Oh boy...

I thought I'd let Noah play with the dry erase markers on his table while I got lunch ready.

MISTAKE!

I know, it seems like a rookie mistake...and I'm not really a rookie anymore am I? He is normally so good about obeying things like that...and I was just around the corner for a minute. Funny thing is that I didn't even catch him or discipline him for this. That's right, I saw that he didn't obey the "the markers have to stay on the table" rule when he started drawing on a kitchen cabinet. GASP...discipline, stern talking to...then I go around the corner and see the real mess he made. But we already had our discipline time...(he did have another stern talking to though). Yup, totally my fault. I'm a rookie.

A few of my favorite things...

Baby things that is. I thought about doing a post like this for Beth, but never got around to it...so now this is mostly for Donna, but also for any mom or expecting mom...

I have to start with the PeaPod. KidCo makes it and if you're going to get one, I highly recommend getting the PeaPod Plus. The added features and larger size are worth it (you'll be able to use it longer). This is fun for kids to play in and easy, safe and much more travel friendly to use as a pack n' play replacement. Noah naps and plays beautifully in it...I'm even planning on buying a second one for Chloe.

We use Munchkin Snack Catchers on a daily basis. They're easy for little ones to hold when they're just starting to eat finger foods and they keep the mess to a minimum. They do not prevent kids from grabbing handfuls of food and throwing it all over the place...but they're the best snack holder I've come across.
Cloth Diapers are the best burp rags you can find. They're absorbent, they come in large quantities, and they cover more surface area. Those little tiny burp rags out there...put one of those on your shoulder to burp your kid and I'd bet money that you get spit up all over yourself. Of course, when they're little you'll get spit up everywhere no matter what...but trust me...BUY SOME OF THESE. (Make sure you get the prefolded!)

These Bumkins Bibs are hands down the best bibs once babies are doing real food. They're big, so they cover more surface area, the velcro works (unlike many bibs after a few washes), they can be hosed down and dry quickly for frequent uses, they can be thrown in the washing machine, they're waterproof - so a wet bib does not mean a wet baby...and they have lots of cute styles. Oh, and they have different sizes to accommodate different stages. They're so easy to clean that you'll need fewer bibs and it will be worth the money. These have become one of my beloved baby items (thanks Leah for the introduction!)
I absolutely LOVE my Ergo Baby Carrier. It is a little pricer than some carriers you can find, but again, it is worth it (if you plan on using a carrier a lot that is). When I was recovering form my surgery after having Noah, my incision was still hurting when I picked him up in his carseat but it did not hurt to carry him in the Ergo (impressive!) It's comfortable, easy to use (even comes with an instructional DVD), can be adjusted to carry on front or back and is also more comfortable for your baby. This carrier supports the baby's entire bottom rather than just supporting the crotch area (is anybody comfortable in that kind of harness?!). Make sure you read the instructions well, newborns up to 4 months need to be placed in the carrier a different way.

This is a necessity for nursing mothers that want to leave the house. Both Udder Covers and Hooter Hiders make covers that enable you to see your baby while she nurses but gives you plenty of privacy as well. They're lightweight so baby won't get too hot, machine washable, and you have lots of cute patterns to choose from (unless you find one on clearance somewhere like me...then you have to decide whether it's worth the extra 50% or so to have the exact pattern you want...of course I went the money saving route;).

There are plenty more things out there that I love and use often, but these were the first few things I thought of when I decided to do this post. With the exception of the cloth diapers, each of these things I discovered after I had already been using some inferior item and I wish someone had just made me buy all this stuff when I first had Noah.

Antics

Okay, so I've been thinking lately about how easy it is to forget all the little things that are such sweet blessings when they're first witnessed, so I'm documenting them. This is pretty much all about Noah since Chloe doesnt' do a whole lot more than sleep, eat and poop yet. She does coo and loves to watch her brother. She loved the vacuum the other day too (yes, I actually vacuumed when I was at home with the kids and Matt was gone). The fact that Noah LOVES the vacuum helps. He actually gets upset with me when I turn it off. Hmm, anything else about Chloe?? Oh, she is being very un-Noah-like when it comes to the bottle. Remember this? Yes, well, Noah took the the bottle quickly and easily (you don't get to be a 30 lb 18 month old by snubbing your nose at any kind of food). Chloe hasn't taken to it at all. She chews on the bottle nipple, and then gets mad. She gets more mad as time goes on. She knows there's milk in there...it dribbles into her mouth as she chews, but she will not suck on the bottle. Granted, tonight was only the second time we tried. I mean, Matt, Matt tried, and he said she was pissed...and poor Matt. It's so hard to hear your kid unhappy like that when you can't do anything to stop it (cause your wife leaves to go run errands while you try fruitlessly to give your scraming 6 week old a bottle). He tried both of the types of bottles we have, so if both those fail again tomorrow, I'll be buying some new bottles. I suspect that she's just frustrated cause she can't figure out how to suck on a bottle (hasn't figured out her paci either, but I've rarely tried to give it to her cause she's so content without it).

Wow, for a post that's not about Chloe...

