Just humor a sappy mom for a moment please....

I'm a very smell and sound oriented person.  Certain scents take me back to happy or sad times. Certain sounds or songs do the same.  This afternoon Charlie, Max and I sat down to watch a Baby Einstein dvd called World Animals that Max received for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. Charlie & I used to watch this daily when we lived in London.  Because it was a UK dvd we gave our Baby Einstein movies to friends before we moved and have never watched any together here in the US.  

Well.... I was immediately transported back to our London flat with the first sounds of this dvd. Max had very little interest in watching it, so Charlie sat on my lap, like the old days.   We snuggled and I was amazed at this huge almost 4 year old sitting on my lap.  It was quite the teary moment. 

If I could just bottle up those moments forever....

Don't pen me in....

This

has changed my life.

Not sure what took us so long to put up baby gates.  But we finally gated off the front room of our house.  We have some peace in our home that we haven't had in many weeks.  I can now give Charlie the space he needs from Max.   I can actually cook and do laundry without a baby on my hip.  And Max seems to like his alone time playing, 

safely away from his big brother's antics.

The change came none to soon as today Max took his first steps on his own.  Yea!!  

A little Irish, A LOT Ornery....

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Peek-a-boo to you!

Happy Birthday Sweet Max!

Paddington Bear

Reading books on Mama's lap

Playing with your hair while you drink your bottles

3 am cuddles with Mama

Pirate Booty

Hangin in the Ergo

Ear infections, antibiotics and tube surgery

Dada, Mama, uh oh...(sounds more like ho, ho...cute!)

Balls

Waving bye, bye and hello

My sweet second boy.  Wow, you stole my heart from the first moment, really from the first heartbeat.  Second time around a mom knows so much more...how much my heart will be taken, how hard each day and night will be...and how quickly each moment with a sweet baby flies by.   I truly have enjoyed most every 3am wake up call with you...let's keep them coming.  Happy Birthday Sweet Max! 

* I had this post set to 'post' at exactly 3:03am on 3/4/09- the exact time of Max's birth.  First time I realized perhaps there is some heart meaning to why Max always wakes up at 3am for a cuddle.  It was our first introduction time.  Smart lovable boy:)

Sometimes all it takes is.....

A few pieces of cute melamine from Target!!!

One of my very favorite designers Orla Kiely has a new line at Target.  When I saw these without even knowing they were Orla Kiely I  thought...' I HAVE to have those.'  I can count the times on one hand that I've thought that about something.  I generally don't HAVE to have things.  Good thing for Jeff one of the times was at Target with $3.00 plates!  Silly and superficial but they have made me very happy this week!!  

Sooo if you are shopping at Target and see these on clearance...because even $3.00 can add up...be sure to snag a couple for yourself or for your favorite Orla Kiely fan:)

And please ignore the stack of unwashed bottles in the background...I'm much too busy admiring my new plates to wash bottles today!

Charlie & Andrew

So the new thing amongst Charlie's friends is to have drop off play dates.  Pretty fun when you're the one dropping off your son for an hour or so...and pretty fun as well to get to know Charlie's little friends a bit better.  Andrew who is one of a set of twins...(Andrew & Owen...which is kind of like saying Anne of Green Gables.  You have to say both names all the time:) came over to play yesterday.  They had a great time!

A very busy day...

Jeff has been talking with Charlie lately about the idea of 'protecting' his little brother. Honestly in most settings Charlie himself is still Max's biggest danger and so we've been working on helping Charlie see that he needs to be responsible for Max and careful in his actions towards his little brother.   During one of these conversations, Jeff & Charlie were talking about all the things that Charlie was going to teach Max how to do when he got bigger....play soccer, ride his bike, sleep in a big bed, use the potty, eat pizza, on and on.  At the end of the very long list of activities Charlie put his finger on his chin, tilted his head like he always does when he's thinking hard and said...

'Wow, that's going to be a very busy day.'

Every Morning....

Shaving time, it's shaving time....

Some late night company....

Charlie gives Jeff and I the normal bedtime antics....my tummy hurts, my beds not cuddly, I forgot to tell you something...on and on right?!  Jeff's been away for the last 5 nights which seems like forever in Charlie's mind (AND MINE).    So last night when Charlie came out to say 'Where's Daddy?"  I quickly ushered him back to bed.  And then Charlie said "But HE NEEDS TO SLEEP BESIDE YOU!!!"  

I totally agree, little man, but Daddy's in Spain, no chance of that happening tonight...

When I went to bed later that night I found Charlie's friend Mr Teddy Bear waiting for me to snuggle with.  My heart truly got all warm and fuzzy and melted a bit at the idea of my little boy taking care of ME.  So sweet at the end of the day.

