(The following was posted by my friend on Facebook. The original website is here.)
If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.) The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
By Kathy Fictorie
based on "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff
This was too funny not to share. Pretty much sums up my life, with a few minor changes = Minus the 3 and 5-yr-old, but add a part-time career. Gotta love Mommyhood!
On April 7th, our sweet baby girl turned 2. Sometimes it seems as if no time has passed at all since we welcomed her into our lives, and other days we simply wonder what we did without her. The amount of joy she brings us everyday is indescribable. The "twos" have thus far proved to be terrific, not terrible. Of course, I personally believe that is all about one's perspective, but either way, we're having a blast. I read the best thing the other day from John Rosemond:
"Raising children is not rocket science. You simply take one part cool, calm, and collected, blend that in with one part confidence in the legitimacy of your authority, sprinkle with a sense of humor and a dash of ingenuity, and you’ve got it!"
Yum!
Cheese!
Lailey woke up in the morning in the happiest mood. She snuggled in our bed for awhile, but then insisted, as she does every morning, "time ta eat!" We celebrated with Birthday Waffles and strawberries and bananas. Lailey enjoyed every bite and blowing out the 2 candles on her waffle. In the evening we took her out to a hibachi restaurant since she loves fried rice. She was not scared at all by the fire tricks of our chef, and kept asking "where'd da fire go?" after he was done. She scarfed down all her rice and even tried a bite of sushi (cooked, of course). She liked the sushi more last time we were there, but then again, her tastes as a toddler change periodically. The best part of the evening for her, I'm sure, was the chocolate ice cream for dessert.
Uh, what's that stuff again?
Daddy kisses
I think she enjoyed it
All smiles after a fun day
On Saturday we headed to a local park for her birthday party with family. Her favorite thing is the playground, so it seemed fitting to have a party there. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we had a great time.
Silly
Lailey and cousin Ansley
Sillier!
Aunt Amy and Uncle Tim
Eating her chocolate cupcake and telling me about something
Cupcake kisses
Opening presents
Girl on a mission
Swinging later that day with Uncle Tim (or Teeeeyimah, as Lailey says)
In other Lailey news, she's grown an inch since her last doctor appt. 5 months ago. Most recent Lailey quote: [talking to herself] "I need to go potty. No, I don't need to go right now. I really really tired."
This past weekend, we ventured out on our first family camping trip, along with my sister Amy and her husband, Tim. Davey and I camped before Lailey came so we've been looking forward to taking her on her first trip. All week I had been talking to her about the exciting new things we would do that weekend such as sleeping outside, sleeping in a tent, seeing Amy and Tim, eating outside, and making a fire. After mentioning the last thing, she thought for a second, then her blue eyes lit up and she said "And marshmallows too?!" The kid remembers everything. It's been three months since we used our backyard fire pit and she still remembers the marshmallows. Well, we had lots of them over the course of the weekend. It's a wonder she didn't turn into a one by the time we got home.
Trying on Daddy's boots before the trip
You know, one of my favorite parts of camping is getting away from the busyness of life and technology. Nothing wrong with phones, computers, tv, and the like, but escaping now and again is what I love. Breathing fresh air, getting closer to God's creation, and not having the distractions of "normal" life are what draw me to the outdoors. So I guess you could say I really sealed the deal when I accidentally dropped my phone into the campground toilet on my first trip to the bathroom. (Thankfully, after an entire weekend of drying out it is fully functional. I said I like to "escape now and again," not be a hippie.)
We left Friday afternoon and made it to the campsite about 5:00 pm. Lailey had not been feeling well the day before or that morning, but we decided to take a chance and hope for the best. We figured we'd be only 1.5 hrs from home if she was miserable. Except for a few whining episodes, she ended up having a blast and doing really well. She even made it through the whole weekend without one potty accident!
Checking out Uncle Tim building the fire, but only for a second
Campsite #34
One of my main concerns, as funny as this is, was the distance to a bathroom. Not for Lailey, but for me! Between being pregnant and potty training, I feel like I'm best friends with the potty these days. Thankfully, Amy and Tim arrived before us and not only got an amazing campsite with a great view but it was only a minute walk up to the bathroom, which was actually really nice and clean.
The first evening we ate chili and cornbread for dinner, and s'mores for dessert. Food always tastes better when you're camping, and this meal did not disappoint, if I may say so myself. Lailey was so ready for bed I could barely get her changed into her diaper and jammies before she fell asleep! I bundled her up in a miney (her blanket), a sleeping bag, and another heavy afghan on top and I don't think she budged the whole night. She was nice and cozy. Here's a video of our first morning in the tent...
Translation: "Ride a little horsey down the trail. Better watch out before he falls
in the weeeeeeeeeell." I realized recently that "trail" and "well" only rhyme if you're truly Southern. Which is why I can't say it.
