Weekend Recap

I think my next few weekend recaps are all going to sound the same.  And honestly, I can't really differentiate between the weekends and weekdays.  I know I work during the week, but I forget what activities we do when.

I do know that we've been going on walks every day.  I like the fresh air and exercise and it's nice to see so many neighbors out walking (though we keep our distance).  Many people in our neighborhood have written chalk messages on driveways and sidewalks.  We did the same.  The messages are so uplifting and give me hope.

On Saturday, the boys and I wrote down clues and then we all piled in the car for a scavenger hunt.  A had to locate the destination according to our hints.  It was nice to get out of the house and we had fun coming up with clues.  I think we'll do the same this weekend, only A will come up with the clues and we'll have to figure out the destination and direct him.

We've actually done really well with meal planning.  We're limiting our grocery shopping to once per week and dare I say I'm actually enjoying coming up with a plan for dinners in advance.  It takes the last minute guesswork out of dinner preparation and with no commute, we have plenty of time to make dinner.

This week has started off much more challenging than the last.  It's officially our spring break so W doesn't have daily assignments.  I think the novelty of all of us at home all the time has worn off.  The lack of routine is also resulting in some restlessness for the boys.  We're getting them outside when we can and just trying our best to keep life as normal as possible.

Weekend Recap

We had such a busy weekend and for the most part, it was really great!!

Last week, I came down with a cold.  Boo.  Friday, I felt terrible and slept most of the day away.  I got a break from the important work situation I've been involved in and worked from home part of the day.  I was really disappointed because I knew we had so much planned for Saturday.  I hoped the extra rest and all the liquids I was drinking would help me feel better fast.

I did feel a little better on Saturday so it was off to my doctor’s appointment first thing in the morning.  A and W joined me.  I had my 20 week ultrasound.  W cried a bit – I think he was concerned about mommy laying on the table in the dark room.  But after some reassurance and a cookie, he was fine.  At the ultrasound, we learned that baby #2 is breech.  My babies love to be right side up!  There’s still plenty of time for baby to turn.  But as a result of the position and despite several attempts from me to roll from one side to another, the technician couldn’t get all the measurements she needed.  So far, everything looks great and I’ll have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to check position and obtain remaining measurements.  Baby is definitely a boy and currently weighs about 14 oz!!  And he looks adorable in his ultrasound picture. ;)

A and W drove separately because W had his first day of school.  I was worried that my doctor appointment would run long and I wouldn’t be able to attend.  I was also worried I’d be too sick to go.  But my appointment ended right on time and I just couldn’t imagine missing W’s first day.  It was so important to me to be there.  So I went with plenty of hand sanitizer and Kleenex on hand.  I was careful and stayed away from the other children.  And it made me so happy to experience W’s first day with him.  He did great.  He played with tools, cars, and the sandbox.  He helped clean up.  He sat in a circle and sang songs – well, he listened to everyone else sing songs. J  And he finished class playing outside.  I’m so proud of him. J

We headed home for some lunch and a nap.  Later that day, we decided to head to a local farm.  W LOVED the animals.  He laughed as the cow mooed at him and chased the roosters.  He fed a goat and even went on a pony ride.  Then, he threw a fit when it was time to leave.  We’ll definitely go back – everything was free except for the pony ride.  Can’t beat that!!

It was a fabulous day!

Sunday was our usual routine.  I absolutely love our church and Starbucks routine.  I love seeing the same friendly faces week after week.  I wasn’t feeling great – still battling a cold and still recovering from the day prior.  My Bears lost in a horrible football game.  But other than that it was a good day.

Then Sunday night, around 11 pm, W woke up and seemed miserable.  It sounded like he was congested and he continued to cry.  I felt bad for him and brought him back to bed with me, but was worried my coughing would keep him up (I ALWAYS get bad coughs with colds).  He’d fall asleep for a couple minutes and then cry.  We gave him some Infant's Motrin and he eventually fell asleep laying on top of me.  I woke up around 1 am completely stuck.  I tapped A, who tried to pick up W, but had trouble.  The kiddo was practically glued to me. J  So picture a pregnant lady essentially trying to do a sit up with a 30 pound toddler laying on top of her.  It wasn't pretty and if I wasn’t concentrating so hard on not waking W, I think I would have burst out laughing.  Not sure what’s bothering my boy, but I’m praying he’s not coming down with yet another cold.  Time will tell.  Also, I don’t think I coughed the entire time W was with me, but as soon as I got back to bed, major coughing attack.  He’s good for my health.

So all in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was not at all what I expected.  Nothing went according to plan.

