Brothers

Brody thinks Noah is the funniest guy ever. Noah thinks it's awesome that he can make Brody laugh. I think this video sums it up...sibling love is awesome. And by the way, pink Bumbos are totally manly! :)

Happy Birthday to Noah!

So as of my last post I had all of these great ideas of posts to remember Noah through his 5 years. Then, the students that I work with kind of went mad last week and all hell broke lose at work. The blog posts that filled my mind, were swept away by arguments over water coolers and electives. (But that's a story for the book I'm going to write about working with graduate students some day!)

Anyway, today's Noah's birthday! And when he woke up I told him that he now fills up a whole hand's worth of fingers, and I asked him if he felt different. He looked at himself and said "yeah, I kinda do!"

I can't believe 5 years has gone by so quickly. Five years ago at this time (1:06pm), I was happily enjoying my epidural and Walt was telling everyone "Any minute now!!!", meanwhile Noah wasn't born until 9:31pm. I am so blessed to have him in my life and am so lucky to be his mom. He's taught me a lot - and you wouldn't believe all of the things I've learned about animals in 5 years. Did you know that sloths only leave the trees to go to the bathroom? Now you do!

I'll leave you with a "then" picture - here he is, just after he was born. My how he's grown!

10 days

In 10 days Noah will be 5. Can you believe it? Because I can't! It hasn't been that long and yet he's changed so much. In 5 short years he's gone from a tiny baby who needed me to do everything for him, to a toddler hobbling around on fresh legs and saying mama for the first time, to a little boy who can say and write his ABC's, can do basic math and carry on a decent conversation. It's amazing what a transformation they go through in such a short time.

So I decided that over the next 10 days I'll do some reminiscing of Noah in the last 5 years. Remembering all of the things he's learned and also, all of the things that he's taught me. As his parents, Walt and I guide him and teach him a lot of things...but one thing I didn't really know until I became a mother is how much children teach us. One of the best things I've learned, is how to see the world fresh again. Once I grew up, things like lightening bugs and a deer in the yard weren't things that could excite me anymore. But, seeing these things through Noah's eyes has made me slow down and remember it's the simple things in life that matter the most.

Just a few months ago, we were driving somewhere and crossing a bridge. Noah sighed from the backseat "Isn't the world just beautiful?" And it was that moment, when I looked at the river, which was so still it looked like glass, at the trees that were all shades of orange and yellow and red, and I realized how right he was. So I said "Yes! You are so right! The world is beautiful". And we spent the rest of that drive naming things in nature that are beautiful. So today is the kickoff to 10 days of remembering things that Noah said.

One of those days...

As a mom, you have the days where you think this is the best thing on Earth. Things like the day you finally get to meet your newborn baby, when your baby says "mama" for the first time, or takes his/her first steps. Then, there are the bad days. The days where you think "Did I really willingly sign up for this?" (And I signed up twice!) Yesterday was one of the "bad" days. :)

I scheduled Thursday off from work to get some things done while the kids were at daycare. You know, like getting the maternity clothes out of my closet and drawers. Since Brody is now almost 7 months old, I think it's time. However, that plan was quickly changed at 1:30am when Noah woke up with a terribly painful ear infection. We were up with him most of the night...and he was crying so loud, that he kept waking Brody. Oy!

On the way to the doctor's office, poor Noah was so sick that he fell asleep in the car. Before we left, he asked for a cup of juice. Of course I let him have one in the car because you know, he just had an ear ache, so juice is fine. (BIG mistake). I pull in to the parking lot of the doctor's office, and just as I go to pull in to a spot, the sleeping child turned in to the girl from the Exorcist. Spewing red juice everywhere. (I will never be able to pour him this kind of juice again! The smell will bring back BAD memories). So now, the poor thing is covered in vomit. (Luckily it was all juice). I had to try to put on a brave face getting him out of the juice covered car seat, when really I wanted to yell "EW! I'm not touching THAT!" We walk in to the office, I take him in the restroom and clean him up as much as I can.

He's really sick, so he wants to sit on me and have me hold him. Again, I wanted to say "EW! You're all wet, get off of me!" But instead I held him, like a good mom. Then, I become the mom that every other mom both pities and is glad isn't her - because he makes me wet from the top of my thighs to right above my knee. The best part about being covered in vomit was that they got us in and out of the appointment in mere minutes. I think they didn't want our vomit covered selves stinking up the place. Perhaps I should have him do this before every appointment! (I kid....so not worth it).

Anyway, he's doing much better today - and so I'm hoping to have more of those "aw, I'm so glad I'm a mom" moments this weekend...to help me forget about the Exorcist moment yesterday.

The Zoo Class

Due to weather, Noah's zoo class was cancelled last Friday. We did manage to get him in to the class on Saturday though, so it wasn't a total disappointment. Walt was under the weather so I got to go with him...I was secretly happy! Not that Walt was sick, but that I got to go!

I don't have any pictures, there really weren't any picture taking opportunities, and besides, none of the other mothers took pictures and I didn't want to be "that" mom.

The class was great though and Noah had a blast. First they watched a little video about what zookeepers do, then the "teacher" showed them pictures taken at our zoo of the zookeepers taking care of the animals. Then, they got to meet and touch Bindi the lizard. I love how 4 and 5 year olds just blurt out whatever come to their mind. "What does she eat?" "Can we see her walk?"

