Easy peasy

I'm sure I've written about this before, but the transition from 1 to 2 kiddos was not an easy one for me. I think there were several things that contributed to the difficulty...the fact that Elliott was only 16 months old and in a very difficult, fight-me-on-everything stage...the fact that she was only 16 months so I essentially had two babies (with one thinking she was a big girl)...the fact that it was winter in South Bend, that although mild last year, made it really difficult to get out of the house...but the biggie was I thought it was going to be easy.  Expectations can be brutal.  Don't ask me why I had this expectation, but I guess I just thought because they were so close in age it would be easier.  Hmmm...as I write this I realize how silly that sounds.  Let's blame it on a pregnancy brain.

Anyway, I realized a couple days ago that all the sudden, we've entered an easier season.  I really hate to even say something like this because I know that tomorrow it can change, but I am so thankful that life has felt a little more normal recently.  I think many things have probably contributed to the fact that it easier, most obviously the fact that I just get more used to life with two kids and what that requires.  But another huge plus has been the fact that Elliott has become more and more independent.  She insists on walking out to the car by herself and climbing into her carseat (if only she could buckle herself in, right?), she climbs in and out of her high chair, she actually climbs into the crib on her own, climbs up and down the stairs independently, can eat food not cut in tiny pieces, can communicate *somewhat* what she wants.  All these things definitely have freed up my hands to do other things, especially caring for another baby.

It also helps that Mason *might* be the easiest baby ever and is totally content to play with the toys on the floor.  Seriously.  He is so easy!  Plus he doesn't have to eat every 3 hours which gives us way more time in between feedings to actually get things accomplished.  Oh, did I mention they actually nap at the same time in the afternoon?  Amazing.  So nice to have more than 10 minutes to myself (even though the length can vary tremendously).

Now that things are easier, maybe we should start thinking about a third? :) Not sure I feel that confident yet.

Time away

Kev and I decided to plan a little get-away sans children.  Deep breath.  For those of you without children (and maybe some with children), it sounds like such an easy/good concept in theory, but when it comes to actually leaving your children, it can be tough.  I'm always amazed I can have such opposite feelings...I want time away from my kids, but then I hate to leave them.  It seriously drives me a little crazy (along with many other things about raising kids).  However, we decided to take the plunge, and I'm so thankful we did.  

I'm definitely a quality time girl, so it's amazing what some one-on-one, focused, distraction-free time can do for my "love bank."  We decided to plan a fairly close first-time get-away, so we just went to Chicago.  Only an hour and a half away.  A short enough distance to get home quickly if we needed to.  Thankfully that was not the case because they were in good hands (thanks Billy and Kate).  The thing I love about traveling with Kev is we like to do the same things.  Seriously.  We both like a schedule, but not too rigid of a schedule.  We like museums, but we want to spend time seeing the things we really like.  We like seeing fun shops, but not necessarily going in them.  We want to eat good food.  We want to explore.  We want to try new things and see new places.  And that's just what we did.

We spent a couple of hours at the Art Institute (not too little, not too much), had some awesome sushi, explored the Lincoln Park neighborhood, spent time chatting in a coffee shop, explored Evanston and Northwestern, ate some amazing pizza, drank wine and ate dessert on the beach.  It was perfection.

On Sunday, we decided to go kayaking down the Chicago River.  Definitely worth it!  The view was awesome and it was good exercise.  Every time I kayak (which don't kid yourself, is not often), I think 1. I should buy a kayak, and 2. I look like a natural (which I'm sure is not the case, but a girl can dream, right?).  We didn't get hit by any large boats going down the river which was a positive, and our only injury was an ugly blister on my part.  Success.

After a little more time in the city, we decided to make a quick trip to Ikea.  It has been on our "to do" list for a long, but let's face it...it's hard to justify a trip to Chicago to go to Ikea.  That store seriously stresses me out, but I'm also intrigued by it.  We bought a little table for the kids among a couple other things, then raced back to pick up our kiddos. 

The closer we got to South Bend, the more I was missing the kids.  The funny thing about kids is they don't even act like you were gone.  You're expecting them to run into your arms (E) or give you an extra big smile (M)...but they don't.  They *maybe acknowledge you, then keep playing.  Sigh.  Such is the life of a mom.

Even with our anti-climatic reunion, I was glad to be home.  It's amazing how 36 hours away can make me love my husband more and make me even more thankful for our two little blessings.  We should go away more often. :)

More party pics...

Party pics...brings back memories of good ol' college days.  However, these pictures are so much more meaningful to me.  As I promised, more pictures from Elliott's birthday.

Present time.

Party in the ball pit.

2 cupcakes with 2 candles.

Who wouldn't want to lick icing off the cupcake?

 Miss Brette with the little man.

Their faces kill me.  Love it!

Sweet little guy.

Such a precious picture!

Who would have thought her princess tent would be such a big hit?

Sweet Olivia.

So thankful for these ladies!

 

Little man.

