One

Happy 1st Birthday, Mia Gianna. We love you so much!

You had a wonderful 1st birthday, full of love and best wishes from family and friends.

I will write your 1st year letter soon. I must sleep now. We had a very full day week.

love,
Mommy

Birthday Prep

Guess who is turning 1?

Still wondering?

Mia Gianna turns 1 this Thursday! This means that we have some birthday party prep to do.  Today, we took care of favors, balloons, and tableware. We went to the local party store and had some fun.

What.is.this.crazy.place?

First, we tried on hats.

"And Bode, too!"

Then we decided on a theme for our tableware.  I had bought some napkins and plates about a month ago. But then I realized it wasn't really age-appropriate. It didn't scream, "THIS IS MY FIRST BIRTHDAY!" So we went to the party store for something that shouted, "I AM ONE!"  At first, I was drawn to the bright pink polka dots.  I love polka dots, and think that they are fun and fitting for my baby girl.  But then we found a sweet, pastel stripe with sweet baby zoo animals. We went with it. There will be hot pinks and polka dots in a future birthday, I'm sure. (her favors are actually polka dot...but I can't change those now)

Not completely sold on the zoo animals.

We may be back for polka dots!

Last, we ordered some balloons.

Picking out the balloons.

Both Bode and Gianna were given a (free) balloon after we placed our balloon order. They were thrilled.  If  ever one of my children is down, I need to remember how a simple balloon can bring smiles.

Shopping for Gianna's birthday stuff was fun, but it did make me miss my mom and sister.  They were here for all the birthday prep for Bode's first birthday. I have really great memories of my mom and sister visiting for Bode's first birthday.

Being 2 1/2 years old, Bode has his own take on Gianna's birthday.  Every time I say, "We have to get [x] for Gianna's birthday," he immediately responds, "And Bode, too!"  (meaning: it is his birthday party, too)  Note: this is said not in an insistent, bratty way but instead with a huge grin on his face, like it is the best idea EVER. He is such a happy little guy. He is really going to enjoy their birthday on Thursday...probably more so than the birthday girl herself!

xo

Remembering Routines and BFF (I hope)

When we are in our  Gianna's bedroom, Bode will ask to get up on our bed.  This has actually happened a lot.  He asks every time we are in there.  And every time, I usually sigh and say, "No, Bode." and then talk about how I need to go do this, or get that, and quickly shoo him out of the bedroom.   The other night, when he asked, it hit me. 

When Bode was the only child, we would play on the bed every night.  It was part of our nighttime routine. He would take a bath, get into pjs, and then I would boost him up onto our big bed for some pillow climbing and tickling. Bob started it as a way to get the "extra energy" out of Bode. We would tucker him out with tickles, read stories, then bed.

The fact that I had completely forgotten this, and then remembering those good times together, made me very sad.  And I of course wondered if Bode was thinking about those times, too, and missing them. (guilt)

So this time, when he asked to get up on our bed, I didn't answer. I didn't say, "No, Bode." I didn't tell him that I need to do this, or get that, and quickly shoo him out of the bedroom.  Without a word, I boosted him up onto the bed. He giggled while he climbed around the bed, rolling onto and off of the pillows.  I scooped up Gianna and put her on the bed.  Babycakes protested, at first.  This was not part of her bedtime routine. And she was ready for sleep.

Even in your brother's hand-me-down pjs and a frownie face, you look cute!

Her brother's giggling got her attention.

What's so funny?

She climbed over to her brother and pulled his hair, as she often does to show her love.

I love you, Bode!

I love you sooooo much, I'm pulling your hair with both hands!

We rolled, tickled and climbed on the bed together.  And then I remembered my iPhone. I wanted to capture this memory. In case I forget again, I will have these photos as a reminder.

And as a reminder to Gianna:  this is your best friend. His name is Bode, and he is your big brother. He makes you very, very happy.

Gianna's BFF

Bode:   thank you for being patient with Mommy (I'm afraid the memory lapse is going to be a common thing as I age). And, thank you for being such a great brother to Gianna.
xo

Mia Gianna Birthday Week

In my family, we have a "birthday week," instead of a "birthday."  Not really. Well. Kind of. This is actually a sort-of joke, started between my mother and father.  I am not sure who started it, but I am guessing that my mom made the joke that while other people have a birthday, my dad had a birthday week. 

