tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15305789864566233422024-03-09T20:46:40.350-06:00Bananas and BlueberriesErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-28043391426394697382018-06-01T15:52:00.002-05:002018-06-01T15:52:36.651-05:00And then they were NINE!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was a time when I thought I would dread my children outgrowing the "early childhood" years. And somehow, despite my best efforts, they did. Somehow, they stopped looking like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And started looking like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nine years old. Fourth grade. Riding bikes and taking walks around the block...without me. Sitting in the cafe at the grocery store, reading books while I shop instead of riding in the cart. Oh, girls... You are bright, independent, out-going, creative, and loving young ladies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elise... your nine-year old spirit shone this past school year and made me so very, very proud. You became bonded to a classmate with pretty intense behavioral needs. A classmate who had outbursts and aggression and a frequently disagreeable nature. But none of that phased you - you would tell me "mom, I can see that look in his face when he's getting mad, and I'd just leave him alone but he's one of my best friends". You chose this classmate to play with at recess... he chose you for earned lunch buddies with teachers. Your gooofiness is strong right now but your acceptance of twists and turns along the way is equally as strong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You are rarely far from colored pencils and paper... drawing, tracing, detailing somebody and their fashion. Speaking of fashion... you like crazy prints and mismatched socks... styling your own hair in anything from a bun on top of your head to pigtails. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abby... your nine-year old spirit shined bright this year and made me so very, very proud. As your piano recital approached in May, you started to stumble. Your songs tripped you up and the day before the recital you insisted that you couldn't do it, that maybe I should let you sit this one out. But guess what? You didn't sit out and you played beautifully and flawlessly on stage in front of a crowd. Your emotions are powerful right now but your courage is equally as strong. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You love your pens and, at a moment's notice, are fast at my side when I sit down to practice handlettering. You can be quiet and serious, carefully forming letters or coloring minute details on a picture. Your methods are precise and necessary - the nightly straitening of your quilt and blankets is clearly memorable however slightly maddening. ;) You like your hair pulled back and tidy - however the "messy bun" has become a go-to style this summer and I couldn't love it any more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy Birthday, sweet baby girls! You are so loved by so, so many! </span>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-91119746086798155262017-05-31T14:37:00.000-05:002017-05-31T14:37:09.275-05:00And then she was THREE...<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For so long, we've talked about the "baby" or the "toddler". It's been such a norm around here that even Anna refers to herself as "the toddler" . But just like that, she's not the baby... she's not even the toddler. So on the day of her third birthday, when I asked her why she drank bath water (a serious pet peeve of mine in the parenting world) and she replied "that's just what toddlers do" and I reminded her that she's 3 now... Anna shrugged her shoulders and said "that's just what 3 year olds do".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna baby, for your third birthday you allowed us to call you "Anna" instead of "Goldilocks", which is how you've been introducing yourself to friends and strangers for weeks. You requested an ice cream cake and you blew out the candles (twice, because we ate cake and sang two times) like it was your job. You wanted polka dot pajamas, striped clothes, and a big girl bed. All were granted. Regarding the bed, we took down a crib that you never climbed out of, never even attempted. In fact, you've been sleeping in your big bed for a full week now and are yet to even get out in the morning without permission. By comparison, your big sisters not only bent the metal frame of their crib from jumping so forcefully but they also got big girl beds at 22-months because of the stunts taking place in, out, and between. It is amazing that you have never tried to frolic about after bedtime because if ever there was a night owl, it's you. Whether you have napped or not, had a busy day or a lazy day, bedtime always consists of phrases like "but it's my choice to stay up all night!" and "what will happen if I never close my eyes"... you then lay in your bed for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half blabbering on and on and on. You asked for a trip to Pet World on your big day to see the aquariums and the panda hamsters. So that's what we did! It was a sweet, sweet day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope the 3 year old you takes awhile before "Thure!" morphs into "Sure!" and before "Thorge" becomes "George". Keep on counting just like you did today: "one, two, three. four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen, eleventeen, twenty". Never stop saying "Daddy, guess what? Pickle Car!" or "Daddy, guess what? Blukle Fish"! ("blukle fish" is your amazing made-up animal that started as a play-doh creation). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You LOVE books (current faves are Peppa Pig, Eric Carle, Pete the Cat, Dog's ABCs, Olivia, and any number of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears versions that we've checked out), you've started asking how to spell certain words, you recognize all the letters of the alphabet and know what sound each makes, and a couple of months ago the concept of rhyming words clicked: you started saying things like "Mom! 'Feet' and 'Seat' sound the same!". You love to "put on a show", standing on my big gray cutting mat, and singing "Madame Gaston", "Lost Boy", or "Mrs. Murphy's Chowder". While you know certain characters or songs from movies or TV, it's only from books or listening to soundtracks as you still haven't watched but a single episode of Olivia and an attempt at Mary Poppins, which didn't suck you in even a smidge as much as your sisters at that age. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your belly is so round that all of your pants have to rest below it's curve and your big sisters crack up at the sight of me trying to pull actual pants or shorts up around it. You wear a lot of dresses to compensate. ;) I hope your 3 year old self keeps it real, like your toddler self did:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Me: "Well, we wear pants so our legs don't get cold"</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Anna: "That's right, Momma! And we wear underwear so our vaginas don't get cold!"</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I love the way you ask me questions or tell me to repeat phrases and then you say "Good 'thob' (job), momma!". You are quick to shout "Daddy! I'm so glad you're home!" when the garage door slams. On the way home from school pick-up, you often say "How was your day, Abby?" or "Elise, did you have art or PE today?". Maybe the 3 year old you will stop making all your toys sleep face-down or will require fewer tiny, little people/critters/beads/trinkets to scatter about the house all. day. long. Or maybe not.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No matter the question, you often reply with "I'll try!", whether we're reminding you to stay quiet at naptime or to be careful around Gran and Grandpa's pond. When given your choice of a snack, 99% of the time you request dried pineapple and seaweed. No joke. When those aren't available, you are always happy with "cathews and cranberries" (cashews). You have an air independence that suits you perfectly - just yesterday, you propped yourself on the edge of a pool chair beside a threesome of young girls and I don't know what you were saying, but your hand was gesturing, your head was bobbing, and your audience was captivated. So, with that, welcome to THREE, my littlest love... our days of calling you the toddler are over but you're going to be our "teeny" forever. </span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-30203045786431855832017-02-14T15:26:00.000-06:002017-02-14T18:16:51.730-06:00It's all about the LOVE<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the weekend, Abby and Elise had a little Valentine's worksheet that involved defining "love" according to the dictionary, their parents, best friend, and on their own. They included Anna in this exercise and her response left us all smiling in agreement: "it just makes your heart feel better". </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're nodding aren't you? Right?!?!?! Toddler speaks the truth... she also takes great pride in her flamingo pose.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby and Elise spent the last several days carefully crafting Valentine's for everyone in the family: Anna's had the little pig characters from some of her fave books drawn on it; John's was decorated with pants and referenced reading Harry Potter together; mine had a ball of yarn and crochet hooks. As I was sitting here typing, John walked in the door with handmade dark chocolates and a cherry sour beer from a local brewery. That is love. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Valentine's Day from our hearts to yours! May you find/do/be/say/see/make something, just even a little something, today and everyday that you LOVE. And, while you're at it, feed your body a little something it will love, like these super tasty and new favorite breakfast cookies!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Crisp and Delish Breakfast Cookies</b></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Adapted from My Darling Vegan: <a href="http://www.mydarlingvegan.com/2017/01/gluten-free-vegan-breakfast-cookies/" target="_blank">Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies</a></i></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 C organic rolled oats</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 C organic almond flour</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 C organic unsweetened shredded coconut</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 tsp cinnamon</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp baking powder</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp baking soda</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/2 tsp sea salt</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 2 local eggs</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/4 C melted coconut oil</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/3 C organic creamy peanut butter</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/3 C maple syrup</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 tsp vanilla</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/4 C raw pumpkin seeds</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/4 C dried fruit (I used chopped pineapple but cranberries would be great!)</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1/4 C chopped pecans<br></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix dry ingredents; in a separate bowl mix wet ingredients; add wet to dry and then fold in dried fruit, seeds, and nuts.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for 13-15 minutes or until browned a bit - I made approximately 18 cookies out of this recipe. </span><br>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-56499159419596730162017-02-07T15:11:00.002-06:002017-02-07T15:11:35.763-06:00Our favorite tiny muffins<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The past year has given me a great sense of stability and order: Abby and Elise are settled into school, we have committed to staying in this house to allow them to finish elementary where they started, John's job is a nice balance of work-at-home and out-and-about, Anna is getting great variety in her week with playtime at home, library storytime, playdates, and dance class, and my Baby Sing and Sign gig is strong and steady. With all of those ducks in a row, it allows me the time and mental energy to focus on hobbies and activities that I love... one of which is experimenting in the kitchen. My desire to feed my family real, whole foods never sleeps. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The biggest changes that I've experimented with are using a bigger variety of nut/seed blends and increasing fermented food/drink consumption (lots more to come on that one). I want to share this muffin recipe that has become a staple in the breakfast routine and a favorite among everyone! Abby is not a muffin-eater - she prefers crusty breads and drier baked goods like scones or biscuits. But that kid will eat these muffins until we cut her off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pecan Coconut Muffins</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Adapted from Deliciously Organic's <a href="http://deliciouslyorganic.net/pecan-coconut-muffins-grain-free-gluten-free-recipe/" target="_blank">Pecan Coconut Muffin recipe</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 3/4 C almond flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 2 T coconut flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1/4 C coconut sugar or sucanat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 5 T unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1/4 C maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 2 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1 C pecans (chopped or I toss them in the Vitamix until they're crumbly)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*all ingredients are organic and/or local, if possible</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Preheat oven to 350 degrees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Grease mini-muffin tin with coconut oil; this recipe makes 24 mini muffins and I typically have enough batter left to fill a single regular sized silicone muffin liner, which I just set in the oven beside the muffin tin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Mix dry ingredients (except pecans)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Add wet to dry; stir in pecans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Bake for 11-13 minutes</span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-67068736512361079872017-02-02T14:00:00.000-06:002017-02-02T20:42:43.282-06:00New year, new pictures.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I slowly try and reincorporate blogging into my routine, I'll try and catch up with a few fave photos from the past months... from starting soccer to the annual monarch butterfly crop to a family road trip (Lawrence to St. Louis to Indianapolis) to Halloween shenanigans to holiday traditions.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Abby and Elise LOVED playing soccer and are eagerly awaiting the start of the Spring season. They continue to excel at piano (Elise keeps us moving with "The Entertainer" almost daily and Abby has mastered "Colors of the Wind" with such emotion)... Speaking of piano, I missed their last recital as a certain someone couldn't stay quiet for even 30 seconds and we spent the next 35 minutes in the car. Four of us (sans Anna) read <u>The Hobbit</u> together and then enjoyed movie nights to see it in action - A and E are now working their way through the fourth Harry Potter with John as their nightly read-aloud. They joined student council at school and we got to enjoy a proud parent moment when a teacher from STUCO emailed and used the words "kind" and "mature" and "amazing". Speaking of teachers... third grade will be hard to beat. I practically have to drag Anna away each morning because it is the most inviting, nurturing, and upbeat learning environment (they are in the same class again this year) - the girls have each missed one day of school and even that was too much, in their opinions. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have NOT done Abby's pigtail braids for school; I can probably count on one hand the number of times I HAVE helped style Elise's hair for school. When fixing lunches each morning, no matter the question ("Do you want a cheese stick or a babybel?"), Elise always answer "I don't care". When Abby is asked, she always answers: "What kind of cheese stick? Is it a white cheddar babybel? Actually, do we have any of the cheese I like from the Merc? Can I have slices of that instead?". This. is. them.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Anna continues to serenade us with "The Twelve Days of Christmas", sometimes loudly in the shopping cart at the store, sometimes quietly through the monitor at night as she yammers endlessly before falling asleep. She was caught marching around Gran and Grandpa's coffee table just last week, chanting "Organize your life! Organize your life!", which is a perfect example of her charismatic personality - she listens to everything around her and we are so entertained by her selective use of certain bits she's heard. I am happy to report that Anna's back-seat driving has subsided... while I thought I was enriching her world with colors and information, little did I know that tuning her into stoplights would result in nonstop directives from the backseat: "Mom, it's green. GO!"... "There's a green arrow. YOUR TURN!"..."It's RED! You can't go on RED!". The latter was the most difficult - toddlers don't seem to quickly grasp "right on red". Sigh... Over the holidays, the official "first movie" was enjoyed and, if you've been with me for awhile, you might remember that Abby and Elise's first movie was "Mary Poppins". While I continue to hold steady on limited to no screen time, Anna's first movie was "Elf". Yes, Will Ferrell. She loved it and told everyone after "Buddy - that's a good name for an elf". At least it followed the real-people rule instead of animation, right?<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />We took a road trip in October - first stop in St. Louis to see Crazy Uncle Cousin Scotty, Traci, and Uncle Bob. A and E LOVED the apartment John booked for our night there - bunk beds and all... which I think made up for the fact that they had to endure a carsick little sister in St. Louis rush hour traffic shortly before arriving. It was a one-and-done incident, probably thanks to the help of Dramamine thereafter. We hit Fitz's for the world's biggest root beer floats and then spent a good portion of the next day at the zoo. My cousin Scott was a wonderful tour guide and provided unlimited laughter and entertainment.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />From there we headed to Indianapolis to see Cousin Mark and Lisa. This was our third trip with Abby and Elise and Anna's first. It is always a weekend of relaxation, wonderful company, fun outings, and 5-star treatment. We went to the Children's Museum, found a couple wonderful playgrounds, and carved/decorated pumpkins.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Halloween brought us Hermione Granger, a Dark Fairy, and a Cat Ghost - how can you argue with those choices????<br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQAmNLIm-JI897tGDu2_oqw1gWbZUD2NYg78Fr9So3eKKLQJ3HFmRdFhGbXK-i2QZdNyyXHC6FBU3E63hzVsXeRClB6DhvX-bt6LMXL9L_vpghlxPLvkGA2vZ38PWdp_87iif6veXwXU/s1600/Halloween_oct2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQAmNLIm-JI897tGDu2_oqw1gWbZUD2NYg78Fr9So3eKKLQJ3HFmRdFhGbXK-i2QZdNyyXHC6FBU3E63hzVsXeRClB6DhvX-bt6LMXL9L_vpghlxPLvkGA2vZ38PWdp_87iif6veXwXU/s640/Halloween_oct2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are fortunate during the holidays to have ample time free of commitments - with family nearby, we don't travel... John's job allows him to have at least a week off... and we just roll at a steady and slow pace. Anna loved the lighting the "benorah" each night of Hanukkah, she STILL asks to see Christmas lights when we're out after dark, and the taking-down of our tree triggered a meltdown of epic proportion. I think she actually went through each stage of grief over the course of her hour-long episode: sadness, denial, anger... as she was finally calming, I said "I love you", to which she replied "I love you too but I can't talk right now". Tree-trauma aside, 2016 ended quite peacefully.<br /></span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-82641447786271507802017-01-19T14:51:00.002-06:002017-01-29T20:41:40.655-06:00Continuous Brew Kombucha<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Where to even begin... life has been wonderfully full. I'm hopping on here to provide several friends with a kombucha brewing guide, as this has become an important and exciting part of my kitchen. Maybe this little blog bit will bring me back, as I miss this place and would love to return. Until then, ferment and be happy!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Supplies</b>:</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Scoby</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Starter fermented tea (at least 1 C of kombucha that has been first-fermented but not flavored)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Glass brewing vessel: For continuous brew, I use this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-2-Gallon-Heritage-Dispenser/dp/B00BWC0E42/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484855945&sr=8-2&keywords=2+gallon+glass+jar+with+spigot" target="_blank">Glass Jar with a Spigot</a>, which I then replaced the spigot with a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Beverage-Dispenser-Replacement-Polished/dp/B00IX87W1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484856019&sr=8-2&keywords=stainless+steel+spigot" target="_blank">Stainless Steel Spigot</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Tea - I use loose leaf but bags would make it even simpler as you wouldn't have the added step of straining out leaves (see below)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Filtered water - I use reverse osmosis filtered water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064ODUDK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Swing top bottles</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- 1/2 Gallon mason jar (used to cool tea after it's brewed)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Pot, strainer, coffee filters, bamboo chopsticks (used for stirring when needed - do not use metal in brew vessel with the scoby)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step One: Make sweetened tea</b> (which will be added to brew vessel to replace kombucha that is bottled for second ferment - I make 1/2 gallon of sweet tea at least once per week, sometimes twice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Bring 7-8 C filtered water to boil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Add 3 T loose leaf tea (jasmine green is my fave)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Remove from heat, stir (I use a bamboo chopstick), and let steep for 4 minutes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Strain out leaves - I pour the entire contents of the pot through a strainer first into a large pyrex measuring cup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Then I pour that through the strainer with a coffee filter in it to ensure that small tea leaves are removed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- This final tea is then poured into a 1/2 gallon mason jar, with 1/2 - 3/4 C organic cane sugar in the bottom, which I swirl as I pour to dissolve the sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Allow to cool to room temp before adding to brew vessel (I often make mine in the evening and let it sit over night)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step Two:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Clean glass brewing vessel, rinse with vinegar, rinse with filtered water, dry.