Friday Things
(How funny is this picture? It looks like Joseph is doing some sort of serious choreography routineโฆ Iโm pretty sure he was getting ready to run after Duke.)
1. Joseph turned 20 months old on Monday! Heโs such an awesome little guy and I have so much fun interacting with him every day.ย A little update on him:
Favorite Foods: Banana, Cheerios, grapes, avocado, applesauce
Favorite Toys: Anything musical, mega blocks, balls, and random boxes that are delivered that he can climb on.
Heโs such an affectionate little guy. He loves to give hugs and kisses and often will carry aย stuffed animal around the room to share it with everyone (even Duke), and pretends that itโs giving everyone kisses. Thereโs nothing better than an unexpected hug and kiss from him!
2.ย So many of you have asked how Duke is doing on his own (thank you!) โ heโs definitely a little bit different, less crazy spastic than usual, and more attached to Joseph than he had been. Usually when I go upstairs to get dressed, Joseph comes with me, and Duke has been following us the last few days. He lays near us when weโre playing on the floor (just like Einstein used to do), and has been more patient with Joseph (Joseph also loves to give Duke big hugs and kisses and he would sometimes spaz out before, but now he just lets him do it).
3. Iโm now past the 38-week mark and weโre about 10 days from my due date, ahhhh!! I FINALLY packed my hospital bag (it had been on my to-do list for weeks, ugh), which is much, much smaller than the haul I took last time, so Iโm pretty much ready to roll and just in waiting mode!
4. As a mom, Golden Retriever-lover and Amazon Prime-lover, this commercial tugs at my heart strings every single time:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vf3U4aPiMk
5. Loved this article on what it feels like to be the last generation to remember life before the Internetโฆ I canโt even begin to tell you how gratefulย I am that I got to experience high school and college without social media and cell phones. Iโm already all โJoseph wonโt have a cell phone until heโs 16!โ when I hear about 6 year olds having them. Iโve totally entered the โget off my lawnโ phase of life, apparently. Or, Iโve just turned into my parents. Eek.
6.ย Such a lovely story about a graduate student living in a retirement community in Denmark >> Roomies.
7.ย You know I canโt resist bragging about my hometown, so Iโm sharing this video that Zagat did on Why Pittsburgh is Americaโs Hottest Food City. Love!
8.ย This pancake art is utterly amazing!
9.ย Are you watching any new shows yet this fall? Weโre about a third of the way through season 3 of Blacklist on Netflix and my goodness, is it good! We also DVRโed Designated Survivor but havenโt had a chance to watch it yet.
10. TGIF! I hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Michelle,Good to hear Duke is doing well, I hope the new baby will be there soon!! Then just a short remark on mark 6, the retirement home is not in Denmark but in the Netherlands:). I know someone who lives there, this is something they should do more often, the old stay young and the young learn from the old. It is so good to see people young and old interact.
Can you share what youโre packing in your hospital bag?! Thatโs also on my to-do list, and Iโm struggling on how much to include!!
Hi Jessica, Honestly, not too much! I packed SO MUCH last time and used hardly anything. I think part of the reason is that I ended up having a c-section so I wasnโt moving around much at all and stayed in my hospital gown because it was comfortable with my incision. Iโm hoping to have a VBAC this time around (fingers crossed), but even stillโฆ This time, I packed two very comfortable pairs of cotton pajamas (pants + tanks) I got from Target, one nursing bra, two nursing tanks, my favorite maternity yoga pants, a zip-up hoodie, robe, slippers, a going home outfit + blanket for baby, extra hair ties + headband, limited toiletries (all travel size โ toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, dry shampoo, face wash and moisturizer, very basic makeup โ tinted moisturizer, concealer, mascara, cheek stain), cell phone charger, a handful of granola bars and some fruit snacks.
Iโm so happy to hear that Duke is doing well and becoming even more attached to Joseph. They will be great buddies! As an older Mom, the no cell phone thing works until they get more involved in sports and other activities, whatever age that is. Then it becomes a convenience and safety consideration. Wishing you a wonderful birth experience very soon!
Thanks for the great post, great links, and ADORABLE, a โ d โ o โ r โ a -b โ l โ e photos! Praying for all your preparations and your upcoming delivery, Michelle!
Thanks for the cute amazon ad โ so sweet! :)
And Iโm happy to hear Duke seems to be doing okay-ish with Einsteinโs absence. Sometimes animals understand so much more than we think they do.
Just one little comment: Please donโt use the word โspasticโ to refer to someoneโs jerky movements. It relates to people with serious physical impairments (think cerebral palsy, and some others) and terms like โspazโ and โspasticโ are considered as very degrading by members of the community (similar to โretardedโ). I understand that this is less so the case in the US than in other countries, but I wanted to raise awareness anyway.
Always happy to read your blog! :)
Do you have a recipe for a marinara sauce or a meatless tomato pasta sauce? Iโm needed to cook for some guests who donโt eat meat. Thanks Michelle.
Hi Marla, When I want a meatless sauce, I just make my favorite meat sauce, but omit the meat, and cut down on the olive oil a bit:
https://apex-male.info/best-meat-sauce-recipe/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thanks Michelle. That sounds perfect and easy since Iโm doing meat and meatless sauces. Also, thank you for always responding so quickly.
Youโre very welcome, happy to help! :)
That commercial kills me. Every. Time.
I feel the same way as you and your โget off my lawnโ phaseโฆit happens to us all at some point, I guess. ;)
TV shows: We love Longmire (a Netflix series that people seem to love or hate) and just recently we started The Night Manager which is AWESOME. Its a BBC show and we get the DVDs from Netflix (I donโt think you can stream it yet) It has the actor who plays Loki (from Thor) and the guy who plays House MD (Hugh Something-or-other?) as the main characters. After the first episode, I couldnโt believe it was just a show and not a movie; it was that well done. Its kinda James Bond-ish in style.
