Baby update! (They're now 4 and 2). What? 🤷🏻‍♀️

You guys.
YOU GUYS!
How has it been this long since I've blogged?

Ugh, I hate when I start out a post that way, because I feel like I used to do it all the time. Then finally I was like, "Stop starting every blog like that and just BLOG more frequently, ya know?"

Ya know?

Ugh. Also I haven't gotten Wix or made this pretty yet *despite being a web person.* Do I suck, or what?
K, let's get down to biz. The last time I blogged about the babes, well ... I am ashamed to report it was more than a year ago.
A YEAR!
Do you remember when I used to do once-a-month updates for Analisa?
I am awful.
"Sorry no one documented your life, Robs!"
Such classic second-child shit. I have to imagine if there's ever a third, (s)he'll be raised by the first two, taking Swedish naps and getting full-on neglected.
Halfffff-kidding?
Plz tell me you know what a Swedish nap is.
Anyway!
Legitimately, I've had notes in my phone all year about these sweet babes. I suppose we should just dive in, right?

Let's start with Robby, because we don't give him the time and attention he deserves:
ROBBY IS THE ABSOLUTE LOVE OF MY LIFE, OMG.
You guys, he spells his name with a Y, not an -ie. But that's just a side rant.
He is the snuggliest little 2-year-old the world has ever known. He turned 2 on New Year's Day, and I can't even believe it. Feels like just yesterday he was puking up my own breastmilk into my hair. And then almost-walking for what felt like eight months straight. And then sleep-regressing randomly for three more. lol, he's had his moments, that's for sure. Sometimes he'll still just like, get in a bad mood and he's unable to shake it. But for real ... the love of my life, no take-backs. The sweetest boy. What was my life before him? Oh, and these aren't just things I say. He is SO NICE and just wants to sit on your lap all day and get carried around the house. No matter how independent he really is (and he really is), he just has so much room in his heart for pure love and joy. It's like he needs me more than Ana ever needed me. And it's not just that he's a mama's boy. He loves everyone he sees regularly. He calls out for Meese and Grandbob (pronounced "Bob-bob"), and says I love you and thank you and so many sweet phrases. If he hurts Ana, he'll say, "I sorry, Ana." I know he's still a baby, but I truly think he's so kind and gentle at times and loving. I am incredibly proud to be his mom, and he melts me every day.

Even when he was MUCH smaller, he had manners. I swear, some of his first words weren't "mama" or "dada" -- they were "thank you." At the Children's Museum one morning, a man handed him a toy that he had dropped, and he said very clearly, "ANK OOO." The guy was like, ... "um, am I imagining it, or did that baby just thank me?" And I was like, "Ah no, he most definitely thanked you. I believe the proper response is, 'You're welcome.'" And we had a laugh.

Robs was the opposite of Ana when it came to walking. They say about the 1-year mark is when kids typically learn to walk, and a week after her first birthday, Ana took a step, another few, and she was off. Forever.

Robby, on the other hand, showed all the signs of readiness early af, pulled up, and THOUGHT ABOUT IT for. Ev. Er.

The doctor was all, "This guy will be walking at his 9-month appointment!" and nope, he sure wasn't. He threw himself around the house recklessly instead. I think he wanted to keep up with Ana, and he wasn't as fast on his feet as he was on all fours, so he stayed crawling.

Then around 14 months, he finally took off and never looked back. I was so relieved. Not because I suspected he was delayed ... just like, the questions from everyone else were insufferable. "Tell me he's walking regularly."
"STILL A HARD NO."
But babies do things when they're ready.
And his crawl was so cute and baby-like! One day I knew he'd stop and I'd never see it again. Why rush things?
Why do we rush our babies to grow up?
(Well, I would love to stop buying diapers).

Anyway, Robby has always been physical (read: crazy) and quite vocal. I still think he talks more than the other 2-year-olds I see him around -- and much more. It's so nice though. He just tells me what he wants, for the most part, and that's so convenient. He loves: juice (ugh, sue me), his family, playing, Wreck-It Ralph, Snowy Day -- he sings along and actually has a really good voice and I'm not just saying that! -- yogurt, BOOKS omg books, cozy blankets, grabbing people's faces 🙄, the woman who checks our badges at Ana's school, sleeping in (thank GOD), Baby Beluga, stealing mama's work things, climbing onto anything he can manage, the outdoors, and repeating back to you anything and everything. He's good-natured, he loves to laugh, will hold your hand and he finally gave up his bottle at about 18 months. I know, I'm a bad mom for letting him keep it that long, but it was essentially his comfort item. And then, proof that all things pass, one day he was just done. And I'm a little sad about that, too, tbh.

Every morning, Ana opens his door when she hears him caw, and they play for a few minutes. It's seriously the cutest thing to overhear. She says, "Good morning, WOBBY," and he squeals, "Hiiiii, Ana!" or "Ana-YEESA!" They are often really good to each other, and other times awful. But not in the mornings. In the mornings, they're the sweetest. Ana used to say he was her husband, but I heard it got annulled or something. The divorce doesn't seem contentious; that's the good news. No matter, watching these two become tiny friends has become life's greatest joy.

What else ... he was slow to cut teeth. Jim used to say, "No one takes you seriously Rob, with those 4 teeth ya got in there. Grow some more, sir, then we'll chat."

Robby and Grandbob

Oh, one final story. Robby started leaping out of his crib earlier than he probably should have. And I don't mean he was slowly finding ways to slink on out of there. We'd hear these CRASH landings and be like, "Shit. This is it. The time he breaks his leg. F." Finally, ready or not, we figured we couldn't stand by and let an accident happen. We had to move him to a toddler bed. So we had to baby-proof the absolute shit out of his room -- actually, I think this was around the time we switched their rooms, so that he couldn't pull a dresser on top of him -- but anyway, it was crazy, having this 18-month baby wandering the room in the dark at night, reckless as all get out.

It took him awhile to get used to it. Sometimes we'd just find him in the morning, passed out in his closet or in a pile of clothes on his floor. What a frat guy. Sometimes he'd make a huge scene and mess and we'd have to go up there 40 times and remind him to get in, and stay in, bed. It was an adjustment. We didn't love it. But we didn't know what other options we had. (Also, he can't open doors, so at least we knew he'd stay in there). Anyway. One day, I swear, he was going absolutely ham in there, on a war path of crime and destruction. I swung open the door and there was just this tiny man -- and he goes, "ey. Peek boo."

OMG I'm laughing out loud just thinking about it. I was like, "YEAH, not peek-a-boo, m-f. You're not scaring or surprising anyone, I thought the upstairs just got bombed, get back in bed!"

He is such a clown. Ugh and he's gotten SO CUTE; should I drop some more pics? Yes. I wish you could hear his laugh, too. So old-man-ish and chortle-y. It always has been, really. It's only getting better with age!

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K, wanna know what's popping with Analisa?

You guys, she goes to school now!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

And she loves it, which truly warms my heart and makes me feel so good about our decision to send her -- I was on the fence about preschool at first, but like, it was just the right move at the right time. She's old-ish for her grade, but not inappropriately so, as she's in the 3-year-old program but turned 4 in early December. But she's just so grown up and none of that even matters. She loves her teachers, her friends, she's still debatably socially awkward at times, but just in a way where we snark on her a bit for being a kid. Kids are strange. She's OBSESSED with her friends but sometimes won't say bye to them. lol, what can you do? I love hearing her stories about who was misbehaving or what they had for a snack or whether or not she napped (she never does).

Also, we were going to opt in for two days a week, mornings only, but then I decided in the 11th hour ... why drive her all the way up there for just two hours? I know, it's only 10 minutes away, but really -- I could use the time to write and work.

So she does full days Tuesdays and Thursdays -- 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We just threw her in, from 0 socialization (what a scam anyway) and home all day with us, to full school days.

