Things that made me smile today

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Amy

1. Two girls took long naps. At the same time!!

2. These big blue eyes.

3. I organized the toys and books in our living room and my hubby’s office.

4. Sister hugs.

5. Hearty leftovers for dinner. Chicken stew and chili. Hardly any dishes to do!!

6. This girl:

7. Getting in a workout today!

8. Finding photos on my phone from a playdate we had a few weeks ago. We went to the children’s museum and I took some pics on my phone and then forgot them. Miss loved the museum, especially the water room (complete with mini raincoats) and the slide.

9. A trip to Hobby Lobby for some holiday items. I picked up some new ornaments that aren’t breakable for Miss to put on the tree. Each one I held up and showed her she said, “Oooh, I yuuuv it!” or “Boo-ful!” She is especially into Santa and snowmen right now. In fact, she said “I yuuuv it!” about almost every Santa or snowman she saw, which kept me smiling the whole time we were there. And when we were picking out picture frames so I can (finally) put up some photos of Lass, Miss kept saying, “No touch” about each frame, after I said it to her once. What a good girl.

10. I finally got a photo of the girls in their matching winter hats as we were getting bundled up to go to Hobby Lobby. I have a hat that matches theirs too. Unfortunately, Lass is not a big hat fan, so it has been very difficult to get a photo of the two of them in their adorable matching hats without Lass being red-faced and screaming. This one isn’t great, but it’s something. The hats were made by my friend Shannon of Crocheted Goods. I get compliments on them every time we wear them!

Today was a happy day. Very much looking forward to the rest of this week, with Lass turning 3 months old tomorrow, Thanksgiving on Thursday, and our Christmas decorating on Friday!

21-Month “Miss”-cellany

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Amy

21 months is fun. I *heart* 21 months. My elder girl is so stinking funny at 21 months. She is getting into all sorts of new things, some good, some bad. She likes to climb anything she can. She’ll climb onto the counter from her Learning Tower. She tries to climb the cabinets. She climbs me. She climbs her dad. It’s not uncommon for me to turn my back for a second and turn back to find her balancing on something she just climbed up on. It’s a minor miracle she hasn’t climbed out of her crib yet (knock on wood).

She likes to carry and pack things. She had a blast carrying all her importants in a backpack at the farm last week.

She is still our outdoor girl. The girl loves to be outside and explore. She picks things up or gathers them together. She’s not afraid to get dirty.

She can say just about anything at this point and in full sentences, if not fully grammatically correct sentences. She says the funniest things sometimes, and almost always in the correct context. If I came to get her to take a nap when she was playing with her Baba (my husband’s mom) at the farm last week she would say, “Bye-bye Mommy. See you next time!” Today she was talking on her pretend phone and she said something like, “Hi Grandma. All done talking. Bye-bye, see you next time” (I think “see you next time” comes from the way her favorite show “Yo Gabba Gabba” always ends).

The other day she was doing something that was driving me nuts and I snapped at her a little, “Stop it!” Well, of course today I heard her saying “stop it!” with a little frown on her face. Made me feel like a big heel. I am very careful what I say around her so she doesn’t start copying even less savory words or phrases (which I admit I have been known to say on occasion 🙂 and wouldn’t you know the one time I did swear in front of her, I heard her mimicking “Dammit!” just a few seconds later. Fortunately I didn’t react and she only said it once.

She also has other funny little things she does and says like “I go cazy!!” when she’s dancing or “I yuuuv it!!” when she really likes something. She can sing her ABCs, count to 14 and knows all her colors and most of her shapes. She knows almost all of her letters by sight and can identify the sound each letter makes. It seems all of this stuff happened overnight too. One day she was my baby, and the next she was this funny little girl with some serious personality.

