I love this girl. SO much. Her first word was "mama" and it makes me melt the way she calls for me. Especially when she's upset, she calls me in such a sad little voice and I can't resist running to her rescue.
Her new tooth remains a loner. The second one is still close but seems to have receded enough to not bother her so much. Despite only having one tiny tooth, she eats everything and anything. (except baby food.) Her favorite foods are chicken and bananas. She loves to try new things and does best with one food at a time. Once she has seen something else, she loses all interest in the first food and eagerly reaches and calls and waits for something new.
yesterday she stood by herself for the first time. Fortunately, it only lasted a few seconds. I'm not ready for her to grow up yet.
But she does pull herself up onto everything and will occasionally take a step or two while holding onto something.
Her favorite toys are her shapes castle (she doesn't actually put the shapes through their proper doors, she just likes to hold them and scatter them everywhere) and the foam/magnetic letters from the art easel (again, something to hold, teeth and scatter). She also loves to play at the baby center (combination crib/high chair/bathtub), opening doors and grasping at the mobile/faucet/phone, as well as the play kitchen where she can open the oven and reach in to grab and scatter all the play food.
I love bedtime. Before taking her to the nursery, I take her to Daddy for kisses. He's usually cuddling the big girls on the couch for books or a movie before bed. I turn Lovely upside down and tell him, "kiss it!". She LOVES to be upside down so with a huge grin, she accepts his kisses and giggles. Then each of the big sisters get to give an upside down kiss, giggling as they do so. Then one more kisses for daddy and we go upstairs. Her happy disposition melts when I sit her on the changing table attached to the crib. It's as if seeing her bed reminds her how tired she is and suddenly she fusses, calling for her bed and rubbing her eyes. I ready her for bed, wrap her up and nurse her before laying her in her bed, still awake. I can tell her good night and leave the room, no crying or fussing but she goes to sleep on her own like a perfect little angel.
I think we are mostly done nursing. She's 10.5 months, much older than when her sisters gave up but I'm reluctant to lose that closeness. I began supplementing with our abundant freezer stock a month ago because she didn't appear to be hydrated enough for our hot weather. But she steadily becomes less interested in nursing and only nurses consistently when she's already half asleep. So I'm trying to hang onto that naptime/bedtime nursing just because I love that intimate moment of getting to hold her close and have the whole world slow down and slip away while I absorb her sweet perfection.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
the mouth of babes
Kids say the darnest things. Especially my charming and impetuous little Butterfly.
Once we were talking with a new aquaintance who happen to be a black woman. Little Butterfly interrupted our conversation with her matter-of-fact, "your face in black." (but at least she didn't ask if the woman was made of chocolate as I once apparently did.)
More recently she met one of my friends and upon listening to het beautiful English accent commented, "you sound funny. But I like it."
Last time I was sick and hoarse with a sore throat, she repeatedly told me, "mom you shouldn't talk so ugly."
She saw a man with a thick white beard at the gym this week and asked if he was Santa.
And last night she asked our very overweight cashier "why is your bum so big?" She even said it twice before I registered the question and quickly distracted her. Fortunately I'm pretty sure the woman didn't hear. Even so, I may never go to that store again.
Monday, July 23, 2012
roadtrip!
my cousin got married this weekend so we made a mini-road trip out of it. Daddy was away at scout camp and couldn't leave so we hopped in with Grammy and Papa as well as Uncle Booga and his little girl (since his wife had to work and couldn't go either). Our little entourage fit perfectly into his suburban although several people assumed we were just one giant family, Booga and I being the parents to four rambunctious little girls. (my mom thinks this is hilarious.) oh well.
The drive down was a blur of movies and junk food. The little girls did great, especially for how long the drive was. We used some favorite treats (ring pops, candy necklaces, snickerdoodles and red vines) to keep them busy and I had brought special traveling coloring books and games for them. Eventually we arrived and stopped for dinner at El Pollo Loco (a childhood favorite that doesn't exist where I now live). We devoured our dinners, tried to keep Ladybug from climbing the walls and teased Booga about his makeshift fajitas (chicken and avacado wrapped in chicken skin). Despite being almost 9:00 at night, it was hot and muggy so we took a quick dip in the pool before settling into bed at the hotel. Butterfly slept with Grammy in the other room, apparently quietly and contently, going to bed without any protest. But in our room, Ladybug insisted I make her a bed on the floor and then took turns with her cousins keeping each other awake until midnight.
Saturday was a beautiful day starting with a quick breakfast and trip to them temple. I left the kids with my brother so that I could attend the wedding with my parents and it was an incredible experience. The bride and groom make a beautiful couple and seemed so happy. They never seemed flustered or upset about any family or wedding drama but the whole day actually seemed very leisurely and elegant. During their wedding, the gentleman that married them shared some beautiful thoughts about marriage. It was a powerful and wonderful experience that I feel lucky to have been a part. After the wedding, I collected my kids and we hung around for a few pictures before attending the wedding luncheon. That was mostly chaos for my family since my children are so young and were ready for naps. But overall, it was a very nice lunch and fun to see family. My cousintwin (and a favorite auntie to my girls) got to sit with us and I really loved getting to spend the time with her.
We had some time before the reception started so we spent it in the hotel pool, eager to cool off from the heat that lingered despite the rain. (rain in July, in St. George! dirty trick.) We got a quick dinner and then attended the reception. We arrived just in time to go through the line and offer congratulations and then indulge ourselves at the soft serve ice cream bar (the girls were thrilled!) before the first dance/cake cutting/bouquet festivities. My big girls danced and twirled in their fancy dresses (I know receptions and such are becoming increasingly casual but I still firmly believe it's a special occasion that warrants dressing up) and tried to make friends with everyone in the room (especially the women refilling the ice cream machine). But eventually the long, hot day with no naps caught up to them and Uncle Booga took our tired girls to the car to watch a movie until we were ready to go. They were almost asleep when we reached the hotel and then suddenly hit a second wind. Again, our room was an obnoxious cycle of squealing and shushing until 11:00 at night.
