Flipper!

Oh goodness! 3 1/2 months and we are already SO IN TROUBLE!

She makes it look so easy! Every time we put her down she flips right over and starts army crawling until she hits the wall.

So she has that going for her!

Go Eden! You Rock!

Just like that

I am a new Mommy today.

Yoga was great, and not only do I feel better in my own skin, I feel better about everybody else too. I came home energized and ready to plan ahead and be a little more on top of things.

I planned out some activities, read some books, took some notes, and fell into a great sleep.

And I woke up with a spring in my step. ME! SPRING!

Grampa Tom got here first thing this morning, Madee and I went grocery shopping, we have played play-do, crayons, markers, golf ball in the hole, and I dyed pasta pieces for some later projects also. We read books, did puzzles, played outside, ate our lunch - and it is only 3 PM.

And I don't feel like I am dragging or lagging or losing my mind. I feel good today. Really good. Not just tired. GO YOGA!

On another kick-ass note, I started reading the greatest book, The Happiest Toddler on the Block and it is making breakthroughs in communication between me and the tot. I am amazed at how some really simple ideas and a new approach can change a person's life.

Or 2 people's lives. I am on my way to really getting her. And she wholeheartedly appreciates it, it is already quite obvious.

Okay now it is 3:30 and Madee has decided not to take a nap. And Eden jumped on the bandwagon - but I still feel good good good so whatever.

We have dyed pasta to play with anyway.

Pictures later. And boy do I have some good ones.

Yes I listen to Coldplay

I struggle lately with myself.

I can't seem to get on top of my schedule, ahead of sleep and sickness - I am just always in recovery mode.

Just trying to survive.

And under the weight of all these things I try to do, (laundry, housekeep, playground, art activities, baby bath, dinner) I just can't seem to get to the things that I want to do (yoga, photography, shopping, creating, writing, sipping wine with some Coldplay playing really loud near the hot tub).

Duh. I am a new mom. Twice over. Two under two.

Under two tons.

And did I mention I have more guilt than the sea has fishes?
I am just like that.

So today I am going to Yoga.
I am going to spend an hour or so trying to do something for myself, spend time without the munchkins, and tackle the guilt from a few different angles.

It just seems like the right thing to do.

20 months

You light my world up like a firecracker, kid. You are literally the coolest person I know. Oh, you have your moments of being not-so-cool, but you are still learning that there are other people on this planet and that they are not necessarily here to please you.

As for all of us, that will be a hard lesson. (Should you choose to learn it)

I can't believe how close you are to being 2.

You blow my mind daily. And I totally mean that in a good way.

I love you, monkey.

Sisters, skills, and being sick

This weekend was Charlie's birthday, as well as some strange culmination of sleep deprivation and sickness that struck our household. It is awful to be the responsible factor of a sick household. We'll just say the weekend wasn't as pretty as this face.


Ida loves her tummy time, as long as it is in front of a mirror. She really likes the baby in the mirror a lot. That baby cracks her up. It is sweet when Madee joins her for her play time. Before I know it, they will be running around the house playing dress up and hide and seek and all sorts of silly games.


For now, they play "look in the mirror and giggle".


Somebody has a new friend. Ooh sweet baby face.


Here our tiny sitting in the Bumbo for the first time at Dad's birthday dinner. She loves to sit up and join the family for food! Before you know it she can have her own plate.

She has also been playing in the exersaucer. She is just so good at holding her head up and straightening her legs to stand on them that she was really needing some new activities to practice her skills.

Funny to think she was a twinkle in our eye this time last year. I have always called her Charlie's birthday baby. So it is kind of a sweet full circle kind of thing.


Also new...Jimmy Jumperoo. At first she didn't like it, but she got the hang of it. Ha. Madee loves to push her in it like a swing and say "weeeee!" Just like Mama.

Passed out after many new activities. This sleeping face is the sweetest. It is crazy how fast they grow up. She just seems to be growing much faster than Madee did - of course everything happens faster and faster.


I don't even see a shred of baby left to Madee. She is such a cute little girl.
We got out the paints the other day. She hasn't seen them in a while and really loved to use the brushes. She said free association words and I wrote them on the paper she was painting.


She made several pieces of artwork, which will be distributed to refrigerators nation wide as soon as they dry.

Who needs paper? Madee loves to paint herself! Mommy gets to keep that work of art!

She makes it look so easy.

I wonder what she will be when she grows up?

DUDE!

Madee has really started talking now, repeating so many things, but I am most impressed that she's understanding context. There are many uses for the term "dude" and she gets it right all the time.

She also really gets the "yes/no" variety of questioning.

