Tis better to give?

We've decided to start a new family holiday tradition.  Every year around the holidays, we are going to pick out a handful of toys to donate and make sure the kid(s) help in the activity to teach the importance of helping others.  The problem is, with a three-year-old, this is a very hard lesson to teach.

Riley's favorite part of Hanukkah was the presents - go figure!  He helped to light the candles and tolerated the blessings, but really lit up when he got to open his presents.  Now, try to teach him the art of giving and cue a tantrum.  I tried to explain by asking if presents made him happy?  And if he didn't get any presents, wouldn't he be sad?  That is why we are going to get presents for kids who won't have any, and he kept saying "for me??"

Throughout the process, Riley could not wrap his head around the fact that the gifts were not for him and when it was time to make the donation, it was done so with a handful of tears, a few stomps of his feet and with an overall begrudging attitude - so I ask you - does he look like he believes that it is better to give than to receive?

Maybe over the next few years he will understand the meaning a little more and get into the holiday spirit of helping others - I hope!

Hanukkah's a Happy Time

Every year, the JCC puts on a Hanukkah show to let the kids show off their Hanukkah cheer and sing their songs.  We can always tell what the song is a few weeks before, because all of a sudden, a new song is added to Riley's repertoire and we have a feeling it's the one they are practicing at school.

In the past, as soon as Riley sees us, he has decided not to participate in the song and really wants to run to us, but this year, he sang with his friends and made his candle hat look good!  There were 8 classes performing and the whole show lasted all of 14 minutes but it was very cute and was something we all looked forward to seeing.

A special thanks to Bibi and Zee for coming to see the performance as well!

(Hint: Riley is towards the end of the line wearing a light gray shirt)

30 weeks

Well, with less than 10 weeks to go, we are in the final countdown of getting to meet Matzo Ball!  Although people tell me that I look small, I don't believe any of them, plus, Chris says that they are all lying...

Some days, I feel him moving around just making himself comfortable, and other days it feels like he is moving around all the furniture and re-decorating the place to make things more feng shui.

I am now at the point where I have doctor appointments every two weeks and each time I go, they say things are looking and sounding good.  We have an appointment set to take a tour of the hospital and have someone coming to order new windows for the nursery too so we can have a nice toasty baby when he gets used to his room.

Next steps after that?  Painting his room and picking his name!

  

Thanksgiving in Chicago

Well, we just got back from our road trip to Chicago for Thanksgiving and we really had a wonderful time.  The drive up was a long day but all of the time spent in the car went surprisingly well for having a 3-year-old back seat driver.  Thank goodness for the iPad and movies on the go!

It was so nice to be able to spend time with family and friends this weekend and the highlight that Riley had been looking forward to was meeting his new baby cousin, Harvey.  He had been talking about it for weeks and was really excited to see him and I think the experience lived up to the hype.  He was excited to hold him and wanted to talk to him and even play football - maybe we will have to work on explaining the timing a little better for when he has a baby brother of his own.

It was exciting for Chris and I too, to meet our nephew, because even though we are parents, we have never been an aunt and uncle before - so that was something new to add to the resume.  Harvey was very sweet and loved to be held.  He was sleepy and quiet during a lot of the family time and was really a model 4-week old letting everyone snuggle when they wanted but also did his own thing in his swing for hours at a time.

Now we get to look forward to our next family visit - whenever that may be!

What's in a name?

Well, at 27 weeks, Mr. Matzo Ball is a 14.5 inch, 2 pound wiggling cauliflower!  I have officially gained more weight this time around in 6 month than I did in the whole pregnancy with Riley - which can either be attributed to the fact that my body knows what to do this time around, or the fact that Halloween candy makes up a large part of my daily calorie intake...

When Riley was cooking, we had a boys name ready and waiting and had to figure out a "what-if" girls name.  This time, things should be easier knowing that we just have to pick one name, but I am having much more trouble this round.  I have looked at thousands of names and we have an ongoing list that is a continual work in progress, but I can't seem to even come close to anything that I love.  Chris keeps throwing out names that I like, but I just don't like them for our baby.

I was reading a list the other day and Matzo Ball thought he was helping by kicking when he liked a name... too bad he picked Harley and Ishmael.  Sorry kid - veto x 2!

I am not asking for recommendations, so please don't be offended if we don't take suggestions, but I am glad at this point that we still have some time to think about it and make a decision that we will be happy with. 

