January - By the Numbers

Well today is the last day of January, reflecting back, it was a bit of a crazy month.  It took a week or so to get my head back in the game, and ever since it’s been very busy!  The kids and I are into a morning routine that works (thanks to Curious George and PBS Kids) and we’ve even managed dinner together more nights than not.  But that’s not to say it’s been a breeze… with 2 kids in daycare and record snowfall so far this year, challenges lurk around every corner!  So, here’s how January went, by the numbers

1:  day that daycare was closed for snow; also

1:  nasty migraine for me

2:  kids with conjunctivitis… not at the same time, of course

3:  unplanned visits to the pediatrician; also

3:  feet of snow on the ground currently

4:  weeks back to work

5:  times I went to the gym this month

 

The Cutest Assistant - EVER!

As luck would have it, I’m working at home today.  The bonus with working at home is that I have an assistant.  The downside is that he is kinda lazy, and sleeps a lot…oh wait, maybe that works

A Week in the Life...

I was just downloading pictures and there was just so many that I had to do another posting!  Sled mountain was a hit today, with 3 dads with their daughters enjying the fun!  We had some special guests from out of town - Emeilia is a big fan of the Bugle so I wanted to be sure she got top billing - here is Emeilia and Norah taking a break from playing in the snow! 

For quite some time now, Norah has been reading Roddie a story or two in the morning while I get dressed for work (that is, when Curious George is not on, in which case she needs to watch "a little George")

We often sit one or the other of the kids on the kitchen counter when we're cooking or cleaning up... well this day I saw a photo opportunity (and a new blog header!)  I LOVE this picture!

Auntie Erin got Roddie this cool pull train for Christmas, and he's just figuring out how to play with it -when Norah lets him have a chance!!  The somewhat creepy penguin that Santa brought is looking on...

This last picture just gives you a little bit of an idea of what our yard looks like these days... Matt buried the playhouse with the snowblower (which,incidentally was almost as big a hit as sled mountain today!)

Sled Mountain is OPEN!

With this latest snowfall, things are looking great at Sled mountain!  With 10" of new powder and another few inches of machine (blown) snow, things are looking great for this weekend!  Double Black runs Geronimo! and Wheee! promise to deliver loads of fun again as the base of the mountain has been increased to allow for better run-outs!  The avalanche danger appears to have passed and we're ready for fun!  Also this weekend, the trail crew promises a new route up the mountain!  The trails haven't been groomed yet, but that's half the fun!  So bring your kids and your sleds and come on down!

Norah News: What she has to say

Norah: Mommy, your hair is soft, do you use conditioner?
Mommy: Yes, Norah I do… do you use conditioner?
Norah: My hair is soft too, but sometimes I use conditioner, and sometimes I don’t!

Norah: My lips are dry, I need my lipstick

Norah: Good Night Roddie, I love you…Sleep tight little buddy

Mommy: hey Roddie-Roo (or Rod-erific)
Norah: Not Roddie-Roo Mommy, JUST RODDIE!

Mommy: Norah do you want to tell Daddy about you and Cassandra cheerleading today at school?
Norah: No Mommy, I want to play with your computer

Foto Finish Friday: Week 4

Mom Jeans - now I get it

Don’t worry, I’m not about to embrace them – those high-waisted-flat-butted-generous-hipped-beauties, I’m just saying I get it now. Everyone from Oprah to Obama have voiced an opinion on Mom Jeans, and the Washington post has declared that they “Flatter No-one!”

After one child, like many things, I didn’t get Mom Jeans – my body more or less returned to normal, albeit a few pounds heavier. But there was something about the second one - maybe the body just isn’t quite as resilient as it once was, maybe it was all that extra fluid and the triplet sized uterus, maybe I wasn’t in top shape pre-pregnancy – I’m not sure. What I do know is that giving birth to Roddie has necessitated a re-evaluation of all things low waisted! My hips and most of the rest of my body have returned to their pre-Roddie state – even closing in on pre-Norah, but my belly is resistant to return to it’s former state. Perhaps, like me, it will never be the same.

Mom jeans do have some redeeming features – high waist covers that extra belly that the kids left you with, full hips reflect the realities of childbirth, but it’s the overall package that just won’t do. Sure, they’re allegedly easy to find (fitting into the hectic schedule of a working mom) but really, please don’t let me go there!

As I crawl towards middle age, I’m trying to embrace the unpleasant realities that are now my life – daycare bills, sick kids – along with the more pleasant ones, like the kids themselves, without looking frumpy or spending the daycare tuition on my fashion selections.

