latest and greatest...

let me start off by admitting that this blogging thing is harder than i thought it would be. not that i don't enjoy sitting down from time to time, i just rarely get to do it! although i will not post/blog as much as i planned to, i will make sure that when i do i am very detailed :) i keep a pad of paper and a pen handy around the house so that when the boys say/do something funny that i want to remember, i just jot it down with intentions of blogging about it. here's what I've got from the last few weeks...

i will start with Nolan. i am still trying to be persistent about the 'time out' thing even though sometimes it seems he wants to be there and even asks to go on occasion (stinker). most of the time the boys play well with each other. only if the mood strikes Nolan and he is not wanting to share whatever he is playing with, will he lash out at Mason and hopefully one of us is there to intervene. other times pushing and kicking will happen out of the blue for no apparent reason. i guess this is what everyone warned me about when we found out we would be having two boys close together! 'time out' is the only solution i see working right now. i attempted to give him a SMALL spanking once and he laughed at me. Another time i swatted at his hands pretty hard and he made a face like it hurt but then thought it was a fun game, hence my patience with 'time out' sessions. one time while in time out, he started shouting at me. i love that he is learning to communicate and talk in sentences. its really cute and can be hilarious! he was yelling at me trying to catch my attention probably because i was getting Masons lunch ready and he wanted to make sure i didn't forget about him. all i could hear repeatedly over and over again was, "it's time now Mommy" "did you hear me?" "sowwy to Mason" "i get out!"
i have to say that what i am about to write about does make me feel good :) Nolan and i share a very strong bond and have since he was in my belly. Mason on the other hand has always shared a tight bond with Sean. i think it has alot to do with the fact that when i found out i was pregnant with him so soon after Nolan was born, i felt guilty. i never wanted anything to affect the love i had for Nolan. i knew that my time would be cut in half and i worried that it may mean that Nolan would be affected in a negative way. as all Mothers know, things just have a way of working out. what is meant to be will just be and when i think like that, i feel great about it. they will always share a bond as brothers that could never be broken and i believe that is a gift to them. I'm not saying that Mason and i don't share a bond, of course we do. but by the time he was born, Sean was doing alot more 'hands on' with him than he did with Nolan as a newborn. with that, you can now understand that when the boys start fighting over me and for me, i feel so loved. makes me feel like i am doing my job right. they love me, both of them do and i have no idea where i would be today without that love. it is unconditional love. i remember the night before my scheduled c-section with Mason i had snuck into Nolan's room and stared at him sleeping in his crib, in shock for a while about the change that was coming and then i layed on his floor quietly sobbing. i had no idea what was going to happen or how i would love another! my heart made plenty of room when i saw Masons eyes. it was like i saw right through to his heart and soul and that love came flowing through me immediately all over again. i was happy and grateful. Now (present time) i will be folding laundry, cooking, cleaning, whatever when one of them with come up to me for some affection. arms out calling my name just wanting me to love on them (the best ever) and i will stop what i am doing so that we can have a moment of that. almost every time now, the other will come up to intercept and a fight will follow. but it is clear that they are fighting for my love and affection and something about that just makes me feel so loved. kind of like when you are a teenager and two boys are fighting over you? makes you feel worthy? sorta like that if I'm not making myself sound stupid.

the other night Sean was working late so i had dinner ready for the boys. as i was getting ready to bring Nolan's plate over, he looked up at me and clear as day said, "YO" and i paused, saying to myself.. he couldn't have meant what he said (even though his Daddy sometimes uses that word) so i asked him what he said and he again replied "YO!" it was the tone and the way he said it that i knew he was trying to be cool and i did everything i could not to react too much to it and move on.
this may be a phase also but every time Nolan is asked something, "did you sleep well?" "did you like your dinner?" he replies with "oh yes.... i did" in the sweetest most mature voice.
we have been struggling with his appetite and basically now will just give him pb+j's every night if that's all he will eat. i go back and forth about the approach and for right now, that's where i stand. well, one night i tried making him hot dog bites with macaroni and cheese. he had no issue with eating all of the pasta but wouldn't touch the hot dogs (turkey and cheese sausages). so i put it aside thinking maybe i could get him to eat it for lunch the next day. that night as i was trying to deal with one of his bedtime tantrums, (which include him crying, hitting, slapping, refusing me, and asking if he can do everything and anything but go to bed) he wanted to "play with Daddy" but i ignored and continued to bring him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up. he was pulling out all the stops, asking to go for a walk, see the moon, anything but..... and then i saw this look in his eye, like a light bulb had went off in his head and just as i am putting the toothbrush in his mouth he stops me and says... "Mommy, i eat the hot dog?" my heart melted, i was a puddle on the ground. he won. i quickly brushed his teeth and tucked him in bed and told him to wait and i would go warm up his leftover dinner. he ate it in bed. he was happier than a pig in shit. i took a picture and a video and i will never forget that night.

