We'll be home for Christmas!

We're in Arizona for the holidays, so we'll be MIA from the blog scene while we soak up the sun and hang out with family and friends. If you're in town, we'd love to see you. Have a very merry Christmas!

Cool, Cool Cleveland...

It's definitely chilly here in Cleveland. Fortunately, Stetson and I had a little reprieve from the cold when we went to Arizona for two weeks. Lafe had finals, so he was able to do heaps of studying while we were gone, but we missed him so much. Stetson and I had a blast hanging out with all the family and soaking up the sun.

Stetson loved playing with Mason!

Luke babysitting Stetson...

Hangin' with the Chaffee cousins in Grami's playroom.

We were only home for 48 hours before we headed to Lee and Vanessa's for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania!

We had a great time at Lee and Vanessa's. Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous. Vanessa brined a delicious 20-pound turkey, and her lemon meringue pie was picture-perfect (and tasted awesome, too). To keep the kids out of the kitchen, we headed to the creek behind their house. [Lafe took all the pictures at the creek]

We spent the rest of the week playing games, going to the outlet malls at midnight on Thanksgiving, and having an awesome breakfast buffet Saturday morning at Shady Maple Smorgasbord (more than 200 feet of all you can eat, home-cooked food for $8.99).


Stetson playing with Noah B. at Thanksgiving dinner.


Thanksgiving is yummy! (and so is this basketball...)

Little Edison was so perfectly behaved that we hardly knew he was there. Jaxon and Lily are such a good time and were wonderful with Stetson. Lily is all sass. Here are some of my favorite Lily-isms from the week...

Lacy: "Lily, do you like to wear cute clothes and shoes?"
Lily: "That's what I do."

Lily: (after every single toy commercial) "Jaxon, will you get that for my birthday?"
Jaxon: "Only if you share."

Lily: "Fine. If you don't watch this movie with me, then you don't get to watch the next one. We're not going to watch any movies then."


Jaxon is a little techno-phile. If he wasn't playing on the mac, then he was taking pictures on my LG Chocolate phone. It made for a pretty funny moment when I was browsing my phone's pictures on the drive home and realized Jaxon had snapped a picture of Lily going to the bathroom. Thanks, Jaxon! At least it was Lily and not Lee...

All in all, we had a wonderful time! But it's good to be home again. We're only here for two weeks while Lafe does sealants, then it's off to Arizona again for the holidays.

Welcome to the Jungle!

Thanks to Aunt Heather for letting Stetson borrow this super cuddly tiger costume. Stetson was a great sport for Halloween despite having a cold. Tuesday night, he burst into tears at the first trunk during "trunk or treating." Apparently begging for candy isn't really his scene. (Darn! We figured that during these early years we could capitalize on his cuteness and hoard the Reese's).

He enjoyed the party inside a lot more, but only lasted half an hour before being ready for bed. He fell asleep on the drive home. Don't you just want to kiss him?

Tonight, we had a rockin' party at our friends' home. Okay, so once you have kids, the parties you go to aren't really the rockin' type. But there was great food, fun games and some awesome costumes. Yes, that's Lafe in the gorilla suit. Stetson thought my safari hat was hilarious and surprisingly wasn't too scared by Lafe's costume. (People handing out candy -- scary. Dad in gorilla suit -- just fine. Figure that one out!) We hope you had a very happy Halloween!

Separation Anxiety

"In some ways, this phase of your baby's emotional development will be especially tender for both of you, while in others, it will be painful. After all, his desire to be with you is a sign of attachment to his first and greatest love--namely you. The intensity of his feeling as he hurtles into your arms is irresistible, especially when you realize that no one -- including your baby himself -- will ever again think you are quite as perfect as he does at this age. On the other hand, you may feel suffocated by his constant clinging, while experiencing guilt whenever you leave him crying for you. Fortunately, this emotional roller coaster eventually will subside along with his separation anxiety."
-- Your Baby's First Year, The American Academy of Pediatrics

This describes exactly where Stetson and I are right now. It's good to know we're normal. Sometimes I absolutely adore how attached he is to me, but other times I wish I had a little more personal space. When he's clingy, Stetson makes it difficult to wash dishes, blow dry my hair or snuggle with Lafe. But I'm equally attached. The last time we left him with a sitter, I cried the whole way to dinner. I suppose that's what happens when you spend all day, every day hanging out together. We're best buddies, and I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Although this blog is usually dedicated entirely to the escapades of one spectacular baby, I'm making an exception for this video. I missed the performance on television, but quickly remedied my error by watching it online. For those of you who know me well, you know that I love all things dance. This number embodies all that I love about dance -- it's a break from reality with high energy and spectacular visual elements. And it makes me want to get up and move!

