Weekend Recap - Part 1

We had an incredibly jam packed, wonderful holiday week/weekend.  As we were driving home from Thanksgiving dinner, I told A it was my favorite Thanksgiving ever.  But before I get to that, let’s start with Tuesday…

Tuesday, I decided to take the day off to spend with W.  A had conferences that day and wouldn’t be home until after 8 so I knew it was going to be a long day – simply because W has a lot of energy and I don’t. J  My mom offered to help.  I decided that I would treat W to Starbucks and then head to the mall play place.  This tends to be my default when I can’t think of anything better to do. J  The cold temperatures have limited our options.  I invited my mom and she wanted to join us.  So that’s exactly what we did – apple juice and bagel at Starbucks, mall play place, and pizza lunch in the food court.  The play place was a little crowded and I think W was a tad intimidated.  It didn’t occur to me that several kids probably had off of school, but we made the most of it.  After a busy morning, W was getting a bit cranky so we headed home for a nap.  After nap, W and I baked (pre-made) cookies, painted, did puzzles, read books, and played.  We had a great day together.  Confession: by the end of the day, I had run out of things to do.  This makes me think I wouldn’t be a very good stay at home mom – I’m terrible at coming up with ideas for activities.  We were all happy to see Da when he finally made it home.

I love that his eye color really comes out in this picture

Cookies and Starbucks - it doesn't get much better than that

Waiting for Da with my 3 babies. <3  My heart is full.

Wednesday, I was home with W again.  A had conferences, but only until 11 am.  W and I stayed in our pajamas all morning and did much of the same things as the previous day – trucks, baking, coloring, books, puzzles.  Nothing exciting, but we had fun.  That afternoon, we had friends stop over.  They were in town from Minnesota and it was great to see them and meet their baby girl.  Also worth noting, Addie was VERY well behaved!  I was shocked.  After giving them a tour of the house, we headed over to another friend’s house for some catching up and pizza!  We had a great time.  There were 4 little kiddos  - W, and three 8 month olds.  W was the only boy and I think he was feeling like a stud. ;)  He was so cute with all those girls – watching them, looking concerned when they made noise.  At one point, I asked if he could say hi to one of them.  He said hi and I swear he blew a kiss!  What a flirt!  I wished we could have stayed longer, but I was worried about W settling down and getting to bed on time – especially with Thanksgiving the following day.

Thanksgiving morning, W and A headed out on a “top secret mission” and returned home with Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.  What a way to start the day!  We indulged in donuts and bagels while watching the Macy’s parade.  After that, W took a bath while A finished assembling W's toddler bed.  Side note: At one point, W absolutely hated baths.  He would cling to A or me throughout the entire bath, cry, and try to crawl out of the tub.  Now, I can’t get him out of the tub.  He takes 45 minute baths and cries when we take him out!!  Anyway, when he got out, he saw his new bed and was very excited. J  He took a nap in the bed and slept longer than expected.  We then headed to A’s parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner.  We were the last to arrive due to W’s long nap and I was starving. J  My mom and brother were there too.  Thanksgiving dinner was delicious as usual and I got to meet my new nephew.  W ate SO MUCH.  He devoured that turkey and was the entertainment during dinner – calling out animal sounds when asked and repeating new words.  He was so much fun and well behaved (well, except for dropping red jello everywhere J).  He also looked really darn cute in his preppy outfit - if I do say so myself.  We had a great time with family and the day was a perfect reminder that we are so blessed and have so much to be thankful for.  W slept in his big boy bed for the first time that night and did amazingly well.  One perk to still rocking him to sleep is he doesn’t get out of his bed to play multiple times. ;)

Bow tie, Sperry's, cardigan... cuteness overload!

Weekend Recap

In a word, this weekend was BUSY.  Oddly enough, we had nothing planned (besides school).  But we ended up getting lots done.

