I am a runner

I realized today that I am a runner. I took Oliver out for my first beach run since Oscar's birth and it felt amazing to move my body again. I have run regularly for the past 7 yrs. but today I realized how important running is to my well being. I feel more balanced and calm today than I have felt in months. Miami Marathon, here I come!! We are starting to settle into some routines with the boys. Oliver is now napping in his bed when I tell him it is nap time. I read a book to him, tuck him in and leave the room. Some days he plays in bed for half an hour before settling down but he does go to sleep. Progress!! Oliver can now jump and is very proud of this milestone. He jumps every where and on every thing! Oliver has learned a new way to make me smile when he knows I am upset. He kisses me and then declares "NOW MAMA HAPPY!!" He makes me smile, laugh and scream :) everyday. Oscar is doing well and growing at an amazing rate. I take him to the midwife today to be measured and weighed and I am curious to find out how much he has gained since his last check up 10 days ago. He is now wearing a size 2 diaper. I have discovered that cheese makes Oscar a very unhappy baby so I have eliminated it from my diet. Oscar's minutes of awake and active time are increasing daily and his eyes are turning from slate to dark brown (similar to Oli's). Oscar found his thumb three days ago and has sucked on it a bit each day. I am wondering if he will be a thumb sucker like his Mommy and Daddy.

The Power of Two

Oscar has arrived and is now 12 days old. The past twelve days have been a blur of sweet moments, tears, diapers, diapers, 2 yr. old tantrums and more diapers. I have fallen in love with Oscar and as everyone told me it would my heart has grown to accommodate my love for both Oliver and Oscar.

Oliver is adjusting to Oscar and seems generally happy with his brother. Fortunately he directs his frustration toward Mommy and Daddy. He has grown up so much in the past month that I find myself missing my little boy and at the same time am so impressed with what Oliver can do for himself. Oli asks to hold Oscar all the time and is usually very gentle.

Oscar is now 10 lbs. 1 oz. and has a healthy appetite. He coos, smiles and SLEEPS! Danl and I can't believe how much sleep we have gotten in the past week. Oscar often sleeps for 4+ hours at night....lets hope his sleep schedule continues on this trend.

Danl and I are adjusting to our new family and trying to find time to smile at each other. I still can't believe Oscar is finally here after the long, long wait. I am forever grateful to Shari Daniels and the other wonderful people at the Miami Maternity Center for helping me to achieve the birth experience I desired. I DID IT!! No drugs, no hospital, no C-section. I am so happy with the choices that I made and have a new appreciation for my body.

The waiting game

I didn't imagine that it work would out this way, according to the ultrasound dates, I am currently 40 weeks pregnant (my calendar dates have me at Nov.12). I had a false alarm today and thought that my membranes had ruptured. I called the Miami Maternity Center and they told me to come up to be checked and bring my bag. I scrambled to get all the last minute things together, showered, kissed Oli goodbye with tear filled eyes only to learn that I am "getting close" but not there. I am thankful to be going to Shari because I think if I were in a regular OB-GYN office they already would have scheduled me for a C-section. So.....I wait and hope that the extra time will help me achieve the birth experience I am looking for.

My mom has been with us in Miami for 9 days and before she arrived Danl's mom was with us for 12 days. I am totally spoiled and so is Oliver. Oli has LOVED the attention from Grandma and Gramma. Having an extra set of hands with an active (almost) 2 yr. old has been helpful. My mom is staying until Nov. 17th and Gramma Jones is returning for a week so hopefully both Grandma's can meet baby jones. Thank goodness for family!!

Oliver has adjusted to life with Grandma's and has been his happy, silly self. He loves waking up to a Grandma in his room and spends his days entertaining us all. Oli's newest trick is hiding his toys then throwing up his hands declaring "where is ....? I don't see it...I don't know" then he laughs and uncovers the hidden item. He is still crazy about Curious George and watches George every morning on PBS. It is a life saver because he wakes up FULL of energy and it gives us an opportunity to have a cup of coffee to catch up with him.

The attached photo is Oliver as a pirate on Halloween.

