Tasty Tuesday: Colors!

I don't know why, but I love giving Carson a variety of colors in his meals.  One of his favorite foods lately is broccoli.  I added cauliflower to my grocery list thinking it might be a good alternative to broccoli and to switch things up a bit.  When I was at the store, I found PURPLE cauliflower!  I had no idea this existed.  [They also had orange!]  I googled it and found out that the purple color is caused by an antioxidant.  [Information here.]

Here is what the cauliflower looked like straight from the grocery shelf....almost pinkish!

Here it is before and after steaming.  It was pretty cool to see it change colors!  It also made the water in my pot a cool blue-purple.

Carson had to examine it first...

Trying it out....

Sharing with Mommy!

Here are some fruit & veggie finger food ideas to add some color to your baby's plate!

{Reds}

Strawberries

Watermelon

Raspberries
Apples/Applesauce (I make mine with the skin on)

Red Peppers

Beets

Red Grapes

{Oranges}

Sweet Potatoes

Mandarin Oranges (in moderation because of the citric acid)

Orange Peppers

Pumpkin

Butternut Squash

Cantaloupe

Carrots

Mangoes

{Yellows}

Bananas

Yellow Peppers

Peaches

Pears

Acorn Squash

Pineapple

Corn

{Greens}

Broccoli

Peas

Green Beans

Grapes

Spinach

Kale

Cucumber

Zucchini

Celery

Kiwi

Honeydew Melon

{Blues/Purples}

Blueberries

Purple Cauliflower

Blackberries

Eggplant
Purple Potatoes

Plums

Prunes

What is your favorite colorful food?  

I'm linking up with Kristin today!

Carson Anthony: 12 Months!!

My BABY is going to be a year old tomorrow.  12 months.  ONE YEAR.  I honestly cannot believe it.  I remember being pregnant and at the hospital like it was yesterday.  I hate when people say this but time really does FLY.  

Weight: Carson had his 12 month well visit this past Monday and weighed in at 21lbs 4oz!  That puts him in the 29th percentile.  Although he's down on the percentile charts, our pediatrician isn't worried in the least bit.  He's burning tons of calories by walking and moving constantly and he's still in a great place on the charts!  Unfortunately all that walking also means he ends up with bumps and bruises! :(

Height: At Carson's well visit he measured in at 29.5"!  I can't believe he's grown almost 10 inches in a year!    I'm so curious how tall he'll be when he's older.  Nick was pretty short until a major growth spurt after high school!

He looks so tall here!

Hair: Carson had yet another haircut - his FOURTH!  His hair is still super straight and a medium brown color.  I think eventually I might have to learn how to cut little boy hair!

Before, During, After!

Eyes: Carson's eyes seem to be done changing.  They're a pretty unique shade of brown/honey/hazel.  Depending on what he wears, they sometimes look green.  I love them because they're just like my eyes!

Diapers: Still size 4!  We are almost done with our diaper study that we signed up for and during that Carson tested out Huggies, Pampers, and Target brand!  I think we'll stick to buying Target brand because we haven't had any problems.

Clothes: Early this week I finally packed up most of Carson's 12 month clothes!  He still has a few things that fit but for the most part he's in 18 month clothes now!  I think the warm weather is finally going to stick around here in Ohio which is good because his 18 month wardrobe is primarily summer clothes!  Lots of rompers, shorts, t-shirts, and even a few muscle t's (so cute)!  He even has some 2 piece jams with SHORTS.  Big boy status!

I love plaid and polos on baby boys!

Eating: Carson is still a great eater.  After we got the go ahead for whole milk at his 12 month well visit, we tried it a couple times.  We were curious if he would love it, hate it, get a tummy ache, etc.  The first time he had the milk, he seemed pretty interested and drank about an ounce (we offered 2).  The second time he wanted NOTHING to do with it and spit it all out!  He is still nursing 4 times a day right now but I'm sure that will change once we start offering cow's milk more often.  I'm kicking myself for forgetting to ask about milk alternatives (soy, almond, coconut, etc.) at the pediatrician.  I'll have to call and ask soon!  Here is what Carson's typical menu looks like for a day:
Breakfast: Cheerios + yogurt/yogurt melts/fruit/cheese (sometimes he's fine with just Cheerios)
Snack: Puffs/crackers
Lunch: Oatmeal + Fruit
Snack: Puffs/Cereal/Cheese/Yogurt
Dinner: Grain (Toast w/ PB) + Veggie + Fruit + Dairy  (if he starts to get full we cut out the dairy)
I currently offer water at every meal and I'm planning to start offering milk with lunch and dinner.  Our pedi recommended 8oz a day for a minimum.

