Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and a New Year

Sooooo, it's been a while since I've had a few minutes to sit in front of the computer for fun (otherwise known as blogging).  And with Cade asleep for a few more minutes, I will try my best to update y'all.

October - Our family welcomed our nephew (the boy's cousin) Thomas in October.  He is the fourth grandchild on my family's side and the fourth boy. We looked forward to meeting him in December at Christmas.

With Cade becoming a full blown walker, we really enjoyed Halloween.  The boys ran walked around the neighborhood in their costumes with a few friends.  They filled their goodie bags with candies and had a blast playing in their costumes.  The grown ups joined in the fun with an adult beverage in hand.  :-)

November - The whole family was struck with colds, coughs and flu bugs from mid-October until early November.  Thankfully, we were well at Thanksgiving, unlike the past two years.  As usual we spent Thanksgiving with Brian's family having so much fun.  Coming from a large family, we are always guaranteed lots of hugs and great conversation.  Oh, and wonderful wines to enjoy throughout the holiday.

We also made an impromptu visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house in November.  We became members of the SB Zoo so whenever we visit, we make sure to go to the zoo. The boys love it!

December - Seriously, how did the end of the year arrive so quickly?  Nuts!  Well, as quickly as the end of the year arrived, the actual month of December was a blur.  And boy, was it cold!  We had multiple weeks of frost and temperatures in the low 30's. Anyone reading this who lives on the East Coast has free right to growl at me right now...I deserve it. 

Christmas was AMAZING!  This was the first year Brock actually understood what Christmas means. He had a lot of fun making a wish list and asking a lot of questions about what Christmas. He's very curious. One thing we want to instill in our kids is that holidays are not about receiving gifts but more about the spirit of giving.  So we put together a bag of toys to donate to other kids.  Brock thoughtfully selected the toys to add to the bag.  I was proud of him for his actions. And in turn, Santa was kind to him, giving him a few presents from his wish list.

Legos, Cars and Planes were a big theme this year.  The boys are now learning how to share (ugh, wish us luck!).  In addition to presents, Cade got six, yes SIX teeth over the holiday break.  Two top teeth in the front and all four pre-molars are coming in.  Poor kid has been gnawing and drooling like crazy!

Having all four cousins together at Christmas for the first time was a blast.  Brock asked a lot of questions about baby Thomas and Logan, trying to understand where he fell in rank.  He seemed reassured that he was still the oldest and that Cade wasn't going to turn into a sister (now talk about medical marvels...).  The boys played together nicely most of the time and enjoyed each other's company.  We took them to the beach, the zoo and the park.  Lots of play was had, indeed!

Unfortunately both boys caught colds and coughs around the holidays.  By the time we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's Brock was well but Cade was very ill. We ended up taking him to the urgent care where they put him on prednisone.  But by the end of the week, he was in tip-top shape.  The downside was baby Thomas and Cade had to be quarantined from each other, so I didn't get too many snuggles with my newest nephew - next time Thomas!

Welcome 2014! - We welcomed 2014 with a noon year's eve party. A few of Brock's friends gathered at the park and at noon, we blew bubbles.  That way the kids had a chance to actually celebrate without having to stay up all night.

Cheers to a new year filled with prosperity and promise!

Cade and his new year, new hair cut.  He looks so old now! :-(

Walking and babbling Cade and All Boy Brock

Cade starting to walk at 13.5 months.  He went from taking one step, to two steps, to running across the room in less than one week!  He's motivated to start chasing his big brother!

Cade is also quite the babbling babe these days. A lot of his words sound like, "ba" but he points in the general direction of the item he wants.  His squeals and claps indicate we deciphered his request appropriately and we feel mildly successful.  When he gives us pouty face, we go in for more questioning. 

