Monday, August 16, 2010

Random Post

It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog. I don't have much to say just thought I would update it with some random thoughts.

My sister Kristen is pregnant (YAY!!!!). I am super excited about that. She heard the heartbeat this morning. It made me so excited for her and also made me think about how much I LOVED being pregnant and what an amazing human being comes from being pregnant! I just hope that her pregnancy is easy and her labor is great. The doctor found out she was my sister...so they will watch her to make sure if she has any of my complications they will catch it early and be able to start some preventive measures. I hope Kristen takes after my oldest sister and mom and has a worry free pregnancy!! Also I am hoping the PUPPPs rash stays FAR AWAY!!!

I am super excited to become an aunt again, and to be there for when my sister has pregnancy related questions. For once I can be the person with some advice - I have always gone to her for so much growing up that I feel good recipricating and being there for her when she needs it!

Brooklynn has started to become a rolling fool! She is going from back to front, and OCCASSIONALLY from front to back - but mostly she gets super ticked off when she realizes it is not as easy for her to roll onto her back. She lifts her head up and looks around when she is on her belly. She is starting to become curious and reaches for objects and feels what different textures feel like. She is also always watching her older sister - I am sure trying to think of ways she can get into "trouble" when she becomes mobile.

Isabella is always playing with Brooklynn. My favorite part of the night is right before all of us go to bed, we lay Izzy and Brooklynn down together, and Izzy always grabs for Brooklynn's hand. It makes my heart just melt! I than take Brooklynn and lay her in her crib and she falls asleep and than Izzy falls asleep. She is such a protector!

Izzy went to her first Sunday School class this weekend and she loved it. She learned about Noah's Ark. It was great watching her interact with the teacher and see her begin to learn more about God. I hope to start working on becoming a better Christian now that Izzy is at an age where she is learning from what others do. I want to teach her (and Brooklynn too) the right way to live. Whether that means we go to church every weekend, I am not so sure about that one...but they will both grow up knowing about God and how to be good and honest people!

I will post pictures soon of our recent outing to Powell Gardens. Not much interesting in our lives but hey - family life might not be crazy, but it is great fun!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Hello Blogging World...It's Been A While

It has been a long time since I posted a blog, so I thought I would just write a little update. Both girls are doing WONDERFULLY! Every day they each learn something new! Brooklynn has found her feet, is grabbing for objects, ALMOST rolling over from back to front, and Hallelujah she is holding her head up when she is on her belly!! She is such a happy baby and is always smiling and laughing. Literally the only times she is not happy is if she is hungry, tired, hot, or needs a little attention. I do think there is a possibility that she is starting to teeth because she woke up last night at 2am crying and wasn't even settled with eating (neither of which is like her). After a dose of tylenol she was out like a light.

Isabella is discovering more and more in her world. She has learned her full name, what mommy and daddy's name is, and we are working on her phone number (that one will take a while I think haha). She is enjoying reading, watching TV (shhh...don't tell anybody - I do have a TV kid so what?), playing outside, and anything that involves other kids. She is SOO active it is crazy!! Her language is ever expanding and is now holding conversations with anybody who talks to her...whether they understand what she is saying I do not know.

I am LOVING life with two kids. I have been contemplating if in the future we want to add another to our crew...and I really truly think Sam and I both want to. We both agree a big family would be so much fun. It is just a matter of being prepared this time for the possibility of me having to be off as much as last time. So we will wait a few years at least. Right now, we are both enjoying our family of four!!!

What are some things I have learning in the last month or so??

1. Patience is a virtue...really it is!! And a 2 year old doesn't necessarily understand this concept - but I can try to teach it to her.

2. Life goes by in an instant. I swear it was only a week ago that we were in the hospital giving birth to Brooklynn, and only 2 weeks ago we were celebrating Izzy's 1st birthday. I try every day to sit back and just try to remember all the little things.

