WEST Wins!

This past weekend Jim traveled to Richmond for the inaugural game of the western Virginia versus the easter Virginia rugby players. And, the WEST won!! Here's the crew of guys who went from his team.

It was a scalding hot day and he was wiped, but he was happy. 

You've Got to Be Kidding Me

Wow! The last few months have been a roller coaster of emotions with our firstborn. He's happy and then he's sad. He's angry and then he's calm. He's able to communicate effectively and then he's screaming incoherently. He wants autonomy over his own life; mostly dependent, but desperate to be independent at the very same time. Learning how to collaborate and play with friends. Singing and dancing without reservation. And all of this is exactly what he should be doing at two years old going on three.

We've lost our cool, apologized, and started again. It's been a bumpy road, but at the end of the day, we hope he knows how deeply he is loved and that nothing can shake this love.

For every difficulty, there's also a boatload of joy.

He's crazy about his brother. Ian loves to lie next to him on the floor and get him to smile. He's very respectful of my need to nurse him or put him down to sleep. Ian often wants to help, which is really sweet. Owen returns the love and absolutely adores him.

When I'm working in the kitchen, Ian is very eager to help! He brings his step stool in from the bathroom and asks how he can help. It's very sweet. Sometimes it's difficult to find something he can do and we really need a bigger kitchen, but there's usually something I can assign him :) Hopefully he'll enjoy cooking in the future, too. We have some great kiddo cookbooks from my mom that we'll have to start using more! 

Ian's singing songs to himself while he plays and retells sections of stories we've read. I love being able to identify the lyrics from his favorite songs (mostly from my dad's "If You're Happy and You Know It") or from books like Corduroy. 

We recently took my aunt Beth and her friend from England to the Floyd Country Store. It had been WAY too long since we'd gone and I wasn't sure if Ian would feel comfortable dancing. I went up with Owen in the carrier and danced while he was sleeping for one song. When I handed Owen off to my aunt, I asked Ian if he would like to come up with me and dance or stay in the seat. He readily leapt at the opportunity and we danced a few songs together. I can honestly say that I forgot all about the onlookers and danced my heart away. Dancing with a two year old will do that for you! He had a blast, stomping his feet, grinning from ear to ear, moving his arms up and down. OH WHAT FUN! I can't wait to take him back there soon.

Ian's really into roaring like a lion!!! Sometimes it's like a dinosaur. He runs up and ROARS, sometimes wanting you to roar back at him.

Since the beginning, Ian's had excellent lungs. You never have to wonder if you missed an upset emotion. But recently, he's been fake shouting and it always makes us giggle. Fake shouting in the cutest, non-threatening voice possible. My favorite is, "Mama, where are you?" as he walks through our incredibly small house searching for me ;) Jim does a great impression of it; I hope we never forget it.

On our way up to my grandma's memorial service, the boys and I rode with my dad. We stopped at a Chipotle for lunch on the way up and I ordered Ian his own kid's portion. We've certainly gotten to a place where he eats enough that it's really wise to give him his own meal. At Chipotle this means that Ian gets his own little bag of chips (since he never has them at home). While we were eating, I grabbed a chip from the tray (where Dad had dumped all of our chips to share. The tray was located directly behind Ian's chip bag. Ian's face showed complete betrayal as he started an ear-splitting scream. I had to take him outside of the restaurant and help him calm down. When he regained his voice and composure he said, "You took one of my chips from my bag!!!" As soon as he expressed this I was able to figure out the cause... Small stories like this happen often daily. He's figuring out this world and we're figuring out how to help him through it.

Often, asking him to use his words helps. And definitely using his words back to him helps him to know that we are listening and understanding him, even if we can't allow him to do what he'd like to do. One night he was having a tough time because he wanted to be outside while Jim was mowing and Owen was sleeping and so we had to stay inside. I just repeated everything he said back to him. "You want to be outside with Papa while he's mowing, but we have to stay inside." And after just a few sentences back to him, he stopped crying, looked at me and said, "I love you, Mama." And gave me a hug.

Amazing. I wish every interaction could be so fluid.

My mom gave us a really great book entitled "Raising Cain," which is all about protecting and fostering the emotional lives of boys. It came at such a great time. Jim and I have both been gobbling it up at different times.

Often he'll ask for a hug or decide to take a little break in his room when he's calming down. He'll often come out and enthusiastically announce "That feel me better!!!" So glad you feel better, sweet boy.

This week Ian's gotten VERY into saying "You're welcome" and "Thank you!" He had already said the latter, but now he thinks that it is an absolute requirement for someone to say "You're welcome." It's so cute and funny at the same time. If we don't say it, he'll say, "Can you say 'You're welcome, Mama/Papa?'" Yes, yes we can.