 Cheese.  Could they get any cuter?

Love our little fam!

Let's picnic!

Our baby girl is 2...2 years old!!  Where did the past year go?  My good friend Kate and I decided to throw a joint birthday party for our girls since their birthdays are only 3 weeks apart and they are such good friends.

Not to brag, but everything went amazingly well (in my opinion).  Usually I have an image in my mind of how I want things to look, and it doesn't quite meet my expectations, but that was not the case here.  The food and decorations came together and the weather was perfect.  Who wouldn't want to picnic in 76 degrees (sorry Oklahoma friends!)?  The best part was that everyone had a fun time (hopefully), especially the birthday girls.  Here are a few pics of the decorations.

Enjoying her cupcake.

Opening presents.

My sweet friend Amy was my party consultant and we relied so much on her creative genius (that and Pinterest).  More pictures to come!!!

7 month update

It is day 3 without E's bah, and I must say it has still been a much smoother process than I was imagining.  We set aside this weekend, anticipating major fits, breakdowns, moments of doubt, etc.  However, this has thankfully not been the case and we have been able to have lots of fun as a family with only minor sadness.  She has asked for her bah several times, to which I offer her her "broken" bah and she then asks for "more bah."  When I tell her we don't have any other bahs, I see the little wheels in her head turning as she processes what I have told her.  She has still slept awesome at night and naps so I really can't complain.  I've probably missed it the most when we take car trips or long rides in the stroller because the bah always helped limit the whining.  Elliott always responds really positively to choices (where she has the control), so I think the fact that we offer her the broken bah (which she then refuses) has made the transition easier.  I am SO thankful!

In other news, Mason is 7 months old!

He is wearing 6-9 or 6-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

He is still nursing 5 times a day and typically nurses every 4-5 hours.  He usually eats 6 ounces when I am at work.  I've dropped feedings a little differently than I did with E.  I've basically extended his day feedings but his last feeding is still around 9:30 or 10.

He sleeps *decently* but I would prefer he slept a little better.  I guess when you have a kid that sleeps like Elliott did, you kind of assume that's normal.  Apparently it's not.  He typically goes to bed anywhere from 7-8, but he still wants to wake up around 5.  He usually just lays in his bed and "talks" for a while then gets frustrated after about an hour or so.  Depending on the day (a day I work or not), I usually have to wake up to feed him.  This is a battle I feel we will have to face sooner rather than later, but I guess we'll finish the paci battle first.  Priorities.  

He still usually takes 3 naps a day, and I think he is about to be at the point where he could just take 2 naps (morning and afternoon)...these naps are usually 1.5-2.5 hours.  He is now consistently napping at the same time as Elliott in the afternoon, and it is INCREDIBLE.  It's amazing to have some kid-free moments in the afternoon!

He is still not a big fan of solids.  He has tolerated pears and sweet potatoes but certainly doesn't prefer it to nursing.

Poor little guy has had some serious decrease in his bowel movements since starting solids.  I hate it for him!  He used to go every day (at least once) but now he'll go anywhere between 3-6 days.  

He can sit better but still tends to lean to one side or the other.

When he was a little less than 7 months old, he started rolling from his back to his belly.

He loves chewing on his feet...and really anything within his reach.  Still definitely in the grabbing phase, and he loves to play with my necklaces, hair, face, etc.

His talking face.  He talks a lot.  My favorite is when he says "mamamama."

He still loves to laugh...especially when he's watching his big sis.  He thinks she's the coolest.  This month has been so precious to me because they have begun to interact so much more.  Melt a momma's heart.

He loves shaking ANYTHING that makes noise....that's what he's doing here in case you couldn't tell.

He loves being where the party is, and definitely doesn't want to be left in a room by himself.

He is a spitty guy still and it is DISGUSTING.  I have been spit on more times than I can count.  I won't be sad when he moves past the spitting.

There is something SO sweet about Mason, and he can put me in a good mood no matter the day.  He just goes with the flow.  Short nap?  That's okay.  Been a while since he nursed?  He might politely let me know by giving a few grunts.  He does cry just not often, and generally loves to smile and look around for things he can grab.

The end of an era...

The era of pacifiers that is.  We decided to take away Miss Elliott's pacifier today.  This has been a decision long coming, and for those of you who have actually read this blog for a while, you might remember we actually planned to take away her paci before Mason was born, but that obviously didn't happen.  We always found an excuse why the timing wasn't right.  In my head, I had an absolute cut-off of 2 years old.  2 years old was so far away...until it wasn't...until it was only 2 weeks away.  So after much thought and consideration, we decided that this weekend would be it.  We didn't have any plans, so we figured we could sequester ourselves indoors subject to screaming and anger of an almost 2-year-old.  We got multiple books from the library about getting rid of your paci (which she wouldn't read), googled how-tos, heard multiple peoples' opinions.  Ultimately, we decided to cut the end of the pacifier and tell her it was "broken," an idea courtesy of my mom.  That way we weren't lying and it was a concept we thought maybe she could grasp.

