Best of Friends

Back before Dan and I were even dating, I knew he'd be a great dad. Working with him in youth and children's ministry (seems like a lifetime ago) he was always so wonderful with kids. He is fun and interactive and very much a kid at heart. 

When Kip was born there was a bit of a learning curve with the whole newborn/baby phase but it was an adjustment for all of us. Eventually Dan got the hang of the infant gig but once Kip was a toddler, that's when he really fell into his dad stride. 

Since the pandemic and working from home I've been able to see Dan with Kip much more. Mandy started calling them "best friends" which was a joke but also 100% true. They are pals and play together SO much. I've been collecting these photos over the last several months (all the way back to the apartment days!). It's a regular scene around here. Mandy will randomly start singing the "Best of Friends" song from Fox and the Hound when she sees them together like this.

They play trains and build elaborate LEGO constructions. They make cinnamon rolls together on the weekends and build tunnels out of Magna tiles. Of course Kip plays with me and he also has special things he does with Mandy, but Dan is truly his best friend.

Dan has an unmatched level of patience. He is slow to anger and quick to love. He doesn't yell and he has a strong and secure presence that is very calming. Kip's personality seems to be taking more after me. Easily frustrated with big emotions. But I'm hoping this tight bond with Dan will rub off some of my rough edges and raise Kip up to be a gem of a gentleman just like his dad.

Life Lately

Remember when I used to consistently post Weekending it and Peeks from the Week? Yeah, back when we actually DID stuff worth sharing. I never really feel like I have much to talk about anymore but every once in awhile there is a bit to catch-up on. I know this blog is boring but I mainly do it for memory's sake and to keep family informed. It helps me feel like we're keeping in touch across time and space. 

Anyways, a little bit of life lately. 

Kip stopped using his pacifiers. Yay! But in the process we lost his naps. Boo! He was starting to resist naps back a few months ago but we changed the name to "rest time" and let him keep his window curtains open and lights on and he typically still managed to fall asleep. This was the last photo I have of him napping and using the paci. 

Ugh! What a little baby angel.

Then once we cut the paci, he simply could not relax enough to fall asleep at rest time. It was a struggle at bedtime too, taking forever to fall asleep and then still waking up early. I read that if toddlers 1) resist nap 2) take forever to fall asleep at night and 3) begin waking up consistently before 6 AM then it's time to drop the nap. So this week we changed "rest time" to "Kippy time" and he plays quietly in his room alone for about an hour. And you know what? IT WORKED! Kip now falls asleep without the paci within 20 minutes at bedtime and has stayed asleep (for the most part) until his green clock goes off at 6 AM. I miss the paci and I miss the nap. We all do. But Kip is growing up and part of that is adjusting to new routines and different needs. Listen to me! Being an adult and not crying about all of this!

Also, I'm not putting ANY stock in this and I refuse to get my hopes up...but Ivy cut her first two teeth this week and last night she only woke up once! Praise be! I got one night of sort of uninterrupted sleep.

In house news, I did my first home improvement project! When we first moved in I really had an desire to change all our door hardware from the early 2000s bright-gold lever knobs to matte black round knobs for a sleek more modern look. I waited until after Christmas to use some Amazon points to get all the hardware. We have 20 interior doors (this blows my mind) which is about 60 hinges, plus all the knobs. It was a big project but it only took me a week and a half to do here and there while the kids were asleep or when I had free time on the weekend. I love the way it turned out. Also, if you need to change a lock don't bother with a locksmith. Buy a new knob and save yourself $200 in "labor." It's really easy to do yourself.

BEFORE

AFTER

It feels like we are settling into a routine now. Nearly a year into the pandemic and almost six month at the house. It's be an insane amount of transition and change and growing pains. Some days are good and some days are downright awful. It's the doldrums of winter and if you've followed me for any length of time you know I get really whiny and bitter and bored this time of year. My brain feels itchy. Not literally itchy but  I have an urge to do something without having any idea what that something is or how to satisfy the urge. Like an itch you can't reach. And so we wait for spring. 

Happy Friday!

2020 Broadway in Review

Every year I do a recap and ranking of all the shows we saw on Broadway the previous year. 

See previous years here:

2019 Broadway Review

2018 Broadway Review
2017 Broadway Review 
2016 Broadway Review

Despite all that 2020 had to throw at us, Dan and I still managed to see two shows before the bright lights shutdown. Since I don't know what 2021 has in store for shows returning to Broadway, I didn't want to skip this post. Perhaps it will be my last for some time?

Back in January of 2020, Dan and I saw our last shows on Broadway - one musical and one play. There isn't much of a ranking, but, let's pretend.

# 1 Overall Favorite show: Jagged Little Pill

Jagged Little Pill is a jukebox musical of songs from Alanis Morissette's 1995 album. It was great! I loved the show and obsessed with the music and it had one of my favorite Broadway stars, Derek Klena. The show had very contemporary themes and was really entertaining. Maybe you caught a few of their televised performances? They were at the Macy's parade and the One Night Only televised fundraiser for Broadway performers.

Favorite songs: Perfect and Wake Up.