Saturday was W’s last day of school.  He did great – played at lots of the stations again and was not shy about making his way around the classroom.  A and I both went with since it was his last day.  After that, we headed to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch.  W was hungry and devoured lots of chicken and cheesy bread.  He also loves the strawberry lemonade.  We headed home for a nap, and then decided to start decorating for Christmas.  A wasn’t ready for the tree, but was ok with other décor.  My mom also came over to help.  I think W is disappointed that the turkeys are put away, but he’s been admiring the snowmen.  After the decorating, I was exhausted.  We took is easy for the remainder of the evening.

Can you find A's contribution to the mantle??  We don't have stockings yet so he took it upon himself to add a Cubs sock.  Also, my mom surprised me with all the decor on the mantle (minus the clock).  She loves to decorate and told me she was living vicariously through us since she never had a fireplace.  I absolutely love everything she picked!

I should also mention that I thought W was coming down with a cold, but that appears to be a false alarm (thank you, Lord!).  He’s been downing lots of purees and also Pediasure juice so I’m hoping those will help keep the colds away.  We also wash hands often.

Anyway, Sunday was church.  W was really good.  Then it was off to Starbucks and grocery shopping.  I decided to make breakfast casserole for dinner even though I knew I was the only one who’d eat it.  It was delicious.  I also made Reese’s peanut butter cookie truffles.  They were amazing.  I had to improvise since the recipe called for a food processor, which I definitely don’t own (and don’t care to own), but they turned out great.  

A started to put together W’s toddler bed.  Let me say, that I’m a believer in “you get what you pay for” and this bed was cheap.  After working on it for well over an hour, A was nowhere near finished.  So we called it a night and the bed will be assembled sometime this week.  I had debated between twin and toddler bed and ultimately decided on toddler bed thinking it would be an easier transition for W (and did I mention it was cheap!).  I’m regretting that decision.  I think we should’ve just gone with the twin and forgotten about the tiny, cheap toddler bed.  Oh well…  In a way, I was relieved that the bed wasn’t ready.  I thought I was fine with W transitioning, but as we were playing in his room and the bed was being assembled, I got really sad.  I just can’t believe how much he’s grown in a short time.

Not sure if I’ll have any more updates this week since I’m off and have lots planned.  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Friday Thoughts

One of my colleagues’ favorite things to do is suggest names for Baby #2.  Here are a few they’ve come up with: Mustafa, Mufasa, Mustungo (yeah, I have no idea – I have strange colleagues), Max, Mikhail, Horatio (again, no idea), Cooper, Russell, Conner, and Phineas.  Whatever… I’m just glad we’re not talking about due dates, maternity leave, or how huge I am for once.

W’s last day of school is tomorrow.  Well, last day for a while.  There’s a mini session in January and also a spring session if we want to sign him up.  School has been such a great experience and I’m considering signing him up for everything.  I can’t say enough positive things about the program.  Also, I think it will be good for W to get out of the house and have his own activities once little brother arrives.

You know the saying, "Keep Calm and blah blah blah..."?  Where did that come from?  I've never really gotten the saying.  I know it's meant to be clever/funny, but I've always thought it was dumb.  I guess I just don't get the appeal.  I've seen it on t-shirts, FB, posters, etc. and I just find it annoying.  And most of the time, the thing I'm supposed to "keep calm" about, I couldn't care less about.  Maybe (probably) it's just me.  Hope the fad dies soon.

I think W is getting yet another cold.  I’m so over colds.  My mom reminded me this morning that the more activities he participates in and the more kids he’s around, the more colds he’ll get.  I know that, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.  We seem to have about 2 weeks of health followed by 2 weeks of snotty nose.  Uggghh.  It’s going to be a really long winter.

I have a one day work week next week.  Holla!!!  So looking forward to a break… AND Thanksgiving.  Bring on all the yummy food!