some of his responses in the mornings after i ask him what he dreamt about: baby Charlotte, snowmen, Mason, panda bear, kittens. when i repeat what he say like, "wow, you dreamt about kittens?" he looks at me with this devilish grin and says "cool man, cool."
we are working on manners constantly. one evening during dinner he looked up at me and said "gimme chocolate milk" and i said "excuse me?" and he repeated. i explained that there is a much nicer way to ask and that he has to be polite. he thought for a second and then said "mommy?" i said "yes?" he said "gimme juice." it was so innocent. he thought i was explaining not to ask for the milk and so he switched his request. i just love him to death but these children are a work in progress for sure.
Mason had his 15month check up. all is well with my big boy. he is quickly climbing the weight and height chart. wont be long before he is towering over his older brother. he already out eats and out weighs him! He may be big and solid but he has a personality of a teddy bear. he is such a cuddler but nobody but Sean and i get to see that side. everyone else knows him as a loudmouth, moody crank pot. he is so cute. when he is ready to get up from a nap, he throws everything out of his crib. blankets and pacifiers go flying. its funny to watch him do it on the monitor. he will even do it before his nap and then cry for me to come and give them back to him!

one more thing before i close. this is about my biggest child, Sean. this was so funny that i had to remember it to include. last week, i was so busy but i needed my hair done in the worst way. its been difficult to do anything for myself these days especially because Sean is working so much and i am always home with the kids. i had just decided to foil my own head and give myself some low-lites. i have been lighter/blonder in color for a couple of months now. since i am having trouble keeping it up i figured i would put more of my natural color back in to hold me over until i can have it done again. this means my hair was darker in color :)

 i had left the foils in the bathroom waste basket after i was showered that day. Sean came home and of course we immediately went into the bath/bed routine before even really getting to say anything to each other. finally the boys were in bed and Sean was cleaning up the kitchen and i was washing up and getting ready to get into bed. when Sean was "shutting it down" (that's what we call turning everything off and locking up) he came into the room, about to get in bed with a book and so casually looks at me and says "wow hun, you look really nice, did you do something to your hair? it looks lighter." and immediately looks away and onto his book as if he was mentally thinking and expressing to me... booooyaaah! theres my good husband deed, i dont even need a response for that awesome compliment, yeah buddy, i noticed haha! im so good.............. and i didnt respond for a little while letting him sit with it. he looks up for some sort of reaction and i calmly say to him "oh hun, thanks. thats really sweet of you to notice" and he smiles. i then ask him if he happen to notice the foils in the bathroom waste basket and his look gave it all away and we both laughed. i said "hun, that was a really good try, ill give you that. but if you would have gotten it right and noticed that my hair was darker instead of lighter than i probably wouldnt have caught ya... he literally responded with "i love you so much, you are my soulmate."
even though life is tough, money is tight and times are hard.... im proud of us, we still go it :)

Mason is even funny when he's sleeping!

As i said in my last post, i normally get up a few times during the night/morning to check on the boys. most of the time i will have to re position Nolan because he is laying sideways and I'm afraid he will fall off the bed. mason on the other hand, i never know what i am going to be walking in to see. not only is he very funny while he is awake, but he is a funny looking sleeper as well. i find myself having to sprint quietly back to our room to get my phone so i can capture a picture. here is one of the most recent pics.... when i came back to bed and showed it to Sean, we both were hysterical laughing. he sure does wear himself and us out on a regular basis!

