Happy Birthday to Me!

Today's my 32nd birthday. I admit I started the day with some dread - I mean, is there anyone out there the enjoys getting older? But as the day winds to a close, I'm grateful to have one more day under my belt. As my mom said to me, "If you're not getting older, you're dead." Ain't that the truth!

In the grand scheme of birthdays, it's been pretty low key - and I guess that's the best kind. I got to sleep in till 9:00 - and by the time I got up, Jake had been fed, Justin had been fed and changed, and the coffee was fresh and hot. After repeatedly telling Steve I didn't need anything special, he insisted on going to the store - and came back with the cutest card, a cookies and cream cake that should be illegal it was so good, and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". The first thing that popped into my head was "This will be FANTASTIC to read at the spa!" I was able to take a shower in peace - and even eat lunch at lunch time! While the boys napped I took an hour and ran a few errands - and when I came back, I enjoyed my birthday dinner of leftover mac and cheese (before you roll your eyes, it was homemade mac and cheese - that I made - and I totally give myself a pat on the back - it was W O N D E R F U L). After some goofing off with the boys, Jake and I played "Chutes and Ladders" while Justin romped and listened to Steve play his guitar.

And here I am - 8:30 at night. Both boys are in bed - and I've made the executive decision that "It's my birthday and I won't do any chores if I want to!" - so I'll be sitting down under my heater blanket with some hot cocoa and a movie. I'm sure there are more glamorous things to be doing on one's birthday - but in my world, a day with love, smiles, happy memories (and some decadent chocolate cake) is all I need.

Hooray for gluten free!

Although Justin hasn't been officially diagnosed with any wheat/gluten allergy/sensitivity, I've decided that I'm going to avoid those foods until he's at least a year old. So I made the trek to the Green Market in town to see what they had for the little Pork Chop to snack on. I picked up some bread sticks and animal crackers - both wheat/gluten/soy/milk free - and as unappealing as they are to me, Justin LOVES them! The breadsticks are nice and crunchy - perfect for him to gum his little teething mouth on. And the animal crackers are a good treat now and then. Jake loves to help feed his little brother - and has taken on the task of teaching Justin how to sign "more" when he wants more snack!

Our Holiday

When I was little and I'd ask my mom what she wanted for Christmas, she'd always say "I just want you kids to be happy." I thought she was full of it - I mean, who doesn't want anything for Christmas? Who would be content to spend time with friends, see the joy on the faces of their children - who'd be satisfied with a living room full of paper and plastic and utter chaos, or a belly totally overstuffed with breakfast goodies and Polish treats?

Now I know my mom's had it right all along. Yes, I got some wonderful presents - but the best gift was a heart full of love and a mind full of memories. Can't really put bows on that.

Our fun started on Christmas Eve day, with lunch at Jade Garden with the neighbors. It's becoming a yearly tradition for us all to get together for Chinese food - and it was wonderful! Jake was thrilled to be sitting next to his "girlfriend" Mercy, sharing chicken nuggets and fries, while Justin was busy trying to grab anything and everything within reach. We all exchanged gifts - giggled at our fortunes from the cookies - and headed home.

We weren't home for very long before my parents appeared with a Mazda packed to the gills with presents. It was a bit of a challenge to keep the boys from plowing into the gifts - but we somehow managed to distract them long enough to unload and settle in. Dad went to check into their hotel and mom spent time with her shadow (aka Jake) while Justin slept. Steve and I headed out to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was beautiful - - - there was even a baptism of the cutest twin boys! Rosie, the neighbor's daughter, noticed the look on my face and whispered "Kirsten, don't get any ideas...you just had one!"

Once Steve and I got back, it was time for Jake to hit the sack. So we got out a plate and left 2 cookies for Santa (as Jake said, we don't want him to get "tummy sick") plus some apple for the reindeer. After he was settled, we devoured pierogi that my dad brought - and while Steve brought up the rest of the presents, I got a breakfast casserole ready for the next day. Mom and dad headed to the hotel for the night - and we settled in as well.

