The Domestic Goddess Speaks

Hello Again!

2011-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! It's been almost 2 1/2 months since I've posted anything. Well, if there's anyone left out there that checks this thing, this one's for you! :)

Let's see, what's happened since February. Since then, we've had a trip to the zoo as a family. Aidan and Julien have been to the Science Center. It warmed up and then it got cold again. Then it got hot, like 90 degrees hot. Then it snowed. Then it rained. And rained and rained and rained. I try to look on the bright side and think of the savings to my water bill since I don't have to water the flowers. Flowers! My flowers have come up! My tulips were beautiful, although I lost one over the winter. Then my peonies, lilies and irises came up too. The peonies and irises will be blooming soon. I was very happy to see everything I transplanted from Iowa survive the winter and thrive. My grandmother would be pleased to see her flowers doing well and back in Missouri soil.

We've painted the livingroom and kitchen since I've been away. We added board and batten treatment to the livingroom. It was A LOT of work but so worth it. My neighbor told me it looks "right out of a Pottery Barn catalog" which I took as a huge compliment. I'm not very good at design and decorating so pulling this off was a big coup for me. Julien was a huge help and very good sport about it all. I told him the next time I ask him to paint a room he won't mind as much because there's no way it could be more work than that was! :)

April brought my grandmother's 90th birthday and her big party. I was very glad the kids and I could be a part of that. My grandmother is such an inspiration. She's sharp as a tack, very active, and in great health. I hope I can be half as healthy at half her age. I have such wonderful memories of going to her house, playing cards, and of course kringlas and lefse hot off the stove.

April also brought a trip to Texas for a good friend Kevin's wedding. Another friend, Mikey, drove down from Iowa and then we were off to Texas in the van. Drove through a nasty storm in Arkansas, made fun of the names Texarkana and Arkadeplhia, saw some really backwoods parts of east Texas and LOTS of donut shops, but made it in one piece in about 12 hours. The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time. Hard not to enjoy a wedding that serves BBQ at the reception. :) It was fun to see the boys together. In my mind I can still see them as 18 year olds with no responsibilities or direction and then now, to see them as grown men, all married with families no less, is quite the sight. I guess we all grow up eventually, don't we? While we were gone the kids came down with quite the bug. Both had bad coughs and fevers making them sick for a week. It's the sickest Olivia has been. When she lays on the couch and falls asleep, you know something is wrong. We're finally back to good health, minus some coughing here and there. Unfortunately the weather and their fevers managed to get in the way of Easter egg hunting and we were forced to do it in the house and miss out on the other two hunts we were supposed to go to. The kids still had fun and liked their baskets. Hopefully next year will be better.

May will be a busy month again, as if there were any other kinds. We have trips to Iowa, music festivals for the kids, the end of preschool for the year, and who knows what else to look forward to. Hopefully somewhere in there will be the planting of a garden and maybe even work on a deck. *Fingers crossed* I'll try to keep you posted. :)

A New School for Aidan

2011-02-11T13:11:00.001-08:00

I've mentioned a couple times recently that Aidan has started a new preschool. I thought I should finally discuss this change and my reason for making it. It's been no secret that I've never been entirely happy with the preschool I had been sending Aidan to. There were a few requirements that Julien and I had as far as what type of school we were comfortable sending Aidan to and we also had a certain budget. When you combine the two you're left with only a few options where we are. When I first toured schools I toured a Montessori school nearby. I loved that place. The teachers were so friendly to Aidan and as a Montessori school, I knew they would be respectful of his learning style. Definitely my first choice. However, we just didn't have $350+ a month for a part-time spot. I was very disappointed and I realized that I might end up settling for a place that I could afford but wouldn't whole-heartedly like. To be honest, I've struggled with that the entire time Aidan was in his previous preschool, although I did my best to encourage Aidan to make friends and give his teachers a chance. Aidan started November 2009 and finished out the school year and then returned the end of August 2010 for the start of this school year. It became apparent to me quickly that Aidan wasn't happy with my choice either. Aidan wouldn't bother learning his teacher's names or a majority of the kids' names. He would tell me that he didn't like his teachers or that they were mean. (Well, two of them were. He was ok with one teacher who he didn't see often.) Even on trips to my mom's house he would tell her the same thing. She commented to me after a visit up that she hadn't even asked him when he volunteered that he didn't like his teachers. Other things bothered me though. A lot of the time I had to pry out of him what they did that day. And as the teachers never told you what they did each day, you received a newsletter that would tell you what they would be doing for the month, his report would be the only one I would have. I'm not not sure what he was doing there. Did he write his name on his own cause he brought home papers that looked like he might have. I just don't know. Even more importantly, I wasn't a fan of how the teacher would approach concerns with me. One day as I was leaving with Aidan, Olivia crawling over my shoulder, and his papers in my hands, the teacher stops me briefly and says "Aidan needs to work on his numbers." And that was it. As quick as she had said it she was on to something else. It was so abrupt that I think I squeaked out some reply to the effect that we were doing that at home already but I didn't even process what she had said until I got to the car. The more I thought about it the more I upset I got. Now understand, I've done this job. At the daycare when parents picked up their child/children I was the one who filled them in about their child's day. I understand how important parent communication is and that, as the teacher, rapport with the parent is critical to ensuring success for that child in the classroom. So please don't that think I'm being unfair or that I don't know what it's like. This is just not the way you communicate with parents. I had no real information about what was wrong, what had made her say that, or what exactly I was supposed to be working on at home. The thing that upset me most was the feeling like I had no opportunity to respond. I had totally fallen flat. So, I went home feeling like I was failing my child but not entirely sure how and pissed at his school, a school may I remind you, that was my second choice. After a couple days I let that go. Then came the Christmas party. I was sure Aidan would be excited and have a good time. He did at last year's party. He's usually a party kind of guy. We arrived, walked in the door.....and Aidan clung to me like never before. He didn't want to sing, he didn't want to play games, and he most definitely didn't want to see Santa! In fact, he had a breakdown that led to tears. You know, the inconsolable kind. Suddenly, I could feel every parent in the room slowly turn to look at me and my screaming child. In that moment I thought, "Oh no, I'm that parent with that kid right now." I didn't feel like fighting because a party shouldn't have to be a fight. So, I excused us and explained we had another party to go to (which we did for playgroup) and we got out of there as fast as possible. By the time we got to playgroup, Aidan had calmed down and had a great time. (In fact, on the way over he told me that he didn't like parties with teachers at them.) I was fed up. I walked in, said hello to all my mommy friends, and promptly asked my friend Rachel if there was a spot open at her daughter's school. Rachel doesn't live far from me, so when we had discussed preschool over the summer we had talked about how difficult it was to find something close to home. She had found a nice place not far from us but was very small and usually had a waiting list. Rachel was lucky enough to get her daughter a spot this year and had encouraged me to try to get Aidan in too. I still regret not following her suggestion. Well, someone must have been looking out for me and my sanity because, sure enough, one had just opened up. My friend texted the teacher right then and there to let her know I was interested and by the end of the day I had pretty much secured the spot for Aidan. We went to tour the class right around New Years and the first week of January Aidan started at his new school. If there was any doubt in my mind about moving him, the director of his old school removed it when I called to give our mandatory one month notice. (As in the handbook, I was going to ask if we could do two weeks instead.) She told me good luck, we won't charge you tuition for January, and he doesn't need to come back. Now, I had planned to take him and let him say goodbye, maybe take some treats for his last day, and talk to the teachers myself. Apparently, she saw no need for closure. I felt like she should have ended the call with "and don't let the door hit you on the way out" but Julien says I was being too sensitive, that either she could fill the spot immediately or she was trying to help us out so we wouldn't have to write two tuition checks. I suppose that could be but it cemented my opinion of the place. They did ask me to come by to pick up his allergy medicine and to get his portfolio of work. When I did, I received an icy reception and it took three minutes to get Aidan to leave the doorway and into the actual room. The teacher told me that she didn't think Aidan was "progressing from the previous year." At home I read the teacher's observations in the portfolio and was surprised by what I read. She painted this picture of a shy kid who played alone mostly, and when he did play with others it was with kids he never talked about. Not to mention they weren't the kids he would play with when I dropped him off or the kids he would say bye to when I picked him up. The kid she described didn't sound much like my son at all. To this day I wonder what was really going on when he was there. Since we've switched I've seen a wonderful change in Aidan. By the end of his first week at his new school, I had received more meaningful communication from his new teacher than I had received from his old teachers all year. Aidan also went to school with a smile on his face and told me his teacher was nice. There was also something he said while at school that caught the attention of his teacher, Ms. Kathy. One morning the kids were playing on the floor with blocks and Ms. Kathy got down and was playing with them. I guess Aidan asked the kids, "Your teacher plays on the floor with you?" Like he had never seen it done before. I think for both Ms. Kathy and I, that spoke volumes. In the month that Aidan had been at his new school he's already shown progress. He now can write his whole name with the letters facing the right direction (most of the time), he's counting on his own a lot and he's counting higher, he's writing more letters, and he enjoys going to school. In four classes he has counted higher and identified more letters than in the observations from his old school state he could. It's nice to hear from him that his teacher is nice and that he notices when Cole or Chase isn't at school. (Or that he knows all the other boys' names and the names of almost all the girls too.) I think he's found an environment where he's comfortable and a teacher that supports his learning and makes it fun. Now, he didn't go very much in January. Between being sick and all the snow days they had, he missed a lot. But, as we were heading back for the first day back in two weeks, Aidan held my hand walking to the classroom door and told me, "Mom, it's good to be back." Yes Aidan, it is.

Side Note: I'm so glad that I decided to find a different school for Aidan. It's been said that Aidan is going to have teachers he doesn't like or get along with and he won't always be able to get out of their class. And that's true. But we'll deal with that when we get to it. At his age I still have control over where he goes. And if he's not in a school that's a good fit for him and doesn't encourage his learning, why would I leave him there? He still has the chance to love school, or at least like it enough to tolerate it, and I want to give him every chance in the world to keep that feeling.

Happy New Year.....a little late.

2011-02-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Boy, it's been awhile. I don't know why I can't seem to get back here more often. We had a very Merry Christmas and a fun New Year's Eve. Santa was very good to us this year. He was so good to the kids that we now need to go through and purge some of the old toys. There are so many that it's overwhelming. Thank goodness I have another consignment sale coming in April. New Year's was also a lot of fun for us. The neighbors got together and celebrated and played Just Dance on the Wii. We have some interesting pics of Julien "dancing". But the kids loved that he would play it with them when some of the other adults weren't as keen on the idea. Maybe it was all the "liquid courage" he had. :)

We have made some resolutions for 2011. As a family we would like to pay off our debt. This is an ambitious goal but if we get creative, I think we can put a large dent in it. This isn't going to be easy. However, we are pretty determined to tackle this one. So far, we've been pretty good about sticking to the budget and have made adjustments as needed. The Civic needed its timing belt changed and we had to fix the oven so there have been some bumps in the road already but, there will always be those kinds of things and you have to roll with the punches. Luckily, we were able to use a coupon for the car work and Julien ordered the oven part and fixed it himself. (He's gotten really handy.)

Aidan started a new preschool in January and then, due to illness and weather, has only been 4 days. In fact, they were off all this week. I can't wait for him to go back. He's been home far too much this month. Mommy needs a break. :) He likes it there too. In fact, the last day he actually had school I went to tell him goodbye and he said "You can go Mommy. I have fun here." It was nice to hear.

Dresser Before and After

2011-01-12T13:16:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Finally, it's done! Actually it's been done for a while but I was waiting for the new pulls to actually show it off. I love it. It's just the right size for the space and I love it in black. It was a learning experience (like get a sprayer instead of rolling) but I look forward to the next furniture project when the weather gets warmer and I'm able to paint. And I swear, there will be a post here soon. Lots going on with Christmas and New Year's and Aidan's changed preschools. So lots to discuss for sure.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-12-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

Things have been busy here! Whew! But, when is the opposite ever true? The kids and I were sidelined for about a week, week and a half due to illness. Aidan and I had bad colds and poor Olivia ended up with an ear and eye infection. However, we are feeling much better now! And just in time. We are hosting an early Ross-Boon Family Christmas next week. So, that motivated me to leave Julien with the kids this weekend for a 6 hour shopping marathon. It was exhausting but very productive. I have most people done and know what I'm getting the couple I have left. It's a nice feeling not to be scrambling this year. I even have most of the stocking stuffers. One Christmas present I've been working on for a while now has been Aidan's preschool teacher gifts. I decided to decorate canvas tote bags for them since, they were on sale, and I thought it would be a nice change from gift cards or candy. I got inspiration from a friend who made kid's aprons as favors for her daughter's birthday party. (All the kids decorated cupcakes and used them at the party.) I loved the idea of fabric letters instead of using a printable iron on. I think it looks nicer and makes it a little classier. So with her help and use of her Criket cutter, I was able to cut out their names on cardstock, which I then used to cut out the fabric and iron on adhesive. I used a product called Steam 2 Seam to iron them on. (Great product!) You don't even see it because it's under the fabric. Then after searching the Internet for ideas and free patterns I came up with the flower pattern. Now, this is where I ran into some problems. I used a no fray product to keep the fabric, hopefully, from fraying down the road and to keep it looking like new. The letters were ironed on before I used it and turned out all right. The flowers got it before ironing. And it showed. I ended up with some discoloration. The orange and red ended up being passable but for some reason the purple showed horribly. (I used a different type of fabric and I think this, along with the light color were to blame.) So I had to do some reconfiguring to fix it. In the end I think they ended up really cute and I hope his teachers like them. (I put a lot of work into them so they better! :) ) Actually how this whole project started was with Nana's birthday present. I wanted to make an apron for her that had the kids' hand prints on it but I didn't want to do the normal painted on prints. I wanted something that looked nicer and would last longer. I also wanted to put her name on it. And after a lot of thought about the design and some work, I think it turned out adorable. I would wear it. I hope Nana likes it as much. So there are some of my crafty projects lately. My dresser is painted and in the house. It even has Christmas decorations on it. I'm waiting until the new hardware I ordered comes in this week and then I'll post a picture. I'm pretty proud of that one too. Next up will be the China hutch, after I get a paint sprayer. (I've learned my lesson.) Got some ideas for the kitchen so it may end up a pretty bold color. Until then, have a great holiday everyone! Try to enjoy your shopping. Remember, you're helping the economy. Next time I'll have to tell you about trying to take a Christmas card pic of the kids in front of the tree. Let's just say- DIVA! :)

October Pics, as requested....

2010-11-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Julien running the Des Moines Half Marathon!

Great Grandma Fern, Grandma Shari and Olivia

Aidan dressed up for Trick or Treating!

Pebbles and Bam Bam

Helping to hand out candy.

October 2010

2010-11-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my, once again I am so far behind. I always say that I won't let it happen again and, of course, it always does. Well, when I left off we were going to Iowa. Which we did twice. First we went for my Mom's birthday. My grandmother, my great aunt, my aunt and uncle, and the normal Anamosa crew were all there to celebrate. It was a really nice time and I always cherish the opportunity, not only for me but especially my kids, to spend time with my extended family. I made some homemade ice cream and sorbet for Mom, which she loved and was awesome. Everyone ate a lot of food and dessert and had a good time visiting. Aidan had to visit the tractors probably about four times during our stay, sitting in each one. And Olivia actually slept through the night somewhere other than our house. Amazing!! The next weekend we were back in Iowa for the Des Moines Half marathon. This was Julien's first half marathon. We woke up early and got down to Greys Lake and waited for him to run by. As he went by, we all cheered him on and took pictures. Even the kids got into it. He ended up finishing in 1:53, which is great.

Then came time to get ready for Halloween. My neighbor and I had decided that our kids needed to be Pebbles and Bam Bam. With fabric being on sale, it ended up being about a $5 costume. This was the first time I'd touched a sewing machine since the 7th grade. The experience was a little harry but my neighbor Jen and I were able to get it together. The outfit was a little tight but it looked very cute. Pebbles and Bam Bam were a big hit. Now on to my next project. Or should I say projects? Of which I have 3. First, I have a new furniture project. I inherited a china cabinet from a neighbor. While I am excited to have one, this one is from the 70s and not quite up to style. So, I have some plans for it. This will be my winter project. Next, I'm already thinking about teacher presents for Christmas. I bought some canvas tote bags for half off and have some ideas on how to spruce them up. Although this involves touching a sewing machine, so we'll see how this goes. (At this point I'm thinking I may need to invest in a machine.) But my big project right now isn't a crafty one. Every time I go to see my folks we always end up going through old pictures. And every time I say that all us kids need copies of these pictures. Being part of our family history, I think it's important. So I've taken it upon myself to scan all these old pictures and catalogue them, eventually putting them on cds for everyone. If you are a brother or sister of mine, Merry Christmas! This is what you are getting! I've done probably 200 pictures, although I really have no idea, and I'm several hours into this project. Right now I have one of 3 albums left to do, then more pictures that my mom has accumulated since her birthday party. It's a lot of work and repetition but, it's been a lot of fun too. I'll be glad when it's done though.

Aidan's Birthday and First Surgery (Or turning 4 and getting sedated!)

2010-10-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it's been forever since I've posted something. Ugh. Time just gets away from me. Doesn't help when I find lots of "projects" for myself. Well, let's pick up where I left off. First up, Aidan's birthday! Aidan is now officially 4! I have always loved this age. It was my favorite room at the daycare. Kids at this age are so inquisitive and are really starting to put the pieces together mentally. Aidan has always asked a lot of questions but now, his questions are more in depth and detailed. And one question usually leads to another. How does this work, why does it do that, what is it for? I love this! I love the challenge of taking a challenging concept and breaking it down in a way that he'll understand and make sense to him in his frame of reference. He's also more independent now and makes friends quickly. He's still not very interested in sitting down and writing letters or counting for me. It's boring, he says. You have to trick him into doing it or if he shows interest, pounce on the opportunity. He's grown into the sweetest, kind hearted, smart little guy and I can't imagine my life without him.

This year we had his party at the Transportation Museum. This having the party out of the house is totally the way to go! They did everything but the cake. Party favors, snacks, plates and cups, you name it. So much easier and less stressful and the kids had a fabulous time. After the party we took everyone for a train ride. What a great day!

The week after Aidan's birthday was his surgery. Off we went to the children's hospital, after a stop at Walgreens to pick up a new toy to ease our anxieties, where we were checked in. We got matching wristbands and Aidan got cute little scrubs. I wish I had had my camera! After we were briefed on everything, Aidan was given a sedative before we moved to the holding room. They said it would relax him and make the separation easier for him. (Where's mine then is what I was thinking.) They warned us it would make him loopy. Oh boy did it. It was hilarious. I laughed so hard at him, I cried. At one point we were telling jokes when he tried to tell the nurse a knock knock joke. Half way through he stops talking and starts staring off into space. After about 30 seconds he looks back and gets this goofy grin. He was so out of it. From holding they took him to the OR, which he says he remembers as being full of cool stuff. I guess the sedative didn't "block" his memory like it was supposed to. Oh well, he didn't freak out being separated from us. We had pretty well prepared him for most of what went on. The book Franklin Goes to the Hospital was fantastic for helping him understand what it would be like. While he was in surgery we waited. It went pretty quickly and the surgeon popped out to talk to us afterwards. When we were finally able to go see him in recovery, only I was allowed to go back. (Well only 1 parent was allowed and Julien knew better than to protest.) Aidan was still asleep when I got there but when he woke up he was none too happy. He wanted his IV out right then. He didn't want to drink anything. He wanted to go home. It took a bit to calm him down and when we were moved to post-op the IV was removed. There was more fighting about drinking his juice, which he had to do before we could go home but he finally calmed down and drank it so we could go home. For the first few hours at home Aidan needed help getting around due to a caudal they had given him. Think like an epidural but, just a shot in the back that numbs. Once that wore off I gave him some Tylenol 3 to be safe. Now, the doctor had said a day or two recovery and I thought there was no way. But once that Tylenol 3 kicked in he was ready to go outside. The next day he was playing like nothing ever happened. It was incredible. He did get a little sore that week from walking too much but overall his recovery was very fast. The week after surgery we returned for a post-op check where we were told we could remove the surgical bandage and he could take a real bath again. And that was it! All repaired and all better. I wish adults healed that quickly.

Well, that brings us up to the beginning of October. Next time I'll tell you about 2 Iowa trips, a half marathon, another project I've given myself, and Olivia's costume. It's never dull around here

Shop 'Til Ya Drop!

2010-09-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I've been hard at work preparing for the local consignment sale. It's a lot of work, sorting and cleaning things, but always worth it. I get rid of stuff that the kids don't need/wear anymore and I can go get great deals on stuff they need. Win/win, right? This year I volunteered to increase my earning percentage and to scope out the goodies in advance. Not to mention, volunteers shop earliest! So, Monday night I braved the crowd of mommies with a laundry basket, a list and a plan of action and boy, was I rewarded! I walked out $165 poorer but, shopping for both kids, I got....

9 pairs of PJs
11 shirts
6 sweaters
7 pairs of pants
2 sweatshirts
2 pairs of snow boots
2 pairs of shoes
2 dresses
10 books
2 sets of lacing activities
1 puzzle
1 DVD
1 game (Hungry Hungry Hippos new in the box! Score!)
1 Little People House from back in my day (That was more for me than the kids but they like it)

As of day, I have made more from the sale than I spent and that was my only goal. The sale is on today and tomorrow (50% off tomorrow!) so I have more time to sell my remaining items. Now I hopefully won't have to shop for the kids until Spring. The only thing Aidan needs for Winter is snow pants. Did I mention I LOVE a good deal!?!?!?

Crafty, Crafty Me!

2010-09-09T11:23:00.001-07:00

Well, last time I told you the story of my first crafty project, which I now have thumb tacks for! The next project I tackled was one that Olivia was in desperate need of; a barrette/bow holder. Olivia has many of these and, as any Mom can tell you, they are awfully hard to keep track of. My first thought was to make a barrette/bow holder like one I had growing up. It was a round mirror that had yellow yarn on it that made bangs and braided pigtails and you would clip things to the pigtails. I have no idea what happened to it but I wish I had kept it. I have good memories of it. Anyway, what I settled on was a picture frame holder, simply because I had a frame with the glass broken out of it that I was going to throw away. These are the kind of projects I love best. They keep items that still have use out of the landfill and allow them to have a new life. There was nothing wrong with the frame so why throw it out? So I bought some ribbon, buttons and other decorations, and got out the hot glue gun. I glued strips of ribbon on the back of the frame. Then I glued these cute buttons I got on the front. (And I have a few left over for other crafty uses.) The O's were in the scrap booking section of a hobby store on clearance but I thought it was a great way to personalize it and it was cheap. I hung it in her closet and immediately filled it with barrettes. Like it's full full. I think she needs another one! :) All in all, I must say that I'm very happy with how this project turned out and with the ease and speed at which it was accomplished. I may have to do this again for Christmas or birthday presents.

The other crafty ideas I've had lately are knitting and bow/barrette making. I found some knitting needles recently on clearance for $.80. Yep, less than a dollar and they are normally about $5. I should have bought every single one they had left! (Once again, me in the clearance section. I love awesome finds for really cheap. My mother taught me well. ) But, I got some yarn and a little pattern book and set about teaching myself to knit. The book was no help so I turned to You Tube and found a video that I thought was incredibly helpful. So far, I have a few rows going and haven't gotten back to it but I intend to. I have a goal of a blanket. It may take me all year but I will get there!

The barrette/bow idea was born out of frustration at the price of little girl hair accessories. I find it ridiculous to pay $5 for a big flower or bow on a clip. I also have problems finding colors to go with Olivia's outfits. My daughter doesn't wear hot pink everyday, thank you very much. So, back to You Tube to find some informational videos on how to do it. Actually, it's pretty easy. I bought some alligator clips and ribbon and decided to try it out. First I used fabric glue as suggested by the video and it just did not work for me. I must have the wrong glue or something. I switched to hot glue instead and had more luck. Considering it cost me $2 for the bag of clips (25 count) and $2 for a thing of ribbon (3 yards at least) it's very cheap and therefor very motivating to give it a go. So far I've just covered the clips with ribbon for barrettes but I plan on trying making bows. It'll take a little practice to get them perfect but the hardest part so far is not burning my fingers. Once again, I can see this being a useful skill to have around holiday time.

My current project that is consuming my time at the moment is the antique dresser I bought about a month ago. After we painted the stairway and entryway I decided that the dresser would need to be painted and not restained after all. Honestly I'm a little relieved it worked out this way. Striping it and restaining it would have taken a lot of work. This will be much easier and I'm hoping it will look prefect in it's chosen spot. I have the drawers primered now and I hope to finish priming in general shortly. I will make sure to put up pictures when I'm done.

Being Crafty!

2010-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been on, what I'll refer to as, a "crafty" kick. I read a few blogs, mainly written by other Moms, about reusing items or making things yourself, partly to save money but also for the satisfaction of creating. I love the thought of saving something from the landfill. There are so much we throw out that is still perfectly good. I can't tell you how many things I keep with the thought in mind that it can be used for something. I just have to figure out what that "something" is. And who doesn't enjoy making something with their own two hands? I love hands on projects, so fulfilling! Well, these blogs have given me a couple ideas and inspiration to become more crafty. I thought this week I would share some of those projects with you.

The first idea that has come to realization I actually borrowed from a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. I loved these covered cork boards they had but not crazy about $25/panel price tag. Soon after I was inspired, I found a set of 4 cork boards at Target on clearance for $5. (You'll find the clearance isle is a big theme when I'm talking about crafty stuff. Remember what I said about a good deal? ) I then sat on the stupid things for 2 years. I guess I had lost my inspiration. After painting the playroom a couple months ago I decided it was time to tackle them. I headed to the fabric store and found out they sell cute "singles" which are individual squares of fabric about 18"x24" or so. Aidan helped pick out two patterns and we were on our way! I came home and ironed all 4 panels. I feel this is an incredibly important step you don't want to skip or you will forever stare at those suckers on the wall and be annoyed by the lines in the fabric. Don't skip the ironing. Then I used the fabric glue I got at the store as well and glued a square of fabric on each piece of cork board. I pulled the fabric tight but not too tight. You don't want it to stretch too much but you don't want it to sag when you hang it either. After the glue was dry, I cut a piece of cardboard to mount the squares on. The reason I did this and not attach them directly to the wall was for a couple reasons; one reason was I didn't want a bunch of holes in my freshly painted wall. Another reason was I was sure at some point I would want to rearrange how these were hung. Right now they are in a big square, alternating patterns. But I could see me wanting to hang them all horizontally in a line. If I attach them to the cardboard then it would be easy to do this, without messing up my wall. And the cardboard was another instance of me saving something because I knew it would be useful in another way. It had come with a picture frame I had bought and had tips on the back on how to arrange frames on the wall. I found the info useful so I decided to keep it. Now it serves two uses. Anyway, I used Velcro to attach each square to the cardboard backing and then used Command picture hangers on the cardboard. (Not only to keep the wall nice but it seemed to be the easiest way to hang it.) So it's now on the wall in the playroom. Someday I will get thumb tacks and actually use it. :) (Guess what I forget every time I'm at the store?) Next post I'll show you Olivia's new bow/barrette holder!

