10 days away from home, seeing family from all sides, was wonderful. But, it was still 10 days away from home. Though it was sad to say goodbye to everyone today, it's great to finally be back home.
I have approx. 300 photos to sift through, not to mention several stories to tell, about our trip to New Mexico and Texas over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'll have to save those for another night when I am not as tired.
But in the meantime, one quick post to let everyone know we're now home safe and sound. And what's more, we decided to change Logan's crib to a toddler bed tonight, to start getting him used to sleeping in a "bigger" bed. We figured since he had already gotten so used to sleeping on a mattress on the floor at Nolan and Doy's house this past week, this might be the right time. It's also getting harder, with a growing belly, to bend over and put him down in his crib each night.
Jon put him down tonight without much fuss at all - crossing our fingers that it continues! :)
Logan's bed is a mattress on the floor with a ton of pillows propped up around him since he moves so much (the first night he made his way under the bedside table!). Here he is sleeping in after HUGE festivities with family coming and going all day yesterday. Two of Jon's brothers and two of his sisters are here visiting as well, not to mention cousins galore.
There has been more food than imaginable, football nonstop on TV (it is Texas afterall) and fun and games with our loved ones. Hope everyone else has had an excellent Thanksgiving as well!
Logan and I checked out a fabulous play ground this afternoon. The play ground was enormous, this picture is only a small portion but you get the idea. I had a helluva time getting Logan to leave. One of the twisty slides seemed to be his favorite.
It's located right along the river front so we also had an exciting duck sighting (which he LOVED), walked across a wobbly foot bridge floating on the water and carefully inspected the nearby fisherman to see what the hell they were up to. All in all, a wonderful afternoon!
It's been a long day of traveling and we're only half way there! We landed in El Paso a couple of hours ago after flying all morning and are now finally hitting the road (after lunch and a few stops) for the three hour drive to a small town in New Mexico to visit my grandparents.
Logan has been really great so far. He's finally sneaking in his nap now that he's in his comfy car seat. I'm hoping he'll sleep the majority of the drive for us. :-P
I picked Logan up early today and the kids had JUST gone out to the play yard for some outside fun which normally spells trouble for me trying to tear him away and head home.
However, I was able to entice Logan away from the play yard by telling him that he would get to see Molly when we got home. Of course, "Ma-ee go? Ma-ee? Ma-ee?" was then all he asked for the entire ride home and half hour before they arrived. :)
Since Jon is away this week, Kim was kind enough to offer a playdate for the kids tonight to help keep me sane. We had a DEEE-licious dinner that Kim brought over (Chinese take-out) and got to catch up on all the latest while the two kids ran around the house having fun.
Once it was time for Molly and Kim to leave, the kids gave a number of very lovable and energetic hugs (to the point that they almost lost their balance and toppled over a couple of times). It was absolutely adorable. :) Thanks for the visit Kim and Molly!!
Wow - it's been almost a week since my last post! Not like me, but I was sick as a dog last week so I'm blaming that. :) I'll start with today and move backwards over the past few days with updates....
Driving to swimming class tonight, Logan put his index finger to his lips and whispered "Shhhhh. Quiet" as soft as could be. It was funny because I've never heard or seen him do that before (clearly someone at school is telling him to be quiet quite often!) but more than that, I was pretty exhausted from a long day and hadn't been talking much during our drive. Logan on the other hand, was FULL of happy spirits and making enough noise for the both of us! Apparently he realized how loud he actually was and decided to turn it down a notch or two. :)
We dropped Jon off at the airport early this morning for a quick business trip before we head off as a family to start our Thanksgiving vacation. He gets home late Thursday night and we hop on a plane bright and early Friday morning. Nothing like cutting it close! ;-) Logan was upset at Jon leaving (again), but quickly perked up once I drove by at a snail's pace to watch all the planes taking off and landing. We also did a quick stop at a Starbuck's drive through for his favorite "nack" he likes to call "sant" (croissant).
