tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83476075489688702232024-02-22T05:21:27.312-05:00 Growing up Maine...the way life should beAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-7098992574290856482016-04-16T23:04:00.000-04:002016-04-17T10:42:10.596-04:00DITL - Spring 2016 I can't believe it is time for another one of these posts. I literally feel like my winter DITL was just posted...maybe that is because spring isn't actually coming this year. Lily feels personally slightly by the groundhog. For real, I'm not sure it is a relationship that can ever be repaired. Insert some cliche about time and marching and yada yada. Perhaps it is time to update an old mantra, "I'll blog when I'm dead." - If I knew how I'd silkscreen some tshirts...check Etsy they have everything!<br />
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Another season, another Tuesday...this is no ordinary Tuesday however! As of today I am have officially moved into the next age bracket for most road races. Watch out all you 39 year olds, there is a spring chicken coming for you! We like birthdays around here. Unfortunately there has been little to no "birthday week extravaganza" to speak of. Matt has had the flu for forever. Technically it was only 7 days, but that is basically the same as forever when you have three small children who are also in various states of fever and recovery. For those of you who have been keeping track, at least one of my beloveds has spoiled me with vomit on my birthday 3 of the last 5 years. While this year there was no tossing of cookies on my actual birthday (sorry to have ruined the suspense!) we have been having a rough week. Matt has called for a "Mommy birthday do over" once everyone is felling better. Sign me up.<br />
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<b>DITL - Spring 2016</b></div>
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<b>Tuesday April 12th, 2016 </b></div>
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I am 35! </div>
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Matt 33</div>
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Lily 6</div>
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Ben 3 (2 weeks shy of 4)</div>
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Hugh 20m (1 week shy of 21m) </div>
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7:04am - This is just glorious. A wake up after 7am is a beautiful thing. The kids aren't allowed out of their rooms until 7:30 but most days they are up chatting with the sun. Ben has been sleeping alone in Lily's room due to some behavioral issues we were having. (i.e. getting into Hugh's crib repeatedly, at all hours, despite knowing this is against the rules.) I incorrectly assume that since I do not hear any squabbling that Ben has stayed in bed as directed...no, we would later discover that he had been in the playroom for god only knows how long. We are sort of at out wits end with the defiance. He knows the rules, he just has zero impulse control. Matt goes upstairs to scold him and I hear Lily and Hugh greet him loudly. </div>
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7:20am - I let Dingle handle the scolding and what must be a pretty horrific diaper change based on the protests I hear coming from Youkie. </div>
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7:25am - I can hear everyone in the living room chattering about my birthday cards (of which Lily made 4) so I decide that I should get up and start the day! I take a peek out the window and am instantly bummed that it is grey and raining. I usually have such good luck with the weather on my birthday!<br />
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7:30am - I am happily greeted by the boys who both pucker up for their good morning kiss. Lily is mad because she is working on a "surprise" and doesn't want me to see yet. She smiles for a picture but will not let me get close enough for a kiss, haha.<br />
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7:45am - Matt has served the kids their 8 course breakfast and made me a cup of coffee. Two funny asides: With Dingle being so sick I have been on breakfast duty for the past week...the kids are thrilled to have "Daddy the waiter" back. Two, we are still eating at the pint-sized table that Dingle made for Lily's birthday party because, again, Daddy has been too sick to put the real table back in place. <br />
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Ben is running around taking care of "Sally" the baby doll that has recently resurfaced as Lily's major responsibility. Hugh is not far behind mimicking all of big brothers' actions. Lily is working feverishly to finish her surprise before it is time to get ready for school. I take a bunch of random pictures and Lily astutely points out that I "must be doing a day in the life." - HA!<br />
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Dingle makes Lily's school lunch: Baby carrots, a gogurt, mango, heart shaped pb sandwich bites, pretzels, and a little Easter candy...exactly the same every day.<br />
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8:15am - I take all three kiddos upstairs to get ready for the day. With Matt working from home it isn't really necessary to bring Hugh with me to drop off but he insists on going. Taking him is easier than fighting with him at the front door. There is a major squabble over the step stools in the bathroom. Ben is frustrated that Hugh is on "his stool" and opts to brush teeth in front of the window. Hugh has mastered the art of teeth brushing, clearly. </div>
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8:30 - Kids are dressed and for the most part ready to go. I pull up the weather (again) to see if I am changing into running clothes or real clothes...I opt for real clothes. This is about as presentable as I can manage for our excursion. Throw my "security blanket" sunglasses on my head despite the complete and total lack of 'need'. </div>
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8:40am - Out the door we go! (ON TIME!) </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMYlddG9J9w/VxJi6vvzcsI/AAAAAAAAY5I/8wLbqBfteOoADZ5cYtOP1-pwxIz4uAmfwCKgB/s1600/IMG_3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMYlddG9J9w/VxJi6vvzcsI/AAAAAAAAY5I/8wLbqBfteOoADZ5cYtOP1-pwxIz4uAmfwCKgB/s320/IMG_3159.JPG" width="320" /></a>9:05am - I pull into Ben's preschool on two wheels. This isn't actually that late for us! Having dropped Lily off at 8:55, ten minutes to cross town is pretty decent. Because I like to live life on the edge I drop Ben off before getting gas. What is the worst that could happen?!?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3rReQty0chc/VxJi6pUSL0I/AAAAAAAAY5I/FyvEU8ODUPs-FPMarI7HvA3Ioa5OBgAAgCKgB/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3rReQty0chc/VxJi6pUSL0I/AAAAAAAAY5I/FyvEU8ODUPs-FPMarI7HvA3Ioa5OBgAAgCKgB/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" width="320" /></a>On the ride home Hugh quietly looks out the window and I sing along to Bieber. I consider stopping somewhere for a birthday breakfast treat but the sky is looking bright and I think I can get my run in after all. I check the mailbox at the end of the road and my heart sinks when I see the bill from the dentist. I knew it was going to be a doozie but man...was not prepared for almost 500 dollars! File this under, Being a grownup is hard.<br />
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On a happy note there were also two birthday cards in the mail!<br />
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9:30am - Hugh has a bit of a temper tantrum about taking off his coat and shoes, which earns him a brief timeout. I think he gets it, maybe? He doesn't like it, that is for certain.<br />
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10:00am - Hugh goes down for morning nap. About two weeks ago I attempted to drop morning nap in favor of one afternoon nap. Hugh has always napped better in the morning but I figured for ease of our schedule I could push nap to the early afternoon...I figured wrong. For now he is still taking two naps but in the afternoon it is usually more like 'quiet rest time' than actual sleeping. I suppose I don't really care either way, as long as he is happy. </div>
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10:10am - Dingle is working at the counter and it is pouring off and on in 5 minute intervals. I swear the sky looked brighter over the other side of town! I putt around picking up the house for a little bit and make some notes for this post. I return happy birthday texts, check my email, and scroll through social media.<br />
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10:30am - I can't just sit here, I decide to go for it and change into running clothes. Dingle offers to go get Ben from school which means I don't have to rush right out as soon as my run is done. I have been terrible about stretching lately in part because the minute I get home<i> someone </i>is bound to need <i>something</i>. I am very excited, a run and time to relax afterwards. Happy Birthday to me!<br />
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12:00pm - All done, soaking wet, freezing, so proud. Twenty five year old me would be humbled by thirty five year old me on so many levels.<br />
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Stretching in the living room when I get this text:<br />
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12:30pm - I text Ben's preschool teacher and officially submit my application for Mother of the Year! </div>
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12:31pm - I take a glorious hot shower and bask in the silence of my empty house.<br />
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12:50pm - Dingle and the boys arrive home with all kinds of surprises. Happy Meals, flowers, champagne, and a cookie cake! I am a lucky lady!<br />
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1:00pm - The guys and I eat lunch. Hugh acts like a wild animal. We really need to make the dining room table a priority!<br />
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1:30pm - The boys and I go upstairs to play before nap. Ben has been obsessed with playing "The ladybug game" but Hugh makes it very hard to play a complete game. We try our best to earn our mantis cards and collect aphids but Hugh is acting like a toddler Godzilla. At one point Hugh grabs my game piece and makes a bee line for the bathroom. Ben is understandably frustrated and we call it a game. </div>
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2:00pm - The boys go down for naps. Hugh in the crib with his blankie and paci. Ben in Lily's room with blankie, Baby Chase, Reindeer, and a few other favorites of the week.<br />
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I normal wouldn't do laundry on my birthday but Ben has some clothes in his backpack that need attention! Plus, I am way behind on laundry for the week so I spend a few minutes shuffling the clothes. Of all the chores, I am the worst at laundry. No matter what I tell myself at the start of the week: I do not do a load a day, I do not switch the wet clothes to the dryer right away, and I certainly do not fold and put away the clean clothes in a timely manner. sigh. </div>
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2:15pm - Matt offers to go pick up Lily and I decide to do something crazy...take a nap! I am not a good napper. Usually I end up feeling worse than when I went to sleep, but in light of a long run and the rigors of having been born 35 years ago I decide to risk it! </div>
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3:50pm - I wake up on my own from nap and feel crazemazing! Snuggles on the couch with Lily and Hugh aren't too shabby either.<br />
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4:05pm - Ben peeks his head down from the playroom and after receiving confirmation of the time, joins us on the couch. </div>
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We all watch an episode of Doc McStuffins that I have been saving on the DVR...spoiler alert...the baby's name is Maya! For a lot of reasons I have loved this particular story line. What an excellent way to introduce the kids to the concept of adoption. Kudos to you Disney Jr.. Many excellent conversations have been had!<br />
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5:00pm - Dinner! Dingle heads out to our local pizza place for a buffalo chicken pizza while I make the kids their favorite...chicken nuggets and mac mac.<br />
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After dinner I am presented with the (slightly scary) cookie cake and a very beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday!"<br />
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6:00pm - With the kids all amped up on cookie cake we head upstairs to the playroom for a dance party! Sadly there are no pictures taken! That being said, I have a million videos of the kids' sweet dance moves and should definitely post them here! </div>
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6:30pm - Rub-a-dub-dub three kids in the tub! (Again, no pics...I would like to say I was busy supervising the children...or something) </div>
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7:00pm - Stories and bedtime. Matt reads, I wrangle. </div>
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7:20pm - The kids are in bed so I pop the bubbly! Dingle works for a little while longer while I clean up the kitchen a bit and watch Jeopardy. </div>
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8:00pm - The party gets real...I bust out the cribbage board! </div>
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10:00pm - For a few hours we play cards and watch TV. Dingle isn't feeling 100% and we both decide there is no shame in calling it a night. For the record I take two out of three games ;) </div>
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10:30pm - The kids are all settled, animals are taken care of. Teeth brushed, laundry switched over, snuggled in to bed! I put on an episode of Big Bang Theory but 5 minutes in I know I am a goner! Kiss Dingle goodnight and he laments that this was sort of a lame birthday. On the contrary and not to end on such a sappy note...BUT...if only every day could be this sweet. Happy Birthday to me! </div>
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Thirty five...sounds pretty great to me. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-16658181458755523702016-01-21T22:22:00.000-05:002016-01-25T15:37:24.936-05:00Day In The Life - Winter 2016 I know it's been crickets around here again for far too long. If nothing else I will have these DITL snapshots to remind myself why I was always too tired at night to sit down and blog. A huge thank you to Julia for hosting these posts and for tagging me on IG so I wouldn't miss out!!<br />
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I decided that I would document a Tuesday again this time around thinking it would be fun to see how much (or how little) life has changed since the fall. To be honest...the day got off to an uncharacteristically rough start and I'm not even really sure why I continued to document it after 9:30am. Thankfully days like this are few and far between!<br />
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<b>DITL - Winter 2016</b></div>
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<b>Tuesday January 19th, 2016 </b></div>
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I am 34</div>
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Matt 33</div>
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Lily 5 </div>
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Ben 3</div>
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Hugh 18m</div>
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6:04am - I wake up to a familiar thumping sound. My children are stuffie addicts. For real, they all have a serious problem. There are no less than 40 stuffed animals in each of their beds every single night...no matter how many times I cull the heard! For reasons that are unclear to me, every single day each and every one of these little "friends" has to be moved from the bed to the floor. To accomplish this task Ben unceremoniously chucks them from the top bunk...where they land with a loud thump...and lay in a mangled pile until nap. *sigh*</div>
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6:10am - I can hear Lily and Ben arguing. I race out of bed to shush them before they wake up Hugh. I quietly help them move ALL of the stuffies to Lily's room so they can play without waking their brother. Currently all three kids are sleeping in the boys' room. Ben in the top bunk, Lily in the bottom, Youkie in the crib. Over Christmas we needed to move Hugh out of Lily's room so that my sister would have a place to sleep and we just never put the crib back after she left. For the most part it has worked out fine...except in the morning when Hugh needs more sleep and Ben is up before the sun.</div>
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7:10am - Lily comes in and announces that she is "starving" and Matt gets up to start breakfast. I somehow fall back to sleep because the next thing I know it is 7:40. </div>
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7:41am - Hugh is SCREAMING from the crib. Matt is in the middle of making what I can only guess is breakfast round two and both of the bigs are whining at the table. This is my least favorite way to start the day. I can tell Matt isn't too thrilled either. I suggest that Lily and Ben come upstairs with me to help with Hugh and give daddy a few minutes alone. The bigs refuse to pose for a picture with Hugh. I peek in Lily's room to see, surprise surprise, stuffies everywhere. </div>
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7:45am - After a diaper change for Youkie I bring all the kids back down stairs. Matt makes me a cup of coffee and I get the wood stove blazing. The house is cold and everyone is sort of cranky. I'm not exactly sure what has been going on up to this point with Matt and the big kids but whatever it was it wasn't eating breakfast. Tired, cold, and over-hungry...the toddler tantrum trifecta! </div>
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To add to the discomfort the entire house smells like mouse pee. We had a mouse make a nest behind the oven shortly before Christmas and I just cannot get rid of the smell...every time we use the oven. It is so gross. I literally don't know if I will ever be able to not smell it. I have tried just about everything google recommends to no avail. Bonus, I broke a pie plate in the oven last night when the vinegar I was boiling evaporated. Super. I absolutely have to do something extreme (like take apart the oven) later on today. </div>
