I’ve been thinking about this day for awhile now…the three girls taking a bath together….it was awesome!!
Tag Archives: kids
Each Little Lady
Harper! Harper! Harper! Harper is seriously the sweetest baby ever…one look at her and she has the biggest smile and makes the sweetest sound. She loves to be a part of things. I feel like she is already going to do things sooner than her sisters at the same age, just because she wants to do everything they are doing. Harper is really playing with toys now. She even crawls to get the toys or things she wants now. She is still mostly army crawling as one arm often gets stuck underneath her body as she moves, but she is still getting around! Now that she is sitting up and playing with toys, I feel like she is even playing together with the girls some too. The other day I sat her on the floor in Avery and Emerson’s room while I got them ready for a nap; Harper crawled right over to the book shelf and took out all the books. The other day Harper even pulled herself up using the help of the toy basket. She did it a few times in a row and was SO proud of herself. Mommy and Daddy were pretty proud of her too.
In other news, Emerson does not have to wear her special shoes anymore! She was such an awesome patient! When we took her back to the doctor in mid-February the doctor could not believe the drastic change in such a short amount of time. Although I was expecting the doctor to be impressed with Emerson’s results, I was not expecting her to say that she was done wearing them! I reminded her that Emerson had only been wearing her special shoes since September (when we first started the process I was told to expect a year minimum). So she said 6 more weeks and then she wanted to see her back in 8 weeks.
The first night we put on Emerson’s special shoes, our hearts broke. We talked them up and she was actually pretty excited about them. But once that bar went on that connected the shoes, she realized just how restricted she was and her cry and pouty lip was almost enough to make me cry. But after only a few days she really began to believe that her shoes were indeed special and she welcomed them as part of not only her bedtime routine but also her naptime routine. In fact, there were a few times where Justin and I tried to get her to nap without them in order to expedite the naptime process and Emerson refused to go down without her special shoes. They became a part of her and in time they weren’t so restricting. She learned to crawl on her knees with them. She could stand in them and Avery often would taunt Emerson and tell her to walk in her special shoes; a challenge in which Emerson would always try and then all four of us would laugh. Some nights Avery would even take Emerson’s special shoes and try to put them on as she wanted special shoes too. So this past Saturday night when Emerson no longer had to wear her special shoes, we knew that we needed to let her know this in a way that she wouldn’t become upset. We let her know how awesome she did wearing her special shoes; we were high fiving, clapping, and even Avery was offering congratulatory words. Low and behold…Emerson thought she was something special and while she did ask a few times why she didn’t have to wear her special shoes anymore, once we provided her an explanation (again with many high fives) her face lit up and exuberated pride knowing she did worked really hard to achieve a goal and had reached the desired outcome.
As for Avery, Avery continues to be our little fashionista and comedian all rolled into one. She likes to pick out her own clothes…a task that sometimes leads to her matching, sometimes to an outfit that I likely wouldn’t want to take her out in public in (but mightJ), and sometimes an outfit that doesn’t quite go together but is super adorable none the less. She also continues to tell jokes and loves to make people laugh. She has a habit of telling some of the same jokes repeatedly (like the fact that Emerson told Dr. Harrison that she doesn’t like Chinese food anymore…Chinese food is bad)…an ongoing joke for 6 weeks now that is still pretty funny most the time although it is starting to lose some of it’s luster and when the laughs aren’t as hearty as they were in the past, Avery demands laughter.
In other news with Avery, she is currently going through the evaluation process as she ages out of Early Intervention at age 3 and FCPS takes over and creates an Individual Educational Plan (IEP). At first I was a little nervous about the process since Avery is doing so well and I felt that although she absolutely should qualify to make sure she has the tools necessary to do well in a classroom setting. However, more recently I have started to feel a little better about the process as her main evaluation will be with the vision teacher Jenn, who used to be a part of Avery’s early intervention, and Lorna her weekly therapist will be in attendance.
And finally in household news…we closed on March 17. We are doing some work on the house before we move in…nothing major….but enough that we are still about 3 weeks away from moving in. We are anxious but know that we will be in our new place soon enough!!