Date with Nolan

The last week has been so busy between our normal routine, caring for a newborn and fitting in clients that by the time the weekend rolled around, i was left feeling like i hadn't had the chance to spend 'quality time' with my boys.
During the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, i woke and checked on everyone (as i do every night, several times a night. i should have trusted my Mom knew what she was talking about when she would tell me that once you become a Mom, rest would NEVER be the same). It was then, after covering Nolan with a blanket and walking by the bookshelves in his room that it occurred to me that he needed some new books to read. He enjoys reading so much that he's already 'worn out' alot of his favorites. and by 'worn out' i mean most of them are starting to, or have already fallen apart! Mason has not been a fan of books or reading so far, but i still try to read to him as he ferociously wiggles out of my lap. so, i figured... i have worked hard this week and made some extra cash, so why not take Nolan to Barnes and Noble to treat him?!After breakfast on Sunday morning, while Mason was napping, Nolan and i scooted out the door and into the car. i snapped a quick picture:

it was boiling hot out so i was glad we were going somewhere that would have air conditioning. on the way there, of course while playing him his favorite tunes (a CD we made for him) we stopped at a traffic light. in front of us was good ole McDonald's. Nolan now recognizes the 'golden arches' anywhere and usually asks for french fries (which his Gama started). lately (after seeing me scarf one down) he has been requesting a hamburger which we are very proud of, given that on a normal basis he will hardly eat any meat. so i rolled up to the drive thru and it was 10:57 to be exact. i proceeded to order a happy meal. the man on the speaker replied "we don't serve that until 11pm ma'am). i looked at the time, puzzled and replied "but it's like 2 minutes until, are you kidding me?" it comes as a surprise at times just how much i have changed since becoming a Mom. if i were ordering for myself, i would have kindly said "OK, well I'll just order off the breakfast menu i guess." but since i knew my little guy had his heart set on a happy meal, i was NOT going to leave that drive-thru without it. if it meant i had to sit there for a few minutes while people were behind me waiting to order too, then so be it. luckily the man came thru and said "OK, we can do it for you." really McDonald's? thanks. so off we went to the bookstore which was literally in the same parking lot. turns out Nolan was only interested in eating the fries at the time (surprise, surprise) so we took them with us and walked hand in hand thru the very thick heat, me handing him a french fry one by one. it was a great start to our "outing." not that i don't enjoy going out with both boys, but at times it can be extremely difficult to manage particularly when Mason is moody (he hates shopping)! when we arrive at the door, i could see the look of pure excitement in my sons eyes as he spotted all of the books. thousands of them. it was like a kid in a candy store! he wanted to look at every single one and didn't care what section we were in. i picked him up and we headed up the escalator towards the children's section. he ran towards the books shouting "oh my gosh!" and proceeded to take several off the shelf, plop down on the floor and look thru them all. About an hour went by and we had selected a healthy pile. before we were ready to check out i wanted to see if i could find Sean and i a book. its not often one of us gets out to the bookstore (with cash to spend) plus, Nolan was enjoying our time there so i figured why not at least look? i found one for myself immediately. i remembered this particular book being discussed on 'the talk' and so i grabbed it and continued on to look for Sean. it was a little more challenging trying to find one that he would enjoy. one reason being that i knew he has been stressed with work, and two, Nolan was anxiously wanting to move around from section to section so i was having to hold his hand and at the same time, trying to focus and look in one direction. i really wanted to find a perfect read that would help and 'speak to' Sean, that he could apply to his life and challenges at the moment. i was having no such luck., and just as i was about to move on and walk toward the registers, Nolan approached me carrying a book and said "Daddy." he is intuitive already because the book just happened to be PERFECT. it's called 'the untethered soul- the journey beyond yourself' by Michael A. Singer. The two of us (Sean and i) indulged and read in bed together with a snack that night. It was nice and relaxing. we hardly do that because we are usually too exhausted by the time we 'hit the sack.' we both could not believe how perfect Sean's book was for his situation and that our 2 year old lead us to it. Sean was tired but couldn't put the book down and even texted me the next morning to tell me that he felt like a "new man." when the woman at the register told me that my total was $106.87 i winced at the thought of handing that over to her knowing we needed diapers and groceries, but in the end i would do it all over again. it was a great day. a memorable one for me and i hope for Nolan as well. its pretty safe to say that we are spoiling our children, and I'm perfectly fine with that :-)

The Boys lately

Well, I figured i would just start off with what the boys are into and saying these days. it is July, 2012. July 5th to be exact. We had an awesome 4th of July at my parents house complete with swimming, watermelon toss, wiffle ball, three legged race, beer, hot dogs and hamburgers, fireworks of course, and great family and friends!

