Beach Day!

The haps in the household

This is what's been happening in our house in the last couple days, besides, the kids having colds, me being back to work and being super stressed, and Mark, working a ton while at the same time, semi-training for his 10k (Nike Human Race) that he will be running on Sunday - wish him (actually wish me) luck that he doesn't totally kill his knees/body - then I'll have 3 kids to take care of!!
Mark was off of work yesterday and took care of both kids by himself, all day, for the first time (Jakob's school was closed yesterday and today) - they all survived and had a great day at the zoo and the park - but as can be expected by all of us wives, the house was a disaster and the husband was asleep/out of commision at 8pm - hello!!
I had the kids today, went to a puppet show, played in the house and ended this evening with a play date with Jakob's buddy Jake and his Moms - had pizza, beer, wine and lots of exercise for the boys.

Here are a few pictures of some of the fun that's been happening:

Sarah has found as much excitement as I have, in the newest toy in our house!

Took the kids to a puppet show today, really cute, but totally Portland (It was in a wierd garden space off of a residential/commercial street).

Sarah is finally fitting in and outgrowing these shoes (Thanks Aunt Wendy), and it wasn't too hot to wear them today - super cute! If you look closely you can see Sarah's 2 teeth.

Doing some skating indoors...

Meanwhile in the livingroom, Sarah is climbing into this for the first time!

Looking cute, but totally up to no good!

Like Brother Like Sister

I couldn't remember when Jakob started pulling himself to standing, I thought it was about 8 months, but it really was mid 7th month. Well, Sarah is doing the same! I think we've got another early walker on our hands!AAAH!

Pictures for the Grandparents!

I just took these pictures of the kids last night, I know the Grandparents would like to see even more pictures!

Who says girls don't love playing with trucks!




Having fun in the tub!

Yep, Sarah trying to stand in the tub (in fact today she did pull herself to standing outside of the tub!)

Naked Crawling Baby!

Just a super short video of Sarah crawling out of her bath towel tonight!

P.S. Sarah did just fine at daycare today, actually had a good time playing with all the new toys and her new friends. She drank from the bottle without any problems and was sleeping in one of the Teacher's arms when I got there (she won't do that for us!). She was even happy this evening, I can't believe it. I'm sure this morning was way more traumatic on me then her!

Summer is over?

I go back to work tomorrow, so my summer break is officially over, and we woke up to thunder and lightening and a crazy rain storm, so I guess- summer IS over! How did that happen so fast? We were just in the pool with the kids yesterday at the Brink's house! Sarah was just born yesterday right- feels like that but, she just turned 7 months yesterday! AAH, time flies!
Sarah starts daycare tomorrow, if anyone has any great words of advice for me on daycare, please feel free to leave a comment! I am so anxious, I know she will do fine, but I can't help it! Also, there is so much to think about, I have to leave the house with her at 7 am, pack bottles (defrost the milk), bring all the paperwork, the check, the baby food etc etc etc. Oh and not forget my pump and my lunch and all my work stuff! I know I will figure out a system, it's just a bit overwhelming!
Anyhow, I'm a bit down today because it's my last official day off with Sarah - I know I already "went back to work" but I was just working a few days and was really just working for the summer and now it has come and gone so fast! I will be working only 4 days, but that's a lot away from a baby! So, today after we go to the Chiropractor, I will be buying a new pair of shoes to make me feel better! (Using the money we made at our yard sale this weekend - oh yeah we had a yard sale and it was 100 degrees outside- not the best weekend to have picked, but who knew!) And, I will try to take a snugly nap with my baby today!

Here are some pics of Sarah on her 7 month birthday - keep in mind it was over 100 degrees here, so the kids weren't wearing a lot of clothing in the house!

This is how Sarah spends a lot of her time, trying to get to whatever her big brother has!



Jakob, getting ready for his modeling career! He was sleeping on the floor in our bedroom, as Sarah has been waking up at night - darn teeth!

The calm before the crying storm at 3 am!

New Happenings

Sarah is REALLY crawling now - just a few days before her 7 month Birthday! I had a wake up call with what needs to be put away - I forgot how easily kids find things that you wouldn't even think about ie: plant soil, shoes, cords, random crumbs, dog hair! Jakob came running to me yesterday morning to let me know that Sarah was on Roxy and eating her hair, and sure enough she was! Poor Roxy, she is such a good dog. she just sits there while Sarah pulls her tail, climbs on her, pulls her whiskers etc. (Even sadder that's probably the most attention the dog has gotten since Sarah was born!)
I think the crawling thing is also more difficult the second time around - because now we have Legos, blocks, cars and other small toys to worry about a baby putting in their mouth!
I am trying to post a video of Sarah crawling but it's not working, will keep trying! Sarah is trying to pull herself up to things as you can see in one of the pictures. She has already had her first forehead bruise from the corner of the table that she is crawling up on. We've moved most everything out of the way, but she still finds things that seem a bit sketchy to be holding onto or to be putting in her mouth!



