Happy Holidays 2013

Sending you all our love this holiday season. We are thankful for the family and friends that live nearby and miss all of you who live far away!

Josie 2 months

With the busyness of the end of the semester and the holidays I'm a little late doing Josie's 2-month update, but here it is. Of course the main thing is just how much bigger she's gotten. At her doctor's appointment on the 17th she was 13 lb 10 oz (92nd %) and 23.5" long (89th %). I love how chubby and squeezable she is! In case it's not obvious, she eats well. She is a very good sleeper, usually waking up only 1-2 times between going to bed around 8 pm and getting up between 5-6 am. We are lucky! She prefers to nap during the day while one of us is holding her. She will sometimes nap in the baby wrap or Bjorn too. She's much more alert this month and enjoys looking at toys and watching us (especially Oli). She was not a fan of being bathed early on but thankfully doesn't mind it anymore. She has been smiling a lot and even laughing a little. Baby smiles and laughs are the best! (In the photo below the pink bandaids are from her 2-month shots. She, of course, cried but seemed fine the rest of the day so we were happy about that!).

And some more photos from this month. Love this little one!

Oliver 2 1/4

What can I say about this toddler? He is such a great kid! His speech is pretty adult-like these days, he loves music and likes to sing, loves reading, and is developing his sweet tooth. Of course I'd be lying if I said living with a 2-year old was all sunshine and rainbows. He has his frustrating moments (e.g., doesn't want to get dressed or have his diaper changed, says something we don't understand, etc.) but the highs outshine the lows for sure. He's been spending a lot of time doing things with Chris while I have been home with Josie. I miss him but know the two of them have fun on their adventures. I got to take him to his swimming lessons the last few weeks and we had a blast. Here are some photos from the last month or so.

siblings

I love seeing these two together. Makes me so happy. And because I couldn't choose a favorite, six very similar pictures of sibling togetherness. Which one is your favorite?

Josie 1 month

It's both hard to believe Josie has been with us one month and hard to remember what it felt like to not have her here. This family of 4 thing is going to take some adjusting but so far it's going pretty well.

She has grown so much and so quickly that it's incredible. Oli stayed little for quite awhile so I wasn't prepared for her to get so big so fast. A few days after she turned one month, she weighed in at 10 lbs 10 oz, nearly 4 pounds above her birth weight! Oli wasn't this size until he was 3 months old! Needless to say, she's a good eater.

We are also lucky that so far she is a pretty good sleeper (another way she is different from Oli). She is usually up 1-3 times at night and takes at least one long nap and several shorter naps during the day. She has her rough nights too where she's up a bunch but so far these have not been the norm. Yay for sleep!

In the last week or so she has spent more awake alert time and is now able to focus her eyes and look at us and other things. Oli likes to look at her, and has recently wanted to hold her. She seems to like watching him and listening to his voice. 

Her eyes are looking pretty blue these days and she's balding. She still has a long tuft on top that sticks up and it's long in back too (hello baby mullet). Her cheeks have definitely gotten chubbier too. We sure love this little one! Below are some photos of her from about 2 weeks to one month.

Josephine

We welcomed our daughter, Josephine Scout Ayres Bock, into the world on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 11:40 pm after a quick but intense labor of just over 3 hours. She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 18.7" long. We love her already!

Oli has been doing well despite all of the change. He calls her "baby Josie" and reminds himself to be "gentle" with her. Too cute.

proud big brother

It's hard to believe she's 11 days old already. The past week and a half have been pretty exhausting but we're all doing well and adjusting to our new family of 4. As cheesy as it sounds, I feel complete.

Dear baby

Dear baby aka #2,

I have now been pregnant for 41 weeks and 3 days. Because it's not unusual to give birth 2-3 weeks early, that means we've been expecting you "any day now" for about a month! In that time, the leaves have turned and are starting to fall and the weather has turned cool and crisp. I was just telling your dad today that it's been a little nuts to be on high alert for so long, wondering if each day is the day or just another day. While it is nerve wracking, I've also found that it feels a little like each day is the last day. Last day to...
... go out to eat relatively easily.
... go out anywhere relatively easily.
... take a long bath with Oli.
... lounge on the couch and watch TV with your dad after Oli falls asleep.
... get a (nearly) full night's sleep.
It's been good to just live life a little slower for awhile. But, we are getting increasingly anxious and excited to meet you. Any day now would be great!

xoxo, Mom

Dear Oliver, at age 2

Dear Oliver,

At two years old, you are awesome! Full of energy, inquisitive, funny, smart, sensitive, cute, and affectionate. You are talking so much now and it has been so fun to hear what you're thinking. You repeat a lot of things we say but recently have started saying complete sentences you came up with on your own ("I want to stay", "I need more bubbles"). You love playing with your dad. Favorites include jumping on the bed ("jump dad!") and having Chris skip while he holds you. It is so cute to see you with your hair flying and a huge smile or giggle. You also love reading stories and your dad and I take turns reading to you every day before nap and bedtime.

