My Days

I just love picking up my babies from daycare. It is the perfect ending to my day. As soon as humanly possible, I pack up all my stuff, my pump, pumped milk, purse, lunchbox, coffee cup and hit the road. It usually takes 10-15 minutes, which I swear feels like an eternity during the precious evening hours, and I head to the daycare. I sign them out and head straight to Lu’s room. I usually grab her and go get Z, then we come back together and load baby sister up in her carseat. Z always insists that he “clicks baby sister’s (seatbelt).”

Then off we go back toward the house. I like to chat with Z and find out how his day went. It usually goes like this:

Me: What did you do today?

Z: Ummm, I play cars

Me: And?

Z: Annnd, I play outside

Me: Did you play with (insert friend name here)?

Z: No! I not play with so and so

Me: Did you play with (insert another name)?

Z: Oh! Yeah! I like so and so!

We get real deep….

Oh and that’s if and only if baby sister isn’t screaming from hunger or sleepiness and doesn’t have her sound machine (my phone) playing at full speed drowning out all conversation.

Trying to Keep Up

Sorry guys, I’m behind on posting. I think I’m having a case of writer’s blog, haha get it?

Things have been pretty hectic in our house as of late. The weather has been beautiful, so we’ve been trying to get out as much as possible.

Z had a croup sounding cough on Thursday, so I was not even going to attempt to sneak him into school. I mean a fever’s one thing, but that one would have gotten me the mother of the year award for sure. I brought him to my office for the morning, which made him super happy. The weird thing is that he was asking to go to my office even before we decided that was what we had to do. I guess the boy knows what to do to get what he wants.

My Friday was spent attempting to get my house in order and playing with the babies. I have always loved my Fridays and now Z loves them too. He wakes up on Friday and says Baba go to work and Mama stay at home! Then, he’ll periodically look over at me and say “I stay at home!”

On Saturday, we worked out, took Z for a haircut,

played outside,

napped then rallied the troops for an outing. We went to the Summit to walk around and there was talk of shopping, but that was where it ended. It’s not possible to do any kind of shopping with three children in tow, and that is okay by me. I was loving just walking around.

We ended up at the ever popular Barnes and Noble, where Z saw one of his K3 teachers and totally froze with fear shock. I think he thought she was going to take him to school on Saturday, the horror!

Sunday, we had Sunday soccer, which is the perfect ending to a great weekend, even though Z has no real idea what is going on or what he’s supposed to be doing. At one point, he and one of the girls on our team were on the sidelines laying back with their feet over their heads! Oh well, as long as he’s having fun, doesn’t matter where it takes place, I suppose.

How cute is this peewee huddle?!

4 Months

Lu is 4 months! 4 months is such a landmark, and she seems noticeably more mature. She smiles constantly and LOVES her song, which is “Liza Jane” with Lu substituted in. Nick came up with that and even Z sings it. It instantly calms her down!

She is sleeping well again, thank God! She sleeps with her arms out of the swaddle and pretty much finds that thumb immediately. I just hope she’s like Z was and “unfinds” it when the time comes. She actually sucks her fingers when she's awake. She may be in the early stages of teething.

She really likes the bath and is giving the activity mat, swing, and bouncer a lot more attention. She’s even started grabbing her little toys when she lays under her activity mat.



She does much better in the car and has slept in the ergo several times now, including during both of
Z’s soccer games (that is sketchy, however, because the budding soccer mom has a tendency to yell and startle the poor girl, but that’s another post for another time).
My 4 month pictures are pitiful because my house is a crazy planet right now! My brother and his entire family (of 5) are staying as well as my other brother, Faris while my parents are in Italy and Tarek’s floors are being redone.

Their twin girls LOVE Lu. It is probably the sweetest thing ever. Whenever she’s awake, they gather around her and me and say things like “Can I touch her?” “Why is she crying?” “Did I scare her?”




Z has enjoyed hanging with everyone too, although he has been quite stubborn about his naps and just not being himself because of it.

