7/52 - take two

Neva is five months old! I can scarcely believe it. She likes to roll over onto her stomach and then cry about it, watch her sister play, suck on her toes, jump jump jump in her exersaucer, snuggle with mommy and daddy, and recently has been found to LOVE swinging. And seeing as she has an older sister who has made it her life's purpose to push her on the swing, this little one pretty much has it made. I have been thinking lately about how very soon we will need to start her on some solid foods and I just can't even with that right now. TOO FAST. Can't she just stay in this sweet, cuddly, animated (but for the most part stationary), non-stinky pooper, rolly-polly-snuggle-butt stage forever??

Paisley has grown into her big sister role so terrifically. She LOVES to help take care of Neva. And the cats. And Brian and I. And all of her many, many (MANY) stuffed animal friends. I foresee her growing into an encourager and caretaker role in our family. She is constantly complimenting people (the other day she told a complete stranger, "I really love your shirt!") and comforting ("don't worry Mommy, everything will be fine!!") I know I said it before but I am SO enjoying this age with her. Two was a rough year for me and I wondered at times if I was cut out for this mother business and I also wondered at times if my child would always be this...how can I say this nicely...busy? Exhausting? (I was also pregnant for much of that year so maaaayyyybe that had something to do with it.) But three, or more so three and a half, is becoming more and more delightful by the day.

But still at times a little busy. Aaaaand once in awhile exhausting.

Previous 7/52

6/52 - take two

Two easter bunnies in their easter dresses (made lovingly by their Mamaw) coming right up!

L to the P over and out.

Previous 6/52

Playing Catch Up. 5/52 - take two

Since I have skipped...a few...of my weekly photo updates, I figured I would include several of my favorite pictures of the girls lately!

Neva is turning into quite the little charmer. She loves to smile at people, especially people who have black rimmed glasses like her daddy! She can roll over from both her back and her front, loves being naked and hates putting on pajamas. She gives out quick, fat, scrunchy giggles when you blow raspberries on her tummy. I can't wait for when she starts giving us real life belly laughs!

In other news, I've started wearing a new perfume. Called Chanel Number Spit Up. It smells so great! Everyone around me enjoys it. Light, airy, earthy.

I know I keep saying this about Paisley - I cannot believe how fast she is growing up before my eyes! But also? I am really enjoying this age. 3 1/2, thats where it's at. I'm almost positive. She's learning about how to write and how to be a friend. She loves to color and to recite books that she has memorized. She's learning concepts of things like time and counting backwards. She says things like, "Is this tomorrow?" She uses her words to comfort and encourage others, and to talk about her feelings. Today she told me that my bathrobe looks cute on me. Clearly she was confused. Oh be still my heart!

What? They look like sisters? I didn't notice.

Previous 5/52

3/52 - take two

A little glimpse into our day.

Here we have Neva, sweetly oblivious to the fact that she was almost stabbed in the eyeball by the pink parasol being wielded by her sister, who happened to be dressed in a dog suit. Made for a pretty nice picture.

We were having a dress up day. Or maybe I should say, PAISLEY was having a dress up HAY DAY and was incredibly pleased with herself. As one is when wearing six princess dresses at once. Plus a panda hat, flower necklaces, and Pinkerton.

Hi. I'm Paisley. Could I BE wearing any more clothes?

"Crazy" and "bag lady" are some words that come to mind while gazing at this photo.


Previous 3/52 - this was a good one. OH the cheeks of Paisleys past.

2/52 - take two

We're back with week two, and so it looks like my goal of "get back into regular blogging" is looking preeeetty on track so far. High fives.

Here's Neva at 12 weeks old. She is growing into the roundest, softest, gentlest little face you have ever seen. Just a perfect little circle of a head and a little round nose and little round lips!! How can there ever be enough of Neva? I am perfectly smitten with all the roundness.

And here's my other cutie. Her head shape is also extremely nice and receives many kisses from me, and I can't seem to stop playing with her hair which of course is so annoying to her. Is that some type of milestone? Becoming annoying to your kid? Maybe I should write it in her baby book.

