Buh-bye pacis and a sickness.

[Christmas recap backdated to 12/25]

Because I am insane, I decided that Christmas eve was the perfect time to finally break our 2.5-year-old of the paci. Thankfully, he was down to using them only for nap and at bedtime, but still--it was time.

We had talked about it a few times leading up to the big night but sort of left it go. Randomly on Christmas eve, I decided to throw the idea out there to Carter and he went with it. I told him that, instead of cookies, we'll put his pacis under the tree, and in the morning, Santa would bring him a present for every paci he gave up. He willingly placed them all under the tree. Shockingly, there were only a few quick tears at bedtime, but he was so exhausted that he fell right asleep.

Santa kept his word, and there was one very excited little boy on Christmas morning! The novelty had worn off slightly by naptime and there were a few tears then, too, but I just laid beside his bed until he was asleep and he slept for just under three hours. The afternoon of Christmas, he was a handful, but I can't say if that was because of the pacis or overstimulation of toys! toys! toys! on Christmas day.

But that night...NOTHING. Not a single mention of them at bedtime. HUH!?!? Dang. We should have done this earlier.

Five days in, and he has mentioned it only once when he got scolded for something and once when he found one in a bag. Shoot, that silly Santa missed one. After a meltdown of toddler proportions, I bribed him with M&Ms and a show on tv, and that was that. A few minutes later, he reiterated that Santa took his pacis to the North Pole for the babies.

I'm so proud of how things are going. There's no difference in his sleeping except for the better (no more mini wake-ups because his pacis are lost!), and that, at bedtime, he is FULL of stall tactics and excuses now rather than just popping in a paci, rolling over, and going to sleep. Here are a few of his favorites right now:

- "It's too dark/light."
- "I have to pee/poop."
- "I need to play."
- "My pillow fell."
- "My foot is sticking out."
- "My arm is stuck."
- "I need a drink/snack/hug/kiss/song/prayer."
- "I can't see my clock."
- "My door is shut too tight."
- And on...and on...and on.

Here's to hoping we're officially done with the pacis and can get back to quickly falling asleep soon!

Oh, and baby girl was diagnosed with her first ear infection today and is a hot mess. Praying this amoxicillin kicks in incredibly fast, or else this will be the seventh or eighth consecutive night of crappy sleep. Currently, she's in the swing because she screams when I lay her down. Pray hard...momma needs some sleep!

Christmas 2012

Time for the Christmas eve/Christmas day re-cap! We spent Christmas eve at my (Danielle's) parents' house with my sister and her family, and my brother and his fiance. We had hors d' oeuvres for lunch and attempted to keep the kids calm and sane until my brother got home and we could begin the gifts. They were verrrry excited. Little Miss Addison was tuckered out before we began, so she was down for a nap. Three of the four cousins (soon to be five with Owen's arrival in January!) pose for "we're-stalling-but-please-hurry" photos!

 

 

The kids were SO excited to open their gifts, and it was complete with the standard "can we open it?" with every one. Carter loved helping his little sister, too! Baby girl got some snuggles in with Uncle Brad.

 

At my parents, Carter got magna tiles (cute little magnetic pieces that you can hook together to build 3D structures), a moon bounce, lacing beads, bath accessories, play stix, and a bunch of other things. Addison got a baby doll, the drum set above, bath toys, and a bunch of other things, too! Spoiled kids. :) I got a vacuum that actually sucks (in a good way), lots of decorations for my house, a gift card, and a stamped necklace with the initials a, c, and s on it! Seth got part of the vacuum as well (haha), and lots of hunting stuff! We also got a pizza making kit with all the fixins'. Hmm, spoiled parents too, I guess. :)

 

After the kids played for a bit, we headed to my grandma and papa's house for dinner and exchanging gifts with them! Carter got two cool wooden block sets and "dinosaur food" for his dino bank. Addison got a baby laptop of her very own (so she doesn't have to steal her brother's anymore!) and an activity center! Seth and I both got gift cards.

 

By this time it was reallly starting to snow, and we had intended to go to our church back at home, so we packed up and headed out (in a frenzy, of course). It took us forever to get home, so when we pulled into church, we were already 12 minutes late. Addison, of course, blew out her diaper into her outfit so I had to take care of that as soon as we got inside. By the time I had actually sat down in church, it was about 7:25, and at about 7:27, Carter fell--face first--off his chair onto the floor. His nose and forehead hit first with the rest of his body coming behind in a not-so-pretty way. People behind us gasped and, sure enough, the wails followed. I hadn't even taken off my coat yet, but I swooped him up and ran out of the sanctuary into the lobby. After a treating a bloody nose, we headed back in. I finally got to sit around 7:35, and church was over at 7:42. So not exactly what I was hoping for, but such is life with small kids, I guess. :)

 

We headed up for some chill time, and to put out cookies. Plans changed and we ended up putting out pacis instead (explanation in another post coming soon). We put the kids to bed and sat down to relax for a few. We had NO PLANS at all today, so we didn't worry too much about putting stuff away. We whipped up our Christmas morning sausage, egg, and cheese casserole, and hung out.

