Then There Were Six...

One of the special gifts in life, I think, are friends who "knew you when."  Friends who remember when you sucked your thumb, or lost your first tooth, or peed on the floor by accident.

Lily is lucky enough to be growing up with a wealth of "knew you when" friends surrounding her.  While life gets busy and we're not able to see each other as much as we'd like, the kids always seem to pick right up where they left off.  It really does melt my heart.

While Noah teases me that I stole his MBA buddies, Meera, Lisa and I were all pregnant at the same time back in 2004, and that's a bond thicker than even GWU grad school presentations and finals.  I'll never forget Sonia and Graham's birthdays.  How could I?!?  Sweet Sonia was born September 3rd, Lily was born November 2nd, and darling Graham was born December 1st.  I was lucky enough to have a built in mom's group during my maternity leave with Lily, and the three moms with our three babies met regularly for coffee, pancakes (hooray for the Original Pancake House!), lunches and dinners.

Lily (2 months), Graham (1 month), Sonia (4 months)

We all graduated from infant carriers to high chairs together, and soon the kids were teething, talking and potty training...and we were simply trying to keep up with them.

The tushies belong to, in order of appearance, Sonia, Graham and Lily

Graham was the first to gain a sibling; Grace joined the group in August 2006.  Kiran, AKA Kiki, came on to the scene in January 2007 making Sonia a proud big sister.  And now, of course, Lily has Anna, thus rounding out our gaggle of kids.

The original trio -- I cannot believe how big they've gotten!

...plus Gracie...

...and Kiki...

...and Anna.  Then there were six!

Spilt Milk

Since I really don't spend enough quality time with Lily these days, and since Lily can now regularly be overheard talking about "boobie milk," I thought that I should rope her in to helping me prepare my precious liquid gold (AKA breast milk) for freezing.  I know that this kid is bound for motherhood -- hopefully LATER rather than sooner -- so she might as well realize what goes in to feeding a baby.  Perhaps she'll appreciate me that much more for doing all this for her for ten long months.  Nursing.  Pumping.  Freezing.  Sterilizing...  

I had 3 days worth of pumped milk in the fridge, and Lily did an outstanding job of portioning it out in 4 ounce increments....pouring those in to freezer bags...and squeezing the air out before sealing it tight.

We had so much fun together that I guess we didn't notice the 9 sealed and labeled bags, sitting on the counter, until we got home seven hours after our little milk maid experience.  I can't remember if the phone rang or if we were just in a hurry to leave, but those precious little bags never made it from counter to freezer.  

Now I don't know what the La Leche folks would say, and perhaps they would encourage me to make pudding out of the milk (as did a lactation consultant when I had 160 ounces of quickly defrosting breast milk during a power outage when Lily was still tiny), but I'm just not going to risk feeding Anna some potentially spoiled milk.  Even though I'd rather stick a knife in my side than throw out 36 ounces of my precious milk, in to the trash it all just went.

So I'm now in mourning.  I want to go eat something incredibly caloric and then go curl up in bed...  

Instead, I'm going to go drink another gallon of water so that I can, once again, become engorged...attach myself to my pump...and then turn on the TV to something nice and mind numbing and pretend like I'm not actually getting milked.

Ah, all for the love of our children.

But I do believe that Baskin Robbins is in my future tonight.  Because, of course, when I replace those 36 ounces of milk I'd like for them to be nice a creamy...with a hint of mint chocolate chip!

Boob Babes

My friend Amy, who is only two weeks post partum, brought her boys to meet Anna and me for lunch today. I was definitely still unshowered, dressed in PJs, and sterilizing everything in site when my girls were two weeks old; I'm hugely impressed that Amy got both of her kids out of the house, in the car, and to the restaurant ON TIME (I'm still running 10-15 minutes late for everything, 2 1/2 months later).