Birmingham Bonanza

For weeks and weeks, we have been counting down to many things.  Chris was out of town for 1 1/2 weeks so the day Riley and I packed up and headed to the airport, the countdown was over to see Daddy, ride an airplane and celebrate Halloween!  Riley was an excellent flyer and was really a pleasure to have next to me on the short flight down to Atlanta.  He helped to flap, watched a movie and ate snacks, and before you knew it, we were there!

We hadn't been to Birmingham in over a year so our visit was much anticipated.  We didn't need many plans and just knew that time with the family would fill our hours well.  Riley was so excited to see Grammy and Grandy and he quickly made himself at home finding all the fun toys - the pool table, the chess set and Carol the singing bear to name a few.  Grandy was even willing to change the channel from CNN so that he and Riley could watch cartoons together.

We celebrated the all important Halloween as the dynamic trio - the baker, a bun in the oven and the race car driver.  Although we had to contend with some rain, we were all happy to walk up and down the street trick-or-treating and then spending time inside.  Maybe next year we can hope for some better weather as a fabulous foursome!

We even had the chance to spend the afternoon at the McWayne Science Center where the favorite section was the Itty Bitty Magic City where Riley got to be a firefighter, a mechanic, a chef and a vet, among other things.  I think we really could have spent 4 days there and he would have been happy.

We loved our visit so much and it was really all about the time that we got to spend with family.  And now, it sounds like we will get to visit again in May for a conference that Chris has, so we have another countdown to look forward to - bringing Matzo Ball baby down for his first visit to the South!

It's a...

Well, we had the big reveal party tonight and Matzo Ball is a...

Life on the farm

Even though we won't be in town for Halloween, we still wanted to take advantage of all of the fun Fall activities including a tractor drawn hay ride, pumpkin picking and general merriment of spending a beautiful morning on the farm!

Our "go to" farm had a whole slew of activities to keep us busy for hours and even though it was a little chilly in the breeze, the sun was shining and we were able to have a great time outdoors before the cooler weather is upon us.  Riley enjoyed climbing on the tire playground, driving a firetruck and even learned how to lasso a 'pony'.  He was also the leader through the corn maze and was such a pro that we made it out without having to cheat.

It was a great way to spend the morning and we how have a mini pumpkin patch on our front porch filled with each of our pumpkin selections from the farm.  Riley found his brother on the way back to the car - see the resemblance? 

21 week ultrasound visit

Yesterday, we visited our friends at the ultrasound center and they were kind enough to spend about 45 minutes watching our little Matzo Ball baby wiggle, squirm and show off!

Matzo Ball weighs about a pound and is the size of a spaghetti squash - hard to believe that it's so big already.  Because we found out about 5-6 weeks later that we were pregnant, I still feel like we are playing catch up to how quickly the baby is growing.  

Riley was a big help during the appointment by assisting in the jelly squirting.  I'm just hoping that he doesn't take future opportunities to squirt things on my belly!  We pointed out things to him like hands, feet, a spine and the baby's heart.  The ultrasound tech even said that the baby had a really good looking heart!  I told her that I wish I could take credit for it and she said I could!  Most parents come in around 18 or 19 weeks to find out the gender and it's still a little early to see the development but since we waited a few more weeks, she could see how strong the heart was and she said that everything looked really great!

She also said that she could see the gender - at which point, we looked away and didn't cheat.  We had her write it down and the secret is currently living in a well-sealed envelope that we plan to use in the next week or so.  Stay tuned!

Hearing heartbeats

We had our 20 week check-up earlier this week just to get measured and hear Matzo Ball's heartbeat and Chris and Riley came to the appointment with me.  It was a quick visit, but as we were waiting for the doctor, Riley wanted to sit on the table and sit with mommy.  We wasn't quite sure what the stirrups were for, but you better believe he made sure his rain boots fit while he was looking for "his baby".

All of our measurements are normal and looking good and the heartbeat was 158 - just right!

As of today, Matzo Ball weighs in at 3/4 of a pound and is 10.5 inches long.  Next up is our ultrasound!

20 weeks

Round 1 versus Round 2

20 weeks looks pretty different this time around, doesn't it?  I think at this point with Riley, people couldn't tell and were surprised when I told them I was pregnant.  This time, for the people who don't know, I sure hope they guess that there's a baby in there and not that I'm desperately trying to fit into my clothes from high school without caring what I look like!

I'm feeling wiggles and kicks and can most of the time tell the difference between the movement being from the baby and not my colitis.  As of yesterday, the baby is the size of a banana.  We have a check-up on Monday to hear Matzo Ball and in a week, we get to do another ultrasound.  Riley will be with us for both of these appointments so he can feel part of the process and check in on his baby brother or sister as they grow.