I occasionally read old posts and correct grammar.  Incorrect grammar really bothers me. :)

This deserves a post of its own, but I’m terrified of the transition from one child to two.  I’m mainly worried about how it will affect W.  He is very close to Ma and sharing me is going to be tough on him.  He’s had all of my attention for two years and I don’t want him to feel like he’s being replaced.  I’m probably being irrational.  I’m also extremely nervous about nursing.  Not so much nursing itself, but nursing and/or pumping while caring for W.  I ended up exclusively pumping for W and it worked well for us.  BUT it was very time consuming.  If I do that again, I can’t figure out how it will work.  I was pumping every 3 hours and feeding between pumping.  Yikes.  How do I care for W while doing that?  We’ll figure it out, right??  We have to…

I’ve reached the point in the week where I’m just done.  I don’t want to talk to anyone.  I don’t want to do anything.  The thought of setting my email auto reply to “Leave Me Alone” might have crossed my mind this morning…  Just not feeling it today.

Happy Friday!

Happy 23 Months, W!!

I had to sign a few documents for work and as I was writing the date, I realized you are one month away from turning 2.  You are 23 months old today. 

That actually made me tear up (naturally someone stopped by my desk just as I was reminiscing and emotional… sigh) .  I’m not sure how this year flew by as fast as it did.  I thought year one went by quickly, but that was nothing compared to this year.  And even though you’ll always be MY baby, it’s pretty obvious that you have grown into a little boy.  A sweet, energetic, perfect, unimaginably cute little boy.

I was trying to come up with ways to describe your personality…  For the most part, I think you are very laid back and go with the flow.  Since you were 10 days old, Da and I have taken you everywhere.  We are pretty active and wanted you to get used to our active lifestyle.  I have no regrets about this and I think it prepared you well for several outings and adventures.  For the most part, you behave really well no matter where we are. 

Although you are laid back, you also have a bit of a temper.  Da says you get this from me, but I say it’s just your age.  When you don’t get your way or are told no, a scream often follows.  And after that, objects may be thrown, you may lay on the floor, or you may run and face the wall to demonstrate your displeasure.  Luckily, this doesn’t happen too often or last very long. 

You are also relatively quiet.  I think you can say a lot more words than you actually do, but you prefer to take in your surroundings, explore things in your own time, at your own pace.  This is especially true in a group setting – you’ll play among other children just fine, but remain pretty quiet.  With that said, every now and then you’ll surprise us by identifying a letter at school or calling out an animal sound. 

Your fine motors skills are extremely impressive – you’ve always exceled in this area.  As a newborn, you’d swat at the toys on your activity mat and always make contact.  You’ve always been good at puzzles and putting things together.  You also have an amazing throwing arm – both in accuracy and speed, which isn’t always a good thing.  Poor Addie has been on the receiving end of many thrown objects.  You don’t always understand which objects are doggy toys…

I’ve mentioned it several times, but your ability to make connections still amazes me.  It’s one of your greatest strengths.  Wearing a striped shirt and then pointing to your striped rug.  Seeing the moon in a book and then looking out the window to find the moon outside.  Seeing a picture of a barn and finding the barn puzzle piece.  I think you are very advanced in this area.

Your fine motor skills and ability to make connections are what make me think you’ll be an engineer someday.  I’m probably way off, but it’s fun to guess what you’ll be and what interests you'll pursue. J

Anyway, let’s get to your monthly update.

This month, you said lots of new words.  And hearing your sweet voice say a new word never gets old.  The list includes: deer, nine, poop, snow, toot, bone (Addie’s toy), banana, moose, bar (part of the bath tub or stairs), and many more that I’m forgetting.

You’ve gone on the potty a few times (still not ready to potty train, but we’re inching closer) and you say poop whenever you have a stinky diaper.

I believe you have all of your 2 year molars at this point.  Your Da and I have definitely seen 3 of the 4. 

You’ve become more independent/less shy in public.

We had a really fun Halloween and made the most of outdoor time while the weather was still nice.  Other than that, I can’t think of any events.

