tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90302745525471523582024-03-19T17:37:58.504-05:00This Loved LifeMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.comBlogger241125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-88706849273961461522014-08-13T22:49:00.000-05:002014-08-13T22:49:47.269-05:00Harrison - 4 monthsHarrison is somehow now 4 months old. I don't know how this is happening! I feel like he should still be such a little baby and I'm always surprised when we're out and about and I see newborns and do a double take, because they make him seem huge and old in comparison! I feel like he should still be the smallest but not anymore!<br />
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He seems like such a big baby to me! At 4 months + 10 days, he is 26" and 15lbs 15oz. So he has doubled his birth weight. I think that was around the 45th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. That was strange to hear since he seems so solid and roly to me! He has the sweetest chubby baby thighs and belly and cheeks. He is now in size 2 diapers and in 6 month clothes. Some of his 6 month clothes are getting too small.<br />
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His new blond hair is coming in though he still has some longer hair on top, down the middle. I like to comb it forward into a faux hawk. ;)</div>
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He has become so much fun!! He's sitting up in the bumbo seat, looking all around. He grabs his little feet and sticks them in his mouth. He giggles and coos and babbles, grabs toys and fingers and loves attention. He ADORES being held, cries when I put him down, although I try to tell him he has to be realistic, since he's a third born.</div>
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He rolled over from back to front on Aug 1. He'd been trying to and I ran upstairs to get something, came down a few minutes later, and he was on his belly! Little stinker. He hasn't rolled from front to back yet.</div>
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No change in sleep patterns. He goes down around 8 or 8:30 and wakes once during the night. I am ready for him to sleep all through the night, although I know that going 8 or 9 hours straight is still pretty good. I'm still swaddling him but need to break that soon. He takes 2 or 3 naps during the day, depending on the length of his afternoon nap. </div>
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His first tooth popped through on July 25, a little over a week shy of 4 months. He had been biting me while nursing and I finally spotted the sharp little white tooth coming up. His second came up about two weeks later. It seems so early to be teething, so I am surprised. He is sooo drooly these days and soaks his clothes so fast. He is definitely a biter so that has not been fun.</div>
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And, since he's the third born, he can't get a photo shoot without competition. Everyone else has to jump in for their turn. But he is so incredibly loved, so they just want to do anything he does.<br />
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And for a little comparison, here's Barrett at 4 months vs Harrison at 4 months.</div>
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Yeah, they look pretty similar to me! Wow, I thought Harrison's cheeks are big, but they have nothing on Barrett's!</div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-70630331672414111322014-08-12T22:43:00.000-05:002014-08-13T22:08:34.791-05:00Harrison - Professional Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-34029800899244495812014-08-12T22:23:00.001-05:002014-08-13T22:08:02.810-05:00Life with 3 - the first month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first few weeks home, the kids begged to hold Harrison every morning. They couldn't wait to see him and begged to hold him. The first morning he was home was no exception.</div>
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Barrett holding his new baby brother. </div>
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Audrey holding her new baby brother.</div>
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And we refereed regular arguing over who got to hold him first and most. Barrett was obviously pouting over not being able to hold him at the current moment.</div>
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Audrey included Harrison in her regular play. Our anti-pajama 2 year old shared all her toys and dolls with her brother. He was a very willing playmate. Every time I turned around, she was laying her toys and dolls on him, putting hats on his head, and bracelets on his wrist. She loves him so much.</div>
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I love sneaking up on them and catching them "playing" together.</div>
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And there's nothing like the snuggles of a newborn and how they can fall asleep anywhere. The sweet head nuzzled into your neck, the weight of that sweet bottom on your arm, and their sweet, sweet smell. Oh, it's like nothing else in the entire world.<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-55246495074449284022014-08-12T21:42:00.001-05:002014-08-13T22:08:58.885-05:00Bringing Home BabyI would be remiss to not post about the wonderful greeting we had when we brought Harrison home from the hospital! <br />
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When we brought Barrett home, it was a quiet and snowy December 26, and we arrived to a quiet and clean house and I spent the rest of the day nuzzling a sweet little newborn, hanging out in the window to help his jaundiced skin and taking photos of the little one.<br />
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When we brought Audrey home, we relieved my parents of babysitting duties, they headed for home and we fell back into the hectic pace of life with a needy two year old and now a newborn.<br />
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This time, we arrived home to a PARTY! My parents were in town to watch B and A and my sister and brother-in-law had come up with their 4 kids to visit, so there were 10 people at our house, waiting to greet Harrison.<br />
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The kids each decorated a sign for the door to greet us when we arrived. It was so cute to pull up and see the signs. Thanks to my sister, the preschool teacher!<br />
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The highlight for the kids of course was the Happy Birth Day cookie cake that my dad had bought. Perhaps part of the excitement of our arrival was that it was finally time to dig in to the cake they'd been drooling over all afternoon? When I asked Barrett if he was excited that Harrison was home, I believe the answer was that he wanted some cookie. The kids were crazy, playing and running all around the house. </div>
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Caroline, my sister's 4 year old daughter, couldn't wait to hold Harrison. She is such a sweetie, covered him with the blanket that her older brother Jack had made, and proclaimed that he was her baby.<br />
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And my parents attempted a photo of all their grandkids, less Audrey, who was down for a nap. It was insanity. This was the best of the bunch, if that tells you anything!</div>
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And so Harrison was welcomed to his new home! It was loud, fun and crazy, so the perfect greeting for him of what was to come as the littlest member of our family.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-28512231024530526562014-08-10T22:42:00.003-05:002014-08-12T21:43:04.518-05:00Harrison is Born!!!On April 3, 2014, our littlest one Harrison Wesley was born at 4:02am! He weighed in at 7lbs, 15oz and was 21" long. <br />
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I was due on Saturday, March 29 but fully expected to go overdue. I was planning on a VBA2C and I had done everything I could do. I took a hypnobirthing class and was practicing the self-hypnosis and affirmations. I was bouncing and rotating on a birthing ball, seeing a chiropractor to adjust my pelvis and back. I was eating six dates a day, drinking at least three cups of red raspberry leaf tea per day since week 35, and upping my intake of evening primrose oil from week 38 onward. I visited an acupuncturist at 37 weeks, 39 weeks and 40 weeks. I did notice this increased my contractions at the 40 week visit intensely. I felt very optimistic when my 39 week check up revealed that I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effacted, since I had never gotten to this point previously!<br />
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On the morning of Wednesday, April 2, I awoke around 8 am (I got to sleep in because my mom had arrived Monday night and was up with the kids) and noticed my pajamas felt pretty wet. At this point, I was sweating a lot in my sleep so attributed the dampness to night sweats. A little later, Audrey dropped something on the floor at breakfast and as I bent down to pick it up, I noticed a gush of liquid. I was starting to suspect my waters had ruptured and another gush or two confirmed my suspicions. I called the doctor, who advised me to come in to the hospital to be checked. (On a sidenote, I had actually fibbed on my due date at my first appointment to buy myself some extra time, knowing I'd be overdue, and told the doctor 4/2 was my due date. So they believed this was actually my due date.)<br />
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I called Tim to tell him I thought my waters had broken around 8:25. He had taken the train downtown and was standing outside his office, about to walk in. He sounded very surprised and turned around to take the next train back home. When he got home, we finished packing up for the hospital and I took a shower. I was very reluctant to head to the hospital and was putting it off as long as possible. I even was mopping the kitchen floors, running to the bathroom every time my water leaked. I didn't want to come back to filthy floors! We stopped to pick up lunch on the way, a turkey sandwich and Oreo smoothie from Potbellys, the same final meal actually I'd had the night before Barrett was born. <br />
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When I finally got to the hospital my worst fears were realized. I was measured at less than 1 cm, 50% effaced and -4 station. So no progress. I was having no contractions whatsoever. I was labeled a "likely surgery" because of my VBA2C status. I was incredibly concerned. I called my acupuncturist to come to the hospital to see if she could help jump start contractions, but the nurse told me this wasn't allowed. We walked the halls and did everything we could. Finally, around 5pm, we managed to get contractions going. And boy, were they intense!!<br />
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I continued having intense contractions every few minutes, lasting about 1.5 minutes but just could not get the baby to drop. Although the contraction pattern was ideal, I was checked and nothing was happening. Tim and I continued to walk/limp through the halls but my energy was dwindling. I laid down before midnight and napped for about an hour. The doctor came in around 12:30am and I had no progress. He was very blunt - it just wasn't going well. I wasn't progressing, had a history of zero progress and failure to progress on Pitocin and was a VBAC candidate and had ruptured membranes. So he shrugged his shoulders, said I could keep trying if I wanted to and to just let him know what I wanted to do.<br />
