Beach and Lessons Learned

We went down to Pensacola Beach this weekend to see my sis and her family and celebrate my niece’s 7th birthday. It was so fun and I learned a few things about traveling with my babies.

1. When the stars align and both are asleep in the car, take full advantage by not speaking, stopping, or otherwise disturbing the peace, if and when you do, you will pay for it, and believe me when the moment passes, it’s gone forever.

2. It is fine to put both children to sleep in the same room, as long as you are not trying to sleep in that room, in which case, it is a bad idea to put both children in the same room. 

3. Wear your child/children out on the morning of departure. It makes for a very peaceful ride home (at least it was for Z).

4. Don’t be afraid to take your baby out of her carseat, when she starts to get a little fussy not that I would ever do such a thing.

5. Cram as many people as you can into one car, so you’ll have more reinforcements.

6. Stop somewhere when you reach the halfway mark. Don’t make everyone stay in the same place for too long.

7. Warn your child ahead of time that he will see his cousins but first we will be in the car for a very long time.

8. Bring familiar bedtime materials from home, but be prepared to hear “I wanna go home” at bedtime.

9. Don’t expect to have a good time in the traditional sense, your fun will more likely be knowing that your child is having fun or it will just be the relief you feel when you know you all survived the trip. (I’m sure if we had had a little more time, I would have been able to break into some actual fun, it was just such a short trip and ended up being more logistical than anything else).

10. Pack minimally, refer back to #5. 

I spent a lot of time in the car. It seemed like Z would fall asleep or Lu would be due to eat whenever we would arrive at our destination, which resulted in me sitting in the car, feeding or waiting.

Z definitely had the best time on this trip. Nick took him to the indoor pool and the beach Saturday and Sunday mornings.

I was sad I had to miss out on these experiences, but I enjoyed my time with Lu, and me and Z hung out at lunch on Sunday.

Saturday night he played with Adam and AG at their house when we went to dinner. I was really happy he had such a good time. And, I’m sure Lu had fun too. She sure enjoyed watching all the big girls playing dress up and running around.

AG was my little helper and entertainer. She, Adam and my sis kept Lu entertained while we were frantically packing up to try and check out on time (another story for another time).

All in all it was a great weekend. We can’t wait to go back soon and maybe next time, we’ll actually get a little sleep!

Ten on Thursday

I am going to attempt to organize my thoughts into a 10 this week. So here goes

1. We were on the go this weekend like for real. First, we went to my dental school 5 YEAR reunion. How is that even possible? It was so fun, and we stayed out way late with our friends Ed and Fo, but we had a great time!



2. Saturday, we went back for a visit with the Faulkner’s, where our two little princesses met up for the first time (also where we had a miralax incident which resulted in Z going commando the rest of the evening (note to self: pack extra undies for your newly potty-trained 3 and 1/2 year old who suffers from occasional constipation, sometimes resolved with shots of miralax), then out to dinner with my fam at Pita Stop.

3. Sunday was the busiest day of all! We got up and met my dad at the finish line of the MERCEDES HALF MARATHON (a lot more on this later with another possible guest post). Suffice it to say, I was SO proud of my dad! He walked the half with not a problem and averaged a 13 minute/mile pace! He finished in 2:50, at age 66!

After that, we went back to the condo for brunch then drove to the house with little to show for it except two kids asleep in the car. Not wanting to disturb them, we took turns going inside just to go to the bathroom grab a drink then headed right back out to Vestavia for a 3rd birthday party. It was at Storyville Station, which is a little house where little girls can be princesses and little boys dragons or in this case, pirates. They dance, play games, sip tea then watch a slideshow of themselves. The whole party is worth going to just to see Z dance. He is hilarious, and has rhythm if I may say so myself. 



4. I am ADDICTED to Bachelor recaps! I have not only read this one, which I read regularly, but I have picked up this one and this one too! What a colossal waste of time and energy enjoyable way to spend my down time.

5. Have I already mentioned that Z is in the same class as his twin cousins Talia and Kenz?! How great is that? (And on that note, I am so glad he is out of his other class, the kids were too young, there were too many of them, and the teachers were overwhelmed. I was SO over it.)

