Hairdo

Annabel actually let me put a barrette in her hair today!  I had to mark the date.  I hope she lets me do it again. 

It just looks so cute with her curls

Three Years Old

My baby boy is THREE years old.  The time went so fast. When he turned two, I still felt like he was a little baby.  Now, he is a little BOY.  An amazing, super smart, super cute, fast moving, fast talking, awesomely funny little boy.

Daniel is such a fun little person to be around.  I was so nervous when he was only saying the minimal textbook “10-20 words” by age two.  But now, he speaks sentences.  He is such a deep thinker and observer.  There are times when he is quiet.  Not shy, just introspective.  He sometimes gets overwhelmed with thoughts that I can honestly see the words twirling around deep in his eyes before they escape his mouth. He will narrate the entire drive to the store by telling you about the cars, the clouds, the stop lights, and the overpasses.  He will wake up each morning and begin to talk about what he wants for breakfast or the entire plan for the day.  He will notice if I have a new shirt on by declaring, “Mama, cute shirt!” which, of course, I love.  Everyday he surprises me with his language and I love having regular conversations with him.

Bean loves books.  He will sit and “read” on the floor of his room alone.  He also adores story time with his Daddy.  He can sing the entire alphabet.  He recognizes all the “big letters” and is working on the “little letters.”  He can count to 20 (with a little help) and he knows all his colors, including grey.  He knows all the shapes and often requests for his PB&J to be cut in triangles or squares.

Speaking of food, BOY, can Daniel eat.  He just loves everything.  He is not the typical toddler who is picky or only eats “beige” foods.  Daniel will try any new food.  He requested crab and corn on the cob for his birthday dinner.  He loves all fish, chicken and beef, every fruit, and every vegetable.  He loves soup.  He loves chili. He loves every breakfast food. He asks for ketchup or mustard or salt and pepper.  He is such a little foodie.  He also loves to cook and bake and always asks to help.  He is just like his Daddy. I often wonder if I’ll see him on Top Chef one day.

Daniel is as curious as a monkey.  He will sometimes find himself in “time out” because he wants to test the boundaries.  He loves to play with his little sister.  He is so sweet when he shares, but of course there are times he wants to go it alone.  He loves to build with blocks.  He loves to play kitchen. But his passion is all things that move: his cars, his trains, and his brand new bike. 

And he is a looker.  He has big blue eyes, a great smile, and he looks oh so cute in his little polo shirts.  I know we pick out his clothes, but he wears them so well.  He actually just picked out his latest pair of sneakers all by himself.  He waltzed right up to the shelf at Stride Rite and said, “I want THESE shoes, Mama.”  And we bought them.  And they are perfect.  Just like him.

Back to School

It’s “back to school” time.  It’s that time of year when kids say goodbye to their carefree days of summer and say hello to schedules and homework.  I see all the kids in my neighborhood standing at the bus stop again.  My sister sends her little girl to kindergarten tomorrow.  My brother sends his oldest daughter to middle school. Yep, it’s “back to school” time. 

But, not for me.  Not yet.

Nothing really changes in my world.  I still have the kiddies home with me all day.  I don’t have to look at the clock when we eat our oatmeal with bananas and chocolate chips.  I don’t have to rush around to get them dressed, comb their hair, or match their socks. I can brush their teeth when I remember to brush their teeth.  Sure, there are some schedules we like to follow like going to story time at the library or a walk around the block in the wagon.  But that’s about it. 

I think about the future when both of my little ones are in school full time.  I find myself smiling with the thought that the days will be ALL MINE again.  I will have some ALONE time.  I will have ME time.  I can go back to an office job where I can interact with ADULTS all day or I can work from home without interruption.  I can drink a cup of coffee without it going cold.  I can eat lunch without someone asking for something off my plate.

But that time will come.  It will come FAST.  So today, I will choose to live in the moment.  I will choose to enjoy it all.  I will remember why I wanted to be a stay-at-home mommy. I can be home with both of my amazing kids.  My kids who are NOT at school.  Not yet.

They are home with me – playing in the morning sunshine.

Things I Learned at My Pediatrician’s Office Yesterday

I took Annabel to her 18 month “well” check-up yesterday and here is a short list of what I learned:

1.  Annabel is in the 98th percentile for her height and weight.  She is basically the size of a  30 month old.  Or a “2 and 1/2 year old” the pediatrician explained after she saw me quizzically trying to do the math in my head.

2. Always bring my personal notebook that has the records from every office visit JUST IN CASE the nurse tries to argue that my daughter is “about 6 months behind in her shots” only to find out later that “Yes, Ma’am,  You were right.  She is all caught up.  Thank goodness you had a copy of her records.”  (What???)

3. Yes, my daughter will MOVE HER LEG when you try and jab her with a vaccination shot.

4. Do not put daughter in a brand new WHITE Gymboree shirt when you take her to the pediatrician’s office. (She might MOVE HER LEG during the vaccinations and BLEED on said shirt.)

