NYC Plague 2012

who knows if it is truly from NYC, but everything's bigger there and so I would think that applies to their sickness estoo.  Aylen got it on the 26th, Ryker and Russ on the 27th and me=well never (not yet).  This thing is a horrible, no good, very bad  plaguey CRAPTASTIC virus.  We are assuming the flu--fever, cold symptoms-running nose, cough, tiredness....just basically feel like crap.  it so far has cost us:  at least 3 or 4 boxes of Kleenex, 3 infant tylenols, RYKER'S actual birthday, Ryker's birthday party, any sort of productivity around the house-unless you count watching Finding Nemo 10x, Brave 1x, The Polar Express 3x, cartoons umteenth times, etc, etc.  We've gained a visit from Grandpa (thanks for letting us borrow him Grandma he's a godsend), lots of snuggle-time, enjoying alot of family time together, and an appreciation for what a non-fevery baby feels like..

it's been an insane week and now AJ is being naughty so I know that he needs to go upstairs.

putting boys to sleep. the story of my life lately. 

love,
momma

Aruba Arrrribbbaaaaa

ah this vacation seems like a distant memory, or better yet just a figment of my imagination, a dream... You pick.  I'll explain more about the contrast of then vs. now later.

But let's just focus on Aruba.  It was amazing.  I made this collage to demonstrate how somethings remain timeless... like writing in the sand and US.  :)  Someday I'll love that I look young, most days it's annoying.  So #1- are pictures from our honeymoon right after our wedding.  #2-is the Arubamoon.


So we loved Aruba...oh let us count the many ways.
     1.  SLEEPing in.  OMG.  The first morning we spent there we woke up around 1015am.  We didn't get out of our room until 11am.  We went to have breakfast, guess what we MISSED it.  I couldn't even be mad about it.  Who wasn't up at 6am? US.  Boom.

     2.  No bedtime routines. at.all.  Not one routine that we routinely did at night in Aruba.  At all.  Did I say at all, at all?  I mean it was insane.  WE could do whatever we wanted because we didn't have to wait for AJ to fall asleep, or bath time to start, or when the first cry would happen, or not even hanging out with ourselves or each other because we were so darn tired.  Foreign concepts here, people.

     3.  Naps.  Yup, we sure did.  Naps occurred daily after we hit our am quota for vitamin D and yummy beach drinks.

   
4.  Swimsuits.  This guy in this suit, and me proudly rocking my 2-piece.  We done did it.

     5.  Reading books.  We both got a chance to dig into our books that have been laying dormit around our house.  The only time we have to read is in the evening time, and let's be honest after completing our days reading is =the best Lunesta you can take.

     6.  Food and Drinks with two hands.  We even had a conversation about how we cut our steak.  Because when we begin to slice we move our fork to our right hand, and then with our left hand use the knife.  Once we are done cutting we switch our fork back to our left hand.  We thought it was odd that we wouldn't cut with our right hand, thus leaving our fork in our left hand the whole time.  I MEAN WHO HAS THESE CONVERSATIONS?  People who a.  Have two hands to eat with and aren't feeding other little people, and b.  Have the time to really think about the littlest of things because they don't have a care in the world:)


    

So as I sit here typing this out I'm pretty darn exhausted.  My day started...well I'm not even quite sure what you can consider "started".  Russ and I together probably tallied 3 or 4 hours of sleep last night.  We had AJ burning a fever and Ryker just fussing on the monitor hourly.  We managed to get up, get our stuff to the airport, hopped a plane to Colorado, jumped the van because the battery died, entered our house which was at a balmy 36 degrees-great for all 3 boys who had the "chills" anyways (it has reached the 50s now just in case you're wondering), Russ has come down with chills and respiratory stuff, AJ is still coughing/sneezing/chilling, and Ryker has joined the party.  I am taking care of the 3 sick, sad boys...and honestly Aruba was great but I do feel completely honored to be here now with my layers of clothes on taking care of my family. 

Arubbbba aribbbbaaaaaaa
Love to all,
Momma

I mean seriously...

I thought when I was little that Santa couldn't come soon enough. I mean sleeping was just so hard, but this whole having my own kids and eagerly awaiting their Santa experience is almost torture. It's 436am and I'm wide awake awaiting AJ's first movement so that we can run to the living room and see the evidence of Santa. What will just baffle AJ...- will it be the 1/2 eaten cookies? The glass of milk, GONE? Or the pile of presents that have suddenly appeared by that tree? And if nothing else it's got to be those "snow" footprints! Oh and if it wasn't the impending excitement of Santa for AJ that keeps me awake it is certainly the eagerness for my littlest to wake up so that I can run in and tell him "we are hOMe!" Ha-never thought I'd be in this stage of actually wanting my children to wake up from their peaceful slumber!

