Before:
After:
09/07/26
3 days ago
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Too Grown Up
There is something about a baby's unkempt hair that makes them look so young. Well, June will no longer be pestered by food in her bangs or mommy forcing bows into her hair (which always lasted about 10 seconds before being ripped out by curious little fingers). She has recieved her first hair cut today. I just could not stand all that hair hanging in her eyes anymore! But now that I look at her, I wonder if I made a mistake. Sure this is a very practical solution, and those pesky locks will drive neither of us nuts anymore. But it appears with a couple of snips of the sissors, that my baby June has been transformed into a little girl. Tear.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Brother & Baby Sister
A quick photoshoot with Lincoln & his littlest sister this morning. Lincoln was underwhelmed, but a good sport. Roxy smiled up at Lincoln the whole time, she loved it!
Monday, May 23, 2011
New House!
We closed on our new house & lot!! Yay!!
Sometime during the spring of next year we should be able to move into our new custom built home!! :D :D :D
Sometime during the spring of next year we should be able to move into our new custom built home!! :D :D :D
Friday, May 20, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Why Being a Toddler is Hard
Why Being a Toddler is Hard
The real reason for those tantrums and meltdowns
By Melissa Sher | May 5, 2011
One morning, my then one-and-a-half-year-old son unlocked the child-safety latch of our bottom bathroom drawer. Upon finding my makeup, he began breathing heavily with excitement and staggering around. What a haul! What loot! Imagine his disappointment when, just as he was about to pry the shiny cap off a red lipstick, I picked him up and carried him out of the bathroom. I didn’t congratulate him on his discovery. I didn’t point him in the direction of the hallway’s white walls and say, “My home is your canvas. Go forth and create.” Instead, I ruined everything.
Before I had children, when I’d go to the grocery store and see a little kid in the cereal aisle screaming and crying, I’d shake my head. Why was it that every time I saw a toddler, he or she was throwing some kind of fit? What could be so difficult about spending the day playing, napping, and eating? Now, after living among their kind, I should apologize. Not to you, but to them. Here’s the sad truth: for toddlers, the world is a rough place full of squelched mysteries, restrained freedoms, and nonsensical commands. I think I’d rather be fourteen again than be a toddler.
What does an old, forgotten Goldfish cracker from the bottom of a car seat taste like? What kind of pattern does yogurt make when it splatters onto the floor? What sound do cookbook pages make as they are torn in half? These and many other great discoveries are often stopped by us, the big people in our toddlers’ lives.
How frustrating! What must it be like to get stopped by a security guard time and time again? To be constantly redirected and rerouted as you tried to go about your day, without an understanding of what you had done wrong? What if you sat down to read the newspaper and drink your coffee when suddenly — out of nowhere — some giant swooped down and plopped you in front of a pile of plastic blocks? You bet you’d protest. You’d holler your tush off.
So what’s the reward for a toddler’s natural curiosity? A little freedom and encouragement? No, just the opposite. Oppression! We pin them to furniture all day long: the stroller, the car seat, the high chair. All of the straps! All of the restraints! How maddening it must be to sit, captive, in front of a tray covered with food you can’t identify or don’t remember liking. No wonder it’s so often tossed to the floor.
And does anyone like being forced to perform for strangers? “Blow a kiss. Clap your hands. Wave ‘bye bye.’ Give Aunt Lisa a high five. Touch your nose. No, not your toes … your nose. Okay, now touch your toes. Blow another kiss. Let’s turn on some music. Dance. Dance!”
Do I need to even mention the language barrier? How much can these chubby-cheeked kids actually understand? Twenty percent? Thirty percent? Two percent? They don’t really understand us. We don’t really understand them. Every day must feel like an endless, torturous game of The $100,000 Pyramid. Anyone can see how badly toddlers want to communicate with the outside world. Does a day go by without a toddler picking up some object and holding it to his or her ear like a telephone? “Lo! Lo! Lo!” my son used to yell into a toy truck. Who was he calling? Was he trying to get help?
Of course, in the end, we parents still have to be the bad cop again and again — and again. Toddlers have to eat. They have to sleep. They can’t run into the street every time they notice an open door or scribble with indelible green marker all over the sofa. But I just want the record to reflect that I feel for them. And, in about fifty or so years, I want the toddlers of today to remember my solidarity with their cause and please treat me with care.