Although Justin woke a few times for a bottle, there were no 3am pleas to open presents. And thankfully, the stocking full of goodies left by Santa was enough to keep Jake occupied until mom, dad, and Dana arrived. Here's Steve and Jake playing with some of those sponge-capsule thingies...

Here's Justin playing quietly before opening...

And here is the carnage after...

We all recieved wonderful presents. Among the goodies we recieved, Steve got a mini fridge and TV for his "man space" downstairs. Jake got his Click Start Computer that he asked Santa for, and Justin got some clothes that fit! I got a gift certificate for the Norwich Spa, and a tin punch Dana made. It's the Watch Hill, RI lighthouse, where Steve proposed.

After the gifts were open, we sat down to brunch - Egg Nog bread with Pumpkin Butter, Breakfast Casserole, Apple Bread Pudding, Kapusta and Kielbasa with Rye Bread, fresh fruit. It was all so delicious. Dana headed out around 2 to meet up with his girlfriend's family - and seeing as mom and dad were jetting their way to NC for the Car Care Bowl, they left shortly after. It was different than we've done in the past but still nice.

So there's our day! Like I said before - gifts are nice, but the fact that we were all together - happy, healthy, and loving - was the best present of all.

Ho Ho Ho!

Merry Christmas!

Sending warm wishes from our family to yours!!

(once I finish finding my home in the chaos that is Christmas with 2 small kids, I'll fill ya in!)

A Year in the life of...Princess Sophia

How neglectful of me! I forgot to include the newest member of our family - Princess Sophia! OK - so she's a cat. But ya'll know I could be that crazy cat lady if given the chance...

Sophia joined our family in July. We had to have Sammy the Wonder Cat put to sleep in March - between her kidney disease and that pet food recall, she just wasn't the spritely kitty we loved. The saying that a house is not a home without a cat is true - it just wasn't the same here. After much begging and pleading with Steve, the boys and I took a trip to the Connecticut Humane Society to pick out our new addition.

Steve had expressed interest in an orange tabby tom - but aside from one that was a bit past his prime, there were no males. We knew we wanted an adult cat, preferably an indoor cat, box trained, and ready to go. After perusing the cages for quite some time, a wee little kitty mewed from her top perch. I opened the cage to pet her, and I knew she was the one for us! She started purring, rubbing her head on my hand - and when I showed her to Jake, she did the same to him. Her profile said she was 2 1/2 - box trained - and although she was found abandoned under a porch (with her litter of kittens) they believed she was previously an indoor cat. Perfect for us! After some paperwork, Sophia was in her soon-to-be clawed up cardboard carrier, ready to go.

It took her a few days to really get acclimated. I'm sure the fact that there was an overly excited 3 year old trying in vain to pet her at every opportunity didn't help matters any! But once things settled down, Sophia has become so comfortable in the chaos that is our home. She still has so much kitten in her - runs around the house from end to end, jumps from table to chair to ledge, pounces on anything and everything she can find. She's a big old snuggle bunny - with an incredibly loud purr. And she's so protective of the boys! Any time either is crying, she's right there making sure everything is ok.

So that concludes the cast of characters that is our family. Sometimes it's a drama - sometimes it's a comedy - but it's never dull!

Who's Your Daddy? (Conversation with a 3 year old part 1)

Conversation with a 3 year old...

"Where's daddy?"

"Daddy's at work."

"I want my daddy. I wanna play MegaMan with my daddy."

"Ya know, he's not just your daddy - he's Justin's daddy, too."

"NOO! He's MY daddy! He's not Justin's daddy!!"

"Well, then who's Justin's daddy?"

"Santa Claus."

We have a new food!

WOOHOO! It appears Justin's repertoire of foods has increased to 7! At 8 months, he can now eat applesauce, pears, peaches, sweet potatoes, rice krispies, rice chex, and rice cakes.

OK - maybe 7 is pushing it, as the krispies and chex are pretty much the same thing. But the rice cakes are new as of tonight. He LOVED gnawing on those tasteless little frisbies. I honestly don't think they're good for much more than target practice - but they were the most fascinating treat on his dinner tray. Unfortunately, once rice cakes are saturated in baby saliva, they turn into the gummiest mess - that, once dried, is quite similar to concrete.

