{sugarlens}

Will 6 Months Update

2012-05-16T20:01:00.009-04:00

Will gave me his Mama's Day present last night. He slept from 6:30p to 5:15a. And then after I fed him, he didn't wake up for the day until close to 9a! No, I don't expect it to happen again any time soon. But it did give me hope that I will be able to sleep through the night again someday.

Anyway, onto his big 6 months update. My boy is half way into his first year of life!

Sleep

Up until recently, Will has been pretty good with sleeping. But now, he wakes up several times a night, rolling and turning. I don't feed him every time he wakes up because I don't think he's waking up due to hunger so we calm him down with a pacifier. I don't want him to rely on pacifiers, but it's the easiest and quickest way. We are just too tired to put up a fight in the middle of the night!

He takes 1-2 naps a day. On 1-nap days, that nap is usually 2+ hours long and we put him to bed extra early. All in all, I think he gets about 14 hours of total sleep a day.

Eat

Will may be a poor sleeper, but he makes it for being a champion eater. He still gets 5 160cc bottles a day, on top of 2 feedings of solids. It seems to me that he eats a lot, but he always has room for more. He gets mad when the bottle or bowl is empty. He also gets fussy when he sees food, but we are not feeding him (like when he sees a bottle warming up). It's hilarious.

With Anna, she frequently threw up an entire feeding, but Will has never thrown up once. I guess you can't have it all. Anna was a much better sleeper than Will, but Will is a better eater.

Milestones

When Anna was a baby, I compared her milestones with this chart. I don't do this with Will. One, I don't have time. Two, I don't care. But I should explain that it's not so much that I don't care, but it's just that I know Will is happy and healthy and he will get there on his own timeline.

This month, Will officially became a rolling machine, he reaches out to grab + pull objects, he puts everything in his mouth, and sits unassisted for an extended period of time before toppling over. He even got on 4s a couple of times. He's moving right along!

Temperament/Personality

I think Will is a regular baby, not easy, but not particularly hard either. He has good days and bad days. On bad days, we have to hold him all day long. On good days, we can plop him on the floor and he can be happy for a long time. I do think that his bad days are contributed to his skin problems. I don't blame him, when his eczema flares up, he's just not comfortable.

Overall, Will is a happy baby and always flashes a huge grin any time we look at him. He does have a case of mild stranger anxiety, but it can easily be fixed as soon as the person holding him takes him outside.

I remember we used to plan our outings with Anna based on her nap schedule. Now with Will, he just has to accommodate. Luckily he adjusts quickly and usually is a good sport through it all.

Life

Life with two kids just 20 months apart is hard. Anna still demands a lot of our attention. And now she's older (but not old enough...if that makes sense), she's starting to feel jealousy. Now I understand why people space it out a little. But I think once we get past this difficult stage, prehaps once Will turns 18 months and can play with Anna, things will get a lot easier and fun. I really hope they grow up to be friends.

Either way, life is good with many precious moments. It's all worth the hard work! I love my little family.

6-months stats: 18 lbs 6 oz, 26 inches

Mama's Day 2012...

2012-05-14T08:27:00.005-04:00

Overall, it was a nice day filled with good weather, smiles, and fun. Interspersed in there was some fussing from Will and irrational tantrums completed with screaming from Anna. Lots of tears, lots of yelling. Haha, pretty much the epitome of my life right now.

It's such a cliche thing to say, but being a Mom is the hardest job I have ever had and probably will ever have. A lot of times I just want to forget it all, go hide under the covers, and take a nap. But unlike my outside job, I don't get time-off. I don't get to call in sick. It's also a cliche thing to say, but being a Mom is the best. To watch them learn, discover, laugh, and play. I am pretty sure there is nothing else better out there.

More images from my THIRD Mama's Day.

recently / this morning

2012-05-09T08:34:00.006-04:00

The kids woke up super early today - think 5:45a - but luckily they were contented with just laying around. Look at that sumo baby on the bed! The scale read 19 pounds last night.

Lately, as soon as Anna opens her eyes, she asks for books. So giving her a couple of books can buy us at least 20 minutes of freedom. She loves to "read" to herself and I love to watch. She's starting to recognize some words, like Pooh or Buzz or Christopher Robin. Yeah, she's a Winnie the Pooh fan through and through. She was reading really well...until I took out the camera...then she started singing instead.

