On a Roll!

December Photo Link

I would love to be able to write a long narrative about life with an infant and a toddler. But there is no time. Today I could not even manage to get through a 20 minute workout video. So you'll have to settle for photos. They will be at this link throughout the month of December:
http://picasaweb.google.com/otisandlucy/December2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNKNwu3Aremu8QE#

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!
-- Holly

Photos

The first picture of our foursome! For other pictures throughout the month of November, visit http://picasaweb.google.com/otisandlucy/November2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCP7UyaXui8vdew#

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!
-- Holly

Our Pumpkins

Okay, here's a fun game for you . . . can you tell which pumpkins below are Alex, two years ago, and which are Thomas? Click on the comments below for the answer!

Go Yankees!

Here is a link to some family photos from September:

http://picasaweb.google.com/otisandlucy/September2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCOup7a-sp8z1SQ#

And one for October (keep checking for new additions!):

http://picasaweb.google.com/otisandlucy/October2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCNnjhIzI9r3xRw#

That's all for today from Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

Little and Big

Birth Story

Well, if you are reading this, I'm sure you know by now that baby Thomas is here! I thought some of you may be interested in his birth story. Don't worry, I will not get too specific, for those of you who really don't need all the gory details!

On Monday, September 14, I woke up at about 5:00 am with some contractions. I wasn't completely sure if they were labor contractions or more Braxton-Hicks contractions (which I had been having for several weeks), but I knew something felt different. I started timing them (recommended website for any pregnant woman: www.contractionmaster.com.) I realized that they were about 3-4 minutes apart. But since they weren't very strong, and were only lasting about 30 seconds, I knew I wasn't in a rush to run to the hospital. Since I had a non-stress test already scheduled for 8:30 am (standard procedure for everyone past their due date), I figured they could just check my progress and go from there.

I dropped Alex off with my friend Carolyn to play with her kids while I went to the appointment. They confirmed that I was in early labor and was about 3 cm dilated. They told me to go home and rest up, and call when I was ready to come in. I asked how I could tell when that was -- normally, they want you to come in when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, and mine were already closer than that. They told me to call when the contractions were lasting for a minute long each, or if I was beginning to get very uncomfortable.

So around 5:00, I am continuing to have contractions 3-4 minutes apart, 30-45 seconds long. Not really any change from the morning, although they were getting slightly more intense. So I figured we'd keep waiting. I was fine at home, at least while in between contractions. When they started coming closer, though, (some about 2 minutes apart), I decided to call the doctor. I STILL wasn't sure if I should be in or not, because the contractions weren't really strong and weren't lasting a minute. But they told me to get in there ASAP. So we left Alex with another friend down the street, Megan, with the arrangement that Erik's parents would pick him up there in about an hour and bring him back to our house.

When we got to the hospital, we were all surprised that I was already 7-8 cm dilated. The hospital staff told me I must have a high pain tolerance (very surprising to me and Erik), because from the way I was looking/acting, they thought I wasn't very far along. The doctor told me that although I could get an epidural at any time, they doubted I would need it because I seemed to be handling the contractions very well. The plan was to break my water and then baby would be here soon.

It took a little longer than expected for the midwife to come break my water because the labor and delivery unit was full -- apparently we picked a big baby boom day! The midwife broke my water at about 8:30 pm. Contractions then became stronger, but still manageable without pain medication. (My goal was not necessarily to have a natural childbirth, but just not to get meds unless I really needed them). At a few minutes before 10, I started feeling pretty uncomfortable, and asked for some Nubain, which is a pain reliever delivered through an IV. It's less serious than an epidural and is just supposed to "take the edge off" the pain.

I remember having two very bad contractions while the nurse was putting the Nubain in my IV. Then I had a sudden need to push and could barely wait for the midwife to be ready. And 5 minutes later, Thomas was out! I couldn't believe how fast it all happened.

