Sunshine on my shoulders

I hate to be dramatic, but today was probably one of the best days I've had in a long, long time.  The weather was warm and sunny.  The sun helped a lot.  Getting outside with the monkeys helped a ton.  We spent all morning outside, took a midday nap break, and then all afternoon outside.  It was so great. 

I love being outdoors.  We are usually outside in all kinds of weather.  I never want my children to look at rain, snow or other less "ideal" conditions as a reason not to go outside.  I love how the Swedes  (?) believe that there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.   

Alas, with the new baby, I  stayed indoors a lot this winter - despite having good gear for the babe. I just didn't like that Nico couldn't tell me if it was too cold, if he was too  hot, if his eyes/ears/toes were frozen, etc.  It's so hard to tell with a wee babe what he is experiencing.  So I played it safe. And I probably didn't need to be so cautious. But now my lock-down is over, because it looks like we are finally getting some decent weather!  And Nico is older and can at least "grunt" his displeasure or "coo" his happiness. 

Today, Nico sat out on a rug and had a great time. And I discovered that he is now scooting! I put him on one end of the rug, and he slowly made his way to the other side, completely upright. At first, I was confused...did he move? I was so distracted that I couldn't remember where I had put him. But then, I moved him again, and he moved on his own. So I called him "Scooter" this afternoon. I kind of like the nickname. I'm not sure if it will stick.

At one point, he scooted to the edge of the rug and picked up a leaf.  It was so neat to just sit back and watch him. He looked the leaf over for a long time.  He had a Very Serious Look on his face as he studied it, turning it this way and that.  Then, he grunted and grumbled while he smashed and crumbled the leaf to bits.  I tried talking to him while he was crushing the leaf, and he completely ignored me. He would not be swayed by my hyper narrative as he pulverized the leaf.

Gianna is slowly warming up to Nico.  Today she sat down beside him for a minute and I quickly snapped a pic. She also gave him a hug! I didn't document that one, because I was just so shocked by the gesture I stood there with my jaw on the ground.  It must be so hard to give up your status as "baby."  I always try to tell her, "You'll always be my baby girl." I'm 99% sure that Gianna and Nico are going to have the same coloring.  Nico might even be more blonde than Gianna. 

Bode and Gianna love to bike together these days. It is really cute.  Bode can sometimes get rough, bumping his front tire against Gianna's rear tire.  But they do enjoy spinning around each other and "besting" each other on speed.  Gianna has gotten so good at riding her bike. Something just 'clicked' and now, she spins around as easily and as fast as Bode.  I think Bode is a little bit surprised! (Note: no helmets in these shots - BUT - I usually always make them dismount the bike until they put on their helmets. Really. We weren't on bikes for long as I had something else up my sleeve. See below!)

For as long as I've been an apartment dweller and adult, I guess, I've wanted a garden.  I've always talked to RWF and made Big Plans for a garden. But there's always an excuse.  Last year's excuse was I'm Pregnant and Too Tired.  This year, I really want to put something in the ground.  Sooooo I decided to take the eyesore in our backyard and put some veggies in there.  I worked on it today. There is a lot of work to be done.  And it may not pan out. But at least I started something. Right?

I love the idea of having something fresh from our very own garden. I also love the idea of our children learning about where our food comes from and helping in the garden.   This spot that I chose was probably an old fire pit (?), next to an ancient stack of wood. I hope that I can plant something in there, and make it pretty.  If it doesn't work out, it's far enough away that I can ignore it. And, by using this existing 'structure' there is no harm done to our existing grass. Hopefully it will be the perfect starter spot for me.

Last, Nico would like you to know that he is still enjoying rice cereal.

That is all.

xo

Nico: First rice cereal

Friday, Nico had his 6 month well check. Yes, a little late, but we were sick when  his 6 month appointment came up and I had to reschedule.  The 6 month appointment is always a milestone because (a) it marks a half year, and (b) green light on eating solids!

Nico weighs 18 pounds and is 27 inches long.  He is healthy and developing great. Hooray!

His pediatrician gave us the OK to start solids. Hooray!

Saturday night, while the rest of his family ate burgers and french fries for dinner, Nico got a taste of yummy rice cereal.

He ate like a champ.  There was no hesitation on his part! He had no questions about what this thing called a "spoon" is for, and that the white stuff in the bowl was for eating. I approached with spoon (and cereal) in hand, and he opened his mouth, and swallowed, just like he's been eating from day one.  

Nico is the only one in our little family that had his entire family watching him eat for the first time! I have to admit that I made a big deal about it. I made everyone put down their burgers and fries and watch attentively as Nico took his first bite!  (If there had been a drummer/drum in the house, we would have had a drum roll. If there had a been a willing videographer, we would have video. Alas, RWF does not take these milestones as seriously as I do. I took photos between bites.)

