It is hard to believe that this is my FOURTH Mother’s Day!  I had to work today (only for a few hours) so we did most of our celebrating yesterday.  It worked out well since the weather on Saturday was absolutely beautiful!

Here is a run down of what we did this weekend.

Saturday:

• I was up before 6am and went for a “run.”  I am trying the Couch to 5k (C25k) program again (first time this year, third try overall!)  I started again a few weeks ago (I was brave and didn’t restart, just started where I left off in September) and it is going well.  And by “well” I mean I haven’t died.  I walk when I am supposed to walk and run when I am supposed to run–even on the hills (OMG does Pittsburgh have a lot of hills!)   I listened to the Beastie Boys the whole time and tried a little variation to my usual route, taking time to just enjoy the beautiful morning.
• Aaron and Porter took me to DeLuca’s for breakfast.  It was our first time and we went early to avoid the line (we were there by 8am and only had to wait five minutes to be seated!)  I sat where Tom Cruise sat.  Hope I didn’t catch Cruise Cooties.

• After our incredibly delicious and fun breakfast, we walked around The Strip District and Farmer’s Market.
• We did some shopping.  I bought some new clothes for work (nothing fancy–remember, I cover things with paint for a living.)  I browsed through stores by myself while Aaron took Porter for a bit.  For the first time in ages, I just went to a shoe store and just looked around.  Talk about a leisure activity!
• We then went to Lowe’s because I had requested that my Mother’s Day weekend include weeding and mulching the front flower beds of our rental property.  We bought mulch…exciting, I know.
• We then went home and I GOT TO TAKE A NAP.  It was glorious!!!
• After that, I weeded the front flower beds while Aaron kept an eye on Porter.  Not glamorous, but something I had been wanting to do without trying to watch Porter at the same time.
• We had dinner together at home and then went out for ice cream!
• Porter gave me some handmade cards from daycare.  Here’s one: 

Sunday:

• I got to sleep in– ’til 6:45.  Not much, but it still counts!
• Aaron and Porter gave me some very sweet cards and a gift card.
• Aaron and Porter did all of the grocery shopping.
• Aaron did all of the laundry while I TOOK A NAP!  YES, TWO NAPS IN TWO DAYS!!!
• Aaron bought wine to go with dinner and a brought home an ice cream pie for dessert.

This weekend was really spectacular–mostly because this was the most relaxing weekend we have had in MONTHS.  It was nearly work-free (I only had to go in for an hour today.)  It was just so nice to spend time together–having fun, enjoying each others company.  We have had dinner together for five days in a row–a record given what the past few months have been like.

I know that some women probably want fancy stuff for Mother’s Day, but I’m not one for jewelry or mani/pedis.  I just wanted time to do things that I don’t normally get to do–like browse through stores I can’t afford to buy things in.  Or get some things done without having to keep a preschooler out of trouble.  Or sleep!  I wish that I had realized that when I was a kid–that the best gift I could have given my mom was time and space for her to do what she wanted without having to worry about us!

Porter got pretty lucky this year.  Because of Aaron’s and my complicated work schedules and because Porter’s birthday fell on a Sunday, we celebrated his birthday on several different occasions.

Porter didn’t seem to mind!

On April 15, Porter’s actual birthday, we started the day with presents!

And after breakfast Porter helped Daddy put together his present from Mamaw and Papaw–the Anchors Away Pirate Ship Water Table!

Then Porter had to try it out–just to make sure it was working properly, of course!

Once we changed Porter back into dry clothes, we went out for a special birthday lunch.  What Porter didn’t know was that a surprise would be waiting for him afterward!

After lunch, we took Porter to the park and where Aaron and I gave him his big gift from us: a tricycle!

Porter is just a tad too small for the tyke, so didn’t get the hang of peddling right away–but he still had a good time pulling his bike around the park.

After the park we went home and had cupcakes before Aaron had to go to work.  Porter blew out the candle before we even put the cupcake down in front of him!

On Monday, Porter brought mini-cupcakes to daycare where his classmates sang to him while they enjoyed their special treat!

The show that Aaron and I were working on finally opened on Saturday, so on Sunday we had a little party at the house for Porter with a few close friends.  The highlight of the party was the Thomas Coal Car cake I ordered from Oakmont Bakery.