Overdue Randomness
This blog is way overdue. Since I started my blog in September 2012, this entry will be the longest lapse in time since the prior entry. We have just had so much going on. I know we are always going to be busy and while the things that occupy our time will change, the fact is that life with three kids will probably never change the fact that we are a busy family. We closed on our house on St. Paddy’s Day March 17! While we aren’t making significant changes to the house we are making some, and the truth is even the littlest things such as cleaning windows and replacing electrical outlets take time. The biggest changes (cost wise) that Justin and I may be doing to the house are related to giving the kitchen a facelift, painting much of the house, and redoing some of the upstairs carpeting. We think it makes most sense to make some of these changes before we move in so most my spare moments during the day and my evenings after the girls have gone to bed have been spent browsing the internet for ideas instead of blogging or doing squats or sit-ups or anything else for that matter. We want to get a lot done before we move in; yet at the same time, I am realistic that there is going to be a lot to do with regards to getting furniture and decorating even after we move in so at some point I need to stop spending every spare minute focused on the house.
SO….the girls are still as crazy and awesome as ever and we have had a lot going on this past month:
– Potty Training – is going quite well. Occasionally the girls have an accident at home in their panties but we have yet to have an accident outside the home. At the same time we do still wear pull ups outside the house some so I don’t know that it is fair to say that they haven’t had an accident outside the home…but I can say that in general their pull ups are fairly dry. In terms of “number two” the girls are infatuated with pooping. Avery’s time to poop is at night. She HAS to go poo poo EVERY night after we are in pajamas and the bedtime routine is complete. We sometimes think it is a tactic to delay bedtime but 9 times out of 10 she goes. At first Emerson was content to wait in her chair with her special shoes for Avery to return, but more recently, Emerson now claims she has to go poo poo as well. Occasionally she does; however, most the time I think she just wants to go to the bathroom because Avery is. Avery usually uses the big potty while Emerson sits beside her on the little potty. One evening they both had sour stomachs (poor things) and it was like a marching band was playing in the bathroom…lol! They are also now into looking at their poop. One evening they made “corn poop” and the next night it was their goal to make not only “corn poop” but also “pasta poop”. Sometimes the girls ask for their privacy on the potty while other times they like to use the time to talk. One evening I was in the bathroom while Avery was using the potty and she pointed to the middle of my forehead and told me I had a hole there. I told her my hole was from scratching when I had the chicken pox and from that night on Avery thinks it is funny to tell others of the hole I have in my head from chicken fingers and then she waits for others to laugh. If others don’t laugh, she’ll tell them to laugh. She also knows that she won’t get chicken pox because she had a shot from the doctor (a.k.a. a vaccination). They don’t quite realize that pooping isn’t something that one should freely talk about outside the home…guess we will need to work on that but for now, it is a great accomplishment that makes for a lot of conversation in our household.
– We have also spent a lot of time this past month telling stories about “Snusan”. Snusan (a.k.a. Susan) is little girl the very same age as Avery and Emerson. In fact, Snusan is Avery and Emerson and it started one day when I was telling them about Susan going to the park with her friend Jackson and slowly but surely Mommy became a writer for the Snusan series and the girls regularly request that Mommy and Daddy tell them about Snusan.
– In other events the girls attended their first wedding! My little cousin Ryan(not so little anymore….just turned 27) married Christine March 15. My Grandma Adele and sister came for the wedding so my parent’s house was definitely a full house for about 5 days! The wedding was fun and the girls especially Emerson had a great time dancing on the dance floor. Avery had fun dancing too but she wanted to dance by being held so she was my dance partner for much of the night. The girls had a great time with Great Grandma Adele and Auntie Lauren. Emerson especially LOVED hanging out with Auntie Lauren. Seriously she would get up in the morning and the second she was picked up out of her crib she would dart downstairs on a mission to find Auntie Lauren! It was really special to see how much the girls adore her and hopefully they will continue to always be so close to her even with the physical distance.
– The girls have had a few birthday parties this past month as well. One weekend we went out to Round Hill, VA for Garrett McMillan’s first birthday party. That same weekend we also went to Adrien Nowak’s third birthday party that was at a fun indoor play place. Another weekend we attended Dylan Roger’s third birthday party. Each time we attend a party, I find myself grinning at how the girls are really starting to interact socially with other children.
– Harper!! Our baby isn’t a baby anymore! She is already almost 7 ½ months old and she started sitting up about a month ago. Honestly it was like one day she could sit up and she did it well. I remember with the girls we would surround them by pillows incase they fell backwards and I don’t think I put a pillow our for Harper more than once. So either she really did learn how to sit almost immediately or she is truly has third child syndrome and I don’t want to admit it. Just over a week ago she started army crawling and boy is she getting around. She now plays with toys sitting up and crawls from one side of the room to the other to get a toy. It seriously seems like Avery and Emerson were just doing this….CRAZY! Harper’s night time sleeping has improved some this past month but she still isn’t sleeping through the night. On average she is still getting up once; however, she is going to bed much earlier now (around 9:00…I know still considered late for many but for us right after the girls go to bed) but I won’t nurse her now if she wakes up before 5:00 a.m. (although I usually make an exception if she wakes up at 4:45). Harper is now sitting in a high chair too during meal time! Harper has become clingy some lately so we may need to address that if it continues. I know I am biased but she is seriously still the sweetest most loveable baby!
