Mommie Pie

Odd Numbers

2012-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

One:

As in "one lazy ass mommie pie who can't manage to update her blog a measly once a week while her children are practically growing facial hair and driving and she hasn't documented a single bit of it." Look at them...

Puppy Dog

Jack with his stogey.

Couch wrestling

I am ashamed and deserving of the ultimate number one status.

Three:

As in 3 years old!

We had a little birthday celebration complete with cake and presents.

Ka-chow! Yeah - I made that!

So what do you get the 3-year old who has everything?

Dune Buggy...duh!

Little Bro had to get in on the action too!

Cole is officially in pre-school at the day care. As with the previous room transitions, there is resistance on his part. The tantrums only get louder and stronger and longer the older they get.

He is fully potty trained - on the big boy potty. "No thank you!" he firmly states with a scowl on his face, every time he is asked if he has to go - even when the answer is yes.

He is beginning to use his imagination and his favorite thing to play with of all time (for now) is Hot Wheels! He has about 30 and knows exactly what each one is. Just ask him.

He also loves to say, "Come on mama. Watch this...watch this...watch this...watch this..."

Five

As in Fifth's Disease...aka "slapped-cheek".

My poor disease ridden children are determined to catch every virus possible. I bet they've even created a few of their own. We are still trying to get back into a decent sleep pattern after several restless nights. Poor little guy just wasn't himself.

Favorite book: Brown Bear.

He is now officially off the bottle. I threw them away last weekend.

An appointment with the ENT specialist confirms ear tubes are in this little one's future too.

My little dare-devil

Seven:

As in: Christmas was nearly seven-ish weeks ago.

Boozy Santa makes a come-back.
The kids are not impressed.

Until next time my lazy ass blogs...

Thank You Mr. One-derful

2011-11-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, I give thanks for this little guy - Mr. One-derful.

Jack turned one year old on 11-11-11. Pretty awesome, right?!

I found myself a little overwhelmed with emotion that day. I wasn't expecting it. It just sort of snuck up on me. I took Jack to the party store to buy balloons and other decorations for his par-tay and had to take a moment to sit in the car and sob a little. My baby is growing up. He's walking and talking and feeding his own face and performing ninja moves on his older brother and can point to his nose and stick out his tongue on demand. I made sure to hold him tight at 11:39am - the very moment he emerged from my belly 365 days before.

His birthday party was the following day. The living room was filled with balloons and he had a handful of guests under the age of 4 and the rest of us were all ---DRINK!

Look! I made pumpkin cupcakes for my little punkin:

After the song and fire celebration...

Jack tried to figure out what to do with his cupcake:

Ewww. Frosting from a can!

Wait. What? You double dare me?

Oh! That stings a little.

Needs a little booger.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKHAMMER!

Love you buddy.

Halloween Punks

2011-11-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Not sure what it was, but I just wasn't really into Halloween this year. I started to consider myself a lazy ass about it - not decorating or even buying candy to pass out until the last minute. I silently scolded myself to get over it already and just do it for the children. But, then I realized how ridiculous that was. Halloween is stupid. There, I said it. Don't get me wrong...it's fun to dress up and go to parties and act a fool. Look, I've done it.

But, the whole trick-or-treat thing...I didn't really even enjoy it when I was young. I just did it because everyone else did it and were totally having fun! I didn't get it but the peer pressure to enjoy the hell out of Halloween was overwhelming and I caved. Plus, there was the added benefit of getting sticky candy stuck in my braces and tween acne from all the chocolate. Good times.

But really, I just did not enjoy the begging for candy from well meaning idiots asking, "what are you supposed to be?" It just made me feel even more like an inferior Halloween outcast. I swear if aliens from another planet happened to visit Earth on Halloween and see this strange phenomenon of a parade of costumed little people begging for treats...or else!.. they'd invade us right then and there and we'd totally deserve it. I don't even like scary movies. Or candy for that matter. I'm a bah humbug about it. I admit it.

Yet, despite all of that, I insist on taking the boys to the pumpkin patch! To pick out pumpkins! For carving jack-o-lanterns! To put on the porch to welcome trick-or-treaters to our house so I can pass out candy to all the mothers from the outskirts of town that dress their silver-toothed babies in costumes and carry them around from house to house. I want to enforce some sort of "rule" that the kids should be able to walk, carry their own bucket and gleefully shout "Trick or Treat" like they are having all the fun I never did, dammit! All in the name of Halloween fun...until some asshole stole our pumpkin off our porch.

Anyway...

Pumpkin Patch 2011!

Who's kid is this?

This guy is outta control.

So, for Halloween this year, I took Cole to the Halloween store to pick out his costume and he decided on:

Buzz Lightyear!

We took him to the Halloween Stroll in downtown Vacaville and he did great for his first year as an official trick-or-treater. He was so excited! And, he was polite and said "thank you" and enjoyed all the attention for his "Cool Costume!"

Jack followed behind in the stroller in his hand-me-down skeleton pjs. (What?!) And, no we did not collect any candy for him. See my "rule" from above.

Then, we took an intermission in the trick-or-treating action so mama and dada could get a ~~margarita~~ refreshment and early dinner. After refueling, we made it home in time to pass out candy, but not before Dada took Cole around the block to spook the neighborhood. Ol' Buzz Lightyear came home amped to infinity and beyond on candy corn from the neighbor's house, and proceeded to pass out all of the candy he collected to the kids that came to our door. "I sharing my candy, mama!"

AWESOME!!!

He manned the door all night, even filling the bags of the 6 foot high-schoolers that came in regular clothes. "You realize you are taking candy from a baby - literally?" I asked. (I couldn't help myself.) They let out a stoner laugh and said, "he's so cute!"

Yeah, I know.

No More Training Wheels!

2011-10-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Potty training is sooooo last month.

Yep. Cole is potty trained. Hooray!

Not sure what made it click. Perhaps is was my constant nagging..."Do you have to poop? Do you have to go potty? Where do we put our pee-pee? Where do we put our poop? Doyouhavetopoopdoyouhavetopoopdoyouhaveto..." We watched Elmo potty videos (while on the potty), read potty books at bedtime and filled up sticker charts. I bribed him with jelly beans and trips on the merry go round and Cars movie marathons. I got to the point where I was beginning to annoy myself. All I talked about was pee and poop - at work, at home, with random strangers at the store... I dreamed about it. I smelled like it. But! Then, something magically clicked in Cole's 33 month old head...Oh! Poop! Here?! Not in my diaper? Oh, ok...and then? It was on.

He went from not pooping in the potty to building a log cabin every single time.

"Cole, are you all done?"

"No, mama. I'm gonna make a BIIIIIG ONE!"

Boys are so gross, I swear.

Now, if I can only get him to wipe his own ass, I'd be one happy mama. I despise being a slave to scrubbing the skid marks out - although I have become quite good at it.

Then, from the next room, we hear footsteps - FOOTSTEPS! coming down the hall. Yes, little Jackhammer is WALKING!!

The training wheels are off around our house. All this baby shit is FOR SALE!

What I did on my Blog Summer Vacation 2011

2011-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is the face of a ten month old cutie pie, 22 pound maniac...

I call him "Tera-Jacktal". His screeches are positively pre-historic sounding. Also, they kind of sound like a screecher monkey with a diaper rash running after his brother who probably just took something of his. He's LOUD! Even Cole has started to shush him. "Shhh. Jack, THAT'S ENUFF!!", he yells.

Anyway, it's not like there hasn't been anything going on. Quite the contrary. I guess I've been on a blog vacation for the past two months. Here's what we did on blog summer vacation 2011:

Kevin woke up last Saturday morning and, on a whim, and a boredom binge, decided to pack up the family and go to the beach. We drove over to Point Reyes. We stopped in the little town of Point Reyes Station on the way to find some lunch. We stayed just long enough for Kevin to get completely annoyed by all the hippies (lavender/B.O. scented, dirty, barefooted hippie chick playing guitar in front of the organic farmers market) and Cole took a piss on the picket fence of someone's front yard because we couldn't find a freaking public restroom. Anyway, we got burgers from a couple of stoners grilling in the parking lot of the grocery store, ate them sitting on the curb and then we were off to the beach! It was overcast and 25 degrees cooler than at our house, but it was fun anyway!

As you can see, Jack is on the verge of walking. (Video link!)

He tires out pretty quickly but he's standing up and squatting down without holding on to anything. He's very close. It's so exciting! We're going shoe shopping soon!

It was nice to finally get out of the house with the boys - we had been under quarantine for a few weeks because...

CHICKEN POX!!!

Jack in the Pox

He contracted them just three months shy of his opportunity to be immunized and he got it from - where else? Daycare! At least we're getting something for all that money. He looked much worse than they seemed to affect him. He didn't really seem itchy or bitchy or anything. Just bumpy and crusty and diseased. He's still showing evidence of having them which was over the Labor Day weekend. The skin on his toes and fingers are completely peeling off from the pox clusters he had on them. Thankfully his face healed up pretty quickly. He's still cute as ever!

Watching TV

He's down to waking up once a night to eat. Sometimes, he sleeps through until about 4am. Up until the Chicken Pox I was still nursing once a night. I stopped pumping in late July because the 4oz I was getting wasn't worth the 30+ minutes spent pumping anymore. Plus, it wasn't even enough for a full bottle. So, I figured I'd save it up for night time nursing. Which we did for a few more weeks until Jack started getting frustrated because my boobs were just...empty. So he pseudo-nursed until he fell asleep, his chubby limbs sprawled out, overflowing across my lap - his head perfectly nestled in the crook of my arm...up until Jack in the Pox, when I figured he needed real comfort from a full belly instead of just suckling. So, the nursing stopped just like that. No pomp and circumstance or big announcement. It was September 3rd. It lasted 10 months! *fist pump*

He is feeding his own face now too - Gerber puffs and wagon wheels and cut up banana, peas, carrots and pancakes! He has busy little hands. He can clap and bang a drum stick and will even raise a dimple knuckled hand to give me a high five and wave hello and bye-bye! He is also beginning to use his Baby Signs! He can definitely sign "more" and "all done". And, when he hears music he likes to rock back and forth.

He is also saying a few things with such regularity I'm certain they have actual meaning to him: "mama" and "baba" and, I swear, "goo-goo, ga-ga". Also, ca-ca (cracker) and "muh" which I think is "more" and "waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" That last one is his go-to when the others don't quite get his point across. He usually says that when he can't pronounce, "Bitch, get me my effing bottle RIGHT NOW!"

*****************

Toward the middle of August, we went to Lake Tahoe! We followed my parents up there so they could babysit while Kevin and I went to the Miranda Lambert concert! Then, we drove around the lake and stuff too. It was Jack's first trip up there. I think he had a pretty good time!

Then there is big brother Cole.

Might as well be his iPhone

He likes to play the Pre-school Monkey Lunchbox app. I've also hired him to return my emails. It's really convenient!

He feeds the DVR player by him self - like three movies at a time.

He can put on his own plip-plops.

And, I think he joined the mob because he started doing this thing where he approaches me with his arms outstretched, takes my face in both hands and then give me a kiss on both cheeks...then gives me a good ol' double cheek slap. Oh, it is so funny! And, it kind of hurts...

But, he is acting every bit of twoandahalf. His mood swings worse than anything I've ever experienced. His voice has transformed into a permanent whine. It's like he forgot how to use a regular voice. Oh, the whining! Its like nails on a chalkboard. And, he screams NO all the time! He is not eating very well right now either. He keeps getting down from the table in the middle of dinner, "I done" so he can go watch his movie. (Which I really need to stop allowing...)

He is totally into the movie Cars right now. Lightning McQueen is his boy! He also actually plays pretend with cars and hot wheels and spots NASCAR on the TV at restaurants and points and gasps, "Look! Carrrrrrsssssss!"

He also stopped sleeping in his bed. I got him this little foam fold-out couch for his room and he prefers to sleep on that. In the middle of the night, I find him sprawled out in the middle of his floor. But, he is playing in his room now too. He will pile all of his blankets and pillows in the middle of his room and flop on top and say that he is swimming with the whales! He'll just start singing songs on his own too. It's very cute. And - bonus! - he doesn't whine when he sings!

But! Cole is, like, 95% pee-pee potty trained! He wears big boy underwear to daycare and everything!

Poop is a whole other story. He continues to poop in his pull-up/underwear despite our resorting to bribery with jelly beans and trips on the merry-go-round. If you ask him where he is supposed to go poo-poo, he will tell you matter of factly "on the Pott-eeeeee!". I can tell you, though, I am tired of collecting balls of poop out of his underwear and then having to scrub the skid marks out. Oh, and the ol' dunk the underwear in the toilet technique to dislodge the sticky poop... Oh, god. That is so gross!

It's funny to me how baby poop is somehow much less offensive than two-year old poop. It's all poop. The other day, I was getting Jack ready for the bath and he was standing naked holding onto the side of the tub while I checked the water temp. Then I picked him up and set him down into the water and noticed a big cloud of...what is that?! Oh no...and sure enough, down next to my feet was a perfectly coiled up pile of shit. Looked like the dog had been in there. But, you know, it was from my bay-bee so it was actually kind of funny and cute and not at all disgusting like if, say, Cole did it. Or the dog. Or Kevin...

Poop free bath time

"Look mama! I washing him!"

A few weeks ago, Cole fell down and busted his lip at daycare...

It wasn't bad enough to need stitches and healed very quickly but did leave a scar. :(

Our backyard has been transformed into a "park-like setting" Kevin proudly proclaims. Thanks to Grammy and Pop Pop who sponsored it and Dada who built it, the boys now have this huge thing to play on!

******************

Back in early August, we went to Redding to visit some old friends and forced them to take us out on their boat. It was so much fun to spend time with them and their awesome kids (ages 7 and 1) and we got caught up and laughed about the good old days and...it was just really therapeutic for me.

Lake Shasta!

Look at me! I'm on a BOAT!

While in Redding, we visited the Turtle Bay Exploration park and went inside the Lorikeet aviary.

While we were inside, there was a "bird-show" going on in the amphitheater on the other side of the park. One of the show birds - a cockatoo - is a bit of a diva and after performing, likes to take some free time to terrorize the Lorikeets. So, this huge, white cockatoo decides to "buzz" the aviary when we are inside and the Lorikeets begin to panic. They flocked together and began frantically flying from one side of the cage to the other while we are all standing right smack in the middle of it all. They were literally flying in between Kevin and I and we were standing a foot apart. This went on for a good 2 minutes. Cole stood still - mouth wide open - SCREAMING - the entire time. Poor thing was terrorized. Jack didn't give a crap.

On the way back to the car, we were trying to bring Cole back around and Kevin was tossing out some favorite lines from Toy Story, "There's a snake in my boot!" Cole, looks up and proclaimed, "There's a bird in my plip-plop!"

I do believe he made a little joke right there.

Both of them continue to be an endless source of entertainment...and exhaustion.

Progress

2011-07-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Jack turned eight months old on 7/11. He started crawling "for reals" on this day. Full up on his hands and knees. Then he quickly perfected his downward dog into sitting maneuver:

When he wakes up in the middle of the night or in the morning, he is sitting fully upright in his crib instead of lying helplessly fumbling around for his binky. Then, it only took another few days for him to begin pulling himself up to standing!

Water table play at daycare

He does that with a big proud 8-tooth grin. Check out this super long and indulgent (but super cute) video.

He is also now feeding himself fist fulls of puffs.

Oh, my baby is growing up! I sorted through his clothes again and transferred everything smaller than 9 months into the 'donate' pile. This same week he also had his first ear infection! Ah, milestones!

Cole, is 2 andahalf going on 16. "Get out of my room, mom. (That's right. He calls me "mom" now!) I no wanna kiss. Go away. Neave me anone!" Then, he cries for me to come back in his room to rub his back or bring him some water. He's such a moody sonofabitch.

He also had another mystery rash last week. He was completely covered in bug-bitey looking bumps that weren't chicken pox but weren't identifiable and could have been contagious but the doctor didn't know for sure so his Grammy took a sick day to stay home with him because - mystery bumps! I did notice the rash before sending him to daycare, but after a quick kiss to the forehead for a temperature check, I dressed him in long pants and sleeves and waved goodbye and hoped for the best. But, Kevin couldn't leave his spotted, bumpy little body at daycare just for them to call 20 minutes later to comepickhimuprightnowomghehasbumpsalloverwtf! Of course it all vanished over the weekend without any evidence of ever being present. No itching. No scars. No fever. No idea.

The other morning Cole woke up with a dry diaper so I coaxed him, half-asleep, onto the potty. I was patting myself on the back when he started to tinkle, but then realized I had greatly underestimated the power and trajectory of toddler morning wood as he hosed down the carpet. We are making small victories on the potty training front.

Meanwhile, Cole has been working on his muscles during Toy Story marathons. Can you tell?

Hey! Do you workout?

Making muscles! (and probably a hernia)

And, we can do this now!

Ridin' tandem at Costco!

Firecracker or Other?

2011-07-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July was HOT this year. We spent the afternoon at the pool and capped the evening off with the usual fireworks show for Dada's birthday.

Cole experienced a bit of freedom in the pool courtesy of a pair of water wings!

Fishy

Spitfire

Party Animal.
We're gonna hafta watch this one!

Firecracker about to get a bad tan line.

