Random, Much Needed Post

I think that in order to get out of my blog neglecting state I should actually just write a blog post.  So here goes.

I am absolutely in love with my husband and with my daughters.  Blessed doesn't even seem to begin to describe how I feel on a daily basis.  Having two little ones is definitely a challenge and I am exhausted each night when my head hits the pillow, but I wouldn't trade this life for anything.  Tonight Kit was commenting as the weekend comes to an end that he doesn't know how I manage to do what I do all week while he is at work.  In my response to him, I shared a revelation that I had when Elise was born -- I couldn't do it without such an amazing husband.  He's seriously a stud and I am honored to be his wife.

Musings aside, here are brief updates on each member of my little family...

Kit

My amazing husband finished his MBA program last Monday!!  That's right, after 26 long months of working full time while also being a husband (and a dad for most of it), he's done!  His actual graduation isn't until December, but he's received his grades and knows that he will be graduating.  We're so very excited and I am so very proud.  Now we just have to adjust to what life is like without homework and classes!

Elise

My eldest daughter is getting bigger and bigger every day.  No longer a baby, she is tall and talking up a storm.  Every day she seems to pick up a few new words and she's gotten to the stage where she tries to tell us things that we don't understand and then gets frustrated that we don't understand her.  For a while, she was using the word (I use that definition lightly) "noma" for anything and everything that she didn't know how to say.  It has morphed it to "nummy" and may mean that she's hungry but more often than not means that she wants something or wants to do something or wants you to do something or wants you to see something or wants you to say something.  Sometimes it's quite challenging to figure out what she's getting at.

Her nickname these days is Chirpy Chick, which is both the title of one of her favorite books and a good description of her behavior since she's quite chatty.  This includes talking with her sister whom she calls "sissy."  She likes to say, "Hiiiii sissy!" and to "beep" Evie's nose (though her version of beeping is very monotone and non-dramatic).

Evelyn

My youngest daughter is also getting bigger and bigger every day.  She consistently rolls from back to tummy but hasn't mastered going the other direction.  A friend loaned us a stationary jumping toy where the seat rotates and there are four little toy stations she can spin around to.  She enjoys said toy quite a bit.  She also loves being held (much more than Elise) and usually wants you to hold her facing outward.  When she was smaller, her favorite position was lying downward on your arm while we swayed, walked around or did things around the house.

Her nickname is Chicken Little, which is indicative of both her loudness (her crying is seriously grating - one minute feels like an hour of how Elise cried when she was little even if Elise hadn't had her vocal cord damage) and of her more emotional "the world is ending" nature.  It's so much fun seeing how her personality differs from Elise's.  She clearly loves her sister and enjoys watching her like a hawk.  She also loves playing with her and giggling.

Oh, and I can't remember if I ever mentioned on here but she does have reflux and is on Prevacid.  I tried reducing her Prevacid dose, but it didn't go well so she's back on her full dose.  She's also sensitive to dairy and soy so I've been almost completely off of both since she was about a month old.  I tried eating dairy recently (after small accidental amounts having not seemed to bother her), but she didn't do well with it so I'm back off.

Coco


I would get a scolding from some of our readers if I left Coco out of this, though others will scoff at the fact that I included my dog in a family update.  Coco is doing well.  He's been having some problems with one of his back legs that he injured a couple of years ago.  So he was taking a herb mixture and is still taking a ligament supplement (older readers and those who know us well know that he goes to a holistic veterinarian clinic that we love).  He loves his sisters dearly and loves to give them kisses.  Both girls love him as well and Elise is always getting him in trouble by giving him paper or toys that he shouldn't chew on.

So there you have it.  I need to get going but maybe one day soon I'll get the chance to post some photos.

All Is Well

Since I'm starting to have folks who don't see or hear from us on a regular basis ask if we're okay since I haven't blogged in quite a while, I figured I'd do a quick update.  As the post title indicates, all is well with our little family!  I've just been enjoying being mama to two adorable little girls and eating up all of the fun (and busyness) that motherhood affords.  And doing so means I haven't been blogging or reading blogs much lately.  I have many things to update on the blog and hope to do so soon.  But in the meantime, don't worry about us!  We're just enjoying lots of family time.

Pool Fun

We got Elise a small pool before Evelyn was born and she's been having a blast playing in it.  The first night we went to use it, I realized I hadn't washed her swimsuit yet so she went it without it.  The second night we went to use it, she decided to crawl in fully clothed while I was skimming the bugs off the water.

Evie Jane

Our little Evie is already nearly eight weeks old!  I can hardly believe it, especially since I'm ridiculously behind in posting updates about here.  Without further adieu, here's the scoop you've all been waiting for...

• Not sure what her current measurements are, but at her last pediatrician appointment two weeks ago she was 9 pounds, 13 ounces.
• Size one diapers are fitting her perfectly as are newborn clothes.
• Her personality is clearly very different than Elise's already.  She's very serious - frequently scowling while awake - and is also likes movement and fussing more than Elise did.
• Unfortunately, we discovered at about two weeks that Evelyn has reflux like her sister.  Due to the aforementioned more frequent fussing than Elise, you would actually get the idea that her reflux is worse; however, she doesn't spit up like Elise did.  And her Prevacid is definitely helping a ton.  (On Sunday morning she spit out part of her dose and I didn't worry too much about it.  But by the next feeding and for every feeding until her next dose that night she screamed and writhed in pain.  No fun.)
• Dairy, soy and home-cooked beans are not her friend.  So now I'm eating a ridiculously healthy diet since most of the less healthy foods that I like have dairy or soy in them.
• On average, she wakes up once per night; however, she sometimes wakes up twice.
• She's now on a fairly rigorous daytime routine.  I had been trying to do the whole feed on demand and follow her cues thing, but she was fussy and cranky most of the time when she was awake, finicky about eating and sleeping completely unpredictably throughout the day.  The day I started a 3-hour feed, play, nap schedule, she became a much more content baby.  She eats better, plays happier and naps more restfully.
• She has been smiling more and more in the past week or so.  It's absolutely precious!  She loves it when people sweet talk her and sometimes rewards said talking with smiles.  Yesterday she locked eyes with Elise for the first time and gave her a huge smile.  Elise responded with a big smile herself and Evie smiled at her again a few more times.
• She Loves playing for brief periods (5-15 minutes) on her play mat and frequently coos when she kicks or hits one of the rattle toys that hang above it.
• She enjoys being outside.  She's quite calm when we go outside and enjoys looking around.
• Her little hands and feet are just precious.  She has long fingers and toes.  And her big toes have this adorable little crease on the bottoms.