Memorial Day in Moline

The weather did not cooperate, but we still had a fun Memorial Day weekend in Moline. It's always great to be with family. This trip was extra exciting, because we got to introduce Nick to his Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Tim, and cousins, Jacob and Ben.

The rainy cold weather kept us cooped up inside, but it was beyond wonderful to be out of the apartment for an entire weekend. I've really been feeling claustrophobic lately and needed some room to breathe. I would have been more than happy to have the extra space and hands to help with the kids, but as a bonus Mark and I worked in a hot date to the mall for Chik-fil-A and Whitey's ice cream--what more can a girl ask for?

Lainey very much enjoyed having a new audience and more people to boss around. Jacob and Ben were beyond patient and kind with her. Playing with an almost two-year-old girl probably wasn't at the top of their weekend wish list, but they humored her and gave her the attention she demanded (not sure they could have escaped her anyway). Lainey talks about Jacob non-stop and beamed when he let her play his guitar, but I think Ben won a special place in her heart when he helped her climb and scoot down the stairs...again...and again...and again, until I put him out of his misery. Thanks for being such awesome big cousins, guys!

Monday morning, the rain finally broke and the temperature rose, so Lainey had her first puddle stomping outing. Of course she was adorable in her boots and rain jacket. I don't know who was happier to finally get outside, Lainey or Mark.

Alas, the weekend went much too quickly. We're looking forward to having the entire Brandi clan together at the end of June for Eleanor's baptism and Ben and Elaine's birthdays. We can't wait to meet little Eleanor (born just two days after Nick). We now have 7 kids total among Mark and his siblings families...all the more love to spread and share!

Nick pretty much slept on Lonnie all weekend long--hope her arms and wrists have recovered!

Hanging with Grandpa

These boots are made for stomping

Monkey Swing

I've been a little sluggish this week and there's really not much news in our world, so I'm going to do a lazy post. Here's a video of Lainey's new favorite past time...the "monkey swing." We think she's adorable...hope you do, too! (And you'll hear how brain dead I've been when I debate out loud with myself whether orthopedic would be the correct term for back surgery.)

The Witching Hour(s)

The only thing marring Nick's perfect behavior is his nightly screamfest between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. I know it's normal and lots of babies go through it (Lainey's twilight angst was much worse actually), but I'm ready to be done with it. Especially, since we now have the windows open every night, so the whole 'hood can hear what's going down in our place (and Lainey often does her best to drown out Nick's wails with screams of her own).  

There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. Recently, I've been able to comfort Nick by strapping him to my chest in the Baby K'tan (LOVE this carrier by the way...far easier to use than the Moby Wrap). After a few minutes he'll go from all out wails to softer whimpers and finally silence before dosing off.  It's not a perfect situation, because it's tough to get Lainey fed, bathed and in PJs with Nick front and center, but it's a whole lot less stressful than listening to him scream. 

Fortunately, tonight is a Saturday, so Mark is home for the nighttime routine. He's taking care of Laineybug, and I get to just sit, relax, and rock my Nick to sleep. Aaaaah...so sweet. I won't miss the crying, but I know I'll miss the cuddling down the road. 

Smiling and Babbling

Nick will be eight weeks tomorrow. The time seems to be going so much faster than it did with Elaine. I can't believe I'll be back at work in four weeks; I feel like we just brought him home.

Last week, Nick started smiling and cooing. Each little grin or soft "oooo" I get out of him just lights me up. Those sweet sounds are so much nicer than the grunts of indigestion in the early weeks. I finally caught one of smiles on camera yesterday that I can share with you all. He is still putting on the pounds. Unofficial weigh-in last Friday was 13 pounds! His little thighs are starting to chunk up and he's getting the famous baby "rubberband wrists."

He's also really reminding me of his sister at this age. It's interesting though, because while I've thought Nick looks like Mark from day one, I never really thought Lainey took after him. Maybe it's just because she's a girl? Anyway, looking at the pictures below, there is no denying these two are siblings.

Sister and Brother

Smiles

And some more pictures...just for fun!