W was supposed to start school on Saturday, but Friday afternoon we received a phone call stating that his teacher was sick and he wouldn’t start until the following Saturday.  Given the impending weekend, this was actually a good thing.  But on the downside, it looks like I won’t be able to attend his first day of school with him since I have a doctor’s appointment. L

Friday night Saturday morning at around 12:30 am (I think – the time is a bit fuzzy), A awoke with abdominal pains.  For the next hour, he tossed and turned, walked around, groaned.  He then went downstairs to lie on the couch and try to wait out whatever was causing the pain.  I fell back asleep, but around 2:30 am, A woke me up to tell me his parents were heading over because he needed to go to the ER.  When they got to the house, I asked A if he wanted me to take him to the hospital or wait at the house with W.  By now it was sometime around 3-3:30.  W has been waking early – typically around 5:30 so he would be up relatively soon.  A said he thought I should be home when W woke up.  So I stayed at the house waiting for news.  As expected, W was awake by 5:30.  Sometime around 6 am, A texted me with his diagnosis – a kidney stone.  It was a big relief hearing that.  I had so many illnesses/diagnoses racing through my mind; a kidney stone seemed much less tragic (albeit painful).

A, my mom, and I were supposed to attend a wedding that day.  My cousin was getting married and I had been looking forward to it.  Although she’s younger, my cousin and I grew up together.  I baby-sat her when she was little, was her confirmation sponsor, attended swim meets, and watched her in the high school band.  My mom is her godmother and was supposed to read a bible passage during the wedding ceremony.  Further complicating the matter was that A and I were supposed to drive my mom and pick up brother.  My mom doesn’t drive long distances (the wedding was an hour away) and my brother does not own a car (he lives in Chicago and takes public transit).  So long story short, it was decided that I would go to the wedding and A would stay home and rest.  W would still go to his aunt and uncle’s house, as originally planned, to give A a break after the crazy night – not to mention A was still having some pain.

I was really disappointed.  I had been looking forward to attending the wedding with A and 2.5+ hours of driving after little sleep was not appealing.  Also, I had never been to the town the wedding was in and had no idea where I was going.

I was supposed to drop W off at his aunt and uncle’s house, but he was sound asleep at the time we had planned to leave.  He also had not had lunch.  A offered to drop W off so that my mom and I could head out.  Apparently W was a mess when A dropped him off.  He had a major meltdown and was very upset that A was leaving.  He proceeded to have meltdowns the entire time and A picked him up early.  I felt terrible.

My mom, brother, and I eventually made it to the wedding.  My cousin looked gorgeous and the wedding was beautiful.  Then we had to find the reception site – that took another 45 minutes of driving.  Ugh.  We finally made it.  My mom ended up sitting at my table even though she wasn’t originally seated there.  She was able to take A’s spot and was so happy to be sitting with me, my brother, and cousins.  I have to say, my cousins are some of the funniest people EVER.  I literally did not stop laughing throughout the entire reception.  It was the highlight of my day.  As I glanced at the other tables, they were chatting, looking somewhat serious, while my cousins and I were crying from laughing so hard. J

Finally, I made it home, completely exhausted.  Everyone was asleep when I arrived.  W had his usual 5:30 am wake up and I spent the majority of Sunday completely drained from the day prior.  There were a few highlights on Sunday – a trip to the park, a family walk, and teaching W somersaults (until he spit up – oops).

I tried to make the most of the weekend, but it definitely wasn’t what I hoped it would be.  I’m still a bit sad at how it turned out, but I guess things can't always go according to plan. L

Weekend Recap

This weekend was… refreshing?  I can’t really think of a better way to describe it.  W actually slept through the night.  He was still up by 5:30 each morning, but I can handle that.  I was in bed by 9pm on both Friday and Saturday night and felt so much better after a good night’s sleep.  We didn’t have many plans this weekend, which was perfect.  There was still plenty to do, but without the added pressure of having to be somewhere at a certain time.  That will all change this coming weekend and next as we have school starting for W, a family wedding, a doctor’s appointment, and more.  Uggh.  Anyway, back to this past weekend…

W still has some sort of cold/allergy/drippy nose thing going on, but he’s been himself, which is great.  Saturday, I took my car in for an oil change and had plans to meet W and A for lunch.  I had my heart set on Egg Harbor, but the wait at 11:30am was 25 minutes.  Say what?  I thought we had arrived early enough.  Knowing W would probably not want to wait, we headed down the street to a Mexican restaurant.  It wasn’t Egg Harbor, but it was still tasty and W enjoyed people watching.  After that, I ran a couple other errands and W headed home for a nap.  Not much else to report.  With our cooler temps lately (which I love), I decided it would be a comfort food kind of weekend.  I tried a new macaroni and cheese recipe.  A and I agreed that it wasn’t great – we like the baked recipe I typically make.

