We had a busy pre-Thanksgiving weekend with lots of family and tasty food. We got to spend a weekend with daddy's side of the family when they came to visit. I lounged around in my recliner while my kids ran around like crazy eager to play with their cousin. We did some family pictures and had a tasty pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner. Grandma brought some projects to keep my girls occupied and helped daddy try to minimize my uselessness.
Then we had a few crazy days with daddy out of town so my aunt and mom came to the rescue. The girls have loved spending so much time with some of their favorite people and we had a lot of fun. We checked in with doc and concluded that my foot was healing well. The best part was when I hobbled to the back and left the girls with my aunt in the waiting room. Ladybug cried and pleaded for me so the doc (who has little girls of his own) called her to come join. So she sat up on my lap, holding perfectly still and watching the doctor intently. She asked questions in her adorable chatter voice and asked to help. So when the doctor was done checking the incisions he let Ladybug pick the color of bandage (hot pink, of course), he wrapped my foot and let her help cut the tape. He was patient and sweet and Ladybug loved it.
Once daddy came home we headed to Grammy's house for a few days. We spent the first evening with all my siblings and what seemed like a billion, extremely loud children running around like crazy people. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was just our own children through. I hung out in a recliner with the baby most of time while daddy, Grammy and Papa juggled the chaos. On Thanksgiving, Grammy made a great dinner and we perused the Black Friday ads. We circled and shopped, made lists and snacked on left overs. The girls ran around with their cousins being noisy and crazy until daddy took them to the park. On Friday, my brothers had taken their families home so it was a little quieter and we got to enjoy more time with my sister and parents. The girls dove into all their favorite toys and there was a brief Black Friday excursion.
Eventually we ended up at home and discovered we had a sick Ladybug so we spent the next day cuddling and watching movies, interspersed with daddy picking up clutter, unpacking, doing laundry and getting us ready for another crazy week. Normally I de-clutter and clean, especially when I'm feeling anxious and it's so frustrating to me that I can't right now. Which then makes me feel worse and therefore more anxious.
I hate that I'm not able to take care of my family. Daddy is doing a great job juggling and we have such wonderful family and friends that are helping us but I still hate feeling so useless. Daddy and I were talking about it on the way home, discussing our concerns about our girls and feeling like they've been acting out more and more lately. But then I realized that it's been four months since we first started having trouble with our pregnancy. I've been on bed rest for early labor and complications and then spent so long with the baby in the hospital. She was 100% worth it and indescribably wonderful. Then needing to have my foot fixed was necessary but it extended this period of time where I'm not able to take care of my family like I want. So I'm rather cranky and eager to be back on my feet (literally) and have the energy and abilities to be the kind of mom, wife and homemaker that I want to be for my family.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
quote of the day (extended)
Despite being a regular occurrence, there's a certain event that remains dramatically tragic. When I announce its time, there is protesting and wailing and desperate begging. If I try to be sneaky, I will inevitably be discovered and the wailing is even worse. It’s more than just the usual tantrum but usually involves that truly broken-hearted, sobbing, flung myself on the floor kind of desperation.
What could possibly be so awful as to warrant such behavior?
Laundry day. Yes its true. Ladybug’s faithful companions Yellow and Panda are well loved. Each day she drags them upstairs with her for a good morning cuddle. They sit wrapped around the chair behind her during breakfast. They wait just outside the door during bathtime for her, cuddle on the couch with her, take naps with her, play outside with her, get taken along in the car with her and go everywhere else imaginable. I confess they even get taken to church because she gets so cranky and tired during sacrament meeting that it really is easier for everyone in the chapel this way. Yellow and Panda are her constant comforts and being thus, get dragged, dropped and exposed to all sorts of messes, spills and mishaps.
When wash day comes, I explain to Ladybug and show her the soiled spots and we agree that Yellow needs a bath. She follows me to the laundry and we spread the blankets out on the floor. Then we take turns spraying the stain remover. I start the washer and she gathers up her precious friends. She pushes them into the washer and I close the lid. With resignation we leave the laundry room. Almost immediately, she changes her mind, whips around and throws herself at the washer crying and pleading for her Yellow and Panda. After a failed attempt of reasoning with her, I simply gather her up and take her downstairs and try to distract her for the next 90 minutes.
Finally, that wonderful moment comes! I tell Ladybug that Yellow is ready and she runs to the Laundry room, pulls on the dryer until I open it and nearly dives in to grab her blankets. Her face is priceless, blissfully happy to be reunited with her best friends again.
Today, Grammy washed Yellow who was recently a victim of a Wendy’s frosty incident. She let Ladybug help spray and put it in the washer. There was a little drama but eventually Ladybug resigned herself to hold Panda and watch a movie until Grammy retrieved the freshly washed and dried Yellow. Grammy held up Yellow and waited for Ladybug to notice. Ladybug squealed in delight and raced over, snatched up her blanket and hugged it tight. But the best part came next when she raced to the other room to grab Panda and pressed them together. “Look Panda! It’s Yellow! Yellow is all clean and can play again!”
What could possibly be so awful as to warrant such behavior?
