Savannah's big girl room

This past weekend, Mick's wonderful parents took Savannah and Noah to spend the weekend with them in Cape Girardeau.

Mick and I got a chance to relax and have some "couple" time, which was wonderful. However, the main reason why they were there was so that we could finally get around to painting the kids rooms (we've only lived here for 7 months, I know...)

All of the design decisions were based on the amazingly colorful duvet cover that I found at Pottery Barn Teen a while back. That, and the fact that I really wanted Savannah to have my wrought iron bed, which was my first big girl bed as well!

Therefore, here is the finished product. We are still missing a few things (wall hangings above the bed, curtains, etc.), but overall I'm really happy with the way that things are coming together!

One half of the room- I LOOOVE this bed!

The rails aren't very pretty, but they are definitely necessary at her age!

The pin board was white, but I painted it with the hot pink paint and I love it! The mirror will get hung in the room somewhere.

These are Ikea spice racks that I painted pink- I love them for book ledges!

The sweet side tables are from Target and I love them. The alarm clock is designed to turn green at the time when it's okay to get out of bed in the morning. So far, she seems to be getting the concept, though she keeps unplugging it, so I've become and expert at setting the clock!

It's been an interesting transition for her to a real bed. She was in a crib until right after her 3rd birthday, when she finally figured out that she could climb out of bed. Since then, bedtime has been a battle to say the least. Here's hoping that having a room this pretty will make her want to go to bed easily and be the good sleeper that I always bragged to everyone about!

Unfortunately, this makeover did have a sudden an unexpected turn. Let's just say that the 20 year old white carpet will never be the same again. But more to come on that in another post!

With much Metzger love,

Meredith

Sweet Savannah turns 3!

It is so hard to believe that last Friday, we celebrated our baby turning 3. I'm always in awe of how much children change from month to month, when as adults, I feel like I stay pretty much the same. But looking at pictures from even three and six months ago, she looks like a whole new person!

Savannah is a sweet, spunky three year old with personality for days. Sometimes this is a blessing, and sometimes, the greatest challenge of my day. :-) She is headstrong and always wants things done her way, on her schedule, and with her as the star of the show. As the oldest child, I can't imagine where my oldest child gets all of these traits...

She loves to eat (most days), loves her little brother (most days), has a great time at school and the daycare at the gym (most days), and above all, she loves Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the Clubhouse gang with ever fiber of her being (all days, nights, weekends, holidays, etc.)

For her birthday, Mick and I decided to take her ice skating. Though she didn't really get the hang of it, she did have a great time watching Mick and I skate around her, and sitting on a chair on the ice. She was brave enough to try it a few times, which I was really proud of her for.

She also got moved into a big girl bed (her crib with the front taken off), and this weekend, Mick and I plan to redo her room and give her a real big girl bed. I am really excited about that as I think she is really going to like it.

We went to the doctor today. She weighs 31.2 lbs and is 37 inches tall. She's still a peanut, but growing how she should and meeting all of her milestones, which I'm so grateful for.

She has had a little trouble going to bed lately, so I've been trying several tactics. I'm going to see which ones work and then I'll report back so I can remember them for when Noah turns three. Eek!

Here are some pictures from her birthday. We will have a party with her friends the first weekend in February, but we were able to celebrate with family on Saturday, and she enjoyed the presents, but most of all, the family and of course, the cake.

I love this picture. It shows how much they really love each other (even if they don't always act like it!)

In her big girl bed. She wasn't very happy about it...

16 months!

Dear Savannah,

How has it already been 16 months! Seems like just yesterday that we went to the hospital to have you, but you are now a walking, chattering tornado with a mind of your own!

You are becoming a very adventerous walker, which has led to a few spills, a few tears, and a few forehead bruises. You is really doing well with it though. You still can't stand up without pulling up on furniture, so that is the next trick that you will have to learn! Overall, though, you are very good at getting around and love to run around, rather than be held or carried!

You talk all the time. You definitely do a lot of jabbering, but you say quite a few words. In addition to the ones I've already talked about, you have added "oh boy, I know, Neigh (what does a horsey say?), Ooh aah (What does a monkey say?), Kiki (kitty), book, opposites (from your FAVE book, the Book of Opposites), back, bath, up, what's that, who's that, no no (your current favorite- you use it for everything that we have told you not to touch- outlets, the toilet, trashcans, etc.), uh oh, nana (for banana). You also say hi and bye to everyone that comes in and out of the door. Recently, you have started saying hi to everyone that we walk past at Target, the grocery store, etc. It is hilarious but a little embarrasing as you literally chase people around the store yelling "hi! hi!". But generally people think you are cute and funny. I know I do!