A Big Week for Aidan

2010-09-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

This week brought us two big events. First, Aidan returned to preschool. He's attending the same preschool as last year, although quite a few of his friends from last year are gone or attending opposite days. The morning of school, Aidan put on his new clothes and shoes and begrudgingly allowed me to take pictures. Then in the car and off to school. When we arrived, he instantly fell back into the routine. He walked right over to an empty basket, dropped off his backpack (they use laundry baskets as cubbies for the kids), took a box of toys off the shelf and started playing. He wasn't big on goodbyes last year and so far this is proving to be true this year as well. I could walk out without saying a word and he'd never notice. Olivia would love to stay and play with him though. She was very excited by all the kids and toys. When I came back later to pick him up they were still in circle time singing. So I peeked through the window in the door to see how he was doing. He was smiling, singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and doing the hand motions. You could certainly spot the returning kids from the new ones but, I'm sure they'll become comfortable before long. Aidan was happy to see me when I went in to get him and came home in a great mood. He even played WITH his sister when he got home. I was very happy his first day was a good one and I hope this year proves to be a great one with filled with lots of learning and growing.

The other big event this week was Aidan's consultation appointment with a pediatric surgeon. We noticed two weeks ago that "something" didn't look right "down there" on Aidan. He would get swelling and it would be sore. We thought there was a good chance it was a hernia and took him to the pediatrician, who confirmed our fears. She referred us to the surgeon who had operated on her daughter last year for a hernia. I figured, if he's good enough for a pediatrician's kid, then he's good enough for us. :) The pediatrician's office called and scheduled our consultation for us, which happened to fall during a business trip for Julien. Needless to say, Julien was very disappointed that he wouldn't be able to go but, this was the only time we could meet the actual surgeon and not a Fellow. Sorry, but I'm picky. I want to meet the guy who will be responsible for my son in the OR, even if it's outpatient and a relatively minor procedure. So, yesterday Aidan and I went off to the children's hospital to meet the doctor. (Big thanks to my friend Sam who watched Olivia for me. I know she slept the whole time I was gone and not hard to watch but it was a great relief not to have to worry about taking her with me. It was greatly appreciated.) The doctor was very nice and kept things short, sweet and to the point. He told me that the tube that the testicle descends down is supposed to close on its own but in this cause did not. The other side is fine and, once this is taken care of, will never be a problem again for him. It's a short, outpatient procedure that requires no pre-op appointments and only one post-op check. The doctor said Aidan will be back up and running a couple days after the surgery and we can even wait until after his birthday if we want to. Apparently this is more common than I thought. The intern with him said they do 10 of these a week. Wow! So after that appointment I felt better. I spent some time talking with my friend Sam too as two of her children have gone through surgery here in St. Louis. She told me the procedure for knocking the kids out and what the day of surgery would be like and that relieved a lot of my anxieties. I was worried about Aidan having to be stuck with needles. It was a great relief to know that wouldn't happen until after he was out completely. In the end, this will be harder for Julien and I than him. He won't remember anything due to the anesthesia. In a week they will call and schedule this surgery. In the meantime, I'm trying to prepare Aidan without freaking him out. They gave me a list of books to read to him and they even do hospital tours. It'll be scary for him but I hope we can at least take some of mystery out of it for him. It always helps to know what to expect.

A Week Without Aidan

2010-08-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, it's been awhile. I know I've said that before. I apologize. Lately it's been hard to find the time to sit and write, and when I do find the time, it's hard to work up the motivation. I will try to get caught up soon, I promise.

August started off with a last minute trip to Iowa for the kids and I. My brother and his son were down from Alaska for the Boy Scout Jamboree in Virginia. Since I hadn't seen Zac since he was the ring bearer in my wedding, I figured I should make the effort to go see them. This led to another last minute trip, but for Aidan alone. We had been talking to Nana and Grandpa about Aidan going to spend a week with them. Aidan was very excited about this idea and since we were heading North, it seemed like a good a time as any. We packed up, and after a little bit of hesitation from Aidan, we were off to meet Nana in Iowa City. From there, Olivia and I went off to my parents' house for an overnight visit. We expected to go get Aidan on Sunday. (This was Thursday afternoon.) Sunday came and went, and no Aidan. It was decided that he wanted to stay the rest of the week. As he told Nana, "I don't want to live here. I just want to stay this week. But you can come live with us. " Gotta love that boy's sense of humor. At first I really missed him but, the week gave me an opportunity to spend quality time with Olivia. I was able to really get to know her personality and give her my full attention. My mother-in-law always remarks what a happy baby Olivia is and I always thought to myself that she couldn't be that happy. Being busy with paying bills, cleaning, errands, playgroup, and Aidan (who I realized that week hijacks a lot of my attention) I usually notice the crying and fussing she does. Not so much the smiles and her laid back nature. During the week, I realized what she was talking about. Olivia is a really laid back toddler. She's a smiley, outgoing, fearless, funny little girl. And a complete daddy's girl but we'll talk about that later. The week alone was also the perfect time to say goodbye to bottles. The switch to milk started out rough. Olivia wasn't sold on the idea and was attached to her bottles. Julien and I were able to focus both our attention on making the switch completely. By the end of the week, we had stopped mixing milk in with the formula and stopped using bottles altogether. It feels really great to be done with formula and bottles forever. I have to admit, it was a little sad to throw out that last container of formula, especially since it was half full and that stuff's expensive, however I gladly welcome this new chapter for our family. And carrying a sippy cup of milk in the diaper bag is SO much easier than all the fixings for bottles. That Olivia is a big girl. Walking all the time now, using a sippy cup, even trying out forks and spoons. I had so much fun hanging out and playing with her. What a great week. And I now I can say I really know who she is.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2010-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

I know this is late but, better late than never. The end of July brought a big day in our house. Our little baby became a toddler. Olivia turned one! How is this possible? Where did the time go? I spent most of the day reminiscing about what I was doing a year ago on that day. Getting to the hospital, getting prepped for the c section, getting to our room and getting to hold her. Now, she's taking steps, uses a sippy cup and points at everything. She even looks like a toddler now instead of a baby. I kept thinking about how little she looked as a newborn and all the changes over the year. I love seeing all the new things she's learning and doing. This is one of the most exciting times and I love having a toddler. At the same time, it's bittersweet as now the time of babies in the Ross-Boon house is over. No more formula, bottles, or newborn clothes. We're on to bigger and better things.

Olivia had a great birthday party. She enjoyed being with her friends and family. And she enjoyed her chocolate cake a little too much. Poor girl got sick at nap time. Too much food! Thanks to everyone for their cards, presents and well wishes. They were much appreciated. Next month it will be Aidan's turn.

Cousin Trip 2010!!

2010-07-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last March, my nieces, Emma and Sophie, came down for a visit with Aidan. Everyone had so much fun that I decided to turn it into an annual event. Well, until they get old enough to deem be too "uncool" for such a trip. :) Aidan had been really looking forward to Emma and Sophie coming to stay with us. This is a big deal to him. So about a week and a half ago I headed up to Iowa one night, spent the night at my folks', picked up the girls and headed right back to Missouri for this year's Cousin Trip. The girls had picked which things they wanted to do this trip and we packed as much as we could into 5 days. In fact, the day they got in we went to see Despicable Me in 3D. Sunday was the City Museum to climb and crawl around the exhibits. Unfortunately, we had to leave early since Aidan had an accident and I hadn't brought any extra clothes. Maybe we'll try again next year. Sunday afternoon it rained of course, so we weren't able to do much outdoors. Aidan was able to show the girls his new play set for a bit. Since the weather wasn't cooperating, Emma and Julien went to see The Last Airbender and Sophie and Aidan stayed home and played. Monday, Julien took some time off work and joined us at the Zoo. When we got there we met up with my neighbor Jen and her son John and toured the Zoo together. We rode the zoo train, which we usually skip due to long lines, we went in the penguin house, we saw the elephants, hippos, giraffes, tigers, and we did a LOT of walking. It was hot but we made it to the exhibits that the girls wanted to see most. And you can't forget a stop at the gift shop! :) On the way home, Sophie fell asleep in the car. I think we all were exhausted. We had all earned some ice cream, so after dinner we headed to Oberweis. After our ice cream there was some talk of letting Sophie push the car home after all the sugar but we managed to arrive home safely and with everyone inside the van. Tuesday Julien went back to work and we headed off to Grant's Farm. First thing we did was to see the Clydesdales. Not only did we see them but we had our picture taken with one! Well, the kids did. They got a couple minutes to say hi to him and pet him and get him all to themselves. Very cool. Then to the tram for the tour of the preserve and into the park. It was HOT! Whereas the day before at the zoo was hot but overcast, this day was hot and full sun. (In fact, when we got home I noticed that it was about 97 degrees.) Aidan was a little fussy in the beginning of the day. He was already suffering from fatigue and wanted Mommy. Apparently Emma was no substitute. Sorry Emma. But after we rode the carousel and fed the goats, he was much happier. In fact, we got snow cones and sat and ate lunch which helped everyone. We did more walking (I think at this point I heard some comments from the peanut gallery about the amount of walking we had done so far this trip.) and took a couple trips through the misters and saw everything you can possibly see at Grant's Farm. That would include not one but two gift shops. That was when Sophie found her pink cowgirl hat and fell in love immediately. So of course we had to take it home. Emma found a nice horse necklace with her birthstone and some postcards and things. Sophie and Aidan ended up with matching tree frogs too. After that, we were all thoroughly exhausted. When we got home I made not only Olivia take a nap but Aidan and Sophie as well. Emma ended up falling asleep for a bit on the couch and all was quiet. It was a much needed rest. After that day, we were all seriously beat but we decided we were up for one more adventure. We all changed into our swimsuits and headed to the pool. After the heat of the day it actually felt awesome. Julien met us there after work and helped me keep an eye on everyone. Emma tried the big slide and Sophie even was brave enough to go down the medium sized slide. I didn't think the kids would ever want to leave. Even Olivia was having a great time. I think the concensus was that a trip to the pool would be in order for next year. Wednesday morning came and we all packed up our stuff and got in the car. A quick stop for donuts at MacArthur's, our favorite bakery, then we were off. Once again Emma was a huge help in the car. She was a huge help many times during this trip but Olivia was happy to have some to look at and talk to on our way back to Iowa. As much fun as was had, I know the girls were glad to be home and back with mom. We all had a wonderful time together. I'm so glad that Aidan and Olivia have the opportunity to spend this kind of time with their cousins and have a close relationship with them. And the girls were so well behaved and mature being so far from home. I could see a big change in Sophie from the year before. She was more comfortable being away from home this year and much more brave. And Emma, well let's just say this. If she ever wants to come and stay at my house for the summer and be my helper/nanny, I would be willing to pay. She is so responsible and never complains about helping out. In fact she pitches in willingly. Needless to say, we are looking forward to next year's trip. So start planning now girls! Let's have an even better adventure next time! :)

San Diego Pt. 2

2010-06-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I last left you, it was Wednesday and our trip was ending the following day. Or so we thought. Wednesday night, Julien and I went out to dinner with a couple of his coworkers. Then we came back to the hotel and had a drink with them. A very nice evening. I started to pack for our return trip home and was really looking forward to seeing the kids. I was done with being on vacation at this point and wanted to hug my babies. Thursday we checked out and headed to Mission Beach for our last morning in California. We parked the car, turned around and saw a big flag on a bar that said "Home of the Iowa Hawkeyes." We looked at each other and decided we must have a drink there. (Apparently the GM is an alum. They even sell a mug with their logo and the Hawkeye logo on it, which we now own. :) ) After that, we walked down Mission Beach, collecting shells for Aidan and putting our feet in the water to say we were in the ocean. We finally found Aidan a little surf board on a magnet at a little shop. About that time, my phone rang. It was an automated message from the airline telling me my flight had been cancelled and I had been re-booked for a 6:15a flight the following day. This is where I start to freak out. Julien and I had booked separately and he didn't get a call. So we thought I had been bumped from the flight and Julien had not. We took off to the airport to figure out what was going on. The whole time I'm worrying that I will get left in San Diego or that we will both get stuck and that I really want to go home and see my kids. By the time we get to the ticket counter, I'm a mess. The agent felt so bad for me she went and got me kleenexes. Turns out, there was a maintenance issue with the plane so it was cancelled. They put us up in a hotel for the night since it was their fault. (And since we hadn't turned in the rental we still had a car for the night.) The agent told us we were confirmed for the flight tomorrow so we'd be on for sure and that she would try to seat us together. There was no way to get to St. Louis that night. So we had one more night in San Diego, which we spent at Old Town for more Mexican food and Margaritas. The next morning we were up at 3am. It was the first time I had been at the airport before the ticket counter or security were open. Never been first in line for either before. At the gate they printed out our seat assignments, all except Julien's for the ATL to STL flight. (Yeah we went to Atlanta before coming back to St. Louis.) We were able to get that in Atlanta, all though we weren't able to sit us together. I had been upgraded to first class, another first. Julien was a little jealous but considering how upset I was, he thought I deserved it. All I have to say is that was a much more comfortable flight. And I had no idea first class got a drink before they even took off. But the best part of the flight was landing in St. Louis. The hug Aidan gave me when we got home was the best hug ever. It was fun to show him all the things we got for him too. I think I hugged Olivia for about two minutes straight. There were lots of hugs and kisses all around. No matter how great a vacation is, it always awesome to come home.

San Diego or Bust!

2010-06-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone from sunny San Diego, CA! This trip has been awesome. But, let me start from the beginning. Friday night, Nana and Grampa arrived to take over Aidan and Olivia duty. Grampa stayed the weekend and had to go back home, leaving Nana with the kids this week. So far it sounds like things have been going well. Both kids have been doing well and they've been keeping busy. That being said, Saturday was an early morning for us. At 4:00a we got up and told Olivia goodbye, as she was up too. Off to the airport and our 6:30a flight. We sat in Minneapolis for 3 1/2 hours for our layer over, had breakfast and tried to keep ourselves entertained. We landed in San Diego at 1:30 with the whole day ahead of us. So, off to downtown to have an awesome seafood meal at the Fish Market down by the Midway. Then we drove up the coast, stopping at La Jolla, Solana Beach and wherever else looked cool. We checked into the hotel around dinnertime. Talk about nice! What a cool place. We have our own patio which is cool. The TV is nice and big. The bed is comfy. They have a spa, two restaurants and bars, outdoor fireplaces, a golf course and is all together pretty posh for us. Sunday morning we took off for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Park. It's where they started their breeding program and have since opened it to the public. It was a lot of fun but a ton of walking. Can't imagine doing it with the kids. After the park we got a late lunch at Fatburger and then went to see the A-Team movie. Not a bad Father's Day. Monday, we went to Old Town San Diego. We toured the Whaley House, which I had wanted to do last time I was here. It's supposed to be one of the most haunted houses in the country but I didn't see any ghosts unfortunately. We grabbed some great Mexican food while we were there too. Carnitas, yum! We walked around and visited all the shops. Lots of touristy things to buy but still fun. Then after a little break we headed to the Stone Brewery for their brewery tour. The tour guide was funny. He spent the whole tour drinking a beer, which in my opinion is the greatest ad for your product. At the end we got free samples of beer, which I passed on. They also have a restaurant so we stayed for dinner. Very good food but we were still pretty full from lunch so we didn't eat much. Then back to the hotel to pass out. The time change has been hard on us. We start to fall asleep at about 9p here cause to our body it's 11p. I usually don't know what time it is and I have been confused as to the day it is on more than one occasion. But it is vacation and I have no real responsibility while I'm here. The closest thing to responsibility I've had is to make to the spa on time. Which came the next day when Julien had to go to work. Poor guy, the day he has to go to work (since this was a business trip to begin with) is his 30th birthday. Nice of me to have a day at the spa for him huh? I got a massage, a pedicure, then relaxed by the pool with an appetizer plate and a flight of wines. It was awesome! I sat around all afternoon and read by book. When Julien got back to the room from his difficult day at work, we went to a restaurant here for dinner. Dinner was wonderful and the wine was very good. They even brought him a dessert with two candles in it for his birthday. Today I've hung around the room. Julien went back to work today and then he'll be done with his business part of this trip. I went to breakfast by myself this morning and felt a little weird about it so I decided to have lunch in our room so I wouldn't look so pathetic having lunch by myself too. Tomorrow we don't leave until the afternoon so I'm hoping we will be able to do something fun in the morning. I know work was a little difficult for Julien yesterday and I would hate for him to end the trip on a sour note. I think there should be enough time to do or see something. We don't have to be at the airport till 3p. Let's hope that our return flight goes as smoothly as our flight here. This has been a lot of fun and I've really appreciated the time away and the time we were able to spend the two of us. We don't get to do that nearly as much as we should. Hopefully we won't wait another four years to do this again. As great as this trip has been, I miss my babies. And I know they miss us too. We've really enjoyed San Diego and its perfect weather but it always feels good to go home. I could use a hug from my buddy and my little chica.

Happy Anniversary!

2010-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this month brought our anniversary. We're steadily working towards a whole decade. We decided not to do anything special on the day since we have big plans coming up. So we spent a nice afternoon together as a family. That day, Aidan had refused to take a nap and instead fell promptly and totally asleep in the car. I've never seen him actually hang half out of his car seat before. When we woke up following our drive he was NOT a happy camper. In fact, he completely melted down. We arrived at our favorite Thai place for dinner and after Aidan through a fit about where we were seated, we finally were able to enjoy a celebratory dinner. The promise of ice cream helped Aidan find the will to calm down and we were able to stop at Oberweis afterwards. Instead of eating it there, we took it to Bee Tree park. Aidan loved eating his ice cream at a picnic table by the pond. It seemed to perk him up and he was ready to go play on the playground. Of course, that perk was short lived. Olivia signaled it was time to go by getting cranky and tired and Aidan responded by having another meltdown. All in all it was a lovely family evening. :) Actually it was a fun and Julien and I had a good time. Family doesn't always mean happy and chipper but we cherish every moment of it.

May Recap

2010-06-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been neglecting my blog. I do try to keep it up to date but when I get the opportunity to actually type something uninterrupted, I usually find that I have no energy or inspiration. So I'm taking a moment to recap the month of May.May brought us the close of Aidan's first year of preschool. It's hard to believe that the school year is over already! We made little candy bouquets for his teachers. I'm not very crafty but I try hard and they seemed to like them.
Aidan had fun with his classmates at the end of year picnic. We had a minor "peanut" incident involving a contraband dessert a parent brought. Don't worry, Aidan didn't get sick. The teachers got all panicked when they realized there was peanut butter in it (which I appreciate) but I realized that I will be "that parent" as long as Aidan's allergic to them.
Right after I picked Aidan up from his last day, we took off for Iowa and my niece Liz's High School graduation. Aidan had a great time playing with the cousins at their house during the graduation party. And we couldn't be more proud of Liz. Congrats on your Academic letter too! After the graduation ceremony we had to take off for Des Moines. Julien's parents needed help repairing their fence. Two new 4x4 fence posts and 32 fence boards later, Julien and I were done. It will look really sharp when it's all painted.
We spent Memorial Day weekend at home. Aidan went to the birthday party of a playgroup friend. Julien cleaned out the garage and built shelving for it. It looks great! Then yesterday was our anniversary but that's another post. This summer we have a lot planned. The grading work in the backyard might get started this weekend but I have a feeling the weather is going to get in the way. Julien and I have a trip to San Diego coming up. Yes, kid free! Then Olivia's party is coming up soon. I'm busy planning that now. And then as soon as we have her party, I'll have to plan Aidan's. Then it will be fall. This summer is going to fly by and it just started!

House guests, house guests and more house guests!

2010-05-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

The middle of April saw a flood of house guests to the Ross-Boon household. I had no idea that we were such a popular spot but after this month, I may need to get a reservation book and start charging a fee. First of our guests were my nieces, Ashley and Michele, and their mom, Julie. They were on their way from Vermont to Arizona and decided to stop by our place and visit. I always love getting the chance to see them. I used to spend a lot of time with them when they were 5 and 3 years old and lived in Iowa. When they moved back to Arizona, it was much harder to get together. Now they are practically adults. Unfortunately they were only able to stay for the evening and had to get back on their way. However, any opportunity to spend time with them is definitely worth the time and effort.

The next day, our second set of house guests arrived from Maryland. Our old neighbors Tim and Mandy and Suzy and Jason set out on a road trip to Vegas for Suzy's 40th birthday and we were the first stop over. It's been almost 2 years since we were out to Maryland and the old Shortleaf neighborhood and almost 3 years since we moved. As much as we love our new neighborhood, our old neighbors are something special. Needless to say, we've missed them and were really looking forward to their visit. While they were here, we took them to Pappy's for the best BBQ ever, they went to the Arch, and the boys went to a Cardinals game and sat in awesome seats. Not bad for two days. Everyone got to meet Olivia and see how much Aidan's grown. They said he didn't really look different, just more grown up. Eventually, they made their way to Vegas and had an awesome time. We're so glad their entire trip was successful!

The week after the Shortleaf gang came, our friend Hobie and his fiancee came to visit for the weekend. This was our first time meeting Alicia. What a sweet girl! Aidan was especially impressed by her dinosaur impression. We all went to the City Museum and had a great time. We were there for about 3+ hours and Olivia didn't fuss once. I was impressed. We also went out for Indian and Thai food over the weekend. (I'm always up for Thai food. Spring rolls...yum.) We're not used to entertaining childless people so we felt like we weren't the best hosts. But, we gave them the car on Sunday and let them explore Forest Park and the art museum there on their own. They were understanding and didn't mind going out on their own.

This weekend, Nana and Grandpa were back for a quick visit. We had a party to go to on Saturday night so they came to watch the kids. In Aidan's opinion, there's nothing better than when Nana comes to visit. Julien and I aren't "allowed" to play with him and Nana. In fact, they all went on a hike together while Julien and I took Olivia to get herbs and yard stuff. I hope he learns to share Nana with Olivia eventually. :)

It was a fun three weeks but, I'm looking forward to having the house to ourselves for a little bit.

Easter!

2010-04-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's been busy here and it's only getting busier. Nana and Grandpa were here for Easter and got to join in the fun. Nana and Aidan dyed eggs together. And Aidan hunted eggs in the backyard. He had so much fun with the hunt this year. And he got quite the haul in his basket. The day after, Aidan went with Nana and Grandpa to the Zoo. The weather has great and they had a great time. Coming up for us, we have several house guests coming in the next three weeks. We're getting ready for all the visitors. Also, we've found someone to do the grading work in the backyard and are waiting for the ground to dry out completely. (hopefully in a week or two) Then it will be a summer of trying to grow grass. Can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that. More updates of our crazy April coming soon!

Slowing Down for Once

2010-04-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last week found the Ross-Boon family on the move. While Julien was headed out to the West Coast for work and then to Phoenix to see family, we headed up to Iowa to see my folks. We arrived just in time to celebrate my parent's 47th anniversary with them. It's funny that they don't make a big deal out of it. How many people do you know that have been married that long? Not only did they have a big anniversary to celebrate but also my Dad's upcoming retirement. My Dad has been at the same company for 44 years. (Once again, how many people do you know who can say that?) He started there when my parents moved back to Iowa after my Dad got out of the Air Force. And there he stayed. Despite the LONG hours, working weekends, changes in management (I wonder how many CEOs he outlasted. :) ), changes in technology, he stayed there and worked his butt off. He decided that it was time to hang it up and slow down for once. We're hopeful that he'll learn how to do that but at the same time, we're being realistic. He actually retired this week and not while we were there. We weren't able to stay for the party they had on his last day at work as much as I wanted to. I hear it was quite the event. Lunch, a cake, even entertainment. (They had an accordion player there. No I am not kidding.) And LOTS of people. After that long, you tend to know everyone you work with. At the end of the party, he turned in his badge and waved goodbye. Now he can sit back and relax and enjoy himself. And get to work on his to-do list cause there's no way he's going to sit around for long. :) A big congrats to Dad! No one deserves a break more than he does.

This Week in the Ross-Boon House

2010-03-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

As one person gets well, another bites the dust. Julien's allergies are out of control the last couple days. Poor guy, he looks like he got socked in the eye as it's all swollen. On the other hand, Olivia seems over her cold now. She hardly coughs and generally seems more happy. She's back to eating with a vengeance. She's downing 7 ounces on average and will sit for half an hour in her highchair and eat cheerios happily. She gets half of them in her lap but the other half actually make it to her mouth. She's getting pretty good at feeding herself. We also found out this week that she likes carrots. Who knew? Aidan hated them and still doesn't really eat them. Green beans she can do without, but if it's orange she likes it.

Today was gorgeous so we spent as much time outside as possible. After lunch, we played in the back yard. Olivia promptly rolled off the blanket and into the grass. Aidan freaked out the first time he touched grass. Olivia was fascinated. She kept running her hands through it. We went back out after nap time. Olivia even went down the baby slide, with help. She was a little confused about what was going on. But, she loved watching the big kids play. Aidan would stay outside all day long if he could. This weekend is going to be rainy and cold. Yuck. Seems a little unfair that the week would be nice and the weekend would be crappy. Oh well. I have a lot to do in the house this weekend, so at least I won't be distracted.

My Craigslist adventures have been pretty successful. I sold the cradle, car seat, breast pump, and some maternity clothes. I've decided to take a bunch of kids clothes, the rest of my maternity clothes, and some toys to a consignment sale. So, I have to hang everything up, make sure everything is clean, and that all the batteries work. I also have to price everything and tag it. So, guess what I will be doing this weekend? I've been able to get hangers from some friends and that has helped a ton. I'll really hoping this sale will go well so I can add to the playset fund. I should be about half way there. This sale won't get me the rest of the way, but I'll be close. I can't wait!

Craigslist Adventures!

