On Christmas Day, after all the celebrating and feasting, I packed in record time, loaded up the girls and began the long drive south to my grandma's house. Reluctantly we left Daddy behind since he had to work. I began the drive behind schedule, plus I knew I would need to stop and feed the girls whenever the baby woke up. But to my delight she slept nearly the whole way so I just kept driving and managed to arrive right on time, meeting up with my parents and brother's family that had also driven down to spend time with grandma.
The trip was chaos but we managed to have a lot of fun. We rented and shared a three bedroom condo so we would have more room to play than a hotel would have offered, which worked out great. Butterfly and Ladybug were thrilled to have so much play time with their cousins and frequently disappeared upstairs to go play "house". We had some trouble coordinating bedtimes since the cousins were so eager to play and my children are such light sleepers but we managed. It was especially nice than we were able to bring groceries and prepare meals at the condo rather than eating out every meal.
We got to spend time with grandma (my girls call her "grandma great") and got to exchange gifts with her. She had given each of our families a nativity for Christmas and each of our kids an angel ornament (in honor of grandpa who passed away a year ago). She also generously had little toys for them which we kept at her house to play with during our trip there. My parents, siblings and my family came up with some great ideas and had a lot of fun trying to spoil her a bit this year. We got a large basket and filled it with inexpensive but useful items like gloves, lotion, gift cards and treats. But the gift that I really felt was special was that we had a star named in my grandpa's honor and then each family picked out a star ornament for her tree to accompany it. (The idea wasn't original, I borrowed it from Daddy's family.) It was emotional and meaningful and wonderful.
One night grandma went driving with me and the girls and took us around town to find the best Christmas decorations and the girls absolutely loved looking at all the lights. We had fun going out for ice cream in then evenings and each night I cuddled in between my two big girls to sleep. Overall the trip was pretty crazy, I missed daddy and got overwhelmed easily by so many kids running around. It was fun to spend time with them but especially when I got sick (I'm starting to suspect a food allergy but haven't identified it yet), the noise and rambunctious (sometimes destructive) behaviors of nine small children and a new puppy were too much for me. So we loved the trip but were eager to come home and be with daddy again. Precious AngelBaby slept the whole way again and the girls were content to relax and watch movies.
That evening I left the big girls with Daddy and went to a girls' night with the women from Daddy's extended family and had such a blast. I love seeing these special, amazing women (some of who I don't get see very often) and it was wonderful, getting to relax without my adorable, but high energy children. I did take AngelBaby with me and she showed off smiling and beaming to everyone. We had a delicious dinner and snacks to go with it and one of the aunties put together an incredibly generous and fun gift exchange. She donated all the gifts which were things she had collected over time but never used (things like beautiful jewelry or high quality cosmetics). There was lots of teasing and laughing as we unwrapped gifts, stealing and trading as we went. Plus I got to drive with grandma and enjoyed talking with her on our drive.
Since then, the week has been busy with unpacking, catching up on laundry and some long over due cleaning and playing our new wii games with the girls (Carnival and Toy Story Mania, the girls love them both). I've been going to physical therapy for my foot (still have some numbness and limited movement from the bruised nerve) and it's slowly getting better. I still have to make a conscious effort to not limp when I walk but with more time, I'm confident it won't be a problem anymore. Daddy and I got to go on a fantastic double date with one of his former mission companions and his new wife. I love going to dinner with them because we burn off half the calories from dinner just by laughing before the night is over. We had a great time talking with them and showing off AngelBaby (while the big girls stayed home to play with their favorite babysitter). We finally managed to finish our family Christmas card just in time for New Years (we may just give up and accept that it will always be a New Year's card instead of a Christmas card--the weeks preceding Christmas are simply too busy). AngelBaby continues to sleep through the night (8-10 hours) so last night she officially graduated from her bassinet and we moved her into her own room. She looks so tiny in her crib! But I'm glad that she will have her own space (and that we can reclaim our bedroom just for us again).
It's New Year's Eve and we have no big plans for tonight. (Which is kind of odd because our last several years have been fun but crazy, sometimes even double booking ourselves.) We're looking forward to a low key celebration with the girls. At some point soon we need to do the boring but necessary stuff like revise our spending budget, meet with our financial adviser and our estate lawyer to do updates, plan some family goals and make resolutions for 2012. But for tonight, we will relax, play and ring in the new year a few hours early so that at midnight this house might all be sound asleep.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
tv shows
(or as the girls pronounced it "tee bee shows". ironically, we don't have tv, we watch everything on net flicks. So this last week when we stayed in a timeshare that had satellite tv, the girls got really frustrated that they couldn't pick the show they wanted and I didn't know when their favorites would be on. Instead they just had to wait and see. I found their frustration hilarious.)
One of the girls' favorite tv shows lately is called "Yo Gabba Gabba" (introduced to us by Daddy's brother who also has an adorable little girl). My first impression was to dub it as the evil twin sister of Barney. I tried to steer them back to our other favorites like Sesame Street and WordWorld. But they persisted and eventually I realized the show isn't too bad. Instead of vignettes about letters and numbers, it's teaching about character and behavior. So we've adopted some of the songs as our own and sing them frequently, such as "I tried it, now I like it!" or "Keep trying! Don't give up!" or "We don't bite our friends!". My favorite is when we dance "wiggle wiggle wiggle, FREEZE! wiggle wiggle wiggle FREEZE!" Another favorite activity they mimic from the show is "cool tricks". Butterfly will stand up on the hearth (or a box, or the couch, whatever she deems as an appropriate stage) and introduce herself and announce "and this is my cool trick", followed by some random action like jumping, twirling, somersaults, etc. Today Ladybug started doing it too, her cool trick was stomping.
They also like to watch Wonderpets and frequently sing the theme song or "what's gonna work? Teamwork!" when they play together.
However, they are not allowed to watch Dora the Explorer (every line is shouted rather than spoken in a normal voice, not such a great role model) or Backyardigans (ask Butterfly why and she will tell you "cause they have bad tat-itudes").
One of the girls' favorite tv shows lately is called "Yo Gabba Gabba" (introduced to us by Daddy's brother who also has an adorable little girl). My first impression was to dub it as the evil twin sister of Barney. I tried to steer them back to our other favorites like Sesame Street and WordWorld. But they persisted and eventually I realized the show isn't too bad. Instead of vignettes about letters and numbers, it's teaching about character and behavior. So we've adopted some of the songs as our own and sing them frequently, such as "I tried it, now I like it!" or "Keep trying! Don't give up!" or "We don't bite our friends!". My favorite is when we dance "wiggle wiggle wiggle, FREEZE! wiggle wiggle wiggle FREEZE!" Another favorite activity they mimic from the show is "cool tricks". Butterfly will stand up on the hearth (or a box, or the couch, whatever she deems as an appropriate stage) and introduce herself and announce "and this is my cool trick", followed by some random action like jumping, twirling, somersaults, etc. Today Ladybug started doing it too, her cool trick was stomping.
They also like to watch Wonderpets and frequently sing the theme song or "what's gonna work? Teamwork!" when they play together.
However, they are not allowed to watch Dora the Explorer (every line is shouted rather than spoken in a normal voice, not such a great role model) or Backyardigans (ask Butterfly why and she will tell you "cause they have bad tat-itudes").
quote of the day
The baby tends to drool spit bubbles quite often. We joke that she's foaming at the mouth (funny to us but really, not very flattering). Ladybug noticed and panicked, "mommy, the baby is melting!"
Thursday, December 29, 2011
quote of the day
Butterfly's new favorite phrase is "razzle dazzle!" Used mostly when she has built something or discovered something.
Yesterday I was very frustrated and my anxiety was through the roof so trying hard to not yell or lose my patience, I told Ladybug "mommy is very overwhelmed, I need you to go downstairs and give mommy some space." She chirped back happily, "okay, I find your space." and bounced away, "mommy's space?! Space?!" as she went looking for "space" to give me.
Yesterday I was very frustrated and my anxiety was through the roof so trying hard to not yell or lose my patience, I told Ladybug "mommy is very overwhelmed, I need you to go downstairs and give mommy some space." She chirped back happily, "okay, I find your space." and bounced away, "mommy's space?! Space?!" as she went looking for "space" to give me.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Chaos part 2
This has been such a wonderful, joyful, chaotic and perfect holiday season. We’ve been able to spend time with family, partake in favorite traditions, feast on amazing food and teach our girls about Christmas.
Last week we went to the library’s Christmas party (we have a fantastic storybook lady who arranges the best activities for preschool children). This year’s Christmas party was reindeer training! Upon our arrival, we cut out and decorated our reindeer antlers and then joined the group for the usual wiggle songs and storybook time. Then, since this year the party was at the rec center instead of the library, the kids went running on the track and at the end of the lap were greeted by Santa! Our lucky lil Ladybug even got to walk back to the playroom holding Santa’s hand the whole way. The playroom divided into stations and Butterfly and Ladybug ran in different directions with crazy happy energy. They bounced around from meeting Santa to playing with the parachute, throwing bean bags and making elf snowballs (using Joy dishsoap and dry ice).
