5 Months Old

Dear K~

Today, my sweet baby girl, you turn 5 Months old! You have been physically with us for almost half a year. Amazing. Especially since the first month of my pregnancy with you was so worrisome.

One year ago today we didn't know if you were to be. We had put our trust and hearts in God's hands and prayed unceasingly as we waited. To us you were real the moment the pregnancy test came out positive. As we had ultrasound after ultrasound, and waited week after week, our hopes of holding you in our arms dwindled. Our last ultrasound was really just done to confirm that my womb was empty, that my body was playing a mean trick on me, yet as soon as the ultrasound tech started the sonogram, there you were, arm & leg stubs wiggling around, heart beating and little tail wagging! Where less than a week ago there was nothing, now you were there, perfectly formed. Truly our Christmas Miracle. Dr. Love told us later that had we been another couple he would have recommended a D&C much earlier. Our "Faith" kept us going and believing, and now, here you are.

As you turn 5 Months old we also mark the 2 week anniversary of Father Jim's death. He was the Pastor at St. Marys, he died on the Ascension and was buried on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Those of you who know us in person know K's full name and I find all these things comforting.

Stats:
Weight: About 14lbs....

• You are wearing a size 1-2 Diaper, but we are going to buy you size 2-3's to start wearing tomorrow! (Toys R Us on Christmas Eve will be fun I'm sure)
• You are wearing 3-6 Month Clothing & 6 Month Clothing
• You are becoming more and more of a Mommy's Girl. You often cry when I'm not holding you, and you turn your head to follow me wherever I go if I'm not holding you.
• You LOVE bath time. You take a bath with G and I every night and no matter how fussy you have been, you smile & laugh in the tub.
• You LOVE to stand up. You can't stand up by yourself yet, but you love to be in your exersaucer and for us to hold you in a standing position.
• You rolled from your back to your stomach today~12/22/09~ and it was your first time to do it! We were at Grammy & Grampy's house and I didn't see it, but Grammy & G did.
• You don't nap well during the day, unless I'm holding you, but you sleep through the night. You usually get up between 3:30-6 to eat and then go back to sleep.
• You don't cry when you wake up! I wake up to the sound of you laughing and cooing! It is the sweetest sound and I love to just look at you during those wee hours!
• You "talk" & babble all the time! You are such a verbal baby. I love to listen to you and often wonder what you are saying!
• You look just like G did at this age.
• You love G so much. You watch her every move and laugh at/with her so much. I hope & pray that you and G are always close.
• You, G & I sleep snuggled up in bed every morning. It's one of my favorite parts of the day.
• You are outgrowing your bassinet and I've got to find a place for you to sleep. I may bring in a pack n play and put it next to our bed. Daddy & I would love to have you in our bed, but I find comfort having you on the breathing monitor and am not ready to give that up. I really wish we had a co-sleeper! (the weight limit is more than a bassinet.)

I love you more each day and am truly amazed at how much I love you. When I had G I never thought I could love anyone more and now I love you just as much. As I wrote to G on her 21 Month Birthday sometimes I secretly think that I must love you two more than any other mother on earth!

Anatomy of a Super Mom...

One of my internet Mom friends posted this on her blog so to help her out I decide to repost her post and a link to her blog. Click the link below to go to her blog:

Anatomy of a SuperMom part 1


OK, so every year for the past who-knows-how-many years, I have totally copped out of doing New Years Resolutions. I guess I jumped on the " no-one ever actually sticks to them so why bother" bandwagon and just rode it, I rode that sucker into the ground. I believe it's time for me to get up and walk on my own two feet this New Year and actually attempt to make and stick to a resolution.

Its just one, how hard can it be right? Well the ONE that I have picked is kinda all encompassing...
Lets start at the very beginning ( its a very good place to start...♫) So, many of you know that I was an Au Pair and then a Nanny for several years. I would ALWAYS say I was doing it to practice for when I had my own kids, I have wanted to be a Mommy since I was waaay tooo young and so it was the perfect avenue for me. I loved being a Nanny. I learned so much from all those kids and their parents , I learned a lot of what I wanted to be like as a parent and plenty of what I did NOT want to be like too.
When I was pregnant everybody would say to me " Oh you are going to be such a good Mommy with all this experience..." and my reply was always " Aw shucks Thank you, but I think the lesson I have learned the most is that no matter how much I think I know... its going to be way waaay harder than I imagine. " and you know what? I was RIGHT!

Fast Forward 17 months after I officially graduated from Pregnant Nanny to Stay at Home Mommy:
Oh Em Geeeeee!!!! Its so difficult/ exhausting etc etc etc - I don't need to tell you, you know. Absolutely its also without doubt the MOST AMAZING/ REWARDING etc etc etc job in the universe. I do not forget that , not for a single second. My child is the reason I was put on this planet, he is the epitome of LOVE. But thats not what this particular post is about.
What I am saying is, after 17 months I have still not found my groove with this whole Mommy thing. I KNOW I can be more, and its not just the "Mommy" part its the Wife and Homemaker part too, others do it - I know its not easy , but nor is my current state of "just getting by" and I know we all have good days and bad days and behind the scenes in every house is some kind of drama. I am not delusional .
I just feel I am capable of more but I didn't get a degree in this ( Nanny School didn't cover it all) no-one does without experience and so ( finally - my point) I am going to attempt to tap into my network of Mommies across the globe - THATS YOU! - and learn some tricks, tips and been-there-done-that information and put it to good use for myself. Then I am going to take said DATA and share it back with you all *hopefully* on the form of a graph or 2 and some other nifty ways to emphasize what is important , what's NOT and what you may wanna try to make your life a bit easier in 2010 and beyond.

Yup, my New Years Resolution is : Learn some SuperMom skills before I even think about having another child!

So would you , my fellow Mama's o' the internet please take 5 mins and answer these questions. You can be as basic or as long winded as your SuperMom Schedule will allow.
Copy and Paste them to an email ( or send a blank email and I will send u the form. If you do copy and paste remember this is in WHITE so you will have to change the color or it will appear invisible in your email ), add your honest answers and send them to:
supermominfo at yahoo dot com
and then send someone else here, someone you feel has SuperMom powers we could all learn from and have them share the love.
( all information will be used anonymously - you don't even have to put any names or details in the email)

Your Questions M'dears: (((My, Mommy P's, answers are in grey below each question)))


1. How many Children do you have? ( list their ages)
G, 20 Months & K, 4 Months

2. How old are you ?
31

3. Are you a working Mom or a SAHM?
SAHM, who also babysits each afternoon (M-F), lifeguards 3 hours per week, and works in the church nursery every other Sunday.

