10/22/09
10/21/09
10/16/09 (right after Megan's first checkup at the dentist!)
10/16/09
10/9/09
10/6/09
9/10/09
10/9/09
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sisters
I love watching Megan interact with Brooke. She loves to give her kisses and hugs and make her smile. Brooke loves watching Megan play--it will be fun to watch her learn to join in someday.
10/22/09
10/21/09
10/16/09 (right after Megan's first checkup at the dentist!)
10/16/09
10/9/09
10/6/09
9/10/09
10/9/09
10/22/09
10/21/09
10/16/09 (right after Megan's first checkup at the dentist!)
10/16/09
10/9/09
10/6/09
9/10/09
10/9/09
September Highlights
The rest of September flew by! Brooke turned 2 months old and weighed in at 13 pounds even (what a chunker--90th percentile). Megan is part of a little music class on Tuesdays at our house and that's been a fun way to get to know people in the ward better (plus Megan loves singing and dancing with other silly girls). I'm on the enrichment committee and we had our Super Saturday on Sep. 19. It was a lot of fun and I ended up with a very cute FHE board. Other than that, we went to craft days at Granny's house (where my sister-in-law, mom, and I have lunch, chat, and occasionally work on a project), had playdates, and tried to stay cool in that last long stretch of heat.
Here's our little smiling Brooke on 9/9/9:
And our crazy dancing Megan (also on 9/9/9):
Cute, cute, 9/23/09
Dress-up Megan, 9/29/09
Brooke's first bottle, 9/24/09
Smiling, 9/24/09
Church girls and daddy, 9/20/09
Happy baby, 9/17/09
Pedicures!, 9/16/09
Brooke's first big tub bath with Megan, 9/14/09
What Megan does while I'm in the shower (aargh!), 9/14/09
My finished FHE Board
Here's our little smiling Brooke on 9/9/9:
And our crazy dancing Megan (also on 9/9/9):
Cute, cute, 9/23/09
Dress-up Megan, 9/29/09
Brooke's first bottle, 9/24/09
Smiling, 9/24/09
Church girls and daddy, 9/20/09
Happy baby, 9/17/09
Pedicures!, 9/16/09
Brooke's first big tub bath with Megan, 9/14/09
What Megan does while I'm in the shower (aargh!), 9/14/09
My finished FHE Board
Friday, October 02, 2009
Brooke's Blessing
Brooke was given a name and a blessing in church on September 6, 2009 by her Dad. Both Grandpas stood in the circle along with the Bishopric and her Uncle Shad. The blessing was beautiful and we are so grateful to have our sweet little Brooke in our family. It was a really nice, low-key Sunday. We loved being surrounded by family and friends. My Mom, sister (Carrie) and little brother (Tyler) joined Dan's parents and Grandma and our family for a little lunch after our meetings.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Grandma, Papa, and Grandma Great
Earlier in the month, we got to spend an entire week with Dan's parents and grandma. They arrived on September 2 and stayed through September 9. We felt like we were on vacation since Dan was able to take that Thursday and Friday off (and also had Monday off for Labor Day). We had so much fun chatting, relaxing, seeing some of the sights of Houston, watching them get reacquainted with Megan, and watching them meet our little Brooke. When we lived in Utah, we'd see them about once a month, but typically that was with all the grandkids running around and we were usually needing to leave pretty quickly after dinner. It was great to have them stay with us. We've realized that even though it's hard to be so far from Dan's family, it was nice to have his Mom and Dad all to ourselves while they were here.
Megan was a little wary at first, but SLOW-ly warmed up. The rest of us enjoyed some extra hugs from Megan while they were here (when she's nervous about new people, she's awfully cuddly with the people she knows). Also while they were here, Megan pretty much potty-trained herself. She's doing great in that area and rarely has accidents now.
Brooke (and I) absolutely enjoyed a week of being spoiled by 2 Grandmas and 1 Papa. They held and held and snuggled Brooke and she was blessed the Sunday they were here. Her little smile began emerging more frequently that week and it was so fun to watch her interact with Dan's family.
We enjoyed seeing Kemah, Galveston, HMNS, River Oaks (an old, ritzy area of Houston), Old Town Spring, and the Houston Temple AND enjoying food from Pappasito's and Goode Co. BBQ.
