Hey Ellis and Anders!

Dress up, Dancing, and Updates

2012-01-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

We have come through a rough but eventful couple of weeks. Ellis has had a birthday party every single Saturday this month. And she has two next month as well. As you can see, Ellis and Anders get along swimmingly. Anders is starting to get more interesting to Ellis, and he continues to think everything Ellis does is genius.

Ellis thought Anders should wear Mike's tie. Anders didn't love the idea but Ellis wanted him to, so he wore it and he did so happily. Anders has really grown in the last two weeks. He weighs a ton, and he has started pulling on to all fours and rocking back and forth. That only lasts for a few seconds before he starts scooting backward.

Anders has also started trying to pull himself up. No, that is not accurate. He has started to notice there are things on the coffee table that he could grab or throw, so he is struggling to get to them. Pulling up is a side-effect. If you set his hands on top of the coffee table and stand him up, he can hold himself there for a while -- that is until he gets distracted grabbing and throwing all of the things he can grab and throw. He also loves the Johnny Jump-up, especially if Ellis is around to play with him.

A week ago, Tante came over to practice a song or two that she planned to use in an audition and the kids couldn't get enough of it (video on the right side of the page). After the first song, Anders started clapping -- all by himself and before anyone else did. She sang about 8 songs and they were just as excited about the 8th as the 1st.

I would have posted these sooner, but we went through a rash of illness. First I got a throat infection that wiped me out and made my throat too sore to swallow. This stuck around for 10 days until...

...stomach flu. First it struck Anders on Friday. I came home from work, picked him up, tried to nurse him, and he threw up. By morning, he was fine. Then came Sunday. Mike woke up feeling horrible but didn't succumb until around noon. I felt fine, and was actually excited that my throat had stopped hurting, until 3:30. Ellis started at about 7:30. Ellis had mostly recovered by noon the next day. In fact tonight, she ate about 3 dinners. But Mike and I are still rebuilding. Our bodies are depleted and sore. Ugh, evil, evil bug.

Ellis was outstanding on our joint sick day. Even though she had energy and was getting bored, she played quietly with toys or the iPad by herself most of the day, letting me and Mike sleep. She was also as sweet as can be. She kept telling me that it was going to be okay and I just needed to rest.

Little Brother

2012-01-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

Little O was pretty overwhelmed by the whole birthday party thing, and took two mammoth naps. I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten him. Here he is.

The kid is scooting around and starting to crawl backwards. Sadly, he uses this power for destruction, often including himself. We really do need to cage him. On the positive side, he has two teeth (bottom) and slept through the whole night (7:30-6:45) without a feeding on Thu night. It was a sweet thing. He is also really testing his vocal cords these days. It is very loud and very funny, if a little startling. I'll post of video of that too.

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellis

2012-01-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

My baby, Ellis, turned 4-years old today. Four years old. Mike and I talk about the day Ellis was born, from time to time, and it is hard to explain how interesting she was from the moment she was born. It is also hard to explain how interesting she is now. You just have to hear the way she expresses herself, the way she focuses on a project, the way she remembers a song she has only heard twice and a long time ago, and the way she is able to put things together that you wouldn't expect from a kid her age. The day she was born, she gave us a look that was surprising from a newborn. She was taking everything in and clearly processing it in a way that was too sophisticated for that baby. She continues to blow our minds every day.

Here is Ellis with several of her birthday gifts -- a birthday dress, necklace, and sunglasses. As she opened the presents (much like I always did), she wanted to put everything on.

And here are two of the books she got, including a book about how young Ellis Olander scored the golden goal for her soccer team to win the championship. (More than could be hoped for either LSU or the Saints this year. It was a baaaad football week for me.)

At 11am, the party began. We had 8 kids over and let them run free in the basement, which is why we didn't get a tenant after our last one left. There was a balloon fight between Ellis, Alastair, Jack, Lucas and Claire that was greatly entertaining. (Check out the video.) It was good clean fun until a balloon popped in Jack's face and really threw him. But I got cuddles out of it and he stayed close to me for the rest of the party, which was really nice. That is one sweet boy.

Ellis was beside herself happy to see her JUK friends, and has been talking about marrying Lucas again (another video forthcoming). I asked her why and she told me he was the best boy in the whole world. I asked what made him so great and she answered that he is fun, follows direction (which she pronounced "dedotion"), shares toys, and gives great hugs. I must admit, these are excellent qualities.

Jack and Claire, dressed as Cinderella, played with blocks and built a stable for some of the toy horses.

Ellis dressed up as Supergirl and Sophia as a cheerleader. Sophia has a new baby brother (he is 18 months younger than her), who we met. He is gorgeous and sweet. And he is giving Soph a run for her money. He is no shrinking violet, and she is having to get used to sharing her space and the limelight. This is no easy trick for her. Sophie is tiny but has the personality of a giant.

Maisie and Bridget hung out in the teepee and guarded it, jealously. There were many, many shrieks and giggles; but mostly they just cooperated and played very well together.

We managed all of these kids with the help of a company called "The Help." Two ladies, Michaela and Elisabeth (below with Jack and Alastair, building a farm), played with the kids, staged some of the activities, helped serve the food, etc. It was fantastic. This is when we really miss having grandparents around, but thankfully we had another option to turn to.

Lunch was served. They started with cantaloupe and carrots, moved on to mini-burgers and fries, and finished with cupcakes from the new bakery at the end of our street.

Uncle James hung out with Ian until the music portion of the program. We sang "Today is a Special Day" from Signing Time and signed along with it (you can catch a bit of it at :36 here). Then there was a round of "Supercalifragilisticexpealodocious," at Sohpia's request. Sophie used to make me sign that every morning when I dropped Ellis off at daycare. We followed that up with a rousing rendition of "Old McDonald," "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" (another request), and "The Wheels of the Bus." Having James play the piano really made the day. It got the kids so much more involved in the songs than if we had done it without him.

Ellis getting ready to blow out candles. She got them all in one try.

Afterwards, she was pretty wiped out. She has had a cough for the past couple of nights that got quite croupy. This evening, she got a fever too and asked to take a bath to get rid of the germs. But she bounced back and gave us her own rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle."

It was a great day and party (expect the getting sick part). Miss Ellis was a great hostess, drawing pictures on everyone's goodie bags and writing their names; giving great hugs to all; and sharing her toys beautifully. It has been 4 great years with Ellis. I can't wait to see what she does next.

A complete slideshow for your viewing pleasure:

Ellis' 4th B'day Party

Last Weekend

2012-01-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend. On Friday, Ellis took me to the board outside of the art room to show me this piece of artwork. She is very proud of it. I ran into her art teacher later in the week and was told that Ellis always wants to take her artwork home and is very disappointed when she can't. So we took this picture to show Ellis that we can share her pictures, even if we can't bring them home.

Anders went to a birthday party for a little girl in his daycare class, Journee. who turned one. This picture is Anders with Kate and Knox. Knox is also in Anders' class, and Kate is the Executive Director of the daycare. The four of us had fun, though it was a bit odd. A bunch of people were there but very difficult to engage in conversation. And they had lots of games, but they were all for older kids (like pin the tail on the donkey and a pinata).

The next day, we went to see some musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra play at a church in our neighborhood -- a free concert that is part of the NSO in Your Neighborhood program. It was really wonderful and then on the walk home we found this...

These are animals from a farm in Leesburg, VA, where there is a huge petting zoo. And they brought several of them to the corner of Park and 14th for the kids in Columbia Heights to enjoy. Ellis would have stayed there all day, if we would have let her.

Playseum

2012-01-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Ellis met Maisie at the Playseum, which is in the Eastern Market area. It has a grocery, doll room, kitchen, a court and jail, art room, and many other fun things.

Anders got in on the fun too.

Building Museum

2012-01-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

We took Ellis to the Building Museum for some warm indoor play. We hit the Lego Exhibit and built a model of our home with Legos.

We also went to their playspace for little kids (2-6 years old). We built things, played with puppets, your average Sunday.

Anders got tired and snoozed by the fountain.

Exiting 2011

2012-01-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thank heavens 2011 is ending. Please, Lord, make 2012 more fun. I am so glad to have Mr. A in our lives (and I admit that 2011 brought him to us), but the rest of it sucked. No sleep, bed bugs, break in, broken ribs, etc, etc. Mike and I are ready to put it behind us. But before we do, let's catch up on the kids.

Anders cut his first tooth (bottom front right) on Dec. 31 and is working on the other bottom front tooth. He was pretty cranky about the whole thing; but as my sister pointed out, he is relatively pleasant even then. Anders is rolling over with some ease and frequency. However, if people are around, he is more likely to fuss until you turn him over. He is also moving from 3 to 2 naps a day (9:15-10:15am and 2-3:30pm), though his afternoon nap can takes a little coaxing (see below). At night, he goes to sleep around 7:30pm, has a feeding around 3am, and wakes up between 6 and 7am.

In the picture below, you will notice Anders is fully contained in the Pack 'n' Play. That is because he has become Destructor McBaby. If there is an item in front of him, he will grab it and throw/drop it. And he is not aware of his limitations when he sets his eyes on something. So the other day, he was taking blocks and beads out of a wooden step-stool that has a little storage area in it. He then pulls the whole thing (which weighs a good 5 lbs) over, picks it up and slams it down, and then starts to pull himself up to his knees. It didn't work, of course; and he toppled over hitting his head on the corner of the coffee table. Therefore, for the protection of Anders and all others, we have to jail him.

Ellis has gotten interested in music. She has some favorite songs: "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter; "G-d Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday; and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John. She also really likes "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev, which was introduced in her music class at school. During her bath one night, I was asking her about school, which is not easy. I have to enter into a series of questions to get anything out of her:
Beth: "What did you do after I left?"
Ellis: "Meeting time."
Beth: "What did you talk about during meeting time?"
Ellis: "Animals."
Beth: "What did you do after meeting time?"
Ellis: "Center play."
Beth: "And in which center did you play?"
Ellis: "Drawing."
Beth: "And what did you do after that?"
Blah, blah, blah...

So she finally says this: "We heard Peter play in Mr. Pope's class." Mr. Pope is the music teacher. At first I thought some guy names Peter played piano for them or something. But finally she mentioned a wolf and I put it together. We then pulled up the version narrated by David Bowie and listened over and over. We have also recently taken on the "Sorcerer and his Apprentice" and "Carnival of the Animals."

Ellis also continues to draw fervently and impresses us often. Below is a picture she drew in her room for 30 minutes. She grabbed a piece of scrap paper and a ball point pen, sat on the toy box in her room, looked around the room and drew this. You will see a book case and books, her castle and dolls, a window and doors, and Ellis jumping on her bed (a favorite activity). I asked her about the hair, and she said it was messy because she just woke up. It really is impressive.

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Anders woke up at 6:30 but snuggled with me until 7:15. Ellis was up at 7:30 and immediately asked to go downstairs to see what Santa brought. For the record, that clever Santa did locate Sally and brought along her friend Shani, who Ellis promptly named "Alex." This was no easy task, as Santa was not told anything but Ellis wanted her "Sally doll." It took a lot of research to figure out who or what Sally actually was.

Here Ellis has a gift from Bubba -- a beautiful horse for the barn that was made by Bubba's father for him when he was about Ellis' age.

Anders spent the whole time playing with whatever was in front of him.

Ellis got a new dress from us, a beautiful star necklace (not pictured here) from Gram, a ring that lights up and a shiny headband from Santa, and a recorder from Tante and Uncle James. She was eager to have as much of it on or in her control as possible at one time. She also got books, a bathrobe from Kackie and Pops, a castle, puzzles and a pretty clever educational toy from Uncle Scott and Aunt Hollee. Great stuff, though too much. I plan to spend the next week clearing the house of old clothes and toys that we never use.

Both kids helped me unwrap my present.

Anders just wanted to play with Ellis, whatever she was doing.

Ellis also got the crayons that are rings. They were immediately intriguing.

This is the outfit that Tosha gave Anders. It says "Just Chillin'." She also gave Ellis a stuffed dog that she has slept with every night, these stick-on earrings and rings that were a huge hit.

