Pandora's Box

Grandma came to our house this morning to pick up Ollie so he could sleep until he woke up (and I think she wanted to feed him his morning prunes). Of course since we made accommodations for his normal sleep pattern, he was up at the crack of dawn. Either way, it was nice of Grandma to save me the drive to Grant's Lick that early in the morning. I keep telling myself that it is getting easier to leave my sweet baby, but I think I'm just fibbing.

Today was another long one, so by the time I picked Ollie up it was 4:45. Daddy called while I was at Grandma's insisting he had to have Chipotle for dinner and he would treat with his mad money. No sane person could refuse that, so we rushed home to catch the train to burrito town.

When we pulled in the driveway I spotted a bright-blue box on our doorstep. I didn't even take the time to unload the car (except for Ollie) before cracking into the package. It was full of all sorts of P&G products as a welcome to the company. Full-size products too, not travel-size! I guess working has its perks. Of course the unseen items in the box crossed my mind too. Stress, less sleep, and time away from my baby. Does the good stuff outweigh the bad or is there a decent balance? I guess time will tell.

Ollie was ready for a nap, so he couldn't wait to get on the road. It seemed like Daddy took 2 hours taking his shower and shaving. You'd think someone who was so excited about eating would step it up a notch. Of course he didn't get home from work until 1:00 am and had to get back up at 6:00 am, so I guess he was entitled to drag a little bit. Chipotle was yummy and Ollie slept the entire drive, meal, and drive home. I guess Grandma put him to work today, so he was worn out.

Once we got home the boys decided to assemble the oscillating fan I bought today. Ollie read the instructions, while Daddy put things together. Miraculously, it worked when they plugged it into the wall! I have to say Daddy has more patience with Ollie as a helper than me. He normally tunes out my reading instructions, but not his little munchkin.


After cleaning up the assembly line, Ollie took a moment to actually put weight on his legs. I guess he's proving me wrong for calling him lazy bones. I'm thinking he may have a stubborn streak. It is really hard to say if that comes from Daddy or me, because we both have the hard-headed, get-the-last-word-in gene. Poor Ollie's doomed.

The standing really worked up an appetite because as soon as he sat down he started whimpering for food. After eating cereal mixed with blueberries and pears Daddy and Ollie watched Deadliest Catch while downing the bottle. They both fell asleep shortly thereafter.

The last two days have been really long, but I think it was worth it because I'll be off all day tomorrow. Over the last 9 months I almost forgot what it felt like to have a day off with all of the endless possibilities. I want to sleep in, do chores, run errands, write, and spend quality time with Ollie. I'm guessing the last one will be the winner.

Dog Days

Ollie slept so late this morning I kept going in to check to see if he was still breathing. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it did remind me of a time when my Great-Grandma Heitker was sleeping in my bed when I was a child. She slept about 2 hours later than normal, and even though I was only about 10-years-old, I remember my mom starting to panic and Jeremy looking for a mirror. Of course she was about 90 at the time, so I can understand the concern. I think Ollie was just feeling extra comfortable since we turned on the air conditioner to deal with the unseasonably warm weather.

After working over 8 hours, I finally got to Grammie's to pick up my sweet boy. Luckily, we had the jogging stroller because we had to RUN home, dodging a rain shower. Daddy was already home waiting to see us both. Poor guy had to go back to work just three hours after getting home. Hopefully he won't be out too late, but there's no telling with night plumbing.

Luckily, Daddy took the time to play with Ollie while I cooked dinner. Of course they were making such a ruckus I got distracted from the pork chops and burssel sprouts.


As soon as Daddy and I ate, the boys kicked back for a nap while I took care of some paperwork and went for a short walk. Ollie woke up hungry just about the same time Daddy had to get up to go back to work. They seem to be on the same evening nap schedule this week.

Ollie ate his dinner and Betsy wasn't far from his side. I think she is training for the near future of finger foods and sharing with her favorite mini human. I did feed her a few left over peas and Ollie giggled as she licked it off of her nose. On second thought that was not a good idea and I probably won't be doing that again anytime soon.

Daddy kissed us both goodbye and we went outside to swing and play fetch with Betsy. Poor Ollie jumps nearly every time Betsy barks. I suppose she is obnoxious, but you'd think he would start to get used to her at some point.

After all the action of swinging, sliding, and Betsy we read a few books and enjoyed the slight breeze. For some reason, I suddenly had a moment of disbelief that I have a child. It seemed so foreign to me, almost like deja vu from my former life. Then I snapped back into mommy mode and all was normal again...whatever that means.

Ollie ate his prunes/cereal and tanked up with a bottle and sang along with Love Me Tender. Funny how I can barely sing him a bedtime lullaby without breaking into tears. He fell asleep as soon as I laid him down. Sleepy baby and sleepy doggy are both in their beds while Petunia and I are relaxing with a glass of iced tea. Life is really crazy and hectic, but in the moments of quiet like this I realize how blessed I am.

Ollie Van Winkle

Things are looking up, way up! I'm starting to get the swing of the new job and feeling more confident now that I'm getting familiar with the employees and stores. I'm getting used to leaving my little guy on a regular basis, and love reuniting with him even more. And most importantly, Ollie has been sleeping through the night again for 4 nights (knock on wood) and we're all getting a decent amount of rest.

Ollie spent the morning with Grammie. I picked him up around 1:45 and we headed home to do some laundry and enjoy some time in the shade. As usual, things did not go as planned because Rip Van Ollie decided to take a 2-1/2 hour nap. I guess yesterday's fishing expedition really wore him out. He slept so long, he skipped his afternoon bottle.

Just as Daddy pulled into the driveway, I heard whimpers coming from the bedroom. By the time we did a diaper change and greeted Daddy it was time for dinner. Chicken with apples was quite a hit and a dessert of yogurt topped it off nicely. Ollie is doing well holding his cup, but sometimes struggles with tipping it to drink. It's funny to watch Mr. Independent insist on holding the cup himself, but get angry when he can't get any water. Daddy thinks he gets this obstinate streak from me, but I don't understand what he's talking about(wink, wink).

After dinner we finally made it outside. Ollie kicked it in his swing while Betsy and I played fetch. Daddy must have been worn out from fishing too, because he crashed on the swing and we couldn't get him to budge, not even for our evening walk. Even worse, after about 3 minutes in the swing, Ollie's eyes started to get heavy and he dozed off too. I got so frustrated with my lazy boys that I ditched them and went about my business.

I woke Ollie up just long enough to give him a bath and tank him up with prunes/cereal and milk before he was off to bed sound asleep. Eventually Daddy strolled inside too.

Tomorrow is supposed to be really hot, so we're planning on filling Ollie's swimming pool to stay cool. After I get home from work that is.