Cade LOVES to eat.  Seriously, this kid is one hearty eater (hey Brock, you could learn a thing or two from your little bro).  Any food you put in front of him will be devoured within minutes. The only thing he doesn't like is milk. He only wants "mama's ba" (that means Mom's milk, in case you don't speak Cade).  So we haven't weaned him yet of that...soon, I hope!?!

The boys love to argue over toys, blankets, cuddle time...pretty much anything they can argue over, they will.  Cade is fearless and will head butt Brock if he's angry.  He also will hit Brock on the head. Of course, when Brock whines about it, we just remind him that his brother learned these things from him.  Ah-ha, we've silenced a toddler - for about two seconds.  Then he comes up with some clever response.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.  I know one day (soon???) they will be the best of friends but there is still a lot of sibling rivalry going on.  All in good time, right? 

Brock is still as energetic as ever.  He still loves all things wheels.  And reading books.  He loves using his imagination and coming up with witty stories about, um, everything.  It's all random but very cute.  Mommy, we are a family of cats who gets saved by the Iguanodon because the super race car was going down the track very fast and then we flew away in an airplane... We recently entered the super hero phase.  Everything is super hero this, super hero that.  He now wants to be Superman for Halloween.  And has told us Cade will be, too.

 

Brock is still obsessed with the Stanford marching band. Thankfully football season has started; our seats are above the band so he gets to watch his buddies from afar and cheer them on.  It's all too cute to watch the boys at the games.  Like me, they have NO idea what is going on but enjoy the atmosphere and cheer at anything. 

 

 

As always, we are thankful to be healthy and happy.  Life is good. 

Cade turns ONE

Cade recently celebrated his FIRST birthday! 

He has an affection for balls like no other, so with that, we themed his birthday, BALLS!  Our backyard was filled with blow up balls (still is, now that I think of it...).  What an easy and colorful way to decorate.  He repeatedly said, "ball" all day while pointing and smiling.  If he could talk, aside from his few choice words; one being "ball", I think he would have given his birthday a double thumbs up with lengthy commentary on his brother stealing all his presents, eating his cake, and snagging as many balls as he could carry away from his reach.

 

Some of the greatest milestones happen to babies around their first birthday.  Cade gifted himself a third tooth for his birthday.  He also can scoot/crawl.  He hasn't started to walk yet, but if there was an award for the fasted one-legged crawl, he would be a contender.  He's also figured out who his immediate family is: da (daddy), bock (Brock), mama (mommy), along with a few other words (in addition to ball): hot, ba (bottle), ba (blanket), bur (bird), aaaa -with waving hands (all done), hi, bye, uh-oh, book, and lots of babble that I'm sure means something...

Cousins - the oldest and the youngest (and 10 more in between!)

Peek-a-BALL?

The greatest part of Cade's birthday is (and always will be) that he and his Aunt Beth celebrate together.  When we were pregnant, for Beth's early birthday, our OB gave us this sealed card to give to Beth from future baby.  She was the only person who knew the gender of the baby until delivery day.  I'd say this was the best one-of-a-kind birthday present we could have ever given!

And now, one year later, here they are celebrating their birthdays together - and will for years to come!  Brock and Cade are lucky to have their Aunt close by and they both love her dearly (we all do!).

 

Happy first birthday, Cade!  It's been a whirlwind year adjusting to you in our lives.  We love you so much and can't imagine life without you.  Cheers to many more special birthdays for our special boy.

Summer fun, continued...

We have really taken advantage of the long (warm!) summer days.  Someone recently said to me that when raising kids, the days are long and the years are short.  Isn't that the truth!  We are trying to seize every moment (good and bad).

So how are we spending our long days?  Playing!

At the end of July, we took a day trip to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa in Monterey.  While Grandpa and Uncle played golf at Pebble Beach (and quite well, I might add), the rest of us went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We knew Brock would be excited but we had NO idea Cade would too.  He kept pointing to the fish and saying "ooooh".  Brock especially liked the big tank. The boys rallied for several hours before crashing out. 