I'm still concerned about some sort of wheat/gluten allergy/intolerance though - somehow Justin managed to get a saltine over the weekend (I think a little Jacob-fairy delivered it to a certain baby brother). The next day was poop-a-palooza - complete with raging rump rash. I'm hoping that his tummy is just really finnecky - but if it's still like this when he's a year old we're heading for allergy testing.

In the meantime, I'm stocking up on tasteless little frisbies and getting a new scraper for the concrete on the dinner tray.

Finally Feeling Festive

There's nothing like being stuck inside from a good old fashioned New England Storm to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Well, not really - but seeing as there's nothing else to do, we might as well try to be merry, right?

Last week I took the boys to see Santa - and I'm proud to say it wasn't a disaster! I was honestly expecting to get one of those typical screaming-child Santa pictures. But both boys were in semi-good spirits, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results. Justin wasn't too sure of what to do with this strange man that looked like Papa Lou (or neighbor), and Jake was totally hesitant until Santa bribed him with chocolate.

Steve and Jake just finished putting the tree up in the living room - and I'll be getting the ornaments out shortly. Obviously, the plastic ones will be on the bottom! Just keep your fingers crossed that any one of the little curious creatures in this house do not pull the tree down!

This morning was sugar central in our house. I finished up the last of the candies I've been making for gifts. Over the past week I've made over 100 chocolate covered cherries (half plain, half soaked in rum) - about 80 chocolate peanut butter balls - and about 60 Oreo snowballs. This morning I justified to myself that the peanut butter balls were, in fact, an acceptable breakfast food - yeah, there's protein in the form of the peanut butter, but the mere presence of the Rice Krispies made the argument totally in my favor!

Shortly, I'll be packaging up the goodies for the Missouri family so Steve can send them out tomorrow. And I hope to get the Christmas cards done today as well. I've still got a few more presents to get, but no worries. It's not a Christmas for me unless something is done last minute!!

Artsy Fartsy Me

So in my spare time (interpretation - time when I should be cleaning or sleeping that I choose to spend enjoying myself!) I've been trying to be a craft wonder. Here are a few of the things I've made over the months...

My fake Vera Bradley bag

Christmas ornaments I've painted over the months

Letters for the boy's rooms



New curtains for Jake's room

I've also made letters for 3 new baby gifts - but neglected to take pictures of those. But I do have to admit, they're pretty cute! Right now I'm working on a few scrapbook-type Christmas gifts which I hopoe to have done by the end of the week.

A Year in the Life of...Justin

I'm not sure why it took me so long to write Justin's post. Maybe it's because I kept hoping he'd slow down and just be a baby for a while! He's not even 8 months old yet - and he just started cruising along the furniture. He's been sitting up on his own, crawling, and pulling to a stand since 5 months! It's funny - with Jake, I wanted him to grow up as fast as he could, but he took his own sweet time. Justin, I wanted to keep as my little baby forever - and here he is, as independent as can be!

So we all know my pregnancy with Justin wasn't the best - but it sure was better than my pregnancy with Jake. The bedrest wasn't easy - especially with another child that needed my time and attention - but I didn't see any other option. It did seem harder this time around though - physically it took more of a toll on me. By the time his due date rolled around I was MORE than ready to meet this little man. Never did I imagine he'd be past date!

His original due date was April 9 - and we all hoped he'd be born April 7 to follow in my family's pattern of being born on the birthdate of other family members. Jake was born on his Great Aunt Linda Sue's birthday - and we hoped Justin would be born on Dana's AND my grandfather's birthday. (Obviously, all we really cared was that he was healthy!) Well, the 7th came and went...the 9th came and went... and when my doctors wouldn't discuss induction till I was past 42 weeks, I was ready to cry! So I proceeded to spend many hours walking the mall, eating spicy foods, and drinking red raspberry leaf tea. To no avail. I had gone in for a visit on Friday the 13th, and while I was in the office, I started having contractions. Nothing major, but they sent me to the hospital for monitoring. Where I waited...for 3 hours...

