Pulling up, plants and pita

We had a wonderful weekend, now that we are (knock on wood) back in the world of the healthy over here.  Colin is becoming more mobile everyday, speed scooting all over the place, pulling himself up on the ottoman (and anything else at the right height) all the way from sitting to standing, and wiggling all over the place.  

He got to spend some great quality time with Katie (and her pal Chris), and we spent quite a bit of time looking out the window watching the snow fall - fascinating stuff.   Colin also tried Greek yogurt for the first time, which he shared with his dad and adored.  He is also a huge fan of turkey meatballs, sweet potatoes as finger food, pita and mozzarella cheese.  He has been on a bit of a bottle strike, so we are offering tons of solid foods lately and getting more adventurous with our offerings day by day.  

This weekend, Colin also decided that he prefers his dad (for now) (which was actually awesome) (no clinging to mommy - David got to carry him all over the place - break for my armssss!!).  

We went to the Garfield Park Conservatory this morning which was a) stunning , b) entertaining for babies and parents alike, and c) free; it's the ultimate trifecta of family outings.  Colin loved looking at and touching (and trying to eat) all sorts of plants, watching all of the other kids, playing with his aunt Katie and finally getting out of the house after being holed up with his germs (and me) all week.  Plus it felt like being outdoors, but it was warm, which was a great bonus considering how snowy and cold it has been here.

Climbing up mom's leg

Parallel play?

Hanging with my buddy Chris

Helping mom fold the laundry

Getting the full view of the Conservatory

"I think I like this place - as long as I can hold my maraca"

Cute family shot at the Conservatory

For the Superbowl, we stayed in and made a really yummy dinner - one of my most ambitious projects yet.  We made pita, hummus and falafel, all from scratch.  Our kitchen was a disaster zone, but the end result was pretty delicious.  You'll also note that after a full month of not biting my nails, they look AWESOME.  (Yes, my nails we so short that a full month later, they are still that short) (and yes, I am in a parentheses kind of mood today).