Morning "Routine" of a Mom with a Toddler and Newborn

**This post brought to you by self-diagnosed ADD and "Mom brain"--a dangerous, productively unproductive combination.**

7:00 AM || Wake to baby cries; nurse--half asleep--in bed because walking to glider requires too much energy/brain power.

7:30-8:24 AM || Catch extra zzz's since baby's 4.5 hour stretch of sleep was interrupted by toddler waking twice due to teething pain; elbow husband to inform him he slept almost an hour past his alarm.

8:30 AM || Attempt to wrangle toddler into tooth-brushing/diaper-changing/getting dressed routine and survive by the skin of your teeth; forego hair-brushing since there's no taming that overgrown, curly mane; make mental note to schedule haircut or plot to cut his hair yourself.

8:45 AM || Shower. Your legs need a shave but THERE'S NO TIME so there's no need to ponder over clothing options because yoga pants are a must.

9:00 AM || Medication alarm goes off on your phone but you're nowhere near your meds; make a mental note to take it once you get downstairs. Make another mental note to remember first mental note.

9:01 AM || Dress in aforementioned yoga pants and tank; throw wet hair into top knot; apply deodorant and only deodorant (you looked like a real human the past two days so you're due for at least one day of "clean frump").

9:05 AM || Change baby's diaper; empty Diaper Genie when you can't fit the diaper in it (you asked husband to empty it before he went downstairs but dads get "Dad brain" sometimes too); wipe baby's face; get baby dressed; head downstairs.

9:20 AM || Put baby in Rock 'n Play; realize baby's pacifier is covered in dog hair and other mystery fuzz; find another and gather all pacifiers not currently in kitchen drawer to be washed.

9:25 AM || Husband leaves for work after getting toddler breakfast; time to gather wits.

9:30 AM || Pour bowl of Cheerios (you wanted a protein smoothie but we're out of bananas and you learned the hard way that a banana-less protein smoothie is ICK); turn on coffee machine and refill water; realize that turbinado sugar dish needs to be refilled.

9:31 AM || On the way to the pantry, notice toddler is dumping cereal milk all over the table; intervene/clean up while lecturing about why such behavior is inappropriate (all while toddler is "painting" the table with said spilled milk).

9:34 AM || Toddler requests to watch TV; spend some time trying to convince him to play with toys instead, then finally give in because you'd like to eat your cereal/drink your coffee/make your grocery list in peace; turn on Paw Patrol.

9:35 AM || Return pacifier to baby's mouth.

9:35:30 AM || Return to bowl of Cheerios on kitchen counter, add almond milk and a sprinkle of white sugar (a childhood tradition); decide to create a smaller container of sugar for sprinkling instead of needing to take out entire sugar canister; realize big canister needs refilling; plan to add sugar to grocery list if we don't have more in pantry; retrieve white sugar and turbinado sugar from pantry and refill corresponding containers; make coffee; bring coffee and cereal bowl to table.

9:40 AM || Notice baby is in a cute pose; snap a pic; plan to post to Instagram later.

9:41 AM || Put basket of laundry you folded last night on dining room table so toddler doesn't decorate the floor with its contents.

9:42 AM || Commercial on TV allowed toddler to find your manicure kit; retrieve kit and play On-Demand episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to avoid future commercials/mischief.

9:43 AM || Realize you still haven't taken your meds.

9:44 AM || Return pacifier to baby's mouth.

9:45 AM || Swing by fridge and decide to go through and toss old food to prepare for grocery shopping.

9:50 AM || Sit down and eat soggy Cheerios; rewrite grocery list based on store layout; contemplate whether you also have the energy/bravery to attempt a trip to Target today (no...the answer is NO!!)

9:55 AM || Respond to group text with mom and sis; drink lukewarm coffee.

10:00 AM || Do dishes; put away all breakfast items you got out half an hour ago.

10:10 AM || Toddler demands that you join him in doing the "Hot Dog" dance, specifically Goofy's moves because one time weeks ago you said you liked his moves; start another episode of Mickey so you can strip your bed and get the sheets in the wash.

