I just committed to playing pick up hockey with Danielle and CJ (friend and hockey coach) next Wednesday! Yikes. I'm pretty nervous to play and very glad that it's just a friendly game of pick up, so that when I forget how to skate, stop or even put my equipment on, it won't be a big deal. Hopefully, I'll be able to play on my sister's team (The Raging Storm) next season. Would be so much fun! Now, I just need to get Beth to take a bottle or milk in a sippy cup.
The real purpose of this post: to make it public that I'm going to play so that I don't chicken out!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The long drive home...
This afternoon was full of errands. I needed to pick up a few things before our trip to Maine and since it was rainy today, I decided to try and squeeze as many of the errands in to one day. I had to drive out to Milford to drop off some milk and then head back to Nashua. On the way to Milford (about a 25 minute drive), I had to stop twice because Nora said she had to pee. Then, she claimed she had to pee again as soon as we left our destination, so I stopped at Toadstool Bookshop (my favorite bookstore!). She did use out little travel potty in the parking lot, and then I couldn't resist going in to the store. I was already a bit tired and cranky from earlier in the day, so it was not the smartest to go into the bookstore. I think I got 6 or 7 books, including Cat in the Clouds - a book about the cat at the Mt Washington Observatory. Ah Retail Therapy! Guess at least books are never a waste of money in this house!
We left there and started to head to Buy Buy Baby to pick up a few things for our trip - some take and toss spoons and containers for Beth's food and such. I went there primarily because I had a coupon and I knew they had what I needed. While we were walking in, someone let their dog (a Boxer mix) off the leash, and he of course ran straight for Nora, who screamed bloody murder. So much for getting her less scared of animals. Argh. It took a bit of time to calm her down and then we were able to shop. Once we were done there, I started the LONG drive home. Buy Buy Baby is only a few minutes from my house but it took us nearly 40 minutes to get home. I had to stop four times because Nora was freaked out by a bug on her car seat. She has become afraid of everything over the last few weeks! I also had to stop once so she could try and pee. Frankly, I'm beginning to think she's just trying to see how often I'll stop the car, but she did stay dry for the whole trip...
We left there and started to head to Buy Buy Baby to pick up a few things for our trip - some take and toss spoons and containers for Beth's food and such. I went there primarily because I had a coupon and I knew they had what I needed. While we were walking in, someone let their dog (a Boxer mix) off the leash, and he of course ran straight for Nora, who screamed bloody murder. So much for getting her less scared of animals. Argh. It took a bit of time to calm her down and then we were able to shop. Once we were done there, I started the LONG drive home. Buy Buy Baby is only a few minutes from my house but it took us nearly 40 minutes to get home. I had to stop four times because Nora was freaked out by a bug on her car seat. She has become afraid of everything over the last few weeks! I also had to stop once so she could try and pee. Frankly, I'm beginning to think she's just trying to see how often I'll stop the car, but she did stay dry for the whole trip...
Monday, May 10, 2010
Beth is 9 months old!
This has been a very long and challenging month! A lot has happened this month and I'm not sure I'll remember it all!
First, both kids got the chicken pox! Nora got them first and had a fairly mild case. She had quite a number of big spots on her back, but seemed to enjoy the frequent baths and extra attention. She had one really horrid night where she just couldn't sleep and it took her just over a week to recover from that night! Beth had a rather impressive case. We counted over 100 spots on just her back. Poor thing. She handled it like a trooper, but clearly wanted to crawl out of her skin. I'm convinced that was why she became mobile while she had them! Both kids did burn up - fevers of 104.5. Now, when I'm doing a tick check I often have to remind myself that they have scabs in their heads. I've had a couple of moments where I forgot.
Beth was sleeping very well for most of the month. She was in bed by 7pm, up at about 2-3am for some milk, and then back down until 5:30am. We'd bring her into bed for a cuddle/nurse/nap at 5:30 and then all get up with Nora at 6. The chicken pox threw off her sleeping, so we are kind of starting over again. She tends to make fussing noises in her sleep, so it's really difficult to tell when she's actually awake. She had been taking 2 good naps a day - usually one in the stroller/Ergo and the other in her crib. Now, all naps are pretty much in the Ergo. Once she's sleeping better at night, I'll work on the nap location again!