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Rinse hands with vinegar before handling your scoby </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Place scoby, 1 C kombucha (plain, not flavored), and 1/2 gallon cooled sweetened tea into brew vessel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Cover top with dishcloth and secure with rubber band </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Leave, undisturbed, for 5-7 days</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- This is part of the initial, first-time set up process</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step Three:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- After 5-7 days, add another 1/2 gallon sweet tea</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Cover</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Leave, undisturbed for 5-7 days</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- After a a total of 10-14 days, begin tasting for level of sweetness versus fermented taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- This is part of the initial, first-time set up process</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step Four:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Once first ferment has reached your preferred level of sweet versus tartness, it is ready to second ferment</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- In a 16 ounce swing top bottle, add desired flavor. My favorites include:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 C fresh organic lemon juice (second ferment 3-4 days)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 C fresh organic grapefruit juice + 1/2 tsp organic cane sugar (second ferment 2 days)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 C fresh organic lemon juice + 1-2 organic strawberries, quartered (second ferment 3-4 days)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 C thinly sliced fresh organic pineapple (second ferment at least 24 hours)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Using a bamboo chopstick, slide in beside the surface scoby and stir like crazy! Churn up all the yeast that has settled on the bottom so that some of it pours out each time you fill bottles thus ensuring that you don't get too much yeast build up in the brew vessel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Fill bottles within 1 to 1/2 inches of top</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Seal and place in a cabinet until ready</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Step Five:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Brew sweetened tea in the amount that you removed and fill brew vessel once cool: if I fill 3 bottles, that is equal to 1/2 gallon so I pour the entire 1/2 gallon mason jar into the brew vessel. You can just pour this into the top, over the scoby. I sometimes use a bamboo chopstick and give it a stir just to incorporate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Once your brew vessel has been going for a bit and the kombucha is strong, you can taste after 2-5 days and bottle again as soon it reaches your liking</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tips:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Again, no metal should come in contact with scoby or the kombucha in the brew vessel (except stainless steel spigot)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Rinse hands or containers with vinegar before handling the scoby</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Always remember to stir the kombucha in the brew vessel before bottling - really give that settled yeast a good whirl each time</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Second ferment: you can "burp" bottles by opening slowly and releasing pressure either to check if they're ready or to just know how much they're going to explode when opened! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Second ferment: refrigeration will stop fermentation, which means flavor will remain as is as no more sugar will be consumed by the bacteria HOWEVER refrigeration also halts carbonation because yeast activity stops. If you refrigerate, bottles will re-carbonate if removed and set at room temperature for an hour or so before opening. I rarely refrigerate - I typically drink half of a 16 ounce bottle per day and place the remaining back into the cabinet. Some flavors will build a great deal of pressure in 24 hours and some will be fine for 48 hours. The more open space in the bottle, the greater the pressure that can build because of the sheer air-space available for carbon dioxide to fill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once your system is up and running, it is so. simple. Brew sweetened tea and let it cool. Fill swing top bottles. Top off brew vessel. Drink after second ferment. Repeat. My continuous brew jar has been going for 6+ months now and I have not thinned the scoby or emptied/cleaned the jar - I may do that soon but everything is happy and delicious for now. </span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-84449175599141788432016-08-16T21:54:00.002-05:002016-08-16T21:54:48.250-05:00Off they go - THIRD grade! <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These two celebrated their 8th birthday last month. And now on the eve of their first day of third grade, not a day passes that I don't catch them intertwined in each other's business. They are like magnets - sometimes repelling each other with great intensity but, in an instant, drawn back together where they happily remain.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Abba Zabba... You have spent countless hours over the past year perfecting your handwriting. It's really lovely. You read faster than I can do anything. Really. The minute anything starts happening in the kitchen, you are underfoot: "Can I help???". You have mastered the new espresso machine and, while your energy level is absolutely fine uncaffeinated, Daddy and I are enjoying your budding barista services. You read Anna 14 books straight one night so I could finish dishes and take a shower. And that's not an unusual occurrence. Your hair is long and you like pigtail braids almost everyday, unless I'm willing to blow-dry/straighten (which I've only done twice. ever.) because you really wish your hair was straight. You asked for Gran to make crab legs for your birthday Sunday dinner - the amount of crab you cracked yourself and consumed was incredible. Well done. Anna's trip to the potty, the date/time of my next Baby Sing and Sign class, Elise's scraped knee, Daddy's work schedule... EVERYTHING concerns you. ;) Your latest daily activity involves keeping a detailed record of each day - no minute shall go undocumented with you around. That is the epitome of YOU: attentive and particular with a side of sensitivity.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Elise, aka "Huggy Bear"... Your dedication to making rainbow loom bracelets/pencil toppers/macarons/poptarts/dancers has blown us away. We should be selling your goods. ;) You are reckless in ways that lead to frequent scrapes and bruises but also in ways that give you the needed gumption to leap off the diving board like a pro. You are the current go-to in the car to ride beside Anna - she's not always the most polite of little people as a passenger and we appreciate your ability to ignore as needed, even when she's digging her toes into your arm. Sorry about that and thank you. You are in a cheeseburger phase of life and we dined out for your birthday at a restaurant chosen specifically for the burgers. That choice, combined with your recent affinity for making up knock-knock jokes ("knock, knock"... "who's there?"... "oliver"... "oliver who?"... "oliver our lights are on!"), proves that you are your Daddy's daughter. ;) Your drawings of characters are becoming detailed beyond belief, with such intricate lips and names like "Kukaquola Tamata".</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The entire family has recently started busting out your amazing happy dance and it's the epitome of YOU: confident and carefree with a side of silly.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />What I want you both to know is that, because of you, I have all but forgotten what it feels like to be lonely. Just your absence when you spend a night at Gran and Grandpa's changes the entire feel of our house. As you head off to school tomorrow, you will be so incredibly missed. I am not in a season of life right now that craves "me" time. I crave "us" time. And because of that, this summer was damn near perfect. Daddy's flexible work schedule combined with our commitment to under-scheduling gave us family time at the pool, family time at the library, family time at the farmer's market, and slow mornings, lazy afternoons, and dinner around the kitchen table together nearly nightly.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />It was the summer of <i>Ace of Cakes</i> during naptime, memorizing <i>Go Away</i> by Weezer, handstand competitions at the pool, hosting your first slumber party (the two of you plus a friend), and reading <u>The Hobbit</u> with Daddy.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />My mama heart swells with happiness knowing that you'll be in the same class again together. You both have the ability, like magnets, to break free and stand on your own with such power but when you are reunited, it is a force to be reckoned with.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off you go my third graders! Do your thing and then hurry home... "We" are incomplete without you!</span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-64738205643215029182016-06-06T21:27:00.000-05:002016-06-06T21:27:04.174-05:00And she's TWO!<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is no better occasion to return to this place of memories than a birthday. Two. Two years since we became a family of five. Two years since they placed our third baby girl into our arms. Two years since the big girls became the big girls. Two. years. old. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear, sweet Anna baby... you are a walking, non-stop talking, never-a-dull-moment, notice-everything, engaged-with-life toddler. You wake up with a "Momma, come get the baby!!!" (often referring to yourself as "the baby", much as we still do), followed by "Hey Daddy! Whatcha doin? You shaving?", and then "Good morning, Abby! Good morning, Elise! May I come sit with you in the green chair?". Next it's "Momma, I'm HUNGRY! Can I have a waffle?" and "Look! I have a teeny tiny blueberry". You stopped a stranger on the street, asked her what was in the to-go box she was carrying, and when she told you it was a slice of pie, you're face lit up as you said "Ohhhh, that will be SO delicious!". This stranger then gave you her fresh piece of pie because she was overwhelmed with your response. You walked to the car, carrying the box, saying "Momma, let's go home and eat some pie!". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your manners are often pristine, very carefully enunciating "May I have another peanut butter cracker PLEASE" or "Excuse me, Grandpa" (squeezing past to throw away a kleenex) and "When you're done, would you please read a book to me?". You LOVE storytime at the library, galavanting through the house saying "I'm dancing about Michael... I'm so excited about Michael" at the mere mention. Your first toddler mommy-and-me dance class at the Art Center has been a treat, watching you share, participate, take turns, and squirrel around like the "goof goof baby" that you are! (That's what Abby calls you). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I couldn't choose a favorite food for you because you happily eat it all - just in the past month you FINALLY took a liking to avocado, which makes this momma so relieved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You answer nearly all questions with "how come?", such as "Anna, let's put jammies on!"... "How come?"... "Anna, it's time to come to the table!"... "How come?"... "Anna, go pick out two books to read!"... "How come?". Get the idea? Your other favorite phrase is "But how can we do that?" as in "Anna, have good manners for momma while we change your diaper"... "But how can we do that?". It's really quite hard to keep a serious face when you put it that way. ;) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a bout with the stomach flu, you had a little lego bird upside down in a little lego bucket, saying "Look! He's getting all the yuckies out of his mouth!". You picked up two stomach bugs just 6 weeks apart, which we didn't see coming as it had been at least 6 months since you'd even had a runny nose. You managed to find the humor in the situation by cracking yourself (and us) up with "Hey Daddy! Knock knock?"