teamwork--part 2

In action! And used for good, not evil!

chatter and teamwork

Sylvia and Rafa are now having full on conversations with each other. We love listening to the fun things they say to each other. We also love how much they are starting to help each other and sometimes learn to share.

We often tell the one who wants what the other has to ask nicely an wait until the possessor is finished. Sometimes that works. And the possessor is now learning that that means that they need to give up the prize possession. Of course it's good to see them do that under our instruction and watchful eye, but it's even better to see them share of their own accord. It doesn't happen often, but it's pretty magical when it does.

The increase in speech and interaction also means that they are starting to discover teamwork. Rafa really wanted a ball that was begun his crib. So, Sylvia went to help him by moving is crib. Until the leg hit the edge of the carpet. So, she asked Rafa to help and they tried together. While I love seeing the teamwork and cooperation form, I know I will pay for it later!...

Christmas card

One day we'll send out an actual, live, in your hands Christmas card. Maybe. Until that possibly fictional day, we'll hopefully manage to at least send an email card. I console myself a little by thinking that it's a green alternative. No trees wasted for the paper, no emissions for the delivery... Not to mention not having to lick envelopes! Ok, so maybe the real card won't happen. Ecards are the way of the future and we're just trendsetters, right? Ok, enough rationalizing. It took a whole day to get an email list together, since I didn't get the right contact list from my office and generally am terrible about keeping a current address book. Who has time for that?!

In any case, here is the photo that went out on our card.

Merry Christmas to all those whose emails I failed to gather for our card! And again to those I miraculously did include.

Christmas

I really enjoyed our Christmas this year. SylRafa aren't quite old enough to totally get it--my secret Santa recipient was Gong-Gong, so when it arrived at the house, I told them it was a gift for Gong-Gong. When we left for Oma and Gong-Gong's house, we told SylRafa that we were going to open gifts and they responded with "for Gong-Gong!" But, they definitely enjoyed the celebration. In part because they got to spend it with us and family. Christmas Eve is the day my family gets together. We had Christmas lunch and our gift exchange and went to church. We went to the service geared towards kids in which they tell us to expect lots of noise and not to worry about the squirming and the squealing. Which was perfect for SylRafa's first worship service. They did pretty well, but wanted to stand on our laps to see, didn't sit still for more than about 5 minutes, and generally were just 2-year olds. They didn't make much noise, though, as if they knew they shouldn't. They enjoyed the video about baby Jesus' birth and watched the band during the music.



Oma and Gong-Gong babysat the kiddos while D and I went back to church to sing in one of the candlelight services. We really enjoyed that and are grateful that they gave us the opportunity to sing again.

Christmas morning was very relaxed with Oma and Gong-Gong and because of their help, D and I got to get some extra Zs. That was probably the best Christmas gift we could have asked for! As we opened a few more gifts, Sylvia asked me where her cousins were, since they had been at Oma and Gong-Gong's house for the Christmas Eve gift opening. I'm grateful that we get to spend so much time with family to create these memories and bonds.

I asked Oma what they would traditionally do on Christmas Day and she said that they would generally go for a walk in the country. So, another tradition has begun (except that since SylRafa napped late, we just walked from the house to the neighborhood park).

We topped off the day with Christmas cookies with sprinkles.










As much as the kids loved them, they wanted to be sure that Mami y Papi also each got one complete with 'colors'. I will hold that sweetness in my heart that on Christmas they are embracing generosity and giving. Like the wise men.

Soon, we'll get to do Christmas all over again with D's family to create more Christmas memories and traditions and sweet little moments.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas party

The twins' mother's day out class had a little Christmas party! Nothing fancy, just a couple crafts and food. And of course food coloring.

escape artist p.s.

After D proudly encouraged Rafa to show me his new skillz, horrified, I let D know that he's in charge whenever the kiddos decide to let themselves out.

escape artist to be...

SylRafa are still sleeping in their cribs. I've tried time and again to reinforce that if they climb out, they'll fall and hurt themselves. Is love to keep them in there until they're 18...

And then today, D thought it would be fun to encourage them to climb out. So he did. And of course now Rafa can. I thought Sylvia would have him beat being more daring and taller. But, if she can't do something easily right away, she tends to give up and ask for help, while Rafa has some serious sticktoittiveness.