This Daniel Tiger coloring book is certainly being used to it's very greatest potential. Not a page is left untouched!  And not a cap is returned to it's marker. Seeing markers left around without their caps on is the type of thing that gives me the eye twitches and makes me want to run and panic and drop everything because wait!! the markers!! they are drying out, horror!!!! My instinct is to pack them safely away in a cupboard where they will be snuggly capped and rarely used so that they never run out of precious ink. But then my question is, what's the point of having a kid if they can't even use their markers? Even if their memory is not yet adapted to returning caps to their proper mates. There is something in my personality that always wants to save "the good stuff" for "something special." (Big hand quotations in the air.) The good outfits, the good desserts, the good markers, the good coffee, the good smelling body wash. But you know what happens - they of course never get used! And we end up with six bottles of unused and forgotten "special" body wash from three years ago stuffed in the back of a cupboard.

We'll call this an opportunity for growth for me.

And so on Monday we are buying new markers from the good old Walmart because all of ours are pitifully shriveled and parched and very, very well used.

Good story Liz.

Thanks everyone.

And now, I leave you with evidence of a snow experience.

Previous 2/52

1/52 - take two

In hopes of getting back on the blogging train, I'm starting a new 52 weeks project. When Paisley was a baby I blogged one photo of her per week for an entire year. Now I have two little girls to document!

Neva is growing by the day, quickly gaining pudgy rolls up and down her arms and legs. She delights all of us with her sweet smiles and coos, and even Paisley can't seem to resist stopping mid-shenanigan to kiss her head before speeding on by.

Paisley is my spirited, very spirited child. This girl doesn't walk anywhere. In fact, I'm not entirely sure she knows what walking is. She knows all about running, jumping, leaping, hopping, galloping, dancing, make-believe ice skating, but there is no evidence that shows she knows anything about...walking.

Which brings me to bedtime. By the time bedtime rolls around I'm quite exhausted by the constant, bouncy, and quick non-walking movements of my three year old. I haven't entirely nailed down bedtime routines now that we have two, and the hubs is often working in the evening so I'm left to put the kiddos to bed myself. One night this week I was trying to convince Paisley that she should put on her pajamas instead of jump in and out (and in and out and in and out) of her bed. My temper was running short, Daddy wasn't home, and Neva was fussing in the next room. Paisley pulled her pink panda bear pj shirt half way over her head and started stomping around like an ape, waving her arms around saying "booka baka booka baka."

I was about thiiiiiiiiiis close to losing it and declaring "OK TIME OUT NO BOOKS BEFORE BED LIGHTS OUT GOOD NIGHT."

Untiiiiil I realized how hilarious she was actually being. Like, she was being super funny. Sometimes this girl's comedic timing is spot on. And this was one of those moments.

So then I started laughing. And the night got better. And we were friends again. And it still took forever to get the pjs the rest of the way on and the teeth brushed and the books read but we laughed for some of it and so...perspective right?


Here's week one of my 52 weeks project from 2013!

52/52

Well look at this! We've made it to 52 weeks and now instead of a five month old who likes to drool and sit in her bumbo seat we have a 17 month old who likes to mix tea in her plastic tea set and read books while sitting in a storage bin.

In the first of these posts I wrote down a few questions, pondering what Paisley might be like by the end of this project. And now, a year later, I can answer myself!

The cheeks! Will they stay round and plump?
Yes, in fact they might even be rounder and plumper than before, the sheer weight of them pulling her lips down into a slight pout whenever she is being serious or concentrating on something.

Or will they shrink?
No.

When will she have teeth?
She got her first two at 8 1/2 months, and now she has ten pearly white chompers.

And when will she walk?
She was toddling around somewhat confidently on her one-year birthday!

And what will her hair look like a year from now?
Blondish, brownish, wispyish, mulletish, starting to grow into her eyes and she refuses to wear it swept aside in a beret so wondering if bangs are in her future? 

And will she still love to have her neck om nom nomed?
Yes, she does indeed still love that, thankfully. By the way, at what age does a child's neck turn from tiny, wrinkly, tender and almost completely hidden by their huge baby head into a regular, smooth, clearly visible human neck?

Maybe that's my question for this time next year. What will her neck look like?

