To my daughters...

 

 

Lucille and Vada,
         You have been given the most wonderful gift in each other. When we found out that Lucy was going to be a big sister and that you were only going to be 16 months apart, I so wanted a baby girl so that you two would always have each other. Vada, you were born into your role and already show us how much you love your sister. Your eyes are always following her in whatever she is doing and how they light up every time she talks or plays with you. I always tell Daddy how loud you get when Lucy is sleeping because I can just imagine you want her to wake up and play with you. Lucille, you have grown into your role as a big sister beautifully. I was worried at first, with you and I having only had each other for your first 16 months. From the day we brought Vada home you have become a little mother and never tire of taking care of her and telling me what she needs. Please, my sweet girls, never forget what you have already learned.
       Too soon you won't want to tell me everything. This is when I need both of you to listen and trust me that if not me, your sister. You will be the others' best friend and worst enemy. I know there will be times when you don't want to talk to each other but never say something in anger that you wouldn't say on the good days. The words you two say to each other will help or hurt the most since you know each other better than anyone else.
     You will share the same childhood. The memories we make will be in both of you. You will never remember a time without the other. You will also both learn from two parents who are learning as we all grow. We will make mistakes and you two will know them better than anyone. Talk to each other about how to do it better. Take what Mama and Daddy did and decide together how to do it better. Your sister will always have the best perspective on our family. You can try explaining us to other people but no one else will know the ins and outs. Go to her first.
      I so wish I could bottle up these days when you are both so little to show you when you are older. To show you the innocent, transparent way you love each other. Maybe one day when you are fighting I will make you look at the pictures of Lucy blowing on Vada's round baby belly to cheer you up. Or I will tell you how Lucy made everyone kiss Vada too if they gave her a kiss. Or I will fail miserably in trying to explain how intently Vada would watch Lucy play before she was able to join in. How when Vada and Mama went somewhere just the two of us, Vada would sit up in her car seat and look across the truck for Lucy.
       No matter how many more babies we add to the family, you will have learned how to be sisters from each other; to take care of and watch out for someone other than yourself  and to have someone who loves you as much as Mama and Daddy do. Love each other my little ladies.

Monday Ramblings

Oh, Mondays. Mondays are basically the equivalent of a hangover these days. We pack so much fun and visiting and playing and eating into every weekend that come Monday, everyone around here feels a little bit like they have been hit by a truck. And that same truck also drove straight through our house leaving LOADS of laundry and dishes and towels in its wake. The girls have a hard time adjusting back to normal nap time and not having daddy around and as for me, I just can't seem to keep both feet pointed in the same direction. Add on that the need to feel like you are going to accomplish so much this week and could it just be Tuesday already?!?! So, please excuse the random thoughts but sometimes I feel like I need to spew to justify this awful post-weekend nausea...

• Not eating one meal at home all day yesterday is no longer an option for the women in this house
• All I can think about is having dinner parties in the backyard under a string of lights with big comfy cushions all around... thanks pinterest
• I must make myself do at least one load of laundry every day
• Finding a non-family member house that you totally feel at home at is magical
• Yay Ravens going to the superbowl! After one of their touchdowns yesterday, Lucy actually said, "They did it!"
• Evidently bananas are an excellent source of electrolytes so one banana smoothie coming right up for poor ms. lu
• Deep tissue massages hurt so good but why am i still sore three days later?
• My goal of not going more than two days without exercising has already been shot
• Totally goes against my no bikinis for babies rule but good heavens.... (Janie and Jack Blossom bikini)

• I actually wore leggings as pants this weekend... deal with it. i covered my tush, mom
• My high school best friends love my babies as much as they love me. i knew they were keepers
   

Lucille at 22 Months

• Sleeps in a big girl bed
• Prefers socks on her hands rather than her feet
• Only wants cereal for breakfast
• Identifies the letters D for Daddy, E for Elmo, L for Lucy, M for Mama, and V for Vada
• Has become very attached to Mama
• Shakes her head to get her hair out of her face
• Loves to find the moon
• New favorites are: Elmo, brown leather boots, kitchen set, chicken
• Is not a morning person, asks for the TV when she first wakes up
• Always asks to "Go" while getting her hat, shoes and pointing to Vada's seat
• Is very selective with kisses but always willing to give one to her baby sister
• Continues to amaze her Daddy and Mama every single day with the smart, funny, beautiful little girl that she has developed into

