Spring Fair 2011

Never done the Spring Fair before. It was just a down sized version of the Puyallup Fair, but still fun. After a few months I start missing the animals! Hands down my favorite part. Yay for piggies and cows!

We didn't do as much as I would have liked but we had a very busy Sunday with soccer practice at 10am then Palm Sunday mass at 12. Nap time is at noon mind you, and we NEVER skip nap. Oliver slept maybe 20 minutes in the car so he was a bit crankier and withdrawn then I would have liked at the Fair, but overall he did great. He slept for about 2 hours from 4:30-6:30 on our way home. We just drove around to make sure he got uninterrupted sleep...you gotta do what you gotta do as a parent sometimes! 

My 2 kiddos. Ollie's peaking from the back.       

Ollie LOVED the chickens. "Bock bock bock bock!"

Pygmy goats. Ollie kept saying "Meh-eh-eh-eh!"

He loves fire trucks but he was a bit scared of this one!

We saw a cow poop and I think it scarred Oliver!

Whew...tired from pushing my giant babies!

Love my honey/baby daddy/partner in crime. :)

So tired after a busy day!

I'm very excited about the impending nice weather. There's nothing I like better than filling up each and every day (with decent weather) during spring/summer. I have to make up for the 6 months of crummy weather and get my kids and myself active and breathing in fresh air!

Here's to zoo trips, ocean drives, fast slides, swimming pools, grass stains, popsicles, and BBQ's!

Copycat

Oliver had NEVER cared much about Scarlett's behavior. He helps out when she cries, he plays with her, and he's very protective, but he never truly 'reverted' at any point. He never cared for her binkys, or her toys, or her blankies. He never wanted to be treated like a baby. Then all of a sudden today he kept getting into Scarlett's car seat. Since she's teething I've been letting her gnaw on anything and everything, including her Tylenol bottle and a plastic giraffe. Oliver had observed this of course, so once the baby was napping he decided to be a baby...He even had Daddy carry him in it (just a short distance). Now I'm just wondering if this was a one-time-deal or is this the beginning of a phase...

Either way it's hilarious!

Books, Books & Reading!

So stoked my little guy LOVES books. I'm going to have to remember to take a picture of him right after falling asleep. He has to have about 10 books in his bed because those are his favorites. After I finish reading to him before bed time and leave the room, I always hear him "reading" his books even with the lights out.
He even goes so far to "read" to Scarlett and help me point out pictures. I really, really hope I can cultivate this love into a future love of reading. It will help him go far in life. I meet too many people my age and older who can't read a simple book because they don't know what half the words mean...
From experience, I think big vocabularies come from reading books!! Context people, its like a friendly dictionary of sorts, it also requires brain power. Not enough people use that anymore...(blame the Internet, ha!)


Plus, super cool program Oliver's daycare utilizes: The public library has a "library on wheels" that drives right over to his daycare's driveway (it's a home daycare) and all the kids get on the bus (which is made to look like a library, so instead of seats it has bookshelves!) and they get to check out 1 book for a week. Then the bus comes back a week later, they return their book and get to check out another! When Dana told me about this I nearly cried! What a fabulous way to inspire little ones that books and reading are fun!

Take 2

 You may remember this little outfit from Valentine's Day. Daddy decided to see if it still fit Miss Scarlett and of course it does. She still fits into a lot of 3 month clothing, which this is. Such a small baby, STILL not used to it after my chunker Oliver!



I just had to share a couple of these, she was squirming, but so cute!

These Two...

 Make my heart flutter. I'm so in love with my babies.

She's getting old enough to wrestle her broski!

She's a chewer as of late. Come out tooth!

Hi again, Terrible Twos!

"Please Don't Touch the Computer, Oliver."

"Mommy, Ollie fix it, kaaaay!"

Ugh, it's a battle...but he's so darn cute
when he's being defiant. :)

Terrible Twos....

6 Months Through Time

I feel like Scarlett turning 6 months has been really dramatic
for me. I just remember 6 months being a HUGE milestone
for Oliver and it felt like it took a long time to get there for
him. This time around she hit her half year in record time.
I'm really sad about it because I feel like I'm not getting to
thoroughly enjoy all of her little accomplishments and huge
growth. I want to say, "oh well, that's how the 2nd one goes",
but I don't want it to feel okay to not care so much! It's a
daily struggle that I think I manage quite well, but times like
this remind me that my kids are only babies for what seems
like a second and then they're self sufficient. I'm finding my
need/want for lots of kids stems from wanting to be completely
relied on. I NEED to be a mommy and to take care of my
babies...

I just can't believe my baby girl has been around SO long. 


I thought I'd post a picture from every month to see how
she's grown. Definitely more hair...maybe its just me, but
she looks about the same to me, but not, at the same time.

I JUST found this pic. It's really dark, but its from the hospital.