2010-03-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

I'm lovin' Craiglist! The infant car seat sold in less than 24 hours and I was impressed. I put my breast pump on thinking no one would want it. THREE hours later it was sold and out the door! And I had more emails about that than anything else. I guess only asking $50 helped. If I had known there was any kind of interest I would've asked for a little more. Either way, I'm glad I sold it and that it will help someone. It wasn't doing anyone any good sitting in my closet. I also sold the cradle. I needed to get it out of the house cause it was so big but, at the same time, I felt bad about listing it cause it came from my brother and sister-in-law. I didn't ask much for it and it ended up going to a very young couple. Her mom bought it for them. Funny thing, they live 5 minutes from my house and the little area they are in is so completely different than my neighborhood. The streets are like alleys, no wider. And some of the houses were so run down I wondered if they were even inhabited anymore. When I talked to the Dad to be, I was struck by how much he sounded like my nephew Justin and how young he looked. He was probably 18 or older but looked 16 to me. I was tempted to give him back his money but he was very eager to hand it to me, and his mother in law was buying it for them. And everyone deserves a little bit of pride. The strange thing was, as I pulled up I felt myself go into "work" mode, like when I was with Healthy Families. This couple was much like the ones I saw in Maryland. I guess it never really leaves you, does it? Well, I'm putting more stuff on today so we'll see where Craigslist takes me next!

Here We Go Again....

2010-03-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

You know how I said in the last post that everyone was well again? Scratch that. Olivia has been suffering with a cold for about 10 days now. It seems like she's coming out of it now but this weekend was hard on her. She was so tired that she took 4 naps a day instead of 2 and still slept through the night. She's back to playing and laughing and eating so I think we may avoid the doctor's office this time around.

Things have been busy. Olivia has been doing new things and growing like a weed! She now sleeps through the night although, she isn't a sound sleeper like Aidan. She'll lose her pacifier or cry out for a minute for no reason. But she sleeps 7p-6a usually. Sometimes she's up earlier than that, which I am not a big fan of. She's also going from laying down to sitting by herself. And she's getting on all fours now too. She'll scoot forward a little bit but no real crawling yet. And no teeth yet. Aidan was 7 mos when he got his first one but, no teeth so far. But she's got more hair than he did at this point. It's really come in, and it's finally growing in the back too. It's still darker than Aidan's. I think it may stay that color for a while. And if her eyes stay blue, she'll have such striking looks. Even if her hair and eyes change color, she'll still be a looker. :) What are the odds we'd have two blue eyed kids though?? Crazy!

Aidan and I are still active in playgroup, or as active as our schedule allows us to be. Unfortunately, the leader of the playgroup had some issues with some members and an email war broke out. It has really disappointing to see that grown women couldn't keep a playgroup civil and resolve our issues as adults and be good examples for our children. So, it broke up and ended up turning into two groups. The positive side of this is that we were able to form a new group that shares responsibility and we were able to find a way to run the group without dues. (Cause issues always come up when money is involved and when one person is put in charge.) Another plus was being able to see who people really are by their reactions (or overreactions) to the situation. Nowadays, I have no time for other people's nonsense. Life is too short. I'm glad that our friends were able to roll with the punches and that we were able to stick together. I'm looking forward to hanging out this summer. As well as Aidan is doing in school, I'll be glad when he's out for the summer. I think we'll be doing two days a week next year, especially since he'll have a whole other year after that due to his late birthday.

I've been gearing up to get rid of a lot of the baby stuff and clothes that have accumulated in the house. The infant car seat and extra base went on Craigslist last week and were sold and gone in less than 24 hours. Awesome! I put the cradle on today and in 20 minutes had two emails about it. I'm hoping I can get it sold and gone in a day or so. I'd like to get rid of the big stuff now and maybe have a garage sale for the clothes. I'd like to do a consignment sale but I missed one already and I don't think I'll make the next one coming up. There's one an hour away but I don't know if I want to drive that far. There's an outdoor sale at a local high school coming in May but it's rain or shine. I'd rather have a garage to hide in if it rains. I thought about the local consignment store but I'm not a big fan of it. Not well organized and way over stocked. I'd like to get as much as I can from all this stuff as the money I earn from it will go towards the playset fund. If I can get the cradle sold, I think I'll be half way there. Very exciting!!

Well, we all have trips coming up soon to get ready for. My parents' anniversary is coming up as is my Dad's last day at work! Woohoo! And the annual St. Patty's day feast at my house! Yum! The house will smell so good on Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

Back to Normal

2010-03-01T11:48:00.001-08:00

You'll all be happy to know that everyone is now well in the Ross-Boon house! :) Olivia was the last one to fully recover. Everyone has returned to school and work, life has returned to normal. Thank goodness.

Aidan has been doing great at preschool. Every week he brings home a "letter page" where he traces the letter of the week. I've noticed a real improvement lately. His Vs and Ws were really good. It's amazing to see the pieces start to come together for him. He has a lot going on this month at preschool too. We have Easter parties and parent events for preschool and playgroup coming up. And St. Patty's day too. Can't wait for that! I'm already planning my annual St. Patty's day feast! Corned Beef, cabbage, carrots and parsnips, potatoes, and soda bread. Yum! Then we have my Dad's retirement coming up and a trip up to see them hopefully sometime soon. So lots going on. Thank goodness we're all well now so we can get started.

Olivia is feeling better. So good in fact, that at 5:45 this morning I was woken by the sound of her babbling loudly to herself. And I mean LOUDLY. Even when I eventually took her downstairs, she was so loud that Julien could hear her up in our room. She has definitely found her voice. She's also getting close to going from laying down to sitting up all by herself. She also gets up on her hands and knees while in her crib, but for some reason, not any other time. I imagine it won't be long before I see her doing that everywhere. I got the convertible car seat out and cleaned the cover up. I can't wait to get her in it and be done with the pumpkin seat forever. :)

We're also anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring and warm weather! I have so many plans for the yard and flowers again. I still have to get and transplant my Grandmother's flowers. Julien has plans for the backyard again so more grading and mess. I'm still hoping a playset will appear in my backyard something this summer too. Even if the patio waits until next year, which it probably will, the playset would be a huge help. I can't wait to get started on it all. Come on warm weather! We're ready!

A House Full of Sickies

2010-02-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

The stomach flu is going around and it has officially hit our house. Olivia threw up Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Saturday, in bed right after I laid her down, and Sunday, while I was holding her. Lucky for me I pointed her away from me and not at me. However my carpet was not as lucky. Also she's had the nastiest diapers I've ever changed. Let's just say we've been changing outfits pretty regularly. I knew it was a matter of time before Aidan got it too. Monday he went to school and seemed like he felt pretty good. By Monday night, he was miserable. However, on more than one occasion, we've commented on how Aidan is not a puker. He's done it once and it was very small. He didn't even spit up much after 6 months old. Kid has an iron stomach. (Kinda like Mommy. :) ) Well, he threw up twice Monday night. Fortunately we were able to realize what was about to happen and get him to the bathroom in time. For Aidan to get physically ill, you know he's really sick. He even woke up at 4a crying cause he had thrown up a little on his blanket and wanted new jammies too. Since then his tummy seems to have settled. Today, he got up before me and went and laid on the couch waiting for me. (Which is weird. He's never done that before.) I got him to eat a piece of toast and drink some water, then set him up with one of his dinosaur movies. He barely moved. Then at about 10:30 he asked to go to his room and lay down. And there he's been since sleeping away. While he's been napping I took the opportunity to sanitize a bunch of toys, doorknobs, light switches, clean bathrooms, and wash laundry and bedding. I hope I can get rid of some of the germs and maybe save us some misery. It doesn't hurt to try. Olivia's mood has been better today. She's drinking her bottles pretty well and she's busy playing and babbling. But we can't seem to get over the diarrhea. So far, no signs of dehydration so I'm not sure what else I can do. I'm hoping that it will start to clear on its own. As for poor Aidan, I don't see preschool happening for him tomorrow. Even though he'll make the whole 24 hour free rule, he's just wiped out right now. I really hope Julien and I don't go down next. But if we do, we better not get sick at the same time. That would be a nightmare.

Olivia the Lab Rat

2010-02-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

I love the Mommas in my playgroup. Not only are they reassuring, funny, and fun to commiserate with but, they are always a wealth of information. Most recently, one of my friends clued me into doing market research. There is a company here in St. Louis that does market research for consumer product companies and often need participants. And the participants get paid! A couple of the playgroup moms have done diaper studies with them and told me it was an easy way to earn some extra cash. So I signed up with the company and a few days later got called. This week Olivia and I helped out with a study about size 3 diapers. We drove to their office 3 days this week for 2 hour sessions where Olivia wore the diapers they were testing. Unfortunately, Aidan wasn't able to go with me as they had a clear "no sibling" policy however, finding places for him to go didn't prove to be too hard. So, we went to their office, where Olivia hung out with out her pants on, wearing the "test" diaper, playing with other kids. They measured how the diaper fit on her and then put saline into the front of her diaper. We were sent off to the playroom for a while and then we were measured again and filled with more saline. At this point, the diaper was looking a little squishy and this was usually when the kids got a little fussy. After the designated time had passed, we were measured again, given a fresh diaper and then free to go. Pretty easy work. We did that Tuesday, Thursday, Friday this week and on Friday, we walked out with our check for $240. Woohoo!! This is my first "paycheck" in over 3 years and it felt kind of nice. Julien asked me what I was going to do with my new found wealth. I assumed it would go towards bills. Julien said I earned it and it was my money so I could do what I wanted with it. I have decided that it will go towards the playset fund. Now if I could get into another study that would just about pay for the whole thing. Here's hoping they give me another call!

Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Aidan had two parties this week, one at preschool and one with his playgroup buds. He has a ton of cards and lots of lollipops. (They seemed to be the candy of choice this year.) He and Olivia enjoyed both parties. Aidan and Daddy picked out some flowers for Olivia and I. They are making the house smell great! I got two hyacinths and may have to re-pot them and try to keep them in the house. As long as the cats don't eat them that is. I also got some chocolates which were tasty. Aidan and I made some heart shaped cookies with sprinkles. And Aidan got a new Mighty Machines video, a card, and some candy. Oh, Julien got to play his video game all day without me bugging him to stop and do something else. :)

Olivia has been doing much better sleeping lately. She goes to bed around 6:30-7pm and around 10-11pm, she gets up for her last bottle of the night. Then she's able to sleep until 6-7am. Although she will wake up for her pacifier during the night. Last night it was just once though. I'm ok with that schedule. Hopefully, we can phase out the 10pm bottle soon but I'm in no hurry. I'm just glad we're to this point. I'm really glad I took the other night time feedings away. She didn't need them and I really appreciate getting more sleep. She's down to two naps during the day. Although the times alternate some. Sometimes it's the morning and noon. Other days it's noon and late afternoon. I have to say, she definitely marches to the beat of her own drummer. Aidan was so predictable and on schedule. Olivia has really thrown me for a loop. She's a lot more flexible which is nice when I have errands to run and since Aidan is in preschool. But when we have a quiet day at home, she can still be all over the place. Not so much fun. I'm hoping things will even out for her this summer when Aidan is out of school. I have a sneaking suspicion that she will switch to one nap early, which actually may be a good thing. I have a feeling this summer will be busy for us. Anyway, I'm sure we'll figure it out in the end. I have definitely learned that babies are completely different and not to have too many expectations when you bring them home. Aidan and Olivia do things differently and have their own rhythm, with their own challenges and perks. But they are both pretty happy kids and fun to be around.

Dueling Ear Infections

2010-02-08T19:46:00.001-08:00

Remember how I said that Olivia had fluid in her ear? Well, by Friday morning she wasn't much better and, on top of it, Aidan woke up saying his ear hurt. So off to the doctor all three of us! Nice of them to coordinate their schedules and be sick at the same time. Saved me a trip. :) Sure enough, Aidan had an ear infection just getting warmed up in his right ear. (Once again he was right. I always listen to that kid when he says his ear hurts.) And Olivia's left ear was infected too now. So, antibiotics for both. It's kinda nice that at least one of them can take his medicine by himself using a medicine spoon. We spent the day trying to recoup and waiting patiently for Nana and Grandpa to arrive. Aidan loves it when they come to play. He even got them to himself Saturday afternoon as they took him to the Magic House. It was a nice break for us. We don't ever have a chance to be together just Olivia, Julien and I. Not since the hospital when we were all getting acquainted. :) Besides Nana and Grandpa coming to visit, the neighbor and I went to a spa party at my friend Sam's house. Nothing better than beauty treatments and a nice adult beverage. Then there was the Super Bowl of course. The Walters joined us for the game, ribs, wings, and chips. It was my first time making ribs that didn't involve a crock pot. Even though it took all day, they were awesome. The toffee brownies I made were way easy to make and were awesome too. We enjoyed the game more than the commercials for the first time and the team we were rooting for won. All in all, a good day. :) Now, Nana and Grandpa have left, were eating leftovers, and still recovering from ear infections. Strangely enough, I've noticed Olivia sleeps better when she's sick. Is that strange? This week is Valentine's Day parties and a four day weekend for Aidan from school. Oh, and the "snow storm" were supposed to get tonight. A whole 3-5 inches predicted. I highly doubt we'll even get that. It may sound weird but, I'd kinda like a big snow that keeps us in the house just once. That doesn't happen much here, yet every time they call for snow they act like it's the big one. You can only cry wolf so many times Weatherman! Now bring on the snow!

6 Months Old!!!

2010-02-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow, where did the time go?? 2009 flew by and, all of a sudden, Olivia is 6 months old! So hard to believe she's half way through her first year and soon enough I'll be planning her birthday party. (And then Aidan's party for his 4th bday but, I'll save that freak out for another time. :) )

Being that she's a big 6 month old now, it was back to the doctor for her check up. She is now 18 pounds 9 ounces and 26 3/4 inches long. That puts her at 90% for both height and weight, same as last time. Her growth has slowed a little, but she's still a big girl. (Compared to Aidan at this age, she's about 1 1/2" shorter and almost 3 1/2 pounds lighter. ) She kept rolling over on the exam table and playing with the paper on the table. She's been congested this week so the doc took a look. One of her ears has some fluid so if her cold gets worse or her behavior changes, she wants us to come back. Nice of Olivia to time it for an already scheduled appointment. Hopefully it will clear on it's own. She hasn't been real grumpy but she hasn't been eating as much though. I don't think that the doc was very happy with her sleeping patterns at night. She didn't offer any recommendations but really, I already know what we are going to have to do. The strange thing is that one night she'll sleep for 8 hours and the next night for only 4 hours. The doc didn't say anything about why that would be. I kind of wish this doctor would give me more info to go on. For most people, I'm sure it's enough but I'm a high maintenance kinda mom. Give me all the info you have! :) But, all in all, she's growing and healthy and doing the things she should be. Except sleeping at night. She got her 6 month set of shots and a seasonal flu shot and then we were sent along our merry way.

Her latest change at home is the minute you put her down she's rolling across the room. She's all over the place. She often rolls into the entertainment center and cries. Poor thing. She's still trying to sit up on her own but I'm sure she'll get it soon. Scooting across the floor can't be far off either. She enjoys her baby food and eats twice a day. It's hard to believe she's doing so many things and that she isn't a little baby anymore. This summer she's going to be trying very hard to keep up with her brother and the neighborhood kids. Just think, this summer she's going to be learning to walk. Crazy!

Olivia's First Ponytail!

2010-01-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Not that it was a big ponytail. It was just a teeny wisp of hair but it counts! It was harder to put in than I thought it would be but I can't wait till she has more hair! I have a ton of barrettes and bows just waiting. :)

Preschool, Playgroup and the Dentist

2010-01-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

The last couple weeks have been all about the dentist, preschool and playgroup. After 3 years, I finally was forced to go back to the dentist. (Not my favorite place in the world.) I was having some sensitivity and knew if I didn't take care of it, I'd end up really regretting it. So, this week I went back to start all the work that needs to be done. Besides having cavities, all my old fillings are coming apart and need to be replaced. Fun! My friend Catie was nice enough to agree to watch the kids for me. Aidan was happy to have her daughter Clarissa to play with. After over 90 minutes in the chair and 3 attempts to numb my teeth, I was done with phase 1. I go back in 2 weeks for a crown and more work. Then one more appointment after that. Hopefully I won't max out my insurance before then.

Today was Aidan's first preschool conference. Julien and I dropped Aidan off together, which Aidan liked the novelty of, then went to meet with his teacher. She didn't have a lot to say cause he hasn't been there all year. But, he plays well with the other kids, behaves well in class, likes the dolls and dollhouses just like the other boys do :), is independent with all his bathroom skills. He's trying to trace letters on letter worksheets which his teacher was really happy with as it's skill that's a little beyond a three year old. But, she was impressed by his fine motor skills. So, no complaints. She suggested that we let him dress himself from now on to encourage independence and since he has the skills to do it. (Just not the patience.) She said to continue working with him on his letters, numbers, etc but do it in a sneaky way since he doesn't like to sit and do it. It feels like work to him and work is not fun. :) After the conference we came back for a parent-child pizza party, then home.

We've been trying to get to more playgroup events. It's hard with Olivia's schedule and Aidan in preschool. So we hosted on Monday. A few of our friends were able to come over and make a snowman craft, play and have lunch. And of course, us moms were able to get some social time in too. I love hanging out with my playgroup mommas! It's reassuring to know you aren't the only one having problems with getting kids to sleep or finding the perfect preschool.

As for kids sleeping, Olivia is finally napping on a schedule and for up to 2 hours at a time! Hallelujah! She isn't on schedule like Aidan was nor does she have the natural rhythm to follow like he did but, we're working on it and seeing improvement. She still cries at bedtime and naptime. Now it's about losing the pacifier just as much as about going to bed. Although I think she will always fight going to sleep. She's eating more baby food too. She loves sweet potato, squash, avocado and cereal. I think she looks forward to eating at dinnertime. I got out my baby food maker and tried it out with some squash. Holy moley, that thing is awesome! Wish I had it when Aidan was a baby. It was so easy to use and blended it so well. Much better than my blender for sure! My goal with Olivia is to make all her baby food and so far I've only bought her cereal. I really hope I can keep it up. I have a bunch of squash and sweet potatoes in the freezer and hope to add some more to it in the next week or so. Not sure what to have her try next. Maybe some peas or at least something that isn't orange. She's had a lot of orange. :)

Olivia Update

2010-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe my little Olivia is 5 months old already. Where did the time go? She's gotten so big and changed so much. She's wearing 6-9 month clothes already. She's getting closer to sitting up. That balance thing is hard though. :) She's started using her exersaucer and really seems to like it. She looks so big sitting in it. She's started on cereal and some baby food. So far she likes rice cereal and apple sauce. I got a cool baby food maker for Christmas that I can't wait to use. She's not the eater Aidan was but, she holds her own. Unfortunately she still likes to eat at night and is still waking a lot. She was doing so well before she got an ear infection and now we can't seem to get her back to it. In fact, she's waking more now than she was before. It makes for some long nights and groggy mornings. I can't wait to get some sleep again. She's waking every 4 hours and sometimes, more often than that. She has a hard time getting herself back to sleep and relies on the bottle to it for her, I think. Olivia isn't a very good sleeper over all. She doesn't nap very long. I'm lucky if she sleeps 1 1/2 hours during the day. It's a big change from the way Aidan was. I was really hoping that she would take after his sleeping habits but, every child is different. But at least she's in her crib to sleep. Now if I could just keep her asleep. I think it may be time to change our game plan . One nice change is that she doesn't scream in the car anymore. That really helps. I don't think I would want to do a long trip with both the kids on my own yet though. At least the daily drives to preschool and to run errands are much more pleasant. Olivia has also started laughing. Usually it's her brother who she thinks is hilarious. I was really looking forward to hearing her giggle. It was so exciting when I finally got her to do it. And luckily I got it on video too. I keep reminding myself that it's our last time to enjoy these little firsts. Before I know it, she'll be all grown up just like her brother. And although it'll make me a little sad, I don't think I'll miss it enough to go back and do it again. I'm sure these two will keep our hands full.

Christmas and New Years!

2010-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and Happy 2010!! What a week we've had. We had quite the adventure with visits to both grandparents for the holidays. But, our busy week started with Christmas Eve. Aidan had a great time getting everything ready for Santa. He made a "letter" for him and put out the milk and cookies by the tree. I was busy all day making more cookies and Kringlas, which Aidan helped with. Kringlas are a family tradition for me so to share it with my son was a treat. I have wonderful memories of my mother and grandmother making them and I hope to someday make them as perfectly as they do. So, after a busy day of preparations, we read Twas the Night before Christmas to Aidan and sent him to bed. Of course, it took forever for him to fall asleep but "Santa" waited patiently. We put out all the presents and tried to get some sleep ourselves. Christmas morning, I videotaped Aidan coming down and finding his presents and stocking, especially his crane from Santa. We all had a great time and some ebelskevers (apologies for the spelling) for breakfast. (A Ross-Boon tradition.) This Christmas so much fun. To see it through the eyes of your children makes it new again. Aidan really understood the concept this year and enjoyed himself. After present opening, it was off to packing and the next day we were off to Iowa. We made a stop in Davenport to see Cynthia and Ron and eat at Ross's, of course. Yum! We were lucky enough to see Melissa and her family and Kelli and Max. It's been awhile since we've seen them, let alone all of them at the same time. Aidan had a blast playing with everyone. And Olivia had "blasts" of her own. Let's just say the antibiotic that she was on didn't sit very well and we had many clothing changes last week, meaning Olivia and the people holding her. But Nana and Grandpa were able to meet up with us in Davenport too so it was a big family get together and very fun. Then off to my folks. Aidan was so excited to be able to play in the snow. And even better, Grandpa found the old toboggan and Aidan went sledding! In fact when we got home Aidan was sad cause all the snow was gone, as he said. :) I don't think we'll be getting 12 inches of snow, sorry Aidan. While at Grandma's, there was play time with Sophie. Aidan always looks forward to seeing his favorite cousin. Julien broke out the Wii. Not only did we get Dad to play (he's a bowling whiz) but, Brian and the girls played too. (It really is a system anyone can play.) It was so funny to see them sword fighting on Sports Resort. Emma and Sophie both wanted to take on their daddy. Olivia got lots of love from Grandma. Like all the grand kids, she loved rolling around with Grandma on her wheelchair. From there we went to Nana and Grandpa's, where we had another Christmas and celebrated New Years. Not only did Nana and Grandpa take Olivia both nights for us, but they watched the kids so we could go to lunch and see a movie. Which we really really appreciated. It was nice to get some sleep and even nicer to have some adult time together. Before we knew it, it was time to come home. As much fun as we had last week, there's something about coming home and sleeping in your own bed again. It may take us a couple days to recover.

Runny Noses and Grumpy Kids

2009-12-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

My poor kids. Last Thursday they were fine, healthy, and happy. Friday was the preschool holiday party at which, I noticed Aidan had a runny nose. Well, it all went downhill from there. By the time Nana and Grandpa got here, both kids were congested and draining. By the time Saturday got here, poor Olivia couldn't sleep on her back so she slept in her car seat for a couple days. Saline nasal spray really seemed to help her as did the humidifier. Monday she seemed a lot better and I thought we'd dodged a trip to the doc. Aidan was much better on Sunday too. But like his little sister, his congestion has returned too. So, benadryl, a humidifier in his room, and that mentholated soap in his bath have been in order. They all seem to help but he hasn't kicked it yet. His poor face got chapped from all the wiping but even that seems improved since a little aquaphor and lip balm. The drainage is making him cough a little in the morning but that seems to be the only time. I think he only has a cold and there isn't much that can be done. Olivia, I'm not sure. She had a fever Saturday night but it broke with tylenol and didn't return. She isn't sleeping at night very well and has been a cranky pants today. She has fought sleep. Poor thing, on top of it all is still battling those teeth. Although I see white on her bottom gums, nothing has come through. And I see a lot of white. I think it's really bothering her which creates a problem for me. Which is it really? Is it a cold and possible ear infection or it is teething which won't improve until those puppies come through? Not to mention the fact that Christmas is days away and we are to be traveling eventually. Ugh. I really thought we had dodged the doctor but I made an appointment for Olivia tomorrow morning. I'll give her one more night but somehow, I don't think she'll sleep any better. It's going to be a long night. I just hope the doctor has some ideas about how to help the kids out.

Aidan's Preschool Party

2009-12-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

Aidan's preschool class carolled in the halls, made ornaments, saw Santa again, and got presents from the teachers. They also gave us parents calendars they had made using hand prints. Really cute! Aidan did a good job but he was ready to go home. Olivia was very good and looked so cute. Enjoy the video and pics!

What a Weekend!

2009-12-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

What a weekend! Friday night was my Moms' party for playgroup. What a fun night! We had drinks, played games, and talked until late. It was so needed for all moms who were able to attend. I love my fellow playgroup mommas. I'm so glad I found them after we moved here. Saturday morning I got my hair cut finally. Boy did I need that. Should probably do it more than once every 6-7 mos. I love the cut and it feels so much better! Saturday night was Julien's party for work. It was a lot of fun too. We played Scene It and I tried not to dominate too much. ;) I can't help it if I have a knack for useless trivia. But, we had a secret santa exchange and I now have salad serving spoons, and really nice ones too. And Julien got a 6 pack. Do they know him or what? Nana and Grandpa watched the kids for us. Poor babies have colds. Aidan seems to be doing better than Olivia. She had a rough night and ended up sleeping in her car seat so she could breathe. She's congested, has runny, goopy eyes, and had a fever last night. Luckily the fever is gone and saline drops have helped a lot. But I think we may have to go to the doctor just to check. This is the first time she's been sick and I don't want it to go to her ears. She's been sick since Friday so I feel like she's suffered long enough. I don't know yet if Aidan will be going to his last day of preschool before Christmas break. I may take him with to the doc. We'll see how he feels in the morning after some Claritin at bedtime. His poor face is chapped from having a runny nose and wiping it all the time. I have a feeling though, that it will be a long night for Olivia. She did sleep til 2am last night but had some problems after that. I was hoping for a relaxing week but I don't think that's going to happen. Oh well. Maybe next time. ;) Wish us luck!

Christmas Cookie Heaven!

2009-12-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

We're been a flurry of baking activity lately. Since this weekend, I've made 9 dozen cookies (dried cherry and almond cookies, triple chocolate butterscotch pecan cookies, and candy cane blossoms), two batches of party mix and a pan of oatmeal cream cheese butterscotch bars. I have already gone through three pounds of butter. By Friday I will have made 4 dozen more cookies. And next week I plan on making cookies to take to my parents' house. I may even have the courage to try and make kringlas. For the non-Norwegian contingent who read this, they are a cross between a bread and a cookie that are baked in the shape of a pretzel. They are a family tradition and time intensive but so worth the effort. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully next week I will have the time to get all these things done. This week has been crazy busy. Aidan has his playgroup Christmas party, his preschool Christmas party, I have the Moms Playgroup Christmas party, and Julien's work Christmas party. Not to mention that I have a hair appointment (yea!) and I'm getting the house clean for Nana and Grandpa to come. Whew. Thank goodness Olivia has been sleeping well at night. She's been sleeping 7:00ish to 3:00ish. Which is awesome and totally doable. In fact, last night she almost made it to 4a. I really think she's made a breakthrough and will continue to sleep this way. Of course, she's teething right now and was miserable this afternoon so I've probably jinxed myself. Her poor little gums are so swollen. I really hope they poke through soon. I think it'd be cute if she got her two front teeth for Christmas.