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8:10am - Eveyone is at the table and breakfast has turned unto a marathon. Tuesday is my shopping day so we are out of a bunch of the staples. The kids have fried eggs, duck food (Chex) with blueberries. I have more coffee, in the best mug ever! They beg Matt to also make them oatmeal, which I think is ridiculous, but he obliges. I can just tell that we are going to be late so I leave the table to throw on some clothes and make myself presentable for school drop off. Normally I get the kids ready first but this is not happening today. </div>
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8:25am - SO LATE and the kids are now nursing the bowls of oatmeal. I insist that breakfast is over and rush them upstairs to get ready. </div>
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What happens next is ugly. I can't get either Lily or Ben to do anything that I am asking...and I totally lose it. Like, whoa! Not only do I yell but i start saying things I don't mean. Harsh things. I call Lily a "spoiled brat" and she starts to cry. Rather than say sorry I just go silent. It is a very low moment. </div>
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Ben is now complying and being the sweetest version of himself. While I appreciate it...I am still mad that he couldn't just act that way in the first place. </div>
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8:47am- Matt and I help the bigs into their snow clothes. I grab the backpacks, kiss both Matt and Hugh, and go out to the car without saying a word. In the car on the way to school Lily and Ben chat about the icicles on our neighbor's roof. Lily speculates that Elsa has left Disney World to bring winter to Maine. Ben seems skeptical and offers up his own theory which involves the Easter bunny. This makes all of us laugh and breaks the tension at least a little. </div>
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8:59am - I drop Lily off and we hold hands as we cross the parking lot. I can tell that we are both feeling sorry but she is late so we do a quick kiss and hug, say "I love you", and she walks into school. My heart is breaking knowing that I hurt her feelings and I instantly regret not taking the time to make up properly before we got out of the car. </div>
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9:17am - Ben is ridiculously late for school. We hit every single traffic light on the way across town. Once we are inside his teacher has to pry him off my leg. I watch him through the window for a split second to make sure he is settled and then I leave. </div>
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I cry in the car on the way home. I come very close to heading back to Lily's school to pick her up. As I play through the various scenarios I decide she is better off distracted at school and we can talk when I pick her up in the afternoon. </div>
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9:45am - I arrive back at home with about fifteen minutes to snuggle and play with Hugh before his nap. I text my girlfriends about the crap-tacular morning I am having. </div>
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10:05am - Hugh is down for his nap and I head downstairs to gather my things so I can run errands before I pick Ben up at noon. </div>
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10:30-11:45am - Like a sad robot (how's that for an oxymoron!) I get gas and grocery shop. It's fine. I like grocery shopping normally, I am just not feeling it today. I try and compensate for the sads by being extra helpful to strangers. I offer up my cart, I help a woman find the soup, I let a women with a newborn go ahead of me in line. Very small acts of kindness but each one does help my mood. </div>
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Side note: For about a year I have been using the "Ibotta" app to get rebates on our groceries. It is seriously awesome. I have earned over 400 dollars since downloading the app! Occasionally I will admit to buying things that I wouldn't otherwise, but in some cases we have found new foods that we love as a result! You can use it at a ton of different stores and combine the rebates with manufacturer coupons!! Seriously awesome app. (If you are interested in signing up my referral code is mdbshqp...we both get a five dollar bonus!) </div>
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Lily has been asking me for weeks to buy a pomegranate but of course Walmart doesn't have any. There is a fancier grocery store on the way to Ben's school and I have just enough time to strike out there too before heading to pick up. I do manage to buy 5 chocolate powdered doughnut holes...only 3 of which make it home. </div>
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Matt makes me an egg and cheese on an English muffin! </div>
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12:50pm - The boys and I go upstairs to play before nap. We make a pretty killer train track but I must have accidentally deleted the picture, wah wah. </div>
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1:50pm - After breaking up squabble after squabble I decide early naps are necessary today. Ben uses the potty and gathers up some of his stuffies to lay down in Lily's room. Hugh goes down in the crib without a fuss. </div>
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Matt tells me that his mom has offered to pick up Lily and give her dinner. I reluctantly agree to the plan even though I am really looking forward to squeezing her and telling her how sorry I am. Not needing to go get Lily means I have the rest of the afternoon to tackle the oven. I consider myself pretty handy and I was a little excited to start taking the oven apart. I mean how hard could it be to put it back together?!? </div>
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2:30pm - I finally get to the bottom of the smell...and then nearly die of disgust. I am simultaneously elated to have figured out the source of the smell and horrified by the image that is now burned into my brain. There had in fact been a small nest behind the oven that I removed and cleaned up weeks ago but there was also a mouse nest INSIDE THE OVEN INSULATION. You guys, I just dry heaved typing that. To be honest the site of the nest isn't that big of a deal...it is the thought of the mouse, living, peeing, pooping, hoarding dog food, in my oven that makes me want to take a match to this whole place. </div>
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Once I have the insulation out of the oven I know I am going to have to have a professional put new insulation back in. A quick google search however informes me that, no the oven is now scrap metal. What?!?! No way. I call a local appliance repair company and they confirm that it is not a job worth doing and that it would be cheaper to replace the oven. Fan-freaking-tastic. </div>
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3:30pm - After having a pity party while cleaning up the kitchen the best I can I decide we should definitely go out to dinner. My brother, who recently moved back to Maine with his fiance (into our house), took a job as a specialist in the garden center at Lowes. He is at work so I text to see if we can meet him to look at ovens and then treat him to dinner. </div>
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3:40pm - Hugh is up from nap but Ben is still out cold. I get Hugh dressed and he toddles around downstairs being adorable. </div>
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4:15pm - Matt wraps up work and jumps in the shower. I get Benji up from nap and tell him the plan. He is super excited because a.) he loves the giant truck shopping carts at Lowes and b). Red Robin...Yum! He is sweetly very sad that Lily is with Mimi and not coming with us. </div>
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5:05pm - We meet up with my brother and pick out a new oven! </div>
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5:30pm - Red Robin is understaffed and we have to wait about 15 minutes for a table. It is a long 15 minutes with two boys who are over hungry and running around like wild animals. (This is where I eat crow because I SWORE I would never be "those people" when I had kids...what a fool.) </div>
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The boys are awesome at dinner. Both color, eat, and chat happily for the entire meal. Food is delish and I manage to eat my burger while it is still hot. </div>
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6:50pm - So late! We go to Mimi's and pick up a very tired Lily. She is a little jealous that she missed out on Red Robin but Ben got her a balloon so all is forgiven. </div>
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7:42pm - These children need to be in bed! Everything is taking a long time but unlike this morning I am vowing to keep my composure. I try desperately to get one good picture of all three kids. This totally sums up our day!<br />
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I pull Lily aside and we snuggle in her room for a few minutes while Matt helps the boys brush teeth. I tell her how sorry I am and that I should never have called her a brat. I ask her to apologize for her lack of listening and she gets a little teary. I take this as a "good" sign that she is genuinely sorry. We both agree that going to school mad was a terrible way to start the day and she seems to take a lot of comfort in our shared sentiments. With our hearts feeling lighter, Lily says she is looking forward to going to bed. Me too kid, me too!<br />
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We read a book. Matt (literally) tosses the kids into bed while counting to 15 in Spanish (no clue how this became a thing), we do the secret handshake, and close the door. </div>
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8:00pm - Matt settles in to work, Josh reads, and I start working on this post. We all half watch sitcoms until about 9:30 when Josh calls it a night. Matt and I are not far behind but in typical fashion I manage to stay up for another half an hour. </div>
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10:00pm - I am ready for bed. The kids are all tucked in. The wood stove is full. Our room is freezing! I toss and turn for the better part of thirty minutes about the oven. It is not like us to make such a big purchase so hastily. Dingle assures me that we made a good choice and confirms online that it will fit in our space (I measured twice). Our little chat does actually put my mind at ease and finally fall asleep shortly before 11. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-66222898085637703832015-10-07T18:15:00.000-04:002015-10-29T22:26:34.049-04:00Day In The Life - Fall 2015For the third consecutive season I have captured all of the pictures and taken all the notes in preparation for these especially detailed (and much loved) posts...only to have them sit on my computer for over a week. Unlike the previous two seasons I managed to get this one written up, double points for me! I used mostly my real camera but unfortunately forgot to check the settings and clicked away all day with less than ideal results. Ah well.<br />
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<b>DILT - Fall 2015</b><br />
<b>Tuesday October 6th, 2015</b><br />
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I am 34<br />
Matt 33 (finally!)<br />
Lily 5.5<br />
Ben 3.5<br />
Hugh 14.5 months<br />
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5:50 - Thump, thump, thump...I hear Ben running around upstairs. It is still dark out. I hop out of bed and meet him on the stairs. We talk briefly about why the sun is still asleep and he agrees to go back to bed to play with his stuffies for "just a little bit".<br />
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6:10 - Lily and Ben are dancing around outside our bedroom door. I hear Lily trying to encourage Ben to be the one who comes in to ask for phone time, but he is clearly aware that it is too early. Ben comes over to my side of the bed and talks in a whisper with his lips up against my cheek. It is stupidly cute but also not going to work. I send the kids up to the playroom and remind them that Mommy and Daddy get to "sleep" until 7 :)<br />
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6:45 - Hugh is squawking. Why is everyone up so early?! I nudge Matt and bat my eyes for him to make coffee. I toss the kids a phone as I go upstairs to get Hugh. They are delighted and agree to snuggle while they watch. (I had no idea this was such a long standing part of our routine but past DITL posts don't lie)<br />
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Hugh is smiley and very happy when I open the door. Note the crib is 10 inches from the wall because I am sick and tired of moving it to retrieve pacis. </div>
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7:15 - After a diaper change I bring Youkie downstairs for breakfast and start taking pictures of the sorry state of our house. I swear I don't save all of my housework for DITL posts! The laundry is just that relentless. </div>
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7:30 - I join the family at the breakfast table and drink my coffee. The kids have cheerios with frozen blueberries followed by peanut butter toast cut into various shapes. Matt usually makes 100% of breakfast, today is no exception. We all chat about the day. Lily tells us about a dream she had...something about a toy she wants for Christmas. I'm pretty sure she is making the whole thing up as an excuse to talk about said toy. Ben then tells us his own tall tale. Just as I am about to call him out on the made-up-ness of his "dream" he bursts into laughter and says, "just kidding, that didn't happen." - HAHA. I love toddlers. </div>
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8:30 - I finally have laid down the law with Lily and insist that she get dressed. She brushes her teeth and washes her own face. I brush her hair and whip it into her signature "top pony". She adds a headband for extra style points. </div>
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8:40 - Matt and the bigs leave for school. Hugh and I bask for a moment in the glorious silence. Then we play trucks on the couch some more. I check my email, IG, and make a few notes for this post. I marvel at Hugh's baby hair. </div>
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9:00 - I plop Hugh in the playroom and start to tackle the picking up. Matt gets back from dropping off the kids around 9:30 and starts to work at the kitchen counter. </div>
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12:00 - My big boy greets me very enthusiastically! Their Monarch Butterfly is getting ready to hatch from its chrysalis and he is super excited to show me. The class named the caterpillar "Neb" (Ben spelled backwards) for reasons that are still unclear to me, but it is a detail that Ben is quite proud of. The kids made explorer hats in honor of Columbus Day and went on a leaf gathering expedition. I can't thank the teachers enough for sending my son home with a bag full of dry leaves ;) </div>
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12:15 - Ben and I arrive home. I get Hugh up from his nap and I make everyone some lunch. Ben and Hugh each have some sliced ham, a cheese stick, and some pretzels. Hugh also has a yogurt pouch and some apple slices. Matt and I have grilled cheese. </div>
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1:00 - I take the boys upstairs to play. It is approximately 90 degrees in the playroom. I LOVE this house but the heat rising into the loft can be a bit much. In any case it prompts me to finally change Hugh out of his pajamas. Ben does "tricks" off the balance beam while Hugh mashes the buttons on a toy laptop. </div>
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1:30 - The boys play happily while I clean the upstairs bathroom. I sit down on the couch to make a few notes and scroll though my pictures. Immediately upon sitting down Ben asks me to help him with a toy. NO! No, no no. I know what he's going to hand me before I even turn around. This thing is the bane of my existence! Don't let its small size fool you. This thing will be the death of me. </div>
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It is a transformer. At some point in time, like 1987, it easily held it's shape as a either a car or a robot. That time is no longer. This stupid, stupid, robot car is broken. It no longer wants to be a car...only a menacing robot. Ben does not want it to be a robot...ever. Always a car. BUT IT WILL NOT STAY. I have seriously tried to make this thing disappear, clearly it is possessed because no matter what, it finds its way back into the playroom. Curse you tiny robot! </div>
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2:00 - Ben finally gives up on the demonic robot car and asks me to read him "a big stack of books". He gathers books and I read while he a Hugh pretend that I am a human jungle gym. </div>
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2:50 - Matt leaves to go pick up Lily from school. I tell Ben, who is still getting out of bed once a minute, that if he stays in bed until Lily gets home then he can cut his "nap" short and get up. This finally works and he lays in bed quietly playing with his stuffies for about a half hour. </div>
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3:30 - Lily is home! She tells me all about her day, who the star of the day was, what she did in gym, and how much of her lunch she ate. The big kids are bickering over my attention and I remind them that tonight is pajama-rama at the library, and if they want to go they had better find a way to get along. Cheering and hugging ensues! Matt comes in from the other room and informs us that no, pajama-rama has been canceled. Wah wah. Since I had already had my own heart set on pizza for dinner we decide to go out to our favorite place, which is a big treat because we normally just do pickup. </div>
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Matt leaves for a run. Hugh gets up from nap. The kids and I play with some new learning puzzles that Mimi brought over a few days ago. The cat is very in to the puzzles for some reason! </div>
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4:45 - Matt is back and while he showers I get the kids ready to go out to dinner and loaded into the car. The harsh reality that summer has officially ended hits us all the most when it is time to get in the car seats. The kids all sort of freak out and complain loudly that they are "so uncomfortable" with their coats on. Too bad, "buckle up for safety!" I say no less than a dozen times. </div>
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5:00-6:00 - The kids are Aaaah-mazing at dinner. Hugh is a little bit of a handful, grabbing everything within reach and tossing it on the floor. If that is the worst of the behavior, then we have ourselves a win right there! </div>
