Day In the Life : Spring 2015

I haven't done a day in the life post since Noah was a baby. I thought it might be fun to look back and see what life was like with a toddler and a baby.

These events took place on Thursday, April 8th. Theo is 9.5 months, Noah is 2.5 years old. Theo has a cold and eye infection and Noah has a runny nose. Our sitter is on vacation so both kids are home with me all week.

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4am - 2nd feed of the night for theo. Slightly unusual but he's sick so I don't mind. I wipe his pus filled eyes, slap Vaseline on his chapped cheeks while feeding him and back to his crib he goes. 

6:25am - Noah's awake...chatting in his crib.

6:31am- theo's awake now too, they're always up within minutes of each other lately. I nudge hubs and tell him both kids are up and he best get up and tend to them. He gives me a few grunts before getting up and throwing on his clothes leaving me in silence for a few more minutes.

6:57am - I grudgingly get myself out of bed to go help in the kitchen so hubs can go get ready for work. I went to bed at 8:30 last night I shouldn't be dragging my heels this morning, but the baby was up twice last night and I find those nights hard.
As soon as the boys see me they both immediately want me to pick them up and both start crying when I physically can't pick them up at the same time. Wipe snots and tears, hand the toddler over to hubs while I take the baby for a quick feed.

7:05am - brew a coffee, Ahhhh coffee. put both kids in high chairs, make toast and blueberries. Inhale some toast and peanut butter myself and drink coffee. Give theo his morning dose of amoxicillin for his eye infection. He takes most of it without protest.

While hubs is still around I also run downstairs and change the laundry (I find it hard to get down to do this when both kids are home). Bring my summer clothes that were in the dryer upstairs and fold them in the living room while the kiddos eat and I drink my coffee.

8:00am - breakfast done, I start to cleanup. We all give kisses to hubs and send him on his way. I wipe the boys noses for what feels like the hundredth time today. 

8:30am - set Noah up with iPad on the couch with his puppy's and blanket and take theo in for his nap. 

8:45am- nurse baby and put him down for his nap. Noah and I cuddle on the couch and enjoy some one-on-one time.

9:45am - Theo is up and we all get ready for the day. On my own this morning so no shower for me today. face washed, hair in top knot, throw on tights and a shirt. The baby ate cat foot while I was getting ready...I can't keep forgetting that he is crawling now! 

10:15am - get the kids and myself ready to head out to the Music Man and were out the door, stop for coffee and timbits on the way. I'm sweating before I even exit the house...

10:45-11:45am- Surprise our friends Emma and Dex are here too! Kids jam to the music man and we stay after for the open gym and let th kids run out their crazies.

12:00 - home for lunch, Theo has leftover spaghetti and Noah's having grilled cheese and apple sauce. Theo screams his face off the wholetime to let me know he is tired and ready for a nap. I encourage him to eat, give him his medicine for his eye infection and whip out the iPad for Noah while I clean theo up and take him to bed.

12:30pm - nurse baby, put him down for his nap, come out clean up from lunch as Noah finishes eating, change his bum and tuck him in to bed.

1:00pm- both boys are down and I now sit down to finish eating my lunch. I contemplate another coffee while I make a phone call. Time is precious,
I know I maybe have an hour to myself, maybe a bit more before someone wakes. I watch Nashville, and decide to try and have a cat nap while it's quiet.

1:45pm - Theo wakes screaming, I know he is still tired so I rock him back to sleep...then I crawl back into bed.

3:15pm - both boys wake up between minute of each other. I get Theo first and nurse him quickly and wash his pussy eyes and snot filled face and change his bum. We then go get Noah, quick diaper change and out we to to play with fire trucks and prep for supper.

Tonight is haddock, sweet potato fries and green beans. I defrost the fish in the sink and dice up the sweet potato so hubs just has to toss them in the oven. 

4:00pm - hubs walks in the door as I rush out for a board meeting I have a 4:15. Normally he isn't home until 5. The boys are happy to see him, as I give him a few quick instructions including that Theo has a dirty bum...

6:20pm - I walk in the door from my meeting to a surprisingly clean kitchen and both boys in the bath. As I walk in the bathroom Noah decides to have a big fat poop in the tub for the first time ever. SO GROSS. Tim frantically tosses the baby out of the tub and takes him to get ready for bed as I stay and deal with the toddler poop scenario. I wipe Noah's butt and decide to leave the poop for now and get
Noah ready for bed and will return to the crime scene later. Get Noah ready for bed, jams on, hair brushed and remind him that we poop in the diaper or the toilet, not the tub. He laughs and says it's funny.  Oh my word!