Reflecting on our threesome

I am happy that overall I got a good night of sleep. I didn't wake up until 5 a.m. this morning which is an improvement compared to the past few weeks. Unfortunately for Danl, I can't keep my eyes open past 9 p.m. and usually fall asleep in his lap on the couch. Other than feeling tired, I am doing well and enjoying our final weeks as a family of three (sometimes 5 with big brothers:)

Yesterday I took Oli to the park for an hour and a half and melted in the sun. We are still experiencing summer in South Florida and I am desperate for cooler days. Oliver loves sliding down the biggest slide at the playground and really has a mind of his own these days. He LOVES playing in the sand at the park with his bucket and scoops. It was so hot in the sand I tried to convince him to swing or play on the train and his response was "No, Oli play in sand with Mama". Seven word sentences- my little boy is getting big! Later we took an hour long bike ride on the beach while Daddy ran. Oliver talks to Daddy the entire time and keeps his breathing in check:) It was on the way home that I started reflecting on our threesome days and nights are coming to a close. It made me feel a bit sad because I know Oliver won't remember this time and I will always cherish it....okay maybe pregnancy hormones are getting the best of me.

I only have a few more things on my "nesting list" to complete this weekend (raise mattress in crib, pack my bag, etc.). We ordered the stroller yesterday and I am excited to get it and get Oliver comfortable in it. I am almost finished with Oliver's baby book (a big goal that I wanted to complete before Oscar arrives). I ordered photos and need to put them together and then his book will be complete. The video is Oliver goofing around with Daddy's skateboard.

Oli versus the bed

Friday morning started with Oliver waking at 6 a.m. after staying up until 9:45 with the babysitter last night. Needless to say he was a bit cranky and got in trouble for trying to climb on Daddy's bike while Daddy was adjusting it. Knowing he was in trouble the little imp ran quickly into his bedroom and ran his head into the head board. CRASH, TEARS, and a huge goose egg. It has been a long day for all of us. Daddy is putting Oliver to bed now and I am hopeful that he will sleep well.

2,001 miles on the BOB!

Our BOB stroller has officially strolled over 2000 miles! We love our BOB stroller and will be sad to set it aside for individual runs only in the near future. We have strongly considered getting the side by side BOB for Oliver and "Oscar" but the width just isn't practical for urban living. We are planning to purchase the Phil and Ted's Sport Double, it stacks the kids so has the footprint of a single stroller.

We have had a very busy two weeks. Last weekend, Oliver and I traveled to a friends' place in Sarasota for a Mama and Kids weekend. It was a lot of fun.....four 2 yr. olds, a 1 yr. old, a 5 yr. old and four Mamas. Oliver was thrilled to see Aby again and they spent the weekend playing. My friends, Kim, Anne, and Natalie threw me a baby shower on Saturday evening and we stayed up late both nights catching up. I am fortunate to have great friends. We are planning to make the "Miami Mama and Kid" weekend an annual event. By the time we arrived home Sunday afternoon, I was exhausted and ready for Oliver to spend some quality time with Daddy.

This past weekend we worked on the apartment and completed many items on my "nesting list" as Daniel refers to it! I washed all the baby clothes (newborn to 6 months) and put them in the drawer. Oli was helpful during the process of sorting the clothes....he wanted to try everything on and sort on his own. He was cute saying "share with Oscar" referring to his dresser. On Sunday evening, we attended a birthday party for Audrey (Kim's daughter) and had a wonderful evening with friends. It ended a bit abruptly because Oli expired due to an early nap, cutting teeth and 2 yr. old antics but we still had fun.

Oli's newest thing is saying "Mmm hmm" in agreement when I say something. It is very funny. He is crazy about Curious George and I can recite several of the books that we have borrowed from the library. Oli's potty training seems to be a "marathon" we have great days and wet days:( I am not giving up but have moments where I question what am I messing up....we will work it out and mommy will keep encouraging. One of Oliver's favorite things to do is "shower with mama, shower with Daddy" and tries to jump in with either of us when he hears the shower running.

The photo is from the Mama and Kids weekend at Nat's. It was hard work getting a photo will all the kids sitting at the same time.