19 weeks of Matzo Balls

The first time I took a spin on the pregnancy merry-go-round, we had family in more than a handful of states and so the blog was a way to share news with everyone, especially those who I didn't see very often.  This time around, we are lucky to be in the same city as so many family members!  More than half of my "readership" is now local, which means you see me, and my Matzo Ball bump on a daily basis, which means less need for photographic evidence.  But for those of you who aren't here... here is the first "bumpie" picture:

No, the coffee cup is not there because I was unwilling to put it down for the picture, but to show you how big Matzo Ball is!  At 19 weeks, Matzo Ball is 6 inches long (head to butt) and weighs 8.5 ounces.  I think I am feeling some movement but nothing has been definitive enough to really say for sure.

I have officially retired all of my non-pregnancy pants and am now finding creative ways to work my few pregnancy pants into a multitude of options.  My wardrobe from last time is all wrong as everything that fit me when I was big was for a summer Riley and this time, I will be growing into a winter Matzo Ball.

Riley told me today that the baby is a boy and he is getting a sister... so yes, he is sending mixed signals.  Maybe he just wants to hedge his bets to he will be right either way!

3rd Birthday on the 3 Rivers

What better way to celebrate your third birthday than on a pirate themed cruise on the rivers?  And add to it costumes, balloon swords and family, and you've got yourself a party! Today was a full day of celebrations from brunch to boat ride, to lunch, dinner and football game, plus cake!  It was a super fun celebration and we are so lucky to have everyone as part of the party.

It was a pirate themed cruise for everyone on-board, but no one else took it as seriously as we did.  We came prepared with hats for all, plus, Chris was decked out in full garb - parent of the year award!

And with an adorable pirate who was super excited to play along, we had a great time!  This will be a full week of celebrations cause who doesn't like to keep the party going as long as possible?

Here's looking at you, kid!

One thing that Riley will have to get used to now is sharing - so he might as well share the blog too!  We are about to make our big announcement that baby #2, "Matzo Ball" is on its way!  

Here are the facts to share to make things easy:

I am about 14 weeks along
The baby is due around February 10
I had one blah week when Chris and I were on vacation in Alaska but I am feeling great
We're not sure if we are going to find out the gender
I am showing as much at 3.5 months this time as I was at 5 months last time
Riley is excited to be a brother

Riley keeps talking to the baby, asking me/it if it wants food and he kisses my belly goodbye.  He also sometimes "takes" the baby out of my stomach and puts it in his belly to carry and has told us that he wants to teach the baby to swim...

I hadn't told anyone at the JCC yet when one of the teachers congratulated me.  She said that Riley has been telling everyone that he is going to be a brother, so it's a good thing we were ready to share!  And it's a good thing that he's excited!

So just know this, Matzo Ball - you will never have a secret cause your big brother is ready to break the news first!

Feel free to share the news with the family - we will be posting to the media outlets shortly!

Big boy Riley

Well, this has been a crazy summer with travel and going here and there, but I am happy to report that we are all back under one roof and intend to stay that way for a little while.  It is amazing how much Riley grows up in a short amount of time and both Chris and I realized that when we came home to a bigger boy after each of our trips. So in honor of his growing up, he gets to start sleeping in a big boy bed!

We told him we had a surprise waiting for him in his room and I think he seems pretty happy about it - don't you think?  What not-so-little boy wouldn't want a new race car bed with Lightning McQueen sheets?  

And the cherry on top?  I was invited into his special bed for our nightly book reading.  There was no question of where the pacifier is, so let's hope he makes the connection that big boys in big beds don't get paci's.  If it needs to be explained, I am ready to share that knowledge.

As I write this blog a little after bed time, I keep checking his video monitor to make sure that he is still in bed.  Currently, his leg is balancing precariously on the edge of the bed, but the saving grace is that there isn't that far to fall if he decides to take a roll.  On second thought... I think I will go put some blankets on the floor as a soft landing pad - just in case!

The Growing Tree

Things have been very busy with everyone going here and there, but all the while, the GeeGee Tree has continued to grow.

We water it lovingly, say goodbye to it when we leave for school in the morning and make sure that there are no sticks or leaves in its bed.  Riley likes to tell us when the dirt is muddy and reminds us of when we dug the hole.  I'm sure it will miss us while we are out of town this week, but the longer we are away from it, the closer we get to seeing the real GeeGee!

