Friday Thoughts

I’ve been thinking about signing up for Stitch Fix forever.  I finally decided to go for it and received my first box.  When I told my mom about Stitch Fix, she was very intrigued.  So she’s coming over this afternoon to check out the items with me.  I’m waiting until she gets here to open the box – the suspense is killing me!

Post-partum skin is no fun.  About 2ish months after having S, my skin started breaking out.  The same thing happened after W was born.  Yuck.  Since the breakouts are hormonal, products aren’t really helping.  I’m considering talking to a dermatologist.  Boo.  I had great, glowing skin during my pregnancies… I guess my body just prefers to be pregnant. J

Growing up, my cousins and I were very close.  One of my cousins gets married in a month.  His wedding is 6 hours away and I’m so sad that I won’t be able to attend.  Driving is the only option since there are no airports nearby.  S hates his car seat and I can’t imagine that W would enjoy a road trip either.  I know it’s better for the boys if we miss this event, but I’m really really disappointed.  Boohoo.

Is Caitlyn Jenner attracted to men or women?  This is something I’ve been curious about since Caitlyn debuted??  Inquiring minds want to know…

Even though I only worked 3 days, this week was a long one.  Happy the weekend is upon us!

Maryland Trip (Part 2)

Friday, A, my mom, the boys, and I went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  We had been there once before W was born and I really liked it.  I was excited to take the boys.  A couple cons: it’s VERY expensive.  Too expensive in my opinion.  I didn’t remember that from our previous trip.  Luckily the boys were free.  Also, the aquarium doesn’t allow strollers.  This is mainly due to the layout – moving walkways that zigzag across several levels.  Thankfully, I had S in the carrier.  But W got tired of walking pretty quickly.  Initially, we had a great time and W enjoyed viewing all the sea creatures.  But there came a point in the visit where W was just DONE.  He had a snack, we checked out a couple more exhibits, and promptly left.  All in all, I’m happy we went.  We had a great time.  The jelly fish are so fascinating to see.  But definitely won’t return until the boys are older… and then we’ll have to pay for them. :P

 That night, A and I ordered a bunch of brick oven pizzas for the family and we all ate outside.  Yummy!

Saturday was our annual pool party and taco bar.  It’s as fun as it sounds.  My aunt invites all her work friends over.  They’re always a blast.  There’s badminton, swimming, and croquet.  My uncle makes all the food – beef, chicken, and pork tacos, rice, salsa, tons of salads, dips, and desserts.  The food is AMAZING.  We had so much fun and ate a ton.

Oh, and this was the day that W fell in the pool.   Yup.  It was only a matter of time before it happened.  A was right there to grab him, but a little scary.  W was startled, but everyone handled it really well by not making a big deal of it, which ultimately calmed W down quickly.  In a way, I’m glad it happened.  We had been telling W that he had to be careful near the pool and reminding him that he needed an adult with him.  But he’s 2.  So not sure it sunk in.  This served as a reminder that pools can be dangerous.

 Sunday was super hot.  The heat index was 101.  We went to church in a neighboring city and then had breakfast at Starbucks.  We spent the remainder of the day in the pool.  That night, we had a slide show outside and viewed slides from when my mom, aunt, and uncle were kids.  So. Fun.  And also hilarious.

 Monday, we sadly headed home.  S just wasn’t himself and I dreaded the flight home.  At the airport, I noticed a little gunk in S’s eye, but didn’t think much of it.  The flight itself was tough.  Our flight left around 4:30pm and it’s common for the boys to be a bit cranky around this time.  W did well, but S cried quite a bit on the ascent and descent.  Very unlike him and I knew it meant his ears were hurting.  Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t console him or get him to take a bottle.  In the grand scheme of things, the crying lasted for less than 10 minutes, but it was stressful.  Once we got home, I noticed that his eye was red and he was congested.  He woke up at 11:50pm, 4:30am, and 6am.  Oh, and W was up at 1:30am.  Not fun.  It was obvious that S had pink eye and I got him into the doctor first thing Wednesday morning.  After a couple days of eye drops, he’s much better.

 We’re all sad that vacation is over.  W continually asks about visiting Aunt Lori again and Uncle Bob’s grilled cheese.  I don’t have the heart to tell him that he’ll have to wait an entire year.

