Our Lovely Girls

I'm raising Lady Gaga Jr.

2012-01-23T05:41:00.002-05:00

One of her favorite things to do is sing & dance her little heart out. It's like she gets into the zone and she just loses herself, lol. This time she wanted Abigail as an audience (and the snowman, too, I guess!) I love how a) she only knows the chorus and just flubs her way through the rest and b) the arm motions and finger pointing are out of control! I think she's watching MTV when we're not looking.

I would just love to know what Abigail was thinking :)

Things I Don't Want to Forget

2012-01-16T08:30:00.002-05:00

Abigail is 8 1/2 months old and she's reached a few milestones in the past couple of weeks: army crawling (she's super fast and makes room transitions!) In fact, if she sees you coming after her (or if she wants you!) she'll try to go faster, lol. It's really hard keeping her out of Audrey's room (aka Land of Lalaloopsy and all things chokable.) She's clapping and waving and gets into a sitting position all by herself :)

Audrey is super excited to be the flower girl in Aunt Kelly's wedding next month. She tells everyone. She wants to watch youTube videos of other flower girls. She really, really wants to wear the flower girl dress that hasn't even arrived yet. Kelly gave her some rose petals to practice with and she does a great job.

Yesterday Audrey and I were at Macy's paying for our things. She told the sales girl, "I have a baby. Her name is Abby- but sometimes I call her Abigator."

Audrey seems to want every toy she sees. But luckily instead of asking us to get them for her, she just says, "Maybe Santa will bring them." I'm thinking the Easter bunny will be a little more generous ;)

I love, love, love how Abigail sings. Right before I lay her down I rock her over my shoulder for a few minutes. She just sings so softly I never want to put her down! And now she'll sing in the car right before she falls asleep (she's always falling asleep in the car, even if she's just woken up from a good nap!)

Audrey is definitely experiencing the ups and downs of sisterhood. She can be totally enjoying Abigail one minute, then fending her off the next. She does not want Abigail around her creations. We're trying to teach her to give Abigail a toy to play with to distract her. But more often than not all we hear is, "Abby, no! Mom, come get Abby, she's getting my stuff!" A couple of times we've caught her dragging Abby away by the pant legs (sooo funny!)

Sitting up!

2012-01-15T07:19:00.002-05:00

I had just put Audrey to bed when I went in to peek at Abigail. It was totally quiet so I expected her to be asleep. Instead I found her on her hands and knees, kind of rocking back and forth. I went to get Chris and when we came back she was sitting up!

She looks just as surprised as we were :)

She's been so close to getting into the sitting position for a while now, but our wood floors make it a bit hard because she's always slipping (which is probably why she will only army crawl!)

Bath time

2012-01-07T20:56:00.002-05:00

Finally! Saving time and water :)

I had Abigail in the bath and Audrey stripped and stepped right in! She wanted to splash her and Abby didn't seem to mind :) Abby does very well by herself in the bath. She loves to look around for toys and chomp on the foam letters. She doesn't care at all that Audrey is all over the place (I guess she's used to it!)

Happy New Year! 2011 in Review...

2012-01-01T14:20:00.006-05:00

2011 was incredible!

January- I was about halfway through my pregnancy with Abigail and felt great. Audrey was saying a lot of 2-3 word sentences. She always carried around her Mickey and Minnie figurines. I stalked the weather forecast in hopes of snow. We did end up getting a couple of days.

February- We loved watching Audrey grow and thrive. She learned all of her shapes and colors and even a few hand signs. I started having severe rib pain with Abigail. We both got a stomach bug at the same time. Audrey took her first trip to the ER which turned out to be for no reason (live and learn, right?!) She started demanding songs in the car and got really good and saying “please” and “thank you.”

Looking back, January and February were pretty blah. They usually are for me…I’m almost positive I have SAD!

March- I was diagnosed with GD (about 4 weeks late because I kept putting it off.) I woke frequently in the middle of the night and started sleeping on the couch. Audrey started taking toys into bed with her (figurines.) She wouldn’t play with them, just wanted them in bed with her! I turned 30. I started full-on nesting in preparation for Abigail. So excited to meet our new baby but so anxious about all the new changes about to happen. I started tracking my blood sugar levels and sadly realized I needed a diet change. Our first nephew was born and despite some health issues he’s a healthy, beautiful boy! I felt super awesome going into my last month of pregnancy. I started insulin shots (ouch!)

April- We took Audrey to the zoo…one special trip as a family of 3. I had an amazing massage. We got a ton of things ready for Baby Burns. I started stressing big time about all the things I needed to get done for my long-term sub on top of having to do report cards and parent conferences. More doctor appointments, including an appointment with the perinatologist. I packed my hospital bag but prayed we wouldn’t need it until May (there was lots of talk about being induced.) I was so looking forward to Spring Break. A full week of getting last minute things done, relaxing, and enjoying Audrey. Easter came and went and I was loving Spring Break. For the first 3 days we had blast, just hanging out. We went to CMoR and towards the end of that trip I knew something wasn’t right. Sure enough, my water broke late that night and the next morning we had a sweet baby girl!

May- We adjusted to life as a family of 4. Abigail was a sweet, easy going, lovely baby. Audrey kept on like nothing had really changed. I was relieved to see that this was not as hard as I’d imagined! The worst part was early morning. I’d be so tired from nighttime feedings and of course Audrey is an early riser. That was rough! I had my first solo outing with both girls. I was definitely enjoying the newborn phase this time around. Before we knew it, Abigail was one month old.

June- I went back to work for the last week and a half of school. It was crazy busy! But so great knowing that summer was finally here. Audrey turned 2 ½ and seemingly wanted nothing to do with potty training... then literally the next day she was practically trained, lol. I discovered Pinterest. Abigail started smiling and cooing and growing (I was mass producing milk for a reason!)

July- Really loved this full month of summer! Abigail continued to be an easy baby (with crazy ass hair.) Audrey spend most of the time bottomless ☺. We got to meet my nephew for the first time and Audrey got to spend time with both of her girl cousins. We pretty much enjoyed staying home and bonding!

August- Abigail started sleeping through the night. Her hair started falling out, to be replaced by a lighter shade of brown. She became very vocal. I decided that we’d be waiting on solids and try BLW (one of my best parenting decisions ever!) Audrey became really into princesses (and started paying more attention to her little sister, especially when she realized she could make her laugh!) I started the Photo 366 Blog. We had lots of tea parties. I took Audrey to see her first play. We had an earthquake! And then a hurricane! I met my new (LARGE) class. I cherished every last moment of sweet summer.

September- Back to School! Back to cherishing weekends. Dance class started again. Took a (real) sick day. Started to get overwhelmed with school. Audrey started calling Abigail, “My Abby,” and started to be more affectionate. Abby started rolling over. We went to see Disney Princesses on Ice. Fall was in full swing and it was crazy busy chaos.

October- We stopped swaddling Abigail and it was a smooth transition. She got some kind of freaky rash that cleared up quickly. We took a trip to Belvedere where Audrey got her face painted for the first time and got over her fear of moon bounces. Abby got her first tooth. Audrey finally gave up the paci and started using the regular toilet. Abby started sitting up better and started eating solids. Every weekend was jam-packed with activities. The girls dressed up for Halloween. Chris got a new job and absolutely loves it!

November- The girls got their flu shots at Abby’s 6 month appointment. We started sleep training (but hardly needed it!) I broke a rib. We had a wonderful photo shoot with my dear friend Stacy. Lots of days off for holidays. Audrey got sick for a few days and I felt really, really lousy about being a working mom. We put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving (new tradition, Christopher;)) First Thanksgiving as a family of 4.

December- Abigail is having a blast eating all sorts of food. Audrey had a lovely tea party for her birthday. I continued to stress about a zillion things I don’t have time to get done. Chris turned 30. Audrey and Abby got a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. Audrey turned 3. Abby’s first Christmas was wonderful. We enjoyed winter break so much (Chris was off for most of it, too!)

It was one of our best years ever. Everyone is happy and healthy and we are very blessed. Here’s to another amazing year…Happy 2012!

Abigail is 8 months old!

2011-12-29T16:26:00.003-05:00

Ok, this month flew by! Between preparing for Audrey's birthday parties and Christmas, Abigail turning 8 months was here before we knew it.

Abigail did great with food this month. Actually, I started giving her more and more of whatever we were having...green beans, corn, carrots, spaghetti. I'm upping her to 3 solid meals a day and keeping her at 3 bottles. She wakes and has her morning bottle and then an hour later she has cereal. I started mixing fruit into it for a little more flavor and variety. When she wakes from her morning nap she has lunch (usually any leftovers from dinner. Today she had macaroni and cheese!) She has a bottle before her afternoon nap. She eats dinner with us (whatever we're having [plus cereal with a veggie sometimes mixed in), then has her bottle before bed.

She's still on a great eating/napping/playing schedule. She can be clingy sometimes. She definitely lets us know when she wants us. If I'm playing with her on the floor she will turn and basically throw herself on me and whine until I pick her up. She is thisfreakingclose to crawling. She can get on her hands and knees, but doesn't stay up very long. She army crawls and scoots herself forward though and she's pretty quick! Think inch worm :) She wants to pull up but I think that's a ways away. She can't get herself to a sitting position just yet. She LOVES her stuffed Mickey Mouse and he sleeps with her in the crib.

She's still teething but I still only see 3 bottom teeth. She sleeps beautifully...usually we put her down wide awake and she puts herself to sleep no problems (she's had her moments though!) She absolutely loves her baths. She really loves her big sister! Any time Audrey pays her any attention, she soaks it up!

She has the biggest, brightest smile and you can't help but smile back when you see her face light up! We adore her so very much.

I was getting out her monthly onesie sticker and I noticed that there is only 1 sheet left for months 9-12. Ugh- this is going by way too fast! I'm already thinking about her 1st birthday party! I'm so excited to see her next milestones...sitting herself up, crawling, pulling up. She's going to be doing all of those things before we know it!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T12:44:00.006-05:00

What a wonderful and blessed Chritsmas it was!

We began celebrating on the 23rd with Christopher's family. Chris's grandparents were visiting from Texas and got to meet Abigail for the first time! We had a yummy spaghetti dinner then opened presents.

Waiting for the festivities to start...

Great-grandma Patti

Great-grandpa Richard

I think spaghetti is one of her favorite meals!

Auntie Sarah can always make her smile!

Bella and Audrey loved their play kitchen

Abigail was kind of in the middle of all the mess. She would be sitting up one minute, rolling around in wrapping paper the next (trying to eat it, of course!)

Audrey's favorite gift was the Lala Loopsy Clubhouse, but she was bummed about having to share it with Bella. That's life, kid!

Fast forward to Christmas morning at our house with my family...

Seeing presents for the first time.

After all the presents were put out on Christmas Eve, I snuck into Audrey's room and tied her stocking to her crib. Wouldn't you know it, she woke up in the middle of the night wanting milk and when I returned, she had taken out her toys :) The look on her face was priceless as I told her that Santa brought it. Luckily she went back to sleep and even after she woke up in the morning, the toys kept her busy!

Checking out the milk, cookies, and note that Santa left

Abby watched all the action from her highchair. She was thrilled when Uncle Scott brought her a gift!

Pausing to watch A Christmas Story (it stays on all day and night at our house!)

She stopped unwrapping gifts and just read for the longest time as her presents were getting piled up!

After all the gifts were opened, Abigail took a nap and we got ready to go to Mom Maw's house for more celebrating!

Second time meeting cousin Ansley!

Audrey loved watching cousin Nina rock the karaoke!

We ate and opened presents and had the best time. We missed Uncle Ryan and Auntie M, though!

It was a long drive home and we were so tired! The girls went straight to bed. Hard to believe that it's all over. I love Christmastime so much! Next year we'll have a 4 year old and a 20-month old! They'll both be running around and squealing and I'm sure it will be even more crazy. Can't wait!

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

2011-12-29T10:39:00.003-05:00

It was a really great day!

Audrey woke up in a great mood as we serenaded her with 'Happy Birthday.' She really loved busting out of her room :)

Hiding under her pillow as we sang :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!

I took her with me to go grocery shopping and run some errands. She picked out her birthday cake and was so excited to get home because Aunt Kelly & Jeremy were coming over early to celebrate with her. They got her an amazing present- all of the Disney Princess dolls!

She had a nice afternoon nap then it was time for her party!

This is as close as Audrey will sit to Abigail. She laugh and pulls away every time Abigail touches her (I think she's afraid of how hard Abby can pinch and pull!)

We were so excited to celebrate with close family. Grandma and Grandpa Allen (her great-grandparents from TX) were able to come and that was so special.

Audrey and Bella mostly played in her room

Chris made a spiral ham and after we ate she opened presents. She kept telling Bella, "This is my present, Bella!" and then Bella would dramatically turn away, lol. You could tell by her tone that she wasn't at all trying to mean, more like, "Look what I got!" She had the best reaction to getting the Lala Loopsy Tree House...she cheered and sang and danced and it was so funny!

Time for presents!

Opening the princess book from Aunt Caroline and Uncle Jason :)

My favorite part was the cake. Of course I loved watching her as we all sang Happy Birthday. But then, to my surprise instead of spitting all over the cake, she blew out the candles on her first try! I don't think she could believe it either :) And then, before anyone could stop her, she took a big lick from her cake!! I let her go for it, because she had been DYING to "take one little lick" the entire day. Grandma Allen got it all on video, too!

3 years old= 3 licks!

It was such a fun little celebration. I'm so grateful to everyone who came out to help celebrate, especially with the craziness of it being Christmas Eve. Audrey felt so special and can't wait until next year :)

Audrey's Slideshow

2011-12-26T06:55:00.004-05:00

"I Hope You Dance"

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)

Audrey is THREE!

2011-12-24T06:55:00.004-05:00

Our sweet Audrey Cate is 3 years old. It’s so hard to believe…it’s so hard to remember what life was like before her. Three years doesn’t sound like a long time, but my goodness! I look at her and every.single.day I’m amazed. I am beyond grateful that she’s healthy, happy, and free-spirited. She completely lights up our lives and gives us purpose.

This was a huge year! She went from diapers to panties. She went from short, very simple phrases and babbling to full-on (run-on) sentences. She gave up the paci (whoa!) She became a big sister! She became more assertive but also learned boundaries. One thing I learned about Miss Audrey- she will do things when she’s good and ready. It’s like a switch- one day she’ll be kind of unsure and reluctant…the next day she’s a pro.

Audrey, one day you will be reading this. And I want you to know that we are so very much in love with you! We have high expectations of you. We love you unconditionally and with all that we have.

Some things to remember from this past year:

Your favorite phrases/sayings: “No, you don’t say those words to me!” Actually, that didn’t last very long because you learned real quick that you don’t talk to us like that…so really, you don’t say those words to us ☺ You can be very dramatic when you talk…you love superlatives: “I am so very tired,” and “This is the best _____ ever!!” You definitely mimic what you’ve heard us say…“I almost forgot!” “Wait a second!” “What the HECK?!” And somehow you’ve gotten it in your head that “4 minutes” buys you a lot of time: “I go to bed in 4 minutes, I play for 4 minutes.” You randomly tell us that you love us "SO MUCH!"

You are so positive. You're always telling us that you're going to have a good day. And then, at the end of the day you tell us that you did in fact have a great day :) We can usually get a smile back on your face when you become frustrated or sad or upset and I really love that about you- I hope you always try to see the bright side of things, hold your head up high with confidence and not let others get you down.

Sometimes you drive us crazy at bedtime. And lately in the middle of the night. You almost always ask for a second cup of warm milk. And sometimes you just want us to love on you. When I ask you what you need you say, "You." Heart melts each time :) Lately you’ve been asking me to rock you, “like you rock Abby.” And of course I do. I will rock you when you are 3, 12, 30…I cherish those few minutes when we sit in silence and I just breathe you in. I adore you!

I can’t believe how well you’ve adjusted to having Abigail. You are very protective when someone is holding her. You like to get in her face and “baby talk.” You sing her a special little song that cracks her up. It’s so funny to watch! You’re well on your way to becoming best buds.

I could look at your sweet face forever. I wish I could keep you at this age forever!!! But I know there is so much to look forward to…before we know it, you’ll be riding to school with me as a Kindergator. For a while now, every time we passed UMW I would tell you, “That’s where you’re going to college!” And now you say, “I want to go there!” I just can’t imagine a time when you’ll leave me…luckily we’re far from that- but for serious, please don’t ever leave me ;)

We’re coming up on a challenging age; I promise to be as patient as possible as you test limits and continue to form your little personality. You’ve only been with us for 3 years but I feel like we’ve loved you forever. Thank you for lighting up our lives and bringing us so much joy each and everyday since you were born. We love you more than words could ever say!

Happy Birthday, sweet Audrey Cate.

Trying so hard to hold up 3 fingers...