Merry Christmas to all and GET up my boys! Get up!!! Lets celebrate!!!!!

Love,
Momma

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving!

Finally, my Thanksgiving post.  GEESH.  It's called ohemgee...it's almost 2013 which means at 11:59 on 12/31/12 any and all posts for 2012 will be published in my hardcover book and therefore REALLY MEGAN are you going to post a 2012 post in the 2013 book.  Ihopenot.  So Thanksgiving this year was a little different than last year.  See last year we went everywhere and saw everyone, and it was amazing and sucked all at the same time.  I was uber pregnant which didn't help our travels and my stomachache.  This year I decided it was going to be different.  We were going to two houses for sure and that was it with a little lunch or two.  Our priority was to see the grandparents and that was all.  Life has been so crazy that I just wanted some downtime, and didn't want to be running all over the place.  It was hard not to feel like we were being rude, insensitive, basically a-holes.  Because the reality is that I love seeing our friends that we haven't seen in awhile.  But I just couldn't do it.  I didn't have the energy.  And after all of it, man, it was such a great choice.  We came back ready to be home, but really appreciative of the time that we had to CHILL out.  Here our some of the pictures we left with...

Family time is so grand.

The brothers celebrating Movember:) And yes they totally let me arrange this photo shoot.

Uncle Will demonstrating the "Ryker" dance.  He was Amazing.

Auntie Ern-tan and good lookin'.  AJ's a lucky dude:)

Birth Buddy Boden!  Thanks to the Beckers for sharing their new BEAUTIFUL house with us!

Playing some Games with Grandad.

Just some good lookin bros hanging out. NBD.

Loving our Uncle Will!

Enjoying the country time:)

Grammy Time, Grammy Time!

AJ he actually touched a BUS!

Feeding the cows with Grandpa Mark.

/

We took our first visit to the Children's Museum.  This place was amazing!

AJ was amazed by EVERYTHING here..

Love this.  Laurel's girls and Russell's boys!

Uncle Troy, Uncle Troy

My Papa is so darn comfy!

Granny Barb reads dinosaur stories to me!

Twas a great, great time- even though we didn't go everywhere.  We went exactly where we were supposed to go.

Love,
Momma

I'm the Weaner!

High5 Ryker Lee!  We did it!  Another year of breastfeeding in the books!  A year of pumping, nursing, and being close to my little man!  So much work, yet so rewarding too!  Ryker has done great.  He is now working his own sippy cup all.by.himself.  He enjoys drinking milk and water.  And ya know... I'm kind of enjoying my independence as well.  To celebrate my dear husband brought home this bottle of wine to celebrate:)  Pic of me and a Malbec in one. Um yes please;)

Love,
Momma

On the day before the TRIP

This is some photos from our date nights the past two months.  These things are kinda RARE, but not like triceratops rare (can you tell I have someone who enjoys dinosaurs in this house?).  Russ and I try to get out every couple weeks together because it is so important.  Time to be with just each other.  To discuss our jobs, or talk about our parenting, or reminisce how perfect our children are, or kinda sleep sitting up, or pretend we still can shake it or listen to those bands, or watch that movie. 

It's fun to remember that we do still love each other and find each other super fun.  Sometimes that stuff gets a little cloudy when we are busy working our 40 hour jobs and caring for 2 under 2.  Sometimes we get a bit snippy and sometimes I get grouchy about the housework or the food on the table or the dishes in the sink.  Sometimes he gets grouchy about the lack of video games he can play or the nagging or the routines.  And then we are each others safe people to get grouchy on because we know that we will get over it and still love each other.  And after one of "those nights" we are the only ones that can feel to the depth of our bones just how tired we are because of that little boy who was JUST THAT SAD all night long.  And we are also the ones that can feel to the depth of our bones how amazing it is to look over and feel that overwhelming feeling when our little ones look at us and smile and tell us that they love us.  No one knows exactly that feeling like him.

SO after these past FIVE years we decided we were celebrating.  Celebrating our hard work, our children, our marriage---essentially our awesomeness.  Refill the marriage bank account as one of my coworkers said.  And with awesome Grandparents this trip is able to really happen.  So in less than 24 hours we will be on a plane to Aruba.  We have made this trip a priority.  I know that the first 12 hours will be super hard and I'll miss my little guys.  AND then...well I'll be okay and so will Russ.  And the boys are going to have an awesome time with their Grandparents.  AND then that last day we will be sun-kissed, relaxed, and the REMEMBERing just how much we love each other and we will come home to our boys.  And celebrate Christmas with the Grandparents and Aunt Joan.  AND it is GOING TO so great.  I'm so freakin excited!
 
Cheers to you.  My hottie husband.
 

LOVE my love,
Wifey

I had to.

Love you AJ promise...