And ... OMG it's glorious. Some days we're like, "Wait, is this a preview of the rest of our lives? We can just send our kids to school and keep existing? The teachers take it from here?" I know I said I don't like to rush the present but LORD does that sound good. When I send Anz to school and Jim's home with Rob, I can get 6 hours -- the bulk of my work day! -- done. Sometimes Rob even naps and Jim can go back to bed. And like, what is life? SCHOOL IS AMAZING.

Ana remains such a talker, always learning and challenging herself without even knowing it and teaching me new things. Not a joke; she's currently obsessed with dinosaurs and she knows SO much. The other day, she was like, "Mumma, what's that dinosaur that looks like a lion?" And I was like, "Hmm, do you just mean like, a basic-ass lion?" And she got frustrated for a second because she had some type of dino specifically in mind.

Turns out, she was right. What do I know?*
*Nothing.

She asks me SUCH good questions.

She'll be like, "Where does the sun go, when I go to bed?" And I'm like ... "It revolves around ... no wait, we revolve ... no, we're tilted? That's not right ... ummm, the kids around on the other side of the world need the sun! It's just ... taking a break."

"What are clouds made of?"

...

"Does Minnie Mouse have bones?"

...

"Are dinosaur bones in the ocean?"

OMG I should have paid attention in elementary school. And like, wtf do you even say about Minnie? In theory, she WOULD have bones?

I still don't really believe in terrible 2s. Her 2s were delightful; she had like, one bad day, relax.

Most of 3 was Gucci.

She did kinda turn into a tiny terrorist for a hot second (don't even make me type out the story of when she assaulted me and Robby at the park, not to mention the innocent bystanders), but I'd still say 3, overall, was fine. Four's been much of the same -- every now and then, she gets irrational, but it's not bad. I will say, I do a lot of Googling to make sure she feels heard and validated. I'm not mom of the year, but if you look up "Why do kids whine?" it really does help you address the issue head on. The internet is incredible and I love parenting in the age of. <--- I know, this sentence is jacked and it hurts my copy editor heart, but you feel me.

Some of the notes I had written down for Ana include:

One day, maybe six months ago? She got super attached to a bunny. But she didn't just say, "Have you seen my bunny?" or "Have you seen my rabbit?" Out of the blue, she was just like, "Mumma? Daddy? Have you seen my SWEET, SWEET, SWEET, SWEET BUNNY?"

OMG we couldn't stop laughing. Like, what makes the bunny so sweet? Why all of a sudden? She really referred to him that way for a few weeks. The other day I asked about him, and if she remembered her sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet bunny -- and she was just like, yeet.*

*not really.

In the car after school, she scolded me even and said, "We don't say YEET, mommy. We say yes."

😳😳😳

Or she got on a big tear even longer ago, called WHAT SAID?

Where, any time she needed something repeated, she would just go real fast, "WHAT SAID?" (which might have even been "what did you say?" But that quickly, it just came out as one garbled WHATSAID?")

We would laugh and laugh.

She still loves dancing and performing. She loves movies and shows and books and memorizes anything you read to her at least five times. She reads "Too Purpley" to Robby almost every night and takes it upon herself to show him her books and teach him things. She loves him and she's a pretty tolerant big sister, for the most part. I think having a sibling close in age makes you better. She's proof of that. Sometimes I rock her at night and tell her how grateful I am for her. I know it's hard to be the big sister some days.

You have to watch what you say in front of her because she remembers it alllllll. Also she just picks up on everything. If I hand her my cellphone, she pretends she's talking to Natalie, Candace or James and uses all my same phrases. "You will not believe this, guys!" ... "I am *obsessed* with Frozen!" <--- really said dat

She really does love Frozen. Obsessed is not the wrong word, or an exaggeration. She's been to the movies twice now -- Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2, but she talks about F2 relentlessly.

She gets a kick out of the fact that we have real names, and calls us James and Michelle. Or even Jims P or a silly nickname. "Daddy? Why do you call mumma 'boo?'" She'll ask.

Ana's big into the Disney princesses, picking out her own outfits, doing things by herself, and trying to make us laugh. She's gotten a little less reserved and will talk to strangers at TJ Maxx about how she just got the Rapunzel doll and she's hoping for Belle next. She lovedddddd Christmas and finally *got* the magic of it all. It was so fun to witness. "How does Santa get in my house?" she asked on Christmas Eve. "Erm, the chimney I guess," I said. "Is that safe?" she asked. "That doesn't make sense."

I was just like, ... "Yeah, that's just the rumor."

She's not as cuddly as Robs (never has been), but wants you to lie in bed with her as she falls asleep and will shadow you around the house all day, every day. She wants to learn from you and talk to you and laugh with you. She loves my friends to pieces, along with all her sitters. She's very curious about the world, like I said, and just asks good questions daily: "Mama, when will I stop being a kid?" she asked yesterday. "Because I like being a kid."

She remembers everything. Her memory is SCARY good; she'll bring up things from when she was a baby, and we're like, "Does she really know? Or were we recently talking about this and she overheard?"

Ana loves crappy snacks (although, some days we achieve balance with some carrot sticks), waffles with peanut butter, dressing up in costumes, getting a rise out of the people around her, playdates with her friends, learning to write her letters, Disney+, school days -- "Tuesdays and Thursdays, mumma!", sleeping in our bed, Blue (although he's slowly getting phased out!), showing Robby the world, playing in the garage, pretending, winter hats, bath time, tickle monster daddy, pretending to "work," hide-and-go seek, art projects, making little tasks for everyone -- and avoiding dinner, then requesting a Nutrigrain bar 10 minutes after she's brushed her teeth.

She is the absolute best.

Some funny things she's said semi-recently that were in my phone:

"Hey yidda buddy!" <--- how she used to refer to Robs (little buddy)
"Who bought this for me?" (about everything) ... "I dunno Anz, it's a light switch, it came with the house. I guess we did?"
"Jim. Stop. Listen to me." lololol
"You know who's a creep, Baby Wobert? YOU ARE." Again, we had to leave the room, we were laughing too hard.
"You are so, so, so, SO handsome, Baby Wobert."   xoxoxo
<when an alarm was going off and we were ignoring it> "Mama? Daddy? Mom? Dad? Or Jim? Or Michelle? Hello? Help?"
"I'm all done pee-peeing WOBBY!"
"Good idea, mumma. Really a good idea."
"Wobby! Do you want to see my new bathing suit? It has WHALES ON it!" <meanwhile BR DGAF -- he's just sitting there sobbing, mad that he woke up from nap earlier than intended.>
"What is a metaphor, mommy? I heard you say dat word to daddy."
"May I use the cupholder for my milk?"
Me: "Ana, Daddy's coming. Better hide!" Ana: "OK, I hide BEHIND THE RED CASTLE THEN."
"Hello? Dis is Mickey!" <--- inside joke with Robs

Oh and her constipation went away when she finally started using the potty. THANK GOD. Longtime blog followers (all six of you) will remember that dominated our lives for ... most of her life! Robby goes around the clock, so it's never been an issue for him. Now you know too much.

Also, she self-potty trained at 3 1/2, maybe just a touch before. Again, kids just kinda do stuff when they're ready, right?

-----------------

Ugh. No more excuses. Need to blog semi-regularly again before they're 14 and 16 and I've missed everything. I got promoted (humble brag? Sorry) mid-last year, then became a birth doula but not really because I still need to do some certifying births ... so @ me if you're pregnant? lol

And a lot of the days I'm just like, up with the kids early and then I work 10 hours and I'm up late editing and I sleep sometimes, then a year passes and I haven't written about my kids at all. And they're everything. And now we're moving out of state. And I'm not ready to write about that.

Shoutout to anyone who read this insanely long rambling!

Because I am unable to end this, doesn't Baby Rob look like Uncle Rob? Here's (my brother) Robby and my mom, circa probably ... 1992?

My friend John.