:)

Santa's Visit

2011-12-22T20:48:00.002-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa had Santa and Mrs. Claus over! How great are they?! No mall line= one happy momma :)

Audrey was so excited the entire week. She kept telling us that she was going to tell Santa that she wants the Lala Loopsy tree house and school bus. When Santa arrived she didn't even wait for him to get settled, she started telling him right away!

I love how Abby is looking at him!

Mrs. Claus read The Night Before Christmas to the kids.

Abby wanted to pull up so badly!

Each kid got a present from Santa! Audrey got a big princess coloring book.

Abby got an elephant shape sorter.

Audrey took over unwrapping Abby's gift, and Abby was happy chewing on the wrapping paper :)

All the kids had a great time. I'm so happy my in-law's did this. Awesome memories for sure!

Behind.

2011-12-18T21:24:00.002-05:00

I am behind on school work. I'm behind on Christmas shopping. I'm behind on blogging (especially my photo 366 project!)

I'm behind on LIFE!

As I was leaving work the other day another teacher said, "I don't know how you people with little kids do it. I feel like I'm behind on everything." That made me feel better :)

The downside to teaching (for me) is that you're never done. There are always papers to grade, lessons to plan, students that weigh on your mind constantly for one reason or another. My classroom is so disorganized right now that I feel like a hypocrite when I ask one of my kids to clean out their desk. Maybe I need someone to come in and tell me to clean out mine, lol.

I never walk out feeling completely accomplished. We could have a really great day (and usually we do!) but I always leave feeling burdened...there are a million things to do and not enough time! One of my favorite coworkers once told me, "If you feel like you've got it all figured out, you're not doing it right." Maybe that means I am doing it right! Another one of my coworkers said that after so many years of teaching, "you think this would get easier!" A little discouraging, but I've found that to be true.

I love my job. I just hate the feeling of never being done and always being behind. I definitely need winter break to relax, unwind, and get a jump on the rest of the 2012 school year!

Audrey's Birthday Party

2011-12-11T20:07:00.004-05:00

Audrey loves to throw pretend tea parties, so naturally she had to have a tea party for her birthday. We had close family and friends over to celebrate and it was just a short, sweet, simple celebration.

Favors: personalized tea cups and saucers (planters) filled with seed packets, teacup lollipops, teacup stickers, & fancy hand mirrors.

She could not WAIT to dig into the goodies: lofthouse cookies, cake balls, party mints. Christopher was just as bad ;)

Poor Abigail! She has a miserable cold. She had a short morning nap so she was unusually cranky/clingy. She took a nice long afternoon nap (right before cake!)

Bella and Audrey

Your party will be soon enough, darling Abby!

Waiting to open presents! She got gifts that were perfect for her: Mini Lalaloopsy, Princess figurines, nail polish, jewelry, tea sets, and tickets to the dinner theater.

Her big present from us was her pink play kitchen (she's only been talking about it for 3 months!!) Her reaction was funny...she walked in, saw it, and blew a raspberry (something she does whenever she's surprised!)

The play kitchen was a hit with all of the girls :)

Our friend made this beautiful cake. It was perfect!

I loved watching her as we sang Happy Birthday. Definitely almost cried!

Cousins! Ony weeks apart in age...look at how they've changed:

Audrey & Bella played in her new sleeping bag

After the party we went to Target with Sarah and Bella to do our grocery shopping. I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got home...at 7 :) Audrey had "the best birthday party EVER!" and so I would call it a success :) In just 2 weeks she'll officially be three. I am ready. Age 2 was easy breezy and I'm hearing age 3 is where they hit their "terrible" stage...bring it :)

December!

2011-12-04T20:48:00.003-05:00

Ok, where's the snow? :)

December is going to be super crazy busy and I'm so scared it's going to fly by! Audrey's birthday party is on Saturday (we're going to my school's pancake breakfast first!) Next weekend is Grandma's Christmas party (SANTA! I KNOW HIM!) Then Christopher's birthday. Then it's Audrey's birthday and Christmas. OMGEEEE. Luckily the girls are done for presents (thank you Cyber Monday!) But we have a lot to do for Audrey's party this week. I'm very excited about it because last year we had to cancel it at the last minute because she was sick. And of course this week she's had a cold. Fingers crossed that she gets over it and no one else gets it (especially Abigail!)

Abigail has been eating so well!! I'm just loving that we can give her what we're having. The other night she had green beans.

Tonight she had spaghetti (and went directly into the bath!)

I love how she slurps up the noodles, lol.

We never bathe her in the sink, but we will from now on. It's just so much easier! Until she can sit up and steady in the real bath with Audrey, this is her bath for now!

I love this time of year. I started working on Christmas cards today. Only 13 school days until break!

Too funny

2011-11-29T04:47:00.002-05:00

I love how as Audrey gets older that I love each stage more and more. At almost 3 years old she's so fun! I'm in love with her little personality!

Abigail is 7 months old!

2011-11-27T20:21:00.001-05:00

Well, almost :) Tomorrow she will be 7 months and I can't believe how fast she's growing!

These pictures are getting so hard to take! She's distracted by everything!!!

Defiant!

She's on a beautiful eating/sleeping/playing schedule. She wakes and has her first bottle, then eats cereal about an hour later. She goes down for her morning nap after being awake for 2-2 1/2 hours. Sleeps a nice looong stretch of 2+ hours :) She wakes, has a bottle, then plays for 2-2 1/2 hours, then takes her afternoon nap (another 2 hour nap!) She has dinner around 6-6:30 and she plays until bedtime, which is anywhere from 7-8. She has a bottle and goes to sleep for the night. I just love it!

She has 2 bottom teeth and is probably on the verge of getting more. She was very hard to get to sleep last night and she was chewing on her paci like mad. She's starting to eat Mum Mums on her own. She likes Cheerios but can't put them in her own mouth yet. Nothing really exciting to report in the food department! I'm hoping these next 2 months will be better.

She's fully sitting on her own which is GREAT. She sits and plays and has a fine time. She still loves her exersaucer and doorway jumper. She grabs for everything, especially the remote (she CRIES for it!) I guess the next stage is crawling and pulling up! I'm secretly hoping those milestones are far away. I love where she's at right now!

She's making the cutest sounds- "ba ba ba" and "ya ya ya." She has the brightest smile and loves to laugh. In fact, after she finishes a bottle, if you wave it or shake it in front of her face she cracks up- it is too funny! She loves to watch Audrey, and Audrey is so sweet to her! She'll pick up toys that have been thrown off the exersaucer :)

Abigail is still as calm and sweet and wonderful as she's always been. We are truly blessed to have such an angel baby!

Thankful

2011-11-26T20:46:00.003-05:00

We had a pretty wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent most of the morning hanging out and playing. Then we headed to Kelly's house for our first meal. She did such an amazing job of hosting! The house smelled incredible and the table looked beautiful. She even bought a puzzle and felt coloring pages for Audrey and a plush reindeer for Abby :) Everything was delicious and we just had a great time.

Audrey loved watching us play ping pong before and after dinner. She played, too (with my help!)

Uncle Scott helped her put her puzzle together.

Then we traveled about 4 minutes down the road to aunt Kim's house to celebrate with Chris's side of the family. Again- great food and awesome family. Audrey didn't nap at all (or eat) but she was so good! Fell asleep before we could get on 95 to go home. Abby didn't sleep much either- too much excitement!

Abigail stayed in her PJs all day!

We have a lot to be thankful for again this year. Family, jobs, a home, our health. I'm definitely reflecting on how thankful I am more and more, and not just around the holidays. I hope your holiday was wonderful as well!

Putting up the tree (EARLY!!)

2011-11-25T07:12:00.003-05:00

My wonderful husband dragged up the tree two days early for me! He loathes anything Christmas before Thanksgiving (his favorite holiday.) I love you, honey!!

First ornament on the tree! Audrey did such a great job. This is the first time she's helped to decorate it. Usually it's completely done during her nap. I'm so glad I let her help. We blasted Christmas music and I laid out the ones she could hang.

Proud of herself :)

All done!

I'm hoping Abigail gets some ornaments this year- a lot of our tree is covered with Audrey's!

Audrey loves the tree. She likes to lay on the floor and spin the yellow Beetle ornament. Sometimes she calls it her tree. She scolded Abby when she knocked down some ornaments. But when I explained that she was allowed to touch them, and it was ok if they fell, she laid off :)

So far my most memorable Christmas was when we had Audrey. I think this one is going to be great, too! She's just so into everything and it's so amazing to relive a childhood Christmas.

Family Photos

2011-11-21T05:58:00.004-05:00

My favorite!

"Just hanging out, holding up this tree..." She loved being Stacy's "model" and talked about her for hours afterwards. She kept saying that she wanted to go to Addisyn's house (Stacy's daughter) who she's never even met before...Stacy left such an impression on her :)

This is Chris's favorite!! We're getting an extra big copy of this one!

Huge thanks again to my sweet and talented friend Stacy Hart!

It was a week.

2011-11-20T07:52:00.001-05:00

I experienced a major downside to being a working mom. I always knew it existed, but I got hit with it hard this week. When one of your babies is sick and all you want to do is stay home and cuddle with them, but you have to go to work. On Wednesday I was about to get ready for work when I hear Audrey getting sick in her crib. Poor girl kept throwing up and saying, "Look at me! Clean me up, please!" From the looks of it, I thought she had taken some sips of her milk (old by this time) and immediately threw it up. She didn't have a fever and acted just fine.

So I changed her and laid her in my bed with Chris. I got ready, checking on her multiple times. She was just laying awake, hanging out. Chris got up and started getting ready. Then Audrey got sick again. And again a few minutes later. We decided I needed to stay home with her. I put in for a sub (thank goodness my emergency plans were ready!) and I changed into comfy clothes and just cuddled with her in bed. She continued to get sick all day :( Didn't eat a single thing, just drank. She took a long nap on the couch where she spent most of the day.

After her nap she felt much better (played basketball with Dad!) and was up running around and playing. She had a good night's sleep.

The next morning she woke up just as I was leaving. She kept saying that she wanted me. Her cheeks were flushed and she had a slight fever (99.) But what could I do? I didn't have plans made for my sub so I had to go to work. I felt so bad. Thankfully she had Grandma to take care of her, but I still felt like I was letting her down. To make matters worse, I had 2 conferences after school and my 3rd graders were performing in the evening for parents. So it was an extra long day! Originally Chris was going to bring both girls to school, but he only brought Abigail (which I was very thankful for!)

Thank goodness Audrey woke up in the best mood and all better on Friday. She said, "I'm not sick anymore!" I have used up so many days this year and we've been in school for less than 3 months! But that is what sick days are for, and my first job is my babies so I don't feel too badly. Lesson learned: have 2 straight days of emergency sub plans :)

It's funny the way the girl's schedules work out when we're at home. In the morning I get to enjoy both girls at the same time. The Abigail takes a long morning nap while Audrey is still going strong. Around 1:00 Audrey takes her nap and Abigail wakes up. By the time Audrey wakes up, Abigail is back down for her afternoon nap. They finally see each other again when she wakes up, lol. I love when I get one-on-one time with each sweet girl, and I love seeing them start to play together. It's the best of both worlds! I took these when Audrey was passed out on the couch:

Adorable Abby

BAHAHA! Her newest thing is blowing raspberries (just like Audrey used to do!)

It was a crazy, stressful week but not without some wonderful moments :)

Things I Don't Want to Forget

2011-11-17T04:38:00.001-05:00

Audrey is so sweet. As we were getting ready for pictures on Sunday, she was kind of wandering around between our room and the living room. I had just put Abigail down for a nap. She had started to fuss so Chris went and checked on her. He saw Audrey come out of Abby's room. He asked, "What were you doing in there?" She said, "I was singing Abby a lullaby!" When he told me this, I asked her to show me what she did. So we all tiptoed into Abby's room. Audrey goes to the small piano and starts hitting the keys and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." She was being so quiet (which was why we hadn't heard her on the monitor!) I love her!

I broke my WHAT?!

2011-11-15T08:08:00.000-05:00

Ugh. So I had such a bad coughing fit on my way to school on Monday that I decided to take the afternoon off and go see a doctor. I went to an Urgent Care and got in right away. The doctor listened to my back and chest and felt around my upper rib cage. He said that I have bronchitis and a broken rib. He wanted to know why I didn't come in when I had the bad cough. I guess I just figured it came along with my cold. Plus, who has time to go to the doctor for a cough? I know better now! He gave me a rx for antibiotics and some cough meds. He also sent me for a chest xray. He wanted to make sure my lungs were ok and he told me that the xray probably won't pick up the fracture.

I went for the xray (I only had to wait 10 minutes.) The xrays were painful only because I had to raise my right arm and it hurt so bad! In fact, after the xray I started to feel awful. The pain got worse and I felt very winded just walking to my car. I grabbed lunch at Panera and then went to Target to get my meds. It was rough walking around. I was in so much pain by the time I got the girls and it was quite an effort just to talk.

The drive home was brutal. My rib hurt and I started to feel achy and I had the chills. It felt like I had the flu all of a sudden! Chris wasn't home and it took a long time for me to get the girls in and settled. When he did get home I went straight to bed and just hung out there the rest of the night. In addition to my meds I took Tylenol with codeine. It helped get me to sleep :) This morning I feel better (except my rib still hurts and I get very winded just walking and talking.) Should make for an interesting day of teaching. Ugh.

The doctor said a broken rib takes about a month to heal. The only recommendation he had was to hold my ribs when I cough. Once we get the cough cleared up we should be good to go. I hope that's sooner than later. I hate feeling this way! I want to do nothing but sit still. I'm supposed to go back in 2-7 days if the pain is still there for a CAT scan. Blah.

Wonderful week!

2011-11-13T20:16:00.003-05:00

I had been looking forward to last week for a loooong time! Aside from the dreaded 24 report cards and parent conferences (I actually like the conferences- the report cards are just so time-consuming!) it was awesome. Tuesday was a work day- a for real work day...no meetings or professional development classes. I spent most of the day on report cards but at least I didn't have to do them at home :) Thursday was an early out for conferences and I didn't mind staying until 7:30 because we had Friday off for Veteran's Day.

Abigail hasn't really needed Ferber. On Sunday she had a super long afternoon nap and went to bed easily. All week she stayed on a perfect schedule for Grandma. Cereal at about 8, nap around 10, bottle at noon. Nap again at 2 and bottle around 4. I give her cereal when we get home between 5:30-6:00 and she gets a big 8 oz bottle at bedtime around 8:00. This weekend she did awesome with naps and bedtime, too! I did cheat on Saturday afternoon when Chris urged me to nap with her on our bed :) I just love that time with her!

I can't believe that sweet Audrey Cate will be THREE next month! I've started planning her birthday party (pray for no sickies this time!) She's having a fancy tea party. All she can talk about is how she wants a play kitchen and the Lalaloopsy clubhouse. This is such a difference from last year. The holidays are going to be so much more exciting now that she's old enough to enjoy everything. I want to start Elf on the Shelf with her. I want her to help decorate the tree, learn Christmas songs, make Pintastic crafts, and choose gifts for people. I am so excited!!!!!

As great as this week has been, I've been in pain since Thursday. I started feeling this awful ache on my right side, from the top of my breastbone down to my rib cage. I have no idea what it could be and it still hurts, hasn't eased up at all. It intensifies when I inhale and when I move. It's nearly unbearable when I cough or sneeze. Leaning over and picking up the babes is very hard and so is reaching for anything. I will probably give it a couple more days before I go to the doctor. I just don't want to overreact and take up anyone's time (or miss time with my girls.) The only thing I can think of is that it's a strained muscle from the wretched cough I've had. At night I coughed so bad I actually got sick a few times. I still have a cough but it's not nearly as bad as it was. I'm just so uncomfortable and I want it to go away, or at least subside a bit. We shall see!

Today we had family pictures taken with Stacy Hart. I can't wait to see how they come out- I just love working with her! You must check out her page if you live in the area! http://stacyhartphotography.com/

This is our last full week before Thanksgiving Break. I am super excited!

Ferber

2011-11-06T09:52:00.004-05:00

So, I wanted to start Ferber with Abigail last night. I held her for a few minutes after her bottle and gave her tons of kisses. She didn't seem too drowsy (usually she's out within minutes.) I put her in the crib wide awake and left. She fell asleep, no Ferberizing needed.

Today was a bit different! I decided to start with 3,5,7 minute intervals.

Morning Nap: Chris got up with her between 6:30-7 am and fed her. I gave her cereal at about 8:00. I figured by 9:00 she'd be ready for her nap. I rocked her for a few minutes in her darkened room. Audrey came in and sang her a lullaby (which wasn't at all soothing, but it was so sweet!) I laid her down at about 9:00 and she started fussing about a minute later. She fussed through her 3, 5, AND 7 minute times. I would go in when the time was up and give her the paci. Each time she looked so tired. At her 7 minute time she fell asleep as soon as I gave her the paci (thank you baby Jesus!)

