Easter

This was my baby's first Easter.  Baby's firsts are so sweet.  Every now and then throughout the day I would remember and give him an extra squeeze and a kiss.  And then I remembered that it was Oliver's third Easter... THIRD.  Already my little boy has been around for three of these?!  Three may not seem like a large number, but to me it is! It means my baby Oliver is getting older and older.

Saturday was our first annual egg hunt.  Super fun.  Just loved being able to spend the day in our own yard! And so happy the weather was just perfect!

Sunday I hosted Easter for the first time for some of my family.  Thanks to Pinterest, I think everything went well.  Got some really great brunch ideas and decoration inspiration on that site... all easy and successful.  Score.

My one Easter regret- 

...not getting a picture of my handsome little cuties in their Easter best.  The opportunity just never came up between me being in the kitchen getting things ready and you know... that two year old ability to sit still was just not working out.  Then Oliver came inside from playing in the yard with hives (second day in a row...whats up with that!?) and in my attempt to get some Benadryl down the hatch I triggered that insanely sensitive gag reflex and got puked on. Twice.   ::shudder::   So for the rest of the day Oliver's Easter second-best was his set of red firetruck PJs.

Weekend Update

On Saturday we...

• Drove up to NH- made great time and the kids behaved until about 20 minutes to our destination.
• Hung out with Baby Bella- got in some great bonding with our little niece!  She was in such a good mood!

• Celebrated Nate's Aunt's 50th birthday with his very loud, large and happy family.

On Sunday we...

• Took the kids to church- they behaved so well I now have the confidence to bring them with us as we look for a church near home.

• Drove by the trains station to show Oliver the tracks, and to take some pictures for possible wall art for the boys room (I'm slowly making it a train theme)

• Left the boys with their Mema and Pepere so that husband and myself could walk around downtown and get started on Easter baskets.
• Sat in traffic for half an hour on the way home.  fun.

Only a Mother Could Love...

... a big, milk-breathy burp right in her face.  (Because it's the sound...and smell... of a satisfied baby).

... a very stinky, very full diaper after a day or two without number two.  (Because it means everything is working just fine).

... smelly, sweaty, linty little toes.  (Because baby feet are just delicious).

... sticky, messy, food covered faces.  (Because he actually ate!!!!)

... snotty, slobbery kisses.  (Because your baby is kissing you).

... wet, phlegmy coughs. (Because it means his airways aren't too tight.... yeah that was a whole Saturday in the ER I'd like to forget!)

Nothing can prepare you for being a mother.  You think you know what's coming to you, but everyday brings it's own curveball.  I have to admit that I'm rather surprised and sometimes impressed with myself.  Being a parent sets you up for situations you would have never imagined yourself in.  Scooping up a tray full of vomit and sitting back down to finish eating?! What!? Pinning down a very strong toddler so that you can give him his inhaler?  I've done that?  Pregnancy and childbirth?  I survived?!?!!?!

I know I can't be the first mom to go about her business (prepare a meal, clean up that meal, play, diaper, play, prepare a meal, clean up that meal, play, diaper, play.......) and think- "So this is my life? Huh. Who'd have thought." And with a smile to myself- "Cool."

My day so far...

So far... Zero dishes have been washed.  Owen is dressed.  Oliver and I are not.  We've watched Thomas and Friends.  Owen's practiced his sitting up.  Some progress has been made.  We've shared toys.  Owen has gone down for a nap.  Oliver has had issues with me on the computer.

I think we'll go to a playground soon.

Growing, Growing, Growing!

Ok, so kids are asleep...at least in their cribs (I think the big one is still playing around in there), and I have no more episodes of Merlin to watch on Netflix (seriously sad about that...but heading over to mopvideo.com from here to find more).

Anyone up for a kiddo update?  Here goes.

Owen is 5 months old today.  He has 3 teeth and another on the way.  As of February 20th he weighed a big ol' 16 pounds.  He is super ticklish.  He loves to grab the sides of my face and violently eat my chin (I love that too).  He is sleeping in his crib.  Has been for maybe 2 or 3 weeks.  It's going pretty good.  Better than I thought.  He has his times (right now actually) when he seems to wake up more than usual.  Usual is once a night.  More than usual is 2 or 3 times with at least one of those times taking a while to settle back down.  I think we may face a problem with him sleeping in the future.  For now I accept that he is still an itty bitty, and that I don't care much for the cry-it-out method anyway.  With the boys sharing a room though, I do whatever it takes to get him quiet and sleeping fastest, whereas with Oliver I would spend longer trying to soothe him without picking him up.  Most nights I don't have much of a problem with getting up with him, but lately I've been so tired.  It helps that he's cute.

Owen is still on a breast milk only diet.  I think I am scared by the experience with Oliver having to stop cereal and use formula to get his weight back up so I am holding off on food for Owen now... even though that had little to do with cereal and more to do with me not having any milk to give.

Oliver was a happy baby, but Owen is SUCH a happy baby!  He seems to be a little more of a goofball too.  But when he's mad...he is loud.  It's kind of funny to compare their personalities- Oliver was easy going and pretty even keel, while Owen is both happier and angrier.

Oliver.  My baby Oliver.  2.  He's 2! I still can't believe it.  He is such a big boy.  So independent, so smart, so handsome and loving and curious.  But I love the moments when I look at him and realize he still a baby himself.

He has so much energy and loves to run and jump and crawl.  We started going to Gymboree right after Christmas, and boy oh boy have we made good use of our membership.  He is so much fun to watch there.  He is so in love with the owner's daughter who is sometimes there in the evenings.  The two of them run and bounce and jump and fall together.  I love it.

Oliver loves trains.  We take a ride past the train yard probably 2 to 3 times a week on our way home from Gymboree.  It is so amazing to him to see the freight cars loaded and unloaded.  I get a kick out of watching him watch them.  His favorite books from the library are Freight Train by Donald Crews, and Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo by Kevin Lewis.  As long as I can keep renewing them... I don't know if the library will be getting those back!

He is on a Toy Story kick.  It's great.  And he loves Woody.  Which is awesome because I am totally Team Woody...not that Buzz isn't great too.

Oliver is just so full of love.  He can be very affectionate.  And so sweet with his brother! Oh so sweet!  He really knows how to melt me.  I am just a mushy puddle of mom in his hands.

He's never had much of a problem with jealousy of the new baby... but every once in a while he insists that whatever is done to the baby is done to him as well.  And I allow it.  If he wants me tickle him like I tickle the baby, I do it.  Bounce him on my knee too?  No problem.  I always want him to feel loved.  So loved.  Because he is.  That little boy made me who I am.  And I can't believe I am lucky enough to have him in my life, never mind how blessed I am to have spent almost every moment of the past 2 years with him.