Mike also dressed up as Santa (sneaking around to make sure Ellis didn't see and get confused), and went across the street to deliver toys to Gabby and Izzy. This is a long-standing tradition started by their parents when Izzy was just 3. Now, at 11, she seems wise to the whole thing; but it is tradition. Their father, Marcelo, used to do it, until they kept asking why Dad was never around for Santa. Last year, our neighbor Juan did it. This year it was Mike. Ellis saw him out the window and insisted on going to the door and waving to him.

Then the Freedkopfs came over for a traditional Christmas pot roast. Delicious. Mike is an incredible cook.

Ellis and Nora played well together, but Jack and Ellis clashed a bit. Quite frankly, their ages don't match up well. Ellis doesn't want to do things that are interesting to a 6-year old, yet she is very bossy. It didn't work. When Jack is a little older, he will be better equipped to manipulate the younger kids and more tolerant of playing their games. Of course, by then, Ellis would be older and much more interesting. Considering their differences, they did pretty well.

Here are the O's in 2011. I swear I am thinner than I look here. In fact, I am being teased for the fact that none of my pants fit anymore. Anyway, here we are.

All day, Ellis asked, "Is it still Christmas?" or "Is it Christmas all day?" Before she went to sleep tonight, Ellis asked, "Mama, when I wake up tomorrow, what will it me?" Sigh, it is such a bummer when Christmas ends.

Christmas Eve with Maeve and Maura

2011-12-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

The best thing about having friends with kids at exactly the same age as your own is the have all the right gear. So Anders occupied -- or chilled out in -- Maura's Johnny Jump-up while Maura hung out in her Exersaucer (somehow I didn't get a picture of it though, which is sad because it was really cute).

Ellis and Maeve played beautifully together, as always...

Then baked cookies for Santa.

Unfortunately, it was a later night than we had hoped. Anders didn't get to sleep until 8:30 (and he was tired at 7:00). With Anders, a late bedtime means a rocky night of sleep, and he woke up 3 times, though I only responded once.

Ellis wasn't asleep until 9:00. Before Ellis went to sleep, we told her that it would be Christmas when she woke up. We read "The Night Before Christmas," and then visions of sugar plums danced in her head all night (I imagine).

Random Shots

2011-12-25T16:17:00.001-08:00

Anders and Tante...

The whole gang acting silly...

Anders the destruct-or (he is sooooo grabby). This mess was accomplished in less than a minute. I put him down 2 feet from this spot and he scooted over on his tush.

Santa

2011-12-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

We made the trek to the 'burbs to see Santa last weekend. Ellis waited VERY patiently in a VERY long line to see him, then made the most of it. In the 1st picture, she is telling Santa about the tragedy of her lost "Sally doll." Sally is actually a "Polly Pocket" named Lila that she got from my Geiger cousins when they visited. Ellis adored this doll, but lost it. Could Santa find and return her? Stay tuned, gentle readers.

The conversation turned positive quickly. Ellis shared with Santa a picture of a witch she had drawn for him. He said, "I bet you love Halloween." He is right. Then we smiled for pictures. I will post the professional ones soon.

AA and Tosha

2011-12-25T15:59:00.001-08:00

Tosha has helped me deal with the epically long winter break that the DC schools take (13 days of school, 14 days of aftercare). She has watched both kids a couple of times, bring Christmas/Hanukkah gifts and taking AA to her grandmother's for massive spoiling. As you can see, AA is very happy when Tosha is around.

Update on EJ and AA

2011-12-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have given an update on the kids' progress. Much is going on. Ellis is doing wonderfully. She can write all her letters and is starting to sound out words. Today she read cat, mat, sat and a bunch of other "at" words. We like coming up with rhyming words. She is also learning to write numbers and can count reliably to 50. Her drawing is really impressive, already better than mine (though that is a low bar).

Ellis continues to be super sweet. Ms. Oliver told me of the following conversation...
Ellis:            Ms. Oliver, your phone is broken!
Ms. Oliver: Yes, one of the kids stepped on it.
Ellis:            Are you going to get a new one?
Ms. Oliver: Well, iPhones are expensive, so I have to wait until I have enough money.
Ellis:            [Things hard for a few seconds.] Ms. Oliver, I have money in my piggy bank that you can have to get a phone.

Another story. A couple of weeks ago, I picked Anders and Ellis up early because Anders was feeling badly and had to get to the doctor. I was pulled out of a meeting with Secretary LaHood to get them in the pouring rain and slog across town with a broken umbrella. The whole thing was a mess and kept getting worse. Ellis was endlessly sweet and patient. She kept telling me it was going to be okay and just to be patient. One time, showing how low I can sink, I looked at her and answered, "Is it going to be okay? Because it seems pretty messed up to me!" She looked back at me and defiantly said, "Don't say that!" Then breaking up, "Because it scares me." There were many tears. Well, that woke me up. I picked that precious child up and snuggled with her for the entire train ride to the doctor's office.

I didn't need to pick up Ellis before heading to the doctor's office. Mike could have gotten her. But something inside my head told me I needed her, and that little voice was right. She is sweet and serious and smart and glowing and she makes things better. Just ask Anders, who thinks everything she does is genius. He gets so excited to see her or interact with her in any way.

They are both so precious and yet so different. Where Ellis has always been serious, focused, intense and introspective while also being cuddly, thoughtful and kind, Anders is always happy, smiley, relaxed and content. He is loving in his own way -- not cuddly but gives hugs and kisses very freely. For about 2 months, he has been grabbing our cheeks with his baby claws and slobbering all over us when he wants to show love. It is shocking how deliberate it is.

Anders is also fully into solid foods, and it is interesting how unstructured we are about introducing new foods this time. Second kid. The good news is it seems to have solved the reflux, which means he is sleeping well, only waking up once at night. The bad news is it has stopped him up. So we are very focused on foods like pears and prunes right now. Another very Anders thing is he cannot sit still while nursing or taking a bottle. He is wiggling and kicking and grabbing and bopping and turning his head (not so comfortable when nursing).

In other news, he sits up reliably and has started scooting around on his tummy. The child still will not roll over, though. I have no idea why. It also appears he has given up the pacifier, which I think was the same age Ellis did.

He charms everyone because he hands out the smiles to anyone that shares one with him. Ms. Sulama (at daycare) says, "He is so sweet. He never complains." All the women who work at daycare seek him out in the morning for a smile. Anders also giggles and laughs so easily. I have a lot to learn from the ease with which he approaches everything. It calms me down after a stressful day and makes me laugh, often at myself.

The long and the short of it is these are some unbelievably wonderful kids.

Sunday at the Park with Ian

2011-12-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

We met Tante and Ian at the park by Hearst Elementary School. It is a great park for little kids and bigger ones, so we knew it would entertain both Ian and Ellis. But somehow I didn't get a picture of Ian playing. Too busy talking to Tante.

A Day in the Life of Ellis

2011-12-05T18:06:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, Ellis wrote a letter to Santa, which was sent to his summer home in New Orleans.

Then Ellis created her own flag.

Finally, she tried on my red shoes.

Bathtime

2011-12-05T18:00:00.001-08:00

Anders has just graduated to taking baths in the bathtub with Ellis, who takes great care of him. Today she insisted on getting in the tub first so that Anders wouldn't be scared when I put him in.

National Gallery of Art

2011-12-05T17:54:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, we spent the morning at the National Gallery of Art. Ellis enjoyed the Impressionists a great deal. But the pictures are from lunch in the cafeteria with the underground waterfall, the path to the modern art wing, and the trip home.

Pictures with Gram

2011-12-05T17:53:00.001-08:00

Pictures say 1000 words...

Christmas Tree

2011-11-26T18:39:00.001-08:00

We went to the Columbia Heights market and bought a Christmas tree from an area farmer on "Small Business Saturday."

While Ellis decorated, Anders chewed on a box of crayons and then fell asleep.

Visiting the Grandparents

2011-11-26T18:26:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving, we had visits from THREE grandparents: Gram, Kackie and Pops. One of the things that everyone of us likes to do is cook...and eat. So Thanksgiving is tailor made for this crew. Mike planned an amazing meal of smoked turkey, qua-duc-ant (which is a quail stuffed into a duck stuffed into a pheasant), cornbread stuffing, brussel sprouts, potatoes, salad and the most amazing lemon pie. We even had veggies that he had pickled. Really, Mike is amazing.

Working on the cornbread stuffing, which was amazing...

Waiting for the meal to be served...

Enjoying the fruits of our (mostly Mike and Pops') labor...

We also got out and about. We hit the park. We went to the MLK memorial. We prepared for the LSU v. Arkansas game.

First Haircut

2011-11-26T18:22:00.001-08:00

I have cut Ellis' hair before but this was her first professional do. And it was with Vicki, the curly hair expert at Fiddleheads that cuts Kathy's hair. She did a great job, and sold us on No-Poo to protect her curly coiffure.

Going to the Park

2011-11-26T18:12:00.001-08:00

Anders is beginning to enjoy the park himself, not just witness others' enjoyment. And Ellis is learning how to make friends anywhere.

Ian Turns ONE

2011-11-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Ian, turned one year old on Sunday. One year ago, I went to check on Kathy after she had gone through 4 days of labor and finally been sent to the hospital (and put on an epidural). Later that night, Ian came along. Ellis and I got to see and hold him the very next day. Well, now he is pulling up and traversing and saying a few words (with a certain nasally flare). Next year, he and Anders will be running around together, and I get such a kick out of that. I can't wait.

We went to the zoo. And while we didn't see many animals, we still had a nice time.

New Couch and Updates

2011-11-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

We bought a new couch a couple of years ago. It was built in NC, which we loved, and a good deal, which we really loved. Turns out it sucked and fell apart because we had cats...and because we sat on it. So we did better this time and went to Room and Board. Our couch was built in Minnesota, which we love, and is not quite such a good deal, which is okay because it is really nice.

A couple of Anders updates:

He has started reaching for me, and even has begun to show a bit of a preference for me and Mike.
He also gives hugs around the neck. Sometimes he will grab our cheeks, pull us toward him and then give a huge, very slobbery baby kiss. It is so shockingly intentional.
He just clocked in at 19 lbs, 7 ounces and 27 inches. That puts him in the 85th percentile for weight and 75th for length. The doc also said that his strength in sitting up and standing is that of a 9 month old. He also handled the 4 shots with aplomb.
This poor baby's reflux is still awful. It is so bad, he has coughing and sneezing fits that wake him up in pain at night. So we are trying new medicine and will attempt to introduce rice cereal with milk as soon as the right kind of bottles come in the mail. He is being picky about trying solids and, considering how bad his reflux is, the doc thinks this would help at night. Cross your fingers.

Halloween

2011-11-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

So much changes in a year. Last year, Ellis was terrified of anyone in a mask and most people in a costume. This year, she thought they were funny. Also, this year we can have joint costumes.

Ellis originally wanted to be a princess, but that would make me gag. So I told her that a princess would not scare away the evil spirits. Okay, maybe it was not the most mature thing for me to do, but it worked, which means I will apologize for NOTHIN'! Anyway, Ellis decided to go as the wicked witch, and we were even going to paint her face green; but no one sells face paint on Halloween (don't get be started). And with Ellis as the wicked witch, Anders had to be her flying monkey.

Breakfast

2011-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows us, knows that breakfast is very important. We like cooking it and going to restaurants so that others can cook it for us. Here we are at one of our favorites, The Diner.

And last week Ellis wasn't feeling great, so I kept her home. While she was too sick to go to school, she wasn't totally sick; so we got a special breakfast at Tynan.

Snow in October

2011-10-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

The weather outside is crazy. Two days ago, it was clear and in the 60s. Today it snowed. If it had been cold recently, we would have gotten a good inch of accumulation because it dumped. Ellis wanted to romp around in it, and Anders got was very interested in his first snow. Kathy, Ian and James came over to give us all a distraction from the inhospitable day.

This cute outfit is his first from Plum Gear, "Netflix for Baby Clothes." It is very handy for the little babies who grow out of clothing at incredible rates, and not in sync with the seasons. You pay a monthly fee and get a certain number of pieces of clothing a month. Then you send them back and get new bundle. Wish I had thought of it.