And yes while our life is busy right now, here are a few things I never want to forget:
– Avery likes to randomly tell family members that she loves them
– Avery likes to tell jokes and loves to make people laugh
– Emerson is a great helper around the house and she is one of Harper’s biggest cheerleader
– Emerson feelings get hurt when she does something wrong or gets embarrassed and she freely tells mommy and daddy that her feelings are hurt
– Both girls LOVE to snuggle and cuddle with mommy and daddy
– Both girls are very excited about the upcoming move and love to talk about the new house every night before bed
What a Difference a Year Makes
WE HAVE KIDS! I guess one would say, “No shit Sherlock”. But really I seriously find myself saying this to Justin all the time now. I am just amazed at these little humans they are becoming. Not even a year ago, we found ourselves at Avery’s annual Early Intervention Assessment and I remember language being one of the areas that had me feeling slightly concerned as both girls were slightly behind the developmental language milestones. I have conversations with them now! They are able to express their wants and needs, their feelings and thoughts, and the past two days Emerson started asking questions (what you doing, where you going).
Emerson is sweet and caring, she wears her feelings on her sleeve and gets easily upset if she hurts your feelings or easily embarrassed if she gets in trouble for doing something she shouldn’t. She loves to cuddle especially on the couch while watching cartoons. Emerson does not like to listen…when it comes to getting dressed, changing her diaper, giving back the remote, getting off the table or chair in which she has climbed…she runs away as she thinks it is funny. The mention of a timeout does not phase her. She loves to laugh especially when mommy or daddy do something silly as put something in it’s wrong place. She loves to make up stories, and she is quite the expressive talker, constantly talking with her hands.
Avery is carefree, my little daredevil (although she is afraid to stand in an escalator). She laughs from deep within her soul and constantly expresses her feelings especially when it comes to having fun. She is an instigator and often wants Emerson to do things first especially when it comes to things that she knows she shouldn’t be doing, such as climbing up a lamp. She also likes to push the boundaries, but gets a little more scared on the count of two knowing the count of three could lead to a time out. She loves to tell stories of the past especially the ones that involve doctor’s visits or special one-on-one outings.
We have finally started to venture out again the past few weekends. Two weekends ago we took the girls to Kid Junction for day of indoor fun. Harper mostly watched but she still had a great time.
Emerson was actually in the mood to take pictures!
My sister who was visiting from London came along for the ride.
The following weekend we went to visit Granddaddy and Grandma in Virginia Beach. It was Harper’s first time in a hotel and she was awesome. It was our first experience in a hotel…just the five of us in one room and all the girls did great for the record. Avery and Emerson each slept in their pack-n-play which they love and Harper slept in a crib borrowed from the hotel. We had plenty of snuggles in bed.
The temperature reached record highs and we couldn’t resist a quick ride to the beach. Not much tops little toes in the sand.
We made it back from Va Beach in time to celebrate Christmas at home. As we approach Christmas Eve, I can’t help but to think what a difference a year makes. This time last year Justin was grocery shopping with mad crowds as I was too nauseous and tired to even get dressed. While I made Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinner and we celebrated with presents and I put on my best front (as my parents didn’t yet know I was pregnant), deep down I was feeling pretty crappy. Here we are just one year later…Harper is now almost 4 1/2 months old and Avery and Emerson have become kids before my eyes. WOW, what a difference a year makes!
I Love It When She Farts
My sweet baby girl sleeps through the night most nights from 11-8, not bad right? Sometimes she sleeps even past 9:00. So many mornings, while we have a monitor, I don’t like it very much so I’ll sometimes turn it off and just continue to check on her. She farts in her sleep. I don’t know why but there is something so cute about her little body passing gas while she peacefully sleeps. Simply put, I love it when she farts!