Your favorite toys are all books. You love the same ones you always have, and bring them to me or Mick to read to you all the time. You still take a bottle in the morning and at night, but we will begin phasing those out soon. You have recently started watching Clifford's Puppy Days in the morning, and seem to really enjoy it. That's the only time that you really watch TV. Plus, it gives Mommy and Daddy a chance to get ready for work!

You also still love your push toy that Laura and Kyle got you, as well as your singing picnic basket. Your favorite toys are still remotes, iPhones, etc. You love your tree swing that we have in the backyard, and you LOVE to chase the cat around. Sometimes she'll even let you pet her, which thrills you to no end.

You still take two naps during the day, and go to bed around 7:00-7:30ish. You love baths, and I think that you are really going to enjoy going to the pool this summer. We take walks around the neighborhood a lot, and all of the neighbors think that you are the cutest thing. Of course, we do to. Not that we are biased or anything.

You wear some 12 month and some 18 month clothes. You are still a peanut. You still hate bows and won't wear them. This makes mommy sad. Hopefully, someday you will decide that bows are alright.

You don't have a ton of baby friends right now, but you hang out with Brady quite a bit since he is right across the street. You also occasionally see Thomas.

Basically, you are a joy to be around and we are so grateful that we were chosen to be your parents. Life as a parent has been so many things, but through it all, we have had a wonderful time seeing the little person you have become in 16 short months! Baby girl, we love you!




Savannah and Linus keeping a watch on the neighborhood!


Mommy

This weekend and a kid craft!

Good morning all! How is it already Wednesday and the 24th of April?! This month has flown by, and though we are well into spring, you wouldn't know it with this cold weather. Everytime I go to put away my sweaters, I have second thoughts because it's so cold!

This weekend, we really worked around the house. Saturday and Sunday were beautiful warm days, so we spent some time trying to get our garden into shape. Mick and I both love beautiful plants and bushes. However, for some reason, our backyard has only one mission- to kill everything that we try to plant back there. We think it is because of the giant pin oak trees in our yard. Though the trees are beautiful, they suck every OUNCE of water and nutrition out of the soil, and as a result, our backyard is now affectionately claled "where plants go to die".

Despite this, Mick and I plant things every year just hoping that this is the year that we will manage to win the backyard battles. Below, see a picture of the "sunroom" garden. As you will see- there are two things that we have managed not to kill: a knockout rosebush and a small, spiky red plant (yes, that's the technical name).



In addition to the rosebush (on left) and the spiky red plant, this bed has tulips, day lilies along the back, and a hydrangea, which I'll talk about below.



 One of my favorite plants of all time is the hydrangea. So far, I've planted 4 in my backyard in the "fence" garden, and each one has met a painful demise. So this time, I've changed it up and added it to the sunroom garden. I've also named him, in hopes that having a name may make him want to fight for his life more than if he were anonymous. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Howard:

This is Howard. He likes acid-based fertilizer, partial shade, and clouds who aren't afraid to cry on him periodically.

Here are a few more pictures of the plants we have in our back yard. It is my hope that at the end of the summer, I'll be able to post pictures of how they are thriving. Here's hoping...



In front is the lamb's ear that Mick's grandmother gave us. This is also a 2-year survivor. In the back is a gorgeous purple salvia. This is an addition for this year.



This is the "fence" garden. This year, we planted a forsythia bush, tulips, and some purple Phlox. The little hosta that you see in the back was transplanted from the sunroom garden. The squirrels keep eating it up there, so maybe back here, they will leave it alone!



Other than that, it was a pretty uneventful weekend. We hung around the house and spent some family time playing outside and hanging out. On Sunday, my sweet husband got up with Savannah and let me sleep in. Imagine my surprise when I came out of the bedroom to find this built on our coffee table. Is it me, or is my child an architectural genius?!?!?

On Monday, I took the day off to take Savannah to her 15 month checkup. She passed with flying colors and got her shots like a champ! She is currently in the 23rd percentile for height, the 50th percentile for weight, and the 85th percentile for head circumfrence. Here's hoping that she eventually grows into that head. Otherwise, she's going to be like her uncle Ryan, who has an EXTREMEMLY oversized head. I'm sure he would say that it makes him smarter. I would probably disagree, though in Savannah's case, it's surely true!

