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One can never have too many friends, and we have the best, a large portion of whom we got to see in Connecticut. First, we got to chill in the hot sun with the Grant girls (Hastings and Landry or "Baby Landry" as we like to call her) who happened to be visiting with their mom, Miranda, my oldest friend (she's not old, our friendship is), at the same time we were visiting Connecticut as we closed out the summer New England style. We had the girls play together as much as we could and they loved it and each other.
We got to see quite a bit of both sets of grandparents and our close (sadly, just emotionally, not so much geographically) friends and gal pals the Leary-Infantines who made the trek all the way from Boston to hang with us at the Bridgewater Country Fair. Lucia and Annie were pretty much inseparable by the end of our all too-short visit together. It's crazy to think that this was the first time they had met Oscar or we had met Carmen (their two-and-a-half year-old, man that's a lot of hyphens). The last time we saw them was in Boston and Meredith was 6 months pregnant with that little cutie. Hopefully we can make this an annual affair as the girls had way to much fun (and cotton candy) at the fair.
Now the babies are back at school. Oscar, given our trip to the northeast, missed his first two days of school (slacker!), but arrived after all of the other kids had gotten over their separation anxiety so he could really shine with his. That kid loves a spotlight. But after a few dramatic sobs (I listened outside the door), he did great and had a blast. And it must be a really good school, because he's starting to put a lot of words together to form sentences we can actually kind of understand (if the wind is just right and you try to imagine yourself listening under water). His favorite phrases: "Close that door!" and "drink of water?" He still loves the trash and helping to make the coffee and feed the cats in the morning. I'm hoping to have him take over most of my household duties by age 2. Fingers crossed.
Annie is doing two extended days at school now, the same days that Oscar is at his school, so Mama is finally getting some me time. Sadly, I used the first week to catch up on some much-needed deep cleaning, but man, you can eat off my floors (Oscar often does). Annie loves bringing her lunch box to school. She's also started ballet again and with the exciting addition of tap shoes. What a smile patent leather can put on a girl's face. Oscar also started his music class again this week, so my role as chauffeur is back in business. Moms should totally earn frequent driver miles. I'd have at least six trips to Fiji by now.
So much has happened since I last posted. Where to begin? How about the stomach virus that crippled us the day before we were to leave for Connecticut? The first time (and many thereafter) Annie has ever thrown up. I lost count for myself. Thank goodness there was a travel advisory for Louisville due to an ice storm and we could delay our trip a day. Jay got it after we arrived, but in a less manacle form, and Oscar may have gotten it, but we've given up trying to attribute his latest crankiness to any one thing. I'm convinced it's a mixture of teething, constantly being told "no" and his body punishing his penchant for beating the sun every morning with what was in Connecticut at 4:30 wake-up call. Book-end Santa's landing with a blizzard, a stay in the Laguardia Marriott, a subsequent return to a blacked-out Connecticut and a week-delayed departure, and you're pretty much up to date.
But for the good stuff: Christmas was great. Santa brought Annie her requested doll highchair and "many different kinds of stickers." Oscar got some new bath toys, and the relatives pretty much spoiled them both rotten. While in Connecticut, Annie consumed twice her weight in chocolate, rode a carousel, visited some farm animals, hold a very newborn baby, operate model trains and witness the passing of another year. We got to spend the holiday with Jay's sister and her family, including Luke (7) and Colin (4), her very much adored cousins. They even got to play together in the snow of the aforementioned blizzard. Oscar enjoyed witnessing all of this, calling 911 (we believe on accident) and feeding my parents' dog Keiser anything from his highchair he deemed unacceptable for himself (we're guessing about 92%).
Jay was able to make it back only a day later than scheduled (he rerouted to Hartford and through some stroke of kismet and dumb luck, made it back to Louisville in one piece). The kids and I stayed on until we could get a direct flight back to Louisville (I can handle flying with two kids, but I would have to be a special kind of crazy to do it with stops), which ended up being a full week later. Our parents were our saving graces. My parents braved the roads to come get us on the Monday after Christmas after it was clear we weren't getting anywhere from Laguardia. Jay's parents took the second baton in the airport relay to whisk him up to Hartford minutes after we got back to Connecticut. For all of this we are eternally grateful. You can go home again, and again, and again.
