Happy...

...new room! Simone did great last night in her new room with Tate. Tate did equally as well. One wake up for the girl which only woke up Dave. Both Tate and I slept through it. I had no idea she was up until Dave was at the side of our bed holding Simone saying "Wake up!" So I fed her, put her back in the crib and I awoke at 7am to the sounds of Tate sweetly talking to her through the baby monitor.

...Valentine's Day! Everyone got a homemade card. Tate got chocolates and lollipops. Simone got a new rattle, chew toy. Everyone got lots of love.

...Chinese New Year! Gong hay fat choy!! (I think it's spelled that way - but what do I know, I'm not Chinese.) Simone got to wear her beautiful outfit - handed down from Tate - that Auntie Ali got in Thailand (is that right Ali?) Doesn't she look beautiful?

Kicked to the crib

For 5.5 months Simone has slept beside me in our room. Sometimes peacefully. Sometimes not. But always right next to me - she was always there. Which is a problem in itself... she was ALWAYS there. We were prisoners in our own room. Forced to brush our teeth in the kitchen, fear rolling over in bed, and damn that dog should she have a dream and begin whimpering and barking in her sleep. I was in constant fear of making noise and waking up Simone.

Tonight she has been kicked out. She spends her first night in a crib in Tate's room - now their room. I am sad. I am happy. I am still fearful that a noise will wake her up. But I will go to bed tonight after brushing my teeth in the bathroom, washing my face again, maybe even reading a few pages of a book before turning off the light, and making as much noise as I want getting settled. No... I'm still just sad. She's growing up.

Five guys, seven moms, eleven kids and one baby.

After school today we gathered some of the kids and moms and headed over to Five Guys Burgers for lunch (made famous by Barack Obama), where it seems they pride themselves on how unhealthy their offering is. Unhealthy, yes. But, oh so tasty. We took over a large section of the restaurant with our entourage, set up a couple of kid's tables and ordered up burgers, hot dogs and fries. Those kids were so good and so excited to be having lunch out all together. Tate sat next to his bestest girl and told me that he hopes Obama does not come in for lunch, because he doesn't want to run into any Presidents.

Valentines

During our "major snowstorm" that cancelled school today even though we could still the grass through the snow at 3pm, Tate and I made Valentine's for all his friends at school. They have set up a post office and each kid has a mailbox (decorated paper bag) and they will deliver their Valentines by matching the name on the box with the name on the Valentine. Last year we did the store-bought perforated variety and so this year I felt we needed to step it up. Tate drew one picture, wrote Happy Valentine's Day and signed his name to it. We took it to the office, scanned it in, printed 18 of them, cut up some red paper and then sat down to glue. He did one, then I did one. Then he got up to change the character on Wii, then I asked him to come sit back down and finish gluing. He glued one and then got up again to set up the next MarioKart race. He glued one more then got up again and picked his race car. When I asked him to please come back and finish, he said, "Mom? Can you just do it so I can play Wii?"

I guess I'm lucky I got him to do the one drawing and sign his name.

Dream maker...

Conversation on the playground.

Other mom: So last night Victoria* told me that yesterday at school Tate wanted her to sit next to him and someone else sat there instead and Tate got whiney and said, "But I want Victoria to sit next to me!!" So I said, "Well that must have made you feel good, that Tate wanted so badly to sit next to you."

Victoria: No mom.

Other mom: No?

Victoria: It made me love him even more.

*name still changed - but let me tell you, she is a doll!!!

Shims

When I was pregnant for Simone, one of our concerns was how Tate would deal with a new baby in the house. He was used to being the king, the one and only, the master of his parents attention. Now he'd have to share.

So, along comes Simone, with all her crazy-haired, wide-eyed cuteness and let me tell you.... that kiddo Tate took to her like a fish to water. It was like she'd always been here. He smiles, she smiles. He giggles, she giggles. He always wants to see her and she lights up when she sees him. He constantly says, "Oh look at that Simoney. She's soooooo cute. Isn't she so cute Mommy?" He has a new nickname for her. Shims. And I'm sure there will be plenty more to come. He loves everything about her.

Just don't ask him to help change a diaper. He goes running into the next room screaming, "Noooooo.... I hate the poop!!!!!!"

What if?

Tonight as things were very crazy in the house, Tate acting up and being cranky, Simone not napping and crying instead, dinner trying to get made and work attempting to be done, Dave said the words, "What would we be doing if we didn't have kids?"

