Weekend Recap

Why hello, Monday.

This past Saturday, S had his 6 month checkup (which was really closer to a 7 month checkup).  Big guy is  21lbs 6oz (95^th percentile) and 27in (75^th percentile).  He had to get 3 shots. L  W also insisted on a checkup and shots.  I’m certain he’s the only kid who’s ever asked for both a checkup and shots.  W didn’t receive a shot, but A and I looked through a couple drawers and found a tongue depressor so we could effectively check him and make sure he was indeed healthy (I’m sure searching drawers in the doctor’s office is frowned upon – sorry, pediatrician!).  After that, we headed to the grocery store for a few things and then went to the pizza place we planned to go to twice last weekend, but never made it.  While there, W told me his pizza was yucky (even though he hadn’t tried it and I KNOW he really likes this particular pizza) and laid in the booth, wiggled, and fidgeted nearly the entire time.  Eventually he did get around to eating.  A and I decided to do something different.  This pizza place has all these amazing specialty pizzas.  They had a deal where you could try 3 different small specialty pizzas.  We decided to try the Country Italia (mushroom, bacon, sausage, garlic, and ricotta cheese), the southwestern grilled chicken (chicken, cheddar cheese, and salsa), and the four cheese macaroni and bacon pizza (self-explanatory).  The mac and cheese was our favorite.  It was awesome.  They were all really yummy and we had so much fun trying them!  And sweet S sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time.  He was so cute and there was no shortage of admirers.  He was happy as a clam despite getting 3 shots just a short time ago.

Sunday was church and the Starbucks drive thru (Grandma had a meeting at church and couldn’t make it to our usual Starbucks breakfast).  Then it was off to the Fantasy Football draft party.  I’ve come to the conclusion that these are super stressful when kids are involved.  Thankfully, it wasn’t at our house this year.  S took a long nap so we were late.  When we finally arrived, W was overwhelmed by all the people and super clingy.  The food was delicious, but both boys soon needed a diaper change and the draft started while we were in the middle of said diaper changes.  Not cool.  W was telling me that he was ready to go home with about 6 rounds left (likely the result of no nap).  So next year, I may skip the whole thing.  It was great to see everyone, but I felt like I didn’t have a chance to talk to anyone between drafting players and entertaining the boys.  Eventually, I just gave up and let A draft my players.  So yeah, we all needed a nap when it was over. J  Annnd I didn’t even take any pics of us all decked out in Bears attire or of the twins in their Vikings tutus.  Fail.

Oh, this is funny…  On Friday, I had plans to go to the farmers market for cinnamon rolls and an apple cider for W.  My mom wanted to join us, but first I needed to stop at the bank for cash.  Our conversation went like this:

W:  We not go inside?

Me:  No, we’re going through the drive thru.  You know, grandma always go inside, but mommy prefers the drive thru.

Grandma:  Yes.  Grandma doesn’t like those machines.

W:  Grandma no like machines!  Grandma is scared of them!

At this point, my mom and I are laughing.  And under her breath, my mom said, “I love it.”

W:  Grandma loves it!  W funny.

And sadly, the farmers market had no cinnamon rolls or apple cider.  Boo.

Friday Thoughts

• When I picked W up from school yesterday, his teacher mentioned that he had cried a little, but only when another boy cried. L  As I was tucking W in for the night, he told me, “Little boy was crying.  He missed his mommy.  W missed mommy.”  Break my heart.

•  This weekend, S has a doctor’s appointment, our mattress is being delivered, and we have a fantasy football draft party to attend.  Thankfully, this draft party is not at our house.  After the disaster last year, I plan on never hosting again.  Anyway, I have high hopes for a fun filled weekend and very low expectations for my fantasy team. ;)

• We’ve gotten a taste of fall this week with cooler temperatures.  Love it.  Bring on all things fall!!

• Have you heard that Starbucks is not selling bagels at the moment?  They’re only one of W’s most favorite things. L  Bring back the bagels!

