Clara is the funniest little baby these days!! If you smile at her, she'll look at you, then light up with a big smile and hang her little mouth wiiiiiide open! She flaps her arms and buries her head into whoever is holding her - so cute. She's a little stinker at bedtime, but hopefully that's a temporary thing. Most nights, I spend from 8 to 9PM, sometimes after 10:00, trying to get her to sleep, which is challenging when preparing for Halloween and Audrey's birthday! But we'll get there. She seems to be cool with sleeping with a pacifier, although that's about a 50/50 deal. With me around, she seems to want the real deal, still, although she's doing her hunger strikes with Amanda during the days, still. I can't believe a growing baby can go 7 hours on 7 ounces!! She sure makes up for it when I get home!
Clara also rolled over a few nights ago, although she hasn't repeated it since. She was reaching for a toy, on her tummy, and her giant head leaned over to the side, and the weight of it pulled the rest of her over onto her back. She was so surprised to look up at me! and then, of course, she smiled her big fabulous grin.
The Halloween costumes are made, all ready to go for tomorrow night, except for digging up a onesie for Clara to wear. All three of them will be cupcakes!! I'm so excited - the costumes turned out so great and were so fun to make! Emily gets to wear her costume three times - trick-or-treating tomorrow night, Hope's birthday party the next day, and to school on Thursday. I'm glad, because she'll be good and tired of it by then, and we can just put it away and move on to the next thing - Audrey's birthday!!
I'm just about through with a nasty cold that I had for almost 2 weeks. It was the full-on deal: sneezy/tickley nose for 4 days, cold sores and swollen gums, fever, congestion and sinus headache, nasty lingering cough and snorty nose, and worst of all, stupidity!! I don't know when I've ever been knocked so completely stupid before! I couldn't hold a thought, or follow another person's train of thought. I couldn't figure out problems at work, I couldn't handle making dinner at home, I was just absolutely lacking mental capacity. I'm so thankful I don't live that way all the time, because it was SO frustrating!!
The last few weeks have been really testing for me, ever since Travis spent that week in Singapore, and the birthday, and me getting sick. I'm still getting up every night with Clara, and nursing takes a lot of brain energy for some dumb reason. So I guess it's not like there's really that much going on, but it's relentless. So Travis and I took a weekend "off," leaving the kids with Sullivan grandparents and going up to Minneapolis to see some friends who we were close with when we lived up there. It was so stress-free and fun, even though we brought Clara with us! She apparently thinks it's 20 minutes too far, because she screamed the last 20 minutes of the trip in both directions. I suppose it wouldn't be 20 min too far if we hadn't made the trek over to Barnum each time, but it was worth it. Emily had such a great time that she bawled her eyes out as soon as she saw me and Travis walk into the house. (She had made plans, and was afraid she wasn't going to get to do everything on her agenda! but she did, of course.) I felt SO much better after that trip, just relaxed and in much better spirits. I was not sad at all to drive away from my kids, and delighted to return to them, so it was perfect.
I think Audrey is just about done with naptime, and tonight is a momentous occasion because she actually went to sleep without her blanket! I pointed out to her that her blanket was leaving her skin around her lips very pink and chapped, and it was hurting her, so I put chapstick on her and told her that if she had a blanket it would rub it off, and that her lips were so pretty with her chapstick on. So, vanity won out in that one!! Emily was still smacking away at her thumb when I left the room, but Audrey apparently went right to sleep. I think ditching the nap and the blanket at the same time might be a good way to go - she doesn't seek out her blanket during the day to nap, and she's exhausted enough at night to just pass out without it. Of course, now that I've written this, it'll all fall apart. :) but it's a good try, right?
Emily is continuing to love preschool. I get to sign up for conferences this week, to be held the week after. I only get 15 minutes, during which I figure the teacher will say how much she loves Emily's smile and enthusiasm, that she's a wonderful little kid, and how much she likes having her in class. If it's anything else, I'll really be surprised. She sure takes her academics seriously at home! She is drawing letters like crazy, always asking me how to spell things so she can write the words down, one letter at a time. She is writing her own thank-you notes for her birthday presents... maybe at this point I'll have her hand them out at Audrey's party! I've been so busy I haven't had time to sit with her and get things organized and mailed out. But her sentiment is there!
