Foodie on Food--for the Babe

Can you tell me what this is?


Yep, if you guessed baby food you'd be correct--and if you guessed it was homemade sweet potatoes, you'd be even more correct.

When M&M or mini me as we like to call her, turned 6 months last week, I decided it was officially time to start feeding her some nutritious and delicious homemade goodies--and I she loves it --okay I won't lie, I love making her food.




Judging by this silly face, you'd think this child was ready to dive in to this wonderful concoction of orange goo.


So I put a bib on her. She sat patiently for a few more snapshots, thanks M&M!





And her first bite went mostly in! Although, can you tell she's not totally sure about all this food stuff.? This picture happens to be a bite of rice cereal.

And by the next bite...


we totally lost it! It also didn't help the situation when I allowed Bug to try to feed her. The spoon may have gone a little further than it should have. Sorry, honey! Mommy learned her lesson!

So Much More Than A Not Me Monday Post!!!

Originally, I set out to write my first Not Me Monday post since I don't know when, but a turn of events here at the Copeland house has changed that plan. You wanna know why?


Because we have a MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or mice-- but I'm praying it's just mouse and none of his friends!

I was finishing up all of the kitchen-y type things I wanted to get done tonight so I'd have a nice clean kitchen to get messy again in the morning (because I really, really, no I mean REALLY hate starting my day off with a messy kitchen--those days are seriously worse than days where I start with a clean kitchen) when I hear a little funny noise over by the fridge.

I called my husband in to check out the noise. Of course it stopped, but then it actually started again.

"Do ya hear that?"
"Yeah, but I know the fridge makes funny noises sometimes."
"Umm... honey, I don't think that's the fridge."

We laughed it off until....

I heard it again as I was unloading some clean dishes. I called the man back in to the kitchen and again I was about to look a fool-- no noise. He checks the laundry room out, "Are ya sure it's not just something outside?"

"Well, honey, no I don't think so. In fact, are you envisioning a buck-tooth little thing doing this (I proceed to cup my hands near my mouth and act as if I'm gnawing away on some delicious air) cuz I know I am?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" insert hysterical screaming here--well I typed that all out for you. Hey, you're welcome!

I run to the couch and scream/cry, "Did you see it? Did you see it?"

All calm my husband says, "Yeah, I saw it."

That was my scream, by the way-- only because I saw something run from my oven area to my dishwasher area. Had I not been hearing noises, I probably would have thought nothing of what I thought I saw because it was seriously that much of a blur. But it was enough to FREAK ME OUT!!!!

The closest I've ever been to rodents is either passing their carcass on the road, or under my dissecting knife in 10th grade biology--which only spurs more horrendous visions of pregnant rats (like the ones I dissected in bio) following their motherly instinct of survival to find good food and shelter so she can have her some 9 babies-- IN MY HOUSE! NEAR MY FOOD! UNDER MY CABINETS!

So, here I am for some relief. Writing. Hey, at least I'm not crying on the couch anymore. Hubbs is at some store to buy some traps. I would have gone but I was way too NOT COOL with setting foot in my kitchen.

I don't know why some things freak me out and others don't, but all I can say is I have visions that involve little things that scurry across me as I sleep. Or little furry things panting away in my pantry pushing out 9 slimy, pink babies. Or, a little gross thing with whiskers that tries to run for cover as I walk barefoot across my tiled floor and then...-- oops, a bloody carcass on my tiled floor and nasty mouse blood all over my toes. Oh, yes, I'm even seeing mice droppings everywhere--I'll never be able to find them all and disinfect everything!

Okay, I can't handle the visions anymore. Good thing because hubbs is pulling in the garage now. He will hopefully set up some loverly little mouse traps!

So, on to the NOT ME's and what I didn't do this week:

Well, you already know I DIDN'T envision anything so totally gross that involved mice, panting, and my pantry.

Moving on from all things mice-related--

I in no way put a little swimmers diaper on Bug before nap time the other day because I was too lazy to go find one somewhere in all my house or van. No, I'm pretty sure I wasn't out of diapers-- I don't slack like that.

