Sappy » The Adventures of Noah

A parents love…

Dec 212011

I was driving in this AM and passed a truck with a cab over the bed. Nothing special, you see those all the time but this time for some reason it reminded me of a wonderful memory from my childhood.

When my brother and I were little (7 maybe) we camped out in the bed of my grandpa’s truck with my dad. We didn’t go anywhere special, we were just in the driveway of my grandparents house but it felt like such an adventure. I distinctly remember being awaken up by the sound of rain starting to drop on the bed cover. Slowly the sound intensified until we were in a torrential downpour and the sound in the truck bed was almost deafening. I remember laughing and discussing with my dad if we should make a break for it and run to the house but he convinced me to stay put and just enjoy the experience.

It was that memory that lead me to another which made me smile even more. My brother and his buddy found a cool tent and planned to camp out in the back yard one night (we must have been about 8 or 9). Desperately wanting to be included but forbidden from the tent (NO GIRLS ALLOWED I was told) I set up my Carebears bed tent in the backyard and grabbed my sleeping bag. I guess I almost chickened out because before I know it my dad is out there too, with a sleeping bag on top of the patio chair cushions and no tent. He slept next to me for the whole night. Lucky for him it was a beautiful early summer evening (although he did wake up a little wet from the dew).

To this day those memories (and may others) remind me how he (and my mom) would do just about anything for my brother and I. It’s those memories that I carry forward and look ahead to when DH (and I) will do that with our children – camp outs in the back yard, fort building in the snow, skateboarding down a big hill (yea, my dad held my hand and crashed with me), hikes in the woods…you name it. Even if it seems completely absurd, the thought of it bringing joy and happiness to them (figurative them….assuming we’ll have more than one child…not that i’m trying to tell anyone anything) is worth it!

Snuggling

Noah, Sappy 1 Response »

Nov 302011

Noah’s been on a bit of a sleep strike lately. I blame it on his two year molars – 3 months early:) Or the stuffy nose that seems to just show up once we hit November…either way he’s been waking at 4 or so and just wanting to snuggle. Problem is, he’s so big that it’s hard to snuggle in the rocker like we’ve always done in the past and he’s still in the crib so climbing in with him is out of the question. So…in an act of desperation and need for sleep (for the both of us), I brought him back to bed with me. DH warned me that this could become a habit but honestly, the sleep is not the most restful so I don’t think we’ll find ourselves in that spot. I’m aware of him in our bed and have an arm out to keep DH from rolling back on him plus the little bum in the face or feet in the stomach as he finds a comfy position is bothersome.

That said, I can’t tell you how much I love waking up nose to nose with him and watching him break out into a huge smile and giggle as he pats me on the cheek saying “mamma nose” or “mamma eyes”. Or when if I wake up before him and he’s laying there all stretched out, arms up over his head and his legs straight out below him.

Anyways…I’m not going anywhere with this other than waxing over my snuggly little man:)

20 Months!

Monday Minute, Noah, Sappy No Responses »

Oct 242011

Woah…just stop right this second, we’re into the last quarter of his second year of life! In just 4 short months my little man is going to be 2 – oh my. When the heck did that happen? We’ve been having so much fun the last few days that I wasn’t until my Babycenter monthly email arrived that I remembered his birth anni!

This month we’re free of dr’s appts so I’m guessing he’s 26 or 27lbs. He’s gotten a bit taller and if I can nail him down for more than 2 seconds I’ll see how tall he is. He’s at least counter height if that’s any indicator and those little arms are about 1/2 a counter deep. I know this because he can reach way more than he used to. He’s even figure out that his little drum make a great step in a pinch.

He’s very verbal but still not really stringing stuff together. He knows what he wants and can communicate it, just not in any type of sentence form. We get alot of “dis” (what’s this?) and “down” (sit down! or get me down!). He’s getting really good at Thank you, Mommy and Daddy. Tree and boordie (birdie) are favorites as well. He knows that he has to wear a “hat” if he’s going for a bike ride and certainly knows “no” when he doesn’t want something.