Perhaps my favorite thing he says is "I opened the door this mornin', but not today." The structure is always "We/I ______________________, but not today." It's his way of telling something that we have done, but letting you know that it didn't TODAY. It's so sweet.

Two weekends ago now, we went to the Strawberry Festival with my family. This year was SO much fun! Not because the festival had changed, but because we had a child who could fully enjoy it! Once in the festival, all of the activities are free.... free hay rides, petting zoos, face painting, straw bale maze, music, performers, the works! We did pay a small fee for Ian to ride on a pony for the first time. Boy, was he a happy lad! See the following picture of him in my arms; he had just gotten off his horse.

I took a video of him riding it and he watched it VERY often in the week afterward. So fun to make little dreams like this come true :)

Grumps drove the gator for the festival, so Ian got to hop on board for a little ride. It was a good day for a little boy.

The other day I said something that didn't warrant this response, but he said, "Are you kidding me? You've got to be kidding me!" HAHA! I think he heard his dad say this; a common line he's spoken.

He LOVES reading books. Recently, we were at the library and learned that they have a program where the children need to read 20 hours and then they'll receive a few pretty awesome prizes. I grabbed a brochure. Since then, I have been vaguely keeping track of our reading; we are going to make it to twenty hours in no time at all. Today we sat and read through all of Frog & Toad, which is actually three of those books combined, and Ian asked to read it again. The boy loves books. The longer, the better. And we catch him sitting like the picture below more and more often.

I love this front row seat, watching him explore and interact with this world.

Three Month Owen

Somehow this sweet boy turned three months last week.

I can honestly say that this picture (above) honestly depicts his normal personality. He's a happy-go-lucky chap. Last weekend, while in Pennsylvania for Gigi's memorial service, he became known as "the happiest baby ever." And overall, I believe he is very content.

If he cries, he normally has a good reason for it. He dislikes having a wet or stinky diaper. He doesn't want to be left without attention for too long, though he's often content to play or banter on his own for a little while. Or he's hungry or sleepy and mama's let him go a little past his thresholds.

His cues are easy to pick up and therefore that doesn't happen very often. Maybe it's because I'm a veteran mama, but maybe he's also just a content baby who's pretty savvy at communication already, too.

Owen LOVES to babble and blow raspberries!!! He makes these adorable high-pitched squeals when he's happy and smiles through his raspberries, dripping drool all over his bib or shirt.

He makes all sorts of wonderful faces. One of my favorite things to do is to run my palm and fingers over his forehead and to the back of his head. Every time, he opens his mouth into a gaping smile and turns his head toward my hand. He's done this since the very beginning and it's just the sweetest.

This boy has so much control of his hands, now!! He easily gets them to his mouth and loves to suck and chew on them all day long. Sometimes he manages to get his thumb into his mouth for a good suck.

He is also able to pick up items that are lying around him!! Owen totally surprised me last week when I came into the room and found him holding his chain toy in the opposite hand from the side where it had been lying next to him on the floor. WHAT?!? He had maneuvered himself close enough to not only touch it, but pick it up!!!

Since then, there's been no stopping him. That chain and little green ball with holes have become his favorite toys. He's either holding one of them, or working his way toward them on the floor.

I was just telling Jim that I think he's finally worked his way through a particularly frustrating stage. There were times when he'd have his thumb in his mouth and then "lose it" and not be able to get it back and it obviously was upsetting to him. Not anymore! Same goes for the toys. If he drops them, he can easily get them back. We've moved into a new stage when holding an object is a fun and welcome past-time. This will be quite helpful on the next long drive; it was something we didn't have going for us up to Pennsylvania during the two weeks prior.

Owen continues to grow long and lean. Make no mistake, he certainly has fabulous baby rolls, but he also just seems to get taller, as he gets stronger and stronger.

Your head had a few spots that Dr. Tobey wanted to work on to round out. We had two appointments and now she says your head is perfect (a couple places where the plates overlapped). Nursing, though mostly fine before, has no clicking sounds anymore and you seem to have less gas. She said this could have been related! Woo!

This chap. Life without him is unimaginable. His smile is everything I never knew was missing.

Owen has started taking an interest in rolling over. He cranes his head and entire body to get a better look at objects and people around him. With Ian zooming all around the house, Owen is a fantastic tracker. He loves to keep an eye on Ian's goings ons and this new ability to crank his body in different directions is certainly facilitating his new talent.

Ian, fortunately, really enjoys interacting with Owen. Yesterday I glanced into the room to find Ian singing songs to Owen and talking in the sweetest, gentlest voice he could muster. Adorbs.

We haven't done a ton of purposeful tummy time with Owen, but he's obviously not struggling in this area.

