Blessed 2013

Well, my favorite time of year has come and gone, now we sit and try to relax until new year. Then, out come the boxes, back go the decorations, and on we go with another year.

I wanted to go back and bookmark all the milestones of this past year with photographs, but man, that takes a surprisingly amount of time and thinking. So, I'm not doing that. Instead I will pick just a couple of my favorite photos of 2013...trying to wrap my mind around the year 2014. Of course I have a lot of favorite moments of this past year, and I am reflecting on them. The arrival of Adalaide, remodeling the kitchen, issues with the house/neighbors, a couple of date nights with Chris, holiday fun, Phoebe eye fun, visiting with friends and family, news of impending babies that should soon arrive, oh so much. Good, bad, indifferent, we are blessed for sure.

Merry Christmas all, and a happy new year!

Lorelai meeting Adalaide

Lorelai turns 3

Easter, Addy is ~3 weeks old

Easter swag

Visiting the Dallas Aquarium 

Adalaide 12/28

Sister pals

Bathtime cutie

Pretty, pretty

My girls

M.LEWIS

House Woes, Again

I have been so bad at blogging lately. At least, that's what it feels like. Not only am I writing less and less, but I am reading less and less. Chalk it up to holiday craziness, or sheer exhaustion, either way, I feel like I am failing in some small way.

 So, I am trying to be better about it. Call it my pre-new year's resolution.

Last weekend was not exactly relaxing. Saturday we finally got our attic ladder installed, so we can officially store things above our garage now. This means going through everyone's closets, cleaning things out and reorganizing. Normally I would enjoy this, but when it falls around Christmas, it just seems like one more thing to add to my to-do list.
Sunday we had a nice gross surprise.
While I was taking a shower, I heard strange gurgling sounds echoing in the pipes. I thought it might be the hot water heater refilling or something...until I looked down a minute later and saw I was standing in a growing puddle of odd-colored water.
After my initial "Oh my gosh, nasty!" feeling, I thought there was a clog in the drain. Begrudgingly, I turned off the water, gathered my shampoo, grabbed a towel and rushed to the other shower. I go to turn it on and noticed water in the tub already. "Did Chris not drain the tub all the way after the kids' bath?"
Nope.
It was the gross water from the other shower. We had a big problem mounting. I called for Chris and threw on some clothes. He started to try and unplug the shower when I saw the kids' bathroom floor was all wet.
"What? Why? How?"
I then saw a small, steady stream flowing from the base of their toilet.
We had an even bigger problem.
After we piled up the towels around the toilet, and turned off the water, I rushed to the computer to search for a plumber that would come out to the house on a Sunday morning.
I did find someone, and they couldn't come until after lunch, but to cut the long, boring, dirty story short, they came and fixed it...though they found a bigger issue we'll have to address soon. Yay.

I have to admit, when everything was falling apart, the first thought that entered my mind was "Ok, I'm ready to move now." This house has been a lot of work, and we have only been here 2 years...and we still have a lot to do. Sure, I did a lot already, but that was mainly aesthetics.
I do like the house, but we are growing out of it a little faster than I thought. We will obviously "tough it out" for a couple more years or so...but I think I will be more anxious than hesitant on leaving.

Things we have had to do since we moved in:

• fix the heater
• fix the sprinklers, twice
• reset our mailbox (not the house's fault)
• install attic ladder
• treat for external termites
• fixing the fireplace
• unclog the draining system
• replace the water heater

Things we still have to do:

• install more gutters
• fix/replace roof
• get a new fence
• refinish the deck
• get new carpet
• install new doorknobs
• treat/replace lawn
• exterior paint the house
• fix the sewer line
• replace the smoke alarm (right now one unit)
• replace the garage door system

And I still fear we will have to do things like replace the AC unit. Ouch. And a new house? Probably some of the same issues, but at least then we will have warranties and such.

Let's see what's next to pop up, and hope it's not so pricey.


M.LEWIS

The Epic Visit to the Pediatrician

This morning was enough to tire me and embarrass me for some time.

Months ago, I scheduled Lorelai's 3 yr check up on 12/5 and Adalaide's 9 m check up on 12/13. I had to rearrange things after I scheduled Phoebe's eye appt for 12/5...which then later changed to 11/25, but before she got in early, I made both girls an appointment at the pediatrician for 12/13. I thought it would be better to get them both checked at the same time.

I laugh at myself now.

Since about Wednesday I have been telling Lorelai about our Friday plans and what to expect. She has been to most of Addy's appts before so I thought she would be uncomfortable but reluctantly cooperative. Boy, was I wrong.
The nurse called us back to a room and stopped us in the hall to get LEL's height and weight first. All it took was "Can you take off your coat and boots so we can see how much you've grown?"
Lorelai said "no" sternly, then adamantly refused to do anything the nice nurse asked. No amount of distraction, bribes, begging, or reverse psychology made any deference. This is where LEL's self-assurance and independence come to be a huge pain in the neck.
She would not stand to be measured, nor would she step on the scale. She was crying in the hall, making things unnecessarily difficult.
Addy went first. She loved it, especially the whole sit naked on the scale part.

"Look Lorelai! Addy thinks this is fun, don't you want to try?"

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" followed by some incoherent screams and pouting.
*I'm not exaggerating.

Well, after about 10 more minutes (though it felt like forever) we decided muscle was the only way we were going to get those stats.
A nice nurse held a happy Addy baby while I helped two other nurses pick up my screaming 3 yr old off the floor, and pin her to the infant measuring table to get our best height mark. Then, I had to get weighed myself (yay.) then pick up and hold Lorelai and get weighed again. You, know, subtract the two, and you get our best effort on her weight.
They never did get her bp.

Keep in mind, we had not even seen the Dr. yet.

Adalaide's examination was first. She is just fine except for her weight. She is in the 3%. That's right, 3. So, they want me to get more calories into her by heavier formula and by adding in vegetable oil to her foods. Sounds kind of gross, but hey, whatever they want me to try, I will.

Lorelai did slightly better with her examination. She liked the Dr. better because the only thing he asked her was the only thing she wanted. "Do you want to sit with your mom for a minute?" She got to climb up on the table and sit with me while Addy tried to climb the wall behind us. Lorelai is just fine too. She's still tall and lean. She will need to see a pediatric dentist soon (that should be like one of the worst days ever), and after talking to the Dr. about her speech he told me to sign her up for some speech therapy at a nearby elementary school. It wasn't until a little later did LEL warm up a bit and start talking about the Lion King picture on the wall did the Dr. then turn around and say with certainty that we should just have her evaluated. Ergh, was hoping we could escape that, but ok, we will live. I hope...that would involve taking simple instructions from strangers again. Oh my.

Just before we left they needed blood samples for lead and iron levels. Adalaide did great with hers, no crying. Lorelai just about melting down into the floor again...and yet again when she saw the bandaid on her finger. Of course, she ripped it off then panicked when she saw her finger was still bleeding...then the second bandaid didn't seem like such a bad idea. She kept that one on the whole day, and used that hand sparingly, frightened it might start bleeding again.

These are the crazy things I will look back on in years to come with a smile on my face...but we aren't looking back just yet, are we?