We had a great time celebrating with our friends–even if Porter did retire to his room to play trains by himself from time to time!

And what Porter doesn’t know yet, is that this weekend we are heading to central NY state for a brief visit with my side of the family so it is likely that the birthday celebration will continue!

Hey.  Remember this?

Hard to believe that same little baby burrito is now this:

What Porter is Wearing:

• Finally growing out of those size 24 months pants.  I think he is outgrowing a pair a day!
• Still in size 6 diapers…
• Size 2T and 3T shirts
• Still size 8 shoes
• Still in 2T pajamas

What Porter is Eating:

• Strawberries, apples, grapes, oranges
• Raw veggies only: cucumber, celery, carrots, lettuce
• Has given up on chicken of all kinds.
• Meatballs are still okay.
• So are tacos.
• Salami and bacon are still favored as well.
• Would eat cheese and pickles for every meal if I let him.
• Bread, biscuits and buns of any kind are accepted.
• Tried his first jelly beans on Easter weekend!
• We try to get him to try foods he hasn’t tried before.  His response?  ”I can’t.”  Or “I don’t like those.”

What Porter is Saying:

• It seems as though Porter is connecting with his Tallahassee roots since he seems to have developed  Southern accent.  Only certain words though.  It is like he adds in a syllable.  Can’t is now cay-int.  Down is now day-own.   Aaron thinks Porter is slowing sounding like Paula Deen.
• Porter says all sorts of funny things nowadays; it’s hard to keep track of it all.  Tonight at bathtime he was calling me Computer.
• “I can’t” is an often heard phrase in our house these days.  ”I can’t pick up my toys.”  ”I can’t wear underwear.”  ’I can’t eat this.”
•  Porter can, however, tell us how much he loves us.  ”I love you very much, Mom.”  And “I love YOU!  And you love ME?”  It’s adorable.

What Porter Likes These Days:

• The train that Aaron brought him back from Chattanooga.
• Going to see Mommy or Daddy at the theatre.
• Having one of his trains “listen” to stories as we read before bed.
• Cuddling on the before I get ready for work.

What Porter Doesn’t Like These Days:

• Using the potty at home other than bathtime.
• The mere mention of Pull-ups or underwear.
• Eating anything we order him when we go out to eat with the chips and salsa, celery, french fries, lettuce or cheese being the exceptions.
• Getting read for daycare.

What Porter is Doing:

• We’ve reached this really awkward phase with Porter and my boobs.  In the last week he has started fluffing them like pillows, saying “Ooh, cozy” and then burying his head in my chest.  We’ve talked about how cuddling with mommy is okay, but touching me–or anyone– like that is not okay.  I’ve talked to him and Aaron and has talked to him, but he did it again tonight.  I think we may have to start putting him in Time Out for it…
• Singing a call-and-respond version of Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song (Day-O)”
• Doing a great job using the potty at daycare one to three times a day.
• Consistently uses the potty every night at bathtime.  He actually gets excited to use the potty at that time.
• Singing songs from The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That.
• Cleaning up pretend messes.
• Doing a really well consistently using forks and spoons!

You know, there was a time in my life when Friday night was a big deal.  It meant anxiously counting down the hours, then minutes until class got out or work was over.  Then it was a night full of hanging out with friends, having some beers, maybe seeing a movie or going out to dinner.

Now things are different.  I have bills to pay and mouths to feed so no money to spend all willy-nilly on cocktails and nights on the town.  I’m tired.  And besides I can’t drink like I use to and I’m in bed by 10:30, so even if I could go out I would have one drink and fall asleep in a booth somewhere…did I mention the part about being tired?  And of course the biggest difference: I’m a mother.

So now Friday nights are exciting in a different way.

Last Friday night there was squealing, clapping, dancing, and laughing in our house.  Was it because we were blowing off steam from a long week of work?

No.

It was because Porter pooped in the potty.

Yes for the first time ever, Porter pooped in the potty!  Not only that but at our pre-bathtime potty time he said, “I’m going to poop in the potty.”  And he DID.

DOUBLE.  AWESOME.