I loved watching Wade Robson's choreography on So You Think You Can Dance? and I'm glad to see him on other shows! This performance was on Tuesday's results show of Dancing with the Stars.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OLJASCTZ3z0

What a Weekend!

My wonderful husband decided last-minute to join me and Stetson in Washington, D.C. Lafe's parents as well as Lee and Vanessa and their kids were spending a few days there and we were invited to join them. My first trip to D.C. was fabulous! I got a 48 hour sample of what D.C. has to offer. We spent time at the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. I also got to see the White House, Capitol Building, and the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. My cousin Lindi, her husband Ryan, and their little girl London are living in D.C. while Ryan is in law school. They met us at the Lincoln Memorial and we spent some time catching up. We also spent a few hours at the Air and Space Museum.

Here are some pictures from the trip... (Lafe gets all the credit for the beautiful location shots.)

I can't wait to go back to D.C. Next time, I want to go to the National Archives and the Library of Congress. What are your favorite parts of Washington, D.C.?

Stetson and Mommy, Standin' in a Tree

One of the other moms snapped this picture of Stetson and I while apple-picking. We're making such great memories here in Cleveland!

The Apple of My Eye

Today Stetson and I joined some other moms and kids
for apple picking at Eddy's Orchard.
We had so much fun!

The weather is crisp and cool, and the leaves are just starting to change colors. Best of all, the apples are delicious! Stetson loved riding around in the Snugli and chewing on apples.

Binkie Brothers!

While our friends were moving, we got to watch their son Dean. He's such a fun time and is one of Stetson's best friends here in Cleveland. In fact, we credit Dean with teaching Stetson how to crawl. Dean and Stetson love to play together -- especially to steal each other's pacifiers.


This time, they also loved playing with some childproof Christmas ornaments I had made. Thanks, Mom, for the great idea! I had so much fun making some with the other moms during play group. Other moms out there -- if you want to know how to make the "quilted" ornament balls in the picture, let me know; they are the world's easiest craft and my baby loves them!

Happy 1st Birthday, Dean!

Interior Decorating

I've had a hard time figuring out the best way to decorate our mantle. My sister gave me the perfect picture frames as a housewarming gift. I haven't put pictures in them yet because they need something else to go with them. I needed something with a little color and personality as well as enough height to fill up the space. This week I found the perfect mantle accessory...


(Don't worry. Lafe is standing right there so he can't fall!)
Sorry, this one-of-a-kind home accessory is not for sale!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig!

Well, Stetson and I are back in Cleveland after a whirlwind trip to Mesa. Stetson was a great sport during the four hour flight. He fussed for about five minutes on the flight to Arizona. When I took him to the pediatrician later that day, I found out he had a double ear infection! After 24 hours on the antibiotics, he started to feel much better. He could not have been more perfect on the flight back to Cleveland. Unfortunately, he was on Arizona time, so he didn't go to bed last night until 11pm!

In Mesa, we had a great time watching Jackson's JV football game (Stetson is quite the football fan), dancing to Hudson's piano playing, going to Mesa's Constitution Celebration, eating at Rosa's and Gecko Grill (Stetson loves Gecko's spicy bean dip), and shopping at AZ Mills. The best part was just visiting with family. Stetson was a little clingy at first -- he's such a momma's boy -- but soon warmed up to everyone.

Lafe is glad that we're finally home, and Stetson was so excited to see his Dad! It's nice to have our little family back together again.

Crazy Cleveland!

I'm definitely an Arizona baby. I'm accustomed to blazing hot steering wheels, lukewarm swimming pools, and buckets of sunblock. I've almost always celebrated my late-September birthday with a swim party. What I'm not used to is 55 degree weather in the middle of September! I know all you Arizonans are still melting away. Here in Cleveland, we're bundled in jackets. A big thanks to Ness for Stetson's Hurley jacket. It's so snuggly and oh so handsome.


