Back in Action

Um...It's been a while.

I started blogging for Woman's Hospital (for the last year), so I kind of stuck with that and lost sight of my personal blog.

However, my kids have become so adorable and smart that I am back to feeling like I will forget the wonderful things they do and say if I don't document them.  I have the worst memory!  That's what really drives my blogging.

Today I decided to get on here because Camille was cracking me up (and because I have about 30 minutes to myself!!).  She was singing "PBS KIDS" over and over outside the bedroom door while I was having Mommy time.  Um--it was hilarious...and why would she sing that?  Love it.  And yes, we are PBS nuts here.

She also asked to watch, "D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-Dora" last night.  Hhahahaa!  The show's song sings it that way, and she asked this in a plain speaking voice.  It was great.

We started a sticker chart today for her to get some boots that I couldn't help buying.  She saw me in my boots and said, "ooooooh, I love your boots Mommy!".  She's two.  I mean...it's adorable.  Come on.  You would have bought her some too.  The thing is, I can't wait until Christmas to give them to her, so I started a chart.  She gets a sticker for brushing her teeth, picking up her toys, and not throwing fits.  That last one is worded funny and is tricky, but hopefully it will help her not throw a fit.    It's great.

Oh...and by the way...we now have TWO KIDS.  Whaaaaa?  I guess we didn't even have little Maggie last time I blogged on here!!  So wild.

Maggie is already 9 months!  (almost 10...and I definitely did NOT take a 9 month photo)  She is pulling up on furniture and trying to get good at standing.  She is blabbing like crazy.  She has three adorable little teeth.  She has the sweetest ear to ear grin.  She adores her sister. She is soft and snuggly.  She is greatness.

Camille is such an amazing big sister too.  She entertains Maggie by singing to her and dancing for her (sometimes frighteningly close to her limbs and/or face), she tries to teach her things ("look at this book Maggie" "this is an egg Maggie"), she loves to kiss on her and hug her, and she shares her toys with her (except for the Dora block--that's hers only!).  Seeing them play together and laugh together is the best feeling in the world.  It is so wonderful to have siblings.  I am sure it's that much more painful to see them fight, but we are hoping they stay friends for a long time!

In other news:
Camille can count to 11 (minus the number 7....she has a block on 7), still has no idea what her ABC's are past D, sings Jesus Loves Me and Where is Thumbkin, and loves reading books.

Maggie is great at drumming, drooling, loves eating snacks, and also loves books.

They are the greatest girls!!!

My baby's a toddler!

My baby is one year old now.  I get a lot of "wow--that was a fast year" and "can you believe it?" and...sometimes no, but most of the time yeah.  I mean, it's been a great year--but it's felt like a year.  I think what really threw us into "baby stages last a long time" reality was the stomach virus.  I mean...when you have to change diapers every hour and they are awful and poor baby's butt is sore and the sheets need to be changed and her outfit needs to be changed...you start really feeling that year.

I'm not upset about it--but I do feel like we've earned our year-old status!  Go Camille!

She's taking more and more steps--getting braver, steadier, and more confident.  That's fun to watch--sweet girl.

She had her check up today and the doctor was slightly concerned that she isn't talking.  She's not referring to us as Momma or Dadda--but can make the sounds.  She has said "bah bah" (as in "bye bye") while waving bye a couple of times and she growls like a lion when she sees one in her book, and she also barks at dogs.  So...she's communicating--just not with us.  :)  We're not worried yet, but hopefully we can get some more words soon.  We talked to her so often and ask her questions and name things and practice colors and shapes...I like to think that her brain is just SO FULL of knowledge that she is having trouble picking which word to say first.  She wants to make it count.

Camille's moved into the big girl nursery now too.  She goes outside to play twice a day and eats cafeteria food.  She hast to wear shoes to school...which should be interesting.  I keep reading that babies learning to walk should be barefoot so they can learn or to be in soft-soled shoes at least.  Well, she hates shoes and the ones she has are the soft ones that she can pull off, so I hope her teacher is patient.  We've started wearing them more.  She wore them yesterday for a stroll around the neighborhood so that she'd be distracted and wouldn't notice she had shoes on.  It worked for a good while.

Halloween's coming up!  Can't wait!  She has a little outfit, but it has sleeves...she also hates long sleeves.  She pulls her arms out and into a chicken wing (as B likes to call it).  Poor girl...so many things she's having to learn to deal with.  Winter's coming though--gotta get used to shoes and sleeves!

We've named baby 2!  Maggie Lynn.  Little Maggie and Camille.  How sweet!  Can't believe we'll have another one in 4 months.  I also can't believe how little publicity Maggie's gotten!  I haven't posted ultrasounds or anything.  It's sad.  I just don't have time, and I am SO exhausted lately.  Work's been insane, C was sick, we were planning her party and cleaning, and it's just been nuts.  Thanksgiving week I'll be off M-W without Camille (Sorry baby--you've got to go to school at least for some of those days), so that's when I'm going to get Maggie's room all set up and painted and unpack all of Camille's old baby clothes.  I can't even believe we're doing this again so soon.  It'll be great, but sometimes I get a little freaked out.

