Kim's Magic Pop

I love finding new and interesting food, especially if it's good for you. I have a new favorite! I have always been a fan of the rice cake...yes, I know this is weird but I love those little tufts of air! I have discovered a NEW IMPROVED rice cake. They are called Kim's Magic Pop Rice Cakes! They are scrum-did-ly-umptious. Mr Kim and his wife in South Korea came up with these dandy little delights and we thank them! I got them at Central Market in Dallas where they have a super cool machine that shoots them out. Personally I think the machine might be the best part. I actually want my own magic pop machine but it would take up most of my kitchen....so it's a no go. I am a fan of the Magic Pop with a little Peanut Butter and a dap of honey. However, I have also been known to put Nutella and Heinz 57 on rice cakes so I will probably attempt that next! Best part is they only have 15 calories!!!! Anywho, just thought I would share b/c this is my favorite thing at the moment!

Gracie turns 2 and Caroline gets sprinkled....

We had a great weekend! We went down to Dallas for Gracie's 2nd birthday as well as Caroline's baptism. It was two days packed full of family, fun and fellowship! Knox was so excited to get to hang out with is cousins but it was an exhausting 24 hrs! We started out at the Little Gym for Gracie's birthday party and WOW...lots of little kids! Knox has never been around so many little people at one time and he was !!OVERSTIMULATED!! when we left...poor guy! But it was a great party and so much fun for the little ones. It all came off without a hitch considering the cake had been hauled from WF, left in the car, smashed against the box, taken to a bakery and repaired, eaten by a dog and repaired again.  Heather was nice enough to let us stay at her apt as well as keep Knox for Slade and I while went went to El Fenix on Sat night for Gracie's birthday dinner. Cody and Christy also came over and gave Knox a little extra attention! Sunday morning we went to Highland Park United Methodist for Caroline's baptism. I am not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about taking Knox to church, but as usual he was perfect! We then went over to Tyler and Katie's for a brunch and Knox got to hang out with Gracie, Caroline, Hudson and Hayes....lots of fun!!! After that we headed to NP to meet Team CH for lunch and a lil shopping. We left there and went to Southlake where we hit up Central Market as well as MELTING POT!! I LOVE Melting Pot! It was the perfect end to a LONG fun filled weekend!!

My handsome men

ahhh dad!!

The Hodges

enough with the kisses!!!!

ok little one's...the want our picture, again!

Cousins! Knox, Gracie and Caroline

so sweet!

Knox: "Gracie, I am so over these pictures."

Gracie: "Just give them one smile, try to look cute, then they will leave us alone!"

Cousins!

She is the most adorable, sweetest little thing ever! He just looks exhausted!

Gan and Caroline

Gan and Knox

pals!

Gracie and Bebe

lots of very important information info being passed

hahaha you are so funny!

having so much fun!

my grandpa T is so funny!

Gracie trying to convince Dad to let her hold Knox

Trying to get all 3 grandkids in a pic

still trying....

and we are starting to lose it.....

aaaannnnddd it's over..........

Gracie wants to hold Knox

trying to cheer him up! Poor thing was soooo tired!

hug it out

Domestic Diva

In my quest to be the perfect mother, I have decided to make my child's baby food. Yes, you read that correctly... I of all people have decided to do this. Stop laughing. So for Christmas Mom gave me a baby food maker and I pulled it out yesterday. I know you are thinking this could be the start of something very scary that might involve puree'd food all over my face, clothes and kitchen BUT turns out it was EASY PEASY! Yep, the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker might be the one of the best inventions ever. You just chop up the food and then put it in the little basket and it steams AND blends it for you. Martha Stewart eat your heart out!  Then I put it in some trays I had for breast milk but thought what the heck this will work and froze it! The only hitch was when I couldn't figure out how to get the frozen sticks out of the tray but after a little twisting and banging, I got it! I was ready for the ultimate test....Knox. Yep, he loved it! Seriously was so proud of myself. Would highly recommend the BBBFM from Williams-Sonoma! Now lil Knoxie has home made, organic baby food...Slade rarely has home made organic food but Knox does!

