It's About to Get a Whole Lot Louder...

Princess loves Glee (the music). I love Glee. We listen to a lot of Glee in our house. Princess has been singing along since the beginning. Sometimes she whispers it softly, sometimes she belts it out - with or without music, or even correct lyrics.

One song she's currently obsessed with is "Hey Soul Sister" by Train, performed by the Warblers. We were out driving the other day, and Princess started an impromptu concert for me... And Tobes joined in at the end. ("Hey, Hey, Hey") ... It sounds like coincidence, right? Mommy and sister are singing, I'll make noise too. Fun. Nope. He very much joined in for the "Hey"s, and very much stopped to listen while we sang the rest of the song, joining in again once we got back to the "Hey"s.

:S

Parenting From 16 000 KM Away

(That's 10 000 miles for my friends south of the boarder)

Tobes is freaking out at me this afternoon. He's up and down off my lap, he nurses and then doesn't. He's a non-napped, played-out baby. I am also non-napped, and a little played out. He finds the cordless phones, and hands it to me, squawking and screeching. I take the phone from him and he looks at me expectantly. I call my mom, put her on speaker phone, and both he and Princess have been happily occupied for the last half hour, leaving me completely alone!

It's kind of fantastic, and it took me way too long to think of it.

On one of Greg's recent trips away, I was trying to put Princess to bed with an over-tired Tobes. I called Greg (in China) just to vent. Tara begged to talk to him, and he ended up "reading" her a story, praying with her, and even gave her a count-to-ten snuggle while I nursed and put Tobes to sleep, all from 10 000 miles away!

I know it's bad to let the TV baby-sit your children, but what about the phone...?

Remembering What Matters Most...

It's kind of funny that this post follows one on my undomestication. And that I'm still working on my "New House Resolutions".

But I have had the day from hell.

Well, that's not entirely true. It's been a difficult day. It hasn't been impossible - the kids are (mostly) happy, and I had a few laughable moments (like finding an entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet... cardboard tube and all). But it's been a trying day.

I made the decision yesterday that today would be my day at home. Today I would catch up on laundry, I would do some baking, Princess and I would craft, and Tobes would get all the sleep he needed! I decided that I would continue on my journey to pack the house (28 days until possession!!!!!!!! GACK!!) and would be little Suzy Homemaker.

Until that all fell apart.

Tobes woke up 2 hours earlier than he should have, which meant that Princess woke up about an hour earlier as well (I can't wait until the bedrooms and the play room are on entirely different levels!) I spent an hour convincing Tobes to take his morning nap, and his afternoon nap didn't happen at all. Baking happened, sort of, only as a result of SHEER WILL and total cravings of meat buns (for my Ukrainian friends, think perishky). ONE load of clothes got washed, but I totally missed my opportunity to sun out some stains on several items. And not a single item was packed.


Instead I spent the day couch-bound, nursing a miserably tired Tobes, and reading to Princess, who was slightly bored after her exciting day yesterday (we had her friend birthday party at the zoo). And I was super-annoyed. I had such big plans for the today. I wanted to get so much done today. I didn't want to spend the day on the couch, I actually had the energy and drive to get stuff done!!


But at the end of the day, I realize that my "ruined" plans were ultimately all for them. I want to be a better homemaker for my children. I want to bake for them, and have nice, unstained clothes for them, and we're moving because our new house is far better than this one for them. And my plans were derailed today for their sake. 


Of course I still want to improve my housekeeping habits, but I need to learn to chillax when my schedule needs to be cleared for a day of snuggles...

Family Photos/Pro B-day pics!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we got family photos done before Sam and Tobes' birthday party (with Sam's family), and we finally got them back :)

The photographer, Jordan Verlage, did an amazing job as per usual ;) He took our maternity photos as well as Tobes 1 month shots.

And now, here's some of my favorites (along with my new banner at the top - did you notice it? It's all shiny and new)!



My babies. My heart soars with pride of them!



Tobes (right) and his bestest buddy Sam





This is going to be blown-up as big as I can and placed above our couch in the new home!



Best buds





Nursing moms (I love this shot)

One big happy family!

I can't post these without one of Toby's Brotha and Otha Motha (and Fatha...)

And here are pictures from Sam and Tobs' first birthday, by the same photographer!

Happy Birthday to The Tobes

My ridiculously handsome little man, Tobes.

1 year ago today, I was made a mommy for the second time!

We had just finished celebrating your big sister's birthday, and you made your appearance on your due date, with 42 minutes to spare!

1 year ago today, a little boy was placed in my arms. We didn't officially know if you were a boy or a girl before you were born, but as soon as you were born, we knew you were Tobes. The early days were just spent getting to know you. We had a baby before, but we had never had a Tobes. I wondered if you'd like being wrapped against me (you did!) or if you'd prefer the swing (you didn't). I was excited for you to meet your big sister, and wondered if you'd like being her little brother (you do!) And I was excited to start our new life together as our happy little family. You were the missing piece. You were the one we were waiting for to complete us.

And now you're our little man. You're constantly exploring, and even though it keeps me on my toes, and even though I wish you'd sit still for just. a. minute, I wouldn't really have it any other way. I wonder if you're going to grow up to be an engineer like your daddy, or maybe an acrobat? You certainly are a daredevil - your scariest hobby is scaling the ladder up to Princess's loft bed. You're very quiet when you do it, and we have to be VERY careful about keeping that door closed now!

