Room Sharing

Nate and I debated back and forth the merits of Laura and Gavin sharing a room.  Our house has three bedrooms, but we also have Nate's saint of a mother (and often my saint of a mother, too) watch the kids two days a week to save on day care.  My MIL lives an hour and a half away, so she stays over on Thursday nights.  Which means she needs a comfy bed.  So while Nate and I briefly entertained other arrangements, it made the most sense to have Laura and Gavin share a room.

It's a small room.  I blogged about it in March, when Laura got her big girl bed.  So I was really nervous about one child keeping the other awake at night.  Laura didn't sleep through the night for the longest time.  What if Gavin was the same or worse and kept Laura awake with him? 

So I kept Gavin in the bassinet in our room for a really long time.  Then we went to Cape Cod, where we all four shared one big room.  Laura slept through Gavin's little noises just fine, so I thought maybe Gavin could move to the crib.  Except he had a cold and was coughing so much.  Plus, he'd spent the first so many weeks sleeping on the inclined hammock of the bassinet and I wasn't sure how he'd do flat on his back.  So I moved the bassinet into the guest room.

Then we went to Seattle where we all four shared a small room.  Laura once again slept through Gavin's little noises without incident.  I discovered that Gavin slept fine on a flat surface as long as he was swaddled.  So when we got back from Seattle, it was time to commence Operation Room Share.  We put Laura to bed, kept Gavin up for a while, then put him to bed.  Laura slept through Gavin's midnight snack, and we were all happy.

The next night, Laura went to bed at 8:30 as usual.  Gavin fell asleep downstairs at 8:40.  We moved him upstairs.  He slept through the night.  Fluke, right?  Except that the next night he fell asleep at 8:40 again, and slept through the night again.  Maybe another fluke.

Except that it's still happening.  Gavin wakes up some nights, but is quickly settled again after a quick snack or a re-swaddle.  He really loves to be swaddled, and is a great sleeper.  But better than anything Gavin has (or hasn't) done, has been Laura's attitude.  She loves having Gavin in the room with her!  She wakes up every morning, just so happy to see her brother smiling at her from the crib. 

[caption id="attachment_1674" align="alignnone" width="224"] We woke up hearing Laura reading her favorite story to Gavin. Precious![/caption]

We had one night where I wound up moving Gavin into the bassinet in the guest room, since I was terrified for some unknown reason that he'd wake Laura.  When Laura woke up, she was distraught over the empty crib!  "Why Gabin in his bassinet?  Why he not in the cwibby?"  She is just so sweet.  Gavin has spent every night since in his crib.  He's learning to self-soothe himself back to sleep, rather than absolutely needing a snack. 

So room sharing?  Has been a phenomenal success.

Best Wishes

I have so many future blog posts swirling in my head.  Getting back to work.  Laura and Gavin sharing a room.  Our transition from exclusive breastfeeing to almost-exclusive formula.  My pride in Laura being a nice kid.  My fear of one day having to read certain books with my children.  These are all important posts, for another day. 

Earlier this week, my brother-in-law announced his intentions to propose to his girlfriend of three months.

I am shocked and gasping and reeling at the quickness of it.  Three months!  They met online!  We haven't even met her!  He is rushing in so fast!

I want to be horrified.  Part of me is a little horrified - he has rushed into so many things so many times, only to fail.  But there is another part of me that wants so badly for my brother-in-law to be happy.  To finally have a good outcome.  To maybe grow up a little bit.  Three months isn't all that short a time is it?  For two 33 year olds to know their minds? At nineteen, didn't I know for a fact that I would marry Nate, even though we'd only "dated" for three months?  Sure, we waited a few more years to get married.  But our feelings toward each other and our future together never wavered.

So why not?  Why not propose to a girl with similar values, hopes and dreams when you are 33 and anxious to get started on family?  Why not propose to a girl equally excited for a future with kids and pets?  Why not be hopeful for something good, after so much bad? 

So to my dear brother-in-law, here is a wish and a prayer that this time you are right.  That this girl is your "one."  I wish you the best.  I support you, and hope I can meet this girl soon!  Best wishes to the bride-to-be, and congrats to the groom... But please also know that inside my head is spinning.  WOAH.