• A post every day this week!  How about that?!?

• My favorite look of the week.

I had to interview a candidate and felt really put together with this cute jacket. :)

We Survived Week 1 of Preschool

W started preschool this week and somehow we both survived. 

Originally, Tuesday was supposed to be his first solo day.  I had tried to prepare him ahead of time, telling him that I would be dropping him off and picking him up.  Emphasizing that I wouldn’t stay.

Monday was Meet the Teacher Night and W was not having it.  There were lots of parents and kids and he was no doubt overwhelmed.  It was also late in the day.  He refused to let me put him down and insisted on being in my or A’s arms the entire time.

Tuesday rolled around and W was supposed to attend class for 45 minutes on his own.  It was divided so that 8 children would come to the first 45 min session and 8 would come to the later session.  But somehow there was a miscommunication and most of the kids came to the first 45 minute session.  There were only 2 other boys in W’s session.  I ended up staying with him because the other moms were there with their kids and class was kind of a bust since there was a total of 3 kids.  But I have to say I was SO SO proud of my boy.   He listened to instructions, cleaned up the toys when asked, and even told another boy who didn’t want to clean, “we’ll work on it.”  He was so cute.  And watching him walk into class with his little giraffe back pack… melt my heart.

So today was the real test.  W asked to be picked up when I got him out of the car, but I told him he had to walk in to school so I could carry his backpack.  He did just fine.  Upon entering, a little boy was crying and screaming.  Uh oh.  I hoped it wouldn’t frighten W.  He took notice, but I tried to act like it was no big deal.  W noticed and commented, “that boy crying.”  I said “Yes, he’ll be ok.” and W repeated, “He’ll be ok.”  We put W’s backpack in his cubby and walked over to the sink so he could wash his hands.  Then I told him to choose an activity.  He picked trucks (no surprise there).  Once he was playing, I told him I needed to run some errands, I had to stop at the store.  I tried to keep it positive and didn’t want to say anything like, “Mommy can’t stay”.  He’s said, “Mommy can’t play with W?”  Break my heart into a million pieces.  But otherwise, he was fine.  No tears.  I was wearing my W necklace and asked him if he could hold it for me until I returned.  Annnd here’s the part where I wanted to burst into tears.  But I held it together.  I stuck my necklace in his pocket and told him I’d be back to get it.  And then I left.  And it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.  You better believe I cried as I walked to my car.  But I’m just so proud of my W.  I know that not all drop offs will be easy.  His teacher mentioned that kids sometimes have a tough time around the second or third week because they realize school is a long term thing and not just a one day thing.  We’ll see.  But all in all, the first week went better than expected.  Here’s to the first of many, many years of school.

Stitch Fix #2 Reveal

I’ve only received 2 stitch fixes thus far, but I’m loving the experience!  I wait to open the box until my mom comes over and then I model (in a very awkward non model way) what I received for my mom and A (and the boys).  It’s a chaotic mini fashion show complete with two adoring adorable fans.

A little blurb about how Stitch Fix works:

You create a style profile through the Stitch Fix website.  Basically you’re asked several questions that define your style – likes, dislikes, preferences.  You select a price range and frequency for shipments.  And whaalah… a box arrives at your door.  You keep what you like and return what you don’t.  There is a $20 styling fee and this is deducted if you choose to keep an item.

A bit of advice if you decide to partake:  Provide your stylist with detailed descriptions of what you like and don’t like and create a Pinterest board that represents your style.

