Life Cycle Events

What a fun weekend we just had! My cousin Caroline has her Bat Mitzvah and all my Levine family gathered in Charlotte, NC to celebrate.  It was the first time I was able to attend a family function with my whole family (Brennan, Logan and Emmett) and it was so much fun! We were fortunate enough to have Emmett’s Baby Naming during services on Friday night as well.  Since we are living in Mississippi and were unable to have a Brit Milah (a ceremonial circumcision in the Jewish religion).  We opted to have Emmett circumcised in the hospital the day after his birth and just have a baby naming sometime after.  We were fortunate that Caroline let us intrude a bit on her special weekend to celebrate Emmett during her Friday night services.   

So at temple on Friday night our family was called up to the bimah (the stage at the front of the sanctuary) and Emmett received a blessing and his Hebrew name.

    :Emmett or אמת Meaning “Truth”.

 שלמה or Shelomoh (pronounced Sh-lo-mo): the Hebrew equivalent to Stuart…meaning “peace”.

The name Shelomoh has special significance because it comes from my father’s father who passed away this past February when I was pregnant with Emmett.  During the naming the Rabbi mentioned my grandfather and asked that many of his qualities be passed on to Emmett: leadership, love of Judaism, love of his family and friends and his competitive spirit.

Emmett also received a beautiful certificate to commemorate this special occasion.

On Saturday morning we went to synagogue again as a family and the kids were pretty good.  Logan played in the nursery and Emmett took about a nap for the first hour and a half.  After that I took him out to feed him and play with Logan who was in desperate need of his mommy.  We ate lunch a synagogue and visited with family.   

 

As is tradition in our family we reconvened at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) for the North versus South basketball game.  Before playing my dad aka “Papa” and stepmom “Mimi” took us to the pool where Logan had a blast playing in the water.  Brennan spent his time warming up for the big game”.  Since we didn’t have enough cousins on each side to play) an official north versus south game (thanks Hurricane Irene) all the men that were there split up and played to 11.  We think the north won.  

The boys took a long nap at home after our eventful morning and afternoon and were NOT happy to see a babysitter arrive at our house so that Brennan and I could attend Caroline’s party.  After attempting to calm Logan down we escaped Papa and Mimi’s house and arrived at the party.  It was so much fun catching up with family, havin’ a few drinks and celebrating Caroline’s big weekend.   

Me and the Hubby

This is my cousin Caroline - could you not die for her incredibly sparkly dress?! She looked like a princess!!

Unfortunately I received a phone call around 10pm from our babysitter that my little peanut Emmett was inconsolable and I made a beeline for home.  The poor thing had cried so much he was asleep when I walked in the door but immediately awoke as I took him in my arms.  He finally realized that it was his mommy and not another stranger holding him and calmed down.  I paid the babysitter and sent her home then took both boys upstairs (yes Logan was still awake thanks to that nap he took from 4-6pm that afternoon) and had everyone asleep by 10:45pm.  It was quite the busy day and I was happy to cut myself out of my dress, put on some pajamas and go to bed with my two little men. 

Side note – I was partying so hard at the party that my fabulous dress decided to burst open while I was on the dance floor…the zipper apparently decided it didn’t want to do its job.  Luckily my mother and grandmother were in attendance at the party and hand sewed me back into the dress.  Too bad I had to leave the party about 15 minutes later…oh well…totally worth it! 

Here are the boys in the adorable hats that we made at the party!! Great favor idea Caroline!!

One of the cutest parts of the weekend was watching Logan interact with the other kids at the event.  My cousin Caroline has two boy cousins on her mom’s side who were both much older than Logan but took a liking to him.  They were so incredibly nice and inclusive and Logan started referring to them as “his boys”.  When we came home from the brunch on Sunday he looked at me and said, “I had fun with my boys!” – How cute is that?! I was so proud of how well he behaved and of the connections he was able to make with children older than him.  Everyone was talking about Logan and “his boys” all weekend!!

Celebrating family was a wonderful way to kick-off our four week vacation in Charlotte.  Logan, Emmett and I will be here for another three weeks and are so excited to do all kinds of fun kid things around Charlotte while spending time with my family.  I’ll share more as the weeks go on…

August Update

I cannot believe August is halfway over!! Summer is winding down and we're preparing for a big trip to visit family for four whole weeks. We're super excited and although this means pulling Logan out of school for a bit, I  know the time with family will be totally worth it.

So here's my first official monthly update for you readers our there...(I'm keeping the hubby out of this due to his work) :)

Me, Myself & I

Emotionally:  Emotionally I’m feeling good this week.  Brennan was gone all of last week which made it pretty tiring, but he’s home now and I have some much needed help.  I’m almost 15 weeks out from having Emmett so I feel like things are almost back to normal. 

