Spring is Here

I literally missed the changing of seasons from winter to spring this year.  When I was admitted to the hospital, it was winter.  All of the cherry blossom trees outside the hospital entrance were bare.  I was quite surprised as I left the hospital the day of my discharge.  I was really looking forward to the fresh air, but I didn't expect to be met by trees full of blossoms.  The whole way home I looked at all of the blooming and growing things around us and thought about the symbolism between the coming of spring in conjunction with the birth of my daughter.  Then, the blossoms fell about two days before Macie was discharged, leaving behind trees full of long green growth. It was all very symbolic to me.

The month of May was really very nice for us.  It was warm and we had a lot of sunshine.  It was a great way to spend our first month living in our home as a family of five.  We made sure that the boys got some time outside whenever possible.  For the first part of the month, this happened without me.  I was recovering from my c-section and the pre-eclampsia still has not yet completely left me.  On top of that, months of doctor ordered inactivity have made me pretty weak compared to my old self.  Not exactly what you want if you have a six year old and a two year old to chase around!

Once I had my six-week follow-up and was released for exercise, I started to get outside with the boys.  We started walking and I have to admit it has been slow going.  I also have attempted to chase them around in the yard.  One day I brought along my camera so that we would have some pictures to document this time of this year.

Oh Happy Day

And now, a pause in our regular programming... for one post in real time.

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny, Seattle spring day.  Spring arrived in an instant last weekend, right on cue, and I am so happy it is here.  Even if spring in Seattle means we will have sunshine one day and rain the next four.  The trees are starting to bloom, the air has a spring feeling to it, and the promise of summer sunshine is palpable.  Yesterday the boys and I enjoyed an impromptu trip to a new park before Charlie's speech pathology appointment.  It was so warm that we didn't need jackets!  I love being able to just run outside without much planning.  Also, Andy has been able to come home from work early the last two days, and daylight savings has helped us all be able to go outside after dinner and watch Charlie improve his stability on his two wheeled bike.

Last week Charlie casually mentioned to me that he would like to read.  It has been months since he has shown interest... and since he's just a preschooler I haven't put any pressure on him.  I have several early readers in the house, so I pulled one out and gave it to him.  Just then, Ephram fell down and hit his head so I told Charlie that I'd be right back to read it to him.  I've always learned that you read the story to the child once so that they have an idea of what it is about, and then they try to read it.  At the very least, I was planning to flip through the pages and look at the pictures with him.  But, as I was returning, I heard Charlie start "Rat Naps.  A tan hat.  A tan hat sat.  A tan hat sat on a rat..."  And on and on.  He only needed help with one word - lands.  Now, Charlie used to recognize about 50 sight words, but the ability to put together phonetic sounds always alluded him.  (Not surprising considering he was 3/4 years old.)  In an instant, it seems that he learned how to read.  We've read two more readers now, and Charlie is reading signs and cereal boxes at every opportunity.  I suspect that his newfound success is related to work that we've been doing on his sensory processing, and I couldn't be more pleased with him.

My little one, Ephram, is not a sleeper.  Has never been.  Yes, I've blogged about this on more than one occasion.  I just can't find a way to convey how much I miss sleep.  Continuous sleep cannot be replaced by a string of naps.  And if the only sleep you are getting comes in one or two hour spurts, you feel like all you ever do is nap.  I have not been able to sleep for longer than a three hour stretch since about a month before he was born.  That's sixteen months, people.  Most of the time I have been catching only one hour at a time.  So imagine my shock when he decided to sleep from 8pm until 5:50am last night.  That's almost 10 hours!!!  My little man has never slept longer than 4 hours at a time in his entire life.  (Yes, I woke up at 3am in a panic and checked to make sure he was breathing.)  In an instant, my miracle baby seems to have figured out how to sleep through the night... really, truly, all the way through the night.  Maybe last night was an anomaly, but even if it is, he's done it once and he will be able to do it again.  Ephram has so many traits, more adding every day, that take away his baby-ness and push him into more of a toddler.  Sometimes it makes me sad... but I don't think I'll ever be sad for both of us getting some uninterrupted sleep!

We have been so very busy lately.  Sometimes I feel like nothing is going right.  And then one day I realize that several things have instantly improved.  I am so grateful for these things that come to us effortlessly... they make it easier to wade through the complexities of life!

Our Great Backyard

When we found this house, one of the biggest attractions for us was the backyard.  Most of the houses that we looked at didn't have a very large yard... our house actually has a nice one.  Unfortunately, we have not used it as much as I had hoped.  Now that the weather is improving, (sporadically,) we're trying to be better about using our own backyard.

A couple of weeks ago we all spent a couple of hours out there and I brought my camera.

Andy has a renewed passion for his bike.  He has been riding it in our backyard and practicing for the trails that he hopes to find soon.

Charlie started riding his bike that day too, but was quickly distracted by his favorite backyard activity - digging.  We let him dig whatever and however he wants in this patch of dirt between the basketball court and our big tree.  This day he was also making flags and forts out of sticks.

Boone loves to come out with us and run around.  He and Charlie like to play with the before mentioned sticks.  Boone is really excited for the day that Charlie learns how to pitch them further than 10 feet.  :)

And Ephram, since it is sunny and he is still too young for sunscreen, enjoys watching it all from the shade of his stroller.