more
more
more
Standard

Pandemic tree shopping

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Here’s how we picked out our Christmas tree this year. Emily typically joins us so this time she hopped on a Zoom meeting as we all browsed Home Depot’s website. It was actually pretty nice — we didn’t have to deal with the usual bad weather or trying to stuff a tree in our car. Plus free shipping!

more
Standard

Happy Thanksgiving!

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

COVID kept us on our own for Thanksgiving this year. We did a pajama day while cooking — I made dessert and apps while Justin handled the main meal. I tried to find a frozen version of Aunt Maureen’s specialty appetizer but it was not the same! The pie was not like Grandma’s either — somehow I managed to both undercook and overcook it at the same time. And what a mess I made spilling it all over the oven!

Beckham tried his very first solid food during dinner. I figured Thanksgiving would be a perfect time for that! The flavor? Pumpkin, of course! He kept grabbing the spoon from me, already wanting to feed himself.

Emily and my parents stopped by and dropped off tons of goodies as they went around the suburbs delivering food to everyone. Later in the evening we did a Sullivan family Zoom meeting.

And just how all good Thanksgiving meals should end, Jackson (and Luc) passed out on the couch.

more
more
more
Status

Heeeellp

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

First Jackson refused a nap. Then Beckham refused a nap.

Then I came downstairs to find Jackson “making dinner.” He had mixed together a 1 lb container of salt, an entire container of vegetable oil, and a Costco-size bottle of vanilla extract. 

Then, rubbing it in even more, he turns to me and says, “Why is Beckham awake?”

more
more
more
more
Standard

Cool dude

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

I think I found my new calling! Decorating baby helmets, lol.

There are places you can take them to for a custom design, but I just found stickers on Amazon (I believe the listing said it was for tween girls haha) that would work on water bottles, laptops, etc.

Out of the huge pile of stickers, Jackson picked out his favorite ones and then I stuck them on the helmet. After he lost interest, though, I was the one working hard on it all night long!

more
more
more
more
more
more
Standard

Pandemic baby

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Don’t be fooled — he didn’t actually drink any of it. And still never has taken a bottle! I never would have thought I could have survived that, but here we are.

Apparently this actually is a trend with pandemic babies — they’re not taking bottles because their moms are all at home!

At this point we can probably just skip right to sippy cups (hopefully we’ll have better luck there). But I had to pump today for a clogged duct. It was the very first time using the electric pump — also totally unbelievable, considering he’s 5 months old. That’s partly because I never go anywhere, but also because I was so turned off from when I had to pump right away at the hospital with Jackson (and pretty much any time thereafter) that I purposefully avoided it as long as possible.

The kicker is I got a new pump this time and it was actually pretty comfortable! Much better than my last one. Too bad I won’t need it, haha.

more
more
more
Standard

Sleeping like a baby

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

I’m so relieved to not have to worry any more about which direction his head is turned while he’s asleep! And no more trying to flip him to face the other way at the risk of waking him up!

more
Standard

Thanks, Disney Junior

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

Coming home from our appointment, Beckham was sleeping in his car seat and Jackson started to sing him a lullaby. It was so sweet — until I realized too late what song he was singing. It’s from one of his TV shows and starts out as a soft lullaby but then changes into hard rock music with everyone yelling “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

So sure enough, Jackson started screaming, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

And sure enough, Beckham woke up.

more
Standard

First day in the helmet

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

So far so good! It doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. It’s lighter than I was expecting, and pretty easy to put on. He’ll be wearing it pretty much all the time, except for one hour a day. You have to clean it daily with rubbing alcohol and they want you to let it dry for a full hour before putting it back on. But he’ll also have it off during all of his neck exercises at home and at physical therapy. And then briefly at various points just to check how hot/sweaty he is. Luckily we got it in the winter time so hopefully we won’t have any issues with the heat.

I was really worried about how the first night would go. In addition to sleeping with it on, he also could not have his sleep sack, as usual, because the helmet can make them extra hot. But he seemed totally fine with all the changes. He still woke up a lot, but nothing out of the ordinary. I don’t think the helmet bothered him one bit.

more
more
more
more
more
more
more
more
Standard

More official portraits

By • On • In Kids, Pets • 1 min read

I also realized I did not have any of all the dinosaurs together. I gave up on the idea of a full family photo, but I did try to get some of Jackson, Beckham and Luc together. Let me tell you, that is not an easy feat! A little bribing with Halloween candy finally did the trick.

more
Quote

Weeeeee!

By • On • In Kids • 1 min read

Me, as Jackson started to roll Beckham over: “We have to be careful still.”

Jackson: “OK, I’ll roll gently.” 

more