Now that I think about it, I do like me a nice empire waist…

Roddie Report: A tooth is born

Yesterday, when I picked the kids up, Roddie's teacher, Digna, noted that he really wasn't himself, and maybe he was cutting his teeth. Sure enough, last night I stuck my finger in there for a virtual look around, and there was a sharp spot on his bottom gums - his first tooth peeking through! Funny thing is that Digna said EXACTLY the same thing to me the day I noticed Norah got her first tooth!

I'd post a picture, but if you ever tried to get a baby to show you his mouth, you'd realize it ain't happenin' But, take heart, Norah got all her teeth in quick succession, so the days of Roddie's gummy drooly smile may be limited - enjoy it while you can!

Worry? Who's Worried - not me!

OK, so maybe I was a little (ok a lot) worried about the amount of formula Roddie was eating... I've been tracking it maniacally and frankly some days it still seems pretty low to me...but, thanks to Norah sharing everything, including her conjunctivitis, with her little brother, we made a trip to see Dr Larry this morning,. The visit a weigh in - he came in at 15lb 7oz - that's up nearly 2 lbs from 13lb 10oz at his 4 month appointment 5 weeks ago - or almost an ounce a day!

Worry? Nah, not me...

Foto Finish Friday: Week 3

Giant Snow Pile Playdate

This past Sunday, the weather was fine, and we still had a large pile of snow (oh, let's call it a playland) in the front yard, so we called up a few of our neighbourhood kiddos and had them over to play. Jack from next door and Erin from around the corner came out to play with Matt, er, I mean Norah. Roddie and Erin's little sister Ally were there too, but a bit too small to really play hard. The giant pile of snow also seemed to have sprouted a snowman - here's the three big kids with their new friend Frosty
I'm not really sure if Roddie enjoyed himself or not, but true to form, the minute he was on the move, he was asleep! This kid, it doesn't matter if he's rockin' in a chair or rollin' in a stroller or a car - ZZZZZ! Apparently even a sled will do, so needless to say I walked many many laps around the front yard.

Of course, Norah being Norah, didn't want to miss anything, so she insisted on taking her own turn - I was happy to oblige

Near the end of the session, when the kids were starting to get tired (but not ready to quit!) Matt started loading them all up together in a sled and pushing them down the mountain....Needless to say, it was a big hit! I didn't check with the other moms but Norah and Roddie both had long hard naps that afternoon (at the same time, in the same room no less!) Both Jack and Erin were less than thrilled when their moms made them go home for lunch!

Roddie Report: Rod's sittin' up!

Now in his 23rd week, Rod has mastered the art of sitting up! Not for hours on end or anything, but he's able to sit on his own for 15 minutes or so at a time, and reach for toys (or lint? see below) without falling over! He also seems to get a great charge out of it and is often laughing his big hearty laugh... or maybe he's laughing at me, being so excited for him! Here he was this evening....
and this morning (looks a little funny as he's wearing a sleep sack)

And the only person more exicted than Mommy.... is NORAH!

Roddie Report: 5 Months!

I'm not sure if it's a scientific fact or not, but time seems to go much more quickly when you have children, exponentially so when you have two! Roddie passed the 5 month mark this week - I can hardly believe it! Here's what he's up to:

• He's getting very close to sitting up on his own - he will use his arms to push and hold himself up.
• He loves, loves, loves his big sister - he literally lights up when he hears her voice or sees her entering the room - if I wasn't so happy about it, I might be a little jealous - he used to reserve that reaction only for me!
• He wants to crawl, but so far has mastered only 'swimming', with arms and legs flailing, on his belly. It's not the most efficient mode of transport, but he sure burns a lot of calories trying
• No real progress on flipping over from back-to-front yet - he's still stuck at half way, with his hips flung over, but not his shoulders.
• Coming up on the end of week 2 at daycare and full time formula feeding, he seems to be adjusting ok, as am I. He's got a cold, and I suspect is also teething, and has not been drinking as much formula as he should be, so I've suspended solid foods until that returns to normal - which it appears to be.
• We weren't having a lot of success with cereal until I added a little mushed up banana to it, which he seemed to love, so we'll be picking that up again shortly

Foto Finish Friday: Week 2

2 kids or 3?

No, we're not considering having another kid... I'm sitting her on a snow-day, wondering if I have 2 kids or 3... you know, the one large hairy one and the two little cute ones?? The hairy one has large, expensive gas=powered toys, like snowblowers. He went outside around 9 am this morning to "just clear out the bottom of the driveway" 4 hours later, our cars were out, as were several neighbours. I know it's a pretty major snowstorm and all (the Governor declared a state of emergency around noon today) but seriously... turns out he also built a bit of a winter playland in the yard. First, he cleared out the front yard, making a huge pile of snow

Then, he made a snow fort out of Norah's play house (they're in there, you just can't see them!)