In other news:

GeeGee Tree

A few weeks ago during her visit, GeeGee told us that she would like to get Riley a tree.  She wants him to help plant it, take care of it and watch it grow over the years.  So we waited for the weather to warm up enough and today was the day to get the GeeGee Tree growing!

We made two trips and filled the car with the flowering pear tree, flowers, plants, soil and mulch galore! Good thing Riley was willing to share the back seat cause this is no small sapling!

We planted a few areas in the front yard and after lunch and nap time, it was time to get the tree in the ground.  Chris was the official digger, Riley was on filling patrol and I was in charge of documenting and overseeing the project.  (Don't think that I didn't get my hands dirty as well - I was playing with grubs and dirt all afternoon too).

We had all of the right tools and perfect weather for a day of planting.  Riley was very happy to get in there, take off his shoes and fill in the hole, water the plant and make sure that it felt very welcome in its new home.

We are looking forward to taking care of our new family member over the years and helping to watch it grow.  So feel free to come on over, introduce yourself to the GeeGee Tree and give it a good hug!

I am pretty happy with the way the front yard looks now!  What do you think?

The Watering Hole

What is one of our go to activities on a quiet night in?  Bath time!  I know that many people my age like to get dressed up, go out and celebrate the start of the weekend but I can't imagine a better date than this little guy that kept me smiling all night!

The only time I wasn't smiling tonight was when a toy boat full of water came flying out of the tub and turned the floor into a big puddle.  Nothing that we can't handle, though, so all is good!

So if you are ever wondering where we are when most people are out enjoying a relaxing dinner or a drink at the bar - just come to our private watering hole - the bath tub!

Petting Zoo Pals

Yesterday, the JCC had a celebration for Israel Independence Day and we are not a family who misses celebrations.  In fact, we were one of the first ones there to get the party started.  There was a bounce house, a balloon artist, a performance and arts and crafts - but the thing that really grabbed Riley's attention was the petting zoo!

While it took a few minutes to ease into it and get used to the fact that there were dozens of baby goats just roaming around and looking for food, Riley got right in there and made new friends.  He was asking them their names, telling them that it was time to go to school, making the rounds to pet them all and gave them bottles of milk.

Chris asked him a few times if he wanted to take a baby goat home, but luckily we got away from that conversation before it got lodged in his brain forever!

There's no crying in baseball

Yesterday, thanks to a friend, we had a very special baseball experience!  We planned to watch the Cubs take on the Pirates, but what started as an regular trip to the ballpark turned out to be extra cool!

We started our afternoon with a tour through PNC Park, got to walk on the field, had the opportunity to watch batting practice from right behind home plate and even walked through the dugout (on the way back from a potty break)!

Within 17 seconds of stepping on the field, Riley was tossed a baseball and took his place to watch the pros.  He was cheering and watching them swing the bat and was really taking everything in.  He knew exactly where to look and was totally in to it.

After dinner and a walk around the stadium, we took our seats to warm up and watch the game.  We saw the teams on the field, fireworks with homeruns, pierogi races and the Pirate Parrot (or Ducky according to Riley).  The Cubs were up by one when Riley and I left cause bed time takes priority - nobody wants to wake up to a grumpy Riley!

My very own chair

Riley made his seat selection a few weeks ago and now that the weather is nice, he can finally find the place where his new chair works best.  He tried it here and he tried it there and it really seems to be pretty versatile.

The best part is that because we've had a lot of nice weather, we can spend as much time outside as we want - and I'm sure the chair will find its perfect spot soon.

And until then, we will just keep trying new places!

Cousins in Columbus

This weekend, we made a quick visit to Columbus for second seder.  We were so happy to visit the family and couldn't wait for Riley to spend some time with his cousins.  With a 3.5, a 2.5 and a 1.5 year old in the house, there was a lot of chasing and feeding and playing but I think we all had a great time!

Most of the visit was filled with playtime and Riley was really good at playing with his new playmates and they all shared really well and enjoyed each other's company.  Allie was such a good big sister and was great with both of the boys and Ian kept up with the bigger kids like a pro.

The boys were even so in synch that they had matching shirts for the occasion!

We had the world's fastest seder on Saturday night - as can be expected with a handful of little ones - but we all really made the best of it and the most important thing was that we were spending time together and getting to visit.  We even had a surprise visit to the zoo this morning which was a real treat.  The sun was shining, the animals were out and the cousins were bonding over polar bear sightings.

We're already looking forward to our next visit!