Last week was busy with the usual chasing babies and ended with another trip north to spend time with cousins and grandparents while Daddy worked on his dissertation again. (crunch time!)
We left Friday when Butterfly got out of school (after I spent the morning at the tire shop. a quick fix for an assumed slow leak turned out to be defective tires and a broken tie rod. Fortunately Ladybug charmed the whole staff and played and AngelBaby was happy and content while we waited for repairs and new tires.) The girls all took naps on the drive and we arrive at their cousins house for a long playdate. They bounced around investigating the toys, riding bikes, playing house and watching movies all afternoon and evening. We took a quick break for dinner and the girls ate well, bribed with getting to return to their playing. And then, because they were doing so well, the got to have their first sleepover! I knew Ladybug would wake up upset in the middle of the night and want to sleep with me anyway, so I put her to bed in my bed, put AngelBaby to bed in the travel crib in my room but Butterfly got to sleep in the top bunk of her cousins' room. She was near bursting with excitement but behaved so well at bedtime, never sneaking out of bed or putting up a fight. I was so proud of her. Everyone slept great and then we got to enjoy breakfast and more play time with cousins before we packed up and headed to Grammy's house for more fun. (the sleepover was a blast for me too. I stayed up late talking to my brother and his cute wife, watching him play a "blast from the past"--Super Mario World on Nintendo 64 as we teased him mercilessly and hunted the internet for cookie jars since I've decided I want to expand my collection and use them to decorate my kitchen.)
At Grammy's house we dove into the toys, watched movies, went for a drive and best of all, took the girls in the jacuzzi. My parents have an enormous hot tub enclosed in a gorgeous gazebo. We turned down the temperature a bit, put the baby down for a short evening nap and then let the girls wear themselves out as they played, swam and literally ran laps around us in the hot tub. Their favorite part was climbing up to stand on the side and with a high fist pump they yelled "banzai!" and jumped into the water. Finally, we got out and after a quick shower, snack and ten minutes of a movie, they were both half asleep on the living room floor. I put them to bed and for the first time ever, we didn't hear a peep from them until morning. There was no protest or negotiating, no jailbreaks or sneaking out of bed, just soundly sleeping angels. So we took the opportunity to play cards (its become a nightly routine to play a few rounds of canasta before throwing in a chick flick) and we successfully tested my theory that AngelBaby is in fact, a bad luck charm when it comes to cards. As cute as she is, every round that I held her, I lost. We took turns holding her and took turns losing. We even played with some friends on Saturday night, and asked one of them (the "canasta champ") to hold her one round and then laughed as he lost soundly!
On Sunday we attended church, had lunch and played more canasta during naptime. Then my brother's family came to join us and we had a great evening with them. He did magic tricks for our very gullible children by putting a a small toy or ball in a mailbox (a Christmas decoration that managed to escape the clean up) and then having all the children spin in circles to magically change the toy into something else. They were all spinning so fast and laughing so hard that they didn't notice him open the box and exchange the toy. Dinner was fantastic (Ladybug inhaled three servings of lasagna) and then my brother and Papa watched the little babies while Grammy and moms took the four big girls into the jacuzzi again (banzai!). And again, they went to bed to so easily and slept so soundly that I truly believe my own hot tub would be a worthwhile investment.
This morning we raced home to take Butterfly to her gymnastics class and ran a few errands while we waited for her. Then we finally arrived home to our long and busy weekend to find a wonderfully sweet and thoughtful surprise of flowers that daddy left for us. There is a bud vase for each of the girls and a dozen beautiful red roses for me. I love him so much!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
things that i love
How Ladybug's entourage has grown. Now when she sneaks upstairs in the nightly bedtime jailbreak, she carries yellow, panda, a sippy cup, her green minky quilt and her monkey. And her "bebug", except that she hid it from her sister last week and forgot where it is.
The way AngelBaby looks up at me from her crib when I first walk in. Her eyes engage mine and her face splits into a huge beaming smile. I unwrap her blanket and she stretches, pushing her arms up over her head, pulling her knees up high and arching her back.
The way the big girls love to play "house" lately. They take turns being Mother, the baby and the dog. Or sometimes me and daddy are the children. Or they take care of their dollies with a surprising tenderness.
Ladybug pats my face and say "that's a keeper!" (from the movie Bolt)
Butterfly will wake up from naptime before her sisters and come work in the office with me to do her "homework" (a learning numbers dry erase book).
My special "talktime" with Butterfly at bedtime, when we talk about all the things she did today. I've tried it with Ladybug but she's still too wiggly and doesn't understand yet.
When we drop Butterfly off at her gymnastics lesson, Ladybug gets bouncing off the walls excited that she get to "go errands" with me. I love how she says it and that she sees it as her special time with me. Or it could be that she can usually convince me to buy her a donut.
The way Ladybug shares her special blankets with the baby.
How Butterfly can get the baby to laugh better than anyone. I love her laugh!
The way AngelBaby plays with her hands. It's as if she's gently and delicately discovering them all over again, every time.
When Butterfly answers me by saying, "why but of course Mother". and to make it even better, she does it with a curtsy.
The way AngelBaby looks up at me from her crib when I first walk in. Her eyes engage mine and her face splits into a huge beaming smile. I unwrap her blanket and she stretches, pushing her arms up over her head, pulling her knees up high and arching her back.
The way the big girls love to play "house" lately. They take turns being Mother, the baby and the dog. Or sometimes me and daddy are the children. Or they take care of their dollies with a surprising tenderness.
Ladybug pats my face and say "that's a keeper!" (from the movie Bolt)
Butterfly will wake up from naptime before her sisters and come work in the office with me to do her "homework" (a learning numbers dry erase book).
My special "talktime" with Butterfly at bedtime, when we talk about all the things she did today. I've tried it with Ladybug but she's still too wiggly and doesn't understand yet.
When we drop Butterfly off at her gymnastics lesson, Ladybug gets bouncing off the walls excited that she get to "go errands" with me. I love how she says it and that she sees it as her special time with me. Or it could be that she can usually convince me to buy her a donut.
The way Ladybug shares her special blankets with the baby.
How Butterfly can get the baby to laugh better than anyone. I love her laugh!
The way AngelBaby plays with her hands. It's as if she's gently and delicately discovering them all over again, every time.
When Butterfly answers me by saying, "why but of course Mother". and to make it even better, she does it with a curtsy.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
date night/lazy weekend
another wonderful, busy and yet lazy weekend.
On Friday night, I had a hot date with that good looking man o mine. We actually arranged it as a double date with my cousin, who we were setting up with a friend from church. Normally I'm reluctant to set people up (and my husband even more so) because I don't want to assume that just because two people that I like and who happen to be single, might be perfect for each other! But this particular match kept coming to mind so I figured it was worth a shot.
