Wow, I used to be a lot better about updating the blog! The time just literally escapes me these days. The theme in our house right now is exhaustion!! Paul and I are getting used to our new schedule -- me up at 5am, him up at 6am, kids up at 6:30am if we're lucky (usually earlier), and both of us working full-time. I have to try so hard to stay awake when I am laying in bed with the boys around 7:30pm getting them to sleep. I am progressively getting better at getting to bed sooner. I aim for 9:30 but it usually ends up being 10 or 10:30. No matter what time I go to sleep, 5am always comes too early!
The boys are doing sooooooo well at their new day care. We thought Jake might have a hard time this morning since it was Monday but he did better today than he did last Friday! He didn't even have to take a nummy with him to school today and no tears when Daddy left. When I go to pick him up from school, I always try to peek in the room to watch him play before he sees me. He looks so happy. Usually he is playing with Kennedy, one of his new little friends. Josh is quite the ladies man as he makes eyes with all the girls in his nursery. A 7 month old baby joined the group today and I was told that he was very fascinated with what he was up to all day. I swear a switch has turned on in Josh and he is so "alive" with excitement and personality. He is grabbing at anything he can get his hands on and is really starting to "play". He is a nonstop chatterbox and his smiles and laughs are enough to just make your melt. Truly a joy. THE best moment of my whole day is walking into Josh's nursery and seeing his face light up when he recognizes me, followed by Jake running into my arms yelling "mama, mama" when he sees me. I don't think it gets any better than that.
Other news? My job is going well. It's very busy and a lot going on but so far it has deemed itself less stressful than my other job because there is a bigger team working on the project. I start training (giving, not receiving) this week so I am hoping that goes smoothly. Paul is still working on getting his real estate license. Now that he has Tuesdays to himself, he is hoping to have his license by the end of September. Then the transition to the new job will be a whole other story!
Jake is talking up a storm! He is starting to say so many words now without being prompted. I'd say his vocabulary is up to about 75 words or so now. Still just saying single words but it's so thrilling to see him start to really communicate with words. He still works with his speech therapist twice a month, probably until he is about three years old.
Josh is finally taking bottles now, yay! He is up to about 5-6 oz. bottles and usually has 4 of them while he is at day care. Not too shabby! Now he is going to pork up :-)
Will post some new pics of the boys soon!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Family Time
Jake's first "homework" assignment from preschool was to bring in a family photo for tomorrow. We took this candid one tonight. (Not a lot of pictures with ALL FOUR of us in it!) Note that Jake does, of course, have a cord in his hand.
The first day went well. I started to get a little weepy as we walked in but I held it together. Jake's teacher, Ms. Brandi, told me that he had a bit of a two year old meltdown for a couple minutes after Paul and I left but then he was fine all day and had a great time playing with the kids. He even took a nap! Joshy was happy and content as can be except for when taking his first bottle which he threw a fit about.... then he downed his other three bottles like it was his job. Increasing the volume tomorrow to see if he will actually take full bottles now!
The first day went well. I started to get a little weepy as we walked in but I held it together. Jake's teacher, Ms. Brandi, told me that he had a bit of a two year old meltdown for a couple minutes after Paul and I left but then he was fine all day and had a great time playing with the kids. He even took a nap! Joshy was happy and content as can be except for when taking his first bottle which he threw a fit about.... then he downed his other three bottles like it was his job. Increasing the volume tomorrow to see if he will actually take full bottles now!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Josh Man
Couple new pics of Joshy at 3 1/2 months. His more recent developments include grabbing at toys and any other object in front of him including my face, my hair, and Jake. He is also very intent on studying people's faces and his cooing conversations have become quite the event. I thought Jake was an easy and happy baby... I think Josh has turned out to be even easier and happier. (But maybe that is just because the 2nd one is a little easier when you have kind of learned the ropes a little!) He continues to do well with his sleeping. It still ranges from 4 to 6 hour stretches at night but he's done that totally on his own. I really haven't done anything in terms of "sleep training". He doesn't mind sleeping in his crib either but most of the time I have still been keeping him in the bassinet so he is close to me :-)
Our big battle with Josh (and only battle really) is the bottle. It has been THREE weeks and he is still being stubborn about it. Granted he is getting better and has had a couple successful 3 oz. feedings from a bottle but he's never happy about it. Usually he waits until about 4 in the afternoon and then just eats out of desperation. He's happy as a clam as soon as I come back around and feed him... A look in to what is to come with a stubborn personality?!?
Has the same big blue eyes as Jake and Daddy.