 

Santa visited!!!

Carter was very excited and had a great time! They were both spoiled rotten again. :) Carter got a race track, a small pillow/case for daycare, puzzles, books, clothes, new pajamas, Memory, cars, play food, Play Doh and accessories, and more. Addison got mostly clothes, pajamas, books, and stocking items (plate, silverware, sippy cups, etc.). I got a new lens for my Nikon, Photoshop, my 2010 blog book, a candle, and a bunch of gift cards. Seth got a lantern, a memory foam pillow, some clothes, and a bunch of hunting stuff!

It was a white Christmas and a certain little boy was dying to go outside, so Seth took him out. He got a snowman kit from Oma and Opa so he wanted to build one! He thought it was so fun and was giddy while he played.

 

The snowman turned out so cute, and even looked a little french the way his hat fell. We spent the rest of today chilling out and enjoying an italian dinner in our sweatpants (BLISS!).

 

We were, and are, incredibly blessed. We're thankful that we know the real reason for the season and can spend so much time with friends and family.

 

Merry Christmas.

Be blessed.

Christmas in New Jersey

This year, we spent Christmas in New Jersey before Christmas, which was a nice change of pace that allowed us to chill at home on Christmas day. We got to spend a lot of time with the entire family, and the kids had a blast playing!! Let me tell you--eleven kids under age seven makes for a very active household. :)

Oma and Opa made a yummy breakfast yesterday morning and then we did gifts as a family. This year, the kids each pulled names and so did the adults, so it did cut down on the chaos a little. From Oma and Opa, Carter got a tool bench and some clothes, and from his cousin, he got two really cool Melissa & Doug puzzles which he LOVES.

 

Addison wasn't quite herself while we were there--our normally laid-back little girl was a fussy mess, and of COURSE refused to sleep. Our kids always seem to do that when we travel anywhere, and always when it's a full house for them to wake up! Sorry, everyone! She made an appearance from her super long nap to open gifts after everyone was done and she had fun, too. She got lots of clothing, the snap and lock toy she's chewing on below, a snack trap, and a laugh and learn purse.

 

I got my blog printed into a book, and money (which I used to buy perfume!), and Seth got Bass Pro gift cards toward the many things he has in mind. We also got a gift card for Olive Garden! Yum!!

 

And the photo that takes the cake for the weekend, and the award for most hilarious...Oma and Opa attempting a grandkid shot which they were all CLEARLY into. Haha! :)  Real life at its finest right here.

 

Last night, the rest of the extended family came down for a big dinner and hanging out. Addison had a super rough night, so unfortunately, we got up and headed out early this morning. We were pretty certain it was an ear infection, so we called the pediatrician on the way home and made an appointment. Sure enough, though, it was viral (that dreaded word), and not an ear infection. Good on one hand; terrible on the other because there's no medicine for that!

 

Anyway, we had a fun time in NJ hanging out with everyone!

The Christmas celebrations begin!

On Saturday, we celebrated our first of many Christmases with my mom's side of the family. Of course, the day couldn't start without some standard Ran-family drama, right? The morning was pretty calm and laid back. I had made the highly-requested chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing, and transferred them from my plastic case into the nice bakery-style box I use when I have cupcake orders. We placed them in the back of the car, but left the hatch up. Bentley gets beside himself when he thinks we're going somewhere without him, so naturally he took off out of the house into the garage, ran around the car, and jumped up into the back.....right on top of the cupcake box, smashing the center twelve or so. Couldn't resist dog-shaming him. :)

 

As at any Christmas party, there was good food and a lot of candy, cookies, etc. Carter began the day by digging right in to the juice and junk food and never stopped. We'd find him hiding, eating chocolate and I counted A LOT of pieces of chocolates hidden in his pockets when we unloaded them that night. More on that later...

 

My mom did a craft with the kids...these little ornament wreaths. They were really cute!

 

Sweet girl (with her bumped up nose) with Aunt Michelle!

 

We got home around 7 p.m. and Carter was pretty chill and laid back. He hadn't really eaten dinner, so I tried to give him some pretzels, which he refused. I had a feeling he wasn't feeling so hot after all the junk, but didn't think much of it. He went to bed like normal but started crying around midnight. Sure enough, alllll the junk reappeared in a big way! Oy! We spent quite some time cleaning his room and giving him a bath but he went back to bed with no issue. He wasn't acting sick yesterday but was refusing to eat (but who wouldn't be??). He went to daycare today like normal, but was sent home after he threw up again. At this point, we were thinking maybe it was a stomach bug and not the junk. Who knows??