We had arranged for our favorite baby sitter but at last minute, a friend called to ask if we could share the sitter. We've done this before, leaving our two older girls and their three older kids with the sitter and they have a great time. This time I was reluctant because I had planned to leave the baby. But this particular sitter is wonderful and very capable so I agreed. But when Husband went to drop all the girls off, our friend's three children had been joined by at least 4 other friends and we didn't know if they were staying or not. Plus, our friend had left their new baby with the sitter as well. So Daddy decided the big girls could go play but AngelBaby stayed with us for the evening.
AngelBaby lived up to her name and was in fact, a perfect angel. She stayed in her carseat, content to watch us and smile through most of dinner until she fell asleep. We never even had to get her out of the carseat until we returned home from the restaurant. Dinner was fantastic, we went to my favorite place in the valley for Mexican food and had a great time talking and laughing and leisurely making our way through dinner. Entertainment options are limited in our little town (unless you get an early start) so after dinner we sat around our living room for more relaxing and talking. (as a side note, the blind date seemed to go well. :) time will tell what they do from here but hopefully this at least means neither of them hate me.)
Yesterday was one of those rare Saturdays when we had no commitments and simply got to enjoy being at home as a family. (Sometimes I'm tempting to create fake "out of town" weekends just so we can have more of these delightful days.) I made chocolate chip pancakes, we watched some tv and took down the Christmas tree (some may say this way long overdue but I like to drag out the season as long as I can. Plus we got a late start this year.) Daddy took the ornaments off the tree, gave them to the girls who scampered over to give them to me for sorting and putting away. I actually love this part because we have some great ornaments and I love reminiscing about the wheres and whens we got them. Plus I'm a little bit neurotic and I actually like wrapping them carefully and putting them away so precisely organized. Naptimes, a lazy lunch, reading stories and best of all, watching the snow fall! (ironically we took the tree DOWN on the first major snowfall instead of putting it UP) The storm dumped several inches of heavy wet snow on us and my sweet husband spent a significant amount of time pushing it around.
By early evening, we finally got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Then we were joined by Grandma and Grandpa for a fun family night dinner at the new bbq place in town (food was good, service was horrendously slow, best part was the free self serve ice cream station). The girls and I enjoyed extra bedtime stories since they were being so good and finally got them tucked in for night. Then Husband asked that ill fated question "Babe, can you help me with something?" My slight hesitation (it was 9:00 after all) was answered by "nah, it won't take very long." (famous last words). So we spent three hours insulating our garage doors. The work wasn't too bad actually, it was nice spending time together and fun to get to work with my hands and be helpful in creating something (that didn't have to do with my normal wife and mother duties). He measured and gave directions while I measured and cut and gave him pieces to hang. Not the usual date night activity but in the end, it was nice being together and the finished product looks great (and will hopefully cut our heating costs).
A few hours later (after not near enough sleep), little girls bounded into our room for cuddles and breakfast. Husband had to disappear to meetings and we're off again into another busy day. Some say Sundays are to be restful, perhaps peaceful and even reverent. Not so at this house. We play hard in the morning to wear them out so they will nap early. Otherwise, our 1:00 church time is downright painful for our overly tired and cranky children. So now the girls are napping and soon we will dash off to church where we try desperately to keep them quiet and distracted until we can ship them off to Primary and attend our own Sunday School classes. Here's hoping for a great Sabbath day.
On Friday night, I had a hot date with that good looking man o mine. We actually arranged it as a double date with my cousin, who we were setting up with a friend from church. Normally I'm reluctant to set people up (and my husband even more so) because I don't want to assume that just because two people that I like and who happen to be single, might be perfect for each other! But this particular match kept coming to mind so I figured it was worth a shot.
We had arranged for our favorite baby sitter but at last minute, a friend called to ask if we could share the sitter. We've done this before, leaving our two older girls and their three older kids with the sitter and they have a great time. This time I was reluctant because I had planned to leave the baby. But this particular sitter is wonderful and very capable so I agreed. But when Husband went to drop all the girls off, our friend's three children had been joined by at least 4 other friends and we didn't know if they were staying or not. Plus, our friend had left their new baby with the sitter as well. So Daddy decided the big girls could go play but AngelBaby stayed with us for the evening.
AngelBaby lived up to her name and was in fact, a perfect angel. She stayed in her carseat, content to watch us and smile through most of dinner until she fell asleep. We never even had to get her out of the carseat until we returned home from the restaurant. Dinner was fantastic, we went to my favorite place in the valley for Mexican food and had a great time talking and laughing and leisurely making our way through dinner. Entertainment options are limited in our little town (unless you get an early start) so after dinner we sat around our living room for more relaxing and talking. (as a side note, the blind date seemed to go well. :) time will tell what they do from here but hopefully this at least means neither of them hate me.)
Yesterday was one of those rare Saturdays when we had no commitments and simply got to enjoy being at home as a family. (Sometimes I'm tempting to create fake "out of town" weekends just so we can have more of these delightful days.) I made chocolate chip pancakes, we watched some tv and took down the Christmas tree (some may say this way long overdue but I like to drag out the season as long as I can. Plus we got a late start this year.) Daddy took the ornaments off the tree, gave them to the girls who scampered over to give them to me for sorting and putting away. I actually love this part because we have some great ornaments and I love reminiscing about the wheres and whens we got them. Plus I'm a little bit neurotic and I actually like wrapping them carefully and putting them away so precisely organized. Naptimes, a lazy lunch, reading stories and best of all, watching the snow fall! (ironically we took the tree DOWN on the first major snowfall instead of putting it UP) The storm dumped several inches of heavy wet snow on us and my sweet husband spent a significant amount of time pushing it around.
By early evening, we finally got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Then we were joined by Grandma and Grandpa for a fun family night dinner at the new bbq place in town (food was good, service was horrendously slow, best part was the free self serve ice cream station). The girls and I enjoyed extra bedtime stories since they were being so good and finally got them tucked in for night. Then Husband asked that ill fated question "Babe, can you help me with something?" My slight hesitation (it was 9:00 after all) was answered by "nah, it won't take very long." (famous last words). So we spent three hours insulating our garage doors. The work wasn't too bad actually, it was nice spending time together and fun to get to work with my hands and be helpful in creating something (that didn't have to do with my normal wife and mother duties). He measured and gave directions while I measured and cut and gave him pieces to hang. Not the usual date night activity but in the end, it was nice being together and the finished product looks great (and will hopefully cut our heating costs).
