Roddie Report: 4 Month Update

Roddie had his 4 month appointment this past week and all is well - he weighed in at 13lb 10oz and 25.75"... just about average for weight and a little on the tall side for boys. I had to adjust the car seat straps today and it got me wondering how that compared to Norah... I couldn't put my hands on her 4 month stats but my blog archives tell me that she was 14lb 4oz and 26" at 6 months, so Roddie is clearly bigger at this point!

Other Roddie developments include:

• He finally agreed to start taking the bottle again, and since then Matt has been giving him at least one formula bottle each day. We are now on the weaning train, and I hope to have him transitioned to formula before I head back to work. I went back and forth with it just as many times as I did with Norah, although landing much earlier on the weaning side of the fence.
• He also started taking some rice cereal in the past week or so... I had no choice when he was refusing the bottle and still eating every 2 hours all day and all night. It didn't help much when it comes right down to it, but we've started!
• He's made some big strides with his motor skills and advances in how he plays. He is able to grab things and put them where he wants them, and entertains himself with various toys like the jungle gym and some bead like things on the exersaucer.
• He loves to stand, and smile. Unlike Norah, who was a jumper at this point, he just likes to stand, where he can look around and see what's happening!
• He loves his sister! Roddie just loves smiling at Norah, it's at great way to start the day when Norah and I go in to get him up and he's chatting away and then busts into a HUGE smile when Norah gets close!

Awww! Kids Photos

We've been getting into the holiday spirit around here, with Christmas coming up fast! I decided to put the kids in some festive garb for church tonight - I think you'll agree they look adorable! Roddie is getting bigger and stronger, and Norah is getting used to him, so I was able to get them to pose for a second sitting on some chairs.

Norah continues to be a doting big sister, and gives Roddie lots of hugs and kisses - often unprompted, not that that was the case here, as they strike a pose!

2010 Round Up

For those of you joining us here at the Bugle for the first time - Welcome! The history of the Bugle is that Matt and I used a phony newspaper article to tell our parents about our engagement, and it's since taken on a life of it's own - first with a few special editions, and now with our online version! It's turned into part online family journal and part photo album, with over 400 posts and 600 pictures in the past 2-plus years! Updates happen with varying frequency as you can see from our history, and are heavily weighted with kid updates and pictures - cause let's face it, that's what you want to see! Come visit us often (for real or online!) and let us know what you think!

In lieu of a Christmas update, I thought it would be cool to summarize the year in blog entries! The big event of 2010 was Roddie's arrival, of course, but there was lots of other stuff going on too! Since I am getting ready to head back to work, I am going to break it down by quarter:

First Quarter: Secrets!
We found out that we were expecting Roddie in mid December, so we mainly kept it under wraps through the first quarter - although several people were able to guess due to my severe coffee cutback! We also had another secret to keep - my sister Susan was visiting when she found out that Hartleigh was on the way, I literally read the test with Susan! I felt privileged to share this secret with them and am so pleased that Hartleigh has arrived! Also in the first quarter, it was no secret that Norah turned 2! We had a small party for her here at the house, where Curious George was the highlight! Along with turning 2 came some of the challenges inherent in the terrible twos - that continues, but she (and we!) are coping. My sister Erin and her now fiance Eric also finally made the move back to the East Coast - we were very pleased about that!

Second Quarter: Firsts!
Second Quarter was filled with a lot of firsts - it's when we first realized something was up with my pregnancy - I was regularly being asked if I was due any day already! It was also Norah's first trip to Promised Land State Park in PA, her first Spinners Baseball Game, her first fishing trip (Barbie rod included!) We had a first trip to the beach for the year, first camping trip of the year, had the first of many outdoor baths, first haircut and a first trip to Boston, on the subway! My sister Erin surprised me with a visit in June, and then we both surprised my sister Susan by attending her baby shower in Toronto. We also spent a lot of time and energy in second quarter working towards a second story addition to our house, which ultimately proved to be too expensive.