More family came to town from Nate’s side and we had so much fun getting to spend time with them. We had a girls’ night out and got to enjoy a really nice dinner and leisurely talking while then men ran herd on the crazy children. The girls were thrilled to see their cousin and tend to overwhelm her with their enthusiasm at first. But they had a blast getting to play with her and share all of their toys and fun with her. We had a morning of baking time to make gingerbread cookies with grandma and cousins. The girls sat on the counter to help pour in ingredients and then they stood on chairs to help grandma pick out cookie cutters and cut out the cookies. But their favorite part was decorating. Ladybug spent most of the time licking the sugar off the candies but Butterfly concentrated and made some beautifully decorated cookies. Eventually they laid down for naps and then the women had even more fun decorating cookies and personalizing them for family members. I even made a geek in daddy’s honor (glasses, tie and shirt pocket).
That even, we had a traditional Christmas dinner of goose and duck with all the trimmings. The girls got to sit at their own little table and we bribed them to eat with little chocolate turkeys that grandma set out for them. AngelBaby sat at the table, reclined in a high chair between me and her dad. She stared around the table, looking adorable with her round, full cheeks and her naturally pouting lips. After dinner, grandma passed out the costumes and we read the nativity. Butterfly was bouncing with enthusiasm and begged to be the angel while Ladybug was reluctant, refusing to wear the lamb costume. But then she saw her sister’s costume and begged to be an angel too.
The next day we went tubing despite the fact that we have no snow! (It's a very brown, dry looking Christmas and I was pretty bummed out by that) Fortunately the tubing hill can make it’s own snow and had a tubing hill dedicated for small children only. So we had a great afternoon watching daddy pull the girls up the hill, send them flying back down, and chasing after them to do it all again. We visited the cemetery and my curious, irreverent, energetic kids thought it was a great adventure to run around exploring the head stones and rearranging the Christmas decorations left there. We had a family prayer and in her typical fashion, Ladybug interrupted when the prayer grew too long for her liking. She started to dictate the prayer herself or lecture the adults who peeked their eyes open to check on the kids.
Another favorite part of the day was when I got to take my Butterfly shopping for Christmas presents. About a month ago we were talking about Christmas presents and I explained that mommy and daddy buy presents for them because we love them. Butterfly thought for a minute and then asked if she can buy a Christmas present too. I said sure, and asked for who. She replied (to my delight) that she wanted to buy a present for her sister. So we talked and decided that she would do special jobs for me to earn some money to buy a present for her sister. She helped me gather the trash, helped unload the dishwasher, vacuumed the stairs, brought up the laundry and more until she earned about seven dollars. So on Christmas Eve, we went to the store and she wandered and thought and finally picked out a perfect toy for her sister. I gave her very little direction and was thrilled that she picked out such a perfect gift for her sister (a little toy shopping cart that she hopes sister will share with her). The she asked if she could get daddy a present too. So we wandered over to tools and I helped her pick out something for daddy. I’m so proud of this beautiful girl and her thoughtfulness. At the counter (since there was no line behind us), she carefully counted out her money and gave it to the cashier (who helped play along and made it a big deal too) and then she proudly carried the box to the car, eager to show daddy what she found for her little sister.
We spent the evening and grandma and grandpa’s house again for bagels and eggnog (another family tradition) and exchanging presents. The girls ran around like crazy people, bursting with happy excitement and energy. They loved their presents and were eager to help anyone who would let them. We bounced around playing with gifts, snacking on gingerbread cookies and finally tried to settle in to watch the Muppets Christmas carol. Having taken late naps, they were ready to party and full of energy until very late. We even went home and wrapped presents (I fold and hold the paper while she does the tape and writes the names) before finally putting the girls to bed at 11:00.
Ladybug came creeping upstairs at 7:30. She does this nearly every morning because she likes to crawl into bed with us and more often than not, will go back to sleep. But she spotted Daddy working in the office and immediately got excited and wanted to help him. He had woke up early to finish some last minute touches on Christmas presents and recruited her help. So I lounged in bed and finally got up to hang out with them. Eventually Ladybug and Daddy were getting too antsy so Daddy went downstairs around 9 to wake up our Butterfly who had decided to sleep in after her late night adventures. We cuddled on the couch, waiting for her to wake up and for the excitement to set it. Once it did, they bounced around admiring the tree and presents and got started on their stockings. Butterfly and Ladybug cuddled into Daddy’s lap to investigate the contents. One of my favorite moments was when Ladybug was trying to open a package that I had wrapped with too much tape. She was shredding it, tearing off confetti sized pieces, one at a time, while singing “Keep trying! Keep trying! Don’t give up, never give up!” (a favorite song from the tv show, Gabba Gabba) Butterfly’s favorite stocking stuffer was her little pink flashlight which she used to explore the fireplace and tree, despite the sunshine flooding in through the windows. By then, AngelBaby was ready to wake up and join us. (Even she had given us a Christmas present by sleeping for nearly ten hours straight!) The girls helped to empty out her stocking as well, squealing over the animal figurines as they showed them to her. We took a break to eat a quick breakfast and then dove back into opening presents. I absolutely loved watching them and seeing their faces light up with excitement, hearing them squeal in excitement and exclaim their admiration or appreciation. Another favorite moment was Butterfly’s long but very excited and animated monologue about how Santa had brought the presents when we were sleeping. She was adorable as she proudly passed out her gifts to give and was surprised when her little sister had a present for her too. They helped Daddy open his gifts and after all the presents were unwrapped, Daddy handed me a letter sized envelope. Inside it was the first clue (complete with rhyming riddles) that took us on a treasure hunt into nearly every room of the house. Butterfly led the way with her flashlight and I followed, collecting the wrapped packages and clever clues in each location. Once I had gathered a dozen items, I carried them upstairs to unwrap, still clueless about what it was. My incredible, thoughtful husband had gotten me a new set of beautiful, high quality kitchen knives (which were very needed since the set we received as a wedding gift were not as sharp or useful as I needed them to be). Not only did I love the gift but I was so touched by the thoughtfulness and creativity of the treasure hunt.
Eventually there was a quick scramble to get ready for church. There was a wonderful musical program at church and we did our best to keep our children relatively quiet and well behaved during sacrament meeting. The music was beautiful, it was great to see some friends but we hurried home after to get ready for more time with family. I had made Christmas casseroles to share with family; it’s the perfect Christmas breakfast because it can be prepared the day before and then refrigerated overnight. Normally I would put it in the oven when we woke up and it would be ready for breakfast but with our crazy schedules, we decided to have it for lunch instead. So once joined by family, we feasted and then did another small flurry of opening presents from grandma and grandpa, including beautiful necklaces that grandpa made from boulder opals he brought back from Australia this year. Even the little girls got a special necklace from grandpa and were so excited. And just as exciting as the necklace itself, was the packaging. They took the soft cotton cushions out of the boxes and used them to fashion miniature beds for their new dolls.
Last week we went to the library’s Christmas party (we have a fantastic storybook lady who arranges the best activities for preschool children). This year’s Christmas party was reindeer training! Upon our arrival, we cut out and decorated our reindeer antlers and then joined the group for the usual wiggle songs and storybook time. Then, since this year the party was at the rec center instead of the library, the kids went running on the track and at the end of the lap were greeted by Santa! Our lucky lil Ladybug even got to walk back to the playroom holding Santa’s hand the whole way. The playroom divided into stations and Butterfly and Ladybug ran in different directions with crazy happy energy. They bounced around from meeting Santa to playing with the parachute, throwing bean bags and making elf snowballs (using Joy dishsoap and dry ice).
More family came to town from Nate’s side and we had so much fun getting to spend time with them. We had a girls’ night out and got to enjoy a really nice dinner and leisurely talking while then men ran herd on the crazy children. The girls were thrilled to see their cousin and tend to overwhelm her with their enthusiasm at first. But they had a blast getting to play with her and share all of their toys and fun with her. We had a morning of baking time to make gingerbread cookies with grandma and cousins. The girls sat on the counter to help pour in ingredients and then they stood on chairs to help grandma pick out cookie cutters and cut out the cookies. But their favorite part was decorating. Ladybug spent most of the time licking the sugar off the candies but Butterfly concentrated and made some beautifully decorated cookies. Eventually they laid down for naps and then the women had even more fun decorating cookies and personalizing them for family members. I even made a geek in daddy’s honor (glasses, tie and shirt pocket).
