Two Months Old

Sweet Adrienne is two months old today! She is such a bundle of snuggles, and it is safe to say that we all are in love with her. I still feel like my brain is mush, courtesy of fatigue and general mommyness, but I'm going to do my best to summarize our two month old. Adrienne....

....is becoming a social butterfly, and can really "talk" up a storm. I can just be standing near her and she starts "chatting", working to get my attention. Matt and I were trying to watch a show the other night as I was holding her and she was certainly doing her best to keep my eyes fixed on her. It is impossible to resist her grin and soft coos.

....is a busy baby. When she is awake, she is quite active and can really move and shake her arms and legs.Now I know what she was doing in the womb the whole time she was in there, and it certainly explains why I felt like she was ALWAYS moving.

...is strong. She can hold her head up well and can bear some weight through her legs. During tummy time she makes crazy crawling movements and can lift her head briefly. Matt keeps trying to make the case that she is ready for the Bumbo seat, but this OT mom says she is not.

...is a wild woman in the evenings. I think she just decides to maximize the attention of mom and dad once Jillian is in bed. Like clockwork, Adrienne becomes very unsettled and almost agitated around 7-8 p.m. and doesn't stop moving, fussing, or wanting to nurse until she falls asleep somewhere between 10 and 11. Truth be told, it is pretty exhausting at a time of day that we are ready to wind down.

....is pretty good at going with the flow. I can generally count on her to fall asleep in her car seat if we are out or need to leave the house. We will see if she can hang with the schedule once Jillian starts preschool and we resume other extra curricular activities next week. 

...is a growing girl! She had her two month visit with Dr. V this morning and she is now 11 lbs 13 oz (74%) and 23 1/2 inches (85%). Her head circumference falls in the 75th percentile. While at said Dr appt, we also decided to do a trial of Zantac to see if that helps ease some perceived discomfort surrounding her excessive spitting up. She continues to have this nagging case of thrush (that doesn't seem to cause her any problems), so we continue with treatment and were reminded by Dr. V that time is on our side with this little issue.

...is starting to sleep for longer periods at night. I can usually count on about a 5 hour stretch (10ish to 3ish), but sometimes get lucky and get 6. On two occasions in the last 2 weeks I've gotten 7--woo hoo! Hopefully she will continue to stretch it out. Everyone benefits when momma is well-rested!

...got 3 shots an an oral vaccine at her Dr. appt this morning. She wailed briefly and settled quickly, doing much better than I expected based on my experience with Jillian's 2 month shots. I remembered taking a picture of Jillian sporting her bandaids after the appt, so I did so of Adrienne as well. She has been very sensitive and fussy tonight post-shots, so she didn't quite appreciate my picture taking desire. Poor baby.

Just for fun...here is that shot of Jillian I just mentioned

A happier baby, talking to her big sister and Daddy, as they did their best to kiss away her boo-boos

Adrienne, you are a wonderful and absolutely beautiful baby. What did we ever do without you?

Savoring Summer

We are doing our best to soak up these last few days of summer. I can't help but feel a sense of dread when I think about what is to come. It makes it hard to enjoy all the wonderful parts of Fall's arrival when I know that Winter will arrive too soon and stay too long for my liking. My current strategy is to pretend that it won't happen. So today, we met some friends for a picnic lunch and play time at a local park. Jillian loved the car and train structures at this particular park

After sufficient exploration, it was time to head home for nap. Jillian and Malea decided to check out this statue for a bit on the way to the parking lot.

Both girls now understand basic parking lot safety, and agreed to hold hands. If this isn't cute, I'm not sure what is!

I had to include this picture as an aside. Jillian seems to have an affinity for nose picking these days. I am pretty sure I ask her to remove her finger from her nose about 75 times per day, and I have a heck of a time taking a picture where her finger is NOT in her nose right  now.

A sweet hug goodbye

 

Just in case you were wondering what the little sisters did to amuse themselves while their big sisters pounced around the park--here is a shot of Emmy and Adrienne. Your time will come soon enough, little ones! 

 

Road Trip

On Friday, we loaded up and ventured out on our very first road trip as a family of four. We drove to Grandma Helen's house in Columbus Junction, Iowa to introduce Adrienne to most of the Howe family (we missed you, Angela and Uncle Kent!). Matt and I both had nasty colds, and we began the trip as two sick parents, a screaming baby, and a 2 1/2 year old refusing to nap. After about 20 minutes, things in the backseat settled and both girls napped away for nearly 3 hours. We stopped once just south of Cedar Rapids at a rest stop so that I could feed Adrienne and Jillian could run around, and made it to Grandma Helen's house just in time for dinner. I was shocked to wake the next morning and discover that Adrienne had slept all night (10:30-5:30), and pleased that Jillian hadn't put up much of a fuss about going to bed, either. I also discovered this tuckered out guy....

