Six Months Old!

Gus is six months old today!  He's already halfway through his first year of life, wow!  It's so amazing how much babies change in six months.  Here's all the latest with our Gus-man.

• He is really getting to be a strong baby.  He can sit up like an expert now and is able to arch his back in such defiance that will throw him right out of your arms if you're not paying attention.
• He is very slowly beginning to improve in the sleep department.  Last night he slept from 8:30-4:30 which is beyond awesome for Gus so I'm really hoping it continues.  I'd really like to fill in the blank in his baby book that asks for the first time he sleeps through the night :)

He is getting to be pretty predictable in napping, which is helpful for us to know when he's ready for a rest. 

• He wakes up so happy every morning, with lots of smiles and even wraps his arms around you when you pick him up.

• His favorite things in the world are me, Sean, George, and riding in shopping carts.  His least favorite things are the sound of the vacuum and being out of view of his family.

Trying some baby sweet potatoes, he's still not that into it!

Here comes trouble!

This is George at 6 months - do you think they look alike?

Whenever I read other friends' blogs, they always say that when their second baby is born that it's the happiest they've ever been and they can't imagine life without them.  In some ways I completely agree - I cannot imagine life without sweet Gus.  He's the most loving, sweet, clever, charming baby ever and I love him with every bit of my heart.  However, in all honesty, while these six months have had some of my happiest moments, this has been the hardest six months of my life.  I know that some people are thinking, "Hey, I have xyz that makes my life harder," which is very true, but for me it has really been hard at times and that's just how my emotions have played out in my situation.  Some people are better under stressful situations that me!

  I have had some of my happiest moments with both boys, but also some very hard ones as George and I adjust to having someone new to share our time and energy with during every day.  Being the parent of a "strong-willed" child and a new baby that doesn't sleep at night can really do a number on you!  I'm not complaining at all, because I'm so very blessed to have two healthy, beautiful sons, but instead I'm just trying to share my feelings in case someone else who reads this thinks that everyone is happy all the time.  I've never felt so tired, so frustrated, so guilty, so stressed, so proud, and so lucky in my life.  I'm so grateful for every blessing we have, and I look forward to each day I spend with my wonderful family (and to the days when I get to get away!).

Happy half-birthday, Gus, we are madly in love with you and love every smile you give us each day!

Just for fun

I don't have anything major to report (well, I do, but I'll get to that later) so here are just some random pictures of our boys having fun.  Sean and I got tired of lugging our chunky baby around in the infant car seat so we got George a big boy seat and put Gus in George's old one.  Here are the boys having fun in the new car seat's box (well, Gus doesn't exactly look like he's having fun!).

 We got a membership to the Butterfly Pavilion from Groupon one day and went for the first time last week with Michelle, Isabelle, and Mark.  George even got to hold Rosie the tarantula!

With his good friend, Belle.

Gus just looking cute before bed one night.

Isn't this how your landscaper dresses?

In the bathtub, his hair is getting a little shaggy :)

The news I was talking about before was that George had minor surgery this morning.  I am happy to report that it went fine, we were home by lunch and George was such a very brave boy the whole time.  He never cried (he came close a couple times) and came out of the recovery room rocking a pair of tiger stripe sunglasses :)  Poor George was born with a bend at the tip of his penis (sorry if you're reading this in the future, George, I'm not trying to embarrass you).  We noticed it a couple months ago and the doctor suggested we get it fixed now.  I'm glad we did because the doctor told us after surgery today that it was the most bent penis he's ever seen :(  I was a little nervous having George under general anesthesia, but I was able to be in the room as he breathed his bubble-gum smelling gas to knock him out and Sean was there as he woke up.  He's going to be pretty sore for a while and has to take it easy for 2 weeks, and thanks to how bent it was he has a catheter for the next few days.  I'm hoping this doesn't set us back to step one in potty training, but if so then that's okay.  I'm just glad that he's okay, that he'll be able to pee straight from now on, and however odd it is to think about now, I'm glad he'll be normal in the the intimacy department as an adult.