 
#2 To Kill A Mockingbird

This was the first play I've ever seen on Broadway. My uncle got Dan and I tickets to see it for Christmas last year and we saw it the weekend after we saw Jagged. Ed Harris starred as Atticus Finch and there were several other well known stage actors in the cast. It was amazing and I'm really glad we had the opportunity to see it when we did.

I can't believe it's been a year since we've seen anything on Broadway. I think I've said it a thousand times, but, Broadway is one of my most favorite things of all time and especially my favorite part about New York City. I had hoped to see several new shows in 2020. Six, Diana, Bedwetter, and Mrs. Doubtfire were all set to open in 2020 and none were ever able to open their doors. With no indication of when theaters will be allowed to welcome back audiences, it's hard to say when we will be able to attend a show again. But, I'll wait and when it's safe, you better believe it will be my first date back in the city!

Ivy || 8 Months Old

Ivy turned eight months old on Sunday!! Because her birthday falls in the middle of the month it's always strange for me to write these monthly recaps and feel like so much time as passed. I'm looking back at the first part of one month and the last part of another and it feels like twice as long. Christmas seems like a lifetime ago but it really wasn't. Anyways, we are entering the last quarter of Ivy's first year of life and that fact is just plain crazy!

Ivy at Eight Months

Weight: ?? (15 lbs. 4 oz. at six months)

Height: ?? (27.4 inches inches six months)

Personality: sensitive and particular

 

Likes

Getting into Kip's LEGOs

Her remote controls

Jumperoo

Bath (always and forever her favorite)

Stroller rides

Purees 

Being held

 

Dislikes

Being set-down between the hours of 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Pooping

Being in her high chair too long

Foods that require her to chew

Getting her face and hands wiped after eating

Wearing

Size 4 diapers (she is well under the weight for these diapers but they are required for absorbancy)

6-9 month clothing

Fleece sleep sack

 

Things I want to remember about Ivy at 8 months:

That one day she waved at us

Her pterodactyl shrill screams of excitement

How she reaches up when she wants to be picked-up

How she slams her feet up and down when she is in the high chair

The hand print left on her face after a nap

How cute she is with Kip and plays around but holds her own when he gets rough

How she puts her hands on my face like she is trying to get to know my features

Digging into the LEGOs 

Kicking and splashing Kip in the bath

Her snuffy-nose laugh that sometimes makes her snort

FINALLY being able to roll front and back without drama

Sitting-up unassisted for long periods of time

Her first solid poop (she was a bit traumatized by it)

Rolling to get to where she's going

Her gummy grin (still no teeth)

The way she tries to crunch up instead of roll to sit

That one time she tried to latch on my nose and attempt to nurse

Her scissor grasp instead of pincer grasp

Sleep 

Sigh. I was really hoping to report some positive progress in this area but it feels like one step forward leads to six steps back. Ivy finally mastered rolling over both directions without drama which means she can finally sleep on her tummy. This seemed to help a lot and the first few days after this she was giving us naps that lasted more than 30 minutes. But, sigh, the short naps have returned depending on the day. I also switched her to a fleece sleep sack which seemed to correspond to less night wakings. It didn't solve them but it did seem to help...for a few nights at least. One day she gave us a nearly two hour nap and it was heaven and hopeful and made me feel like we'd reached the summit. Then on the eve of her 8 month birthday, she woke up a record 12 times in the night and honestly I don't have the energy to try and understand anything anymore. Her sleep seems to get progressively worse and if I don't see some teeth pop through in the next week I'm going to pull MY teeth out. I have NO idea why nothing we've tried is working consistently and why she sleeps worse than she did as a newborn.

Eat

Since we passed through that allergy/no allergy drama we've tried to focus more on giving Ivy at least three "meals" in addition to nursing or bottles. She is a petite little lady and I feel like her stomach is the size of a penny. Whereas with Kip he would eat a full serving of something, Ivy is chewing on a single solitary bite but not swallowing any of it. She prefers smooth textures and loves yogurt and purees. Other things she likes are foods that easily dissolve, like Bamba or teether biscuits. She is still nursing well but gets easily distracted. She also takes bottles of fresh pumped milk which we try to do at least every other day to keep her committed. And she nurses all night so there's that too.

Play

Oh boy we are getting into the baby go-go-go phase. Although Ivy isn't close to crawling yet she wants to and does sit independently really well and gets INTO her toys. She loves a little undestructible books and her lights and sounds Hedgehog that Grandma and Grandpa gave her for Christmas. She adores the old remotes that Kip was obsessed with when he was a baby and she has been caught several times pulling over Kip's basket of LEGOS and getting into that. She outgrew her stander activity seat but she still enjoys her jumperoo. I love the way she folds herself in half to reach for something and her super strength to pull something towards her or on top of her. I have a feeling once she becomes mobile we'll have to have eyes on her at all times. She imagines herself as much bigger than she is. 

 

 

This month Ivy celebrated her first Christmas and her first New Year. She mastered rolling, sitting, and sleeping on her tummy. She is so verbal and expressive and even though I feel at my wits end with this sleep situation, I still feel overwhelming love for her - even in tough moments at 2 am. Her tiny gorgeous face astounds me. She is such a beautiful girl and I love seeing peeks of her personality and watching her grow.