Mama Got Out!

So normally my blogs are about the boys because this blog is all about the memories and moments that I should be putting in their baby books - but let's face it, this is easier and other people get to enjoy it too.  

But today I wanted to share a milestone for me!  I GOT OUT!  Yes, I left the house, went to the movies, read People Magazine while waiting for the movie, watched the movie (and ate popcorn and twizzlers) ALL WITHOUT A CHILD ATTACHED TO ME. As part of my Mother's Day gift, Papa Bear arranged for me to leave the boys with him for the afternoon while I got out.  Now, both of the boys slept almost the entire time I was gone BUT who cares, I got out.  AND Papa Bear organized my closet ( it was the out with the maternity clothes and in with the regular clothes transition).  Oh and Papa Bear made a special dinner that he prepped while I was gone so when I got home he still was in charge of BOTH BOYS (which is why I can blog in the middle of the day) and now we are going to go for a walk in the not raining, nice day.  

Seriously, to all the papa's in the world while it is sweet to have the kids make mama breakfast and shower her with hand made gifts - the best gift to a mama on Mother's Day is some time to herself.  

THANK YOU PAPA BEAR, I couldn't have asked for anything better than time to myself!

Oh and so this has something to do with the boys too.  I have to report that Peanut is starting to lose his baby hair which means that he slowly is starting to look like an old man with a receding hairline.  It isn't pretty, but he is still my butterball cuteness!

Here is a picture of the boys in twin shirts (which I had promised myself I would never to do them, but I couldn't resist because it is adorable and not as annoying when I am not the one being dressed up as a twin)

We are so cute!

I love my baby brother!

  All Done!

The Mess that Made A Story

Did you make that mess?

Me?  

       How could you even ask?

Ok, maybe it was me..

I didn't mean to do it

Sorry Mama

I LOOVE YOU!

Don't look at me, I didn't do it!

Micro Stories

There are things that happen throughout the week or day that aren’t quite worthy of a full blog, but are worth mentioning or I want to note for the future so I am going to call those postings Microstories and try to capture them each week or so…

 

Every day when Papa Bear comes home from work he takes Little Man outside for some running around before dinner.  Typically, they will ride one of Little Man’s bikes/trikes/big wheel type contraption of which he has many (more than he needs).  Earlier this week as Papa Bear popped Little Man up onto the curb he told him he was going to “pop-a-wheely”.  Little Man immediately returned that he wanted to “mama-wheely” instead.  Oh how cute he is.  Now when they ride bikes he goes through it all, Mama-Wheely, BabyLG-Wheely and Papa-Wheely. 

 

Last night at dinner, which was remarkably laid back and easy because Little Man was getting his favorite dinner and did not have to be cajoled into each, Peanut gave us his first smile of recognition.  He was sitting in his blue chair next to the dinner table and I looked down and said hi and he looked up at me and smiled (through his binky) right at me.  It made my entire day and I have since been caught trying to sneak up on him, appear out of nowhere to see if I can get another one!

 

Little Man received Elmo socks from his Aunt Carol and Uncle Lee in the mail yesterday.  They have since not come off of his feet.  When I asked what made him sleep so well last night, we agreed that it was the magic Elmo socks.  His feet just might turn red before he lets me remove them!  And yes, I am that mom that will let him wear them for 3 days straight because some battles are worth fighting and some are just Elmo socks.

 

I love Little Man’s resilience.  This morning we were playing with his blocks and we were building bird houses and very very high towers.  His tower had gotten decently high when it came tumbling down.  I waited for his dismay and all he said was “Almost, now try again”.  I was so proud of him and said that’s right we can always make it again.  He looked up at me with his wise 2 year old eyes and said “Mama make it this time”.  So I did because how could I refuse his cuteness.

 

The other day there was a sad event of a snail.  Papa Bear and Little Man were outside playing and came across a snail.  For what seemed like 20 minutes they watched and played with this snail.  All of a sudden Little Man stood up and promptly stepped on the snail.  He didn’t do it maliciously as he proved by his next sentence.  He looked up and said “Papa, snail no move?”  Papa Bear did a great distraction technique to avoid having to explain death and dying of a snail to a 2 year old.  But sometimes when we play in the yard, Little Man returns to the scene of the crime and says “Bye Bye snail, no move”.  So I guess he gets is afterall.