10:40 AM || Finally pull out of the garage to head to the grocery store after spending the last 30 minutes getting both kids ready for the adventure.

It's no wonder I never feel like I get anything done...but still get some stuff done. By the time naptime rolls around, I'm ready for a nap myself and plans for further productivity are thrown out the window! Any other mommies of two kids have days like this? I'm expecting it to get better...am I crazy?

First road trip with two kids | June 2016

Happy Friday everyone! It's been quite a week here for us after returning from our first family-of-four road trip to Ohio. We got home on Monday and I've been meaning to get this recap post up, but a sick toddler has thwarted my plans up until now. Max still isn't back to 100% but he's happily eating dry Cheerios and watching Bubble Guppies right now, so I'm taking advantage of the freedom for a bit.

via

We traveled to my mom's house in Cincinnati, Ohio so we could attend my cousin Lauren's high school graduation party last weekend. I love being able to coordinate visits to my mom's with special events with the extended family. I used to be very involved with my younger cousins when I was growing up. As the oldest cousin, I babysat them all frequently and even gave swim lessons to two of them. I miss being a part of family get-togethers now that I live in Maryland, so I make an effort to get back home whenever I can if I have advance notice of an event. 

List makers gonna list. Max scribbled on this seconds after this photo was taken.

We headed to Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon after Victor finished with some court hearings. We got a much later start than we're used to when we left close to 3 PM, but for the most part, the drive went well. Max fell asleep before we even got on the highway and slept for over 2 hours, and Louisa slept a majority of the trip. Things got pretty hairy about an hour out from my mom's house. It was close to midnight. Max had been in a car seat for 9 hours and just wanted to sprawl out to sleep for the night, so he was pretty whiny and uncomfortable. By the time we arrived, got everything inside, and wound down for bed, it was after 2 AM. Victor and Max slept in one room and Louisa and I slept in another; with Louisa's frequent night wakings to nurse, I didn't want her to wake Max up, so we kept this sleeping arrangement for the entire 4-night visit. 

On Friday, we had plans to meet my friend from college and her little family (her son Ryan is 3 weeks younger than Max) at the Cincinnati Zoo for the morning, but a surprise deluge of rain thwarted our plans and we had to improvise. We decided to check out EnterTRAINment Junction nearby, which is a huge indoor model train exhibit. The boys loved running around and pushing all the buttons to power the trains. It was also quite difficult to get them away from the play area in the middle of the exhibit. We adults enjoyed learning about the history of railroading through the model displays and seeing our boys really play together for the first time.

Interesting way to hold hands, boys. But oh so sweet!

After a Chick-fil-a lunch, it was naptime for the whole family in preparation for the Reds game later that night. Max had a great time cheering for the Redlegs and watching the post-game fireworks. He also grew quite concerned when he saw the Mr. Redlegs mascot disappear on an elevator. This concern is ongoing; still today, everytime he sees a photo of Mr. Redlegs, the search resumes. In other news, Louisa and I got to try out the fancy nursing suite at Great American Ballpark. Never have I felt so pampered while feeding my baby!

Waiting for Louisa to sleep so I could sleep

On Saturday, Max stayed with my mom and sister while Victor, Louisa, and I enjoyed a leisurely coffee date at Starbucks. A sweet lady and her husband at the table next to us were quite emotional when they saw Louisa because they're waiting on the arrival of their first grandchild later this summer. Their son is in the Air Force and is stationed in Germany, so they will travel to meet the new babe in August. The grandma-to-be got teary-eyed when she learned more about Louisa and predicted how difficult it would be to leave her new grandson. So sweet--I just love genuine encounters with strangers! After Starbucks, we headed to Walmart for some various items, then we had lunch at Piada before heading home for naps and to get ready for my cousin's graduation party.

