Bodie's First Sleepover

Bodie has lots of terrific qualities - happy kid, great giggler, incredible spit blower. He's a skilled toy chewer, fierce mobile hitter, and a talented squealer. One skill, however, Bodie has yet to acquire is that of a good sleeper.

We read the books, took everyone's advice and began our week-long sleep boot camp which ended up being the least productive thing we've done in a long time. We left him alone the first night - never taking him out of the crib - and he stayed awake TEN straight hours. He went from waking up once or twice a night before sleep camp, to waking up every hour by the end of the week. The kid has a will of steel. Needless to say, our quest for good sleep continues.

So when the Oliphant Family bravely volunteered to take Bodie for the night, we got Bodie's pj's on, grabbed his blanket and off we went - no tears, no drama, just "see ya later mom." (I guess I was sort of hoping for a little sadness, but alas none was had.)

Bodie clearly had a ton of fun, he was all smiles when I picked him up then crashed out on the 10 minute car ride home. No doubt he showcased his ability to stay awake throughout the night - sorry Oliphant's, we owe you big time! THANKS!

50%

Lots of people have been asking if my mom went back to work, so I thought I'd catch everyone up to date. The answer is yes, but part time. Last week she started a 50% schedule and loves it. She said the last time she worked only 20 hours a week was in high school (which I think was a really, really long time ago - but don't tell her I said that). She works Mondays and Tuesdays and a half a day on Thursdays. Some of that time she works from home, which is awesome.

So what happens to me when everyone is at work? Good question, and thanks for lookin' out. I go hang out at Amy's house. Amy is a super cool mom with three kids and an 85 pound dog. I'm the littlest of the bunch, so the bigger kids are teaching me lots of cool stuff. We hang out at the park and as soon as I'm big enough, I'll be climbing the monkey bars, but right now I can fit through the monkey bars.

Our week is pretty fun. My dad goes in a little later on Monday and Tuesday mornings and drops me off at Amy's. Then my mom picks me up in the early afternoon. Wednesdays and Fridays we're all about play time, and Thursdays I get to be at home and at Amy's. It's a pretty perfect set-up.

With my mom's new schedule we're looking for some weekday play dates, especially once the pool opens next week. So let us know if you're available!

Unforgettable

This past weekend we got to celebrate the life of our friend Hans. A year ago, Hans died unexpectedly at the too-young-age of 39.  If you've known me in the past 15 years, it's hard not to have met Hans. We were roommates in Georgetown for seven years and close friends ever since. Hans was just part of my every day life. He watched me grow up in my twenties, helped me find laughter in my toughest moments, and genuinely celebrated when I met and married Dave.What made that celebration even sweeter was he too, met and married his soul mate during the same time.

On the year anniversary of his death, his widow taught us all a lesson. Instead of being bitter at loosing her best friend after just six weeks of marriage, she chose to celebrate the man she loved. She took a painful, unexplainable situation and made us all feel a little bit better. She read this poem and it fit the mood perfectly:

You can shed tears that he is gone

Or you can smile because he has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back

Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see him

Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember him and only that he is gone

Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
- David Harkins 1959 - Silloth, Cumbria, UK

We're already sharing Hans stories with Bodie - he was a true one-of-a-kind, and just typing his name brings a smile to my face. Thanks for the unforgettable memories my friend. I look forward to our joyous reunion in Heaven.

A Weekend of Firsts

This weekend began with my first swim in a swimming pool. I got all decked out in my new swim shorts and shirt from my Grandma. I've been growing, so my shirt not only showed off silhouettes of my biceps, but also allowed my belly to poke out - I hear the ladies dig that. Then we headed to the pool - it was the biggest bath tub I have ever seen. My dad scooped me up and began walking into the pool. I heard him say to my mom, "Any instructions? I guess I shouldn't let go of him, right?" Um yeah dad, please hang on to me, I don't think this swim diaper has a floaty attached to it. I loved it. I even dunked my own face into the pool twice - that water sure tastes funny.

Then Sunday was Mother's Day. This was my mom's first Mother's Day and she was really happy and stuff. My dad and I made her breakfast (I mainly supervised) and then she opened a bunch of cool gifts - running clothes, pink golf balls, new clothes, and I gave her a pair of shoes (though I'm not entirely sure what shoes are, my dad promised me it was a good gift and she seemed excited). We spent the rest of the day at church, with friends, and then went for a stroll. While I've never been alive for a Mother's Day before, I've got to say, this one seemed pretty perfect.

