Monday, February 20, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Sweet Sundays
I spend the week looking forward to Sundays. It is a day when a bunch of us get together and enjoy each other's company. We eat, we talk, we laugh and poke fun, and we do it in the most wonderful of environments. It is a safe and comfortable gathering of people, one in which I always feel like I fit in, always feel welcome and always feel accepted. 3 or more of the people Wolf has known most of his life and to me, that is amazing. I have moved so much in my life that I couldn't possibly remember any friends from when I was a child, although I do still have my best friend from high school, Molly, who has been a part of my life for 20 years this year (happy anniversary McKee).
We don't get together every Sunday and it isn't always the whole group, but we do have so much fun. Locations change, menus change and the weather changes, but never the love, support and sense of family that I get when I am with these people. They are such good people and I am so glad that my children will get to grow up around them, will get to learn from them and will hopefully get a sense of a large extended family that most of us these days don't have. I look forward to many more Sundays.
We don't get together every Sunday and it isn't always the whole group, but we do have so much fun. Locations change, menus change and the weather changes, but never the love, support and sense of family that I get when I am with these people. They are such good people and I am so glad that my children will get to grow up around them, will get to learn from them and will hopefully get a sense of a large extended family that most of us these days don't have. I look forward to many more Sundays.
Milestones
Time goes to quickly. Days zip by in the blink of an eye. My first born is almost three and has taken to calling me Mom. This is only strange because I have always been Mama or Mamabear, as Wolf has always been Dada or Dadabear. He too has graduated to just Dad. This afternoon it was time for Mason's nap and he was frustrated because he couldn't get his "damn shoe" off. His vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds and he says things every day that just put me in awe. I should be better about writing them down, I suppose, but again there is that issue of time. I'll get to it in a minute, I think, and before I know it, it is 10:00 and past my bedtime.
Morgan crawls and pulls himself up and is finally cutting his first tooth (the bottom left). Today Jess learned how sharp even the littlest sliver of tooth can be when she didn't pull her finger out of his mouth fast enough. Don't get in the way of a boy and his food. My nickname for Morgan is Hoover. There truly isn't anything he won't eat. It's crazy.
Mason's diet has been going well. We discovered, about 4 weeks ago, that he has major food allergies. We had suspected for some time but finally decided that we should go ahead and have him tested. These days they do blood tests and although they aren't fool proof, they do give us a good idea of what he shouldn't have. In Mason's case, it's pretty much everything. Grains, gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and garlic are the big ones. And because we've worn his intestine and his immune system down, if we give him too much of one food he becomes allergic to that as well. I panicked when I first found out and wasn't sure how I was going to manage coming up with a diet that contained NONE of these things. But amazingly it has proven to be a most excellent thing. It has forced me to learn to cook better and to expand my repetoire of dishes. It has brought me back to the basics, to the idea of a simple dinner, with very few spices and very easy meals. Shopping can be hard, as I feel like I'm in one of 3 grocery stores every day, but we've managed so far. It's not cheap but it's been worth it.
The differences in Mason weren't apparent right away because we started this when he had a cold, but now that he is healthy I really can see how much he has improved. He is less whiny, less grumpy, less clingy and overall has a far better disposition. The dark purple circles under his eyes are still present but the doctor says that they are usually the last things to disappear. He eats more at each meal, even with the snacks, and it makes dinnertime so much nicer. I must say I was dreading those moments when he would ask me for some pretzels or a cookie or something else that he could no longer have, but all in all he has proven to be quite a champ. We just tell him that it will hurt his tummy if we give it to him, then we proceed to find something else that he can have and likes and it all works out. Tonight at our Sunday gathering we celebrated Bodhi's birthday and Jess had gotten some cupcakes. Mason immediately began to ask for them, of course, but it was very easy to persuade him that watermelon would be far better. Crazy.
I could keep writing and would love to, but it is 10:20, again with the time flying, so I must be off to bed. Wolf is playing a playstation game and and since he will probably be up for awhile, and since it is my turn tomorrow to get up with the kids, I must sign off. My writing has been a little scattered tonight but it felt good to write again.
Morgan crawls and pulls himself up and is finally cutting his first tooth (the bottom left). Today Jess learned how sharp even the littlest sliver of tooth can be when she didn't pull her finger out of his mouth fast enough. Don't get in the way of a boy and his food. My nickname for Morgan is Hoover. There truly isn't anything he won't eat. It's crazy.
