We have done some serious moving and shaking this week. Hence the lag in blogging. Plus, I haven't been staying up late blogging. I had dreams of doing it in the morning when I get up before the girls, but it appears I am more inspired (and with it) at night. I'll work it out though.
Anyway, here's what we've been up to. This beautiful weather has been such a nice change. It's still getting hot, but not miserable. Now if only the mosquitos would take a hike.
The big news of the week is that Lila is riding her big bike! Mom and Sara got Lila a bike with training wheels for her birthday. It's probably a size up from what she should be riding. However, her super long legs and rate of growth really didn't justify getting the littler bike only to get the next size sooner than later. Since May the bike has been in our car port. She would randomly get on it, freak out, and not touch it for weeks. Then my brilliant neighbor mentioned maybe lowering the training wheels to curb the wobble. I guess I thought all along that they were as low as they would go. Yesterday it became clear they were not. I lowered them, she got on, and proceeded to spend hours riding almost immediately. While I am proud I can't say that I didn't tear up when she really got going and screamed about how good she was at riding a bike.
Alright, sorry for the video heavy post. Enjoy!
This is the cutest thing that's ever happened. Really, I mean EVER.
This is my $1 garage sale find. We need to work on the logistics of a puppet show, but for now it's a good laugh!
Speaking of a good laugh...this is hysterical to me! Evie riding an "ATV" like a champ...
And here's the amazing bike riding. YAY LILA!!!
I'm off to the lake this weekend folks. YAY MOMMY! Ya'll have a good one ;-)
Friday, August 24, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Unpredictable
Once you have a child and get to know them there are things you feel you can usually be sure of. I can be sure that Lila will react rather emotionally about most things. I can be sure that Evie will laugh if I chase her. I can be sure that Lila loves anything that is pink or purple. I am really sure that Evie is a light sleeper.
However, kids are unpredictable.
Since the day Evie was born I have tried to figure out what helps her sleep better. If something wakes her she can be very hard to get back to sleep. Therefore, once she is asleep I avoid her like the plague. I could have left my keys, phone, etc. in her room and I will not go in there until she is awake.
Due to the light sleeping and the size of our house we use sound machines in the kid's rooms. I don't know how much sound blocking they do, but I feel like they are effective.
Evie's sound machine is the one we first got with Lila. It's old and can be pretty temperamental. We should get a new one. Anyway, last night the power went out of and on in the middle of the night. At some point it became clear to me that Evie's sound machine had defaulted to birds chirping when the power came back on.
My very light sleeper baby slept for HOURS listening to birds chirp. And this isn't like your sweet little bird you want to cuddle. See, we usually set the thing for waterfall which just sounds like static. Plus, we usually turn it up kind of loud on that setting. That means this bird chirping I'm referring to is the kind of bird you want to hunt down when it wakes you. I know this because that is the only reason I am awake right now. I went to girls dinner last night and stayed up too late watching Suits when I got home. I told myself today was a sleep in a little bit day. The fake birds decided otherwise.
But, do you know who is still asleep listening to said birds? My sweet little Evie. Go figure.
However, kids are unpredictable.
Since the day Evie was born I have tried to figure out what helps her sleep better. If something wakes her she can be very hard to get back to sleep. Therefore, once she is asleep I avoid her like the plague. I could have left my keys, phone, etc. in her room and I will not go in there until she is awake.
Due to the light sleeping and the size of our house we use sound machines in the kid's rooms. I don't know how much sound blocking they do, but I feel like they are effective.
Evie's sound machine is the one we first got with Lila. It's old and can be pretty temperamental. We should get a new one. Anyway, last night the power went out of and on in the middle of the night. At some point it became clear to me that Evie's sound machine had defaulted to birds chirping when the power came back on.
My very light sleeper baby slept for HOURS listening to birds chirp. And this isn't like your sweet little bird you want to cuddle. See, we usually set the thing for waterfall which just sounds like static. Plus, we usually turn it up kind of loud on that setting. That means this bird chirping I'm referring to is the kind of bird you want to hunt down when it wakes you. I know this because that is the only reason I am awake right now. I went to girls dinner last night and stayed up too late watching Suits when I got home. I told myself today was a sleep in a little bit day. The fake birds decided otherwise.
But, do you know who is still asleep listening to said birds? My sweet little Evie. Go figure.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Holla Hump Day
This week's shout outs go to...
...Meg for being my own personal second doctor (or HNIC).
...the one person on staff at the Tucker Target who knows her head from her your know what. I mean, what's the point of going to Target and paying more when you feel like you're at WalMart? Worst Target ever.
...the other customer at Target who was as frustrated as I was, but who also tried to help me.
...all of you people who have been commenting on my recent posts. Love ya!
...Paige for starting a book club. I didn't realize how much I really missed reading for fun until I started reading Gone Girl!
...Pinterest for making my need for creativity an easy access situation.
Happy Hump Day Ya'll!