I still stand by my idea that it'll be great to be done with diapers all at once instead of dragging it out.  Not just diapers I guess, but baby food and formula and waking up in the middle of the night for feedings, etc.  I'm just lazy I guess.

Nap time.  Maybe.

Blogging Overkill

So...signing up to blog for someone else has been the downfall of my blogging life.  What was I thinking???  Now I feel like my entries have to be themed instead of a random account of life as it has happened and I have to turn them in on a deadline.  Even when I have nothing to say I have to write.  That definitely takes the fun out of it.  Then, when I have stuff I want to write about in my personal blog I think, "better use this time to write for the blog that's 'due' this weekend." instead of working on what I want to do.
I'm a little disappointed...and won't be signing up to do it again.

In happier news:  Camille's a strong stander and is taking steps regularly, but isn't walking a whole lot.  It's lots of progress and is going well!  Yay!
I also got a new iPhone, so now I'll be able to do pictures more regularly and the camera's actually better than my current camera--so I should have lots more pictures of life.  YAY.

I'll have to post more soon...just wanted to pop in and vent my frustration with writing for someone else versus writing for myself.  I have NO idea what to write about for this week...any suggestions?  :/

Pass the Pills!

Oh goodness.  I'm feeling saucy.  It's the meds.

I think I was living in an alternate universe today.
1. I sang something out loud in class....and really thought it was internal.  Never happened before, was hilarious (and distracting).
2. I SWEAR I dropped my pen, but then next time I looked it was on my desk.  When I thanked the student for picking it up he said he didn't....that it never fell.  I remember looking at it under my desk thinking, "I don't feel like picking that up.".....but it never fell?  Surely he was messing with me...right?
3. I listened to a student's writing assignment then heard other kids comment about a dog in the story, and had no idea that there had been a dog.  To my horror the kids replied with, "but you asked about the dog a minute ago." Uh-oh.  This isn't looking good.

Scariest part of the day:
4. I went to get a free skin cancer screening and told the doctor, "I have a really big mole on the side of my head that's been there forever."  I've had it checked before, and they always said it was fine.  I thought it was on the right side of my head, but she looked and didn't see anything so she went to the other side and found one and said "yeah, let's remove it."  No big deal, right?

WRONG.

I came home to look at it and it DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME AT ALL.  It's smaller and in a different place....ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY HEAD.  WHAT?  I have seen this mole for so long....how did it suddenly become so tiny and........in another place?  And if it's just a different one, what happened to my old one??  It was the size of a nickel!  They can't just disappear!

I mean, I know I'm on some serious cold, allergy, vitamin medication here--but that can't change my mole in a day, right?  Is my brain that off?  I'm a little scared.

Also: Skin cancer screening.  Not what I was expecting.  I was told they'll check whatever I want and whatever I'm comfortable with.  Nope.  By the end of her check I was sitting on the table in my undies and bra thinking, "no one wants to be half naked AND sitting...this is not cool...my moles are all on my arms or head" while she took my shoes off to check my feet for moles.  I didn't wear socks with my shoes today, so jokes on YOU doc.  Jokes on YOU.

Ouch.

What a day.

Fall 2011!

I know it may be a bit early, but I feel like Fall's here! I am super excited!!

We are putting in some big poles to hang swings tomorrow, and the weather is great.  We also celebrated our niece's 1st birthday today, which is insane.  I can't believe it!  Camille's birthday is coming up really fast.  I'm excited, sort of sad, and so proud all at once!  I've been thinking about what to get her and what we will need when baby 2 is here so that I don't waste money on something we won't get to use once we have 2, or that baby 2 won't ever use.  I'm very excited about what we've decided on and what we've decided we don't need to spend money on.  I'll probably post ideas later to get some feedback.  What did you guys do for your kids' first birthdays???

Here are a few things I wanted to make note of before I forget!:

--Camille and I were playing this morning before her nap, and ever time I'd cough she'd crawl over and lay her little head down on my arm right by my face.  Oh my goodness.  Could there be anything more precious than being loved on by your child?

--We were all sick this week, and Camille happily played and laughed and slept and ate through it all.  She was only fussy a couple of times, and turns out she was tired, but was fighting sleep.  We had a few more cry it out naps, but still well worth it.  She needed sleep!

--Camille is steady on her feet (as long as she doesn't notice that she's standing on her own) now!  She got pretty good at it a week or two ago (so around 10 months and a week or so).

--I finally feel baby 2 move!  It's odd and unexpected, because I forget I'm pregnant quite often.  I guess because there isn't such a huge unknown this time around we aren't quite as freaked out about it, so we don't dwell on it.  Plus, with Camille, we're plenty busy!  Anyway, I've been feeling little pressure changes at night when I lay down.  I can tell the baby's shifting positions and sides, but I don't feel specific kicks yet.  It's pretty awesome.  I love being pregnant (well...now that I'm not sick and super exhausted).

Time to get out of the house!  I'm heading outdoors to read a book while Camille's asleep!