~What's In a Name~

I wish I was using that title to announce BR2's name, but alas he is still a nameless little one, or as I like to call him 'Baby No Name.'  With Rowen, there was no debate.  We faltered that first night we knew he was a boy, but determined his name would be Rowen Joseph before we went to bed that night.  With this little guy we have gone back and forth through name after name. 

To add to the debate is the mandatory 'unique' clause apparently came from naming Row Row.  By giving him such a strongly Irish and less common name, it has been mentioned by several close friends that BR2 can't simply have a more common name, like Bob ( for the record I know and love many Bobs, including my dad.)  I have spent countless hours scouring blogs, baby name websites, even the social security website to come up with a name that both the hubs and I can agree on.  One thing we have agreed on is that his middle name with be James.

Here are a few that we have ruled out so far:

1. John. While more common, we have a thing for the Kennedy  Family.  Problem is our dog is Jack, iamed for the very same person.  I suggested we name him John James Rivera,  and call him JJ  until the day Jack the dog passes away and then we can start calling him Jack.  Crazy? I think so.

The Original Baby Jack

2. Dylan. We love Dylan, in fact it may stay on this list for the next baby.  It means son of the sea, which fits perfectly with our nautical backgrounds.  Problem with this name? Someone I work with has a son named Dylan, and he is the BAD son.  Many of the stories start with you'll never guess what Dylan did...Maybe in a few years when I don't work with him anymore I will be able to look at Dylan from a nonbiased view point.

3. Landon.  I love Landon, have every since I read A Walk to Remember.  Landon Carter Rivera sounds pretty fabulous to me.  But there is a certain soccer player, Landon Donovan, who the Hubs does not like and thinks if we were to name him that everyone would think he was named for the soccer player.  However, if I were to suggest naming him Chicharito after his favorite soccer player he probably would seriously consider it.  Chicharito James Rivera...I think not!

4. Laurence. This name came into conversation as a I listed every street we passed that could pass as a name.  I threw it in with the this was Christian Bale's character's name in Little Women (Hubs may have a slight man crush on Christian Bale.)  Rudy countered with "Why wouldn't we name him after his best character Bruce (aka Batman)?" Which only made me think of Bruce the Shark from Finding Nemo....

These are only a few that have been contemplated. I made the mistake last time of buying a baby name book that has 100,000 names in it, and the majority of them are random.  For example America, Origin: The United States of America.  Really?

At this point in my mind we have it narrowed down to four names.  Last week I gave Rudy two of the names we were considering and told him to pick one, and didn't pick the one I was hoping he would pick, meh. The third name I really like and he isn't onboard yet, despite my  claims that Blank James Rivera  sounds like a professional soccer player to me.  The last name, and likely the winner of this chicken dinner, we love I just have a few concerns with.  It begins with an R  which creates lots of issues in my head (none of which appear legitamate to Rudy):

1. In Ireland it is considered a boy name, but here in the US it is more commonly seen as a girl.  Does that mean everyone is going to assume a girl is showing up when he shows up somewhere?

2. Is this name too close to Rowen's name, they both begin with Ro. 

3. This may be the craziest concern but if down the line the next baby is a boy would he be upset if every other male figure in his family had an R name and he didn't.  This is the last R name in our arsenal, and naming a third boy an R name would make me feel like I was on my way to being a Dugger. 

Yes I may be crazy and I may be over analyzing names, but it will be his name FOREVER.  That little fact makes this so much harder for me.  And I feel like BR2 is getting the short end of the stick because we have known he is a he for almost a month and are still refering to him as him, or Baby No Name in my case. 

At least we have a middle and last name picked out.

~Midweek Madness~

~The dog days of summer have arrived in DC.  The thermometer in my car told me that it was 107 degrees outside, but it was really only 98.  That didn't mean I didn't feel like I was breaking out in a sweat walking the 50 feet between my car and my front door. 

