Three Month Update

We've seen so many changes in Palmer over the third month.  He has learned to play independently, gained strength, and is turning into a little boy with a sweet personality.

I know everyone wants to think that their child is a genius and very advanced.  I'm no different, so here are his latest skills:

ROLLING OVER: I still have yet to capture Palmer rolling over on his own (it's only happened a handful of times).  In the meanwhile, here is a video of Palmer rolling over with a little help from daddy.

FRIEND IN THE MIRROR:  Palmer made a new friend this week and likes to talk with him for quite a long time.

Oh- and one problem: No matter how much I tried to avoid the TV, Palmer has discovered its powers and now stares at it.  I'll turn Palmer around away from the TV and he just scooches (I've never tried to spell that word and definitely had to look it up just now) back around to find it.  Oh no.  What am I going to do when he is older and gets in that annoying zone where he won't even look away when I'm talking to him?  Aghh.

Happy third month, Mr. P.

We love you!

-Bethany

Three Months Old

Happy Three Month Birthday, Palmer!

Three Month Stats:
LENGTH: 25 inches
WEIGHT: 14 lb, 4 oz

-Bethany

It's Canning Season!

Last summer, I took a class on canning and preserving.  Unfortunately, not too long after the class, I entered my first trimester of pregnancy and had absolutely no interest in being near the kitchen.

This summer I have been looking forward to the peak produce season so that I can stock our pantry with some goodies.  Rick and Palmer joined me at the Farmer's Market to help pick out the fruits and veggies.

(Note the careful planning of putting Palmer in the Bjorn so that we can use the stroller for the food!)

 After several days, here is the bounty: 12 jars of tomatoes (hello, winter tomato soup!), 3 jars of pickled peaches, 4 jars of candied jalapenos, and 1 jar of bread and butter pickles.  

I still want to do some okra, but I've had enough for a few days...
-Bethany

Happy Father's Day

 Palmer surprised Daddy with matching father and son polos for Father's Day.  Palmer's was a little big since 2T is the smallest size Vineyard Vines carries, but it sure looks like it won't be too long before he'll fit into it.

Rick enjoyed a morning "off" and headed out to the golf course.  I assured him that soon enough Palmer would join him on the greens (and mommy would be "off" instead!).  We joined Rick for brunch after his round.

We had big plans to go to the pool for the afternoon, but the 104 degree temps scared us away and we had a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon at home instead.

Daddy's Little Wingman.  (This would be the third outfit of the day for those of you keeping score.)

Doesn't Palmer look big sitting up in the couch?

 "Oh Boston, you just always have to be by me, don't you?"

Happy Father's Day, Rick.

-Bethany

Confession Time

My local gym has free childcare and that has been great because it has allowed me to try to get back into pre-baby shape.  Lately, the lure of the gym has not been the workout as much as the baby-free shower/get ready time afterwards.  I've come to love my little gym locker room.  It's nothing fancy, but it's a little break of quiet time just for me during the day.

This morning the temps were only in the lower 90s and breezy (instead of the beating 100 degrees), so I went for a run with the stroller in the neighborhood instead.

Here comes the dilemma:  When I got home, I was completely covered in sweat and Palmer was completely awake and wanted to play.

What did I do?  Well, I packed my bag, headed to the gym, dropped Palmer off at the childcare, pretended to do a little weight lifting, and about 5 minutes later headed to the locker room to take a shower.

I might be a bad mom, but a clean mom is a happy mom.  :)

-Bethany

Fun In The Kitchen

Palmer has learned to entertain himself and is less reliant on needing to be held all the time.  It's a wonderful joy to see him laugh at his toys without me by his side.

I have set up a little play area in the kitchen and it's great because I am able to cook, put away dishes, etc. while he plays his little heart out.

I've hung toys from the refrigerator door and Palmer loves to stare up at them.  He also loves his giraffe.  It's the first time I've really seen him grab onto a toy and feel the soft textures of an object.  He'll catch sight of the giraffe's face and crack up.  I love it.

And since I'm in the kitchen again...

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

This is week 2 of the dinner coop experiment and so far, it's been a huge success.  The Jordan family is contributing chicken lettuce wraps and a raw kale salad this week.  I swear, we get more kale in the organic produce bin than I can handle, so I am always eager to try new recipes with the green.  And of course, Rick turns his nose up at the kale almost every week.  He lives such a rough life... (roll my eyes)

BON APPETIT'S CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/06/lettuce-cups-with-stir-fried-chicken  I added carrots and shallots (again, an abundance of sustenance from the organic produce bin) and water chestnuts for crunch.

RAW KALE SALAD: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=32067.0  I added carrots and radishes to this recipe.

SUMMER CORN SALAD:  http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/sweet-corn-salad/ This recipe is so fresh tasting and delicious.  I highly recommend it, especially with the 100 degree temps we are seeing these days.

And because I can't resist this smile, here's a parting shot of Mr. P:

-Bethany

Vacation in Austin

Samantha and I took Palmer to Austin for a few days to visit our brother and his girlfriend.  Although it was exhausting to take the baby out of our familiar routine at home, we had a lot of fun and it was well worth it.

Have you seen this Texas-sized donut featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel?  We just had to check out Round Rock Donuts on the way into town.

Let me give you a sense of how big it really is...

Luke had our entire trip mapped out.  First stop: Barton Springs Pool.  I've been wanting to go for years and after visiting, I'm not sure why I've never been before.  For a mere $3, you get to visit this oasis:

Since it's a natural spring, the water was far too cold for Palmer.  Instead of swimming, he and I had fun in the shade and enjoying the afternoon with everyone.

We went to an outdoor Bob Schneider concert where Palmer slept sweetly under the stars.  

 Perfectly content with Uncle Luke:

I love this picture:

Austin has completely embraced the food truck idea where vendors park trailers and set up shop around town to sell food.  We hit up one of the food "trailer parks" and enjoyed some eclectic delicacies.  Dallas is supposed to jump on this food truck band wagon in early 2012 after the city sorts out some food permitting issues.  I can't wait.

The Thomas siblings:

I think the little guy had a great first summer vacation.

-Bethany

Antique Road Show

My sister and I took Palmer down to Austin for a few days to visit our brother (post on the trip to come soon).

 On the way to Austin, Samantha and I hit up a sale in a guy's backyard off of I-35 (you can't make this up).  Have you seen the show on the History Channel called American Pickers where the two guys travel the country going thru people's junk?  That's what we did.  We saw a sign that said, "All American Pickers Welcome" and stopped to look for treasures.



We found this great washtub that will be super cute for serving beverages at a party.  (Price after haggling: $10.)

I'm training Palmer to be such a good little shopper:

-Bethany