The Paci Fairy
Avery and Emerson got a visit from the Paci Fairy this weekend and I am happy to say that they have given up their pacifiers and it could not have been easier! I came up with the idea of the Paci Fairy while at work Friday afternoon. I thought it would take a few days of Justin and me talking about it with the girls before we could implement it successfully. Well I was wrong…it literally took five minutes! I brought the idea up to the girls just before they were going to bed Friday evening. It was so preliminary that I hadn’t even discussed it with Justin yet. I told them big girls don’t use paci’s and asked them if they wanted to be big girls and give their paci’s away to the little babies. They said yes right away so we went with it. We immediately grabbed a zip lock baggie and took turns placing their pacifiers in it. We sealed it tight and then all walked to the front door where we placed the bag outside for the Paci Fairy to come get during the middle of the night. The girls said they wanted the Paci Fairy to bring them balloons…something that the Paci Fairy could easily handle I’m sure. The girls went to bed with no problem and slept through the night no problem. They were excited when they woke up to see that the Paci Fairy had not only brought them each a balloon, but also play-doh. The girls each asked for their pacifiers a few times over the weekend, but once they were reminded that they gave them away to the Paci Fairy, they were fine! Seriously, I am still amazed at how easy it was! I’m hoping potty training is this easy!
Maybe Tomorrow
The girls speak in full sentences now. It amazes me what comes out of their mouths these days. They now have the ability to tell me what they want, and what they don’t want for that matter, when it comes to anything and everything. They tell me what they want to eat or what they don’t want or when they want more of something or when they are finished eating. They tell me when they want their diaper changed or when they don’t want it changed which generally is opposite of what nature has really called for. They tell me when they don’t feel like getting dressed (one minute or two minutes is a common response) and Avery often tells me what she wants to wear (no, not that, this one, I like this one). They also tell me no and to go away when they don’t want to be bothered with something such as getting in their car seat.
Their ability to express their wants and needs is wonderful and amazing but can also be less than desirable sometimes as well. The saying that cracks me up the most probably because they both use if so much is “maybe tomorrow”. Children obviously pick up on sayings from their parents and I guess Justin and I did use that phrase some in response to them. But they both use it a TON. (Hopefully we don’t use it that much). It is funny though because they both use it in slightly different ways. Avery generally uses it in a way that most people use it….if something doesn’t occur today, then maybe it will occur tomorrow. For example, I might be leaving to the store. Avery might say Mommy going to Giant and I would respond, no I’m actually going to a clothing store. Avery would respond back and say, “maybe tomorrow”. Emerson on the other hand adds emotion to her phrase much of the time. For example, if I say Emerson can I have a hug and a kiss and she isn’t in the mood, she will quickly say “No.”. Immediately she will realize that her response wasn’t nice, so she will say ‘mabye tomorrow’ with a little sad face.
The truth is I love the phrase. I grin every time I hear one of them say it. It fits. Maybe tomorrow we will go to the park, maybe tomorrow we will eat chicken nuggets, maybe tomorrow we will go to the store, maybe tomorrow we will feel like giving extra hugs. Maybe tomorrow is not a promise, just the understanding that something is not today and the thought that it may be tomorrow gives us something to look forward. And as we anticipate what may be tomorrow, we are thankful for our blessings today.
Just Because!
Broken
Two weeks ago Justin and I were in the car with the girls. Avery was in the middle row and for some reason when we were at a stop light she told Justin and I her eyes were “broken.” We questioned if she really said what we thought we just heard so we asked her to repeat it and sure enough we heard her correctly. It was like a knife in our chests but I really didn’t think Avery meant what she said. I think she had a patch on at the time so part of me chalked it up to something regarding the patch or her eye being itchy but I certainly didn’t think she equated it to her eyes not working correctly. While Avery hasn’t said her eyes are broken since, fast forward two weeks to tonight. Justin was putting on Emerson’s “special sleeping shoes” for the third night in a row, and as he was strapping them, she said, “my feet broken”. WOW….talk about not only a knife in the chest yet again, but also this time reality that girls are smarter than we were giving them credit. Emerson then proceeded to point to her eyes, then Avery, and say contacts. The girls absolutely know that contacts and patching are Avery’s special thing and that the sleeping shoes are Emerson’s special things and they both actually seem to enjoy their “special thing”…granted Emerson’s is relatively new and the first night was awful but has gotten a little better each day. So Justin and I were really taken back when we realized that the girls also associated each of their “special things” with being broken :(. These are the moments that make being a parent tough!
Sunday Funday at Glyndon Park
While the girls had a blast playing on the swings and the slides, Harper quietly sat in her stroller and watched her big sisters play.
In her head she was thinking, “I can’t wait to have teeth one day so I can play.”