That even, we had a traditional Christmas dinner of goose and duck with all the trimmings. The girls got to sit at their own little table and we bribed them to eat with little chocolate turkeys that grandma set out for them. AngelBaby sat at the table, reclined in a high chair between me and her dad. She stared around the table, looking adorable with her round, full cheeks and her naturally pouting lips. After dinner, grandma passed out the costumes and we read the nativity. Butterfly was bouncing with enthusiasm and begged to be the angel while Ladybug was reluctant, refusing to wear the lamb costume. But then she saw her sister’s costume and begged to be an angel too.
The next day we went tubing despite the fact that we have no snow! (It's a very brown, dry looking Christmas and I was pretty bummed out by that) Fortunately the tubing hill can make it’s own snow and had a tubing hill dedicated for small children only. So we had a great afternoon watching daddy pull the girls up the hill, send them flying back down, and chasing after them to do it all again. We visited the cemetery and my curious, irreverent, energetic kids thought it was a great adventure to run around exploring the head stones and rearranging the Christmas decorations left there. We had a family prayer and in her typical fashion, Ladybug interrupted when the prayer grew too long for her liking. She started to dictate the prayer herself or lecture the adults who peeked their eyes open to check on the kids.
Another favorite part of the day was when I got to take my Butterfly shopping for Christmas presents. About a month ago we were talking about Christmas presents and I explained that mommy and daddy buy presents for them because we love them. Butterfly thought for a minute and then asked if she can buy a Christmas present too. I said sure, and asked for who. She replied (to my delight) that she wanted to buy a present for her sister. So we talked and decided that she would do special jobs for me to earn some money to buy a present for her sister. She helped me gather the trash, helped unload the dishwasher, vacuumed the stairs, brought up the laundry and more until she earned about seven dollars. So on Christmas Eve, we went to the store and she wandered and thought and finally picked out a perfect toy for her sister. I gave her very little direction and was thrilled that she picked out such a perfect gift for her sister (a little toy shopping cart that she hopes sister will share with her). The she asked if she could get daddy a present too. So we wandered over to tools and I helped her pick out something for daddy. I’m so proud of this beautiful girl and her thoughtfulness. At the counter (since there was no line behind us), she carefully counted out her money and gave it to the cashier (who helped play along and made it a big deal too) and then she proudly carried the box to the car, eager to show daddy what she found for her little sister.
We spent the evening and grandma and grandpa’s house again for bagels and eggnog (another family tradition) and exchanging presents. The girls ran around like crazy people, bursting with happy excitement and energy. They loved their presents and were eager to help anyone who would let them. We bounced around playing with gifts, snacking on gingerbread cookies and finally tried to settle in to watch the Muppets Christmas carol. Having taken late naps, they were ready to party and full of energy until very late. We even went home and wrapped presents (I fold and hold the paper while she does the tape and writes the names) before finally putting the girls to bed at 11:00.
Ladybug came creeping upstairs at 7:30. She does this nearly every morning because she likes to crawl into bed with us and more often than not, will go back to sleep. But she spotted Daddy working in the office and immediately got excited and wanted to help him. He had woke up early to finish some last minute touches on Christmas presents and recruited her help. So I lounged in bed and finally got up to hang out with them. Eventually Ladybug and Daddy were getting too antsy so Daddy went downstairs around 9 to wake up our Butterfly who had decided to sleep in after her late night adventures. We cuddled on the couch, waiting for her to wake up and for the excitement to set it. Once it did, they bounced around admiring the tree and presents and got started on their stockings. Butterfly and Ladybug cuddled into Daddy’s lap to investigate the contents. One of my favorite moments was when Ladybug was trying to open a package that I had wrapped with too much tape. She was shredding it, tearing off confetti sized pieces, one at a time, while singing “Keep trying! Keep trying! Don’t give up, never give up!” (a favorite song from the tv show, Gabba Gabba) Butterfly’s favorite stocking stuffer was her little pink flashlight which she used to explore the fireplace and tree, despite the sunshine flooding in through the windows. By then, AngelBaby was ready to wake up and join us. (Even she had given us a Christmas present by sleeping for nearly ten hours straight!) The girls helped to empty out her stocking as well, squealing over the animal figurines as they showed them to her. We took a break to eat a quick breakfast and then dove back into opening presents. I absolutely loved watching them and seeing their faces light up with excitement, hearing them squeal in excitement and exclaim their admiration or appreciation. Another favorite moment was Butterfly’s long but very excited and animated monologue about how Santa had brought the presents when we were sleeping. She was adorable as she proudly passed out her gifts to give and was surprised when her little sister had a present for her too. They helped Daddy open his gifts and after all the presents were unwrapped, Daddy handed me a letter sized envelope. Inside it was the first clue (complete with rhyming riddles) that took us on a treasure hunt into nearly every room of the house. Butterfly led the way with her flashlight and I followed, collecting the wrapped packages and clever clues in each location. Once I had gathered a dozen items, I carried them upstairs to unwrap, still clueless about what it was. My incredible, thoughtful husband had gotten me a new set of beautiful, high quality kitchen knives (which were very needed since the set we received as a wedding gift were not as sharp or useful as I needed them to be). Not only did I love the gift but I was so touched by the thoughtfulness and creativity of the treasure hunt.
Eventually there was a quick scramble to get ready for church. There was a wonderful musical program at church and we did our best to keep our children relatively quiet and well behaved during sacrament meeting. The music was beautiful, it was great to see some friends but we hurried home after to get ready for more time with family. I had made Christmas casseroles to share with family; it’s the perfect Christmas breakfast because it can be prepared the day before and then refrigerated overnight. Normally I would put it in the oven when we woke up and it would be ready for breakfast but with our crazy schedules, we decided to have it for lunch instead. So once joined by family, we feasted and then did another small flurry of opening presents from grandma and grandpa, including beautiful necklaces that grandpa made from boulder opals he brought back from Australia this year. Even the little girls got a special necklace from grandpa and were so excited. And just as exciting as the necklace itself, was the packaging. They took the soft cotton cushions out of the boxes and used them to fashion miniature beds for their new dolls.
AngelBaby
Despite a rough start, this little girl is our angel baby. She is so sweet and such a calm, happy baby. She loves to be cuddled and watch her sisters play or babble to the ceiling fan. She hardly ever cries and is usually pretty easy to comfort on the rare occasion she does get upset. In fact, her first truly fussy fit was only a few days ago and it caught us completely by surprise because it was so out of character for her. We suspected an upset stomach or perhaps she’s entering the “stranger danger” phase of being upset if it’s not me or daddy holding her. But even with that, her fussy moments are pretty short lived and then she's content once again. She’s generally happy and I love to cuddle her and absorb her baby perfection.
Her bright, beautiful eyes are so angelic and precious and I love the way she smiles so big and so easily. Once I engage her attention and get her to focus on me, it’s easy to make her smile and she just beams. She’s even started sleeping through the night (8 hours for the past three nights) and she sleeps much deeper than either of her sisters did. I’m so grateful for that because she can sleep through most of her sisters’ playing and squealing as well as the normal household noises. It’s such a nice and welcome change from Butterfly who because of her stomach problems was a fussy and difficult baby (she cried for the first six months straight) or Ladybug, who was a really good baby until we put her in a car seat and then she screamed the entire time.
AngelBaby grows more charming every day, spending more time awake and becoming more talkative. She calls to us to come hold her, coos happily in response to our animated interactions and even hums when she’s nursing, much like her older sister (in fact, Ladybug STILL hum/sings when she eats). She’s even come into a fairly predictable routine, eating at regular intervals and taking fairly consistent naps, letting me better predict a schedule for us. She’s such a good baby and growing so fast. I want to hold her and squeeze her and slow time down so I can enjoy and absorb every moment of this wonderful stage, fearful that someday she will turn on me and turn into another toddler monster.
Her bright, beautiful eyes are so angelic and precious and I love the way she smiles so big and so easily. Once I engage her attention and get her to focus on me, it’s easy to make her smile and she just beams. She’s even started sleeping through the night (8 hours for the past three nights) and she sleeps much deeper than either of her sisters did. I’m so grateful for that because she can sleep through most of her sisters’ playing and squealing as well as the normal household noises. It’s such a nice and welcome change from Butterfly who because of her stomach problems was a fussy and difficult baby (she cried for the first six months straight) or Ladybug, who was a really good baby until we put her in a car seat and then she screamed the entire time.
AngelBaby grows more charming every day, spending more time awake and becoming more talkative. She calls to us to come hold her, coos happily in response to our animated interactions and even hums when she’s nursing, much like her older sister (in fact, Ladybug STILL hum/sings when she eats). She’s even come into a fairly predictable routine, eating at regular intervals and taking fairly consistent naps, letting me better predict a schedule for us. She’s such a good baby and growing so fast. I want to hold her and squeeze her and slow time down so I can enjoy and absorb every moment of this wonderful stage, fearful that someday she will turn on me and turn into another toddler monster.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
quote of the day
My friend was changing the diaper or her new baby boy. Butterfly glanced over and then stared in alarm, "mom what's that? What happened?"
Me: "he's a little boy. Little boys look different than little girls."
