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I can’t believe Arlo is six months old already. While it just feels like a few days ago that we brought him home, I can barely remember what life was like without his sweet smile and fat rolls to kiss.
Obligatory naked baby picture. Arlo at 6 months
He really has changed the last few weeks. No longer content to lie on the floor, he wants to be up where he can see the action. I can’t nurse him anymore unless we are in a dark and quiet room because he is so afraid of missing something that he won’t relax and nurse, even if he is starving. He desperately wants to play with Zach’s toys (especially the trucks and dinosaurs) which big brother is not so happy about. Arlo has this deep belly laugh that sounds pretty funny coming from a little baby, and no one makes him laugh harder than Zach. He can roll over now from his tummy to back and can’t quite figure out the other direction yet (fat rolls get in the way). Sometimes Zach “helps” him roll, which usually makes my heart skip a beat and makes both of them laugh hysterically. “Mommy! Me teach my baby roll over!”
I’ve got my thumb and a dinosaur. Life is good.
And the boy likes food! When I hold him at dinner, he just goes nuts until he gets something to eat. We went out for brunch the other day and I barely got to eat my food because he was so desperate to get some eggs and hashbrowns. He had an impressive amount of my food (yet another good post-partum weight loss strategy!). He has gotten pretty fat though… he has these huge “cankles” that are impossible to put socks on. As Zach says “Me getting bigger bigger, my baby Arlo getting bigger bigger and my mommy getting bigger bigger”. Well, I disagree with that last part…
I closed “Mommy’s all night snack bar” a few weeks ago. Arlo was sleeping in our room and up four or five times a night. After a particularly bad night, we banished him to a room downstairs, shut the door and turned the monitor off. Poor little thing has to really scream to wake me up, but now he is only up twice a night and mommy is MUCH happier.
Christmas boys with Christmas toys
Zach is a handful right now. We both needed a rinse tonight after a particularly challenging diaper change (and it was poop not pee we were rinsing. So much fun after a long day at work!) I love him dearly, but he is a complicated little soul right now. In comparison, Arlo seems so sweet, innocent and cuddly. I know these simple baby days won’t last much longer, so I cuddle Arlo as much as I can. Don’t get “bigger bigger” too fast my sweet baby.
Last week I decided to take Arlo to the babysitter on morning so I could spend some time with Zach. We went to our pre-3 cooperative preschool class. I’ve always taken the baby too and it can be hard to juggle the needs of both kids in that situation. It usually looks something like this:
reading to Zach while feeding the baby
or this
Holding both boys during dinner
So as we drive away from the babysitter’s house I feel this huge weight off my shoulders. I only have one kid to deal with for a few hours! I can hold, snuggle and read to Zach and not worry about the baby for a few hours. The baby gets all of his special time during night feeds and it is so hard to get Zach some special time.
“Hey Zach, isn’t this great?! It’s just like the old days! Just you and me and we can go to pre-3 together without the baby! What do you think, big guy? Doesn’t that sound like fun?
And from the backseat, I get the following answer…
“Mom! That’s AWESOME!”
We had a little holiday party today- it was supposed to snow a ton last night and we were worried we might have to cancel. But after much angst, there was no snow and almost everyone we invited showed up! 18 Adults and 14 kids! We’ve been wanting to have a party for a while- to say thank you to everyone who helped us get through the last year. So many people fed us and and helped during bedrest and the first weeks home with Arlo. Zach has been asking to have a party for a while too and was a little overwhelmed at first with all his friends here, but then relaxed and had a great time. This is a picture from a few days ago, but you can see how pretty it is up here right now with all the snow.
The main event was cookie decorating for the kids. Here are some of the featured creations…
Zach just adores sprinkles and upended an entire bottle of sprinkles on his cookies before eating them.
Then he refused to eat any “strong food” and threw a fit (really nice when every single one of your friends are watching). So here is our compromise….
A bagel with frosting on it!
Even Arlo got a little treat… He he is eating his first ever cookie. Well he didn’t really eat it, just slobbered on it and then dropped it. But still.
I’m pretty proud of myself for having a party. I usually really avoid having people over because I worry too much about how clean the house is and other silly things. And getting everything together for a party with two little kids isn’t easy. So I’m glad I got over myself, because we have wonderful friends and live in a wonderful place and sometimes you just need to celebrate that!
We had another spectacular day at the lake today. The snow is still fresh and beautiful and the sun was out all day. When Zach woke up this morning, I asked him what he wanted to do today and he replied “Play in snow”. So we did! We even got the baby packed up and out with us.
it was pretty cold, and I was worried about Arlo, but he didn’t make a peep for the hour or so we were outside. Just stayed happy in his pack watching big brother romp around.
Zach never got out of his pajamas today- they work pretty great under his snowsuit!
We finally got some snow at the lake this weekend- just the right amount. Enough to make everything beautiful, but not enough to be trapped AND we didn’t lose electricity! I didn’t take Arlo out in the snow, but Zach and I suited up and played. I think he had fun…
That was yesterday when he refused to wear a hat, mittens or snow boots and learned a lesson pretty quickly! (Mom is done fighting battles about getting dressed. You don’t want a coat in 30 degree weather? Fine. Let’s learn what that feels like and maybe next time you’ll get dressed!) Here he is today after actually requesting (!) a hat, his thickest gloves, and snow boots.
The lake is almost frozen and we’re hoping it stays cold this week so we can skate next weekend. Joe and I took turns today going out to cross-country ski while the kids slept. Someday we’ll actually be able to do those things together again.
After the kids wake up, we’ll head out to get our Christmas tree. Our tradition, started the first year we lived here, is to get BBQ too. The first Christmas Joe and I spent together, we got really hungry before we picked out our tree and ate at a little BBQ place next to the tree lot. Then we didn’t have enough money for the tree and had to go to the bank and come back to buy the three. The exact same thing happened the next year too and our first family tradition was born.
Anyone who has had more than a 5 minute conversation with me in the last few weeks has heard about our bed dilemmas. Arlo can’t sleep because he is way too big for the bassinet; all he has to do is move a quarter of an inch and he wakes up… see exhibit A.
I can’t sleep because Arlo doesn’t sleep. No exhibit B, trust me, no one needs to see that…
And Zach… he barely fits into his crib anymore because of all the toys and friends he wants to sleep with and he just fights going to sleep.
Zach and old Moo, new Moo, turtle, bears, elephant, lamb, red blankie, baby truck blankie, real big truck blankie, T. Rex, and rudolph.
And those “friends” gave him the added height he needed to climb out of his crib for the first time this week.
So he spent a few nights sleeping on the floor while we waited for his “big boy bed” to arrive.
Arlo is in the crib now- and thankfully, sleeping at least a little better. Even though Zach was excited about his ‘big boy bed” he has been really upset that the baby is in his crib. Getting him to sleep in his new bed has been a little bit of a challenge… some early mornings and a few days with no naps. Here he is tonight in his “dinosaur bed” after waking up at 5am and not napping, he finally crashed around 7:30.
Can I tell you what a dreamy night would be for me? This is pathetic by the way… but if I could sleep past 6am AND get three or more consecutive hours of sleep during the night, ohhhhh, that would be the life.