I won't be doing a 52 week project again this year, but rest assured I will still be posting regular pics and updates of this sweetie because I probably just won't be able to help myself!

51/52

 The hubs decided that we should recreate this picture of Paisley in her pool from the summer. I thought it was a good idea, and little girl was also on board. 

Then she wanted to swing. Next time you're out, try stuffing a toddler donning the puffiest snow gear imaginable into a swing that's straps were sized for how big she was five months ago when she was wearing a tank top and shorts and try not to get any crazy eye twitches.

See? Barely a difference between the two pics! 

Things around here have been snowy and cold and then a little warmer and then snowy and then a little colder and then a little snowier. But we press on! As we must. The roads are plowed, again, the sidewalks and driveways are shoveled, again, the snow boots are pushed onto big and little feets, again, and that pile of plowed snow at the end of the grocery store parking lot starts reaching the size of a small to medium sized building. And we dream of better times! Times when the snow begins to melt and the air smells like spring, times when the grass grows green and sun screen instead of snow gear is required for every outing, times when it's hot enough outside to not get cold in the water at the beach, times when the leaves start crunching under your feet and you fondly pull out your favorite sweater, times when you can't wait for the first freeze so that all the mosquitos and box elder bugs die, times when you wait for that first lovely snowfall, times when... wait. 

And then it's January again.

January is always inevitable. So I guess that means we should make the best of it and go sledding this weekend.

Hope you are enjoying your January, sledding or not!

50/52

I'm calling these pictures the pink flowered headband series.

Sometimes Paisley rips up grocery lists and then plays in the toilet when I'm busy trying to tape my list back together. Is this normal? Sometimes I worry.

Also, toddler boots. Baby girl has three different pairs of toddler boots, all of which secure to her feet in a different way, but none of them and I repeat NONE, are capable of managing the trip from the front door to the car seat without falling off.

And so I ask, what's up with that toddler boots?

That's about all of the toddler ponderings I can manage for today, but I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

49/52

I have no idea where I'm at with these 52 pictures lately or what week is what, but here's another one! Carry on, carry on. More Christmas photos coming soon, because I'm sure that nobody has seen enough holiday pictures yet. My mum made this lovely, classic dress for my baby girl!

48/52

I've found an excellent way to combat these cold winter days and I absolutely need to tell you about it. If you follow these simple steps, stepping out into the frozen Minnesota tundra will not be as bad as you remember it being before you had children. First when you are getting ready to go somewhere, you wrestle your toddler into all of her winter gear. Try not to lose your cool when she takes off her boots for the fourth time. Then you put on all of YOUR winter gear, but realize you don't know where your keys are. Then you frantically search the entire house as fast as you can (make sure you are running late at this point - it makes you sweat more), getting more and more frustrated for the next 5-10 minutes. Then, realize that the keys have been in your sweatshirt pocket all along, bite back the colorful language threatening to spill from your mouth, put your toddler back in to all of the winter clothes that she's long since taken off, and by the time you run out the door you will be so hot and flustered that the chilling cold air will be a welcome, refreshing breeze on your face.

There. You're welcome.

...If you don't have a toddler at home, putting on all your winter gear and then losing your keys when you are already running late should be enough to work up a sweat on it's own.

47/52

I'll just say it, I'll just say it. I'm incredibly behind on blogging. Here's last week's pic of Paisley - this was her posing as a marshmallow over at Brian's parent's house during Thanksgiving week, out in the grand depths of Wisconsin. Before the weather took such an incredibly bitter turn for the worst.

I promise to write more this week! Since we've talked there's been traveling, sledding, horrible stomach bugs, snow storms, colds (and so the inevitable booger battles), new pastel pieces, ice cream, Christmas decorating, and countless partially watched episodes of Community. And more things that aren't coming into my head right now.

Ok talk soon!

46/52

Our house got hit by the stomach flu bug this week, and it was not pretty. In fact it was very, very not good looking. But fortunately we have recovered in time for a delicious t-day feast this afternoon. Thankful for that and for all the other blessings the Lord showers us with every year!

Happy Thanksgiving folks!