...Meg for being my own personal second doctor (or HNIC).
...the one person on staff at the Tucker Target who knows her head from her your know what. I mean, what's the point of going to Target and paying more when you feel like you're at WalMart? Worst Target ever.
...the other customer at Target who was as frustrated as I was, but who also tried to help me.
...all of you people who have been commenting on my recent posts. Love ya!
...Paige for starting a book club. I didn't realize how much I really missed reading for fun until I started reading Gone Girl!
...Pinterest for making my need for creativity an easy access situation.
Happy Hump Day Ya'll!
Randomness
What you read when you come to this blog is essentially what's on my brain.
Now you get to see my brain at 6 am.
This week was a turning over a new leaf week. You know, eat all the crap you want over the weekend so that you can start fresh on Monday kind of a week? I can't even begin to count how many times I've done that. At some point it has got to stick right?
One of my goals for this new leaf turning is to wake up before my kids every day. This, in turn, means going to bed earlier. One might say, "Jana, this is your only job (sort of)...why on Earth can't this be an easy accomplishment?". Well, it's not. I am not a morning person and will never be. I am the definition of a night owl. I believe you can make positive changes to yourself, but at your core you are what you are. Plus, the inconsistency of sleep begs my brain to think I need every possible minute of it I can get.
For instance, I went to bed before 11pm last night. Lila is sick and sort of called out a couple of times but then went right back to sleep. Mind you, I am also a very light sleeper. So these little yelps woke me. Inconsistency. Then, around some late hour like 1 am she apparently had some awful dream. She was talking about swimming or something and I can't really be sure what happened because we were both so half asleep.
And here's the difficulty of blogging in the AM. We have a visitor....
Does it look like she slept much?
Anyway, needless to say I ended up in the bed with Lila until she went back to sleep. This took an awfully long time. She just couldn't seem to settle which means I spent over an hour dozing. Dozing is not to be confused with sleeping. Any parent who rocks the baby and tries to "sleep" in the chair can tell you that.
I eventually got back in my bed and when the alarm went off at 6am I had a serious conversation with myself. I pro'd and con'd the getting up early in a weak attempt to stay asleep. I seem to go back to the same thought every time. If I get up now or get up later I'm still going to be really sleep today. Might as well just get up.
I had a lot more to say today, but I hear the littlest Burrow stirring now too. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a double dose today. WAIT! It's Holla Hump Day. Therefore, you will for sure see me later.
Lila wanted to type her name here. A special treat! You get a goodbye "signature" from both of us!
LILA
Now you get to see my brain at 6 am.
This week was a turning over a new leaf week. You know, eat all the crap you want over the weekend so that you can start fresh on Monday kind of a week? I can't even begin to count how many times I've done that. At some point it has got to stick right?
One of my goals for this new leaf turning is to wake up before my kids every day. This, in turn, means going to bed earlier. One might say, "Jana, this is your only job (sort of)...why on Earth can't this be an easy accomplishment?". Well, it's not. I am not a morning person and will never be. I am the definition of a night owl. I believe you can make positive changes to yourself, but at your core you are what you are. Plus, the inconsistency of sleep begs my brain to think I need every possible minute of it I can get.
For instance, I went to bed before 11pm last night. Lila is sick and sort of called out a couple of times but then went right back to sleep. Mind you, I am also a very light sleeper. So these little yelps woke me. Inconsistency. Then, around some late hour like 1 am she apparently had some awful dream. She was talking about swimming or something and I can't really be sure what happened because we were both so half asleep.
And here's the difficulty of blogging in the AM. We have a visitor....
Does it look like she slept much?
Anyway, needless to say I ended up in the bed with Lila until she went back to sleep. This took an awfully long time. She just couldn't seem to settle which means I spent over an hour dozing. Dozing is not to be confused with sleeping. Any parent who rocks the baby and tries to "sleep" in the chair can tell you that.
I eventually got back in my bed and when the alarm went off at 6am I had a serious conversation with myself. I pro'd and con'd the getting up early in a weak attempt to stay asleep. I seem to go back to the same thought every time. If I get up now or get up later I'm still going to be really sleep today. Might as well just get up.
I had a lot more to say today, but I hear the littlest Burrow stirring now too. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a double dose today. WAIT! It's Holla Hump Day. Therefore, you will for sure see me later.
Lila wanted to type her name here. A special treat! You get a goodbye "signature" from both of us!
LILA
Monday, August 13, 2012
Battle cries
There came a point at some awfully late hour the other night that I felt like I could feel the calm of knowing I do not face struggles alone wash over me. Parenthood is filled with battles. Some are up gigantic hills and are nothing but heartbreaking. Others are constant yet manageable. Then there are the little ones that build up and can seem so big at the time. That is until you look back and think about how good you had it.
I haven't battled being a single parent. I have a partner in this journey and there will never be anyone who understands my cries like him....except maybe my mom.
