Splashpad

We had a great time at the splashpad on Friday. Sammy even got his picture in the newspaper.

Sunshine

I really, really need to start blogging again. I went back through some of my old posts and found memories and videos that I had completely forgotten about.  The boys are growing up so quickly. It's hard to believe Samson will be 4 tomorrow and Levi is 2.  Being a mom is exhausting, but I love every minute.

This year I went back to work two days a week teaching voice lessons in two local high schools. I loved it, but I am so glad to being at home full-time now that the school year has ended.  I love being with the boys EVERY day!

Yesterday was a beautiful Michigan day. We met a friend and her son at the Lakeshore Museum and then headed over to the splashpad.  The splashpad wasn't open yet. My boys were heartbroken.  We ate our picnic lunch.  Then we walked a block to an outdoor stage and listened to a concert that was going on.  The boys enjoyed ice cream sandwiches and fudgesicles.

Afterwards, we stopped at The Sweet Spot.  It's a coffee shop and bakery run by the Culinary Institute of Michigan.   We had Chocolate Torte and some chocolates.  It was so delicious and only $4.00 for everything because its all made by the culinary students.  They also have a restaurant next door.  The menu sounded amazing.  Pedro and I will have to check it out on a date night soon.  (I ended up running back over to the bakery after Pedro got home to pick up a "golden chiffon cake with green tea and ginger buttercream" and a few more chocolates for all of us.  It was amazing!)

After we were done stuffing our faces, we headed across the street to the Frauenthal Theater for a flower and garden show.  There were such beautiful arrangements.  The boys and I voted on our favorite arrangement for the chance to win a large selection of perennials.  I hope we win. Our front yard could use some flowers.

Finally, it was time to head home.  It was a full day and everybody was pooped.  Especially this pregnant mama!

We are headed back to the splashpad this afternoon for the official opening.  They are going to have beach balls and popsicles.  The boys are so excited!

It's going to be a busy weekend.  I have to get ready for Sammy's Super Mario birthday party on Saturday.  Then, my sister is in town from NC for her bridal shower on Sunday.  I can't wait to spend the weekend with my family!!                

Here we go again! I hope!

The boys do so many things every day that crack me up. I'd really like to have a record of it so I am attempting to start my blog again and hopefully be consistent about it so that I can have a book copy of it printed each year.

We have been up since 6am this morning. The boys have both eaten breakfast and are now eating a snack. I have yet to eat breakfast myself. Why? Well I'm glad you asked!

This morning already I have converted the high chair to a booster seat because Levi prefers to eat at the table with us. I have roasted 6 lbs of sweet potatoes and 6 lbs of butternut squash. I still need to puree it and freeze it. I add it to pasta, sauces and baked goods.

The boys did some coloring this morning and during that time Levi ate half a green crayon and half a yellow crayon. Then about 20 minutes later Sam told me that Levi was eating a red crayon in the living room. I went in there and discovered pieces of crayon all over the rug. I assumed it was from the dog not Levi. So I vacuumed everything up. A few minutes later there were more pieces on the rug. Guess what? It was Levi. I can't wait to see the lovely technicolor diaper that he will have later. This child truly eats anything and everything he can get his hands on.

A bowl for everything

I am attempting to start blogging....again. Let's see how this goes. Samson cracks me up . He has to have a separate bowl or plate for all of his food. I have no idea where that comes from? Lately, Levi likes to dip everything in ketchup and he licks the butter off his toast. That comes from Aunt Noelle. I remember her sitting on the counter and dipping her fingers in the butter dish as a child.

Getting dressed

This morning Sam got himself dressed. His outfit consisted of a red and green Polar Express Christmas Shirt, THREE pairs of underwear pulled on OVER his diaper and his onesie, a pair of black sweatpants and a pair of bright orange pumpkin socks. He won't win any fashion awards but, but I am so proud of him because he did it himself.

Bedtime

Pedro does such a great job getting Levi to sleep.

Fun with Sam!

Sam is so much fun and becoming such a good big brother!

I'm back!