We made a craft - a zookeeper vest made out of a grocery bag. It's really cute. And then, they got to meet and pet Bernie, the guinea pig. The best part though, was that we got to go in the "behind the scenes" area of the education complex. This is where all of the animals that they use in the education programs live. The zookeeper was there, and showed them all of the different food that is in the fridge. (Including frozen rats and mice...ick!) And even fed a few of them while we were there - a fox, a porcupine, some other thing that looked like a kangaroo (I forget it's name). Noah's favorite part was that the opossum ate yogurt, just like him. Now when I ask him what he wants for lunch he says "Yo-grit, just like the possom". (I love how he says yogurt!) I swear the parrot or macaw or whatever it was was watching me and somehow knew that I hate birds. At one point it let out this big screech and I think I screamed louder than the kids! Noah was always right up in front when the keeper would open the cage and feed them - he's definitely not one to hang back and miss out!

Finally, we got to meet Flower, the skunk. She was in a little fenced in area and the instructor fed her meal worms and she gobbled them up. It was a fun time, and Noah has told me that I can the secretary at his zoo. My dad and Walt are in charge of helping him pick up poop. HA!

What Noah is up to

Let's see...Noah has been up to a lot since I updated last. He can write all of his letters (amazingly well), became an expert sled rider, and won the Heisman trophy. Okay, I am kidding about the last part...it hasn't been THAT long! But, he did get his picture taken with it at the car show.

It's hard to believe in just a few months he'll graduate from pre-school and Kindergarten will be looming in front of us. In our school district, K is all day, every day and while I think that's a lot for 5 year olds, I think he's ready. Am I ready? Not really - it seems like he was just born. They grow up so quickly.

He's going to a class at the zoo tomorrow. "If I were a zookeeper". He's really excited, so I'll be sure to post about that experience. I think if he enjoys it, we're going to think about sending him to zoo camp in the summer. He says he wants to be a zoo keeper, so when I saw this class listed I knew it would be right up his alley. He got to pick who went with him, and he chose Walt. (Much to my chagrin). So I keep saying "Well, when you're there, you could ask THIS question." I can't wait to hear all about it. Although I think he might be slightly disappointed that he's not in the tiger cage schlepping tiger poop! ;)

And to leave you with a funny Noah story - I'll tell the tale of the "Cup O Soup". About a month or so ago, Walt and Noah were out playing in the snow. When they came in Walt asked Noah if he'd like a "Cup O Soup" for lunch. Noah said yes. Walt brings Noah a mug with soup in it. And Noah says "WHAT IS THIS? You put my SOUP in a CUP? What is wrong with you? This could spill all over me and burn me!"

We tried to explain to him that it was soup that you put in a cup and sort of drank, and it was fine. He insisted on it being poured in to a bowl. Sometimes it's like he's an 85 year old man set in his ways, instead of a 5 year old!

What Brody is up to

Yesterday Brody had his 4 month check up. I can't believe it's been 4 months already! He got an A+ and seems to be doing great. He weighs around 14lbs and is 25 inches long. (To compare, Noah was 17 pounds at his 4 month check up! I forget what a big baby Noah was!) He's so close to rolling over, he gets on his side, lifts his head, swings his legs, but he just doesn't have quite enough oomph yet. Which I'm totally fine with a non-mobile baby for a little longer. Noah crawled around 5.5 months, so I'd like a little more time this time around before I have to worry about him not being in the same spot when I come back! He had a double ear infection last week, and the doctor said it's almost all cleared up. I guess we did get more medicine in him than he spit out....sure doesn't seem that way when we have to give it to him.

He's really starting to develop his own little personality lately. The video I'm going to post is his first real laugh. And you know, there's not much else in this world better than a baby's laugh. (Sorry it's so dark!) What made him laugh so hard? I was fanning him with the coupon circular that came in the mail -- the wind would get in his face, blow his hair and then he'd laugh and laugh. Oh! And one of the most exciting things about Brody is that he sleeps in the stroller. Noah was one of those odd babies/kids that never fell asleep anywhere but his bed (and sometimes the car). I would wait and wait for the stoller to lull him to sleep, but it never happened. I keep trying to come up with new places I can take Brody in the stroller just so I can see him snoozing in it!

The Elf on our shelf

Have you heard of The Elf on the Shelf? I've been meaning to post about this for a while, but when I was home with Brody I was mostly unplugged from the internet world. (Probably because Brody likes to nurse and I barely had enough time to shower and get laundry done before he wanted to just hang out and nurse some more). Anyway, my BFF gave Noah an Elf on the Shelf for Christmas. We received him about 2 weeks prior. How it works is you read the story about how he comes to your house and then reports back to Santa each night and every morning he's in a new spot. You can talk to him, but he can't talk to you. And you can't touch him or all of his Christmas magic disappears. You have to name him and once you do - he's your elf and the fun begins.

So we read the story and Noah tells us that he has the "perfect" name for our Elf. His name will now be "Ho". You know, because Santa says "ho, ho, ho". Walt & I had to hide our amusement that we now had a ho living with us. Anyway, the first night at 4:30am I wake up in a panic and realize that we forgot to move Ho...so I stumble out of bed and find him a new spot. Thank goodness I did because Noah looked for him right away. And so it began. Every morning, first thing, Noah would search and search to find Ho. He talked to him and told him what was on his Christmas list. And we'd threaten that "Ho is watching" when he was being somewhat naughty.

The sad part was on Christmas Eve when I told him that Ho would be going back to the North Pole with Santa that night - and Noah burst in to tears. I mean, real, big crocodile tears. He was sad that Ho had to leave and he loved him and would miss him. It's January 18 and we STILL talk about Ho all of the time. In fact, Ho left Noah a letter and a shark book (Silly Santa forgot to leave it for Noah!) just the other night.

If you have a pre-schooler and dont have an Elf on the Shelf, I think you should think about getting one. It's a really fun tradition to start and it's amazing how much joy that Ho brought to our holidays!