Laundry day. Yes its true. Ladybug’s faithful companions Yellow and Panda are well loved. Each day she drags them upstairs with her for a good morning cuddle. They sit wrapped around the chair behind her during breakfast. They wait just outside the door during bathtime for her, cuddle on the couch with her, take naps with her, play outside with her, get taken along in the car with her and go everywhere else imaginable. I confess they even get taken to church because she gets so cranky and tired during sacrament meeting that it really is easier for everyone in the chapel this way. Yellow and Panda are her constant comforts and being thus, get dragged, dropped and exposed to all sorts of messes, spills and mishaps.
When wash day comes, I explain to Ladybug and show her the soiled spots and we agree that Yellow needs a bath. She follows me to the laundry and we spread the blankets out on the floor. Then we take turns spraying the stain remover. I start the washer and she gathers up her precious friends. She pushes them into the washer and I close the lid. With resignation we leave the laundry room. Almost immediately, she changes her mind, whips around and throws herself at the washer crying and pleading for her Yellow and Panda. After a failed attempt of reasoning with her, I simply gather her up and take her downstairs and try to distract her for the next 90 minutes.
Finally, that wonderful moment comes! I tell Ladybug that Yellow is ready and she runs to the Laundry room, pulls on the dryer until I open it and nearly dives in to grab her blankets. Her face is priceless, blissfully happy to be reunited with her best friends again.
Today, Grammy washed Yellow who was recently a victim of a Wendy’s frosty incident. She let Ladybug help spray and put it in the washer. There was a little drama but eventually Ladybug resigned herself to hold Panda and watch a movie until Grammy retrieved the freshly washed and dried Yellow. Grammy held up Yellow and waited for Ladybug to notice. Ladybug squealed in delight and raced over, snatched up her blanket and hugged it tight. But the best part came next when she raced to the other room to grab Panda and pressed them together. “Look Panda! It’s Yellow! Yellow is all clean and can play again!”
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
naked
The baby was especially fussy last night. Having done everything I could think of, I passed her to Grammy. Grammy held her, rocked her, burped her but she still squirmed and fussed. She laid the baby on her lap and started undressing her to check her diaper. Suddenly the fussing stopped. Grammy buttoned the sleeper back up and baby fussed again. Now enlightened, Grammy took the baby's clothes off and let her lay naked on her lap. The baby was thrilled. She kicked and gurgled happily. She showered us with her adorable smiles and melted us with her sweet cooing sounds. My kid loves to be naked. Who knew.
Then Grammy and my auntie took the baby into the kitchen for a bath. I wasn't there to watch but I haven't heard the two of them laugh so hard in a long time. Who knew bathing a baby took two grandmas? Or that it would be so much fun?
Then Grammy and my auntie took the baby into the kitchen for a bath. I wasn't there to watch but I haven't heard the two of them laugh so hard in a long time. Who knew bathing a baby took two grandmas? Or that it would be so much fun?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
useless
I am not a good patient. I'm cranky, irritable, whiny and needy.
but mostly just frustrated that i can't take care of my own home and family. I can't put any weight on my foot and I'm horribly awkward and unstable on crutches. So I spend the day laying around in my bed, cuddling the baby while someone else takes care of us. Daddy, Grandma, Grammy and my aunt have been wonderful, taking turns to spend the time with us. My big girls think it's a nonstop party and are having a blast. Instead of just being stuck with me, they get to have some of their favorite people to play with all day.
The first few days were the worst. Somehow the nerves in my foot ended up bruised and irritated from the surgery so I was taking as much pain medication as I could. It made my head so fuzzy that I couldn't even think straight. But I'm doing much better now (after having done a cortisone injection) and am doing great on very little medication which means now I can even nurse the baby again. I'm still cranky that I can't take care of myself but we're doing okay. It's frustrating to me that I can't even refill my own water and I can't pick up the clutter around the house. Instead, my wonderful caretakers are helping out and doing an amazing job of taking care of my children, my home and putting up with my neediness.
but mostly just frustrated that i can't take care of my own home and family. I can't put any weight on my foot and I'm horribly awkward and unstable on crutches. So I spend the day laying around in my bed, cuddling the baby while someone else takes care of us. Daddy, Grandma, Grammy and my aunt have been wonderful, taking turns to spend the time with us. My big girls think it's a nonstop party and are having a blast. Instead of just being stuck with me, they get to have some of their favorite people to play with all day.
The first few days were the worst. Somehow the nerves in my foot ended up bruised and irritated from the surgery so I was taking as much pain medication as I could. It made my head so fuzzy that I couldn't even think straight. But I'm doing much better now (after having done a cortisone injection) and am doing great on very little medication which means now I can even nurse the baby again. I'm still cranky that I can't take care of myself but we're doing okay. It's frustrating to me that I can't even refill my own water and I can't pick up the clutter around the house. Instead, my wonderful caretakers are helping out and doing an amazing job of taking care of my children, my home and putting up with my neediness.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
surgery
Once upon a time, also known as last Wednesday, I had surgery on my foot. It was originally to correct a long term problem of a prominent bone spur. This painful spur combined with my toes' claustrophobia is why I haven't worn decent shoes since high school (I love my sandals so it's not a problem...until winter...). But since this problem has become more painful and we already reached our out of pocket max on medical expenses this year, it seemed like it was time to get the problem taken care of. But when the doctor did an x-ray to better investigate the problem, he found another problem along side it--a bone cyst.