Yesterday I had a regular checkup to see how the baby is doing - and happy to report all is great! I had been starting to get a little nervous lately since I haven't gained much weight (when I was pregnant with Logan I was packing on a couple pounds a week, NO JOKE, throughout the entire pregnancy), my nausea has gone away, and I haven't had much of an appetite. Since it's still a bit early, I have only felt flutters here and there but no regular constant irritating keeping me up all night kicking. I've been in this weird funky in between stage where I just don't feel pregnant!
So, at my appointment yesterday, my doc told me to try and not stress or worry too much (HAAAA!!) and that I was doing great. We listened for the baby's heartbeat which was beating fast and strong as ever. THANK GOD. It's one of the best things I could have heard yesterday to keep me going for another few weeks.
We spent this past weekend visiting with Jon's parents who drove up from LA for a couple of days. They got in on Friday; once Logan and I got home, we all took off for a yummy super filling Italian dinner at Fratellos. On Saturday, we visited the Children's Discovery Museum, where Logan had plenty of fun as usual, and Abuelita/Abuelito Riedy got to see him in prime time action. Unfortunately I completely forgot to take my camera with me that morning. :( We came back and had lunch together, and then everyone rested while Logan took a nice long nap. We had another delicious meal for dinner that night at Hobee's - and once we put Logan down for the evening, the four of us played a competitive game of Settlers of Catan. I'm happy to report I TOTALLY WON. Mwahahahahahahahaaa!! :)
On Sunday we had an early morning breakfast at our favorite spot Stacks and then spent some time walking off the pancakes and waffles around the farmer's market in downtown Campbell. Alicia and Paul had to leave about noon to get back on the road, and left while we put Logan down for his afternoon nap. We had a fun visit with them and I know Logan enjoyed all of the extra love and attention! It was a great start to the holiday season - where Logan is going to get to see relative after relative after relative. Wheeeeee!!
Yesterday, Logan turned 23 months old at the same time that Sesame Street celebrated their 40th year birthday. Talk about a span in years from young to old (to young again?). Though Ni Hao, Kai Lan has reserved a top spot in Logan's TV preferences of late, Sesame Street is still up there in the running.
My cousin Bruce linked to a comment stream on Soul Strut, where readers posted their favorite Sesame Street memories, in honor of the big 4-0. Logan and I had fun the other night clicking through each post, rekindling many old memories of mine and new ones for him. This is one that we both agreed was the best memory of all ;-)
Logan continues to be a delight in (and to) our family – he has such a fun loving carefree attitude! Let me also emphasize the word attitude with that statement.He continues to have his off moments, where he’s particularly grumpy or upset at any little thing. There are the days where “NO” and “MINE” and “DON’T WANT IT” and “MY TURN” are the only words coming out of his mouth.However he also can get into such a giggly goofy silly state, where he is just enjoying life and having fun, which is so wonderful to see.It makes us laugh every time.
This past month Logan’s pronunciation and vocabulary has really improved, which helps me immensely as we sometimes still have trouble communicating.Most notably, he’s finally catching on to consonants (finally!) and has really found a fondness for the hard “K” sound: rock, sock, duck, rocket, park, milk.He emphasizes these new sounds as if they feel good in his throat… raw-ckkkkkkkk!! We even hear him trying it out on other non-K ending words instead... daw-ckkkkkk!
No, no, no Logan. That's Lola, your DOG. DOG. Daw-ggggg.
Daw-ckkkkkk! *evil grin*
He is a huge fan of art and will generally only sit still for above mentioned Kai Lan/Sesame Street shows, or art (of any kind).Which is a saving grace when Jon’s busy working and I’m cooking dinner.;-)
In my “23-month old email newsletter” I just received this week, the opening notes were as follows:
Your toddler may now be able to throw a ball overhand, though he'll probably miss his target most of the time. The whole-arm coordination that allows him to throw usually emerges somewhere between 18 months and 3 years.