Jakob had his last swim lesson for the summer tonight, he did amazing - a total 180 from the first class 2 weeks ago, where he threw a fit about getting into the water. Tonight he actually put his whole head under the water. I don't have a picture of him completely under, just of his face - still an amazing accomplishment for him! His teacher, Megan, was asking him to put his face in when he just sat down and dunked his whole head and body under, she couldn't believe it and neither could I! I was sooooo proud! At the end of the swim lessons they gave the kids gold medals, Jakob's response was, "But I'm not the fastest in the world, I'm not like Michael Feps (Phelps) from the Lympics". Too funny. I told him he got it for being the only kid in his class to put his head under the water today - he thought that was so cool and said "I am so proud of myself!"
I wish we could continue swim lessons, now that he is so confident, but summer is ending and I am returning to work and I can't imagine going to the pool every night after work. So, we will try to get in a class in the fall at the indoor pool - although Jakob was adamant that he would have swim lessons in the outdoor pool in October - I don't think so, not in Portland!

Face under the water!


Getting his "Flower Watered" (The kids pretend to plant seeds on their heads and the teachers make them grow). This was the first time he didn't put his arm up in front of his face.


Oh and Sarah cut her second bottom tooth! She has also been sleeping a bit better, but we have had the A/C on and the fans on all night, so I may not have heard her either! Either way, we are getting a bit more sleep - but tonight it is 82 degrees in the house still, Jakob is still awake (10:30pm) - says it's too hot to sleep and it is - so I'm not counting on much sleep!

Sleep...it's not all it's cracked up to be?

I really am just looking for some sympathy or empathy here. Just before we got pregnant with Sarah we were enjoying nights of about 8 hours of sleep, it was wonderful and we really started to take it for granted. Then, toward the end of my pregnancy with Sarah I started to lose some sleep due to being uncomfortable, anxious etc. After Sarah was born, of course we weren't sleeping with a newborn, but then you add a 3 year old who is having nightmares, it just got worse. Then, I went back to work in a total haze of being a new Mom again and complete sleep deprivation. I've been on summer break and Sarah has started to sleep from 8:30pm- about 5am - wonderful - but we are still tired, but I can now almost carry on a conversation without blanking out or falling asleep. Then there will be one of those nights where she sleeps until 7 am, but this doesn't happen on a regular night, it has to be the night that we go out or stay up late - until midnight or so, so we aren't getting to really benefit from her long sleep. Then on one of the long sleep stretches by Sarah, it is inevitably interrupted again by Jakob. We can't catch a break!
It's like we take one step forward and 2 steps backwards. Then, you think you are in a sleep routine and your kid cuts a tooth - AAH! Sarah was up every hour last night, Jakob was in the bedroom 3 times (2 nightmares and then the potty accident). I seriously got no more than 2 hours of sleep in a row! Oh my God - how do people do it! I didn't get a nap today, because Sarah decided she wasn't going to nap in the afternoon! Awesome!
So, I think that I have decided that sleep isn't all it's cracked up to be, I have to believe this because I do not have a choice!
I will try to be one of those people who think that sleep is a waist of time - it really is, with all the effort I put into trying to get a good nights sleep - I should be putting that effort somewhere else! The only problem is that my brain doesn't work, it's mush without sleep so the effort of trying to sleep is much easier than doing anything else. I feel bad about how angry and cranky I am in the middle of the night, I wish I could just think to myself at 3 in the morning, "It's only sleep, your kids will only be kids for a short time...try to enjoy the cuddle time or time needed by you right now." But, I just can't!
Anyhow, it's 11:25pm, desperately need to get some sleep, but I can't pull myself away from the Olympics and blogging! Will sleep later - like when the kids are grown! I just hope my brain doesn't completely go to mush before then!!

Thanks Nana for visiting!

Who doesn't enjoy a visit from their Nana and Mom! Mom's are the best, I can only hope I will be as loved and appreciated as she is!



We had a wonderful week with you! Thanks for all the fun, support, love, cooking, baking and cleaning - you're the best!!
Love.
All of us!
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Cutie Pies!

