Getting closer......

I had an OB appt today ( shocking, I know ). I have one every Monday for my 17P shot, but this one was a 'real' checkup. The OB spent more than 5 minutes with me too, which was such a treat. At any rate, the doctor said to me, I think we only have about 4 more weeks and it suddenly hit me. We're having a baby in a month. HOLY SH*T. I have so much to do. I spent the whole trip home in a total panic thinking of all the things I don't have, probably need to get, ought to clean, etc. and, then again, only 4 more weeks!!! ohmygosh, I hope I'm ready for this!

Charlie - 18 mths

As I did with Anna, I've been charting Charlie's progress every three months or so. He's become such a big boy over the summer and so blond! We call him our little surfer dude. He loves the water and I imagine he'll be just as much a fish as Anna has become. He has become quite verbal and abusive of big sister lately. I guess getting her back for all of the love she's shown him over the past year and a half! His favorite word these days is 'mine and no', but he's gotten a whole vocabulary down now, with 'please and thank you' as a few of my personal favorites. He loves animals and will shriek with delight at a playground. We stay outside as much as humanly possible, I'm just hoping for the temperature to cool down a bit, as 90+ is difficult to enjoy most days. The kids don't seem to mind, but pregnant mama sure does! Anyway, a few pics from Charlie's 18 mth....

things we've been doing

Since our vacation, I've been on and off modified bedrest. Not very much fun with a toddler and a three year old. I am inclined to not do the laundry because my doctor told me I couldn't, but I am inclined to pick up my 18 mth old! I am back to work this week, but doubt it lasts much longer as I have too many contractions to be comfy with. And, I'd like to cook #3 as long as I can... or at least 8 more weeks!

so, let's see, what have we been up to... swimming, here's Anna with my mom at the pool. She's doing great in the water and even going off the diving board ( as a serious swimmer in my prior life, I am SO proud! )

Eating a LOT of watermelon.....

Engaging in a lot of water play ( here we are at cousin Molly's 2nd birthday! )

In general, we've been trying to enjoy the heat this summer by staying as cool as humanly possible. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby brother or sister in a few months and talking about it non-stop with Anna. She is convinced it is a girl... I'm not so sure, but I do know she and Charlie will be fantastic as big siblings.

Vacation!

We just got home from a one week vacation to Ocean City, MD. I haven't been there in about 10 years! Imagine my surprise when I found out it actually is a very family friendly place ( outside of seacrets and the boardwalk )... We had a blast. Charlie was up every day with the sun, not so fun, but we got some good one on one time with him. Anna loved the pool and Charlie loved the beach, where we supplied him with his very own baby pool. We brought our next door neighbor, Ashleigh, with us for a little help ( my 'bedrest' dictated this measure ) and it was so nice to have an extra set of hands. We basically went down to the beach every morning at 8am and didn't leave until 4pm. The kids both look like Coppertone babies, teeny white bums and golden brown bodies. It was so nice to have an entire week to relax with the family.

Disequilibrium

This word pretty much sums up our recent experiences with Miss Anna Banana, age 3. This morning, upon leaving for work, this lovely comment was how I started my day " go away mama, don't touch me" It almost made me cry, except that I pretty much felt like going away and not touching my beautiful, angry daughter. She was tired. I have lots of excuses, tired, hot, hungry, cold, bored, etc. Mostly, though, the title of this post sums it up. She's got a lot going on in her head and body right now. I try to remember this as she sways back and forth in her decision making processes and invariably changes her mind from one second to the next. I want those undies, that pair of shorts, no not THAT pair, that pair. I just TOLD you. I must have 3 whole pretzels for snack, not the ones without salt, they must have a lot of salt and I said 3! ( the funny thing is she mixes up 2 and 3, so we're never sure if she just means 2! )It's not easy. In fact, this age is the hardest challenge I've faced as a parent yet. Newborn stage? Easy as pie compared to this confusion. No amount of consequences, cajoling, bargaining, time outs or disciplinary action fazes our little miss and I'm looking forward to the day she evens out. In the meantime, I try to give hugs and not be taken hostage by the terrorist that has taken over my little girls brain.

Charlie - 15 mths

Charlie Chase is becoming quite the little man. We took him for his 15 mth check up the other day- 25 lbs and 33 inches... he suddenly sprouted up to the 90% for height! My guess is he'll oddly 'shrink' after his next length check, hard to measure a kicking toddler. He has really started exhibiting quite a comedic personality - particularly when big sis is not around. I doubt that surprises anyone. He loves to play hide and seek and throw kisses. Another favorite is the funny face game and he ALWAYS wins. The kid can pull off some very funny stares. He keeps us laughing and claps at his own hilarity - way too cute. Anna, of course, continues to love on her baby brother in ways that only irritate Charlie. She pulls him and hugs him to pieces. He'll learn eventually that she's just exuberant and that's not a bad thing. His words now include: hi, uh oh, mama, dada, Anna, ball, balloon, bubble, up and his most favorite word, DOGGIE. The boy loves animals, particularly doggies and will go absolutely bonkers for any dog that walks by our house.