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The kids are asking for dessert. Matt spells s-w-e-e-t-f-r-o-g, but mean old Mommy says no. About two minutes later I reconsider and suggest it as if it were my idea! Matt totally calls me out, can't blame a mom for trying. We pack up our extra pizza and head out for fro-yo. This is completely crazy for us on a school night, but to be fair we are still going to be home before we would have if we had gone to pajama-rama. </div>
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Again, we have amazing behavior and happy kids! </div>
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7:00 - Arrive home just in time to start the bedtime routine. The kids had a bath last night so tonight should be relatively quick. Hugh is especially tired and within ten minutes he is in a fresh diaper, fuzzy jammies, and all tucked in with his blankie and three pacis. </div>
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While I get Hugh ready Matt helps the bigs brush teeth and get ready for bed. I must have left my phone and camera downstairs because I don't have any pictures of the kids getting ready for bed or story time. It is Ben's turn to pick the book and he chooses <u>Who Wants A Dragon?</u> which is a very cute book that Lily checked out from her school library. It is neat to see what she chooses when left to her own devices. </div>
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10:30 - I call it for the night. I head upstairs to check on the kids. Matt comes up and puts Ben on the potty. After everyone is tucked back in I get myself ready for bed. </div>
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11:00 - I grumble because I can't believe that it is so late, where did the night go?! I flip through the channels on the TV in our bedroom to find something mindless to watch. Matt sits up with his computer clicking away next to me. Chopped starts and before they even start cooking the first basket I am sound asleep! </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-78678127593148229222015-09-28T16:22:00.000-04:002015-09-28T16:23:56.893-04:00Run for a Reason - my #1 girl! This chick right here...<br />
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"...makes a dragon wanna retire, man."<br />
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Our very own Lily completed her first timed (1 mile) race a few weeks ago, and to say she killed it would be the understatement of the year! I ran along side her and it was all I could do to hold back those proud mama tears. She ran with determination and confidence for the entire race. Not once did she ask to stop or slow down...if anything I was putting the breaks on her!<br />
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Matt and I did not put any pressure on her to do the race, it was all her. But obviously it isn't <i>all</i> her, she wants to run because we do...and actually if you ask her she will tell you it is because <i>I</i> do. She is five, and she wants to be just like me. Sort of a scary mommy moment! Not a day goes by that I don't pray that I do right by these kiddos of mine, because they are taking it ALL in. It is in that spirit that we are raising money for the kids at St Jude. The best way to ensure that the kids have generous hearts is to show them mine.<br />
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This weekend we spent a few hours making thank you cards together for our generous donors. To say that I am proud to be her mom...now that is the real understatement of the year.<br />
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Please consider clicking <a href="http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=3519688&fr_id=39580&pg=personal">HERE</a> to support our fundraising goals which will benefit the children (and their proud mamas) at St Jude Children's Research Hospital. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-40427438446416972402015-09-22T14:41:00.000-04:002015-09-28T16:23:56.885-04:00Run For A Reason...The "year of running" started out as a fun challenge for me and Matt. When we first started committing to race after race we didn't really put a whole lot of thought into where our registration money was going, but more often than not a portion does go to charity. Over the past year we have had the pleasure to meet so many runners (and volunteers) who have turned their love of running into something more. <br />
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I can do more. I can run for a reason.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">Three reasons, to be more precise.</span></div>
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Matt and I have are so blessed to have three healthy children. It is because they are healthy that we have the luxury to run in the first place. Not all parents are so lucky. Some parents are walking through my worst nightmare and they need all the help they can get. That's where St Jude Children's Research Hospital comes in.<br />
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In November Matt and I will be running the Walt Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon and I recently joined the St Jude fundraising team.<br />
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I talked it over with the kids, Hugh is a surprisingly good listener, and we all agreed that helping sick kids is something we can make a priority! We set a lofty goal, raise 1,500 dollars in 45 days! Here's the thing, fundraising is hard. I do not like asking people for money. But if there was ever a reason to step out of my comfort zone this is it! </div>
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So, if you've made it this far take a minute to think about how truly grateful you are for the healthy kids in your life and once your heart is all big and bursty...please consider clicking <a href="http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=3519688&fr_id=39580&pg=personal">HERE</a> to donate to St Jude and support my fundraising efforts!!<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-8208581083170465742015-07-24T21:23:00.000-04:002015-08-06T21:24:06.123-04:00All about Hugh! <div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Birthday and Happy Christening my sweet baby! </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-61219382300996281062015-07-21T20:51:00.000-04:002015-08-06T21:04:39.515-04:00You are ONE! Dear Hugh,<br />
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My brown eyed boy, how did we ever get along without you? It seems like just yesterday that I was snuggling you in the relative peace and quiet of our hospital room. I was missing the bigs, but to be honest I was in my own personal heaven with you sleeping peacefully on my chest. One year later we still make time for those quiet snuggles where we can just be...blissfully content. I have enjoyed your first year so immensely that it is hard to imagine that it gets any better than this. And just when I start to feel a little emotionally overwhelmed by the cruelty of time you flash me a smile or squeak out a giggle that reminds me that no matter how old you are, I will always be your mom. My life's greatest privilege can be measured in kisses and hugs.<br />
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I can't say for certain whether it is out of nature or necessity but you are the most content little boy that I (or anyone else) has ever known. You have been known to sit on my lap for hours while we watch the big kids run and jump at the park, you regularly spend long periods of time playing happily in the "baby trap", and you tolerate hour long stints in the high chair while I beg Ben to finish his lunch. It really doesn't matter to you what we are doing, as long as you can sit back and take it all in. We have said since the day you were born that you are a very serious guy, and that remains true, but as you grow into a tiny person I see more and more personality every day. There's nothing wrong with making people work for that precious smile!<br />
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Lately you have found your giggle and will crack yourself up much to the delight of the rest of us. Your brother and sister have enjoyed your babyhood but I think they are each starting to get excited about the prospect of a new playmate. Lily is a very doting big sister and always wants you to "be careful". Ben often forgets that you are still little and before I know it he is tackling you to the ground or rolling over you with a train. For the most part you take their overzealous attention in stride. I will say you get very frustrated when the bigs race off without you. It will only be a matter of time until you can tag right along behind them.<br />
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Your laid back ways have meant that you are in no rush to hit any major milestones. You are a man of few words but you clearly understand a lot of what we say to you. Plus, you say "mama", and really what else do you need?!? You have finally ditched the wounded soldier in favor of a (speedy) crawl but you have very little interest in walking. You can push the walker but despite our enthusiastic cheers you will only do it for a few steps. You can wave but will usually only do it for a split second. You will not clap, point, or blow kisses...but like I said you just aren't that interested. To be honest, my littlest love, I'm in no rush either. One of your favorite things to do is lay with your head on the floor and push a car around in front of you. It is absolutely adorable and is almost more than my little heart can take. You are a paci man and love your wubbanubs, I am still pushing a blankie but we'll see if it sticks!<br />
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I really could sing your praises all day. You are a great eater, sleeper, and did I mention snuggler?? You bring me so much joy and as predicted I do not regret all of those hours of holding you when you were a tiny baby. As I watch you smile and dance to some little toy I just can not get over how sweet you are. Also, are you kidding me with those big brown eyes? Seriously, just stop. I am not one of those moms who thinks that all of their children are perfect, but you are pretty darn close! (I could live without the biting!)<br />
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I love you more than I ever thought possible. More than once I have been out in public with you and the bigs and a kind stranger has commented that I "really have my hands full." And every time it gets said all I can think is "you should see my heart."<br />
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I love you Hughtiepie.<br />
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Love,<br />
MamaAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-1552612546411824412015-06-25T21:53:00.000-04:002015-06-29T22:02:04.893-04:00Hugh - 11 months! I fell a little short of daily blogging since Hugh's last post BUT I did get a lot of posts published that have been sitting in my drafts list for too long! Also, I am back to thinking about the blog and doing a little writing every couple of days rather than letting it pile up, so that is a start. (edited to add: I had this entire post written and the internet went down. I stupidly refreshed the browser and "poof" it was gone. Even 10+ years out of college that feeling of loss made me irrationally irritated!)<br />
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We have had a rough couple of weeks. A few days after Memorial Day my Dad called to say that he would not be able to pick Lily up from school because he was feeling sick...and then like dominoes we all fell...one by one. Matt and Ben came down with it first, a nasty cough and fever. A few days later Hugh and Lily were down with the same symptoms. I managed to hang on, playing nurse to everyone, for 8 days...EIGHT DAYS. On the morning of Lily's preschool graduation I woke up in a cold sweat with a fever of 102. No, no, NOOO. I was so miserable, I felt like death, and looked even worse. We actually dropped the boys off with Mimi even though they were both still sick and feverish so that we could even drag ourselves to the graduation. Anyone want to guess who got sick next?!? (Sorry again Mimi!) For all I know we also infected Lily's entire preschool. It actually got worse before it got better when my kids all cycled through the bug a second time. Matt was sick for almost three full weeks. To be honest Hugh still has a runny nose and cough. All in all this was a minor illness and we are so blessed to be healthy overall but man did this knock us on our butts!<br />
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So this month passed and we didn't do a whole lot to enjoy it. Not surprisingly Hugh seems to have grown into a man child overnight. Eleven months, how did this happen? There shall be absolutely no mention of what happens next, understood?<br />
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My sweet little angel really was such a trooper while being so pathetic. He didn't sleep well at night and naps were frequent and short. Nursing was rough because he was so congested but his appetite for solid foods was also diminished. So for this months' post it is hard to write up where we are now, versus what is "normal".<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt-W4LI9eJE/VYoMeE3n9iI/AAAAAAAAUS4/lHP5CC6hCCc/s1600/IMG_8763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vt-W4LI9eJE/VYoMeE3n9iI/AAAAAAAAUS4/lHP5CC6hCCc/s320/IMG_8763.JPG" width="320" /></a><b>Likes: </b>First and foremost MOMMY, having paci and blankie at nap, being in the "baby trap" (the hexagon gate thingy), pulling up on everything, giving kisses, being held, riding in the wagon or jogging stroller, baths with the bigs, army crawling, the activity table, nursing, being tickled, the cat, cruising the furniture, any toy that rolls or has wheels, banging things, trying to drink from a sippy cup.<br />
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<b>Dislikes: </b>Being told no, having unsafe things taken away, not being permitted to splash in the dog's water bowl, watermelon, being cold, being hungry.<br />
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<b>Nicknames: </b>Youkie, Hughtiepie<br />
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<b>Milestones: </b>I feel like we are sort of stalled in the mobility and "trick" department. He does not point or blow kisses, he only really says mama when he wants to be picked up, he is getting closer to free standing but isn't there yet, no new teeth...so lame and boring ;) One major milestone to mention, Hugh had his first overnight with Mimi. He lit up like a Christmas tree upon seeing me the next morning which was pretty much the highlight of my whole life.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t8QpedkjKFA/VYoMeLxH3HI/AAAAAAAAUS4/yHFDP9fHm88/s1600/IMG_8564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t8QpedkjKFA/VYoMeLxH3HI/AAAAAAAAUS4/yHFDP9fHm88/s400/IMG_8564.JPG" width="400" /></a><b>Feeding: </b>Hugh is a good eater, not a super fantastic eater, but good. He really likes eggs, grilled cheese, chicken, graham crackers, and any fruit that comes out of a pouch. I have mentioned <strike>a few hundred times</strike> that spoon feeding a baby has never been my favorite bonding activity so I bought Hugh some very cute refillable pouches. I am ecstatic to announce that he is very proficient at feeding himself! Third baby for the win! There are a few foods that he doesn't like, Gerber "garden vegetables" puree (can't say that I blame him) and watermelon...which is just crazy. Not a whole lot has changed with his meal schedule since last month. He does not like to eat solids in the morning and would much rather nurse. I am trying to insist that he eat at least a little something, usually a banana and a handful of Cheerios. Most days lunch and dinner are easy and he happily eats whatever delicacy I whip up and throw in his direction. He does like to eat dinner at exactly 4:50pm and even one minute later causes him to really lose his mind.<br />
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Nursing is still great with only one not so minor exception, Hugh is a biter. He definitely does it to "see what will happen". I will say right now that every stupid article on the subject that makes suggestions like "firmly tell the baby no while maintaining your composure" makes me want to poke the author with a sharp stick. It hurts...but moreover it is impossible not to react! It isn't enough of a problem that I am going to stop nursing him but I certainly hope that the novelty of these new teeth wears off very soon.<br />
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<b>Sleeping: </b>Again, tough to say if there has been a whole lot of change to the sleep routine because for so many days sleeping was rough in general. I think now that he is feeling better we are pretty much back to our previous routine: Up at 6, back down immediately after nursing. Up at 8, back down for morning nap at 10. Up by noon, back down for afternoon nap at 2. Up at 4, off to bed at 6:45. If he takes two 2 hour naps in a day he is a happy guy, anything less and the cranky post dinner hour can be a bit of a grind.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0QBJintETb4/VYoMeOZllWI/AAAAAAAAUS8/UuxES2fReLM/s1600/IMG_2215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0QBJintETb4/VYoMeOZllWI/AAAAAAAAUS8/UuxES2fReLM/s400/IMG_2215.JPG" width="298" /></a><b>Odds and Ends: </b>I sort of forgot how much work a partially mobile baby is in the summer. This in between stage means that I have to carry/wear Hugh pretty much everywhere we go that is not stroller friendly (like the beach) and once we are there I have to chase him around and repeatedly stop him from eating handfuls of sand. I will say that while Hugh does not care for the confinement of a blanket he is too suspicious of grass to really make a break for it in the yard. I am coming to realize that the age difference between the kids right now is going to make summer rough. Hugh is too little to keep up with the big kids' activities and the big kids are not quite big enough to be independent or self sufficient (I'm looking at you Ben). Taking all three kids to my aunt's pool without an additional grownup is way more than I can handle by myself these days. And the beach, forget it! So for now we have been making good use of our babysitters...which has the added effect of making the grandmas pretty happy ;)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHSuqk9MK2g/VYoMeGmi2XI/AAAAAAAAUS4/cKixK_fULa8/s1600/IMG_2212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PHSuqk9MK2g/VYoMeGmi2XI/AAAAAAAAUS4/cKixK_fULa8/s400/IMG_2212.JPG" width="298" /></a>I went down the rabbit hole and started looking at old blog posts...and then 10 hours and a full box of tissues later I came back to finish this post. One thing that I did realize is that we all treat Youkie like he is a baby...like a baby baby. To remedy this situation I gave him a sip of my beer after dinner. (THAT IS A JOKE) I did however bring up some of the toddler toys from the basement, which were a huge hit with the big kids! Once they had their turn Hugh took the walker for a spin and we were all amazed at how quickly he figured it out. I would say that by the end of the week he will be pushing it like a boss. Sorry it took me so long buddy, does this mean you are done with the circle of neglect?? With three kids I find that I am so much more focused on the routine and the day to day that forget to stop and ask questions. In this case, "Do you think Hugh is ready to walk??" (Two other examples "Why is Lily still using a sippy cup?" and "Does Ben <i>need</i> to wear a diaper to bed??")<br />
