Mommy Project 52:1 Teaching

This is the first of the 52 weekly entries for Mommy Project 52.  In trying to figure out what to write my mind first went to teaching the boys.  Seems obvious, right?  I mean, everyday, every moment becomes a teachable moment.  But then I thought about how much I've been taught through both pregnancies and raising the boys, so far. 

I've learned...

*  It is possible to love someone more than anything else in the world before you ever meet him. 

*  I can throw up two to three times a day, and still gain nine pounds in nine weeks. 
*  Stretch marks have more to do with good genes than anything else. (Thank you, mom!) 
*  Sleep deprivation can make anything seem funny...including projectile poop at 3:00 a.m. 

*  My husband is an even better man than I thought he was when we married. 

*  If you turn your head for even one minute, your three month old becomes a perfect canvas for your twenty-one month old's sticker art.  . 

*  No matter how cool the toy is, the best part of the present is always the box it came in. 

*  Nothing can quite prepare you for that first dirty diaper after your child starts solids. 

*  Daycare teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. 

*  Be careful what you say and do; your child is the greatest mimic. 

*  Knowing that one kiss from mommy can heal any boo boo makes me feel like Wonder Woman. 

*  Save your money on baby food cookbooks.  Every recipe is as follows - chop, steam, puree. 

*  If your friends give your one year old a box of percussion instruments for his birthday, either they do not have kids or you've done something to piss them off. 

*  Every chid is different and mine are polar opposites.

*  Bedtime might be my favorite part of the day. 

*  Little boy kisses are the best - even the big, wet, open mouth ones.  (Yikes, that doesn't sound quite right...but you know what I mean.) 

*  As much unsolicited advice as you receive when you are pregnant, you actually receive more when you are a parent. 

*  That being said, most advice-givers are generally good intentioned.  As such, it is best to smile and say thank you and to resist the urge to punch them in the throat. 

*  Sleep deprivation can also make you kind of snarky.  (See above.)

*  The laundry can wait.  The dishes can wait.  My little boy wants to dance to The Backyardigans...priorities, priorities. 
*  The only thing stronger than Catholic guilt?  Mommy guilt. 

 *  Nothing is more challenging, more frustrating, more exhausting, or more rewarding than being a mommy. 

Tiny Bubbles

Say what?!

"I wish he would poop at daycare too.  I feel like we're not getting our money's worth." 

Billy's commentary on Beau's propensity to "hold it" until he is back home.

Sittin' Pretty...kind of

Just the other day I had Charlie on our bed, propped up on some pillows while Billy and I got ready for work and Beau terrorized played with Murphy.  I walked by and something caught my eye...Charlie was trying to sit up.  Sure enough after a little straining and a lot of concentrating he had managed to get himself in an upright position.  A split secong later he was face first in the comforter.  But the point is - Yeah!  He's trying to sit up on his own. 

"Hurry, mom!  Take the picture!"

I tested his skill last night.  So what if he hasn't perfected it...he's well on his way.  (Maybe he overheard me say to his teacher that I didn't feel comfortable feeding him solids until he could sit up on his own.  How's THAT for motivation?)

"Uh oh!"

"Too late.  We can try again later."



Lay one on me!

Brotherly love. 

Say what?!

"I just wish someone would tell me I'm doing it all wrong." 

After three pediatrician visits, a conference with a lactation consultant and hours of research regarding Charlie's gas problem, you really get tired of hearing, "The good news is you're doing all the right things."  Still, it's odd to wish you're a screw up.  Ugh. 

I recently discovered a blog authored by a girlfriend of mine fron high school and was so happy I did.  Robin is witty and honest and I've really enjoyed her posts on babies and food (the design part is nice too...just not my thing).  I was participarly interested in her post from today.  She has decided to start her own "Project 52" and has invited her mommy and daddy bloggers to join in.  I just couldn't resist. 

Here's the basic idea, each week there is a theme.  On the Thursday of that week I will post something, anything related to that theme. It may be a picture, a note, a video, a poem.  Ok, maybe not a poem.  But you get the idea. 