Mason's diet has been going well. We discovered, about 4 weeks ago, that he has major food allergies. We had suspected for some time but finally decided that we should go ahead and have him tested. These days they do blood tests and although they aren't fool proof, they do give us a good idea of what he shouldn't have. In Mason's case, it's pretty much everything. Grains, gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and garlic are the big ones. And because we've worn his intestine and his immune system down, if we give him too much of one food he becomes allergic to that as well. I panicked when I first found out and wasn't sure how I was going to manage coming up with a diet that contained NONE of these things. But amazingly it has proven to be a most excellent thing. It has forced me to learn to cook better and to expand my repetoire of dishes. It has brought me back to the basics, to the idea of a simple dinner, with very few spices and very easy meals. Shopping can be hard, as I feel like I'm in one of 3 grocery stores every day, but we've managed so far. It's not cheap but it's been worth it.
The differences in Mason weren't apparent right away because we started this when he had a cold, but now that he is healthy I really can see how much he has improved. He is less whiny, less grumpy, less clingy and overall has a far better disposition. The dark purple circles under his eyes are still present but the doctor says that they are usually the last things to disappear. He eats more at each meal, even with the snacks, and it makes dinnertime so much nicer. I must say I was dreading those moments when he would ask me for some pretzels or a cookie or something else that he could no longer have, but all in all he has proven to be quite a champ. We just tell him that it will hurt his tummy if we give it to him, then we proceed to find something else that he can have and likes and it all works out. Tonight at our Sunday gathering we celebrated Bodhi's birthday and Jess had gotten some cupcakes. Mason immediately began to ask for them, of course, but it was very easy to persuade him that watermelon would be far better. Crazy.
I could keep writing and would love to, but it is 10:20, again with the time flying, so I must be off to bed. Wolf is playing a playstation game and and since he will probably be up for awhile, and since it is my turn tomorrow to get up with the kids, I must sign off. My writing has been a little scattered tonight but it felt good to write again.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
A whole nother year
As the year draws to a close I am struck once again at how quickly time passes. I look at my baby and I see a little boy. I look at my little boy and I see a big boy. And I look at my biggest boy and I see the man I have loved all of my life. My heart swells and threatens to break on a daily basis and I thank my lucky stars that I have been so blessed.
There are these moments when Mason looks at me and I can literally see the love in his eyes. He pauses for a minute and just looks at me, then he smiles this sweet, precious, real smile, puts his hands on my face and kisses me. "I love you so much, MamaBear. You're my best friend." It makes me feel so good to know that he has learned what love is, that he understands the words and knows the feelings behind them. He may only be 2 1/2 but I can see the man he will become and I am so very proud. I am happy for the woman who will finally win his heart for she will have a good man who will love and honor and respect her. He may only be 2 1/2 but I know his heart and know that he will be a good person, which is all that I can ask. He will be a man like his father and that is a beautiful thing.
And my beautiful baby, who grows more animated and more sure of himself every day. Just yesterday he hit a new milestone, a new developmental stage that is only noticeable to us. His actions are more controlled and purposeful. He is able to express his wants and needs much better. And his eyes shine more brightly than before. My little baby who is growing into a little boy. I will not miss the baby stage, as I have found it is not my favorite. I will miss, however, watching these fundamental changes that will become less and less visible as the boys grow older. The major leaps and bounds are so apparent, so huge at this stage of development and it's quite amazing to watch.
I hear the thump, thump, thump of Mason running towards me. He is wearing his striped pj's that remind me of old jailhouse uniforms and I can't help but giggle. It is time for me to go play, I am told, so I must be off. The force of nature is not to be ignored.
There are these moments when Mason looks at me and I can literally see the love in his eyes. He pauses for a minute and just looks at me, then he smiles this sweet, precious, real smile, puts his hands on my face and kisses me. "I love you so much, MamaBear. You're my best friend." It makes me feel so good to know that he has learned what love is, that he understands the words and knows the feelings behind them. He may only be 2 1/2 but I can see the man he will become and I am so very proud. I am happy for the woman who will finally win his heart for she will have a good man who will love and honor and respect her. He may only be 2 1/2 but I know his heart and know that he will be a good person, which is all that I can ask. He will be a man like his father and that is a beautiful thing.