 Days of exhausting heat always make me think of the classic movie "The Long Hot Summer."  It happens to be one of my favorite movies, and  I just wish that one time as a reward for enduring this heat I would get a shirtless Paul Newman walking around my front yard just like Claire did in the movie.....

~ My reward for having a clean house, a bathed and in bed baby, and sleeping dogs by 745pm? Silence. And this...

The mister is off on a work adventure in Wisconsin until Friday, so once I have everything set up for tomorrow I can just sit back and relax with the new copy of Better Homes and Gardens that I picked up at Target today.  Its funny that as I child I found this magazine rather boring when my mother used to get and now I pick it up every time I see a new one in the store.

I also got the pretty pink candle while at Target...

And it is making my kitchen smell like a carnival!! Amazing!

~Rowen still hollered like crazy when I took him out of daycare aka 'Fun Town' today, but other than that he was my sweet angel boy all afternoon.  The sweltering heat made me think all the hair on his head must be pretty hot so I took him to the mall and cropped his locks just a bit!

And he thoroughly enjoyed his grill cheese dinner as evident in this picture!

~I may not of been crazy about brown eyes when I met my husband, and I wasn't entirely sold on them when Rowen was born, but pictures like this sure make me hope that little brother has big brown eyes too...

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

~Working Mom Meltdown~

Yesterday just happened to be one of those days where I let my insecurities about being a working mom get the best of me. 

A few weeks ago Rowen transitioned into the one year old class, meaning all of the kids are between 12 and 24 months.  Thus far we think this has been a great change for him.  He LOVES his new teachers, his new freedoms, and doing things that the 'big kids' get to do.  But it also means that right now he is the baby of the class, and its going to take some adjustments on both his and our part in order for him to fit in with the flow of the class. 

Yesterday when I went to pick him up it was snack time, which immediately follows nap time.  Nap time in this age group is both a blessing and a curse.  In the baby room Rowen all but refused to take a nap, so when he got home he usually took a three hour plus nap to make up the sleep.  In this room, nap time is a mandatory noon to 2pm.  I still have yet to figure out how they magically get him to lay down and sleep on a cot.  His teachers have told me that they usually have to wake him up. But a nap is better than no nap.  

When I got to his class they had just settled down to snack, and one of the misses was sitting with Rowen trying to teach him to use a spoon.  We haven't started using utensils with him, and while Rowen wasn't bothered by her tone she was teaching him in, I was.  I'm sure part of me is overreacting, and maybe she is a no nonesense kind of teacher.  One of the other misses commented that we needed to work on this as well with Rowen, and I took note of how the teacher was teaching Rowen so we could practice at home and get him on board.

Now this is where the structured nap time can slap me in the face.  While he isn't as tired as he was when he was in the baby room, Rowen still is a little tired when he gets home, so we try to let him spend some time winding down from the day.  If its a good day, by the time we get home I get a solid four, maybe five hours with my baby.  And in those four or five hours I would like to see my happy sweet little boy and not a tired cranky toddler that is frustrated because I am trying to make him learn.  Yesterday Rowen was showing the tired/hungry signs, but with his teachers in the back of my mind, I sat down to attempt to teach him to use the spoon.  Frustration got the best of both of us, and his hysterical crying because all he wanted was for me to feed him his beloved strawberry banana yogurt turned into my hysterical crying.  And I can't blame it all on the preggo hormones.

This is where my insecurities about the decision to work take over.  They make me feel like daycare teaches Rowen more than I do.  Aside from weekends, we get such a small window of time with him everyday.  They are making the major decisions of when he is getting table food, using utensils, etc. and will probably be the ones to potty train him, all while I feel like it should be me that is making these decisions, and if I were home with him I would be doing just that.  Compounding these insecurities is the fact that in the past two pick ups Rowen has not wanted to leave daycare with me, and I have had to carry him out flalying and screaming all  the way to the car.  Not my most glamorous motherhood moment.

I know there are great things about our daycare.  They are part of our village that is helping us raise him, and while we do pay them, I know his teachers genuinely care about him.  I see the love in their eyes every time I see one of his old teachers pick him up and rock him just because they miss having him around everyday. And I know Rowen loves it.  

