Words with Friends

Who needs a new opponent?

Thank you KB for the awesome shots!

Yum take 2

Still not a lot of volume.
But still so cute. I can't resist snapping a few of him.

Blondie Eats

Last night it took 2 hours to get Hugh to sleep.  He was tired. Man! Maybe he was over tired? Maybe he was gassy? Swaddled wrong? Teething?  Who knows...but he was up every 10-20 minutes crying.  At 8:30 I texted a friend and said "I'm going to bed, he's been quiet for 20 minutes" but he still woke up for a while.  Finally he was quiet probably around 9:30.  But then he woke up at 12:30, 3:30 and 5:45.  And remember....all you readers who aren't mom's, when you wake up to feed that baby, it's not a 5 minute ordeal.  After dealing with the munchkin, it does take a while to fall back asleep.  So after the 3:45 feeding, I said "ENOUGH!" and decided we would try anything.  Cereal.

So tonight, Hughie got some cereal.

He wasn't a super fan (like his bib advertises him to be).  He didn't take much of the 1 tablespoon, so...for all you who think cereal is going to help him sleep-is 1/2 a tablespoon enough?  One thing to note-the Hughster did NOT stop talking for an hour after.  It was as if he was announcing to the world what he just got to do.

Here's to many, many more meals Mr. Hugh. 

Rambles

Who is excited for the Olympics? I am. I have been wanting to post about my excitement for some time, even before the swimming, track and gymnastics trials a few weeks ago.  I just can't wait!

Eli is 90% potty trained. The 10% he is missing is nap time and bed time.  But I don't have that expectation yet.  He has been dry with no accidents in his underoos for 2 weeks! I'm so proud of him.  He has made it through a 3 hour car drive, lunch out, play dates, grocery store trips and playing in the backyard.  I'm so proud of him.

In 1 week we'll be packing our car for one of my favorite weeks of the year.  I'm super excited this year-we will introduce Hughie to what I consider Up North. 

(I have this picture posted at my desk at work.  Looking at it makes me happy)

This year will be different.  I probably will not go fishing but maybe just a few boat rides and even though I have been a mom up at the cottage for 3 years, I have still been able to read a few books.  Now that my hands will be full with 2, I am hoping to read at least 1 good book.  Hughie is still not sleeping well. He is just so unpredictable.  It's messin' with me.  I know it's only a short time in his long life so I just keep trying to take it 1 night at a time.  I just hope all the fresh air will cause him to conk all night.  I want to stay up later than 9 pm to play games with family!

Eli joined the library summer reading program.  The deal is he has to have 10 books read to him.  Fun but kinda annoying because most afternoons we will sit down and cruise through 5 books.  That means we have to go to the library every 2 days to get a new sheet and a new chance to win at the raffle. 

Have I told you lately how much I love being part time?  I told Andy that I could tell I was a happier person being part time.  He said "Well isn't that why we made that change"?  And I replied "Yes, but can you tell?".  He wasn't confident in saying yes but I can tell and that's what really matters to me. 

This is Eli 1 year ago.

He has grown crazy amounts in speech and ability, but he is still wearing the same outfit and hat because physically he is the same size.  (Although a much less baby-ish face). 
3 years ago today Eli had been home from the hospital for only 8 days!  I can't imagine life without kids now.  What did I do with my time?

 My sister and I have both been doing a little workin' out.  This year we are going to have some sister time without our 5 (yes there are 5!) kids and go for a little Up North run.  We hope not to see any bears.  But look at that little girl on her lap.  I can't wait to snap some pictures to show how much she has changed in 1 year.  She is on the move and we have to watch her carefully.  My sister bought some bells for her ankles so we'll hear when she takes a tumble or walks too far away.  All part of getting dirty up north!  See below-that's Sydney 1 year ago---there will be someone different in that jumper this year!

Last weekend we ventured out to a family picnic, a birthday party for my friends daughter and then off to meet our new niece.  We stayed in a hotel and man was it rough.  We literally apologized to our neighbors the next day.  They were nice about it but they didn't deny that it kept them up all night long.  I wonder if Hughie is getting a tooth or if he is ready for a little more....in the form of cereal or veggies or somethin'.  Eli slept in a queen sized bed all by himself and man did it melt my heart. 

Enough ramblings-I want to hear from you.  What are you eating? Reading? Watching? 

Most

My most favorite line of the week:

Andy: "Raina-what else do we need from the store? I'm making a list"
Raina: "cucumbers, apples, oh and honey!"
Eli: "What?" (from other side of the room-as if I was calling his attention)
Raina "No I need Dad to get honey"
Eli: "What?"
He literally thought I was talking to him.  Guess I have been calling him honey too much.

My most proud moment: Eli is potty training.  He's doing remarkably well. I had no high hopes for this (because that is what I do-set myself up for failure so I can REALLY celebrate the successes) but we've only had success.  No accidents ALL week. WOW.  Disclaimer-he IS still wearing a diaper to naps and bedtime.    Eli calls his underoos "DVD's"  because Andy calls them BVD's. 

Most brotherly moments:

Most festive 4th of July moments:

Thing I'm most thankful for this week: Air conditioning and grandmas (thanks for meeting me for lunch on a whim).

Most exciting thing of the week: The moments to come: we are traveling again this weekend to see a new baby, to wish a new 1 year old a Happy Birthday and to spend time with family, rehashing the wedding.