Listening to her cry/scream was so freaking hard. I tried to keep busy by baking muffins, cleaning the dishes, loading the laundry. At one point even Audrey said, "Abby's crying. I'll go sing her a lullaby." Sigh.

She slept til 10:30-ish. Changed her and fed her a bottle at 10:45. She played until about 12:30. I had a sweet potato baking in the oven for her but it wasn't going to be done/cooled off enough for her to stay up and eat. So I gave her another bottle (she drank most of it.) And said 5 prayers as I put her down. She cried for 3 minutes. The longest 3 minutes of my life! I went in and gave her the paci- she fell right to sleep...no additional wait time :)

I'm hoping the rest of today goes well...fingers double crossed!

Recently

2011-11-05T20:32:00.010-04:00

Last Saturday I took the girls to my school's annual Fall Festival. Audrey had such a great time! My mom came, too. Good thing, because I had my hands full with Audrey! And I had (still have) this raging cough and I can't seem to shake it :( Anyways, my mom also got lots of great pics!

One of my former students (now in 6th grade) painted Audrey's face!

Spin art

Loved miniature golf!

She got a ping pong ball in the glass milk bottle on her first shot!

Book Walk- she won!

After she ate and got changed she slept the rest of the time!

Such a great time!

It was such a rainy, dreary day. I took a lot of pictures of Abigail!

Love the smirk.

Hehe

Super love this picture of Audrey!

Abigail is LOVING food. She's been eating oatmeal (banana flavored) every day (once during the day and once in the evening.) She's had dry toast, carrots, and grilled cheese so far.

Not a huge fan of carrots

Audrey gets super excited when Abigail eats!

Yesterday we had Abigail's 6 month appointment. Her stats are unreal:

height: 27 1/2 inches (95th %)
weight: 18 lbs (95%)

When the doctor walked in and saw the girls she said, "You need to have 6 more babies, they are so beautiful!" I wish :) She talked to Audrey a lot about Abigail. Audrey must've felt like she was going to be observed, too. She started taking off her pants while Sue was checking out Abigail. I think she figured that because Abby was a "nakey baby" she had to strip down, too, lol. Both girls got their flu shots. I held Audrey s she got hers but she barely even winced! I couldn't believe it. Abigail has to go back in a month for the second part. She did well with her shot but didn't sleep all afternoon (except in the car.) She has her 2nd tooth coming in, right next to the one on the bottom. YAY!

I wasn't fast enough to stop her :( I don't even want to think about what kind of germs are on that thing! Actually, it had been put away in the cabinet and Audrey dragged it out. Still...

Great start to the month! Next week is busy though...report cards to be done and 25 parent conferences to hold. I am so looking forward to our 3 day weekend. But I'm mostly looking forward to Thanksgiving. Great food, family, and putting up the Christmas tree. I love the holidays!

Currently...

2011-11-03T23:36:00.002-04:00

Listening: to the radio. I'm loving so many of the new songs out right now! I need an iTunes gift card for Christmas...

Eating: chocolate chip muffins. I make a batch on Sunday mornings and they last all week. They are delish! Thank goodness I'm not on my diabetic diet anymore.

Drinking: coffee. We recently bought Chock Full of Nuts from DD and OMG it is GOOD.

Wearing: pre-baby clothes! And my infinity scarf. Love that thing!

Feeling: so behind. On everything. Well, everything expect loving on my kids :)

Weather: cold one minute, warm the next. Deciding on my outfit is now very frustrating.

Wanting: boots. But I'm so picky I can't find any that I like!

Needing: some wine would be sooo nice right now! I need to put Bug Juice on my Christmas list, too.

Thinking: we'd better not get screwed over on snow days this year, damn it!

Enjoying: the fact that I have the day off tomorrow :)

Abigail is 6 months old!

2011-10-30T20:52:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it! Abigail turned 6 months on Friday. Time is going by so fast and it's been a big month for our little angel.

Milestones:

Her first tooth broke through last week. She's handling teething very well. Loves Sophie the giraffe.

Can sit up by herself if she has a toy to keep her occupied. Otherwise she'll only sit unassisted for a few seconds.

She's now rolling over several times in order to get around.

She had her first meal! I still plan on doing BLW but I will be spoon-feeding her oatmeal because after 6 months babies need that iron. I'm very excited to give her real food!

Getting ready to eat {10.28.11}

She grabbed the spoon right away!

Loved it!

She's wearing 6-9 month clothes and I'm pretty sure she'll start wearing size 3 diapers next week (wow! Audrey was in size 3 for the longest time!!) She's still drinking five 6-oz bottles a day. I'm thinking of replacing one of her evening bottles with cereal/food though. She continues to love her baths. She sleeps well during the night but often wakes for a paci. After her night time bottle I hold her until she falls asleep. It's one of my favorite times of day. She has a hard time falling asleep on her own so we'll be Ferberizing soon...I'm just reluctant. I mostly want to do it for naps. I want to get her on a consistent schedule. That's our goal for this month!

I still can't believe half a year has gone by. This time last year I was almost done with my 1st trimester. I'm loving each and every day with my darling girls!

Sigh.

2011-10-27T20:51:00.001-04:00

Tonight Audrey used the big girl potty. And she was really excited about it. This is the second full day without her paci. She's getting so big. I'm going to go cry now.

YAAAAY Audrey!

2011-10-26T06:57:00.003-04:00

She slept without her paci last night! Over the past 2 years or so I've tried a few times to get rid of it. My most recent attempt was this past summer. I told her a Paci Fairy was coming to take it and that she would leave a present in its place. I talked it up so much but it failed. I was just not strong enough to let her struggle. I've depended on the paci just as much as she has! I think the main reason I've waited so long is because she still takes a consistent mid-day nap. I NEED THAT NAP. I needed it when it was just her and I really need it now that Abigail is here :)

Last night, on a total whim, I said, "You know, you're going to be 3 years old soon! That means no paci. Do you think you could try to sleep without it tonight?" I fully expected her to say, "No." But she said, "Ok!" And she did. All night. I thought for sure she'd lay awake and start fussing after an hour or so. I anxiously waited and put off going to bed just in case. She did wake up once wanting milk but she never asked for a paci. As I was leaving early for work she woke again and asked for milk but never mentioned her paci. WHOA!

I told Chris that he needed to make a BIG DEAL out of it when he got her up this morning. I'm hoping she forgoes the paci for her nap today. I really wish I could be there with her today to celebrate this achievement (if you've ever had a paci-addicted kid, you know that this is a BIG DEAL!) It could have been a total fluke, but I'm going to try it again tonight. I am so proud of her and I'm hoping she's proud of herself!

Fun-filled Fall Weekend (and Abigail has a tooth!)

2011-10-23T20:20:00.004-04:00

I am so happy that October is flying by (usually it drags for me.) I am LOVING my class this year. They are a really great bunch of kids and even though it's a big group, I think they rock! We've had tons of things going on each weekend and we are just exhausted! Christopher started a new job this past week. Very exciting! This weekend we have the Fall Festival at my school and then I'm hoping for some low-key weekends in November.

On Friday we dressed up and stayed at Grandma's house because she was hosting a Bunko party. Abigail's rash had faded so we were very happy about that. Audrey and Isabella ran around and played all night.

On Saturday after dance class and grocery shopping we took the girls to Belvedere. Audrey enjoyed it so much more this year. She still did not want to ride on the pony, though.

Giving her the lollipop at the beginning was a bad idea. It was all she wanted!

Too bad you can't see Abigail :( The sun was all up in her face.

Her first tooth is breaking through! Bottom front left. WOOO HOOO!!

I wish I could've snapped a picture of her face...major cheesing going on!

Tractor ride!

Audrey surprised us so much! From having her face painted to riding the tractor and then the moon bounce! OMG, she's always hated moon bounces. It took a lot of persuading but once she really tried it, she loved it!

Adorable!

I think Chris has been looking forward to getting an apple pie all year. Not even joking.

"I love you, pumpkin."

It was a great weekend. I took a nap with Abigail today and drank coffee at 6:30 pm. I am just so tired! Every night Abigail wakes up multiple times for a paci. Some nights Audrey wakes wanting milk. Here it is 9:00 on Sunday night and there are 4 baskets that need to be folded and I haven't opened my school bag yet. Oh and the house didn't get cleaned. But I'm not stressing because what would be the point? I do wish time would slow down a bit. It's making me sad just how fast Abigail is growing :( And Audrey is such an amazing little girl! I can hardly remember her as a baby (thank goodness for this blog!) There are many times where I just sit and look at them and take it all in. I stop to enjoy how little and sweet and fun they are. This is probably a big reason I have loads of laundry and messy countertops...but oh well :)

Post summary: Fall is in full-swing. My house is a wreck. I am in super love with my family.

Poor Abigail!

2011-10-19T21:34:00.002-04:00

This morning I noticed she had a rash under her chin. I thought it was from her chin rubbing against her fleece sleep sack. I checked her over when we got to Grandma's and I noticed a few red bumps on her upper thighs. I put some hydrocortisone on the red spots before I left for school.

When I came to pick her up, Grandma told me she most likely had Roseola. She explained all the symptoms and it sounded exactly right. From what I could see the rash was still there and had even spread a bit.

When we got home and I was changing her, I freaked out! Little red spots all over her legs and arms.

I was not prepared for that! So of course I turn to Dr. Internet. Since I had both girls by myself tonight I couldn't sit back in the office and search the web so I posted on FB and got TONS of great advice from people I actually know and trust.

A few days ago (Sunday-Monday) Abigail's cheeks were flushed. I didn't even think to take her temperature. She hasn't been overly fussy and she's been eating and sleeping well.

I got a lot of mixed answers on FB (hives, hand, foot & mouth disease, fifths.) I guess we'll see how she does overnight and call the dr in the morning. It looks very similar to what Audrey had back in December. That cleared up the very next day if I remember correctly.

Ugh. I hate when things like this pop up. Makes things interesting I suppose! Please let me know if your babies have had this! I'm anxious about tomorrow...

Operation Deswaddle

2011-10-11T04:47:00.001-04:00

Operation Deswaddle has been very successful! We went cold turkey on Friday night. Abigail slept beautifully until 3 am when I walked in to find her wide awake and laughing. Into the co-sleeper she went, where she stayed awake until 5 am (even after many cycles of the sea horse!)...slept on and off until 6 am when Chris said to just bring her into the bed. She finally fell into a good, solid sleep until 8:00. Thankfully Chris got up with Audrey so I got to sleep in, too!

On Saturday night she slept better; only a couple of short-lived wakings that called for a paci. I think I brought her into the co-sleeper around 6 and luckily she fell back to sleep. Slept til about 8:00. Sunday night I think I only had to go in once or twice to give her the paci and she woke up at about 6 am which was perfect! Last night she slept straight through. I didn't have to go in at all!

Overall I feel like deswaddling has been an easy transition! It's more difficult to get her back to sleep when she wakes so early, but I'm hoping that will phase out shortly :)

Things I Don't Want to Forget

2011-10-05T05:51:00.002-04:00

Jotting these down quickly before I get the babes up!

*Chris and I are now supermodels. As in, models of behavior. Last night we met at Panera for a quick dinner, then he took Abigail to Walmart and I took Audrey to Kohl's and Target. He called as we were on the way to Target and I did not have my seat belt on (the 2 stores are basically in the same shopping center.) As we're talking Audrey shouts from the back seat, "Put your seat belt on, MOM!!" And over the weekend during the God-awful Tech game she repeated everything Chris yelled at the TV. Yup, we're going to have to be very careful!

*Audrey has 2 new favorite songs. She likes 'Moves Like Jagger' and sings the chorus (um, hilarious!) and she tries to sing Pumped Up Kicks. She completely has the correct tune but absolutely none of the correct words. Again, hilarious!

*Grandma put Audrey's 24 month t-shirt on Abigail yesterday by accident. I didn't realize it until I was unpacking the diaper bag and noticed her original shirt still in there. Yeah.

Abigail is 5 months old!

2011-10-02T08:50:00.003-04:00

Our sweet girl is already 5 months and can I just say....SLOW DOWN!!! Seriously. I'm finding that I really miss the cuddly newborn phase. Every night I swaddle Abigail and give her a bottle. Then I just hold her and cuddle her. I love this time...she's so warm and cozy and sweet.

There have been a few big changes this month. First, she's super interested in food. She watches us as we eat and you can tell she wants to eat so badly! We've actually given her tiny bits of food (bread, mashed potatoes.) She loved it and would open her mouth as we came closer. I cannot wait to start giving her food in a few weeks!

Abigail started rolling over from back to belly last Sunday. I watched her do it ALL DAY and by that afternoon she was rolling with little effort and super fast! She stays on her tummy for a short period before getting fussy (why she doesn't roll back over? I don't know!) She is SO close to sitting up by herself. I'm hoping this is the month she reaches that milestone :)

She's grabbing for everything. Especially her bottle! I love seeing her reaction to it...eyes get wide, she starts snorting and her hands get all grabby. She reaches for toys, faces, her feet, pretty much everything! She's really enjoying her exersaucer and has been spending more time in it.

She's been bearing weight on her legs. We pull her up and she stands for a few seconds (and she loves it!!!) I think we may get the doorway jumper out soon.

We went through a wakeful period a few weeks ago. I was up several times with her at night, but mostly it was to replace her paci. Luckily we didn't take down the co-sleeper! I hate walking across the house so many times so often I'll bring her, the paci, and the seahorse in and that helps. She looks absolutely huge in the co-sleeper now, lol. She still gets swaddled but more and more often I find that she gets her little hand up near her mouth. I am so, so scared to stop swaddling. But we're nearing the 6 month mark when it will be time to sleep train. I think we should break the swaddle first, see how she does, and then Ferberize if needed. Maybe we'll give it a couple more weeks!

She's still eating 6 oz, every 3-4 hours and she's now taking all formula. She's doing well, aside from spitting up more which I think is common in formula-fed babies. She has her morning bottle at 6:00 am, 2 at Grandma's (10 & 2), one as soon as we get home (5:45) and then her bedtime bottle around 8:00.

I pulled out Audrey's 6-9 month clothes. They are mostly fall and winter because Audrey was wearing them when she was 9-12 months old. Not Abigail! She's wearing 6-9 month shirts and onesies (3-6 month dresses fit her fine but it's getting chilly here!) Get this...she's still wearing 0-3 months in pants. 3-6 month pants are a bit long, but generally fit just fine. I'm pretty happy we won't have to buy a ton of clothes! Again, though, I wish she'd slow down! I would like these clothes to last until Spring!

Teeth must be coming soon. She loves to chew on her hands and they are absolutely covered in drool within minutes. She likes to chew on ours, too. She doesn't really hold and chew her teething toys, hopefully that will change soon. We've been giving her teething tablets and they seem to work well. I feel every day for a bud and I look, but don't see anything.

She smiles and laughs and is such an easy going baby.

Bottle break!

This month went by FAST! I can't wait to see what this month brings :)

Busy, Busy!

2011-09-29T10:22:00.004-04:00

It's been soooo long since I've been able to blog. Part of it is being super busy (by the end of the day I'm ready to lie in bed and zone out!) When I do have time to blog I just don't feel like it! Now I'm super behind...

The past 2 weeks have been crazy. I wasn't totally over my allergies/cold until last Tuesday. It's been a pretty normal couple of weeks aside from staying late for BTS Night last Thursday. It was pretty sucky not being able to see the girls until Friday afternoon when I picked them up. Grandma got sick this week and so I'm home today with the girls.

All dresses up for Hokie Game Day! Christopher's favorite time of year :)

Abigail now loves to swat at her toys with her feet :)

Enjoying a lazy Sunday!

Getting teeth soon?

Audrey just loves talking to her Abigail!

Abigail loves to grab her feet!

This past Saturday we went to see Dare to Dream at the Richmond Coliseum (Disney princesses on ice.) We went with Aunt Sarah and cousin Bella, and cousins Tina and Skylar. All the girls dressed up like princesses...it was so fun! They all loved the show (Audrey barely said a word...she was mesmerized!) I bought her a Cinderella doll afterwards and then we all went to dinner at Cracker Barrel. Of course everyone fawned all over them! It was such a great day with my sweet Audrey Cate. Dad stayed home with Abigail and he loved it! He sent several pictures throughout the day (her holding her bottle, watching the Hokie game.)

It's pretty incredible how over the past 2-3 weeks Audrey has taken such an interest in Abigail. One of her favorite things to do is lay on the floor next to Abby.

LOL!

Abigail loves to practice sitting up.

Ha! Love this expression.

It's the funniest thing! For a few weeks now Abigail has been rolling from her back to her side. On Sunday (9/25) she finally made it all the way over to her belly! She kept practicing and practicing...and it would take quite a few tries for her to get over. But by that evening she was turning over in no time flat! You couldn't keep her on her back. I'm pretty happy that I got to spend the day with her as she achieved this new milestone :)

Audrey has been using Halloween stamps and she likes to hang her masterpieces on the fridge.