I’ve worked in a TV newsroom for the better part of 10 years, and people are often asking about what it’s like.

“How are the anchors? … Is he really as tall as he looks on air? … What about the meteorologist in the morning? Is she nice?”

Speaking for anyone in the business, I think we get a lot of questions.

But if you look past the fancy studio lighting and the allure of the on-air production side of the equation, you’ll find part of the operation that not as many people know to ask about -- yet it’s often the backbone of a newsroom, the piece of the puzzle that makes the whole operation hum. It’s the assignment desk.

These assignment desk editors have to be so balanced, so focused, so composed and extremely news savvy. They have to be able to communicate with the rest of the often-bustling, chaotic newsroom about what’s breaking, where to send a crew, what deserves coverage, and how to communicate a message, while at the same time, fielding phone calls from viewers, digging through court documents, monitoring what the competitors are reporting, placing calls to various police agencies, and relaying messages to web teams, producers, sometimes the talent and most definitely the news managers.

(Assignment desk editors: What am I missing? I must be forgetting at least 5 tasks you’re managing to juggle). Sure, the job is probably a bit different, depending on where you work, but still: the absolute backbone of a local newsroom.

It’s a hell of a role, to say the least. Newsrooms are not often what you’d call relaxing environments, not to mention, viewers can get pretty annoyed when say, someone has to make a decision to cut into regularly scheduled programming for a weather emergency. It’s your assignment desk editor who has to field those calls. Media relations professionals take note: If you’re looking to get a story on air or online, become friendly with this person. Make sure your pitches are feasible. And don’t make them open any email attachments. (When your inbox has hundreds of unopened messages, no one’s got time for an attachment).

These are all lessons I learned from working closely with “the desk” over the years.

The first assignment editor I ever had, a man named John Arguello, passed away recently. He was 61.

I want to tell you a little about John and what he did at the station, not because we worked together for a long time -- in fact, it was just about two years -- but because there’s likely a “John” behind the scenes at other newsrooms in this country. Except it seems hard to believe that they’d have his knack for news, or his sharp wit.

As I read up on John’s life, I learned that he came to WOOD-TV when he was 18. He stayed for 43 years. As a “poor kid from South Dakota,” John had dropped out of high school when he was in the ninth-grade. He ended up on Michigan's west side when he was 18, and started working in the station’s mailroom. From there, he went on to work as a news photographer, an investigative producer and an assignment editor. He met and photographed five sitting U.S. presidents. John went on to know U.S. congressmen, governors and many other politicians on a first-name basis.

He was a seriously impressive guy.



He never told me all of this. I learned some of it over those two years, but I’m still learning about his life, even just through Facebook posts and conversations with former colleagues.

John wasn’t showy.

He knew how to treat people though. We worked together on the night shift, and I had never been around local TV. I’d only had one other job in news after graduating from college, and that was at the newspaper in town. This was my first career job. The first time I got health insurance through an employer and not my dad.

I was 22. I didn’t know the first thing about a VO-SOT (that’s a voice over, with sound on tape), when I walked through those doors. I knew how to write reasonably well, but in a lot of ways, when it came to broadcast, I was as green as it gets.

It would have made sense if John were to snap at me. I was often opening an email from him, then moseying on over to his desk to ask for some kind of translation. What did it mean for me -- as in, how should I write it to post on the web?

John never made me feel silly or out of the loop. On the contrary, he told me (in so many words) to believe in my abilities and trust my gut. He showed me how to sift through court documents. I helped him answer the phones when I had time. He took me under his wing, in a lot of ways. Once when I didn’t have a ride home, he drove me, no questions asked. And I didn’t exactly live close by.

Another time, he dropped off some paperwork at my desk and told me to look at page -- I don’t know, maybe 60? This was a big pile of papers.

We ended up leading the newscast with whatever juicy nugget John had unearthed. No one else in town had it, because no one else in town had John. He was so good at his job. And he led by example, and I feel like every veteran news person could learn something from him. When I have an intern or someone who I’m teaching, I try to emulate what John showed me.

By the way, my boss the next morning told me what a big deal it was, that John had found that piece of news and we’d gotten it posted online so quickly. John made me better. He made all of us better.

In 2011, I moved across the country for another job in news -- thanks in part to John’s guidance, no doubt -- but we kept in touch over the years, on and off. I wish I would have been more consistent. I always thought I'd see him again someday, "next time I went to GR."

Near the end of John’s life, a Facebook page was set up, where people could share their stories and memories.

Some of us knew him for decades. Others recall brief working stints with John, but posted something similar to my experience with him: Something like, “He worked with me closely. He taught me so much. He was so funny. I’ll always remember that.”

His lessons will carry on through all who worked with him, and all who knew him. (Related/unrelated: I am definitely not as funny as John was, but I did make him laugh a few times, which made me quite proud).

And finally, I learned that he wrote his own obituary several years ago, which was posted online in our FB group.

“If I loved you in my lifetime, you knew it. I was never bashful. Remember that as you remember me. I will always be in your heart as you were in mine.”

I love that so much. It's true -- he wasn't bashful. He always called me a silly nickname or told me I was one of his favorite people in the building.

In a lot of ways, I’m just rambling about my friend right now. I’ll miss our occasional emails and I’ll always look back on my time in my first big newsroom and think of working with him.

But also: to anyone who watches the news regularly, reads the news online, and appreciates what it is that this business does every day, thank your local assignment desk. Thank the guys like this.

Dear 24-year-old self, your best years are still ahead.

YOU GUYS. I know I know I know, this is largely a space where I dump a bunch of stories and photos of my kids, and tell you what's new with us, and like, maybe share a mascara recommendation if it's four years ago or I'm in the mood.

But I keep coming back to this same discussion that I seem to be having with a few of my friends, and I feel like I should share it here, as well. Grab a seat!

K, I don't know about you, but I always kind of feared my 30s. It meant I'd officially be getting kind of "older," maybe my looks would start to fall apart a bit (sorry, am I not supposed to type things like that?), I'd fall into the same old monotonous routine, I'd settle, I'd have to have kids, etc. etc. etc.

<< OMG who knew my children would be my greatest joy?  >>

But really -- why did I think that? Any of that? Why does anyone fear her 30s?

I swear though, it's not just me. I've spoken with *so many people* lately who say something along those lines: "AH, I was so nervous to turn 30." Or younger friends who are like, "OMG you're in your 30s? How is it? I'm kind of scared!"

...

You guys, it is the fucking best.

I'll say it again for those of you in the back: like, breaking news. There is nothing more empowering than being in your 30s. I wouldn't go back to my 20s, and not for a second.

That's not even to say they were BAD. I sometimes say I wouldn't go back to high school, and I loved high school. My boyfriend was super hot, I did well on the track team, my grades were deece -- I just ... hmmm. Maybe I don't like to rewind. I just like where I am.

But seriously. I mean it when I say that I really like where I am at the ripe age of 32.

Women in your 40s: tell me! Does it get better? I have a hunch it gets better.

I feel like getting older is secretly bomb; why tf aren't more people talking about this?!

Anyway, now I know my experience isn't everyone's experience, but here's what my 20s were like:

Cute I guess. Hungry in this pic.

-- I mean, fine. I was polite. I followed the rules (ish).
-- I had a husband for some time who told me that my experiences and opinions were ... wrong. He was a little older and wiser (or so I thought), so I listened to him and took what he said very seriously.
-- I was a little insecure. I still got occasional breakouts (as in, like, on my face), and I wouldn't leave the house, even for a run, without makeup. I generally disliked my appearance.
-- I just ... needed approval from people. At work, in relationships, and I felt like I was nervous or scared or something, when it came to situations that really didn't call for nerves or fear. I never wanted to speak up or order at a restaurant first or make anyone uncomfortable. I kinda jumped through hoops and did my best impersonation of what someone in her 20s "should" do. Marry the guy you've been with since college, get a job with health insurance, don't rock the boat.