 

Anyway, much more on Christmas festivities to come!

Near to the Brokenhearted.

 (source)

 

I am overwhelmed with emotion over the elementary school shooting today in Connecticut. I cannot even fathom being a parent or loved one of someone in that school today. Praying for a peace the passes all understanding for those families today and in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Addison: Six Months

First of all - half a year old already?!?! WOW. Times flies.

Addison,

At six months old, you:

- Are 17 pounds, 9 oz. (76th percentile). You have some precious chubbiness, and your cheeks are super round and cute.
- Are 26.5 inches long (68th percentile)
- Have a big head like all of us! (44.9 cm, 97th percentile)
- Wear size 2 diapers during the day (and size 3 overnights) but you really should be in size 3 all the time. We're finishing up a box of size 2 and then you can be comfy again! :) 
- Wear size 6 month clothing. In some hand-me-downs that have been washed multiple times (mostly pants), you can wear 9 month.
- Are still a pretty inconsistent napper. At daycare, you mostly take catnaps with a few good ones here and there. At home, you usually take two 2-hour naps, but sometimes just one 3-4 hour one. See? Inconsistent. You do nap in the swing most of the time yet, but we're working on crib naps.
- Are back to sleeping through the night (hallelujah!), thanks to a quick bout of Ferberizing. I could hug that man.
- Are unswaddled now (and have been for about 3 weeks) but are in a sleep sack with the arms swaddles wrapped around your belly.
- Are still nursing, but only before bed as of yesterday. But we made it to our six month goal, so I'm very happy (especially since I made it less than 2 weeks with Carter!). Honestly, you don't even really care about nursing anymore, so that feed will probably be weaned within a week or so.
- Love your food! You have eaten rice, oatmeal, peaches, apples, pears, peas, bananas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash. You eat it only one time per day as of right now (dinner) but today at your appointment, the doctor gave me the go-ahead to give you breakfast as well!
- Are still a very happy, chill baby, though you are starting to have separation anxiety a bit. You don't cry at daycare drop-off but if you are tired or hungry and we leave your sight, you freak.
- Still LOVE the new jumperoo and have a blast in it!
- Still didn't get your teeth but we can almost see the little buds.
- Take a paci a bit better this month but don't care that much about it.
- Continue to hate your carseat. Unless you are sleeping or have a parent sitting beside you in the backseat, you are fussing.
- Put everything in your mouth!
- Had your first overnight away from mommy and daddy when you are Carter stayed at Gramma and Pa's on December 8. We went out with friends for daddy's birthday. You had a blast and of course were such a good girl!
- Met Santa this month and smiled like such a happy girl.
- Nicknames this month: Peanut, peanut girl, pretty girl, beautiful, baby girl. Still no Addy or Addie.

Baby girl, you are the light of our lives, right along with your brother. You are just so sweet and we can't get enough of you! We love you so much, but stop growing up so fast!!! :)

Why You're Never Failing as a Mother...

(source)

Fabulous article. If you're a mom, especially of young kids right now, take a read! Some rough language here and there, but look past that.

Why You're Never Failing as a Mother

Homemade Handprint Ornaments!

I saw this on Pinterest, so naturally I had to try! I'm sad I didn't do this for Carter's first and then again for Addison's first, but I did Carter's third instead. Hey, we didn't have Pinterest back then! ;)

 

All I did was take some acrylic paint, spread it on a plate, dip those chubby little hands, and put it on a clear, plastic ornament I picked up from Michael's for $.77! I my add some colored crinkle paper inside (pink for her, blue for him), but I sort of love them clear and simple, too! When the paint dried, I just wrote 2012 on it with a black sharpie. Voila!

 

Tis the season!

Let me begin by saying that this is the state of my living room 98% of the time right now. The toddler has always wreaked havoc in .2 seconds but add a Christmas tree and decorations into the mix, and things get pretty chaotic. I took a deep breath and sat back down and let him have fun. There's a quote out there that says a messy house is the sign of a happy kid, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)

 

This weekend was the all-important breakfast with Santa. We've been talking up the big guy the past week--saying how nice he is, how he will give you a present, and how he has a big, white fluffy beard. Here's "Santa's little helper" before we left to go to meet him!

 

Of course had to get some of both of them in their Christmas colors. So sweet!

 

I couldn't believe it! When we got there, Carter was instantly excited and waved to Santa. I'm sort of glad we were third in line because it gave him time to see two other kids sit on his lap without skitzing. He went right up to him and climbed up on his lap. When Santa asked what he wanted, he went right into the list (and let's just say, "Santa" and his...um, parents did an excellent job! Ahem...). It was adorable! Addison, of course, was oblivious and loved everyone oohing and aahing over her.