Physically:  Lately my arms are killing me! I lift the kids up all the time during the day so I know that’s part of it.  But the other part is that Emmett sleeps with me part of the night and I end up holding him up with my right arm because he isn’t comfortable alone in the bed or completely on top of me…I do use a pillow to prop him up, but still…it’s amazing how hard your body can work even when you’re asleep!!

Weight loss: Well I have about 10 pounds of baby weight to go.  Like I tell me friends, it took me 10 months to get that big, it’s not gonna go away over night.  (I gained 40 pounds with Emmett).  And although the YMCA that we belong to has childcare, your child has to be walking before they can go?! Who made that rule…aren’t infants easier than walkers? Anyway, I’m working on it and looking forward to being with family for four weeks so I can get some me time!

Logan - 30 Months, Week 3

Growin’ like a weed:

Size: Height: About 38” Weight: About 38.8 lbs...Percentile: 95^th…What this means: We’re slowly moving into the 4T clothing size held up by a whopping size 9 shoe (in toddlers).  I cannot believe how much he’s grown this year!

Teething: Logan is getting two of his three year old molars this week.  They’re barely pushing through and I cannot wait until we’re done with this!! It makes for a very unhappy little boy complete with tummy aches, tooth pain and many many trips to the bathroom if you know what I mean.  1 down, 2 comin’ in, 1 to go…then he’ll have all his baby teeth!! I can’t believe it!

Sleep: Logan sleeps about 11 hours a night...we’re still working on making sure it all occurs in his bed, but he’s beginning to sleep in his bed full time. 

New Skills:

Potty Training – Still in full swing…we’re working on him actually acknowledging when he needs to go and making it to the potty in time.  He is gradually telling us when he has to go and even getting on the potty all by himself.  This is very important to him and he really wants to do it all by himself…most of the time.   We have yet to conquer nighttime potty training…I don’t plan on doing this until we’ve completely mastered the day time.

Likes: Cars, Trucks, Singing Songs (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & Old McDonald), Tarzan, Jimmy Neutron, Fineas and Ferb, Fairly Odd Parents, pizza and noodles.

Dislikes: Being told no, going to the potty when he doesn’t want to, naps and someone running errands without him.

Emmett – 3 Months, Week 3

Growin’ like a week, too:

Size – Height: 25.5” Weight: 17.8 1/2 Percentile: 95^th…What this means: 6-9 month clothing…not sure on the shoe size but will be exploring this later in the week in preparation for our upcoming trip

Teething: We think we’re just beginning this wonderful journey through the land of acquiring teeth.  He’s chompin’ on his hands and starting to drool – I look almost daily to see if any teeth are coming in…none spotted yet.

Sleep:  Just this week we’ve moved to 1-2 feedings a night…though he only sleeps about 9-10 hours a night.  He ends up in our bed at some point during the evening, but sleep is well worth having children in my bed!

New Skills/”Firsts”:

Anxiously waiting for Emmett to roll over…he’s about half-way there and can roll from side-to-side when on his back.  And he recently rolled over from him tummy to his back...we're so excited to have a little mover on our hands soon!!

Emmett got his first hair cut!! The women in the salon just loved him in his little cape and his hair looks precious!! He did great, just sat there and smiled.  We got rid of the comb-over style he was sporting for a much fresher look!! Pics to come…

Likes: His brother, his mommy, his daddy, his play mat, toys that make noise, BOOKS and attention!!

Dislikes: Loud noises, not getting attention, and not moving while riding in the car

Laughter

The sweetest sound in the entire world is the sound or sounds that your children produce.  In the beginning it is the simplest sound - your babies heartbeat.  Every mom has that moment when they hear it for the first time - its like time stands still - like if you breath you'll miss it...Then that little person enters the world and you wait for their cry...that cry that tells you they've finally arrived.

After your baby is born you hang on their every milestone and wait patiently from week to week to see what he or she is going to do next.  For me I wait for their sounds. When Logan laughed for the first time it happened so fast I found myself doing anything I could to make it happen again.  Logan was not a noisy baby and so every time he made any type of noise (which I had to work for for hours on end) I was elated.

Emmett on the other hand has been a talker since birth.  For his first 48 hours of life he hummed the most magical noise only someone so new to the world could produce.  And from then until now he has voiced his happiness and frustration to anyone that will listen.  He makes noise when he sleeps, he laughs, he giggles, he squeals...he even makes noise right before he sneezes...and I hang on every single note that his little body makes and so does Logan, which makes it even more fun.  We both sit in front of him for hours trying to make him "talk".

