Life is good. It's just hard work!

Two weeks from today and we will be gathering for Tim & Jen's rehearsal dinner. How the time flies! We are super excited about being with family and celebrating the occasion and I think the next few weeks will be short. But there are some things I wish I had more time for and in some ways I wish the wedding was tomorrow.

We have had some successful potty time these days. Nathan has gotten good at just going to use the bathroom when he needs. He even cleans up his own messes from time to time, which of course sends me over the moon I'm so happy. We have some accidents but for the most part the pee process is working well. I don't miss changing diapers all day! The #2 issue continues to remain just that - an issue. I've scoured the internet looking for helpful ideas that stay within our standards. We are trying not to give rewards for doing something he should do anyway (this is hard but the best way in the long run). And I'm trying not to put too much pressure and emotion into accidents when they do happen(which is even harder). This process is sooooo not fun. But we try to keep track of the positive and praise the good stuff when we can. He actually really likes when we say "Yay Nathan!" and will some times remind me to say it if I don't.

I wish the wedding was tomorrow b/c I know for sure my dress fits right now. The way I'm growing though scares me. I'm on a strict regimen of lots of water and walks when I can and healthy snacks whenever the hunger strikes. No dieting for me of course. But I have to stay away from that Halloween candy! This is a bad time to refrain! Otherwise, baby is doing just fine and is kicking all the time to remind me he is here. It's funny when you already have one running around the house. You truly almost forget there's another bun in the oven when you are too busy to think about it. He reminds me often though with karate chops to the bladder and left hooks to whatever causes heartburn. I think I'm going to be handling another active little boy.

Anyway, it's a good thing we are not facing a wedding tomorrow as we would be shivering in our shoes - NY is expecting snow this weekend!

We will not be expecting any snow for Halloween here(although it went from pleasant 70's to crummy 50's in 24 hours) but it looks like it will be a bit chilly. Nathan will be cozy in his homemade costume though. Ask him and he will proudly tell you he will be a "blue crayon!" It was a fairly simple costume to assemble and one that won't last long I fear. But he's all set up to be a skeleton underneath his cardboard getup so he can still be festive when the has to take it off. I have a super easy plan for myself and Leo doesn't much care either way I think. It's much more fun to focus on the kids this time of year. Yes, that does mean there will not be a mohawk this time! Pictures to come soon.

Other than potty training woes mixed in with fun holiday festivities we are dealing with new bedtime drama nightly. Our Nathan has been such a good sleeper for so long that we aren't sure where to start now that we have something to fix again. I don't know if it's his defiance against potty training, a time to change his sleeping habits overall or his newly realized power over both. But what once was a peaceful separation around 9p has become a daily struggle and yelling match that consists of "I don't wanna go to bed" over and over and alternately "MOMMY!" and "DADDY!" at the top of his lungs, depending on who is up next. He alternates. He's very fair about his annoying behaviors. This even ensued at 5am when he decided he was done sleeping. Yeah right, my rear! We ended up giving in to him joining us in bed (sneaky brat) but we slept past 9a which rarely happens around here. ~Sigh~ The power struggle gets worse the older and smarter he gets. It's no joke when people say 3 is worse than 2. You don't hear it much though b/c the parents that have gone through it just want to forget it ever happened. I can't wait to be past it myself and pretend my child was always an angel.

Well, it's about that time of day so dinnertime here I come. (Another not so fun struggle if you ask me. Between multiple meals to make everyone happy, Nathan not sitting still long enough to consume enough calories to make me happy and the fact that I have to cook every stinkin' day of my life other than pizza take out, it's TIRING!) Despite all the not so fun aspects though - I can't complain. Life is good. It's just hard work!

The Miscellany of Life

Sooooo....potty training didn't turn out as well as we had hoped. Day 1 was ok, Day 2 ok but by the end of Day 3 the poor kid had a tummy ache. I think he was holding it in b/c, quite frankly - learning to go "doo doo" is kinda of a scary process for the first few times. And after a big accident down the pants and on the floor I think he freaked himself out. So we had to remedy the solution with a little extra fiber. The poor kid went the other way and we spent days and diapers keeping track of that mess. Ugghhh!!!! Potty training was obviously abandoned for a while so that Nathan's little body can get back to normal. But I'm hoping that by the end of October that we will have a potty trained little man.

In the midst of all this "fun" JoJo came down from NY for a few days. It was really nice to have the extra hands to help out as I was definitely on my last nerves last week. We made the best of it and spent Thursday at the Museum of Life and Science. Jo had never been. The rain held off and we enjoyed the train ride there, the butterfly house, lunch, the outside barn and a little bit of time inside too. Even though Nathan was suffering from horrible diaper rash, he was quite the trooper and wanted to keep going. By Friday he was doing much better and we went to a home show to check out the latest in . . . ya know - home stuff. Nathan was kept quiet with lollipops and misc giveaways. I don't know what we will do with a bobble head doll of the Empire Carpet Guy, but now we have one.

