Nothing much going on around here. Taking it all in. I’m kind of amazed at how the same set of genes can produce similarities yet so many differences, gender notwithstanding of course. Harlan has filled out in a completely different way than Cora did, chunking up in the face and torso almost exclusively, with stick legs still hanging out from his diaper.
I had so much more hope for this post. But now, here are some pictures to keep me happy.
My lap was the only one available at the time apparently.
Couldn’t resist a cuddle, look at that brother and sister love!!
No not that season, we already talked about Christmas time. It’s winter sports season! I know that isn’t something we’ve ever really cared about, but since moving up here and really not knowing what to do for the rest of the 9 months than aren’t seasons like Houston, we had to learn to get into winter sports/activities. we’ve tried our hands (or feet?) at snowshoeing, tubing, snowboarding and making snowmen, but haven’t really done any of them with any regularity. We made a resolution to get out more in the winter this year 1) because it’s good for you 2) it’s exercise which we can’t seem to motivate ourselves to get otherwise and 3) where else in the country is it so accessible and affordable?
You get to see the sun much more when hiking and snowsporting (new word, honest) than in Seattle in the winter, which helps stave off the winter blues so common in our household. So we broke the seal on this winter and went on a short hike near Snoqualmie this past weekend short enough to make it back for nap time and to watch the Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl. It was Harlan’s first trip to the mountains and in the snow. He missed most of it though -he took a nap and I wanted to keep his face covered due to a cold our entire family was suffering with. Cora also managed to pass out after a very excited walk from the car to the trailhead. Not sure what happened there!
Starting to get excited (or scared?) for our big trip. We’ve got a rough plan of where we’re going and what we’re going to do and we’re also excited for the opportunity to visit places we have never even thought of going just because. We have five main themes to the trip:
9/11 memorials: pentagon, world trade center memorial, and united flight 93
Underground railroad historical sites: TBD – more research needed
Americana: baseball hall of fame, Punxatawney, PA, Kennywood Amusement Park, Smithsonian Museums
National Parks: Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park
Family: Cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, every branch of that family tree except our parents.
It’s Christmas time again! It’s by far our most celebrated family holiday (although Halloween comes in pretty close in my book in terms of fanfare). It’s a time for family, usually travel and hanging out with those we care about. This year we had Harlan with us for the travel and hanging time and that was a bigger treat than I could have expected as he was very easy going with the air travel and car travel and lots of Texas roads. Cora was a little less happy with the change in her routine from home, but given that she had been sick (stomach bug) before we left, she handled it all like a champ.
The trip was in all, very successful, if more stressful than years past. A minor fender bender with the rental car, a diverted airplane for Sean’s arrival, and some other vehicular snafus lent their color to the trip.
We were able to see quite a few friends and family despite the hiccups. We were very grateful to see my paternal grandfather Bob Thomas (he married Sean and me) in Dallas while were in Texas (although I don’t recommend driving round trip to Dallas in one day with two small children!).
The pictures hopefully tell it all, and we really hope we can see more folks again in the future, but the invitation is always open to visit up here in Seattle, we’ll be here a while 😉
I’ve always wanted to find a way to do a service activity without angering the whole family by skipping out on Thanksgiving dinner and family time. But also with two small children at home, I wanted to find something I could do that would involve them. Turns out a stroke of baby brain caused me to get creative this year and find that activity.
I was going to volunteer at the Thanksgiving feast at Garfield Community Center in my neighborhood, thinking it would be on Thanksgiving day, but called to confirm the need for volunteers, 3 days too late 🙂
So I thought a little harder about something we could do at home, as a family, appropriate for a 2 year old. Holiday Mail for Heroes was that outlet. You send cards (either one out of your own family batch, or like we did a bunch of cards just for them) and send them to the Red Cross for distribution to veterans, military families and active-duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world.
Cora and I busted out the paints and stamps to decorate our cards and we put in a message from the family of Thanks for their military service. It was too messy for me to take a picture on my own and I forgot to have Sean take one, so you will just have to take my word for it, but I look forward to either hosting a card signing party at Thanksgiving dinner next year, or finding a similar opportunity for our involvement.
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Having a newborn in the house is a significant change to your family. I want to say a disclaimer that we’re really grateful that nothing too life altering really struck us, but we had our share of difficulties this time around. After two bouts of mastitis, 4 colds, and two frenotomies, a possible diagnosis that would require surgery for Harlan, I was pretty done with health issues. Mastitis is no joke if untreated, and while having having dealt with it twice, knowledge of what it is and how to treat it makes it much more tolerable. Breastfeeding was my biggest goal with this child, part of the reason I decided to take more time off and spend it at home with Cora and Harlan. I wasn’t about to give it up after two months!
Cora was having breathing issues which caused our GP to recommend nebulizer treatments. As it stands, the winter season is nigh and respiratory related illnesses are just beginning. All is well now, but I’m sure I’ll be back whining again as another strain of the runny noses, coughs, etc hits us.
I already like themes that involve costumes, dressing up, or decorations, be they holidays or made up excuses to party. This year I was excited to have two munchkins to dress up in punny fashion, AND the patriarch of the clan has succumbed to the theme as well!
We were a food theme as this family is no stranger to eating. Cora was a pepper shaker, Harlan was a salt shaker, I was a fork and Sean and knife. There was an attempt to make Sean into chopped liver as that is how the kiddos often make him feel since mama always seems to come first with them. However, I really didn’t want to walk next to a pile of poop (because that’s what it looks like to me, let’s be honest).
We trick or treated in downtown Madrona with the neighborhood businesses and a little scavenger hunt. Cora was remarkably tolerant of us dragging her around spreading her cuteness so we could raid her candy bucket later. Fun times and I’m really looking forward to more.
We are incredibly grateful to the family and friends who have shown support through gifts, time, and of course food as we adjusted to having Harlan in our lives. He’s a lucky, lucky guy and I hope those who have helped with material and temporal gifts, will also help him to learn how important it is to give back to others and to your community.
As we’re living the MINE and NO phase in full effect with Cora, it seems impossible a concept to share with a very young person. To give Cora credit, she has become an incredibly helpful member of the family, bringing me blankets or pacifiers for Harlan. She’s learned to say “It’s OK” when he’s crying to try and soothe him. She even set the dinner table yesterday while I was making dinner. The attention span certainly isn’t that of an adult, but her understanding and desire to help people is already pretty broad. So I ask myself what are the best ways to instill charity and volunteerism and when do you start? Is it something you have to put into a lesson? Like the concepts of money, or fractions, or please and thank you, how do you get a little one to really understand what they mean and not have them just be a Pavlovian response you drill into them?
Then a wise friend once shared with me a parenting trend that answers the how and why question for me: the CTFD Method. Parenting styles aside, I hope I can find the time again with two at home to get back into giving back, teaching more classes at the Red Cross, volunteering at the YMCA, getting to know our elderly neighbors, whatever it may be, so that our kids can not just hear it from our mouths, but also see it from our actions.
Knocked OUT, Goodnight Moon is right!
How YOU doin?
I really should be no stranger to being late. Some friends of mine coined the phrase AJ+ 30 to indicate when one could expect me to ACTUALLY arrive at an intended destination. So why should any offspring of mine be any different? Cora must have more of her dad in her than her personality lets on because she was pretty much on time. #2 is taking his sweet old time with no indications of coming to greet us as of 40 weeks and 3 days.
Here are some shots and notes from the last couple weeks’ before #2’s arrival.
Shout outs to family and friends for all their support while the waiting game continues. I think I’ve come to grips with being “late” and will be grateful when things get rolling, no matter when that is.