Pictures of Oliver Benson Rust

The proud Mama, Papa and baby Oliver!

Here is the proud new father with his baby boy.

Is he not the cutest!!!
Congrats Ted and Loretta - Oliver is gorgeous and we can't wait to meet him! But, again a reminder that our baby girl will never be around your son during their teenage years!!

More pictures!

Here are a few pictures of Jakob in his swim lessons, we finally got him in the pool on Tuesday night and of course, he did just fine and really likes his teacher Megan. There is also another boy named Jakob (probably spelled with a "c" though) in his class, so that has helped too.

Nana coaxing Jakob into the water.


Riding on the raft


Super cute kiddo buns!


Working hard in the water! (It looks like he is lifting weights, you know how we want him to be an extreme athlete - prepping for the Olympics by starting the weight lifting early!) :)


Went hiking this morning with Nana.


And of course another - almost naked - picture of Sarah! This is her today on the changing table, she flipped over, sat up and was going for the fan - guess we won't be doing the changing table thing much longer!

Laughing Baby!

Swimming Baby

Sarah started swimming lessons yesterday at our neighborhood pool, she LOVES it. Today she went under the water 3 times, no problem! Jakob was to start swimming lessons yesterday but flat out refused, but changed his mind tonight - with much bribery from myself and Nana - and of course he had a great time and even went under water without freaking out! Will have to post pics of him later (didn't bring the camera tonight).
It was like 90 degrees here tonight, if felt so good to get into the pool!





OH, and another naked baby picture - Sarah crawling away as I was trying to change her diaper.

Overheard Jakob say...

At the berry farm: "What are the rules here?" How age appropriate is that!

Randomly to me "Mommy I am older than Sarah, because I was in your tummy first right?"
Me: "Yes Jakob that's right"
J: "Yeah and Sarah was in someone Else's tummy until she was in yours?"
Me: "No, she wasn't even made yet."
J: "Oh, where to babies come from?"
Me: Huge smile and trying not to laugh, "They come from Mommies and Daddies"
J: "How are they made?"
Me: Coughing, smiling and trying to stall to remember what I told him in the past. "Well Mommies and Daddies mix up all their love and make a baby."
J: "Oh," and off to play he went

In bed after getting an eyelash in his eye (really he has a terrible problem where his entire top lid of lashes flips into his eye - it's horrible - this happened then he got just one eyelash in his eye): "Why do I have to have such long eyelashes?"
Me: "Well that's the way you were made, and someday your wife will love them!"
J: "Who will I marry?"
Me: "I don't know, who do you think you'll marry?"
J: "Nana, I love Nana"

Right before many a meltdowns/whining fits we are battling: "NO, I just want to tell you something!!!" Feet stomping and a lot of shoulder shrugging.

"Mommy lets have a dance party....please Mommy....I need to shake my wiggles out and I want to dance behind your booty" (lovely I know - hopefully he won't be that creepy guy at the club that just comes up behind girls and dances with them randomly - ladies you know what I'm talking about!).

Tonight: "Nana do you want to see my new moves (dance moves)?"

"Mommy smell my stinky feet...please smell them....it's not gross...please." (all while laughing hysterically)

"No, I am the Mother Velociraptor, you are the Daddy." Jakob is big into dinosaurs right now and very big into pretending to be the Mother or Mommy.

Berry Picking

My Mom is here and we are having a great time with her. We (Nana, Mark, me, the kids and Amber) went out the the Smith family farm (no relation to Wendy's family as far as I know!) in Hillsboro to pick raspberries today. It's a great little farm with organic berries, some chickens and goats to feed, a super cute nursery and store/market with homemade berry shakes - really yummy of course! Jakob is an expert berry picker, he really enjoyed it and got pretty serious about it and made sure that he had "the mostest" in his bucket. He also made sure that Nana wasn't lonely picking by herself. We ate quite a few berries while picking but still ended up with a ton of berries. I don't have a picture of Mark's bucket, be he filled his with raspberries and Marionberries. Needless to say we have a plethora of berries - will need an easy recipe for jelly or something (Wendy advice please!). We will be making a raspberry cobbler tomorrow.

Jakob showing off one of his raspberries


Sarah rode in the Ergo for the picking part - obviously not too enthused here, she really wanted to just grab the plants and put them in her mouth - not the greatest idea! She eventually got go on her first wagon ride after we were done picking.


Jakob doing double duty - eating the berries while pulling Sarah


jakob showing off the loot!


Feeding the chickens