Rain! We've all purchased new rain gear, and our boys don't quite understand why we can't ALWAYS go outside. It's funny: In LA, we tried to spend a lot of time outside, but the boys didn't necessarily beg to go out, and they didn't argue when it was time to come back in the house. Now, though, it's all about being "out!" (as Declan declares loudly each day). Luckily, we have our backyard, our front yard, and a very close park to choose from when we do have decent enough weather.
Also, babies in rain gear...need I say more?
We found a local trail for walks, and our double stroller is logging quite a few miles this winter!
Our little independent three-year-old is testing out how far he can run away from us. This scene is pretty common nowadays.
We are eagerly exploring new neighborhoods and trying out new restaurants. One thing I love about the Bay Area is that each small city has its own downtown, and most of them are adorable main street areas with cute shops, fun restaurants, and good people watching. It's nice to have a Place To Go on days we just need to get out of the house!
But we find plenty to do around the house too. Lots of "Mommy, play with me!" and shrieks (playing? arguing? who can tell?) and giggles. It's chaotic and fun and exhausting.
During the day, Marshall goes to a new preschool, and I stay home with Declan. Marshall LOVES his new school, teachers, and friends, and we think it's a great fit for him. We were nervous about the transition for him, especially since we loved his old school so much, but it's all gone better than we could have hoped. Of course, we have seen some elements of adjusting--more tantrums than usual, some defiance here and there--but we think Marshall is taking this whole move really well overall and are so proud of his resilience.
At three and a half years, Marshall is a hardcore rule-follower (and rule-maker: if there isn't a rule, or if he doesn't like the rule, he'll create a new one!). He still loves books more than anything, and his favorite toys are those that involve building--Legos, blocks, anything. He's growing into his big brother role and struggles with how to interact with Declan. I get it. Declan's too little to join in many of Marshall's favorite things, and when they do play together Declan tends to "destroy" (Marshall's word) whatever Marshall is building. But mealtimes are so fun, and they are starting to share inside jokes and love to get reactions out of each other. I see some major shenanigans in our future! Three is a tough age for all of us: daily battles for Marshall to get dressed and out the door for school, high emotions all the time, struggles around being so little and yet feeling more independence. Terry and I are doing our best to help him through it, and he's doing a great job of reminding us that he's still our sweet, hilarious, curious, observant little boy.
15-month-old Declan is bursting with energy and isn't much for sitting still. He is slooooowly starting to show some interest in books, but he seems to enjoy the act of choosing a book, bringing it to us, sitting in our laps, and opening the book more than the whole reading thing (who has time for that when I can just pick out a different one and start all over?). He still loves to eat and takes some good naps now, along with sleeping all the way through the night a few times a week (hallelujah!). I wonder if he misses day care, since he loves people and would probably enjoy being around other voices and faces, but I really am enjoying our time together, however long it lasts. So I do my best to get us out of the house a lot, and hopefully next month we can check out some baby gym classes to let him hang out with other people.
Declan and I spend our days in a mix of fun outings and adventures geared toward him (walks, parks, the local children's museum) and chores and errands that I sprinkle in (I've checked out every Trader Joe's and Target in a 10-mile radius). He's at a fun age right now: he's walking really solidly so he can play on most play structures at parks, and we can mix up our outings with the stroller or letting him walk. He's also talking a lot more now, with maybe 30-50 words he uses consistently. He recently started saying "happy," but he doesn't really use it in any context, so there are times he just randomly starts saying "happy...happy..." over and over while sitting in his car seat or toddling around the house. Needless to say, it's adorable.
(at the library--he has no idea what to do here, but he sure looked confident sitting there!)
This weekend, we officially weaned Declan completely from breastfeeding. He's been down to one feeding per day for a while now, and I figured it was time to make the jump. I think he'll adjust pretty quickly, but I'm sad to see those days end. Luckily, my experience with Marshall showed me that our relationship will continue to evolve, and I know that Declan and I have lots of fun in store! Still, I'll miss those quiet moments, just me and him (or sometimes, me, him, and a certain big brother squeezing onto the chair because he wants to hear the story I'm reading to Dec). I feel so blessed to have had a positive breastfeeding experience with both boys, and I truly cherished that time. Now we're officially into toddlerhood and ready for whatever it brings!
And hopefully it'll bring more adventures like this weekend's outing to Muir Woods! We had a chilly, crisp day, a little mud, and lots of TALL trees!
These ages are so fun, but they certainly have their share of challenges. The bickering comes and goes, but I have noticed that the loving moments are becoming more frequent. We're starting to see a friendship blossom, and I look forward to days when they'll actually play together for more than a few minutes!