4. Approximately how many hours of sleep do you get a night?
6-7 on a good night, less if the kids or I have trouble sleeping

5. Do you go to bed right after the kids?
No--I like to have some down time before I go to sleep.

6. Do you cook 4+ times a week?
No--but I do cook 3+ times a week. I make 2 casseroles per week and supplement with spaghetti & frozen pizza.

7. When do you do your Grocery Shopping? once a week? with/without kids? monthly? as needed?
1x per week, preferably without kids.

8. Do you exercise regularly? - if yes, give basic details
No. I need to, but never have the time/motivation.

9. Do you have regular "me time"? If yes, when/ how often and what do you do?
Only after the kids are in bed. Play on the computer. Occasionally I'll take a bath (sans kiddos) and relax for 10 or so minutes.

10. What is one ( or more) Mom thing you feel you do really well- your Mom Forté if you will... don't be shy.
I try to be very sensitive to my kids needs. I don't push them to do or try things they are not ready for, if they want to be held I hold them, even if it is while I'm making dinner, on the computer or trying to get something done. If G wakes up crying we let her come into our bed. Daddy P and I are both very attached to our girls and practice a lot of attached parenting principals. I haven't weaned G, and don't plan on doing it until she is ready and am still nursing K, of course :) The stories of the families (Reese & Maddie) that I have on my blog also remind me daily to appreciate my girls in everything I do. Too many Mother's have children that have gone on to Heaven and must endure empty arms on earth.


11. What is one( or more) Mom thing you feel you would like to improve on?
My appearance--I wear sweats & other "comfy" type clothes most of time. It's rare that I put on makeup or really take time to look nice. Also my frustration level. I feel incredibly guilty when I snap at my 20 month old :(

12. Do you have a group of other Moms in your area that you talk to/ get advice from/ have playdates with?
Yes, Thank God! I've actually been wanting to write a post on this subject myself. I've got my awesome BabyCenter/IVillage girls who have been with me from the beginning, 2 close friends I met in Kindermusic, 2 other close friends that I go to church with, and my MOPS friends. I love that I always have someone to turn to for advice, to complain/cry to and/or to laugh with!

13. Do you have "date night"? Paid Babysitter/Relative/Friend? How often?
LOL, once a year--on our anniversary!

14. What is your WORST
a) Poop
b) Snot
c) Bedtimes
d) 5pm witching hour - making dinner meltdowns
e) Teeth Brushing
f) Other... please elaborate!
Bedtime--both the girls want Mommy most of the time and it makes it difficult. G fights sleep most nights too. Daddy P tries for 30 minutes and most of the time gets her down but after 30 minutes I take over.

15. Tips and Tricks or anything extra you'd like to share:
Will have to come back and edit later....must go make dinner!!!

THANK YOU!

Video Mania

Handing out Halloween Candy with Grampy:

K Swinging:

G Riding her Zebra:

Thankgsiving Day Dinner

4 1/2 Months

Dear K~

You are 4 Months old today! You are growing and changing so quickly. You are so alert. I love to watch you take the world in. It's amazing to watch you watch your surroundings. It's funny to think you are experiencing all the same firsts at the same time as I did. You will be the exact same age as I was for your first Christmas, Easter, etc...

Stats:

Weight: 13.3 lbs (actually about 1lb less than G at the same age)
Height:

• You are still wearing a size 1 diaper, but as soon as this pack is finished will go to a size 1-2
• You are wearing a mixture of 3-6 month clothing and 6 month clothing.
• You love to watch your sister and laugh at her all the time. If nothing else makes you smile, G will.
• You can sit up with no support for several seconds at a time.
• If we put you on your tummy you roll right over to your back.
• You are still sleeping in a bassinet right next to Mommy.
• You sleep through the night unless you aren't feeling well.
• You had your first cold, which was actually croup, and it lasted a loooong time. (almost 2 weeks) It was scary and no fun for anyone. Daddy and G both got the same cold and stayed sick too.
• You celebrated your 1st Thanksgiving but didn't seem too impressed....you were still sick though!
• You coo and talk all the time. You are a very verbal baby.
• You watched us decorate the Christmas Tree & put up all the Christmas decorations. We let you touch the tree and lay under it. You love to look up at the lights.
• You stay in the nursery at the YMCA 3 days a week for an hour while Mommy lifeguards. Ms. B holds you and you stay very happy.
• You love to nurse.
• We just started you on a new reflux medicine, and it has made your tummy feel so much better.
• You love to suck on your fists/fingers. You've always got your hands in your mouth!
• You take a paci, but can live without it. G doesn't understand this and tries to put it in your mouth even when you don't want it.
• You have started playing in your exersaucer a bit and really enjoy it!

We love you more each day!

20 1/2 Months

Dear G,
You are 20 1/2 Months Old today. I can't believe you have almost been here for 2 years and yet the day of your birth, not to mention my entire pregnancy with you, seem just like yesterday. You continue to fill our lives with sunshine and laughter.

Stats:

Weight: 22.6lbs

• You are still wearing a size 3 diaper. (we tried 4's for about a month but they were too big)
• You are wearing 18 month sized clothing
• You stay dry all night long and have started going pee in the potty every morning! (((Your first time to go in the potty was 12/3/09)))
• You are talking more and more and using more and more words. You learn new words daily!
• You love to wear my wedding high heels around the house. It's so cute, and loud, to see you walking in them.
• You are climbing on anything and everything.
• You can get into and out of the bath tub by yourself.
• You can take your pants & diaper off by yourself.
• You love to read and bring Daddy and books all the time. If we ask you for a specific book you find it and bring it to us.
• You also bring us the shoes we ask for. Example...."G can you bring me your brown shoes with polka dots?"
• You say Thank You without being prompted a lot of the time. It is so sweet.
• You are staying in the nursery at the YMCA with Ms. B & Ms. K while I lifeguard. The first time you stood by Ms. B for the entire time I was gone, but you've been doing much better and enjoying it more each time.
• You still love Mickey & Minnie Mouse
• You loved Thanksgiving this year, and helped me prepare everything. You loved cooking the pumpkin pie and of course loved eating the turkey! We had Thanksgiving at our house for the first time ever and hope to make it a tradition!
• You loved putting up the Christmas Tree & decorations. Sometimes at night we all lay on the floor together and look at the lights.
• I've started singing "Away In A Manger" to you & your sister when it's time to go to sleep and you both LOVE it. I'm amazed because I'm not the best singer in the world, but it works like a charm for you both!
• You are still nursing and we both love it more each day. You like to take a "sip" before K nurses, but then always say "Sissy nursey".

