Life With My Bear & Roo

A lot has been going on and a lot is about to go on...

Our little roo turned 5 months old last week. She also started sleeping through the night (Can I get an amen?!...). She is still stubborn about going down at the end of the day but I'm not going to complain. I'm sleeping through the night and she's a happy girl when awake ~ that's all a mommy can really ask for.

Ah, yes, the pretty baby with the big gummy smile is all happiness and joy and it makes those hard first three months all seem worth it now. Colic, thrush, reflux, it has all slowly melted away and my beautiful roo is purely herself these days. She babbles frequently; still very expressive and spends most of her awake time busy playing and experimenting with whatever toy she can get her hands on. She is becoming a little scientist.

But the most wonderful thing of all is that over the past few weeks bear has become really loving towards her little sister - sharing her toys on occasion, offering her one of her favorite blankets, playing with her.

We actually had a small tea party all together earlier this week and roo grabbed the princess cup right up to her mouth; she's been watching us, she knows what to do!

Roo is certainly ready to start baby food! I've been really lax about it, offering rice cereal here and there... This time around I'm just not that crazy about it. We had so many tummy issues before, I'm just not ready to jump into it like I did with bear. And I can't decide for the life of me what food to start with. I'll get it together soon, roo will remind me! She frequently stares at us simultaneously with Acadia: drool slowly dribbling down her chin, eyes glazed over, ready to pounce at any sign of a roll away crumb.

And lets not forget what's going on with my sweet bear, who has been busy with potty training. It's up and down. She is ready, she knows when to go and she is very good at controlling her bladder. But she is having a hard time letting go of the diapers. After a few days of going number two on her own she has slowed down again. I'm not going to push her, it seems like the more I let her take control of the training the more willing she is to work on it. I just hope we can say goodbye to diapers soon.

Here are some favorite moments from the past two weeks:

Bear Says:

Bear finally went number two on her own and the first person she told was her little sister:

"Roo! I did it! I went poopies in the potty!" 

While at the doctors bear told the nurse all about how we went to Disneyland over the weekend:

"We watched the parade, went on Nemo, watched the fireworks, but we didn't want to get stuck in traffic..."

After explaining to bear that we can't give roo coins because she could choke and that choking could mean that we would lose roo forever, bear responded:

"And then we would buy a new baby at the hospital?" 

Silly old bear... roo's are not for replacing!

Events:

-Bear got her first haircut this week. I had been putting it off for a long time. I love her baby curls and was afraid it would all disappear with the cut. But it was time, she had obvious dead ends and the tangling in the morning was getting old. After a few days with the new trim it seems that her curls have stayed, thank goodness!

I took bear to the best place to get a first haircut; a 100% kid's salon with rocket ship seats, movies and toys. Easy peasy, my bear's hair was trimmed in no time. It all ended with a lolly pop so I'm pretty sure she won't fuss the next time I suggest we go.

-Tonight bear and daddy are camping with friends. The house is quite, my baby roo is sleeping and best of all I think it's almost clean in here!

Upcoming: 

Wednesday we head back to the northeast; first for a game at Fenway and then to my parents. We'll say goodbye to daddy on Sunday and spend the rest of the month at my parents. I'm looking forward to getting back to my hometown and hanging out with family and friends. But most of all I'm excited for roo's first big trip. Her big sister had already flown three times and camped twice by this age, it's about time she started catching up!

So long!

bear's mom

Hello Happiness!

I seem to have snapped out of the storm cloud of which I was stuck under for the past few weeks or so. It's mostly the morning sickness that had been keeping me down -- it really knows how to wipe a girl out! Which bear was already doing a pretty good job of before I was pregnant.

The morning sickness is still strongly here but I've given up on holding out on medication, so I can continue enjoying all the alone time I have with bear, before baby number two arrives! The medication seems to just take the edge off though, but that at least allows me to go to the park without worrying that I might toss my cookies in front of bear's little friends.

The morning sickness had really been keeping me on the couch and zapping all of my energy and I began to feel like an awful mom. I couldn't keep up with the house work, could barely cook dinner, and had almost no energy to play or deal with the toddler tantrums... Which I think we're probably more brought on from the unfortunate distance that I was creating with bear. Fortunately my energy levels seem to be returning - hallelujah! Now, if I could just get a break from the nausea department we'd all be back to our happy sunny self's!

It was really beginning to take a tole on me, not being able to give bear my 100%, but in some ways this is probably good preparation for her, because in the next 8 months bear will have to start sharing my attention with another little one. I'm wondering how this will effect her as she's so easy going and sweet, except during those tantrums...

