Friday, December 19, 2008
Snow Day
Craig & I unexpectedly got the day off work today because of the weather. So we all hung in and vegged. There's something so nice and relaxing when it's a surprise day-off. You don't feel obligated to do housework. We did get a few things done, but mostly relaxed.
We stepped out briefly last night for Will to see the snow... He hated it.
Will loved it and didn't want to get out!
Then in the evening (because the roads were really never that bad), Craig & I got a babysitter again and enjoyed a date night out, just the two of us. We had dinner, browsed a couple shops, and saw Four Christmases - very cute movie.
We stepped out briefly last night for Will to see the snow... He hated it.
Will's new play pen.
Can't you read the sign, dad?
Will loved it and didn't want to get out!
Then in the evening (because the roads were really never that bad), Craig & I got a babysitter again and enjoyed a date night out, just the two of us. We had dinner, browsed a couple shops, and saw Four Christmases - very cute movie.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
How I REALLY feel about having a daughter...
In a word: Intimidated.
This is not at all to say I'm not thrilled and excited, because I AM! But it seems so much more complicated and intense to raise a daughter than a son. Even before I had children, I always thought I would be a better mom to a boy. I'm not sure if that's because I first learned to be a "mother" with my two younger brothers, or because I've always felt I relate better to guys than girls (more male friends than female), or because it seems more fun to play with trucks and balls and building stuff than with dolls and tea sets and princess crowns. There is just less pressure and drama with boys.
The other day, while shopping for gift wrap at Walmart, I walked past a display of Hannah Montana stuff and had a moment of panic. Since having Will, I've envisioned my life as a mother filled with sports schedules and bikes/cars and BOY things. Now it's a little daunting to imagine pop queen obsessions and ear-piercing and prom dresses.
My biggest fear: the teenage years. It seems so much easier to teach a son to be respectful of women than to teach a daughter to respect herself. Boys fight and forget. Girls grudge-hold and gossip. And what about teenage body issues? Boys wanting muscles is way less scary than girls wanting to be skinny with a perfect image. And have you SEEN the clothes teenage girls are wearing these days??? The 14 year olds look like 24 year olds! So I guess I'm just banking on setting a good example and trying my darndest to instill self-confidence and good morals. Although I'm sure every parent says that...
What has amazed me about Will is how, without much encouragement, he's fallen so easily into typical gender-specific rolls. He is such a BOY! It will be very exciting to see what Sophia will do. Will she be a girly-girl? Or a bit of a "tomboy" because she's so close in age to her older brother? Seeing their personality differences will be interesting.
Also, watching the differences in Craig as a father to a girl will be interesting. I think he'll be a total push-over and will be wrapped around her finger. I wonder if he'll be super protective? And as for me, I look so forward to a unique relationship with each of my children. It is going to be an adventure and I feel very blessed to have both.
This is not at all to say I'm not thrilled and excited, because I AM! But it seems so much more complicated and intense to raise a daughter than a son. Even before I had children, I always thought I would be a better mom to a boy. I'm not sure if that's because I first learned to be a "mother" with my two younger brothers, or because I've always felt I relate better to guys than girls (more male friends than female), or because it seems more fun to play with trucks and balls and building stuff than with dolls and tea sets and princess crowns. There is just less pressure and drama with boys.
The other day, while shopping for gift wrap at Walmart, I walked past a display of Hannah Montana stuff and had a moment of panic. Since having Will, I've envisioned my life as a mother filled with sports schedules and bikes/cars and BOY things. Now it's a little daunting to imagine pop queen obsessions and ear-piercing and prom dresses.
My biggest fear: the teenage years. It seems so much easier to teach a son to be respectful of women than to teach a daughter to respect herself. Boys fight and forget. Girls grudge-hold and gossip. And what about teenage body issues? Boys wanting muscles is way less scary than girls wanting to be skinny with a perfect image. And have you SEEN the clothes teenage girls are wearing these days??? The 14 year olds look like 24 year olds! So I guess I'm just banking on setting a good example and trying my darndest to instill self-confidence and good morals. Although I'm sure every parent says that...
