My kid

I failed to post Mason's stats yesterday, so I thought maybe I should. He weighed in at 20 lbs. which was a bit of a surprise b/c I expected him to be more than that. He has been a little sick, though so the Dr. said he probably lost a little. But, overall she was pleased with his weight gain. He was 30 inches long. That puts him in the 75th percentile for his height and 15th for his weight. Pretty standard around our house. He's fighting a little cold right now, but other than that, he checked out healthy and growing. yipee! I'm still struggling w/the whole 12 months-old-thing, but if I don't move on soon, he'll be 24 mo's before I even realize what's going on!
So, here's to my TWO gigantic kids. Seriously, if we have any more, I won't remember anything or notice what they accomplish at all! I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled! You gotta love 'em!

cake extravaganza

Here we are. Birthday all done. Cake eaten. Mess made. Happy Family :). Brooklyn helped me make the cake from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and it turned out quite well if I do say so myself :)!

The finished product wasn't exactly as I'd imagined...(never is), but I think it looks ok. I made a batch and a half of frosting, thinking I'd have enough leftover to write or decorate the top. Not so much. So...sprinkles instead. But it's ok, because I think it turned out alright. The recipe worked great and we decided it kind of tastes like a sugar cookie. YUM!
Mason wasn't quite sure what to do with it and was significantly less messy than Brooklyn. Her pic isn't digital, though so I'll have to scan it in for comparison some other time. He had that whole cake on his tray and he wanted me to feed him bites of mine. Talk about demanding! It was fun though. And, lastly, just 'cause it's so cute:
He can allllmost see over the table. He tries really hard. Up on his tiptoes and stretched as far as possible. He can even snatch stuff if it's close enough to the edge. He loves our kitchen window since it's low enough to see out of! Tomorrow's the Dr. appt. I'll have stats for everyone then! Happy Sunday!

One Year...ALREADY??!!

I can't believe that my baby boy is one! It's so bizarre that a year has gone by so quickly. At this time last year, we were calling family and telling them we had a boy. He didn't even have a name! But, he certainly does now. A name, a personality, an opinion, an attitude...the list could go on and on. So, I give you, Mason Gerhardt Hibshman -- One Year!

These are just the present opening festivities...Check back tomorrow for the cake extravaganza event that is scheduled for tonight! Happy Birthday, Buddy! We love you!

picky eaters

Who knew that a one-year-old could be such a picky little booger? It was only a few weeks ago that Mason would eat whatever you handed him; and beg for more! Now all of a sudden, just when he really needs to be eating what I give him, he's decided he only likes certain things. Two weeks ago, he ate chicken nuggets no problem. Today, he took it from me and threw it on the floor. Two weeks ago, noodles were on the top of the list. Now, won't even open his mouth! What happened? Why now?? I was hoping to be rid of his bottle/formula around his birthday (which is on Saturday :)), but now I'm not certain he's getting what he needs from the food I offer. He'll always eat grilled cheese, yogurt and bananas. That's well rounded....right?? I know it isn't and it's freaking me out just a little! I haven't tried peanut butter yet, but it is next on my list. What else is there?? Occasionally he'll eat a bite of Brooklyn's hamburger, but he'd much prefer the fries!! Green Beans? NO WAY! I just don't know what to do! Any ideas? He's only 1! How could this be happening already?? And to my BOY! I thought boys ate everything!! I can't even coax Brooklyn with, "Mason's eating more than you, come on!" Usually, he isn't! I'll take any suggestions! Thanks in advance!

a great idea!!

Ok, I have to post again! I just got this great idea from my Friend Sarah. Check it out! She's an awesome stay-at-home mom and great at coming up with ways to keep her two munchkins busy! Thanks Sarah!

2 little monkeys

Two little monkeys sitting on the floor! It was snack time at the Hibshman House and what better to snack on than bananas?? I started out feeding Mason, but soon got bored, so I just handed him the banana. He was in heaven (and ate the whole thing, I might add)! Good times good times!

This is the fruits of Brooklyn's "labor" at the playdough party. She LOVED the party and made a "Frosting the snow hotdog" with it at home. (after watching me make a snowman, who I called frosty; then i made a hot dog....Frosting the snowhotdog was born!)
The last couple days I've noticed how strangely content Mason is with a pile of books. This is just a small example, today Jon sat him next to me on the couch to get him out of some trouble in the kitchen. He pointed to a book on the floor and sat, contentedly, until we were ready for dinner. Crazy! The kid isn't quite 1 yet! I love it!
Finally, last but not least, Face meets bookcase = owie slightly resembling the Verizon sign... Think I could get any $$ from it?? Probably not...It's a nice thought though!

New Template Shout Out~

Thanks to Ashley I have a new design! She is this awesome blogger who offers free templates! Check her out at Cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com She even tells you how to put it into your code! Thanks Ashley!!

