Tree Cutting 2012

We went to a new place for our tree this year... Won't do it again but it was still a fun time. We ended up with a huge tree!!! It took forever to find because Maddie is very particular about her Christmas tree! She loved the one we found and said it is the best tree we have ever had. Stacy and I say it's the biggest tree we've ever had... And found and decorated with lots of love. Who could ask for more?

Advent 2012

 

Here are our adventures for the month of December.  I had big plans to make new and even better/cuter advent calendar.  Howver, this mama of three just hasn't gotten around to it.  In fact, my To Do list isn't getting any shorter and we still don't have our house fully decorated for the holidays.  I am just DYING to get the outside lights up....all in sweet time.  Have to wait for the hubby to have a day off.... 

Anyway, very excited about our activities again.  Most of them are the same from last year but there are a few new ones thrown in there.  The biggest change we are making is when we go and drive around to look at Christmas lights, we are going to go and PAY for Spanaway Lights.  Last year we were on a wild goose chase looking for lights and kids got cranky in the car ride. 

Saturday, December 1:   Go for a ride on the Santa Train

Sunday, December 2:  Go cut down our Christmas tree

Monday, December 3: Cozy socks

Tuesday, December 4: Write your wish lists/letters to Santa

Wednesday, December 5: String popcorn and cranberries for our Christmas tree

Thursday, December 6:   Snowman pancakes and bacon

Friday, December 7:  Movie and treats

Saturday, December 8: Shop for needy child

Sunday, December 9: Zoo Lights

Monday, December 10: New ornaments

Tuesday, December 11: Make homemade cards

Wednesday, December 12: Christmas craft/make ornaments

Thursday, December 13: Drive to see Christmas lights with hot cocoa

Friday, December 14: Happy birthday Bella:  Random Act of Kindness

Saturday, December 15:   Decorate Gingerbread houses

Sunday, December 16: Snowflake Lane in Bellevue

Monday, December 17: Bath and Body Surprise

Tuesday, December 18: Read Christmas Story with sweet treat

Wednesday, December 19: Craft Day!  Make paper snowflakes

Thursday, December 20: Secret treats to neighbors

Friday, December 21: Christmas Story ready by Grandma Judy who will be coming to visit from Canada

Saturday, December 22: Christmas coloring pages and crayons

Sunday, December 23: Hair bows

Monday, December 24: Happy Birthday Maddie: Christmas PJ’s

Halloween 2012

Another fun Halloween!  Our girls were dressed as Alice in Wonderland, Pocahontas, and a Ladybug.  We followed our yearly tradition of dinner at The Fietz's house with Maddie's good friends and then off to do trick or treating.  Bella was really into the trick or treating this year.  She was so great too because she knew she couldn't eat any of the candy she got from the houses, and she never asked to eat one single piece.  Luckily I had gotten a few treats from Marlene's Market so she could have some candy that night.  We decided to start a new tradition of The Great Pumpkin this year and even Maddie was all for it.  The girls got a few pieces of candy and then before bedtime they left their treat bags by the fireplace for The Great Pumpkin.  Then in the morning they got a present in exchange for their candy.  It was fun, they were excited, and I was relieved to find a good tradition that works for our family.  Thank goodness for the great ideas that friends gave me about Halloween.  Dealing with food allergies is hard sometimes...but what a perfect idea!  

7 Months...late (again)

Lily's 7 month pictures...a bit late (again).  I always am so sure that I won't be late the next month...somehow the time slips away from me. Oh well....  Lily is so active right now it was tough to get any pictures of her.  She wants to roll while on the ground and was trying so hard to wiggle off the chair I couldn't get any good shots. This shows her personality and how much she has changed though!

Here are some milestones and likes/dislikes for our sweet baby girl:

Milestones:

1.  Loves eating!  New foods: pears, squash, plums, and carrots.

2.  Starting to move around but not crawling yet.  She can scoot a bit on her bottom and rolls when she wants something.

3.  Got her two bottom teeth!

3.  

Likes/Dislikes

1.  Loves grabbing her feet and trying to move around.

2.  Loves to chew on anything and everything!

3.  Smiles so much at her two big sisters.  She love watching them and loves when they tickle her.

4.  Loves the bath and splashing the water.

5.  Loves any toy that makes noise and music right now.  Her musical drum and caterpillar are a favorite right now.

6.  Hates getting dressed or undressed. She gets so mad!

7.  She has just started protesting when you take something away from her that she wants..like mommy's IPhone, keys, and remote.  She squeals and throws her self backwards in a tantrum.

She is still so sweet and good natured.  We can take her anywhere and she is always happy.  She doesn't do well if she misses her naps (which happens a lot when you are running around with two other kids from one activity to the other).  We are so lucky to have this happy bubbly little munchkin.  I can barely remember what life was like without her.  

Best Decision

As a working mama there is nothing more important than who is caring for your child or children while you are gone. I know all you mamas out there are shaking your heads in agreement. We unexpectedly had to let go of our first nanny a few weeks into the school year so....We recently hired a new caregiver to take care of our little girls. I have known her for ten years and know her family well. When I say that she is amazing it is the understatement of the universe! She really is.
I have such confidence in her and her abilities to love and care for our girls. Yes, she cooks for them and plays great with them... But that's not just it. She knows them and gets them. This is so huge for me. I sometimes get tears in my eyes when I watch her interact with them because I am so grateful for the love i see there and the bond that they have built. The girls adore her and in this short time at our house she feels like part of our family. I thank God about the course of events that brought her into our lives. I go to work knowing they are good. There is nothing more that a mama can ask.