What has amazed me about Will is how, without much encouragement, he's fallen so easily into typical gender-specific rolls. He is such a BOY! It will be very exciting to see what Sophia will do. Will she be a girly-girl? Or a bit of a "tomboy" because she's so close in age to her older brother? Seeing their personality differences will be interesting.
Also, watching the differences in Craig as a father to a girl will be interesting. I think he'll be a total push-over and will be wrapped around her finger. I wonder if he'll be super protective? And as for me, I look so forward to a unique relationship with each of my children. It is going to be an adventure and I feel very blessed to have both.
Girl Clothes Shopping
The day we found out we were having a daughter, I swear Craig's first reaction was a bunch of dollar signs flashing before his eyes. He thinks it's going to cost us a fortune to dress a girl. I didn't rush out the day we found out to purchase a million pink, lacy dresses. (In fact, that's not really my taste anyway. Pink is overdone on baby girl clothes and neither Craig nor I are into lace... at all.) I remember what it was like with a newborn very well and so I'm no longer a complete rookie. This time, I definitely do not plan to go nuts. I want her to be well-dressed, but I want to be practical about what she's REALLY going to get the most wear out of (which, for Will, was basically onesies and bodysuits all summer long). And then from there just add a few cute "outfits" for special occasions.
I'm quite proud of myself for what I've purchased so far. First, I went through all of Will's newborn and 0-3 stuff to pull out all the sleepers, green/yellow bodysuits, onesies, socks, etc. and that gave me a good jumping off point. I'm preferably an internet shopper but I had some great coupons for in-store holiday shopping, so I looked through the websites and then headed out one evening last week and got some fantastic deals! I found summer clearance items at Old Navy and snagged probably 10-15 items for between $1-6 each! I chose some cotton pants and kimono "jackets" to wear over most bodysuits for cooler days and plenty of basics in the layette department. Then I made just a few splurgy purchases (only one adorable sundress) and called it a night. I feel good.
Here are some pictures of my purchases:
This is her coming home outfit. I just love the kimono tops for newborns so you don't have to pull it over their head.
A few of the layette/basics. It's hard to find anything but pink.
Some non-pink selections:
A few of my awesome deals from Old Navy, including some stuff for her to wear in late summer to the babysitters when I go back to work:
Now, I'm just waiting for her "skid pants" to arrive from Dittany Baby online. They're the same as "babylegs" if you've ever heard of them and they are a genius invention. Basically they're like lightweight legwarmers. They're one size and they fit newborns up to older children. They're great for around the house with a onesie or bodysuit because they keep the kid's legs warm but leave the bum free for easy diaper changes. And when they're older, they protect little knees that are learning to crawl and can be paired with a skirt or dress as leggings or tights! They even make them for boys and Will got a neutral pair for around the house when he was a baby. Here's Will at 10 months in his:
So now we just need to get Will's new room ready so we can shift closets and get Sophia's closet organized. We have a good ball rolling on basement/office organization so I'm feeling good about that progress. Since reaching 20 weeks, I feel like we hit the peak of the roller coaster hill and now we're rushing down at an accelerating pace to D-day. But it's exciting!
I'm quite proud of myself for what I've purchased so far. First, I went through all of Will's newborn and 0-3 stuff to pull out all the sleepers, green/yellow bodysuits, onesies, socks, etc. and that gave me a good jumping off point. I'm preferably an internet shopper but I had some great coupons for in-store holiday shopping, so I looked through the websites and then headed out one evening last week and got some fantastic deals! I found summer clearance items at Old Navy and snagged probably 10-15 items for between $1-6 each! I chose some cotton pants and kimono "jackets" to wear over most bodysuits for cooler days and plenty of basics in the layette department. Then I made just a few splurgy purchases (only one adorable sundress) and called it a night. I feel good.