Totem Pole

Ear Tube Sound Monitor

Light Show - much better than Fireworks

Calamari?

Underwater Weeds?

Firecracker! Boom!

God Bless America

Ummm?

Fountain

Alien Space Creature?

My sleep deprived neurotransmitters

36 Year Old Firecracker

Change. We got sum.

2011-07-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

The only thing constant in life is change.

Not sure who to give credit to this quote but I give them a big "DUH" for stating the obvious.

We are very busy around here lately. When we talk to people we haven't seen in awhile and they ask what we've been up to because we haven't seen them in ages because we've been soooooo busy, the answer is always a laughable, "oh, you know. Same old stuff. Not much." Because, the real answer is so overwhelming to pull together in the brain and transfer into intelligible and interesting conversation.

It's the boys. My sweet babies that are growing and time won't cut me a break and just freaking stand still for a damn minute. Neither will Cole and neither will Jack for that matter. Cole is 2 andahalf and is acting every bit of it. On occasion he is sweet and kind and uses his manners and in his sing-songy voice makes adult conversation.

   Me: "Do you want to turn the fan on?"

   Cole: "No. Not today. Leave it off for now. Maybe later."

He is also beginning to show glimpses of imagination.

   Cole, reading a book: "Mama, look! Abby (from Sesame Street) is listening to music!"

   Me: "She is? What is she listening to?"

   Cole: "Pink Froyd."

Other times, when he doesn't get his way or is cranky for lack of nap and is tired or hungry or not hungry or hot or cold or the sun is in his eyes or he can't do it, or I'm not doing it right, or, or, or...

Oh, the whining! Oh, the crying and screaming and shouting NO! The standing on chairs. The hitting and spitting and the running away and the not listening. "I don't WANT to!" "Lemme GO!" "Lemme do IT!" "Whaaaaaaaaaa!"

Arrrrrghhhh!

"I want to pray the GAME, mama! I want Toy Story, mama! I want cake!"

I'm two going on 54 and am sophisticated and you can't tell ME what to do. Now, I pooped in my diaper because I'm too busy watching Toy Story to go on the potty so change my diaper, woman and get me some milk. Preaze?

Kevin happened to DVR Toy Story 3 a few weeks ago and we turned it on during dinner and Cole was completely mesmerized. Ever since, that's all he wants to watch. Elmo is for baybees. So, I bought Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 on DVD and will probably take him to the movie theater when Toy Story 4 comes out. I'm actually kind of excited about it!

We've also transitioned Cole from the highchair during mealtime to a toddler table and chair that my mom bought for the boys. It's great and now Cole has a place to color and play and ~~sit~~ pretend he is at a buffet during meal time. We are trying to be firm about making him sit at the table until he is done. And, once he get's up, that's it. He seems to be fine with the situation. "I dun."

The main reason to get Cole out of the highchair was to get Jack into it. He really enjoys mealtime and eats pretty much everything. We had a raw butt blueberry incident, but otherwise he's tolerating food like a champ. He currently has four top teeth all coming in at the same time. But, he's taking it like a trooper so we may reward him with a few "puffs" in another week or so.

Yoga toe stretches during meals help digestion ya'll.

We've also graduated Jack from the infant bath tub to the "rubber ducky blow up tub".

And, he's crawling now! We call him "scooter". (Video links!) I swear one day I'm going to put a swiffer dust pad on his belly so he can dust mop the floor while he's scootin' around. Although, I may have missed my opportunity because he's up on his hand's and knees now in an almost full on crawl instead of the scooter slide move along the floor.

He's also trying to pull himself up over things when he's scootin' around. Almost a climb. I think I better lower the crib mattress a little earlier than I had planned...And he's really good with his hands. He's fascinated by them. He'll hold one hand out in front, fingers spread wide and fully stretched out and he'll contemplate the front of his hand. Then he'll inspect the back of his hand. Then he'll point. Then he'll wave at someone. He's figured out how to make toys beep and twirl and roll. He's smart.

He's also incredibly cute. I have back up on this. EVERYONE tells me so. I have people stop me in the store all the time. I had one guy - a young, good looking dude that, had I been younger I would have thought he was actually checking me out, drive by my cart in the Target parking lot to exclaim, "you have a BEAUTIFUL baby!" They go out of their way in the store to get out of line and come over to tell me how cute he is. "Oh, he's so beautiful!" "Such a little Gerber baby!" "He looks like the Ivory baby." "That's the next Downy baby right there!"

I'll take my endorsement money in change please. For my piggy bank.

Miss Mama Turns Four Syllables

2011-06-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

I celebrated a birthday last weekend. It was a big one. Or, it had a lot of syllables anyway. It felt like a really significant age and kind of important and I started to worry that I would have no control over an age related depression...and then I realized that it just sounded significant because it took forEVER to say, "thirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty sevvvvvvvvvvvvvvennnnnnnnnn". That extra syllable really screwed me up. Geez. Wonder how I'll take turning 77?

Anyway, I had a really great weekend. On Saturday, my mom took me shopping at the "Galleria". Macy's was having a killer sale and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I lost a whole dress size! Happy Birthday to MEEEEEEE!

Then on Sunday, Kevin took me golfing. Yes, I actually wanted to go. And, I got my birthday par on one hole so I was happy. Then we went to Grammy & PopPop's pool where I was greeted with Samuel Adams Summer Ale, a nice bottle of Pinot Noir and an actual birthday cake that my HUSBAND purchased. He's never done that before and I gave him shit for it last year and looky what happened!!! I know. He bought it instead of making it but it's really probably better that way. It was carrot cake, by the way. My favorite!

And, my sweet, sweet Cole serenaded me with "Happy Birthday...to Miss Mama..." Swoon.

Then, a few days later I received another gift. You know - the one from Mother Nature. She had overlooked me for the past 16 months. Hey! I wasn't complaining! So, now I feel like I'm an awkward 12 year old all over again trying to figure it all out. I was mostly bummed because my Mom bought me two pairs of WHITE PANTS for my birthday. Sigh.

So, now I am in the time frame when Kevin gets to do his "you are TWO years older than me. HA, HA" schtick. Lucky me.

Six Years and Still Rockin'

2011-06-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today I professed my eternal love to a man in a garden gazebo in front of family and friends. He cried. Today, we have two beautiful children together who demand all of my time. He cries about that too...

Happy Anniversary to my loving husband. Six years and we're still rockin'! I love you Daddypie!

I dedicate this video to you. Even though you made it. Our little Rockstar in the making...

Memorial Day Cuties

2011-05-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

We took these two by the carnival at Fiesta Days yesterday where Cole got to ride the "roller coaster". It was for kids only. Adults were not even allowed to ride - they wouldn't fit anyway. Cole surpassed the height requirement of 36" so we paired him up with another little girl who's mother asked if he would ride with her, you know, to protect her. She was four. So, Cole reached out his hand for hers and led her up the stairs toward the ride. The carnie strapped them in as all the parents stood by with white knuckled anticipation. Then he pushed the 'go' button. The big green dragon lurched forward and Cole's head flung back and his hands jerked forward to hang on to anything to keep from falling out. He quickly recovered as they approached the first turn. Then he looked around with wide eyes - first at his car companion, then at us. Then he smiled. BIG. Then...he screamed a delightful little scream! He continued to alternate between laughing and screaming for the remainder of the ride while the little girl sitting next to him held her hands in the air for the entire time. Good Times.

And now, here are some outtakes from a recent photo shoot of the boys that has nothing to do with the story I just told:

Fluidity-ish-ness

2011-05-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

I am in complete disbelief that Jack is 6 months old already. It's so unfair. The baybees - they grow up way too fast. I just want to put him in a little time capsule - not for ever - but just for a few months so I can squeeze all the 6 month old cuteness out of him before I let him go on ahead with the growing up.

He's doing unbelievably awesome. He's so good natured and laid back and smiley. He's sitting up all by himself now and is on the verge of all out crawling.

His official stats at 6 months:

Head: 18.2 inches

Height: 27 inches

Weight: 17.7 pounds

Oh, he's definitely growing:

Jack newborn

Jack 6 months

Sitter

All this despite a likely condition he has: benign subdural hygromas of infancy. We noticed a bit (!) of a prominent forehead (frontal bossing) and went for x-rays and a visit with the pediatric neurosurgeon where we received the diagnosis. The condition, which is basically collections of fluid between the brain and the skull, is usually self-limiting and corrects itself by age 2. He's meeting all his major gross motor skill milestones - earlier than Cole even did, so we really are not concerned. He's just got a big ol' head. But, so does everyone else in this family so it's not really that noticeable.

Meanwhile, Cole is continuing to entertain with his two year old shenanigans.

Into the makeup drawer.

I has a beard Mama!

Bed head

Over the weekend, we were celebrating my mom's 62nd birthday at the Outback for dinner. During dessert, I gathered up Jack and the diaper bag and headed to the bathroom to change his diaper. Apparently, I have very good timing because Cole, while sitting on my mom's lap, began vomiting, exorcist style, all over the table. Hey Mom! Happy Birthday! He had refused to eat any dinner and actually had complained that his belly hurt. My mom handled it like a pro though. She aimed his barf hose toward the table. That way, when the clean up crew came around, they simply had to wipe everything off the table and into the trash. I guarantee my instinct would have been to aim it on the floor which would have been much more difficult to clean up. You learn something new every day! Poor baby picked up some kind of stomach virus because he's been running a low grade fever and experiencing explosive diarrhea ever since. It has been nerve wracking to try and comfort him and keep him hydrated and calm him down during diaper changes because his butt is completely raw. Kevin stayed home from work with him yesterday and I'm home with him today. He's not well enough to return to daycare yet. Poor guy. The good news is all the covers on the couch cushions got washed for the first time ever. The couch looks brand new!

And, just because I like to throw in a picture with me in it every now and then to prove that I exist:

Mother's Day 2011

Pumping Chronicles

2011-05-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

There I sat perched on the edge of the seat.

Woosh-ah, woosh-ah, woosh-ah

The restroom was disappointingly small - only four stalls. But the stalls had tall doors. Maybe that will reduce the sound, I thought.

I waited my turn and entered the next available stall. I carefully assembled my breast pump parts and plugged in the battery attachment. Then I turned it on.

I was traveling for work - just a day trip to San Diego - but still dedicated to breastfeeding so my trusty pump was my travel companion.

I felt guilty for taking up a stall since the bathroom was so small. I had prepared myself for the spectacle of pumping in a lounge area of the ladies room. No such luck at the Hotel Del Coronado.

So, there I sat, dutifully pumping my milk. Then I heard a voice from the stall next door. "I know that sound! I've soooo been there. I breastfed all three of my kids. Good for you!!!"

I was appreciative for the support and voiced a "thanks" into the air and added, "I've never had to do it quite like this before." I had felt like I should try to be inconspicuous but realized that is ridiculous because of the noise. Plus I was taking up extended occupancy in the corner stall.

As more ladies entered the room and waited in line to use the facilities, some noticed the stall at the end had not been available in the rotation. One of them snarkily shout whispered to another, "She's been in there the whole time! She's on the phone. Meanwhile, we're all out her waiting!"

"Really?" said the other woman as she entered the stall next to me. Then her voice aimed through the stall toward me, "HOW RUDE!"

It's not like I couldn't think of more glamourous ways of spending my afternoon on Coronado Island. Instead, I sat perched on the edge of a toilet seat in a public restroom relying on a few AA batteries to empty my boobs so I can feed my baby later. Would I rather be doing something such as enjoying a cocktail on the deck overlooking the gorgeous beach and Pacific Ocean while basking in the warm sunshine? The answer will surprise you - even me! Believe it or not - NO! At this point in my life, no. I mean, after I pump, sure! But, if I have to pump then I have to pump and I don't care what else is going on. I'm on a mission! Get the hell out of my way.

About fifteen minutes after I entered the stall, I carefully capped the milk and packed everything back into my Pump In Style shoulder bag. I took a deep breath, stood up straight and strutted out of the stall with my pump slung over my shoulder. Some people recognize the bag for what it is and others just think it's a purse. I received some sideways glances as I approached the sink to wash my hands but no confrontation. I was prepared to matter of factly explain that I was pumping my boobs (sheesh!) but thankfully I never had to go there.

Later that afternoon I was slipping off my shoes and laying my belongings onto the security screening conveyor belt at the airport. I had to declare my milk to the TSA agent and braced myself for a hassle as I requested that it not be sent through the x-ray machine. Much to my relief, she happily complied and took the milk aside to be strip tested. As I collected my things at the end of the screening process, the woman behind me mentioned, "Up until last week I was doing the same thing," in reference to the milk testing. "How old is your baby?"

"He's almost six months old," I said with an air of disbelief because, OMG! I can't believe he's almost six months old already.

"Oh!" she replied. I don't think she was expecting to hear the word "month" after the age number.

I guess it is quite remarkable to some folks that I am still breastfeeding after six months. And, have stayed dedicated to pumping while away from my baby for such a long period of time. But, to me, it is not a burden. It's just part of being a mommy. I guess it is a time sacrifice - two pump breaks at work five days a week for the past three months that I've been back to work. The evening symphony of bottle washing and bottle preparation for the next day at daycare. But, I do it because I love my son and I figure my body is making the milk for a reason so I will continue to do everything I can to feed it to my son for as long as lasts.

Jack's last day in the infant room at daycare was yesterday. Kevin and I had an orientation for his new room earlier in the week and got the scoop on how they want us to label the breastmilk bottles and where to put them. He'll enter the new room just two days shy of turning six months old. One of the "teachers" commented, "that's a lot of pumping!"

Six months was my goal with both boys and I'm proud to say I've made it both times. Yay for goals! I went 11 months with Cole and will stick it out for Jack as long as I can until my boobs dry up. It's worth it to me.

Peep, Peep

2011-04-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny paid a visit this past Sunday and in addition to pooping out colorful, snack filled eggs

he also left this:

Somebunny drank too much blue egg dye and had a farty party on the lawn!

Actually it was this cool bubble blower that uses colored bubbles. We've filed it under the WORST IDEA EVER!

It stained the sidewalk, clothes, hands, hair and even the grass. Washable...pshhhttt. So, after the blue bubble incident, this is how Cole had to spend the rest of Easter:

Nude Musical Interlude

But! Not before collecting his Easter Basket at Grammy's:

And sum moar EASTER EGGS!!!

And eating a chocolate covered Peep.

Unimpressed.

True confession time: I am so embarassed that I have not managed to peep out a post in nearly 2 months. Unfortunately, I will have to resort to an impressive list of the many milestones and newly mastered skills that my children have reached or acquired during this time instead of capturing the essence of the moment. We got a new MacBook Pro a few weeks ago and we're wireless now so I hope that will help to peep out more regular and spontaneous posts. It makes me a little sad at how fast it’s all going by since it’s the last time we’ll have baby shenanigans in the house for a long, long time. (Not until I'm a grandma.)

Jack

Like, a week after my last post, Jack sprouted his two bottom teeth! At 4 months!

Toofahs!!

He is a roly poly now and tries to scooch forward on his tummy, using his big ol' forehead for leverage.

He reaches up and out for toys and maneuvers his binky in and out of his mouth like a damn cigar.

He can also sit up for a few seconds on his own and grins from ear to ear because he is so proud of himself.

He started to eat food! So far he has tried rice cereal, green beans, squash, bananas, pears and peas. And, he eats it all! The peas and beans need to be 'milked' down but he eats it all up like a little piggy. And, yes, I am making baby food this time around too. He gets jarred food at daycare though because they won't let us send our own food. It's an FDA regulation or something. They only serve a limited selection though so he will get a greater variety at home.

First cereal feeding.

He giggles too. His chest and shoulders are very ticklish and he'll scrunch up his shoulders and make a double chin and laugh. So cute!

Cutie

Tickle, tickle

He also likes to hang out in the jumpy, jumpy just like his brother.

He will nurse to sleep now but sometimes just needs the binky and some swing time.

Snuggly

He has the softest head that I just love to nuzzle and snuggle up against.

He's just become the all around awesomest baby in the world!

Awesomest!

Cole

Cole is capable of using the potty - when he is in the mood. He has a sticker chart in his room and likes to pick a sticker after he goes in the potty. He carefully selects a sticker each time, "ummmmmmmm, um, um, ummmm This ONE!" But it doesn't seem to motivate him to go in the first place. He is starting to try to go on the potty at daycare though. So, he's making progress.

He went from not being able to reach the pedals on his tricycle to riding all the way around the block with zero assistance in, like, a day!

He likes to ~~floss his teeth~~ chew and swallow floss until he gags and then his dada pulls it out of his throat like a long ol' piece of spaghetti. Sometimes he will actually brush them but that usually involves some wrestling holds by a parent.

Probably about to do something I'm not supposed to

He sings songs now! He sings the Alphabet Song (just the first and last part skipping over the middle: “abcd…wxyandzeeeeeeeeeee!” His repertoire also includes "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and a bunch of other songs I don't know from daycare.

He demands snacks in the car. “I want sum snnnnnnnnnnACK mama!” “I want sum cereal bar mama!”

He knows that babies are born in the "hostipal".

When you ask him a question he begins to answer by saying, “Well…?” or "I don know!"

When something happens that he doesn't agree with he'll tell you, "I don like that. That not nice."

When a suggestion is made to him that he agrees with he proclaims, "Oh guh ideeeah!"