And if you’re interested in trying, please use my referral link!!  I’m all for a $25 credit! https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5478084

Stitch Fix 2 Reveal (again, apologies for horrible selfies):

The first items I tried on were the Colibri Solid Tab Sleeve Blouse and pants.  The blouse was a pretty burgundy color and I thought it would be great for fall.  But overall I didn’t love it.  It was a bit too long for me and a bit plain for my taste.  I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t wow me.  RETURNED.  I debated these pants for a long time.  You can’t see it in this photo, but they had a very subtle pattern, which I liked.  They fit well, but were a little long on me.  In the end, they were pricey and I didn’t absolutely love them.  Much to my mom’s disappointment (she loved them), these were RETURNED. (I’ll update with the brand name of these pants)

Next I tried on the Cassil Roll Tab top.  Upon seeing this top, my initial thought was, “No way. I don’t wear plaid.”.  I LOVE plaid on the boys, but I just couldn’t picture it on myself.  However, when I tried the top on, I thought it was really cute.  It made me think of pumpkin farms and corn mazes.  Since those are two of my favorite things, I decided to KEEP this one.

I wanted to see how the top looked with a cardigan.

Next up was the blue sweater.  The color was pretty, but everything else about this was wrong for me.  It was too short, too wide, and not at all flattering.  The knit material also seemed like it would snag easily – no bueno with two energetic boys.  Definitely RETURNED.

 Finally, the Eliza Crochet Detail Blouse by Daniel Rainn.  I saved the best for last.  What’s not to love about this one – the colors, the floral pattern, the loose fit, the lace detail.  Quite possibly my favorite Stitch Fix piece to date.  Loved and KEPT.

 So only 2 items kept this time, but the blouse and pants were near misses.

Stitch Fix #2

I received my second Stitch Fix over the weekend and kept 2 of the 5 items.  But I felt like the other items were really close to hitting the mark... near misses.  If all 2 readers of this blog are interested in seeing what I received, leave me a comment.  Otherwise, I'll just assume that no one wants to see anymore of my awkward bathroom mirror selfies. ;)

Weekend Recap

I’m not even sure how to describe this weekend.  In a way, it was very symbolic of my feelings about A returning to school….  All over the place.  Sad that summer is over, mornings are hectic again, and evenings are even more hectic.  BUT happy A has a teaching job he enjoys along with wonderful colleagues.  I know he’s amazing at his job and there was a point when we thought a teaching position would never happen.  And so very grateful that our moms are watching the boys for us.

Friday was lots of fun.  A couple weeks ago, I posted on FB asking if anyone had tips on obtaining cheap Six Flags tickets.  A and I wanted to take W, but we weren’t sure if he’d like it.  It seemed crazy to pay full admission for two adults who wouldn’t even be going on rides, especially since we weren’t sure if W would go on any rides.  A few friends generously offered to let us tag along.  They had passes and were able to bring a friend for free.  So the whole family went on Friday with Megan and her kiddos.  W LOVED it.  So much so that A planned on taking him on the mildest ADULT roller coaster!!!  Say what??  Unfortunately, the amusement park was super crowded and the wait was 60 minutes for that roller coaster so we decided to skip it.  But we’re definitely planning on getting passes next year.  W actually cried when the kid roller coaster ended - he couldn't get enough.

I should also add that it was so strange being there.  A and I worked there for years (sad, but true) and I was quickly reminded of all the annoyances - people stopping mid stride, sticky snow cone pavement, loud games, awful smells (yep, not sure why, but that place has a distinct wretched smell), those families that all dress alike, crowds, etc.  You get the idea.  But despite the deja vu, we still had fun.

Saturday and Sunday went something like this…

W gets time out for yelling, go grocery shopping, time out for yelling, plan to go to pizza restaurant for dinner, time out for throwing, decide to make homemade mac and cheese and go out for pizza on Sunday instead, time out for yelling, W appears to be getting a cold, bedtime, ahhh… quiet, Sunday morning - realize air conditioning is not working correctly, church, pray air conditioning repair won’t be too costly, Starbucks, time out for yelling, clean, take W to local farm, take pics of the boys (6 mos and first day of preschool – way late for one pic, early for the other, S is all smiles, W whines and complains the entire time – standard),  time out for yelling, more cleaning, W breaks my glasses, decide to forget going out and just order a pizza, W falls head first into bed while twirling.