And play hopscotch on them (?)

I just love these! Audrey thinks it's so funny when Abigail touches her..."Abby's tickling me!"

These girls are wonderful and I'm loving every minute we get to spend together. Abigail turned FIVE MONTHS yesterday...that post will be next!

Sister Love

2011-09-17T21:19:00.002-04:00

Even Christopher has noticed how Audrey has been paying more attention to Abigail. Today when Audrey and I were leaving for dance she said that she wanted Abby to come with us. When we came home from dance & shopping, she ran to where Chris was holding Abby on the couch. She kissed her, hugged her, and starting talking to her! She calls her "My Abby" and says that she's her best friend. Such a sweet girl!

Sick Day

2011-09-16T21:32:00.002-04:00

I took a sick day today. Yesterday I had a sore throat, headache, and body aches...you know the kind where even your hair hurts? Yeah...it got so bad that by 4:00 I nearly cried every time I swallowed or tried to talk. Not cool when you have to engage 25 kiddos. Before I left I piled a bunch of stuff on my desk in case I needed a sub. I felt worse as the night when on and ended up taking an allergy pill before bed. It's tricky- I had a feeling it was allergies (I didn't have a fever) but then again we had just come back to school and this time of year the influx of germs is inevitable and unavoidable. I was hoping it was just allergies because my babes CANNOT get sick! I typed up sub plans and took a hot shower before crashing.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and still felt like I had a sword in my throat...I could barely talk! So I arranged for my sub and went back to bed until Chris and the girls woke up. He offered to take the girls to Grandma's. I was so thankful for that! Besides not having a voice, I was exhausted and still very achy. No way could I have gotten any rest with 2 little babes all day. I felt guilty as they all left, but it was exactly what I needed...I took a couple of naps and enjoyed the peace and quiet. I feel much better tonight! My throat doesn't hurt, the aches are gone and I'm just a little stuffy.

This week kicked my butt. Part of it was feeling sick, the other part is the overwhelming amount of work to be done at school. I love the beginning of school, but it's just so hectic trying to get into a good routine. There's not enough time in the day to get things done. Maybe by October I'll have a better handle!

The girls are great- I just love spending time with them in the evenings. Abigail is SO READY for food. She eats with her eyes! I have her sit in the Bumbo at the table when we eat. She stares at the food so intensely, you can tell she wants it!

I can't wait until she's 6 months...I want to see if BLW will work for her.

Post Summary: I got a much needed day of rest (thanks do Dad and Grandma!), school is a bit stressful right now, and my baby really wants to get her grub on. :)

Loving my girls!

2011-09-12T21:19:00.002-04:00

I am tired when 4:00 rolls around. But I definitely get my second wind when I pick up the girls...it's like starting a new day- I feel excited and hopeful and really happy.

And by the time the girls go to bed I feel like we've had a good amount of time for fun and bonding. By 8:30 I'm ready for lights out!

I really love my evenings again!

9.11 Ten Years Later

2011-09-11T14:11:00.001-04:00

I, along with everyone else on the planet, will never forget where I was that day. I was in college, on my way to class when I heard someone say that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in NYC. I sat through class, not knowing AT ALL the magnitude of the situation. I thought it was a horrible accident. After class the halls were abuzz with more news- we were under attack...TWO planes had hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and one crashed in PA. I immediately left and went to Christopher's house (after calling my dad who worked in DC...he had actually stayed home that day.) Chris's house was only a minute from school so I went there to watch the news. He was working the evening shift at Capital One so he was home when I got there. I just couldn't believe it. I felt so awful. And angry. I couldn't peel myself away from the news- I listened to it all the way to work and throughout the afternoon. When I got to the bank everyone was somber and listening to the news...I remember customers looking very scared.

My most vivid memory still makes me emotional...I drove home and saw my parents sitting on the porch. I got out of my car, walked up to them and started crying. My dad just hugged me for the longest time. All I could say was, "All those people..." I was just so sad. I kept the news on for days, waiting for another attack. I was so, so angry as we learned more and more about the situation. To me, terrorism was very new...I knew about Pan Am 103 and the Olympic bombing in 1996- but this was just unreal.

It's very sad to me that we live in a world where these kinds of things happen. I can only hope my girls never have to experience something so tragic. But, as I told my students when we discussed Patriot Day, I am choosing to focus on the heroes of that day. I remember very well how Americans united and feeling very proud to be one. We will never forget.

First Week of School

2011-09-10T21:00:00.004-04:00

Well, I survived. Barely. It's going to be a huge djustment with having a larger class this year. It takes every ounce of energy I have to keep the class under control. They are good kids, there are just so many (and they are super needy at the beginning of the year!!) I have to keep reminding myself that they're still at the beginning of 3rd grade. I'd forgotten that feeling we all have at the beginning of the year- "Oh my goodness, they can't do ANYTHING!" It will take time but I'm determined to make this another fantastic year!

Everything went very well schedule-wise. No problems with the girls in the mornings, got to school in plenty of time. BIG THANKS to Christopher who will be taking both girls to Grandma's house twice a week (even though it's completely out of his way)...I go in super early and get so much done. Love you!! Evenings are great as well- we all get home at about the same time. Chris cooks dinner while I spend time with the girls (again, big props to the husband!) Audrey loves to take out her toys and set them up on the living room table. Abigail gets a bottle as soon as we get home and likes to either be held, or sit in the Bumbo. Bedtime routines run smoothly and the girls are in bed by 8-8:30. I pretty much crash after that! I've been waking up super early (on my own) and I do enjoy the extra quiet time but I'm wiped out by day's end.

On Thursday we went to Spirit Night at Chic-fil-a. These always make for late nights but they are so worth it. I love seeing the kids outside of school and Audrey does, too! Unfortunately we had awful rain while we were there so we were "stuck" for a little while longer than I had planned. But all in all it was a fun night!

I gave Audrey a flower from the table. She tore off every petal and proceeded to throw them in the air...Aunt Kelly, she's SO ready to be your flower girl!

Then she stole one of my student's rain boots and tried to get them on (thanks for the help, MJ!)

She was actually very, very good. Stayed by me the whole night (even though she really wanted to go into the playground area.) So she got ice cream!

Abigail was an angel! Everyone kept saying that she looks exactly like me :)

Gator PJs!!

Today Audrey had her first dance class of the year. She was absolutely thrilled to be back. Totally enthusiastic throughout the entire class, she had Mrs. KK laughing the whole time!

Afterwards we went to Panera, then Target for groceries. Chris had Abigail so it was nice to just have time with Audrey Cate!

I'm back to loving my weekends and cherishing every second with the girls. I'm looking forward to bonding with my new kiddos (they are seriously GREAT!) and everything else this new school year holds!

Right Now

2011-09-06T06:06:00.002-04:00

Right now I'm waiting to wake up the girls to leave for the first day of school. Right now I am soooo nervous because I haven't had a new group of kids in two years. Right now I am needing motivation and encouragement. So if I'm feeling like this, I bet my new kids are feeling it 10-fold. This video was shared at our staff meeting last week and I'm posting it here because it is one of the best back to school videos I've seen...I'm talking goosebumps, people!

or CLICK HERE.

Happy New School Year to all the teachers out there!

Abigail is 4 months old!

2011-09-04T10:23:00.003-04:00

4 months and 6 days, because this post is late! It was another great month for our sweetheart.

I'd say the biggest change has been Tummy TIme. She can hold her head up and steady for good amounts of time. She's rolled from tummy to back only a couple of times. She rolls from her back to her side all the time. She is super alert and loves her big sister. She always wants to watch Audrey. She seems to recognize her own name and turns towards new sounds. She continues to smile, laugh and "talk." She's been reaching for toys and grasps them for short periods of time. She loves to reach for her feet and chew on her hands. She gets super excited when she sees her bottle (eyes wide, heavy breathing, grabby!)

She had her 4 month appointment on Thursday. She weighs 15 lbs, 10 oz (90% percentile!!) and she's a little over 24 inches long (I can't remember if it's 1/4 or 3/4 of an inch.) She looks perfect from head to toe and is hitting all developmental milestones. She was cleared for starting baby food, but I'm still planning on waiting until 6 months. She got a shot in each leg (they combined a bunch of vaccines together, phew!) plus an oral vaccine. She goes back at 6 months and will be getting the flu shot (along with Audrey.)

Before we left for her appointment I told Audrey that Abigail was going to see the doctor and get shots. "She will probably cry because they do hurt for a little bit." Audrey ran over to Abby (who was in the bouncer) and patted her leg. "Don't cry, Abby, be HAPPY!!!" She's becoming a wonderful big sister.

I've stopped pumping completely, which has left me a little sore in some places. Overall it hasn't been too bad. I still have a big freezer stash, but it's dwindling fast! She's eating about 5-6 ounces every 3-4 hours (25-30 ounces.) She has a morning bottle, two while at Grandma's, one in the late afternoon at home and then her bedtime bottle. I started mixing 1 oz of formula and so far she's been ok.

She is such a darling girl. I can't kiss her enough!

Sick of taking pictures!

Back to work!

2011-09-03T20:49:00.004-04:00

My first week back at school was so busy! Luckily the mornings went very smoothly; Abigail wakes up (or gets woken up) at 6:00 to eat and get changed. Then I get Audrey up and we're off to Grandma's by 6:30. My classroom looks great but I still have so much organizing to do!

I took these right after Open House...my room will never look this clean again!

GATORS!

On Wednesday we went to Scott's JV football game. Audrey loved it! When the players ran out she said, "Look at those Hokies!" HAHA...she really liked the cheerleaders the best though!

I think we have a future cheerleader on our hands!

Yeah #63!!! He sacked the QB :)

Abigail and Aunt Kelly

On Thursday Abigail had her 4 month appointment. I'll save the details for her official 4 month post!

She noticed the decals on the wall right away!

At Open House I got to meet 24 out of my 26 students (yeah, 26!) I am so nervous about having such a large class, including a non-English student from Poland. It will be an interesting year, that's for sure! After a full week of 18 hour days I'm so happy the 3 day weekend is here!

Farewell, Sweet Summer!

2011-08-28T20:09:00.002-04:00

I feel so sad! I feel so excited!! I'm such a mess of emotions, lol.

It was a pretty nice week, aside from the earthquake and hurricane Irene. I will say that I am exhausted. Abigail wakes up between 5-6 and takes FOREVER to fall back asleep. So I'm pretty much up for the day. I just know that going back to work is going to be even more exhausting..ugh.

Speaking of exhausted :) They totally fell asleep like this for a good 30 minutes!

I was looking forward to spending my last weekend at home, all cozy as the hurricane rolled through. Unfortunately we lost power at 1:30 on Saturday. I had just come home from signing Audrey up for dance class (yay!) when it went out. Chris and I played Rummy and then I fed Abigail and laid her down for a nap. We decided to go to Grandma's house since we just *knew* our power would be out for all night. I packed up the girls and Chris packed up all of my frozen milk. We stayed the night (fun!) and returned late this morning...still no power! It did come back on at about 1:00, thank goodness!

Today Abigail is 4 months old...I wanted to take her usual monthly pictures but she has a huge red scratch on her face (self-inflicted.) We'll save those for next weekend! I did get a video and some some tummy time pics:

I wanted to hold the girls extra longer as I put them to bed tonight. The summer has just been so wonderful that I can't help but be a little sad. I'm already looking forward to our first break...in November...(sigh)...

What a difference a year makes!

2011-08-25T12:09:00.002-04:00

Exactly one year ago we found out we were pregnant with Baby Burns #2. My memory is just awful (which is why I keep this blog) but I will never forget the days I found out I was pregnant with both girls. Audrey and I had been to the mall, then Target. I picked up a test, not quite sure if I was even late. I figured I'd use a test that afternoon and then I'd have another on hand for the future. Chris saw the test when he was unloading the groceries and rushed me to take it once Audrey had gone down for her nap. He was getting in the shower to leave for a bachelor party later that night. I saw 2 lines right away...I really wanted to lie and tell him it was negative but I couldn't hide my SHOCK. I kept saying, "Oh my God, oh my GOD." Chris was great...totally excited and surprised as well. We were so bummed that he had to leave so soon after we found out, but in a way it was kind of nice to be alone and digest the news.

With Audrey I was 90% excited and 10% nervous/scared. With Abigail it was very different! I was 50/50. Very happy but very, very anxious! How would I handle two kids? The long nights, feeding every 2 hours, the crying...ugh! And how would it be possible to love another child as much as I loved my first?

Now here we are a year later. Abigail is just a few days shy of 4 months. I was anxious for nothing! This has been such a great experience. There have definitely been frustrating times but they are so miniscule compared to everything else. We were blessed with a true angel baby. It's as if she were always meant to be here with us. I love her with every bit of my heart. Audrey had no problems adjusting, which was my biggest fear, one of my very first thoughts after seeing those two lines.

I know a lot of you ladies are pregnant with #2 right now and are having the exact same thoughts and feelings that I did a year ago. I wanted to let you know that everything will be GREAT!

It's been a whirlwind year and I'm thankful for every moment.

Earthquake!

2011-08-24T11:08:00.005-04:00

If you live on the east coast, you know what I'm talking about! I had been at school with Abigail in the morning, then met my mom and Scott for lunch. Afterwards I put Abigail in the stroller and we went to Target. As I was looking at the sleep sacks, I heard a loud rumbling and felt the ground shake. Everything was moving! I knew right away it was an earthquake and my first instinct was to get in a doorway...but of course there were none! So I stood beside the stroller, covering Abigail with my arms as I ran towards the front exit (looking up as I did so!) As I was running I saw things falling off the shelves and people running for the exit as well. It seemed to last for such a loooong time! Once we were out (and far away from the building) I tried calling my in-laws (who had Audrey) and Christopher and my parents but my phone wouldn't work. I was pretty shaky but luckily Abigail was happy as usual. All I could think about was the possibility of aftershocks...with an earthquake that big I knew they were inevitable and there was no way I was going back into that building! Turns out we had a few later that night- the one at 8:00 was a 4.2, just as the girls were falling asleep. Didn't bother them at all. Our house is pretty close to Mineral (the epicenter) but we came home to find everything perfectly in tact.

Audrey had been outside playing. She was actually walking towards the house to go inside when it hit. I wish I could've seen her reaction! It seems like there was no major damage and everyone is safe. It was a pretty helpless feeling...I need to read up on what our earthquake procedure is at school. We have tornado drills and fire drills but not earthquake drills!

Bahahaha

I'd love to hear your stories! I especially love this article about how the animals at the National Zoo reacted before the quake hit. Incredible!

"Do it again!"

2011-08-22T14:29:00.004-04:00

This is what I say to Audrey anytime she does something that makes Abigail laugh.

I was making lunch when I heard Audrey jumping in the living room (she's been really into jumping lately.) Then I heard Abigail laugh...which was weird because usually she just makes a lot of noise. I walked to the doorway and saw Abigail looking at Audrey and actually laughing at her when she jumped.

Poor Audrey, lol. I must have made her jump about 40 times.

Snow White

2011-08-22T09:23:00.003-04:00

On Saturday I took Audrey to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was her first theater experience and she loved it! She got all dressed up and wore a tiara. I was just excited to do something special with just the two of us!

We sat up on the 3rd balcony which was perfect. She loved playing with our tickets while we waited to get our lunch. We had chicken nuggets, a juice box, fruit cup, Teddy Grahams, and chips. *Note to self- eat before we go!

The show started and she was mesmerized. But about half way through she started with, "I want to go hoooome." She's recently started saying this when we're out and about. But she made it through the whole show and even got her picture taken with Snow White!

Afterwards we did our grocery shopping at Target where we got her Halloween costume...but it's more like an everyday outfit because she wants to wear it all.the.time.

Once Audrey had her costume on, she wanted Abigail to try on hers...OMG, to die for cuteness all around! I'm actually worried that Abby's won't fit in 2 more months, lol.

One more week

2011-08-21T10:10:00.003-04:00

Yikes! I'm so mixed over the end of summer. I have enjoyed it so much. We've done absolutely nothing and I've really loved it. I've been able to bond with and get to know Abigail. I've been able to spend a ton of time with my Audrey and do whatever it is that she wants to do...read books, have tea parties, picnics, have dance parties and tickle fights. When I can do those things with her on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 am, it's a great thing.

I love that there is no difference between Sunday and Monday and that I've only worn flip flops for the past 2 months. It doesn't matter that I don't have my coffee until 11:00 or that I didn't put on makeup (I don't even look in the mirror until Audrey takes her nap, lol.) I enjoy the fact that play dates, car inspections/oil changes, and other appointments can be made in the middle of the day during the week. I can stay up late after the girls go to bed because I don't have to drag myself out of bed at 5 am...and if I do get up at 5 it's because a sweet little angel baby needs to be fed, cuddled, kissed, and put back to sleep...and I get to go back to sleep too!! I really, really dig the SAHM gig during the summer.

