Weekend trip to St. Louis

Nick and I took Emma for a long weekend trip to St. Louis.  It was for her birthday, and also to give her some quality time alone with us.  We had a fun time, although she had her 4 year well visit the day before we left.  She got two shots and ended up having a hard time with them.  I definitely should have scheduled that better.  However, we did get to do some fun things, like go to the zoo, the Magic House,  Grant's Farm, see the Arch, and get something for her baby at the American Girl store.

Standing under the Arch

Playing at the Magic House

What's New

She's got some spunk

Blogging obviously has not been a priority for me...and it's probably not going to become one.  Sorry!  But I do hope to use this blog to remember things, so I need to at least update it occasionally.  Most of our days are busy busy now.  Emma is in preschool two days week, Lucy is doing her second semester of musikgarten, and I go to church usually twice a week for aerobics.  I'm still running 3-4 days a week (hoping to do a 10k this year and maybe a half marathon in 2014), and Emma is going to start the new children's choir at church this week.  We've signed her up for spring soccer, which starts in March, and hope to also do swim lessons again this spring, and possibly try tumbling this summer.  We still try to make it to the library once a week for baby and preschool storytime as well.  So we are, as I said, staying busy.

Love her loving her bible!

Nick and I have really been focusing on being healthier in 2013.  Call it a new year's resolution I suppose.  We haven't had a soft drink since December 31st, and though I still crave them occasionally, it hasn't been as hard as I thought.  I am drinking a ton of water.  Our church started a 60 day healthy living initiative.  They're offering extra classes and challenging us to exercise ar our connection center at least 3 times a week.  So, along with that, Nick and I are attempting no ice cream or french fries for 60 days.  On the night before we started, I ate a hot fudge brownie sundae and fries from Steak 'n Shake.  I do love me some ice cream.  However, I think our consumption (mostly mine) of sugar was getting out of control.  So I'm trying to really limit our intake of sweets.  I've found several websites that suggest using honey and maple syrup to sweeten things instead of white or brown sugar, so I'm going to try some substitutions when baking also.  I'm not much of a from scratch baker, but after seeing all the junk that's in the prepackaged processed sweets, I'm going to try to stay away from them.  Actually becoming more aware of what is in the food I buy has made me not want to eat anything.  Seriously, this will give you cancer...that will cause diabetes...organic is more expensive and who knows if it's better...natural foods cost a ton and still often contain junk.  Unfortunately, I have a family who is quite picky and hard to shop for, while staying healthy and within a reasonable budget.  Makes me want to go to McDonald's!

Ty the elf's last night

The girls are crazy and wild and busy!  Lucy has started walking several steps at a time, but she will rarely do it.  She is the most stubborn child I know, and I thought that about her sister too.  But she is more so.  She stands there, looks at me with a devilish grin, and then plops down and crawls to whatever it is she wants.  But the joke's on her, because as much as I want her to walk, I mostly don't.  I'd prefer she stay a baby forever, because she might be my last.  At least for a while.  Or she might not be, I have no idea...but just in case, I want to keep her small for now.  She is very similar to Emma...they look alike, are both stubborn as I mentioned, and are super poor eaters.  Emma started her picky eating phase close to 18 months, while Lucy's began much earlier than that.  Mealtimes at our house are our least favorite time...Nick and I often haggle over who has to, er, gets to, feed Lucy.  I have finally transitioned her over to a straw cup, and she ate some spaghetti last night and today!  Emma has never eaten spaghetti and refuses to touch it.  Or pizza...or any normal kid friendly food besides chicken nuggets. She's even tired of pb&j.  Basically they eat the same 8-10 foods every day.  But I guess I usually do too, so it's probably all my fault.  It's always the mother's fault.

Letter O week

Lucy can sign many things (more, eat, sleep, thank you, dada, mama, bird, book, milk, cracker, and many more), but she has begun speaking actual words and not signing quite as much.  She signs and says "eat" after I get her up every morning, asking if it's time for breakfast yet.  If she sees a box of crackers across the room, or hears the word, she will sign cracker and not be satisfied until she has one. She's learning her animals, and knows what a horse, cat, dog, pig, monkey, bird, duck and her favorite, a lion, says.  Goodnight Gorilla is currently her favorite book (Emma loved it too), and she loves roaring when she sees the lion.  She is super attached to her stuffed piglet, and asks for it on the changing table.  That has allowed us to wean her off the pacifier.  She's had it twice in the last 2 weeks, and only then because she was sick.  I'm a sucker for sick kids (but only mine).  I'm so relieved to have gotten rid of that paci.  I saw a boy who was at least 4 walking around the library a few weeks ago with a pink pacifier in his mouth.  I said no more.  Pretty sure I had nightmares about Lucy going off to college with a stuffed pig and a pacifier.  We took it away from Emma at 4 months, so 15 months was too long for me.