M.LEWIS

Once More, With Feeling

The last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic. That is why my last post was a little...lacking. So, here we go again, with more depth this time:

We had Thanksgiving with my family. Since we couldn't swing 2 dinners that involved driving across the metroplex with two cranky kiddos, we spent most of the day in Dallas at my grandparent's house. It was nice not having to watch the clock and stressing about timing though.

The next day we were up bright and early, off to see the animals at the zoo. My youngest sister has had a strong desire to visit the zoo since summer, so she tagged along with us. Lorelai thoroughly enjoyed herself, but not in a happy, giddy, giggly way; more in an inquisitive, curious, observing way. I would not be surprised if this kid grows up to work with animals. She is most definitely in love.

After an abrupt melt-down, we visited the gift shop for a birthday eve present, and then we departed. We saw about 2/3 of the zoo, but after 3hrs, she needed a nap, and promptly fell asleep on the way home. That never happens, that should tell you how tired she was from the day before...and we still had so much to come...

The next day was her 3rd birthday. Firetrucks, balloons, puppies, a time-consuming cake, and a lovely small pile of presents greeted her in the morning. She had to wait for most of these things until her party in the evening. That small pile turned into a large heap, the pretty cake turned into crumbs, and we had one happy- yet tired- little 3 yr old at the end of the day.

This girl is loved.

Were we done yet? Nope. The next day, Pappy, Uncle Sean, and Uncle Blake came for a visit. We had a couple more presents and lunch at Chili's. It took them both a little while to warm up to the group, but they did just fine...it had been a long few days.

The next week or so was filled up with cleaning up, storing toys, finish decorating, and taking Phoebe to an animal opthamologist.

I have been online shopping for Christmas gifts. Not only is it convenient, and affordable, but I don't have to mess with the kids in stores. Hooray! I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. The wrapping might have to wait to the last minute though. I have an almost 9 month old that seems quite interested in paper and bows. I just have to find more places to store the stuff until it's time.

We are finally getting our attic staircase installed next Saturday, so hopefully we can store a lot of big stuff in the attic now, instead of our closets.

Next Saturday is good, seeing as this weekend we will probably be iced in.

Last night we got about 2-2.5inches of sleet and freezing rain. It's pretty amazing, really. So far, we have only lost one smallish branch off of our ash tree. I hope that is all. We have been lucky. Chris can stay home from work, we still have power/heat, I fully stocked our food supplies for the next several days, we have a car full of gas, enough diapers & formula, plenty of Christmas movies, and no where we need to go until there is a chance some of this can melt.

That's the thing with Texas. We rarely get actual snow. We get ice...we just call it snow, because it's white and cold. But make no mistake, this stuff is as hard as a rock. Completely solid. It's insane.

I hope my pals who are without power/heat get it restored soon, and I hope they are walking distance to some help/supplies!

 

...Now to entertain the kids some more. We are only half way through the first day of this, and they are already getting antsy. Two and a half days to go!

M.LEWIS    

What We've Been Up To

Been a little while, huh?

Well, that's not for a lack of material to write about, just a lack of time.
A lot of medical news, actually.
I had a serious muscle in my back about 2 weeks ago that laid me up for a few days. I was thankful it wasn't something more serious, though the pain was pretty severe. I was told I was getting 2 Rx to help. A muscle relaxer, and a pain reliever. Chris returned home from the pharmacy with only a muscle relaxer. He handed them all the papers, yet somehow I didn't get half of my medication. That wasn't great. I was in pain for awhile, and the muscle relaxers did very little, that I noticed anyway. I was told I would feel pretty drowsy and sleepy when I took them...I did not. I honestly couldn't tell you when the medication was in my system and when they weren't. I'm not saying they didn't help, I can't say that for sure, but my high tolerance for medication is beginning to be a hindrance.
My worst fear was a herniated disc; my dad had one and needed surgery when he was in his 40's. Unlikely, I know, but my family has an inherited skeletal disorder (the name escapes right now) that does cause issues in your joints and such. My uncle had 2 knee surgeries before he graduated college due to this.
So, the point is, I am ok and doing fine now.

The other medical issue was Phoebe's eyes again. The day before I wrench my back, her eye was flaring up again. Despite all the medication I have been administering, all the watching over her, she had yet another ulcer forming. Chris took her in for me, and the Dr. gave us a referral to a animal optometrist. Did you know that existed? I didn't. They were booked for a while, but I was put on the top of their cancellation list. Lucky for us, some canceled yesterday morning, and Phoebe got in.
Instead of chronic dry-eye, the optometrist used his fancy gadgets to determine Phoebe actually has immune keratitis in both eyes, a genetic disorder. He basically explained it as "her body attack its own corneas much like rheumatoid arthritis attacks joints." There is not cure, but is well-managed with a couple of drops in each eye, every day, for her life. Not exactly the diagnosis I was hoping for (I was hoping for a procedure that would fix it permanently), but we can manage some eye drops (and their expense).

Luckily, my girls, though cranky, are doing just fine. They are healthy and happy  well...they're healthy. I think Addy issue is teething combined with some separation anxiety. The separation being anything greater than 3 feet. She is still the messiest eater I've seen, needed a mini bath after most feedings. Apparently she feels that spitting out food into her hand and immediately wiping it in her hair is an important step to every meal. Other than that she is doing well. She sleeps through the night about 2 nights a week, wakes up once for a bottle about 3 nights a week, and the rest of the week she gets up about twice for multiple bottles. It's progress, but not like Lorelai who went from waking up for bottles to sleeping through the night and never waking up again.

Lorelai is making up for that now with zero naps. The kid never naps. Maybe once every 3 weeks she will, but as all you moms/dads out there know, that is just drop in the bucket compared to what she needs. The poor kid whines and pouts about half the day, the other half she spends refusing to eat, taking off her pants, and putting up a big fight on potty training. No bribes, rewards, punishments, reprimands, or self-prompting seem to work. Just like most things my LEL does, this will most likely be accomplished on her terms, in her own time.

On to the holiday season!

M.LEWIS    

My 30 List

I love the idea of posting one thing you are thankful for every day for the month of November. I mean, you should do that all year round, and I try to, I just don't write it out in status updates.
While I love the idea of reading one everyday, I fear I will not remember to do it everyday, or find the time to. So, I decided I will just list my 30-day thankful list all at once, right here.