He still has terrible table manners at home but at daycare is the first one to sit at the table for snack time.

He still won’t go down for a nap without the car ride at home but snoozes like clockwork at daycare for a good two hours.

He is as sweet as pie to his little brother and is excited to see him when we pick up from daycare as he climbs into the stroller all by himself.

Babysitter

He likes to ~~eat~~ play with "Pay-doe."

He says "Hi" to people as we walk by at daycare. He calls them by name. "Hi Mr. Joe! Bye bye Miss Terri!" He’s got this whole other life away from home. I admire it. I’m so proud of him. He returns the sentiment, "I so poud of you mama!"

He won’t let you take a picture of him anymore without looking at the picture on the camera. “Lemme see it.”

Fresh from the shawer

He likes to watch America's Funniest Home "Geddios". The anticipation gets to him every time as he frantically asks, "What's going to happen?"

His sleep issues have gotten better. He doesn't detest his bed anymore. He falls out every now and then and cries for me but then sleepily climbs back up into bed to snuggle in without needing reassurance that I am right there. In the morning after I get him changed and dressed, he climbs back in bed until it's time to get in the truck to go to daycare. Every now and then he will have a night terror episode, which are just awful... and LOUD. A few weeks ago Kevin was away for a class and I think Cole had an actual nightmare because he woke up screaming for me and was running down the hall toward my room. I picked him up to take him back to his bed and he was shaking. I sat with him on my lap on his bed but he squirmed away to stand on the floor facing me with his hand outstretched toward me. "Come on mama. Let's go," as he led me back to my bedroom where he snoozed for the rest of the night.

He's very smart and very observant and very aware. Mama and Dada need to start watching their language which is apparently peppered with swear words (duh) because out of nowhere comes a little voice, "What the hell is dat?!!" And, "O Shit!" We try to correct him with "Oh NO!" or simply repeating his sentence without the offending word or try to insert a more acceptable one "Oh my Goodness!!"

He is not a fool. He's on to us.

So, this is what happened over the past month...

2011-03-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, this is what a very hungry 4 month old looks like:

His voracious appetite has left my boobalahs hanging their nipples in shame for they are unable to make enough milk to satisfy the little twerp. I've made as much effort as I can to be the Dairy Queen but have been set back by infections, mastitis, and plugged ducts...not to mention the lousy right side latcher has turned my nipple into hamburger meat so it burns and stings like it being slashed with razor blades during nursing, pumping and all time in-between. It also seems to be perma-swollen to the size of a marshmellow. It hurts. BAD. But, still I try to fill his belly and the bottles I lovingly prepare for his daycare adventures...

Jack started daycare two weeks ago - February 28, as my maternity leave has ended and I have returned to work. They have started to supplement the 4oz breastmilk bottles I provide with 2-3 ounces of formula to fill him up. Other than that, he's doing fantastic. It's a strange feeling to walk in a room, lay your baby on the floor and leave him there. It's difficult to walk out the door some days. But, he doesn't mind at all. There are three nice ladies that sing and smile at him and wipe his butt all day. He's too young to realize the devastation the daycare drop-off is supposed to have. The silver lining in that is when he is old enough to understand, he'll already be used to it. I'm hopeful we won't have the heartbreaking goodbyes we had with Cole when he first began daycare just after he turned one.

He started rolling over from his back to his tummy this week.

We also pulled the jumpy-jumpy down from the rafters. His tippy toes just barely touch the ground so he sort of just hangs there playing with the toys for now.

He can grasp toys and put them in his mouth now too - along with a healthy hunk of dog hair.

He also started sleeping through the night. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. Actually, he did sleep through the night for about a week straight. So, my milk factory also started to shut down. Then he decided to go on a growth spurt and wake up for a few feedings in the middle of the night but the milk supply just isn't what it used to be. It's physically difficult to ramp it back up again. So, we will jsut have to supplement with formula. I'm okay with it - now that I have had a good cry about it. It's difficult to explain but I am upset that I'm unable to exclusively breast feed Jack. I made it 11 months with Cole. It would seem I should be able to do the same for Jack but the circumstances make it otherwise. It's just different this time. But, damn formula is expensive!

And, the CPS "Whopper of the Year" award goes to:

Yes, we made our first injury related trip to Urgent Care over the weekend. So, the story goes: Cole was in the backyard with his Dada enjoying some decent weather and was clanging together some empty propane tanks next to the shed. Because they make a really cool ringing sound when you do that. Especially when you are being told to stop doing that.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, DING, DING...CLankCLUNKbangDONG...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, WAAAAAAAAAAA!

There was an old boat prop hanging up on the shed, you know, for decoration. Well, that prop was positioned right above those propane tanks and the banging and clanging must have vibrated that heavy, brass, bladed propeller right off the wall and it fell down and smashed Cole's pudgy little hand between it and the jagged sharp metal of the propane tank handle. There was screaming. And blood. I had just emerged from the shower when I heard the unmistakable injury cry - something unquestionably BAD just happened. Luckily, there was only a small cut in the web between his first finger and thumb, but it was swollen. Already. It seemed like he was able to move it okay but we weren't about to take any chances. Plus it was his right hand and he has demonstrated right handedness. So, we packed everyone up and went to Urgent Care - which, thankfully, is conveniently located at the hospital just 15 minutes away, and available to us for a simple co-pay instead of the dastardly deductible of the ER. We were sent over to Imaging where we were delightfully surprised to find "Auntie" Kira working on a Saturday. So, she gave Cole his first x-ray.

The Dr. saw a shadow on one of the bones and was suspicious it may be a fracture so he fashioned a splint over Cole's thumb and wrapped up his arm until the film could be reviewed by a radiologist to confirm. It ended up being NOT broken (whew!) but not before Cole brought his attention grabbing bandaged arm to daycare to wield it as a weapon. At the end of the day when I tried to ceremoniously remove the splint because, Hooray! It isn't broken! Cole was upset. "No! Leave it ON Mama. Leave it ON!"

We also decided the toddler curly-q mullet was getting to be a bit much so we took Cole to get his first hair cut!

Mullet Before

Who is this kid?

Auntie Stacey and Cousin Dylan also came out for a visit. That was pretty cool. Cole really enjoyed bossing Dylan around. It's, sadly, most likely the last time we'll see them for several years because, as if Oklahoma isn't far enough away, they are moving to Mississippi for three years. With their three boys and our two, it would be so awesome if we lived near by so the kids could grow up together. But as families grow, so do expenses and it just may not be possible to fly out to see them in that time frame. There are Florida relatives on the waiting list as it is.

*SIGH* We miss them very much!

Baby Phat?

2011-02-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

So. I'm wondering. At what point do I need to stop blaming the baby for the extra weight and just own it? When does it officially change from baby fat to just...fat?

We are thirteen weeks in. Jack will be THREE MONTHS OLD tomorrow!!! I feel like I still look pregnant and I am getting tired of rotating the only three pairs of sweats and one pair of maternity pants that fit. I also have a pair of pre-baby jeans that I squeeze myself into and don't wash after a few wears so they are stretched out. But, when I bend over you can see my whole ass crack and my belly droops over the waistline. I have to wear maternity shirts with the jeans so they are long enough. Sometimes, even they aren't long enough. Like, when I go to Costco. And, have to put stuff on the bottom of the cart. Or climb up into the back of the truck. It isn't pretty.

It's not like I haven't been exercising. I've been walking with the stroller when the weather will allow. There's a duck pond on Base with a 1.3 mile loop that I'll hustle around sometimes before I pick up Cole from daycare. I busted out my old Firm workout videos. I also got a Wii Fit for Christmas. I play around on it but let's be honest. It isn't exactly fat burning activity. Except maybe for the hula-hoop game. Anyway, the little platform that comes with the game is a scale. An evil scale that tells you how much you weigh. I haven't had a scale in years - because I don't really want to know how much I weigh all the time. I just want my clothes to fit and to not look so lumpy. So, the stupid Wii tells me I'm overweight. And, that I'm old. So, now it's not enough that my clothes don't fit, I'm letting a stupid video game attack my self esteem. I yell at it all pissed off, "I just had a baby you fucker!" The Wii laughs at me. It's bringing me down.

I'm going to have to return to work in a couple of weeks. None of my work clothes fit. Realistically, it is unlikely I'm going to magically fit into them just in the nick of time. I have about fifteen pounds to lose before I'm back at pre-babynumbertwo weight. Which is less than I weighed before I got pregnant the first time around but, it's really a better weight for me. But, all my body parts have shifted. My feet are bigger and things dangle now and I have back fat. I've never had back fat before. I also have jowls now. It sucks. Woof.

Last time the nursing seemed to really help melt away all the pregnancy weight. I can't really remember how long it took though. I just know I was in a bikini that summer looking half-way decent. I'm still nursing this time and eating healthy but the fat isn't melting this time. It's just drooping.

Ima hafta go clothes shopping. I was holding off as long as possible hoping I'd fit into my work clothes but, it didn't happen. So, now I'm pissed because I have to buy clothes that fit for only a few months.

I hope.

P.S. Don't get me wrong. I totally adore my amazing body and the things it has been able to accomplish - all without any help from me. My children are totally worth the battle bumps, lumps and scars. I'm just really unhappy to have to waste the money on the clothes. I mean, on one hand...woo hoo! New wardrobe! And, yay for losing weight! On the other hand - these pants cost how much?

Second Time Around

2011-02-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

I get asked from time to time if having a baby is different the second time around. If Jack is an "easier" baby than Cole. If I love them the same. If I want any more.

All I can say is that it is completely different, yet totally similar. It's a complicated answer, really.

You've got to figure that becoming a mother for the first time is not just about the baby, but is a whole slew of first time experiences. It was my first time really dealing with the emotional grip my baby was to have on me and I was a hormonal mess for many, many months. I got very weepy when it came to thinking about the absurd amount of love I had for this smooshy little guy. It was my first time dealing with the controversy over making decisions on things like breast feeding, daycare, vaccines, baby food and sleep training. I experienced all his "firsts" for the first time too and they were accompanied by much anticipation, exhilaration, nervous excitement and a certain sense of accomplishment. I will continue to experience these firsts with Cole because he is the first. I don't know how to be the mommy of a two year old boy. I'm learning as we go. But, I already know how to be the mommy of a newborn/three month old/15 month old...etc. Cole has been an excellent teacher.

So, the second time around kind of feels like - been there, done that. Not that it isn't as exciting to have another baby in the house but his "firsts" aren't my firsts. With Jack, I am a more confident mother having made up my mind on many parenting issues after testing them out on his older brother. He will reap the benefits of our experimentations on Cole. Not that they aren't two different individuals with different personalities already. I just have a good sense of what happens next. I feel better prepared. I don't get as weepy - basically because I have no time to dwell on my feeeeelings. There are poopy diapers to change! But, I also know if he has to sit and cry for a few minutes while I finish rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, he will be fine. I did not cry when he got his first round of vaccines like I did with Cole. I don't worry so much about SIDS. I can clip his fingernails with my eyes shut. I don't need a bath water thermometer to tell me if the water is too hot or cold. I don't furiously scrub the day-glow orange poopy stains with full conviction of, "I WILL get this stain out!" It doesn't matter any more. Once Jack grows out of these clothes they are nothing more than fabric taking up space in our too small of a house. The decent ones will be donated or sold to the local second hand baby store (which gives such a small pay out it's almost not worth the trouble.)

But there are some things that are new. For instance, Jack takes a pacifier - which is good and bad. Good because it keeps him from fussing when he just needs to suck on something and my boob is unavailable. Bad because when he starts to cry we tend to just shove it in his mouth when he may not even want it. And, I want to be able to see his cute little smile and hear his babbles - two things that don't happen with a stupid silicone nipple in his mouth.

Something else that is new this time is this gripping fear of forgetting him. Like leaving him in the shopping cart at the grocery store, or leaving him in the car. I think about forgetting him so much - I even have horrific dreams about it - that I don't think there is actually any way it could actually happen. I am constantly double checking that his car seat made it in the car while I'm driving. I literally feel panic set in about five minutes into my drive and I have to reach back to feel his car seat or crane my neck to catch a glimpse of his car seat. It's so ridiculous. I miss being able to see my centrally located single back seat passenger at a glance in the rearview mirror.

I also have this irrational worry that my milk supply will dry up. I don't get as engorged as I did the first time around and I know that is actually a good thing, but it just makes me feel like there isn't enough milk. I also stopped leaking through all my clothes after a few weeks so naturally started to freak out. I try and pump at least once every other day to keep up my supply and have even looked into taking herbal supplements. I really need to relax about it because I know my body has just adjusted to Jack's needs and that everything is fine. He's growing. He's stretching out some 3 month size clothes. He's in size 2 diapers. My nipple is no longer bigger than his nose.

But, Jack is not an easier baby than Cole. Even though he's the second and we've been through this infant stage before, it's impossible to compare them on the "easy" scale. Cole was the only baby for nearly two years. Some would say he was challenging based on their experiences with their babies, but he was our reality. We didn't have anything to compare him to. So, while Jack may not fuss as constantly as Cole did the first few months, and is soothed easier by a binky or simply being picked up, he isn't as predictable as Cole was. For example, Jack doesn't always fall asleep after a feeding. This poses a problem in the middle of the night when I would like to stumble back to bed. It is also a challenge to try and prevent a crying episode from coming on - especially in the middle of the night so Cole doesn't wake up too. With Jack, there's a new dynamic to deal with. Baby has a big brother who is only two and still needs a lot of attention and help. We have to juggle the needs of both boys and make a decision on who's need gets priority at that moment in time. Sometimes it's Jack and sometimes it's Cole.

And, no I don't love both boys the same. They are different people. I love them equally for who they are as individuals but not the same.

Also, no - I don't want any more kids. Yes, babies are adorable and fun and they grow up too fast but I'm really blessed and thankful for the two healthy and totally awesome boys I have. I got my tubes tied during my second c-section because really - I'm content with two kids - really. That's one per parent so we aren't outnumbered. We are an even numbered family. No one will have to ride single on the roller coaster. And, I really don't feel deprived because I didn't have a daughter either. I'm actually kind of relieved. Plus, if I were to keep having kids I'd eventually end up with an ugly one. Look, there are only so many creative genetic combinations the body can come up with before it just says "fuck it". You know?

At Least the Bathtub is Clean Now

2011-01-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

So. We made it two years and 15 days before the inevitable happened.

Poop in the tub.

Yes, it happened and I'll give you three guesses who made the poopy.

Then, I'll give you another three guesses on who got to clean it up. Because, someone else was golfing. Not that he would have come within 100 yards of the bathroom anyway.

It's difficult to clean up wet, soggy turds marinated in bubble-bath off the bottom of the tub.

I'm glad I stocked up on bleach at Costco.

But! Then he did not stop at the tub. Oh, no! Then he pooped on the potty too.

So, I forgave him.

Cole is transferring to the 2-3 year old room at daycare this week. The big deal about his new room is they have a big slide on the playground and they help potty train. I dropped him off today in his new room and boy was he was mad at me. We've been through this transition before. It will take a week or so before he gets used to it but it sure is heartbreaking and incredibly difficult to just walk out the door and leave my baby while he is sobbing with a "please don't leave me here" expression on his darling little face.

Even though he did poop in the tub.

Two

2011-01-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

1. I am the proud Mama of this Two Year Old Boy:

Two!

After receiving his very own drum set (yes, we caved) his own set of pretend but very real looking keys so he will leave mine the hell alone, a cool Elmo phone and various other gifts, followed by a birthday breakfast full of all the tater tots you can eat, we took Cole on a nice outing to the Nut Tree where he rode the merry-go-round and the choo-choo train and ran around like a maniac in the frigid weather. Then we went to his favorite restaurant, Villa Corona where he got a cheese quesadilla and a churro, and then asked to sit on the potty...just because, but did not actually go potty. Then he took a three hour nap and then Ghee and Pop Pop came over for dinner because Cole looooooves to have company over. He got some more cool gifts (spoiled!) and then enjoyed his Elmo birthday cake which I made mah-self!

Elmo birthday cake!

New drum set!

I love my new lizard so much I will French kiss it like this

Using the teeth to open presents is most effective

Ready for school. *sob*

First merry-go-round

Nut Tree Railroad

Giddy up

Can you see me?!

Nut Tree rocking horse

Um, get your nose pickers off the cake!

Exactly

Make a wish!

Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeee!

Red frosting makes my teeth pink mom. See!

Big Foot

At two he is 2' 11" tall and 32 pounds. He wears a 2T and size 8 shoe!

He wants to do EVERYTHING himself. "Cole do it." This statement is usually followed either by a mega tantrum or he signs for help and says, "Mama do it."

He can count to 14 on his very own but skips over number 12.

His vocabulary is robust with words like "spectacular" and he speaks in real sentences such as, "See! I toad ju!"

Although, when he talks to the dog he has a French accent, "Chop-air".

He tries to sing songs and loves his Friday night dance party with Dada. He really likes to shake his bootie.

He is also a really great big brother. He is interested in Jack and shows him a lot of love. Of course when I am nursing Jack is when Cole needs, "up, Up, UP???!" I try and share my lap. We make it work.

