Mother's Day 2013

 

Nothing like trying to remember a specific day just under a month ago!

Well, most importantly, what I remember from this Mother's Day is that it was quite a nice day!  While it was certainly chilly, it was sunny, and a day that includes sleeping in, special cards from the girls, plus a nap in the afternoon has to be pretty wonderful overall!

Being a mom to two little girls has been a pretty awesome experience, and Mother's Day is a great opportunity to set aside the trivial and reflect on that very fact.  I couldn't be more thankful for our sweet Olivia and Grace, our new little baby on the way, the moms who have helped us become who we are, and all the moms who have served as constant and continuous guides as we embark on the adventure of parenthood.

And...since the very last picture of this post is of me with a little baby bump making it's appearance, I thought I'd give a brief update on how I was feeling at this point.  Mostly, I was feeling very thankful to be feeling better!  Just like with the girls, the first trimester brought some definite nausea.  Weeks 7-12 were a bit of a struggle because I was hungry but didn't feel well, so nothing looked good which made me hungrier which made me feel even worse.  Pretty typical pregnancy stuff overall, I think.  I was lucky not to be too troubled by this during the morning/work-day, but evenings were difficult, and I was glad Brian was able to take over dinner-making duties and get the girls out of the house to give me some quiet time when I was needing it.  First trimester bedtime for me was about 8:30-9, and I could seem to get enough sleep or drink enough water!  We had our first appointment at 10 weeks and heard the baby's heartbeat at 160.  At my next appointment in later May, it was pretty cool to notice how much easier it was to hear the heartbeat because of the growing babe - this time the heartbeat was at 150.   No gut instinct yet on whether it's a boy or a girl...ultrasound date is set for June 24th!

Over the weeks/months, the girls have been pretty fascinated with my growing belly, and Olivia especially likes to know how big the baby is getting - I have a website that I look at that compares the baby's size to food (like a lemon, for example); it provides a nice visual for the girls.  This week, I told Liv that the baby was as long as my hand, and she thought that was really neat.  I had to laugh too when the mom who gave Olivia a ride from school to daycare told me at pre-school graduation that Olivia said to her on the ride one day, "My mom's belly's getting so big she can't even button her pants!"  You just wait, Olivia, for the next four/five months!  :)  I've got to get another picture taken soon, but my bump has become even more obvious as I near the halfway point (18 weeks as of a couple of days ago).  I was pleased to make it through the school year using my bella bands with my work pants and wearing a lot of dresses, but was amazed at how comfortable maternity jeans felt when I finally decided it was time for them!  I'm still wearing a lot of regular shirts, but the time for those will pass by soon enough, I'm sure.  While I've been struggling with headaches quite a bit, overall, I don't have any complaints.  To be honest, I enjoy being pregnant - it's a pretty amazing and special feeling and experience!

Showing a little baby bump = 14.5 weeks

Spring???

 

What a crazy spring this has been...and I don't just mean crazy busy - that should be obvious as I went nearly three months without updating the blog - but what crazy weather!  I took these pictures May 2nd, and I know we were lucky here in Decorah not to have had it worse!

I think 2013 may go down as one of the most mentally challenging springs out there - and that statement goes for this week too.  We are all in need of some sunshine!  I'm very thankful that we've had Bible Camp this week (post on that coming soon) because it has gotten us out of the house despite the rain and cold temperatures.  Since they saw it was filled a couple of weeks ago, the girls have been asking constantly to go to the pool, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  Hard to imagine wearing a swimsuit when I'm comfortable inside in jeans and a sweatshirt!

Tonight after dinner, Grace must have been trying to defy the weather as she went running outside in her panties (yes, you can shake your head at that) to play on the swing-set even though it was 60 degrees outside.  She came in shortly, announced that she was cold, and decided to put on her jammies - the ones she picked for tonight said "Little Wild Child" on them...appropriate, don't you think.  Sigh or laugh...I'm not sure.

Anyways - I don't really have too much to say for this post, but I just wanted to record the pictures as proof of the most chilly, snowy/rainy/sleety, cloudy, late spring I remember!  I really hope the weatherman is right about next week - I'm seriously looking forward to some sun and temperatures in the upper 70's!  (Just think...last summer, upper 70's would have practically been considered cold!)

Dance Class

This spring, Olivia and Grace (and their friend Maggie) participated in a mini-session of Just for Kix dance class.  Their theme was princesses - as you can see, sort of, from the pictures of their spring concert.  The girls absolutely LOVED it!  I'll totally admit that Olivia stood to the side of the gym the first night and just watched as Grace and the rest of the pre-schoolers got busy, but after getting her typical observation time in - she was as good as gold.  My heart smiled to see the girls run into the gym the moment the doors opened and the previous classes kids walked out.  It was super cute to watch them through the windows of the gym and hear them talk about their teacher Juli like she was ultra-special - who wouldn't think that about a teacher who plays princess music, lets you wear ballet outfits, dances with you, and gives you a sticker when you're finished!