6:40pm - baby is cranky and ready for bed. Hubs decides to tackle the tub, so I set Noah up with some books on the couch and settle in for my favorite time of the day with theo. I put him in his sleep sack and put Vaseline on his cheeks, he doses off after about ten mins of nursing.

7:05pm- exit baby's room he's sleeping soundly and hope that he has a good night sleep despite this cold he has. The boys are cuddling, I sweep the floor and load the dishwasher and snuggle in with my boys for a few mins before Noah goes to bed.

7:25pm- Hubs takes Noah to bed. He cries for me to put him to bed, like he does most nights, but today I don't oblige him and get hubs to cart him off for a rock. 

7:45pm - Hubs returns from getting Noah down, we throw on our new favourite show Froiday Night Lights before he leaves for hockey at 8:30.

8:30pm - I change the laundry, get my jam's on, wash my face and brush my teeth, and crawl into bed to catch up on my shows. I decide to crash at 9:20, do one final check on the babes, and promptly pass out. 

10:25pm - I wake up to someone yelling, it's not the baby but the toddler. He hasnt woken up at night in months, what is going on...he refuses to go back to sleep and seems wide awake. I make three separate trips back to his room and he finally nods off sometime after 11. 

12:45am - this time it's the baby. I notice hubs came to bed sometime in the past hour or so and think he's going to be tired when I kick him to get up with the kids in the morning. 

I change theo's bum, clean his face from the boogers and feed him. I stumble back to bed around 1:10.

4:00am - Theo is up again, gah!! I feed him quickly and put him back in his crib. 

6:20am - both kids are up for the day. Hubs get the kick and I think to myself what an AWFUL nights sleep.  I am used to being tired and yet I'm so very tired of being tired all the time. I guess I'll sleep someday right?!

Things We're Loving: 2 Under 2

Well we've successfully (or semi-successfully...depends on what day you ask us!) navigated through 8 months of having two kids under two. I feel like we entered this stage completely unprepared for what was awaiting us, and with limited "things" to get us through the phase of our life. We've picked up a few things along the way, in addition to some items we owned before. This small list of items are our 'must-haves':

1. A Double Stroller - We debated and debated about this purchase, for the sole reason that we were unsure how frequently we would use it without knowing if Noah would enjoy/tolerate it. I must say though, I am so glad we made this purchase. We went for the double bumbleride (being owners of the single) and we LOVE it. I already feel as if we got our money's worth out of it, and if we don't use it at all this summer I won't feel like I got jipped. We're on the go A LOT, we love walking as a family and playing at the park (operation tire out the toddler before nap time), and the best part, Noah has been loving it! He's always requesting to go for a walk. Double strollers don't have to be scary and intimidating, I love this one!

2. A Video Monitor - Whoever invented these things is pure genius. We still need to have eyes on Noah's room as he occasionally wakes over night, and Theo has been in his own room from 5 weeks onward so obviously we need to be able to check on him as well. I am so thankful we registered for the Motorola video monitor when Noah was a baby. It enabled us to purchase a second camera and the parent unit alternates between the two bedrooms all night long (10 seconds in each room).

3. Carrier - I purchased the Ergo when Noah was 8 months old, and I've been using it a lot with Theo for groceries (when we go as a family), at Noah's swimming lessons, walks, sat our weekly market date, and when playing outside with Noah. Its easy to use, comfortable, and puts Theo right to sleep. It's great to be able to be hands free to deal with the toddler tornado.

4. Homedics Portable Sound Machine - We had a sleep sheep for Noah when he was a baby, and although it was handy to take in the car and other places we were going, it shuts off after only 45 mins. Having 2 kids, we knew we needed something that played continuously in Theo's room to drown out all the noise that Noah makes. I bought this and it is amazing. It has 6 sounds, all of which are really nice, it plugs in, and its small so I can take it when we travel. Love love love it, and for $29 you can't beat the price.

5. NoseFrida - Seriously, throw away the bulb they give you in the hospital and just buy one of these. You'll thank me later.

6. Braun Digital Ear Thermometer  - My biggest regret is that we didn't have this when Noah was a baby. Theo has had cold after cold all winter long, and has had fevers off and on for months. When we was only a few weeks old we bought this thermometer off amazon and it is one of the best purchases we've made to date for the kids.

Happy Love Day

A few photos of our little love bug to melt your heart on this valentines day eve!! Believe it or not, a friend and I did these all ourselves. Baby T Couldn't be more sweet!!

Sadly big brother missed out on all the fun, but I'll be loving on him Kiel crazy all day as well.

Here's to hoping my boys always feel celebrated, always feel loved, and always feel cherished each and every day of the year. Xo 

Noah: 2.25 Years Old

Well excuse the hiatus over here, I've been busy feeding a baby, napping, cleaning up baby puke, changing masses of diapers, playing tractors and trucks, doing daycare pickup, single parenting for 17 days, napping oh and did I mention napping??