I love bath time! :-)
Our big battle with Josh (and only battle really) is the bottle. It has been THREE weeks and he is still being stubborn about it. Granted he is getting better and has had a couple successful 3 oz. feedings from a bottle but he's never happy about it. Usually he waits until about 4 in the afternoon and then just eats out of desperation. He's happy as a clam as soon as I come back around and feed him... A look in to what is to come with a stubborn personality?!?
Love my playmat and grabbing at all the fun toys!
Has the same big blue eyes as Jake and Daddy.
I love bath time! :-)Sunday, August 16, 2009
Big Day
It has come so quickly... time to go back to work. I definitely feel like I have had a fun-filled summer and am glad that I was able to do so many fun things with the boys and as a family. I have been excited to go back to work and really get back in to a routine and the challenge of new projects. However, I wouldn't be doing myself any justice if I didn't admit that I am a little sad tonight that my free time (for myself and the boys) is now going to be limited to evenings and weekends. It'll be a little tougher to get things done now that I am going to be in the office Mon-Fri but I am sure we'll all adjust like we always do. And let's face it, I am going to miss my brand new little man and my big man so much! I got used to being with both of them almost all of the time and I am sure I will feel like I am not spending as much time with them as I should be or want to be.
But not only am I going back to work after almost 8 months at home (4 1/2 on bed rest and 3 1/2 on maternity leave), I am starting a brand new, exciting, and very challenging job at Booz Allen. I feel at a bit of a disadvantage with a double whammy against me. However, I still feel in my gut that this was the right decision and I know I will love it, but the idea of starting off brand spanking new somewhere is just a tad bit daunting. Half of my day tomorrow is orientation at their Herndon/Dulles campus and then I am off to visit my new office in McLean/Tysons. At least I will have the familiarity of my new manager, with whom I used to work at Anteon and General Dynamics.
I can't help but hope that I will be able to do a good job at juggling a new full-time job and my two sweet little boys (well and the husband and bills and house and all that fun stuff too!). When all is said and done, I know we'll all be happy and figure out how to make it work and get things done but I think the tiniest little bit of apprehension will be with me as I start down this new road. Wish me luck and I'll be sure to post updates about the adjustment period and our exciting week next week when Jake starts preschool and Josh starts at his new day care!
But not only am I going back to work after almost 8 months at home (4 1/2 on bed rest and 3 1/2 on maternity leave), I am starting a brand new, exciting, and very challenging job at Booz Allen. I feel at a bit of a disadvantage with a double whammy against me. However, I still feel in my gut that this was the right decision and I know I will love it, but the idea of starting off brand spanking new somewhere is just a tad bit daunting. Half of my day tomorrow is orientation at their Herndon/Dulles campus and then I am off to visit my new office in McLean/Tysons. At least I will have the familiarity of my new manager, with whom I used to work at Anteon and General Dynamics.
I can't help but hope that I will be able to do a good job at juggling a new full-time job and my two sweet little boys (well and the husband and bills and house and all that fun stuff too!). When all is said and done, I know we'll all be happy and figure out how to make it work and get things done but I think the tiniest little bit of apprehension will be with me as I start down this new road. Wish me luck and I'll be sure to post updates about the adjustment period and our exciting week next week when Jake starts preschool and Josh starts at his new day care!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Jacob's 2nd Birthday!
I am still in disbelief that little Jake man is now TWO! We celebrated his birthday this year with a jungle safari animal theme. The party was supposed to be outside but threatening weather forced us to do it inside at our house instead. Thanks to everyone who came out to help us celebrate the little guy's second birthday! We had a great time.
Now that he is two, I will share some of his latest highlights:
-He can drink from an open cup (and much prefers to drink this way)
-He eats just about everything now and has become very proficient at using a fork and spoon
-Pee pee on the potty has become a reality! We have a long way to go but we've started the process
-He prefers showers to baths
-He says about 40 words and learns new ones every day. His expressive language is still almost entirely imitation but he has started to use more common words on a regular basis. He does refer to me as "mama" and to Paul as "daddy" daily. He responds correctly to many different questions using 'yes' and 'no'.
-He starts preschool on the 24th!
-He loves Dora the Explorer, Diego, and Yo Gabba Gabba
-Listening to music and dancing is still one of his favorite activities
-His attention span has improves drastically in the last 6-9 months
-He wears size 7 shoe and choses to RUN just about everywhere
-He is still as happy, goofy, silly, and mischevious as ever!
Below is a video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to Jake!
Now that he is two, I will share some of his latest highlights:
-He can drink from an open cup (and much prefers to drink this way)
-He eats just about everything now and has become very proficient at using a fork and spoon
-Pee pee on the potty has become a reality! We have a long way to go but we've started the process
-He prefers showers to baths
-He says about 40 words and learns new ones every day. His expressive language is still almost entirely imitation but he has started to use more common words on a regular basis. He does refer to me as "mama" and to Paul as "daddy" daily. He responds correctly to many different questions using 'yes' and 'no'.
