That Toy

We have a SERIOUS case of "that toy" going around our house. It's a small orange and yellow truck that the dood holds from dawn until dusk. When he is having his diaper changed, taking a bath, eating dinner, walking running outside, and getting into everything else in between, Noah has the "uck" with him. He even likes to put it in his book shelf or dresser, shut the door, reopen it and start the process all over again. Kind of like a game of hide and seek- but Noah does the hiding and the seeking and the truck doesn't really get a choice as of where.

7:42 AM and look what is in his hand!

Matt's mom gave Noah this truck from Christmas, so I texted her yesterday to let her know what a hit it has been.  I said he LOVES it and she asked me if he tries to sleep with it. I laughed and thought- surely he would never try that, but you can bet your bottom dollar what he got upset about last night. As 8 pm rolled around, Matt started putting Noah down- Noah was determined that the truck should go to sleep with him too. He screamed when Matt put it on the shelf next to his bed. HE WANTED TO SLEEP WITH IT! 

2:54 pm and look what is still in his HAND

I guarantee when I hear his little morning babbles in the next 15 minutes that the first thing he will ask for as I pull his half sleepy smile out of bed will be his "UCCCCCCCCCCCCCK".

We will see how long this phase lasts. I can't say I mind it at all though. Watching him "vroom" this truck all around melts my heart and puts a smile on my face- EVEN if it's my face the car is driving up.

The drum stick is in one hand but we can all guess what it's in the other and this is 5:11 pm.

Happy Hump Day!

Equation for a Perfect Day

Zilker Park+ Sonic Happy Hour+My Man & Dood+ the January Sunshine

= Perfect Day

Enough said.

15 Months Old

Oh where to begin?The dood is like a sponge, he is absorbing everything.

On his own, Noah started telling us that he wants to go for a "walk".  He will approach to the door, touch it, and say "alk." It is so cute. Other words that he has added to his vocabulary this past month- rock, bird, up, truck, keys,  belly, and a lot of other unrecognizable noises (that I can sometimes decipher). He has own language but says the words he knows in context. I know certain noises mean certain things, but there sometimes I have no idea. Noah can understand a lot more words than he can say. I can ask him to bring me his shoes, socks, book, truck, car, bottle, blanket, and ball. He will (most of the time) do what I ask.

He can identify his belly, feet, head, ears, toes and nose. We are now working on booty and  arm muscles ( I want him to flex like a wrestler and say MUSCLES). Haha- I guess we should probably work on things like arms, legs, and lips. I don’t know how we decide what is next. I guess it's just easy things to point to.

He will tell you when he is all done eating, bring you his bottle when he is thirsty, and throw away any trash. His favorite thing to do is push around a car,truck, stroller, giraffe bike, or anything that has wheels. You will most often find him on our floor pushing around something making the "vroooooooom" noise.  Noah will take the truck up your leg and over your face. A phrase he often hears is "BE GENTLE."

As for food, Noah will eat just about anything. This month, I've notice that he loves meat. Chicken, turkey, and ground beef seem to be the favorites. My mom bought him raisins and he is obsessed. He loves picking them out of the little box one by one. It keeps him busy busy busy.

Noah was the perfect name for this little boy. He loves all animals. He has a magnet book of animals that he will play with for 30 minutes at a time (THAT'S A LONG TIME). We took him to Pets Mart and he was obsessed with all the reptiles and birds. He approaches every dog and cat with eagerness like they are his new best friend. 

We still have temper tantrums and spurts of pity parties. Matt and I just walk away and let him sort it out. Noah has a fake cry and a mad face- not my favorite development.

Noah will give spontaneous hugs and pats. He positions himself in my lap to read a book or show me a toy. He will also lay his head on my stomach or shoulder to be sweet. 

There is so much to say, but I'll cut it off now. I need to take some pictures of the acrobatic skills this kid has. It's incredible! 

This has been a big month. He has gone from baby to boy. We continue to count our blessings and love being parents. It is humbling to be responsible for such a precious little boy and shepard his heart towards the Truth. I find that I understand the sacrifice God made 1,000 times more now that I have a son of my own. Thank you Jesus for life! 

Food and Health for 2013

My boy is on an eating frenzy. With the breaking of two new teeth, he can really chew food and try new textures- so much fun.  I don't know how common this is (maybe I should look it up), but Noah has his right eye tooth and right molar right now, but his two front teeth haven't come down. You can feel them, but they don't show in his smile. His eye tooth and molar however DO show in his smile. It is quite lopsided and quite cute.

Speaking of food, Matt and I are going to try an "organic challenge" in February. We are going to buy all organic groceries and see if it makes a difference in how we feel. I will make the same type of dishes that I always do but use organic ingredients.