New Year... Same Me

 Obviously it was not my goal in the new year to be better about posting things on time. While I generally don't believe in resolutions on January 1, I do think it is an opportunity to think about things you want to improve upon. So, mainly I am writing this as a way to keep myself accountable. To make sure that my "resolutions" stick and that I continue to improve.
  One of the major things I had been wanting to work on was reaching out to people. It became so easy for me to only focus on the 4 people in this house since they require the most of me at this point. While they are my number one priority, and their needs will always be my focus, I really want to look outside. I need to tell the people that I love and miss that I love and miss them. I want people to know I really do care. I lost touch with too many people after the girls were born. I know it doesn't happen overnight but I want to be a better friend. I want to listen to people and have them know that when we get a chance to catch up, that they are where my attention is. This is true for people I see all the time as well as friends I have lost touch with. This is even true for my husband which leads me to my next goal.
  I want to be as much a wife as a mother. Again, this is hard when the girls need so much from me at this point but sometimes I get so wrapped up in what they need, that I forget that my marriage has needs to. We need to go on more dates. We need to talk to each other, with the computer out of sight and the TV off. I need to ask him what he needs from me, as much as I answer what the girls need. I need to have more patience with him. And most of all, I need to remind him daily how proud of him I am, for everything he does for our family, and how thankful I am to be doing this day in and day out with him.
   I want to strive all the time to be a better mother. To spend more time playing and less time worrying how the house looks. To read more books. To spend one on one time with each of my daughters every day. To show them, everyday, that they are what I have been working towards my whole life. To show less frustration and more patience. To remember they are little, and learning, and that sometimes it does take 234235 times of hearing the same thing for it to stick. I want to see their creativity and let them teach me how to play, instead of showing them how toys are "supposed" to be played with. I want to respect each of them as individuals and realize they have unique needs and personalities and that I love each of them for exactly what they are.
  To 2013, and staying me, just becoming better.

 

The Real Us

Early last month I asked our friend Ashley to come over and take some family pictures. I was really wanting to capture us, all of us, since so often James or I am left out of the photos. I wanted to photograph what our daughters would remember. The Saturday morning breakfasts and floor time reading books when Mama and Daddy haven't showered yet and the girls are just being themselves. This is us, the real us. We didn't get dressed up and pose in a certain way, we didn't make Lucy smile or try to get Vada to look at the camera at just the right time. We just did us, and Ashley did an amazing job of "getting" what I was talking about.

 

 

 

 

Vada at 5 Months

Oh baby Belle! How could I have so quickly forgotten how wonderfully fun a five month old baby is?!?! The past month has brought so much laughter, wonder, and excitement with each new thing you learn to do. (We will just choose to ignore the erratic, at best, sleep schedule and new hatred for all methods of trying to get you asleep.)
   You have become so aware of everything around you and watch Daddy, Lucy and me as if you are going to join in on the activity any second. You also have started paying attention to Otis and find his flappy jowls the perfect thing for your little fingers to grab hold of, which truly is just disgusting. Your other new favorite toy are the ten little toes you have just discovered! Anytime you are laying on your back your feet are up and your toes are being held. Which means you rarely do much rolling around, not that I am worried because you are now sitting up all on your own! I am not sure how that happened really; one day you are my little cuddly baby just laying there smiling. Then one day Mama realizes we should start practicing sitting up and suddenly you just are. All on your own, just sitting there watching your sister and Otis play.

   Go ahead and slow down getting older already please. It really isn't that great anyway. As you are learning, getting older brings lots of new adjustments and sometimes is not very comfortable. You are already teething as can be seen with all the drooling and how you pull anything and everything to your mouth to give a chew. Mama's chin is your new favorite thing to get in your mouth and as much as I love pretending you are purposefully kissing me, I know you are just looking for something to chomp on. I promise to keep working on making that feel better since I never really had to find cures for your sister when she was teething.
   You truly are a happy baby and can be laid back when you want to be. Sometimes you are fine just laying there on the floor, playing with your toes and watching the world go round. This is the side you like to show other people, as we so often hear what a great baby you are. Other times, though, you are the fidgetiest little thing I ever did see. You aren't sure whether to be up or down so you alternate from throwing yourself backwards and doing sit ups, making it quite difficult for us to hold you. Then you grab me and bury your head in my neck and suddenly the frustration disappears and I feel like my heart is going to explode.
  For about two weeks you pretended like you were going to be a great sleeper, waking up only once or twice to eat and falling asleep by yourself when I laid you down for a morning nap. Don't worry, we now know the truth. Hopefully it's a growth spurt that has you waking up every hour for the past week and not wanting to go back to sleep after nursing. I'll keep telling myself it's because you miss me and just want to make sure I am still around.
   You are STILL holding out on the belly laughs, seriously kid what is it going to take! You have done a few chuckles maybe two or three times now. Once when Lucy was trying to jump, which let me tell you, how you keep from laughing at that is beyond me. The other times are when we play peek-a-boo. Anytime Daddy tries tickling you, you look like you're in pain and going to explode any second. Not to say you aren't happy, because you really are. That smile of yours could light up the night sky and all it takes is someone smiling at you to see it.
   You are quite the little smarty pants lately, pulling out a fake cough to get our attention. At first I didn't realize what you were doing but Daddy quickly picked up on your shenanigans. Between that and your bubble blowing you can be quite noisy at times, but I love seeing your little personality develop and shine.
   So basically, we are all completely smitten with you and will continue to cover you and your round belly with lots and lots of kisses. Also, please forgive us now for the embarrassing things we will continue doing to make you laugh. I promise to stop before you are in middle school :)