(here's a small taste...most are on my phone and I have yet figured out how to get them off)

The most incredible thing about Emmett's noises are the ones he makes in reaction to his brother.  It is a bond that began the day Emmett was born and you can see it every time he looks at his big brother. Tonight I witnessed the most magical moment of pure joy between them.  We were all sitting on the couch together when Brennan started playing "Patty Cake" with Logan.  Every time they would get to the end and Brennan would say "...and put it in the oven for baby and me" Logan would laugh.  Emmett could not take his eyes off of Logan and every time Logan began to laugh, Emmett would laugh too!!  Brennan and Logan played patty cake over and over again and every time they got to the end Emmett would watch Logan start to smile and he too would smile and laugh and squeal.  It was the most incredible thing to witness! Brennan and I just looked at each other, sharing in a moment of pure happiness.

The Second Child

It started when I was pregnant with Logan.  All throughout my pregnancy people would ask me how it was going and kindly remind me that however my first pregnancy goes, my second will be completely different.  Then, once Logan was born people would ask me how he was doing - eating, sleeping, etc. - and would then remind me that my second child would be completely different.  I'd shrug it off and think that if I could raise one awesome kid I could certainly do it twice - don't the parents make the child?! Boy was I wrong!  I'm not saying that Emmett isn't an awesome kid so far, I'm just saying that they were right - the second child is completely different from the first!!

Here are some categories to describe what I mean:

• The Birth 
• Logan - Induction followed by 25 1/2 hours of labor - family waiting in the waiting room
• Emmett - Went into labor all on my own followed by 12 hours of labor - just me and Brennan

• Sleeping
• Logan - we discovered early on that the only way for us to get any sleep was to let Logan sleep on-top of one of us...this lasted until about 4 months when we were able to move him next to us in the bed and still achieve 8 hours of peaceful sleep
• Naps - had to be held but took 3, 2 hr naps until his 1st birthday...he hated his swing!
• Emmett - from the beginning we knew we'd have to put him down so he is still (at 14 weeks) only doing about 4 hours by himself in his crib...he then wakes up and I move him into bed with me...I am then able to get about 3-4 hours more sleep before he wakes up around 6:30am
• Naps - sleeps in his swing...thank g-d!! He can do a 3-4hr nap in that thing...but normally only takes 2 naps a day

•  Eating
• Logan - the model child for bottle feeding - ate exactly what he was supposed to when he was supposed to...and spitting up wasn't even in our vocabulary - this kid did not give food back!
• Emmett - still only eating 3oz at a time...and spits up (though not as much as he was)

• Pacifiers 
• Logan - LOVED them!! Finally got rid of them around 20 months!!
• Emmett - kind of likes them...he only takes them right before he goes to sleep or sometimes in the car

• Sounds
• Logan - I swear I thought he'd never talk.  He was a very quiet baby and we had to work really hard to get him to make any type of sound
• Emmet - Giggles, coos, laughs, squeals and snorts...has been almost since birth 

Well, since Emmett is only about 4 months old this is it for now...will keep you posted!

Braces

Well I have become a thirteen year old girl again.  Yes I have ventured into the world of braces as an adult.  It's something I have been considering for a long time and since I'm done having children...at least I'm 99% sure I am...I have decided I should begin working on myself, thus the braces.  Greenville is actually a great place to begin this journey because I really don't go out that much and my orthodontist (I can't believe I have an orthodontist) is AWESOME!! His name is Dr. Lee Engel and he calls me "baby cakes", which I think is super cute. 

The day I got my braces I wasn't too worried, the pain in my mouth had taken over and I couldn't really think about anything else.  When I finally saw myself in the mirror it hit me and the whole way home all I kept thinking was...I'm dating the cool kid in school and he's gonna laugh when he sees this! I picked up Logan from school before going home and the first thing he asked was "what's on your teeth" and "can I touch them?" to which I of course responded "braces" and "sure, why not"...he thought they were "ouchy".

As I entered my apartment Brennan was sitting on the couch with Emmett and asked me to smile - how embarrassed was I?! I finally showed them to him - he said they looked "cute" and "not that bad".  Yeah whatever! I guess I figured if I could be pregnant for 20 months of my life braces for 19 (maybe less) shouldn't be too big of a deal.  So my journey into having metal in my mouth for the next almost two years of my life has begun.  My only regret will be having braces in Emmett's 1st Birthday Pictures...a small price to pay to have the teeth and mouth I've always wanted.  Here's to the journey...and the wine that will get me through it!

Brand Snob

Before I had Logan I had absolutely no idea the difference between diapers.  I figured all brands were pretty much equal...boy was I wrong!! After trying many different diapers I have discovered that Pampers are the best.  (For those of you who have found salvation in other brands, congratulations, but I have not).  Anyway, from Pampers Swaddler's which actually catch all the poop and keep it in the diaper to Pampers Cruisers I have fully enjoyed being a brand snob.  I will admit that I tried the "cheaper" brands and hated them.  They were noisy and did not, I repeat did not hold anything in...but I tried.

Anyway, being a brand snob has its rewards because Pampers (and other brands which I will discuss in a moment) have rewards programs connected with their diapers, wipes, etc.  Who knew you could be rewarded for the what seems like millions of dollars you spend on diapers during your child's first approximately 3 years of life.  I discovered the Pampers Gifts-to-Grow program when Logan was about 5 months old.  All you do is register your codes found on the diaper packaging and voila.  Last year I was able to save around $90 on Shutterfly by using my reward points to purchase photo gifts for family!!

So you will understand my disappointment when I realized that Pampers did not make pull-ups in size 4T-5T (at least neither stores I shop at here in Greenville sell them).  I had already conceded to buying Huggies for nighttime diapers because again, Pampers didn't make their extra protection diapers in size 6.  I mean, it's not my fault my child is in the 100th percentile - shouldn't he be entitled to the best?! Anyway, after making the switch I discovered that Huggies also offers a rewards program and now my rewards programs are competing against each other in a battle to see who can offer me the best items for the least amount of points.  Those of you who know me understand the sheer joy I get from actually getting something out of something that again seems to be costing us millions of dollars a year.

I am trying to see how many points I can acquire prior to holiday shopping this year...so far I'm at 2,151 points with Pampers...if I get to 4,000 I could get Logan a bicycle - how crazy is that?! I don't even want to think about how much that means I'll have spent on diapers!! And with Huggies I'm at 153 points - not sure what the rewards look like, haven't had time to browse yet.

Thus I have learned that it pays, literally, to be a brand snob when it comes to baby items.  They say it costs around $250,000 to raise a child, not including college...at least we're getting something back...

The Rocking Chair

As I rocked Emmett to sleep this morning for the second attempt at a morning nap, I realized just how thankful I am for my rocking chair.  Although Logan claims the rocking chair is his, I definitely consider it my saving grace in this crazy household - the one piece of furniture I could not live without (along with my king-size bed, of course).  

Our rocking chair made its entrance into our lives about a month before we had Logan, who is now 2 1/2 years old.  It was the one "big" baby item we purchased for ourselves because I was convinced I needed the glider from Pottery Barn Kids.  It's funny when you're designing your ideal nursery, a place that will be turned completely upside-down once baby arrives, how you just need certain items, i.e. the sleigh glider with light green slipcovers.  Though this very expensive glider creaks more than I'd like, I could not imagine caring for babies without it.  

I began using the rocker at Logan's feeding time.  How peaceful it was to sit and rock...and try to keep an infant awake long enough to feed.   Even more, it was a cozy place for mother-son bonding and I couldn't have been happier gliding back and forth with my baby boy -- so happy, in fact, that soon after Logan's arrival, my rocking chair migrated from the nursery to my living room, where it would live until we moved.  I have spent countless hours feeding Logan and rocking him in that chair and it was my saving grace a million times over.  

When we moved last summer, we put the rocking chair in Logan's bedroom to use at night for story-time right before bed.  I loved cuddling up with Logan in that chair and rocking him while reading our favorite stories - Goodnight Moon, Hush Little Polar Bear and I Love You, Goodnight.  During sleep training, the first time (!?), I even found Logan asleep in the chair...he'd obviously chosen it for its comfort and reminder of Mommy.  The rocking chair was clearly "his" and he knew it.  So when I got pregnant with Emmett, though I picture a baby's room with a rocking chair, I didn't even think about moving our rocking chair into Emmettpecial s nursery -- I had simply and automatically made up my mind to leave it in Logan's room.  We had a baby swing which Emmett loved so why bother with the rocking chair? 

Enter the baby who fights sleep with everything he has...Emmett Stuart.  I can honestly say I've never seen a baby fight sleep the way this child does.  Though I am normally able to get him to take two solid naps a day, there are days when the excitement seems to be too great for him to want to miss any of it.  So about a week ago I decided that the solution to my problem and something I was definitely missing with Emmett was the rocking chair.  I didn't realize how much I missed that special bond Logan and I created when I held him in my arms and rocked him to comfort -- especially when the result is critical sleep.  So I convinced my husband to move some furniture around so that my rocking chair could be better utilized in our living room.  

What a difference it has made.  Life can be pretty frustrating when you're a part-time single parent like this coast guard wife is.  The rocking chair isn't just soothing for Emmett; it calms me down too.  Nap time isn't always easy, but my boys' rocking chair is worth its weight in gold for the comfort it has so lovingly provided us all.