Baby Braggin' Wednesday: Max and Sam

After last week's debacle, Baby Braggin' Wednesday is back! And these two bodacious brothers are making BBW better than ever. Let me introduce:

MAX AND SAM

OMG - isn't this pic the cutest?? Like older brother Max is telling a really cool secret about mummy to Sam? I can just imagine how this conversation is going...

Max: "Ok, dude, I know you're not liking the whole nap thing? I mean, who does, right?"

Sam: "Seriously! It totally messes up my Baby Einstein time. What should I do?"

Max: "First, you have to stop pooping. Just for a day. Give the woman a break. And for goodness sake, quit peeing on her when she goes to change your diaper! Once you've mastered that, it's all gravy."

Sam: "Sweet. So glad I got you, bro."

 

These two hunks belong to a co-worker of mine, Wendy. She and I worked a TON together during last spring's nearly catastrophic flood - while she was pregnant! Just about everyday, there she'd be, lugging our ridiculously heavy cameras all over God's creation to make sure we got the best flood footage around. She's a wonder! Thanks Wendy!!!

Anyway... Samson joined Wendy's clan just in time for the holidays this year - in November, on Friday the 13th. Yikes!! He weighed in at 6lbs 4 oz but his going home weight was 5lbs 14oz. Double yikes! "I had to buy some premie clothes to fit him in for about two weeks," says Wendy.

Two-year-old Max is still pretty leery of this new, younger nugget in the house. When Sam first came home, Max quickly rounded up all of HIS things and piled them into a corner. He's not down with sharing and has been known to refer to everything as "mine."

 

When the baby cries, Max will just toss stuff at him. He'll wing a pacifier at Sam when he thinks Sam's hum-gree (hungry) or toss a blanket over Sam's head if he thinks the baby's cold. "Anything to shut him up, I guess! LOL!!," laughs Wendy.

 

I'm guessing this is typical behavior for a terrible two-fer, right?? 

But Max does have a soft spot for the baby. He'll spend much of his free time looking for Sam. He'll check the usual spots - car seat, pak-n-play, swing. You name it. And every once in a while, there's a little glimmer of affection between the brothers.

"During a photo session in the living room, I got Max to give Sam a quick kiss, but due to a delay in the digital camera world, I just barely got it!," exclaims Wendy. 

Wendy says her nuggets are both growing so fast she swears she can see Sam grow overnight as they snuggle in the recliner ("A MUST investment for new parents! You spend LOTS of time there.").

Thanks for sharing your cutie-patootie's with me Wendy!!!

If you'd like your nuggets featured in an upcoming edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday, just email me some pictures, details like names and ages, and any other additional info or stories you'd think might be fun to share!

I look forward to writing about your babes!

Baby Braggin' Wednesday: We Are So Screwed

OMG! I did something I totally shouldn't have today... and the results are, well, as scary as hell.

Let me explain...

A few months ago I became an avid follower of a couple of dozen blogs about parenting, motherhood, baby products and design. One day as I was checking the daily influx of postings to my Reader, I spotted an entry from a blog written by a married gal who, at the time, was trying to conceive her first child. She, like me, had done something she probably shouldn't have... and, like me, the results were terrifying.

You see, she was writing about a Web site called Make Me Babies - a computer-generated ripoff of Conan O'Brien's (love him!) legendary 'If They Mated' segments. It's supposed to give you an example of what your Future Nugget will look like. So I'm doing things a little different this week for Baby Braggin' Wednesday. And you'll soon see why it's entitled 'We Are So Screwed'!

SuperFutureDad and I are the average, All-American couple; blond, blue-eyed, big-boned. Here's what we looked like on our fabulous wedding day. Isn't he a dream?? I realize my face is partially covered so for those of you who don't know me, this may not be the best shot. But he looks great and that's why I want to use it here (thanks to Shari Bare Photography for our darling pics!!!).

So... you might think from that pic, that our future nugget might be a bit of a looker, no? That's right, NO, is the appropriate answer. I give you Evidence A - FutureNugget#1:

Look at the size of that our kid's forehead!!!! Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger could've landed US Airways Flight 1529 on that thing! At least he/she/it has some cute freckles and a smile. Nice frame, too, btw.

But it all goes downhill from there my friends. Evidence B - FutureNugget#2:

 

This is too scary for words. And is that a tie around his neck? He looks like one of those creepy Benjamin Button kids who look like they're 80-years-old from birth. Wrong. So wrong.

Evidence C - FutureNugget#3:

 

Apparently our child will be Asian. I'm guessing we've adopted (which is something I've always wanted to do, btw). Maybe Make Me Babies knows something I don't.