We are all happily adjusting to life with another little boy. This week I have even managed to clean the house several times, make dinner twice, and snuggle with all three of my boys...separately. Last week was my first week taking care of Sam and Levi all by myself. I was a little nervous, (mainly about lifting Sam) but everything went as smoothly as possible. Sam had quite a few time outs and tantrums at first. He is doing much better now and seems to be loving his brother. Yesterday, I caught him standing at the swing rubbing Levi's arms. Sam loves to let me know that Levi is crying and needs me. He drops everything he is doing and screams "UH OH! BABY!"

We're ready whenever you are.....

Diapers- check
Clothing unpacked and washed and hanging in closet- check
Swing, bassinette, bouncy seat, pack-n-play, infant carseat- check
Blankets, burp clothes, bibs- check
Hospital bag packed- check
Well-rested family- check
3 weeks of false labor- check

Hmmmm.......I think we are just waiting on you, Levi.

Poor Fishy

I am pretty sure that Sam's little beta fish is on his last legs. He isn't swimming around much and I don't think he has eaten in a while. We moved him into the dining room thinking maybe the change would perk him up a little and some extra light would be good for him. His bowl has been in the middle of our dining room table where I thought Sam wouldn't be able to get to it. Haha. Yesterday, I was slicing some apples and all of the sudden it got very quiet. I turned around and there was Sam, on his knees in the middle of the dining room table with his hand as far in the fish bowl as he could get it. Fifi the fish has now been moved to a shelf on the baker's rack. I think he is safe there.
A few hours later, I left Sam sitting in the recliner with a blanket so I could get a snack for myself. I heard a huge thud and then crying and ran back into the living room to see that he had tried to climb from the recliner into the pack-n-play and knocked everything over including himself. Some days I feel like I can't leave him alone for even a minute! And of course, yesterday turned out to be a nap-free day as well.

A case of the Mondays

Dear Sam,

Didn't you get the memo? It's naptime. Please go to sleep. Thank you!

Love,
Mommy

Oh, it is SO one of those days! Sam never transitions well from the weekends. There is almost never a nap on Monday. And he asks for daddy ALL DAY LONG! This morning there were two mini-meltdowns. Then I spent some extra time snuggling him and playing with him and following him all around the house and he has been fine ever since. He spent about 10 minutes laying with his head on my belly talking to the baby and listening to him move. Then we had a "conversation" about how Levi would be coming to stay with us very soon.

We finally broke down and bought a new camera. It was 30% off at Meijer, plus we got an extra 10% off because it was the display so I feel pretty good about the purchase and it is a pretty nice camera BUT it doesn't do well with moving shots. Even with the image stabilization mode on. I am kind of stumped by that. Our old camera could capture Sam mid-walk or dance with absolutely no blur. Not this one. Otherwise, the pictures are crystal clear so I'm not sure we want to return it.

Random Friday Thoughts

What a beautiful week this has been. I have gotten outside to walk 3 or 4 days. This morning, Sam played in the backyard again while I raked out my flower bed.
This afternoon Pedro and I decided to join www.savingsangel.com. We figured it was worth a shot to save even more money on groceries. I usually make a monthly trip to Aldi's to stock up on staples and then I use coupons and check the sale ads for our local stores, but this service does all of that for you and even creates a shopping list. I think it will save me a lot of time once Levi is here so it should be worth the monthly membership fee.
I have discovered my new favorite snack/dessert: 1 cup frozen blueberries topped with 1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 tbsp orange marmalade. The coldness gives Levi hiccups.
I'm trying to make a mental list of some last minute baby preparations. I think I still need to bring up my pump and clean and sterilize everything. We also need to bring up the swing, activity mat, and bouncy seat and let it air out. We need to put a carseat base in both cars for the infant carrier. I should also pack an overnight bag for Sam. (I have only ever spent one night away from him.) I should unpack and wash some summer clothing for Sam. He has some 2T things from last summer that will still fit. AND, I think this weekend we'll be giving the house a thorough scrub down. Actually, I should say Pedro will be cleaning the house. Lately, I can barely make it through cleaning the kitchen and vacuuming before I am wiped out. I am so thankful that my husband doesn't mind cleaning bathrooms and dusting. I love watching Sam follow him around with his own little dustcloth. It cracks me up that we keep his toy vacuum in the closet next to our vacuum and steam cleaner. He loves to vacuum and sweep the floor.