But when I get down and out about the constant daycare balance, I have to fight to not let it get the best of me. Because if I don't, then I start to believe  daycare is more of a mother to Rowen than I am.  Which  is not the case.  I know they don't teach him the sign language that I see him use all the time.  I know that it was his dad who taught him the big belly laugh he so handily uses now.  And I know that his first full word will probably be our dog Jack's name and not one of his teacher's names. 

While the day brought about a lot of questions for me, I also managed to successfully set baby number two up on the waiting list for daycare....sans tears.  Maybe by the time he comes along and we start this merry dance again, which I keep telling myself isn't until 2013 to make it seem really far away, I will have conquered these fears and become comfortable in my path.  This mom stuff sure can be tough. 

~Rowen Right Now~

Dear Rowen,

I wanted to take a few minutes and write down some of the little things that you do right now that make Daddy and I love you oh so much.  While I should probably be putting these in your baby book, we need to be honest about that project, which is still sitting on the shelf in your room in the pretty box it came in.  This theme of Mommy having 'unfinished projects' will probably be one you see for the rest of your life.

Moving on, here are a few things about you right now.  I will try to do these types of updates as I think of them:

~ On June 5th you moved up to the one year old class, and there has been no looking back.  You love your new class, the new teachers, the new experiences (like going outside to play everyday), and the transition has gone far smoother than we expected.  You do get a little sad when you see your old teachers, but it is a fleeting emotion, and you have pretty much stopped getting upset in the mornings when we drop you off.  You also now take naps at school, so when you are home with us, you are much happier in the afternoons before bed time. 

~ You have become the biggest hugger in the last few weeks, and we love it! Sometimes it is a quick squeeze around the legs, or the arms around our necks when we pick you up, but you are bursting with affection these days!

~ We have discovered that you might be telling us more than we thought!  Usually when I give you food you babble, mom-ma-ma, and I figured you were just associating food with that title.  Until the other day when your dad was feeding you and you started, da-da-da.  So I think you know who we are!  You are also doing great with your signs, and if we don't give you food fast enough you furiously sign 'more, more, more'.

~I think it is safe to say your favorite summer food is Watermelon! You love watermelon, and can't get enough of it.  Yesterday I was able to capture you eating it, and I promise this shirt was clean before you starting eating it.  We are so happy you are an easy eater!

~ And in talking about you talking, I would be remise if I didn't mention how you say 'hello'.  When we tell you to say hello, you put your hand up to your ear and start babbling like you are on the phone. We rarely talk on the phone when we aren't on speaker phone so we don't know where you picked this up, but it is the funniest thing to see you 'talk' on your hand!

~You have always had a love of books, but lately you have been very aggressive in your reading, especially with your Dad.  When we are with you in the living room, you like to go get books for him, and demand he pick you up to read.  When he tries to finish the books, you either go get him another one or make him start over.  We have had to resort to hiding some of the more boring books behind the couch just so you can't find them!

~Lastly, you have developed an intense desire to be outside.  While you haven't yet mastered the front step out of the door, as soon as you set foot on the sidewalk you take off!  And any time I so much as pick up a bag, or something off the kitchen table, you think its time to be on the move, and grab my hand and take me to the front door.  This trick has ended in a few tears when you realize I won't open the door for you!

These are only a few of the adorable things you are doing these days, and you are changing so much!  Everyday I look at you and see less and less of a baby and more of a little boy! Nevertheless, you will always be my baby!

~Just Call Me Grocery Getter~

Or soccer mom.  We got a mini van. AND.I.LOVE.IT. I was foolish to think that I wouldn't love it, but I did have a slight mid twenties life crisis when I spent eight hours at the dealership on Friday, but having driven it a handful of times, I know the loss of those eight hours was worth it.