I'm a bit late in posting this, and you are 20 1/2 months now. You literally change every day and it is amazing to watch you growing from a baby to a little girl.

Phone Call

Dear K~

Last night you talked on the phone with Mamie & Puppa, who you were named after. You were in such a good mood, just cooing and babbling so I called them. Puppa was so excited to hear your sweet voice. You were sitting on my legs while I held the phone to your ear and Puppa talked to you and you cooed back. I've never heard you talk like that--it was like you were having a conversation with him. You looked like such a big girl with me holding the phone to your ear. And so serious. It's like you were making a connection with him & Mamie. Puppa handed the phone to Mamie and you communicated just as much with her. I'm so glad they were able to hear your coos and babbles over the phone. I can't wait to take you up to meet them in person. I want to get a picture of you with them.

Privacy Please

I've decided to make this blog private.

I'd love for people I know or that I've known in life, even through a friend of a friend to keep following it...you'll just have to email me for a password to get on the blog.

Just want to keep my girls as protected as possible.

Please email me for a password:

mommypsblog@hotmail.com

Hope to hear from you!

19 Months

October 2009

October 2008

October 2009

Dear G~

You are 19 Months old today my love. I looked at you a week ago--walking from me to your Daddy in a restaurant-- and almost had to do a double take--you looked like a big girl. You are still a baby to me, though you are starting to exert your blossoming iindependence more and more each day. Gone is my shy little girl who clings to Mommy everywhere. You still stick by me for the first 5 or so minutes when we are out in a new place, but then you are off exploring. Dr. Mommy Love couldn't believe how active and outgoing you were at K's Baptism or at K's last appointment. Neither could I for that matter. Last year at this time you were still such a little baby. I miss those days, but I also love these days. You are so much fun. I love everything we do together and every day it's hard to believe I could ever love you more, yet every day I love you even more than the day before. Some days I look at you and K and know there is no way possible any other Mother could love their children as much as I love you two. LOL, I'm sure that is not true, but it feels like it. You are amazing. My heart bursts with love for you. I am so happy & proud to have you as my daughter.

Holding on to Daddy @ the animal show @ the Fair:

Weight: About 21lbs

You are wearing a mixture of 12 month & 18 month sized clothing. It's hard to find the right fit for you. You are in between.

• You moved to a size 4 diaper! Size 3 still fits you, but we needed a diaper that would hold more ;)
• You have 12 teeth. 4 top front, 4 bottom front, and 1 molar on each side, top & bottom.



• You love to read and to be read to. As I am writing this you are sitting next to Cody with a pile of books. The two of you look so sweet.



• You are counting, 1...2...3 and sometimes higher. You love the number 2!



• You are climbing more and more (which I didn't think possible) and using anything and everything as a step stool.



• You love shoes, clothes, & nail polish. You like to pick out your own shoes, clothes & nail polish. I think you may be Grammy's girly girl.



• You think Mommy is the coolest person around and LOVE to copy everything I do.



• You also are Mommy's little helper. From changing K to helping me with dinner, setting the table & feeding Cody, you want to help me.



• You love flowers. You and Grampy spend lots of time looking at his flowers.



• You also love looking at the birds at Grammy & Grampy's house...I think we are going to have to get a bird feeder for our house.



• You are talking more and more each day, and can say so many words now. I love your sweet little voice. It just melts my heart. Even when you say "NO" (which you do a lot)



• You love phones & love talking on the phones.



• You can throw a very impressive tantrum!



• You have been fighting your 1pm nap for the past week. You'd like to go down at 3 and sleep till 5 or 5:30...but then don't want to go to bed at 9...we're working on a compromise.



• You love to play Hide & Seek, which is very scary for Daddy & I! You will hide anywhere you can. In stores if we put you down you love to go into the clothing racks and give us a good scare! You also like to hide in our closet at home.



• You are the BEST BIG Sister I know. You are so sweet to K. If she is crying you give her a paci, try to hold her and love to take care of her. I think you have my & Daddy's caring heart.



• You are still nursing & we both still love it just as much as ever!!!

A Day in the Life...

A Day in the life of a Tandem Nursing Mom: I don't get much done during the day, though I always plan on it, and after reading a story of another Tandem nursing Mom, decided to keep track of how much time I spend nursing during the day. This was a very difficult task for me because I don't usually keep track of nursing sessions. I don't plan on doing it again, but it is interesting to see how much time I'm nursing someone.

4:15am-5:00am
Nursing Session 1: Start out nursing K, G wakes up about 10 minutes in the session. Daddy tries to put her back to sleep...no go. G comes to nurse. K also wants to nurse. Wish I had 2 working "nursies". Alternate between the two of them until G goes back to sleep then just nurse K.

8:30-10ish
Nurse K for about 10 minutes...G needs a "sip"
Nurse K for about 1 minute
G wants a turn
Nurse G for about 10 minutes
K wants a turn
Nurse K till she falls asleep.

10:30ish
G (apparently using me as a fountain today) has a sip every few minutes.

10:50-11
Nurse K.

11-11:30:
More sips from G.

11:30-11:40
Nurse K.

12:00-12:10
Nurse G

1:25-1:40
Nurse K

2:30-3
Nurse G to sleep & then Nurse K

My longest non nursing stretch of the day! Both girls are sleeping, but the (4) kids I sit for get home from school around 3ish.

6:25-6:35
Nurse K

6:35-7ish
Nurse G

7:30-7:50
Nurse K.

I'll have to come back and edit because it's now 7:51. I'm not currently nursing anyone, but the time will come soon.

It's already a day full of nursing sessions.

Once both the girls go to sleep for the night (9ish) they will be asleep until about 4am when the day starts over again.

Wow.

I love nursing.

Edit: I gave up on keeping track after the 7:50 nursing sesssion...it was just too much to keep track of....I realize now I nurse alot and treasure every moment that I do :)

Wordless Wednesday: Life--Photos from The Beginning

G's

LIFE

From the

VERY

beginning:

6 Weeks after conception:

7 Weeks after Conception:

11 Weeks after Conception:

12 Weeks After Conception:

22 Weeks After Conception

28 Weeks After Conception:

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here are my Not Me Monday Moments of last week:


I did NOT get G out of bed while she was sleeping and snuggle her on the couch one night because I couldn't sleep. Nope, not me, I would never get my sleeping child out of bed to snuggle because I couldn't sleep...(For the record she did not wake up :)


I did NOT forget to bring myself a bottle of water while we were out walking one day and drink out of G's Minnie Mouse sippy cup...


