Them woofing vultures

We've been invaded by vultures lately.





They're not very subtle in stalking their prey. Which is usually waffles, scrambled eggs or pasta.





Here's one of them, moving in.


At least we aren't overly worried.




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Get up stand up

Guess who figured out that standing up in the crib is so much fun?









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Hard, easy

Weston is 9 months old today & so I am doing some navel gazing & contemplating the past several months. My how things change!

Some things are much easier. Being able to feed everyone basically the same foods, giving the kids a bath together, watching them play & genuinely enjoy each other. Setting Weston down & knowing he can sit & crawl on his own. Asking Reese to help, having her entertain her brother (a task where she excels).

Some things are hard. Weston has 8 teeth. Sharp little razors embedded in his mouth, making nursing almost impossible (I'd love any advice on weening an older baby; do I start in with the yogurt/whole milk mix or do I have to push formula, which he hates? I'm pumping again but don't want to do this pump-bottle process for 3 months even though it's so much fun). Putting him down & realizing he's shot halfway across the room and is trying to shove fistfuls of dog food in his piehole. Still not sleeping through the night. Dealing with Reese & her outbursts, which I know mean she feels like she isn't getting enough attention.

It's such a balance. A constant wave of shifts & changes. Harder & easier all at once.

And then I look over & they're sitting together on the floor, belly laughing at the Backyardigans, and I think: when did that happen?













How & when did they get so big? And of course it takes my breath away, makes me laugh all at once....and I feel the very slightest twinge of sadness as they pass into the next phase together....

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Out of control!

Reese jamming out to Under the Sea in the car yesterday.


We were rushing through the pouring rain yesterday, trying to get to the car. I was barking orders to run, run, we had to hurry & get inside. Meanwhile, Reese's rainboots kept slipping off & she was generally having trouble rushing. When she got in the car, she announced, "Well, you were a little bit out of control.". Oops! Patience, Mama....


In the meantime, here's what little Weston has been up to lately:




















He is mobile! Crawling, cruising, contemplating steps. It's exhausting! And hard to keep up with him! You'd never know he was sick, he's so busy...

Crappy croup

Whew. What a crazy holiday weekend! The kids were sick at the end of last week, but Weston got especially ill overnight on Friday and we ended up at the ER for his severe croup. The stridor was freaking me out, he was gasping so hard. They gave us some medicine that really helped him, thank goodness.
Throughout our 4 hours there, he was amazingly good despite a lack of sleep & being so sick.




In fact, the hospital staff even commented that he was one of the happiest, sweetest kids they'd seen. Guess most patients aren't in the best of spirits (understandably)!




He's definitely on the mend & we've had 2 decent nights since then. Big thanks to my aunts Kathy, Becky & Janise for all of the help (David was out of town).

Goodbye croup! Don't come back!

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MDO, day 1

Guess who started Mother's Day Out today? (Hint: it's not me)



We weren't planning to start him until next year, but he was accepted into a program about which I have heard numerous rave reviews. To hold our spot, we had to enroll...so Weston will be going once or twice a week for a couple of hours at a time (luckily they are very flexible on scheduling the infants). He is with 4 other babies and did great today, by all accounts! What a sweet boy!