And my beautiful baby, who grows more animated and more sure of himself every day. Just yesterday he hit a new milestone, a new developmental stage that is only noticeable to us. His actions are more controlled and purposeful. He is able to express his wants and needs much better. And his eyes shine more brightly than before. My little baby who is growing into a little boy. I will not miss the baby stage, as I have found it is not my favorite. I will miss, however, watching these fundamental changes that will become less and less visible as the boys grow older. The major leaps and bounds are so apparent, so huge at this stage of development and it's quite amazing to watch.
I hear the thump, thump, thump of Mason running towards me. He is wearing his striped pj's that remind me of old jailhouse uniforms and I can't help but giggle. It is time for me to go play, I am told, so I must be off. The force of nature is not to be ignored.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A wonderful evening with my husband
Saturday night my mother graciously agreed to take care of both boys all night, thus allowing Wolf and I to go out for a fantastic night on the town....alone.
We left just before Mason went to sleep and headed down to Borders, to kill some time, get some caffeine (we were going to need it) and just hang out. From there we headed to Bodhi's wine bar, Bacchus, on Hyde St., where we shared an absolutely superb bottle of Riesling (thanks Bodhi) and ate a bit of sushi. Then it was off to the hotel to check in and get changed. By the time we got out to Market to catch a cab it was about 10:30 but we didn't get to the Hookahdome party site until 11:20. Who knew it would be so DAMN hard to get a cab in the city!
Okay, brief insight as to what this whole night is about. Wolf has been to Burning Man once, in 2004, when I was pregnant with Morgan, and has been itching to go back. Soooo, he has convinced me that he and I will have a grand ol' time going together, just the two of us, next September. So this party (fundraiser) we are enroute to is being thrown by a group called The Hookahdome that attends Burning Man every year.
Back to the party....we stood outside for probably another half an hour waiting for everyone to get checked in and finally, around midnight, we were welcomed into the bossom of The Cellspace. From that point on, Wolf and I proceeded to have a fun, energetic, sexy, wonderful, thrilling and much needed evening that brought us closer together and gave us a chance to reconnect again. We met some beautiful people, some of whom I hope we get to see again.
This must be done as often as possible, I think. Maybe not that intense or that long of a night, but the need to reconnect with my husband, get away from the stress of everyday life, and just be Amy and Wolf is something that should happen every couple of months. I highly recommend it. It's as important as getting time away for yourself, which should be done just as frequently.
For us, we have December 30th to look forward to, a night of Cirque du Soleil, good food, a hotel room, some close friends and a good night sleep. Yippee, here's to the new year!
We left just before Mason went to sleep and headed down to Borders, to kill some time, get some caffeine (we were going to need it) and just hang out. From there we headed to Bodhi's wine bar, Bacchus, on Hyde St., where we shared an absolutely superb bottle of Riesling (thanks Bodhi) and ate a bit of sushi. Then it was off to the hotel to check in and get changed. By the time we got out to Market to catch a cab it was about 10:30 but we didn't get to the Hookahdome party site until 11:20. Who knew it would be so DAMN hard to get a cab in the city!
Okay, brief insight as to what this whole night is about. Wolf has been to Burning Man once, in 2004, when I was pregnant with Morgan, and has been itching to go back. Soooo, he has convinced me that he and I will have a grand ol' time going together, just the two of us, next September. So this party (fundraiser) we are enroute to is being thrown by a group called The Hookahdome that attends Burning Man every year.
Back to the party....we stood outside for probably another half an hour waiting for everyone to get checked in and finally, around midnight, we were welcomed into the bossom of The Cellspace. From that point on, Wolf and I proceeded to have a fun, energetic, sexy, wonderful, thrilling and much needed evening that brought us closer together and gave us a chance to reconnect again. We met some beautiful people, some of whom I hope we get to see again.
This must be done as often as possible, I think. Maybe not that intense or that long of a night, but the need to reconnect with my husband, get away from the stress of everyday life, and just be Amy and Wolf is something that should happen every couple of months. I highly recommend it. It's as important as getting time away for yourself, which should be done just as frequently.
For us, we have December 30th to look forward to, a night of Cirque du Soleil, good food, a hotel room, some close friends and a good night sleep. Yippee, here's to the new year!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
I am a horrible parent
At least I feel that way today. I'm sure most, if not all, parents feel that way at one time or another. Today had actually started out a pretty good day. I took the boys to LeapFrog to be part of a "making of" video for a new toy they are coming out with. We all had a lot of fun and the boys did beautifully. Then we went to Togo's and had lunch....miracle of all miracles-Mason preferred a sandwich over french fries. I had to make sure he wasn't a pod person.