Especially when you look at our daughter's brother - Evidence D - FutureNugget#4:

 

WTF??!!!

Oh, and look! We've adopted another daughter from Asia and this one has cornrows! Awesome!

Evidence E - FutureNugget#5:

 

These creations are just so funny! I'm not sure how SuperFutureDad feels about them, perhaps he'll leave a comment telling us?? (hint, hint)

In all seriousness, I would love to adopt children. It's a strenuous and expensive process and from what I hear from friends who have done it, entirely rewarding. So if this is what the future holds for us, then I am all for it!

Anyway, I've saved the best for last. I think we may have a winner!

Evidence F - FutureNugget#6:

 

Look at our cutie-patootie pirate!!! I'm loving the hair - ginger curls! A forehead slightly less prominent than Tyra Banks's. An adorable smile that will certainly get him out of trouble. I think this kid is as close to a perfect combination as we can get. No whammies here!

So... which one is your favorite??? Leave me a comment... and, if you're brave enough, email me your 'If They Mated' pics and I'll post a montage!!!!!

Baby Braggin' Wednesday: Alisha and Ella

Girl alert! Girl alert!

Wow - A few weeks ago, I put out a call for more sassy senoritas to be featured in Baby Braggin' Wednesday ("What's BBW," you ask? "Click here," I say). And boy, I mean girl, did you respond!

You've flooded my inbox with gorgeous pics of your cutie-patootie nuggets and outrageously funny stories. I couldn't be happier and more appreciative. Please consider sending your munchkin in to be profiled!

This week, two lovely ladies are making their BBW debut:

ALISHA AND ELLA

Alisha (3) and Ella (2) are two adorable sisters who live in Gillette, Wyoming. Their mum, Natasha, is SuperFutureDad's sister. She says her girls are goofy, full of energy and know how to make you laugh. "There's never a dull moment around here," says Natasha.

Here is Alisha and Ella posing for this year's Christmas picture - how cute??!!

Alisha is your typical girly-girl. She loves to play dress up and have tea parties. She likes to have her nails painted and is a make-up maven. "If you put lip gloss or even chap stick on her lips, she won't kiss anyone because it will come off," says her mum. "If we go outside while she has it on, she uses her hand to cover her lips so it doesn't blow off!" How precious!!

Alisha also like everything princess. She is attached to her toy cell phone and is very outspoken. If she thinks you're being mean, she tells you. "She even called my dad one afternoon to tell him 'mommy's being mean!' (I told her she couldn't have any candy until after lunch)," says Natasha.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Ella. She is very laid back and goes with flow most of the time. Her mum says Ella likes bugs, cars and dolls - Tinkerbell is her favorite. Ella's favorite thing to do it sit down for story time. She loves books!

"Ella is pretty independent for a 2-year-old," says Natasha. "She defends herself when alisha thinks she's the boss." Ella is sort of an enigma says her mummy. "She's hard to describe, even when it comes time to buy gifts for her, I never know what to tell people to get her because I never know!"

Both girls are very thoughtful and caring. That doesn't always translate to one another but most of the time they will ask the other if they are ok when they get an owie or just hit their toe.

These little girls are just too cute!!!

Finally, guess who is going to be the featured blogger on another blog this weekend?!
You got it - me!

Jessica, the friendly gal behind 'The B Keeps Us Honest,' selected to showcase Tales of an (Almost) Mommy this Saturday. So stay tuned to Tales and The B for details. I'll be posting links to the piece on Saturday when it goes live.

For more information on 'The B Keeps Us Honest,' click here!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Lucy

I'm bbbbbaaaaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkkk!

After a wonderful week off to celebrate the holidays with my fabulous family, I've returned to the land of snow, snow and more snow! I couldn't believe my eyes when we first pulled into our driveway: there stood a 9-FOOT drift between our house and the neighbor's! Whoah!!! Lucky for me, SuperFutureDad took care of snowblowing duties. I was put in charge of grocery shopping, dishes and laundry. Welcome back to reality, I guess!

Also, welcome back Baby Braggin' Wednesday! If you don't know what BBW is, click here! I've got a gorgeous nugget to share with you, and guess what? It's a girl!

LUCY

Isn't she a doll??!! Lucy is a bubbly and bright-eyed 2-1/2-year-old who is eagerly anticipating her 3rd birthday this May! Boy, they grow up fast, don't they?!

Lucy belongs to a new friend of mine, Kris, who owns Pout Baby Boutique. Pout is a marvelous children's shop in Fargo that carries unique clothing, accessories and eco-friendly items for those special little nuggets in your life. Be sure to check out Pout's Web site and blog, too!