Brotherly Love

Parenting excellence. See: choke hold / crotch hold

He received a cool Elmo guitar from his Auntie Stacey for his birthday a few days later. He had been attached at the hip to his drum set until then. They are small enough that he can pick them up and carry them around the house. When the guitar came, he hugged it and danced around in a circle playing the music and then suddenly stopped. I saw an actual lightbulb appear over his head and he shoved the guitar into my hands, "Mama hold." Then he ran to get his drums. Then he looked at me and said, "Mama play!" So, I think we started a band.

2. I am also the proud Mama of this Two Month Old Boy:

Jack - two months

His official stats at two months are 12 lbs, 14 oz, 23 3/4" long and his head is 16.5".

Oh! He's starting to babble and smile and hold his head up nice and strong. In fact, yesterday I turned him around to face forward in the Baby Bjorn carrier. He's also trying to reach out for toys and grab them.

What?

Wii Fit - U R doing it wrong!

He is starting to look more and more like Kevin.

Looks like Daddy

And, he slept in his crib last night for the first time. Of course I freaked out and turned the motion monitor on but it basically SUCKS because it always gives a false alarm. I have no idea how the alarm doesn't wake him up and I am totally shocked that it didn't wake Cole up. So, I had to turn it off and just use the sound mode. So, no, I really didn't sleep much last night at all. He slept fine.

He wakes to feed twice at night and then he's pretty much every three hours during the day. Still on the booby juice and still spitting up like a leaky faucet. The doctor agrees with me that he has a little reflux problem but we are hoping it goes away on its own.

Two is too much fun!

Twenty Eleven-ty

2011-01-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

A fresh start.
A new beginning.
A new calendar.
Time goes by.
Too damn fast.

We rang in the New Year with some good friends and Cole stayed awake until midnight - dancing his little tushie off. At one point, he was shaking his bootie in the round, swarmed by a bunch of liquored up cougars in sparkly party outfits cooing at him. Too bad I forgot my camera. You should have seen his face. He was totally in his element. It was seriously priceless.

Anyway, I would make resolutions except for the fact that it would be a huge waste of time - which I don't have enough of as it is.

Really, my goals for the year are to keep the babies alive, try and keep up on the laundry and dishes, continue to blame my extra 25 pounds on the baby instead of the fact that I ate too many damn cookies and basically just Keep It Together, Man!

Notice that getting more sleep is not a goal. I have given up on trying to get sleep and just do my best to function on fumes. This is only possible thanks to my wonderful husband for the best Christmas present ever - my new Keurig coffee maker. I'm not sure if it is possible to OD on coffee, but I think I'm pressing my luck. Of course, the boys and their neeeeds motivate me to get my ass out of bed and tend to whatever it is they require in the middle of the night. But, mostly it is the coffee that is keeping me alive.

Sleep has been an issue around here lately. It took about four weeks after Jack was born for Cole to begin a sleep regression. Up until then, bedtime was not an issue. We had our bedtime routine: pjs, brush teeth, books, night-night. Cole would not protest. He would walk into his room and climb into his big boy bed and fall asleep on his own. He would sleep all night long. But, I think he had one too many weekend and holiday weekday mornings of waking up, coming into our bedroom to greet us and seeing his baby brother in our room - sometimes attached to me in bed. He must have been like, "Hey! The party's in mama and dada's room and I'm not invited!?" So, he started to not want to go night-night. "No want night-night!" He would only fall asleep outside his room - on the couch or cuddled with mama or dada watching TV. Once asleep, of course we'd tiptoe him into his bed. Then he would wake up in the middle of the night. All alone. Cue the hysteria. "MAMADADA!" So, we tried to put him back asleep in his bed but he would not settle down unless one of us stayed in his room with him. So, Kevin set up camp on the floor next to his bed on several nights. Some nights, we were just too exhausted to get out of our bed so Cole would get his way with his request of "Up. Big bed!" We'd make a Cole sandwich, because we felt so bad because he was sooooo upset. But it would end up with one of us awake all night with his big ass feet in our ribcage. I never have been a fan of the family bed. Everyone needs their own sleep space. I'm all for closeness and cuddles and I love my kids but...no. Just no. I am very conscious of the need to figure out a solution to Cole's regression. We need to find a way to get Cole back in his bed - soon. People have said, "It's a phase. He'll grow out of it. Don't worry about it. He's still a baby. Enjoy it." Other people have said, "Yep. One night we let our sick two year old sleep in our bed and FOUR YEAR LATER..." So, I've been trying to make every effort to sleep with one ear in sonar mode so at the first peep of his scream/cry-like-he-is-being-murdered I can get to his room before he makes it into the hallway in the middle of the night. I steer him back into bed before he has a chance to really fully wake up and try and soothe him back to sleep. I slept on the hard-ass floor in his room last night for an hour or so before trying to sneak out of his room, cursing my aging knees and back that creak and crack at an alarming volume at 3 am. I hope the real key will be to get Jack into his crib at night. I just need to get the baby monitor set up and try and let that newborn sleep paranoia go. But, then Jack will be in his room and Cole will be in his room and mama and dada will be...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I assume Cole just doesn't want to be alone. Of course, this could be totally wrong and there is a whole other reason for this sleep issue. Maybe it's growing pains. Maybe his bed is uncomfortable. Maybe it's the boogie man. Maybe it's because he is figuring out how to poop on the potty so everything else falls to the wayside? (For the record, he pooped on his potty again yesterday!)

********************************************************

So, we're seven weeks in and I just can't help but to compare the boys.

I marvel at their size difference now...

...but I also swear they are practically identical, just born two years apart...

Jack newborn

Cole newborn

Jack

Cole

But, then, sometimes they look nothing alike:

Jack

Cole

Except when they look exactly alike...

Jack

Cole

Jack

Cole

Jack

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas was pretty fun this year. It was the first one with both the boys. Cole can identify Santa Claus, and does so with a gleeful shout and point of the finger, but doesn't really get the whole, "Santa only brings presents if you are a good boy and don't throw a temper tantrum every five minutes" concept. Perhaps next year. Cole also looooooves the Christmas tree and removing all the ornaments when he is specifically told, "NO TOUCHY!" He grabs the ornament, looks directly at me, shakes his head 'no' and proclaims, "NO TOUCHY!" I've got to think of something else...

Santa was here!

Cole got some pretty cool gifts including a tricycle that he can't quite reach the pedals yet, lots of blocks and a couple of choo-choo trains, a basketball hoop and a Dancing Mickey Mouse that scares the crap out of him. He also received Elmo's Potty Time DVD which I happily agreed to let him watch as many times as he wanted and later that evening at Ghee and Pop Pop's he made his own little Christmas poo in the potty! A real yuletide log!

Christmas Joy

Baller

But, Santa kind of stiffed poor Jack this year. Just a few stocking stuffers and a Leap Frog toy that Cole immediately commandeered. The baby can't really play with toys yet, plus he's got lots of (hand-me-down) toys and clothes and blankets. Besides, I gave him, you know, the Gift of Life this year so what more could he possibly want?!

Baby's First Christmas

We spent Christmas Eve with some friends that host a little dinner party and gift exchange. Their son has a drum set in the garage so we thought it would be fun for Cole to blow off a little steam and bang on the drums after dinner. We had no idea he was gonna do this! (click on the link to see video.) It was pretty astounding. And, I just marveled at the fact when Tyler finished a song, Cole would immediately request, "more song!" He knows that Tyler wasn't just banging on the drums to make noise. He knew it was an actual song! We stood around like a bunch of groupies cooing over him and a couple of us may have asked for his autograph. Um. Hello! He's not even TWO!!!

Little Drummer Boy

Rum-pa-pum-pum

This launched a discussion of whether or not to get him a little drum set for his birthday. So Kevin pulled the Wii Rock Band drums out of the shed for some fun family time...This did not go as he had imagined. Cole became a regular prima-donna shrieking "mine!" when anyone else dared try to play or even try to help him play the song so he wouldn't get booed off the game. So, we bribed him with the "ghee-tar". Needless to say, no drum set until he learns a little patience and how to share. Yeah. He's not even two! Tell him that!

Rock Star in the making

I'm afraid we've got a little rock star on our hands.

As Cole would say, "Ah-summmm!"

Six Weeks

2010-12-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Jack turned six weeks old yesterday. Six weeks already! I can hardly believe it. I only have several spit up, milk and dayglow orange newborn poop stained onesies to show for it. And, an interesting shade of purple permanently encircling my eyes.

Oh! And this:

Yes, there's been a lot of action around here this week. Cole has been on vacation from daycare so I've been trying to keep him occupied and busy indoors since the weather won't seem to give us a break. He likes to "help me cook". He drags a chair over to the counter and demands something to stir and taste. So I fill up a bowl with flour...and before I can add anything, he begins to stir and taste accompanied by appropriate sound effects, "mmmmmmmmm!" I can hardly stand to watch it!

So, then I give him a break and add some cinnamon, sugar and milk to his bowl. At first I had him actually help me with the item I was making (muffins or bread or something) but, he's a taster. After I add the eggs and insist he not taste anymore he doesn't quite understand why.

Then I have a regular Gordon Ramsey on my hands...

Today is Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope Santa is good to you!

"Mommy, is this the ornament you keep yelling at me to DON'T TOUCH!?"

Bad Santa

2010-12-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

We took the boys to see Santa Claus the other day. We took them to the same place I took Cole last year, where the Santa was cute and merry with a jelly belly and all that.

This was not the same Santa.

This year's Santa was kind of grumpy and snarly and...boozy.

I think he had a bottle of Rebel Yell stashed in his boot.

Jackpot!

2010-12-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Jack Alexander was born 11/11/10. The past 3 1/2 weeks have been a whirlwind of diapers, hormones and joy. This little boy is immeasurably precious and lovable and just darling.

On the morning of his birthday, we dropped Cole off at "Ghee" and PopPop's on our way to the hospital. The sun was shining but it was a blustery day. I expected to get nervous but never really did - probably because I wanted the baby to GET OUT! It was a little surreal arriving at the hospital like "hey - we're here for our 11 o'clock appointment - to have a baby." We got set up in a room and I changed into my glamorous birthing "gown", all the while Kevin and I were still deciding what to name this kid. I think we finally settled on his name after 4 nurses took 6 fucking attempts to start my IV. (That's what happens when they don't let you eat or drink for 12 hours. Your veins get a little dry...) I got woozy from being treated like a human pincushion and all the nonsense cleared from my brain - Jack will be his name. Yep. We agreed. Ok, let's go have a baby! I was wheeled into the OR, given my spinal, and they strapped my arms out to the side and gave me some oxygen. Then there were several cold swabs of alcohol across my belly that I could definitely feel but apparently wasn't supposed to. Then I think Kevin came in the room and...then...I...fricken fell asleep!

According to Kevin, there was a struggle that involved a crowbar and a vacuum that warranted an extra dose of sleepy-bye to the Mommie pie so I wouldn't feel them violently pry my stuck baby out of me. I thankfully woke up just in time to hear his first little cry. Kevin took some pictures that resemble a crime scene but capture the first amazing moments of baby Jack's life. And, apparently after getting the thumbs up from dad that everything looked good I asked the most burning question that I really needed to know because it was so very important..."do his ears stick out?" I don't remember asking this question and I have no idea why it was so important to me to know at the time but the answer is no. They lay flat against his cute little 15 inch head.

We stayed in the hospital for three nights. Kevin and I shared the pleasure of changing oily meconium poopy diapers this time. We had missed that experience with Cole since he was in the nursery for the first few days, plus he pooped most of it out in utero. Jack latched on to nurse fairly well despite a tongue-tie that Cole had when he was born too. After my IV was removed on day 2, the nurses were mostly hands off. In fact, I found myself kind of disappointed they weren't all handling my boobs to help Jack eat like they did with Cole. I guess they figured since it was my second time around, I didn't need their help. Well, I wasn't in the hospital to do it all myself dammit! I wore out that call button for diaper changes and pain meds. But, I took a couple of showers. I slept with my brand new baby boy on my chest with minimal interruptions for vital checks. It was kind of nice. And, when my mom brought Cole to see us on the first day and he came running in to my room with a big bouquet of carnations in his hands, rosy cheeks bouncing and a look of concern on his little face, I just melted. And, DAMN, mom, what did you feed him to make him grow that much in six hours since I last saw him?!!!

Jack weighed in at a scrawny 9 pounds, 5 ounces and 21 inches long. His legs are skinny and his feet are small. Of course that is an enormous baby but to me, he is so tiny compared to Cole who was 10 lbs, 6 oz and was chubby with big feet. Jack has short hair that is starting to fall out on top resulting in an "Elmer Fudd" do. His forehead is short compared to his parents' five-heads. His eyebrows are sort of non-existent and he shuts his eyes real hard resulting in the number 11 frown wrinkle between his eyes. Just like his mama. Poor kid. His eyes are round and the color is TBD. For now it is muddy water with an extra tinge of blue. His eyelashes are sparse. His cheeks are chubby. He has Kevin's mouth and chin. He also has my double chin and long neck.

But from the neck down, he is a skinny dude. He doesn't have a lot of meat on his bones. He lost a whole pound in the hospital and there was some concern that he wouldn't gain it back in two weeks. But, after fixing his tongue tie which improved his latch, he gained the weight back. However, his butt is so small - especially compared to Cole's huge ass. Or maybe Cole's butt just seems enormous compared to Jack's tiny behind. They require different diaper changing techniques, for sure. With Jack it's a hurry up, duck and cover technique before the shit literally hits the fan. The diaper is small and the butt cream requires a one finger scoop. With Cole, the diaper is huge, the butt cream is a three to four finger scoop and you hold your breath as long as possible while trying to reason with him that he wouldn't have, as he proclaims, a "sore butt", if he would just go poop on the potty. Kevin has observantly identified the smell of Jack's breast milk poop as "buttered popcorn". Cole's poop smells like Oktoberfest outhouse.

Jack nurses pretty good but swallows a lot of air. He gulps for 5 minutes then needs to burp and gurgle. Then he'll eat some more followed by a spit up - sometimes out the nose. A good feeding session can last an hour. Sometimes, "Old Faithful" barfs it all up and we have to start all over again. But rarely does he nurse himself to sleep. Feeding usually is followed by a lot of grunting and groaning, especially if he is laid on his back or sitting semi-upright. That position seems to prompt the geyser. He makes sounds you would usually hear coming from a goose or a goat. Finally, the air bubble will work it's way out one end or the other and then he relaxes and will nod off. But, when he poops, it echoes throughout the house prompting immature laughter from one or both parents which tends to wake him back up. He is kind of light sleeper - except when he's not. He slept a lot at first. I would have to actually wake him up to feed him for fear that he wouldn't gain his weight back - also that my boobs would explode. Lately, he is awake more often, but he has his days and nights mixed up. He takes his main slumber during the day. And, put this kid in the car and he'll sleep for 12 hours straight. He will take a pacifier - unlike Cole who would spit it across the room. Originally I wasn't going to offer him a pacifier - Cole didn't need it, so Jack doesn't need it either. But! It seems to make him happy and helps to work out his bubbles. It also allows me to take a shower (and update my blog) so that's a bonus.

He is indifferent about the swaddle. Sometimes he seems comforted by it, sometimes it pisses him off.

He likes to sit in his swing except when he doesn't.

His nickname has morphed from "Big Snake" (pre-circ., courtesy of Kevin) to "Snookie", "Snicker-bod" and "Snickerdoodle".

Cole is absolutely wonderful with him. He wakes up in the morning and walks into our room with his "bankie" and demands to see "bay brow". He is so sweet to him always ~~throwing~~ giving him blankets and burp rags and binkies. Cole will stop the motion of the swing to give Jack a kiss. I picked Cole up from daycare yesterday for the first time with Jack in tow and Cole immediately ran over to the stroller to see his baby brother and proudly show him off. He will share my lap with Jack and hasn't really acted jealous at all.

As for the rest of us, we are keeping the landfills in business with the mountains of diapers and nursing pads we throw away. We are tired. I'm slower to heal this time around but am beginning to feel human again. I'm less overwhelmed this time and just more exhausted. I'm sadly still in maternity clothes and sweatpants. But, I'm incredibly happy and lucky and blessed to have such a fabulous family.

I feel like I hit the Jackpot, for sure.

A Letter to my Baby

2010-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Cole,

Today is the last day you will be an only child. After today, you will no longer be the baby. Of course, you will always by my baby, but, especially with the arrival of your brother tomorrow, it will become ever more evident that you are definitely not a baby anymore. You don't just lay there as a helpless little baby blob. You walk and talk and feed yourself. You get into things you aren't supposed to. You are a Big Boy now.

You are nearly 3 feet tall and 30 pounds. You sleep in a big boy bed.

You love to help me do the laundry.

You "swim" in the bathtub.

You can throw a ball across the yard.

You can jump.

You can wipe your own nose.

You help dada pick up dog poop in the yard and hang out with him in the garage. He let's you "drive" the Chevy and sometimes the truck. In fact, you even have your own set of keys. I swear if you weren't just 22 months I'd walk out into the garage tomorrow and find the two of you standing there drinking beer.

You have discovered "Mick-a Mouse" but Elmo is still your first love - along with tater tots and ranch dressing (dip-dip).

You like to repeat the ABCs and counting. You also can repeat days of the week and months of the year. In fact, you can carry on an actual conversation, about pretty much anything.

You have helped prepare for the arrival of your brother by testing all of the baby toys that I pulled out of storage.