1. my house- as I sit here, away from the chill and the rain outside, I am thankful that I and my family have a nice house to live in. Full of warmth, love, and toddler toys.
2. coffee- it might sound silly to some, but being a SAH mom for a almost 3 year old and a 7 month old take its toll on your energy level. "Let's make pancakes this morning!" would not be possible with my coffee.
3. Chris- I know, I put coffee in front of my husband, but these are not in order. I am thankful for a husband who is a great father to our children. Lorelai lights up when he walks in the room. Her little heart bursts with love for him. 
4. the internet- it sounds shallow, but it's not. The internet gives me the ability to search for new foods to feed my clan, creative projects to do with my girls, and it gives me the opportunity to keep in contact with my friends and family that I don't get to see enough.
5. my mom- she allows me and my kids to come over all the time. We show up, make a mess, clean it up a little, then usually leave with someone crying...and yet, she always welcomes us over. She is the first person to show up when I need help. Taking Phoebe to the vet, needing to go to an unexpected doctor visit, she will always help if at all possible.
6. a comfortably stocked bank account- this kind of coincides with Chris, but I am grateful for this. Chris earns a comfortable living, and I make sure we don't spend too much, but in general, we lucked out in a lot of areas. We are not rolling in cash, but we have enough to pay all our bills, provide food and clothing to our children, and enough extra to give them some pretty great adventures. (zoo, aquarium, etc.)
7. my home town- I am not a huge fan of Texas weather, scenery, or stereotypes, but I am thankful for all my city has to offer. Plano (and the surrounding cities) has a great reputation. We have access to a lot of opportunities, it has great schools/colleges, and a lot of job growth. I am grateful my kids will have all of this.
8. sprinkler system- you know how annoying, time-consuming, and frustrating it would be to water a Texas lawn by hand? Oy. I am so very thankful I have a sprinkler system to do this chore.
9. our veterinarian- as you know, Phoebe has some health issues that require close monitoring. She has the tendency of needing medical attention at a moments notice. Our vet will always take her. Any time of day, no matter how busy, they will help my dog. That is comfort.
10. Lorelai- this one does seem rather obvious, but I want to pick out something specific...her sense of compassion. She is always looking out for Phoebe, and now her little sister. She gives great hugs to those in need, she always says "thank you" over the simplest of gestures, and she loves, loves, loves her family. Animals and all.
11. Adalaide- naturally, this little one has to be next. Addy will always smile when she wakes up. That cute little smile, with one dimple, greets me every morning. Sure, she is teething right now, and is quite draining, but that precious smile is something I am most thankful for.
12. my car- at a drop of a hat, I can pack up my kids and leave. I can go anywhere at any time. It seems simple enough, but for those who have only one car, or to those who need to plan out a bus route, or hitch a ride with a friend, this simple task is something not to take for granted.  
13. disposable diapers- again, since we are blessed to afford them, I am so grateful they are available. Toss some in a bag and go, throw them away when needed, I am thankful I do not need to use cloth. Nothing wrong with cloth, but it is something I am thankful I can avoid.
14. a backyard- in the apartment we had to walk out with Phoebe, rain or shine, convince her to go when it was best for us, then pick up the mess with our hands, walk across the lot and throw it away. Now, she goes out with she needs to, and I get to stay inside, not touch poop, and be thankful.
15. photographs- I sat here thinking of my next idea and turned to see a precious black and white newborn photo of my Addy...and that was it. Photographs are something I am slightly obsessed with. I want to capture every moment, every smile, every eye twinkle, every tiny, lovely thing about my girls. Photos make that happen. Photos preserve my life's happiness.
16. snow- it is a rare commodity down here, and maybe that's why I love it so, but snow is pure magic. The feeling I get when my world is blanketed with snow is so brilliantly unique.
17. the ability to stay home- lately, it is hard to convince myself I am thankful that my days are filled with screams, cries, dirty diapers, food battles, potty training, and unknown goo on my clothes...and hair. But if I think about it for more than 8 seconds, I am thankful for this. I get to be apart of my kids lives in a way I will never get to be again. I get to see it all. It's a good show.
18. amazon.com- it pairs with the internet, but online shopping (especially amazon) is something relatively new in our lifetime, and well, it rocks. No browsing, no hiding gifts from the kids you are buying for, no crowds, no lines...just sit down, click around, type in a few things and viola! They bring it to your door. Thank you Lord.
19. friends- no, not the tv show, though I am thankful for that as well, I am talking about real people in my life that actually like to take time out of the lives to see me, talk to me, listen to me, and want to be apart of my world, and want me apart of theirs. It's an awesome gesture that many times gets overlooked. Thank you my pals.
20. my siblings- close to friends, but yet, so different. Whether it's ragging on each other, challenging each other with movie quotes, or remembering past events with laughter, my brothers and sisters are my best friends and my strongest links to everything that made me me.
21. Phoebe- how have I not listed Phoebe yet? This dog is quite a handful, but at least once a day she does something that makes me laugh. She is a blanket addict, a ridiculous eater, a great snuggler, and a best friend. I am thankful for this crazy pup.
22. grandparents- whether talking about my own, or watching our parents become some to our kids, I am grateful that grandparents have such an active role in our family. It can get overwhelming at certain times, but they mean the world to my children, and that alone is worth it.
23. Nick Jr.- I know, I am one of those evil parents that not only lets their kids watch tv, but is actually publicly saying "thank you" for it. My LEL has learned so much from it, it's amazing. Whether it's odd shapes, obscure jobs, unique problem-solving, or a growing vocabulary, I am grateful that I can turn it on at any time, tend to my crying infant, and know my toddler is being occupied by something worthwhile...most of the time. ;)
24. Lowe's- in the past 2+ years of home-ownership, we have visited Lowe's hundreds of times. If I want to spruce something up, they've got it. If we need something urgent to fix a problem, they've got it. They have made it possible to turn my house into something I love and enjoy being in most of my time. It's also 5mins down the road. That is definitely something to be thankful for.
25. Netflix- there is that pesky tv again, but hey, I love it. I used to get so excited to see a new movie in the theaters, and I got to do it often. I became a mom on a budget, so that kind of ended. Movies are so special to me, and netflix makes it possible for me to keep a little part of that.
26. trash pick-up- It's pretty great that I can throw all the junk I want to get rid of to the curb and have someone take it away for me. A modern day luxury I am not overlooking.
27. toddler-targeted food- you know, the food that has hidden fruits and vegetables in it? That's ingenious. Lorelai is one of the pickiest eaters I know, and I can still sneak in some food value with fruit snacks or fun drinks. This is a load off a parent's mind.
28. healthy children- I see a lot of parents online talk about how their kids have the stomach flu again, or another cold, an unrelenting cough, or yet another fever. I am so thankful my kids are rarely sick. Lorelai has only been under the weather a few days in her life, Addy has yet to be sick. I am grateful for their strong immune systems.
29. texting- I can freely "talk" to my husband through out the day, asking him how he is, what he's doing, when he'll be home, and not feel guilty about bothering him too much. It's a form of communication we've used often during our time together. I think it is a worry-free way of keeping in touch. Thanks cell phones.
30. positively humbled- I have learned over the past 5 years or so that I have an unusually positive mindset. At least I feel I do. I have watched people close to me feel beat-down, depressed, and hurt by various life experiences and events. I watch them struggle to rise above it, to consciously try to be happy. I feel helpless to watch them go through this. Problems, big or small, I do feel I can naturally focus on the positive. After the crappiest day, I can genuinely think back and find several things I was grateful for that day. I know that even through the worst days, I have it darn good. I am thankful for the ability to be humble, and happy.

Think about your 30, heck, go beyond 30. Even in these uncertain times, we have so much. Just make a note of that.

M.LEWIS 

Food Hunter pt. 2

To update you on my food adventures, I have since made chili, pumpkin muffins and ...well, taco salad...but that one I cheated on.

The chili was good. I did alter it some to better fit my family's tastes, but after it cooked in the crock pot all day, I declare it a success. It wasn't anything too unique, it was your basic chili recipe, but I had never made my own before.
I would, and most likely will, make it again. Especially on the cold, dreary days of winter, I think a big bowl of chili sounds perfect. It makes plenty of left-over for this small group, so I had to use it again somehow.
Enter the taco salad. I did see a recipe online for this, read it, and decided it was basically chili. And wouldn't you know, I had a whole tub of it stored in the refrigerator already. Add in some lettuce and crumble some chips, and tada! Taco Salad.