Third Quarter: Roddie!
The highlight of third quarter, of course, was Roddie's arrival in August! Leading up to his arrival, I was feeling pretty miserable physically. Turns out my ginormous size was due to a condition called Polyhydroamnios - or high amniotic fluid. In addition to my discomfort, this also led to a lot of extra doctor's appointments and stress, but ultimately, Roddie and I are both fine! He is a happy and easygoing baby. Norah started showing what a great sister she was going to be during this time as we prepared for Roddie's arrival, and also started to get the hang of potty training! We wasted no time in getting the kids out to the mountains, as we took a trip to New Hampshire when Roddie was only 5 weeks old!

Fourth Quarter: Maternity Leave
I've been off work since Roddie arrived, and that allowed us to do a little traveling - we went to visit my niece Hartleigh, who arrived in October and stopped in Niagara Falls for a day or two on the way. The highlight of this trip was seeing my parents with all three of their grandchildren at once - I am sure you could see the glow from space! Fourth quarter also included the first Halloween Norah really got into, and some challenging times with her as I regained my strength, both physically and emotionally. Some good pictures of the kids can be found here here and here. As I write this, Roddie has just reached 4 months and is thriving. He's ready to start daycare in the new year when I return to work.

Looking back, 2010 has been great, we've much to be thankful for, including great friends and family. Thanks for stopping by!

Life on the Bottle is Good!

Well, Roddie finally gave in and had a bottle last night! Around 11 he woke up and we decided that Matt would take another run at him.. so we warmed up a bottle, took him into the living room and then.... silence. Shortly after I heard "slurp, slurp, slurp" and then a small burp!

Yipee!

There was none of the (now to be expected) fighting and screaming and thrashing. It was quiet and cuddly and nice! I couldn't sleep, I was so excited, but it was good for us all, I think. I was soldiering on and trying to stay positive, but also starting to feel a bit desperate with my return to work looming! With our 4 month appointment scheduled tomorrow, I was planning to ask Dr. Larry, our pediatrician, for help! Now I"ll be able to report that all is well!

Thanks Roddie (and all you who've listed to me gripe, offered suggestions and help!)

Roddie Claus!

Alright, so yesterday's Xmas post was kinda lame... here are some better pictures of our favorite gift from 2010!
Looking so small next to the tree

These ones hot off the presses today - he was in a great mood after a snuggly nap and snack!

You lookin' at ME?

Rod-a-Claus!

Travel Log Part 2: Visit to Hartleigh

As promised, here's the scoop on the second half of our trip - and the real reason for the trip at all!

Where is Hartleigh, you might ask? You SHOULD be asking WHO is Hartleigh! She's my new niece, and she lives in Toronto with her Mommy, my sister Susan and her Daddy JM. Here's a picture of the proud Papa and his little girl
Sad to say I really didn't get that many good pictures while we were there. However, there were a few keepers! Here's one of my sister, the proverbial Susie Home-maker - at least looking so in this outfit! I include this one because it shows what a great hostess Susan is - even with a 7 week old baby who is nursing non-stop, and a house full of people, she managed to pull off an excellent turkey dinner for us - since we were missing Thanksgiving here in the US - Thanks Sue!

On the second day of our visit, we went to the Ontario Science Center - it was a great outing! The weather really wasn't conducive to taking the little ones outside, so it was great to get out and run around a little. They have a "Kids Park" that was perfect for Norah (OK, and me too!) and lots of things for us all to take a look at. Here's a picture of Norah and Papa rocking out in one of the activities.

My Dad seems to have a certain way with Roddie - maybe it's a guy thing, finally, after raising three daughters! Maybe it's a shared name thing, I don't know, but it's true! Here's a cute picture of the two of them togetherNanny and Papa both were in their glory with the new babies around. Norah still got plenty of attention, but the real stars of the show where the two littlest ones! Here's Nanny loving life with Roddie and Hartleigh all to herself!