I NEVER ask G to go find K's paci...and then not knowing where it's been stick it in my mouth to "rinse" it off before giving it to K.

I NEVER leave my Diet Coke can in a place G can get to it (like the roof of our house) so she won't be able to sneak a sip. I NEVER just give up the battle and let her carry my Diet Coke can around behind me, sneaking little sips. Nope, not me, I would never let my 18 month old (who ONLY drinks breast milk & water) add Diet Coke to her list of things she likes to drink.

What do you NOT do?

My obligation is to do the right thing. The rest is in God's hands.

I've been relying on this saying a lot the past few weeks. I've been trying not to judge, not to feel defensive and basically just be a good and kind person. That sounds so easy. It's not.

Situations come up in life where you try to do the right thing. I want to always do the right thing, to show my girls that doing the right thing is rewarding...except sometimes it isn't. Sometimes you do the right thing and still end up wronged or hurt or mad...and then I judge.

How many times should you do the right thing and end up getting kicked? Sometimes I ask myself that, but I've been reminding myself of the above saying...

My obligation is to do the right thing. The rest is in God's hands.

I have to remind myself of this daily...over little things and not so little things. I have to remind myself that it is my obligation to do the right thing over and over and over again. To not keep track of how often I do the right thing but feel wronged or slighted, but to keep doing the right thing. To let go of judgements like, "Well I did the right thing but the other person didn't react in a way that I thought was right," I can only control me. My actions, my inaction's and my reactions. That is so hard. I'm such a work in progress... one day I'll be patting my self on the back for doing awesome and the next day(minute) I'm back to making judgements or wallowing in resentment.

A priest gave an awesome homily on 9/27...a week or so after my post on making judgements. I wanted to post it on here, but he asked that I not put it out on the web. I'm going to put a part of it up and hope that is ok,

Before we criticize the elitist attitude John showed in today’s gospel we had better be careful about what we are doing & saying

We would do well to reflect on our own prejudices
Religious political social economic racial & gender
If we think we don’t have any prejudices
Ask someone who loves you what they perceive as our prejudices
Then be prepared to be surprised

Today’s gospel invites you & me to consider whom do we label as insiders
Whom do we label as outsiders within our family members, relationships at work, parishioners & neighbors?

May each of us be aware the presence of God is in all the people who are around us
Please God, may we always be open to those who can teach us & challenge us to look at things differently
May we always look for God who is inside those we might consider to be outside our circle
Look for God in unexpected relationships & events

His entire homily was awesome and has made me look at myself harder. I'm so glad he emailed it to me so I can look at the words every day and hold myself accountable.

Right to Life Sunday

With all of the hubbub surrounding K's Baptism I forgot to mention that she was Baptised on Right to Life Sunday.Before I had kids I was always Pro Life, but never really thought about abortion or the children it killed very much.

You see I've always been a person who thinks that people should do what works for them: as long as it doesn't hurt another living being. I'm not outspoken about most of my personal beliefs, hate debating and/or proving my own opinion as right, but abortion is one issue I feel very stronly about.

When I saw G's heartbeat for the first time, saw her stubby little arm & leg protrusions moving around and waving, at 6 weeks old, yes 6 weeks pregnant, I became truly PRO LIFE. I view abortion as murder. No one can make me believe that abortion is ok. Please don't try either. Respect my belief.

I first found out I was pregnant with K, around the first of December 08. I called L, Dr. Love's nurse excitedly and made an appointment for that week. Dr. Love did an ultrasound, and didn't see anything but a sac. We made an appointment for an ultrasound the next week...and the next and the next. Dr. Love was not hopeful that a baby would appear. We scheduled 1 more ultrasound for 12/23/08. 2 days before Christmas. My Mother came with us to that appointment. It was a very sad ride to Dr. Love's office. Though we had hope and had prayed and prayed and prayed we weren't expecting anything. By all medical standards K's heartbeat & fetal pole should have been visible in an earlier ultrasound...our dates weren't wrong, and Dr. Love told us if we had been any other patient he would have offered a D/C to us much earlier. Dr. Love was out of the office when we went in for the last ultrasound, but he had arranged for us to have a very sweet nurse & ultrasound tech with us. They were both aware of the situation and were understanding of our tears and heavy hearts. They waited until we were ready for the ultrasound to begin and started it. Almost immediately we were able to see K. Not only her heartbeat (which was perfect and visible), but those little stubby arms and legs. It was an amazing Christmas Gift. Where there had been nothing but an empty sac less than 1 week earlier, there was a baby, our Faith.

Say a prayer when you read this, for all women thinking abortion is their only way out, for all women who have endured an abortion, for all women who use abortion as a form of birth control and for all the unborn who little lives are at stake.

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered deathby the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some,
but for all,
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen!

Show us Your Life--Baby Gear

I follow the blog Kelly's Korner and she does a weekly "Show us your life". This week's topic was baby gear. I'm by no means an expert, but we do have our favorites and things we can't live with out and I thought I would share my top 5 favorite baby items.

#5 Baby Bjorn & Hotsling

We are wear our babies and love both of these items. I only use the Hotsling sometimes and prefer the Baby Bjorn. It is awesome and comfortable and so easy to use. We bought cheaper versions of it and then finally bought the real thing and it was so worth it. Love, love, love it!

#4 Hooter Hider (Nursing Cover)

When I first had G and wasn't a skilled nurser (ie couldn't nurse without showing the world my boob, the Hooter Hider was a lifesaver. I highly recommend it to any new to nursing mom. It goes around your neck and has boning in it so you can see your nursing child yet no one else can.

#3 Swing

G didn't have colic, but she sure did have fussy times at night for several months. The movement and motion of the swing would calm her right down. I linked to a newer version of the swing that we have.

#2 My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow and my AWESOME Lactation Consultant

I wouldn't be nursing today (18 months + tandem nursing) if it wasn't for the My Breast Friend Nursing pillow. Before G was born people and advertising told me I needed a Boppy Pillow. When I started nursing the Boppy Pillow just didn't cut it (The Boppy is great to lay the girls in on the floor, and for Memaw to hold a new baby in, but NOT for nursing). It didn't get G up where I needed her, didn't give me back support, and basically didn't help me at all. My awesome, wonderful & supportive lactation consultant recommended the My Breast Friend and I still use it to this day. I used it until G was about 6 months old then put it away in a safe spot and now am using it with K.