Meanwhile your toys, while strewn all over the house, are of no interest to you anymore. You'd rather plug in the baby monitor and wipe warmer, play with the screwdriver or slam the mouse on the keyboard.

You prefer not to ask for help, but rather scream at the top of your lungs when you can't do something. Wow, are you loud!

You know when we go to the grocery store we are there to buy "food" and if the checkout clerk doesn't give you a sticker, you ask for one. You practically swipe my debit card for me too.

But, I am proud that you use your manners. You say hello and bye-bye. You say peas and tee-too and welcome. You throw a mighty temper and sometimes that comes with throwing punches. After a recent episode followed by a time out, every time you accidentally bump into me you pet my face and say, "Sawry Mama". And, you mean it.

I try and soak up all the hugs you love to give now because I know one day, you won't be so generous with them.

I know you will be an awesome and gentle Big Brother and teach him everything you've learned. You're the best teacher. You've taught me how to be an awesome mama, after all.

And, although, I know that you won't remember being the only one, you should know that we have cherished our alone time with you. I feel a little guilty that you will have to share us with someone else now, but I know you will adapt with your usual gusto and embrace your new role in this family - as the Big Brother. Don't worry, there is enough love to go around. In fact, every time I see your sweet face, my love for you grows that much more. That will never change. I promise.

Cole Thaddeus, my sweet baby boy - I love you.

Love, Mama

Buh-bye Pregnancy

2010-11-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

In two days, pregnancy and I will forever part ways. It's a bittersweet goodbye. It truly is the most amazing feeling to grow a whole person inside my body. I have a great respect for my body. The anticipation of adding another little baby to our family is intoxicating and we are just so very, very excited. And, I must admit, the nesting urges, while a bit of work, were incredibly satisfying when I saw the final product.

Plus, when you're pregnant people are so nice to you. They swoon over your belly and tell you how great you look and that you are "glowing". (Actually, I'm NOT glowing for a change. My oily skin turns just so clear and dry and lovely when I'm pregnant. That is one side effect I will miss.) And, you can walk around in clothes that don't fit and wear flip flops to the office and people give you a pass.

On the other hand, there is the nausea, weight gain, hunger, growth of extra chins, sleepless nights, heartburn, exhaustion, foot spread and a general pain about the crotchy area. Overall, this pregnancy has been easier than the one before. No swelling this time and the carpal tunnel has only emerged on a few random days. No boob soreness either. The heartburn is worse as well as the pelvic pressure and my chronic back pain, which went away last pregnancy, has remained this time around. Otherwise, I'm feeling really great and my energy level is amazingly mediocre.

And, the numbers are in...
Last pregnancy I gained 54 pounds. Most of it was water weight.
This pregnancy, I've gained 47 pounds. Most of it is face, arm and ass fat.

My c-section is scheduled in two days and I'm getting my tubes tied. There is something very strange about scheduling the birth of my child. Like scheduling a hair appointment. Most of the anticipation of wondering when it will happen is sort of gone. I am sleeping on a waterproof pad just in case my water breaks like last time, but, mostly that's just wishful thinking. Cole was born a few days shy of 41 weeks. This baby (still unnamed OMG!!) will emerge at 39 weeks. I really can't imagine another two weeks of being pregnant or waiting that long for labor to begin. So, it is pretty convenient to have it scheduled. I worked right up until the last week. We got to pick our date - 11/11, Veteran's Day. His birthday will forever be on a holiday just like his Daddy's (7/4). And, the permanent birth control, well, that's just an added convenience. Our family will be complete after this and I don't want to be on hormones anymore.

I expected to be nervous. But, I'm not - yet.

Just wondering what he will look like and act like. What color will his eyes be? Will he have hair? Will he hate the swaddle like Cole or love it? Will he breastfeed like a champ or will he need a little guidance? Will he be content or ornery? Happy or fussy? I wonder how much he will weigh. (My guess in the work pool is 9lb 4oz.)

But mostly, I wonder what his name will be.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Halloween was last Sunday night.

I wasn't planning on getting (or making) Cole a costume because, well, I had no plans to take him trick-or-treating because HE ISN'T EVEN TWO YET! He doesn't eat candy. His father doesn't eat candy and his mother doesn't need any candy (although I would have stashed all the chocolate before tossing the rest in the trash.) And, if you could see this kid after just a granule of sugar has crossed his lips, you would see why we don't feed him candy. It's like the Tasmanian Devil - only more turbo. Plus, he hasn't really gotten the hang of brushing his teeth too good. I just don't see the merit in it.

Plus the World Series was on. (Probably noteworthy to say that that is just an excuse because I really didn't care, but the Giants did end up winning over Texas the next night.)

Anyway, after stating my stance on taking Cole trick-or-treating to a few people who asked earlier in the week, and receiving their snarly reactions, I started to feel like I was planning on depriving him of the best thing he'll ever do in his whole life. And, that pisses me off because, he's my kid. He doesn't know what Halloween is even about. Quit beaming your warped adult perspective vibes my way.

So then, when Kevin asked if we should get Cole a costume, I totally caved. We went to the Halloween Store and spent $20 damn dollars on a cute tiger costume, size 12 - 24 months. Just for the photo-op, you know?

Halloween day came around and it was time for Cole's photo-op. So, I squeezed him in that cute little costume and...it...was...too...small. Halloween costume FAIL.

It pissed me off but I also felt validated in my original decision, which I should have just stuck to...but I'm hormonal and let the peer pressure get to me. I mean, it would have been fun to at least have a cute picture after all.

Anyway, after this tragic photo session, I wiped the makeup off his face and put his Superman t-shirt on him. He helped us pass out candy to all the trick-or-treaters (which, were 90% his age or younger! I'm just disgusted) and he loved it! He put candy in everyone's bucket - except the scary costumes which he would just stand there and shake his head.

And, he didn't even sit me down for a chat later on and tell me that he felt like he was missing out on what could have been the greatest time of his life. Because, you know... he kind of did have the time of his life passing out candy and judgement alongside his parents.

Punkins and Cuteness!

2010-10-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

We made it to the pumpkin patch farm this past weekend. It was drizzling and muddy but we had to get Cole a "punkin"!

Then, Mary Poppins here went into full on meltdown tantrum mode unless we let him carry the umbrella.

So, we went inside the barn where we didn't need the umbrella to see the "am-mals".

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Baby Goat

Piggies!

Love the Bunny. Awwwwwww!

And, then Cole made friends with a baby duck. Kevin almost smuggled that duck home with us in his sweatshirt. (Click on the link to see the cutest video!)

After all that, and a gallon of hand sanitizer, Cole got his "punkin".

Hey - we let him pick out the one he wanted!

And, yes, that is the shadow of mah huge belly in the foreground of that picture. I am carrying a little punkin of my own! I am 36 weeks pregnant. I cannot stand up without groaning or walk without waddling.

My c-section is scheduled for November 11. Unless our little mystery man decides to make a surprise appearance, that is only 2 weeks and 2 days away!

I feel like I'm finally ready. The nest is almost complete. I realize there is a reason women are pregnant for nearly 10 months. To prepare...

End of Summer Round-Up

2010-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

This past week marked the end of Summer 2010.

What the hell?!! Well, that was fast.

I figured I better post an update on all the random stuff that Cole's been up to this summer:

He likes to put stuff "away". Although, when he decides to clean, he picks up his stuff and carries it into the kitchen, stands on his tip-toes, and throws it all in the sink.

He likes to put on lotion. You have to put a little dab on each hand or you are not doing it right.

His feet are huuuge. He is wearing a size 7, which, just sounds enormous to me. He's also now in size 5 diapers.

He also finally has some hair! It's curling up in the back and gets kind of wild and messy when he's playing. It's so cute!

I tried a little stint of potty training which ended up as a huge FAIL. He tells us when he has gone poo poo but not when he has to go. He pooped in his new potty exactly once - the day we brought it home from the store. I guess the novelty has worn off already?

When he wants to do something he says it over and over with a question mark at the end. "Owside? Owside? Owside? (outside)" "Sing? Sing? Sing? (swing)" "Eat? Eat? Eat?" "Sack? Sack? Sack? (snack)" "Elmo? Elmo? Elmo?" "Susik? Susik? Susik? (music)" He says it with such enthusiasm that it breaks my heart when I have to say no and then his devastation is off the charts ridiculous. We're talking super dramatic lay down on the floor/ground, lay your face in your hands and begin to sob. It's actually pretty hysterical.

He's actually talking a lot these days. We took an end-of-summer weekend trip to San Diego last weekend. On our flight home, he was standing on my lap, looking at the rows of passengers behind us and said, "Hi People!" When he hears an airplane he announces "airpane!" and then he frantically looks up in the sky to find it. He points out the "moon" and wants to see "more hay" on the drive to and from daycare. He knows "windmill", "tractor", "car" and "tuck" (truck). He points out his boo boos or when something is an "owie". He also says, "Oh shit" a lot, but hey - who doesn't?

But! He does have manners. He says "peas" (please) and "foo-fee" (excuse me) and "tee-too" (thank you).

He also can identify several animals, which is why we took him to the San Diego Zoo when we were there. I thought he'd get a kick out of it. He actually couldn't have cared less. At least I got some exercise from walking around that place. It is huge - with a lot of damn hills! But he did get to see some of the animals he knows:

"Mummy" (monkey). He doesn't know Gorilla quite yet.

Cole with his "Mee-moes". He has a stuffed pink Flamingo that he is super attached to.

Kevin wishes Flamingos came in colors other than pink...

"Zee-saws"

"Po-Bear"

"Eff-fant"

We stayed at this super fancy hotel in Del Mar and we stuck out like sore thumbs. But! We had fun anyway!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Crib notes

2010-09-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

We received a hand-me-down toddler bed from a friend. I was so thankful because I did not want to buy one only to have to turn around and buy another, bigger bed in another year or two.

In preparing the new nursery, I moved the changing table out of Cole's room (he's too big for it now anyway) which made room for the toddler bed. I figure I'll give Cole the choice of where he wants to sleep. In his crib or in his big boy bed. We've got about 4 - 5 months for him to make the transition from crib to toddler bed - two months before the baby arrives, and then another two to three months where the baby will most likely be in the portable crib next to my bed. Should be plenty of time (sez the rookie mommiepie).

The first couple of days we had the bed was when he was sick with the mystery fever that ended up being Roseola. He actually went in the office, where it was located at the time, to lay down on it to take a nap.

After I moved it into his room, he was enamored by it. He piled all of his stuffed animals (or "guys" as he likes to call them) on to it. Then, he'd climb up there and throw all his guys across the room. It was more of a play structure to him.

Sometimes, in the morning when I am getting him ready for daycare, he sleepily wanders over to it and crawls up, burrowing in.

I've put him to sleep in it, but only if he's asleep before I lay him down, like if he's fallen asleep in the car on the way home, for example. He had a "growing day" last week where he fell asleep around 6pm in the car and slept all night, skipping dinner. I went in to change his diaper and put his pjs on and he didn't even crack an eyelid. He slept in his bed the entire night. At one point during the night, Kevin had gone in and built a stuffed animal barrier around the bed to prevent him from falling out, but he was so knocked out, I don't think he even moved.

This past weekend we took a quick trip to San Diego. Sunday night, by the time we got home, he had fallen asleep in the car. I laid him down in his bed for the night. I checked in on him a couple of times to find a leg hanging off the edge of the bed. I gently repositioned him in his bed and he continued to sleep. Until around 2am. When he decided it was time to be wide awake. He squawked a few times, probably confused as to where he was because he had been in a hotel room the past two nights. Then, by the light of his "cow" (an orb shaped night light with a face we got at Ikea) he saw all his guys. And, then he wanted to play. So, I tried to settle him back down and left him alone to see if he'd soothe himself back to sleep in his bed. He puts himself to sleep every night in his crib, so why not his bed? Well, about 5 minutes later, I heard the cutest little voice echo in the hallway, "Ma, ma?" I foolishly thought he might actually stay in his bed. So, I put him in his crib for the rest of the night where he put himself to sleep without protest.

But last night it seems we had a break through!? As bedtime rolled around (9pm) I announced that it was "night night time" and he obediently walked to his room. I asked him where he would like to sleep tonight and he crawled up into his bed. I tucked him in, kissed him goodnight and turned out the light. He fell asleep. On his own. In his big boy bed!

A few hours later around 11:30pm I woke up to pee (of course) and poked my head in to check in on him. I was surprised to find him sprawled out on the carpet in the middle of the floor! Oops! Ha! I never heard a thud or a cry? Hopefully it was a soft landing?! So, I picked him up and laid him back in his bed and he snuggled back in. A few hours later Kevin got up to check on him and his legs were hanging off the bed. When I woke up to get ready for work, he had one leg hanging off. He was repositioned each time and woke up in a decent mood, so I'd say that was a pretty successful night?

We'll see what tonight will bring.

Sneak Peek

2010-09-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Meet Cole's baby brother.

Yep, that's ol' whatshisname. All warm and snuggled up next the umbilical cord at 29 weeks inside my womb he treats like a disco-tec. (I swear, if I wasn't afraid I'd cut the hell out of myself and bleed to death, I'd decorate my belly as a mirror disco ball for Halloween.)

I think he looks an awful lot like Cole...

Third Trimester Freak Out

2010-08-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

This week marks my 28th week of pregnancy.

That means the baby is around 2.5 pounds now and I am, like 64, times heavier than that.

It also means I took my glucose screen for Gestational Diabetes this week. I passed, but not without violently barfing up that lovely beverage they make you down on an empty stomach.

And, it also means I can no longer see my own crotch. Personal grooming will be put on hold until further notice. But, I hear that bush is coming back, so you could say I'm just being trendy.

But! It also means that there are only 12 weeks left until Cole gets introduced to his baby brother who is still unnamed.

12 weekends - several of which are already booked with things like:

A yard sale to raise money to supplement what we need for baby #2.
A pre-conception planned trip to Del Mar.
A very important hair cut and color appointment before the baby comes because...mah roots!
Painting the nursery and getting it all set up.
Visit my grandma (love you Grammy!)
Pass out candy to greedy little silver toothed monsters

And! And! Actually, it's only 11 weeks because they will schedule my c-section one week prior to my official due date which is November 18.

I also need to celebrate my youngest nephew's 1st birthday from 1/2 a country away.
I have to prepare for my maternity leave at work.
I have doctor appointments every other week.
I would like to schedule a date night with my husband.

Needless to say, we have basically put our search for a new home on hold until the Spring.

Oh yeah, then there is my poor baby Cole who was sick all week. (And yes, he is still my baby for 11 more weeks!) First, with pinkeye, then a mystery fever that lasted 4 days which ended up being Roseola, and on top of it all, his right ear tube is blocked because of infection so he is on antibiotics...again. I wonder if we can get our money back for that ear tube surgery?

Oh - and...other things like:

Dishes
Laundry
Sleep
Breathing

The official freak out has commenced.

Big Deal Day

2010-08-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Cole had a big day yesterday.

He hit two major milestones:

He drank from a big boy cup all by himself (and only spilled a little!)
He pooped on the potty!

The second one may just be a fluke. He was in the bath tub having quite the farty party and making his own bubble bath so I figured something more substantial was coming soon. I picked him up and sat him on the toilet and told him to go poo-poo. So, he looked at me, cocked his head, grunted and made his poopy face and then...plop!

I was so excited! I called Kevin in the bathroom to LOOK! Cole pooped in the potty! My husband looked in the toilet, looked at me like I'd lost my mind and then gagged.

Fluke or not, I don't care. It is a BIG DEAL! Guess who's shopping for a potty seat?

Labor pains

2010-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

A big Jordling Salute to those out there that are of the opinion that if a woman has to give birth via c-section that she is somehow broken. Or lazy.

Jordling Salute

I admit to feeling a little disappointed at first like I missed out on "giving birth" to my son because I had a c-section. I had really prepared myself for a natural birth and was curious to see if I could really do it. Could I go all the way with out any drugs? Would it really hurt that bad? Well, my water broke at 5am on Wednesday (with meconium), 10 hours later, after I put my arsenal of relaxation techniques to use that I learned in birthing class, my temp was too high and the baby's heart rate was too high so they wanted to strap the monitor on me. So, I got in bed, they strapped me up and then the back labor started - the worst fucking pain I've ever felt in my life. It was like the worst menstrual cramp combined with the most intense, sharpest intestinal cramp that lasted for three minutes each at three minute intervals. And I was stuck in that stupid bed. About four hours later, I was begging for a cervical check so I could get the epidural. I had to be at 5cm for it to be authorized. So the nurse checked and I heard her mutter, "That's the hardest cervix I've ever felt!" Then she informed me that I was at 2cm. At the most. I was so disappointed! And pissed! And, in a lot of pain! I was also wondering WTF? Why am I not dialating?! So, I insisted they call my doctor for an exception for the epidural and two of the longest motherfuckinghours later, she moseyed in and checked my stubborn cervix and finally authorized the shot, along with a dose of pitocin to try and speed things along. So, the pain finally stopped and I tried to sleep but the nurse came in every hour to take my temp so it wasn't very recuperative. Nine hours after the shot, the doctor came back to check my progress and...and...still at 2cm. That poor baby was being squeezed - hard!- all night long and was getting no where. So, because 24 hours had passed since my water broke and basically zero progress had been made, they whisked me into the ER, sliced my belly open and surgically removed my 10lb 6oz baby boy from my body. All I can say is that if it weren't for medical intervention, neither one of us might even be here right now. I wasn't dilating because he was simply too big to even get down into the birth canal. And really, who can pass a ten pounder out their jay hole? Seriously? And, if they can - that doesn't make me any less of a mother than them. It doesn't mean they earned motherhood any more than I did. It just means they are...let's just say...looser than I am.