Here are some pictures of my purchases:
This is her coming home outfit. I just love the kimono tops for newborns so you don't have to pull it over their head.
A few of the layette/basics. It's hard to find anything but pink.
Some non-pink selections:
A few of my awesome deals from Old Navy, including some stuff for her to wear in late summer to the babysitters when I go back to work:
Now, I'm just waiting for her "skid pants" to arrive from Dittany Baby online. They're the same as "babylegs" if you've ever heard of them and they are a genius invention. Basically they're like lightweight legwarmers. They're one size and they fit newborns up to older children. They're great for around the house with a onesie or bodysuit because they keep the kid's legs warm but leave the bum free for easy diaper changes. And when they're older, they protect little knees that are learning to crawl and can be paired with a skirt or dress as leggings or tights! They even make them for boys and Will got a neutral pair for around the house when he was a baby. Here's Will at 10 months in his:
So now we just need to get Will's new room ready so we can shift closets and get Sophia's closet organized. We have a good ball rolling on basement/office organization so I'm feeling good about that progress. Since reaching 20 weeks, I feel like we hit the peak of the roller coaster hill and now we're rushing down at an accelerating pace to D-day. But it's exciting!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Festive Weekend
Christmas is right around the corner!
First, here's a photo of Will getting ready to go to the Wasserman family reunion LAST week. He wasn't feeling well, but he sure looked cute.
This past weekend, we had a busy and festive weekend with lots of holiday activites. On Friday evening, we went to Will's daycare sitter's house for her annual party for the kids and families. She got the kids to shake jingle bells and "sing" songs in front of the tree. We had some snacks and each of the kids got a gift from Lisa. Will loves his new race car track! It was a cute evening and it was nice to visit with the other parents and see the kids interact. After all, Will does spend a large portion of his life there!
On Saturday, Craig finished putting up our tree. He made it look as nice as that tree is capable of... which is not saying much. Our tree is as old as Craig and it's on its last leg. I've been begging for a new one and, after finally putting it up himself, I think Craig agrees with me. We decided to put our holiday greeting cards on the tree this year instead of ornaments, considering the toddler who resides with us.
Also on Saturday, my parents took Will to see the Children's Wonderland at the county rec center, while Craig & I got some work done around the house. Here's some pictures from dad's camera. They said he was pretty entranced and he got to sit on Santa's lap for a professional picture.
Saturday night Craig and I paid a babysitter for the first time so we could go to dinner with our friends Jason & Angie. It was Lisa's daughter Alyssa and she's so good with Will. He already knows her and she's right down the street. So it was nice to not have to bug our families to babysit and nice that she came to our house so Will could go to sleep in his own bed.
On Sunday, we hosted our 5th annual Pajama Brunch with our friends. Everyone comes over in pj's and we eat a big brunch and have a gift exchange. This year I made omelet "muffins", blueberry french toast casserole, orange french toast casserole, and hash browns. And the girls brought cinnamon rolls, fruit and juice. It's so much fun and it's a great way to kick off the holiday season.
Will wasn't too interested in opening gifts but he did like the empty boxes.
And I have to show off one of my new gifts. My friend Mike is a very talented craftsman with woodworking. It's a hobby for him and, when we're lucky, we get to enjoy a beautiful piece of his work. He helped build our entertainment center, which we love. And the last few years, he's given us a special gift for Christmas. One year it was hand-carved wine bottle stoppers. Last year it was this recipe box with a maple leaf in-lay on the lid and dove-tail corners:
This year, I could barely contain my excitement when I carefully pulled out a bread box just like the one I've been admiring in Mike & Jill's kitchen for the last couple years. It is just exquisite. Ours is made with dark walnut and maple for the main part of it. And then he used two unique species of wood that I can barely pronounce, let alone spell, for the in-lay of the tree on the front. I can't even begin to think how you go about cutting that so perfectly - it's seamless! We are so lucky to have such talented friends. These are gifts you can't put a price tag on.