K now lemme tell you about my 30s:

-- I mean, I'm polite still! I follow the rules that are in place for a reason, or like, when social norms dictate.
-- I finally married someone who treats me well: who listens to me, loves me unconditionally and values me for who I am, even when some of my opinions are probably infuriating or baseless or I insist that Michigan State's loss to Syracuse in the tournament that one year was an inside job (love you, Jim).
-- I'm surprisingly NOT insecure (even when I probably should be?) Ha, I think this might come with the territory when you became a mom. One day you wake up and you're driving to Target in February in your flip-flops in the snow and you find yourself without a bra. Or like, semi-recently I realized I was traipsing around Las Vegas with my friends for brunch, totally fresh-faced and without a drop of makeup on. I mean, did I look perfect? Far from it. But I actually didn't mind my appearance. My skin has finally balanced itself out a bit. It felt CLEAN. And it was like ... more importantly, I learned how not to hate myself anymore.
-- I'm no longer seeking approval, unless of course like, you're my boss, or I have a legitimate reason to care.

Me and my baby girl

And it's not just that you stop giving a fuck. Because I actually *do* GAF -- about a lotttt of things, tbh. It's just like, you get way more selective about the things you choose to care about.

Also like, as a mom, you can't just be all, "But I don't know how this works! What's a nap schedule? Should I vaccinate?" Like, you just start Googling, asking around, and you figure it all out. You have to. You're thrown into the deep end when you become a parent. But you're responsible for other human lives, and that's kind of your responsibility now, you know?

Be better. You can't just flail, you're an adult now.

So yeah, I know I'm only two years in. But for me, so far, my 30s have been like:

-- I deserve to be here. I deserve to have a voice.
If I don't stand up and advocate for myself, my thoughts and my work, who will?
-- I actually know what I want.
Going and getting it, BRB!
-- Cliche but true: Life is too short.
"What do you have to lose?" or "What's the worst thing that could happen?" <--- I ask myself those questions probably twice a day.
-- SAY IT.*

*Also, I don't mean I'm one of those "she tells it like it is!" people. But yeah, if something needs to be said, and it can be done with tact and grace, I'll say it. Firm and direct don't have to mean rude. On the contrary, whenever people are like, "ohhh she's just really REAL. She can't sugarcoat things," I'm like, ohhhh, so her reality must be all of our reality? It takes way more willpower to show restraint than it does to pop off and "tell it like it is."

I really can't stomach that shit.

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And one final thing on the physical beauty front. Everyone ages differently; I get that. Just because my skin has improved ever-so slightly doesn't mean I'm feeling myself 24/7. We all have those gross days where nothing fits just right, or your friends are looking way cuter, or you just want to throw your hands up, like, whyyyyyy?

I still get occasional breakouts. I have a tiny pooch from where I held my baby kangaroos. I definitely have bags under my eyes and crow's feet like a m-f. (I hear sleep is supposed to fix those issues? LMK where I might be able to find some of that). But STILL, you guys. Still! I think I'm prettier than I was at 24, if I can be vain for a sec.

And if I'm wrong about something, I own my shit. If my husband and I are annoyed at each other, we talk it out productively, forgive, and show one another grace. If I'm feeling like I screwed up at work, I dive in and make my next story 50 times better, or I spin, or do yoga, or drink wine with my two best friends and we laugh until our faces hurt, rather than me going and meeting up with 12 acquaintances who I "think" I should be socializing with just to say I did or pass the time.

I'll sit at a restaurant by myself these days or ask dumb questions if I think they need to be asked, or put myself out there a bit. Maybe it's the relatively-newfound confidence, but I think that's what makes you beautiful: being happy in your skin, literally and figuratively. Actual joy and self-assuredness -- that's what people notice. Have you ever looked at someone you really admire and thought, "if only she could lose 5 pounds?" Yeah, me neither. No one cares about that.

Even if you're sitting here rn, thinking like, "20-year-old Michelle, that doesn't sound like the Michelle I know," just be aware that it was very real. It's not as if I crept around life all shy and timid and scared to ask the waiter for more ranch. (Never!) I just ... had some situations, some relationships, and some times that didn't feel quite right. I didn't even know how to classify them at the time. But now I'm just like, happier, more alive and more myself, and it's easier to look back on shit and say, "What a weird time that was, to be alive."

Oh, and one final note: Instagram filters and finally learning how to apply makeup/dress for our bodies ... probably helped. Did that just negate my entire blog post?

Really and truly though: 30s > 20s all day. Now please tell me if you think I'm nuts, or if you're having the same experience!

Update: The babies are old af

You guyyyyyys, it seems like they're not even babies anymore! :(

... OK OK OK, maybe Robs is still a baby.

But for real, Ana is turning 3 on Saturday and Robs turns 1 like, three weeks after that. Wahhhhh.

Wanna know what's up with these little nuggets? I took some notes in my iPhone, per usual, so here, let's do a lil update! Since it's me, you know this will prly be long. (Should I do a TL;DR version? Maybe next time).

Ana:

Is *in* on the "Bob" jokes. Just the other day, she called him BOBBBBBBY, and then she's like, constantly correcting us if we call him a version of Bob in which she doesn't approve. For example, around Halloween, he was Dinosaur Bob to us, and one day, she approached James and me very seriously, saying, like, in a firm but calm way, "No, he's NOT." We thought she was pissed for a sec, but she broke into a small smile and said, "He's Spaghetti Bob!"  Haha and she'll do the same thing with Banana Bob. Some days she'll just insist that he's only to be called Banana Bob (which is pronounced, if you're Anz, "Bee-anna Bob!" We laugh and laugh at this crazy girl.

She says the funniest things. (I know, says every toddler mom, right?). But like, recently I asked, "Isn't Robby getting SO BIG?" And she answered v enthusiastically, "He's getting to be a RILLY BIG BOY, mommy!"  Haha we kinda pretend he's "our" baby, especially when Jim is working weekends. She's my little helper, and she loves pretending to be his mom. <-- which is weird but like, helpful? So I'll take it!

Grabbed this from the dollar bin at Target and thought, "If I could get ONE pic in this silly headband, it'd be money well-spent!"

She's also a little sass ball at times, although, as always, a sweet one. Like, she'll say rude things, but she doesn't mean to be malicious, if that makes sense. I'm not sure where she hears these expressions, but one day she kept yelling, "GET YOUR OWN TOYS AND GET YOUR OWN FRIENDS, WOBBY!" Yet, she had a smile on her face. She didn't even seem mad at him; she was just spewing that Haterade. OMG it was so hard not to laugh. My mom was even like, "Where'd she hear that?" Also, "friends? She doesn't have any friends either!"  (haha I'm sure she said it a little more gently than this. The point being, without day care, my children aren't really socialized). Yes guys, for clarification: She considers her stuffed animals to be her friends (is that sad or cute? You decide).  So basically, she wanted Robs to GTFO of them.

Other funny sayings: She saw a baby in the waiting area at gymnastics class recently and ran past him yelling, "A baby? Ohhhh we got one of 'doze at home!" Or, in reaction to the news that we would be having pizza for dinner, "Ahhhh, PIZZA? Sounds so good! Delicious! In my tummy!" Like, same, girl. Saaaame.

Or when Candace was over and used the bathroom: (Ana stands outside the door, listening in like some kind of creep) -- and then calls out, "I hear pee-peeeeeee!" and then runs over to me, clapping her hands in support. OMG we were dying.

I kinda forget the context here, but I had to ask her to put something down recently, and she was all, "But I want to be just like YOU, mommy!" and even James said something like, "Lord, that's seriously heart-melting." She watches our every move. She notices. She wants to be like us. She is such a tiny human.

I couldn't love her more if I tried. I've said this before and I'll say it again: the 2s have notttt been terrible for us. Not even a little bit. And that's not to say she's perfect; she's still 2 and she has her moments. But like, overall, this has just been such a lovely year and I'm really sad to see it go! I've cherished a ton, and the development has been astounding.