Sunday was church.  A little note about church… we see the same people every weekend and I love that.  It really makes me happy.  We usually sit next to a little girl and a little boy – Kaylee and Ben, who attend church with their grandparents (separate grandparents – Kaylee and Ben aren’t related).  I would guess Kaylee is about 4 or 5 and Ben is 3 or 4.  So anyway, Kaylee often shares goldfish crackers with W.  She’s so incredibly sweet.  Ben is a typical boy, he gets restless and plays with cars, but W enjoys watching him.  W (reluctantly) shares his books with Kaylee and Ben (we’re working on sharing).  It’s so cute to see the three of them interact.  They were all SO well behaved yesterday.  Kaylee and Ben are both in tough situations.  Kaylee’s mom lost custody of her so Kaylee is taken care of by her grandma and foster parents.  But she really is the sweetest, very well behaved girl.  You’d never guess she was in such a tough situation.  And both of Ben’s parents passed away from drug addiction so he now lives with his grandparents.  Heartbreaking.  But again, aside from the typical boy rough and tumble-ness, you’d never know Ben was dealing with such a tough situation at a very young age.  And let me say that Ben’s grandfather was a lawyer and is now a prominent judge.  His uncle was high school valedictorian and graduated from the University of Notre Dame.  Kaylee’s grandmother is very involved in the community and it’s clear that she has high expectations of Kaylee.  I’m not sure what happened in the lives of Ben’s and Kaylee’s parents, but I do know that they had positive role models and wonderful families.  It actually scares me – no matter how much we teach our children and no matter what values we try to instill, they make their own choices in life and sometimes those choices have dire consequences.

Anyway, after church was Starbucks, I visited a friend for a short time, I made chicken tortilla soup and enchilada dip for dinner, A played outside with W, and we watched a little football.  All in all, a great weekend.

Weekend Recap

This weekend seemed like such a whirlwind that recapping it is giving me anxiety.  So much to do, so little time seems to sum it up.  Friday, we had some strong storms pass through the area, but luckily we didn’t encounter any damage.  I don’t recall anything else that stands out, except that W wanted chips for dinner and got angry when we wouldn’t let him have them.  He had a couple bites of pizza, which he usually likes, but I accidently gave him a piece of pizza with a miniscule bit of sausage and he was furious.  Never mind that he likes sausage?!?  Just not on pizza apparently.  SO that was fun.  Oh, Friday night Saturday morning around 4 am, A woke up with severe abdominal pains.  I thought I’d have to take him to the hospital.  He decided to try laying on a heating pad and felt a bit better.  Not sure what caused that.  W woke up at 5:30 am so we were all tired the following day.

I don't like pizza!!

Oh wait, yes, I do!!

Saturday, we went grocery shopping and W fell asleep on the way home – at 11:30 am.  His usual nap time is 1ish so that was different and threw off our plans a bit.  We went to my mom’s house to watch the airshow after a whopping 45 min nap.  W usually takes at least an hour and a half nap.  Anyway, I found the airshow to be really boring.  W pointed out a few airplanes, but was just happy to be outside.  After a lot of time outdoors, and some time playing with the cats, it was off to dinner.  Happy to report W was really good at the restaurant – and so was the food!  We asked for a seat near the window and that helped.  W was able to watch people going by.  After dinner we walked around the downtown area for a bit.  A started to have some pains again so we headed home.  A fun day and A felt better after resting.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!

Sunday, was church and Starbucks.  W was really good during church.  I was really excited about the start of football season.  Not sure why – apparently I failed to remember that little boys don’t really care for football.  I was also too ambitious and decided to make lunch and dinner.  Both were easy, but very time consuming.  And if that weren’t enough, I also decided to decorate for fall and put up new curtains.  Oh, and I should also mention that W woke up Saturday night and took only a 30 min nap on Sunday.  Ughhhh.  I’m tired.  Anyway, both lunch and dinner were delicious, my team lost, and by the end of the day, my feet and back ached – BUT I felt so productive and accomplished so that’s something.

Fall decor - I've always wanted a fireplace.

Wore our orange and blue to church and then had breakfast at Starbucks

W put stickers on his face during the game.  Not sure why or what made him do that, but I couldn't stop laughing.

And then Sunday night/Monday morning, W woke at 10 pm, 1 am, and was up at 5:30 am.  He either has a cold or is teething.  Poor guy.  And poor mom and dad. :(

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a bit of everything rolled into one busy weekend – chaos, laughter, love, frustration, happiness, and tears.  All in all, it was good and I was really sad to return to work today.  Especially since I won’t have another holiday until Thanksgiving… whaaaa.

Friday was my last day of summer hours (whaaaaa) so I worked a half day.  After that, W, my mom, and I grabbed lunch and did a bit of shopping.  W has been screaming while we’re out lately – it usually happens while we’re out eating or grocery shopping.  It’s not a tantrum type scream, but it is loud and embarrassing.  I’m assuming he does it for attention and telling him no, and that he needs to be quiet only makes him scream more.  We may be staying home for awhile.