An article borrowed from: http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-behavior-learning/real-reasons-toddlers-tantrum
After reading this it really makes me think about why June behaves the way she does so often. Poor girlie, it must be so frustrating to be told "no" over and over, and not understand why. I hope she forgives me someday. ;)
The real reason for those tantrums and meltdowns
By Melissa Sher | May 5, 2011
One morning, my then one-and-a-half-year-old son unlocked the child-safety latch of our bottom bathroom drawer. Upon finding my makeup, he began breathing heavily with excitement and staggering around. What a haul! What loot! Imagine his disappointment when, just as he was about to pry the shiny cap off a red lipstick, I picked him up and carried him out of the bathroom. I didn’t congratulate him on his discovery. I didn’t point him in the direction of the hallway’s white walls and say, “My home is your canvas. Go forth and create.” Instead, I ruined everything.
Before I had children, when I’d go to the grocery store and see a little kid in the cereal aisle screaming and crying, I’d shake my head. Why was it that every time I saw a toddler, he or she was throwing some kind of fit? What could be so difficult about spending the day playing, napping, and eating? Now, after living among their kind, I should apologize. Not to you, but to them. Here’s the sad truth: for toddlers, the world is a rough place full of squelched mysteries, restrained freedoms, and nonsensical commands. I think I’d rather be fourteen again than be a toddler.
What does an old, forgotten Goldfish cracker from the bottom of a car seat taste like? What kind of pattern does yogurt make when it splatters onto the floor? What sound do cookbook pages make as they are torn in half? These and many other great discoveries are often stopped by us, the big people in our toddlers’ lives.
How frustrating! What must it be like to get stopped by a security guard time and time again? To be constantly redirected and rerouted as you tried to go about your day, without an understanding of what you had done wrong? What if you sat down to read the newspaper and drink your coffee when suddenly — out of nowhere — some giant swooped down and plopped you in front of a pile of plastic blocks? You bet you’d protest. You’d holler your tush off.
So what’s the reward for a toddler’s natural curiosity? A little freedom and encouragement? No, just the opposite. Oppression! We pin them to furniture all day long: the stroller, the car seat, the high chair. All of the straps! All of the restraints! How maddening it must be to sit, captive, in front of a tray covered with food you can’t identify or don’t remember liking. No wonder it’s so often tossed to the floor.
And does anyone like being forced to perform for strangers? “Blow a kiss. Clap your hands. Wave ‘bye bye.’ Give Aunt Lisa a high five. Touch your nose. No, not your toes … your nose. Okay, now touch your toes. Blow another kiss. Let’s turn on some music. Dance. Dance!”
Do I need to even mention the language barrier? How much can these chubby-cheeked kids actually understand? Twenty percent? Thirty percent? Two percent? They don’t really understand us. We don’t really understand them. Every day must feel like an endless, torturous game of The $100,000 Pyramid. Anyone can see how badly toddlers want to communicate with the outside world. Does a day go by without a toddler picking up some object and holding it to his or her ear like a telephone? “Lo! Lo! Lo!” my son used to yell into a toy truck. Who was he calling? Was he trying to get help?
Of course, in the end, we parents still have to be the bad cop again and again — and again. Toddlers have to eat. They have to sleep. They can’t run into the street every time they notice an open door or scribble with indelible green marker all over the sofa. But I just want the record to reflect that I feel for them. And, in about fifty or so years, I want the toddlers of today to remember my solidarity with their cause and please treat me with care.
An article borrowed from: http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-behavior-learning/real-reasons-toddlers-tantrum
After reading this it really makes me think about why June behaves the way she does so often. Poor girlie, it must be so frustrating to be told "no" over and over, and not understand why. I hope she forgives me someday. ;)
Friday, May 13, 2011
My Pretty Mini
Is Smiling!
I love those newborn grins. They make the nighttime wakings much more bearable. ;)
Check out those pretty blue eyes!
Isn't she just precious? The answer is yes! :)
I love those newborn grins. They make the nighttime wakings much more bearable. ;)
Check out those pretty blue eyes!
Isn't she just precious? The answer is yes! :)
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Lincoln Post
Well. It has been a couple of months since I have really written a post all about Lincoln.
He started the Ketogenic diet on 2/26/11. We saw a few behavioral changes after a couple of weeks, took him off of one medication around the same time, so it was difficult to tell if the changes were due to that or not. Then right around the time my mom came to visit, we all got the stomach flu. Typically Lincoln has had reduced seizure activity during illness, and this flu was no different. Well, after several days of sickness we all got better. Lincoln's Infantile Spasms dissapeared on 3/25/11. We have not seen any of them since that evening.
I really hesitate to post this because I feel like it will jinx things, but I know that that is just superstition. Now, just because we haven't seen these seizures, doesn't mean that they are not going on inside his brain, and we are just not seeing any physical evidence. Also, he is still having the foot seizures, which seem to be decreased from before the diet, but still occur occasionally during the night or just after waking. There is also something else bothering him, but it is difficult to say what is causing it. He will sometimes start crying randomly for no apparent reason. It is most likely seizure related, but it is not clear to us.