Her: "but why does he have that thing? I don't have that thing."
Me: "that's how little boys go potty. You're a girl, boys and girls look a little different."
Her: "oh. He's a boy so he has that thing like my dad."
Me: "uh...yeah."
Her: "Boys look funny. I'm glad I don't have that thing."
Me: "he's a little boy. Little boys look different than little girls."
Her: "but why does he have that thing? I don't have that thing."
Me: "that's how little boys go potty. You're a girl, boys and girls look a little different."
Her: "oh. He's a boy so he has that thing like my dad."
Me: "uh...yeah."
Her: "Boys look funny. I'm glad I don't have that thing."
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
quote of the day
This morning Butterfly told me "that's what she said!" (wow)
This afternoon she asked one of her favorite questions "who made this?" as she held up a cheese spoon. She frequently asks who made something or who bought something for her and since I'm hoping that she's learning gratitude, I like to humor her. I truthfully told her I didn't know and continued what I was doing. She held the spoon in front of her and said to herself, "God made it. He can make anything."
This afternoon she asked one of her favorite questions "who made this?" as she held up a cheese spoon. She frequently asks who made something or who bought something for her and since I'm hoping that she's learning gratitude, I like to humor her. I truthfully told her I didn't know and continued what I was doing. She held the spoon in front of her and said to herself, "God made it. He can make anything."
Monday, December 19, 2011
Christmas Chaos part 1
This weekend was my family's Christmas party and what a blast!
We started on Friday; we try to have family weekends once a month and we've learned that we really like to go up Friday evening instead of waiting until Saturday. This way we are already there early on Saturday morning but mostly because that gives my girls some one-on-one time with their grandparents before all their cousins come. So on Friday evening we met my parents and my sister for a quick dinner and then drove through the Christmas lights festival at Willard Bay. The girls were glued to the window, whipping their heads around to take it all in. Their favorites were Tinkerbell, Santa and the dragon.
On Saturday, we spent the morning playing with toys and getting food and activities ready for the party. The girls had a blast playing with the special Christmas toys like the Little People Nativity and Santa sleigh and especially the train around the tree. Spending time with family was wonderful and the party was wonderful. Our extended family is growing fast and it gets very loud and chaotic with so many tiny, energetic kids. But this year, it seemed like we handle the chaos particularly well. We split up the present opening (siblings exchanged before dinner, grammy and papa gave presents after dinner) and that made it a lot easier to watch my girls and see their excitement. Even dinner seemed less crazy than usual (not sure if that's because we were better organized and prepared kid plates before they came to the table or if because we were bribing them with presents). We had soups and sandwiches for dinner and a banquet of Christmas treats for dessert. The girls bounced around happily playing with their cousins and the baby cuddled in my arms, watching everything with big eyes and trying hard to stay awake for it all.
We had a special visit from Santa and Butterfly was bursting with excitement. Just like last year, she fawned over him and brought her own chair over to sit as close to him as she possibly could. We got some great family pictures and he passed out some treats. The highlight of present opening for my girls was when Grammy held them on her laps, covering their eyes while Papa brought out their gift. Butterfly received a Disney princess-themed, just her size, adorable salon and Ladybug got a wonderful baby center station, complete with crib, bath, high chair and sink. Their two cousins of the same age received similar play stations and all of the cousins went nuts playing and sharing and pretending together. Finally we moved the toys further into the kitchen and the kids played happily while the adults got to exchange gifts. We got really spoiled this year. Papa joked that last year was for the boys (they got gun safes, which as a concerned mom, I definitely appreciated) but this year was for the girls and he lined up me and my two sister-in-laws to open our matching kitchen aid mixers! They spoiled us further with beautiful temple prints for our homes and with other fun sentimental and thoughtful gifts (like a new version of a childhood favorite game and a memory card containing all the digital scrapbook pages my mom has created with pictures of our own kids). My husband and brothers got new tools as well (my dad, a talented carpenter with construction experience shares that interest with all the boys so it's almost become a tradition as each year the boys get some kind of tool from my dad).
it was a great party with lots of fun, laughter, great food and generous gifts. But eventually we packed up and drove home so we could sleep in our own beds and attend church in our own ward. After church I started getting us ready to go back for more family fun while the girls were sitting at the table eating lunch. I knew they were tired but needed to eat and then assumed they would nap in the car. But poor Ladybug didn't make it and she passed out at the table, sound asleep with her half eaten pizza pushed aside.
So we loaded them into the car again, backtracked our drive from the night before and returned to my parents house just in time for family pictures (Grammy picked out beautiful red velvet dresses for all the girls, Butterfly especially looked stunning with her auburn curls and bright blue eyes). We juggled through family pictures and then feasted on the wonderful Christmas dinner Grammy had prepared. We stuffed ourselves on Christmas ham and all the favorites to go with it, the kids racing through dinner to go play with their cousins and new toys. After dinner came one of the best parts of our Christmas weekend as Papa retrieved his scriptures and one verse at a time, we acted out the nativity with each child getting to dress up and play the role of an important character. Whether it was Mary or a shepherd or even the donkey, Grammy made each child know their part mattered as she helped them get into costume and play their part. Butterfly played an angel, eagerly and enthusiastically along with one of her older cousins. Ladybug was a reluctant sheep but too wound up to stay in one spot so she tossed her costume aside and bounded around curiously taking it all in.
What a wonderful weekend and great way to celebrate. Now we're home again and spent the day playing with our new toys and making caramel apples to deliver to neighbors and friends tonight. Around 1:30 today I admitted to my mom that the girls were still in pajamas, hadn't sat at the table for an actual meal yet and I hadn't even considered unpacking from the weekend yet. But I've been to Butterfly's salon seven times already and that every baby in the house has been well attended to all day. Eventually we did eat lunch and I put the girls down for naps but now we're at it again, still in pajamas, still haven't showered and still happy as can be as the girls play with their new toys.
...eventually we did shower and get dressed (just in time for daddy to get home from work). After a quick dinner we loaded the girls into the car and they watched mickey's Christmas Carol while we drove around delivering caramel/chocolate dipped apples. What a great day.
We started on Friday; we try to have family weekends once a month and we've learned that we really like to go up Friday evening instead of waiting until Saturday. This way we are already there early on Saturday morning but mostly because that gives my girls some one-on-one time with their grandparents before all their cousins come. So on Friday evening we met my parents and my sister for a quick dinner and then drove through the Christmas lights festival at Willard Bay. The girls were glued to the window, whipping their heads around to take it all in. Their favorites were Tinkerbell, Santa and the dragon.
On Saturday, we spent the morning playing with toys and getting food and activities ready for the party. The girls had a blast playing with the special Christmas toys like the Little People Nativity and Santa sleigh and especially the train around the tree. Spending time with family was wonderful and the party was wonderful. Our extended family is growing fast and it gets very loud and chaotic with so many tiny, energetic kids. But this year, it seemed like we handle the chaos particularly well. We split up the present opening (siblings exchanged before dinner, grammy and papa gave presents after dinner) and that made it a lot easier to watch my girls and see their excitement. Even dinner seemed less crazy than usual (not sure if that's because we were better organized and prepared kid plates before they came to the table or if because we were bribing them with presents). We had soups and sandwiches for dinner and a banquet of Christmas treats for dessert. The girls bounced around happily playing with their cousins and the baby cuddled in my arms, watching everything with big eyes and trying hard to stay awake for it all.
We had a special visit from Santa and Butterfly was bursting with excitement. Just like last year, she fawned over him and brought her own chair over to sit as close to him as she possibly could. We got some great family pictures and he passed out some treats. The highlight of present opening for my girls was when Grammy held them on her laps, covering their eyes while Papa brought out their gift. Butterfly received a Disney princess-themed, just her size, adorable salon and Ladybug got a wonderful baby center station, complete with crib, bath, high chair and sink. Their two cousins of the same age received similar play stations and all of the cousins went nuts playing and sharing and pretending together. Finally we moved the toys further into the kitchen and the kids played happily while the adults got to exchange gifts. We got really spoiled this year. Papa joked that last year was for the boys (they got gun safes, which as a concerned mom, I definitely appreciated) but this year was for the girls and he lined up me and my two sister-in-laws to open our matching kitchen aid mixers! They spoiled us further with beautiful temple prints for our homes and with other fun sentimental and thoughtful gifts (like a new version of a childhood favorite game and a memory card containing all the digital scrapbook pages my mom has created with pictures of our own kids). My husband and brothers got new tools as well (my dad, a talented carpenter with construction experience shares that interest with all the boys so it's almost become a tradition as each year the boys get some kind of tool from my dad).
it was a great party with lots of fun, laughter, great food and generous gifts. But eventually we packed up and drove home so we could sleep in our own beds and attend church in our own ward. After church I started getting us ready to go back for more family fun while the girls were sitting at the table eating lunch. I knew they were tired but needed to eat and then assumed they would nap in the car. But poor Ladybug didn't make it and she passed out at the table, sound asleep with her half eaten pizza pushed aside.
