Hoppy Easter

We had a fun little first Easter for Clay. Mike had to work but he was able to make it to the Easter bunny with us the week before and we saved our Easter basket and egg hunt for when Daddy came home. I hid his eggs in all the places he likes to pull up to a stand or to crawl and surprisingly, Clay was pretty good at the egg hunt. So cute. Here's a few pics:

Clay's first visit to the Easter Bunny

His Easter Basket and new xylophone
Little Bunny

Bunnies play the xylophone, too
Giving the bunny a kiss
Funny bunnies
We had Easter bubbles in our basket (his first time to see bubbles)
I'm gonna catch one
Tired bunny

A Day at the Museum

Last week, Clay and I spent the day at the Museum of Nature and Science. Clay's Aunt Rebecca came along and we had such a good time seeing all the little ones play but it was so much fun watching Clay discover everything that he can finally touch and crawl on. Here's a little look into his day:

Touching sand for the first time
You gotta take a little taste
His all too familiar, "I don't like this on my hands!"
Clay checking out all the other kids at the big block table
He wanted to inspect every block

Yes, EVERY block

The water table was his favorite part

At first, he was hesitant...
That feeling went away after the first splash!
Oops, Mom, maybe I shouldn't have gotten so wet that you have to change my clothes.

He loved the museum! The only thing we missed was Daddy (he's definitely coming next time). What a blessing it has been to get to watch this child grow and learn new things. Such a fun day!

Side note: Everywhere we go people comment on how much Clay looks like his daddy. I wish I did but I don't really see it much (and neither do Mike's parents). On a rare occasion though, I'll see a picture with one of those "Mike" expressions (I don't even think Mike knows he makes them). This last picture is one of them- totally daddy.
Here's another one:

Scenes from the Skloss House

So we get home today from our Easter Bunny visit and walking around the mall and Clay is very tired. I have a headache so Clay and I are having mutual nap time. Mike likes mutual nap time because then he gets to go to the gym and doesn't miss out on anything exciting.
He gets Clay all snug in his bed and starts to leave and I ask, " Did you change his diaper?" He says no and I say something about how I think he'll sleep longer and feel better with fresh pants. So he goes in and changes his diaper while I'm getting some other stuff done.
He starts to leave (again) and mentions something about me checking on Clay because he thinks he might be playing in his bed. So, Mike leaves and I go to check on Clay. When I walk in his room, the smell hits. Clay is standing up in his bed, with parts of his curtains and sheers pulled into his bed, too. I think to myself, 'I know Mike JUST changed his diaper. Is the smell still lingering or did he make a fresh mess just for me???' So I lay him down in his bed to do a quick check and sure enough- he left me something special.
I grab a couple of wipes from the changing table (literally, two steps away) and get him all cleaned up. I reach again to the changing table to grab a diaper and Clay starts laughing. Hysterically. I'm thinking- 'What in the world could be so funny?' Ah, yes. The pee fountain. In his bed. Fantastic. As soon as I saw it I shrieked. He laughed harder.
I reach over to get a diaper (again) and the phone starts ringing. Even better. It's Mike calling because he forgot his gym locker key (he's been gone maybe five minutes). He hears Clay laughing and I say, "I'm SO glad you're coming home." Poor Mike, he didn't catch the sarcasm.
He comes up to get his key and wanted to see why Clay was laughing so hard. I show him his son's handiwork and we're discussing who is going to change Clay's clothes and who will change the crib sheet- all the while Clay is cracking up. I wonder why. Between trying to get a diaper the first time and seeing a fountain, then trying again and the phone ringing, I just gave up. As Mike and I look down in disbelief, Clay is now pooping on the sheet. Who needs diapers anyway??

Thoughts From This Mother

Disclaimer: This is a mommy rant. If you're not a mommy, are easily offended or don't care to read rants- feel free to skip this post.

I was watching Dr. Phil the other day when he and T.D. Jakes were talking about teen sex. I thought the show was very informative but I kept yelling at the tv (um, yes I am one of those crazy people). The parents of these children barely knew their kids. I kept pausing the tivo and telling Mike, "This is exactly why we have to be present and paying attention." Finally, at the end of the show T.D. Jakes said something like, "We have a society who is expecting everyone else to raise their kids." Amen.

That's the point of the whole show. It's not just teen sex, it's underage drinking, violence, cheating and so many other things. Parents aren't around enough to impart their values on their children and so they're hoping the school or even the church youth group (of which we are strong proponents) is going to do it. No, parents, it's your job.

Here are a couple of other pieces of media that I have seen lately that really made me think.

This is some of a piece of an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis.