Yeah.  And here we are.  Monday.

W starts preschool

My baby toddler starts preschool next week.  And I am FA-reaking out.  Capital FA.  At first, I thought it was a great idea.  W has taken music classes, swim classes, gym classes, gone to library groups, etc.  And all of those have been great – providing enough socialization/interaction with other children.  But now that Grandma G and Nani will be watching W and S, it’s not possible to take W to those types of social settings.  Preschool seemed to be the perfect solution.  W could be around other children, get used to a school setting, and it would only be for a couple hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  AND grandmas would get a much needed break during that time.  Also, baby S would receive individual attention – a foreign concept to my deprived second born.  It sounded like a win for everyone.

And then I realized that someone else would be responsible for my baby toddler.  A stranger.  Someone I’ve never met before would be caring for him.  Cue panic.  W has never been watched by anyone outside of our family.  Partly because he doesn’t do well with people he doesn’t know very well and partly because I don’t trust anyone.  Someone once described a child as ‘your heart living outside of your body’.  And I just don’t trust strangers with my heart.  So why in the world did I think preschool would be a good idea?  What if W cries?  What if another child is mean to him?  What if his teacher doesn’t pay enough attention to him?  W is in a class of 2 year olds, but turns 3 in December.  As a result, he’ll be one of the oldest.  He doesn’t particularly like babies or toddlers so what if he hates class and my plan for socialization ultimately makes him anti-social?  What if?  What if?

It’s going to be ok, right?  We’ll both be ok?

My Style

During my pumping sessions, I typically peruse Facebook or catch up on blogs to pass the time.  Last week, there wasn't much on FB and no one was sharing any new blog posts so I started looking back at my old blog posts.  I went back to the very beginning and enjoyed reminiscing.  One thing I loved to see was what I was wearing.  I love clothes and it was fun to see items that I still have in my closet, but haven't worn in awhile.  So I figured I would post a few favorite outfits or articles of clothing every now and then for my own benefit...

Favorites from last week:

I love cardigans.  I'm always cold and I think they really complete an outfit.  I've had this top and cardi for at least 3 years, but have never worn them together for some reason.  Also, W was none to pleased that I was taking a picture instead of picking him up.

I LOVE this top and best of all, I got for $10.  Woohoo!!

Weekend Recap

Baby S’s 6 month photos were scheduled for this past Saturday.  I also had the bright idea to attempt a family photo.  Saturday started off well.  Both boys slept well, W ate a good breakfast and had a bath, S had a bottle and napped for a bit in the car.  All signs were pointing to a non-disastrous photo shoot.  But sometimes signs are wrong.  I know that W does not like having his picture taken – unless of course it’s on his terms.  But I thought if I held him and bribed him with gummy bears, he would cooperate.  Wrong.  Very wrong.  He had an epic meltdown.  He just cried and yelled and could not be soothed.  His very first public meltdown.  So happy he saved it for picture day.  I asked him what was wrong and he yelled, “W upset!”.  Thank you for that, Captain Obvious.  In his defense, it was freaking hot.  Like nearing 90 degrees and humid.  That’s enough to make anyone cranky.  So I have no hope for a family photo, but I am hoping for some cute pictures of S.  W finally stopped crying at the end of the shoot and the photographer snapped a couple of him in action.  But disappointing to say the least.  I absolutely love photos.  I just wish W did too.

