This moment ...

11.17.2013

We are gearing up for our first holiday season in our new home. Jon and I have been taking a critical look at our "traditions" to make sure they are in line with our family values and the memories we want to create for the girls. We are loving the fall weather. We spend the warmer and sunnier days outside in the back yard, but I secretly (or not?) look forward to the cold, rainy days when we can hunker down and wait for Jon to get home and start a fire. I. Love. Fires.  And these girls ...

Eleanor

• Eleanor has an obsession with this set of Dick and Jane books my mom gave her. Mom had originally bought them for her sister, Theresa, so the books are special to me, too. (Theresa passed away in November 2008.)  Imagine a 5-year-old reading "Run, run, run, Jane. Run Dick. Oh. Oh. Oh." In a very loud, very monotone voice. It melts my heart.
• She recently memorized The Crocodile by Lewis Carrol for a presentation. She randomly (and excitedly) spouts off with "How doth the little crocodile ...", and I love it. I see more poetry in her future. 
• We check out from the library and buy drawing books because she LOVES them. She spends hours trying to recreate a panda bear drawn with circles or a monkey, but in classic Eleanor form, it frustrates her to tears some days. She wants to draw as well as her daddy draws, and just doesn't understand why she can't.
• Audio books! Who knew? We've been subbing audio books for TV some, and she really enjoys it.
• The Dollar Tree is her new favorite place to be.

Eve

• 4 TEETH! Finally.
• Prefers to go without clothes most days. I'm not sure what we will do about that when it gets really cold.
• LOVES to wear her sister's shoes ... on her hands.
• Strikes a pose! Eve will snap into downward facing dog and peak at you between her legs. She giggles if you flip upside down, too.
• Screams to take a shower. I've not had a solo shower in weeks unless it's at nap time.
• Still insists on having a filled water cup within an arms reach at all times. 

I am loving this season of motherhood!

Happy Birthday, Eve!

No, I haven't forgotten about my blog. With so many balls in the air, I've had to let a few drop. I never learned to juggle. I did miss a few family milestones in the last 6 weeks with the most notable being Eve's birthday. I'm hoping to catch up and carry on with regular posts, because I think our fall will be worth documenting. Let's get to it.

Eve Theresa turned one on August 20. Her first year flew by. Despite a stretch where she preferred to nap in 15-minute increments, another where she wanted to be held every waking moment, and her current favorite "word" of "AHHHH" to express that she wants something or something isn't going her way, Eve has been a wonderful baby. I'm excited for her to grow up and experience her little life, but I'm so sad that my baby is not going to be a baby for much longer. No. Don't tell me she's a toddler. I do not want to hear it.

Eve is curious and determined, but a little less ... particular than her sister. She has a sweet disposition, love love LOVES to eat and drink water, hates hair bows, and prefers to do most things on her own. She crawled on May 23rd, got her first two teeth on August 11th (almost a whole year of toothless grins!), and took her first steps on August 23rd. At her 1-year check-up she weighed 16 pounds and is in the 25th percentile for height and weight.

We learned with Eleanor that babies grow fast. Too fast. I try hard every day to enjoy the girls where they are and to not wish away their childhoods. Some days I'm better at this than others. Today, I'm thankful for Eve (affectionately known as Evie Bear or just Bear) and the joy she brings our family. I'm a few days late on the blog, but Happy Birthday to my baby.

Eve's birthday fell on a Tuesday. We celebrated with Jon's side of the family the weekend before, and had dinner and cake with my parents on her birthday.When I look back at the pictures of her first few days and months, I always wonder what happened to her beautiful, dark hair. Of course, we love her beautiful, blonde hair, too.

I love this girl!

This Moment...

07.14.2013

We are waiting on the final details on closing for our new home. I have terrible sciatic nerve pain that is holding me up on everything from exercise to housework. I even tried acupuncture to get some relief (it was a great experience). I'm far behind on my current book To Say Nothing of the Dog. I'm IN LOVE with the tv show New Girl. Those last two are directly related. Work is pouring in, and I desperately need to go to the grocery store, but uuuuuuugh. The grocery store? 

We are enjoying summer for all that it's worth. Sunshine and swimming and coffee on the patio is what it's worth.

Eleanor...

• is buzzing with excitement about VBS this week.
• MUST be a part of every conversation.
• is becoming an accomplished eaves dropper. She astounds us when she repeats entire conversations.
• loves loves LOVES make believe and pretend, especially make believe fighting, and of course, the damsel in distress.
• wants an iPhone for her 6th birthday.

Eve...

• crawls and walks around supported by furniture or whatever she can find. She's even stood on her own for a few seconds before plopping down on her fluffy, diapered bum.
• loves to eat. And, don't you dare put something in your mouth around her without also having something tasty to share. Forget those baby rice puffs.
•  is happiest being carried around on someone's hip, but is also content to rummage through low-sitting boxes, bins, and tubs, or to stalk her big sister.
• is serious about what consumption, and is currently the most hydrated member of the household. 
• 6 days until she's 11-months-old, and still no teeth. I'm not complaining.
• Long naps? Elusive.
• has only been waking once at night. Let's keep it up, baby girl!

6 months, but not really

Eve had her 6-month check-up yesterday despite her almost 7-month-old self. Well-baby visits are always hard for me, because it goes against my mama-grain to let someone stick needles in my child.  I'm still on the side of vaccinations, but not vehemently so. I understand the other side of the coin on this one, but haven't made the choice not to vaccinate for my family, and probably never will. If you're sitting on the other side of the computer screen saying "you don't have to take her to the doctor," I hear you. I really do. Just like a hear the home-birthers and home-steaders. I'm a step or two away from going Little House on the Prairie, but it really wouldn't take much. :)

I don't need a doctor's validation to tell me my daughter is doing fine. I know she is. SHE is perfect, and has hit all of the baby milestones that I don't really check. All 14 pounds and 9 ounces of her. Disclaimer: I definitely checked the milestones with Eleanor, and remember most of them. I love my doctor, and enjoy chatting with her about Eleanor and Eve, and am thankful for modern medicine and, if nothing else, to have another mother to chat with about my worries.

I should note that Eve, like her sister, is quite petite. She's a smidge longer and a smidge weightier than Eleanor was at this age, but I think her cloth-diapered bum makes her seem bigger and fill out her clothes better. And let's be honest here. Big sister has ALWAYS been on the move and has NEVER been content to just breathe. Eve seems a tiny bit more relaxed. I'm OK with that. So far, I think the best part of having two babies is seeing how different (and similar) they are, and watching their little relationship develop. Eve looks at Eleanor with stars in her eyes and love in her heart. Eleanor, as long as she's not bizzy, loves to make her sister laugh and fuh-reaks out on me if she starts fussing. MOM, MOM she won't stop making that noise. COME QUICK! They make me happy.

Anyway, all of that to say she's healthy and I'm happy. Today and every day, I am thankful for healthy children. I hope I never take that for granted, because I know and ache for the mamas who have real worries about their babies--children who are in the hospital, children who are terminally ill, children who are not loved. Pray for them. Note: It took me 3 sittings to write this short post. Miss Eve must have a 6th sense and be sensitive about me writing about her.