My aunts, uncles, and cousins loved meeting Louisa for the first time at the party. Max was shy at first but then enjoyed playing with anyone who would pay attention to him. We were also visited by two cardinals while we chatted on the back deck, which we believe were Grandma Ann (my mom's mom) and Lauren's Grandpa Joe (her dad's dad) stopping by to enjoy the party with us (they say cardinals are representative of a loved one who has passed away).

Lou and Daddy matched

Uncle Pat made Max's pool playing dreams come true

After the party, my sister, her friends, and two of my cousins headed to some bars downtown for some good ol' young adult fun. I sent them this picture and essentially told them to live it up while they could because after marriage and two kids, Saturday nights look a lot different (we watched Pitch Perfect 2--loved it!)

On Sunday, Victor, my mom, the kids, and I went to Washington Park in downtown Cincinnati so Max could play in the fountains. It was such a lovely park and Max had a blast! I wish I had worn my bathing suit so I could have just sat down on the water wall because it was HOT! Looking forward to taking him to more parks like this in our area, as well. 

After naps on Sunday, my sister and her friends came to my mom's for dinner, and Max once again got to have lots of playmates. He's really learning how to ham it up and he'll do pretty much anything if he realizes he can get a laugh out of people.

We actually were on the road by 8:30 AM on Monday to head home (I don't think we've ever been able to leave that early for a road trip since Max was born) and we made really good time. Both kids did great on the drive back, and we were home before dinner. We have begun to make a pit-stop at Cabela's in Wheeling, WV so we can all stretch our legs and walk around. Max never tires of seeing all the animals in the store.

Those animals aren't part of the mural. They're life-size taxidermied figures.

It was a great trip, and I'm looking forward to hopefully another trip back there before the summer is over. The visits are never long enough.

I hope you all had a great week! Hoping to post more in the coming weeks!

Our new family of four

As warned, I haven't been posting much lately. But I have a good reason!

We welcomed Louisa Maria to our family on Thursday, May 19, 2016! She was born at 9:26 PM, weighed 7 lbs 2.8 oz and measured 19 inches long. We had a smooth, uneventful delivery (thank goodness) and we've spent the past 2.5 weeks adjusting to life as a family of four...plus two dogs and a temporary live-in Auntie.

It has been quite an adjustment bringing baby #2 home...but not in the way I imagined. Incorporating a newborn into our life again has actually been way easier and more seamless than it was the first time around, likely because we know what we're doing this time and pretty much have everything we need. 

Everything with regard to Louisa is going swimmingly; she's nursing well, sleeping a ton during the day and some at night, and she's a fairly even-tempered little gal. It's her big brother who's been throwing things for a loop. He loves his baby sister. But he also misses being the center of our universe, so the first week home was quite rough. He was acting out by throwing things, hitting/kicking, throwing tantrums, etc. He stopped sleeping through the night. He had a hard time being gentle with his baby sister. It was quite overwhelming and concerned me a little, if I'm being completely honest. I mean, the kid just turned two, so the "Terrible Twos" could be partially responsible for his negative behavior. But we also brought a new attention hog into the house, he had to spend two days and nights without mom and dad, Mommy couldn't pick him up/snuggle him/dote on him like before, and we had lots of extra people here helping (my mom came to stay with us/help for a week, and my in-laws made frequent visits, as well). He's not getting the same attention he's used to, so I guess negative attention was the next best thing. I was worried that this undesired behavior was going to turn into the new normal for us.

Thankfully, Max's behavior is steadily getting better as the days go by and he adjust to this new season of life. His tantrums/hitting/kicking/defiant episodes are dwindling. He's sleeping better again. He gets excited and announces "Awake!" whenever Louisa opens her eyes. He kisses her goodnight and asks to hold her frequently. As time goes on, things are looking up, thank goodness.