I also was not able to share my weekend away two weeks ago, since life was so busy from the moment I returned. I flew up to NY for Jen's Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Night Out. Every leg of my flight was delayed due to "work on the runway" in Baltimore and at one point I thought I would be getting there at 6p instead of 11a! But it worked out and I was able to make the shower just in time for lunch and presents! The rest of the day was nice. I sat back and let everything happen. No worries about kids, driving, doing anything the next day. Just enjoying the company (Danielle, Jen and her friends)

We went out in NYC Sat night. While driving in from Brooklyn we saw the twin tower lights lit up in honor of 10 years. We drove right under them (they were set up on an overpass) and we saw they were made up of several small lights close together. It was cool and clear and they shot straight up for miles. A pretty cool site to see.

I managed to stay up late. We left the city around 2a and I hit the pillow by 3:30a. Last time I did that was due to a sick child I'm sure. We slept in a little but the naps later on the couch were the real treat. We had a nice diner breakfast, a super quick visit in Rockland to get Lily and see the Keplers and then just hanging out. I was very glad to see that little girl. We even cuddled a bit on the couch. Just the few minutes was enough - I know little people have a lot to do and see! I'm glad the wait is short to see them again. Just a few weeks until Tim & Jen's wedding!

Fall Beerfest

This past May we hosted our first Beerfest. We had some previous experience with some friends - going to actual local beerfests (research!) and having impromptu gatherings. But in the Spring Leo decided to make a real go of it and it was quite a success. You can't have a Spring one without a Fall one - all those Oktoberfests and Winter Ales! - and so our First Annual Fall Beerfest was born. Some say I am crazy for letting Leo put on such an event while I am pregnant and unable to enjoy all the beer. But our friends are generous as always and other treats were present. Let's just say being able to eat my calories instead of drink them is not such a bad trade-off.

We started around 3:30p and the people piled in from there. It was nice to start early when there was such a beautiful day to enjoy. Our neighbors invested in a bouncy house for their daughter and they were kind enough to share it yesterday. They set it up in the front yard and the kids were soooooo happy. Actually, so were the parents. They all bounced and enjoyed all the garage toys for hours. As usual Nathan was inside and out, enjoying all the people. No worries about him. Except for the potty. I am still fearful of Nathan forgetting or just getting lazy about going but with a little reminder here and there we did well. No accidents!

I enjoy cooking and baking and for party time I usually try to come up with something unique. This time around I decided to make it simple and it was the best way to go. Who doesn't love pasta?! 3lbs later (2 loaves of bread, sausage and peppers and meatballs too), everyone was so happy and I got more compliments that usual. Carbs and beer go together I guess.

The kids begged for a bonfire before it was even dark. Leo bribed then into cleaning up the front yard with promises of a fire in the back. It worked and the yard was cleaned up super fast. Fact: Our playground will withstand the weight of half a dozen small children and two medium-sized adults no problem. The slide was popular among some adults (skirts should not be worn when attempting this). Marshmallows appeared and all were happy. Nathan was having a ball. He looked so tired but he just kept going. I eventually set him up in our bed to watch Cars in hopes he would pass out but he loves a party as much as we do. He said goodnight to our guests with us around 11p. Since he was up, I figured I could go ahead and vacuum up the mess we all dragged in. It was nice not having such a mess to look at in the morning. When I could drink, this never happened - cleaning up right after the party, yeah right. Another upside to not drinking. Always looking for the bright side.

Today we are trying to relax and enjoy Sunday. Relax is not in Nathan's vocabulary. And it's a nice day anyway so out we go I suppose. And working on the Halloween costume. I'll let you see it when it's done. You can tell me if I did a good job. If you think of one for me, let me know. Apparently I have to come up with one for myself too.

Hillridge Farm

Today was our first big outing with our MOPS group for the year. We went to Hillridge Farm in Youngsville. I remember it being so fun last year so we were excited to go again. A year later, Nathan was able to enjoy it much more. A train and hay ride, slide, sand, swings, corn and hay to roll around in, animals, pumpkins, mazes and tunnels. Oh yes, and a bouncy house. This place is worth every penny and we could have easily spent the entire day there. I put up a bunch of pictures on Picasa. Take a look. There are some good ones in there. I went to a photo class last week and have been playing with my camera more and more. The cooler weather and the seasonal activities have pushed me into a really fun place. I love fall!

In two weeks - The Zoo!

Pee Party Day

In case you didn't know, it's official. No pink in this house. I get to open up all those boxes of boy clothes and use them all over again come February because we're having another baby boy! I had convinced myself it would be a girl. I was experiencing things slightly different at the start of this pregnancy but I was also so set on wanting another boy I prepared myself for a girl. I had accepted that's what "it" would be and even had a name picked out. (I'm sad about the name. I'm not sharing but man it was perfect.) So when we saw the tell-tale pee-pee I was surprised. Leo was not. He was hoping for and I guess "knew" what the outcome would be. We would have been pleased either way, but of course it sure it easy to use what we've got!