The most loving big sister

I'm also here to report back on the potty-training front: I could look, but I don't feel like it. I think last time I blogged, I said it was going better, but still a bit hit-or-miss? MAN has it ever improved. I'm now 100 percent in the camp of people who say you can't really teach them, or make them, go. They just do it when they're ready. It sounds simple, so why do people try to rush it or make it happen?

Like, oh, your kid isn't potty-trained yet? He's just not ready. Ana wasn't for awhile. I was kiiiind of starting to sweat it out, but we had decided we'd read the books and take more drastic measures once she turned 3. And now it appears that the day will never arrive. Because outside of overnights and occasional #2s, she goes. And it's been AWESOME. She had been showing interest for almost a year but wouldn't go consistently. The next thing you knew, basically overnight, she was excited about the potty. So I'll say it again, just like, with regards to our experience here: There's no magic age. There's no magic trick (although M&Ms help). I think it depends on the kid and I'm just gladddd to say we've finally (mostly!) arrived.

Girlfriend also loves ... Shrek. The original and the musical, thank you, Netflix. I love listening to her talk about Shrek. "And the brave knight and the don-keh and Princess Fiona, MUMMA." Also loves her ballerina skirt, dancing, the Grinch, treats (she will BEG you for fruit snacks), and milk.

She's still so focused on the concept of time. "Haven't seen dat in awhile." Or "you me-member that?" ... "We do that tomorrow? Yesterday? Is it evening?" Sometimes she's a little off, as in, "Shrek? We haven't seen dat in awhile," when it's like, "No bear, we watched Shrek an hour ago, let's take a few plays off." But I think it's so grown-up that she wants to know how to navigate the world and interpret time like the rest of us. I also called out to Jim the other afternoon, "Babe, what time is it?" And she came barreling down the hallway like a tiny drunk, yelling, "Two nine forty!" Like, did I catch a niner in there? Oh my goshhhh, the entertainment never ends.

A few weeks ago, I took Anz to Great Lakes Crossing, where she loves to play with this toy car (one of the kind where you put quarters in, but she'll still go sit and pretend, even without the thing turning on) -- and she kept slamming the "car door" and yelling, "USB! Play podcast!" And well, it took me a second to make out that second part, but then it dawned on me that she was "being mumma," haha, yelling at the Siri-type woman in my car to play the Podcast app through Bluetooth. She honestly picks up on everything!

The singing and dancing are truly next level. I heard that sweet little voice signing "Try Everything" by Sia while driving back from my parents' and I just thought it was so sweet, like, to actually recognize a song that she's singing, and a song that isn't quite "Itsy Bitsy Spider," at that.

She's big into the idea of Christmas and Santa coming, and lovvvves to look at lights and sing holiday songs, so I have to imagine this is going to be a really exciting month for her. For her birthday, we're taking her back to Crossroads Village ("train party," we're calling it), which is where we went last year too. The train takes you all over and there are a bunch of lights set up and I think she's gonna love it even more this time around -- although, is that the kiss of death for any experience? Our own expectations? Ha that feels like a separate blog!

I already feel like I'm sharing way too many Anz snippets, so I'll try to cap this in a sec!

Matching PJ friends

One morning, she decided she was playing the recorder, and kept holding this toy up to her face as if it were a real recorder. James and I were like, "We don't even know where you heard about a recorder. What?!" Oh, and we have SO MANY instances like that. We're constantly just like, Anz, where'd you hear that? Where'd you learn that? What expression did you just use?

You can talk to her about anything. She understands everything. I'm not sure when we stopped having a language barrier, but like, even if a concept is over her head, she'll make a joke about "that's silly," or say like, "but what does it meannnnn?"

Here are some final Ana quotes. I hope I never forget her saying ... "c'monnnn, yittah buddy!" (to Robs, of course). "You not wearing any socks, mumma? You only wearing you toes?" ... "Mumma, you look like Dipsy!" (when my hair's all piled on top of my head). "By JANE MARCO-FAN MEESE." <--- Yeah, I realize that one might not make a lot of sense to anyone else, but she's big on reading the author's and illustrator's names when we're reading books, and sometimes she'll just ... make up a new name for an author. She thinks that's the funniest. Some go-tos would include Mary Foofdee, Mary Murphy and the aforementioned Jane. Like, why is she the weirdest human already? (That is pretty funny though, I'm not gonna lie). Same sense of humor, clearly!

K, let's pivot and talk about our BIG BIG BIG BIG BOYYYY, if anyone follows me on Snap and wants to murder me for saying that every damn day.   ;)

Robby:

This guy. Is so good-natured! That's like, by design, of course. He's just used to getting things ripped off him, all day long. "Oh, I'm loving this toy, ma!" his expression says to me as he smiles at the plastic Cookie Monster figurine. And then Ana will run in out of nowhere -- I swear, she sniffs out his happiness like a drug-sniffing dog -- and something in her brain says, "TAKE THE TOY, ANZ. DON'T LET YOUR BROTHER EXPERIENCE *ANY* HAPPINESS, NO MATTER WHAT." This is her one job in life. So Robs inevitably gets the toy taken, shrugs, and keeps it moving. We were at Jenny and Jared's around Thanksgiving time, and Robby, being the youngest of the pack, got a lotttt of stuff stolen. He was generally unfazed. What a good lil babe!

Baskets of Bob

Also, kinda funny how Ana parents him -- like, she doles out "lessons" that *she* needs. "You have to be more patient, Wobby. We don't rip books, Wobby." <--- Oh really, Anz?

Robs' laugh remains like, one of my all-time favorite things about him and I wish I could bottle it. It's just so chortley and old-man-like and funny. I swear, you can't just hear it and then keep a straight face. It's hysterical. Once Ana or James or someone has him going, the whole house is laughing.

He's not walking yet, but we do get that question a lot. For a few months now, he's been cruising the furniture, pulling up on everything, balancing on his own -- but we're still waiting for those first steps. I'm not worried about it; like everything else, it's like, one day they just start doing it and you wonder what life was like even a week ago. Plus, I think 12 months is officially average on the walking front, so it's certainly not like he's slow by any means. I think because he's always seemed so big and strong, we had a bunch of predictions that he'd be early. But yeah, he's pacing toward right on time!

He eats a TON. Like, way more than Ana, and some days, more than James. We're still doing baby-led weaning, for the most part, although I do offer some purees; mostly because he's known to toss his veggies off the high-chair tray. We tried this subscription-based service called Little Spoon, but I just canceled actually, because now we have 8 million little containers in our fridge and it takes him sooooo long to make his way through just one. He'll do a few bites a meal, but they deliver every other week, and it was just too much. Basically, the idea behind Little Spoon is that the baby food you see at the grocery store has been sitting there for months, if not years. Also, too often, it's loaded with sugar -- largely, natural sugar, like from fruit, but like, way too much of it. So, Little Spoon makes its baby food fresh, and offers super interesting blends. For example, quinoa, squash, flax, ginger, beets, etc.  Stuff that you might not find in other purees. Anyway, like I said, we kinda signed on to supplement fruits and veggies. He doesn't love taking food off a spoon and I don't love the idea of pre-loading. But whatever; I can largely get these down the hatch, even if it's a slow process (dude actually loves beets) and in some ways, I wish he'd take the blends more!

Looking skeptical, tbh

Robs turns into an absolute animal -- for real; super ferocious -- if you're not feeding him/loading up his tray fast enough. He'll yell, pound his fists, the whole 9 yards.

And did I tell you he got a TOOTH? Two in one, really! The bottom center two popped in on the same day. This was probably only a few weeks ago, so we've been waiting on this moment.

