Day 672 | Growing Up

Big day today: Robbe was released from his highchair cage. After my fight with my back, I wasn't able to lift him out of his chair for the past week. Chase has been squeezing into Robbe's chair since that fateful weekend. Today, Robbe got the upgrade. He's officially free to come and go. I hope he doesn't let the power go to his head.

Want a stroll down memory lane? Here's one of the first posts I blogged about Robbe joining our dinner table. Aren't they adorable?

Day 671 | The Cupcakes

As promised, a separate blog post dedicated to my favorite food item from the party: the cupcakes.

These turned out so delicious that I had to share it with you all and document it for myself for future use.

Here's what I did:

• Used a regular chocolate cake mix for the actual cupcakes
• Used this strawberry frosting recipe with a two modifications: 1. I used an entire container of strawberries and 2. I omitted the last 1/2 cup of powdered sugar-it just didn't need it. Initially my frosting seemed to lack as much strawberry flavor as I'd hoped but the strawberry definitely came out more after sitting for a bit (I would even consider overnight).
• Pureed a pack of regular stuffed Oreos in my Vitamix. Then sprinkled heavily on top. It turned into the most real-looking dirt I could have imagined. Somehow all the stuffing got evenly distributed into the crumbs of the cookies. Perfect!

These will definitely make an appearance at a future party. I love it when an idea comes together!

Day 670 | Some Party Photos

With only a couple of cupcakes left and most of the decorations down, we're officially closing the book on Robbe's birthday.

The little guy had the time of his life yesterday. He was quite the social host and loved flitting between all the activities (a hammering station with golf tees and flower foam blocks, a sensory bin filled with fun packing peanuts for his trucks to move around, and a pin-the-wheel on the truck game), friends (8 kids, 9 adults), and food (apple+grape cars, veggies+hummus, pizza, and, of course cupcakes...which will be described in tomorrow's post),

The most exciting moment? Robbe blew out both his candles in one breath after waiting patiently, without prompting, for the birthday song to conclude. He's the best.

Day 669 | A Birthday Party [Finally]

After a week postponement, we hosted a fun, chaotic, truck-filled birthday party for our sweet two year old today. I'll post some additional photos tomorrow, but for tonight enjoy this perfect snapshot of Robbe playing pin-the-wheel on the truck. He had the best time.

Day 668 | Pizza Movie Party

The PTO of Chase's school hosted a
super fun family pizza movie night tonight. Chase (and in extension, Robbe) could not have been more excited. He asked about fifteen times if he should put his shoes on yet as we were waiting for 6pm to roll around. It's fun to experience that type of excitement through the eyes of a child, isn't it? The enthusiasm was definitely infectious, and spread to more of our family than just Robbe.

You'll be glad to know, the evening didn't disappoint. However, we now have to rent Inside Out to catch the last 30 minutes. :)

Day 667 | Shorts

Have you heard? It's been in the high 70s here. It's weird. And amazing.

Chase has been excited about the prospect of shorts for awhile now. Robbe, on the other hand, doesn't remember the freedom they offer and was very skeptical when Chris tried to put them on him. He did put them on, but Robbe kept pointing at his legs and making his "eh eh" sound which, roughly translated, means "look at this." Day two of shorts, today, led to a similar hesitation/enthusiasm. He's such a sweet pea.

Day 666 | Thank You, Friends

Unrelated to today's post, but noteworthy nonetheless: Robbe's facing forward in the car now! Our little peanut is growing up.

The back pain hasn't *quite* subsided, but the boys and I managed to pull it off without Chris as main caretaker. That's what you call a success.

I will say, the only way we managed to survive is because of my sweet friends who took on my children (in addition to their own) to give me some much needed couch time. Thank you, Dawn and Cassie, for encouraging me accept your help. I could not have done it without you and I am beyond grateful.

Day 665 | Making Progress

I was, for the most part, the sole caretaker for Robbe today. Chris stayed home and worked while I hung out with Robbe and did everything in my power not to bother Chris at work. It was pretty successful, I'd say. Not the most exciting day for our sweet boy but at least I don't think I set my recovery back at all. That's a big accomplishment!

Pictured above is one of my favorite "mommy needs to just lay here" activities. He decorated my jeans with his favorite thing: stickers. It kept him occupied for much longer than I would have guessed. Thank goodness. 

Tomorrow is my first official day back as Chris is headed to work in the morning. Happy thoughts are once again appreciated. 

Day 664 | Patience 2.0

Don't worry...Robbe and Chase have been very gentle with me. And these little snuggles are about the only thing that has made me smile during this whole mess. Those, and Chris's jokes, obviously.

Well, I'm feeling better. But not as much better as I want to be or as I think I should be after the last 3.5 days of laying on the couch/bed/floor.