I'm looking forward to my new weekly inspiration and I would encourage all my followers (all nine of you) who blog to participate too!  Half the fun will be seeing other's contributions to the project.  If you're interested you can link up your blog here. 

Mommy's Project 52 starts on August 4, 2011.  So stay tuned...

Say what?!

"Fine, Beau.  You can lick your brother's foot.  Just don't bite it."

With two boys under two, you really have to choose your battles carefully. 

Children are a gift from God; they are His reward. PSALM 127:3

All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.  ISIAH 54:13

This past weekend was extra special for the Brian family.  We witnessed the baptism of not one, but two Brian boys.  Charlie and Marc were lucky enough to be baptized on the same day, in the same church, by the same priest.  And that's about where the similarities of the experience ended. 

Marc and his beautiful mother. 

Marcus, Robyn and Marc. (If only you could see the beautiful smocking on that gown!)

I'm not saying that Charlie made a spectacle, but let's just say he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was there.  Fr. John said, "Oh, he's just extra excited."  Uh, yea.  Let's go with that one. 

Billy and I with our godson, Marc.  Oh did he love that water! 

Charlie love the water too!

 Charlie actually was very good.  He even enjoyed the water being poured over his head (see previous bathtime post...)  It was when Fr. John STOPPED pouring the water that things got messy. 





He did however, calm down in time for family photos.  Marc on the other hand barely made a sound the entire mass...and baptismal service...and at the party afterwards.  Seriously, he's SOOOOO mellow.  Charlie could take some notes.  But, oh well...I guess I'm just destined to have "spirited" boys. 

The Brian boys. 

Charlie and his godparents, Keith and Lindsay (aka, Nan)

Another attempt at a family photo...we're getting a little better at this!

Cuteness

One big happy family!

Splish Splash!

Somebody LOVES bathtime. 

We actually had over five minutes of continuous kicking and laughing and cooing.  Charlie really loves the water. 

Three months!

Today marks Charlie's three month birthday.  No doctor's visit so no shots - hooray!  Of course, that also means no official measurements (why is it so fun to get those "official" numbers?)  So, please allow me to estimate. 

Weight:  HEAVY

Length:  LONG

Yes, that should sum it up. 

Here are a few highlights of the last month. 

*  Mr. Charlie still finds it necessary to wake up twice a night to nurse.  While I know that he doesn't actually need to nurse at three months HE has needed a little more convincing.  We're doing a little sleep training now and things are looking up.  Our biggest hurdle - everything I've read/been told/instinctually know says that before bed we should keep him in a calm, quiet atmosphere.  Yea right.  Have you met big brother?  He's more of the "stong and NOT so silent" type.  But we'll just keep trying. 

*  Charlie LOVES to laugh.  And, much to his pleasure, Beau can make him laugh easier than the rest of us. 

*  Tummy time has become almost impossible now - not because Charlie dislikes it, but because he loves rolling over so much.  I'll put him on his belly.  Within seconds he is pushing up, cooing, and then flop...right on his back.  But he gets so much pleasure out of it I can't help but smile.  He'll crawl eventually. 

*  Speaking of feats of strength, Charlie is trying to stand up.  And no, I'm not talking about holding his hands and having him bear a little weight on his legs.  I am talking about pulling him to standing on your lap and watching him straighten out his legs and balance for 1-2 seconds.  This kid is the real deal.  (On a sidenote, Beau did this too.  And sure enough, he was pulling himself to standing six weeks before he could crawl.) 

*  We said good-bye to 0-3 month old clothes at six weeks.  Luckily it looks like we'll have another month in 3-6 month old sizes.  Sheesh. 

Bathtime - two birds...one stone. 



Bathtime as playtime...the boys love it. 



*  Charlie is starting to look more and more like big brother everyday.  Billy and I would politely nod our head when people told us how much they favored each other because we saw every little single distinction between the two.  Shuffing at some pics of Beau the other day, there is no denying the family resemblence now, but Mr. Charlie has his own unique look.

Say what?!