So, for Audrey's party, we're doing the same old family gathering after her birthday, but opening presents on her birthday (Tuesday) and trying to make that day as special as possible, even though I need to be at work that day. I really figured I would take a day off to do birthdays for my kids, and if it had been a normal workday like today, I would have, but it's a planning session for the next 8 weeks and I need to be there. ugh. I also need to get her some birthday presents... Details, right? :) I can't believe it was 3 years ago that I met her. What a charming little thing she is. All chatter and song, just enjoying life and growing as fast as she can.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Happy Birthday, Sweet Emily
Wow, she's FIVE!!!
Emily had a great day today. She was a bit apprehensive about turning 5, since we told her that five-year-olds don't suck their thumbs anymore. But she sure had a good time today!
The day started with the girls coming downstairs, discovering that Trav and I had hung up pink adn white streamers and pink balloons all over the house. We had scrambled eggs and donuts for breakfast, with Dad! He had an evening meeting today, so he felt justified in going in to work a few minutes late. Emily chose to wear a sparkley blue dress, with stripey tights! I even curled her hair, and put in her favorite barrette. Then they played for a little while this morning, and then took Clara to her 4-month checkup. Poor girl got another round of shots :( We picked up McDonald's on the way home, and then had a picnic in the car in the parking lot of Emily's preschool, just to be sure she'd get there in time. It was a beautiful, clear sunny day, a little on the chilly side but still warm enough to be gorgeous and pleasant. When I walked her up to the door, she went bouncing on ahead of me, and her teacher greeted her, "Hey there, birthday girl!!" It's funny how that reassured me that Emily was going to have a great day!
Audrey and Clara and I went home and rested for a bit, though nobody slept except Clara who finished her little car-snooze after I brought her in. Then we went to Target and picked up a few more things I needed in order to finish the day, and to the library, where Audrey showed me where her "Library Preschool" is held. It's just their storytime, but Audrey LOVES it. Not only is it just the right kind of activity for her, but she gets to go there while Emily is at her preschool. It's only half an hour, but she feels so special. Sure enough, when we walked into the children's area at the library, the librarian greeted her, "Hi, Audrey!! How are you today?" and then gave me the funniest look. :) I explained to her that she normally comes with her sitter but today she was showing me where she comes for storytime. I got a good laugh out of that!
We picked up Emily at her preschool, and she came out wearing a crown that said Happy Birthday, Emily, all pink and purple and covered in stickers. Her carseat was already covered in stickers she got from the doctor's office... our whole house is covered in stickers... anyway. We went straight to Riley Park, with the girls eating their Fruit by the Foot and singing. They played for about half an hour, then came home and made rainbow cupcakes. Then we opened presents, and Emily was really, really excited. She got a beautiful new globe, a beanbag chair, a journal, and a stuffed Hello Kitty kleenex box cover (so she can keep her kleenex box in her bed, since she gets bloody noses at night. it's SO cute!!) Audrey was have a good time until the beanbag chair became an issue, because she really, really wanted to jump on it, but it's Emily's birthday and she wanted it to herself. Not sure how I'm going to handle that one, ongoing. But it's a super cute chair - pink polka-dots!!
Travis went to pick up Pizza Hut, and got enough to feed Jenny and her girls, who came by on their way home from an appointment in Des Moines. Then, Emily's friend Hope came across the street to give her a bottle of bubble bath and a shower loofa / stuffed zebra - so cute! So of course we had to have a bath, and then Emily got to chat with both her Grandmas on the phone before crawling into bed.
So, to summarize: Donuts for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, Fruit by the Foot for snack, and pizza and cupcakes for supper. Pink decorations, preschool, the park, cousins, friends, bath, and Grandmas on the phone. I think we managed to check off nearly everything on her list of favorites. She smiled all day. It was so fun to do that for her! I love her so much.
... however, I am exhausted, the house is trashed, Clara is feeling crummy from her immunizations today, and Audrey is having a hard time feeling second-fiddlish. So, tomorrow is another day! off we go!
Emily had a great day today. She was a bit apprehensive about turning 5, since we told her that five-year-olds don't suck their thumbs anymore. But she sure had a good time today!
The day started with the girls coming downstairs, discovering that Trav and I had hung up pink adn white streamers and pink balloons all over the house. We had scrambled eggs and donuts for breakfast, with Dad! He had an evening meeting today, so he felt justified in going in to work a few minutes late. Emily chose to wear a sparkley blue dress, with stripey tights! I even curled her hair, and put in her favorite barrette. Then they played for a little while this morning, and then took Clara to her 4-month checkup. Poor girl got another round of shots :( We picked up McDonald's on the way home, and then had a picnic in the car in the parking lot of Emily's preschool, just to be sure she'd get there in time. It was a beautiful, clear sunny day, a little on the chilly side but still warm enough to be gorgeous and pleasant. When I walked her up to the door, she went bouncing on ahead of me, and her teacher greeted her, "Hey there, birthday girl!!" It's funny how that reassured me that Emily was going to have a great day!