There was so much whooping, hollering and clapping that if you were walking past our house you would have probably thought someone inside hit the lottery.  But no, it was just two overly excited parents wildly and loudly praising their son and his momentous achievement.  And though Aaron and I did celebrate our own fantastic parenting skills over a beer after Porter went to bed, Friday nights are quite different now.

And I am very much okay with that!

One of the best things about Porter at this age is his ultra-active imagination.  It is incredible to hear him come up with story lines, characters, voices – all weaving together this very real scenario in his head.  This happens everyday, several times a day.  It is just him entertaining himself.

One of my favorite so far happened as I was making dinner the other night.  Aaron and Porter just came home and I was already in the kitchen cooking.  Porter went to his room and closed the door.  Aaron was reading mail at the dining room table.  The following scene took place:

Porter: (making a noise like a European police siren) weee-ooo, weee-ooo, wee-ooo  Oh no!  Dat’s the phone in the kitchen Santa brought for me!

(The sound of running footsteps.  Porter flings open his bedroom door.)

Porter:  Phone is ringing!  I get it!

(Porter runs from his bedroom, down the hall, passed the kitchen and to his play kitchen in the corner of the dining room.  He has one shoe and sock on and one foot is totally bare.)

Porter (answering his fake phone):  Helwo?  Hi Papa.  I can’t talk now.  I taking off my shoes.  Okay.  Bye!  (hangs up phone.)

(Porter runs back into his bedroom.  He closes the door.)

And scene.

And stuff like this happens All. Day. Long.

It is amazing.  I love being a parent.

The title of this post was actually created by my friend Karyn who said that she really enjoyed the What Porter is Saying portions of the monthly update posts.  She referred to his sayings as “Porterisms” and now here is an entire post devoted to just that.

As you know, I’ve been a bit behind in the blogging as of late so Porter has said A LOT of funny things in the last three months or so.  Here are the phrases I remember:

• The other night I was getting ready to go to work.  Aaron was in the kitchen.  Porter was in his room playing with his trains.  I heard Aaron start asking Porter about his day.  They were chatting back and forth when Porter interrupted Aaron: “It’s not funny, Dad!  NOT FUNNY AT ALL.”  But Aaron wasn’t laughing and made no reference to anything humorous, so we have no idea where that comment came from.  Porter keeps saying it–especially when he is getting scolded.  Last night, I sternly told him that it was inappropriate to squeal at the dinner table to which he responded very seriously, “It’s not funny at all.”
• Porter now likes to announce his bodily functions.  He will run into a room and say, “I pooped!” or “I pooping!” or “I peeing!”  It does not matter who is around or where we are, by the way.
• “Smiley Face Cookie House!”  That’s Eat N’ Park.
• “Star Store!”  That’s Macy’s.
• “Cay-ron”  That’s a crayon.
• “The M car.”  That’s our minivan.  It’s a Dodge and he think that the ram emblem makes an ‘M’ shape.
• He has entered the dreaded “Are we there yet?” phase.
• “Tea time.”  Though he definitely heard the term from some episode of Thomas and Friends, he actually isn’t referring to a late afternoon cuppa.  ”Tea time” is what is calls dusk or dawn.
• “Tea whistle!”–that’s what he says when he hears the tea kettle sound.
• “Take a break.”  Porter tends to get all wound up and over-excited at daycare, so his teachers frequently tell him to sit down and “take a break.”  Now he will tell himself to take a break while at home, particularly when he is on the verge of a Time Out.
• “I don’t want to know!”  Aaron and I were talking in the kitchen while I was making dinner some night last week.  We laughed and something and then we heard Porter chime in from the living room, “I don’t want to know!”
• “On time in two weeks!”  Honestly?  We don’t know what this means.  And he says it ALL the time.  He’s been saying it for at least six months!  Aaron and I have tried to figure it out…we know that being “on time” is something very important on Thomas and Friends.  The only thing we can come up with for the “two weeks” part is from the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, in which the caterpillar stays in his cocoon for two weeks.  Why does he put the two things together?  Beats the heck out of us.  And we can’t even use context clues to help us figure it out because this phrase is usually surrounded by a rapid-fire string of toddler gibberish.  ”On time in two weeks!” is usually the only thing we can make out of the whole thing.  We hope to figure it out someday…

If you have enjoyed this post then you may want to check out HowToBeADad’s My Kid Just Said page on Facebook where parents can post the amazing, confusing, hilarious things that their children have said.  It is amazing.  Aaron and I have both laughed ourselves to tears while reading some of them–especially the “house carrots” one.  Enjoy!

