Haircut, take 2

We took Frankie in for haircut number 2 on Sunday. After the first haircut catastrophe at Supercuts, we decided to take him to a place that specializes in kid's haircuts. He got to sit in a cool car, watch Toy Story, and play with trains...and yet, he STILL hated it. He cried and squirmed and acted like he was being tortured for pretty much the entire thing. I think he looks so handsome with his hair cut, but Frank wishes we had gotten it cut shorter.

Frankie will NOT let me take his picture these days, but here is my attempt to show you the results of his new haircut:

pre-haircut at the park

after the haircut

little cutie

this is what he did when I told him to smile

that's a little better

15 months!

Today we went to the doctor for Frankie's 15-month check up, and everything looks great! We have been illness-free for February (so far), and hopefully we will keep it that way. Frankie has stayed at about the same place on the growth curve for several months now--he is 32 1/2 inches (90th percentile) and 24.6 pounds (50th percentile). It looks like he is going to be tall and lean like his Daddy. After the doctor examined him, he grabbed his jacket, waved bye-bye, and went to the door. He knew that shots were coming and he did not want them! The doctor was very impressed with his vocabulary and development. We are so blessed and thankful that he is a healthy, happy little guy.

I cannot believe that he is already 15 months old!! We had a low-key weekend in Dallas, just enjoying our time together as a family and shopping for a new Tahoe for Daddy. It has been wonderful to spend time with my two boys. Here are a few pictures that we took over the weekend:

watching movies with Daddy

love these boys

desperately trying to get into the pantry

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Valentine's Day today. I got up early and made some heart-shaped frosted sugar cookies for Frankie to take to day care, and Frank made heart-shaped pancakes. We got Frankie a Valentine's card that he had seen and liked when we were shopping at Target a few weeks ago. When we gave it to him, his face lit up like it was the absolute greatest gift in the whole world. It was so awesome! I think he really remembered the card. I wish I had a picture of his reaction, because it was priceless.

After Frankie went to bed, Frank cooked me a delicious meal and surprised me with my favorite champagne and chocolate. It was nice to eat a meal together, just the two of us. I am so blessed to have two handsome, sweet, and thoughtful valentines this year. Here are a few pictures:

heart shaped pancakes

beautiful tulips

pork scallopini with mushrooms, angel hair, and carmelized brussel sprouts (YUMMY)

Visit from Nana and Papa

This weekend my parents came in town to visit, and they really got a kick out of Frankie! He is becoming such a ham. He is always smiling, being silly, playing hide and seek, and trying to entertain everyone. He started calling my Dad "Papa," even though he wants to be called Grandpa. We will see if it sticks! My Dad gave him a bunch of coins to put in his piggy bank, and he LOVED doing that. He did most of the coins with his left hand, and I am so curious when we will learn if he is going to be right or left handed. I would say he does things about 70% with his left hand and 30% with his right hand. On Saturday night we went out to a big dinner with Nana, Grandpa, Steve, Allison and Frankie, and Frankie did so good. He ate his chicken fingers and a bunch of my pasta. I am still amazed by how much he eats. This morning he ate 3 pancakes and a ton of blackberries. I swear that kid eats more than I do!

Today Frank watched Frankie so that I could go get a much needed pedicure, and yesterday my Dad watched him while I went to the movies with my Mom and sister. It was a wonderful weekend with family, and we were sad to see them go!

Happy Thursday!

We are finally all feeling better at the Bernardo household. Today Frankie's teacher told me that he sat with one of the other boys in his class at a table for almost 10 minutes while they played peek-a-boo with each other. She said that he tapped the other boy on the shoulder, then put his hands over his eyes and uncovered his face and laughed. Then they repeated this game...over and over and over. It sounds so cute! Frankie definitely likes playing with other kids. He has inherited his Dad's social skills, which is great! I sure do love this little guy.

We took these pictures tonight before dinner. Frankie was hiding out behind the drapes in the dining room--one of his favorite hiding places. He is such a little stinker!

Red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting

I made these brownies last night, but I just had my first bite a few minutes ago. OH.MY.GOD. They are AMAZING! They really taste like the perfect combination of red velvet cake and brownies, two of my favorite things. I got the recipe off of pinterest, but I have reprinted it below for anyone who wants to try it. I used the exact recipe, except for the sparkly edible glitter. Here it is:

INGREDIENTS

for the red velvet brownies:
nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 oz. liquid red food coloring
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

for the sparkly cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 T. butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
white sparkles edible glitter, optional

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325°. Fold a 16″ long piece of foil to a 9″x16″ strip and place in 9″x9″ metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil the same size in the opposite direction, lining pan completely. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Stir butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla, salt, and food coloring. Sift flour and baking powder over mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

Prepare the frosting by first beating together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix a bit to incorporate. Then add the sifted powdered sugar and beat to combine.

Using the foil as an aid, lift brownies from pan and place on cutting board. Peel foil down away from the sides of brownies. Spread cream cheese frosting evenly over brownies. Sprinkle with edible glitter, if desired. Cut into bites 1-1/4″ x 1-1/4″. To achieve clean cuts, wipe the knife after each slice.

Sick of being sick :(

So much for hoping for a healthier 2012...we have been sick at the Bernardo house in one form or another for pretty much the last three weeks. Frankie had a stomach bug, then two ear infections, then an eye infection that keeps moving from one eye to another, and now a cold, which hopefully is just a cold and nothing more. I had the stomach bug and now have a sinus infection. Even Frank got the stomach bug. I don't understand why we keep getting so sick. I have always been a very healthy person. I did not go to the doctor once in the three years that I was in law school, and I probably went less than a handful of times while I was in college. Why now? I wash my hands more than I ever have. I can't even blame lack of sleep, because I usually get 7-8 hours a night. I may not eat super healthy or exercise as much as I used to, but it's not like I am super unhealthy either. I just don't get it, but I am SICK of being SICK! And I absolutely hate that my poor baby is sick all the time. I know that this too shall pass, but it really puts a strain on our jobs, our sleep, and our quality time as a family, which is so limited as it is. I had to cancel all of our weekend plans AGAIN, boo! On a positive note...the Giants won the Super Bowl, and I know for sure that a certain angel had something to do with that victory.