So we thought for a bit with small, knowing smiles on our faces and really contemplated this scenario. We decided that we would have been contentedly sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand, cheese and crackers on the table, a really nice dinner in the oven, maybe some friends over and watching the start of the Super Bowl. Sounds relaxing, doesn't it? It really does. But then I thought how sad I'd actually feel with an empty house and no kids... like something really important was missing. So we started on a new dream.

Both kids as teenagers and wanting to spend as little time at home with us as possible. And we would be sitting on the couch, glass of wine in hand, cheese and crackers on the table, a really nice dinner in the oven, maybe some friends over, watching the start of the Super Bowl while texting Tate and Simone, "Sure you can stay out an hour later. Just don't wake us when you come in."

To the future! Cheers!!

Failure

Oops. Failure to post yesterday. Two demerits for me. I'm making up for it with a really cute picture and a promise of a real post later today.

Wrap it up.

Simone was all swaddled up and ready for a final feed before going off to sleep tonight. She nursed for a few minutes then started looking around. Then nursed a bit and fussed and nursed and fussed and nursed and fussed. So I burped her with no results. Laid her back down and she nursed and fussed and nursed and fussed and then popped out one of her arms from the swaddle. Then looked around and watched Tate, stared at Daddy, fussed, looked at the TV, fussed and nursed. Then fussed some more and smacked me in the face, clawed my face, listened to Daddy read books to Tate, nursed and fussed and nursed and smacked me in the face a few more times. Then fussed and nursed and fussed and smack and fuss and nurse and look and fuss and smack and smack and smack and fuss...... Are you tired of reading this? Imagine the frustration of living through it for the hour it lasted.

As she is a bit over 5 months now, I've been wondering when I should stop swaddling her at night time. She always seems happy to get into the "baby burrito" and be cozy and warm. But I know that at some point she will want to be free.

Well after all the smacking, fussing and fussing for an hour tonight, she took her free hand, grabbed at the tabs of the swaddle blanket and pulled hard. Hmmmmm.... So I unwrapped her wrapped up arm, she stretched, smiled and then rolled over, closed her eyes and nursed herself to sleep.

I think she has just told me it's time to stop swaddling her. "BABY BURRITO BE GONE," the queen commands.

You're a...heartbreaker.

Conversation at the playground:

Other mom: So last night Victoria* said she loved Tate. I said I'm glad you like him.

Victoria: Nooooo mom.... I LOVE him.

Other mom: Oh. Why do you love him?

Victoria: Because he's handsome, smart and nice.

All the other moms: Oh.... you are in trouble Michelle. He is quite the ladies man! First Hope*, now Victoria... where will it end? ha ha ha ha....

Me: I'm so screwed.

*names changed to protect the reputations of the innocent young loves of my suave 5 year old son

Pants on Fire

Wii rules in this house. And so we have created Wii House Rules. One of the sacred rules is…

NO Wii until you have eaten breakfast.

Playing Wii is such a strong motivator for Tate that it has really helped diminish the challenge of getting him to eat breakfast. We have had a few great weeks of getting a solid meal into his belly to start his day. This helps Dave and I in the morning, as Dave usually gets him breakfast while I’m still in bed. By the time I get up with Simone, Dave had left for work, Tate has eaten, cleared his plate/bowl and is playing Wii. Great!

A few days ago, I got up and Tate was playing Wii and there was no plate/bowl on the table. I ask, “Have you eaten breakfast already?” “Yes, mommy,” was his reply as he barely looked away from racing down a mountainside in the form of a bad ass, spiky turtle on a motorcycle. Great! I sit down with Simone and we play with chewy toys and watch Tate rack up Grand Prix trophys. About a half hour later I venture into the kitchen to get my own breakfast and I see this on the counter…

We now have a new Wii rule…

DO NOT lie to mommy about eating breakfast so that you can play Wii.

One hell of a day.

Rotten. Crappy. Miserable.

That sums up today. Awoken too early by baby. Too many errands while Tate was at school. Broken down car at grocery store. No good naps for Simone. Zero work accomplished. Headaches and stress. Tate meltdowns at the end of the day. And still a crying baby right now who won't go to sleep.

But... Tate zipped his own coat today!

If I wanted to look on the bright side, I guess today wasn't so bad. I'm just not sure I'm bright side material today. Maybe tomorrow.

Blog-a-Thon

Was thinking that I should do another month long blog-a-thon, and what better month to do that in than February!! Only 28 days.

So 28 days - 28 posts.

And yes, this one counts! I even added a cute kiddo photo to make it more legit.

7 Weeks Old

Welcome Baby Girl!

Simone Phaneuf Rizzolo

August 30, 2009

10:56am

8lbs. 14oz.