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I cried but rallied and got up and continued to walk the halls another hour. I was beyond frustrated with my body. I was having super intense and regular contractions and just couldn't get the baby to drop and force my body to dilate. I was tired, I was discouraged and I knew that this was going the same way as all the others. I finally admitted that my body, no matter what I do, will not deliver babies the natural and normal way. I told the nurse around 2 that I was conceding to a c/s. They scheduled me for 4am and notified my doctor, who was sleeping at the hospital, after a midnight c/s with which he assisted.<br />
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The nurse came into wake me around 3am and started the preparations. I walked into the surgery room, got the spinal, and was ready to go before long. It's all a little blurry but I am pretty sure I threw up after I got all the meds and before the surgery, but the anesthesiologist was great about tweaking the medicine and getting me to feel better. He was my favorite anesthesiologist so far.<br />
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At 4:02am on Thursday, April 3, Harrison Wesley was lifted from me. We hadn't known the sex, so Tim looked over the curtain, his mouth dropped open and he announced it was a boy! I was surprised! He was exercising his lungs and was crying very loudly. He was placed on me for a little while so I got some good time seeing him and feeling him. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's first picture</td></tr>
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It's always so disorienting after the C-section. On one hand, I am overwhelmed with joy and happiness at the birth of a beautiful and happy baby. But at the same time, I also felt like complete and total crap, after having my abdomen cut open and my insides removed and all the medicine. So recovery, where I held him and breastfed, was rocky but I actually recovered the best of all I think. He weighed in at 7lbs, 15oz and 21" long. Perfect!<br />
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After awhile in recovery, I was wheeled upstairs, transferred to the new bed in my room and crazy enough, it was just early morning. My mom brought the kids around lunchtime. They trotted in, looking excited and so cute.<br />
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Barrett wasn't so sure what to think.<br />
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Audrey was excited. She gave her new baby brother kisses...<br />
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and then gave her mama kisses. I have a very sweet little girl!!<br />
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He was staring up at me for a while, with such intense eye contact.<br />
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I was still in such a state of surprise to have a boy! I kept looking at the board, where the nurses had written Baby Boy and thinking, really??<br />
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We hadn't picked out a name yet and it wasn't until the middle of the second day that we finally settled on Harrison Wesley. I had never really believed that when you looked at a baby, you would be able to pick a name but now I do. Some of the other names we'd liked just didn't seem right for him. This name just seemed to fit him.<br />
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These were from day 2. The kids were a little more interested in holding him, although Barrett was still pretty tentative.<br />
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Audrey clearly thinking, 'let me at him!'<br />
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Such sweet love. I know she's going to be a great big sister.<br />
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And getting ready to go home! By this point, I was starting to feel more human. I had showered, could walk around and get in and out of the bed by myself for the most part. <br />
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All loaded up and ready to see his new home!<br />
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More on the fantastic greeting he received at home in the next post!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-46983490679826389852013-09-03T22:06:00.000-05:002014-07-19T22:07:00.698-05:00BarrettismsBarrett was trying to butt his way in on a toy Audrey was playing with.<br />
Me: "Barrett, you need to let Audrey play with that by herself."<br />
Barrett: "but I'm helping to teach her to talk."<br />
Barrett, now in Audrey's face: "TALK."<br />
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Me: "Barrett, what do you think you'd want for your birthday?"<br />
Barrett, without missing a beat: "cake. Birthday cake."<br />
Me: "that is the gift you'd want for your birthday? That's the only thing you want?"<br />
Barrett; "yes, just cake," with a big smile on his little face.<br />
Alright, sounds like easy birthday shopping for his Mommy! He definitely is my kid with that sweet tooth!<br />
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One morning we were discussing how children are so demanding and think they rule the house.<br />
Me, laughing: "Barrett, are you a tyrant?"<br />
Barrett: "no! I just woke up!"<br />
That one took me a second but then I got it, haha. Tyrant = tired.<br />
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Audrey expresses a lot of interest in the toilet. Barrett was going potty tonight and Audrey looked very curious. So Tim asked if she wanted to sit on it. Se replied, "yea," in her sweet little voice so he pulled her diaper off and sat her on it.<br />
Barrett: "she needs to push her penis down." (as he was instructed to do when sitting on the potty).<br />
Tim, laughing: "She doesn't have one"<br />
Barrett: "oh. Because she's little?"<br />
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We finished a puzzle one afternoon. <br />
Me: "you did a great job! I'm very impressed with what a great job you did on this puzzle!"<br />
He very seriously responds: "I couldn't have done it without you." Smartie pants.<br />
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I mentioned to Barrett that our babysitter, Cassie, is coming over to watch him and Audrey on Saturday. <br />
Barrett: "why?"<br />
Me: Because Daddy and I are going to dinner."<br />
Barrett: "I have an idea. Why don't Daddy and Cassie go to dinner and you stay home with us?"<br />
Hmm....<br />
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Barrett and Audrey were playing nicely one day together. I asked what they were playing.<br />
Barrett: "I'm the daddy and Audrery is the mommy. We put the cars to sleep and the babies to sleep."<br />
Me: "oh, sounds like everybody is asleep! Do you want to go to sleep too?"<br />
Barrett: "no, mommies and daddies don't sleep."<br />
Truer words were never spoken, kid.<br />
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Irony: Barrett coming up to me as I was making dinner and telling me, "I locked the pantry door so Audrey can't get into mischief."<br />
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Barrett and Audrey were dressing up in the construction worker and firefighter costumes we have. <br />
Me: "Barrett, do you want to be a construction worker when you grow up?"<br />
Barrett: "no, a firefighter."<br />
Me: "oh, a firefighter?"<br />
Barrett: Thinking..."No. A bird"<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-34121166579859163812013-07-21T22:36:00.004-05:002013-07-21T22:36:55.586-05:00Audrey - 19 monthsAudrey turned 19 months recently. I can hardly believe it. She is still a teeny little thing and oh so sweet, sweeter than ever. She is funny and expressive, smart and sweet.<br />
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She is still a huge mama's girl. And I eat it up. She loves to be held and carried and she's so cuddly. She is definitely still very reserved with strangers and doesn't give smiles away to just anyone. But with us, she's so funny and sweet and playful. <br />
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Audrey is still a peanut. She was 31" and weighed 20lbs 11oz at 19 1/2 months. That's the approximate 18% for height (yay!!!) and 3% for weight (boo!!) I am thrilled about the height growth. I think she had a growth spurt over the last few weeks and I noticed she was seeming taller. The weight, while still low, is at least a bit of an improvement on the growth curve from the last few months, where I'm not sure she was even at 0.1%, She's inching closer to actually being on the curve again, so I guess that's good? I obviously still have concerns with her small size, but I am giving it one more doctor's appointment, now that the palate repair surgery and all the repercussions from that are well behind us, to see if she can improve. It's frustrating because I don't understand it - she eats pretty well so I just don't understand why she isn't catching up. <br />
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She likes reading books (her favorite is Goodnight Gorilla), she loves following her brother around doing whatever he's doing. Like if he were to lift his arms in the air and laugh, you better believe Audrey's doing the exact same thing. She and Barrett have also started fighting. And fighting. And fighting. So frustrating. Each wants the toy the other has. Of course. And they push each other's buttons. Audrey even more so than Barrett. In the last couple
months, Barrett, who previously ignored her for the most part, has now
started to realize she can be a friend but also a competitor. He wants
her to come play with him and she wants to play with him always, but the
two go at it. A few months ago she started to slyly sneak up behind him and snatch his toys and run away, laughing. We got a chuckle out of the fact that each loves to sit at the top of the slide, leaving the other waiting behind impatiently and growing increasingly frustrated. Apparently it's more fun to tease the sibling than to actually slide.<br />
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She's still our little daredevil. Early on, I started to joke that she would be our rock climber or skydiver and I still see that. She loves to be thrown up in the air. We took her to the beach at my parents' lakehouse and at first she was tentative with the water and sand. An hour later, she was trying to squirm out of my arms and swim to the middle of the lake on her own. Crazy girl! She thinks she can do it all!<br />
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Words: mama, Mimi, daddy (ah-ee), Papa (na-na), water (wawa), hi (eye), bye (eye. yes, sounds similar to hi, but we know the context), more (muh), elmo (eh-mo), yes (yeah), no (nuh), please (ease). And her latest? Audrey! (ahh-nee) She is babbling a lot more. Mimi and mama are her all-purpose words. I think she may be trying to say a lot more and we just can't tell what she's saying. We aren't hearing any Bs or Ds, which is disappointing to me. We are continuing to meet with a speech therapist once a week. Even though I don't always understand what she's trying to say verbally, she always makes her point known, through pointing or gestures. She is really starting to have opinions. She will vehemently shake her head no and push away anything she doesn't want or squeal for what she does. She does the signs for more and please pretty consistently, but that's it. <br />