Okay, so Noah is incredibly fun right now. This morning I took the kids to Target to pick up a Rx. We got it, then I said something like, "let's go shopping...hmm, what do we need to look for? Clothes for Riley...presents for Anya and Atti..." Noah's response was:
"Ewnie?! Ewnie, ere ah eww?" (Ernie?! Ernie where are you?)
Except he was calling out for Ernie as if he was playing hide and seek with him in Target. So funny. Glad it was early and not many people around...although who wouldn't have thought that was cute?

Noah also likes to make sure we know what's going on with Chloe at all times. When I get him up from his nap, as soon as he hears Chloe downstairs he shouts "Phwhowee!" He tells us when she's crying (when she makes those 'hey here I am, don't forget about me' noises that most parents would not call crying), when she's happy, and when she's sleeping. Actually, he likes to get really close to her face and tell her (loudly...cause he does most everything loudly these days) that she's sleeping...which sometimes wakes her up. But it's still cute.

Tantrums...I've experienced two full blown tantrums so far. He was playing with play doh on his new table after lunch one day (about 20 minutes before naptime). He had some in his hand and I picked up a piece that he was not playing wht to show him how you can pick up the small pieces of play doh with a bigger piece, "Noah, look what you can do with this play d...."
"NO, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" All the sudden the kid was screaming at the top of his lungs and crying hysterically. Throw in a couple of foot stomps and I took the kid straight up to his crib for nap time. Except I couldn't carry him yet (pesky surgery), so I had to get a tantrum throwing kid to climb up the stairs for naptime. Sigh. Hasn't had a tantrum since. Have to go, Chloe just decided to wake up...this post is getting way too long for anyone to want to read anyway;)

More Chloe...

I know, she's gorgeous. Sorry I've been holding out on you all, things have been a little busy around here. Here are some pictures from the first couple of weeks at home.

Yes that's a smile. She loves to smile (especially for Daddy), but usually stops when the camera light comes on.

She sticks her tongue out A LOT...so cute!

She spends most of her time sleeping...

...but she's really alert when she's awake.

Busier than I thought...

...I guess since I've never been that great at blogging regularly, no one is too shocked when a couple of weeks go by without any updates. I know, I know...you all want more pictures. It's just been easier to throw pictures up on FaceBook lately. I'll get to it, promise. I have been recovering fairly well. I probably didn't rest quite as much as I should have in the beginning, but I did better than I did the last time. Matt said that I did a lot less this time (since I didn't do laundry, dishes, etc). Of course I did get down on the floor to play with Noah a couple of times a day. I really wanted the transition to be as smooth for him as possible, so I was thankful that Chloe slept practically all the time the first few days. So I'm not fully recovered by any means, but I've pretty much resumed most of my normal activities (as far as chores go at least).
Today was my second full day alone with both kids while Matt worked. I was a little nervous, but we're all fine, so what more can I ask for? Chloe has decided that she wants to be awake when Noah naps, so that means no nap for me, but that's okay. It means that she sleeps more when Noah is up and playing so I can focus on him a good amount. While Noah is doing really well with Chloe, I have had to resort to a couple of interesting tactics to keep him form hurting her. Once I'm healed I think I'll keep Chloe in the Ergo (baby carrier) a lot...but I can't wear that yet...SO I have done the following:

...put Chloe in a laundry basket (empty) and brought her into the bathroom with me when I had to go.
...made Noah come to the bathroom with me every other time I've had to go (DUH, that's definitely easier than getting out the laundry basket).
...strategically placed Noah in front of the TV (on) while going to wash my hands.
...made Noah follow me into the kitchen to watch me wash my hands numerous times.

Seems crazy right? Well as great as Noah is with Chloe, he's not even 21 months yet. One time today when I finished washing my hands I came into the living room to find Chloe in the bouncy seat where I left her. Noah was standing next to her (I said "Noah, do not touch Chloe, NO touching" every 3 seconds while I was out of the room for the 45 seconds that I was gone) and on top of her blanket lay Noah's toy giraffe and his flashlight. So Noah may not have touched her, but he apparently thought she wanted some toys. Such a sweet, sweet boy I have. So aside from the "no touching her face" and "no hitting," choruses, I have now added "Noah, Chloe is too little to play with your toys" into the mix. It really is sweet how he tries to play with her. And hold her.

Okay, so lets see some pictures (and no, they aren't edited, I apologize for the redeye and anything else I should have fixed).

Noah's first time painting! He was pretty fascinated by the concept. Thank you Grammie for the fun (and NON-messy) paint books!

This kid was in desperate need of a haircut. It's need done now, but this is his shaggy look. Still cute though right?

The BIG SNOW! And yes, that is my hubby in shorts and a t-shirt. And yes, he is crazy.

I sent Noah outside with mittens on, According to Matt, "they were driving Noah crazy cause he couldn't play in them...and his hands aren't getting in the snow anyway." The evidence tells a different story.

Cold hands or not, the kid is his father's son. He had a blast and loves the snow as long as he doesnt' have to stand in a foot of it. I think we ended up with over 20 inches by the way. Insane!

Must sleep now. More later.

So how's Noah adjusting to his new sister???

This is one of the most common questions we've been getting. I thought a video would help to explain how Noah feels about his new little sister.

As you can see he likes to get in Chloe's face a lot. And talk...sometimes very loudly...and he likes to touch her face (we're working on that). But overall Noah loves his little sister.

Chloe Elizabeth

December 10, 1:13 pm

9lbs, 3.2oz.

Sweetest little girl in the world.





More to come soon...