So, I had good intentions to be posting fairly regularly to this blog to keep our loved ones up to date and also to show Cash every moment of his development as a human....and then the shittiest winter on the planet happened....(and, yeah, Cash will be allowed to say that word, particularly if he's referring to Minnesota winters). We coped by doing what every healthy person does, staying inside our home, isolating, and eating our feelings.
Don't get the wrong impression, we are loving our lives and Cash is becoming self-aware with a little personality and all, but over the winter the extra energy needed to blog went directly into mindless activities like Hulu, Candy Crush, or staring emotionally out the window at the godforsaken tundra.
What we were able to do was take copious amounts of pictures. And really, that's what everyone likes seeing anyway. So here is a "picture book" of the last few months in the Beard life.
DECEMBER '13
This photo was taken a year from the day I learned was pregnant with this little man. Who knew I'd get such a character!
Someone looks really happy at their first Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Rotach's!
Oops! Spoke too soon!
This is Grandpa and Cash's favorite pastime
Trying out his new toy from Grandma and Grandpa!
Got to spend some Christmas time with Grandpa Mike too!
JANUARY '14
Went to visit Meema in Iowa! Lots of kisses.
All bundled up in the cutest outfit I've ever seen.
I mean, come on.
First flight! A beach trip to sunny California! He did wonderful on the plane, slept most of the time. Giggled and pooped the rest.
Beach bum. He loved the ocean...not that we were surprised. Mama and Papa love the ocean too.
Guys! Let's move here! (We are seriously considering it, buddy)
Best part was getting to see Bree, Evan and the babies, Wyatt and Olivia! Wyatt is napping in the tent. The beach wore him out.
A day at Venice Beach! Cash got to test out the world's smallest front yard :)
Yep, he approves of Venice Beach too!
All tuckered out on the plane ride home.
FEBRUARY '14
Lots of love from Godmama Lisa
Sitting in a high chair means I am closer to the beer!!
First time trying bananas. Does not appreciate photos while eating.
Took a little trip to the Como Conservatory with Mama on Valentine's Day. He even picked a special flower for me from the rose room. Ripped the bud right off and stuffed it in my mouth. That's love.
Wrestling with Papa is the best part of the day.
Messy hair. Don't care.
MARCH '14
The puppies get jealous whenever Grandpa Mike comes to visit. Monti especially.
Very busy all the time now!
Sometimes so busy that he leaps out of Mama's arms and runs his face into a coffee table. First battle wound.
Puppies are becoming his new besties...particularly when it comes to dinner time. Easy cleanup with Monti and Dakota around!
This is the hat he came home in from the birth center...doesn't quite fit anymore...my big man.
With all the standing and playing happening, you gotta have some dope kicks.
Standing. Playing. Monti.
We are ready for spring up in here!!!
Today was a lovely day and a hint of what is to come for summer. After we all slept in till 7:30 (woo!), we walked to get coffee and then met Uncle Caleb and Aunt Megan on Nicollet Island for some lunch. After nap time we walked to the playground and Cash took his maiden voyage on the swings. Loved it.
We sure love having this little dude around.
Here's to lots of sun, happier Mama moods, and more updating!!!
I was recently telling someone that having a new baby makes you fall in love with simple things again. As grueling as the experience can be, it is an opportunity to develop pathological attachment to certain things. Here are my things:
1. Friends with Kids
I am lucky enough to have had many of my dear friends birth children within the past year. So many of my friends without kids turned into friends with kids before my very eyes. There is something comforting about being able to say anything about how you're doing in front of people who get it. Having a baby has a tendency to eliminate the social niceties in the conversation and jumps right to "I've considered NyQuil as a baby sleep strategy".
2. Friends Without Kids
I also hold a very dear and special place for friends without kids. At times, I yearn to be in their shoes, though I would never take back my own pair. Also, friends without kids ask me about things in my life that occurred prior to having kids and it keeps me in touch with all aspects of myself.
3. Trail Mix
This is the perfect food when you have an infant. Seriously. Buy it in bulk and give it to every new mom in your life. I keep little bags of it stashed everywhere in the house like a squirrel. It's the perfect go-to when your baby demands 25 different things before you can head down to the kitchen to cook breakfast.
4. Wine
God Bless It. Every Drop.