... and your punch line response to "Who's there?" was "PUKE"! During the second round of stomach stuff (23 months old) you got a taste of your first screen time - one episode of Sesame Street. In two years, you have had less than two hours TOTAL of any kind of screen time. I feel so strongly that your ability to play, interact, self-entertain, and communicate are very much a result of that parenting choice. Clearly, like your sisters, you are handling the screen time deprivation just fine. ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You love books, your felt board, coloring, playing with little tiny toys, <strike>destroying</strike> arranging the dollhouses, watering and rearranging your fairy gardens, building with blocks, drawing with chalk on the driveway, riding in the stroller while I run, snuggling up and reading books with Daddy, dancing and dressing up with Abby and Elise... You are easy to entertain and so very, very entertaining. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We find ourselves often stifling laughter when you do get angry: if we ask you to clean up, you might drop your toy on the floor, give us your best scowl, and say "She threw it on the floor", again, referring to yourself as "she". More recently, you've become rather fond of the phrase "I will not" instead of just saying "no". Again, quite polite and proper but it is a treat when you say "I will" instead. I thank you for deferring to the serious, silent anger rather than a tantrum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A recent conversation between the two of us will forever hold it's place in my mommy memories. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: "Anna, what does Daddy say to you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna: <i>in a deep Daddy voice</i> "Good night, sleep tight"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: "What does Abby say to you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna: "Good night Anna banana"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: "What does Elise say to you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna: "Good night Anna banana"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me: "What does Momma say to you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anna: "Goodnight... LAY DOWN!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've made a conscientious</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> effort si</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nce to <b>silently </b>tuck you back in on those nights when your legs are flailing about through the crib, banging against the wall while you sing yourself to sleep... You love to sing "Mr. Sun" and "The Pina Colada Song" (yes, the one about being caught in the rain).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The relationship between you, Abby, and Elise is amazing. I want you to know that, at two years, your big sisters NEVER get upset with you. And do you know why? Because the second you turn on the tears, any impending battle instantly ends. Abby swoops in at the slightest whimper or reprimand to rescue you. As fast as she might have withheld a prized possession from you, she hands it right over if you show signs of distress. Elise, on the other hand, may not be your knight in shining armor, but if I had a dollar for every time she approaches you and says "Do you know what I need?", which is her way of asking for a squeeze... The mutual love and adoration between you and "the big girls" is just. the. best. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I referred to you over the weekend as our "grand finale" and you treat everyday as if it is so incredibly grand. We couldn't have a better finale for our five! Happy Birthday, Anna!</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-12013361437327610542016-01-02T22:17:00.001-06:002016-01-02T22:17:31.796-06:00My fond farewell to 2015<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear 2015,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You were a good year. My notes are few and far between about your goings-on over the past several months, but the pictures that remain tell every story I might have needed to remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During your reign, Anna turned 18 (and then 19) months... if only these pictures could talk, as this little person does nonstop. She counts to ten, sings the "ABCs", "Twinkle Twinkle", "Frosty the Snowman", "Hush Little Baby", "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" while rarely missing a word, recites at least a dozen books from memory while flipping pages, accurately identifies her sisters 100% of the time, has lots of "Daddy-isms" like "Boom shaka-laka" and "Oh no you didn't!", uses "No thank you" anytime a less-preferred activity is about to happen, such as a request to come for a diaper change... This little person is aware of others more than I can grasp. She learns names immediately and then proceeds to use them - just today, we thanked the salesperson at the furniture store who had introduced himself to us once, and as we walked away, Anna yelled back "Goodbye Jeff!". I know, right?!?!?! From her carseat, she'll ask everyone in the car if they're cozy: "Daddy, you cozy? Momma, you cozy? Abby, you cozy? Elise, you cozy?". Naps are a breeze, bedtime is a breeze, meals are a breeze. And when something doesn't go her way, the three-stooges-like dancing, prancing, hopping that ensues is so damn cute that a mini melt-down is hardly a nuisance. Thank you, 2015, for allowing Anna to bloom and blossom into a toddler with opinions and attitude, charisma and curiosity, compassion and love.<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our big transition of 2014 was Anna's arrival... our big transition of 2015 was the start of public school. The mornings were rushed, the days felt long, the evenings were too short, and the weekends were treasured. By Halloween, we'd finally found our groove. And this pic pretty much sums up the whole transition: one of our ladies came out defensive and shooting while the other came out carefree and dancing. But the smiling faces are the outcome: proud, confident, and successful. Thank you, 2015, for giving us the strength to embark on a journey that rocked the socks off the world that we'd known for seven years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2015 was full of outdoor time...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Fall was full of pumpkins and friends...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the big girls gone, the little one and I fell even more in love with the closeness of one another...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From laser tag to fishing, theater-going to movie-going, and a little Harry Potter in between, the big girls bid 2015 a fun-filled farewell...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best gift of all this holiday season was the solid two-week break from life: the girls were out of school, John was off work, and the daily grind came to a screeching halt. It. was. glorious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas morning...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for a great year, 2015. Enjoy one last pic of the only member of our household who somehow missed all of the other photo ops. ;) Here's hoping no one gets excluded in 2016!</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-26273419045299179612015-09-02T14:25:00.000-05:002015-09-02T14:25:12.993-05:0015 months<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where do I even begin with Anna's 15-month update... Should it come as a surprise that, already, I can hardly get a word in edgewise with you?? Sun up to sun down, sweet baby. You talk more than any little person I've ever known. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You say "no" when you mean it and you smile and say "nooooo" when you mean yes; you say "dee do" (<i>thank you</i>) when given a book, food, or a kiss; when asked what you like to see at the library, you smirk and say "shimp" (<i>shrimp</i>), as watching the shrimp in the fish tank tickles you pink; upon entering a room, you announce yourself with a loud "hellloooooo", which is often followed by one of your fave phrases: "I'm coming!" or "Here you go!"; it's adorable when you call out "Lulu" (<i>Lucy</i>) or "Tah-lie" (<i>Charlie</i>); you love saying "one, two, threeeee!" but can fill in any of the numbers between one through ten if we count together and pause for you to say what is next; current favorite books include <u>Over in the Meadow</u>, <u>Polar Bear Polar Bear</u>, <u>Mary Wore Her Red Dress</u>, and <u>Row Row Your Boat</u>; you can name every animal in Polar Bear and you "read" most of Mary Wore Her Red Dress like this: "Mary wore red dress, red dress, red dress... Mary wore red dress all day long"... You, like your sisters, are a testament to early literacy...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We love listening to you sing "Tinkle, tinkle little star" as well as "Baa, baa black sheep, how do you do?" (<i>your own rendition of the song...</i>); you love to say "poop" every time you potty or if you actually need to use the bathroom, which you are doing inconsistently- when we flush the toilet and you say "bye bye poo-poo", it would be nice if you'd stop blowing a kiss to the disappearing waste but in general, we do very much appreciate how lovey you are; speaking of goodbyes, you always say "bye bye daddy" to everyone, which is usually cute but sometimes awkward when strangers hear you say that to the 50-something man at the grocery store. As I said, sun up to sun down, your cute little mouth is busy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your 15-month self ADORES your sisters and you spend a lot of time toddling to their room during the day, throwing up your hands as you look at me and say "Abbelise???". And then I try and avoid breaking down when I say "they're at school". <i>Sidenote: we are all transitioning well. Elise hasn't looked back once. Abby thinks school should only be Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with four-day weekends. Wise beyond her years... </i>But you do miss your sisters and, from the moment we pick them up, you want them to be looking at you, talking to you, touching you, playing with you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You eat great, you sleep great, you're healthy as can be... walking and running... talking and singing...you have 12 teeth... 25th percentile for weight... and 110th percentile for personality, according to my chart. </span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-47939355949665197652015-08-04T22:01:00.001-05:002015-08-04T22:01:11.352-05:00Belated Birthday THANK YOU!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always pictured myself following the cookie-cutter kids pattern: have a baby... wait a year and a half or so... have my second (and last). Abby and Elise annihilated that mold by coming as a pair, which in turn, for the sake of our sanity, made us decide to wait a bit longer before considering another. Now the anticipated 2-year gap became almost 6 years and instead of the final babe being #2, she was #3. Cookie-cutter DESTROYED. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it's amazing. Abby and Elise perfectly compliment one another in their relationship with Anna: Abby often nurtures; Elise entertains. They hold her hands together for ring-around-the-rosy; they tag-team reading books or rolling the ball to give the other one a break while I switch laundry. And somehow over the past year as they entertained and nurtured, they kept growing... and then suddenly July arrived and they turned SEVEN. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we rapidly approach the start of their second grade journey and first year in public school, my very belated birthday thoughts to these two can be simply stated in two words: "thank you". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Elise, for the amazing Padme Amidala costumes, for the crossed-eyes-tongue-sticking-out-make-the-baby-laugh faces, for taking ownership of one of my favorite hats, for playing your piano recital song as fast as you possibly can (perfectly), for doing countless cartwheels inside the house regardless of how many times you were told to stop, for always wearing a bow/headband/braid and sparkly shoes, for stating that "Anna will probably read early because Abby and I read to her all the time unlike us - we had nobody", for announcing every song that comes on the radio in the car because you can see the screen and Abby can't, for checking the weather before you get dressed every.single.day even in the summer when it's the same every.single.day. Thank you, Elise.. for everything... I love you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Abby, for confidently starting your first day of Jedi Academy with a single braid in true Anakin fashion, for always saying "good morning" to Anna first and then letting the dog out while I'm still in bed, for thinking the greatest haircut you ever received was the day the hairdresser straightened your beautiful curls, for writing notes that say "this beer is quite delishis" in beautifully decorated letters, for still believing that the cure to a hard moment is a familiar lap and a squeeze, for wanting to start a stuffed animal babysitting club, for playfully saying "are you tickling me?" when in actuality, Anna is painfully digging her toes into your arm in the car, trying to get a rise out of you. Thank you, Abby... for everything ... I love you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past year, you two soared through dance class, art class, drama class, and piano lessons. You made friends with ease in our Wednesday homeschool group - exploring parks, learning about farm life, and springing around gymnastics like a couple of gazelles. You performed on a stage at least 3 different times without the slightest glimmer of nerves; rather you shone as bright as I could have ever imagined my babies would. And not a single day passed that, if the award for "best sister ever" was being given, you both would have received it. Happy belated 7th birthday, girls. Public school is about to be ROCKED by you both!</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-69764439831223302482015-05-26T07:52:00.000-05:002015-05-26T07:52:10.123-05:00Birthday Baby<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let it be known that on May 19th, 2015... the eve of Anna's first birthday... I did not cry. I remember crying the night before Abby and Elise turned one. It was a wave of emotion that I didn't expect (I'm sure John wasn't surprised by the tears)... a wave of excitement, sadness, anticipation, and love. This time it felt different. Not better-different; not worse-different. Just different. And that's what I've learned over the past year - all of my babies... all girls... all passionate... all intelligent... all beautiful... all mine... yet so very, very different. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna - you love balloons. And your face was priceless on your birthday morning when you woke up to your sisters' smiing faces and a balloon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are the most animated, engaging, imitative, and social baby that I know. You wave to strangers big and small, say "Hiiiii" and now "Hi-low" ("hello"), and flash an amazing 6-tooth grin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 18 pounds, 6 ounces you are crawling and cruising, eating with a fork, and adding new words and signs daily. Abby made a list of all of your current signs... she counted almost 30. Those signs, combined with your spoken words and your over-the-top expressions, make you incredibly communicative. You are a pro with the word "no", you've tossed your fair share of food on the floor, and when you're crabby (which is rare), it's no secret. The times we've used a stern voice with you, your bottom lip and teary eyes are show-stopping. Some of your big sisters' favorite tricks include doing the following when asked: "show your teeth", "raise your hand", "give me a kiss", "say "HELLO", and "show us your cheesey face". You are in the super-cheesey, nose-scrunching smiling phase right now and you aren't stingy with it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite books include "What a Wonderful World", all of the Llama, Llama little library books, and "The Belly Button Book", which we had to teach you so you could refer to your belly button as "bee-bo", just like your sisters did. Favorite foods incude... all of them. Last night for dinner you ate salmon and part of a veggie burger, asparagus, cauliflower, grapes, and some tasty Wheatfields bread with goat cheese on it. You still breastfeed whenever you want (thankfully your biting phase only lasted about a week) but you took to whole milk on the first taste. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You... my charming, personable, life-of-the-party baby... were the greatest gift of all on your birthday. And the one lucky cousin, two adoring sisters, and SEVEN loving grandparents who surrounded you for the big #1 would absolutely agree! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past 365 days, I was there to nurse you and rock you and kiss you at bedtime 363 of those nights. And I wake up every morning eager to see your little face peeking up over your crib. Happy FIRST birthday, Anna! </span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-12859498644711613852015-05-07T21:05:00.000-05:002015-05-07T21:05:04.052-05:0011 months... and then some!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April? Hello? Are you there? Apparently April has already come and gone. Really? That also means that 11 months has come and gone. Anna - stop. getting. bigger. Freeze time. Right here and right now. You are beyond amazing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a quick rundown, because at the rate it takes me to complete a blog, I need to get started on your ONE YEAR update. Cry. me. a. river... You have 6 teeth, you're pulling up onto your knees everywhere as well as pulling to stand (the big sisters' chairs are your favorite in-house jungle gym), recent favorite foods include blueberries, grilled salmon, meatballs, and whole wheat toast, and we can hardly keep up with your repertoire of signs which now includes "owl", "bear", "Gran", "Momma", "stop", "swing", "mouse", "eat", "cow", "elephant", "flower" - of this list, "owl" is almost too cute for words, you sign it multiple times a day, and it's always accompanied with "whooo, whooo", in the sweeeetest little voice. The theory that youngest children are late talkers because older sibs talk for them? Doesn't apply to you. Your mouth goes all day long and includes "Baba" (Abby), "Lis" (Elise), "Lana", "Bapa" (Grandpa), "all done", "up", "more", "Pop!", "ball", "work", "no", "Hi", "go", "nana" (milk) and "Anna", which you say so clearly in your little voice that you risk either of your sisters or me eating you up when say it. You are one of the most imitative babies I've met - whether it's a new sign or a spoken word or a playful motion in a song, you consistently make an attempt to reproduce it right away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We love our dog. We really, truly do. But she's a Vizsla in every way and she is often invading someone's personal space, to which we often say "Go!". So now you think the dog's name is "Go" and that's what you say when you see her. Poor Charlie...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy ELEVEN months, Anna! Your big sisters and I are looking forward to doting on you all summer long! We thank you for your patience and good morning naps over the past months, allowing the big girls to ROCK first grade in ways that I never imagined possible. You have endured countless math, reading, science, and history lessons, entertaining yourself army crawling around the living room, pulling books from the bookshelf, possibly consuming a few scraps of paper, and providing us with reasons to smile every step of the way. You have no idea how good you've been for all of us.</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-71392484029027017642015-04-03T22:45:00.001-05:002015-04-03T22:45:29.094-05:00Sisters... sweet, sweet Sisters<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna's 10(ish) month update has to wait a minute. I don't have much experience with big sisters to compare, but let it be known that the two big sisters under our roof are amazing. Make that Amazing, with a capital A. How many little sisters get a personal performance in the mornings, while waiting for breakfast, complete with music, masks, and costumes? If something makes Anna giggle, she gets to enjoy it over and over again because why would one big sister miss out on the fun? Guess who loves books? Oh, that would be the babe AND her big sisters... which means Anna has her own personal readers at her beck and call. Car rides? Always fun when there's a playmate on each side to tickle you, sing to you, and share prized possessions (such as a Han Solo action figure) because anything is better than a fussy babe in the car. We are over 10 months into this baby gig and even on our roughest day, the big sisters shine. John and I were talking the other night and, with the ups and downs of homescooling this year, the bonding that has taken place between Abby, Elise, and Anna is hands-down making it worth every single day. And as I sit here and write this, I want to print it out and post it on the refrigerator as my own personal reminder that we're doing okay. At the end of the day, Elise's messy printing... Abby's insistence on wearing only certain articles of clothing... the disaster behind the couch that was either a fort or a spaceship... the bikes in the front yard... the books in the tree... Elise's boycott of scrambled eggs... Abby's boycott of muffins... none of it really matters. It's so hard some days to see past all of it and to breath. smile. relax. We're doing something right.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of smiling...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna Michele. 10 months already. Right here, right now: PAUSE. I want the "pause" button. As you snuggled in the other day, nursing your way to sleep, I looked at your face and realized that this is a moment in which I want time to stop. You're blowing kisses, saying "bye bye" while waving, pulling to stand, eating whatever we put on your tray, signing "please', "more", "milk", "dog', "ball", "play", "music", "daddy", "all done", "cat", "bird", "tree", and your newest favorite sign: "book". <u>Brown Bear, Brown Bear</u> is your absolute favorite and you also love lift-the-flap books, which you very carefully lift each flap with your precise little pointer finger. You had your first cold, which made for a miserable 24 hours, followed by a viciously grumpy babe for 3-4 days until your top two teeth busted through. Abby and Elise never had any signs of teething; Miss Anna, however, showed us why so many parents talk about teething with grunts and groans and cocktails. Can you say "baby tantrums"? Wowsers. We were elated to see those tiny pearly whites because they were accompanied by the return of your happy face. That happy face of yours absolutely glows under the big sky - you have found such joy from the sky since you were tiny and now it brings you a whole new world of entertainment as the birds, planes, or balloons pass by - you point, you smile, you giggle, your feet kick, and you sign "more please", "more, please". The St. Patrick's day parade was worth the crowds and the cold wind just to watch your face and hear you laugh with every stray balloon that escaped and floated away - you didn't miss a single one. I think Gran and I watched you more than we watched the floats. You are just that, though: totally, completely, and captivatingly watchable. </span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-6929157283343541972015-02-26T22:18:00.000-06:002015-02-26T22:53:14.648-06:00February: the calm after the storm<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, apparently in the world of homeschooling, January can be hell. And I think I would have to agree. After 2+ weeks without a routine in the same setting as where school happens, finding our way back to structure and routine was somewhat of a challenge. "Get dressed? Why?!?!?!?!"... "Addition and subtraction? Say WHAT?!?!?!?!"... "Focus on a task of YOUR choosing? Huh?!?!?!". Abby and Elise are mighty. They are a force to be reckoned with. And what January lacked in snowstorms, we made up for on an almost daily basis with storms of our own. But after the dust settled...