I didn't watch my child (Bug) from afar at a MOPS Halloween event dive her pretty, long fingers into somebody's (I don't know who's) abandoned chocolate cupcake-- then laugh it off hoping that a) nobody cared and b) that nobody had actually touched that cake (it is flu season, folks)!

I know I said no more mice-related things, but I lied-- because I'm not sitting here on the couch with my feet up off the floor just in case my furry friend(s) decided to bee-line it for my toes.

Off the mice wagon again.... I promise this time!

I have not totally abused my nursing mother status lately by taking a few extra minutes to lie or sit down while nursing my baby. People (my husband, mainly) don't just assume that my tiny babe is eating the whole time she's nuzzled in close to me. I would never keep lying or sitting there letting people (my husband, mainly) think I'm still nursing when in fact I'm just taking a few extra minutes to relax while my baby just rests after her meal. HOW LAZY?!?!

I would also never be so lazy as to clean the table, counters and floor with a handful of baby wipes after lunch. It's not like I had the wipes out to clean all the little faces and hands and I just continued on to the table..., and then the counters..., and then the floor!


I did not come home after a Halloween party and stay up to watch the first half of Cheaper by the Dozen just because I like shows that feature families with lotsa kids--even if it is fiction. I'm not in love with the big family idea at all! In fact, I have no desire to have a large family-- wink, wink!

Yep, that about sums it up! Unless of course, you'd like some more bloody, pantry-panting, barefoot-walking, hysterically-screaming stories. Yea, I didn't think so!

We Love Fall!!!

When leaves begin to change into bright oranges and deep reds, why can't they just stay like that forever?!?

Why must they fall to the ground? Even then, why can't they grow back in those orange and red colors in the spring? I sure like those better than boring old green!



But I do understand that if fall colors were an all the time color for leaves, it just might not be special enough for me to photograph.


And if leaves didn't fall to the ground, Peach couldn't pile them up just to jump on top of them.

And like I said, the girls couldn't lounge in them for pictures!

And what good is it to build a pile of leaves...

if a little sister can't run up behind you with hopes of destroying your creation?

and then pose with an ornery grin after the destruction has taken place.

Brownie smiles when she's getting her hands dirty in all those leaves.

She also likes to be photographed...

can you tell?

Even our dog, Jesse, enjoys being outside with the leaves!

But not as much as my Bug who likes to play, peek-a-boo playhouse!

Happy Fall, Ya'll :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween! Can you believe it? All 6 of us dressed up recently to enjoy the season!

Ballerina Bear--I had to get creative with the rather boyish bear costume I bought on the cheap from Children's Place after Halloween last year when I was dead sure M&M was going to be a boy.

Bug turned Elmo-- this is the second year for Elmo in the Copeland family. What is it about Elmo that attracts my almost 2 year olds?

The princess without her crown-- although she doesn't need the crown to totally act like a princess 24/7.

And princess number 2--she's not second-best--she was supposed to be a vet until she lost her costume! So a made-from-stuff-around-the-house princess costume is what she got.


And here's the whole gang; ignoring the fact that I have a camera in my hands waiting for them to look on with adoring smiles.

Oh, and let me tell ya--hubbs and I went to our first Halloween party ever. We're not totally lame, we've just always had either a newborn or a still-in-the-first-trimester pregnancy going on! So we kicked it nerd style (yes, we love us some history) and went as a U.S. Government Agent and an American Indian. We totally created a back-story for our characters, but I'll spare you the nerdy part and just say that we are definitely pre-Kansas territory days (that'd be before 1854, in case you didn't know) & I was having my land taken from me so that the... oh, never mind, I know you don't care. Ahem, as I was saying...

see how mean he is dragging me away from my home.

And I just want to mention that we were in no way making light of the situation-- we both love history, especially Kansas history, and decided we'd enjoy dressing up (rather cheaply I might add) as we did. In fact, we both happen to have American Indian ancestry--Choctaw and Osage--which both happen to have been removed from their land many years ago. Okay, I'll stop with the history lesson.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween!

1/2 a Year? Seriously?

April 28 of this year I welcomed a little girl into my arms and my life forever. Yes, one of the happiest days of my life. But could somebody please explain how she goes from this tiny 7 pound bundle of cuteness....

to...

this 15 pound bundle of cuteness in what feels like no more than 2 months?