Let's just hope I crossed some sort of hurdle and will be much improved tomorrow. Everyone's thinking happy thoughts, right? Thank you in advance. 

Day 663 | Patience

Robbe and Chris doing some acrobatics while I look on from my perch on the floor.

It's been a long couple of days.  Patience, as it turns out, is not my strong suit. I don't understand why the medication isn't working as quickly as I'd like. I don't like that Chris has to shoulder the load with the kiddos all alone. I'm worried about how long this whole recovery process will take. Urgh.

Chris has been overly amazing and I'm grateful every second that he's here to take care of us. He's the best.

Day 662 | My Back

Sorry for missing yesterday's post. It was a rough day around here. Remember when I had that pesky back problem a few months ago? Well here we go again.

Yesterday's fairly normal start to the day turned into a situation where I had to call Chris home from work because I couldn't stand or move without my back muscles spasming and sending debilitating shock waves thought my entire body. And there wasn't ever a specific moment where I moved funny or did something specific to cause this incredible pain.

I finally gave in and decided to head to urgent care mid-morning and I can officially say that was the worst car ride of my whole life. And that includes driving to the hospital in labor with both my babies. In fact, I will say that these muscle spasms were a TON more painful than my un-medicated baby deliveries. It was that bad.  

As you can tell, I had x-rays taken of my back (also not the most pain-free experience, as you might have guessed). Everything was normal in the x-rays so that was good news. The bad news? The super powerful injection of an anti-inflammatory drug did nothing to ease my pain for the drive home. This experience was the longest, most painful 3 hours of my life.

Thanks to additional steroid and muscle relaxing medications, I'm feeling a bit better today. No more crazy spasms, just a very sore back which is limiting my ability stand up and walk very easily. It seems like the medications should be working faster but I guess that's too much to ask.

Fingers crossed for continued improvement tomorrow!

Day 661 | Birthdays + Materialism

We have no shortage of toys around our house. If you've been here, you can vouch. I will say, however, that the numerous times I've tried to weed some out, I inevitably find one favor from a birthday party that's acceptable for me to pitch (everything else stays because they play with it all...I swear).

As birthday season approaches, I start to feel a bit guilty about adding more "things" to our already more-than-adequate supply. Should we start asking for alternative gifts for our boys? Should Chris and I scale back on what we get them? Should I push for "no gifts, please" on the birthday party invites?

All of this swirls around in my head until, at last, I acknowledge that the boys truly love LOVE receiving gifts. They don't have to be large (in size or monetary value) or something that's been on their list forever (Chase's changes daily, afterall). Regardless of what it is, kids love the excitement of unwrapping and discovering these tokens that someone has spent time and energy and money selecting just for them. The pure joy emanating from them during these gift-openings is infectious. And I think their ages have something to do with this. They're still young enough that they aren't expecting anything specific for special occasions but they're old enough to really love new toys and get excited about all the new playtime possibilities. 

So, at the end of the day, presents are good. I'll try to be more mindful of instilling gracious gift-receiving behaviors in our boys and, on the flip side, donating the items we really can live without. 

Having said all that, thank you friends and family for bringing such happiness and excitement to our sweet Robbe yesterday through your gifts (both physical and in thoughts and well-wishes). Since Robbe can't quite express it himself yet, Chris and I will say how extremely appreciative we all are on his behalf. 

Day 660 | And He Turns Two

In celebration of our baby's second birthday, a top ten list for your reading enjoyment.

Top Ten Best Things about 2-year-old Robbe

1. His sense of humor: this guy is hysterical. And he doesn't even try.
2. His musical side: he loves playing the guitar and singing songs (mostly the alphabet variety).
3. His sweet snuggles: I've never seen a two year old that willingly offers up so much quality snuggletime.
4. His love of trucks: seeing them, playing with them, wearing them on his clothing, talking about them, reading about them, really anything related.
5. His smile: It's infectious and about the sweetest thing ever.
6. His desire to be older: to occupy his brother's mealtime chair, to attend his brother's school, to sit forward facing in his brother's car seat, to read his brother's [lengthy] books. He's pretty advanced.
7. His love of his mama: sometimes it drives Chris and me crazy (when it comes to diaper changes, for example), but his affinity towards me melts my heart. It's a special relationship, no doubt.
8. His 16 words: Robbe remains the strong silent type, but has no problem communicating (just without words). An approximate list of all his recognizable words are as follows: mom, dad, brother, kitty, doggy, water, bubbles, deal, grandma, hi, bye bye, night, good, yes, tree, green. 
9. His appetite for food: this kid loves to eat / is borderline addicted. He doesn't really turn his nose up at anything, but a list of some of his favorites includes: any fruit, any sweet, carrots, pizza, pancakes, oatmeal balls, yogurt, granola bars, and dried fruit.
10. His appetite for life: he's about the most fun-loving, adventurous, creative, affectionate little dude you'll ever meet. 