But eventually we slept, awoke far too early and were ready to play again. We stopped at the grocery store for donuts, chocolate milk and fruit (breakfast of champions) and went swimming one last time before the quick packing frenzy. The car ride home was equally long as the first but we managed and eventually arrived at home again, eager to see daddy and run around for awhile (and repent of my weekend sugar binge).
The drive down was a blur of movies and junk food. The little girls did great, especially for how long the drive was. We used some favorite treats (ring pops, candy necklaces, snickerdoodles and red vines) to keep them busy and I had brought special traveling coloring books and games for them. Eventually we arrived and stopped for dinner at El Pollo Loco (a childhood favorite that doesn't exist where I now live). We devoured our dinners, tried to keep Ladybug from climbing the walls and teased Booga about his makeshift fajitas (chicken and avacado wrapped in chicken skin). Despite being almost 9:00 at night, it was hot and muggy so we took a quick dip in the pool before settling into bed at the hotel. Butterfly slept with Grammy in the other room, apparently quietly and contently, going to bed without any protest. But in our room, Ladybug insisted I make her a bed on the floor and then took turns with her cousins keeping each other awake until midnight.
Saturday was a beautiful day starting with a quick breakfast and trip to them temple. I left the kids with my brother so that I could attend the wedding with my parents and it was an incredible experience. The bride and groom make a beautiful couple and seemed so happy. They never seemed flustered or upset about any family or wedding drama but the whole day actually seemed very leisurely and elegant. During their wedding, the gentleman that married them shared some beautiful thoughts about marriage. It was a powerful and wonderful experience that I feel lucky to have been a part. After the wedding, I collected my kids and we hung around for a few pictures before attending the wedding luncheon. That was mostly chaos for my family since my children are so young and were ready for naps. But overall, it was a very nice lunch and fun to see family. My cousintwin (and a favorite auntie to my girls) got to sit with us and I really loved getting to spend the time with her.
We had some time before the reception started so we spent it in the hotel pool, eager to cool off from the heat that lingered despite the rain. (rain in July, in St. George! dirty trick.) We got a quick dinner and then attended the reception. We arrived just in time to go through the line and offer congratulations and then indulge ourselves at the soft serve ice cream bar (the girls were thrilled!) before the first dance/cake cutting/bouquet festivities. My big girls danced and twirled in their fancy dresses (I know receptions and such are becoming increasingly casual but I still firmly believe it's a special occasion that warrants dressing up) and tried to make friends with everyone in the room (especially the women refilling the ice cream machine). But eventually the long, hot day with no naps caught up to them and Uncle Booga took our tired girls to the car to watch a movie until we were ready to go. They were almost asleep when we reached the hotel and then suddenly hit a second wind. Again, our room was an obnoxious cycle of squealing and shushing until 11:00 at night.
But eventually we slept, awoke far too early and were ready to play again. We stopped at the grocery store for donuts, chocolate milk and fruit (breakfast of champions) and went swimming one last time before the quick packing frenzy. The car ride home was equally long as the first but we managed and eventually arrived at home again, eager to see daddy and run around for awhile (and repent of my weekend sugar binge).
brave
We took the girls to see the new movie Brave. The movie was great, but the experience was kind of a train wreck.
We planned it as a great girls day out. We got to share the day with both grandmas and started with lunch (always chaos with three little girls) and then headed to the theatre. They were so excited, bouncing around and shouting, posing with the cardboard character cutouts in the lobby and insisting on popcorn (which they didn't eat...however Lovely almost dove into the bag and devoured several fistfuls). We settled into the mostly empty theater (thank goodness because we were very loud and disruptive) and the movie started. Almost right away, the girls became whiny. It was almost naptime but I was intentionally trying to keep them awake until we left on our little roadtrip that afternoon. I thought the movie would be the perfect activity but it turned out to be a little intense. The main character, especially in the first childhood scenes, looks a lot like my little Butterfly and she was excited to announce every comparison. But as the bear showed up or scenes became more emotionally charged, she became clingy and cranky. She was so tired and therefore more sensitive than usual. Ladybug followed suit and soon I had two little girls literally climbing on me, begging for cuddles and attention. At one point, I was holding Lovely, sitting in between Grandma--who was holding Ladybug as she clung to my shoulder, and Grammy--who held Butterfly who clutched fistfuls of my hair. But all in all, I liked the movie, enjoyed the cuddles and decided I underestimated how tired they were and how intense the movie would be. I think we will wait awhile before we try that again.
We planned it as a great girls day out. We got to share the day with both grandmas and started with lunch (always chaos with three little girls) and then headed to the theatre. They were so excited, bouncing around and shouting, posing with the cardboard character cutouts in the lobby and insisting on popcorn (which they didn't eat...however Lovely almost dove into the bag and devoured several fistfuls). We settled into the mostly empty theater (thank goodness because we were very loud and disruptive) and the movie started. Almost right away, the girls became whiny. It was almost naptime but I was intentionally trying to keep them awake until we left on our little roadtrip that afternoon. I thought the movie would be the perfect activity but it turned out to be a little intense. The main character, especially in the first childhood scenes, looks a lot like my little Butterfly and she was excited to announce every comparison. But as the bear showed up or scenes became more emotionally charged, she became clingy and cranky. She was so tired and therefore more sensitive than usual. Ladybug followed suit and soon I had two little girls literally climbing on me, begging for cuddles and attention. At one point, I was holding Lovely, sitting in between Grandma--who was holding Ladybug as she clung to my shoulder, and Grammy--who held Butterfly who clutched fistfuls of my hair. But all in all, I liked the movie, enjoyed the cuddles and decided I underestimated how tired they were and how intense the movie would be. I think we will wait awhile before we try that again.