As for me, I'm recovering quite well and I'm feeling fantastic. I think recovery has been much swifter this time around, perhaps because it's not my first rodeo, but also because the postpartum lounging/ days of ease are non-existent with a 2-year-old running around; I have no choice but to get up and power through! If I could change one thing about our current situation, it would be to get more sleep, but I'm getting by with naps during Max's naps. I also had some painful engorgement last week, worse than I ever experienced with Max. I was incredibly uncomfortable (I cried a lot over the course of a couple days), so I visited the lactation consultant at our pediatrician's office. She told me I was pretty close to developing mastitis, so I followed her advice to the letter, and thankfully it all got better within a couple of days (the magic "cure" was warm compresses before each feeding, mamas. It didn't fix it immediately, but I felt some relief quickly and after a day or two, I was 100% better.)

We just love our little Louisa and feel so blessed to have her here with us finally. It's a whole new ballgame, having a baby girl, but it's so much fun! She's already grown so much over the past 2.5 weeks, and I know she's going to change daily as time goes on. Everyone says she's the spitting image of Max when he was a bitty, but she has her own special features too, Her hair is more of a strawberry blonde/light brown (Max's hair was red like a brand new penny), and she has more of it than Max did at birth. Her cheeks are chubbier than Max's were at this age, as well. We're intrigued to see how much they'll resemble each other as they both get older!

I'm slowly trying to get into the groove of doing things on my own with two little ones. We've survived a couple of days at the house alone, and this morning I ran my first errand alone with both kiddos...to the grocery store! It went great, surprisingly. Max was a champ and sat in the cart without protest (which I don't think has happened on any errand in the past 3 months), and Louisa slept in the Solly Baby Wrap (I can't sing the praises of this wrap loud enough. I LOVE it and highly recommend it!). The worst part of it all was getting everyone into/out of/back into the car, mainly because it takes way more planning than you would anticipate! We might brave Target this week, as well. But Costco will not happen for quite some time, I think!

Thank you to everyone who has already offered their well-wishes to us regarding the arrival of Louisa! In the coming weeks, I plan to share my thoughts and observations regarding being a new mommy of two, the story behind choosing Louisa's name, and Louisa's birth story. I should probably also share a 2-year update on Max (he turned 2 two days before Louisa was born). Be sure to check back, or enter your email on the right to receive a notification when I publish new posts!

Where the heck have I been? A life update

It's been a while since I've been around these parts. There are a few reasons for my extended hiatus. First and foremost, I just didn't feel like I had much to say or share. I also decided that I'd prefer to nap during Max's nap instead of banging out posts. Lord knows my days of getting in an afternoon nap are numbered once this baby arrives! Give me all the naps!

If I'm being completely honest with you, though, the underlying reason it's been quiet over here for so long is because I've been trying to decide if I want to keep this ol' blog going into the future. With another babe arriving any day now, I just don't know if I will have the time or desire to post regularly, if at all. I enjoy sharing in this space, but I'm not one who can quickly create and publish a post. I read, reread, edit, and obsess over each post I share, and it gets pretty time-consuming. For a while, I had dreams of growing this blog and gaining more followers--even seeking out sponsorships and trying to earn income though blogging--and perhaps I will do so in the future. But at this point, I'm just not sure I have the energy to put in all the effort to reach those goals.

All that aside, today I felt inspired to jump on here and share a bit about what's going on in our lives here at Casa Little Blue Sailboat.

Pregnancy: I'm exactly 38 weeks along today. I'm feeling great (minus the head cold that's plaguing me this week), I'm having incredibly irregular contractions (mostly of the Braxton Hicks variety), I'm dilated 1 cm/50% effaced/baby is at -3 station (aka baby is happy where she is right now), and I've been tested for preeclampsia so many times over the past couple of months I can't even count (all have been negative thus far). My blood pressure is always high at my OB visits, but it's normal at home (I check it at least once a day), and I have no other preeclampsia symptoms. I've been sent to labor and delivery at the hospital twice to monitor my BP and the baby, and both times, my BP normalized fairly quickly and I was sent home. I appreciate the extra precautions but it's also pretty frustrating. There's talk of induction within the next week, but I'm hoping I can keep her cooking for as long as she needs. Our 36 week ultrasound showed a very healthy baby, but she's on the small side, so as long as my womb is still safe for her, I'd like to keep her in there! I have a checkup with my OB again tomorrow and a biophysical profile ultrasound scheduled for next Monday. We are as ready as we can be for her to arrive: hospital bags are packed, Max's overnight bag is packed, nursery is ready, carseat is installed, diapers are stocked, clothes are washed and organized, crib rail covers are finally done. It's just a waiting game now! 