A few hours later (after not near enough sleep), little girls bounded into our room for cuddles and breakfast. Husband had to disappear to meetings and we're off again into another busy day. Some say Sundays are to be restful, perhaps peaceful and even reverent. Not so at this house. We play hard in the morning to wear them out so they will nap early. Otherwise, our 1:00 church time is downright painful for our overly tired and cranky children. So now the girls are napping and soon we will dash off to church where we try desperately to keep them quiet and distracted until we can ship them off to Primary and attend our own Sunday School classes. Here's hoping for a great Sabbath day.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
quote of the day
Butterfly: "mommy wake up! I have to show you."
Me: "shh, I'm sleeping"
B: "please please, I have to show you!"
So she drags me from bed, from my room and to the living room window where a brilliant sunrise has begun.
B: "look mommy, look at the magic!"
So we cuddled, talking softly as the clouds changed from one beautiful color to the next.
Good morning. :-)
Me: "shh, I'm sleeping"
B: "please please, I have to show you!"
So she drags me from bed, from my room and to the living room window where a brilliant sunrise has begun.
B: "look mommy, look at the magic!"
So we cuddled, talking softly as the clouds changed from one beautiful color to the next.
Good morning. :-)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
4 months old
We celebrated AngelBaby's one-third birthday (4 months=1/3 of a year) during our visit to Grammy's house for the weekend. Or more accurately, observed because we'll save the celebrating for her six month and 1 year marks. But with the four month milestone, we got to make a trip to the pediatrician for a well baby visit.
She's 15 lbs, 1 oz (80 percentile) and 25.5 inches long (90 percentile). For her abilities milestones...
maintain eye contact? check
responding to noise? check
playing peek a boo? check
reaching for things? sometimes
grasping things? check
rolling? check (which I found out this weekend, barely caught her from rolling off the couch. that was a new and unexpected surprise.)
sitting? not quite
cooing? check
teething? check ...wait, really?! yep, teething already. I can see those tiny streaks of translucent color where her two bottom teeth are slowly working their way to the surface.
sleeping through the night? check! (she usually sleeps 11-2 hours with only one feeding about 2/3 of the way through)
She's beautiful and wonderful. She's an exceptionally happy and good natured baby (for which I am so incredibly grateful!) After being checked out by our fantastic doctor, the nurse administered her immunizations. I was shocked because she laid on the table, looking around with her big eyes, waiting patiently for me to cuddle her. She didn't even flinch at the first shot and it wasn't until halfway through the second that her face suddenly bunched up, with a broken hearted, accusing cry ("what was that?!). It lasted only a few seconds and as soon as I had her cuddled against me, she settled into a whimper with an angry little pout.
Meanwhile, the big girls played on the floor, ignoring the coloring books I brought and generally being loud and distracting. But we made it through and the sweet friendly nurse that we've come to know and appreciate took them to get a little prize while I got the baby ready to go and soon we were off again! Eager to go home and spend some time with daddy.
She's 15 lbs, 1 oz (80 percentile) and 25.5 inches long (90 percentile). For her abilities milestones...
maintain eye contact? check
responding to noise? check
playing peek a boo? check
reaching for things? sometimes
grasping things? check
rolling? check (which I found out this weekend, barely caught her from rolling off the couch. that was a new and unexpected surprise.)
sitting? not quite
cooing? check
teething? check ...wait, really?! yep, teething already. I can see those tiny streaks of translucent color where her two bottom teeth are slowly working their way to the surface.
sleeping through the night? check! (she usually sleeps 11-2 hours with only one feeding about 2/3 of the way through)
She's beautiful and wonderful. She's an exceptionally happy and good natured baby (for which I am so incredibly grateful!) After being checked out by our fantastic doctor, the nurse administered her immunizations. I was shocked because she laid on the table, looking around with her big eyes, waiting patiently for me to cuddle her. She didn't even flinch at the first shot and it wasn't until halfway through the second that her face suddenly bunched up, with a broken hearted, accusing cry ("what was that?!). It lasted only a few seconds and as soon as I had her cuddled against me, she settled into a whimper with an angry little pout.
Meanwhile, the big girls played on the floor, ignoring the coloring books I brought and generally being loud and distracting. But we made it through and the sweet friendly nurse that we've come to know and appreciate took them to get a little prize while I got the baby ready to go and soon we were off again! Eager to go home and spend some time with daddy.
weekend away
Husband is in the last big push to finish his dissertation so me and the girls are trying to give him as much space and time as we can. Since he still has to work full time, this means we try to give him evenings and weekends to himself. So last weekend, we decided to go play at Grammy's house while he played student.
We drove up Thursday evening and did some errands and shopping on the way. We met Grammy and Papa for dinner and then played at their house for the evening. Since Butterfly didn't have preschool on Friday and all schools we canceled on Monday, it was a wonderfully long weekend with lots of time to play. On Friday, we had a long playdate with their cousins. We showed up just before noon and didn't leave until nine. The girls played with their cousins (they have three girls as well, spaced just as close as our girls) and ran around like crazy people to check out all the fun toys. The favorite was the cardboard castle my brother made for his girls. It's approximately 6 feet by 8 feet big, made of several large packing boxes complete with towers and a drawbridge and is perfect for our little girls. They played dress ups and kitchen and took dollies on walks and watched movies while I got to lounge around chatting with my sister in law as we cuddled our little babies. It was a pretty ideal day.
On Saturday, we spent the morning playing at Grammy's house. We talked my little sister into playing wii games with us (not that it took much convincing, it's just rare that we get to play with her) and the girls loved it. Butterfly was eager to play with us but Ladybug lost interest quickly. But she loves her auntie so she would wander from auntie's lap over to the toys and back again and again. In the afternoon, we returned to the cousin's house, left the two big girls to play with their two big girls while the moms went shopping with Grammy. I love shopping for my girls, hate shopping for myself (their clothes are much cuter and much more likely to fit), but it was long over due. So we wandered the racks together, picking out candidates and then staging our own little fashion show in the dressing room. Grammy sat on the floor with the "twins" while me and my sister in law tried on clothes. (Eventually we did make it to the kids department and that was way more fun. That doesn't involve my ego slowly deflating like a balloon with a pin sized hole.) After our shopping excursion we had a lazy evening of movies and pizza.
Sunday morning was a chaotic blitz as we readied for church. Butterfly wandered happily into her primary class without any hesitation but the reluctant Ladybug ended up attending Relief Society with us. Fortunately, she played quietly with her books or with my phone during the first class. For the second hour, Papa joined us for Sunday School and she was thrilled to see him. Then, in an unusually friendly mood, she decided to wander. She snuck out of my reach and into the row in front of us, climbed up on a gentleman's lap and impishly asked him to read to her. (he turned out to be their stake president and an experienced grandpa so he was happy to comply). Then she abruptly abandoned him for another gentleman (a family friend sitting by us) and repeated her routine. Fortunately, she was charming and quiet and we made it through class without being too much of a distraction.