One Chicken, Two Ways

2012-05-07T13:11:00.009-04:00

Anna has been eating well lately and it has inspired me to cook new dishes for her to try. I took a completely de-boned chicken and cooked it two ways. And since both recipes called for very similar ingredients, they didn't take long to prepare at all.

Chicken is still a hit or miss with Anna. She's starting to eat nuggets, but not always a fan of the chicken dishes I make. So for this, what I did was I mixed plain rice/noodles with the sauce and gave her a side of baby corn + tofu stir fry and hoped for the best.

Well...she ate it all except for a couple of bites!! I guess she liked the flavor.

I really liked both personally. Sooooo good over rice. Definitely making them again.

Clay Pot Chicken with Mushroom -- Modification: I added carrots.

Sesame Oil Chicken

Park & SHAVED ICE (!!!)

2012-05-05T19:34:00.007-04:00

I don't think this morning's outing could have gone any better.

We left the house just before 10a for a new-to-us park - Cabin John Regional Park in Maryland. We only went to the playground area....but Anna really enjoyed it. She's such a kid now that every time we get in the car, she asks for park. So taking her to any playground is a guarantee win. But today, even Will had his first ride in the swing. He did awesome -- just look at that smile! There are tons of picnic tables so I can definitely see us coming back with food next time.

The real reason why we went to Maryland was to check out this shaved ice place. Hubs recently connected with a former coworker of his and found out that he's the owner of Sno Dream.

Now, growing up in Taiwan, I have always liked shaved ice, but can take it or leave it. The shaved ice at Sno Dream, though, is something else. I totally LOVE it. It's light, creamy, and fluffy. Instead of using just regular ice, the "ice" is actually ice cream-like, which makes all the difference.

We ordered a large (mango ice w/ banana, strawberry, mango, and condensed milk) to share among the four of us. Will was a fan, but I think Anna only liked the strawberry topping. Then hubs buddy (the owner) showed up and gave us some freebies (taro ice w/ toppings and green tea ice w/ toppings). I loved them ALL. Seriously, if this place was located at the mall closer to us, I would go all the time. And that's saying a lot for a cheapskate like me.

I ate most of of these two cups because hubs was chatting with his friend. So YUM.

So as I said, it was a great outing. The kids had fun and our bellies were happy + full.

Well....it's back to the working world.

2012-05-01T20:56:00.009-04:00

Today was my first day back at work.

As much as I don't want to be a stay at home mom, I know that juggling work and family life will be a challenge. I know I can do it - just need to plan ahead, get more organized, be more flexible, and don't sweat the small stuff.

(Haha, probably easier said than done.)

Fortunately, to help me ease back in, I am working from home for the next couple of days. The assignment I am supporting can be done after the kids are tucked in bed. So that means Anna and I will still eat breakfast + lunch together and I can still read her books before nap. It will be like nothing has changed, except money will be rolling in again. :)

But it won't last long and here is hoping that we find our new normal soon. Wish us luck, please!

5/1/2012 - Anna's sketch

So peaceful when he sleeps.

What a STEAL.

lately / this weekend

2012-04-29T20:39:00.000-04:00

Re-growing your own green onion? So easy. Just plant the white root part and watch the green top grow. It is handy and practical. I love going outside with scissors and cut just exactly what I need.
Anna and Will's new train table - handmade by YeYe (hubs' dad). If I had a penny for each time he smiles. While Anna wasn't feeling well earlier this week, I relied a lot on TV. At least she was learning some Chinese.

A Drive-By Update: Week Twenty-Three

2012-04-27T19:36:00.007-04:00

A Drive-By Update - Week One, Week Six, Week Eight, Week Ten, Week Twelve, and Week Fourteen, Week Seventeen, and Week Twenty.

Will

Will has been doing so well lately. He's loving the solids world. So far, in addition to mushy rice, he has tried banana, mango, squash, and carrots. There is nothing that this boy doesn't eat. He's hilarious when we feed him. If there is too much wait time between each spoon, he lets out angry grunts. Oh, and instead of waiting for us to bring the spoon to his mouth, he moves his whole body forward as if he couldn't wait. So funny.

Will is just so cute to me right now. Round, chubby, and interactive. I just want to eat him up!

Anna

Oh my, what a hellish week for her. Where do I even begin?