This Halloween he’s going to be a lion because his favorite thing to do is find the lion in his 100 words book and *roaaarrrh* (hand motions included). He roars/growls for bears, gators, dinosaurs, and other menacing creatures. Speaking of the 100 words book, he knows what most of the objects are if you ask him to point them out. We’re now working on getting him to say what they are or find them for us.

He loves to dance and sing to his silly songs CD’s and asks for his Calliou DVD by name (infact, he chants Calliou if you don’t respond quickly enough). I’m trying to placate with silly songs vs. allowing him to watch TV but there are just some times you need to get stuff done and Calliou keeps him engaged for 20 min at least! He sings along to the ABCs and will do the motions for Head, shoulders, knees and toes.

He amazes me at every turn. The things he know and understands just blows me away. I still can’t believe he’s mine and that I get to keep him (although on some days sending him to live at his grandparents is an appealing choice). His kisses are sweet and my heart just melts when he yells “mommy” and then wraps his little arms around my legs or neck for a hug. He makes us laugh all the time (and some days makes me cry but I guess you need the hard days to enjoy all the others). We’re truly blessed to have an amazing little man like him.

Getting a little nostalgic…

Sappy 1 Response »

Sep 012011

I was reading back thru my older posts and ran across this one. It makes miss those moments but the more I think about it, those quiet moments have been replaces by spontaneous hugs, kisses before bed, interactive story time, favorite snugglies and books and new rituals. I’m sad to see his babyhood leave but I love his new found independence and the little boy that is growing before my eyes.

Finding what’s important….

Sappy 2 Responses »

Jul 032011

I look around my house and lament about how the floors aren’t clean and that the kitchen is a mess. I growl at the mountain of laundry that isn’t doing itself forcing me to actually try to move it along. I even snip at the hubby about how freakin cluttered it feels in here (even though it’s really not that bad). I sit here and think about all these things and how I really need to find more time to do them and then curse the fact that 24 hours just doesn’t seem to be enough.

Then I have moments like the one Friday night. We had company coming for the weekend. The laundry was spilling out the laundry room door, the dust bunnies were 2 steps away from a full on coup, and the bottom of the kitchen sink hadn’t been seen for days. This is all stuff that needed attended to before the next morning yet we said “screw it! We’ll get to it after Noah goes to bed” and decided to saddle up the bikes for a ride to get our dinner as a family.

The temp was moderate, the humidity low. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. We buzzed down the trial, Noah in his trailer behind hubs and me leading the pack and making sure the road crossings were safe. All the while the air blew through our hair as we laughed, cracked jokes, and just had a wonderful time enjoying the evening.

All in all we weren’t out more than 2 hours but those two hours I thought of nothing else outside of my little family and the beautiful weather and that nothing else much mattered. My house is not spotless and I’m always behind on laundry but none of that is worry enough to keep me from enjoying what matters the most – Noah and hubs.

What are fathers are good for…

Noah, Sappy 1 Response »

Jun 182011

There are lot of things daddys are good for…

For taking a walk any time of year…

For showing us how to blow bubbles in the pool

For catching a few extra zzzz’s with (and for sharing his pillow)

For being our horsey and lifting us up so we can see

For introducing us to the wonders of bubbles in the air

For lending us a shoulder to lay on when we’re tired

For sharing their love of being outside and taking us on hikes

Truth be told daddies are good for lots more:
wiping tears
sharing food
hugs
kisses
fixing our boo boos
teaching us how to be good
teaching us what is bad
staying up those late nights when we’re sick
teaching us how to tie our shoes
daddies are good at lots of other things too
but what do fathers do best of all? Love us of course!

10 years and 1 day…

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May 192011

…since dh and I met!