Baby boy loves: food (as mentioned; mostly eggs), the bright lights coming off the TV (sorry, that's just what happens what you have an older sibling), his sister, GRANDBOB, the sound of his own voice, esp when it echoes, climbing the stairs (and escaping from us so that he can try to do it alone, phew that's a nightmare), laughing, sleeping (most days), changes in scenery/leaving the house, staring down strangers, and trying to steal Anz's sippie cups.

Baby boy hates: his life when he wakes up in the morning, his car seat, and letting anyone feed him (he'd rather do it himself, BYE).

We laugh because he is the all time happiest baby boy, but he wakes up so mad every day, without fail. Like, the absolute saddest cries and then we go in and he's making the angriest faces. Also, see above, he sleeps *great*. Like, I'm not even gonna talk about how much, for fear of jinxing it. He can't be upset over quality of sleep -- notttt an issue. So what makes him all riled up? He does this after naps, too. We used to go into Anzie's room after a nap and we would be greeted by her excitement -- a huge smile or squeal. With Robby, it's the same upset face.  :(

But then you get all, "MR. ROBS! WHAT'S UP DUDE, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE BOTHERING YOU THIS BAD?" And you make a big scene (well, if you're us), and he finds himself unable to hang onto the cranks. He's smiling in no time at all. Similarly, sometimes that crank face will come back if he's having a good time being held, and then you set him down. Guy lovvvves being held.

I love them so much. I'm scared to even get a word count; this was excessive af.

More stories coming though -- you know I have to do the birthday posts, obviously.

Big changes over here! I'm v sorry that I write long and you'll never get those 20 minutes back. ;)

Baby talk on a Friday! ("I'm a big girl," Ana would clarify).

It happened again, you guys. I haven't blogged in three months because it just got TOO DAUNTING.

I thought like, "Ohhh I should write about our trip! Nah I'll wait." And then I got slammed with work and I trained for a 10-mile race, and I waited, and I waited, and I waited some more ... and now it's been so long and I feel like I need to catch you up on all the cuteness!

There is an insane amount of cuteness. Evidence below.

Like dis

Last time I blogged, we were getting ready to go up north with our extended family (my mom's side, for the record). I had about 50 fears tied to this trip -- like, not stuff I was *actively* up late worrying about, but more like, things in the back of my mind that I knew could go wrong. For example, what if Robby wasn't sleeping well in his Pack n Play? We were planning on being up there an entire week. And sharing this lodge with ... 20 people? So, that could kind of make or break my sanity, if Robs wouldn't sleep ... or like, maybe Ana would kind of rebel, being around so many people? I wondered, would she get super overstimulated by the end of each day and crank up the fit factor? Eesh.

You guys. The trip was amazing, for real. And I hate when people overuse the word amazing. But both kids slept all through the night (every night). They both NAPPED, which is really saying something for Ana. I think she napped every day. And long ones, too! They were synced up on the afternoon nap, and they'd both go down for like, 3 hours. James had to come back to Flint on the Monday-Tuesday for work, and I swear, one afternoon, I just like, took the standup paddleboard out on the lake and then dozed while someone else listened for A&R up at the lodge.

WHAT.

Anyway, that was legitimately in July. I don't even know where the summer went! Which is a cliche thing to say, but just like, true.

We didn't really do any other big trips or anything ... a lot of days, we just spent grilling up dinner and playing in the sprinkler till bedtime! My job has really been kicked into overdrive lately, so we've been busy-busy-busy just trying to survive. I can't believe it's October already! Robby just turned 9 months as of Monday.

He isn't walking yet, and I know a lot of you predicted this month for that benchmark, but admittedly, he's getting pretty close! All he wants to do is stand, and he's working on his balance a bunch lately. If he lets go of the furniture, he can hold himself steady for maybe like, 3 seconds? 5 seconds, tops? He's getting better! And he's not like, cautious, like Ana was. Ana would only steady herself or even ATTEMPT to take a step once she was truly ready. Robby is just not that dude. He's very physical, and excited about moving, and probably a little bit too risky. He crawls at rapid speed around the house (no more inchworm!), beelines it to the stairs at least 27 times a day, and cruises the furniture nonstop. This makes him pretty tired by the time 8:00 rolls around. He's a great sleeper! He's been at consistent 12-hour night-sleeps for awhile now, which is really nice, to be able to have something to rely on in that department. Plus, he's still napping twice a day, for anywhere from an hour to three hours each time. BALLINNNN. (Watch, I just jinxed it).

Sleepy Bob!

For the record, we still put Ana down for quiet time every day during Robs' afternoon nap. Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she plays, but she'll stay up there quietly forever, some days! It's a gift, really. And we're so thankful.

These babes are just everything.

James and I love calling Robby variations of the name BOB.

Like, we were eating Italian food for dinner recently, and he was loving it, so I called out, "Spaghetti Bob!" and James came right back with, "Bobby Noodles!"

Some days he's being an extra Stand-Up Bob, or a Bobby Troubles, or a Bobby Sads, or perhaps Crawl-Around Bob or Bobby Wiggles or Psycho Bob.

It's been 9 months, and we've decided that this will never NOT be funny.

Look at this tall guy

Robby loves ...

• MAMA (and Daddy, of course!)  But I'd say he's a mama's boy first and foremost. Still, he and James really have bonded SO MUCH over these past few months.
• His big sister. They laugh and laugh together. Did I already say this last time? I feel like I always say this: People always told me that there'd be a payoff in having them pretty close in age, because they'd be able to play together. Um, I thought we were talking like, ages 4 and 6. They play together already! And it's the sweetest thing ever. My heart has never melted like it melts to see the two of them loving on each other. I swear they even have their own language. They are the sweetest boops.
• FOOD. Bobby-Eats-A-Lot, how are you only in the 35th percentile when it comes to weight? Some of his favorites include yogurt, scrambled eggs, meatballs, sweet potatoes, blueberries and Kodiak cakes. I would say, "he eats more than Ana!" But that's not so hard these days. He eats more than James, is more like it.
• Squealing, babbling, canonicals.
• Pulling up on everything, standing at the sliding glass door and talking to squirrels.
• Being a Dare-Devil Bob.
• Smiling at people.

Robby does not love ...

• Getting his diaper or outfit changed. Holy hell, this takes me about four times longer than it should, and by the end, we're both sweating and winded. He twists and contorts his little body and fights every step of the way. Sweet Jesus.

Ummm, also, I keep racking my brain, trying to come up with a second bulletpoint for this side of the list, and I seriously cannot. He is the HAPPIEST little guy and we just love him to pieces. He does this hypey noise, as we call it, when he knows one of his favorite foods is coming, or when he's on the stairs, and he gets like, breathless. James and I were just talking about it on the phone during his dinner break; we were like, "I hope we never forget how cute that is!"

And you guyyyyys. He finally stopped spitting up! I don't think I wrote about that last time, did I? He'll spit up like, maybe once a week, but ... this is life-changing. I can't even tell you in how many ways I'm grateful.

Andddd for our Ana bear. Good lord, she is the cutest creature I've ever encountered.

She went through a big phase where she'd call Robby her baby. "No, mama, he is MINE." And she likes to problem-solve when something's wrong. "I think he needs a bottle! How about a nap, Robby?"

She is still fiercely protective of him, but in an older sibling way, where she's allowed to push him over when I'm not looking ... but no one else can, you feel?

She is such a little mama. When she's not babying her brother, she's doing it to her stuffed animals. I love listening to her play. She assigns everyone roles and identities. "Now this is Ana and this is Robby and this is Mommy!"

And just like, around the house, some days she'll decide to be me. Example: "Ana, can you put your shoes on, please? We're leaving in a minute." ... "NO, I'M MAMA." ... "Mama, could you put your shoes on, please? We're leaving in a minute."

We were in Royal Oak semi-recently and I asked, "Mama, have you seen Blue?" And my mom was like, "Nope." I was all, NOT YOU. lololol.

It's so funny.

