Lately

Over Memorial Day weekend we were pretty busy. I visited family in Waupun for a baby shower while Brian stayed back and cleaned (well started) the garage, celebrated a 30th Surprise b-day with a college friend, and on Monday went to the zoo and a bbq.

Daddy's Helper
Sleeping in the fresh air

Daddy and Grant by the elephants

Grandpa and Grandma came along
This is sometimes what happens when Daddy dresses me :)

Tuesday was my first day in my new full-time position. We had a pretty good day - with a time-out or two along the way for not listening.

Time out with Mommy after 3 times of running out of the corner when set there by himself :) (so hard to keep from laughing at him when he does this)

Today we met Emily, Cora and new baby Brooke at the Big Backyard. It was a lot of fun and so nice to meet Brooke.

Alayna is really smiley - especially when you tell her how pretty she is :) She even started to laugh a little bit last week for Brian (she laughs the most at her daddy). I think she is a bit camera shy though b/c once I get a video or digital camera out - her smiles disappear and she just stares at the camera. She is really liking her Bumbo seat and even got a toy in her hands and up to her mouth this afternoon.

Officially Promoted

Well - today is it. As of 5:00 - it's official - I am a Stay-At-Home Mom! It's a crazy thought. I have really been looking forward to this day, but it does seem weird. I still have my computer and phone through work - only for a few more days -but once I send all of this "stuff" back I think it will seem more real. I spent yesterday cleaning out my office and got a good start on my storage closet. I have piles - "to donate", "to send to the office", etc. Once I get through all of this -I will feel better. Hopefully we are on our way to a somewhat organized basement.

We picked Grant up from his last day of school at 5:00. Strange how I cried when he had to go on his first day and now practically did the same thing on his last day. They made him a picture book to keep of his last few weeks with his friends. We know he was well taken care of and had lots of fun with all his friends there. He will miss them, but hopefully he will make some new friends. We hope to occasionally take walks to school to visit this summer.

A big thank-you to all Grant's teachers and to all the mommy's out there who invited me to the zoo these last two weeks - let's go next week - ok?

3 Months - overdue

I am long overdue to update Alayna at 3 months. May 15 (last Friday) she turned 3 months old. She is doing so much these day! She is much more alert and awake than just a few weeks ago. On the Sat night before Mother's Day, she slept from 9:30pm until 7:15am. I think that was my present :) She is doing great (knock on wood) with sleeping lately. She has been going about 8 - 10 hours a night since Mother's Day. SOOOO NICE!

She is still loving her mobile and bouncy seat and even take a bit more interest in her swing now. This past weekend she really enjoyed the ceiling fan at Grandpa and Grandma's and now will watch anything spinning above her.

She continues to suck her thumb on a regular basis - which I have finally come to accept :) It's not the worst thing that could happen - ha! We are getting more smiles when we talk to her and she is trying so hard to laugh. Sometimes she smiles so big - I can't believe the sound doesn't come out. She is cooing more than before and her legs and arms are moving a ton. Laying under her mobile is exciting for her. She loves grabbing and holding on to the giraffe's legs and monkey's arm.

Alayna is such a great little girl. I am back to work for two weeks to train my replacement. I have been working from my home office and she has been at home with me. All she asks of me all day long is to eat and have her diaper changed. The rest of the day she has been perfectly happy to sit in her bouncy, swing, under her mobile or on her playmat. No crying fits or demands to be held and when she is completely board she just sleeps. What a great baby!

I read that at 13 weeks babies typically will sit up with support. So I got the Bumbo seat out and she does great in it. She looks a bit board because she is just sitting there with nothing else really to do - but she will stay there for quite a while.

Alayna also enjoys TV. If it's on she crane's her neck to watch whatever is on.

No doctors appt this month so I'm not sure how big she is. Still wearing 0-3 mo clothes - but legnth wise will soon grow out of her jammies. She is also still in size 1 diapers - but after this package is gone will move up to 1-2 (thanks Stef!).

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, Grandmas, Great-Grandmas and even Aunts (who often have to act as mom's at some point in their niece/nephew's life).

