Six Months and Growing!

Our sweet boy hit six months on Sunday! I have no idea where those six months went...didn't I just bring him home from the hospital a few weeks ago? Nick continues to my dream baby. He's a great eater, sleeper and just an all around, happy, roly-poly little guy.

We commemorated the big six months with a professional photo shoot at the house. Proofs should be ready within the next two weeks--stay tuned for the slideshow! Nick really hammed it up for the camera, so I think we'll get some really great shots. Lainey was less cooperative for the family pictures, but I'm hoping we get one or two good ones.

Today Nick had his check-up and his new stats are 18 lbs. 9 oz. (75%), 28.5" (98%), and his head is still at the upper range at 90%. He also had to get the dreaded shots. The nurse was new, so this round was kinda' painful...at least for me to watch. Usually, I can barely blink and the nurses have the shots done and bandaids on. Not so much this time. I could see the needle slowly go in his skin and come back out and more than a few droplets of blood ran down his chubby thighs before she got the bandaids on. I know a new nurse has to learn on someone--but, couldn't someone else's kid be the pin cushion? To make it worse, the combo shot that has four vaccines in one is in short supply, so he had to get them individually. Poor kid...guess he has his father's luck. A few cuddles from mom and all was well in his world again.

Nick's become very vocal and loves giving raspberries. As far as new tricks, he can pull himself forward a few inches when he's on his tummy and has started doing the backwards slither. He's lagging a bit on sitting upright unassisted, so we're working on that right now. Poor kid just doesn't get the one-on-one time Lainey did. He's so content to just hang out on the floor and play with his feet, and she's so insistent on constant attention (I mean CONSTANT), that it's easy to let the evening slip away without getting any focused developmental time with him. Also, you know my earlier comment on not knowing where the time went? Well, I keep thinking he's about two month younger than he is and since I'm not obsessed with What to Expect the First Year this time, I lose track of what developmental milestones he should be hitting and when. I'm not worried about it, though. He's very strong and has great motor skills overall. And even with a few sessions over the weekend of focusing on sitting, he's made huge strides.

Happy six months to my little buddy!!! Let's try to slow the next six down just a little bit.

Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

I just lost a post I spent 30 minutes writing when I should have been using that time to do a million other things, including sleeping. It was a good one, too. Maybe I'll muster the resolve to re-write it tomorrow. Right now I think I'll just thrown phone against the wall and go to bed. Harrumph. 

Habla Espanol? Si!

Lainey has really taken to the Spanish lessons at daycare. (Yes, she gets Spanish lessons at daycare...and yoga...I really would love to see a yoga class one day.)

Check out her mad counting skills:

A Weekend in Maine

Mark and I had our first weekend away in over two-and-a-half years this past weekend! We jetted off to Maine to celebrate the wedding of my amazing friend, Terri. The the flights were uneventful, weather was beautiful, and friends, food, and fun abounded.

First, I'll start by honoring the bride. Terri is easily in the top 5 of the best human beings I've met in my life. She is just a truly genuine, caring, good person, and I couldn't have been happier to share her special day with her. The icing on the wedding cake was that I got to celebrate with some of my other favorite people who live much too far away (Joan and Kristen--you were bridesmaid beauties!), as well as some that live very close, but we never seem to connect. Kisses to you all!

While hanging with friends was great, Mark and I also really enjoyed some "us" time on Saturday. We had a leisurely day strolling the beach, scarfing lobster rolls, and just enjoying each others' company. Of course the little ones crept into the conversation frequently, but it was incredibly gratifying to have a series of uninterrupted conversations (even if they were about the kids) and long periods of quiet and just being together and taking in the beautiful scenery. Aaah! Talk about rejuvenation.

Dad and Sharon held their own back on the home front with Nick and Elaine (although they seemed just a tad eager to get on the road Sunday). And as much as I enjoyed our little break, I couldn't get to Elaine fast enough when the cab dropped us off on Sunday. I left Mark in the dust to deal with the driver and bags. She was already waiting for us at the glass door, smiling and jumping up and down. I threw open the door, scooped her in my arms, and with a big smile she shouted "Hi, Mommy! I'm poopy!"

Vacation over.

Look at us...no kids!

Adorable Chapel for the Wedding Ceremony
 

With the glowing bride

 

Bridesmaid Beauties, Joan and Kristen

Time for Solids!

I finally got the video of Nick's first experience with cereal to upload this morning (had it loaded correctly last night, you would have been spared my whine-fest). Mark took almost 10 minutes of video, but no one needs to watch 10 minutes of cereal dripping down his chin. Here's a photo and a much shortened clip of the exciting event!!!



Messy chin!



The More Things Change...

Since Nick came along, I've been pretty proud of myself for being a more relaxed, go-with-the-flow person. I'm finding it much easier to forget the laundry to head out and play and to go to bed early, so I'm rested, instead of staying up to scrub down the kitchen.

But, after an incredibly long and stressful work week that kept me away from my family, left me backlogged at the office, completely behind on household chores, and mentally and physically exhausted, I came down with a giant case of the berserks Saturday night.

Because I was so tired, I gave in a took a very long nap with Nick Saturday afternoon. Which was wonderful, but also meant I didn't touch any of the chores on my very long list. I was okay with it at first, rationalizing that I needed the rest and the cuddle time with Nick, but later as I was trying to finish off dinner amidst a very cluttered kitchen, while both kids screamed, and my head raced through all the things I still had to do, I completed melted down. 

Since we've moved, I've been pretty nonchalant about the very slow pace of getting all the things done to make our house our home. But, it's getting to me now. I'd just like to see a little progress at this point. I just don't know where to find the time between work, the kids, and getting all the basic weekly chores and house maintenance done.

**Sigh** There are plenty of people out there that wish they had my problems, right? Tomorrow is another day...and I should stop writing this blog and get back to folding that laundry.