The benefits of getting some control of the spasms themselves are numerous. Like the fact that his brain isn't being wiped clean and stimulated to the point of exhaustion every couple of hours, and he is no longer getting injured by his physical response to the siezures, and he is finally on a schedule (one nap per day, normal meal times, bed times and wake up times)! All of this has made a world of difference to me and the ease of parenting & planning. I had no idea how nice it could be to be on a schedule (having never been on one before as a parent). It is heaven! And not needing to constantly worry when Lincoln is quiet, if he is hurt or seizing (although I still do, because it hasn't been that long, and could very well happen again).
Lincoln is still set to start school in August. This will be exciting & heartbreaking at the same time. I cannot believe that he is old enough to start schhol. And I know I will constantly be worrying about him. He has never ever been without me, or someone that I trust wholeheartedly (family or therapists) taking care of him. I know he will do great & thrive, I just hope that he also has a lot of fun while he is there, and that no one picks on him or takes advantage of his sweet passive nature.
Here are some pictures of Lincoln over the past few months.
He started the Ketogenic diet on 2/26/11. We saw a few behavioral changes after a couple of weeks, took him off of one medication around the same time, so it was difficult to tell if the changes were due to that or not. Then right around the time my mom came to visit, we all got the stomach flu. Typically Lincoln has had reduced seizure activity during illness, and this flu was no different. Well, after several days of sickness we all got better. Lincoln's Infantile Spasms dissapeared on 3/25/11. We have not seen any of them since that evening.
I really hesitate to post this because I feel like it will jinx things, but I know that that is just superstition. Now, just because we haven't seen these seizures, doesn't mean that they are not going on inside his brain, and we are just not seeing any physical evidence. Also, he is still having the foot seizures, which seem to be decreased from before the diet, but still occur occasionally during the night or just after waking. There is also something else bothering him, but it is difficult to say what is causing it. He will sometimes start crying randomly for no apparent reason. It is most likely seizure related, but it is not clear to us.
The benefits of getting some control of the spasms themselves are numerous. Like the fact that his brain isn't being wiped clean and stimulated to the point of exhaustion every couple of hours, and he is no longer getting injured by his physical response to the siezures, and he is finally on a schedule (one nap per day, normal meal times, bed times and wake up times)! All of this has made a world of difference to me and the ease of parenting & planning. I had no idea how nice it could be to be on a schedule (having never been on one before as a parent). It is heaven! And not needing to constantly worry when Lincoln is quiet, if he is hurt or seizing (although I still do, because it hasn't been that long, and could very well happen again).
Lincoln is still set to start school in August. This will be exciting & heartbreaking at the same time. I cannot believe that he is old enough to start schhol. And I know I will constantly be worrying about him. He has never ever been without me, or someone that I trust wholeheartedly (family or therapists) taking care of him. I know he will do great & thrive, I just hope that he also has a lot of fun while he is there, and that no one picks on him or takes advantage of his sweet passive nature.
Here are some pictures of Lincoln over the past few months.
Monday, May 9, 2011
If You Give a Mom a Muffin
If You Give A Mom A Muffin
If you give a Mom a muffin, she’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some. Her three year old will spill the coffee. She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks. She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer, she’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger. She’ll look for her cook book (101 things to do with a pound of hamburger)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook. The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She’ll smell something funny. She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring. Her five year old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
Original Author Unknown
:)
If you give a Mom a muffin, she’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some. Her three year old will spill the coffee. She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks. She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer, she’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger. She’ll look for her cook book (101 things to do with a pound of hamburger)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook. The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.
She’ll smell something funny. She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring. Her five year old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.
Original Author Unknown
:)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
In honor of Mother's Day, a reminder...
This is actually a book, by Karen Kingsbury.
So much focus is put on a childs "firsts"... but, we should also try to recognize and savor the often fleeting "lasts"... those milestone that so easily go unrecorded:
Long ago you came to me,
a miracle of first:
First smils and teeth and baby steps,
a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away
and leave me to your past,
And I will be left thinking of
a lifetime of your lasts...
The last time that I held a bottle
to your baby lips.
The last time that I lifted you
and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying,
needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket,
wanting to be rocked.
The last time when you ran to me,
still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you'd marry me
when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and
bright flashes from your past-
Would I have held on longer if
I'd known they were your last?
Our last adventure in the park
your final mid day nap
The last time when you wore your favorite
faded baseball cap?
Your last few hours of kindergarten,
those last days of first grade,
your last at bat at Little League,
last colored picture made.
I never said goodbye to all
your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow--
will I recognize your lasts?