5. After the series of vaccination shots, the nurse will give you a strange look when you turn down a CANDY BAR that she wants to give your 18 MONTH OLD.

6. I can amuse Annabel for about 25 minutes in a small isolated room with the following items:  

• This purse
• A Ziploc bag of snack food which includes baby goldfish crackers, Cheerios and Gerber yogurt drops
• Her sandals
• My blackberry
• The crinkly white paper on the exam table

7. Bring cash just in case the one credit card machine in the office is acting up and my check out process “will just take a few more minutes.”

8. Bring additional Ziploc bag of snack food to entertain daughter (See #7).

9. Annabel ROCKS at the pediatrician’s office.  She was happy, cooperative, and amazing.

10.  See #9

18 Months

My baby girl is 18 months old today. 

I feel like just yesterday she learned to walk and now she is running and dancing.  Annabel is so full of life and passion.  A simple game of peekaboo will turn into a million giggles.  Her laughter is infectious.  She loves to be chased around the house and will run away because she knows you will catch her from behind and tickle her.  She litterally SCREAMS with glee over everyday occurrences: When you greet her after a nap, when someone she knows walks in the door, when she watches a Baby Einstein video (for the millionth time) and that elephant puppet appears, when dinner is served. 

Her passion and “over the top dramatic flair” could win her an Oscar.  She loves to tease her big brother, but when he won’t play along she runs for the corner and collapses into a tantrum of tears.  She is feisty and head strong.  She won’t give up a toy for anything and she is still learning not to always grab for what she wants. 

Her world is full of contradictions.   She cries over the presentation of her meal but then she eats the entire thing.  She pushes away a book I give her but then she brings it to me five minutes later to read.  She runs for the door when we arrive at Gymboree class but then she laughs with delight when I carry her to the rocking horse. 

Her favorite things include: Pinky, corn on the cob, Sesame Street, the musical shakers at the library, club crackers, pigs, purses, cars, and ANYTHING her brother is doing at the time.  She is IN LOVE with her big brother.

She has an unbelievable head of curls.  I am so amazed with her hair that I always find myself just staring at her sea of corkscrews.  She looks like a doll with those curls, porcelain skin, big blue eyes, and cupid mouth.  She is a gorgeous little girl.

AND a super smart girl too.  She can already say Mama, Daddy, Bye bye, Hi, quack, car, cracker, cookie, juice, again, ball, bum bum, baby, teeth, and chocolate.  She also understands everything we say and I sometimes forget that.  When I tell Daniel it’s time for dinner, she runs to the table too.  When I tell Daniel to pick up the blocks, she runs over with one for the bucket. 

She is an awesome night sleeper and napper. She will sometimes yawn and rub her eyes as if to remind me to keep her on schedule. 

Just as her brother was “Mr. Mischief,” she has been anointed “Miss Mischief.”  She loves to grab magnets and hide them inside the refrigerator doors and walk away.  She will throw her straw cup on the kitchen floor knowing you will pick it up so she can do it again. She will try to stand up on any box or toy and then look to make sure I am watching before she tumbles over.

One of the best things about Annabel is her willingness to snuggle and hug.  She loves to extend her arms and be picked up.  She loves to hold my hands while I sing to her in the rocking chair.  She loves to be wrapped in her bath towel and carried around.  She loves to lay her head on your shoulder when she is frustrated or upset. 

I can’t believe it’s already been a year and a half since you entered our world, Annabel Marie. 

What a true gift you are.

Catch Me If You Can…

Sugar And Extra Spicy

If little girls are supposed to be made of “sugar and spice,” then my daughter Annabel is definitely of the “extra spicy” variety.  She is sugary sweet, for sure, but in the past month she has developed this amazing little feisty personality.  I love it.

Annabel was a happy baby.  Where Bean was a bit sensitive about his day-to-day routine, Annabel always seemed more mellow.  I’m sure half of that was her actual temperament. The other half was because I was a more relaxed Mommy the second time around.  Annabel would hang out in her bouncer seat and stare at her brother running around the house and just laugh and coo.  She was a great eater and sleeper and really meshed right into the family dynamic.

She has an amazing smile and big laugh.  She is always the center of attention when we go out in public.  She will smile at all the strangers and sometimes wave at them.  Someone always ends up stopping me at the grocery store or the mall just to tell me how adorable Annabel is and, of course, I wholeheartedly agree.

But the funniest thing has happened.  Ever since she started to walk about a month ago, she has developed this strong sense of independence and stubbornness.  She definitely knows what she wants and when she wants it. And she always wants it NOW.  She will speed past her brother to grab a ball or book first.  I remember when she would just sit there and allow her brother to take away her toy.  She would simply look at him and then move on to something else.  Well, no more.  She will not have any of it.  She will scream at him and snatch it back.  I’ve actually put her in “time out” a couple times already and she is only 16 months old!  She also has a little tomboy emerging.  She loves to steal Daniel’s trucks and cars.  She even fights him for the ball when they are outside with the T-ball set.

When we were at the library last week, she not only pushed by Daniel, but also a  bunch of the OLDER kids, to grab an egg shaker during music time. It really is so funny to watch.

