Bach To Reality

I can't believe I'm typing this! I can't believe that Oliver is 6 months old.    How is this sweet little boy 6 months old?  And when did 6 months become "big"?  I know he's still a baby and compared to many of you that have adult child, I still have a little guy...but he's just. so. big!   So what is our big guy up to?  I don't even know where to begin.      Oliver had his 6 month appointment yesterday.  FINALLY - we were in the "Well Baby Room" at the doctor's office.  FINALLY - we were at the doctor's office and we weren't sick!   Oliver weighed in at 16 lb 2 oz - he's in the 18% for weight.   He's 26" long in the 15%.  But his head measures at 16.93" in the whopping 32%!  Oliver is not breaking any weight or height records...he's not tipping the scales.  But he's perfectly proportionate!  Growing perfectly well...with a slightly big noggin!    I am amaz...

So this is one of those blog posts that I'm really just writing for myself, so that in days and years from now, I can look back on this all and remember it.  Today, we received another call from daycare.  Today's call said Oliver's rash was now being classified as an "unidentifiable rash" that needed doctor's clearance for him to return to day care. Rash -- what?  Let me fill you in... A little over a week ago, I noticed that Oliver had a pretty bad "rash" on his chin and right below his chin on his little stumpy neck.  We assumed that it was because Oliver is just a really drooly kid.  I mean, crazy amounts of drool come out of this kid (I don't remember this with Eleanor...but that's probably because I don't have a great blog post like this to go back to!)  Between the cold and the drool, we figured his skin was chapped and chaffed.  We started putting lots of Vaseline and Aquaphor on him.  We started to make sure we were changi...

February.  Effin February.  It's like quick sand.  I go about life - always thinking.  Always remembering. But then February comes and it just puts me in this weird funk.  I can't believe it's been 4 years.  4 years today.  Is that even possible? It's so weird to think of my life 4 years ago.  That tremendous outpouring of love. From strangers. From friends. It was just awe-inspiring.  And Nicolas. The grace. The strength. The courage. It was just awe-inspiring. So the feelings I have on this February 22 are different then they were last year.  Different then the year before that. And the year before that.  And the year before that.  It hurts still.  Every day it hurts.  But now it's different.  It's more pensive.  Reflective.  Effin February.  I can't help but go back and read those old posts . Oh gosh.  Those old posts.  The raw emotion.  I can feel it...

Oh Valentine's Day...how I love to hate you! But before we talk about Valentine's 2015, can we just pause and reflect on Valentine's 2012?  How was that 3 years ago? This has to be one of my favorite Valentine's memories of all times!    I've never really liked Valentine's Day and when I fell in love and got married, I wasn't about to change my opinions of the holiday.  BUT - I do love a holiday - any holiday will do!  Any chance to decorate my house and my children... We started our celebration on Friday the 13th...I mean, nothing says love like Friday the 13th!  I dressed both kiddos in their valentinesy best!  And begged Eleanor for just one good picture. Well, Eleanor upheld her end of the deal...Oliver on the other hand...must have been having a rough morning!  But can we pause for a moment and discuss how old Eleanor looks?  How seriously grown up and beautiful she looks!  Is it seriously just because she's next...

About 2 weeks ago, Oliver started eating 6 oz for each feeding. Each feeding - plus 2 feedings at night. Oy - the bottles!  We couldn't keep up and we KNEW it was time to give the poor kid some food! Some where along the line, I had decided that I didn't want Oliver's first food to be Rice Cereal, as it had been with Eleanor.  Personally, I just don't see much difference between Rice Cereal and Formula. I also knew that I wanted to make all of Oliver's food, just as I had with Eleanor.  So, I circled a date on the calendar and designated it as making baby food day!  It also happened to be one of our greatest snow storms of the year.  Like a, "I can't push my cart through the snow in the parking lot" snow storm,  Kind of the perfect day for making food! For Oliver's first foods I made 3 sweet potatoes, many many many handfuls of green beans and 3 pears.  The next weekend was determined "F Day"...Feeding Day!  And we decid...

I have always said that for Eleanor's 5th birthday, I was going to take her to American Girl in Chicago.  It just so happened that Eleanor was off school on January 19 and I happened to have some extra vacation.  So I started planning the day...and of course Grandma had always planned on coming too...because what is a retired lady supposed to do?  Aunt Melissa was supposed to come to as Eleanor is her honorary daughter...but the Monday adventure didn't work with her schedule.   I tend to not tell Eleanor things ahead of time.  I love surprising her and this way, I don't need to hear "How many more days until XX??"  (Although, I did solve part of this problem, by buying her a calendar for Christmas!)  And actually, these plans almost really got spoiled when Oliver got sick...   Sunday night we told Eleanor that we were going to take the train to Chicago and go out to lunch.  The next morning our adventure began....    ...

I wrote this post last week on my phone - uploaded pictures from my phone - and posted from my phone.  I found out tonight...I never really posted.  ARGH!  Let's try again. This has been a terrible week. And when I started typing this it was Tuesday and the week wasn't even close to over yet...I had no idea what the rest of the week was going to be like!  Rewind to last Friday.  I picked O up from daycare and was informed he was really fussy and had rejected his afternoon bottle.  His temperature was 99 under the arm.   Eh- I wasn't really worried.  That night Andy had his fantasy football party and Eleanor went to open gym with a friend (woah - that felt weird to say!). Baby O and I were home alone.  He rejected his evening bottle and wouldn't fall asleep.  OK, clearly he was fighting something.  I gave him some Tylenol and hoped for the best.   Well - we didn't have such a great night! Saturday I was sup...