She has a little bit of sass in her too. In general she’s a very good girl and usually listens when I tell her to do something. Admittedly it sometimes takes me two or three repeats of an instruction, occasionally with a bit of hands on encouragement, before she listens, but most of the time she does what I ask fairly readily. Recently however she has started letting me know when she doesn’t like it by letting out a shrill scream while complying with my requests. It’s like she’s saying, “I’ll do it, but I’m not gonna like it!!” We have had a few tantrums and their frequency has increased a bit, but so far these are usually short lived. I must admit there are moments when I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing in terms of disciplining my toddler, but we seem to be doing okay so far. And I am learning all the time and figuring it out as I go, so I’m okay with that.

Miss loves to sit on the counter while I’m getting ready and play with my makeup or hair brush. I love watching her imitate me with my makeup brushes. She also loves to have her hair done. If I ask her if she’d like to get pigtails she gets very excited, and she loves to pick out the barrette she wears and her socks. One day we were in her closet as I was selecting what she would wear that day and I held up a shirt and asked her if she liked it. Her eyes got big and she said, “oooh, booful! (beautiful)” Of course that’s the shirt she wore that day. I can’t get enough of the pigtails. . .

She loves to push her baby dolls around in their stroller, but even more than that of course she loves for me to push her baby dolls around. “Mommy push?” she says. So I do. She also loves to chase and be chased, so we do this often with the stroller as well. The vacuum works too.

Miss loves to play with her sister and hold her. She asked to hold her the other day so I had her sit and placed Lass sitting up between her legs. Miss grinned ear to ear and held her and hugged and kissed her for a minute. Then she kind of pushed Lass away from herself and said, “Play toys?” So I thought she was done with her sister and wanted to go play with her toys. Well she walked over to Lass’s playmat and picked up some of Lass’s toys, looking back at me expectantly so I would put Lass down and Miss could play with her. She loves showing her sister things.

She is also starting to get interested in manipulating things and learning how things work. She pays very close attention when I show her how to get toys on and off the play mat hooks.

She is also getting into dressing herself. And undressing herself. She loves snaps and zippers and is very eager to do up the zipper of her jammies every night. Fortunately she hasn’t quite figured out how to undo the zipper. We had to abandon the few pairs of jammies she has with snaps, because I went in to check on her one night before I went to bed to find her jammies in a heap in her crib and her lying in bed with nothing but a onesie on. After she got up the next morning and I put her jammies back on her, I went to the laundry room for a minute and came back to find this.

Her near nakedness apparently inspired the urge to dance and go “cazy.”

And of course the jammies were a great tool for playing a sort of hide-and-seek/wander-around-without-looking game.

She is noticing the camera more and will look at it and say “picture!”

Sometimes now I can get her to stand still for a second and maybe actually pose for the camera. Here she even said, “cheese” for her Daddy.

Bottom line? I love this age. I have loved every stage, every age so far. But I. Love. This. Age. And man I love that girl.

Speaking of love, here’s a little sneak peak at a very-soon-to-be-three-month-old. I could just eat her up.

Mother of the Year, Or Not

Posted on October 13, 2010August 17, 2012 by Amy

When I was a kid my mom used to joke about being “Mother of the Year.” Or rather, the things she did that disqualified her from that lofty status. It was all just for fun. If she didn’t cook dinner or do something “motherly” she would say, “Well, I guess I just lost my bid for Mother of the Year.” And we’d laugh. Don’t get me wrong here. My mom was great. She did all sorts of motherly things and more. But of course no one is perfect, and often she could joke about it when she wasn’t.

Some days feel like “Mother of the Year” days. You know those days when everything clicks? The TV stays off. We take fun trips, go for walks, do crafty things, and have lots of mother-daughter-bonding time. The days when I can still be calm the tenth time I say something like “No Honey, we don’t pull the dog’s tail/put a book on your sister’s face/climb on the counter/insert toddler behavior. Come on over here and let’s read this stimulating and oh-so-educational book instead.” One of those the-house-is-picked-up-delicious-dinner-is-made-kiss-the-hubby-at-the-door-domestic-bliss kind of days. Okay, not quite so Leave It To Beaver, but you know what I mean. If you’re a mom, you have those days when it just flows. It works. You get in your groove.