Filling Daddy's shoes

 

I woke up this morning at 3 a.m. with a muscle cramp in my leg and am unable to get back to sleep. I can hear Oliver coughing from his room and have been in to check on him several times. He is cutting his last two molars and unfortuantely seems to be struggling with a cold. I am hoping that he is feeling better because we have a road trip planned for this upcoming weekend. I am driving with my friend Kim and her two children to Sarasota to visit our friend Natalie. My friend Anne and her daughter Aby will also be visiting. We have planned a girls weekend at Natalie's with 6 children. I am not sure what Daddy will do all weekend with a quiet apartment....but I am sure it will involve a few beers and a pizza:)

I am 32 weeks pregnant now and feeling a bit more tired. My morning adventures with Oliver leave me exhausted by 11 a.m. Additionally, my energy is zapped by the crazy heat we have been experiencing this year in Miami Beach. I keep hoping that Fall weather will arrive and the 88+ days will depart but there seems to be no break in sight. UGH! Danl is giving me lots of opportunities to lay down and rest when he is home and I am trying to take advantage of this. At the same time, I am feeling like the days are flying by and I need to get things done....my stupid list of to do's!

Time to get back to bed to rest up for a full day with Oliver...

More teeth

Oli's final molars are erupting and he has been a bit cranky this week. I am thankful that these are the last two teeth he will cut until approx. age 5. At times he is just plain angry but does communicate "teeth hurt" and he chews on his thumb for relief. We hate medicating him but have been giving him motrin to ease the pain.

We are enrolled in music class again and Oli seems to be enjoying this session even more than the first. One of the new songs is "My Bonnie" and I often sing it to Oliver at bed time and he is starting to sing along. Oli seems more aware of my belly now and touches it saying "Oscar little brother". I guess we will have some serious explaining to do if the baby is a girl!!

Oliver's favorite food is peanut butter sandwiches which he request every morning instead of his oatmel. He is also very fond of ginger snap cookies. His new favorite toy is the Brio hammer bench that we got him for Christmas. He loves to hammer the pegs! He has attempted to hammer many other things in the house but is reminded that hammer only happens on the bench.

Danl is training for the Escape to Miami Triathlon in October. The race is not his preferred distance but it is a challenging swim in the bay and the race is local. Unfortunately his favorite race in Orlando (the GFT) happens in late October when I am 37.5 weeks pregnant and we don't dare chance the travel. He is also planning to train for an ultrathon is 2009 (50+ miles).

I have been busy making my list of all the things I want to accomplish before the baby arrives. The list is long and I don't seem to be making much progress on it. I am finding myself more tired each day after spending the day chasing Oliver. I take him out (park, pool, museum) each morning to burn off his toddler energy and so he will nap in the afternoon. While I will have two to care for...I look forward to having my pre-pregnancy energy back.

1932 miles

Our currently mileage on our BOB stroller is 1,932 miles. Our goal is to exceed 2000 before Oliver's second birthday:) My jogging miles are non existent but I still walk a lot with Oli and average a few miles each day. I have had more energy lately and have been better about getting to the gym to get my workouts in. I am walking on the treadmill at an incline of 10% which gets my heart rate up and allows me to comfortably breathe.

Lately I find myself torn between wishing the days away and wanting the clock to stand still. On one hand, I feel tired, big and uncomfortable and can't wait to deliver and meet our second child. On the other hand, I realize that my time with Oliver will soon change and feel like I want to hang on to our time together. I also know this will be the last time I feel the kicks and flutters of a baby in my belly and that makes the 10 weeks that I have to go seem so brief. My second appointment at the Miami Maternity Center went really well and I feel confident in Shari's ability to lead me through a natural birth.

Daniel is busy with work, school and training. He is getting up each morning at 5:00 to work out and running his long runs on Fridays and doing his long rides on Sunday. Some how we still manage to find time to spend together and with our friends. Oli and I are going to the pool with Daddy while he does his laps so we can spend the time together.

Oliver is BUSY! Yesterday he said "no thank you Mama" which was his first combination of four words. He loves his bed and is sleeping well throughout the night. I love waking up to the sound of his feet on the tiles OR "hi Mama" next to our bed. One of his newest things is "reading" books. One book he can read alone by the cues in the pictures. Some other books, I read part of the sentence on the page and he finishes the sentence.....he is very proud of himself. Below is a video of Daddy and Oli skateboarding. Oliver loves the skateboard and pushes it to the door when he wants to ride.

Oliver's first Tropical Storm

Attached is a video of Oliver's reaction to his first Tropical Storm Fay. He couldn't have been happier to run on the balcony with the wind in his hair and puddles at his feet!