Long story short, we decided to get it over with and get both problems fixed. So last Wednesday, I showed up to the hospital and took a long drug induced nap while the doctor went to work on my foot. They surgery went well, I was taken to recovery, woke up long enough to make fun of his BYU hat and promptly went back to sleep. But eventually I was awake and they sent me home.
I assumed the worst would be over but had great underestimate the recovery. The next two days were a blur as I took the maximum amount of pain medication I could in attempt to control an overwhelming amount of nerve pain. Apparently the nerve got rather beat up and bruised as the doc chopped and chiseled away at my skeleton. (that makes it sound worse that it really was but when I start to complain, husband is good at reminding me that I have good reason to be in pain). Eventually I showed up at the doc's office again for a cortisone injection to help with the inflammation of the nerve. Since then, I am doing much better. I'm still generally useless but am much more comfortable now. Daddy and the grandmas have been taking amazingly good care of me. I sit in bed and try to take care of the baby as much as I can while they juggle the big girls and keep them happy and busy.
Originally I thought I would use this time productively to finish some hand sewing projects, catch up on some reading, etc. but I've spent most of the time sleeping, cuddling the baby and trying to will away the pain. My confidence in my supposedly high pain tolerance has pretty well evaporated (along with my ability to form a coherent sentence) as I had to continually increase the medications but since doing the cortisone shot, I'm feeling much better. I'm hoping to get off the meds soon so I can start nursing the baby again. I can't put any weight on my foot for two weeks and will have limitation for a few additional weeks after that. It definitely wasn't great timing, especially with daddy having to go on a few business trips and with the holidays approaching but we're managing. And in the meantime, I'm doing some online shoe shopping with the eager anticipation of getting to wear cute shoes again soon.
Long story short, we decided to get it over with and get both problems fixed. So last Wednesday, I showed up to the hospital and took a long drug induced nap while the doctor went to work on my foot. They surgery went well, I was taken to recovery, woke up long enough to make fun of his BYU hat and promptly went back to sleep. But eventually I was awake and they sent me home.
I assumed the worst would be over but had great underestimate the recovery. The next two days were a blur as I took the maximum amount of pain medication I could in attempt to control an overwhelming amount of nerve pain. Apparently the nerve got rather beat up and bruised as the doc chopped and chiseled away at my skeleton. (that makes it sound worse that it really was but when I start to complain, husband is good at reminding me that I have good reason to be in pain). Eventually I showed up at the doc's office again for a cortisone injection to help with the inflammation of the nerve. Since then, I am doing much better. I'm still generally useless but am much more comfortable now. Daddy and the grandmas have been taking amazingly good care of me. I sit in bed and try to take care of the baby as much as I can while they juggle the big girls and keep them happy and busy.
Originally I thought I would use this time productively to finish some hand sewing projects, catch up on some reading, etc. but I've spent most of the time sleeping, cuddling the baby and trying to will away the pain. My confidence in my supposedly high pain tolerance has pretty well evaporated (along with my ability to form a coherent sentence) as I had to continually increase the medications but since doing the cortisone shot, I'm feeling much better. I'm hoping to get off the meds soon so I can start nursing the baby again. I can't put any weight on my foot for two weeks and will have limitation for a few additional weeks after that. It definitely wasn't great timing, especially with daddy having to go on a few business trips and with the holidays approaching but we're managing. And in the meantime, I'm doing some online shoe shopping with the eager anticipation of getting to wear cute shoes again soon.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
2 months old
The two month mark is so exciting. It actually marks a growth spurt physically as well as in their brain development which is why there are so many fun and exciting changes at this point.
Most exciting is watching her face become increasingly expressive. I had loved watching her spontaneous smiles but now I've even more thrilled to see her social smile. Her auntie managed to win the first social smile (she earned Ladybug's as well) by making funny faces, blowing raspberries and pretending to explode. Our baby girl couldn't resist and gave a little smile which grew as she saw our excited response. Now we can get several smiles a day out of her and will occasionally even get sweet little cooing sounds.
I love having her off all the monitors and medications. It's so much easier to dress her or carry her around without being attached to a box. I LOVE cuddling this kid. Especially when she does her superman stretch. As I unwrap her she wakes up slowly, stretching her arms out, fingers extended. Then she lifts her shoulders into in and arches her little body with her adorable bum pushed out. Then she relaxes and melts into my shoulder, nuzzling her head in close and tucking her feet up under her body.
Now that all of the medications are out of her system, we can finally start to look for some routines and have a more predictable schedule. The medication withdrawal made her eating and sleeping habits impossible to predict. But now she is falling into some semblance of a routine. During the day she eats about every three hours. Her naps are still unpredictable as they vary throughout the day and by how distracted she is by her sisters but she's sleeping much better at nighttime. We've been enjoying a six hour stretch at the beginning of most nights and then she falls back asleep easily after a feeding.