Jillian quickly bonded with Aunt Diana (visiting from Colorado), and quickly declared to her, "you are my new best friend!" She kindly watched over both girls so I could shower on Saturday morning.

Grandpa and Debbie traveled from Kansas City to meet A, and both got in their fair share of snuggles.

My best shot at a four generation picture...Great Grandma Helen, Grandpa, Daddy, and the girls

Jillian enjoyed lots of fun activities during our visit. Here she tries her hand at walking Grandma Helen's dog, Abbie.

Daddy and Grandpa took her to a spot where both spent lots of time fishing and playing in years past. Jillian loved the chance to wade and try her hand at fishing with her Dora pole in the Iowa River.

Jillian also enjoyed a surprise early birthday party for Mommy. She was excited to come upstairs shouting, "We have a birthday cake!" after dinner on Saturday evening. She giggled as everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me. We all enjoyed the yummy cake, and I was touched by the surprise.

We had another successful trip today, with only 1 stop for gas/lunch/bathroom break and made it home in just under 5 hours (about an hour longer than it took us pre-Adrienne). Not too bad for a first attempt!

Play Themes

Jillian seems fascinated by all things pertaining to school these days. She is now able to play alone in her room for short periods of time without direct supervision, and I love listening to her through the monitor. On one occasion I heard her reading her animals a story, referring to them as "kids" and to herself as "the teacher". Today, I entered her room and observed her carrying out another school scenario, this time using her Little People. She beamed as she told me that she needed more chairs for the kids (there are only 2 actual Little People chairs in her collection), so she just used blocks. I looked down and noticed she had brilliantly turned round Lego blocks upside down and created the perfect "chair" for the remaining kids in her "class". That is improvisation at it's best, folks. Perhaps she has a future as an OT??? I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pictures.

Thrown Together

Truly, that is how I feel: thrown together. I think that description applies to most everything right now. It is not how I prefer to operate at all, but it is our reality right now. Meals are thrown together at lightning speed when I get a rare few minutes to use both hands. Half-folded laundry is basically thrown into drawers. Mail/bills/paperwork are thrown into a semi-neat pile on the counter, rather than filed away appropriately. I race to shower at night, rarely taking time to shave my legs or enjoy being completely alone as I hear Adrienne fussing  in her crib, or Jillian kicking against her bedroom door in bedtime protest. It is a scramble to throw some pathetic looking puke-stained mommy clothes on in the morning, whisk my disheveled hair back in a ponytail, and brush my teeth. By the time we leave the house for whatever activity is on the books, I feel as though I've run a marathon as we take our thrown together selves and pile in the car. The disorganization is enough to drive me batty, and occasionally to tears (I think a good emotional release is necessary now and then to reset). God is surely trying to remind me, through motherhood and its challenges, that I am not really in control so I might as well find joy in our chaos. Our home flows much more smoothly when I am able to do so. I digress.....
So, here I am, simply "throwing together" a blog post that will bring you up to date on the lives of our little ladies. If nothing else, at least I am consistent!

Adrienne is so interactive. She smiles readily, and has really ramped up the cooing. It is absolutely precious, and I love how she flares her nostrils as she works to "talk". I have some great videos of her doing so, but it seems the videos that I take on my new camera are too high def to be uploaded in a timely fashion. I need to figure out how to compress them so that I can share, but that is a project for another day. You'll just have to take my word for it and enjoy this shot of the girls smiling at each other.

 I caught Adrienne mid-coo here...or perhaps she is just trying to tell her big sister off??

We had a playdate at Isaac's house early last week to catch up with our friends Lauren and Katie, who moved to Nebraska last summer. Jillian had fun playing with Isaac, Malea, and Lauren while the moms enjoyed catching up, too. Jillian, Malea, and Isaac all have younger siblings now who are close in age as well. I experienced a bit of deja vu as I snapped this pic of Adrienne, Luke, and Emmy "playing" just as their older siblings did as infants.