This last one I think sums it all up. It was nice to see Susan and JM and see them flourishing as parents. It was nice for Nanny and Papa to see all of us and to all spend time together, but really, when it comes right down to it, this is what it was all about! As Norah would say, "Love YA, Nanny and Papa!" XOXOX

What to do?

As my time to return to work comes near, I am undecided about what to do about breastfeeding - I'd like to keep it up, but the reality of pumping during the day, and nursing in the mornings and evenings is not quite as bucolic as it was with Norah. As with everything this time around, having a toddler in addition to an infant adds a new degree of complexity. I'm also not really sure what to expect when I go back to work - there have been a lot of changes since I was last there.


Adding to the more obvious issues, is the fact that I don't seem to be producing milk like I should, even while still nursing almost 100%. With Norah, after a few month of pumping, I had to eat like crazy in order to make enough milk - like more than I wanted to eat - and drink water constantly - but it was much later. This time, I am drinking water like it's going out of style and eating a sensible amount (more than I would normally, but not as much as at the end with Norah) and it seems like Roddie is often still hungry when we're done - he will still go up to about 3 hours between feedings, but not always, and it's getting hard all day and all night long. I don't think this alone would sway me, but since I am on the fence, I'm not sure that I want to work at it as hard as I did the last time around either.

So it seems obvious right? Time to wean! But it's not really that obvious - for starters, he's decided that he's no longer interested in taking a bottle - not breast milk, not formula, nothing. That's been a little stressful for both Matt and I - Matt, since he's the one fighting with him to take it, and me, because I can't count on a break, ever! Matt put it in perspective the other day - Roddie is a little more than 100 days old, and at roughly 8 feedings per day, that means I've fed him about 800 times since he arrived! He's had a few bottles here and there, sure, but not many. At an average of 30 minutes each, that's about 400 hours - 10 work-weeks worth!

The second and maybe bigger reason it's hard to make this decision is plain old motherly guilt. I fed Norah for over 200 days, shouldn't I do at least the same for Rod? Ideally, I would, but I also have to look at what's best overall for our family. Formula is a perfectly reasonable alternative, and it frees me up to do all of my other motherly duties. I feel good that we've reached the 4 month mark, and it looks like we're going to be closer to 5 by the time it's all said and done. They say that any breastfeeding is better than none...

Roddie, I'm sorry we didn't make it longer, but know that I had to do what was best in the big picture! We were going to be done in a few months regardless, and this way you get a happier, better rested Mommy as well as (hopefully soon!) some nice early morning snuggles with Dad! So please, please, take the bottle for Dad tonight - he's getting a little frazzled when you fight him all the time!

Cookie Time!

We had a rough night with Roddie last night - waking often and refusing to take a bottle. I am thankful that he generally goes right back to sleep after I feed him, but I'd be even MORE thankful if he slept 4-5 hours instead of 2-3. Anyway, be that as it may, it led to an interesting start to my day. First of all, Norah climbed into bed with me and granted me a snuggle for 45 minutes. Then, as we were eating breakfast, I looked at the calendar and realized I had only a few weeks before I returned to work and decided that it was a good day to keep her home. So I did! Unlike some of our days together in September, the three of us had a great day today! Roddie is more interactive (and LOVES his big sister!) and Norah and I both are more comfortable with her growing Independence. When Matt came home, we were finishing up our gingerbread cookie project:

Travel Log Part 1: Niagara Falls

We went to visit my sister's daughter, my new niece, Hartleigh, in Toronto, over the Thanksgiving break. It wasn't Thanksgiving in Canada of course, but more about that, and my sister's turkey dinner later. We made a bit of a vacation of it by stopping over in Niagara falls - a first for Matt and the kids and about 15 years since my last visit. The kids did great with travel in both directions - we left on Monday around 4 pm and drove to Rochester NY, about 1.5 h from the Falls and got up and finished the ride in the morning. We checked out the Aquarium of Niagara first, then checked into our hotel, got some lunch and took a walk to see the Falls. Thank goodness for the Sit'n'Stand - it was just the ticket for this adventure!


