Recent Activities

Between blizzard snowed-in days, freezing temps, sleepless days & nights, here are pics of some of the fun we've been having (click on the pics to enlarge):

Kohl Museum playdate with Liam & Eli.

Oh, can't visit here enough!!

Just found another fabulous indoor/outdoor play zone- a local nature center.
They have animal attractions outside (including hawks, foxes, owls, bald eagle), live indoor animals (fishes, snakes, squirrel, turtles) and a preschool nature play area.
Love it. It reminds me so much of the day-camps I used to go to when I was young.

The preschool play area has a magnetic fishing pond (both of my boys enjoy it), a fox den, eagle nest, animal puppet theater, puzzles, books, stuffed animals, etc.
We will probably visit this place at least once every two weeks!!

Pinecone birdfeeders!
I've been wanting to do this since like November.
All summer/fall long we collected pinecones on our 'hikes' and I used them for Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating. Figured this would be a good end-use for them.
E loved pouring the birdseed.

We went to a firestation playzone. E has loved firetrucks for the past year, and I've missed two firestation open houses so I really wanted to get him to see some firetrucks.
Lots of fun activities for the kids, and they even had a real fireman there to talk to kids and dress up in uniform so they aren't 'scared' if there is a real issue.

E went to his first concert- Laura Doherty, a local Chicagoan kids' musician.
I thought he'd be dancing around like crazy as he does at home, but I think he was a bit overwhelmed. Can't wait to take him to see Ralph's World!

Thought you'd all get a kick out of this pic (for those of you who know I've been a vegetarian for more than 15years). Ha. I thought this apron was one of the coolest presents I ever received when I was about 8. It also came with all kinds of stuff for a Chicago-style hot dog stand. Anyway, B got me to cook up my first meat dish (for HIM) in many, many years, and I just thought it hysterical to put this on. The little apron is my inspiration to make one for E & C during the upcoming months.
I've also been doing lots of baking with the help of my little sous chef: pancakes (freezing & eating batches), cookies, and cupcakes, puddings/jellos- YUM.

Shhh, he's sleeping!!!!! Time to "blog"....

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28 weeks, but still measuring a week+ earlier

Size of Baby: ~15in, 2lbs (size of a bag of flour)

Total Weight Gain: okay, this is the point I don't mention a number. Let's just say that with E, I walked into the delivery room at about 180lbs. I'm on my way there.

Maternity Clothes: Thank goodness I already have some to wear. But, what am I doing wearing this same sweater from 20week pic?

Gender: It's another sweet boy!!!!

Name: Colin Emerson B.

Movement: Too much! Most of it makes me jump. I can see him move outside of my belly-one of the few things I love about being preggo. I can also feel his little body parts: his head, knees/feet/hands, though not sure which part they are. It amuses me to poke him and make him squirm ;)

Sleep: Yes, please! Especially with my young-and-restless tot not sleeping like a champ anymore!

What I miss: Where do I begin?!?

Cravings: Sweets, popsicle crave is returning.

Symptoms: Just tired and hungry ALL the time.

Best Moments: Feeling him move- the rapid fluttering, the poking and kicking, tickles when he does somersaults or completely changes position. E constantly loving on his baby brother, "Ca-in/Ca/CaCa".

**To add to the list of pregnancy scares I've had this time: a good-size kidney stone. Fortunately, minus noticing an issue for several weeks, I managed to pass it without any pain. I've been there before, it feels like how I felt when I was begging, make that B was commanding the doctors on my behalf, for the epidural at 1cm.

I enjoy the whole pregnancy thing about 10% of the time. It is the 'best moments' that make it all worth it and that I wish B could actually experience for himself- it is so incredible, and amazing, to feel something you created move inside of you! B finds pregnancy totally unattractive and weird, but I know that he is envious that I get to experience, hold, and feel our babies before he does. Oh, but if there was a way, I would let him enjoy it, along with all the 'fun' symptoms- ha.

Our 21month old energetic tot was upgraded to a big-boy bed early this morning.
After sleeping on the floor next to him all night long, B&I decided that we would try the toddler bed approach to E's bothersome sleep issues. Shhh, he's still sleeping.....
We adore his Westwood Stratton crib! It easily converted to the toddler rail in minutes. We weren't planning on converting it till he was 3-4yrs old, but heck, if this solves his sleep issues....
He played in it all day long- someone must like their comfy nest.

I wish. Faker.

E has become the 'typical' 21month old-going on three toddler.

*Usually he is happy, giggling, dancing, 'singing' along to songs, getting into everything, climbing, imitating, & dancing some more.

* But, he has his moments, at least once a day. At 18mths we started 'time outs' for disciplining, and what do you know, they seem to work. Since October (yes, it's taken me that long) I've been reading 'The Happiest Toddler', and implementing some of (I don't agree with all of his ideas) Karp's strategies. Unlike a lot of parents I've modified 'time out' to exclude the ridiculous counting 1-2-3. Really?! How many opportunities/delay of disciplining can you give your kid to not listen to you first of all?! No wonder so many parents struggle to get their kids to listen to them. I do, however, realize that at such a young age, tots initially do need at least one reminder of what they are not supposed to do/touch/say, and make my best effort to 'FFR & Toddler-ese' E. There is no baby-ing him in times of disciplining- in as simple language as possible, I make sure he knows why he shouldn't do/touch/say what he just did- not because 'Mommy or Daddy says so', or because 'it is just house rules'. I digress...