In keeping with this tradition, this week will be Mia Gianna's birthday week.  In case you don't know, Gianna turns the big 1 on Thursday.  I will try to refrain from talking about how much I am affected by this, how sad I am that my baby is turning 1, wah, wah, wah. 

This morning, she stood while playing the piano. I called her Elton John.  I think she liked it, because she just continued to stand and smile while I sang, "I'm still standing! Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm still standing! Yeah, yeah, yeah."  Not one of my favorite songs, but it was appropriate.

All she needs is a funky pair of sunglasses

And, just in time for those 1st birthday photos, she is getting her top right toofy.  She is going to have a nice Jack-o-Lantern smile for her 1st birthday.

Standing - June 26, 2011

This week I am going to attempt to blog every day about my baby-almost-1-year-old. And I am going to attempt to not cry while doing it. Wah, wah, wah.

xo

If there is a water shortage in California

Mia Gianna is back! I want to keep her away from little ones, so we are not going to playdates or to the park for a few days. We all needed a break from the  house, so we headed to the grocery store for some fruit.

Hello, lovely G.

Bode loves getting Gianna's attention.





I usually put them in a two-seater shopping cart, but I couldn't find one today. It was a quick grocery store run, so I put Bode into the shopping cart's basket. He loved it. And he loved taunting Gianna into turning around to look at him.  Shopping for fruit is the perfect activity with a toddler!  Bode and I picked out a watermelon, some peaches, oranges, and apples. We counted them and talked about their colors. Plus, he loved sitting in the basket with the fruit we acquired.

As usual, while Gianna napped, we went outside and watered the plants.  Bode has figured out how to put his little thumb over the hose, so that the water sprays into a big arc. He thinks that this is the greatest thing ever!

"Working at the car wash...."



I finally realized that I should probably just take the soaked clothes off of him!

I told Bob that we could turn the water hose on, give it to Bode, then leave for hours. And when we returned, several hours later, Bode would still be in the backyard with the hose, happy as a clam, playing "car wash" and hosing down everything in sight. Of course, we would never really do that.  (And before I get any frantic emails, I don't leave Bode alone outside.)

I realized today that I really should pull out the wading pool for him to splash around and play. He goes to swim lessons once a week, and I'm sure he'd love more pool time.

Then again, if I do that, I may never get him out of it.

Happy Wednesday!

xo

Some like it hot

The heat. Oh my, the heat.  I know I am a wimp. I know (as Bob frequently reminds me) that I lived in Texas, where it is above 90 degrees most of the year (okay, not really, but it feels that way sometimes). This week, our temps here are in the 90s with lows in the 60s.  I'm wilting.

Babycakes is doing much better. Thank you, everyone, for your concern and good thoughts.  Unfortunately, the fever was not due to teething, as I had optimistically naively stupidly thought. Her fever just kept climbing.  And finally, when it reached 104 degrees, I was "allowed" to bring her in for an appointment. 104 degrees!!! I had no idea that babies could have such high temps for so long. It was so frightening to read the thermometer. I felt like I was living in a nightmare. Really, it got to the point that I could just feel Gianna's forehead and guess the temp. Friday night was brutal, with a pediatrician visit and a visit to Urgent Care, but we survived. My poor baby went through so much.  Her fever broke on Sunday, and a few minutes after that, the e.r. pediatrician called and diagnosed her with a virus.  Today, she is looking and acting so much better. What a relief. And, my favorite thing right now is when I pick her up from a nap:  a smiling baby with a cool forehead!

So Sunday night, I knew I was going to be under house arrest for a few days while Gianna recovered. I put the babies to bed, and then ran out to the store for groceries. FYI, I despise doing any kind of "work" after I put the babies to bed.  I feel like I am "off work" once those little ones are sleeping. So running to the store was not high on my "want" list.  But it was a "need" so I went.  While shopping, I found this gluten-free pizza dough mix, and thought that sounded...interesting.  Bob has been gluten-free for too long.  I miss pizza!  So tonight, Bode and I made pizza.  Why I *choose* to make pizza on one of the hottest days this year, (a sweltering 92 degrees), I can not explain. Maybe I want to see how hot I can take it. So I crank up our range to 425 degrees, and put a pot of tomatoes on the stovetop to boil because hey! if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!

Okay, that made no sense.  Here is Bode topping our pie.  He enjoyed putting piles of cheese and veggies on one part of the pizza dough. I had to remind him to spread things out. 