You've started singing in the last month or so. Your favorites right now are the Yo Gabba Gabba cd's we have, which you request every time we get in the car. You have a lot of the songs memorized and will sing along - so cute! You also like the songs from your swimming class along with some kids songs we sing at home (Ring Around the Rosie's, Abc song, etc.).

Of course this age doesn't come without its' challenges. You're experiencing a lot of emotions and still learning how to manage them all so you have moments of flailing on the floor or in our arms or throwing food or utensils at the table. Your communication skills are really good but there are still times that we can't understand you and that makes you pretty frustrated. We try to be patient with you, but there are times when we are all emotional. In ways we are learning right along with you!

I go into your room every night after you've fallen asleep to check on you. Sometimes you've fallen asleep on top of some books so I'll move those, other times I want to cover you up with your blanket, put my hand on your chest or back to feel your breathing, or just watch you while you sleep. So cute and peaceful.

I can't wait to see how you respond to the new baby. I hope you will have a blast growing up with your little sister or brother. I'm sure there will be ups and downs, but your dad and I love having siblings and are hoping you will love your new sib too. I'm nervous about having to split my time between you and the new baby, but I hope you always know I love you. These first few years with just you, me, and your dad have been so special.

I'm also excited to see how you change and what stays the same as you get older. It's been so amazing to watch you grow up so far Oli. Although sometimes I want to hold you close and hope that you stay my little guy forever, I also can't wait for you to learn new things and have new experiences. One of my favorite things is watching you do, see, or try something new. You make me so proud and happy and I love being your mom!

I love you with all my heart,
Mom

p.s. Here are a few of my favorite photos of the two of us from your first two years. xoxo

41 weeks

Not much to say except... I'm still pregnant! Today marks 41 weeks. The good news is that the baby is going to arrive soon - this week must be it! Aside from the constant wondering if each day is the day, I'm feeling pretty good. My appetite has decreased some so I'm eating smaller meals, but recently I haven't had any other issues aside from getting up a few times at night and generally feeling tired. Also, tying my shoes is nearly impossible. Most of this pregnancy has been documented with my iphone, but I asked Chris to take a photo this week before I'm bump-less. This one was taken at 40 weeks and 1 day. 

And my last (I hope!) weekly phone pics.

We're ready to meet this little one. Come on out baby!

Apple picking x 2

October has been good to us. Despite the fact that we're still waiting for the baby to arrive, we've managed to fit in a lot of fun activities. This month we've already been apple picking not once, but twice! The first was on a gorgeous, warm sunny day. We went to Afton Apple Orchard, a new orchard to us. In addition to apple picking, there were also tons of raspberries to pick and they had an amazing playground and a petting zoo. We had a blast!

Then just last weekend we decided on a whim to take a drive out to Maple Leaf Orchard. 

Fall

While we have been waiting for baby #2, we've been enjoying the fall weather and our time together. I'm working at home this semester so it's been really nice to get more time in with my boys. 

We've been doing a fair amount of baking and Oliver has had fun helping out with the mixing, peering in the oven while things are baking, and of course eating the finished product. His favorite so far has probably been the chocolate chip cookies, although he has yet to try the pumpkin bread we made earlier today (first of the season!).

Week 39

One week (or so) to go... Oliver was 5 days late, so I'm not discounting that this baby may arrive post-due date as well. We'll see! The last month I feel like I have gone from XL to XXL. I've had some of the annoying side effects (e.g., reflux, swollen feet), but they aren't consistent and they didn't start nearly as early as they did with Oliver, so I'm pretty happy about that. Physical activity is getting more challenging. I'm still doing Crossfit 1-2 times a week, but with lots of modifications. I'm also trying to enjoy the fall weather and take a walk as many days as I can. Of course I'm getting in my share of sitting with my feet up too! My appetite has increased along with my belly (no surprise there) and Chris has been indulging me with late-night runs to Trader Joes for "must have" snacks like artichoke dip or maple cookies. We've washed baby clothes, bought a co-sleeper off of Craigslist, put the carseat in the car, and packed the hospital bag. We're ready and excited to finally meet this little one (who thus far has been called "#2"). Any day now!

Birthday Party

On Saturday we had a small party for Oliver at Como Park. Shell and family drove over from Madison and two of Oli's friends and their parents came too. It turned out to be a beautiful fall morning. Cool, but comfortable. We had coffee (for the adults), pastries from our favorite bakery, and fresh fruit. Oli opened his presents and the kids had a blast running around, eating, and playing at the park.

party favors