TGIF

It's been a long week, mostly because Ellie has a cold. So, she has been mopey and a little whiney. I hope she starts feeling better today and we can get out this weekend. I usually love winter, but not when I'm pregnant since I can't go skiing. I can totally see how people hate it. I'm beginning to wonder if it's ever going to warm up. I'm looking forward to being able to go for a walk outside with the kids or just sit out on the deck. It's crazy to think that last year Jack wasn't even walking in the summer yet. It's going to be a busy summer of chasing and running that's for sure!

Ellie eating a popsicle. Silas watching closely.

 I am almost 17 weeks now, but feel like I'm 30 weeks. Now that I'm in my second trimester, I'm actually feeling pretty good. I'm going to really enjoy this because I know I will start to slow down and feel the pains of a bigger belly. I don't think I can officially say I've felt the baby kick. I might have felt something the other day, but it was probably bubbles. I've been anxious to find out if it's a boy or a girl, so I ran a Chinese test and it says it's a girl. Not sure how accurate this is since I have the same due date as Jack and he was a boy :)

This weekend I am planning on doing some organizing, which includes cleaning out the closet in Jack's new room upstairs. I have so much crap up there and really need to get it cleaned out so we can start putting organizers in there. I also have a bunch of maternity clothes I need to get out and start using.

Have a nice weekend!

Dinner

The other night Nick was out to dinner for a work thing, so I got brave and took the kids to BW3's. Of course I had back up and Nick and Wendi were there too. This age (3 and 1) is really hard to go to restaurants, you never know when there is going to be a meltdown or craziness might explode. BW3's is a great place because it's loud, there are tv's everywhere for distraction and it's casual. Ellie and Jack were so good and didn't act crazy. I ordered Ellie a hotdog and it was so cute. I know it's weird to think of a hotdog as being cute, but it was.

Ellie tries to help Jack

Ellie is trying to help Jack get ready for their bath. He's pretty quick, but she manages to get his pants off. I think it's really funny when she tries to get his diaper off! Next time I'll try to capture her 'helping' Jack get dressed. This doesn't go as well and usually ends in crying and bruises.

Terrible 2s or 3s?

This picture displays # 10 from the list.

I don't know who made up the term "terrible twos", but they were off by a year. Ellie wasn't crazy until she hit 3. Sometimes I blame it on her brother or that she's a girl, but that's wishful thinking that Jack won't go through these stages either. Now I have to say Ellie has been very nice lately and hasn't had too many breakdowns, but it boggles my mind how up and down she can be. It kind of screws with your head.

Some of these freak outs can be triggered by the oddest things. Some of these include:

1. Her sock is not on right.
2. Her hat is on 'upside down'.
3. She wants to turn the light on.
4. She isn't allowed to jump on Jack's head.
5. Jack is looking at her.
6. Her hair hurts.
7. Her shirt is hot.
8. Her socks are hot.
9. Her shoes are hot.
10. Everything is hot.
11. Her undies are on the wrong side.
12. Her rice is yucky.
13. She needs a towel to wipe her face. A fresh, warm, new one.
14. Her yo-yo got on the table.
15. Baby (Jack) has yo-yo on his eye and on his hair!!
16. She wants to take a bath, not just put her jammas on her dirty body and go to bed because mama is tired.
17. Me-me (Meeko) licked her.
18. Me-me is naughty.
19. Baby (Jack) hit her.
20. She has to poop.

fun days

My Christmas vacation starts tomorrow. I originally was going to work tomorrow, but I thought "ah screw it". If we get the snow they say we are getting, then I'm going to take Ellie and Jack out to play. We'll put all our winter gear on and head out. Jack will be really, really surprised. I am so excited to have the next 13 days off with my favorites. Not that I don't always love and appreciate my kids, but when tragic, devastating things happen in the world, it always puts life into perspective and makes me realize that little things just aren't worth getting upset about. Cherish every moment, whether it's stressful, annoying, or just plain hard. There might be a lot of these things going on with a 1 year old and a 3 year old because they are just learning and growing. I'm learning to let them get away with a few things, because "really does it matter?"