Noah turned 2 back on November 14th and I can't let that milestone pass without a post dedicated to my little man. What a joy he is. Plain and simple I am convinced he's the greatest toddler ever invented. Sure he goes non-stop and tires me out beyond words, but he is just so awesome. I am kind of obsessed with this age. I love everything about my two year old. I love the way he sleeps, I love the way he is starting to form little 3 word sentences, I love the way he switched from calling me Mama to 'Mom-may'. I love watching him learn his abc's and his colors, I love watching him perfect puzzles, I love his excitement over the smallest things like watching the snow plow in our driveway. 

I can't get over how much my baby has changed and developed in the past 3 months since his birthday. It's enough to make my head spin. If two years of parenting has taught me anything, it's to enjoy every second of every single stage, since it's sure to be over and replaced by a new stage in the blink of an eye. And to find comfort in the fact that the naughty/annoying/exhausting stages are just as fleeting as the fun/adorable/precious ones.

I could go on and on about all the things that make my kid so awesome. You know what's also oh so awesome...the lack of tantrums (knock on wood). We had an exhausting phase between 12-18 months where I wondered how on earth we were going to manage having two kids. But then they stopped as his vocabulary improved, and honestly if he could just stay this way forever I would be so happy.

Stats: 34 inches and 30 lbs

Clothes: size 2T and size 5 diapers 

Shoes: size 6-7

Eats: well he's becoming much more of a picky eater. Often refusing toddler friendly foods such as pizza. We try to offer whatever we are having, but often he refuses. Go-to's are apple sauce, muffins, hard boiled eggs, grilled cheese, anything with peanut butter, hummous and crackers, avocado, and apples. Oh and garlic fingers, he is obsessed!!! Not a fan of anything mixed together like stews, spaghetti, casseroles, etc. yogurt used to be a fave but he's been boycotting lately. Fruit and veggies are touch and go as well. He won't touch berries, but will drink smoothies in the AM which I load full of spinach and frozen fruit. He'd eat carbs all day long if I let him. We switched him to 2% milk around his 2nd birthday and he didn't seem to notice a difference. He drinks a cup at bedtime and a little in the morning. Fave snacks are apple, raisins, teddy grahams, sunflower seeds.
We try to do family dinners every night, which I love. But more often than not, the iPad ends up joining us at the table as a distraction to get Noah to eat. Some days meals can drag on for 45 mins or an hour of him just refusing to eat. He will then insist on a treat or cookie for dessert the little stinker!

Loves: like any boy his age, he is obsessed with tractors and trucks, trains and cars. He has a new love for the movie "Cars" and "Planes", and he can say McQueen! He also loves Frozen, especially the first intro song where they are cutting the ice. He gets so excited. He enjoys baking, normally muffins or cookies. He also has an obsession with his slippers, and calls them blippers. He likes to make Mama and Dada's coffee in the morning by sitting on the counter and pressing all the buttons. Much to our dismay, his current favourite book is one called 'The Bare Naked Book'. He likes to brush his teeth with his new electric toothbrush and takes great pride in washing his hands at the sink every day after daycare. 

Sleep: Sleeps from 7 or 7:30 until anywhere from 6-7am. Here and there will wake once through the night for a sip of milk or a quick rock. Naps from 12:30-2:30/3 most days. Still sleeping in crib, and other than the one time you tried to crawl out, you've been happy as a clam in there. Still taking a wubbanub soother for naps and bed but he keeps biting holes in them so we are going to have to do away with them soon as we can't afford to keep replacing the darn things!

Personality: Noah is a creature of habit. He loves things just-so. He takes great pride in returning things to their rightful place. He is a bit obsessive over things, like he will have a particular truck that is his absolute favourite for 2-3 weeks. Then he will toss it aside and have a new favourite. Same thing with hats. He will insist on wearing one hat to daycare every day for weeks, then I finally convince him to wear another one and then he will refuse to wear anything else. 
He is quite attached to Mommy at the moment, and insists on me doing the simplest things. If Tim tries to do them instead Noah will yell "NO Mom-may!". If Tim tries again, Noah will freak out. It's wonderful and awful all at the same time.

Not showing any signs of being interested in potty training and is still waking up really wet in the AM's. We aren't in a huge rush, but i mean those #2's are getting nasty so if he does decide he is ready in the immediate future, I am totally on board. He does like to pretend he is peeing on his potty, and he loves to help other people pee by handing them toilet paper and flushing the toilet when they are done. He is such a hoot. 