</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all took turns enjoying the stomach flu (except for Anna). We loved on each other for Valentine's Day - Abby was thrilled with her gift of a Star Wars book about Darth Maul while Elise politely kept quiet when I gave her a book about Padme Amidala that she already had, unbeknownst to me. I can't keep up with their library... Then we handled a busy week of rehearsals beautifully with John out of town for work, which ended with a fantastic dance performance at the Arts Center of Anansi the Spider. The girls loved every. minute. of the performance. And I cannot count the number of older dancers, parents, teachers who said to me "they're SOOOOO cute!", especially when Elise stopped mid-performance to smile and wave at us in the front row. ;) Seriously, though, after the trials and tribulations of January, watching the girls succeed in something as intense as a stage performance is a much-needed "sigh". I'm so proud of their dedication and hard work, their positive attitudes, and their social finesse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's that? The BABY? Oh, right... Anna turned 9 months old. And the doctor confirmed what we already knew: she's perfect. 9 months and still not a single illness... 15 pounds, 11 ounces ... sleeping 10-12 hours a night... eating EVERYTHING (kiwi, quinoa, soup/stew...)... breastfeeding like a champ... saying "nigh, nigh" (night, night), "mama", "dada"... making animal noises for dog and cat... signing "more", "please", "milk", "daddy", "music", "dog". Anna - I speak for every member of our family when I say that you bring happiness to our world. Abby still can't keep her hands off of you and she loves to bounce you up and down saying "Zoom, zoom, zoom, BOOM!". Personal space goes totally out the window when Elise talks to you and, while she will not allow you to touch her lightsaber, she is happy to share other toys, such as Froggy, as long as you don't put them in your mouth. ;) During Baby Sing and Sign class last week, I had to compete with you for everyone's attention - your smiles and squeals were so big and so engaging that none of us could keep our eyes off of you. That's pretty much how I feel everyday - I look forward to seeing you morning, noon, and night. </span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-60646449811921490812015-01-21T15:51:00.000-06:002015-01-21T15:51:04.056-06:00Anna: 8 months<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, sweet baby girl... You are possibly the funniest baby we've ever known. Your disposition is off-the-charts amazing. Neither hunger nor fatigue defeats you and a smile is always ready, just waiting to make our day. That smile of yours - sometimes a smirk, sometimes a grin, sometimes tickled pink, and sometimes so enormous that I swear your cheeks must ache. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past two months, you've become very mobile with the "roll, roll, pivot, roll, pivot, scooch, pull, roll" maneuver. You have two bottom teeth yet you're already chewing food like you've got a full set. Food: you rapidly progressed from your pureed squash, sweet potatoes, and avocado to soft chunks of green beans, carrots, cantaloupe, and chicken... the latter all carefully pinned between your index finger and your palm and then smashed into your mouth. You are also delighted with yogurt and oatmeal as well as smoothies made from any combination of banana, yogurt, peach, etc... You are into pointing and the "finger game", especially with Uncle Travis, as he slowly moves his index finger toward you and, with a very watchful eye, you wait... and wait.. and wait... then you reach out and touch his finger with your own. And then you smile, of course. You also love the "bobbing" game - in your high char, you look me right in the eye and then quickly bob your head forward. Then you wait. So I quickly bob mine back at you. To which you respond with another bob. This may go back and forth 4 or 5 times until I crack up laughing and, as if my laughter signals defeat, you then squeal with delight at your victory. Sleep: you're usually down for the night around 8:00 and often check-in for a snack in the morning around 5:00, after which you snooze again until 7:30 or 8:00. If we're home and not running about, you'll easily nap for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at least once a day; the other nap is often shorter but we rarely stay home and quiet long enough for any more. It must be enough because you're charming. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You ADORE your big sisters - just yesterday, they were gone for the afternoon and when we arrived at Gran and Grandpa's to see them, your bouncing and smiling and yelling at their sight was the best "I'VE MISSED YOU" that one could receive. You had a runny nose...once... for about day. So basically you've never been sick. I have no idea how much you weigh or how long you are or what your percentile is - you have little rolls in your thighs, you're outgrowing 6-month clothes, you're signing "daddy", "dog", and "milk", saying "mama", clapping your hands to music and you seem perfect in every way. Keep it up, babykins, keep it up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-68036301553209935142015-01-19T14:56:00.000-06:002015-01-19T20:23:09.373-06:00Happy New Year!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I sit here and attempt to sum up December, I'm realizing that it may very well have been one of our busiest months. Ever. While the girls and I wrapped up our first semester of school, John wrapped up his final weeks at KU. We celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas and New Years. Anna turned 7 months, started signing, and grew some teeth. We bought a new car. We were together A LOT. :) And it's no secret around here that the return of a routine in January has been good for everyone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We welcomed 2015 with open arms. We had a wonderful holiday season - don't get me wrong - but I am raising children who crave consistency and, when life feels unpredictable or somewhat off-kilter, they react (<i>what's that saying? "the apple doesn't fall far...")</i>. I have to constantly remind myself of how intuitive my children are ... how influenced they are by my emotions... and how they don't miss a damn thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Abby and Elise, 2014 went like this: <strike>homeschooling kindergarten</strike> free-play all day with mom to structured, student-teacher lessons at home... first-born babies in the house to big sisters... mom available 24/7 to mom on bedrest/hospital/new-baby duty... well-rested, level-headed parents to exhausted, patience-lacking parents. These were big changes for ME. They were even bigger changes for my girls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy 2015. Change is inevitable... and while it can throw us completely off-balance, clearly it can result in amazing outcomes.</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-8862788812032705802014-11-30T11:42:00.001-06:002014-11-30T11:44:19.975-06:00Sweet, sweet 6 months<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Anna Banana -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write your 6-month update with overflowing love because you, sweet baby girl, slept for eleven straight hours last night. In the words of your Daddy: "sweet, glorious sleep". In the past week since you hit the 6-month mark, I've thought about this update numerous times and each time, it started something like this: "Your sleeping abilities are atrocious"... "We are exhausted"... "You turn into a demon at bedtime".... However on this day, I get to say to you: "We LOVE you and you did it! You slept, without a peep, from 8:30 pm to 7:30 am." On the night of your first Thanksgiving, we are thankful for YOU.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stats: 12 lbs, 8 oz. and 25 inches long. You have slept through the night a total of 6 times in 6 months, 3 of those happening within the past 3 days (but nothing as amazing as last night). ;) You are fluently signing "milk" and we're pretty sure that both "dog" and "daddy" are emerging. You love to stick out your tongue and say "lalalalalala", followed by blowing raspberries and grinning. You've just entered the "Mommy phase" and are more weary of strangers and being left alone. That being said, you happily separate from me to see Abby, Elise, Daddy, and Gran. I started you on solids early because you're so tiny and it was a better alternative for me than supplementing with formula. You are clearly a product of our family as you. love. food. Without a gag or a wince, you took to eating like a rockstar and your meals include some combination of: butternut squash, sweet potato, avocado, egg yolk, pear, and mango (all organic and homemade, of course!). The past couple months of sleep issues have been rough but, those set aside (and maybe over and done?), you are damn near perfect. </span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-25899494581835380662014-11-02T12:38:00.002-06:002014-11-28T11:16:01.146-06:00All that was October<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's start with you, Anna Panna Cotta...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October marked 5 months for you, Baby Bear. We love you more this month than last... but we are so very, very tired. In the past month, you gave up naps. You gave up falling asleep easily at night. You gave up staying asleep at night. Hence the name "Baby Bear". No, sweet baby - I don't want to hang out with you from 1 am to 4 am.. awake. Daddy has been the secret weapon - many nights he has come to my rescue, stashing you down in the basement (with him as well, of course) and that's where I find you two - snuggled into the couch, you tucked into the crook of his arm. The last week or two seems better... or maybe I'm just finding peace with 4 hours of sleep a night and lots of baby holding. ;) 5 months... you are rolling from tummy to back, reaching and grabbing, squealing and gurgling. You've fallen a bit out of love with sucking on your fingers or a pacifier and, as I think about it, the drooling may have slowed? Or maybe that's wishful thinking. You have been described by a stranger on more than one occasion as "a little pixie!"... your relationship to us has also been questioned on more than one occasion as your looks continue to resemble you, and only you. After having two babies before you who mirrored each other's appearance in so many ways, I assumed number three would follow suit. You did not - your hair is getting lighter, your eyes are still blue, your complexion remains fair. You, my love, are beautiful. The past month also put you back onto the growth chart. Breastfeeding is oh-so important to me and we've had our struggles. This journey over the past month has included a lot of pumping to try and increase my supply as well as a trip to an ENT two weeks ago to have your upper lip tie and tongue tie clipped. We both cried during that procedure - you were crying your "mad" cry because of the swaddling and hands in your mouth. I was crying my "pitiful mom" cry. The whole procedure was quick and the recovery was practically nothing. You are up to 11 pounds, 14 ounces (2nd percentile) and almost 26 inches long (16th percentile). You have been in perfect health and that "tickled" look on your face tickles us everyday - Gran and I saw your first playful sense of humor: I was holding you and you kept leaning back, arching away from me. Each time, in a stern-ish voice, I would say "Anna" and you would move toward me, make and hold eye contact, then slowly start leaning back again, with a very, ornery grin. And guess what - the big sisters still ADORE you (which I attribute partly to the fact that they are very sound sleepers and have been unphased by your nightly shenanigans). I can only imagine what you're going to say back when the time comes...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of the big sisters...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These two. You ladies are into dolls and dress-up, Star Wars and Dolphin Tale, reading and writing, tree-climbing and bike-riding and playing in the mud. As important as our schoolwork is each day, you are both chomping at the bit to get outside from sun-up to sun-down. I cannot imagine the amount of time you've spent high up in the tree out front lately. In fact, every time we leave the house goes something like this: "Come on, Abby! Let's go out first!"