Here's Savannah waiting for the doctor! Poor little thing- she has no idea that the shots are coming!



This week, Savannah got her first pair of "designer" shoes- sparkle Toms. They are so cute!

 

Here's my sweet girl with our azelea out front. How darling is she?



Here's Mick and I before our dinner date this weekend. Love this guy!

 On to the kid craft! On Monday, I felt like being creative, but it was a little to chilly to do anything outside. Therefore, I decided to copy an idea I've seen on Pinterest and make some art for Daddy's office! To do this craft, you really only need a few things:

1. A picture frame with a mat- I think this one was from Target- I got it a while ago and had it sitting around.

2. Finger paint- we used Crayola washable, non-toxic paint. Washable is crucial. You'll see why in a minute.

3. Newspaper or something to cover the area you are painting. If you care about your floors/table, this is also important.

The paint we used and the newspaper taped to the floor.

Here's what I did. I simply took the mat out of the frame and laid it on a bunch of newspaper that I taped to the kitchen floor. I also took off all of Savannah's clothes except for the diaper. That made cleanup much easier.

Then, I squirted some paint on a plate and let her go crazy. We even had a little help in the form of Garth, but I wouldn't advise it, since dog+paint=

Puppy prints on the tile! Fortunately, it was easy to wipe up. This is why washable paint is important!

 Voila! Here's the finished product! I "helped" her fill in the blank spaces and make the colors more even, but the tiny fingerprints are hers! The red blotch on the top left corner is Garth's contribution.

What do you think?

We have an (almost) walker!

For months it seems, Savannah has been cruising around the house. One of the perks (for her) is that in a 986 sq. ft. house, she can get almost anywhere by cruising on the walls and furniture.

However at Grandma's house, she is forced to let go and walk in order to get her toys or her all time favorite book, The Book of Opposites.

Yesterday, I was able to catch her earliest walking on tape. Here is our (almost) completely mobile baby- how is she already this big!

Happy Friday! We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Hopefully it will warm up here and stop raining!

15 months old!

Good morning! How is it already Monday? It seems like the weekends just FLY by, especially when they are full of nice weather like this past weekend! We mostly just hung out- I worked at Father Daughter on Friday night and had an auction committee party on Saturday, but we got some time to hang out and relax, which was nice.

Last week, our "baby" turned 15 months old. How is that possible! I really should probably start referring to her as a toddler, but she's still that little bitty bald baby that I brought home from the hospital 15 months ago!

At 15 months, Savannah is:

1. Taking a lot of independent steps, but not full on walking yet. I'm pretty sure she is going to take off any day now!
2. She LOVES books. Her favorite ones right now are Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants, Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug, Easter Surprise, Lots of Lambs, I Ruff You, I Love You Through and Through, and Bedtime and Playtime Peekaboo.
3. She really isn't interested in TV at all yet. As strange as this sounds, I hope by the time we have to drive 12 hours to Florida in July, that she will get a little interested in some TV so we can use that to distract her in the car!
4. She still takes two naps- one around 9am and one around 2pm.

The weekend of Easter, we had some family photos taken with Christina Weyers. Here are a few samples of our pictures. I am so pleased with how they turned out. She did a wonderful job!

If anyone is looking for an STL area photographer who is talented, timely, and affordable, I encourage you to check out CW Photography.

When we eat pasta for dinner, we have naked dinners!

Have a great week!

Weekend Activities

This weekend, we relaxed around the house and had a nice time during the first truly warm weekend of the year. I am so ready for spring, so hopefully this weather is here to stay!

Friday night, we hung around the house and relaxed. Saturday was a beautiful day, so Mick and I got some yard work done during Savannah's naps! Mick's parents were flying to San Diego on Sunday, so they came up and spent some time with Savannah while Mick and I took Ally out to a birthday dinner at Drunken Fish. Yummy sushi!

Sunday, we went to the park and ate lunch. We also hung up her tree swing in our backyard, so I think that we spent most of Saturday and Sunday swinging in the yard! We also had Mom, Dad and Ally over for the first official BBQ and meal on our patio of 2013. It was a nice weekend! Here are some pictures from the park!