Thomas Erik Schlosser
Born September 14, 2009 at 10:05 pm
8 lbs. 10 oz.
21.5 inches long

Alexanderisms

Okay, it has been FOREVER since I blogged, I know . . . that's what happens when you're just having fun chillin' with your husband and son all summer. But back to life, back to reality . . . the school year. So I will attempt to keep this updated. Rather than go over everything we've done all summer, I thought I'd just include some funny/interesting conversations I've had with my very talkative son lately.

Me: Alexander, would you like to go to the mall today?
Alex: Mall. Yes. Eat at the mall. Chocolate ice cream.

************************************************

Me: Alex, can Jocelyn play with your Magna Doodle now?
Alex: No.
Me (a few minutes later): Alexander, it's Jocelyn's turn for the Magna Doodle now.
Alex: I said no!

************************************************

Alex: Where Daddy go?
Me: He's at work. Where does he work?
Alex: School!
Me: Yes, he works at the big school.
Alex: Music! Guitar! I help him!

*************************************************

Alex: Lucy time out. Lucy a pain!

*************************************************

Alex: Mommy purse!
Me: Yes, Mommy has a different purse.
Alex: Other one messed up!
Me: No, it's not messed up. I just have a different one.
Alex: Buy new one at the store!
Me: Should we buy a new purse at the store?
Alex: ONE! (Really sounded like he was giving me a purse limit.)

**************************************************
Alex (seeing a stream at the park): Water down there! Ducks in the water!
Me: Do you want to go look for ducks?
Alex: Yes! I see him! He says quack!
Me: What else is in the water?
Alex: Dolphins!

****************************************************
Alex: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16! YEA!

**************************************************

It is always interesting around here! I'm sure there are even funnier things I have forgotten, but those are a few. Enjoy!

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!
-- Holly

Pool Day

Alex enjoys some time at Grandmom and Grandpop's pool.



And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

New Bedroom

We have been busy this week, getting Alex's new bedroom ready. Erik painted, ripped up old carpeting, installed flooring, and hung curtains. I put up the border, decorated the walls, and set up the furniture. It went pretty quickly. Alex will start sleeping in it shortly after we return from our trip to North Carolina. He loved watching us work on the room and has been playing in it a little bit each day.


And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

The Alexander Dictionary

Okay, I am WAY behind on my blogging. So there is no way I could possibly mention everything that we have done in the past month. The biggest development, I guess, is that Alexander is talking. I mean, REALLY talking. Talking all day. Talking nonstop. He says just about every word you can imagine. Many words are very clear, and others I can understand just because I hear them every day. I thought I'd make a little pronunciation guide for those of you who may be having a conversation with Alex sometime soon.

CHEH-bup = Ketchup

SEE-bup = Seat belt

SHAW-dees = Strawberries

WAH-but = Wal Mart

Ah-RIE = Lambie

FAH-der = Pacifier

DAH-ee = Daddy

WOO-see = Lucy

PESS-sel = Pretzel

SHISH = fish

SHEET = Sheep

WOO-ser = Rooster

BIP = grape

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones I can think of at the moment. And his current favorite word is pee. He thinks pee is the funniest word ever created.

Two more weeks of school for Erik! We are excited for the summer, ready to visit family in New York, see Mike and Susan get married in North Carolina, and travel to the beach in Delaware with the Schlossers, in addition to getting ready for baby. It is really hard for me to not let his name slip! I am so confident that this is the right name for him, I don't think of him as "the baby", I usually refer to him (in my head) by his name. Some day it's going to slip out! I need to be careful. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

And The Name Is . . .

Yeah, right. Did you really expect me to tell you? But we HAVE chosen one. And we love it.

Summa Time

Okay, well, it's not quite summer. But with high temps up to 85 degrees in the last week of April, it still feels like it! Alex had quite the day today, with lots of outdoor time and fun with friends.

Alex dresses in shorts and a new t-shirt, ready for the warm weather.


Neighbor Katie joins Alex in his new sandbox.


Mmmm . . . nothing like burgers on the grill!





Playing with buddy Bree at her sand table.






Joining Caden and Bree for some good old-fashioned dirt digging.

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this weekend!

-- Holly

Just About Everyone Was Wrong . . .