butterfly princess
Grammy joined us for a fun girls night and we took the girls over to the farmer's market. They tried to make a break for the park but were easily distracted by all the craft booths and made a beeline for the jewelry. Even Lovely has caught on early and frequently plays with my rings and earrings. She prefers diamonds and has excellent taste already. We looked over a few booths and got some dinner before continuing on to the frozen yogurt shop to see Soda Pop. This was Lovely first time meeting Soda Pop so I expected her to stare in wonder or perhaps shy away from our brightly dressed clown friend. But she was her usual happy go lucky self, and grinned at Soda Pop like she was just like any other friend. The big girls spotted the clown car in the parking lot and were bouncing in their seats. So as soon as I unbuckled them, they dashed to her for hugs and begging her to paint their faces. Big sister declared she wanted to be "a princess....no a butterly...no a butterfly princess!" and little sister had to follow suit. So they took turns sitting perfect still and getting their faces painted. Then they picked out their ice cream flavor and insisted on candy corn and marshmallow toppings before retreating to the high stool table where just the two of them sat happily licking and devouring their dessert. As soon as they were done, they returned to Soda Pop's side for balloon hats and dancing around singing, being silly and loud and crazy. Eventually we sat good byes, ran back for "one more hug" several times and headed home.
dinos
We had a playdate with Grandma to Thanksgiving Point. We drove around describing all the things the girls could pick to do and they insisted on the dinosaur museum. I love my little nerds. So we wandered over and had a wonderful time. We coached the girls to look for the "hands on" or "don't touch" symbols and from then on, they were eager to point them out. They loved spinning the "time wheel" and got a little freaked out when we first stepped into the star tunnel (it is a bit of an illusion that plays tricks on your senses). The first few sections weren't as interesting to them, I think because all of the organisms look so foreign that they don't relate them as animals. But they loved the first monster sized amphibians we saw hanging over head and pretended to swim away from them. They were thrilled to discover the dinosaur scenes and even Lovely took a break from her stroller to crawl around (and over) the dinosaur feet. We found some great activity stations of building a magnetic dino skeleton picture on the wall and then found the huge "build-a-saur". The girls detached and reattached different heads, legs and tails until we herded them on. Their favorite activity was at the very end, the sand pits where they used paintbrushes to uncover skeleton casts.
We didn't get to visit any of the other fun things at Thanksgiving Point so we will have to return again soon!
We didn't get to visit any of the other fun things at Thanksgiving Point so we will have to return again soon!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Lava Hot Springs
another fun family adventure!
We planned a long weekend with my parents and siblings and as the date drew closer, it magically shrank. Unfortunately one sibling's family was no longer able to come and to adjust to pretty much everyone else's work schedules, we had to shorten the trip a bit. The trip was a blast and there was definitely not enough time to do all we had planned but we tried to squeeze in as much fun as we could anyway.
We arrived at the KOA Friday early evening (much later than scheduled but that happens with a demanding job and three crazy children). My brother (the infamous Uncle Booga) and his family was already there waiting for us. We got set up as the kids ran around like crazy, thrilled to see their cousins. I love seeing their cousins too because they're sweet and wonderful and old/responsible enough to keep an eye on my kids at the park, leaving me free to cook or take care of the baby, who was uncharacteristically fussy. Daddy is our resident grill master so me and my sister in law did the prep and then put him to work grilling our feast. We stuffed ourselves and were joined shortly by my parents. We couldn't have a campfire but we managed to roast s'mores over our Weber grill (best camping/picnicking grill EVER, definitely a worthwhile investment). We used pink marshmallows (what else when I take my three girly girls shopping with me?) and turned them into some pretty fantastic strawberry s'mores.
Once it was dark enough, the kids got to go on a flashlight candy hunt, sponsored by the KOA camp. We met at the park, both of our little girls sporting daddy's headlamps and then followed one of the camp directors on a short walk, looking for candy. I found this to be a little disappointing because there was very few pieces (just being dropped by the director as we walked). Turn out, that was the decoy and another camp director had been busily spreading candy all over the park while we were gone. The youngest kids got a headstart and were in a closer area so Butterfly was free to roam, dashing around excitedly. Our overly tired Ladybug broke down crying during our walk so Daddy carried her back to camp to get ready for bed. But Butterfly made up for it, collecting a good amount of candy and was eager to share with cousins that didn't find as much. At the end, she dashed over to me and said, "oh thank you mommy! thank you for my candy!" and I told her that I didn't do it, the candy was from the camp director. So she dashed over to him, threw her arms around his legs and thanking him. He raised up her hand declaring her the special winner and explaining that because she was the first person to say thank you, she would receive a free snow cone the next day! She was ecstatic! She didn't really understand that she was being rewarded for good manners, she still thinks she won the candy hunt (which is fine with me, I want her to use good manners because she's a gracious person, not to get a reward.)
Eventually we got everyone in pajamas, including a very fussy Lovely and settled into our beds for a movie and a cuddle. (yes, we have a tv in our camp trailer and used it to wind down our girls at night. It's definitely cheating but it works for us.) Lovely had a horribly rough night, sleeping very little and being fussy and agitated through most of the night. I knew she was teething since she had been cranky for a few days, was drooling and had red, swollen gums. But by then, she was even refusing to eat solid foods or take a bottle and that night, her fever skyrocketed. We kept it at bay with tylonel and since we gave up on sleep long before anyone else was awake (except Grammy--she must have known a grandbaby needed her), we went into town to buy oragel, which also made a huge difference.
Once everyone had roused, I made honey wheat pancakes, smothered with nutella, strawberries and whip cream (my favorite breakfast) and we wrangled everyone into swim suits. Grammy surprised all the kids with a gift she had made for them. She made beautiful backpacks that cleverly unfolded into a beach towel, each done with different colors and patterns to suit their personalities. They were adorable and my girls loved them! Butterfly immediately put hers on and refused to take it off, even when the kids discovered that each backpack also had a bubble toy in it! The kids played happily with their bubbles for awhile until we convinced them it was time to go swimming. Lava is famous for it's natural hot springs but we decided the springs were too hot for our young children and opted for the pool complex instead. (We had also looked into going tubing down the river but while the float looks fun and easy, with just enough rapids to keep you bouncing, the rough lava rocks on the bottom of the river would turn a simple fall into a painful experience. So we will save that for when our kids are a bit older.)