37.5 weeks along on Mother's Day

Crib rail covers are finally done. They were quite time-consuming, but they'll be much easier to remove/clean than the fleece ones I made for Max. Tutorials I used for inspiration are here and here.

Max: This kid is going to be 2 next Tuesday! I feel like we were just celebrating his first birthday! He's talking up a storm, has such a fun personality, and he baffles us with his intelligence every day. He's super independent and enjoys having various responsibilities/opportunities to help around the house (he takes refilling the dog food bowl very seriously). He's growing like a weed and is pretty much all grown out of his 18-month clothes (especially pants) and is solidly into 2T size clothing (he's busting out of his 24-month PJs I just recently bought him!). I have no doubt that he is going to be an awesome big brother--although I do expect him to have some issues with not being top dog anymore.

He loves looking at this photo from his first birthday party. The cake gets a shout out every time he names everyone in the picture.

Seeing him sitting "criss cross applesauce" the other day melted my heart

Husband: He's been so helpful with getting things all ready for baby, and he's also helping pick up some of the slack around the house now that I'm not as mobile/capable of doing as much. He's pretty great.

Houseguest: My sister took a travel nursing position for the next three months at a local hospital, so she and her dog, Mya (Max calls her "May"), are living with us while she's working out here! She and my mom drove out here the last weekend in April to move her clothes and other belongings (my mom coming was a surprise to me!), and she's already put in two weeks of work out here! She's been such a huge help around the house and with Max, and we just love having her around.

Max loves having Mya here. And his Auntie Ha.

My second Mother's Day: Victor and Max did a lovely job spoiling me last Sunday. Victor took Max out to get my favorite donuts and decaf Starbucks in the morning. He also made some delicious omelets. I received a hand-painted photo canvas and mug from Max, as well as a Willow Tree figurine from Victor. We all took awesome naps (my sister included) Sunday afternoon and then joined all of Victor's family for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. It was a lovely day.

Mother's Day 2016

Randoms: I just finished reading Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova. Great read about a man and his family dealing with his diagnosis of Huntington's Disease. I've started reading The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty (so far, so entertaining). Max and I are consuming a lot of watermelon. Kenny the Dog is having lots of fun with his cousin Mya. Victor got fire pit but it's been raining so darn much here (15 consecutive days of rain!) that he hasn't gotten to use it much lately. We've been listening to the Justin Timberlake station on Pandora and it's been life-changing. 

Perhaps I'll post again before another month passes by. No promises, though. 

Oh hey, Friday! | Randoms

For once, this past week FLEW by and it's already Friday! I'm looking forward to the weekend and having Victor home to help me do some baby prep. I am NOT looking forward to possible SNOW tomorrow...what the what?! Maryland weather needs to get with the program. It's spring, for cryin' out loud!

And now for my 5 things for this week. It's a mish-mosh.

1 |  Why is Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon all the live-long day? My kid likes Paw Patrol, but he LOVES Bubble Guppies. For some reason, though, they're very stingy with their Bubble Guppies episodes. I prefer the Guppies to the dogs since Guppies is a tad more educational than Ryder and his pups. I mean, they just had an episode where one of the guppies welcomes a baby sister...so appropriate for my little guy right now! More Bubble Guppies, Nickelodeon, please and thank you.

2 |  I was a total Mom-bie yesterday. If you read yesterday's post, you know that it was a dreary, rainy day here, and I didn't get much sleep the night before because Max was up several times due to teething. I showered but didn't wash my hair, then I just threw my hair into a ponytail, put on some lounging clothes, and went about my day. After trying to fold some laundry only to have Max unfold everything and throw it on the floor, I gave up and resigned to playing with Max and watching The Office once he was down for his nap. Today is a new day!