Audrey and Clara and I went home and rested for a bit, though nobody slept except Clara who finished her little car-snooze after I brought her in. Then we went to Target and picked up a few more things I needed in order to finish the day, and to the library, where Audrey showed me where her "Library Preschool" is held. It's just their storytime, but Audrey LOVES it. Not only is it just the right kind of activity for her, but she gets to go there while Emily is at her preschool. It's only half an hour, but she feels so special. Sure enough, when we walked into the children's area at the library, the librarian greeted her, "Hi, Audrey!! How are you today?" and then gave me the funniest look. :) I explained to her that she normally comes with her sitter but today she was showing me where she comes for storytime. I got a good laugh out of that!
We picked up Emily at her preschool, and she came out wearing a crown that said Happy Birthday, Emily, all pink and purple and covered in stickers. Her carseat was already covered in stickers she got from the doctor's office... our whole house is covered in stickers... anyway. We went straight to Riley Park, with the girls eating their Fruit by the Foot and singing. They played for about half an hour, then came home and made rainbow cupcakes. Then we opened presents, and Emily was really, really excited. She got a beautiful new globe, a beanbag chair, a journal, and a stuffed Hello Kitty kleenex box cover (so she can keep her kleenex box in her bed, since she gets bloody noses at night. it's SO cute!!) Audrey was have a good time until the beanbag chair became an issue, because she really, really wanted to jump on it, but it's Emily's birthday and she wanted it to herself. Not sure how I'm going to handle that one, ongoing. But it's a super cute chair - pink polka-dots!!
Travis went to pick up Pizza Hut, and got enough to feed Jenny and her girls, who came by on their way home from an appointment in Des Moines. Then, Emily's friend Hope came across the street to give her a bottle of bubble bath and a shower loofa / stuffed zebra - so cute! So of course we had to have a bath, and then Emily got to chat with both her Grandmas on the phone before crawling into bed.
So, to summarize: Donuts for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, Fruit by the Foot for snack, and pizza and cupcakes for supper. Pink decorations, preschool, the park, cousins, friends, bath, and Grandmas on the phone. I think we managed to check off nearly everything on her list of favorites. She smiled all day. It was so fun to do that for her! I love her so much.
... however, I am exhausted, the house is trashed, Clara is feeling crummy from her immunizations today, and Audrey is having a hard time feeling second-fiddlish. So, tomorrow is another day! off we go!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
I was not expecting that!
(One of my favorite quotes from Emily, upon slipping off of a stepstool.)
Travis was in Singapore last week, and more than 10 days after he returned, I think we might finally, finally be getting back to normal. I really didn't think it would knock me out the way it did. I thought for sure I could meet the needs of my own three children for a couple of days, but I really struggled. I had some help, both planned and unexpected, but next time, I will definitely ask for more! Wow. Not only was it stressful, it was hard on my little ego to feel like such a failure. They were all alive and fed when Travis got home, and I managed to avoid any ER visits or major appliance failures. Other than that, we were a sorry crew when he walked in the door Friday night!
More than anyone else, Audrey really put me through it. For example, she ate half a jar of raspberry jam one night, after dinner. I sat down to nurse Clara, and thought the other two were just playing like usual, but when I saw the empty jar in the refrigerator the next morning I realized why there was also jam on the carpet. One day, while I showered, she drew on the wall with colored pencils IN the crack of the corner - how do I clean that, really?! She managed to also eat a tube of her (fluoride-free) toothpaste while she was home with the nanny, so it's not just me that she's testing. I think she's ready to give up her naps, because she's only had one nap in the last 3 days, and it meant that she was up past 9 PM tonight. On the flip side, she is able to pick out the letters of her name, like out of an alphabet puzzle, and put them together in order to make her name. She can also sing Baby Beluga like it's nobody's business! She is a lot to keep up with.