I love her big eyes. They are such a beautiful color and so expressive. She loves to stare and absorb everything around her. Usually solemn face, she watches her big sisters and tracks movement around the room. She hates laying flat but wants to sit completely upright to get the best view. Even as she starts nodding off to sleep, she wants to stay upright and will startle herself awake if I try to lay her down flat. At night she sleeps propped up and tilted onto her side as this seems to alleviate her nighttime fussiness caused by stomach discomfort.
Most exciting is watching her face become increasingly expressive. I had loved watching her spontaneous smiles but now I've even more thrilled to see her social smile. Her auntie managed to win the first social smile (she earned Ladybug's as well) by making funny faces, blowing raspberries and pretending to explode. Our baby girl couldn't resist and gave a little smile which grew as she saw our excited response. Now we can get several smiles a day out of her and will occasionally even get sweet little cooing sounds.
I love having her off all the monitors and medications. It's so much easier to dress her or carry her around without being attached to a box. I LOVE cuddling this kid. Especially when she does her superman stretch. As I unwrap her she wakes up slowly, stretching her arms out, fingers extended. Then she lifts her shoulders into in and arches her little body with her adorable bum pushed out. Then she relaxes and melts into my shoulder, nuzzling her head in close and tucking her feet up under her body.
Now that all of the medications are out of her system, we can finally start to look for some routines and have a more predictable schedule. The medication withdrawal made her eating and sleeping habits impossible to predict. But now she is falling into some semblance of a routine. During the day she eats about every three hours. Her naps are still unpredictable as they vary throughout the day and by how distracted she is by her sisters but she's sleeping much better at nighttime. We've been enjoying a six hour stretch at the beginning of most nights and then she falls back asleep easily after a feeding.
I love her big eyes. They are such a beautiful color and so expressive. She loves to stare and absorb everything around her. Usually solemn face, she watches her big sisters and tracks movement around the room. She hates laying flat but wants to sit completely upright to get the best view. Even as she starts nodding off to sleep, she wants to stay upright and will startle herself awake if I try to lay her down flat. At night she sleeps propped up and tilted onto her side as this seems to alleviate her nighttime fussiness caused by stomach discomfort.
Monday, November 14, 2011
quote of the day
Following one of our all-too-frequent-"talks", Butterfly was sitting dejectedly when Grammy came in the room. Seeing her expression, Grammy asked "what's wrong peanut?".
her: "I'm on consecreated."
grammy: "I don't understand."
her: "oh Grammy, yes you do. When you make a good choice you get rewards. when you make a bad choice you get consecreated, and I made a bad choice so mommy made me consecreated."
Her face was so sad it makes me want to cry but her mispronunciation of "consequences" was so cute I can't help but smile. And her understanding of a fairly mature subject is pretty dang impressive. We're getting there.
her: "I'm on consecreated."
grammy: "I don't understand."
her: "oh Grammy, yes you do. When you make a good choice you get rewards. when you make a bad choice you get consecreated, and I made a bad choice so mommy made me consecreated."
Her face was so sad it makes me want to cry but her mispronunciation of "consequences" was so cute I can't help but smile. And her understanding of a fairly mature subject is pretty dang impressive. We're getting there.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
go to party
on Friday night we attended the wedding reception of a cousin and his beautiful new bride. We told the girls we were going to a special party. So they got to put on special party clothes and get dressed up. We got to the reception and Butterfly squealed when she saw the "princess". When I took her over to say hi, she squirmed away shyly and acted coy. Then we put together little plates of snacks from the dessert table and chocolate fountain. But the best part of the night was the dancing. There was a dance with an open dance floor and neon lights that scattered and bounced around the room. The girls went nuts chasing the spots of color and dancing like crazy people. The found another little girl to dance with and the three of them ran and played and danced with enough energy for everyone in the room. The baby got to meet some family she hasn't seen yet. So she got plenty of cuddles and compliments. And she must have enjoyed the party as well because we tucked her into her carseat to go home and she slept a new record of seven hours!
On Saturday we attended another party with a different part of the family. It was a baby shower for one of our cousins, followed by cake and ice cream for Gram's 88th birthday (go Gram!). The baby shower was wonderful! The food was fantastic and the party itself was so incredible and unique. Each guest was asked to bring a bead which was then strung onto a necklace for the new mom, along with words of sediment and advice. It was a great idea that made the party so sweet and thoughtful. The sediment sharing got rather emotional and it made it feel so intimate and meaningful. After the food and bead experience, the new mom opened her gifts and it was fun and exciting to see that she got some really great stuff! We opted for something that has become our favorite gift to give which is our "bag of little essentials". I picked out a swaddleme blanket (I joke that I'm the swaddle nazi because I so strongly believe in its power. When used consistency, it will become magic and helping a baby settle down and develop healthy sleep habits), a set of zip-up sleepers, a tube of aquaphor (for treating rashes), a set of links (perfect thing for attaching toys to the carseat or stroller) and a binky leash. When I can find them, I also like to put in a mesh laundry bag (perfect for keeping little socks from getting lost in the washer), a board book and a rattle toy (something easy to hold, with knobs of different texture and is bright and colorful. each of our girls had a favorite toy like this. we were never sure what kind of animal the rattle was supposed to be but it was always the favorite.) It's kind of our way of giving unsolicited advice.
