Day 113 | A Lunch Date

As often as we can manage we have a standing lunch date via FaceTime with my good friend, Mary Catherine, who moved to Cape Cod last fall. I'm grateful for the technology because I'm terrible at keeping in touch (sorry for all of you that have experienced this first hand!).

These little lunch dates make me happier than I can express. And Chase loves to join in and check on MC's puppy. Everyone is happy!

Day 112 | Brotherly Love

 Since yesterday's post was slightly long-winded, I'll go short and sweet today.

Could these two be any sweeter?

Day 111 | Surviving the Four Month Sleep Regression

This post has been a long time coming. At three months, Robbe went from a 5-6 hour first stretch to waking up every 1.5-2 hours.  I tried to stay status quo with our sleep strategy (no feeding until that 5-6 hour mark, rocking back to sleep, etc), but after five weeks (looking back...crazy!) I woke up one morning and just snapped.  Something had to change and I came up with a plan.

I'm happy to report that after a bit of a setback last week (thanks to Robbe's first cold), we've finally settled into a good stretch again. At this point, he's doing a 7.5-9 hour first sleep stretch (he wakes up just once to eat and goes back down for another several hours).  I've been hesitant to write anything about this upswing (I'm a big believer in jinxing) but at some point I have to be optimistic that we have officially survived the four month sleep regression.

He put up one heck of a fight along the way, but this is what I did to finally snap Robbe out of the 1.5-2 hour wakings that occurred for far too long:

•  No more swaddle.  Cold turkey.  No looking back.
• No more using the chair as a crutch.  For naps or bedtime.
• Moved bedtime up from 9:30pm to 8:00pm (and now, closer to 7:45pm).  The later bedtime worked when he was a little guy, but not anymore.
• Started letting him cry...just a bit.  It started with one morning nap.  I went in after five minutes of crying. Then I was going to let him go 10 more minutes.  He cried for eight and then fell asleep.  And he hasn't looked back since. Now, if he cries, it's for only a couple minutes max. I also give this ten minute buffer in the middle of the night if he wakes up before it's time to eat. More often than not, he falls back to sleep (by himself!) before the 10 minutes is up.
• More morning naps at home. It's not always possible to be home long enough in the morning for Robbe to sleep in his own crib. I also have to keep our toddler occupied, right? My goal is to let him sleep at home at least a few times a week.  It doesn't seem to make much of an impact on his afternoon nap either way or his night sleeps, but regardless it's good for him.
• Tummy time. In the middle of this strategy shift, Robbe started rolling over from back to tummy. I would put him down on his back but once he got worked up enough, he would flip over then fall right asleep.  I took this as nature's way of telling me he was ready to start sleeping on his tummy. What a difference!

 It took about a week of this strategy to really turn the corner but it felt different immediately.  I could tell we were making progress right from the start.  He needed to teach himself how to fall asleep and that's what I wasn't teaching him how to do. I thought he was too young to let cry but, honestly, I didn't see any other option at the end.  And the outcome (such a short cry-time right off the bat) confirmed that we (I use I a lot in this post, but make no mistake, Chris was by my side throughout this madness) made the right choice.

I'm not writing this as any fool-proof survival guide but it worked for us.  Mostly, I just wanted to chronicle my journey through this terribly difficult time just in case I have a friend that's going through a similar challenge in the future.

Have we conquered the last of Robbe's sleep problems? Probably not. Is it all smooth sailing on the child-rearing front from here on out?  Definitely no.  Do I feel a ton of relief knowing that we managed to cross this first major hurdle.  Darn right.

Day 110 | Another Day, Another Park

 Have I mentioned how much I enjoy living in a city with a plethora of parks? As much as we love Tree Park and visit it often, having new parks to check out and neighborhoods to explore is a fantastic summertime activity for this trio (me and the boys).

Today's adventure took us to Chevy Chase Recreation Center. It was a really fun playground and Chase found lots of challenging and fun equipment to master. The best parts of the day? 

1. Spending time with our friends Laura and Pearl before they welcome their new baby into their family (today's her due date!). 

2. Hanging out in our old neighborhood. Living in Chevy Chase as a newly married couple when we moved to the District (8 years ago!) was one of the best times of our life. We loved this neighborhood so much that we named Chase (remember, this is his middle name) after it. Such fond memories. 