That being said...oh my GOODNESS I cannot wait to put on make up, real clothes, real shoes and leave the house every day! I can't wait to meet the 20+ new kids that will become my new school family. I am dying to see my old kiddos and how much they've grown over the summer. I want to plan new and exciting lessons and try new things. I'm excited to get into a routine. I've always loved the beginning of the school year...it's my favorite- right after the end of the school year!

Tea party with the girls? Yes, please!

Love those crazy morning curls!

This time next year I'll have a 3 1/2 year old and a 16 month old. It will be so different! I'm glad it was such a relaxed summer...probably the most relaxed one I'll have for years to come :)

New blog!

2011-08-19T15:33:00.002-04:00

I decided to start a photo blog. I was inspired by a couple I saw on the news who took a picture of their baby every day for the first year of his life. Since then, I've seen a lot of blogs dedicated to the 365 Project. I think it's a very cool way to document a whole year of your life. While this blog is dedicated to my family, the photo blog will be more varied. Oh, who am I kidding?! It will probably end up being 90% pictures of the girls :)

I probably won't blog every day, but I will take a picture everyday and then update the blog when time permits. Today was my first blog post...I hope you'll check it out and follow the next 365 days!

Photo 366

Sweet girls!

2011-08-16T13:42:00.002-04:00

Abigail has totally found her voice lately. She makes these loud, "AHHHHH!!! WAAAAAH!!" sounds that crack us up. It really is adorable, but she's so loud that she echoes through the house (not so good when Audrey is trying to sleep!) I love this video because a) it's a perfect sample of how she sounds b) she laughs and grins a lot and c) she chews on her fingers (she loves her fingers!):

I'm trying to include Abigail in whatever Audrey is doing. One way I do that is when Audrey sits down to eat. Abby watches her and smiles. This time, Audrey was actually trying to make Abby smile:

Abby's first time in the exersaucer

Audrey wanted to spin her around

Abby didn't like it

Tummy time...Audrey thinks it's funny that I make such a big deal about Abby lifting her head, lol.

It's so fun to see them interact. Their relationship is slowly but surely coming along!

Polite as a Princess

2011-08-15T11:12:00.002-04:00

I never wanted to refer to any of my girls as a princess. It has always had a bad connotation for me. I would envision a stuck up, bratty little kid who'd yell "NO!" all the time and cry if she didn't get her way. I didn't want any princess dolls, clothes with the word "princess"...I just wanted to avoid that word all together.

Then of course Audrey got older and started to like princesses...she'd see a princess on tv or we'd read about a princess in a book and she just loved them! Audrey got a book called, "Polite as a Princess," which featured the different princesses and how they are all polite. Of course we had to read it 1,000 times per day and Audrey would start to repeat things from the book, to which I'd reply, "Wow! You are as polite as a princess!" And she'd smile and look so proud of herself. That's when I started to realize that I could totally change the perception of a princess. I would HAVE to change MY perception. Because if my little girl liked princesses, then something would have to change!

I started thinking, what's so bad about princesses? I thought specifically about the Disney princesses...they are all great role models (I hadn't considered them before in my original anti-princess rants.) They are polite and kind and good and always happy. Except for the unrealistically perfect hair, they are pretty great!

I think the princess thing is working for us because a few mornings ago Audrey told me "no." I looked her in the eyes and said, "You don't tell Mom no." She said, "Ok, Momma." I said, "Very good! You're as polite as a princess!" And that was it. A few hours later she was telling everyone at Target, "I don't tell my Mom no!" LOL. In the car instead of whining about a song she doesn't like, she says, "No, thank you!" Because that's what a freaking princess would do.

I never thought I'd be pushing the princess thing but so far it's working. Fingers crossed!

Baby Led Weaning

2011-08-14T15:02:00.002-04:00

As we get closer and closer to the 4 month mark, I've been reading more and more about the benefits of BLW. Basically this means skipping the cereal and purees and, when baby is 6 months and ready, go straight for solid foods. From what I've researched, this is a better way to introduce food because it gives baby more control over what they eat. This leads to better appetite control, a taste for nutritious food, and a reduced tendency towards pickiness. The last part alone is enough for me to consider trying BLW with Abigail. I love Audrey to pieces & think she's perfect in every way... EXCEPT her stupid eating habits. She is awful when it comes to trying new things; her newest tactic is to "cough" when offered new foods...or she'll just say, "No thanks, it makes me cough." UGH!

Now, I know that every child is different, but I can't help think that something I did (or didn't do) contributed to the way Audrey is with food. Maybe if we had waited and allowed her to experiment with "real" food she'd have a healthier relationship with food. As much as I was looking forward to starting solid food with Abby in a couple of weeks, I'm going to try and hold off. She'll continue to get all of her nutritional needs through breast milk only until she's 6 months (I'm praying that pumping + freezer stash will get us that far!) Then at about 6 months we'll let her go at it! I found a great blog while I was researching. It's great to see BLW in action!

It's a little scary to try it this way; I don't like going against the normal or usual way of doing things. I really like having control of the food Abby will be getting and when. But in reality BLW seems to be much a much more natural way to introduce foods. Audrey did amazing with cereal and she loved every single fruit and veggie puree (even the mixes and dinners!) But where did that get us?! Nowhere. Nowhere except Food Hell. I think I'll pass this time! I feel like Audrey will be struggling with food for a long time to come and I'm really hoping to avoid that with Abigail.

I'd love to hear your experiences with BLW. I still plan on doing lots of research and of course talking to the pedi. Any other insight is appreciated!

2011-08-11T20:06:00.002-04:00

Just when we thought Abigail's hair couldn't get any more crazy...

AHHHH! It now sticks straight up, a perfect mohawk. Chris calls her "Conan." It's pretty funny, I can't believe how long it is on the top! Today I put a hat on her...she looks just like Audrey did, totally adorable!

Audrey, two years ago in the same outfit (5 months old):

I have a little more than 2 weeks left of summer vacation. I have mixed feelings about going back to work...on one hand I'm very excited for a new school year with a new group of kids. On the other hand I've enjoyed this summer so much...I love spending so much time with my girls and I'm just thankful for all the time I've had with them.

Go the F*ck to Sleep

2011-08-09T10:35:00.004-04:00

OK, so my kids are very good sleepers (Abigail slept 11 hours last night!) But there have definitely been nap times and night times where I've said this (in my head, of course.) So when this book came out I just about died laughing and could definitely relate. But oh my goodness...nothing compares to the hilarity of hearing Samuel L. Jackson narrate it. If you are easily offended by the F word, don't listen...and definitely don't listen if you are at work or have small children in the room. Listen to it when your children are f*cking asleep.

Life is good.

2011-08-07T08:20:00.002-04:00

It's all worth it!

2011-08-03T20:37:00.002-04:00

The pains of pregnancy, the GD, the missed sleep....all totally worth it when I hear this sweet little girl laugh! And to think, a year ago we didn't even know she was in my belly!

Sweet little sleeper!

2011-08-02T12:40:00.003-04:00

I figured this was worth documenting! For about a week now Abigail has been sleeping through the night! Well, what I consider to be STTN. She's asleep between 8-8:30. She wakes up between 5-6 (usually it's a little after 6), eats, then goes right back to sleep. This morning she woke up at 4am, but at least we're getting past the 2-3 am feed time :)

She has really taken a liking to her hands!

LOVE her little pout!

Tummy Time pout

When I got Abby up this morning I noticed a ton of hair left on her sheets...it's definitely falling out! I also noticed it on her bouncer. Let's hope it gets replaced quickly :)

Things I don’t want to forget: All about Audrey edition!

2011-08-01T09:08:00.004-04:00

I love this stage. Audrey is the sweetest girl! So smart and curious and the best imagination!

Some things I definitely don’t want to forget:

Her newest sayings are:

“Oh my gosh!”
“I can’t believe it!”
“What the HECK?!”
“I’m thinking about it…”

She loves her new dollhouse. She puts the whole family to sleep in their beds and covers them with the blanket from her crib.

She’s very sensitive towards others. If someone is sad she’ll say, “Poor _____!”

She’s getting to be more and more OCD…she likes to sort her bath letters and numbers by color.

She’s becoming more interested in Abigail. Yesterday when she woke up she said, “I want to see Abby!” She likes to watch me change her diaper. She loves to tickle Abby’s toes.

Anytime there’s a blanket spread out on the floor she automatically wants to have a picnic/tea party.

We’ve moved the froggy potty into her bathroom. So now when she has to go she runs frantically while saying, “I gotta pee, I love you!” I have no idea what that last part is about ☺

The other day she saw the dishwasher basket that we use for bottle parts on the counter. She’s used it before as a “cage” for her farm and zoo animals, so when she asked me to get it down for her I didn’t think anything of it. A few minutes later she came and asked me to march with her…usually she asks me to have a dance party with her. But I obliged and she led me to my room. Then she starts singing the song from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and marching around the basket, just like they do on the show. Complete with a grand finish (arms in the air, striking a pose at the end of the song.) She was disappointed when the basket (excuse me, treasure chest) didn’t open by itself like it does on the show. To make it even more fun Chris got out 4 gold coins…her very own gold doubloons! Too funny.

"Hey, hey welcome crew..."

She goes into my closet and pulls out my shoes. She puts them on and calls them her tap shoes.

When we speak sternly to her or tell her no, she makes a “funny” face. She thinks it will get her out of trouble if she makes us laugh. Unfortunately for her it doesn’t work- but we all get a good laugh and thankfully it takes the edge off & there’s no tantrum!

When I make my bed she insists on being a baby turtle. She lays on the floor and I throw pillows on top of her. As the momma turtle I bring her celery and coffee (don’t ask!)

My sweet little baby turtle :)

She likes to help give Abigail her baths. If we wrap Abby in the green alligator towel Audrey likes to be chased by “Abigator” afterwards!

She loves her dad. She actually says, “I love my dad.”

She says her prayers all by herself.

She takes over the living room...more precisely, the living room table. She poses all of her "friends" and sets them up on/in various toys. I clean it all up when she takes a nap and she does it all again when she wakes up.

After she’s all dressed and her hair is brushed, we walk to the long mirror in my closet. She stands there and totally beams while I tell her how pretty she looks. The look on her face is precious!

I truly love this age especially because I’m hearing that year three is pretty awful, lol.

Abigail Mae is 3 months old!

2011-07-29T12:53:00.002-04:00

She is such a little darling! I kiss her chubby cheeks all day. I love having all of this time with her and Audrey.

Abby is doing well. She's super alert and has discovered the tv. Whether she's in our bedroom or the living room, she always turns her head towards it and stares. I remember Audrey did the same thing. I wonder if she'll have the same reaction to Mickey Mouse that Audrey did?

When we put her on her tummy all she wants to do is chew on her hands. She can lift her head up but doesn't keep it there for very long. She hasn't attempted to roll over yet, but she does manage to scoot and rotate herself when she's on her back. She really likes her Bumbo and her (new) bouncer. She likes being able to see what we're all doing. She's very alert and super happy!

She smiles all the time, it's the sweetest thing. And she's started to laugh which is ADORABLE! I think she may be ticklish :) She's especially vocal when you talk to her. We have little conversations and she just smiles and coos the whole time. I can't wait to see if she'll be as talkative as her sister...if so, we're in trouble!

She's eating 5 oz every 3-4 hours. In the evening I've started feeding her every 2- 2.5 hours in hopes of helping her STTN. Usually she's up twice at night around 2:00 and 6:00. The last two nights she's only been up once at 5:00. I'm a little nervous about going back to work and having to get up for a 2-3 am feeding...by the time I'm done feeding her, pumping, and falling back to sleep it'll be time to get up! She still naps in her bouncer or the swing during the day. She still gets swaddled at night and I'm wondering when we should stop? She doesn't try to roll over and seems perfectly content so I may hold off.
She's wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes. Since it's been so hot she usually just wears a onesie at home and a dress when we go out. Her hair is out of control and I'm really curious to see what's going to happen to it. It looks like it's falling out around the sides, but growing in the front and on top. It looks like a tidal wave of brown hair in the back, sticks straight up and curves over. I'm thinking that she'll be sporting lots of hats come fall and winter :)

CHEEKS!

I'm super excited about month 4. We get to take out the exersaucer and doorway jumper (I just hope she loves them as much as Audrey did!) We'll also be trying solid foods, too. Her 4 month appt is scheduled for Sept. 1. I'm a little sad that all of this will be happening as I go back to work. It's going to make the time FLY BY. With Audrey I was home for the summer and really got to enjoy the time when she was starting to do new things (5-8 months.) I loved that stage; sitting up, crawling, pulling up...Abigail will be doing it all before we know it!

Words from the Wise, Part Two

2011-07-23T11:20:00.005-04:00

This book is one of my most prized possessions. Each student wrote and illustrated a page. These are some very special kids with some very special advice for sweet Audrey Cate:

My kids always tease me about crying...I've only cried a couple of times in front of them...once while reading "The Kissing Hand" and then again at the end of their 2nd grade year. Being 8 and 9 year olds, they have never let me live it down :) I definitely cried when I read the dedication. In front of them. They were totally pleased with themselves!! LOL

Love the illustration on this one, apparently Audrey is bleeding out, lol.

I love the arm around the shoulders :)

Is that supposed to be me looking in the mirror? haha

"You get to grow up together and share a great Mom." Awww!

"When you are sad or broken your sister will cheer you up."

One of my favorites! "Trust me she will think you know everything."

LOVE the spellings of the girls' names!

I'm saving my two favorites for last...they're Christopher's favorites, too. They're not even from my "best" writers...but they are so sweet and incredibly touching.

I almost want to type this whole quote and hang it in Audrey's room!

Love this, especially the very simple picture.

I am so grateful that my sub took the time to do this special project with my kids. I will always cherish this book and I know Audrey will, too.

I love babies!

2011-07-23T04:16:00.002-04:00

It's 4 am and I should be sleeping but I can't get back to sleep after Abby's wake up call. Plus, I'm feeling inspired, so here goes!

I am so in love with Abigail. Babies are just so sweet, from their heads to their toes!

Abby's hair is a total wreck...it sticks straight up and drives me crazy but I've stopped trying to control it. But it looks so funny that it makes me smile and so I love it.

I could stare at her face forever; sometimes she makes the weirdest faces that seriously only a mother could love. I have 2 favorites though...her sleeping face- she looks so calm, peaceful and still. Sometimes her mouth moves and her eyes flutter. When she's starting to fall asleep she smiles randomly (my heart melts!) The other fave is her look of recognition...when she sees something or someone she loves she gives this little upward nod, her eyes literally light up and she gets the biggest grin...sometimes she'll add in a little "ahhh" noise (again, heart melting!) Even her "pooping" face is cute (well, more funny than cute!) She gets all red, her eyes glass over and her eyebrows dip down because she's concentrating so hard, lol. When she cries she has the cutest little pout. I adore her blue eyes, especially how they contrast with her dark hair. I love her chubby cheeks and can't stop kissing them!

I could also kiss her arms, legs, and feet forever! She has the most delicious, soft rolls. Audrey and I love tickling her little toes.

I love everything about her, especially her baby smells. Obv after she's had a bath she smells delightful from head to toe. But- and this is so weird- I even love her "dirty" smells...I was talking about this with a friend the other day...they don't smell so bad just yet because she's just getting breast milk...there's still something sweet about them...I'm not alone, right? LOL...it's not like I want to bottle them up and wear them as perfume, it's more like a smell that is ALL baby and sticks to my memory. I love the smell of her plain skin, even when it's not lotioned up...she's perfection!

When she cries at night it is not at all annoying because she rarely cries. I find myself actually kind of excited to see her, to hold her and love on her. This is probably mostly due to the fact that I know she'll be right back to sleep as soon as she's done eating, lol. But I do love the quiet time in the middle of the night, just the two of us! I love holding her chubby face in my hand as I try to get her to burp...sometimes, when I lay her back in my arms, she perses her lips so tight, it's too adorable. When I unswaddle her and get her out of her crib I love how she puts both fists up to her face, tilts her head to the side, and scrunches her lips...it's EXACTLY the same face Audrey used to make.

All of these things are what I've grown to love about Abigail...some are normal (who doesn't love a great smile?!) & some are kind of weird...but it's the weird things that make me her mom :)

What "weird" things do you love about your little one? Post them here or write your own blog post, I'd love to read them!

Currently...

2011-07-22T08:50:00.002-04:00

Listening: to silence...Chris just left for work and both girls are sleeping (correction- I hear ocean sounds over Abby's monitor!)

Eating: a chocolate donut (must be done before Audrey wakes up!)

Drinking: chocolate milk

Wearing: lounge clothes, everyday baby!

Feeling: hopeful

Weather: so, so hot...