I feel like I should be hanging up Christmas decorations and listening to carols -- this is winter weather! It's certainly making me nervous for winter here. Fortunately, I'm heading to Arizona next week with Stetson. Yay!!!! We're going to miss Lafe so much, but I can't wait to go home for a few days. Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Go Gators!

Congratulations to the Florida Gators for winning their game against Tennessee! We had a great time hosting a little game-viewing at our house with plenty of snacks.

My Little Mouse

Just another tale of Stetson's mischief...
This morning, while we were playing in the front room, I left the room for just a minute. When I returned, I found him gnawing on the computer mouse. I have no idea how he was able to reach it on our desk. It seems nothing is safe from our little mischievous mouse!

Mr. Mischief

Now that Stetson is crawling, he loves to explore! His favorite off-limit areas are the computer, the kitchen and the bathroom. He crawls away, looking over his shoulder every few minutes to make sure I'm watching, and laughs at me! In this picture, he was so proud of himself for getting to the computer and pulling over the desk chair before I got there. I love this boy!!

King of Swing

I took Stetson to a really fun playground on Tuesday morning. His favorite part was the swing! As you can see, he grinned the whole time. We're having such a great time together here in Cleveland.

Everything's not coming up Rosa's!

True to our Arizona roots, we were craving Mexican food Friday night and decided to try out a local restaurant. From the outside, it looked like a dive -- which seemed like a good indicator of real, authentic flavor. But unfortunately, the food was rather bland and overpriced. It appears we didn't fully appreciate living around the corner from Rosa's when we were in Mesa. But we did manage to snap this picture of Stetson. He seems to be taunting us because his Gerber beef and veggie dinner had much more flavor than our burritos!

It's Time to Ferberize!

Stetson was always a great sleeper. He slept through the night at a month old. However, when we moved to Cleveland, he suddenly had a hard time falling and staying asleep. It may have been the change of environment or just his age, but it started to wear on all of us. This week, we used the Ferber method to teach him to fall asleep by himself. The first night, he cried for about 20 minutes. He also woke up in the middle of the night and cried for about 5-10 minutes. But each night was a little better. Last night, he fell right asleep and slept a solid 11 hours! We are a much happier family. Thanks, Dr. Ferber -- and to Heather and Caprice for their advice, knowledge and support!

This is how I found Stetson after Thursday's nap.
Time to raise the side of the crib!

Holy Cannoli!

While enjoying the Feast of the Assumption festivities last weekend, we discovered a spectacular dessert -- cannoli! It's an Italian pastry where a tube-shape shell of fried pastry dough is filled with a sweet vanilla cream.

It was amazing... and a true "holy" cannoli. It was served by the Holy Rosary Church (seen in the background of this picture). Best of all, we don't have to fight these insane crowds to enjoy it any time we want; we live walking distance to the best bakeries in Little Italy.

Sights and Scenes of Cleveland

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

We are enjoying all there is to do and see in Cleveland. Last Friday, we joined the Arnows at the Indians game. They were playing the Yankees, so the stadium was packed! Although the Indians got creamed, we had a great time riding the train downtown, cheering at the game, and watching the spectacular post-game fireworks show. We were pretty tired when we finally got home around midnight, but it was a lot of fun.

Stetson devouring the program.

The view from our seats. Check out the cityscape!

The Feast of the Assumption

Today, Stetson and I walked with Lafe to school and spent a few hours in Little Italy, a small neighborhood just past the school. This weekend is the Feast of the Assumption. It's a weekend-long party that kicks off with a mass and procession. We watched the procession from the front lawn of a house with some other moms and babies. The procession had everything -- music, costumes, the Virgin Mary on a golf cart, and a bishop praying on a bull horn. As you can see, Stetson loved it!


The costumes were so colorful. And I kept wanting to steal all the little girls!

Stetson is having a great time meeting new friends.

We miss the cousins!

Stetson has the best cousins! From Luke saying Stetson's name to Wyatt's prayers, we know that Stetson is going to have great friends in his cousins. Here are a few of our cousin pictures:

We're not playing favorites, I just don't have any pictures with Stetson and his other cousins! Although we don't have any pictures with them, Stetson loves his Good cousins -- Henry, Arden, William and Regan. Does anyone have pictures of Stetson with them?