Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Snow Day

First off...greetings if you are here from Facebook! Who knew so many people I knew would be on there and willing to still be my friend after (for some of you) many years!

As I watch the snow falling AGAIN I have nothing fun to say. Even my husband is trapped at home today, a result of living in The Middle of Nowhere™ where they never plow the roads.

So, enjoy a video. This is what happens when Baby Boy gets a glimpse of The Dog. Hilarity ensues (ignore the first few seconds of video...where I try and get The Dog to do what I want).


Sunday, January 25, 2009

Another One Bites the Dust...

Someone really likes the Tooth Fairy...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

6 Months

Well. They told me that time would go more quickly with your second child. They were not kidding. You had a busy month. Or, I should say, a lot of stuff happened and we took you places and some other stuff happened that you were not aware of but it was important.

Sadly, you did end up getting the crud that seems to be making our house feel like germ soup. So I took you to the doctor just to check you out. You are fine, and I found out you now weigh about 16 pounds and are 27.5 inches long. You'll go for your "official" six month check up next week, but that is still 25% for weight and 90% for height. I couldn't help but get out Baby Girl's records for a comparison. At 6 months she was 12 pounds and 23.5 inches long. You probably shouldn't compare your kids, but sometimes I look at you and think you are huge! Mostly you are really, really long.

This last month was a mixture of incredible rushing and then a sudden stop. After Christmas we first got snowed in, then I was sick, then your sister was sick, and now you are sick (I think Dr. Dad is sick, too, but since he will never go to the actual doctor we may never know). Winter in Ohio is not my favorite thing. You have a really cute snowsuit but it's been so cold who knows if you will actually get outside to wear it!


We also started you on cereal. We didn't do this with Baby Girl until later in her 6th month, but you started doing the funniest thing when we would eat or drink. You would zero in on what we were doing and follow the food from the plate to our mouth. If I am holding you, and try and take a drink, you grab for the cup every time. We figured you might be a little ready. So we broke out the high chair and started you with some rice cereal. You do ok, but sometimes, I think you just like to chomp on the spoon. Still haven't seen any teeth, but we might be able to start a drool pond.

Also, I am happy to say you watched your first New Year's Eve celebration and (surprise!) you were still ready to party until well after midnight! You also watched the Pittsburgh Steelers secure a spot in the Superbowl. This is important because the further the Steelers go in post-season the happier your Nonna and Papa are (hee hee). Dr. Dad doesn't really care too much about football, so I must carry on the tradition of rooting for the Steelers even though our family has lived in Ohio all of my life. I guess if you have Pennsylvanian roots you can never cheer for Ohio teams. Unless it's The Ohio State University. I really think you aren't allowed to live in Ohio unless you cheer for them.

Finally, you and I watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama yesterday. That was exciting. Well, it was exciting for most of us... even Baby Girl saw it at school yesterday and we had a lot to talk about. I thought it was an important event to mention here, even if you had no idea what was going on.

You still haven't tried to roll over. You can get on your side sometimes, but otherwise, you are more interested in sitting. You sit pretty well when you are supported, and occasionally you get yourself in a good position and can sit on your own until you plop over.

We are both excited and nervous for the next milestones (childproofing? Ugh.)...until then, happy 6 month birthday Baby Boy.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Crud...Now with Milestones!

We have been infiltrated by the crud. I am probably to blame. I have been nursing a rattly cough for awhile now and being 1. Cheap and 2. Lazy I never got it checked out.

Baby Girl started with her coughing on Saturday and when I took her in yesterday (after a fever that just wouldn't go away) we found she has the same type of pneumonia she had last year. Thankfully, antibiotics should take care of it, and I have a prescription waiting for me to take as well. Dr. Dad just let me know he is feeling "off" and I just pray and pray it doesn't get to Baby Boy. Baby Girl has been out of school the whole week and I am getting a taste of taking care of two helpless creatures at once! She is striking a pathetic pose on the couch right now with frequent dramatic requests for this or that.

Thankfully, Baby Girl was in much better spirits when she woke us up Sunday morning after losing her first tooth. The Tooth Fairy brought some sugarless gum and a dollar. Happiness all around.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Merry Belated Christmas

Well, I never wrote anything about our Christmas. It came in a rush and left in a rush and I, once again, have no idea how that happens. I make lists, I make plans, I vow to enjoy and relax and inevitably I enter January feeling like I just witnessed a blur.