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I just switched over the clothes, Youkie is officially outfitted for summer. Most of what I put in the drawer is 12m but I did put a few 18m things in there as well so that he doesn't grow right through them. Lily is especially adept at noticing every time her baby bro wears something "new" and is always quick with a compliment.<br />
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I can't believe that June is already over. I really need to get my act together and send out the formal invites for Hugh's birthday party/baptism.<br />
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<b>Up next</b>: Do not say it. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-47669769753771203492015-06-20T20:46:00.000-04:002015-06-20T20:46:25.889-04:00Dream House - Mudroom This is a pretty small space but I can't even begin to tell you how much I love having a place to hang jackets and put away sneakers. In our first home you walked directly into the living room and both Matt and I grew up in houses where you walk directly into the kitchen. A mudroom was on my "must have" list for the dream house.<br />
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For my birthday I asked my super talented in-laws if they could make me a mail station with chalkboard. The end result is just perfect and I love it. With this one special feature completed I just had to paint and finish the rest of the space. I chose a sandy color for the walls, and then decided to paint the entire garage this color also. I had Dingle sand and poly a few pine 1x2s so that I could make two coat racks. So in love with the kids being able to hang their own coats! Lastly, I filled a few new frames with pictures of the kiddos. For once I think I can say that a project is 100% done!<br />
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This is the last of the house updates for now...but the bathrooms are calling my name! </div>
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-54018762262413408502015-06-19T11:14:00.000-04:002015-06-20T20:49:50.947-04:00Dream House - Garage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As is par for the course I completely forgot to take a true "before" picture when we started our garage makeover. *sigh* You'd think one of these times I would remember, but apparently this was not it. In any case I do have a picture of what the garage looked like when we did our inspection. To be honest this is as good of a before picture as any...this just isn't our junk! </div>
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The door opens into the mudroom which I will reveal tomorrow...spoiler alert, there are no before pictures of that either! </div>
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Our house in MA was a perfect starter home in that it didn't need a lot of work, just a lot of updating. We painted and got our feet wet for slightly bigger projects like replacing electrical fixtures and tiling the kitchen. When I told Dingle that I would really love to have a deck in the garage I think his exact words were something like, "well, we've never done <i>that</i> before." "That" of course being really building anything from scratch, you know, like out of wood. We took measurements and priced out the project (in the end the materials cost us about 200 dollars including paint). Before sending him to the hardware store we watched a <i>This Old House</i> episode on how to build a small deck. I am not kidding, that was the entirety of our education. </div>
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First we removed the old stairs and saved them to reattach to the new deck. Next we built the frame and added the joists and brackets. Matt made all of the cuts, I wielded the hammer. A boy in a pair of butterfly wings acted as our site manager. </div>
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After the first day of construction we had the entire deck built and all that was left to do was add the railing and attach the decking. </div>
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I'm pretty sure it was at this point that I realized that the new deck was going to look so beautiful and the rest of the garage looked terrible. Obviously, I would need to paint the walls that surround the deck. And if I was going to paint the walls surrounding the deck then we should probably build a bench on the deck...and paint that as well. </div>
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Oh hey...those wall surrounding the deck look amazing! Look how terrible the rest of garage looks!! Better paint those too...</div>
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Let's finish this project! Hang some hooks, organize the rest of the garage, and have a beer! </div>
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So it's finally finished...well almost, I still need something for the wall to the right of the door (damn you last 2%, haha). It is SO nice. Now the kids have a place to take off their coats and kick off their muddy shoes. Dingle did an amazing job making my vision a reality. Of all the projects we have done, this one might be favorite! </div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-85393456679295105392015-06-17T08:51:00.001-04:002015-06-19T11:15:21.361-04:00Dream House - Master BedroomWe have been busy with a few house projects that were long overdue. I wanted to wait to reveal each project until it was 100% finished...it's always that last 2% that gets me! The walls in our house are a mix of split logs and drywall. When we moved in, every single wall that was not split log was white. We do not like white walls! It has taken us quite a while to get the ball rolling, but once again, I am a painting fool!<br />
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The new curtains for the master bedroom finally arrived last night (and I totally need to steam them, damn you last 2%).<br />
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I thought it would be fun to post the pictures of the house from our inspection...<br />
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and when we first moved in...<br />
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and before we started painting....<br />
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...and now that the room is finally us!<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-86994354447555633322015-06-06T23:03:00.001-04:002015-06-06T23:03:26.887-04:00The year of running...more about our crazy race schedule!After Matt and I set our sights on the year of running I knew there was at least one race that we <i>just had to do</i>! The Beach to Beacon. It is by far the most popular race in Maine. Runners from all over New England as well as well-known international running elite invade the coastal town of Cape Elizabeth for this 10K race. (You can read about it <a href="http://www.beach2beacon.org/about">here</a>) Short story: the race was started by the gold medalist in the first ever women's Olympic Marathon (LA, 1984), Joan Benoit Samuelson. She is from Cape Elizabeth and my high school track coach was once her running coach, he always just referred to her as "Joanie". It blows my mind that elite world runners really do come (the winning time last year was 27:36...the fastest 10K in the world at the time) to Maine, minutes down the street from my grandparent's house. Whether you are a runner or not, everyone around here knows about the B2B!<br />
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I was so anxious that we would not get bibs that I talked my sister into getting up before 7 on a random Thursday morning in March so that she could also register (They allow bib transfers...which I know is a little underhanded BUT I <i>really </i><b>really </b>REALLY wanted a spot.) As it turns out, of the six people I knew who were hoping to get in, all but one of us did, including Matt, myself, and my sister. My friend's husband ended up getting a coveted lottery spot, so in the end we all got in! I think for a few days my sister felt slightly duped into registering for the race (I mean really as long as you set an alarm, four minutes was more than enough time to fill out the registration) but after a few "you've totally got this" pep talks she was ready to run...well ready to get ready to run. The race is in August, but at the time we registered, neither of us had ever run a 10K.<br />
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Somewhere during the whole Beach to Beacon pep talks someone decided it would be fun to run the Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon. That someone was not me, and I would like to take a moment to remind her of that!! :::waves hello to Kate::::<br />
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It will be fun, she said. Like a mini-vacation, she said.<br />
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Okay, I can do this. I can run a half marathon....<br />
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...and if I can run one half marathon this year...I can run TWO. Even though it has been months since I made that insane leap, I still can't believe I am doing this. The Disney W&D isn't until November, and I just knew I would need something before then to keep me motivated. For some unknown reason I decided it would be a good idea to run my first ever half marathon in July. You know, when it is 90 degrees. I do all my best running in the high heat of the summer sun...said this lady, NEVER.<br />
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In the span of three days we registered for the B2B, the Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon, and The Oldport Half Marathon. Holy crap.<br />
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As of today, I have a 100 degree fever and 34 days until my first half marathon. Being sick is the pits, but as long as I don't get injured I should be ready. I hope.<br />
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No, I will be ready.<br />
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After the Oldport Half we have twenty days to rest, recover, and get in a few training runs before the B2B! Matt really wants to run a fast time at the B2B, but I am going to focus on having a great time. We have been looking forward to this for months and I want to savor it! After the B2B we will have three months to train for Disney and even typing that out I can't believe how much running I will have done this year...I sort of can't wait to geek out over the data! We still need to register for both a September and October race, but those should be easy to find.<br />
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Coming up, two more riveting posts about running!<br />
(One about our specific training plans and one about gear)Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-12140892927546129142015-06-05T21:53:00.001-04:002015-06-05T21:55:35.024-04:00Preschool Graduation <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Fist day of Preschool September 10th, 2014</div>
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Last Day of Preschool June 5th, 2015</div>
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I cried all the tears.<br />
She is beautiful, kind, and brilliant...a true triple threat. Watch out Kindergarten, here she comes.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-70804765910126732552015-06-03T21:37:00.000-04:002015-06-03T21:37:27.140-04:00These three...We have been working on a few house projects that I am excited to blog about, in the mean time how about some gratuitous cuteness? <div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-73623183214546416232015-06-02T16:13:00.000-04:002015-06-02T16:13:20.585-04:00GodparentsWe have officially set a date and chosen godparents for our little Hughtiepie! It has been on my to-do list for awhile but I was dragging my feet about calling the minister. In short, he is a very kind man with all the best of intentions but he is sort of passive aggressive about our attendance at church. To be fair, he isn't wrong...we need to be better about getting to church. That being said, we were not yet living in Maine when I had the big kids baptized and he made me feel like an outsider in what I had always thought of as "my church". My mother is a member there and has sung with the choir for as long as I can remember. I, and both of my siblings, were baptized there. We also attended Sunday school there when we were kids. Matt and I were married there, as were my parents and grandparents. Lily attends preschool in their annex! For my entire life this building has been at the center of my faith.<br />
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About ten years ago the minister, whom I had always assumed would be there forever, left. Since then the congregation had several interim ministers (one of whom married Matt and I) before choosing the man that is now there permanently. From where I stand, <i>he</i> is the outsider. I know that isn't very Christian of me. We were living in MA during the time that the congregation was going through so many changes but I had always assumed that when we settled down this would again become "our church". The median age of the congregation is approximately 82. There are very few young families. It is a shame that this minister would feel the need to make comments about our attendance (or lack there of) every time he sees me. Doesn't he know you catch more flies with honey?! Instead of making young families feel embarrassed (yes, he says things in front of the entire congregation) on Easter Sunday how about a little praise for the monumental task of getting everyone fed, washed, dressed, and out of the house by 8:15. (bonus praise should be given to those parents who did it all without yelling or crying!) We are all doing our best.<br />
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So I put off the call, dragged my feet, rehearsed my lines. Like most things the actual call was not nearly as painful as I had built it up to be in my head. The minister was pleasant and accommodating. He seemed vaguely unsure of who I was...which is a little insulting, but again I take partial responsibility. We set a date and arranged to meet with him as a family to discuss ceremony details about a week beforehand. Phew!<br />
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Choosing godparents in today's day and age mean something different to everyone. For us it does not mean that if something happens to us that our children will be raised by their godparents. Godparents to us are not even necessarily people who consider themselves religious. Each of the people we have chosen have good hearts and want the very best for our kids. Someday I will be able to explain to all of my kids why we chose their specific godparents, what they mean to us, and they will be left knowing deep in their hearts that there are two special people in the world who made a promise to God that they would look after them. (That is the hope anyway!) A few weeks ago we confirmed with Matt's sister that she would honor us by being Hugh's godmother. All that was left to do was ask the godfather. We chose to ask the husband of one of my very best friends. Over the years we have all become super close. He is kind, humble, and generous to a fault. We could not ask for a more loyal friend and (bonus) he loves our children! Hugh and I worked up the following "slideshow" and sent it to him via text! (Disclaimer...we love that Rich was raised Jewish...but we also love to make jokes about it, haha) (ALSO majorly kicking myself for not using the real camera, I realize the baby is blurry!)<br />
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July 24th our precious baby will be one step closer to God, reception/killer 1st birthday party to follow! </div>
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-19798050537834403032015-05-31T23:30:00.000-04:002015-06-01T09:07:07.885-04:00Touch -a- Truck! In the name of full disclosure I did not go to touch-a-truck with the bigs and Daddy this year. I think I have PTSD from accomplishing such a feat last year in my very pregnant state. As you might expect, an activity designed for young children to touch real life machinery is a big hit around here...or so we thought it would be. Like everything else, when my children returned home all they could talk about was "the popcorn!, the bounce house, and the face painting". Mind you I make popcorn upon request, we own a bounce house of our very own, and I have been known to paint a few faces. *sigh* All that matters is that they had a great time!<br />
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The three biggest "truck-related" hits were a tow truck with the bed raised (so that they could run up and down repeated?!?! Clearly there were NO mothers there! haha), the book-mobile, and the limo!<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-43037392033639881502015-05-30T22:16:00.000-04:002015-05-30T22:56:40.787-04:00You are THREE! Dear Benjamin,<br />
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I will start out this letter the way I always have, and always will, by telling you just how much I love you. Lily might get all the credit for making me a mommy but it is you, my darling, who will always get credit for showing me just how much more love my heart is capable of. From the moment you were born I have had to work hard to figure out how to give you what you need, but every single second of that work is worth it to me. Getting to know you, supporting and nurturing you, is one of my life's greatest joys.<br />
