Gianna: 10 months

Dear Gianna,

You are officially 10 months now. I am uncomfortable with your age. You are too close to reaching that big milestone known as "1." 

You crawled on Easter morning, and you've been enjoying your new freedom since that day. You love it because you can now find us if we leave your sight. You also love it when Bode gets down on the floor and crawls with you (and I think he enjoys it, too).

I ordered you two new pairs of shoes for the summer.  We opened up the boxes and I think we both were a little disappointed that they are too big for you.  The size was 6-12 months, but you aren't even close to filling those shoes!

You are, as one of your shirts say, "sweet and petite." As long as you are healthy and happy, I will not worry. At your well check this week, the pediatrician asked me and Daddy if you are always so "mellow."  You are very mellow. I'm not sure if that is because Bode is your older (louder, more attention-grabbing) brother, or if you are just happy to hang out, relax and enjoy your surroundings. It is probably a combination of the two.

I have called you "the lovely G," since you were born. And you are the very dictionary definition of the word "lovely." You are:  exquisitely beautiful, have beauty that appeals to the heart, mind as well as to the eye, delightful; highly pleasing.

Love,
Mommy
xo

I'm Dying from the Cuteness

Gianna got dressed up today because she had an appointment with her pediatrician, Dr. Yamamoto. The appointment went well, except for a shot (ouch!). Gianna weighs 17 pounds and is developing well, just on the tiny baby girl side. ;)  I snapped these with my phone before I buckled her into her carseat and took her to the appointment.

Happy Friday, everyone!

xo

Strollerama

Bode is at the age where he wants to do everything by himself. "I DO IT MYSELF!" he shrieks, whenever Bob or I try to do something for him.  We go for a walk about once a day.  Bode has been insisting on walking, and not riding in the stroller.  We learned the hard way, a few times, that Bode can not walk by himself for the entire walk.  Bob usually ends up carrying 30+ lbs of a very, very cranky Bode, up hill, back home. So then we would push the (empty) stroller along with us on the walk. As soon as Bode exhibited signs of fatigue, we would pop him into the stroller (and usually against his will).

I have been carrying Gianna in the Baby Bjorn this whole time. And while the lovely G is lovely, and very petite, she is 16 lbs. Carrying that kind of weight, as lovely as that weight is, makes my back and shoulders hurt.  So last week, when Bode insisted that he was walking on his own two little feet, I took the opportunity to free my back and shoulders.  I put Gianna in the stroller.

Well. You can imagine what happened.   I mean, really, need I say write more?

Yes. As soon as I strapped Gianna into the stroller, Bode decided, no, insisted, that he must ride in the stroller.

So last week, we found ourselves in the Big Box Baby Store looking at double strollers. We've been discussing this purchase for a long time.  Bob wanted to get one almost immediately ("immediately" being as soon as I got the positive pregnancy test).  I thought that we had time.  So we waited.  And that time, my friends, has come.

Rolling the Joovy Caboose around.

Before we went to the store, I read many articles about what the "best" stroller is, how much a good stroller costs, what brands to avoid, what brands to buy, etc. The plus is,  you can get any kind of double stroller, with many different options. The minus is, you can get any kind of double stroller, with many different options.  It is mind-boggling.  The easy way out is to just decide that you need to purchase at least five different strollers, one for each need.  No, really! No, really.

Gianna, and all the stroller manufacturers, laugh at us.