After that disaster, I mentioned to A that I would love to get out, just the two of us, for a few minutes of silence.  Just long enough to unwind, maybe grab a drink, and enjoy some peace and quiet.  His response: “Let’s do it!”.  So as we were driving home, I called my mom and asked begged her to watch the boys for just an hour so A and I could go out.  She took pity on us, said that she remembered having similar days as a mother, and came over a short time later.  A and I headed to the closest restaurant - Applebees for drinks and appetizers and it was awesome.  We debated not returning home, but figured my mom would need to be rescued. ;)  So we arrived home and my mom’s response: “You’re home already?!?  You should’ve stayed out longer.  The boys have been great.”.  So that’s reassuring.  And next time, we will definitely stay out longer!!  And this little situation proves once again that we can never move away from our parents.  A and I may be in our 30s, but our parents still come to the rescue. J

Sunday was our usual routine of church, Starbucks, and grocery shopping.  W and I spent the afternoon melting ice.  I’ve seen this activity on a couple blogs and Pinterest.  Freeze objects in layers of ice and use warm salt water and a baster to find the treasure.  W was a big fan and it was hot yesterday so this was a perfect activity.  After finding frozen treasure, I tried a lemon chicken and pasta recipe for dinner and it was amazing.  A and I also ordered a new mattress – something we’ve been meaning to do for YEARS.  So we ended the weekend on a high note.

This week marks my least favorite week of the entire year.  The week before A heads back to school.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -  I LOVE having him home.  Thankful for his job, but sad about our impending hectic schedules.  There is a bright spot, though, that I haven’t mentioned yet.  I will be working from home every Tuesday and Thursday so that I can take W to school and pick him up and I am thrilled.  THRILLED.  Actually, thrilled is an understatement.  I’m so excited that in addition to school drop offs, I’ll avoid a long commute, possibly have lunch with the boys, and maybe even make dinner.  And I’ll be around if grandmas need an extra hand.  So at least there’s that to look forward to.

Another Tuesday and Another CF Clinic

I took the day off of work yesterday to attend CF clinic with A.  W came with and insisted on having a checkup too.  He was cute and the clinic team was great with him, even checking his pulse, looking in his mouth, and offering a roll of exam table paper – ha!  He received a clean bill of health!  

One downside, I’m used to A having the same CF doctor.  They’ve recently added a new doctor to the CF team and A met with her yesterday.  I’m not a big fan.  I had planned to ask about Orkambi and if we could expect the specific mutation that A has to be studied in clinical trial.  Seems unlikely since A’s mutation is rare and if that's the case I wanted to know her thoughts on the likelihood of gaining approval for Orkambi as a treatment for A’s gene mutation.  I can probably answer this question better myself by looking at the ongoing clinical trials.  Anyway, I didn’t ask because I felt a little uncomfortable not having met her before.  I should’ve asked regardless.  I find doctors intimidating, which is silly.  One thing stood out, though.  She said she was on the fence about Orkambi since it only improves lung function by 3% and A’s lung function varies by 3% between appointments.  She implied that it was, for lack of a better word, relatively useless because ONLY 3%.  Here’s my take (and I obviously don’t have CF and I'm not a doctor so my thoughts are inadequate, but...).  3% is SOMETHING.  And if Orkambi improved lung function even a minimal amount, something is better than nothing.  Also 3% is the average so thinking optimistically, Orkambi could result in even higher lung function improvement for some.  This is a start and it makes me hopeful.  I would have loved to hear her say something to that effect instead of the negative assessment.

Most importantly, A’s appointment went well.  His lung function didn’t improve, but it also didn’t decrease, which is great.  His weight is holding steady and remains as high as we've ever seen it (and up about 20 pounds from when he was in the hospital last year!!).  Next appointment is in 3 months.

After that we headed to the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier.  W had a blast.  He says the fire truck was his favorite, but he also really enjoyed the mailboxes, car, bus, and grocery store.  Much to my relief, the museum wasn’t very crowded.  And you know he must’ve had a great time if he slept through the night AND slept 10 hours… score!!!  S stayed with Nani (thank you, Nani!) and I know he enjoyed having one on one time as well.

All in all, a really great day!

Weekend Recap

The problem with busy weekends is that they seem to fly by in an instant and I feel like I need a vacation when they’re over.  Getting up for work this morning was torture.  Anyway, this weekend was AWESOME.

