We officially have a Toddler.

A toddler who adores making messes and harassing kittens.

*blinks*

When did that happen?????

I was looking at JJ's newborn pictures the other day.  

You know...

These.

 

*sniffle*

Yup.  Looking at those and others and remembering how teeny itty bitty he was... and looking at the twenty-one pound, 28" tall marauder cruising around my living room and wondering how in the heck???

I mean, it's awesome.  Mind-boggling.  But seriously awesome. 

And so, as promised, here is the birthday cuteness.  (Yes, I know it's 8 days later.  Sue me, we were busy!)  And these are just the ones I grabbed with my webcam, folks, there are better pics on the actual camera, but I figured somebody might track me down and strangle me if I made you wait for those!

 The traditional heart-shaped Birthday Cake Pan, here shown 

with evidence that the cake was indeed baked within its confines. 

(No, seriously, my mother has used that pan for birthday cakes 

my ENTIRE LIFE.  I was quite certain that lightning would fall 

from on high if I dared make a plain old rectangle cake.)

"Okay.  I've got a fork.  And a biscuit.  Woopie."

 "Wait just a second... what's that?"

 "Yeah.  I knew Mom wouldn't let me down!"

The traditional singing of the traditional song 

was followed by the traditional destruction of the cake.

"Mmph... Mom... you weren't kidding about this chocolate stuff."

 (Honest, I have pictures on the actual camera while the cake was still 
intact, but I wasn't quick enough to get any with the webcam as well.)

 

 "Yuuuuuuum.  SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 The traditional sugar-crazies ensued, and a few hours later...

 

"One..."

 

 "Two..."

"Three... he is DOWN for the COUNT."

He's growing so fast, learning so fast it's almost frightening.  I've always been one who swore up & down that babies are far more intelligent and aware than most grown ups give them credit for, but it takes on a whole new dimension when the baby in question is **yours**.  And it seems to hit a sort of critical mass sometimes where it all balls together, picks up speed, and suddenly every time I turn around he's doing something I've never seen him do before.  Climbing onto a footstool.  Gently petting a kitten (as opposed to whacking it).  Reaching for my hairbrush and using it to awkwardly brush his own hair.  (That one really made my jaw drop!)

The most recent pièce de résistance happened last Friday, just five days after his birthday.  Parents, you know that moment, the times your baby does something that tells you without any shred of doubt that there is a person in there, and that said individual is aware of the stuff you're trying to teach them?  The moment that gives you hope you might have a prayer of raising a civilized, well-mannered little person?  Well, this was a good one.

He signed "milk".  Mind, I have been using "milk" and roughly two dozen other signs with him since birth, mostly as a means to answer that all-important question, "Why are you crying?"  By the time he was three months old, I could run through about a dozen signs, and when I hit the right one, he would stop fussing.  But of course, the goal is to eventually have baby sign back to you, and JJ finally did it!!!!  Independently, without being asked, without my hand over his, and BEFORE he communicated his desire to nurse by yanking down my shirt.  He did this several times over the next hour, very politely coming up to me and signing for "milk", but that first one...

I tell ya, people, I squeee'd like a tween at a Twilight marathon. 

That's my boy... my little explorer... my JJ.

Birthday Spoilage...

Hi, everybody!  :)

As you may know, Friday was my birthday. :D  Rah rah me!

Tsk tsk, you know it's not polite to ask a lady her age.

My two guys treated me to a wonderful day indeed.  JJ slept until almost 7 in the morning (he's usually more of a 5:30 - 6ish riser), and then he stayed with Grandma for a good chunk of the day so that his Daddy could take me out to lunch.  He took his bottles like a champ (Playtex Drop-Ins Nurser, LOVE IT), napped for her, and even went to sleep for the night a little earlier than usual... and still slept through until morning!

John and I went to the Wok'nFire at the Burr Ridge mall, an absolutely fantastic Japanese restaurant.  They specialize in sushi and stir fry, and they are GOOD at it, people.  I'm told their sushi chefs train in Japan, and I believe every word.  

But to start from the top...

On entry, a curved wall shields you from the main area of the restaurant, though you can easily see into the bar and dining areas.  On a busy night I imagine that little separation aids the hostess immensely, providing just a bit of sound reduction so guests can more easily be heard.  We arrived for an early lunch, around 11:30, and were seated immediately.  The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff attentive, and first impressions were pleasant all around.  I especially liked the "mood" lighting at the bar... shifting from blue to green and so on every few minutes, very fun.  It was quiet, but I could just as easily see it packed and hopping on a Saturday night!

Our server's name was Casey, nice young lady with a great smile and plenty of suggestions when we let her know we hadn't been there before.  An a la carte menu offers flexibility and a fine range of tempting choices.  We ordered our appetizers, and they arrived just as we had decided on our meals.  We started off with their Calamari and Crab Rangoon appetizers, two personal favorites to which the chef more than did justice.  The calamari were tender and crispy, the sauce sweet and a little spicy.  Normally I end up calling for ranch with my calamari, but not this time!!  The crab rangoon were... *inhale... sigh...yummm*...  marvelous.   The shells were almost paper thin, nicely crunchy, and the filling, well!  I could actually taste crab, as opposed to being overwhelmed by the sweet cream cheese you find in lesser establishments.  They were sweet, the sauce gave just the right amount of tang, and all in all, they were easily the best crab rangoon I've ever had.

John ordered the Kiss Roll, while I decided to try Casey's suggestion, the St Charles Roll.  The Kiss Roll arrived topped with bright red flying fish eggs, which I assume is the cause for the name, a la the rocker band of notorious fame.  Its tuna and yellowtail were sweet and firm, well balanced by the asparagus, scallions, and traditional avocado.  The St Charles Roll was a bit more adventurous, combining shrimp tempura and crab filling with a panko crust and three drizzled sauces, a sweet and sour, unagi, and siracha.  The flavors of each roll were bold and worked nicely together, and the wasabi, while excellent, we used only sparingly, as the maki itself was delicious.  It would have been like covering up a perfectly done steak with A-1... an insult!

A little birdie let it slip to the floor manager (I wasn't angling for free dessert, I swear!) that it was my birthday and we were celebrating.  He sent out a Sesame Banana Fritter, which I quite enjoyed.  Mind you, I'm usually a chocolate person, and next time I fully intend to try their Great Wall of Chocolate, but the Sesame Banana Fritter was quite nice.  A fried banana (yes, you really can fry just about anything), dusted in cinnamon sugar and served hot, with drizzled caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, it was a lovely close to a truly amazing experience.

We left full, happy, and already planning our next visit!