Saturday was a very long day.  I had a doctor’s appointment.  Heard baby’s heartbeat, but otherwise it was pointless.  W came with and there was more screaming.  That was followed by breakfast at Panera (more screaming), grocery shopping at Mariano’s (more screaming), and even more shopping at Target.  Then it was time to head home to clean and complete a couple projects.  That night, we had a fantasy football draft party.  I had been looking forward to it and now, I have no idea why.  It was a complete disaster.  I won’t go into too much detail because I know in the grand scheme of things it won’t matter.  People are dealing with far worse.  But it was an absolute failure and our dog, Addie, was just plain awful.  She barked the entire night, chased the kids around and scared them.  I had never seen her like that.  I didn’t realize the kids were coming over so that definitely didn’t help, but I’m not sure what I would’ve done differently had I known.  It also didn’t help that people were continually coming up to me telling me that Addie was annoying and asking what was wrong with her.  As far as her being annoying – tell me something I didn’t already know.  And if I knew what was wrong, I’d do my best to fix it.  For some reason, the kids set her off and nonstop barking ensued.  The kids never stayed in one place (despite attempts at 2 movies), which added to the barking chaos and I was afraid to lock Addie in a room because when we had done so previously, she destroyed an expensive crate that fellow dog owners insisted she had to have (last time I listen to dog advice from anyone who doesn’t know my dog).  Having anything in our new house destroyed was not a risk I was willing to take.  And people could have left at any time.  We were doing a draft, but I think we could have continued on the computer or another way.  What probably bugs me most of all is I knew before the party that a few people didn’t like Addie and this only added fuel to their Addie hating fire.  What they don’t realize (and never will) is that Addie is actually one of the sweetest dogs.  She’s always by my side when I’m not feeling well.  She was at my side after my first IVF failed when I couldn’t stop crying.  For both of my pregnancies, she’s wanted to be extra close to me – knowing that something was different.  She’s incredibly smart and extremely loyal (a trait you can’t find in most humans).  She’s protective of W, A, and I, but only because she loves us that much.  And she puts up with W’s hitting her and throwing various objects at her.  I actually cried at the end of the night when everyone had finally gone home.  Now that it’s all done, we’ll know not to have any kids over.  And those who never liked Addie will continue to not come over (because Addie is here to stay) so I guess in that respect, nothing will really change.  No more parties any time soon.

Sunday was much better.  We went to church and Starbucks.  W let out a scream during mass so the two of us headed to the church lobby.  We headed back in to mass to receive communion and W spotted grandma way at the other end of the church.  She was helping as Eucharistic minister.  He continued to point and laugh at her, which was really cute. J  After that was Starbucks and then a relatively quiet day at home.  When W woke from his nap sometime after 3, A and I decided to take him to the pool on a whim.  It was our last chance since the pool was closing so we thought we’d try it.  W had a blast and I’m so glad we all went.  I loved watching him splash and play in the water.  He and A were so cute together and W loved every minute.  He even tripped and went underwater a couple times.  A was there to scoop him up, but W never panicked.  It was lots of fun and exactly what we needed after such a stressful Saturday.

Monday was pretty uneventful.  W loves my mom’s cats so I decided to take him to grandma’s house for a quick visit and some cat love.  I couldn’t stop laughing as W hugged and cuddled with my mom’s cat Mieko.  For some reason, Mieko totally loves W and put up with all the hugging grabbing and cuddles squeezing.  After that we headed home for play time, a family walk, and I made dinner.  A great end to the long weekend. J

Weekend Recap and the end of summer

This is the week I dread every year.  The final week of summer vacation before A heads back to school.  But first things first…

We had an awesome weekend.  After feeling horrible on Thursday, I felt great on Friday.  So much so that I worked, cleaned, hung pictures, and attended a consignment sale.  It was amazing to have my energy back and I was going to take full advantage.  That night, A and I headed to the Melting Pot for my belated birthday dinner.  It’s my favorite restaurant and since we hadn’t been there in 2 years, it was even more fun/delicious/exciting.  Not to mention, we hardly ever go to dinner, just the two of us.  In fact, I can’t even remember the last time.  Anyway, it was delicious and I loved it.  The perfect birthday dinner.  Also, our waitress was fantastic.  I love you, Melting Pot. J

Saturday, I got a haircut and then we picked out a light fixture and shelving for the house.

Sunday was church, Starbucks, grocery shopping, and more work on the  house.  A rented a UHaul Van and emptied out our storage unit with the help of my mom.  A huge task checked off our to do list.  Downside was my love seat had water marks on it.  Not happy since we specifically paid for an indoor, temperature controlled unit so our furniture would be protected.  After scrubbing the cushion covers and washing them, they’re looking better, but still upset about this.  Oh, I also made a really yummy chicken and pasta dinner that night.  A nice ending to a great weekend.

We got so much done - I love that feeling of accomplishment and our house is looking better than ever. J

Now onto this week… The week I dread.  I’m spoiled during the summer.  A is home to care for W during the day, run errands as needed, and start dinner.  My mornings are much less hectic with A’s help.  It makes me smile every morning when A takes both Addie and W outside for a morning walk.  W often rides in his wagon, still wearing his pajamas, and brings along a sippy cup with juice and a ball (his equivalent of coffee and a newspaper).  It’s really cute.  They’re usually all getting started on breakfast when I leave for the day.

But all that comes to an end when A starts school.  I know it will be fine and we’ll get back into our busy routine, but the transition is always tough.  I’m trying to appreciate everything this week and enjoy every last bit of summer vacation.  I’m off to a bad start, though, because I forgot my computer this morning.  I got all the way to work only to realize my laptop was sitting on my bedside table.  Fail.  Luckily, A came to my rescue and dropped it off at work for me.  Another reminder of why it’s so nice to have him home.

