Almost 3

There have been lots of changes for Owen in the past few months. He's potty trained, he sleeps in a toddler bed, he started preschool and he's developed an opinion about everything. He went to the beach with Grammy and Grandpapa for two nights, all by himself. Wow. My first born is growing up. It continues to amaze me how quickly they change and how much loving, learning and joy comes with each new chapter of his childhood. 

The transition from a crib to a toddler bed has been rough. Big changes are always hard on everyone and I know this, too, is just a phase but I am definitely ready for it to be over. We put Owen to bed at night and it generally takes about two hours before he is actually asleep. He wants water. He wants mommy to tuck him in, actually he wants daddy to tuck him in. He has to pee. Now he has to poop. It's too dark. He's hungry. He wants a glass of milk. Not in that cup! It's exhausting and leaves Ty and I with zero time to wind down ourselves. By the time Owen is finally asleep it's 10 o' clock and we're ready for bed as well. We've tried lots of books and different tactics to teach him to stay in his bed and fall asleep-- nothing has worked as magically as we've hoped for. It is starting to get better but we're not out of the woods yet. The hardest part about it is that him and Wes eventually need to share a room. We are ready to get Weston out of ours. As soon as Owen learns to put himself to sleep we're going to have to change things up again and give him a roommate. Our adorable, tiny house in the city is becoming less appealing all the time.

Owen is such a sweet guy. He always offers his little friends snacks when getting himself one and he's mindful of his brother. I find that American parenting puts a huge emphasis on little kids being smart- the toys are supposed to be educational, with numbers and letters plastered all over them, the "Baby Einstein" brand claims to teach your baby classical music and Spanish before their first birthday. Of course, I want my boys to be smart, but what's most important to me is teaching my them kindness and empathy. I know Owen will be able to learn his letters so I'm not overly focused on wether it happens at 2 1/2 or 4. As an adult I can't think of anybody who never learned to read but know quite a few who never learned how to express themselves well and put others needs above their own. Watching Owen be kind makes my mama heart super proud.

Owen is going to a little Christian preschool Wednesday and Thursday mornings. He is loving it, which is such a relief. We did MOPS last year and they provide Sunday school type child care for the kids while the moms meet. Owen hated it and I always felt horrible leaving him while he sobbed. Thus, I was nervous for preschool. Thankfully, though, it has been a great transition. The school did an open house, which really helped him prepare for the first day. We went to check out his classroom and meet his teachers together and we didn't leave him there by himself. When the first day of school came he knew what to expect and we had talked a lot about how he would stay by himself until mommy comes back. He was a little apprehensive the first few days but there were no tears. Now he runs into the classroom and sends me off with a hug and a smile.

Picking him up is the best thing ever. He's always super excited to see me and comes bounding over for a hug. The first few weeks he said "you came back!" every time I picked him up. We restarted our MOPS group this week and that went off without a hitch as well. Owen is loving his time at school and I am throughly enjoying the break it gives me. Spending the morning with just Wes is fun and easy. We go running and get things checked off the to-do list. Even though it's only a few hours a week having a morning where Owen is doing his own thing feels like a big step. It's a really good reminder that all of my children won't be attached to me 24/7 forever. This baby and toddler phase is all consuming but it is a short blip. I know it won't be long before Owen is in school five days a week.  As they say, these are the longest days and the shortest years.

Weston's Baptism

Weston's baptism was lovely. It's rare and wonderful to have all the people that mean the most to us in the same place at the same time. We felt incredibly blessed to be surrounded by family and dear friends.

Following the tradition of his dad and his brother, we had Weston baptized at Peninsula Lutheran Church in Gig Harbor. In his sermon, Pastor Jim spoke about the gift of God's love and how there is nothing we need to do to earn it. All we have to do is receive. He spoke of infant baptism and how it symbolizes this perfectly. Weston isn't old enough to understand it yet but God has a plan for him, will always be there for him and loves him unconditionally. Through his baptism he is sealed with the cross of Christ forever.

I pray that Ty and I are able to nurture Weston's tender spirit and bring him up understanding the beauty that comes from the Christian life. I pray that he finds the hope and peace of Jesus that surpasses all understanding. I pray that he learns to follow his heart and discern that still small voice. I pray that he always feels known, safe and loved.

Thank you, God, for the incredible gift of this child.

9 and 10 Months

Oh, Wessy Wes. My chubby, 9 month old bundle of joy. It is so much fun watching him grow. Everyone in public comments on how fat big he is and he just grins in response. He sits up independently and is just starting to crawl. Little Wes loves singing songs and is pretty easy to make laugh. He is developing some serious sass and gets angry if you take something away from him or he doesn't get his way. I think he's learning that you've got to stick up for yourself when you're the little brother. This baby also loves to read, which is SO nice. Owen was never that interested (until at least 18 months) and I always felt like it was my fault for not reading to him enough.

