iPhone Friday 08/31/12

LtoR, Top to to Btm
1. Bubble bath fans, Nora may or may not have ingested some
2. xray's at the dentist to make sure her very last molar was on its way
3. dr's appt the same day, all went well.
4. Emmy built and took a picture of mrs. tater head
5. happy girl

1. Another pic of tater head, oops.  I guess I'm just proud of my budding photographer
2. Emmy's stats
3. Morning snuggles with my girls
4. Getting checked out by dr wan
5. on monday I tripped on a dang sweet gum tree ball and rolled my ankle while running.

iPhone Friday 08/24/2012

Just following trend and posting this a day late!  I can't get enough of these girls, they are my light.

Best Buds

Meet Elle.

Elle's mommy and I are in the same Sunday School class.  The girls are a just a few weeks apart, so we had the pleasure of going through pregnancies together.

Unfortunately, at different times in life, we have both gone through infant loss.  It was so nice to have someone to talk to after going through my losses.   I wouldn't wish this type of loss even on my worse enemy.

We are so grateful for these little miracle girls.  From the looks of it, I think these two little ladies are going to be the best of buds!

5 months {nora}

5 months old???  I cannot believe how fast time has flown by, such a cliche statement I know.  We have had a busy past month (4th of July, vacation to Colorado and Emmy's 3rd birthday).  With all those food eating holidays and celebrations, I'm happy to say I still managed to lose 2 lbs leaving that last pesky pound to go!

Eat: Somewhere between 530 and 6.  So today's schedule looked something like this 530am, 830am, 1200pm, 230pm, 530pm, 8pm.  During the day Nora takes 5oz bottles and her 8pm feeding is also a bottle, generally 6oz.
Sleep: Usually asleep by 800pm and as previous item said, now waking a little early to eat.  Not sleeping quietly through night as she is still waking somewhere between 4-5am. She is in her own room now (we disassembled the crib and put it in "mimi and papa's room", guest room. I usually go in there around 4 am and sleep on the bed until she completely wakes to eat.  Sleep has been a little bit better since moving her into a big crib in her own space.  Also, Nora caught a cold after Emmy's bday party so nap times and night time haven't been so hot lately due to nasal congestion.

Naps: The late morning/noon nap is usually the best nap at 2+ hours.  The morning nap and afternoon nap are more along the lines of 1 hour.  We try to get her to nap in the evening but that doesn't always work.  I can foresee her dropping that evening nap and hopefully going to bed earlier.

Shoes: I think she's a size 1, but we rarely put socks or shoes on her.
Clothes: mostly 6 months.
Diapers: Size 3.
Trips: Colorado in July (Nora did NOT like vacation. Altitude? Too many strange faces? Getting a cold? Teething?  We may never know...)
Likes: LOVES Emmy, her face just lights up when big sister enters her view, exersaucer, floor gym, drooling, exploring with her hands, pinching things with toes, blowing bubbles into bottle, sleeping with arms out (yay! we dropped the swaddle), pat-a-cake, being held and carried in baby bjorn (facing out)
Dislikes: having to wait on a bottle, when Emmy steam rolls her, loud noises, too many strange faces approaching her all at once.
Milestones: Bearing weight on legs and standing with support, starting to hold bottle, plays with hands and very grabby, putting paci in mouth and ripping it out, occasionally turning when we call her name, sits with support, very strong on tummy time but still won't roll over...oh well.
Other: Nora is still doing very well at self soothing to sleep (sometimes needing a little help with paci-reinsertion).  I was hesitant about breaking her of the swaddle but she started to get to the point of breaking out of it.  She still has crazy arms, so I put loveys around her arms so they serve as a little barrier between her hands and her face/paci. Nora took her first swing ride at a park in Grand Lake, Colorado.  She finally went swimming this past month and loved it, as soon as I put her in the water she started kicking her legs like she wanted to swim.  Nora is still the sweetest and I love watching her little body shake with delight when she gets excited.

the past month

colorado 2012

Sidenote:  When she's not being a typical eye rolling, tantrum throwing, mad/stomping, independent yet still needs help doing everything 3 year old....Emmy is the sweetest thing.  Her favorite song right now is "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from the Lion King soundtrack.  She sings it SO sweet.  She started school recently at B'Nai and is having the best time.  She has changed and developed in her first week of school, it's amazing!