Anders had another first this week. First trip to the ER. He was wheezing something awful but looked fine and was smiling and laughing. I let it go overnight but in the morning he sounded worse. So I took him in. Everyone expressed shock when they listened to his chest (which sounded unbelievably bad) because he looked so happy and healthy. But the doc determined he was prone to wheezing but fine and discharged us. So we went home and took a nap together. BTW, at the hospital, Anders weighed in at a little over 19 lbs.

Solid Foods

2011-10-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Anders has started solid food but much prefers what he can feed himself. Mike found some biscuits for babies that he really like to chew on. When it comes to baby food, he will take it from Mike but not so much from me. If I am there, he is much more interested in milk.

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took Ellis to "Boo at the Zoo," a Halloween party at the National Zoo. Ellis previewed her Halloween costume (Mike made the broom).

I kept this picture because it reminds me to log when Ellis started biting her nails, which was this summer. Apparently, I started at about the same age. Of all the things that she could inherit from me, this is the trait she gets? Ugh, I am so sorry, Ellis. It took me 30 years to get it under control -- not defeat it, get it under control.

Ellis' friend Claire joined us at the zoo. There is a lot of cute in this picture.

A quick bonus costume. I loved dress up when I was a kid, so I figured Ellis would too. This Supergirl costume was a huge hit.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my good friend Cassandra (who has come to my rescue several times this year) brought Ellis to a farm for apple and pumpkin picking -- which gave me and Mike the chance to do some work around the house. But look at all the fun we missed...

This picture looks like toddler cooperation, but I am told there was actually some arguing going on.

This is Ellis, Alastair and Lee (Cassandra's friend and often Alastair's babysitter).

Cassandra and Ellis. Honestly, Ellis looks more like Cassandra than me.

Fun Weekend

2011-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a festival to raise money for a daycare that everyone we know put their kids in. There was face painting, and Ellis loved that.

She did NOT like taking it off.

The next day, we went to Georgetown to get a new computer, got lunch at La Madeleine and hung out at the waterfront park. Everything about the day was wonderful -- the weather, the activity, everything.

Catching Up

2011-10-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since the last post. Between having to replace the computer and then updating our iPhone operating systems and being sick and -- it never ends and this last couple of weeks has been the never-ending-est of weeks. So let's catch up.

We will start with Anders. His daycare has fallen in love with him. He deal is he smiles this huge smile at anyone who talks to him and it charms everyone. So they crowd around and coo at him when he arrives. It is interesting. Because he smiles so much, everyone who knows him makes it heir mission to get him to smile. I find myself pushing for more and more smiles the more I get.

He is working hard at sitting up and getting quite good at it. But besides one day when he flipped from back to front twice, he hasn't shown much interest. We did start him on solid foods and he liked it. He wanted to hold the spoon and do it himself, but he really really liked the accolades he got for eating it. But then he stopped being interested, so we are taking a break. Ellis did the same thing.

The sleeping? Bad. He is sick, Ellis is sick, they trade off coughing, he wants to lubricate his throat because it is sore and dry, it never freaking ends. I have had very little sleep for 10 days, averaging about 3 hours a night. Even last night, when I got almost 9 hours of sleep, none was more than 3 hours together. And that doesn't work. I'd like to sleep train, but we can't get healthy enough to start.

He also really wants to be held these days. And this morning, for the first time, showed a strong preference for being held by me. Flattering but also trouble. Lastly, he has started to burrow in my shoulder and snuggle a bit when he gets tired and I *love* that.

Ellis has taken on the big sister role with gusto. If Anders fusses and I start to get frustrated or overwhelmed by it, she announces that she will take care of it and runs to talk to him. He responds immediately with smiles and giggles. I was in the kitchen the other day and he was getting very unhappy and then all of the sudden everything went totally silent. When I walked into the living room, he was staring wide-eyed and big-grinned at Ellis, who was holding his hands and taking to him.

Ellis is doing well at school but it isn't without it's challenges. She looooooves her teachers, Ms. Oliver and Ms. Fernandez (which she always pronounces properly as /fer-NAHN-des/). But after care continues to be a source of stress because Ellis hates change and he unexpected. Don't we all, you say. But she hates it more than most. If she has a substitute teacher at after care, it upsets her so much she worries about it the next day too. But the thing is, once she spends 5 min with the sub, she always loves them and is *super* happy when we arrive. Nonetheless, the possibility that tomorrow may be different stresses her out.

Ms. Fernandez is working on Spanish with Ellis and says Ellis has a good accent as is doing well picking up the language. But I am glad we didn't put her in a Spanish immersion program this year. It would have overwhelmed her. Ellis has a bad habit of not trying things until she is sure she can do it right, which creates a bit of a problem as new tasks get more challenging. We have to work on that. But being in her current class that teaches everything in English and Spanish, she is picking up more and more. And she is trying Spanish words now and even asking how to say things in Spanish. So next year might be the right time for an immersion class. I plan to talk to the principal about it. It also gives me an excuse to brush up my Spanish, which it is getting a little better.

We had our first parent-teacher meeting and heard great accolades. Both teaches said they had so much fun teaching Ellis that they had to remind themselves that they had 10 other students to teach. They also said she is way ahead of her level and might be bored next year because she is almost ready for kindergarten now. I don't want to skip a grade because I think that usually ends bad on the social development side, so we are going to have to discuss ways to keep her challenged. And the teachers had ideas on that.

An observer came to class one day recently and saw Ellis doing what she often does, playing alone and singing to herself. The observer told Ms. Fernandez that Ellis seemed to be a very happy child. The singing to herself she does get from me.

Ellis adores drawing and is pretty sophisticated about it. Ms. Oliver showed us pictures that a developmentally correct 3-year old should draw and it is worlds away from what Ellis does. Ellis is drawing pictures of people with the right hair color and eye color and clothing and jewelry. It is quite amazing -- more like you'd expect from a 5-year old. She did NOT get this skill from me.

Ellis is fantastically sweet and loving. She tells me she loves me all the time, and that never gets old. She loves to hug and snuggle. In fact, we snuggled all through an hour long nap last weekend. She also is very imaginative, loving dress-up and weaving elaborate stories. Often times she just acts out a seen on her own or tells a story to herself.

Finally, I have to say that the way Ellis talks is so interesting. She has these great turns of phrase. She'll hear a word she doesn't know, repeat it and say, "I don't know what that means." Then we explain it, she repeats it and says, "Oh, now I get it." Freaking adorable.

Back to Soccer

2011-10-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here is Ellis in full soccer regalia with Maeve. Ellis adores soccer but had a tough time last week when the coach set them up, for the first time, to directly compete. This was the first indication that soccer is a competitive sport, and Ellis is fart to sweet to steal someone else's ball as a first instinct. She was also paired with a kid who is a year older and not so constrained by manners. It ended with a very frustrated and sad Ellis. Mike said he saw it coming a mile away and would have reacted the exact same way at her age.

After practice, we came home and played some more.

Panda Jack

2011-10-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today we got together with Jack, who went to Just Us Kids with Ellis. We refer to him as Panda Jack because he was in the panda room with Ellis, and to differentiate him from Josh and Sue's Jack. Well, Panda Jack just became a big brother -- his little sister Zoe arrived almost exactly 2 weeks ago. I snuggled with her for almost an hour. Heaven.

When Anders was brand new, the thing we found most helpful was when people took Ellis out to play with a friend, letting her have fun, wearing her out and giving us a little break. So we offered to do the same for Jack and his parents, Josh and Stephanie. The one problem Mike and I had was that we were having so much fun chatting with Jack's parents, we almost forgot to take Jack and Ellis out. Kid fun - adult fun. Kid fun - adult fun. Sigh, kid fun.

We headed to the Mall, starting with lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian. There was a bit of an argument at lunch about who was going to marry Ellis. She said Lucas at first. Jack said it would be him. Ellis eventually agreed it would be Jack, but only when they were older. Jack agreed saying, "Yeah, when we're older. When I'm five." Sounds like a ripe old age to me.

Then we hit the carousel and ran around. It was Jack's first time on the carousel, and he loved it. As we started our first of four rides, Jack and Ellis were whopping and hollering, and Jack turned to me and said, "Can we do this bunches of times?" I said, "Sure can."

Then they pooped out, which was the whole point.

These kids played so well together, I really can't wait to get them together again. And next time, I hope we can send the kids off to play with toys and get more time with Josh and Stephanie. They really are loads of fun.

Rainy Day Impromptu Playdate

2011-10-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

It has rained almost every single day of the last month. If you look at the weather forecast, you will see sun three days away. But don't be fooled. It has said that all month and then each day is pushed out another say so that it stays forever 3 days out. On Saturday, soccer was canceled for rain -- again. So we had Maeve and Maisie over to play. And they did. The Melvis team plus Maisie, or Melvsie, enjoyed tatoos and costumes and teepees (well, one teepee).

In the meantime, Anders and Maura (Brangelina, or Melvis name: Maunders) spent some quality time together. Some have described this picture as the beginning of Baby Thunderdome; others as the blossoming of young love. It is such a thin line that divides the two, isn't it?

Morning at the Park

2011-09-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Soccer was canceled this Saturday due to rain. But the rain ended and our kids needed to run around, so we met at the park. In attendance: Ellis, Maeve, Maisie, Gibbs, Tessa and Maura and AA napping most of the time. Speaking of napping, the kids were wiped out afterward and took a nice long nap together while I cleaned the room.

Chugging Along and Chuggington

2011-09-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

Young Master Olander is growing and growing stronger by the day. He clocked in at 17lbs, 1oz at his 4- month appointment, which puts him in the 95th percentile. Thanks to the chest pillow that Tante gave us, he is enjoying and getting better at tummy time. He also is working on sitting up. He hung out in the bumbo today, very happily, for well over an hour.

Ellis is continuing to settle into her new school. I know she likes it because I asked her how she might feel about moving to a new place and going to a new school. Her answer: "We could take a plane and come back to my Tubman School." Well, at her Tubman School, my boss unveiled a new campaign to teach kids and their parents about road safety, called Chuggington. Check it out. All my fellow DOT folks were blown away at how well-behaved the Tubman youngsters were. Here is Ellis coloring in the Chuggington activity book wearing a Chuggington vest.

The Mohrs

2011-09-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

We hosted close family friends who were in town, Bob and Janet Mohr. When we lived in West Virginia, they lived down the block on Fitzhugh Street and I was best friends with their youngest, Sarah. And when both Kathy and I moved to DC, we stayed with their elder daughter, Leslie, whose roommate, Mary, is the mother of none other than Maeve (of Melvis fame). So the Mohrs are very important to the Os.

They have not changed a bit. They really haven't. We had a great time catching up on what has happened since we saw them last -- about 10 years ago.

Panda Friends

2011-09-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, after soccer, we got together with 2 of Ellis' friends from the Just Us Kids panda room, Claire and Sophia. Of course, they have moved up to the monkey room, but are as sweet as ever. The best part was watching Ellis when they arrived at the park. The girls tackled each other with hugs. It was fantastic. Afterward, Ellis could hardly make it home for nap, she was so tired from all the fun and excitement.

Geiger Cousins

2011-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, we had large family gatherings on a regular basis on both sides of the family. On my mother's side, this involved getting together at my grandmother's house with her cousins and their kids and grandkids. Some of our cousins came in from Morgan City or Houma, LA. Two of my cousins are named Michael. One is Michael Slobotzky, my grandmother's brother's youngest, or my 1st cousin once removed. And the other Michael Geiger (one of our Houma cousins), my grandmother's cousin's son, or my second cousin once removed. The two of them would entertain us little kids by arguing about which was our favorite cousin Michael and who was "Michael #1" and Michael #2."

After my grandmother passed away, we didn't see many of these cousins often and lost touch. But thanks to the wonders of Facebook, I found Michael, but I didn't notice where he lived. Then one day, his status message was something that only made sense if he was in the DC area. Turns out, he lives in suburban Maryland, works as a contractor for the FAA and my mother knew he was in this area all along. (Maybe my mother told me and I forgot. Like Kackie, I can't be trusted to remember anything before yesterday.)

Anyway, Michael and I got together when he came to FAA for new credentials, and we had his family over for dinner a month later. It was fantastic to reconnect and meet his wife Deborah and daughters Heather and Sonya. He also brought this incredible diagram of our family tree, starting with our common ancester -- my great, great grandmother, Celine Lehman Blumenthal. When I was a kid, I was so proud that we spent time with 2nd cousins. And today I love that my kids know their 3rd cousins once removed.

