days go by

Already, it's December. Where does the time go? We had our first big frost and first big snowball, and wow, that snowfall was incredible! Cold rain turned into genuine snow by mid-morning, and it continued to accumulate until late that night. The kids went out and built snowmen, and we bought a little snow shovel for them to assist with clearing the driveway. (Just like the little wheelbarrow we bought that was supposed to assist with the yard work. Ha!)

I've returned to work full time now, and it has been a tremendous adjustment for our family. The days are long, and my time with the kids is shorter. I find myself wanting to maximize the hours that we're together... and getting frustrated when things are less than perfect. I suppose that was something that didn't bother me as much when I stayed at home. But the end of the day is a difficult time for everyone. Sigh.

On the other hand, I'm trying to be more engaged with the kiddos, spending special time with them at night. We play board games some nights -- tonight it was a rocket ship game that Dad brought home from Germany -- and other nights the kids help me cook dinner. Michelle, especially, loves to help stir up stuff in the kitchen.

As for William, the little guy has taken the absence of Mom in stride. I've been able to maintain the breastfeeding by pumping once during the workday. (I use a handheld Avent pump which works incredibly well.) He consumes about 6 ounces of milk during the day and eats huge amounts of solid food and drinks water from his sippy cup. He's already moved on to table food... eating little slices of banana, pear, and apple as well as grains of rice, bits of noodle, soft veggies, and sweet potatoes. He LOVES sweet potatoes. He even consented to mash up some roast pork the other night. When I come home, he grins the biggest grin a baby could muster up, and he nurses throughout the evening and night. So I've been a bit short on sleep, but I'm happy he's able to stay on breastmilk throughout his first year.