Beth is now eating like a champ. After almost 2 months of eating just a few bites of food, she finally decided that she wanted to eat it. She still insists on feeding herself, which makes a huge mess! I have no idea how to convince her to not grab the spoon. Nora was the same way, but eventually lost interest in helping. Beth, on the other hand, is becoming more insistent on doing it herself! She enjoys avocado, sweet potato, pears, peas, green beans, pumpkin, carrots, applesauce prunes and mango. Her sister has introduced her to a few other foods, such as yogurt and bits of toast, but we aren't giving those to her regularly. She did really enjoy the yogurt though! So far, she hasn't been overly impressed by the roasted pumpkin (unless mixed with applesauce) but eats loads of everything else. We are up to two meals a day and I think we'll be adding the third very soon. Beth loves finger foods, but still tends to gag on even thick purees, so we don't offer them often. She has eaten bits of watermelon and sweet potato with success!
The week before Beth turned 9 months, she started being really mobile. She is currently doing a half hitch - half crawl, but gets around pretty well. She's still trying to pull up on everything, and only succeeds if her feet are in a certain position when she starts. Mostly, once she gets to standing, she gets so excited that she falls right back down and has to start over. The mobility has brought a new dynamic to the house. We need to be much more careful with what we play on the floor. No more leaving crayons and paper on the floor - they need to be picked up as soon as we are done with them (usually, as soon as Beth wakes from morning nap). Nora gets very protective of the toys, shoes, and anything else within reach and moves everything away from Beth. We are working on teaching Nora that Beth can play with the toys, but it hasn't been easy. Up until now, Nora felt she had control over which toys Beth could play with. On a better note, Nora does seem to enjoy the fact that Beth can chase her around the living room. They go from end to end laughing hysterically at each other!
Nora has also grown recently. She's started drawing circles with smiley faces in them instead of just scribbling (and telling us what the scribble is - daddy, boat, car, iceberg, chocolate cake...). She's also been making up a lot of her own songs. She sings to daddy what she's done during the day. Sometimes, it takes us a minute to figure out if she's using her imagination or not, and it's so great to see. Her play with other children has also changed a lot recently. She tries to get the other child to join in her imaginary journey - be it a tea party or a drive to "work". It's so fun to watch!
We spend plenty of time outside. Nora loves to show Beth pinecones, rocks and acorns. Nora puts them in her bucket and then counts them over and over again - which is pretty funny! Beth loves to swing, so often Beth will swing while Nora and I play in the sandbox.
First, both kids got the chicken pox! Nora got them first and had a fairly mild case. She had quite a number of big spots on her back, but seemed to enjoy the frequent baths and extra attention. She had one really horrid night where she just couldn't sleep and it took her just over a week to recover from that night! Beth had a rather impressive case. We counted over 100 spots on just her back. Poor thing. She handled it like a trooper, but clearly wanted to crawl out of her skin. I'm convinced that was why she became mobile while she had them! Both kids did burn up - fevers of 104.5. Now, when I'm doing a tick check I often have to remind myself that they have scabs in their heads. I've had a couple of moments where I forgot.
Beth was sleeping very well for most of the month. She was in bed by 7pm, up at about 2-3am for some milk, and then back down until 5:30am. We'd bring her into bed for a cuddle/nurse/nap at 5:30 and then all get up with Nora at 6. The chicken pox threw off her sleeping, so we are kind of starting over again. She tends to make fussing noises in her sleep, so it's really difficult to tell when she's actually awake. She had been taking 2 good naps a day - usually one in the stroller/Ergo and the other in her crib. Now, all naps are pretty much in the Ergo. Once she's sleeping better at night, I'll work on the nap location again!
Beth is now eating like a champ. After almost 2 months of eating just a few bites of food, she finally decided that she wanted to eat it. She still insists on feeding herself, which makes a huge mess! I have no idea how to convince her to not grab the spoon. Nora was the same way, but eventually lost interest in helping. Beth, on the other hand, is becoming more insistent on doing it herself! She enjoys avocado, sweet potato, pears, peas, green beans, pumpkin, carrots, applesauce prunes and mango. Her sister has introduced her to a few other foods, such as yogurt and bits of toast, but we aren't giving those to her regularly. She did really enjoy the yogurt though! So far, she hasn't been overly impressed by the roasted pumpkin (unless mixed with applesauce) but eats loads of everything else. We are up to two meals a day and I think we'll be adding the third very soon. Beth loves finger foods, but still tends to gag on even thick purees, so we don't offer them often. She has eaten bits of watermelon and sweet potato with success!