This precious peanut has a taste for life - literally! Her mum says Lucy will eat almost anything, including any kind of meat, fruit and vegetable (except for squash!). Plus, Kris has been known to find Lucy noshing on stickers, paper, even Band-Aid's ("Don't get me started on that one," her mummy says)!

Here's a great picture of Lucy at 3-weeks-old. The girl can rock a headband, can't she?!

Lucy is also known for her one-liner's - made all the more darling by her cute little lisp. Here's a quick sampling:  

"You’re my besth fwend momma"
“we’re printhethes (princesses)” 

“look at our beautiful home” 

“I lub you momma”  

“my shocks aren’t gonna hurt momma” (what she said to her mum on their way to Lucy's 2-year check up/shot appointment)

But I've saved the BEST story for last. Lucy is at that age where saying V's is difficult, so they come out more like B's. No big deal, right? Except for one specific word relating to being a girl.

Just before Lucy turned two, Kris realized her daughter didn't quite get the difference between certain parts of her anatomy. So Kris decided it was the right time to teach Lucy the real word - vagina.

Well... since Lucy can't say V's, when she said it, it came out more like - BAGINA! Kris says Lucy found the word fascinating and started saying it over and over. BAGINA, BAGINA, BAGINA!

"Although it seems to make Grandpa Dave a little uncomfortable, [Lucy] shouts it with pride every chance [she] gets and I have to admit, it makes me giggle almost every time," Kris says.

But wait, it gets better! 

One morning after Lucy got dressed, she glanced over at her mum and blurted out, "Momma, my bagina is HUNGRY!" Kris burst out laughing, which of course, made Lucy repeat it again and again and again.

What a kid! Lord only knows what she meant, but for us adults, it's a pretty hysterical line. And it will live on forever because Kris is keeping a blog just for Lucy. She writes in it just about everyday and of course, that story is one of her favorites!

Mine too.

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Camden

Welcome to this week's edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday! I am SO excited to share this nugget with you... he's been on the waiting list for a while now. And he is very much worth the wait!

But first, I want to say THANK YOU for making BBW such a smashing success. I think we have featured quite a handful of super cuties and I hope we can continue the trend! One thing I've noticed, though, is that most of our BBW munchkins are boys. And while I love me some baby boys, if you have a girl on your hands, please send her info my way. I'm an equal opportunity blogger! LOL!

If you're not sure what Baby Braggin' Wednesday is - click here.

Just shoot me a quick email (patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com) filled with info about your nugget or a little story, plus some pictures. I'll be sure to put together a BBW profile for your precious one when they get to the top of the list!

This week's munchkin has waited several weeks for his turn and I am thrilled that it is finally here. He belongs to my maid of honor, Becky and her lovely husband. Get ready for:

CAMDEN

Camden was born June 5, 2009 at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Women's Hospital. He weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. He clearly wanted to make his entrance into the world on his own terms because he showed up 12 1/2 days late! Poor Becky!

SuperFutureDad and I had even made plans to visit the little guy, thinking he'd be a couple of weeks old by then and the bringing-home-baby craziness would have calmed down a bit. WRONG! Camden was (I think) two days old and there we were, interrupting the special bonding time that should have been just for his mum and dad and G-Rents. Sorry about that! As always though, Bex was a gracious host and I was so glad to be a part of her life as she made the transition into Mommyhood! And like all my besties, she is a superb mummy!

Bex and Camden have been going to a playgroup since he was 10 days old. All the babies were born in May or June 2009. "We meet every Tues at someone's house, an indoor pool, a park, go for walks, coffee shops, etc.," says Becky.

But big changes are on the horizon. Bex, her hubs and Camden will be moving this spring to Baltimore (any Maryland readers out there who can offer them some advice?). They're on the hunt for a new house and a new playgroup! Becky says it will be really sad to say goodbye to her current playgroup pals!


Of course, at 6-months-old all Camden cares about is discovering sitting up on his own, rolling all over the place ("It's very difficult to keep him confined to a blanket now," Becky says), grabbing everything and putting it in his mouth. Camden spends the rest of his time laughing hysterically at his 4-legged brothers and sister!

Becky and her hubs are trying to do things as naturally as possible with him - breastfeeding (or pumped bottles) exclusively, cloth diapers, babywearing, modified co-sleeping (in his own bed up against the side of ours).  They even plan to make homemade organic baby food in a few weeks when they begin trying out solids.

Becky loves being a mother - despite having a hectic life! "Camden's so easy going and far surpasses every expectation I ever had about having kids.  He was definitely worth the months and months of sickness!," she says.