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She understands EVERYTHING. It's crazy to me that she understands everything that we ask or tell her. That's reassuring to me, that even though she's not saying a lot, at least she understands everything. She's pretty good at following instructions, although sometimes she'll get the twinkle in her eye and defy.<br />
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She's still incredibly sweet and caring. She gives great hugs and kisses and cares about others. When Barrett is in time out, even if it's for hitting her, she'll see he's upset and get his blanket and brings it to him and sometimes sit with him. She takes care of dolls like a tiny mama. <br />
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She has so many opinions these days, and lets us know. If I try to set
her down when she wants to be carried, she gives me limp legs so I
can't set her down. If I try to put her in her high chair when she
doesn't want to be in there, she'll give me straight legs so I can't set her
down. If I try to hand her to another person, she'll cling to me and
whine in protest. At my parents lakehouse, she was quite outraged when we left the
beach before she was ready so she tried to push the door shut so I
couldn't put her in her seat, leaving a little handprint firmly on the
window. Little Miss Opinions!<br />
<br />
As fun as this age can be, I'll confirm my statement with Barrett at this age, that this isn't my favorite age. Oh it can be so fun. Their personality is really coming out at this age. They're starting to express themselves, communicate, play, interact, show their likes and dislikes. But it's also really tough because there's so much they WANT to do but they don't have the sense to know the danger. And they struggle with communication and there's no reasoning. Audrey's a lot easier than he was, but it's just a tough age. A struggle and desire for independence, but they're still such babies so it's hard to tame.<br />
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<br />
But I am seeing so much personality that I just love and I am having so much fun watching the kids play together, seeing the sibling relationship form, and seeing Audrey growing and discovering. Week over week I keep seeing changes, fears diminishing, language development, and learning. It is so much fun to be this little girl's mom!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-65007503218974596462013-07-18T21:30:00.000-05:002013-07-18T21:30:36.201-05:00Quick life updateOk, so I am very behind on posting so here's a very quick update on life lately. <br />
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After working at my job for nearly 7 years, I am now unemployed. The local office closed June 14 and it was a pretty emotional closure for everyone. Very strange to pack up and say goodbye to everyone I've worked with for so long. Then I went to Atlanta for two weeks to help with the 2Q close and transition. My parents watched the kids in St Louis the second week so when I was done, I flew there and met up with them. I missed the kids after 2 weeks apart! We spent a week at their lake house and then back home. Whrilwind!<br />
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This is my first week of being a stay at home mom. It's been eventful and fun and crazy and such a change of pace. We're obviously adjusting to the big change. So now we're just settling into our new routine.<br />
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Barrett is having surgery tomorrow. So in the last 3 1/2 years, this is the fifth surgery our family has gone through (2 c-sections for me, tubes and palate repair for Audrey and now Barrett's). Since he was born, he's had a clogged tear duct in his left eye. Fairly normal and usually goes away on its own, but Barrett's never did. It waters a lot and gets gunky. So we finally are getting it opened up. It's a pretty quick procedure but the thought of Barrett going under anesthesia is just so scary. So tired of taking my babies into the hospital for anesthesia and surgery!<br />
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So this is just a quick update on our lives lately! Please send prayers tomorrow for Barrett!<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-1537704141844677442013-06-03T21:56:00.000-05:002013-06-04T09:56:49.913-05:00My Little Van Goghs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lately I've been feeling like the Pied Piper of the 3 and Under set. Anywhere I go, I lead a parade. So if I need to buy myself a few minutes to get dinner ready, the latest trick I've found is coloring.</div>
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One day I had to run out to the garage to grab something out of the refrigerator and left the kids in the kitchen coloring. I was gone approximately 60 seconds. This is what I came back to: </div>
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Purple marker makes good lipstick, apparently</div>
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Audrey thought the red went better with her complexion</div>
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Audrey was quite upset that I didn't give her my phone as I was taking this picture. "Mine, Mine!" she was yelling.</div>
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Barrett's self portrait. He was pretty funny. He did this all unprompted and as I was looking at it, he said "Oh, I need to draw my belly." So he drew the circle in the middle and added a belly button. I think it's actually pretty good! Tim is a good artist, so it'd be nice if Barrett got some of his skill. </div>
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Uncanny resemblance!</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-62159221420236273212013-05-19T11:25:00.000-05:002013-05-20T11:29:35.022-05:00Minnesota WeekendI have been in a constant routine of work and being a mom so when my college roommate Michele suggested a girls weekend away, I responded enthusiastically! We tried to find a reasonable trip down to Miami, Key West, Ft Meyers, etc but just couldn't find anything affordable or with decent flight times so decided instead to do a long weekend in Minneapolis the last weekend of April, where Michele lives. It ended up being a blast! I didn't take my camera so don't have many pictures to show for the weekend sadly.<br />
<br />
I drove up on Wednesday. I was alarmed when I still was seeing ice and snow on the hillsides on the way up. The drive was pretty painful and I was starting to wish I'd flown but I ended up getting there around 6pm and we went to an awesome local Italian place for dinner. <br />
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<u><strong>Thursday</strong></u><br />
We slept in (you'll see that being the theme of the weekend!) and had a delicious homemade chocolate chip pancake breakfast. Then we took a long walk around Lake Nokomis with Michele's dog Riley. It was a little bit cold for me. I thought I was used to the cold, living in Chicago, but I will definitely concede that the Minnesotans know a cold I don't. Congrats to them? The walk was around 3 miles and so after we showered and got ready, we headed to the Mall of America. <br />
<br />
I love shopping, so this was one of the things I wanted to do over our weekend and I'm glad Michele was up for it. I bought:<br />
Nordstrom Rack - a pair of Paige Jimmy Jimmy skinny boyfriend jeans, and two pairs of shoes<br />
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Marshalls - a pair of Ralph Lauren brown sandals and a little Lightning McQueen car for Barrett, since his was somehow lost at school a few months ago<br />
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Gap - a blue plaid button down for Tim ($12!), a pink gingham button down for Barrett, and a navy sweater with hot pink hearts for me (no pictures online)<br />
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Old Navy - a couple of the Tami style tanks<br />
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I had my eye on a pair of over-the-knee leather boots at Steve Madden but lucky Michele got the last pair. <br />
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We headed back to Michele's and had a quick dinner of tilapia, salad and rice before heading out to a comedy show in downtown Minneapolis. Afterwards, we crossed the street and had a few cocktails at Crave. I had a (ok, 2) very delicious Crave martinis (Stolichnaya Razberi, Chambord, pineapple, Domaine Chandon Brut). <br />
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<u><strong>Friday</strong></u><br />
It was a gorgeous day. We were really lucky with the weather Friday and Saturday! We had breakfast and headed to Stillwater. It is a quaint little town on the St Croix River, bordering Wisconsin. It reminded me a lot of a smaller St Charles, MO, with its old homes and little shops. We ate lunch outside and had salads and I had a bloody mary. I haven't had one of those in years but, hey, I was on vacation, right? They served it with a little glass of beer. Is this a MN thing? I hadn't seen that before. <br />
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We walked around for a while, shopped a bit, had some mint chocolate chip ice cream (they called it mint bon-bon in the great North apparently) and headed back into the cities. We ended up on the northeast side of the city, at a little local brewery near Michele's friends house. It was named Indeed and we tried a few different beers. Some of Michele's friends came too and so did my friend Terese! She and her husband used to live in our area but they moved up to the Twin Cities a few years ago. It was great to see her again and catch up! <br />
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<strong><u>Saturday</u></strong><br />
What do you know, another beautiful day in Minnesota! We slept in (I was feeling pretty rested at this point!) and walked around the lake to a little breakfast place. Oh, was it good! I had a BLT omelet and lots of coffee. <br />
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Sufficiently caffienated, we drove to Minehaha Falls. Let me tell you, everyone was outside that day.<br />
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We walked around that area for a little while and then ventured into Uptown, an eclectic city-feeling area, which reminded me a lot of the Wicker Park area of Chicago. We did some sightseeing and walked down by Lake Calhoun before heading back to Michele's and then to her friend Sarah's for a cook out. I, of course, had to try the local drink a Big Ginger, which I'd seen people drinking so we stopped to buy the ingredients and do some grocery shopping for the cookout. It was delicious! It's: 1 part Irish whiskey, 4 parts ginger ale, some lime and lemon wedges squeezed in and for garnish, served over ice. I may have bought the ingredients to make these at home. We had a good time with some of Michele's friends. She has such a strong group of friends she's made up in MN and is so busy and active all the time! <br />
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<strong><u>Sunday</u></strong><br />