The pool complex was terrific. We staked out a large spot on the grass (Butterfly immediately unfolded her towel, spread it out and plopped down to sunbathe) and set up a tent canopy. I was glad I had insisted my girls wear arm floaties when they eagerly splashed into the deep end. (my fearless Ladybug managed to sneak away, without her arm floaties and jump into the deep end, not once but twice!) We played and swam, trying out the kiddie slides, climbing on and off the giant floating turtles in the pool and eventually braving the spiraling waterslides. Ladybug was half an inch too short for the water slide but Butterfly loved it. (and of course, both of them were too short for the monster slides--another task to save for when they are older.) We stopped for a picnic lunch and soon dove back into the water. It began to sprinkle so we moved into the indoor pool which boasts a rock climbing wall. The girls weren't able to do that either since it requires the climber to drop into the water and swim back around without arm floaties but Daddy and our nieces conquered the wall and had a great time. My girls were happy and content to splash and play in the shallow end of the pool. Lovely spent most of the day sleeping in her stroller or being cuddled. She wasn't as fussy but still was discontent and solemn. I took her into the water for awhile and she seemed to like it until she got splashed.
Once we had our fill of swimming (and it was threatening to rain), we packed up and went back to our camp to celebrate my niece's birthday and for another delectable feast. (food always tastes extra good when you're camping). For dessert, we made campfire cones. They were incredible! We filled waffle cones with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and diced bananas, wrapped them in tin foil and roasted them in the grill. It was like a s'more but even better without the heaviness of the graham cracker. I declined adding peanut butter but next time will try adding diced strawberries and maybe even caramel. We had a family craft planned (making reverse tye dye t-shirts for an upcoming family reunion) but simply ran out of time. Instead the remainder of the evening was spent playing in the park and my little family went for a walk to get snow cones.
Lovely slept much better that night, her first tooth having finally broken through. She's almost ten months old, much older than her sisters were when they cut their first teeth. I've suspected she was teething before, several times in fact, but its been a "two steps forward, one step back" process as they seemed to almost appear and then recede several times before she finally cut through this weekend. The first of her bottom two teeth are through and the second appears to be very close, visible but still hiding just under the surface.
The next morning was a blur of breakfast and packing. We loaded up quickly and began our long drive again, trying to make it home before church. We were optimistic, thinking that since we have one o'clock church, we could make it. But in the end, we only attended the last meeting where I taught Relief Society for the first time (went wonderfully, I really enjoyed teaching and was pleased with how it went).
p.s. A day later, Lovely is feeling much better. She's still not quite as happy and sweet as she usually is and I took her into the clinic just to be on the safe side. No sign of an infection or virus, especially now that her fever has disappeared but still concerned about her lack of appetite. Hopefully we can just chalk it all up to teething and she will be her preciously perfect, angelic and sweet self again soon.
We planned a long weekend with my parents and siblings and as the date drew closer, it magically shrank. Unfortunately one sibling's family was no longer able to come and to adjust to pretty much everyone else's work schedules, we had to shorten the trip a bit. The trip was a blast and there was definitely not enough time to do all we had planned but we tried to squeeze in as much fun as we could anyway.
We arrived at the KOA Friday early evening (much later than scheduled but that happens with a demanding job and three crazy children). My brother (the infamous Uncle Booga) and his family was already there waiting for us. We got set up as the kids ran around like crazy, thrilled to see their cousins. I love seeing their cousins too because they're sweet and wonderful and old/responsible enough to keep an eye on my kids at the park, leaving me free to cook or take care of the baby, who was uncharacteristically fussy. Daddy is our resident grill master so me and my sister in law did the prep and then put him to work grilling our feast. We stuffed ourselves and were joined shortly by my parents. We couldn't have a campfire but we managed to roast s'mores over our Weber grill (best camping/picnicking grill EVER, definitely a worthwhile investment). We used pink marshmallows (what else when I take my three girly girls shopping with me?) and turned them into some pretty fantastic strawberry s'mores.
Once it was dark enough, the kids got to go on a flashlight candy hunt, sponsored by the KOA camp. We met at the park, both of our little girls sporting daddy's headlamps and then followed one of the camp directors on a short walk, looking for candy. I found this to be a little disappointing because there was very few pieces (just being dropped by the director as we walked). Turn out, that was the decoy and another camp director had been busily spreading candy all over the park while we were gone. The youngest kids got a headstart and were in a closer area so Butterfly was free to roam, dashing around excitedly. Our overly tired Ladybug broke down crying during our walk so Daddy carried her back to camp to get ready for bed. But Butterfly made up for it, collecting a good amount of candy and was eager to share with cousins that didn't find as much. At the end, she dashed over to me and said, "oh thank you mommy! thank you for my candy!" and I told her that I didn't do it, the candy was from the camp director. So she dashed over to him, threw her arms around his legs and thanking him. He raised up her hand declaring her the special winner and explaining that because she was the first person to say thank you, she would receive a free snow cone the next day! She was ecstatic! She didn't really understand that she was being rewarded for good manners, she still thinks she won the candy hunt (which is fine with me, I want her to use good manners because she's a gracious person, not to get a reward.)
Eventually we got everyone in pajamas, including a very fussy Lovely and settled into our beds for a movie and a cuddle. (yes, we have a tv in our camp trailer and used it to wind down our girls at night. It's definitely cheating but it works for us.) Lovely had a horribly rough night, sleeping very little and being fussy and agitated through most of the night. I knew she was teething since she had been cranky for a few days, was drooling and had red, swollen gums. But by then, she was even refusing to eat solid foods or take a bottle and that night, her fever skyrocketed. We kept it at bay with tylonel and since we gave up on sleep long before anyone else was awake (except Grammy--she must have known a grandbaby needed her), we went into town to buy oragel, which also made a huge difference.
Once everyone had roused, I made honey wheat pancakes, smothered with nutella, strawberries and whip cream (my favorite breakfast) and we wrangled everyone into swim suits. Grammy surprised all the kids with a gift she had made for them. She made beautiful backpacks that cleverly unfolded into a beach towel, each done with different colors and patterns to suit their personalities. They were adorable and my girls loved them! Butterfly immediately put hers on and refused to take it off, even when the kids discovered that each backpack also had a bubble toy in it! The kids played happily with their bubbles for awhile until we convinced them it was time to go swimming. Lava is famous for it's natural hot springs but we decided the springs were too hot for our young children and opted for the pool complex instead. (We had also looked into going tubing down the river but while the float looks fun and easy, with just enough rapids to keep you bouncing, the rough lava rocks on the bottom of the river would turn a simple fall into a painful experience. So we will save that for when our kids are a bit older.)