Most deserved moment: Right now-glass of wine, blogging, feet up.  Doing nap time and bed time for both boys in 1 day is hard work. 

Eli's most/best picture he ever took:

Most enjoyed this week:  water activities in the back yard, using new water squirters, pool and sprinkler.



First he lined them up, then he squirted them down!




Crying because squirter got taken away for 5 minutes




My favorite picture-the boys jumping in the sprinkler




Trying to drink the sprinkler water


Most growth:



Can you believe this boy is almost 5 months old?

 What are your mosts of the week?

The Hard Stuff

Today while I was at work I didn't have much time to do anything except work.  Just like most days.  But I did think about my big 3 year old boy and his accomplishments.  I don't want to speak too soon, but he has officially started the process of potty training.  We didn't go anywhere all weekend besides dinner out and a trip to target.  After peeing on the kitchen floor, living room carpet and the couch-he started looking up at me with his big blue-gray eyes to say "I'm peeing!" but what he really meant was "I'm holding it. Take me to the potty".  He is just adorable about it-good thing I feel that way right now because I'm sure the process will get to me soon enough.  Above is his potty report from today at daycare.  Is this too much information?  To bad for you. I'm a proud mom.

Even though I am not that stressed out about it, I know it will soon land on my list of "hard stuff" I have to do as a parent when we inevitably struggle with potty accidents and set backs.  I have a list of "hard stuffs" that I deal with day to day and although I don't share it all-it's there.  Some more or less serious than a potty training fiasco.  And when I consider my list of "hard stuff" I admit that I still struggle to remember that everyone is going through their own hard stuff.

Today someone got bad news.  Someone waited for good news and never got any news.
Today someone won money on a scratch off lottery ticket.  Today someone missed their bus which started a chain of events causing them to miss out on some type of opportunity.

Today someone was told they had cancer.  That their cancer spread.  That they were in remission.  That their health is unchanged, a mystery, incurable.

Today someone got a call from a loved one who said "I'm sorry, can we talk?" while someone else got a call that their loved one was in an accident (check out this story-my loved one who got in an accident 1 week before his wedding-we are so lucky he lived to tell the tale).  Today someone fell down and someone stood back up with their chin held high.  I know someone overcooked thier vegetables, undercooked their casserole and burned the dessert. 

Today someone made the team.  Someone else dropped out of the race.  Today someone was remembered and thought about.  Someone else went unnoticed and they will never forget it.  Today someone passed their boards.  Someone fell off a boat.  Someone got married.  Someone else lived through their child's first surgery. 

Today someone made a speech.  Someone made a mistake. Admitted a mistake.  Found a mistake.  Lost a pet.

Someone lost money. Went bankrupt. Used food stamps for the first time.  Today someone got diagnosed with Celiac Disease and tried their first gluten free pasta.  Someone had a baby today (Welcome Baby Adelia). Somone else heard their first baby's heartbeat.  Someone else lost their first baby, 2nd, or 3rd baby. 

Today someone put their child in a big girl bed and couldn't get that lil tyke to sleep.  Soemone else watched their youngest child win a trophy.  Today someone got engaged and someone else learned they will have ALS, Cystic Fibrosis or HIV for life.

Someone is struggling to put their child up for adoption.  Someone else can't get their child to nap, or eat or say please.  Today someone found a 20 dollar bill on the ground and spent it right away.  Someone else can't get enough money together to make a car payment. 

Someone tried a new recipe today and loved it.  Someone else couldn't fit in their favorite pair of jeans.  Someone burned their hand on the iron.   Someone flew into Vegas while somebody else was attending a funeral for a loved one.

There is bucketloads of good in this world.  So much joy, little and big.  But no matter the "hard stuff" in my life, I HAVE to, have to, have have have to remember that everyone is struggilng with their own things.  No matter the big, the small, the beautiful, the ugly-it's happening.  Life.  I hope that whenever it's possible, whenever I can-I come across as a warm hearted, caring, sensitive person to YOU when your hard stuff takes over.

Updates

Oops-I forgot Hugh's stats that I want to record because I'm not keeping track of them anywhere else.  I added to the previous 4 month post if you want to check them out. But they are really more for myself.

I had a request to see me in  my full get-up from the wedding.  I know a lot of you were on the listening end of my anxiety of finding a dress, having it fit, straps or no straps, finding shoes etc etc.  I will share that after visiting the salon and getting my hair styled Andy's response was "I thought you were getting your hair done".   Ha!  It was supposed to be a "trendy" style that made me look as if I had an over abundance of hair.  I was happy it stayed in all night and was still intact the next morning.  Sorry the picture doesn't show the back.  This is the only family shot we got from the whole weekend.  Sir Hugh WAS there, but he just wasn't in a lot of shots.  FYI-I did put up the straps (Thank you Grandma Charlie for being right there for me!) and the shoes are wedges, which I changed to gray flats half way into the dance.  I secretly painted a bandaid because of a toe nail problem and nobody said a thing. 

Lastly, I added some music to my blog playlist.  But something must have changed with this website or theirs.  When I try to play the playlist-it asks me to click another link and then it doesn't play the songs in order.  BUT-if you want some mellow music to hang out to, go ahead and try it and let me know what you think.  The songs Liz and some of her friends sang at the wedding are both on there.  I can't believe it was only a week ago....

Have a fabulous Sunday.  I'm trying to avoid the Sunday blues...are you?