The Geigers also brought all the kids toys. Anders got a great stuffed animal with many lovely things to chew on. Ellis got a tiny doll with lots of lovely clothing to to put on it. Ellis loves this as much as the magnetic doll she got from Kackie and Pops. But in both cases, rather than mixing and matching the clothing, she seems to lock on a favorite outfit and insist that no one change it.

Serious Soccer Lessons

2011-09-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Because of our successful venture with soccer this summer, we joined with a group of parents and hired a guy to give soccer lessons over the summer. Man, has this turned out well. The coach, who played for UMD, has that kiddie kavorka. The kids really liked him, had a blast and showed actual improvement in one lesson.

Of course, this comes with some wardrobe demands. Here is Ellis in her new cleats, shin guards and socks. We also upgraded her ball to a size 3.

Here, Ellis is demonstrating one of the exercises her coach taught her for balance.

Solo Trip to NOLA

2011-09-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since I've posted. Sorry about that. Two weeks ago, I traveled with the kids, all by myself. They were *amazing* the whole time. Anders was easy going and Ellis extremely helpful. And thanks to the iPad, we could travel with one bag and yet have books (plural), puzzles, movies, reading games and coloring books all in one thin electronic device. Me lovey. I have absolutely no clue how my mother traveled with all three of us as kids, alone and with no iPad...at night. That was just crazy.

The trip was to New Orleans for work as part of the White House's new Strong Cities initiative. I was put on the New Orleans team, for obvious reasons, and my parents watched the kids while I worked. We also got the chance to see Scott, Hollee, Allison and Baylee and go to an LSU game with Hank (tickets thanks to Jason). I did a terrible job taking pictures at Scott and Hollee's place. I am relying on Scott to send the pics and videos he took (hint, hint).

Ellis had her first snowball (blueberry), which remained on her face for several hours, and her second (strawberry) on this trip.

We visited with relatives. Here Ellis is showing Aunt Linda her new toy from Kackie and Pops, a magnetic take on a paper doll from Melissa and Doug. Like all Melissa and Doug toys, it is beautifully designed, made in the US and was a smashing success with Ellis.

There was much hugging and snuggling. And let me say this: Ellis stopped having nightmares for the first time in 6 months. Kackie and Pops magic. Thank you so much Kackie and Pops!

Also, while we were in New Orleans, Ellis took a shot at writing her last name. After a couple tries, this is what we got. Pretty damn good, if you ask me. Mike said it looked like an adult trying to write like a child because it was a little too good for a 3-year old. As of now, she can write all but 6 letters. The ones she is still working on are G, J, K, U, W and Y. She told me tonight that she wants to write numbers but that she can already write 1 and 3.

As for the LSU game, it was a gorgeous night and LSU clobbered Northwestern LA, 49-3. This fun would not have been possible without Kackie and Aunt Hollee, who watched, bathed and got 4 kids under 4 in bed while Scott, Pops and I went to watch football. They are amazing. Thank you Kackie and Hollee!

But the transportation analyst in me couldn't help but notice the unbelievable proliferation of bicycles on campus. I have it on good authority (Sen. Vitter's transportation aid) that people in Louisiana just will NOT ride their bikes or walk. Turns out when they don't have to ride or walk in fast moving traffic, they might just -- by the hundreds. There were racks spilling over with bikes like this all over campus.

Tosha

2011-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful things about Just Us Kids was we met Latosha. Tosha was Ellis' favorite caregiver in the infant room, and we would gossip together when I showed up to get Ellis at the end of the day. We stayed in touch and, when Anders came along, she agreed to watch him when I had to go back to work until he got into daycare. She was amazing: flexible, sweet, supportive. She named him "Whopper" because he is so big. And as is so often the case, he would do something new for her WAY before he did that for us -- trying to sit up, giggling, etc.

She took Anders everywhere, including to her grandmother's house to be spoiled. (In fact, I need to score me an invite to her grandmother's house for Friday dinner.) Because of his time with Tosha, AA has fans all over this neighborhood. Tosha also would give people trouble when they asked if she was the sitter. She'd say, "What are you talking about? This baby is mine! Can't you see that he has my cheeks?!?" Anders just loves spending time with her and would smile and laugh when she arrived in the morning. I know he is wondering when he gets to see Tosha next. I am wondering the same thing. We need to make that happen soon...

Advice I have to Remember

2011-09-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

There are two pieces of advice that parents regularly need and I actually know how to handle those issues -- now. But I will forget, and probable soon. So I am writing it down. It is advice on how to deal with a fussy infant and how to potty train.

1) Fussy, Colicky Babies

There are fussy babies and their are reflux babies. More often than not, it is not colic but reflux. If the baby is fussiest after eating and arches his/her back and/or pulls off he breast a lot during feedings, this is reflux. Lots of doctors don't think of it or call it colic. But it isn't. It is an under-developed sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach that allows stomach acid to bubble up. This causes the baby's chest to burn after feedings. Adults who have reflux call the pain very painful, so imagine what it is like for a baby. It is typical for babies to show symptoms starting when they are about a month old, and it often gets worse until 5 months, at which point it starts to clear up. Most babies outgrow it between 9 and 12 months.

The treatment is Zantac. Parents should not fear medicating a baby for reflux. I waited with Ellis and all it did was put her through unnecessary pain. It isn't fair to the kid and can cause them to eat less and have trouble gaining weight. This is not the place for anti-medication stands. Three things to know about Zantac: 1) some kids do better on Prilosec or on a version of the drugs compounded without alcohol, meaning you have to find a pharmacist that does their own compounding; 2) it takes 2 weeks to build up in the baby's system and work fully, so don't give up after a few doses; and 3) as the baby gets bigger so does the dosage. This can make a big difference after a little weight gain -- for example, at 12 pounds the dosage is 1 cc a day, but at 13 pounds it is 1.5 cc twice a day.

Doctors will suggest formula or rice cereal in the milk, saying it will help to hold the food down. This is the biggest load of (excuse the language) horse shit ever perpetrated. Seriously. It might hold the food down and prevent spit ups, but it does nothing to hold down the acid. Plus, formula is made with cow's milk, which is usually a big irritant.

Other good things to do: mom should cut dairy for a while and see if that helps. Nuts and eggs might be an issue too. I cut all three with my AA and slowly reintroduced them to figure out the culprit. It was milk and cheese. But I can get away with one serving a day.

Also they say burping helps. I think that is crap. But it does help to hold the baby upright at a 45 degree angle or more for between 10 and 30 minutes after feedings to let things settle. I would let Ellis sleep on my chest with me propped up. This let me snooze too. AA only needs to be upright for 10 minutes, so I just stay up with him.

Whether reflux or not, swaddle! I have a friend who kept her baby in a miracle blanket nearly 24-7 for 4 months. Another friend let her son sleep in the car seat to keep him upright and let her get sleep too. Doctors will warn against all of these things, but both can be done responsibly. And sleep is essential for the baby's brain development -- and to avoid depression in the parents.

Also hair dryers can be calming. It imitates the sound of blood moving in the womb. There is also a hold that helps: tummy down on your chest (especially skin-to-skin) or across your arm. If you are awake, the baby can nap on his/her tummy. But you have to be there to watch them.

2) Potty Training

The biggest help was daycare that taught us how to do this. They Ellis assigned to a potty-trained older kid in her class. Every time the big kid went to the bathroom, they took the little kid. This older child must be no more than one year older. Any older and the potty trainee will consider them out of reach and not try to intimidate them. But if the kid is not in daycare, go find a cousin or friend. Nothing socializes a kid like another kid.

There are also were scheduled potty times throughout the day when kids have to sit on the potty whether they do anything or not.

Other things that seemed to work was calling it "making bubbles." I have no idea why. They also had more absorbent underpants that they recommended (http://www.pottyscotty.com/) which catch small accidents but made a kid uncomfortable if there was a big accident. Some believe that diapers are so good at holding moisture away that it makes things too comfortable and convenient for kids to use, meaning they won't try to use the potty for longer.

At daycare and home, we used "sleep diapers" at naptime and bed time, and used "travel diapers" when they went out. The kid is in underwear when at home or in the center. It actually took pretty quickly. As she got good at noticing when she had to go to the bathroom, we started venturing out without a diaper. We also got a kids potty that plays music when used. Ellis got very excited about that.

Some Cute Stories

2011-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have been through an earthquake and a hurricane and several cute stories. First, the earthquake. Ellis was home sick and we were taking a nap. I woke up first and figured out what was going on after ticking through several other options (truck, bomb, etc.). Then Ellis woke up and looked at me. I must have looked calm because she never got upset. AA slept right through it -- enjoyed the rocking.

Ellis is getting more into her little brother. She likes to hug him before we leave in the morning. She also enjoys having him sit up against her stomach and then fall over together. He likes it too.

Before the hurricane hit, we went out to Stead Park hoping there would be soccer. There was not. So Mike and Ellis played a little soccer together in the rain.

Okay, cute stories. Ellis often asks Mike and I what we are talking about. The answer, especially to our most animated conversations, is often, "Politics." Well, she has clearly been listening to the substance of our discussions. The other day, in the midst of one of these political discussions, Ellis asked: "Mommy Daddy," [we are often titles as if we are one entity] "are 'publicans bad guys?" We are so proud.

On a walk home from school this week, Ellis asked me what I had done that day. I told her 2 or 3 things (wrote a memo, had some meetings, read about trains, etc) and she said, "Wow, you did many things!"

As for Anders, he rolled over twice on Sunday. But he can seem to get back into the zone and repeat this feat. He is chewing on everything including Mike's nose, if it comes close to his mouth. Very funny to watch. He is also showing a great deal of interest in food. So next week we are going to start him on cereal. We hope it will help him sleep through the night too, as he has regressed in recent weeks and shows no sign of re-progressing. Mommy needs her beauty sleep.

One last milestone, I am fitting into my suits again. This is not to say my body is back to normal because it is not. Everything is in the wrong place, but at least I can wear my clothes.

Hello, Harriet Tubman Elementary

2011-09-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ellis started preschool at Harriet Tubman Elementary School, our neighborhood public school. Her new teachers are Ms. Oliver and Ms. Fernandez. Ellis adores Ms. Oliver and has asked to play with her a couple times over the weekend. Ms. Fernandez is the Spanish teacher who is there to help teach a couple Spanish-speaking kids learn English and the English-speakers learn Spanish.

This is Ellis in her school uniform with Ms. Fernandez.

There are 14 kids in the class, which is one of 2 classes for 3-year olds. Ellis will also be in the aftercare program with 13 other 3- and 4-year olds. The teachers in that program are Ms. Weeks and Ms. Davis. Ms. Weeks is Tubman's award-winning kindergarten teacher, who you can't help but fall in love with immediately upon meeting her.

Sadly, we did not set up after care well. Ellis was not prepared for it and the first day was disorganized with all the kids being kept together in the cafeteria. Ellis got very upset when Ms. Oliver left and was still red-eyed when I arrived. Still, she chatted up the aide who walked her to meet me like nothing was wrong -- clearly something she was doing to make herself feel brave.

By day 2, I had complained to the principal, Harry Hughes, who whipped everything into shape by that afternoon. Now all the 3 and 4 year olds will come to Ellis' classroom for aftercare, which is run by their awesomest teacher.

I am really pissed at myself for not setting this up better. It was entirely predictable for anyone who knows my child. But I blew it, end of story. So for the rest of this week, I am picking Ellis up at 3:15 and spending quality time with her to help her get used to school. Ms. Weeks is finding Ellis each day on the playground so that they "will be good friends by the time Ellis starts aftercare next Tuesday." Ellis assures me she will be fine.

Interestingly, in spite of a 90 minute nap time, Ellis is exhausted by the end of the day. The child who could easily make it until 9:30-10:00 was asleep tonight by 8:30.

Goodbye to Just Us Kids

2011-08-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad day. Tomorrow is an exciting one. That is because yesterday was Ellis' last day at Just Us Kids, the day care she has attended since June of 2008. We have loved this daycare. It has a great structure and is 2 blocks from the National Mall, where the kids spend their summers going to the Smithsonian museums and the Sculpture Garden. You can't beat that.