Poor girl got hit with hand foot mouth disease last Thursday and it took her one whole week to finally starting to feel better. For seven days, she didn't eat well (survived on doughnuts, ice cream, and some Asian jelly snacks). She utterly refused to drink (just mentioning water drove her to tears). She cried a lot (A LOT). She felt lousy and had a really bad attitude.

Each day was a battle. Her sleep disrupted. She lost weight. It was so tough for me to see. And so tough for me to deal with. I was constantly exploding in frustration and anger.

Anyway...

She's feeling much better now. She can chew again without cringing in pain. Now we just need to fatten her back up.

Mama

This week was by far the hardest week in my two years of mamahood.

Anna and I were glued at the hip. I was there to calm every fuss. To force her to drink. To wipe her tears and snot. To feed her all the sweets she wanted. It was just bad timing that hubs happened to be traveling for work. Thank goodness for family help. I didn't have to worry about Will at all and just focused on Anna. I really don't know how moms with young kids do it without help. I would never survive.

I go back to work next Tuesday, but work is the last thing on my mind. When my maternity leave ended with Anna, I was ready. But I don't feel that way this time around. I just hope our new routine, whatever it may be, will work out.

Cranky Anna & Happy Will

2012-04-22T10:32:00.006-04:00

It's been a tough few days at our house.

It turned out Anna isn't teething. Instead she has developed canker sores on the tip of her tongue. She is moody, irritable, and downright ANNOYING. We are trying our best to be patient with her because I know she's miserable. But OMG, the littlest things set her off and we are all very frustrated.

Having a sick child is a fricking PAIN IN THE BUTT.

Fortunately, Will has been in a good mood. And he's soooo cute. Here he is bouncing happily and rolling over.

I guess things can always be worse. At least we don't have two sick kids.

A Big Day for Will

2012-04-20T19:54:00.006-04:00

Anna has been super grouchy the past two days. All signs point to teething. So, I made her mushy rice. Just some leftover rice cooked to mush in broth.

I wasn't planning on giving it to Will. But when he leaned forward after seeing Anna eating it, I gave him a spoonful to try. To my total surprise, he swallowed it. Especially since that although the mushy rice was soft and soupy, it wasn't pureed.

A spoonful actually turned into an impromptu first solids feeding for Will. Despite the faces he made, he actually did really well and finished the entire bowl. And scream for more.

It's kind of funny because with Anna's first solids, I planned the entire thing out carefully. I knew exactly what I wanted to feed her, made it, sat her down, put a bib on, and had the camera ready.

With Will....well...the mushy rice wasn't even meant for him. And Grandma was halfway through feeding him when I said, "Oh! I should take pictures!"

Add this to my growing list of mommy fail.

It wasn't planned, but Will has entered the world of solids as of today!

Also new today: he rolled over! Back to front. He did it twice before I went to get the camera and by then, he wasn't feeling it anymore. Hopefully to capture it next time! Go Will!

Will 5 Months Update

2012-04-18T13:32:00.008-04:00

Will turned 5 months old the other day and I am just getting around to write his update. Life is busy busy busy. After the kids are asleep and the chores are done, I always pick vegging out instead of blogging. Blogging is something I wish to continue just because I love to share, but I wonder just how well I can keep up once I return to work. Regardless, I will continue to post monthly updates of Will until he turns 2. I want to remember every little bit of his babyhood.

Sleep

Will's sleep is not bad. We put him down between 6:30 to 7p and he wakes up for the day around 6:30-7a. That's 12 hours of sleep in the crib. He still wakes up 1-2 times for a bottle, but we can just put him back down immediately afterwards. Recently, he has been waking up a lot more, but we just have to shift him a bit and he falls back to sleep on his own.

He takes either 2 big naps or 2 medium naps and 1 small nap.

Eat

Now that he's sleeping more regularly, it's typical that he gets 6 bottles a day -- 160cc each. He can definitely drink more if we let him, though. I am surprised that he's still exclusively on Mama's milk even though I was hit with mastitis TWICE! My supply dropped both times, but I was able to supplement with my frozen stash. I return to work in 2 weeks and I know formula days are ahead of us. Either way I give myself a pat in the back for making it this far.

I will start offering solids soon. He watches our every move when we eat and gets angry fussy like he wants some. So I know he wants to try, but I just want to wait a few weeks until he can sit up more properly.