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My sweet boy, this has been a BIG year. This has been the year that you have gone from being my baby to my middle child. Your reaction to meeting your new tiny brother will stay in my heart forever. For you, it was love at first sight. I will never forget the way you looked in pure amazement at your tiny new brother. Despite the fact that we were all a little worried that you would be less than thrilled by having a baby join our family, you blew our minds with that big heart of yours. From the very first time you held Hugh (you were the first person other than Daddy and I to do so) you were so gentle and adoring. That adoration quickly turned to pride and you made sure to tell all of the nurses in the hospital that he was YOUR baby. Over the past year I have seen you struggle with jealous feelings from time to time, but way more often than not you are so incredibly generous and sweet with your brother. I don't want to rush things, believe me, but I also cannot wait to see what kind of trouble you two will stir up together!<br />
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Speaking of your siblings, there is another relationship that bears mentioning. Dude, you are <i>such a little brother</i>! Lily is so amazingly lucky that 90% of the time you are more than willing to let her boss you around. She is pretty fair, for a five year old, but that does not mean she doesn't take advantage of the fact that you are still a little smaller, a little slower, and a little less clever than she is. For the most part Daddy and I do not intervene, and the two of you do a great job sorting out your minor squabbles. You adore her, you miss her when she is at school, and even if it means giving in to her bossy ways you would rather play with her than without any day. She is your best friend and you are hers.<br />
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There are going to be a million times in your life when someone will refer to your "middle child status". I am certain that I could write a whole book about it myself. While some of the things said about those characteristically middle children are true for you (you hate to be alone, you pick up naughty habits from Lily and will pass them along to Hugh, and I never did blog about your first birthday party) there are plenty of things I can say about you that have nothing to do with your birth order. For example, you are generous to a fault, always have been. You will give away the last cracker in your cup without batting an eyelash. I have noticed lately that you often expect the same level of generosity in return but it is so hard to say no to you when you are being so sweet!<br />
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Unfortunately, you do have a few traits that are less than pleasant. You have a temper, and like me and your sister you yell when you get angry or frustrated. You are quick to get over things but your total lack of patience (combined with that temper) results in no less than 20 full blown tantrums a day. This past year you have logged more time in timeout than I care to admit to! While I have never had to drag you out of a store kicking and screaming I have turned my back to you while you flailed around on the ground in public (the National Zoo springs to mind) on more than one occasion. One of these days you will figure out that you NEVER get your way when you act like that...right!?! We affectionately call it Jekyll and Hyde of course because we never know which little boy we are going to get any given minute. Patience, this year we will work on patience.<br />
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When you are happy, my God are you a charmer. You have a way of reading people and your comedic timing is impeccable for a three year old! Of course the funniest word in the world is "butt"...such a little boy you are! The moment that you realize that you can get your way with a joke and a well timed smile is the moment the rest of us are all in some serious trouble. Your eyes are just beautiful and your eyelashes are to die for. The girls had better watch out if you ever figure out how to wink and smile at the same time! Your hair is the color of sun-kissed straw and your skin is soft and flawless. I am a little sorry to report that chances are you are not going to inherit your Daddy's height but if you ask him, Daddy will say that's ok...it's hard to find clothes that fit when you are 6'4" anyway.<br />
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This past year your speech has exploded, just like the pediatrician predicted it would, and it is hard to remember a time when their wasn't an endless string of sentences pouring out of your mouth all day long. Your motor skills have also improved and you can hit a ball off the the tee, pedal a trike, and kick a soccer ball with the best of them. For Christmas Santa brought you and Lily a motorized dune buggy for the yard. Kid, you drive that thing with such precision and ease! I'm pretty sure you are a better driver than most 15 year olds with a learners permit. You are obsessed with trucks and trains and your all time favorite activity is constructing elaborate railways in the playroom that would put some civil engineers to shame. You still have a love of books and an endless attention span for being read to. "Dragons Love Tacos" and "Little Blue Truck" are two of your current favorites.<br />
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I've always said it, with nothing but love, but when I survive your baby and toddler years it will have been the greatest accomplishment of my life. You challenge me every single day to be the best mother I can be. You also reward me every single day with a love so great that sometimes I feel like my heart can't possible keep it all in. Today when you threw your arms around my neck and said, "I love you, best Mommy" I know that you meant every word.<br />
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To the moon buddy, to the moon.<br />
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Love,<br />
MommyAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-28926787547941149882015-05-27T20:39:00.000-04:002015-05-30T10:19:31.470-04:00You are FIVE! Dear Lily,<br />
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It doesn't seem possible that we have lived in the "dream house" for a whole year, but here we are celebrating your 5th birthday! This year we really did it up for birthday week extravaganza and trust me, you deserved every single second of the celebrating! I know I say this every year but Lil, you are seriously the bees knees. Hands down the coolest chick I have ever known, and I can't believe that you are mine!<br />
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We had another big year around here, full of changes, most notably you became a big sister for the second time. We knew that you would love your new brother and I wasn't worried at all that you would be upset upon his arrival. Just as expected you greeted your tiny brother with a kiss and a pat on the head as if he had always been a part of your life. In those early days you were helpful and kind and as time has gone by you have continued to show an almost infinite amount of patience when it comes to the baby. I can literally count on one hand the number of times you have lost your temper "waiting your turn" when I have been too busy with your brothers. It certainly doesn't hurt that you are so independent and a lot of time you will figure out how to get what you want/need all on your own. (Plus, Daddy is almost always willing to hook a sister up!)<br />
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The things you can do all on your own, you amaze me. Most of the time you are happy to let Daddy or me do things for you (because we are already doing them for Ben), but you are more than capable of getting yourself a cup of water, buckling your own car seat, brushing your teeth, and helping with chores like laundry and clearing the table. You love to pick out your own clothes and get yourself dressed. Most of the time your outfits are reasonable, but sometimes you need a little coaching. Specifically you currently insist that socks with summer dresses and sneakers "looks perfect", I beg to differ. I get it though, you are conflicted. It's tough to climb a tree in a dress but impossible to do it without sneakers! Your standard uniform is a tshirt, skort/skirt, with leggings underneath. I imagine you will wear a sundress every single day this summer just like you did last year. You are still a total girlie girl and although you say you like "all the colors in the rainbow", pink and purple are still your actual favorites. Since we are talking clothes here let me take a second to tell you just how beautiful you are.<br />
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Your hair is so soft and fine with stunning highlights. I have learned to tame the perfect storm of cowlicks into a sweet little "side pony" that you wear almost every day (with a bow of course). Your nose and cheeks have become slightly more freckled and your eye color seems to change with your mood, or the lighting...one of those two. At least once per day you take my breath away with a bashful smile or an innocent giggle. A few weeks ago you had a nasty fall that left your front teeth bruised and gray. I will admit that Daddy and I were both a little vain about the situation at first. The important thing is that the teeth are not going to fall out before they are ready, and they are not hurting. No matter what, I will always think you are the most beautiful girl in the world. You can always just learn to smile with your mouth closed...I'm joking! You have taken the whole thing in stride, including the trip to the dentist. Like I said, coolest chick I know.<br />
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Most of the time your maturity and independence are great assets to you, but of course they come with their share of downfalls. You like to have things a certain way. Details matter to you, sometimes too much. You tend to get very upset if you request something (like a pink plate) and all we have clean are green ones. You like to get your own way when it comes to where we all sit at the dinner table and which "pets" we get to play with. I, in particular, take some responsibility for this and try very hard not to diminish these feeling but it is also my job to teach you a little perspective...something we can work on together for the next fifty years, ok?<br />
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Despite your tendency to be a micromanager your little brothers adore you, most of the time. I know that sometimes you just want all of the crayons to yourself, but most of the time you are pretty grateful to have Ben hanging off your arm. Together you build elaborate forts and train track systems, you play pets and act out all sorts of dolly drama. This past winter one of your favorite games to play was "beach" and you and Ben would run around for hours upstairs in your bathing suits! Every night for the past year you have slept in the "boys' room" and for the past several months you and Ben have chosen to sleep together in the top bunk. There is hardly enough room for one kid up there, let alone two, with all of the stuffies you insist on sleeping with, but you both find a way to snuggle in every night. This has been the year of the "beanie boo" and you have added at least 10 new members to our family since Christmas. For the record good old Heartly is still top dog! You also still have your blankie, but you are much less attached to it than you used to be and most days it stays in the bed all day.<br />
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You really are a saint for spending as much time with Ben as you do, he can be a bit much. On the contrary your little Hugh is "the best baby ever" and you make sure he knows it. Never, not even one time have you ever said something unkind about him. It is ironic that the worst thing you have ever done (literally the meanest thing you have ever done) was to hit Hugh in the car one day after losing your temper with me. You were devastated and so ashamed. After a lengthy time out (for both of us) you were so apologetic and to this day you have never directed your temper at the baby for any reason. You have always been so willing to give both of your brothers your unconditional love and attention. They will be better men because they have a sister like you.<br />
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This next year will be another year of big changes as you start kindergarten in the fall. Girl, you are so brilliant. I pray every day that you are always surrounded by people who will help you grow and nurture your love of learning. Daddy and I are already feeling such trepidation that school will somehow change your sweet spirit. You will inevitably be faced with social situations that will leave you questioning your kind tendencies. Just the other day you were introduced to the idea that if someone says something to you with "fingers crossed" that means they can go back on their word or were "just joking". That was a tough one for Daddy and me to explain, why you shouldn't do it, when it was ok, and why you shouldn't take it to heart when someone does it to you. Needless to say we are not looking forward to many many more of those conversations as we thrust you out of the nest. YOU will be great and are so ready for kindergarten, Mommy and Daddy could just use twenty more years or so to warm up to the idea.<br />
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Lily, you always rise to meet our high expectations and make us so proud. (Listen to me, you can ride a bike without training wheels, I promise!)<br />
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I can't imagine a single day without you. Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you any more you throw me a perfectly timed wink and I fall even deeper. I'll go ahead and say it again, coolest chick I know. You seem so grown up and at the same time so little. I wish more than ever that I could freeze time and just stay here with you for a little longer. Tonight when you wrap your arms around me for my "kiss, hug, big squeeze, snuggle and a cuddle" I will thank God for the millionth time that you are mine.<br />
<br />
I love you coo coo girl.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mommy<br />
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-73559264550753555452015-05-26T23:04:00.000-04:002015-05-30T22:57:10.155-04:00The year of runningTo properly introduce this post we have to take the way back machine all the way back to this past December.<br />
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About a week before Christmas I got an email for a 5K road race being hosted by the local high school track program. Matt and I are both "alumnus" of said program and the girls coach is the same man that I ran for way back in the day. We both like to support the team and needed something to keep us motivated to keep running as the temperatures outside continued to drop. A few days and a few freezing cold runs later I suggested to Matt that we should sign up for another winter race in February to keep us on track...and before I knew it "The Year of Running" was all laid out. </div>
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The premise is pretty simple, run a road race every month for the year 2015. We set a few guidelines (we both have to register for the same race, the races have to be in Maine, and at least one needs to be a 10K or longer). The remainder of this post will serve as a recap of our races so far. Going forward I would love to write up each race in it's own post. I also have another post drafted with the more specific training details that I will get posted in the near future.<br />
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<b>Frozen 5K - Sunday January 11th, 2015</b></div>
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<a href="http://d38gl3mpd8okug.cloudfront.net/9d3fWJKOHzETZ0m5CcDK8z4c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d38gl3mpd8okug.cloudfront.net/9d3fWJKOHzETZ0m5CcDK8z4c.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>On January 5th our first race of the year, "The Frozen 5K"...got snowed out! Perfect. Luckily, rather than cancel the race the organizers moved it to the 11th. Having an extra week to get in a few runs was not such a bad thing! The 11th was our 12 year "dating anniversary" so it seemed fitting that we would start out on a year long goal together on the anniversary of where it all began! My mom came over and watched all three kids and Matt and I headed over to the high school. We had agreed pre-race that Matt would run his own race as opposed to running together. About fifty-five people turned out, it was relaxed and friendly, and the temperature was a balmy 24 degrees. I realized after we had pulled into the parking lot that I did not bring my earbuds, oops. So I ran the race to the sound of my own huffing and puffing. Aside from that Matt and I were both really happy with the race and our times.<br />
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<b>Results:</b></div>
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Matt 26:03 (23rd overall) April 28:28 (32nd overall)</div>
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<b>Luv Me 5K - Saturday February 14th, 2015</b></div>
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Since we already had our January race on the calendar I set my sights on finding a February race...which was surprisingly sort of difficult. Turns out not a whole lot of people attend outdoor races in Maine during the coldest month of the year, go figure. Since our options were limited we decided on a race in Rockport, which is about two hours away, on Valentine's Day. I decided that I really wasn't ready to be away from the baby for an overnight so Matt happily agreed to push Hugh in the jogger. We booked a room at the host hotel, made arrangements for the bigs to sleep at my parents', and ordered a weather shield for the jogger! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TcErYsyVLPc/VWUlzgLLh0I/AAAAAAAATUk/lqWwkLBQHP4/s1600/IMG_2106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TcErYsyVLPc/VWUlzgLLh0I/AAAAAAAATUk/lqWwkLBQHP4/s320/IMG_2106.JPG" width="320" /></a>My goodness Maine is beautiful! We were so happy to drive up the coast and take in the scenery from our amazing hotel balcony. The morning of the race was absolutely frigid, about 15 degrees, but we were all dressed for it so I wasn't too phased. Hugh was possibly a tad overdressed considering he was a little red in the face before we even started. </div>
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The course was super flat at the start, downhill in the middle, and then a gradual uphill all the way back to the finish. I would have run the course more aggressively at the start had I known there were no major hills to climb on the way back. Matt ran just behind me pushing a sleeping Hugh for the first half of the race and then put a little distance between us toward the end. Overall I was really happy with how I ran and I felt really good at the finish! If we were to do this race (or any overnight really) again we would have gotten up early and driven to the hotel on race day, then stayed race night in the hotel. It would have been nice to use the pool and relax after the race instead of taking a short shower and then immediately getting in the car to go pick up the bigs. </div>