Soccer girl!

Anna is playing soccer now, Karl couldn't be happier. The moment she turned 3, he said, ok, it's time - I want her in cleats and shinguards, we can't wait any longer to mold a future scholarship. Well maybe it wasn't quite like that but I am happy to report that she's really good! She has the same athletic capabilities as her daddy, thank god - we all know that I am not the most coordinated person - and she really has a good spirit about and loves to play. Share and lose aren't words that come to mind, but at her age, it's really just about learning what it's all about. You should see the soccer dads hovering about their children. Kick it there - don't pick it up - in the goal, johnny! Really funny. And, their first scrimmage was just a sea of 3 year old arms and legs - like a little bee swarm with no rhyme or reason. So cute.

Off and running

Well almost... About one minute after I posted that Charlie was NOT walking, he started walking. Obviously, pics are of him walking with Anna and not by himself, naturally, Anna considers herself the coach and teacher for everything Charlie does! He is still in Frankenstein mode, but it's very exciting. Anna thinks it's the best thing ever now that he's a bit more upright. The other toddlers in his room at daycare are probably thrilled that he's off the floor now too. Maybe now we can stop inspecting every little piece of lint on the floor to see if it's edible. I even surprised myself by not crying at my little man's latest achievement. Even with the current pregnancy, I want to cry at the drop of the hat. Not this time. Sorry, Charlie, mama is very happy to have you moving on your two feet now!

That first step

No, Charlie isn't walking yet. He's THIS close but no significant movement forward on his own two feet at this time. People keep asking me, 'is he walking yet?'. I had been getting annoyed by this, but when I really stop to consider this milestone, I almost am not ready for him to walk just yet. Walking may be easier on my back, but it really means that my baby boy is growing up. Soon, instead of reaching his arms for me, he'll be running the other direction. I think I'll take my crawler for a little longer, thank you very much. You just take your time, baby boy.

Birthday Pics

As you can see, there were three opportunities for candle blowing on Miss Anna Banana's birthday. Breakfast, birthday brownies and birthday cake. Lucky little lady! She was all smiles and loved the multiple rounds of "Happy birthday to you". Poor baby has to wait a whole year to do this again.

She's a big girl now

Anna Banana turned three on March 26th. We had a blast at her Pirate Princess party, complete with foam swords and bludgeoning devices! Karl did a treasure hunt all over the yard and then the kids got to do a treasure chest pinata. All of her friends came to help celebrate and we had such a good time seeing everyone. Anna has over night become such a big girl - no more diapers- not even at night now (yay!), she's sleeping better, being a good big sister and a huge helper around the house. She loves to cook and assist in the kitchen, which I love since I love to cook. I did a quick interview with her to write down her favorite things: Here goes:

Favorite saying - no mommy
Favorite color - green, and purple and red
Favorite song - Wheels on the Bus
Favorite story - Curious George
Favorite game - Simon Says
Favorite thing to do - Hug ( that's true, the snuggly baby has turned into a snuggy preschooler )
What do you want to be when you grow up - A teacher
Favorite food - pizza
Favorite fruit - pears. Food ( yeah )
Favorite show - The Simpsons ( eeks )
Best friend - Mommy and Daddy and Charlie


Pics to come soon!

Hurray, sleep at long last

We all know that Anna Banana is a tremendously terrible sleeper. See previous posts in prior years on similar topics! No one will argue that. However, if she is next to mama, she is a tremendously fabulous sleeper. We've been trying to 'sleep train' her for years. Pretty much ever since I didn't have the guts to go through with CIO with her, things have gone downhill. That was over 2 years ago. Since then, we've been resigned to the fact that although, she peaceably goes to bed in her own room, she will not stay there. The reasoning, for her, is a solid one. Why should she sleep alone? Mommy and Daddy don't. A 3 year old isn't quite old enough to explain the reasons behind this, other than 'Mommies and Daddy's always sleep together'. Sounds sufficient enough to me. Fast forward to the last 7 days. Out of the previous 6 days, she's slept all night in her own bed more than she's ever done in her entire almost 3 years of existence. I don't know what clicked. Maybe the nice weather? Maybe the fact that we don't all actually sleep that well with her? We're very proud of her and she's even prouder of herself! She's a big girl now:) Whatever it is, I'll take it for now. One day out of an entire week is ok with me!

Charlie Chase turns 1!

As usual, time is speeding by me and I can't seem to keep up. This last week being stuck inside the house with the munchkins did seem to help my intense need to spend more time with them. And, then fueled an intense need to do something other than musical chairs/tv watching/painting... At the end of the week, though, we welcomed our family and friends to help us celebrate Charlie's first birthday. We also had him baptized on his big day, as we did on Anna's first birthday. As part of that process, Karl and I had to have our marriage blessed (long story, but just know it's a requirement of the Catholic Church to have been married by a priest. Which we weren't the first time ). Little did we know that a marriage blessing is actually getting married, so Karl and I surprised ourselves and our family by getting up and renewing our vows, or in the eye of the Catholic Church, getting married for the first time. Poor Karl, he has to remember two anniversaries now! Fortunately, the day of Charlie's birth shouldn't be too hard to keep track of.