Playing with a headlamp
One time during the night, Lailey made a noise or something and it woke me up. I crawled out of my sleeping bag to check on her and make sure she was warm. She was fine, so after I made sure she was tucked in securely I crawled back to my spot. Then I realized something that I had been dreading. I had to pee. I mean, I really had to go. There is no ignoring it and trying to sleep when you are carrying something equated to a soccer ball in your stomach. Grrr. I quickly considered my options:
Option 1) Squat outside by myself. Nope, don't like the dark, never have. Plus, squatting at this time is not very easy and I wasn't sacrificing my one pair of pjs just in case I missed.
Option 2) Walk 2 min. to the bathrooms by myself. See option 1 regarding fear of the dark. Head lamp or not, I ain't goin' solo.
Option 3) Invoke the SDLSPSITD Rule. For those of you out of the loop, that's "Sisters Don't Let Sisters Pee Solo In The Dark." Yep, I woke up Amy. She thankfully obliged me and we trudged up the hill, freezing, to the bathroom. Ahh, sweet relief.
Lailey and Mommy
Saturday Davey was all ready to try the kid carrier back pack we had borrowed from a friend, but I, having had some trouble getting back to sleep after the midnight potty trip, was really tired. I also stayed up late packing the night before, so two nights of sub-par sleep and I hit a wall. Nap time for Mommy. Amy decided to stay with me so Tim, Davey, and Lailey set off. Lailey really enjoyed the hike, especially when Davey "galloped" with her on his back.
After their first 4 mi. hike
Relaxing
Naptime for Davey
Make like a baby and head on out
The manly men chopping wood
Playground!
Saturday evening Amy, Lailey, and I walked a little ways to the playground. The "paygound" is one of her favorite things right now. Another favorite thing? Let's just say it starts with "Ride a horsey..."
Lailey on her horsey (aka Aunt Amy)
We had tuna, crackers, and trail mix for lunch Saturday, and fajitas for dinner with salsa and Greek yogurt- yum! And marshmallows. Before I went to bed, I jokingly prayed to God (since I think He has a sense of humor) that He would let me sleep through the night without having to follow the SDLSPSITD rule again. Well, He answered my prayer. How nice.
Cold morning
Sunday morning was pretty chilly so after practically running to the bathroom (I told you I was BFF's with the potty) I made our oatmeal breakfast quickly so we could sit by the fire and enjoy it.
Sunday morning breakfast of champions...complete with sporks
Lailey learning to safely warm her hands (notice me holding her jacket?)
We packed up everything in the car and then headed to the Visitor's Center to get started on the 1.5 mile orienteering course that Tim was interested in. Not to say I didn't want to do it, but I was just the follower, not the one with the compass.
The beautiful view of Lake Allatoona from campsite #34
How many people does it take to load a toddler in the carrier?
Lailey, enjoying pb crackers while on her second hike for the weekend
Sweety pie
All FOUR of us :)
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and we're looking forward to camping again. Probably not this fall since Little Brother or Sister will be pretty little, but maybe next spring.
Prompted recently by a sister who shall remain nameless, I have been, ahem, "instructed" to take a belly picture and tell about what's going on with baby #2. She's right. It's time for a little update. It's not that I'm not excited, but this pregnancy has been so smooth it's flying by. Plus, anyone who has another kid knows your time is already consumed. Nonetheless, I will not neglect blogging for my second kid.
I'm surprised how close I got the new picture to look like the one from my first pregnancy. Picture #2 confirms what I thought: I am definitely showing more this go around. My belly button has already popped a little too. My dark line (linea negra) down the center of my stomach did not go away after Lailey was born and was still visible when I got pregnant again. However, it is now ironically fading as my belly stretches out. I find that interesting.
Again, prompted by the nameless sister (That's starting to sound hilarious to me. Okay, maybe I'm just tired.) I am supposed to answer the following questions...
What you are craving? Lately, jalepenos, spicy stuff, salsa and chips, cottage cheese, sliced strawberries and bananas together, hard-boiled eggs, sushi, chocolate chip cookies from Chick-fil-a. I'm pretty much just hungry all.the.time. It's crazy. I love food. Healthy or non-healthy, bring it on. You'd think I'd be gaining a ton of weight but so far it's been nice and steady. I will admit that gaining weight during pregnancy always makes me a little anxious just because it's a lot more weight than I'm used to. But obviously I'm not worried enough to stop eating. Unless I start gaining a ton, I feel like it's my body's way of telling me I need to consume extra calories. A couple of months ago I had it BAD for Chick-fil-a chicken biscuits and sweet tea. Like, more than a few times a week bad. But oh, it was heaven. I'd almost have a worship service eating it! After confessing this to my midwife to see what she thought about how bad this was, she suggested I add a protein shake to my breakfast since the protein in the chicken biscuit was helping give me such a good jumpstart at the beginning of the day when nothing else seemed to fill me up (also contributing to the craving). So now my morning routine is a wheat english muffin with crunchy natural peanut butter and a tiny drizzle of honey along with a protein shake. (Of course, that's justFIRST breakfast. Second breakfast could be any number of things.) Super delicious, lots of protein, and so far it's done the trick! I've only had CFA twice, I think, and it's been a few weeks. Neither time was a "have to have it" moment. More like "it's Saturday morning and I've done well all week, how 'bout Chick-fil-a, honey?" [re-reading this paragraph suddenly made me quite hungry]
How far along are you? 23 weeks, or a little over 5 months Has Davey slipped up and told you yet? I can't remember if I mentioned this in a previous post or not. But Davey really really wanted to find out the gender of this baby. Having loved the surprise with Lailey, I really really did not. So, on the drive to the ultrasound, we compromised: he'd look and I wouldn't. He has not slipped up yet to me, and as far as I know, has not told anyone else. And nobody is allowed to bug him about it, you hear? How is Lailey reacting to your belly getting bigger? Lailey frequently mentions that "Mommy have baby." She is starting to notice my stomach more with clothes on and will point and say "baby." The other day she "tickled" the baby and then spontaneously kissed my belly. So cute! She also calls her crib "baby's bed" now and seems to understand that it's no longer hers.