We have met amazing kids. The kids who have spent the last 3 years with Ellis are sweet and have a great chemistry together. They play well, support one another and are very loving, giving hugs all the time. For the record, the gang was Lucas (who was a part of the Great Escape with Ellis in the infant room), Emmi, Claire, Sophie, Jack (who danced with Ellis at Eastern Market last year), Orin, Ronan, Daphne, Casey, Nico, Lane and Caroline. For a time, Ellis hung out with the older kids too: Betty, Max, Benjamin, Marin, Henry and Sasha. Here are the kids greeting Ellis when I dropped her off during their morning walk by the Capitol.

Here is Ellis and Claire in the "housekeeping" area. It is a place for dress up and pretending to cook. But it is also a place for kids to go when they need to be separated from the rest of the kids.

And snack time...

We have also met amazing care-givers. We met Pam, Mia and Sumaira, who run a wonderful institution and who the kids love. We met Latosha, who was Ellis' favorite person in the infant room, has remained a friend of mine and is currently taking care of Anders (who she called Whopper). We met Chandra, who was the head of the toddler room and amazing at teaching us as parents how to help Ellis learn to walk, drink from a cup, use a potty, etc. We met Edythe, Annie, Nun, Elesha and Ella, who are just sweet ladies that the kids (and adults) love being around.

And we met the incredible team in the panda room (2-3 year olds). Ingrid runs the room and runs it like a preschool, which has challenged Ellis and helped her get ready for her next adventure. Shirley calls my kids her grandkids and I swear we'd take her home with us if we could get away with it. And Latoya and Stacy have been incredible supportive and encouraging of us and Ellis -- both telling us that Ellis belonged in preschool because she is so smart and needs a challenge. That is actually the thing that pushed me to make the jump.

So I'll admit it: I cried on the last day. It was so hard to leave and know that I wouldn't see them again unless I made a special trip and that Anders will not get this experience. But everyone was so kind and excited about Ellis going to school. Shirley told me to be strong and not let Ellis see me upset (she was so right, so I ran out before Ellis saw me). Everyone made us promise to bring the kids by for visits and keep them up to date on everything the kids do. You bet we will. I can't go too long without seeing those wonderful people.

Anders: Bumbo and Tummy Time

2011-08-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Anders is very interested in sitting up. He really enjoys the Bumbo for about 10 minutes and then starts to get tired. But it has definitely helped him strengthen his back muscles. It is also a nice way to give Mike and me a chance to eat without a baby in one of our arms (plus it makes for a hilarious picture).

He is also getting better at tummy time. Like Ellis, he wears out and gets fussy after about 5-10 minutes. But that time is lengthening and he is holding his head higher and higher. Below this is a picture of Ellis at the same age for comparison.

Bubba's Visit

2011-08-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Keith came to visit and Ellis was ecstatic about it. As soon as Mike and Ellis picked him up, it was Bubba this and Bubba that. She wanted to show Bubba her toys and paints and room and everything. Young master Anders was his normal chilled out self until the last couple of days when he got a bit fussy. We think he picked up a milder version of the cold that gave Ellis a fever a day or two later.

On his last day in town, we went to a new restaurant called Ted's Bulletin, where they are known for their homemade pop tarts (they taste every bit as amazing as it sounds). While waiting for a table, we walked around Barracks Row, which is where Mike's parents lived in the late 60s. We also hit Eastern Market after breakfast and flirted with buying some more original art.

Betterton

2011-08-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to snag an invite out to our friends' house on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay in a little town called Betterton. This town and its beach used to be quite the regional destination, but now it is a lovely quiet getaway. I need to post pictures of us at the beach, but they are on Mike's phone. So it will come soon.

In the meantime, here is Ellis getting a kiss from Chesky, their sweet chocolate lab.

A quick comparison of Ellis now and during her first trip to Betterton...

Our friend Tom turns out to be an amazing photographer. Below is a picture of him getting the incredible picture you see next. I am disappointed that I had already ordered birth announcements for Anders because I would have used these pictures. They are just amazing.

Drawing

2011-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

I came around the corner and saw Ellis coloring in this drawing of a mermaid (that is what she said it was). I asked her if Mike drew it, assuming she was just coloring it in. She said no, that she drew it. Not totally believing her (because she often refers to coloring as drawing), I asked Mike. It turns out that she actually drew it all herself. I thought it deserved to be preserved in a picture with the artist.

More Soccer

2011-08-11T08:39:00.001-07:00

Ellis now really likes soccer. She gets super excited when we get to the park on Saturday mornings, yelling "woo-hoo" and running to the field. Here she is in the new soccer shorts that Mike got her and a DC flag t-shirt. U.S. National Team, here she comes!

This is Ellis and some of the other kids preparing for one of the drills. The kids line up with their backs to the balls, parents lay the balls out around the field, the kids turn around and run for a ball, dribble it back to the goal and then take a shot.

I am posting some videos of soccer. Check them out.

Bumbo and Tummy Time

2011-08-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Anders is really fixated on sitting up. He stretches his head and neck like he is trying to pull himself up almost any time you lay him down. So we got him a Bumbo to help him sit up. As you can see he really likes it; and he has already gotten stronger in the 2 days that he has used it, sitting up much more upright in our laps.

We are also doing a good amount of tummy time. He has about 10 minutes of patience with it and then gets fussy (same as Ellis). But he is doing pretty well, as you can see.

Visiting with Cousins

2011-08-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

My cousin Terrie and her family came to town on their way to PA. Here is Ellis, Tyler and Brandon at the Natural History museum, which Ellis thought was the best museum to bring them to.

We also went out to dinner at Pizza Paradiso with Kathy et al, but Terrie has the only photographic evidence of that event. If she sends them to me, I'll add them to the post. Poor Ian was sick with an ear infection and struggling to be cheerful. In my opinion, he was braver than many adults I know when they are sick.

One funny story from dinner is Ellis eating all the olives they put out for the table. She grabbed the bowl, pulled them towards her and ate until they were gone. Recently, she figured out how to eat around pits, opening up world of olives and cherries that she barely knew existed.

Plane Ride Home

2011-08-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

I thought we should acknowledge that this trip was the first time we had taken Anders on a plane. Clearly there needed to be some kind of photo commemoration. So here he is napping on Mike. (I love the male-pattern baldness. So cute.)

And Ellis spent a good deal of time getting up-to-speed on the instructions about what to do in an emergency.

Pensacola -- Last Day

2011-08-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ellis and Allee enjoyed hanging out on the top bunk in Ellis' room.

But they were not prepared for the vacation to end, especially Ellis. She cried on our last night, particularly about having to leave Allee and Uncle Pat. And on the last day, she asked for 5 more minutes in the house. This is how she spent those 5 minutes...

BTW, the house we stayed in was owned by Chuck Wagner, who had quite a career on Broadway and now teaches master classes around the country. He played Javert in "Les Mis," the Beast in "Beauty and the Beast," and originated the Big Bad Wolf and Rapunzel's Prince in "Into the Woods." I actually saw him in "Into the Woods" when I went on the Harvard Model UN trip to Boston and NYC in 1988. How crazy is that? Very nice guy.

Pensacola -- Pics of the Family

2011-08-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

I realize now that I got almost no pictures of my parents, who were amazing. First of all, my dad set up the house. Secondly, my parents arranged everything else -- meals, the baby things necessary, etc. Thirdly, they made it possible for Mike and me to go out to dinner, spend time at the beach together and get lots of naps. And last, they took the least desirably room -- the loft. It was the noisiest place and required a hike down a circular staircase in the middle of the night if they had to go to the bathroom. No small sacrifice there. It wouldn't have been a vacation were it not for everything they did to make it so relaxing. I'm crazy lucky.

Here is Aunt Hollee snuggling with Anders. Allee hung out the whole time and looked on. She was very sweet with him and is a great big sister to Baylee.

This is Daniel, my cousin Laura's husband. Ellis loved Daniel and he definitely has a way with kids. He is sweet and very patient.

This is my Uncle Pat (Laura's dad), who has always been a Pied Piper with kids. He was my first babysitter ever and I have tons of stories of the fund games we played. My favorite was when he would build a fort with the sofa cushions at my grandparents' house. Uncle Pat says that Ellis' bossy streak reminds him of another 3.5-year old he once knew. Who could he be referring to?

Just cute. Mike looks good at the beach. He got a little sun, grew a bunch of facial hair and wore just the right garb to look stylish but relaxed. He could have been in a J Crew catalogue.

Uncle Jerry has always loved having tons of kids around. Where my parents wouldn't have dared ask me when the heck I was going to get to having kids, Jerry was all too happy to perform that job. He was in hog heaven this weekend. And Ellis was quite pleased to get the attention.

And another picture of sand castle building. There were motes and towers and all kids of things.

Pensacola -- at the Beach

2011-08-01T20:23:00.001-07:00

The kids all gave the beach a try. The sand was a big hit but the water at times was a little threatening. So they held on tight to the grown-ups any time they ventured in. We had some days with rough seas, including a rain storm and a day where the red flags came out, kicking everyone out of the water. But overall, the weather was beautiful (much cooler than DC) and the water was welcoming.

Here is Anders getting some sun (under a tarp). We dug a hole in the sand, covered it with a towel and, voila, instant baby beach chair. As you can see, he liked it.

Ellis dug as much sand as she could in her time at the beach. I love these rash guards. They cover the kid so much better than a regular bathing suit, which really helps avoid sunburn. It also looks way cool.

Ellis considering taking on the waves...

And in they go. She liked it but wanted to be held tightly. She let us put her in a floaty a few times too. But after about 20 minutes, she generally was ready to get out.

Kathy has always been an expert boogy boarder. Here she is riding a wave to the beach. James got pretty good on this trip too. But you can't beat Kathy's style with that hat.

Next year, I expect to see Ian on one of those boogy boards. But this year, he just laid out and picked up chicks.

Caroline Visits for the Day

2011-08-01T20:15:00.001-07:00

My cousin Caroline is a year younger than me and a year older than Kathy. We were close to her, much like Ellis is already to Allee. Caroline and her husband Eric stayed at Seaside but came to Pensacola for the day with her kids Jack, Michael and Mia. Mia is 6 months younger than Ellis and 6 months older than Allee -- great potential for bonding there. And her boys are about as sweet (and good with babies) as any boys I have ever met.

Here is Michael with Anders. Michael is about nine, and he has recently taken up piano.

And here is Jack, who is eleven. Jack is an avid soccer player and braved a jellyfish attack while at the beach. He got hit under the arm -- not too bad.

We all used to go to the Gulf Coast every summer -- grandparents, uncles, aunts, tons of cousins, and sometimes a friend or two. We haven't done this in a long time, over a decade. This was the first trip we took since all the cousins have gotten married and had kids. Crazy.

Pensacola -- Playing with Cousins

2011-08-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last week, we went to Pensacola Beach and stayed in a house with my parents, brother, sister and their families. There were also uncles and aunts and many, many cousins. Ellis and Anders loved it. Ellis particularly enjoyed her time with cousin Allee. See for yourself...

Ian is starting to take an interest in Anders. Ian himself is getting very interesting. He really interacts with people (much flirting) and makes delightfully cute noises. Anders in now trying to compete with him for most drooly, but Ian is the king of drool right now. Two bottom teeth in and two up top working their way out.

Pops and Kackie were really prepared for this trip. They got this awesome kids' pool that we put on the porch. This let the kids swim in most weather and not have to worry about jelly fish or sunburn. It was a huge hit.

Pops and Kackie also brought Candyland, which they played with Ellis and Allison. I wish I had gotten this on video (I took almost no video on this trip -- what is wrong with me?!?) because it was adorable.

Aunt Hollee has a gift with children. She finds great ways for them to participate in everything, even making snacks. Here they are working on nachos.

Allison's pack-n-play was in a closet in Scott and Hollee's room. The closet was big enough to be a room, actually. Here are the girls hiding and playing there, followed by some other great shots of them having fun.

One other thing. Hollee got this amazingly hilarious video of Allison and Ellis. It must be shared: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hokSqn-sUwM&feature=player_embedded.