I knew from that first date that we were in for a wild ride. By the 5th date I knew I wanted to marry him and two long distance stints, a move to California and 4 years later we said I do. Now, here we are 6 years later with a beautiful family and home and many many adventures under out belt. The best is yet to come I’m sure of it, but looking back the past hasn’t been to shabby. I’ve done things I’d never thought I’d do (live in California, go to Europe, visit Hawaii) but at the same time am exactly where I thought I’d be (a mommy and a wife). Thanks, in large part, to hubs…

I love this man!

Blowing Bubbles!

happy daddy

Nothing like family…

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Feb 222011

Once the last guest left on Saturday afternoon the only folks remaining at the house were our family. This is the first time in a long time we had everyone (minus Cate) in one spot. My brother and parents, my in laws, DH’s sister and her family all around one table enjoying the aftermath of the party and some pizza. The din of multiple conversations was almost deafening but somehow quite at the same time. All of a sudden someone told a joke and the whole room erupted in warm laughter. I was a moment that you just had to sit back and absorb…and be thankful for such a wonderful group of people to celebrate with.

Backtracking to Turkey Day…

Noah, photography, Sappy 1 Response »

Dec 022010

This past weekend was a blur of activity and family. Too much eating, lots of Noey snuggling, and family time made for a perfect extended weekend. We’ll try to forget the car ride home which was 2 hours longer than it needed to be because of traffic.

Funny enough we were so busy entertaining and enjoying that I didn’t get a ton of pics during dinner. Noah did have some turkey, mashed taters, and sweet potatoes (but then again, he’s had all of that before).

Here are some of the pics I did manage to take:

: Pappa and Noey playing

: She was so tired that being a jungle gym was not an issue..

: Macie being Noeyhandled

: Cousins

This past year has been a year full of blessings! Starting with Noah’s birth, then my third nephews birth and continuing this week with great test results for my dad. I can’t even start to articulate how thankful I am! Suffice it to say nothing matters without a happy and healthy family.

Scents and memories…

Sappy 1 Response »

Nov 222010

Deviating a bit from “Noah” news to post something that came to mind this AM. It’s funny how smells can instantly transport you back to a place and time (music is great for that too).

This morning I was making myself some tea in hopes of driving this cold out of my head and one whiff of English Breakfast and I was back on a cold morning in the bothy hut in the Scottish Highlands. There tea was the answer for everything. Hung over? Tea. Cold? Tea. Burn your hand on the hob? Tea. It was the cure all and social point of my days at St. Andrews. Even though that was years ago, I still go back when I have my cup of tea.

There are other scents too – odd ones like witch hazel that remind me of those first days in the hospital with Noah or my pine cone Yankee candle which puts me back to the first days in our new house. Then there are natural ones like bay leaves that take me back to our mountain biking days in Northern California – I can still feel the heavy wet chill as we zoom up and down the hills (well, zoom down – uphill was almost always a long slow slog). Or coffee which reminds me of waking up Saturday mornings growing up. Saturdays were for running around – swimming lessons, piano lessons, picking up the church flowers. Then back home to clean and do chores.

No matter what you’re doing at the time, a scent has the power to instantly transport you back into a moment – I love it!

What scents get your memories flowing?

Taking care of yourself….

Everyday life, Sappy 7 Responses »

Oct 112010

So, working from home has its benefits but one of the draw backs (if you see it that way) is that there’s no motivation to get dressed in the morning. PJ’s or Jeans and a t-shirt with a ponytail is completely appropriate attire. After 4 years the only time I ever got myself ready is if we were going out somewhere (which, after Noah, was not very often!). Since realizing that I’m heading back to the office world, I figured it was time to get back into the habit of actually taking time in the AM to beautify and you know what I found? That I actually feel better about myself! Sure, it’s more work and more time in the AM and I actually had to go out and buy some clothes that weren’t t-shirts and pajama pants but even if I’m just sitting at home applying for jobs or cleaning the house, I feel better about myself and feel more productive! DH even commented that he’s excited to see me actually getting ready in the AM (but quickly added that I was beautiful before too).