And while I'm at it, another Jordling Salute to those who sit on their perch and look down upon working mothers.

One day, shortly after Cole started daycare, I was driving him in to drop him off and an interesting discussion came on the radio. One of the dj's was a new mom and wanted to join a "mommy group" to meet with other moms and to socialize her son. Totally a great idea. So, she told the story of trying to join one group in particular and they turned her down because she had a job. They said they only wanted women in their group who represented the "true essence of motherhood". They only wanted "full-time mothers" in their group. So, as I'm listening to this crap, I can literally feel my blood pressure rise and my eyes get hot and the tears start flowing and I start yelling at the radio and Cole is staring at me wide-eyed from his car seat and I am a totally enraged, hysterically pissed off mother - who works. And, sends her kid to day care. And, I started to analyze why I was getting so mad. Was it because I felt defensive because I was on my way to drop my son off at daycare? Like somehow this "mommy group" had a valid argument and I was not representing the true essence of motherhood because I collect a paycheck? Because I let someone else raise my kid?

So I thought about it some more...

I don't see my husband all day because he has a job. Does that mean I'm a part time wife?
I see my mom maybe once a week. Does that make me a part time daughter?
My sister lives in Oklahoma. I see her once a year if I'm lucky. Does that make me a part time sister?

Nope!

And, I don't need to justify my decision to work to anyone - except myself. And, working does not make me a part-time mother or a part-time wife. It doesn't mean I'm a bad mom or that I'm not a real mom or that I don't take it seriously. I love my son - not any more or less than a stay at home parent.

Actually, daycare is probably one of the best things I could have ever done for Cole. He is THRIVING there! He interacts with many, many people - all day long. Not just me. And he has to learn to share and be patient and make friends. They have a curriculum and he is learning so much more than I could ever imagine he'd learn from sitting at home watching me clean the house all day. His care givers tell me how his is a great helper and remark how his vocabulary has just exploded in the past few weeks. He started telling us when he has gone poo-poo! He speaks in sentences, "Bye, bye school!" It makes me so very proud. I don't regret our decision to put him in daycare. Not one bit.

Tryin' to look cool in front of the girls at daycare.

And, believing that doesn't make me a part time mommy or a lazy mommy or any less of a mommy than someone who stays home all day with their kids.

And, just because you squeezed a person out of your vagina doesn't automatically make you a good mother.

Nesting

2010-07-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks we've been on the hunt for a new home. The one we have is pretty great, but we are quickly outgrowing it. We've been thinking how nice it would be to have a few extra square feet so the kids can play, an extra room, a freaking closet worth a damn...but it's not been so easy to find. Our price range limits us - somewhat, but really, the selection of houses out there for sale is kind of crappy.

But! We managed to find one diamond in the rough. A place that we would love to call home. It's a bit further from town than we originally were looking and it is in a questionable school district but... It is on a golf course! With a view! And almost too much square feet! And a pantry! And a sink in the laundry room! And walk in closets in every room - even the bathrooms! And a stupid fireplace in the master bath! And a 3 car garage! And! And! And! It is awesome. And so, we made an offer! And, it was accepted! And, then we walked away.

Why?

Because the stupid taxes and HOA fees were astronomical and made the perfect home, not so perfectly affordable for us anymore.

So our hunt continues...

My dilemma now is deciding how involved I get with decorating the nursery in our current home. Should I just go for it assuming we will be here forever? Or should I not paint or begin to decorate in the cute little rainforest-y theme I have chosen because it will be a wasted effort if we up and moving before or even shortly after the baby arrives?

I don't want it to seem like I'm half-assing the second child already by not decorating his room. But, my cheap ass doesn't want to have to buy wall decals for two different homes. Plus, if we do end up with another house, I have a feeling there won't be any cash left over to spend on really much of anything.

One thing is for sure, whether we stay or go, we do need to purge some items. I figure neither of my two sons will have any use for my wedding dress so I'll probably try and sell it. I have a big bag of Barbie paraphernalia in the attic that can go away too. Much of the baby clothes and gear I have saved will stay, but I've poked around the house and found enough stuff to start a yard sale pile.

I suppose this means I've started nesting.

This weeks marks my 24th week of pregnancy. My boobs started leaking. And, I've started calling this baby T-Rex because he kicks and pokes and squirms so much I swear this kid is going to rip through my skin and hatch right out of my belly.

Oh, Brother!

2010-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's another BOY!

Sure glad I kept all those baby clothes!

Can You Hear Me Now?

2010-07-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

My baby had Bilateral Myringotomy surgery on Monday. That means he had tubes inserted into his eardrums to better ventilate his middle ear. The past six months have been full of anti-biotics and ears that "just don't look quite right" thus justifying the surgery. His middle ears were not draining properly and led to infection at least once that we know of for sure. The surgeon said the fluid they suctioned out during the surgery was pretty thick. Then he made a face like he was disgusted and said, "it was like pizza cheese." Ewwwwww! The doc figured Cole's hearing was affected at least 3 decibels. I'm not sure that is really all that much but I feel better about going forward with the procedure after learning what was behind those cloudy eardrums.

The procedure was so quick. They brought us into a room around 7:20 or so. The nurses and anesthesiologist and doctor all come in to review and answer questions. Cole even had to put on a hospital gown!

Then he wanted to play and jump on the gurney bed - totally unaware of what was about to happen. Then, at 8:15 the nurse came in and swept him up into her arms and carried him down the hall. Cole was all - "Wait! What's this? Who the hell are you lady? Mama and Dada are you coming with me?" And then...he was gone - before he could even let out a cry of protest. I barely had a chance to even wave goodbye. Then we waited for about 15 agonizing minutes in the waiting room as my pregnant ass fought off waves of tears before we were reunited.

Poor baby was PISSED off! He was crying so loud that they literally sent us home. Like, kicked us out of the surgery center. "Oh, once you get him in the car he'll be fine. He'll be happy he's leaving this place. He's so mad at us. You guys are his heroes." All this is being said as they are quickly ushering us down the hall and out the side door.

But, oh...they don't know Cole. Breaker of all baby rules. He cried for a good 45 minutes. It was an angry cry too - like when he wakes up from a dead sleep and is mad that he's awake but can't figure out how to get back to sleep. We were home by 9:00 and he didn't really calm down until around 9:30 or so.

Then, he wanted a snack.

Then, like nothing ever happened, he was back to his rambunctious monster ways.

And, just in case 3 decibels is more than I think, we are taking precautions:

Swimming in the Poo

2010-07-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Back in May, to prepare for vacation in Maui, and as a general "good idea", we enrolled Cole in swimming lessons. He loves it! When we tell him we're going to the pool he always perks up. "Poo? Poo? Poo? Poo? Poo?"

The facility requires children under 4 to wear re-usable swim diapers opposed to disposable ones because apparently they hold the poop in better. Although it's pretty much a free for all on the pee. The pool is so warm - probably because of all the pee. Anyway, they gave us a pair when we enrolled and then I picked up a couple more that I found on sale here and there. They are like little speedos for babies. So cute! He hasn't pooped during swimming lessons but he did ink like a little octopus in the pool in Hawaii once. Oops! So, I guess those swim diapers aren't fail safe. Plus, they're pretty gross to clean up. I mean, there aren't any tabs to remove them like a regular diaper. You have to pull them off like regular ol' underwear. So, with a wet load of crap in them, it's pretty impossible to get them off without smearing it down both his legs, smooshing it between his toes, and getting it all over my hands and arms and torso and hair (WTF??!!) GROSS!!!

Retrieving balls and putting them in the bucket.

Hi Mom!

Ready? Up and...

dive...

Under!

There's my focus point.

Finally reached the side of the pool!

Get mah rewards!

He doesn't like floating on his back so much.

But he's a champ at the water slide!

Boost from Dad.

Ready to launch.

Slip & slide all by myself!

Dad, you better catch me!

Splash down!

He has surgery to get his ear tubes on Monday and he won't be able to get his ears wet like this anymore. So, today will be his last lesson for the summer. But, it's not like Cole is really going to advance in this class. We do the same routine every week and sing the same songs every week. There are 3 month old babies in his class. The instructor has to keep it pretty general and it's basically just an introduction to the water. Even if Cole starts swimming like Michael Phelps the next level isn't available until he turns 3. So, we'll just continue to practice at my mom's pool - if I can get this kid to wear a pair of earplugs. Yeah right! If that goes well, we may re-enroll him during the winter since the pool is heated and indoors.

He's done a great job and I'm so proud of my little tadpole!

Maui Wow-ee

2010-06-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

We went on a Family Vacation to Maui three weeks ago. There were a lot of us but we managed to have a fantastic time anyway!

Before we left, I was cursing myself for being such a tight wad and not shelling out the additional $400+ to get Cole his own seat on the plane. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I was crazy. Did I really expect this kid to sit - on a lap - for a five hour flight?! On a good day he can barely sit still for 30 seconds. However, I stuffed the carry on full of snacks and books and DVDs and hoped for the best. Kevin did his best to run him around the airport before we boarded to try and wear him out. Well, he ate a lot of gummi snacks and watched a few of his shows and slept for around an hour and a half - so awkwardly on my arms that they fell asleep and I was so scrunched up in that seat that my tailbone felt like it was going to spear right through the seat and flotation device located directly beneath - gah! But, before we knew it we were in Maui and the Benadryl (which I brought just in case) was still sealed. Thank God for direct flights!

Arrival day - on any vacation is always the worst. It is filled with such mixed emotion because you are amped up with excitement for the trip, but then the travel kind of wears you out. But then you arrive at your destination! But then you have to collect all your luggage and take the shuttle to go get the rental car. Then, in our case we had five or so hours to kill before we could even check in to the hotel. So, we decided to go to Charlie's in the "surf cowboy" town of Paia for lunch. Supposedly it is Willie Nelson's favorite place to eat in Maui. Well there's a ringing endorsement! Ooooh - maybe we'll see him there?!

Well, the food there was overpriced and kind of sucked. The kids wouldn't eat. Cole took a big ol' airplane snack crap and Willie Nelson was nowhere in sight.

After that amazing start to our trip we decided to go to Costco! My mom's condo unit has a full kitchen plus several BBQ pits so the plan was to stock up on breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks and a few dinners for the week. We've been to Maui a few times before. We've eaten out there. Most of the restaurants are good and nice with a great view and yes, they bring your food to you and clean up after you and you deserve it because you're on vacation...but they are also fucking expensive! So, we cook at the hotel to save a butt-load of money.

By the looks of Costco, everyone else had the exact same idea we did. It seemed like the entire population of Maui was there at the same time. The most crowded Costco I've ever seen! But, we marched on because we had to get Cole his rotisserie chicken or fear that he would starve all week.

Next stop was Safeway for the smaller items. Cole was napping by then so Kevin elected to stay in the car with him while the rest of us shopped. This is when he got a phone call.

We didn't want to board the dogs because we thought Buzz would just be more comfortable at home. Our old pet nanny MOVED AWAY so we hired someone who advertised in the local paper. Now I won't say who she is but she's a Granny who is also a pet sitter. She had watched my mom's dog a few years ago. She has a viable business with ads in the newspaper! So, she came to the house for a little meet and greet so we could sign a contract and go over the "rules". Everything was pretty basic. Food, water, pick up poop, get the mail, etc. So, when we handed her the garage door opener for getting in and out of the house, she looked like we had just handed her a tarantula. "But what if something happens? What if the power goes out?" Ok, fine. Here's the key to the front door but DON'T use it unless the garage won't open because the key only unlocks the screen not the door so you can only lock this one here when you leave and then you have entered the path of the baby gates which require a 5-day training course to learn how to operate and they are a tripping hazard so don't go through the front door just use the garage door opener it is much easier puhleezethanks! Ok bye!

So Kevin answers his phone and on the other line is...guess who?

Pet Granny: "Hi. Cindy hired me to watch her dogs but I can't so you have to come watch them instead."

Kevin: *head violently spinning* "Um, I'm her husband. I'm on vacation with her. Why can't you watch the dogs?"

Granny: "Because I'm hurt and have to go to the hospital."

Kevin: "You're hurt? What happened?"

Granny: "I tripped over the baby gate in your house and fell on the tile."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????

So, she obviously totally ignored our instructions and went in the front door instead of using the new fangled technology of a garage door opener and her old ass got laid out in our kitchen by the baby gate. ITOLDYOUSO! I half expected to see an outline of her body taped to the tile when we got home. Well, Kevin scrambled and called the old pet nanny who MOVED AWAY and told her it was her fault she lived so far away now but we have a situation...and so the dogs were handled. (BTW, Pet Granny no longer advertises in the local paper.)

And then we moved on to have a great vacation with a visit to the aquarium, golfing at the Challenge at Manele in Lanai and lots of time at the beach!

R.I.P. Buzz

2010-06-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Good ol' Buzz.

I never knew another dog quite like you.

When I first moved in with you, you slept in the bed. Between Kevin and I. With your head on the pillow. You would stretch out and stick your stinky paws in my face. Then later I would see a perfect paw print in a big ol' pile of poop. Nice!

You turned into Fire Marshall Buzz on the 4th of July. Running to stomp out the fireworks Kevin lit in the backyard. You barked until you lost your voice.

You also barked at the Hot Air Balloons. And bicycles. And the wind. Sometimes you barked just to hear your own voice.

You could catch a basketball in your two front paws. While you stood up tall on your hind legs. Then you would stand with your paw on the ball daring anyone to try and take it from you.

You would slam on the door so hard when you wanted in the house I thought you would bust through the glass.

Sometimes, you wanted in the house so bad that you would break a window.

I think you were Mormon. If you were offered any beer or coffee you would shake your head violently, ears flapping all around and would swat at the offending beverage.

You knew the words "Ride". And "Cookie". Evident by the way your ears would perk up and your head would cock to the side accompanied by a violent tail wag.

If you saw any body of water, you were in it. Mama-Donna's pool, the creek, the lake, the wash bucket in the back yard. You would curl up so tight to fit in that little bucket I don't know how you managed to get back out. You would swim for hours at the lake, if we let you. That was your bliss.

I couldn't walk you on the leash because Kevin had taught you how to pull him on the skateboard. I guess you thought walking was overrated because when you were on the leash, you had one speed only - FAST!

You would shed so much I used to threaten to quit my job and make Genuine Black Lab Dog Hair Pillows. I could have become a billionaire.

Beautiful, strong, sweet, gentle Buzz. You are free from your pain now.

Go play with your friend Max. Tell him we said "Hi". We will see you both again one day.

Bubba-do. You are terribly missed. We love you.

Poor excuse for an update

2010-06-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since my last post! Shame on me. I have no good excuse except that I've been BUSY! Nonetheless, let the updates begin:

Sickness
To pick up where I left off, I've recovered from the bronchitis crappy, crap finally. I didn't finish my antibiotics though. I just felt wrong taking them. Like I was poisoning my baby. Unfortunately, Cole did catch a mild case of the crap too and we did put him on another short round of meds just to keep it in check, which seemed to work. He's past it all now too. *Knock on wood.* He did have a check-up on his ear infections a few weeks ago and the report is that his ears "still don't look normal." So, we got the referral to the Ear, Nose, Throat specialist who we'll go see on June 29th. I'm praying for a miracle recovery. Otherwise, it seems like ear tubes are in his future. Which will hopefully solve the problem, but it IS surgery...

Pregnancy
I'll begin my 18th week tomorrow. It is obvious now, by my profile, complete with half-a-watermelon belly, that I am pregnant. I am feeling the baby move all the time now and can even feel a kick or two from the outside. I think I've gained around 12ish pounds so far. Not bad I guess, but I cannot button any of my pants anymore and even my underwear is getting tight. I don't remember that happening last time. Maybe it's because I haven't been depriving myself of the damn baked good cravings like I did during my first pregnancy. I would have a cookie or two before, but now it's just balls to the wall eat the whole package of Fig Newtons for breakfast! I know that is bad and so I made a concious decision to stop all that crazy pregnant lady behavior after I had my birthday cake. So, my 36th birthday came and I ate my carrot cake made lovingly by my mom, (thanks Mom!) and then...the cravings stopped. At first, I thought that I must just be really good at this willpower thing, but I don't think that is true. It's like my bodyclock turned 36 and my body wants fruit! And veggies! And whole grains! WHAT?! Or maybe that last slice of birthday cake put this baby over the edge of sugar intake? Or maybe I was really just craving a good piece of carrot cake for 17 weeks? But, all of my maternity clothes are still waaaaaay too big. I think they may have all gotten stretched out last time since I was enormous with a 10+ pound baby. Anyway, I think I will have to break down and buy some maternity wear. Otherwise, my skin is freaking out a little bit - some weird pimply bumps on my thighs and acne breakouts in my hairline. Also, my freckles are getting darker - despite all the sunscreen, the mask of pregnancy will plague me once more. Lovely. And, the carpal tunnel is making a comeback too! I'm trying to keep my sodium intake in check so I don't swell up like last time. The wedding ring is still on, for now...my fingers haven't swollen into little sausages just yet, but, this pregnancy is giving me a serious case of deja vu. (Except for the underwear issue.) It's practically the same pregnancy as last time. So, my guess is it's another boy. Kevin is convinced, on the other hand, that it's a girl. He has no reason for this, just his persistent insistence that he's having a daughter. We are scheduled for our next ultrasound on July 9th when we'll try and find out the sex of this little one for sure. Anyone want to take any bets?