If your toddler is ball-shy, start with rolling games, which will be easier and also less scary (try rolling the ball slowly toward his feet). Spongy balls or beanbags are great for indoor use — set up a pillow or bucket for target practice.
Which frankly, made me crack up.
Though Logan’s been slower at picking up the vocabulary, he’s been consistently fast at developing physically since day one.He has been throwing balls overhand (and on target!) for many months now – definitely has the whole-arm coordination down pat.I can’t imagine any toddler being ball shy, let alone mine, so yeah – the “ball-shy” statement definitely made me snicker.If anything, we try, when we can, to encourage spongy soft balls or beanbags only because his throwing arm is so strong!;-)
Elbow is the new “in” word in Logan’s world.He can sing “elbow, elbow, elbow” all day long in the car ride home from school, holding up his hands to his ears so his elbows stick out.As if I didn’t know what he was yelling at the top of his lungs and I needed a visual just to be sure.
His "elbow" does sound very similar to "apple, apple, apple" though, and I often times find myself asking him - Are you hungry? Do you want an apple? Perhaps THAT'S why he's giving me the visual aid!
Sometimes his elbows are so important that he freaks out about long-sleeved shirts which cover them up. I can't tell you how many times I’ve actually had to change him into a (short-sleeved) t-shirt, just so we could get out of the house on time. Apparently elbows need to be SEEN, lest they be forgotten; another valuable lesson in the life of parenting a toddler.
With all the business travel Jon and I have been doing lately, it was really nice to have a relaxing weekend at home. Especially since, looking at the calendar, I don't see many weekends freeing up until around Christmas time, which is busy in and of itself! ;-)
Yesterday I attempted to get the H1N1 vaccine at the Santa Clara County Vaccine Clinic held at the County Fairgrounds. The clinic opened at 9:30am. I showed up at 9:45am, so I knew there'd be a line and I was prepared to wait. However, what I wasn't prepared for, was the line to stretch a half mile down the street with thousands waiting.... and who knows how long the line was once you got INSIDE the gates! I haven't been feeling top notch, since I've been battling a head cold for the last week, and being pregnant, etc. I really wasn't in the mood to spend multiple hours in line waiting. I found out later that a coworker of mine waited in line with his kids for 5 hours (at a different location, but still), and our friends waited for SEVEN hours (at the fairgrounds). Yikes!
I'll just wait and pray another shipment comes in soon. ;-)
While I was doing that, Jon took Logan to get a much needed haircut. He definitely has my head of hair, and it grows so damn thick that it starts growing OUT (in addition to down) like a big-ass fro. Poor guy, he's going to hate it when he gets older. I know.
The rest of the day we hung out, did a few art projects and shot some hoops before my dad showed up to the house for dinner. We headed downtown and had a really great time out - Logan amazed us with how much food he managed to pack away, never really stopping until we said enough was enough (I was afraid he might puke!). He's actually been eating really well lately which makes us think it's another growth spurt, since he's normally very picky and eats like a bird.
Today we got together with the Jodoins for a lovely breakfast before Jon took off for another few hours of torture, adding more ink to his back piece. Logan and I met up with Jenn and Robert at a nearby park and had a lot of fun catching up and playing in the sand. We spent the rest of the day fighting off naptime (he finally gave in) and then goofing around the house. It's wonderful for us all to be back home.
Anyone and everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows how crazy the public has been lately over the H1N1 ("swine") flu, the number of deaths and extremely ill cases that keep rising due to recent outbreaks, the comparisons of H1N1 cases vs. seasonal (regular) flu cases, the prioritization of who gets the shots first and then reports of more lower risk folks getting them before the higher risk folks.
It's enough to make a person go insane.
The media of course, can't stop talking about it. And, I have to admit, it's gotten us stirred up as well. We are a pro-vaccine family, so while I still did my research on the various brands of H1N1 vaccines available, and which were best for who, and which had thimerosal (mercury) and which did not, Jon and I had decided early on we three would all be getting the vaccine. Because I'm now pregnant, it's particularly important to us that we are all vaccinated to help protect the baby once he/she is born.