Friday was my work outing to Wrigley Field where I got to watch my beloved Cubs, eat as much as I wanted, and drink lots of beer for FREE.  It was as wonderful as it sounds.  The weather was perfect.  The Cubs won.  And I was even on tv for like a millisecond.  Somehow A captured a picture of the tv screen!!  It was a blast.  Only downside was that both boys were sleeping when I arrived home at 8:30pm.  W usually goes to bed at 9, but having no nap did him in.  I was disappointed I didn't get to say goodnight.

Work friends

So impressed that A got this picture of the tv screen

Saturday I planned to take W to the park and lunch to give A a little break (though he still had S and I still owe him big time for Friday).  But A wanted to join us for lunch.  So W and I played at the park for about an hour.  This park is really cool – a pirate ship, tons of playground equipment, and even dinosaur bones.  Not sure how dino bones and pirate ships go together, but kids love them so who cares.  W made me go on the seesaw with him where I learned pretty quickly that I am extremely out of shape and have no business trying to seesaw.  My legs still hurt.  Sadly, I’m not joking.

Perfectly timed photo of the elephant eating W

Pirate ship... arrrrgh

Seesawing is a blast... I don't have to use my legs at all!

Stop being a wimp, mom!!  Faster!!

After that, it was off to Chili’s for a bite to eat.  A and S met us there eventually.  Unfortunately, they took awhile to arrive so I was forced to order the spinach queso dip, which was delicious.  I ate way too much of it.  Totally A’s fault obviously. ;)

We went grocery shopping after that and ended the night with a malt beverage on the couch.  I keep telling A that I miss being able to sit on the couch and watch tv with him.  Lately, as soon as W goes to bed, I wash pump parts, make my lunch for the next day, pump, and get ready for bed myself.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day.  Anyway, it was nice to relax together for all of 5 minutes.

I can't even handle his cuteness.  Totally worth not having any alone time.

Sunday we went to church, stopped at Starbucks (which took FOREVER) and ordered breakfast to go, ate at home, and headed to the Cubs game.  That’s right, another Cubs game for me.  I must be their number one fan.  Actually, I gave A a certificate for Christmas which guaranteed 2 tickets to a game of his choosing.  He chose this one several months back for a few reasons… the Cubs were playing the Giants – aka the defending World Series champs, it was Clark the Bear giveaway day, which meant that the first however many kids received a free bear, it was on a weekend, and it was early enough to take W.

I never did find out why he was wearing the construction vest.. Hmm.  Maybe all the recent Wrigley renovations?

I could not have asked for a better experience.  We made it to the game in record time.  Something that almost never happens… hellooo Chicago traffic.  We were able to park in the green lot (which is the best lot in my opinion) and we got a ride to the stadium in a golf cart, which W was thrilled about.  We were able to get a bear for W and even got one for S, though he didn’t come with us (thank you, Grandma G for watching him!).  The game was great and although W wasn't very interested, he was really good.  At one point W was restless so I took him to walk around inside the concourse.  We ran into Clark, the Cubs mascot, and W got a picture with him.  We left after the 7th inning stretch and got a ride back to the parking lot... score!  Such a fun outing and the Cubs won!

Friday Thoughts

I eventually snapped out of my birthday funk.  I’m still not sure exactly why I was feeling down.  Anyway, A and the boys spoiled me with cake and wonderful gifts.  W picked out some lip gloss for me (he has great taste!) and helped select candles that smelled delicious.  I also received the Ed Sheeran cd – love him, roses, and lots of candy!  A told me that one more gift was on the way.  I had recently shared a picture of a t –shirt from my college and thought perhaps he had ordered that for me. 