It's a BOY!!! We (along with most of our voters) thought we were having a girl, but we are thrilled that Alexander will have a little brother! It should make things pretty easier around here, being able to use the same clothes and toys (although I'm sure I will be buying my new little guy some cute new outfits as well). We are pretty sure that everything looked good, according to the ultrasound. Their measurements had me estimated at a September 3rd due date -- a little earlier than my September 8 due date given to me by the doctor. So we'll see!

In other news, I ran in my 5 mile race on Saturday. I was able to finish in 52:47, which is only about 3 minutes slower than the race I ran in a year ago, when I was not pregnant and in much better shape. I came in at 232 out of 251, but I am just happy I was not last! Considering that I only trained for 3 weeks, I am extremely proud of myself. I am looking forward to really picking things up next spring.

So that's it! We are excited and working on some baby names (which, quite possibly, may not start with A, and which, of course, we will not be telling!)

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

April Already?

Wow, where did the month of March go? Only one blog post? I had better get it back into gear! I'm sure I'll have more to report this month, since in only 12 more days we will (hopefully) get to find out if we're having a little Agatha or a little Archibald. :)

It has been interesting around here lately. First news is a change in schedule. At 19 1/2 months, we have finally moved Alex to one nap a day. It was nice while it lasted. Every day for the past 19 months, I could count on at least an hour and a half every morning, and another hour and a half to two hours to myself every afternoon. This was how my house stayed clean, dinner was made, my shower was taken, etc. But Alex is old enough to do one nap now, so what we are trying to do is take him out for some type of activity every morning, when he normally would have taken his nap, in order to distract him and help him stay awake and refreshed. Then he is taking a nap at 1:00. He is doing surprisingly well with this, although he is still not taking as long of an afternoon nap as he needs to. It's typically about an hour and a half at this point. Then he wakes up and is not very well rested, which makes for a long night sometimes. I am hoping that he will soon settle into a little bit of a longer nap -- we'll see. It is definitely an adjustment. The one nice thing is that we are able to get out and do things in the morning, when before we never left the house before 11:00. This opens up more opportunities for play group and activities with the moms club. And hey, now we can go out to breakfast! :)

Another fun development -- Alex has a new favorite word. What is it, you ask? Mommy? Daddy? Dog? Well, no. The word is "No." Alex LOVES to say no. He is now realizing that he has choices. I am trying to get him to play more independently, so I can get some things done around the house, since he is napping less. So I will say, "Alex, go play with (whatever toy I suggest)" and his answer will usually be "No, no, no, no, no!" SO much fun.

On a non-Alex related note, last week, Erik's friend Jamie sent me a message and asked me to run in a race with him in Lititz next Saturday, April 11. My first thought -- "Yeah! I love races." My second thought -- "I haven't run since I got pregnant and started feeling sick. I doubt I can do it after sitting around doing nothing for 3-4 months." My third thought -- "Well, maybe it's just a 5K (3.1 miles). I could probably do that." So I find out it is a 5 mile race, and for some reason I agreed to do it, just figuring that I'd have to run slowly and take some walking breaks. So after getting the okay from my doctor, I started running again. Yesterday, I ran outside (partially because of the beautiful day, and partially because my treadmill is broken and ended up smoking the last time I was on it), and I was able to run the 5 miles without stopping at all! Definitely slower than my previous pace, but hey, I can still do it! I owe a lot to Jamie for giving me the motivation to get started again. I didn't realize how much I missed running!

Also, at the end of April, I am walking in a 5-mile walk with our local moms club in March for Babies, which benefits the March of Dimes. If you are able to contribute a small donation, please let me know!

So, that's it . . . some adjustments, and looking forward to some nice spring weather . . .

And that's what has been happening on Boomerang Drive over the past few weeks!

-- Holly

If You're Not a Parent of a Toddler . . .

If you're not a parent of a toddler, you probably don't do the following things on a daily basis . . .