The Amazing Baby With No Neck

Check out Peanut in all of his glorious chunk.  I can't find his neck and he has at least 3 rolls I have to wade through to find his adorable bum.  He is 6 weeks today and could probably pass for 3 months from a size perspective.  I love all of his chunk and fat, so much more to kiss on and love.

Star Gazing

I have no explanation. I have a few ideas, but none that are backed by scientific fact so I hesitate to share them. What I do know is that both of my boys love to stare at the ceiling in my living room, in any room really. They just like to look up. It started at about 6 weeks for both of them. When you pick them up, they throw themselves back (so if you are new to holding babies, I wouldn't start with mine) and stare at the ceiling as if I had taped up a picture of Pamela Anderson in all of her plastic glory above them. Many theories exist, we have brown beams and a white ceiling and babies like contrast. (But infants at 6 weeks can only see about 12 inches in front of them so I am not sure that is the case). There is a position in the womb called star gazing where they are tilted back just like this and thus prefer that position out of the womb. (Except that they didn't start this behavior until 6 weeks so that kind of rules that theory out.) Whatever the reason, it is either genetic or environmental, it is either normal or very strange, it is either good for them or bad for them, but whatever it is - it is hard to hold on to them, so watch out!

Peanut

Little Man

The Peanut Scare (Part II)

When I was pregnant with Little Man I did all of the research for the top of the line safety equipment (I stopped just short of a diaper helmet to protect his head).  The most important to me was the monitor.  I had heard that a video monitor was too much (didn’t give you a great picture and you just ended up staring at a dark screen stressed out) and that a sound monitor was too little (you ended up checked every 5 minutes to see if the baby was breathing).  Ok, maybe you wouldn’t, but I would have.  So I found my monitor, it was a sound and movement detector.  If the baby stopped moving for more than 20 seconds an alarm would sound signaling that the baby had stopped breathing.  Perfect!  It fit all of my criteria without being way too over the top.  (Some of you might disagree with this, but whatever my kids, my neuroses, my decision.)  Well I can’t tell you if it really worked for me with Little Man because he might have slept in his crib all of 3 weeks his whole life.  We ended up co-sleeping (stop judging people) until he was 9 months old and then he moved right onto a mattress.  But Peanut loves his crib.  He prefers it to his swing and to his bassinet.  Ok, enough chatter, on to the scare.  So last night, or really really early this morning the ALARM SOUNDED.  That is right, Peanut’s monitor alarm sounded and I jumped straight out of bed yelling for Papa Bear and rushing down the hall.  It was the longest 10 steps of my life.  And what did I find.  Peanut had scootched himself up to the very top of the crib and was laying horizontal across the top instead of vertical (as I had laid him in earlier) so he was no longer registering on the alarm pad.  I rotated him and pulled him back into place earning myself a “Mwaaa” screech from the Peanut himself.  This one is on the move and already sending me into panics.  Let’s just say I didn’t sleep much the rest of the night and eventually just put him back in the bassinet next to my bed where I could keep an eye on him.  Yes, Mama Bear is overprotective and maybe a little over the top but it is my right and well, the facts are that I am just that kind of Mama.

When Mama Bear's Away.....

Papa Bear and Little Man will play!  Papa Bear is not known for his Mama Bear approved games.  He and Little Man have created games called Rocket Ball and Blast Off.  It does not go unnoticed that both times Little Man has chipped his teeth, Papa Bear was in charge (although I am over the trauma of it, well mostly over it).  

Tonight I was doing a friend a favor and babysitting for her kids so she could go on a date with her husband.  So after dinner, Peanut and I packed it up and headed out leaving Papa Bear and Little Man the run of the house for a few hours.  They had a blast together as always, but I did find this video when I returned that proves that Papa Bear and Little Man were not operating under Mama Bear Rules.  The rules that have been broken are as follows:

1.  No wagon rides down steps

2.  Helmet on when riding dangerous rides

3.  If you have to say the words "Hold On Tight" then stop whatever it is you are doing and ask yourself "Would Mama Bear say this was a good choice?" 

Ok so I made that last one up just now, but watch the video and you will understand why that has become a new official Mama Bear Rule!