Yesterday, I came  home from work and A handed me a small wrapped package.  Not at all what I was expecting.  I opened it and found a gorgeous necklace with amethyst and tanzanite stones.  Amethyst in S’s birthstone and tanzanite is one of W’s birthstones (there are multiple birthstones for each month).  I LOVE it.  A little backstory:  Quite awhile ago, I mentioned to A that I’d love a piece of jewelry that was symbolic of the boys, but didn’t look like typical mom jewelry.  I didn’t want anything that said mom and the birthstone jewelry I had seen wasn’t really my style.  Basically I wanted mom jewelry that didn’t look like mom jewelry… and I had yet to actually see something I liked.  So I basically gave up on that quest.  A completed mission impossible. J

Yikes.  Both of those picture are terrible.  The first one doesn't do the necklace justice - it's much prettier in person.  And the second picture... helllooo horrible office lighting. :O

Today, my company is heading to the Cubs game (hence my shirt in the above pic)!  I’m excited.  Should be a fun day!!

As much as I'm looking forward to the game, I have terrible mom guilt!!  I'm going to miss my guys this afternoon.

Birthday Blues

Yesterday was my birthday.  It wasn’t a milestone birthday and there wasn’t anything particularly special or important about it – other than it was my birthday.  But I found myself really depressed.  And I can’t explain why.  I’ve never been one to hide from my birthday or dread getting older, but suddenly this year I did.  Maybe it was because I shared my birthday with baby S.  Maybe seeing him grow so quickly is making me feel that much older.  Maybe it’s the post-partum, bf’ing hormones sticking around.  Maybe it’s the thought that this past year cannot possibly be topped – 2 perfect boys – how did I get so lucky?

Yesterday, a series of important life moments played in my head… didn’t I just graduate from high school a few years ago?  Maybe not, but surely college graduation wasn’t very long ago?  Didn’t I just start my first real job? Wasn’t I just walking down the aisle?  Didn’t I just have W?  Didn’t I just leave the hospital with S??  How is it possible that we’re here, already nearing the end of summer, and S is now 6 months old?  How?  How? How?  And what if this is as good as it gets?  What if things are all downhill from here?

Sometimes I feel like no one can relate to me.  I don’t know anyone who has a spouse with CF and has gone through the IVF process.  The friends I did have who experienced IVF are no longer friends.  I don’t necessarily miss them, but I miss having that commonality.  And while I do have other friends, I feel like they don’t always understand my situation.  They can’t relate.

All those thoughts, and at the same time, I wouldn’t change a thing…  Because I have everything I ever wanted.

Annnnd this entire post probably made no sense.  Welcome to my mind. :)

Happy Half Birthday, Baby S!

Happy 6 months, S!

Your half birthday.  I love that I get to share my birthday with my you, baby boy.  My only gripe is that this sharing of birthdays means we’re both getting older.  Sob.

This was probably your most eventful month to date.  Notable firsts included: first time on an airplane, first time in the pool, first trip to Aunt Lori’s house, first diagnosis of pink eye L, first trip to the farmer’s market, first aquarium visit, and several first foods.  You’ve also started sitting up on your own.  You’re a bit unsteady, but you can do it.

You did amazing on the flight to Maryland and not so amazing on the flight home.  Unbeknownst to us, you were coming down with pink eye on the flight home and you were miserable.  You only cried on the ascent and descent, but I could tell you just weren’t yourself.  My poor baby.  Though the doctor said pink eye was extremely contagious and there was a good possibility we’d get it, you were kind enough not to pass it on to any of us.  Thank you for that.  And although, you weren’t feeling well, your happy demeanor shone through as you are the only baby I’ve ever seen smile while in the midst of crying.  Luckily, after a day of eye drops, you were much better.

You love to eat.  LOVE.  So far you’ve tried oatmeal, sweet potatoes, mango, squash, prunes, carrots, pears, apples, bananas, and green beans.  If I had to guess, I’d say apples and carrots are your favorites and oatmeal, prunes, and bananas are your least favorite (but you’ll eat everything).  We were only giving you one serving of solids per day (about half of a jar or pouch).  But then came a day where you ate your serving of solids and 39 ounces of breast milk, which is just unheard of.  So we upped your solid intake to 2 servings per day and you seem pleased with that arrangement.