1. Tell someone every time you go to the bathroom.
2. High five someone.
3. Ask someone over and over again to say your name.
4. Verbally label everything around you ("Those are leaves." "That's Daddy's coffee cup.")
5. Read the same book three times in one day.
6. Awaken to the sound of classical music played by a glow worm.
7. Pretend to put salt on someone's food because they won't stop whining and pointing to the salt shaker until you do.
8. Refer to yourself in the third person. (Oh, wait, I DO know someone who is not a parent that does that. His name is Elmo).
9. Ask someone to show you your belly.
10. Ask someone to make the sounds of various farm animals.
11. Have someone shake their head and push away the food you serve them. Even if you aren't a bad cook. Even if it's just a banana.
12. Have someone crawl on you as if you are, in fact a jungle gym.
13. Yell "Aaahhh!" because some type of tower has fallen town.
14. Make the sound "Choo choo" or "Vroom vroom."
15. Bribe someone with pretzels so they don't scream as they accompany you through Walmart.

That's all I have for now, other than the obvious wiping, wiping, wiping of faces, noses, hands, bottoms, tables, counters, etc. I'm sure there are about a million more.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week! Make sure you have voted in my poll, by the way!

-- Holly

Almost There . . .

Only one week to go and the first trimester is behind me! Last night Erik and I were thrilled to be able to hear Little A's heartbeat for the first time. It was beating at 166 bpm. Everything seems to be going well.

We have our ultrasound scheduled for April 13th. Please visit the poll on the left side and cast your vote: boy or girl?

-- And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Doctor Visit

Wow, I am quite the blogger this month, huh? I think it's the fact I am so miserably bored with winter and am trying to find things to pass the time until we can be OUTSIDE! It is so miserably cold here . . . Alex is able to answer the question, "What does the wind say?" ("Whoosh" in case you weren't sure).

Alex had his 18 month well visit today. Here are some things he did NOT enjoy:
1. When the nurse called him out of the waiting room. He screamed, threw himself on the floor, and crawled away from her.
2. When they measured his head circumference.
3. When they took his temperature.
4. When they listened to his heart.
5. When they looked in his ears.
6. When they checked his reflexes.
7. When he had to sit on the scale (that was REALLY bad I guess).
8. When they measured his height.
9. When they checked his belly/diaper area/legs.
10. When they gave him a shot.

ALL of those things made him scream! He was NOT a happy patient!

He was pretty on track developmentally, though. They asked me . . .
1. Does he say 4-10 words? Yes.
2. Can he throw/kick a ball? Well, he can throw (kind of) and I've never seen him try to kick.
3. Can he climb stairs standing up if you hold his hand? Yes.
4. Does he try to eat with a fork and spoon? Yes, he uses them all the time.
5. Can he point to at least 3 body parts that you name? Um, let's see, I think he can do three . . . he knows hair, head, eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, teeth, lips, tongue, mouth, arms, hands, fingers, belly, legs, feet, toes. Anything else and we're going internal, or to certain things I am not ready to discuss yet.

Oh, by the way, here's something you can file under the category, "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" Scenario: me -- tired, freezing cold. Alex -- getting bored. Me: "Alexander, mommy wants to take a bath. Do you want to play upstairs while mommy takes a bath?" Alex: "Yeah!" So, I put the gate up at the top of the stairs, take a bath with the door open, and he gets lambie out of the crib and runs around up there. Genius.

And that was my day on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

Name Suggestions

I find it interesting that when I ask for comments on my blog, people tend to email me (or call me) instead of leaving them here. But anyway, here is an update on the names that have been suggested. By the way, this includes SERIOUS suggestions only (Liz and Larry).

Girls:
Anna
Ava (3 votes)
Avery (2 votes)
Amelia
Angela
Allison
Ashley
Abigail

Boys:
Adam
Andrew (3 votes)

Interesting, we got WAY more girls suggestions than boys . . . do you all know something we don't? I will tell you that I LOVE one of the names on this girls list, Erik likes another two, and we are considering one that is not on the list.

The one boys name I like (and I seriously only like ONE boys name for A) is not on the list.

Keep them coming if you haven't submitted one yet!