The bad part happened just after lunch. I had to change both of the boys' diapers before getting into the car so we sat down a knee-high stone wall, which seemed like the perfect place. Mason was first, then Momo. But just as I was finishing with Momo, Mason got restless and was telling me he wanted to go "over to that thing over there." I told him no because I couldn't see over there and his reply was that he would be super fast. I thought he was going to start heading over there so I jumped up to be prepared to stop him, but forgot about Morgan laying on the stone wall. 2 seconds later I heard this dull thud and looked down to see Morgan lying on the ground. My heart stopped, the world stopped and I raced to pick him up. I'm not really clear on what I did after that. Mason sensed something bad had happened because he stopped being difficult and asked me what happened. I tried to stay calm and I headed to the car but I started crying half way there. It was either that or throw up. I must have been quite a sight - holding a screaming baby, pushing a stroller, crying and trying to walk with a 2 year old across a busy parking lot.
In any case, Momo appears to be okay, although I had to talk to everyone I know on the phone before I could be convinced of that. He really only cried for a few minutes and then he seemed sleepy but that was really only because it was nap time.
I'm still feeling crappy but it'll pass. Both boys are awake from their naps and playing, so all is right with the world again.
The bad part happened just after lunch. I had to change both of the boys' diapers before getting into the car so we sat down a knee-high stone wall, which seemed like the perfect place. Mason was first, then Momo. But just as I was finishing with Momo, Mason got restless and was telling me he wanted to go "over to that thing over there." I told him no because I couldn't see over there and his reply was that he would be super fast. I thought he was going to start heading over there so I jumped up to be prepared to stop him, but forgot about Morgan laying on the stone wall. 2 seconds later I heard this dull thud and looked down to see Morgan lying on the ground. My heart stopped, the world stopped and I raced to pick him up. I'm not really clear on what I did after that. Mason sensed something bad had happened because he stopped being difficult and asked me what happened. I tried to stay calm and I headed to the car but I started crying half way there. It was either that or throw up. I must have been quite a sight - holding a screaming baby, pushing a stroller, crying and trying to walk with a 2 year old across a busy parking lot.
In any case, Momo appears to be okay, although I had to talk to everyone I know on the phone before I could be convinced of that. He really only cried for a few minutes and then he seemed sleepy but that was really only because it was nap time.
I'm still feeling crappy but it'll pass. Both boys are awake from their naps and playing, so all is right with the world again.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Sleepless nights
Since the time change, Mason has been waking up at 5:30 almost every morning. As you can imagine, this SUCKS! We have tried bringing him in our bed but that only occasionally works. We have tried singing him songs to get him back to sleep, which almost never works. And since he can't open his bedroom door most of the time, we have tried ignoring him hoping he'll just play quietly in his room, which absolutely never works. He just gets louder and louder until someone responds to him - which is usually Momo. Dealing with both kids at that ungodly hour of the morning is not pleasant. In fact, it makes us downright mean and that just makes things worse.
So tonight we're implementing a new plan, one I've read about several times but don't know for sure will work. We've put a digital alarm clock in his room and set the radio to go off at 6:00. I put his blocks in his room so he has them to play with in the morning and tomorrow, if he wants, we can put his train table in there too. Then I explained all about the clock and let him hear how the radio will sound. Then I told him that he has to stay and play in his room until he hears the radio and not before. I repeated it several times and I know he got it because I could hear him mumbling it to himself as he walked to the closet to pick out a book to read. "wait until the radio comes on then I go get mamabeaw and dadabeaw." I'm not going to get my hopes up but please, let this work!
Wolf is having a boys night out tonight with our friend Matthew, so it's just Mason, Momo, my mom and I. We had a "picnic" on the livingroom floor of fish sticks and baked potatoes, and we watched Toy Story 2. Mason sat throught the whole thing, as did Morgan. We had a wonderful time. Bedtime with Mason wasn't easy but it could have, and has been, worse. Momo is a piece of cake. You give him a bath, a little milk, a good burp, a little song and some lovin' and he's out like a light. We can only hope that it stays that way.
I talked to Pop tonight on the phone for a bit, which was wonderful. It's great when one can not only get along with but really like their in-laws. He was in Italy for a few weeks, but usually he takes Mason once a week and they go hang out together. This week they both have colds but hopefully they'll be able to start up again next week.
