Little Mino has had an adventurous past week and a half. Because we moved from Boston when I was 5 months pregnant we never had a baby shower -too early to have one in Boston, and didn't know anyone here - we decided to have a meet the baby party instead. Really a win-win situation because that way the attention is on little Mino and not on me. That and all those silly games can be avoided! Mino and I also had our first road trip. It went pretty well, except for the fact that I nearly baked my child. Having never gone a long distance with him, and always had someone in the back I didn't think to check whether we was dressed appropriately. Whoops. After stopping for gas (and because of a screaming child) I discovered that he indeed has sweat glands. Poor little guy sweated through his clothes and his hair was soaked. Needless to say I now have a mirror installed in the car so I can see him when driving. No pictures were taken because I felt so bad for my poor little lobster. We arrived safe and sound in Clintonville though and the festivities commenced.
Mom and Sarah went above and beyond. I had envisioned a drop in to say hi to me but mainly for people to get to meet and hold little Mino. Well, you can't really meet a baby without an amazing spread of food:
The best were the ham sandwiches. Amazing what butter can do. The cupcakes were phenomenal as well, when I asked how long they spent making them no one would give me a straight answer but there was a diastema cupcake!
The guests arrived kicked off by Auntie Lisa. Sorry Neely, I slacked and didn't take a picture. Next time. I did take a picture of what she brought though. . .
In the corner you can see the gift from Papa Neely - Minos first fishing pole!!! Lisa made an amazing diaper cake. I have never seen such an intricate gift of stuff you need. Thanks Lisa. I tried to get a picture of him holding it but he wasn't having it. He wasn't dressed for fishing, this was a party to meet some ladies:
Next was Auntie Jodi, Brody and Mrs. Remington. Jodi has been so doting on him and I since she found out I was preggo so I was really excited for her to meet the strapping young lad.
Unfortunately within five minutes I had her little baby crying after a tickle turned into a head into the corner of the table. Whoops! So sorry Brody!
The lovely ladies from Clintonville Family Dentistry dropped by too!
And Doc Karen brought little Paige:
Paige wasn't so sure at first, but quickly became a natural at holding little babies. Watch out Karen! Karen's parents got Mino his own mini sized chair. It is adorable and I can't wait for him to be big enough to sit in it without being propped up!
Paige demonstrated the proper technique and tried to get Portos to want to eat vegetables. However, like his father, did not want any cauliflower.
The party was amazing and while my vision was just a drop in meet and greet, people brought the little guy amazing gifts. Thank everyone so much. I have a stack of thank you notes sitting in front of me and if Mino cooperates today perhaps I can get one written.
We had to zoom back to Minnesota because Auntie Caitlin was flying in the next day. Luckily Auntie Sarah came along
so we didn't make the child on the way back. We did learn that it is possible to spend 20 minutes in a McDonalds drive through though - and Auntie Sarah has to go back in for seconds ;)
Back to business, Caitlin flew in from Colorado, or should I say Auntie Orthodontist flew in!
Her gift will be detailed in the next post, I have to figure some things out first. She had an entire day of one on one (well bartering with Auntie Sarah for time) with the little guy. Mino and his entourage headed out to his first sit down restaurant meal. I am glad it was during an off time because that is going to take some getting used to. That and I think Martin is going to have to cross dress to come into the bathroom to help me change him. The next night Auntie Em and Uncle John arrived from Boston!
John had never held a baby or changed a diaper so we quickly took care of those items from his bucket list. Mino was hypnotized by him immediately!
Again I sucked at documenting events but we went to the Mall of America, in December, on a Saturday. Not the brightest idea, but some people needed to see it in its true form. And we played the Kinect. Good times. I was scared Mino wouldn't come back to me after visiting Auntie Ems very comfortable chest. .
But he did. What a fun visit.
Everyone left on Sunday and the Packers beat the Giants so I would say succcess. It is weird, it has been four days now and no visitors. I think visitor season is nearly over until Spring.
Martin discovered a fun game to play with Mino -it is called, you cry and I blow in your face and you make goofy faces:
And that is it for this week!
At least the little chunk is proportionate.
He still has his lump on his head from the vacuum but other than that he is spot on perfect! I was kinda disappointed that they didn't give him a sucker, but then I remembered that he doesn't eat anything yet, but it could have helped Martin and me.
I wanted to commemorate some of the great gifts that we have gotten from people as well. I am completely blown away with the generosity that everyone has shown us just for procreating.!
Auntie Caitlin made him a name banner:
And brought me an amazing Packers Poncho - no photos of me just yet, but I am envisioning a cheese sombrero coming into my future. I can't wear it yet as a different shirt has helped the Packers get to 13-0 and I'd hate to mess that up for them.
Auntie Em and Uncle John - among a myriad of other things- got him this amazing bear fleece outfit
He is so smart that he roars and growls like a bear when we put him in it! Wow, we better watch out for this kid, he is going to rival Einstein I think.
Uncle Jim and Aunt Pat found somewhere a place that makes bouquets of baby socks:
Winner for the gift from farthest away is Ping Pong the Panda who came all the way from China - not just made in, but purchased in as well!
And this super cute little bib that I felt was too cute to spoil with curdled boob milk spit up:
And hot off the presses from Lansing, MI the token First Christmas Ornament that I adore from Aunt Janet:
A huge milestone this week as well is that he is starting to respond to us and give us smiles! Before he would do it when he was full of milk, or sleeping but never as a response to something we were doing. For whatever reason this kid LOVES getting his diaper changed and when all else fails with soothing him, he doesn't want boob and he isn't hot and his diaper is clean we lay him on his changing table and he calms down! I guess he is just a huge fan of having a clean bum, this characteristic he gets from his father. Not that I don't, but coming from a land of bidets and adult butt wipes, Martin likes it a bit more than me. So, without further ado, Benjamins Smiles!
Along this line, he also looks at our faces more now so that makes for some quality photoops of his parents: 
He has been having some good snuggle time with Martin this week too : for that weekly shot here we go:
Yes, we do like dressing our child up as an animal. We have a limited amount of time where we get to make the call on what he wears so we are doing it to the max.
I think that I have already put a picture of this thing up, but I have to do it again. He is just too adorable with it on.
Funny story here. . .I had him in the moby wrap and was shopping at Trader Joes (my arms are way too weak to carry around that egg shell thing all the time) and a lady came up to me and questioned why I had a stuffed animal like that. She then got closer and realized that it was a baby. Very odd that someone would actually call you out on being crazy, I would always think it and go home and tell Martin about it but never go up to the person and put it in their face.
His little eye lashes are growing in thicker and longer now and he has eyebrows! Best captured with a sleepy face:
He was all Whoopy Goldberg when he was born, luckily he has emerged from that stage.
And having too much time on my hands. . here is his Christmas Photos - Round 1.