I've been doing a lot of Christmas shopping this week too. I only have one person left, which is such a relief. In fact, I have everything for our stockings too. Now, I have to finish wrapping whenever two little people in my house let me. :) But I even have a lot of that done too. It feels nice to be ahead this year. Usually we cut it pretty close. I'm hoping I can relax a little next week and enjoy the holiday. Wouldn't that be nice?

Aidan's "Stupid" Phase and Other News

2009-12-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

This week brought us some cold weather and horrible winds. One morning when I was up with Olivia, the wind blew so hard that it made me wonder what of ours was blowing down the street. It sounded like someone was banging on the windows as hard as they could. Everyone else slept through it though. Which is good cause it was another crazy week.

Aidan went for his H1N1 shot this week. The pediatrician's office got another shipment and he was lucky enough to get one. I had Julien meet me there as Aidan has developed a crippling fear of needles since the whole allergist trauma. (Which I got the bill for the blood work this week and I'm mad all over again.) Julien had to hold him and it still took two tries. Aidan cried so hard. On top of it, he refused to take the band aids off for days. The magical healing powers of band aids, I tell you. In fact, with his grumpiness and the weather, I decided to let him stay home from preschool on Wednesday. Even 3 year olds deserve mental health days. Or at least their mommies do. While we played hookey that day, we lost power at the house for two hours. So annoying! I had been talking to a friend about getting together for a play date and I had just said "today's not so great, how about tomorrow" when the lights went out. Definitely a sign that the play date should be another day. The next day, a couple playgroup friends came over with their kids and we all had lunch and hung out. Friday, Aidan went back to preschool and came home with some cute Christmas projects he had made.

Aidan has been saying a new phrase lately. And I know who he gets it from. And unfortunately, I can't be mad at Julien cause it didn't come from him. Recently, Aidan has started saying "I can't get this stupid thing to work." Now, when you hear it, it's cute. But, then he started saying a lot of things were "stupid." I told him that stupid isn't a nice word and even though Mommy says it, it isn't right and I shouldn't be saying it either. Then, in his infinite 3 year old wisdom, he justified it by saying, "but it's about things Mommy." That he had the complex thought process that calling a thing stupid was more acceptable than calling a person stupid is impressive to me. However, I told him it was still a no-go. Then tonight he told me to "come here stupid." Oh really? Where did you get the idea that was ok. We talked about how it wasn't ok to call people stupid ever and it was hurtful. One more and time out for him. So, without thinking it seemed, he did it again. So, time out has had. Crying ensued followed by another little talk and no more "stupids" this evening. I think he might be hearing some of the other kids using it at school and he was repeating it like a script and not even realizing what he was saying. Either that or calling the cats stupid has had more of an impact than we realized. But, it's almost like a phase he's entered. He likes to be the "bad guy" now and likes to play fight. I hope he's not loosing his sweetness. I'm not such a fan of gruff demeanor he's trying out.

Speaking of demeanors, Olivia's has changed since leaving newbornhood. She's mellowed a lot lately. No more difficult, fussy, refluxy baby. No more screaming in the car the entire ride either. (thank goodness!) Much more contented. And she has one of the biggest smiles I've seen on a baby ever. She loves kids and loves loves loves her brother. She is also a big fan of Daddy. She gets a huge smile everyday when he gets home. You can see she's excited to see him. I didn't know she could be a Daddy's girl so young but I think she is. She's really chunked up as we are apparently unable to do the teeny baby thing in this house. :) Her cheeks look like they may explode if they get any bigger and she has the biggest buddha belly. We started cereal over a week ago. She isn't sure about it but she's willing to try. Tried bananas too. She thought that was pretty interesting. She's really stepped up the eating lately to 6-7 ounces every 2-3 hours. In turn, this week she's slept so well at night. In fact, last night she slept from 7:30p-5:00a. It was fantastic! I really hoped she's turned a corner and will continue like this. I could really get used to 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Speaking of sleep, I think it's time for me to head to bed. Tonight's my night off and I want to enjoy it.

A Visit With Santa!

2009-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Today was our first field trip with preschool. We headed to the Oakland House for a puppet show, Santa, and a cookie from Mrs. Claus. Aidan was very excited to go see Santa and ask him, in person, for his crane. We got there early and had to wait outside. The place wasn't big enough to have a place to wait until our time. The place is an old mansion but every room on the first floor has an activity that the kids do then you exit the backdoor. (Which was kind of odd. Felt like you were either sneaking out or getting booted out.) So we wait outside and luckily Olivia and I kept snuggled and she stayed warm. Aidan ran around with the kids and got crazy. First you see a puppet show and hear a story. Aidan was very good about sitting and listening. I was impressed as some of the other 3 year olds were a little more hyper. Then they usher you into see Santa. Luckily I was standing next to the door since I had Olivia in the baby carrier and can't really sit with her, and we were 3rd in line. Aidan got up on Santa's lap and asked him for his crane. Which, I don't think "Santa" understood and thought Aidan said train. Oh well. Santa was trying. :) Then Aidan and Olivia got to sit with Santa and I took some pictures. Olivia almost got a handful of Santa's beard which could've been disastrous. Luckily, we were able to get away without de-bearding Santa and were ushered to the kitchen to see Mrs. Claus and get his cookie. Mrs. Claus had a neat dress on, like she was straight out of a book. And the smell of fresh baked cookies all through the house was awesome. So we found a spot to sit real quick and Aidan and I ate our cookies. The ladies there fawned over Olivia and took turns holding her for me. I quickly packed up my camera, the carrier, a blanket, and got Aidan's coat on. He turned to me and told me he didn't want to leave yet. Considering we were there a grand total of 30 minutes, I kind of agreed with him. I was hoping there would be more for him to do. I know it's only $3 to get in but I was hoping for more. But, we were ushered out the back door and out we went. On the way to the car, Aidan and I decided to head to the Bread Co. and get a bagel or something. Our friends Samantha, Gabi and Joey were able to join us too. So we had a little snack and the boys were crazy together. After that we were all beat and headed home for some lunch and a well earned nap after a successful field trip.

Ross-Boon Kid Update!

2009-12-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Thought it was time for a quick update on the Ross-Boon children. I also sent this out as an email so, if you have read this before, please humor me. Olivia just had her 4 month appointment this week. It blows my mind that she's 4 months already. Where did my newborn go? Although since she's not sleeping through the night yet, she's still a newborn in my mind in some ways. I am really looking forward to sleeping again someday. Anyway, Olivia and I went to the doctor while Aidan was at preschool. It was so nice just to have one with me for this. Especially since Olivia was asleep until I had to undress her. I hardly knew what to do with myself. Right now Olivia measures 15 lb 7 oz and 26 inches. She's gained over 3 pounds and 3 1/2" in two months. Wow! I knew she had grown a lot but that's impressive. The doctor said she thought the length measurement must have been off last time. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she was the one who measured Olivia last time. Overall, Olivia is doing great and the doctor was pleased with her. She rolled back to tummy the day before her appointment and hasn't stopped since. She's also working on her two bottom teeth. She started cereal after her doctor's appointment. She's still in the stage of playing with it and pushing it out of her mouth but she seems to like it. I'm sure she'll be enjoying her food before too long. Her hair is getting long now too. I have to brush it behind her ears or it sticks out. She has the biggest smile and loves to watch her brother. And brother loves to be involved in whatever she's doing too. She also has big smiles for Daddy. She loves her Daddy. He usually puts her to bed and I can tell she prefers him to. She's gotten into her toys too. She loves stuffed animals and she loves anything she can grab and stuff in her mouth. Our neighbors got her her own Tigger and Aidan was convinced she needed to be playing with it. So that's been a popular toy lately.

As for Aidan, it's been a busy month for him. It's been about a month since he started preschool. He seems to really like it and to be doing well. He's come home with a couple Good Listener awards and one Cooperation award. He tells me that he doesn't know the names of his teachers or classmates yet which is a little weird, but he can tell you what they did in school each day. He never cries when I leave him. In fact he'd prefer if I left quickly and without a fuss. He also tells me most mornings that he wants to go in their potty and not ours, which was one of my concerns so it seems that worked itself out. Next week the pool reopens and they will start going once a week. Aidan's a little nervous about it but we've talked it out. I had to explain what a lifeguard was which was funny. Hopefully that and the excitement of wearing new Spiderman swim trunks will put his mind at ease and he'll enjoy it. The pool only has a foot of water, maybe two. In the end, not so scary. We go on our first field trip tomorrow to see Santa at the Oakland House in Afton. It isn't stroller friendly and I have to take Olivia with so this should be fun. Lately, Aidan has been into dragons and caves. It was all he wanted to do last week and everyone took their turn helping him build a cave. He's also into using scissors and is doing pretty good with them too. He's looking forward to Christmas this year. It's amazing how much he understands. He knows about Santa and has asked for a crane from him. Which, was no easy feat to pull off. After about a week or so, I finally I found the one Aidan wanted back in stock online and for a good deal. It showed up yesterday and I rushed to hide it from him. That's new this year too. Having to hide presents. As my kids become smarter I'm forced to become more clever. Let's hope I can keep up. :) I think Aidan has gone through not just a mental growth spurt but a physical one again too. He's starting to fit size 4 shirts, not 4T. And 3T pants are getting small. We don't do small kids in this house I guess. Adrian and I kept talking about how big Aidan was now and how big he's going to be. He looks so much more grown up too. His face is changing and become more grown and it's only going to get worse. It makes me a little sad to think about the little guy he started out as. One night not that long ago, I told him something my mom told me right before I got married. I told him, "No matter how old you get, you will always be my baby." He promptly replied, "Mommy I'm not a baby!" Which is true, he's far from it now. But, he and Olivia will always be Mommy's babies, no matter how big they get or how fast the time flies by.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving turned out to be a busy week for us. Everything started off with Adrian flying in on Saturday before Thanksgiving. He stayed with us for about 10 days. It was so great to see him again. Aidan was really looking forward to Uncle Adrian coming and asked for days when he'd get here. Needless to say, Uncle Adrian was a big hit and a great sport. While Adrian was here there was a lot of video game playing, eating, and drinking beer and even some bathroom painting. :) My half bath on the main floor is now painted. Yes there is a story behind why it got done this week but, don't ask. Let's just say it was some penitence. :) Tuesday night, Nana and Grandpa got in. Aidan was super excited about that too. Not only did he have Nana, which is a big deal, but he had Grandpa and Adrian to play with too. There were caves built all over, dragons flying around, lots of coloring, and a lot of giggling going on all week. And of course Olivia wasn't left out. It had been a while since Grandpa had seen her and she's gotten big! It was also the first time Adrian had met her and let's just say, it was love at first sight. And while the kids got to play and got tons of attention, Mommy got a little bit of a break. Adrian gave Aidan his baths and put him to bed every night until Nana got here and then she took over. Everyone wanted a turn with baby girl. I actually got some sleep here and there since Julien was off all week and was able to get up with her too. Let's just say that I got spoiled too. :)

Since everyone was in town for Thanksgiving, of course that means there was a lot of food going on at my house too. We did not one but two turkeys; one fried and one roasted. There were mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes wrapped in prosciutto, homemade stuffing, bread, brussel sprout casserole, gravy, pecan and pumpkin cream cheese pies. I know I'm forgetting something but the list is long enough. And we had some champaign to toast with. It was awesome! And if that wasn't enough food, we went out the next night for more food. Adrian is a Four Seasons employee and he gets free rooms and discounted meals at their restaurants. So, he stayed at a plush hotel Friday night and we all went to their fine dining restaurant. And we took the kids cause we are that brave. LOL! Actually, we knew if someone wasn't happy we could always take them up to the room. So we all got dressed up, even the kids who looked so cute, and went for a wonderful dinner. Aidan was so good that even I was impressed. He sat at the table the whole time (which was two hours!) and ate a ton and was very quiet. We took toys for him to play with but he was happy with the colored pencils they gave him and the cool kids cup. He had some crab, some calamari, not to mention his chicken fingers and fries. (Which were really good.) Olivia was really good too. She slept half of the time and then she was content to sit in every one's laps. All the staff went on about how cute the kids were. But the service was incredible all around. The food was incredible. The wine was excellent. All around a lot of fun and a great experience that we never could have afforded with out Adrian. :) When our desserts came out, Aidan had one of his own. They brought out a plate with warm cookies, a little bowl of m-n-ms, and a rice crispy treat in the shape of the Arch and it was glued to the plate with chocolate standing up. In chocolate they had written "Welcome Aidan". Very cool and he loved it! Gina got a little dessert in honor of her birthday that had been earlier in the week. In the end, we were all stuffed and went up to check out Adrian's awesome room and great view and then headed home. That's where we paid our karmic debt for such a great time. We were stuck in traffic on 55 about 5 minutes from home for about an hour. There had been an accident that shut down all four lanes and even though I read the signs that said it was closed and wanted to take an earlier exit, Julien said those signs are always wrong and stay on 55. I'm not listening to him ever again. It was so annoying. And let's just say I'm really glad I keep a travel potty in the car at all times as it came in handy.

The rest of the week was spent going out to eat, going to the City Museum, and playing a lot of Wii. Aidan was so sad when everyone started to leave. He kept telling everyone that they didn't have to go, that they could stay here. I had to physically pry him off Adrian last night and tell him to go to bed. Poor Uncle Adrian. I know that was hard on him. Even this morning, Aidan asked where he was. So this week will be hard as Aidan will be demanding a lot of attention and cave building. But at least he has preschool and playgroup to keep him busy. Olivia on the other hand, is almost recovering from all the festivities. She's been sleeping hard today. But she also accomplished another milestone by finally rolling back to tummy today after trying all week. Of course she does it after everyone leaves. It was a busy week but a lot of fun! I wish everyone lived a little closer so we could do it more often. I know Aidan would love that.

Aidan's First Sick Day

2009-11-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

Friday, Aidan woke up with a fever, no appetite, and a need to be clingy. No preschool for him. We only made it a week and a half before he had a sick day. Oh well. So, I called the doctor and made him an appointment. Olivia's been congested all week and Julien had strep last week so I figured it was a good idea. Turns out he has an ear infection. She checked Olivia since she was there too and Olivia looks fine. She said just to ride out the congestion and keep up with the vaporizer and elevating the head of her mattress. Poor Aidan complained his ear hurt off and on all Friday. But he slept better on Friday night. Thursday night was a rough night for Aidan. He didn't sleep well and he wet the bed. But, the first dose of antibiotic seemed to perk him up a lot. He's been so excited about Uncle Adrian coming too. He can't wait to play with him. So, the holiday week begins for us today. Nana and Grandpa are coming soon and then Turkey Day! Hopefully we'll all be healthy for it.

Ferber Method, Night 4 and Tonight Too

2009-11-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was night #4 of the Ferber method. Olivia made a little noise briefly but, no real crying. She still isn't sleeping all that great due to her congestion so she was up often. Boy does she get mad when you suction her nose out too. I hope she gets better soon. I could really use some sleep and not in short bursts. Tonight, Olivia went down without a peep. In fact, she's made less noise than Aidan has. ("I gotta go potty, I want a toy, Rub my back." ) Either way, it's nice to have a routine for putting both the kids down. Makes the house feel kind of normal again.

Ferber Method, Night 3

2009-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

Last night was night #3 for the Ferber method. Olivia fussed a little longer than the night before but, it's only a matter of time before she doesn't put up a fight. She got up often last night again. I'm really hoping that changes soon. Aidan got up twice to go potty last night. As annoying as that was, I was glad he got up and didn't end up wetting the bed. With all the getting up, I was glad that I went to bed early last night. The extra hour and a half really helped today. I was able to start cleaning the house. Adrian gets in Saturday. We are all super excited about that. And Nana and Grandpa get in early next week. Lots to do to get ready for Thanksgiving. It'll be a busy week! Aidan continues to love preschool. He has no problem leaving me in the morning and he's always happy to see me when I come to pick him up. Today he came home with a turkey they made out of foam shapes and pom poms. Very cute. Tomorrow is a playgroup day and we are going bowling. Should be interesting! Well, better go finish cleaning up. Yoga class is tonight! Yay for yoga class!

Runny Noses

2009-11-16T18:42:00.000-08:00

My poor little girl did not sleep well last night. She woke up frequently due to congestion. You could tell today that she didn't get a lot of rest. This morning her nose started to run a bit and her eyes were watery. Throw in her drool and she was kind of slimy today. Poor thing. I'm not sure if it's just a cold or if teething has something to do with it too. I really do think she's teething. I know Julien probably thinks I'm nuts but I see two ridges on her bottom gums and she is drooling a lot lately. Anyway, she was a sleepy girl today. And she didn't eat a lot at one sitting but ate often. She did a little better tonight before bed. She was happy to see Daddy too as she cuddled up with him and slept on his belly. He thought she felt a little warm so he took her temp and it was 99.8. So we gave her some tylenol, put a vaporizer in her room, and got her ready for bed. Funny enough, she only cried for a few minutes, 5-10 tops, then she passed out. I don't know if the sleep training deserves the credit or the tylenol and cold does. Either way, both my kids are in bed and quiet by 9p and that's awesome!

The Ferber Method, Night 1

2009-11-15T18:18:00.000-08:00

When Aidan was 3 1/2 months old, we used a sleep training method called the Ferber method to help him learn to fall asleep on his own in his crib. You establish a bedtime routine to follow every night and then put them in their crib to sleep. After a couple minutes they usually protest and you wait 5 minutes before going in to comfort them briefly. Then you wait 10 minutes and repeat the process, adding 5 minutes to the wait time until they fall asleep. It took Aidan 4 nights before he fell asleep with no crying at all. It was awesome and he continues to be a good sleeper and a kid who likes his bed.

Now Olivia is 3 1/2 months old. And it's time for her to sleep in her crib and learn to fall asleep on her own. So last night we started the Ferber method with her too. At first, her protest was very loud. Let's just say she was a little peeved. But, after about 30-40 minutes, she was quiet. I couldn't believe it. I peeked in on her to check and she was very close to sleep if not sleeping already. When she got up for her night feeding (which we are down to one or two, depending on the night) she went right back to sleep. So, she was up at 1a and then again at 6a then slept till 8a. I'm hoping that tonight will be as easy. Aidan cried for 1 1/2 hours his first night so I was ready for a really tough fight with Olivia. Julien and I were both surprised that it wasn't a knock down, drag out fight. Don't get me wrong, her cry at first was fierce. But it didn't last as long as Aidan's steady pitiful cry did. Either way, I'm looking forward to being able to just put her to sleep in her crib and sleeping through the night. Once that happens I think the days will go a lot smoother for us all.

Update on the Ferber Front. It's been an hour since Olivia was put to sleep. She cried off and on until about 8:40. So about 40 minutes, give or take. And there was a few periods of quiet before you would hear her fighting sleep. So I am hopeful this process will go quickly. I'll let you how it goes.

A Very Challenging Week

2009-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

This week has proven to be a difficult one. Anyone who's talked to me this week or read my Facebook posts knows I've been a eensy bit stressed. It all started with the fabulous idea to go paint pottery with Aidan. So what does he do? He throws a fit getting into the car because we weren't going to school that day. So the errands I was going to run on the way to the pottery place got put on hold as I drove out of the way so Aidan could see his school. When we got to the pottery place after a lot of crying and whining, it was closed. So frustrating. So, back home we go with nothing accomplished and half the day wasted. We get out of the car to hear a strange hissing noise that after talking with my dad, seems to be the a/c condenser or the hoses for it leaking. Great. I make an appointment to take the car in on Thursday. The next day was Wednesday and Aidan's first day of preschool. Julien woke up with a sore throat and ended up at the doctor's while I took Aidan to school. Julien came home with antibiotics and strep throat. He was so sick that he was home for 2 days. Wednesday afternoon we had plans to go try the pottery place again with our friends Catie and Clarissa from playgroup. Well, Clarissa woke up with a fever and hives so once again the pottery was a no go. Which was for the best anyway since Aidan threw a huge fit leaving preschool and was tired. That night wasn't much better. In between getting up with Olivia, Aidan cried for me as he had wet the bed. So, I got him cleaned up and changed his sheets. Thursday our neighbor Mike helped me drop off the van. If the a/c condenser was the problem it would be covered under the extended service plan we bought and we could get a rental too. Great, the first thing to look up this week. I go out to find Mike and Aidan (Aidan rode with him in the truck there.) What is Aidan doing but throwing a huge fit cause he can't play in the kids' room there. Really Aidan? So, I promise some outside time and the fit subsides. I wait at home to hear about the van and take a walk with the kids. I get the call and it's not good news. It is the condenser but it looks like a rock hit it and that's not covered. Oh and that will be $870 by the way. Did you hear that thump? That was me hitting the floor. So I tell them to order the part since they don't have one but I will call back about the van. I have a complete heart attack and then call Julien. Who calls the shop and then calls our insurance. If it was road debris, that should be covered by comprehensive coverage, like a windshield. So, the adjuster will be out Tuesday, which means we have to have the car back to the shop then and we'll find out then. But they made a rental reservation for us that day which was nice of them. We'll see if we use it. So since we didn't pick up the van until Friday afternoon, I was driving the Civic. Julien would get a ride to work on Friday. Except for the fact that he didn't set his alarm right and let his cell phone die. So he woke up late and missed the call from his ride. Really Julien? So I get ready enough real quick and get the kids in the car to take him in. Lucky for him we live so close. Then back home to get ready and off to school. Where I find out that he needs a white t-shirt soon for his field trip shirt. Like ASAP. So, after leaving there I go to Target, pick one up, head home and throw it in the wash right away so it will be ready when I go to get him. 3 hours goes by quick! When I get him that afternoon, there was no fit. He was ready with his stuff and showed me what he made and his good listener award for the week. So proud of him! Talked to his teachers quick. Apparently he and the other boys like to wrestle. We'll have to work on that. Head to the post office real quick before going home and that's where he decides to have his fit. At this point I am so fed up from the week I've had I make him go in and I sit him against the wall and tell him to stay there while I mail something. I didn't care that he was crying and throwing a fit and I didn't care who saw him. I was going to get this errand done and then we were going home. I put him back in the car and went home. Now this may not sound like much to some of you. I know some people reading this have had truly difficult times lately and I'm not trying to say my problems are worse than theirs. But, it was a week of one thing going wrong and, before you could deal with that problem, another stress popped up. Add in their Olivia having a bad night or two, finding a hole in one the only pairs of jeans that fit, and the cat making noise when you're trying to sleep, and it all kind of accumulates. Now, there were moments of peace. Like Wednesday night when I started yoga class with my friend Jen. That was fun and I'm amazed I'm not more sore. And Friday night when I got to sleep and Julien got up. And Saturday, when we finally got to paint pottery with our friends like we had planned in the beginning. It was a lot of fun and Aidan did a really good job. We picked up the ones he had done a couple weeks ago with playgroup and they were really cute. So, I feel that my week has come full circle. I was able to finally accomplish the first thing that got me tripped up this week. So, I have broken the curse of the bad juju and I can move on. Here's to a good week to come!

Aidan's First Day of Preschool!

2009-11-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well, finally the big day was upon us! Wednesday marked Aidan's first day of preschool at the Y. He was up, dressed and ready to go by 7:30a. We didn't need to leave until 8:30a. I had no idea he would be so motivated to go so I had plenty of time. Aidan had a hard time being patient and kept demanding we leave already. At least he was excited. So, we got ready, took our obligatory first day picture and we were off. We had a little talk in the car about how he would be there for a couple hours then Mommy would come get him. We talked about how our friend Gabi would be there today and how he could ask the teachers for help in the bathroom if he needed to. He informed me that he wasn't going to ask for help going potty because he didn't need it. I told him I thought that was great and that I knew he could do it himself. When we walked in he didn't take off his coat or backpack, he went straight to playing with the other kids. I talked to his teachers and got all the paperwork straight while he was busy. We talked about his potty skills and his thumbsucking. (I had put in the comments section of his enrollment form that I didn't want anyone pressuring him to stop because that's his way of coping.) Before I left I tried to tell him where the bathroom was and what his teacher's name was but, he was too busy digging in the sand table. So I made him give me a kiss. As I left he was off playing with something else or I didn't bother to say goodbye. I figured that he was fine and he really didn't need me too. So Olivia and took off to run errands just the two of us. Now, that was a strange feeling. And for some reason, she sleeps through whatever store you go to when a certain someone isn't distracting her. :) I really thought when I dropped Aidan off that I would get upset and cry driving away from him. I was really surprised when I didn't. I was worried about him and was hoping that he was doing ok and that he could use the bathroom all right by himself with a big toilet. But, I didn't feel that sad weepy feeling. I guess him not being upset helped me not to feel upset too. When it was time to get him, I left Olivia home with Julien. (Who was sick for two days this week with strep. I wish the people at his work would stop coming in sick and sharing germs.) When I walked in his room, he looked at me and put his thumb in his mouth. Apparently he hadn't sucked his thumb all morning. I could tell he was exhausted. The teachers said he did really well for his first day. He listened some of the time, which I was expecting to hear. But all in all, a good day. Well, I guess Aidan had so much fun that he didn't want to leave. He threw a complete fit when I tried to make him go. I had to physically drag him out in front of the other parents. How embarrassing! We had a talk tonight during bath that we weren't going to do that again. That we would say goodbye to our teachers and leave quietly. We shall see. After school we went to McDonald's where he told me all about his morning. He told me that he painted with his hands but needed help turning on the water to wash up. He said that some boy took some other girl's book. He told me that he had milk and cookies for snack. But the teacher had to turn off the lights to get their attention cause they weren't listening. Apparently this made an impression because he told me about it a couple times. I'll have to try that one at home. :) Most importantly I think he had a good time. He's excited to go back tomorrow. He has show and tell so I have to find something that starts with J for him to take. One day and he already has homework!

Aidan's soccer class is over now. He got a little metal at the end of class that he liked a lot. He did really well for 15 minutes of class and then told Daddy he was done. He sat out the rest of class. We could not for the life of us convince him to go back. So we let him sit and watch. Maybe when he's older we'll try again. Right now, he just wants to have fun and play. So that's what we'll do.