"I do it myself"

His shirt is wet, but his hands are clean.

More cheese, please.

The finished product (after we ate more than half of it)

The dough came out pretty good, considering (considering: it is gluten-free, considering: I have never made pizza dough, considering: we were all starving, etc.). Of course, I would have preferred a thinner crust.  But it was fun to make and to eat (even though our house felt like the inside of an oven).

Stay cool.

xo

A mustache and a fever

Every morning, Bob makes a green drink.  It consists of water, spinach, banana, and some frozen fruit.  Bode always has a green drink with Bob. It is their little ritual to start the blender by announcing, "blending" before the blender roars, and grinds everything down to a green, pulpy liquid.  Bob pours the drinks, they clink glasses and say, "Cheers."  This morning, after guzzling down his green drink, Bode had a huge green mustache.  It was cracking me up. I sat across the table from him and giggled like a loon.  Maybe it was from lack of sleep, but I could 'see' him as an old man.

Our lovely G is not feeling well. Gianna has been running a fever since yesterday.  She's been averaging about 102 degrees.  We almost took her into Urgent Care yesterday afternoon. But, right as I strapped Gianna into her car seat, a nurse called and told me how to care for her through the night.  I was nervous about her temp, but put her down for bed around 7 PM. Gianna woke up crying at 11 PM with a temp of 103.  Yikes!  But the nurse told me not to call unless her temp was 104. So I gave Gianna a sponge bath and some drugs.  After an hour, her temp was down 1 degree.  Then she was up again at 4 AM. And again at 6 AM.  She is so hot to the touch. I hate to think about how she must be feeling.

Every morning, Bode "hides" behind Gianna's high chair so that she has to turn around in her seat to "find" him.  But this morning, our feverish girl could barely smile and engage with her brother. 

I have made an appointment for the pediatrician this afternoon because Gianna isn't doing any better.  I am hoping that it is just teething. I am sure that her top front teeth are coming in.  But I don't like this fever! So we'll see her ped and get the OK from her, so that we can hopefully stop worrying.

xo

The "no dairy until 1 year" rule no longer applies

Sunday, I gave Gianna a sippy cup of water while I ran downstairs to pick out her outfit.

But, that wasn't good enough for her, because when I returned, she was helping herself to Bode's snack cup of cheddar Goldfish crackers.

And apparently, that wasn't good enough for her, either.  I went downstairs again to retrieve something else, and when I returned, I found that she had taken Bode's yogurt off the table.  And she was eating it.  She was sticking her whole hand into the cup and then sticking her whole hand into her mouth, just like when the bears eat honey on cartoons.

Yep, she was eating yogurt, and painting herself and the floor with it.

She was having a great time, until I decided to take the yogurt cup away and put her into a bath!



Happy Wednesday.

xo

Gianna's First Playdate

 Gianna went to her first playdate today.

With Bode at swim lessons, and Gianna not napping, I was not tied to the house today. I could have run to Target for baby wipes, which we need. I could have gone grocery shopping for food, which we need. I decided to take Gianna to a playdate. The playgroup met in front of a Starbucks (yay) and then walked over to a park.  I had to giggle, thinking "the stroller brigade" as a group of us moms rolled our babies in their strollers across a busy street. Once at the park, we spread out blankets near a swing set and the moms chatted, while the babies crawled around, on, and over us.

I think Gianna had a good time. But honestly, the playdate was more fun for me. I really enjoyed talking to other moms with the same-age babies. And it was a bonus because, while mobile, most of the babies stayed on the blankets that we had spread out. So we could sit and talk in the sunshine without a lot of interruption.  The babies had fun rolling balls and gumming teethers, sippy cups and stuff.

I learned something today, too. Gianna can throw a ball!  She'll throw it, and if I give it back to her, she'll throw it again. We did this for a long time at the park. 

I would love to dedicate 1 day a week to each baby. It would be great if Gianna could have a playdate on her own, and Bode could have one on his own. I remember after Gianna was born, I would spend a few hours alone with Bode, once a week, just taking him out to lunch or to a park. I need to continue to do that. I think we all would enjoy that time together, alone.

It is windy up here in the hills today. There is a wonderful breeze coming through the house. I am actually chilled; I think I may have gotten too much sun.

I started on our summer list. I would love to go to a farmer's market tomorrow! I know that the babies will enjoy it, too. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to go to the grocery store first, for dinner tonight. ;)

Happy Friday!

xo