Our little Kathryn has decided that she must exceed all the bars that were set before her by her big sister. Our sleeping champ went to bed last night at 9:30 and woke at 12:45 to nurse. We expected her to nurse and fall right back to sleep - but no such luck. Our peanut seemed to fight sleep, and she cried and cried. Carissa has meticulously hidden the bottle of teething tablets, so I finally broke down at 2am to give our teething girly some Tylenol. We finally got some sleep. This morning after changing her diaper, I decided to rub those sore gums. Lo and behold - I felt a tiny little hard bump that was not there the night before! That's right! To celebrate her three month birthday Kathryn cut her very first tooth!
Carissa did not cut her first until she was 5 months old and had 8 teeth by 8 months old. I am so interested to see what else we have in store with our little overachiever. She seems to be hitting every milestone sooner than Carissa .... does that translate to a mobile child earlier? Hmm.... I don't know if I should be excited or worried. I do look forward to the day that Kathryn can prove to be a playmate for Carissa ... but then that just means double trouble!
Oh I just love my baby girls!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
From Shiny Sinks to Hot Spots and Room Rescues
I have taken a new a challenge that I am absolutely loving.
I am learning to FLY. No, I am not getting into any type of aircraft, and my feet will not be leaving the ground at least not any higher than I can jump! But I am learning the art of "Finally Loving Yourself" - thanks to the guidance of www.FLYlady.net (check it out if you haven't already!).
FLYLady is essentially a "self-help" website for getting rid of CHAOS - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. The principle behind this is to teach people how to create good habits and routines that lead to successful and manageable housekeeping - and really a way of life.
A few of my friends and I are working our way through the Beginner Baby Steps as we learn how to FLY. I actually ended up combining Days 1 & 2 so I could be on the same page as the other girls, but I don't feel I was cheated any. The first Baby Step I took was to shine my sink! In order to shine my sink, I needed to have my dishes put away. And then we make it part of our "Before Bedtime Routine" to always make sure your sink is shiny! For an entire week now, every night my sink has been shiny and my dishwasher is either running, or not full enough to run yet. It feels so great to walk in and see a clean kitchen and a shiny sink! And because of my goal of keeping it that way, I am more careful about cleaning as a I cook instead of letting things pile up until I am too tired to deal with it!
Day 2 was to get up and dress to lace ups - well, my lace ups lasted 2 days and I switched to flip flops (although I do plan on shopping for comfortable shoes that I don't mind wearing around the house). This was a big deal for me. When I was pregnant and since Kathryn has been born, I've been horrible about getting out of my pjs if I don't have anywhere to go. And taking a shower in the morning was crazy because once the girls were up, there was no chance for me to shower until they were in bed at night. My girls like to sleep in until 8-9am. And I always slept with them. Kathryn has started sleeping from 11-7ish, so she's started sleeping in her crib. Which means I have to get out of bed when she wakes to nurse at 6:30-7. I have started staying up then, and after she goes back to sleep for those extra couple of hours, I take my shower, get dressed, do my hair, and even put on a little bit of make up. Then I have time to unload my dishwasher, take care of pet needs, etc. By the time the girls wake up, I am ready to enjoy breakfast with them and start our day together. This is been amazing for me and really helped me be productive. It definitely makes me feel better about myself.
I think David thought I'd gone crazy when I first told him about my plans, but he has commented to me (and others) that our house has been the cleanest it's been in a while and I'm actually less stressed about it. I think it's even become contagious :)
Through our baby steps, we have moved on to work on Hot Spots! These are those areas that seem to just catch everything we don't have a place for. You know the ones I'm talking about. You walk in the door, and everything in your hands just get placed there. Or as your cleaning other areas, and you come across something you aren't sure where to put it, you put it here! FLYlady calls them Hot Spots because much like a hot spot in a forest could eventually turn into a forest fire, a Hot Spot in your house could eventually over take the whole room, making it all look bad. Our baby step task has been to spend 2 minutes (set the timer!) a couple times a day, and start putting out these Hot Spots. It took me 3 days of doing 2 min Hot Spot Drills 2/3 times a day, but I finally got "that" counter in the kitchen looking fantastic! I am so proud of the counter now! Now on to the other 20million Hot Spots in my house!
Today's task was to add a 5min Room Rescue to our routine. Basically, I was supposed to start with the worst room in the house (you know, the one I make my guests avoid!) and spend 5 min a day clearing it out so it will be presentable. So I thought about which room fits the bill. And then a light bulb went off. Our driveway is on the side of our house, which has the door to our laundry room (the one we frequently use). But the laundry room is usually a mess and has the cats' litter boxes in there ... so we have a sign on the door that says "Please use front door." Hmm .... I guess if we direct all of our company to trek through the grass to get to our front door because we don't want them going through our laundry room, that's probably the room I should start in! So I did! I now have a pretty floor that is all picked up, swept, and swiffered! Tomorrow I will tackle the top of the dryer!
I absolutely love how FLYlady breaks everything up into baby steps and small routines, so as to not overwhelm. My old method of cleaning was to clean as much as I could (and I am perfectionist so it took me FOREVER!). Once I FINALLY finished the cleaning, I was burnt out! So then I wouldn't clean anything for like a week. And by the time, I started doing stuff around the house again, I was so behind that I was just trying to get by.And when I get that behind, I become overwhelmed with how much I need to do, that I simply don't feel like doing anything. And I would physically shut down. Finding FLYlady has been amazing! My days feel longer (not because they "drag on" but because I feel like I am able to accomplish so much and still spend precious time with my family - time that is spent enjoying them and not being stressed about everything that needs done!), I feel more energetic, and I truly feel better about myself as a wife, mother, and person.
I know that this process takes time, but I have faith that one day I will be truly FLYing in such a way that all these principles overflow into every aspect of my life. I think through this process I will become a better person.
