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.

March 15, 2012 ~ I Love You

Signing “I Love You” to LaLa and PopPop at the end the Skype call.  She’s always had trouble doing this sign.  She’s sooooo close!

February 26, 2012

Sister Giggles

The girls this morning were so sweet.  Ashlin was laughing at Teagan, who was just being her silly self.  You can see how much they love each other.  Ashlin watches Teagan with pure love, it just oozes from her.  Adoration.  Teagan is so happy when she can make Ashlin laugh.  She gets such a lift from it.

They are such good sisters.    I love watching them.

I love them.

November 29, 2011

You funny

Ashlin is eight months old today.  It totally snuck up on me.  Or maybe I was dozing through it.  I’m not sure. She’s changed so much.  She’s grown so big.  She loves to sit, and watch.  Tips her head to the side in the “I’m so cute” look she has.  Her lip turns down a la Billy Idol when she cries.  She loves to feed herself.  Cheerios and puffs are her bacon.

She sits up. For a LONG time. Scoots backwards, and does superman impressions. I don’t have the heart to tell her she can’t fly.

There isn’t any forward motion. Yet.  But it’s coming.

She claps, and laughs. Her sister gets the best laughs, then dada.  I don’t mind being third.  I still more than enough smiles, and quite a few giggles.

I like cheerios

She’s becoming her own little person.  Her personality is beginning to appear.   And she’s oh, so much different than her sister.  As Stu said, Ashlin will sit back and watch everything, taking it all in. Unlike her sister, who wanted to be the center of attention, and will try to pull you in.

Not that Ashlin doesn’t engage you, she does.  She’s just more zen about it.  And more quiet.

Usually.

Though she does have a voice, and will use it.

I’m eager for her to start communicating more with us.  Today she clapped instead of using the sign for “more.”  So cute.

She still loves to nurse, usually, and will get super excited when she sees me pull the boppy out.

Clap. Clap. More!

Her hands shake when she’s excited, or scared.

I am looking forward to her continuing to grow, to evolve.

I just wish time would slow down.

 

Moment of Reflection

Was that my butt?

October 25, 2011

I love you too.

This little note was left on the fridge a few days ago…

He’s so sweet.

September 29, 2011

Four years.  It’s gone so fast.  It really doesn’t feel like it’s been four years.  And that’s since we’ve been married.  Not since he’s been here, and not since we knew.  But this is a good day to count from.  A very good day.

Looking back, I’m amazed at how much my life has changed since he came into it, well and truly into it.  I have a best friend.  One who’s always there, who will support me, care for me, make me coffee in the mornings.  And love me.

We found him a job, taught him to drive on the right side of the road.  We had a baby, and love grew.  We found a bigger house, and found it on Valentine’s day.  Love deepened.  We had another baby.  Filled the house with even more love.  And probably too many books.

I know I never tell him often enough how much me means to me.  How much I appreciate that he came all the way over here for me.  Left his family, his friends, and his country for me.  I never seem to find the right words or the right time, to tell him.  How much I do love him.  How much he means to me.  How much I love our life together, and what we’ve made of it.

It’s hard not to see him in our daughters.  To be fair, one does resemble him a little bit more than the other.  But even there, it looks like she’s going to be getting his dimples.

I love how my life has changed since he’s been here.  How he’s impacted it.  Without him, all the things I care about wouldn’t be here.  He wouldn’t be here.

I also love that he surprised me today.  With froot!  And chocolate.  He’s so sweet.

I love him.

Happy Anniversary, Stu.  I love you.

September 6, 2011

This morning there was a surprise after my shower.  A lovely steam message.  Made my day.

Made one of the few days I have left, before going back to work, better.

It’s nice to have little reminders like this.  I still feel a bit blah – haven’t lost all the baby weight yet.  I’m getting there though!  Down to the last 5-7 pounds, depending on the day.  And although it’s getting lower and lower. it feels like it’s taking forever.  I haven’t had the mental fortitude to try on my pre-pregnancy jeans.  Not yet anyway.

 So, it’s nice to get messages like this…  or like this one, that he drew while playing with Teagan outside over the weekend.  It was right outside the front door.  Teagan made sure I saw it when I went out to see them after getting Ashlin to sleep.

Love the kids.

Also, I love him.

 

May 11, 2011

05-11-11 – Ashlin smiles

I’ve been busy lately! Lookie!!  Here’s one big reason.  Ashlin’s been smiling a lot, and I lose huge chunks of my day.  I’ve gotten behind on laundry, cleaning, stuff.  I haven’t minded.

She’s growing so fast.  Six weeks and a day today.  With Teagan, time felt a bit slower.  Now, it’s just zooming along.  A blink of an eye and it’s six weeks.  The skinny legs and arms are filling out – they’re still skinny though!  She’s nursing like a champ!

Milestones are beginning to pile up – she can bring both hands together, focus on a face, smile.  Today she rolled over from front to back, though only the once.    She’s awake more and more during the day.  She stares at herself in a mirror.  Bats at toys hanging on her play mat.

I need to find a way to make it all slow down.

May 8, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Happy Mother's Day

What better Mother’s Day present could I have gotten? My beautiful princess.