Norah is at the stage where staying in a hotel is exciting - watching TV in bed in lieu of a nap is one of her favorites (she's big into telling me what her favorite everything is these days...) We had a great location and we could see the falls if we looked to the right out our window. The hotel was part of a complex that included a water park, restaurants and other entertainment venues. We went to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner - if you've ever been, you know it's no place for a nap, but that's exactly what Norah did - she climbed up onto Matt's lap and fell asleep!


We scored ourselves some free breakfast at the rooftop restaurant - check out this view, you can't beat it! All I did was let them know the room was really warm - honestly, I was not complaining, but needless to say, this started our day off on the right foot!

Before we left town, we took a spin on the "Big Wheel" - a giant Ferris wheel overlooking the Falls. Norah was fascinated by if, maybe even more than the falls, and doesn't seem to have inherited any of her mother's fear of heights - she didn't seem to be the least bit uncomfortable - unlike me :)
This picture is a little deceiving, as it kind of looks like I am attempting to reassure her before we go on the wheel, which is not all all the case!

Gentle Norah

I've been saying that Norah is great with Roddie, and very gentle and caring with him. I witnessed her being the same way with one of her peers the other day. As I arrived to pick her up, they were just getting the kids lined up to head in from the playground. One of the other February girls, Kailyn, fell off the equipment - it wasn't far and she wasn't hurt - but Norah stopped in her tracks and ran back to help her up, asking "Are you OK Kailyn?" I was so proud!

Rod's Baptism

On November 21, we had Rod's Baptism. It was no small feat to get a quorum of family members present to share his special day, but we managed! As I mentioned previously, we had both sets of grandparents and one sibling from each side, who are his Godparents. We were happy to be able to entertain our families at our home! The only problem was that with both granmothers there, I never knew who to hand Roddie off to! Both Nanny and Oma were very nice about sharing their Roddie time, In a funny coincidence, both Nanny and Oma showed up in essentially the same outfit! In real life, the colors seemed much closer.

My sisters and I have made a habit of surprises, and also of sharing big events. Maybe it's a function of the distance between us all, or maybe we all inherited a funny gene somewhere along the way, but this time was no different. My sister Erin announced her engagement to her significant other, Eric. Well, maybe not so much announced as subtly flashed her ring around. Well, maybe not so subtly... in any case, we're thrilled for them. I've long thought they were a good match and I am very happy that they are 'going legit' Here's a picture of them with Roddie, perhaps a glimpse of things to come? I hope so, Eric had such a great way with Norah that I think he'll be a great dad when the time is right.

Norah of course, was a big sister extraordinaire. She did a great job of sharing her toys when all of her cousins were at the house, and behaved very well in church, and all weekend. Of course, it didn't hurt that Father Peter, who knows Norah by name, made a point of including her in some of the proceedings. Norah actually told him at one point, in front of everyone, that "I already had my baptism"Here's a picture of Roddie and all his mothers an fathers - Grandfather Opa, Grandmother Oma, Godfather Uncle Mike, Roddie, Matt, Me, Norah, Godmother Auntie Erin, Grandmother Nanny and Grandfather Papa.
We also had some other, very special attendees - our 7 o'clocker friends Alice and Denis, Bob and Anne, and Lorraine all joined us. We've been regularly attending 7 am mass on Sunday's since I was pregnant with Norah and we've become friends with these folks over the past couple of years. We really enjoy having them in our lives and were honored that they were able to join us.

Lastly, I took the opportunity to take a family picture for our Christmas cards while we were all spiffed up

Time Flies on Maternity Leave!