Maryland Trip (Part 1)

Our vacation was so wonderful, I have to break it up into two posts.

A little background:  We’ve been going to Maryland every summer for the past 5ish years.  My aunt has an amazing house with 5 bedrooms, a finished basement with an additional bed, lots of land, and a pool.  My uncle comes from Oregon and does all the cooking while we’re there.

This year was a bit different since we had Baby S.  We debated whether or not we would go for months.  I really wanted to, it was just a matter of getting there with the boys and ALL the stuff.  We eventually decided that A would drive with the gear (i.e. car seats, double stroller, and suitcases) and I would fly with my mom and the boys.  I was really nervous about traveling with the boys.  Mainly I was nervous about getting through security with car seat, stroller, diaper bag, pump bag, back pack, and kiddos.  It doesn’t sound like all that much as I type, but just remember all that stuff has to go through the x-ray… stroller has to be folded, bottles and milk need to be removed and tested, shoes need to be taken off.  It’s a hassle to say the least.  But for the most part, people were helpful and patient with us.  And the boys were great.  To my surprise, W walked right through the x-ray.  S was in the carrier, which I highly recommend to anyone traveling with a babe.  Once on the plane, the boys were awesome.  I had stuffed W’s little backpack with new cars, stickers, new books, a game, and snacks.  He was thrilled.  And S received a new teether and toy to play with, which he also loved.  Only downside - S had a diaper blow out on the plane.  I KNEW it was going to happen.  But it wasn't as bad as some he's had.  Side note: Have you seen the changing table on an airplane?!?  Holy tiny useless board...

Once we arrived at the Baltimore airport, A picked us up while my mom, cousin, and family friend took a shuttle to my aunt’s house.  I was exhausted by this time and so happy to see A.  We arrived at my aunt’s house about 45 minutes later and spent the remainder of the day unpacking, playing outside, and eating.

 The next day, Wednesday, we stayed at the house for most of the day.  We went for walks, played in the pool, and played outside.  W loved every minute.  That evening, we went to a local restaurant with the entire family – all 11 of us.  I was nervous because our reservation wasn’t until 7pm.  But the boys did well – though W ate nothing.  Par for the course.  The restaurant had goats and ducks outside, which W loved.

 Thursday, A and I took the boys to a local wildlife preserve and zoo.  We had a great time checking out the animals.  Favorites included the monkeys, tigers, and bears.  W fed the coi and laughed at the goats.  That night, we headed to downtown Frederick for dinner with colleagues.  I LOVED downtown Frederick – so many cute boutiques and restaurants.  I stopped in a candy store and bought truffles as a thank you to my family for watching the boys.  We had drinks at a restaurant called Volt and then went to dinner at The Tasting Room.  A and I both had steaks – so yummy!  And such a treat to go out with adults.

Perspective

I had every intention of recapping our weekend and discussing my nerves as we prepare to fly to Maryland tomorrow with both boys.

But I just attended the most amazing talk.  Kyle Bryant discussed living with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a debilitating, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder.  He was incredibly inspirational and although the progressive disease has no cure, Kyle’s speech focused on LIVING.  He detailed his accomplishments, his experiences, his hopes.

The line that resonated with me most:  The obstacles, the hardships we face are just EXCUSES TO DO SOMETHING GREAT.

Our weekend, our trip, and all the details in between are important to me, but I want to focus on Kyle’s message.  Perhaps the adversities we face are merely opportunities to do something great.

Baby S is 5 Months Old!

Happy 5 months, Baby S!

5 months?!? No, no, no!! I swear we were JUST coming home from the hospital. How can you already be 5 months old??

As much as I’d love to keep you little for eternity, you just refuse to let that happen. This month you started rolling over. And once you started, there was no stopping you. You wanted to demonstrate your newly acquired skill over and over. You continue to roll from back to tummy and tummy to back. The funny (or not so funny) thing is you don’t especially like your tummy so you often get mad if you’re on your tummy for too long. You’ve actually woken yourself up a few times because you’ve gotten “stuck”.