Yesterday was one of those days. It started with Miss and I making an apple pie in the morning. This was a first for both of us. Prior to yesterday my experience with making pie consisted of putting a pre-made (pre-baked even) pumpkin pie in the oven to warm it up a little bit on Thanksgiving. So yesterday I took the apples we got from the farm last Friday, got Miss all set up in her Tower, and proceeded to make pie. I did not make the crust from scratch, but we did the rest. We started by donning our aprons. I don’t have a little one for Miss yet, so I took my waist-down only apron and adjusted it to fit her.

Miss’s apron and mine were both made by my aunt. She has an Etsy shop, which you can check out hereif you’re in the market for an apron.

Miss enjoyed “helping” me wash, peel, core and slice the apples. She pretended to “wash” the cores, and she ate half of one of the apples (that one didn’t go into the pie of course).

I pointed out to her that her apron had some pockets and she stocked them with apple peels.

After I zested the lemon and squeezed the juice onto the apples, Miss wanted to eat the lemon. She actually took quite a few tastes of it and didn’t even make a sour face. In fact, I had to keep her from taking a big old bite of the peel, which I think she would have chowed down on if I had let her.

She kept an eye on the progress of the pie as it was baking and we were very pleased with the finished project, both in terms of how it looked and how it tasted!

The rest of yesterday was kind of more of the same. We went to the grocery store, Miss played outside with her dad, we had a good dinner, Lass was super fussy in the evening and nothing was working to soothe her until I figured out what she needed and then she was happy as a clam, and so on. It was a, “Yeah, I got this” kind of day.

Today was not so much. It wasn’t a bad day. In fact, it was a just-fine day. I just wasn’t on my game. Once again I woke determined to get ready and get to story time at the library. Once again, we did not get ready on time. I planned to go to the library again anyway, but I was rushing to get out the door with enough time to get to the library and browse for books before having to get home for lunch. It was after 11 when I finally got in the car with both girls and started driving to the library. And then I realized I had forgotten my wrap for Lass. I could have pulled her out of the car in the infant car seat and carried her around the library in that. But at the thought of that, I said, “Ah, screw it.” And I headed for the Starbucks drive through. I got myself a decaf, venti, nonfat, no whip, 2 Splenda Mocha and drove. It was really quite nice. My girls tend to like the car and so they chill. And I chill. And it’s nice sometimes to just hit the drive through. So that’s how I rolled through the library too, with the drive-through book drop. So I guess I just lost my bid for Mother of the Year. Oh well. I’ll try again next year 🙂

Juggling

Posted on September 18, 2010August 17, 2012 by Amy

All things considered, I have found that the second baby is way easier than the first baby. I know part of this is because Lass really is just an easy baby. She sleeps well, she eats well, she rarely cries. But Miss was a pretty easy baby too compared to the stories I had heard from some moms I know. So I know that part of the reason Lass is so easy is because of me. I’m different. I’m more confident. I kind of feel like I know what I’m doing this time around. Things don’t freak me out as much as they did the first time I did all this. I don’t keep an obsessive journal of every feeding, complete with how long Lass nurses on each side, when I pump (heck, I haven’t even pumped an ounce this time around yet!), and when she pees and poops. I know part of this is because Lass did not have issues with her weight gain, and though she lost a little bit of weight in the hospital, it wasn’t much, and she was well over her birth weight by her two-week appointment. Miss on the other hand had lost a considerable amount of weight in the hospital and we had to go for weekly weight checks until she surpassed her birth weight, which I think took three or four weeks for her to do. But also, I’m less nervous about breastfeeding in general this time. Last time I was scared to death that I wouldn’t have enough milk, or my “supply” would run out, or Miss wouldn’t learn to latch or would refuse to nurse or whatever. This time I wasn’t nervous. I knew that I had successfully nursed Miss for 14 months and could do it again. I knew my boobs could produce, so I didn’t worry. In general, I really just worry less this time around.