Weekend Recap

We had a great weekend!  Friday, we took W for a haircut.  I was nervous because the first one did NOT go well.  Half the salon was helping us distract W.  But this time, we discovered the bowl of Dum Dum suckers.   And W sat through the haircut with his sucker – no problem at all.  Sidenote: I used to be that mom who insisted on no sugar, no juice, organic food, etc.  I’ve relaxed quite a bit.  We have to choose our battles (especially with a child who is super picky).  I’m not saying W gets sugar every day, but every now and then, he gets a treat.

 

Saturday, we went to a cookout that one of A’s colleagues was hosting.  The lady had a large backyard and swing set.  W had an absolute blast going down the slide several times.  AND he slept through the night – over 10 hours.  It was awesome.  His sleep has been awful for the past month and we all needed a good night.

 

Sunday was Father’s Day.  We went to church and Starbucks.  Then came home and A opened his gifts from W and I.  After W’s nap, we went out for Mexican food and then made a trip to the park.  A and I theorized that we had to totally exhaust W in order to get him to sleep through the night and what do you know, it worked again!  I can’t even remember the last time W slept through the night 2 nights in a row.

 

It was a perfect weekend. 

 

In other news, we continue to prepare for our move.  So much paperwork along with appraisals, inspections, etc.  We’ve got a lot going on.  It looks like we have renters for our house so that’s good news!!  Sickness still hasn’t left – it appears that A has a cold yet again. L  I’ve been traveling for work.  I leave again on Wednesday.  Not at all happy about it.  Suffices to say we’ve been incredibly busy, but things have been great (other than the sickness and work travel).

Weekend Recap

This weekend was so much fun!  The weather is finally improving.

Saturday, I got a much needed haircut.  Then it was off to lunch with my boys for a belated Mother’s Day celebration.  We ordered W an apple juice and he was OBSESSED – I actually had to hide it so he’d eat.  We normally stick to water at home.  Then it was off to Babies R Us for puree and diapers and Target for groceries.  We ended the day with a walk. J

Sunday was church and a carnival at W’s future preschool.  He had so much fun and I so enjoyed watching him have a blast.  He laughed at the frog mascot, played games, checked out a fire truck, enjoyed a petting zoo, and went on his first pony ride.  I was hesitant to let him ride the pony because I thought he’d be frightened, but he had a smile the entire time he was on the pony.  I topped off the day my making a really yummy tomato, basil chicken and pasta dinner.  I’ve really enjoyed making dinner on Sundays – gasp!

 

 

 

Weekend Recap

We had another great weekend!

On Friday, I met A and W (haha, that’s a brand of root beer) at a local Mexican restaurant.  W was surprisingly well behaved – I had previously sworn off all dinner outings, but this time, he was a really good boy!  After some nachos, quesadillas, and taquitos, we were stuffed.  Also I was wishing my boys had picked me up so I could enjoy a margarita!  Next time! ;)  And the night was topped off by our Blackhawks winning!  Woohoo!

Saturday was a routine doctor’s appointment for W.  Big guy is in the 50^th-75^th percentile for weight and height.  He got 2 shots and cried for much of the time.  Can’t say I blame him.  A and I attended an open house.  We liked the house, but we didn’t love it so I don’t think we’ll pursue it.  We then went to my aunt and uncle’s house to discuss our upcoming family reunion (we’re planning it this year) and have a yummy dinner.

Sunday was church.  We got to see our friends and the twin babies.  And W was really good for the most part.  A and I picked up Starbucks.  We cleaned the house.  W destroyed the house.   Our Hawks won again, advancing to the next round of the playoffs.  I made a fettuccini chicken dish for dinner (it was ok) and we walked through another house.  This house was a definite no.  It was really cute and directly across from a park, but the rooms were too small.  I have to say, I kind of love walking through houses.  I love seeing the layout of the property and other people’s decorating tastes.

That was it.  All in all a great weekend.

 

Cutest Hawks fan ever!

 

 

Happiness is... W

I have so much on my mind…  The weekend was wonderful and I would typically do a recap, but I want to  talk about W and how wonderful he is.  I know all moms think their children are fabulous and they absolutely are.  Children are such an amazing blessing.  Sure, they are challenging and frustrating at times, but the sweet moments make up for those difficult times (remind me of this when I’m in the throes of terrible twos).  I’m so incredibly grateful to have W in my life.  I’m so grateful God chose me to be his mom and I remind myself every single day how fortunate I am.  W is a miraculous gift.

I truly believe that W could change the world if he wanted to.  He has this amazing positive effect on people.  To know W is to love W.  I was reminded of this several times this weekend…

I took Friday off so W and I could spend the day together.  I had chosen Friday awhile ago and it worked out perfectly.  The weather was the warmest it’s been all year (as I type, we currently have snow on the ground).  I decided we would go on our first zoo trip of the year.  We had a blast.  The monkeys and the meerkats were W’s favorite and he actually started to cry as we left the meerkats and headed toward another exhibit. 

I had this perfect plan – we’d go to the zoo, W would sleep during the nearly 1 hour ride home, and then we’d visit A’s class.  Well, W had other plans and did not sleep at all.  I debated whether or not we should still visit A at school.  I ultimately decided to go.  If W fell asleep on the way there, we’d visit another time and if W got too cranky, we’d just head home.

