2 Years & 2 Months

Shayne turned 2!! This year we took her to the dollar store where she got to pick out some toys to spend her birthday money on and then we went to an ice cream parlor where she got her own hot fudge sundae. She loved her "nummy" as she called it. It was a little bigger than I had anticipated so when she kept eating and eating it long after Danny & I had called it quits on ours, we finally stopped her before we thought she had hit the sick-to-my-stomach-throw-up mark. Here are some things that she is doing:

*She is a serious chatterbox-- everything is either "big daddy" or "little baby" sized, she calls Brooklyn 'deedee,' if you set her up somewhere high she always says 'whoa whoa me fall,' she doesn't like it when Danny holds Brooklyn 'no deedee daddy, deedeee momma,' 'my nummy' when she wants something to eat, 'my yuck' usually 'my big daddy yuck,' first thing in the morning 'me see deedee' or 'see deedee yuck'

* She can name and identify some colors and shapes. She loves to color pictures, play with playdough, go to dance and tumbling classes, play with Brooklyn on the ground, play with other kids, help me cook ('stir egg' is her favorite), sing songs ['oh night' (silent night), 'happy you' (happy birthday to you)], and rough house with Danny.

Brooklyn also hit the 2 month mark. She is in the 91% for weight! My pediatrician just started clapping for me at the start of her 2 month appointment and said, "Well I don't need to ask how feeding is going." I guess that means she's eating enough. She's getting cuter and cuter, especially since her baby acne is subsiding. She smiles quite a bit now and is the best napping buddy. I was hoping her new hair growth would lighten up and I would get a blonde baby (I was blonde until I was about 5) but she's looking like she might stay dark haired. Although her eyes are still pretty light blue, so we'll see what color they turn out.

I am just grateful for two healthy and happy girls. Danny is doing great at work and feeling good about it. I am trying to get enough sleep, take care of the kiddos, and talk to another adult at least once a day : )

Blessed

We blessed Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago. We were lucky to be able to get my parents and my in-laws in the same place for the blessing before Brooklyn is 5 months old (which is how long we waited to do Shayne's!). Even though we don't have our parents living here, they really make effort to be able to be here when we need them. Danny did a great job with the blessing and Brooklyn was great during it. She is such a great baby, just like Shayne was. Both of them have really predictable routines during the day and are pretty easily comforted. She is a great addition to our family.

More Pictures

1 Month!

So it's been a month since Brooklyn was born. I had help from family for almost 3 weeks which was wonderful! This last week was the first on my own and I have to admit we stuck around home most of the time and I usually gave Danny a lunchtime phone call asking when he would be home. I have figured out that if I keep my expectations low for each day, then I don't get as frustrated with how little I accomplish. Here's how my goals for the day usually go: 1) get everyone fed 2) get everyone dressed 3) do my OCD picking up/cleaning/making beds routine 4) get Shayne out of the house somewhere 5) everyone take a nap 6) pull something out of the freezer to eat for dinner. Ta-da! That's about it right now. I keep telling myself I just need to enjoy this stage that I'm in because it will change soon enough. So I am.

She's Here!

Brooklyn Louise was born on 11/18 at 2:48 pm and weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. She has been such a wonderful baby so far, a very sleepy one too. My MD said she would induce me a few days before my due date and I decided that sounded like a great idea. So, we headed to the hospital Thursday morning around 10. By 11 I was all hooked up and going and by 3 I had her. It was such a calm, serene, easy delivery. We just kept saying "That's it? I can't believe that was it!"

It was fun to deliver at the hospital I work at because I know some of the staff on the post-partum floor. And I had a couple of nurses that I knew- although I did have to say to them "Sorry you are going to see more of me than you ever really wanted to" : )

I am tired of course but feeling really great, which is a lot different from the last time. Brooklyn is healthy and doing great. Shayne is a little confused about what is going on, but we are trying to give her lots of attention and keep our regular routine together. Danny is super helpful and helps keep Shayne occupied.

When we first had Brooklyn, both of us were wondering if we were really going to be able to love this little wiggle worm as much as we love Shayne. It's already done for me- I am loving all of her little noises and movements, and I just stare at her and wonder what she's going to be like as she grows. I am just trying to enjoy this as much as I can.

Thanks to everyone for your notes, gifts, meals, and calls!

You know you're pregnant when . . . .

You go through the McDonald's drive-thru and order a Coke and french fry, except the guy tells you that they aren't serving french fries yet but they do have hash browns. And you reply "Yes, I'll have two of those."

38 Weeks+2 Days & Miss Independent

Contractions. Contractions. Contractions. And no results. I seem to have never ending contractions these days that come and then go and then come again and wake me up in the night. But they never get intense enough or stick around for more than an hour at a time. My body's gearing up for something, I'm just not sure it's figured out what it is yet. But we are excited and pretty nervous about adding this new one to our family soon. I think I remember how to do this- it hasn't been that long!

Shayne is so funny these days. She's definitely had her word spurt and is saying all sorts of funny things. The other day I heard her calling me from the basement, but she wasn't saying "mommie." What I heard was "haaaa-wee, haaaa-wee" and I thought "Is she really saying 'Holly'?" Yes, she is. Is my 1 year old really that grown-up that she thinks she can call me Holly instead of Mommie?!

Other things she is saying: my, mine, and me are a large part of her vocabulary right now, my sit (my seat), more nuke (more milk), my hum me (means I'm hungry), snow, more nak (more snack), ugh blue/een/ ink (it's blue/green/pink- can mostly identify blue, the others are sketchy still), wets do zoom (let's go in the car), I'll have to write down more as I think of them. . . . .

I transitioned her into her new room in the basement and into a twin bed. I wanted to get her set up before the baby came. It actually has gone easier than I thought it would. The first few nights she would wake up and cry once, but now she sleeps through the night. I might start cracking the door open after she goes to sleep though because we usually wake up in the morning to her trying to kick down the door.

She really is becoming more independent. Whenever I drop her off at nursery or a neighbor's house or a sitter comes over, she just says "bye-bye mommie," gives me a hug and a kiss, and that is that. It's great to know she's OK without us.