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<b>Results:</b></div>
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(the results online cannot be correct because Matt finished ahead of me and my runkeeper app had us about a minute faster but below are the "official" results)</div>
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Matt (pushing the jogger) 29:40<br />
April 29:39</div>
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<b>Irish Road Rover 5K - Sunday March 1st, 2015</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiUvsILebM/VWUpfB1-w2I/AAAAAAAATVc/rx4nmG0HKdk/s1600/IMG_2223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiUvsILebM/VWUpfB1-w2I/AAAAAAAATVc/rx4nmG0HKdk/s320/IMG_2223.JPG" width="240" /></a>After the February race we only had two weeks to get ready for our March race. This time we ran a large race in Portland called the "Irish Road Rover". Matt, me, and 747 of our closest friends turned out for this race on Sunday March 1st. Portland races are fun because of the big crowds. The bar that hosted the race had a live band playing in the street. The weather was gray and it felt like it might start snowing any minute but the temperature hung right around 30 degrees and I was comfortable. As Matt and I made our way to the start we again agreed to "run our own race". I am small and in a big crowd of runners it is easy for me to maneuver quickly away from the start line crunch. Matt tends to get a slower start with his long stride being constantly interrupted by the crowd. After the first minute or so I saw him pass me and I settled into a comfortable pace 9:20. This particular race is a down and back...up a giant flipping hill. Munjoy Hill spans about a half mile as you climb about 100 ft. The views at the top are some of the best in Portland and totally worth the pain, especially when you know the last mile of the course is all downhill!<br />
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Again, Matt and I were both really happy we did this one. It was the hardest course we had run up to that point which made our PRs that much sweeter.<br />
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<b>Results: </b><br />
Matt - 25:42 (229 overall) April - 28:08 (342 overall)<br />
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<b>Care 4 Kids 5K Sunday April 12, 2015</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EteHZb7fgjw/VWUur-_KTUI/AAAAAAAATWc/px-XB_byh4I/s1600/IMG_2226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EteHZb7fgjw/VWUur-_KTUI/AAAAAAAATWc/px-XB_byh4I/s320/IMG_2226.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqSQS1j-x6g/VWUur-IzNhI/AAAAAAAATWY/JG-RSza54BY/s1600/IMG_2227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xqSQS1j-x6g/VWUur-IzNhI/AAAAAAAATWY/JG-RSza54BY/s320/IMG_2227.JPG" width="240" /></a>Onto April! We signed up for a race on my birthday, April 12th. This was the greatest amount of time we had given ourselves between any two races. With Lily's birthday and Easter having just passed and our "epic family road trip" only a few days away we were feeling a little stressed about squeezing this one in. The race we chose was in a near by coastal town with some pretty amazing beach views. Matt's mom and dad met us at the race and watched the bigs while we ran, and my sister, who was still up from DC, stayed home with Youkie. The weather could not have been better, the course was super flat, and I was feeling really mellow. Matt and I had been really good about sticking to our training plan (more on that in a later post) so I knew I was ready to run a fast race. For the first time ever, partially because there were only about 100 people there, Matt and I positioned ourselves at the front of the pack. There was a running club all dressed in matching uniforms and as we started and I singled out a girl that I thought I could stick with. She was running a little faster than I wanted to, but my goal was to just maintain the gap. This strategy worked until after the first 1.5 miles, when she started to slow waaaaay down. I was feeling great, a little panicked that I was running so fast, but as soon as I got out of my own head...I just cruised to the finish! I felt a little sick to my stomach when I finished, which was not helped by the total fear that I would vomit in front of my in-laws and my kids! I walked around alone for a few minutes until it passed. Matt and I looked around and we thought there was a fair chance that I had finished first in my age group! The kids were excited to see if I would get a ribbon, so we hung around for the awards. As it turned out I finished 2nd in my age group (16th overall) so I did not get an award, but I was still really proud! Matt finished 10th overall and was also second in his age group!<br />
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<b>Results:</b><br />
Matt - 24:29 April - 27:43<br />
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<b>Portland Sea Dogs Mother's Day 5K</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuALhqCWjcQ/VWUur-T030I/AAAAAAAATWY/Pc-BCYaUVx0/s1600/IMG_2228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SuALhqCWjcQ/VWUur-T030I/AAAAAAAATWY/Pc-BCYaUVx0/s320/IMG_2228.JPG" width="320" /></a>This brings us to May (finally)! What better day to run a race in May than Mother's Day?! Of all of the races we have done so far I was the most excited about this one. Partially because I knew it would have a huge crowd and partially because the finish line was inside The Portland Sea Dogs' stadium, Hadlock Field. Seriously, getting to cross home plate...how fun is that!?! The morning of the race was a little hectic. We got up around 6:30. I nursed the baby and pumped a bottle for him to have later. We had a little breakfast and gave the kids a bowl of cereal. We left the house at 7:45, dropped the big kids off with Matt's parents (Mimi made them a killer breakfast! And then they brought the kids in town for the race) and Mr. Hugh off with my parents. Knowing that there was going to be a big crowd I was all antsy in the pantsy to find parking and get to the start area. We ran into a few people we went to high school with, which was super fun. As we were chatting I heard a snap and just like that my ponytail fell! Are you kidding me, 5 minutes until the start of the race and my hair elastic broke!? I started desperately searching the wrists of every single woman near by. Luckily there were a lot of people making their way to the pace markers, and I stopped a group of sweet looking high school girls to ask them to hook a mama up! Thankfully the girl I approached happily gave me her extra...seriously made my day! Matt and I positioned ourselves at the front of the 9min/mile pack. Given that there were almost two thousand people there, the race was chipped so I wasn't really all that concerned about my start position. Additionally, I had just run 8.5 miles two days before and my plan was to take it sort of easy. Matt and I jogged along together for about a half mile before he decided he was going to go on ahead. I was feeling great and running just over a 9min/mile pace. I decided I would pick it up a little just to see how I would feel. It was HOT, but the crowds were good and the other runners around me were all having a good time. After we passed the 1.5 mile mark I knew I was making pretty good time. Finishing inside Hadlock was just as much fun as I thought it would be! The older couple in front of me stopped and walked across the finish line hand in hand! While their gesture was very sweet, it cost me a PR, haha. I am totally just kidding, jogging along with my husband at the start of the race cost both of us a PR as a matter of fact. They gave out flowers to the moms at the finish, and seeing my kids beaming at me as we met up was the best feeling!</div>
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<b>Results:</b><br />
Matt - 24:37 (19/58 in his age group) April - 27:43 (48/217 in my age group)<br />
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So here we are, runners. We think about running, we talk about running, we read about running...you get the idea. Up next we are running the Sea Dog Father's Day 5k in June.<br />
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This is a thing, I am a running mom.<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-13407616472063308792015-05-25T13:56:00.000-04:002015-05-25T20:15:26.853-04:00Happy 3rd Birthday Ben!!Let the month of celebrating go out with a bang! In celebration of Ben's big day Matt and I blew up forty green balloons at 11pm! We hung streamers and filled the playroom with the balloons knowing that Ben would be the first one up in the morning. As expected at 5:55 am on April 30th a small boy filled the whole house with cheers and joy ,"today IS my birthday?!?!"<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-71JbOqjdL-I/VWNauq7oqyI/AAAAAAAATRc/XZaVjHxlhIM/s1600/IMG_2176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-71JbOqjdL-I/VWNauq7oqyI/AAAAAAAATRc/XZaVjHxlhIM/s400/IMG_2176.JPG" width="298" /></a>After breakfast and a few gifts from family that were not going to be able to make it to his party we set out for a day all about B-E-N! We dropped off Lily and Hugh (thanks AGAIN, Mimi!) and went out to lunch at...you guessed it, Red Robin! Unlike Lily, Ben did not think that having the staff sing was all that exciting. That didn't stop him from chowing down on his very own ice cream sunday. After lunch we headed across the street where they are currently building a new strip mall. This is seriously the coolest construction site I have ever seen. They have every kind of truck at work that you could imagine. Ben and I had actually already stopped there earlier in the week to watch the trucks but he was excited to do it again. While I ran into Walmart for a few last minute party supplies the boys marveled over the bulldozers and steamrollers. I came out of the store to find that Ben had been given an amazing gift! His very own hardhat. The crew was so amazing and really made his day. </div>
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After the excitement of the construction trucks we again visited the mall for a spin on the carousel. We picked up Lily and Hugh from Mimi's and made it home just in time for naps! After dinner we had birthday brownies and spent the rest of the night playing with balloons. </div>
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On Friday morning Matt took Lily to school and then we gave Ben his birthday gift from us...50 new pieces of train track, o-m-g! The three of us spent over an hour setting up and playing trains. </div>
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On Sunday afternoon we had a family birthday party complete with cake, presents, and a perfect day for the bounce house!</div>
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Happy 3rd Birthday Bengi, to the moon buddy. To the moon! </div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-64007361936159377592015-05-24T23:32:00.000-04:002015-05-25T21:36:36.241-04:00Happy 5th Birthday Lily! When it comes to birthdays, I like to go big! That is not to say I spend a lot of money on an elaborate party or expensive gifts. As a matter of fact we like for the kids to think of their party as their "big gift" and then get them a few small things that they have had their eye on. Going big around here means lots of small treats, surprises, and special privileges.<br />
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For her birthday this year my eldest requested a "princess party" and that is exactly what she got (thank you pinterest for making my daughter's dreams come true...I took full credit for each and every detail!)<br />
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This year was particularly crazy because Lily's birthday fell on a Friday (Aunt Kate flew in from DC that day), her "kid" party was Saturday, and Easter was Sunday. There was a LOT of cake!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">On Friday Matt and I asked Mimi to watch the boys so that we could spend the afternoon with the birthday girl. I made Hello Kitty frosted sugar cookies for her class and they gave her a small gift so she was already having the best day of her life when we arrived at school to pick her up. We then headed to Red Robin for lunch. She got a kick out of being sung to by the staff but the highlight (possibly of the whole weekend) was when I gave her two quarters for the crane game that they have in the lobby. Like all kids, she is totally enamored of this giant flashing </span><strike style="text-align: center;">waste of money</strike><span style="text-align: center;"> game that is bound to leave her brokenhearted. Even though I knew the risk was high, for the first time ever we said "yes" to giving it a try. Wouldn't you know it, Matt managed to hook not one (incredibly cheap and terribly ugly) toy from the bin but TWO! Somebody get that guy a Klondike! It gets even more amazing, one was pink and one was blue. Lily was THRILLED and immediately wanted to give one to Ben. It was amazing! We had planned to go to a movie but at the last minute Lily said she didn't really want to go. What she did want to do...go to the mall to ride the carousel and then hit up the craft store. You got it babe. After our afternoon of randomness we went back to Mimi's for pizza, cake, and presents. </span><br />
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Mimi made Lily a beautiful dollhouse for her Barbies! She also received a few other gifts that she<b> </b>had specifically said she wanted (Puppy surprise and a Disney palace pet).<br />
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On Saturday I hosted a "Princess Party" for Lily and five of her friends. It was a "drop off" party and in my opinion a total success. My sister and I made all of the decorations, Matt made the table and chairs, and the girls had a great time painting suncatchers and decorating their own cupcakes. We did face paint and party games. The highlight of the party was making "princess putty" (slime made with borax and elmers glue). So much fun!!<br />
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Say YAY for birthdays! I love you coo coo girl. </div>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-77627334368645483982015-05-23T22:20:00.002-04:002015-05-23T22:20:37.267-04:00Hugh - 10 Months!As expected April was so crazy busy that the task of writing Hugh's 9 month post fell very far down the to-do list. I have six posts drafted as a matter of fact just from last month alone. We all know that the only way anyone other than me is going to read those posts is if I do some sort of daily post "challenge". So here it goes, a post a day, every day, from now until June 21st. Lord knows I have the material and I can make the time...I think.<br />
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Enough about the business of blogging and onto the adorable baby!<br />
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TEN months, oh my gosh...does it get any better?? On a daily basis I vow not to eat him whole...and just barely keep my word. This little person owns me. I love all of my children equally and unconditionally obviously but this one doesn't talk back yet and is therefore my choice for a three legged race. Hugh and I spend a lot of time together. Matt and the bigs do their thing and we do ours, which mostly involves Hugh doing everything in his power to maintain physical contact with me. He is particularly fond of sitting in my lap and scaling my body so that he may bury his face in my neck. I do not hate that last part. Our days are so so easy. That is not to say that <i>my</i> day is always easy, but when it comes to this baby, I really can't believe that I deserve such a blessing.<br />
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<b>Likes: </b>(Everything because the world is so wonderful) I feel like I should change this list, but the top five really have remained unchanged: Mommy, being held, nursing, being tickled, having a fresh diaper, paci, pulling up to stand, being naked, tomato crunchies, riding in the car, the circle of neglect, snuggles, army crawling, the TV, attention from Ben and Lily, pulling hair, baths, Ben's toys, cords, the dog water bowl, remotes and iPhones. I did not change a single thing above from two months ago but I will add, ALL FOOD!<br />
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<b>Nicknames: </b>Youkie, Youkie-pie, Hoo, Hughtiepie<br />
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<b>Milestones: </b>Army crawling/crawling hybrid, five teeth total (without so much as a whimper), a million new foods, pulling up, waving bye bye (this is also accompanied by a loud "AYE" which I would almost call his first word even though he has been saying "mama" and "dada" indiscriminately for weeks), head tilting to get attention (we say awww), trying to blow kisses!<br />
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<b>Feeding: </b>For some reason we have had a harder time getting into a meal routine with our third bambino. Poor guy. I will totally admit that for a few weeks after he started on solids, feeding him an actual meal or two during the day was usually an afterthought. More than once on our road trip we realized late in that day that Hugh had not eaten lunch! That is not to say he wasn't pounding bottles of breast milk (special shout out to Lily for assisting with so many of those bottles in the back seat!) so I know he wasn't going hungry, but still, geez! I am happy to report that once we were settled in at home again, yet another new routine has formed.<br />
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Nursing is still going strong, and I think it is safe to say that we will glide right to the one year mark, at which point I would normally push for a little mama-led-weaning. BUT the moment I think "this might my last baby" is the same moment that I think "I'll nurse him as long as he wants". Realistically it will be somewhere in between. My sweet baby currently nurses 5 times a day. All but one of those feedings is right before he goes to sleep. I do not nurse him to sleep, but I know there is a whole lot of soothing going on as we rock gently in the dark and he fills his little tummy.<br />
