Quiet Time

Here's how things go everyday...

I'm tired all day long.

Alice cries all of the time, she's a baby after all.

Oliver, who is in love with nonsense words and wiggling, spends all day chattering and jumping around.

It is the dead of winter and frigid outside, so no one gets to breathe fresh air or run off energy.

This week, out of desperation, I created an afternoon activity called "BE QUIET AND HOLD STILL BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND" "Quiet Time."

This is not about a grumpy mom, this is purely about self preservation...

There are only two rules...

1. If your name is Oliver, you may not talk louder than a whisper.

2. If your name is Oliver, you may not run around the house in circles, regardless of how bored you are.

My job during quiet time is to breath deeply in an attempt to muster the energy and mental capacity to continue to care for two children until Jesse gets home in the evening.

This game gets really fun when I look up to find Oliver whispering his favorite nonsense words quietly to Alice while carefully giving her a pacifier.

I think we're going to make it after all.

Equal Parts CUTE and QUIET

Snowman on a Dish

Remember when I told you about the magic that Jesse makes in our home?

Well, today he gave us Snowman On A Dish...

I Hope Everyone Has an Annie

Since I don't seem to have any pictures of Annie, I give you Ollie enjoying the snow that fell yesterday...

We put Annie on an airplane yesterday just before the snow started. In fact, had her flight been just an hour later and she would have had to stay...

It was a glorious week with Best Friend Annie. She fed us and cleaned up our messes. We read Blackmoore and made baby bows together. There was Funfetti Cake Mix Chex (twice), and there was an impromptu kitchen dance party when we realized that, not only do we both love Queen, we both love the same somewhat obscure song.

She gave Oliver all the attention he needed and wasn't getting. She laughed at all of Jesse's jokes. She promised me that I wasn't losing my mind when I told her all of my crazy new baby anxieties. She loved on Alice the way only family could, which almost made up for the fact that none of my family can. And to top it all off, she cleaned my bathroom twice. Then she put on her photographer hat and took our pictures.

She did all of this purely because I asked her to over ice cream and french fries at Leatherby's that sunny day in June.

She didn't even hesitate.

And that's why I hope everyone has an Annie in their lives. I'm so lucky to have mine!

The Story of Jesse's Life: The Fun One

It's no secret that Jesse is the fun parent in our family...

He goes out in the snow, he takes walks to the playground, he makes trips to the dumpster an adventure, and he always has a pocket full of jelly beans to share.

Today he made a chalk board out a cardboard box so that Oliver could use sidewalk chalk.

His patience and creativity help him invent fun for Oliver in almost any situation.

Magic! I tell you! The man is pure magic.

29

We celebrated my friend Jesse's birthday today.

There was cake...

There were candles,

And we sang Happy Birthday like the best of them!

It was absolutely all I could muster, and it was still ridiculously low key.

 At least the cake was good!

Here's to your 29th year, my love! 

A Good Time Was Had By All

 This imperfect panoramic perfectly portrays our current favorite pastimes...

 The boys like building towers. Jesse likes playing with electronic devices, Oliver likes to smile for all the photos, Alice likes sleeping, and I like snuggling her.

This is the picture of the perfect evening for all of us.

PS... ANNIE IS HERE! She makes us happy.

Cat Napping

Sleep Tight

To appeal to Oliver's silly side, we sneaked Alice into his bed between Mingo Chicken and the Dragon flashlight while he was brushing his teeth for a special bedtime surprise.

He thought it was hilarious!

So did we until he jumped on his bed and tried to squeeze her in a big hug. We're still working on how to be soft with the baby. At least he loves her. 

He was mildly disappointed when he realized that she wouldn't be staying in his bed. 

I Have the Best Friends

You know, I really have the best friends...

My Alice friend is adorable and snuggles like nobody's business.

My Ollie friend brings me anything I ask him to bring me. And he gives the best hugs.

My Jesse friend loves me even though I'm crazy and say/do things that don't make sense and are super annoying. And sometimes mean. He gives pretty fantastic hugs too.

My mom, dad, and grandma are still playing Words with Friends with me...even though I can't form a decent word to save my life lately. Also, they answer the phone whenever I call and talk to me even when I don't have anything important to say.

My Kelli friend gives me a pep talk every time I see her. She had a baby 5 months ago and is acutely aware of the parallel universe that my life seems to exist in right now. She has offered all kinds of help, brought me soup, gave me all of her hand me down girls clothes, and offered numerous other favors, and she knows it still isn't enough to make this crazy wonderful, insanely difficult time better, so she sends me encouraging texts, and tells me what a great job I'm doing every time she sees me.

My Shelly friend watched Oliver while Jesse and I were at the hospital. She and her husband ROCKED at babysitting Oliver. And then she brought me dinner. Twice.

My Leisha friend has come to my house every morning this week. She's brings her son to play with Oliver and she lets me do whatever I need to do to stay sane...shower, sleep, eat, cry, talk. And when she found out that I didn't have a very comfortable spot to nurse my baby, she showed up the next day with a huge fluffy pillow that she threw together for me.

My Kimber friend brought me this delicious potato soup with BACON in it! And these brownies...oh the brownies... also, she is going to be my dealer and pick me up some fancy schmancy Paul Mitchell kids shampoo for cheap...because have you seen Alice's hair?

My Bree friend is awesome, and makes me feel super special, even from a million miles away.

My Annie friend is flying in on Tuesday and she is going to save my life. In fact, when I'm having a hard time and I just can't take it anymore, I repeat my new mantra over and over again in my head...

"Annie's coming on Tuesday... Annie's coming on Tuesday... Annie's coming on Tuesday..."

I'm feeling very lucky lately. And very loved.

Life Cycle of a Snowmen

We're Home!

The hospital sent us home yesterday!

It's like they think we can take care of a newborn or something...

We had sort of a rough start, but I think we'll make it.

And Then There Were Two

 Oliver met Alice on a cold Sunday afternoon.

 "Her name's not Alice. Her name's Rocket Swish!" he told us. 

 He held her, and squeezed her (a little too tightly) and told us how cute she was. 

He looked at us with big blueberry eyes full of wonder and told us he loved her.  

From Wonderland with Love...

We'd like to introduce you to the newest Moses...

Alice Miriam

Born January 4th, 2014

weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces,

measuring 19.5 inches long,

and sporting a mostly full head of long dark hair.

Snow Day

It snowed yesterday and we stayed inside watching the giant flakes fall, Oliver begging to make a snow angel all the while.

This morning, Jesse donned his warmest snow gear because, what kind of dad would he be if he didn't take his kid out to play in the snow?

His words. Not mine.

I was grateful for the excuse that my coat wouldn't zip shut while I sat inside in my pajamas.

They made snow angels, a teeny tiny baby porch snowman with jelly belly eyes, and slid down the hill. Oliver had so much fun that we finally had to lure him inside with the promise of hot chocolate...