At 8pm, they sent me home - seeing as I hadn't progressed any, and L&D was full, there wasn't the need to keep me. So I swung by McDonald's to grab dinner and headed home. No sooner did I sit on the couch that things started getting a wee bit more intense. By 9, I figured this was the real deal. By 10, I called the doctor. I called my mom to watch Jake, attempted to take a shower, and threw my bag together. By 1045, there was NO WAY I could wait till my mom got here - so I called the neighbor - and we headed to the hospital. Steve was so funny - he was so giddy and excited! The contractions were right on top of each other - I was out of my mind! Everyone says the second one comes fast, but I had no idea how fast...

So we get to the hospital - and I'm up in L&D right away. The nurse tells me the doc is busy in a C-section at the moment, but she'd check with him to see if he wanted her to get started with my intake. She comes back a few minutes later - to find that I'm already 7cm dilated! I've never seen nurses move so fast!! By midnight I've got 3 people running around me to get me into a room. By 1am, I'm in the throes of labor - and was just told there's no time for any anesthetic. Let me tell you - they make drugs for a reason!! But through it all, I somehow managed to gather enough moxie to do what I needed to do - and at 216am on April 14th, Justin Louis Cohoon was born.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind of new things. Justin seems to take so much joy in the little things. Give him a spatula and a shiny metal mixing bowl, and he's good to go! He's so much bigger than Jake was at this point - at almost 8 months, he wears 12 month clothes! He's got the biggest, widest, happiest eyes - and a cheesy little smile that melts your heart. And he is absolutely in love with his big brother. Right now, Jake is singing "10 little monkeys" and Justin is cracking up. Earlier today, Justin was trying to chase Jake up the stairs. I come out of the bathroom to find Jake at the top, and Justin 5 steps up!!

Unfortunately, Justin has a pretty nasty case of reflux. Jake had it as well, but no where near as bad as Justin. After a few months of an unhappy baby, Justin was put on a special hypoallergenic formula. Thankfully, our insurance covers it (after a wee bit of prodding from me) - and it has made all the difference in his little tummy. Between the formula, his medications (Axid and adult-strength Mylanta) he's done quite well. Solids have been a bit of a challenge for us, but we're getting there. So far he can tolerate applesauce, pears, and rice chex/rice krispies. And seeing as eating is one of his main hobbies, I don't doubt he'll be a competetive eater.

There are times when I look at him and want to keep him a little baby forever. But those times are outweighed by the excitement I feel when I think of the person he's going to be.

More to come...I promise!

I honestly don't know how many people actually read this - but if anyone does, there's more to come - I promise! I have yet to do the story of Justin - plus we've had some darn cute pics over the past few months that I have to share. But it's been so busy! I never thought I'd have LESS time as a stay-at-home mom than I did when I was working!! I'm hoping to get caught up over the coming week - assuming no one in the house (namely Jake or Justin) comes down with any major cootie. Last week it was croup...I just hope this week is plain old childhood attitude. That I can handle...kinda...

A Year in the Life of...Jacob

Ahh...my Jake-a-loni Macaroni...sweet Peapod... what a year he's had! He's gone from being the one and only in our lives to having to share time and attention with his baby brother. It's been quite a transition for him - but through it all, he's still the same crazy little man we love.

I don't think the gravity of my health situation really hit him until mommy wasn't able to pick him up at bedtime. But that was replaced with lots and lots of snuggle time and book reading. He learned what buttons to push, and pushed them often - but that's just the nature of toddlers! As I got bigger and bigger, his curiosity grew - and by the time the spring came, he was excited to meet his baby brother.

Soon Justin was here, and Jake had to adjust to yet another change. He was so fond of Justin at the hospital - even tried to feed him some banana when he cried - but once the baby came home, Jake was a bit stunned. He actually asked me once if we could put Justin back in my tummy! It continues to be a struggle now, but every day Jake shows what a gentle, loving big brother he really is. The day Jake shared his treasured blue blankie with Justin, I knew they shared that bond only brothers have.

The summer brought more adjustment - between my new status of staying home, and Jake no longer going to daycare, we all had to figure out what to do with each other! Jake took a bit to settle into the new agenda, as he had pretty much always been in the stimulating environment they offered. Now he was stuck with a tired, grumpy mommy! But he got used to entertaining himself more, and eventually he figured out that home could be just as exciting.