Hello Spring

I LOVE spring. I love the freshness in the air and I love watching all of my tulips and other flowers begin to poke up from the ground. I also love seeing Sam's chubby baby arms in a t-shirt.
Sam and I spent yesterday morning on an hour long walk. We had to say "Hi" and "Bye" to every squirrel, bird and tree that he saw. When we got home we played in the backyard for another hour. He used our big utility broom from the garage and went around brushing leaves and pine needles off of things while I swept the patio. Every time a leaf got on his shoe he would say "EEEEEEEWWWW, EEEEEEWWW." Pretty funny. I had to drag him inside for lunch and he let me know how upset he was to have to come inside by hitting me on the head 3 times. Nice. He took a two and a half hour nap so I'm pretty sure he was wiped out.
He got to play with his friends this morning while I was at a doctors appointment so we will play outside this afternoon after naptime.

Baby Levi is doing well. I am fingertip dilated (TMI?) My doctor is pretty good at estimating weight and doesn't think this baby will be much more than a few ounces bigger than Sam. We are all getting excited. (Although when I tried to bring the infant car seat up from the basement this week Sam started screaming "NOOOO, NO Baby, NO Baby!) He is due a month from today!

HEAVEN in a cookie

You have to make these. Right now. Or in 5 minutes. I have discovered cookie heaven. These are unbelievable. If I did not have GDM Pedro would be coming home to crumbs. And the best part is the dough can also be eaten raw because they are egg free!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients

3	bananas
1	cup rolled oats
1	cup whole wheat flour
1/3	cup peanut butter
1/4	cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3	cup applesauce
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3	cup chocolate chips
2/3	cup sugar
1	teaspoon baking powder
1	tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
   
   
2. In a mixing bowl, mash bananas
   
   
3. Beat in sugar, butter and peanut butter until creamy
   
   
4. Mix in baking powder, vanilla, cocoa powder and applesauce until everything is combined
   
   
5. Slowly add the flour, while mixing at a low speed until evenly combined
   
   
6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips last
   
   
7. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoon onto a parchment lined or greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes
   
   
8. Cool on a wire rack

Nutrition Information Per Cookie:
Calories 87
Fat 2.7 g
Sodium 19g
Carb 14.5g

I need a crane.

Getting out of bed is becoming difficult. So is rolling over from side to side. Pedro said I fell asleep on my back for a couple minutes the other night in the process of rolling over. Sometimes in the morning I feel like I need a good shove to get enough momentum to get up. Other than that, I feel great. I don't feel uncomfortable during the day. I can still reach down and pick things up and tie my shoes with no problems. However, I wouldn't mind if Levi wanted to come out and play sometime between the 37 and 40 week marks. We are all getting anxious to meet him.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

This morning I booked a plane ticket to Peru for Pedro!!! I am so excited for him. He hasn't seen his family in over 8 years. We were able to find a ticket at an unbelievable price (A quarter of the usual cost.) God is SO good.
He'll be going in August so I will be taking both of our little boys and staying with my family while he is gone. I am equally excited about that. I know Sam is going to be spending almost every day playing in the pool with Grandpa at G.G. and Papa's house. I am excited that he will also get to spend lots of time with his Grandma and hopefully see some Aunties as well. It will be nice for him to have extra attention while I'm busy with 4 month old baby Levi. I also look forward to leaving Levi with my family so I can spend some time with Sam only.
I am a little sad that I can't go and meet Pedro's family, but we can't take a 4 month old baby with us and there is no way I want to pump that much milk or wean him that soon. I also don't think Sam would be ready for the trip. It won't be too long before we can all go, but for now I am SO happy to stay home with our boys so Pedro can go. He is a wonderful husband and a wonderful father and does so much for all of us. He more than deserves an opportunity to get away.

Getting ready for Mr. L

This weekend Pedro and I brought up the bassinet, dug out all the bins of newborn clothing, washed everything so it would be fresh, and reorganized the closet in the boys room. I think we need a dresser for all the clothing we have for these two boys. A closet is NOT going to cut it anymore. Time to check out Craigslist.
We still need to rearrange the furniture in our bedroom so that the bassinet can go next to our bed and I suppose I should pack my hospital bag and load it in the car. It might be a little early for that, but I was completely caught off guard with Sam and had nothing to bring him home from the hospital in because daddy couldn't find the bag. Oops. We laugh about it now.