Now, the pumpkin muffins. I'm not going to lie, I had high hopes, and I was a bit disappointed. I wanted something with pumpkin and brown sugar...I love brown sugar. But, I didn't want anything too rich, too sugary, or too caloric. I found this recipe on pinterest and tried it out.
It had way too many ingredients, it stuck to the paper wrappers horribly, and it didn't really taste much like anything. I probably won't be making them again.

I still would like to find a breakfast food recipe like a muffin, or a "cookie", something I can make in a batch and hand out to the girls all week long. Lorelai loves muffins, waffles, etc. She does not like cereal or oatmeal...she can't wonder around the room with it, nibbling it slowly. If you have any ideas, please send them my way.

I still have a recipe for pumpkin cream cheese bread I need to try, and I have several more meals this week to try. I'll post my progress on those later.

Also, if you would like any of the recipes I mentioned, I can post them as well...I just haven't found any that I think would be worth it yet. But hey, at least I am making fresh food, nothing frozen and packed with preservatives. It's a win in my book. :)


M.LEWIS

Food Hunter

I have been really trying to better our meals lately. We eat out over the weekend, so I try to balance it out by buying fresh, and making foods from scratch...well, for the most part. If read this blog or know my family, you know I live with the pickiest eaters, so finding recipes that please everyone is difficult.

Lorelai is pretty much a lost cause for the time being, seeing as not all my meals will involve grilled cheese or dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. So, while Lorelai eats her food (and makes up for nutritional gaps with pedia-sure), I make food for Chris and myself.

This week I have made 4 foods. 3 new recipes. 0 so far are worth making again. :\

I made breakfast cookies from a recipe my friend posted. I don't know, maybe I messed it up somehow, but they are only mildly acceptable. With all fresh fruit and whole grains, they are healthy, but bland.

I made black bean burgers, and that was a mess and required too much time. You can ask the crying infant about that one. They tasted good, but not good enough for me give it a second go. I think I need to find a different version of the recipe before I attempt them again.

I made cauliflower "mac n' cheese" which is basically steamed cauliflower with cheese sauce. It was alright, but nothing too great. I would make it again if I needed "something different" to make.

The last thing I made was good ol' chocolate chip cookies. They weren't healthy, they just sounded good. Even that I messed up. Unsalted butter makes them funky, and my new cookie sheets do not bake evenly. I'll need to adjust to the thick, dark sheets.

So I feel like I am 0-4 so far. Tomorrow I make white bean chili and cornbread. I hope it goes well. I am using the crockpot for it, so I am excited.

I still have one other recipe I bookmarked but have yet to buy for, but it's pumpkin bread. Yummy, but not a meal.

Time to start researching for next week! If you have any favorites, please pass them my way. I'll see if they fit the requirements. ;)

P.S.> I hope you like my new layout. Modern fall chic was the vibe I was going for.


M.LEWIS

7 Months Old and Counting

Well, well, well, 7 months old. My how time flies. I didn't think Lorelai grew up too fast, but Addy? Well, I think Addy is growing at lightening speed.

This little cutie is a joy. She loves attention, mainly from mommy; which is ok, but I think others might get a little jealous. But hey, it's fleeting. Look at Lorelai now, she is a daddy's girl, big time!

Adalaide is a terrible eater. God bless her skinny little body. This 10th percentile girl makes mommy a little worried about her lack of food/bottle consumption. Therefore, mommy is always shoving food in her face. She does seem to like table food better than her baby pureed glop, so hopefully we can find a happy medium soon.
Though, to eat more table food, she needs some teeth. That's right, following in her bog sister's footsteps, this babe has zero teeth more than half way through her first year. LEL was 9.5 months before one of those bad boys sprouted, so we may have a couple more months to go.

What she lacks in the oral department, she makes up for in gross and fine motor skills. She has been picking up food since she was 5.5 months old, and now feeds herself small snack foods with ease. She also started crawling 3 days before her 7-month birthday. She is already pulling herself up on things, wobbly, but she is determined.

Last night she did sleep through the night. This is the 3rd (maybe 4th) time she has ever done this. I do hope this is a new trend. LEL started sleeping through the night during her 7th month, so if Addy wants to repeat that, I would have no objections.

She is still wearing some 3M clothes, but we are mainly in 6M outifts. Those onesie pj's are awful for her. Her skinny little legs slide up to her tummy and get stuck there. I am constantly untangling her. She has been sleeping without being swaddled (mainly naps) so I want those tiny legs covered so she doesn't get chilly. (Not that it's that cold here yet...just the AC).

She used to love baths, but now she is not so into them. She is more of an in-and-out girl, and Lorelai will be happy to play in there for half an hour if you let her...though both hate getting their hair washed.

Adalaide will also start off her 7th month a baptized babe. This past Saturday, all in-town family were over for a brief, beautiful ceremony by our good friend, Jeremy. Addy seemed very intrigued by the whole process, even reaching over to read the bible Jeremy was preaching from.

Addy does like to explore and discover new things (as long as mommy is carrying her), and crawling opens a whole new world, what will 8 months bring? Cross your fingers for more eating, drinking, and sleeping. Other than that, life is oh-so-good for Ms. Adalaide Olivia. ♥


M.LEWIS

Pre-Homeschool

I have begun "preschool" for Lorelai this week.
I plan to build up to a more structured schedule, so we are taking small steps right now. It's an adjustment, poor thing. She has some ADD tendencies.

For the first week I plan to have a letter and number of the day. We then collect items in a small bag that begin with that letter, and hopefully I can tie in the number somehow. We then show dad the bag in the evening and explain what the letter is and what the objects are. This reinforces the information, and gives her something to work towards when wondering around the house searching for items. We also talk about the day of the week, and the weather. Though she does not tell me what the weather is, rather what she wants the weather to be. Her answer is consistently "snow." We'll work on that.

The second week I plan to work in a book of the day, and if I'm feeling really bold, a corresponding art project. Her speech skills are a tad behind, but she's making great progress, so I think a word of the day could help her along. One that I know she has trouble pronouncing and using correctly in a sentence. The approach of "_____ of the day" will work best for her age and for her adjustment into schooling in general. We will ease into larger, more general concepts over time.

The third week I'd like to work in "bigger picture" things like months, seasons, states, and word identification. Like her name, her sister's name, etc. Introducing food groups will also work itself in, mainly because we are working on expanding her toddler palate.

The fourth week I see us starting some concrete themes. This will definitely take more work on my behalf. Planning a week in advance, and making sure we have enough time to dedicate to the entire daily lesson, even if we need to divide it up through the day. So what starts off in week 1 as "letter A and number 1 on a sunny Monday" will evolve into "letter L and number 12 on a cloudy Friday, October the 12. Book: It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown; with pumpkin stamp art. What season do we see pumpkins? The word of the day: "orange"; and pumpkin muffins for snack." by week 4. (Yes, I know my timeline doesn't match up with my example, but you get the idea...I hope.)