We decided that we need an all-terrain stroller for our walks, an umbrella stroller for travel, and an all-purpose stroller for my outings with the babies.  Note: we do not intend to have three strollers! After browsing, folding, unfolding, putting babies into and out of strollers, we finally narrowed it down to four strollers.  We knew we liked the BOB for our all-terrain stroller, because we have the single BOB at home. We tried the Baby Jogger City Mini. It's not quite all-terrain, more like a beefed up umbrella. But we knew that the BOB was the right one for us, so we kind of bypassed all other all-terrain strollers. For umbrella-types, we liked the Maclaren Twin Triumph because of its reputation and because it is lightweight. We thought it would be a good airport/errand stroller. There's nothing spectacular about it. Its reputation is all I know. Bob and I liked the Combi  Twin Sport, too. I liked that I could unfold the Combi with one hand while I held Gianna in my arms. Thank God I didn't have to make a decision right then, because I would have bought it on the spot. It was that easy! Folding the Combi was easy, too.  But I felt like it was a little too "plastic" and wobbly feeling while I test-drove it. And I could only imagine how much more wobbly it would get after being thrown into the back of my car day after day. I liked the Joovy Caboose Ultralight because it is narrow and Bode can sit and stand on it (perfect for a toddler!). Bode liked it, too (the standing part, especially).  The seats seem a bit stiff and hard, so this would not be a comfortable ride. I did not like it folded because there didn't seem to be a designated handle and you just grasped the metal frame to carry it (awkward). It felt heavier than the others, too. It was also a bit longer than the other strollers, but still fit into the back of the Honda. But despite these negatives, I really was tempted to get it because it was so narrow and for the stand factor. As Bob pointed out, it fills a niche.

Bode and Gianna checking out the Joovy.

We test-drove the strollers* with the babies many times, and left even more confused (and exhausted). 



Exhausted babies in the Maclaren Twin Triumph



After letting everything roll around in my head for a few hours, I told Bob that we need to get the BOB for our all-terrain stroller (really, this was already decided) and the Maclaren Triumph for our umbrella airport/mall/errand stroller.  [But after viewing the above photo, I wonder if Bode will fit into it? The Maclaren is supposed to hold up to 45 lbs, but the packaging makes no mention of holding Big Giant Boys.]

This week, we got the BOB Revolution Duallie for our all-terrain stroller.  We got this first because of need: our daily walks.  I love, love, love it. I think Bode and Gianna love it, too.

Priscilla is happy that we're happy, because it means more walks for her!

*More strollers than mentioned here. Ask me about the Britax, the Phil & Teds, Peg Perego, etc. etc.!

Easter!

We had a very simple, nice Easter. I think everything paled (for me) after seeing Gianna crawl that morning! The babies got up and found that the Easter Bunny had left them baskets. Bode got a kite, bubbles, almonds and some fruit strips (his "candy" right now).  Gianna got a sun hat, bubbles and a kite. Woo hoo!

We all had fun trying to get that kite up in the air.  Bode had more fun dragging it around on the ground while being a super  hero.  I think I'm getting him a super hero cape for his 3rd (!!!) birthday.

I wonder if "Super hero" is going to be his next thing.

Priscilla had a great Easter because she ate her weight in dog biscuits. On Saturday, we went to the annual Hoppin' Hounds Easter Biscuit Hunt.  This is a great event where two local pet stores get together and toss a million biscuits into a field  and the dogs have a blast scouting them out. You give a  donation and it benefits a local shelter. What a great event. Priscilla, being a hound dog, was on the scent! I think she found, and ate, the most biscuits. I also think that she was the most beautiful dog there! I'm just sayin'...

But the best part of Easter?  The whole family watching our lovely G take her first crawl.  Now of course, she can't stay still, so I enjoyed getting this shot.



Partially dressed, because she won't stay still now!

 We hope that everyone had  a beautiful Easter day, filled with love and happiness!
xo

Gianna Crawls!

It was a very exciting Easter morning for us because Gianna crawled for the first time.  Bob and I were in the kitchen when I looked over and noticed that Gianna was making moves.  Bob grabbed his phone and got the following on camera.  Watch Gianna crawl.

Nap time

At nap time, I was reading one of Bode's favorite books, Dogs by Emily Gravett.  Bode knows the book by heart, and recites it along with me as I turn the pages.  This time, Gianna was crawling all over him, causing him to giggle so much that he could barely recite the book.  Bob caught the pre
nap time hijinks on his phone. 
It's not the best quality, but it's a worth a view, if only for Bode's giggles.

A Good Friday

This morning, we got out early and went to the park. We stayed at the park for 1 1/2 hours and still managed to get home in time to make cookies before nap time. Bode loved using all the cookie cutters, stamps and rollers to craft his Easter cookies.  He stamped and rolled some cookies  so much that they were practically transparent.



I went a litte crazy coloring the dough.



