Weekend in St. Louis {Part One}

This Peters Family just returned from a super quick (and crazy) long weekend trip to St. Louis for Ryan's cousin's wedding and our godson Rory's baptism.

We flew out of SeaTac on Thursday morning.  Someone was incredibly excited that he was finally getting to go on the airplane and as a bonus, got to ride the "school bus" shuttle from the parking garage to the airport.

I wasn't super worried about how the kids would do on the flight - Camden has flown a lot and Zoey is a good little baby.  Our flight was supposed to depart at 12:10pm (right at Camden's nap time).  With that said, I'm sure you can deduce that it in fact did not depart on time.  Two gate changes and an hour and half delay later (an hour of which was spent on the godforsaken plane), and we were off.

 I got Zoey to sleep while trying to convince a tired Camden to lay his head down on my lap.  He wasn't having it and eventually pointed to my Ergo and said "I want in there."  So, in he went and about 30 seconds later, he was comatose.  While Cam was in the Ergo and Zoey was asleep with Ryan, a flight attendant asked me if they were twins.  Not even kidding.

The flight was smooth and uneventful.  Camden slept for about an hour and a half and Zoey snoozed (and ate) off and on.  After the hour we spent on the plane just sitting at our gate and the three and a half hour flight to St. Louis, we were more than ready to be done with airplanes for the day.

Aunt Cara picked us up at the airport and was a welcomed sight.

We made it back to her house and were welcomed by the rest of the family (sans Rory who was snoozing like the good, chunky baby he is!).  I let Camden get some of his crazy, pent up energy out playing with Liam and being the mean mommy that I am - made him go to bed.  The four of us were sleeping in one room together so I put Zoey to bed first.  Cara had set up a pack-n-play for Cam but he wasn't having it so I moved a twin size blow up mattress into the bedroom and laid with the overtired terror for two hours before he fell asleep (at 11:30pm Central Time).

You can imagine how thrilled I was when I was feeding Zoey at 6:20am Central Time Friday morning and I see my elder cherub pop his head up wide awake, ready for the day.  I made him lay in bed with us until 7:00 (still only 5:00am on his little body clock!) and then we went upstairs to start my intravenous coffee drip.  I mean morning coffee.

Friday was low key.  The kids and I hung around the house with Cara, Liam, Rory, and my mother-in-law.  And I drank more coffee.

  One of my favorite things about going back to St. Louis with Ryan is that I almost always get to meet up with some of my girlfriends, too.  Friday afternoon I met Alex and her family at a local park/playground.  Her husband, Mike, chased (er, supervised) the boys around the play area while the girls just laid there so she and I could catch up.  It was so great to talk facet-to-face and I kept thinking how funny it is that through social media, I feel like I know her kids (even though this is only my third time meeting Patrick and first time meeting Rosie) and am already so up to date on her life!  She is an amazing and passionate photographer and was gracious enough to take some pictures of the kids and me during our visit.  I'll post those in a separate post because, trust me, they deserve their own.

After we left The Mooney's I took my crying children back to Cara's and waited for Becky to arrive. She was dying to see Camnado and meet Zoey.  Cam would give her hugs and kisses, retreat downstairs to play with Grandma and Liam for a while, come back upstairs for Aunt Becky lovings, and repeat, repeat, repeat.  It was so great to sit and talk and laugh with Beck and hear about her new job!  

One of my next favorite things about going back to St. Louis is that the kids get to spend time with their three (yes, three!) great-grandparents.  Maybe this isn't such a big deal to some people, but for someone (me!) who doesn't have any living grandparents, let alone great-grandparents, this is huge!! 

This is Ryan's mom, Chris, with her parents, Bob and Carol, and her four grandkids.  Camden, Zoey, Liam, and Rory are four of Bob and Carol's six great-grandkids - Zoey being the youngest (and only girl!).

  

Friday night Camden only needed me to lay with him for an hour before he fell asleep and by the grace of God slept until 7:45am Central Time Saturday morning.  That's still only 5:45am on his body, but it's much better than the previous morning's 4:20am wake up call.  His sister won the "favorite child of the morning" award and slept until after 9am.

We had a slow morning and then it seemed like it was all of a sudden time to get ready for Ryan's cousin Anna's wedding.  The big boys stayed behind to nap during the ceremony so Cara and I only had to get the babies ready and I'm pretty sure I will forever be swooning over these two in their wedding-wear.

The ceremony was beautiful, short, and sweet so we were able to get back home where my wild child was already awake from his (very short) nap and ready to rock.  I guzzled more coffee before we packed up and took the crew to the reception.