-He starts preschool on the 24th!
-He loves Dora the Explorer, Diego, and Yo Gabba Gabba
-Listening to music and dancing is still one of his favorite activities
-His attention span has improves drastically in the last 6-9 months
-He wears size 7 shoe and choses to RUN just about everywhere
-He is still as happy, goofy, silly, and mischevious as ever!
Below is a video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to Jake!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
OCNJ!
Our trip to Ocean City, NJ last week was a blast!
The highlights:
--Sun, sand, fresh ocean air, and a nice suntan
--Josh's first time in the Atlantic Ocean & finding out that Jake LOVES the ocean and the sand
--Jake's first rollercoaster ride on the boardwalk & taking the boys to the boardwalk for the first time for rides and ice cream
--Paul and my date night to see The Hangover at the movie theater on the boardwalk
--Jake playing on the playground in Ocean City and making friends with all of the other kids there
--Kathy's yummy seafood dinner (shrimp, scallops, and crab legs!)
--Doing a family portrait/ photo session under the pier
--Fun family time together
The "bad" stuff:
--Touareg is NOT big enough to tote everything we need for a trip like that (reaffirmed our need for a bigger car)
--Coating the boys with sunscreen every day, them getting covered in sand, and then having to bathe every afternoon
--A seagull pooped on me at the boardwalk
--Jake cutting the corner of his eye on the playground on the way home
--Having to come home!
Enjoy slideshow below of pictures from our trip!
The highlights:
--Sun, sand, fresh ocean air, and a nice suntan
--Josh's first time in the Atlantic Ocean & finding out that Jake LOVES the ocean and the sand
--Jake's first rollercoaster ride on the boardwalk & taking the boys to the boardwalk for the first time for rides and ice cream
--Paul and my date night to see The Hangover at the movie theater on the boardwalk
--Jake playing on the playground in Ocean City and making friends with all of the other kids there
--Kathy's yummy seafood dinner (shrimp, scallops, and crab legs!)
--Doing a family portrait/ photo session under the pier
--Fun family time together
The "bad" stuff:
--Touareg is NOT big enough to tote everything we need for a trip like that (reaffirmed our need for a bigger car)
--Coating the boys with sunscreen every day, them getting covered in sand, and then having to bathe every afternoon
--A seagull pooped on me at the boardwalk
--Jake cutting the corner of his eye on the playground on the way home
--Having to come home!
Enjoy slideshow below of pictures from our trip!
Tired Tired Jakey
As we all know, Jake is still working on getting in to a more normal sleep schedule since he has transitioned to his toddler bed. That means that he takes nap at random times and is sometimes more tired that usual during the day. This past Saturday, we were hanging out at home and Jake fell asleep in our bed from about 11:30am -- 1:30pm. At around 1:30 I heard him at the top of the stairs and encouraged him to come down and eat lunch. I was feeding Josh and Jake stayed at the top of the steps so I just let him be for about 10 minutes while I finished nursing Josh. When I checked on him at the top of the stairs, he had fallen dead asleep right in his tracks!! Oh how I laughed.... and caught some great candid shots!!
Big Changes
Been a little while since I have updated and have lots to share! But in terms of big changes, the biggest is that I have decided to switch jobs. It has been an agonizing decision and definitely one of the hardest that I have ever had to make but at the end of the day, I am excited about the new opportunity and feel like it was the right choice.
I am leaving my job at General Dynamics to join the Booz Allen Hamilton team at their headquarters in McLean, VA. My first project will be to lead their firm-wide implementation of Microsoft CRM and develop a metrics reporting and analysis procedure to track the health and vitality of the firm. After that, I will have a wide range of project and task management opportunities. Ultimately, this was the professional direction that I wanted to go in and Booz is an outstanding company to work for; they are very much in support of flexible schedules, work arrangements, and telecommuting. My decision boiled down to the fact that I didn't want to look back on this a year or two from now and regret not exploring the opportunity. Leaving General Dynamics has been very hard and sad. I have had an extremely supportive and accomodating manager for the last three years and I have made a lot of friends in the last 7 years of working there. Tomorrow is my last day and I am starting with Booz on the 17th.