Cole Monster
The rate at which he is learning just baffles me. He's really observant and bright. He'll see a bird and start to exclaim, "Teet, teet! Teet, teet!" He hears me tell Chopper to stay and he repeats, "stay!" He tries to unzip his sweatshirt when we go inside. He'll pick up a bag with handles and start waving and saying, "bye, bye!" He blows bye, bye kisses to everyone and everything: the clerk at the store, a stranger passing by, the water after bathtime...He points to the middle of his chest and identifies himself as, "Cole!"

We bought him a little plastic golf set and he'll "practice" with Daddy on the lawn - complete with stretching using the club behind the back and above the head. It is hilarious. I have to try and get it on video. Much of what he does is so spontaneous though, I feel like if I want to capture anything at all I'll have to install 24 hour surveillance cameras all around my house - inside and out. He constantly amazes me and has us in hysterical laughter at least once a day.

He did however start a hitting when he is angry or frustrated. If I tell him no and steer him away from something or take something away from him that he's not supposed to have, he will swat me. And then he'll give me an angry stare. We tried to remedy this with showing him gentle and soft touches and telling him that hitting is not allowed and that hitting hurts, usually while UFC is on in the background. Ahem. Sometimes this approach would prompt him to lay his head on the victim accompanied with a gentle pat as if to say, "I'm sorry." But, if he's really mad, it just doesn't register and his rage continues. It probably hasn't helped that his cousins were around the past two weeks and they play rough together and play rough with Cole - which he LOVED - but he doesn't yet understand what is playing and what isn't. So, I've resorted to Time Out. I just plop his limp screaming body into the corner and watch him wail for 1 minute. Then I go collect him and sit him on my lap and calmly explain what he did wrong, and he cuddles with me and seems to listen as the sobs taper off. I don't know if anything is sinking in yet, but it's really all I can do. I have a feeling this is the beginning of the hard part of parenting.

And, he chipped a tooth. Yep. His front right tooth. Not sure how it happened, but now he has a snaggletooth. Yes, my son will look like a damn hillbilly until he's five years old.

Vacation
We went to Maui. It was lovely.

I'll tell you all about it in my next post.
Whenever that may be. Ha!

All things great and small

2010-05-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm still sick. In fact I went to the Urgent Care doctor last night due to fever and chills and he sent me home with bronchitis and a scrip for antibiotics. I just feel sort of run over. And heavy. I've gained 7 pounds already.

But, besides all that, I went for my first trimester screening and ultrasound last Friday.

Hello little one!

I became worried earlier in the week when I went in for my regular 12 week prenatal appointment and the doctor pulled out the doppler to hear the heartbeat and I got all excited and laid down on the table and pulled up my shirt and she squeezed the gel on and then placed the roller ball doppler on my belly and...nothing. She searched for that heartbeat for a good five minutes and couldn't find it. The doctor gave several reasons: baby is just too small or is moving too much or my tilted uterus is allowing the baby to hide or my heartbeat was too loud and drowning out the baby's, blah, blah. I suppose it happens fairly often at 11 - 12 weeks but still, I was pretty upset. So I anxiously waited 2 more days to go in for the ultrasound. What a relief! The baby was jumping all around and I heard a strong, steady heartbeat of 154. Also, the genetic testing all came back negative, which is positive, so we've decided to not go through with any additional testing like CVS or Amniocentesis. Based on my old age, I started with a Downs Syndrome risk rate of 1 in 170. After the tests my risk decreased to 1 in 1700. My risk for Trisomy 18 went from 1 in 610 to 1 in 31000. So...whew!

Then, I had a lovely Mother's day full of orchids and iPhones and french toast at brunch. After that I drug my family to join me at the grocery store. Oh, yes I did!

I'll hit 13 weeks tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Cole has turned into a full fledged toddler. He wants to do everything himself. He refuses to hold my hand. He must eat with a utensil at dinner. He won't wear a hat. And, he throws a fit if he doesn't get his way.

He has very affectionate moments where he'll suddenly stop what he is doing and run over and give me a hug and a kiss. A real kiss! He does this to the dogs too. And photo books. And his stuffed monkey. It is very sweet. He also loves to mimic his daddy. If dad is working in the yard, so is Cole. If dad is working on the car, so is Cole. If dad is on the floor shaking a ball in his mouth, so is Cole.

And Cole started falling asleep on his own. Usually, when he got sleepy, he would climb up into my lap and fall asleep in my arms. Perhaps because he's gotten so enormous, he can't really get comfortable in my lap/arm combo anymore. So, I started asking him if he wanted to go night, night. And then he would say "nigh, nigh" as if to say, "yes, I would like to go night, night." So then I picked him up and carried him to his room and laid him in his crib and then he would actually lay down and fall asleep. On his own!

Then I say good night my sweet son who is no longer a baby anymore. *sniff*

Misery

2010-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Pregnant and sick. Yep. That's me. Just a phlem-full, hacking, laryngitis suffering ball of hormones. I am not fun to be around right now, especially since I can't take a damn decongestant for the tide pool that has formed in each of my ears. I wouldn't be surprised if a damn fish came plopping out of one of them during a coughing fit. Then there is the coughing...from that tickle in the back of your throat that practically makes you choke until you cough up a tonsil. I'm sure the baby is just loving all the jolting around in my belly.

Speaking of which, this is week #11! The end of the first trimester is in sight. My baby is the size of a lemon now and my belly has officially popped. My hip bones have disappeared! I have two appointments this week - one in which I'll get a check-up and get to hear the baby's heartbeat (yay!) and the other is for the first trimester screen NT ultrasound in which I'll get to see the baby (double yay!). The second test will also assess our risk for genetic disorders, which since I'm officially of geriatric maternal age, my risk is significantly increased. Whatever!

I just hope my headache goes away and that the rest of my family does not catch this misery. It sucks!

15 Month Ball of Energy

2010-04-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Cole went for his 15 month check up this past week.

He is 32 inches long/tall and 25 pounds, 6 ounces.

His hair is starting to grow in a bit more but it will be a long time before we consider getting it cut. Unfortunately, he's inherited my slow growing hair. Which could be a good thing - he'll spend less money on frequent hair cuts when he's older. I swear Kevin gets his hair cut every 3 weeks (after he proclaims that he's gonna grow it out!)

His eczema is all cleared up and he's got a little scrape on his knee from falling down on the sidewalk.

When asked, he can identify his ears, nose, mouth, tongue, head, toes and belly button.

He has a fairly decent vocabulary too: mama, dada, bubba (which he calls both Buzz and Chopper now and any other dog that he sees), tigga (tiger), nigh-nigh, mah (milk), tee (tree), turta (turtle), jada (jacket), cah (car), tea (eat), bah (ball), papa, shee (I have no idea what this means but he says it all the time), poo poo, shoe, chee (cheese) and several more that I can't think of right now.

He certainly understands more than he can say because we can tell him to go get his shoes or his jacket and he will come back with the correct item. He was also whining in the car the other day and I told him to stop and tell me what he wanted. So he stopped whining, signed for some milk and then we were both happy. He doesn't quite understand "no" yet though. He laughs and keeps doing the activity we want him to stop. I've had to resort to getting eye level with him and being downright mean by making him cry to make him stop stripping all the leaves off his Grammy's plants.

He can feed himself quite well with a spoon and can walk all the way around the block by himself. This takes an hour of course because he has to stop and collect rocks along the way.

He still won't eat green vegetables but that's OK because I have a master plan a la the Deceptively Delicious cookbook.

He can stack cups like a pro.

He has stinky feet.

He has 4 molars making a gradual appearance.

Yesterday was his last day of gymnastics.

Making like spider man.

In the ball hot tub.

Helping to stack the blocks...

...just so he can knock them all down.

He begins swimming lessons next weekend. I'm really excited to see how he'll do. He definitely needs something to do.

His energy is abundant while mine is beginning to fade. I hit a wall this week - exhaustion wise, and then I read somewhere that my body is making a placenta this week. Oh, is that all? Cole plays hard - non-stop, until he's done, and then he likes to snuggle until he falls asleep. Then he sleeps - hard. Two - three hour naps and sleeps all night long.

At least he's cooperating a little bit.

Intuition

2010-04-17T14:14:00.001-07:00

Hey!

So! Remember a few months ago when I thought I must be ovulating?

Well, turns out I was RIGHT!

I wonder if Cole is as excited about him becoming a big brother as I am?

*squeeeee!*

I'm 9 weeks, 2 days along and feeling fine. My belly is already HUGE. Wish I could say the same for my bewbs.

Anyway...I've decided that each week I will link to my favorite Pregnancy Calendar "Zero to Forty", because it is sooo funny and will give you a sense of what is going on with the baby's development without me having to bore you with all of the gory details. So, here's all about week 9.

Stuff Cole Did This Week

2010-04-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

Hey, Look! I found a rock!

I LOVE this rock! I will take it with me everywhere I go!

Hmmm? I think I would like to taste this rock. Mmmm, tastes like...rock.

Now, I will dance with my rock. Best rock EVER!

Wait! What's this? A new game?

Rocks are for baybees. Check out my horseshoe!

Watch out Dad! Ima get a ringer!

What's this? The Easter Bunny left eggs all over the yard!

Thanks, Dad, for pointing out that the brown eggs are from the dogs and NOT the Easter Bunny.

I'm just gonna bend down and get this one.

Woah! There's another one!

Wow! That Easter Bunny put eggs everywhere!

I have an Easter Basket full of eggs! It's heavy!

I'm drunk on Easter Egg-y-ness!

Later at Grandmas house...

The Easter Bunny hid eggs at Grammy's house too and inside there were CHEERIOS!

I put all of them in my bucket. Yummy!

I think I have too many Cheerios. I'll just put some on this nice chair right here.

There! Now that's perfect!

P.S. I turned 15 months old this week and kicked the bottle too! Mommy measured me and I'm 2'8"!

It was just like watching Cops. Except it was live! And in my backyard!

2010-04-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Kevin's company sent him to Spokane last week for a training class. He said it was cold and dreary but pretty and he took lovely pictures of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is only 20 minutes away.

Also, the truck was going to the body shop last week to repair the damage from the stupid Starbucks drive-thru incident. So, I was going to have to drive the Honda all week. That was fine, even though the stereo sucks because the antenna broke off and gets zero radio reception. Well, it gets one local station - sometimes. I could play cds or plug in my iPod but there are way too friggen many damn buttons and codes and things to push and pull and dials to turn on the stereo - it's really confusing to figure out and, HEY! LADY! Watch where the eff you're driving! And, really, I just LIKE listening to the radio in the car and switching stations until I hear a song I like. So, when I drive the Honda, I just leave the dial on the local station and turn down the volume when they play the "static" song again.

So, as I drove Kevin to the airport on Sunday afternoon, he ran through his checklist for me: Park the car on the street because it leaks oil...Take the face plate off the stereo when you park it...Don't forget to lock the car...Remember to pick up dog poop...Don't forget to record Survivor...Yes, yes, fine, ok. Have a safe trip, Honey. I love you. Bye, bye!

A couple of bleary eyed mornings later, a little after 6am, as I was putting Cole in the car to take him to daycare I noticed that the interior light on the driver side door was on. Crap! I thought. Did I not shut the door all the way? I know I locked it last night. Maybe I hit a switch or something? Great! The battery is probably dead and car won't start. But, much to my relief, the car started just fine. As I turned on the lights and looked at the dashboard I saw that the trunk light was on, indicating that the trunk was unlatched. Now, that's so bizarre! Why would the trunk...be...open...OMFG! Then, through the pitch black darkness that is 6am in the morning, as I squint and look in the general area where the stereo should be, I see an even darker, blacker emptiness. Blink, blink! So I reach out to feel for the stupid radio and it isn't there! It literally took me about 20 good seconds for this all to sink in. Fuck. My car got broken into and the stereo got stolen and...wait...[get out and go look in the trunk that is unlatched]...the amp and the sub-woofer got stolen too. So, then I sat there for another minute deciding what to do. I have to get Cole to daycare. I have to get to work. I have to call the cops and I have to get Cole out of this car that is now dirty with criminal germs! Ewww. At least they had the decency to leave the car seat and the stroller. So, I called the police and waited around for what seemed like hours (even though it was probably only 10 minutes) for the cop on duty to arrive. It was enough time to contact Kevin and tell him what happened. No, I didn't take the face plate off the stereo, ok? But, that doesn't make it ok for someone to totally violate my personal property, right in front of my house, while I'm home alone with the baby. I can't remember if I had the porch light on last night either. So, it's totally all my fault, except it's totally not my fault at all. I locked the car. I totally positively locked the car. So, with Cole staring at me completly confused, I cried, mostly with relief because Kevin just sort of laughed it off. Everyone's ok? The car still runs? Even he didn't even really like that stereo anyway. Then the cop showed up as I wiped away my tears and he took my statement and took a few pictures and said this probably won't really go anywhere and we can't prove anything without serial numbers blah, blah, blah. I know. Thanks for your time. Then I got Cole back in the dirty car and put my hands on the dirty steering wheel, which I know the creep who broke in totally licked, and drove off to finish the day. I was annoyed by the big quiet hole in the dash. I kind of wished I could hear the "static" song again.

That evening when I returned home, our "good" neighbor was in their driveway. I hopped out to mention that, hey, my car got broken into last night and the stereo was stolen and...he interrupted me, "I know! We saw it on the surveillance video!" Yes, that's right. They have surveillance cameras all around their house and because our truck wasn't parked in the driveway, they had a straight shot of the Honda parked on the street. Take that criminals who totally thought they "got me". Gotcha back! On video! Ha! So, they burned a copy onto a disk for me and my heart was racing as I went to play it on the computer and...nothing. For all the love I give my Mac it sure does seem to bail on me when I need it the most. We don't have the right software to read that type of video file...or something. So I took it to work the next day and was able to totally watch somebody use a slim-jim to pop the lock (SEE! I totally locked the car!) get in the car, pop the trunk, take stuff out of the car, walk over and set the stuff down on the lawn, walk away with some of it, return in a friend's car to collect the rest of the stuff and speed away. Creepy! And! And! All of this happened between 5:15 and 5:30 in the MORNING! Just 30 minutes before I got in the car to discover the crime! These guys had balls! And, a car with identifiable markers! Their front tires had dark rims and the back tires had silver rims. The rest of the details were too difficult to make out on the grainy video. They guy looks right at the camera but his face is indistinguishable. The car is black and the rims are different colors but the license plate isn't visable and the make of the car is questionable.

Kevin, of course, wanted to see the video before I turned it over to the police but the files were too large to email and posting it on YouTube just seemed wrong so he had to wait 2 more days before he could get home to see the video. Since he was practically frothing at the mouth to see it, it was high priority on his agenda when I picked him up from the airport. So, after I picked him up, stopped to get a sandwich, picked up Cole, picked up the truck, and went to Costco, we finally made it home and he tried to get our Mac to cooperate, and of course it wouldn't. We went to my parents and their Mac wouldn't cooperate either. We finally ended up at a friends house where he could watch the video and see that yes, I did in fact lock the car! And, the rest of the crap about the stereo getting stolen. I was so over it by then.

By the time we got home that evening, it was around 8pm. I knew the officer handling our case was just coming on duty so I called dispatch to have him sent to come over and pick up the disk. Then I had to see about getting some food in my family and get Cole ready for bed. So, I picked a few pieces off a rotisserie chicken we picked up at Costco for Cole and started a pot of rice as the officer stopped by real quick to get the disk. As the rice boiled and Cole finished his dinner, the dogs were helping to clean the kitchen by licking the floor under the highchair. I got Cole changed into his pjs and returned to the kitchen to take the rice off the stove and eat a little something. Kevin and I were both standing in the kitchen ready to tear into the chicken when we heard a bang against the house. A clatter if you will. It was late and I was tired and I asked, "was that an inside noise or an outside noise?" So, Kevin went to open the slider and as he stepped out onto the back patio to see what was the matter there was a fricken DUDE standing there! Right by the door! In our back yard! WTF??? So Kevin immediately started yelling at him, "Do you want to tell me why the FUCK you are in my back yard?" And the dude immediately put his hands up and feigned innocence, "Sir! Sir! I just need to call my Dad!" And, this dude (who we later found out was 18 years old) proceeded to tell Kevin that he had jumped the fence from our "bad" neighbor's house and that he was bringing them some cocaine and he had taken some crazy hallucinogen and was really, really high and just needed to call his dad. Meanwhile, I'm on the phone calling 911 with a baby on my hip explaining that there is a strange DUDE in my backyard and my husband is restraining him, amazingly, using his words. Gasp! Hurryplease! So our friendly neighborhood officer returned to the house with a partner and they arrested this dude for being under the influence of a controlled substance while on probation. Um, yeah, what about the part where he's trespassing? Anyway, they cuffed him and everything right on my back porch! He was taken away (for a long, long time, I'm sure) by one officer and "my" officer stayed to get Kevin's statement, during which he revealed that the dude said he had put the cocaine he was supposed to bring to our "bad" neighbor's house on our garbage can. So, they walked the perimiter of the house on their way to where we keep our garbage cans, and I went through the garage to meet them out there and lo and behold there was a big ol' bag of cocaine sitting on top of our garbage can. We're talking enough cocaine to prop the set of the movie Blow. (That might be a slight exaggeration. But, we later heard it was around 14 oz. Street value on that amount? Anyone? Anyone?)