Momma

AJ-isms

Oreo eating: AJ opens the cookie up and eats all the white creamy goodness. He leaves the cookie part. No reason to eat it!

Naptime: For some reason naptimes are ridiculously easier to do with AJ then bedtime. Today he put his man down to take a nap first, then he followed suit directly after

House projects: he's beginning to earn his keep around here, slowly but surely. He helped Dad stain some shelves. As he painted he said,"up and down. Up and down"!!'

Love,
Momma

Mah

Setting: our bed this am
ME: AJ I gotta get up, time for work.
AJ: No Mah. Stay down. Don't go up.

I swear he's so sweet.
<3
Momma

Last put to sleep nurse tonight...

I just finished my last before bed nurse with Ryker and I can't decide if I want to cry or be super happy and free... I mostly want to cry. Crazy how quick time goes...all the old people are onto something when they tell you to enjoy your little kids because time flies. As tired as I am in the middle of the night when I get up to soothe Ryker, or as frustrated as I get with Aylen for not going to sleep on his own. I got to remember that in the grand scheme of things this time goes fast. It already has...before I know it ill be hanging out on the porch of our cabin reminiscing with Russ about those "crazy selfless times" rocking AJ's baby while he and his partner rock climb. Guh. I can't believe I'm almost done nursing.... I can't believe Ryker is almost 1. I just can't.

Love,
A mixed emotions Momma

I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast

buttttttttttttt, I may just get the Mom of  the Year award.  or at least get even in the shortness of patience that I have displayed recently toward my wonderfully stubborn Aylen John.

Russ, AJ and I watched The Polar Express movie in Christmas pjs the other night.  It was a first time showing for all of us.  So toward the end when the bell went missing, I just knew that he was going to get that bell back and I got an idea.  I quietly went rumaging through my purse and found the bell that AJ had received last Christmas on the Santa train.  On cue, the little boy opened up his present to find the bell and at that exact moment I managed to sneak AJ's bell underneath his blanket.

He moved and the bell rang and it was PRICELESS.  He grabbed the bell and said, "I got a bell just like that boy from SANTA CLAUS." 

I almost started bawling my eyes out because he was so surprised and happy and just in awe that he had this bell from Santa.  Just like that boy. 

Thank you Aylen John for that moment.
It truly is what I needed as a reminder of how precious and amazing you are...

Love,
Momma

Oh 29.

I love this kid.  he's a cool cat.  and funny.  super super funny.  and things are moving on up for him in this world and i have been super delayed in talking about some/most of them.  so i'm going to quickly spell it out, because this momma has a date with a yoga mat at 530 tomorrow morning.

sleeping...we got back from our trip to Nebraska last Friday and from that evening Ryker has been officially kicked out of the bed.   it was one of those moves that I knew needed to happen and i just felt like the whole entire time we were in Nebraska he just really took advantage of our co-sleeping situation.  I was left feeling pretty worn down and thought ya know, why not be crazy and just ride the wave of new routines and keep him in the crib.  bed-sharing is awesome.  seriously, i feel like i need to give it the love it deserves.  I truly believe that is what has allowed me to nurse both of my boys to the year mark.  because my maternity leave wasn't exactly helpful in the nursing arena because i had to return to work within 6 weeks of delivering.  i also returned to work full-time therefore i was pumping 5x a week, 3 pumps x day.  that is a lot of freakin work.  and that separation often causes many mommas difficulties in keeping up with the milk demand of their babies.  by bed-sharing i was able to have ryker nurse whenever he wanted and keep the supply up.  but no more.  so the first night consisted of him waking up every 3 hours and me going in there and nursing him back down.  not really fun.  but the second, and third, and fourth, and so on nights have entailed 7+ hours of sleep in the crib for him without so much as a peep.  for real.  we did not experience this with our colicky AJ.  so wow.  it's pretty amazing.

weaning... we are within weeks of our OMGweareawesomeandsurvived2under2movingtocoloradoandeverything else Aruba trip.  I wanted to wean at the year mark, and decided that a week before Aruba was my goal end date.  we had started solids at the 6 month mark, and that is the beginning of weaning.  now ryker consistently eats 3 meals and snacks a day, and often times surpasses his brother in solid food consumption.  i had started reducing the number of pumps i was doing at work.  daycare lady was/is on board.  everything is cool right? yea right.  it's like this rush of emotions in my head.... you aren't technically making it to the year mark if you're stopping two weeks early, you know people recommend 2 years breastfeeding, you love it, you hate it, you want sleep, you want your body back, you love that special time, you love being able to excuse yourself, you are kinda over it, you don't want to pump or worry at all in aruba, you really should just suck it up and pump in aruba, you you you me me me me....  guh.  and for instance today I totally left my 7 ozs at work.  yup that means that i'm dumping 7 oz out when i get to work tomorrow.  i was a mess, until i found out that ryker is almost preferring cow milk  to mine.  thank god.  thank god that he is super cool with transitioning.  makes me feel okay and know that i did good.  i did.  i did really great.  and breastfeeding is amazing, and hard work, and totally freaking worth it.  and no matter what i did, i gave it an awesome run.  and it's okay to move on, and forward, and onto the next phase.  so calling daddy reinforcements, here is the start of less momma time and more daddy time!