Nolan is quite the entertainer when he is in his element (which is, if he is not cranky, sleepy, hungry, tired, or having a 2 year old tantrum). This is very special and funny to witness and i feel so lucky to be his Mama. That's what he has been calling me lately out of the blue, "Mama" and I'm not complaining at all. he is adorable if i do say so myself! he wakes up saying the cutest things. this morning the first words out of his mouth were "I pay games?!" I'm guessing he had alot of fun clapping and cheering for all of us crazy adults yesterday. Normally the first word has something to do with a farm or zoo animal. Usually something like " i see monkeys" or " i see lions." now it's beginning to be combinations of animals like today he requested to see "penguins and kitty cats." We definitely see patterns and fazes go by very quickly. right now we are heavy into the animal stage but its been you tube videos/songs, the show 'ridiculousness', flash cards, and matchbox cars to name a few.
He rarely wakes or cries during the night unless he is not feeling well. He has always been a pretty good sleeper. He went to bed late last night because of the July 4th party, exhausted. around midnight i was awoken by his cry. immediately i thought, 'oh no, he must be sick.' i went into his room and plopped down next to him in his cozy 'big boy bed' and asked him what was wrong. he kept replying "i go in there" pointing to his door, "i get out" and i told him that everyone was asleep and that he could get up and play when it was morning time. he said "mm mm mmmm, no Mommy." sometimes the way he talks to me like i am the child is so cute and comical that i have to turn my head and laugh quietly. so then i said "ok baby, time to go na-night" and he looked right at me and said "tickle." i never knew he would fall in love with being tickled when i would do it to him as a baby but i guess he likes it and i am happy to do it. i tickled his back for around 10 minutes and then tried to ease my way out thinking he had fallen asleep but he popped right up and said "Mama, tickle." so, there went twenty more minutes of it until i was able to successfully sneak out and get back into MY bed.

Another faze he has been going thru is looking at pictures. i have been trying to keep up with organizing photo albums but the truth is that i take too many pictures. so, therefore i have the extras stored in a shoe box in a shelf that he can reach. numerous times a day he is knee deep in the pictures going thru and looking at them one by one calling out the name of the person in the picture. i frequently walk by or try to say hello and he usually responds with  wave and a "buh bye Mommy." he obviously prefers to be alone when e does this. if little brother Mason decides to come near him during this time, it can get ugly and usually results in a 'time-out' for Mr. Nolan.

I usually can only stand keeping him in the 'designated time out area' for about five whole minutes. He doesn't mind it so much and only cries or screams if he is tired and its close to nap time. Mason likes to go check him out and when he does they both laugh hysterically at each other. when he is ready to come out and apologize, i always ask him "are you ready to say sorry to your brother?" and he normally screams "SOWWY!" and i remind him of who he is apologizing to and so then he will say "SOWWY TO MASON!" i think he is really catching on to the meaning of 'sorry' because i will catch him playing by himself, and if he falls or drops something he will say "i sowwy, i dint mean it." that just melts my heart!

He likes to find the portable phone, and usually requests that i dial "Gampa" so that he can talk to him about 'animals.'
i recently have started to watch a newborn baby girl named Charlotte part time. Tuesday was her first day here with us and to my surprise, Nolan was very interested in 'checking on her' and making sure she was 'ok.' it was so sweet to see this gentle side of him, because with his brother Mason there is a totally different attitude! If she would cry, he would quietly approach her and whisper "calm down baby" or "don't cry, be quiet." he loves pushing her in the swing and was very helpful with taking care of her needs.

Both boys are in love with music and dancing. I just knew while i was pregnant with Nolan that he would be very much into music, i just had this gut feeling. Mason on the other hand seemed less interested until lately. they love when i put the dance/pop music on for them and it is so entertaining to watch the dance moves. where do they come from and where do kids learn these things?! i like to joke with Sean and tell him that they get the good dance moves from their Mama but the truth is, sometimes they come up with moves i have never seen! Nolan is doing this one dance we call the "belly dance" where he lifts his shirt up to show off his lean little tummy and then slaps it and falls down to the floor laughing at himself.

 its funny , if one of them (particularly Mason because he is most difficult/demanding) is having a hard time, cranky/fussy and needs to be calmed... all i have to do is sing the song "somebody that i used to know" by Gotye and all is right with the world. i CANNOT even begin to imagine how many times i have had to sing it, over and over again. they both will follow and seek out music if it is playing anywhere.
Mason is beginning to show a very quirky personality and its so special to watch it come alive. Nolan and he are so different and i love that about them! Mason loves his room and crib so much that he has no problem going down for frequent naps and in fact most of the time, giggles as i am putting him down into the crib. he has become very attached to his pacifier and blanky, and pretty much has them both "hooked" onto him at all times.