 In preparation for the beginning of preschool (and let's be honest: to give me a break), Jillian has been going to Mayo Back-Up Daycare this month one time per week. Mayo Back-Up is a lovely little benefit for all Mayo employees, who can use up to 20 days/year of childcare for a very minimal fee. Now that Jillian has reached the ripe old age of 33 months, she can attend the preschool room which provides more structure and education within the activities. Yesterday, she came home telling me about a taste testing activity in which the kids tasted/compared a pretzel, lemon slice, and a Hershey's kiss. I'm sure you can imagine which one Jillian preferred. Last week she was very proud of the picture she created that was intended to be a representation of what she wants to be when she grows up. I was definitely not surprised by her choice.

 As we were driving home, she started shaking a paper she was holding at me and soon commanded, "Mom, take this paper, look at it, and say wow!" She was very proud of her drawing that depicted "grapes and stripes" apparently. I cannot wait for all the projects she will bring home from preschool. Her wheels are always turning, so there's bound to be some entertaining creations coming our way.

 The big event of last weekend was a visit from Aunt Mal and Uncle John. They came from Kansas City to meet Adrienne and get a Jilly fix. Aunt Mal spoiled A by holding her non-stop. This has led to Adrienne being a rather unhappy camper this week unless held. (I cannot wait for Aunt Mal to have a baby so I can return that "favor").

 While Daddy and Uncle John went to Minneapolis to compete in a triathlon, we had a leisurely girls morning that included breakfast at Panera,a trip to Target, and pedicures at home. Jillian was very excited about the sparkle nail polish she selected at Target and sat relatively still for the process

Aunt Mal and her nieces

Jillian is a big fan of Uncle John. The two really get along great, and John is fantastic at entertaining her. It is true that I'd love to hire him as my "manny". Just before they left on Monday morning, Jillian listened intently as Uncle John told her the story of the boy who cried wolf in an attempt to get her to understand that she doesn't have to be so dramatic about everything. Unfortunately, the lesson didn't stick, and the drama continues!

You wouldn't know it by this picture, but the girls truly enjoyed their visit. Thanks for coming, Aunt Mal and Uncle John!

And there you have it--the most random and thrown together post in the history of this blog. The End.

Sweet Tooth

I think it's safe to say that Jillian inherited my sweet tooth. She barely sits down to any meal before asking, "Can I have a treat?" I have probably conditioned her to do this, as I have so wrongly often bribed her with one to get her to try a new food (this goes against every professional belief I have about feeding...but when it's your own kid you can't seem to stick to your rules!). In any case, she loves desserts of most any kind as long as chocolate is involved (heaven forbid she enjoy any kind of fruit dessert...that would border on actually consuming something healthy!). On Saturday, we went to a birthday party for her friend, Jayson. She was like a  moth to a flame as she immediately found the table that held M&M's, chocolate chip cookies, and suckers. After sampling each of those treats, she was given a fruit juice bar to help her cool off during play in the warm afternoon. She has never enjoyed popsicles before, but perhaps the social pressure led her to cave. You can tell by her expression in this photo that she clearly changed her tune.

We had to leave the party before cake was served due to Matt being on call, but we did not escape without our treats--3 cupcakes with mounds of brightly colored frosting. Jillian quietly left the party without the Navy Seal-type extraction Matt anticipated due to being promised the enjoyment of one of said cupcakes upon our return home. She was in heaven.

Staying true to form, I of course ate my cupcake (sans frosting), but Matt so graciously saved his blue-frosted cupcake for Jillian to enjoy last night. A post-dinner cupcake two nights in a row...what more could a 2 year old dessert fanatic ask for??? I'll tell you what her mom would ask for--a clean up crew!!

Perhaps it's difficult to see, but look closely for the tiny chocolate brown crumbles all over the floor, the table, her booster seat, clothes, and inside her bib!

I suppose it's all worth it in the name of some good, messy, sweet fun--yum yum!

And on a side note--check out this little girl's killer curls!

Grandma and Pop Pop

We were so excited to have Grandma and Pop Pop here for 9 wonderful days! They came all the way from Maryland, and we so enjoyed their stay. Jillian especially loved her time on the deck with them in the mornings, and watching Veggie Tales together. It was hard to see them go today, but we are hoping to see them again soon. (FYI, Grandma: Jillian told me "My grandma is coming back for my birthday!" about 8 times since you've left....she's obviously got an expectation there!) We all love you both very much!

Morning conversations between Grandma and A

Three generations (minus Jillian, who refused to cooperate). I love how Adrienne is smiling at her daddy!

Semi-cooperative J with Grandma and Pop Pop

Cooing at Grandma

Two lovely ladies!