Here's more pictures of Will this weekend:
Playing with his race track from Lisa.
Making a car out of the diaper box.
Trying to fit his head inside a frisbee.
And a couple more words I forgot to add to his vocabulary list in the previous post:
1) "peas" - please (he also says something like "thank you" but I can't even think how to spell it out phonetically)
2) "Wee" - his response to "What is your name?" - he sounds like a little French boy and it's so cute, I don't even want to correct him. So my son's name is "Wee" for as long as he wants it to be.
First, here's a photo of Will getting ready to go to the Wasserman family reunion LAST week. He wasn't feeling well, but he sure looked cute.
This past weekend, we had a busy and festive weekend with lots of holiday activites. On Friday evening, we went to Will's daycare sitter's house for her annual party for the kids and families. She got the kids to shake jingle bells and "sing" songs in front of the tree. We had some snacks and each of the kids got a gift from Lisa. Will loves his new race car track! It was a cute evening and it was nice to visit with the other parents and see the kids interact. After all, Will does spend a large portion of his life there!
On Saturday, Craig finished putting up our tree. He made it look as nice as that tree is capable of... which is not saying much. Our tree is as old as Craig and it's on its last leg. I've been begging for a new one and, after finally putting it up himself, I think Craig agrees with me. We decided to put our holiday greeting cards on the tree this year instead of ornaments, considering the toddler who resides with us.
Also on Saturday, my parents took Will to see the Children's Wonderland at the county rec center, while Craig & I got some work done around the house. Here's some pictures from dad's camera. They said he was pretty entranced and he got to sit on Santa's lap for a professional picture.
Saturday night Craig and I paid a babysitter for the first time so we could go to dinner with our friends Jason & Angie. It was Lisa's daughter Alyssa and she's so good with Will. He already knows her and she's right down the street. So it was nice to not have to bug our families to babysit and nice that she came to our house so Will could go to sleep in his own bed.
On Sunday, we hosted our 5th annual Pajama Brunch with our friends. Everyone comes over in pj's and we eat a big brunch and have a gift exchange. This year I made omelet "muffins", blueberry french toast casserole, orange french toast casserole, and hash browns. And the girls brought cinnamon rolls, fruit and juice. It's so much fun and it's a great way to kick off the holiday season.
Will wasn't too interested in opening gifts but he did like the empty boxes.
And I have to show off one of my new gifts. My friend Mike is a very talented craftsman with woodworking. It's a hobby for him and, when we're lucky, we get to enjoy a beautiful piece of his work. He helped build our entertainment center, which we love. And the last few years, he's given us a special gift for Christmas. One year it was hand-carved wine bottle stoppers. Last year it was this recipe box with a maple leaf in-lay on the lid and dove-tail corners:
This year, I could barely contain my excitement when I carefully pulled out a bread box just like the one I've been admiring in Mike & Jill's kitchen for the last couple years. It is just exquisite. Ours is made with dark walnut and maple for the main part of it. And then he used two unique species of wood that I can barely pronounce, let alone spell, for the in-lay of the tree on the front. I can't even begin to think how you go about cutting that so perfectly - it's seamless! We are so lucky to have such talented friends. These are gifts you can't put a price tag on.
Here's more pictures of Will this weekend:
Playing with his race track from Lisa.
Making a car out of the diaper box.
Trying to fit his head inside a frisbee.
And a couple more words I forgot to add to his vocabulary list in the previous post:
1) "peas" - please (he also says something like "thank you" but I can't even think how to spell it out phonetically)
2) "Wee" - his response to "What is your name?" - he sounds like a little French boy and it's so cute, I don't even want to correct him. So my son's name is "Wee" for as long as he wants it to be.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Will is 18 months!