After church, we put the girls down for naps and some surprise visitors arrived at my parents' house--my aunt and uncle that I rarely get to see. So we sacrificed our naptime to enjoy and visit with them and then spent the evening playing with the girls, watching movies and feasting on Grammy's cooking. Each evening after the girls were in bed, my parents and I would sit at the table and play cards for an hour (usually waiting for AngelBaby to fall asleep). That was one of my favorite parts of the weekend as I miss getting to play games like that or just spend time talking to them without small children needing all of our attention.
We spent Monday taking down the Christmas decorations and much to Butterfly's dismay, dismantled the tree. ("Papa taking my Christmas away!") We weren't sure we were going to stay so long (three kids wear me out so fast, I worry about wearing out our welcome) but in the end it was a wonderful way to spend the day(/weekend), watching movies, playing with toys, visiting other family and hopefully being a little bit helpful.
We drove up Thursday evening and did some errands and shopping on the way. We met Grammy and Papa for dinner and then played at their house for the evening. Since Butterfly didn't have preschool on Friday and all schools we canceled on Monday, it was a wonderfully long weekend with lots of time to play. On Friday, we had a long playdate with their cousins. We showed up just before noon and didn't leave until nine. The girls played with their cousins (they have three girls as well, spaced just as close as our girls) and ran around like crazy people to check out all the fun toys. The favorite was the cardboard castle my brother made for his girls. It's approximately 6 feet by 8 feet big, made of several large packing boxes complete with towers and a drawbridge and is perfect for our little girls. They played dress ups and kitchen and took dollies on walks and watched movies while I got to lounge around chatting with my sister in law as we cuddled our little babies. It was a pretty ideal day.
On Saturday, we spent the morning playing at Grammy's house. We talked my little sister into playing wii games with us (not that it took much convincing, it's just rare that we get to play with her) and the girls loved it. Butterfly was eager to play with us but Ladybug lost interest quickly. But she loves her auntie so she would wander from auntie's lap over to the toys and back again and again. In the afternoon, we returned to the cousin's house, left the two big girls to play with their two big girls while the moms went shopping with Grammy. I love shopping for my girls, hate shopping for myself (their clothes are much cuter and much more likely to fit), but it was long over due. So we wandered the racks together, picking out candidates and then staging our own little fashion show in the dressing room. Grammy sat on the floor with the "twins" while me and my sister in law tried on clothes. (Eventually we did make it to the kids department and that was way more fun. That doesn't involve my ego slowly deflating like a balloon with a pin sized hole.) After our shopping excursion we had a lazy evening of movies and pizza.
Sunday morning was a chaotic blitz as we readied for church. Butterfly wandered happily into her primary class without any hesitation but the reluctant Ladybug ended up attending Relief Society with us. Fortunately, she played quietly with her books or with my phone during the first class. For the second hour, Papa joined us for Sunday School and she was thrilled to see him. Then, in an unusually friendly mood, she decided to wander. She snuck out of my reach and into the row in front of us, climbed up on a gentleman's lap and impishly asked him to read to her. (he turned out to be their stake president and an experienced grandpa so he was happy to comply). Then she abruptly abandoned him for another gentleman (a family friend sitting by us) and repeated her routine. Fortunately, she was charming and quiet and we made it through class without being too much of a distraction.
After church, we put the girls down for naps and some surprise visitors arrived at my parents' house--my aunt and uncle that I rarely get to see. So we sacrificed our naptime to enjoy and visit with them and then spent the evening playing with the girls, watching movies and feasting on Grammy's cooking. Each evening after the girls were in bed, my parents and I would sit at the table and play cards for an hour (usually waiting for AngelBaby to fall asleep). That was one of my favorite parts of the weekend as I miss getting to play games like that or just spend time talking to them without small children needing all of our attention.
We spent Monday taking down the Christmas decorations and much to Butterfly's dismay, dismantled the tree. ("Papa taking my Christmas away!") We weren't sure we were going to stay so long (three kids wear me out so fast, I worry about wearing out our welcome) but in the end it was a wonderful way to spend the day(/weekend), watching movies, playing with toys, visiting other family and hopefully being a little bit helpful.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
quote of the day
Ladybug: "I fell off and broke my head. Call doctor Mom." (can you guess our favorite book?)
Butterfly: (said of the burned out light bulb) "oh no Mom! it needs new batteries!"
Butterfly: (said of the burned out light bulb) "oh no Mom! it needs new batteries!"
pilates
I'm walking fine (mostly) and feeling good so it's time to go back to the gym. I love it and miss it but not for the reasons one might think. Unfortunately, I'm not a gym rat who just loves to work out and can't get enough of it. I'd rather eat chocolate. But I do love going to the gym because I can take the girls to the daycare and they get to play with friends while I get some much needed alone time. And especially because working out and being active does wonders for my anxiety. So back to the gym we go.
The problem is that I'm not willing to leave my four month old baby in a public daycare. The big girls love it and have a great time. But I'm worried about AngelBaby not getting the attention she needs or being exposed to germs that her tiny body isn't ready for yet. But I found out that I can take the baby to the Pilates studio with me. So I dropped the big girls off in the day care (where they both made a beeline for the rock climbing wall) and took AngelBaby with me. I knew she was tired and sure enough, she feel asleep just before class started. I eagerly ditched my shoes (first time since surgery that I've worn athletic shoes, I can get them on but they're not very comfortable) and enjoyed stretching and warming up.
Halfway through class, it became apparent that AngelBaby was not asleep and was feeling left out. So I lifted the blanket off and she immediately showered everyone with smiles and cooes. She was content to watch and beam happily from her carseat for about ten minutes. But then she grew impatient and demanded I take her out of the carseat. Fortunately, we were on the mat by then and using a counterweight. She became my new counterweight and she thought it was the greatest thing in the world. She beamed and grinned and giggled and as I lifted her and stretched. The teacher and several other ladies there fell in love with her immediately and she was eager to show off for them and actually asked her (not me!) if she would be coming back next week.
eh. She's cuter than me anyway, can't say I blame them.
The problem is that I'm not willing to leave my four month old baby in a public daycare. The big girls love it and have a great time. But I'm worried about AngelBaby not getting the attention she needs or being exposed to germs that her tiny body isn't ready for yet. But I found out that I can take the baby to the Pilates studio with me. So I dropped the big girls off in the day care (where they both made a beeline for the rock climbing wall) and took AngelBaby with me. I knew she was tired and sure enough, she feel asleep just before class started. I eagerly ditched my shoes (first time since surgery that I've worn athletic shoes, I can get them on but they're not very comfortable) and enjoyed stretching and warming up.