Saturday, October 8 Aaron and I will be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary.  A lot has happened in those five years, heck, a lot has happened during the eight years we have been together–but these last five have been pretty epic.  Getting married, buying a house, having a child, moving a few thousand miles, starting new jobs.  Never a dull moment!

I try to keep this blog focused on Porter and my journey through pregnancy and parenthood, but I have decided to take a little break from that to share with you a few things about Aaron and me.  Without further ado…

FIVE FUN THINGS ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT AND WEDDING:

- Aaron asked me to marry him at sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain, in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine–August 13, 2005.  I was completely shocked and wasn’t expecting it.  In fact when I finally realized what was happening as I saw Aaron reach into his pocket to get the ring, everything went in slow motion.  And silent.  I can’t for the life of me remember 99% of what he said as he asked me to marry him.  Way to go, Lori.

- We were on vacation when Aaron asked me to marry him, a camping roadtrip through New England and New York (my home state.)  We didn’t tell anyone about our engagement for five days.  We kept it to ourselves until we made a pit stop in NY to see my parents.  We actually told my brother first.  (He designed this website’s header and logo.)

- We had our ceremony outside and I had a bee stuck in my veil for the duration.  Our best man Kris was able to free the bee shortly after the ceremony before we began receiving our guests.

- I high-fived Aaron at the altar after we kissed.

- We entered our reception to the following song, not because we were bragging about our sexual prowess but because it was the most badass, funky song I could think of.

And this is us hamming it up to that same song.

Happy Anniversary, Aaron!  I love you and I love living my life with you!

Since our backyard camping experiment was such a success, we decided to brave camping in the Great Outdoors last weekend!  We found a state park about an hour drive away, invited some friends who also have a toddler and set out for a camping adventure.  Overall, it was a great time.

We got to the campsite early and set up our tent before our friends arrived.  This allowed Porter some time to get use to being out in the woods.  It also was mid-afternoon on a Friday so the other campsites in our area of the park weren’t filled.  This allowed Porter some freedom to explore a little more.

He just loved walking around in the woods, kicking through leaves and pointing at all of the cool stuff he was discovering.  We saw deer–not in our backyard or at the zoo, but in the woods!–so that was fun.  And loved snack time in the park too.

After our friends arrived with their toddler (just six months younger than Porter) we quickly learned how important it was to have an adult available to wrangle the children!  For the remainder of the evening one, or sometimes two, of us had to chase down the kids.  No doors or gates around to keep them in one area, but we had a lot of fun just hanging out, eating hot dogs and making S’mores.

And then bedtime came.

Obviously, the kids did not want to go to bed.  They took turns screaming from their respective tents, each with parents by their side trying to console them.  Porter’s friend Maria fell asleep much more quickly than our guy who was just so excited to be sleeping outside in a tent again…well, after he stopped crying.

I stayed in the tent with Porter trying to get him to relax and go to sleep.  What followed were some moments I hope to remember forever.  He asked me questions about the sounds he heard–the fire crackling, voices from neighboring campsites, the steps of raccoon outside of the tent (REALLY.)  We talked about the moon.  I recited bedtime books to him.  He looked out the screen window and pointed at the fireflies.  He eventually cuddled up close to me and said, “Goodnight, sweetheart.”  I said, “Goodnight, Porter.”  He said, “Goodnight, buddy.  Sleep tight.”

And my heart melted.

He did fall asleep–on me.  I tried to gently remove him from me, but he somehow managed to fling his body completely across me.  I got very little sleep that night because Porter was just flinging himself all over the tent in his sleep–always ending up on me and taking all of the blankets!