Carson hasn't really tried many new foods but he did try a veggie burger and loved it!  Some of his favorite foods include blueberries, broccoli, toast with peanut butter, and applesauce with cinnamon.  He loves his Cheerios and gets SUPER excited when I get the container out of the diaper bag!  He also really loves the pureed food pouches.  I originally bought some for our Florida vacation but now I always keep some on hand for when we're out running errands and it's time for a snack.  It's also an easy way to get some veggies in him!  He's been practicing using his spoon and he's really good at getting it to his mouth.  I haven't been brave enough to let him "scoop" the food from the container yet!  

"Hey, this isn't water!"

Sleeping:  Carson is sleeping as I type this!  He's been doing great and sleeps from 8:30/9 in the evening until about 8am the following day.  I seriously have NO complaints!  Our nightly routine hasn't changed much.  We turn on his classical music lullaby CD, give him his blankie & paci, and I sing him a song and kiss him goodnight.  About 95% of the time he's awake when I put him in the crib and he moves around trying to get comfy for 5-10 minutes.  It's so cute to watch him in the monitor!  He tosses his blanket around and sometimes just walks around!  As far as naps go, he's still going back and forth between 1 and 2.  It seems like he's trying to transition to one but I know I've been saying that for a while.  I'm ok with either, but it makes planning our day difficult when I don't know what to expect!

He still moves all around the crib at night.  His favorite position seems to be his tummy, but he also sleeps on his side and back.  Usually you'll find him cuddled up with his blankie!  

Nicknames: Not much has changed here!  We still have most of the same: Little Man, Mister Man, C, Cars, Snickerdoodle, Snickers, Sugar, Boog, Bubby, Buggy, etc.  

Favorite Toys: Carson still loves balls!  He loves to throw them, roll them, and just carry them around.  He also really enjoys his shape sorters (just like last month) and his wooden name puzzle.  I'm not gonna lie, he mostly loves chewing on the name puzzle.  I wasn't sure how safe the paint was so I had a friend of mine make us a wooden teething ring!  He also still loves his Laugh & Learn house (my $15 craigslist find)!  A while ago we won Ashley's North American Bear Co. giveaway.  We got a ton of cool stuff and Carson LOVES his pull along horse!  Carson also still loves his musical instruments.  He got them for Christmas from his Grammy and he loves "making music"!  They came in a nice little zipper pouch and we keep that pouch in his toy box.  Sometimes he'll go over and dig through the toys until he finds that pouch and then brings it over to me to open  up.  Adorable!  I'm so excited to give Carson his birthday gifts and see what he gets from friends/family!  I'm sure he'll have plenty of new favorite toys very soon!

Carson loves collecting things and carrying them around.  These letters are a favorite!

One of Carson's favorite games lately is to put things away.  Here are a few videos:

Milestones: Last month I mentioned how Carson was preferring walking to crawling.  Now, he does NOT crawl.  Like, ever.  I don't even know the last time I saw him crawl unless he was trying to get under something.  He also has FINALLY learned to clap!  I had been working with him on this for so so long and now he claps all the time.  It's so adorable!  

Carson still has 4 teeth, but the doctor said that she could feel 4-5 coming in (please help me)!  She said she felt some of the molars coming in, but it might be a few months still.  Hopefully we don't go through teething for a few months, ahhh!  

I was a little concerned about Carson's speech, but my pediatrician put me at ease.  She said it seems like his comprehension is great (even advanced) because he's able to follow many simple commands.  ("Clap your hands." "Wave bye-bye/hi." "Bring it to Mommy.", etc.)  She said that ideally they like to have one word that is said with intent by the time the child is 12 months, but she isn't concerned since he babbles all day long (he wouldn't stop talking at his appointment).  She said that when we come back for his 15 month appointment he should have 3 words that he uses with intent.  He DOES say "dada", "mama", "baba", and more but I have not considered them to be real words because he doesn't use them correctly all the time.  He'll say "Da!" when he sees Nick, but he also says that when Nick is nowhere to be seen.  Same with "Maaaama" and others.  I think he's close, he's just being stubborn! :P

Parmesan Baked Chicken

What You Need

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (usually 3 breasts)
1/2 cup greek yogurt 
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt 
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

How to Make It
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x9 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (or coat with butter).  Lay the chicken inside the baking dish and set aside.

Meet my sous chef. :)

Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Spread this mixture evenly over the chicken breasts.  Make sure to full cover any exposed chicken!  Sprinkle the top with some extra Parmesan cheese...add as little or as much as you want!

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  

Here is the original pin:

Source: mykitchenescapades.com via Emily on Pinterest

I'm linking up with....