Daddy and the girls played downstairs during the baby shower. But towards the end they were happy to come bounding upstairs to show off with their silly antics and dive into the food and desserts. Then even more fun was getting to talk to Gram and sing Happy Birthday to her.
What a great weekend to get to spend time with family and celebrate such wonderful occasions. Today was spent relaxing and recovering from our fun filled weekend. After church we had some lunch and then everyone laid down for a nap. Our family nap lasted until 6:00! Even the baby was worn out from a fussy morning and has slept late. Daddy had to hurry to grab a bite to eat and head out for his meetings while me and the babies get to play.
On Saturday we attended another party with a different part of the family. It was a baby shower for one of our cousins, followed by cake and ice cream for Gram's 88th birthday (go Gram!). The baby shower was wonderful! The food was fantastic and the party itself was so incredible and unique. Each guest was asked to bring a bead which was then strung onto a necklace for the new mom, along with words of sediment and advice. It was a great idea that made the party so sweet and thoughtful. The sediment sharing got rather emotional and it made it feel so intimate and meaningful. After the food and bead experience, the new mom opened her gifts and it was fun and exciting to see that she got some really great stuff! We opted for something that has become our favorite gift to give which is our "bag of little essentials". I picked out a swaddleme blanket (I joke that I'm the swaddle nazi because I so strongly believe in its power. When used consistency, it will become magic and helping a baby settle down and develop healthy sleep habits), a set of zip-up sleepers, a tube of aquaphor (for treating rashes), a set of links (perfect thing for attaching toys to the carseat or stroller) and a binky leash. When I can find them, I also like to put in a mesh laundry bag (perfect for keeping little socks from getting lost in the washer), a board book and a rattle toy (something easy to hold, with knobs of different texture and is bright and colorful. each of our girls had a favorite toy like this. we were never sure what kind of animal the rattle was supposed to be but it was always the favorite.) It's kind of our way of giving unsolicited advice.
Daddy and the girls played downstairs during the baby shower. But towards the end they were happy to come bounding upstairs to show off with their silly antics and dive into the food and desserts. Then even more fun was getting to talk to Gram and sing Happy Birthday to her.
What a great weekend to get to spend time with family and celebrate such wonderful occasions. Today was spent relaxing and recovering from our fun filled weekend. After church we had some lunch and then everyone laid down for a nap. Our family nap lasted until 6:00! Even the baby was worn out from a fussy morning and has slept late. Daddy had to hurry to grab a bite to eat and head out for his meetings while me and the babies get to play.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
quote of the day
Ladybug: (full volume yelling) "Peek a boo! AHHHH!"
Me: "please don't yell"
She paused. Then whispered "ah."
Butterfly came home from school. "hey mommy guess what. I pledge 'legence to the flag of united states of 'MERica! And to the 'public which it sands, nation, under god, indivisible, liberty n justice for ALL."
Me: "please don't yell"
She paused. Then whispered "ah."
Butterfly came home from school. "hey mommy guess what. I pledge 'legence to the flag of united states of 'MERica! And to the 'public which it sands, nation, under god, indivisible, liberty n justice for ALL."
Friday, November 11, 2011
8 weeks old
Time is too fast! I want to slow it down so I can just cuddle my beautiful baby and stare at her all day. I love being able to hold her and absorb her sweetness and newborn perfection. She is so wonderful!
Baby has been off her medications for an entire week! The first few days were rough as she quit sleeping. She spent most of the time content to stare at her sisters as they played but was typically fussy in the evening. The worst part was that she only averaged 6-8 hours of sleep for an entire 24 hour period. But now that the medications are out of her system, shes sleeping better and doing great. We checked in with her pediatrician this week and even took her off the respiratory monitor! (thus, I held her and danced around singing "i've got no strings to hold me down..." from Pinocchio.)
She's 23.5 inches long and 12 lb 4 oz, putting her in the 75th percentile (and making her our smallest baby). She loves to sit up against me and look around (she hates laying flat even when sleeping). She holds her head so well until she gets tired (and then she starts to resemble a bobble head doll). She's quickly growing out of her adorable newborn cry, the sad broken hearted whimper, and replacing it with a loud, demanding scream that renders me incapable of thinking. Fortunately those moments are rare.
Baby has been off her medications for an entire week! The first few days were rough as she quit sleeping. She spent most of the time content to stare at her sisters as they played but was typically fussy in the evening. The worst part was that she only averaged 6-8 hours of sleep for an entire 24 hour period. But now that the medications are out of her system, shes sleeping better and doing great. We checked in with her pediatrician this week and even took her off the respiratory monitor! (thus, I held her and danced around singing "i've got no strings to hold me down..." from Pinocchio.)
She's 23.5 inches long and 12 lb 4 oz, putting her in the 75th percentile (and making her our smallest baby). She loves to sit up against me and look around (she hates laying flat even when sleeping). She holds her head so well until she gets tired (and then she starts to resemble a bobble head doll). She's quickly growing out of her adorable newborn cry, the sad broken hearted whimper, and replacing it with a loud, demanding scream that renders me incapable of thinking. Fortunately those moments are rare.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
moment of the day
Papa was holding Ladybug and for some reason she was holding his wallet. She began taking things from it so he announced he might as well start teaching her about money. He held up a one dollar bill and a five dollar and asked to look at them and chose one. She took both and promptly slipped off his lap, walked across the room and without any encouragement, gave them to Grammy.
