Here Comes Santa Claus

We paid a visit to Santa this year. Last year we skipped it, as I knew Jacob would freak out. He did OK after he warmed up a bit. He got close enough to let Santa touch him and to tell him very quickly "I want Cranky the Crane and a Water Tower for my Train Table". Literally as fast as he could get the words out. Olivia sat on that strange man's lap and was quite patient with me. I wanted a photo of them together. As soon as she looked behind her she began to cry. Of course I rescued her, but I had to snap the photo first!

Here is our Christmas Tree Adventure:

We walked through the lot to find just the right tree!

And here it is:

On the way home, Jacob reached out and said, "Livi, hold my hand"

THE NEXT DAY:

OUR FIRST SNOW

Jacob loves to play in the snow. It is going to be a fun winter!

Trick-Or-Treat

Jacob, Olivia and some of their friends getting ready to Trick-or-Treat.

That's an Owl next to Olivia (her mask scared all of the kids)

We celebrated Halloween this year with good friends. We hosted a little get together with food and then ventured out for some Trick-or-Treating with the kids. Jacob and Olivia were both not in the mood for such an event and I seriously considered just putting them to bed. However, once we were outside and on the go Jacob realized that all he had to do was go up to a neighbor's door, knock and say "Trick-or-Treat" and he would be given candy, he was unstoppable! He led the way with no fear and after receiving his candy at each door, turned to me and said, "Jacob eat this". Most of the time, I gave him a nibble, just to keep him interested. The next day, he completely forgot about all of the candy, and has yet to mention it...where did it all go anyway?

Here are some photos that captured the event!

Jacob was Diego (for those of you who don't know he is Dora the explorer's cousin)

Jacob looking, less-than-excited about the whole thing!

Olivia, a baby bumblebee!

I don't even want to be a bumblebee

Jacob running to the next house, so that he can be first.
I guess he's competative by nature!

Our New Blue Bed

Here is a picture of our New Blue Bed!

We are so excited (Mostly, I am) to finally have an actual frame for our bed.

I guess now I'm truly a grown up.

Messy Life, Happy Life

Things are a bit messy around here lately. But when I look at those faces. The smiles and the laughter. I don't want to take the time away from my kids to clean it up. The kids will grow and someday very soon tell me to leave them alone, or "put me down". When that happens, then I will have a tidy home...until then, bring on the mess!

It's nice to meet you

When we traveled to VT, my Aunt Naida met Jacob and Olivia for the first time. She shook Jacob's hand and said, "it's nice to meet you". Jacob thought that this was the greatest thing ever and now does it all the time! Just the other day, I was pushing the two kids in the jogger and Jacob took Olivia's hand and started to shake it while saying "it's nice to meet you, Olivia".

He's so full of it!

3/4 of a camping trip

We thought we'd take the kids camping. We thought it would be fun to be out in the elements once again, eating smores around a campfire, sleeping under the stars in our "huge" tent and sharing our love for the outdoors with our kids. So we packed up the car, a 2+ hour ordeal, drove north 2 hours to Moosehead Lake and snagged a campsite on the shores of the lake. It was senic and beautiful. The water was quiet and peaceful. We had arrived.
I nursed Olivia on the stump of a tree. It looked like the perfect seat. As I got up I realized I was covered in tree sap! Of course this was my only pair of shorts. But I wasn't going to let this ruin our camping trip. We fed Jacob and ourselved lunch and prepared to set up the tent. With only minor setbacks, like the ocassional toddler fleeing our campsite, and our 4 month old deciding to perform her newest trick; rolling over, we managed to put up our "huge" tent. Now that we are a family of 4, this 4 man tent seemed tiny. Oh, well, we were only staying for 1 night, so we could all squeeze in, right?
With bathing suits on and towels in hand we walked down a path to the water and swam in the very shallow water. It was perfect for Jacob and we all had a blast. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and returned to our campsite to begin the art of building a fire.
After the fire was going strong, we cooked our "spider dogs" on the fire and filled our bellies with potato chips and pasta salad. Then, it was time for smores. My favorite part of camping! I taught Jacob how to make a smore and I think it must be genetic, because he was delighted. Shortly after we were done with the smores, we decided to get ready to settle down for the evening. Have you ever tried to make a toddler sleep in a tent? It's not an easy thing to do. Jacob was "all done" with camping! He repeadly kept on saying, "all done camping", "go home to Jacob's house". We looked at each other and without saying a word, we began to pack up all of our stuff.
After another 2 hours in the car, we arrived home, tired and worn down, but HOME.

My favorite part is the smores anyways!



Jacob eating his first smore!

Olivia rolling over for the first time!

Potty Training

I thought I wouldn't start potty training until the craziness of summer had passed. However, the other day, Jacob was naked on the deck and we asked him if he wanted to put a pee-pee into the potty and he did! Just like that. We were thrilled and so was he. I had told him several times previously that when he puts his pee-pee into the potty he will get a candy. This kid hardly ever gets to have candy, so he was very motivated. I dug out some Hershey's kisses leftover from the holidays. How on earth, is there chocolate leftover from the holidays in MY house? I have no idea. Jacob ate that chocolate kiss like it was the most delicious thing ever. I decided to begin pumping the kid full of liquids to give him lots of practice. Water, juice, milk, watermelon, cups with water and ice in them (a favorite now), anything I could think of that would make him urinate. Of course he did and he had some accidents, but for the most part, he got the hang of putting it into the potty. He's only in it for the candy, but I don't care!