We arrived and W was awesome.  My typically shy around people he doesn’t know boy walked around the classroom, played ball with the students, and pointed out the clock.  Several students in other classrooms wanted to meet W and we made the rounds.  The students LOVED him.  But my favorite part was the interaction with the autistic students.  Now, I don’t know very much about autism.  What I do know is that many autistic students thrive on consistency and W being there could have easily set them off.  We met one student who came up to W and played peek-a-boo with him.  W proceeded to laugh and smile at the boy.  They both seemed to enjoy each other’s company.  Another boy we met in the hallway.  A explained that W was his son and the boy repeated “my son”.  After that, whenever we saw the boy, he would say “my son”.  It was really cute and heartwarming.  There was another girl who apparently had little confidence and broke down from time to time.  But she had no problem playing with W, talking to him, and offering toys.  She even told me she was great with kids – no lack of confidence whatsoever.  She was very sweet with W.

Here’s the thing I picked up on (and again – admittedly, I’m one of those moms who thinks her kid is the best)… W could have been incredibly cranky.  We were at the zoo for 2 hours and in the car for another 2 hours.  With NO nap.  But W was perfect.  He brought joy to so many of those kids.  He brings so much happiness to nearly everyone he meets.  And another thing – I think he was perfect for the kids.  A explained to me that some lacked self-esteem and doubted themselves.  Not around W.  They had no problem at all interacting with him.  There’s something  special about a toddler – they view the world with innocent eyes.  They do not judge.  They do not criticize.  They laugh at a simple game of peek-a-boo.  They do not have high expectations or prejudice.  And I think W made some of those students’ days.

I was reminded of this 2 days later, but with the other end of the spectrum…. We’ve been attending church as a family since W was 10 days old.  We love seeing our church friends every week.  Lately, A or I spends most of church in the lobby with W.  He gets tired of sitting and wants to explore.  Well, this Sunday, we were getting ready to leave after a long Palm Sunday mass when I turned around and saw W in the arms of an elderly man.  He was talking to W and W was content.  Typically, W would be crying, reaching for A or me.  But he was fine being held by the older man and the older man had the biggest smile.  So darn cute.  And another example of W bringing happiness…. To young and old and everyone in between.  I love my boy so much.

Weekend Recap

This weekend got off to a rocky start, but turned out fabulous.

Friday, we were supposed to go to a fish fry at our church.  I was to meet my mom, A, and W there after work.  I arrived and the line was incredibly long to get in.  My mom suggested I call A and tell him to meet us at another local restaurant.  We just weren’t sure how long it would take to get into the church fish fry and W isn’t exactly patient.

So A and W arrived at the restaurant and W was just not happy.  He didn’t want to sit in the high chair, didn’t want to eat anything, and just cried.  He definitely made a scene.  When he finally settled, I went and got some soup and salad.  I attempted to open the lid of the big soup crock and the entire lid fell into the pot of soup.  Lovely.  I tried to put the lid back on, but it seemed to be the wrong size?  So I set it on top of the crock.  (I should also mention, there was no room to set the lid on the table)  I ladled my soup and returned the ladle to the crock.  The ladle barely grazed the lid that was resting on top, and the metal lid went flying off, clanking all the way, until it shot off the back end of the table.  I’m telling you, that thing was possessed.  I apologized to the waitress and returned to my seat where W immediately spit up all over the place.  Perfect.  I’m pretty sure, we can never return to that place.  It was embarrassing, awkward, frustrating, and a host of other feelings.  I actually suggested we leave, but dinner had already been ordered. :\  My mom reminded me that W was usually really good and I shouldn’t expect him to be perfect all the time.  He was a toddler acting like a toddler.  Of course she’s right.  Suffices to say, we’ll be eating dinner at home this Friday.

Luckily Saturday was much better.  The weather was nice and we were able to get outside for two walks.  A and I got our taxes done and even squeezed in a lunch outing.  I love when the two of us can enjoy a meal together.  It very rarely happens (once every 3 months?), but when it does, it’s bliss.  We also discovered a foreclosed home in our neighborhood that has lots of potential.  It isn’t listed yet so we know nothing about it, but it makes me hopeful.

Sunday was church, Starbucks, grocery shopping, and another walk.  I also made a yummy dinner.  I think that’s going to be my new thing on Sunday – make a delicious dinner with lots of leftovers that we can finish off during the week.