I haven't battled cancer with my child. That's one of the biggies. I have spent time with moms, dads, and little ones who have. If I'm being honest, I've heard those cries up close. They weren't mine, but they will never leave me.
I haven't battled allergies with my child. At least not the kind that challenge daily living. I have watched Miss Carson steer through her's with ease. You would never know it from her parents, but I would imagine they've felt the pain of the battle and cried about it.
I haven't battled learning disabilities or bullying, but I do feel all too aware of what those battle cries must feel like.
Whether you are shedding tears, screaming for a minute, or silently holding in the cry so the baby will sleep there comes a point where you have to breathe. And when you breathe I challenge you to think about the many, many others who may be doing the exact same thing in the exact same moment for the exact same reason.
That's what I did. I closed my eyes and took a moment to acknowledge that my child is not the only one who gets ear infections and doesn't sleep. Again, it's so small but can seem so big when you are sleep deprived. Between the reflux and the ear infections I've spent a great deal of time in the past 15 months crying in the night with Evie. You could maybe say she and I have perfected it together. But, nothing had really given me such a sense of calm until I let my brain go to a place where other people were battling it with me.
So, whatever you battle with and for your child let the cries out whenever you can. I promise others are listening.
I haven't battled being a single parent. I have a partner in this journey and there will never be anyone who understands my cries like him....except maybe my mom.
I haven't battled cancer with my child. That's one of the biggies. I have spent time with moms, dads, and little ones who have. If I'm being honest, I've heard those cries up close. They weren't mine, but they will never leave me.
I haven't battled allergies with my child. At least not the kind that challenge daily living. I have watched Miss Carson steer through her's with ease. You would never know it from her parents, but I would imagine they've felt the pain of the battle and cried about it.
I haven't battled learning disabilities or bullying, but I do feel all too aware of what those battle cries must feel like.
Whether you are shedding tears, screaming for a minute, or silently holding in the cry so the baby will sleep there comes a point where you have to breathe. And when you breathe I challenge you to think about the many, many others who may be doing the exact same thing in the exact same moment for the exact same reason.
That's what I did. I closed my eyes and took a moment to acknowledge that my child is not the only one who gets ear infections and doesn't sleep. Again, it's so small but can seem so big when you are sleep deprived. Between the reflux and the ear infections I've spent a great deal of time in the past 15 months crying in the night with Evie. You could maybe say she and I have perfected it together. But, nothing had really given me such a sense of calm until I let my brain go to a place where other people were battling it with me.
So, whatever you battle with and for your child let the cries out whenever you can. I promise others are listening.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Vacation?
Let me start by saying we had a GREAT time. We are so lucky to be able to go to the beach every year with our girls. It's such a treat in so many ways.
It's also beyond exhausting. Being that a week later I still feel like I'm recuperating, this is going to be a picture heavy post. My hard drive crashed just before we left and my pretty little MacBook hung out at the Apple store getting revived. We are getting reacquainted which has caused a lag in blogging. But, after this onslaught of pictures I will be back to my regularly scheduled haphazard posting.
Please note that even on a good day my children do not want their picture taken. They will never be child models no matter how gorgeous Seth and I think they are.
Here we go:
As exhausting and sometimes overwhelming taking two small children to the beach can be, I look at these pictures and love the memories we made.
It's also beyond exhausting. Being that a week later I still feel like I'm recuperating, this is going to be a picture heavy post. My hard drive crashed just before we left and my pretty little MacBook hung out at the Apple store getting revived. We are getting reacquainted which has caused a lag in blogging. But, after this onslaught of pictures I will be back to my regularly scheduled haphazard posting.
Please note that even on a good day my children do not want their picture taken. They will never be child models no matter how gorgeous Seth and I think they are.
Here we go:
Early morning breakfast together
I have a weird obsession with photos that are just a little too up close. But this one tells it all about Evie's trip to the beach. She was not feeling great and slept horribly. But, she tried!
Again, not sure why she's supposed to love this place.
Lila loves wearing "gobbles" even if she never actually uses them in the water.
Seriously, you guys let me know when this gets fun k?
Sandy bottom!
Silly face!
Lila loved being the shell collector.
I also love pictures that show a progression...
...this is how you know Evie is out of sorts. She never just lays on the couch and stays there.
She perked up for some magnets though!
You may notice there are many more pictures of Evie. Lila especially avoids the camera while Evie takes a little longer to figure out that I am actually taking a picture!
These blue eyes my girls have...how could you say no to them? I can, but it's hard.
The progression of a PB&J and Dorritos.
Another progression...pretty sure Levi did expect to be woken at 6am every day...
A rare mommy alone minute with a bloody Mary. Look closely and you can see Seth swinging Evie on the beach :-)
A night out for ice cream.
Chocolate mustache
Vanilla beard
Pretty sure she liked it.
As exhausting and sometimes overwhelming taking two small children to the beach can be, I look at these pictures and love the memories we made.
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