Then I got to thinking, how often do we just fall into what’s easy or get so involved with taking care of everyone else (husband, house, little one) that you forget about yourself? For me, it’s just about every day. My needs are always last. Showers don’t always happen and I generally grab what is quickest to put on. The hair gets pulled back and hopefully the teeth get brushed (ew…i know). I realize everyone says that’s the reality of being a mom. But, I think to be the best mom you can be you have to also feel good about yourself and that means taking care of yourself. It doesn’t have to be some big drawn out production (although spa days are nice:) ). A few minutes to yourself in the morning to reflect and affirm, some eyeliner, blush, and a new sweater, or a nice cup of coffee and the news before everyone else wakes will do. It’s the little things that we can do daily to remind ourselves of who we are and that we matter too. If nothing else, it’s nice to soak up the calm before the storm of the day:)

See, a little makeup and a sweater can go a long way:)

: Hot pink cardi from Gap = love

: Super cute ballet flats with my awesome socks!

Wedded bliss….

Sappy 4 Responses »

Aug 202010

We take a break from our regularly scheduled Summer Shape up check in to reflect on some of the most amazing years of my life so far – warning: this will be very long but I promise some pics to make it interesting:)

So, 5 years ago today I married my love! It’s been a crazy 5 years of marriage with many milestones in a very short period of time. We’ve lived in California, road tripped back to NoVa, bought and renovated a house, got a dog, traveled to Europe and had a baby! We’ve had adventures aplenty and thousands (yes, thousands) of pictures to document it!

I thought I’d take this post to recount how we met and subsequent proposal story for everyone to enjoy:) I may even slip some pics in there to keep it interesting!

The meeting
Hubs was roommates with two of my best guy friends from highschool. I’d been to their apartment a few times over the holidays (three separate years) and it finally took my 21st birthday to get us together! See, all my previous trips to their place just happened put me either a day early or a day late to meet him. I’d seen pictures of him and knew his major (he was a HOT geek – I just knew we’d have tons in common) and was begging his roomies to introduce him but alas it didn’t happen – until that fateful night! Hind sight being 20/20 it’s best that we met when we did because neither of us would have been ready for the relationship that ensued if we’d met earlier. Anywho..I digress…we (his roomies, my BFF, and myself) were all heading out of my 21st. They suggested we stop by their apartment and grab the infamous roommate since he was in town. Needless to say, I was excited! We started up the stairs to their kitchen when I pulled my BFF aside and called dibs on the hot geek (childish I know but if you’ve ever seen my BFF – she’s hot and I just couldn’t take any chances). She had no problem stepping aside – hot geeks weren’t her type:)

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen when I spotted him. I maneuvered my way into his conversation circle and I guess you can say I just kind of butted in:) Little did I know what I was starting! After a while we all decided to test out my newly minted legal ID and head to the bar. I spent most of my night trying to get hubs to dance with me (he claimed he wasn’t much of a dancer – i proved him wrong!). By the end of the night we were inseparable.

Not the first night but close to it...

Funny side story: I gave him my number at the end of the night we met but he lost it! He ended up calling everyone in the phonebook with my last name until he found me!

The Proposal
We’d been dating a while. Heck, we even moved across country and moved in together. I told him that I wouldn’t do either of those unless he was completely committed and planned on marrying me at some point. Obviously he agreed since we packed up our lives and moved from PA to CA after graduation.

I knew it would be a few years before he proposed – we’d just started our real jobs and had lots of saving to do. So, I waited patiently…and waited…and waited…:) After a while every special even got me super excited because that could be it! Well, time and time again it wasn’t and I was really getting anxious. I wanted to marry him and I wanted to do it now! To quote When Harry met Sally “when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible” – yea, that was me!