So if you need to find us, we'll be at home the next couple weeks taking it easy and avoiding all straddle toys (as ordered by the doctor)!

Back to Normal

The O'Reillys have spent the week settling back into regular, non-vacation life again.  Denver has been getting pounded with rain ever since we got home from Steamboat, and it has turned George's dirt pile in the backyard into an enormous mud puddle!  I finally gave in the other day and just let him play in it since it was too tempting for him to ignore.  So he stripped off his clothes and had a blast!

Later that day, Sean let him play in it as well, although he didn't think to take off his clothes.  The result: an official mud shirt that can now only be worn for playing in filth and painting.

But he sure was happy!

Friday night was the annual Platt Park picnic.  We brought our dinner, caught up with neighborhood friends, and enjoyed some jazz music in the park before it poured rain on us all!

Gus had a big day Saturday as well, getting his first taste of rice cereal.  George couldn't stand not being the one to feed him, so I let him have a turn.  Gus seemed to like it okay, but wasn't over the moon about it.  I'm kind of happy because now I can wait awhile longer and keep feeding him the easiest meal on earth to prepare, heat, and transport :)

He has also become a champion sitter!  He's getting so strong!

We love life with our boys!

Steamboat with the O'Reilly Family

Right after we got home from our trip to San Jose, it was time to pack up and head to Steamboat for the O'Reilly reunion!  Sean's cousin got married in Colorado Springs on July 1st, and we headed up to the mountains Sunday morning.  There were 8 adults and 8 kids in the house (5 of the kids were 3 and under!) and everyone had a great time.  I have a ton of pictures to share, so take a look!

George waking up the first day showing off his new toy from Sean's trip to Florida.

Kelly, Joe, Terry, and the triplets at Steamboat's Fourth of July parade.  

Sitting with Brendan to watch the parade.  

Hooray for America!

Reilly had a blast with Gus (all the kids did, really).  She was always trying to make him laugh, and he loved her!

Steamboat was very pretty!  We seemed to be there at the height of mosquito season, though.

Hot-tubbing.

 Gus was a super-baby on this trip and pretty much mastered sitting up for longer periods of time and even squirmed his way forward while laying on his tummy!  Too bad he didn't get any super-sleeping powers...

 Our rental house was right next to a playground, which was awesome!

First ride in a swing!

Caiti and Madison playing with Gus.

 My favorite activity of the trip was the hot springs in town.  The pool was so nice and had something for everyone!  This pool was like bath water, there was a cooler one that was shallow for kids, and another one for little kids with slides and fountains.  It was so much fun that we left for lunch, took naps, and came back later that afternoon!

Erin got all the kids matching patriotic swim suits.  Here's the best one I could get of Ryan and George.  They were having way too much fun to slow down for a picture!

Gus even fell asleep in Sean's arms, it was so warm and comfy in the pool.

 Here are a couple pictures of George's first marshmallow roast.

He hated when it got black and crusty!

But he liked the taste!

Brendan reading to the kiddos.

Checking out the creek with Nana and Pa.

 One day, Sean and I took our boys on a hike to Fish Creek Falls.  The water was so high and powerful, it made me a little nervous to watch George bounding down the path along the water.  Luckily the path was only by the water for a short distance!

George's big accomplishment for the week is that he wore underwear all day everyday and had no accidents!!  By the last day, he had even made that last jump that was missing: telling us when he had to go.  Until then, it was us asking him and taking him when we thought it was time.  Now that we're home, he's been just walking into the bathroom (or toward a bush in the backyard) all on his own, peeing, and going back to his activity.  He even spent the last two days without a pull-up at nap - hip hip hooray!!

 We had a great time with all of our family!  I know that George already misses playing with his cousins (even if George had a hard time sharing with Ryan from time to time) and Gus sure got used to being held 24/7.  It was so nice to spend time with everyone and experience how much Steamboat has to offer!  Here are a couple good shots of Nana and Pa with the boys.

These two vacations have really shown me how incredibly lucky our boys are to have so many people who love them and Sean and I are lucky to have so much family to love!