Halfway through class, it became apparent that AngelBaby was not asleep and was feeling left out. So I lifted the blanket off and she immediately showered everyone with smiles and cooes. She was content to watch and beam happily from her carseat for about ten minutes. But then she grew impatient and demanded I take her out of the carseat. Fortunately, we were on the mat by then and using a counterweight. She became my new counterweight and she thought it was the greatest thing in the world. She beamed and grinned and giggled and as I lifted her and stretched. The teacher and several other ladies there fell in love with her immediately and she was eager to show off for them and actually asked her (not me!) if she would be coming back next week.
eh. She's cuter than me anyway, can't say I blame them.
Monday, January 9, 2012
fondue
this last weekend, we got to enjoy a night that I look forward to all year. It's silly, but I love it. Each year, we have a Christmas party/fondue feast/white elephant regifting bash. It's sort of a small group of us (needs to be for fondue) and such a fun group. It's actually the same group of friends that Husband hung out with in high school. By sad comparison, I've had very little contact with anyone from high school and only manage an occasional visit with even my college girlfriends. It simply turned out that way as life took us down different paths. But fortunately, we still get to see Husband's high school gang on a semi-regular basis and it's such a blast, especially since they all married such amazing women. (In fact, I think some of us women are even closer than the men now.)
We invited everyone over to our place for our 4th annual holiday bash and in regular fashion, started an hour late. Dinner was fantastic with a traditional cheese fondue with an assortment of breads which we ate at the same time as the main course (we were hungry!). We've tried doing the main course as fondue as well but it's messy and high maintenance, so this time we grilled steak, chicken and vegetables and let people cube it themselves and dip in sauces from our extensive condiment bar. We feasted and talked and laughed and had such a blast. Once everyone had their fill, we did a quick shuffle and reset as we prepared chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, apples, cinnamon bears, vanilla wafers, oreos, marshmallows and pretzels.
After the feast, we lounged around in the living room for the gift exchange. The first year, we declared it must be a "re-gift" since we we had all been married within the past few years. We had some random gifts (like a rooster clock or an electric flyswatter), some strange gifts (santa lingere or self-help books) and some really great gifts (pyrex, a wok, a desk water fountain or wall decor). But the gift quality has declined into the more "white elephant" style (a toilet seat, an opened jar of soynuts, a richard simmons vhs, a pack of baby diapers). Perhaps next year, we will need new guidelines to change things up a bit.
Meanwhile, the kids had their own party downstairs under the supervision of our favorite babysitter. At the end of the night every one was exhausted, the house was a wreck and it had been such a GREAT evening.
We invited everyone over to our place for our 4th annual holiday bash and in regular fashion, started an hour late. Dinner was fantastic with a traditional cheese fondue with an assortment of breads which we ate at the same time as the main course (we were hungry!). We've tried doing the main course as fondue as well but it's messy and high maintenance, so this time we grilled steak, chicken and vegetables and let people cube it themselves and dip in sauces from our extensive condiment bar. We feasted and talked and laughed and had such a blast. Once everyone had their fill, we did a quick shuffle and reset as we prepared chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, apples, cinnamon bears, vanilla wafers, oreos, marshmallows and pretzels.
After the feast, we lounged around in the living room for the gift exchange. The first year, we declared it must be a "re-gift" since we we had all been married within the past few years. We had some random gifts (like a rooster clock or an electric flyswatter), some strange gifts (santa lingere or self-help books) and some really great gifts (pyrex, a wok, a desk water fountain or wall decor). But the gift quality has declined into the more "white elephant" style (a toilet seat, an opened jar of soynuts, a richard simmons vhs, a pack of baby diapers). Perhaps next year, we will need new guidelines to change things up a bit.
Meanwhile, the kids had their own party downstairs under the supervision of our favorite babysitter. At the end of the night every one was exhausted, the house was a wreck and it had been such a GREAT evening.
quote of the day
after writing about some rather heavy things, I feel the need to share something light. sort of a "back to our regularly scheduled program" of fun anecdotes and adventures of our perpetual pink tea party (with three girls, what else would it be?)
Have I ever mentioned that when I tuck Butterfly into her bed and kiss her good night, she replies "good night, I love you my sweetie-heart"
or that Butterfly now thinks she's a ninja and her and Ladybug go downstairs to fight the bad guys with lots of high kicks, arm slashing and "hi-yas!"
or that when I cuddle Ladybug before putting her to bed, she likes to rub her nose against mine and whisper "I your wonderful. and I love you." (I like to tell her that she's wonderful. and apparently she likes to remind me that she's "my wonderful".)
or how Ladybug's new favorite movies are "Winnie Pooh" and "B'loons" (which is actually Up!)
or that AngelBaby now plays peek-a-boo. But I don't actually have to go anywhere, I can just squeeze my eyes shut and then pop them open for "peekaboo!" and her beautiful face cracks into the biggest, beaming smile.
Have I ever mentioned that when I tuck Butterfly into her bed and kiss her good night, she replies "good night, I love you my sweetie-heart"
or that Butterfly now thinks she's a ninja and her and Ladybug go downstairs to fight the bad guys with lots of high kicks, arm slashing and "hi-yas!"
or that when I cuddle Ladybug before putting her to bed, she likes to rub her nose against mine and whisper "I your wonderful. and I love you." (I like to tell her that she's wonderful. and apparently she likes to remind me that she's "my wonderful".)
or how Ladybug's new favorite movies are "Winnie Pooh" and "B'loons" (which is actually Up!)
or that AngelBaby now plays peek-a-boo. But I don't actually have to go anywhere, I can just squeeze my eyes shut and then pop them open for "peekaboo!" and her beautiful face cracks into the biggest, beaming smile.
tithing
When our beautiful little Butterfly told me she wanted to buy a Christmas present for her sister, I was so touched by her thoughtfulness. So she worked and saved and we had a wonderful shopping trip together.
But before we went to the store, we counted her money and then I shared with her that each month, when daddy brings home the money he earned at his job, we make the choice to pay our tithing. I explained that it's ten percent and that we choose to do it because the Lord has asked us to and because we want to help others. I was trying to be careful with my word choice. (after all, she is only 3) and I didn't want to manipulate her, I wanted it to be her choice. But she jumped ahead of me and asked, "If I give it to the Church, the Church will help other kids?" Thrilled at her understanding I explained some of the things the Church does with our tithing money. So she agreed and we set aside her tithing money.
On Sunday, I showed her the special tithing envelopes and showed her where to write her name. She laboriously printed her name in her precious, careful print. She put the tithing receipt and money in the envelope, licked it (she declared that it tasted so gross), and sealed it. Then after church, I walked with her as she carried the envelope to the front of the chapel and waited her turn to talk to the bishop. When he turned to her, she beamed and thrust her envelope to him. "Is this your tithing?" he asked and she nodded with a huge smile on her face. He accepted the envelope, addressed her by name and took her hand in his. He sincerely thanked her for paying her tithing and she just beamed. My heart melted at her earnestness.