I have some friends who are going through some heavy stuff right now and I'm keeping them in my thoughts and sending them supportive and loving wishes.
I have to go now so I can put a shutterfly email together for all of those people who don't read this blog but would like to see pictures of the boys. Then I'm off to watch Lost. Yeah, it's a new episode!
So tonight we're implementing a new plan, one I've read about several times but don't know for sure will work. We've put a digital alarm clock in his room and set the radio to go off at 6:00. I put his blocks in his room so he has them to play with in the morning and tomorrow, if he wants, we can put his train table in there too. Then I explained all about the clock and let him hear how the radio will sound. Then I told him that he has to stay and play in his room until he hears the radio and not before. I repeated it several times and I know he got it because I could hear him mumbling it to himself as he walked to the closet to pick out a book to read. "wait until the radio comes on then I go get mamabeaw and dadabeaw." I'm not going to get my hopes up but please, let this work!
Wolf is having a boys night out tonight with our friend Matthew, so it's just Mason, Momo, my mom and I. We had a "picnic" on the livingroom floor of fish sticks and baked potatoes, and we watched Toy Story 2. Mason sat throught the whole thing, as did Morgan. We had a wonderful time. Bedtime with Mason wasn't easy but it could have, and has been, worse. Momo is a piece of cake. You give him a bath, a little milk, a good burp, a little song and some lovin' and he's out like a light. We can only hope that it stays that way.
I talked to Pop tonight on the phone for a bit, which was wonderful. It's great when one can not only get along with but really like their in-laws. He was in Italy for a few weeks, but usually he takes Mason once a week and they go hang out together. This week they both have colds but hopefully they'll be able to start up again next week.
I have some friends who are going through some heavy stuff right now and I'm keeping them in my thoughts and sending them supportive and loving wishes.
I have to go now so I can put a shutterfly email together for all of those people who don't read this blog but would like to see pictures of the boys. Then I'm off to watch Lost. Yeah, it's a new episode!
Masonisms
* Uppies Daisy
* Architect is my favorite color in the whole world
* Hamabayger (hamburger)
* Wait up, Mamabeaw, you have to keep me company
* You're my best fwiend
* rowwer (roller)
* Aw wight
* That sounds like a plan
* What are we gonna do today?
* Hon!
* Pinky deal
* Hey look, there's my fwiend....of any child under 4 ft tall
* Oh my goodness
* Yesterday while we were sitting on the back porch snacking on popcorn, watching the rain come down in drizzles, he put his hand on my knee and says, "How was your day, mamabeaw? Mine was gweat."
* Our goodnight and goodbye ritual - he gives us a kiss, then he twirls his index finger around in a circle a bunch of times saying bumblebee, bumblebee and then touches our nose and says bink, all of which is followed up by a hug and an I wove you.
What more can anyone ask for?
* Architect is my favorite color in the whole world
* Hamabayger (hamburger)
* Wait up, Mamabeaw, you have to keep me company
* You're my best fwiend
* rowwer (roller)
* Aw wight
* That sounds like a plan
* What are we gonna do today?
* Hon!
* Pinky deal
* Hey look, there's my fwiend....of any child under 4 ft tall
* Oh my goodness
* Yesterday while we were sitting on the back porch snacking on popcorn, watching the rain come down in drizzles, he put his hand on my knee and says, "How was your day, mamabeaw? Mine was gweat."
* Our goodnight and goodbye ritual - he gives us a kiss, then he twirls his index finger around in a circle a bunch of times saying bumblebee, bumblebee and then touches our nose and says bink, all of which is followed up by a hug and an I wove you.
What more can anyone ask for?
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Winter madness
Tis the season....All of us here in Schusterville have a cold. I shouldn't complain because it's the first one we've had in MONTHS, yeah, but it's not fun...especially when we all have it at the same time. Poor little MoMo doesn't really know what to do with all of the stuff flowing from his nose, none of us are sleeping and Wolf and I are trying really hard not to go insane. Ah, life is good. I do know that if my mother wasn't living here with us I would probably go insane.