My frozen Sweet Potato Sticks!!! 1 stick = 1 oz

5 Months!

Yesterday, Knox turned 5 months old... I can't believe it. This has without a doubt been the fastest 5 months of my life! Knox is growing SO fast and is still just the best little baby. He had his first baby food yesterday and LOVED IT. He looked at me like, "woman, why have you been holding out on me!?!" His first food was sweet potatoes. Rizzle came in town last night to go to something at MSU today and Knox was very excited to see her. He also developed a new "trick" He now SQUEALS. Really loud. Then he just laughs and laughs at himself. Little guy found his "voice" and loves to hear himself. Last night Sharon took us to dinner and all of a sudden from his carrier I hear this noise. I was like what the who? Um yeah, it was my baby and it sounds like a piglet...maybe that got it's toe stepped on. Seriously, a really odd/ high pitched sound. Well, it was like Knox found his voice and WOULDN'T stop! So I take him out of his carrier and he is fine for a bit but then Rizzle takes him and they start playing and here he goes again. Thank the Lord that restaurant wasn't packed because all 5 tables around us were looking at us. It was the first time I have had to look around and be like, "sorry about my kid" but it was sooo funny. Yep, we were those annoying people whose kid is making all kinds of noise and we couldn't make him stop because we were all laughing so hard.
At 5 months, Knox is now like a little person more than a baby! He rolls over, "talks" to you, loves all music/ musical toys, is fascinated with is hands, great sleeper, eats baby food, chuckles (which I LOVE) and last but not least..squeals. He truly is amazing and Slade and I are so crazy in love with this little person it's crazy.

getting ready for baby food!

a little sweet potato on the lips....

I LOVE this stuff!!!!!!

blind leading the blind

 Some friends who are prego or just had babies have asked me about some products that I love. Here are a few of the basics that I have that I can think of off the top of my head...hope this helps! Granted these are the few that I know about, I am still learning about all this myself! Any other Moms know of anything great put it in the comment section!

Nap Nanny: LOVE this...Knox has slept in it since birth and it's much more portable than pack-n-plays and help with colic ect. Would recommend this to all new moms! www.napnanny.com
                                                            


 Uppa Baby Stroller: This is Knox's stroller and I love it. It's easy to use and folds down easily and is very light weight. Also like that the wheels are a gel so you don't have to worry about airing up the tires. www.uppababy.com

Bob Running Stroller: Just got this the other day and already like it! Don't like that it doesn't have the adaptor for the Chico car seat but oh well. www.bobgear.com

Love this grass bottle dryer...don't know who makes it but dries your bottles but keeps the countertop clean and trendy..plus it looks like grass and well it seemed only fitting.

aden + anais: These are the BEST swaddle blankets! they are light weight and big enough to swaddle or whatever you need!

Chicco KeyFit 30: Got this car seat and LOVE it. The reason is because it is magnetic towards the base so you don't have to have it just perfect for it to click. Since I am short and Knox is HEAVY this really helps when I am trying to get him in the car! www.chiccousa.com

Snoogle: This maternity pillow was the BEST. I loved sleeping with it! Slade made me give it up after Knox was a few weeks old because I was pretty much "boxing him out" of the bed!

Spring Break

Sadly, Knox was the only one who got to go somewhere for Spring Break....oh to have a baby's life!
We met Rizzle and Steve-O in Childress on Sunday and handed him over for a few days to go to Hereford. I totally thought I would be fine with this but when it was time to say goodbye I just lost it! I was like,  "how do I explain to him that I am not abandoning him and that I'm coming back!!?" It was like back in the day when I used to think Emma would think I abandoned her and it hurt her feelings until the Vet explained to me that she was in fact a dog and really doesn't think like that. I guess babies are the same way....or I hope so anyway! I went to pick Knox up on Wed and thought he would totally be delighted to see me....wrong. He just looked at me like, "oh, hey Mom" and then turned his head the other direction....CRUSH me why don't ya! So I chunked him in the back seat and didn't talk to him until WF!....only kidding.
Needless to say I think he was ENDLESSLY spoiled, entertained, ect. in Hereford and coming back to reality might not have been his first choice. So as we are pulling into town, Knox gets a little fussy and I am talking to him to make him quit fussing when I notice that the men in the truck next to me are staring at me like I have lost my mind! I tried to smile and kinda point at the back seat like, "got a kid back there." They just smiled and nodded at me like, "whatever crazy!"
We had another growth spurt and I had to take all the "infant" supports out of the car seat AS WELL AS move up the straps. It made me so sad!! I can't believe he is already a strap size bigger!
Also, in some of these pics you will notice that I am pinning down one of Knox's arms, that's because his new favorite thing is to swat at me when I take his pic...gonna nip that in the bud real quick!

Such a happy little one

Daddy is so funny!

He looks like he is at choir practice..

I'm Standin!!

funny, Mom is holding my hand down....

not so funny anymore...can you say POUT?

Like father like son...we were at Buffalo Wild Wings and I look over and Knox is watching Basketball over my shoulder.

"You talkin to me?"

My Mom cracks me up!

LOVE my new jumper. Don't really know how to jump but I try!

love those chunky little thighs!!!!