Letter P week

Princess Party!

Time for an Emma update...she will be 4 in 3 1/2 months.  What?!!  This year I will have a 4 and a 2 year old.  In my mind, I'm still a 22 year old, so it's bizarre.  But I love Emma's age.  She is so stinking smart and funny...and introverted in public.  We are working hard on using our nice manners in public, which is hard for her.  She talks constantly at home.  Constantly.  As in ALL.THE.TIME.  I hate when people using caps and put periods in between words.  But seriously, we have the chattiest girls and the loudest house.  I love it.  So we're focusing on making eye contact and saying hi, bye, please and thank you to people we meet in public.  She's coming along.  She can also be moody.  Such a girl:-)  One week her Sunday School teachers tell us she's talkative and smiley, and the next she just wants to be by herself and keep quiet.  Sorry Emma, you are your mother's child.  She loves Sunday School and her Sunday evening church activity, and often asks about and talks about her teachers at church.  She also seems to enjoy preschool.  However, she's picking up some undesirable words and attitudes from school.  Because of a snow day and a sick week, it's been almost two weeks since she's been to school. And she has been a different child...my sweet and loving Emma.  I almost dread sending her back.  But it's inevitable.

Oh my goodness, could they get any cuter?

What a long, pointless and boring post.  Sorry if you've read this far.  I will enjoy reading this in 30 years.  When my kids are gone and I cry myself to sleep every night.  Ha.  Here are some cute pics of my adorably cute kids.  Hope you enjoy.

8 months

Lucy is 8 months old!  I can hardly believe it.  Her babyhood (if that is a word) has passed so much quicker than Emma's.  She is the happiest baby, and plays so well alone (unfortunately she has to sometimes).  Still no teeth, but I think she might be working on one.  We started introducing solids around 6 months, so there's a few she can eat...pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes, squash, butternut squash, avocado...and the sweet potato flavored puffs.  We started apples this week, and I think will do green beans next.  She likes to eat, but her appetite isn't what it used to be.  Her weight gain has really slowed down...she's been in 9 month clothing for probably 2 months now, although I think we'll be moving up to 12 month soon.  We've finally gotten her out of the swaddle...last night was the first night we had tried it.  She needed her pacifier to go to sleep but slept all night.  For some reason she immediately rolls onto her belly, and then gets upset as if she can't roll back over.  But she can.  And she will always sleep on her stomach now anyway, so I don't know why she gets so upset.  She goes to bed around 7:15 and gets her medicine at 7am, then gets up at 7:30.  She's almost always already awake by 7...both of my girls are going to be early risers apparently.  She takes two naps a day, from 9:45-11:45 and 2-4.  Usually one nap is great and the other is only ok.  She's still on Prevacid, but we're hoping to start trying over the counter in another month or so to save us some money.  Her reflux seems to be really well controlled right now, and the spitting up has almost stopped completely.  Woohoo!  I can't believe how suddenly she improved, but I'm so glad.  Lucy sits up all the time now, but still falls over after a while.  She would much rather be standing and thinks it's so funny to try to walk holding our hands.  She can't stand alone and doesn't really try to pull up yet, but loves to have us help her stand.  We finally got her in a pool for the first time this past weekend.  She got in the big pool and also in our small inflatable pool.  She seemed to like it, but I hate keeping her outside too long in the heat.

I am still having a hard time believing she is so close to turning one already.  She has been so much fun, and her and Emma love each other so much.  Nick and I have been really surprised at how well they get along and play with each other.  She has added so much joy to our family.

8 Months!

Yesterday i posted some pictures to compare lucy and Emma.  Today I want to post lucy's month by month pictures.  I've tried to take a picture of Lucy each month on the 18th, give or take a few days (oops).

Lucy's 1st picture

November 2011

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

2 kids and no free time

I guess it's been a little while since I've blogged.  Two kids keep me pretty busy!  I've been wanting to post some comparison pictures, because Nick and I think the girls look exactly alike, especially as Lucy gets older.