Excuse the soul patch-- we'd just had our first bite of solid food! More on that to come!

Look at this collage and you can see how much she's changed over the months-- one thing I sure notice is that wild hair. Do you agree that her hair gets crazier with each month? Because I'm so in love with her locks, I use a clip to hold her bangs back instead of just trimming them--yeah, I know, I told ya I was crazy!

Mini Me's stats:

-You weigh somewhere around 15#, maybe slightly under!

-You've been in several diaper sizes, but 2's fit you best as of now!

-You hair is crazy long--in fact some people think you're petite for your age because your hair makes you look older!

-You stayed healthy during our H1N1 outbreak!

-You still nurse every 2-3 hours--except at night-- you're still snoozin' from 8ish to 5ish.

-You did move into your own bedroom about 2 weeks ago. I thought it was going to be so tough to see you go (down the hall), but you made the transition very easily!

-On your 6 month birthday you had your first nibbles of food--organic brown rice cereal. I plan on making all of your baby food (I have a few store-bought jars for emergencies) and I have some pureed sweet potatoes waiting for you in the freezer!

-You love to grab toys with both hands--is that advanced for your age? I'll go ahead and say it is! HA!

-You are still the laziest tummy-time gal there ever was. You are totally capable of lifting up your head and looking around or rolling over--but most of the time you prefer to lay there and relax or fall asleep.

-You really enjoy being in the midst of all the action. So much so, that I know it cuts into your sleep. In fact, if no one is in your face talking or singing to you, then you pretty much throw a fit. As soon as somebody comes to your rescue with their rendition of the ABC's or Twinkle Twinkle you are happy and squealing!

-You're still in 3-6 month clothing. I know some of the 6-9 month stuff fits, but remember, I'm crazy-- I hold on to every inch of keeping you little as long as I can!

-You went to your first pumpkin patch (outside of my belly). You rode around in the snugglie on daddy.

-You've been outside to play in the leaves--this would be more fun, honey, if you could sit up. Let's work on that one!

Thank you Mini Me, for loving me like only a baby can love her mama. My precious moments with you are stored in my mind forever. You have changed so much in such little time--I feel like it's all flying by me while I stand still, just watching, afraid of forgetting.

I treasure little things with you, my fourth girl, things that most parents do but don't discuss much-- like holding you while I type even though it makes it slow and tiring for my hands; but I do it just to smell your head and feel your breath as you snore. Or learn the quietest path from crib to door--the path that avoids all the funny floor noises--just in case I accidentally watch you fall asleep and linger a bit more just to watch you dream away.

You are such a go-getter, yes I can already tell-- a friendly little gal who always has a smile, squeal, or giggle to share. You fit right in with this big, obnoxious, crazy, loud, loving family! We all adore you and delight in your excitement for life. Thank you, M&M, for adding so much love :)

-Love,

Mama

Tiny Terminator Turns Two!

My little terminator is two!

October 22, 2007 was the day my precious and beautiful girl entered this side of life. She has been snugly and pretty silly ever since.

I remember the first months of her life with cuddles abound. Every night we nuzzled forehead to forehead and nose to nose. She leaned her body close to mine and off to sleep we went. Definitely the cuddliest of all four, my little Bug was also giggly and quite the family clown. Yes, I'm sure she'll graduate to class clown here in a few years!

Bug-

You have made the Copeland family a hoot to be in. You are full of such awesome powers to make somebody laugh with one silly look from those big, brown, precious-moments eyes you have. You have a way at putting my heart and mind at ease when you reach up for a little snuggle and say, "Mama, uhh!" Though they may not say much to most, those are some of the sweetest words simply because I know you feel safe and secure in my arms. That warms my heart! Thank you, sweet girl.

At this tender toddler age you hold a few things near and dear:

rocking with mama (and dada) just before bed

your Dora doll

Elmo on t.v.

your sissies

Daddy coming home

An aunt, cousin or grandma coming for a visit

"Wa-wa" or what we adults call milk

and I'll never forget how much you adore the Itsy Bitsy Spider!