 

It was a buffet, which is one of Carter's love languages, so he chowed down and had sausage, eggs, ham, pancakes, and who knows what else!

Santa gave Addison a small stuffed animal and Carter got a goodie bag of treats, which he enjoyed. All in all, it was great!

Later that afternoon, Seth and I headed to Lancaster to meet up with four other couples from college to celebrate Seth's 30th birthday a few days early (and KID-FREE). It was so fun to hang out, take as long as we wanted, and celebrate Seth. I called the restaurant a few days in advance and asked if we could bring our own cake. They said of course, so I made a chocolate peanut butter cup cake. When I told them we were ready for the cake, it was taking a while, but I thought nothing of it. I caught a glimpse of fire out of the corner of my eye--it was the waitress was carrying it out with candles. Now, this is a big no-no for us, and I cracked up laughing but immediately told him I had NOTHING to do with that. They don't sing at the place, but a bunch of college kids next to us saw what was going on and started singing LOUDLY and pretty much the whole restaurant joined in. Haha. Certainly was hilarious.

Carter and Addison stayed with my parents, and of course did great and slept well. Thanks, mom and dad, for an overnight date night (and a full night of sleep)! :)

Night Two

Well, not much to write about for Ferber Method night two with Miss Addison. She wanted to make us look like a fool and she slept through the night. Fool away, little girl, fool away. :) I am actually very well-rested because in an effort to get to bed early (anticipating another bad night), I went to bed before 9! Ha!

You'll find me in the fetal position...

You know those times where you just want to hug your knees to your chest, while rocking back and forth and sucking your thumb?

If I could type while doing that, I would be.

Addison is super chill and such a sweet baby but stopped sleeping through the night abruptly about six weeks ago, and has been waking up several times a night. And the ONLY way we could get her back to sleep is rocking and/or feeding her. So we are very, very tired.

At our pediatrician's recommendations, we are back to the good 'ol Ferber Method of CIO. Please don't tell me I'm cruel and heartless or you will make me cry. No parent wants to sit and hear their baby cry but I also realize that, like Carter, if we don't do this soon, we will have a[nother] child that wakes up til her first birthday. It sucks, big time. But a few nights of misery for many, many nights of restful sleep for the whole family is what the doctor ordered, so it was time.

We began last night and, as we predicted, she gave us a SERIOUS run for our money. When we Ferberized Carter, the longest he cried was like 22 minutes or something.

Her? TWO. AND. A. HALF. HOURS. Persistent.

We cold-turkeyed her from the bottle, the full swaddle (well, we had her in the sleep sack swaddle, but with the swaddle part wrapped around her chest/torso with her arms out), and rocking in one night, so we anticipated it wouldn't be nice before we even got into bed. She began to fuss at 11 p.m. If you're not familiar with the Ferber Method, it is not just letting them scream and scream until they fall asleep. You go in at increasing intervals, comfort and pat them, and then leave again--without picking them up. For night one, you start with three minutes, then five, then ten, and so on.

She fell asleep briefly many, many times over the two and a half hours, but EVERY TIME, her startle reflex (when does this end?!?!?) would send her arms shooting up into the air and begin the crying again.

At the two and a half hour mark and the point in which my blood pressure/heart rate were higher than I thought imaginable, I simply walked into the room and without saying a word, tucked her arms down in her swaddle and she was out like a light til morning. Hmmm. We're at a loss if we should keep her swaddled or try every night without it in attempt to get her weaned from it. Basically, we have no idea. We'll have to see how tonight goes.

Thankfully, she woke up this morning happy as a lark--albeit a bit hoarse--and was ready for the day!

Anyway, I wanted to write this down so I can look back someday (hopefully like next week...ha!) and be thankful this season is in the past.

[Prayers appreciated.]

[Oh, and coffee.]

Thanksgiving 2012

Whew! What a Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great holiday weekend and are blessed beyond measure. Carter always puts it best when he prays -- he thanks Jesus for cheese, streams, his shoes, baths, bedtime (mommy's thankful for that too, buddy!). More than anything, we're thankful for family, friends, good health, jobs, cars, a warm house, and all that we ever need!

For Thanksgiving, we went to my Aunt and Uncle's house. Unfortunately, I don't have many pics to show of that because it didn't cross my mind at the time. Horrible! :) Here's the spice cake with maple cream cheese icing I made. It was de-lish. Thanks, Pinterest! I knew you wouldn't let me down. I had been dying to do this design with the icing for awhile and I think it turned out pretty well!

We stuffed ourselves with all the awesome food, and then attempted some grandkid and family pictures. And that did not go well. Addison kept tipping over and refusing to smile and the kids were distracted by helicopters, upset bellies, etc. Ha! It was worth a shot. This is pretty much the only "four grandkids" picture we got that wasn't blurry or downright hilarious.