In any case, after last night and this new trick, we might have a naked son climbing into bed with us tonight. Or raiding the banana muffins downstairs.

sleep drama

We were so excited yesterday because we had all children in bed and ourselves at 8:30! We were hoping to catch up on some Zs. Hahahhahahhahahahhahahaa!!!! Breathe. Breathe. Hahahhahahahahahahahhahaaa!!

I had been bragging about how the twins were finally back to going to sleep without incident. Since the new baby, new nanny, new work schedule for mami, etc. had disrupted life, I thought we had settled into our new normal. Our early resting lasted about 2 minutes. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say all three children decided to have a meltdown each one right after the other so that at 9:39, we had a reswaddled, fed, burped and changed twice infant; a toddler who had two trips to the potty and a much longer than it should have been hunt for her lovie and a naked boy who decided to take off his pajamas (a skill which we are most often pleased he can accomplish) and was freaking out because he wanted to put it back on and therefore was still awake crying.

Maybe it was just one night. Is the moon full again?...

Tonight there were tears again (this time not from mami, too), but they didn't last more than 10 minutes. So far. Dare we try again or just stay up for the fun???

Note to self: no more bragging about the children. Ever.

dinner time!

SylRafa enjoy sitting on the counter while we prepare dinner so they can see what's going on. Last night D had a dinner event and I had lunch at 3, so when they also wanted to eat sitting on the counter, I let them since we wouldn't be sitting as a family to eat anyway. While that probably means I'll have a fight waiting ahead when I want them to sit at the table, it was really nice to have a meal without fuss.







Look at those curls!

shake that bootay!

table for two, please

The magic of twins is pretty wonderful right now. At least when they're not fighting over a toy or arguing about what to do. But mostly I'm cherishing how much they enjoy being together. Rafa decided not to eat with me at the big table and went to their little table. Sylvia joined him for a little while, then she got restless and relocated to the chair. So, naturally, Rafa followed. Hence the adorable table for two.


Check please!

We also took Rafa for his first haircut at a salon today. Or is it a barbershop? Anyway. We were all prepared with junk food, iPhone games, they had a TV, everything. But, he did great and didn't need any of it! Probably because he's still shy around strangers. Whatever the reason, what a relief it was!

my boy

He's growing up. Lately whenever he gets the chance, he puts both his hands in his pockets while walking. It's adorable. And makes him look so grown up! It's a good thing we have Thomas the Train to remind us.

wedding ready

We now have the requisite wedding slideshow photo.

playground

Playgrouds are so much fun! I think SylRafa could go every day and it would never get old. Why aren't there playgrounds for adults? I want to run around giggling and laughing with reckless abandon from one delightful thrill to the next.

4 months!

Here are the stats:

Height: 26" (80%)
Weight: 15lbs. 10oz. (51%)
Head: 16" (17%)

He has a body type similar to Sylvia, tall with a small head.

adventkalendar

One of my favorite Christmas traditions from my childhood was the Adventkalendar that we would get each year from Germany. It was part of a celebration of advent that our family enjoyed. It filled the entire Christmas season with anticipation for Christmas. We would light an advent candle every Sunday, sing carols and read about the coming birth of Christ. For a family that didn't attend church, we had an incredibly meaningful advent season that we cherished.

We haven't gotten our act together enough to be diligent about advent Sundays, yet (not that the kids would sit still for it anyway). But when we came across this Playmobile (which always reminds me of Germany) Adventkalendar, I couldn't resist!










This calendar came with a scene where we add the animals and pieces we receive each day.


The kids LOVE finding the door of the day, and seeing what's inside. And we love seeing their anticipation and delight at discovering each day's treasure.

'Tis the season!!

health update

We went to the ophthalmologist and learned that Rafa only has a corneal abrasion and it's already started healing, so not much to worry about. I enjoyed my morning with Rafa even under those circumstances.



He did really well at the doctor, even with all the prodding and lights and eye drops. I was struck by how much they are growing up. My babies are now children! Before leaving, I asked the doctor, "So... I have three children 2 and under. This is going to happen again. How do I know when I need to come see you and when it'll probably just heal on it's own?" Otherwise we'll spend all our days at doctors!