I may or may not have gave thanks for the invention of the iPad about 12,000 times during the beginning of the reception because it was the one thing that kept Camden from running circles on the dance floor... Around the cake table.  I don't know how many times I tried to tell him that the dance floor was for dancing or walking, but he was hell bent on being defiant and running, or jumping like a frog, or twirling.

And his great-grandpa wonders why I said "no cake for Camden."  I know, mean Mommy.  But seriously, do you think my child needs any help in the energy department?

The reception was lovely and fun and I may or may not have sobbed (and sobbed) during the father-daughter dance.  Good lord.  They played the most awful song ever (not really, it was beautiful and is what sent me over the blubbering edge) and all I could think of was Zoey and Ryan someday dancing the father-daughter dance.

Like a moron I downloaded it the very next day.

The Webb's and I waved our white flags, packed up the kids before they imploded, and set out for home.

I'll be back for Part Two of our trip soon.  Ish.  Soonish.  I hope.

Take Luck,

LP

Camden Says / 05

I swear that within two days of hitting "publish" on my last Camden Says, my little man had already given me enough material for another post.  Alas, I restrained myself.  Until now.

When trying to be helpful and put Zoey's pacifier in her mouth.

Cam: Open your mowf (mouth)!

When he doesn't see Zoey.

Cam: Where my baby Zoey go?

When laying in bed with him before saying goodnight.

Cam: Snuggle with you, Mommy?

After our lone rain storm of the summer.

Cam: Daddy turn off the rain?

Me: (confused) No, buddy.

Cam: Oh.

Getting frustrated with Zoey's lack of verbal skills.

Cam: Guess what baby Zoey?

Zoey:

Cam: (a little louder) Guess what baby Zoey?!!

Zoey:

Cam: (now yelling) Guess what baby Zoeyyyyyy?!!!!

Knows his name.

Grammy: Sorry, Charlie.

Cam: I not Charlie, I Camden.  Charlie is a train!

Me: What's your name?

Cam: Camden James Peters!

Me: What's your baby sister's name?

Cam: Baby Zoey Grace Peters!

Squatting, grunting, with a beet red face.

Me: Cam, are you going poo poo?

Cam: No!

Me: Are you sure?

Cam: No wook (look) at me, Mommy!

Learning to use scissors at daycare and telling me about the rules.

Cam: Ms. Debbie say, "No cutting hairs. Only peepers (papers)."

Likes to shake your hand and say, "Nice to meechu (meet you)."

I opened the door and came out of the bathroom (where Camden had been standing outside, knocking and yelling for the duration).

Cam: Mommy!  What you doing, Mommy?!

Me:

Cam: Mommy!  What you doing, Mommy?!

Me: I went potty.

Cam: (clapping) Good job, Mommy!

Talking about his Uncle Josh.

Cam: (something I couldn't understand) Uncle Josh.

Me: You like Uncle Joshy, huh?

Cam: I wike (like) peanut butter, too!

I came downstairs for our anniversary dinner in a dress.

Cam: Mommy, you a princess!

Always asking about his Papa.

Cam: Where's my Papa?

Me: I think he's at the gym!

Cam: He's at gymnastics?

Whenever Zoey spits up.

Cam: Oh, no.  She spit over.

Anytime Huck called him "Griffin."

Cam: I'm not Griffin.  I'm Camden.

Snuggling in bed and he bonked my eyebrow with his head.

Me: Ouch!

Cam: What happened?!

Me: You bonked my eyebrow with your head and it hurt.

Cam: Awww, that's very sad.  I sorry, Mommy.

Taking his uneaten mini muffin from him when we arrived at daycare.

Me: Are you done?

Cam: Yes.

Me: (takes muffin)

Cam: Do not throw it in the bushes!

Me: (confused) I'm going to save it for you for later, buddy.

Cam: OK. Do not throw it in the waters!

Anytime you ask him if he wants to do something (i.e. swim lessons, the park, indoor play center with bouncy house, Grammy and Papa's).

Cam: Ohh, that's very fun.

Take Luck,

LP

Terry's Take Seattle

Because my creativity is lacking, and I'm struggling to keep up on this space in general, I'm stealing Tiff's titles of the blog posts she wrote recapping her visit and just going with it. 

It's been three weeks since The Terry's (and Aunt Sherrie!) visited us and just typing that out makes my heart hurt a little bit.

I think it's (sort of) funny to read Tiffanie's recap of their visit because it's a very different experience for the person that's traveling versus the person that's hosting.  I think you'll see it if you read our posts after we traveled to Michigan last September (yes, almost one year ago).