My oh my, November was a light month for blog posts! I've got no excuses really, all I can say is that life can be surprisingly busy when you're on maternity leave! I've been able to catch up with quite a few friends that I haven't seen in ages. I've also been heading to the gym at leas 3 days a week. I've been looking after all kinds of random items around here that we never seem to get time for. I've been doing the Christmas shopping. I've been looking after car maintenance. I've been cooking baby food and grown up food for the freezer. Oh, and I've been bonding with Mister Smiley, our boy Rod!

November was also a busy month for us on the practical front. It was our turn to host Family Friday night - our regular neighbourhood gathering. Our little house happily held 20 people - 12 adults and 8 kids, along with 2 pots of chili, and all the beer and fixin's that must accompany it. It felt a little chaotic, but I think any get together with 8 kids will be that way, and it felt really good to open up our home, and not just our yard, to our neighbourhood friends. In attendance were Erin and Ally, Connor and Evie, Jack, Lelani and my two as well as all their parents and Lauren's mom. On top of this party, it was the week before the project that Matt has been working on got turned over to the customer. Poor Matt was pretty tapped out at work and still managed to lend a hand getting ready for the party.

As if that wasn't enough, the following weekend was Roddie's Baptism - the party continues! We were very happy to have both of our parents in town, as well as my sister Erin and her (now fiance!) Eric, and Matt's brother Mike and his family - Lynn, Kaitlyn, Adam, Olivia and Ella. More on that in another post (Maybe today if Roddie keeps sleeping!)

Immediately following the Baptism whirlwind, we left on a roadtrip to visit my new niece Hartleigh in Toronto, and took a couple of days to visit Niagara Falls along the way. It was a long trip and a lot of driving, but well worth it on all fronts... more again (including some pictures!) in another post!

As we wrap up November and start the very busy month of December, I am relieved to be back on payroll at my job - still on 'vacation' - for real this time, I am now using my vacation days rather than unpaid leave - but at least earning money again. My leave was accounted for in our financial planning, but it still felt disconcerting to be not earning money for the longest period since I was about 14. I did consign all my maternity clothes and sell a few furniture items on Craigs List, but it's really not the same!

On that note, I am off to enjoy some quality time with my boy!

Another Perspective

I'm no great photographer, but every so often I catch an interesting pose and it gets me thinking. In this one, I caught Norah in a quiet moment last Saturday morning. Was she pondering the huge pile of leaves in the backyard, or the possibility of a trip to the playground? Maybe she was mulling over how it felt to share her toys at the neighbourhood party the night before or considering whether or not to behave that day. Regardless, I think it's a really neat picture, and one I think goes nicely with a post I've been mulling over for a while. It must be really tough, being a toddler - Norah is growing up so fast, and sometimes seems so sophisticated, it's easy to forget that she's not yet 3 and still lacks some of the facilities to process the world around her in the way we do. Perceived injustices are met with frustration, just as they are for us. The big difference, of course, is in the perception. In a world where the limited things she knows are all changing, is it any wonder that she'd be frustrated (and thus difficult to deal with)?

It's this perspective (as well as a marked improvement in her behavior lately!) that has led me to fully understand the importance of consistency for toddlers - when Norah knows what to expect, either because it's part of our routine or because I've prepped her ahead of time, we're all in much better shape. I literally just described an example to Matt, who is sitting next to me as I write this. Driving home from school today Norah volunteered "When we get home, I am going to take off my coat and shoes, and then go potty" - and she did! Likewise, if I tell her we are going to go to the playground after we do something else, like say nap, then the preceding activity will always go smoother with something to look forward to.

I was also struck recently by how similar Norah's hand and Roddie's hand felt in mine - really more similar than you might think - reminding me that in many ways she is really still a baby, despite her claims to the contrary, and it's up to us to ensure a happy and safe and predicable environment for her, as best we can.

Shhhh! Don't tell Norah...

... Roddie went for a ride in her red buggie today!

Happy Rod

Rod was in an exceptionally good mood getting ready for bed tonight, and I had an excuse to try out our new camera... enjoy!