And boy was she sick - that's no joke! It stretched long into her pregnancy but she was such a trooper.

Congratulations, Bex, on your munchkin - I can't believe he's 6 months old already!

*One final note - I'll be taking a break from BBW next week because of the holidays. But I have a mega-cutie on the way... so please check back in a couple of weeks! Merry Christmas to you all!

Christmas Comes Early Surprise! BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Griffin

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! Apologies to all the Tales readers out there who have been waiting to meet last week's Baby Braggin' Wednesday nugget. And a huge I'M SORRY to his mummy, too!

My schedule has gotten out of whack lately... is it the holidays? Work commitments? Volunteer efforts? Travel arrangements? Baby shower planning? Christmas shopping? This whole baby-making thing? Well, I can tell you one thing - whatever it is, it is keeping me busy.  TOO BUSY! Good thing I've got a vacation coming up! Whew!!

Anyway, I'm really sorry that I missed a BBW post - especially because I've got such a great little nugget to share with you. He is the adorable son of one of my besties from high school, Olivia. So without further ado, hhhheeeerrrreee'sss:

GRIFFIN

Griffin is a 16-month-old (going on 6!) cutie-patootie born July 31, 2008. He lives in Portola Valley, CA so that means he gets to play in the sand with the Golden Gate Bridge as his backdrop. What a lucky kiddo! Isn't that the most gorgeous pic you've seen in a while??!!

His mum and dad have lots of nicknames for their little guy: Griff, G-Dawg, G-Diggity, G-Man, G, Griffy. Olivia says Griffin LOVES to eat - I think the tasty turkey and juicy watermelon in his mouth is proof positive! When he's not chilling at the dinner table, Griffin loves to swim and take a bath. So much so that his mum finds him in the tub if she doesn't close the door to the bathroom - even when there is no water it it!

 

Griffin's new favorite thing is working on his walking and running. And he's got a thing for older kids, especially older boys. He isn't afraid to walk right up to them and try to play with them. He loves his music class and listening to tunes on his Lightning McQueen cd player!

One of the coolest things about Griffin is that he's becoming bi-lingual (at such a young age - that's fabulous)! His nanny is from Peru and speaks pretty much only in Spanish to him, so he has learned to give "besitos", not "kisses" - Olivia thinks that is really sweet (mí también)!  Olivia says, "Sometimes I think he understands more Spanish than English - which has helped my Spanish, too!"

And here is the cutest picture yet of Griffy and his mummy:

If I didn't have the 'Baby Jones' before seeing this, I sure do now!! Thanks for sharing your little guy with Tales of an (Almost) Mommy, Olivia. You've certainly got a precious one on your hands!

For all of you other Tales readers out there, don't forget to send me your nuggets so they, too, can be featured on Baby Braggin' Wednesday. Simply send a few pics, a cute story or some general info about your kiddos to patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com and I'll take care of the rest! It's a great way to share your munchkin with the world - I mean, who doesn't want a little brag time for their babe?  Besides, this way I do the braggin' for you!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Jack and Owen

Drum roll, please..... it's time for another edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday! So glad you could join me because this week, we have some major cutie-pies - twins!

JACK AND OWEN

Jack and Owen are 2 1/2 year old twin boys who belong to one of my besties here in Fargo, Heather. They are adorable little nuggets, each with a personality all his own. And boy do they give their mum and dad a handful! Check out this full-moon-fever story Heather sent me. She writes:

"What I remember is the horror of that night. We were getting Jack and Owen ready for a bath. We lived in a condo on the northside of Fargo and I think the boys were about a year and a half. On bath nights Nick would run upstairs and start the water and I would get the tots ready for their bath. 

Most moms agree babies need a chance to "air out"...which means, take off all clothes, including diapers and let kids run around "free" for a minute or two. Looking back, bad idea. We took off the first baby's diaper and let him run free while Nick ran the tub...yet another bad idea.

As i'm wrangling the 2nd baby, baby #1 poops on the carpet!! I scream in horror, Nick runs back downstairs to check out what's going on...and as I'm cleaning up poop from baby #1, I hear a whizzing noise...baby #2 is peeing on the carpet, then squatting to poop. This had never, I repeat never, happened before....and although they've peed on the carpet several times since (including last night), no one has ever pooped on the carpet again...and my carpet probably never looked the same!"

Heather, her hubs and fam eventually moved out of that condo and I'm guessing the new tenants are none the wiser! I love it when Jack and Owen stop by the newsroom and I hope you enjoyed reading about these precious nuggets. How cute are their pictures?! Angels!