Kev was home with the kids today while I worked, so he got to be the initiator of life without "bah" (what an amazing dad, right?).  I must admit, I was kind of thankful that I just got to receive updates via text message verses dealing with it in person.  She did surprisingly well all morning, but the first test was nap time.  She ALWAYS has her bah at nap times.  Kev said she asked for it, understood it was broken, asked for "more bah," cried for a couple minutes, then went to sleep.  What?!  I was expecting angry tantrums, screaming fits, skipped naps.  I was definitely imagining the worst and let's just say that was NOT it.  Tonight, she went to sleep without even really asking for it and didn't even cry.  Am I dreaming??  How is my reality so different than my expectations?  I feel like God has been SO very gracious to make this transition smooth, and I am so very thankful!

I, on the other hand, felt sad about it all day.  It's hard to put into words because in so many ways, I'm thankful to be done with the bah.  I'm so thankful to not have to fish for it in the back seat while driving when she throws it on the ground (real safe, right?), to not have to scour the house pre-nap time, pre-night time, pre-going-anywhere-time, to make sure we have the bah.  I was expecting her to respond in anger to not having it, but that hasn't been her response at all.  Today after work when we were running errands, she asked for her "bah," and I reminded her it was broken.  She didn't cry, she didn't get angry, she just had such a sad look in her face.  I was literally bawling in the front seat just to see her sadness.  I think I realized tonight that I'm not sad that she's growing up, but I'm sad because it's so hard taking away something she loves.  She has never been attached to a blanket, a lovey (although she has recently taken to her kitty cat and baby), her bottle, nursing, but she really LOVED her bah, even from day 1.  I know this is part of being a parent, helping them grow and develop, but it is still hard.  I'm still processing my thoughts and implications of this event in the life of my sweet little girl, but I am so grateful that day 1 was *fairly* uneventful.

Sleepover!

I feel like my life has been a whirlwind lately.  A good whirlwind but a whirlwind nonetheless.  I feel like I am constantly checking things off my list, and yet the list never seems to shorten.  I think it's a combination of chasing after 2 kids under the age of two, working, trying to stay connected to family and friends, traveling, and trying to keep a somewhat organized home.  The two things that I really want to do and yet constantly seem like a struggle to find a consistent time are time with Jesus and working out.  I think since my schedule is different every day (since I work 3 days a week) it just is difficult achieving any form of routine which quite honestly drives me a little batty.  The one thing I don't really like doing and struggle to find time is cleaning.  Not like picking up, cleaning...mopping, dusting, cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming...you get the picture.  Cleaning has never been one of my favorite things and now with two young kids, it feels like I am seriously fighting a losing battle.  I mop the floor one day, and the next day it looks like it hasn't been cleaned in weeks.  How does this happen?  Wouldn't a housecleaner be awesome?  

So in the midst of this whirlwind, I have really done a poor job taking pictures...hence the iphone pictures.  What would I do without my phone, camera, digital media, calender, calculator, list, and so much more in one device?  So as I was perusing my old iphone pictures, I realized I never posted any pics of a momentous occasion in Elliott's life...her first friend sleeping over.  I'm sure there will be many more sleepovers to come (is it bad that I kind of cringe to think about large group sleepovers?), but this was her very first one.  And who better to spend the night than her BFF, Miss Maryn.  We decided early in the summer to do a trade with our friends so we could have a night away, hence the sleepover.  Elliott was absolutely THRILLED to have Maryn spend the night.  I did a pretty poor job of documenting all we did (again...whirlwind), but we had SO much fun!

We went swinging at the park, a fave for both girls.

We swam in the backyard.  Hugs.

This picture cracks me up because it really emphasizes their size difference.  M is 3 weeks older than E but she is so petite.  And E, well, let's just say she took after her mommy.  Not petite.

Daddy's so silly.

Watching Boz before bed.

This pic was actually from the 4th but just too stinkin cute not to post.

I was the most concerned about bedtime/naptime since the girls were sleeping in the same room.  They both cried out for less than a minute, but then quickly went to sleep.  Score.  Miss E actually woke at 4:30 and cried out and when I went to check on her, she was straddling the crib railing.  Awesome.  I put her back in the bed, and 30 minutes later she came trotting into our room.  Whattheheck.  Apparently, she was so excited M was there she decided to crawl out of her bed.  She actually hasn't done it again since that night, which I am very thankful for because I'm just not mentally ready to put her in a toddler bed.

The funny thing about toddlers is they always think the other might be getting something better than them.  They can't be happy with what they have because there so concerned they might miss out.  I'm sure I do something similar, but it's so sad to see in your kids.  It made me laugh though because as soon as one was done with a meal (yelling "all done, all done"), no matter how much the second one had eaten, the would start yelling "all done" as well.  Oh kids.  We had so much fun with Miss Maryn and look forward to many more sleepovers with her in our future.

Just because he's the cutest.