God knew just what he was doing when he gave us you. He knew that with the stress of trying to balance all the craziness a young, large-ish family brings, we'd need a little gal to throw in a few good laughs. Not that your sisters don't do their fair share of silliness, but you just have that comic relief gene that I think every family needs. I treasure that quality in you, sweet babe!

I also treasure your sweet ways-- like when you ask me to wrap up your dolly so you can snuggle her and treat her with such care. Or the way you twirl your little curls as you drink your "wa-wa" or start to doze off. I especially love that you do that to my hair-- even though I have no adorable curls like you. And the excitement I see when you are reunited with your sisters after naps or an outing you didn't go on-- well, that just makes me so happy!

I'm so blessed to be your mother--I'm honored to be your protector, advocate, teacher, friend, even the mean one when called to be.

I love you forever and for always, Bug! I'm excited to share this life with you.

Love,

Mama

Between Pumpkin Patch Visits

Boy what a difference a year makes!

See that little cutie with the crazy, dark, beautiful hair lounging in her sister's lap? She was only an inch one year ago-- now she's well over 2 feet.

Biggest of the big sisters still enjoys holding the baby. I swear this gal is going to be an early-childhood educator or maybe a NICU nurse.

Brownie has shorter hair now--funny thing is now that she doesn't have much hair, she loves to adorn what she does have with bows and ponytails.

And the tiny terminator, or Bug as I refer to her on here, is still silly and entertaining. So much so that she can hardly wait the two seconds it takes for me to snap a picture before she's off looking in another direction!

Here are the girlies sporting their Halloween-wear last October

And here they are again, this year. I'm still shocked that so much can change between two pumpkin patch visits.

And though the weather was a bit chily this time, my little pumkins were still silly enough to pose for some goofy pictures.

but she was a tad grouchy looking in her pictures

She wasn't though. Here's a happy brownie riding in a train-car.

Peach also enjoyed her train riding experience.

But she still looks slightly unsure about all the hay.

And last year she wasn't so sure about the corn she was sitting in.

But she still looks really cute in her pretty bows!

I wonder what will happen between now and our next pumpkin patch visit?????

Oops, I Did It Again!

Thanks for the title, Brit.

I totally messed up again by not posting a special little something for my little birthday girl.

My beautiful Brownie turned 3 last Friday-- the same day that I happened to be in the hospital assisting my sis-in-law while she was in labor-- by the way, I got to see my nephew come into this world and that was a wonderful experience.

Anyway, my Brownie has changed a lot during the last three years. She started out a rather hefty-sized newborn at nearly 9 lbs! She had a smooth transition from my belly into the world where she was greeted by lots of happy family! Her dark hair and eyes captured me instantly, as well as everybody else!

These days, her eyes are still full of magic and are a so bright and deep. Her soul reaches right out of those eyes and grabs hold of anybody in the room. She's goofy, silly, stubborn, hard-headed, strong-willed, bright, a daddy's girl, an every-once-in-a-while mama's girl (mostly if I'm about to leave the house without her), and an imaginative, friendly, little helper girl! From day one, she stole my heart and made it hers (at least one of my four mommy hearts- the other three belong to the other three girls).

Captivating? Oh yeah!

Learning to be a helper and not a whiner? Mmm hmmm!

Silly-heart? When she wants to be!

A snuggle bug? Not really, but sometimes when she's hurt or sick, or maybe around grandmas or aunts. Do I wish she'd cuddle more with me-- HECK YEAH!

A purse and baby doll hoarder? Yes, but don't tell her sisters-- I think they're missing a few of these items!

Oh, and did I mention...

she's got a mind and heart of her own!

Brownie, you are a sweet little spirit who keeps this house alive and kicking! I can't believe you are three and enjoying the heck out of preschool. You have such a tender side-- always showing others you care. My love for you started that day I saw those two lines-- and, my darling girl, that love will never, ever end.

even if you do put those stinky footies in your mouth!

Thanks for sharing your heart, smiles and thoughts with me. You embody everything I ever expected my daughter to be. I have dreams for you to find your place in life, to be a happy and productive adult, and to love your friends and family like only you can.

Many blessings for my happy-heart girl!

Love always,

Mama