So, as we're standing with our mouths agape staring at the trash bin, the "good" neighbors come out to find out why in the hell the cops are at our house AGAIN! So, we explain what happened and the cop bids adeiu and we stay outside and chat with them for a bit. We agreed that the "bad" neighbor element is to blame for this escapade and probably the stereo getting stolen as well. They just kind of keep holed up in their house and they come out like once a year to tend to their jungle of a yard. Their cats shit on our lawn and terrorize our dogs. They also have a lot of visitors at all hours of the day and night. We are not stupid. We recognize the familar smell of skunk fart wafting over the fence. It happens with enough frequency that I will exaggerate and say it happens all the time. We have let this slide with the attitude of what you do in your home is your business. But, now it's spilled over in to our home. And, our car. And, now it's our business. And, the cop is happy to give the "bad" neighbor's house some extra attention now and is excited to have video of our car getting broken in to.

So, we said goodnight and I walked in the house to put Cole down in his crib, because apparently all this smack talk about the neighbors bored him to sleep, while Kevin walked around the outside of the house locking everything down. I returned to the kitchen to finally get some dinner only to find that the rotisserie chicken was gone! Not a trace! Maybe that dude had a partner with the munchies who snuck in the house when we were all out in the front?!! Or, maybe I had two very happy and guilty dogs who had their way with that chicken. All of it! The drumsticks, the ribcage - everything was gone!

So I made myself a PB&J and went to bed.

Snoozapalooza

2010-03-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

So, last weekend we lost a whole precious hour of time! Time is very sacred in my life these days and I can't really afford to give any of it up. But, since I can't really justify showing up an hour late everywhere just because I refuse to give up my hour, the clocks were turned. But, not before Kevin was late to work on Sunday morning because - OOPS! - we forgot to set the clocks ahead the night before.

I was fully prepared for the time change to really mess up Cole's schedule. His usual routine is up at 6am to go to daycare, scheduled nap time from noon - 2ish at day care, dinner around 7pm and bed at 9pm. I figured I'd be up till 10 trying to coax him to sleep. But in some crazy twist of the space time continuum, it actually had the opposite effect. He started getting sleepy around 8pm instead! I was confused, but wasn't going to fight it. One day last week, he even started to nod off in his highchair while eating his Shamrock cookie that his Grammy gave him for St. Patrick's Day. (I always thought this phenomenon of babies falling asleep in their food was a legend until I saw it for myself. It was awesome! Click on the link to see the video!)

He's been sleeping a lot lately. Thursday night we went to Caffe Italia for dinner. He fell asleep on the way at 6:45, skipped dinner - slept right through it, woke up around 6am for his usual bottle but then fell back asleep till 9am! Then a few hours later he took a 2 hour nap! I think that's what you call a "growing day?" Oooo! But, I can confirm at least one molar is coming in - top right side. :)

And, the "Whining Hour" has shifted too. It is now at around 11:30pm. And one night last week we were treated to a bonus "Whining Hour" at 12:30, 1:30, 2 and 3! But a swift re-cover and tuck of the blanket followed by about a minute of rhythmic patting on the back and the little monster is back to sleep.

Wish someone would put me back to sleep like that!

The Young and the Restless

2010-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cole gets a case of the whimpers at around 3am. The whining hour is what it's become known as around our house. Because not only does Cole start squawking, the dogs start whining and pacing around the kitchen. Then everyone is awake. This is doing nothing for my crows feet!

Then, of course during the week he is sawing logs when it's time to get him up to go with Daddy for daycare drop off. He can barely open his eyes, but he does manage to peep out, "ba, ba?" So, he gets his one bottle for the day while I'm getting him ready to go. But, come the weekend...this kid is up at 5:30am. Then it is me who can barely open her eyes as I try and coax this little one back to sleep. Sometimes I am successful. Just sometimes.

I have my theories, as usual, as to why he is waking up and fussing. (Because I can hear him wake up and roll over and go back to sleep on his own sometimes...)

He may be cold and need his blanket tucked back in around him.

He may be getting his molars and his mouth hurts like a sonofabitch. (Although he slams his trap door every time I try and look in his mouth.)

He is still snotty so maybe his ear infection hasn't really gone away. (He goes to the Dr. for a check-up this week.)

He may have had a bad dream about vampires.

He started a new room at daycare this past week. I am thrilled! Even though they seem to have this laissez-faire attitude toward vampires. "Babies this age bite. They just DO. Nothing we can do about it..."

But, this room is where all the action is! Cole is mixed in with older, hot babes that can WALK! And, they eat their vegetables! Seriously though, this is going to be good for him. They go outside on the playground everyday unless it is raining and they do indoor craft activities and have a scheduled nap time. He can even use his very own blanket! He already loves it. The crying bursts have already been minimized and this is only week one. I'm sure it won't be long until he's crying because he has to leave.

Lookin' cool on the first day of Pre-Toddler-dom

Daring-ish (Now with pictures!)

2010-02-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

Cole goes to gymnastics on Saturday mornings now. "Diaper Daredevils" is what they call his class. They set up obstacle courses with these huge mats and pads to create a bunch of different slides and tunnels and stairs. Cole would rather observe the other children than participate, but he definitely gets some climbing in and promptly falls asleep in the car on the way home.

In fact, yesterday, as he fell asleep on the way home and it was pouring rain, I decided to treat myself to some Starbucks on the way home. And, of course, I went through the drive thru. I didn't think it was fair to Cole, while he was sleeping, to unstrap him from the car seat and drag him inside, through the rain, and then back out to the car to get buckled back in just so I can get my caffeine fix. I was in the truck. The big diesel truck that is bigger than the small ass excuse for a lane at this particular Starbucks. So, I carefully maneuvered around the corners and ordered my drink and went to round the corner to pull up to the window as I heard - no - make that I FELT the crunch. That crunch that immediately makes you sick to your stomach because you know that something bad just happened. This wasn't a drive over something crunch. Or even a drive into something crunch. This was a scrape the fuck out of the side of your truck on the stupid menu board that is sticking out too far in the corner crunch. I didn't even need the coffee after that.

So, I went home and cleaned the entire house as I tried to figure out how I would tell Kevin. He happened to be working some OT that day. Should I tell him that I came back to the truck after gymnastics and it was just LIKE that! Can you believe it? Chicken shit didn't even leave a note! Or, maybe I could just dare to tell him the truth - that the menu board really does stick out too far in the corner of that turn. If it didn't, this wouldn't have happened. Way to not take any of the blame, Cindy. (Woot, woot!)

So, I'll be calling the insurance company tomorrow. Yay! I love spending money on insurance deductables. At least I'll have something to SHOW for it...

And, Buzz is...well, he's over the hill. In fact he's almost at the bottom of that hill. He can barely get up because his hips are going bad. When he does get up he limps around and drags his front right paw. He's still alert, although it is obvious he's in pain, and he still eats and barks and pees and poops (but his form is terrible what with his legs giving out on him and all.) He'll be 12 this year and his body is failing him and it's just. so. sad. Do we dare shell out some more dough to try and get him on some pain meds? Will it really make a difference or just prolong the inevitable? Good ol' Buzz.

But~we have progress on the side gate! It's actually welded and in place. Yay!

And Cole is pretty much walking full time now. He's so much more useful that way! He helps stock the fridge and he checks the oil in the car!

He's also back on anti-biotics for the ear infections that still. haven't. gone. away! The doctor says if this round doesn't work that he'll be referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, possibly for tubes. Good thing is he really likes his medicine so hopefully it will work this time. Fingers crossed! And, I was feeling brave and fed him some peanut butter this weekend and he is still alive so that means no peanut allergy!

As least we can cross something off our list.

P.S. I will edit this post with pictures when I can find a spare minute...kinda busy with the dog and the truck and, oh yeah, the baybee!

Ovulation Brain

2010-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Every day on my commute to and from work I am reminded of my biological ticking time bomb. Is it just me or does the Dodge Ram logo look strangely like inside lady parts?

I must be ovulating or something.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

The other day I found some notes about Cole I had started to keep in a journal format before I officially started this blog.

May 1, 2009

My first day back to work and Cole’s first day at daycare with neighbor Jacque was April 16. All is going well so far. Cole is at Jacque’s 3 days a week. I’m off on Wednesdays and Kevin is off on Fridays.

So far, Cole is still on breast milk only. He is not on a regular sleep schedule. He is an expert at jumping in his jumperoo (jump-ee, jump-ee, jump-eeeeee)! He can sometimes grasp things and sometimes gets them in his mouth. Usually, his attempts end up in frustrated fits of whining. I wonder if he’s teething? He produces what seems to be gallons of slobber by the hour but no toofahs have appeared yet. He’s grinning a lot more lately and has the cutest little smile. Sometimes he giggles. Overall, he’s a happy boy. He falls asleep in the car and likes to listen to music. Kevin plays “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by IZ on repeat. Cole really likes it. Buzz & Chopper aren’t really interested in him, yet. They don’t growl or anything, but couldn’t care less that he’s around.

May 5, 2009

Cinco de Mayo! Cole’s already changed so much in the past 4 months. He’s been sleeping in our bed early morning from about 4am till its time to go to the sitter’s. It’s just easier on me to be able to nurse if necessary and sleep that last hour or so before I have to get up and go to work. He sleeps like a rock in our bed. I hope I’m not creating a habit that will be hard to break!

May 7, 2009

Yesterday was just what I needed, a whole day with my baby! He giggles, no, make that he laughs, when I hold him up over my head. Sat in his bumbo chair yesterday for the first time and learned how to jump in his new jumperoo. Bought him his waterfall crib soother thingy yesterday too. It’s cute. Now, how to put him down awake so he’ll fall asleep on his own? That might be a ways away still…

May 11, 2009

My first Mother’s Day was yesterday! Kevin had flowers sent to work from Cole on Friday. So sweet! And we went to Merchant & Main for brunch – Cole slept the whole time. What another nice Mother’s day gift! And we’re going to the CA Academy of Sciences in SF on Wednesday as part of my gift too. Kevin will take the day off. Over the weekend we bought Cole some new books – Pat the Bunny, Goodnight Moon and another PeekaBoo book. Because he loves to play him some peekaboo! And, Cole discovered his feet over the weekend! I have to help him get them in his mouth and every time I do, he farts! Ha, ha! He also put on his life jacket for the first time in his Grammy’s pool. Even though he’s a big boy, that life jacket is too big. Smooshes up his cute little face! It was pretty funny. The water wasn’t too cold and he didn’t cry. It was a good weekend.

May 15, 2009

Cole had his 4 mo check up on Weds (2 days ago). He’s 18.5 lbs, 27.75 inches long and his head is 17.75 inches around! He’s 98^th percentile all the way around! He got his vaccinations and has been fussy-ish since. We went to the CA Academy of Sciences on Weds after his doctor appt. He was fine, interested really, in the aquarium and looking around at everything. That night he woke up 4 times though – 12, 1, 2 & 3…I finally brought him into bed with us. Then, last night same thing, except I brought him into bed at 11:30 instead. Kevin says today he’s been pretty fussy and won’t eat. He didn’t really eat very well for Jacque yesterday either, although she said he was in good spirits. I think it’s just from his vaccines and expect he’ll be back to his usual happy boy self in a few days. Poor baby!

May 18, 2009

Had a good weekend. Cole rolled over on his own yesterday. I was not witness to it, Kevin was. Went in the pool. Had lunch with the girls (Cole slept the whole time!) Kevin dug the sideyard this weekend. Getting ready to pour concrete so Cole will have a place to ride his bike since we live on main street and all…Cole also drank some plain ol’ water out of a bottle this weekend. That’s about it! Oh, he jumpy jumped in his jumperoo by the pool and it rubbed his little toes raw. Poor baby toes were bleeding. He didn’t seem to mind though…

May 19, 2009

Mom’s 60^th bday today! She’s in Maui. Hope it’s a nice day there for her. Jacque said Cole rolled over 3 times yesterday! I still haven’t seen him do it, but maybe it’s because he knows I want him to be my baby and not grow up too fast. I am officially totally sleep deprived. I was falling asleep on the commute home yesterday. Not good. I went to bed at 8pm. Fell asleep on the couch.

May 21, 2009

Roly-Poly – that’s what my little boy is. It’s official, he is the roll-over master! Tuesday night he rolled over twice for me and then yesterday, we went to visit Aiden and Shelly and he rolled over 3 times over there. (show off!). Then, I laid him on the bed at home when I was watering the backyard and he rolled over two more times. Hmm, probably shouldn’t put him on the bed anymore…He is only 4.5 months old. He is wearing 6 – 9 month clothes! I still don’t feel like he’s ready for real food yet, plus the doctor says not till 6 mos anyway. We retired the infant tub this week too. He is getting too big and squirmy in it for the kitchen sink. We got a blow up ducky tub for the regular bath tub. He fits in it better, but it’s still challenging because he can’t sit up on his own yet. Plus it is hard to kneel down and bend over to bathe him in the bath tub, but it must be done! We also picked up his little number’s book from the quilting place downtown. It’s very cute! It was one of his gifts for being 1^st baby of the year!

May 29, 2009

Poor little Cole is all stuffed up, but he’s in good spirits despite being sick. He rolled over in his crib last night. Thank goodness he woke up and started to cry because he was face down in the mattress, poor guy. We have the movement alarm but the stupid thing goes off all the time. We’ve been going to the pool at mom’s house. Cole loves swimming! Well, we just sort of swish him around in the water – he can’t really swim yet. But he figured out how to splash with his hands! He’s so smart! He is also starting to watch us when we eat. I think that’s a sign that he may be ready to try some real food. Such a change from a week ago. The doc says not till 6 mos but he’ll be 5 months old in a week and a few days. Maybe we’ll try some cereal around my birthday?

These were fun to read and reminded me how quickly babies change in the first few months. Now that he is one, there aren’t as many changes that occur on a daily basis. Except this past week I taught him how to pucker up and kiss. It is THE cutest thing on the planet especially since he flashes the biggest grin after he makes the smoochy face. Just precious. And his little cheeks are round and his little eyes light up. I just love him soooo much! He also is walking much more. He'll walk all the way around the block by himself! He's Mr Independent one minute and then Mama's boy the next. It's just darling.

The Art of Being Cole

2010-02-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Cole had a much better week at daycare last week. He didn’t get expelled, but he did get bit again. (Damn twilight movies!) And, he still erupts like a little volcano of tears and snot at drop-off. “Bwaahhh, mama don’t leave mee (gasp) eee (gasp) eee!” And, then he has another little burst of emotion at pick-up. Maybe he’s tattling on everyone who ignored his cries or the little brat that bit him. Or maybe he’s telling me he’s mad that I left him there all day. Really, I’m sure he’s just overwhelmed with relief to see me and isn’t sure if he should squeal with glee or cry? So, he cries for, like 10 seconds, and then he wants down from my lap so he can show me all the toys he likes to play with. It’s very endearing. They do finger painting at the daycare on Thursdays.

Cole is so talented!

But he did start a new, pain in the ass antibiotic that cost $55 and I had to get a special syringe to adminster it to him because it is sooo thick it won’t pour. He is still suffering from the double ear infection and he developed a nasty cough, hence the new antibiotic. It seems to be working. His cough is much better and his spirits have been improving...until today. I got a phone call at work - 101 fever COMEGETHIMRIGHTNOW!!

Shit! Kevin's out of town this week at a class for work and my sick leave is already depleted for the year. (Hello it's February!) And, when they send you home from daycare with a fever, don't even think about coming back for at least 24 hours - without a fever and you better be drug free. They don't want any sweaty, cranky drugged up cry babies at the DAYCARE for crying out loud! I called the doctor who is convinced another virus has invaded or he's having a delayed reaction to the MMR vaccine. The side effects from that shot can take 7 - 12 days to appear. We're on day 11 so...I will feed his fever with sweet potatoes, tylenol and motrin and hope for the best. I haven't told my boss I won't be coming in tomorrow yet. I woke up today with a feeling like it was going to be a crappy day and tried to ignore it. A mother's gut - always trust it.

And, Cole is on a table food strike unless it is a bread-ish product. Pancakes, crackers, a whole loaf of bread – fine. Diced peaches, anything green, chicken – is immediately thrown on the floor. The dogs LOVE it!

He is also becoming quite skilled at the frustrated fit throwing. He wants to explore and we don’t always let him. We CAN'T always let him. Like in the dressing room at the store when you’re trying something on real quick. He just can’t be crawling around on the floor. He’ll end up in someone elses room, stab himself with a pin, stick god knows what in his mouth (unless it is a nutritious food product)…but he won’t sit still in his stroller, so he screams and kicks and hurls his body around like he’s in the cirque de soleil.

But, despite it all, he is the sweetest little boy and I hope I can love his fever away.