Sibling Kisses

2011-07-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

This morning Anders woke up all smiles at 6:45. We don't know where he got that character trait. Ellis woke up groggy and wanted to cuddle up in bed. But she woke up when she saw Anders, and started hugging and kissing on him -- she demanded I take pictures of them together.

This has been the hottest day I can ever remember. It was 106 degrees in the shade and 120 with the heat index. We can't wait to head south to the Gulf Coast where it is more than 15 degrees cooler. Yeah, that's right. More than 15 degrees.

Sitting up, propped

2011-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Anders clearly wants to get up and go. At his last visit to the pediatrician, the nurse practitioner was taken aback by how much he tried to stand up when she was checking his neck strength.

He also likes it when we prop him up in the corner of the couch to let him sit by himself. This picture doesn't show it (because I took so long to find the camera), but there were lots of smiles. The one problem is that even in this position, he tries to push with his legs all the time, which makes it hard to stay upright.

Lucas

2011-07-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ellis loves her classmate, Lucas. They have known each other since Ellis was 6 months old and have always been close. They participated in the "great escape," when they unlocked the infant gate and ran into the cubby area -- and then up to one of the teachers (not the best escape). They have had their fights, like when Lucas bit Ellis and then she nursed a grudge for 15 min before she bit him back. But they have stayed steadfast friends. Recently, Ellis has been telling me that she is going to marry Lucas.

Soccer Saturday

2011-07-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Rapunzel + Carlos Valderama + Edgar Davids = Ellis

Sibling Smiles and Soccer

2011-07-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

What description is needed for this?

Here are the kids in Mike's lap watching the women's World Cup final. We cheered on our team, but hopefully Japan's win will be a boost for the country in light of some tough times.

And here is Ellis showing off her own soccer skills.

The Newseum

2011-07-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

For our latest special Mommy-daughter date, Ellis and I went to the Newseum. I am trying to have some special time alone with her on a regular basis so that she knows she is still special in spite of having to share us with Anders. We had a nice time, but it will be more fun for her in about 3-4 years. Still, here are a few highlights:

Ellis interviewed me. She asked me what my favorite toy was and about my favorite games.

Here is Ellis touching a piece of the Berlin Wall. The security guard who took the picture said that Ellis looks like Shirley Temple.

Mike also took Ellis on a date, to dinner at the Diner. She got to sit on a bar stool at the counter, a milkshake was had, she was pretty excited. I'll try to get Mike to post about it.

Body Paint

2011-07-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Ellis asked if she could paint, to which I said yes. I was so impressed with how quietly and independently she was playing and how it allowed me to get my checkbook balanced, pay some bills and clean up. Well, this is what I found when I checked in with her. She painted all right...

I couldn't get angry. The whole thing was too funny and cute. Plus, while she painted herself, she didn't get paint anyplace else. The area was clean. And after all, I did get all that work done. We ran upstairs and got all cleaned up.

Mom Thoughts

2011-07-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have been having all these deep thoughts about parenthood and the kids, but it only seems to happen as I'm falling asleep or walking Ellis home from the metro. I always think I will remember and then I forget. So suffice it to say that I've thought many I interesting things that many might enjoy reading about and I'd love to remember in 20 years, but I couldn't remember than for 20 minutes in order to write them down.

So here are a few things I do remember to share: Anders has figured out how to suck his thumb and I find myself proud. How strange that is. But it shows initiative and coordination on his part which, at this age, is quite an accomplishment. He desperately wants that thumb or a binky or your chin or anything he can shove in his mouth because it appears that he is already teething, which is just ridiculous if you ask me.

He has gained another 14 ounces, clocking in at 13 lbs, 14 oz and 23.5 in. He is getting CHUNKY! I looked at pictures of Ellis at this age and find that she looked the same -- in the face and weigh-wise. So it we are on pace to have another mini sumo wrestler baby, which is just fine by me. It is the only time in life that it is adorable to be fat.

While Anders and Ellis look alike in many ways, they look different too. When AA smiles, his eyes turn into half moons. When Ellis smiled at this age, her eyes got big and round. Anders flaps his legs when he gets excited but not his arms as much. Ellis was much more of an arm flapper, as I remember it. While they have many expressions in common (particularly the suspicious look), AA mostly makes different ones. He is far more serious and willing to be left alone. He makes totally different noises, which usually sound like very vocal sighs. Other random facts: he has long eyelashes that are too light to see except up close and his nails grow like crazy.

I am jotting down some thoughts while sitting in the shade by the YMCA pool in suburban Maryland with AA sleeping on my shoulder. He is good about snuggling in and holding on, sometimes literally grabbing my shirt with his hand or wrapping his arms around my neck (as much as a 2 month old can). I am enjoying this stage. With Ellis, every stage has been my favorite and I've said I'd miss each one when she moved to the next, but I never do because the next stage becomes my favorite every time. It is possible that each stage was easy to let go because I figured we would have one more child and see it again. This is my last baby to sleep on my should like this. I might get to hold other kids or grandkids, but it won't be my baby who wants me more than anything in the world. (A good reminder when I get frustrated that I can't get things done in those times when he won't let me put him down.)

AA is very clear about wanting me to hold him or feed him. He smiles and gets very excited when he thinks I'm going to pick him up. And when he's hungry, if I put him in the feeding position, he makes almost manic sounding noises that express excitement twinged with panic and relief (and lots of snorts).

AA also loves ceiling fans (what baby doesn't?) and the "arts and crafts" style light fixture in our dining room. In fact, he will stare and smile then sometimes turn his head, bury it in my shoulder and giggle. He has also started responding with smiles to my talking or singing to him or touching his cheek. At his 2 month old appointment, the nurse practitioner said, "He only has eyes for his mom." I'm living in up. as I know all too well that won't last forever.

Here is a bonus pic of us with Craig, his mom and Maeve after soccer. We were trying to stay in the tiny patch of shade to recover before more intense playing...

Ellis Update

2011-07-06T19:48:00.001-07:00

Ellis is super sweet and so much fun.

She has a cadence of speech that I recently have realized is mine. She talks something like this: "Mommy, Baby Joyce is taking a nap decause she is sick decause she doesn't feel well and needs to sleep, okay?" The "decause" for "because" is all hers. And it is so cute. Baby Joyce is sick a lot, btw. Ellis is usually nursing her back from some horrible illness but does not mother her at all.
One of my phrases she recently picked up is, "It's my pleasure," when we thank her for something. It is much cuter when she says it than when I do. We just love the way she expresses herself. It is a mix of an imitation of us and her own unique way of talking. And it is always so earnest.
Ellis like to hug and kiss Anders. But she doesn't want to take care of him like many girls play with dolls. She isn't sure what to do with him. However, she is more and more fascinated with her cousin Ian, who interacts with her now.
She does translate for Anders. Ellis will announce what is bothering him when he cries and she is usually right. Once she told us he wanted a pacifier in spite of the fact that Mike and I had been unable to get him to take one. Ellis picked it up, stuck it in his mouth and held it there until he took it. We couldn't believe it worked. She is also protective of him. Once, when I got frustrated with Anders and expressed it, Ellis yelled, "Mommy, don't be angry with my baby brother!"
There are many cute mispronunciations, and Mike tries to re-enforce all of them by repeating them. I have already mentioned "decause." She also says "discipled" for "disappointed." And she adds a "t" to a lot of works that end in "n," like "win" to "wint."
She can use the regular potty all by herself. She is tall enough to get up there all by herself and is quite proud of that fact.

Ellis saw her first fireworks this 4th and loved them. She also found that she liked wearing one of my dresses.

Unfortunately, she is princess-obsessed. We have realized that it came from some of the kids at daycare, but it is encouraged everywhere we go. I have never seen a stranger stop and compliment her dinosaur shirt, but even a princess band-aid garners enormous approval from the passer-by. We hate it but are trying to not put up too much of a fuss, as Ellis is already likely to stick with the princesses just to defy us. So we are focusing on what we like or dislike about them: we like that Belle is smart and reads, we don't like that Cinderella is passive, we like that Tiana can take care of herself, we don't like that Snow White is easily duped, etc. She has repeated some of these things, so we are hoping that some decent lessons are sinking in.

Sunday Morning

2011-07-06T19:46:00.001-07:00

The pictures speak for themselves...

Special Mommy-Daughter Date

2011-07-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

Last week, Ellis and I went on a special afternoon date to the carousel, the fountain at the Sculpture Garden and to the Smithsonian's Folk Life Festival. Ellis rode the carousel alone for the first time and told me to tie the rope around me and "hold on tight."

Here Ellis is coloring in her passport. The folk life festival is looking at the Peace Corps and has a children's area with activities to teach them about the Peace Corps. The passport leads you through the activities, and once you get 5 stamps in it, you can get a prize. We got through 3 activities before having to leave.

Anders Update

2011-07-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

A former caregiver at JUK, and Ellis' favorite in the infant program, is taking care of Anders while I start back to work part time. Her name is Latosha and she is wonderful. She has brought me breakfast and, even better, collard greens that her grandmother made. I love collard greens, and these were fantastic. Yes, the way to my heart is straight through my stomach.

Latosha took the two pictures below, of Anders sucking his thumb and hanging out with her new baby cousin, Alonzo. She already has him on a schedule. Feeding in the morning, followed by a nap. Lots of alert time mid day then feeding around 2 and a nap during a walk. He goes to sleep consistently at 9:00pm and wakes up around 1:30-2:00am. The part not working as well is the rest of the night. He wakes up around 3:30 or 4:00 and 5:30 or 6:00. If I snuggle with him, he'll go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8:00. This is in spite of full feedings each time he wakes up.

So what is Anders up to these days?

He has really struggled with reflux, and it turns out that he is sensitive to dairy. So I have had to cut that from my diet, which is tough. My diet is about 80% dairy and nothing else makes me feel full. But I can't give up the breastfeeding because I need to burn a bunch more calories. Oh, and it is really good for Anders. (Reverse the order of those two reasons.)
In spite of the tummy troubles, this child is growing like a house afire. He has been gaining weight at a rate of about 2 ounces a day. He is over 13 lbs at 8 weeks.
It is possible that he is already teething, as he has begun to drool in massive amounts from time to time and he seems to want to gnaw though his binky and/or hand.
He is smiling a lot these days. Things that make him smile: ceiling fans, the light above our dining room table, Ellis, Mommy and Daddy.

This is a strong kid. He is getting good at holding his head up and sitting upright when leaning against one of us. Given enough time, he can squirm his way out of a miracle blanket.
He does not fuss very often and only cries outright if he is in pain. He still wakes me at night with squeaks and purrs. In fact, I am not sure when I can move him to his crib because I don't think I will be able to hear him through the monitor until he gets himself really worked up (which will make going back to sleep tougher on him).
He is a world class snuggler. He wraps his arms around us and just sticks. Love it.

Anders and Maura, and Melvis

2011-07-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Maeve, of Melvis fame, has a new baby sister named Maura. As you might remember, Maeve is 2 days older than Ellis. We visited her in the hospital the day she was born and my water broke the next morning, making me a hospital neighbor of Maeve and her mom. Well, now we have young Maura, who is 6 weeks Anders' junior. (These pics are also old -- about 2 weeks. At this age, that is the equivalent of years.)

We are already searching for a "Brangelina" name as good as Melvis for these two.

And of course, Melvis lives on...

Ellis and Alastair

2011-07-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

These pictures are a few weeks old. Ellis went over to Alastair's house for a playdate on a hot day. Alastair's mom, Cassandra, wanted to give us a little rest with the new baby and help wear the big kids out by putting them together. Ellis loves A2 (as he is often called). The two play very, very well together; and Ellis always expresses extreme discontent when it is time to go home, no matter hoe long she has been hanging out with him.

This picture is from the coming out party we had for Anders to introduce him to our people. Ellis and Alastair ran off and played together, letting us adults talk and coo over the baby. When they re-emerged from playing in Ellis' room, they had wings...

Who is who?

2011-06-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have been struck by how much Anders looks like Ellis. Take a look and tell me what you think...

Key: picture 1 is Anders, 2 is Ellis, 3 is Anders and 4 is Ellis.

Cuddling with Baby

2011-06-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of Mike and me cuddling with the baby. The first picture was taken by Mike when he was getting ready for work and I was encouraging Anders to let me sleep until 8am. It worked. All I can see is how big my chest is these days. It is insane. But then I notice the cute baby.

