2013: A Year in Review

My, my, my, we've come a long way.

I begrudgingly went back to work in February 2013. I was miserable for many reasons, not least that I missed being with my babies. A new job closer to home in October 2013 has helped tremendously, and I'm entering 2014 a much happier and more optimistic person. My freelance work has also taken off like a rocket, and I hope to keep increasing that business as well. On the mom front, I continue to love it. It's frustrating and exhausting and inspiring and fulfilling in ways I never knew existed. Watching these two little people grow into full-fledged personalities is just incredible.

Blue has continued to kick butt at his job and has shown himself to be an amazing father to Periwinkle and Indigo. I hear horror stories from other moms about their useless husbands and count my lucky stars I married someone who believes parenting is a partnership. He's home with the kids today. Did I detect a slight look of desperation as I left him with one baby toddler crying and the other climbing the stairs? Perhaps. But I know he pulled it together. I hope he still has the energy to give me a kiss at midnight.

Indigo has gone from a watchful, cautious, worrying baby with a powerful set of lungs to an active, hilarious, somewhat less cautious boy with a powerful set of lungs. He figured out how to climb the stairs first and has taken a few shaky steps all on his own in the past few days. His laugh is one of my favorite sounds in the world. It is so full-bodied and joyous. Everyone should laugh like that. He is, thankfully, still my snuggle bear. I just wish he'd get over wanting mama snuggles at 2am.

Periwinkle is sassy and knows what she wants. She is vocal and her vocabulary seems to increase every day, and she is starting to use the sign language as well. She is determined and strong-willed. She saw her brother climbing the stairs and within a day was doing the same. She wants to walk everywhere holding my hand. She is exhausting. And she is still my mini-me, right down to the curls at the nape of her neck. She is always looking around and taking it in, as she has since the hour she was born. Seeing her discover new things is one of the true delights of being a mother.

On the horizon for 2014: selling our house (I'll be a wreck) and buying a new one (exciting but daunting) and continuing to raise two of the most amazing kiddos anywhere. And yes, I am biased.

Happy New Year, all!

January 4, 2013

December 30, 2013

Fun Facts

1. Indigo hasn't bitten anyone in over a week. Yay! I feel like we should have a countdown (countup?) for this. Something like this:

2. Black Cat knocked over our tree this weekend, scaring the beejeezus out of all of us, but especially Indigo, who was perilously close to said tree. I thought we'd lost all our glass ornaments, but shockingly only two were shattered and three were broken and hopefully fixable.

3. Periwinkle and Indigo are apparently the "mayors" of their daycare room. They wave and say "Hi" and "Bye" to everyone who comes in. Everyone. When should I start teaching them to not talk to strangers?

4. They have perfected the "Who, me?" face. For example:

5. They look ridiculously cute in their hats. See here:

6. Periwinkle is really into mimicking. We've gotten her saying, "Wow", "Boomer" (White Cat's name, although it is more like "Booma" so she's got the Boston accent down even though we live nowhere near there), and "Tree," which is more like "tee". Pretty exciting stuff. Time to stop swearing, pronto!

7. They are obsessed with pouches. If they see me packing them in the diaper bag they flip out until I give them one. We have to be very stealthy with the pouches, or it's meltdown time. Luckily this means they eat all sorts of veggies quite willingly via these pouches. They do also eat whole veggies, but the pouches are great for when we are out and about. I recommend Ella's Kitchen, Sprout, and Plum Organics.

And that's it for today. I just thought you'd all like to know these things. Have a great day!

A Letter to Periwinkle at One Year (or 13 months)

Dear Periwinkle.

Happy thirteen months! So much has happened since I last wrote I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and write it all down. I'd much rather hang out with you.

You say several words now: kitty, ball, book, hi, bye, uh-oh, mama, dada, and more. You also sign "more" and "all done" and "milk." And when I ask you how old you are, half the time you stick up your index finger: ONE! You also babble quite a bit, making up words as you go. You and your brother both say "Ah-boo" constantly, and I just wish I knew what that meant.