... "Wait for me, Elise!"... "Abby and Elise! Please get out of the tree and into the car!". You girls have been unruly, obnoxious, impatient, and high maintenance. And I say that with love. But seriously - who cares what shoes you wear or if your hair won't lay down flat or who answers the phone first or who checked out which book from the library or if Daddy says it's almost 2:00 when it's 1:46. We have days with school that I throw in the towel and we head to the park. Granted, my lack of sleep <i>might </i>be a contributing factor but even on those days, we are learning. I am learning. This year of homeschooling, while it's proving to take more patience that I ever imagined, is going to teach me so much about your personalities, your learning styles... and about my parenting. You both LOVE activity - Abby, in dance class, your movements are graceful and coordinated; Elise - you climb trees with incredible confidence and strength. You both LOVE words - Abby, your little brain rhymes and has rhythm... you actually came up with the words to one of my new songs for Baby Sing and Sign. Elise, your little brain hears each sound in words so precisely, making you a strong speller. Right now, Abby - you're reading <u>Ramona the Brave</u>; Elise - you're reading <u>Trumpet of the Swan</u>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our "together book" is </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Long Winter</u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought two new books for you from the Wrenly series a couple of weeks ago - on the day they arrived, you finished reading them before dinner that night. You've made countless rainbow loom bracelets and paper-doll clothes galore. Seriously - at my prime in making cards, I thought I had a paper obsession. You two have paper EVERYWHERE! Scraps cut from magazines, drawings and sketches, notes and lists. Amidst all your madness, however, you two are still so incredibly sweet. Abby - you reprimand me every time I call Anna "rotten". Elise - just yesterday, you traded your piece of candy with Abby because she just really wanted the one you had. For art studio class last week, you dressed alike and decided to be "twins" for Halloween that day. Good thing you're both very jack-o-laternish with those missing front teeth. You girls are really something else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 2014 also included our 29th annual pumpkin carving party and Halloween. The pictures from these events tell it all:</span><br />
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-71452234578447305392014-09-27T21:32:00.000-05:002014-09-27T21:32:31.920-05:00A wee 4 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are four months old. At your three month check-up, you weighed a whopping 9 pounds, 11 ounces. At your four month check-up, you managed to top the scales at 10 pounds, 2 ounces. While your 23 inches of amazing length has you on the growth chart around the 8th percentile, your weight has dropped below the curve. You. Are. Tiny. Last week, a woman said "Oh my goodness! Your baby looks just like a little pixie!". I love how little you are for so many reasons; I stress about how little you are because, as your food source, I can't help but worry that I'm the cause of your wee-ness. Your sisters were 2 pounds smaller than you at this age - those were our tiny babies. I guess that's what we make around here: teeny, tiny, girls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what you should know about your four-month old self: You smile countless times a day. It is a "tickled with the world" kind of smile that makes you tuck your chin, turn your face, and burrow into whoever is holding you... only to peek back out, still smirking. Abby and Elise have both gotten you to giggle. And both times have been while you were lying on the bathroom counter, mid-diaper-change. You are currently a rotten napper, unless you're tucked away in a sling or pouch attached to me. You LOVE to be worn. Nights, however, are lovely - you're in bed anywhere between 7:30-8:30, you wake around 3:00 and eat, and then sleep again until somewhere between 7:30-8:30 in the morning. Your 3:00 middle-of-the-night feeding often takes place back in my bed and then we just snuggle in for the rest of the night. You LOVE the sky. As soon as we walk outside, your eyes widen, your face softens, and you gaze. You've completed two full sessions of Baby Sing and Sign with Gran. The first month of classes, you slept through part of every class. The second month, you were awake the whole time, smiling and watching. I love teaching these classes - it takes my love to a whole new level to look up and see MY BABY grinning back at me. You mutter. Oh the muttering! If you're hungry or tired, with or without a pacifier in your mouth, you mumble and complain - not crying - just downright muttering. You and the pacifier are friends - it doesn't matter the brand or style, color or size. You'll take it. Although, in the past few days, you've discovered that two of your fingers work pretty well also - never your thumb - just two of your fingers. Abby and Elise have started carrying you around, just in the house and near an adult. They love to walk you to the window or their bedroom, all the while narrating what you might be seeing. Abby did almost drop you today when you spit up all over her. Luckily you don't spit up much or else we might have to put an end to the carrying. The carseat makes you mad sometimes, but if we all sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" you usually settle back down. Elise gets in your face all day long saying "Hello!" or "Hi!" and Abby catches your eye regularly with "Oh, hello doo-doo!". You can thank Daddy for being called "doo-doo", as well as "Anna pants". So far, the big girls have never asked if we can give you back. In fact, I think they grow more fond of you daily. Good thing something around here is growing... :)</span></div>
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-50007644293972605612014-09-03T21:37:00.001-05:002014-09-03T21:37:08.932-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Perfection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-47041783013215945432014-08-04T10:29:00.001-05:002014-08-04T10:29:35.553-05:00July 2014: 6 years..10 weeks<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Abby,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six. years. old. You're going to eat us out of house and home, especially if it involves seafood or meat. You dance with confidence, passion, and madness - actually, you sort of live life that way. Your facial expressions absolutely say as much as your words - which often include phrases such as "I know!", "But, but, but...", "I'm going to miss you!", "C'mon, Elise!", "Anna, do you have a smile for me?", "But what about ME?", "I'm hungry!", just to name a few. Your artwork is better than mine - you become so focused when drawing and, in case you were wondering, your bottom jaw STILL juts out and to the side when you're concentrating (this has been one of your "looks" since you were barely walking). Your latest fictional characters to pretend to be include Elsa, from Frozen, Mulan, Robin Hood, and Princess Leia. When you read aloud, you go so fast that we can't even understand you. I'm pretty sure that's how fast you read in your head but you understand every bit. You've lost 2 teeth. You are your baby sister's biggest fan. The transition with a new baby was hard on you and, after a couple of weeks working through some heated emotions, you responded beautifully to disappointment one evening and when I asked if you knew why I was so proud of you, your response was "Because I didn't arch my back?". And you were right, because we'd determined that back-arching was not a calm behavior. I'm proud of you for so many reasons, Abby Rose. Our family of five is perfect because you're in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Elise,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six. years. old. You cannot stop spelling. "Hey Mom: I...L.O.V.E...Y.O.U" or "I..A.M...G.O.O.D.", all spelled out letter by letter in the middle of a conversation. Couscous, orzo, "open noodles", ABC noodles - you are a carb-lover like your Daddy. Your artwork is also better than mine - I was just laying in your room and looking at a drawing that you taped to your wall of Ana, from Frozen. It's truly amazing. Your latest fictional characters to pretend to be include Ana, Maid Marian, Captain Li Shang (from Mulan), and Luke Skywalker. Or the lady who runs "Dessert Closet", the fine bakery that occasionally takes over our living room. Whenever you're distressed, your sentence always begins with "But Momma, let me tell you something" - it's a dead giveaway that you're having a conflict with Abby or you have a request that you assume I'm going to deny. You've lost 2 teeth. You are swimming like a rockstar - crawl stroke and even starting to learn the butterfly. You also have no fear and you often hear me say things like: "Elise, are we in the living room or at the playground?, "Elise, are we in the kitchen or at the playground?", "Elise, are we at the store or at the playground" because if it could possibly be climbed, you're on it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are incredibly compassionate and, more often than you should, you put Abby's wants above your own. I'm proud of you for so many reasons, Elise Autumn. Our family of five is perfect because you're in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Anna,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. weeks. You weigh 9 pounds, 3 ounces and you are 21 inches long. You're a great night sleeper - last night you went to bed at 9:00, woke up to eat at 1:30am, and went back to sleep until 6:30. Your hands are always in your mouth and you drool like a fiend. You also smile, talk, coo, and gurgle at anyone who will give you the time of day. At Starlight last week, you were propped on my shoulder and, before I realized what was happening, a crowd of half a dozen had formed behind me and you were talking their ears off and smiling like a star. Needless to say, they thought you were the cutest baby they'd ever seen. ;) We've been known to call you Anna Banana, Anna Pants, and Little Tiny. Your eyes are still blue, your head has a fine layer of peach fuzz, and your arms and legs continue to move like you're training for a triathlon. I've left you for about 2 hours with Gran while I teach a class and, as of about 8 weeks, you're sleeping mostly in your crib at night instead of with me. Daddy described you as "a peach" on the day you were born - that label still fits you, Anna Michele. Our family of five is perfect because you're in it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-89795006170256981642014-06-30T15:03:00.001-05:002014-07-01T06:54:09.095-05:00Anna Michele<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweet baby Anna Michele was born on Tuesday, May 20th at 11:42 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz and was 18 inches long. She is perfect. Here's her story...</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby and Elise were an emergency c-section in July 2008. Five years later, one baby on the way, and with the support of my hubby, I made a very informed decision to pursue a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I am woman, hear me roar! My body was meant to birth a baby and that experience is one I just needed to have, or at least try and have. The hospital here in town does not perform VBACs, so that meant switching doctors and opting to deliver in Overland Park. Enter our doulas. During my first trimester, I contacted two amazing women who I had connected with through Baby Sing and Sign: Stefanie and Lindsay. "Doula" from that point forward became an integral part of everyone in this household's vocabulary. </span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Artwork by Abby: "Doolis" = "Doulas"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I mentioned on the blog before, we hit our first hiccup around 28 weeks when Baby Lawrence developed a heart arrhythmia. After much monitoring, our fears lessened as the babe continued to develop beautifully and the arrhythmia faded. Our next hiccup came at 37 weeks when my blood pressure skyrocketed. Seriously? Blood pressure? All we could think was "how could that be my issue? I have the lowest blood pressure EVER!". I spent a week on modified bed rest, checking my BP too many times at home, and crossing my fingers that my pregnancy would continue. Here's the deal: with a VBAC, I was not a candidate for any type of medical induction. That's one of the caveats - to induce before the body is ready often leads to a longer, more strenuous labor which raises possible risks and complications for a VBAC. At my 38 week check-up, while my BP was within an acceptable range, the fluid around Baby L had dropped to a level that required delivery in the near future. It was go-time.