Amy and I met when Lily was about 7 weeks old and her older son, Andrew, was only about 2 weeks old. Like many of my special friends, Amy and I met in an unusual spot -- the "lactation lounge" at Fairfax Hospital (other spots include the bathroom in my sophomore dorm; baggage claim in the Sydney, Australia airport; through a Washington Post housing ad). It was love at first sight when we realized that we were the only two people there who were using a nipple shield (please don't make me explain it to those of you who haven't nursed a baby...too humiliating!). We became fast friends, often meeting for lunches or heading to the baby movies together.

Andrew and Lily, just after their first birthdays

Our biological clocks must be in sync because not only are Lily and Andrew a few weeks apart in age, but the newest arrivals are as well; her second, Jacob, was born 9 weeks and 2 days after Anna.

Anna (11 weeks old) and Jacob (2 weeks old tomorrow)

Today's outing included a trip to the ladies lounge at Nordstrom's, as just about every trip of mine to the mall these days does. We must have happened upon nursing rush hour because there were two other voluptuous moms feeding their babies when we arrived, and a handful who came and went while we were there.

Poor Andrew, who really was a good sport through it all, had to hang out and amuse himself while we fed the little ones. While we could tell that he was bored, the irony was not lost on us. Here was a guy (albeit a 3 1/2 year old one), the only one in sight, surrounded by bare-chested women. While I'm sure he was dying to get out of there today, in about 13 years or so he'll be dying to get IN to such a room!

Totally Screwed

Hello my name is Courtney, and I'm an addict. A supreme addict. Oh heck....I'm doomed.

A few days from now, Sunday to be exact, marks the first anniversary of my blog. Originally started to streamline the distribution of Lily's weekly school newsletters, this online medium has evolved over the past year in to something that I love. Something that I'm actually staying up at night to post to rather than going to bed (stupid, stupid considering I still have a newborn). It's something that you, my friends and family, have told me that you look forward to reading....and has contributed more than a few laughs. The Fox Israel family blog has also inspired several friends to, in recent weeks, create their own family blogs (rock on Amy and Ellen!!).

So, not only have I been trying to mentally draft my memorial posting on Sunday, but I've also been trying to figure out how I can continue to evolve the blog in its second year. Last June I started with baby steps....but now my baby is ready to graduate from the tot lot to the big kid playground.

Enter, stage right (or the right column of your screen), the TWITTER. Heard about this relatively new phenomenon? Following someone's "twits," "tweets," or senseless real-time ramblings?

If you haven't heard about twitter, please look it up on Wikipedia. I'm too technologically ignorant to actually explain it and make sense. But there's lots (and LOTS) that happen in our "lives with Lily and Anna," and not all of it is necessarily worthy of an entire blog posting...but it's completely relevant to our lives. Quite frankly, it's the little one-liners, quiet loving moments, looks out of the corner of their eyes, smiles and hugs that make our lives so rich. But even that wonderful richness isn't always blog material. I want to tell you stories, but I don't want to bore you with bizzaro and random details. And I want to catch things as they happen/before I forget, which isn't always (in fact, rarely is) when I'm near the computer and can jot down an entry.

I will now both praise and curse the creator of Twitter...someone nameless out there in the Internet who is allowing me to open the door just a bit wider as you follow our lives....and someone who now just turned my enthusiasm for blogging in to a full blown obsession.

Ladies and gentlemen, I can now blog from my phone. I can TEXT MESSAGE -- from the car, the grocery store, a public restroom -- "Tiny Treats" and post them on the blog.

I'm doomed. I'm SO totally screwed. I can already envision my new cell phone bills each month....not to mention my utilization once I return to work.

Oh well. I mean...it's all for you. Not for me. Because that would mean that I'm a total geek.

Enjoy the treats! And happy anniversary, a few days early, to Life with Lily and Anna. I just couldn't wait.

Princess Mania!

I don't know what it is, but three and four year old girls seem programmed to love princesses. They worship princesses.  They firmly believe that they ARE princesses.  Noah and I certainly haven't encouraged this princess addiction in Lily, although we haven't exactly discouraged it either (case in point, our trip to Disney World...yes, we're suckers).