And on that note, Kathryn went to bed an hour and a half earlier than normal, so who knows what tonight holds ... and morning comes early! So I am off to bed! I will continue blogging on my FLYing Lessons. I challenge you all to join me! :)
I am learning to FLY. No, I am not getting into any type of aircraft, and my feet will not be leaving the ground at least not any higher than I can jump! But I am learning the art of "Finally Loving Yourself" - thanks to the guidance of www.FLYlady.net (check it out if you haven't already!).
FLYLady is essentially a "self-help" website for getting rid of CHAOS - Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. The principle behind this is to teach people how to create good habits and routines that lead to successful and manageable housekeeping - and really a way of life.
A few of my friends and I are working our way through the Beginner Baby Steps as we learn how to FLY. I actually ended up combining Days 1 & 2 so I could be on the same page as the other girls, but I don't feel I was cheated any. The first Baby Step I took was to shine my sink! In order to shine my sink, I needed to have my dishes put away. And then we make it part of our "Before Bedtime Routine" to always make sure your sink is shiny! For an entire week now, every night my sink has been shiny and my dishwasher is either running, or not full enough to run yet. It feels so great to walk in and see a clean kitchen and a shiny sink! And because of my goal of keeping it that way, I am more careful about cleaning as a I cook instead of letting things pile up until I am too tired to deal with it!
Day 2 was to get up and dress to lace ups - well, my lace ups lasted 2 days and I switched to flip flops (although I do plan on shopping for comfortable shoes that I don't mind wearing around the house). This was a big deal for me. When I was pregnant and since Kathryn has been born, I've been horrible about getting out of my pjs if I don't have anywhere to go. And taking a shower in the morning was crazy because once the girls were up, there was no chance for me to shower until they were in bed at night. My girls like to sleep in until 8-9am. And I always slept with them. Kathryn has started sleeping from 11-7ish, so she's started sleeping in her crib. Which means I have to get out of bed when she wakes to nurse at 6:30-7. I have started staying up then, and after she goes back to sleep for those extra couple of hours, I take my shower, get dressed, do my hair, and even put on a little bit of make up. Then I have time to unload my dishwasher, take care of pet needs, etc. By the time the girls wake up, I am ready to enjoy breakfast with them and start our day together. This is been amazing for me and really helped me be productive. It definitely makes me feel better about myself.
I think David thought I'd gone crazy when I first told him about my plans, but he has commented to me (and others) that our house has been the cleanest it's been in a while and I'm actually less stressed about it. I think it's even become contagious :)
Through our baby steps, we have moved on to work on Hot Spots! These are those areas that seem to just catch everything we don't have a place for. You know the ones I'm talking about. You walk in the door, and everything in your hands just get placed there. Or as your cleaning other areas, and you come across something you aren't sure where to put it, you put it here! FLYlady calls them Hot Spots because much like a hot spot in a forest could eventually turn into a forest fire, a Hot Spot in your house could eventually over take the whole room, making it all look bad. Our baby step task has been to spend 2 minutes (set the timer!) a couple times a day, and start putting out these Hot Spots. It took me 3 days of doing 2 min Hot Spot Drills 2/3 times a day, but I finally got "that" counter in the kitchen looking fantastic! I am so proud of the counter now! Now on to the other 20million Hot Spots in my house!
Today's task was to add a 5min Room Rescue to our routine. Basically, I was supposed to start with the worst room in the house (you know, the one I make my guests avoid!) and spend 5 min a day clearing it out so it will be presentable. So I thought about which room fits the bill. And then a light bulb went off. Our driveway is on the side of our house, which has the door to our laundry room (the one we frequently use). But the laundry room is usually a mess and has the cats' litter boxes in there ... so we have a sign on the door that says "Please use front door." Hmm .... I guess if we direct all of our company to trek through the grass to get to our front door because we don't want them going through our laundry room, that's probably the room I should start in! So I did! I now have a pretty floor that is all picked up, swept, and swiffered! Tomorrow I will tackle the top of the dryer!
I absolutely love how FLYlady breaks everything up into baby steps and small routines, so as to not overwhelm. My old method of cleaning was to clean as much as I could (and I am perfectionist so it took me FOREVER!). Once I FINALLY finished the cleaning, I was burnt out! So then I wouldn't clean anything for like a week. And by the time, I started doing stuff around the house again, I was so behind that I was just trying to get by.And when I get that behind, I become overwhelmed with how much I need to do, that I simply don't feel like doing anything. And I would physically shut down. Finding FLYlady has been amazing! My days feel longer (not because they "drag on" but because I feel like I am able to accomplish so much and still spend precious time with my family - time that is spent enjoying them and not being stressed about everything that needs done!), I feel more energetic, and I truly feel better about myself as a wife, mother, and person.
I know that this process takes time, but I have faith that one day I will be truly FLYing in such a way that all these principles overflow into every aspect of my life. I think through this process I will become a better person.
And on that note, Kathryn went to bed an hour and a half earlier than normal, so who knows what tonight holds ... and morning comes early! So I am off to bed! I will continue blogging on my FLYing Lessons. I challenge you all to join me! :)
September Already?!
Where has the time gone? I feel like every time I sign in to Blogger I am writing that! I always seem to have intentions to fervently blog, but again life happens and I don't make the time. As I am restructuring my daily routines around the teachings of The FLYlady, I plan to set aside a designated time each evening to blog - even if it is a short blog. I encourage my faithful followers to hold me to this! If you haven't seen a posting from me in a while - call me out! :) Everyone needs help staying on track every now and then.
So a brief catch up!
Tomorrow marks the completion of Kathryn's THIRD month with us! Really? Has it been that long? It sure has flown. I am finding that with two children, my months fly even quicker than they did with just one. I am definitely loving my life as Mommy of two. I could not ask for any more perfect daughters than the two little girls God has blessed me with.