I love this one. He'll crank his neck WAY up, eager not to miss a thing. A rubber-necker like his mama :)

The poor boy has had a stuffy nose on and off for most of his life, but you'd never think that he was bothered by it. Perhaps it's because he hasn't had enough of life without one. The struggle is real for the second child and germs. The Nose Frida is his best friend, and mine. How did we survive stuffy noses with Ian? Thank goodness we have one now.

One thing's the same as with Ian... I cannot just choose one picture. These may all look the same to you, but I need every one of these adorable photos of Owen to cherish ;)

Owen, I don't want to forget one expression. One sound. I cherish each moment with you.

You love being worn in the carrier, held close to our chests, and sung to. You sleep often and without fuss. I sing you a few songs before lying you on your sheepskin, where you nestle in for a second before lying still and asleep. You sleep large chunks of the night. I actually feel rested in the morning.

This face is what we get after we smile at you. Every time.

You make our hearts leap and sing. You are one joyful little boy.

Happy 3 Months, Sweet Boy!

You love: smiling gaping smiles (!), grasping the chain toy and green hole-y ball, rolling slightly onto your side while on your back, babbling with anyone who will reciprocate, blowing raspberries, craning your neck to watch the action around you.

Life with you is fantastic.

***

The blue blanket in this photo is one I brought back from my grandparents' home. My parents gave it to them and I remember it being in their house. It felt fitting to use for this month's photo shoot with grandma's newest great grandchild.

Forget-Me-Not

Last weekend was my grandma's memorial service. The little boys and I drove up to Paris and then up to NW Pennsylvania with my dad. Dad had some plants he wanted to drop off at our cabin prior to heading to where we would be staying for the weekend. When he pulled off the interstate, both boys and I were sleeping soundly. We could have made it to my aunt's without stopping, but Dad insisted on going by way of the cabin, which would take a bit longer.

I'm so glad he did.

When we got to the cabin, there in the front was a bed of blue flowers.

We never get to the cabin in the month of May. Our time there is usually in the summer months of June through August. It was a total surprise to us to find this beautiful blue blanket. Not only that, but three different kinds of blue-ish flowers greeted us there.

Dad and I were thrilled. These flowers were a perfect memoriam of Grandma. It was fitting that on her memorial weekend, these flowers were thriving. She's now in a better place, a place where all things have been made new again.

And these flowers were a sure sign that she was and is with us.

My mom and siblings arrived the next day. They, too, swung by the cabin. When Mom arrived she said, "You know what those flowers are called? Forget-me-nots."

So, so beautiful.

In the place where I have a million and one memories with my grandma, there she was, still with us.

Certainly never to be forgotten.

She surrounded us that day at The Pinery.

It really moved my dad.

The whole weekend was just as Grandma would have wanted it. 

Our family trekked in from Florida, Virginia, and Pittsburgh. 

We had a huge gathering down at their old house, where my cousin lives now.

We sat around a campfire and shared laughs.

Then, on Saturday, we all wore our finest blue, her favorite color, and went to the church to celebrate and remember her.

Many of us sang "I'll Fly Away" as the final prelude song, my dad played a beautiful folk hymn called "Resignation" with the lyrics to Psalm 29, my uncle Mark played a flute piece she requested be played at her memorial, my uncle Eric and his wife did the remarks, and my aunt Beth led the choir (and anyone else who wanted to join in) in a final piece called "Go Ye Now in Peace." The memorial was full of music and it was so beautiful to watch her children each offer something to the service. She was one beloved mother.

"Borning Cry", the hymn, took me down to tears, as it always does. Whew.

Top L-R: Phoebe, Mom, Matt, Uncle Mark, Aunt Charlene, Aunt Beth, Julie, Jake, Aunt Charlotte, Kaelen, Izzy, Willem, Aunt Aimee, Uncle Eric, Lisa. Bottom: Dad, Owen, Ian, Me, Hazel, Heidi. Four generations.

After the service, the whole family returned to the compound (where my aunt, cousin, and grandparents live/lived) and much of the family had a sharing time. Some goodbyes were said before everyone rested for the afternoon.

That night we all went out to dinner, sitting at a very long table in a restaurant. Grandma's treat.

This summer we'll hopefully all reconvene on the river for another celebration of Grandma's life and a little family reunion. Stories will be told, dirty jokes she loved and would love, music, and a whole lot of warmth.

We never took a full photo of all of the cousins, but here's who was left on Sunday morning. Missing three cousins and a second cousin, my bro & sis and Marianne & Annie.

I'm so grateful for a very talented, funny, caring family. There's never a dull moment with this crew. 

A legacy of my grandma and grandpa. Never to be forgotten. 

Those blue Forget-Me-Nots have a totally new association for me now.