- Two healthy children
- A best friend who is always there for me via phone call or text message
- My parents who have gone above and beyond helping us out this year
- Our cozy little house with an awesome finished basement
- My dog who loves to cuddle with me every night no matter how many times I yell at him to stop barking during the day
- Dairy Queen Blizzards
- My Kindle application on my phone so I can read while up late at night with the girl
- My crock pot
- My Ergo which allows me to be hands free, but still hold my daughter who hates to be set down
- Hearing "Love you Mama!" from my little guy
- And lastly, but most certainly not least - I am thankful for my husband, who keeps me sane, reminds me what's most important in life and helps me see that things really aren't that bad.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
This year I am thankful for the following:
Monday, November 14, 2011
Cookie Baking
This weekend my parents came to stay with the kids and I while Uncas was up north hunting. Eddie has taken to calling my parents JoJo and Ron. (A little side note - whenever I am on the phone, Eddie assumes that it's JoJo . . . I guess I must talk to my mom a lot!)
My mom and I decided to attempt to do some cookie baking to get ready for the holidays. We used to take a weekend and bake and bake. We've made up to 7 or 8 different kinds of cookies in one weekend. Well, things are quite different now that you add two kids to the mix. We decided to just make cut-out cookies and we let Eddie help with the decorating. Eddie's really big into helping in the kitchen, so this was a perfect activity. We also got smart this time around. I had little tiny containers that we put sprinkles in for Eddie to use. It somewhat helped contain the mess. He had a great time and he loved eating the cookies too! While he tasted the sprinkles at one point, he really didn't try to eat them. I am really excited to share this tradition with him and can't wait to have Edith join us next year!
My mom and I decided to attempt to do some cookie baking to get ready for the holidays. We used to take a weekend and bake and bake. We've made up to 7 or 8 different kinds of cookies in one weekend. Well, things are quite different now that you add two kids to the mix. We decided to just make cut-out cookies and we let Eddie help with the decorating. Eddie's really big into helping in the kitchen, so this was a perfect activity. We also got smart this time around. I had little tiny containers that we put sprinkles in for Eddie to use. It somewhat helped contain the mess. He had a great time and he loved eating the cookies too! While he tasted the sprinkles at one point, he really didn't try to eat them. I am really excited to share this tradition with him and can't wait to have Edith join us next year!
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| Getting started |
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| Mama and Edie are helping |
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| JoJo helping Eddie |
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| Eddie's tray |
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| Inspecting the cookies |
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| Tasting the finished product - yum! |
Monday, October 31, 2011
4 months
Wow - happy four months Edith! Before typing up this post, I checked what Eddie had been up to when he was 4 months. It's amazing how quickly you forget things when your kids are this age. I was surprised that some of the things were very similar. You always hear that every baby is different and that has definitely been true for us, but not with everything! Ok - on with the recap:
Sleep - ugh - this one really sucks. It has continued to get worse and worse. Even with the reflux diagnosis, we still seem to be getting up with her at least 4 times a night, but usually more. Honestly, most nights I can not remember how many times we have gotten up. We've had a few "good" nights in a row meaning we only got up 2 or 3 times! We are hopeful that one day it will get better and we are continuing to try new things to work through this.
Eating - not much to report here. Still nursing. We haven't tried giving her a bottle this month, so maybe she'll take one, but who knows. She eats every 2-3 hours during the day. At night I typically only feed her twice (even though she wakes up more than that). We are working on getting the reflux under control.
Teething - yes - she has started teething already. I can see a couple of white spots on her bottom gums, but I think it's going to be a little bit before they come through - poor thing. She likes to chew on her fingers and is starting to grab toys to gnaw on. Today I caught her grabbing the collar of her onesies and gnawing on that!