 

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

My second Mother's Day and I have TWO beautiful children to celebrate it with this year! (We will NOT be making it three kids for my third Mother's Day.) The fun started on Friday when Mark had some lovely tulips delivered early, so I could enjoy them all weekend. Sunday, we kept it low key with brunch out (Nick's first restaurant outing) and a quick stop to pick up biscuits and pie from Bang! Bang! (just one of the little gems I'll miss when we move). The rest of the day was just playing with the kids and napping--my gift from them, they both slept at the same time. That would have been enough for me, but I still have a gift that has been delayed in the shipping process coming later in the week.

Of course, I had a few sad moments in the day remembering Mom and missing not having her here. Her birthday was Friday, so I was already feeling a little blue thinking about her. I suppose it will always be difficult having that piece missing. And as joyful as it is being a mother myself and having our newest addition, Nick, it's painful not being able to share these moments with her. She was so thrilled to be a grandma when Elaine was born, and I know she would have been beside herself with Nick's arrival. She would have been a fantastic grandmother and I hate that Lainey and Nick will miss out on having her in their lives. But, they'll still know her...I'll make sure of that.

Such Pretty Tulips

Who needs gifts when you have these gems?

My Sweet Boy

All Cuddled Up with Mom

Mom and Me

Our House...in the Middle of Our Street

There she is...our future home in Edgebrook. We're hanging on to a Chicago zip code by the skin of our teeth (seriously, the city limit is a few blocks away), so technically we aren't moving to the 'burbs (but, it's sure not the city). We're trading in sirens for birds, a back alley for a yard, and a walk-up for a two-story. I'm focusing hard on these benefits as we prepare for our departure. I won't think about the chain restaurants we'll be frequenting instead of the great offerings near us now or the new, longer commute. The commute won't be too horrendous...leaving the food behind? That hurts.

But, we're a few months away from the move date, so still time to enjoy all Logan Square and Bucktown have to offer. The close period is going to be long, and we have to do some updates before we move. Right now we're targeting July 26 to pack it up and haul it out. 

The quick details...3 bedroom, 1.5 bath with partially finished basement. The owner has been thee 48 years, and while she's kept it immaculately clean and in good condition, she really liked the wallpaper, carpet, tile and countertops installed in 1965 and kept them. Hence the need for updates. If we can scrape together the cash, we want to rip out be carpet and have the hardwood floors refinished, redo the full bath, and have the wallpaper stripped and walls painted before we move. (We're currently negotiating closing credits and hoping to cover some of the expenses). The rest will have to wait awhile.

It's all very exciting, scary and stressful. But, I can tell you one thing...I will NOT miss this crappy apartment we will have been in almost a year by the time we move and I will NOT miss our landlord's crappy music blasting through the floor. The countdown is own and I'm ready to do this thing!

Loleta Avenue, here we come!!!

Week in (Brief) Review

Last week had a lot if action (and very little sleep), so blogging just didn't make it to the top of the priority list. So, here's a quick rundown of the happenings...

While recovering from her double ear infection, Lainey was plagued with a brutal eczema flair up that had her scratching all over. Then got hit with a virus and high fever Saturday. So, our already light sleeper REALLY wasn't sleeping, and my main man Nick went on a three-day eating binge, getting up every hour to hour-and-a-half. He has stopped that nonsense now.

We took Lainey to the ENT Friday and she'll be going back under anesthesia on May 13 to get a new set of tubes and have her adenoid examined and possibly shaved down. Her tubes haven't fallen out, but there is so much gunk in them, she needs to be sedated to have them cleaned, so the doctor will probably just put in a new set. At this point, the tubes may actually be part of the problem instead of a solution. More to the story, but that's the overview in a nutshell. Let's hope a new set does the trick and we can say goodbye to ear infections!!!

Oh and one other little thing happened last week...we went under contract on a house in Edgebrook. (More details to come in a separate post...soon, I promise)!

For now, enjoy some pics of the little ones...

My babies!

Riding on Daddy (her most favorite person)!

Diapering her baby, whom she has named "Peanut Butter." How adorable is that?

Sweet Dreams

Such a handsome little guy! Love him!