Any other normal preggo information people would want to know: I have been more tired lately, but I'm taking liquid iron since I'm a bit anemic. This happened with Lailey too so it must be something that happens to me when I'm pregnant. Mostly I feel pretty good. No major aches and pains. I can still see and reach my toes. I am having more moments when I "feel" pregnant, but it's not bad. I can still sleep through the night without having to get up to pee. I make up for it during the day however. The baby is starting to move a lot more and I'm feeling movement in larger areas. I have also seen my belly move now. Davey has felt it several times. My next MW appointment is in a week, and I have to do the gestational diabetes test. Not the funnest thing in the world. For those that don't know this is the "fast for an hour, drink the really super sweet glucose juice, get blood drawn" test. At least it's only an hour that I can't eat. I seem to remember with pregnancy #1 having to not eat all morning or something. I would not survive. (see above paragraph on FOOD.)
When people ask Lailey how old she is, I will usually prompt her with "You're almost..." and then she replies with an emphatic "Two!" The girl may be short but she's definitely not short on personality, and we're seeing it come out in all different forms these days. My "Kids Say the Darndest Things" jar is starting to get more full. (sidenote: I think at one time I had intended to blog about that little project, but I can't find the picture of the jar now so...you'll have to use your imagination. It can be any old jar. I made mine cute with a little ribbon. Basically, when your child says something funny, write it down on any scrap sheet of paper, then throw it in the jar later. When you need a pick me up - or your kids are driving you nuts - you go back and read all the adorable things they've said and then you find them that much cuter. Or at least you find yourself a little less eager to send them away. But I digress...)
Anyway, here are some cute pictures from the last couple weeks, punctuated by some of her funnies. Enjoy!
Mommy: "Lailey, you're hilarious.
Lailey: "No, I happy."
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Lailey: "I like your shoes, Mommy."
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Lailey: [yelling to a random group of people at Wal-mart outside the bathroom] "I go tee-tee on potty!"
The beauty of using tv very sparingly is it works wonders when you have a big Saturday project. Here's Lailey enjoying Toy Story from her "special seat."
Lailey: "Daddy tooted."
Daddy: "No I didn't."
Lailey: (giggling) "Daddy stinky!"
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Lailey: "Give me high five, man!"
Lailey: "Mommy go tee-tee on da potty. Mommy get M&M."
Watching the thunder and hail storm last weekend.
Lailey: "Mommy, put your clothes on." (I was wearing a tank top but had taken another shirt off earlier)
Lailey's latest thing is telling us what to do. So smart, yet so precocious. It's hard not to laugh most of the time. The other day I stopped at a red light and she said "Mommy, go." We had a good discussion after that about red lights and green lights. Then last weekend she handed me the Swiffer duster (which she enjoys using) and said "Mommy, dust." Haha. Well, at least she knows what it's for.
3D Butterfly art work by me. I may still add something to it, but it's mostly finished.
I am having a blast doing the final decorating touches for her room. I'll try to post pictures along the way. I love a good project.
So, it's about time right? I started Lailey's baby book on Shutterfly.com soon after she was born and worked on it occasionally throughout her first year. But I kept finding excuses not to spend the money to order it. Thanks to a gift certificate and some Christmas money (I take a long time to spend Christmas money) I finally have no more excuses. I can't wait to get it in the mail!
It's been a time of lots of changes for Lailey. Potty training (update: now in underwear all the time except naps and nighttime, yay!), a big bed, a new room, and now a haircut. I've resisted as long as possible but the ends were just getting too uneven and I wanted it to grow nice and straight. And her 2nd birthday was coming soon, so I figured now was as good of a time as ever. We made it a family affair last Saturday, well-equipped with the camera.
Getting entertained by Daddy while we waited.
Unruly locks.
"I don' wan' it"
Sitting on Daddy's lap perfectly still.
Making silly faces at Davey
Daddy making silly faces back.
Hooray!
Lailey with her "cheese" smile
More cheese
The promise of a sucker after her haircut was the incentive for putting on the cape. I think it worked (see the blue?)
I didn't think she'd freak out about a haircut, especially since it was Aunt Beth who cut it, but she was exceptionally good. Very content and still - not typical almost-2 behavior. She fully deserved the blue sucker. We were very proud.