Christmas Plans

2009-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe but, Christmas is just around the corner. It always seems to sneak up on me. This year I've been giving a lot of thought to what to do for the kids this year. Aidan has so many toys that I really don't think he needs another one, although he would surely disagree with me. And Olivia will be inheriting a lot of Aidan's old toys once she's big enough to play with them. The one thing I really would like to get them that I think they would use is a play set. I really wanted to get one this year for Aidan as he's the perfect age for it. Next year I think they both will love it. Olivia can swing at least until she's old enough to climb and explore. Julien is planning on buying a blueprint set that comes with designs and the metal hardware you need and building it himself. Should save us a bit on it which helps. Usually I get asked by family what to get Aidan for Christmas so here's my thought for this year. Honestly he doesn't need a ton of presents to open this year. Christmas gets a little out of hand in our house and I don't want him to expect this every year. So, if you really want to get him and Olivia something I would recommend books for both, dinosaur stuff for Aidan, and I guess clothes for Olivia since I'm not sure what else to get her. Otherwise I would ask that you contribute to our play set fund as I think this will be more useful over the years and it will be something they'll remember forever. Now, I understand that some people may not agree with me putting it out there like that. It's not my intention to offend anyone or tell people what to get my kids or tell them to get them something in the first place. But, if you are interested, here's what I think. Either way, I know the kids are going to have a fantastic Christmas. I'm hoping we will be able to spend time with both families but, we'll see how much time off Julien gets. Aidan will off for the holiday at preschool for about 10 days. And yes, today was the start of preschool! I will tell you all about that later. I'm about to leave to get him now. Let's just say there was no crying when I left him this morning. More on that later. If you have any ideas comments about Christmas, please feel free to leave them.

Off To Preschool We Go!

2009-11-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ever since Aidan became potty trained we've been looking for a preschool for him. He's three and it's time for him to go. So, we toured a couple and I found one I really liked. It was the Montessori preschool in Oakville. It was also $300+ a month. After reviewing the budget it soon became apparent that it was going to be too expensive. As much as I really liked that school, it just wasn't feasible right now. Especially after talking to some friends and finding out how much they pay for preschool a month. So, I decided to tour the preschool at the YMCA in South County. Aidan has a friend that goes there and I knew their rate was more in our price range. (Like half the cost of the Montessori school.) After having a 30 minute conversation with the director I scheduled a tour for Friday. Their program is 9a-12p, they get to take advantage of the kid's pool, the toddler gym and bounce houses. Their teachers seemed nice and Aidan started playing as soon as we got there. He cried when we had to leave too. So I filled out all the paperwork and paid the registration fee. He starts Wednesday. I hope that this will be a good fit for him. And of course I'm a little worried because it's his first time going to school or being away from me like this. And because it wasn't my first choice, I think I'm a little more nervous. There are a few things that I'm concerned about like that they don't have little kid sized potties like the other preschools do. And that he can't bring toys from home so no Tigger, unlike the other preschools. I'm a little worried that he won't get help in the bathroom if he needs it. I guess that's normal stuff to worry about. I just want him to be successful and to have fun. But it's only 3 hours so I shouldn't worry too much. (He can hold it 3 hours anyway. Heck, he held it all the way up to Iowa last time we drove.) I think I would feel more comfortable if I was sending him to the place I felt I handpicked and thought was the best opportunity out there, not just the best for what I can afford. This is his first experience with school and structured education. I want him to get off on the right foot and to like school since this is the foundation for future learning. I'm probably over thinking this. Either way, I've told myself that if he doesn't like it or it isn't the place for him then next year we can send him to Montessori. Wish us both luck. I'm not sure who's going to need it more, him or me. :)

The Allergist Pt. 2

2009-11-05T12:04:00.001-08:00

Tuesday I got a call from the allergist's office. They had tracked down Aidan's results. The nurse told me that his blood level was low enough that they would've done the skin test anyway. However, since he reacted to the skin test, he's still a no-go for peanuts. All that changes is that they want him to come back in 1 year to retest. They're hoping since the level was low, in their opinion, he'll "outgrow" the allergy by then. So, next year, back we go! That should be fun. Another interesting thing they found was he had a low positive for pecans and sesame seeds too. He's had both of those and never had a reaction. So, they seem to think that his body is already finding a way to adjust to those allergens and he can still have them. Hopefully the same will happen with peanuts.

This whole process has apparently made an impact on Aidan. Today he was giving the cats and I "shots" and telling us it was going to hurt "really really bad". He even told me during my "shot" not to move so much. Just like the lab tech said to him. He also told Max that he "knows it hurts. It's ok." It's so interesting to watch him process it all by acting it out and in a way where he has control over the situation. He also talked about it a bit. He mentioned the new doctor, the toys there, and that the skin test hurt although he called it a shot. I'm not looking forward to doing this again next year.

A Trip to the Allergist (or Aidan's least favorite place on Earth!)

2009-11-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Monday was Aidan's allergist appointment. I made Julien take the morning off to come with us. I didn't think that I could handle both kids and be able to manage Aidan at the same time. I was very glad that I made him come. We hadn't even left the house yet when Aidan started to freak out. He talked about the blue tourniquet strap that they used when they drew blood. He said that he didn't want the "blue thing" again. I tried to explain that he wouldn't get his blood drawn again and that it wasn't going to hurt. (Apparently I am not that convincing. Neither is Julien.) We talked about how they were going to feed him peanut butter and that would be the worst of it. He didn't like that idea either telling me that "it's ackey". (Boy do we have that kid trained well!) So, we had to tell him that it was ok just this once and maybe the doctor would let him have it from then on. We were hopeful anyway. Well we all got in the car and headed to the allergist. I made sure to pack heavy as I had no idea how long it would take or how bad Aidan would be. So, I took enough bottles and formula for the entire morning and toys for Aidan to play with. Julien had picked out a toy for Aidan to get after the appointment as sort of a reward. It was an Imaginex dragon with a knight. Very cool. So we get there and are taken back to the exam room. Aidan is ok when he sees there are toys in the room. (Something I like about that office.) Then the doc comes in. She tells us that they are on the phone with the lab trying to find the results to his blood work. Remember that blood work that traumatized Aidan that the office told us we had to do before the appointment. Yeah, the lab can't find it. This peeves me to say the least. So the doc said we would just do the skin test. The blood work would give her a number that I assumed has to do with the level of antibody in the blood. She said if the number was high it would tell her not to do the food challenge but if it was low she would do the skin test anyway. She did sympathize with us about losing the results after the whole drama it caused. I told her I'd like to hear the results anyway but I haven't gotten a call. So we did the skin test. At this point Daddy went to get Aidan's present and I helped Aidan with the skin test. I had no idea that he would freak out so hard about this too. He screamed that he wanted his shirt back on, he cried, he screamed, his face turned bright red. He fought Julien the entire 15 minutes. The doc even checked on him cause he was so loud. Well, when it was all said and done, he had a big reaction to the skin test. About as big as the control. The first time we did it about 18 mos ago he didn't react at all. And he hasn't had any peanuts or PB since then. So the doc determined it wouldn't be safe to do the challenge and he would officially have a peanut allergy. She gave us a prescription for another epipen and told us to come back at 5 years old to try it again. Since Aidan reacted this time around, that means Olivia has an increased chance of having the allergy too. Not a huge chance but enough that she isn't to have peanuts before 3 years old. So we left the office and decided to go to MacArthur's for donuts. We all had been through a lot that morning and donuts were definitely needed. Julien and I were both surprised that the skin test reacted so big. Julien even said to me "You were right. He really is allergic." I would've been all right with being wrong on this one. So, until the next allergist appointment (which I'm thankful isn't for 2 years, it'll take Aidan that long to recover from this one.) we continue to be a peanut-free household.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Aidan was really looking forward to trick or treating this year. He's reached that magical age where things are starting to make sense to him and that makes holidays even more fun. He loved his costume this year. He was a dragon with wings and all. He practiced his roar and flapping his wings. So when it was dark enough, we got both kids dressed and out we went. I thought we would go just up our street. But, all the kids in the circle came out at the same time and we decided to all go together. So we went up and down the street then further into the subdivision, and down two more streets. Aidan was such a trooper. Of course he and Lana stuck together. Not only cause they are best buds but being the littlest they kind of slowly bring up the rear. Olivia came with in her ladybug bunting costume and got a ride in the stroller. She only made it one street as it got a little too cold for her. Aidan kept on, opening his bag and saying "trick or treat" like a pro. After two streets we decided to head back while the bigger kids went further up the neighborhood. By the time we got back to the circle, they had already lit the fire pit and were drinking coffee. (It was a little chilly last night.) Aidan ran around the circle and chased the other kids. Every time a trick or treater came he would stop and come and see. Eventually, we had to put a coat and gloves on him it got cold enough. Olivia went inside to sleep and actually slept awhile without us. We had hot chocolate, marshmallows, hot dogs, wine. We gave away a lot of candy. We went through an entire 6 pound bag with less than 12 pieces left. We hung out with the neighbors and had a great time. Aidan stayed up way past his bedtime and was tired. In fact, he went to nap early today and crashed. It was a lot of fun and we can't wait to do it again next year.

My Poor Little Guy

2009-10-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today Julien called me all frantic and told me that the allergist's office had left a message on his phone. Apparently Aidan needed some blood work done before his appointment on Monday. Suddenly I remembered that I forgot to update our info with the nurse when I scheduled his appointment. But then again, the nurse never asked. So, after calling the office I was told that Aidan needed blood drawn either today or tomorrow in order for the results to be done by Monday. I decided I would just take him today and get it over with. I was not looking forward to this at all. Not to mention I had just put him down for nap. Mistake number one was trying to explain to him what we were doing before I got him in the car. I told him that I needed him to be brave and that they were going to pinch him a little. He freaked out at that. Mistake number two was not having Julien go too. We got there and Aidan was fine with being in the lab. I put him in my lap and another nurse helped to hold him. The lab tech stuck him and he flipped out!!! He wiggled him arm and the needle came out and poked him again. The lab tech asked if I wanted to come back tomorrow and try again. I told her that this needed to get done in time for the appointment and I don't think we were going to have any better luck next time. So we layed him on a exam table and I laid across his chest while the nurse and another tech held him and the first tech tried to take his blood. He cried and screamed and told me they were going to hurt him. It was awful. And oh my did he fight. The entire time. The tech couldn't keep his elbow flat and he wouldn't quit moving. So they got a little bit of blood and called it. We obviously weren't getting anymore out of him and he was terrified. Aidan got a band aid and some stickers and we went home. I set him up on the couch with a pillow and blanket and we watched some Mighty Machines and ate cookies. I felt him had more than earned it. Eventually he let me put an ice pack on his arm. Poor guy, he kept talking about his boo boo. I really hope we don't have to do that anytime soon. They better be able to use what they got from him because I don't think he'll be willing to try again on Monday.

The Kids' Photoshoot!

2009-10-26T11:26:00.001-07:00

What a busy weekend! It took both days to prepare for the photographer to come. You might remember that last March, Julien and I went to trivia night with some friends. While we were there I ended up winning a silent auction package that included a mural for Olivia's room and a professional photo package. We finally got around to scheduling and using it. I was so excited to get Olivia's pictures done and to get pictures of the kids together. And best of all, he came out to the house to do them! Let me tell you how much easier that made things. So, Saturday was spent at the mall looking for coordinating outfits. I ended up at Gymboree, which is an incredibly dangerous place for me to go, and found some really cute stuff. I wanted them to look dressy so they also satisfy Christmas pictures and the Christmas card pic if I don't get around to scheduling a family photo. So, I found red and black outfits. Aidan had an argyle sweater and matching socks. And he loved his black dress shoes and the sound they make. He was constantly taking them off and putting them on by himself. Olivia had the cutest black dress with a red bow and a red turtleneck under. I had to hunt for tights for her. I thought I would be able to just go to Target and get black tights but I was wrong. Gymboree didn't have them in her size. I've learned that I need just to go to Children's Place for that kind of stuff. They had every color and size and they were on sale. Add a red headband and some black shoes that were handed down to us and she was adorable. I didn't get any pics of her in her outfit before the photographer came but I did get a couple of Aidan. The photographer did a great job with the kids, especially considering he doesn't have kids himself, just nephews. But I guess you do the job long enough and you get used to whatever kids can throw your way. Aidan wasn't really into the whole picture thing at first and was a little shy. In the end, we used Aidan's little "girlfriend" Lana to get him to pose. We told him that "oh she'd really like that one" or "Lana will think that's so cute" and it worked! Lana had left Aidan a little card in the mailbox the other day and we even used that in some of the pictures. Her parents thought that was so funny. Olivia wasn't as hard to get to pose. :) She actually did really well and smiled a lot. We got some of her on her tummy and now that she's rolling we had to add extra pillows around her. She kept rolling onto her back while we were trying to take the picture. Too funny! In the end, it took less than an hour. The photographer had lighting and a backdrop and was very professional. And on time which is such a big thing to me! I'm really looking forward to getting the proofs in about a week to two weeks. And we get to keep the proofs as part of the package! Awesome! I can't wait to share them with everyone.

Olivia's Newest Milestone

2009-10-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I think we've recovered from our trip to Iowa. Although I think it reinforced Olivia's dislike of the car. (It may be a long year before she gets to turn around and face forward.) As soon as we were home it was off to the races as normal. Off to soccer, where Aidan seems to be listening less and less each time we go. I think we have come to the conclusion that we will go back to soccer if he wants to when he's older and ready. Sunday was laundry and cleaning and trying to catch up while exhausted. This week has been more go-go-go. We managed to accomplish this week getting the Civic inspected and re-registered, going to playgroup, getting Aidan's physical form completed for preschool, going to the post office, and I even read a book.(I know, don't be shocked. When Olivia wants to be held while napping I figured I should make good use of the time. I read Breakfast at Tiffany's this week.) Also this week I was able to schedule with the photographer who is coming out to take the kids' pictures. I won this photo package way back when I won the mural in Olivia's room. I'm excited about this. They will be Olivia's first pictures. And the photographer is bringing backgrounds and we don't have to deal with going somewhere to have them done. I still have to get their outfits, which I better hurry up and do as we're scheduled for Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping that next month we will be able to do a family portrait and Christmas card. We're not doing it this weekend because we only get so much for free and I'm not sure what this guys prices are. And I know of a place here where I can get 40 pics of one pose for $10. That's definitely in my price range. :)

We also had an exciting thing happen today. Not only did Olivia turn 12 weeks old today but she rolled over for the first time! We were playing on the floor and I noticed she's close to rolling from back to tummy. I thought she might be able to make the other way around so I turned her over and got the camera, just in case. Sure enough, two minutes later, she got herself all the way over! And I was able to video tape it on my camera. I actually have Aidan's first rollover on video too. How cool is that? I love being home and seeing all the firsts. It's amazing how quickly Olivia is growing and changing. She's incredibly strong. When we sit together, she tries to pull herself up to a sitting position. She has abs of steel! :) It won't be long until she's sitting up and then crawling. I know the time will fly by even faster than it did with Aidan. Hopefully that means sleeping through the night is around the corner too. (No, she still isn't doing that.)

Tomorrow we're off to playgroup to paint pottery. Should be fun!

Meeting the Family

2009-10-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids and I ventured to Iowa to see my family. Big thanks to my in laws for riding up with me. They had come down for the weekend. We even got a night free to go out with our friends the Walters for a double date. We got to go out to dinner and see comedian Dave Attell. It was so much fun. I hope we get to do that again. At the end of the weekend, Gina and Tim drove up with me. It was so much easier to be able to ride in the back with Olivia. She actually did pretty good as long as she could see me and as long as I could give her back her pacifier and help her back to sleep. She has such a hard time staying asleep. When we got to Grandma's, my nieces Ashley and Michele were there. It was so good to see them. It had been a long time. Aidan instantly loved them, Ashley in particular. Michele loves babies and was inseparable from Olivia. It was kind of strange to see her hold and feed Olivia since Michele was the first diaper I ever changed 15 years ago. We had so much fun together during their time in Iowa. And I always enjoy spending time with Julie and I don't get to do that very often. After their visit, Aidan got to spend time with Sophie, Emma, and Sarah. It's neat how the older she gets the more Aidan will include her in his play. This time they played tag together and Aidan was very gentle with her. It was so cute. Although Sarah wasn't sure what to make of her mommy holding Olivia. I think there was a little jealousy as she climbed up in her mommy's lap while she was trying to see Olivia. It's hard not to be the baby in the family anymore. ;) Something else I noticed this trip was how much my niece Emma has grown. She's almost a teenager now and boy does she look like it. I don't know who gave all these kids the idea that they could grow up but it wasn't me. It makes me feel old. Liz will be 18, Ashley will be 17, Michele is 15 and now Emma is 11 1/2. It's only a matter of time before I say the same thing about my own kids. I can't hardly believe that Olivia is 11 weeks old now. She's smiling all the time and cooing. She had a 5 minute conversation with my mom. Apparently she had a lot to tell Grandma about. Of course she won't do that for me. While we were at my parents, Olivia got to meet her Great Grandma too. My grandmother and great aunt came down to visit. We were able to get a 4 generations picture with Aidan and Olivia in it. And I was able to get some pics of Ashley and Michele with their great grandma too. It was such a great trip and it was wonderful to see everyone and have everyone meet Olivia. Of course that meant the trip home would be terrible. Aidan was great on the ride home. He always is. This time I had a DVD player for him and he watched movies the whole way home which helped him tune out Olivia. As for her, she cried for 40 minutes before falling asleep. She did nap for a little over an hour. We had to stop for an hour for lunch for all of us, potty break (which Aidan refused to go and held it the whole way home), and gas. After that, it was a lot of crying and a little sleep here and there for her. Then, I decided to take the back way home when I got to St. Louis to avoid rush hour on the beltway and it backfired. It added 30 minutes to my trip. So that and the crying and my own fatigue really wore on me. By the time I got home I had to warn Julien that anything he said for the following hour would just be wrong and to expect me to be pissy. After an hour I calmed down a bit and was able to relax. Boy was I tired and enjoyed a full night of sleep. Now if I could just get Olivia to do the same thing. It was a great trip but I think we'll wait a while before we do it again.

One Step Closer to Preschool

2009-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Exciting stuff happening this week. First there's the 1am wake up I got from Aidan cause he had to go potty. I was more than happy to get up and help him. I was just shocked he woke up. It was kind of convenient timing too because Olivia woke up for a feeding as soon as I was done with Aidan. Then, last night Olivia went 6 hours between feedings. She did wake up briefly at 2:30a but went back to sleep after a diaper change. Then after she ate at 4:45a she went back to sleep til 7:30a. It was heaven. Now if she had skipped the diaper change, it would have been perfection. :) I wish that could become the norm. Then today she was actually pretty calm in the car, including falling asleep in the car. I think the patron saint of babies who scream in the car was looking out for me this afternoon. Yesterday the patron saint of lost keys was there for me at Costco when I about had a panic attack when I realized my keys were gone. Someone had already turned them into customer service. (I think I cashed in some of my karma this week.)

The most exciting thing this week was touring preschools with Aidan. We went to tour the Montessori preschool and La Petit. Having given those kinds of tours when I worked at Busy Bee, it was odd to be on the other side of that situation. Although very helpful in knowing what exactly to ask. Aidan liked going to visit too. At the Montessori school, he walked away from me almost immediately and started playing and talking to the kids. And one of the teachers engaged him right away too, which impressed me. Then he sat with them for story time as I toured the rest of the building and didn't realize I was gone. I think he's going to adjust just fine. So, after touring them and talking with Julien we've decided to send Aidan to the Montessori Preschool. I think it's a better fit for him. I think they'll be more supportive of his learning style. I certainly think he's a kinetic learner. Next week I'll call and talk about when we can enroll him and what days he'll attend. Lots happening this coming week too. We have Nana and Grandpa visiting. We have a trip to Iowa and my folks get to meet Olivia finally. We are going to see a lot of my family this week. And of course, soccer continues on next weekend. We're going to busy and very tired by the time it's all over. But, hey, that's the norm around here.

3 year and 2 month Stats

2009-10-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

So, we had our pediatrician appointments Monday morning. Luckily Julien was able to meet us there as both kids got shots. I know he's really busy at work so I appreciated that he was able to skip out for a couple hours. Of course the day he needs to get back to work at a decent time is the day that the nurse is out. Which means that the docs were doing everything from getting weights and giving shots. So they were behind of course. Luckily, only 15 minutes behind though. (I love that at our office 15 minutes behind is unusual!) Olivia went first. She is now 12 lbs 3 oz and 22 1/2". That's 75% for weight and 50-75% for height. She's gained 2 more pounds and another half inch in a month. She's growing so fast! The doctor was pleased with her progress overall. I told her about the fussiness and gas. She think that just may be the way she is. (She said she may be high maintenance. I think that's pretty true. :) ) She did recommended elevating one end of her mattress a little to help her sleep at night. She didn't think she had reflux although she said it's possible. Either way it's not enough to concern her. She got two shots, no flu shots though as she is too young. She may get one at the end of the flu season when she's old enough. Aidan was 34.8 pounds and 39 1/2". That's 75% weight and 90% height. Boy did he shoot up this year! I swear he was 35" maybe 36" last year. That's a big jump. But that's my bean pole. :) He did such a good job during the exam. He even sat still long enough to have his hearing checked. And he was very brave about his flu shot. First he cried it hurt him and then when he saw the band aid, he immediately wanted to show his friends. So funny! He got a bag of goldfish crackers and two stickers for being so good. We talked about the swine flu shot. They didn't have them in yet but she recommended getting it for him. She said that they expect a lull in swine flu cases that would be followed by the onset of flu A and B cases. So, just getting one shot would leave him vulnerable for the other half of the flu season. So, when they come in, we will return for him to get the other shot. That's another shot Olivia is too young for. The doc was happy about his potty training. It was nice not to have to ask her for advice and have to say "no he isn't yet" when she asked. She said it was time for him to go back to the allergist and to see the dentist. Luckily it's open enrollment time at work for Julien so he can add him to our dental plan. Now it's time for him to get ready for preschool. She actually asked if he's in a preschool program yet. She said he's more than ready from what we could report on his social skills and his academic skills. So, today I called two preschools in the area and have scheduled an appointment to go see them. I'm a little sad about it actually. When did my baby grow up? How can it be that he's potty trained and old enough for school? There were times when I thought this day would never come and look, now it's here! So I'll look at La Petit and a Montessori school this week and go from there. I may go see the preschool at the Y too. He has a friend in that preschool. They only have half day programs where the other two have full day. I'm trying to decide whether to do two full days or three half days. And then we have to figure out how to pay for it. :-S I'm sure we'll find some money somewhere. After the medical bills get their share and we finish paying off Julien's school bill. Ah, lovely. Just another fun part of being an adult. I have a feeling next year will be cheaper! LOL!! I can hope anyway. :)

Baby News and Soccer Update

2009-10-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

Things have felt very busy lately. There never seems to be enough time and it feels like everything needs my attention all at once. We've had some mad dashes to get the house clean. First, for Julien's aunt and uncle from the Quad Cities then for a friend in from DC that Julien used to work with. Although it's a lot of work, I can't have people over and the house be a mess and it helps me keep up with the house anyway. Olivia has gone back to sleeping in her swing. She wasn't sleeping well in the crib and seems to do better sitting up more. She gets congested at night, or at least that's what it sounds like. She would constantly wake up and it was getting a little old for me. So I tried her in her swing again and it worked. So, I've been in the living room with her as I refuse to take the swing up and down the stairs all the time. So far she'll do up to a 6 hour stretch between feedings and sleep up to 5 hours. She has one good stretch and then is up usually 3 hours later and then a little bit after that she's up for the day. She is the early riser I feared she'd be. Usually up at 6a although I can cuddle with her and convince her to sleep a little bit longer sometimes. I am not a morning person at all. I have no idea where she gets this early morning thing from. She's eating more at a time, up to 5 oz. She still has those times where she doesn't eat much and she eats more often. She has a horrible time getting to and staying asleep. And I still have to be careful laying her flat after eating or she spits up. She still fusses more than Aidan did. Although the sleeping at night seems to be helping some. But there's a two hour period from about 5-7p where she just fusses. It's her witching hour I guess. On the positive side, we are getting a lot more smiles from her. She can smile so big! It's so cute. Aidan has a flat smile like Daddy. Livvie has a big smile, more like mine. She also has started cooing which is equally cute. We have little talks. It's fun. She's starting to reach for toys above her when she lays on her back. I'm still having problems getting her to track an object past the midline. I think that will come with time though. She's getting big! She's too long for some 0-3mos stuff and into some of her 3-6 mos stuff. Aidan was 6 weeks when he moved into 3-6 mos clothes so she's not as big for sure. But I see more chub in her cheeks lately. And her head is big enough to wear headbands and not have them fall off. She looks so cute in them.

Aidan had soccer again today. Apparently all the kids took their hyper pills before class as they all had problems listening. In their defense, their normal coach wasn't there today. He still had fun even though half the time Daddy was trying to get him to listen. (I guess that really wouldn't effect his fun though would it?) He did really well at Red light Green light today. We practiced that one. :) And the big accomplishment was that Aidan was in underwear during soccer today. And no accidents! Yay! I took a little video today. I'm going to try to get some better ones next week. Tim and Gina will be here. I'm sure they will get a big kick out of watching Aidan at soccer too. So, enjoy the video.

Happy Birthday Aidan!

2009-09-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Aidan had a great birthday this year. We had a few of his playgroup friends over in the morning. My neighbor had decorated some cupcakes for me. They turned out really cute. Aidan couldn't wait to eat them. So, he and his friends played and had lunch. We all sang to him and he blew out his candle. After filling the kids full of sugar, we opened presents and played some more. Later that day, we had dinner with our friends Mike and Jen. They got him a soccer ball and net. He loves them!

In fact he had soccer again this morning. He joined in right away this time. Although at one point, he told Julien, "Daddy I feel shy." Julien had to ask him to repeat himself cause he couldn't believe that Aidan had said that. How many three year olds do you know that know when they feel shy and will tell you? So, Julien told him that it was ok and that they could just watch till he felt better. A couple minutes later they joined the class again. (I got there late with Olivia so I missed this.) But, I saw him do all the drills and listen to the coach. Much better job than last time. And they got their class shirts today. He was so excited to put it on. I think soccer class was a good idea. He's really enjoying himself. Next time I'm going to take some video of him at class.

