Home Again

*Sigh.* My first day back at work.  I have been dreading this for awhile now, but the inevitable day finally came today.  It was pretty tough to leave Logan at daycare for the first time, as much as I knew everything would be fine (he would have fun, he would be with his big brother, etc., etc., etc.).  Yesterday was even worse-- not only did I have my usual "Last Day of Vacation Before Going Back to Work" blues, but I was also all weepy at the thought of leaving Logan behind.  In some ways it was even harder than when I had to leave Owen the first time.

On the outside looking in, it's actually kind of a nice situation.  I'm teaching Summer Enrichment, which means I'm only working half-days, it's only for four weeks, and I'm teaching art.  That's not a bad way to ease myself back into work.  On the other hand, no matter how you look at it, I still don't get to be with my little baby.

Now that my first day of work is behind me (only 17 more to go!) it really wasn't so bad.  Logan slept at daycare most of the morning and was a happy baby the rest of the time.  I have a nice group of kids in my class, I'm getting out and interacting with the world, and I get to teach art!  To be honest, when I'm teaching, my mind is so busy that I don't have time to think about much else most of the time.  But it sure was nice to be home again this afternoon.  This is a photo of Logan being kicky, smiley, and cooey on our bed when we got home.

Pudding

You would think that Owen's love for pudding would cause him to get more in his mouth, but instead it ends up all over his face, his hands, and the table.  Every.  Single.  Time.

Aside from cupcakes, pudding is probably Owen's favorite thing to eat.  Jeremy has a game he plays, where he pretends that he is going to eat Owen's pudding, and Owen flips out.  Now whenever Owen has pudding, he teases Jeremy and says, "YOU can't have my pudding, Daddy!  Ha ha!"

Nananananananananananananananana...

...BATMAN!

The Lego Store.  It was the only way I knew I could get Owen to agree to come to the mall with me.  I can't blame the kid; I don't particularly like going to the mall myself, but I needed new bath towels and I had already been all around town and couldn't find the right color anywhere else.  So after we went to several "towel stores" (successfully!!) we played at the Lego Store.  I let Owen pick out a little toy, and of course he chose Batman.

This was all after he peed all over his pants, my shoe, and the Macy's bathroom floor because we are still working on how to pee in a big potty.

Almost, But Not Quite

Owen has grown at least a few inches in the past few months.  We haven't been keeping track, but at his 3-year-old well check last week, he was measured at 37 inches tall.  A few months ago, he wasn't quite tall enough to ride the rides at the zoo (36 inches) but now he can.  He can reach the water faucet in the bathroom sink when he stands on a stool, and it's soooo nice not to have to lift him up anymore.  All of a sudden he must have hit a growth spurt.  But he's still a little too short for other stuff...like this water fountain at the park.  (Notice his tippy toes.)

In an unrelated story, here was a conversation I had with Owen this afternoon after he scratched his fingernails on my car (again) leaving marks on the paint (again).
Me: Owen, please don't scratch the car.  See?  It leaves marks that never ever come off.  It ruins the car.
Owen: Mommy, you just gotta go get some tape.
Me: Some tape?
Owen: Yeah, tape will fix it right up.
Me: You think tape will fix it?
Owen: Yeah, but you have to just press it on.  Just press it on.  That'll fix it.

Kiwi

Yum, I love summer fruit :)

Play

Logan started to like "playing" this week.  Finally we can bust out the plethora of baby toys that Owen used to play with, which I boxed up awhile back to make room for his new toys.  Logan hates sleeping in his Pack-n-Play, but he loves being in it so he can hit and kick his animals.  He even helped me do report cards-- he played while I worked right next to him at the dining room table.  It was a win/win.

Brotherly Love

May 27, 2013

7 Weeks Old

May 29, 2013

Logan's personality is starting to come alive.  Above all, he is a snuggler; he LOVES being held.  He spends most of his waking hours in my arms or in the baby carrier while I try to get things done around the house.  This week he has started smiling much more, and he is also trying to grasp (mostly just the air).  Logan loves his big brother.  He totally wakes up and becomes alert around him.  And Owen loves him right back, always saying, "Hiiii, Logan!" and giving his opinion on how to get Logan to stop crying.  (Oddly enough, he is usually right.)

Chubby Cheeks

Logan LOVES his swing.  Unfortunately, it's also his favorite sleeping spot...not his port-a-crib.