Later, in Sunday School, we read 3 Nephi 11:38, "And again I say unto you, ye must . . . become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God" and I couldn't help but think of her as we discussed those childlike attributes of meekness, gentleness, faithfulness and love.
Something else on my mind... Also on the subject of tithing... I recently heard tithing explained by someone and it struck me profoundly. It was actually in our Dave Ramsey class on finances. In his 12 course series, the last lesson is completely devoted to the subject of giving. In the very first lesson, he demonstrated that with an open hand, money can move in and out. We may lose some, but we can also gain. With a closed fist, no money ever gets out, but no money ever gets in. Another point he makes is that a closed fist is a universal sign of anger or selfishness. But an open palm is a sign of trust and giving ("and even a dog knows that!")
In the last lesson, he declares with urgency that we need to give. He was able to explain the purpose of tithing to me in a way I've never understood before. First he went through the typical (but not real) reasons. The first he quoted was "God needs our money" and then laughingly pointed out that God, the Supreme Being that created the heavens and earth has no need for our material wealth. Reason #2, "the church needs our money". This is kind of true. With the money we give, the church is able to do great things, like help those in need, build new building, support missionaries, etc. But the church's budget is billions of dollars. I know my relatively minuscule donation is part of that but still seems so insignificant.
The greatest reason, the "real" reason, we are commanded to pay our tithing is for our growth. It's an act of faith, an act of obedience but so much more. In explaining this concept, Dave Ramsey explained how he arrived at this epiphany. He was reading the Bible and was profoundly moved at the thought that God sent his Only Begotten Son to die for us. It was part of the plan that I have been taught and understood for many years. But it also proves that God is a giving person. And incredibly giving person. And we are created in His image, with the potential to be exalted like Him! Then, we too must be giving individuals. He has not asked us to sacrifice our child in the same way but he does ask us to sacrifice for our own growth. He teaches us tithing to help us grow and become like Him.
But before we went to the store, we counted her money and then I shared with her that each month, when daddy brings home the money he earned at his job, we make the choice to pay our tithing. I explained that it's ten percent and that we choose to do it because the Lord has asked us to and because we want to help others. I was trying to be careful with my word choice. (after all, she is only 3) and I didn't want to manipulate her, I wanted it to be her choice. But she jumped ahead of me and asked, "If I give it to the Church, the Church will help other kids?" Thrilled at her understanding I explained some of the things the Church does with our tithing money. So she agreed and we set aside her tithing money.
On Sunday, I showed her the special tithing envelopes and showed her where to write her name. She laboriously printed her name in her precious, careful print. She put the tithing receipt and money in the envelope, licked it (she declared that it tasted so gross), and sealed it. Then after church, I walked with her as she carried the envelope to the front of the chapel and waited her turn to talk to the bishop. When he turned to her, she beamed and thrust her envelope to him. "Is this your tithing?" he asked and she nodded with a huge smile on her face. He accepted the envelope, addressed her by name and took her hand in his. He sincerely thanked her for paying her tithing and she just beamed. My heart melted at her earnestness.
Later, in Sunday School, we read 3 Nephi 11:38, "And again I say unto you, ye must . . . become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God" and I couldn't help but think of her as we discussed those childlike attributes of meekness, gentleness, faithfulness and love.
Something else on my mind... Also on the subject of tithing... I recently heard tithing explained by someone and it struck me profoundly. It was actually in our Dave Ramsey class on finances. In his 12 course series, the last lesson is completely devoted to the subject of giving. In the very first lesson, he demonstrated that with an open hand, money can move in and out. We may lose some, but we can also gain. With a closed fist, no money ever gets out, but no money ever gets in. Another point he makes is that a closed fist is a universal sign of anger or selfishness. But an open palm is a sign of trust and giving ("and even a dog knows that!")
In the last lesson, he declares with urgency that we need to give. He was able to explain the purpose of tithing to me in a way I've never understood before. First he went through the typical (but not real) reasons. The first he quoted was "God needs our money" and then laughingly pointed out that God, the Supreme Being that created the heavens and earth has no need for our material wealth. Reason #2, "the church needs our money". This is kind of true. With the money we give, the church is able to do great things, like help those in need, build new building, support missionaries, etc. But the church's budget is billions of dollars. I know my relatively minuscule donation is part of that but still seems so insignificant.
The greatest reason, the "real" reason, we are commanded to pay our tithing is for our growth. It's an act of faith, an act of obedience but so much more. In explaining this concept, Dave Ramsey explained how he arrived at this epiphany. He was reading the Bible and was profoundly moved at the thought that God sent his Only Begotten Son to die for us. It was part of the plan that I have been taught and understood for many years. But it also proves that God is a giving person. And incredibly giving person. And we are created in His image, with the potential to be exalted like Him! Then, we too must be giving individuals. He has not asked us to sacrifice our child in the same way but he does ask us to sacrifice for our own growth. He teaches us tithing to help us grow and become like Him.
for what its worth
a cousin recently posted this on her blog:
http://www.askmen.com/dating/curtsmith_500/582_push-present.html. She posted the article without comment, more as a point of interest. My post is not a response to it but a simple "for what its worth".
I agree with the article. It argues that its stupid and selfish that many women have come to expect a gift, usually expensive jewelry, at the birth of their child. Discussed in the article is 1. the stupidity of giving an expected gift, 2. spending so much money on it when baby's needs will be so expensive and especially 3. the selfishness of needing a prize when you've just been given an incomparably precious gift.
Three months before our first daughter was born, my husband picked out a beautiful necklace that he chosen with our baby girl in mind. The precious pink stone in a stunning setting was a Christmas gift and I absolutely loved it. It was thoughtful and beautiful and so unexpected. Then, when we were pregnant with our second daughter, he gave me a set of pink sapphire earrings for Mother's Day (chosen for her birthstone), several months before her arrival. Again, such a wonderful and thoughtful gift.
I was showing these beautiful gifts to a friend and thinking about the tenderness and thoughtfulness of my husband when she commented, "oh your push prize". It wasn't meant as such but I reacted inside as if she had insulted me. To me, it sounded crude and insensitive. I love these beautiful gifts he gave me for Christmas and Mother's Day. (and since then, for my birthday, a month before the birth of our third daughter, he made me an opal necklace and matching earrings.) These gifts are so beautiful and were for special occasions, given out of thoughtfulness and love. I cherish them because I love jewelry, but I especially love that each was chosen with a daughter in mind. Even though each set was given during a pregnancy, I have never thought of them as "my push prize".