On the up side, TIS THE SEASON! I absolutely love this time of year. The weather is getting colder, the holidays are just around the corner and Mason is at the age where he can start to enjoy them. I look forward to my hot cup of tea every morning as I watch Mason run around outside with Sammy (my mom's dog) and I listen to MoMo explore his ability to vocalize. As I type this, Mason is outside "working" in the garden (aka digging holes in the patch of weeds and shrubs), MoMo is doing his favorite thing - eating, my mom is watching tv, and I am typing this, while blowing my nose, and missing my husband terribly.
Well, I think I'm done for now. Another cup of tea, a black currant throat lozenge and a good warm pair of socks and I'll be ready to go play with my boy.
On the up side, TIS THE SEASON! I absolutely love this time of year. The weather is getting colder, the holidays are just around the corner and Mason is at the age where he can start to enjoy them. I look forward to my hot cup of tea every morning as I watch Mason run around outside with Sammy (my mom's dog) and I listen to MoMo explore his ability to vocalize. As I type this, Mason is outside "working" in the garden (aka digging holes in the patch of weeds and shrubs), MoMo is doing his favorite thing - eating, my mom is watching tv, and I am typing this, while blowing my nose, and missing my husband terribly.
Well, I think I'm done for now. Another cup of tea, a black currant throat lozenge and a good warm pair of socks and I'll be ready to go play with my boy.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Friday, September 30, 2005
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
The Mysteries & Wonders of Life
My children
Love
Cold fresh water
The way it smells after a rain
Friendships
The human body
Shooting stars
Chocolate
Sex
A good book
Hummingbirds
Waterfalls
Art
Love
Cold fresh water
The way it smells after a rain
Friendships
The human body
Shooting stars
Chocolate
Sex
A good book
Hummingbirds
Waterfalls
Art
Monday, September 19, 2005
Sunday, September 11, 2005
I'm inspired
to blog today. I checked all of my friends blog/baby sites this morning and they were all updated, so I figured it was my turn. Not that I'm even sure anyone reads this anymore but what the hell.
The boys are doing beautifully. Other than Mason's daily typical 2 year old breakdowns and his occasional need to beat me (quite literally), he is doing very well. He started a new school last week called Ice Cream and Shoe and he seems to really like it. I was feeling guilty for awhile about making the change of schools but he adjusted beautifully. His first day was Wednesday and on the way into class he asked me if I could stay. I said no but that I would be back to pick him up after lunch like I always do. He said okay and when we got into the classroom he put his new turtle backpack and his "shirtie" in his cubbie, kissed me, bumblebee binked me and was off to play. ::sigh:: my little boy is all grows up.
Morgan started eating solid foods a little over a week ago and he is officially done nursing. We had a pretty nasty case of thrush for a few weeks and it made it very difficult to nurse. I had been hoping to make it to at least 6 months but it just wasn't in the cards this time and I didn't have it in me to push it. Breastfeeding is not something I have enjoyed, either time, but I really wanted to do as much as I could to help the boys. We finally moved Mo-mo out of our room too. We aren't ready to put him in Mason's room yet, not until he is sleeping through the night, so we put him in the livingroom when we are ready to go to sleep. It seems to help as lately he's only been waking up about once in the middle of the night to eat.
Then last night a miracle happened....he slept the ENTIRE night. My mom was babysitting last night so that Wolf and I could go to a friend's birthday dinner in the city. She put him down around 8:30. He woke up crying at 12, I went out to put the binkie back in his mouth and he was asleep in seconds. Around 3 I woke up totally confused and disoriented because I couldn't figure out why Morgan hadn't woken up to eat. I had to go out and check on him to make sure he was breathing. He hadn't even moved! I woke up again at 5 to check on him and he was still in the same position...and still breathing. Mason woke up at 7 and I moved Morgan and his little bed into the bedroom and he continued to sleep until almost 8. Holy Shit! Almost 12 straight hours of sleep. Do I dare to think that this will happen more frequently? Do I truly see the light at the end of the tunnel? Of course not because that would jinx everything, but maybe if I think it in secret....
The boys are doing beautifully. Other than Mason's daily typical 2 year old breakdowns and his occasional need to beat me (quite literally), he is doing very well. He started a new school last week called Ice Cream and Shoe and he seems to really like it. I was feeling guilty for awhile about making the change of schools but he adjusted beautifully. His first day was Wednesday and on the way into class he asked me if I could stay. I said no but that I would be back to pick him up after lunch like I always do. He said okay and when we got into the classroom he put his new turtle backpack and his "shirtie" in his cubbie, kissed me, bumblebee binked me and was off to play. ::sigh:: my little boy is all grows up.