Now we're in the fall, and Jacob is such a little man. He turned 3 in September - a few days later he started preschool. He goes 2 days a week, and has just blossomed into a little brain. Going to "big boy school" is something he looks forward to every week. He has made some new friends - even has a girlfriend named Josie - and seems to have charmed the pants off his teachers. Of course, like every little boy, recess is his favorite - but he also likes art time and show and tell. When he comes home he just loves to share what he's learned. Between school, books we read, and his favorite LeapFrog videos, he can recite the entire alphabet, recognize the letters, say each letter sound, and know the letters in his name! He's so dang smart we tend to forget he's only 3.

What the next months will bring for wee Peapod, we don't know - but I have no doubt it will be filled with lots and lots of energy, excitement, and all the love we could ever want!

A Year in the Life of...Steven

Out of us all, Steve's year has been the most exciting. He hasn't had a slow moment yet!

Obviously, when I ended up on bedrest, his life had to step up another level. He had to be the daddy AND the mommy on a lot of levels. In addition to working full time - and travelling quite often - he was also taking 2 classes for his Master's Degree, not to mention all of the responsibilities of the Navy Reserves. But somehow, through it all, he managed to pass his classes with flying colors.

As Justin's arrival approached, Steve became more and more excited (as we all did). He was so supportive through my misery! I have to admit I was not the most pleasant person to live with. But the only other time I saw him get so giddy was when Jake was born. Steve was a great coach, and a great support. Having Justin to keep me busy left Jake to spend some quality time with his daddy - and I think both of them enjoyed rediscovering their relationship. Who knew they both like to "rock out" with guitars?

Once the spring turned into summer, we all got used to life as a 4-some. And, of course, as our life goes, it was time to upend all that order. At the beginning of July, I got one of the best phone calls of our lives. Steve's Lieutenant had called to tell me Steve made Chief Petty Officer. I couldn't believe it! Jake and I hurriedly made a sign that said "CONGRATULATIONS CHIEF COHOON" - and when Steve came home, Jake ran out and gave the sign to his daddy. The first words out of his mouth were "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Like I'd kid about something like that! And so began the fun of the indoctrination period. It was a very stressful, time-consuming process - but it's all intended to remind the new Chiefs where they came from and to help them be the best leaders they can be. So, on September 21, Steve officially became Chief Petty Officer Cohoon.

Since the pinning, Steve's been on a steady pace of "full steam ahead". He's down to one course for his Master's Degree (after completing a 6 week intensive summer course during his Chief indoc period!). Work is keeping his busy as well - he just returned from a 2 week training run with the USS Ohio, where he got a refresher course in Submarine life. While he was excited, I think he's much more appreciative of his civilian life! Two days after returning from that trip, he headed down to his family reunion in Florida. The only people who knew he was going were myself and his Uncle Doc. Needless to say, there were some very shocked - and very thrilled - people that weekend!

Like myself, free time for Steve is very rare. But he always finds time for his guitars - his collection is down to 2 electric and 1 acoustic - but I don't doubt he'll add another one to the group in the future. He's had a few stints with some local bands, but nothing that's really materialized. He's not giving up on his dream to be in a band, though - and we all have no doubt he'll be on stage one day. Of course, there's always home repairs and yard work to do as well. But knowing Steve, there will NEVER be a slow moment in his day!

Don't Throw the Baby Out With the Applesauce

So I finally managed to get Jake to nap this afternoon - and decided to haul out my crockpot and start some applesauce. My last batches were AWESOME so I wanted to try again. I brought the crockpot bowl downstairs, and began chunking up the apples so I could keep an eye on Justin. He finally stopped fussing for a bit and was content to roam around the floor. Well, I guess his toys bored him...

A Year in the Life of...Kirsten

So as I was debating how best to start this blog, I realized there are some of you who haven't been as involved in our lives as others. What better beginning than a glimpse into the past year. And seeing as age has it's privledges, I decided to start with myself.