The little bunny-baker and his cookies. (I love my tie-dye cookies, especially the psychedelic rabbit and flower! heh)



He was allowed to eat one, and  he chose the biggest one. Smart cookie!

This afternoon, I set Gianna down to do something in the kitchen. She immediately made a bee-line for Priscilla's water bowl.  She's been doing small (crawling) moves here and there. It won't be long now!



It's official: you're crawling.



This evening, we all piled into the QEII and hopped on over to the SFO airport.  We sat in a park and watched the planes take-off and land.  It was a simple, fun experience for all of us.

It was windy and cool, but you had fun running all over the park and watching the planes.

Priscilla was there, too! (just not in pictures)



Bob is such a great daddy-rabbit, giving his little bunny experiences like this one.


I'm sorry these photos aren't so great...they were all taken with my iPhone, because my camera battery is charging for Easter!   I hope that you enjoyed all my clever (heh) references to Easter in this post!  xo

The (past) weekend

On Thursday, I had a migraine.  It was my first. I hope that it was my last. I thought that I was dying. I didn't know what was happening. I couldn't see anything and I was very confused. Gianna was napping. I freaked out on Bode, though. I told him that I needed to take a shower and then went into the bathroom and cried, and prayed, until Bob came home. Then I freaked out on Bob as soon as he walked in.  After I described my symptoms, Bob announced that I was probably having a migraine. Dr. Bob and Dr. Google took care of things. I sat in the darkened living room while Bob took care of the babies.  I was out of it. I did not feel like myself. I didn't want to do anything. It was horrible. I feel for anyone who has migraines!

On Friday, Gianna sat up in her crib while she was in there for a nap. This is a first.  I heard her crying, and it was  a different cry, so I investigated.  I walked in, saw her sitting up in her crib, and thought the migraine was playing tricks on me again.  I think she was confused about what she had done, and didn't know how to get back down or something. But when she saw my shocked expression, she smiled this big, pleased-as-punch smile, as if to say, "Look at me! I'm a big girl!" And I knew that this was just another one of those milestones that I was going to have to applaud. So I said, "Look at you! You big girl!" and scooped her up and gave her a big kiss. She hasn't sat up since (that I know of!).

On Sunday, Bode sealed our Easter greetings and we delivered them to the mailbox, in a pink Easter basket, no less.

Priscilla is doing well. She misses Kelly.  But we are aware of her loss (because it is our loss) and we do a lot more together now.  We go on walks (see above), sit outside and eat snacks together, and often go in the car together. I ache, thinking about how much she must miss Kelly. I know that she needs a companion.  Unfortunately, we have to wait and see where life takes us before we add to our brood. In the meantime, you're stuck hanging out with us, P.

The Easter Bunny is here. He seems to follow us around the house, or at least follows Bode around the house. We are receiving Easter greetings with loads of love this week, which the  babies are enjoying. I can't believe that Easter is this week.  We have another activity planned this week, and one more this week-end. I hope that we can do them both to round out our Easter celebration this year.

Hope everyone has some Easter festivities to enjoy this week!
xo

A very special delivery

I am so emotional today.  I feel fragile and on the verge of tears. I hug and kiss Bode, telling him over and over how much I love him.  He lets me hug him for a second, before running off in the other direction. I am so excited, nervous, and emotional because a dear friend of mine is having her first baby today.  She is having a boy.  And I know all too well what a magical experience she is about to have in the delivery room, and beyond.



Bode on his birthday

I never understood why people get so in-your-biz and antsy when a baby is on the way. Well, now I do.  I keep checking my phone and email for news of the baby's arrival.  Bob burst my bubble and told me to stop checking because most likely, I wouldn't hear anything today. He said, "You didn't let anyone know, except family. You waited a few days, I think." Whaaat?  How could I have done that to well-meaning friends and acquaintances?  I am so excited to *meet* this baby. I hope that I don't have to wait a couple of days.

So little!

Today was meaningful to me as I anticipated my friend's new baby. I thought a lot about my first pregnancy, the day that Bode was born, and the days after that.  The day was made even more meaningful because I got to spend the morning alone with my firstborn.  Bob watched Gianna while I took Bode out.  First, we got his bangs trimmed. I am still not ready to shed the curls and give him his first, real "boy" cut (though I have come close).  The stylist talked about how beautiful Bode's hair is and how the color and curls are "perfect."  She confirmed, like other stylists before her, that he will probably lose the curls, for good, after the first big boy cut.  Bode sat in my lap and I held him as the stylist snipped away at his bangs. 

