February 20, 2013

Curtains!

Look what we did!  Finally.  After almost three years, I found a third curtain rod and we put it up. And put up the heavy drapes from the old house.

Finding a matching rod – metal Shepard’s crook – was not easy, as it’s been discontinued. But I found one, at a Lowe’s store somewhere in Massachusetts and they shipped it to me.  I have curtains for the other windows, but haven’t put them up, thanks to the babies.  With the cold just oozing through that french door, I thought it might be worth the potential risk of destruction.  The girls, so far, haven’t even noticed it.  It may help that their kitchen is right in front:

Yes, the Valentine’s decorations are still up

We had a busy weekend and then a lovely President’s Day.  Aunt NayNay come out for the afternoon!  The girls were ecstatic when she got here, jumping and shouting when the door opened.  NayNay got a sofa snuggle fest, hugs, kisses and huzzahs.  Ashlin read her a book:

I’m so happy I was able to capture Ashlin telling the story!  Every time I tried to tape it when I had her on my lap, she would just stare at the camera.  It was a little spooky.

Teagan played dolls and games with her.

NayNay and nieces

It was a good day.

Last night I started the hat for Stu.  I’ll post that once there’s a bit more than a coaster :)

February 15, 2013

It’s a secret

Teagan brought home the secret Valentine’s Day heart yesterday. Yay. It’s so sparkly!  She has one of her better smiles on.  Awesome.  In person, you can see her best friend attempting to photo-bomb, which is an added bonus.

Ashlin’s Heart

Ashlin did some hearts too!  She didn’t get a Valentine Mailbox, but she did get a few Valentines.  Thanks to the snow, not everyone got out to get the littles valentines for their classmates.  Their parents probably didn’t realize that they participated too.

Ashlin loves me

Her doily heart says so.  Ashlin gets very focused on where she puts her stickers.

Valentine’s Day Art

Teagan also did a stamp painting with heart stamps.  I think it turned out pretty good!

 

Valentine’s Mailbox

This is Teagan’s Valentine’s mailbox.  She came home with a bunch of cards, and some candy too.  One of her treats was a small packet of conversation hearts.  I joked with her that my favorites were the yellow ones, and that she was lucky she didn’t have any yellow ones for me to steal.  She was horrified at first, that I would take a piece of her candy, but she almost immediately offered me a piece.  I didn’t take her up, no need for her to miss out.

Mantel of Love

I got a lovely Valentine’s Day present, a grown-up present, from a special grown-up.  It was delayed a day, thanks to the snow.  But it showed up, and is very lovely.  Our mantel is close to overflowing with all the hearts and love.  I love it.

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February 13, 2013 ~ it’s A Secret

After Teagan finished signing her valentines cards for day care, she joined Ashlin and I on the sofa for a lovely snuggle.. I like ending the day with a double snuggle.

Anyway, she told me that she knew there was a party at day care tomorrow for Valentines Day when i asked if she knew what tomorrow was. She also told me that they made hearts for us, but that it was a secret.

I love this girl.

I wonder what they did.

P.S. Ashlin “signed” her valentines day cards too,

February 6, 2013

This morning as the girls were eating breakfast, we saw a large family of deer in the back yard. Teagan and Ashlin were thrilled!  There were at least five that I could see, and at least one in each girls line of view while they ate.  They meandered back and forth, up and down the hill.  They seemed generally calm and relaxed, for deer.  I’m sure they were a bit nervous, I’m sure, especially when they heard the girls squeal if they came too close.  They hung out there for a while, at least thirty minutes.  Long after Stu had taken the girls to day care.

Tonight at dinner, the girls were squealing over another subject.  Farts.  Miss Teagan was a bit gassy, but Ashlin kept taking the blame:

Sometimes they’re just too funny.

December 15, 2012

Letters to Santa

The girls wrote letters to Santa today.  Thursday morning, waiting for her flu shot appointment, Teagan and I watched “The Year Without a Santa Claus.”  The picked up on the children sending letters to Santa, and when asked if she wanted to, she said she did.  We didn’t get a chance until today.

So, they colored pictures for Santa.  Teagan tried writing “Dear Santa” and what she wanted.  She asked me to spell out the words Dear Santa, and then she wanted to write her letter, I wasn’t allowed to help.

So, this is her letter.  As she formed each “letter,” she said the word she was writing.  ”Dear Santa, can I have The  Princess and The Frog?  Teagan.”  She then drew a frog in the letter.

Dear Santa, Can I have a Princess and the Frog movie? Teagan

Princess and the Frog

While Teagan wrote and colored her letter to Santa, Ashlin did one too. Ashlin loves to color. And to paint.  There was no keeping her from the kitchen table when she saw the paper and crayons show up.  She didn’t have any pretensions of writing, she just colored, and loved coloring.

Ashlin writing her Santa letter

Dear Santa, by Ashlin

I’m not sure what’s in her letter. We do have a copy of the Princess and the Frog movie for Teagan, along with Charlotte’s Web, book and movie

August 16, 2012

The girls were so sweet this morning. They were dressed and had finished breakfast. Stu had started an episode of “Yo Gabba Gabba” while he went to get showered and dressed.

Teagan crawled up onto the couch and snuggled up next to me to watch. Ashlin was wandering around with her new favorite baby book, but then decided she wanted to be on the sofa too. I helped her up, she squeezed in between me and her sister.

Ashlin then started hugging her sister. Again and again. There was no hitting, slapping or hair pulling, by either side.

Sometimes “Yo Gabba Gabba” is magic, sometimes it allows magic to happen.

July 27, 2012

Ashlin loves her sister.