My AWESOME Lactation Consultant, B, comes free with Dr. Mommy Love. I literally have her on speed dial and now feel like she's a close friend or family member. She was my nursing savior when I thought I couldn't go on with G. I didn't think i would need her with K, after all I'd been nursing for 16 months and knew it all, lol, I was at B's house, on a Sunday afternoon the day she got back from a vacation. I can't say enough good things about her. We are Blessed to have her in our lives.

#1 Angel Monitor

A real lifesaver. See my post on the Angel Monitor and you'll see why I can't live without it. It NEVER went off all during the 6 months G slept on it. NEVER. No false alarms, no problems. I don't think I actually appreciated it until it went off several weeks ago and very likely saved K's life. She only sleeps with this on now.

Things we could live without:

#5 Diaper Genie or the like

Smelly. We use a trash can and take the diapers out each day or as needed (when there is a big stinky it goes right out). The Diaper Genie is a good concept, but so is a regular trash can. Save your money.

#4 Bumpo Seat

We rarely used this with G and have rarely used it with K. Not worth the money.

#3 Boppy Pillow

#2 Baby Food--Home made or store bought

#1 Bottles

I'll go into more detail at a later time...must go try to get some sleep before K's big day.

Judgement Calls

I've been thinking about the judgements that are passed in life.

I pass judgements way too much, I will admit that first and foremost. It's something I've been working on and praying about.

What I've been thinking about is why do people pass judgements. Is it because they feel superior or because they want to feel superior? Is it to be "cool" or fit in? I don't know. Since I've been spending time thinking about this I've been looking at the times I make judgements and I think I make them when I'm feeling defensive. If I feel like I'm (my person, my family, my way of life) being attacked or wrongly persecuted I'm more apt to make a negative judgement about the person/entity making the judgement.

I've also noticed that I make more judgements about my family and people close to me than I do about others. Writing that makes me feel horrible. Do other people do that? Why do I think it is ok to be cruel, which is what it is, to my family, to people that I love and to be accepting of the faults of my friends and perfect strangers? If anything I would think it would be the opposite. Questions I've been asking myself: Do I take my family for granted? Do I think they will always be there no matter what? Is it ok to be hurtful when I've been hurt? How do I let go of the things in my life that make me pass judgements. I'm going to try to make it a week where I let go and stop making judgements.

18 Months Old

G on her Zebra.

(Sells for $40+ in stores, we got it for $10 at a consignment store!!!)

Dear G,

Today you are 18 months old. One and a half years old. I can't believe it. You have grown up so fast, especially the last few weeks. You learn several new things each day and love to show your newly acquired skills off. At each stage of your life I think I can never love it more or have more fun with you, but I do, every day. You are so cute and sweet and caring. Daddy and I love you more each day and are so thankful to have you in our lives. You are amazing.

Weight: 21lbs 4.0z

Height 30 1/2

You are still wearing a size 3 diaper!

• You are wearing 12 month sized clothing.
• You took a sip of a juice box 1 time! (other than that you only drink water or breast milk)
• You love to have your nails cut/trimmed/filed painted.
• You LOVE shoes.
• You LOVe to shop.
• You are climbing on EVERYTHING. We got you a new step stool and you carry it around everywhere. The reason we bought you one is because you were carrying around your booster seat, yellow chair and wooden foot stool everywhere.
• You help me change K's diaper and are very good at it! You can take her diaper off, wipe her and close the tabs on the new diaper.
• You are trying to dress yourself. You can put on shorts and pants all by yourself!!!
• You will not wear anything unless you want to or you choose it. If Daddy or I choose something and you don't want it you take it and put it back (or depending on your mood throw yourself on the floor and cry)
• You love to read books, ride on your new Zebra toy and play in your kitchen. You also love to help Mommy in her kitchen.
• You refuse to sit in a highchair or a booster seat--you want to sit or stand in a regular seat.
• You have not been eating a lot for the past week and this makes Mommy worried--but apparently it is a common toddler trait.
• You are sleeping in your own bed, in your own room with Cody each night. I still miss having you in our bed, but am happy you love your bed.
• Daddy puts you to sleep each night, and lately you've been going to him when it is your bedtime.
• You are becoming more outgoing and less shy. You played with your kindermusic teacher and class Thursday night.
• You stayed in the MOPS nursery again--this time in the big kids (1 year old class) though you cried when I left you, you did great the entire time--playing and having snack with the other kids. I got to watch you for a little while when I went to pick you up and you were walking around and playing happily.
• You stayed with your first non family member and did great. It was with Ms. P & her daughter M, who is the same age as you.
• You throw tantrums!
• You LOVE to play with the B's kids when we babysit them each day! You especially love E, and let her pick you up, feed you and play with her.
• You are talking more each day and repeat words that anyone says!
• You understand everything anyone says.
• You are still nursing and we both still LOVE it!

G & Cody sleeping. Notice their legs :)

Dr. Love

Some pictures of the Dr. Love, the girls & I.

I wanted Dr. Love to hold both the girls at once, but G wasn't having it:

Dr. Love, G and I at my 2 week appt after she was born:

Scary Moments

Last night our Angel Monitor went off around 1:30 am. I put my hand on K and it stopped but as soon as I took it off the alarm sounded again. I turned on the bassinet light to check on K, and she was a little purplish. I immediately got up with her and she was fine, but what a scary moment. We used the Angel Monitor with G for the first 6 months of her life and it never went off (unless we picked her up and forgot to turn it off). Last night was our first experience of it actually going off for a reason. Having the alarm go off last night was well worth the cost of it (though ours was a gift). We don't know what would have happened had the alarm not gone off, but Thank God that it did.

Graco Angelcare Movements Sensor with Sound Monitor

While it may seem that your baby is perfectly still when she is sleeping, she really isn't. Our Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor detects your baby's slightest movements, even while she sleeps. An alarm will sound alerting you to check your baby ONLY if she becomes absolutely still for 20 seconds and no movement whatsoever is detected. The under-the-mattress Sensor Pad detects your baby's slightest movements and sends the signal to the Nursery Unit. The Nursery Unit sounds an alarm ONLY if no movement is detected for 20 seconds. It also transmits all other nursery sounds and has a Movement Indicator Light showing if movement is being detected. The Parents' Unit receives the alarm and all other nursery sounds. The Angelcare Movement Sensor will give you the peace of mind you won't get from just a sound monitor or even a video monitor. And, this monitor is an excellent value. It is 2 monitors in 1 so you don't have to purchase a sound monitor.