The last time that you catch a frog,
in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot
across our fresh cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images
will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures,
never quite sure of your lasts.
The last time that I comb your hair
or stop a pillow fight
The last time that I pray with you
and tuck you in at night
The last time when we cuddle
with a book, just me and you
The last time you jump in our bed
and sleep between us two
The last piano lesson,
last vacation to the lake
Your last few weeks of middle school
last soccer goal you make
I look ahead and dream of days
that haven't come to pass.
But as I do, sometimes I miss
todays sweet precious lasts.
The last time that I help you with
a math or spelling test...
The last time when I shout that yes,
your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for
a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night
with your old tattered bear.
My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer
want to recognize your lasts...
The last time that you need my help
with details of a dance
The last time that you ask me for
advice about romance
The last time that you talk to me
about your hopes and dreams
the last time that you wear a jersey
for your highschool team
I've watched you grow and barely noticed
seasons as they pass
If I could freeze the hands of time
I'd hold on to your lasts
For come some bright fall morning,
you'll be going far away
College life will beckon
in a brilliant sort of way
One last hug, one last good bye
one quick and hurried kiss
One last time to understand
just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast
our time together passed.
Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.
So much focus is put on a childs "firsts"... but, we should also try to recognize and savor the often fleeting "lasts"... those milestone that so easily go unrecorded:
Long ago you came to me,
a miracle of first:
First smils and teeth and baby steps,
a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away
and leave me to your past,
And I will be left thinking of
a lifetime of your lasts...
The last time that I held a bottle
to your baby lips.
The last time that I lifted you
and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying,
needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket,
wanting to be rocked.
The last time when you ran to me,
still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you'd marry me
when you grew old.
Precious, simple moments and
bright flashes from your past-
Would I have held on longer if
I'd known they were your last?
Our last adventure in the park
your final mid day nap
The last time when you wore your favorite
faded baseball cap?
Your last few hours of kindergarten,
those last days of first grade,
your last at bat at Little League,
last colored picture made.
I never said goodbye to all
your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow--
will I recognize your lasts?
The last time that you catch a frog,
in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot
across our fresh cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images
will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures,
never quite sure of your lasts.
The last time that I comb your hair
or stop a pillow fight
The last time that I pray with you
and tuck you in at night
The last time when we cuddle
with a book, just me and you
The last time you jump in our bed
and sleep between us two
The last piano lesson,
last vacation to the lake
Your last few weeks of middle school
last soccer goal you make
I look ahead and dream of days
that haven't come to pass.
But as I do, sometimes I miss
todays sweet precious lasts.
The last time that I help you with
a math or spelling test...
The last time when I shout that yes,
your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for
a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night
with your old tattered bear.
My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass.
I want to hold on longer
want to recognize your lasts...
The last time that you need my help
with details of a dance
The last time that you ask me for
advice about romance
The last time that you talk to me
about your hopes and dreams
the last time that you wear a jersey
for your highschool team
I've watched you grow and barely noticed
seasons as they pass
If I could freeze the hands of time
I'd hold on to your lasts
For come some bright fall morning,
you'll be going far away
College life will beckon
in a brilliant sort of way
One last hug, one last good bye
one quick and hurried kiss
One last time to understand
just how much you'll be missed.
I'll watch you leave and think how fast
our time together passed.
Let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
One Month Old!
It is hard to believe it has been a month already! At this time one month ago Andy & I were headed to the hospital to get ready for Roxy's c-section. She was 8lbs (69%) and 20.5 inches (85%) long at birth. She is now 10lbs 4oz (57%) and 22.25 inches (69%) long. She has dropped in percentiles, but is still growing strong!
By comparison Lincoln was 11lbs 1oz (with starting weight of 7lbs 8.5oz), and June was a little over 9lbs (with starting weight of 6lbs 8.5oz). So Roxy isn't gaining as quickly as either of them did, but that is okay, as long as she is still eating and gaining at her own pace. Plus, Roxy had lost almost an entire pound in the hospital, where Lincoln only lost about 6oz, and June didn't lose any weight.
Here are some pictures of Roxy today!
For comparison sake here are all the kids at one month old:
By comparison Lincoln was 11lbs 1oz (with starting weight of 7lbs 8.5oz), and June was a little over 9lbs (with starting weight of 6lbs 8.5oz). So Roxy isn't gaining as quickly as either of them did, but that is okay, as long as she is still eating and gaining at her own pace. Plus, Roxy had lost almost an entire pound in the hospital, where Lincoln only lost about 6oz, and June didn't lose any weight.
Here are some pictures of Roxy today!
For comparison sake here are all the kids at one month old:
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