The week before Beth turned 9 months, she started being really mobile. She is currently doing a half hitch - half crawl, but gets around pretty well. She's still trying to pull up on everything, and only succeeds if her feet are in a certain position when she starts. Mostly, once she gets to standing, she gets so excited that she falls right back down and has to start over. The mobility has brought a new dynamic to the house. We need to be much more careful with what we play on the floor. No more leaving crayons and paper on the floor - they need to be picked up as soon as we are done with them (usually, as soon as Beth wakes from morning nap). Nora gets very protective of the toys, shoes, and anything else within reach and moves everything away from Beth. We are working on teaching Nora that Beth can play with the toys, but it hasn't been easy. Up until now, Nora felt she had control over which toys Beth could play with. On a better note, Nora does seem to enjoy the fact that Beth can chase her around the living room. They go from end to end laughing hysterically at each other!
Nora has also grown recently. She's started drawing circles with smiley faces in them instead of just scribbling (and telling us what the scribble is - daddy, boat, car, iceberg, chocolate cake...). She's also been making up a lot of her own songs. She sings to daddy what she's done during the day. Sometimes, it takes us a minute to figure out if she's using her imagination or not, and it's so great to see. Her play with other children has also changed a lot recently. She tries to get the other child to join in her imaginary journey - be it a tea party or a drive to "work". It's so fun to watch!
We spend plenty of time outside. Nora loves to show Beth pinecones, rocks and acorns. Nora puts them in her bucket and then counts them over and over again - which is pretty funny! Beth loves to swing, so often Beth will swing while Nora and I play in the sandbox.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I'm a little teapot
Here's Nora singing I'm a little teapot. She's learning a bunch of new songs right now, and making up a whole bunch of others as well!
The Chocolate Song
Nora wanted me to sing her the chocolate song. I did not know what the chocolate song was, but this is what she sang when I asked. Once again, sorry for the poor quality. Some day I'll have a better video camera :-).
Mother's Day Blues
It could just be the serious lack of sleep I've had over the last week, but this Mother's Day has made me more sad than any in the past. I should be having a great morning. I've got two beautiful girls who challenge me in new ways every day. Of course, we seem to be skipping the Mother's Day celebration here because Beth has the chicken pox. Sure, Andy is making me breakfast once he wakes up. But, if I wanted a card or gift, I had to let Andy go out last night instead of staying home and helping me with Beth, who is pretty high needs because of the chicken pox. I'm trying not to let that bother me. I know he cares and just hasn't had time because he wanted to make sure he got home as early as possible every day last week so that he could help out with the kids.
I've been thinking about my own mother a lot lately. She was an amazing woman. She taught me how to be a kind and loving mother to my own children. She also taught me the importance of letting kids be kids, even if it means making a mess of the kitchen table with finger paints or play-doh. She used to take us outside for walks every day which helped foster a love for the outdoors. As we got older, she encouraged us to be our best in everything we did. She didn't push college on us directly, but she clearly convinced my sister and I the importance of learning - we both went to college and have pursued graduate degrees in part time study! She continued to show her strength when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She fought hard for a long time. A few days before she lost her battle, she told me she was proud of who I had become and she was confident that I would be a wonderful parent. I carry this with me everyday and think about it every time I'm faced with a parenting challenge. I don't think I fully appreciated everything she did until I had children myself. I hope I can be as good a mother as she was, and that she is proud when she watches from above.
I'm fortunate to have a loving family and a great local group of moms to rely on for support. I don't think I would have made it through the last few years without them. Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there.
I've been thinking about my own mother a lot lately. She was an amazing woman. She taught me how to be a kind and loving mother to my own children. She also taught me the importance of letting kids be kids, even if it means making a mess of the kitchen table with finger paints or play-doh. She used to take us outside for walks every day which helped foster a love for the outdoors. As we got older, she encouraged us to be our best in everything we did. She didn't push college on us directly, but she clearly convinced my sister and I the importance of learning - we both went to college and have pursued graduate degrees in part time study! She continued to show her strength when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She fought hard for a long time. A few days before she lost her battle, she told me she was proud of who I had become and she was confident that I would be a wonderful parent. I carry this with me everyday and think about it every time I'm faced with a parenting challenge. I don't think I fully appreciated everything she did until I had children myself. I hope I can be as good a mother as she was, and that she is proud when she watches from above.