The pool complex was terrific. We staked out a large spot on the grass (Butterfly immediately unfolded her towel, spread it out and plopped down to sunbathe) and set up a tent canopy. I was glad I had insisted my girls wear arm floaties when they eagerly splashed into the deep end. (my fearless Ladybug managed to sneak away, without her arm floaties and jump into the deep end, not once but twice!) We played and swam, trying out the kiddie slides, climbing on and off the giant floating turtles in the pool and eventually braving the spiraling waterslides. Ladybug was half an inch too short for the water slide but Butterfly loved it. (and of course, both of them were too short for the monster slides--another task to save for when they are older.) We stopped for a picnic lunch and soon dove back into the water. It began to sprinkle so we moved into the indoor pool which boasts a rock climbing wall. The girls weren't able to do that either since it requires the climber to drop into the water and swim back around without arm floaties but Daddy and our nieces conquered the wall and had a great time. My girls were happy and content to splash and play in the shallow end of the pool. Lovely spent most of the day sleeping in her stroller or being cuddled. She wasn't as fussy but still was discontent and solemn. I took her into the water for awhile and she seemed to like it until she got splashed.
Once we had our fill of swimming (and it was threatening to rain), we packed up and went back to our camp to celebrate my niece's birthday and for another delectable feast. (food always tastes extra good when you're camping). For dessert, we made campfire cones. They were incredible! We filled waffle cones with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and diced bananas, wrapped them in tin foil and roasted them in the grill. It was like a s'more but even better without the heaviness of the graham cracker. I declined adding peanut butter but next time will try adding diced strawberries and maybe even caramel. We had a family craft planned (making reverse tye dye t-shirts for an upcoming family reunion) but simply ran out of time. Instead the remainder of the evening was spent playing in the park and my little family went for a walk to get snow cones.
Lovely slept much better that night, her first tooth having finally broken through. She's almost ten months old, much older than her sisters were when they cut their first teeth. I've suspected she was teething before, several times in fact, but its been a "two steps forward, one step back" process as they seemed to almost appear and then recede several times before she finally cut through this weekend. The first of her bottom two teeth are through and the second appears to be very close, visible but still hiding just under the surface.
The next morning was a blur of breakfast and packing. We loaded up quickly and began our long drive again, trying to make it home before church. We were optimistic, thinking that since we have one o'clock church, we could make it. But in the end, we only attended the last meeting where I taught Relief Society for the first time (went wonderfully, I really enjoyed teaching and was pleased with how it went).
p.s. A day later, Lovely is feeling much better. She's still not quite as happy and sweet as she usually is and I took her into the clinic just to be on the safe side. No sign of an infection or virus, especially now that her fever has disappeared but still concerned about her lack of appetite. Hopefully we can just chalk it all up to teething and she will be her preciously perfect, angelic and sweet self again soon.
quote of the day
Butterfly: Who made our house?
Me: Um, Ivory Homes built the house and later Daddy and I bought the house.
Butterfly: You bought it?!
Me: yes.
Butterfly: but it's stuck to the grass! they used super duper super duper glue! it's pink.
Me: Um, Ivory Homes built the house and later Daddy and I bought the house.
Butterfly: You bought it?!
Me: yes.
Butterfly: but it's stuck to the grass! they used super duper super duper glue! it's pink.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Recently...
we managed to sneak in that anniversary date. We left the girls with a sitter and headed down the canyon. Since we knew we were behind schedule we actually called ahead to Chili's to put in our order and then reveled in the brilliance of our idea. Our table was ready and waiting with drinks and appetizer and within five minutes later, our dinner arrived. It wasn't exactly leisurely and luxurious but tasted great and allowed us time for a temple session before we had to relieve the babysitter. Life is a little crazy right now concerning details that haven't and probably won't be discussed here but it was good to attend the temple and look for some reassurance and guidance.
potty training continues with mostly success but I suspect it will be a while before I'm completely confident.
Last weekend we took the girls for a quick over nighter in the mountains. We loaded up the trailer and drove up to a beautiful spot not too far from home. We made dinner (Butterfly loves grilled zucchini and Ladybug kept calling the grilled pineapple her "apple pie") and took a walk. We built a fire and roasted s'mores (this truly is one of my favorite desserts). After that, the girls were eager to play in the trailer so our campfire was short lived and we eventually wound down for bed. Me and Lovely cuddled in one of the beds while Daddy wrangled the other two. After a surprisingly restful night (our first camping attempt was a train wreck. subsequent trips in the trailer were better but still exhausting.), we had a quick breakfast and packed up for home.
We joined some friends for bowling night and Butterfly and Ladybug had a blast. They bounced around excitedly, rolled their balls off the ramp and waited with great anticipation as it inched it's way to the pins. Daddy elected to hang out with friends and play with Lovely while I supervised the big girls. But I chose not to play because my ego is fragile and my children are shockingly good, scoring 88 and 98.
Sunday was chaos. not restful. as usual.
We got a visit from a favorite auntie. My cousintwin came over for dinner and the girls fawned over her for her attention and were delighted by the gifts she brought them (I'd chastise her for spoiling them but I'm pretty sure it's a right of the auntie to do so.)
Lovely can pull herself up to stand and it's heart breaking adorable as she slowly grows into toddlerhood. We've been able to have some family movie nights and cuddle our big girls while Lovely crawls around exploring the toys. She knows exactly where her box of toys are and plods over to it, uses the box to pull herself up to stand and then makes me melt as she giggles and pushes herself up onto her toes over and over. Eventually she will meander around the back of the couches and sit herself in front of the play kitchen. Then she can pull the unnecessarily large amount of play food and dishes from the shelves and scatter them in every direction.
We've been enjoying going to the local elementary school for lunch lately. The girls love getting to visit the "big kid" school and I love that they get a healthy lunch that they find so apparently fascinating. We always see friends from the neighborhood and love to play on the playground before we go.