Wanting: a pedicure & an eyebrow wax

Needing: to sit down and get my school order together

Thinking: these girls will probably wake up at the exact same time, lol

Words from the Wise: Part One

2011-07-20T08:35:00.004-04:00

When I was pregnant with Audrey our school bookkeeper made me leave my room for an hour...she told me to go take a break so that she could do a special project with my kids. That special project was a book filled with predictions about the baby (boy, girl, height, weight, names, etc.) and best of all, advice. As you can imagine, it was a joy to read and something I will cherish forever.

So I definitely wanted another baby book for BB #2. My last group of kids have been my most favorite (I was with them for 2 years!) and I was really excited to see what they'd come up with.

Some of the highlights:

7 thought I'd have a girl, 9 thought boy

They came up with some very nice names...for girls- Lily, Annie (oh how I love this name!), Allie, Maxine, Sabrina, Amy, Katie, Alice. For boys- Jack, Enrique (hehe), Will, Anthony, Drake, Chris, Junior, Nick, Matt, James, Andrew, Brady.

They were told that my due date was May 7th but that many babies come early or late. The latest due date I got was May 24th (ha!) The closest date was April 25th.

Even though these are 3rd graders, they don't necessarily grasp the concept of height and weight, at least not for a newborn baby. While most of them were very good with their predictions (most said 7-8 lbs), some were so funny! For height I got 10, 14, and 25 inches. For weight I got 11, 5, a couple of 10s, and 20 lbs (seriously?!)

Now onto my favorite parts of the book...advice!

What advice do you have for Mr. & Mrs. Burns about how to take care of Baby Burns?

"Always watch the baby."

"Before letting the baby take a nap, warm milk and let it drink for 2 minutes and then it will fall asleep."

"To love and care for him or her."

"Good luck. Try not to spend a whole lot."

"Take care of the baby how you took care of Audrey."

"Always feed him or her and give him or her a bath."

"Feed and care for them first thing in the morning."

"Give it toys when it is crying."

"Always listen to Baby Burns."

"Show it to Audrey and keep doing it until Audrey gets used to her."

"Be nice parents and feed Baby Burns."

"Feed Baby Burns in the morning, afternoon, and at night. Put Baby Burns to bed in the afternoon. When you hear Baby Burns get him up."

"Do not spoil Baby Burns too much or Audrey will feel left out."

And my personal favorite, from a girl with 3 little siblings:
"If Baby Burns cries put ear plugs in your ears."

They also wrote messages to Audrey:

"Help your mom out and be nice."

"Be careful with the baby."

"Don't be mean and show him or her around."

"Don't be jealous when they're taking care of him or her."

"Help her walk."

"Never bite or hit."

"Be nice and kind to Baby Burns."

"Please play with the baby, read to the baby, and watch tv with the baby."

"Never ever tell her what to do or you'll have a lot of fights."

"Take good care of your baby brother or sister and watch out for him or her."

I titled this post Part One because while I was gone my amazing sub had them make a book for Audrey on what it means to be a big sister. That deserves its own post!

Some pictures of Abby from this morning- I had her all to myself while Audrey slept in!

So many expressions, just like her big sister :)

2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days

2011-07-15T09:04:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I noticed that Abigail's ticker read 2m 2w 2d...then I remember doing a blog post for Audrey at this age. I would have loved to put Abby in the same clothes and take her picture but I just packed them up the other day! That's right..all the 0-3 months clothes are dunzo, just a bit too snug for comfort. Audrey was on the small side and Abigail is on the big side.

Abby loves to gnaw on my finger... I end up soaking wet!

Sisters

Lovely blue eyes!

2011-07-11T04:09:00.002-04:00

Audrey and Chris have a game; one of them will call out, "1,2,3, TACKLE!" and tackle the other. This time Audrey kept saying, "I love you, Dad!" before she'd tackle him, lol.

Abby's hair is out of control! Since her last bath a few days ago the back of her hair has been sicking straight up! Drives me crazy, lol.

She loves looking at the ceiling fan in our room

We took out the water table over the weekend and Audrey loves it. I take her out after her nap since the front part of the house is shaded by then and it's a bit cooler if Abby joins us.

She likes to water the flowers in her "garden"

By this time next year Miss Abigail will get to join in the fun :)

I felt like Super Mom last night! Chris worked late so he wasn't around for dinner and the evening routine. When we came in from the water table I got Audrey settled with juice and toys (and Jake, of course) in the living room while I fed Abby. Then I made grilled cheese for Audrey while I got Abby's bath ready in the kitchen. When Audrey was done with dinner, she "helped" me give Abby a bath. Then she played in Abby's room while I finished getting Abby ready. It was too early for Abby's bedtime so I put her in the bouncer and she watched Audrey take her bath. By the time Audrey was done, Abby had fallen asleep. I got Audrey dressed and settled in my room with her milk and Jake (yes, Jake AGAIN.) Then I ate...Abby woke up after a short time (a little cranky) so she got swaddled and fed again. Then I put her in the swing while Audrey and I read books and danced in her room. Chris came home at that time and even though the evening went so smoothly I was so happy to see him!

Currently...

2011-07-08T21:18:00.002-04:00

Listening: whatever Audrey will let me listen to in the car...cause she's a radio nazi.

Eating: everyday my lunch consists of elbow macaroni with butter and shredded cheese. It's very delicious.

Drinking: vodka and cranberry...Chris makes it for me almost every night!

Wearing: sports bras and anything stretchy

Feeling: very thankful...for my husband, my girls, my summer

Weather: it's been rainy the past few days and I love it! It makes me not feel bad that we're not outside and it's just so nice and cozy in my house!

Wanting: a haircut.

Needing: a haircut.

Thinking: i should get to bed before my very adorable 2 am wake up call

Enjoying: summertime and losing track of the days :)

Post idea taken from my wonderful SIL :)

A fun 4th and things I don't want to forget

2011-07-07T20:42:00.003-04:00

Oh, how I love this face! Abby is 10 weeks old today and for serious the easiest baby I could ever ask for. I always rolled my eyes when people said, "Oh, I just love the newborn phase!" That's b/c those people must've had easy babes. Audrey was not an easy babe...she'd cry for no reason and have majorly long wake times. I don't want to forget how lucky we are to have an easy one this time around!

I don't want to forget the way I feel when I check on them each night. I leave their rooms with this giddy smile on my face and I can't help it! They are so darn cute as they sleep...Audrey usually on her back, sprawled out and totally exhausted from her busy day. Abby perfectly swaddled and still, looking like a baby doll. I walk out of their rooms feeling like I could float on air, it's one of my most favorite times of the day.

I don't want to forget how it feels to hear Audrey say, "I'm so happy!" She says it so genuinely and with such emotion I can't help but grin. She says it when she uses the potty or when she builds a tower of blocks that doesn't fall. I think it comes from me telling her to "be happy" whenever she starts to have a meltdown. It almost immediately makes her smile.

We had a great 4th of July. We went to Grandma's house for swimming & lunch, then Pop Pop's house for dinner, then Aunt Kelly's new house for dessert and Cranium. It was a long day away from home but everyone did great!

The best picture I could get of these sweet girls. Audrey wasn't being cooperative and it was too bright for Abby, even in the shade, lol.

Side note: Audrey wore this dress for her first 4th of July! It's a 6-9 month dress. Gah.

Abigail scratched her face so hard that it bled! So awful :(

I was looking back at this blog post from July 2009. Then I looked at all the posts from that month and it made me really, really anxious for Abby to hit that stage! Where she's sitting up, playing, super responsive and showing off her personality. Having an easy baby is so great, but nothing compares to when they really start to interact. I think this time around will be even more special because we'll get to see how they interact with each other. I have to try and stop wishing time away...it's going by so fast as it is!

Summer is off to a super start!

2011-07-03T20:09:00.002-04:00

There is nothing better than spending all my time with my two little lovelies! My first full week of summer was pretty lazy, spent mostly at home due to Audrey's new interest in the potty. She's 100 % trained at home! She's even getting better with telling us she has to go...tonight she made me take her out of the bath so she could go pee :)

My SIL was in town this week with our niece and nephew. On Thursday we met Aunt Sarah & cousin Bella for lunch at Panera, then headed up to see them at Nonie's house. The girls played so well together, blowing bubbles and playing in the pool.

Abby (2 months) & cousin Ansley (3 months)

I love her arm rolls!

"This is my space!!"

Cousins! Bella, Nina, Audrey

Audrey would fill up her bottle in the pool then pour it into Nina's bottle. Then Nina would pour it all out onto the table and they'd start all over again. This kept them busy for quite awhile!!

The best picture we could get at the end of a long (napless) afternoon!

On Friday we spent the day at Grandma's. Audrey and I played in the pool. She liked floating on the large raft while I twirled her around. She also used the potty while we were there (twice!)

On Saturday Audrey and I went grocery shopping while Chris and Abby stayed home. We went to Mom Maw's house for dinner and Audrey loved playing with cousin Nina. Today was a nice day spent at home, getting things done around the house, playing, and relaxing.

One of the things I love most about summer is not having to get the girls up at such an early hour. I get up for the day when Audrey wakes up. She calls out, "Momma, Momma, Mommmmmaaaaa...." until I come get her. She eats breakfast and plays until we hear Abby. She likes to come in with me to get her.

I love watching her sleep. She looks so peaceful.

Good morning!

The best part of this picture is Audrey's little feet, lol.

Abby's "I'm stretching" face

After I took this picture I realized she was covered in poop. Yeah.

So happy!

So tired!

Sleeping on the way to Mom Maw's house. She's doing so much better at keeping her head up when she's asleep!

Tomorrow we're hitting up Grandma's house and then Pop Pop's house for the 4th. Hope everyone has a safe and restful holiday!

Abigail Mae is 2 months old!

2011-06-28T19:14:00.004-04:00

She is such a GOOD baby!! I'm not saying that because we're second time parents and it's supposed to be easier the next time around...Abby is incredible! She rarely cries, there's no "fussiness" from her at all. She does great at night. She gets swaddled and bottled and she's in her crib until Chris dream feeds her at around 11:30. She sleeps until about 3, eats, then goes right back to sleep until about 6. After that feeding she goes back to sleep for a good 2-3 hours and then she's up for the day. I follow the EASY routine (eat, activity, sleep, your time.) She naps in her swing or bouncer right in the living room. I don't know if I should be putting her in her crib or not. Maybe when she has a set schedule?

She's eating about 4.5 ounces every 3 hours. I had major engorgement and blocked duct issues when I went back to work. Cabbage definitely did the trick because my supply tanked (my right side only gets 2 oz after a 30 minute session!) I've been able to keep up with her but today I started giving her some freezer milk so I can rebuild a good fridge stash. I'm pumping much less often...before bed, at the 3 am feeding, when I get up with Audrey, and maybe 2 more times in the early afternoon and early evening. She'll probably be on formula by the time I go back to school.

She definitely knows where her hands are. Her fist goes right up to her mouth if a bottle or paci aren't available fast enough. And I'm pretty sure she swats at her little red bird on her playmat (check out the video below!) She does very well holding her head up & steady when we're holding her. She's bearing weight on her legs for a few seconds at a time.

Today she had her 2 month appt. She weighs 12 lbs 10 oz (90th percentile...YEAH.) She 22 inches long and looks perfect. Sue said she's "just lovely." She got 4 shots and an oral vaccine. Poor baby turned bright red and screamed, but was just fine by the time we left the office. She's been sleepy and kind of irritable all day. I woke her up to do pictures and therefore 99% of them were awful...but I managed to get a few gems :)

Last night, passed out during playtime:

This afternoon, after her appointment:

She is such a sweetheart! She's totally smiling and cooing for us. It's beyond adorable! I got her on video a few days ago and I smile every time I watch them!

I am SO hoping Abby continues to be an easy baby. She is such a delight and I'm so, so, so happy I have all this time to dote on her and sweet Audrey Cate!

Pinterest: my new obsession...

2011-06-28T14:24:00.004-04:00

In the words of Audrey's new favorite song (and to quote will.i.am)...I just can't get enough! Pinterest is basically a virtual pin board. A place to store all of the pretty things you find on the interwebz. My favorite categories are style, kids, & food but I've found many cool pins in nearly every category. Lots of great ideas out there and finally a place to keep them!

Pinterested? My board is here.

Let me know if you decide to start, I'd love to follow more people!

POTD (Pin of the Day)

Source: etsy.com via S on Pinterest

Sharing is caring...

2011-06-26T16:20:00.002-04:00

PT success!!

2011-06-26T13:05:00.004-04:00

Audrey has been without a diaper all day and has had NO accidents! We've been hanging out in the living room all morning. She walks over, gets on her potty, and she goes! She gets a small treat, we clean out her potty and start all over again. I am so proud of her! She definitely seems to recognize the feeling that she has to go and she's making the connection that she needs to go on the potty. A month ago that wasn't the case (as evidenced by numerous puddles on the hardwood floor!) I just put her down for a nap and I'm hoping the rest of the day is just as successful.

So, when is a good time to start putting her in underwear? Should we start with Pull-Ups first? Should we keep doing the nakey thing for a few days until she definitely gets it? I'm just not sure what the next steps are so any advice would be GREAT!

**UPDATE**
Audrey did great after her nap! She even went #2 on the potty :) I put underwear on her when we went outside to blow bubbles. We were out for maybe 10 minutes with no issues. But then, as we were walking in she peed and oddly enough it didn't phase her. She had another accident later on when she was playing with her toys. Both times I had her sit on the potty and I assured her it was ok to have accidents (she didn't seem to care, lol.)

Thanks for all the advice!! I'm hoping she continues to use the potty like she did today. What a huge step!

Audrey is Two and a Half

2011-06-24T21:15:00.007-04:00

Dear Sweet Audrey Cate,

Today you are two and a half years old. You are such a beautiful and wonderful little girl. You light up our lives and fill our hearts with joy we never imagined.

You amaze us everyday. Last night when I sat with you to say your prayers, you said them all by yourself! You can count to 12 (and then all the numbers after sound like gibberish…but they all end in ‘teen’ lol.) You love to sing and dance. You are a serious radio nazi. If a song comes on that you don’t like, you let us know. Recently you’ve been trying to sing the songs on the radio and it’s so cute because you pretty much just chime in on the endings. You really love your tv shows; Mickey Mouse, Jake & the Neverland Pirates, Umi Zoomi, Bubble Guppies, Little Einsteins. In fact, you go through phases where you just want the same show over and over.

You love to play pretend. We have pretend picnics and tea parties. I can’t wait to get you a dollhouse so you can pretend all day long! You are very helpful…you stand on a chair at the sink and I wash bottles and pass them to you so you can throw them in the cold water.

You have adjusted so well to having a little sister. For the most part you go about your day as if she doesn’t exist. One day that will change and you’ll be the best of friends and you won’t be able to imagine a time when she didn’t exist. You are so patient when I’m tending to her. You don’t seem to be jealous at all.

You have your moments…when you don’t listen we put you in Time-Out. You sit there, quietly and you face the corner. It’s so odd…you place your hand on the wall and we’re not sure why! Even when you’re in trouble you’re so damn cute!

You want nothing to do with potty training. You’ll sit on the potty to appease us and I’m almost certain you actually hold it while on the potty because as soon as your diaper is on you go! I’m not too worried because when you’re ready you’ll rock it and be potty trained in no time.

You really can’t be bothered with eating. I seriously dread your mealtimes! Breakfast is usually ok; you eat yogurt and pancakes and toast (and the occasional donut.) You do enjoy a variety of snacks and fruit. You’re back on a chicken strike and prefer “peanut butter on a spoon.” Grilled cheese can be a hit or miss and luckily you’re still eating YoMeals. Your eating habits stress me out especially since there’s nothing I can do but keep offering different foods. Your response is almost always, “I don’t like it!” Maybe when Abby starts eating real food in a few months you’ll regain interest! But for know you’re healthy and growing and all I can do is wait it out.

I feel so blessed to be your mom. I love watching you grow up and learn new things. You are wonderful in every way! I hope you always know how much we love you.

Love, Mom

Fastest week of my life. Ever.

2011-06-21T19:33:00.003-04:00

We all know that time flies when you're having fun, but did you know that it also flies when you're busy as hell from sun up til sun down? A coworker put it perfectly... "It may be the last week of school, but it's one hell of a week to come back." Amen to that!

All in all it was a good, albeit busy, week. We have a good evening routine: Audrey gets a bath, brushes her teeth, takes her vitamins, puts on her PJs and watches one of her shows in our room. Abby gets her bath, PJs, swaddle and bottle. We put Audrey to bed after she says her prayers (with her "fan on, blanket on, music on".) Abby goes into her crib (or into the swing until she is either asleep or very drowsy.) Chris stays up late each night so he can dream feed Abby (yes, he actually used the term 'dream feed'!) I get up with her for the next feeding (usually in the 2 or 3 o'clock hour.) The only thing that stinks about that is afterwards I have to pump...by the time I'm done it's basically time to start getting ready for school, lol. 3am-9pm makes for a long day...I'm exhausted by the time my head hits the pillow.