Being a Mom is many things. It is filled with the unknown and is often very frustrating. I find myself not always having the answers and my kids haven't even started asking "why" yet :) It is tiring (physically and mentally) and often times stressful because quite often you don't understand what it is that they really need or aren't sure how to communicate to them in a way they will understand. Patience can be strained, discipline is tough and often I wonder - am I really doing the right thing? Sometimes you feel like you give and give and give and get nothing in return.

Sometimes....BUT...being a Mom is also the most rewarding "job" I could ever have. All I need is that smile Alayna gives me while I am changing her diaper - to make me want to change her over and over and over. Or Grant to sign and say "more" with his cute little grin after going down a slide at the park - to make me want to take them to the park day after day after day. Hearing them say "ba" while holding a sheep in their hand for the first time - after you have been going over and over and over it with them for two weeks. (Crazy how excited this makes you feel - huh?) Walking in each of their rooms before going to bed at night and watching them sleep - they look like little angels - it makes me want to get up and do it all over again the next day! It's these little moments that make all the "challenges" seem worth it!

My first Mother's Day was an extremely hard day for me. A Mommy left here with empty arms, while my baby was in Heaven. I would have never guessed that just two years later I would be blessed with two more beautiful babies that are happy and healthy and filling my life with such love here on earth. I am extremely blessed by these kids day after day and can't imagine life without our family.

Today is my last day of maternity leave. I will return to work tomorrow - however just for a short time. While I was on maternity leave, I accepted a voluntary layoff option from my company. I am returning tomorrow for two weeks to train my replacement and then will be accepting a promotion to full-time MOM. This is a position I have dreamed about since I was a very little girl. I am so looking forward to spending more time at home with our kids and watching them grow in this ever so exciting time in their lives. I know there will be times when I will wonder "am I really doing the right thing", will say "how many times do I have to tell you..." or will simply crave an adult conversation. At the same time - this time just goes so fast it is unbelievable - and I don't want to miss it!

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." R. Brault

Happy Mother's Day!

Our Little Princess

She really is starting to kick her little (check out those rolls) legs a lot more. She loves her mobile!

Listen to this little peanut! The first time your baby finds their thumb - you think it's so cute. However when it becomes something that is done now several times a day - not good! I would much rather she take a nuk. She will finally keep it in her mouth for a few minutes, but once it falls out - she's back to her thumb. Well - what do I do? :)

18 Month Dr Appt

Grant's 18 month doctor appointment was today. He is doing pretty well. He is 31 inches long which is in the 15th percentile (more than an inch taller than at 15 months). His head is measuring in the 5th percentile - but a lot of "smarts" are up in that little head :) His weight was 20lbs 4oz - still not on the charts. This is less than one pound since his 15 mo appt and absolutely nothing in the past month (we had him in a month ago for an eye infection.)

This is very frustrating for us. He hasn't gained anything this past month - but he's had a virus (making his eyes all goopy), a front tooth come in, an ear infection, a reaction to his ear infection meds and last - tonsilitis. If you can imagine how he has been feeling - would you want to eat? I have to keep reminding myself that I probably wouldn't.

He was all clear in his ears and throat when he was checked out today - so hopefully we stay that way for a while. He also ate a great supper! It's a start - now we just stick with our hih calorie foods.

18 months

Grant is 18 months old today. Time goes way too fast!

A Long Weekend in the North

This past weekend, we headed up to Tomahawk for the first time since New Years. This was Alayna's first trip and we were so looking forward to some nice relaxation. Just as any parent knows - with kids - nothing goes as planned. Grant woke up Sat morning with another fever and not feeling well. He got sick once in the morning and spiked a 103.5 temp by afternoon. We pumped the Tylenol in him and gave him as much water and bland food as he would take (not much - but he did enjoy the popsicles).

By Sunday morning his fever was down, but he still felt crummy. We figured his ear infection had come back, but we were wrong. On our way home we stopped at urgent care. It is his throat - tonsilitis I guess. It's not strep, but he has nasty white stuff in his throat and it looked awful. I feel so bad for him. They didn't give us anything for it. Just said to continue with Tylenol. Poor kid!

The last 3 weekends have been bad for him. Hopefully Mother's Day will be better :)

Alayna on the other hand - had a great time at the lake. She loved spending time up there and is excited to go back.

She is also a big fan of her mobile that is now up on her crib. She will lay in there for a good 20-30 mins and watch those silly animals!