You’ve started to love soup (yes!!) and Grandma G said you ate fried rice the other day.  Still can’t believe that one.  Regardless, I’m so happy you’re trying more foods.  For the most part, you still stick to meat and cheese pizza and any fruits/veggies you eat are in puree form.

You absolutely love Addie.  You ask for her every morning when you wake up and love chasing her around the house.

You still like books, Daniel Tiger, puzzles (especially numbers and alphabet), your farm, trucks, stuffed animals, your blankies, and push toys (alligators and dog).  Your most favorite thing is being outside, but unfortunately, the really cold temperatures haven’t allowed this lately.

We had such a fun month.  And I’m sure I’m leaving out some important highlights.  It makes me both sad and happy that you’re getting older – sad that you’ll no longer be a 1 year old, but happy to experience your continual growth and learning.  2 just seems SO much older than 1. :\  You are our everything and more, little man.

28 Weeks with Baby #2

How far along? 28 weeks!  Officially in the third trimester.  Wow!!

Size?  Baby is the size of an eggplant.

Weight Gain?  Not sure.

Gender? Baby boy!

Sleep?  Well, it was getting very uncomfortable.  I'd wake up often with back pain and leg pain.  A suggested trying the pregnancy pillow and even washed it for me (thanks, hubby!!) and it really helped!  I'm still uncomfortable, but it's not nearly as bad as it was.

Movement? Still lots of movement, but he seems to have settled down a bit.

Food Cravings?  Nothing.  As in absolutely nothing sounds good and I struggle to come up with dinner ideas.

Labor signs? Too early.

What I Miss?  My regular clothes and sleeping on my back.  Also, being able to bend over - I seem to drop things about 254 times per day and I get annoyed every time!

Symptoms?  Lots of back pain throughout the day.  Any time I sit for a period of time and then try to stand and walk, major pain.  I would always see pregnant ladies walking really slowly and wonder... now, I get it.  I think my chair at work is part of the problem.  Think I can convince them to get me a message chair?? ;)

Happy or Moody?  Happy!  Happy!

Looking Forward To?  Thanksgiving!!  Lots to be thankful for and yummy food. :)  AND I took 2 days off next week, which means I only work 1 day.  Woohoo!!  Excited about purchasing furniture for the nursery.  A and I made a trip to Buy Buy Baby and picked out a dresser and chair.  I'm waiting for Black Friday to purchase, hoping they go on sale.  I'm also so excited to start decorating for Christmas!

Best Moment of the Week?  W has been trying to say so many words lately and it's amazing to watch him learn.  He did awesome at school - playing independently, exploring the classroom, trying new activities - I was so proud of him.  Also excited about my consignment sale finds!!  And A and I noticed that W has at least 3 of his 4 2-year molars showing.  That seems like a weird best moment, but it helps explain the sleepless nights.  I love having a reason/explanation for things!

Weekend Recap

Another (mostly) great weekend come and gone.

Friday consisted of a few great consignment sale finds and dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  Yummy!

Saturday was my turn to take W to school.  He did amazingly well!  I had to leave the classroom or walk away a couple times and he was totally fine.  No panic ensued, no chasing after mom.  It made me confident that he’ll be ready for preschool when the time comes.  W played with much more than the usual trucks, rocking chair, and sandbox.  He enjoyed painting, playing at the water table, coloring with markers, checking out magna tiles, sitting at the counting station… he tried EVERYTHING.  I couldn’t keep up with him.  His teacher remarked how he seemed more independent and another mom commented how smart he was as he was identifying a few letters.  This made my day – I know he’s a smart boy, but I still wonder about his somewhat delayed speech every so often.  Those confirmatory comments really warmed my heart and made me smile.  So proud of my little man.  He’s grown so much since starting school just a couple months ago.