Day 109 | Books, Books and More Books

I'm fairly certain Chase is addicted to books. I'm not sure if it's because he really likes the stories or if he realizes when we're reading we'll give him undivided attention (I admit that sometimes I get distracted by other things when we're just playing). After the cold bug struck last week and we were reading constantly, I decided it would be fun to tally how many books we read in a week. Here were the guidelines:

1. Chase had to initiate the reading (except the two before bed). 

2. When he wanted to be done, we were done (no convincing him to read more to pad the total). And don't misunderstand, we still had to cut him off several times (we have to eat, after all). 

3. Length of book didn't matter. We read a bunch of baby board books but the number of crazy long Berenstain Bear books (and others) balanced those out. 

And the grand total is...

88 books in seven days. 

I have to be honest, I was thinking we'd top 100 but 88 still isn't bad for a two year old. And, for the record, I think we would have broke 100 if Chris wasn't off two days last week (we typically read a lot while I'm feeding Robbe). Even if it did lower our tally, I'll still take the time off with the hubbie. :)

In case you're wondering, our total for today is already 17. This kid is a reader. 

Day 108 | A Green Thumb

Chase has been cultivating his green thumb with this garden kit from Grandma and Grandpa G. It's not exactly the best time of year to start seedlings, but you work with what you've got (the move lowered the garden kits on our priority list). 

We're happy to report that we've got sprouts in all 20 spots: 10 sunflower and 10 marigold. Chase is pretty excited about his little garden. We'll keep you posted on the progress!

Day 107 | Tree Park

With the boys not feeling well this past week, we haven't been at Tree Park at all...not once in ten days (well, we went twice but Chase wouldn't get out of the stroller)! For a family that visits this park several times a week, it's felt like we've been missing a good friend.

Today was the day! We meet again, Tree Park, and you're looking better than ever, racoons and all.

Day 106 | To the Fair

We've been going to the Great Frederick County Fair every year but it's not until the end of September which nearly kills Chris (he's a big fair fan). A friend clued us into another must visit county fair yesterday so obviously we loaded up the car today to check it out.

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is packed with all the fair excitement we could ask for (minus the apple dumplings, but we need a reason to go back to Frederick, after all).  A few of the highlights included:

• Watching pig and duck races
• Seeing a hawk fly (twice!)
• The food, obviously (have I mentioned Chris loves corndogs?)
• An emergency vehicle bouncy castle (Chase actually went in...and had fun...crazy!)
• Petting a giant giant cow (and we've seen a fair amount of cows in our day)
• Climbing all over tractors and riding lawnmowers
• And, of course, 4-H exhibits (the best was a soda can collection)

Thanks for a fun day, Fair.  We'll see you again next year.

Day 105 | Three Berry Tart

It was another lovely (and yummy, this time!) morning at Whole Foods. This time, Chris was able to partake in the fun.

We made delicious three berry tarts with mini pie crusts, yogurt and, of course, berries. Not all the berries made it onto the tart but that's to be expected. 

It was delicious and free family fun!

Day 104 | Mr. Aricio

Over the last few weeks, we had a very nice contractor, Aricio, take care of a couple projects around the house. He made us a beautiful built-in bookshelf (looks like it was meant to be there) and built attic access (yay storage!) with a drop down ladder. We're incredibly happy with the finished products.

He was a very sweet man and Chase talked about him a lot..."Mr. Aricio" this, "Mr. Aricio" that. It was very cute. So much that I asked Aricio to pose for a photo with Chase so he can remember him (see above).

I imagine we'll have other odd jobs that will pop up and that we'll see Aricio again but for now we'll be thankful we're done with house construction projects for a bit (have I mentioned how fun they are to coordinate with two napping babies?). 

Day 103 | Benefits of Sick Days

A few moments from our rain/sick day today.  Chase with his lego train (thanks, Grandma and Grandpa M!), Robbe with FaceTime smiles, Chase showing off his "fancy riding" skills on our new rocking chairs.

That's right, I said it. There are a *few* benefits to sick days with the kiddos. You've got to stay optimistic at a time like this, right?