Our lives are completely blessed with our two little miracles, I cannot imagine life any differently.

iPhone Friday 08/17/2012

1.  tricksters.  Without cousin Jackson, Emmy wouldn't know how to climb like a monkey.
2. Most nights we eat at the table, but sometimes it's nice to change it up.
3.  Nice parking job
4. Cool temps in August?  Yes please
5. Hoping she figures out how to hold her bottle reliably soon!
6. Sad Nora
7. Squeaky clean sisters
8. Nora had a trial day at her new daycare today, all the kids LOVED her!
9.  This is the best I could get, it's so hard to get a good shot with both girls looking and smiling!

iPhone Friday 08/10/2012

the post is a day late...what's new! hah.

1.  eating at pei wei and cheesing it up
2. my little sailor girl
3. decorating her bday cake
4.  eat the cow, eat the cow, eat the cow
5. jogging while pushing a total of 70# is definitely a workout

1.  stretching before gymnastics
2. emmy's new ride from mimi and papa ensley
3. seester
4. happy girl
5. so intrigued by the exersaucer lately

Nora's 4 month appt at 4months+3weeks

We had a great 4 month checkup. The dr is pleased with Nora's development and the flat spot on her head is healing nicely.  I did get scolded about giving in to Nora and going in her room in the middle of the night to fix her swaddle.  She really pushed us to transition away from the swaddle.  Also, this past week we moved Nora into her own room.  I can't believe we had her in our room for so long. She ended up in our bed most nights and wasn't sleeping great past 4 am.  She seems to be doing better in her own room and completely slept through the night without waking me up last night from 8pm to 645am.  GO NORA!

Our little girl is growing and is oh so healthy.  A bit smaller than big sister was at this point, but not a little baby by any means ;)

And for fun, here's a pic of them side by side at their 4 month appointments.  I love comparing photos just to see if they are starting to lok more alike.  I think their noses are the same.  Eyes and mouths are different, head shapes as well.  This is about the extent of our comparison.  We are quickly learning that  they are completely different little girls, and we love that fact about them!

3 years {emmy}

Wow, where do I even begin?  3 years (well, 3 years as of this Monday)?  Already?

My little Emmy (I'm uncertain on stats, her appt isn't until the end of the month.  But I believe she's weighing in around 33#) is soooo full of life.  Unless she's throwing a tantrum, she is the happiest little person around.
I'm using her 2 year old post as a template, and despite my sleep deprived state I hope to think of more to add.
FAVORITE SONG(S): Any made up song to the tune Frere Jacques, the "Goodnight Olivia" song, "Lord's Army", "Downtown" by Petulia Clark, "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen and still anything Johnny Cash.
FAVORITE FOODS: Nutella, Goldfish, Angry Birds shaped Graham Crackers and Ketchup (which she calls keputch or kep-e-uptch-e)
FAVORITE OBSESSIONS: walking right up to Nora's face and yelling "hey" 100x in a row, doing everything "by my own" unless of course we ask her to do it on her own- then she needs help, using scissors and cutting things you aren't supposed to at moments when you shouldn't, play dough, acting completely dejected when told no, turning the light switch to off at bedtime, YouTube, making messes but not wanting to clean them up, bubbles, ... to be continued as I remember more!
FAVORITE BOOK(S): "llama llama zippity zoom", mainly because one line says "llama llama BOP" and BOP is emmy's made up word that she uses in place of everything and  "All By Myself" by Mercer Mayer
FAVORITE WORDS/PHRASES: "hand-tizer" (hand sanitizer, but we only allow you to use it when we are out and about or else you would empty a bottle in a day), "You guys are my buddies" (always accompanied by a forceful neck hug), Noria, "But I didn't touch the potty" (when she doesn't want to wash her hands in the bathroom...nice try, never works), "______ is yucky" (when she doesn't want something: graham cracker, milk, a book, a treat...anything), "that's a good idea!"and "OK" after we explain something to you
FAVORITE SHOWS: Strawberry Shortcake, Dora, Olivia and The Lion King (which we turn on almost every single day. We never make it all the way through.  Her favorite part is "Hakuna Matata")

Emmy,

You are a sweetheart with a strong will and independent yet still a needy little being.  You love with your whole heart and your little sister's eyes light up every time she sees you (even though you yell in her face and pull on her head and hair...sigh).  You make the funniest faces and can be SO dramatic.  What can we say?  You are 3, this is all typical.  We remember vividly the day we brought you home.  Never in my wildest dreams could we have imagined what life would be like 3 years later. Deciding to have you is hands-down one of the best decisions we ever made.  We are so thankful God chose us to be your parents.  We love you.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy