Graduation Gifts

Recently while traveling to Mobile, Alabama for a wedding, Steve and I had the great idea to begin giving our children college t-shirts from the places we had traveled.  These t-shirts (and onesies in Jack's case) will serve dual purposes -- as souvenirs for the kiddos and as a future high school graduation gift.  We are hoping to put together college t-shirt quilts with all of the tees.  Who knows, perhaps the kids' future college will be amongst the t-shirts that create the quilts.  Don't worry, there will DEFINITELY be some maroon and gold Gopher representation!


Today, both kids were dressed in their Alabama (or "Gamagama" as Reagan calls it...Roll Tide!!) gear.  Reagan took a little coercing, as she announces every morning that she is either wearing Cookie (her Cookie Monster pajamas) or "dots" (her favorite GAP dot leggings) paired with either her "pink" (t-shirt that says "perfect" on it) or "cats" (her favorite pink GAP cat shirt).  For a two year old, she is incredibly persnickety about what she wears.  She's even requesting which type of diaper (Cookie diapers) she wants to wear; it's enough to make me want to potty train her NOW!!!!  I read last night that one parent calls the morning fight "drestling", a combination of dressing and wrestling and found it the perfect description of my morning battle with Reagan.  So far, I'm "winning", as most days she wears an outfit that matches and I've only sent her to school wearing pjs one day (and they were clean pjs that she hadn't slept in).  I'm learning how to negotiate with my dressing diva (and how to hide the dreaded outfits that we seem to wear every day).   


Jack, on the other hand, happily wore his 'Bama onesie...until lunch.  After a quick mid-morning snack, Jack and I headed out to Schaumburg to meet Shelly and the kids for lunch.  Upon arriving at the Cheesecake Restaurant and picking Jack up out of his car seat, I found he had filled his pants and then some, leaving a special surprise on his onesie and in the car seat.  Making a rookie mistake, I was flying fast and loose and traveling sans diaper bag.  Luckily, the momma instinct in me had an emergency stash of diapers and wipes in the car (if you don't have one, I highly recommend it to any parents--it has been a life-saver on more than one occasion).  I headed back out to the car and retrieved my stash, stripped Jack in the ladies room, salvaged the 'Bama onesie loosing only the long-sleeved undershirt.  So, a little less clothed, we returned and enjoyed our lunch.  Now, after a mid-afternoon snack, a bath and a costume change, Jack rests in his crib, getting ready for his trip to Nani and Grandpa's house!


So here was where the cute picture of my kids in their Alabama gear was supposed to go but that will have to wait till another day!

Reagan-isms and Jack's new tricks

Before we forget, here's a list of the funny things that Reagan has said/done recently:

• Reagan: "I want to watch Cars". Momma: "I need to go outside to the car to get Cars". Reagan: "Go fast!"
• Momma to Reagan at Target: "I don't want to see you open those Goldfish until we buy them." Reagan: "Momma, close your eyes".
• Momma to Reagan driving with Reagan: "Keep your eyes open for more tunnels" to which she did the following:
• Reagan to Momma, while wiping Momma's face: "Momma, I can't get the chocolate off of your face" (meaning she couldn't scrub the moles off of my face)
• Momma to Reagan: "Jack doesn't want his pa-pa (pacifier) right now". Reagan: "Why?!?!"
• Reagan: "I'm watching Cars in the CAR!"
• Momma: "Do you love Jack?", Reagan: "Yes, I love jackets"

Jack has had a BIG week...

I swore that I would never be the momma who spent time sharing poop stories with people but...

Jack's personal diaper filling schedule took a turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago. He went from typical newborn "poops in every diaper" timing to nothing. First stretch was 4 days, then another 5 day stretch and finally last Monday, it had been a whole week. At first the concern was only mild but as each stretch got longer it grew. After calling our pediatrician, we headed into see what was up. Minds eased knowing that everything was fine and he would take care of business when he needed to, we stopped at Target. As we rounded the corner on the diaper aisle, a fitting event blew through Jack's pants and he looked up at me and smiled his sweetest and most contented smile.