These pictures are of their spring concert.  Obviously, they're not the greatest as the overall lighting was pretty poor and we were sitting rather high in the bleachers.  Oh well; most importantly, the girls had a blast, were awfully pound of themselves, were thrilled Auntie Tara got to come and watch them practice one day, loved watching other dancers perform, and thought it was super special that Grandma Linda, Grandpa Mark, and Auntie Thyme got to see their concert and take them out to ice-cream after even though it was super late!

 Walking into the gym...Olivia pink dress third from right 

with Grace next to her in blue.

 Liv not quite so sure about the crowd...Grace ready to go!

Not perfect coordination, but you get the idea!  :)

Randomness...

So many small little comments/occurrences have happened lately at our house that I wanted to take a chance to record them...I need to do this more regularly, because suddenly, as I'm in the "hot-seat" of typing this out, I can barely remember any of them!

This morning...
Olivia - When I grow up, I'm going to be a doctor.
Brian - Why?
Olivia - So I can help people.
Me - Ah, that's really nice; it's always nice to help people.
Olivia - ....
Me - Do you help your friends at school sometimes?
Olivia - No!  They have to pick up their own toys!

Olivia's ridiculous obsession with stripped socks.  While I'm super glad she's out of the "I wear summer clothes in wintertime clothing trend" and the "I cry about socks every morning" issue, this obsession is going to drive me batty as we only have 4 pairs of stripped socks and Olivia thinks I need to wash them constantly for a quick turn-around!  But, hey, there could be worse obsessions, and it's kind of cute to watch her digging through the dryer in the mornings and celebrating when she finally finds "the socks."

Grace's new favorite word...
Grace - I want to wear these tights.
Me - I don't think those tights fit you any more.
Grace - Yes, they actually do fit me.
Me (with heavy sarcasm) -Well, okay, you try them.
Grace (after putting tights on by herself) - See, Mommy, I actually did it!

The girls sleeping together...I can't handle how cute it it.  Little cuddle bugs.

We finally had Grace's three-year check at the doctor's.  She weighed in at 29 pounds (28%) and was 3 feet 1 inch tall (41%).  She was quite conversational with the doctor and was thrilled to get stickers AND a tattoo for being so good.  Olivia hopped on the scale too - 36 pounds (37%).

Olivia's writing done at home...

Translation:

April

First Grade

Second Grade

Preschool

Olivia (down the side)

Olivia's writing done at school...

Translation (if you make the d's into b's):

Ballet

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Gymnastics 

A special note for daddy...One of Olivia's favorite outfits is her red ballet skirt/pants and a shirt that says "My 'heart' belongs to my daddy."  She was wearing this last night and, looking down at her shirt (hence the backwardsness), wrote this note for Brian.  So sweet.

Our girls...I just love them.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all those who make our lives so great and whom we love so much!

This was my best "quick-before-leaving" picture of the girls; all Grace wanted to do was eat her breakfast, so you can see she wasn't being super cooperative!  Liv didn't get snapped at the right moment in the above picture, but I did get a few cute individual ones of her...Grace, was eating your breakfast at.this.very.moment really that essential?  The girls were both fired up to wear their Valentine's skirts today (thank you Beth for the fabulous Christmas gift) and to bring their Valentine's to school/daycare, and I'm sure they'll be eager to indulge in some of the treats!

Thank you to those who sent us gifts and cards - the girls are super excited to open them when we come home from school/daycare today!

Snow Day Fun

Last week was definitely one of the weirder ones when it comes to weather.  Last Sunday morning, we had just enough sleet/ice to make the roads truly horrible; it continued through the first half of the day, and since, the temperatures were a lot slower to raise than they said, we ended up having an "ice" day on Monday.  It was nice to stay home with the girls; a lot of the time I send them to daycare on snow days so I can get either school work or house work done, but since I actually didn't have too much of either to do, we spent the day playing. 

 

Overnight it warmed up, so Tuesday proceeded as normal, but by 7th hour, the kids were bouncing out of their seats because we were under a winter storm warning.  Sure enough, with blizzard-like conditions starting early in the morning, we had another snow day!  I was actually thankful for this - even though now we have two days to make up at the end of the year - because Grace had come down with the flu late Tuesday night - what a great way to end your birthday, huh?  At first I thought she'd maybe just over-eaten, but at about 2am changing sheets for the second time, I remembered that she hadn't even touched her cake and realized that definitely wasn't the case.  And, as she's continued to have some tummy issues this week, she's obviously got a bug of some kind - poor girl. 

Gotta love the sunglasses...

remember my last entry about Grace having personality?

Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Grace!

My dear Gracie,

Yesterday, your Auntie Tara came over to watch you, so I could make a trip out to Walmart to birthday shop (talk about last minute) and buy party supplies.  When I came home, I showed you the cupcakes I had bought for you to take to daycare - you were so excited and kept on asking, "Is it my birthday now?" "Can I have one now?"  You wouldn't stop - see personality #2 described below!  Finally I told you that it'd be your birthday when you woke up in the morning.  A few minutes later, you announced that you were tired and were going to bed...you even went upstairs - it was about 6:00, by the way.  We just let you go knowing you'd be back, and we were right!  You lasted for a couple of minutes before you came back down, asking, "Is it morning yet?"  "Is it my birthday NOW?"  Pretty cute - especially if I could mimic your sweet, little voice.  We gave in and let you and Liv share a cupcake.  :)

I don't think I've ever seen a little girl more excited for her birthday - I even had to hide your presents!  Good thing I did too because we were already opening gifts about 5 minutes after our friends and Grandma had arrived (Grandpa didn't even get to watch!).  You were very excited about everything, and I was happy that you remembered to say thank you.

