You just come for the pictures

It's ok.  I don't have much to say anyhow.  Noah and I are fighting over how much Sesame Street is too much Sesame Street.  His answer: there is no such thing as too much Sesame Street.  My answer: 30 minutes with that Grover and his Wubba Wubba song and all the letters and numbers and I am DONE.  Though, come to think of it, Noah does know that 2 comes after 1 now...

So, Friday.  On Friday, we saw Santa (at the Lincoln Park Zoo's annual Zoo Lights).  On Friday, Noah hated Santa. 

Behold:

This Santa thing isn't so bad...

Make it stop!  NoNoNoNo! And yet, I can't let go of your soft, velvety red suit.  

Kind of feels like my blankie.

Lights!  That dance!  Much better.  I hate Santa.

 I mean, I KNEW he was going to hate Santa.  But I thought I would give it a shot.  And honestly, I still don't have a good picture for the holiday cards and was desperate for a decent one.  Those up there are not decent ones.   Back to the drawing board.  

Eternally grateful

Curious.  Confused.  Creative.  Inquisitive.  Intelligent.  Inspiring.  Fast.  Furious.  Fantastic.  Perfect.  In every way.

Sometimes I just sit back and marvel at our son.  We're so lucky that HE picked US.

Major accomplishment

Toilet locks are installed.  I don't want to talk about WHY we finally needed toilet locks but let's just say that our son, ever the explorer, had his last hurrah with the toilet this morning.  So, I apologize to our guests that they will need a tutorial to use our toilets from this point on.  It had to be done.

He is SUCH a stinker.

16 Months

Dear Noah,

Son, you are really testing us these days.  I knew this whole parenting gig was going to get harder and I knew you were going to test our limits and I knew you were going to do all this while displaying a major independent streak but good lord boy.  Mama's tired.  One second you are trying to throw yourself out of the highchair at the restaurant because the noodles aren't noodle-y enough and the next you are nuzzling your downy soft head into my neck and kissing me open mouthed on my cheek.  It's those moments that make me forget the ones that come before...and also how the human race keeps reproducing.

I do have to say that I think you're really something.  You constantly amaze me with what you pick up and know.  The other day I was watching you on your video monitor wake up from your nap and rather than waking up crying or babbling incoherently you sat up, shot your right arm into the air and said "Wa wa, skkkkyyyyyyyyyy!"  And I looked outside and realized it was raining.  Well hot damn little man.   We've talked about rain and played in the rain but you put all that together by yourself.  Your vocabulary keeps expanding everyday...new and/or improved words are purple "puple", Poppi "PopPop", Auntie Danielle "DeeDee", turtle "tutle", Lily "Yiyi", among others.  You've mastered pretty much every body part except the elbow and I think that's because yours is still covered in baby chub and hard to see.  You adore bellies and find such joy in forcing people to lift their shirts when you demand more "bebe" (belly).  You're an enthusiastic greeter who waves hello and bye bye with such happiness and cheer.  You're also a professional kiss blower and you get both your arms into it.   You don't do things halfway that's for sure.

I appreciate that you know what you want.  Last night Daddy and I spent the night away from you and your Auntie Danielle took care of you.  She told us that when you were ready for bed you trotted over to the stairs and rattled the gate until she came to take you upstairs.  And once in bed you settled in right away and were asleep before she could shut the door.  But you also know that when you're done with meals, YOU'RE DONE WITH MEALS RIGHTTHISVERYSECOND.  And we better remove your plate before you throw it across the room and wipe your hands before you run them through your hair.  It's like you just KNOW what you shouldn't do and you do it with more gusto than I can fathom.  So I suppose this "you know what you want" business is both a blessing and a curse.

We visited that lovely orange labeled home improvement store today to pick up some things Daddy needed and while there you took great notice of the 12 foot blow up Santa at the front of the store.  By the time we left you were chanting "Santa!  Santa!" and baby?  You have no idea what you're in for.  Christmas may be my very favorite time of year and I hope to pass that on to you.  Your father is a scrooge this time of year but I won't let that interfere with sharing my unbridled love of the holiday season.  You will know the magic of twinkling lights and the joy of Christmas carols and the transformative scent of evergreens.  But always remember that Christmas is not all about the presents, ok?  Regardless of what your father says.