Real conversation we had earlier today: "Mama, I just talked to my car. But my car doesn't talk back. Because THAT WOULD BE SILLY!"

Ana really tries to love on Robby, but she doesn't know her own strength sometimes. She's definitely known to choke him, fall on him or otherwise injure. You really gotta keep a close eye!

She mashed dirt into his hair a few weeks ago at RO Tuesday, and didn't even really get why we were annoyed. She really wants to feed him, sit with him, "play" with him, "share" (meaning, steal his toys), but he's often confused and doesn't know how to interpret the actions of this big, emotionally fragile toddler-sister of his. Again, they really do play so nice together at times ... but yeah, she's still 2 1/2. So there's all this!

We're on a big kick this week of doing everyone's hair. She loves to brush Robby's, or mine, and she says things (that we tell her), like, "just sit still one more minute!" ... "You're so beautiful!" ... "This will get it out of your face!"

OMG.

My whole heart.

It's just now dawning on me that she's not calling him Baby Wobert anymore. Gah that makes me a little sad! But she will still say things that make us laugh (again, copying), like, "What are you doing now, GUYYYY?"

Last week, she asked me, "Can you put him away now?"

And she shows such empathy! I think I wrote on the Analisa-Robby FB group about this, but one day, she was very bothered by the fact that his tears weren't resolving as quickly as usual. "Can you help him, Mumma? Robby so sad!"

Everyone told us to make sure we take her on special outings, just like, one on one (to which I was like, obviously). But it's really funny -- she doesn't wanna go on special outings. Zero interest. I took her out to breakfast recently, just the two of us, and the whole time, she was like, "Why Baby Robert not here? Is Daddy watching him? Can they come, too?" Haha, the confusion was real. Or I'll take her to gymnastics, and it's typically just the two of us while Robs is napping, and the whole car ride back, she was like, "Robby come next time. He want to see me jump on the trampoline!"

She loves her "Mama-Dada-Robby-Ana-HAPPY FAMILY!" as she'd say.

And I know I know, I say it every time and I'll probably keep saying it, but her language is just incredibly impressive. She remembers like, every little thing I've ever told her, and I'm not even sure I'm exaggerating. We went to grab Robs from a nap the other day, she asked if he were crying, and I said yes. We could hear him; we were like, one wall over. She paused and thought about it long and hard, then responded, "Well, it more of a whimper!"

Um, yes, actually. It really was more of a whimper.

We passed Great Lakes Crossing the other day en route to Royal Oak, and she yelled out, "Look, mama. I see the aquarium! We go there tomorrow maybe?"

Umm, you recognize the aquarium from outside your car window?

She often starts sentences with, "How aboutttttt ..." which is hysterical. "How aboutttt NO!" she'll say if she's pissed.

She's honed in on people's feelings, and not just Robby's when he cries. If I look worried, she'll ask, "Are you happy, mama?"

And she's even linking concepts. We had this moment where we were talking about her wearing a new dress, with her new haircut, and she was all, "Just like Dandelion?" (The lion -- like the book, if anyone's familiar!)

Gosh. Every day, I'm blown away.

She doesn't call things like, "go see fishies." It's the aquarium. It's not "Daddy went bye-bye." He went to the grocery store. And she wants to know which grocery store, for that matter. "We go to Trader Joe's, Mumma?" No more "Watch Bunny Movie?" She requests Zootopia by name. She memorized her latest favorite book in probably two weeks.

Crazy.

We were playing store the other day, just on our front porch -- we'd like, never even done that before. But we were pretending to have a transaction at the end with money, and she yelled at me, "KEEP THE CHANGE!"  I was rolling!

And she still lovvvves to make people laugh. Sometimes I have to wind her down a bit before bedtime, and she'll get all, "But I want to be funny, Mumma." She tries out her jokes on new people, and she's a little perplexed when they don't immediately understand her sense of humor. But she really is funny ... we laugh with her all day.

These 2s have been incredible. Cannot recommend enough that Harvey Karp toddler book, and just ... treating your toddler like she's a real person. I do feel like we're getting into the 3s a bit more lately, just like, walking on eggshells a bit when it comes to the emotions, but I would weather any storm with this sweet little lady. She is so full of love.

Look who's not even chubby anymore?!

"I watch your Snapchat, Mommy? Is 'Leap' on Netflix, Mommy?" <--- these are the questions your 2-year-old could ask in 2018, btw. Like, is this real life?

Oh, and she's finally a little more social (not that she's ever NOT social, just that we don't go to day care), and anyway, we've been doing gymnastics lessons. She's shy at first, but really great overall. She also talks about school, sees it on Peppa Pig, asks for ice skating lessons (lol) ... needless to say, if we can move back in the right direction with potty training (we've stalled), we'll likely do preschool this year! That's so hard to believe.

Anyway, that's life with us right now. I'm glad I could bring this rambling back to your Friday feeds. As my mom would say, "These are the good 'ol days!" And well, they really are! Even if we're a lil sleep deprived, as well. I love this sweet family of mine. The hearts over here are oh-so full.

xoxo!

Ghost-ridin

Frid-HEYYY

It's Friday, y'all!

Eeeeek!

I skipped out on a post last week because I was off work. If I'm not werkin, I'm NOT sitting down at my laptop. Anyway, we went to my cousin Sarah's high school graduation party and then visited with Amanda and (baby) Sarah before coming back home (WAY too late) and then packing for up north.

First thing Saturday morning, we headed up to my parents' boat in Cheboygan -- can you believe it was Ana's first time? Right when we moved back to Michigan, it was winter. And then she was tiny that first summer, and I was all, "but where would we set up the Pack n Play?" (The boat is narrow). Last summer was just ... busy, and surprisingly not hot. I think we meant to come up north, but then like, the next thing I knew, it was mid-September and the season had passed. Whoops.

But now, I just feel like, it was time. We're in a *little* bit of a routine with Robs, he's a pretty reliable sleeper, we have the Dock-a-Tot so he can nap anywhere (no P&P setup needed), Analisa is super fun ... so in the words of Ana, I was all, "let's do it!"

So yeah! We arrived at the boat club and jumped in the pool. It was so hot, even up north, which is pretty rare. We played in the pool area for ... an hour? Two hours? Probably two. I didn't really watch the clock. After that, we walked over to the boat and went on a quick sail. Ana was definitely guarded. I think it was really overwhelming for her. She hung out down below in the cabin, and refused to even sit up top. Oh, and then she fell asleep for awhile.

My forever baby.

Robby was a different story. He napped -- just a quick one -- and then I took him to sit with me as my dad sailed. He seemed to like the breeze! It felt really good out on the water. It was a lot cooler than just sitting on the pool deck.

James napped too for a bit (I swear, it's a thing. The boat is relaxing when you're down below!) but he also hung out. We came back to land soon enough, docked the boat and (my brother) Robby picked up pizza from a really delicious restaurant in town. Robby was coming in from Petoskey, where he lives, so the timing worked out for him to snag the food.

Ana was all, "Uncle Robby, Baby Robby! Uncle Robby, Baby Robby!"

After dinner, the four of us (Ganleys) headed over to Boyne Highlands, where Robby works/and had gotten us a room. I briefly entertained the idea of all of us sleeping on the boat, but like, with my parents and Winnie and two babies and me and James ... it would have been a tight squeeze, and just like, stressful if a babe were struggling to get to sleep. We figured it would be easier to stay at Boyne, despite it being like, 45 minutes away.

We set up (baby) Robby's P&P in the far corner of our room (which was ginorm), and then shared our bed with Ana. She was so excited about sleeping with us; it was really cute actually! I was getting in a pump before bed, and she kept leaning over and whispering, "I yuv you, mama!" ... "Ey, mama! I see you!"

Like, yep. I see you too!

