Six months later

In this photo Oliver is making his "mad" face behind Oscar's back. Oscar is six months old... Where does the time go??? Oz is very close to being mobile and pushes himself up onto his knees,rocks forward then falls to his belly and repeats. By doing this repeatedly he is moving FORWARD. He has also started to eat sweet potatoes (sniff) and loves them. As a breastfeeding mom, this first step of "letting go" is bittersweet. Oscar continues to have a sweet, calm personality and is always waiting on his brother. Thank goodness he is so easy going. Oscar has two teeth and is cutting his third. I recently weighed him and he is now 20 lbs. 4 oz.

Oliver has matured so much in the past six months. He knows what he wants and when he wants it.. His strong will wears me down sometimes but in general he is helpful and sweet. Oli loves to make Oz laugh and tells me "shhh don't wake brother sleeping". Oliver talks non-stop and his favorite phrases are "what are you doing?" "Sit on couch and relax" and "Oliver want to keep you happy mommy" (which comes after he has done something wrong). Oliver's new prized toy is his "lightening mcqueen" match box car and he loves the movie Cars. Yesterday, Oli left "tracks" on the back of Oscars' head with Lightening. :(

Our weeks are different now that Daniel is in school Monday through Thursday evenings. Each night I race the clock with the boys to get Lucy walked, feed the boys, clean up, bath Oli, read books and bedtime. I am getting better at the routine with the help of Erica. Who is Erica? Erica is the wonderful person that comes to help me out for a few hours each week. She provides me the opportunity to complete my school work, go for a run, clean the apartment, walk Lucy and make dinner. I am seldom away from the house for more than the two hours but it is a wonderful feeling knowing that the boys are in her care. Oliver and Oscar both adore her and it has been great practice for me to let go a bit more. I still feel a bit guilty for paying to have Erica's help BUT on those days when Daniel is gone for 15 or 17 hours, I am so thankful that she is here!

I am recovering tonight after 3 hours in the dentist chair for a root canal. The root canal is not complete because the infection was so large and I had a lot of swelling. I return on Friday for additional xrays and hope that the second root canal (previously scheduled for two) is not necessary. I pray each day that Oliver and Oscar will have healthy teeth and not go through what I have. This week Erica is on vacation so I have been struggling to keep up with the boys with a huge abscess and grateful that Daniel could take tonight off from school. I am hopeful that tomorrow I will wake up pain free and the facial swelling will be reduced.

Time to catch some Zzzz's.

With the blink of an eye

I feel like I am missing it...Oscar is changing so fast that I find myself wanting to stop the clock, stop the days, so that I can observe. I can't believe he is now 5 months old, sitting up (almost unassisted), rolling over, picking up toys and scooting. My daily existence is chaos but I am learning to accept the chaos and flow with it versus against it. I am actually reading an amazing book called Momma Zen Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood. I highly recommend it as a magic elixir for mommy guilt:)

Oscar continues to be a patient boy and far calmer than his brother Oliver ever was. I am also blessed that Oscar sleeps! I usually get him down to sleep around 8:30 and he wakes at 4 a.m. for a feeding. We continue to struggle with Oliver's sleep schedule and have resigned ourselves to having one child that sleeps and one that doesn't. Oscar has one tooth and is currently cutting another one. He blows raspberries all day long which is a great source of entertainment for his big brother.

Oliver is a wonderfully curious boy who makes me laugh each day. Oli takes pride in being able to help Mommy with Oscar. He tells Oz to "relax" when he is upset and reassures him "your okay". Oliver's favorite movie is Wall.E and his favorite toys are his trucks. A few days ago I told Oliver that Mommy's tummy hurt and he quickly ran to the bathroom and brought me back a Band-aid and shouted "make mommy feel better".

Daniel and I are working to find more time together and have been actively trying out babysitters. This is hard for me but I know that we need adult time so I am trying to set my worries aside when we do go out. It is great to reconnect after a week of diapers, feedings, cleaning, diapers, and more diapers.

Growing Pains

It is hard to believe that my last post was well over a month ago. We have been experiencing "growing pains" and are learning to adapt to our new family. The adjustment came a few months later than expected and has been more challenging than I imagined. I am so thankful that Oscar is such an easy going and happy baby. We are blessed.