Fussy Baby

2009-09-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

As wonderful as Saturday was, Sunday was horrible. Saturday night was rough for Olivia. She had a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. It made for a long night. Then Sunday was a fussy day. She's had fussy days before. But this was the worst! If she was awake, she was fussing and crying. As soon as she was asleep she would wake up again, even if you held her. She's never been a big napper, not like Aidan was. Aidan would sleep for hours if you would hold him at this age. Olivia will sleep maybe an hour and then is up again. It's so interesting how different they are. Aidan was very predictable. His eating and sleeping patterns were that, patterns. She is so inconsistent. She'll have a couple good days and then a bad one. She'll be fussy and not eat or sleep well, then she'll have a day of good eating and be in a good mood. She'll sleep a four hour stretch one night and the next, only do 2-3 hrs. tops. And what you do one day will work completely differently the next day. The only thing that seems to be the same is that she seems to naturally wake up around 5-6a. (Although you can get her to go back to sleep for a little while.) I think she may be an early riser. Aidan will sleep until 7-7:30a normally, and every now and then 8am. Not Olivia. Both kids go to the pediatrician in two weeks and I think we may have to talk about her fussiness again. The doc was concerned there may be some acid reflux going on. I'm starting to think she may be right after yesterday. Olivia was sooo gassy and unhappy. Eventually last night Julien sat her up and kept burping her for about 30 minutes. She burped twice really big and spit up and after that, she seemed to be happy and fell asleep. She did better over night and today was been pretty good. In fact while I was making her a morning bottle, she looked up at me and gave me a big smile. (She has started smiling here and there. Usually for Daddy. ) I can only hope tomorrow is a good day too.

Soccer Practice and Apple Picking!

2009-09-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today was Aidan's first day of soccer! He talked all morning about how he was going to kick the ball and listen to the coach. Ok, I was telling him he needed to listen to the coach. We planned a trip to Eckert's for apple picking after wards, so all of us piled in the car. Julien was complaining that we were too early but, when we walked in, there was a ton of people there already. Classes are held on an indoor soccer field at a place called Vetta. As we got there, the first class of the morning was finishing and we spotted our friend from playgroup who goes too. Julien and Aidan got his name tag and found out who his coach was while I talked with my friend and watched her boy. Aidan's coach is Coach David. (that should be easy to remember.) He was so excited to get on the field. I stayed on the sideline with Olivia, talking with another mom, while Julien helped Aidan. (This is a parent/child class. We're not ready for an individual class.) The first 5-10 minutes were a little rough. I could see Julien getting frustrated as Aidan refused to participate. He wanted to kick the ball. Then he wanted to sit with the ball and watch everyone else do the warm up exercises. I tried to tell Daddy that this was normal for Aidan. (Remember gymnastics??) And he may need a couple sessions to get used to it. I'm not sure what happened, if the coach got him motivated or they got to the fun part or what, but Aidan started participating! The coach was pretty good about trying to get the kids to stay on task and very friendly. He definitely earned his money today- ten 2-3 year olds for 45 minutes. Oh boy! They held the ball against the wall with their heads, they kicked it at the wall, threw it against the wall. They had to set cones back up with their feet and not their hands. They jumped in hoops. They did a little red light/green light drill with running the field. At the end they get together in a huddle, put their hands in and yell "I like soccer!" All in all, very cute! I told Aidan I thought he did a good job and I was proud. You could tell he was pretty happy with himself. And it wore him out too. So, this week we need to practice what we learned and talk about listening to Coach David. I hope next week we'll jump right in and participate from the get go. I think he's really going to like this class.

After soccer and a quick bottle for Olivia, we headed off to Eckert's for lunch and apple picking. Lunch was great and the wait to be seated was short. Although, it was enough time for Olivia to spit up all over her shirt and get changed, take Aidan to the bathroom and have him tell me the big potty was scary and for Livvie to get fussy. *Sigh* Once we were done with lunch, things settled down and we had a good time. Olivia slept in the baby bjorn and Aidan was excited to ride out to the trees in the hay wagon. (We talked about how cool the John Deere tractors were. :) ) Once we got out there, Aidan was all about picking apples. We had watched the Caillou where he goes to the apple orchard with his class before we left the house, so we talked about how Caillou picked the apples off the tree and not off the ground. We got a bunch of golden delicious, some red delicious, and some jonathans. You know as much fun as it was, it was a lot of waiting in line. We waited in line to get on the wagon to go out to the orchard, waited to get a ride back, and waited to pay for our apples when we got back. Much to their credit, the lines moved very fast though. I guess I was hoping for a less commercial experience. After apple picking, we tried to get Aidan to ride some of the rides they had. They had bounce houses, swings and pony rides. He didn't want to do any of that. He wanted to play in the big sandbox they had, of course. We decided at that point we could do that at home and we could go now. Aidan was terribly upset by this but once we got moving in the car, he dropped the protest and promptly fell asleep. By the time we got home, we were all exhausted. It was a fun day but long. We are planning on going to the airshow at Scott AFB tomorrow however, the weather may ruin our plans. If it rains like they say it will, we'll stay home. Maybe that's a good thing after how busy today was.

On the potty training front, Aidan continues to do well. He refused to use the big potty while we were out and didn't even want to use the travel potty I take in the car but, he was dry when we got home. I think he holds it so he can go in his own potty. Now the challenge is to get him to stop using the little potty and use the big one. One step at a time.

Family Update: Conquering Potty Training, Growing Babies, and Adult Time.

2009-09-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

My little guy has done so well this past week. Only one pee accident last week! We've graduated to wearing undies at nap time and outside to play. He even told me he had to go potty in the middle of playgroup at someone else's house. I was impressed. I think he's really getting it. Today he wore undies away from the house for the first time during our grocery shopping trip. I'm so excited! I haven't changed a diaper for him in two weeks. He wears pull ups but I count those as separate. :) And those stay dry most of the time anyway. So, I think we'll soon be looking at preschools and talking about starting him. There are three that I want to check out. It's exciting to think about and kind of sad at the same time. It will be weird to be away from him like that. But, it will be a little while longer before I have to worry about it.

Olivia is doing well. She's a little fussy here and there. Boy can she get fussy when she's tired. Aidan wasn't like that. She's a slow eater too which is nothing like Aidan was as well. She is definitely her own personality. She went almost 5 hours between feedings last night from 8:30p-1:15a or so. Then she slept until 5/5:30a. So, slowly she is getting there. Although, she may end up being an early riser. She has a hard time going back to sleep after her 5/5:30a feedings. I'm hoping she grows out of that. She's getting bigger every day. I've noticed her outfits are getting shorter. She lifts her head during tummy time. She getting more control of her neck. She not a fan of the car yet. She'll scream for a while before going to sleep when we're driving. Aidan always asks, "Why is she crying? Why is she loud?" Very funny.

We left both kids with our very brave neighbors last night so we could go to dinner together. Our neighbors have a 8 mo old so I imagine having 3 under 3 in one house was very exciting. They said it went well and all the kids were good. We certainly appreciated the chance to get out of the house and have adult conversation for a while.

Saturday, we were able to go see where Julien works for Family Day. This was the first time I've been able to see his office in 7 years. The last time was right after we were married and he didn't have his clearance yet. There were lots of areas roped off with caution tape. But we got to see his desk. We went to the park and then off to lunch afterwards. So all in all, a busy weekend. Well, Olivia is stirring and probably ready to eat again. Aidan will be up soon from nap as well. Quiet moments don't last long around here.

Another Potty Training Update

2009-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Aidan's been doing a great job this weekend with his potty training. In fact, he peed in the potty chair and emptied it into the toilet and flushed without Daddy noticing. Very funny! So I think he's got peeing down while he's in the house. Now, while he's outside and out running errands is another story. He's been doing ok outside. We remind him often and make him come in every now and then to try. But so far, he won't tell us when he has to go. He doesn't want to miss out on the fun. I'm open to all tips on how to handle going out and going outside. So far, we use a pullup which we call "training pants." He told me you can do whatever you want in a diaper and not use the potty so we make a distinction between the two to encourage him not to go in the pullup. It works pretty well so far. He gets up from nap dry for the most part. (We've tried nap in undies too with ok results.) But, eventually I want him to get used to undies all the time. I'm a little nervous about having him in the car with undies on too. I can only imagine cleaning up an accident in the car seat. Ugh. So, any tips are welcome! We've changed how we award potty presents too. He has poop in the potty or not have a pee accident all day. He still gets to put a sticker on his potty chart when he pees in the potty but no more presents. Maybe if he goes potty while out and about or coming in from outside. He doesn't really get fruit snacks anymore. I'm hoping in about a month he'll have peeing down pat and we'll have made good progress on pooping. Then I can start looking at preschools for him. At first that thought was really exciting. Then the more I thought about it, I started feeling sad and a little anxious for him. That's a big change. When the time comes I'm sure he'll be fine and I'll be the one having the hard time.

We've returned to playgroup, I'm happy to say. We went to our first one since Olivia was born. It was nice to get out and see friends again. Aidan loved playing with the kids although, he needed a little talk about sharing a garbage truck toy. It's interesting getting two kids out the door. I'm going to have to start a little sooner than I used to, that's for sure. ) But, it's good to get some practice. And play dates at some one's house is a nice, less stressful way to start.

Olivia is still growing like a weed. I swear she feels heavier than yesterday. She didn't sleep well last night which means I didn't sleep well either. She was wide awake at 3am. I took about an hour to get her to fall asleep again. Then she was up at 6:30a. So after a lot of fussing, we went downstairs. I slept on the couch and she slept in the swing. Julien keeps saying how he can't wait till we can use the Ferber method to teach her to fall asleep on her own. We did it with Aidan at 3 1/2 mos and it worked great! I keep thinking another 6-8 weeks. Then maybe I can get some sleep too or get something done around the house as she still likes to be held while she naps. Which is part of her problem with getting back to sleep. I know I shouldn't wish her life away but, it'll be nice when she sleeps at night and takes naps in her crib. Right now, I'd settle for a smile,which should be coming soon. Oh well, lots coming up. Playdates, doctor appointments, family visits. Should be fun.

Aidan's Potty Training Saga Continued.....

2009-09-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

So, last time I mentioned that we are trying the whole potty training thing again with Aidan. We started last weekend and, although I really wanted this to work, I didn't have high hopes. But, I was determined to keep him in underwear and not cave and put him back into diapers like last time. Since we're going to be home anyway, seemed pretty easy. So, he had his new potty chair that he chose. And he had his new dino undies from Nana. We talked up the benefits of going potty. And the first couple of days, we didn't do so well. We had accidents and he didn't seem to get it. So, I read tips and advice on the internet and formed a new plan. This time, I bought John Deere fruit snacks (Which we don't usually have.) and he got those every time he sat on the potty. This worked much better than I thought it would. In fact, I started giving him half of the snacks at a time to make them last longer. Eventually he picked out Spiderman fruit snacks and we've moved on to them. Then, I stole an idea from a friend and told him not to pee on his dinosaurs (or whatever was on his undies). I had him try often and he seemed to like trying. Then, following a tip I read, I bought a bunch of little dollar toys and told him if he went pee in the potty he would get a "potty present." This was pretty motivating. He was pretty excited about his first success. Then he thought he got a present for just trying and we had to reexplain the rules. :) But, he was still peeing and pooping in his Pullup when we'd go out or at nap time and bedtime. Then Thursday came a break through. At breakfast, he kept complaining that something hurt him. I didn't get what he was trying to say and next thing I know, he's peeing at the table. It dawned on me, he had to pee and that's what was hurting him. So I explained it to him and cleaned him up. Soon after, he tells me that he wants to sit on the potty and, low and behold, he peed. Since then we have done much better. He tells me he wants to pee in the potty and he also pees when I ask him to sit. (We've started phasing out the fruit snacks and he doesn't get a potty present for every success.) He's played outside for a little while in undies and come back dry. He's stayed dry in Pull-ups when we've needed them too. Today was a big day. He didn't have any accidents today, including the two hour nap he had in undies. (Although I don't think he slept today.) He even played outside and stayed dry. So, riding this wave of success we've been encouraging him to poop in the potty as he hadn't done the deed yet today. He fought the idea all day today. He told me at one point that "it wouldn't fit in the potty." Too funny! I told him no matter how big it was I would clean it up. We kept asking him though. Finally, right before bedtime he told me that he wanted to go poop in the potty. Daddy scooped him up and got him on the potty quick. A few minutes later he popped up with a big smile and announced him had gone poop and pee. We were so proud of him! And I think he was proud too. Daddy told him he would get more fish for his tank this weekend as his potty present. I hope we've turned the corner and he keeps up all the success. The real test will be when we are away from home. Especially when we take trips in the car. But, it's nice to feel successful instead of completely desperate and hopeless. Hopefully I will have more success to report soon.

1 Month!!!

2009-08-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, but Olivia is one month old now. I can't believe it. Today was her one month check at the pediatrician's. Not only did I have her with me, I took Aidan too. I am bound and determined not to be intimidated about taking them out together by myself and keep taking trips here and there with them. And the doc's office is pretty contained. However, I have come to the conclusion that taking two kids out at the same time is pretty much like herding cats. To all those with multiple kids out there, tons of respect to you and I am in awe of whatever technique you have perfected! Anyway, Olivia is doing great! She is 10 pounds and 4 ounces and 22 inches long. She is 75% all around. Not as huge as Aidan was but she's still good sized. The doctor talked to me about trying to increase the amount of her feedings (funny huh since she's 75% already) to encourage her to sleep longer stretches, especially at night. I think she would like to see her sleep longer than two or so hours at a time and quite frankly, so would I! She also asked if she falls asleep on her own at all during the day. Sheepishly I had to admit no, not really. She likes to sleep while being held just like Aidan did. At night she usually falls asleep as soon as she's done eating but not so much during the day. Although today, she ate 5 oz over the course of an hour and now has been sleeping for about 40 minutes in her bassinet. Cross your fingers that we can repeat that progress again! I talked to her about Olivia's fussiness today. She woke up about 4am and was so fussy. Julien got up and tried to feed her and she kept spitting out the bottle to cry. But then she would be hungry and try to get the bottle back. Then she wouldn't go to sleep. So I took her and went downstairs cause I was afraid that she was going to wake Julien and Aidan, she was being so loud. Eventually she and I fell asleep on the couch. Through the morning she continued to be fussy. The doc said that if it becomes a regular thing to let her know. We talked about a couple things it could be so we'll see. She got one shot, which she cried at initially and then she was fine. I was surprised. I was also surprised at how well I took her getting a shot. With Aidan, I cried and nearly needed to leave the room. Amazing how time changes things. :)

An Aidan update as well. His bday is coming soon. I'm trying to decide what to do for it. He's not having the mega blowout that he had last year. Instead, we got him a fish tank and 4 tetras. I think we're going to have cake and ice cream and invite a couple kids over. Also, we are trying potty training again. I let him pick out his own potty chair and he likes his dino undies Nana got him. So we're trying. We'd like to send him to preschool but can't until he's potty trained. One thing he will get to do either way is going to soccer. I signed him up for Kickaroo class at a place called Vetta. They're known for their sports programs and have a really good reputation. Of course the closer we get to class time, I'm going to call and double check his registration. I've learned from the whole swimming lesson fiasco. But, he'll go on Saturdays with Daddy for eight weeks and learn some basics. They don't really play games yet they just get used to being in class. The next class up he'll go on the field by himself. I really hope he likes it. He loves to kick the ball around and seems to have some natural talent. I really want this to go better than gymnastics! Class starts the middle of September so we'll see! One thing's for sure, it never slows down around here!

3 Week Growth Spurt

2009-08-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a challenge. Olivia hit the three week growth spurt. So, that meant a lot of eating, some fussing and gas, and a lot of getting up at night. Monday through Thursday night, I did not get a lot of sleep. Julien was a sweetheart and took Olivia all Friday night. He even slept with her downstairs so I wouldn't hear her and wake up. I really appreciated the sleep as I sorely needed it. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty though. Saturday Tim, Gina, and Ginna came down to visit overnight. Ginna hadn't seen Aidan in about 2 years and we were excited for her to meet her second great grandchild. While they were here, Gina and Tim volunteered to take Olivia Saturday night for Julien and I so we both could sleep. Talk about awesome in-laws! So I was able to sleep two nights in a row. Of course she slept better for them than she did for us all week. They're always better for the grandparents than for the parents, right? :) It was a nice visit. And my house is clean for the most part as we cleaned like maniacs Saturday morning before they got here. Sunday night it was back to normal and I got up with Olivia, who was back to waking up every two hours and being fussy. Last night was better though. She went 2 1/2-3 hours between feedings and fell asleep and a little easier. She seems to do pretty well in her cradle. I'm hoping she'll start going 4 hours between feedings soon. She already eats 3 ounces at a time so you think she could go a little longer in between. She does much better than Aidan did at this age. He slept in his car seat for the first 3 months. She's sleeping in actual designated sleeping area already. :) And he was up every two hours for a while. I remember being very tired with him. Olivia likes to sleep on us though. Especially napping during the day. She doesn't nap for long usually, but she naps longer if she's being held. I hope that changes soon too. I'm trying to be patient but, I'm ready to be on a schedule again. It's so much easier to get things done and it's much less hectic. I look forward to a set nap time for everyone so that I can plan errands and chores. Another thing that would help our day would be if Aidan was potty trained. He still has no interest in it. I really don't want to force the issue but he's going to be 3 awfully soon and still no progress or expressed interest. I'm getting tired of changing everyone's diaper all the time. We may need to try it again soon and see how things go.

Adjusting to Life as a Family of Four

2009-08-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

The couple of weeks have all been about adjustment for our family. Managing two at a time has been a little tricky since Nana went home. Olivia is a pretty easy going baby so far. She has difficult nights here and there. Including last night into this morning but, I think gas was the culprit. She seemed much better after a poopy diaper. Anyway, the hardest part has been dealing with Aidan. I knew that this would be a big adjustment for him. His whole world has changed. He had my attention and time 100% of the time before. Now he has to wait cause the baby needs my attention too. So, he's had a hard time listening and following directions. I get tired of repeating myself especially when I ask him to do something I know he can handle by himself. Then today we went to run a couple errands. This was our test run of sorts. It was the first time we really ran errands the three of us. Aidan got a haircut and we stopped at Walgreens on the way home for milk. Aidan did great with his haircut. And he even had to wait 10 minutes for our usual lady. Olivia was asleep pretty much the whole time. (Finally, she had been fighting it all morning.) He got a sucker he was so good. Then we stopped for the milk. We almost made it out without incident. I even paid and was ready to go. Aidan threw a fit over a bag of chocolate covered pretzels. I asked him nicely toput them back. Did he? No. He cried. I took them and put them back for him. He threw himself on the floor at that. So I'm holding Olivia in her carseat, asleep, and the milk. Now I have to figure out how to get him to the car with my hands full and I'm still not able to lift him yet. So I put the milk in the hand that has the car seat too and grab his hand and drag him out. Luckily I was able to pull him to his feet and as soon as we were out of the store he was willing to walk, crying all the way. He was doing so well. I don't know what it was about those stupid pretzels. I hope my patience holds out and we survive this transition.

On a more positive note, Julien has been trying to teach Aidan how to tell knock knock jokes. It's pretty cute. He has one he can tell correctly most of the time. Otherwise, he makes them up and he cracks himself up. I'mhoping to catch it on video and post it. Also, he and Daddy are setting up his birthday present, an aquarium. We went to Petsmart last night and got a bunch stuff for it. I had no idea they were so expensive! Holy cow! This better work out and Aidan better love his fish, that's all I gotta say! He's very excited and having a hard time understanding that he has to wait till the tank is ready before we can get his fish. Life is just hard when you're almost three.

2 Weeks Old

2009-08-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, but yesterday Olivia turned two weeks old. The time is flying already. How is that possible? It seems like we just got her home. Aidan is warming to her but is more interested in his toys and playing. She just doing enough let to be fascinating to him. That will soon change. Olivia is eating a ton and growing everyday. I swear every day, I look at her and and see changes from the day before. She's starting to have decent periods of alertness and wakefulness. This morning she was up for almost 3 hours. Of course, part of that could be cause she likes to sleep on mommy's chest. She's particular about how she's cuddled. She definitely has preferences already. She sleeps pretty well at night. Although last night she had some problems getting back to sleep after eating. When she fell asleep then she was fine. In fact she slept for a stretch of about 3 1/2 hours. That may not seem like a lot but at 2 weeks, I'll take it! It's surprising how we've kind of fallen back into getting up at night. It still makes me tired but, I've adapted surprisingly well. I guess it's like riding a bicycle. I think it's been a little harder for Julien. Although he's stayed up a couple times to do the first nighttime feeding so I can sleep, which I always appreciate. And a couple nights, I did all the feedings so he could sleep all night since I knew he was tired. We're starting to figure out how to adjust our normal routine. Although, Nana left today. Now we're on our own and the hard part starts of figuring out how to manage two. It's not so bad when we're both home. It'll be more challenging when it's just me. Boy, was Nana a huge help! I don't know what we would've done without her. Aidan would've had a tougher time of it. Life would have been harder for me too. She was able to handle all the chores and errands that I couldn't do. I can't wait till I can drive again and vacuum and lift things. I hate feeling useless. But, hopefully the beginning of next week I will be doing some of those things again. I'm not trying to rush. The last thing I need is to be out of commission because I couldn't be patient. It'll be nice when things settle down though. I hope that's soon.

Olivia's First Week

2009-08-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that a week has gone by already but, Olivia is now 9 days old. Time is already flying by. I guess when you spend 3 1/2 days in the hospital you lose track of time. A couple days after our discharge, we went to the pediatrician for our first visit. Once again, she was gaining weight, adding two more ounces. The doctor looked her over and told us unless there was a problem, we didn't need to come back until her 1 month visit.

Olivia also met the neighbors this week. We had a visit from another one of my friends from playgroup. Her 3 year old son is one of Aidan's favorite friends. So really that visit was more for him. But he needs some extra attention and it was fun to have a chance to talk with Toni. She and her family are moving to Germany in a few months (they're an Army family) and we'll miss them. Nana has been keeping Aidan busy otherwise. What a huge help she's been! I can't imagine what this week would have been like trying to care for Aidan too.

So, the breastfeeding.... In the beginning things went great. Olivia was taking to it. Then we came home. That day was successful. That night was terrible. She was up from 3a and trying to nurse often which I was expecting. But she popped off a lot and didn't want to stop nursing. By the next morning, I was so beat up. (FYI, this may get a little graphic. If it's TMI skip down to the end. I won't be offended.)By the end of that day, I was in enough pain that the thought of her trying to latch was terrifying. It was more painful than the incision at that point. So, I pumped for a few days hoping I would heal in the meantime and that I could try it again. But that wasn't happening. So after enough days of pain and bleeding and raw skin, I decided that I would stop. I was hoping that breastfeeding would be this wonderful bonding experience and that I would enjoy it. In the end, all I could do was stress about how I was going to feed Olivia and I wasn't spending any time enjoying her. That wasn't what I wanted at all. I have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for moms who are able to make it work. And I know by bottle feeding, I open myself up to a lot of criticism and judgment. However, in the end I had to be honest with myself and what I was willing to do. Olivia continues to eat like a champ and gain weight. She's sleeping for longer stretches at night. And she's still gorgeous. :)

Olivia's Big Day!

2009-08-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning came and we were up at 4:30a preparing for the big day. Nana got in the night before and Aidan was excited as ever to see her. So, as they slept, we got our bag, kissed Aidan goodbye, and drove off to the hospital. As we walked up to the entrance, I could feel the butterflies going big time. (Being up at the crack of dawn didn't help either.) They got even stronger as I was escorted back to a labor and delivery room to get ready. Nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists all paraded in and out, each with their little spiels for me. Everyone was really nice and very reassuring. I'm very glad the anesthesiologist was so upfront about what complications I could encounter and that there were ways to remedy them. More on that in a minute. So after I had my IV started and signed my paperwork, they gave Julien his scrubs to change into. (He looked so cute. Although he said so himself which wasn't as cute. :) ) I was led back to the OR without him to get prepped. Good thing too, I don't think the Dads should be there for the first 5 minutes, they are the most intense in my opinion. They sat me on the table and gave me the spinal which starts working immediately. Holy Cow! By the time I was laid down I couldn't feel my legs. Then they put up the drapes and get you all set. Except I started feeling weird. Remember those things they said may happen? I started feeling dizzy and nauseous. Then I felt like I couldn't breathe even though I could. The medicine comes far enough up the chest that it messes with a few muscles there and you start to feel panic, even though you are breathing fine. They gave me a couple injections into my IV for the nausea and to help my blood pressure and helped talk me through it. Soon enough I felt fine again. That's when Julien was brought in and the show started. Soon enough I felt tugging and pulling. I could hear the docs talking and hear some suctioning but before I knew it, she was out. I felt immediately lighter. And then she let out quite the cry! Boy can she be loud. I watched her get cleaned and checked. She was 8lbs 4oz, 21 inches, just one ounce off my prediction. Julien even got to cut the cord this time. They stitched me up and let hold her. She even rode with me when they wheeled me to recovery. The nursery nurse gave her a quick sponge bath and gave us our matching bracelets. We tried nursing right away and she seemed to take to it. I was so excited. I was so hoping. So off we were shipped to our postpartum room and by about 10a we were all settled. It made the day seem so long since we got there SO early. We kept trying to nurse and changed a lot of poopy diapers. We made all our phone calls and since the hospital had wifi, even posted pics of her. By the end of that day, they helped me sit in a chair to get out of bed. It actually did feel good. Especially to get out of those stupid compression leg wraps. They help circulate the blood in your legs to prevent blood clots. A little annoying after the first day. Morning of the second day, the took out the catheter (thank god!) and had me walk to the bathroom. That day I kept trying to get out of bed and walk a little. I even took a shower and that wore me out. I had a lot of visitors. Our neighbors the Walters came up twice to see us. Four of my friends from playgroup came and brought us presents. Grandpa Tim arrived Friday night and was able to come visit before visiting hours were over. With Aidan we only had a couple people come by, so it was nice that so many of our friends wanted to come wish us well. Anyway, I tried to keep moving like they said to. Everyday the pain of the incision and bruising got better. And with a lot of help, it seemed that nursing was going well. In fact, I felt good enough to go home on Sunday instead of Monday. The pediatrician was pleased with Olivia as she had gained back an ounce from the weight she had lost. (She went down to 7 lb 10 oz and went back up to 7lb 11oz) I had met with the lactation consultant twice that morning and I was feeling confident. (Of course everything changes when you go home, but that's another post.) So off we went. It felt so good to be home. I couldn't believe that I had spent three days in the hospital, had my first major surgery, and now I had two kids instead of just one. So much change in such little time. Now the hard part begins.