Your son is a doll!!!
My mom and I watched Designated Survivor and really enjoyed it, but we liked Pitch better, and since you are such a sports fan, I bet you would really like it.
Aww, I just melt every time I see that Amazon commercial too. SO sweet!!!
Love that Amazon commercial. Do you remember the one with the little horse. I loved that one too. So happy for Duke, that heโs adjusting. Dogs grieve too, even our cat was sad when we lost one of our boys. Blacklist is the best. We have loved that one from the start. Check out โThis is usโ. Itโs really good too.
Maria D
You are so right. We DO NOT and should be better off NOT being plugged into the electronic network. TURN IT OFF! Life is passing us by while the โฆnew generationsโฆ. majorityโฆ. stare into those flat colored screensโฆthere is no REAL talk, face to face to gauge subtle expressions, no way to hear inflections. We are letting go of our innate human abilities to sense true meaning in an interchanges. So sad.
Not to mention how the English language is being mangled!
Before I start work, I check the weather, then look at your blog. I was brought to tears when I first read about Einstein, and even stillโI cannot look at the full blog without more tears. My favorite picture I think, is the picture of you petting Einsteinโs head, and he has his eyes closed, and his doggie smile on. It displays the beautiful relationship you had with him, the special dog he was, and the wonderful doggie Mommie, and Mommie that you are.
Joseph is just so cute! Iโm glad heโs doing so well. Iโm glad that Duke is doing okay โ I wondered about how he would do since his โbigโ brother is now gone. I have often thought about being the last generation before the internet โ I think the article was really good and the authorโs viewpoint is right โ it just is โ itโs whatever you choose to make it โ I personally get up in the morning and make coffee and will often read either a devotional or part of a book before I click on the internet โ and I usually donโt use my phone right away either. The young man living in the senior center is smart โ heโs saving money, enriching his life and those of others and is learning one of lifeโs most important lessons โ that itโs not all about him.
I canโt believe how close you are to your due date โ Iโm sure youโre very excited and canโt wait โ I saw that video by Zagat โ itโs great!
Have a good week!
so heโs got the looks, the diet and moves! heโs got those pucker lips ready to kiss. lol
about the zagat video you still sound like you are bragging. lol looks very good, I have to go there!
Iโve DVR-ed This Is Us and will probably watch it this weekend, but check out Speechless! The pilot was hilarious.
Looking foward to hearing good news!
Am really excited!
I love reading your Friday postsโthey always make me smile! I totally hear you about the social media; Iโm so glad we didnโt yet have all that when I was high school and college (I graduated from college in 2001, and even managed to finish most of grad school before the advent of Facebook!). Thanks for the link about Pittsburgh restaurantsโitโs so great to see that Pittsburgh is being recognized for the awesome food! Iโve moved around quite a bit, and I live in DC now, but I grew up in Pittsburgh and lived there till I finished grad school in 2007. I always miss the food, and when Iโm at home visiting family, I always made a point to visit some of my favorite spots.
This is Us on NBC โ Tuesday nights at 10 or on demand โ AMAZING! It will give you ALL the feels! Kind of reminds me of Parenthood.
Good for you on no cell for Joseph until heโs 16!
Beautiful pictures; always enjoy the Friday post. Good luck on your upcoming delivery. My niece clued me in to a new show called This Is Us. On Tuesdayโs at 10:00. Unlike the usual shows. Big surprise at the end of episode one.
Haha I was going to recomend the same show! This Is Us is really promising and I liked it a lot (though itโs not my type of show, I usually watch crime). Designated Survivor is kind of promising too, from what weโve seen so far, so I can recomend that too. Oh I love fall! Beautiful colored trees, not so high temperatures anymore, pumpkins, apple pie and FINALLY new episodes and shows for this little TV series junkie here! Whatโs not to love? *LOL* Hope you have a good and stress free time till your little one comes!
Greetings from Germany! Cheers Caro
My golden passed away on Motherโs Day. She had had a seizure the night before and I could tell she was having another one a 6:30 am, so I got up with her to comfort her and right after that she passed away, in an instant, just gone. So every time I see the Amazon commercial, it makes me cry. Now, I just get up and go into the other room. Itโs way to close to my heart and I am so sorry about Einstein. He was such a lovely dog and reading your tribute broke my heart for you. Best wishes and blessings to you for your upcoming delivery and addition to your family!
Never worry about being โclassedโ as your parents or your grandparentsโฆits a badge of honour. We must respect our past and our origins. Joseph is such a โlittle manโ! It will be interesting to follow your wee family when the new person arrives. Have an easy time of it and introduce us when appropriate.
Mourn your Einstein (I do), but they never leave you. They just leave space for others of their kindโฆa last gift.
Have you seen the Farmers Insurance Mer-Mutts commercial? Itโs a great one for dog lovers!
Okโฆ I just watched the commercial and it put a BIG LUMP IN MY THROAT!! ?
Thank you Michelle for always posting such wonderful photos of your little family. I hope all is well with you.
BLACKLIST!โฆ. iSNโT IT AMAZING???
My hubby and I are BINGE WATCHING to catch up and understand the show ( well me -I want to understand his attachement to Elizabeth)
I wemt to school waaaaaay before social media and I wouldnโt trade it for ANYTHING in the world. Life was so much easier back then. Kids are on their cellphone playing games and back then we played HIDE & SEEK, HOPSCOTCH, TAG, FREEZE TAG, โฆwe got exercise. It was so much fun.
Let me get off my soapboxโฆ. have a WONDERFUL DAY!!!