Kathryn has mastered rolling from belly to back like a professional. In fact, she mastered this task a whole two months earlier than Carissa did. And as of today, our little busy body has succeeded in rolling from back to belly! (FOUR months earlier than Carissa!!) This new skill of hers still needs a little work - she is practicing rolling with enough momentum to get that arm out from underneath her. She has been successful 3 times after a little bit of work. I really think she is going to hit a lot of physical milestones earlier than Carissa - which is to be expected. After all, she is watching Big Sister show her all sorts of cool tricks!
Our little peanut is a talker for sure - much like the rest of our household! She loves to carry on conversations - and sometimes it doesn't matter if anyone is reciprocating. I love listening to her to get louder and louder, as if practicing this new found talent. And boy do I love her giggles! And her smiles are priceless. She is SUCH a happy baby! I have been so blessed to have two happy, well-adjusted little girls.
Miss Carissa is a hoot and a half! Can you believe she will be TWO in less than two weeks?!?! I feel like we just celebrated her first birthday, and now it's party time again! She is definitely exerting her two year old independence. She can be a handful at times, but she learns quickly from discipline (i.e. Time Out). She has started protesting, but after being consistent she finally sits in her chair, calms down, tells me "done," and gives me a hug. Those moments reassure me that it is working.
This little girlie is super smart! I know every parent says that about their child, but I am still going to brag on mine! :) She can say almost every word you ask her to say (within reason - she hasn't mastered "antidisestablishmentarianism" yet despite Daddy's prodding). And when I say she can "say the word," I don't mean she has a cute little way of saying them. She pronounces words almost dead on with some minor exceptions. She can say words like "Alligator" "grasshopper" and they sound perfect. She copies almost every word she hears! This girl even says "Disney Channel!" But not only does she just copy random words ... she makes 3-5 word sentences - filled with verbs, nouns, pronouns, articles, participles, etc! I told her one day that I needed to clean her room today. The next few days she went around saying "clean the room today."
She also has a wonderful memory! We went to Kentucky to visit some of my side of the family in the middle of August and when we got home that's all she could talk about. While we were there, she rode the tractor with her cousin Trey (and Great-Grandpa), and she saw cows, she went to her cousin Jaxon's house, and she saw Uncle Ricky. She STILL is talking about "Ride tractor ... Trey.... Fun ... see cow" ... "Jaxon's house" ... "Uncle Ricky" ... and she will get upset with me because she wants to ride the tractor with Trey or go to Jaxon's house. I have to explain to her that they are all in Kentucky (which used to be "Cowtucky" lol ... now it's "Kentucky").
We have started preschool homeschooling with her. Mostly I am just doing an introduction of things with her, and giving her some constructive projects to work on. I have always taught her through play, so now I have just created a "plan" about what my teaching goals are ... and we just see where the day leads us. We do a theme for each month (this month is Wild Animals - which will be followed up with a Zoo trip at the end of the month!! yay!), and each day we do a different letter, color, and number (1-10), and each week we learn about a new shape! She is loving the different craft projects, and learning about the different animals. She loves to try to count with us (her favorite is "count pasta"). And she is learning her ABCs! Right now her ABC's consist of ... "ABC ... HIJ .... QRST ... WXYZ" all in one breath. But it's a start! :) Her favorite colors right now are pink, purple, orange, and blue :) She has the different colored bowls, plates, silverware, and cups (Munchkin brand), so we ask her what color she wants and it's usually one of those choices.
I could go on and on, but I guess I should find a stopping point.
Hopefully you will be seeing a lot more from me!
So a brief catch up!
Tomorrow marks the completion of Kathryn's THIRD month with us! Really? Has it been that long? It sure has flown. I am finding that with two children, my months fly even quicker than they did with just one. I am definitely loving my life as Mommy of two. I could not ask for any more perfect daughters than the two little girls God has blessed me with.
Kathryn has mastered rolling from belly to back like a professional. In fact, she mastered this task a whole two months earlier than Carissa did. And as of today, our little busy body has succeeded in rolling from back to belly! (FOUR months earlier than Carissa!!) This new skill of hers still needs a little work - she is practicing rolling with enough momentum to get that arm out from underneath her. She has been successful 3 times after a little bit of work. I really think she is going to hit a lot of physical milestones earlier than Carissa - which is to be expected. After all, she is watching Big Sister show her all sorts of cool tricks!
Our little peanut is a talker for sure - much like the rest of our household! She loves to carry on conversations - and sometimes it doesn't matter if anyone is reciprocating. I love listening to her to get louder and louder, as if practicing this new found talent. And boy do I love her giggles! And her smiles are priceless. She is SUCH a happy baby! I have been so blessed to have two happy, well-adjusted little girls.
Miss Carissa is a hoot and a half! Can you believe she will be TWO in less than two weeks?!?! I feel like we just celebrated her first birthday, and now it's party time again! She is definitely exerting her two year old independence. She can be a handful at times, but she learns quickly from discipline (i.e. Time Out). She has started protesting, but after being consistent she finally sits in her chair, calms down, tells me "done," and gives me a hug. Those moments reassure me that it is working.
This little girlie is super smart! I know every parent says that about their child, but I am still going to brag on mine! :) She can say almost every word you ask her to say (within reason - she hasn't mastered "antidisestablishmentarianism" yet despite Daddy's prodding). And when I say she can "say the word," I don't mean she has a cute little way of saying them. She pronounces words almost dead on with some minor exceptions. She can say words like "Alligator" "grasshopper" and they sound perfect. She copies almost every word she hears! This girl even says "Disney Channel!" But not only does she just copy random words ... she makes 3-5 word sentences - filled with verbs, nouns, pronouns, articles, participles, etc! I told her one day that I needed to clean her room today. The next few days she went around saying "clean the room today."