All of this is easy to plan out, it's the execution (with an infant) that will need practice. I also think a teacher planner is in order soon.

Some things she already excels in:

• fine motor skills
• color identification
• shape identification 
• animal identification

These things will come in handy when I work them in with the daily lesson. I hope this will deter frustration and create a link she can relate to. Stickers will also help motivate her, to a point. She's got a pretty hard-headed streak. Hence the "easing into" school. I do not want her to view school as a punishment or a chore...not yet anyway. ;)


M.LEWIS

Baby Weight Adventures

   I'd like to take the time to write an unusual post. Well, unusual for me at least. I talk a lot about my kids and even my pregnancies, but I only touch on the physical aspects of having kids. Specifically, weight. I do like the term "baby weight." It's not entirely inaccurate, the weight gain is due to the baby, but it also allows to disown the weight a bit. Like, this is not my weight gain, it belongs to someone else, I hold little responsibility. But the truth is, as the months go on, you can't blame the kid anymore. Darn.
   As all of you know, I had my sweet Adalaide 6.5 months ago. This is my body's second go around for postpartum recovery, my second go around at getting "back to normal." I use quotation marks because I never felt normal, not at the time. Looking back at it, I was pretty fit and slender, but try to tell me that back then and I would have sincerely laughed at you and insisted it was all a carefully crafted illusion. Ah, those were the days.

   Truth be told, I am uncomfortable talking about weight. Not just my weight, everyone's weight. I know my aversion is my problem, and everyone should share what they want, I just get squirmy with the details. I don't need to know your clothing sizes or the numbers on the scale. Heck, I don't even like it when people say to me "Hey, you've lost weight." To me, I hear "Hey, you're not as fat as you once were." But that's probably because I would have to admit to myself I had/have extra weight.
   My weight gain is due to having kids. I am not passing blame, it is the truth. The weight loss (or lack there of) is due to me and my choices in lifestyle.
   I gain 50 lbs with Lorelai. Yep. 50. Ouch. Just seeing that number makes me cringe. I fight the urge to scroll back and fudge the number and force myself to type on. I had some decent morning sickness from weeks 6-12. The only thing that sat well in my stomach was bread. Bagels, toast, crackers, tortillas, etc. That's a lot of carbs; a lot of calories. I got over the queasiness, but then sunk into "I'm pregnant, I'm going to enjoy eating anything I desire." I also quit my job around this point. So, I had a lot food going into my mouth and a lot of sitting going on in my livingroom. Don't misunderstand me, I didn't binge, I didn't just shovel in chips and ice cream; but I certainly didn't buy a lot of apples and celery. I also was exactly motivated to exercise with a huge watermelon tummy either. This went on for the remainder of the pregnancy.
   I had my beautiful baby girl late fall and spent the next couple months adjusting to motherhood. I spent my days trying to catch up on sleep, snacking on food, snuggling my baby, and working hard on nursing. That was the winter I spent 3 days iced in at our apartment, even over my birthday. I got into a rut. I did kind of lean on the theory of "9 months to gain, 9 months to lose." Guess what, sitting around half-awake with your baby everyday doesn't equal weight loss.
   I watched the 9 month mark come and go, and my baby weight still stuck around. I had to actively do something about it. Then, of course, I hid behind excuses. Well, I had to do something with Lorelai's Halloween candy, she's too young to eat it herself. Then there was Thanksgiving, LEL's first birthday, Christmas, my family's birthdays, and then my own, etc; and Lorelai "needed" my attention, I had no time for physical activity beyond gathering laundry and unloading the dishwasher.
   I did get sick of myself and my attitude. I got my rear in gear in the spring. I decided I wanted to wear my old, cool, pretty clothes again. I wanted not to hide anymore. I was motivated. I was doing well for a couple months. I was...pregnant again.

   Adalaide's pregnancy was not a repeat of Lorelai's. I felt similarly, if not a little worse, but I did not want to head down that road again. After all, when I got pregnant again, I still was carrying LEL baby weight. I was starting off worse the second time than the first. I did ok with Addy. I gained only about 35lbs. But I did not wait for the "9 months on, 9 months off" timeline.
   When Addy turned 4 months old, I told myself I had had enough recovery time, and I needed to get going again. Finding time and energy to do any sort of exercise routine was (and is still) hard to come by, so I focused more on food.
   I started buying so many fresh fruits and vegetables, I impressed myself. Sure, I missed a lot of my old foods, but I was adjusting, and liking my new foods just fine. I did this for about a month and a half, and I lost 0 lbs. That's right, it made no difference. Some motivation, huh?

   I knew what I was doing was healthier for me regardless of the scale, so I kept with it...and still have. After Adalaide weaned herself (I have the worst nursers) at 5.5 months, it became a lot easier to move around and exercise. I started doing routines and even bought a dvd recommended by my skinny mom friend.
   Well, that didn't work out too well. It was a 30 day plan. I made it the first 4-5 days feeling empowered. Sure, the first 2 days killed my muscles, but they got stronger pretty fast, and I was determined to finish. By day 9 my joints were not doing well, specifically, my right knee. It was truly painful to do the more advanced routines. I wrapped it in a brace, applied ice and heat, and started taking daily painkillers to get through my exercises. I reached the 14 day mark, approx. half way through the plan. I weighed myself to see my progress. I think I lost 1 lb, even then I'm not sure, my clothes were pretty light. So, at this rate, it would take me a year and a half, knee surgery, and buckets of Tylenol to lose the baby weight. Not Cool. So, I reluctantly suspended my 30 day plan and did more of my own thing.
   I pick my favorite low-impact exercises that focused on my problem areas, stomach and upper arms/shoulders. I bought even healthier foods and cut out even more "junk" from my diet. I did this for a couple weeks and made another appointment with my stingy scale. Sure enough, no change.
   All my effort, all my planning, organizing, prepping, sweating, stressing, and deprivation made no difference. As I stared longing into the closet from my scale I could see all my cute fall clothes...mocking me. "HA! You thought you could wear me this year?" taunted my jeans. "You aren't even close to fitting into me." laughed my fitted, button-downs.

   To be honest, I feel slightly defeated. I feel like I made all these smart, healthy choices, and have been dedicated and steadfast in my journey. I feel like all that effort was wasted. At the beginning of my adventure I lived a rather unhealthy life. Lots of frozen dinners, snacks, sodas, and sweet treats. I did no exercising outside of what I had to do to keep track of my kids and dog. Since then, I have done almost an 180° in terms of food and I have been doing what I can physically handle in the exercise department. I have almost no soda, very little sugar, little bread, lots of vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts, etc. I do 100 sit ups a day and spend about 15 minutes of weight training a day. My progress? I have lost 2 additional lbs...on a good day.
   I'm not giving up, this routine of exercise and fresh food is good for everyone no matter the scale feedback, but I can't help but look back at old pictures of myself and wonder, will I ever look like that again? Maybe I was wrong to expect bigger results so soon. But we're going on 3 months here. 3lbs in 3 months. I fear that figure of a year and a half is looking more and more like reality. What's a real bummer with that is...I may be pregnant again by the time I reach my goal. Maybe not...though 3 kids suits me.