And now, I must close and feed my children breakfast.  Bode and Gianna are very curious about Nico's rice cereal.  Hmm....  Just kidding!
Happy Tax Day to you. (ugh!)
xo

Friday

Confession time!  I am not really feeling "Friday Love" today. I'm not feeling much "love" for anything around here (except my family, of course!).

There is currently ice on our patio deck. It has been raining for the past 3 days. I love the rain. But it has also been cold.  Yesterday afternoon, we had a bit of sleet.  Today's high is 36. So this hasn't been a Spring rain. It has felt more like Winter.  Does that explain everything?

I got my hair done this past week.  And then I had it done again, on an emergency "re-do" basis, two days later.  And it is still not to my liking. And I hate to say that my hair is going to affect how I feel about myself.  But I am going to say it.  I feel unhappy because of the state of my hair.  I either cringe and look away from the mirror, or get thisclose and study every strand of hair on my head for longer than I have time for.  Every time I go out, I think that people are looking at my hair, and thinking, "Whoah, is that a box job?"   It is seriously sad to admit that my hair is going to affect my outlook.  And I do think about other people with real hair issues, and other real issues...and feel juvenile and silly for my imagined first world problem. It is a minor, cosmetic thing that has had an impact on me. And I do not consider myself material or vain. But there it is, for your consideration (or not).

I am also bummed because I can't find my camera's battery charger. It is just another reminder of how disorganized I am these days. My camera has no battery so I can't take any photos.  And don't even get me started on my iPhone! That is another mess I have to clean up. These type of things don't make me feel good about myself.

But the one thing that has got me in a funk and consuming my thoughts is that there is trouble at Bode's school. There's a boy (a kindergartner) that is giving Bode trouble.  I found out a few days ago that he called my boy a name.  My precious boy.  This big kindergartner called Bode "idiot."   And the reason I know this is because this boy labeled my son "idiot" while Bode's father was a few inches away.  RWF was the one that reported the name calling to me. When I heard this, I had a physical reaction.  There was a heat that rose up inside of me, and I felt such anger.  And thank God that I was not there when this boy uttered this word to my Bode, because I would be in a lot of hot water if I had taken matters into my own hands at that moment. After I found out,  I talked to Bode's teacher at school, and she is going to work on this issue (apparently, she is already aware that something is going on during recess).  I knew that there was trouble at school because Bode has been talking about "the bad boys" on the playground. It has obviously been on his mind, and I feel bad that I didn't give it more attention. I didn't know that there was name calling involved.  Unacceptable.

It just breaks my heart that my sweet boy has been bothered like this, by silly boys. It makes my stomach hurt to think that he has experienced anxiety over these silly boys at school, where I can not guard him from this cruelty. I want school to be a safe haven, a positive place for Bode to learn and have fun.

And I know, I know, I KNOW that this is going to happen. This is going to happen at school because kids are just cruel sometimes.  But my boy is 4.  And I don't want him to be called names by another boy who is 5. A boy who really shouldn't know to call names, or even know the word, "idiot." And to be fair, maybe he doesn't know. Sadly, maybe he has been called this name himself, by a "friend," or worse, a parent or a sibling.  But I'm doing my part to stop it.  I want this boy to be educated on why name calling is not smart.

So, that is why I'm in a funk. And why I'm just going to concentrate on this photo and be happy about all the blessings in my life.

((((LOVE))))

And maybe this photo, too:

(MAH BABY....SWOOOOON)

A big THANK YOU to Aunt Dawnie, who sent me a slew of pics of baby Nico.  This made me feel so much better. I think I have more photos on my old laptop.  I just have to crank the ol' computer up and see if they are still there.

I hope that this Friday finds you happy and ready for the weekend!  I'll be back, if I can get some Friday Love inspiration.
Happy Friday, everyone.
xo

Nico: some memories found

These photos are not from my iPhone. But I thought I'd go ahead and post them here, in case I am ever looking for some early memories of Nico. Obviously I can do without the memories of bad hair, wrinkles, and lack of sleep...but you take the good with the bad!

Does Bode ever take a bad picture? He is always adorable (to this mommy).

And I just love this pic of my baby girl. What was she thinking?

Thank you to my friend C for the memories! Now I must leave the photo memories and deal with real life!
Happy Tuesday.
xo

A request

Does anyone have any of my iPhone photos of little baby Nico?  I have lost all my iPhone photos of newborn Nico. I had another malfunction of my iPhone and needed an emergency replacement before I could back-up the photos.

