two

just two things today:

look who got two new teeth yesterday!

(this probably explains some of our sleepless nights and grumpiness)

and i love this picture of the two of us at the zoo

a few weeks ago.

have a great weekend!

i love...

those inquisitive eyebrows.

those strong hands. 

that infectious giggle. 

that cute button nose. 

those striking blue eyes. 

i love you oliver gray.

8 years

oh what a difference 8 years makes.

february 2004.

 

february 2012.

yet even after 8 years of marriage, 

2 beautiful little boys, 

a few jobs

and a couple houses

we're still the same kids who

fell in love amidst the stacks of books in borders

and married our forever valentine.

 "i love you,
not only for what you are,
but for what i am
when i am with you.

i love you because you

are helping me to make

of the lumber of my life

not a tavern

but a temple;

out of the works

of my every day

not a reproach

but a song."

by roy croft.

 

happy valentine's day

and happy 8 years

to my love.

a conversation with bee

a conversation with bee...

the 4 year old. 

 

my favorite food is: edamame

my favorite thing to do: play with jackson (his cousin)

the best show on television is: wild kratts

the coolest person on earth is: jackson

my favorite thing to learn about in school: numbers

the thing i do the most awesomely is: playing video games

if i could go anything in the world, i'd go to: mimi's house

my favorite color is: green, green, green! (yes, he said it three times)

when i grow up, i'm going to become a: daddy

my current favorite song is: tumble bee (appropriate!)

the book i'm loving right now: 

"the little mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear"

three words that describe me are: silly, happy, hungry

when i was little, i used to: sit in the bouncing chair

my favorite season of the year is: christmas!

the snack i like the best is: nutella sandwich 

one food i really dislike is: carrots

my best friend is: jackson

if i had one wish it would be: for a frog that was real

my best memory is: getting a baby brother

my favorite vacation is: the beach

my favorite toy is: spiderman

ollie at 7 months

my sweet ollie is growing like a weed!

his motor skills seem to have really improved

during this past month that we've been working so hard. 

he can now sit up on his own

and only topples over occasionally

when his big brother runs past him at lightning speed

and ollie's little body can't keep up with bee's!

oliver is chewing on everything

and he has a tooth just waiting to pop through. 

i'm sure that has something to do with our very sleepless nights. 

i know people complain about their baby not sleeping

through the night at 7 months old, 

but we're taking major sleep deprivation going on. 

his newest trick is to fall asleep in my arms as i rock

(and rock and rock and rock and rock and rock and rock...all night long). 

i lay him down in his crib and hightail it back to my own bed,

pull back the covers and slip into my nice cozy bed.

as soon as i close my eyes to finally get some sleep

he starts crying over the monitor.

i don't know how he does it. 

but i am getting literally no sleep. 

the lack of sleep doesn't seem to be bothering

his ferocious appetite though. 

this kid loves his "real" food. 

he is quickly losing interest in nursing

(except at nap/bed time since it helps to relax him)

and would eat sweet potatoes for every meal if i let him. 

i'm convinced he will turn as orange as his beloved sweet potato soon. 

he does enjoy his fruit too

(as does his digestive tract....finally). 

his favorites include apples, pears, bananas and prunes. 

he is not as fond of his vegetables,

unless i mix it with sweet potatoes. 

he is rather hit or miss with the vegetables

but he does seem to enjoy peas, butternut squash and zucchini. 

he will cry for food the minute he sees me take his tiny 

little bowl down from the cupboards. 

he knows exactly when i'm doing. 

his cries get louder and louder as i defrost his

frozen baby food cubes. 

he is usually frantic, 

flapping his little arms like a baby bird

whose mother has just come back to the nest with a mouthful of worms

by the time i have his bowl of food warm and ready for him. 

ollie at 7 months:
loves to eat,
finally starting to sit up on his own,
always full of laughs and smiles,
still blowing raspberries,
has learned to do a ferocious roar,
 has a tooth that's about to pop through on his lower gums,
has started OT (occupational therapy) to help his mobility
and work on loosening the stiffness in his joints,
has discovered he can stick his tongue out (and does it all the time now!),
starting to play with toys and interact with things/people around him.

happy 7 months sweet baby boy!

bittersweet

i've been needing to go through oliver's dresser for weeks now to clean out all the newborn clothes that no longer fit him. but something held me back each time i thought about it. now with the drawers stuffed so full they won't even close properly i knew it was time.

i knew in my head, but my heart just wanted to hold on to my newborn baby a little bit longer. ollie is growing so fast. while he is still not rolling over yet, he can sit up for extended periods of time now. he is growing stronger and is no longer my newborn. he will be seven months old tomorrow. where have these past seven months gone? we've suffered through another scorching summer, through heartaches and losses. enjoyed the welcome reprieve fall brings to our valley and stomped through pumpkin patches and farmers markets. christmas surprised us in its revelry and beauty; there's nothing quite like experiencing the holidays through your children's eyes. and now we await the promise of springs bulbs and colorful flowers.