That shiny background is fish swimming overhead. Cade's favorite part.

On the terrace of the aquarium watching the seals.

Grandma and Cade enjoying the day.

In early August, we met some friends in Truckee for a long weekend of fun. The mountains are incredibly beautiful and reminded me that we need to go more often - and yes, I say this after spending the first 24 hours bed ridden with altitude sickness.  It was that fun!

Brock looking sporty in his kayak.

Brock and Brian post kayak (Kate and Erik behind on the right)

Truckee beach

Nature at its finest.

When we are not adventuring out of town, we spend the rest of the days enjoying our beautiful city.  Whether it be lounging in the yard, playing at the park, or hanging out with friends, this summer is going by too fast but at least we are making the most of our days.

Our guys love to read (yay!)

Mildly successful at potty training.  We have a loooong way to go.

Summer Fun

We are in full summer swing at the McCormick household. 

Brock is REALLY into cars, trucks, trains...pretty much anything with wheels.  He is also deep into imaginative play.  He could spend a large chunk of his day playing with his toys by himself.  Brock sometimes, not often, will even allow Cade to play with him.  He chooses which toy Cade gets to hold and naturally, Cade wants the one Brock is holding.  Crying, screaming, and pouting ensue....

Outdoors, he still loves going to parks and playing in the sandbox and play structures.  He also loves to swim.  After being in the YMCA's Little Splashers class for over a year, Brock graduated and had his first session of instructor-led swim classes.  Teacher Daphne was patient with her class of four boys!  I'm not sure how much Brock learned in class but he sure had fun messing around with his new buddies. 

Like any toddler (especially boys) Brock is in that stage where he hits, throws tantrums, screams...you get it... He has been called an "aggressive toddler", a "spirited toddler", and a "typical boy".  Seriously, when did strangers decide it was okay to approach me and lecture me on how I should raise my child?  Is their kid perfect and therefore they have earned this right?  (Breathe, Lori, breathe...).  Brian and I aren't always happy with Brock's behavior but every day is a new chance at helping him grow and learn.  Forget the Terrible Two's; those were easy compared to the Terrific Three's. 

One thing is for sure, Brock is funny - and clever - and cheeky and - oh, I can go on and on about how fun he is. I  LOVE this kid!!

 Cade is already 10.5 months old.  He has two bottom teeth but there are a couple on the top that are about to burst through the gum any day now.  Poor kid drools like a St. Bernard.

Drool baby, 10 months old

Cheerios. That's all I have to say to get this little guy to stop fussing and smile.  If it were up to Cade, he would live on Cheerios. To be fair, he enjoys pretty much anything to offer him.  He's a good eater.  Finger foods in particular are his favorite - peaches, mangoes, banana, zucchini, bread, sweet potatoes...really, anything.  I usually cut up some fruit or well cooked veggies and throw them on the high chair while blending up our evening's dinner in the Cuisinart.  Cade will happily nibble away on his appetizers, then eat dinner with the family.  He loves to be a part of the action. 

And some days he eats Cheerios off the floor.  Yep, 2nd kid syndrome...

Cade is a full blown crawler and a partial lifter-upper (like that?).  He has this silly scoot/leg drag he does, which you would think would slow him down.  Not at all.  This kid can move.  He is firmly determined to follow his brother around, even if that means dragging that lazy leg.

Toys are different for Cade than Brock at this age.  Cade basically wants to play with whatever Brock is playing with.  I guess that is good for us because we can start to pitch some of the "baby" toys and go right to the trucks and cars.  Both of the boys LOVE to read (or be read to...).  Brock can go through 10 books in one sitting.  Cade loves to hold books and point at pictures. 

Every day (seriously, not kidding here...) some stranger tells me or Brian how cute our daughter is. I think it's funny but I'm pretty sure it annoys Brian.  People tell us it is because of his curly hair that they mistake him for a girl.  This "issue" brings us to the great battle of the Mc Cormick's.  I think his hair is perfectly charming and the curls, while maybe bring out the feminine side in him, are adorable.  He's my pretty boy.  Brian wants to cut the curls and make our boy look like a burly man. 

