Success

Tuesday: Hope took 1 oz all day at daycare.
Wednesday: I sent a dropper to daycare, but Joan didnt have to use it bc she finally took a full bottle at 4pm! We will just have to wait and see what happens on Thursday.

I am really liking my job. I cant wait until "treatment" starts and I will get to work directly with parents and their kids every week..so fun! I am so excited because I get the opportunity to learn new skills in counseling and approach weightloss eduation in a more "theraputic" way. I did some of this in my old job in working with adults, but this is so much more intense. I love learning new ways to become a better teacher and educator.

I worked until 9 tonight so it was Beau's first night to have the kids all by himself from daycare to bed. When I walked in and sat down he looked at me and said, "whew, that is hard!". I said, "two kids, uh, yeah!". It gets easier though and we wouldnt change it for the world.

Al's First Picture

Al colored this for me while I was at work today, and I just think he did such a good job!

My First Day

This little baby was NOT happy with me going to work. She refused to take more than 4 oz all day from a bottle and grandma graciously witheld that info from me until I was on my way home. At which point I started crying and couldnt get home fast enough. This kind of thing makes working so hard.
Despite all of Hope's sadness, I had a great day and I really think I am going to like this job. Al was perfect for Grandma and is getting sweeter by the day.
Here is how we read at night sometimes if all the babies are awake...


And the below pictures are for Abby who thinks that Hope and Al look alike... this proves that she is crazy.

Sleeping

She didnt sleep at all yesterday. ( I have never met a 2 month old that could stay awake for so long! She did take some cat naps here and there, but those dont count in my book bc I had to be holding her for her to fall asleep. Today, however, she seems to be making up for it. She is napping beautifully.

Reality Sets In

My sweet babies. Al loves Hope so much and she is starting to get less offended by his unintentional jabs when he is trying to lay next to her or the hugs that require him to lay the full weight of his head on her belly, or the kisses that leave her face full of saliva. But he is just so great to her, really. This T-Rex "dina-saurs" night shirt is his favorite right now by the way.

I cant believe I am going back to work next week. Starting a new job is so exciting and so stressful. I think most of my current worries reside with the unknown of my hours. I want to know that I will get to kiss my babies goodnight every night and that may not happen with working until 9 some nights. I know they wont remember these days of their lives, but I will. These are my memories that are being made right now. Tears are all that I have when I think of work right now. It will get better and I know it wont be as bad as I am making it out to be right now, but now I just feel like being sad. It is actually the first time I have been sad at all really. I dont think that full time house mom is right for me, and ultimately I want the best of both worlds; but I am just so sad right now.
Hope is not taking a bottle anymore; she was never very good at it in the first place, so I shouldnt be surprised. I just have to tell myself that she will be okay. she will be okay. she will be okay. not working. I have been through this with Al, but it doesnt make it any easier this time.
Enough with the sad stuff... this is going to be a fun week for us. Today we went to Lafayette Park and Forest Park to play on the playgrounds and Al was so tired by the end of the day that he closed his eyes on the swings at Forest Park and almost fell asleep. We are also going to go to The Magic House and the Zoo sometime before the week is over! Last Hoorah!

St.Patricks 5 Mile Run

Since I moved to St.Louis, I have realized first that there is a St.Patricks Day (no, we dont really care about this one down in TX) and second that people here LOVE to celebrate it. We have done this run since I moved here, missing only one year, and we have such a good time. No, I didnt chop my hair into a boy-cut.

Nursing

Here are the strange places I have nursed Hope in the past couple of weeks: (Beau would be mortified)
1. In my desk chair at OFS
2. At the dentist while sitting in the dentist chair
3. On the airplane next to a really nice man
4. In the booth at Culver's while helping Al and eating a butter burger (yum)
5. In the parking lot at Gregg's bar (Beau wouldnt let me do it in the bar... such a prude)

My BIG Baby

Prior to this week, Al and I have felt very couped up in the loft... so he found ways to entertain himself...

Awake and Happy

I may be awake at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, but at least this happy face is what I have to contend with... How could I be upset when she is so smiley?

My New Starts

I started a workout regime on Monday. This is nothing like it used to be, and my one mile run each night is humbling. (the past has no impact on my abilities today apparently) But, I can now empathize with the contestants on The Biggest Loser. And, I finally understand why someone would want a trainer. My goal is to do this at least five nights a week and increase my milage every 1-2 weeks.
I got a new job. It was my time to move on and I found a wonderful opportunity that I couldnt turn down at Wash U doing research in a study focused on childhood obesity. I am so sad to leave Operation Frontline and Operation Food Search behind... I have been praying about this one for weeks now and I know I made the right decision.
And that is all for now, we shall see what the future holds. I have a feeling 2010 is going to be a good one.

The English language by Al

"Ah-May"= Airplane
"Al-burt"= Albert
"Guk Tuk"= Dump Truck
"All D"= All done
"no"= no, he has that one down
"waaaan"= one
"kive"= five
"gake"= shake (milk and yogurt shaken together)
"cake cake"= pancake

Hope is Two Months, wow

We went to the dr today... 11 lb 2 oz and 23 3/4 in. (50th %tile across the board)
She also has a double ear infection from the cold, poor baby! But I am hoping the antibiotics will get her feeling better and back to sleeping through the night!
She is smiling regularly now and quite awake.
When do kids get on a schedule? This no schedule stage is the best, so easy to go and do whatever!

This is all I got folks...

I went to TX bare bones and no camera. Here is Al at the lake holding his very first lizard. Taken from aunt Shelia's Blackberry bc, of course, Nana left her camera with Kristi at the Olympics! What luck.

And how's this for luck:

Went to the airport... forgot to load the stroller, one strike. (this means toddler on the loose) Called ahead to make sure Beau could get a pass to come to the gate with me since I was traveling for the first time with both kids and they said sure!... ticket counter lady obviously has never had two children 17 months apart, no way Beau is getting through security...two strikes. Hope gets sick in TX, stops eating, sleeps all day, starts running a fever on Wednesday and is in the ER by Thursday morning...three strikes! (she is fine, just a cold, apparently babies her age dont usually run fevers so the dr's office was very concerned and told me to get her to the ER "now")

The trip was super fun, but probably the most stressful trip to TX ever. We are hoping for a less eventful weekend when we go back in May!