Oscar is changing so fast it is hard to keep up. I recall reading about all the milestones with Oli but sadly I don't have the time to read about them before they happen with Oz. Oscar is fascinated with his brother and Lucy and is content to observe them all day long. He smiles, coos and laughs at them and responds to his name when called. Even when Oli starts to get rough with Oscar, he just smiles and looks at his brother with his big, brown eyes. Oscar holds his head up during "tummy time" and Oliver loves to watch his brother on his tummy. Yesterday I told Oliver that eventually Oscar will be able to crawl and he pushed Oscar's butt and said "GO"!

Oliver has started with imagination play and makes me "cupcakes" and "sandwiches". I think he would love a tea set but I am not sure that Daddy would approve. A few days ago I did "this little piggy" to Oliver and Oscar's toes. Oli told me that he wanted to do little piggy to mommy and I decided to let him tell me the story in his own words. He said "this little piggy eat a cookie, this little piggy no cookie, and this little piggy wee wee wee all the way home!" These are the great moments then there are the moments of mommy madness. Oliver's sleep issues have resurfaced...UGH! On a nightly basis he wakes between 3-4 a.m. and runs to our bedroom carrying his pillow and literally throws himself on to our bed. It sounds cute but is very frustrating. Oliver has also reached a new level with tantrums and has me questioning myself on a daily basis. It is hard to decide what is typical 2 yr old behavior and what is in response to our "growing pains". I try to remain patient and reason with him but at times I just want to scream "JUST DO IT BECAUSE I SAID SO".

I am grateful to have mommy friends who remind me daily that these moments create the amazing experience called motherhood.

Moments of madness

I finally found a quiet moment to update my blog. This past week Oliver has had a cold and unfortunately Oscar caught it too. Our evenings have been separate...Daniel in Oliver's bedroom and Oscar and I in our bedroom. I am hoping that Oli finally sleeps through the night because I know Daniel is very tired. At times I see our progress as a family and feel that we are getting the "hang of it". Other times are complete madness and I have a hard time choosing whether to scream or cry.

The marathon is this upcoming Sunday and ready or not it is only a few days away. I am fortunate to be starting the race with three close friends (Anne, Natalie and Kim) and will run the full marathon with Anne. I am looking forward to a weekend connecting with my friends, two of which live outside of Miami. We have plans for a group dinner on Friday night and I could really use an evening out.

Oscar is getting so big and changes every day. He smiles at us when we talk to him and "talks" back with coos and goos. Oscar still doesn't have much hair but it is getting thicker and his eyes are a mystery. At times his eyes look dark grey and others they look brown with green flecks. Each night I fall asleep looking at Oscar in the moses basket...it is so calming to watch him sleep.

Oliver's newest passion is Play-Doh. He loves the stuff and spends hours each day molding cruise ships, snakes and trucks. It is what he asks to do all day long..."play with play doh". Oli never stops talking and has started with "What's this, what's this" which I predict will lead to "Why". He continues to test and challenge me each day but has gotten better about running away from me. It is a big no no to run away from Mommy and Daddy and he knows it.

Oscar likes to smile at his big brother, Oliver.

A New Year

Almost a month has passed since my last post...Oscar is one month old, Kellan and Patrick visited, Christmas, New Year's day. Where does the time go?

I feel that the days are flying by and I am still struggling with how to change two diapers at once and how to feed Oscar and Oliver simultaneously. I have been taking the boys to Flamingo Park and have figured out how to play with Oli in the sand, push Oli on the swing, feed Oscar, AND change diapers.

Oliver has adjusted well to having a little brother and loves to hold him. Oliver pleads "PLLLEEASE me hold my baby, PLLLEEEASE me hold my baby brudder". Oliver also smells Oscar and squeals "YUK"! I am not sure where the sniffing and yuk came from but it is entertaining.

Oscar was 13 lbs. and 3 oz. at his six week appt. He is becoming more alert everyday and now gives Mommy, Daddy, and Oliver big smiles and grins. Oscar continues to sleep well and Mommy and Daddy are so happy about this. During the evening hours he is sleeping 4.5 hrs at a time.

Daniel and I have figured out a schedule that allows us both to get workouts in. We alternate days and get up at 5 a.m. for a workout. We are also taking family runs (Oli, Oscar and Lucy). I am registered for the Miami Marathon on Jan. 25th and am feeling a bit nervous about the race. I know I can do it, it is more a matter of how comfortable I will be.

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.