside of the closet and my comfort zone- and a scarf would do just that.  i wanted to practice so i'd be all ready when my scarf arrived.  i was totally drawing inspiration from here - although i haven't figured out the hair yet.  at dinner i felt like people were looking at me funny and i didn't know why... but i realized... duh, i have a scarf in my hair, but what's so weird about that?  nothing, b\c even the husband didn't make a crack about it, and i thought for sure that'd be the first thing out of his mouth!  i have a lot of pretty scarves that belonged to my grandma that i've had for a while, and it's time i get to wearing them.  speaking of my grandma- i have a ring that used to belong to her that i forgot to take off while pregnant...  my fingers are still bigger now and i haven't been able to take the ring off for a close to 2 years...  sadly, it may have to be cut and remade....  please pray, keep your fingers crossed, or whatever you do that i can get it off on my own w\o compromising the original band.  i really want it off my finger so it can breathe- it definitely has an effect on the finger, as that finger just looks weird and swollen.  ai yi yi.

progress

this week seemed tough.  i started on monday w\ a dr.'s appt. where according to their records, i was actually a lb heaver than what i weighed when i saw them last year.  they also had me about 5 lbs heavier than what my home scale has me listed as.  what the heck do i really weigh?!  however, weighing myself at home had me losing 2 lbs this week.  i was under my sugars 2 days this week, which for me, is really good.  it's the biggest thing i have to work on.  my problem has never really been eating too much.  it's just been eating too much sugar.  

i've had a problem in these last few weeks with being lazy about eating.  not lazy in that i'm just shoving junk in my mouth.  lazy in that i just don't feel like eating in general.  i think i've been trying to hard to eat good things- ie: only oatmeal and a non-sugar cereal for breakfast- that i just get bored.  i can only make so many salads for lunch.  then i just eat nothing b\c rather than make another salad, it's just easier that way.  and that's worse.  this morning i had a lara bar, a banana and milk for breakfast- only b\c i didn't feel like making oatmeal or pouring a bowl of cereal.  needless to say, i'm probably already over my sugar today- and all i've had is fruit! 

workouts seem to be getting harder to squeeze in now that it's summer.  we got a jogging stroller from dave's cousin last summer, but the tire is getting flat and the pump is missing a piece.  dave's bicycle pump doesn't fit.  tuesday we decided that instead of going to the gym, we would walk to one of the gas stations by our house (there's one located a mile away on either side of our neighborhood) to pump the tire and then jog back.  we chose the wrong one.  we got all the way there to find that the air machine was broken.  boo.  wednesday was the best workout of the week.  friday was a freak out session by me where i actually cried about our upcoming event.  there's a lot of self-doubt and nerves involved.  we have 2 weeks to go. 

just keep swimming...

i'm linking up with Blair for McFatty Monday over @ Heir to Blair

sunday funday

tank: loft

shorts: loft

flip flops: havaianas

cuff: c/o mom & dad for my 1st mother's day!

today was busy.  we started out the morning watching dave play hockey, after that i whipped up a cheesecake, then ian had a 1st bday party to go to.  then we had a bbq to go to. then i still had to go grocery shopping.  insanity.  this was pretty darn comfortable and perfect for all my running around.  also: i bought these shorts while i was pregnant and was totes excited that they still fit me considering they weren't maternity.  now they're too big!  eee!  also, the aforementioned summer of hair continues.  today i tried the fishtail braid/plait.  finally...  success!  this one actually looks the way it's supposed to...  miracles do happen!  she can be taught!

sun's out, guns out

earrings: american eagle

top: loft

shorts: loft

shoes: full tilt

since i spent all day friday in gym clothes, i am fast-forwarding to saturday.  it finally decided to be summer again here in the midwest, so of course we all needed to wear shorts and it's been so cold lately that dave & i decided to forgo the sunscreen.  luckily, things turned out better than they did the last time i didn't wear sunscreen (my honeymoon) and all i ended up with were lightly pinkened (new word) shoulders.  we did get to spend some time with our nephews and later i got a pair of pearl izumi cycling shoes for only $10.  it's such a good deal i want to slap someone.

tied up

 

sweater: loft

top: loft

trousers: loft

shoes: seychelles

the more we take photos, the more i hate this.  i am less and less pleased with the way i look as the project goes by #selfconfidenceissues anyone?  anyway...  i am really digging this sweater that i got for my birthday.  it's so light i want to wear it all summer long... so thankfully it's part of my 30 for 30.  i also tried something new with my hair today (oops, thursday)... this.  i did the full bow though, and i think my hair needs to be a little longer for it to fully work.  i also tried the half bow.  here's the picture- it's a mess, but this was at the end of the day mind you.  i declare this the summer of hair!

on the fence

sweater: loft

blouse: loft

trousers: loft

shoes: toms

scarf: pronta via giveaway

i'm still not sure about my feelings on this outfit.  i just felt really big when wearing it, and the buttons on the blouse seemed to show right through the sweater.  on the other hand, i just felt like my outfit was something i'd wear to work, if i had a real job that i went to.  but something seems off?  by the way, how cute is my little scene stealer?  and how creepy is my other scene stealer?  also, love my wind blown hair?  if kendi can bring her wind machine.. then so can i.

i also attempted my own photo as a practice if the need ever arises.  2 things.  1.  no, my bed is not made.  2.  little hand prints all over the mirror.  

for my hair, i attempted this.  believe me, it needs a lot of work, and i need little hair bands.  it would probably help if i wasn't doing it with an arm that just had a tetanus shot.  it's always hard to tell how things like that look in my hair anyway, seeing that it's so dark.  i'll keep trying or wishing for 2 more arms.