Last week Jack began smile. Not the "I just had gas" or reflex smiling but a true, "I think you are really funny smile". To balance out that smile, he's also found his cry (I think he is trying to compete with Reagan's pipes) to let us know when something is not to his liking. His cries are still few and far between but he's not afraid to use it as necessary.

This week Jack discovered both his hands and his voice on the same day. Much to Reagan's amazement he doesn't seem too interested in his pa-pa's and now spends his waking time loudly sucking on his hands. When not filled with his little hands, he smiles and coo's in the cutest little voice. I know I am biased but I can't think of anything sweeter than my little man's little voice. While Reagan is a set of pipes to be reckoned with, Jack is a quiet chatter.

We're attempting the drive back to MN again next weekend to attend Ashley's first dance recital and Amy's party to celebrate her finishing her MBA. Are we crazy? Possibly...

The Second Child Shaft?

As we drove home from Target today and Reagan hollered at Jack from her throne in the backseat, "Hold on buddy, we're almost home", it occurred to me that we might be witnessing the backlash of the dreaded "second child shaft". The "second child shaft" is inevitable slide from by the book, "perfect" parenting, where every decision and action is meticulously thought-out, planned and analyzed to rear the most well-adjusted, developmentally advanced child.

With Reagan we followed books, listened and sought out advice from anyone who might have an expertise from pediatricians to people who had the misfortune of becoming parents before us and ensured that we were 100% focused on her as long as she was awake. She rarely spent time alone in her crib while awake (a mistake that would cost us many nights of sleep later in life) and we took turns eating meals so that she didn't have to sit in her swing. I cried when I accidentally clipped her little finger while clipping her nails, as she wailed about the injury and baths took at least an hour, as we gently ensure every nook and cranny was sanitized.

With Jack, as evidence by my eldest child's proclamation on the way home from Target, one of my most common phrases directed towards that beautiful little boy is, "Hold on buddy", followed by, "Momma will be there as soon as she finishes [insert whatever task I am attending to at the moment]". I clipped his little finger the other day while clipping Jack's nails and didn't notice until the wound was completely scabbed over -- he never said "boo" about the accidental clip and Jack's baths are a quick 5 minute activity that involves the whole family--Reagan all up in Jack's business washing his legs, Sammie lurking around the baby tub trying to get at the toys and me quickly ensuring that we are scrubbing the grime off my little boy (I think Reagan's contribution of leg washing probably yields the cleanest body parts!).

Thankfully, we have been blessed with the ultimate gift in a baby, a good-natured, easy-going, sweet and patient boy. He quietly and sweetly smiles a serene gummy smile at me from his bouncy chair, as I quickly wisk away a mess made by hurricane Reagan and politely asks to be fed with another smile and some quiet foot kicking. While he certainly loves to cuddle into anyone's arms who is willing to hold him, he will also lie contentedly in his crib watching the Gopher mobile rotate above his head. Will he remain this accommodating as he grows, who knows but for the time being we are enjoying and hopefully not taking advantage of my sweet little man's pleasant disposition, as he quietly takes his place as my shafted second baby.

What is the best way to get two children under 3 to MN?

We tackled this question head on last week as we traveled to Minnesota to visit family and friends. Our last trek back to Minnesota had us arriving in the wee hours of the morning and Reagan not in the least interested in going back to sleep. Two exhausted parents decided we could no long leave after work on a Friday to make the 6 hour drive.