That afternoon, we headed to Buy Buy Baby to check out dressers for the nursery.  I had forgotten how crowded the mall got as we approach the holiday season.  Holy. Moly.  It took forever to find a parking space.  When we finally got into the store, W had a blast running around the furniture and testing out gliders.  We chose a dresser and glider, but didn’t purchase them yet.  I’m hoping they’ll be discounted on Black Friday.  I was also afraid to ask what the shipping/delivery fees are… gulp.  If nothing else, I should be able to use my 20% off coupons – hopefully!  We also purchased a baby bath tub since the one we used for W was borrowed and has since been returned.  It was fun looking at baby items. J

Sunday was our usual routine.  One of our church friends made a comment about how W is always so good.  I think he took that remark as a challenge and was the epitome of terrible twos that afternoon.  There was just no making him happy – crying, throwing objects, refusing to eat what I offered, running over Addie with toys… yikes.  W wasn’t himself.  I’m fairly certain he’s getting another molar.  Combine that with a short nap and hunger and you get a very unhappy toddler.  We had a few high points – painting and coloring with markers, but for the most part… whew.  I even had to give W a time out – something that rarely happens.

So with the exception of Sunday afternoon, we had a great weekend.  And last night, the most shocking thing happened… W slept through the night and actually slept in and Addie slept in her bed the entire night.  That meant a whole night of uninterrupted sleep… Oh. My. Gosh.  I’m a happy mom today!  J

Friday Randoms

Prepare for another random/pointless post.  I warned you.

This week was heavenly.  I went from dreading jury duty to being so thankful for it.  I had to report to the courthouse Monday and Wednesday, but was not selected as a juror.  Thursday and today I had to call in to find out if I had to report.  I didn’t so I’ve been working from home.  Yesterday, I sat in the armchair with a blanket, computer on my lap, warm drink, and watched snow flurries outside while I worked.  It did wonders for my spirit (and for my aching back).  Today has been much of the same.

On a related note, W continually pointed outside and said snow.  So cute. J

Since I was feeling so peaceful and happy yesterday, I snapped a selfie… 27 weeks!  Feeling great this week and embracing my baby bump no matter how large some people think it is!!

We went to Bonnie Brook for dinner Wednesday night.  W was a little celebrity as usual and I also got quite a few comments about being pregnant.  Here’s a little sample… Elderly woman: “Oh I love his hair.  And it’s not a bright red; it’s a nice red”.  Different elderly lady to W: “Oh, you are going to have a brother or sister!”  Old man with her:  “How in the world did you know that?!?”  Old lady: “I can see.”  LOL!!!  And there were several other questions/comments throughout dinner.  Grandma G dressed W very preppy knowing we were going to dinner. J

I started watching Jane the Virgin.  I hardly watch tv unless it’s a few minutes of sports or the news.  Once in a while, A and I try to catch up on New Girl, but that’s rare.  I also try to watch A to Z (love) on Demand, but again, that’s a rare occurrence.  Anyway, yesterday I watched Jane the Virgin, uninterrupted!!  And I loved it. J

My nephew arrived today!!  Welcome to the world baby T!  I can’t wait to meet him!

Speaking of babies, here’s a sneak peak of our baby’s nursery.  I’m so impatient and want it done NOW.  But we aren’t even close – I still need to purchase a dresser.  W needs to move to a toddler bed so we can move the crib into the nursery.  And I need to figure out what to do about the glider – I either need to recover the current cushions, buy new cushions, or purchase a glider second hand.  Have I mentioned that I’m not crafty at all?  The current glider has green cushions and there’s no green in the nursery so it won’t work as it.  Knowing how much there is left to do is making me very anxious.

I'm so tired of seeing Kim K's butt everywhere... on tv, on Facebook.  My goodness.  There are far more interesting/important/worthwhile things to talk about.

I just returned from a consignment sale.  I was debating whether or not to go.  I typically don't find anything at these sales and had low expectations, but I figured it couldn't hurt to look.  I came home with a Little Tykes firetruck, table and chairs, Little People train, and Little People tractor.  I'm so excited!  The items were all in great condition and all on W's Christmas list so I'm saving them until then. :)

Happy Friday!!