She is pretty much talking to me all the time, and if I pay attention, she makes sense. Juice, milk, Zeus, Ono, shoes, Ida - she has enough words to make decent communication within many aspects of her day. Her little voice is so cute.

SO cute.


She also knows to interject the "yay!" whenever or wherever fun may be being had.

Sprinkler! Yay!
I love her. She is such a dynamic and stubborn and amazing little creature. She is so sun shiney and friendly and goofy. She likes to pull her own wagon and she grunts when she is going uphill with it.

She wants to dissect everything.
She does things on purpose. With purpose. And she has feelings. She is becoming more complex and more beautiful and more full of energy and wit every day.

Ida is such a little snuggy bear. She holds back on to you when you hold her.
She loves kisses. And kisses are hilarious and she just closes her eyes and laughs and coos if you kiss her kiss her kiss her all over her face.


Oh she does have a good time. I think it has been great for Madee that Ida responds to her with such a great sense of humor. They can roll on the floor and laugh and giggle and it makes me excited to see them grow together.




Madee's always trying to pick her up and take her with her to another room.

Silly.

They are so funny together. Like kittens.

This weekend is Daddy's birthday, so we are gonna eat some wings on the couch and watch some football! Happy weekend Dude! GO PACK!

Newsletter #4

Oh my darling ladies. What a force you are! You have banded together and are certainly trying to kill me! Let this be a lesson for you...your Mama is a ninja and you will never best me!

Although beautiful and charming for days, your Achilles' Heel is your lack of stamina, and you fall into sweet sweet delicious slumber after anywhere between 90 and 180 minutes have passed. I know your weaknesses, my darlings, and until you dare to learn mine I will be in charge here.

(All pictures of Madee taken by Charlie!)


Madee, at 20 months you are a burst of nuclear energy. I am excited that you have learned the word "yes" because I was getting tired of you telling me "no" to everything. Now, even when your TV characters ask you questions, you are happy to try and supply the correct answers.

Other words you have been saying:
bug
me
mine
nose
help
wow
on
up
chicken
bye
home
woah!
elmo
poop
milk
YAY!
bottle
shoes
juice
cheese
appleappleapple
please
thank you
duuuuuuuude

bob bob, bob bob, bob bob, - what can I say? You love Sponge Bob.

You also love garage sales. Last week it was just us girls and you made your first cash transaction. You know just what to do, and mill around a person's piled up stuff until you find something that tickles your fancy.

You are very good at puzzles. Not only can you pull out whatever piece I request, you know where it goes. You are all full of skills. I can spend hours sending you on missions. You are a better retriever than Zeus.

The other day I spilled water on the floor and as I turned to get a paper towel, you whipped a towel onto the floor and wiped it up. I WAS SO PROUD. Continue such behavior and you might just be my favorite kid.

You have been progressing all by your own accord in the potty department. The other day you peed on the floor after your bath, and when I said something about it, you went into the bathroom, pulled off some toilet paper, wiped your butt and threw it on the floor. (Just like Dad!) After that, we have been traveling to the bathroom after every dirty diaper and flushing the contents. You get very excited about it and say "bye bye" to the poop. You also say "Uh oh. Poop." so I know when to change you. Sometimes you say it but there is no poop. It is still in it's beginning stages.

You will actually wear things like hats and sunglasses for the novelty if someone says it's "pretty".

You practice talking all the time. You make up fabulous words and I just can't wait to know what you are saying. Seriously. It will be so nice for one of you to be able to talk to me. I am often held hostage in our own home or car by you, and it would be nice to at least have someone to talk to.

You are making leaps in the "please" department. You will walk right up to one of us with whatever you want and a "please?" You will also say"cheese" when I take your picture. The other day you were screaming "MINE MINE! MINE!" and I said "What do we say?" and you lowered your voice and said all sweet, "miiiine?"

Tone of voice is everything.


You love sparkly and fancy and you want my make up. You are naturally drawn to anything remotely dangerous, and I can't take an eye off of you for a minute or you may BLOW UP THE WORLD.

Everybody LOVES your hair. Seriously, it is too cute, and Mommy wishes she could pull it off. (Not pull it off your head, pull it off, wearing that hairstyle!) You will look back on your baby pictures and know you had great hair. I hope to always guide you in ways that help you to keep your great hair status. Your Great Auntie Teri pulled out a picture of your Dad, and it looks like someone has had that haircut before.


Of course Dad's is a little thicker, but he is already 3 in that picture. Can you see the resemblance? You are just a prettier version of your pretty little Daddy.


Oh that is funny, isn't it, Eden?