And here's another from her BIRTH day. Just a few hours old.

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months...halfway to ONE!

6 Months

Scar Scar is 6 months old today. Here she is playing with her big brother. Her doctor's appointment is Monday...I'll update then.





P.S. Half a year already???? No way.

Baby Legs Babies

Ollie put on his Baby Legs (that he hasn't worn since he was about 10 months old) Haha.

They were so cute together. They were both laughing and jumping...
It was hard to get a good picture.

Funny Little Sleeper

I love catching him in these random positions!

Look at that face!

Chipmunk Mommy!

Mommy had her 3 wisdom teeth extracted on Friday...Let's just say I've had some adverse reactions and have spent a lot of time throwing up and feeling gross. Daddy/Babcia and Dzia Dzia were able to help with the kids while I laid in bed for 2 days! Today is day 3 and I'm all by myself and still feeling pukey and light headed.

I just want to thank everyone for helping out. Though I feel like I'm still on my death bed and having to take care of a toddler and a 6 month old is NOT easy by myself today...I'm thankful for those 2 days!


And I look like a terrifying chipmunk and I'm due for a shower! Hahaha.

But I must say I missed my kids like crazy. Everyone kept them away from me and it was really hard knowing they were right there but not being able to give them kisses! 

Technology and a 2 Year Old

 Not only can Oliver open my locked droid phone anytime he wants, he can play all sorts of apps on our Ipod! It just goes to show 1. How smart kids are 2. What a big part technology will play in children's education.

I've mentioned in the past how Oliver LOVES anything Dr. Suess, so George downloaded some book apps. That way instead of mommy and daddy having to read the books over and over, we get a break and the phone reads it! He absolutely loves it!


George was also able to download some matching games, number and letter games, etc. Oliver really likes them! Most importantly I like that they are at least educational. He can brush up on letters, shapes, etc.

Big Stains

Trying to enjoy some wine last week coupled with a little soccer player in training, PLUS light carpets = one hell of a stain.







And this is AFTER I sopped up all the extra wine. Luckily we have stain remover, but boy was this not fun!



But what do you expect having a crazy toddler! :)

The Mornings

Ollie wanted to sit by his Sissy all by himself.

 Our morning routine has been flipped on its head since Oliver became potty trained, and not in a completely healthy way.

I used to be able to wake Oliver up at 6:30 am and be out the door by 6:40-6:45.

Then Scarlett was born and since Oliver did not want to get up before his sissy, I got Scarlett up and dressed at 6:20, Oliver at 6:30 and I was out the door by 6:45.

That was the glory of diapers. No waiting, no asking, no nagging. Just put it on and go. If there was pee to be peed or poop to be pooped then it could be done anytime...

Now I have to wake up my sleepy Oliver at 6 to make sure he's gone potty by 6:30 so that we can get dressed and be out by 6:45 all while making sure I get Scarlett ready too.

It was really tough at the beginning bc I learned VERY quickly that you cannot make a toddler pee even if he held it all night and he won't be able to go for another hour when we arrive at daycare....(glad to say he's never had an accident in the car!)

Therefore I had to start using the TV to my advantage....Not too thrilled about it bc I never wanted to be the mom that sat her kids in front of the TV to get stuff done. Now I coax Oliver out of bed at 6 am to the tune of Chugginton and Agent Oso. Both really good shows and I think they're very appropriate for Oliver.

When Ollie was a baby I refused him watching any TV. I did not want him getting used to the fast moving images, the flashing lights, or the brain numbing induced by watching too long. So here I am being a huuuuge hypocrite. I don't intentionally let Scarlett watch, but sometimes I catch her staring and I wonder how long I've let her do so while dealing with Oliver...Makes me kind of sad, but I understand its inevitable at the same time. 2 kids is A LOT different than 1.

Anyway, this brings me to the pictures. :) I sat Scarlett down to play with her toys this morning while I was getting ready. Now that she sits she's not confined to the car seat or the swing while I get myself ready! She was facing towards the TV (my bad, totally didn't do it on purpose!) and Oliver was watching Oso. All of a sudden he said, "Ollie sit with Sissy." So instead of sitting on his couch thrown, he plunked himself right next to her and was giving her toys.

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Ugh, LOVE it. I love the journey of parenting. It has its ups, its downs, its turns, its somersaults. You really never know what each step is going to be like until its over. Each child is so different and one must adapt each situation as it comes. It's interesting and chaotic, exhausting and fulfilling. There is never a moment that I don't want to be a mom. I've learned a great deal about patience and letting things go, as mad as I may get, at the core of it there is nothing else I'd want to be doing (except sleeping, ha!). My kids are my life and I would gladly give up more for them! 

Growing...& I'm in DENIAL!

 I still can't believe my baby girl will be 6 months in less than 2 weeks!