And that's today's update from Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

It's Worth It

I'm tired. Constantly thirsty. Nauseous. And fat. Not fat in the pregnant sort of way, but in the "she's been eating too many cheeseburgers" sort of way. This has not been fun for me. But then something happened yesterday to remind me why I am putting myself through this. I bought my first item for Little A. I bought this:


Hee hee hee! So cute, right? We were walking past the Christmas clearance racks in K-Mart, and I thought this was WAY cuter than the $1.50 price tag.

By the way, you will NOT be receiving a picture next Christmas of a little baby in this outfit, screaming, with the caption "Little A just LOVES his/her Elmo suit!" Why? Because I have already put in my order for a happy baby. I don't think I got the order in soon enough last time. But this time, I'm on it.

So, as you can see, I am referring to baby as "Little A". Erik and I have been thinking about giving the new baby another "A" name. It's not a definite yet, there is a possibility for it not to be, but we do think it would be cute. I think we have had a boy's name for a while (although I'm sure could be subject to change), and we have not thought of girls' names yet. But I am interested in your thoughts. Leave me a comment with your favorite "A" names for both boy and girl. Who knows, maybe we'll pick yours!

And that's what's happening on (the extremely windy) Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Hands on House

Yesterday we took Alex to the Hands on House, which is an interactive children's museum. It's geared for kids ages 2-10, but there was plenty that Alex could do there. We got a family membership, so it will be great to be able to take him there any time we need something to do.

Some things Alex got to enjoy . . .

A pig! Alex plays with the farm animals.

Helping Mommy put magnets together.

Shopping for produce at The Corner Grocery.

Helping Daddy catch fish.


His favorite part, the TV!


And that was our weekend on Boomerang Drive!

-- Holly

25 Random Things About Alex

If you are a Facebook user, you have certainly read most of your friends'"25 Random Things". Well, I decided to write 25 things about Alex. Some you will surely know, some you might not.

1. We chose the name Alexander just because we liked it, but also because I wanted him to have the name of a Yankees player (Alex Rodriguez).
2. His current favorite food is yogurt.
3. He took his first steps at Barnes and Noble when he was one year and 9 days old.
4. He didn't start "really walking" until about 14 months.
5. He has slept in his own crib in his own bedroom starting from his first night home.
6. His favorite Sesame Street character is The Count.
7. He is afraid of Mr. Snuffleupagus.
8. He is also afraid of umbrellas.
9. I think he is over his fear of monkeys.
10. When we saw him in the ultrasound when I was 20 weeks pregnant, he was moving his hands up and down like he was beating a drum.
11. When you tell him it's nap time, he immediately stops what he's doing and turns off the stereo.
12. He once fell off his changing table.
13. He easily goes through 50 books a day.
14. He is fascinated by cats.
15. After his bath, he walks into his room, gets his lambie and pacifier out of his crib, and walks around naked holding them.
16. He is a dancing fool.
17. He doesn't say a lot of words, but really knows a LOT of stuff.
18. He is used to a predictable schedule, which is why I think it's so easy for me to get him down for a nap and to bed at night.
19. When he was little, the only way I could get him to take a nap was if I took one with him. We would lie in my bed together for 2 hours every morning. I miss that sometimes.
20. The first time we took Alex to a restaurant, he was 4 weeks old. We went to Carraba's with my sister Jenn, her husband Mike, and Alex's cousin Reese. He was such a little fuss pot that Erik and I thought we would never be able to take him to a restaurant. But he did surprisingly well and we had a great time.
21. Alex won't eat ice cream. Once in a while we go to Isaacs, and with his kids meal there is a choice of a cookie or an ice cream sundae. We pick the sundae because we know he won't eat it, so Erik and I split it. This is why I'm in no rush for him to read.
22. He can moo like a cow, buzz like a bee, and hoot like an owl. But if you ask him to, he will most likely refuse to do it.
23. He liked his first haircut but screamed all the way through the second.
24. He has an Elmo toothbrush. He won't open his mouth to get his teeth brushed unless I talk like Elmo and say "Elmo wants to brush your teeth!"
25. He has said lots of different words once, but says four consistently -- mom, yeah, off, and what's that.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

PBJK

I am typing this while you are watching the Superbowl. Ah, the joys of being cableless. Although if the Yankees have a good this year, we may have to spring for the $20 basic cable package.