Today was day 2 of potty training and he only wet his new underpants 1 time and it was my fault. He has yet to do a #2 on the potty, but I guess that will happen with time.

It's funny because a couple of days ago, Jacob was running around the house in his diaper and I commented on how different he looks from last summer when he was just learning to walk and wearing his diapers. I then thought about how next summer he won't be wearing any diapers. Literally the following day he decided to go ahead and grow up a little more on me and ditch the diapers all together. This part of growing up I'm ok with.

We are Busy

We are so busy lately, that I feel like I've fallen off the Blogging wagon!

Here are a few snapshots of what we've been up to:

Olivia is growing like a weed: Look at those long legs!

Jacob explored the Montshire Museum with Nana and Papa. It was a BLAST!

Jacob convinces Papa to get Donuts! This boy LOVES Donuts.

We took advantage of a nice day (there haven't been many) and played at the park.

Run, Jacob, Run!

We get hairbows for Olivia! Yippee!

Olivia goes underwater for the first time. Don't worry, I'm a professional. I've done this before.

Jacob discovers what that truck that plays music is. I was trying to wait and put off the whole novelty of the Ice Cream Truck...but oh well!

We ride on a Merry-Go-Round. What fun!

Colaluca Family Vacation 2009

Family Vacation with the Colaluca's is always a great time. This year we went to Florida and stayed in a condo, all 9 of us; 6 adults, 2, 2 year-olds and an infant. We had an awsome time even though Jacob ended up getting sick half way through vacation. Note to self: do not allow toddler to travel through airports and public places with a Nookie, this could result in sickness.

Our trip was filled with eating great food, visiting family and friends, eating more great food, swimming and being together as a family. It was a good time. Here are some photos from our trip.

The Big Bite

Jacob loves Olivia. He waited months and months to have his own baby sister. He has adjusted very well to her arrival and doesn't seem to mind having her around at all. In fact, he likes to keep tabs on her at all times. If he wants to know where she, he says, "Baby, See?" If she cries, he says "Oh, No, Baby Cry". When she's eating he says "Baby, Milk". When he wants to hold her he says, "Baby, Jacob, Lap", and when she's sleeping he says "Baby, Sleep" right before he yells "Wake Up!"

The other day, I was home with both kids and Olivia was in her bouncy seat (a place where I put her to keep her safe and out of harms way). Jacob likes to see the baby, and he was climbing up on the chair to get a peek of her. Thankfully, Jacob is very obvious about what he's doing and says "Baby, See". I had to drop what I was doing and run in to make sure that the baby wasn't catapulted into the next room. Jacob said, "Hi baby" and got Olivia to smile pretty easily. She loves him so much! Then Jacob put his finger into her mouth and pretended to cry while saying, "Oh NO!". I tried not to laugh too hard because he was so serious about it. I then explained to Jacob that Olivia can't bite him because she has no teeth.

I think that his little act was pretty clever!

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Boy

The song Beautiful Boy is on Jacob's bedtime CD. He has been listening to this CD before every nap and bedtime since he was 3 or 4 months old. Song #8 is Beautiful Boy and I think it may have come true. My boy is Beautiful. He looks at me with these big blue eyes and I can hardly believe he's mine. I know you aren't supposed to talk about how good looking your own children are...but I am! Certianly, I think other people have beautiful children too, but I just thought everyone should know that my boy is a Beautiful Boy.

Mother of Two

4 weeks old already. I can hardly believe that Olivia is 4 weeks old. She is now, 11 pounds, 4 oz. and 22 inches long. Way to GROW Olivia!

Here is a short list of my new Mommy skills. Just some things that I learned how to do as a new mother of 2 kids under the age of 2.

-I can breastfeed standing up...yeah me!

-I can survive a 12 hour day home alone with the kids

-I can have a toddler slap me on the leg with a poopie hand and not freak out.

-I can run much faster than anyone would think with an infant strapped to me.

-I can leave the park, or any public setting in a matter of seconds...know when to leave!

-I can carry both children up and down the stairs (Jacob, 32 pounds; Olivia, 11 pounds)

-I can have 2 children at the Dr.'s office, both screaming and not loose my cool!

Most importantly, I have learned that my heart does have the capacity to love Olivia as much as I love Jacob. I love them both, more than I ever thought possible and it's the most wonderful feeling to be the mother of 2, healthy and happy children.

Olivia Mae is here to stay!

Olivia Mae was born on Friday, April 17 at 7:49 am. My labor was fast and furious with no time for drugs or intervention :). I'm calling it my redemption birth! After Jacob's birth I was left wondering if my body even knew how to labor (it was not given the chance) and now after 7 hours of natural childbirth, I know that it can, I CAN! I pushed that baby out with no drugs, just the love and support of Matt and my wonderful Midwife.