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Hugh wakes up around 6 am and nurses on one side, probably about 6 ounces, and goes back to bed. At 8:30 he is up for the morning, nurses on the other side and then goes to the high chair for cereal and toast. Ready for confession number 547 of this post, we give him peanut butter! I held off as long as I could, but once he got a taste of it from Ben's toast he was hooked. So far there isn't anything he is allergic or adverse to, so he gets ALL THE FOOD. Grilled cheese, hamburger, pasta, strawberries and tomato crunchies are his current favorites...but he doesn't flat out refuse anything. We have not given him "sweets" as I do like to wait for "baby's first birthday cake", but other than that we let him at least try everything we are eating. Lunch around noon is usually a banana and a cheese stick with a few handfuls of cheerios. Dinner at 4:55pm (on the dot) veggie puree mixed with baby oat cereal, and half a grilled cheese or pasta, plus whatever we are are having for dinner...sometimes pizza!<br />
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<b>Sleeping: </b>Really not a lot has changed in the sleep department. Hugh still sleeps through the night, nurses sort of early, and then goes back to bed for a few hours. He goes down for a morning nap at 10. For the past few days he has stretched this to two hours! After lunch we hang out until 2 and then he nurses and goes down for a nap. This one is usually only about an hour, which isn't enough. Everyone is much happier when this nap lasts until 4, but that really only happens once or twice a week. By 7pm he is begging to nurse and then it is "night night little prince". I go in and check on him when I go to bed and almost always he pokes his head up (totally a tummy sleeper), gives a sleepy smile, and then immediately goes back to sleep. <b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Odds and Ends: </b>With such an easy going dude around it is easy to take these sweet days for granted. Confession number 958, when Hugh cries for more than just a few minutes it irrationally irritates everyone in the whole house. Isn't that terrible!? He is so good natured that WE are spoiled rotten. Like "why is he making that sound, make it stop!!" irrational. As a result <i>he</i> is spoiled rotten because at first squawk someone will go to him, selfishly to spare our delicate ears from the terribleness of a baby crying. Birth order man...that stuff is no joke. (More on this is an upcoming post!)<br />
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Ben has taken a new interest in his little bro. Interest isn't even the right word, adoration maybe? I'm not sure that is the right word either...maybe just love. This is what love looks like.<br />
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We have made it to allergy season here in Maine and while "the literature" (as our pediatrician put it) states that kids under five do not have seasonal allergies, I beg to differ. It seems that I have passed my allergies on to all three of my poor kids. Hugh is snotty and his left eye is weepy. I have noticed lately that when the eye really gets to weeping the upper lid swells and it droops. It is not so droopy that I think it is affecting his vision, but you had better believe I googled the crap out of it and will bring it up at Hugh's next appointment. In the mean time he and I spend a lot of time inside playing with Ben's trains.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NzBZ2RAuJ7M/VWElANahWrI/AAAAAAAATQ0/JDTvHx9pw50/s1600/IMG_8506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NzBZ2RAuJ7M/VWElANahWrI/AAAAAAAATQ0/JDTvHx9pw50/s400/IMG_8506.JPG" width="266" /></a>Hugh's mobility has sort of stalled. He was competently doing the "wounded soldier" at 8 months. Two months later, although I have seen him crawl on his knees on occasion, he is still happy to just drag his legs around behind him. Pulling up is hard work and very exciting (is that true?) but he is showing zero signs of moving his legs or even balancing on them. A lot of the time he is standing precariously on his tip toes! Don't get me wrong, I am in no rush!! I just would have guessed that he would be closer to walking by now.<br />
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Lastly, confession number 3928 of this post, we all think Hugh is going through a bit of a homely phase! Haha. Don't get me wrong, homely is a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e, but it is also hilarious. His new teeth are about six times too big for his face and lately his hair looks like that of a rabid cartoon character. Ben was almost 16 months before he needed a hair cut...I don't think Youkie will make it nearly that long. Combine the frighteningly large teeth and crazy hair with the snots and the droopy eye, and our little dude takes homely to a whole new (hilarious) level!<br />
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What I am trying to say, my darling Hugh, is that we literally couldn't love you more, and we will never love you less.<br />
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<b>Up next</b>: Here comes summer!! </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-84922954793103989132015-03-22T21:20:00.000-04:002015-03-26T22:20:42.886-04:00Hugh - 8 Months! I cannot handle this cuteness.<br />
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Oh eight month olds, how I adore thee. I cherish the newborn months in so many ways, and when I am 100 I will still look back on those first few months with each of my babies as the most content times in my life. That being said, as far as the baby days go...we are really hitting the good stuff. Hugh is becoming more of a little person with each passing day. He is starting to communicate and interact with the world around him. He is mobile and making mischief at every turn. Everything is new and exciting, and seeing the world be so amazing through his eyes is a tremendous privilege. Plus his smile lights up the universe!<br />
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This will be a short post I think, not a whole lot has changed in the last four weeks. Hugh had his first cold, a sad milestone indeed. We all came down with it and couldn't shake it. Ben was sick for almost three full weeks. Luckily it was mostly just snots and coughs, no fevers...I hate fevers.<br />
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Aside from the sickies the only other major event to report was a leaky roof. Turns out when seven feet of snow pile up on your roof a good portion of that water will try to get in your house. Who knew. The worst part came when the rug in the baby suite acted as a wick and pulled the water running down the walls half way across the closet floor. Combine a soaking wet rug, no ventilation, and a space heater keeping the whole room a balmy 70 degrees, and we basically had the recipe for a rain forest. It took about a day for the musty smell to permeate all of our clothes and drive the baby out to our room. So on top of not feeling so hot, Hugh was back in our bright and considerably cooler bedroom...not a whole lot of sleeping through the night was happening. I am happy to report we are all dried out, and Hugh is back to sleeping blissfully through the night in the closet.<br />
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<b>Likes: </b>(Everything because the world is so wonderful) I feel like I should change this list, but the top five really have remained unchanged: Mommy, being held, nursing, being tickled, having a fresh diaper, paci, trying to stand, being naked, tomato crunchies, riding in the car, the circle of neglect, snuggles, army crawling, the TV, attention from Ben and Lily, pulling hair, baths, Ben's toys, cords, the dog water bowl, remotes and iPhones (seriously how do they know!)<br />
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<b>Dislikes: </b>Being told no, having unsafe things taken away, not being permitted to splash in the dog water bowl<br />
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<b>Nicknames: </b>Youkie, Youkie-pie, Hoo, Hughtiepie<br />
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<b>Milestones: </b>Army crawling, self feeding, first tooth!<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Feeding: </b>Again, not a whole lot has changed since last month. Nursing is still going great (6 times a day give or take) and solids are getting easier. Hugh has stopped resisting being spoon fed, and most nights Daddy is able to get him to eat 4+oz of puree mixed with 3+oz of baby oat cereal. Mommy confession...I have not been making Hugh's baby food. Gasp, I know. I bought a case of organic purees from Amazon, and in my head it was definitely a "one time thing", and then two days ago I ordered another one. It really isn't that much more work to make the food, but I just haven't added it back into the routine (or the grocery list). As I previously mentioned spoon feeding a baby is not my idea of fun, so I have been working on teaching Hugh to self feed from a pouch...with varied success. Some days he seems to know exactly what to do, and before I can bat an eye the pouch has been sucked dry, but other days he squeezes it all over the tray and himself. I am starting to suspect that the latter is not entirely accidental. Stinker. We are working on adding another meal to the routine or at the very least a breakfast snack.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1OI72xRafQ/VRQwhV8kAFI/AAAAAAAAOdg/YMIZI3onh5U/s1600/IMG_6919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1OI72xRafQ/VRQwhV8kAFI/AAAAAAAAOdg/YMIZI3onh5U/s1600/IMG_6919.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a><b>Sleeping: </b>Now that we are all feeling well again Hugh has resumed his previous routine. Alternating during the day between nursing, playing, and taking hour and a half long naps. My other kids definitely took longer naps at this age, but as long as he is sleeping through the night I will happily oblige this schedule. It does make it a little hard to plan outings and errands because it seems like Hugh is always either taking a nap or getting ready to take a nap (amazing how fast an 90 minutes flies by). But let's be honest, I am more than happy to stay at home with Hugh all day, so for me Hugh's nap schedule isn't really <i>that</i> much of an inconvenience. Plus his schedule is just as important as everyone else's, and I try to uphold it the same way I do Lily's school schedule or Ben's afternoon nap. Sometimes a disruption can't be avoided and that's okay too. Life is a balancing act for sure. <b><br /></b>
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<b>Odds and Ends: </b>Hugh is officially mobile. His go-to move isn't quite a crawl, but don't be fooled, he is a quick little bugger. I am calling it right now, Hugh is going to be our "must baby proof everything" kid. Lily never got into anything, ever. Ben was a little more curious and stubborn, but it was a short phase. I swear Hugh has a glint in his eye for mischief! He loves cords and plugs and going after anything that could be potentially dangerous or messy. I can only imagine how much trouble he is going to get in once he is up on two feet!<br />
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The big kids certainly get a kick out of Hugh's new found mobility. I can see the wheels turning in Ben's head as he watches his brother go from being a "baby" to a playmate...accomplice...rival. I'm with you Ben, it is fun and a little scary! But oh the love and my bursting heart. We've said it all along buddy, you are the perfect addition to our family, and none of us can imagine a life without you.<br />
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<b>Up next</b>: Bunny baskets, the world's most daring family road trip, and a full month of birthday celebrations!! (Hugh's nine month post will very likely be late as we will be in the throws of "Epic Family Roadtrip!")<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-46315138683571628822015-02-21T22:00:00.000-05:002015-02-25T20:37:46.062-05:00Hugh - 7 Months!How can it be?<br />
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I know that I am not supposed to have a favorite...I KNOW! It really isn't my fault. Hugh you are the best baby in the entire world. And, well, let's be honest here...your siblings <strike>spend a good portion of the day in time out</strike> have a lot of feelings. One day I will wake up and you too will have a temper and the ability to stomp and/or yell...and I will be forced to choose a new favorite, ha! But for now, heaven help me because you OWN me. You are (said like Chris Traeger because we are binge watching Parks & Rec) LITERALLY the sweetest, most adorable, ridiculously delicious little boy on the planet. So rarely are you even slightly unhappy that the other night when you cried for all of 3 minutes "for no reason" both Daddy and I were worried that you were sick. I am sure that when I come back and read this post two years from now I will be certain that I was exaggerating...future self, I am not exaggerating! Of course he is not perfectly content all of the time. In fact as I type he is fighting nap and actually screaming quite loudly. BUT if I went in and got him, BOOM crying over and he would charm us all with giggles. (Sorry buddy you still need a nap, I am not coming to get you!)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QVmfBqy25Vg/VO04QMicG-I/AAAAAAAAM1g/uDM7M-C4fNc/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QVmfBqy25Vg/VO04QMicG-I/AAAAAAAAM1g/uDM7M-C4fNc/s1600/IMG_6478.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><b>Likes: </b>Mommy, being held, nursing, being tickled, having a fresh diaper, paci, rolling, trying to stand, FEET!, drooling all over everything, being naked, tomato crunchies, riding in the car, the circle of neglect, tummy time, snuggles, the play mat, scooting off the play mat, jingly sounds, the TV, attention from Ben and Lily, pulling hair, baths (finally), chewing everything within reach.<br />
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<b>Dislikes: </b>Being told no, solid foods, having unsafe things taken away<br />
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<b>Nicknames: </b>Youkie, Youkie-pie, Hoo, Hughtiepie<br />
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<b>Milestones: </b>Sleeping through the night (dropping a mid-night feeding), sitting, solid foods, baby's first 5K!<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Feeding: </b>Hugh still loves to nurse above all else. In fact I might argue that in protest of solid foods he actually cues to nurse more frequently than he was a few weeks ago. Of course he is also getting bigger/older and he may be nursing more because he is hungrier. Whatever the reason Hugh is still nursing 6-7 times per day in addition to taking a 6-7oz bottle just before bed. First time me would probably be doing some finger wagging as third time me sits on the couch to nurse Hugh purely for his comfort at least once a day. Lily was an efficiency queen who only nursed when she was hungry and Ben was all about solids once we started. While I breastfed each of them until their first birthday neither nursed just because they liked it.<br />
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It has been several weeks since Matt or I have tried to give Hugh milk that has been previously frozen. To follow up from last month however Hugh did drink the milk that was only in the freezer for about 24 hours without any fuss. I suspect that he really is just that sensitive to variations in the taste of the milk. That is not to say that the milk in the freezer tastes different than the milk he had been happily drinking that day/week, but it does taste different than the milk he was drinking a few hours before...if that makes sense. I am hoping that as we introduce more and more solids that he becomes desensitized to variations in taste. The likelihood that he will drink even a quarter of the freezer stash is slim, but it makes me feel better knowing it is there if we need it. I will admit that I could probably start pumping less and let my supply decrease a little without the universe spinning wildly out of control. I will also admit that sometimes I pump for my own comfort and while I fully realize that this encourages my supply I do not like to run when I am lugging around 8-10 ounces of milk, call me crazy.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9OfVyvsxJ0/VO04S2XyMKI/AAAAAAAAM1w/YOn8IyNEUF0/s1600/IMG_6417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9OfVyvsxJ0/VO04S2XyMKI/AAAAAAAAM1w/YOn8IyNEUF0/s1600/IMG_6417.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>Solids are going...fine. I don't really <i>worry </i>about much these days, but again, first time me would not approve of my lackadaisical approach to Hugh's meals. Some days he eats, some days he doesn't. Some days he gags a few times and then seems to remember how to swallow. Other days all he does is gag. I don't think he likes bananas, haha. He likes to sit in the high chair with the family. He LOVES gerber tomato cruchies. I should probably worry that he is going to be my kid that lives on granola bars and crackers for 3 years. Eh, too soon to tell. For now we will just keep trying with cereal and squash and throw some other purees at him every few days. I bought some refillable pouches to try since I am already so over spoon feeding. Sorry Hughtie, we can bond in other ways buddy!<br />
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<b>Sleeping: </b>Two words: SLEEP TRAINED. Boom.<br />
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Ok, so maybe there are more than two words I can say on the subject of sleep. Hallelujah comes to mind!<br />
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Hugh was a textbook sleep trainer. It literally (there I go again Chris Traeger) took me three nights of gradually extending the amount of time I let him CIO to completely eliminate our middle of the night feeding. I do not go to him when he is crying during a nap (see above) but even my cold black heart has its limits. If I feel like a little paci assistance will salvage a nap or if I can just tell that he is getting too worked up...I totally fold. With Hugh I can do that. He is not an all or nothing baby. Talk about freaking liberating!!<br />
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In the last few weeks a schedule, of Hugh's design, has emerged. We start our day between 6 and 7. I nurse Hugh on one side in the toasty baby suite (I moved the glider in there, because I am a doer people). He only nurses on one side and then I put him back to bed. He wakes up again between 8:30 and 9 and I nurse him again. He hangs out for about an hour. Seriously, by 10am he is ready to go back down for a nap. Lily did the exact same thing (I just looked it up and so did Ben!). He gets up a little before noon and goes back down around 2:30. His afternoon nap is variable but we try and get 2 hours...that did not happen today. He is all nightgowned up for bed by 7:30. Kiss kiss, goodnight little prince.<br />