Here's my list:

1. Getting over my fear of staying home: I used to be terrified about staying home with both boys ALL DAY LONG. Even when Robbe took his morning nap at home, we would run out of the house right when he woke up. The last few days have proven that we can stay home and that we won't go totally stir crazy.
2. Sick baby cuddles: this is an obvious one. Could they be any sweeter?
3. Taking the good days for granted: no more. Having two sick babies makes me realize even more how lucky we are to have healthy babies the rest of the time.  It's a real reality check.
4. Two for one: at least both boys are sick at the same time and this won't be drawn out for several weeks as it makes its rounds.  A friend made me realize this (thanks, Maureen!) and I hadn't even thought of it.

Day 102 | Busting Out

We have been cooped up in the house for three whole days with sick kiddos. All Chase wants to do is read (sweet, but very monotonous) and poor Robbe just can't catch a break when he's trying to sleep.

Today, I decided some vitamin D is just what we all needed (mostly me, I have to admit). We went for a nice long walk, tried to stop at tree park (Chase wanted nothing to do with it...that's when you know it's bad!), then headed home. Not terribly exciting but I'll take it. 

I keep thinking we're on the downhill side of this whole sickness thing but I'm not so sure today. I'll stay optimistic, though!

Day 101 | A Donation

So I've thought about donating my hair for a long time but just never had the patience to let it grow. Thanks to inspiration from my nieces (who have donated in the past), my friend Sarah (who just recently donated and reminded me of how close I was getting to the length requirement), and my total lack of motivation to get my hair cut lately, today was the day.

My last hair cut was pre-Robbe (very pre-, in fact) so I ended up having just over 10 inches cut off. I feel like a different person! And my new teeny ponytail is somehow what excites me most. It's the little things (...get it? Little things?). :)

With two babies, doing anything charitable for others is, unfortunately, a low priority (I hate to admit it!). Donating hair is such a quick and easy way to give back, and since I have a relatively low attachment to my hair, it's perfect. I'm trying to decide between Locks of Love and Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. For now, I'll admire my old friend while it dries waiting to be mailed.  

Day 100 | Update on the Team

In celebration of 100 days (!!) of blogging, I decided to update our team profile.  A lot changes in 100 days.  If I can keep this whole blogging thing up (I hope so!), perhaps I'll revisit our profile every 100 posts.  I can tell you're excited.

Name: Sara
Age: 30
Favorites: Family (immediate and extended...love, love, love these people), crafting (I'll have time for this again someday, right?), listening to toddler belly laughs, seeing my boys start to develop their brotherly bond, sleeping longer stretches at night (most nights)
Biggest hurdle to overcome: Getting pulled in two different directions, literally, as Robbe starts to think about moving (so far he's got the rolling down).
Dreams for the future: Putting finishing touches on our amazing house.  Bookshelf? Check. Attic access? Check. Dining room table? Check. Miscellaneous furniture delivery? In progress. Hanging photos? In progress.

Name: Chris
Age: 31
Favorites: "Daddy, how was your day?" from his favorite toddler, movie trailers (although watching the full movies rarely happens), having every other Friday off, Wisconsin sports teams, Cadbury cream eggs (how can anyone eat those things?), gigantic ice cubes
Biggest hurdle to overcome: Continuing his ability to create original songs for Chase. Coming up with several a day is no joke. No joke.
Dreams for the future: Finally hosting a house warming party.  Will our furniture ever come?

Name: Chase
Age: 2.5 years (well, almost)
Favorites: Books, "Tree Park", blueberries, playing chomper with Daddy (a bear pretending to be an alligator chomps at him, obviously), any outing, trains (watching, playing with, reading about), mama/dada, ma and pas (grandparents: they are grouped into one entity), his little brother
Biggest hurdle to overcome: Eating breakfast (why is that such a challenge?)
Dreams for the future: Owning/riding in/seeing a light blue car. 

Name: Robbe
Age: 5 months
Favorites: Going for walks, his brother (and mom and dad, of course), rolling over, sucking his thumb (I know...uh oh), eating
Biggest hurdle to overcome: Finding a comfortable position to take in the chaos surrounding him (laying on your tummy gets exhausting, not quite ready for unassisted sitting, too big and wiggly for our favorite yellow chair).
Dreams for the future: Starting to eat real food (fingers crossed for a smooth transition)

Name: Miga the Cat
Age: 8 years
Favorites: Being outside, sleeping on white surfaces (only makes sense since she's a black cat), head-butting for attention, showing off her snaggle-teeth (she has two, could we be any luckier?), keeping our feet and crooks of our knees warm at night (really helpful and not at all annoying), meowing at the highest volume level imaginable.
Biggest hurdle to overcome: Coming to terms with the fact that she's an indoor cat now.  Not an easy transition.
Dreams for the future: A calmer existence.  It's been a rough few months for this one: a new baby, a new house, moving to single-cat status, no more outdoor adventures. Poor kitty.