Emma - May 20, 2009

Lucy - October 18, 2011

Emma - 1 month

Lucy - 1 month

Lucy - 2 months

Emma - 2 months

Lucy - 3 months

Emma - 3 months

Emma - 4 months

Lucy - 4 months

Emma - 5 months

Lucy - 5 months

Emma - 6 months

Lucy - 6 months

Emma - 7 months

Lucy - 7 months

Lucy - 8 months

Emma - 8 months

Lucy Goosey

Dear Lucy,

You will be 3 months old this Wednesday.  I don't quite know how to explain these past 3 months...they seem at times to drag by (sorry but that's just the truth).  Before I know it, we'll be celebrating your 1st birthday but honestly right now, that seems like such a long time away.  9 more months.  I have discovered that I am not a newborn person.  I hate that, but it's just how it is.  Would it be different if my babies didn't have reflux?  Maybe, but I guess I won't know.  Do I feel guilty always complaining about your reflux?  Absolutely!  You are alive and beautiful and healthy for the most part, and your reflux is not life threatening.  And we know you will outgrow this.  So do I have the right to complain and grumble?  Not really.  But that doesn't stop me, and I'm sorry about that.  But just so you know, it does seem to be in your genes so good luck with your future children.

What else is going on with you right now?  Well, you do not sleep well and yet you love to sleep.  If we're out anywhere near your nap or bed time, you are not happy.  You like your room and you like your schedule.  I am so thankful for that.  Your dad and I are toying with the idea of taking away your pacifier, because we are exhausted from constantly going in your room to put it back in your mouth.  I hate it for you, because I know it helps you feel better.  But we have got to get some sleep soon!  It might be too early, but we'll see.  We started today and you're asleep right now...fingers crossed.  The 45 minute intruder has definitely reared its head.  I'm unsure if it's a sleep problem or just the paci...I'm fairly confident it's not a hunger issue.  This past week you went back to waking up several times at night again too.  But then last night you slept until 5:30am, which we can totally handle.  Please though, start sleeping better soon!

You (usually, please don't let this jinx it) have finally started to be happier during the day.  After feedings, I can hold you for a few minutes (you used to scream if we did anything with you), or I can put you down to play and you're content.  You have such a sweet, contented temperament when you feel well.  You love the play gym that's in your pack & play...you can kick the piano keys and bat at the toys and watch your mobile (sounds a little overstimulating now that I think about it).  You also love your bouncy seat, which you previously HATED.  The swing is still not a favorite, so I think it's about time for it to go.  You also despise your car seat still, but we have a convertible one coming tomorrow, so I'm really optimistic that that will help.  I've also started putting your in your high chair seat at the kitchen table when Emma and I eat lunch, and you will usually sit there quietly watching us.

You are already so enamored by your big sister.  You just stare at her when she's around.  And she is much better with you than we anticipated.  She wants to check on you and kiss you on your head and feet, and especially play with your toys.  She is always coming over to show you something.  She has started playing with her baby to change the dirty diaper or wipe up her spit up or get her to stop crying.  She says you cry a lot.  Fortunately, the crying has diminished significantly in the last month.  Now if you cry (other than during naps or the night), we know there is something going on.

Unfortunately, because of the reflux I think you might be a bit slow with your physical development like your sister was.  You hate hate hate tummy time, which means you get so upset that you spit up all over yourself and become inconsolable.  So we don't do as much of it as we should.  You also are sitting or laying inclined a lot, so that probably restricts your movement somewhat.  Maybe you'll surprise me and roll over soon or sit up early, but I'm going to try not to worry about it so much this time.

Lucy, for all my complaining and complete exhaustion, we all love you so much.  Your sister was a difficult newborn too, and our life wouldn't be complete without her.  Your dad and I say that all the time...it was so hard but oh so worth it.  I can only imagine what life will be like when you're a toddler.  I can't wait to see how you and Emma interact and to watch your personality develop.  We're so blessed to know you and to be your parents!

What a difference a year makes...

Making cookies last Christmas - 2010

Making cookies this Christmas - 2011

Christmas morning 2010

Christmas morning 2011

I cannot believe the difference between last year and this year.  Who is this little person?  She is crazy, silly, funny, sassy, wild, affectionate, and so much fun!  And don't worry, I didn't forget about Lucy, but it's hard to take pictures of her since she naps so often!  But she had a fun Christmas too and I'll post pics later!