At the Park

There is a week every February that is unseasonably sunny and warm.  This year it was during midwinter break, so it wasn’t just the preschool crowd descending upon the parks this week.  We made it out 4 out of the 5 days this week. 

 

Both girls attempt to hide behind the pole.

 

Today, our playgroup met up at a local park.  Piper is riding, um, sitting on, Isaac’s bike, while I am pushing her while nursing Wesley.  Yep, nursing might actually be my spiritual gift.  Fortunately, the sling is covering the big poop stain on my jeans left from a particularly projectile incident earlier. 

The Kids, Or Why We Are Proud Parents

Piper Turns 2!

Our little sweatheart turned two on Valentines Day. Family came over to celebrate, including a visit from Oregon-dwelling Uncle Brian. He also met his nephew for the first time.

I can’t believe all the things Piper can do. She has lots and lots of words, but rarely says more than one at a time. Dwayne still remembers one morning when he was taking a shower and Piper ran in to tell him “Pancakes! Mama. Aubrey.” Translation: We are having pancakes for breakfast and I love pancakes! Mama made them. We’re going to play with Aubrey this morning.

Piper is a huge climber and jumper. There are few obstacles she can’t conquer. She has mostly been potty training herself (much to my inconvenience, I admit). She plays great with Kyla and carefully throws herself down if she’s thwarted. She wants to do it HERSELF in a way that is even more extreme than most toddlers I know. She will break down if you give her chocolate—her favorite food—but did not let her get it herself, but immediately returns to her cheerful self if I take it away and let her do it herself. Piper carries the cat upside down and Wesley right side up. She adores her baby brother and makes sure I take good care of him and gently showers him with hugs and kisses. She is a constant joy to us.

Camera Hijacking

Kyla got a hold of the camera and took this shot of Piper’s smile. The rest of the series involves pictures of the carpet or wall.

Valentines Comes Early

Dwayne came home Friday night with a heart-shaped balloon and gift bag for each girl (and tulips and truffles for me!). The girls were ecstatic getting their special gifts of a card and stuffed animal—almost as pleased as Daddy to give them! It is certainly more fun to give than receive when it comes to children.

The next night, for our usual Valentine’s celebration (when we first started dating, we couldn’t go out on the 14th so jumped it up a day early, fell in love with each other and the lack of crowds, and have since always celebrated on the 13th), Dwayne made an even more gourmet meal than usual. He began with Mussels Josephine, just like Bone Fish prepares, and then steamed us each lobster tail. The girls got mac and cheese and were happy with that. We finished with a special chocolate cake Kyla picked out for me, with Daddy’s help.

Thanks Shay and Brian!

One of Dwayne’s coworkers gave Wesley this blanket and horse set. It’s very cute and the girls impatiently wait for Wesley to grow big enough to pull the horse.

Kyla and Wesley

  

Kyla was pretty sure Wesley would like to play with his horse pull-toy if only she could show him how to play with it.  He slept through the tutorial.

Rhapsody in Blue

I am enchanted with him….

Wesley is just over 3 weeks old now.

Wesley and Piper

Piper can’t get enough of “Wessey”. This morning, Wesley was still sound asleep when Dwayne and I got out of bed, so we didn’t disturb him. But when Piper found out where he was, she ran into our room with one word on her lips: Snuggle!

Piper also likes to help Wesley out with his tummy time.

Tada!

Kyla gets to use scissors (what she has cut up is worth another blog entry, but it would make me grind my teeth even recounting it, so I will skip it). Piper would like very much to use scissors, but if I thought Kyla could do damage, well, Piper continually surprises me with the new mischief she makes. So I found a sticker and cut-and-paste book. Piper gets to do the sticker pages and Kyla works on the cutting and pasting. Not that that stopped Piper from pasting her stickers to the kitchen table after I took this photo.

February Flora

I don’t have a particularly green thumb. I don’t even really have a digit to spare to raise flowers right now, but I do appreciate the previous owners. She worked at Molbak’s seasonally so I have a yard that has something blooming from the first of February until the last roses die in November. Starting the year off well is a pink rhododendron and a pink something else (please feel free to give me a more specific name if you know it).

The Girls

I write a lot about Wesley, but believe me, I have not forgotten about our daughters!  They do actually take most of my attention during the day.  And God made them cute so I wouldn’t take my cue from nature and eat my young.

 

Wesley’s Second Week

Wesley was born 2 weeks ago today with yesterday being his due date. 

He began the week with his circumcision.  One of my midwives did the surgery.  It would have been more interesting if it hadn’t been my child.  While I was in the room with him, I didn’t see much of it.  But when it was done, and we were waiting the 45 minutes to make sure the bleeding stopped, the local wore off and he became nearly inconsolable.  He’s fine now, of course, but I am glad we won’t go through that again!

Exactly 24 hours after his circumcision (and right after his failed weigh-in the next day), he started perking back up and eating every 2 hours.  He passed his next weight check handily.

I was on my own with the girls for the first time on Thursday and Friday.  There’s a very good chance that soon Dwayne won’t be coming home to a) bathed and jammied daughters, b) dinner, c) a & b.  Today we ran errands, and it turns out I can get 3 kids out of the car and through a parking lot and even into a store without losing my sanity.  (The sanity was preserved only so that I could lose it tonight trying to get the girls to pick up their toys while nursing Wesley.)

Dwayne and I have always enjoyed the newborn stage.  This time it seems even more special as I am making sure I enjoy every bit of it as it will definitely be our last time.  His changing faces, the weird sounds he makes in his sleep until we give up and bring him to bed with us, his sweet warmth lying on top of me, his “peanutness” when I burp him on my knee, the swaddled Baby Burrito look, and the way Dwayne says “Ohhh” when he does any of these things.

 

For those wondering if Wesley always wears the same dinosaur outfit, well, yes he does.  At night, I put him in one of those “zippered blankets”, but the dinosaurs are the only Newborn size clothes he has.  I did just buy 2 more outfits at the thrift store today, so he will have some variety before he grows enough to wear the regular 0-3 months size.