Lesson well taught Papa. She knows how it works.
Lesson well taught Papa. She knows how it works.
quote of the day
Ever since our first baby was born, daddy and I have this habit. When we change the baby we ball up the old diaper, take aim and throw it into the trash can, usually several feet away. We cheer and congratulate each other when we make it and tease each other when we miss.
Today I did this, made the basket but accidentally knocked the trash can over as well. Ladybug whipped her head around to me, "mommy that was naughty! you don't throw it!" She glared at me with such intensity that my laughter was cut short and I apologized. "no mommy, you pick it up, you apologize." So I picked up the trash can and as I tried to return to my seat, "no mommy! apologize!" ...yep, to the trash can.
Today I did this, made the basket but accidentally knocked the trash can over as well. Ladybug whipped her head around to me, "mommy that was naughty! you don't throw it!" She glared at me with such intensity that my laughter was cut short and I apologized. "no mommy, you pick it up, you apologize." So I picked up the trash can and as I tried to return to my seat, "no mommy! apologize!" ...yep, to the trash can.
Monday, November 7, 2011
pumpkins
In the beginning of October, Grandma took Butterfly and Ladybug out on a playdate. They came home with little pumpkins that we used to decorate the fireplace mantle and three big pumpkins (one for each of the girls) that we put out on the porch. The largest of the three got stolen (how lame do you have to be to steal a kid's pumpkin?) but the other two sat on the porch throughout the month. Halloween came and we never found time to carve them.
But we wanted to roast the seeds. So tonight, we brought the pumpkins into the kitchen, cut the tops off and began scooping out and cleaning it for the seeds. Butterfly and Ladybug sat on the table, so excited and eager to help...for the first few minutes. Ladybug quickly became distracted by using the bowls as drums. This activity was soon stopped and she decided to read her books instead (while still sitting on the table amidst the pumpkin goo). Butterfly's eagerness evaporated almost instantly with the discovery that it was "messy". Our prissy little girl panicked when she saw daddy scooping out the goo with his hands and began to whine about getting dirty. Still wanting to help, she tried picking out the seeds with just her fingertips and accidentally got pumpkin on her wrist. Genuinely upset, she whined until I came to the table and ignoring her complaints, dove right in. This apparently promptly a realization that it was okay for her to get messy and she got over it.
We finished scooping out all the seeds and I took them away to begin washing and roasting. Daddy started to clean up the mess but Butterfly begged to "make faces" on the pumpkins. We had no idea she was so excited about getting to carve them. So daddy gave her a marker to draw the face. She actually did a pretty good job so daddy set to work cutting out her picture. She coached him and together they produced a perfect jack o lantern. Daddy even put a light in it so they could get the whole effect.
Daddy set the jack o lantern up on the counter for the girls to admire. They pulled chairs up close and sat inches away, whispering and admiring. Then Ladybug picked up the pretend baby bottle she had been playing with and fed it to the jack o lantern! Butterfly took over the bottle feeding while Ladybug then used a baby spoon to pretend to spoon feed it. But my favorite part was when Ladybug grabbed a stack of story books and the girls took turns reading to the pumpkin!
But we wanted to roast the seeds. So tonight, we brought the pumpkins into the kitchen, cut the tops off and began scooping out and cleaning it for the seeds. Butterfly and Ladybug sat on the table, so excited and eager to help...for the first few minutes. Ladybug quickly became distracted by using the bowls as drums. This activity was soon stopped and she decided to read her books instead (while still sitting on the table amidst the pumpkin goo). Butterfly's eagerness evaporated almost instantly with the discovery that it was "messy". Our prissy little girl panicked when she saw daddy scooping out the goo with his hands and began to whine about getting dirty. Still wanting to help, she tried picking out the seeds with just her fingertips and accidentally got pumpkin on her wrist. Genuinely upset, she whined until I came to the table and ignoring her complaints, dove right in. This apparently promptly a realization that it was okay for her to get messy and she got over it.
We finished scooping out all the seeds and I took them away to begin washing and roasting. Daddy started to clean up the mess but Butterfly begged to "make faces" on the pumpkins. We had no idea she was so excited about getting to carve them. So daddy gave her a marker to draw the face. She actually did a pretty good job so daddy set to work cutting out her picture. She coached him and together they produced a perfect jack o lantern. Daddy even put a light in it so they could get the whole effect.
Daddy set the jack o lantern up on the counter for the girls to admire. They pulled chairs up close and sat inches away, whispering and admiring. Then Ladybug picked up the pretend baby bottle she had been playing with and fed it to the jack o lantern! Butterfly took over the bottle feeding while Ladybug then used a baby spoon to pretend to spoon feed it. But my favorite part was when Ladybug grabbed a stack of story books and the girls took turns reading to the pumpkin!
quote of the day
I told Ladybug "i love you very much."