Morgan started eating solid foods a little over a week ago and he is officially done nursing. We had a pretty nasty case of thrush for a few weeks and it made it very difficult to nurse. I had been hoping to make it to at least 6 months but it just wasn't in the cards this time and I didn't have it in me to push it. Breastfeeding is not something I have enjoyed, either time, but I really wanted to do as much as I could to help the boys. We finally moved Mo-mo out of our room too. We aren't ready to put him in Mason's room yet, not until he is sleeping through the night, so we put him in the livingroom when we are ready to go to sleep. It seems to help as lately he's only been waking up about once in the middle of the night to eat.
Then last night a miracle happened....he slept the ENTIRE night. My mom was babysitting last night so that Wolf and I could go to a friend's birthday dinner in the city. She put him down around 8:30. He woke up crying at 12, I went out to put the binkie back in his mouth and he was asleep in seconds. Around 3 I woke up totally confused and disoriented because I couldn't figure out why Morgan hadn't woken up to eat. I had to go out and check on him to make sure he was breathing. He hadn't even moved! I woke up again at 5 to check on him and he was still in the same position...and still breathing. Mason woke up at 7 and I moved Morgan and his little bed into the bedroom and he continued to sleep until almost 8. Holy Shit! Almost 12 straight hours of sleep. Do I dare to think that this will happen more frequently? Do I truly see the light at the end of the tunnel? Of course not because that would jinx everything, but maybe if I think it in secret....
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Out of the mouths of babes
On our way to the doctor's this morning for the boys 2 year and 4 month check ups, a truck driver cut me off and I got pissed off, so I shouted "Fudge" at him. Not very effective, but it made me feel better. All of sudden I hear Mason from the back seat say, "Sorry, Mama." For what, I ask him. "It was all my fault," came the reply. I hurriedly assured him it was not in any way his fault then proceeded to scold myself for allowing those words to enter his vocabulary. It doesn't seem fair that at 2 years old he should believe that anything is his fault. 2 year olds should not have faults. Even though he doesn't know what it means, it seems like it's too much responsibility for one little boy to take on. Mistake seems like such a better word - I know they don't mean exactly the same but it is the closest word Mason should have to use at this age.
God, how I love my kids. I get these horrible images in my head sometimes of things happening to them and I forget to breathe. How will I ever feel comfortable letting them go, letting them go out into the big scary world by themselves? I know it's inevitable and it may seem strange that I'm worrying about this when they are still in diapers, but I am very aware how quickly time flies. I will blink and before I know it they will be off to college or off to travel the world or off to find their niches in life. I guess all Wolf and I can do is provide them with the best tools we can, give them all of the love in the world and hope that they grow into happy and well-grounded men.
God, how I love my kids. I get these horrible images in my head sometimes of things happening to them and I forget to breathe. How will I ever feel comfortable letting them go, letting them go out into the big scary world by themselves? I know it's inevitable and it may seem strange that I'm worrying about this when they are still in diapers, but I am very aware how quickly time flies. I will blink and before I know it they will be off to college or off to travel the world or off to find their niches in life. I guess all Wolf and I can do is provide them with the best tools we can, give them all of the love in the world and hope that they grow into happy and well-grounded men.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
The Latest Milestones
Mo-Mo is growing so quickly. He started laughing a few weeks ago, a deep throaty laugh that makes my heart sing, and today he rolled himself over for the first time. And he actually did it a couple of times. I felt so bad for him....I was running around the house doing something and when I went to check on him ( he was lying in the middle of the floor in the living room), he had rolled himself over on his side and was digging the side of his face into the rug. I'm not sure if he was trying to eat it or use his big noggin to roll himself over, but he had some serious rug burn marks for awhile. Some mother I am, huh?
He also started reaching for things today. He was lying on his gymini and I had hung a new toy which I guess he found interesting enough to touch and play with. It was fun to watch.
Mason is most definitely two now and has all of the characteristics that define the age...stalling at bedtime, tantrums, whining, etc. But he is also one of the sweetest, most kind hearted and caring little boys I have ever met. I try to tell him every day how proud I am of him because the smile that lights up his face is something to behold. He talks in full and complete sentences now, and although I can't always understand him, I am blown away every day by something he says. I should probably be writing them down but it never seems to be a good time.
So I will keep trying to update this blog as my precious boys do new and exciting things.