3. I am not going to do everything right in raising my children. My temper will be tested, I might not get Izzy's teeth brushed twice a day, and I just might put them to bed without a bath. But I swear they will know they are loved and I will NEVER forget to give them hugs and kisses every day. It's the little things that matter most!

4. I will always want to be a stay at home mom, and everyday I go to work I will be torn between my worklife and my home life. But I will be teaching my kids what it means to help bring home "the bacon" and that even though I am not with them 100% of the time, I am always thinking of them. It is okay to have two lives - a work life and a home life. I am still working on that balance, but every day gets a little easier.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

neurosurgery appointment


Brooklynn had her appointment with Dr. Hornig today to follow up on her increased head size. We had another head ultrasound done to check on her brain. Her head grew another half inch...she is now 18 and a half inches on her head (yikes!!). The doctor said the ultrasound looks normal but we will check it again in three months. He also said she might have some developmental delays such as holding her head up and walking due to the size of her head but she should still be ok. I guess we will see what happens in the next few months. Her head has to stop growing at some point right?? At least she is long and has some weight on her to even out...she weighed 15 pounds 10 ounces today...my little chunky monkey:)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Words of Wisdom

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what things I would want my girls to know as they grow up. I thought maybe if I write some of them down and show them later they will realize that I am just not nagging them but I knew from the start what I wanted them to know.

To Izzy and Brooklynn:
Your first day of school will be one of the hardest on me...at least one of the first hardest moments of your life. It means you are becoming more independent and I am becoming less of a fixture in your every day life. More people are teaching you things, whether it is your friends or your teachers, and I am going to have to really struggle at making sure you know what is right and what is wrong. That is my job, to instill in you what I want you to take out of life. I hope I do a good job.

When you are fifteen and you come home and say "I am so in love" with a boy in your school, whether he is your age, older, or younger, I want you to know that it might end up being love, but you don't know that for sure. Don't give up time with your friends. If he is worth it, he will understand. Don't make your whole life about him. He might end up being your husband some day, but don't devote your whole life to this possibility.
Izzy - know that your sister is going to want to be a part of your life, and the things she is doing is not because she wants to bother you, but because she wants to be like you...or to separate herself from you to show you that she is her own person. Brooklynn - it is not that your sister doesn't love you, she is just trying to be her own person and develop into a young lady, and it is hard to do with someone watching her all the time. It will be hard to watch her grow up and to see how distant she is becoming, but I promise in a few years you guys will be best friends again!!

I am not an evil woman by telling you that you can't go out past midnight at sixteen years old. Yes, a majority of what you can do after midnight you can do before midnight (both good and bad). The reason for these rules is I want you to have respect for your body and for your family - you need to have rules to live by. When you are on your own you can do what you want. But while you are in my house it will be for the sake of my sanity for you to get home a descent hour - I will be up waiting for you until I hear that door close. It is just a mother's way for us to worry about all the "ifs" that could happen, and I will worry until I know you are home safe.

On your day of high school graduation - I will be balling, and your dad will be holding back tears. It is not that we think we can hold on to you forever, but it is that we wish we could. You are becoming a woman now and everything in life is going to be so different. You will have to make choices, and I just pray that we gave you the tools you needed to make the right ones. And when you make the wrong ones (because you will), we will be right here ready to help wipe your tears and hold you up when you feel like you are falling. No matter what you decide to do with life from here on out, make sure it is something that will make you happy.

On your wedding day - know that it will be one of the hardest days of your dad's life. You are his little girl(s). He has been the number one man in your life, and now he has to give you to someone else. If we taught you well, he will be a great guy who will treat you well and we will be happy with the decision you made! We will be happy to be there and support you, and know our tears are both of joy and of sadness - this means we are never going to be the same to you. Yes, we know we mean a lot to you but you are starting your own family. You will be beautiful on this day!!