Playing - Edith is starting to grab toys and sometimes bring them to her mouth. She loves to kick. Toys, Eddie, Sammy, in the water . . . it's really pretty cute. Eddie kicked a lot, but Edith tends to be more deliberate. Hands down two of Edith's most favorite things are Eddie and Sammy. She loves watching both of them. Sammy seems to intrigue her - she will stare and stare at him. Eddie makes her smile and laugh. She loves watching him and he likes to interact with her. As a result, she will laugh for him more than for anyone else. She likes to be around people and often fusses if left alone. She also likes to be held and often fusses when I put her in the bouncy seat or in the pack 'n play. I have learned that after a minute, she'll usually calm down - but honestly, I can't hold all day long!
Other - this month you rolled over from your back to your belly. You did it for a few days and now you don't do it. Eddie was the same way, so I guess that's just how you guys roll (hah! pun intended!) You still like to talk - a lot. It's funny and now Eddie likes to "talk" back to you which makes you talk and laugh even more! Your eyes are still blue. Eddie's eyes started changing by this point, so maybe you'll keep those baby blues . . . time will tell.
We were away this weekend, so this post is a day late. I'm hoping to get her 4 month appointment this week, so I'll have stats then. Here are the monthly pictures taken by Daddy this time!
Sleep - ugh - this one really sucks. It has continued to get worse and worse. Even with the reflux diagnosis, we still seem to be getting up with her at least 4 times a night, but usually more. Honestly, most nights I can not remember how many times we have gotten up. We've had a few "good" nights in a row meaning we only got up 2 or 3 times! We are hopeful that one day it will get better and we are continuing to try new things to work through this.
Eating - not much to report here. Still nursing. We haven't tried giving her a bottle this month, so maybe she'll take one, but who knows. She eats every 2-3 hours during the day. At night I typically only feed her twice (even though she wakes up more than that). We are working on getting the reflux under control.
Teething - yes - she has started teething already. I can see a couple of white spots on her bottom gums, but I think it's going to be a little bit before they come through - poor thing. She likes to chew on her fingers and is starting to grab toys to gnaw on. Today I caught her grabbing the collar of her onesies and gnawing on that!
Playing - Edith is starting to grab toys and sometimes bring them to her mouth. She loves to kick. Toys, Eddie, Sammy, in the water . . . it's really pretty cute. Eddie kicked a lot, but Edith tends to be more deliberate. Hands down two of Edith's most favorite things are Eddie and Sammy. She loves watching both of them. Sammy seems to intrigue her - she will stare and stare at him. Eddie makes her smile and laugh. She loves watching him and he likes to interact with her. As a result, she will laugh for him more than for anyone else. She likes to be around people and often fusses if left alone. She also likes to be held and often fusses when I put her in the bouncy seat or in the pack 'n play. I have learned that after a minute, she'll usually calm down - but honestly, I can't hold all day long!
Other - this month you rolled over from your back to your belly. You did it for a few days and now you don't do it. Eddie was the same way, so I guess that's just how you guys roll (hah! pun intended!) You still like to talk - a lot. It's funny and now Eddie likes to "talk" back to you which makes you talk and laugh even more! Your eyes are still blue. Eddie's eyes started changing by this point, so maybe you'll keep those baby blues . . . time will tell.
We were away this weekend, so this post is a day late. I'm hoping to get her 4 month appointment this week, so I'll have stats then. Here are the monthly pictures taken by Daddy this time!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Pictures
This month has been exhausting. Poor Little Girl has been diagnosed with acid reflux. We discovered this after taking her to the doctor because her sleeping has become so poor. Remember how she used to sleep for 6-8 hours at night? It hasn't been the case for 2 months! And it's because of the reflux. She has the "silent" kind which means she doesn't spit up, so I really had no idea. She is on Zantac which is helping, but I think she has forgotten how to sleep for long stretches. She also doesn't nap longer than 45 minutes during the day. Sometimes it's only 30 minutes and sometimes it's an hour (very rare). It's an adjustment and often the kids are napping on opposite schedules. It makes for some very tiring days. As a result, we don't do a whole lot and we are in bed early every night.
Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.
Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Long Week
This past week was one of the toughest our family has ever had to go through and hopefully we won't have to go through something like this again for a long, long time. Last Thursday night (Oct. 6) Uncas received a phone call from his dad and Uncas learned that his mom passed away. We were shocked. It seemed completely surreal - it still does. Rita was only 61 years and while she had been fighting the flu during the week, nothing indicated that this would happen. She had an aneurysm in stomach and died before she even made it to the hospital.