We are also considering buying a juicer. We eat a lot of carbohydrates for breakfast, and we both have found we feel pretty sluggish by 10 am. Our theory is with a protein packed juice, we might not feel as empty and tired. Now to find the right type of juicer that fits our family. Any suggestions?

I have started boot camp this month, and I love it. My goal is just to go twice a week. It is all these different exercises that I would never succumb myself to on normal day. It is the perfect way to start my morning (even though it is an early morning 5:30 am). My co-worker goes with me, so the accountability also helps. It has also been an eye opener to how out of shape I am. Whooo…I sometimes have to cheat to make it through the drills. We did what felt like a 1,000 lunges on Friday and it still hurts to sit.

I didn't make any new year's resolutions this year, but it seems Matt and I are on the track to make it a "healthier" year. We will see how long this lasts, but I'm confident that there will be some changes. We both have felt challenge to be in community more with our church and memorize scripture, so it seems like we are working on our spiritual health as well.  Here is a verse I am holding onto this week:

"REJOICE always, PRAY continually, give THANKS in all circumstances: for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Hears to 2013 and being HEALTHY!

N & K

My heart melts when I look at this picture. This was taken at Jamba Juice as both of these boys were flirting with every girl they could find. It was the cutest thing ever to watch. Don't worry. They would also stop and break out some dance moves in the middle of the store as well. Needless to say, these two boys love to be rowdy. 

The Bakers spent the night a couple weeks ago and it was double trouble. My favorite part about our time together was having "the dood" (who i am calling scooby dood right now) and "lil bit" both sleep in the same room. After both sleeping 12 hours, Kaleb woke up and was chatting to himself for a good thirty minutes. I kept listening for Noah to respond or get upset. It never happened. I finally went to make sure Noah was still alive.When I walked in there, Noah was just staring at Kaleb-sitting and staring. Noah was so confused who was in his room and creating all that noise. 

They played trucks, shared food, took baths and just wore each other out.  It was a  great weekend, and one we will never forget.

PS- Can we talk about how Noah doesn't look like a baby there? He looks like a boy. MY OH MY how time flies!

Last of the 2012 Pictures- Christmas!

Here are some of the pictures from Christmas with the Boysen family. Enjoy! 

Pudding for Dinner. This is right before the Croup Conquered our Family. 

Grammy and Uncle Daniel

Presents for the Boys? 

The Throne. HE LOVES THIS CHAIR.

My Brother and the DOOOOOD. Love this. 

 I will start blogging more frequently again. I promise. I will post my favorite picture yet of Kaleb and Noah tomorrow. It melts my heart! 

14 Months Young

The dood is 14 months and growing like a weed. I can't wait until his 15 months appointment because I swear he has put on 5 pounds. I pick him up and the dood is HEAVY. We can't just toss him around anymore; it's a task to carry him.

My favorite 14 months development is Noah's love for kitties or as he likes to call them "ditties." We went through my old beanie baby collection, and we took a kitty home. He carries it around everywhere. It's the cutest thing ever.

We now have a climber on our hands. Noah is crafty with his climbing skills. He will push a present or a toy against something to use it as a stepping stool. It's amazing how his mind works. I caught him using a hanger to knock down a bottle on our dresser. Who taught him that?

Noah eats like a champ. He loves oranges and broccoli this month. He will eat broccoli plain. I love this, and I will continue to encourage it. Noah always wants to eat what I'm eating even if it's spicy. This month, he will chow on spicy black bean enchiladas. I wonder if I'm training his mouth to handle the heat. I am a wimp with spicy, but this kid has shown us that he loves it.

As for new words, he is saying thank you, thanks, all done and kitty. He walks to the kitchen and touches the refrigerator if he is thirsty and wants a bottle. He will raise his hands and say all done when he wants out of his highchair.

Noah still loves to be outside and could be out there all day long. He thinks it is a treat to throw away trash in our trashcan. We have caught him many times throwing away crumpled paper. We now monitor to make sure no valuables are going in there. We can hand him our banana peels or anything like that, tell him to put it in the trash, and he will immediately do so. Matt says the next task is getting the dood to take out the trash. I think we have a while for that.

More to come! Christmas photos and a great time with the Kaleb Baker! 

Boysen/Clem Family Photo

I seriously love these two photos.We have mini, medium, and large poodle and all the rest of us huddled together. Matt held Bartlebee like a lamb in the first one- hilarious. Hope this provides y'all with a good smile. 

Ely is a gentle giant, but boy does she look GIANT here!

I am behind on posting. I took a sabbatical from blogging. It wasn't intentional, but it was needed. I think with working at a computer a lot, I was burned out and I didn't realize it. I will post on Noah's 14 month fun and Christmas Eve, but I don't have a lot of pictures over the last couple weeks. I had to send my camera into the shop (it's still under warranty), so I am waiting for that. I love that camera a lot, it's such a great everyday camera, so my everyday pictures are lacking this month. 

Happy Friday! More to Come!