I was antsy to get on the road the next morning and get back to my beautiful babies, whom I missed tremendously! I left around 8am and got him around 2:15pm. I pulled into the driveway and a little towhead popped up in the front window with a smile and said "MOMMY!" (no it wasn't Tim, though I think he had the same sentiment) <br />
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Although I could never see myself living even further north than I already live, I started to understand what's appealing about living in Minneapolis. The lakes are beautiful, there seems to be a lot of things to do, the homes are charming, the cost of living was reasonable, and it's a city without feeling too harsh and urban. When the weather was nice on Friday and Saturday, everyone was out in droves. So many walkers, joggers, bikers and people out and enjoying the day. There was so much activity! I know Michele says there's a lot of activity in the winter too (ice fishing, broomball, races, etc) and that you have to get involved with that kind of activity or you'd go crazy. But I also learned about roof rakes and there was still a lot of snow and ice-covered lakes for being the last weekend of April, so that will likely deter me from moving there!<br />
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Tim did a great job taking care of the kids for those few days and I appreciated that I had the chance to get away for a long weekend and have some fun girl time. I had so much fun for the weekend and was glad to have a nice getaway, but there's no place like home, with my family of course! </div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-37304807881109804232013-04-23T11:17:00.000-05:002013-04-23T11:17:43.267-05:00And just one more...This morning<br />
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Barrett: "I don't want to go to school today. I want to go to work with you."<br />
me: "You wouldn't like Mommy's work. There's no playground and no friends and no books. It's not very much fun. Why would you want to go to work?"<br />
Barrett: "I just want to be with you, Mommy," wrapping his arms around my legs and kissing them. <br />
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Awww!<br />
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This is age 3. A roller coaster of independence and snarly faces and backtalk and deliberately knocking glasses of milk off the table and throwing trains and cuddles and laughter and sweet kisses and sweet words and "I love you so much"s and discovery and joy.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-82762584480257944442013-04-20T22:44:00.001-05:002013-04-20T22:44:13.762-05:00Latest Barrett-ismsHaving a 3 year old is a source of never-ending frustration and fun. 3 is definitely challenging but I will say, Barrett makes me laugh every single day. He's so sharp, aware, and funny. Here are the latest Barrett-isms:<br />
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B was quite interested in two dogs at his grandparents' house and kept wanting to see them and know what they were up to.<br />
Barrett, to me: "What are the dogs' names?"<br />
me: "I don't know. Why don't you ask?"<br />
Barrett: "Maybe they don't talk"<br />
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Barrett is obsessed with his blue blanket. He carries it constantly around the house, snuggling it and chewing on it all the time.<br />
Daddy: "No taking blankie into the grocery store. You need to leave it here in the car."<br />
Barrett: "Okay. I chew it really quick."<br />
proceeds to nibble on it for a few seconds. Then sets it aside.<br />
Barret: "Okay. All done" and was ready to go.<br />
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I asked Audrey a question tonight, in the usual sing-song way of talking to an infant without expecting an answer. Barrett decided to set me straight.<br />
Barrett: "Audrey doesn't talk."<br />
me: " Well, Audrey will talk soon! What do you think she'll say when she will be able to talk?"<br />
Barrett: "'Give me back my toys.'"<br />
Yes. Probably.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-32608057417518196242013-03-25T21:20:00.000-05:002013-03-26T13:22:03.553-05:00Audrey - 16 months (nearly)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of my nicknames for Audrey is SnuggleBug and that pretty much sums up how she is these days. So snuggly!!! I love it. She lays her head in the hollow of my neck and shoulder and puts her arms around me and I just melt with the sweetness of it. She wears my arms and back out on the weekends, because she loves me to carry her as much as possible. She gets upset when I set her down and she still prefers her mama over anyone else. No complaints from me!</div>
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Her latest lovebug move? When you ask for a kiss she'll lean her head into you so you can give her one. Awww! I also heard from her teacher at school that when the other boys and girls are upset, she tried to calm them down. Apparently she goes to get their toys or pacifiers and hands them to them. Last night Barrett was wailing in time-out, which he was placed in because he pushed her. She picked up his blanket and shuffled down the hall to take it to him. </div>
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Also, we handed her a baby doll two weeks ago and she took that little doll, pulled it to her chest and gave it the sweetest little hug. She's definitely a little girl! She now likes to put the doll into a stroller and walk it around the house. She's very interested in putting its pacifier in and taking it out. </div>
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She says a few words regularly: mama and uh-oh. Some words she says infrequently: hi, daddy (ah-ee), and more (muh). I haven't picked up on any others yet. </div>
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I know she's starting to understand what we're saying pretty well, since she's starting to follow some simple commands. Like leaning in for a kiss or if I ask her to get a book, she'll go pick one out. She lets me know what she wants by pointing and if I offer her something she doesn't want, she'll shake head head furiously or push it away. So even though she's still not speaking a lot, her non-verbal communication is strong. </div>
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Favorite books: Audrey's obsessed with Brown Bear, Brown Bear. She and the speech therapist read this book weekly and so now she's obsessed with our book at home. Whenever I try to read other books to her at bedtime, she rips them out of my hands and shoves Brown Bear in. She does like the lift-the-flap books we have too. <br />
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Favorite toys: she always likes to walk around with a toy in her hand - lately it's either her little yellow duck or one of our bath books. She takes this to daycare, in the car, to bed. <br />
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I'll say one thing about my kids - they're obsessive.<br />
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Favorite foods: Audrey's still on a restricted diet but that ends this week - hooray! I am so ready to be done with this. Making all these extra meals has been a huge pain. She still eats pretty well but the drinking has been difficult. She's never been too enthusiastic about drinking, starting from the bottles at the very beginning and continuing to valveless sippy cups or open top cups. But in the last two weeks, she pretty much decided she wasn't drinking at.all. We push and push the liquids but she still doesn't drink much. I don't know what the deal is but it drives me crazy!<br />
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Size: She wears size 3 diapers and is in size 12-18 month clothes. She still wears 12 month pajamas but there isn't much additional room and I plan to move her to the 18 month now (although they seem so big!). She is 18lbs, 10oz. She's around the 2nd percentile for weight and I think around the 4th percentile for height. She's only gained four ounces since her pre-op appointment six weeks ago and her height is just a tad bit more. I'm not surprised but that was a bit of a bummer. The first few weeks after her surgery, she lost her belly. It's back now, but she had a lot to overcome. I hope that she'll grow now that she can be back on her regular food again. </div>
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I think she's already figuring out how much fun it is to push her brother's buttons. She like to grab his toys and tease him. I don't feel too sorry for him because he instigates plenty with her too. I think now that she's so much more active, he sees her as more of a peer so he is a little more rough-and-tumble with her than I'd like. She usually likes it and just smiles and laughs when he's pushing her around or climbing on her but sometimes it erupts into tears. I have to watch very closely. Barrett definitely sees her as competition now for our attention. He mimics all the things she does and of course the things she plays with are suddenly what he needs to play with. </div>
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I couldn't have imagined such a sweet little girl in our lives. Everyone who knows her is head over heels in love with her. She's so sweet, so playful and so loving!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-31589146672849188762013-03-20T21:01:00.000-05:002013-03-20T21:01:29.798-05:00Latest Barrett-ismsBarrett is a never-ending source of laughter these days. Some of the latest things he's said to make us laugh...<br />
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Tonight on the way home from school:<br />
me: "I see you didn't eat lunch today! Why not?"<br />
Barrett: "I didn't like it. I didn't like it, I didn't like the pizza, I don't like pizza bagels, I didn't like the fruit, I don't like yellow fruit, I didn't like it, I didn't like the fruit, I didn't like it... I like ice cream. I like ice cream and candy."<br />
oh. Okay then.<br />
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Barrett is obsessed with getting bigger and tall (like Daddy/like Mommy). Some of the funny things he's said about that:<br />
Barrett: "When I grow big and tall like the sky, I won't fit in Mommy's car."<br />
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Barrett and Audrey were splashing in the tub, giggling and having fun. <br />
Barrett to me: "When you get littler, you can get in the bath with us and play too."<br />
Sorry, kid, it doesn't work that way.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-68450162299630590602013-03-12T21:54:00.001-05:002013-03-12T21:54:21.602-05:00Audrey's Cleft Palate Repair in PicturesWe are nearly 4 weeks out from her surgery now, and Audrey is healing like a champ. I felt like I'd been holding my breath for the last few months in nervous anticipation of this surgery and now I can finally let it out and feel like the worst is over. <br />
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Pre-surgery, trying to keep Audrey happy despite the early morning wake up</div>
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The Versed was kicking in!</div>
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I look back at these pictures and I want to cry over the images of my sweet baby girl. Seeing these brings back such awful memories of holding her in the recovery room as tight as I could and wishing I could take away her pain. It was such a terrible few days in the hospital and the first days at home. But she was such a strong little cookie and she is past it now.<br />