Giving birth is such an intense experience. It is physically exhausting, emotionally draining, overwhelmingly difficult and yet so incredible. Sharing that experience with my husband has been some of the most precious, indescribably amazing moments that we've had. I treasure those moments as being some of the most defining and inspiring of my life. That experience brings us together in a way I can't even describe; he is my strength and support and lifeline in those moments. He becomes everything I need and our love is so magnified in that experience. And in doing this seemingly impossible task, we were blessed each time with an incomparably amazing gift of a beautiful daughter--the product of our love, a gift from the Father and an individual, unique being to raise and to love.
To me, for a mother to expect getting a piece of jewelry or some other materialistic gift as her secondary prize would ruin that moment of holding a precious baby, reveling in her newborn perfection and feeling so close to heaven. That moment is so precious, don't mar it with materialistic expectations.
http://www.askmen.com/dating/curtsmith_500/582_push-present.html. She posted the article without comment, more as a point of interest. My post is not a response to it but a simple "for what its worth".
I agree with the article. It argues that its stupid and selfish that many women have come to expect a gift, usually expensive jewelry, at the birth of their child. Discussed in the article is 1. the stupidity of giving an expected gift, 2. spending so much money on it when baby's needs will be so expensive and especially 3. the selfishness of needing a prize when you've just been given an incomparably precious gift.
Three months before our first daughter was born, my husband picked out a beautiful necklace that he chosen with our baby girl in mind. The precious pink stone in a stunning setting was a Christmas gift and I absolutely loved it. It was thoughtful and beautiful and so unexpected. Then, when we were pregnant with our second daughter, he gave me a set of pink sapphire earrings for Mother's Day (chosen for her birthstone), several months before her arrival. Again, such a wonderful and thoughtful gift.
I was showing these beautiful gifts to a friend and thinking about the tenderness and thoughtfulness of my husband when she commented, "oh your push prize". It wasn't meant as such but I reacted inside as if she had insulted me. To me, it sounded crude and insensitive. I love these beautiful gifts he gave me for Christmas and Mother's Day. (and since then, for my birthday, a month before the birth of our third daughter, he made me an opal necklace and matching earrings.) These gifts are so beautiful and were for special occasions, given out of thoughtfulness and love. I cherish them because I love jewelry, but I especially love that each was chosen with a daughter in mind. Even though each set was given during a pregnancy, I have never thought of them as "my push prize".
Giving birth is such an intense experience. It is physically exhausting, emotionally draining, overwhelmingly difficult and yet so incredible. Sharing that experience with my husband has been some of the most precious, indescribably amazing moments that we've had. I treasure those moments as being some of the most defining and inspiring of my life. That experience brings us together in a way I can't even describe; he is my strength and support and lifeline in those moments. He becomes everything I need and our love is so magnified in that experience. And in doing this seemingly impossible task, we were blessed each time with an incomparably amazing gift of a beautiful daughter--the product of our love, a gift from the Father and an individual, unique being to raise and to love.
To me, for a mother to expect getting a piece of jewelry or some other materialistic gift as her secondary prize would ruin that moment of holding a precious baby, reveling in her newborn perfection and feeling so close to heaven. That moment is so precious, don't mar it with materialistic expectations.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
goals
So this is what I wrote one year ago:
in honor of new years and the traditional resolution making...
I am resolving to try a new recipe once a week, pay off some debt and read three great American classics (as much as I love to read, most classics don't count as the uplifting pleasure reading I'm looking for).
I hereby decided that Butterfly resolves to learn to share better, sleep in her own bed every night and eat vegetables without complaining. (i can dream can't i?)
Ladybug resolves to learn to speak in full sentences, use a big girl cup and stop growing up so fast.
I'll let daddy make his own. But I hope it includes finishing school. And a getaway with his wife.
:-) happy new years!
of course, I slowly lost my momentum and fell into just trying to keep up, especially as life exploded with pregnancy complications, remodeling the house, having a new baby, etc. So I hadn't thought about this in a very long time and in fact, had to actually look it up to remember what I wrote.
So how'd we do?
I spent a lot of time gathering and trying new recipes last year and now that I'm back on my feet (literally), I have been enjoying it again. In fact, I've been working on putting together my own personal "tried and true" cookbook. Just a simple 3 ring binder with my favorite recipes that I have personally made and enjoyed. As I find new recipes, I try them out, tinker with them and finally type them into the computer and add them to my book. I'm always looking for new favorites (or even better, old family favorites just in case anyone is willing to share).
We did pay off a chunk of debt and by taking the Dave Ramsey class, feel like we've become much more informed and educated and able to make the best financial decisions for ourselves. This goal is to be continued.
As for reading, it didn't really happen. Sad, I know. I managed to squeeze in some fiction every once in a while, books that are easy, fast reading. And I love that as a way to relax. But I recently realized I have read ONE nonfiction book since I quit teaching. I want to read, to learn, to further educate myself and to maintain all that I've already learned. So the goal this year is one nonfiction book a month. It sounds like it should be easy. But when juggling three kids, it's hard to find a block of time long enough to delve into something and read even just a chapter. (I can breeze through 200 pages of non fiction in an evening, but reading nonfiction takes me so much longer.) I want to read about self improvement, mainly character and finances, about parenting, biographies and about history. This month's book is the Seven Habits of High Effective People.
I completely forgot that I semi-facetiously wrote goals for the rest of my family. But as it turns out, they did pretty well.
Butterfly becomes more wonderful and beautiful every day, both inside and out. She's generous and eager to play and share with friends (but admittedly, a tad bossy sometimes too).
She sleeps in her own room every night and goes to be easily, without fighting or arguing about it. She still comes to our room once every week or two because of leg cramps or nightmares but we're okay with that. In fact, I want her to know she can always come to us for comfort and I kind of like the excuse to cuddle her anyway. On the other hand, it's now Ladybug who has the terrible habit of arguing bedtime and sneaking into our bed in the middle of the night. We're working on the bedtime routine and hope she grows out of the other (it seems Butterfly did so maybe this is a natural phase). Ironically, she used to be the perfect bedtime baby, practically putting herself to bed and sleeping 12 hours solid. And now we have our AngelBaby, who was moved into the nursery less than one week ago and is doing great. She seems to have an easy bedtime routine (most nights) and is sleeping well. Fingers crossed for continued peace. (I have to admit that packing up the cradle for storage and moving her out of our room was harder than I thought. It's a good thing but comes with a sad little twinge as I acknowledge my baby is growing so fast.)
Oh, and as for vegetables, surprisingly that is rarely a battle at our house. I'm very grateful for my girls' willingness to try new foods and eat pretty much everything we give them, including vegetables. :)
Ladybug chatters and rambles all day. Usually I can understand her perfectly, even with the hint of toddler mispronunciations that I find so endearing. I reluctantly correct her at times to help her learn but she's growing and learning so fast already. She's a big girl in so many ways already. Perhaps that's why we humor her blanket habit so much, it's one of the few "baby" things she still does.