Personality

Will is a happy and content baby most of the time. He will smile and babble when I sing or talk to him. But sometimes he's super high maintenance and demands to be held all the time. It's definitely still too early to tell what kind of personality he will have, but I am eager to find out. When he's in a fussy mood, one sure way to cure that is to take him out. Yesterday we spent 20 minutes after dinner walking around the neighborhood before bath time. Oh, and letting him watch our pet goldfishes does the trick, too.

He has also become such a busybody, constantly tracks his family around the room with his eyes, turns his head towards any voices or sounds. He's really alert. More so than Anna.

Milestones

When Anna was 5 months old, she already rolled both ways, sat up with hands on the floor for support, and got up on 4s. She was also good with her hands and grabbing everything in sight. Will slumps over in his Bumbo, he’s not very good at holding toys (but he will grab his bottle and shove it into his mouth), and he's still working on rolling over (back to front). The only thing he has mastered is chomping on his fingers. He still seems like such a baby to me! It's no big deal, he will get there on his own schedule. I am just enjoying each stage as they come.

Not only I love my little man, but I also like him so much! I like to cuddle with him. Or bury my face in his tummy. Or kiss his cheeks. Or squeeze him tight. I just can't enough. :)

just another day at the zoo

2012-04-15T19:42:00.010-04:00

We woke up this morning and hubs suggested we go to the zoo. Usually it's me dragging him and the kids to places, so when he said that, I couldn't say yes fast enough. We were out of the door in less than an hour. A new record for us.

Overall it was a nice trip, but exhausting for the parents. We haven't invested in a double stroller yet so we had to carry Will the whole time. Hubs used the Bjorn carrier for a while, but it got too hot.... Anyway, we both got a serious arm workout by taking turns carrying our big baby boy. I think it's time to buy a new stroller, though, if we are going to be out more in the spring and summer.

Anna was in a non-walking kind of mood today so it was annoying, but I think she had fun seeing the animals. The turtles fascinated her. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely those fresh donuts we bought on the way out. They were warm and yummy. Too bad I had to share them with Anna.

A comparison: Same location, last May.

Me and my big 5-month old (today!) boy.

Snack time for both kids.

Passed out.

Having a laugh over donuts. :)

water + slide

2012-04-14T19:29:00.005-04:00

We took Anna and Will to Burke Lake Park today. It was such a sunny day so I am glad we got out a bit. This short little trip was actually pretty good. It was Will's nap time when we all piled into the car and he catnapped for about 20 minutes on the way there. He woke up once we got there, but the nap was enough and he was content the entire time we were at the park. And on the way home, he napped again! Talk about luck. We made it through the outing without any cries from the kids. If that isn't a success, then I don't know what is.

Anna is so easily amused. Give the kid some water and a playground and she is all good. I love simple trips like this. It is hassle-free and completely....well, free!

lately / hoppy easter

2012-04-08T12:51:00.005-04:00

Anna's first Easter Egg "Hunt"...she went head-to-head with other tots and got 4 eggs all by herself.

Thanks Grandma for the lovely Easter basket. She shouted, "Char Brown!" when she saw the book.

Dyeing the eggs was a success simply just because none got cracked!

Hope your weekend is filled with lots & lots of eggs!

A Drive-By Update: Week Twenty

2012-04-03T13:37:00.003-04:00

A Drive-By Update - Week One, Week Six, Week Eight, Week Ten, Week Twelve, and Week Fourteen, Week Seventeen.

Will

We must have paid our price early on because his schedule has been perfect lately. Napping almost every 2 hours on the nose for about 1.5 to 2 to 3 hours. On most days, he takes two big naps and wakes up from his second one between 3-4p. So the stretch between 3-4p to 6-7p (his bedtime) can be tiring since we are essentially just trying to keep him up during the last hour, but this ensures that he makes it until his midnight feeding. And then again around 3-4a. He isn't sleeping through the night, but I can live with this schedule.

Will is a super happy baby! And I just love love love his handsome smile and belly laughs. We get the cutest belly laughs when play peekaboo. He's still trying very hard to roll over (back to tummy), but his arm gets in the way. Haha, he gets frustrated when he can't make it so I help him along. He can be on his tummy forever now and is much more content in that position rather than on his back.