W was awesome this weekend.  He’s been so silly/funny lately and he’s picking up lots of words.  He now says uh oh, ball and bowl (which sound the same), stick, truck, and duck (which all sound like duck), and he said car this morning.  I love it.  Also yesterday, I may have seen a spider and freaked out.  I HATE spiders.  W started mimicking my screaming and laughing at me.  J

Weekend Recap

I feel like I need a vacation from my weekend. J  We were super busy.  I’ll try to do a quick recap…

Saturday I got my haircut and then A and I headed over to the open house.  We both really liked the house.  The kitchen, living room, and third bedroom were smaller than I thought they’d be.  Not necessarily a bad thing, they were just smaller than I was expecting.  The house was very very nice.  There were lots of people at the open house and that gave me the impression that the house will sell quickly.  One family seemed very interested.  So I have a feeling that this won’t end up being our house.  I think we’ll still pursue it, but someone else will probably snatch it up before we get all of our financing in order.  A bit disappointing.  Our timing just seems to be off.  But I guess you never know… This house is perfect for us in terms of size, location, and price range.  One important note – we live on a golf course and as a result, there are very few homes that allow for fences.  I think this one does since it isn’t directly on the golf course.  We’d love to have a fenced in yard for our dog.***

After that, it was time to head to our nephew’s birthday party.  We couldn’t stay too long since W goes to bed early, but we all had fun.  On the way home, A got a flat tire.  His second flat in a week!  Talk about bad luck!  He ran over some glass that was in the road on our way to the party and we hadn’t thought much of it.  A stopped and filled up the tire on our way home and could hear air leaking out.  He knew it’d be flat again soon.   Meanwhile, W had fallen asleep in his car seat.  I called my mom and asked if she’d stay with W while I followed A to the tire store.  It was closed for the night, but the plan was to leave his car there and come back in the morning to have it fixed.  That way he could avoid putting on the spare tire.  W woke up while we got him changed into his pjs and was very upset.  It took awhile to get him back to sleep.  Finally, by around 8:30, W was asleep, the car was at the tire store, and A and I were back home.  All was good.

Then W woke up around midnight and continued to fall asleep and wake for the next couple hours.  At this point, I was exhausted and still not feeling well.  Thank goodness A was able to eventually get W to sleep for good.  I think falling asleep in the car threw off his schedule a bit and he’s also getting another tooth.  Not a good night.

The next morning, I felt horrible.  My cold seemed worse and I was just tired.  W was also tired and cranky.  We spent much of church in the lobby.  Starbucks was packed so we went to a nearby restaurant for breakfast instead.  W had no interest in sitting so that was fun. :P  When we got home, I tried to get W down for a nap.  He was not having it.  Again, A came to the rescue and let me nap while he handled a crazy W.  They went for a walk outside and everyone was happy.  I woke up feeling much better and the day was pretty uneventful.  W was still cranky, but at least he eventually napped.  The three of us, along with Addie ended up going for another walk since the weather was finally decent. 

Oh, one more thing – our friends were at church with the twin girls.  Two weeks in a row – very impressive with twins!!  We can’t even get to church on time with one!  They asked A and I if we’d be the Godparents to one of the twins.  We’re so honored and excited! J  But how do we choose which twin?!?!

***So I wrote this before speaking with our mortgage broker.  We’re preapproved!!  And the mortgage payment with taxes and PMI rolled in would be doable!  Holy Moly!!

Weekend Recap

Not much to report here.

I had hoped for a productive weekend and it was for the most part.  I would’ve liked to have accomplished more, but I’ll take what I can get.  W was really good.  He went with A to get a tire repaired Saturday morning and then we all headed to the grocery store to do our weekly shopping.  W got a bit restless at church on Sunday morning, but only because he wanted to walk around/explore.  I think lots of churches have a nursery?  Ours definitely doesn’t and I like having W with me during mass.  He also has several admirers… He walked over to one lady and then walked back to me.  She came over and said she thought he was going to ask her out and then he left her hanging… Bahaha.  I already have a flirt. J  Evelyn and Angelina also made their debut at church.  Love those cuties and a few people came over to meet them.

In other news, we’re all still waiting on the arrival of spring.  It’s been cold and I’m longing to take walks as a family… and Lord knows I could use the exercise. :\

Weekend Recap

Another weekend where we didn’t have any set plans.

Saturday, we headed over to meet our friends’ new babies – Evelyn and Angelina.  Oh my goodness, they are so cute and tiny.  W was never quite that tiny, but I don’t remember him being so little.  I actually looked back at old pictures of him and reminisced.  It occurred to me today that I don’t really remember much of those early days – they’re a bit of a blur.  I wish I had started the blog a little sooner so I could’ve captured those new baby moments – even if it was mainly feeding, sleeping, and diaper changing.  There’s just something about a brand new baby – so tiny, innocent, and fragile. J  Anyway, W stayed at my mom’s while A and I visited.  My mom reported that he loved her cats and loved looking out her large windows.  He had a great time.

Sunday was our usual routine and a St. Patrick’s Day dinner at my mom’s house.  We had corned beef, carrots, potatoes, bread, fruit, and oreo brownies for dessert.  It was delicious.  And this is too funny not to share… My mom doesn’t have a high chair.  So we channeled our inner MacGyver and stacked a couple pillows on a chair, set W on top, and tied him to the chair with a scarf.  Genius.  Also hilarious.  He really liked the corned beef and I was able to enjoy dinner without having to hold W. J

Weekend Recap

Our dear friends are having their twin baby girls today (or tomorrow, but probably today).  I’m so so excited for them and I can’t wait to hear the babies’ names!!  They’ve kept the names a big secret.  I kind of love when people do that (even though I’m dying to know) – it’s like this big reveal when the name is finally announced.  We did the same with W’s name, though A and I slipped on a couple occasions.  Anyway, I keep checking my phone waiting for news.  I hope I get to meet these little babies soon!!