The week was spent up in Duluth and we were surrounded by lots of family and friends. It was so incredible to see how many people Rita touched - through her work and her hobbies. She was truly a remarkable person. So many of her co-workers - past and present spoke of what a great mentor she was, talked about her upbeat, can-do attitude and always willing to give. Members of the Fiber Guild which Rita was very active in talked about how creative Rita was and how committed and organized she was within the Guild.
Rita was my mother-in-law. From the first time I met her, she welcomed me into the family with open arms and her bright smile. I was amazed at her talent for weaving. Her patience and persistence with the hobby was truly inspiring. I have many items which she made for me over the years - towels, scarves, home decorations, ornaments, and my personal favorite the shawl that I wore on my wedding day. She also made baby blankets for each of our kids. In fact, the last thing that she completed for us was Edith's baby blanket . . . She also knit and we have many hats, gloves, and socks from her.
She was a great cook and baker. During the first year we were married, Rita taught me how to make pie crust from scratch. She was a patient teacher and made it so easy. I have many recipes from her including Uncas's favorite birthday cake and the recipe that I use to make sweet rolls. Of course Rita herself couldn't eat gluten or refined sugar, but that didn't stop her from baking or cooking. She made things that for the rest of us and attempted to make things for herself to eat as well. Sometimes they turned out pretty good and sometimes we knew we would never be eating that again! But what's so great is that she was able to laugh at the failed attempts and she would just try again.
This summer we were able to see Rita a lot. She baby-sat a few times for us. One day before Edith was due, she came and stayed with us for the day to give me a much needed break. And after Edith was born, she came and stayed with us a whole week. She loved spending time with the kids. A couple of times Uncas took Eddie to Duluth with him and each time Rita typed up a little story, complete with pictures about Eddie's adventure. I know she couldn't wait to do the same with Edith.
Rita never sat still. She was always doing something. She was willing to pitch in and help with anything. She loved her family so much. The last time I saw Rita was a week before she died. She was in the Cities getting her car repaired and stopped by the house to see the kids. She held Edith so I could get some cleaning done and helped give Eddie his lunch. It was a short trip, but I know she enjoyed the time with the kids. She loved seeing Edith smile and she was amazed at Eddie's vocabulary. We were making plans for Edith's baptism, which would be the next time we would see each. I remember commenting on her hair - she had recently got it cut and it looked really good. I remember saying good-bye and watching her walk down the drive-way. I can't believe that she won't be coming here to visit again.
While I am sad that I won't see her again, and my heart aches that our kids will not remember or get to know their Grandma Rita. I hope we can keep her memory alive by telling the kids stories about her, sharing photos and giving them the things that she made. She was a special person. Some days/moments are harder than others. I hope I've been able to convey what a special person she was. She will truly be missed.
The week was spent up in Duluth and we were surrounded by lots of family and friends. It was so incredible to see how many people Rita touched - through her work and her hobbies. She was truly a remarkable person. So many of her co-workers - past and present spoke of what a great mentor she was, talked about her upbeat, can-do attitude and always willing to give. Members of the Fiber Guild which Rita was very active in talked about how creative Rita was and how committed and organized she was within the Guild.
Rita was my mother-in-law. From the first time I met her, she welcomed me into the family with open arms and her bright smile. I was amazed at her talent for weaving. Her patience and persistence with the hobby was truly inspiring. I have many items which she made for me over the years - towels, scarves, home decorations, ornaments, and my personal favorite the shawl that I wore on my wedding day. She also made baby blankets for each of our kids. In fact, the last thing that she completed for us was Edith's baby blanket . . . She also knit and we have many hats, gloves, and socks from her.