Anna

This girl understands and knows a lot. When I put the bib on the table, she pulls out her chair and a chair for me. When she sneezes, she says, "Bless you, Anna." She wipes Will's drool off his face without being asked. I am forgetting a bunch Anna-isms and I am going to do a better job of jotting them down. Watching Anna become her own little person who can express her wants, needs, and feelings is so incredible.

Music is becoming a big part of her life. We are attending a music class that I signed up for her through the local rec center. She loves it. The class is small and she participates and laughs and has fun. Only $77 for 10 sessions. Totally worth it. There are so many other more expensive alternatives out there, but I am glad I picked this one.

She recently learned how to jump! Both feet off the ground. She had been trying for the longest time and she finally got it.

Also recently hubs cut her hair. She refuses to wear clips most of the time so we just cut it short so the hair doesn't get in her eyes. she looks like a little big girl now.

This picture is pre-haircut, though.

Mama

One word: Mastitis.

I am feeling a lot better now after 2 days of off-and-on chills, body aches, and fatigue. My milk supply took a major dive, though, which I read is very common with mastitis. It was majorly frustrating to spend twice as long per pumping session only to get half as much.

I rarely get sick and this is the first time since having Anna that I got physically so EXHAUSTED to spend any time with the kids. Instead I was in bed, either curled up from the chills or tossed and turned due to the aches. Horrible times. It made me realize that being sick just suck in general, but being sick with kids is just the worst of all. I don't wish it on anybody.

My sister-in-law is so talented.

2012-03-27T14:53:00.010-04:00

She drew this for our family - amazing, right?

AND she is good with Anna, too. Sigh, I only wish they lived closer.

10 Things I Love About You, Will Edition

2012-03-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

10 things I love about Will these days {at almost 4.5 months}:

1. He puts himself to sleep most of the time. It's the best. We just drop him in the crib and he dozes off.
2. Taking super long naps. At least 1.5 hours, but sometimes up to 3 or 4.
3. Trying so hard to roll over from back to tummy.
4. Tummy to back? Old news.
5. We put him completely flat on his tummy, he pushes himself up with his arms, brings his legs up, and gives little kicks.
6. So easily entertained. Giggles and squeals with delight when we munch on his cheeks just the right way.
7. His big bright brown eyes.
8. His fat rolls, squishy tummy, and soft cheeks.
9. The whole skin problem is finally getting better. Just hoping it doesn't flare up again.
10. Getting more and more coordinated & interested in the world around every minute.

And a bonus...
11. He really feels like a part of the family now.

a walk in the park

2012-03-20T09:49:00.001-04:00

The weather has been perfect lately that we went to Meadowlark Gardens twice last week. Meadowlark is our go-to place when the weather is too beautiful to stay inside. It's a short drive away and it's never crowded. Anna loves to walk around there. And Will....well, he doesn't care.

Speaking of Will, he has been here for 4 months now and I still don't have any pictures of him up around the house. Mommy fail. But I think we finally got some shots that are worthy of getting printed and framed. Hopefully it won't be another 4 months before I do that, though!

They are definitely related.

Will is 4 Months Old

2012-03-16T14:05:00.010-04:00

Will is 4 months old! He's a monster baby, weighing in at 16 lbs 6 oz. He's 25 inches tall.

He has very good control of his head and can lift his whole chest off the floor. He can turn to look at things. He notices people when they walk into the room. And smiles a lot.

He is quite a chatterbox and, if I could, I would chat with him all day long. He also gets a kick out of it whenever I swing him back and forth on my knees. Extra giggles are guaranteed if I sing.

If he is awake, and if someone picks him up, makes eye contact with him, and talks to him… he will immediately goo and gaa. It is so so so cute.

We are still working on the rolling over business. It must be the few extra pounds he is sporting, but he can't seem to get past the back-to-side-to-back. Oh well...all in good time.

Time is flying by and I get a bit weepy and precious whenever I think that this will be the last time I get to cuddle a baby. But in the same second, I am looking forward to many many trips with the whole family in the future.

The Big 2

2012-03-14T13:51:00.009-04:00

I can't believe that two years ago we welcomed this little girl into the world. I still remember the tiny and quiet baby who slept nestled into my chest. Now she's a full-fledged little girl on the go.

She continues to fill our lives with joy. I love that our everyday is full with her smiles and laughs. She shows us what life is truly about.