6. I sold three of my old pairs of Dansko’s on Ebay yesterday, and I could NOT believe how fast they went. All I did was shine those suckers up with some vaseline shoe polish and they were gone before my patient got numb! I celebrated by buying two new pair.

7. This Friday, we left the kids with a babysitter in the evening for the third time since Lu was born. The first time, Z woke up Sunday morning with a really bad fever, the worst he’s had in a while. The second time, Lu woke up with a fever for the first time in her little life, and while I surely noted that as weird, I tried not to think much of it or worry too much. Then, Saturday morning, Lu woke up with ANOTHER FEVER, this time it was mostly low-grade, the highest it got was 100.9. But seriously, what is the deal?

8. Z’s hair was getting so long, I couldn’t stand it, so I did something I never do, took him after school when we were all tired and worn out, but I’m glad I did!

9. They have told me that Lu scoots at school, but I had never seen it until yesterday when she was in Z’s room while I was washing the hair off of him. She puts her little hands down and pulls forward. She doesn’t go far, but she goes.

10. We driving down to Pensacola in the morning for AG's 7th birthday. I'm excited, but a little anxious about how the kids are going to do. Don't worry there'll be a full report to come next week.

9 Months

Lu’s 9 months! I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get this all down, but we had a really busy weekend, and I haven’t had a lot of time at work either!

I didn’t really get to do a big photo shoot, but I took some iphone pics so I wouldn’t miss getting her picture on her actual 9 month birthday. I tried a couple of different locations in the house, because I just can’t find the right light at home.

The most notable things she is doing right now are sitting up from laying down (only in the bed) and eating table foods. On Valentine’s morning, I walked in her room and found her sitting up looking at me. It was so cute I couldn’t even take it! She also rocks back and forth on her hands and knees (also mostly in her bed), so I think crawling is on the horizon. I am not worried because I stressed enough about Z crawling, then one day (at 10 months) he just did it, and that was it.

Sister can eat! They started table foods at school about 2 weeks ago and they tell me every day how much she loves it. She’s had cinnamon toast, cheese toast, broccoli and pasta, mac and cheese, even pizza! They say she sees (and maybe smells) the cart coming and gets really excited. Looks like we have a food lover on our hands!

She gets so excited when she sees one of us in the morning, it’s like the best reinforcement for living you could ever have. I know Z was like that when he was a baby, but I forgot what it was like to see that big gummy smile first thing in the morning.

Speaking of Z, he still really loves Lu and always wants to give her a hug or help me tend to her needs. He also really likes to share her puffs with her.

She’s still nursing first thing in the morning and before bed, although she’s down to 2 bottles (5-6 oz. each) at school. I think it might be harder for me her to give up the morning feeding than the night one when the time comes. She’s seems very dependent on that first feeding of the day, whereas at night, she just wants to be left alone. She hardly even lets me rock her anymore. 

She’s taking her baths sitting up now, which is another of my favorite times of day, she still goes to bed between 6 and 7 most nights and wakes up anywhere between 6:30 and 8 (or later sometimes on the weekend). On a side note, one of my children seems to always sleep in Saturday mornings (note not both), which makes it hard for me to get to my Zumba class at 9 (at least that’s what I tell myself). I don’t really know what that’s about, but I have also learned to treasure the one on one time I get when one of them is asleep and the other isn’t, so I’m not complaining.

Happy Valentine’s Day

I just love Valentine’s Day, always have! I love all the pink and red, flowers, valentine candy, and especially school valentine parties! I have been buying little things for Z for Valentine’s Day all week. It was so fun giving them all to him this morning, and I can’t wait to see what he brings home from school!

Of course, sister wanted in on that action too! She’s going to have a Valentine party today too.

Love my little Valentines!

(and my big one too!)

Miss Lu celebrated this morning by pulling her little self up into the sitting position. This is what we saw when we went in to get her.

Maybe that explains why she’s been eating SO MUCH lately (or so they tell me at school).

A Day in the Life…

The other day Nick and I were totally stumped trying to think back to our routine with Z when he was about Lu’s age. Did we feed him before school? Who got him out of bed? Who knows? So I thought I’d summarize a typical day in our house in case we ever need to reference it again (why would we? I don’t know).