He has six teeth, four on top and two on bottom. He needs them because he loves to eat. He's still obsessed with nursing but will take any solids he can get his chubby little hands on. He has no interest in being spoon fed, he wants to put things in his mouth himself, so I've started cutting up little pieces of whatever Owen and I are eating and letting him have at it. If Wes is eating something that Owen doesn't have, Owen automatically wants it and gobbles it up, so I've also been taking the opportunity to expand Owen's culinary horizon. Owen wasn't previously a big fan of avocado, now he loves it. Bam. Weston has had all the fruits and veggies, eggs, dairy, peanut and almond butter. Now I just have to remember to give him three meals a day. He is a messy eater, no matter what I serve him it ends up all over his clothes, the floor and the highchair. I feed him, he eats two or three bites, and I clean up for 15 minutes.

After 8 months of being an angel when it came to sleep, the 9 month sleep regression hit and restful nights are no longer a thing in the Rallo household. The previous routine was for him to go to bed around 6 and wake up around 2 to nurse. I  would nurse him in bed with me and we would both go to back to sleep. It worked like a dream because I didn't really have to wake up. But now having Wes in bed with me is keeping both of us awake. He tosses and turns and wants to nurse every 30 minutes. The problem is I can't make myself stay awake while I nurse him to put him back in the pack n play. I am strategizing how to teach him to sleep through the night but haven't yet taken the plunge. The kid is in the 87th percentile, I know he won't starve if he goes through the night without milk. He still sleeps in our room because we haven't figured out a way to make him and Owen sharing a room work (and unfortunately I don't anticipate finding one anytime soon).

Wes had two wub-a-nub binkis, an elelphant and a duck. Owen was obsessed with both of them. I lost the elephant and then a few days later Wes and I were running errands and the duck didn't make it home. There was no way we could bring another new binki into the house without fueling Owen's addiction, so that was it for Weston and his binki. It took him roughly two days it get over it. Now he uses his blankie for comfort and I am super glad we won't have endure taking it away from him at three.

Owen is going to preschool so now Thursday mornings are mommy and Weston time. We are both throughly enjoying it. The end of the true baby stage is rapidly approaching already so I am doing my best to savor the time my sweet little man.

Seattle Summer

I'm going to be 30 next month. I'm married, own a home, have two children and now that I'm no longer in my 20's, I'm officially an adult. The last 29 years have brought some wisdom along with the wrinkles. I've learned to protect myself from the sun, become more self aware and to appreciate everyday things.

When I was younger my biggest dream was to travel internationally. And I did. I went to New Zealand for a month when I was 14, after I fund raised $3,000 to make it happen. I studied abroad in college and hit all the big name cities in Europe, I spent time in the Caribbean and have been on my fair share of tropical vacations. I spent a month in Namibia right before I got pregnant with Owen. These were amazing experiences that changed my view of the world and helped shape me into who I am today. After college I realized that while international travel is exciting and exotic, there is also remarkable things to see within the US. Ty and I went to New York, DC, and Boston. We road tripped to Yellowstone and Glacier and I visited friends in Iowa, Chicago and New Orleans. After Owen was born we decided that instead of trying to do big vacations we would take advantage of all the weekend trips available close to home. There is a lot to do in the pacific northwest. It is beautiful, which is why we love it here. We spent weekends in Chelan, Wenatchee, Suncadia, Seaside and Sunriver. It was lovely. We hiked, swam, rafted and I fully appreciated being close to home for the first time. This summer we scaled it back even more. We decided that in order to have fun family adventures, it isn't necessary to venture much beyond the city limits and during this season in our lives that makes the most sense. We've been staying home and having a blast without paying to stay in hotels or shaking up the boys schedule. We've gone on multiple hikes, taken the ferry to Bainbridge, strolled through the Tulip festival, swam at the Magnolia pool, had happy hours and spent lots of afternoons at the beach. We've had the nanny come while Ty and I have date nights at fun restaurants and even a date day where we tried our hand at stand up paddle boarding.

I took a lot of things for-granted when I was younger. I remember when I was in middle school my aunt Diane and I drove from Portland to San Francisco. It was a lot of hours sitting the car, which I considered to be boring, so I took multiple naps. I remember her telling me to wake up and enjoy the scenery, exclaiming how beautiful it was. I was unimpressed. Looking back it's a shame that I missed out on what could have been a wonderful journey. I'm hopeful I'll be able to make that drive again some day and see what she was saying. The 30 year old me spends my days marveling at the beauty that surrounds me. The sunsets, the sound, the mountains, the changing of the leaves, the breeze. Traveling will always be one of my passions and I want to see as much of the world as I can. But I'm grateful to have learned that whether it be near or far life is a journey full of adventure and awe, as long as you're willing to embrace it.

7 Month Love Letter

My sweet Weston,

I'm pretty sure you're the sweetest baby there ever was. You're always smiling and have the best belly laugh. You love your brother, you love your mom and you love your dad. You're a great sleeper and happy to be along for the ride. You love being in the ergo. You have started grabbing for things and can get your hands on anything within a few feet of you. We've started feeding you solids and you were a little apprehensive at first but now you seem to like everything we try. Sweet potato and blueberries are your first favorites. You think it's hilarious to have the skin underneath your chin wiped and love singing songs.