I'll just tell you now that her posts are much better than mine and have more pictures.
{part one} {part two} {part three}

While Tiff was braving flying standby with two young kids and her aunt, I was over here pacing and watching their airplane icon travel across the continental United States on my flight tracker app in anticipation.  She was keeping me updated on their progress but the suspense was killing me.  I just wanted them to be here!  They arrived late on Tuesday night and because she is super-mommy-woman, she stayed up and chatted with me for a bit before retreating to bed.

Lucky for her, my children rise with the sun, so while Huck and Elsie woke along with Michigan time (aka early in the PNW), we were not far behind.

It's no secret that Camden and Huck are funny, busy little boys.  So, why I was sort of shocked when they started feeding off each other's energy and stepped over the line between busy and crazy is beyond me.  I have never seen Camden act or behave the way he did while Huck was in his presence. It sort of blew my mind.  And embarrassed me.  A tiny little bit.  As evidenced by the number of times I apologized to Tiff for his behavior.

Oh, you'd like an example?  On multiple occasions, the boys were wrestling with each other and Camden was body slamming Huck and giving him noogies.  Again, embarrassed.

Wednesday afternoon after naps (and lots of coffee consumption by the adults), we took the boys to the park to let them try and release some of their never-ending energy and if I remember correctly, it sort of worked.  Maybe it's because they spent a majority of the time dodging some crazy pre-teens that were running amok on the playground.  I may or may not have yelled at one of them.  Don't endanger my kids, alright?!

Thursday morning we hopped in our separate cars and made the 30 minute drive to Point No Point - a seriously beautiful, sandy beach just north of us.  We got there nice and early to see the tide was high and there was a lot of people fishing.  I can only imagine how thrilled they were to see the boys frolicking in the sand and into the water.  The water was cold but the boys didn't care.  They were happy to splash and throw sand (ahem, Camden).

On our way home from the beach we stopped in Poulsbo to browse, eat pre-lunch cookies and buy donuts from Sluys, a local bakery), and have some lunch.  I don't have any pictures from this little adventure because... Survival.  Zoey was asleep in the Ergo and Camden was inching toward a "I need a nap, like 20 minutes ago" meltdown.  Thanks to iPhones we made it through lunch unscathed and the Peters family headed home, leaving Tiff and her crew to look around more.

Thursday evening, Ryan and Sherrie held down the fort while Tiffanie and I escaped for drinks and dinner at a local restaurant and I cannot tell you how lovely it was to sit, eat, drink, and talk without interruption.  I'm pretty sure we talked about the kids and our husbands the entire time, but let me tell you - uninterrupted conversation with your best friend is priceless no matter what the topic.

  Why we didn't ask our waitress to take a picture of us together at this juncture is beyond me, so I'll blame it on exhaustion.

On Friday we hopped on the ferry and headed to Seattle.  Tiff bought the boys matching shirts that said "Wild One" and boy, were they appropriate.  I just realized we didn't get a good picture of them together in their shirts, but I promise, it was adorable.  

We navigated through Pike Place Market, got some lunch, and ate on the lawn outside the market so the boys could run (wild).  Because I am a chicken shit and don't trust my elder child to get through a nap-less day without imploding, the Peters family again retreated home to try and rest up for the afternoon.     

That evening we proclaimed it "time to play outside" because... Sanity.  We brought out the ride-on Hummer, chalk, the baseball bat and equipment, and bubble machine, and went nuts.  

Because they flew standby, there was some uncertainty as to when they would fly back to Detroit.  Long story short, flights out of Seattle were full and they wouldn't be able to leave until Tuesday.  Selfishly, this was absolutely fine with me, but I knew that they were ready to get back home and get the kids back into their routine.  Both Elsie and Huck (especially Huck!) impressed me with how they adjusted to the time change but I think it was all starting to catch up with them.  We decided their best bet was to fly out of Portland.

Saturday morning, after successfully getting pictures of all four cherubs together (as well as a super unattractive one of the six of us in our jammies that I'm posting because... memories!) we again proclaimed "time to get out of this house," and took the boys to the indoor play center where they became best friends with the big blow up slide and farm.

These sweet girls, I tell ya.  They lived in the photo-shadows of their crazy big brothers the entire time.  Thank goodness they are two of the most relaxed, happy, go with the crazy-flow babies ever. 