My sister has recommended a book to me to read about raising gifted children. She said she just kept thinking of Audrey over and over as she read it. I am glad that I have a built-in fallback in having Emily around to challenge Audrey in ways that I can't, but I'm sure that doesn't satisfy everything she needs. I've been careful not to push Emily too much academically at home, because as the oldest child, she's probably experiencing a tremendous amount of expectations from me than I don't intend to place on her. :( I want her to enjoy school (she LOVES preschool!) and realize that it's not just a fun place to be, but that she is supposed to be learning there; teachers are supposed to pay attention to her and meet her needs. If that isn't happening, I want to be a part of things right away and make sure she's getting a good experience. I think that Johnston has a very good parents of ELP program that I would like to get involved in, if it doesn't seem to presumptuous. At this rate, I think it's probably okay to attend a meeting now and then!
Clara is on the verge of discovering her hands, and she is delighted to be able to grab a toy and bring it to her mouth. I'm not sure she knows that she's in control when that happens, but she's enjoying it nonetheless! She learned to buzz her lips today, like a little burbley trumpet player (yeah, yeah!). I got a video, which I'll try to share but we'll see how it goes, uploading it. We discovered that she absolutely knows that the sound of the garage door opening means that Mom is home, and that she will not take a bottle after 3:30 PM because Mom is supposed to be home by then!
We had a lot of fun as a family this weekend, going to a pumpkin patch / orchard on Friday and then watching the Cyclones win on Saturday, over at a friend's house with at least 10 other kids there. Now we get ready for birthdays and Halloween and a trip to Minneapolis! It's going to be a crazy month, and when I get a chance to stop and look around again, I'll have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old! How is that possible?!
Travis was in Singapore last week, and more than 10 days after he returned, I think we might finally, finally be getting back to normal. I really didn't think it would knock me out the way it did. I thought for sure I could meet the needs of my own three children for a couple of days, but I really struggled. I had some help, both planned and unexpected, but next time, I will definitely ask for more! Wow. Not only was it stressful, it was hard on my little ego to feel like such a failure. They were all alive and fed when Travis got home, and I managed to avoid any ER visits or major appliance failures. Other than that, we were a sorry crew when he walked in the door Friday night!
More than anyone else, Audrey really put me through it. For example, she ate half a jar of raspberry jam one night, after dinner. I sat down to nurse Clara, and thought the other two were just playing like usual, but when I saw the empty jar in the refrigerator the next morning I realized why there was also jam on the carpet. One day, while I showered, she drew on the wall with colored pencils IN the crack of the corner - how do I clean that, really?! She managed to also eat a tube of her (fluoride-free) toothpaste while she was home with the nanny, so it's not just me that she's testing. I think she's ready to give up her naps, because she's only had one nap in the last 3 days, and it meant that she was up past 9 PM tonight. On the flip side, she is able to pick out the letters of her name, like out of an alphabet puzzle, and put them together in order to make her name. She can also sing Baby Beluga like it's nobody's business! She is a lot to keep up with.
My sister has recommended a book to me to read about raising gifted children. She said she just kept thinking of Audrey over and over as she read it. I am glad that I have a built-in fallback in having Emily around to challenge Audrey in ways that I can't, but I'm sure that doesn't satisfy everything she needs. I've been careful not to push Emily too much academically at home, because as the oldest child, she's probably experiencing a tremendous amount of expectations from me than I don't intend to place on her. :( I want her to enjoy school (she LOVES preschool!) and realize that it's not just a fun place to be, but that she is supposed to be learning there; teachers are supposed to pay attention to her and meet her needs. If that isn't happening, I want to be a part of things right away and make sure she's getting a good experience. I think that Johnston has a very good parents of ELP program that I would like to get involved in, if it doesn't seem to presumptuous. At this rate, I think it's probably okay to attend a meeting now and then!
Clara is on the verge of discovering her hands, and she is delighted to be able to grab a toy and bring it to her mouth. I'm not sure she knows that she's in control when that happens, but she's enjoying it nonetheless! She learned to buzz her lips today, like a little burbley trumpet player (yeah, yeah!). I got a video, which I'll try to share but we'll see how it goes, uploading it. We discovered that she absolutely knows that the sound of the garage door opening means that Mom is home, and that she will not take a bottle after 3:30 PM because Mom is supposed to be home by then!
We had a lot of fun as a family this weekend, going to a pumpkin patch / orchard on Friday and then watching the Cyclones win on Saturday, over at a friend's house with at least 10 other kids there. Now we get ready for birthdays and Halloween and a trip to Minneapolis! It's going to be a crazy month, and when I get a chance to stop and look around again, I'll have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old! How is that possible?!
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