So we loaded them into the car again, backtracked our drive from the night before and returned to my parents house just in time for family pictures (Grammy picked out beautiful red velvet dresses for all the girls, Butterfly especially looked stunning with her auburn curls and bright blue eyes). We juggled through family pictures and then feasted on the wonderful Christmas dinner Grammy had prepared. We stuffed ourselves on Christmas ham and all the favorites to go with it, the kids racing through dinner to go play with their cousins and new toys. After dinner came one of the best parts of our Christmas weekend as Papa retrieved his scriptures and one verse at a time, we acted out the nativity with each child getting to dress up and play the role of an important character. Whether it was Mary or a shepherd or even the donkey, Grammy made each child know their part mattered as she helped them get into costume and play their part. Butterfly played an angel, eagerly and enthusiastically along with one of her older cousins. Ladybug was a reluctant sheep but too wound up to stay in one spot so she tossed her costume aside and bounded around curiously taking it all in.
What a wonderful weekend and great way to celebrate. Now we're home again and spent the day playing with our new toys and making caramel apples to deliver to neighbors and friends tonight. Around 1:30 today I admitted to my mom that the girls were still in pajamas, hadn't sat at the table for an actual meal yet and I hadn't even considered unpacking from the weekend yet. But I've been to Butterfly's salon seven times already and that every baby in the house has been well attended to all day. Eventually we did eat lunch and I put the girls down for naps but now we're at it again, still in pajamas, still haven't showered and still happy as can be as the girls play with their new toys.
...eventually we did shower and get dressed (just in time for daddy to get home from work). After a quick dinner we loaded the girls into the car and they watched mickey's Christmas Carol while we drove around delivering caramel/chocolate dipped apples. What a great day.
home movies
I love holiday giving. I love coming up with a great gift idea for someone, finding something meaningful and special. One of my all time favorites is the gift we gave my parents this year. We gave it to them this past weekend at the family Christmas party (more on that later) and I've been so excited about it. My sneaky husband was able to steal away a box of old home movies from my parents home and then I spent two weeks converting them to dvd. This was so much fun and I had such a hard time keeping it a secret. I spent a lot of time laughing at myself. Ages 8-16 were not a good look for me. I was a very awkward looking child and side ponytails, fat scrunchies, brightly print leggings and fanny packs were not cute. My husband would watch occasionally and tease (I'm really glad he didn't see these before he married me) and the girls loved to watch with me. On one of these occasions, Butterfly argued with me because she was watching a video of my dad but she was convinced it's her uncle. I hadn't realized how much my brothers look like him and thought her conviction was a lot of fun. I loved watching videos of my grandparents (and great grandparents) that have passed away and found these to be immense treasures. And watching these made me appreciate my mom and dad even more for what wonderful parents they are and how much fun we had growing up. Now being a parent myself, I know how much work it is to take kids on family vacations, go camping, be supportive of our hobbies or simply just put up with high energy chaos. I also feel more now than ever that I want to record my own kids as much as possible so that someday they can have home movies like this too.
baby toys
a few nights ago we introduced Baby to toys. She's always content to just sit and watch her sisters play so we've never needed a toy to stimulate or distract her. But just for fun we got out some baby toys. I tried an animal rattle but she wasn't very interested and wouldn't focus on it. Then I held a flower rattle in front of her and watched as her eyes focused on it, she stared and then her face broke into a huge grin. She cooed at the flower and kicked. After a few minutes she even reached for it and clumsily tried to grasp onto it.
today I put her in the high chair so she could sit with us during lunch. I got one of her new toys from Grammy out and put it on her tray. It has wheels on the sides as it's meant to roll on the floor but it rested against the ledge of the tray and Baby could look at the main part of the toy which has three sides. One of these sides is a mirror. When I turned it to that side for her, she fixated on it and cooed to her reflection.
today I put her in the high chair so she could sit with us during lunch. I got one of her new toys from Grammy out and put it on her tray. It has wheels on the sides as it's meant to roll on the floor but it rested against the ledge of the tray and Baby could look at the main part of the toy which has three sides. One of these sides is a mirror. When I turned it to that side for her, she fixated on it and cooed to her reflection.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
quote of the day
Butterfly's new favorite phrase is "what the holy hiccup?!"
(Where did she learn that?!)
Ladybug's recent favorite is "whoopsies!"
(Where did she learn that?!)
Ladybug's recent favorite is "whoopsies!"
Bedtime Ladybug
Ladybug used to be our miracle bedtime baby. I'd take her to her room to change and dress her for bed and it was a struggle because she spent the entire time trying to throw herself into the crib. Finally, I'd set her down and she instantly plopped into a pile of blankets and go to sleep for ten hours.
Now, we struggle. We usually have to take her back to her room at least twice because she sneaks out after bedtime. She eventually falls asleep but around 3 am, she wakes up and sneaks to our room again and cuddles in between us to go back to sleep. She's gotten so good at it that we don't even realize it until morning.
The night before last, I put her to bed and 15 minutes later was putting her to bed again. She seems legitimately upset about something so I took my time cuddling her and laid down next to her to sing to her until she stopped crying. I told her good night and tried to slip away but she put her hand to my cheek asking, "no mommy, please don't go. stay mommy." she pulled me back down to the bed, tucked me in to share her favorite blankets and resumed stroking my cheek with the back of her hand (just like I do to her). She made me melt. But ten minutes later when I really did leave she yelled, "no I don't want you! I want daddy". She continued to cry for another 15 minutes until daddy tucked her in again.
Last night, I let her stay in my bed after her third sneak-out because I was too tired and sore to try again (learning to walk without the boot again). Plus I knew daddy would be home soon and figured she was waiting for him anyway. So I pulled her in and cuddled her against me whispering that I love her and listing things I love about her. I told her "you're wonderful" and she whispered to herself "I wonderful." So I said it again and again, she repeated it in her soft whisper. Eventually we fell asleep, daddy came home and carried her to her own bed. But this morning, I was still asleep when I felt her lift my arm so she could wiggle herself in and cuddle up against my chest. As we woke up slowly together I whispered, "you're wonderful." she smiled, her eyes sparkled and she whispered back "I wonderful. I love you mommy."
Great way to start the day.
Now, we struggle. We usually have to take her back to her room at least twice because she sneaks out after bedtime. She eventually falls asleep but around 3 am, she wakes up and sneaks to our room again and cuddles in between us to go back to sleep. She's gotten so good at it that we don't even realize it until morning.
The night before last, I put her to bed and 15 minutes later was putting her to bed again. She seems legitimately upset about something so I took my time cuddling her and laid down next to her to sing to her until she stopped crying. I told her good night and tried to slip away but she put her hand to my cheek asking, "no mommy, please don't go. stay mommy." she pulled me back down to the bed, tucked me in to share her favorite blankets and resumed stroking my cheek with the back of her hand (just like I do to her). She made me melt. But ten minutes later when I really did leave she yelled, "no I don't want you! I want daddy". She continued to cry for another 15 minutes until daddy tucked her in again.
Last night, I let her stay in my bed after her third sneak-out because I was too tired and sore to try again (learning to walk without the boot again). Plus I knew daddy would be home soon and figured she was waiting for him anyway. So I pulled her in and cuddled her against me whispering that I love her and listing things I love about her. I told her "you're wonderful" and she whispered to herself "I wonderful." So I said it again and again, she repeated it in her soft whisper. Eventually we fell asleep, daddy came home and carried her to her own bed. But this morning, I was still asleep when I felt her lift my arm so she could wiggle herself in and cuddle up against my chest. As we woke up slowly together I whispered, "you're wonderful." she smiled, her eyes sparkled and she whispered back "I wonderful. I love you mommy."
Great way to start the day.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
miscellanous
I spent the weekend with the flu. On Monday, Ladybug had the flu. Today, Baby and I are sharing a head cold. No bueno.
Our new favorite movie is Bolt. We've watched it five days in a row now. but this morning when I tried to start it Ladybug said sadly "I can't watch my Bolt." Why not? "My daddy not here."
Our most annoying habit recently is the way Butterfly will ask the same question over and over and over. Even if I say yes, she will ask eight more times until I get mad and say no. Then she cries. We talk about it, try to explain and she promises to listen. And then does it again the next day.
I saw the doc again, my foot is healing well despite a minor but stubborn infection. Time for a stronger antibiotic and transition to weight bearing without the boot.