I guess the biggest event of my year was the birth of wee Justin. Previous to that, I spent 4 months on bedrest - AGAIN. It started shortly before Christmas with some contractions that just wouldn't go away - and after a trip to L&D for monitoring, I was sent home with orders for bedrest. A week later, I quit my job...and mysteriously, the contractions slowed! They did eventually pick up, so I decided to behave myself. Thankfully, it wasn't strict bedrest, like it was with Jake, so I was able to do a few things. I cheated on my restrictions with visits to physical therapy and to the doctor, and occasionally I cooked dinner or made the bed. But for the most part, I did like I was told. We were lucky enough to be able to keep Jake in daycare 3 days a week so I wouldn't have to care for him - my mom came down and picked up the other 2 days. It was challenging when Steve was traveling, but we managed as we always end up doing.

While on bedrest, I read a lot of books - caught up on a lot of my soaps - and completed quite a few cross stitch projects. I figured I best do that when I could, because come April there wouldn't be any time for that! And although my ever-increasing size was discouraging, it didn't stop me from getting in quality snuggle time with Jake before his little brother came.

I'll save the details of Justin's birth for his post - but suffice it to say, Steve and I weren't the only ones anxious for him to arrive! I think the anticipation of those last few weeks ranked up there with waiting for the Sox to win the World Series.

Once Justin was born, I remembered what life with a newborn was like. It's funny how much you forget - or maybe selectively remove from your memory! Although nothing beats a snuggle from your child, sleep is a pretty nice luxury, too! It was real hard at first - and I think it took us a good 4 months before we all found a good groove - but now, it's not so bad. Yeah, there are days I miss getting dressed in something other than sweats and tshirts, stained with Justin's spit-up and Jake's latest food fascination - or when I'd love to engage in intellectual conversation rather than playing a guessing game of "Whose Poop Do I Smell?" - but now that I think I've figured this mom thing out, I don't think I'd change a thing. Well, I'd want more money - but I think we all would! My days are all pretty much the same - fueled by mass quantities of coffee, with the soundtrack of "Rhinocerous Tap" playing in my head - and sometimes I feel like my brain is turning to jello (and we all know I hate jello). I suppose once Justin hits school I'll go back to work - but for now, my focus is trying to tame the clutter in the house, attempting to keep the toy monsters at bay, and enjoying every little smile, laugh, and scream of my 2 boys.

On the rare chance I get a little free time, I've been trying to start crafting again. I find I can't complete projects as quickly as I'd like to - but that's no surprise when you only get 30 minute snippets of time here and there. Plus, with Steve traveling so much for work, I don't get nearly as much help as I'd like around the house. Crafting is, I guess, my release - and I try to make a little time for something as often as I can. Since April, I've made myself a quilted bag (think Vera Bradley style) - I've painted 2 sets of name letter for new babies - made curtains for Jake's room - painted some new Halloween decorations - and I've got supplies for some Christmas ornaments to paint, as well as a scrapbook for Steve. Maybe I should try to sleep when I have the time - but if I did actually get some down time at night, the Dunkin' Donuts up the street would go out of business.

I'm sure there's more to my life than that - but as anyone with kids can tell you, THEY are your life. And when they decide not to sleep at Nana and Buppa's house AND not nap at home, your life becomes a blur!

Welcome to the Zoo!

So here I am, starting fresh, with a glimpse into our life. I guess I figured that I already have so much in my life - why not add one more thing to keep up with! But I've found my life as a stay-at-home mom is so vastly different than what I expected. Sure, there are moments in every day when I want to run screaming in the opposite direction - but then Jake comes up to me and says "I always love you, mommy", or Justin tries to eat my nose - and I'm glad for the chance to be home with them.

It is true that there is never a dull moment with children - every day there is something exciting, funny, or enlightening to share. And I guess that's why I want to do this blog - to share it with all of you. I know there are some friends and family we have that are missing out because of distance - and my hope is that this helps shorten the miles between us.

In the coming days, weeks, and months, I hope to share with you all the stories that make my days what they are. But at the moment, I must rescue Justin from his crib. He's started to pull himself up on things - but has yet to figure out how to get down!