These past two years have, at the same time, felt like the blink of an eye (our baby is two?!?) and an eternity (he's only been around two years?!?). Our little family and everyone Robbe surrounds himself with are happier because he's here. Happy birthday, my sweet little sparky.

Day 659 | Truck Party Sneak Peek

With sweet Robbe's birthday party right around the corner, I decided to show you all some of the festive decorations I've created for the truck-themed shindig.

First (top left), construction sign stickers that party-goers can write their name on so everyone can keep track of their cups (one of my big annoyances at parties).

Second (top right), Robbe's friends will all go home with their own personalized construction hats.

Third (bottom), a construction cone banner that will say, "Robbe is 2!". It's hard to tell in the photo but the letters are made out of "planks" of wood and attached with little "nail" fasteners.

There are a few more fun surprises yet to come. It's going to be pretty fantastic...at least I hope!

Day 658 | Making Sushi

Chase was out of school one day last week, and while he was out, his classmates made paper sushi (because they were reading this book about a cat who loves sushi). Chase's teachers were sweet enough to send him home with his own "fixings" so he wouldn't feel left out. As you can see, Chase and Robbe (that's his "say cheese" face, by the way), really enjoyed the craft. It's just too bad we couldn't eat them at the end!

Day 657 | Advice for Soon-to-be Moms

Throwback photo: this is me one month away from meeting Chase. Oh, if only I had this list to prepare me for what was to come...

Since my good friend announced her pregnancy, I decided it was time to round up some of the smartest moms I know (my friends) to instill some bits of knowledge to help all soon-to-be-moms ease into the transition of motherhood. I know I could have used this list! Bare in mind, these are just some friendly tips. Some you'll agree with, some you won't. And that's ok.

Oh, and sorry in advance for the length of this post. It turns out experienced moms have a lot to offer in terms of good advice. I'm not surprised.

On motherhood (simply stated):

• It is horribly cliched, but having children truly is both way more fun and way harder than I ever anticipated. 
• Being a mom is just so wonderful. Congratulations. Enjoy. It's better than people let on. :) 

On pregnancy:

• Enjoy the solo time with your partner. You won’t have solo one-on-one time for a long time so try to focus on that relationship while you have the time+energy to do so.
• Be present. Don’t keep waiting for the next milestone (exiting the first trimester! the first ultrasound! the gender reveal! the point of external viability!) or you’ll miss the whole miracle of what’s going on inside you.
• Drink oj before ultrasounds. It gives the wee one a bit of a sugar high and ensures that he/she is not sleeping while the tech is trying to get the right angles. *Warning: the baby might be a *bit* too active for some people’s preferences.
• Make Sara's oatmeal balls!!  **side note: I didn't write this one...however, I will say that these oatmeal balls did get me through my pregnancies, labors, and breastfeeding hunger attacks!
• Appreciate your sleep. It’s never going to be the same. The baby will eventually sleep through the night (I promise!) but your sleep patterns will probably be altered forever.

On accepting support:

• Protect time for yourself right now. It’s harder to make time for yourself after you’ve gotten in the routine of always being around. Come up with a game plan to protect what’s important to you.
• Plan for a support system. Baby rearing is hard. Find people (family, friends, babysitter, etc) that can give you a break.
• Think about the things that are important to you and do what you can to protect them. Make them non-negotiable, like you would some of the other things in your life related to the baby or life, even if other people may think they're not as important. You can only take excellent care of your child if you're taking excellent care of yourself (and sometimes that means putting your child first, and sometimes it doesn’t).
• Accept help as much as you can. People love to do it and the time away makes you a better parent in the long run. Missing your child is kind of fun sometimes.

On childbirth:

• Don’t fixate [too much] on the actual labor/delivery. Whatever is going to happen, will happen. You have no control over it and there’s no point dwelling on it.
• We are made/designed for labor, it is a natural thing so what happens is ok and normal.  Trust your delivery team.
• The idea of childbirth is scary but everyday you see women walking down the street that have done it. And are willing to do it again. And have done it again. And again. It can't be that bad if that many women are willing to do it, and actually do it again. They survived and you will too. 