I am specifically looking for photos I took of me/RWF holding the little babe.
Thanks so much!
xo

The weekend

Dude, I am so sick of the snow and crummy, crummy weather. Everyone is talking about SPRING! "Spring!" "Spring has sprung!" "New Spring clothes,"etc. People are posting ridiculous pictures of themselves in short sleeves, with the sun blazing above them. Pictures that make me grouch. No Spring here. Not here!!! After a big snow dump last week, we are still covered in snow and experiencing temps in the 30s and wind. Wind, you are not my friend.  Upstate New York, you are not my friend.

And then I read this Tweet: Spring: Winter Part 2.  I'm sorry, but I do not know who authored that Tweet. And if you could review my "History" in my iPhone and Mac, you'd understand why it would be a long process to find that source.  I do not take credit for it, so hopefully that will suffice.

I've been trying to figure out why I've hated this winter so much. Why have I struggled, and moaned, every single day over the weather?  I've decided that it is very hard to have a baby in this type of weather. I don't want to bring Nico out in the cold. Therefore, I'm 'stuck' inside a lot. A LOT. Yesterday, after arguing with RWF about whether it was too cold for Nico to be outside, I brought Nico out. It was a bit windy, but Nico was warm in his down snowsuit. I took him out for 15 minutes, which I thought was long enough to get a blast of fresh air but not so long that his little eyeballs, nose and mouth would freeze. (If you must know, RWF was "for" bringing Nico out, and I was "against")  The other thing I'm struggling with is the lack of sun.  It is crazy how the sun does not shine here. I never minded overcast days WHEN I LIVED IN TEXAS or CALIFORNIA.  Because in TEXAS and CALIFORNIA, overcast days are few and far between. But here, it is a regular occurrence. And it really is a drag.  

But enough about me. 

Keepin' it real with the (clean) laundry in the background

Bode is such a great big brother to Nico. He plays with him and makes him smile.  And I like that Bode will entertain Nico in the mornings while I make my much-needed coffee.  

The boys, before they go skiing. I guess that this is one reason we live here? Skiing? Wait. We can live on the West Coast and ski, too. 

Hope that your weekend is lovely, and that you have sunshine in your corner.

xo

Nico: 6 months

Dear Nico,

I don't know what to say about you turning six months that doesn't involve words like, "fast," "unbelievable," or "quick."  Instead of lamenting over the quick passage of time, I'll just give the stats that I have on you now:

You are over 17 lbs. You are a chunk.  A delicious, gooey chunk of a baby. I took you to the chiropractor last week and she could not stop talking about what a perfect chunk of a baby you are. (She has a baby herself who is a couple of weeks younger than you. But she absolutely loved your weight in her arms, and lamented that her baby was not a "chunk" like you are.)

You definitely have food allergies or sensitivities. I passed on the blood test last month. But this month, we just might have to move forward with the food allergy testing. I don't want you to suffer through a blood draw, but I really don't want you to suffer through food sensitivities.

You love blowing raspberries. This is your absolute favorite past time right now. If someone comes up to you and blows a raspberry while you are blowing raspberries, you think it is such a kick. Your eyes light up and you seem to say, "Hey! You speak my language!" For you, it is a common language, a  bonding experience, a shared interest.

You are using your hands and can transfer an object from one hand to another.  I can not carry you in my arms and do something like I used to, because now your little hands have to explore.  For example, I used to be able to carry you into the kitchen and pour milk for your sibs. Not anymore. Now, if I carry you while pouring milk, you grab the cup or try to stick your hand in the flow of milk.  I love that you're curious about things and want to experiment, but I'm keeping you out of the kitchen from now on!

You aren't sleeping so well these days.  You've been waking up a lot.  Consequently, I'm really hurting from the lack of sleep.

You love taking a bath.  You get excited when I'm getting the bath ready. You kick your feet and legs as soon as I lower you into the water. You've outgrown your baby bathtub. I'm not sure what to do, because our regular tub is way too big and deep to bathe you in it.  I need a solution here, quick.

You absolutely love Bode, and smile and laugh with him all the time.  You also think that your daddy is pretty neat, too.  It doesn't matter how long your daddy been gone, you're always smiling and happy to see him.

Now  here's the part where I reveal just how hard it's going to be for you, being the 3rd child.  You have rolled over exactly 6 times.  And I have never actually seen you roll over once. Not once!  I lay you down on your back on the floor, and then go do something. I hear you crying or grouching. I come out to where I've laid you down on your back, and you're on your tummy!  Amazing! I can't believe that I've missed this important milestone every single time!  Six times you have done this and six times I have missed it. Welcome to your birth order.  I'm sorry (in advance).

Happy 6 months to my precious baby boy.  I can't wait to see you do this roll over!  

love,

Mommy

xo