Baby Boy got his first taste of our crazy Christmas traditions. It was a big difference from Baby Girl's first Christmas, when we were house bound due to her prematurity and RSV season. We managed to see all our family and travel around and open gifts and eat (and eat!) and he did great.

Every year, though, I get a little nostalgic when I think about the Christmas traditions we used to have when I was a child. Of course, I realize that families change and grow and what we do now is create those happy traditions for our children. The memories I have of spending Christmas Eve with my grandparents and aunts and uncles are how my kids will remember Christmas with our parents and siblings. I can only hope they remember their childhood Christmas with as much fondness, and not as a blur with mommy yelling bad things at the tape dispenser when it gunks up during gift wrapping.

Baby Girl got a dollhouse, and NOT a Wii, despite her endless campaign. She really didn't seem to mind, though. Baby Boy got some diapers. He also didn't seem to mind. There were many other gifts including a fabulous new wallet and laptop case to me from Dr. Dad (despite our no gift pledge) and I was very surprised. We are very blessed.

This was also the year Dr. Dad and Baby Girl went to get a live tree and the weather was so bad they just went to Lowe's. Except, when the brought the tree in, it was missing a top. It looked like an artificial tree, and for a moment I thought maybe you had to just insert the top. I even asked Dr. Dad if it might be in the garage. Poor guy had to bundle up the tree, drive back to Lowe's and get a new one. The top had apparently come off when they were netting it for the car. Thankfully we got a discount.

Everything has been packed away and we are settling back into a routine. As usual, we had a green Christmas and are now having a VERY white January.

Time to start planning for Christmas 2009!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

N.Y.C. I.O.U.

It occurred to me that I never finished writing about our trip to New York. The Rockettes took up our Friday, but we were there until Sunday afternoon.

What I learned from this trip is that if you are going to be somewhere like New York City for only about 2 days you can either shop, or be a tourist, but not both (at least not very well!).

Here is the summary of the rest of our trip in the rushed tones I felt while trying to Do! It! All! before we jumped in the Taxi for the airport:

Saturday:

Sleep in. Rushed brunch at hotel. Times Square. Look! There's the Empire State Building! Macy's, Macy's, Macy's, Macy's, Macy's, Macy's, Macy's, Macy's (there are 8 floors, people!). Cole Haan. Tiffany's. Look! There's St. Patrick's Cathedral! Light show at Saks. Rockefeller Center. Lose Mom in the massive crowd all trying to see The Tree. Find Mom. See Tree. See tiny portion of ice skating rink due to massive crowd. Escape crowd. Stand in line at Magnolia for cupcakes. Back to Hotel. Order in Pizza. Have night out with my sister involving a wine bar and drinks that cost more than you would believe. Look! There's Tavern on the Green! Sleep.


Sunday:

Sleep in. Rushed breakfast of leftover cupcakes and bagels I make my sister go and buy (it's New York! Must have bagels!). Pack. M&M Store. Time's Square. Tacky Tourist Shopping. Hello Kitty Store. Taxi. Look! There's Central Park! Look! There's Wall Street. Look! That is where the Twin Towers stood. Look! It's Battery Park. Get out and walk to the water to see the Statue of Liberty. Also "Elvis Island" (according to Baby Girl). Taxi. Little Italy. Lunch at La Nonna's. Tacky Tourist Shopping. Taxi. Hotel. Get Luggage. Hugs and Kisses. Taxi. Airport.




It was a trip of a lifetime. Christmas in New York City is truly something to behold. I was hoping one day to go there for the Thanksgiving Day Parade but now I will focus my trips on the West Coast.

Hopefully not as rushed!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

A Happy New Year

I am starting off the New Year without resolutions. I never keep them and rarely even remember what I resolved to do anyway!

However, some of us have resolved to try something new...

I was actually thinking I should resolve to keep a spirit of thankfulness throughout the year. With everything that happened in 2008, I realized I can sum it all up quite easily:

Our blessings are many. Our worries are few.

I wish the same for you and yours in 2009.