Apples and Bananas

Singing "I like to eat apples and bananas" with Melanie and we started with eeples and baneenees and she said,  "NO BANANAS!"....looks like I have a perfectionist on my hands.

Let's just clarify...

Mom:  Mel...are you my baby?

Melanie:  No.  I'm a girl!

Mom: OH, are you my big girl?

Melanie: No. I'm a girl!

Mom: OH, are you my girl?

Melanie: No. I'm a boy....

oh geez........

Personal Trainer

So we're finally getting into a routine around here since the little one is starting to take regular naps during the day.  I decided today was the day to try and sneak a legitimate workout in, so I put in my favorite 10 minute DVD and prepared for Mel's breakdown when the television came on without watching Dora the Explorer.

She started whining so I just ignored her and kept doing my squats.

Then they offered the harder version of the workout move and I hear her yell at me...

"DO IT MOMMA!"

"I can't Mellie, it's too hard for Momma right now"

"NO MOMMA!  DO IT!"

This repeated for the remaining five minutes of workout time.  Then I was all done, doing a few stretches, and she pulls out a yoga DVD....

"DO YOGA MOMMA!"

"We already exercised Mellie, it's time to shower"

"NO MOMMA!  YOGAAAA!!!"

If anyone needs a personal trainer to yell at them and make them work out, you can borrow my 2 year old any morning :)

2nd Time Around

We're down to single digits folks!!  Just shy of 9 weeks and we'll have a new sweet little girl in our home!  I am getting excited, Tyler is totally excited, and even Melanie is ready! 

Here are some ways my sweet girl shows her sister love already:
- Flashlights on my belly...doing her own ultrasound
- Laying her head on me and grinning ear to ear with excitement when she feels a kick
- She puts diapers on everything!
- Rocking her baby dolls
- Making me laydown on her blankets next to her babies and tucking us all in

I am so anxious to see a friendship blossom between my two little ladies. 

Keeping up the tradition!

Helping dad with the star

We always got to put the star on the tree when we were kids...and though she's still too little to technically 'put it on' we let her adjust it and make it just how she wanted it.

Putting an ornament 'in' the tree

 

It is so fun to have a little sweetie pie for Christmas this year!  She loved decorating the tree and wants to help wrap all of the presents, and don't even get her started about Christmas lights!

 

If we go anywhere at night we see our neighbors lights up on the way out and she starts whining and signing 'more' because she wants to see more Christmas lights.  All through town she can spot them!  It's amazing to me for how little she is she definitely knows the difference between a bunch of regular lights and the twinkle of Christmas lights.  

My Sweet Fairy

Halloween 2012: 16.5 Months

I was ALMOST the terrible mom that didn't dress my baby up for halloween because we weren't going anywhere fun.  Boy am I glad I didn't listen to myself!!

We had such a good time handing out candy and chillin on our front porch and this little girl was loving all the attention. 

(that tutu ps. cost me $3 to make...SOOO easy!)

Putting Melons to Good Use

So....this post is NOT about melons. Stop right here if you don't want to hear about mommy-hood in too much detail or are not interested in my breastfeeding habits :)

Today is the day I eliminated our mid-day nursing session and it totally threw me off.  I was so worried about how she would feel, if she would notice, if I needed to make up the bonding time in some other form, if I was getting her enough fluids and nutrition, but I realized I should think of myself just as much. 

i love breastfeeding.

It is one moment in my day where the two of us can sit quietly.  She snuggles up to me, I watch some of my recorded shows, and I can breathe.  I'm not cooking, cleaning, chasing, playing, teaching....I'm just taking care of my baby in the easiest most natural way. 

I'm not in a hurry to wean her and I'll probably keep my morning and night nursing for another month or so....ugh....but the thought of it literally makes me nervous and sad inside.

I'm not sure if it's the reality of her growing up, if it's my selfish relish of quiet, if it's the niavete of feeling like I'm giving her nourishment better than her beets, avocado, and apricots (my milk is basically water at this point)....I can't put a finger on the reason for my feelings and maybe that in itself is what is so unsettling. 

heck.  maybe it's all of that.

This is the first time in my time as a parent that I'm feeling anxiety about a choice.  And I hate it.  But at the same time I don't want to breastfeed for another 6 months...it has to happen somehow I suppose.

Boo hoo.

She loves digging

11.5 months old

Pull it ALL out

So, I decided to get gutsy and paint my toenails will the munchkin was awake.  I know it may seem ridiculous to call this gutsy....but when you've got that little face and ten curious fingers in front of you....its gutsy, okay?

My solution was to distract her with the depths of my nail polish bag and boy did she have a good time!

She carefully removed EACH item and threw placed it aside.  I tried to pack up before she was done but we quickly realized it was vital to remove the last several bottles of nail polish before we packed up for the day...haha. 

Eskimo Baby

Mom is a little too worried about this sweet baby getting a chill!

We love going for walks in the morning and we only have a few more opportunities until it gets hot.  It's time to get out and enjoy nature while we can!

The Ladies

Me and my sweet little girl for her first Christmas

I have an amazing friend who offered to do some pictures out of the goodness of her heart and I just love this one.  Melanie was exactly 6 months old in this picture.