I talked to Dr. Mommy Love and a friend who is an ENT today and they both seem to think the reason Mary Faith stopped breathing has to do with her reflux. To be clear we don't actually know if she stopped breathing or was just having difficulty, etc, but whatever happend the sensor didn't detect any movement from her for 20seconds and her coloring was off for the first few seconds I had her.

The girls both have appts with Dr. Mommy Love on Tuesday so barring any other episodes we'll be talking to her more about it then.

I've always felt reassured by the monitor but after last night I think it is something that all new parents should have.

Oh What Busy Days...

I can't believe it's been over a week since I've updated. I always think of things I want to update on and then either forget or don't have the time or energy to update.

Both of the girls are about to hit big age milestones, until next month anyway ;) G will be 18 months on 9/20 and K will be 2 months on 9/22. They are exactly 16 months and 2 days apart.

G is growing by leaps and bounds these days. It seems like each day she is doing something new or different. She is like a sponge, soaking up everything and anything around her. It's amazing to witness.

K is also growing and growing and growing. She love to nurse and I've had to pack away some of her newborn clothes. Soon they'll all be put up. It's bittersweet to watch our girls grow.

Past week in review:

Wednesday 9/9:

Had a fun playdate with a little girl only 4 days older than G. We met in kindermusic in August 08 and have become close friends over the past year. Her Mom is having another baby in the next few weeks too. I love watching the girls play together--they are so different but are going through similar stages so it is really nice for her Mom and I to get together to vent/share/laugh.

Thursday 9/10:

G, Kand I had a fun morning with Grammy and then went to see Dr. Love. Daddy P and I were both kind of sad driving up to see Dr. Love because we thought it was going to be our last visit for a while and we've become accustomed to seeing him every other week for almost 2 years! We'll be seeing him again in a few weeks though--we've still got some tweaking to do with my blood pressure meds and since I'm nursing he's going to do that for the time being. The day went downhill quickly because I'd had a headache since the night before and though Dr. Love gave me a shot it didn't go away and we had to head to immediate care that night to get some more shots. No fun at all, but at least the headache went away. I felt like an Indian giver because I'd lent my pump to a friend--I HATE pumping and hadn't used it in weeks--telling her I never used it and had no need for it, and lo and behold less than a week later I had to call her at 8pm and ask for it back. I knew she had bought one, but felt bad none the less. She was so sweet and instead of having us come and pick it up brought it over to our house. At 8pm. May not seem like much to those of you without children, but she also has 2--a 2 y/o and at that time a 1 week old. Wow, thanks again J. This same friend and her husband also came to our house at 9pm the day we brought K home from the hospital to because we were worried about jaundice. Another Wow and thanks again J! We are blessed with sweet, wonderful and caring friends.

In case I don't say it often enough I have an AWESOME, AMAZING husband. While I slept Thursday night he did double duty with both of the girls. And they gave him a hard night. K, who usually sleeps for at least 5 hours in the night was up on and off and when she wasn't up G was. Seriously he would put one down and before he could get back in bed the other one was up. And he had to go to work the next day. I'm a lucky girl :)

Friday/Saturday/Sunday:

The weekend was wonderful. The girls and I LOVE having Daddy home with us all day. He is so much fun and helps me so much with the girls. I'm so lucky to have such a hands on husband. We had a run around day on Saturday. G got new shoes and LOVES them. G is a shoe girl to begin with, but these are big girl shoes and she REALLY LOVES them, like will wear no other shoes but them LOVES them. They are very cute, but are play shoes and don't go with every outfit, though they have this week. We are always sad when the weekend is over and Daddy has to go back to work

Monday:

Stay at home kind of day. It was nice and relaxing. G ate a big lunch and took a long nap. Grammy & Grampy provided dinner. Yum.

Tuesday:

May become an entry all to itself at some point :) I had to have a cardiac echo done, and the appt was scheduled for Tuesday at 8am. David had to teach a class, Grammy had to teach a class & Grampy had to be at school. What was I to do? Taking K was no problem, but taking an active toddler would be impossible. God has blessed us with super friends. I call P, the mother of M, who is only 4 days older than G and also very pregnant, and asked her if she could watch G, and she said yes without pause. So sweet. Not only was she willing to watch her, she was willing to watch her with less than a day's notice, at 7am, knowing G would cry. She was a saving grace to us Tuesday morning. Thank you so much P! She was also the first non family member to watch G (other than the MOPS nursery folks) Obviously I trust her a lot. (Which seems like an understatement because trusting her with G is like trusting her with my life )

Getting ready for Tuesday morning made me have a new appreciation and respect for working mothers. I don't know how they do it each and every day. I was so stressed out about getting out the door in the morning. I had to get up at 6 (after feeding K at 4 and going back to bed at 5) and then Daddy P and I got ourselves ready, and then got the girls ready. I packed up the diaper bags the night before, but it was a lot to do before 7am in the morning. How do you working mothers do it? You must be super organized.

My G girl did great with P & M and was a happy girl when I picked her up. From there we went to a La Leche League meeting. It was the first one I had been to and I loved it. I knew 2 of the girls there from church, but it was so nice to meet other nursing moms with a lot of the same philosophies as Daddy P and I. Instead of feeling like the odd parent out I felt like we were part of the norm.

Wednesday:

A pretty normal and relaxing day for us. Both the girls have been in a great mood this week and we've been having fun times.

Thursday (today):

Another early morning that had me wondering how mother's who work out of the home get out of the house every day. I took K and G to the Dr by myself for the first time. We just went in for a weight check on K. She is a much different nurser than G was at this age and with her reflux I was getting nervous that she wasn't getting enough. She is growing perfectly though. I had wanted to see our Lactation Consultant, B, but B is loved by all nursing mothers and was booked up so settled for a weight check, but got lucky and ran into her while K was being weighed. She reassured me that K was growing perfectly and had time for a little chat with G. Hard to believe we've known B since G was 4 days old! She is so amazing and back when I thought I would never be able to nurse (right after G was born) Daddy P and I thought about asking her to move in ;) She's been a wonderful source of support to us for the past 18 months and is always available to answer my questions when needed. I really don't know where we'd be without her so it was nice to have her assurance that K is thriving and not starving. Thanks B!

After that we headed to MOPS, which I love. The speaker was wonderful. She gave a great presentation which centered on putting your trust and faith in the Lord. I've been hearing that a lot the past week and been trying to do just that instead of just saying I was trusting in him. Putting my faith into action has helped me. It's hard for me to always trust in him and have faith, though it is easy for me to say I'm doing it, and this week I've really made the effort to have the faith and the trust and it's helped me. The speaker today felt like a message that was meant just for me and I'm going to keep having that faith and trust without doubts.