Pouring my heart out

Take Your Gavin to Work Day

I'd like to start this post by reminding you, my dear readers, that Gavin is a really happy baby.  He doesn't need much in life beyond a bottle, a swaddle blanket, and a toy or two.  And even as happy and "easy" as he is, yesterday left me completely exhausted!  I don't know how you work-at-home moms do it.  Or you mom-at-work moms.  Or frankly, you stay-at-home (which is really work) moms.  HOW DO ANY OF US DO IT?!  That is not the point of this post.  The point of this post is to show you how cute my kid was at work all day! 

In a move that is beyond my comprehension, day care is closed this week for their annual "professional week."  I think they are cleaning and getting ready for the academic school year.  Which is fine.  I just don't understand why they close every single year for this week, the week that public school resumes.  The week that college kids flock back to their dorms.  The week that is the absolute 100% least convenient week ever to find child care.

We shipped Laura off to Grandma's, where she could be a third little girl to play princess with the family my MIL nannies for the first half of the week.  My FIL offered to watch Gavin on Wednesday (tomorrow), and my SIL is watching him today.  That left Monday.  So yesterday, Gavin came into work with me!

The joys of commuting:



I think Gavin enjoyed the train ride.  Like most commuters, he managed to fall asleep just as we were pulling into the station.  I do that all the time, dozing off right when I get the shortest, least helpful nap ever, leaving me groggy the rest of the day.  Which is why Gavin started his work day with a nap:



Yup.  That's my beloved travel bassinet again.  Under an open desk drawer.  With a draped sweater to dim the fluorescent lights.  The nap was all too brief, and soon Gavin was in meetings the rest of the morning.  Meetings with toys, that is:



He took his time at work very seriously, and stopped for a very prolonged lunch.  I kept getting up from the conference room table to head back to work after I'd eaten, but another coworker would see the baby and come in to say hi.  It was a long lunch!  So after lunch, Gavin helped me to catch up on emails and do some data entry:



I guess the data entry was exhausting, because Gavin passed out in his travel bassinet desk with sweater nook for the rest of the afternoon.  I did wake him up to help me with some filing before we left, but he wasn't too thrilled:



Is anyone ever thrilled to do filing?  Actually, I sorta like it.  But I'm definitely the minority.  Gavin did really well for a full day at work.  And while in hindsight, I probably could have brought him to work everyday this week, I'm really glad we have such great family to volunteer their time to watch him!

Planning for Life

Three years ago (almost to the day) Nate was switching to a new career.  A career he had long desired, but had been unable to begin to that point: A career in life insurance and financial planning. 

Three years ago (almost to the day) I was supportive of Nate's choice to move into financial planning, but unsure of the exact importance of life insurance.  It seemed like a superfluous expense, hinging on the threat that I would die someday.  But I quickly learned that life insurance is so much more. 

Life insurance is more than a lump sum of money for my dependents.  On the most basic level, life insurance is peace of mind.  My family would be taken care of.  Nate could afford to soldier on and raise our family. 

But beyond that most basic level of financial planning, life insurance can be a tool.  A wonderful resource.  Life insurance can be an investment.  We have policies set up for both of our children.  If they mature to healthy adults, that money can be taken out to pay for their education.  If, God forbid, one of our children develops a disease that would otherwise exclude them from qualifying for life insurance as adults, they already have a policy grandfathered in.  I know I am doing my part to provide for their financial futures - no matter the outcome.

And if Nate and I someday want that boat in the Caribbean?  That RV to drive across the US?  We can cash out our policies to do so.  It's pretty amazing: we have insurance to protect our family during our working years.  And when the kids are out of the house, we have the option for cash to have fun!

We tend to think of financial planners who shout "YOU WILL DIE! Protect!" in their most menacing voices, to scare us into buying policies.  I am proud to be married to a man who instead shouts "YOU WILL LIVE! Plan!" 

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month.  Let me know if you are interested in learning more.  I blogged about this to participate in the Life Insurance Movement.  Because awareness is key. #LifeAWARE