But today is a better day. I feel more positive and thus bear is more happy which means the all around vibe in the house is a happy one.

Bear told me on the way home from the park this morning:

"Tortoise happy. Mommy happy. Emma happy. Daddy happy. Acadia Happy. Grass happy. Tree happy. Bird happy..."

I think she was just trying to say- "Mommy, I'm happy and I love you!"

xoxo
Bear's mom 

The rain is raining on my parade...

So we had a bit of a rocky day today: Daddy took off for another out of town work week last night, bear woke up at 6 am sharp this morning, and the sun decide not to shine until late in the afternoon.

At first the crummy day left me with a cozy feeling as we see the sun 99.6% of the year,  thus the occasional change is usually welcome. So I figured today would be a great day to make some lentil soup and maybe some veggie broth since I conveniently had everything I needed in the pantry. Though, in the back of my mind, the anxiety of being stuck inside all day was mildly chipping away at my hopes that today would be a smooth and easy, hang around the house, kind of day.

When we don't have plans for the day we usually head out of the house about 9 am--Me, bear, and Acadia. We run all together, bear in the B.O.B. and Acadia on the leash. Our run includes a half way stop at the nature park where I let bear get out and explore while I simultaneously play catch with Acadia, using her chuck it. This is usually just what I need to refocus myself especially when it comes to bear.

But today it decided to rain, and since daddy wasn't home, and bear woke up at 6 am (not one minute before or after) there was no time for me to take a shower, which was desperately needed if we were going to attempt a public outing. So, as I said previously, I figured we'd be ok inside especially since bear has recently gotten more independent with her play time. Her ability to attend to toys for extended periods is expanded and so I just figured I would have ample opportunity to take care of some house work and my soup. But this was not bear's intentions for the day. Nope! Unfortunately bear was surprisingly very needy, she didn't want to be away from me for more than a minute, and each time I tried to complete even the smallest of tasks, bear immediately requested something and then in my attempts to appease her she would just as quickly change her mind and decided she wanted something else. I really felt like a mama chicken with her head cut off...

Now don't get me wrong. I try to devote a certain amount of time to bear every day. It's my way of making sure that I provide bear with my full attention daily because, as we all know, being present isn't easy. But with the constant clinginess and requesting-ness of bear, I just kept wanting to check out! Which only led to mommy guilt, which then only led to me spinning my wheels trying to make up for the lack of "in the moment" presences I'm having.

When nap time arrived I felt a huge sigh of relief! I finished my soup, cleaned up, and took a nice shower. Just in time for bear to start mumbling and grumbling from her mid day slumber. I popped bear out of bed, we made a few phone calls, and then headed out for our almost daily run, because the sun did finally decide to shine (hooo-ray!). As soon as I stepped out of the house I felt so much better! So much better that I almost started to feel a little bad for all the mommies I know who are stuck inside all winter long. I hope they find a way to sanity while stuck in doors-- and if you know that secret, please feel free to share!

So bear ran and wondered around through the rosemary and on through the labyrinth of entwined oak tree branches. We then explored her favorite spots- the ("cake") creak, the ("cactus!") cactus bushes (which we've learned not to touch!), and ("echo!") the pavilion. All the while I flung Acadia's bright orange and blue tennis ball across the park, satisfied with all of the energy I was squeezing out of the energizer puppy...

We all came home happy, I started to feel a little better, though I have to admit I still felt a little checked out, as the day continued, and nothing I did seemed to make it truly go away. Even as I write this blog, at this very moment, I don't feel present... but how can I not be present if I'm presently writing? How can you write if you're not present? And how can you feel like you're not present if you think you actually are....

Yes, I know, my brain's tung is tied, too...

I think this is really just a sign that it's time to just stop thinking and head to bed.

Oh! How I pray for the abilitly to be a more present mommy tomorrow!

I love you bear!

xoxo
Bear's mom 

'Twas the night of Christmas

Happy 18 month birthday, bear!

Yes, today is your half birthday, which excitingly lands on Christmas day. And not only is it your 18 month birthday, but it is also your second Christmas!

In some ways, though, it felt more like your first, for this would be the first Christmas where you would fully participate in opening Christmas presents. Today was the foundation for all Christmases to come, as you now know more of what to expect next year. The next time you see a Chrismas tree, see Santa, hear a Christmas carol, you'll know what it means.

You were excited when you came out this morning, and although you became suddenly sick yesterday afternoon, it didn't seem to dampen your mood. What a surprise to see so many shiny wrapped boxes! "Open!" "Open!" You sang, passing me box after box; you weren't too sure where to start, and when you finally picked one present and began tugging on it's tapped edges, you quickly changed your mind and moved on again. Perhaps mommy didn't help fast enough, or all the excitement left you with the inability to sit still (as Christmas mornings tend to do that to little ones), either way you just couldn't seem to choose.