Anna continues to find cute names to call Charlie - my favorite is currently "Baby Guy" but she also calls him Charlie Bo Barley, and Charlie Monster, which is sometimes very applicable.

Here are pics of both Anna and Charlie after their 1st birthday party - we probably could've skipped the presents!

We had Charlie's one year doctor appointment yesterday and we're proud to announce that the little man is 23 lbs and 30 inches long. Solidly in the 50/75 percentiles. Exactly where his big sis was at his age. His hair is growing in wispy and uncontrollable, and he still sounds exactly like a pterodactyl, with a few attempts at sounding out words thrown in there for good measure. He's definitely saying mama and dada now and I think he says "that", as in I WANT THAT, while pointing. Big sister continues to be a major point of contention for him and in his defense, he has become very adept at playing by himself. Mainly with trucks, which are his most favorite possession ( thanks to all who got him trucks or anything with a wheel! ). He also enjoys playing with balls and passing them back and forth. He's definitely all boy, that's for sure. Another new thing for our little Charlie is a humongous appetite, I doubt he'll be in the 50% for very long. You can't eat without him getting up close to beg for food and nothing ( except avocados ) goes un-eaten. We're very fortunate to have two kiddos that adore food.

Anna is super excited to know that now that Charlie is 1, her birthday is coming up. Barely a day goes by without a mention of it. With a small exception, she thinks she's about to be four. I'll save her real age for the day, especially since she acts like she's two going on 13. Just yesterday, she exclaimed that Lady Gaga was her absolute favorite. and, then there's the drama... * big sigh * for mama and daddy. Our lady is going to be a handful. What? Oh, she is already a handful. right. Fortunately, we're lucky to have one laid back fella in Charles Joseph. Still can't believe he's already one!

Snow snow snow snow snow and more snow

I grew up in the midwest and I don't think I've ever seen so much snow as we've had in the past 5 days. With more expected tonight into tomorrow. More like 20" more. I can't take it anymore. I've had enough. We spent the weekend having fun, Anna has been painting up a storm, and we've made forts, spent lots of time in bubble baths, made cookies, brownies, lots of good food but I'm running out of ideas. Anna lasts about 10 minutes outside, this of course, after it takes an hour to get her appropriately suited up for snow. It's just not worth the energy! We've watched more Dora than I care to think about! I'm ready for Spring!

Here are a few of the things that have been keeping us busy.. Anna painted the snow yesterday.. that was great fun. Occupied us for about an hour.

We built a fort - it kept falling down. I need to hone my fort building skills!
We learned that Charlie has a sweet tooth - his first oreo cookies were gone in a flash!

We made and painted a pirate ship to sail the stormy seas.

Karl spent HOURS dealing with snow. This particular picture is of the roof of our porch. The snow had drifted up there almost three feet high. He was a little concerned that our porch may come crashing down. You all know how much we love that porch, we couldn't face that tragedy!

Here's my car - mid storm on Saturday


The 'hood... from our front door. You can barely tell where the street is... actually, after the plowing was done, you can barely tell where the street is!

Florida

We took Anna and Charlie to Key West and Marathon Florida last week and had such a good time. It's not easy to travel with two little ones and the multiple pieces of luggage, carseats, blankies, lovies and two bags that Anna insists on toting along. But, we made it on the plane down with little drama and both kids were amazing on the plane ride and subsequent four hour trip to Key West. Thank you babies for being LOVELY car travelers. We appreciate that so much. The trip back was a bit more dramatic... let's just say Anna and I were the last people to board the plane and people had to make room for us. I was dilly dallying and Anna had to potty ( one of the pitfalls of potty training ). Sometimes, a diaper is a godsend. At any rate, no one on a Southwest plane is happy to see a super anxious mommy with a really high energy toddler board a plane. especially one that only has two seats left and not together. Someone had to move to make room for us, Anna couldn't very well sit alone, could she? I bought that very nice lady a cocktail for her trouble. And, Anna slept the entire time, so it really wasn't so bad once we boarded. Funny how the flight home was the first time I had to relax the entire week, as Charlie and Karl made it onto the plane earlier and were sitting in a different section.

Both Anna and Charlie loved the water- Charlie had no fear of it - he kept blowing bubbles and crawling deeper and deeper. Anna is getting much more prepared to swim 'by herself'. She made friends with a pair of 3 year old twins and we were lucky to have a 3 year old little girl in the house next door. The two hit it off and were sharing popsicles on a daily basis (and Dora movies, toys and their baby brothers ). The resort had a great beach and we played in the sand every evening after being in the pool for HOURS. Here are some pics - Anna decided that being topless was the way to swim, since that's how Daddy does it. I tried explaining to her that there are rules against that in the US, but I guess she didn't really care or understand why everyone doesn't go running around 'free and easy'. Oh well :) A lesson for later in life, perhaps!