So like I said, baby #2 is much easier than baby #1. What I do sometimes worry about this time around is Miss. I worry that she will feel that I’m not paying enough attention to her or that somehow she’ll feel left out. I’ve found that the big trick to taking good care of two very small children and maintaining your sanity is juggling. Keeping the balls in the air. Coordination. Etcetera.

I’ve gotten pretty good at juggling. I’m able to do many more things at one time than I ever thought possible. Sometimes it’s just small things to juggle, like holding Lass to nurse with one arm while using the other hand to help Miss put on her Daddy’s coat, which she very much wanted to model for us.

Or bouncing a fussy Lass in my BabyEtte wrap outside so that Miss could blow off some steam in the yard.

And then there are the times when you can’t help but drop a ball. Or two. The other night was one of those times. Picture this. My hubby was at a meeting. It was dinner time for Miss. I was planning ahead. Realized that Lass would be hungry right about the time that I would usually give Miss her bath and put her to bed. I’m flexible. Loose. I decide Miss can stay up a bit later while I feed Lass. Then I’ll do the bath and bed routine with Miss. No biggie.

Well, just around the time I make this plan, as Miss is happily eating her dinner, she toots and says, “Biiig Poop!” (which kind of sounds like “Beee pup!” when she says it). And I reply, “No Honey, I think you just tooted. Say ‘Excuse me’ please.” Not 30 seconds later I hear what sounds like an actual “big poop,” and sure enough she says again “Beeee pup!” So I know I have to revise my plan. Because I can’t let Miss sit in a poopy diaper while I feed Lass. But it seems stupid to change Miss’s diaper only to put her in the tub 20-30 minutes later. So I roll with it and decide I can put Miss in the tub and let her play while I nurse Lass. Juggling, juggling.

Dinner is done. I take the girls upstairs. Miss hadn’t really pooped much at all, but I went ahead with the plan. Cleaned her up, put her in the tub, and positioned myself on the stool by the side of the tub where I proceed to nurse Lass. This is not comfortable, but I’m keeping the balls in the air, and all is well. Until it’s not. I hear the toot. See the bubbles. Miss says again, “Beee pup!” And I’m thinking, “Please, please, please let this only be a toot.” But then Miss gets her “I’m pooping” look and sure enough, she poops in the tub.

Balls dropping. I have a moment of panic. Then Miss sees the poop and proceeds to completely. freak. out. She scuttles away from the poop, stands up and starts screaming at the top of her lungs, reaching for me and trying to climb out of the tub. So I have Lass latched onto my boob, and Miss clutched onto my arm screaming, and poop in the tub, and I do the only thing a Mom can do in this situation. I start cracking up laughing. Because really, what else is there to do in that moment? But the laughter only lasted for a second, since I did have a terrified toddler trying to claw her way up my arm and out of the tub. So I quickly gathered my senses, spoke soothingly to Miss while unlatching Lass (who fortunately had eaten enough to be temporarily content) and putting her in her bouncy seat right by the bathroom door (I had already placed it there in preparation for putting her in it when she got done eating), got all the poop out of the tub and cleaned up, and proceeded to finish Miss’s bath with fresh water in a clean tub. Whew.

I think I’m getting pretty good at juggling a newborn and a toddler. I can handle two under two. And I’ve learned that even when I inevitably “drop the ball” once in a while, it’s not too much of a big deal as long as I can just pick it back up and get back in the swing of it. And after the Poop-In-The-Tub Incident, as this will ever be remembered, I think I can handle just about anything.