She also has a wonderful memory! We went to Kentucky to visit some of my side of the family in the middle of August and when we got home that's all she could talk about. While we were there, she rode the tractor with her cousin Trey (and Great-Grandpa), and she saw cows, she went to her cousin Jaxon's house, and she saw Uncle Ricky. She STILL is talking about "Ride tractor ... Trey.... Fun ... see cow" ... "Jaxon's house" ... "Uncle Ricky" ... and she will get upset with me because she wants to ride the tractor with Trey or go to Jaxon's house. I have to explain to her that they are all in Kentucky (which used to be "Cowtucky" lol ... now it's "Kentucky").
We have started preschool homeschooling with her. Mostly I am just doing an introduction of things with her, and giving her some constructive projects to work on. I have always taught her through play, so now I have just created a "plan" about what my teaching goals are ... and we just see where the day leads us. We do a theme for each month (this month is Wild Animals - which will be followed up with a Zoo trip at the end of the month!! yay!), and each day we do a different letter, color, and number (1-10), and each week we learn about a new shape! She is loving the different craft projects, and learning about the different animals. She loves to try to count with us (her favorite is "count pasta"). And she is learning her ABCs! Right now her ABC's consist of ... "ABC ... HIJ .... QRST ... WXYZ" all in one breath. But it's a start! :) Her favorite colors right now are pink, purple, orange, and blue :) She has the different colored bowls, plates, silverware, and cups (Munchkin brand), so we ask her what color she wants and it's usually one of those choices.
I could go on and on, but I guess I should find a stopping point.
Hopefully you will be seeing a lot more from me!
Monday, July 12, 2010
~ Fireworks, Family, and Potty Training ~
What a week it has been!
Last Sunday was Independence Day.
We decided to take the girls down to Benson to see the fireworks there. We had never been to the ones in Benson, so we weren't sure what to expect. We drove the 30 min there, during which Carissa fell asleep. As we were driving into town, we saw people along side the road to watch the fireworks. We then saw a big field that had people parking in it. So we pulled in there and went to the back part and found lots of parking. So we parked and waited for the fireworks to begin. Carissa woke right before they started. We set up our blanket and got ready to watch the fireworks. We had an awesome location. They were directly in front of us and at times almost seemed above us. Because Carissa had just woken up, the noise seemed to scare her at first. She clung to us at first but watched them the entire time. After a while she seemed to warm up to them, and loosened her grip. She even started to point to them and show to them to "Daddy" and "Kafryn." By the very end, she had turned around and sat in my lap and was fascinated with them ... just as the finale started. After they finished, she said "more." She soon moved her attentions to the fact that a train happened to be going by as we were getting back in the car. I sat her on the roof of the car so she could see the train as it went by. It is so fun to take my girls to the little pleasures in life that I enjoyed so much as a child. I am thoroughly looking forward to next year when both of them will be able to enjoy them better than they did this year! Each year just keeps getting better and better!
Also on Sunday afternoon, Carissa was surprised with the delivery of her very own house (that she will someday share with her sister)!!
GiGi and Papa found this house on sale through Ebay. The people selling it lived near us, so instead of having it shipped they delivered it to us after church.
Carissa LOVES this house. She asks to play in her house every day. She opens and closes the doors and windows. Walks in and out of it. And even insists that Mommy "get in there." Of course, as soon as I go squeeze in the house ... she leaves and shuts me in. What's up with that?
I wish we had some shade in our yard though. Morning time is really the only time feasible to take her outside for long periods of time. The sun rises behind our house, so we do have shade until about 10:30am. After that, it gets HOT. Even if I take her outside for a short while during the afternoon, her slide and toys are too hot for her to even touch.
I have been trying to make sure she at least gets to go out in the mornings while it is still shaded enough and cool enough for me to take Kathryn out and sit with her while Carissa plays.
Last Monday, after some play time in the front yard, Carissa wanted to go "walking" (I love how she has started adding "-ing" to all of her verbs!). We left Daddy and Kathryn at the house, and Carissa and I walked around the block. As we walked she named the birds and the cars as she heard them. We talked about the birds in the trees. We discussed the color of the trees, the grass, and the sky. She even remembered that on a previous walk we had seen a cat on someone's porch. She kept saying that the "cat" was "sleeping" and needed a "blankey." If she didn't see where something was, she would say that it was hiding. (She would ask for Daddy and Kathryn, and when I said "Where are they?" she would say "hiding." She loves to play hide and seek, so "hiding" has been her new response when she doesn't know where something is.) We completely enjoyed our nature walk! She even picked a blade of grass to bring to Daddy.
Shortly after our walk, GiGi came to visit for the day. Carissa just loves her GiGi! Of course she had to show off her new house so GiGi could take lots of pictures :)
We went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and ordered Carissa a mini taco salad off the kids menu. She wasn't fond of the sour cream, but she LOVED the "matoes". In fact she got upset when she ate all the ones in her salad, so the waiter brought her a little bowl of tomatoes.
Wednesday thru Friday Mema and Uncle Dan came to visit. Mema is MY Great-Grandmother ... which makes her the girls' Great-Great Grandmother. Not many little girls can say they visited with their Great-Great-Grandmother. The extra special thing about this visit is that Kathryn is actually named after Mema. (Mema's name is Elena - Kathryn's middle name :-D) AND Kathryn was also born on Mema and my Papaw's Wedding anniversary (Papaw passed away when I was a baby). So overall it was a very special visit. (Will add pic when I get one.)