Naturally, she was chomping at the bit to get out there and play, so despite the fact that it was nap time and still storming - off they went! Who needs a sledding hill when your Dad makes you one right in your front yard???

But who do YOU think is having more fun!

Tiled! Merry Christmas to me!

As you may recall, we redid our kitchen in the months preceding Norah's arrival - yes, that's right, nearly 3 years ago! We had quite a number of 'finishing touches' that we've been working on pretty much ever since - new window, floor and ceiling transitions and so on. But there was one big design decision we hadn't yet agreed upon - what to do with the backsplash! We had picked a porcelain mosaic tile similar to our floor, but since we never got around to ordering it, I think we can conclude that it was never quite right. Recently, we came accross a glass mosaic tile that we totally agreed on, and better yet was about a third the cost of other similar options! So, one day before Christmas, Matt came home from work and plunked two heavy square packages under the tree - I knew in an instant that he had taken action on the backsplash! Better yet, over the past two weekends he got it installed!
And even better yet... the light rail (trim, at the bottom of the cabinets that shades the under cabinet lights) is now also installed - thanks to a kid-sick day where Matt had to stay home (Norah had goopy eyes - she's fine, and check it out, the kitchen looks great!)

Roddie Report: 21 week update

Well, Roddie is 21 weeks today and things continue to go well - especially since we're getting some good sleep! The combination of the transition to formula and Roddie getting past whatever developmental milestones he was working on has made a big difference. A far cry from every two hour feedings of a month or so ago, we now put both kids down around 7:30, in their OWN room and we only hear from Roddie once until it's time to get up for the day - sometimes it's around midnight, sometimes as late at 4:30 am, but it hasn't been more than once in close on two weeks! The best news is that I've stopped waking up every 3 hours and can now actually almost sleep thru Matt's turn to get up and feed him!

In other news, it was my first week back to work and as a result, Roddie's first week at daycare. He did great, with lots of comments about how smiley he is! Norah has been able to visit him and shares a hug and kiss with him when she does! Here he is on his first day... he doesn't seem quote as excited as Norah did - at least not in the picture!

This is a funny one.., we didn't put him to sleep this way - he did it to himself! And it wasn't a one time deal - he likes to take the blanket with two hands and pull it up over his face, peek a boo style! I've seen him rub his face on it and invariably he will fall asleep like this, with the blanket over his head.

Lastly, for today, here he is driving in his exersaucer, wearing his "Sunday Best" while he waits for the rest of us to get ready for mass. It's pretty amazing to watch him on the exersaucer - he doesn't jump around a lot like Norah did, but he loves to play with all the do-dads, and is well beyond simply swatting at them as you can see here. One of the comments from his daycare teachers on the very first day was how well he manipulated the toys and actually 'played' with them as designed. That's my boy!

Foto Finish Friday Week 1

Now that I've returned to work and a somewhat regular schedule, I thought I'd do something I've been toying with for a while - posting a picture of the kids every week - no commentary (except for this first one) and it must be from the previous 7 days. You will often find that it was taken with my blackberry, so quality may not always be the best, but that's the price we have to pay for timely snapshots sometimes. Enjoy!

Roddie Report: Nurse No More...

Roddie and I are done nursing. There, I said it. I know this is the right decision for us, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little sad, or a little bit like I failed him. But I also feel rested, sane and better able to deal with everything else I have to do in the run of a day! I've also seen my husband and son bond in a new way that makes my heart sing!

With both kids, I set a target of 6 months, and with Norah I made it to 7. With her, 6 months came and went and we were doing just fine, but I came to a point when I just knew what was best for our family was for me to wean her. Well, with Roddie this point came much sooner - I still toyed with trying to keep it up until February, when he was six months old, but ultimately we finished up just as 2010 wrapped up. A few things are different this time around, not least of which is that I have Norah as well as Roddie to tend to. I also have actual work to do at my job from day 1 of my return. The real nail in the coffin though, didn't have so much to do with either of these things, but rather Roddie's needs and my ability to meet them

Right around the 4 month mark he was nursing every two hours, 24x7 and refusing to take a bottle. I was exhausted, could not eat or drink enough and was really feeling the stress as we prepared for the holidays and my return to work. Ultimately I think he did go through some growth, both physically and cognitively around that time, as I've seen a change in how he plays and reacts to the world around him - he's very curious and is reaching out to touch and feel everything in sight! In my desperation we had to use formula to convince him to take the bottle, and during the process realized that this is where we were headed. Once he finally agreed to take the bottle, after 10 days or so of resisting Matt's attempts, we began to drop nursing sessions.