Mommy loves Friday

Thank goodness it is Friday. It has been a long, tiring week. I am not sure why but everything seemed to be a challenge this week. Oliver has been trying my patience this week and reminding me that his 2nd birthday is coming:) In addition, I am looking into alternative options for my prenatal care because I have lost a lot of confidence in the midwife and the birth center I have been using. We are going to tour another birth center on Sunday. I am hoping that I find someone that I feel will provide me with the support I need to have a successful VBAC delivery.

On the upside....Oliver has turned a corner on potty training. He LOVES to wear "unders" and pleads with me to change into them as soon as he wakes in the morning. He is also telling me when he has to pee or poop and making it to the potty often. He has also been keeping his pull ups dry when he naps or we go out and telling us if he has to pee. I don't want to celebrate prematurely but potty training is going so much better.

Oli's favorite book is now Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. I borrowed it from the library a few weeks ago and he is crazy for the story. I have since returned the book and taken out another Five Little Monkeys have a Picnic Supper but Oli still makes me tell him the other story at bedtime. His favorite toys are mega blocks and his matchbox cars. Oli continues to repeat everything and talk in simple sentences/phrases "love you too Mamma" "Oli fell down" "Oliver get down" "Oliver want pie" "More water please". He also says please and thank you most of the time and reminds us to say please or thank you!

I am now almost 27 weeks pregnant. The baby is moving all the time and I am really sure that it is a boy. We have started to tell Oliver that "little brother" is in mommy's belly. He loves to touch my belly and when asked who is in there sometimes he replies "baby or little brother" other times he enthusiastically says "PATRICK". I am trying to spend more time at the gym and pool to slow my weight gain. I am about 5 lbs. heavier than I was with Oliver at this point and that has me a bit concerned. My desire to work out is gone by 5 p.m. so I am attempting to work out earlier in the day so I get it in. I keep reminding myself how much easier the Miami marathon will be in January if I keep myself fit now.

Awake at Midnight

Fortunately it is me that is awake not Oliver:) I remember these energy surges from my pregnancy with Oliver. I am dead tired at 5 pm but when 10 o'clock hits I am wired and can't get my mind to stop. It was a lot easier when I was teaching because I would come home from school and nap but as a stay at home mom I don't get that option. I try to rest when Oli naps but I always have school work to complete and laundry, dishes, blah, blah, blah.....

After many, many searches and discussions we have found Oliver's first bed and will order it tomorrow. It is a green, twin platform bed. "Green" meaning sustainable hardwood, low VOC finish, etc. The bed should be delivered in two weeks so then we will begin a new chapter with Oliver's sleep routine. I am hoping for a smooth transition out of the crib and wonder what it will be like to have him come to our bedroom in the morning (or at night).

I am including a video of Oli playing with his blocks. He loves to build "towers" with his blocks and then knock them over. Oliver really enjoyed building towers with Patrick and misses him. I know he will be thrilled when his brothers return in December.

Bye bye big brothers

Yesterday Oli said good bye to his big brothers, Patrick and Kellan. He didn't understand when we took them to the airport that they wouldn't be home for dinner. He asked for them a few times last night and woke this morning asking Kel? Patrick? I know he misses them.

Oliver's newest skill is that he counted from 2-10 in English and Spanish on Tuesday. I don't mean to brag but I was really impressed. He has been repeating the numbers after I say them and occasionally going ahead and giving me the next number but on Tuesday he continued to count on his own. I am not sure why he is omitting the number 1 :) perhaps because he is almost 2!

Our potty time battle continues however today he has peed on the potty four times. I am planning to work over time on this project now that his big brothers have returned to NY and the bathroom is less occupied. I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding potty training and am hoping we can accomplish training Oli before the baby arrives.

Oliver's favorite toy(s) are these bright colored plastic geckos that he received from my friend Natalie. He LOVES them and carries the five geckos all around the house. One of his favorite things to do when we walk Lucy is to point out every gecko. Oliver has also learned the difference between a car and a TRUCK. Oli takes after his Daddy and loves trucks. (See photo below of Oli with his trucks and cars)

I am feeling the differences between my first pregnancy and the second. Overall I feel more tired but also have experienced some swelling in my legs. I determined the tea cup size coffee that I was drinking in the morning was contributing to the swelling in my legs so I am completely caffeine free. I miss my morning java!

No potty

Our former progress with the potty has turned into a game of chase. The video shows Oli's typical response when asked if he wants to go potty. We are now using monkey stickers as a reward for sitting on the potty. Oli likes the stickers and has been less resistant to the potty.