The morning sickness continues. It has been challenging, because it is difficult for me to cook dinner, or even be around something cooking. After I smell food being prepared, the last thing I want to do is eat it. SO, we have been relying on some takeout food recently. It is so much easier for me to eat something that is just ready to go. Hopefully this will get better soon, because how many healthy fast food places can you name?

So today, we had some shopping to do, and decided to stop at Quiznos since they had a buy one get one free coupon in the paper. Well, you know how the coupons always say "Valid at participating locations only"? Have you ever been to a store that actually said, "Sorry, we're not participating in that coupon"? Well, welcome to the Lancaster Quiznos. They had a big sign up saying that they were not honoring the coupons. So we left. Could we afford to buy two subs? Of course. But it's a matter of principle.

Now, I am STARVING at this point. I had already had to pick up some trail mix at Target and eat it while walking through the store, before even paying for it. So I needed FOOD. I didn't have time to drive around. So we ended up at the closest place -- Five Guys Burgers and Fries. SUPER HEALTHY. This was my first time there and I give it my endorsement. YUM.

We had packed Alex a lunch, but gave him a few of our fries. And we gave him a little cup of ketchup. I taught him how to dip fries in ketchup (something every one year old should know), and he thinks it's really fun. So he ate his three fries. Then he proceeded to dip his pretzels in the ketchup. Then he dipped his sandwich in there! And ate it! And liked it! So he is the inventor of a new sandwich, the PBJK. That is, the Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Ketchup sandwich.

Wait, do you think HE is pregnant? That sounds like something only a pregnant woman would want to eat.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

Annoyances

I thought I would do some complaining today, for once. :) Some things lately that have been on my nerves . . .

1. Last week I bought organic milk from Giant. Got it home, and realized it was completely sour. Had to take it 25 minutes in the car back to Giant for a refund. Bought another brand and it was fine. So today I go to Weis and buy a different brand of organic milk, brought it home and we had the same problem! So I had to make another trip back to the store, toddler in tow, to return milk. When I returned it, the lady said, "Ugh, organic again." It seems 2 other people had returned organic milk, and they weren't either of the two brands I had previously returned! What is UP? So needless to say, there is a gallon of regular milk in our fridge for the time being.

2. Yesterday I went to the dentist. It's a new dentist, since our insurance changed when I left my job. It was actually a great visit to the dentist (they even had a tv in the room and I got to discuss Gossip Girl with the hygenist), that's not what I'm complaining about. My teeth are lined up edge to edge, meaning I have no overbite or underbite. My previous dentist had mentioned this to me, and suggested seeing an orthodontist. I made a mental note and then forgot about it. Until yesterday, when new dentist brought it up. Apparently, it's not good, because my teeth are constantly hitting against each other, which over time will wear them down. He said it's not an immediate concern, but by the time I'm in my 40's and 50's, it could end up causing major problems. So . . . I need to see an orthodontist at some point . . . which may mean . . . I won't even say it. You see where this is going. :(

3. Did you know that chicken mcnuggets are $3.07 for 6? That's 51 cents per nugget! What, does McDonalds think they are serving up some high quality chicken or something?

I will keep the complaints at 3 for today. I'm sure I will think of more.

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive today!

-- Holly

Pregnancy Week 7

Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who called or emailed with concerns and well wishes after my last post. I am, in fact, still alive. I had a really rough few days last week, and am extremely thankful that my morning sickness has become a bit more under control. I have found that not letting myself get hungry (as in, stuffing my face all day long -- anyone want to be my fitness buddy in January 2010?) and staying hydrated helps some. I just can't get enough water. I drink over 100 ounces of water a day and am STILL thirsty. I am also exhausted most of the time, and am forced to summon my friends on Sesame Street to help me catch a break. So glad the library has kid videos!