   I don't really know what I wanted out if this post. Not pity, but maybe empathy? Have any of you all had such a difficult time with losing baby weight? I am starting to wonder if I may have a medical complication I'm not aware of...though, I was tested at the beginning of Addy and everything was normal. So, I think I just need to suck it up, put my head down, and continue to plow forward. Carrots, and spinach, and water...yay.


M.LEWIS

The Girls Update

Things around here have been generally low key lately. I know, I jinxed it.

Adalaide's schedule has been established, as much as one can establish with an almost 6 month old. That's right, this week, Addy will be 6 months old. Crazy.
She is still waking up during the night; there has only been 3 nights (not consecutively) she has slept from bedtime to sunrise. Still no teeth, but she is eating rice cereal and simple fruits and veggies pretty well. Her "omg what is this in my mouth" face is pretty cute. I will have to try and get a picture of it one of these times before she adjusts to the taste. She is close to sitting up by herself, she can hold her own for about 10 seconds before wobbling too much and tipping over. I will know her weight next week but I think she has gained another couple pounds since her last check-up, and is most likely hitting the scales at a whopping 13lbs. She can hold her own bottle for a bit, if she's laying down. She also "puts herself to sleep" in her crib 90% of the time. She loves her big sister and thinks everything she does is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I can get giggles out of her if I try, but Lorelai gets belly laughs without any effort. I love it.

Lorelai enjoys her baby sister, but she is still hesitant on sharing. Though, to be fair, sharing right now consists of Addy sticking the toy in her mouth and giving it back to Lorelai all slobbery. I can see why Lorelai isn't crazy about doing that all the time.
Most of the time they hang out together on the floor and Lorelai doesn't get distracted by her at all, like she's always been there. I think that's great, she just has this attitude of "Oh, her? Yeah, she's my baby sister. She's around all the time."
Lorelai does look out for Adalaide, which as a parent, makes me feel awesome. Addy fell asleep in her carseat one day and did that whole infant shlump-over thing. Lorelai spotted this and said "Oh no! Mom, baby sister!" Another sweet time, she saw Addy without a paci in a store and made us stop. "Go back! Baby shister, paci!"
My compassionate little 2 year old. Though, in a few months she will be 3! Again, crazy.

The next month should be pretty quiet, then things kick into gear. Fall is coming, my favorite time of year. The time where the heat lifts, the cool breezes filter in, and the leaves start to melt into shades of red, yellow, and orange, which matches the pumpkins clusters you see in festive yards. In October, we have Adalaide's christening and Halloween, Addy's first. Then November slides in with Thanksgiving (another 1st) and Lorelai's birthday. Then December, Christmas. By far the best holiday, filled with tradition, love, and magic. Lorelai is already asking for Christmas music in the car. I think she inherited my deep love for Christmas. This excites me. She is at the age where she will understand it a bit more, and love it a bit more. This, combined with Adalaide's first Christmas will make this year extra special.

Sorry for the tangent, I was just daydreaming for a bit. ;)

Anyway, this sums up our household for awhile, at least for the kiddos!


M.LEWIS

Weaning.

Well Adalaide is on her last stretch of nursing. I do have mixed feelings about it, but at this point I am too tired to fight it.
She has done a lot better than Lorelai did, so that in itself feels like progress. I wish I was one of those women who breastfed without issue, but I am not. Just like with Lorelai, I hit a point where I am tired of thinking out nursing every waking moment. Drinking gallons of water, forcing Addy to feed often, pumping, waking up so uncomfortable I can no longer sleep, or waking up...wet. We'll just leave it at that.
I know some women love it; love feeling close to their baby, having a special connection through simple mother nature. Honestly, I don't get that whole "it's so beautiful" feeling most of the time. I mainly feel frustrated. I feel pretty close to my baby as is...I think it's that whole, you-grew-inside-me thing. I do regret the loss of the health benefits though. Nothing is exactly like breast milk, but she has been supplementing for months and is now eating cereal and baby food every day, I do firmly believe her health and well being will not suffer.
Some times I feel selfish when I get excited about being done with nursing. I feel like my wants should not be on the forefront, Addy's should be. But, then I remind myself how she screams and fights me on breastfeeding throughout the day. My "easy nurser" turned rogue awhile ago. My constant efforts to maintain and increase my supply are in vein when she refuses to eat unless it's in a bottle. I could pump and feed her that in a bottle, but really? My whole day, whole schedule would revolve around that.
You see? It's a see-saw of pros and cons, happiness and frustrations. So, I finally adopted my current outlook. Try to breast feed straight from the breast. It's for Adalaide, if she refuses, then that's that. I don't want to be attached to a machine half the day. If my own baby doesn't want to eat the "natural" way, then we are done. No fighting, no frustrations...and that's why we are down to one 5 minute feeding every 12hrs. That's all I can get her to take. When it's time, it's time, ya know?
Sorry if this was a muddled blog full of TMI or whiny complaints. I just have to go through this litany with myself before I can let it go. Mommy guilt at its finest. ;)


M.LEWIS

Disclaimer: Mother/Wife/Person Mini Rant Ahead

I find myself wanting to rant after rough days/nights. I then feel guilty about wanting to rant and complain. I know I have it good, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to feel tired, frustrated, annoyed, and exhausted. I do. But is it fair to write it down? Is it fair to put it out there for people to read? I can hear the sighs and see the eye rolls already.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...what else is new? You have kids. You are tired and frustrated a lot. And of course you love them, you don't need to keep saying that."

I guess I think readers feel this because I feel this. I feel I crumble after one bad day or one rough night. In reality, it takes more than that, but I still feel like a wimp sometimes.

So, hear is my "rant", but in a list formation, for I am too tired to write any more full, lucid paragraphs. Once I get it off my chest, I know I will feel better.

• Phoebe, why do you have so many health issues? You didn't used to be so sickly, so often. And why are you so over dramatic about it, especially at night, when we are trying to sleep? I hate it.
• Adalaide, please get over the fact that we have to ride in the car. It's not that bad. Your screaming doesn't help the ride go any faster, in fact, it's the opposite.
• Lorelai, dear, make up your mind. The answer to "What do you want for breakfast?" is not "apples, waffles, NO WAFFLES, muffins, toast, MUFFINS."
• Summer, I hate you, and your need to make me hot and sweaty all the time.
• Adalaide, waking up and staying up for 3 hours right after I go to bed is just mean. I know you smile and think it's great fun to watch mommy slip into sleep-deprived insanity, but you are wrong. This will become evident in the morning. Just wait.
• Lorelai, screaming and crying from your bed is acceptable if you are A) having a nightmare B) significantly hurt C) sick or D) someone is trying to break into your room...in fact, you better scream, loudly, if that happens. Reasons not to scream and cry from your bed are A) the door is open B) your paci fell out of your mouth C) your stuffed animal is under the blanket or D) your lullaby cd has ended.
• Phoebe, stop spitting out the little "different tasting" bits of your food all over the kitchen. They hurt when you step on them, I am tired of sweeping them up, and Lorelai sometimes yells at them, calling them bugs.
• Ikea, I love you, but why does it cost $100 to ship something from the Frisco store to my door...10 mins down the road. Target has free shipping for its card-carrying members, you should too. I don't have the car space or the large amounts of time to mess with all I need to pick up.
• Chris, my love, the dirty-clothes bin has three slots: darks, colors, lights. In that order. It has always been that way. Browns and blacks do not go in the "lights" and white socks don't belong in the "darks." That sentence felt racist. 
• Miss Spider (on Nickjr.), your always calm and collective voice is obnoxious when everyone is yelling and throwing fits. You're a mom, stop pretending to be so patient and understanding all the time. No one believes you.
• Telemarketers, stop calling me at the worst possible time. I am trying to get kids to sleep here, I know I didn't win a cruise, I know I didn't really talk to you last week about lowering my interest rate on my "debt", and hanging up after I run across the house to pick up the phone is just cruel, not mention pointless.
• Me, you got this whining out of your system, now refocus. Hopefully you got some self-relating smiles from your readers, but it's time to let things lie and move forward with your day.