You’re still enamored with your big brother.  You watch his every move and smile when he talks.  I wish I could say he felt the same way about you, but he’ll come around eventually.

You’re still wearing size 6-12 months in clothes and you’re in size 3 diapers. You’re sleeping about 8-10 hours per night  and go to bed around 8pm.  You take a morning nap that usually lasts 1.5-2 hours.  One caveat is you sleep well in your crib, but not in your car seat.  If we’re out and about, your morning nap is only about 30-45 minutes.  You HATE your car seat.

Unofficially, you weigh 20 pounds, but we won’t have your check up until the end of the month.

I was certain you were getting a tooth last month and so sure I saw a white spot on your gum, but it appears to be a false alarm as you are still toothless.  Judging by the amount of drool, teeth should be making an appearance soon.

You’re a mover.  If you’re sitting on a lap, you’re typically bouncing.  Diaper changes are really challenging because you roll, arch your back, and scoot on the changing pad.  If we lay you on the floor, we’ll find you in an entirely different spot.  This isn’t surprising to me since you were constantly kicking and doing somersaults while I was pregnant.  I wonder if you’ll be an early crawler… or maybe you’ll just go straight to walking.

Despite your love for movement, you’re not a big fan of bouncy seats, the Jumparoo, or the Exersaucer.  I suspect this may be because it’s possible for us to walk away while you’re in one and that is just not acceptable in your world.  You are a people person and if someone dares to leave you alone, you make your displeasure known.  You are happiest sitting on a lap, being held, or sitting next to your brother and you love when people stop to talk to you.

6 months is one of my favorite ages.  Babies are generally content and interactive, but not yet mobile.  I’m really looking forward to the month ahead, but really sad that you’re growing so incredibly fast.

Happy 6 months, sweet S.  You are our everything and more.

Weekend Recap

This weekend was uneventful for the most part… until last night.  But I’ll get to that.

I should mention that Thursday, A and W rode the train to my office and we all went out for lunch.  It was so much fun to have them come visit.  Unfortunately I told A the wrong train station and ended up having to go pick them up (still not sure what I was thinking – major oops).  But I think W enjoyed taking the train with dad.

Friday, I worked in the morning and then had a few errands I wanted to run.  W said he wanted to come with me.  I didn’t mind, but one of my errands was dropping off a box clothes at a local consignment shop.  I told W that he’d have to walk, I wouldn’t be able to carry him in.  He repeated quite a few times, “W walk.  Mommy carry big box.”  And he did great.  He asked if we could look for trucks and silly me, thinking there were no trucks at the store, said sure.  So we returned home with a truck.  I really enjoyed his company, though.  He also went to the farmer’s market with me later that afternoon and I treated him to apple cider.  Love spending time with my big boy and A enjoyed some one on one time with S. J

Saturday was a haircut for me.  Then we headed to our favorite pizza place for an early dinner.  Unfortunately, 2 days of not napping was too much for W and he fell asleep on the way there.  He woke up cranky and not interested in dinner.  So it was a very quick dinner outing and then we headed home.

Sunday was super hot so we ran errands and stayed inside for most of the day.  I was just about ready to start W’s bedtime routine when I got an alert on my phone indicating a tornado warning.  Storms really scare me.  I ran downstairs to find A and we watched the radar debating if we should go into the basement.  S was sleeping and it looked like the storm might miss us.  I asked A to come upstairs in case we needed to head to the basement – he could grab S and I’d grab W.  We listened for tornado sirens and stayed glued to the tv.  Soon we heard sirens and quickly went downstairs.  The lights flickered, the downstairs tv stopped working.  I read books to W to keep him calm and A rocked S.  Soon enough, the warning was cancelled and we were able to carry on with bedtime.  It took W forever to fall asleep.  He’s scared of storms, just like mommy.  We came to find out that a funnel cloud was spotted just a few miles from our house and the roof blew off of a nearby high school.  Yikes.  Thankful we were all ok and there was no damage to our house.