Will turned 18 months this past Monday. I can't believe our baby is year and a half already! He is blowing my mind with how much he knows and understands lately. His memory is amazing. He's learning lots of new words, though his pronunciation is sometimes questionable. And he loves to be challenged on words and objects he knows.
We have these touch-and-feel flashcards that are a big hit. One set with farm words and one set with "first" words. Will loves to spread them out on the floor (there's probably 15 in each set) and have you ask him to find a specific one, i.e. keys, goat, barn, apple, etc. It's so cute to watch him scan over the cards for a second and snatch up the correct one with such pride. He smiles up at me and I just love to praise his success. It's amazing to watch his little brain at work.
He also has a couple peek-a-boo animal books (zoo & farm) with seven animals in each. He can usually point to them all on request.
Here are a few of Will's favorite/ most frequent words:
"tata" - tractor
"ba" - ball
"cup"
"me" - milk
"key" - keys
"hot" - whenever he sees the oven on or hears the heat kick on... or sometimes when he washes his hand in warm water - LOL
"chee" - chilly - I always say that with an exaggerated shiver when it's cold out
"ca" - sounds like "ka" - car - he sounds like he has a New Jersey accent with that one
"te-bear" - teddy bear - he doesn't have one but it's one of his flash cards
"sa" - sock, he also calls his Uncle Zach "sa"
"soo" - shoe
"co" - coat
"ha" - hat
"oppa" - apple
"caca" - cracker
"fu-fall" - football
"ny-ny" - night night
"luh" - love, whenever we say love you
"Avy or V-vry" - his friend Avery at daycare
"papa" - both of his grandpas are papa
"dada" - dad
"mom" - I'm never "mama", just "mom"
"pippy" - piggy
"see" - sheep
"uh-oh" - whenever he drops something
"pee?" - when he sees one of us using the restroom
"puppy" - pumpkin
"ah, b, c, d, eeee!" - his alphabet letters when prompted - for some reason E is always high pitch
"E-I-E-I" - singing Old MacDonald, he never says the O, just E-I-E-I
He doesn't have names for all of his relatives, but he can point to each member of our immediate families on request (with the pictures on our fridge), so he knows who's who. And he understands a ton more words than that list, too. He obeys lots of commands like "look up at the ceiling" when we're rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, or "sit down on your bottom" when he tries to stand in the tub, or "look out the window!" when we hear someone pulling in the driveway. He can point to most of his body parts, say many animal sounds, and point to lots of other objects on request that he has yet to learn how to say.
As far as interests, he's such a BOY! He could care less about stuffed animals and such. He LOVES sports balls, cars, trucks, tractors, etc. And of course his books and blocks. Last weekend, he went with daddy over to see the new train set that Grandpa Riedeman put up for Christmas. "Choo-choo!" And recently he's learned to flex his arms and growl when Craig asks Will to see his muscles.
So needless to say, having a girl is going to be a whole new ballgame... ahem...tea party. But it'll be fun. I hope she likes sports...
I'm sorry to say, I don't have any new pictures this week (GASP!) but I will try to get some new ones up soon. We're going to our babysitter's annual Christmas party for the kids and families tonight. And sometime this weekend or next week, Will's going to see the Winter Wonderland.
We have these touch-and-feel flashcards that are a big hit. One set with farm words and one set with "first" words. Will loves to spread them out on the floor (there's probably 15 in each set) and have you ask him to find a specific one, i.e. keys, goat, barn, apple, etc. It's so cute to watch him scan over the cards for a second and snatch up the correct one with such pride. He smiles up at me and I just love to praise his success. It's amazing to watch his little brain at work.
He also has a couple peek-a-boo animal books (zoo & farm) with seven animals in each. He can usually point to them all on request.