45/52

Sometimes when my baby girl wakes up from her nap she is the crabbiest of all patties. Which I understand, because in my opinion waking up is the worst feeling in the world (one of the biggest reasons I mostly avoid taking naps - I hate having to wake up TWICE in one day.) But sometimes she wakes up happy and talks and jabbers away to herself in her crib while she distractedly takes off her mukluks and socks, and smiles as I take her picture. And I'm all like, what a pleasant child I have birthed!

44/52

The weather yesterday took a delightful turn for the best, creeping into the sunny 50's. We of course took advantage and played in the sandbox, swung on the swing, messed around in the cold dirty water at the bottom of the slide, played in the swing set fort, cried when it was announced that it was time to go in, and used lunch as a successful bribe tactic to eventually wander peacefully into the house. You know, the usual.

43/52

More outside fall pictures! It's getting chilly these days, and the days of huge puffy coats that slip and slide all over the place are upon us.

42/52

This week is kicking my butt and I have a feeling next week will too. But I did find some time to play out in some crunchy piles of leaves with the baby girl, and was able to snap a couple great shots. She wasn't quite as thrilled with playing in the leaves as I thought she might be and mostly just wanted to eat them instead, or swing.

Whatever floats your boat girlfriend!!!

41/52

Here's a pic from this last week! It's becoming near impossible these days to get baby girl to both look at the camera AND sit still long enough for me to take the picture, so this mama takes what she can get. (In this picture Paisley thought the game was that she should stand up as soon as I sit her down so that I turn into a crazy person because we're already running late but I just want ONE! PICTURE!)

I had a particularly mom-ish week this week if you were using a mom-o-meter to rank your week. Which I usually don't.

Amidst the usual attending play dates, trying to keep up with the laundry and dishes, cleaning poopy diapers, wiping milk spills off the floor, changing sheets, wiping noses, and standing in the doorway until she falls asleep, there was also sorting of summer and winter clothes, shopping for cheap winter jackets and snow boots, being the nursery backup lady for the women's bible study this week at church, and picking her up early from a sitter because she didn't seem to be feeling well. I've been feeling quite motherly through it all but then the biggest jump on my mom-o-meter happened yesterday while walking through the parking lot at Target and a passing bird pooped on my head. "UGH!" I said and felt my wet hair, while trying to look at my reflection in my car window. I couldn't really see much so I figured it couldn't be too bad and I'd take care of it once I got home in front of a mirror and a sink.

But by the time I had loaded the girl and the groceries into my car and then drove home to meet my mom and brother who were dropping things off at my house and then quickly made dinner and then ate dinner and got Paisley ready for bed and read her some books and waited in her doorway until she fell asleep and did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen and living room and cleaned out the litter box and got some laundry started, I had forgotten about the bird dookie.

Until late that night when I was brushing my teeth about to go to bed and I noticed...a small, thin, whitish streak in my hair.

"What in the...OH."

But I was too tired to do anything about it then so I just went to bed, resolving to change the sheets in the morning.

I don't know why I equate being "mom-ish" to being too busy to remember that a bird pooped in my hair and then too exhausted to take care of it once I did remember, but I also kind of do know.

40/52

I realized after lunch today that I had no picture to post of Paisley for this week. And since we are about to have a busy weekend, I decided that the most logical thing to do was to have an epic photo shoot all throughout the house before naptime. I followed this girl everywhere and documented her while she "swept" the kitchen floor with her little broom, and while I wiped her booger face clean over and over (outstanding allergy season for this baby girl - her sneezes are explosive), and while we played tackle tickle attack on the bed in the guest room.

Once I deemed her sufficiently worn out I put her down for her nap and came out to this very computer, to this very spot, to this very moment, to look at the many, many photos I had taken.

All were blurry but two.

And only one was cute.

And so here you are! Boogers and leftover pizza sauce face, mid tackle tickle attack.

39/52

Disapproving stare.

"Why are you taking pictures of me when you're supposed to be reading me another book?"

Because, my dear darling Paisley, as thrilled that I am that you are perhaps turning into even a bigger bookworm than myself, sometimes mamas have to do something other than read Put Me in the Zoo six times in a row.

Someday you will understand these things.