new carseat!

We finally bit the bullet and bought James a new carseat....since he's about 2 inches from outgrowing his infant car seat.  Plus, he doesn't look comfortable in his infant car seat anymore.  I think the straps (even at their loosest) are a little tight on him.  James got to ride in a friend's forward-facing big kid car seat a few weeks ago and I cannot tell you how much he loved it.  He loved being higher up & he stared out the window with a huge grin on his face for the entire 10-minute car ride.

Anyway, the new car seat should arrive tomorrow....I'll get some pictures with James in it & post them.

Now we just need a new car to go with the new car seat... :)

Apple Dip

My friend Elizabeth gave me this recipe for apple dip and it is my favorite football-watching snack ever.  The apples trick you into thinking its healthy...while the cup of sugar ensures that its addictive and delicious :)

Apple Dip:

8oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup regular sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat with a hand mixer.  Serve with Granny Smith apples.

Such boys.

A typical afternoon for the boys in the Holman house.  Both are focused on their electronic gadgets.

Of course, only one of them is actually putting that gadget to its intended use...

Lasagne-Style Baked Ziti & Greek Salad

Now that it really feels like fall (it dropped into the 50s last night!), I've been craving warm, cheesy comfort foods.  Like this tasty Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti from Real Simple.  I doubled the ground beef (because I just happened to have a 1lb package) and it turned out fine.  Plus, it was easy to make on a weeknight, which is always a crucial criteria for me!

Last night, I copied my friend Elisha's recipe for a simple Greek salad.  They went to Greece for their Honeymoon and she has all sorts of delectable Greek recipes which are way too complicated for me.  This one, though, is easy & delicious.

It's a mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion & feta cheese drizzled with Greek dressing (whisk together 2 cloves garlic chopped, 1 teaspoon oregano, 3 tablespoons olive oil & 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar).  Let it marinate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then enjoy!

Six Month Stats

Mom & I took James to his 6-month appointment yesterday.  He weighs almost 17 pounds (16lbs and 15 ounces) which puts him in the 30th percentile, and he's almost 27 inches long (26 and 3/4inches) which puts him in the 53rd percentile.  BUT, thanks to his dad, his head circumference is still in the 80th percentile.  It's a wonder he can lift that enormous head by himself :)

No other news from the doctor except that he got a clean bill of health.  She gave me some direction on solid food---no meat until 9months, but he can start soft finger foods next month.  She confirmed that he still isn't teething, but his gums are much whiter where those first teeth are going to come through---so she thinks he's about ready!

James was super brave about his shots.  This is the last time for awhile that he'll have to get four shots (thank goodness).  I had to console myself afterwards with a pumpkin spice latte.

Swings!

We took a break from football & walked to the playground today.  James got to check out the bucket swings and LOVED them.  He literally grinned from ear to ear the entire time.

like father, like son...

It's here...

Fall.  You can tell that fall has arrived because football is back on TV, flip-flops are giving way to boots, & pumpkin lattes are back at Starbucks.  Otherwise, however, we're enjoying the same rain-soaked weather we've been getting for the past two weeks.  But I don't mind.  It's a nice change from the sunny hot days!

Fall is such a great time of year.  I love the moody weather and the excuse to add cinnamon to everything.  I just wish it weren't so fleeting.

Stuffed Shells

I found this recipe in last month's Better Homes & Gardens and made it a few days ago.  It was simple & tasty & great when you need leftovers for the week.

Assembled & ready to go in the oven...

Baked & ready to be devoured.

weekend outfits

James sported several cute outfits this weekend that I thought you guys should see.  First, and most importantly, James showed off his new ND shirt for his first viewing of Irish football.  Like ND fans everywhere, James couldn't wait for the game to start.  Despite the dismal start to the season, James is still hopeful for a national championship.

James also tried out a new pair of shoes this weekend.  He's not wild about shoes, but his mama is...so he'll be forced to wear them for the foreseeable future :)

On Friday, James wore the shark t-shirt that his aunt Caroline picked out for him for Julian's goodbye dinner as he heads back to Tanzania...

 But the rest of the weekend, James stayed in his birthday suit :)

this time last year...

I was hiking the Grand Canyon while three months pregnant.

We started out at sunrise...

watched the sun climb over the canyon rim . . .

hiked through some wicked switchbacks . . .

but saw some beautiful country (these pictures do not do the canyon justice) . . .

I've never been so happy to see a dirty, muddy river . . .

or the lodge at the bottom of the canyon offering benches, fans and cold beverages.

We (aka Dave) set up camp along the creek . . .

and we threw ourselves in the creek . . .

 to get relief from ridiculous temperatures.

But the heat didn't last forever and we had a great afternoon relaxing in the steam & reading novels, taking occasional lemonade breaks in the lodge.  Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the best part of our trip: the 5-course beef stew dinner or the eggs-and-pancake breakfast the next morning.  I was too ravenous to stop for photos.

I was even a little sad to say goodbye to the canyon the next morning at 5am, as we started our hike out...

goodbye, Colorado river!

again, we watched the sun rise . . .

as we trudged out of the canyon.

Goodbye, canyon! (can you tell i've read Goodnight Moon one too many times?)

solid food, take 2

James didn't seem to like the rice cereal, so we decided to skip right to the good stuff.  A few days ago, we fed James applesauce...and lo & behold, he loved it.  Since then, we've tried sweet potatoes, bananas and peas, all with great success.  James didn't seem as wild about the peas (Stephen, he must take after you) but, being a boy, he polished them off anyway.

On the menu for this week: squash, pears, peaches and green beans.  Next week: sushi & bacon.

Oh, boys.

(warning: this post contains graphic information about poop)

James has a reputation for being an angel in daycare.  (I swear this is not my motherly bias intruding.  Pure fact.)  Apparently, he's the favorite because he doesn't cry (then again, maybe that's what they tell all the moms).  So Dave was pretty concerned when the daycare ladies called him this morning very worried because James was fussy and they couldn't figure out why.  Dave hurried to finish his project and rushed down 20 minutes later, only to find a naked James happily playing on the floor.

When he inquired, the daycare ladies sheepishly explained that James must have needed to poop.  Because five minutes after the phone call, James exploded.  Yes, exploded.  Apparently, it got all the way up behind his ears, into his hair, ruining his clothes and the daycare stroller.  The very efficient daycare ladies stripped him down, tossed him in the bath and threw his clothes in the wash (which is way more than I would have done at home. I probably would have just put James outside and let him roll it off :) So by the time Dave arrived, the drama was over.

The moral of this story? Boys are gross. Even baby boys.