Happy birthday, Anna! You are my sunshine.

A Drive-By Update - Week Seventeen

2012-03-13T19:57:00.008-04:00

A Drive-By Update - Week One, Week Six, Week Eight, Week Ten, Week Twelve, and Week Fourteen.

Will

He's a poor second child who hardly gets any attention so here is long update on him.

Ever since we got Will's dry skin under control, he's a much happier baby. Our daily routine is rubbing him with petroleum jelly from head to toe during every diaper change. We actually tried a more expensive skincare product - Aquaphor - but it was causing more bumps on the face so we stopped. It can't be comfortable to have sticky goo on your skin 24/7 so I can't wait for warm weather to come and hopefully the end of his dry skin.

Will just eats and eats and eats. We finally stretched his feedings to every 3 hours during the day. We give him 140cc and he drinks it all. Sometimes we give him 160cc and he finishes that too. Sometimes even 200cc and, yes, he drinks every last drop. The bottom line? The boy will drink however much we give him. Most often, we give him 140cc to 160cc bottles just to control his intake. He's still getting up twice a night to eat after going down around 6:30p for the night and waking up around 7:30a for the day. On average, he drinks about 1000cc a day. Pretty nuts.

He takes about 2-3 naps a day. Either two big ones, or one big one and two small ones.

He's still 100% on a Mama's milk diet. My daily milk supply is just enough to feed him, but once a week I do need to dig into my frozen stash. Since I was away from him for 5 days during the Disney trip, my frozen stash is pretty much all used up. So basically, I will need to supplement with formula soon. It won't be much, maybe a bottle of formula a day, but it still bothers me since I never had to do that with Anna. Oh well, I think it's better for me to get over that rather than starving him.

Will loves attention. When we smile at him, he will often smile back. He also loves to be bounced and sing to. No real belly laughs yet, but lots of chuckles. When he shows his sleepy signs, all we have to do is put him in his crib and he falls asleep on his own. We hardly need to use the pacifier anymore, which is great.

Anna

It's crazy how much she knows, understands, and remembers. Yesterday I took her birthday balloon away because she was playing with it instead of napping. I reasoned with her and thought I got her buy-in, but when I took it away, she cried. After she woke up, I asked her why she cried. She said it clearly, "Mama took balloon away." I was in disbelief. Not only she knew exactly which event I was referring to, she remembered and communicated it so effectively.

Mama

Now that we have two kids, I realized that things were so easy when we just had one. I just didn't know it at the time. I was able to focus all my attention on Anna, but now it is divided between two kids. It's just going to get harder once I return to work...I think.

But as hard as things are now, our family is full and complete and life is good with the four of us together.

Anna's Second Birthday Party!

2012-03-12T13:54:00.009-04:00

We celebrated Anna's birthday yesterday with family. I was going for a colorful kind of party, sort of like rainbows, but I don't think it was well executed. But regardless, the birthday girl got to see the people who care about her the most in the world so it was all good.

It all started with this invitation I created in Photoshop and emailed out.

I made the cake layers and the cupcakes using cake mix. Hubs assembled the cake and frosted it. He also frosted the cupcakes, too. I love the sprinkles on top. It made the cakes fancier. And the candle was also a great extra touch. I thought they turned out very pretty. The cakes were moist because I added a pack of pudding mix.

The colors mobiles above the table were made according to these instructions (I used card stock instead). Super easy to make. I took the card stock to FedEx to get it cut for a few dollars (total time saver) and hubs' mom sewed them. We used regular tape to hold them up to the ceiling. They made it through the day of the party, but now they are slowly falling down.

I ordered food from a local Chinese restaurant - so yummy and no stress. i placed the order the day prior and my mom picked it up in the morning. The daffodils were cut from our front yard and arranged by hubs, the self-proclaimed florist of the family.

We also had TONS of fruit, which added to the colorful theme.

The lucky girl received lots of presents!

So glad we got a family shot to remember the day.

She was all smiles - through lunch, cake, and presents. But by 1:30ish, this was her saying goodbye to everyone. She was off for a nap. Party over!

Although there were only 13 people in attendance and I really didn't do much to prepare, this is the last birthday party until she starts asking for it. Of course, to be fair, I am going to have to give Will a birthday party up to age 2 so my party planning days aren't behind me just yet!