Kemah
Galveston Ferry
Museum of Natural Science
Rose Gardens
Goode Co. BBQ
Temple
Megan was a little wary at first, but SLOW-ly warmed up. The rest of us enjoyed some extra hugs from Megan while they were here (when she's nervous about new people, she's awfully cuddly with the people she knows). Also while they were here, Megan pretty much potty-trained herself. She's doing great in that area and rarely has accidents now.
Brooke (and I) absolutely enjoyed a week of being spoiled by 2 Grandmas and 1 Papa. They held and held and snuggled Brooke and she was blessed the Sunday they were here. Her little smile began emerging more frequently that week and it was so fun to watch her interact with Dan's family.
We enjoyed seeing Kemah, Galveston, HMNS, River Oaks (an old, ritzy area of Houston), Old Town Spring, and the Houston Temple AND enjoying food from Pappasito's and Goode Co. BBQ.
Kemah
Galveston Ferry
Museum of Natural Science
Rose Gardens
Goode Co. BBQ
Temple
Friday, September 11, 2009
Pigtails, revisited
Lately, we've tried pigtails again. And the consensus is that now they look much more like pigtails...and much less like antennae.
Our favorite way to make the bed
Can you see little Brooke in this shot? No?
There, that's easier.
Brooke still sleeps in the pack and play but for my benefit, it's been moved just outside our bedroom so I can hear her cry but I don't have to hear every little wiggle. Because of this, I usually let her take her morning nap on my bed (away from the curious hands of big sister). Since I try to get the bed made early too, this is how it's done most days :).
There, that's easier.
Brooke still sleeps in the pack and play but for my benefit, it's been moved just outside our bedroom so I can hear her cry but I don't have to hear every little wiggle. Because of this, I usually let her take her morning nap on my bed (away from the curious hands of big sister). Since I try to get the bed made early too, this is how it's done most days :).
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Lucky Me...
Some women are dripping with diamonds
Some women are dripping with pearls
Lucky me! Lucky me!
Look at what I'm dripping with
Little girls
:)
Well, since the last post, things have definitely been improving as a mommy of 2 kids. It's still busy and Megan can still get in one of "those" moods but we've all been settling in to this new routine. I'm not so stressed every time I have to venture out with both kids (but it DOES still take a good 15-20 minutes from the time I start heading out the door until we are actually on our way). We still have some trying moments, but most days are good overall. It's been weeks since I've called Dan in tears--or even cried at all--a sure sign that things are getting better.
What have we been doing these past 5 weeks then? Well...
I turned 25 on August 8. I told Dan that for my birthday I wanted to sleep in and eat out at Pappasito's. We did both! And it was a really nice day. Dan also got me the Harry Potter movies and we've enjoyed that as well. We had a nice little family party at my parents' house on August 16 in between their vacations and my Mom made angel food cake served with Blue Bell--mmm, mmm, good.
Megan watching Daddy mow the lawn on my b-day (he had just finished making me breakfast too--what a fantatic man I married)
Our little family of four at the b-day party
We also survived 6 days and 5 nights (but who was counting) with Dan in Florida for a business trip. No, the smoke alarm did NOT go off and we had a nice quiet week. I did better than I thought I would without my other half and spent my evening time getting caught up on cleaning that had been neglected since Brooke's birth. I also spent 2 nights at my Mom's house to help pass the days. My parents and Ty had been gone for the 3 weeks before Dan left and Brooke and Megan were in need of some Granny and Grandpa time!
Kate (one of my best friends growing up) came to meet Brooke and see our house while Dan was gone. Megan warmed up to her pretty quick and wanted Kate to read her book.
Also while Dan was gone, Brooke did a lot of this
and this
while Megan "helped" empty the dishwasher (or whatever other task I was doing).
Dan got home on Aug. 15. Megan, Brooke, and I spent the rest of August being little social butterflies with lots of playdates, lunches, and fun times with friends from the ward and neighborhood. I've discovered that having people over gives me the break from the norm that I need to stay sane without actually having to pack the kids up and go somewhere! Woo hoo.
August actually involved some rain in the afternoons (the typical summer weather pattern here) and Megan is a big fan of watching/splashing in it. Megan continues to amaze us with her exploding vocabulary and her energy. She's starting to string phrases together and when she finds one she likes, we get to hear it often--"beh-bee cah-ing" (baby crying) is a current favorite--whether baby is crying or not. She is a sweet big sister (most of the time) and loves to give hugs and kisses to Brooke. Brooke is the name mentioned most often in Megan's prayers. Megan's biggest milestones this month included using the potty for the first time on Aug. 27 and sleeping in a big girl bed for her morning nap on Aug. 31. (*note that neither of these are perfected habits yet, but it's a start. actually, the potty training has been super-easy and she's wearing panties for the first time today--sep. 11. It's 10 am and so far, so good.)
Brooke started smiling on August 18 and is just the cutest, happiest baby (unfortunately, our camera is slow and it's hard to capture those fleeting smiles just yet). She spits up a lot!! but judging from her expanding cheeks, it's not affecting her growth at all. She is a great sleeper with 2-3 long naps during the day and sleeping from 9 pm to 4 am most nights. She's starting to coo and LOVES it when we coo back at her. She doesn't even seem to mind the not-so-gentle love from her big sister.
Sorry about the lack of posting--it's not for lack of trying! It's just that every time I sat down to start, Megan would decide it was a good time to pull a chair to the sink and empty the dish soap all over the counter or strip down and pee on the tile or some other such toddler happening. The only reason I'm posting now is because both kids are asleep! I can't pick which pics I like best, so enjoy a slide show :)
Some women are dripping with pearls
Lucky me! Lucky me!
Look at what I'm dripping with
Little girls
:)
Well, since the last post, things have definitely been improving as a mommy of 2 kids. It's still busy and Megan can still get in one of "those" moods but we've all been settling in to this new routine. I'm not so stressed every time I have to venture out with both kids (but it DOES still take a good 15-20 minutes from the time I start heading out the door until we are actually on our way). We still have some trying moments, but most days are good overall. It's been weeks since I've called Dan in tears--or even cried at all--a sure sign that things are getting better.
What have we been doing these past 5 weeks then? Well...
I turned 25 on August 8. I told Dan that for my birthday I wanted to sleep in and eat out at Pappasito's. We did both! And it was a really nice day. Dan also got me the Harry Potter movies and we've enjoyed that as well. We had a nice little family party at my parents' house on August 16 in between their vacations and my Mom made angel food cake served with Blue Bell--mmm, mmm, good.
Megan watching Daddy mow the lawn on my b-day (he had just finished making me breakfast too--what a fantatic man I married)
Our little family of four at the b-day party
We also survived 6 days and 5 nights (but who was counting) with Dan in Florida for a business trip. No, the smoke alarm did NOT go off and we had a nice quiet week. I did better than I thought I would without my other half and spent my evening time getting caught up on cleaning that had been neglected since Brooke's birth. I also spent 2 nights at my Mom's house to help pass the days. My parents and Ty had been gone for the 3 weeks before Dan left and Brooke and Megan were in need of some Granny and Grandpa time!
Kate (one of my best friends growing up) came to meet Brooke and see our house while Dan was gone. Megan warmed up to her pretty quick and wanted Kate to read her book.
Also while Dan was gone, Brooke did a lot of this
and this
while Megan "helped" empty the dishwasher (or whatever other task I was doing).
Dan got home on Aug. 15. Megan, Brooke, and I spent the rest of August being little social butterflies with lots of playdates, lunches, and fun times with friends from the ward and neighborhood. I've discovered that having people over gives me the break from the norm that I need to stay sane without actually having to pack the kids up and go somewhere! Woo hoo.
August actually involved some rain in the afternoons (the typical summer weather pattern here) and Megan is a big fan of watching/splashing in it. Megan continues to amaze us with her exploding vocabulary and her energy. She's starting to string phrases together and when she finds one she likes, we get to hear it often--"beh-bee cah-ing" (baby crying) is a current favorite--whether baby is crying or not. She is a sweet big sister (most of the time) and loves to give hugs and kisses to Brooke. Brooke is the name mentioned most often in Megan's prayers. Megan's biggest milestones this month included using the potty for the first time on Aug. 27 and sleeping in a big girl bed for her morning nap on Aug. 31. (*note that neither of these are perfected habits yet, but it's a start. actually, the potty training has been super-easy and she's wearing panties for the first time today--sep. 11. It's 10 am and so far, so good.)