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Sad little girl</div>
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Fortunately those days went quickly and Audrey recovered amazingly. Despite the splints, despite the food restrictions, she adjusted so well. So proud of our sweet little girl!</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-35261746869783511922013-02-20T21:26:00.000-06:002013-03-12T21:27:32.327-05:00Our experiences with Cleft Palate repairI did a ton of searches on the internet over the last year to read other peoples experiences with their child's cleft palate and the repair. I found a lot of different information all over the place. I wanted to jot down a few of my experiences with Audrey's cleft palate repair as a reference for others who may be readying to go through the same thing. <br />
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<u>Recommendations:</u><br />
-Wear dark clothing the entire time. I had heard this and wore a black tee and sweatshirt the day of surgery, but hadn't planned to need to wear dark colors the 2nd day onward. But I definitely needed to, so wore the same tee the entire time at the hospital. Even on day 6 post-op, she still drools blood during her sleep, so dark bedding and clothing would be good to have to reduce stains.<br />
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-We've always put Audrey to sleep with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Ocean-Wonders-Soothe-Seahorse/dp/B0083IXKYY" target="_blank">this seahorse</a> and she seemed to like it so we sent it back with her during the surgery. Well apparently it was a great decision because it was the first thing she reached for as she was waking up and she has wanted it played continuously for the days after her surgery. It has had such a calming effect on her. Now when we go into her room in the morning, the first thing she wants us to do it turn it on and carry it downstairs with us. So if your child has a favorite toy or lullaby item, send it to surgery with him or her and hopefully it'll have the same effect ours did. We did take some other familiar toys and books to the hospital, which she played with very briefly. She just wasn't in the mood and really just wanted to be soothed the entire time. <br />
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-Audrey has to wear her no-nos (arms restraints) for three weeks. Different doctors have different time frames. I discovered in the hospital that having colorful covers for the no-nos is nice - we were given some at the hospital that had been tie-dyed. Apparently a family of a daughter who'd been a long-term patient at the hospital dyes men's socks to give to patients for these covers and it's been really nice. I'm thinking of buying some and dying them myself - they'd be pink of course!<br />
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-a handheld blender will be your best friend. I bought<a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/cuisinart-csb-77-hand-blender-smartstick?ID=201621&cm_mmc=Google_PLA_DMA_Home_Dinnerware-_-PLA+Home+Brands+-+Dinnerware_PLA+-+Dinnerware+-+Cuisinart-_-48361244365-_-mkwid_g8dvKKx3" target="_blank"> this one</a> at Costco (for $20!) a few weeks beforehand and am so glad I did. I have used it for everything so far and it's way easier than lugging out my food processor constantly. I'm wondering how on earth I made baby food without one of these for so long.<br />
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Like I mentioned previously, Audrey is on a puree/liquid diet only for three weeks and then soft-foods only for an additional three weeks (again, different timeframes from different doctors appears to be common). Her weight and feeding has always been such an issue for us so I'm really trying to think of foods that she likes but can be easily eaten now. <br />
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<u>Foods I've been feeding Audrey:</u><br />
-infant oatmeal mixed with milk<br />
-ice cream<br />
-chobani yogurt <br />
-regular full-fat yogurt blended with fruit<br />
-applesauce<br />
-pureed soups<br />
-pudding<br />
-mashed up bananas and avocados softened with milk<br />
-refried beans, mixed with milk<br />
-puree of sweet potato/chicken/grapes<br />
-mashed potatoes, thinned with milk<br />
-pureed fruits, vegetables, prunes<br />
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<u>What I didn't know </u><br />
- the breath. Oh my goodness, her breath. I didn't know that her breath would be so bad after the surgery. I know this can happen with an infection, but really her breath has been this bad from the very beginning. It's a sign of how much I love her that I'll still kiss her and cuddle her cheek-to-cheek when her breath is as rank as it is now. <br />
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-the clinginess. Audrey's always been a mama's girl, but she has been so needy and clingy lately. There are very few times throughout the day where she'll be content without me there. I see glimpses of her usual self occasionally, but in general, she's just been very clingy and mopey<br />
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-the bleeding. Like I said above, she still drools blood in her sleep, so I'm washing sheets every day. It's getting more and more diluted, so I think it will hopefully be coming to an end soon<br />
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Every day Audrey is getting better and better. I think every child and every repair is so different. I was expecting two weeks of up-all-nights, crying, etc but her sleep was back to normal when we came back home. We did wake her up to give her tylenol for the first 4 days or so to keep our timetable of giving her pain meds every 6 hours consistent. But her sleep was fine. Maybe because her cleft was primarily in the soft palate, but our experience seems to be much better than others have been. We feel very fortunate so far and are so happy to have this behind us right now. <br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-3097509130981188172013-02-16T20:44:00.000-06:002013-02-16T20:44:02.180-06:00Palate SurgeryOn Wednesday, February 13, Audrey underwent her palate repair surgery. It was a day that I'd been both anxiously anticipating and dreading for the last 14 months. I couldn't believe it was finally here. I was so nervous leading up to it. I knew that she'd be in a tremendous amount of pain that I wouldn't be able to fix and seeing your child in pain is every mother's worst nightmare. Anytime I'd start to think about it or talk about it with her doctors or schedulers, I started to tear up. <br />
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We arrived at the hospital around 6am. Audrey awoke when we moved her from her crib into her carseat that morning, but was her usual calm self despite the early wake up and lack of food. We waited at the hospital and I kept her happy by swaying with her and singing. She of course wouldn't let anyone else hold her. The nurse asked how the handoff would be and I said "awful" so we gave her medicine to calm her down and make her drowsy before the surgery. I think it was Versed. This made her totally loopy, silly and drowsy so it did its job. She definitely didn't mind being handed to the anesthesiologist around 7:50am thanks to the medicine. It made it easier for us too, that she wasn't crying, scared or upset to leave us. <br />
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Tim and I waited anxiously in the waiting room. It was a pretty nice set up at the hospital, with comfortable chairs and a television to give you regular updates on your family member's status. Tim got breakfast and we continued to wait. Around 8:30 the ENT came out, told me Audrey did well with the anesthesia and her ear tubes were fine and wouldn't need to be replaced and that the plastic surgeon was getting started. The plastic surgeon came out around 9:40 and said Audrey was done and everything went smoothly. We were fortunate that most of the cleft was located in the soft palate. It was a teardrop shaped cleft, with just a little in the hard palate and most in the soft palate (the back of the mouth). Surgeries in the hard palate are more difficult and the recovery is much worse.<br />
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A little later, they called me back into the recovery room to see her. Only one parent was allowed into Recovery. That part was awful. She was loudly crying, squirming, unhappy and out of it. I grabbed her from the nurses, and tightly held her and swayed and rocked her. She eventually calmed down. Apparently as soon as she came out of anesthesia, she was grabbing for her lullaby seahorse we'd sent back with her. It seemed to really help calm her down and I played that continuously for her. She had blood smeared on her nose and mouth, was swollen, had her arms in splints and was so unhappy. I tried to keep it together but couldn't help but cry while holding my sad, pained little girl.<br />
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Eventually she calmed down enough to drink a cup of apple juice/water. She would calm down and then cry again so we eventually gave her morphine also. After about an hour, the nurses wheeled us up to her room and Tim joined us. <br />
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The rest of the day was pretty awful. Tim and I alternated rocking Audrey in the (totally uncomfortable) chair in her room. She was doped up on morphine and tylenol so woke up every few hours for about 20 minutes or so. We continued to offer drinks but she refused to drink anything. Tim slept in the fold out couch while I slept with Audrey in the hospital bed. It was pretty restless sleep, with the nurses in and out and Audrey squirming on me but at least she seemed pretty sedated and wasn't too fussy. <br />
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I had hoped the next morning would bring a drastic turnaround but we still didn't see it. The nurse turned her IV off around 9:30 and said that she would feel the effects in about 2 hours and be interested in drinking then. We couldn't go home until she drank about 2oz/hour so we were anxiously offering her water, apple juice, milk, applesauce, popiscles all day. It wasn't until around 3pm that she finally took her first sips of water. Hooray! I knew she was still in pain and confused but was thrilled she was finally expressing some interest in drinking. We got our first smile when we took her into the Ronald McDonald play room and stood her at the music table. It was a quick, tentative smile but she seemed to relax for just a moment. <br />
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We were able to leave the hospital around 5pm. She seemed relieved to be in her carseat and I think she knew she was headed home. That afternoon, she had begun playing with her tongue, running it over her mouth and lips. She could tell things were different. She was still very swollen and incredibly pale but was starting to be interested in playing for a few minutes here and there. <br />