So many of my fellow bloggers/friends have incoporated a weekly or monthly feature on their blog - usually a memorable photo or video.  Usually this photo or video is unaccompanied by any verbage.  I thought about doing this but decided against it for two reasons - (1) does anyone seriously think I could select only one photo for a blog post?  I love them all far too much to play favorites.  And (2) when have I ever been at a loss for words?  So then I took a cue from a previous post. 

And now for the inangrual - "Say what?!"

Uttered while speaking to Charlie's pediatrician about his nighttime gas issues...

"Actually Dr. Richard, it's not his crying that's keeping us up, it's his farting."

Such a proud moment.  :/

Look what I did!

I was reading a friend's blog the other day and grew increasingly jealous about how her job is essentially cooking for her husband and her daughter and blogging about it (I said "essentially," not "exclusively").  I started reminiscing about how much fun I had back when I was making Beau's homemade baby.  You know...all that time ago...like, THIS time last year.  Anyway, I loved how I knew exactly what was going into his food.  No preservatives.  No extra sugar.  Nothing I couldn't pronounce. 

Lately it's just been so much easier to pour a bowl of goldfish or crack open a pack of Teddy Grahams.  But I thought, heck...let's give this a try.  So, I tried my hand at making homemade fruit leather. 

The first try was a bust.  The oven was too hot and I cooked it for too long.  But the next try...YUMMY!  Beau LOVED it and asked for, "more, please."  Yep, that's right.  He said "PLEASE." 

I wanted to include a picture of him enjoying his new treat; however, they were devoured before I had a chance to! 

Water table fun

What's more fun than playing with the water inside the water table?  Playing with the water outside the water table!  I would have taken more and better shots had Beau not spent most of his time trying to pour the water on me!

Ta da!

Pardon my commentary...I can't help myself. 

I needed that...

This week has been especially difficult at the Brian residence.  Aside from taming Beau and soothing Charlie, there have been other outside factors at play - which are wholly irrelevant for this post.  And to make matters worse I've been functioning on approximately two hours of sleep per night. 

In all the chaos I have felt like I have been neglecting some motherly duties (although I did make two batches of homemade strawberry fruit leather - post to follow) most notably, tummy time.  I mean, all the books say its exceedingly important.  And with Beau we practiced tummy time everyday for at least ten minutes a day, maybe longer.  How was Charlie to learn how to roll over, to push up, to crawl without my carefully guiding him with words of encouragement as he lay face down on a blanket? 

Well, guess what folks - Charlie decided not to wait for me.  This morning during a brief reprieve from his fussiness of this week I laid him belly down on a blanket.  He looked a me, cooed, pushed up, and without any fanfare, he rolled over!!  All by himself!  Thinking maybe it was a fluke I placed him back on his belly, after much cheering and coddling of course.  Sure enough, a few coos and - plop - from belly to back again! 

Guess I'm not failing/flailing as bad as I thought I was.  (Video to come...obviously.) 

Wanna bite?

Uhhhh, we're still learning about manners. 

As I've mentioned before Beau has at least two pieces of raisin toast to start his morning.  Since Charlie's arrival he likes to eat the toast in our bed while chatting with Charlie.  (Yes, in our bed.  Yes, there are crumbs everywhere.  No, mom is not particularly happy about this practice.  But I digress...) 

Yesterday while in the midst of this morning routine, Beau took his piece of toast in hand, leaned over to Charlie and said, "Wanna bite?"  He won't even consider giving mom or dad a bite of ANY of his food.  But Charlie...well, that's another story apparently. 

Not sure if buttery lips are the best thing for cradle cap.  But at least it's really sweet. 

Guess the new hasn't worn off yet. 

Another Month, Another Doctor's Visit

Shots?  What shots?

Mr. Charlie turned two months on the 14th so off we went to the pediatrician for his well check.  Only this time, there were shots involved.  Blah.  But he took it like a champ. 

His measurements put him in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height.  Just for fun I checked his numbers against Beau's at this same time...almost identical.  I swear I gave birth to a clone. 

The nurse commented about how strong he was.  I had to lay across him to pin him down and keep him still for his shots.  This isn't the norm for an infant? 