 

This weekend was wonderful.  We didn’t have any plans.  Nada.  I love it when that happens!  Saturday, A let me sleep in, we stayed in our pjs way too long, built castles and cities out of blocks, read lots of books, and threw balls down the stairs (don’t judge, it was fun – especially if you’re 1 year old).  We went grocery shopping and ordered Chinese food.  It was perfection.

Sunday was church, breakfast with twin mommy and her kiddos, and shoe shopping for W.  Another great day and W looks adorable in his big boy shoes.

And then today.  Blah.  I don’t think W is feeling well – he spit up in my car and I had to pull over to clean him up a bit.  I didn’t sleep well.  And I have a dentist appointment.  Boooo.  I hate Monday.

Weekend Recap

We didn’t have many plans for this weekend and it seems like we were busy all weekend.  How does that happen?

On Saturday we ran errands and decided to go out for lunch.  W was SO well behaved.  He sat next to me and had fun checking out the other people in the restaurant.  He ate lots of chicken and French fries (his favorite).  He even reached onto my plate and stole my fries. J  He was perfect.  I have so much fun hanging out with that little man.

Sunday was our usual church/Starbucks routine.  W slept while I held him at Starbucks.  Watching him sleep in my arms is the sweetest thing ever.  He may be a toddler, but he’s still my baby (sorry this post is turning so mushy).  Then A and I went to check out a potential preschool for W.  I know it’s early, but this preschool has a program that starts at 20 months.  And it’s never too early to begin thinking about education, right?  I think W also needs to interact with other kids.  A and I both liked the school.  The only thing I didn’t like was the 3-4 year old preschool classes are only 3 hours per day.  I thought it would be longer?  It was adorable to see all the little chairs, little sink, sand table, blocks, costumes, etc.  My aunt watched W while A and I checked out the preschool and A and I were even able to squeeze in lunch.  Our first lunch date (with just the two of us) since October!

It was a really great weekend.

Tomorrow A has his CF clinic appointment.  W and I are going with to keep him company.  Praying the appointment goes well.  The last visit all 3 of us attended was not a good one.  Health-wise, it was good, but I think A and I gained a reputation.  I complained about the survey the clinic sent out and A was frustrated at always having to answer the same questions (his answers never change) and possible changes to his medications.  I think A now has an asterisk in his file and a notation as a problem patient.  ;)  Just kidding.

I want to note all the words W knows before I forget.  He doesn’t say them, but if you ask him to find said item, he will.  Here goes: books, hat, shoes, doggie (toy), Pete the Cat (story book), Addie, blanket, jump, and butterfly.  I think he also knows his turtle, piano, and school bus toys.  I tell him to sit in his chair and he does.  I can tell him to throw something in the garbage and he will.  He amazes me.  Clearly I’ve turned into one of THOSE moms.  I’ll stop now. J

Weekend Recap

Another crazy busy weekend come and gone.

Friday was my work holiday party.  The food was amazing!  Yum!  I tried every single dessert.  I also ordered W’s birthday cakes. (Yes, cakes.  As in 2.  We’re having a very small family party on W’s actual birthday and a larger party in January.  People told me he would hate his birthday being so close to Christmas.  Oh, really??  How many people get 2 parties??  I think he’ll be just fine.)  Anyway.

I have to admit, I was in a really bad mood on Saturday.  W was up during the night for hours again.  This is always tough on me because it takes me a long time to fall asleep.  So I was up even longer.  After an entire week of crappy sleep, I was just exhausted.  We had plans to meet Santa on Saturday at the bank where W’s grandpa works.  It snowed the night before and was still snowing that morning, but we made it eventually.  And shockingly, W didn’t even cry when he met Santa!  He was nearly hysterical the weekend before.  Maybe he just liked this Santa better?  Afterwards, we enjoyed breakfast/lunch.  I had hoped to accomplish a bunch of errands, but the snow put a damper on those plans.  W hardly napped and it was a long day, but fun nonetheless.

 

Saturday night, W slept through the night!!  Halleluiah!!  Sunday, we went to church and had plans to go grocery shopping and then head to A’s parents’ house to celebrate his dad’s birthday.  But W fell asleep in the car after church so we decided to head straight to A’s parents so W could nap.  After a week of poor sleep, I didn’t want to take any chances with missing out on a nap!!  So we dropped W off, stopped at Starbucks to grab a quick drink and sort coupons, shopped, returned to A’s parents’ for snacks, pizza, and the Bears game.  We had cake and watched A’s dad open gifts and then I baked cookies for what seemed like forever.  But I had so much fun!  My mother in law and my niece helped and I now have 60+ cookies ready for the cookie exchange (plus an additional 2 dozen cookies that got tossed because they didn’t turn out).  It was a great day!

4 days of work and I’m off until after Christmas. J