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Now, we are on day 3 post-operation and Audrey is gradually returning to herself. She seems to be getting used to the arm restraints we have to keep on her at all times, so she can't put her hands in her mouth. This makes it hard to walk and to play, but she's adapting. She is interested in drinking milk and water. Food is still a struggle, as she is still relatively reluctant to eat. I've given her a variety of foods including baby oatmeal, mashed banana mixed with milk, yogurt, applesauce, ice cream, pureed sweet potatoes/chicken/grapes, and pureed chicken chili that we ate for dinner last night. Some foods have been more successful than others, but she's only eating a little at a time, so her appetite still seems very low. I hope that it picks up soon. <br />
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For the first three weeks, she's allowed to eat only purees and liquids. For the second three weeks, she's allowed to begin eating soft foods - macaroni and cheese, soggy cereals. Nothing crunchy or hard. She's to keep her arms in restraints for three weeks. <br />
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Seeing your child go through this amount of pain and misery has been awful. But her recovery has exceeded my expectations so far. I had no idea what to expect since every child is so different, and I have heard worst case scenarios, of hourly wake ups all night, nonstop tears and fussiness, weeks of recovery. We have been blessed so far that Audrey seems to be healing so well. I know we have a long way to go, but she has been doing so well. The first day was definitely awful but she's continuing to improve. She is definitely still pretty subdued and has cranky spells. Plus she wants to be held by me constantly and is tough to make her smile, reluctant to play and very somber. But I think her recovery has been great so far. <br />
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Another reason we feel so blessed is by all the love and support we've received. Our friends and family have given us so much encouragement, prayers and good wishes as we've gone through this with our sweet baby. It's been so encouraging to know how many people support us and love our little girl. Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-18513976446226918992013-02-06T22:19:00.000-06:002013-02-12T10:20:26.045-06:00When it rains, it pours, eh?So I've been noticeably absent from the blogging world for the last few months. There were some issues with blogger where I couldn't upload photos. Also, November - January were crazy for me both at work and at home. I had crazy hours at work, planned a birthday party for Barrett and Audrey, traveled for Thanksgiving and Christmas and battled multiple round of illnesses for our poor family, including ear infections, strep throat, colds, and coughs.<br />
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Ugh.<br />
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January is my busiest time at work and I was routinely working 14 hour days and weekends for a while. At the end of January, I was supposed to be able to enjoy a little reprieve before the stress of Audrey's mid-February surgery began, but that was not to be. It started with an ache in my tooth last Monday afternoon but turned into intense pain by Tuesday morning. Visits to the dentist and endodontist resulted in a repeat root canal, a few rounds of antibiotics, nights of vicodin, days and nights of intense pain (probably worse than my c-section), and now a super-swollen face. Apparently it's a tooth infection, which was probably lying dormant for a while and was triggered to flare up by the previous week's cold. So all the infection was trapped in the root of my tooth area and swelling against the bone, causing this tremendous pain. Ouch! The pain decreased this past Monday morning, but I awoke to a puffed-up face, as the infection found its way out, courtesy of my cheeks. Charming, huh? <br />
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Fortunately I'm now on the mend and I'm trying to get my life back on track and part of that resolution is to get back to my little blog. I really enjoy documenting our lives. This time is just flying back and taking the opportunity to document it helps me to remember each stage later on. I always find myself looking back at old posts. As I'm getting older, my memory is getting worse, so I can barely remember yesterday, let alone 2 years ago! <br />
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We have a crazy week ahead next week with Audrey's surgery. I'll post more about that and what else is going on with the family in the next few days as I have time. Hoping I can be more diligent about keeping up with our family's adventures this year!<br />
<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-79578567976140652412012-12-02T12:10:00.000-06:002013-02-12T12:11:46.456-06:00Audrey - 12 months<br />
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<br />My Audrey. I knew I would love you but I had no idea how much you would hold my heart. You are my angel. You are one year now and I wish I could rewind time and live some of this last year over again. It has gone so fast and I already feel like timing is flying by with you faster than it did with your brother. <br />
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I think back to a year ago now, when we met for the first time. You came out all fiesty and spirit (if quite reluctantly) but immediately calmed down to your sweet cuddly self. You were an old soul from the start. You barely had your eyes open for the first few weeks. In the hospital, you slept on me, curled up and snuggly, every night. I couldn't bear to send you to the nursery once I had a bit of your sweet and peaceful cuddles. How different you were from the start from your brother, who I'd hear crying down the hall. You were serene and calm from the beginning.<br />
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Our beginning did not start out how I expected and I still mourn the moments lost when I handed you off to others to eat. But there's no denying that our bond is unshakeable, whether you ate in my arms or any others. Your mama is your favorite person and you are my favorite little girl. </div>
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You are still a teeny little thing, at barely over 17lbs. You wear size 3 diapers and are fitting in and outgrowing some of your 12 month clothes. Your hair continues to grow and I constantly keep a bow in it to keep it out of your face and eyes. Although you went through a phase a few months ago where you were pulling it out, you pretty much leave it alone now and I'm glad for that. Headbands, though, are a different story. </div>
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You love to be held. Although you're showing interest in standing and taking tentative steps with help and with the walkers, your favorite place is in my arms. I often feel a little tug on my legs, look down and see you staring up at me, waiting to be picked up. You are so content just hanging out in my arms. </div>
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Your personality is really starting to come out. You are a rascal! You love to head over to Payton's food and water bowls. Sometimes you just sit there, then when we see you and start to rush over to pick them up, you get a big grin and reach out to stick your hands in them. Fun game for you! You are starting to hold your own with your brother, trying to keep him from taking your toys. You like to grab his and I wonder sometimes if part of you is doing it to get a rise out of him? Catching on already, little sister? <br />
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You are a mama's girl, that is for sure. You are much more reserved and hesitant. Not one to just jump into anyone's arms and not one to just smile indiscriminately at strangers. You need to warm up to people and even then, you're still comfortable primarily in my arms, observing. <br />
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I cannot imagine our family without your little spirit. You are such a very special part of my life and I'm so incredibly thankful you are ours. Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-35717546515380910502012-11-07T19:27:00.000-06:002012-11-07T19:27:00.496-06:00Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Halloween! I am kind of a cheeseball about this holiday. I love to see the little ones all dressed up in their costumes. I still remember the nervous anticipation of this holiday and the excitement at seeing everyone look so out-of-the-ordinary. It's fun to relive some of the feelings now as a parent. <br />
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I know I have limited time left while I can still dress Barrett in cute costumes, before he wants to be superman or a transformer or some other total <b>boy </b>costume, so I had to take advantage of it of course. Barrett was just the cutest little monkey and LOVED his costume. He was so excited to wear it. <br />
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The Saturday before Halloween we met some of our friends for trick-or-treating in a local town. It was great fun to see our friends again and to enjoy a gorgeous day. Barrett understood what he was supposed to be doing so we got a big kick out of watching him. <br />
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Little miss ladybug was along for the ride too. <br />
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Last year Barrett was in awe but afraid of this Elmo but this year, he ran right up to give hugs. <br />
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This is Audrey's latest move. When she's feeling silly, she'll crane back as far as she can, smiling. I love to nibble on her neck when she does this. <br />
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Afterwards, we went to the local library to play. They have a great library, with the entire basement for kids, lots of books and puzzles and tables to play on. <br />
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Walking back to the car. This is Barrett's oldest friend, who he met when he was just 12 weeks old. These two love each other and are so cute together. <br />
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I even got in on the Halloween action for once. Halloween has become somewhat of a big holiday at my company in the last
few years. They really encourage costumes, and served apple cider
donuts and apple cider in the morning. For lunch, they brought in
pizzas and cake, lots of candy and had awards for costumes. My department is known for being the stick-in-the-muds at holiday season. This year we decided to fool everyone. We were all dressed in our normal clothes and received lots of eye rolling at our lack of participation yet again. Then mid-morning, we dressed up as sumo wrestlers and paraded around the office to the song "I'm Sexy and I Know It." Yes, this is what I wore: </div>
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It was completely unexpected, especially coming from me, who is usually pretty straight laced at work!</div>
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Halloween night was a little tough because it was a weeknight and so the usual madcap race to daycare and home ensued. But we managed to get around the neighborhood. We actually met up with our neighbors, who were heading out the same time we were, so it was nice to have some company. Unfortunately, I didn't get too many photos because it was so late and we needed to get going. Oh well. </div>