The boys were incredibly fun to watch play together.  They played with trains and tractors, played on the little indoor slide, watched a little TV when the mommies needed a little quiet time (that lasted all of five minutes but... silence!), and found themselves hysterical when they repeatedly took turns hollering "hellooo?!" up the stairs.  Huck kept calling Camden "Griffin" (because of his similarly built, blonde haired cousin) and Camden would say "I'm not Griffin.  I'm Camden."  Of course, I think it was Saturday before Huck was saying "Camden" more than "Griffin." Anytime Huck said my name (it came out sounding a little like "Warnen") I pretty much melted into goo and would have given him anything he wanted. 

Even though the girls didn't interact, just knowing they've "met" makes me incredibly happy.  Some day they will see each other again and will do more than lay on the same blanket or swing next to each other.

As much as it pained me (and not because of the drive, but because I didn't want them to leave), we saddled up and drove to Bainbridge Island to take the ferry to Seattle so Tiff could return their rental car and we could make our way to Portland.  Camden was still napping when we left, so I was so sad that he didn't get to say goodbye to his Aunt Tiff, Sherrie, Huck, and Elsie.  You know he was asking "Where Huck?  Where Elsie?" for the next several days.

We made it to Portland safely and after we got all of their stuff unloaded, I couldn't keep the tears away.  Thankfully, I saved the ugly crying for the first few minutes of my drive back home, but I was incredibly sad for them to leave.  Tiff is my person, my best friend.  We talk/text every single day, so getting to have her in my home, talking to her face-to-face, and seeing our kids together was priceless.  Our friendship has come a long way from trips to the mall and dates at Panera, talking about softball, boyfriends, and Grey's Anatomy.  I rely on and cherish our friendship daily.

We were so busy with the kids that we didn't get many photos together, but I'm holding tight to the ones we did.

I can't wait to get to see The Terry's again.  Hopefully sooner rather than later, of course.  Until then, we'll just keep texting each other about our kids' sleep habits, our husbands, our television shows, Grace Patton, and everything else under the sun.  Our conversation frequency has gotten to the point that if Ryan sees me tip-tapping away on my phone he'll just ask, "Tiff?"

Always.

Take Luck,

LP

Zoey - 2 Months

Another month.  More disbelief that another month has passed.  Hello, I'm a broken record and will probably be for the rest of my life when it comes to talking about these babies.

Moving on.

- At two months, I am guessing she weighs around 12 pounds but will find out an official length and weight tomorrow at her check up.  

(Update)

Happy to report I was wrong.  Sister is chunky but not that chunky.

Weight: 10 lbs 12 oz (35th percentile)

Length: 22 3/4 inches (62nd percentile)

Head Circumference: 14 1/2 inches (25th percentile)

For a comparison, at two months Camden weighed 10 lbs 3 oz (25th percentile), was 22 1/2 inches long (45th percentile) and had a head circumference of 15 inches (18th percentile).

- Continues to be a very calm, relaxed, and easy going baby.

- Her eyes are still dark blue and I won't be at all surprised if they turn brown like her daddy's.  Poor girl is losing all of her hair.  Even the sweet little mullet is diminishing into a mullet patch instead of a full blown mullet.

- I'm too much of a chicken to try testing her dairy sensitivity waters and incorporate dairy back into my diet, so we continue down that road and I enjoy a gas-free baby.

- Has started to smile and oh my gahd.  There is nothing in the world like her bright eyed, gummy smile.  And the cooing?  I can't even.

- Tries desperately to roll over onto her side.

- Will take her Mams pacifier when she's sleepy or if I'm trying to hold off a feed (usually for no other reason than trying to get home from somewhere).  Praise the Lord!

- Got over her dislike for the bottle and now chugs them like a baby boss.  Double praising of the Lord!

- Overnight sleep is good.  Has her last feeding around 7:30pm and usually sleeps anywhere from seven to nine hours before her next feeding.  Some nights she needs some help from her pacifier and others she doesn't make a peep and I'm checking to make sure she's breathing.  I'm literally knocking on wood right now because infant sleep is one scary and unpredictable roller coaster.  

- Naps are not as good.  I was just letting her sleep when she wanted to sleep and not paying super close attention to wake times and it's come back to bite me.  It's like all of a sudden she went from a deep sleeper to a light sleeper and much prefers 20-30 minute cat naps over anything substantial.  I'm trying (desperately) to get her back onto a schedule.

- Adored by her big brother.  He always wants to be touching her, holding her, or just with her.  Seriously, if she isn't within his sight he's asking, "Where my Baby Zoey?"

I can't leave without a without a comparison of Camden and Zoey at two months.  No doubt she has a pound or two on him at this age.

Take Luck,

LP