walking... he is walking everywhere.  he is quick. and amazing and wants NO help.  he completely amazes us how quick he can get up stairs and over obstacles.  so different than his brother;)

I love the infant phase.  I truly do.  And so it is so bittersweet to come to an end of an era with Ryker.  But as Aylen shows us on a daily basis it does stay interesting and amazing no matter how old.  So goodbye baby Ryker....you have been a complete joy, and i'm ready to see what your toddler years have in store for us.

Muah.
Momma

Love gu...

I'm currently trying to get a 2 year old to go to sleep but he is currently on repeat..."love gu sooo much mom. Hi mom. Love gu. So much mom." I mean I can't really tell him to be quiet when he's been that adorable.

Tonight he truly learned what Christmas lights are and he couldn't quit talking about then on our ride home. I love the increased awareness he shows. So cool. "Ohhhh look ders Chistmas yights. Oh mo Chistmas yights!"

Love,
Momma

8 HOURS

After two weeks of lots of nursing through the night due to who.knows.what.....Ryker 29 slept 8 Hours in the crib last night!!!!! Longest stretch EVER!!!!!!

:)
Momma

this Kid is meant for walking...

So on September 20th Russ said..."this kid will be walking in a month".  I didn't believe him.  I knew it was going to be before a year...but Ryker is IMPRESSIVE.

On October 7th, Ryker took his FIRST TWO steps.

A week ago he took 10 STEPS in one shot.  Now he still crawls but he is definitely starting to prefer to walk.  Nothing cooler than watching your baby start talking those BIG independent steps.  And it's so fun to see how different Aylen and Ryker are in their milestones.  Ryker is walking 6 months earlier than Aylen (that is obviously what a big brother does for you).  But when Aylen was starting to be more upright he wanted Russ and I to hold his hands and walk EVERYWHERE.  I swear there were times when we spent hours climbing stairs with Aylen, holding his hands.  Ryker has only allowed us to do this once.  And just as Russ said, "Meg, look he is letting me hold his hands," he had let go.  Chicken or egg.  First child vs second child.  First time parent vs. old hat parent.  :)

Who knows!  But it's awesome!

-Momma

Pumpkins, Rocket Mans, and Polar Bears!

1

Halloween season has been a month long celebration for us!  These pics were taken when the Grandparents were here.  See this post.  And then the following weekend I participated in the Pumpkin Run with some friends.  And can I just say how much I love that in Colorado any type of workout is immediately rewarded with local alcoholic beverages. 

With the 15lb pumpkin I received with the face, Aylen John was allowed to go crazy with paint and Thomas the Train Stickers.

The weekend before Halloween I convinced the family to go to Longmont Halloween parade.  Love me some parades!  It is such a cool thing to see a HUGE portion of Longmont out celebrating together in the Halloween spirit.

The next day we went to Loveland to get all dressed up with friends.  I was a tid nervous that Aylen was not going to wear his very cool, very awesome ROCKET PACK that I made him.  OMG.  He started saying, "I don't want to".  But somehow my awesome Husband quietly convinced him that a rocket pack was really necessary.  Ryker was a polar bear missing his hat, so he just looked like this amazingly cute little white furry something or other. 

On Tuesday night we carved pumpkins.  I can't wait for Aylen to be able to carve his own pumpkin someday.  Instead he told me what to do and I made it happen.  I was quite proud of these pumpkins.  Thank goodness that Aylen does not have the fear that Russ has of pumpkins.  "They (pumpkin and guts) smell gross"-Russ. 

On Halloween Day Aylen and Ryker got to have a party at daycare.  It was full of costumes, pumpkin cake, and treats!  I had this weird idea that it was silly for Aylen to go Trick or Treating because he is still little and CANDY.  He doesn't need CANDY.  Oh Momma.  Seriously.  Let the kid go.  So we did!  We went around to 5+ houses.  I'm pretty sure Aylen never ever said, "Trick or Treat".  He is just so shy and soft-spoken when he does talk.  

This was our best pic of the night.  Aylen was way too interested in his loot.  And Ryker had enough polar bear time.

;) Ahh I just have the feeling this time of year will keep getting progressively more awesome:)

Love,
Momma

Top Right is Aylen John when he was 4 months old in the Polar Bear Suit.