Brooke started smiling on August 18 and is just the cutest, happiest baby (unfortunately, our camera is slow and it's hard to capture those fleeting smiles just yet). She spits up a lot!! but judging from her expanding cheeks, it's not affecting her growth at all. She is a great sleeper with 2-3 long naps during the day and sleeping from 9 pm to 4 am most nights. She's starting to coo and LOVES it when we coo back at her. She doesn't even seem to mind the not-so-gentle love from her big sister.
Sorry about the lack of posting--it's not for lack of trying! It's just that every time I sat down to start, Megan would decide it was a good time to pull a chair to the sink and empty the dish soap all over the counter or strip down and pee on the tile or some other such toddler happening. The only reason I'm posting now is because both kids are asleep! I can't pick which pics I like best, so enjoy a slide show :)
Friday, August 07, 2009
Weeks 3 to 4
Other titles for this week could have included: "Pink Eye times 2!" or "Reality Sets In (and sometimes bites)" or even "I Love/Hate Eye Drops"...
We started the pink eye adventure last Thursday (July 30). Aunt Carrie came over to play and after lunch we realized Megan's eyes were looking goopier and goopier and pinker and pinker so we headed to the doctor (thanks Carrie for coming with us!). We got eye drops started and started washing our hands like crazy to protect Brooke. Unfortunately, she got goopy eyes on Saturday and also started drops. So that's 2 girls times 1 drop per eye 3 times a day--that equals 12 drops and at least 3 toddler tantrums.
Thus infected, we decided that this was NOT the Sunday to return to church. So we spent a quiet day at home. Dan and I read through a lesson together, we listened to the Mormon Channel online, and drove to the temple in the afternoon. Megan enjoyed walking around and pointing and saying "Ten-to". (and not looking at the camera)
Monday morning, Megan's eyes (which had looked better) started to look worse and by Tuesday were really bad again. So back to the dr we went and came home with a new super strong antibiotic which seems to be doing the trick. Brooke's eyes are fine on her first prescription so that's a relief (and Dan and I have avoided it too).
So, this week I've been getting out more. (grocery store, doctor's appt, pharmacy, michael's, hobby lobby, and the library) This has been good and bad. It's nice to get out of the house. But I'm also learning that it's nice to just be home sometimes too!
I've decided that adjusting from 1 to 2 has been a much more challenging adjustment for me than going from 0 to 1. Or maybe I just don't remember the challenges and in a year I will say this was no big deal either :). Let's just say I've been VERY ready for Dan to get home every day this week. And my daily prayers now include that I will be patient and soft-spoken (but not a pushover) with our sweet, head-strong 21 month old (who is still adorable by the way, just exasperating sometimes).
The low point of the week was getting Megan to leave the child-size chair in the computer area at the library so we could go home yesterday. We're talking a full on yelling, kicking, going-limp-so-you-can't-carry-her toddler tantrum that started at the computer area and continued in the entryway, 100 degree parking lot, and car. All of that was with the diaper bag, library book bag, and Brooke in her carseat on my "free" arm. Megan wouldn't even get in her carseat. After 5 minutes of her screaming on the floor of the car I bodily folded her into it and buckled it. She continued screaming for the next 10 minutes but was ok by the time we got home. I on the other hand had about had it and called in tears to tell Dan that the book we'd gone to pick up for him had better be the best book he'd ever read in his life because anything less than that was NOT worth it. For some reason, he decided that he could work from home today and even suggested I go out to lunch without the kids :). I can't imagine why.
This means that today has been the high point of the week! Even though Dan is working, it's just nice to have another body around when you're battling a toddler. And there have been very few battles today! Yay! We've had a lot of playing and dancing and singing and taking care of Brooke and Megan's dolls. And instead of going out to lunch while Dan took his lunch break, I went to WalMart all by myself and reveled in the joy that comes from parking and just walking in without maneuvering carseats and toddler shoes and a diaper bag. I could have been in and out in 10 minutes if I'd needed to, but instead I just meandered slowly and enjoyed the alone time. It was wonderful. And currently--both girls are asleep for the 2nd time today! I took a nap the first time and now I can blog! What a fantastic day.