My First Mother's Day!

Sunday was my first Mother's Day!  Last year Carson was still in my belly and was waiting to make his grand entrance into this world!

We decided to spend the day with our moms at the zoo.  Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and it only got into the 50's.  We didn't let that ruin our plans, though!

Before we went to the zoo, we spent our morning hanging out at home and being lazy.  Carson and Nick both got me potted flowers to put on our back patio and cute cards!

While we were at the zoo Carson had his first experience at the petting zoo!  I used to be one of those people thinking "Ew, gross.  WHO would let their kids in with those dirty animals?"  I know who now, people who want their kids to have fun and learn by exploration! :)  Carson LOVED it!  He loved "chasing" the [slow] goats and petting them.  The goats were good sports since Carson is still working on his "gentle" petting. 

Here's a picture of all 3 moms and my little family of 3!

How did you spend your Mother's Day?  

Did you do anything special on your first Mother's Day?

I'm linking up with Kristin today!

Social Sunday...Looking Back and Looking Forward!

Happy Mother's Day to all of my Mommy friends!  I can't believe this is my first time celebrating Mother's Day as a Mommy!  Last year Carson wasn't ready to make his appearance yet and he was still snug in my belly!

1. 1 year ago I was doing ….
One year ago I was 38 weeks pregnant.  During that week I actually went on a zoo field trip with my kindergartners.  It was 85 degrees and I was H-O-T and very very pregnant!

38 Weeks Pregnant!

2. 5 years ago I was doing ….
Back in 2008 I was getting married!  I can't believe it's been almost 5 years (at the end of this month)!  I remember doing all the festivities and planning (pre-Pinterest...how did I even do it?!).  

3. 10 years ago I was doing….
Graduating from high school!  Our 10 year reunion is supposedly being planned but it seems like nobody can agree on anything so who knows if it will even happen.  I can't believe it's been 10 years since I was a high school student!  

4. 1 year from now I'll be doing…
Possibly (hopefully) pregnant and probably doing the same thing I was doing in 2012 at this time....finishing up the school year and my pregnancy and prepping for a summer with a new baby (and a big brother this time)!
5. 5 years from now I'll be doing….

Carson will probably just be finishing his first year of school as a kindergartner!  Aside from that I have NO idea what else will be going on!

6. 10 years from now I'll be doing…
That's a bit far even for THIS OCD planner!  Let's just say I hope I am [still] happy, in love, and a great Mommy!

Friday Letters

I'm linking up with Ashley for the first time today!

Dear First Birthday Party, 

I'm so excited for you, but you're stressing me out!  I feel like you keep forcing me to add more things to my to-do list.  Please stop.

Dear Carson,

When did you all of the sudden turn into a big boy?  You never crawl anymore.  You are ALL over the place.  And....ever since your FOURTH haircut, you look like a big boy.  Please slow down!

Dear Couch to 5k,

You think you can defeat me, but I'm going to keep on keeping on.  Please be nice though and quit giving me those 5 minute run sessions.  I'll go back to the couch if I have to!

Dear Warm Weather,

I love you.  Please stay forever and invite the sun while you're at it.  Tell the rain to swing by overnight to help my flowers!  

With Love,

Emily :)

Our Florida Vacation in Photos!

Here's a little recap of our trip to Orlando, Florida!

Carson LOVED the pools.  Our resort was very baby/kid friendly and all of the pools had zero depth entries which was great for him!

 Our resort also had a playground which we visited every day.  Carson had a blast and especially loved when there were other kids to watch!

Taking a break from some basketball!

Some of our best friends were in Orlando at the same time and we visited them at their resort.  They had a lazy river and the kiddos loved it!

Carson had a lunch date with his BFF Hallie!

We went to Downtown Disney and Carson loved the Lego store!

Obviously we had to try on the infamous ears!

We found some Ohio State gear!  O-H!

While in Downtown Disney we went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner!  Carson LOVES aquariums!

Carson loves this yoga pose lately.  Here he is practicing poolside!

I thought he would be scared of the water squirting everywhere but he was so curious and into it all!

This splashpad would keep him entertained for SO long.  I need one in my backyard stat!

I may have let him try my smoothie and he may have loved it.  Who doesn't love mango?!

We visited Sea World and Carson planned our day!

He even met Shamu and wasn't scared at all!

 Carson got to pet some sting rays, too.  They're actually really soft!

 Loving the zero depth play area!

 Beach entry pools = perfect!

Some people are shocked when they hear we went to Orlando and DIDN'T visit Disney World but I'm glad we didn't go yet.  Carson would never remember and we had a blast hanging out at our resort, visiting our friends, and exploring Sea World!