Fast forward to last week...we forgot that we said we couldn't do it again. Leaving shortly after 4pm, we drove to New Berlin to feed the kids dinner and change them into the pjs at Steve's parents' house. Refueled and ready to go, we popped in a "Cars" into the DVD player (thank you Berrys!) and headed out. Jack ate a bottle in his carseat and Reagan watched "Cars" twice before conking out. I dozed in the back seat wedged between two carseats, while Steve played chauffeur in the front. We arrived in Apple Valley after 1am and to our surprise, Reagan AND Jack were not interested in going to sleep and both Steve and I were dead tired.

While our trip began a little rocky, we enjoyed a great week visit. We met Kim and Dave Behrens' new baby, Owen on Saturday. Sitting next to Owen, Jack looked like Baby Huey. Crazy what a difference 6 weeks makes! We spent Saturday afternoon with a couple of Park Tavern Buffalo Chicken Pizzas, a Byerly's sheet cake and some of our besties, The Berrys and Anna Taff & Tony Burton. The kids had a blast and we enjoyed some QT with our friends.

Sunday we spend Easter with my parents and my sister in AV. Reagan hunted for Easter eggs and had "M's" (M&M's) for breakfast. The day was beautiful, allowing for some outdoor play time and steaks on the grill for dinner. Reagan's Easter basket was so full some of the stuff had to sit on the floor in front of it. The favorite item in it was the Cookie Monster pajamas and of course the M's.

Steve flew home Monday morning to work for the week. During the week I saw my favorite hair stylist, Shawn Laske and Uptown Hair District (I know, I should find someone in Chi-town after almost 3 years but I just love Shawn), had lunch with Amy Thie at the Good Day Cafe, met Tara Ann Finn at the 'Bou for coffee and had an awesome playdate at the Gabbey house with the Gabbey boys and Carla, after which Reagan proclaimed, "I like boys". Heaven help us, I'm not sure we are ready for that statement yet! On Friday we headed out to Wayzata to go to the Oh Baby outlet and walk around. Unfortunately my fancy new Phil and Teds stroller was too fancy for me, as I could NOT figure out how to unfold it. Mind you, I folded it up so you'd think I could unfold it but no dice. Then my mom and dad tried. Still no dice. By now Reagan is practically in tears because she REALLY wants to ride in the stroller. Sorry kiddo, you'll have to walk. It took a stop into a bike shop to get the darn stroller open...

On the back end of our trip, we decided to re-strategize the drive. We ate lunch and left shortly after 1pm hoping to get to our house before bedtime. However a 45 minute stop in Tomah, where I flashed a parking lot full of Wal Mart shoppers as Jack had an afternoon snack, caused our ETA into New Berlin to be a lot later than we anticipated. Being the excellent parents that we are, we picked up McDonalds dinners (complete with shamrock shakes) and headed to Steve's parents house. Reagan downed the shake, showed little interest in the chicken nuggets and decided bedtime was OVERRATED. We stayed the night there and headed back to Deerfield after nap on Sunday.

One of these trips we'll figure out the best mode of transportation for a family of four with two little ones below the age of 3. Next up, we're flying to Kansas City with two kiddos, car seats and all of our stuff. Watch out KC, you don't know what's about to hit you!

Inspired

Clearly, despite my degree in English, I struggled with balancing the chores of a working mom and the task of recording the on-goings of our family. Since we've recently expanded our family, I thought that this might be an ideal time to find a little inspiration and bring everyone up to speed.

In the past year, Reagan has done AMAZING things by this parent's standards. She went from

small wobbly steps in December to running (sometimes in a 50-yard dash style across parking lots!!)

this past spring. She moved into the Toddler room at daycare and seems to be ruling the roost.

Lots of "leadership" with the other children, dancing and artwork is a typical day for Miss Reagan.

She's taken an active interest in picking out her own clothes (We hear, "Reagan do it" most of our

mornings) and has a keen interest in shoes. Thankfully, we've stayed one size behind Ashley Berry,

so we are the lucky recipients of adorable hand-me-downs that keep her stylin' every day of the

week. She still loves hotdogs and mac & cheese and has found a new love of ice cream. Last week

we tried chocolate milk, which was a big hit. Interests include football (which applies to all sports

events), the Gophers (which applies to all sports teams), riding bikes, wagon rides, stickers and trains.