She told me "i like you very much!"
gee. thanks kid.
She told me "i like you very much!"
gee. thanks kid.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hobbies
One of our favorite things to do lately is coloring. The girls climb up to the table or sometimes stretch out on their tummies on the floor and take their time choosing the perfect picture. They each have their own pile of crayons (and usually fight over them anyway) and set to work at coloring a picture (almost always, they are coloring a picture for daddy). Ladybug, in typically two year old fashion, grips the crayon with her fist and scribbles in long broad strokes. But Butterfly holds her crayon carefully, concentrates intently and colors amazingly well. She’s only three and a half but can stay in the lines to color neatly. Even her preschool teacher commented that she does exceptionally well at staying in the lines. Her pictures are always colorful and bright, having chosen a different color for each part of her picture. This means that a character on the page might have a green face, purple ears, yellow hands and a pink dress. Despite its unrealistic appearance, I love it. I love that she identifies each shape and assigns it a color and is expressing her creativity.
The girls also love, love, love play dough. Unfortunately, mommy does not. I hate the smell, especially since it lingers on your hands. Store bought playdough is sticky and homemade playdough is grainy. Both can make a mess (especially if it gets on the carpet!), leaves little grain sized pieces everywhere and inevitably gets mixed into another color. But I don’t want my neurotic nature to stop their fun since I know it’s a good activity so we have a stash that we reserve for them to play with when they have babysitters. Yesterday I got it out anyway (it still smells as bad as I remember) and they had a great time rolling out longs snakes as I supervised.
Books are the long time favorite. I think one of their favorite times of day is when daddy is putting them to bed. All three of them pile onto the bed, each girl having brought a stack of books for daddy to read. Butterfly’s recent favorite is her thick Pixar short stories collection or Sesame Street’s “Monster at the end of this book” (I think she just likes my monster voice). Ladybug loves her animal shaped books or the stories about angels. Yesterday I had the baby sleeping on my bed, propped up on a pillow. The girls came in with a pile of books and each lay down next to her to take turns “reading” her a story. Butterfly rambles in long (sometimes repetitive but always creative) paragraphs as she makes up a story to go along with the pictures. But even Ladybug is starting to tell the stories, mostly in her own jabber language with an occasional word that I can identify and associate with something in the picture she’s looking at.
An all time favorite toy lately is Butterfly’s make up kit that her Auntie bought her. All of it is pretend, with no paste or powder to make a mess but just colored foam cushions and color-tipped brushes to play with. Nearly every day the girls ask for their make up and take turns putting it on themselves, each other, me, sometimes daddy and even trying to put it on the baby. Along with that, sometimes they want their hairbrushes and bows too.
Other favorite toys lately are the “daddy tools” (Motor Works from Discovery Toys), wooden puzzles of a sphinx and of a cat (another Auntie brought them from the Met in New York), “clip clop” (a play horse they inherited from daddy’s childhood), the magnetic letters on the art easel (Ladybug got it from grandma for her birthday) and of course the classics like their pretend kitchen and their dollies (complete with stroller and crib).
Other new favorite activities include playing games like Candyland and Go Fish and raking the leaves (Butterfly calls it “ricking”). Usually Butterfly asks for these things and Ladybug just plays along, mimicking her big sister.
The girls also love, love, love play dough. Unfortunately, mommy does not. I hate the smell, especially since it lingers on your hands. Store bought playdough is sticky and homemade playdough is grainy. Both can make a mess (especially if it gets on the carpet!), leaves little grain sized pieces everywhere and inevitably gets mixed into another color. But I don’t want my neurotic nature to stop their fun since I know it’s a good activity so we have a stash that we reserve for them to play with when they have babysitters. Yesterday I got it out anyway (it still smells as bad as I remember) and they had a great time rolling out longs snakes as I supervised.
Books are the long time favorite. I think one of their favorite times of day is when daddy is putting them to bed. All three of them pile onto the bed, each girl having brought a stack of books for daddy to read. Butterfly’s recent favorite is her thick Pixar short stories collection or Sesame Street’s “Monster at the end of this book” (I think she just likes my monster voice). Ladybug loves her animal shaped books or the stories about angels. Yesterday I had the baby sleeping on my bed, propped up on a pillow. The girls came in with a pile of books and each lay down next to her to take turns “reading” her a story. Butterfly rambles in long (sometimes repetitive but always creative) paragraphs as she makes up a story to go along with the pictures. But even Ladybug is starting to tell the stories, mostly in her own jabber language with an occasional word that I can identify and associate with something in the picture she’s looking at.
An all time favorite toy lately is Butterfly’s make up kit that her Auntie bought her. All of it is pretend, with no paste or powder to make a mess but just colored foam cushions and color-tipped brushes to play with. Nearly every day the girls ask for their make up and take turns putting it on themselves, each other, me, sometimes daddy and even trying to put it on the baby. Along with that, sometimes they want their hairbrushes and bows too.
Other favorite toys lately are the “daddy tools” (Motor Works from Discovery Toys), wooden puzzles of a sphinx and of a cat (another Auntie brought them from the Met in New York), “clip clop” (a play horse they inherited from daddy’s childhood), the magnetic letters on the art easel (Ladybug got it from grandma for her birthday) and of course the classics like their pretend kitchen and their dollies (complete with stroller and crib).