So, for the last few weeks, I - like every other crazy mama out there - have been on the hunt for the H1N1 (and seasonal) vaccine for the three of us, and specifically for a mercury-free shot.
Little did I know how limited the vaccines would be, and how difficult it would be to get one!
I was proactive enough to find out when Logan's pediatrician's office would be getting their first shipment of the seasonal flu vaccine in, so I made an appointment several weeks out for the shot. And thankfully, they got their shipment in on time, so Logan received the seasonal flu vaccine early last week without issue.
At the same time, I asked about status on when the H1N1 vaccines would be coming in, but the office couldn't give me an answer. Like every other doctor and medical group in town, it seems, the status of their H1N1 vaccine orders has been unknown. My OB had the same to report. So, I got on the waiting list at both my OB and Logan's pediatrician's office. Hoping someone would get something soon!
As luck would have it, Logan's pediatrician received a very small supply of H1N1 vaccines this week, and emailed out to those parents on the waiting list about a clinic he would be setting up tonight, specifically to give the H1N1 vaccines.
We were told to call after 5pm on Monday to leave a message if we were interested in getting a spot in the clinic. I called at 5:02pm.
Whether it was sheer luck or relentless determination, we got a call back and reserved a spot for Logan. He received his H1N1 shot this evening and did great. Jon and I still need ours (I did get my seasonal shot through work this morning), but I feel a sigh of relief knowing at least our son, who falls in one of the high risk groups for H1N1, is now protected.
Editor's side note: I composed and posted this while 32,000 feet in the air, mid flight to Texas! :) Gotta love wi-fi on planes!
I'm a planner. I love to plan. I was at my happiest and calmest days just before my wedding, which I planned all on my lonesome. I crave to be in the thick of the largest projects at work. I plan our vacations and our weekends, sometimes to the hour.
It's just what I do.
So when things don't go according to plan, I sometimes have a hard time coping. Sure, there are times I've been known to fly by the seat of my pants. Depending on the occasion, I can roll with the punches. I can be flexible when need be and I'm pretty good at it (or at least appear to be). But most of the time, I'm not one for surprises and unexpected twists.
I'm pretty boring.
When we recently announced our surprise, unplanned pregnancy to a few close friends, many teased that while it may have been a surprise for Jon, they had a hard time believing I didn't have some part in planning the outcome.
But it's true we didn't plan this little one. Neither of us did. I had talked the talk of wanting another child for some time but the truth is, another one to run after is a pretty scary and overwhelming thought! Not to mention going through 10 months of huge weight gain, swollen feet, injured wrists, constant congestion and oh yes, my back.
If that's not enough, this time I'm not blissfully ignorant of the big D-Day and am just praying this one stays head down the entire ride. ;-)
What the hell are we in for? And why in the world would I purposefully plan for another? :)
I've started a few conversations with Logan about his baby sibling, explaining that the baby is growing inside me. It's a little early I know, but I feel like a lot of me is preparing myself more than him.
THERE I GO PLANNING AGAIN.
There's a part of me that feels hugely guilty we will be turning his ideal only-child world upside down in just a few short months. And I worry about how he will deal. Shit, I worry how we will deal.
Of course, the bigger part of me knows he needs a sibling and is going to be a caring and compassionate (if sometimes bratty) big brother. I cannot wait to see him teach his baby sibling how to eat, walk, talk, run, hide. Annoy the cats and shower the dogs with too much love and attention. Share his Legos but hide his train and cars. And climb onto our bed together in the mornings to jump and tumble on our bellies and backs.
While we're still in a bit of denial and shocked at the idea of another one joining us so soon (or sooner than planned), we're also very excited and happy for our growing family. We're rolling with the punches.
Hopefully they will be fast and furious friends forever - being just about 2.5 years apart.
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