Here are a few of Will's favorite/ most frequent words:
"tata" - tractor
"ba" - ball
"cup"
"me" - milk
"key" - keys
"hot" - whenever he sees the oven on or hears the heat kick on... or sometimes when he washes his hand in warm water - LOL
"chee" - chilly - I always say that with an exaggerated shiver when it's cold out
"ca" - sounds like "ka" - car - he sounds like he has a New Jersey accent with that one
"te-bear" - teddy bear - he doesn't have one but it's one of his flash cards
"sa" - sock, he also calls his Uncle Zach "sa"
"soo" - shoe
"co" - coat
"ha" - hat
"oppa" - apple
"caca" - cracker
"fu-fall" - football
"ny-ny" - night night
"luh" - love, whenever we say love you
"Avy or V-vry" - his friend Avery at daycare
"papa" - both of his grandpas are papa
"dada" - dad
"mom" - I'm never "mama", just "mom"
"pippy" - piggy
"see" - sheep
"uh-oh" - whenever he drops something
"pee?" - when he sees one of us using the restroom
"puppy" - pumpkin
"ah, b, c, d, eeee!" - his alphabet letters when prompted - for some reason E is always high pitch
"E-I-E-I" - singing Old MacDonald, he never says the O, just E-I-E-I
He doesn't have names for all of his relatives, but he can point to each member of our immediate families on request (with the pictures on our fridge), so he knows who's who. And he understands a ton more words than that list, too. He obeys lots of commands like "look up at the ceiling" when we're rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, or "sit down on your bottom" when he tries to stand in the tub, or "look out the window!" when we hear someone pulling in the driveway. He can point to most of his body parts, say many animal sounds, and point to lots of other objects on request that he has yet to learn how to say.
As far as interests, he's such a BOY! He could care less about stuffed animals and such. He LOVES sports balls, cars, trucks, tractors, etc. And of course his books and blocks. Last weekend, he went with daddy over to see the new train set that Grandpa Riedeman put up for Christmas. "Choo-choo!" And recently he's learned to flex his arms and growl when Craig asks Will to see his muscles.
So needless to say, having a girl is going to be a whole new ballgame... ahem...tea party. But it'll be fun. I hope she likes sports...
I'm sorry to say, I don't have any new pictures this week (GASP!) but I will try to get some new ones up soon. We're going to our babysitter's annual Christmas party for the kids and families tonight. And sometime this weekend or next week, Will's going to see the Winter Wonderland.
What's in a name?
Another announcement:
We have officially decided to name our daughter Sophia Grace!
I looked it up - it's Greek and it means wisdom. It was also the 2nd most popular name choice for girls in 2008. Oh well, it's an old name and not just trendy. It's a name that will grow with her. I can picture a baby Sophia, a teenage Sophia, and a little, old lady in a rocker named Sophia. I like that. We will probably call her both Sophia and Sophie for "short".
We chose it because Craig & I both really like it and most everyone we asked loved it. However, after telling my grandma our name choice, we also found out Sophia was the name of my great-great grandmother. If you recall, we named William after a family name - both Craig and I have a great grandfather named William - both are German. Actually Craig's grandfather was Wilhelm. Well, my Great-Grandpa William had a wife named Marie and Marie's mother was Sophia (French). So that's interesting and makes it all the more special.
We have officially decided to name our daughter Sophia Grace!
I looked it up - it's Greek and it means wisdom. It was also the 2nd most popular name choice for girls in 2008. Oh well, it's an old name and not just trendy. It's a name that will grow with her. I can picture a baby Sophia, a teenage Sophia, and a little, old lady in a rocker named Sophia. I like that. We will probably call her both Sophia and Sophie for "short".
We chose it because Craig & I both really like it and most everyone we asked loved it. However, after telling my grandma our name choice, we also found out Sophia was the name of my great-great grandmother. If you recall, we named William after a family name - both Craig and I have a great grandfather named William - both are German. Actually Craig's grandfather was Wilhelm. Well, my Great-Grandpa William had a wife named Marie and Marie's mother was Sophia (French). So that's interesting and makes it all the more special.
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