The final countdown

We are now within the final countdown until Chris gets home and everyone in the house is really excited!  Just being able to say 5 days, now 4 days, now 3 days feels really great - and I know that Chris is just as excited to be home and see us all.

I have to admit that I was really scared about this month that he was going to be gone, but now that it's almost over, I can say that it went pretty well.  Between hiring someone to be here after camp on some days, being invited over to BiBi and Zee's house and Riley having sleep overs, Aunt Stacey and Uncle Brad having Shabbat with us, and me learning how to get by alone with a routine, I am happy to announce that we all had a very successful month  - something I am very proud of!

That being said, I do not know how people choose to do this on their own.  Parenting is exhausting and all consuming for two parents as a team, but when you are all alone, its a whole other story.  Asher has a way of sensing just as I am about to fall asleep and decides he needs his pacifier then.  Riley has a way of knowing when my patience is wearing thin and decides to throw a fit then.  But at the end of the day, we are all functioning very well.

It helped that Chris was able to communicate pretty frequently - I was able to keep him posted and send pictures and videos and we were able to Skype a number of times so Riley could talk to him and Asher could see him and smile back.  Thank you technology!

We made the most of our time while Chris was gone and did all the things that he doesn't love - we had play dates and went to birthday parties, we went to the History museum and had lazy time at the house, we made peanut butter and jelly for dinner and ate all kinds of vegetables.  

Knowing that I have to do this again next year isn't something that I am looking forward to - but now that I've done it and know what is possible, I will not be dreading it either.   

Thank you to everyone that helped this month - it was very much appreciated!

Roley poley

Guess who started rolling today? Asher rolled from his tummy to his back, a trick we have been working on for a few weeks!  He was so proud of himself the first time that he gave a good giggle - I think he was reacting to my cheering more than anything.

He is still working on rolling back over to his tummy.  He gets really close but his arm always gets in the way and acts as a blockade and he does;t get how to move it.  He throws his weight so he is on his side but doesn't quite get the umph needed to get all the way back.  I have a feeling, however, that this next trick isn't too far into the future.

He looks pretty proud of his accomplishment, don't you think?

Totally Tubular

Today was Round 2 of ear tubes for Riley.  Yes, we've done this before, but Riley is part of the lucky minority of kids that not only get to get ear tubes, but get them twice!  I am hopeful though that with the new set of tubes, they will prevent future ear infections, especially when that season comes back around in full swing.

Riley was a total pro and aced the ear tubes Olympics.  He showed no fear and was really a champ the whole way through.  From waking up early to being wheeled into the operating room, recovery and moving on, he was always in a good mood and had high spirits - making the whole day a lot easier than last time where we weren't able to communicate what was happening as well.

With Chris in Israel, it was key to have the right back-up in place and BiBi and Zee really stepped up to the plate.  From the minute they walked in the door at 6am, we had everything down to a science so we were able to get Asher to school, Riley to the hospital, have him recover at their house where extra hands were on deck and be a support system for me.

On top of all of that, Addison had an ear infection that had to be taken care of too, so Stacey to the rescue by getting us an appointment this afternoon at a new vet that I now love!  She now has clean ears and medicine that will stay in for 2 weeks so I don't have to do anything - yey!

And with all of that happening in the past 16 hours, it is now time to go to sleep!!!

6 months

This morning, I took Asher in for his 6 month check-up and he passed with flying colors!  This little chunker weighs 17 lbs 11 oz which sounds (and feels) like a lot but just puts him at the 50th percentile for his age.  His height is at the 60th percentile and for someone who was born 5 weeks early and only weighed 6 pounds, there is no sign of being a preemie!  He is trying to say a lot, is doing really well at eating his food and is a squirmy worm.  Next step is to get him to start rolling over and to sleep through the night.

I have now not slept through the night for over 8 months (he woke me up at night even before he was born) and I'm ready for a full night sleep - hopefully in the coming weeks.  The doctor said that we should stop swaddling Asher and give him a pacifier when he cries at night but don't take him out or feed him, otherwise, that is what he will need to fall asleep all the time.  I am happy to say that he fell asleep pretty quickly tonight and is sleeping spread eagle, for now.  I'm sure he'll wake up soon but with any luck, it will be a quick visit and then we can both go back to bed.  Stay tuned!