 Nolan has always had a special relationship with his little giraffe lovey that we call "jeffrey" and blue blanket but only needs them when he goes to sleep.

The other day the boys were eating lunch together as i was tending to the laundry and household chores. i heard them laughing at each other which isn't out of the ordinary but i always like to peek and see what they are laughing about. when i snuck around the corner (with my cell phone in hand in case i needed to video a special moment) i found them laughing and hiccuping so loud because Nolan was playing 'peek-a-boo' with Mason and scaring him. it was the most adorable thing for me to see and it lasted long enough for me to get a good video.

 moments like those make all of the hard stuff that comes along with being a parent so fulfilling and worth while. i know i am right where i am supposed to be, being their Mom and enjoying watching them become little people. no better job to me, i feel privileged to say the least.
Nolan and i both like to read gossip magazines. i never used to as a child/teen but as an adult it has become a guilty pleasure of mine. i look forward to once a week getting one in the mail and having some alone time to unwind with it either in the bath or on the couch with a snack :) well, now i have to share. Nolan clearly thinks that they are addressed to him and thoroughly enjoys HIS quiet time reading them. he will carefully go thru each page looking intensely at the pictures and sometimes asking "whats that?" other times he calls out what he sees like "oh, that's a woman" or "oooooooh, a little boy." if i approach when he happens to be reading ad taking his morning poop at the same time, he very sternly tells me, "i don't yike it" meaning, please go away now and give me my privacy!

 i remember before i had kids i would always see young children and there parents interacting. i found it amazing that the moms would almost always know what the young child was saying even though it was clearly not obvious to anyone else. i used to think, i cant wait to be a mom and experience those sweet unrecognizable babbles! now i can, alot of the time nobody else knows what Nolan is saying, but i know immediately.
One of Masons favorite things is to be tossed on our king sized bed in the middle of the pillows. he thinks its the greatest thing and the laugh we get to hear out of doing it makes us continue to throw him over and over again.
Nolan has recently learned the word "mine." he likes to say it to Mason while pointing his little finger in his face, should he be interested in what his big bro is doing.
We got Nolan his first pet in June. it was becoming very clear to us just how much he loved bunny rabbits when he would request an evening walk every single night to try and scope them out in the neighbors yard (his Grampa started this, along with going outside at dark to check out the moon). i thought about it and thought about it and did alot of research on pet bunnies and different types and breeds that would work well with young children. as a child my brother, sister and i always had a family dog of course along with cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, even a rat and an iguana. i along with Sean have never experienced owning a bunny. it was great to talk to Nolan during the week about what we were going to do for him on the weekend. he was excited and when he saw all of the tiny little bunnies he seemed happy, confused and a little apprehensive but we eventually picked "hazel" out, a beautiful white holland lop bunny who is full of personality and a sweet addition to the Gyger household. she has adjusted well and her and Maggie are becoming buddies. Mommy holds and loves on her more than anyone else right now but Daddy and Nolan are catching up.

Nolan is still deeply in love with the MTV show called 'ridiculousness' and it is becoming a little bit of an issue. often times he will wake up saying it and we can hardly watch an adult show anymore without him throwing a tantrum because its not his choice in shows. its pretty cute that he likes an adult show that is based on you tube videos of accidental stunts and tricks but i don't exactly prefer him listening to the language that they use or some of the scary things they show. he enjoys trying to copy and act out what they are doing by throwing himself into the couch or onto the floor while screaming "ohh"  "whoa"  "dude" or "cool." his love for it may come from seeing his daddy, uncle and Grampa get a kick out of the show but who knows?
this concludes my post for now, i have written alot more than i planned to but since its my first one i feel like i had to bundle a whole lot of what our lives are like now so that ever post i do after this will be short and sweet (i hope). back to the motherhood grind, i hear the boys up from their naps and I've got a client coming over that i have to get ready for....