She was a great cook and baker. During the first year we were married, Rita taught me how to make pie crust from scratch. She was a patient teacher and made it so easy. I have many recipes from her including Uncas's favorite birthday cake and the recipe that I use to make sweet rolls. Of course Rita herself couldn't eat gluten or refined sugar, but that didn't stop her from baking or cooking. She made things that for the rest of us and attempted to make things for herself to eat as well. Sometimes they turned out pretty good and sometimes we knew we would never be eating that again! But what's so great is that she was able to laugh at the failed attempts and she would just try again.
This summer we were able to see Rita a lot. She baby-sat a few times for us. One day before Edith was due, she came and stayed with us for the day to give me a much needed break. And after Edith was born, she came and stayed with us a whole week. She loved spending time with the kids. A couple of times Uncas took Eddie to Duluth with him and each time Rita typed up a little story, complete with pictures about Eddie's adventure. I know she couldn't wait to do the same with Edith.
Rita never sat still. She was always doing something. She was willing to pitch in and help with anything. She loved her family so much. The last time I saw Rita was a week before she died. She was in the Cities getting her car repaired and stopped by the house to see the kids. She held Edith so I could get some cleaning done and helped give Eddie his lunch. It was a short trip, but I know she enjoyed the time with the kids. She loved seeing Edith smile and she was amazed at Eddie's vocabulary. We were making plans for Edith's baptism, which would be the next time we would see each. I remember commenting on her hair - she had recently got it cut and it looked really good. I remember saying good-bye and watching her walk down the drive-way. I can't believe that she won't be coming here to visit again.
While I am sad that I won't see her again, and my heart aches that our kids will not remember or get to know their Grandma Rita. I hope we can keep her memory alive by telling the kids stories about her, sharing photos and giving them the things that she made. She was a special person. Some days/moments are harder than others. I hope I've been able to convey what a special person she was. She will truly be missed.
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| Meeting Edith for the first time |
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| Happy Grandma (and Grandpa) |
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| Rita in the middle at baby shower for her first grandchild |
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| Rita with her mom, daughter and granddaughter |
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| Baby blanket made for Edith |
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| Baby blanket she made for Eddie |
Monday, October 3, 2011
Best Friend
This weekend my best friend, Lisa, came to visit me. It was her first time meeting Edith, and she hadn't seen Eddie since he was very young. Lisa recently moved back to the midwest after living in Seattle for a few years. It's great to have her in the same time zone and just a few hour car ride away. She drove up on Friday night. We chatted, but not too late (we're both mamas to young kids).
Saturday we spent much of the day decorating cookies. She recently learned how to frost cookies, so they look like ones from the bakery. I was eager to learn how to frost cookies like that too, so she helped. They turned out so well. We also took a new picture for our baking blog.
Saturday night we had our friend from grade school, who also happens to live in the Twin Cities, over for dinner. It was so fun to catch up and talk about the old days. Our friend was running a race on Sunday, so once again we called it an early night.
Sunday we hung out, and went on a search for caramel brownies with sea salt. We were successful and they were to die for! And then suddenly it was time for her to leave :-( The weekend went by way to fast, but I know that I will see her again soon!
I didn't take too many pictures, but here are a few:
Saturday we spent much of the day decorating cookies. She recently learned how to frost cookies, so they look like ones from the bakery. I was eager to learn how to frost cookies like that too, so she helped. They turned out so well. We also took a new picture for our baking blog.
Saturday night we had our friend from grade school, who also happens to live in the Twin Cities, over for dinner. It was so fun to catch up and talk about the old days. Our friend was running a race on Sunday, so once again we called it an early night.
Sunday we hung out, and went on a search for caramel brownies with sea salt. We were successful and they were to die for! And then suddenly it was time for her to leave :-( The weekend went by way to fast, but I know that I will see her again soon!
I didn't take too many pictures, but here are a few:
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| Working hard on the cookies |
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| Pretty cookies! |
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| Best Friends Baking |
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| Lisa with Edith |
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| Lisa with Eddie |
Sunday, October 2, 2011
3 Months - Full Update
It's been a great, but busy weekend. I'm a little late with this full update, but I wanted to make sure to get it documented. It's really hard to believe that Edith is already 3 months old! She's officially no longer a newborn, which seems a little strange. Although when I look at her, I notice how much older she already looks! Here we go for a recap:
Eating - there's not much change here. She is still nursing and she doesn't take a bottle. To be honest, we haven't tried to give her a bottle for a few weeks now. I suppose we should try again, but most days it's just easier to nurse instead of taking the time to try and prepare one.