Last night was our last course in the Financial Peace University series. I am so glad we chose do this and am trying hard to not soapbox about it because I really do believe EVERYONE I know could benefit from it, regardless of age or position in life. But I do want to say that I used to constantly feel anxious and overwhelmed about money. We argued about money (one of the leading causes of divorce in America) and were frustrated. No budget ever worked, I felt guilty for spending money on myself and was intimidated about our debt. I now feel confident, well informed and optimistic about our finances. We have an aggressive plan to get out of debt and are much better educated in investments, insurances, budgeting, retiring and even how to teach our kids about money. There are many commonly accepted ideas about very common subjects (credit scores, life insurance, car payments, etc.) that need to be better understood and hope I can share that with friends and family. As a side note, I'm kind of just going to miss having a class to attend and getting to spend that time with my husband and away from the regular chaos of my home. I'm hoping we can continue to take class together, perhaps parenting or maybe someday I'll even find a way to talk him into ballroom dancing or something. ...wish me luck.
We have our Christmas tree! Daddy went out to cut it and bring it home on Saturday. On Sunday, he put on the lights during naptime and we spent the evening decorating it. We let the girls put on all the shatter proof ones and then after bedtime, we finished adding the more fragile ones. I wish we could have gone out as a family to find and cut the tree but between my broken foot, the knee deep snow, the three month old baby and the lack of any other adults to help juggle, we decided it was easiest for Daddy to go by himself. He did take Ladybug with him and carried her in the kid backpack and I think she loved having the one on one time with him.
When Ladybug was out with Daddy, Butterfly was with me and was "doing jobs". We were talking about Christmas presents last week and she asked me if she could give a present to her sister. I think its amazing that she, at 3 years old, has the generous understanding and desire to make others happy. So we talked and she is doing special jobs for me to earn money to buy her sister a present. She has a little, clear, plastic jar that is slowly gaining quarters for her hard work. Some days she's less committed but on other days, she's eager and I'm working to come up with tasks for her to do.
As for myself, I'm almost done buying, making and assembling Christmas gifts. I'm really excited about some of the things we've chosen to do and can't wait to share. This is my favorite part of the holiday season. I love shopping and thinking and creating things that would be meaningful and special to a particular individual and get so excited. And I'm thrilled that my Butterfly seems to be sharing in that excited-to-give-to-others spirit.
Husband and I went to his work Christmas party and had a ton of fun. He works with some incredible people and they are so fun to be around. I got to met a few individuals that were recently hired and catch up with old friends. The food was delicious and we had a white elephant circle with a ton of laughing and teasing. It was a great night and a wonderful party.
We also had our ward party. We arrived, got some snacks and waited in line to meet Santa. I waited at the table with a sleeping baby but Daddy took the big girls. Butterfly was eager and chatted with him. Daddy told him he thought Ladybug wouldn't go to him but eventually she did and he showed me pictures of her smiling shyly and impishly flirting with him. After Santa left the official program began but the baby was fussy and the girls were too rambunctious and full of energy to sit and listen. I was worried we were distracting others from the evening and wasn't feeling very good so we went home early instead.
My beautiful baby is almost 3 month months old. Time is going too fast! Already, I'm lamenting about how tiny she used to be. She's filled about and put on healthy weight, so much in fact that her round cheeks and face have earned a new nickname "JabbaJaws". Her chunky little legs are adorable and even have tiny dimples in her knees. Her smile makes me melt. She is an incredibly happy baby and easily beams with a huge, open mouth grin. She also loves to stick out her tongue. Yesterday, I took her to the photo studio for a 3 month portrait and she surprised me with an unprecedented fussy fit! She refused to smile or even focus at the camera and cried until I held her. We tried but reluctantly decided she must not feel good to be so uncharacteristically fussy. (which turns out to be true) oh well.
It snowed yesterday! Last year, I posted a complaint on facebook about the lack of snow and two days later, a huge storm dumped several inches of snow. This year, I again complained that if it's going to be this cold, it really ought to snow to make it worth it. And again, exactly two days later, there was a snow storm! The snow is melting quickly but I'm hopeful that there is more to come. If it doesn't, I will experiment with my newfound power and complain again.
Our new favorite movie is Bolt. We've watched it five days in a row now. but this morning when I tried to start it Ladybug said sadly "I can't watch my Bolt." Why not? "My daddy not here."
Our most annoying habit recently is the way Butterfly will ask the same question over and over and over. Even if I say yes, she will ask eight more times until I get mad and say no. Then she cries. We talk about it, try to explain and she promises to listen. And then does it again the next day.
I saw the doc again, my foot is healing well despite a minor but stubborn infection. Time for a stronger antibiotic and transition to weight bearing without the boot.
Last night was our last course in the Financial Peace University series. I am so glad we chose do this and am trying hard to not soapbox about it because I really do believe EVERYONE I know could benefit from it, regardless of age or position in life. But I do want to say that I used to constantly feel anxious and overwhelmed about money. We argued about money (one of the leading causes of divorce in America) and were frustrated. No budget ever worked, I felt guilty for spending money on myself and was intimidated about our debt. I now feel confident, well informed and optimistic about our finances. We have an aggressive plan to get out of debt and are much better educated in investments, insurances, budgeting, retiring and even how to teach our kids about money. There are many commonly accepted ideas about very common subjects (credit scores, life insurance, car payments, etc.) that need to be better understood and hope I can share that with friends and family. As a side note, I'm kind of just going to miss having a class to attend and getting to spend that time with my husband and away from the regular chaos of my home. I'm hoping we can continue to take class together, perhaps parenting or maybe someday I'll even find a way to talk him into ballroom dancing or something. ...wish me luck.
We have our Christmas tree! Daddy went out to cut it and bring it home on Saturday. On Sunday, he put on the lights during naptime and we spent the evening decorating it. We let the girls put on all the shatter proof ones and then after bedtime, we finished adding the more fragile ones. I wish we could have gone out as a family to find and cut the tree but between my broken foot, the knee deep snow, the three month old baby and the lack of any other adults to help juggle, we decided it was easiest for Daddy to go by himself. He did take Ladybug with him and carried her in the kid backpack and I think she loved having the one on one time with him.
When Ladybug was out with Daddy, Butterfly was with me and was "doing jobs". We were talking about Christmas presents last week and she asked me if she could give a present to her sister. I think its amazing that she, at 3 years old, has the generous understanding and desire to make others happy. So we talked and she is doing special jobs for me to earn money to buy her sister a present. She has a little, clear, plastic jar that is slowly gaining quarters for her hard work. Some days she's less committed but on other days, she's eager and I'm working to come up with tasks for her to do.
As for myself, I'm almost done buying, making and assembling Christmas gifts. I'm really excited about some of the things we've chosen to do and can't wait to share. This is my favorite part of the holiday season. I love shopping and thinking and creating things that would be meaningful and special to a particular individual and get so excited. And I'm thrilled that my Butterfly seems to be sharing in that excited-to-give-to-others spirit.
Husband and I went to his work Christmas party and had a ton of fun. He works with some incredible people and they are so fun to be around. I got to met a few individuals that were recently hired and catch up with old friends. The food was delicious and we had a white elephant circle with a ton of laughing and teasing. It was a great night and a wonderful party.
We also had our ward party. We arrived, got some snacks and waited in line to meet Santa. I waited at the table with a sleeping baby but Daddy took the big girls. Butterfly was eager and chatted with him. Daddy told him he thought Ladybug wouldn't go to him but eventually she did and he showed me pictures of her smiling shyly and impishly flirting with him. After Santa left the official program began but the baby was fussy and the girls were too rambunctious and full of energy to sit and listen. I was worried we were distracting others from the evening and wasn't feeling very good so we went home early instead.
My beautiful baby is almost 3 month months old. Time is going too fast! Already, I'm lamenting about how tiny she used to be. She's filled about and put on healthy weight, so much in fact that her round cheeks and face have earned a new nickname "JabbaJaws". Her chunky little legs are adorable and even have tiny dimples in her knees. Her smile makes me melt. She is an incredibly happy baby and easily beams with a huge, open mouth grin. She also loves to stick out her tongue. Yesterday, I took her to the photo studio for a 3 month portrait and she surprised me with an unprecedented fussy fit! She refused to smile or even focus at the camera and cried until I held her. We tried but reluctantly decided she must not feel good to be so uncharacteristically fussy. (which turns out to be true) oh well.
It snowed yesterday! Last year, I posted a complaint on facebook about the lack of snow and two days later, a huge storm dumped several inches of snow. This year, I again complained that if it's going to be this cold, it really ought to snow to make it worth it. And again, exactly two days later, there was a snow storm! The snow is melting quickly but I'm hopeful that there is more to come. If it doesn't, I will experiment with my newfound power and complain again.
Friday, December 9, 2011
colors
Ladybug gets so jealous and upset when Butterfly gets to go to school. So I'm trying to make that one-on-one time more special for her and use it as learning time.
It's not going well.
Butterfly was very curious and could be very focused on a task. I spent a lot of time playing learning games and engaging her full attention. That has become much harder with two kids (and now three). Either by genetics (takes after her daddy!) or teaching, Butterfly is exceptionally brilliant and academically advanced for her age. She learned quickly and was eager to learn.