Little did we know that it would be a full day affair, as you wouldn't open your last present until just about dinner time...

The bobbing, from one gift to the next, continued for about ten minutes or so, until we finally stuck with one item. Daddy seemed to know the trick and before any of us knew it, there were a pair of galoshes and a princess backpack from Nana and Grandpa P, sitting out before you. And just as we had put your new rain boots on, you suddenly noticed your new pink, retro, kitchen!

You were so excited, I don't think we've ever seen this full expression before, and you knew just what to do! --You turned on the faucet right away! Expecting running water to come out...?...

...."Help!"..."Wash."..."Help!"...

Which I would expect too, if all of the faucets that I had ever seen in my entire 18 months of life had always had water pouring from their spouts. But you listened to mommy, as I told you, "It's pretend" and you followed me in my "bwoo-ssshhh" (pretend water noise) sounds as I washed my hands, in a make believe fashion.

You then checked each knob, crevasse, and door. And before I could sip just one bit of coffee, you had moved on to cooking (the word we heard most today was most certainly "Cook!") And since you hadn't opened any other presents yet (at least not any that contained your cooking toys), you started to wash, cook, and freeze, all of the wrapped boxes, that you could find, that were small enough to fit in your kitchen. But this would shortly stop once you found play food, and cookware from Santa Clause.

What I found so lovely about you bear, was that only when you were ready, on your own terms, would you again move on to opening more gifts (and yes I know this will not be the same for future Christmases to come, so I will hold on to this moment very tightly). It took much temptation (mommy and daddy resorted to pulling the corner edge off the next present) before you gave in and opened another favorite toy-- a teapot from Grammy K., which sang and made pouring sounds, as you played. You weren't quite sure what to do, just at first, but once I showed you, you caught right on, you poured us all some tea, turtle included, and then pretended to eat tea desserts.

You seemed to be most fond of all the toys that had to do with cooking. You played with all of your pots and pans perfectly with no guidance, you've obviously been watching mommy very well. You told me many times "Mama!" "Come! "Cook!"And we cooked away, we made stews on your stove and in your tree tent. We washed dishes and other items, stored your food in the fridge, and made phone calls on your kitchen phone. And before I could blink an eye, the day was done, another Christmas had gone and passed, and St. Nicholas, I'm sure, went home for a long nap...

It was a special day for us all, and even Ms. Acadia got a present from Santy Paws!

Now sweet bear of mine, I hope you sleep tight, for you have quite the cold to fight!

Sweet dreams, my sweet bear.

~Mama

Acadia, Second Mommy In Command.

There's a reason I was blessed with one of the naughtiest dogs on the planet, I am still able to find the strength to love her during her most naughty moments...

I say that probably more in reference to previous naughty episodes... As for today, we had another blow, as we still have them every now and then. But Acadia is a dog so I really shouldn't expect her to be perfect, and as much as I don't understand her I know she frequently feels the same way about me. Now that we have grown out of the attention and dominance seeking puppyhood behavior, I am now finding that most of her adult naughtiness is Acadia's way of trying to protect bear. This morning was a good example of that-- we were approached by a wondering, unleashed, no owner any where to be found, dog while we sat on the lawn outside. As soon as Acadia saw the dog she went nuts! I mean real nuts ~add a bouncing tigger and a dash of a mama grizzly and you've got yourself a nutty Acadia...  Just before the dog showed up, bear sat by one of the trees out front, digging, and exploring. I sat next to bear and Acadia sat on the opposite side of me, with her leash. Acadia instantly jumped up as the dog approached and began to bark, a loud threatening bark, and tried as hard as she could to get towards the dog. Acadia is a very large dog, she weighs somewhere around 75 pounds, which is pure muscle. I only weigh about 45 pounds more than she does, with more fat than muscle, so this was no easy feat (for a lack of better words...) for me. It was the first time in a long time that I had trouble controlling her and getting her to snap out of it and listen. I did not feel at all threatened by the unknown dog in regards to bear, she sat by the tree, laughing at the whole circus-like event that was unfolding in front of her as I tried to regain control. And amidst my struggle, the obtrusive  dog, who annoyingly ruined our morning play, never once came up towards bear. It stayed down the hill on the side walk, barking back at Acadia as it's collar jingle-jangled a merry tune with it's tags and jewels that hung from it's vibrating neck ~ Perhaps Acadia was really doing her job, those barks obviously were telling the dog something. I'm guessing she was saying: "back up!"