In related news, because you’re a rolling machine, you’ve gotten legs and arms stuck in between the crib slats. You get very upset extremely quickly when this happens. I’m not a fan of crib bumpers, but decided to add a breathable bumper in an attempt to keep your limbs inside the crib.

In other big boys news, you’re working on your first tooth. We can only see the tiniest corner of it poking through, but it’s there. You had a few fussy days in a row. Nothing terrible. But it wasn’t like you. I think this tooth is to blame.

You had your first solid food a couple days ago - oatmeal. And you ate like a champ. We'll try some tastier options soon.

Other notable firsts include your first time going down the slide (with daddy), first carnival, first Cubs game, and first zoo trip. Please, please slow down!!

You’re wearing size 6-12 months in most clothes, 9 months in some, and I even had you in a size 18-24 month shirt. That’s right, 18-24 months!! Granted it was a short sleeve swim shirt and a little big for you, but STILL, you were able to wear it.

You sleep through the night often, but have woken yourself up rolling recently. We need to be more consistent with your bedtime – I think that will help you sleep through the night better. On the bright side, you almost always sleep 7-10 hours straight and you’ve started taking two solid naps – a long one in the morning and a long one in the afternoon.

You continue to be the happiest baby I’ve ever encountered. And I’m not just saying that. You smile from the minute you get up until bed time. You do have fussy moments – you still dislike your car seat and you’re not a happy guy when you’re overtired, but these moments are few and far between.

With your happy demeanor and your excellent sleep habits, you’ve made us feel like we hit the baby jackpot. You really are such a joy. And you have the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re sure to break some hearts.

We love you so much, Baby S. You are our everything and more!

Weekend Recap - In Bullet Points and Pictures

Our 4^th of July weekend in bullet points:

·         7/2 – Fire station tour followed by pizza dinner with W.  I think W really appreciated one on one time with mom and dad and downed A LOT of pizza.

·         7/3 – A and W went on a donut and Starbucks run – my absolute favorite mornings!

·         Grocery shopping and hair cut for W.

·         S has oatmeal for the first time and ate like a champ!  W observes this momentous occasion and pukes.  Seriously?!?  I have never encountered a toddler so sensitive to food.  What. The. Heck.  It drives me crazy.

·         7/4 – Trip to a nearby park that I often visited as a child.  Splash pad, tall slides, lots of room to run – what more could a toddler ask for?!?  W had a blast and took a long nap.  Woohoo!

·         Cookout at Nani and Papa’s house.  W had fun playing with his cousins.  Great food, bags, badminton, tons of fun!

·         7/5 – S is 5 months old!

·         Church - the first time S had to be taken to the church lobby, but that only lasted a short time.  Church friend tells me that we have the most beautiful babies and I have to agree. J

·         Starbucks

·         Pool fun in the backyard.

It was a great, long weekend!  W has not eaten much or slept well in the past couple days.  We’re keeping an eye on him.  I think they’re related – i.e. he’s not sleeping well because he’s hungry.  Lately, everything is “W no like that.”  Uggghhhh…  Firecrackers are also not helping. 

And now, a ton of pictures…

Sweet, sweet brothers

S and Mommy cuddles

I've waited my WHOLE LIFE for food and you give me OATMEAL?!?

What the heck, mom?!?

Oatmeal.  I LOVE oatmeal!!

So what food do I get to try next??

4th of July fun at the park

Love me some Baby S

Happy 4th of July - From our family to yours.

<3

Feeling the Burn

As in burned out.  The past two weeks have been incredibly busy at work.  I agreed to take on a significant additional responsibility.  Naturally, as soon as that happened, situations arose with other projects.  Situations that required much time and attention.  I’m often away from home for 11 hours each day.  That means the mom guilt is in full swing.  I’m not spending enough time with the boys.  I know they are well cared for.  But I also know that a couple hours a day with them isn’t enough for me.

I’ve been making it a point to plan days off and be fully present on the weekends.  A brings the boys to work occasionally and we have lunch.  But I’m struggling.  I feel like I’m never giving enough, and at the same time, I have nothing more to give.

Hopefully my busy workdays are temporary and things will lighten up a bit.  I’m trying to figure out a better way to balance work and life.  Until then, blog posts will be sparse…