On Our Own

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Amy

This has been our first week on our own. Just the three of us. Just us girls. Just me, the Mom, managing a newborn and a toddler. Zone defense. I think I’ve done all right. We have had our moments. A meltdown here and there. I have let Miss watch waaayyy more TV than I ever have before. Which still isn’t a lot, since previously she pretty much watched no TV, but I feel a little bad turning on the TV to occupy her when I’m busy with Lass. But she doesn’t watch it much, and I’ve said many times to other mom friends who have had the same guilt, “A little TV isn’t going to hurt anyone.” So I should listen to my own reassurances and stop feeling bad about it I guess. Besides, Miss loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Yo Gabba Gabba. Has anyone ever watched that show?? Whoa. It is seriously weird, but Miss loves it and dances to the music and waves to the strange characters. The first time we watched it Jack Black was on. That was a little scary. Especially when he was suddenly and magically wearing the weird orange suit to match the DJ guy. Jack Black does not look good in that orange suit. I’m just sayin’.

Miss continues to do well as the Big Sister. She still tries to test me sometimes, and I am occasionally at a loss about what to do with her when she does this while I’m nursing or otherwise occupied with Lass and not very well able to correct her. But overall things are going well and getting better every day. I got a new gate to replace the stupid useless one I had previously purchased. I am always trying to encourage and praise Miss about being a Big Girl, and in that vein she got a new Big Girl Seat.

And then there’s this angel.

She is really a good baby. She eats well and sleeps well at night, for the most part. Some nights are better than others, but I know I have it easy compared to some. For example, a bad night for us is when she wakes up three times instead of one or two (Wednesday night) or when she is fussy and won’t stay asleep until I put her in the bouncy seat at midnight, and then she sleeps until 6 when I wake her up to feed her (last night). So really, even her bad nights aren’t all that bad. And she is just so snuggly!!

We’re chilling at home today, but the past two days we’ve gotten out and about a bit. Doctor’s visits for both girls on Wednesday, Lass is 11 lbs, Miss is 25 lbs. Having both of them together was a bit of an adventure, but it worked out okay. Yesterday we all went to pick up our produce box and then went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. Lass loves to ride in my BabyEtte wrap when we walk or go to the store, or even just around the house. She just snuggles right in and snoozes away. Yesterday she slept while I wore her for our walk and then just stayed in the wrap while I made dinner and ate. Handy.

And while us girls have been doing well on our own during the day, we sure do love it when Daddy comes home. He and Miss have been having little dance parties in the evenings. A breakdancing session turned into this:

After a while he pretended to be asleep. she wasn’t having it though. She prodded him.

She signed “more” and said, “Agi??” (again)

Then she flashed this grin when she knew she had him.

The next game was Mop-the-Floor.

They took a little break for some photos. Check out the adoration with which she looks at her Daddy.

Priceless.

And back to playing.

Miss then wanted to read a book for her Daddy.

And now, right on cue, she’s waking from her nap. Back to it!

Holding the Fort

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Amy

My parents were here for one week and one day after Lass was born. It was great. Miss was in heaven playing with Grandma and Grandpa (both “Gaga”). My dad cooked. My mom bounced the baby and made curtains for her room. They both doted on Miss. It was fabulous.

On Wednesday, they left. It was a little scary at first, but ended up not being too bad. Fortunately my hubby has been off work this whole past week, so we’ve been able to maintain man-to-man defense. After a little bit of a rough patch on Wednesday, Miss has adjusted really well to her new role. She really didn’t do badly at any point, but there were just a few things she had trouble getting used to. Like the fact that she doesn’t get carried up and down the stairs much anymore. She was having a fit every time I would tell her to turn around and go down the stairs on her tummy and instead stood at the top of the stairs reaching out to me and crying “Ca-ee” (carry). We finally came to a compromise when I offered to hold her hand while she walked down the stairs like a “big girl.” Problem solved. And there have been a few other times when she has clearly been trying to test me, but mostly she’s just adorable as Big Sister. She watches over Lass.

Tries to help with the burp cloths and binkies.

And always asks to give kisses to her baby sister. She is a bundle of energy though and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with her.

So we got this to help out. Unfortunately, the mesh doesn’t reach all the way to the sides and she has learned that she can just squeeze through and go on her merry way. We’ll be fixing that.