And this is literally the ONLY family picture that was useable. Too unpredictable with kids. :)

After attempting family pictures, I took some engagement pictures of my brother and his fiance. They turned out pretty good despite me not being by any means a professional. Here is just one...



We went home and Carter was surprised to find out that Oma and Opa were going to be there soon! He was very excited to wrestle Opa and be all hyper again. :) We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, prepping for hunting (Seth, obviously), shopping a bit, going to church, etc.

All in all, a great Thanksgiving weekend. Now, it's time to celebrate Christmas! So excited to see how Carter will be this year. We broke out the Elf on the Shelf--who Carter promptly named Berrence! Such a fun tradition to start, especially since he actually gets the general concept. :)

Update on Bentley

I took Bentley to the regular vet today for his annual check-up and had a chance to ask him about the "bump" in his mouth before our specialist appointment next week. Thank GOD, the bump is not a bump at all, but an actual part of a dog's anatomy called the incisive papilla. Who knew??? The vet said that most people never notice it on their dogs (it's on the roof of the mouth, directly behind the front two teeth), but when they do, they always freak. :) I'm just thankful that ends the worry! Phew!

That time my husband put a dead deer in my trunk.

Hunting season is upon us. Yay. (sense the sarcasm?) This means I will be nearly husband-less on all weekends coming up until the Big One is shot. Which will hopefully be immediately on opening day.

Anyway.

I was looking at Anna's dropshots this morning and saw the photo of a dead dear in the trunk of someone's car and it reminded me a little (A LOT) bit of a certain husband who may have done something similar. And because I want to have this memory to remind him of when I want to do something absurd, I am going to write it down.

Seth went hunting back on October 13 during archery season, and got one. We (read: I) do not eat deer meat because...ew. But Seth insisted that he was butchering the deer this year for himself. I never put all the pieces together in my head until we were ready to leave my parent's house and he said we had to drop the carcass off at the butcher shop. Gross. Ok, no big deal. And then? It all came together.

Us? An hour from home. Butcher shop? Near our home. Driving? Our one-year-old minivan (you know, without a separate trunk space).

Um, no. Over my dead body. (No pun intended)

But he said there was no other way to get it there except in the back of our new car with! us! in! it!

I was mad. Really mad. I don't enjoy dead animals, and I most CERTAINLY do not enjoy them in the back of my new car with me and my poor, innocent children in it.

But alas, Seth and my dad loaded that (thankfully, skinned and gutted) beast into a giant bag (I'm practically gagging again as I type this), and placed it on towels in the trunk of our car. Next to my gorgeous Vera Bradley duffle. I gave strict instructions for it to not touch ANYTHING.

Thankfully, I didn't smell it at all (he's so lucky), and nothing was ruined in the process.

For real, though? Can I get a collective EWWWW from any other woman out there?!?! :)

Prayers for B.

When it rains, it pours, right? Aside from Addison being sick, lumps being found (and okay'd), car issues needing to be fixed, all the yearly bills due, and general fun of work, Seth noticed yesterday that Bentley has another tumor-like growth in his mouth.

I was literally nauseous after he told me, and Bentley is now scheduled with the specialist the Thursday after Thanksgiving.

Please pray incredibly hard with us that this is just a random cyst that means nothing, and not another round of the epuli. Unfortunately, I think we've hit our medical spending limit on him, and we're just not sure we can put another $4K+ into this again. We'll update when we know more.

Addison: Five Months

Addison,

At five months old, you:

- Are roughly 15 pounds, 4 ounces.
- Wear size 2 diapers, and 3-6 month or 6 month clothing. In some hand-me-downs that have been washed multiple times, we can put you in the 9 month but in brand new, 9 months is way too big.
- Are in interesting napper. Don't get me wrong, you nap well (in the swing...ahem), but it's often so well (3-4 hours) that it's only one time per day. We've discussed waking you at the two hour mark so that you can do a morning and an afternoon nap--we'll see.
- Are still getting up once a night for the most part (though sometimes two). We really, really miss that month of 11 straight hours, sweet girl. The good news is you are so chill during the night so at least it's just a quick eat and right back to sleep without any issues.
- Were unswaddled for several weeks but then seemed to be getting frustrated at your arms moving, so we reswaddled you. That night you slept through the night again. You haven't STTN swaddled since that first time a week or so ago and you roll EVERYWHERE in your crib, so I think it's time to unswaddle again.
- Are a rolling machine -- belly to back and back to belly, it doesn't matter! I'm seeing sleeping on your belly in our future since you end up that way a lot anyway!
- Are still nursing, but I think we may be coming down the homestretch. You nurse on-demand yet, and it seems to be around every 3ish or so hours during the day. Hard to tell for sure since you don't often have any really good feeds. You are very distracted and antsy and it's a bit frustrating, but I think we've done well to get this far. You get formula for one bottle (or 1.5 bottles) at daycare and usually one of the two (if there are two) night feeds. You also get formula if you are not satisfied after a feed or if we are in a public place that isn't conducive to nursing. I'd say you are about 70% breastfed. For now, we'll begin weaning you from the most stressful feed, which is 5:30 p.m. (right when I walk in the door!) and then probably one of the daytime ones. You nurse best during the night--go figure--and if you're REALLY tired, right before bed.
-Began to eat some solids. You've had oatmeal (not a huge fan), sweet potatoes, green beans (also not a fan yet), and applesauce (LOVE!). You get, at most, probably a teaspoon or two a day.
- Have won the hearts of all your teachers because they said you are the happiest, sweetest little love and are ALWAYS smiling. They are right--you are definitely a chill baby!
- LOVE the new jumperoo (just like your brother!) and are so happy in it.
- Are getting FOUR TEETH. We took you to the doctor two weeks ago because you were so fussy during the day and up a lot at night. I figured it was your ears. But nope! They said your ears were crystal clear but that you were on the verge of getting four teeth (top two, bottom two). The bottom two are verrrrry close to coming in and you're happier now so maybe the worst is over for those?
- Still don't take a paci well. You take it to fall asleep in our arms sometime, but that's about it. Once it's out, it's out for the night and you don't care (thank God!) and you rarely just take it during the day.
- Still don't like your car seat and spend a lot of car time fuss, fuss, fussing. This phase has to be over soon, right?!?! :)
- Smile all. the. time. Your gummy smile melts us into puddles on the floor.
- Put everything in your mouth -- toys, hands, peoples fingers, bibs, blankets.
- Went to Aunt Annette's with Carter while mommy and daddy went out on a date night. They said you did awesome!!
- Go to the nursery at church consistently now and do pretty well!
- Nicknames this month: Peanut, pretty girl, beautiful, baby girl. Still no Addy or Addie. Just doesn't seem right yet.

Addison, you are the sweetest little thing and you constantly have us in a pile of mush with all your cuteness. We can't believe you are such a big girl already, but we're excited for the upcoming holidays with you! We love you more than you can imagine!

Our nonexistence

Well. That was a little impromptu blog break. We've been MIA for a long time! We didn't intend for it to be like that but then with the hurricane, trick-or-treating, and one MISERABLE teething baby, I had zero time for blogging.

So yes. We fared perfectly fine in the hurricane save a few branches down in the front yard. Many family members were without power for a long time, and still are. I get sucked into the coverage of the hurricane and can't even fathom what some people are going through right now.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, we jumped on the preparation train in a big way. All I could think about was "Dear God, please don't make us lose power with two small kids." But, darn it, if we were going to lose power, we were going to be prepared!! We put away everything outside that could be blown away, took photos of the cars and the house, bought looots of bottled water and filled our huge camping thermos, filled the grill's propane tanks and our cars' gas tanks, bought lots of ice and stashed it in the freezer in case we needed to move our refrigerated food into coolers, did ALL the laundry, cleaned, etc.

And then we buckled down and waited. While we certainly DID get effects of the storm, it was nothing like I had envisioned, and the power only flickered once! Aside from many, many cold and rainy days, we escaped unscathed.

Trick-or-treating was moved to Saturday afternoon and it was FREEZING. I literally think I have two pictures while we were out because we were trying to keep things moving along. But, Carter was the sweetest little turtle I ever did see. I never did put Addison in her costume because it was SO cold and she was wrapped up so much in the stroller anyway, so it would have been useless!

And finally, our sweet, precious, laid-back baby girl has been anything but. She's a doll, but ohmyword, the teething makes her incredibly miserable...so miserable, in fact, that I took her to the doctor on Wednesday JUST to be sure it wasn't her ears. It wasn't, but they said she's about to get four (FOUR!) teeth, and to use all the standard comfort measures (Trust me, honey, I already am.). Well, little girl isn't looking to eat or sleep, so it's been interesting.

Thankfully, last night, I broke down and re-swaddled her. We had been working on breaking her of it for the last few weeks but I remembered back to the golden days when she slept all night when swaddled and VOILA!, she did it again. So, needless to say, she's rockin' it baby burrito style tonight. Please, Jesus, please. Let that be the answer!

Is it bad that it's only 8:29 p.m. but since it feels like 9:29, I'm tired and want to go to bed already?

We're alive.

It's been a week, so I thought I'd give you a very high-level update on what's going on and why I've been MIA. 