January for sure

It's officially January in T.V. land! Yes, I mean American Idol. I just wasted a couple hours of my life on the wonderfully addictive show and I must say; I was not disappointed. The good, the bad, and the ugly to put it mildly. Seriously, why do some people do it?? I don't understand what posses some. Then, there's the rare few who can actually sing and enjoy it at the same time. First of all, who wants to see a guy in Princess Leiah's Jabba-the-hut dancing costume? Let alone a hairy guy who can't sing? Then there's the self-proclaimed "dork" who never really explains why she wears her "costume", but rants and raves about everyone else's dress choice. Serioulsy girl, if it was about your outfit, you wouldn't have even made into see Simon, Paula, and Randy. Oh and don't forget the wanna-be-vetrinarian (definitely a credit to the professions since she has 6 or so pets in her one-bedroom studio apartment that she shares with her mom....) who takes offense to some incredibly mild comments by Simon and Randy, and vows to take on "actressing" and be successful at it just to show them up. Not to mention the fact that she looked like she was in her late 40's not her actual young 20's. Oh well...What would America be without these people, right? On with the show, I say. Even though my favorite never wins....bring it on!

today

Finally feeling better and Blowing a kiss to Grandma, Good Night! (and thanks for the pj's Grandma Hibshman!!)

Ever wonder what to do when you can't get to sleep but you're kinda tired? This is what Mason does....it seems to be effective!

Random, I know...but fun nonetheless!

playing catch-up

I realize I've been promising pictures and an actual blog for a while, now. It's rather daunting when so much time as passed! I feel like I have so much to blog about, that I don't know where to start. So, I'll give a quick run down of the last little while, then I can start blogging about trivial, unimportant things again! We had a great Christmas in our own home this year. Although we missed our families, we enjoyed being together and letting the kids actually open their toys and play with them. (Usually, we put off opening the boxes until they get shipped home to IA. It's the safest way to get all the pieces there :).)

So, this is my first Christmas Eve dinner. Ham. I was a little disappointed though, it turned out cold! GRRR!! Oh well. the rest of it was tastey.
What would Christmas Eve be without new Jammies? A little on the big side, I know; but when you have a kid on the scrawny side and a kid on the long side, what else do you do?
Brooklyn and Daddy arranged the block nativity after we talked about it. Isn't it awesome?!! I love that the angel is on the shelf above!
Ah, Christmas Day. Yes, Brooklyn's stocking is more than half as tall as she is. Santa doesn't even try to make it "full". She loved digging in it, though. (my mom is SOO amazing! She made all our stockings!)
Mason isn't quite sure what's going on....He was ready for a nap before we were even done opening presents. Good times, good times.

Mason's first gift. Brooklyn was so excited she could hardly contain herself!

What would Christmas be without a princess dress??

More gifts.

Ahh, presents

Our little Mets fan....too bad he won't leave it on. He looks so darn cute in it!!

Isn't this how everyone plays with Little People (a.k.a Children)?

Can't go wrong with a Princess book!

The "loot", Santa (a.k.a. Grandmas) definitely knew where we lived and how to get in (Brooklyn was very concerned with how he was going to get in...).

A little Jaunt over the snow mountain with Gage. What a gentleman to hold her hand!

The day after Christmas brought the journey to UT. I think this is actually the day after the day after....but you get the idea.
Occasionally (i.e. most of the time) Brooklyn has a little trouble with her pants.

I'm seeing a trend. The best way to get a toy from point A to point B? In your mouth, of course!

Good times at Grandma Carole's

Our First Ice skating experience. Unfortunately, Jon was the only one stable enough to keep himself and Brooklyn up. I am not so coordinated. I was lucky not to be on my butt.

Mason and I supervised ice skating from inside. He wasn't too keen on letting me leave the room just yet.

Off to go sledding! YIPEE!

Brooklyn LOVED going down on her own. She giggled the entire time and definitely wasn't ready to leave when everyone else was.

We made it down together once or twice,

The Wedding, of course. Such fun!

Jon's Grandparents...Aren't they cute!

Every Daddy needs a heart and star necklace!

Finally heading home. There were smiles....some of the time.

Whew! That's it in a nutshell! We had a great time and so much went on! Now, we can move on to the New Year and our LAST SEMESTER!!!! WOOHOO!

Home again

Well, we made it safe and sound. (For those of you who were wondering!) We left my parents' house in Corinne yesterday (Tuesday) at 8 a.m. and drove until we made it home around 3 a.m. We were planning on stopping around Grand Island for bed, but kept seeing some ominous storm clouds in our rear view mirror. The kids were basically sleeping anyway; so, we jammied them up and kept driving. I'm not sure I'd recommend it with an 11-month-old, but Brooklyn did alright. As long as Jon took a decent rest (which he did) he was fine. So, we're home. Our Christmas decorations are put away (still working on the gifts) and the grocery store is calling our name ;). Soon, our house will be put back together! Thanks to everyone in UT who made our vacation a great one! Check back later for pics and fun times :)

Happy New Year!

Hello all! I don't really have time for a decent blog, but I wanted everyone to know that we are still alive and kicking. Utah has been great. Due to dial-up internet, blogging has been a little scarce. However, perhaps soon there will be time (don't hold your breath, though). Good New Year to all and I hope you all travel to your homes and abroad safely!