On having a newborn: 

• Beware of excessive amounts of laundry. It’s amazing how many dirty clothes such a teeny person can create.
• If you turn out not to be one of those women who bounces back from childbirth immediately and is out and about and feeling spry within days, know that you are not alone.
• No one ever mentions that there is a 4th Trimester, but there is one.  Look it up. It is that first couple of months with the baby and adjusting to a new way. It may not be easy but you will figure it out.
• You will never spoil/train them to be dependent upon you by holding them a lot for the first couple months.  Enjoy it without regret.
• Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle: they are used to being snug so they like it. 
• You will probably be late for your first doctor appointment with the baby. It is shocking to learn how long it truly takes to get out the door. In a nutshell, try to make post-10am appointments.
• I used the Boppy pillow to sit on more than anything.  It helped with taking off that extra pressure after labor. 
• After the baby is born it is ok to not feel that overwhelming joy and love.  It took my husband and I a few days/week to really feel it.  That is totally normal.
• Once you deliver, your hormones drop/change so fast that you may start to shake and get really cold.  Again, totally normal. 
• Sleep when your baby sleeps. Everyone always says it, but I actually did that with my second baby and it really makes a difference. Total game changer. 
• When the baby won't stop crying and you are seconds away from pulling your hair out, it's ok to put the baby in the crib, walk away and take a deep breath. The baby is in a safe place and you can take a minute to regain some sanity before you dive back in.

On diapering:

• Disregard the weight ranges on disposable diapers and size up to prevent leaks!
• Find your diaper: in my head, I entertained notions of being a cloth diaper kind of gal. In reality, I tried every single brand of natural organic disposable and endured many many diapering disasters (oh, the poop....) before finally turning to good ol' Pampers -- and never had to worry about leakage again. Turns out diaper brand, just like everything else about parenting, is a very personal thing. 
• If you use a diaper pail, use the correct bags for them: the knock-off brands and "biodegradable" options smell more, even with the cover shut.

On childrearing:

• Everything is a phase. When you hit a rough patch, bare in mind that everything is a phase. Hold your ground, make sure expectations are clear, and wait it out. It’ll pass. Seriously.
• It's ABSOLUTELY ok to use your free time to leave the house a mess and watch TV instead for the hour your child is napping.
• Create clear + realistic expectations for your child and stick to it. Giving in and making exceptions only confuses them and allows them to think if they push you, you'll cave.
• Routine is huge! 
• Your relationship with your partner will change. That's ok! Let it morph. Relationships have different stages. 
• For labor and for motherhood, I found it extremely helpful (life-changing) to have a meditation practice. It can be 5 minutes/day of mindful breathing or whatever. There are tons of resources online, including many guided meditations. (This is one blog I really like.) 
• Sing! Singing is so good for you and for your baby. There's lots of research about it, and it just feels good! We made up songs about changing diapers, brushing teeth, and continue to dance together in the living room to our favorite CD's. Good stuff.
• There is a wide range of normal for everything: rashes, developmental milestones, sleeping, feeding etc. Even when it feels like you are the only one in that playgroup that doesn't have a baby that does x, you're not. And that rash? Probably normal.
• Take lots of pictures, you won't regret it.
• Go on walks. Fresh air is so rejuvenating.
• Shower and get dressed daily. You'll feel so much better.
• We all do that massive clean up the night before that playdate we scheduled last week, enlisting our husbands in a panic to help in our frenzy quick clean and promising up and down that it won't look like that again. Yesterday that place was a MESS!
• Take more videos, not just pictures.
• Visit consignment stores for adorable baby clothes for much less. Kids grow out of clothes so fast that these stores carry really nice things and you save money. Win-win.

On accepting advice (the perfect way to end a list of advice...):

• Listen to advice and try new things but remember that every kid is unique. What works for the baby down the street may not work for your baby. On the same token, sometimes all it takes is trying something different.
• You will get a lot of opinions about a lot of things. You need to do what works for you, not what works for other people. It’s impossible to remain totally unaffected by what other people think, but develop a list of people that you trust and go to them for advice.
• People will not always like what you decide to do as a parent, but it's your life, your kid, you make the rules and as long as your child is happy, healthy, and safe, who cares.
• Whatever you think is right, IS right.  Trust your gut.

**Special thanks to all my fabulous, supportive, super-smart friends that contributed to this thorough list. You guys are the best!

Day 656 | Standard Saturday

This morning started out pretty great. We had some yummy pancakes, then I walked in on Robbe snuggling Miga in our bed (see photo), then Chris impressed the boys with his T-Rex in a coffee cup (see photo), and then Chase and I went for a lovely winter-walk to run some birthday party errands (and found this awesome crown-see photo). Unfortunately, after that, the day took a rough shift: Robbe came down with his highest fever to date. Boo!

Poor little guy felt like dirt the whole afternoon. Thank goodness for tylenol, that's all I've got to say. 

Day 655 | Lunch Date

Are you jealous of my lunch dates? You should be!

Day 654 | Science Sessions

We participated in our second science [FaceTime] session with Uncle Matt this afternoon. We made ooblek out of cornstarch and water. It took Chase a bit of time to warm up to the idea of making a big mess and having dirty hands. Robbe never did, really.

Overall it was a big hit. Thanks, Uncle Matt, for taking the time to join us for the fun + educational activity.

Day 653 | Penguin Hat

Robbe has a new favorite accessory: this hand-me-down penguin hat from Mary Catherine. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, that drew him in but he's hooked. And, he's adorable.