Elmo has been bumped from his top dog spot, replaced by Cookie Monster.

February marked Reagan's 2nd birthday. We had family and friends out to our home in Deerfield

to celebrate at her Hungry Caterpillar party. We ate our way through the contents of the

Caterpillar's meals and finished off with cupcakes and cake from Sweet Mandy B's. To mark her

big girl status, we moved her into her big girl room and and big girl bed. She loves her room

and her newfound freedom to get out of bed whenever she wants. We started having to take

away her babies to encourage her to stay in bed. A few weeks into this, we went upstairs to

put her back in bed to see her door fly open and all of her babies fly out of her room, so she

could, in her words, "Take away so Reagan get out of bed". It's amazing how the mind of a two

year old works.

In March, we welcomed Jackson (Jack) Henry Chappell into the world and Reagan took her

place as big sister. Jack has proven to be an extremely easy, laid-back baby. We're still working

on correcting Day-Night confusion but other than that, we have been blessed with a good-natured

second child. He quickly overcame jaundice and eats like a line backer. At two weeks, he'd gained

over one pound, topping out at just over nine pounds. We're quickly approaching 6 month sized

clothes and retired the newborn clothes almost immediately.

.

Last weekend the Berry Family came down for a visit. The kids enjoyed hours of playing together

and skipping naps. We had a great time catching up with Scott and Megan and began talking

about Adult Spring Break 2012. I think Jake is ready for Jack to get big so that he has someone

to play with too! Wings, crowns and high heels dominated the afternoon and everyone enjoyed

dancing with Mickey Mouse.

A gentle nudge to post something new...

New year, new blog post...

Reagan is quickly approaching her first birthday and does an incredible amount of amazing things...or things that are amazing to momma and daddy!

Reagan:

• Walked the first week in December at 10 months
• Eats food like a champ--LOVES hotdogs
• Hugs Elmo on command
• Signs "all done" to signify that she does not want anymore of what we are feeding her
• Has the CUTEST pigtails in the world
• Fully embraces bubble baths (see picture below)
• Does her "cute" face when asked
• Survived her first bout of stomach flu
• Has 3 teeth; 1 snaggle tooth on the top and 2 on the bottom
• Had her first Christmas in Minnesota
• SLEEPS through the night (most nights)

We are gearing up for her birthday party in February and can't wait to see her eat cake!

Here are a couple of pictures of our little diva:

We're back! And Reagan is almost 9 months!!!!

After several months, we're back! It's been a busy fall, traveling back to MN for Gopher football at "The Vault" (aka TCF Stadium), fall visitors and a long weekend in Cancun. Reagan is growing by leaps and bounds and is now topping out at almost 20 lbs. She is eating lots of different foods and we are anticipating adding finger foods to her diet. She is standing and pulling herself up and is busy cruising around all of the furniture. Much to the dismay of Sammie, Reagan is a speed demon in crawling mode. Sammie's favorite time of day is when Reagan goes to bed...just like the old days...

In October, Robin, mom and I took a long weekend trip to Cancun to relax in the sun, drink fruity cocktail drinks and enjoyed some relaxing, RESTFUL night's sleep. The weather was great, the food plentiful and the drinks perfect. While Reagan was missed, I believe the phrase is "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...

During one of our trips to MN, Reagan went to the Minnesota Zoo with Nani and Aunt Robin. Though the animals were some what interesting to her, she did enjoy her time with Nani and Robin. The trip tuckered her out though!

Finally, Reagan enjoyed her first Halloween, dressing as a Sock Monkey. We breathed a sigh of relief when we put her into her costume, as we were a little fearful that she might not fit into it at the rate that she was growing. Though a little wary at first, she soon found it easy to cruise around waving her tail around.