As the whole episode continued to played out, Acadia just wouldn't back down, she was throwing her body all over the place and I eventually had to march her towards our stairway, with all of the strength that I had. I then quickly zipped my head back around to check on bear, she was still happily watching everything pan out and the little dog was still down the hill. And just as I started to walk back to the tree, bear started to take some steps towards the hill, I yelled for her stop and quickly rushed after her. Luckily bear listened and my neighbor, at the exact same time, came out to help me. The neighbor grabbed bear and then watched her while I put Acadia inside. And once the chaos had ended, I immediately regretted my actions, In hindsight I should have just let Acadia go and grabbed bear. Though this could have led to another type of mess, I would not have been putting bear in any sort of danger. My instincts, during the event, told me that the dog was only interested in Acadia, but now I feel like an idiot mother! I should never have assumed that any dog is safe around bear, just like I should never assume that Acadia will behave around other children. I am terribly angry with myself, all I can do now is learn from this and remind myself that next time I will do things differently. Though there will NOT be a next time because I will no longer be bringing Acadia outside for bear's playtime. It just isn't safe to have Acadia out with use while we play on the lawn, at least if Chris isn't there with us. I just hope my neighbor doesn't think I'm a total nut job... She does not own a dog, and is terrified of them. It took her about two years to get comfortable with us passing her on the side walk while we walked Acadia. It really means a lot that she was willing to come out and help me. It is a nice reminder that we are surrounded by wonderful, caring people.

And just like this incident, there is always a lesson to be learned. Whether it's a sock she stole or a late night bark ~ Acadia is just doing what she is meant to do. We have come a long way from puppyhood. One of the most amazing things about Acadia is that she always loves me at my least lovable times so how can I not give her the same? I need to remind myself that this was a circumstance, it is the way things panned out that flustered me, not my dog, she was doing her job. And I will praise myself in the fact that I can see some positive in this not-so-positive episode.

Please forgive me for sometimes I am an idiot, too!

Bear's Mom~

On an off note...

I've recently started reading Marley & Me again over the past few days. Whenever I feel that Acadia is getting a little out of hand, it always brings me back to a good place. It reminds me that I am not the only person in the world with a goofy, way too energetic, and some times overly annoying dog. Don't get me wrong, I do love Acadia, she is a very special part of this family and when I say "special" I mean that in multiple ways....

I read this quote early this week: "Labs belonging to the American Line [rather than the English Line]... are known for their endless energy and high spirits and favored for the use in the field as hunting and sports dogs. The same qualities that make the American line of labs unstoppably superb in the woods makes them challenges in the family home." We too, just like John Grogan, ignorantly and idiotically picked Acadia out based on her exterior. She was cute- and that's all it took... the moment I saw her I shook my head excitedly at Chris-- which we agreed would be the sign if I decided that I wanted her-- before I even had a chance to look at her up close... We had heard good things about labs and knew she would keep up with us when we went hiking, running, swimming, etc. We also heard of how easy they were to train, that they were extremely loyal and great for families. Acadia does have all of these great traits which we absolutely love about her! She is sweet, loyal, loving, protective, happy and energetic. She's smart and learns new tricks quickly, and as soon as bear came home from the hospital Acadia immediately took to her as if she had been waiting just as eagerly as us for bear's arrival. But... no one ever tells you the other possible traits that some labs have. The signs were there when we first met Acadia but we had no idea, all we saw was the cutest puppy on the planet.

As I write this blog, Acadia is laying out on our back porch sun bathing, it's 1:30 PM and the sun is directly over head. It's 82 degrees and my dog is happily tanning away with her thick fur coat on... I don't think I'd enjoy sunbathing in a large fur coat, especially following a long walk in the in the mid-morning heat. But this has become a new routine and if I decide to lay out with my towel on the porch and get up briefly, Acadia will quickly steal my spot. Her light yellow fur is becoming a golden red from the sun exposure. Maybe, like the rest of California, she's just trying to get a tan?

I write this blog because, as I stated before, I am reading Marley and Me again. The book always reminds me how special Acadia is to us. She has played a big role in my parenting skills as well as my teaching skills. And as I look back on every piece of furniture, book, clothing, baked goods, shoes, toys (both dog and baby), towels, blankets, water and food dishes, and dry wall that Acadia has destroyed, as well as the scar on my left forearm... I've realized that a life without any bumps in the road wouldn't be such a great life after all. Each struggle with Acadia has given me some new perspective. Not only has she taught me to be patient but she has taught me to be firm and calm, and to be confident. In a million years I would have never guessed that bringing home a lab pup would change my life so drastically. And though, some days I may feel like it's all just too much, I really do love you, Acadia!