Other new favorite activities include playing games like Candyland and Go Fish and raking the leaves (Butterfly calls it “ricking”). Usually Butterfly asks for these things and Ladybug just plays along, mimicking her big sister.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Halloween Fun
On Saturday night our ward had a Halloween Party at our bishop’s “barn” (which is actually more of a rustic looking reception center and perfect for parties like this). The girls were ecstatic and had so much fun. We had our pretty little tiger, a mischievous monkey and a cuddly pink leopard. To complete the ensemble, Daddy was the zookeeper and I was the tree (unfortunately my prop slept through the whole thing, somewhat spoiling the “kitty in the tree” look I had be going for). After a brief but tasty dinner (the girls were too excited to eat), Daddy (as the Young Men’s president and therefore in charge) got the games going. First was the costume parade and then the fishing pond. Those were both pretty chaotic but as the tables got put away and the crowd thinned out, the kids were able to have a lot of fun. The highlight of the night was the piñatas. Daddy was the emcee, gathering the kids by age group and managing the taking of turns (all while holding a little monkey in one arm, which kind of completed his zookeeper costume). I had fun “chumming” the kids. I realized that the younger kids weren’t getting any of the candy (and were getting stepped on in the mad dash every time candy flew from the piñata) so I starting stocking handfuls of candy that I could throw to the outskirts of the circle. Overall the party was a blast and our girls had a ton of fun.
On Halloween, the girls talked all day long about going trick or treating. Last year it was snowing on Halloween and our girls were too young anyway to know what they were missing so we didn’t go. They had a blast hanging out at home and passing out the candy. But this year, Butterfly had learned about Halloween in school so the girls spent the day practicing trick or treating and jumping up and down in excitement. They got to wear a different costume tonight and were adorable University of Utah cheerleaders (they even made up their own cheer (“go utes! Hip hip hurray!”) Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner and then stayed to watch the baby (our little ghost) and answer our door while daddy and I took the little cheerleaders trick or treating. At the first house (a good friend of ours), Ladybug accepted her candy and then wandered right in to go sit on the couch and began to open the candy! But they soon got the hang of it and had a great time. I loved watching them run to each house (especially Ladybug with her bowlegged gait) and then Butterfly would knock repeatedly until they answered the door. Then more often than not, they would forgot to say anything and just stared at the bowl of candy. After receiving their candy, there would finally be a chorus of “trick or treat, happy Halloween!, go utes!” before they came back to us and asked to go to another house. Their costumes got some mixed reactions of people cheering for the Utes and complimenting them while other houses teasingly booed and said they should be wearing blue. At one house, the gentleman tried to prompt Butterfly to say “go cougars”. She looked right at him and yelled “go utes!” with an energetic fist pump (that’s my girl!) They lasted much longer than I thought they would and filled their bags. We even stopped at home for a potty break and went out again, this time teaming up with some good friends for another block. Finally we came home and the girls sat down on the floor and I dumped out all the candy into their laps. Their eyes were huge as they dove in and devoured a portion of it. (My plan is to let them go crazy for one night and then send it all to daddy’s work so it’s out of the house.) After they had their fill of candy, daddy took them downstairs to watch a movie and wind down before our two tired cheerleaders went to bed.
On Halloween, the girls talked all day long about going trick or treating. Last year it was snowing on Halloween and our girls were too young anyway to know what they were missing so we didn’t go. They had a blast hanging out at home and passing out the candy. But this year, Butterfly had learned about Halloween in school so the girls spent the day practicing trick or treating and jumping up and down in excitement. They got to wear a different costume tonight and were adorable University of Utah cheerleaders (they even made up their own cheer (“go utes! Hip hip hurray!”) Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner and then stayed to watch the baby (our little ghost) and answer our door while daddy and I took the little cheerleaders trick or treating. At the first house (a good friend of ours), Ladybug accepted her candy and then wandered right in to go sit on the couch and began to open the candy! But they soon got the hang of it and had a great time. I loved watching them run to each house (especially Ladybug with her bowlegged gait) and then Butterfly would knock repeatedly until they answered the door. Then more often than not, they would forgot to say anything and just stared at the bowl of candy. After receiving their candy, there would finally be a chorus of “trick or treat, happy Halloween!, go utes!” before they came back to us and asked to go to another house. Their costumes got some mixed reactions of people cheering for the Utes and complimenting them while other houses teasingly booed and said they should be wearing blue. At one house, the gentleman tried to prompt Butterfly to say “go cougars”. She looked right at him and yelled “go utes!” with an energetic fist pump (that’s my girl!) They lasted much longer than I thought they would and filled their bags. We even stopped at home for a potty break and went out again, this time teaming up with some good friends for another block. Finally we came home and the girls sat down on the floor and I dumped out all the candy into their laps. Their eyes were huge as they dove in and devoured a portion of it. (My plan is to let them go crazy for one night and then send it all to daddy’s work so it’s out of the house.) After they had their fill of candy, daddy took them downstairs to watch a movie and wind down before our two tired cheerleaders went to bed.
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