seven months we have held ollie in our arms, loved him, prayed for him, snuggled his sweet baby scent. i'm full of wonderment that he is both already seven months old and feeling like i can't remember the time he wasn't here with us. it's bittersweet. this overwhelming feeling of joy that he is growing healthy and excitement for his future but at the same time i feel a loss of his infancy. no more tiny newborn clothes or bassinets. not only a loss of just ollie's but as a family. we aren't planning on more children. of course that ultimately is up to god. but we feel our family is complete and after the health issues for both oliver and myself during this last pregnancy i can't willingly go through that again.

so as i pack away those tiny little sleepers and the blue and pink striped hospital hat i grieve for the end of oliver's newborn days. it's time instead to look forward with anticipation to his future. the joys of teething (where's the sarcasm font?) and toddlerhood. learning to crawl and stealing his big brothers matchbox cars. i smile when i think of our future household with two loud and boisterous boys; with hands dirty from digging for worms in the garden and eyes full of daring mischief. while it is bittersweet to see these days come to a close, i have many memories to treasure of my sweet newborn oliver.

 

happy birthday bee!

our first born baby is four years old. 

how in the world did that happen?

i know it's such a cliche, 

but it seems like just yesterday he was 

swaddled next to me with his head full of dark hair

and serious, inquisitive eyes staring ahead. 

it doesn't seem possible that four years

have passed since we first held him in our arms. 

first time parents to a very strong-willed child;

a baby who experienced reflux, food allergies,

and the dreaded colic in his first year of life. 

thankfully he overcame those obstacles

and hasn't looked back.

bee is like a car whose engine is never idle. 

he is full speed ahead. all the time.

he literally runs laps around the house every day,

racing everything and anybody. 

this child of ours is speeding through life!

at times i just want to stop time,

wrap bee back up in his swaddle blanket

and keep him a baby forever. 

but then i realize i would miss out

on this awesome little guy that he is becoming. 

as much as i don't want him to grow up

for my own selfish reasons of keeping him close and safe,

i love to see the future he is speeding towards. 

he is no longer that timid little baby

who cried at the slightest noise or startled at auntie m's laugh. 

he is quickly leaving his babyhood behind and becoming

such a silly and thoughtful boy. 

he loves to tell jokes, 

even if they don't make sense to anyone but him. 

he is fascinated by animals and wants to learn all about them. 

every day he pretends to be someone new,

one day it might be mario (from super mario brothers)

the next day it will be lightning mcqueen or a peregrine falcon!

he builds the tallest towers and the most creative cities

and of course the fastest racetracks for his cars. 

while birthdays are usually a time to look back

on the special memories from the day you were born, 

this year it seems fitting that we look ahead to bee's future. 

as fast as he is growing up, he will always be my baby. my first born son. 

i will cherish the memories i have of his childhood

but also watch with joy and wonder as he speeds ahead, 

one lap at a time in this race called life.

happy 4th birthday

my silly little bee. 

you bring so much joy and laughter

into our family. 

we love you to the moon and back. 

homemade baby food

in all my free time around here (ha!)

i have started making oliver's baby food. 

it's actually really easy to make homemade baby food

and it's nice to know exactly what i am feeding my baby

(and it's also a lot cheaper than store bought!). 

all you need is a food processor (or even just a blender)

and a few ice cube trays. 

if you'd like to learn more about what foods

are appropriate for your baby at each age or which foods

you should be careful with or avoid altogether,

check out "super baby food" by ruth yaron. 

it is amazingly informative, 

lists each fruit and vegetable and what nutrients they contain, 

and also has recipes, craft projects and general childcare ideas. 

oliver is very much a little foodie already

and i have quickly learned he has his favorites. 

i give him fruit (and occasionally baby cereal) in the mornings

and vegetables in the evenings. 

so far at 6 months old he is enjoying

apples, pears, bananas and prunes for his fruits. 

but his favorite food by far is sweet potatoes. 

he also devours butternut squash, zucchini, carrots and peas. 

he is hit or miss with avocados. 

if i can hide it in with his sweet potatoes he will eat it,

but he unfortunately won't eat those nutrient rich avocados alone. 

to make your own homemade baby food,

simply cook the fruit or vegetable of your choice

and puree until smooth. 

occasionally you will need to add

a little water to get the right consistency. 

then simply spoon the puree into ice cube trays, 

cover with foil and freeze!

after the baby food is froze, 

just run some hot water on the back of the trays

and the little cubes of baby food will pop right out. 

store in a labeled freezer bag until ready to use. 

 

oliver eats three cubes at a time, 

this was a dinner of sweet potatoes and zucchini. 

and after warming up in the microwave,

those little cubes of baby food turned into a

healthy, homemade meal for my baby!

that is one happy little guy who enjoys his food...
he must take after his daddy :) 

super

a hint of what's to come

for someone's super special 

4th birthday party this weekend!

 

are you ready for a wii bit of fun?

happiness

"hello, sun in my face. 

hello you who made the morning

and spread it all over the fields...
 watch, now, how i start the day in happiness, in kindness."
-mary oliver