Most of these are related to motherhood. It is the hardest job I have ever had. The hours are never-ending, the bosses are big cry babies, the pay is nothing, and there are no promotions, bonuses, or vacation time. The job of creating and raising wonderful, productive, self sufficient people is difficult, but ultimately, the best use of my time...and I still have a lot of time to kill. ;)

"Motherhood was my career. I'm totally satisfied with that." -Ann Romney

Yes, I quoted Ann Romney at you. Deal with it.

M.LEWIS

Oh...Just A Day

So, my day went like this:

5am- Adalaide wakes up to eat
5:30am- Adalaide is back asleep
6am- I get up
6:30am- Breakfast for me, eye drops for Phoebe
7am- Wake up Lorelai
7:15am- Breakfast
7:20am- Wake up and feed Adalaide
7:40am- Leave for Grandma's (my mom's) house
8am- Kids at Grandma's, I leave to go to my Dr. appt
9am- Done with appt, stop by CVS for Rx
9:40am- Go home to meet guy fixing my mailbox
10:30am- Still no guy, call, and he is an hour late
11am- Go to Grandma's to pick up kids
11:15am- Feeding Adalaide, again
11:30am- Guy calls, he is on his way to fix mailbox
11:45am- Adalaide and I get home, left Lorelai with Grandma until work is done
12:15pm- Guy came, fixed, and left
12:35pm- Wake up Adalaide from nap and go to pick up Lorelai
12:50pm- At Grandma's, and give Adalaide some time out of the carseat
2pm- Feed Adalaide, again
2:30pm- Leave Grandma's and go home
3pm- Lorelai down for nap
3:30pm- Adalaide down for nap
3:40pm- Eye drops for Phoebe
3:45pm- Me down for nap
4:45pm- I'm up, and I wake up everyone else
5:15pm- Make rice cereal for Adalaide
5:30pm- Feed Adalaide, once more
5:45pm- Chris home
6:15pm- Dinner for me, Chris, and Lorelai
6:30pm- Clean up dinner, gather trash & recycling and take to curb
7pm- both girls changed, and in pj's
7:30pm- Lorelai teeth brushed, and in bed
7:45pm- Adalaide in bed
8pm- Write this list and get tired just by reliving my day
8:15pm- (predicted) Make some evening coffee and see how long I last before I crash and Zzzzzzzzzzzz
10pm- Eye drops for Phoebe


M.LEWIS

Minor Upgrades

I touched on this earlier, but I am sprucing up our master bedroom. Nothing crazy, just upgrading some things, reorganizing, slightly new layout...things like that.
You know about the mirror, but the other thing I was oddly jazzed about was getting new lamps for the bedside tables.

My new lamps, plus a flowery accessory...Sorry Chris ;) 

It's kind of stupid how much I love these, but they are so pretty. Plus, I don't knock my hand into a lampshade every time I reach over to the table.
I saw the style at one of favorite places, Pottery Barn:

Pretty, but $$$

One thing...they are $150 a piece there. Ouch. I love Pottery Barn, but I tend to get ideas from them, then find a more affordable alternative elsewhere.

Enter Ikea. $30 a lamp? Much better; and I actually like it more.
I then ordered a storage ottoman from Target, on clearance. I was excited. Half off, $50.

My dvd's are in the ottoman now

I threw on some pillows I had and added a new, adjustable floor lamp (also from Target, $50.) This is situated in the are my dresser used to reside. They are now joined together on the other side of the door.

Ignore the clothes peeking out from the drawers and the dvd sets on top...still have to find them a new spot

I relocated the mirror to the other side of the room to fill up a glaring bare space on the wall.

Yes, we have a nightlight...kids, ya know?

I added more curtain panels and let them hang straight to make the room feel taller.

Don't mind the bumps in the comforter, I didn't want to officially "make the bed" for the picture

Now, this is still our original bedframe. We are planning on getting a new, wood frame that takes up less space and is more my style. And, yes, Ikea is a winner again.

Less huge, more shaker style

Similar look, but it's not a sleigh bed, so we can push it flush against the wall adding an extra 8' to the space.

Then there is the other main wall. I bought some picture ledges for $10 a piece at Ikea (again, yes) and reconfigured the collage.

The arrangement isn't set in stone, but I am fine with it for now

I like my teeny, tiny sitting nook

I like it a lot better. I added some new things, took out the manic-too-many-pictures frames, and went with a classier look...at least to me.

So that's the new look. I still think I want to add hardware to my dressers (that are not my favorite), but I am fine with them for now.
I love being in my room now, that's always a good feeling. Not a huge room, but it feels bigger with these changes.


M.LEWIS

Starburst Mirror

Idle hands. Must. Do. Something.

This has been a nagging voice echoing in my head lately. The question is...what do I make? What do I alter? What, what, what...
Well, I got it.

So, I wanted to spruce up our master bedroom, and make it a bit more fancy. This means altering the curtains (done), replacing the lamps (not done), moving the dressers to a better spot (done), add hardware to the dressers (not done), and create a mini seating space (enter project).

I am going to order a upholstered storage ottoman for the space, then add some colorful pillows, and add an interesting wall art piece. I decided I wanted a starburst [or sunburst] mirror. I have always liked the look, and even made an art piece of one in college...which won a spot in their art show. Anyway, so I went shopping.

Holy, moly. Why are mirrors so expensive?!

$110

$90

$223

$85

$268!

$168

Yeah. Um. No. Weird colors, odd sizes, and every price comes with shipping and handling. So, I decided to- you guessed it- make one myself. Hooray for Hobby Lobby! I bought a candle plate (aka a mirror) for $5, then two packages of wooden dowels for a total of $6. Some metallic paint, $4, and two packages of small mirror token piece things for $5. I already had a hot glue gun, so I was set.

Glue the dowels behind the mirror

Decide on a design

Paint the dowels, and glue the mirror tokens on

TADA!

Go ahead and tell me for $20, this doesn't look just as good as the $268 models. Plus, it's the color and size I want.

I love it. 

Now for the rest of my plan!

M.LEWIS

July Life

My last couple posts have been about the house, so I thought I would play catch-up on the more personal side of life for a bit.
I find it boring to write about our daily lives for the most part, so I do try to wait until there is enough to write about. The house updates are more fun, I feel; plus there are pictures. But I will try to dig up some things to write about that don't involve paint or furniture.