*Besides sleep, my other concern with E has been language development. He knows and can say many words, but mostly only speaks the first syllable or first two letters, or talks in his throat (I don't know how else to describe this). For instance, nail is 'nah', teeth is 'tee', cheeks is 'chee', scoop is 'coo-p'. His speaking completely regressed during his 19th month- only said 'Daddy & Mommy'. But, E is back to saying several new words every day- phew. Hopefully, he is either just not a talker like I am, or he's just waiting for Colin to get here ;) I'll just keep waiting, saying at least 30K+words a day, reading a pile of books a day, describing everything we're doing and what we see and hear, singing songs and listening to music throughout the day, hanging out with kids who do talk, asking him questions, taking him to different places (new experiences, vocabulary), having him try to repeat words, labeling, repetition, alphabet magnets and phonic toys... Am I forgetting something?!

Oh, but he is such a happy, lovey boy- full of hugs, kisses and cuddles. For as eager as I am for him to 'grow up', I cherish these moments and realize that our 'big boy' will never be this young again (tears).

He's still sleeping.....

Where is the Operating Manual?!?!

B & I have been at a lost the last 1.5 weeks with E's sleep/naps. We would love to be able to find his operating manual, specifically the section on how to get an almost-2year old to nap, fall and stay alseep throughout the night. It would be even better if there was a 'trouble-shooting' section in it as well!

Naps- have not been happening. He is happy-go-lucky ALL...DAY....LONG so we are not too concerned. It makes for some rather long and exhausting days for me; sometimes I just gawk at him and wonder where in the world the child gets all his energy. I have been trying to do as many activities with him as possible just to exhaust him. And unfortunately I've had to spend more time away from him just getting things done around the house. I'm hoping naps come back, but I'm picking my battles right now.

Paci- who needs it. Upon pediatrician's suggestion, we let him try sleeping with his paci. Let's just say he is way beyond pacis.

Nighttime Bedtime- This has been by far the most frustrating, exhausting, 'all-hands-on-deck" issue the last 1.5weeks!!!!!!!!! We had several sleepless nights, both on the verge of tears. E was literally up all day, maybe slept 4hours total at night in between hours of trying to get him to cry himself to sleep. We finally got our first night of sleep on Wednesday- oh, and it never felt soooo nice. It is just sheer frustration because he was a super sleeper just 2 weeks ago and now he just wants to cling to Mommy&Daddy the second we lay him in the crib. I would be able to deal with this with more ease if I wasn't so pregnant (hard to lift, hold, and lay him down) and exhausted. He has managed to go to sleep in 15min the last three nights, although last night he woke up at 3 in the morning. For an hour we tried to hold him, soothe him in his crib, and let him cry it out. To no avail. I ended up sleeping with him on the couch in the family room. Yeah, first time I ever slept with him in his entire life. I'm hoping he sleeps all through tonight. If not, B and I have planned on converting his crib to either the toddler or full-size (we don't want to buy a full-size mattress right now, but it would mean that I could lay down with him, and his bed would be all set) frame and seeing if that does the trick. At least we have been able to get some sleep the last couple nights.

Blizzard of 2011

Before the Storm (Tuesday): E and I cuddled up and read some books. I made him a reading nest which he loved.

We were really anxious about Daddy traveling home from work: Flashback to 2008 when B&I were stranded in our car for 11hrs in a Wisconsin snowstorm on our way to a ski vacation. I actually packed him an 'survival bag' just in case he got stuck in an awful commute.
While E fell asleep for the first time in a week (2hrs on his own), B and I geared up to shovel some 6in of snow to 'keep up'. Prime start of the worst of the blizzard ;) But, oh, we had our ski masks ;) Had to take a pic of myself all ready to brave the ferocious storm.
Thanks, Hon, for taking a pic of me, too ;)
In the midst of it.
We had a blast, a nice workout, and it was just FUN for the two of us!

Waking up to a changed landscape:

This greeted us at the door in the morning.
B had to push the door thru 2ft of drift buildup.
We found snow dunes in the yard.
So much for shoveling during the night....

E wanted to help his Daddy out and thought he would start by shoveling out the snow Daddy tracked in. HE wanted the ski mask because Dad had one on. Ha. I love this pic.
E was amazed by all the snow. In fact, neither B or I ever remember the '99 blizzard so this was kindof a first for all of us.
So after much cuteness and staring out the door at Daddy, I decided that I'd just let him go and enjoy the snow.
He helped out with some shoveling too ;)

Snow trench.

This is the mass of snow at the end of the driveway.

Our neighbors are awesome and they all spent the day outside shoveling each driveway and hanging out. No one was going anywhere.
I made them some coffee to keep them warm.

Why is B having to take business calls?!

Answer: they were debating keeping the restaurant open.

WHAT?!?! I do think B had much persuasion into the closing- for obvious reasons.

Gridlocked.
The street plow didn't come through till 2:30.

The 'B' ski resort cafe.

E had a blast watching all the neighbors and Daddy shovel the driveway while he enjoyed his lunch view.

Since he couldn't go outside anymore, he insisted on wearing his boots around the house.

He wasn't a fan of the overalls.

Adjusting (the overalls) like a typical boy- Ha ;)

While the guys shoveled (last night was plenty of shoveling for this preggo miss), I enjoyed this!

Girl Scout Carmel Delight ice cream!!!!!!!
I prefer sherbet/sorbet to ice cream hands-down, but how can I pass this up?!?!

What a tasty treat for a blizzard.

** I took 180pics of our very fun blizzard experience. Had hard time selecting these few to post.