I took a week off from the gym while I was sick. Even once I felt better, we stayed home to potty train. So it's been awhile since I got a good work out and now that I'm back, I'm sore. But in a good way. :) The deadline I set for myself has arrived and I'm only two pounds away. But I'm pleased my my progress and will continue just because I've enjoyed it so much. I'm addicted to the classes and the satisfaction I get from a healthy workout. And since I'm registered for a certification course already, I think it's safe to announce I will be starting as a fitness instructor this fall. I'm really excited for the course I will be teaching, called Group Kick, which will be launched at our gym in October. I love getting to know the other instructors and feeling like I'm part of that team. I love that being an instructor further motivates me in my own fitness goals and I'm so excited to be teaching again. It's been awhile since my days as a dancer and choreographer and this will be the perfect combination of choreography, cardio, music and energy.
And now it's time to get packed for our next weekend mini-adventure. Stay tuned...
potty training continues with mostly success but I suspect it will be a while before I'm completely confident.
Last weekend we took the girls for a quick over nighter in the mountains. We loaded up the trailer and drove up to a beautiful spot not too far from home. We made dinner (Butterfly loves grilled zucchini and Ladybug kept calling the grilled pineapple her "apple pie") and took a walk. We built a fire and roasted s'mores (this truly is one of my favorite desserts). After that, the girls were eager to play in the trailer so our campfire was short lived and we eventually wound down for bed. Me and Lovely cuddled in one of the beds while Daddy wrangled the other two. After a surprisingly restful night (our first camping attempt was a train wreck. subsequent trips in the trailer were better but still exhausting.), we had a quick breakfast and packed up for home.
We joined some friends for bowling night and Butterfly and Ladybug had a blast. They bounced around excitedly, rolled their balls off the ramp and waited with great anticipation as it inched it's way to the pins. Daddy elected to hang out with friends and play with Lovely while I supervised the big girls. But I chose not to play because my ego is fragile and my children are shockingly good, scoring 88 and 98.
Sunday was chaos. not restful. as usual.
We got a visit from a favorite auntie. My cousintwin came over for dinner and the girls fawned over her for her attention and were delighted by the gifts she brought them (I'd chastise her for spoiling them but I'm pretty sure it's a right of the auntie to do so.)
Lovely can pull herself up to stand and it's heart breaking adorable as she slowly grows into toddlerhood. We've been able to have some family movie nights and cuddle our big girls while Lovely crawls around exploring the toys. She knows exactly where her box of toys are and plods over to it, uses the box to pull herself up to stand and then makes me melt as she giggles and pushes herself up onto her toes over and over. Eventually she will meander around the back of the couches and sit herself in front of the play kitchen. Then she can pull the unnecessarily large amount of play food and dishes from the shelves and scatter them in every direction.
We've been enjoying going to the local elementary school for lunch lately. The girls love getting to visit the "big kid" school and I love that they get a healthy lunch that they find so apparently fascinating. We always see friends from the neighborhood and love to play on the playground before we go.
I took a week off from the gym while I was sick. Even once I felt better, we stayed home to potty train. So it's been awhile since I got a good work out and now that I'm back, I'm sore. But in a good way. :) The deadline I set for myself has arrived and I'm only two pounds away. But I'm pleased my my progress and will continue just because I've enjoyed it so much. I'm addicted to the classes and the satisfaction I get from a healthy workout. And since I'm registered for a certification course already, I think it's safe to announce I will be starting as a fitness instructor this fall. I'm really excited for the course I will be teaching, called Group Kick, which will be launched at our gym in October. I love getting to know the other instructors and feeling like I'm part of that team. I love that being an instructor further motivates me in my own fitness goals and I'm so excited to be teaching again. It's been awhile since my days as a dancer and choreographer and this will be the perfect combination of choreography, cardio, music and energy.
And now it's time to get packed for our next weekend mini-adventure. Stay tuned...
Friday, July 6, 2012
my little Lovely
AngelBaby is my perfectly sweet angel, growing so fast and always surprising us with new tricks. She's showing more interest in her toys and her new crawling skills certainly aid her growing curiosity. If I sit her down to play and it gets too quiet, I can almost be sure she's wandered off to play with something else and may be getting into mischief. Her favorite toys seem to be the shapes castle, giraffe ring stacker and Little People figurines. Her big sisters are quick to pile up the toys around her and are convinced that more toys is the answer to every discontented cry.
She sleeps 11 hours straight at night, going to be easily and waking up in a great mood. She sit and wiggles in her crib, calling to me and jabbering until I go get her and then she rewards me with giant grins and sweet cuddles. She still naps twice a day, usually about a hour for the first nap, maybe longer for the second.
She's a happy eater, eager to try new foods and increasingly dissatisfied with baby food. She will eat it if there's nothing else on the table but as soon as a meal starts, she wants what everyone else is eating. She's still nursing but tends to latch on and off repeatedly so she can look around, grin at me, check on her sisters or do a million other things besides actually eat. Perhaps she prefers the bottle because it takes less focus.
Much like her sisters, she is a thrill seeker! She loves to be tossed in the air, whirled in circles and turned upside down. She does all of this with a huge grin and happy squealing giggles.
She's friendly and doesn't seem to shy away from strangers. But if she can see me, she will insist that I hold her. But after our first two children becoming such devoted "daddy's girl's, I'm kind of hoping that this one sticks with me. (I joke that they day we stop nursing, I become useless at our house. Sad but true.)
And more than anything else, we call her "Lovely". It's a nickname based on Ladybug's mispronunciation of her name and simply because she is, in fact, lovely.
She sleeps 11 hours straight at night, going to be easily and waking up in a great mood. She sit and wiggles in her crib, calling to me and jabbering until I go get her and then she rewards me with giant grins and sweet cuddles. She still naps twice a day, usually about a hour for the first nap, maybe longer for the second.
She's a happy eater, eager to try new foods and increasingly dissatisfied with baby food. She will eat it if there's nothing else on the table but as soon as a meal starts, she wants what everyone else is eating. She's still nursing but tends to latch on and off repeatedly so she can look around, grin at me, check on her sisters or do a million other things besides actually eat. Perhaps she prefers the bottle because it takes less focus.