By the way, Brooke is getting strong. She loves tummy time and can hold her head up for a long time! We can't believe she's almost 4 weeks old! She continues to be an easy going girl and a great sleeper. She only cries when she's hungry or poopy. We just love her.
Here's our photoshoot from after lunch (matching outfits courtesy of Stephanie). It starts out a little shaky.
Then we get some good ones.
They are just so cute.
And, obviously Megan's done and trying to shove Brooke off her lap (and the couch). Hence the blur as I quickly reach in and save Brooke.
This is the end of this long rant/post. I feel better already. Hopefully you enjoy the pictures if not the whining :)
We started the pink eye adventure last Thursday (July 30). Aunt Carrie came over to play and after lunch we realized Megan's eyes were looking goopier and goopier and pinker and pinker so we headed to the doctor (thanks Carrie for coming with us!). We got eye drops started and started washing our hands like crazy to protect Brooke. Unfortunately, she got goopy eyes on Saturday and also started drops. So that's 2 girls times 1 drop per eye 3 times a day--that equals 12 drops and at least 3 toddler tantrums.
Thus infected, we decided that this was NOT the Sunday to return to church. So we spent a quiet day at home. Dan and I read through a lesson together, we listened to the Mormon Channel online, and drove to the temple in the afternoon. Megan enjoyed walking around and pointing and saying "Ten-to". (and not looking at the camera)
Monday morning, Megan's eyes (which had looked better) started to look worse and by Tuesday were really bad again. So back to the dr we went and came home with a new super strong antibiotic which seems to be doing the trick. Brooke's eyes are fine on her first prescription so that's a relief (and Dan and I have avoided it too).
So, this week I've been getting out more. (grocery store, doctor's appt, pharmacy, michael's, hobby lobby, and the library) This has been good and bad. It's nice to get out of the house. But I'm also learning that it's nice to just be home sometimes too!
I've decided that adjusting from 1 to 2 has been a much more challenging adjustment for me than going from 0 to 1. Or maybe I just don't remember the challenges and in a year I will say this was no big deal either :). Let's just say I've been VERY ready for Dan to get home every day this week. And my daily prayers now include that I will be patient and soft-spoken (but not a pushover) with our sweet, head-strong 21 month old (who is still adorable by the way, just exasperating sometimes).
The low point of the week was getting Megan to leave the child-size chair in the computer area at the library so we could go home yesterday. We're talking a full on yelling, kicking, going-limp-so-you-can't-carry-her toddler tantrum that started at the computer area and continued in the entryway, 100 degree parking lot, and car. All of that was with the diaper bag, library book bag, and Brooke in her carseat on my "free" arm. Megan wouldn't even get in her carseat. After 5 minutes of her screaming on the floor of the car I bodily folded her into it and buckled it. She continued screaming for the next 10 minutes but was ok by the time we got home. I on the other hand had about had it and called in tears to tell Dan that the book we'd gone to pick up for him had better be the best book he'd ever read in his life because anything less than that was NOT worth it. For some reason, he decided that he could work from home today and even suggested I go out to lunch without the kids :). I can't imagine why.
This means that today has been the high point of the week! Even though Dan is working, it's just nice to have another body around when you're battling a toddler. And there have been very few battles today! Yay! We've had a lot of playing and dancing and singing and taking care of Brooke and Megan's dolls. And instead of going out to lunch while Dan took his lunch break, I went to WalMart all by myself and reveled in the joy that comes from parking and just walking in without maneuvering carseats and toddler shoes and a diaper bag. I could have been in and out in 10 minutes if I'd needed to, but instead I just meandered slowly and enjoyed the alone time. It was wonderful. And currently--both girls are asleep for the 2nd time today! I took a nap the first time and now I can blog! What a fantastic day.
By the way, Brooke is getting strong. She loves tummy time and can hold her head up for a long time! We can't believe she's almost 4 weeks old! She continues to be an easy going girl and a great sleeper. She only cries when she's hungry or poopy. We just love her.
Here's our photoshoot from after lunch (matching outfits courtesy of Stephanie). It starts out a little shaky.
Then we get some good ones.
They are just so cute.
And, obviously Megan's done and trying to shove Brooke off her lap (and the couch). Hence the blur as I quickly reach in and save Brooke.
This is the end of this long rant/post. I feel better already. Hopefully you enjoy the pictures if not the whining :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)