Finally we had an awesome trip planned to Canada to spend the week in Banff National Park. Now, we shared a bank account at this point and I knew what he had in savings. It hadn’t changed so I figured that it wouldn’t happen here either. I came to terms with that and went off to enjoy myself. Little did I know what he had planned:)

I should have been tipped off when he was sweating bullets going thru customs or when I tried to clean out the wrappers from his backpack and he freaked out on me. I should have also caught on that he didn’t take that backpack off for more than 10 seconds (it even laid next to his head when we slept..) I really should have caught on…but…I’d resigned myself to the fact that it wasn’t happening so I was oblivious…

His first attempt to propose was thwarted by an over friendly hiker. He started in on all the reasons why he loves me and it was so sweet when suddenly “tromp…tromp…tromp…Howdy ya’ll, you think this is a good place for camping” rings out behind us. Yea…way to kill the mood dude! Anyways, we go on with our trip and on the last day we take a canoe ride up the Bow River. He insists we pull off, beach the boat and go for a little walk to get more pics of Mt. Rundle. I resisted heavily – i didn’t want someone to take our boat or for it to float away. Really I was just too lazy to get my arse out of the boat:) Anyways…he convinces me, beaches the boat and we go walking into the field under the mountain (I still had my life vest on at this point…I was sure this would be a quick side trip).

He hands me the camera and tells me to take more pics, he needed to do something. With much complaining (we had a million pics of this mountain already) I turned around and started to snap some shots. Next thing I know he’s whispering in my ear about how much he loves me. I turn back and he’s on his knee spouting all kinds of wonderful things that I only partly remember today – “From the first time I said it until now and forever, I love you” then he asked me to marry him.

Shocked, I thought he’d just gotten caught up in the beauty of the scene and that he really didn’t have a ring on him (because I saw his bank account) and was like “of course I’ll marry you” like it was nothing. Then he pulls out a wad of socks and starts unwrapping. It wasn’t until then that I realized he had planned the whole thing! He had the ring wrapped up in like 10 hiking socks in the bottom of his bag this entire time! I think I said “oh my God” like a hundred times as he unwrapped things…I was shaking and just generally freaking out! He’d done it! He’d actually proposed!

Turns out he used his credit card to buy the ring (one I don’t have access to) – sneaky boy! And to top it off, a phone call to his “mom” at the start of our trip was really a phone call to my dad to ask for permission. He didn’t want to chance doing it any earlier because my mom and I are close and I’d totally figure it out if she knew. He had to get me out of the country first!

The Wedding

The wedding was perfect! They say that rain on your wedding day is good luck. Well, we had thunder, lighting, and torrential downpours…so, we’ll have lots of luck!!

photo credit: In-Vision Studios

Fast forward to today…

Okay, now this has gotten really long! After the wedding lived it up in Cali for a while. Then we packed our bags and headed back East to be closer to family. Within a few months of moving back we bought our first house. A year later got a dog and two years later had little Noah.

One big happy family...

Okay, if you’re still with me here you must really love me:)

Weekend Recap…

Everyday life, Noah, photography, Sappy No Responses »

Jul 252010

We had a fabulous and fun filled weekend with lots of fun pics! The highlight was driving up to PA to meet our newest nephew! He’s 2 weeks old and about 9 lbs and OMG, not only is he gorgeous, he felt like nothing when I held him! I can’t remember Noah that small but I know for sure that he was. I managed to snag some quality snuggle time with the little man which was wonderful!

Later that day, while the mommies were inside staying cool, Grandpa Kloep had set up the baby pool and water gun stations for the boys to enjoy. And did they enjoy! Heck, I even dressed Noey and let him play in the pool for a bit. Unfortunately he’d just woken up from a nap (okay, maybe I woke him…I really wanted to see what he would do in the baby pool) and was a tad cranky and not very tolerant of all the screaming and splashing so we made it a quick dip.

The big boys ended their time in the sun with a few adult beverages and some relaxing under the sprinkler…

: Uncle M gets little B

: Grandpa takes one right in the chest

: Little B getting his uncle back…

: Now it’s all out war…

: Daddy vs. Son…

: The big boyz relaxing with their beverages.