I joked about Daddy's goals. But truthfully, he continually amazes me with his brilliance and success and dedication. He's working hard to finish his dissertation this semester, while accomplishing so much in his professional career at the same time, as well as serving as the ward's Young Mens President and raising a family. He's so good to us, I love watching him with his girls and he's so wonderful to me. We had some rough moments this year and he did so much, doing the things I couldn't do, taking care of me and the girls, emotionally supporting me through my frustrations and fears, being our rock and support. There were so many fun and wonderful moments this year too. I love the time he spends with us, whether it's fantastic family trips, taking me (or the girls) on dates, or having casual evenings at home with movies or games or reading books. Without a doubt, he's my best friend and favorite person to spend time with. I love his sense of humor, I love his spiritual strength, his humility, his thirst for knowledge, his desire for excellence, his patience and tenderness. I love the way we can make goals together, laugh together, work hard to parent our children the best we can and so much more. When he eventually reads this, he'll probably want to chide me for bragging about him again but I'm so proud of him. I love him so much and appreciate all that he is and all that he does for us.
in honor of new years and the traditional resolution making...
I am resolving to try a new recipe once a week, pay off some debt and read three great American classics (as much as I love to read, most classics don't count as the uplifting pleasure reading I'm looking for).
I hereby decided that Butterfly resolves to learn to share better, sleep in her own bed every night and eat vegetables without complaining. (i can dream can't i?)
Ladybug resolves to learn to speak in full sentences, use a big girl cup and stop growing up so fast.
I'll let daddy make his own. But I hope it includes finishing school. And a getaway with his wife.
:-) happy new years!
of course, I slowly lost my momentum and fell into just trying to keep up, especially as life exploded with pregnancy complications, remodeling the house, having a new baby, etc. So I hadn't thought about this in a very long time and in fact, had to actually look it up to remember what I wrote.
So how'd we do?
I spent a lot of time gathering and trying new recipes last year and now that I'm back on my feet (literally), I have been enjoying it again. In fact, I've been working on putting together my own personal "tried and true" cookbook. Just a simple 3 ring binder with my favorite recipes that I have personally made and enjoyed. As I find new recipes, I try them out, tinker with them and finally type them into the computer and add them to my book. I'm always looking for new favorites (or even better, old family favorites just in case anyone is willing to share).
We did pay off a chunk of debt and by taking the Dave Ramsey class, feel like we've become much more informed and educated and able to make the best financial decisions for ourselves. This goal is to be continued.
As for reading, it didn't really happen. Sad, I know. I managed to squeeze in some fiction every once in a while, books that are easy, fast reading. And I love that as a way to relax. But I recently realized I have read ONE nonfiction book since I quit teaching. I want to read, to learn, to further educate myself and to maintain all that I've already learned. So the goal this year is one nonfiction book a month. It sounds like it should be easy. But when juggling three kids, it's hard to find a block of time long enough to delve into something and read even just a chapter. (I can breeze through 200 pages of non fiction in an evening, but reading nonfiction takes me so much longer.) I want to read about self improvement, mainly character and finances, about parenting, biographies and about history. This month's book is the Seven Habits of High Effective People.
I completely forgot that I semi-facetiously wrote goals for the rest of my family. But as it turns out, they did pretty well.
Butterfly becomes more wonderful and beautiful every day, both inside and out. She's generous and eager to play and share with friends (but admittedly, a tad bossy sometimes too).
She sleeps in her own room every night and goes to be easily, without fighting or arguing about it. She still comes to our room once every week or two because of leg cramps or nightmares but we're okay with that. In fact, I want her to know she can always come to us for comfort and I kind of like the excuse to cuddle her anyway. On the other hand, it's now Ladybug who has the terrible habit of arguing bedtime and sneaking into our bed in the middle of the night. We're working on the bedtime routine and hope she grows out of the other (it seems Butterfly did so maybe this is a natural phase). Ironically, she used to be the perfect bedtime baby, practically putting herself to bed and sleeping 12 hours solid. And now we have our AngelBaby, who was moved into the nursery less than one week ago and is doing great. She seems to have an easy bedtime routine (most nights) and is sleeping well. Fingers crossed for continued peace. (I have to admit that packing up the cradle for storage and moving her out of our room was harder than I thought. It's a good thing but comes with a sad little twinge as I acknowledge my baby is growing so fast.)
Oh, and as for vegetables, surprisingly that is rarely a battle at our house. I'm very grateful for my girls' willingness to try new foods and eat pretty much everything we give them, including vegetables. :)
Ladybug chatters and rambles all day. Usually I can understand her perfectly, even with the hint of toddler mispronunciations that I find so endearing. I reluctantly correct her at times to help her learn but she's growing and learning so fast already. She's a big girl in so many ways already. Perhaps that's why we humor her blanket habit so much, it's one of the few "baby" things she still does.
I joked about Daddy's goals. But truthfully, he continually amazes me with his brilliance and success and dedication. He's working hard to finish his dissertation this semester, while accomplishing so much in his professional career at the same time, as well as serving as the ward's Young Mens President and raising a family. He's so good to us, I love watching him with his girls and he's so wonderful to me. We had some rough moments this year and he did so much, doing the things I couldn't do, taking care of me and the girls, emotionally supporting me through my frustrations and fears, being our rock and support. There were so many fun and wonderful moments this year too. I love the time he spends with us, whether it's fantastic family trips, taking me (or the girls) on dates, or having casual evenings at home with movies or games or reading books. Without a doubt, he's my best friend and favorite person to spend time with. I love his sense of humor, I love his spiritual strength, his humility, his thirst for knowledge, his desire for excellence, his patience and tenderness. I love the way we can make goals together, laugh together, work hard to parent our children the best we can and so much more. When he eventually reads this, he'll probably want to chide me for bragging about him again but I'm so proud of him. I love him so much and appreciate all that he is and all that he does for us.
blanket training
Ladybug took it upon herself to properly instruct her baby sister about blankets. This precious little girl generously shared her two favorite blankets for the training meeting. she painstakingly covered the baby up so that it was tucked in around her and then she held up a corner and coached the baby, "Hold it, smell it!" She held the corner to her own mouth and nose and then pressed to gently to the baby's face, "see it blanket! hold it!" It made me melt to see Ladybug be so eager to share her prized possessions with her little sister. She eventually reclaimed ownership of panda and yellow but she has an "alternate" favorite (which actually has ladybugs on it) that she has let me use to wrap the baby in and seems happy to share. What a great big sister.
Monday, January 2, 2012
quote of the day
Ladybug's new phrase appeared with great frequency right away. She tends to be a bit of a drama queen but recently, she will be mid tantrum (sometimes seeming genuinely upset rather than just throwing a fit--she's a great actress) when she suddenly stop and chirps "I'm not crying!" and then it's over. "see? I not crying!"
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