May 7 - 8, 2012

Monday, May 7th

This morning Olivia & Daddy let me go back to bed after the 5 o'clock feeding for another couple of hours rest, which was very thoughtful of them. Olivia & Adam got to talk to Nana on the phone and they sang songs. Olivia is lucky to have a Dad who's so fun.

When I went downstairs, I joined them for some more music fun. We watched some clips of Oscar Levant playing Tchaikovsky - Olivia was very impressed. Then we went upstairs and got Olivia dressed and ready for some errands. Today it was Jessica errands. First, however, we went to the Chowder House for some lunch. While there we saw some of our favorite people - the Brouillettes! That made it a double treat! Next stop was Jo-Ann fabrics for a couple of necessities. After that we went and got (just a taste!) of ice cream from Hot Licks. 'Tis the season!

When we got home I nursed Olivia and then we both started to take a nap. My nap lasted longer than Olivia's. Fortunately, Adam was there to play with lil Miss. I think I must be developing some spring allergies - or perhaps it's just the large quantity of birch pollen that's in the air would affect anyone? At any rate, I'm trying to nip whatever it is in the bud. Got a chance to sneak in a phone call to Aunty Natalie, but when I got up to try and put Olivia on the phone...she was not very conversational.

Monday is also the biggest cleaning day in our house and Adam & I successfully split the chores between us today so that someone was always able to play with Olivia. At one point we introduced her to the fun, but simple game where you tap a balloon back and forth between you & try to keep it from hitting the ground. Once again, I'm not sure who was more entertained - Olivia or the 'grown-ups'. Soon it was time for another feeding and then some more bananas! Mmmmm.

After eating those tasty bananas, Olivia & Daddy watched some Sesame Street clips online, in English AND Norwegian! Wowie! You can find anything on the internet nowadays! So much excitement, (and probably the lack of nap), knocked Olivia out and she slept right in Daddy's arms. Sweet baby. An early bedtime for her & Adam...but not for Mommy who was up all night. Oh well. Tomorrow's another day!





Tuesday, May 8th

This morning it was tough to get up because I hadn't gotten much sleep. During the night I had, however, managed to organize paperwork, the photo bins, all our greeting cards from the past two years, a scrapbook box for Adam & I, and one for Olivia. So at least those small projects that were lingering in the back of my mind were taken care of. More and more I feel like I will have to relegate those types of projects/chores to the middle of the night - when the house is quiet and everyone else is asleep. There just doesn't seem to be time to get them done during the day. I had thought that with Adam returning from the deployment that my time for such tasks would increase exponentially...well what I had forgotten was that Adam & I come up with so many fun project ideas that the projects increase exponentially, too!

Adam was able to come home for about half an hour in the morning and feed Olivia. She seems to like taking solids from him better than from me. (I think it's because I look like one giant boob to her - and the fact that she will try to nurse on any part of me she gets a-hold of seems to support that.) More bananas for Olivia! We're trying to be good about introducing foods to her slowly; following the 'four day' rule just in case we discover Olivia has a food allergy. There aren't many food allergies in the family, but it can't hurt to take it cautiously. We're also keeping a food journal, so we can start to determine the best times to eat and her favorites. Right now it's a small list and easy to remember, but I'm sure it will come in handy as we start adding more and more things to her diet.

After Adam returned to work, Olivia & I spent a lot of time together. She did cooperate and amuse herself long enough for me to take a quick shower, but other than that she was attached to me the whole morning. It's lovely, (wasn't I just saying how much I like 'reconnecting'? he-he), but when there are things that must get done it can get frustrating. When the dog pees on the carpet, or when I'm down to the wire to prepare for a Board Meeting, I wish that I had a second pair of hands. I'm sure every parent feels this way. It has certainly made me very appreciative of how hard working parents have it. I remarked to Adam several times today how much tougher this would be if I had a 'real' job. We are fortunate that one of us is able to stay home and care for Olivia at all times, although it is definitely an adjustment for me. My wings feel a little clipped, and the brakes have been put on my ability to volunteer within the community. However, Olivia is a definite priority!

(Through the nursing, the rocking and the crying I was able to prepare most of what I needed for my meetings today. Thank goodness.)

At one o'clock we all went to the GBG greenhouse to prepare the seedlings for our plot of vegetables, herbs & flowers. What a great experience this is for all of us! With the expert help, the superb location, the state-of-the-art facilities & the hearty varieties of proven seeds, we have no excuses for failure! I helped get the sowing started and Adam & Olivia finished it up while I went to the Board Meeting & talked about fund-raising. Adam discovered that the greenhouse has a soporific effect on Olivia! What a boon!

After an afternoon of hard, but rewarding, work we grabbed some fast food and went home for the evening. Tonight Olivia was able to lean over the basket of toys in the nursery, with no assistance and pick out a toy to play with! How cool! She chose the very colorful Eric Carle butterfly from Uncle Chris & Aunt Lisa. She played for a while and then had a snack of some bananas and is now in bed. What a productive day!