Baby #2 is now the size of a blueberry. My first exam is next Tuesday, the 27th.

Alex is recovering from a super fun cold/cough thing. He's pretty much over it, but is still needing lots of rest. I have been challenged by him over the past few days, trying to teach him patience and getting him to understand that things are not going to be his way all the time. (HOW do you teach that to a one year old?) His food of choice lately is yogurt, and he really doesn't want much of anything else. Anyone have coupons for Yo Baby organic yogurt? Send them my way. Meal times have been a challenge lately. He is usually not in the mood for whatever I give him, and I end up giving him yogurt. Not sure at what point I stop giving in and say, eat it or don't eat. I looked in my big binder of parenting answers but it wasn't in there. :) By the way -- Alex is 17 months old -- this is the first month I didn't send out an email with pictures. I haven't taken any pictures since Christmas. I am turning into a slacker mom. I won't even begin to tell you about all my usual chores that just didn't get done this week.

And on that note, a bit of praise for my wonderful husband, who has been so helpful in taking the dogs for walks, taking care of Alex so I can rest, helping around the house, and just being so nice to me when I haven't been at my best. I am so fortunate to have a great husband and a great marriage.

So that's it, I guess . . . we are hanging in there, dreaming of those warm, sunny spring days ahead. I can't wait to get back to my daily hour long walks with Alex and the dogs, being able to just hop in the car without hats, coats, and mittens . . .

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly

My Morning

A recap of my super fun morning:

Wake up at 6am. Alex is already making noise, I am already nauseous. Eat a few bites of the Pop Tart that is next to my bed, waiting for me.

Get out of bed. Throw up.

Let the dogs out. Start getting Alex's breakfast ready. Throw up again.

Get Alex out of bed. Give him, his breakfast, try to keep down some cereal.

Alex stops eating and starts screaming. Ends up finishing breakfast on my lap. (He's teething AGAIN).

Get up from the table. Try to get Alex to play with toys. He won't do it. Ask him if he wants to go take a bath. He says, "Yeah."

After Alex is in the tub a few minutes, I realize I can't sit up any longer. I turn a towel into a pillow, lie down on the bathroom floor, and start to cry.

Get Alex out of the tub. Spend the next hour and a half reading to him while lying on the couch. He won't do anything but sit and read with me and whine. Will not play.

Make it close enough to nap time to justify putting him in bed. I begrudgingly get in the shower. My hair hasn't been washed in three days.

Collapse on the couch.

Hear Alex start to wake up. Quickly dry my hair, only because it's 19 degrees outside, not because I care.

Call my mom in tears asking her to tell me I'm not going to die.

And that's what's happening on Boomerang Drive this wee.

-- Holly

A New Year, A New Baby

Happy 2009! I'm sure most of you who are reading this already know, but just in case the word didn't get around to you yet, yes, I am pregnant! Our new baby (currently, at 4 weeks, the size of a poppy seed) is due 9-9-09. Which means, if the baby is like his or her big brother, they will probably arrive some time in October. So there is no rush to get ready for the new arrival just yet. I am feeling fine so far, still waiting for things to sink in really. It is certainly going to be an adventurous 2009 for our family!

So how did we spend our New Year's Eve? Here at home, of course, doing nothing, as usual. But to be honest, with traveling, and having company, we just needed some downtime anyway. We enjoyed cheese, crackers, and seafood salad while Alex ate his dinner at 6:00, then we put him to bed at 8 and enjoyed some fresh mahi mahi, broccoli, and some ice cream and played games. In bed at 11. I know, lame, but you know what? My dear son started making whining noises at 5:00 am, so I am truly glad I wasn't partying way into the night.

Oh, I guess I didn't say anything about Christmas. I'll just share a few pictures of Alex's favorite moments.

New firetruck from Grandmom and Grandpop.


Sharing Daddy's tiramisu.



Dinner at Grandmom and Grandpop's house.


A new train table!


Uncle Mark's puppet show.


Spending time with Cousin Reese.


Watching football with Grandpa Thomas.

And that's what's up on Boomerang Drive this week!

-- Holly