You have blonde hair and in the right light, I can see little hints of red, but otherwise you look a bit like your daddy, and a bit like your Uncle James. I wonder if your hair will stay blonde, get more red, or change to something completely different? I wonder who you'll end up looking like as you grow out of babyhood.
I wonder what you'll be like as you get older? Will you like music? Will you like to read? Will you keep your no-fear attitude, or will you mellow down with age?

This past year has been amazing. I love learning more about you each and every day, and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings. I think you're amazing, and I am so excited to be your mommy!!

I love you. Happy Birthday!

If You Go Out in the Woods Today...

Yesterday we celebrated Tobes birthday alongside his bestest best bud, Sam! The boys were born 2 days apart (Sam shares Princess's birthday) and a joint birthday venture meant that Tobe's first birthday was given all the focus and celebration it deserved (something I was nervous about when I first got pregnant with another June baby).

Sam's mom just so happens to be one of MY bestest best buds, The Common Sense Crusader :) And she and her lovely husband co-hosted the event.

It was perfect, almost right down to the weather!

We started out the morning with family portraits done by Jordan Verlage, the same man who did our maternity and Tobe's newborn photos. We got shots of Tobes, Sam, and Princess (her 4th birthday will be celebrated with friends in July. That is what I keep telling myself, and it's a promise I am going to hold to!) and then family shots, as well as one big happy family shot.

Some examples of his work - one of my favorite maternity photos

The Common Sense Crusader and I

Baby Tobes... I can't believe he was ever that small!

I will take this moment to mention that Ms. Common Sense and I keep getting asked if the boys are twins (they do look alike), and when they find out they aren't, they ask if we're sisters! Actually, we've been asked the sister questions a couple of times outside the boys altogether. Isn't it said that people who spend a lot of time together start looking alike? Well I'll put on the matching nylon windbreaker if you do, m'dear!

Not sure who would be who in this picture, but don't they look snazzy?

After photos, we headed to the park. The forcast for the day was sunny and bright up until the day before, when Mr Weatherman predicted thunderstorms and showers all afternoon :(

But while that might have been the forcast, no one told God ;) Because we had "soft light" for the photos (which meant no scary squinty eyes for us!) and then BEAUTIFUL weather up until the literal end of the party (it started to pour rain as we loaded up, then the sun came out again! *lol*)

It was an amazing day! We had a lot of fun, with a lot of great people, and I am so happy we could share Tobe's first birthday with those we love!

Professional pictures to come soon, I promise :) Jordan (who also took PARTY pictures) said they'd be ready in 1-2 weeks, so the countdown begins ;) In the meantime, here's some we took!

Sam

Princess and her friends

Birthday Boys!

Wordless Wednesday

Not Ready

Princess and Tobes on St. Patrick's Day

Princess and the Tobe both have birthdays in 2 months. Tobes will be 1, Princess will be 4. I'm not ready.

We're done having children for a variety of reasons. The biggest one is that we just have no desire to have any more children. It's not even that we have a boy and a girl, we're just happy with our brood, and I don't know if I will ever have enough energy for the ones I have now - let alone for any more! ;)

So watching them hit milestones is hitting a cord right now. (Hitting a chord? I googled and both came up as correct... I mean whichever means stingy) I'm just not ready.

Princess will be 4 in the summer. She will be starting kindergarten not next year, but the year after. I'm not ready. She wants to write letters and is randomly starting to add (??) and she looks like a little girl now. I'm not ready for her to be a little girl yet, let alone want to write and add and do all sorts of grown-up things. She is fiercely independant, and wants to learn French and Spanish, and can't wait to go to school with a teacher, just like Sid the Science Kid. I'm just not ready.

Tobes will be 1. He has 2 teeth now, and 2 more coming in, and I've finally come to the realization that he has been saying "mum" for quite a few weeks now, and says it only in reference to me (when he's looking for me, when he's crying and wants to be picked up by me). He does not say it for anyone else. I am not ready for my youngest to talk yet. Are you KIDDING me?? And he is thisclose to walking. He's walking with 1 hand now, and crusing around furniture. And standing. He's freaking standing on his own now. I'm not ready for my youngest to have teeth and eat food and walk!

I wonder if I'd feel this strongly if we were planning on more kids - am I scared because I'll never experience these firsts again? Maybe.

But this insight still doesn't make me any more ready! ;)

Blogging for the sake of it ;)

I'm still trying to figure out what I want this little blog to be. Some blog about a struggle they are battling with, some blog about their families, some blog about their work, some blog about causes. I'm guessing this will probably turn into one about my family. As I start to think about launching a business for myself, I am considering HOW and WHAT PART I want to brand. I'm thinking of launching a seperate blog and twitter account for writing about advocacy, and lactation-related goodies. But I'm hoping to keep this one up and going as well. I want to blog more often about my family. I am AWFUL at keeping up baby books. Hopefully taking the time to blog or journal a little bit every day will at least give me a point a reference when I look back in a year and try to remember what The Tobes was like at 9 months old, or what hilarious things Princess said (the other day, she tried to convince me that I should watch TV instead of playing on the computer, becasue the TV was so much better... "Tangled" was in the DVD player on our laptop...) So yeah. Blogging for the sake of it right now, but hopefully I'll take better advantage of this little blog o' mine ;)