Afterwards, we celebrated the haircut with a visit to Starbucks, since we were not near a bagel shop.  Bode surprised me by requesting a blueberry muffin instead of a bagel.  I thought he would eat a couple of bites of the muffin, and then request the bagel.  Instead, he sat there and ate the whole muffin!  I couldn't believe it.  He also flirted with two women while they waited on their drink orders. He is becoming more outgoing. He surprises me, by smiling at strangers, sometimes asking, "What's your name?" With one of the women, he followed her back to her seat, chatting her up.  She loved it and was very gracious about answering his questions and listening to his random, sometimes unintelligible, observations.  We were there for a long time, because Bode insisted on finishing his muffin.  I sat and enjoyed the time alone, able to watch him and talk to him without other distractions.

A big muffin for a big boy



Chowing down and enjoying the sugar

My first love, my sweet little boy



The weekend in pictures

In addition to our little egg  hunt, I'd like to share the following snaps from the weekend:

The Little Artist
Grandma sent Bode a birdhouse to paint. I expected him to last 5 minutes with this project. He was so focused! He loved this activity.

The little artist, dressed in Mommy's t-shirt and headband.

Letting the muse speak to him before applying the first brush stroke.

I painted his name on, and Bode added his own flair to it.

The artist and his work.

The masterpiece displayed

A Park Outing
We went to the park. I love putting both Bode and Gianna in swings now.  There's something so, "this is your life" when I look at the two of them swinging side by side. Of course, I have to put Bode in first (because he now runs everywhere) which means that Gianna has to sit and wait:

Gardening and Bugs

Gianna naps for a couple of hours in the morning.  Bode and I usually spend the time outside. I started digging this weekend, hoping to plant some tomatoes and peppers.  Bode watered the ground for me. I walked away for about 1 minute to put the shovel away and came back to find him completely soaked, and stomping in the mud puddles that he created.  So I had to strip him of his jeans and socks. "Farmer Brown" (as  he insisted on being called) is now into bugs.  We found some roly-poly bugs and some worms while working on our garden. "Farmer Brown" used his shovel to scoop the roly-poly bugs into a bucket.  I refused to let him dig up the worms.  Suddenly, he's so into bugs, mud, and running. Where did this come from?

Stripped of his jeans after a mud puddle stomp.

Checking out the bug situation.



All By Myself

Bode has turned 2 1/2 years old, and just this weekend, is acting differently. He now says, "I do it myself," and wants to put socks and shoes on by himself (he can't, but he likes to try), wants to open and close things, turn things on and off by himself (this morning he wanted to operate the toaster without my assistance), read lines from a book by himself (which involves me reading the line and then waiting for him to repeat the line), and sing songs by himself (if by chance, I start singing one of his favs, he gets very upset with me and says, "No, no, no! I sing it, I sing it!"). Afternoons are very hard, as it seems he becomes even more emotional and irrational after his afternoon nap. And I, in turn, also get more emotional and irrational. I know that this is a very normal stage (for a 2 year old, not for an "adult"). I just hope that the emotional aspect to this development is a very quick phase. (What is that I hear? --laughter? Hmm?) On the other hand, he says "please" a lot.  It is very endearing to hear him ask for something in his sweet little boy voice, and tag a "please," on the end of the request.  Bode has discovered running and now finds it fun to run everywhere.  I have a whole new level of "alert" going on in my body/mind these days when we are outside. He is all boy.  I hate to say that because it sounds so...stereotypical. And I wonder, is he really "all boy" or is he just "all toddler"? I don't know because Bode is all I have. I guess I will have to wait until Gianna turns 2 to find out.

Daddy time

After he works out in the morning, Bob gives me a break by taking the babies for awhile. He'll read to them, or play.  Sometimes, if Gianna is going down for a nap, he'll take Bode for a walk or to the park.

I hope that you had a very enjoyable weekend!
xo