He is pooping out new words left, right and centre. Today I was doing up his jammy buttons and he was saying 'my buttons'. I did a double take as I had never heard him say buttons before. He also will request to go to the basement, which he can say. That's a hard word! He can say Dusty, McQueen, Let it Go, but of course can't come close to saying his own brothers name, Theo. Go figure! As a big brother, he is pretty impartial to his little brother. He will tickle him and play with him on occasion, or will peek his head into his car seat when we are waiting at the door and say "HI". And if prompted will give him kisses, but honestly, he still really doesn't pay that much attention to him. Soon enough I'm sure they will be the best of friends.

Like any little boy, he can be mischievous at times. We will ask him to do something and he will say "Nooooooo" in this drawn out tone. Or we will ask him to please NOT do something, and he will peer at us out of the corner of his eye and then go ahead and do what we asked him not to do. 
We don't get too much one-on-one time together these days since Theo has arrived, and that makes me sad. But when we do, I soak up every single second. This past weekend I took him with me to the market and to run a few errands and we had such a great time. He is the best little companion.

Things to Remember:

• Fell down the basement stairs for the 1st time -  January 26th.
• Tried to crawl out of crib - January 18th.
• Knows all colours, gets green and yellow mixed up occasionally.
• Can identify some letters of the alphabet.
• Can speak in 3-4 word sentences, for example 'Where Grampy Go?' and 'Airplane in Sky Mom-may'.
• Can say Grampy, Grammy, Nanna and Grampy Steve. Can also say Auntie in reference to his 3 Auntie's and Ben for his uncle Ben.
• Knows all the names of his friends at daycare and refers to them all the time. Can also say Heather.
• Recognizes his own house as well as Nanna's/Grampy Steve's house and Grampy and Grammy's house. He also knows our vehicles.

He is such a little love bug, full of hugs and kisses and snuggles. He was a pretty amazing baby, and an even better toddler. We love him so much!! xo

Theo : 6 Months

As of: January 8th (6 months 2 weeks old) 

Weight: 23 lbs 11 oz 

Height: 28 inches 

Wearing : 12-18 month clothing and size 3 diapers 

Milestones:

*rolls from back to belly AND belly to back all the time

*sleeps on belly or side 

*had the croup and had to use a puffer and a double dose of prednisone.

*got both bottom teeth within two days of each other

*tried banana, sweet potatoes, mango, pear, and carrot in addition to oatmeal cereal and hates it all after 5 weeks of trying/force feeding.

*celebrated Christmas and Welcomed 2015.

*can sit up unassisted for short periods of time. 

It's been a whirlwind of a 6th month. Baby boy is still happy go lucky, but an extremely bad sleeper. He had a cold for a few weeks coupled with the croup which made for even worse nights...sometimes up 6+ times. He's on a puffer and seems to be on the mend, so sleep training is definitely on the horizon. 

I love this stage, i think my favorite baby age is 6-10 months. They are so much more interactive, yet are still immobilized (to an extent). I mean yes I love a cushy little newborn too, and I miss those days already, but 6 months is just so much fun!

The time passes so much more quickly with the second child. I have to really take the time to slow down and just savor the sweet moments we have together when the toddler tornado isn't running around like a total maniac. I think theo is totally going to be a force to be reckoned with. While his brother is the typical elder child (sentimental, methodical, type A), I can already tell theo is going to do everything early. He's going to be my little bruiser, trying to keep up with his brother. And vocal, holy heck this kid loves to hear his own voice!

Theo is taking 3 naps/day and is pretty predictable with them. First one around 8:30/9. Followed by another at 12 and another car nap around 4pm. He's up for the day anywhere from 5-6am and down around 7pm. I wish we could push those early morning wakeups by and hour or two but regardless of what time he goes to sleep he is always up by 6am. He still isn't sure he can sleep on his belly. He wakes up there often times and tends to freak out a little. I think he'd sleep a lot better if he would just let himself settle in that position. 

This kid hates solids and still nurses like a champ 4 times a day. He'd nurse all damn night long if I let him too. He's been off Zantac for a full month, and after a rough few days initially he hasn't had any problems. Rarely, if ever, spits up. His bowels have slowed right down and he only goes once/week on average but whoa watch out when he does!! I am talking up the neck and out of the Jammie's. It's a douzy!

His hair is getting wild and out of control and he's got a major bald spot on the back of his head from when he was sleeping on his back.He'll be getting a hair cut sooner rather than later I'm sure.

Loves to watch his brother and adores any attention he gets from him. He likes to sit at the table in his high chair at family mealtimes and he plays while watching us all eat. Also enjoys bath time, his jumperoo, and standing up with assistance on people's lap. He's a jolly happy fellow, and he's melting hearts like it's his business! 

Theo thank you for being such a joy. We love you little man! Xo