He also started reaching for things today. He was lying on his gymini and I had hung a new toy which I guess he found interesting enough to touch and play with. It was fun to watch.
Mason is most definitely two now and has all of the characteristics that define the age...stalling at bedtime, tantrums, whining, etc. But he is also one of the sweetest, most kind hearted and caring little boys I have ever met. I try to tell him every day how proud I am of him because the smile that lights up his face is something to behold. He talks in full and complete sentences now, and although I can't always understand him, I am blown away every day by something he says. I should probably be writing them down but it never seems to be a good time.
So I will keep trying to update this blog as my precious boys do new and exciting things.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
I'm melting.....
This heat is atrocious. It's making us all crabby and short-tempered. I guess I can at least be thankful that it's not humid.
It's not getting any easier putting Mason down to sleep at night. He just draws it out and no matter how hard we try to stick to a routine, it doesn't work. "more bookies, more songs, more dinner day..." Luckily he's so damn cute or we'd throttle him. We don't know what to do anymore. I guess we go back to sleep training him and letting him cry it out. After the second time we just go in there, put him back in his bed and don't say anything. It's so hard to listen to him scream though...and I'm sure the whole neighborhood thinks so too. But it's not like we can close the windows.
We got to hang out with our new neighbors yesterday and it was a lot of fun. We really like them and are excited that they are due to have a baby in August. We have been really lucky the last few places we've lived - we've had some fantastic neighbors and we've managed to stay friends with all of them. It's really great. I'm looking forward to living here even more now.
It's not getting any easier putting Mason down to sleep at night. He just draws it out and no matter how hard we try to stick to a routine, it doesn't work. "more bookies, more songs, more dinner day..." Luckily he's so damn cute or we'd throttle him. We don't know what to do anymore. I guess we go back to sleep training him and letting him cry it out. After the second time we just go in there, put him back in his bed and don't say anything. It's so hard to listen to him scream though...and I'm sure the whole neighborhood thinks so too. But it's not like we can close the windows.
We got to hang out with our new neighbors yesterday and it was a lot of fun. We really like them and are excited that they are due to have a baby in August. We have been really lucky the last few places we've lived - we've had some fantastic neighbors and we've managed to stay friends with all of them. It's really great. I'm looking forward to living here even more now.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Life
I haven't posted for awhile because I haven't really had anything good to say. There have been lots of bad things happening to really good people in my life and it's been hard to deal with. And I don't want everything I write about to be negative.
So on a good note, I just found out my friend Diane is pregnant and due next March. This is really exciting news because she and her husband have been trying for some time to have a second child and we are all so happy for her.
Wolf and I were talking yesterday about how we may not lead exciting lives and me may not be rich but all in all we lead a very charmed and happy life. Yes, bad things happen, but good ones do too. I look at our beautiful children and all of his beautiful friends and I thank the powers that be that we have been allowed to have the privilege of raising, nurturing and loving them.
I was just telling my best friend Molly, who is as I type this is going through a very rough time, that I truly believe all things happen for a reason, even terrible things. It's hard to believe that when it's you going through it, but I think if we can just keep ahold of that simple thought, then we can get through anything.
Molly, you are an amazing woman, a wonderful mother and the best friend a girl could ask for. Know that I love you and am so very glad you are in my life.
Tomorrow Wolf and I are taking the boys to the beach, to enjoy a simple warm summer morning together in the sun. I am looking forward to it.
Sweet dreams.
So on a good note, I just found out my friend Diane is pregnant and due next March. This is really exciting news because she and her husband have been trying for some time to have a second child and we are all so happy for her.
Wolf and I were talking yesterday about how we may not lead exciting lives and me may not be rich but all in all we lead a very charmed and happy life. Yes, bad things happen, but good ones do too. I look at our beautiful children and all of his beautiful friends and I thank the powers that be that we have been allowed to have the privilege of raising, nurturing and loving them.
I was just telling my best friend Molly, who is as I type this is going through a very rough time, that I truly believe all things happen for a reason, even terrible things. It's hard to believe that when it's you going through it, but I think if we can just keep ahold of that simple thought, then we can get through anything.
Molly, you are an amazing woman, a wonderful mother and the best friend a girl could ask for. Know that I love you and am so very glad you are in my life.
Tomorrow Wolf and I are taking the boys to the beach, to enjoy a simple warm summer morning together in the sun. I am looking forward to it.
Sweet dreams.
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