Princess Lily with Ballerina Megan

Lily hadn't seen twins Charlotte and Max since she was 14 months old, and she hadn't seen Megan since last August.  But because all things princess seem to be both the least common denominator and a bonding agent, it took mere seconds before she ran off with her newly discovered Vermont friends with squeals of delight.  I only hope that 10 years from now the kids are this excited to see each other...

Princesses Lily and Charlotte

Lily with Charlotte and Max 

(every princess needs a Prince Charming!)

We also made an important discovery on the banks of Lake Champlain -- You can find a princess almost anywhere; sometimes all it takes it a bit of tulle and a wide-brimmed hat. Behold Princess au Natural.

Girls Gone Wild

One thing we love most about our visits to Vermont are the wonderful childhood friends that Noah has and with whom we're still in touch.  All things considered, it's pretty amazing that, at age 37, Noah still regularly sees buddies from grade school.  What's even more amazing is that they all have kids the same age!!

Chris and Sara are a few years ahead of us in terms of family planning.  Sam, almost 7, is a ridiculously good Guitar Hero player; Megan, just turned 4, fell in love with Anna and was the perfect playmate for Lily....they both speak "princess."

My one regret from our dinner with the Dalys is that Noah and I got a taste of the Wii.  For those of you type-A personalities out there who have not yet tried your hand at Guitar Hero, DON'T.  It's addicting.  SUPER addicting.  After watching Sam put us all to shame (this kid could give Jimi Hendrix a run for his money!), Noah stepped up to the plate and caught on without missing a beat.  Me.  Well, not so much.  Knowing that my competitive streak is not far from the surface and always, always lurking, I tried to take a pass.  I quickly fell prey to peer pressure though.  And while my avatar got booed off the stage for too many mistakes, I got a taste of the game.  Super fun!  Since I'd never actually admit to wanting one, I may have to disguise myself and head to our local video game store to pick up a Wii.  

Perhaps even more fun was seeing Lily and Megan in their "Girls Gone Wild -- Summer Vacation Edition" impersonation.  Watching the two race around the living room, progressively getting more and more naked, I had awful visions of Cancun Spring Break in 2022.  Lord help me!  Lord help us all!!

Skinny Pancake vs. Chunky Monkey

Ok, so only in the Green Mountain State would one ever see anything like this.  But with gas prices being what they are today, perhaps these guys are really on to something!

The "skinny pancake" became our traveling companion (what's up with that name?!?), starting at the Shoreham Service Center, just a few miles outside of Middlebury, all the way through Vermont and on to I-87 South in NY State.  We lost the motley crew when we hit a wall of traffic -- roadside traffic monitors posted "extreme delay ahead" warnings -- somewhere north of Poughkeepsie, NY and had to bail in favor of some winding country roads.  Even though our new route of 9G (not to be confused with US 9 or 9W or 9S, but 9G...someone without an imagination was on duty the day those roads were named) only permitted speeds of about 35 MPH, at least we were moving and when you've got kids asleep in car seats, movement is critical!

Speaking of skinny...  On this trip to Vermont we decided to be tourists in Noah's home state.  Hey, lots of people pay good money to vacation in Vermont, so we figured that we would hit some of the hot spots.  Of course, the hottest/coolest/most calorie-rich spot would definitely be the Ben & Jerry's Factory in Waterbury, VT.  All I can say is YUMM-O!!

We watched a funny film about the genesis of of Ben & Jerry's genius.  We got a tour of the super secret factory where they produce 250,000 pints per day (on the day of our tour they were making organic strawberry and organic vanilla).  We got to taste one of the brand new flavors -- One Cheesecake Brownie -- which was pretty darn delicious.

Our shy and retiring daughter ordered mint chocolate chip in the scoop shop after the tour concluded, immediately declared that her ice cream "beat" our ice creams, and then ran off with her new best friend of the moment, some random little girl.