1.) I'm tired. Like, really tired. Addison must think that those 11 straight hours she was sleeping for a full month were no fun anymore, and now gets up at least once, sometimes twice, per night. And Carter, our already not-so-stellar sleeper, began once again getting up at 5:15 a.m. I'm super pumped for daylight savings time when that turns to 4:15. Hold me.

2.) As part of my baby weight removal program, I began the 30 Day Shred (to go with my Weight Watchers). I'm VERY sore. I'm impressed that I'm able to lift my arm high enough to type this right now. Because those were pretty much my only free 20 minutes in a day, I haven't had much time to update. :)

3.) Full-time job. Mothering. Wife-ing. Cleaning. Cooking. Crafting. But I couldn't skimp out on something cute for the kids' daycare Halloween parties, and created s'mores kits for Carter's class and wrapped up some baby food for Addison's (sorry, couldn't be creative there, not sure what else babies could even HAVE! ha).

 

Hoping to have a low-key weekend and, most importantly, TAKE. A. NAP. Is it bad that I'm thinking about that days in advance?? Don't answer that. 

One hilarious kid.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Carter is downright funny. He makes me laugh all the time. Here are a few of the most recent scenarios:

- In the bathtub the other night, Carter leaned down to Addison and said in a little baby voice "Hi pretty girl. You have thunder thighs." I seriously died laughing. I have NO idea where he heard this but I assured him it would be the first AND last time he told a girl she had thunder thighs.

- At bedtime tonight, he was saying his bedtime prayer (which, by the way, prayers are often a source of hilariousness). He thanked Jesus for the normal things, paused, and then kept going. "...for pictures. For Mickey Mouse." Again, I had to bite my cheeks from cracking up laughing.

- Bentley ate a box of 24 crayons last week. The vet told us to expect a colorful yard in 3-5 days but that it was otherwise not a big deal. Last night, Carter was outside with Seth while he mowed the lawn. He proceeded to ask Seth why Bentley's poop had sprinkles in it. HAHAHA.

I seriously love this kid and am thankful he makes me laugh so much!

Addison: Four Months

Addison,

At four months old, you:

- Are 14 pounds, 11 ounces (66%).
- Your head is 42.5 cm (82%).
- Are 24.8 inches long (66%).
- Have gorgeous blue eyes, that have lightened quite a bit this month!!
- Wear size 1 diapers (though just about in size 2), 3 month, 3-6 month, and some 6 month clothing. You are LONG, so length-wise 6 month clothing is really starting to work nicely.
- Usually take two good naps (2.5-3 hours) at home, and a series of catnaps at daycare, with a really good one here and there.
- MOSTLY sleep through the night. You did 7:45/8 p.m. until 6/6:30 a.m. for 3-4 weeks, and then just recently started getting up once during the night again. The lactation consultant says this is prime "growth spurt" time, so maybe it's that?
- Use white noise and are swaddled to sleep.
- Still mostly nap in your swing, which we've moved to your room since your brother is loud or very loud at all times in the living room.
- Nurse about every 3-4 hours during the day if it overlaps a nap, and a bit less if you are awake. At daycare, you go about 2.5-3 hours maybe?
- Are mostly breastfed, but since a few days ago, if you need a 4th bottle at daycare, it will be formula since you eat faster than momma can pump! :) At your last feed before you go to bed, you nurse (albeit not always very well - you are a RESTLESS nurser as the day wears on) and then are topped off with about 2-3 oz. of formula. It works for us.
- Are the love of your teacher's lives. They talk about you all the time--how sweet and cuddly you are and how you are always happy!
- Are still slowly getting better in that darn car seat. You do certainly still cry, but you can also remain awake without screaming sometimes too.
- Care less and less about your paci, which is lovely. You use it occasionally, but rarely to sleep.
- Continue to be the happiest baby. You are so laid back and cannot hold back a smile from anyone who gives you eye-to-eye contact and talks to you. I LOVE it! :)
- Started grasping toys and bringing them to your mouth.
- Drool all the time!!! Teeth already????
- Roll over from belly to back, and just the other night, rolled from back to belly while in your swaddler. That takes some skill, pretty girl. That meant that the crib bumpers have already come off!
- Seem to have blonde hair with a definite reddish tint to it.
- Started spitting up a bit more in the past few weeks. Not sure if it's because you guzzle or if it is because we introduced formula a bit. Nonetheless, it isn't too bad and NOTHING like Carter when he was a baby!
- Don't really like tummy time, but we can trick you by laying on our belly in front of you to talk to you or by putting on either Baby Einstein or a black/white contrasting image video for you. It works!
- Started going in your exersaucer - you like it, but mostly I need you in it while I'm trying to make dinner or clean and your radar knows this so you instantly think you need to eat. :)
- Went on a girls-day shopping trip with mommy, Gramma, Aunt Michelle, and McKenna. You did really well and slept in the car for the 3 hours of driving. Hallelujah!
- Started going to the nursery at church. You are usually a bit fussy because you would normally be down for a nap when we are at church, but that's always how Sundays are with little kids.
- Nicknames this month: Peanut, pretty girl, beautiful. And people have asked...still no Addy or Addie. Just doesn't seem right yet.