I wrapped up my weekend with my first solid food - a banana. And while I'm told "solid" is a bit of an oxymoron because the thing was so pureed I could have sucked it through a straw, it still counts. The spoon touched my lips and sha-zam! I was in love. I grabbed that spoon, squealed and flung food in every direction - it was awesome. I ate every last bite of that delicious banana.  All in all, this weekend of "firsts" was a blast. I wonder what we'll do next weekend!

Morning Ride

I snapped this photo of Dave as he took off on an early morning bike ride. The picture says it all - he's happy. It is so fun to watch someone you love, loving life.  When I got back from my workout, I found Dave and Bodie having guy time - Dave had rescued Bodie from Baby Boot Sleep Camp (an update on that in a minute). They were snuggled up in our bed, fast asleep with smiles on their faces. While Dave is not always a morning person, he quickly jumped out of bed and decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather for a fast morning ride before work. His last comment as he road off was, "We can take a family ride together this weekend." Bodie has no idea what adventures he's signed up for...

Speaking of adventures, we've just completed night four of Baby Boot Sleep Camp and Bodie is still winning.While we don't take him out of his crib, he's decided he doesn't need sleep. And if he's awake, he figures we might as well all be up. For some reason, he was exceptionally vocal this morning, but I stuck to my guns and did what the books say and didn't go in the room. When I finally did get him, I found him on his belly - he had rolled over and was stuck. He's never rolled over before so this was a big surprise. Fortunately he gave me a big smile when I picked him up. I guess we're still friends, even if I did leave him stranded on his stomach for who knows how long. We may be loosing a few battles in this boot camp, but we are determined to win the war!

It's Baby Boot Sleep Camp for Bodie

So the time has come and we've dedicated this week to "teaching" Bodie how to sleep through the night AND nap in his crib. For starters, we fully acknowledge we have bitten off more than we can chew. Bodie has always been a good sleeper - correction - he's always been a flexible sleeper. He learned to sleep in lots of environments when he was first born, so we took advantage of what seemed to be a perk. We take him anywhere, anytime and he'll hang out. Then when he's ready, he falls asleep in even the noisiest places. Once asleep, he's tossed in a bouncy seat, in his car carrier, on a couch, on the floor - whatever is closest (but rarely a crib). We've appreciated his flexibility, but we are now paying the price.

We decided Bodie really should know how to fall asleep in his crib and stay there until morning. And while we're at it, why not just add the "afternoon nap in the crib" issue too. So far, Bodie is winning. While we are committed to not picking him up once he's in the crib, he's got the will of Superman. He stayed up almost twelve straight hours, rather than simply doze off in his crib. And when we went to get him, he simply smiled - the little rascal. He's a competitor, that's for certain.

Lisa has already conceded on today's afternoon nap and decided he could nap in his bouncy seat - he fell asleep in less than 2 minutes and was out for two hours solid! Now we're no baby experts, but doesn't that just seem easier for everyone?    : )

We'd love to hear your advice as well as war stories about your kids learning to sleep. Oh, and if there's a magic pill, we're buying it.

Roadtrip & Road Race

This weekend was Bodie's first big roadtrip and first road race. We headed to New York to see Dave's folks and then we all headed further north to Vermont to visit with Dave's sister's family. We joined Dave's dad and two of our nieces in the Bennington Road Race. Dave and his dad did the 10k, the rest of us did a 3.8 mile race. Bodie did great in the beginning and end but expressed his opinion of the heat during the entire 2nd mile. Once we stopped for a milk break and had a discussion about race etiquette - no screaming on the course - we all finished strong.

We also got to watch our nieces and nephew play their sports - Katie at tennis, Luke in lacrosse, and Bridget in soccer. Each of them did fantastic. Bodie was spoiled by everyone, especially his Nana. And thanks to Jimmy and Kathy, we ate like royalty!

Bodie racked up more than 1000 miles on his first roadtrip. He was an easy traveler and enjoyed entertaining the small crowds at the truck stops along the way. Lucky for him, because there are a lot more roadtrips in his future!