I definitely discipline my kids, especially in public places, but Annabel has these big innocent blue eyes combined with a gorgeous head of curls and squeezable cheeks, it’s just so hard to get upset with her.  I find that other people often giggle at her too.

I was always emotional about having a daughter.  It’s such an enormous blessing and worry at the same time.  I look around at the images of teen girls on television, in movies, and on the Internet. I can’t imagine what it will be like in 10 or 15 years. I just want Annabel to be happy, but I want her to be super strong and secure.  I like that she is already bringing out her spicy side.  I hope she keeps it.

My All-American Kid

We bought Daniel his first toddler basketball hoop last Christmas.  He threw the ball at the basket a couple times on the back patio, but that was it.  He totally lost interest.

We also bought him a soccer ball.  He kicked that around the yard once in awhile, but there wasn’t a SPARK. 

Well, things have changed…he has discovered T-BALL! 

I am very excited that my little boy likes baseball (or rather a version of it).  We bought him this Little Tikes T-ball Set over the weekend and he has asked to play with it every day. 

The other exciting thing?  He’s pretty gosh darn good at it! 

(So I’ve started researching colleges with good Pre-Med AND baseball programs…)

Happy Father’s Day

Dear Dad:

I remember when:

-You told me everything was going to be okay when I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep.

-You made me an awesome wooden puppet show theatre from scratch in your work area in the basement.

-You sat with me at our dining room table after dinner teaching me geometry and algebra problems on pad after pad of yellow office paper.

-You let me visit you at work and bought me a doughnut.

-You helped me make the most amazing Science Fair projects and you truly loved every minute of it.

-You did magic tricks for all my little girlfriends at my birthday parties.

-You held my hand on the Ocean City boardwalk.

-You threw softballs to me in the backyard (and you never took it easy on me.)

-You would always wait for me in the center court after a day of shopping and you always had that little white bag of chocolate coconut crispies.

-You loaded all my stuff in the mini van and dropped me off at college.

-You loaded all my stuff in the mini van and drove me home from NYC.

-You walked me down the aisle.

-You were always there for me.  Thank you, Dad.  Happy Father’s Day.

Love, Your Daughter

:::

Dear Baby,

I remember when:

-You always stayed positive even when I was so discouraged after months of negative pregnancy tests.

-You finally saw the positive pregnancy test in the bathroom of our Atlantic City hotel room after hours of playing poker downstairs.  Priceless.

-You told me we could handle anything after we got some bad news.

-You held my hand and told me funny stories so I wouldn’t cry during the MRI at Children’s Hospital.

-You bought that bookcase from the consignment shop and painted it for the nursery.

-You held Bean for the first time and changed his very first diaper.  You never hesitated for a second.

-You watched movies with Bean in the basement so I could sleep.

-You flew home every weekend so you could spend precious time with your baby.

-You were so happy to unwrap the second positive pregnancy test on Father’s Day 2007.

-You held Annabel for the first time and called her a “Kissie Magnet.”  You were right.

Thank you for being an amazing Daddy and role model, Baby.  Daniel and Annabel are so blessed to have you in their lives.  Happy Father’s Day.

Love, Your Wife

Big Boy Bed

My son has graduated…from the crib!  I am very excited, nervous, and sad all at the same time.  I feel like every milestone that he accomplishes is amazing, but it’s also a milestone that is COMPLETED.  It just brings him one step closer to packing up all of his clothes, throwing them in the back of an SUV, and leaving me FOREVER.  (Am I overreacting???)

Daniel has a BIG BOY BED! 

We have been talking about this forever.  Should we buy him a toddler bed or a twin/full bed?  Daniel has always loved his crib.   He sleeps in it like magic.  It’s amazing.  But he is a big dude and he’s turning three in two months, so it was time to move on.  We thought the toddler bed was a good choice because it would be an easier transition.  It is basically the exact same size as the crib, minus the baby prison bars.  We can use the same mattress.  The one negative was that down the road we will have to transition him AGAIN to a bigger bed. 

But we were strolling past Pottery Barn Kids two weeks ago and there it was – the CUTEST little toddler bed just sitting there in the entrance.  It was welcoming us in with open arms and saying, “Buy me!  Sure, I cost more than those toddler beds at Target and Toys R Us, but don’t you want the best for your son?  PLUS, I’m from PBKids!  I’m COOL!”

We bought it.  We had to wait seven whole business days for the color we wanted to arrive (the dark brown), but now it’s here!  My husband picked it up this afternoon and it only took us thirty minutes to put together!  I mean, MY HUSBAND put it together in thirty minutes while I tried to keep Daniel from jumping on the wooden planks and Annabel from eating metal screws. But it’s all put together and in his room now. I just love it.  I am crossing my fingers that Daniel will love to sleep in it.  

Now we just have to wait and see if he sleeps there ALL NIGHT LONG.   While I wait, I have wine AND a little something to read.

(Is that a real snake moving towards his, um, okay, anyways….)

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