The longest trip in the universe

Jeremy unexpectedly had some time off last week so we flew to San Francisco to visit family and friends. The last time we made the LONG flight Owen was only 3 months old and amazed us with his flexibility. This trip was much, much different.

We introduced some headphones before we left so that Owen could listen to his music on the plane. He LOVES the new headphones and they are a perfect fit for his tiny head (adorable too!) He actually did very well on the flight out there, but the three of us waking at 4am to start the day set us off on a bad foot for a 3hr time difference. Owen ended up nursing to sleep on the flight and slept on me for over 2hours of the second leg, which was great!

Owen didn't adjust well to the time difference and woke before 5am the first day and screamed for over two hours. He did pretty well with naps but since we slept in the same room as he did during the trip, he was very aware that I was there and crying out and asking to nurse most of the night only to wake again each morning between 5-6am.  The three of us didn't get a full night of sleep the entire time we were away, which proved to be really exhausting. But we got to see so many good friends and spend quality time with family so that is what really matters. We didn't get many pictures of our trip since we were running around very busy trying to visit everyone, but we did get a few special ones.

Owen was able to meet his Great Grandma Florence for the second time! She is 94 and in assisted living but still so happy to be with us. Our shy boy was such a charmer with his Great Grandma. He gave her hugs and high five and LOTS of smiles. The tears in her eyes said it all. She also demanded that Jeremy and I get working on more babies... dually noted Grandma.

Bernice and her son Paul came over to Aunt Mimi's for dinner one night and it is always a pleasure to see her. She was Jeremy's mother's life-long best friend and loves our boy so much (even if he was a cranky version of himself this trip...)

And quite possibly the highlight of O's trip was getting to visit with his cousins Ben and Shayna. Each morning he woke up bright and early (oh god, 5am) with calls of "More Ben!, More Shayna!"

We're back and adjusting from our little trip, we learned that infants are MUCH more flexible than toddlers but traveling across country with a toddler IS POSSIBLE. You just might be a little bit tired when you get back :)

Happy New Year!

We spent New Year's in Washington, DC visiting our friends Kelly and Andy. Andy recently returned home after a long deployment and it was so nice for our two little families to just chill together for four days. The men had some 'boys bonding time' over beer and wings and Kelly and I had a little girls afternoon out! We mostly laid around and chatted while the kids played together but we ventured into the city for an afternoon and played at the National Building Museum (they live within walking distance to the Pentagon!)

All of the boys were pretty tuckered out by the time we even got there, but there was lots of fun to be had.

 unsuspecting boy....

best topple over ever!

Pee-Pee, Pa-yee

Tonight Owen went pee-pee on the potty for the FIRST TIME EVER!!!

We've been reading books about the potty and we have a little potty in the bathroom that he likes to try before bath time. He likes to sit on it throughout the day but has never relaxed enough to actually pee.

Tonight as I was running his bath, he walked right over to the potty, sat down, and pee'ed!

I was so excited I nearly cried! Jeremy and I made a HUGE deal out of what big boy he was and I handed him his much-anticipated "treat".... a single M&M

He was so excited about his "potty treat" he turned right around and dropped it into the potty!

I laughed so hard I nearly wet my own pants! And then I explained to him that the "potty treat" is for him to eat, not to put in the potty and he immediately turned around to fish it back out of the toilet! NOOOOO! 

I gave him a new one and he was very happy with it! (he immediately asked for another and tried to sit down and pee again...he's only had candy one other time at trick-or-treat and I don't think he remembered just how much he likes it!)

I showed him how we dump our pee pee in the big potty and flush it.

Such a big night for our boy!! (and such a GREAT story for his first time on the potty)

Homemade Play Dough

Owen's Doda Kelly sent him homemade play dough in his Chanukah care package. He had a blast playing with it and only tried to taste it once ;)

"Smile big and show me your teeth!"

Goodbye, Chanukah

This was the best Chanukah Jeremy and I have ever celebrated. 

To see Owen delight in the light of the season was present enough for us both. 

You know you live in a Jewish community when...

There are about twenty of these atop cars all over your neighborhood :)

Tonight we laid low, heated up some latkes and enjoyed the evening together :)

Sixth Day of Chanukah

This morning we woke up and headed to the JCC for Mitzvah Day. On Christmas it is customary for Jews to volunteer and do good deeds for others. One of the most popular things to do is to serve Christmas dinner at shelters, but since Owen was still too small for that the three of us opted to decorate cards for Meals-on-Wheels recipients. It was a really nice morning and they had activities to keep little ones occupied.

We enjoyed some Thai take-out for dinner - since most of the restaurants on our block are open Christmas :)

Here is a compilation of all the gifts Owen opened this week. We gave him most in the mornings when he was awake and excited. He got easily overwhelmed so we tried to limit it to a few per day. He was so blessed this Chanukah... just see for yourself!

On the 5th Night of Chanukah

Jeremy stayed up late Friday night putting together Owen's new play kitchen and when he was done I set it up with lots of his new pots, pans and food.  It was also Owen's 22-month birthday so we figured this was a perfect day to give him his present from us.

He isn't the run-in-and-freak-out-over-toys kind of kid, so the video is slow going but he really loves the kitchen and it is so cute to watch him, "help me cook it" as he says (he repeats what I say, rather than saying help YOU cook it)



That night was also Christmas eve, so in Jewish tradition, we went out for Chinese food. After dinner the three of us walked to the JCC for a really fun Jewish rock concert. Owen was such a trooper and loves live music, so it was really fun (plus they had cookies!)

We came home, lit the candles and headed to bed.

Happy New Year!

My 2012 Bucket List

1. Go to a BINGO night
2. Grow my hair out
3. Dance with my husband
4. Do more Pilates
5. Make a budget and do more with less
   
6. Listen. Really listen.
7. Get messy with my toddler
8. Clean out the spare room
9. Read 3 books for pleasure
10. Pray
11. Eat something I’ve never tried before
12. Start/Finish my son’s baby book
13. Close my laptop and be present
14. Take more pictures of my son and I together
15. Bake an apple pie
16. Leave my toddler in loving care to spend an overnight with my husband
17. Hand write a note when I am thinking of someone
18. Wear something sparkly
19. Keep up with housework
20. Learn to apply a smokey eye complete with winged eyeliner
21. Pay it forward
22. Learn to sew
23. Meet an internet friend in real life
24. Eat more kale
25. Let my toddler lead

Read more about my resolutions here at Kveller.com