Recently, Ladybug is starting to show that same ambition and eagerness to learn. Her new favorite movie is Leapfrog's Alphabet and our new favorite game is the colors game. But the problem is that she has the attention span of your typical two year old. She will beg to watch her letters movie but get distracted after fifteen minutes and go play with toys instead.
This morning we tried playing the colors game. I set out two differently colored blocks and ask her to find blue. If she gets it right I give her a blue mini m&m. Then I mix them up and do it again, alternating which color I ask for. Once she masters that, I change the format by pointing and asking "what color is this?" Once she masters that, we add a third color and start over. Ladybug was doing great with blue and green and happily earning her matching m&ms. But when I added the third color, she impatiently didn't want to listen and ignored the red block everytime. When I held it up and ask her to identify it she answered "Blue? Green? ...GRUE?!" and snatched up the bowl of m&ms.
And thus, we concluded our colors lesson for the day.
It's not going well.
Butterfly was very curious and could be very focused on a task. I spent a lot of time playing learning games and engaging her full attention. That has become much harder with two kids (and now three). Either by genetics (takes after her daddy!) or teaching, Butterfly is exceptionally brilliant and academically advanced for her age. She learned quickly and was eager to learn.
Recently, Ladybug is starting to show that same ambition and eagerness to learn. Her new favorite movie is Leapfrog's Alphabet and our new favorite game is the colors game. But the problem is that she has the attention span of your typical two year old. She will beg to watch her letters movie but get distracted after fifteen minutes and go play with toys instead.
This morning we tried playing the colors game. I set out two differently colored blocks and ask her to find blue. If she gets it right I give her a blue mini m&m. Then I mix them up and do it again, alternating which color I ask for. Once she masters that, I change the format by pointing and asking "what color is this?" Once she masters that, we add a third color and start over. Ladybug was doing great with blue and green and happily earning her matching m&ms. But when I added the third color, she impatiently didn't want to listen and ignored the red block everytime. When I held it up and ask her to identify it she answered "Blue? Green? ...GRUE?!" and snatched up the bowl of m&ms.
And thus, we concluded our colors lesson for the day.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
managing
This week I'm trying to reclaim my position as mother and homemaker. I'm limping along in my boot but no longer need crutches. (the boot adds two inches of height so I'm wearing a dress sandal on the other foot to balance it out. t-shirt, sweat pants and one dress sandal. it's classy.) I still get help from daddy and friends to run errands and dropping Butterfly off at school, but I've graduated from having live-in help. ...it's kind of scary.
The first day, I felt ambitious so I washed all the laundry and cleaned up the kitchen while playing with the girls and taking care of the baby. By evening, I was exhausted and cranky and ready for daddy to rescue us. I got to spend Tuesday recovering because grandma took the big girls on a field trip to go visit her horse at horse school. Yesterday, we juggled. It helped that Butterfly had preschool and then in the evening, Daddy was chaperoning a youth trip to Temple Square so he took Butterfly with him. But other than that, me and the girls had a very long playday together.
I haven't had to cook yet as we've had plenty of leftovers from Sunday's family feast and I've only done minimal cleaning. Mostly we just play with toys and watch movies. It's not as active or as engaging as I'd like to be as a mother but we're managing. :)
Today I've got all three girls at home (all day). We're playing hard and looking forward to have daddy home this evening.
The first day, I felt ambitious so I washed all the laundry and cleaned up the kitchen while playing with the girls and taking care of the baby. By evening, I was exhausted and cranky and ready for daddy to rescue us. I got to spend Tuesday recovering because grandma took the big girls on a field trip to go visit her horse at horse school. Yesterday, we juggled. It helped that Butterfly had preschool and then in the evening, Daddy was chaperoning a youth trip to Temple Square so he took Butterfly with him. But other than that, me and the girls had a very long playday together.
I haven't had to cook yet as we've had plenty of leftovers from Sunday's family feast and I've only done minimal cleaning. Mostly we just play with toys and watch movies. It's not as active or as engaging as I'd like to be as a mother but we're managing. :)
Today I've got all three girls at home (all day). We're playing hard and looking forward to have daddy home this evening.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
happy baby
I'm crazy about this kid. She's such a good baby, she rarely fusses and she rewards my one-on-one attention with huge smiles. I love talking to her and her eyes engage me as if hanging on my every word. She stares with huge, brilliantly blue eyes, framed by long lashes and radiating her innocence and perfection.
Our favorite time of day to chat is at nighttime, after the big girls have gone to bed. She lays on the bed with me and I talk to her with over-animated expressions and excitement in my voice. She beams and grins and occasionally her whole face lights up with a huge, open mouth smile, deep dimples and sparkling eyes. She is so beautiful!
Her eyes remind me of Butterfly, that same heavenly color (just like daddy) and sparkling excitement. Her smile reminds me of Ladybug. Ladybug was typically solemn face, earning the nickname "Stone Face Baby", but when she smiled, her whole face lit up.
I still love watching their faces, especially when discovering something new or when absorbed in their play. Butterfly's round face is charming, engaging and friendly. She's beautiful and cute and sassy with almost more personality than I can handle. Ladybug's face is more delicate and stunningly beautiful. Her big eyes change colors as often as her mood but are framed by long, thick eyelashes (yes, I'm jealous). Her personality can only be described as impish. She's sneaky and mischievous and it's made worse because who would suspect such a delicate beauty to be such a pill?
Our favorite time of day to chat is at nighttime, after the big girls have gone to bed. She lays on the bed with me and I talk to her with over-animated expressions and excitement in my voice. She beams and grins and occasionally her whole face lights up with a huge, open mouth smile, deep dimples and sparkling eyes. She is so beautiful!
Her eyes remind me of Butterfly, that same heavenly color (just like daddy) and sparkling excitement. Her smile reminds me of Ladybug. Ladybug was typically solemn face, earning the nickname "Stone Face Baby", but when she smiled, her whole face lit up.
I still love watching their faces, especially when discovering something new or when absorbed in their play. Butterfly's round face is charming, engaging and friendly. She's beautiful and cute and sassy with almost more personality than I can handle. Ladybug's face is more delicate and stunningly beautiful. Her big eyes change colors as often as her mood but are framed by long, thick eyelashes (yes, I'm jealous). Her personality can only be described as impish. She's sneaky and mischievous and it's made worse because who would suspect such a delicate beauty to be such a pill?
Monday, December 5, 2011
what a weekend!
This past weekend was chaotic, fun, emotional, exhausting, enjoyable, moving and so much more.
On Friday, I got tag along to a work dinner. My husband is business partners with his parents and they were all meeting with a potential consultant. So we met a beautiful restaurant with amazing food and got to meet someone who has had a fascinating life and career. I didn't want to lead the conversation astray but I would have loved to ask more thoroughly about some of the historical aspects of some of his experiences. But mostly I was content to listen and linger over my dinner and enjoy the evening that doubled as a lovely date night.
On Saturday morning, we loaded the girls up and drove to my brother's house for a celebration brunch to precede my nephew's baptism. I lounged in the living room and chatted with family while my ever-amazing husband ran herd on the kids. I'm in a walking boot now but the transition to weight bearing is slow so I still have to be careful and use the crutches most of the day. My brother has five kids and I'm crazy about them. It was fun to talk and hear about their recent move (the oldest four live primarily with their mom) and watch the antics of my girls getting to play with their cousins. My nephew has recently turned eight, which in our religion is the age at which a child is considered able to understand their decisions and be held accountable for their actions and therefore eligible for baptism. I'm so proud of him and marvel at how fast he has grown. Somehow I still think he ought to be the size of my Butterfly and she must only be the size of my new baby (yes, I realize that makes no sense.) He was baptized by his father and confirmed by his grandfather, both sacred ordinances. Sharing this experience made me feel so emotional and appreciative of these men and the many blessings of the gospel. Our little Butterfly was so curious and excited at what she was observing and answering her questions has been fun. I love watching her learning and seeing her understanding grow.
After the baptism, I went to my aunt's annual Christmas concert, taking my mom and grandmother with me. (the girls were cranky so daddy took them for a drive instead) My mom and grandma have heard my aunt's cds and enjoyed her music over the years. She is a phenomenal singer and songwriter but I really wanted them to experience her music live. Her voice is so sincere and sweet and so beautiful. Her songs range from poignant and tender to light and fun. She writes about childhood memories, both happy and sad, rearranges old classics and reflects on life's greatest moments. Her music is amazing. But getting to attend her concerts makes it a much more powerful experience as she tells the stories and circumstances of each song. The emotion and passion shine clearly in her face and it is so moving and inspiring.
After the concert, we rejoined the family for another wonderful experience as we met in a private service for my oldest brother to bless his new baby. Blessings, given by the authority of the restored Priesthood, are given for different purposes such as the healing of the sick or to give comfort, but this particular blessing is a special ordinance in which a child is officially named upon records of the Church and given advice or promised blessings to be received in their life. Their beautiful little girl, only about six weeks old, is so tiny and precious. She still radiates that newborn perfection with wise eyes and hands so tiny it makes me melt. It was amazing to share this experience with family. It's an incredible way to celebrate a new life.