No mom-bie here today! I'm also a tad bit obsessed with this new shirt.

3 |  I may or may not have let Max enjoy some mini-M&Ms today after breakfast. Judge all you want. I had some, too.

4 |  Do any other mamas out there feel like they spend a sizeable portion of their day at the kitchen sink doing dishes? It drives me crazy how much time I spend there. It's possible that I hand-wash more than is necessary, and it's also possible that I should get over my distaste for seeing a sink full of dirty dishes and let them sit there until day's end so I only have to tackle the mess once...but I just don't think I have it in me.

5 |  I gotta get out of this house today, Perhaps Max and I will hit a local park and have a lunch date. Time is of the essence! Gotta get back well before naptime or else this could be our reality.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! Hopefully your area isn't expecting snow and you can get outside and enjoy spring!

Linking up with

Karli at September Farm

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Confessional Thursday | 4.7.16

Linking up with Jess at The Newly again for the weekly Confessional Thursday!

I confess...

+  I am SO looking forward to naptime today. Because I plan on napping myself. Max didn't sleep well last night (thank you, two-year molars), and even though he settled himself within about 5 minutes each time he woke up overnight (meaning I didn't have to go in to him), I was still awake when he was awake, so Mommy didn't sleep well either. Add to that the fact that today is rainy and gloomy and you have one drowsy mama!

+  Speaking of two-year molars, can those darn things just come in already?! We have been dealing with such a wide range of symptoms off and on for the past several months, and those teeth will pop out of the gums one day, then hide underneath them the next...such a tease! Our current symptoms are lack of appetite, chewing on his fingers/toys, and requiring Tylenol just to take a nap. Oh, and apparently taking forever to fall asleep at bedtime and waking multiple times overnight. Lord help me!

+  I've been re-watching The Office on Netflix, and can I just say #jimandpamforever??? I just love them, partly because they're just so adorkable (not a typo) and funny, and partly because they remind me so much of my good friends from college (my real-life Jim and Pam who have been married for almost 5 years and have a sweet baby girl--miss you, Amanda and Ross!!!). I never watched the show when it was on TV, and the first time I watched the entire series was on rented DVD seasons from Blockbuster when I first moved to Maryland, back in 2007/2008. I'm totally going to fall asleep to one of the season 4 episodes once Max is in his room. And, because it bears repeating, #jimandpamforever

+  M&M's don't stand a chance around me these days. They are my ultimate weakness.

+  I had big plans to start on baby girl's crib-rail covers today, but it's just not in the cards. Maybe tomorrow...

+  I'm still not sold on the pregnancy pillow that I bought months ago. I admittedly bought it prematurely as I was able to sleep on my stomach for much longer than I could when I was pregnant with Max--we're talking into week 28-ish I was still a tummy sleeper this time! Now I've been sleeping with the Boppy pillow every night, and I still have a love/hate relationship with it. Things I love: my hands don't fall asleep/go numb and tingly when I use it (they always would when I'd sleep on my side without it); I don't wake up on my back; it feels like you're snuggling something when you use it. Things I dislike: it's difficult to turn over to the other side when using it (although it's difficult to turn over when you're 3rd-trimester-pregnant even without needing to reposition a body pillow); it makes my head higher than the rest of my body, giving me some aches and pains; it makes me too hot (thankfully I have a little fan on my side of the bed to help with this).

+  The phrase "for the win" drives me bonkers for some reason. I have no explanation, it just bothers me.

+  I desperately need to reorganize my pantry and my hall linen closet.

+  I haven't watched Ellen in months. I feel like such a terrible fan. But I'm usually snoozing on the couch at 3 PM--or, on a really good day, I'm in the middle of being uber productive, so I just miss her.

+  I'm a little miffed at Neflix for taking the seasons of Curious George off their streaming service. So long, pre-bedtime wind-down show! Perhaps now's the time for a revamp of our "between dinner and bed" ritual...but I don't wanna!!!