Food Allergies and Intolerance

This food allergy/intolerance stuff is frustrating!!! We have done testing with the pediatric allergist, both girls see a GI specialist and dietician at Mary Bridge, they also are under care from their regular pediatrician, a naturopath and the bottom line is we have no definitive answers. In fact they all say something different and offer different advice. Ugh! Finally the dietician at Mary Bridge said it...this food allergy stuff is really hard and 50% of the time the testing is wrong! Wrong! Well I could have told you that! She also said they only way to know for sure what the girls react to is to do the elimination diet and add things back and wait for a reaction.
One thing we do know is that when we did the Real Food Challenge we had zero problems or reactions to food for Bella.
we opted to do alternative food testing... Waiting now for the results. Hoping that will give us a little more of a direction.
That said... This week I made some mistakes in Bella's food and we have all been paying for it! When she doesn't feel well it results in a whiny, clingy, crabby, emotional girl!! We are currently on a food cleanse... Only whole foods for her and can't wait till it all clears her system. Maybe then I won't be waking up to screams every morning!!!

Balance

First I have to say to my sister Elisabeth..get out of my head!  We are so much alike it is ridiculous.  I read her blog post this morning while I was already formulating and typing this one and we are totally on the same page with how we are feeling at this moment in time.  When I read her blog post I laughed out loud and then cried..and cried.  Thank goodness we feel the same way and I know she understands me so well (and I her).  I sometimes feel afraid of saying how I am feeling because people will take it as me complaining about my life and I am blessed beyond words, so I never want to appear to be ungrateful or to have a complaining heart.  I love my life.  I love my family. 

That being said, Sherman(Elisabeth's husband) was right on the nose when she was feeling inadequate about not doing everything that she thinks she should be doing and he said :

"Who cares? You take incredible care of our son. He's happy, healthy, and you play and teach him all day long."

Sherman, I love you even more than I did before for saying that to her because it is so true.

I have been having a rough time the last few days due to no child care and having to take off work, which is really really tough.  I am committed to my job, even though I work part time...but I have had to miss conferences with kids and parents, a field trip with my amazing third graders, a district team meeting, and having to write sub plans for three days.  Well it had me feeling GUILTY. 

Guilt, the words all moms feel.  We should talk about it even more than we do!  It feels a bit empowering just to talk about it.  I was talking to a good friend of mine today in the midst of me feeling out of balance in my life, and pulled in many different directions.  She said she loved being at home with her child when she was on her maternity leave, but she was always feeling guilty.  Guilty that she wasn't stimulating enough, doing enough for him, etc...etc.  As my sister said there is this pressure when looking at all these blogs and pinterest to be doing more more more....  I read the other day (somewhere but can't remember where) that all those amazing blogs have fabulous pictures of all these great things that moms are doing with their kids that leave others of us feeling inadequate.  But, I think about when I feel good about something I do with my kids, I take pictures and want to share it too.  It's great, and I want to celebrate that at that moment I am feeling like a successful mama with happy growing children.  Those bloggers are doing the same exact thing.  :) 

It's just so the truth.  However I think that the fact we are feeling guilty and searching for that good balance with putting our kids first and making sure they know how loved they are....well it means we are striving for more.  If we all thought we were great and amazing, then that means we would have stopped growing as parents, wives, teachers, etc...  I don't ever want to stop growing and trying to be good at being mama, wife, and teacher.  If I ever do, well you heard it here first, remind me of this post.  I always want to be changing and getting better.  Good Lord, I have change so much since having kids already....hoping to be better all the time.  Now, if I could just find some better balance!  :)

 

First Food

Lily finally got her first taste of food!  Sweet potatoes were on the menu, along with a sippy cup (which she cannot drink from yet) of water.  Big sister Bella helped do the honors of giving her the first bites....she was open and ready.....

 

 

 Finally they are giving me some of that stuff they are always putting into their mouths...food!  So excited....

 

 Hmm...not sure about this

 

 Better try another bite to see.....

 

 I better touch it....not sure what this stuff is....feels strange

 

 Bella says I should try it again...ok.....

 

 Gets a little better with each bite.....

 

 

I think I like these things they call sweet potatoes...I will try again tomorrow.

Lily 6 Months

Our sweet baby girl is over 6 months now!  At her 6 month check up she was 20 pounds 6 ounces and 26 inches long.  90th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.  She is a growing girl.

 

Milestones and Likes/Dislikes

 

1. Sitting up really well now.

2.  She is starting to move around when on the ground, in a circle

3.  She is learning to drink water out of a sippy cup.

4.  Loves to nurse still and can tell me when she wants to nurse by nuzzling her face into me

5.  She also gets really excited for her "ba ba"  Her legs and arms start flapping around like crazy when Erika is making her bottle.

6.  Lots of talking: ma ma, ba ba, da da, ga ga...She seems to say Da Da when looking at daddy, but we aren't 100% sure yet.

7.  Loves watching her big sisters and cousin Ronan

8. Takes 2-3 naps a day and loves to stay up late with mama and daddy when everyone else is sleeping.  She's no fool, she knows when she gets undivided attention.  She finally hits the sack with mama at 10pm.

9.  She is always happy and smiling and rarely cries.  Squeals when gets overtired

10.  Loves going out and about and looking at new things/people.

11.  Loves books, her exersaucer, any toy that makes noise, and stuffed animals.

12.  She LOVES the Ergo and loves being carried around.

13.  She also loves going for our daily walks.

 

 We loves watching her little personality bloom.  I can see a bit of both Maddie and Bella in her personality.  She is very sweet, a bit demanding, and super mellow.  She looks the most like mama and when we compare her baby pictures to the other girls, mostly like Maddie.   I look at her everyday and don't think it's possible to love her anymore, but everyday I do. 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Patch 2012

Spooner Farms.. Annual pumpkin patch trip.