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Sigh, Hugh. SIGH! You are so wonderful.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U4JFX4FjfNM/VO023LJutII/AAAAAAAAM0o/0cfowptdn08/s1600/IMG_6576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U4JFX4FjfNM/VO023LJutII/AAAAAAAAM0o/0cfowptdn08/s1600/IMG_6576.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><b>Odds and Ends: </b>I really can't explain all of the gushing this month other than to say that I just feel so lucky to have an easy baby. The big kids are sort of crushing us right now so our laid back dude is just...ah there are no words. If you have had a really difficult baby then you know what I am saying. If you have only had happy amazing babies that sleep all night then you have no clue just how amazing you have it, but we can still be friends.<br />
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Matt pushed Hugh in the jogger on a very cold Valentine's Day for our "year of races" February event. Clearly making Dingle the coolest, most badass husband/dad ever and Hugh a total boss for already completing his first 5K. The big kids really need to step up their game.<br />
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I realized that aside from the race Hugh has spent about 15 minutes outside since November. Sorry buddy...it's cold.<br />
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Hugh is getting a little too mobile for my liking. He isn't crawling but he is scooting and can drag himself surprisingly far across the rug on his belly. It is only a matter of time until he realizes that he is definitely strong enough to lift that big ol' belly up off the floor. Rolls for days. Like our very own Pillsbury dough boy!<br />
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<b>Up next</b>: Finger foods and warmer temps (because it can't stay this cold forever)<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8347607548968870223.post-35408364062986412652015-01-28T21:56:00.000-05:002015-02-02T22:14:27.732-05:00DITL - Winter 2015Here we go again!<br />
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I have been posting so infrequently lately that aside from Hugh's monthly posts these all-encompassing-day-in-the-life posts are really all I've got. This time around I used my real camera for the whole day! These days with Matt working from home it doesn't <i>really</i> matter what day of the week I choose...the only real variation in our day is whether or not we have to get Lily off to pre-school. I was going to document a school day again this time around but then we had snow-magedon on Tuesday night into Wednesday and school was canceled. So here you go, how we spent our snow day!<br />
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<b>DITL - Winter 2015</b><br />
<b>Wednesday January 28, 2015</b><br />
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I am 33<br />
Matt 32<br />
Lily 4 yrs 10m<br />
Ben 2yrs 9m<br />
Hugh 6m<br />
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1:25am - I went to bed too late so this first wake up from Hugh is just insult to injury. I check the baby monitor and everything seems fine. Paci is within reach and the room temp is in the high 60s. I decide to let him fuss for a few minutes but in the end I go in and help him out a little with paci.<br />
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3:30am - I awake to a familiar "thud". Ben has rolled out of bed. The bed is low and their room is carpeted so the risk of bodily harm is low, none the less I listen to see if he is going to climb back in on his own or make a big thing out of it. He calls out for Daddy but since I am already awake I hop out of bed.<br />
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3:41am - Ben is all tucked in and I put a few more pieces of wood in the wood stove. Back to bed.<br />
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3:59am - Lily is up, needs to pee. I wasn't asleep anyway. Back to bed.<br />
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5:42am - Hugh is up and hungry. If this had been my first wake up of the night it wouldn't be bad, but I am tired and cold. I nurse Hugh on the floor in the closet instead of bringing him back out to our bedroom. Every single night I think to myself, "why haven't we moved the glider in here?" (Still haven't done it!) I go out to the wood stove again and throw a few more pieces of wood in. Back to bed.<br />
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7:30am - Every.single.day - "Daddy our clock is green!" Ben and Lily come banging into our room. They each grab an iphone off from the nightstand and head back out to the couch in the living room. Matt mumbles something about starting a fire but I know the fire couldn't have gone out so I don't feel too bad about pulling the blankets back up over me for some extra sleep.<br />
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7:50am - No dice on the going back to sleep. My entire face and neck are killing me. My dentist recently pointed out that he thinks I am clenching and grinding my teeth. Ever since he pointed it out I catch myself doing it no less than 10 times a day (who knows how much I am doing it in my sleep). It seriously explains <i>so many</i> headaches these days. I am going to try sleeping with a bite guard but more importantly I am working really hard on dropping the habit during the day. In any case I suspect last night was not a relaxing one for my jaw.<br />
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I go out to the living room and join the family at the breakfast table.<br />
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8:00am - The kids are in rare form this morning, really hamming it up for the camera. Lily gets really excited when I tell her that I am doing 'day in the life' because it means I will be taking a lot of pictures. Ha! This from the girl that actively avoids my camera daily.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhGiT0NKtCY/VMrqLX2b2mI/AAAAAAAAMEo/9L_HuUazho0/s1600/IMG_6253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhGiT0NKtCY/VMrqLX2b2mI/AAAAAAAAMEo/9L_HuUazho0/s1600/IMG_6253.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>8:30am - Just as I am about to sip my coffee we hear Hugh squawking on the baby monitor. Most days I have a cup of coffee and pump before he gets up around 9. He must be excited about ditl too. I go and get him and have Matt snap a quick picture of our morning faces :)<br />
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Serious baby be serious and a Lily photobomb, haha!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ig-C7E_btFk/VMrqLXFOL0I/AAAAAAAAMEk/KSMxEKXu6mM/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ig-C7E_btFk/VMrqLXFOL0I/AAAAAAAAMEk/KSMxEKXu6mM/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a>I change Hugh's diaper, nurse him on one side, and he plays on the playmat while I pump the other side. Matt announces that he has set up a playdate for 10:30. We recently reconnected with a guy that we went to high school with (and I may have dated back in the day). He and his wife have a daughter that is about a year older than Lily. We have a lot in common with them and it has been fun the few times we have hung out recently. I have mentioned that I really do not like meeting new people, and making new friends has been very low on my list of priorities since moving back to Maine. This new-ish friendship could work out perfectly! In any case my initial reaction to the playdate is "ugh". I take a quick look around and decide that the house is in pretty good shape, but there are a few things that I absolutely have to do. I snap about twenty pictures of Hugh making silly faces.<br />
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9:10am - I send the big kids upstairs to play and pick out clothes. For some reason this sets off a chain reaction of tantrums that ends with each of them in time out. After a few minutes they each return to the playroom and apologize. I watch them play for a few minutes to make sure that everyone is feeling friendly again before I head downstairs to clean up.<br />
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9:30am - Matt is working. Big kids are playing. Hugh is still happy chatting with his toys on the playmat. I clean the downstairs bathroom, gather the random dirty laundry, sweep the dog hair dust bunnies, spray down the kitchen counters, tidy up the random things laying around, and bring up a load of wood from the basement.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AhEOqm-pzvY/VMrqLWgrL5I/AAAAAAAAMEo/4OHa5-YHhaw/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AhEOqm-pzvY/VMrqLWgrL5I/AAAAAAAAMEo/4OHa5-YHhaw/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a>10:00am - My dad shows up to plow the road. In the end we got 23 inches of snow from the blizzard yesterday. I don't know what we would do without him to plow us out. I can only imagine how much money it saves us. He doesn't do the whole road which is just over a half mile long but he does to the part we "own" which is the last quarter mile.<br />
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It is A LOT of snow! Lily is excited to go out but we are trying to hold her off until our friends get here. I go upstairs to help the kids get dressed, brush our teeth and hair. While I am trying to tame Lily's crazy hair I remember that I have a hair appointment scheduled for later today. It is long overdue!<br />
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10:15am - I nurse Hugh and put him down for his morning nap. Lily and I play a game on her leappad, and Ben plays trucks on the couch while we wait for our friends to arrive.<br />
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10:30am - Right on time our friends arrive and almost immediately everyone makes themselves right at home :::phew!::: Love low maintenance company! The girls go upstairs and poor Ben toddles along after them, such a little brother! Hugh wakes up from his nap (boo! Only about 30 minutes) and hangs out with the grownups. The kids play amazingly well for over an hour.<br />
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11:30am - The girls come downstairs and ask for snacks and to go outside. The grownups spend the next fifteen minutes getting the small people sufficiently bundled. We settle an 'argument' between our friends as to whether the elastic nylon layer inside the snow pants goes over the boots or gets tucked inside. Obviously it goes over the boot!<br />
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The snow proves to be too much for Ben who only lasts about five minutes before losing both mittens. He lays face down in the snow screaming until Matt goes outside to rescue him. The girls and dogs on the other hand look like they are having a ball.<br />
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Ben's meltdown over the mittens and snow goes on for a long time. He requires all of his stuffies, blankie, and cuddles. Then he needs a warm blanket and a snack. Our friends chuckle the whole time but I am a little embarrassed that he is carrying on and on. Way to show them your true colors buddy! haha. </div>
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12:30pm - The girls come back in and we announce the 30 minute warning for the end of the playdate. It is already past our normal lunch time, but the kids all insist they would rather play than eat lunch. Lily changes back into her night gown...it was hard wearing real clothes for almost two hours! I nurse Hugh thinking he must be ready for another nap, but he seems wide awake so I don't even try to put him down yet. </div>
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1:10pm - We say goodbye to our friends and I make lunch. As we eat we all agree that we had a great time and hope that they did too. Making new friends makes Matt and I very glad that we will never have to date again! Hugh hangs out in the exersaucer while I get ready to leave for my hair appointment. </div>
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1:55pm - I nurse Hugh one last time and put him down for a nap. I try unsuccessfully to snap a selfie of my blah hair (see any of the pics above, ha). Kiss the big kids goodbye and head out. In the car on the way to the appointment I don't even turn on the radio. Sitting in total silence all by myself = total bliss. I would stop and grab a coffee to complete the experience but the roads are terrible, and it takes me a lot longer to get to the mall area than I thought it would. </div>
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3:30pm - Hair colored and cut. I am too embarrassed to take a selfie at the busy salon so I try and make a mental note to have Matt take a pic when I get home. I promise my hairdresser that I am off to do something fun for a little bit before I go home but in reality...I go to Walmart for groceries. </div>
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4:30pm - I arrive home to find that Ben is still napping, Hugh is sitting in Matt's lap, and Lily is on her leappad. Could be a lot worse. I go upstairs and wake Ben and then come downstairs to put away the groceries. The kids get settled on the living room rug with a small snack and water while I make dinner. Matt is sitting at the counter working. </div>
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5:25pm - I cook up some chicken and rice and make my version of burritos for Matt and I. I season the rice with a packet of guacamole mix and lime, dice the chicken, add avocado (unfortunately not tonight, it is just not ripe enough) add a mix of cheddar and goat cheese and toast it up. The Oreos are for dessert ;) </div>
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Lily and Ben have diced chicken, rice, and corn. It is a total dinner fail! There are several time outs and dinner goes on foreeeeeevvvvvvvveeeeeeerrrrrrr. Lily announces that she likes chicken "20", chicken nuggets "100", and macaroni and cheese "120". I'm not sure what her unit of measure is here, but you get the idea. She is less than thrilled to hear that while I understand her statement, we are still having chicken for dinner. </div>
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5:45pm - Hugh is up so I make him some baby oat cereal mixed with breast milk. This is only his third day of solids so the jury is still out. He eats but not enthusiastically. There is a lot of spitting and slobbering, but I <i>think</i> he is eating at least some of it. </div>
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Matt: "Let me take a picture of your beautiful new hair."</div>
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Me: "I already put a hoodie on, that ship has sailed."</div>
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Matt: "Smile!" </div>
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Serious baby, be serious. </div>
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6:25pm - I am SO over dinner. The kids are being pretty terrible and it is obvious that no one is going to eat any more than they already have. I send everyone upstairs to clean up the toys a bit before bed and I clean up the kitchen (a little). **Funny story from our play date and hopefully proof that we are doing something right?? - the kids dumped the Banagrams (a bunch of little tiles with letters on them, like scrabble) and a puzzle on the floor AT THE SAME TIME, and it was "SO FUN! because we MADE A BIG MESS, and are being SO NAUGHTY, HAHAHA!!!" - I suppose if this is their idea of really going crazy we should consider ourselves lucky! </div>
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6:50pm - Start the bedtime routine with the big kids. Brush teeth (every night Lily asks if her teeth are "so sparkly"), wash faces, read a story, and off to bed. </div>
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7:15pm - Matt and I come downstairs with Hugh and get ready to start his bedtime routine. </div>
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With almost nothing gradual about the transition we have started giving Hugh his bottle right as soon as the big kids go to bed. That means no more hours of holding him while he snoozes in my arms. He started showing signs that he was ready for bed earlier in the evening a couple of weeks ago. Try as I may to ignore those signs it was getting harder and harder to hold him off from having a bottle. The only time Hugh is unhappy is when he is overtired, and we were getting to that sad place almost nightly. So off to bed with you my sweet boy. (sob sob sob) </div>
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I gather all of Hugh's night night things and Matt starts his bottle on the couch. It takes about a half hour for Hugh to drink the 7oz. When he is just about finished Matt changes his diaper and zips him into his "nightgown". Yes it is pink, we all think he looks ADORABLE in it! </div>
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While Matt is feeding Hugh I make four trips upstairs to put Ben back in his bed. It has become a nightly battle. We take away stuffies. We take away blankie. We lose our tempers. We keep our cool. We try rewards. We try further punishment. It comes down to one tiny detail...HE DOESN'T CARE! Tonight is no exception, and I repeatedly go in and reset him until he finally falls asleep around 8:30. </div>
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8:10pm - Hugh finishes up the last ounce and after a brief snuggle he goes to the baby suite.</div>
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8:30-9:30pm - Matt and I hang out on the couch while he works and I type up a few notes for this post. Since Matt took a few hours in the middle of the day to hang out I know that he is going to be up late working to make up the time. </div>
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I watch something mindless on TV. </div>
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9:45pm - I decide to pump. I recently moved my pump out to the living room instead of the bedroom and it has been such a good switch! Pumping is a chore, and I realized I was stalling going to bed to avoid doing it. Now I pump while watching TV and once I am done I am "free" to go to bed. </div>
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10:00pm - I am so tired. All of those wakeups last night (and the lack of afternoon coffee) are catching up to me. I go up and check on the kids, let Colby out, and check on the wood stove. Change into pjs, brush my teeth, check on the baby. It always seems to take me so long to get ready for bed! </div>
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10:30pm - Matt comes in because he knows I don't really sleep well until he is in bed. We make the mistake of turning on the food network and torture ourselves with some show about the best burgers in the world (or something) and now we are both starving. For a few minutes I seriously consider getting up for a snack but luckily I fall asleep before I remember we have Lucky Charms. </div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11797125441970001653noreply@blogger.com4