Walking behind a toy!

Meredith has loved Russell's walk-behind Toy Story car for months now, but never actually walked behind it (or anything, for that matter) until today! She was doing a better job walking before I turned the camera on - story of my life :)

You do what you have to do

Both kids have been sick since Saturday.  And everyone gets fussy when sick, but one of the actual symptoms of this illness is fussiness.  So you can imagine how happy our household has been!

Today, though, we had the highlight of our day, when both kids were really happy for 30 minutes (!) and it was very accidental.

Can you tell what Russell’s doing that made his day?

As he put it, he’s “watching the digger digging a deep hole!”  Across the (busy) street from our doctor’s office, a big extension is being build onto the hospital.  So we ran across that busy street to watch the diggers for 30 minutes.  I’m sure Russell would have stayed longer, but the workers stopped for the day.

Meredith didn’t care a bit about the construction, but she is happy as a clam anytime she can play with my car keys.

So if you happened to pass us on that street today, now you know what we were doing!  You do what you have to do!

Cell Phone Pics

Last week, Jason had a 5-day business trip, and Russell stayed with Paw Paw and Kacki for part of that time. 

What did the girls do when their boys are away? 

We went for walks (side note: she looks so big to me here!  That stroller swallowed her just a few short months ago!):

Took sink baths – Meredith loves her bath time!

We also went to the children’s museum, had dinner with friends, and went to our normal Wednesday morning Bible study.  I know she missed Jason and Russell, but I think she enjoyed having Mommy to herself!

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Every Thursday, Russell’s in preschool and it’s girls-only time for the morning.  After Meredith’s morning nap, you can find us at a toy store singing along with Mr. Nigel!  It’s free, it’s at a perfect time (right between nap and lunch time), and he’s enthusiastic and sweet with the kids.

And sometimes we get to play instruments, like the bells!

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We had a very small Valentine’s party with our playgroup one day (“very small” because half the group ended up being sick).  The kids ate chocolate, passed out valentines, and just played.  We sat the big kids on the trampoline for a quick photo.

…but I had to get a pic of my little one too

I’ve decided I need to bring my camera with me more often – enough of these cell phone pics!  The challenge is going to be fitting it in the already-stuffed diaper bag…hmmm.

Snow Morning

We had a little snow on Sunday night/Monday morning.  It was just the kind of snow I can tolerate: didn’t cause road problems and was almost completely melted by afternoon.  (I’m just not much of a snow person!)

Russell was SO excited.  I remember him being excited last year, but he didn’t really get it.  This year, he kept saying, “Put on your [meaning “my”] dinosaur boots and go play in the snow.”  Once we got out there, he said a lot of “it’s so crunchy” and “it looks like ice cream.”

I completely forgot that this was Meredith’s first snow!  (Not that she cared!)  She was perfectly happy in the Baby Bjorn.  This is the only picture I got of her in her first snow:

We explored and took a little walk and played for about 30 minutes.  Even for a non-snow person, it was a fun way to spend the morning!

Swingin’ Good Time

I have been loving this mild winter, and so have the kids: lots of outside time.  The mild weather has been a good excuse to use our swingset.  (These photos were taken on Friday.)

Russell is still a little nervous about using the “big kid swing,” but he’s very good about letting Meredith have a long turn in the baby swing.

Meredith was so excited when Russell came over to help her swing – she had the biggest grin and was giggling nonstop!

Of course today it’s rainy and cold out, but hopefully soon we’ll be able to get back to this!

10 months old!

Ohhh, these photos were a challenge!  She loved crawling/standing all over that rocking chair!

• Clothes: 6-9 months and 9 month and some 12 month
• Shoes: wearing size 3

• Taking 2 naps a day – first is from 10-10:45 and second from around 1 – around 3
• Picky about eating, and we are trying our hardest to get plenty of calories in her because of her weight being in the 10th percentile.  I’ve given up on jarred baby food because she thinks it’s fun to spit it out.  So thankful for the baby food pouches with the straw – she will normally suck those down even if she refuses everything else!
• Well, we made it 10 months of only breastmilk, no formula.  But tomorrow we’re going to have to start introducing formula.  It’s not what I originally wanted but it’s best for all of us in so many ways.  I could write a book about this transition – friends, if you’re curious I’d be happy to talk your ear off about it

• Meredith still has only 2 teeth, but is teething like crazy lately, so I’m hopeful for more soon!
• She has stood up on her own (without pulling up on anything) a couple of times – still no cruising (meaning walking while holding onto furniture).
• Still absolutely loves the Baby Bjorn; she giggles when we pull it out.
• Loves pinching my nose – I have no idea why!
• Is happiest: pulling books off of Russell’s bookshelf, reading books with Mommy, having family dance parties, holding Kitty (her lovey).
• Dislikes: having her diaper changed, sitting in her high chair after she’s finished eating.

We love you, sweet Meredith!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

(photos taken a few weeks ago!)