Disney 2012, Part III

2012-03-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

WARNING: Lots of pictures and videos ahead.

Day 3 - EPCOT

This video was us getting ready in the morning. I don't usually post something like this - hubs in his boxers and our messiness - but I get tears in my eyes from laughing whenever I watch this and I just have to share. Okay...maybe it is only funny to us?

Of the four Disney parks, I consider EPCOT the least fun for kids. Especially little ones...the ones that are too young to ride the thrilling rides and too young to appreciate the World Showcase...like Anna.

However, Anna found fun in the small things.

Like this interactive play area with music and lights..

and pushing her own stroller...

and running in the gardens at UK.

She loved Morocco. Especially this fountain. Fact: Hubs and I never spent more than 5 minutes at the Morocco Pavilion when we visited on our own.

Here we are in France.

And in China.

We all had a full day of traveling around the globe! :)

She passed out in her stroller in the afternoon and hubs and I were able to enjoy a moment of quiet back at the hotel. This was probably the only time we got to eat in peace.

To be continued...

Disney 2012, Part II

2012-03-07T13:53:00.011-05:00

Although we have been to Disney World many times, this was the first time with a kid in tow. And it was.....wonderful! Normally, after a Disney vacation, we are all jaded and swear that we will never go again. (But only to go again a year later, haha) This time, however, we can't wait to go back! Seriously, I want to make this an annual thing. Yeah, wishful thinking.

Traveling with Anna was a piece of cake. She's so easy now. I can imagine that it would be more difficult to have fun with a baby - dealing with bottles, naps, etc. Or traveling with an older kid - dealing with complaints, personal preferences, etc. But with Anna (who's turning 2 next week), she's fine with anything and, really, she doesn't know enough to talk back yet.

She adjusted to everything quickly. A later nap? No problem. A delayed bedtime? Sure. I thought going to Disney with a kid would be so much trouble back when we were childless seeing parents pushing strollers. Nah, I was wrong. Can't wait to head back with 2 kids!

Day 2 - Animal Kingdom

We did a lot of walking around at the Animal Kingdom...

and taking pictures with the Disney characters.

I was surprised that she wasn't freaked out by them.

Meeting Pooh was a dream come true.

Then we went on my favorite safari ride.

She was too short for many of the other rides, though.

So it was more just taking silly pictures.

The day ended with her splashing in the pool.

Life isn't too bad for this little girl!

To be continued...

Disney 2012, Part I

2012-03-05T13:33:00.004-05:00

Our little trip to Disney World was partly our birthday present to Anna, but mostly because we, the adults, wanted a vacation. We debated between a cruise (just the two of us) or a Disney vacation (either with just one kid or both). In the end, going to Disney with just Anna made the most sense so we left Will at home with Grandma.

This truly was an enjoyable getaway. I think the reason why we all had fun was because we had no expectations. Hubs and I have been to Disney World too many times to count that we didn't have any must-dos. All we wanted was to get away from the daily grind and spend time with Anna and show her a good time. Everything was going to be new to her - including her first plane ride! - and we were all very excited.

A lot of people would probably argue that taking a 2-year-old to Disney is a waste since she won't remember a thing. And that's true. But that didn't matter to us because in the 5 days we were there, we had fun together. And she experienced so many new things!

Day 1 - Travel // Magic Kingdom

We didn't buy a seat for Anna, but we totally lucked out that no one sat next to us. So Anna had the freedom to crawl on us or sat on her own. She did so well. Nothing bothered her. She ate her chips and watched her cartoons. It was a crazy smooth first flight for her!

After the flight, it was waiting for the bus (or the Magical Express) to take us to the hotel.

Here is Anna striking a pose.

Upon checking in, she had the time of her life with this balloon.

The only thing that gave us problem during the trip was Anna's eating. I think she consumed basically nothing but fries and ice cream the entire week. But getting her to eat is something we battle with even when we are home so I am use to it.

We ate and napped and then it was off to the Magical Kingdom.

Prior to the trip, hubs had the foresight to expose her to at least one Disney character - Winnie the Pooh - and she watched The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh over and over again. So that was the first ride we got on and she bought herself a Pooh bear with Grandma's vacation money to her.

Then it was spinning tea cup and merry-go-round. Both rides were a hit with her!

We capped off the night with fireworks, Wishes.

To be continued...