I took this picture tonight after bath time and it reminded me of the picture below. Scarlett was 2 days old and teeny! Time is going too fast, I keep saying it and it keeps being true. I guess I thought if I said it enough it would jinx the whole idea...and then time would sloooow down. Nope. I'm going to think that the towel is simply getting smaller.

And here is Mr. Oliver at almost 6 months. I need to find that robe and put Scarlett in it......

Hmmmmmm, stay tuned.... :)

Woah There...

I wouldn't be me if I didn't post this. :)

These were both taken in April, Oliver 2009, Scarlett today, 2011.

Same hat too. :)

Flip & Kisses

This is from maybe a month ago, perhaps 3 weeks.

Ollie is wearing underwear so I'm going to assume it was the weekend we potty trained.

Anyway, yeah, these types of things happen a lot around here!

Such A Sweetie!

Official Sitter

After teasing us for a while with half sitting, Scarlett officially sits since Thursday the 31st! She doesn't have to prop herself up with her arms and can play with toys! She's still a bit wobbly so we always have the Boppy behind her and some pillows around just in case.

These are some hilarious outtake photos. She is good at making really funny faces!

Getting Ready for Summer!

Having a girl has turned out to be even more fun than I had previously thought!

Heart shaped sunglasses...check!

Two piece polka dot bikini...check!

Just need to make her a bow to match!

And don't you worry, she has another two piece as well, less scandalous than this one but equally as darn cute!! Can not wait until the weather heats up and we hit up the pool!

Counting to LEVEN!

I got acrylics done a few days ago and Oliver was investigating them. The he began counting each of my fingers and miraculously he got to 'leven'! Haha. I knew he knew all of his numbers up to 10 and he's been able to count to 5-6, but all the way to LEVEN? Too cool.

This is a downfall to working full time. You never really know what your kids know/can do. I get surprised all the time and just think my kids are genious' when in fact they've been practicing at daycare. Now with Oliver being in preschool he knows so much more! It's really cool to actually have him understand so much more about the world!

The picture below is of his chef's hat. Of course he looks miserable bc how dare I take a picture of him! He spent a whole week learning all about cooking. :)

Bring Home Infant Ollie

Don't ask why I was thinking about this, but I was....

We started this blog when Oliver was 2, maybe 3 weeks old and I never wrote a labor/birth/going home story. Now I won't bore you with the labor and delivery story (though I do need to write it down here because my Myspace is no longer relevant and that is where it is located) but I did want to recap our first night home as new parents.

Short and sweet:

It began snowing as we were getting into the car about to leave the hospital. I gave birth in Bellevue and we lived in Burien...quite the drive in a blizzard with a completely new baby, in the dark mind you, because I was discharged at 7 pm!! (Ugh, I was too scared to have any confidence in my decisions when I had Oliver. With Scarlett I was far more open with what I wanted and how I wanted it!)

We managed to take our exit, yeah the Des Moines Memorial Drive one with all the black ice. As we were turning off of the exit we slid into the curb and I had a massive panic attack. I had never had a baby nor did I believe they were very sturdy...boy was I wrong. These suckers are hard to destroy! Haha.

After finally getting situated at home with our amazing new bundle of colicky joy, the power went out that night. Yup, I already had no idea what I was doing, and having to do it in the dark was even worse.

Now I laugh about it every time I think back. Especially after having another baby and being far more schooled in parenting and newborns. We were so lost and confused with so much against us...but we made it. Now my little Bubba is my massive 2 year old Oliver!

Oliver Saved Scarlett's Life

As the title states, I am thoroughly convinced of the fact.

Scarlett still sleeps in her burrito bc its the only way she sleeps through the night. Being tied up like that has made it impossible for her to flip over. However she's gotten so strong that last night she did just that.

Around 3:30 am I woke up to Oliver crying. He's been doing this since we began potty training 2 weeks ago, but ONLY when he pees the bed. I walked into their room and asked Oliver if he'd peed the bed. He said "No, baby crying!" I checked the bed and his underwear and both were dry. He kept repeating, "baby crying" and clearly she was not. I wake up to every whimper, sob, and hiccup so I was sure!

I looked in her crib and she was face down, still wrapped up, right in a blanket. You couldn't even see her little face. Of course I panicked and picked her up and shook her (gently) until she cried. I have always had a huge fear of SIDS and have taken every precaution in the book.

I just think that if Oliver hadn't woken me up and she would have continued sleeping like that, something unspeakable could have happened. He flat out saved her life.

If you're not a believer of any innate sibling bonds...this is pretty convincing. He will always be her big brother and protector...just now there is a literal sense to this notion.

He's been her guardian angel from the day we brought her home.

It gives me chills when I think about it. Finding her head down was horrifying. I love my little boy more than anything and he proves time and time again that he is absolutely perfect. :)