+  I am in complete denial that we only have 7-ish weeks left before baby girl arrives (I'm 33 weeks today)! I've been great at washing all of her clothes as we acquire them and organizing them by size, and I love seeing all the pinks and purples mixed in with Max's blues and reds when I fold their laundry. But other than washing her clothes, we're still not totally ready. Time to whip the baby prep into gear!

A quick, eventful weekend

I hope you had a lovely weekend! So crazy that it's already April! Victor headed to Florida on Thursday for his brother's bachelor party weekend, so it was just Max and I...until my mom joined us for a 30-hour visit on Saturday and Sunday!

Max got his second hair cut in 2 months on Friday morning; he doesn't have very thick hair, but what he does have grows fast! This cut went better than the first, but he still isn't a huge fan of having his hair messed with. If we keep needing trims every two months, hopefully he'll warm up to them.

On Friday afternoon, Max, the dog, and I were playing in the backyard and noticed a swarm of carpenter bees around Max's playset. We had to settle for playing with bubbles and sticks that afternoon...and Max's "baby." He found his Itty Bitty Superman in his toy box and proceeded to love on it all day, caressing it, hugging it, giving it kisses and sharing food/drink with it. He kept referring to it as his "baby" and it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen.

On Saturday morning, Max and I headed to the airport to pick up my Mom for a quick weekend visit. She just got back from Arizona the week prior (after 6 weeks in The Grand Canyon State), and it's likely we won't be able to see her again until after baby girl is born. We'll take any visit we can get, no matter how short! On the way home from the airport, we stopped at the mall to return some shoes and to grab lunch, then we headed home for naps (we all took one!). After some backyard playing (carpenter bees weren't visiting on Saturday), the three of us headed to dinner for "chips and go" (chips and guacamole--Max would eat that every day if I let him) at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Max was ready to go get Gaga! See that blurry "baby" in his right hand? He came everywhere with us on Saturday.

We had some wicked winds here Saturday night into Sunday. I'm surprised we didn't lose power--there were sustained winds of 30-40 mph with gusts up to 60! I slept horribly Saturday night, expecting the power to go out, but it never did! However, I'm glad I brought our trash cans into the garage Saturday night because I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to find them if I hadn't. We also had several small tree branches down in our yard, but nothing too serious.

Max was up super early on Sunday, so we watched some Paw Patrol and Bubble Guppies before heading out to grab donuts and coffee. Then we hung around at home for the rest of the morning until naptime. All three of us napped again, and when we woke up, it was time to take my mom to the airport! Max loved having his "Gaga" here and cried when she got out of the car. It was so sad but so heartwarming at the same time. Sometimes I worry that he won't know my family as well as he knows Victor's since he doesn't see them as often; it was bittersweet to see him so sad to see my mom go.

After we dropped my mom off at one area airport, we had to drive 35 miles to another area airport to pick up Victor; traffic was horrendous and it took us over an hour to get to Victor (that's the DC metro area for you--ridiculous traffic, even on the weekend), so Max and I were in the car for close to 3 hours before we got back home. We were so happy to have Dada home, and Max even helped him unpack his suitcase, then moved the pile of dirty clothes to three different locations in the house. Such a good helper, haha!

We're all looking forward to being back to "normal" this week, and I'm hoping I can get some energy bursts to get some different projects completed around the house. Max is teething pretty fiercely right now (these two-year molars need to come in NOW! He's been dealing with these for months!), and he's started chewing on his headboard and side rails to relieve teething pain, mostly at naptime. I just ordered these to hopefully deter him from continually chewing on his hands/fingers, but I also need to fashion a better headboard cover for his bed (I moved his old crib rail covers to his headboard, but they don't fit perfectly and he's chewing around them). Can't wait till these teeth are in because then we're DONE growing teeth for a few years...until baby girl starts teething!

Have a great week, loves! Happy Opening Day for all you baseball fans...GO REDS!!!