We usually get up and get mostly ready before we get them. I try to have Lu’s bottles and food ready to go the night before or at least by this point.

Nick gets Z and I get Lu. He gets him ready and brings him downstairs where he heads straight for the table for his waffle and iPad. I change and dress Lu then feed her try to find time to make lunch, pack  up my pump supplies, eat breakfast and fill up my to go coffee cup, then a little before 8, we load them up and Nick drops them off, and we both head to work.

After work, I drive down to the school (which sometimes can take half and hour or more) to pick them up (I usually get Lu first then Z), then we load up again and head home. Sometimes, I have groceries in the car from a lunchtime Wal-Mart run, which Z likes to dip into. Sometimes, I also have a coke zero or something, which he will help himself to as well. I kinda like that tradition, because I feel like it’s something he will remember. You know, Mom used to pick me up and sometimes I’d get a special snack and drink in the car.

We get home, and he immediately goes back to the table with a snack (or dinner if I’m on top of things) and the iPad (again), while I bathe, change, and feed Lu. She’s almost always down by 6:30 or 7, then I can start tending to him with dinner or drinks or whatever, and Nick is usually home by this point. Also, on any given day, my dad or brother or nephew or entire family could be part of this afternoon routine, which is usually quite helpful, because then I can at least have a second to sit down without holding or serving or feeding one of my children!

Then we sit down and try to eat together, Nick, me, and Z, plus or minus 1 to 8 additional people.

Then, we have to coax Z upstairs (especially difficult when there is family at the house) upstairs to bathe (most nights), brush teeth, put on PJ’s, read, sing, go to sleep, a routine that can take anywhere between 7 and 1/2 minutes and 1 or more hours. 

Then I crash from exhaustion and watch some kindof wonderful meaningless television with Nick, oh and a bowl of ice cream.

There you have it. I got tired just reading it…

All in the Family

We had the busiest best weekend! Saturday was my nieces’ 4th birthday party and my sis and her whole family came up, so were all together! My parents, the four of us, our 3 spouses, and 7 children!

Friday it was just me and the kids, and it was rather quiet, if you don’t count Z’s and my screams all morning. He was in a MOOD, let me tell you. I have now started a list that reads:

Fridays I wish Z was in school

1

I’ll keep you posted on that one.

Friday night everyone came to my house for a massive family dinner cooked by my one and only mom. It was fantastic, and the kids were beside themselves. Z was acting a little weird, kindof keeping to himself a little and allegedly throwing things and whatnot. I’m not sure what was going on with him that day, but I think it got better as the weekend progressed.

Saturday was the party. They had a great turnout and it was a lot of fun! They bowled, played games, then had pizza and cake.

They have something for everyone at Treetop.

Z’s personal favorite this time were the gun games. He is SO into guns, and when I say guns, I mean the idea of guns and play guns, not hunting or real guns. I also mean turning everything including chicken nuggets into guns. Not my favorite hobby, and believe me, this did NOT help.

Neither did this

I mean, what’s up with all the guns? The game he’s playing in that first picture was like terminator, and it’s exactly what it looks like, guns shooting people on the screen. Incidentally, I’m not sure who had more fun with that one, my little son or my idiot brother.

The pizza and cake part was awesome, my older brother (in true T form) did a blessing/prayer at the beginning that was great and a wonderful reminder to us to be thankful for what we have. Then the girls blew out the candles and we all dug in!

Even Lu had fun, especially with her friend Sophie!

After the party, we went home and put our very tired little children to sleep for their much needed naps and recovered a bit from the fun. Then we got ready and went to a dinner party that was planned weeks ago and the rest of the family (minus the kids who stayed home with 2 babysitters) went out to dinner. We met up with them at Barnes and Noble and like crazy people took a million family pictures.

After a few, I decided I was over it…

Then my bro was over it…

Kidding aside, these are some of my favorite pictures of us (even though my eyes were totally bloodshot from not sleeping Friday night, why didn’t I sleep, I have no idea!).
I just realized this post is like forever long, and I still have more pictures, stay tuned for more.