Sleeping - I wish I could say that things are getting better in this area. Unfortunately she seems to have regressed big time. She tends to get up several times at night. There have been a few nights that Uncas and I try and piece together how many times she got up and who got up with her and we literally have no idea! I'm hoping this will change soon and she'll get back to sleeping longer stretches. Her naps during the day aren't very long either. It's a little frustrating, because it's a lot harder when you have an 18 month old around. I can't leave Eddie alone while trying to get Edith sleeping. Who knows what he would get into! So, we are doing are best and I just hope that we aren't screwing her up too much!
Playing - Edith is starting to smile more and more. She loves chewing on her hands. So much so, that I wonder if she isn't already starting to teeth. She is drooling a lot - more than Eddie ever did. She also rolled over once from her belly to her back. I wasn't around, but Uncas was witness. She hasn't done it again since. She isn't a huge fan of tummy time, but I usually try to do it when Eddie is around because he thinks it's fun to do it with her. She likes to be surrounded by us. Often during the day she doesn't like to be put down and will fuss if I do. Usually when we eat dinner, Uncas ends up holding her and she seems to be content to be apart of the family. She is also talking and cooing more and more. It's really funny. I think she is more vocal because she is a girl.
In some ways things are starting to get "easier". I know we still have a long way to go, but the routine of having two kids is starting to improve. I love seeing the differences in personalities of our two children. Edith may not be as quick to smile, but when she does, her whole face lights up and it truly melts my heart. The other most significant difference is her rolls! She is a big baby and I love the rolls on her legs - they are so adorable! And her chubby cheeks! I love kissing them!
Here are more 3 month pictures:
Eating - there's not much change here. She is still nursing and she doesn't take a bottle. To be honest, we haven't tried to give her a bottle for a few weeks now. I suppose we should try again, but most days it's just easier to nurse instead of taking the time to try and prepare one.
Sleeping - I wish I could say that things are getting better in this area. Unfortunately she seems to have regressed big time. She tends to get up several times at night. There have been a few nights that Uncas and I try and piece together how many times she got up and who got up with her and we literally have no idea! I'm hoping this will change soon and she'll get back to sleeping longer stretches. Her naps during the day aren't very long either. It's a little frustrating, because it's a lot harder when you have an 18 month old around. I can't leave Eddie alone while trying to get Edith sleeping. Who knows what he would get into! So, we are doing are best and I just hope that we aren't screwing her up too much!
Playing - Edith is starting to smile more and more. She loves chewing on her hands. So much so, that I wonder if she isn't already starting to teeth. She is drooling a lot - more than Eddie ever did. She also rolled over once from her belly to her back. I wasn't around, but Uncas was witness. She hasn't done it again since. She isn't a huge fan of tummy time, but I usually try to do it when Eddie is around because he thinks it's fun to do it with her. She likes to be surrounded by us. Often during the day she doesn't like to be put down and will fuss if I do. Usually when we eat dinner, Uncas ends up holding her and she seems to be content to be apart of the family. She is also talking and cooing more and more. It's really funny. I think she is more vocal because she is a girl.
In some ways things are starting to get "easier". I know we still have a long way to go, but the routine of having two kids is starting to improve. I love seeing the differences in personalities of our two children. Edith may not be as quick to smile, but when she does, her whole face lights up and it truly melts my heart. The other most significant difference is her rolls! She is a big baby and I love the rolls on her legs - they are so adorable! And her chubby cheeks! I love kissing them!
Here are more 3 month pictures:
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| Big Smile (taken the day before her 3 month ones) |
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| "Mom, I'm thinking!" |
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| Eddie playing with Edith's zipper on her vest |
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| Eddie stealing the whale |
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| Edith getting squashed by Eddie |
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| Ok - I think we are done here . . . although Edith doesn't seem to mind |
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