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So that's our Halloween! It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is now just around the corner!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-8919695085490200802012-11-07T12:46:00.000-06:002012-11-07T20:16:24.121-06:002012 ElectionWell the votes have been mostly counted and the election results are in.<br />
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I am greatly disappointed and saddened this morning. I am going to try hard to temper my feelings here with diplomacy and consideration for my friends who on the opposite side of the political spectrum but still try to express my frustrated feelings.<br />
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I am really scared with the direction our country is heading and I'm not sure it'll change. 4 years ago, Tim and I watched the election results rolling in and were not surprised with the outcome. But we predicted that night that 4 years later our country would be in pain with this greatly inexperienced and partisan president in charge from our state known for its corruption and back-room dealings and that the election results would be a lot different. Well only half that is true this morning.<br />
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This was my first election voting as a mother and it's amazing how much my feelings changed. Not for <i>who </i>I was voting for, which didn't change, but <u><i>why </i></u>I was voting. This time I voted with a much heavier and prayerful heart. Thinking about the future of our country, the direction it's heading, the safety and well-being of these little bodies tucked into their beds in footie pajamas and the responsibility that I have to look out for them drove my vote. Sure, I want to keep more of the money that I worked hard to earn, I want to want to be kept safe from those who want to harm me, and I want to avoid government interference in my daily life. But mostly what I want is a better life for my kids. I want to know that they're protected and safe and that their future is bright and optimistic, that someday they'll have good jobs and can buy homes and tuck their kids in at night someday in the future. The gravity of the election was so much heavier on my heart and mind than it ever has been before. <br />
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I am flabbergasted that the majority of Americans agree with me in thinking this country is headed in the wrong direction yet did nothing to try to change that. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I'd like to think that 4 years from now we'll see vastly different results, but if the current state of this country don't persuade us to try a new tactic, than I don't see anything changing. We've created such a society of dependence rather than Independence, of government reliance rather than self-reliance, of entitlement and expectation rather than hard work and ingenuity. Unfortunately now, so many of our citizens are in this entitlement cycle and will likely never break out of it and that will have a huge impact on our future. <br />
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I'm an Accountant. I think in dollars and cents and I'm very practical when it comes to decisions and outcomes. I spend 45+ hours a week analyzing financial statements, reviewing profit and loss numbers and discussing budgets, forecasts, and actuals. But I don't think you need to be a CPA to understand that $16 trillion of debt is financial suicide for our country. Forget terrorist threats - we are going to do ourselves in before long. My kids' share of the national debt is over $100k and I am so angry at our leaders for the unfairness of this, for this selfishness and short-sighted thinking for which my kids and their kids will be paying the price. This spend, spend, spend mentality leads to a fantastic instant gratification but misery and self-destruction over time. <br />
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I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I sincerely hope that the decisions the Administration makes will benefit this country, its people and the world. The repercussions of the vote yesterday will be felt long after today, long after 4 years from now, long after those of us who made the decision are alive. We had a tremendous responsibility to future generations when we filled in that circle on our ballot, one that is even more meaningful to me now that I am raising that next generation. The decision has been made and we and they will have to live with the consequences for the rest of our lives. A few of my friends are elated. Me? I'm terrified.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-43742893037444814092012-11-01T19:19:00.000-05:002012-11-01T22:11:26.713-05:00Family photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I realize unless you share DNA with me, you probably aren't interested in this big post of pictures. And maybe you aren't interested even if you do share DNA with me and are just too nice to say so!<br />
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But I have to take the opportunity to show off my beautiful babies from our photo shoot this summer.<br />
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This photo shoot was an absolute nightmare. I got back in the car after the hour of photos and was wiped out. I felt like I'd been at war. The kids were completely non-cooperative. Barrett, our little attention seeker, refused to smile, refused to sit still, refused to put his arm around Audrey. Audrey was also unwilling to smile. And when I held her, she would only chew on my necklace, so that I had to take it off or give her to Tim to hold. It was exhausting and I felt like I'd run a marathon by the end of it.<br />
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Despite all the work and frustration, I am very happy to have these photos of my beautiful children. I look at them, with their big blue eyes, silly laughs and smiles, determined (sometimes obstinate) little personalities and I am so thankful I've been blessed to have them. <br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-27354557099340216632012-10-24T21:12:00.000-05:002012-10-25T17:56:57.242-05:00Goodbye high heels, Hello highchairs<br />
Last May, my company announced its plans to relocate to Atlanta. I wrote <a href="http://www.thislovedlife.blogspot.com/2011/05/atlanta-or-bust.html" target="_blank">then </a>about my dilemma and that I was struggling with what to do. I've worked at my company for 6 years. I have worked incredibly hard, been promoted several times and think I've earned a fair amount of respect. I report directly to the CFO and have a nice office and parking space, and enjoy the people I work with a lot. Although it hasn't been without its stresses and long days and weekends, it's been a really good place for me to work the last six years. <br />
<br />
So when the move was announced, I was thrown. Tim and I spent over a year in this strange limbo, where we weren't sure what to do. We wanted more space but didn't want to do anything more with the house until we knew what our plans were.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of advantages to moving to Atlanta for us: bigger home, warmer weather, leaving Illinois and being able to get out of the declined market value on our home, staying with my job and the security it offered, and a financial bonus to move.<br />
<br />
But there were a lot of disadvantages too: we'd be further from family, Tim would have to find a new job, the location of my new office wouldn't be near the probable location of Tim's new office and trying to find a good location between the two would be difficult. Plus, being a two-career family was starting to wear on us.<br />
<br />
We kept wavering back and forth in our decision, with each of us gung-ho on moving at one point while the other was unsure and vice versa. But my decision was ultimately made in July/August, when the stresses at work reached their maximum levels.<br />
<br />
<i>We decided that moving for my job is not in the cards right now.</i><br />
<br />
This means I will be job-less in June. And I'm going to take the opportunity to stay home with the kids for a while. <br />
<br />
This is a scary prospect for me. I started babysitting at age 11. I started my first job on my 16th birthday, the very first day I was eligible. Work has always been a huge definer of who I am. I worked very hard to get where I am in my career, made a lot of sacrifices to get where I am, and I know that if I stayed with my company, I'd continue to have a lot of success in my career. <br />
<br />
But at what cost?<br />
<br />
I really struggle with how little time I'm spending with my children. The time we do have is very meaningful and their mom is still the most important person in their lives. But I still crave more. So after my job ends, I'm going to take a little bit of time off and decide where to go from there. It will be a good opportunity to "try out" being a stay-at-home-mom and decide if it's something I want to do full-time. If it's not for me, then back to the office I go and I'll find another job. If it is for me, then we'll make some changes in our lifestyle and our finances and do our best to make it happen for the longer term. <br />
<br />
I know it'll be a huge change. No more high heels, daily routine, quickly running errands on my lunch hour, adult conversations. Now it'll be the never ending stream of preparing meals, cleaning the house, cleaning up faces, wiping noses, time outs, mediating fights. But hopefully those mundane tasks will be broken up by lots of hugs, laughs, cuddles, tickles, songs, books and kisses.<br />
<br />
I am incredibly nervous about this "new life" I'll be taking on but oh so excited too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>THIS is how I'd rather spend my days!</i></td></tr>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-32455630112347676712012-10-22T22:45:00.000-05:002012-10-24T15:24:08.853-05:00The Big Fat Fall PostFall used to be my favorite season. And then the realization hit me that fall is too quickly proceeded by Winter, which (living in the arctic circle as I do) is my <i>least </i>favorite season. So now I greet fall with the happiness that wearing boots and scarves, drinking apple cider and eating pumpkin spice hershey kisses brings, but with the apprehension of knowing that cold and dark and ice is coming soon.<br />
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Our fall so far:<br />
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<u>Labor Day</u> <br />
Does Labor Day count as Fall? I'm going to count it because a) it's the unofficial end of summer holiday and b) I haven't posted our pictures yet so this is as good a post as any to throw them in, right? Although it definitely didn't feel like Fall because it was hot, hot, hot!<br />
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Per our usual routine, we went to our local town's Labor Day celebration. They have a great kids area, with a dozen bouncy houses and activities for the entire family. I had to work Saturday and Sunday but took Monday off and spent a much needed day with the family.<br />
Last year we watched the pony rides but this year, we hoisted Barrett up onto the pony for his first ride. Without hesitation, he held on, even pushing Tim away at one point so he could do it himself. Such a big boy. <br />