This busy day had been fun, filled with spiritual, emotional and meaningful moments, interspersed with laughter and chaos. We headed home and did some last minute preparations for our own special moment.
On Sunday, we invited our family and closest friends to join us at church where we also had the opportunity to bless our new little baby. She looked so beautiful and angelic. Even the big girls got to help get the baby ready for her special moment by putting the baby's booties on (delicate crocheted shoes that grandma had bought on her recent trip to Australia). The dress itself is not important to the actual blessing, but it's something fun that I get to do. Each of our girls had their own special blessing gown. Butterfly's was made by a close family friend ( my mom and I got to help design it) and was yards and yards of beautiful lace and ruffles. Ladybug was blessed in an antique christening gown brought from Wales by grandma. And now Baby had her own special gown that daddy picked out, pristine satin accented by delicate lace and ribbons. It was simple and elegant and fit her perfectly. She looked so beautiful and absolutely precious. Before leaving for the church, we took family pictures and the baby sat contentedly on my lap, looking around with big serious eyes. Her sisters were less cooperative and instead wanted to go play with cousins but we managed to get some nice pictures.
At the church, I cuddled her while the meeting began, flustered by her sisters' energy and trying to see if all the family had arrived yet. But then I tried to concentrate on something my wise husband told me the day of our wedding. I had been flustered and worried about all the details and the mishaps and was letting it distract me from the important part and he (less prone to emotional drama) reminded me that as long as we got sealed, the whole day was a success. So I cuddled my little girl and waited for the moment when my husband gathered her up in his arms and took her to the front of the chapel. He was joined by several of our closest family and friends to give her a name and blessing. These wonderful men, each so full of dignity and strength and love, gathered around my precious baby to offer their faith and love as part of the blessing. I love the sound of my husband's voice, strong and sincere and full of love for his little girl. I love the way he speaks with strength and sureness, conveying messages from the Spirit. The moment was short but heavenly sweet before the blessing was finished and he returned to sit by me. I hadn't heard parts of it (distracted by a rambunctious Ladybug) but we would talk later and relish over the promises that he had felt prompted to give. During the rest of the meeting, I felt so full of gratitude and the Lord's love for us and shared that during the testimony meeting that followed.
After church we invited everyone back to our house for a feast that family and friends (and especially grandma) had prepared. We talked and laughed, the kids played and we had a wonderful time celebrating together. My little baby never fussed and hardly slept but simply looked around and was so angelic in her little dress of perfect white. She was passed around the family to be cuddled and admired but eventually made her way back to me.
I love her so so much!
Eventually the party would wind down. Some family lingered but the day settled into relaxed contentment. I held the baby and daddy cuddled his big girls for a movie, joined by the grandmas, and it just felt like a really nice way to end such a busy weekend.
On Friday, I got tag along to a work dinner. My husband is business partners with his parents and they were all meeting with a potential consultant. So we met a beautiful restaurant with amazing food and got to meet someone who has had a fascinating life and career. I didn't want to lead the conversation astray but I would have loved to ask more thoroughly about some of the historical aspects of some of his experiences. But mostly I was content to listen and linger over my dinner and enjoy the evening that doubled as a lovely date night.
On Saturday morning, we loaded the girls up and drove to my brother's house for a celebration brunch to precede my nephew's baptism. I lounged in the living room and chatted with family while my ever-amazing husband ran herd on the kids. I'm in a walking boot now but the transition to weight bearing is slow so I still have to be careful and use the crutches most of the day. My brother has five kids and I'm crazy about them. It was fun to talk and hear about their recent move (the oldest four live primarily with their mom) and watch the antics of my girls getting to play with their cousins. My nephew has recently turned eight, which in our religion is the age at which a child is considered able to understand their decisions and be held accountable for their actions and therefore eligible for baptism. I'm so proud of him and marvel at how fast he has grown. Somehow I still think he ought to be the size of my Butterfly and she must only be the size of my new baby (yes, I realize that makes no sense.) He was baptized by his father and confirmed by his grandfather, both sacred ordinances. Sharing this experience made me feel so emotional and appreciative of these men and the many blessings of the gospel. Our little Butterfly was so curious and excited at what she was observing and answering her questions has been fun. I love watching her learning and seeing her understanding grow.
After the baptism, I went to my aunt's annual Christmas concert, taking my mom and grandmother with me. (the girls were cranky so daddy took them for a drive instead) My mom and grandma have heard my aunt's cds and enjoyed her music over the years. She is a phenomenal singer and songwriter but I really wanted them to experience her music live. Her voice is so sincere and sweet and so beautiful. Her songs range from poignant and tender to light and fun. She writes about childhood memories, both happy and sad, rearranges old classics and reflects on life's greatest moments. Her music is amazing. But getting to attend her concerts makes it a much more powerful experience as she tells the stories and circumstances of each song. The emotion and passion shine clearly in her face and it is so moving and inspiring.
After the concert, we rejoined the family for another wonderful experience as we met in a private service for my oldest brother to bless his new baby. Blessings, given by the authority of the restored Priesthood, are given for different purposes such as the healing of the sick or to give comfort, but this particular blessing is a special ordinance in which a child is officially named upon records of the Church and given advice or promised blessings to be received in their life. Their beautiful little girl, only about six weeks old, is so tiny and precious. She still radiates that newborn perfection with wise eyes and hands so tiny it makes me melt. It was amazing to share this experience with family. It's an incredible way to celebrate a new life.
This busy day had been fun, filled with spiritual, emotional and meaningful moments, interspersed with laughter and chaos. We headed home and did some last minute preparations for our own special moment.
On Sunday, we invited our family and closest friends to join us at church where we also had the opportunity to bless our new little baby. She looked so beautiful and angelic. Even the big girls got to help get the baby ready for her special moment by putting the baby's booties on (delicate crocheted shoes that grandma had bought on her recent trip to Australia). The dress itself is not important to the actual blessing, but it's something fun that I get to do. Each of our girls had their own special blessing gown. Butterfly's was made by a close family friend ( my mom and I got to help design it) and was yards and yards of beautiful lace and ruffles. Ladybug was blessed in an antique christening gown brought from Wales by grandma. And now Baby had her own special gown that daddy picked out, pristine satin accented by delicate lace and ribbons. It was simple and elegant and fit her perfectly. She looked so beautiful and absolutely precious. Before leaving for the church, we took family pictures and the baby sat contentedly on my lap, looking around with big serious eyes. Her sisters were less cooperative and instead wanted to go play with cousins but we managed to get some nice pictures.
At the church, I cuddled her while the meeting began, flustered by her sisters' energy and trying to see if all the family had arrived yet. But then I tried to concentrate on something my wise husband told me the day of our wedding. I had been flustered and worried about all the details and the mishaps and was letting it distract me from the important part and he (less prone to emotional drama) reminded me that as long as we got sealed, the whole day was a success. So I cuddled my little girl and waited for the moment when my husband gathered her up in his arms and took her to the front of the chapel. He was joined by several of our closest family and friends to give her a name and blessing. These wonderful men, each so full of dignity and strength and love, gathered around my precious baby to offer their faith and love as part of the blessing. I love the sound of my husband's voice, strong and sincere and full of love for his little girl. I love the way he speaks with strength and sureness, conveying messages from the Spirit. The moment was short but heavenly sweet before the blessing was finished and he returned to sit by me. I hadn't heard parts of it (distracted by a rambunctious Ladybug) but we would talk later and relish over the promises that he had felt prompted to give. During the rest of the meeting, I felt so full of gratitude and the Lord's love for us and shared that during the testimony meeting that followed.
After church we invited everyone back to our house for a feast that family and friends (and especially grandma) had prepared. We talked and laughed, the kids played and we had a wonderful time celebrating together. My little baby never fussed and hardly slept but simply looked around and was so angelic in her little dress of perfect white. She was passed around the family to be cuddled and admired but eventually made her way back to me.
I love her so so much!
Eventually the party would wind down. Some family lingered but the day settled into relaxed contentment. I held the baby and daddy cuddled his big girls for a movie, joined by the grandmas, and it just felt like a really nice way to end such a busy weekend.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
another first
The true story of Peter Pan starts with the legend that when a new baby laughs for the first time, a fairy is born.
Last night, I was playing with baby, singing and cooing to her and enjoying the beautiful smiles and coos she gave me in return. As I continued with my over exaggerated surprised and happy faces, she rewarded me with a huge grin and her first giggle.
:)
Last night, I was playing with baby, singing and cooing to her and enjoying the beautiful smiles and coos she gave me in return. As I continued with my over exaggerated surprised and happy faces, she rewarded me with a huge grin and her first giggle.
:)
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