This was taken pre-circumcision at Children's Hospital. Poor kid didn't know what was coming. Neither did mom. I don't want to talk or think about it -- just glad it behind us. My favorite part of this picture is the "choo choo" on Anders' butt.

Mike with the kids. It is starting to become normal to think of Anders being around. He is fitting in. And we are getting quite attached.

Our Babies

2011-06-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of our two babies just before Ellis got sick, getting the rest of us sick. Ellis continues to be very sweet to Anders. In fact, she has been very upset that she cannot hug or kiss on him because she got sick. Of course, now he is sick. Oh well.

I am going to post some videos of them. I still need to get a video of the snorting noises Anders makes as well as the cute chirps. The camera is never close by when he starts making noises, and he always stops when I finally locate it and turn it on. I'll work on it.

Anders went to the doctor and is now weighing in at 11 lbs, 15.5 oz -- so we'll just say 12 lbs. He is 22.25 inches long. The doctor says all looks good. His baby acne has cleared up and the cradle cap is going away. But he does have acid reflux. Thanks to our experience with Ellis, we identified it very quickly this time and have started him on Zantac, with improvements almost immediately. As the doctor said, "Try not being cranky when your chest burns every time you eat!" Good point. He is also starting to study our faces and notice things around him. And the other day, I got smile after smile from him by kissing my pointer finger and then placing my finger on his lips. Have I mentioned that he smells good (and just like Mike)? He does.

Ellis has made it to 38 lbs. That kid is big! And I know you are supposed to think your kid is great, but I am really in awe of her. The way she expresses herself, her kindness, her smarts. She is amazing. The other day, she woke up and came into our room. Mike was ready to take her downstairs when she turned to me (still in bed) and said, "Mommy, I am going to go downstairs and close the door to give you some Mommy time. But I will come back soon to give you hugs and kisses."

Of course, she is not always super sweet. When I picked her up from Alastair's house after a play date, the first thing she said when she saw me was, "I don't want to go with you!" When I told her that was the way it was, her answer was, "You are not my friend." I responded, "You are right. I am not your friend, I am your mother." On the walk home, she chanced her mind and announced, "Mommy, you are a very good person." But then a few minutes later, when I told her she couldn't do something dangerous that she wanted to do, she decided that I am "not very nice." So she has opinions, they just aren't constant.

Fixed up Park

2011-06-06T14:11:00.001-07:00

Upshur Park was just redone and is gorgeous. It includes a huge sandbox area that Ellis went crazy for.

Anders' Looks

2011-06-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Anders has started to spend more and more of the day alert. And we have discovered that he gives some very funny looks. He usually gives people a suspicious look as if he is just not sure he can trust you. Sometimes, it turns into the look of someone who just doesn't understand why you are doing this to him: though the "this" is not quite clear.

Here is something he does with some regularity: he starts falling asleep but keeps an eye on us...

Here is the typical look of consternation that he gives the world...

And here is a sweet baby look that makes you want to eat him up...

How is it that babies -- with no neck strength, back strength or ability to hold on -- have such an ability to insinuate themselves into your chest and shoulder that you can hold on to them with one arm? It one of life's great mysteries. Anders is also starting to make very interesting and cute noises. They bridge between chirps and baby sounds. I'll try to catch it on tape.

Ellis and Anders

2011-06-03T07:20:00.001-07:00

Ellis is really very sweet to Anders. The biggest problem we have is with her giving Anders too much attention.

Bonus pic: Ellis drew this bird. She was very proud of it. I was very impressed.

Pops and the Kids

2011-06-03T07:09:00.001-07:00

My dad has always had the touch with kids. Even the shyest kids take a shining to him. Here is Pops with Anders, Ellis and our shy friend Nora.

Ellis kept climbing over the side of the chair and tickling Pops, who would get her back.

Nora came over as part of a gathering to introduce Anders to our social circle. It was 90+ degrees and we had spicy food, challenging the abilities of our feeble a/c; but no one passed out, so it was a success. I did learn that Anders did not appreciate the combo of spicy food and prosecco. One at a time seems to be fine, but put them together and you get a gassy baby.

Ellis and Ian

2011-06-03T07:05:00.001-07:00

Ellis is not sure what to do with Anders, who is too young to interact with. But Ian is starting to get interesting, so she spent a good amount of time playing with him.

Ian is a beautiful kid (ridiculously beautiful) who shares his parents' characteristic of being to hard on himself. He will focus in like a laser on a task and push through frustration trying to accomplish it, whether it is crawling or tummy time. It is an amazing amount of focus for such a little guy.

70% of Her Time in Water

2011-06-03T06:50:00.001-07:00

While Pops was in town, he quite astutely said, "If she could, I think Ellis would spend 70% of her time in water." I think he is right. Here are 2 of the ways she has done so recently. First, she is getting much more aggressive about playing in the fountain, both in terms of dealing with the other kids and in terms of getting water in her face. The water was FREEZING this day, and we finally had to pull her out because she was shaking and her lips were turning blue. Thankfully, we had a great swim suit cover that Kackie and Pops gave her to wrap her up in.

She looked so cute in the swim suit cover, but she announced she didn't want pictures as I was snapping this one. It was the best shot I could get.

Ellis asked to put water in pots. My mom used to do this for me, and I'd pour water from one into the other. So I set Ellis up and went to feed Anders. When I came back, Ellis was cleaning the floor and singing "Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale" -- this is what Cinderella sang while scrubbing the floor in the movie.

Doctor Appt and Kackie & Pops Visit

2011-05-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

We took Anders to his 2 week appointment. He was given high marks for weight gain, putting on almost 2 pounds since his last appointment to reach 9 lbs, 11 oz. He only added 1/4 of an inch in length, though.

As you can see, Anders still sleeps a lot. But in the last few days, he has started to get a lot more alert. So I commit this weekend to get you some shots of him with his eyes open, maybe one smiling. Have I mentioned that he laughs in his sleep? He started this on his 10th day, and the first time I saw/heard it, it totally freaked me out. So I dug around on the Internet and found that this is not common but not unusual either. A recent study found kids as young as Anders laughing in their sleep and determined that emotion develops much younger than we thought. But the question remains: what does a newborn find funny?

Kackie and Pops came to visit and are staying for the week. Here they are cuddling up with Anders. He is very cuddly. And he smells like baby powder.

School Photos

2011-05-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Again, Ellis' daycare photo is in and it is fantastic. I know it is inappropriate to talk about how beautiful your own child is -- and physical beauty is not important -- but seriously, this kid is gorgeous! I especially like her expression in the class photo. Check it out...
Here is her class. Standing are her wonderful teachers: Ms. T, Ms. Shirley, Ms. Ingrid and Ms. Stacy. Ms. Shirley refers to Anders as her grandson. Ms. Stacy tells me that Ellis is too smart to stay in daycare, that she needs to go to school and be challenged. Ms. Ingrid is constantly reading about age appropriate lessons -- this is a class for her, not just a babysitting service. I love these ladies. They are exactly the right combination of strict and loving. Whether Ellis stays next year or not, she will graduate from this classroom in the summer. And I can't tell you how sad it makes me to think about not seeing these ladies every day.
The kids are pretty amazing too. In the back row: Emmi, Oren, Lucas and Ellis. In the middle row: Casey, Claire, Caroline, Sophia and Daphne. On the floor: Ronan and Jack. Niko must have missed this day. These kids are so precious. They will mob you with hugs. They will also offer their toys to a fellow classmate who looks sad. Claire wants to give Ellis a hug when she gets to JUK every morning. Jack asked if Ellis could come home with him yesterday. That is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of these kids' sweetness.

Anders Update

2011-05-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Anders is a very cuddly baby. He still sleeps most of the time but has some more alert times lately, usually in the evenings. This morning, he woke up at 7:30 and was actually awake for a couple hours. Unprecedented.

More updates:

He eats every 2 hours at least, often more. He cluster feeds at night around 7-9 and in the early morning 5-7.
Anders randomly dive bombs off of our shoulders. Ellis used to do this, but nowhere near as often as Anders.
This morning, Anders picked his head up during tummy time into a serious cobra position. It was quite impressive. He is super strong. You have to wrestle him to get shirts on, get him into car seat, etc.
He will not be pushed, or even encouraged into a feeding. If you push his head towards breast, he'll gag, push, turn his head or otherwise fight. You just have to wait for him to come to you. And he takes his time. Ellis would eat like she was doing shots, like the food was going to be taken away any moment. Anders is in no rush. He might even have a little, take a 2 minute nap and then expect to continue.

Ellis Update

2011-05-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ellis has enjoyed riding in her bicycle sidecar. Mike has picked her up from daycare twice and has taken her on evening excursions a few times. During the last time, she found it so relaxing that fell asleep during the ride.

This Saturday, Ellis returned to soccer and did much, much better. It took a while to warm up, but she eventually gave it a try and enjoyed it. (See the video.) After soccer, we went to the park adjacent to the field where Ellis plays soccer. There are swings, slides, bouncy toys and a climbing wall...

Some updates:

Ellis likes to explain things and, when she does, she gets a very serious look on her face. She also uses the word "because" a lot but she pronounces it 'decause.' She also says 'der' for 'their.' And she still says 'cahn' for 'can.'
She also adds a 'd' to names that start with 'a.' So 'Aurora' becomes 'Daurora.' Sometimes she drops the first syllable of a name. So 'Hermione' becomes 'Mione.'
She likes to know everyone's name, including characters in books and stuffed animals. If there is no name readily available, she makes one up. She either chooses one of her classmates' names or something truly made up like 'doko' or 'shimpa.'
Out of nowhere, one day a few months ago, Ellis started saying 'ticka-ticka-ticka.' She just says it to herself while she is thinking about or doing other things. She also says it when she is trying to tickle you. She does it enough that Mike sometimes calls her Ticka Ticka.
Ellis can almost count to 30. She just skips 15 every time. Sometimes when she want something for 10 minutes or 10 somethings, she announces she wants, "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 minutes." If you say, "10 minutes?" She will respond, "No, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 minutes."
She likes to make thank you cards for people, with her drawing a picture and me writing a note. Hopefully, she will be better about thank you notes than I am.
Ellis loves peanut butter and bagels for breakfast. She also adores strawberries. The two of us can sit down and eat an entire basket in a matter of minutes.

Getting Coffee

2011-05-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

Mike and I are trying to do something out of the house each day. Being at home with even the cutest little baby can be a little dry. So we went over the Woodley Park to stare at all of the massive houses -- many of which are hard to tell apart from the embassies in the area. After our walk, we stopped off for some coffee.

Learning How to Parent a Shy Kid

2011-05-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

You learn a lot from you kids. Sometimes what you learn is that you don't know as much as you thought you did. This weekend, we took Ellis to a soccer lesson designed for kids 2-5. She was excited until she saw all the new people; then her mood turned very sour and she was snapping at me. The fact that 3 of her friends were there did nothing to make her feel better. I did not appreciate the way she was acting or treating me, which was particularly tough considering how much I needed to be out of the house to avoid going stir crazy. Ellis' attitude was messing up my plans. I told her I was disappointed very sternly, had her sit off to the side and talked to some friends while I waited for her to warm up. It didn't happen. She ended up crying and embarrassed that she was crying. Then she agreed to go home to play alone without TV or treats for the rest of the day rather than stay.

Mike says he remembers feeling just like she did, which clearly makes him nervous because he doesn't want her to be as afraid of new people as he was. But what we learned is that, while we need to push her to try new things, we cannot punish her in front of people we then want her to interact with. I told her later that she needed to tell me she was bothering her so that I could help but that I had made a mistake too. I promised not to scold her in public again when I suspected she was feeling shy. She gave me a big, big hug and was thoroughly delightful for the rest of the day.

Next time, I will take her away from the prying eyes of all the new people (who I am sure she felt were staring at her the whole time) and away from the pressure to talk. Also, next time, we are going to get to soccer early so that she is one of the first kids there, can get to know the coaches and start to own to turf before the other kids arrive. Lesson learned.

On a happier note, Mike got a sidecar for his bike and picked Ellis up from daycare in it. Anders and I met them at the fountain for empanadas and frozen yogurt (or "ice cream," as Ellis calls it). I think you will agree that Ellis knows how to rock the side car. The kid looks cool.