The last time Mema was here was for Carissa's first birthday, so she didn't remember her. But in no time, Carissa warmed up to her and just LOVED her "Me-naw." Uncle Dan was just up recently with my Grandpa so Carissa remembered him. The girls both got new clothes (they really aren't spoiled haha). It was super great that they could spend time with the girls. Carissa just loves when family comes over. She gets really attached to people (mostly people who spend extended time at our house). It is so sweet to see her excited to see them, and to always look for them. But it breaks my heart when she realizes that they are gone. She gets this sad look and says "[their name] ... home?" Hopefully they will be able to make the trip back up here for Carissa's birthday in September!
This week has also been another milestone in Carissa's life .... we officially started serious potty training! She's had her little potty since December and has even used it a couple times. But she just never was ready, so we put it off until after Kathryn was born. Lately she has started saying "potty" - as she was going in her diaper. So I decided to jump on board with actively training her. We decided to use the "naked method." We let her run around the house without any pants on. The first day she just peed and got upset, and we'd rush her to her potty. Only once did she pee in her potty that day. Day 2 she would start to go, get upset when it ran down her leg, so she'd stop going and finish once I got her on her potty. Day 3 and 4 she started holding her pee. She would act uncomfortable or start dancing around, and would go in her potty when I encouraged her to sit on it. Day 5 she started saying "potty" in addition to her dances. Once she even ran to her potty saying "potty" all on her own and peed. Day 6 we decided to try panties ... but she just peed in them. So Day 7 - today - I decided to let her master the naked method a little better before embarking on adding panties full time. She had no accidents!! Said "potty" if she had to go (or sometimes she says "ducky one" - because we have a little seat that sets on top of our big toilet that has ducks on it ... and she likes to use that one occasionally). Most of the time we still have to help her get to her potty quick enough when she tells us she has to go, but she has had a number of occasions today that she just sits down and pees without prompting! It is so cute to see her walk over, sit down, and say "yay! .... flush it." AND we have now had 3 consecutive days where she says "potty" and sits down and actually POOPS on her potty! Yay!! It took us 4 days of starting to poop on floor before she did ... but now she's got it figured out!!
I just can't believe she is doing so well with potty training! I was really not looking forward to potty training, but I knew it was something we needed to do (esp if we didn't want 2 in diapers forever). I am so glad that we waited until she was ready though. I am extremely proud of her! She is such a big girl! Our next tasks will be to work on transitioning to panties ... and of course, public potty use! ... Honestly not looking forward to taking her out in panties lol. But pull-ups are too much like a diaper for her, so once we go to panties I don't want to backtrack.
As much as she is growing up though, she is still my baby girl who loves cuddling with her mommy. She has recently started coming up to me frequently through the day and saying "hold you" (She means "hold me" but she doesn't distinguish between "you" and "me" yet. She has heard me ask her "Do you want me to hold you?" so she says "hold you.") I just love it because it's no longer putting her arms up, or saying "up" ... She is telling me she wants to be held. It is so sweet. She has also started coming up to me while I am sitting and saying "lap." She just wants to be close to me, and it melts my heart. I am so glad that I am able to give love to both of my girls, and even though she loves to be close to me ... she is not jealous at all. In fact, if I am holding Kathryn, she wants to be the one to hold her. She is always saying "hold her."
Of course, another word that is popular in her vocabulary is "later" (although sounds like "laay-terrrrr"). If she asks to hold Katy while I am nursing, I have to tell her "later" ... so she repeats it. Other things are asking for a cookie, and I say "after dinner" so she says "later." She also gets a gummy vitamin once a day - that she asks for by name ("bite-a-min"). So if she's already had one and she asks for it again, we tell her "tomorrow" and she says, "later." Any time I tell her "in a minute" she knows that means "later" as well. She is just so smart!
She is starting to learn shapes and colors now! She pretty consistently knows "triangle" (and yes she says the word properly!!), "square" "star" and "circle" (all said with NC accent). She loves the color "purple" ... and is learning "pink" and "blue" quite well. Of course everything that is "blue" she calls "blue one" because we gave her a choice between balls and she chose the "blue one."
We're trying to work on counting. Right now, she likes to "count count count" by saying "one, one, one." Every now and then she says "one, two, one."
She just blows me away every day!
I can't believe we will be having her second birthday soon! Although, I think she's beyond a 2 year old developmentally.
I just love her so much!
Last Sunday was Independence Day.
We decided to take the girls down to Benson to see the fireworks there. We had never been to the ones in Benson, so we weren't sure what to expect. We drove the 30 min there, during which Carissa fell asleep. As we were driving into town, we saw people along side the road to watch the fireworks. We then saw a big field that had people parking in it. So we pulled in there and went to the back part and found lots of parking. So we parked and waited for the fireworks to begin. Carissa woke right before they started. We set up our blanket and got ready to watch the fireworks. We had an awesome location. They were directly in front of us and at times almost seemed above us. Because Carissa had just woken up, the noise seemed to scare her at first. She clung to us at first but watched them the entire time. After a while she seemed to warm up to them, and loosened her grip. She even started to point to them and show to them to "Daddy" and "Kafryn." By the very end, she had turned around and sat in my lap and was fascinated with them ... just as the finale started. After they finished, she said "more." She soon moved her attentions to the fact that a train happened to be going by as we were getting back in the car. I sat her on the roof of the car so she could see the train as it went by. It is so fun to take my girls to the little pleasures in life that I enjoyed so much as a child. I am thoroughly looking forward to next year when both of them will be able to enjoy them better than they did this year! Each year just keeps getting better and better!
Also on Sunday afternoon, Carissa was surprised with the delivery of her very own house (that she will someday share with her sister)!!
GiGi and Papa found this house on sale through Ebay. The people selling it lived near us, so instead of having it shipped they delivered it to us after church.Carissa LOVES this house. She asks to play in her house every day. She opens and closes the doors and windows. Walks in and out of it. And even insists that Mommy "get in there." Of course, as soon as I go squeeze in the house ... she leaves and shuts me in. What's up with that?