"My daughter was not the priority. I would take jobs wherever I had to take them and I would work all the time. You can talk about working for the greater good of the family and all of the spin you want to put on it, and yet I was just following my mother at the expense of my daughter. "
..."You know she was about 8 and she really said,'Look at yourself.' She said, 'Don't think you're being a good mother just because I look good and I'm a good girl and a good student. Look at the way you're living your life.'
"The only thing children need is their mother. They don't need stuff. They don't need accoutrements. They need the consistency of their mother. The hard, boring, repetitive, day-in, day-out teachings. I missed all that. I would come in, make a big splash, it all looks good, and then I'm gone. It was like, "Was she here?" and I wasn't there for the hard stuff just like my mother wasn't there." Jamie Lee Curtis, Ladie's Home Journal, July, 2007

The other piece is a song that's been on the radio here in Dallas a lot lately. It's by Trace Adkins and for the sake of brevity, I will just summarize and put in the chorus. It's called "You're Gonna Miss This". It starts with a mother and teenage daughter sitting in front of the high school and the daughter says she can't wait to turn 18 so she can do her own thing. The mother tells her,

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Next, the daughter becomes a new bride whose dad comes to visit. He brags on her new place to which she responds that she can't wait for babies. He tells her, "You're gonna miss this". And finally, she is the harried mother of two little ones apologizing to the repair man for her children and he tells her the same thing- you're gonna miss this.

I definitely feel like God speaks to me through the media so much of the time. He was talking pretty loud when I read this article and heard this song. It made me think. I don't want to be the mom who is working all the time just so Clay can wear the latest fashions and I could try to. Do we need to eat out all the time, add more home decor and buy Clay all the latest toys? Is it worth it to me to make money but miss Clay all day? The answer was no.

I kept thinking, who is going to take responsibility for raising this child in a Godly manner? Do I want to blame the media and the schools if Clay grows up to have no sense of moral direction? No. That's mine and Mike's job. If we fail, it's our fault.

So we made a decision. I quit. If you think it's been easy to give up shopping all the time, eating out several nights a week and all the fun parts of being a dual income family- it hasn't. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I take my baby out of his crib each morning, play with him all day and put him to bed at night.

That is how God spoke to me and my circumstances. Obviously, I know quitting your job isn't the answer for every working mom (it wasn't even the answer for me until recently) and that's not what this blog is about. It's about parents truly taking the time to know your children, taking responsibility for molding and shaping them and finally, being present for them because someday, you're gonna miss this.

My Blog Makeover

I just got a blog makeover! Marina at Penny Lane Designs updated my blog and I am thrilled! She has such a gift for design and although we've never met, she totally nailed my style. Everything about it is just fabulous. She did such a wonderful job. Thanks, Marina!

Whirlwind...

I know, I know. It's been forever. Sorry. So much has been going on here at the Skloss house!
Since my last post I have become an official stay-at- home mom. Our little family is thrilled and we feel incredibly blessed that we were able to make this decision. I have a great sense of peace knowing that I will be able to be at home with Clay and enjoy every little minute with him.
Ever since Mike and I have been married, we have worked opposite schedules. This means that with the exception of my vacations from work or holidays when we traveled, we NEVER had a day off together.
Mike has been playing Mr. Mom since he is off MTW and every other Thursday and I took Clay with me to work on the opposite Thursdays and every Friday. Not many dads have the opportunity to spend 3-4 full days a week with their baby so I am so proud of all of the time he invests in Clay and the close bond that they have. It's priceless. Now that I'm home, though, we all get to spend time together. So exciting!
Clay is growing so much! He turned 10 months old on the 9th. His latest stats from his last check-up (3/10) are 28 inches long and 19 lbs. 9 oz. He's right in the 50th percentile. He has two teeth, he crawls and tries SO HARD to walk. Here's a few pictures of his latest stages:



Teething on the coffee table
Trying so hard to pull himself up

And failing...
He has been trying all kinds of new foods- and loving them! He is a great eater. He is always willing to eat his fruits and veggies first but he ALWAYS wants to try what Mike and I are having. Some of his great finds are:

Sprinkled donuts
Tortillas
Cream Cheese Crescents




Having a meal with Clay is always an adventure.

First, we get all pumped up about eating:
Then, we inspect our food:


The eating part is the best- those new teeth help out a lot!

He loves to pull things out of his mouth as hard as he can.
Another of his skills is drinking from a straw. He's so proud.
Except when he misses...
He loves to eat!
And just when we think he's done- he starts looking for more.

On the tray...
In his bib...

When he realizes there is no more, he throws a nice little fit.
Threatens to get physical...
And finally admits defeat.



Even though I was absolutely convinced that Clay would be a late walker because he's so laid back about trying new things, he loves to try to walk. (This mommy is wrong a lot.) He pulls himself up on everything and takes daily walks with his lion.
Crazy driver
"Mommy, I'm tired of this."
Crawling to Mommy.
Reaching Mommy. Success!


So many things are happening here! Since it takes me so long to upload the pictures and update it all, (I'm not the technically savvy type at all) I will update a little over the next couple of days. I have tons of pictures from the last couple of months. Keep checking back for more updates and more pictures! Thanks for stopping by!