Eats, Poops and Sleeps

2011-05-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

That is what they say newborns do. And Anders is no exception, though he does each with particular gusto. Here is a picture of Anders sleeping on Mike while we eat brunch at Open City. It is Anders' first brunch out with his parents.

The doctor said he is supposed to eat every 2 hours. He eats every 90 minutes from about 4am to 4pm -- and a lot. At that point, he slows down to a feeding once every 2.5-3 hours. He is supposed to have one wet and one poopy diaper a day. Ha! One? That is for girlie babies. This young man produces numerous versions of each (and wets through at least 2 outfits a day).

And as I have said before,this kid can sleep. Here are a few particularly cute pics of Anders catching a snooze.

That belly on me is still quite big. Thankfully it shrinks a little every day. But I think it is a bit of a kick in the gut that you have a baby and are left looking 6 months pregnant. A week in and I am down to looking about 5 months pregnant. So that is something. Plus, people pay more attention to the cute newborn than how I look.

Cinderella and Her Little Prince

2011-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

We have been home for 2 days and are adjusting well. Anders went to the doctor today and was given a clear bill of health. He has lost only 5 ounces (to 7 lbs, 13 oz) since he was born and was pronounced beautiful by Dr. Sage. He also braved his shot and heel prick as well as could be expected. As for weight gain, I think he has taken his body weight in milk today. At this rate, I am going to easily transfer 15 lbs from me to him in the next few months.

Ellis came home early to play with Gabby and Izzy. They dressed her in a Cinderella costume, and Ellis felt like she had gone to heaven. She told Mike and I that she, in fact, was Cinderella and needed to wear the dress to bed. Here she is with her little brother, holding him for the first time. Cinderella and the prince had a bath later that evening -- Anders' first.

In another example of how wonderful Ellis' daycare is, take a look at what they prepared for Mothers' Day. There is a picture of me and Ellis in a homemade frame, a jewelry box that Ellis decorated, a handmade necklace that says "#1 Mom," and a plant. The best part, though, was the song. Ellis sang a Mothers' Day song for me with such focus and pride that it brought tears to my eyes. Even more touching was the look of pride in her face for making me so happy. Mike and I agree that we have never seen such a pretty, glowing smile on her face.

Welcome Anders!

2011-05-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

I had that virgin mint julep, watched the Derby and started to feel very, very tired. So we went home and I tried to nap on the couch with a little success. At 1:20am, I felt my first contraction. They continued about 8-10 minutes apart until 3:00, when I decided to get up. While watching an Ellen DeGeneres stand-up special on HBO, the contractions sped up to 3-5 minutes apart. So I called Kathy and James to come watch Ellis and we went to the birth center.

I have to take a moment to point out how nice it is to have such a supportive sister and brother-in-law. The reason I could focus on Anders was because I knew Ellis was with Kathy and James. For one, Ellis adores them and wouldn't be upset that we were away as long as they were around. For another, I knew that they would make everything feel as normal as possible for Ellis. James took a cab over just after 4am and stayed until his Sunday morning church gig. Then Kathy took over. They were on duty -- with a teething Ian, who is just miserable right now -- until 6pm when we got home. Seriously, they were game changers for us.

When we got to the birth center, I was 4cm dilated -- something that, with Ellis, was only accomplished after 13 hours on Pitocin. Jamie, the midwife, had us walk the halls and coached me on ways to help things along and counter the pain. At 7:30, she checked me again and I was 6cm dilated. While she was recording this fact and admitting me formally (they don't admit you until you are 5cm), my water broke.

The contractions definitely got more intense from there. Jamie encouraged me to get in the tub with the jacuzzi jets on my back. This did help. But after being in the tub for about 20-30 minutes, I felt compelled to move to my knees. Jamie had just told me that the fact that my contractions had slowed meant we were heading to the final stage. And about 2 contractions later, there was a baby. What is funny is that I was the only one who realized the baby had arrived. Jamie was encouraging me to focus on the pressure and push and I said, "The head is out." One more push and Anders was born, right at 9am on Mothers' Day.

Introducing Anders Axel. Anders because we like it and Axel for Mike's grandfather. He was 8lbs, 2oz, 21"; but he doesn't look that big. We think he takes after Mike, who has such dense bones he cannot float in a pool. Anders got an 8.5 apgar score, being held back a bit because he was so quiet.

Being in the tub made this whole process SO much easier. I had doubts, but it really made a huge difference. The difference between natural and the epidural is amazing. I had to push for 40-45 minutes with Ellis because I couldn't really feel where she was. With Anders, I couldn't stop pushing even after the contraction stopped because I was so aware of his position. As a result, his head was really beautifully round because he spent so little time in the birth canal.

The labor and delivery were text book, and very different from the first time. But as opposed to the first time, recovery was tricky. I didn't get to spend much time with Anders before I started to feel nauseated and dizzy. Turns out that blood clots in my uterus were making it impossible for my uterus to contract and, as a result, I was bleeding too much. My blood pressure dropped to 60 over 40. Of course this all happened as soon as I sent Mike out to get food and assured him that I was fine.

The midwives got rid of the clots (not pleasant) and I started feeling much better, ate some food and got my blood pressure back up to normal range. But when I got in the shower to clean up, it all came rushing back. I ended up on the bathroom floor for 30 minutes while they stabilized me. Turns out, the blood loss required a little more rehab before I could go home. With an IV, a nap and food, I finally got back to normal and was sent home.

Ellis was interested in her baby brother but got more excited as time went on. Anders and I woke Ellis up in the morning and came with her to daycare -- she treated it like the best show-and-tell ever. Anders also brought her an interactive map of the US, Cinderella on DVD and a Buzz Lightyear flashlight. By bedtime tonight, Ellis was insisting that Anders sleep in the crib in her room (or even in bed with her) and pronounced that she loved her baby brother. While Mike was rubbing Ellis' back for bedtime, she heard him crying (because he was getting his diaper changed). She told Mike that Anders was crying because he missed his big sister.

After a good night's sleep and relaxing morning, Anders, Mike and I went out for a good walk and some sun in the beautiful spring weather. While out, we ran into Cassandra and Alastair, who thought I was crazy for being out and about so soon.

What can I say about the baby boy? I don't know him very well yet. He has dark blond or light brown hair and blue eyes, so far. And so far, he is not very vocal, unless he is getting his diaper changed. Other than that, he might sometimes make a squeaking noise when he is really upset. Here is the miracle blanket doing what it does so well.

Derby Party

2011-05-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to a party for the viewing of the Kentucky Derby at Ellis' friend Alastair's house. Ellis is a big fan of Alastair -- and vice versa. Here they are, watching the race...

Eating cheese puffs...

Playing in the sandbox...

Another interesting fact: I overheard another guest saying that his wife went into labor the night after last year's Derby party. I asked him exactly what she had done to bring this on. I was told she had a virgin mint julep, so I did the same and...

Mike's Pics and Update

2011-05-07T13:42:00.001-07:00

I just noticed that Mike had several great pictures on his phone that had not been downloaded, so here they are. None require explanation. They are all simply cute.

As you might know, I am now one week past due with the baby boy. I had a check-up yesterday and everything looks great. He has all the fluids and oxygen he needs to hang out in there for a couple more weeks. Also, apparently, I am having very light contractions every 10 minutes; but I feel nothing. They are also not progressing, so that could continue for a couple of weeks. Next Wednesday, I will see the midwives and discuss ways to push things along. But I am also going to accupuncture on Tuesday to do just that. I really want to avoid Castor oil.

The boy has aligned his sleep time with me. We clearly get tired together, but he is super sensitive to my waking up. If I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, he starts moving. He also is super duper active before I go to sleep 9-10:30. At this point, I am doing kick counts to make sure that all is well; and I will feel the requisite 10 kicks in less than 2 minutes.

Ellis is as sweet as ever. She just walked up to me and said, "Mommy, guess what. I love you." She is a super sensitive kid who gets very upset at the idea that either Mike or I are angry with her. When she sees us getting angry, she will get very nervous and say, "I don't want Mommy to be angry with me." Kackie says I did the same thing at that age. Ellis will also apologize for whatever made us upset many times over several hours, though not always immediately upon committing the infraction.

One other thing: she is getting much less shy. This kid gets lots of attention for being cute, smart, whatever and she eats it up.

Flower Mart

2011-05-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every year, the National Cathedral holds a festival called "Flower Mart." It features plant sales, floral and horticultural displays, arts and crafts, food, music and entertainment, puppet shows and an antique carousel. It was quite a to-do. We ate, saw the Rumpelstiltskin puppet show, rode the carousel and almost bought me a really awesome floppy hat. But I couldn't commit. We did buy a great beach towel for Ellis that she has been wearing around the house ever since.

Playing with Friends

2011-05-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we did a terrible job planning for activities with Ellis. For one, it was supposed to be rainy and, for another, I was supposed to have a baby. Neither turned out to be the case. Luckily, we have good friends.

On Saturday, we dropped Ellis off with Mary and Craig to go to the park with Maeve. The girls met up with their friends Maisie and Joe and played the entire afternoon away. Ellis and Joe found an apple and spent a great deal of time trying to solve the mystery as to who it belonged to and where it came from. They asked everyone coming in and out of the park if it belonged to them. Ellis was so wiped out by the whole affair that she fell asleep in my lap 1/2 hour before her normal bedtime. Success!

On Sunday, Cassandra dropped Alastair over while she went to a fundraiser. Ellis and Alastair played every game in the house in under 2 hours.

White House Easter Egg Roll

2011-04-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

What we learned:

1) Figure out a way to park or approach the White House from the west to avoid an extra mile of walking.
2) Take the day off and wear shorts, a t-shirt and tennis shoes.
3) There is no such thing as too much sun screen for events like these.
4) Be in no rush to leave. If the Prez and 1st Lady are out and about, they may block the exit.
5) Best not to be 39 weeks pregnant.
6) The roll itself was started by Pres. Harrison and is really cute.

At one point, we asked Ellis if we should just leave and she started crying saying, "I want to see President Obama!" (Pic 2 is BHO waaaaaaay in the distance. So we did see him.) Another funny moment: she told me she had to go to the bathroom. When I said I didn't know where one was, she said, "I think there is one in Pres. Obama's house." Good point.

BTW, check out the video of the Easter egg roll on the left of the page. Ellis was enthusiastic, if not terribly accurate.

Good Neighbors

2011-04-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

Ellis has really started to enjoy playing with the kids that live and play next door. There are a group of neighborhood kids who congregate at our next door neighbor's (Juan) house after school -- they are all sweet and great to play with. Here are pictures of Ellis playing with Juan's 11-year old daughter Erika, who is truly a sweetie. She and a group of the kids came up to Ellis' room one day. They cleaned up after themselves, told me how nice the house was several times and Erika even made Ellis' bed!

Play Dates with Maeve

2011-04-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 weekends, we have traded kids with Mary and Craig -- one day dropping Ellis off to play with Maeve and another day having Maeve come play with Ellis. Both sets of parents agree that the girls play so well together that it is no harder to care for 2 of them than 1. We also agree that it is nice to have a little time to run errands and relax. And the girls help wear each other out. It is a win, win, win.

For the 1st outing, we took the girls to a fundraiser to help save the kids' play area at the National Zoo. It is at risk due to budget cuts. At the fundraiser, we saw The Great Zucchini perform, who is very silly but fabulous entertainment for the under-5 set.

And of course, we went out for a special burger/hot dog lunch at Z Burger.

When Maeve came over to our house this weekend, we included a bath with the play time. It could not have gone better. They had a blast.

I have no idea why it took us so long to start doing this.

Our "Library"

2011-04-17T05:44:00.001-07:00

We ordered a new chair for the small room upstairs that we had always attended to be a library, but had acted as more of an odds and ends room. Now that Ellis plays upstairs in her room a lot (alone and with friends), we thought the time had come so that we could get comfortable and read a book or work on the computer in the next room. So here is the chair just after delivery and then a picture of the room after we rearranged it and fixed it up. A major improvement.

Next up: a new filing cabinet and a new couch. We got "such a good deal" on the other new couch that is has completely ripped and fallen apart. So this time we are going to buy one that costs more than we should spend but that we know will last.