We lowered his crib after this picture was taken - he was about to climb out!

Well, curls or no curls, Cade is one happy baby and we are madly in love. I think Brock is secretly in love with Cade, too.  Cade is ga-ga over Brock.  He would follow that boy to the moon and back. 

Milestones!

It's been a couple of months since I've had a moment to post.  But don't let my absence fool you, there have been plenty of happenings going on here.  Too many, in fact, to write about. 

Here are some key milestones since the last post:

Since Brock's birthday bash (which he still raves about!), we've made a significant break through in Brock's development - no more pacifier!  Yep, at his three-year check up our physician said to him that he needed to stop using his paci and to start using the toilet. I'm happy to report that Brock quit the pacifier cold turkey the night of his check up (huge shout out to our Rock Star physician!).  And, I'm also happy to report that he hasn't looked back. Only once did he ask for it and then said never mind, I'm a big boy... I know these stories sound ridiculous to an adult but to a three year old, this is a big deal.

I'm so proud of him for being brave. His pacifier was his way to feel safe and comforted.  He's now learning how to self-soothe (no pacifier brings on a whole new set of sleepless challenges).  However, let's focus on the positive - he is especially proud of himself when he sees another kid similar in age still using his pacifier.  He makes it a point to remind me that he doesn't need his anymore because he's a big boy.

(I should add these words are bittersweet because it means my baby is growing up, sigh...).

Potty training hasn't been as successful, but we are determined to kick the diaper habit soon.  Brock will use the potty on his own terms. Born into a family of stubborn minded people, I can't blame him for being set in his way, but man, that kid can negotiate! I'm not admitting he wins his argument all of the time, but yes, on occasion, I cave and let him forgo the official rules and grant a reward when he really doesn't deserve one (translation: sitting on the toilet doesn't constitute urinating into the toilet.  But he still gets a prize for trying).  We've bribed rewarded him with stickers and a cool book that when you press a button makes a flushing sound but nope, not interested.  So recently I pulled out the big guns.  M&M's.  Still, nope, no way, nada. He loves his diapers.  Sigh...  I've been told to let him be naked for an entire weekend and he will break the diaper habit.  The weather is warming up so perhaps I'll try this tactic next. Stay tuned!

Brock is also becoming quite the sportster. He is enrolled in classes at My Gym and absolutely loves it.  I've watched him develop skills such as listening, balance, agility, and strength.  I wholeheartedly recommend My Gym or something similar for your kids. He graduated from his YMCA Little Splashers class last week and will start swim classes in June.  These classes, unlike Little Splashers do not require parent participation. He also plays soccer in preschool.  Coach Jamie has wonderful feedback.  Brock is a team player and a good kicker.  :-)

On to Cade.  This little bug keeps getting bigger and bigger. He is now 9 months old (whaaat? I know, that's cray-cray!)

 Last week he crawled AND got his first set of teeth (yes, his two front bottom teeth came in simultaneously). Our normally happy-go-lucky baby has been a fussy little fellow.  Who can blame him?  He has TWO teeth coming in and his little knees are tender from all that movin' and shakin'. You should see the grin on his face when he crawls over to an object he's been eying.  Pure satisfaction.  It's delightful.

Cade is also loving finger foods.  His favorite is of course, Cheerios.  What kid (and adult) doesn't love those crunchy little O's?  He also loves shoving piles and piles of mangoes, pears, peaches, strawberries, avocado, blueberries and meat loaf down his gullet.  Champion eater!

Cade can also wave hello/goodbye and sort of says "haayy and baayy"  Does he really know he is saying "hi" and "bye"?  Probably not.  But this momma wants to believe her smartie pants is actually talking. 

As usual, life is blessed.