We love you, Bubba-loo.  Can we try to sit still next month for some pictures?  Please and thank you.

Love,
Mama

Sad

If you can, please go visit K at Two Adults, One Brown Baby.  She gave birth last week to very premature twins and her son, Noah, lived only a short time and his sister, Iris, is in the NICU.  I'm sure any words of comfort and encouragement you can leave for her and her family would be much appreciated.

Our thoughts are with you, K, T, E and little Iris and Noah.

Boredom in Chicago and cookies from the East Coast

Is anyone else still feeling slammed by the time change?  Noah's finally adapted and stopped waking up at the god awful hours before 6 am and is actually napping on schedule again but this getting dark at 5 pm business?  WRONG.  So very very WRONG.  I feel like the hours after he wakes from his nap are never-ending and I've noticed my temper is shorter with him.  We used to hit the neighborhood for a pre-dinner walk and to burn some daylight but now that it's dark so early there is no daylight left to burn.  We're like two marbles rolling around the house, bumping into each other constantly.  By 5 pm we're tired of books and Sesame Street and the choo choo train and puzzles.  Any ideas on what I can do with him that will entertain us both as we stare down the barrel of a long, long winter?

Our neighbors across the street turned on their Christmas lights last night.  They leave them up all year long and I guess they decided it was time to bring out the festive.  They're totally in cahoots with all the stores, I know it.  And I feel myself falling prey to the lure of the twinkly lights and sparkly ornaments.  I'm trying to resist.  I swear.

Noah's room is almost done.  Hopefully, fingers crossed, Tim can put up his drapes tonight and I'll get around to pictures tomorrow.  Which means I'll have to clean his room...I'm really so good to you people aren't I?

In the meantime, head on over to Milkymilk and enter to win a special batch of homemade cookies from her Etsy shop, Buttermilk Bake Shop!  You have until Saturday to enter by leaving a comment.  I've yet to try Mary's delicious looking cookies but they're a hit with Etsy shoppers.  And of course I entered the contest.  I would never ever turn down cookies.  Ever.

Future career?

I'm seeing "zookeeper" listed on his business cards.  It sounds better than "housekeeper".

I broke out the swiffer duster contraption this morning and Noah thought it was the best thing ever.  Right now, he's "dusting" every square inch of our first floor.  Had I known he loved this thing I would have given it to him months ago!

Watch out for the dinosaur!

Simply stated, we had a fantastic Halloween.  We terrorized the neighborhood, oh, excuse me, trick or treated.  We handed out lots of treats.  We ate good food with good company.  All in all it was spectacular.  And I don't even like Halloween to begin with...I feel that may be changing.  The sheer wonder on your child's face has a way of doing that, doesn't it?

And I promised you a recipe...possibly one of the best meals I have eaten in a looooooonnnnggg time.  I'm only posting the main dish, but we also had homemade pumpkin ravioli in a gorgonzola sauce and sauteed green beans.  Please promise me you'll make this sometime soon.  Promise?

Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Harvest Apples
Cottage Living, Sept 2004 via myrecipes.com

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2  pounds  (about 5) Fuji or other sweet-tart apples, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
• 2  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1  (1 1/2-pound) pork tenderloin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2  cup  white wine or apple juice
• 1  cup  heavy cream
• 3  tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Toss apples with butter and lemon juice in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish or shallow ovenproof Dutch oven. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper; brown in hot oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottom skillet 7 minutes. Remove apples from oven; place tenderloin in center of baking dish. Set aside.

3. Cook onion in skillet 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, and add wine; cook about 2 minutes, scraping bottom of skillet. Stir in cream, mustard, and rosemary.

4. Pour cream mixture over tenderloin, and bake at 350°, basting occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. (The pork will continue to cook.) Slice into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices, and serve with apples and mustard cream sauce.

And then, afterwards, rub your belly and sigh in contentment.  

A proper Halloween post is forthcoming (along with one of the best dinner recipes I have had in a loooooonnggg time), but for now this little dinosaur, who terrorized the neighborhood, will have to do: