One year!

Today is Noah's special day and despite being a little under the weather, he had a great day!



Thanks so much to all our family who came over to celebrate today with our special boy and everyone who wished him well from afar!

The Noah update: he is just itching to get the standing/walking thing down and we can tell how much he wants to be up following his sister around. He has his two bottom front teeth and his top four front teeth...just like his sister at this age! Words include: mama, dada, yes, kitty, and Reese, and it seems like many more are just around the corner. He is enjoying cow's milk and had his first taste of birthday cake today and thought it wasn't too bad, though if we had let him crawl through his new sandbox, he would have been even more pleased!


P.S. Natalie was a very good big sister and was very excited to celebrate with Noah today and even helped him open his presents!

Shirt

Gap came out with its Product (RED) line back while I was pregnant with Natalie. I purchased a shirt for myself and Tyler as soon as I could in order to support the awesome new business venture. Naturally I also purchased one in size 6-12 mo for our then unnamed and unborn baby.

My INSPI(RED) t-shirt languished in the drawer for quite a while. Two pregnancies, two nursing stints, quite a bit of chilly San Francisco weather, and then a Michigan winter meant that it went unworn. Natalie wore her onesie quite frequently, and Noah wore it afterwards - in fact, I still squeeze him into it every now and then. And Tyler wears his at least once a week if not more. Today I finally dug mine out of the drawer and wore it for the first time in forever.


Tyler got Natalie up this morning... and as I walked into her room to say good morning, my sleepy runny-nosed tousle-haired tired toddler's first words to me were "Mommy, why are you wearing Daddy's shirt?"

March - out like a lamb

Enjoying a late afternoon trip to the Luckens' house to play on the swingset


Noah loves crawling on the grass, wood chips at the playground, or sand. He's not picky. As long as he can eat whatever he's crawling on, he's happy as a clam. Tell him "No", and he will scream louder than you can imagine.

Gratuitous Dagny Lucken shot in the background! We just love our D (and, let's be honest, she loves us too)!

Back at the Gibbs abode, someone was enjoying the sunny day... she keeps her eye on me whenever I am outside! It's funny how Reese finds a way to peek at me no matter where I am outside.

Quick one

For those unaware, Piggy and Mrs. Boots (monkey) got married! And they had cake!



Just trying to keep everyone in the loop...

Catharsis

Managing two kids' sleep is SO hard... if you are obsessive about it like I am...

Today we had to get to Target, Old Navy, Home Depot, and the post office. There is one shopping center about 10 minutes from home with every one of these stores, with the P.O. about 2 minutes away. Everybody was up late this morning so I figured we could do it all before nap. Not so much. We RACED around each place and still poor Noah had to skip his morning nap to make it all work out. I absolutely feel like an awful mother when he is worn out like he is right now. Daylight savings time really wrecked his schedule and I am not helping matters by trying to cram all of our errands into a few hours out of the house.

Natalie is at an age where every trip out of the house, disrupting her imaginative play, is a giant battle. And Noah hates getting in and out of the car seat. I keep wondering why I get so tired every night by about 8:30 p.m. - but then I remember that both Tyler and I are basically working six day weeks. I am the lucky one because I get to spend time with the two most adorable and wonderful kids ever, and I get outside, and eat balanced meals, and if I don't get a shower first thing in the morning I can sneak one in later that day... but still, being the only one six days a week means I kiss away a lot of tears, pick up and put down babies constantly, prepare and feed 54 different meals a week (plus snacks) (for one infant who eats a few finger foods but mostly purees, one toddler who has never been made to learn to use utensils but who basically wants cheese in all its forms at every meal, and one mom who is doing her level best to finally lose the baby weight), make endless trips up and down the stairs with two kids in tow, and clean LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of food off the floor. Sundays (and a 2nd tear-dryer, baby-holder, and cleaner - who also happens to be my best friend) feel like heaven... also, woefully, so short.

But having been on the other side - cramming all of my mom time into Saturday and Sunday - I know that Tyler and I would not have it any other way. Nothing is more precious to me than the chance to spend this time with my two babies.

Sometimes I might complain and sometimes I might kick myself over a sleep schedule which is all messed up... but they are healthy and happy and we are all so very very lucky.






Someone's first birthday is approaching (5/1). Someone else starts preschool in September. It's a reminder that they are both growing so fast. Things really aren't so bad after all.

**I know that two kids really isn't so much - but this week has been a long one so I needed a little catharsis**

??

So for a few weeks now, we have been getting a movie every Thursday and watching it on Friday afternoons after Natalie wakes up from her nap. We've seen Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Mermaid, and a Winnie the Pooh movie. But last week, and again this week? Natalie completely refused to watch the movie. What's that about???

First haircut

Since the weather has turned a bit warmer (50 degrees today! woo!) and our guy's hair was into his eyebrows, we decided it was for Noah to get his first haircut. He was an absolute trooper and while it was not quite a 100% tear-free experience, he was a very big boy and sat in the chair by himself! (With Daddy very close by, of course.)

Noah with his cheering section - cousin Nathan came for a haircut too!



Before...



during...




...and alas, our camera ran out of batteries, so for the after shot, we have to show a video. We will get another after picture of our handsome boy soon!