Olivia was born with a head full of black hair. We wouldn't have expected anything less (can you say Heartburn???). She does look a lot like Jacob did, but I mostly see myself when I look at her. And YES, she's beautiful. Here are a few photos. I'll post more about Olivia once I get to know her more. For now, we are learning the ropes of parenting 2 kids.

OH BELLY!

I've had several requests for more pregnant pictures of myself. To be honest, I haven't even taken that many. With Jacob, I had a photo taken every 2 weeks at least. This time around...please, don't take my picture! But I've had Matt snap a few. Here is a photo of me at 38 weeks with Jacob and 36 weeks with this baby:

March Maddness

We made it through the dreadded month of March. I was truly dreading it because it is technically still a "winter" month around here. With each passing week, my body has grown more uncomfortable and my patience has been tested. I say this now, as I'm 38 weeks pregnant and finally feel that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it helps that now it's April. Due date: April 21. I think I will survive this pregnancy.

Jacob on the other hand, spent the month of March running circles around me. He's getting faster, smarter and more clever by the day. The childproof locks on the kitchen cabinets, no longer childproof, the windowsills have become platforms for his little feet, he's discovered how to take off his diapers (oh JOY) and the toilet is his new favorite toy (several times a day he runs into the bathroom, flushes the toilet and runs back out making a wooshing sound). I used to feel like I was always just a step or two ahead of him. Now I'm feeling like I'm 3 or 4 behind!

He's a happy little guy, but like most toddlers, wants HIS way. This means that I'm either on the ground crawling around like a "doggie" (what a funny looking dog I must be), giving the boy a "horsie" ride, or getting all of the crayons out so that Jacob can sit down and color for aprox. 2 seconds before saying "All Done".

Finally, I get to the "March Maddness". Jacob didn't watch much of the basketball tournament (except for when Matt had it on), but he had his own little TV tournament with Blue's Clues and Seaseme Street! I thought I'd be very opposed to letting my child watch TV, and for the most part I do try to use it sparingly (Jacob actually wouldn't watch TV until recently). However, the past month Jacob watched a fair amount of TV (1 hour max/day). Something I'm not particularly proud of, but it has done the trick. I'm not trying to be a perfect parent, no one is, but in order for me to survive this pregnancy (which I finally think I will), it's nice to know that I have something that will slow down the maddness. And here's the proof:

Peace At Last

It isn't an unusual event in our house to have Jacob wake up in the wee hours of the morning, soaking wet. Wet PJ's, wet sheets, wet blankets. I've tried everything I can possibly think of to prevent this from happening, but for some reason Jacob is a very heavy wetter at night. Last night was quite a doozie. I heard wimpering and told Matt to listen for me because I may need some help. That was an understatement. Jacob was soaking wet and saying "All Done" over and over and over and over. I called for some assistance because there was NO WAY, I was going to be able to do this on my own. Matt changed the bed while I attempted to change and comfort the now hysterical child who was shivering, as I stripped him of his wet PJ's, and still saying "All Done". I brought Jacob into our bed and he refused to lie down with us. He literally just sat there sobbing, saying and signing (as if we didn't quite get it) "All Done". Finally, I just decided that enough was enough and I would attempt to settle him back into his own bed. We managed to locate all of the nookies (it is essential that Jacob have all 3 nookies, 1 to suck, and 1 for each hand), and this 9-month pregnant Mama, climbed into the twin bed with my little boy to attempt to get him back to sleep. After several songs, Jacob finally managed to calm down and fall back asleep. Leaving me with one arm asleep, a leg that was on the verge of cramping and a very full bladder being kicked by baby girl. Risky as it was, I managed to sneek out and climb back into my own bed to join my snoring husband. Peace At Last!

Mommy Love

Jacob loves his Mommy. He really does, I'm not just tooting my own horn here. He loves to be wherever I am (literally freaks out when I go upstairs to get dressed) and is very affectionate with me. He gives me lots of hugs and kisses. It's so great to have him share his affection with me. Sometimes though, it's too much! When we flew back from GA, Jacob started to lick me right on the mouth on the plane when we were surrounded by complete strangers. I don't know where he got the idea to lick me (Matt and I have hardly shared a hug in front of the kid). He now likes to lick the belly, although, recently he has said "yuck" after doing this. I think he's trying to butter me up before the arrival of his new sister. Honestly though, I love every squeeze and smooch from him. I just can't seem to get enough. I guess that's what being a Mom is all about...never getting enough of your kids.

Even the belly licks are ok!

Spring

Spring is here! BUT- we live in Maine, northern Maine that is. So Spring is quite a relative term around here. We don't have grass and tulips blooming, or even leaves on our trees yet, but it feels like Spring. When you have lived for several months in a row with the temperatures hitting -15, a day when the sun is shining and it's a balmy 48 out, it feels like Spring! We have had some days when the temp even went up to 52! But, then we also recently had a huge snow storm...18 inches of that white stuff fell from the sky and out house looked like we had been attacked by snow monsters. For Jacob, Spring means more driveway time and splashing in puddles. They don't call it "Mud Season" for nothing! For me, Spring means more laundry.

Here are a few pics of our 18 inches of snow!