Now I was one of those people who said I would never drive a minivan.  And in fact I believed that if it did happen someday I would be 42 years old, not 26. When we were at the dealership, Rudy mentioned that the minivan completed my mom transformation, and now all I need is a soccer team to tote around.  I will wait another four years for that thank you very much.

But laughing matters aside, the practicality of this beauty won me over.  With two under two quickly approaching, the automatic opening doors with built in sun shades were calling my name.  And to take it one step further, the mv has a cooler box to store drinks in, which I promptly filled with bottled water, and was delighted to find it pleasantly chilled not much later.  This was a smart purchase for us, and I'm happy we made the leap.  Rowen seems pretty impressed with his new digs as well!  

While I was  surfing the internet to find nicknames of minivan moms (don't read the urban dictionary definition, trust me) I found this article which describing those for and against being a minivan mom.  Take a look, and I hope you enjoy it! 

~A Boy on the Barque~

Today we got up bright an early and made our way to Baltimore's Star Spangled Sailabration! One tall ship in particular that I wanted to see was the Coast Guard's Barque EAGLE.  

When I was a sophomore in college I sailed to Europe on the EAGLE.  While it was often rigorous work, I look back on it fondly, and I met many of my best friends onboard.  Today they were having tours for the Coast Guard family so we took advantage of them, and I'm glad I did!

One thing I wanted most to do was get pictures of Rowen onboard.  While I won't be pushing him to choose the same path that I did, if he does decide to go to the Academy, I wanted to have these pictures for one day when he grows up and leaves on his cadet summer cruise.  I realize that may be a pipe dream, but at least I got some cute pictures out of the process! 

One day he may learn to sail right here!

 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Baltimore, and we discovered an area we will definitely be back to explore once the summer crowds have died down.  I hope you all are having a wonderful, relaxing weekend! 

~California Raisins~

I like to attribute my dislike of raisins to these gentlemen...

The California Raisins.  I distinctly remember the commercials from my childhood and being creeped out by the singing and dancing raisins.  And now in adulthood, every time I see a little box of raisins, I think of these claymations grooving to the oldies.  

While I dislike raisins, a certain little boy that I love does not. In fact, Rowen loooves raisins.   When ever we set him in his chair and get out one of those little red boxes, the sheer joy on his face is infectious!  He carefully and diligently picks each of the raisins up in the beloved finger pinch grip so characteristic of toddlers, and is content to sit and munch as long as we keep the raisins coming!  

Raisins have become one of go to snacks in the afternoon while Rudy and I prepare dinner.  They keep Rowen entertained, work on his dexterity, and are nutritious as well.  And thankfully, they don't sing! 

This afternoon I realized I haven't taken many pictures of him lately so I thought snack time might be the perfect time to catch him not on the move.  I do have to warn you though, he has gotten so old, in fact, he looks too old to still be my baby.  These little grins melt my heart....

~How Has it Been 18 Years~

This past weekend, Rowen and I flew home to see my kid brother, Joe, graduate from high school.  The weather turned out pretty crappy, but the ceremony was very nice.  And while he didn't graduate from the same high school as I did, his graduation ceremony was held in the same building as mine, and the same building likely that my sisters' graduations will be held in.  It is a nice link considering I graduated eight years ago (gasp) and the baby of the family won't graduate for another 12 years. 

Joseph, we are so, so proud of you.  And while you may be a high school graduate, I want you to remember you will always be my baby brother.  We love you so much!

Here are a few pictures from the day.  Unfortunately the lighting inside was terrible so all of my pictures turned out blurry, but we did get a video of him walking across the stage....

And the video....

Joe Walking Across the Stage!!!

~Double the Trouble~

I am a little behind getting this up, but on Monday we went for an ultrasound to find out if BR2 is a Boy or a Girl....

It didn't take long for the little one to show us what we came to see....

BR2 is a little Boy!

We were quite surprised since my pregnancy has been a little different, but we are ecstatic nonetheless! And it will be wonderful for my first little boy to have a brother to share his life with, I can't wait! 

Now if only we could decide on a name.....