Name: Moggy the Cat
Age: he was with us for 7 eventful years
Favorites: Eating anything and everything (favorites over the years: cell phone chargers, q-tips, hair ties), getting attention from Chase (I swear he really did like it), rubbing up on Chris's work pants (he was a white cat so rubbing on black pants just makes sense), sitting in boxes (why is this fun for cats?)
Dreams for the future: Our family challenge is coming to terms with the fact we'll never see that sweet, handsome kitty cat again. He'll always be with us in spirit...

Day 99 | A Sick Day

 

We are incredibly lucky to have had to deal with only one low grade fever since Chase was born (with either baby). We were reminded just how lucky we are today (not that we needed the reminder) when Chase spiked his second-ever fever this morning and generally just feels crappy. Robbe has a bit of a cough, No fun.

We've spent the morning watching a special choo choo show, reading lots of books, singing and cuddling. Just what the doctor ordered. The Tylenol has kicked in and an energy boost followed. Here's hoping for a long, restorative nap and a brighter afternoon ahead.

Did I mention? Chris is off today so I still haven't had to deal with sick babies solo. It's definitely easier to give everyone the attention they need this way. I'm incredibly grateful for that guy.

Day 98 | Goey Gak at Whole Foods

Chase, Robbe and I spent the morning at Whole Foods for one of their Half Pint Kids Club classes. We made goey gak out of glue, water and Borax laundry detergent. Chase doesn't really enjoy getting dirty (I can't imagine where he gets that from...) so he wasn't overly excited about the final product but the process was lots of fun.

They also offered yummy snacks along with the project, all for free!  Can't beat that.  Yes, sir, we'll be back.

Day 97 | If Chase had a Twin...

Ever since we became friends with Susan and sweet Caroline (when the babies weren't even crawling!), there's always been an eerie similarity between these babies. Size, demeanor, voice volume (there used to be some loud "conversations" between the two of them), hair color, etc., they are two peas in a pod. Do you see it?

We're so lucky to call them friends.

*Photo credit to Caroline's mom, Susan.  I wasn't quick enough to get the good shots this time around.

Day 96 | A Snapshot of Our Life

Can one photo capture this time in the boys' lives any better? Chase running around like a crazy toddler and Robbe loving every second of the chaos.

Full disclosure: this moment happened yesterday but it was just too perfect not to share (and the boys are still in bed so I'll share early!).

So sweet.

Day 95 | National Postal Museum

The National Postal Museum is hands-down one of the best kept secrets in the District for entertaining kiddos.  Seems like it might be a bit dull for them, right?  Think again!  They did a great job of making the exhibits kid-friendly and yet interesting for adults.  You can even make your own e-stamp (see above).

Other highlights from Chase's perspective?

• Driving in the semi-truck cab
• Sorting packages
• Scanning mail
• Looking at historical stamps (they made it fun, I swear!)

Every time we've gone, it's been really quiet, even in the heat of tourist season.  It's also steps from the Metro (Union Station) unlike most of the other Smithsonian museums.

Have I sold you yet?  Go check it out.  You'll be happy you did...and so will your toddler!

Day 94 | Whole Wheat Pancakes

Our delicious family tradition recently has been enjoying whole wheat pancakes on the weekends. 

I've been honing my pancake recipe for awhile now and finally stopped tweaking. My goal? Yummy whole wheat + sugar free pancakes. We serve with fruit instead of syrup. You won't miss the sugar at all!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 4 tsp baking powder

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• 1/2 cup orange juice

• 1 TBSP applesauce

Directions 

• Sift together flour, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon.

• Beat together eggs, milk, orange juice, and honey in a separate bowl. (I've successfully used only one bowl by mixing these wet ingredients first and then just adding the dry ingredients one at a time. Both options work.)

• Preheat skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.

• Serve with mixed berries.