This weekend, Savannah tried to walk on her own without us coaching her for the first time. I was in the kitchen, and turned around to see her trying to walk from the table to the sink by herself. She almost made it across the kitchen. Looks like someone is getting brave! You also started saying the word "puppy". It is very cute!

Happy to be walking at the park!

Had to get a picture of her with a bow in her hair. Usually, bows last no more than 5 minutes, so I put it in and bribed her with lunch! :-)

My big girl eating lunch!

I love how thoughtful she looks in the picture. I also love this little polo onsie- thanks for the adorable hand-me-downs, Katie!

"Mom, more walking and less picture taking"

Thanks for reading!

10 Things I Love about 14 Months

I thought it would be fun to write down a few things that I love about Savannah at this age. She's doing so many new things, and I want to remember what age she was when she started doing them:

1. I love your "sponginess". You soak up new words and knowledge daily. I love seeing the lightbulbs go off when you learn a new word, or how a new toy works.
2. I love giving you a bottle at the end of the day. I know that very soon, we are going to have to get rid of the bottles. For now, though, I love snuggling with you and relaxing as you end your day with a bottle.
3. Even though it can be frustrating at times, I do love that sometimes, you only want Mommy, and that if you are upset, you turn to me to calm you down. I love being the number one person in your world.
4. I love seeing you interact with the world around you. When we are out places, you often wave hi and bye bye to the people who talk past us. I think it's hilarious to watch them smile and wave back at you. You bring joy to everyone, not just Mommy and Daddy!
5. I know that your days of being non-mobile are drawing to a close. Though I know that you are anxious to get up and walk, I am enjoying you being where I put you and not being into everything. Especially now that I know that your gross motor development is a bit slower, but still normal!
6. I love how well you eat. You love to eat, and eat most everything that I put in front of you! We are working on the spoon and fork, and you are good at it as long as we put the food on the utensil for you. You make very funny faces when you eat raw tomatoes, but that's about it. You love, and don't appear to have any allergies or sensativities to any foods.
7. I love reading to you. You are old enough that you are participating in books. You know the gestures to make in response to certain pages, and it's fun to watch the things that you are interested in. You are sure to let me know which books you like, and which ones you have no patience for!
8. I love that you still have some of your baby habits, but you are growing into a toddler so fast. You still rub your eyes when you are tired, you still snuggle when drinking your bottle, and you still sleep in your crib on your tummy with your behind up in the air.
9. I love how great you are at sleeping. You still take two naps- one around 9am, and one around 2pm. You go to bed between 6:30 and 7, and wake up around 6am. You sleep through the night, and generally go down without a fuss.
10. I love your little body- your round tummy, chubby cheeks, tiny hands and feet, and your legs with the rolls. I even love your mullet! As you grow older, these things will stretch out and grow away, but for now, I love them.

In 5 days, you will be 15 months- where has the time gone! I love you Savannah!

Man, am I bad at this blog stuff!

Obviously, since my last post (December 2011), things have changed just a bit. We welcomed Savannah Amy on January 9, 2013 through a scheduled C-section because she was breech. We went to the hospital at 9:30am, went into the operating room at 11:30 am, and she was born 6lbs, 15oz at 11:43am. The song Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera was playing on the radio in the delivery room.

Kind of an odd "welcome to the world" song, but here we are, nonetheless.

Currently, Savannah is 14 months old. She is cruising, but not walking on her own yet. She loves all food, mommy and daddy, and practicing walking. She just sat up from a prone position for the first time last Saturday. All of her developmental milestones are going well with the exception of gross motor. We are working with the Parents As Teachers people and we just saw First Steps the other day to see if we can't get her caught up.

She can say a lot of words, including "mama", "dada", "oh yeah" (which is in the style of Mr. T.), "ball", "baba" (bottle), "meow", "mooo", "dog", "whassa" (what's that?), "bath". Her first real word besides mama and dada was "E-i-e-i-o." I count it because she said it while I was singing the song to her.

Walking with her push toy- thank you Kyle, Laura and Kellen- I love it! At our house, we rock the diaper and sequined headband. That's just how we roll.

She HATED Santa, but loves the Easter Bunny. Personally, I find him a little scary, but what do I know...

Look at my eggs, Mom! I love Easter Eggs!

We are looking forward to a great Easter weekend this weekend- we plan to hang out, take family pictures on Saturday, and visit Perryville to see our Hoeckele cousins for Easter Sunday!