This morning, Teagan woke up first.  Not the normal routine, but one that worked just fine.  After the noisy alarm went to the bathroom and got dressed, her sister woke up.  Teagan and I went in to Ashlin’s room to get her.  As I was looking for an outfit for Ashlin, Teagan went up to the crib and Ashlin leaned over and give her a huge hug.

Teagan loved it.  She’s usually the one initiating hugs, that are often accompanied with tears thanks to her over-enthusiasm.  When I asked if she’d move back in, Teagan did quickly, she really enjoyed getting a hug from her sister.  She was more than eager for a second hug.  Ashlin, true to her sweet nature, hugged on cue.  I’m so glad I usually have my phone with me, to be able to catch a blurry shot of sisterly love.

It was a good morning.

 

PS.  We should be able to play in the new sprinkler tomorrow!

May 24, 2012

Budding  entymologist

I has a wiggly worm

Wiggly worm is her friend

Wiggly worm and ant

She has to play with her buggies at night.  They get picked up, stared at, fed leaves, petals and sticks, and finally put to bed in the big flower pot on the deck.  Why the flower pot? Well, because, of course, they just can’t go to bed in the house.  That would be silly, mommy.  Whew!  I am very glad that worked and we don’t have to fight her about bringing bugs in the house at night.

That also worked for her treasures, the rocks and pine cones and things she picks up on walks. I am not looking forward to her not being as pliable as she is now.  I do know it will stop, but maybe she can wait until she’s 30 to be headstrong :D

~~

She’s been doing very well in her toddler bed.  She’s gotten out once, maybe twice in five days.  Both times were to find a lost bubble, she’s not ready to give them up yet, although she did give them all to her sister.  I needed to find one or two that were hiding under the bed for her to keep.

Tonight, she was sitting on her bed, crying, because a bubble had fallen too far away for her to reach.  Stu went in and gave it to her.  She had stayed on her bed, didn’t give in to the temptation to go get the pacifier she could clearly see.

This could be a very good sign.

Maybe she’ll get an extra snuggle tomorrow.

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March 29, 2012

Tower

So, my baby turns one today.  I can’t believe it’s been a full year already.  It zoomed by in the blink of a bleary eye.  I was a bit bittersweet this morning watching her eat gold fish (and toast, and cheese, and fruit, and, and…), knowing I was sending her off to day care today, sad that I wasn’t going to be spending the day with her.  But, I got over that bit of sadness quickly.  She was home yesterday, and will be home with me tomorrow.  But the melancholy of today being her birthday is still there.

She’s grown so much, changed so much from the little (big!) peanut I had to wait to hold.  It’s been a year of challenges, for both of us.  She’s overcome so many of them.  At first it was her breathing and glucose levels.  Then it was the possibility of  hip dysplasia, thanks to her being breech for so long.  Then she was caught in the PKU screening, then nursing too much, and refluxing.  Not nursing enough, losing weight. And losing more weight.  Throwing up and almost needing to be tested for pyloric stenosis, a bout of croup, an ear infection, rash, allergic reaction, and another more impressive rash.  Stomach flu with severe dehydration, which lead to two ER visits, with an IV for fluids during the second one.  Sleeping through the night.

Swinging Birthday Girl!

No, wait.  She hasn’t overcome that yet, still up at least once, usually twice a night.  Though she will sleep around four or five hours in a stretch now.  More, if she’s been stuffed with macaroni and cheese, saltines and gold fish.

But there were good things that happened too.  Her first smile, her first laugh.  The huge laughs that Teagan can get from her, the way she looks at Teagan, and Teagan at her.  Her first party, staying up to see the Royal Wedding.  Many walks on the beach.  Rolling over, finally getting out of the swaddle.  Finally saying Mama. Standing.  Crawling.  Cruising.  Supported walking.  It’s all going by so fast.She loves imitating you, putting things on her head, playing peek-a-boo, talking on the phone.

She will say LaLa now, and NayNay, though her preferred word is still DaDa.

She gives hugs.  When being rocked to sleep, she wants to be up, with her head on your shoulder, snuggled in, instead of reclined in your arms.  She loves her glowing seahorse, and will usually go down easily, though still doesn’t stay down all night.

She’s got five teeth now, all came up within the past six weeks.  At least three more are just waiting to break through.

She sits back and watches, happy to be on the side lines.  If she wants attention she will ask – cry – for it, unlike her sister, who will be a dancing monkey for any attention.

~~

I had this post open, revising it, adding to it, all day.  Maybe to keep my baby in mind today.  To hold her a bit longer.  I know the time she allows me to hold her is limited.  She’s going to grow up so fast, and want to run, run, as soon as she can walk.

I am looking forward to finding out who she will be as she grows older.

March 16, 2012

Where?

After yesterday’s aside with Teagan finally able to sign “I love you,” I went looking for posts of the evolotion of her signing and saying “I love you.”  I couldn’t find any.  Maybe I’m just sucky at searching my archives, maybe I’m just sucky at writing down the really important things.  Learning how to say “I love you” is very important.

Teagan at first was able to recognize the sign, but she couldn’t replicate it.  Her fingers never would bend the right way.  So she’d end up holding her hand straight up, palm out, fingers up and together.  Almost as if she was saying “stop!”  As far as the actual words, once she started saying it, she would say “I you.”  She’d say it that way every night at bedtime, every time you’d hold up the sign.  ”I you.” It wasn’t until just after she turned two that she was able to say the whole thing.

I know I have a picture of her trying to do the sign.  I know I have video of her saying “I you” as well.  Somewhere.