Much like her sisters, she is a thrill seeker! She loves to be tossed in the air, whirled in circles and turned upside down. She does all of this with a huge grin and happy squealing giggles.
She's friendly and doesn't seem to shy away from strangers. But if she can see me, she will insist that I hold her. But after our first two children becoming such devoted "daddy's girl's, I'm kind of hoping that this one sticks with me. (I joke that they day we stop nursing, I become useless at our house. Sad but true.)
And more than anything else, we call her "Lovely". It's a nickname based on Ladybug's mispronunciation of her name and simply because she is, in fact, lovely.
a superbark
Ladybug likes to quote entire scenes from her favorite movies. It's particularly impressive when I remember that she doesn't talk much. She jabbers to me all day but to an untrained ear, her enunciation is still that of a typical two year old. So her favorite scene is when she runs up to me and starts, "what about flying, can you fly"?
she waits for me to answer, "don't be silly I can't fly."
and then she continues "okay, you don't have any powers, you don't have powers!"
"...I have a superbark."
"A superbark, wow you're kidding me! What does one do with a superbark?"
" I really can't talk about it, so I suggest you pipe down and take me to Penny."
"youre awfully attached to this Penny character."
"she's my person"
"please, she's a person and if you ask me, the only good person...Ahh!!"
"STYRAFOAM! Tuck and roll!"
"tuck and what?!"
and then she dissolves into giggles on the floor. She doesn't care which role she gets to be and will act either character with perfect intonation, but that scene is her favorite to randomly come repeat with me. Thank you Bolt.
she's also potty training. I don't think she's necessarily any more ready than she was four months ago, I'm just tired of changing diapers. No special tricks or methods (although I think I've read about every trick or method out there), we just decided to jump in. No diapers or pull ups, straight to underwear and am trying really hard to just gloss over the accidents (no punishments) and really celebrate her successes. We started on Tuesday and so far, we've had one accident a day and she's doing great. I'm still suggesting when to go (but not making her) so she's not initiating on her own yet but hopefully we will get there soon. Wish us luck.
she waits for me to answer, "don't be silly I can't fly."
and then she continues "okay, you don't have any powers, you don't have powers!"
"...I have a superbark."
"A superbark, wow you're kidding me! What does one do with a superbark?"
" I really can't talk about it, so I suggest you pipe down and take me to Penny."
"youre awfully attached to this Penny character."
"she's my person"
"please, she's a person and if you ask me, the only good person...Ahh!!"
"STYRAFOAM! Tuck and roll!"
"tuck and what?!"
and then she dissolves into giggles on the floor. She doesn't care which role she gets to be and will act either character with perfect intonation, but that scene is her favorite to randomly come repeat with me. Thank you Bolt.
she's also potty training. I don't think she's necessarily any more ready than she was four months ago, I'm just tired of changing diapers. No special tricks or methods (although I think I've read about every trick or method out there), we just decided to jump in. No diapers or pull ups, straight to underwear and am trying really hard to just gloss over the accidents (no punishments) and really celebrate her successes. We started on Tuesday and so far, we've had one accident a day and she's doing great. I'm still suggesting when to go (but not making her) so she's not initiating on her own yet but hopefully we will get there soon. Wish us luck.
Happy 4th
Long story short, we started the day with no official plan. The annual neighborhood block party took this year off and with the holiday in the middle of the week, we decided to stay in our little valley. So morning came and we took our little girls over to the town pancake breakfast to join Grandma and Grandpa. We walked around town hall to check out the arts festival and art auction. Then we took a drive up Memorial Hill, a local landmark that I had never been to before. At the top of the hill is a monument to the armed forces, includes plaques that bear the names of every person from the community who has served in the various wars since the War of 1812. It was a serene and picturesque moment, and a perfect way to honor the 4th of July. We continued our day with lunch at a local hamburger joint, with our two giggling girls sitting at the high bar stool, shortly followed by naptime.
Butterfly's nap was super short so she helped me prepare a special snack of doughnut holes, strawberries and blueberries arranged to look like an American flag. Then Grandma brought over an origami project for her and daddy to share until Ladybug woke up and our water toys playdate began. Daddy set up the slip and slide and Butterfly was thrilled! She went running and sliding countless times while Ladybug was more reluctant. Daddy slid her down it once and she giggled but opted to not do it again. They rode their scooters, splashed in the water table, played with their new the Little Mermaid figurines and devoured our flag snack. AngelBaby discovered her new favorite food and DEVOURED fresh blueberries as fast as she could. She would squeal, pleading for more and then shake in anticipation as she watched me bring another handful to her and drop them onto her tray. She would snatch them up fistfuls at a time, grinning so big that half the berries would fall out of her mouth each time.
Once Grandpa and Auntie joined us, we stuffed ourselves with tasty bbq fare and then got set up for fireworks. The girls loved watching the sparklers but didn't want to hold them. So we settled into our chairs to watch Daddy be our firework emcee. With the dry conditions and recent fires, we were extra careful in setting off a few small fountains out in the middle of the street. And then he set out our "finale" firework--something I had won as a Bunko prize. It was a good sized and looked promising. So we lit it, anticipating the fountains that would come from this "Red White and Bling!". Immediately a shot fired, soared skyward and exploded in glittering colors, followed by a dozen more spectacular aerial explosions. (I definitely didn't know it was an aerial but it was amazing!) Hopefully my neighbors didn't mind. (and no, we didn't start any fires.) The girls were still wound up and quickly discovered the basket of party stuff Grandma had brought. They donned their gold crowns and found the horns. The horns had long foil tassels and promptly became Butterfly's pompoms. She cheered and chanted and twirled across the yard, throughout the house and all around until it was long past bedtime.