Don't forget - you too, can submit pics and stories for Baby Braggin' Wednesday! Just send your submissions to patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com. I'm doing it on a first-come, first-serve basis so please be patient if you haven't seen your nuggets' posting yet. I'll get to everyone, I promise!!!

Next week, we're heading west to meet a California baby!

One final thought, I want to wish all my Tales readers out there a wonderful Thanksgiving. I appreciate your friendship so much. I hope one day I can say that to you in person, instead of over the World Wide Web Highway. To Nai Nai, Ricky and my family who is gathered in the Sunshine State, I love you all and wish I could be there. Much love to eveyone and please make time for a nap after eating all of the delicious turkey Ricky is cooking!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY: Casey, Brady and Madelyn

Welcome to the first edition of Baby Braggin' Wednesday! So glad you could join me!


In case you're new to Tales, BBW is a weekly feature where I post pictures and cute little stories about all the little nuggets in my life and/or who belong to Tales readers like you. To be a part of BBW, all you have to do is email me some pics of your munchkin(s) and tell me a little about them. I'll craft up a blog entry from there that you can share with all your family and friends! It's my way of showing off all the cute little nuggets out there - and giving shout outs to all the fabulous peeps in my life! I love you all so much!

So... without further ado... here's our first BBW entry:

CASEY, BRADY AND MADELYN

I am the proud auntie to these remarkable (and athletic!) three kids. I don't get to see them very often, maybe once a year, and I miss them terribly. I've had to watch them grow up through pictures so that's why I thought they should be BBW's debut post. Casey, Brady and Madelyn are incredibly smart and cute - I can't wait to see them at Christmas!!!

Casey is the oldest. I am his Godmother. My favorite memory of Casey is teaching him to swim in Nai Nai and Ricky's pool in the Sunshine State. We spent hours in the pool working on floating and kicking and dunking and jumping (of course, he had a great start at swimming lessons with his mum and dad). But he's also a darn good soccer player!

Brady is one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. And one of the pickiest eaters! If this still holds true, last I knew, his favorite meal was chicken nuggets with sauce (ketchup). He loves fruit too. Brady has a wonderful imagination and will talk my ear off on the phone. It's so nice to hear his voice. Brady is sure to be a heartbreaker when he grows up - he's so cute!

Oh, Miss Madelyn - the youngest, and a girl, to boot!! Maddy is the perfect combination of her mum and dad's good looks - why this cutie isn't a child model is beyond me. That may have something to do with the fact that nobody tells Maddy what to do - she is in charge! And has the voice to prove it! But she is a ham in front of the camera and knows how to give a great hug. I don't know Maddy as well as Brady and Casey so I'm hoping she and I will have a chance to bond over the holidays.

So there you have it - Casey, Brady, and Madelyn are the first kids to be featured on Tales of an (Almost) Mommy's Baby Braggin' Wednesday column. I hope you enjoyed reading all about my fantastic nephews and niece! SuperFutureDad and I are the proudest uncle and auntie a kid could have!

If you have some pics and stories you'd like to submit for BBW, please email me at patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com. I can't wait to share them with all the Tales readers!

BABY BRAGGIN' WEDNESDAY!

For those of you who are familiar with Tales, you know that SuperFutureDad and I are still in The Land of No Nuggets.  And it seems the older I get, the lonelier a place it is.

But whatever my situation is, it does not affect my crazy excitement whenever I find out one of my family members, friends, blog followers, or casual readers is preggers. I'm overjoyed (and yes, envious) each time one of them calls, texts, or writes with the news that they're entering Mommyhood.

It is for this reason that I'm announcing a new weekly column called Baby Braggin' Wednesday!

BBW, for short, is so you can show off your nugget with pictures, stories and fun, little facts. Each week, I'll select a little peanut to feature and write up a blog entry about him/her/them. I just need you to supply the pics and info!

Here's how it works:

Send me an email @ patriciacarlsonfreelance@gmail.com with your nuggets' name, age, birth date and where you live

Attach up to 3 pictures of your baby (toddlers and big kids accepted, too - I love 'em all!)

Include some baby braggin' info - this can be anything from birth stats or their first word to a funny thing they do or the moment you knew they were wicked smart

Once you've been picked, I'll notify you by email and get cracking putting together your kids' Baby Braggin' Wednesday profile! 

I'll admit my motives are a bit selfish in doing this but I really just want the chance to show off all the peanuts who belong to my friends and family. I am so proud of all of you and happy that you get to be mommies and daddies!

Besides, who doesn't get a smile on their face when looking at the chubby cheeks of a brand new baby?  I know I do!