The End of the Journey

2009-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Here we are, my last day of pregnancy. Where did the last 40 weeks go? It's incredible how fast the time has gone. I'm ready for tomorrow and, at the same time, very nervous. I'm horribly uncomfortable, unable to sleep well at night, and very slow moving when I'm awake. I'll be glad to say goodbye to all that. Although, I'm trading those things for not sleeping through the night even though I'll have the ability, constant fatigue, and lots of soreness as I heal. So, it' s an even trade. :) I know in the end it will be worth it. I'll be so glad to see her face tomorrow and start learning about who she is and what kind of baby she'll be. But, as a second time mom, I don't have that luxury of ignorance about the first few weeks that lie ahead. I know exactly what I'm in for. I remember how much the recovery hurt, how hard breastfeeding was, and how little sleep I will be getting. So, as excited as I am, I also have asked myself, 'Am I really doing this again?' And the answer is, of course I am doing it again. I will survive just like last time. You secretly hope things will be easier the second time around. Even so, I know I will be so amazed by the wonderful little baby that I'm bringing home that I will gladly tend to her every need. But part of me is still looking forward to 3 mos and on. LOL! :) Aidan seems excited about his sister. He asked me this morning if his baby sister was coming out of my tummy today. I reminded him that was tomorrow and Nana is coming today. I'm amazed by how much he seems to understand, especially at his age. He knows I'm going to "the hospital place" and that his baby sister has to come out of my tummy. He also knows now that if she "breaks" my tummy the doctor will fix it and give me a band aid. He seems to know that I won't be home right away but I'm not sure that's really sunk in. And when I come home, I will bring Olivia with me. She'll be loud and cry and need lots of help. But, he's already had practice with our friends' baby and loves to help with him and play with him. (He even shared Tigger with him the other day. I know! That's big.) It's going to a big change for all of us, as much for me as it will be for him. It will be a big adjustment to manage caring for two instead of one. I've been told that I will think that one was pretty easy after having two, which I can totally see. Aidan's a pretty easy child to care for, all things considered. I've been very lucky with him. I hope my luck holds out for the newest member of our family. It was weird to hang out with Aidan this morning, knowing it would the last time we'd be together just the two of us. I know there will be times when I just have him, but it's the last time I will be known as Aidan's Mommy and only his mommy. I worry about how our relationship will change. I really don't like the idea of leaving him for four days and not being there for him. I don't like being away from him for too long or too often. I hope that we will still be close and he will still know that Mommy loves him and he has a special place in Mommy's heart. (Your first always holds a special place. Not that you love them more. I guess it's one of those things that if you have kids, you understand.) I know all these things will work themselves out in the end and it will be all right. You can't help but worry though.

So I will trying to enjoy my last night and relax. I'll hang out with Aidan and just enjoy playing. I'll finish the loose ends like packing and getting the seat in the car. I'll try to keep Julien calm. I probably won't sleep at all tonight and will be off very early in the morning to the hospital. Hopefully soon I will have time to write about the delivery and all about Olivia Paige. Oh and pictures too. Wish us luck!

My Last OB Appointment

2009-07-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today was my last OB appointment. (Ever!) Weirdly enough, it was my quickest too. Everything looks good and I'm all set for the c section in a few days. I'm very uncomfortable and have some swelling in my hands and feet. I've reached the point where I am ready to be done. I'm hoping that feeling will outweigh my nerves about the surgery. I've gained about 35 pounds. So I actually gained a couple more pounds than I did with Aidan. Oddly enough, I've had more compliments about how I look this time though. I must wear it well or distribute it a flattering way. :) Julien told me that they are taking bets on the size of the baby at work. He's guessing 8lb 10oz. I'm down for 8lbs 3oz. (Feel free to leave your guesses too. :) ) I've been very tired lately. Although today I've had a boost of energy. I think it's that surge you get in the final push. Her room is all ready. I finished the last of the little touches for the decor today. I had Aidan painting and playing today. He was really good today, a very good listener and followed directions. At one point I thought to myself, who are you and what have you done with my child? I think a morning at home was in order for both of us, as much as I hated to miss my last opportunity to meet with our playgroup for a while. But, I need to conserve my energy and get the last little things done. It won't be long now until we meet little Miss Olivia.

Down to the Wire

2009-07-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

As my time has been winding down, I've frantically been trying to get to everything on my to-do list. I've noticed, though, that with each passing day I seem to move slower and slower. This week was actually quite productive despite my slowing speed. We were able to stock the freezer with a bunch of essentials that will come in handy after Olivia's arrival. I made a ton of cookies. 6 dozen, give or take a few. Julien was able to get to the yard and finish the hand digging left over from his huge yard project. I was able to get to the bathrooms upstairs today, which was a big accomplishment. I celebrated by taking an hour long nap afterwards. Hey, it was a lot of work. :) I'm getting to the end of my list and hoping that when I do, I will feel the sense of relief and preparedness that I'm hoping for. We'll see. I'm also trying to make sure that Aidan stays busy and that we get to do some fun things together before I'm home bound. We went to see Ice Age 3 this week. That was a lot of fun. The theater was pretty empty so it was nice to have a whole row to ourselves. Aidan liked the dinosaurs in the movie. We are about to finish gymnastics class, which I don't think we will be taking again. Not a big hit. However, we start swimming lessons next weekend and I think that will be much more fun for him. And it's a Daddy and Aidan project. I figure if he's going to learn the basics of swimming, he should be with someone who can actually swim and isn't afraid to dunk his head. It might make the lessons more successful.

Well, we have playgroup this week as well as an OB appointment. It'll be the last minute dash to finish nesting. And trying to get some rest here and there too. Wish me luck. :) I'll keep you updated.

Yet Another Pregnancy Update! A Date Has Been Set!

2009-07-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Monday I went back to the OB and told her my decision to go forward with the c section. She seemed visibly relieved. Which made me feel that I had made the right choice, if not for medical reasons then, maybe she wasn't the right doctor to have if I tried to do things naturally again. (Not everyone is my hero Dr. Esposito.) So, that day, after several phone calls and a little confusion, my section was finally scheduled for my 39th week. (I feel a little weird about posting the date here for anyone to see, so I will email it out to everyone.) I have to be at the hospital at 5:30a and the surgery is set to start at 7:30a. Boy, is that early! Julien is not looking forward to that. Although, if that's the hardest part of his day then I have little sympathy for him. :) I'm hoping that I feel good enough that day for Aidan to come see me and Olivia once we are out of recovery. I really hope that Julien stays that night too. He said he might the first night but will probably go home the other nights. He had a bad experience when Aidan was born. The room was really cold, the fold out chair was uncomfortable, and they didn't have enough blankets for him. By the end of the stay he had a head cold and was miserable. I told him this time around that I was ok with him going home as long as he was there during the day and maybe stayed the first night. That's when I will really need him. I'm not sure what to expect as far as pain goes. I know how hard it was to get in and out of bed after Aidan. It was like torture! Julien was very good about getting up and getting Aidan for me. I know I will be very sore but in a different way than last time. Only time will tell to what extent it will slow me down. I'm a little nervous about being in the hospital so long too. I hate to be away from Aidan that long. I'm sure once I'm there and have nurses and lacation consultants to help me, I'll want to stay there. :) For now, I'm in that mad rush to get my to do list done before I go to the hospital. I'm trying to fill the little chest freezer that we got this weekend. I've already made a ton of pancakes. I'm open to donations too. ;) Also any suggestions for dinners that freeze well are welcome too! I'm trying to be as prepared as possible. We'll see how much I get around to before the big day. Julien got some good news at work. He called HR to discuss his options for taking leave for the birth. During that call he explained that he needed to be home to care for me cause of the c section. Well, once they heard that they said he can take 40 hrs paid for free (not counting against his vacation) as sort of a paternity leave. Well, that would've been nice to know! Apparently they don't advertise this as Julien had never heard of it in the 5 years he's been there and not even when he took time off for Aidan. I guess if you tell people about it, they'll want to take it. So, I'll be taking some paperwork in to the OB and he'll be getting a free week off. Which is what employers should do at the very least in my opinion.

So that's the news for now! Everything looks good with the baby. We just try to get ready for the big day!

Decisions, Decisions

2009-07-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

Monday was my weekly OB appointment. I was a little anxious about this one, as I knew we would discuss the ultrasound and how to proceed. The doctor told me that she knew I had expressed the desire to avoid a c section and that she would support me as much as she could but, she could make no guarantee. In fact, she must have said about 4 or 5 times "as long as you are aware of the risks." The concern she has is another 4th degree tear and there is no way to know for sure how my body will compensate during labor and delivery this time around. She said if I was too tear that way again I could be facing long term consequences such as fecal incontinence. Let me tell you, those two words scare the bejesus out of me. (Sorry if this is TMI. But, these are the technical medical terms. :) ) So, she said it was up to me in the end. I could have a wonderful vaginal delivery and have no problems. Or I could have what I had last time. So, she sent me home to think about it. I talked to a few friends to get some ideas. Unfortunately, I don't know many people who have had the experience I've had. At least, not that have had subsequent pregnancies and deliveries. I looked at some message boards online to see what other women have experienced. Some decided to err on the side of caution and some went for it. I didn't see anything that really made me feel like 'yeah this is totally doable. I'll be just fine.' If anything, the posts I read just made me worry that people would think that I took the easy way out. Everyone seemed to have an opinion about what was the right thing to do and not many people who had objective opinions. I don't know why I'm always worried about what other moms think but, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care. Then, I had a friend tell me not to see a c section as the easy way out, neither way is easy. And she's right. Neither way is easy and the decision itself is not easy. So I know that, in the end after careful consideration, I will make the best decision for me and baby and anyone who feels justified in judging my decision can just keep it to themselves. One friend also reminded me that I have remember to look after me too. That I will be caring for a newborn and a toddler and that I have to think of my recovery as it will effect the way I care for them. That is very true and I was grateful for the reminder. It's always awesome when your friends give you perspective and remind you of what's really important. What good am I to them if I'm not healthy? So, all that being said, I have made my decision. (I did include Julien in the decision making process by the way. I just realized I forgot to mention him. He's been of the same opinion for a while so he didn't want to unduly influence me and let me make the decision on my own really. ) I will be scheduling a c section this time around. I will end delivering in my 39th week. I return to see the OB early next week and should have everything scheduled then. Until then, there's a lot to get done in preparation. I just hope I can get everything ready in time.

Pregnancy Update (pt 2)

2009-07-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Thursday was presumably our last ultrasound. This time we had it in the doctor's office instead of at the hospital. The technician works at Wash U here in S. Louis, as well as working for my OB's office one night a week, so I was pretty confident in her. No 3D ultrasound this time though but, that's ok. This was the first time we have had an ultrasound this late in pregnancy so to see the difference between 20 weeks and now was amazing. First thing we saw was her head, which filled the screen. (Which I think she has her brother's big noggin. ) They measured her all over. You could see her femur in detail. It was cool. She measured the fluid level, which was fine. She even checked to make sure she was still a girl. (I just needed to make sure. It's a nightmare of mine.) And she said, "Oh yeah, that's 100% a girl. So I felt relieved. In the end, the tech said her weight is estimated at 6 lbs and 3 oz and she's 60th percentile. So, if that's truly where she is right now, she will weigh around 8 lbs 3 oz at birth. To some that may sound like a lot but I was relieved to hear that. It's over a pound lighter than Aidan was at birth. I was a little scared that she would end up being bigger than he was. If she can stay right around 8 pounds, I think I have a shot at avoiding the c section, which is my hope at this point. It'll be interesting to hear what my OB thinks when I go back this week. I'm hoping she will be as positive as I am but, we'll see. I have a lot of questions for her and I'm hoping to get satisfactory answers so I can make a decision. I have also been doing a lot of research on the Internet about delivery after a 4th degree tear. A lot of it has to be taken with a grain of salt because it is, after all, the Internet and also, a lot of what I read were personal experiences shared on message boards. I have yet to read a post where a mom had the exact same experience the second time around, which was encouraging. However, reading what the risks are with the type of tear I had are made me think more about the c section. Boy, was I lucky that I had such a fantastic doctor who had the experience to deal with the situation. I have had relatively no lasting complications from it, especially compared to some of the women who posted. I can't even imagine going through what they went through. I won't go into detail but, it required a lot of follow care and even surgery to fix. No where near what I had to put up with. Mainly, I had to deal with a lot of pain for about a month or so and my bladder falling some. (Sorry if this is TMI for some of you out there. But better to be honest about it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about in my opinion.) I really hope by the end of next week I will have pretty much made my choice and be able to plan from there. I hope to have the ultrasound pics scanned and up soon. It'll be a busy weekend so we'll see. I did more baby shopping today as the ultrasound kind of put me in the mood. And I had a 10% coupon and gift cards for Target. So I went to Old Navy, Babies R Us and Target and came back with a bunch of stuff. I got some summery sleep sacks finally. A couple pairs of shorts, more burp cloths, sleepers, socks, desitin, wipes, aquaphor, hats, and other things I needed more of. Still trying to find more sun hats. I found one with a nice wide brim. I'd like a couple more. If you see any, let me know. I still have a couple things left to get. I want to pick up a boppy cover, some more shorts or pants, another mattress pad, and maybe a couple other little things. I have lots of clothes now! Holy cow! She will be well dressed. :) It's still hard to believe she will be here soon. I'll need to install the car seat before you know it. Her room is almost completely finished. I'll post pics once that happens too. I'll be relieved and able to relax when her room is all done, bags are all packed, and I can just wait for her to arrive. It won't be long now.

Pregnancy Update This Week (Pt. 1)

2009-07-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my ultrasound. I'm excited to see what she looks like now. I've never had an ultrasound this late but I've heard they are really cool to see. The whole reason we are doing it is to check on her weight and growth. As everyone knows, Aidan was a huge baby. His delivery wasn't necessarily hard but, the recovery for me was. Hence the ultrasound now. Hopefully we will be able to gain some new information in order to make a decision about how to proceed with the delivery. So I'm excited and, at the same time, I'm nervous too. I'm really hoping they will tell me she's small or average. Although Julien keeps saying, "She's big. She's big." (That's hon. Can't I dream?) At my OB appointment this week, the doctor felt my stomach and thought that she didn't feel big. However, she said that there's no guarantee that even if she's small that I won't have tearing of some kind. She's starting to give me the vibe that she wants me to have a c section but isn't saying it. I understand that she can't guarantee anything. Heck, you can end up with a c section in the middle of labor for a lot of different reasons that have nothing to do with the baby's size. But, give me some kind of information to work with. This is a big decision so give me some facts please. We'll see what happens after the ultrasound. At least my old OB gave me some guidelines to use the last time I saw her. If there's a big growth or weight gain on my part in the last couple weeks, we can repeat the ultrasound at 39 weeks. Either way, this baby will be here in just a few weeks. It's hard to believe. Where has the time gone? I hope I get everything ready in time, including being ready mentally for this big event and big change. I'm glad we are having our neighborhood block party this weekend. One last big party before the big day.

Turning 30

2009-06-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday marked a big milestone for me. I turned 30 this birthday. People have asked if I think this is a big deal. Frankly, you spend so much time during 29 worrying about turning 30 that, when it comes it's not really different than 29. I had such a great start to 30 that I'm not really worried about it anyway. So here's what happened. I really didn't have any expectations for this birthday. Julien had told me a couple weeks ago that he had wanted to throw me a big party but then I got pregnant. He didn't think being big and pregnant and not able to drink would make for a fun party for me. I told him it was ok and not to worry about it. So, as the weather held out, Julien started on the big project of fixing the grading and drainage in the yard. Big thanks to Mike our neighbor and good friend as we never could have done it without him. He helped us get a truck to get the trencher home. (Aidan loved it! It had a backhoe on one end.) So Julien and Mike spent all day doing that. I watched Baby John in the morning so Mike could help as Jen had plans. So Aidan and cleaned the house a little and played with the baby. I also kept checking on the boys outside to make sure everyone had water and sunscreen. It was 95 degrees that day with a heat index over 100. Around 4 or so they called it a day. They compared sunburns and Mike won. (He was soooo red. I feel really bad.) We got ready and went out to chinese for my bday dinner. Then to Oberweis to get an ice cream cake. Julien took me to get a new phone as a present but, we aren't able to upgrade for another 6 mos. So that didn't work but, I didn't mind. Having no expectation at all for the day I was really laid back about what we did. Julien told me that Mike and Jen wanted us to come over after 7p to hang out. He suspected that they had cake. So we stopped to get beer. And then Aidan was fussy so we stopped by the fireworks stand to pick up some fireworks for him that night. (Welcome to living in Missouri. :) ) Then Julien's friend from work Mike called. Julien said he was asking about an outage they were having Monday at work. Suddenly, I started wondering why we were making all these stops. And why was Mike calling about work on a Saturday? I decided to give Julien the benefit of the doubt. Expecting a party was expecting too much in my mind. I was happy with the day I had had so far and wasn't going to hope for more. But, still I wondered. When we got to Mike and Jen's, I saw a neighborhood kid pop out of her door. Then it clicked.....those sneaky devils! I walked in and SURPRISE! My neighbors and friends were all gathered for a surprise 30th bday/Baby shower! (Julien's friend Mike from work had called to make sure he had the right address. I don't know how I didn't see his car when we drove up.) Jen decided on Monday to do this and even called Julien while we were in Iowa with his family. So in less than a week she got ahold of the neighbors and my friends (Facebook is invaluable for this kind of planning I see.), arranged for a Coldstone Cake and decorations. Everyone was so generous and I ended up with lots of clothes, diapers, and blankets. It was so much fun! Aidan had a blast too as he got to play with all the kids. In fact he had his two girls there, Gabi and Lana, and got to play with them at the same time. All the guys drank beer and watched the kids play outside. It couldn't have been better. At the end of the night, Aidan, Joey and Gabi watched Julien light Aidan's fireworks. They even got to hold a morning glory each. So, that night I went to bed having had a fantastic birthday. If this is any indication of how my thirties will be, I welcome them with open arms!

-The next day Julien and Mike got back to work on the yard. This time with much cooler weather. The big part of it is done. Some hand digging and back filling is left to do but, the trencher was returned this morning (thanks to a big favor from someone Julien works with, 3/4 ton trucks are hard to find, especially first thing Monday morning), and now Julien can finish it as he has time. He's eager for it to rain now and see how well it works. Keep your fingers crossed that we get rain soon and that everything flows how it should.

Getting Rid of the Gremlins in the Ross-Boon house

2009-06-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Update on the Ross-Boon household. Lately, I thought we were jinxed but, it seems like our luck finally straightened out. The part for the washer finally showed up. (I have to tell you, I've lost a lot of faith in Whirlpool. And they are usually a good, quality company.) Julien was able to replace it, just like the repair guy said. And now I have a working washer! There was much rejoicing! I gave it a hug and a kiss and told it how much I missed it. Hopefully, that will bestow good mojo and it won't break again. The thing that really gets me is that it took 15 minutes for Julien to replace it. The repair guy was going to charge $161 in labor.....for a 15 minute fix. It makes me a little sick to say the least. Good thing Julien has become so handy!

The yard grading and drainage work in underway, for the second try. The weather seems to be holding out although it's hotter than crap outside. The dirt we ordered actually showed up yesterday and EARLY. (Wow, good service? After all the bad service I've had recently I'm pleasantly surprised.) Julien was able to get 3 hours worth of work done yesterday. So one side of the house is well underway. Window wells installed and dirt built up around them to correct the grade that went INTO the foundation and not away from it. A little more hand digging and some trenching, that side will be done. The other side, well that's another story and a weekend's worth of work. I feel bad that I can't help in any way. Luckily we have the greatest neighbor ever, Mike, who is helping and got his Dad's truck to haul the huge trencher. Pictures will be coming soon, I promise.

My dresser is here for Olivia! It was ready 4 days early. (Once again, I'm shocked by early. Although I did wait 4 months for the blasted thing.) It's still in the back of the minivan but I still count that as a success. :) I can get the room together this week and fill that baby with clothes and stuff.

Everyone cross your fingers that our luck holds out. I have an ultrasound this week and would like good news that day too. :)

Family Reunion (Or my last pre-baby road trip)

2009-06-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked my last road trip before the baby arrives. We all went to Iowa for the Scudder family reunion (on Julien's side). On the way, we stayed at my folks' place Friday night so we could pick up Adrian from the airport on Saturday. It was nice to see Mom and Dad once again as it will be a couple months before we make it back up there. And Julien hadn't up been to see my parents since Christmas and they always enjoy seeing him. Saturday was the reunion in Tama. It was good to see everyone again. I was amazed how all the kids had grown as it had been literally years since we had seem some of our relatives. Aidan had a blast with all the cousins, running around and generally being wild. :) He and Kierin, who are three days apart in age, hit it off like they had never been parted. Aidan got to really play with cousin Max for the first time. I was glad that he was gentle with Max since he's younger than Aidan. And Aidan thought cousin Grace was the best thing since sliced bread. I don't know what it is with Aidan but, he always seems to find an older girl to latch onto and then he follows her around like a little puppy. Grace and Lennon, who are practically teenagers now, were so wonderful with the little ones. I was really impressed by how they watched over and played with them. They never once seemed bored or annoyed by it. It really helped the rest of us get a chance to talk and relax. As the reunion was winding down, a bunch of us went to Grinnell for dinner at a little place Gina had found. And I mean little. We took up the whole second floor. Luckily for them, we called ahead and warned them we were coming. I think 15 of us ended up going. I have to say, for little warning and it being 7p when we arrived, they handled it impressively. The service was great, the food was great, and they put up with all our requests. :) In the end, I think we exhausted them but they were very friendly. By the time we got back to the hotel, Aidan was worn out. It had been a long day and no nap. It took literally 10 minutes for him to fall asleep. I love the fact that he's a heavy sleeper as I could turn on the TV while he was in the bed next to me and not be bothered by it. I stayed in with Aidan and Julien went with everyone else to go drink and gamble. From the sounds of it everyone had fun and a few even won a little something. In the morning, we all met up for breakfast at the Maid Rite that Gina's parents ran. It was fun to hear the stories behind the place and to hear more about Julien's grandpa, as he came up in conversation. We were able to chat with everyone and say our goodbyes. Hopefully it won't be years before we all see each other again.

Sunday morning we left Tama and headed for Des Moines. Sunday was special as it was Father's Day. I was glad that Tim could spend it with both his boys and his grandson. Not to mention that Julien and his dad were both celebrating their special holiday with their children. That really touched me that they were both celebrating as fathers together. It's not often we get to do that, always living hours away from family. We decided to go out to dinner to celebrate the day. And after an initial misstep (If in Des Moines, do NOT go to the restaurant Bos in the Hotel Savery. Trust me!) we had a great meal at Cafe Su (Go here instead! Awesome Chinese food.) That night, Julien and I stayed in a great hotel, a gift from Tim and Gina. Aidan stayed with them at their house in the meantime. It would've been romantic had Julien not had hours of homework to do. Oh well, it was nice to relax and the sheets were amazingly comfy. In the morning it worked out nice to be able to shower quickly and be ready for the day. Monday we were able to hang out and enjoy the pool at the hotel. Aidan was able to get to know his Uncle A again. They had a great time together. Adrian even taught Aidan how to hold his nose in the pool so he could dunk a little into the water. Aidan was excited that he could "go underwater" or at least dunk his chin up to his nose. :) We were able to meet Tim for lunch and Aidan wowed all of Tim's coworkers with how big he is now. Since Monday was Julien's birthday, we celebrated with dinner at home which Julien cooked. I don't know how that ended up happening. That's the last thing I would want to do but, Julien enjoyed it and dinner was amazing. I don't think Julien could've enjoyed his day more. Good food, good beer and wine, playing video games with his brother all night, what more could he want? He even got a pair of Reef sandals which he had been wanting. (He even said that morning that he was just going to go out and get a pair that day. That boy always tries to ruin his surprises.) It would've been nice to have had more time to spend with everyone but, Tuesday we had to leave. On the way home I stopped by the outlets at Williamsburg. I hit the Carter's store pretty hard and found some really cute things for Olivia and some stuff for Aidan too. Julien even got some shirts. No point in getting clothes for me now. Maybe in a few months when I get back to normal or normalish. :) It was nice to be home after all the activity. It was a fun trip but I was tired. It's definitely time to stay home and try to rest. I have just a few weeks left now. I'm certainly starting to feel that drop in energy you get at the end of pregnancy. I just hope my energy holds up long enough to get everything ready.

Our Last Trip to Grandma's (for a while :) )

2009-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Last week Aidan and I made our way up to Iowa to visit my parents. This will be our last visit until the baby comes. Aidan loves going to Grandma Shari's house. He loves watching the birds eat out of the feeders, the deer cross the yard at dusk, and running around their 4 acres. It's nice to let him run and not really have to worry about it. He usually stops and comes back well short of the creek. We had to go visit Grandpa's tractors of course, taking time to sit in each one. While we were there Aidan, as always for some reason, ran a temp. I don't know what it is with this kid and traveling but, lately everytime we travel he gets sick. This time he played well, ate and drank well, but ran a temp that refused to break completely and was congested. Maybe it's allergies. Who knows? When we got home the fever disappeared. Maybe it's psychological. LOL! Either way, we weren't going to let it get in the way of our trip and have a good time in spite of it. We were able to visit with my old friend Elleni and her three kids. Aidan had a good time playing with the boys and little Miriam was cute as a button. They brought these huge cookies from Hy Vee with tons of frosting on them. Aidan loved his, well mostly the frosting. :) It was so nice to see her again and get a chance to talk. It always makes me think of how we used to spend countless hours at each other's houses playing. Now we watch our kids do the same. A friendship that spans over 20 years is truly priceless.

Since we were at Grandma's, that meant we had to see cousin Sophie. A trip to Grandma's wouldn't be complete without a visit from her. :) So, Jamie came over with the kids. Emma is becoming a teenager before our eyes. She's given all her toys to Sophie. And Sarah is becoming a toddler before our eyes and is walking everywhere! They all grow so fast. Sarah was so excited to be able to play with Aidan's toys and not have them taken away by anyone. Now, she toddles after Aidan and Sophie as they run around and play. Aidan is starting to be more interested in Sarah. I think soon she'll be fun to play with too and join their little group.

Grandpa took us to Happy Joe's for pizza while we were up. This is a must. Not only for Taco pizza which is awesome and should be available everywhere, but for the memories and the experience. The one in Monticello isn't fancy and it's changed since I was a kid but there are a few things that stay the same. For instance, the awesome Taco pizza (can you tell I love the stuff?), the balloon machine where you can pick the color and watch it inflate, and the window into the the kitchen for the kids to watch through. I used to love to climb up the little stairs and look in and see the pizzas made. It's always interesting to watch your kids have the same experiences you remember from childhood. After lunch, we went to the John Deere dealer down the road. Aidan was in heaven! They have toys as well and I almost got Aidan a John Deere bike. Looking back, I really should have. Oh well! We were hoping to get a new hat but, they were all out. :( Either way Aidan had a great time and was bushed by the time we got home. While he took a long nap that day, I was able to visit my friend Paul and his son Carter. I'm always amazed by how much Carter grows and how big he is. It doesn't seem possible that he's in school much less going into second grade next year. Time really flies. Paul is in the middle of selling his house in CR. So if you want a nice place that's had a lot of TLC and is reasonably priced, have I got the place for you! I hope they are able to sell quickly as they have had a lot of showings.