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Little boy with hot pink cheeks. It was so hot, especially after jumping your heart out in a few bouncy houses. <br />
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Little Audrey slept most of the time. It was very hot holding her, but she slept great. <br />
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<u>Apple Picking</u><br />
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We made our annual trek to a pick-your-own apple orchard and had a blast. This was our 4th time going here and it's funny to think that the first we were childless (and carefree. and wrinkle free. and bags-under-the-eyes free), the second I was wearing Barrett, last year I was pregnant with Audrey and this time I'm wearing her. Pardon me while I get all weepy about how fast time is flying.<br />
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Okay, I'm back.<br />
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So we had a gorgeous September day to hit the apple orchard. I was a little nervous about going because this place gets crowded and due to the early spring followed by a freeze and the super dry summer, the trees struggled this year. But I think we got there early enough in the season and in the day that the trees still had some apples. <br />
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Before we made our way to the orchards, we had to stop for a gratuitous photo op with the two cutest pumpkins in the patch.<br />
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(Please disregard Barrett's sock & sandal combination. He's a two year old boy with strong opinions on footwear.) <br />
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Showing off his picks<br />
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After the apple-picking, we went inside for some apple cider and apple cider doughnuts.<br />
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The orchard had other kids activities and so we boarded Barrett onto the Apple Train. I'm not sure how he felt about it, since he was alone, but he hung in there without complaint. Maybe next year he'll enjoy it more. <br />
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<u>Baking</u><br />
I have a new little helper in the kitchen these days. Barrett loves helping me out.<br />
So far this fall, we made some delicious seasonal recipes.<br />
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One was this <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pasta-with-pumpkin-and-sausage-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage</a>. I make it once each fall and we gobble it up. It's not necessarily my favorite meal to prepare, but it tastes really good to eat so is worth it. <br />
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Another fall recipe I die over is <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/271839/pumpkin-pancakes" target="_blank">Pumpkin Pancakes</a>. I could eat these every day. I like to spread butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and forgo syrup. But is there really a bad way to eat pumpkin pancakes? The kids devoured these (I think Barrett may have had three) so I definitely need to make these again before the end of fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo from Allrecipes.com</td></tr>
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But our favorite recipe this year just may be these Pumpkin Spice Cookies.<br />
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They are made with Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. If there was any way of making these bite-sized pieces of heaven even better, it's to add them to the top of a spice cookie.<br />
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I think Barrett agrees<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smelling the deliciousness</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMok05ZSc8nducVgVT03uywDnHk9J-ZUpGRnrzoTbIKSvK43DqLm-TF-sCXB7qyETNTIfC2vkf8b2wwwUsjp7JIUQbi7aj1YwXlcPffuxCHaqEjIDZBJ_WESFJxXHIAFqjYfjAXDzAZGo/s1600/IMG_4043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMok05ZSc8nducVgVT03uywDnHk9J-ZUpGRnrzoTbIKSvK43DqLm-TF-sCXB7qyETNTIfC2vkf8b2wwwUsjp7JIUQbi7aj1YwXlcPffuxCHaqEjIDZBJ_WESFJxXHIAFqjYfjAXDzAZGo/s400/IMG_4043.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting patiently until I give him the green light</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVGKvF6PXOJGit8_yo9a2NusDwsy3h2oahSM5hzJC1bnSwZTEvvlUslnWrqcYgKevNjjUORE-brxdmUCoWBcNE3kjXHEiw4f5ntbF-QMDEerSRgljBfqtBRl1daqtOT5dwowbcAgFfUo/s1600/IMG_4047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVGKvF6PXOJGit8_yo9a2NusDwsy3h2oahSM5hzJC1bnSwZTEvvlUslnWrqcYgKevNjjUORE-brxdmUCoWBcNE3kjXHEiw4f5ntbF-QMDEerSRgljBfqtBRl1daqtOT5dwowbcAgFfUo/s400/IMG_4047.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy!</td></tr>
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He was definitely my little helper on this endeavor, which we did on Columbus Day while Audrey napped. He loves to smell all the ingredients, pour them into the bowl, and stir. Evidence of his stirring is seen in flour dusting on his chin in the photos. He kneels on the stool next to me on the island and waits for his turn to "help."<br />
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<b>Pumpkin Spice Cookies</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(I can't remember where I got this recipe)</i></span><br />
1-1/2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 eggs<br />
2-3/4 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1 package Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap Hershey Kisses and set aside.<br />
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.<br />
3. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.<br />
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually add to butter mixture. Mix until
just combined.<br />
6. Place rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on a parchment lined or sprayed cookie sheet. <br />
7. Bake 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey
Kiss into the center of the cookie. Move to a cooling rack to finish
cooling.<br />
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Run, don't walk, to the kitchen to make these. They are awesome. Seriously. I have a few uncooked in my freezer and it's taken all my willpower to not eat them all immediately.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030274552547152358.post-58961580653253882802012-10-06T11:18:00.000-05:002012-10-23T10:52:20.783-05:00Audrey - 10 monthsHappy 10 months, dear Audrey! She is inching closer and closer, literally and figuratively, to a year now and it's really catching me off guard.<br />
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The first few months, I wasn't completely convinced that Audrey wasn't switched at birth at the hospital. When I was pregnant, she was the craziest, liveliest little thing in my belly but was born and proceeded to sleep non-stop. It felt like I barely saw her awake for the first few months. But now there's no doubt in my mind that she's the same little girl that I was pregnant with. She is a wild thing!<br />
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She has boycotted naps. She still sleeps great during the night, about 12 hours non-stop, but refuses to quiet down and nap during the day. She currently takes about one 30-45 minute nap and <i>maybe </i>will fall asleep in the car on the way home at night, if she's really tired. I think she's afraid she'll miss something. She wants to be involved in everything and doesn't want to be left out. A few times she's fallen asleep in her highchair or just sitting on the floor, because she's so tired but will not let us put her in her crib. Such a change from the first few months.<br />
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Her little personality is really starting to shine through and she's a rascal! She's a total sweetheart - loves to be held most of the time, likes cuddles. She plays games with us, like tilting her head with a big smile and mimicking us. She gives us big smiles when she sees us. When I come into her daycare room, she whips her head around when she hears my voice, gives me a huge grin and comes racing over on her hands and knees to be picked up. She is a momma's girl, as much as she can be with her brother competing heavily for attention.<br />
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But she's also wild and crazy and becoming a determined little miss. She makes a beeline for Payton's bowls anytime she has the opportunity. Just like Barrett used to, she'll splash her hands in the water until we catch her and take them away. She goes after Barrett's toys with the same determination - will sneak up and snatch them and not want to let go. Barrett gets very upset "No, Audee, that's mine!" and I can't help but feel a little happy that she's so assertive. She's also 10 months going on 10 years. She wants to be with the big kids. She moved up to the next room in daycare and loves to follow all the kids around and play with whatever they have. She tries her best to keep up and looks so cute, tiny little thing, crawling around after them in her little dresses.<br />
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She is wearing size 2 diapers still but they are really becoming too small so we'll move up to 3s when we finish these. She's wearing size 12 month clothes.<br />
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The last of her top and bottom front teeth are coming in, bringing her teeth total to 8.<br />
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Her favorite things are: her brother, being held, Payton's bowls, grabbing noses, bouncing, when I hold her and we chase Barrett, dancing, and crawling away during diaper changes.<br />
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Her least favorite things: diaper changes, getting her nose wiped, having her hair rinsed during baths, and being put down for naps.<br />
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She's still more reserved in general than Barrett was with strangers. He was much more social and lively and Audrey is more self-contained. When strangers make googly eyes at her or smile, she just stares with a very serious expression. But those of us who know her can definitely bring a smile to her face quickly. Neck nibbling and cheek kissing are guaranteed to bring laughs. <br />
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Her eating continues to astonish me. She is such a little piggy these days and I love it! So far I haven't found too many solids that she's refused. She didn't care for kiwi or raw raspberries but has proceeded to wolf down everything else I give her - bread, cheese, soups, beans, pasta, pizza, pancakes, fruits - she eats it all.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">okay, I know food-on-the-face photos aren't everyone's favorite but I'm so thrilled with her eating, I must share! </td></tr>
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People are constantly telling me that she looks like a little doll, with her perfect skin, rosy cheeks and blue eyes. For me, words cannot adequately express how much I love my little girl. Pretty much every time I hold her, I'm still astonished at how beautiful she is, how fun she is and how much I love her. Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03521159543307722888noreply@blogger.com0