The morning is jam packed. I pump and get myself ready. I try to get as many things packed and ready the night before (clothes, bottles, Audrey's juice, etc.) I start getting Audrey up at 6:00. She's easy- I change her diaper, give her milk and have her come with me to Abby's room. I unswaddle Abby (which results in her pouty cry), change her diaper, and feed her if needed. I put her in her car seat while Audrey and I say goodbye to Chris. Sometimes Abby wakes before 6:00 so I feed and change her before I get Audrey up. My goal is to leave the house by 6:30 but most mornings we left a little later due to toddler meltdowns, spit up on my clothes, and other unforeseen events. That 30 minute window goes by so freakin fast. I'm hoping to get a better handle on it when school starts back up again.

Speaking of, school was CRAZY. It was so fun to be back but I had a million things to do and the kids were pretty excited about the last few days. By Friday I was just ready to be done! I didn't even cry this time :) Today I finished packing my room. I just have to go back in for my evaluation and it's truly SUMMERTIME!!

Some pics from the last couple of weeks:

Field Day 2011:

Audrey Cate's first snow cone!

Hanging out in mom's room with the kiddos!

Audrey is such a great helper! She collects all of Abby's nighttime bottles and throws them into the sink :)

Dad took us to DQ the night before I went back to work. Audrey shared his M&M Blizzard.

I came back to school with a room covered in welcome back signs! LOVE. They also got Abby an adorable outfit and a gator onesie!

I super love this "Good job" sign! LOL

Audrey's last dance class was on Saturday...I can't wait to start back up again in September! We've enjoyed it so much :)

Serious balance skillz!

Freeze dancing "One more time!"

We went to Bonefish for Aunt Kelly's b-day:

Always with the hats!

Yay, Uncle Scott gets her to eat!

Nice of you to wake up and join us, Miss Abigail!

I only went back to work for a little over a week and I feel like I'm in desperate need of a vacation! I am looking forward to taking it easy in the mornings with my girls, coffee and GMA. I'm looking forward to mine and Chris's favorite summer shows. Losing track of what day it is. Library trips. Evening cocktails. Pool time. Man, I love summer!

6 weeks and back to work!

2011-06-13T04:14:00.001-04:00

Abby Mae turned 6 weeks on Thursday and she is just getting so big! She's definitely wearing 3 month clothes. I have a ton of little 3 mo rompers that Audrey wore in her first spring/summer (Audrey was 6+ months old!) I guess Audrey was a smaller, slower growing baby. Abby seems to get bigger every minute :) I also had my post partum checkup and everything is back to normal. I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight (127 lbs) and I feel good with one exception...I had some pretty badly clogged ducts the past couple of days and so I spent most of Saturday with cold cabbage leaves in my bra (which felt so good!) Today the girls are back to normal. I have no problems pumping while I'm at home, but when we're out and about it's just such a hassle to pack it up and pump in some random place. I have no idea how I'll do it at work this week, but hopefully I'll be able to pump enough that my supply won't completely tank. Speaking of supply, I froze another batch of milk which brings the freezer total to 788 ounces. You're welcome, Abigail :)

Saturday was a big day! Audrey got her first haircut! I was pretty hesitant. Yes, her hair was starting to get out of control, but I love the way it gets crazy curly in the humidity. PLUS we were able to put it up in an adorable ponytail. But it had to happen sometime. We went after dance class and it was a success. She sat in the chair with a lollipop and even though she wasn't thrilled at least it got done and looks super cute!

Picking out a hairstyle with dad

It was a very long wait!

The first cut!

"Look, lady, I've been growing this out for over 2 years now, make it look good!"

We have an envelope of her precious curls and a certificate. I also kept the receipt :)

Tomorrow I go back to work and I have such mixed emotions! I am so very excited to spend the last week of school with my kids. I saw them on Friday for the first time since having Abby and it was crazy! I didn't realize just how much I missed them until I saw their faces and heard their voices. It was completely crazy because I had both girls AND it was Field Day. They pretty much entertained Audrey while I got to visit. I loved being back.

But, oh my goodness! There is just too much to get done next week...files, a million forms to fill out for NEXT year, meetings, testing, awards, report cards, packing...it's going to be too crazy (which will make the time go by faster, but still!!) And of course I'm going to miss lounging around with my sweet girls. All I can say is thank God for Grandma! I know Audrey is thrilled to be going back next week and of course now Abby will get some good bonding time in with her grandparents. But best of all I can drop them off and not have a single worry all day. They are in the best hands of people who love them just as much as we do and what more could I ask for?

Sisters

2011-06-06T20:23:00.002-04:00

Smiles!

2011-06-05T16:12:00.004-04:00

Abigail is definitely starting to smile more...I'm pretty sure she's smiling in response to us. She is so happy after she wakes up and has her bottle.

I love watching her sleep...her face is just so still and perfect and content!

Here's baby Audrey asleep in the bouncer:

And baby Abby:

They look so much alike, aside from the dark hair. I just love that smushy face!

Playtime!

2011-06-02T11:17:00.009-04:00

Abigail lifted her head waaay up today! I'm so happy I caught it on camera:

She loves the sun, just like Audrey did!

Sisters!

Tummy time!

WOOO HOOO, Abby!

Oh, geesh :)

Routines...too early?

2011-05-31T17:47:00.004-04:00

I love routines, I NEED routines in my life. I'm wondering if it's too early to start with Miss Abby?

Last night was the first night in her crib. I wasn't really planning on putting her in there yet. She'd just had a bottle, then a bath. I put on white noise in her darkened bedroom as I lotioned her up, dressed, and swaddled her. I figured we could try it! I rocked her for about 5 minutes and her eyes became super heavy. When I laid her down she was fast asleep. Chris gave her a bottle around 9:00 and she slept until almost 2 am. I put her back in after she ate and had a diaper change. She got up again around 5 am and I brought her out in the living room to eat so I could lay down, too. We both fell asleep afterwards, lol. I woke up around 6:30 and put her in the bouncer so I could pump. Afterwards she went back in her crib but she woke up shortly afterwards because Chris brought her in as I was showering :) He gave her a bottle and she went back to sleep in the bouncer as I got everything ready to go. We're going to try the crib again tonight. It helps that I don't hear every little sound she makes throughout the night.

I'm going to try to keep the bedtime routine going. We won't bathe her every night; I think we'll just go into her room for her evening feeding, darken the room and play white noise. Then we'll change her for bed, swaddle her and rock her for a few minutes. Then *hopefully* into the crib she'll go. Even if she doesn't sleep for longer stretches the routine will eventually get her there...and I do love routines! I'd love to hear what other people's bedtime routines are!

Abby had an appointment today for the second part of her Hep B shot. She weighs 10 lbs 9 oz! The nurse and doctor were very impressed. She does seem to be getting very big (and chunky...love it!)

I go back to work in just 2 weeks! Just in time for the last week of school. That is going to be one busy week, I'm scared! End of year records, report cards, packing up...in addition to teaching (oh yes, we teach til the end!) I am so excited for summer :)

Abby Mae is one month!

2011-05-28T15:25:00.007-04:00

Let the picture overload begin!

A semi-smile...WOOO HOOO!

Definitely fell asleep AFTER I posed her :)

Love her!

Pirate Abby!

One month:

Eating & Sleeping
Abigail is a milk monster! She eats all.the.time. She's getting so big. I can't wait to see how much she weighs on Tuesday. She is pretty wakeful early in the day and loves to be held. She likes to sleep in long stretches in the afternoon/early evening. "Bedtime" is anywhere from 8-9 and she's up every 2 hours to eat (YAWN!)

Milestones
We don't do tummy time very often, mostly I lay her on my chest as she looks around. She can pick up her head and turn it towards a sound (my voice, a rattle.) She's very good at keeping her head up when we're holding her. She stares at our faces and can briefly follow objects (i.e. her black and white pattern cards.) I've noticed in the past few days that she can bring her fist up to her mouth when she gets fussy.

I can't wait to see what month 2 brings!

Oh man...

2011-05-26T20:36:00.003-04:00

I really need to get better about taking pictures of Abigail! I had a ton by the time Audrey was 4 weeks...when you have your hands full with a toddler and a newborn, taking pictures falls down on the to-do list!

I love her expression here :)

Our first walk through town

Where Miss Abigail spends A LOT of her time!

She really loves her baths!

Our sweetheart, all swaddled for the night!

My new favorite phrase...

2011-05-26T12:42:00.003-04:00

The girls. Sweet girls. Our girls.

I just love the way it sounds! I still can't believe we have two girls! During a late night feeding I started to think about all the great things about having two girls; two shopping buddies, nail painting sessions, tea parties, playing dress up, recitals, driving dad crazy :)

I don't need to tell anyone what a joy it has been to raise Audrey. I am so excited to see Abigail come into her own. How will she be like her big sister? How will she be different? So far the differences have been like night and day...the pregnancies were different, and so far Abby seems like a much easier baby (oh crap, now that I said that...) It's very true what they say...you can't imagine that you can love your second child as much as you love your first...but you do! You love them just as much and in different ways. I barely know Abby but my love for her grows everyday.

Just last night Audrey was giving Chris a goodnight kiss. He was holding Abby and, without prompting, she leaned down and kissed Abby for the very first time on her own. I just wanted to freeze that moment! Yes, these two sweet girls were meant for us.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Abigail is 3 weeks old!

2011-05-18T10:04:00.005-04:00

It seems like it's been so much longer though :) I chalk it up to round the clock care...she's still pretty sleepy during the day and up every 2 hours at night. At this point I'm pretty exhausted! But she's growing and thriving and that's what matters! At her weight check up on Tuesday she weighed 8 lbs 13oz! Exactly what Audrey weighed when she was born, lol. Abby is eating about 3 1/2 ounces. Sometimes she'll eat 2oz, fall asleep, and wake within an hour to finish. Sometimes she'll take 4 oz at once!

My milk production is out of control...I started going 3-4 hours between pumping sessions and I even skip a session during the night (usually the 2 am!) The other day I ran out of storage containers so I froze most of what I had in the fridge...96 ounces! I have a good freezer stash already and soon I'll have to relocate the bags to our other freezer.

Our days are pretty routine: I'm up around 7 to pump and feed Abby (Chris has been taking over this feeding when he can.) Once Abby is fed I put her in the swing. I watch the news until I hear Audrey. Sometimes I'm pumping or feeding Abby when Audrey wakes up. If Chris is still home he gets her up; otherwise she waits patiently for me in her crib. She eats breakfast while I wash all the bottles from overnight. The rest of the morning for Audrey is spent playing, singing and dancing, and watching tv (Nick JR and Disney Jr are my new BFFs.) If Abigail is awake we try to do tummy time.

I think we may start potty training. This morning Audrey came to me and said she wanted her pajamas off. So I took them off; then she wanted her diaper off..."Nakey baby!" she said, lol. So we set her potty in the living room and she went back and forth from sitting on it to standing. She must've peed on the floor (the wood floor, thankfully) 5 times. Each time I rushed her to the potty and reminded her to try and pee ON the potty, not the floor. After about an hour she decided she wanted her diaper back on. We'll try again tomorrow morning! I'm not pushing anything for right now, just following her cues. I do plan on hitting it hard over the summer, so long as she's ready.

Audrey still takes her nap, usually around 12:30. Lately it's been short, though, around 90 minutes. Usually it's between 2-3 hours. I try to nap when both girls are napping but it rarely happens..by the time I've eaten lunch Abby is waking up. I've got to try timing that a little better :) The afternoon is pretty routine as well. Audrey wakes up and eats lunch, plays while I feed and tend to Abby. Chris gets home and makes dinner and takes care of Abby so I can pump and get Audrey ready for bed. We swaddle Abby between 8-9, depending on when she eats. I've been going to bed while she sleeps in her swing. Chris puts her in the co-sleeper when he comes to bed. I'm back up between 11-12 to feed Abigail and pump. I feed her in the living room so I can watch tv. She goes into the bouncer while I pump and she falls right back to sleep. Then it's back into the co-sleeper where that routine is repeated at around 2 am, 4 am, and 6 am.

I can go 2-3 days at home before I get cabin fever. On Monday we took our first walk through town (Audrey loved it; Abigail fell asleep.) We went to the mall on Tuesday after our dr appointment. Audrey loves the play park and I love watching her run around!

Stacy posted more sneak peeks on FB...I'm just loving them so much! I cannot wait to order announcements, make a photo book, and hang them around the house.

I see so much of Audrey in this picture!

I love this one so much...my sweet Audrey Cate!

Thins are going so well and I feel great, aside from the lack of sleep. But I have to say it's not as bad as I expected it to be! I have no problems tending to both kids...when they both need something at the same time (rare) I take care of Audrey first, then Abby. But when Audrey needs something and I'm in the middle of feeding Abby or pumping, she is so patient! I just love her, she's such a good little girl. I'm hoping she continues to be a good helper as Abigail gets older and in need of more attention. I think she will be; she's a very special kid! I'm loving my life with two girls :)

Newborn Sneak Peeks!

2011-05-16T17:38:00.004-04:00

My Girl Knows How to Rock!

2011-05-13T20:56:00.000-04:00

Abigail Mae

2011-05-09T02:15:00.003-04:00

11 days into this and Abigail is such a joy! She sleeps all day (usually needs to be woken for feedings) and is up about every 2 hours at night. Lucky she goes right to sleep after the nighttime feedings. I put her in the bouncer while I pump then back into the co-sleeper when I'm done. We keep her swaddled tight and lay her on her side (eventually she ends up on her back.)

During the day she goes back and forth between the bouncer and swing and my arms. Loud noises do not bother her (she sleeps through all of Audrey's singing and banging around.) She's eating 3 oz every 2-3 hours. I started freezing milk yesterday because I have so much in the fridge! My goal is to keep pumping through the summer. We'll see what the new school year brings.

Her umbilical cord is hanging by a thread and will probably come off within the next day or two. Just in time for her newborn pics which are Thursday. I cannot wait- my friend Stacy is coming to do them and I know they're going to be amazing. She came down for Audrey's 2 year pics...I'm praying for nice weather so we can get some outdoor shots. As soon as those are edited and I can order birth announcements!

Her little head will NOT stay up in her car seat! I can't wait for her to get better control.

Abby on Mother's Day 5/8/11

There are those pretty eyes!

She gives Dad the biggest smiles!

This time around I feel like I'm enjoying the newborn phase more. I'm not sure what it is; maybe because I already know what to expect...Soon we'll be coming up on the colic phase and I'll be singing a different tune. But for now Abigail is a sweet angel and we just adore her so much!

My First Outing with the Girls

2011-05-07T13:06:00.005-04:00

Audrey's dance class isn't over until the end of June. We pay month to month and we could've easily called April her last month. I briefly considered stopping until the Fall but I just couldn't do it...her dance class is something special we get to do every week. I look forward to it just as much as she does and I just didn't want to give it up. Of course Christopher had to work, lol. I was still determined to go...it was going to be my first outing with both girls all by myself...but I was ready!

Chris gave Abby her 6 am feeding so I could sleep in (THANK GOD! This is the worst time of day for me because I know Audrey will up soon after Abby is done eating...and I'm just dead exhausted from being up throughout the night.) When I woke up I was able to pump and feed Audrey breakfast. I hit the shower and got myself ready while Audrey went back and forth between dancing in the bathroom and watching Disney in our bedroom. Abigail slept in the bathroom (loud music, bright lights and all!) Abby started to wake up as Chris was leaving. I fed her, changed her, and put her back down to get Audrey ready...but Abby didn't not want to be put down. She was crying non-stop...which she NEVER does (of course not, not until this moment!) I gave her another bottle (she drank about an ounce) and she passed out. Phew! We were out of the house and packed into the car by 9:30...success!

We arrived at the studio and everyone was surprised to see us! They oohed and ahhhed over Abby and even offered to help if she woke up during class :) But she didn't...she slept contently in her car seat as I participated with my sweet Audrey Cate. She was thrilled to be back at class and she did SO WELL! I'm incredibly proud of her.

Afterwards we went to Sonic and came home. Audrey went down for an early nap and I woke up Abby to feed her. She pretty much slept the rest of the afternoon and evening. We went out to dinner with my IL's to celebrate Mother's Day. We stopped on the way home for some DQ and by 8:00 I was ready for bed! I went to sleep early while Chris watched Abby. It's been smooth sailing so far because Abigail sleeps all.the.time. And I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Ummm, there's a double stroller in my kitchen...