I wish we had some shade in our yard though. Morning time is really the only time feasible to take her outside for long periods of time. The sun rises behind our house, so we do have shade until about 10:30am. After that, it gets HOT. Even if I take her outside for a short while during the afternoon, her slide and toys are too hot for her to even touch.
I have been trying to make sure she at least gets to go out in the mornings while it is still shaded enough and cool enough for me to take Kathryn out and sit with her while Carissa plays.
Last Monday, after some play time in the front yard, Carissa wanted to go "walking" (I love how she has started adding "-ing" to all of her verbs!). We left Daddy and Kathryn at the house, and Carissa and I walked around the block. As we walked she named the birds and the cars as she heard them. We talked about the birds in the trees. We discussed the color of the trees, the grass, and the sky. She even remembered that on a previous walk we had seen a cat on someone's porch. She kept saying that the "cat" was "sleeping" and needed a "blankey." If she didn't see where something was, she would say that it was hiding. (She would ask for Daddy and Kathryn, and when I said "Where are they?" she would say "hiding." She loves to play hide and seek, so "hiding" has been her new response when she doesn't know where something is.) We completely enjoyed our nature walk! She even picked a blade of grass to bring to Daddy.
Shortly after our walk, GiGi came to visit for the day. Carissa just loves her GiGi! Of course she had to show off her new house so GiGi could take lots of pictures :)
We went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and ordered Carissa a mini taco salad off the kids menu. She wasn't fond of the sour cream, but she LOVED the "matoes". In fact she got upset when she ate all the ones in her salad, so the waiter brought her a little bowl of tomatoes.
Wednesday thru Friday Mema and Uncle Dan came to visit. Mema is MY Great-Grandmother ... which makes her the girls' Great-Great Grandmother. Not many little girls can say they visited with their Great-Great-Grandmother. The extra special thing about this visit is that Kathryn is actually named after Mema. (Mema's name is Elena - Kathryn's middle name :-D) AND Kathryn was also born on Mema and my Papaw's Wedding anniversary (Papaw passed away when I was a baby). So overall it was a very special visit. (Will add pic when I get one.)
The last time Mema was here was for Carissa's first birthday, so she didn't remember her. But in no time, Carissa warmed up to her and just LOVED her "Me-naw." Uncle Dan was just up recently with my Grandpa so Carissa remembered him. The girls both got new clothes (they really aren't spoiled haha). It was super great that they could spend time with the girls. Carissa just loves when family comes over. She gets really attached to people (mostly people who spend extended time at our house). It is so sweet to see her excited to see them, and to always look for them. But it breaks my heart when she realizes that they are gone. She gets this sad look and says "[their name] ... home?" Hopefully they will be able to make the trip back up here for Carissa's birthday in September!
This week has also been another milestone in Carissa's life .... we officially started serious potty training! She's had her little potty since December and has even used it a couple times. But she just never was ready, so we put it off until after Kathryn was born. Lately she has started saying "potty" - as she was going in her diaper. So I decided to jump on board with actively training her. We decided to use the "naked method." We let her run around the house without any pants on. The first day she just peed and got upset, and we'd rush her to her potty. Only once did she pee in her potty that day. Day 2 she would start to go, get upset when it ran down her leg, so she'd stop going and finish once I got her on her potty. Day 3 and 4 she started holding her pee. She would act uncomfortable or start dancing around, and would go in her potty when I encouraged her to sit on it. Day 5 she started saying "potty" in addition to her dances. Once she even ran to her potty saying "potty" all on her own and peed. Day 6 we decided to try panties ... but she just peed in them. So Day 7 - today - I decided to let her master the naked method a little better before embarking on adding panties full time. She had no accidents!! Said "potty" if she had to go (or sometimes she says "ducky one" - because we have a little seat that sets on top of our big toilet that has ducks on it ... and she likes to use that one occasionally). Most of the time we still have to help her get to her potty quick enough when she tells us she has to go, but she has had a number of occasions today that she just sits down and pees without prompting! It is so cute to see her walk over, sit down, and say "yay! .... flush it." AND we have now had 3 consecutive days where she says "potty" and sits down and actually POOPS on her potty! Yay!! It took us 4 days of starting to poop on floor before she did ... but now she's got it figured out!!I just can't believe she is doing so well with potty training! I was really not looking forward to potty training, but I knew it was something we needed to do (esp if we didn't want 2 in diapers forever). I am so glad that we waited until she was ready though. I am extremely proud of her! She is such a big girl! Our next tasks will be to work on transitioning to panties ... and of course, public potty use! ... Honestly not looking forward to taking her out in panties lol. But pull-ups are too much like a diaper for her, so once we go to panties I don't want to backtrack.
As much as she is growing up though, she is still my baby girl who loves cuddling with her mommy. She has recently started coming up to me frequently through the day and saying "hold you" (She means "hold me" but she doesn't distinguish between "you" and "me" yet. She has heard me ask her "Do you want me to hold you?" so she says "hold you.") I just love it because it's no longer putting her arms up, or saying "up" ... She is telling me she wants to be held. It is so sweet. She has also started coming up to me while I am sitting and saying "lap." She just wants to be close to me, and it melts my heart. I am so glad that I am able to give love to both of my girls, and even though she loves to be close to me ... she is not jealous at all. In fact, if I am holding Kathryn, she wants to be the one to hold her. She is always saying "hold her."
Of course, another word that is popular in her vocabulary is "later" (although sounds like "laay-terrrrr"). If she asks to hold Katy while I am nursing, I have to tell her "later" ... so she repeats it. Other things are asking for a cookie, and I say "after dinner" so she says "later." She also gets a gummy vitamin once a day - that she asks for by name ("bite-a-min"). So if she's already had one and she asks for it again, we tell her "tomorrow" and she says, "later." Any time I tell her "in a minute" she knows that means "later" as well. She is just so smart!
