"'That was fun!"

That's what Carmen kept saying after a fun-filled afternoon of riding the Seattle Great Wheel.  The entire Skurski family gathered to take a ride 200 feet over the waterfront and take in the Seattle skyline from a new perspective. Carmen enjoyed the ride but had a hard time sitting still.  Luckily she was persuaded by all of the chocolate treats uncle Dan had in his pockets so she was on good behavior.  She kept pointing at the birds and ferry boats.  Max tolerated the ride but began to protest toward the end, but was a trooper.  Carmen and Max then got to take a ride on the merry-go-round; Carmen rode on a shiny horse and Max sat with Grandma.  A meal out to celebrate uncle Brian's birthday completed the afternoon.  "That was fun!"

 

 

Serious Sticker Silliness

 

 

4 months

Happy 4 months to my Maxwell.  You are:

• Round and adorable, weighing in now at 15 pounds and every ounce of you is so lovable.
• All smiles, most of the time and continue to be a contented baby.
• Rolling all over the place and getting stuck sometimes too.
• Not a big fan of socks and always manage to pull them off, even though you can't reach your toes yet...a mystery I have yet to solve.
• Sleeping well at night but awake most of the day.  No more three hour naps.
• Still in love with your car seat which certainly makes me happy.
• Very loved by your big sister who insists you can't go anywhere without your blankie or your little stuffed monkey--it's an absolute requirement that you travel with these items at all times.
• Most comfortable sleeping on your tummy, which by the way makes me quite nervous and I often check on you several times a night even though I know you can roll over and lift your head up.
• Teething.
• So strong and try desperately to sit up when on your back which just frustrates you as you grunt and lift your head.  Instead you end up doing stomach crunches and making funny faces.
• So intuitive and are constantly watching your surroundings.
• Noisy. You love to repeat sounds and are constantly trying to 'talk.' You like to look in the mirror and smile at yourself too.  What's not to like?!
• The world's best laugher--I can't get enough of your laughs which always cause me to smile and laugh too.
• As active as ever, shaking your rattles and holding your toys.
• A mommy's boy for sure and often fuss when I even leave the room.  We will see how long that lasts but for now I'm enjoying every minute of it.
• Loved, loved, loved!

We miss Daddy

Daddy is traveling for work this week and has been gone for a whole day and a half.  Every time Carmen hears a car door she enthusiastically asks, "Daddy home?!"  I have to remind her that Daddy is gone for a few days, three nights to be exact. She is not happy about it.  She is squarely in her Daddy phase and has been for several weeks.  Mama just does not cut it sometimes.  She wants Daddy to change her clothes and diaper, read her stories and put her to bed. I will have to do for the next few days until Daddy is home.  In the meantime, I'm trying to keep as busy as possible to make the time go fast.  So far so good.  No major meltdowns, yet... unless you count the pink sock fiasco this morning when Carmen flat-out refused to wear pink socks.  There were tears and pouting until I grabbed a pair of white socks then all was well in the world again.

Being down a pair of hands certainly makes me appreciate many things and also puts things into perspective.  Kiddos are rewarding but certainly a lot of work...showering everyday is overrated...nothing is wrong with chicken nuggets for dinner, not just for Carmen, but mommy too...along with a glass of wine...thank you, thank you for the iPad, Curious George and Caillou to keep Carmen occupied while I'm tending to Max...lots of together time with sister and brother bear are wonderful to see....Carmen continues to be an amazing big sister tending to Max with every fuss...hats off to single parents who masterfully do this dance every day. 

I was lucky enough to pull myself together this morning, get both kiddos fed and dressed and Carmen off to daycare--I'll call that a success.

Only two more wake-ups until Daddy is home!

Photo Booth Fun

Back to work

This week I went back to work.  I was filled with mixed emotions.  I was excited on the one hand to get back into routine and have dedicated time to get work done instead of squeezing it in during feedings, when kiddos are napping and late at night.  On the other hand, I enjoyed the chaos and challenge of being a stay-at-home mom and the fulfillment of seeing Carmen and Max interact.  I was fortunate to have more than three months of leave and the opportunity to have plenty of one:one bonding time with Max, which I certainly cherished. I will miss him sleeping on my chest for hours at a time and sitting together on the couch singing and making funny faces.  But, I am lucky.  Lucky that I have a job that allows some flexibility so I get to be 'working' mom on Monday's (when Carmen and Max are with Grandma Skurski) and Wednesday's (when Max is with Grandma and Carmen is at daycare) and 'stay-at-home' mom on Tuesday's, Thursday's and Friday's.  The challenge for me is trying to be 'super' mom.  I just can't seem to get everything I want to done in the time I want to do it.  I know life is a balancing act with give and take and I'm learning that valuable lesson more and more everyday.  I'm just trying to be the best mom I can be. So, for now, I'll try and settle for 'keeping my head above water' mom.

Happy New Year

Another year come and gone already.  Hard to believe.  While life seems to be flying by, we are constantly reminded what a wonderful life we have.  We feel very blessed. 

In keeping with tradition, we washed in money again for hopes of another happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Carmen actually bathed with the coins and was excited to find them among her bubbles.  Max mostly fussed during his new year's bath but was happy to be cozy and warm in his new towel.

Wishing you a year filled with family and fun!