2011-05-07T12:44:00.005-04:00

After months and months of research (and waiting for Stokke to invent a double stroller) I finally ordered one. When I started looking of course all the higher end models appealed to me...Bugaboo Donkey, Stroll Air, and Baby Jogger City Select Double were just so expensive! I listed my must-haves: easy to fold & maneuver, lightweight, independent canopies, good reclines, and it had to fit the infant car seat. I finally caught a good sale on the Peg Perego Aria 60/40 Twin stroller at Albeebaby.com. It was $199 with free shipping and it arrived yesterday. Chris set it up last night and when I saw it all set up I was in awe. Yup, we have two kids now...this is for real!

I'm pretty excited to take the girls for their first walk!

*Side note: Today was Abigail's official due date!

Life with Two Sweet Girls

2011-05-05T23:48:00.005-04:00

And what a week it has been! This past week I was supposed to a) finish out a nice Spring Break with Audrey b) get all the last minute baby and school stuff done and c) work a couple days before going in for my induction. Instead I have a one week old baby girl! WOW.

Where to start...my hospital stay was amazing. Family came to visit us later in the afternoon on Thursday. Chris stayed with me overnight even though we sent Abby to the nursery. They kept her from 11:30-6:00 am...it was awesome to get a full night's rest. I began pumping that morning. Chris went home to take care of things and then brought Audrey back for some family time, just the four of us.

Chris took her back home in time for her nap. We figured it would be nice for he and Audrey to get home and settled before Abby and I came home. He got a bunch of things done around the house and I relaxed with Abby at the hospital. I had more visitors that evening and again I sent Abby to the nursery overnight. This time they kept her from about 10:30 until much later the next morning. Chris came with Audrey to take us home on Saturday. I got the TDAP shot (for prevention of Whooping Cough) and we were discharged!

Saturday was our first day home. It was a gorgeous day and even though I was excited to get home, I was a little sad about leaving the hospital. It was a little too real, seeing two little girls in our back seat. Once we were home Chris fed Abigail and I fed Audrey before putting her down for a nap. Abby pretty much stayed on a 2 hour feeding schedule. We'd give her colostrum first, then formula. The first night was rough because I kept her in the living room while I tried to sleep on the couch. She had spit up a lot over the past couple days and I had been advised to keep her upright as much as possible. So she went back and forth between the bouncer and the swing...but between pumping and feeding I didn't get much sleep!

The past few days and nights have been much better. Our wonderful friends sent us their co-sleeper and I started using it on night 2. What a difference! Just sleeping in my own bed, even for short periods of time felt amazing. Abby will go about 3 hours between feedings and I'm pumping every 2-3 hours...milk is fully in and I have a nice stockpile in the fridge already.

She is VERY sleepy during the day. I keep her in the living room where it’s bright and noisy but she sleeps through it all! It does make caring for Audrey easier (and getting things done around the house, and pumping every 2 hours, etc.) I’m already looking forward to the day she is sleep trained like her big sister ☺

First trip to the doctor 5/3/11 (weighed 7lb 5 oz and got her Hep B shot)

Audrey gets more and more interested in her each day. We usually have to prod her to come see the baby or give the baby a kiss. She’s her usual happy self and has been so good! Still sticking to her routine and just as fun as always. She seems so big to us now! She helps me out a lot during the day. I ask her to get me things or put things away. I try to involve her as much as possible in whatever I’m doing. So far, so good!

This time around definitely seems easier. We’re just taking it one day at a time and every day has been good. I feel fine, not overly exhausted (and so far no baby blues!) Chris does so much…he comes home from work and cooks wonderful dinners, cleans up, and is completely hands-on with both girls. That goes a long way!

I love being home and lucky for me summer is right around the corner!

Birth Story Part IV (Final!)

2011-05-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

The BIG Moment!

Finally Dr K arrived and my bed was set up. He took a look at me and said he could see a bit of the baby’s head! He told me that he or she has dark hair and had Chris take a look. He told me to push the next time I had a contraction…but I hadn’t been feeling any contractions! So Sandra told me when I started to have one, and I pushed about twice through it. Everyone was so great cheering me on but Chris was awesome! I mostly focused on his voice. He was just so encouraging and he himself sounded SO in awe and SO excited!

We waited and then another contraction came…I gave two very hard pushes and the baby was out! I can’t even describe the feelings I was having…all the waiting and speculating were finally over! I anxiously looked at the baby’s lower parts (but I couldn’t help notice the dark, dark hair!!) Immediately I saw…”It’s a girl!” we all said together. It was such an incredible moment…we had another daughter! Abigail Mae born at 9:35 am weighing only 7 lbs and 11 oz. She was making very little noise and all I could do was revel in the fact that we had ANOTHER GIRL! Best surprise EVER ☺

Chris finally brought her to me...he was immediately in love with her!

I was shocked to see a tiny, dark haired, not-swollen baby!

Chris started snapping pictures and going back and forth between Abby and me. The nurses were doing their thing, checking her out and tapping her all over trying to get her to cry more. She received an 8 and then a 9 on Apgars because she was so quiet. They gave her to me and I just stared at her…she was incredibly tiny and so cute! She latched on right away and nursed for nearly 45 minutes.

My mom had been at the hospital since 5 am and now more family had arrived; my SIL and niece, and then my IL’s with Audrey. I could not wait to see her! Chris brought her in first. She was so happy to see me but a little taken aback by the tiny baby I was nursing. After a few minutes everyone else came in to meet our sweet girl. I was still nursing so they didn’t get to hold her…she was taken to the nursery and I was ordered to eat ☺

Our first picture as a family of four...Audrey didn't know what was going on, lol.

My mom stuck around and got to see Abby get her first bath. Meanwhile I had pancakes and bacon- but I must’ve eaten too fast because I immediately felt sick and was very close to losing it all. I rested for a bit and the nurse who came to transport me came in. My epidural had been so strong that I could not put any weight on my left leg, I could barely even feel it. So I spent a little more time in L&D. Chris left to take care of the dogs, shower, and rest a bit.

Once I was able to get up (I was still super wobbly) the nurse helped me wash up and roll me to the Mother & Baby unit. I got settled into room 3108 and got some rest. I felt so peaceful and relaxed. I drifted off to sleep thinking about our sweet new daughter and Audrey Cate. How very lucky we were!

Birth Story Part III

2011-05-04T06:57:00.004-04:00

Let’s Do This!

2:25 am- We got to the hospital and walked up to L&D where we checked into a triage room. The nurse who helped deliver Audrey walked in! Betty got all of my health history and Dana (the midwife who I'd spoken to earlier on the phone) did the internal. By now it was about 3 am and I was a “stretchy” 3 cm dilated and the baby was down. I found that hard to believe because I still felt her up sooo high! Contractions were pretty uncomfortable now and I kept leaking water.

Waiting in triage for “Number Two!”

4:00 am- We got checked into room 3075, and met our nurse. IV was inserted and someone came to draw my blood for the lab. I was still having contractions and even though they were still minutes apart they were VERY intense. I had to really breathe through each one. As time went by they got worse and I was nearly crying through the last few. I had to wait until I’d gone through 2 bags of fluid and for my blood work to come back before the anesthesiologist would come (ETA: 30 MINS.)

4:30 am- Dr. Wood was awesome! A totally goofy doctor who seriously had a joke for everything. I sat up and faced the nurse who helped hold me as I curved my back. The epi went in and took mostly to the left side. I rolled over on my right to get the meds flowing. It was so weird to feel contractions on one side and not the other! After about 15 minutes my left was completely numb but I could still feel and move my right leg and foot. Dr. Wood gave me a stronger medicine and that did the trick! Within minutes everything was numb and my entire lower body felt like lead. My catheter was inserted and I was so ready for rest!

Feeling good!

5:50 am- Epi is in full effect, I was 4 cm and could.not.sleep! Chris and I tried to get some rest but we were just too excited! I’d almost doze off, then I’d be wide awake again.

My dr was supposed to be in that morning at 8:00 (I was supposed to have a regular appt with him at 10 right next door!) They called and told him I was in labor and he wanted to know if I could wait for him. Of course, I said! I was in no hurry…I was feeling great and really hoping to get some sleep (I never did, lol.) Dr. K called around 8:30 to say he was stuck in traffic. Meanwhile I got a new nurse, Sandra…she was so amazing! I just loved her. I was checked and told the baby was RIGHT THERE. Dana said if I opened my legs the baby would probably slide right out! I felt her getting lower and lower every few minutes and it did feel like she was going to slide out on her own!

I ran over the names in my head...Abigail Mae and Benjamin Scott. Soon we'd know which one we were about to meet. We were so thrilled the big moment was finally here...

Birth Story Part II

2011-05-03T11:21:00.008-04:00

To Grandmother’s house we go!

As we drove to Grandma’s I started watching the clock. My contractions were a bit more intense and about 8-10 minutes apart. The drive down Rt 2 is long enough…and then we hit roadwork! A paving crew had the road blocked off. Chris pulled around the truck and we rolled down our window. The guy explained that we had to wait for the truck to turn around. We explained that we were having a baby! “Oh my goodness!” He had the most surprised look on his face! We only waited a few minutes (thank GOD I wasn’t in hard labor!) and then we were on our way again.

We got to Grandma’s and Audrey (who was pretty much awake at this point) immediately asked for pancakes, lol. Luckily she went right to sleep when we laid her down. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her how much I loved her…and that even though we were leaving to go have the baby she’d always be my very special girl. But time was ticking and so I settled for a very shortened version of goodbye.

We made a stop by 7-11 for Chris…he needed coffee and antacids. As I waited in the car, another car parked beside me and the man who got out must’ve looked at me before heading inside. He saw Chris at the counter and said, “Congratulations!” Chris told him that we were actually on our way to have the baby. The cashier said, “Well, honey, you’re not moving fast enough!” And we were on our way again…

Birth Story Part I

2011-05-01T10:48:00.002-04:00

Did my water REALLY just break?
Wednesday 4/27/11

I usually go to bed shortly after Audrey but I couldn’t fall asleep. Chris came to bed and we talked for awhile about the baby and how excited we were. Eventually around 11:00 I decided to get up for awhile. I sat at the computer and worked on my sub plans when I suddenly felt a small gush. I waddled to the bathroom, mortified. No friggin way had my water broke…did I pee myself? I was so hoping I had just peed myself.

I called Chris into the bathroom. He’d only been asleep for an hour so he was pretty out of it. He said that since I wasn’t having contractions, it probably wasn’t my water. I wasn’t so sure, but I changed and went back to lesson planning. Then it happened again a few minutes later! I called my SIL in a panic. She convinced me to call my OB citing that if in fact my water did break, the baby needs to be born within 12-24 hours. Damn it!

I woke up Chris again and told him I thought my water really did break and that I was calling the doctor. He was still pretty tired and said, “Ok, well, I’ll be waiting for the good news!” Okaaaay, lol. I called the answering service and Dana the midwife called right back. She said I definitely needed to come in. Instead of waking Chris up right away I decided to get everything packed. I ran around like mad putting last minute things in my suitcase, packing Audrey’s overnight bag, and tidying up. That’s when the contractions started…not painful and I didn’t bother timing them.

I finally woke up Chris. He still wasn’t convinced! “We don’t have to go just yet! Why don’t you come to bed for a bit.” UGH! I put his hand on my rock hard belly and said, “I’m having contractions…we need to go!” He shot right up and that’s when it seemed to hit him. He showered while I called my MIL to tell her it was time. My contractions started to get more intense but not too bad. I honestly felt like we had plenty of time. And I was still in shock that this was happening already. I thought I had another week! We put the bags in the car, grabbed Audrey and headed off to my MIL’s house.

It's a GIRL!!

2011-04-30T21:09:00.003-04:00

Abigail Mae was born Thursday, April 28th at 9:35 am. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz and was 19 in long. She is beautiful, healthy and sweet. I'll be posting the birth story soon...we are all doing well and tonight is our first night home together as a family of four. We are very, very blessed!

Water has broken....I think!

2011-04-28T00:42:00.002-04:00

So, I'm about to wake up Chris for the 3rd time tonight...Around 11:30 I felt a small gush and I swear I thought I peed myself. I woke up Chris but he assured me that since I'm not having contractions that my water didn't break. BabyCenter.com says differently! I waited awhile and wouldn't you know, a slow and steady leak...I woke him up again (after calling my SIL to FREAK OUT!) and told him I was calling the OB line. "Ok, just let me know...I'll be waiting for the good news!" And back to sleep he went, lol. They want me to come in...I just finished packing my bag, Audrey's bag and tidying up. I'm in shock and denial but at the same time SO FREAKING EXCITED!

We may have a baby tomorrow :)

Spring Break: Day 3....CMoR!

2011-04-27T20:53:00.003-04:00

What a great day we had- just girls! Sarah and Bella came over this morning and we set off for the children's museum. The girls had so much fun...they played at the water table (and got soaked!), they liked the castle and pirate ship, and they rode the safari train. Audrey wasn't a huge fan of the train but at least she tried! They also painted beautiful pictures.

I was starting to feel a little weak and winded towards the end (low blood sugar) so we went to lunch at Longhorns. Lunch with two 2-year olds is very interesting! The girls were great (minus the random "Chicken Butt" they'd yell across the table at each other, LOL.) They were sooo funny in the car. Audrey would say some silly word and Bella would crack up. They were so entertaining :)

When we got home we took a nap and then Audrey helped me put together the new baby swing. She was an awesome helper! She kept all the screws together, brought me tools and was great company.

A week from tonight I *hopefully* go in for my induction. So hard to believe the end is near. I see my dr again tomorrow, possibly for the last time. I'm torn about whether to have him strip my membranes...I don't want to go into labor anytime soon, but if I do go in for an induction I'd like to be more dilated than 1-2! I'll probably chicken out and just wait. Anything can happen between now and May 4th :)

Spring Break: Days 1 and 2

2011-04-26T20:53:00.003-04:00

Monday was great- my only plans were to get a few things knocked off the to-do list and spend time with Miss Audrey. I'm definitely to the point where I can only be on my feet for so long before I need a break! I set up Audrey's art easel from Uncle Craig and she absolutely loves it...I just need to stock up on dry erase markers and chalk.

After her nap we had lunch and went for a bike ride...it was so warm and I was so tired, just from walking up the street! I needed a nap when we came back...instead we played in the baby's nursery (at her request.) She likes to play music on the play table and when I start singing along she immediately shuts it off- I pretend to be shocked and she cracks up. It's too funny!!

Today was busy! We met my family for breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then went to my OB appt. I was a little nervous about taking her along but she was amazing! First we did the BPP and the baby still looks great. Then I did another NST...I had to lay there for about 20 minutes and Audrey was perfectly content sitting in her stroller and playing with the ipod.

After the dr did the internal he informed me that I'm still 1-2 cm dilated, same as last week. He offered to strip my membranes, which I immediately declined. I still remember how torturous it was with Audrey and I'm just not ready to move things along just yet. I started losing my MP yesterday but other than that I feel good, just huge :)

He also informed me that my induction date is not "set in stone." I'll have to call the afternoon of the 4th to see if L&D can take me...so much for planning! I really don't want to take Wednesday off if I don't have to; on the other hand, I should probably quit while I'm ahead. Having the last few days off has made a big difference...I'm definitely not as sore and I'm feeling less anxious about everything. I'll be glad to wrap up Monday and Tuesday.

Tomorrow we're going to the children's museum in Richmond with Aunt Sarah and cousin Bella. We are so excited! She had so much fun when we went last summer, but I think she'll get a lot more out of it this time. I have another appt on Thursday and I'm being treated to a pedi by my awesome SIL :) I'm hoping Friday will be a nice, relaxing day at home with my sweet girl.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T10:15:00.005-04:00

It was a great weekend...made even better knowing that I didn't have to go to work this week!

Audrey didn't have dance on Saturday, so we took our time getting ready to go grocery shopping. When we got back home we both took long naps and after lunch we headed outside with dad to finally ride her tricycle outdoors!

Earlier in the week we went to Target and she picked out her helmet. She loves it!

Dad does fun things like pop wheelies :)

Easter Sunday was very memorable. Audrey found her Easter basket waiting for her on the front porch. Just like Momma, she wanted to open her chocolate bunny immediately :)

We went to Grandma & Grandpa's house where we had a big breakfast and egg hunt

After a nap we decorated eggs with cousin Bella

After dinner Aunt Sarah played with the bubble wand...the girls ran around and wore themselves out!

Audrey was exhausted when we got home; she had a quick dinner, milk and watched some TV. I'm extremely thankful that this is Spring Break...I plan on resting and nesting :)

Boy or Girl?

2011-04-24T07:26:00.002-04:00

One of the most fun things about not knowing the baby's sex is hearing other people's guesses. I keep going back and forth between boy and girl.

I'd love to have another girl so that Audrey can have a sister who she will hopefully bond with and stay close to as they grow older.

I'd love to have a boy so that Chris can have a little buddy and I can keep Audrey as my one and only special little girl.

Soon enough we'll know just who Baby Burns is...either way I'm hoping for a healthy baby!

What do you think Baby Burns will be?

What will Baby Burns be?
	A boy
	A girl

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