She is starting to learn shapes and colors now! She pretty consistently knows "triangle" (and yes she says the word properly!!), "square" "star" and "circle" (all said with NC accent). She loves the color "purple" ... and is learning "pink" and "blue" quite well. Of course everything that is "blue" she calls "blue one" because we gave her a choice between balls and she chose the "blue one."
We're trying to work on counting. Right now, she likes to "count count count" by saying "one, one, one." Every now and then she says "one, two, one."
She just blows me away every day!
I can't believe we will be having her second birthday soon! Although, I think she's beyond a 2 year old developmentally.
I just love her so much!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Getting out ...
Carissa has developed a love for going "bye bye." Doesn't really matter where we go, she just likes getting out of the house - but hey, who can blame her. The poor girl has been cooped up this week, so we decided to get out of the house this morning. Last night she had been asking me to go "walking," so I told her we'd go today. I had some coupons for Target's new grocery department that expired today, so we decided to make a family trip to Target. After Carissa was dressed, I took her outside to play while David took his shower. Wow, the weather was beautiful this morning - a wonderful 70 degrees!! Kathryn and I sat in the rocking chair on the porch while Carissa drove her car, played on her slide, and kicked her soccer ball. It was rather peaceful sitting there, watching her play, Kathryn sleeping on my chest, and hearing the sounds of birds and bugs in the stillness of the morning. Makes me appreciate living outside of the big city.
We loaded up and headed to Target for our "big outing" haha.
Because we promised Carissa a "walking" trip, she got to walk the store instead of riding in the cart. She tried to "push" the stroller, but was a tad too short to reach comfortably. It was cute watching her try to stand on her toes to reach the top of the stroller. She gave up on that task rather quickly.
Of course we had to make a trip down the toy section ... and Carissa found the balls! Now, she didn't just find any ball. She found the balls that are supposed to bounce super high and she had balls bouncing all over. It was amusing watching Daddy play "goalie" to keep the balls from going all over the store. And the softies that we are just had to buy Carissa one of these super bouncy balls. She chose the "blue one" and had to show everyone she passed her "blue one."
We started down the grocery section and happened to pass the section with the cooler doors. Well, our brilliant child remembered going with me to Dairy Queen on Father's Day to by David a cake (which Carissa called his "Birthday" cake). So as we happened to pass the alcohol she started pointing to the coolers saying "Birthday" .... hmm. lol What can I say ... she got a "birthday" from a cooler just like that before. :)
I had a coupon for some grapes, so we headed to the produce. Right under the grapes were some apples ... and our darling just loves "apples", so we obliged. There were a couple guys who worked there standing in front of that section as we were leaving, so Carissa doubled back to show these guys the "apple" and her "blue one." I think she's a little too young to be talking to random guys ... little flirt. There is always an adventure when we take Carissa somewhere. I guess it's a good thing she's so cute, most people just smile at her.
And the whole time we were on our outing, Kathryn slept. :) She opened her eyes a little to check out where we were when we first arrived, but then decided it wasn't worth staying awake - smart girl. :) I wish I could sleep in a stroller while someone pushed me around the store haha.
It was nice getting out of the house as a whole family. The rest of the day consists of playing at home! :) Right now, the girls are both napping while I get in some relaxation and blogging.
Forgive me if my blog entries seem monotonous to you. My plan is to try and write a little something each day to journal about a peek into our daily life. Mostly I want to write about the cute things the girls do so I can look back on them as a way to remember the little things they do. They grow so quickly that I want to hold onto the special little things. And everyday, they seem to do something worth remembering :)
We loaded up and headed to Target for our "big outing" haha.
Because we promised Carissa a "walking" trip, she got to walk the store instead of riding in the cart. She tried to "push" the stroller, but was a tad too short to reach comfortably. It was cute watching her try to stand on her toes to reach the top of the stroller. She gave up on that task rather quickly.
Of course we had to make a trip down the toy section ... and Carissa found the balls! Now, she didn't just find any ball. She found the balls that are supposed to bounce super high and she had balls bouncing all over. It was amusing watching Daddy play "goalie" to keep the balls from going all over the store. And the softies that we are just had to buy Carissa one of these super bouncy balls. She chose the "blue one" and had to show everyone she passed her "blue one."
We started down the grocery section and happened to pass the section with the cooler doors. Well, our brilliant child remembered going with me to Dairy Queen on Father's Day to by David a cake (which Carissa called his "Birthday" cake). So as we happened to pass the alcohol she started pointing to the coolers saying "Birthday" .... hmm. lol What can I say ... she got a "birthday" from a cooler just like that before. :)
I had a coupon for some grapes, so we headed to the produce. Right under the grapes were some apples ... and our darling just loves "apples", so we obliged. There were a couple guys who worked there standing in front of that section as we were leaving, so Carissa doubled back to show these guys the "apple" and her "blue one." I think she's a little too young to be talking to random guys ... little flirt. There is always an adventure when we take Carissa somewhere. I guess it's a good thing she's so cute, most people just smile at her.
And the whole time we were on our outing, Kathryn slept. :) She opened her eyes a little to check out where we were when we first arrived, but then decided it wasn't worth staying awake - smart girl. :) I wish I could sleep in a stroller while someone pushed me around the store haha.
It was nice getting out of the house as a whole family. The rest of the day consists of playing at home! :) Right now, the girls are both napping while I get in some relaxation and blogging.
Forgive me if my blog entries seem monotonous to you. My plan is to try and write a little something each day to journal about a peek into our daily life. Mostly I want to write about the cute things the girls do so I can look back on them as a way to remember the little things they do. They grow so quickly that I want to hold onto the special little things. And everyday, they seem to do something worth remembering :)
Friday, July 2, 2010
20 "Mommy Loves"
In no special order, here are 20 things I love about being a Mom.