Soon we will have a baby and a very grown up little boy. Today we are taking a stab at real potty training for the first time. It involves very little clothing, lots of juice and snacks and more patience than you can imagine. Leo and I have been watching with eagle eyes all morning and we both managed to miss a couple pees on the carpet. But he did #2 on the pot and later a really long #1 that he must have been holding and afraid to let go off all morning. He even did it standing up! Now it is nap time and the diaper is back on but only for a short time. We have a long afternoon ahead of us with more vigilant watching and waiting. I should probably go rest myself. This is only the start of a long weekend. But I'm already looking forward to our next few activities - lite brite, play doh and perhaps another go at Candy Land (he so does not get this but he seems to like to move the little men around and look at the colored cards. It keeps him busy anyway.) Wish us luck on our on-going adventure. I hope to report a successful weekend soon.

Splishy, splashy, sploshy

Friends and family were worried about me catching whatever Nathan had earlier in the week. With good reason of course. I'm his mommy. I have to clean up his messes, all types, and snuggle and bathe and make him all better. So it was bound to happen I guess. But when Wednesday had come and gone we didn't think twice about it - sickness gone! When I woke up with nausea Thursday morning at 4am, I still didn't think much about it. I am pregnant after all. But when I threw up a few hours later and couldn't really stand up for more than a minute I figured something else was going on. I caught the bug. Damn.

Nathan was feeling fine and playing but I was confined to the couch. I cried with joy when a friend offered to watch him for a few hours at her house. I send Leo to drop him off and I relished the silence and being stationary for a couple hours. He napped when he got home and then we just had the afternoon to get through. Even though I was not feeling better as the day progressed, I felt guilty about saying no to his every plea to go outside. Nathan wanted to play baseball so I went out with him and sat on the grass. He never lasts long with that so he was soon playing in the car and I was laying in the back of it. He wanted to play upstairs so I sprawled on the floor next to him trying to be enthusiastic about playing with legos. I really wanted to die. I finally said no to swings and we stayed in for the night.

You would think that would be the end of it but it only got more fun from there. Around 8p Nathan was looking for a snack. Suddenly he looked up at Leo, made a face, then threw up all over the place. Splishy, splashy, sploshy.... three days worth of food and drink it seemed like. Already fed up with the day I just jumped into action to clean up the mess. Leo cleaned up Nathan, I mopped the floor, walls, doors, chairs, etc and did a wash. I said I wanted to die before but at this point I was convinced I already had and this was my hell. He threw up one more time, I used up the rest of whatever towels I could find and my shark steam mop was already out and ready to go. How about everyone just vomits on the floor. We'll make a party of it. Jeez!

I had Leo put Nathan to bed shortly after (whose bed was surrounded by towels and a bucket) and I took something to help me sleep and went to bed too. Leo asked,"Going to bed already?" It was only 9p. I was afraid of what else might happen if I stayed awake. Good night world. Don't bother me. Ever.

This morning there was no nausea or aching or headache. I think the storm has passed. For me. Leo feels a little off. Hopefully he can fight it or get it over with quickly. But first I have to finish the wash. I need more towels for the next emergency.

Stormy in & out

Apparently Mother Nature was not quite done. She came through yesterday and dropped a couple storms on us that were even worse than over the weekend. The wind was so rough a couple more trees went down in the neighborhood (those Bradford Pears don't stand a chance!), hail fell from the sky and rain flooded the backyard in a flash. The thunder was monstrous and unending. But it came through pretty quick and we had a blue and breezy morning.

The last 24 hours inside the house was a little stormy too. Nathan's little sickness that started yesterday turned out to be a 24 hour stomach bug that kept him from keeping down even water and crackers. "My tummy hurts" he would whine, and then get sick all over the place. As the day wore on he begged more and more for food and water. But we did as the dr's office suggested - small sips every 10 minutes for an hour after he throws up, then a small bit of plain food. If he throws that up, start over. Real food wasn't on the agenda until he stopped getting sick. Needless to say the kid didn't have real food until this morning. He got sick again at 5:30 which is when we parked ourselves on the couch for a few hours. But after a little morning snooze, the 24 hours was just about up and Nathan happily gobbled up a bagel in no time and asked for more. He was jumping all over the couch as usual by 9:30! Poor kid. But I have another notch on my mommy belt and I know what to do should it strike again - for him and us. Also, since it was raining, it was an ok time to chill inside and watch Tangled on Netflix (great movie, btw!).

Today we are taking it easy. A little food, a little rest, a little fresh air and a lot of clean up and we are back to normal. Happy as can be until the next storm hits.