Some of these examples include:

• dumping a bucket of water on Mama's back when she's sitting next to them in the tub
• Jack chewing on his toothbrush until it's bloody (some molars are coming in)
• Ellie changing her clothes 3 or 4 times a day
• Ellie getting skid marks in her undies :(
• Ellie eating cookies and junk food for a week at school (because it's Christmas)
• Jack playing with the toilet plungers (2 of them at a time)
• Jack playing with the toilet bowl cleaner and sometimes putting it in his mouth (at least it's not the part that goes directly in the toilet and it's just the stick, since I have the throw away sponge kind)
• Both of them wanting another serving (3) of yogurt with cereal and then not eating it.
• Letting both of them eat yogurt after their baths and brushing their teeth.
• Ellie completely destroying my closet upstairs which holds every kind of hello kitty sticker, bag, wrapping paper, stationary, envelopes, thank you cards and anything cute. (she took all of my neatly organized drawers and dumped them out and then I think danced on all of it - that is what I pictured in my head. It was even too much of a disaster to take a picture of).

Ellie and Jack

These two crack me up.

Lately Jack has been doing....

• Knows what the light switch is and will go to it if he hears that someone wants the light on.
• Has been waking up in the middle of the night wanting to play, eat or just whine. The other night he wanted 6 oz. of milk at 2 am. Really!?
• Has been putting the different shapes in a ball toy he has. He can now do it all by himself!
• If he wants to go 'bye bye', he grabs his shoes!
• He can take the baby gate down to the mud room. (this sucks)
• Wants to eat by himself, doesn't want someone shoving a spoon down his throat.

Ellie has been just as active....

• Doesn't want anyone in the bathroom with her.
• Wants to 'help' me do everything, wash the dishes, brush my hair, fold laundry. I need to teach her to massage my feet :) lol
• Has been crying when she has to go to school. She wants to stay home and hold baby Silas :(
• Loves baby Silas!!
• Pushes Jack on the floor :(
• Is really starting to copy everything we say, including phrases such as "Meeko get a away", "Aw shoot", and "Thank you, Mommy."

Swinging into Fall

As Summer is ending and Fall is quickly approaching, we try to spend as much time outside as possible. Last night we played on the swing set before the sun went down. This is my favorite time of year, but I have to admit I'm not looking forward to not wearing sandels, bundling up the kids and runny noses. Ellie and Jack love swinging, especially together!

Buddies

These two are the best of buds. I love it.

We only get one hourglass

These can not be my kids. My kids are babies. Time goes too fast. It is so precious and so are my babies. 

It reminds me of the song by Kenny Chesney. Don't Blink... 

Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand

You can't flip it over and start again
Take every breathe God gives you for what it's worth

I try to do this. I try. So, the laundry can wait, the floors can be sticky (Meeko helps with this sometimes), painting over the crayon colored wall can be painted a different day and sometimes playing outside is more important than baths. This definitely does not sound like the same girl before Ellie and Jack came along. This is the new girl, the new Mama and I'm okay with it.

The weather has been so nice we've been hanging out on the play set in the back yard. I've been letting Jack crawl around and enjoy the grass. We didn't really put Ellie on the grass when she was a baby, so the first time she stood on it with her bare feet she freaked out a little. My fault.

Ellie loves the play set. She really likes the slide too (now that I waxed it and it's dangerously fast.)

I really want to stain it and fix it up a little, but that's a lot of work and time! And like I said... it can wait. Unless someone wants to do it :)

hungry monsters

slurp

gulp

These two crack me up!

ha!

giggles!

MINE

Ellie's favorite word lately is MINE.  "Mine, mine, mine, mine."


Mine too.


These two are MINE!

Ellie loves Jack

Ellie has really enjoyed going to daycare on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For the most part she'll wake up and totally cooperate with getting dressed, putting glasses on, doing her hair and out the door. My mom or Nick usually drop her off as I'm already at work (I start at 7am). I get the fun part and pick her up! She is so excited to see me when I arrive and seems to be proud. Yesterday, she tried to get the attention of anyone that would listen that her "Mama" was there. It was cute. Wendi, my mom and Jack came along and Ellie was so excited when she got in the car. She misses Jack when she's at school and just loves on him as soon as she sees her baby brother. Here she is relaxing, but making sure she is touching Jack.... she grabbed his foot. Love them.

Lucky...

Jack is SO lucky to have Ellie as a big sister. She loves him so! Ellie is SO lucky to have Jack as a baby brother, but I'm the LUCKIEST to have these two as my babies.  SO SO lucky.

 

LOVE this smile!