We are building a house in Chanhassen, and it will be done in late November / early December. We broke ground in mid-August and the house is about halfway completed (framed and roof and windows are in!). In the interim, we moved in with Paul and Gail in Victoria. They generously allowed us to move in only a few short weeks after they got settled.
Oscar
- Oscar is a horrible sleeper (up every 2-4 hours, about 2-3x per night). At this point, I've learned to function with a consistent sleep debt. But oh, how great it will be to sleep more than 3-4 hour stretches at a time!! #functioninganyway
- On the recommendation of our pediatrician, we tried to "cry it out" over Labor Day weekend. Despite sticking with it for 4 nights, the result was that we established a consistent 7/7:30pm bedtime but didn't lengthen stretches at night. However, I think part of the problem is that he still fights his bottle, so he prefers to get his calories straight from the source at night. It's a good thing nursing is going well!
- Another issue is that he's been in the throes of teething. He got his first tooth on Aug. 6, the 2nd one shortly after, and the 3rd one in mid-September. He also seems to be working on about 3 others. He might be eating steak by Christmas!
- Oscar is a very physical baby. He rolled over on his own from back to front at 4 mos. and was sitting up well on his own by 4.5 months. He's just now starting to army crawl and I would imagine that he'll be all over the place in just a couple weeks.
- Personality: Quietly happy, unless he's uncomfortable. Then he's crabby. He's a little stinker - he already thinks it's funny to swat at the spoon while he's being fed to see if he can hit it and make food go flying. And the other day, he tooted and then laughed at himself. He's a little more sensitive than Jesper was - more likely to fuss if nervous or surprised. He loves to observe and likes physical play ("sliding" down Mommy's legs or practicing scooting around the ground). It's hard to get a giggle out of him, but he smiles a lot.
- He's a good eater and has liked everything but green beans. Favorites are carrots and sweet potatoes (actually seems to like veggies more than fruits).
- He's very coordinated - he could pick up a cracker and feed himself at 6 months.
Jesper
- My precious little Jesper boy has had a rough summer with all the changes. He is very good at adjusting to change, but we've thrown a lot at him in 6 months. He LOVES his little brother and does a fantastic job of being gentle and is a great little helper. However, we've been dealing with some behavior issues at school - more bathroom accidents and reports that he isn't listening. My theory is that he hasn't been sleeping as well because Oscar disturbs his sleep and he is missing some attention from Mom and Dad with as busy as this summer has been.
- He's started to have a phobia of bugs - we actually had several nights where he would wake up with nightmares because "there are spiders on my face."
- Added to all that, I think 3 is a difficult age anyway - he needs to start being more self-reliant yet it's not as safe and secure as when Mommy and Daddy help him. He started Pre-K this fall at his daycare and we've noticed that he's doing a better job of several tasks - getting dressed, zipping his jacket, getting his shoes on, getting his own tissue, etc. Hopefully as we move into our new house and things calm down, we will all adjust more easily to this next step of childhood.
- Current favorites: construction trucks (I.e. "Working trucks"), Oscar, Soukie (Paul and Gail's little white dog), crashing his cars together
Other updates:
- I received a promotion at work to the Account Manager position. It's been a challenge - I'm learning a LOT and am being asked to take on projects that make me stretch and grow. I have a great team and manager and have been enjoying the learning curve, but it has also meant more late nights and business trips. Josh has been great about taking on more responsibilities with the kiddos so I can meet my deadlines.
- Josh and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Sept. 20. Representative of this season of life, we went out to eat at a local Mexican food restaurant with Paul and Gail and the kids. There will be many years ahead for nice romantic dinners, but Jesper and Oscar will be little only once. :)
- Chris and Morgan Macbean came to visit at the end of September. It was SO fun to see them again! We went out to eat at Barrio for lunch and then had dinner with Brandon and Sarah on Friday night. We spent Saturday walking around the Arboretum and enjoyed hanging out with them at the house for dinner that night. It was like no time had passed - we are so lucky to have wonderful friends like them! We're looking forward to our turn to visit them in Hollis.
Balancing life, work, parenting, and love right now is as difficult as it's ever been. I'm thankful for a great partnership with Josh and the support system of our friends and families. Here's hoping for a few more calm and quiet moments in the months ahead!