1. I love being called "Mommy."
2. I love being able to meet my girls' needs.
3. I love nursing!
4. I love the sweet smell of a breastfed baby's poop.
5. I love having a sleeping baby on my chest.
6. I love cuddling on the couch, eating popcorn, and watching a movie with Carissa.
7. I love hearing the sweet cry of a newborn.
8. I love watching Carissa give lovins to her baby sister.
9. I love cuddling with my hubby while our girls are fast asleep.
10. I love the quiet feedings in the middle of the night.
11. I love the smell of freshly bathed little ones.
12. I love how Carissa has to pray for everything little thing before we can eat our food.
13. I love watching my girls sleep.
14. I love watching Carissa's nurturing side develop with her baby dolls.
15. I love taking naps with my girls.
16. I love how my kisses can make Carissa's "boo-boo" all better.
17. I love having "conversations" with both my girls.
18. I love talking through everything I am doing so my girls learn words.
19. I love singing all the fun kid songs because it makes Carissa giggle.
20. I love bragging about my family.
1. I love being called "Mommy."
2. I love being able to meet my girls' needs.
3. I love nursing!
4. I love the sweet smell of a breastfed baby's poop.
5. I love having a sleeping baby on my chest.
6. I love cuddling on the couch, eating popcorn, and watching a movie with Carissa.
7. I love hearing the sweet cry of a newborn.
8. I love watching Carissa give lovins to her baby sister.
9. I love cuddling with my hubby while our girls are fast asleep.
10. I love the quiet feedings in the middle of the night.
11. I love the smell of freshly bathed little ones.
12. I love how Carissa has to pray for everything little thing before we can eat our food.
13. I love watching my girls sleep.
14. I love watching Carissa's nurturing side develop with her baby dolls.
15. I love taking naps with my girls.
16. I love how my kisses can make Carissa's "boo-boo" all better.
17. I love having "conversations" with both my girls.
18. I love talking through everything I am doing so my girls learn words.
19. I love singing all the fun kid songs because it makes Carissa giggle.
20. I love bragging about my family.
*What Love Is*
Three weeks and 2 days ago, I became a mother to two. I knew in my heart that I would have no problems loving each child equally, but actually experiencing that type of love was something I had never done. I wish I could explain how it feels, but I am at a loss for words. All I can say is that my heart feels as if it has grown to an overwhelming size, and when I think about my little girls I want to cry happy tears. I am so madly in love with two little girls who are complete individuals, and I am so in love with their daddy. I have the most wonderful life and I could not be any happier.
I definitely feel that bringing Kathryn home was an easier adjustment than bringing Carissa home. I feel like I have a good handle on keeping up on my housework (while I will admit that it is not perfect, it is kept up and presentable), and I feel I am able to give my girls the attention they need from Mommy. Surprisingly enough, I feel very balanced and adjusted for 3 weeks postpartum.
I am amazed everyday with how quickly my girls are growing up.
*Carissa blows me away daily with her profoundly accurate vocabulary, her thoughtful sentences, her developing manners, and her love for her family - especially her little sister. I just love how when she wants something she says "Puhhhleease" .. ie. When she wants to hold Kathryn, "Hold her ... puuhhleeeeeease." She definitely has a NC accent, and draws her words out with extra syllables! Love it! It also melts my heart to hear her say "Bless you" when someone sneezes or coughs (including herself), and if we say "bless you" she says "Nank you .... welcome." And of course, it is adorable hearing her say "scuse you" when someone burps or toots. I really don't think there is anything this child cannot say! She is definitely one smart cookie. Our next big task will be potty training!! I do believe she is ready to start getting serious about it! Wish us luck - it would be nice to only have one in diapers :)
*Kathryn is one great nurser and is growing like a weed. I already feel like she has gotten so much bigger since we brought her home (I believe she is closing in on being 2lbs over her birth weight). She is so strong and can already hold her head up quite nicely, and likes to push herself with her legs. If we lay her on her belly, she scoots herself up some. And if we lay her on her back, she rolls herself up onto her side - it looked like she was almost gonna roll all the way over yesterday. It is neat to see her already developing her own schedule. She nurses about every 2-3hours. After nursing during the day she generally stays awake and plays with us for about 45min-an hour. Then she will nap for about 1-2 hours before waking to start all over again. At night, she generally goes down for the night around 10:30-11, then sleeps three hours, nurses and goes right back to sleep then repeat until around 8-9am. Last night she actually slept 4 hours between 11-3! Her routines seem to be following what Carissa did. And they even take a nap together in the afternoons. (Kathryn takes shorter naps through the day with 1 longer nap - which I got lucky enough that it is at the same time Carissa takes hers ... although lately Carissa has been cutting her nap shorter than usual!) Kathryn has also started "talking" to us. I just love her little "Oohs" and "Ahhs" ... and lately, when we talk to her, she talks back with an accompanied smile! :O) Oh I could just melt seeing her smile and talk when I talk to her.
Being a mom has definitely turned this lady into a big sap! Everything they do seems to bring tears to my eyes! And they definitely make me beam with pride! I am so proud to call them my daughters. And I also am so proud of the man I married. God could not have blessed me with a more perfect man to be my husband and these little girls' daddy. Just seeing the love in his eyes that he has for them makes me fall in love all over again. My heart smiles big seeing him play with Carissa ... one of their favorite games lately is hide and seek! And he lays on the floor with her and she "flies" on his feet/legs or he gets on his hands/knees and she "rides" on his back. I love hearing her just full out giggle when they are playing. It is also very sweet to see Kathryn and Daddy cuddle time! :) Oh my I am so in love!
Being a mom is definitely what I was created to be. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created me and my family.
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