Speaking of twins, Nick’s sister had her twin girls today! Happy birthday Emma and Addison! Z and Lu cannot wait to meet their newest cousins!

Son of a Dentist

You would think being the son of a dentist that Z would be up to his ears in dental checkups, but you would be wrong. Besides this time, I have just now gotten the time to coordinate his first visit, thanks to hubs who is OFF this week before he starts his new job. After all, I couldn't let him have a week off with nothing to do, right?!

I deal with kids a lot, usually the youngest we see them is about 3. I have some 3 year olds that act 30 and I certainly have some 30 year olds that act 3 (probably more of the latter!), so I wasn't sure what to expect from Z, but I really wanted him to impress Miss Susie (who cleaned his teeth, I wasn't about to try it myself). I was in and out of the room, but I would say that from what I saw he did pretty well. Sure, he didn't stay open much and his legs were flailing a lot of the time, but she was able to get a pretty good amount done on him, so I was quite proud. I think from now on, he'll be coming in about quarterly and not bi-annually like everyone else, after all, he is the son of a dentist, he has to live up to it.

I was very happy to come in and check my little patient

We even had a little fun

Lu got to visit too, and she was a little nervous about her first visit to mama's the dentist's office

My Birthday!

This was a great weekend for several reasons (in no particular order)

1. It was my birthday

2. Lu went back to sleeping through the night

3. Z pooped in the potty (really all last week)

4. Z had his first soccer game

5. The weather was beautiful

Allow me to elaborate, with pictures, except the poop. I’ll let you use your imagination with that one.

It was my birthday! Nick surprised me on Friday with presents and all the dreamcakes cupcakes you could, well, dream of (good one, huh?). That was fun, and I think I’ve had my fill on cupcakes until my next birthday, probably everyone else in my house has too, I can imagine!

Notice, I was dressed for the occasion, t-shirt, burp cloth, no makeup, standard Friday attire.

Lu slept! Yay! We had to take her arms out of the swaddle, which has facilitated her finding her thumb and we have gone back to the ol’ hairdryer recording. Worked like a charm, and Nick gets all the credit for that. I tell ya, Mama’s in a muuuch better mood when her sleep doesn’t get interrupted by a crying baby (or as it happened once last week, 2 crying babies). Baby girl wakes up much happier too!

Okay, Z has been (albeit reluctantly) pooping in the potty for about a week and a half now. A few weeks ago he finally did it again for the first time in MONTHS, but then took a couple steps back and had some accidents, then he went in the potty again a couple more times, then accident. But, the last 4 or 5 times have all been in the potty. We always have to catch him when he looks like he’s about to go and bribe, then coach, then wait, then cheer (excessively). Hey, whatever it takes right?! On the bright side, I can’t remember the last time he had a teetee accident.

Okay, the last two really go together. Saturday night we actually took the kids out. We have been scared to do this ever since two weeks ago when keeping the kids out too late totally ruined their (and our) sleep. I’m so glad we did though, because this time it was a success. After Z’s nap, we went to the Summit and totally raided Lululemon. My dad extraordinarily generously treated us ALL to some awesome workout attire, and we got to try out our new double stroller.

Sunday, my birthday day, was Z’s first soccer practice and game. He looked so stinkin cute, I couldn’t stand it, but I’m not sure he really knew what was going on. He mostly ran, swung his arms, and stared at his shadow (which he was totally fascinated with). A couple of times he got mad because he wanted to kick the ball. He would look over at us, and say “Heyyy, I wanted to kick it!” Then we would say, “then go get it!” and he would get back in the game.  It was awesome, and I was sooo touched that everybody came to support him, my brothers, cousin J, my mom and dad, and of course Lu, who got a ride in the ergo for the first 30 minutes or so. And, a special thanks to Uncle Faris who took most of these pictures.

Dressed and ready

Put me in coach!

Warm up exercises

Drills

The game begins

He took my ball!

Shadow Chasing

Yeah!

Of course we can’t forget about Miss Lu: the guest of honor