Sweet Max

I guess once you have kids the sweetest thing on Valentine's Day is THEM!   (and maybe one of these)  But really nothing is more sweet than the first Valentine's Day with a little boy.  Max had fun sharing Charlie's toy candy box.  They also had lots of fun surprises from Grammy & Grandpa, Mimi & Pop Pop.  The theme seemed to be musical cards which the boys loved!!

When you're feeling blue....

We have been a house of sick boys for several weeks now.  So in between answering to 'Mommy, Mommy, I need.....' or bouncing my 10 month old around the house....I decided to add some color to my life to brighten my day.

A little pink always helps:)  Charlie was happy to comply by picking out this cute place mat & plate at Target.  Along with our shiny red flower on the kitchen window...

And some pretty yellow from our lemon tree out the front door....

Add that to a few open windows on this pretty day....it all makes me just a little bit happy in the blueness of breathing treatments, canceled plans, crappy naps & wiping noses.

History made...

"Barack Obama...He's MY president too!!!"

from the mouth of  3 1/2 year old Charlie at play group this afternoon, talking with his friends Rebecca & Timothy.  Everything must be 'mine too'!!!  At least he got the point of the day...I think.

They're growin up California....

Charlie looks like the start of a beach bum...okay a very preppy beach bum, but still.  We are hoping for the best of many worlds for our sons.  The grounding of the midwest, adventure & simplicity of the European lifestyle and the fresh 'take on the world' spirit of California.

A bit of regression...

Here's our new strategy to give Charlie some play time away from Max.  We've been having Max play in his crib but he's more of a mover and shaker these days.  Charlie thought it sounded fun to take his turn playing in the crib! 

Have to say Max looks a little confused but pleased with the switch!

$.99 saves the day

I have always said that Charlie redeems himself at the end of the day.  He's an action packed little boy, always has been, never one to nap well but WOW was he amazing at going to bed and sleeping all night.  Sadly I have to say WAS....We've had quite a time of things the last few months.  Up every couple of hours, many excuses, many fears, sharing a room with baby brother compounds the issue.  We have tried many things....but I think my $.99 find at Ikea may be one of the surest answers.  Since we added this somewhat bright (in my opinion) string of star lights to Charlie & Max's room, they have both slept better.  Charlie has been more willing to go to bed, stay in bed and return to bed.  Can't say we're in the redemption stage again yet, but there is finally some hope in this very tired Mama's life.

It's so nice to know that hope (and more sleep) lies around the most unexpected corners.

Addendum.... Monday morning after writing the above post Sunday night....It must be the laws of blogging.  Once you blog about something that's a success, it doesn't work.  We had a crazy night of many ups and downs from both boys.  Sigh.  I guess I may need to spend more than $.99 to 'save the day.'

A Simple Christmas

This is what I really needed this year....a simple Christmas.  And there were so many moments which were just that.  I loved seeing Charlie enjoying the season, having fun with his Grammie Merkel making cookies, doing crafts, eating nothing but sugar...what's better in life?  I also loved my Mom's gift to me of a box of mementos my Grandpa had saved over my 36 years of life.   Notes I'd written, cards, a lock of my hair and also some of the things that were SO my Grandpa, his harmonica, toothpicks, chapstick.  It was the best present I could have been given. As this was Max's first Christmas I just tried to soak in the cuddles and kisses with him.  There is something about a first Christmas with a little boy.  So much to savor and appreciate this year....  

We named him Ernie....

So the 'Elf on the Shelf' joined our family over the weekend.  An adorable book and fun magical idea for Charlie.  Charlie has LOVED having Ernie around, loves finding his new spot each morning, and is very into following the one elf rule 'You are not aloud to touch the elf'.   It does highlight Santa probably more than we were ready for around here but its still such a sweet and fun idea.  Check it out for your dreaming little ones!!   

Be prosperous and multiply...

Can you believe that one year ago this month, Charlie was the only member of this group under 30??  Our community group from our church has been very prosperous this year and blessed with many babies.  There are even a couple little boys Max's age missing from the photo who were napping or home with Grandparents.

We have so enjoyed this local group of friends which makes the trek into San Fran for church every week even more worth it!!

C & M

My favorite part of our tree this year is the capital C and capital M.  I bought them at Restoration Hardware last year after the season sale...for @ $2.  I bought the C obviously for 'Charlie' and the M, just in case we named our new little boy 'Max'. SO FUN to have sweet Max here this year in our family.  Love the boy and love the name.

Charlie is showing me his favorite ornament on the tree.  Which is the shell angel from Jeff and my honeymoon in Maui 1996.  We love having all our travel ornaments on the tree, so fun to reminisce each year.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

What a wonderfully festive weekend we had.  Burlingame welcomed in the holidays with Christmas fun! 

Of to the Burlingame train station to see Santa and his helpers on the train....

Max and his buddy Matthew were the most adorable little Santas around.

And then the Christmas parade down our Avenue.  
Here comes the parade!!!!