G did wonderfully in the nursery. The MOPS nursery is the only place G stays without me, other than with Daddy P or my parents and that is a testament to the caregivers there. They are super and have worked with G every time she's gone. She cried and clung to me today when I dropped her off, but then was happy the remainder of the time. That's a first for her, usually they say she goes back and forth between crying and being occupied, but today she was happy.

She was also very outgoing at Kindermusic tonight. David and I had so much fun watching her play and interact with her teacher and the books. She is growing up so fast these days.

I'll try to update with some new pictures in the next few days :)

Life Tonight

Daddy working late.

G refused to nap...is teething...has a very runny nose...is super grumpy.

K wants to be nursed nonstop.

G has a BIG problem with K nursing tonight.

Put K down to nurse G.

K screams.

Cody needs to go out to potty.

G refuses to nurse and cries.

Put G down and pick up K to nurse her.

G tries to pry K out of my arms and off of her nursey--by her eye lids.

Try not to lose my temper with G & pray for patience.

Ask her to get a book for us to read while sister nurses.

K falls asleep.

Put her in bed.

Take bath with G.

Daddy comes home (albeit with a major leak in his car that will leave us a 1 car family for a while).

Yay!!!

My Growing Girl!

G 17 1/2 Months:

Is now doing somersaults! I really think she is going to be a gymnast the way she moves and climbs. She climbs on EVERYTHING. If I turn my back for a second she is on the coffee table, dining room table, the top of her car, etc... It's actually pretty scary for me. We're signing her up for gymnastics starting in October. Hopefully (maybe?) that will cut back on some of her household acrobatics.

Climbing on living room coffee table:

G's biggest accomplishment this month was picking out and putting on her own shorts!

Blue or Pink?

Pink with no diaper...

The no diaper part didn't work out so well...lol!

We were so proud of her for putting on shorts all by herself! She was proud too. I can't believe how big she is getting!

It only takes a second

Today in a local store my Mother in Law (MIL) were talking while we walked to the check out line. We were both "helping" G push the cart. One second she was holding on to the cart below us. The next second my MIL says, "Where's G?" Those are the worst words I have ever heard.

I think my heart may have stopped for a second.

The next second MIL says, "There she is!" (by the chips about 2 feet from us) and picked her up.

I let her hold her for about a second then had to take her. My heart was in my stomach or somewhere else, all I know it was a horrible feeling.

How could I lose my G Girl...even for a second or less?

There are certain things I am very serious about and watching my children and having them near me is 1 of them. Daddy P and I both worked (he still does) at a Psychiatric Hospital. We know, better than most, the types of people that are out there. I'm not talking about people with depression, etc..., but the real crazies that walk the streets with the rest of us. I keep both my girls close to me at all times. They don't stay with people other than Daddy P or my parents. I say this in to show what a horrible shock to my system it was to not know where she was for even a second.

G didn't even know she was "missing" for that second. I was almost in a panic and she was as happy as could be.

I don't think I'll ever forget that one second.

These are the days...

Way back before I ever had kids I always said I wanted boys. Only boys. I felt that way up until our 14 week ultrasound when we found out G was G. From the moment the ultrasound tech said "It's a Girl", I wanted a girl.

I love having my 2 girls now. G has turned into a much smaller version of me. Apparently I am the coolest person in the world (to her) right now. I love it and I am going to enjoy it, because I don't think (though I can hope) it will last. Anything I do she wants to do or does. Some examples:

• She holds a phone exactly like I do. I didn't know I held phones in the same way all the time (between my shoulder and my cheek) but apparently I do. This is how G holds any phone (or pretend phone) all of the time.
• If I sigh or make any noise it gets repeated. (MUST WATCH LANGUAGE AT ALL TIMES NOW--not that I swear a lot, but the occasional swear word does pop out from time to time)
• Things I drink she wants to drink. Case in point--I stopped drinking Diet Cokes while I was pregnant. I now drink several a day. I NEED the caffeine. G has picked up on this and wants to drink it to! Remember G ONLY drinks water and breast milk. She refuses anything else. I put a drop of juice in her water cup this week and she refused it. Now she wants to drink Diet Coke.

I can't think of any other examples right now, but I'll update the list as I do. It's getting to the point that I feel like G knows me better than anyone else! It's like we're in tune with each other. I'm not sure if this comes from me being a stay at home mother or if it has something to do with our parenting style (we use attachment parenting for the most part), whatever it comes from I'm enjoying it. I can't wait until G is a teenager and I can remind her of the days where she thought I was the coolest person in the world and she wanted to be exactly like me.

Don't they say that imitation is a form of flattery? In this case it definitely is.

Pictures by April Ingram Photography

The slide show in the previous post contains ALL of the pictures that April took during our photo session. I couldn't just pick a few to display, we love them all so much. April came over to our house on a sticky, rainy, mosquito infested day--not feeling well to boot-- and took some incredible pictures of our life. I love pictures like she takes. As she said, pictures that capture emotions rather than posed pictures. Someday many years from now Daddy P and I will look back and be able to remember that exact Saturday and all the emotions we were feeling. (Though I don't know if Daddy P will want to, LOL, as before April came over I was quite snappy.) Clicking April's name in the post will take you to her site, which has more of her awesome work!

Thanks so much April! Can't wait to do it again!

A good laugh for you...

I haven't been feeling well this week. Not horrible, but not great and I thought I should mention it to Dr. Love. I called and left a message describing how I'd been feeling and get a call back from Dr. Love's nurse.

Dr. Love's responses to how I've been feeling:

Issue 1: Normal
Issue 2: Could be a virus
Issue 3: "Dr. Love thinks you should take a pregnancy test just to be sure"

WHAT??? My jaw just about hit the floor.

Me to L, Dr. Love's nurse:

"Um, L, I know I'm not pregnant." (At this point Daddy P who is standing near by says "WHAT???" and gets very interested in my conversation with L.)

L, "Are you sure?"

Me to L, "Unless it's an immaculate conception, I'm not pregnant."

Then we have lots of laughs and I ask L to remind Dr. Love that K is only 6 weeks old and I'm nursing, and not only am I nursing, but I'm nursing both K and G. More laughs.