I know in my heart that this is what's best for my family overall, and I've given him 4 whole months of Mama's Milk. Formula is not evil, many of us were raised on it with no ill effects. But still, I feel guilty when I tell people we've stopped especially other moms, and especially those who were able to stick with it longer. It's not anything they say or do, it's totally in my own head, I know, so maybe I'm not quite as resolved as I think... Regardless, we're on this train and he's doing well, so what have I got to worry about?

Day 1

Yesterday I went back to work. And it was OK.

It's a lot different returning this time... I know what to expect, we've been getting up and out of the house every day all along, I know his caretakers, and I've had 20 weeks off with him. Also, since I knew all along I'd be coming back, it had to happen sooner or later, and I'm ready. That's not to say I wasn't sad to leave Roddie for the first time, or anxious to pick them both up at the end of the day, but we've known all along this was coming!

I'm thankful that I was able to take the extra time off - I took nearly 8 weeks longer than most here in the US. I'm at a point where I feel strong physically and mentally and prepared to get on with it, so to speak.

As for Roddie, his first day was a success from all reports. He's taking bottles without any problems, he was actively playing with various toys and there are 3 other kids the same age in his class - 1 boy and 2 girls. From all reports he was his smiley self all day, and the only negative was that he didn't really nap - at all - all day! I'm sure that will change as he gets adjusted to his new routine - let's face it, who wants to sleep when there is so much to see!

Christmas in PA: Behind the Scenes

There were a couple of parties over the course of our trip, but there was also some quality time spent with Oma and Opa getting ready. As you've seen before, Norah really likes to help out in the kitchen or in this case, the dining room. Here she is with Oma, Opa and Matt making Oma's special roll out cookies. I'd give you the recipe, but the secret is really in the method, which must be taught. Patience is also important - so I think Matt will take the lead on maintaining this tradition in our house!


Norah left a few of the cookies she made for Santa. Here she is inspecting the crumbs he left behind!
Roddie got into the present opening action too! I was surprised at how much he liked to play and claw at the paper at only 4 months old! I guess that was some of what was going on with the non stop eating a few weeks back!

Roddie also got in some good QT with Opa in particular - here he is after getting a Xmas day snack from Opa

Norah started out a little slow with the present opening, stopping to inspect and play with each item. Here she is with her first gift, a cool toy from Aunt Zie... I think she gets this tendency from my side of the family :)

Norah is going through a phase where everything that is my favorite is also her favorite - needless to say most things purple are getting a lot of wear these days. Each year, Matt likes to pick out a nice pair of flannel jammies for Norah - and this year he got me a matching pair too! They were a big hit with her AND me, in fact, we're both wearing ours tonight!

Last but not least, here we are, post-present opening on Christmas morning. We had a great trip and some really special times with Oma and Opa - I'm pretty sure they enjoyed us being there too!

Christmas in PA

This year we spent Christmas with Matt's parents in Pennsylvania. It was a first for me, and I gotta be honest, I was a little nervous. I'm plenty comfortable with Matt's family, so it wasn't that, it's just that... well, I've never spent Christmas with someone else's family - ever. When it comes right down to it, they are my family too, but in all my years, I've always spent it with my parents, usually at least one of my sisters, and my grandmother. There were two exceptions - one when I was 7 months pregnant with Norah, and the following year, her first Christmas - and those we spent alone at our house! As I told my mother in law, it's not that I didn't want to go, it was just new to me!

In any case, we had a great time and I really think Norah enjoyed being around so many cousins! I don't think our side will ever catch up - there are now 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren on Matt's side, and only my two plus Hartleigh on mine! Here's a picture of Oma and Opa (Matt's parents) with a good number of the kids on Christmas eve - before the craziness and present opening began!
This is a shot of my two sweet babies before we headed out for Xmas eve mass

... and a picture-perfect shot of them with their Opa, in front of the fireplace and Christmas tree

Roddie, my little man, all spiffed up for the festivities. I never did get a good one of Norah in her dress... lack of nap leading to a bit of a fashion emergency and we ran out of time...:) ... And one of MY family before we dash off to mass

I love this last one, it's most of the girl cousins in attendance (well, at least those under 18!) As usually happens with these get-togethers, all the kids get into their jammies before it's time to leave. But on Christmas eve, a combination of excitement, cookies and a cool guitar that Adam received had everyone bouncing off the walls a little more than usual. Here's the girls - Ella, Abbie, Olivia, Katelyn and Norah - dancing away