Princess Norah

This morning, Norah picked out a skirt to wear. In the few minutes before the battle of wills ensued over which pair of tights she would wear, she spun around and said "I feel like a princess!"

Then, her preschool teacher told me that at circle time she's taken to saying that she feels "Princess Super" when her turn comes up... a change from her former "Super Duper"

Not sure how I ended up with a princess on my hands, but it's very clear that's what we've got!

Happy Halloween!

We took the kids out (yes, both of them!) trick or treating tonight. Roddie pretty much snoozed in his stroller, but Norah really got into it. It took her all of .45 seconds to catch on to how the whole thing worked, although for the first half a dozen houses or so she exclaimed with amazement "That guy/lady gave me a treat!" For various reasons, like weather, and attitude, we had some last minute costume changes or alterations. Norah was initially going to be whichever Disney Princess is the pink one - here she is getting ready to go
While Roddie was slated to be a spider. As you can see, he didn't care much for the costume, though I am sure you will admit he is the cutest spider you've ever seen...

With the addition of a pink furry coat and hat, and topped off with her Princess tiara, Norah came out looking more Queen Elizabeth than Princess, but it seemed to work for her, especially once she figured out how to get up stairs without tripping and dumping her candy.

Roddie, on the other hand, with more of a jail-bird look. It really came together accidentally, since this is the warm clothes we have that fit him at the moment! I am sad to say that 'jailbird' also works for him, and he seems to like it better that the spider get up.

We were joined by another neighbourhood family who has two daughters, one just older and one just younger than Norah. Norah and the older girl, Erin, had a blast! They started out the night holding hands and running up to each house together. As you can see below, they enjoyed a ride from Erin's Dad at the end of the night!All in all it was a great night, Norah certainly enjoyed herself and I for one, had a blast watching her! I had to duck out a little early with Roddie, but apparently she was pretty much crawling up the steps of the last house, so I think she had her fill as well!

A Witches Spell?

I think a witch cast her spell on us last night... after going to bed at 10:30, I woke up at 6 this morning to find the entire house still in darkness - and perfectly silent. It's been a rough week for sleep, not because of Roddie, who has been giving us anywhere from 5 to 6 hours at least once a night, but because of Norah. I'm not sure what's going on, but she's been waking up in the middle of Roddie's long stretch all week - very unlike her. When I talk to other parents I realize we have it good with her, and her sleeping habits, but still, we are certainly accustomed to a full night's sleep!

I last fed Roddie right before I went to sleep, and had expected to hear from him somewhere between 3 and 4 as usual. When I woke at 6 with throbbing and leaky boobs, I thought for sure he'd be up soon. After a half hour of waiting, and still the spell had not broken (even Matt was still asleep!!) I had to go and pump. Sneaking quietly around the house so as not to break this wonderful spell, I snuggled back into bed for another half hour before Matt stirred - unaware that I had even been up! Like thieves in the night, we chatted amongst ourselves, praying that we would not break this wonderful spell, and eventually got up to read the paper. We were enjoying our coffee and morning paper when Norah came into the kitchen around 7:45, followed shortly by some announcements from Roddie that he too, was ready to get up. The spell was broken.

Whoever the witch was who cast the spell, I hope she comes back soon. She is a good witch indeed!

Lazy Blogger Picture Update

I've been a bit lazy on the writing front lately, although I have composed several insightful posts in my mind, but I just don't seem to ever get to the computer to punch them in! Picture updates are much easier, and as you might suspect, pictures are plentiful these days! Overall things continue to go well, Roddie is going to bed at a reasonable hour and sleeping at night more often than not, I'm into week 2 of my return to the gym, and I've hit the half way point in my maternity leave! We have a busy couple of months ahead, and we're looking forward to introducing Roddie to a lot more of his relatives!