In conjunction with my new job, Paul and I seriously discussed our day care situation and options. We LOVE LOVE LOVE where the boys go to day care now in a part-time in-home day care environment. Jake has been going there since he was 9 months old and Josh just started there today. However, we had to really think about what made the most sense to us to alleviate any and all stress in our daily routines. The commute to my new job will be a little longer (only about 7 miles further but traffic in that area can get pretty nasty) and I didn't want to have to stress about leaving at 3:30pm or stress sitting in traffic worrying about making it to day care by 5pm to pick them up on time. Also, starting a new job and being involved in a very time-sensitive project made me question working from home for a half day on Mondays. While Booz was willing to accomodate my work arrangements, I felt that it would be more ideal for me to do 8 hours Mon-Fri and not stress about only being able to get a couple hours in on Mondays and do the rest of the work Tues-Fri and didn't want to be caught scrambling for day care on Mondays if an important meeting were to come up. So the bottom line was that it made more sense for us to switch the boys to full-time day care so we at least had 6:30am - 6:30pm Mon-Fri coverage if we need the care. Of course that still gives us the option to not take them and gives me the option to work from home if I want to or if one of the boys is sick. Of course I can't help but feel guilty about taking them to full-time day care (NOT an easy choice for a mom) but I know it is only temporary and I think both boys will thrive there. Jake is at the age where he can start a preschool program and I think that will be very beneficial to him. He will also interact with a lot more kids who are his age which I think will help stimulate his speech and get him going with potty training :-) We decided on the Minnieland Private Day School and their new center which opens on August 24th right up the street from us in Haymarket. We checked out quite a few centers in the area and were really pleased with the way that this day care/ school is run, its cleanliness, their structure and activities, and their playground (I add that in there because Paul will tell you that we picked the day care based on the playground!). It's also very nice that they are able to start at a brand NEW center RIGHT up the street from us. So while I start my new job on the 17th, the boys will be starting at their new day care on the 24th.
Never a dull moment for our family, I know. I guess we can't go very long without something new, exciting, or challenging going on! But we're very much looking forward to the changes and the new opportunities. Now if we could just get Paul a new job.... :-)
I am leaving my job at General Dynamics to join the Booz Allen Hamilton team at their headquarters in McLean, VA. My first project will be to lead their firm-wide implementation of Microsoft CRM and develop a metrics reporting and analysis procedure to track the health and vitality of the firm. After that, I will have a wide range of project and task management opportunities. Ultimately, this was the professional direction that I wanted to go in and Booz is an outstanding company to work for; they are very much in support of flexible schedules, work arrangements, and telecommuting. My decision boiled down to the fact that I didn't want to look back on this a year or two from now and regret not exploring the opportunity. Leaving General Dynamics has been very hard and sad. I have had an extremely supportive and accomodating manager for the last three years and I have made a lot of friends in the last 7 years of working there. Tomorrow is my last day and I am starting with Booz on the 17th.
In conjunction with my new job, Paul and I seriously discussed our day care situation and options. We LOVE LOVE LOVE where the boys go to day care now in a part-time in-home day care environment. Jake has been going there since he was 9 months old and Josh just started there today. However, we had to really think about what made the most sense to us to alleviate any and all stress in our daily routines. The commute to my new job will be a little longer (only about 7 miles further but traffic in that area can get pretty nasty) and I didn't want to have to stress about leaving at 3:30pm or stress sitting in traffic worrying about making it to day care by 5pm to pick them up on time. Also, starting a new job and being involved in a very time-sensitive project made me question working from home for a half day on Mondays. While Booz was willing to accomodate my work arrangements, I felt that it would be more ideal for me to do 8 hours Mon-Fri and not stress about only being able to get a couple hours in on Mondays and do the rest of the work Tues-Fri and didn't want to be caught scrambling for day care on Mondays if an important meeting were to come up. So the bottom line was that it made more sense for us to switch the boys to full-time day care so we at least had 6:30am - 6:30pm Mon-Fri coverage if we need the care. Of course that still gives us the option to not take them and gives me the option to work from home if I want to or if one of the boys is sick. Of course I can't help but feel guilty about taking them to full-time day care (NOT an easy choice for a mom) but I know it is only temporary and I think both boys will thrive there. Jake is at the age where he can start a preschool program and I think that will be very beneficial to him. He will also interact with a lot more kids who are his age which I think will help stimulate his speech and get him going with potty training :-) We decided on the Minnieland Private Day School and their new center which opens on August 24th right up the street from us in Haymarket. We checked out quite a few centers in the area and were really pleased with the way that this day care/ school is run, its cleanliness, their structure and activities, and their playground (I add that in there because Paul will tell you that we picked the day care based on the playground!). It's also very nice that they are able to start at a brand NEW center RIGHT up the street from us. So while I start my new job on the 17th, the boys will be starting at their new day care on the 24th.
Never a dull moment for our family, I know. I guess we can't go very long without something new, exciting, or challenging going on! But we're very much looking forward to the changes and the new opportunities. Now if we could just get Paul a new job.... :-)
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