I'm fortunate to have a loving family and a great local group of moms to rely on for support. I don't think I would have made it through the last few years without them. Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I've been struggling a lot lately with who I am and who I want to be. I guess it's only natural for this to happen once you have kids. I totally love staying home with my two beautiful girls and watching them grow up, but I feel like I need to do something more. I keep going back and forth on working part time, pursuing a career in teaching, or just staying home with the kids until Beth is in Kindergarten. There are days when I think I'd be better off putting them both in full time daycare and going back to work full time, and others when I think it would just break my heart to do so. I'm not sure where the balance is, or if I will ever figure it out! Luckily, Andy has been pretty supportive in this and is trying to encourage me to follow my heart. He would love it if I could stay home with the kids, but understands that I may need to work.
Currently, I'm thinking of going into teaching. I think I'm going to stay home for another year with the kids and then start teaching high school physics in Mass. I'll have to deal with the MCAS, but I hope to have the opportunity to make science fun for students in my classroom. I thought about starting sooner, but I'd really like to be beyond the baby stage with Beth. I guess we'll see what the next year brings!
Currently, I'm thinking of going into teaching. I think I'm going to stay home for another year with the kids and then start teaching high school physics in Mass. I'll have to deal with the MCAS, but I hope to have the opportunity to make science fun for students in my classroom. I thought about starting sooner, but I'd really like to be beyond the baby stage with Beth. I guess we'll see what the next year brings!
Some funny photos
These photos are all also on my Facebook page, but I know not everyone has access to those, so I'll post them here as well.
Beth has taken to solids lately, but insists on feeding herself. She usually grabs the spoon with one hand, and sticks her other hand in the food before putting it in her mouth. She's getting better about not making a huge mess, but it's very slow going. Luckily, she's so cute that it's hard to get angry. I'm really glad that she enjoys bath time now though, since it seems like we need on at least once a day!
Nora one weekend morning. She enjoys wearing sunglasses inside and out.
She enjoys putting on my shoes nowadays. We were sorting laundry and she put two different shoes of mine on. Andy noticed first ( I cannot take credit for this ). She's wearing two left shoes! She still dances primarily be shaking her arms up and down and bouncing her knees a little, but she's starting to shake her little behind too. It's very cute.
Beth has taken to solids lately, but insists on feeding herself. She usually grabs the spoon with one hand, and sticks her other hand in the food before putting it in her mouth. She's getting better about not making a huge mess, but it's very slow going. Luckily, she's so cute that it's hard to get angry. I'm really glad that she enjoys bath time now though, since it seems like we need on at least once a day!
Nora one weekend morning. She enjoys wearing sunglasses inside and out.
She enjoys putting on my shoes nowadays. We were sorting laundry and she put two different shoes of mine on. Andy noticed first ( I cannot take credit for this ). She's wearing two left shoes! She still dances primarily be shaking her arms up and down and bouncing her knees a little, but she's starting to shake her little behind too. It's very cute.
Playing with the camera
Andy got a really nice macro lens for our DSLR camera a few years ago when we were hiking a lot. We got it so that we could take photos of flowers and other cool things on the trails, and Andy has taken a number of awesome photos with it (which we still need to frame and hang up in the house!). I knew that a macro lens could be used for portraits, but had always been a bit scared of the DSLR camera to try - I use it mostly in point and shoot mode to quickly shoot photos of the kids, while Andy usually changes the settings for taking amazing photos of mountains, waterfalls etc). Yesterday, between nap and the scary thunderstorm, I had the chance to play with the camera with the kids in the front yard. I think I got some good photos. I'm still figuring out how to change the settings on the camera, but I got a number of really good photos. My biggest problem was photographing moving targets!
Here are some of Nora. She was a bit easier to photograph, although she kept moving closer and closer to me, which made if very difficult to photograph! One of the challenges of the macro lens we have is the distance you have to be to get the photo. In all the photos below, I was standing a number of feet away from the kids, and I was barely able to get their head in the frame!
I had a more difficult time with Beth because she kept moving right at the wrong moment. I took loads of photos of her though, so I got a lot of nice ones of her as well.
Here are some of Nora. She was a bit easier to photograph, although she kept moving closer and closer to me, which made if very difficult to photograph! One of the challenges of the macro lens we have is the distance you have to be to get the photo. In all the photos below, I was standing a number of feet away from the kids, and I was barely able to get their head in the frame!
I had a more difficult time with Beth because she kept moving right at the wrong moment. I took loads of photos of her though, so I got a lot of nice ones of her as well.
A humid day
It was pretty humid on Monday. Nora's normal hair is pretty wavy, but it was totally curled up on Monday. It made it very difficult to brush, but it looked quite cute!
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