Highlights

Some of the highlights of my week so far have been:

1. Taking Sam to story time at the library.

2. Taking a nice long nap on Monday afternoon with Sam snuggled in my arms. That usually never happens anymore. He'd rather be in his own bed.

3. This conversation with one of my 6 year old piano students:
(We were right in the middle of learning a new song and he stopped and turned to me and said.....)
Student: WAIT! I have a question.
Me: Okay?
Student: How do the doctors get the babies out?
Me: Ummmmm.....Isn't your mom a doctor?
Student: Yes
Me: Maybe ask her. I'm sure she knows WAY more about those things than I do.
That seemed to satisfy him and we went on with the lesson.

4. Having a happy, healthy child again.

5. Teaching half of the lessons I was teaching so I am now free to spend some time in the evenings with Sam AND Pedro at the same time!

Pack-n-plays and our Naptime Routine

We have had a busy couple of days. I have been in hot pursuit of a new pack-n-play since we found out we were expecting baby number two.
We were blessed by our family and friends with every baby item imaginable when we were expecting Samson. However, the one thing we didn't get was a pack-n-play. We weren't really sure that it was even going to be something we would need or use. My grandparents had loaned us the bassinet that has now been in the family for three generations. We had just bought a ranch-style house and we figured between the bassinet and the crib, we wouldn't have much use for a pack-n-play. Well, we were wrong.
So long story short, the Graco pack-n-play that we bought has not held up well. The mattress was thin and lumpy and always bending and bunching. Also, there was no bassinet setting which made it tricky to lift him in and out of in the beginning. Especially because he always started the night sleeping in either the bassinet or pack-n-play next to our bed and then would move to ours in the middle of the night. With the bassinet, I could reach him while still laying in bed, with the pack-n-play I'd have to climb completely out of bed to pick him up.
I told Pedro as soon as I found out I was pregnant that we were saving up our money and buying a top quality pack-n-play with a bassinet and a good changing station. I have been researching and reading reviews for several months. I've also searched craigslist and garage sales for a good one, but without much luck. I finally settled on THE pack-n-play several weeks ago and I have been in hot pursuit of it ever since. Its only available at Target and I guess everyone else wants it too. Its out of stock on the internet and amazon with a 2-4 week wait. I happened to call yesterday morning to find out if they had any in stock at our Target. They had ONE! Wooohooo! The lady put it on hold and Sam and I raced over in our pajamas to pick it up. It is exactly what I wished we had had with Sam. It's already set up in our living room and I can't wait to use it. We put Sam's little newborn baby in it and he loves to peek in at him and say "baby night-night."
It's hard to believe that we are only a month and a half away from having another little boy in our house. I guess I should probably bring the bassinet and bedding up from the basement and air it out. I also need to start unpacking the newborn clothing, blankets and diapers. I keep thinking we have so much time.

This morning I took Sam to the library for story hour and crafts for the first time ever. He didn't pay too much attention to the story, but I think he really enjoyed it. We got there at 9:15 and I had to drag him out kicking and screaming at 11:15. The highlight for him was playing with the trains set up on a low table with plenty of tracks and bridges. I was even able to look through the adult section and pick up several books for myself while he played happily and walked through the stacks of books with me. Pedro has mentioned before that he wants to try to build Sam a low table that he can run some trains on. I think it might be time to do that. It would be perfect in the basement playroom.

One of my favorite times of the day with Sam is our naptime routine. I always hold him and snuggle him for a couple minutes before I lay him down. Lately he has been falling asleep in my arms before I can even put him down. Most days, he names all the parts of my face and head. Then we exchange kisses. This includes the eskimo and butterfly kind. Butterfly kisses are his favorite. Then he lays his head down on my shoulder and falls asleep or snuggles until I put him in bed, cover him up and rub his back for a minute or two before leaving. In fact, its about that time now. Have a wonderful, sunny afternoon everyone.