You're on a typical schedule for a baby your age-- morning nap from 8-10ish, afternoon nap from 1-3ish and bed around 6:30. You wake up to nurse once at night and quickly fall back asleep, usually cuddled in bed with me. You do great when we stick to the routine but are also totally content if we need to shake things up. It's no big deal for you to stay up until 8 on the weekends or catch a cat nap in the car. You roll over and are almost sitting up on your own. You've been teething and are getting 6 of them at once. The first time you really screamed in the middle of the night I knew something was up and the next day your first tooth cut through the gums. I can tell it's rough getting all those little teethers but you are handling it like a champ.

You have brought me so much joy and are helping me to learn and grow everyday. There is a huge part of my heart that I didn't know belonged to you until you arrived. I can't imagine my life without you and thank God for what gift you are. I love watching you grow and fall more in love with your sweet, squishy face everyday.

xoxo,
Your Loving Mama

A few of my favorite things

These are some of the things that I have recently come to love.

Avocados-- Seriously, how have I just become obsessed? An avocado makes anything taste amazing, they have replaced mayonnaise and salad dressing in my diet and become a daily staple. A few tricks I've picked up to feed my obsession; they stop ripening when you put them in the fridge, once you cut it in half, it won't brown if you leave the core in and they are part of the "clean fifteen" so it's not necessary to buy organic.

The Library-- It's been a long time since I've had a library card and I was a little rusty on using the system. Or maybe it's that the system has drastically changed in the last 15 years. Either way, now that I've figured it out, we've been going weekly. I find the books I want to read on amazon, search for them through the library website, put a hold on them and they are right there with my name on them when I'm ready to pick up. How great is that? I have pretty much every book we own memorized and reading them over and over kind of makes me want to gouge out my eyeballs. So it's perfect having some new material. Plus, there a list of books I've been wanting to read, so our new found proficiency with the library system has inspired me to get off of social media and read more! Thank you, Seattle Public Library!

iRoomba-- When Wes was born I was prepared to let my housework standards slide a little. I knew there was no way to vacuum every day, as I find necessary, while caring for two tiny humans. I was on Facebook while breastfeeding in the middle of the night and saw a friends post about the iRoomba vacuum cleaner. I thought they were worthless but her claim that they actually work was enough to convince me. From facebook to amazon, purchase complete at 4 am. Bam. And let me tell you, this little gadget has been a lifesaver. The boys and I leave in the morning and the carpets aren't coated in dog hair when we get home. Can I get an amen?! I don't vacuum by hand, really ever. Roomba works daily and the housekeepers come every two weeks. Therefore, I haven't had to relax my standards. I can be a good mom and have a clean house. Hallelujah. I love you, iRoomba.

Acure Organics-- There are my new go to face products. When Wes was about a month old my sister-in-law, Kelsi, sent me a package. It was one of the nicest gifts I've gotten in a long time, totally unexpected and really kind. Included were a few of her favorite beauty products with a little note saying she thought I could use a few things for myself during this season of life. I loved the Acure exfoliating wash she sent and proceeded to purchase their entire line of products. They are affordable, effective and organic. Love!

Pimp Your Mat Pilates-- Finding a way to exercise was another huge challenge in the transition from one to two kids. There is less time for everything. I was still walking a lot but since I started Pilates 6 years ago, my body doesn't feel right without it. A friend has been telling me about a subscription based Pilates website for years and I finally decided to check it out. Best. Thing. Ever. I love the instructor, who posts a new 30 minute work out every three days. She is classically trained and the workouts are awesome. Finding 30 minutes three times a week is totally doable. As soon as I worked Pilates back into my routine my back stopped hurting and I started to feel human again.

Lemons-- Along with avocado, I have started consuming lemons every day. In the morning I have a cup of hot lemon water in lieu of coffee. It's a great detox for the body and wonderful for the digestive system. It took a little getting used to but now it's as much of a ritual as coffee once was.

Stitch Fix-- What a brillant idea! Someone shops for you and sends you clothes. If you like them you buy them, if you don't you send them back. It's like Christmas morning every time a new box comes. Around March I had a little meltdown over having nothing to wear. I was pregnant last spring, so I didn't have anything from last year, I was too fat for most of my regular clothes and passed the grace period of continuing to wear maternity clothes. The problem is, there is no time to shop. If I have the boys with me, which I pretty much always do, Wes is in the ergo and Owen is running around. Not the easiest way to try things on at the Gap. I had heard of Stitch Fix before and honestly thought it sounded kind of stupid. But when a friend suggested it in response to my problem, I couldn't wait to try it. And I love it! So far I've received three boxes with five items each and I've only kept two things but it's been enough to get me though. My next box comes this week and I have a good feeling about it. How did people survive without the internet?