Week 115 and Week 28.5 - America!

Sophia is thankfully a good sport with long haul travel - which is fortuitous as she also may be a bit of a bad luck charm.  Our flight (just she and I) was delayed two hours, our flight from NYC to Boston was cancelled(!), and a nice neighbor lady let Sophia and I be her passenger as she drove the distance.  I also flew on Tuesday from Boston to Detroit  and my flight was also delayed two hours and I ran 30 gates to catch my flight to Madison.  Running in flip flops with a stroller and a baby in a carrier through an airport is just plain funny - probably funnier if it is not you.

The long haul flight was ok - 8 hours of Sophia sleeping early on made me falsely optimistic - and then she was awake for the rest of it.  Lots of nursing and then lots of biting!  This was frustrating and I was losing my mind at this point as I did not know how much longer I could carry Sophia and deal with the relentless biting, which I swear is laughing while biting.

Spent the weekend with my bff Nicole and -- Mike her lovely fiance whom I had not met before so it was wonderful to spend some time with them before the craziness of their wedding later next month.  Nicole and I knocked out some wedding logistical things and her lovely Boston friends threw her a Jack and Jill bridal shower where I learned about bizarre American bridal shower traditions (I may have grown up in America but I have really not been privy to man American wedding traditions).

Tuesday Sophia and I picked up Matt from the park and ride after I was an hour late thanks to a poor sense of direction that seems to manifest from jet lag. 

Last night we went to Concert on the Square and had a great time with old friends and new babies.

Uncle Mike and Sophia:

Sunset over the South Shore and Boston proper:

Sophia sleeps like she is sunning herself:

Jack and Jill bridal shower with Adam!

Close up of the cake - the best mocha fondant ever (who knew fondant could be so good?):

Nicole and Sophia:

The lovely Rutlins.  Zoe is nine months and weighs as much as Charlotte!

Zoe up close:

Sophia chills in her own chair:

Auntie Nicki and Sophia!

Auntie Heidi and Sophia!

Uncle Mario and goofy grinned Sophia!

Auntie Laura stages and intervention:

Sweaty Charlotte:

Charlotte greases up her face on our car:

 

 

Happy Sophia!

And a couple of videos for good measure:

Mike plays with Sophia:

Then Nicole plays with Sophia:

Week 114 and Week 27.5 - Oli!

So Suelika, Jorge and Oli came to visit and what a great time was had by all!  Although our mates were here for a week it was jam packed with activities - going to the Harry Potter and Andy Warhol exhibit at Sands (wow that Harry Potter one is a bit scary for our two year olds), a few days at Nikoi Island, and a day at the zoo in Singapore. 

I thought I was being rather rough and tumble with the lack of air conditioning at Nikoi Island - 'roughing' it as we city girls like to think.  It was not terrible (though the reputed breeze was not really there in the evenings as one would like).  On this trip we were accidental attachment parents as the cribs were too hot without a fan underneath, so alas, we were in a family bed.  Cheeky Charlotte did not naps during our languid afternoons unlike sleepy superstar Oli, and I was extremely jealous.  Sophia never napped either and we were lucky that everyone tucked in early in the evenings in our family bed.

Matt and I marveled at the stars in Nikoi.  Matt loved it - sort of a boutique camping experience reminiscent of his summer camping youth- but I still have yet to show him our bill so he still lacks the sticker shock from the experience.  The food was good but expensive - I understand it all has to be brought to the island, etc. but it still was expensive as it is difficult not to compare with Thailand and other exotic places with cheaper food.

The beaches were beautiful and pristine.  The sandy dining area was really cool.

It was nice - once the kids are 4 and 5 it would be even better.

It was so nice to finally meet Oli - a postcard of cuteness.  He is so verbal both in Spanish and English.  Suelika describes he and Charlotte as best frenemies.  Oli did not care for Charlotte's touching him and she just continued to do it - pushing his buttons.  It was funny to see her dynamic with a 'peer' (as TT is definitely big brother material).  She certainly didn't let Oli push her around.

Sophia was a sport all around, not too fussed.  She is nursing a lot more at night at was a whopping 6kg at our doctor visit on Monday.  Yippee!  10th percentile here we come!  My doctor is constantly talking me off the ledge that Sophia is fine.  I just hear my parents in my head asking why she is so little.  Because she is part Drake!  And the Drakes are slim shadies!  One day I will be more relaxed about this I hope...

Yesterday I gave Sophia some oatmeal and formula.  She liked the oatmeal - the formula not so much... we are hatching a plan B for Becky's wedding as we thought we could feed Sophia formula then...

Here are some videos:

Nikoi dinner!

Oli kayak success!

Charlotte kayak fail (she demanded to be taken out right after I turned off the camera):

Forgot to mention I saw my buddy Alice before Oli arrived!

Nikoi speed boat ride:

Blue steel / Japanese tourists:

Nikoi Island!

Sophia suns herself:

Dusk play!

Sunset shot:

Sun sets while Sophia sleeps:

Post kayak melancholy:

A little ditty for Oli and Charlotte:

Tummy time under the mosquito net:

Family bed:

Obligatory orangutan shot:

Doo rag:

Smile for daddy shot:

Week 113 and Week 26.5 - 6 months old!

I did it!  6 months of exclusive breastfeeding (save one day in the hospital with formula and donated breastmilk at the end and a few days of rice cereal, but for all intents and purposes it's exclusive!).  And I am still breastfeeding!  Yay!

Suelika, Oli, and Jorge just got into town yesterday.

We are off to Nikoi Island tomorrow.

A better week overall but Matt has succumbed to the ill of all ills and now I am sleeping in a musical chairs like sequence of available beds to try to get some rest among the spats of his voice robbing coughs.  Hoping to feel better in Nikoi tomorrow (as I am still coughing too) - but everyone else seems to be better FINALLY.

Charlotte has done two cute things - one is she tries to teach Sophia to crawl (she says "crawl like this!" and shows her how).  And she says "close your eyes" to me and I tell her to close them and she does with toddler intensity.  Oh, and she has a terribly two meltdown almost every day too.

Charlotte now likes to take a shower in the kiddie pool outside.  The beginning of al fresco bathing.

Char smiles for the camera now if I say "smile for daddy!"

Olivia came over for a play date and it totally knackered Sophia!  Three hour nap territory....

We need to cut Charlotte's bangs desperately!

Char likes the fan!

Char does blue steel:

Oversized for the exersaucer:

Looks like me here:

Better on scooter!

Char swims at Anna's!

Sophia likes the park!

 

"Smile for daddy" pics:

 

Al fresco bathing:

Sophia in Jumperoo (thanks Olivia for letting us borrow it!):

Cutie Olivia and Charlotte!

 Photo of the week: