milk factory blog

Baby Hana Sleepin' over

What a great week we had! Baby Hana was here for 3 days/nights and really made an impression on her extended family. Her future body guard Ella loved having the extended sleepover and wanted to help with everything (diapers, dressing, feeding, burping) and share everything (her books, her toys, her Dad's belly, her kisses, and her germs).

Download Playtime.AVI

Admittedly, we were a little exhausted after night #1--it was quite a shock to the system to go back to the staggered sleeping patterns. But we got a good sense of Hana's rhythms by Day 2, so things were smooth sailing after that. By Day 3, go-Daddy-O was having 3-hour afternoon naps on the sofa with Hana. Ok, admittedly that's really just an hour more than I usually nap (without Hana) anyway--so maybe it was more Hana getting used to our rhythms.

A tiring, but very inspiring few days. It's made us more sure that we want another child. It's convinced us that we're so lucky to have Hana in our lives. And it has reminded us that we are so very lucky to be able to share in Ella's life as she grows.

I get exhausted in a different way when I think about my future relationship with sweet little Hana. I want to be there to share in every little happiness and achievement. I want to see her learn, grow, live, and love. But in all that happiness, I'm always going to feel this heart-wrenching sadness and guilt because her mom can't be here, too. Gabi would have wanted to see every single one of Hana's smiles these past few days.  I will at least make sure Hana knows that.

Attention All Ladybugs!

If you are in, around or bound for Oliver's Garden, do yourself a favour and TURN AROUND!  Go Home!  If you don't have a home, go to someone else's home!  Someone without children!  Consider yourself warned...

"I find it, the Ladybug!"

"I get it, the Ladybug!"

"I hold it, the Ladybug!"

"I gwish it, the Ladybug!"

It's OK! He didn't "gwish" this Ladybug. And the last Ladybug escaped with only a dented wing. But it is getting harder and harder to keep his mucky little paws off these poor defenseless creatures.

Almost Famous

We just had our first interview! Details are posted on our  Milk Factory business blog.

Little Muffin

Guess who would LOVE to have a little sister?

Ella's gotten into the habit of pointing to everyone's belly and proclaiming that there's a baby inside. This can get a little embarrassing at times...don't take it personally!

Yes, she is absolutely fascinated with babies, and wants to touch their hair and hold them. Sometimes she'll put her face so close to baby Hana's that we're afraid she'll drool right into the baby's mouth. Yuck.

Her first description of her little friend:

Go for walk with Bob and Ruth. See baby Hana. Eyes open. Head moving like this (moves her head back and forth). Tiny hands. Tiny feet. Muffin.

Ella's daycare providers thought that it was so sweet that Ella was calling the baby "Muffin", but of course, she was referring to the freshly baked treat that she ate after we returned from our walk.

That's our little girl for you! When the time comes (no, we're NOT pregnant), I think she'll be a wonderful big sister and take care of all of her new sibling's baked good needs. 

Mr. Bubbles

We are SO loving our kids these days.  In particular, Oliver has sparked a new found love in Ken and I with his incredibly adorable and typical-of-a-two-year-old antics.

Yesterday, Oliver successfully completed a 2 minute Trouble Spot session (a slightly modified version of the SuperNanny's Naughty Spot) in response to a hitting match between he and me--that is he hitting me.  Immediately upon hearing the timer's "beep", he stood up from the stool and waited for me to come back into the room.  We had our chat and a big hug and he was off.  Since then, "Nooooo trouble!"

This morning, he trotted up to Theodore, who was sitting quietly in his bouncy chair staring up at the kitchen ceiling lights, and said "I yuh (love) you so much Feeadore!  Soooo much!"  I thought Ken was going to burst into tears on the spot--proud Daddy he is!

Tonight...need I say more?