Oh, where, oh, where, do I begin....Gracie, simply put, you have, well, let's call it a very well-rounded personality!  Let's explore...

1) The shy Grace:  This side of you doesn't appear all that often, but when you get into new situations or meet new people, you often want to be held, hold onto my leg, and/or bury your face in my neck.  However, while you're doing this, a little conspiratorial smile can often be found on your face as if you think it's funny to pretend to be more shy than you actually are.  Regardless, whatever shyness does exist, it usually doesn't last long before you're showing off, playing, and chatting away like usual.  I have no doubts about you starting pre-school next year - you're going to love it, especially because your best buddy Maggie will be in school with you!  You might be shy for a day or two, but it won't take long before you're as obsessed with Mrs. Kane and Mrs. Bohr as Olivia is!

2) The stubborn Grace:  Just last night I told Grandma Linda, "She just won't stop talking!"  And when I said this, what I meant was, when you want something, you continuously ask for it even when the answer is "no" or whatever you want is just not possible.  If you want a toy - you want it now; if you want some milk - it better be in the next minute; and, if you don't get to watch a show when you want to - I'd better watch out!  Sigh.  While this stubbornness and the whininess is something I often could do without and has been the cause of more than one timeout both at home and at daycare, I can see this trait taking you far in life; you'll be focused on doing what you have to in order to get what you want!  However, if you could just try not to test your mommy's and daddy's patience quite so much, that would be much appreciated.

3) The wild, silly, and sassy Grace:  Who hasn't seen this side of Grace?  You are such a silly goose - even Olivia calls you this.  You have an incredibly expressive face, and not a day goes by that we don't see you doing something that makes us laugh.  You love playing "wrestle" with your daddy and ask for this or "roar" almost every night after dinner.  You think playing hide and seek is awesome and still think you're hiding if you sit where we can see you but cover your face.  You ask us to "scare" you for fun, but when playing somehow actually get scared even when you know it's coming - I only wish I could describe the look of panic that crosses your face.  Sadly, you don't hesitate to hit - real or fake depends on the day - if something doesn't go your way, but happily, you recover from whatever it is that made you mad quickly and are are distracted easily.  One of my least favorite things you say is "No my isn't" when you and Liv have a scuffle about something, but, hey, at least you stand up for yourself!  You laugh about how big your tummy is, sticking it out even further in the process, and - I'm not sure how I feel about this - toot all.the.time!  You jump on your trampoline begging us to watch you constantly, lie down on the floor asking to be tickled, wear dress up clothes constantly, and kick a ball like these things are going out of style.  Your wispy, flying hair suits this part of your personality as does your teasing personality and huge smile (seriously, I don't know anyone else who smiles as big as you - adult or kid)!

 

4) The independent Grace:  I love how much you can do for yourself, but I also know you like pretending that you don't know how to do as much as you can.  For instance, four months ago you could put on your own socks and shoes; then, you apparently "forgot" how to do both, and now, you've remembered about your shoes but not your socks.  You like to "be furst" at getting dressed, and nothing gets you motivated like a good race...up the stairs, into the tub, into clothes, etc.  (Maybe this fact should go with personality #3 though.)  You'll watch a show or play the ipad by yourself without needing anything and same goes with eating breakfast alone in the morning.  You still like to sleep with your sissy, but don't mind sleeping alone as much as she does - she cries when you leave to go to your room, but you don't.  :)  I can see you itching to become more independent; at the tail end of fall when we had a couple of nice days, we got you on Liv's bike - you went two times around the block without complaining of being tired - a feat she's yet to have accomplished.  Undoubtedly this next summer will see you biking, pumping on the swings, and doing countless other big-girl activities.  Right now though, you're working hard at zipping your coat.

5) The sweet Grace:  This is my most favorite Grace...well, I can't actually say that, but it's right up there!  I love that you're a little more of a cuddler now than you used to be; you squeeze so tight when you're needing some love, and I don't mind that one bit!  You care about other people's feelings and are kind to your friends.  You love your sis so much (although she doesn't love that you've decided to call her Liver as a nickname - and neither do I), and she loves you in return.  You two cuddle on the couch, sleep squished together, defend each other, play almost oddly well together, and even rub each other's backs.  It's so darn cute. 

 

Could I go on...probably.  There is no doubt in my mind, Miss Grace, that you are a very special little girl who will continue to bring much happiness (and maybe a few other emotions) into our lives.  I love you, sweetie, and can't even remember what our life was like before you joined it.  How fast these last three years have gone - I'm thankful for all the memories we have and look forward to making so many more.

Love you,
Mommy