So as the new year begins, we are gearing up for Annie's triumphant return to soccer, Oscar's solo attendance to music class, and trying to grab a little rest in between (come on Oscar, just this once!). So happy holidays from the Ferrara Family and here's wishing you good health and ... I'm too tired to think of anything else. But I bet it's good.
Annie and I made a pilgrimage to Connecticut to do our last plane ride as only child and mom. We visited Nana and GrandBob and Oma and PapaJoe, as well as our friends Denise and Trout. We also got to see our good friend Sarah from high school (mine, not Annie's ... she's smart, but not that smart) and found some fun at the Bridgewater Country Fair (as exhibited by the pineapple on a stick), which I partook in pretty much every year of my childhood. It was a lot of fun for one short week. Now that we're back, Annie's starting her Monday, Wednesday, Friday of preschool and yesterday was her first day. She did awesome. I was a little nervous because we put her in a "threes" class, when she's really not three for another couple months. But she seemed to do fine and got a smiley face on her daily report, so we're relieved. She can also read! Well, not really, but she's read this book enough that she makes a pretty good case. Here's her reading in her favorite reading spot as of late, pull up a bath mat, Nana:
In other news, I'm huge. Well, not huge, but I feel a lot larger with this pregnancy than I did with Annie's. This may or may not be true, but I'm scared for the last two months of this ride. I have another ultrasound in a couple weeks to checkup on a fibroid that has a slight possibility of interfering with something (but I think it's just another excuse for the dr.'s office to bill our insurance for another ultrasound). And, maybe due to the hugeness, I'm exhausted. I have spurts of nesting energy but mostly I would trade my right arm to be a good napper. I guess I know where Annie gets her resistance to day-time sleeping. Annie's recent love of the nap though gives me hope.
Just to give you a taste of the glamour that was Annie's Christmas present... and my women's studies professors collectively cringe.
We're back from our travels. I thought I'd have the organization to post while we were in Connecticut but a horrible cold (see a couple posts ago) given to me from my dear daughter and husband, followed by a 24-hour stomach bug (thank goodness for grandparents) prevented me from doing so. We had a wonderful time in Connecticut. Annie really seemed to "get it" this year and had so much fun with her cousins and grandparents. We also got to catch up with some high-school friends of ours, although we sadly missed a Syracuse reunion (due to aforementioned illnesses). Annie asked Santa for a "shiny present," and when asked what she wanted inside the shiny present, she replied "Jewels." So Santa came through in spades, and that along with too many other gifts to count, Annie had a pretty lucrative Christmas. Visit Annie's Shutterfly site to see the fun for yourself. She also had a great time with her favorite person ever, GrandBob. The most popular refrain of our visit was "GrandBob do it." This is documented by the sadly few photos of Annie with anyone but GrandBob. We're trying not to take it personally.
Now that we're back, we're working on getting Annie back into some semblance of a sleep schedule. Not going so well, but I have faith. Send us some good vibes, or Nyquil, whatever you got.
One can never have too many friends, and we have the best, a large portion of whom we got to see in Connecticut. First, we got to chill in the hot sun with the Grant girls (Hastings and Landry or "Baby Landry" as we like to call her) who happened to be visiting with their mom, Miranda, my oldest friend (she's not old, our friendship is), at the same time we were visiting Connecticut as we closed out the summer New England style. We had the girls play together as much as we could and they loved it and each other.
We got to see quite a bit of both sets of grandparents and our close (sadly, just emotionally, not so much geographically) friends and gal pals the Leary-Infantines who made the trek all the way from Boston to hang with us at the Bridgewater Country Fair. Lucia and Annie were pretty much inseparable by the end of our all too-short visit together. It's crazy to think that this was the first time they had met Oscar or we had met Carmen (their two-and-a-half year-old, man that's a lot of hyphens). The last time we saw them was in Boston and Meredith was 6 months pregnant with that little cutie. Hopefully we can make this an annual affair as the girls had way to much fun (and cotton candy) at the fair.
Annie is doing two extended days at school now, the same days that Oscar is at his school, so Mama is finally getting some me time. Sadly, I used the first week to catch up on some much-needed deep cleaning, but man, you can eat off my floors (Oscar often does). Annie loves bringing her lunch box to school. She's also started ballet again and with the exciting addition of tap shoes. What a smile patent leather can put on a girl's face. Oscar also started his music class again this week, so my role as chauffeur is back in business. Moms should totally earn frequent driver miles. I'd have at least six trips to Fiji by now.