Sure enough, I get home and Oscar's little body is covered in a rash.



Fortunately, he's super happy and eating and sleeping and doesn't seem to be bothered by it. And, fortunately, I have our pedi's mobile number. :-). Otherwise, we might have been trekking back to another doc tomorrow. Turns out, it's likely a delayed hypersensitivity to his antibiotics for his ears. The good news is that he has finished enough that we can just stop the meds.

I wonder what Sylvia will come down with next?...

oh, what a day...

Let's start with last night.  D offered to let me have a night out and he would take care of the kids (big mistake!).  While I was away at a lovely concert with Oma, D got the kids ready for bed and then spent 2.5 hours listening to them scream.  Oscar was a mess and couldn't figure out if he was hungry or tired or something else.  We think the ear infections are under control, but of course he's also congested, so probably just has some general malaise. 

Sylvia was also a mess.  Out of control crying.  I think she's a little sleep deprived because she's a light sleeper and seems to wake up when Oscar cries at night.  She also wakes up of her own accord every once in awhile and cries.  In any case, last night was a mess.  When I got home, I went to her to reassure her that when Mami leaves, it doesn't mean I'm leaving forever.  She wouldn't go to sleep until I sat next to her crib and she held her hand out the bars and held onto my leg.  She's also been quite clingy lately, so I think she's still adjusting to the new nanny and my being back at work.  Plus, we were home for awhile because of the Thanksgiving holiday, so she has to get used to the routine all over again. 

OK, back to today.  I went to pick up the kids from school and we stayed to play on the playground.  That was my first mistake.  Rafa got pushed off a play structure by another kid.  He then got pushed down the slide by Sylvia.  He then fell off a rope ladder and got a bloody nose.  We get home.  And Sylvia decides to swing her arms with a plastic knife in one hand.  Of course she gets Rafa right in the eye...  Hopefully, it's just a minor abrasion, but we're going to the ophthalmologist tomorrow anyway to have it checked out.  Then, he was playing with the towel bar in our cabinet and Sylvia closed the cabinet door on his fingers.  POBRECITO!  What a day...

I'm returning the favor tonight and D is out at a holiday party. Thank goodness I chose the good night.  All the kiddos are quiet and I'm about to put my feet up and try to rest myself!  Ahhhhhhh...

poor third child...

So, we had a not so good week of sleep with little Oscar Iván last week. It prompted us to begin sleep training the little guy so he could put himself back to sleep when he woke up rather than needing our rocking, bouncing arms. Then, we noticed some liquid coming out of his ear... He wen to visit the doctor lady today and we learned that he has TWO ear infections. So, perhaps his wailing through the night was NOT because he didn't want to sleep and NOT because he didn't like that we had switched him to the bottle... Maybe it was because HIS EARS HURT! Yeah, we're not winning any parenting awards this week.

So, while SylRafa have yet to have an ear infection, #3 is making up for lost ground. [sigh] Poor kid. That's what happens when two snotty toddlers cough and sneeze on and caress their baby brother with germy hands.

This too shall pass. (mantra for the month)

the power of sleep

This isn't rocket science.  I am a much happier and pleasant person when I am well rested.  I am now convinced that one of the reasons Sylvia and Rafa are generally such good kids is because we've been very consistent about and protective of their sleep.  Until Oscar arrived.  Then, things started going downhill.  Partly because the extra variable through us off of our game plan.  And partly because when he doesn't sleep at night, NOBODY sleeps at night.  He discovered his lungs.  And oh boy, did he.  So, we've all been suffering. 

I thought it was mostly because I was tired and impatient with the kids.  But, no, they're also quite exhausted and tired of O not sleeping through the night.  One morning, after a particularly bad night, I got the kids dressed and ready for daycare.  As we were heading downstairs, she grabbed her lovie (nu-nu) and said to me, "Dormir?"  Uh, have you ever heard of a 2-year old asking to go to bed??!  She must really be tired... 

And then, we decided to start sleep training Oscar last night.  That was a good move.  After a few nights this week of 2.5 or fewer hours of sleep (and not in one go), we got to sleep for 6 hours last night!!!!!!  Woo hoo!!!  And, I guess it was also good for SylRafa because they were delightful today.  Just delightful. 

Here's hoping we all continue to get good sleep.  For, you know, at least 18 years or so...

time for sleep training

O was doing so well! And then... New nanny, bottles rather than nursing, formula, etc., etc.

And now he wakes up multiple times a night, again. We've discovered that he's not always hungry. He just seems to struggle to go back to sleep if he's not being held and bounced. Well, and then there are the times he's hungry.

So, maybe he misses suckling and momma time. Or maybe he's just getting accustomed to sleeping while moving (new nanny maybe uses the swing more?). He's also congested. And doesn't eat as well during the day any more. I'm sure there are myriad possible explanations.

Whatever the cause, I think it's time to sleep train. Wish us luck!!

:-)

O

It's a good thing he's so cute since he's decided sleeping isn't any fun at night...

the only constant

Is change.

After 4 days at Oma and Gong-Gong's house while plumbing work was done (thank you!!!!), we are back home.

Our new nanny came by for a few hours yesterday to get to know the house and the kids. She also took care of Oscar while we went to a birthday party - with an ice cream truck!





SylRafa took to her really well and loved playing with her. Here's hoping that transition continues to go well when we leave for work on Monday.

Oh, and I started work again last week. My new job is only 20-25 hours a week and I'm doing some legal work on the side as I have time and interest. It's wonderful.

Sylvia's hair is now long enough to do pigtails! Mami just needs to work on her hairstyling techniques...





Oscar is finally taking a bottle. But, he's super picky and the milk MUST be the perfect temperature. We'll hopefully break him of that one day, but for now we're grateful that others can feed him and I can start weaning hopefully soon. Now he just needs to learn to like formula...





He also went 10 hours between feeds last night! Unfortunately, it was between 5:30 and 3:30. Now we'll try to get him to stay up until 8/9 and make that his last feed. How marvelous if he starts sleeping from then until the twins wake up in the morning?! I will be a NEW woman.

We generally crave change, but since we've had so much lately, we're ready to settle down and get back to a little normalcy. At least for a few weeks.

catching up

I'm getting in trouble for not posting. So, here's an attempt to catch you up...

Our nanny quit. We have done 3 interviews and have one more tomorrow. 2 of the three sound like great candidates.

We started potty training the kids. Sylvia rarely has accidents. Rafa doesn't like to go to the potty with us, but is fairly good with random people. They both know when they new to go and can hold it a little if they catch it before it's an emergency. If say we're 90% there for daytime training. We haven't even started nap/sleep training. They get diapers then.

They have fought us often about the afternoon nap. Even when they're super tired. It drives me crazy. Mostly because I dread the evening when they haven't napped.

We started work on a wonderful from porch. It will soon be a dream come true. But not before jackhammers and hammers and drills interrupt many naps--especially mine!

Oscar has decided he doesn't want to drink from a bottle. Most of the time. We get him to do it a couple times which gives us confidence to go out and then he refuses again while we're out, driving our sitter mad. I hope he'll figure it out soon because a new nanny for the twins will be challenging enough...

All that drama aside, Sylvia and Rafael have learned to jump off two feet. They talk all the time. They are starting to want to do things by themselves. Although they use asking for help as a way to get us to pay attention to them more. They also use going to the bathroom as an excuse to stay up later for both naps and at night.

Today's funny story was during another epic nap time battle. Sylvia was crying her heart out. The kind of wail that our neighbors undoubtedly heard inside their homes with rivers of years that surely would go on for minutes. Then she stopped abruptly and said, "Sylvia llora como un cerdo!" "Sylvia cries like a pig!"

Oscar is super smiley and returns giant open mouthed smiles readily. He's also starting to rub off or lose his dark hair. So, we'll have to see what color it grows in as. His eyelashes are dark, so it'll likely be dark, but some of the new little hairs are a little lighter.

There are some days when everything seems completely overwhelming and there are a million things to do. And then I pause and tuck that list away and throw myself into making play dough worms or imitating goofy animal voices or dancing the hokey pokey or tickling or singing or drawing or wrestling. And then life seems simple. And joyful. And perfect.