The next day, we made pancakes and went to the lake to swim.  Porter absolutely loved it!  It was his first time in a lake.  He called it the ocean!  After that, we all went out to lunch during which Porter sat in a booster seat not a high chair and he finally figured out how to use a straw!  We think that letting him try to drink from our Camelback water bottles helped him to learn what to do.  On top of those two major achievements, Porter also managed to take Big Boy bites from his chicken fingers!  Epic mealtime milestones all around!

It really was such a good time.  Aaron and I haven’t been camping since the summer I got pregnant back in 2008.  It felt good to not only be back in the woods again, but we also got to share our experience with our son for the first time and with our friends.  I can’t wait to do it again!

Our weekend was eventful.  It included a collision with a deer and a trip to urgent care.  Believe it or not, those two incidents are not related.  The best thing that happened this weekend BY FAR was our participation in the March of Dimes March for Babies here in Pittsburgh.

Our team was smaller than last year, but we managed to raise a total of $820–that’s $320 past our team goal!  This year our friends Amanda and Brian walked with us with their little girl, Maria.  Porter likes to call her “Mar-EEEE-AH.”

Though the cause was the same, the Pittsburgh walk was very different than the Tallahassee walk we did last year.  It was a longer distance (about 3.5 miles) and covered lots of different terrain: through city streets, over and under bridges, strolling riverside and rounding bases at a ballpark.  It was a great way for us to explore this city that is still very new to us.

It was a little rainy towards the end but over all it was really great.

Our 35 weeker, now age 2!

Thank you to all of our friends, families and blog readers for donating to this worthy cause!  As always, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Aaron wrapped up his semester on Monday, which means he is officially on summer break.  Since I am going to be incredibly busy starting later this week straight through until almost the end of June, we decided to make the most of all of the free time we have between now and then.  We were blessed with amazing weather this week which was a bonus.

On Monday evening one of Aaron’s colleagues threw an end of semester cook-out at her home.  We had never been to her house before and as soon as we arrived our jaws dropped–she lives in our dream home!  Old Victorian house (over 100 years old,) large open porch, amazing wood panels on the main staircase, several fireplaces, stained glass windows, butler’s pantry…and because she is a set designer with impeccable taste, the decor was absolutely perfect.  Just the right amount of modern items, vintage items and all sorts of art from around the world.  And the yard?  Oh my goodness–flower beds lush with color, herb gardens, hammocks, swings, fire pit.  Everything about the place was amazing.  We asked our hostess if we could live on the third floor.  She didn’t take us seriously (we were totally serious.)  Even Porter loved it.  She let him play on their piano, organ, congas and other percussion instruments.  He was so fascinated with all the art and since the house is huge, he just kept running through the house and out the back screen door (just a screen with a slit) into the yard.  This of course gave me major anxiety (a pretty house, but not necessarily toddler-friendly.)  Porter has asked us every day if we can go back!

On Tuesday I had a meeting for a show I will start working on next week.  It is going to be a little challenging going from no job to painting two sets as fast as humanly possible in four weeks, but I am up for it!

On Wednesday Aaron took me to another university event.  This time at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Yes, we got to party at the stadium–fancy food, raffles and tours of the Great Hall, field and locker room.  Now Aaron and I aren’t sports fans by any stretch of the imagination, but we both thought that this was a pretty cool opportunity!  And I got to play Vanna White with some Super Bowl trophies.

On Thursday we went to the Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival in Oakland.  It was really fun and very affordable.  Tons of free stuff to do, various kids’ groups performing and other theatrical performances with paid admission.  I swear, Porter would have just been content walking around and looking at other kids all day!  We visited Amococo, an inflatable labyrinth sculpture constructed by Architects of Air.  I had seen the crew setting this up when I went to my meeting on Tuesday and was really intrigued.  I had no idea what the inside would be like, but let me tell you–it was incredible.  Like being in another world!  If you have an opportunity to visit any of the AoA’s Luminaria do not hesitate to go.

Here are a few photos I took while we were inside Amococo.  Sorry about the quality.  My phone couldn’t really capture how amazing this really was.

Friday and Saturday have been rather relaxed, which has been nice.  Porter has been running a slight fever on and off (teething?) so we have been lying low.

I am so happy we have spent so much time together this week.  I will be very sad about not seeing them as much in the coming weeks.  It is going to be rough, but I have July to look forward to!