Hooray!  I'm perfect!!

The pediatrician also said how impressed she was with his reflexes.  When she went to check his ears he immediately swatted at her hand and turned his head.  How perceptive.  :)

Obviously they ran out of the "cool" bandaids. 

While the shots did leave him pretty cranky he was back to his old self again by that evening. 

Fist pump, mom.  Good job.

Just for fun

Things are have been crazy around here - life with two boys under two has proven to be very interesting, time consuming, and at times, overwhelming.  In the mist of all this adapting I've been delinquent in my blogging duties.  This is a shame since both boys have been highly entertaining these days.  Here are some highlights...

Charlie is now giggling and smiling all the time.  He is super ticklish, much to Beau's delight!  Beau still loves kissing and patting Charlie, but now he can also tickle his little brother and get an honest to goodness giggly, happy response from him. 

While Beau still seems fairly smitten with Charlie, a little bit of jealousy has reared its ugly head.  Last week Beau was out of school sick with a fever and ear infection.  Normally he gets to stay home and have my attention all to himself.  Well, not this time.  The horror!  Seriously, Beau has always been independent, but when he gets sick, all bets are off (it's the ONLY time he refers to me as "Mama" - said in a sad, pitiful voice).  One day as I was nursing Charlie and reading a book to Beau I turned my head to check the clock.  All of the sudden Charlie let out a blood curdling scream and Beau lept off the sofa and ran.  I looked down and found on Charlie's ankle very familiar teeth marks.  Sheesh. 

When he is not nibbling on his brother's ankle, Beau has been very articulate and demanding lately.  He;s become quite the little parrot.  Some of his new words include "please," "red," "blue," "green," "chicken," and "E-I-E-I-O!"  And while he's always been fascinated with phones now he places the phone next to his ear and says, "Holla!"  His new favorite command? "GO!!"  This is usually uttered as we sit idly waiting for the light to change or when Murphy is in his way.  And lately his simple command of, "No" has turned into, "No, no, no, no, no..."  Hey I guess he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to tell you.

Speaking of not being afraid, Beau has learned that there is strength in numbers.  He has joined a gang at school.  I know you just reread that last sentence thinking surely you misread it.  You didn't.  Beau and three other bigger boys in his class were constantly picking on each other.  Well, someone got smart and the four boys apparently formed an alliance and now spend their day striking fear into the hearts of the smaller kids in class.  I should be ashamed of this, but part of me is very proud of his problem solving skills at such a young age.  (Ok, so this last paragraph will likely come back to haunt me one day.) 

Charlie has been growing like a weed...probably something to do with his healthy appetite.  He recently had his two month appointment, but I'll do a separate post on that.  Beau, yep, he's still a healthy eater too.  Seriously, I don't know where he puts the copious amounts of food he eats!  For example, one night last week his dinner consisted of SIX chicken tenders, one cup (8 oz.) of corn, one cup of diced pears, one bowl of goldfish crackers, and one bowl of teddy grahams.  At the end of this he actually had the nerve to ask for, "more?"  The next morning he woke up and ate two pieces of raisin toast and one whole banana...before I dropped him off at school...to eat breakfast with his class.  He is an endless pit. 

Yesterday I had both boys in the bathroom with me as I finished getting ready.  I looked down to find Beau with his finger in Charlie's eye.  Yes, IN Charlie's eye.  I panicked but Charlie didn't seem to mind too much.  (Note to self - don't turn you head for even a second.) 

Turns out that the boys have one more thing in common, they LOVE the umbrella stroller.  Beau has loved the stroller since day one.  We would prop him in it with two or three blankets and take off.  (Yes, I got looks from Nosey Nellies and comments about him being too young for it.  Whatever, he loved it.)  While watching Charlie the other day, in the middle of one of his crying spells, Paw Paw tried the stroller as a last resort.  Immediately Charlie settled and started smiling.  Again, we have to prop him up with blankets, but it's worth it. 

Somebody is Tickilsh!

Just Another Saturday Morning

Saturday morning, 6:15 a.m.  Both boys are early risers.  Sheesh.