BFF

Tonight is the last night of 2010. It has been an amazing year. So many wonderful things, but the one that sticks out the most is my Oliver. Oh how I love that baby. I will admit in advance, wine has been consumed tonight, so while this isn't exactly the same as the drunk emails I made in college, I will confess to a small amount of inhibition in this post.

I have become lax in my posting. I thought I was going to be one of those people who love to blog. A fair amount of narcissism accompanied by a genuine amount of love and pride for my children seemed to be a perfect blend to create a blogger. It seems to not be the case. I like to watch them get bigger. get smarter. get taller. get sillier. get better. Every time I go to blog, I stop to watch, and then I don't get a chance to post.

It would be preferable to have a record, a memory of that moment my heart stood still while Oliver precariously balanced by himself for the first time while Zoe clapped and shrieked alongside him. A written recollection of when Zoe looked at Oliver and told him that he was her BFF.

That was 2010 for me. The year my kids became BFF, and Rich and I became BFF with them.

March 24, 2010 brought me a 7 lb 8 oz boy. I didn't think I cared if I was having a boy or a girl until I found out he was a boy, and then I realized how much I wanted a boy. A little man. Someone to dress in jerseys and jeans, and to roll my eyes at "what a boy" he was. Zoe and I made up this song that we sing to Oliver. "Oliver Nathan, the king of the world, you are so cute and we love you so much." And we do. Zoe and I love Oliver so much that it drives us crazy. Sometimes she squeezes him too hard because of the love, and I understand. I squeeze him too hard sometimes also. He does that to us. Oliver Nathan.

Thank you 2010, on behalf of all of us.

A House Full of Sick

Is there anything worse than a house full of sick? I'm not REALLY complaining, since it's a house full of just a little sick. First Oliver had this random fever that went away within 24 hours, then Rich got a cold, then Zoe sort of got a cold, and I was the last one to fall. Luckily everyone is pretty much okay, but nothing is harder than being a sick mama. It takes an inordinate amount of energy and stamina to parent on a good day, and to manage to pull it together when you feel like crap, well, there should be an award somewhere. Or a cookie.

So in order to make it all work, I've got Zoe watching TV right now, and Oliver roaming the kitchen under my feet. I know he will eventually make his way over to the oven because the big Viking sign is his favorite toy these days. Perfect, the kid is drawn to the oven on a regular basis. He gets locked up when I'm cooking, but otherwise he loves nothing more than pulling up on the stove and playing with the bumps of the letters (or at least I'm assuming that is the appeal, but really who knows).

Oliver said "Bye Bye" yesterday to Alejandra (our amazing nanny). She has been telling me for the past couple of weeks that he is talking to her, but I sort of blew it off, but I witnessed it myself yesterday. She went to kiss him good-bye and he started waving at her and said "ba ba." Nothing was clearer or cuter.

Then there is Zoe. She figured out that she can open the refrigerator and freezer. Somehow that now means, in her mind, that she has full ownership over all meals. I will say "okay, dinner time." She asks what we are having, and if it isn't what she has in mind, she opens the doors and starts looking for better options. I'm not a short order cook, so she is often disappointed. We do the best we can right?

Beauty and the Beast

So... do you think she was excited to go to her first movie? We went to El Capitan to see Beauty and the Beast. She LOVED it, and all went great. She did decide she wanted to leave about 5 minutes before the movie ended, and there was no changing her mind. Still, a very successful outing!

Ma Ma

Having a baby is not a picnic. It definitely has its fun moments, but there are times when the monotony of watching a little person simply be, can be tedious. It helps to have an extremely non-monotonous 2 1/2 year old to break up the time, but as a parent I want to make sure that I am giving attention to Oliver as well.

For the past couple of weeks Oliver has really been getting his "words" out. Ga Ga, Ma Ma and the occasional Da Da. I remembered how sweet those words were coming out of Zoe, and the joy was no less great the second time around. The past three days we've progressed!

Starting on Thursday Oliver has been calling "Ma Ma" when I leave the room. If you ask him where mama is, he will turn to me. He calls it from his crib when he wakes up, and as I type he is calling it right now from baby jail.

What an intense feeling it is to think, "Wow, this little person that I've been staring at for 6 1/2 months gets it. He knows that I'm his person." One of my friends told me that she was so excited to hear her little ones say her name, and then once they started, and never stopped, she wanted to take it back. I know it was said in jest, but it made me very aware about not taking these little things for granted. It is so hard to be "present" at all times (I realize the irony in writing this while I'm on the computer as my two littles play on their own). As moms we work hard to balance getting things done for ourselves and getting things done for our kids (and hubbies too!). I definitely spend too much time on the computer, but I make it a point to not do anything on my phone while I'm sitting with the kids. It is a balancing act. Everyone has their own tightrope, or teeter totter, but we create our own balance.

A Messy Kitchen

I think I've written about this before, somewhere. I may have been on Facebook or just in my journal, but this is a bridge I've crossed before, many times. I hate having a messy kitchen, let alone a messy house. But somehow, that is just the wake I leave behind me. My intentions are pure, and clean, but the result doesn't seem to measure up. I leave behind a stray plate, an unwashed pot, or a lone spaghetti noodle that didn't make it into someone's mouth.

I have friends (two in particular, T and E) who could be cooking a 10 course meal in their kitchens while remodeling the living room, and the house would look impeccable. It is a gift, a gift I am desperate to have. The ability to just be tidy. My hubby says that it can't be that hard, and maybe it isn't for some, but it is a challenge for me. It has nothing to do with two kids or any of the other excused I've come up with. It just is a gift, and like any other skill, it is one I have to work at. I will persevere. Now I am going to go get that spaghetti noodle.

2 1/2 and 6 months

Photos courteous of the amazing Mikey Siegel

"Oliver is 6 months old" "Why?"

The title of this post sums up so much of what is going on in our home. Our little baby has turned 6 months old. This is so significant to me on so many levels. After Oliver was born, and I was feeling overwhelmed with the idea of caring for newborn (which, let's be real here, is tedious) and a 2 year old, I kept telling myself that once he hit six months it would be amazing. Luckily for us, it hit amazing earlier than 6 months, but I am so enjoying our little man as he reaches this milestone. He is doing all sorts of amazing things: sitting, rolling, crawling, babbling, laughing, holding a bottle, and so much more. But most importantly, he smiles. He smiles at his family, at strangers, at animals, at the ceiling, at his hands, at his feet, he basically smiles at everyone and everything, and he is a joy to behold. I am constantly turning around because I hear giggling behind me, only to find out that it is because Oliver is flirting with the nearest person. A joy. This video will show you what I mean.



And Zoe, my BFF. She likes to tell me, "Hi BFF." And I like to say it right back. She should be in the dictionary under precocious, and sassy, and cool. She is so cool, this kid of ours. She is fun to be with, and such a pistol. She is very into asking "Why?" Tonight at dinner was no exception. She asked Rich what he does at work. After everything he said, she said, "Why?" He was a total trooper and just kept coming up with answers for her. Much more patient than I am. I usually end up telling her that is enough with the why questions and we need to move on.

I'm starting to drop feedings this weekend, and I can't believe the time is already here. I am definitely excited to drop the daytime feedings, and will keep the morning and night feedings as long as I want. I'm ready.