Norah continues to be a great big sister. Here she is reading Roddie a story before we set out for the day. Roddie actually seems to be enjoying it!!
Roddie continues to be a happy baby! He rewards us easily and often with his winning smile! As you may know, Roddie shares his name not only with my Dad, but also my paternal grandfather, who was known as Papa Roddie. Papa Roddie had a special knack for making each of his 20 grandchildren feel like we were the favorite - a fact only revealed after his death! The oldest of these 20 cousins has a son who's middle name is Roderick, and her mom swears he shares some characteristics with Papa Roddie. She asked about our Roddie, to which I replied that all I could say for sure at this early stage is that he is just as good at charming the pants off of me... I think with this picture, you'll have to agree!

Speaking of charming, here is Norah posing for the camera in the middle of our annual pumpkin carving session...

And last but not least, here is me and my babies, all sharing Norah's blankets, at her insistence, in the Jungle Gym!

Roddie Report: Cooking with Mom!

Roddie's been doing great, getting bigger and stronger and proving to be just as much of a personality as Norah was (I may be in big trouble again when he's 2!!) He smiles often and is content on his own for small periods of time. He's been going down at night with a minimum of fuss (ok, anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes of intermittent fuss) but best of all, he's been sleeping like a champ, and I've only been up to feed him once overnight most days of the past week!

On to cuter topics... yesterday he was helping me get supper ready in the afternoon. He's a little young for the Bumbo, as he gets tired of holding his head up after about 20 minutes, but as you can see, he's doing pretty well! I think he's going to like to cook!

And here he is talking about it

We also went out to get pictures for his citizenship paperwork the other day, and he just looked so cute and cozy in his seat, that I had to take a couple of pictures!

Date Night!

Last night, Matt and I went out on a date. As I told Megan, who babysat for us... it's been two and a half years, it's about time. While we've gone out without the kids on occasion, in reality, it was for an occasion - either we had a wedding or other event to attend, or my parents or sister were staying with us. This time, it was for no other reason that we needed a little adult time! We weren't in desperate need or anything (ok, maybe I was) but I felt like it was just time for us to go out alone. It seems like most everyone else I know goes out, occasionally at least, without the kids. It's different when grandma and grandpa live near by, and dying to get her hands on your babies, but for us, with no family to push us out the door just for the heck of it, it took being deliberate about making it happen.

We didn't do anything special, just went out for dinner and then coffee, but it felt really big. I am pretty sure by the time Norah was 2 months old I hadn't left her alone with Matt, never mind a babysitter! I'm no suggesting that was good, or healthy, but it is reality! In any case, I completely trust Megan with the kids and she's like a surrogate Aunt to them, so I wasn't a bit concerned about them - but it still felt a bit like I was out without one of my appendages!

That feeling abated as dinner went on, and we actually enjoyed ourselves! Unlike my last maternity leave, I recognize a little better this time around that I need a little 'me' time (or, in this case, 'us' time). I've joined a gym with a nice nursery, and Roddie and I will head there tomorrow. I figured I may as well be productive in my 'me' time!

The best part about last night was that Roddie was asleep by 10:20 or so and only woke up once between then and 8:30, and Norah first called out to us around 8:00... as I said in my Facebook status, Life is Good!

Roddie Report: Flip!

Earlier this week, on the exact day of his 2 month birthday, Roddie mastered the front-to-back flip! I was taken a little off guard, as he was a little off that day, and hadn't been showing a lot of movement in the flipwise direction. In any case, he repeated it several times in a row for me, giving me the opportunity to capture a short video!

Since I really can't help comparing Rod's babyhood to Norah's, I checked when she first flipped - it was around 6 weeks, but we didn't see it regularly until much later, like around 10 weeks, so they are pretty much in line. Here she is, doing her flip thang!

School Pictures Part 1: Both Kids Together!

Last Thursday was school photo day, and some of the girls suggested that I take Roddie over to join Norah for her pictures. It was a bit of a production to get us all there more or less on time and clean and dressed, but I think it was worth it! Check out these cuties!

School Pictures Part 2: Roddie!

Young Roddie did pretty well for his solo photo shoot, giving the camera a few decent smiles...