This Past Month

I can't believe that I haven't written in almost a month....  I didn't even write the boys' letters this month, so I will definitely need to go back and update those.

This past month has been busy and difficult in different ways.  At the beginning of December, we took a small trip to Williamsburg.  My parents had a week-long timeshare there, but only could stay a few days.  The rest of the week was ours!  I was looking forward to catching up on my "missed pool time" from this past summer due to having Jack.  I planned to spend a lot of time at the indoor pool.  Well, our plans didn't work out.  Jack's sleeping habits have been growing worse and worse.   It's been crazy.  On his best nights, he was getting up every two hours, but not necessarily to eat.  Sometimes he'd just cry for two hours.  On his worst nights, I would have to sleep on the couch with him and allow him to nurse all night (or really just using me as a paci).  I couldn't stay in our room because his constant crying would wake up both Chris and Eliot (even though Eliot was in his own room!!).  It was hard.  So, yeah, Jack did that our first and only night in Williamsburg.  Not to mention the whollllleee time Eliot kept asking to go home.  That kid does not get vacations!  We did go to the pool once and then to Christmastown.

Our Christmastown adventure ended this way....  In case you don't know, Christmastown is really just Busch Gardens (an amusement park) all decked out for Christmas.  Tons of lights and decorations...  It's really nice!  As we were finishing up, though, we waited for a train ride around the park.  Then I smelled it.  Jack had a diaper just as the train pulled up.  I told Chris to get on and that I'd meet in somewhere.  But where?  The train station in France!  That is what Chris said.  Well, OK!  I can figure that out!  So I ran off with Jack in his stroller to find a bathroom.  I found one in Ireland.  And the diaper was a blowout.  I mean, everywhere. I can do this....  I got him all cleaned up and clarified with a person who worked there how to get to France.  Jack was screaming and cryinggg.  It was dark and I was running as fast as I could so I could get there and take Jack out.  But get this.  THERE ISN'T A TRAIN STATION IN FRANCE.  And Chris's phone battery died!!!!  How would I ever find him (and Jack is still screaming)?!?!  I asked someone who worked there (again) if there was a train station in New France.  He pointed me to the right direction.  As I was almost there, I thought I heard a faint voice calling my name.  But I didn't see anyone.  It was dark, as I said.  I kept walking.  And then heard my name again.  Chris and Eliot found me!  Phew!

We headed out then.  The boy fell asleep in the car.  And when we got home, we realized that Eliot had locked a door that doesn't have a key, meaning we were locked out of our house.  It was late.  Eliot was crying.  Jack was crying.  I was going to cry.  Fortunately, my parents were there with plans to drop the dogs off for us and they helped us break into our own house.  Gaaaah!

So, that trip was kind of a bust.

After that, we had final grades to submit for work, so it was best that we got home to finish up the term strong.  We also were trying to get all of our final things together for Christmas (and finish up Christmas shopping because, man, that happened fast!).  Right after we posted final grades, we had these freakishly warm days in December.  We took advantage of them by going to the beach twice.  As it turns out, Jack loves eating and playing with sand.  And of course Eliot loves running on the beach and flirting with waves.  I didn't get much beach time this past summer while pregnant and after I had Jack, so it was really refreshing to sit on the beach with everyone having fun.  While pregnant, I was always so uncomfortable (and even threw up once).  When we would go with Jack as a newborn, I'd just be worrying about him being too hot the whole trip and I couldn't get in the water.  It is going to be completely different this summer--and I can't wait.

For Christmas Eve, we went to my parents' house and had dinner with them, my sister's family, and my aunt's family.  This year, Eliot was very eager to open presents and try to make sense of all of this Christmas business.  It has been so much fun to watch his eyes light up while looking at decorations and hilarious to hear all of questions, like why we have big socks hanging on the mantle.

Christmas morning, Eliot and Jack dug right into their presents.  I think Eliot liked getting "double presents" because, as he says, Jack will share.  And perhaps not surprisingly, Jack really enjoys grabbing all of Eliot's new toys too.  We're doing OK with all of this sharing stuff!  Not perfect, but, you know, we're doing fine.

Chris's parents and sister came in town on Christmas day, and, man, Eliot was stoked to see them.  I didn't even tell him they were coming because I'd be hearing about it all week.  Eliot had so much fun with all this extra attention.  We all went to the movies to see Walking with Dinosaurs, which has horrible writing, but they're dinosaurs.  And you know Eliot loves him some dinosaurs.

Somehow, though, Eliot ended up sick the next morning.  It just seemed like a cough, but it kept growing and growing.  Two days later, Jack had the same cough and I felt sick as well.  I figured it was a cold because their fevers were low, but I wanted to make sure.  Off to the doctor we went.  They confirmed that it was a cold, and I think Eliot is getting better each day, but Jack just seemed to keep on getting worse.  He was supposed to have his six-month well visit yesterday, so they just turned it into a sick visit.  Sure enough, he has a double ear infection.  It's still the early stages, and I'm thankful that we will be fighting it off before it gets bad.

And then there's New Years...  I feel like I should have an entire post just on my thoughts on New Years, but I'm not really a big resolution kind of gal.  I just like looking back.  Perhaps that is why I write so much and then feel so disappointed in myself when I don't write.  Anyway, we had a quiet New Year's Eve.  We watched some movies and ate mac'n'cheese for dinner (I'm not kidding).  We let Eliot light some sparklers and watch our neighbors' fireworks.

These days, Eliot is still a little sick, but pretty much acting normal.  He wants to play all day despite his lingering cough.  Jack is on his second day of antibiotics.  Somehow, his sleeping habits are improving without me even doing anything different.  He sleeps in his crib in his own room most nights.  On good nights, he gets up twice.  On bad nights, he is up all night.  Honestly, those good nights are enough for me to get by.  Before, it was taking its toll on me, and I must admit that I have cried a few times out of exhaustion and frustration.  I mean, people have to sleep eventually, you know?  However, we're making it work.  And I can deal with this just fine.

I can't believe it is January already.  I can't believe my baby is six months old.  I can't believe it is 2014.