I love that my sister-in-law and her family have moved closer to the grandparents. Now when we go up, we can see everyone at one time and now I’ll get to see more of my awesome little nephews! I think DH is similarly pleased. He had so much fun playing with them and rough housing (and it didn’t hurt that they still fall for his magic tricks:) ). Watching him play and interact with them just melted my heart! Noey is a very fortunate little man to have a daddy like that. I can already see some of the silly things they’ll get in to together.

Cry Baby…

Everyday life, Sappy 7 Responses »

Jun 242010

…and I don’t mean Noah. Pregnancy and his subsequent birth must have permanently altered my body chemistry because I’ve found a new strength in my emotional response that I’d never experienced before.

For example:
- I’m unable to watch anything birth related without crying like a baby.
- I read stories on peoples blogs about sickness or sorrow and I feel their pain and cry too. I’ve had a deep down ugly cry in response to their stories on more than one occasion.
- Upon hearing the news of a distant family member getting the heart transplant they needed, I teared up. I don’t even know the woman personally yet I found myself having to suppress tears.
- Finding out a close friend is pregnant
- Beautiful writing gets me every time. It could be happy/sad whatever, if it’s eloquently written, I fall into the story and find myself in tears.
- Looking at my son and realizing how much I love him (and watching my husband beam with pride at our little boy)

and the list goes on…

Now, I realize these situations probably do warrant a good emotional response but I’ve never been that person. I’ve never been “weepy”. I’ve always had my emotions under control and would be able to outwardly project a calm, cool, collected facade when in fact I was crying inside.

Now, don’t get me wrong, before this pregnancy and birth I would cry at sad movies and other situations that warranted a good cry but these days I find myself crying/reacting to/feeling so much more. I’m not sad otherwise in fact I’m quite the opposite. I’m in love with my life, my child, my husband, my family, and everything. And I don’t want this to trigger alarm bells in anyone, I’m just surprised at this new inability to turn off the waterworks:)

Perhaps it’s because being a mom has opened my eyes to an amazing new world …or it just could be the lack of sleep…

Happy Fathers Day…

Sappy 7 Responses »

Jun 202010

An ode to daddy for fathers day…

For a man with little infant experience and a deep fear of doing something that would break Noah, he’s blossomed into a fantastic and doting daddy! He’s game for middle of the night feedings and even embraced cloth diapering when I said I wanted to do it to save the earth (he only laughed at me a little). He has plans for our son as he grows up and is anxious to show him all the wonders that can be found playing outside. We’re even working on Noah’s hitting skills that are necessary to being a volleyball star (anyone know where I can find a mini volleyball?? :) ).

I find him gooing and gahing and baby talking to Noah on a regular basis (although I’m sure he’ll hurt me for revealing that to the public – if you know him in real life please go easy. I personally love that he makes a fool of himself to make our son smile.) And I know that his heart melts every time our son responds to his antics (I know mine does). He’s weathered being pooped, peed, and puked on with all the grace and elegance that only a father can have (and not one curse word was spoken in any of the incidents). And he’s stayed awake with me and worried when Noey was sick. He sleeps on the floor of the nursery sometimes when Noah is restless and is often the first to respond to his cries in order to let me sleep a little more.

I remember when I told him we were expecting (almost a year to the day today). He was so excited he swooped me up and spun me around. He was there for all the important milestone appts in my pregnancy and made sure I was obeying dr’s orders towards the end. He was my rock the day we were induced (I was an unusual mess of nerves and emotions) and after we came home (and I was hormonal mess). He didn’t freak out when I would randomly start crying and did his best to comfort a very irrational me.

He’s more than I could have ever hoped for in a father for my son and Noah’s a very lucky little boy to have him as a daddy (and I’m a very lucky mommy and wife).

So, Happy Father Day Daddy! Now go play some volleyball!