All Lined Up

Owen thought of a different way to use his chalk-- lining them up in the crack in the cement on our patio.  The weather has been so nice that Owen has been playing outside and entertaining himself for looooong stretches of time.

Java Bean

I finally got to meet Robin & Matt's fur baby, Java!  What a sweet pup.

Sand Box

A bookshelf turned on its side and some sand = instant sand box; PVC pipe fitting = sand toy. Crafty Grandpa strikes again.  (I love Owen's new haircut and fauxhawk!)

Photo Shoot

I needed something for Logan's birth announcements, and I got to test out my new big-girl camera.  Love love love my Canon 6D!!!

11 Days Old

April 21, 2013
Logan is already being trained to love superheroes, as you can see by the quilt laid down underneath him.  The quilt, a gift made by a friend of Logan's Grammy, has fabric with vintage Marvel comic book covers.  Owen thinks it is theirs to "share," but he already got a Star Wars one when he was born.

Logan

April 10, 2013
Welcome Logan Davis, the newest arrival in the Saliba family.  This birthing experience was so much better (read: shorter and easier) than the first one, and to top it off, Logan was a pound and a half smaller than Owen was.  Once I had the epidural, I could almost say I enjoyed it.

Now our family is complete.  I can't believe I have two little boys!  I'm definitely outnumbered, and I foresee a testosterone-filled future full of superheroes, fart jokes, and weird smells, but I know my boys will take care of me.

10 Inches

April 1, 2013

BEFORE

AFTER

More than two years in progress, my plan to dramatically cut my hair and donate it to Locks of Love finally came to fruition today.  A few years ago, after having shoulder-length hair for awhile, I missed my long hair and I wanted to grow it out again, something I knew Jeremy would love, too.  I set a goal that I would grow it out until my next baby, and then cut off 10 inches to donate, which is the minimum required by Locks of Love.  I had some teary, anxious moments in the days leading up to my hair appointment; who knew I was so emotionally attached to my hair?  But instead of chickening out, I looked at the Locks of Love website and thought about kids who have lost their hair for whatever reason, and it put things back into perspective.  I almost cried at the salon, but once the first cut was made, I was fine.

Owen's Sick Day

After my 365, I needed a break. I barely picked up my camera for months. Now I'm a little rusty, but I realized that I kinda miss it. So here I am, attempting to catch up on the past few months. Starting with...

March 4, 2013: Owen's sick day Owen stayed home from daycare because he was sick, and I took the day off work to stay home with him. It started out as just a little cold and cough, and we spent a fun day playing together (here he was watching the landscapers outside). But things got worse and the day ended with a trip to the ER later that night when he couldn't stop coughing and wasn't able to breathe. The ER doctor said Owen was his favorite patient all day-- they talked superheroes and Owen got to ride through the room on a rolling stool. He got some steroids and we went home, but it took him the whole rest of the week to get better.

Day 366: The Last One

December 31, 2012: I thought it would be fitting for the last picture to be a self portrait, and in the true spirit of my lack of effort this past 3 months, it's nothin' special.

But the important thing is that this the last one.  I'm a little surprised at the bubbling up of emotions as I finish this project- pride, nostalgia, relief...I can't believe I actually accomplished this.  When I started, I didn't even have any clear-cut goals, just an interest in photography and an idea that sounded like fun when other people did it.  I thought it would be a good way to get back into a hobby I had set aside.  I also thought it would help me document Owen's life and not let months go by without picking up the camera.  (Mission accomplished.)  I also got some unexpected bonuses along the way, like learning to shoot manual, and taking some really inspiring photography classes, something I've always wanted to do.  I'm nowhere close to where I wish I was with my skills, but I think the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know. 

I can't say that I've enjoyed all the aspects of this project.  Some days I simply hated it.  Some days I cheated.  I never imagined the challenges I would have trying to think of new ideas of what to shoot in my little humdrum life, or the time it would take to take photos, edit, and blog.  And I will probably never do this again.  But now that I don't have to do it every day, I hope I can find the fun in photography again.  2013 is going to be a life-changing year; I'm excited to use some of what I've learned when the new baby arrives.  And I hope to still post on the blog.  Just not every day. 

Happy new year, and thanks for sharing 2012 with me.

Day 365: Gears

December 30, 2012: Owen's magnetic gears that he got for Christmas (he calls them "twisty twists")

Day 364: Toys

December 29, 2012: The new Christmas toys (and some old toys, too) have taken over the living room.  Time to go Container Store shopping? :)