You are a trouper when your brother tries to bite you, but you exact your revenge by often bonking him over the head with whatever toy you have in your hand. So you each have your own behavior issues that we need to work on!

You cruise like a pro, and can even walk a few steps holding only one of my hands. I definitely see you walking by Christmas! You wear us down by insisting on walking from here to there, there to here, and back and forth again and again. You are so proud of your walking skills, I just love how your face lights up with such joy.

You've become a pickier eater lately, refusing eggs and avocado, so I am constantly on the hunt for new foods you will try and eat. I made cauliflower tots that you really enjoyed, so I will have to make them again soon! At least you still like cheese.

Your hair is getting longer and curlier. You definitely have my hair! I need to find barrettes, or you will be in pigtails every day! Either that or we cut your bangs, which I don't want to do yet. You don't seem to mind your hair in your face though.

You have transitioned to sippy cups very well, although we still do bottles in the morning and at night. I'm hoping you transition off the pacifier at naptime as easily, but somehow I don't think that will be the case. When you are done eating your solid food, you let us know by dropping pieces onto the floor next to your high chair. Sometimes you do the "all done" sign. I prefer that, just so you know.

I can't wait to see what changes the next year brings! You are such a fun and loving little girl (although feel free to get over the "Mommy all the time" stage any time now) and I just love spending time with you, even if I do collapse into bed at the end of the day.

Happy (belated) birthday, little girl!

Love,

Mama

A Letter to Indigo at One Year (actually, 13 months)

Dear Indigo,

As I sat here wondering where the past year went, another month went by. Now you are on the cusp of walking, taking jolting, Frankenstein-like steps while holding our hands, with such pride. You crawl like a speed demon, and are now able to get up to the second step on the stairs. You unsteadily get yourself halfway standing, from the floor, holding onto nothing at all. We've even seen you stand on your own for a few seconds here and there. You are a baby on the move. Actually, you are a little boy on the move.

You weighed 23lb 6oz and were 30 inches tall at your one-year visit. Your face looks more toddler than baby, and it's about time I got you fitted for shoes.  Most of your clothes are size 24 months. Yikes!

Thankfully you seem to be going to sleep easier. All it takes is my horrendous rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle" while rubbing your chest. If only we knew this months ago! It makes all of our evenings so much better, and I'm sure Periwinkle appreciates it too!

You can say so many words now! Kitty, book, ball, more (I think), hi, uh-oh, mama, and dada. You also say something that sounds like "Ah-boo" repeatedly but I don't know what it means. Your sister says it too, so I'm wondering if it's some kind of twin code. It probably means "Cause chaos!" because you two often do.

I'm hoping you catch on to more words and signs, because you are getting very frustrated lately. I feel so helpless when you get that way, because I just want to help you but I don't know how. You've even taken to biting, but I'm hoping we can put a stop to that soon. We worked on sharing a lot this weekend, so we'll see what daycare says when I pick you up.

We are also taking away the pacifier during naps, have switched to milk from formula, and you now get two sippies and two bottles instead of four bottles, although you are drinking far less now that it is milk. But never fear, because you are a bottomless pit! You shovel food in without a care and somehow manage to swallow it all without choking. Thank god. You scare me sometimes!

You love putting things together and taking them apart. You especially love knocking down towers we build with stackable things. You are fascinated by the Megablocks and can spend quite a while (in baby time) assembling and disassembling. You love your giant Mickey Mouse stuffed animal and pusher toy, too.

You are exhausting. By the end of the day Daddy and I are in need of a vacation, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Watching you learn day in and day out, watching you explore, make friends (or enemies), discover new toys or new ways of playing with old toys, seeing your devilish grin as you go after things you know you shouldn't, and seeing you finally, peacefully, sleeping fills me with such joy. You are such an incredible little boy and I am just in awe that I had anything at all to do with that. Daddy and I will help you navigate this great big world as best as we can, but you've definitely already made a place for yourself in it.

Happy (belated) Birthday, little man!

Love,

Mama