We stayed at the Highlands for a good majority of the day Sunday. I'd never really been there in the summer, despite Robby working at BH year-round and the countless number of times we visited, growing up. But it was a great place to sleep and hang, considering our two littles. We did brunch, the pool, and we played outside (they have this huge yard right in front of the hills, with like, mini-golf and games and tennis courts and a big open space to run around). At some point, we got Anz a grilled cheese, sat outside, etc.  Robs went down for a nap, which held the room hostage for a bit, but we had plenty of options to kill time.

It was over to Petoskey for dinner (and way too much money dropped at American Spoon), although we also stopped in real quick at (brother) Robby's house.

We grabbed a drink with Rob and Emily about an hour later, and then (kind of impulsively) decided to pack up and head back.

(Is my timeline all over the place? Prly).

Anyway, we paid for our hotel through Sunday night, and the original plan *was* to come back home Monday morning, seeing as neither of us works until 3 or 3:30. Butttttt the room was super cheap and we were just like, "why prolong the inevitable?" So we packed up as fast as we could and hit the road by 9p-ish. The kids were chill. We just kinda went for it.

Then we were home by midnight! Living an hour closer to all our fav up north destinations is seriously the best.

It was pretty nice to PTFO in our own bed. Even though we were only away for one night! Robby just wasn't sleeping that well in the P&P, and bed-sharing with Ana was kind of exhausting, and at one point Saturday night, all four of us were sharing the bed, and Anz kicked Robby awake, and just like, ... K.

Up north was a lot of things. And it was really fun, don't get me wrong! But RELAXING wasn't one of those things. I think we forget, sometimes, that traveling/existing with two kids under the age of 3 can be a serious haul.

Still, I don't wanna be the people who hole up at home all year just because we have tiny dictators running our lives. It's just a balancing act.

Anyway, we have another trip coming up next! We're heading back up north with my extended family pretty soon here, so I'll just have to figure out how to make the P&P less ... slippery, if that's the right word. I think Robby's still a little young for the P&P mattress, so I'll have to concoct some plan or mattress pad or another cozy option. The Dock-a-Tot is great, just like, not for overnight.

Speaking of Robs!

(Is it confusing yet, with the baby Robby/Uncle Robby situation?)

My guy!

Baby Robs had his 6-month checkup yesterday. He was such an angel baby. Here was the sitch: He had justttt fallen asleep in the car, and then I dragged him into his appointment -- but did he wake up crabby? Nah, not this guy. He was so smiley and happy to see all the nurses and the doctor, and even the girl at the front desk. He is SUCH a joy, seriously. The one nurse felt super guilty giving him his vaccines; she didn't want to be the one to bring down his chipper mood, lulz.

He's growing so well, and the doctor always comments on how strong he seems. She predicted he could be a 9-month walker, but like, how do you even predict these things? Dr. T was kinda full of shit (my ob-gyn), so like, I always kinda take this stuff with a grain of salt.

Regardless, Robby is definitely up in the crawl position, on hands and knees, and he looks like he's ready to take off -- even if all he's REALLY doing is rocking back and forth. He is very busy, working on his crawl game.

If Ana is any indication, I feel like this next part is about to go SO FAST. Ana went from rocking in the crawl position, to crawling, to crawling FAST, to pulling up, to cruising along the furniture, to walking. I swear that was just a few months ago, right?

Stay little, Mr. Robs!

For reference, Ana walked at a pretty standard age: about 2-3 weeks after her first birthday.

What else ... Robby is eating solids! We were planning on doing baby-led weaning, just like with Ana, but I have a feeling we'll do a modified version (well, which is also just like what we did with Ana). I jumped straight to avocado, green beans and blueberries with Robs ... and he spit them up, like a LOT. Yet he did pretty well with Cheerios. Because he's a reflux-y guy in general, Dr. C advised sticking with the dry stuff -- like the Cheerios. She said maybe give him some baby oatmeal on a spoon, and maybe even mash up some fruit and veg in there, if he'll let us. The weight of it might help with his tummy probs, is the thought here.

But yeah, other than some barfy talk (per usual), our appointment was pretty uneventful. He's obviously keeping something down, because baby boy is still in the 50th percentile for weight (and nearly the 90th for height. You tall, old fella, you).

And I'm not gonna lie: I kinda love shots day. It hurts my heart *so bad* in the heat of the moment, but then he's forgotten about those vaccines a minute later and he proceeds to nap all day. That part's kinda nice.

As for my darling Anza-bear, she is just ... OMG insane. In the best way ever. The sweetest girl I've ever known. Back to her cuddly ways (!!!) which makes my heart melt and ooze. And she's so funny! Did I talk last time, about how she has the best sense of humor? K, I'm sure you're like, "Right Michelle, you're officially that mom, I'm suuuure your 2-year-old is *super funny*." But she just IS and there's no denying it.

She also appreciates humor. If she knows she's doing something that's making us laugh, she'll do it like, again and again and again. She nails her timing. We'll laugh together about the silliest stuff.

That girl loves life.

I walked in her room this morning to grab her and bring her downstairs, and she like, told me a seven-part story. She was like, "I bump my elbow! And it really hurt! And I almost cry! But no cry. I read Blue One Truck! I see toad's booty. Where Dada? Kiss my elbow now, Mama? See baby Robert now, Mama? Feed Baby Robert?"

I hope I never forget when we taught her how to say, "Bonjour!" and she was yelling it to passers-by at Boyne Highlands. People knew what she was saying, too, because they were calling back, "Oh, Bonjour!"

Oh and then yesterday, James was like, "if we could just freeze her like this, for the rest of our lives, I would be happy with that." <-- And I'm not even kidding, because I thought it was precious and typed the quote into the Notes part of my phone. I swear, we lovvvvve having a 2-year-old and talk about it all the time!

Does this not melt your damn HEART?

My final Anz story will involve our babysitter Olivia, and how earlier this week, she was just jumping into a reading of The Pout-Pout Fish, without giving the cover the proper love that it deserves. (I always make a big show of presenting the title, author's name, and sometimes even the illustrator).

No shade though -- like, I'm not sure that's standard, to present the cover, and we lovvvve Olivia.

Anyway, I heard Ana yelling something from the other room where they were reading (I was working at the time). It was muffled, so I peeked in to investigate. Finally, I understood. Ana was insisting that Olivia say the title of the book, followed by the words, "BY DEBORAH DIESEN." Olivia was all, "I'm not sure I understand." And I came in and explained with a laugh. We were rolling. Olivia was like, "She know the author's name?" all incredulously. I was like, apparently so! Then she asked Ana, "Who wrote Little Blue Truck?" And I wasn't even sure Ana would know, offhand. So I re-phrased, since Ana didn't seem to get the question. I was like, "Ana, who is Little Blue Truck by? Alice ...?" And she yelled, "ALICE SCHERTLE," no joke. We were dying.

Potty-training is still happening! Anz definitely doesn't pee in the potty every time, but it's probably getting a little better every day. Also, she's pretty opposed to wearing underwear, so we're still hanging in the diaper, but I think I'll get that one book everyone recommended on my FB two-ish weeks ago. No rush, really! I still think she's right on time. Our new fav thing is when Ana needs a second alone to pee, and she'll be all, "Have a yittah privacy?" She asked my mom that on Tuesday, and Meese was all, "Did Ana just say 'privacy'?"

Oh and Tinky-Winky (who you're familiar with if you follow us at all online) is officially her baby. Today she had him doing tummy-time, down for a nap, in several diapers, etc.  But when she tried to feed him a bagel (which, she tries to feed Robby food ALL THE TIME -- like, things he shouldn't be eating, such as pennies), Anz was suddenly a bit of a know-it-all. She's so cute when she narrates her playtime (which is constant). I heard her saying, "Nooooo, Tinks can't have a bagel. Tinks a baby. DAT WOULD BE SILLAYYYYY."

OMG that girl.

K I said "one more Ana thing" and now I've given you five. It's clear that I'm not that into my kids.

I'm outta here! xoxo