30

“Remember when thirty seemed so old…”

Today, I am 30.  And unlike a lot of people, I’m completely okay with turning thirty.  I don’t have a perfect life, but I have a wonderful, amazingly blessed life.  I’m wife to a sweet husband who is an awesome spiritual leader, who makes me laugh all the time, and who is handsome as all get-out I have an energetic yet sweet son who makes me laugh while he tells me about his beard and melts my heart with his I-love-you-very-very-much’s.  I have a precious brown-eyed baby girl who lights up a room with her giggle and keeps me on my toes as she crawls quick-as-a-flash from one room to the next.  I have a part-time photography business that keeps me as busy as I want to be.  I live in a great area of town, have a wonderful church, have helpful family and friends who can relate to my crazy life.  And so much more.  Thank You, Lord.

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We had our small group over for dinner tonight as a little birthday celebration.  I love, love our small group.  What a godly group of men and women.  (And we definitely feel the absence of our other family who moved across the country last month!)

Ladies (and little lady):

…and the girls:

Mmmmmm, mac and cheese!

I told Jason I wanted a cookie cake.  He delivered

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5 great things about my twenties:

I earned 3 degrees (2 bachelors and one masters), two of which came from this great institution:

I lived in 3 towns/cities and moved 4 times (I think).

I had 2 1/2 careers: media buyer, student teacher (that’s the half!), and photographer.  Well, and stay-at-home-mom – my most thoroughly exhausting and fulfilling “career.”

I married the love of my life

and we had 2 beautiful babies!

And that is why I’m not sad about turning 30.  Based on how life is going, I expect my thirties to be even better than my twenties!  Of course, that’s not in my control, though!  I’m just grateful for everything we have.

Meredith’s Nursery

I recently realized that I don’t have photos of Meredith’s completed nursery on this blog.  I really want these as a record for me – after all, they are in nurseries for such a short time.

Walking in (some of these are phone photos and some are camera):

I still think that vinyl over her crib is the best thing I purchased for Meredith’s room.  The sweet, perfectly matching rug was a gift from Kacki.  The headband holder on the wall on the right is something Jason and I made after I had trouble organizing Meredith’s hair accessories – obviously, not all of them fit, but this helps!

Mimi made the valances for both windows and I made the bow holder.

Nothing has really changed here from the last photos I posted (in May, maybe?)  I love the pink basket on Meredith’s changing table/dresser – it’s such a great catch-all.  The one thing that has changed since I last posted about her room is that the photo frame on the shelf now holds a 3-month picture of her instead of an ultrasound photo!

The reading/nursing corner: that basket is full of books.  Also, I’m planning to put several more canvases on the wall – it just hasn’t happened yet!

Next on the “home project” agenda is to FINALLY finish Russell’s big boy room – once that’s done, I’ll post photos of it too!

Funny because it’s true

Superbowl Party

Russell was very excited to go to our friends’ house for the Superbowl party tonight.  He didn’t remember Parker (it has been maybe a year since we’d really seen him), but he was excitedly saying, “Go to friend’s house and watch the football game!”  I think he was stir-crazy from being sick last week!

Parker had plenty of cars to play with!  I think Parker’s mom (my friend Devon) got a kick out of how excited Russell gets when he sees cars.  And Meredith wanted to be right there with the big kids.

Devon and Chad made chili and cornbread, and we had some apps and desserts as well.  Delicious!

Meredith had a blast playing on the couch while Jason watched the football game.  She also really loved their big dog – she just cracked up while he sniffed and licked her.  Silly girl!

Jason and Russell did watch some of the game!  Jason was pulling for the Giants while, according to Russell’s preschool craft, he was pulling for the

Who knew?

Portraits of a Saturday

We had such a nice Saturday.  My parents came up so we could celebrate my 30th birthday a few days early.  My mom and I went to afternoon tea at a nice hotel here in town, and we all had pizza and birthday cake for dinner.  That’s all I wanted, really.  I used to want 3-hour gourmet meals at The Melting Pot and other nice restaurants here in town.  Now when I think about those types of things all I can think is either a) we have to find a babysitter or b) how will I keep the kids entertained at a “boring” restaurant? 

Anyway.  So what else did we do on Saturday?

We gave Russell a hair cut.  This was the “downer” of the day.  If you’ve never seen Russell have a hair cut, you never want to.  He is more frightened of hair cuts than of anything else in the world.  Sobs, screams, sweats – you would think we were cutting off more than just his hair.  We’ve tried snacks, sippy cup, his favorite movies playing, scissors vs  clippers – everything.  This time, we gave two of his animal friends “hair cuts” in an attempt to show Russell it wasn’t bad.

It didn’t help.  Oh well, at least it’s over until next time!

Then, more fun things: there was lots of play time with Pops and Mimi!

A great day with some of my favorite people!

Our Second Home

“Going to the doctor is not always fun to do

But Mommy says it will be all right, because she will be there too.” ~from a board book entitled Going to the Doctor.

We have been to the doctor on Sunday (urgent care), Monday, and today.  I think we are single-handedly keeping them in business – at least, it feels that way.  First diagnosis of bronchial infection was wrong (from the urgent care). Monday, it was croup, which was correct – he had a round of steroids and that’s better.  But today, he still had a fever.  Ear infection.  The good news is that it’s the first one since tubes.  The bad news: tubes are clogged.  I didn’t even know that was possible.  But the antibiotic will take care of it.

And hopefully the doctor’s office will quit being our second home for a while!