5. The Gym
If you know me, you know that I've never been a person to like the gym, and certainly never thought I would be the person to admit in public that I like the gym….until I had a baby. The gym now feels like a spa day. They have showers, hot tubs, saunas, adults…it's magical.
6. Americano with Half and Half
I no longer drink coffee in the morning, I drink it at 3pm cause I find that it is more rewarding and gives me that last little push during the day. Also, no more cheap coffee. I go for the good stuff and I savor it. I used to pick on my husband for drinking day-old coffee but now, if I don't use every last drop of that espresso, you better believe I'm heating it up the next day….speaking of….
7. Microwaves
I used to be that person that didn't like using microwaves cause I felt they would give me brain tumors or something. Now, I worship the waves that warm my meal and trick me into thinking that it's fresh from the skillet and not cooked 3 hours prior before my child decided to wake early from their nap.
8. Naps
I tried taking the advice "sleep when your baby sleeps", until I discovered the peace that exists when baby is napping. It's an incredible high when your baby is getting their sleep and you realize that your "duty" as a parent is simply to sit quietly and wait for them. During this time I tend to either be really productive and do things around the house or do exactly the opposite and sit and watch TV. These pockets of alone time in my day were an unexpected benefit.
9. Netflix
I've taken binge-watching to a whole new level. My kid loves his sleep (obviously, another thing I'm very thankful for) so that means hours of guilt-free binge watching per week. I recently finished the latest season of Sister Wives and will soon start on 19 Kids and Counting. I find that reality shows about homes significantly crazier and more twisted than mine bring comfort.
10. The Crock Pot
If I can get my business together in the morning to throw some veggies, meat, and sauce in the crock, by the end of the day, I feel like super woman. Like I wanna run down my street and say, "hey! I have a baby AND a fresh cooked hot meal!".
11. Amazon Prime
My cousin, Beth, fellow super mom, told me to get amazon prime when I was pregnant and I didn't understand the benefit of it until the kid came out. Whatever it is that I need…diapers, swaddles, deodorant, onesies, etc…I can order them and 2 days later they're shipped to my house free of shipping costs. As my cousin said, we will do anything and buy anything that we think will help our kids and this makes it easier.
12. That Moment When You Lay Back In Bed
You know what I'm talking about…covers in hand, pillows arranged perfectly, and you lay back into cushy bliss. It feels like the reward for another day of keeping your baby alive and healthy. It doesn't matter that he will likely wake up within a few hours for a midnight snack, nothing can take away how good it feels in that moment.
13. The Fact That the "Ombre" Hairstyle is in
I haven't dyed my hair since way before Cash was born and I get compliments on my hair color all the time. Thanks America.
14. Time with Dan
As much as I love spending time with Cash, I love the few hours between his bedtime and our bedtime. Usually we just end up talking about him and looking at pictures of him but still…it counts.
15. My Family
Another thing I underestimated was how fun it would be to share Cash with our village of people. My parents have officially turned into babbling messes whenever they are around him and I love it.
16. Neighbors
We have recently gotten to know our neighbors across the street better and it's great. The other day I hobbled across the street in my bathrobe and slippers at 10am and was greeted with a hot chai tea. They have two gorgeous little girls so they also fit into the friends with kids category.
17. Leggings
Warm. Stylish. And don't cut into my new areas of excess love that result from housing a giant baby in them for 9 months.
18. My Work
Being a mama is awesome, but it's also not the only thing I want to be. I'm totally one of those women who looks forward to her work. It hasn't always been that way but it is that way now and it makes the days I spend with Cash even more special.
19. Desperate Housewives
It's so unbelievably unrealistic and trashy and I love it. Plus there's like 8 seasons of it so totally binge-worthy. And I watch it on Hulu so I couldn't include it into the "Netflix" category.
20. Cereal
Give me a perfectly proportional mix of Cheerios, Rice Chex, and Honey Bunches of Oats and I'm a happy camper.
I'm sure there are more but this episode of Desperate Housewives keeps distracting me…..
Now, for a little update on the little guy!
Mama has been looking forward to when he fits into this onesie. God bless John Bender.
Getting some snuggle time in with Auntie Mindy and simultaneously showing off his turkey bum outfit from Grandma Judy.
A special Hanukkah treat for mama and papa to enjoy after baby went to bed. Challah and honey butter!
So close to rolling over!!! Belly and big hairdo get in the way. Every time.
Havin coffee with Unk in his fancy new office.