When we got back from Iowa, tragedy befell my house. My washer broke down. Ugh! I know, in the sceme of things, this is a small thing. But when the repair guy said it would be $600 to fix it I nearly died. If you have a new front loader, get the extended warranty!! My washer has four computer components, each costing $400 a piece plus labor. The repair guy took pity on me, giving me the part number I needed and telling me how to change the part myself. He said if I could get the part and get it working to get an extended warranty added. That way if it fails again or something else breaks, I won't be paying for it. He also said if it is going to storm, unplug both washer and dryer. Power surges from lightening or power outages will damage them. So, Julien called Whirlpool and complained, as our washer is less than two years old, and got the part for $300 less than the repair guy would have charged us. So we'll see. I miss my washer though. Thank goodness for awesome neighbors that let me use theirs. (Mike and Jen are once again the best!)

Well, this is incredibly long. I think I will end here and post Aidan's updates separately. He's had a lot going on too. But, when does life ever slow down?

Baby Update

2009-06-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

I had my OB appointment today. Again, I'm amused by how Aidan likes my doctor. He looks forward to helping her. Today he held the measuring tape for the duration of the appointment. I've gained some more weight. Actually, I was a little surprised by the number on the scale today. And I'm measuring at 31 weeks, instead of a week behind. So I've had a growth spurt, so to speak. Talked about pre-registering at the hospital and options for delivery. We scheduled my last ultrasound for the beginning of July and will more seriously discuss the options then. I'm still trying to avoid the C-section. I don't want to be out of comission that long. However, if I have a similar delivery to last time, my recovery could be about the same as a c-section. So, we will see what the ultrasound shows and go from there. Hard to believe we are getting to that point.

Last night our friend from Maryland and her family stayed with us for the night. They are on their way to Utah for vacation and stopped here for a night. I really give them credit, traveling with 3 kids, 4years and under, 2 adults and a dog. I think they enjoyed having room to play and new toys to play with. It was so much fun to see how the kids have grown and catch up. Hard to believe that it's been a year since we visited Maryland last. I hope we get to go for a visit again soon. It's easier for Julien who has business trips to DC. But, I hope our friends have a safe trip and enjoy their vacation!

Lots coming up for us this month! I'm planning Aidan and my last trip up to see my folks until the baby comes. We also have a Ross family reunion later this month. Not to mention our birthdays and Father's Day. Going to be lots to do as always. :)

So much to do, so little time....

2009-05-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a little grouchy this week. I've been really tired and sore. Hence, I have less patience. Hence, my son has listened less and tested me more. I know he feels my stress and I always feel horribly guilty about this. Luckily, yesterday things seemed to get better. My energy improved and my back didn't hurt as much. I think I'm been having some Braxton Hicks already. Either that or lots of round ligament pain. Either way, it had made me an unhappy camper but, things are getting better as the week passes. There's a lot to do and I need to be able to get it done. In fact, I feel a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done in the next 10 weeks or less. We have friends from Maryland stopping by next week. We're the first stop on their drive to Utah. We're really excited to see them and how big their kids are getting. So, there's getting ready for that. Then the dresser for the baby's room isn't in yet, which is very frustrating considering I ordered it at the end of February. I guess that's why I ordered so early. I need to get to the rest of the baby stuff I need so garage sales, here I come! I'm going to breastfeeding class in July. I need to take the hospital tour and pre-register with the hospital. I need to get the house in order before I go out of commission. I have lined up our neighbors to take Aidan, at any time of day- they're awesome people, when I go into labor. But they leave on Aug. 4 for vacation so hopefully I have popped by then. If I really want to, I think I can get the doctor to make sure that happens. I want to take one more trip to my parent's before too much longer. We also have a family reunion at the end of June to go to. Julien wants to get in a float trip two weeks before my due date. We'll see about that one. (He's trying to figure out how to waterproof his phone and not lose it in the river.) And next week I'm registering Aidan for swimming lessons too. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I constantly have a list of things to do in my head. Most are daily kind of things around the house. Some are more time consuming, like the minivan needs to have it's maintanence check. Then there are the big things. Like Julien doing the grading and drainage work in the yard this weekend. Yes, he's finally doing it! It's going to be a big project but I know he will do a great job. He called Digg Rite, reserved the trencher, ordered the fill dirt and rock, and all this without any help from me. That's what impresses me the most. Usually I get roped into make phone calls or something but, this time this is really his project. I will be glad when it's done. No more worrying about damaging the foundation with really bad grading and no more standing water on the other side of the house. It's the little things. :) I told him my dad would be so proud that he's doing it and not hiring out for it. (Besides, we can't afford to hire out for it. It would be around $3K for that much work.) Julien's become quite handy in the last two years. Just wait till you see the shelving he's working on in the basement.

The summer's going to fly by. The baby will be here before I know it and there's lots to do. I better get started.

My Boys are Back

2009-05-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Aidan and Julien made it home safely Monday afternoon. It was good to see them! Aidan seemed a little more grown to me. Don't know if it was caring for a baby all day Monday or just the time apart. But, Aidan had a great time at Nana's house. We've been busy since he got home. We had three playdates this week and an OB appointment. Lots going on! And I'm beat already. We went to a nature center and took a hike on Tuesday, went to a friend's house for playing in the pool on Wednesday, and then went to the Magic House today. Aidan has had a great time and had some great naps this week as a result. :) My OB appointment was Tueday. It went well. Found out that I'm anemic and need an iron supplement. On the whole scale of things, I can definitely deal with that one. I hope I see a difference in my energy level. Aidan went with to this appointment. He really likes my new OB for some reason. When we were called back he started yelling "Doctor, where are you?" Very cute. Then when he saw her, he tried to follow her into her office. But she let him hold the measuring tape and the dopler for her during my appointment. He was very excited about that. As long as he's behaved during my appointments, that's all that matters. :) My back has started hurting often. I won't miss that part of pregnancy. Other than that, I actually feel pretty good. Just tired as normal.

Mommy's Weekend!!!

2009-05-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

This was my weekend of freedom and relaxation. Julien and Aidan left Friday morning for Nana's and Grandpa's. I've had the house to myself all weekend. Let me tell you, it's been quiet. This weekend almost didn't happen. Aidan woke up Thursday with a fever. At first it wasn't bad and he was acting normal so, I gave him motrin. Then he got the chills and got really spacey. And the fever went up, all the way to 103. So, after a dose of tylenol and Aidan falling asleep on the couch, I called and made an appointment with the doctor. By the time we got to the doctor the tylenol had kicked in and his fever was down, he was acting better and had 2 popsiscles. No strep, no ear infection, just a red throat. The doctor gave us the ok to go on our trip but couldn't guarentee he'd be a happy camper. But, Aidan was very good and let the doctor check him out. She said to keep alternating the tylenol and motrin. That night, Aidan was playing and ate chinese for dinner like nothing had ever happened. (How do kids do this?) His fever went up a little but not much. Friday morning he woke up and was ready to go to Nana's. So, I packed the thermometer and medicine and gave Julien instructions on their administration. (Yes, I know he is an adult and can handle it but, it makes me feel better.) But, they made it to Nana's fine and Aidan seems to have recovered from whatever bug he had.
Friday was a strange day for me. It was very quiet. Almost too quiet. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself. I had the constant feeling that something was missing or I was forgetting something. So, I ran some errands and got the last of my bloodwork done. I got my ID card for the rec center we joined almost 3 months ago. Yeah, I know, it took me a while. :) But I found out about swim lessons for Aidan and pool hours. I even orderd a maternity swim suit so I can take him. The rec center has an indoor and outdoor pool. I'm excited about this. Saturday I got my eyebrows done and cleaned the house a little. It's so nice to clean a floor and have it stay clean for any length of time. Saturday night was my girlie night. My friend Jen and I went to the Melting Pot for dessert (they're too pricey for a full meal) and girl talk. Then we went to the mall and shopped a little. It was a lot of fun. It's always nice to go out without the kids and be individuals every now and then. Not to mention getting dressed up and doing our hair and make up, which doesn't happen for me very often. Today has been more errands, laundry, and cleaning up. I know that doesn't sound exciting but, being able to do it at my own pace is wonderful. No rushing through the store, no rushing to get things done because naptime or lunch is coming up. And being able to take a break and rest while doing things. It's been really nice. It also helps that I got to sleep in until 8:30a today. I would've slept longer but someone was breakdancing this morning. :) I guess she thought it was time to get up and eat. Julien and Aidan come home tomorrow. I will be watching my friend Jen's baby tomorrow. It should be fun. I need to get back in swing of babyshape. I've enjoyed my weekend. I have missed my little guy a lot though. This is the longest we've been apart ever. But, he's had a great time without me and hasn't missed me much. Which is a little surprising and maybe a little disappointing. You want your baby to miss you but, in the end, I'm glad that he's done so well. It makes me feel that he will be ok without me when I'm in the hospital having the baby. He's become such a big boy. I'm so proud of him. But I will be very happy to see him tomorrow and give him a big hug and kiss.

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

2009-05-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Today I made the realization that I'm in my third trimester. Third!! How did that happen?? For some reason it hit me like a ton of bricks. I can't believe that I have been pregnant for 7 mos already. And at the same time, 7 mos feels like a long time. It's an interesting feeling. It's exciting to know that soon I will meet the little person that has been busy growing in my belly and that I will get to hold her and see her. It's incredibly exciting to know that soon Aidan will meet her and soon form a bond with her that will last their lifetimes. (I have great hopes that they will be friends.) I was watching Baby Story today on TV and when the mom delivered and saw her crying baby for the first time, I started crying. That and asking myself, "Why am I watching this? I know better." :) But it made me remember when I delivered Aidan and how I bawled. I was so happy and overcome when I saw him for the first time. This time, I know what to expect and it made me emotional to see this woman go through the same kind of experience. Up to this point, I've been pretty laid back about this pregnancy. Partly due to the fact that I am so busy with Aidan that I don't have the time to dwell on it like when I was pregnant the first time. So, now I'm getting to that excited and slightly antsy stage. I'm starting to find myself thinking about delivery and seeing her and bringing her home. All the clothes I've been getting from friends has helped fuel that excitement too. (Thanks Jamie, Samantha, and Jen W.) The other side of the coin has been feeling a little sad and nostalgic. This is my last pregnancy. I know, I know....everyone says "yeah right." But I really have no intention of having another one. Two has always been the plan. So, with everyone milestone I pass, I feel little sad knowing that I won't do it again. Except for the bloodwork. I will not miss any of that. :) But, everytime I look at my belly in the mirror I try to enjoy it knowing I will not be this size again. (Although I must say, watching my weight gain this time around has helped a lot. It's easier to get around and get things done. I think it's helped with my energy level too. Although keeping pace with a toddler doesn't hurt either.) This is my last time for maternity clothes and belly buttons that pop out. It's my last time to feel a baby move or kick. It's a little sad. I've entered the final stage. We are coming to the end of the road quickly. I'm sure in another month or so, I will feel more ready to be done and less nostalgic.

Potty Training Update #2

2009-05-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, potty training hasn't gone swimmingly. We took a couple days off after our dead stop. When we started again we still had accidents but, at least there was more time between them. We haven't actually had any success since last week. We've had playdates and things that have made it hard to devote all morning or day to it. Aidan is starting to grab his diaper and say he's peeing or pooping. Although he still gets the two mixed up. There' s plenty of time. He'll get it eventually.

Another Pregnancy Update

2009-05-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

I had my OB appointment this week. Aidan went with, which is always fun. :) He's not a big fan of my doctor's office for some reason. Anyway, this week I met our new doctor. She's really nice and was very friendly with Aidan. Aidan seemed to like her and even let her pick him up. He got to sit on the table with me to listen to his sister's heartbeat. One of the first questions the doctor asked me was if I was thinking of a C-section this time. The answer is not if I can help it. I think it's funny, that was one of the first things my last doctor asked. But, she was nice and seemed to listen and encouraged me to ask questions. My weight gain is on track and I'm actually measuring a week behind. No swelling anywhere. Things are good. I go back in two weeks.

Pregnancy Update!

2009-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

As expected, I got the results of my weekend glucose test today. I am happy to report that I passed! Yay! Bring on the donuts! Ha! Hopefully that will be the last time I ever have to take that stinking test. But, I am always glad to get good news and things are going well for this pregnancy at this time. I see the doctor on Thursday. Hard to believe that we are approaching and just about to 7 mos and I will be going bi-weekly from now on. Time really flies. Soon I'll be desperately trying to manage two children. :) Speaking of desperately trying to manage children, we went to Grant's Farm today with the playgroup. All the kids were kind of cranky. So it was a little like herding cats. You know try to get them to do what you want but, you know you have no real control over the situation. But, Aidan had fun and loved seeing the kids. And he was exhausted when we got home so bonus! Either way, we have to get out and enjoy this playdates while we can. Soon it'll be too hard to get out a lot and then we won't be going anywhere for a while after she's here. Enjoy the chaos now before becomes a completely different kind of chaos, right?

A Dead Stop

2009-05-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my latest 3 hour glucose test. It was pleasant as usual. I really hope that it was the LAST time I will EVER have to do that test. Luckily, I came away not too bruised or sore. Afterwards I darted to the Subway across the street and inhaled a sandwich and chips. I was so hungry after fasting for 13 hours. Then I came home and ate some more. :) Since I was busy at the lab, Daddy was on Aidan duty that morning. I told him our routine for potty training and encouraged him to try with Aidan before they went anywhere that day. I knew the train museum was having community helper day with fire trucks, police cars, and stuff to do. Well, Daddy never got around to putting undies on Aidan or trying at all with him. I couldn't put him in pants Saturday night as our neighbor was babysitting him while we went to a Cinco de Mayo party. So Saturday was a total wash. Sunday, he didn't wasn't really into it and Daddy was volunteering to help so I figured we would start again Monday. Well, we are back to square one again. So frustrating. On top of it, he's very whiny today and has been throwing fits a lot lately. I'm not quite sure what's up with him. I hope we get it figured out soon cause it's driving me crazy. Tomorrow we are going to Grant's Farm with playgroup so maybe tomorrow afternoon we can try again with the undies. I wish he would be a little bit interested in it. Wish me luck with my test too. My results should be back in the next day or two.

Potty Training Adventure Update #1

2009-05-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, Aidan went pee in the potty three more times. Of course there were more accidents too but I'm focusing on the positive. Daddy coming home sort of distracted us and threw us off our groove. However, this morning Aidan pooped in the potty for the first time ever! Very exciting! Daddy promised him a rubber bug toy that he wanted from Walgreens if he did so, we went and picked it up today. Aidan now will tell me when he's going even if he has a diaper on. In fact, he seemed confused when I put one back on him this morning. Not so much warning me before he goes but at least he's recognizing the sensation of going. I guess we're taking baby steps. Stay tuned!

Potty Training Adventure

2009-04-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Many of Aidan's friends are potty training or are potty trained. We've been talking with Aidan about going potty and being a big boy. He's been hesitant to make the leap. Julien has been a little worried that Aidan wouldn't be out of diapers before the baby comes. That's not as big a concern to me. I know he'll just regress anyway so we'll still be training him in a way. But, now some of the kids in playgroup are potty training too and they are Aidan's age or younger. So, I figured we'd give it a try. We went to Target and Aidan picked out some Thomas the Train underwear. This week we gave them a try. We started out wearing them after dinner on Tuesday night and just running around in our underwear. We would give Aidan a special treat for sitting on the potty without pants for 5 minutes and then increased the time gradually. Aidan caught on to the treat part of it right away. They whole going potty part has been harder. So, we tried Tuesday and Wednesday night (with no success) and today we have worn undies all day and stayed inside. First he'd tell me he needed changed right away when he'd have an accident. By lunch we had changed undies twice. Then after lunch he'd tell me he needed a fresh diaper and wouldn't actually be wet. So I'd have him sit and try. This happened a couple times. Finally right before naptime, he said it again. By this point, we've moved the potty into the livingroom on a mat and put a box of toys next to the potty. I had him sit down and I pushed aside his toys and had him sit. Finally he said, "Mommy I need help." I looked and he hadn't "tucked" all the way down and he peed down the front of the potty. (Thank goodness for the mat!) I told him it was ok and that he had peed in the potty. He got this look like "Oh that's what you want me to do." Then he got excited. I told him he did a good job and that he would get a special treat for this. He got excited about his success and even called Daddy and left him a message to tell him what he did. We talked about how he had kept Thomas dry and that after nap he would put Thomas would put back on. I really hope this was the breakthrough that we needed. I thought if he had a success then maybe he would be more motivated to keep trying. We'll have to see what rest of today brings and tomorrow. I'll take any success we can get! :)

This Week's Baby Update!

2009-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just a little baby update. Things are moving along. Time is flying by! I have my next glucose test this coming weekend. I opted for the 3 hour test since I have never passed the one hour. Why delay the inevitable?? So my Saturday morning will be spent at the lab, with no food for 12 hours in total, and 4 needle sticks. Fun! I return to the OB the following week for my next appointment and the results. Keep your fingers crossed. It will also be my last appointment with my OB and I will be switching to another doctor in the practice from this point on. I'm a little sad. I like my OB and I feel like she listens to me. (Not always found easily in a doctor.) I'm sure the other doctor will be nice as well and I'll receive great care. This will also be my last monthly appointment and I will start going every other week. See what I mean about time flying by??? I should find out more about when the next ultrasound will be. If I fail the glucose test it will probably be sooner rather than later to monitor weight gain. But either way, I will have another ultrasound to check the weight. I have a feeling she's big, at least as in long. I feel her move around a lot now and sometimes it seems that she's all stretched out from one side of my tummy to the other. We'll see what we find out though. Naming her has been difficult. Why are boys names so much easier? We had a boys name in about 2 seconds. We've narrowed our list at least and now are struggling with middle names. I'm sure we'll pick a good one in the end. Aidan is showing more understanding about the baby. He drew a picture of her the other day. It was very cute. He pointed out where her arms and legs were. Of course it was a bunch of squiggles but the thought was so sweet. He talks about the swing being for his baby sister when "she comes out of Mommy's tummy." And all the little clothes and things, he says are for her. He has yet to feel her kick. He isn't really into feeling my tummy. He's very into playing with his friends and being outside right now. And that's ok. I've been sore and tired lately. Aidan has been getting up early lately. I think he's excited about going out and doing stuff. So I've been getting up early naturally. It's hard to get a break and I tend to wear out quickly now. It's been hard to get to sleep as my back gets sore at the end of the day. My legs are starting to get sore too. But at least no swelling yet. My weight gain has been more conservative this time around. I've gained about 15 pounds at this point which is pretty good, and I started out weighing less than I did before I got pregnant with Aidan. I think both have helped me feel pretty good up to this point. I remember being more miserable at this point last time. I'm not hot all the time like last time. Maybe I haven't hit that point or maybe it won't be as bad as it was with Aidan. He's still a little furnace. In other news, her room is coming together. The curtains and ceiling fan are up. We have the changing table. The muralist is coming in 2 weeks to paint. (Yay!) The crib, mattress and rails are in but, not the dresser. I haven't been to get what's in yet. Hard to do it with a 2 1/2 year old when pregnant. The warehouse is over by the airport too. I just haven't gotten over there. I should have paid for delivery. :) The dresser is back ordered. Hopefully it'll come in May with their next shipment. I was a little annoyed when they couldn't tell me when they expect it to come in. Seems like a question they should anticipate. I could use the dresser too. I've gone through Aidan's old stuff and pulled out what will work for a girl. That also lead me to register. So, I know some people are traditionalist. They don't think you should get second baby showers and you shouldn't expect people to get you stuff for subsquent babies. I agree in that I don't expect anyone to get us anything. But, having a girl this time leaves us with a few things that we didn't get the first time around. Also, so things didn't make through the first time in one piece. I've had people ask if I was registering and I figured that it would make it easier for people who like to do some babyshopping so they don't have to guess what we need. We don't have a ton of stuff on our registeries and we don't expect people to get us all the stuff we asked for. We are registered at Babies R Us (which gives you 10% off any items left on your registery two weeks before your due date, score!) and Target. I've hit Craigslist for some things too. I got our changing table there. I got a sit n stand stroller this last week from there too. I saved half off the new price for it, which is always good especially if we don't end up using it a lot. So, there you have it! That's what's new with the Ross-Boons. I'll try to put up another update soon.

One of the Cutest Things Ever!

2009-04-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

The cutest thing happened last night and I feel compelled to share. Julien and Aidan both laid with their heads on my tummy and sang to the baby. They did the ABC song twice and a couple verses of Old McDonald. Honestly, I think it was one of the cutest things I've ever seen in my life. We had Aidan tell his baby sister hello and he loved her and a kiss. She liked all the attention. :) I think he's going to be a good big brother.

Yes, Back In The Car We Go!

2009-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are getting ready for another trip. I just can't sit still can I?? :) We're off to see my brother Brad this weekend. He's currently training at Ft. Riley for his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. I haven't seen him since my wedding and Aidan has never met him so I'm excited. (Yes, that would be 7 years. It's hard to get all 5 of us kids together. ) The driving will be worth it. Although, at this point I could do it with my eyes closed. Julien is unable to come unfortunately. He's the only one left at work so someone has to man the helm, so to speak. Fortunately I was able to reschedule my OB appointment to today so I stay Monday too. Come to find out though, my OB doctor is moving to Cincinnati at the end of June. There are two other doctors at the practice who can see me but, it's a little disappointing since I've been seeing her the whole time. Apparently her husband is a doctor too and got an offer out there. I'm sure the other doctors we will be as nice as she is and just as good. Everything went well, other than that. The baby kicked the doplar when they checked her heart rate, spunky little thing. :) I got the order for my next glucose test. *sigh* I hope this is the last one I have to take ever! I hate those things. I oped for the three hour test, why waste time? Let's just cut to the chase. :) My friend Samantha was nice enough to agree to watch Aidan for me today, last minute and all. So he played with his friends Gabi and Joey and wore himself out. It's funny how they are starting to interact. Sam said they were actually talking to each other, working stuff out. Like one would ask for a turn or want a toy and say so, another would say 'oh you want this' or something like that. It's awesome how they are starting to really interact and be social. And the oldest is 3 so it seems early but they love to play together. Joey calls Aidan "Aidy" for some reason. It's kind of cute. Well I should go pack. Hopefully there will be another trip to pack for but, this time one for just me. :) I complained on Facebook how Julien got a vacation and not me. So a friend from HS got a crazy idea to have a little HS Moms reunion so we can have a responsibility free weekend. I hope it comes together because it sounds like so much fun! Hopefully I will have good news soon. :) Happy Easter to everyone!

The Great Cousin Adventure 2009!

2009-04-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Since we moved back to the midwest, I've had this idea that Emma and Sophie (my nieces) should come and visit us. They've become very close with Aidan and I thought it would be a great memory for them to share. By the end of last summer, I had become serious about whole idea. After great planning and conferring with their mom, Jamie, plans were finalized for March. Aidan was so excited that his Sophie would be coming to stay at his house. So, two weeks ago Wednesday, Aidan and I drove up to Grandma Shari's. Thursday, Jamie and my brother Brian brought the girls over. I think Brian was a little worried about his girls being away so long, especially Sophie, as she's the younger of the two. So, we reviewed the rules and emergency information, said our goodbyes and were off! Aidan had such a good time in the car with Sophie that even when she would try to rest or ignore him, he'd smack her with Tigger and call her name until he got her attention again. :) We arrived in Missouri in one piece.

Friday we decided to start big with a trip to the Arch. It was actually a lot easier to get to and park than I thought it would be. We haven't gone since we've moved here. The last time I went I was a little older than Emma. Emma really wanted to go to the top. So we got there early, waited 20 minutes in the line for tickets, and then looked at the exhibits and general store until it was our turn to ride up. To get to the top, you ride in a tram. It's a combination of a train, elevator and ferris wheel car. The tram car is round and small and there are eight all together like a train. It only takes a couple minutes to get to the top, all 630 feet. But, we made it! And the weather was nice enough that we could see pretty far. Emma took some great pictures of downtown. Aidan told me that it was like an airplane, which is a pretty fair comparison. It's a little cramped at the top and the windows are small. We enjoyed the view and then waited our turn to ride down. Of course, there was a problem with the tram on the south side so everyone had to ride down the one on the north side. Everything there involves a wait. Thank goodness Aidan liked his stick candy so much as it kept him happy the whole time. That night, after Julien got home from work, we all went to see Monsters v. Aliens in 3D. This was Aidan's first movie in the theater. We all got popcorn and slushies and got settled. The glasses for the movie were a little big on Aidan so he watched half the movie without them. I'm sure it was a little blurry but he didn't seem to mind. He sat really well and everyone enjoyed the movie.

Saturday the weather was cold and rainy. So we decided to hit the Magic House. Aidan showed his cousins around his favorite parts of the museum. They have a whole new section for older kids where you have to solve the mystery of who stole the painting. It's like a library or study and even has a hidden door in the bookcase. So Emma did that. Sophie and Aidan played in the Mini-town they have set up, complete with library, pizza place, house, grocery store, etc. That night we made pizzas and went out for ice cream at Oberweis. We sang happy birthday to Emma over her huge mint chip shake. We all went to bed fat and sassy. :)

Sunday the weather was still chilly and ruled out a trip to the zoo unfortunately. So we decided to go to the City Museum instead. This is one of Julien's fav places to go. This is the place with things to climb on and through, an art studio, circus shows, caves, aquarium, you name it. It's several floors and lots of things to do. Julien and Emma took off to climb through the tunnels, since she's old enough to enjoy all that. Aidan, Sophie and I went to see the world's biggest pencil, climb on the human skatepark, look at the fish, and go through the enchanted caves. By then, I needed Julien's help, as Aidan wanted to be carried, so we all met up again. (Aidan was way off schedule a lot of the time that weekend.) We grabbed lunch at their cafe. We went to the art studio to paint and the girls had their faces painted. We watched the circus tumbling and rope show. Very cool. We were there for over 3 hours. We grabbed some souveigners and went home. Everyone was tired to say the least!

Monday came and it was time to return to Iowa. Julien headed off for a trip to San Diego for work but, not before letting me know that Aidan had a fever. (See last post to read about that whole saga.) We gathered our stuff and took off for home. This car ride was a lot quieter than the one down. :) In the end, our trip was a lot of fun and a big success! Emma was a huge help with the younger kids! She made sure everyone stayed together, held hands, and listened. I couldn't have done it without her help. She's quite the kid. I was very proud of her. Maybe we can do it all again sometime.