Cookie Day
Thursday is cookie day at our house. It became tradition because I was making cookies to take to my FPU class every week. But now class is over and we make cookies just because I have these two adorable little chefs who love to help. This week we made Gram's Gingerbread cookie recipe. We baked them yesterday (taking advantage of the random rainy cold weather) and spent this morning frosting them. Sticky little fingers worked busily with excessive piles of sugar crystals and brightly colored sprinkles and they turned out pretty awesome. Ladybug eats as much as she sprinkles with her generous handfuls piling high on each cookie while Butterfly meticulously and artistically creates patterns and splashes of mixed colors on each masterpiece. Meanwhile, AngelBaby was watching from her high chair, contently munching on frozen peas and carrots (perfect summer snack, I can't believe it took me until baby 3 to catch on). The tray of cookies were bumped and shuffled, inching closer to her reach. Finally, success! She swiped a butterfly shaped cookie nearly as big as her face and promptly began devouring it. Cookie day success for all.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
AngelBaby
Yesterday I went into AngelBaby's room for my good morning grins and snuggles and was surprised to see her standing in her crib! Apparently she can pull herself up to stand now so we've quickly lowered the bed height. She can also crawl at lightening speed now and recognizes her daddy with a happy "dada" coo. What a perfect, happy, sweet little angel.
our weekend
Early last week, my throat began to be irritated and swollen. I figured it must be all the smoke that has been hanging over our little valley. But then the congestion started...followed by fatigue...the coughing and hacking and finally the fever. AngelBaby was sick, I was sick and so the weekend began.
I visited the doc, hoping to be told it was just a nasty cold or a reaction to the smoke, but he heard my history with pneumonia (had bronchitis turned pneumonia the last three summers) and concluded it as early pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics. (I really was a very healthy person until I had kids. accident prone, but healthy. three babies in four years has killed my immune system.)
Husband and I had a hot date planned that night, our first in weeks and I had been really looking forward to having some time alone with him since he's been gone so much lately. Plus, we were celebrating our anniversary. So I drugged myself up, took a nap and was hoping for that hot date still but eventually resigned myself to a quiet evening at home instead.
Daddy assembled the girls' new water table and they had a blast playing with that. They scooped up the water and poured it into the water wheel, all over the ground and eventually, all over each other. A wonderful friend dropped off some dinner for us (having heard I wasn't feeling so hot), so we had our a picnic dinner, played in the water and had a family movie cuddle.
The next morning, we had a feast of waffles smothered with nutella, strawberry jam and whip cream (a great celebratory breakfast). We played in the water all morning and Daddy took the girls for a few errands while me and AngelBaby napped. Eventually we got ready for our big event of the day and headed down the canyon for an extended family swim party with all of my cousins from my Dad's family. We had to run a few errands on the way, including swim suit shopping. I had excitedly looked forward to being able to shop for a new swimsuit when I got down to my goal weight but turns out that particular activity is an ego beating, no matter what you weigh. But six stores later, I had a suit and we arrived at the swim party.
What a blast. We chatted with cousins that we only see at this annual tradition and the kids loved playing in the pool. Daddy repeatedly launched the kids high into the air and landing in the water with a giant splash. The kids wore themselves out in the water, avoided the dinner plates I fixed for them in favor of sneaking candy and delightedly discovered the grandkid toy room in the basement brimming with princess dresses, dollhouses and play kitchens.
Eventually we made our way home with our exhausted little fish sound asleep in the back and I got a little alone time with Daddy after all. Happy 7 years. :)
I visited the doc, hoping to be told it was just a nasty cold or a reaction to the smoke, but he heard my history with pneumonia (had bronchitis turned pneumonia the last three summers) and concluded it as early pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics. (I really was a very healthy person until I had kids. accident prone, but healthy. three babies in four years has killed my immune system.)
Husband and I had a hot date planned that night, our first in weeks and I had been really looking forward to having some time alone with him since he's been gone so much lately. Plus, we were celebrating our anniversary. So I drugged myself up, took a nap and was hoping for that hot date still but eventually resigned myself to a quiet evening at home instead.
Daddy assembled the girls' new water table and they had a blast playing with that. They scooped up the water and poured it into the water wheel, all over the ground and eventually, all over each other. A wonderful friend dropped off some dinner for us (having heard I wasn't feeling so hot), so we had our a picnic dinner, played in the water and had a family movie cuddle.
The next morning, we had a feast of waffles smothered with nutella, strawberry jam and whip cream (a great celebratory breakfast). We played in the water all morning and Daddy took the girls for a few errands while me and AngelBaby napped. Eventually we got ready for our big event of the day and headed down the canyon for an extended family swim party with all of my cousins from my Dad's family. We had to run a few errands on the way, including swim suit shopping. I had excitedly looked forward to being able to shop for a new swimsuit when I got down to my goal weight but turns out that particular activity is an ego beating, no matter what you weigh. But six stores later, I had a suit and we arrived at the swim party.
What a blast. We chatted with cousins that we only see at this annual tradition and the kids loved playing in the pool. Daddy repeatedly launched the kids high into the air and landing in the water with a giant splash. The kids wore themselves out in the water, avoided the dinner plates I fixed for them in favor of sneaking candy and delightedly discovered the grandkid toy room in the basement brimming with princess dresses, dollhouses and play kitchens.
Eventually we made our way home with our exhausted little fish sound asleep in the back and I got a little alone time with Daddy after all. Happy 7 years. :)
fish babies
Butterfly and Ladybug just finished a week of swim lessons and I was so impressed. Butterfly did one week last summer but Ladybug wasn't ready yet. But this year, we put them in a group lesson together and they did fantastic. Lessons were taught by a young woman in our ward in her family's pool. The lesson would start with the kids sitting on the steps, blowing bubbles in the water to get them used to put their faces in the water. Butterfly did this with no hesitation and by watching big sister, Ladybug quickly followed suit. Then they did "supergirls", jumping off the step superman-style towards the instructor who would catch them, turn them around and help them practice swimming back by doing "ice cream scoops" (using their arms). Then the three kids would hold onto "Mr. Noodle" (a pool noodle) and the teacher guided them around the pool to practice kicking and end in front of the jets to make them squeal and giggle. Next was playing "starfish" (practice floating on their backs), jumping in from the side and treading water, another round of supergirl jumps and ice cream scoops and lastly, a ride down the pool slide into the water. They girls did fantastic. My little water babies followed directions (mostly) and were eager to do all the exercises without shying away. They didn't hesitate at all to jump in, put their faces in the water and giggled in delight nonstop.
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