What a difference a year makes

I've been feeling reflective the past few days. I look at G--she is such a big girl now and then look at K and think about how last year at this time G was still a pretty small baby. At this time last year G wasn't even 6 months old! She hadn't eaten any solid food. She still slept in a bassinet in our room--the very same bassinet that K is sleeping in now. It's amazing how much children grow in the first year. I have proof right in front of me each day. G and K are only 16 months apart (almost to the day) and when I think about G at this time last year and where she is now the differences are huge. Where will we be this time next year???

It was at this time last year that I met 2 of my good friends in G's kindermusic class. We went to the class not knowing anyone and came out of the class with 4 (counting the kids) very good friends. 2 Mom's and 2 girls. Last year at this time none of the 3 mom's (myself included) were thinking about having new babies(that I'm aware of :) --our girls were all babies or close enough. As I write this I have a 6 week old, one of the girls has a 2 day old and the other one is due in October. What a difference a year makes!!!

Sneak Peek

If you go to April's blog, you can see a sneak peek of the pictures she took this morning. She was soooo awesome and the 2 pictures that are up came out wonderfully. I can't wait to see more.

More later as I'm not feeling well right now. I've got horrible body aches and a fever. I'm really hoping I don't have mastitis :(

Quick Update on Life :)

I'm tired. LOL, when am I not tired the past 5 weeks? This is a different type of tired though. We've had 2 bad nights in a row with G and K being up together and separately. Some examples of how tired I am: (For the record, Daddy P is just as tired, and has been up just as much as me the past few nights, he's an awesome husband and father)

• I brought our home phone out with me on Monday. In the car. While running errands. AND, it's still there, sitting in the van.
• That same morning I had to check to make sure I had both the girls in the car. I had a moment where I panicked and thought I left one.
• Still that same morning and same trip I thought I might have let Cody get out during my many trips in and out of the house so I had to drive back and double check.
• Yesterday morning I got out of bed, while Daddy P was still home, Thank goodness, and left K right on the edge of the bed. She is a mover and a roller so that was not a good thing to do.

YIPES. This Momma needs sleep. (So does Daddy) But we have 1 baby who must eat when she needs to and another baby who is teething and not feeling all that well. Usually I get up with K and Daddy P gets up with G and USUALLY this works for us. Not this week. G has been wanting me in the middle of the night. USUALLY I don't get up with her, but the past 2 nights have been different. Not her usual night time cry--more like a night time screaming session that lasts for __minutes. I held her last night until K woke up to eat. She slept fitfully during that time. :( It makes me so sad when I can't make her feel better. I wish she could tell me exactly what is wrong when she is upset. I hate having to guess if it's her teeth, if she's sick or if she just needs some extra attention. She's been the same during the day. Just irritable, grumpy and tantrumy. I feel bad for her, and I feel bad for me. It's hard to be around someone, even a little someone, who is having an all day tantrum. She's still a baby and going through a lot right now (teething, new sister, sharing nursing time, sharing Mommy time) so we'll just keep trekking through and giving her what she needs until we get through this stage. I always feel guilty when I complain about tantrums. I read so many blogs of people who have lost children and I feel incredibly blessed to have my girls. I love them both, we love them both so much. I just wish I could fix whatever is bothering either of them.

We went to Dr. Mommy Love (Our Ped) yesterday. I LOVE her. She is wonderful clinically and wonderful with Mommy's. During K's first week she called me from home, after hours, several times. She (and her wonderful nursing staff) also deals with all of my questions & calls without making me feel silly. K now weighs 9.04lbs and is 21 1/2 inches long! She is a growing girl (and she should be as much as she loves to eat). Dr. Mommy Love also checked on G since she had a very runny nose. She wasn't worried about it though.

Weekend Fun

G giving Cody a bath. She loved it...Cody not so much. Trying to put in K'shair bow. (Even though G won't wear a hair bow for more than 5 seconds)
Pretty Pink hair bow


Pretty in Pink


Gorgeous G!


Just some pictures from this past weekend!

17 Months Old!

Dear G~
Today you are 17 Months old! You are growing up so fast. It literally feels like you were just born yet I can't imagine or remember my life without you. You are amazing and fill our lives with laughter and love. You can be so silly at times, so sweet at others and are wonderful all the time. I never take you for granted. I've been reading a blog written by a Mother of another G, who was born on the exact same day/year as you, only she wasn't healthy and died a few days before her 1 year birthday. Reading that blog makes me appreciate you even more. Instead of being irritated when you have a tantrum or want me to hold you while I'm doing something, I'm thankful that you are here to have the tantrum or throw things on the floor. I picked you up while you were napping today. I didn't want to wake you up, but I wanted to hold and snuggle you. It was so nice. We lay on the couch together, just the 2 of us and napped for a bit. I didn't think about it at the time, but now I realize I was actually holding you on the exact moment of your 17 Month Birthday :)

17 Month Info:

• You weigh 20 pounds. You are tiny for your age and sometimes I worry about this :)
• You have not been eating a lot for Daddy and I. You eat plenty at Grammy & Grampy's house though.
• You wear a size 3 diaper.
• You wear 12 month clothing, with the occasional 18 month thrown in.
• You LOVE bracelets and they are everywhere--all over our car, all over our house, Daddy's office and Grammy & Grampy's house.
• You had your first hair cut 2 weeks ago.
• You LOVE getting your toe nails and finger nails painted. I think you are going to be a "Spa Girl" like Grammy is.
• You LOVE clothes & shoes You want to pick out your own outfit each day. Sometimes I let you and sometimes I give you a choice of 2.
• You pick out Mary Faith's outfit everyday. Sometimes I let you pick on your own and sometimes I give you a choice of 2.
• You LOVE cell phones. You play with Mommy's all the time. Old cell phones that don't work don't interest you. You want the real thing. (You also call people --usually Daddy, Grampy, Mamie & Puppa without my knowing)
• You can point to head, knee, toes, feet, hands, shoulder, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, teeth, tongue, belly and say some of these parts.
• You are saying a lot of words now. Your favorite word is "Sissy" or "Sister" You learned that word the day K came home.
• You are the BEST Big Sister I know :) You love to take care of sister and run to her when she cries. You love to climb into her bassinet and sit with her. You try to pick her up and hold her all by yourself (Daddy and I have to remind you that you need help)
• You have a "baby" doll that you love. Baby gets her diaper changed by you, her outfit changed, with help from you and has turns in the swing, bouncy seat, stroller and tummy time mat. You also bring Baby to me when she is hungry so she can nurse.
• You love Cody and he loves you. You pull his tail a lot and we have to remind you that tails are not for pulling and then you will give Cody love.
• You are still nursing and love it more than ever. So do I.

I love you more each day baby girl!