Last personal blog was while Chris was in Denver, and I was sick, and I was up to my ears in paint. So, let's see, you know I finished the kitchen (thank the Lord), and you know I didn't die from my illness, and you probably figured Chris returned home from his trip... 4th of July was nice. We saw lots of family and worked in a decent fireworks display. The music was not to my liking though, so that kind of changed the way I enjoyed them. That, and I was trying to get Addy to sleep (unsuccessfully). We also had a spur of the moment change when my parents' car wouldn't start at the end of the show. We drove my mom back to their house so she could pick up another car to carry everyone home in. Luckily they eventually got it started and no one had to walk home in the dark. ;)

Adalaide had her 4 month check up. Everything is looking great. 11lbs 10oz, 251/8 ins. We saw a different doctor than our usually one, since he was out on vacation. I like our usual dr. more, but that's ok. She got 2 shots and an oral vaccination and oh-my-gosh, they turned her into hulk baby.

Chris will appreciate this

She would be doing fine and something small would set her off. I mean something super small; the paci would fall out of her mouth, someone would shut a door too loudly, I would put her down...or pick her up, etc. She would then morph instantaneously into this monster baby who would scream and cry for half an hour. She couldn't sleep well or eat for very long. This lasted for 2 and a half days. It was tiring...to say the least. It did pass though, and we have our happy, smiling Addy again.
She is getting really good at tummy time and is even trying to pull herself up on her knees. She's getting close.
As my mom said: "Stop that. You are too young for that. Slow down." I laughed, but I agree. She's a fair amount smaller than Lorelai was, so I think that adds to that whole be-a-baby-longer feeling. Still, 4 months, slow down kid.

Up to no good

Lorelai is doing well. I was amazed she didn't get my cold...Addy too, for that matter. She's just being her 2-year-old Lorelai self. Loving strawberry milk and french fries. My little health nut. Not. She has taken to applesauce lately, but only the kind in the pouch. *shrugs*
She does enjoy sweet potato fries, so I try to get them as healthy as I can. Then we still go through our usual yogurt, grilled cheese, banana, muffins, chicken nuggets, apple, pop tart menu. A Lorelai-themed restaurant would do quite poorly, I think.
She is also OBSESSED with The Lion King.
Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Scar, Timon, Pumbaa...the whole gang. At least twice a day I hear: "Naaaaaaaaaaaaants ingonyamaaaa bagithi Baba..." I made the joke earlier it should be my ringtone, just so Lorelai would light up every time it went off; but I think hearing it any more than I do might actually kill me.

We met up with a couple of friends this week for a playdate, which was awesome. We need to do it more.

Water!

I have been trying to make an effort to do more fun, local, inexpensive things with her, but having an infant and chronically tired parents makes it a little tricky. I think we've done ok though. We have hit the splash pad 4 or 5 times, and their little sandy beach playground area. We've gone to the aquarium and have visited a couple of pools and played in the crazy sprinkler in the backyard. I would still like to try to take her to the movies, but we'll see. I do enjoy seeing her enjoy life. It's pretty darn amazing to watch her grow, learn, and experience new things...until the crying starts.

In case you missed it, I have opened a supplemental blog that I will use more like a journal about my girls. It's for the cute little instances that pop up and that I don't want to forget. It's open to you all, but it's mainly for my own logging purposes...since I get a bigger kick out my kids than anyone else. :P

I have also been getting serious about losing a lot of this cursed baby weight. I don't like to talk about it much, maybe I prefer being modest, maybe I feel embarrassed, but I am so sick of looking in the mirror and thinking "Ugh". I still don't have much time or energy to devote to working out (though I think my lifestyle in general is pretty active), so I have been focusing on eating better and eating less. Needless to say, it's not easy. I can't (and won't) do anything too drastic because I am still breastfeeding, but I have been looking into supplements for when I am through nursing. I had a really hard time losing weight after Lorelai, my body just didn't function like it used to. I never thought of myself as "thin" until I pull out my old clothes and realize I am no. where. near. close. to fitting in them. We'll see how things go. I am not expecting a grand transformation, but getting within 10lbs of my pre-babies weight would be nice. Honestly, getting into pants with a zipper would make me happy.

We have been getting an odd amount of rain lately, and I love it. I am not so worried about my foundation cracking and it cools off the air from "burn off the first two layers of skin when you touch your steering wheel" to "maybe I can get the mail without shoes on" hot. Come on, Fall.

And then, there's Phoebe. Good ol' pup whose own eyes reject their very use and purpose. She has another eye ulcer. I took her in Tuesday AND Wednesday for her issues. After several prescriptions of eye drops, eye serums, and eye gels, not to mention pain killers and a lovely e-collar; we are finally on the road to recovery. The only question is "How long can we go this time?" I do hope we can find a way to control this problem. I am afraid to leave her alone for any length of time and with anyone besides myself. I know what to look for, I know what her symptoms are, and I know how to tell if it's healing. Did you know, that if you tackle an eye ulcer the wrong way, the ulcer grows and (in the vet's words) "melts" into the layers of the eye?! Holy. Cow. I am stressed about this daily. You have no idea. Yay, life.

Hard to sleep with the cone...and that goes for everybody

Well, I think that covers things. It doesn't seem like much, but all of this has eaten up half of our July and then some. Let's hope the rest of July and August goes by as fast, but not as dramatic.

P.S.- I also created an instagram account. Come find me.


M.LEWIS

Thankful for Nothing

The last couple weeks have been a bit of a doozy.

Between Chris leaving town, me finishing up the kitchen, Lorelai...being 2, and Adalaide crying for what it felt like days; I am kind of spent.

This rain came on a good day. I feel lazy. I feel lazy after I cleaned out and reorganized the laundry room, but still. I am sitting here in the familyroom watching HGTV by myself. Quietly. No one in my arms, no one in my lap. No one crying, no one shouting. Nothing is pilled up on my kitchen table, no toys blanketing the floor. The plants don't need watering (yay, rain), there is no mail to pick up. Dinner is figured out, grocery shopping is done. I have no more chores and no more errands.

It. Feels. Awesome.
Nothing is going on, nothing is wrong. Nothing.

It's been quite some time that I have experienced this. I'm sure it will fade faster than I could imagine, but for today, I am loving it. I am happily sinking into my chair, sipping my tea (that I don't have share with my 2 year old), and not watching Nick Jr.

Not every day I am so thankful for nothing. Keep snoozing my babes, it's been a long couple of weeks, indeed.


M.LEWIS

Just a Little Stripe

My latest home project was a minor one; which is good because my kitchen satisfied that "project urge" for a while.

I wanted to spruce up my laundry room; if you recall, but I didn't want it to be a big deal...at this point.

I like the striped look, but I didn't want it to over-power the room (it's a pretty small room) and I wasn't crazy about moving around the washer and dryer.
I had left over paint from my family/livingroom and kitchen, and I figured that would work nicely; tie the room to the rest of the house a bit.

I ordered, assembled, and placed a new shelf unit but I haven't purchased any baskets/bins/etc for my wall shelves. I also want to get a nicer rug for the door, but for now the single stripe is sitting pretty well with me. :)

P.S.-scrubbing the floor and door molding along with touching up the caulk make a huge difference in appearance.

UPDATE: I got some boxes for storage and finally hung up my drying rod to finish off the room.

M.LEWIS