Speaking of funny, you love funny. You crack up all the time in hysterical baby laughter. You can also get pretty worked up and cry louder than any other baby. Ever. You always want to be held. I guess no one informed you of the fact that you are a "subsequent child" and can't have all that attention.

Fortunately for you, you are very charming and Mommy can still type tomes with just one hand. One hand for baby, one hand for the world. Only you are a gigantic baby and often require two. Big and beautiful - and I don't mean fat, but you are buttering up nicely. You should be nice and juicy by Thanksgiving!

Girl, you are hooked up to me like an RV at a KOA. And you are ready to walk right into college. I have a feeling that you are smarter than all of the rest of us, and you spend your tummy time army crawling. You already flip over and you are constantly wiggling and swimming in place.

It doesn't matter how big of a bed, you will scooch right up to me until I am hanging off - your scooching skills are amazing - didn't you get the memo? YOU ARE JUST A LITTLE BABY! You are very into your hands and like to watch your fingers curl and grab. You also like to grab my hair, Dad's chest hair, anything you can get your hands on.

Did I mention you are incredibly cute? It is pretty much ridiculous and I feel sorry for all the other mommies because their babies couldn't possibly be as cute as you. Once anyone makes eye contact with you and gets a smile, they are butter in your warm little move-ity hands.

You are spending more time grabbing and cooing and talking and giggling and you and your sister are tight. She rolls all over you and you just laugh. You also love her friends.

Interestingly enough, we chose the name "Eden" because we really liked the nickname "Edie", but the nickname just hasn't worked for you. Madee insists your name is "Ida", and we call you that all the time. Being it was my GrandMama's name, I LOVE IT. Sometimes I regret not just naming you "Ida" outright, but I think you will actually be happier in the long run with the legal name "Eden".

But your family will call you Ida. There is a delight in your eyes that will answer to no other name.

Happy Labor Day!

One of the great things about hanging out in Oceanside with Auntie Teri is being so close to the beach. We went for a bit the other night when we first got here, and then again during the day on Friday.

Can you believe what a big girl Eden looks in this picture?

Little Godzilla storms Tokyo


Who loves the beach at night? This girl.

Oh and this guy...

Silly little runner.

Silly Mama.
She got right in and splashed in the waves - maybe she was drunk from new things and staying up late, but she was all in that surf.
Not so much the next day. She let Dad go in by himself and took a little longer to warm up to the water. She has already learned that just because Dad does it, doesn't mean she wants to do it.


But if Mama is game, it is probably okay to try.

Beach girls.
Love her.
I love how Madee and Daddy are like, mirror images. Unknowingly. Adorable.

Eden gets her toes wet too!


Yay! Beach! (Madee can say both those words!)

When she hears applause or sees something fun, she says "Yaaaaayyyyyyy!"

San Diego Zoo

Before we even came down here, we had planned to go to the San Diego Zoo.

Things we learned:

Go later in the day. The animals are actually more likely to come out and maybe you can hit feeding time.

Toddlers are horrified of the zoo.
She knows those things aren't cartoons, and is smart enough to know that they could get her. She isn't old enough to realize that that thick glass should keep them away.

Or maybe it is the should of it all. I mean, I've heard stories. I can't exactly tell her those animals can't get loose and get her.



Anyway, she didn't enjoy it as much as we thought she would. See Eden in above photo?She has taken to trying to pull off her clothes. She will bunch them up and pull and tug all day long. It is pretty much her new thing.

Anyway, back to the zoo.

We started her out in the stroller, walking her right up to animals along with the dozens of other strollers riding alongside us.

She would roll on up, figure out what we were all looking at, and then scream in horror. I guess I don't blame her - this came walking up only like a foot away. (4 of those inches were animal proof glass - not like you can explain that part.)


Here is the blessed Ergo I am always talking about. Ida still hasn't gotten used to it - she likes for you to work at holding her. But Madee will stay in for a while - she digs a back ride!
It even fits Dad! Sweet sweet awesome kidpack! Thanks AGAIN Brody!

Hippo.
Feeling a little more secure snugged up to Dad. Of course, she still freaked when face to face with animals. Like Dad can save her!


Despite the "ssshhh" signs in the panda area, Madee screamed wildly. I mean they have to be used to that, right? There was a baby panda there that was 1 month old. You can view him here. His Daddy, Gou Gou or something, is the only naturally breeding male in the USA. He's like, the only panda in the country with game.

Here is one of his babies. I think she was around Madee's age.

Eden at the zoo.

Don't worry baby, Mama won't let them get you!

We saved some for later and got out before the girls went crazy. I will post some fun beach pics when I get another chance. We are enjoying our time on SoCal, the weather is great and the ocean is even better.

Charlie says he'll even trade his snowboard for a surf board for a while...