The day you have your child(or children): I hope that I get to be there and be a big part of your child's life. It will be the most amazing experience of your life, and possibly one of the hardest as well. It will be amazing to watch you grow into such an amazing woman and mother. I will want to give you guidance in how to raise children, and it is not because I think you need it, it is because it will help ME to be a part of their lives. If you take my advice, great...if not I will try to understand. I think you will be amazing at this job, and hopefully you learned from me the right way to raise a child.

I love you both, and my world is turned upside down every day due to the changes you make. I am more in love with you every day of my life, and I am excited to walk through life with you - be there for the good things, help guide you through the tough times, and hold you up when you feel like you just can't take any more. We will butt heads MANY times, and there will be things you do that I won't agree with, but no matter what I will always love you!!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Need a photographer??

My friend has been doing photography for a while now and I just wanted to do a little advertising for her. If anybody needs someone for beautiful newborn photos, senior photos, or kids photos please visit her website - I HIGHLY recommend her! She has done pictures of both my girls so if you are interested in seeing some of her work from me just let me know!! Go to her blog site to see some of her work!

http://jnicholephotography.blogspot.com/

If you need more information feel free to e-mail me or her (you can find her information on her blog!!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Much Excitement and Growth

Our little girls are growing so fast! Every day I look at them I see how much they have changed and how many achievements they have made.

Brooklynn has found her hands and discovered that they do many wonderful things. She tries to stick her whole hand in her mouth, grabs at objects dangling near her or sitting near her, and will catch them moving in front of her face and just stare at them forever! She is constantly cooing now - sometimes it sounds like she is talking. She kicks her legs around and when she is in her bouncer she kicks the dangling toys. Her laugh is becoming more frequent and louder, and she is ALWAYS smiling. This last week she has had a cold and double ear infection and she still was always smiling. And of course I fall in love with her more every day.

She is having some trouble with tummy time. She looks like a fish out of water flopping her legs up and down, but can only lift her head about 45 degrees...if that. I think we are going to have some problems with her developmentally on the head milestones since it is on the large side. Hopefully she won't be restricted too much.

Speaking of her head - we go in July 14th to Dr. Hornig (a neurosurgeon at Children's Mercy) to have another head ultrasound (it is routine to do one right before the appointment). He will hopefully have some answers as to why her head is growing so fast. Or at least tell us there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

Isabella is getting SOO big...she is like a little girl now. She is starting to repeat everything that is being said to her (sometimes to a fault - mommy can have a dirty mouth sometimes especially when driving and she copies that every once in a while - OOPS!!). She says many 3-5 word sentences, asks for what she wants, and makes a lot of decisions. She has started being the one to pick out her outfit - she will go into her closet and pick out what she wants to wear. I think this is going to be LOADS of fun to have a girl! I didn't think I would get into the girly things but I am waiting for the time when I can go get mani and pedis done with her, already planning "big girl princess parties"in my head. I am also enjoying the fact that even though she is so girlie - she still has a little tomboy in her. She doesn't mind getting dirty and loves playing sports and with boys! I love everything about that little girl.

That is my update for now. Every day I have to spend with my little girls is a blessing! I am enjoying every last second!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Thankful on Thursday

After reading Katie's blog today - I saw her question "What are you Thankful for"? and Here is my answer!

1. I am thankful that I have two beautiful baby girls who I absolutely adore. Every smile, every tear, every giggle!

2. I have a job that is pretty flexible and even though I have to work I am able to be home every night with my family! - and I am thankful for the paycheck.

3. Babysitters - grandparents who love to watch our girls so Sam and I can have some private time. Hoping to take advantage of it this weekend so Sam and I can go try out some photography!

4. My husband who really works hard to help bring home the bacon! I appreciate all you do for me and the girls!

5. My momma - you totally rock with all you do for us. You do more than I could ever repay and ever ask for!

6. Being reminded daily by God why I need to appreciate what I have - times might get hard but I have mostly healthy kids and a wonderful family to enjoy life with! I am so lucky!