Tummy time bobble head!
New noise…I think he's trying to say l'chiam for Hanukkah
Every single day is so exciting for Cash right now. He passed the 3-month mark and everything started happening….little giggles, different sounds, grabbing his feet, attempting to roll over, watching the dogs, and being able to go out and enjoy himself a little bit. We are having so much fun watching him come alive and watching his little personality blossom. What we have noticed is that he tends to acclimate to whomever's temperament that he is with. When he's with mama, he is real calm and contemplative, with papa he is giggly and occasionally makes fart noises, and the other day Grandpa Mike was reading him a story and he was matching grandpa's boisterous story telling!
He very clearly recognizes people that he knows and is starting to show signs of sadness when mama leaves the room. That whole object permanence thing is such a mountain to climb, isn't it?
Another exciting thing is that he is learning to put himself to sleep. Some wise mothers told me to start putting him in his crib awake instead of asleep. I expected Word War 3 and it turns out he just wiggles around and flops to sleep after about 10 minutes. Although I'm extremely grateful for this, something tells me I will miss those cuddle-to-sleep sessions (but not so much at 3am).
That's all for now. Next update will include a picture of Cash in his Christmas outfit from Grandma Judy!
Yesterday was a good day, Cash is no longer the youngest Beard! His cousin Otis Howard Beard entered the world in the Arizona heat. I can't wait to see these two grow and play together. My hunch is that they will be inseparable like their twin papas.
We were told something interesting about the offspring of twins. Genetically, Ben and Dan are exact replicas of one another so that makes Cash and Otis genetic HALF siblings!! Dan and I debated writing a twisted country song about your brother being your cousin but for the sake of eliminating confusion, we will just refer to him as cousin Otis. It may come in handy someday if they have to swap organs or pass drug screens....yikes...we won't dwell on the mischief these two will get into just yet :)
Big huge congratulations and tons of love to Ben and Taylor. Welcome to the spinning world, Otis. You picked a good family.
Here's to many years of matching outfits and scraped knees.
Cash has had quite the busy few weeks. This week he attended his 2 month well child checkup. He is measuring at the top of the charts for height and weight :) His pediatrician said that he's going to be a TALL boy! She kept telling us how lucky we were to have such a calm, attentive baby. Attentive is an understatement these days. He can't seem to keep his eyes off of anything that 1) lights up in some way, 2) has bright colors, or 3) is a person or a dog. He's also "conversing" with people which generally means he stares at you and tries to make a sound and then you copy the sound and he smiles. You can tell he's just dying to be able to interact in any way possible.
Here is 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months....cutie
Hi! What are you doing right now? Oh, picking your teeth...I'm very interested
Love those chubby cheeks
Last weekend we had Cash's dedication ceremony which was wonderful. A little on the chilly side but this kid's gotta develop his winter skin soon anyway. As per usual with Rotach-Beard functions, there was delicious food, crying unabashedly, spilling things, guitars, and lots of love.
Grandma Judy givin' Cash the sauce
Saraphina and her mama Tricia, so good to finally meet her!
Maria and her papa
The shirt we WANTED Cash to wear but he was just a little too snuggly to bother!
Mama gave a little speech
Mama and Papa
Grandpa Dan and his hat
Maria approves of this message! And of Patisserie 46 pastries!
The Grandpas give a little welcome
Grandma Judy and "Grandma" Sue
Jim and Margie came too!
Sing-a-long!
Smiles!
Mama surprised Papa with Cash's first bike. He won't use it for a couple years but it was just too cute to resist. It's called a "Skuut" and it has no pedals or training wheels...he just wiggles down the road...I die.
Papa's turn to talk
Saraphina dances to the sing-a-long!
Violet too!
We had family members write letters for certain events in Cash's life and we will put them in a little time capsule for him to read later. Grandma Judy wrote a letter for when Cash falls and skins his elbow/knee for the first time.
Grandpa Dan wrote a letter to Cash the first time he scores a run in t-ball...or any other sport equivalent, or mathletes...whatever)
Grandpa Mike wrote some life lessons for his first fishing trip
Uncle Caleb wrote a letter of inspiration to Cash for his first school dance
Aunt Megan wrote some words of advice for his first day of Kindergarten
Aunt Mindy helped Cash navigate what to do on his first sleepover away from home
And that's it! Thanks so much to everyone who came and for those who couldn't, we missed you!