You are just the most precious little thing. I do not doubt that you get THOUSANDS of kisses a day. I hate the thought of you growing up as fast as your brother did. We love you, sweet girl.

Funny sidenote: The other night in the bathtub, Carter leaned down close to Addison's face and said "Hi, pretty girl. You have thunder thighs." I DIED laughing. I have no idea where he heard this and am certain it will be the last time he'll say that to a female without being smacked!

Crying over spilled milk.

We're still chugging along at this breastfeeding thing. Some days, it's for us and sometimes, I want to bang my head against a wall. :) She is an inpatient little girl, for starters. AND - working full-time and pumping is hard. Really hard. Last week, we had to start giving her one bottle of formula a day at daycare because I just can't pump enough to entirely feed her at daycare the next day (she outdrinks my efforts!!). SO, needless to say, every ounce is precious.

Cue Wednesday after work.

I walk into the house with my peasley amount of pumped milk from the day (I had work events all day and had hardly any time to pump!!). Knowing it's not enough, I grab a bag of frozen milk out of the freezer and lay it on the counter.

While loading the dishwasher after dinner, I noticed that the entire bag of thawed milk was all over the counter--a teeny, tiny hole in the bag the culprit. Crap! I was so irritated about this loss, but grabbed another bag out of the freezer and began to fill up her other bottles for today with what I had brought home.

AND I DUMPED IT INTO BOTTLES THAT I HAD NOT YET PUT LINERS INTO. Two more bottles worth of spilled milk.

I almost cried right then and there. Now down THREE FULL BOTTLES.

Through my stress/anger, I go to the freezer and pull out two more bags from the stash and put them on the counter. We go about our [insane] normal nightly routine, and go to bed.

You know where this is going, right?

While in Addison's room feeding her at 5 a.m. today, a light bulb came on and I remembered we never. put. the. stinking. milk. into. the. fridge.

I almost screamed. Literally.

A quick sniff proved them spoiled and I KID YOU NOT, had to pull out all entirely new frozen milk to send to school today. That means we used nine--NINE--bottles of milk to feed her for three feeds today.

It was a terrible night for the breastmilk in our house...and literally had me crying over spilled milk.

The sweetest prayer...

Carter said the prayer for dinner tonight.

Here it is, verbatim:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for my house, my dinner, um....for [very long pause] five, six, and my family."

I almost died it was so sweet. I especially loved the counting in there. Seems logical to me! :)

28 Months

Project Pinterest: Thank you cards

Time for another Pinterest craft...this time, it was a thank you card for Carter's teachers to thank them for all their help in potty training him!

It was super easy.

Supplies:
Card stock
Free printable, found here
Cup wrap from Starbucks
Twine
Starbucks gift card
Glue stick

Print out the free printable. Glue to cardstock. Open up the cup wrap and cut to fit. Glue it to the printable, making a pocket for the gift card. Slip the gift card in. Wrap with twine. Voila!

(idea for project here) 

Apple picking

This weekend was our annual apple picking adventure--Oma and Opa and Uncle Dirk and Aunt Polly came with us! It was much earlier than in past years, but it worked out great since I think the varieties of apples to be picked were the best they've been for a few years. We decided to go in the morning because Seth and I had a date night to The Melting Pot that night, and it was definitely chillier than it had been in previous years!!



 Checking out the tractor!

My golden delicious little boy! :) We took this picture last year too, so I'll have to do a side-by-side on how he's grown.

I never have any pictures with the kids because I'm usually taking them, so I made daddy step up to the plate! Love my princess!

Oma and Opa and the grandkids...

I have to be honest. I envisioned a cute fall sibling photo in a vast field with pumpkins, but it was way too muddy. We ended up having them pose in front of the props and I think it turned out as sweet as can be.

Love these two!

 

Kisses from daddy. I died of the cuteness.

We hopped on the free wagon ride and C-man had a fun time with Opa!

Our next step will be to make applesauce with the apples we picked, which could be interesting with two little helpers. :) We haven't had any homemade applesauce in the last year so it will be awesome to have it again!!

After apple picking, we had lunch back at our house and just hung out for the afternoon. Seth and I went out for our date night to The Melting Pot and had a great time. I seriously LOVE that place and think about it for days leading up to when we go. SOO good and great to spend some time talking and relaxing (in peace) while Oma and Opa watched the kids.

All in all, a good weekend! :)