Of course, as luck would have it, just as I opened up my camera bag so did the heavens, A.K.A. the daily deluge that we got used to on this vacation.  Hey, if it takes a 10 minute thunderstorm every day to keep temperatures at a glorious 73 degrees, I say bring on the rain!!

Two Thumbs Up

Ah, we're home.  We made it to Vermont and back.  Roughly 550 miles each way.  Add another 1,000 miles for each car attachment we had (the Thule carrier on the roof and the bike rack on the back).  Then add another 10,000 miles for each child.  And let's not forget dramatic rain/hail storms AND summer beach traffic.  I feel like I've driven to the moon and back...paying, on average, $4.35 per gallon of gas that it took to get there.  I think that there's a permanent "cheek" impression on the front passenger seat of Noah's car that perfectly matches my "seat."  As much fun as vacations are, it's always nice to come home.

We had a GREAT time on our New England adventure, though!  You'll get the full scoop in the days to come, but we got in lots of time with old friends and family.  We were able to explore fun destinations throughout Vermont.  Anna was a hit, but Lily in all her scrumptiousness/hilarity was an even bigger hit.  Perhaps the biggest hit of all, though, was the A&W drive-in car hop in Middlebury.  Lily tasted her first root beer float.  Two things a preschooler probably shouldn't have right before being strapped in to a car seat -- soda and ice cream.  She was practically rendered speechless (a rarity) by the creamy, frosty drink....

One More

Noah, Lily, Anna and I are currently in Middlebury, VT introducing the newest member of our family to the VT crew.

The four of us ate lunch today at a little cafe in town. While there, Lily and I were talking about her latest dream (whether she really remembers them or not, she tells some pretty wild, nonsensical stories and attributes them to her dreams) when Noah came over to our table.

Unaware of the discussion, Noah started speaking.

Incensed, Lily looked up at him and barked, "Daddy, your WIFE was talking!"

No longer Mommy or even Mom, now I'm "The Wife."

Out of the mouth of babes

Noah and Lily were having a serious conversation the other day about, of all things, soda. Lily, who was convinced that becoming a big sister would entitle her to drink Diet Coke and lattes, now quizzes us often about when this will be allowed.

Lily was relentless the other day. After being asked half a dozen times, Noah finally said she could drink Diet Coke "when you're a teenager."

"When I'm a tiny jerk?" Lily repeated, looking confused.

Ah, if only she knew how close she really was to the truth. At least in my case. No sooner had I blown out the 13th candle on my birthday cake then, poof, I had indeed turned in to a tiny jerk. Who didn't smile. Especially in important family photos. For a least a solid year.

Who knows, perhaps if we let her start drinking the coveted beverage before she becomes a teenager, maybe we'll avoid the "tiny jerk" years... One can only hope. And hope some more. But the current hands on hips and shaking of her finger at us while rolling her eyes probably is an indication that we're in for a wild ride ahead. Doesn't give me much hope, but it sure makes me laugh!

Going to the chapel...

Lily dropped a bombshell on us a few days ago.  She's getting married. Marrying Oliver to be exact.  I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to not laugh when she told me that they're going to move to California after the wedding.  And she's really going to miss us.  I mean....WHERE does she come up with this stuff???

Huh.  Come to think of it, I wonder if Oliver is the father of her five babies -- Leo, Quincy, Annie, June and Rocket (coincidentally also the names of the characters from the Little Einsteins TV show).  I guess it's about time he made an honest woman out of her.  He's even Jewish!  Nice work, Lily.

The happy couple...

If only life were as simple as it seems to appear through the eyes of a three year old.  Excuse me.  I mean three and a half year old (she's a stickler when it comes to those extra months!).

Deuce

Yesterday, 6.10.08, marked Anna's two month birthday.  And, as if she had read the "Your baby is now two months old!" email from BabyCenter.com, she started cooing (and hasn't stopped -- clearly my child).  

Weighing in at 12 pounds 15 ounces, Anna has gained an astounding 6 pounds in the last two months!  

Sadly for her, our visit to the pediatrician's office on Friday means six new vaccines for my poor baby.  And because of a scheduling snafu, Lily has to come with me.  And Noah can't.  I'm certain she'll be scarred for life and will absolutely refuse to ever go back.  Bad news considering this is her doctor's office too.  Perhaps I'll blindfold her.  And me.  It actually makes me sick to my stomach to think about my sweet little baby getting pricked that many times.  I'm not normally squeamish, but this one is killing me already.  Is 8:45 in the morning too early to start drinking?  It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?!?

We celebrated Anna's two month "birthday" by going to Lily's dance recital at the Huck.  All for naught.  She ended up being the only child there NOT to dance...but rather sulked on her teacher Ms. Rose's lap.  Pathetic!

What was even more pathetic (although it takes one to know one) was the number of parents who FILMED this dance recital (actually, calling it a recital is a pretty big stretch...more like kids wiggling around in front of us).  Can you count the number of camcorders in this section of the audience (hint: six -- can you find them all?).  The only reason why we weren't among them was, well, because our daughter was hiding in the corner.  Dance lessons....money well spent.

Holy Crap!

Literally.

I'll spare you the photos on this one, but it was a real doozey.  I remember well from infant Lily days that breastfed babies don't, well, poop every day.  Apparently breast milk is so well digested by babies that it doesn't create a bunch of waste.  Days can go by without any messy diapers.

But then watch out.  When the digestive track catches up, it makes up for lost time.  Voila -- welcome to the blow out!

It did occur to me earlier today that I'd only changed wet diapers for at least 2 days.  I knew I had it coming.  Just didn't know when or where. 

Thankfully Anna's intestines took pity on me and did the deed while we were at home.  It was just as awful as I remember from Lily; like labor, apparently I'd blocked this out.  Why diaper companies haven't caught on and created blow-out-proof diapers is a mystery to me.  While Pampers sort of stop the leakage from around the legs, they do nothing around the waistband.  And shoot up the front and back it did.  Poor Anna was covered in liquid baby poop from her head to her toe.  Wish I were joking.  SO gross!

At least she smiled through the experience.

Me...well I wasn't exactly smiling. ;-)

And whoever said that infant poop doesn't smell hasn't met (or smelled) my Anna!

Two outfits and about three thousand wipes later, we both survived and lived to tell the tale.

Heat Wave

The temperature gauge in my car, which was sitting in the SHADE!

It is hot here. Hotter than hot. Who knew it could get this hot. Although we didn't try it (come to think, it would have been a cool activity for Lily), I'm certain we could have cooked an egg on the driveway. Between the heat outside -- which is draining me from the outside in -- and Anna's apparent growth spurt -- which is literally draining me from the inside out -- I'm just exhausted.

As tormented as I was about it, we decided at the 11th hour not to participate in this year's Race for the Cure yesterday. Fleishman had a team organized to celebrate an amazing colleague's battle with cancer. I emailed a co-worker to let him know we wouldn't be showing up. The email I got back, after the race, read "Did the race. It was Africa hot. An ordeal." In retrospect, I think we made the right decision.

Name of the game this weekend was trying to stay cool. We took lots of baths. Inflated the pool in the front yard and played with the neighborhood kiddos. We went to my mom's this morning for a swim (went from heat stroke to freezing -- YIKES! her pool is cold). We took nice naps. And I ate more of my fair share of gelato and sorbetto. ;-) I told myself that the calories didn't count because of Anna's uptick in nursing of late. And certainly calories can't count when the thermostat tops 100. Please don't burst my bubble.

Forecast for tomorrow is more of the same....

(Princess and the pea...)

PS -- for those who don't believe in global warming, wake up and walk outside!

Halftime

8 weeks ago, tomorrow, Anna was born. 8 weeks ago our family expanded from three to four. 8 weeks from tomorrow I, sigh, return to work (why does the time have to fly by so quickly?!?).

Lessons I have learned in less than two short months...

• Two kids are more than twice the work but about four times as much fun.
  

• It is possible to love both children equally. Adoring Lily as much as I do, I never thought I'd be able to love another child as much. But what I've found is that I do love Anna as much as I love Lily...and seeing Lily being so good with the baby has made me love her even more. I suppose our hearts just grow, exponentially, with each child.
  

• Call it "new math" but 2 children + 1 mother + 1 father = 2 single parents. Without even planning for it, Noah and I immediately hit the "divide and conquer" button. He now assumes 90% of the responsibility for Lily while I assume 90% of the responsibility for Anna. Noah has definitely risen to the challenge.
  

• Not all babies are the same. Silly me. I assumed that because I was having another girl she'd end up being a mini Lily. Nothing could be further from the truth. I adore my sweet little Anna, but I'll finally admit -- out loud -- that she's a fussy baby. Definitely not colic, thank goodness, but she's fussy. Lily had a temper and could go from smile and coos to blood-curdling screams in no time flat. Anna doesn't have that streak, but she's much more particular than Lily ever was. Perhaps it's because just about anything could soothe Lily -- she was a pacifier addict; switched between the breast and bottle without batting an eye; had a lovey that she, well, loved. With Anna, on the other hand, I've had to try every brand and make of pacifier on the market...to no avail. She doesn't care for bottles, although I try her on one every day knowing that, 8 weeks from today, it's the only way she's going to be able to eat (no pressure there!!). I do see some signs that, perhaps, she is just taking her time to find her own means of comfort in the form of thumb sucking. Time will tell, I guess, especially as she gains more control over her hands. Can't say that I blame her. I was a major thumb sucker and, no, I won't admit for how long. ;) Suffice it to say, we can already tell that the girls are their own little people.
  

I continue to try to live in the moment. Enjoy this time I have, alone, with Anna. Work will come all too quickly. 8 weeks to be exact. I know that once I don't have this time with her I'll miss even her fussiness. Until then, she does reward me, quite often, with smiles that make my heart explode. This just started a few days ago....but, oh how it makes us all, especially Lily, just want to eat her up! Click below to enjoy the "halftime" show.

Special Day

Some of my best childhood memories -- from summers spent splashing in their black bottom pool to my sweet sixteen garden party at their Old Town house -- involve David and Marianne Ginsburg.  

Uncle David -- my maternal grandmother's first cousin -- and Nana, as we affectionately refer to them, invited Anna and me over to their house today for lunch.  This was Anna's formal introduction to the family patriarch.  

Lily was named in honor of my grandmother (Dorothy Lewis Polan) and Anna in honor of my grandfather (Lake Polan Jr.).  Both Grandad and Memaw were extraordinarily important to me...and, quite frankly, still are.  It gave me incredible pleasure...and great pride...to introduce Anna to Uncle David and Nana.  Since Memaw and Grandad will never hold her, it was especially important that 96 year old Uncle David got to.

  

I was amazed by her response to him.  She was more alert than I've ever seen her, more peaceful than I've ever seen her, and I've never seen so many smiles erupt on that little face of hers than I did today.  It was a very special day indeed!

Friends and Family

It's been a busy week with visits from lots of friends and family!

Anna with my very tired brother, Uncle Alfie (aka Lowell).  Full disclosure -- so this pic was taken weeks and weeks ago but somehow never got posted (Noah's sister was here visiting the baby a few weeks ago too and, I fear, we didn't take any pictures....SORRY SARA!)

It was so much fun introducing Baby Anna to our Cousin Anna who just returned from her JUNIOR (I remember when Cousin Anna was a tiny baby!!) year in college.

Cousins Gail, Anna and Lydia 

Some of our favorite Lexington, KY people -- the Lamberts -- visited us on their Washington, DC trip.  Lily couldn't have been more thrilled to see her big girl friend, Wrennie.

Lily and Wrennie washing off after swimming at the hotel pool.

Lily and Wrennie playing panda at the Zoo

Lily and Justin P. -- VERY dirty after lots of fun!