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I still was not dilated or feeling contractions, after checking into the hospital on Monday afternoon, the midwife on duty was able to insert a Cook's Catheter. For those that like details, this is essentially a catheter for your cervix. This does not require any drugs and was our only hope to get labor started. While contractions came on fairly strong after it was inserted, they lessened and we hunkered down for the night - best case scenario was that, by morning, the cook's catheter had done it's job and I would be dilated to a 5. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday morning, the catheter was removed. I was indeed dilated to a 5. At 8:00, my midwife, Sarah, came and broke my water and, within a half an hour, contractions started. From there on out, it was a perfect VBAC. I was able be up and about, moving through the contractions as they intensified. My mom, John, and Stefanie were awesome - keeping me company, offering support, and chatting away the morning. By 11:00 I was fully dilated and Anna was born at 11:42 a.m. Everyone was expecting a boy, except for Stefanie! Although, before even asking if she was a girl or a boy, as I reached to hold her, out of my mouth popped "Oh, I'm so sorry about your head!"... poor little head looked as though it had been squished through a small opening. Oh wait... it had been. ;) I cut the cord myself, since it wasn't a task that either my mom or John wanted and we all soaked up that moment of holding, seeing, and loving a newborn baby. It was my perfect drug-free, all-natural, birth experience. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until... I'll make a very long story somewhat brief... Anna didn't rotate when she was born, so her shoulders came through square. I had third degree tears that were quickly attended to. While that procedure was taking place, concerns arose that my bleeding was not slowing. There was talk that part of the placenta had not detached from the uterus or that there was a blood clot issue... regardless, the looks on everyone's faces were changing. After the tears were repaired and the nurses were doing their post-procedure utensil/material count, they discovered a mis-count: one of the sponges used was missing. So... this led to intensely painful internal checks as well as a complete emptying, spreading out, and examining of the trash receptacles that contained far more blood than anyone should have to see. I also had to be x-rayed to make sure the sponge wasn't inside, all the while my blood pressure was plummeting. John, my mom, and Stefanie paced about the room, passing Anna back and forth as we wanted her kept with us at all times. She was a peach! But honestly, the room looked like a gory scene from a murder movie and, according to John, I wasn't looking much better than death. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout the afternoon, about every 30 minutes, the nurses would have to come and "massage" my stomach/uterus to determine if the bleeding was slowing. I would birth that baby all over again rather than experience hours of that. I remember passing Anna over to someone when they would come in because I had to brace myself on the sides of the bed - the pain was horrible. By early evening, I had lost too much blood to ignore and at 9:00 that night, they started a blood transfusion. The transfusion was the first event of the day that I couldn't handle - it sounded scary and serious and I didn't want someone else's blood. John had left to see Abby and Elise and head home for some sleep; my mom stayed with me. It was a phone call to John that helped calm me down. And, throughout the night, the company of my mom that took the fears away. The toll on my body from the blood loss showed itself in two ways: I had a raging headache for about five days and my milk didn't come in. We came home on Thursday; by Friday morning I had a hungry baby and I was completely stressed out. I texted Stefanie around 6:30... she was at our door 15 minutes later, following closely by my mom. The "hiccups" continued and, as we ventured out to have Anna checked by the pediatrician and acquire a breast pump, our car died and we spent a good portion of time stranded in a parking lot with a 4 day old baby. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we are, six weeks later... Anna's arrival wasn't without it's fair share of stress and complications. I am so grateful to my "team" - I will never forget John bringing me home from the hospital and promptly preparing a steak, to up my iron count, while chanting "we're gonna make some milk!", in an effort to boost my spirits about my lack of lactation ... or my mom tearing up when we told her that her we had chosen her name for Anna's middle name, a choice that came easy for us after the love and support she provided during an exciting and terrifying time... or Stefanie's calm, kind voice saying "you're doing great, Erin" through each contraction... or Sarah sitting down on the edge of the bed in such a relaxed and compassionate manner, ready to hand our baby to us.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna Michele - you are so loved. I can't begin to count the number of times a day Abby and Elise kiss you on the head. You are six weeks old and still sleeping with me... partly because you only get up once during the night when you're there but also because it's the most wonderful thing in the world. You weigh over 8 pounds now, wearing up to 3-month size clothes and bigger than your sisters were at almost 4 months; you grunt, squirm, and stretch ALL the time; you cannot keep your hands away from your face, much like you were in every. single. ultrasound; you're holding your head up like a boss; and a week ago you started smiling at us - and I'm not talking about a little smirk... your mouth opens up as wide as possible, your tongue sticks out, and you SMILE! Yesterday, Gran, Abby, Elise, you, and I went to see <i>The King and I</i> at the theater. It was over 3 hours long - you slept for the first 2 hours, nursed for a bit, and slept through the rest. At one point, you started tooting, which wasn't quiet, and I was terrified of a full-on blow out during a very quiet scene. Thank you for resisting the urge, literally. Your first outing was to the pediatrician's office, followed by Gran and Grandpa's house. At 11 days old, you went with us to the farmer's market. The sling that I wear you in is like a baby sleeping pill and you've since slept through countless outings. Your hair looks lighter than your big sisters' and your eyes are still blue. Most importantly, you complete our family. After Abby and Elise were born, I wasn't even out of the hospital and was thinking about "the next time". You fulfilled my "next time" and this time, before leaving the hospital, I was thinking "family of 5...perfect". I love you.</span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04JcD7yiYWFefo-Jy5nMnfzoOBRP3Bd6ftxytHwSpd7IKBOmRrDvXGazcVkHG33id-TqfVK2aMmsrQp7BrhsHAJSvsIfIByjQmCzCXkfZQmkyQ79k5qJ-2WBt-9bgB9V6WuBoY6tz6eA/s1600/Anna_june2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04JcD7yiYWFefo-Jy5nMnfzoOBRP3Bd6ftxytHwSpd7IKBOmRrDvXGazcVkHG33id-TqfVK2aMmsrQp7BrhsHAJSvsIfIByjQmCzCXkfZQmkyQ79k5qJ-2WBt-9bgB9V6WuBoY6tz6eA/s1600/Anna_june2014.jpg" height="426" width="640"></a></div>
Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-4051061089550372502014-04-24T21:05:00.000-05:002014-04-24T21:05:49.710-05:00Say, make, eat, paint, and play!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few weeks...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We've said this:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby to Elise: "Oh, your picture is EXQUISITIVE!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby to me: "Mom, how do you spell "coronation"?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elise to me: "I love you more than $129!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elise to my belly, every night: "I love you baby!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby's baby names: Peter or Carrie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elise's baby names: Rosella, Violet, Daisy, or Tommy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We made these:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWNfDxnuFQ_vJoUMEkO4lFZ6k6xyrWbbfyD1RjVwbvdX7VDIoBlW2vxpdLN_h0xWBiDr0kR1TAQmxkaxVzAtdytyNpZ0IJPJC2RuyD6V2Rtw-vraa4AEMLgmqqNMABG57N_zOhiacCZM/s1600/IMG_2534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWNfDxnuFQ_vJoUMEkO4lFZ6k6xyrWbbfyD1RjVwbvdX7VDIoBlW2vxpdLN_h0xWBiDr0kR1TAQmxkaxVzAtdytyNpZ0IJPJC2RuyD6V2Rtw-vraa4AEMLgmqqNMABG57N_zOhiacCZM/s1600/IMG_2534.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We ate this:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyNGHj6ggpfRCMsgWImimZQFPsReGVL1ZAcNdTXmbm7CwrF_w7ihNc3wraXMb5ouRfs3S2AKUuK_pCEhgAa2aFhyHN8giw4uBxB_kGis5igUkgTKN9UUoNwLyx0_5jNd7uaIEYOAQfJM/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyNGHj6ggpfRCMsgWImimZQFPsReGVL1ZAcNdTXmbm7CwrF_w7ihNc3wraXMb5ouRfs3S2AKUuK_pCEhgAa2aFhyHN8giw4uBxB_kGis5igUkgTKN9UUoNwLyx0_5jNd7uaIEYOAQfJM/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quinoa Cookies</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>adapted from <a href="http://lovesfoodlovestoeat.blogspot.com/2012/04/quinoa-cookies-with-coconut-chocolate.html?showComment=1335897096849" target="_blank">Loves Food Loves To Eat</a></i></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 C organic stone ground whole wheat pastry flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Himalayan pink salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp baking powder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C organic unsalted butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C organic coconut sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 C local honey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 local organic eggs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp homemade vanilla</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 C cooked organic quinoa</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C unsweetened coconut</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 C chocolate chips (optional)</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Quinoa Breakfast Bowl</b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooked organic quinoa</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic milk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local, raw honey</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic raw pumpkin seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Organic banana</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unsweetened coconut</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We painted here:</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOTbX0W0VoIBTEJCKvn-5CtrHRjSVDDeqCmdQ5PldROziI6SrbClLlTf8bHYmnT-lr98VYVtu2WiCFFyzgUqiz_6Wm9DATXqTvt4bQCUZDpLN98krekVnu29g0YduKG2uswZ2_1-_Gjo/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOTbX0W0VoIBTEJCKvn-5CtrHRjSVDDeqCmdQ5PldROziI6SrbClLlTf8bHYmnT-lr98VYVtu2WiCFFyzgUqiz_6Wm9DATXqTvt4bQCUZDpLN98krekVnu29g0YduKG2uswZ2_1-_Gjo/s1600/IMG_2565.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And we played this way:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtrW_zkNP38q_Q_8hVxhSTQM2966ilfwX7XEh0c1aqBMwE9pwhAgxd8ss0cLSrzj0_aY43QIRKkc9z9JYh7Vp6aEA2WbHClG6EdBUHXRLDs3VH56yn5qJYoMIzZp6aNDvXgs9Z7FeRxA/s1600/IMG_2550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtrW_zkNP38q_Q_8hVxhSTQM2966ilfwX7XEh0c1aqBMwE9pwhAgxd8ss0cLSrzj0_aY43QIRKkc9z9JYh7Vp6aEA2WbHClG6EdBUHXRLDs3VH56yn5qJYoMIzZp6aNDvXgs9Z7FeRxA/s1600/IMG_2550.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZCXp0Tvtc5fDHjjZSjWwWpzJatFiE3F1Nr-M5bydgR67MxxqAexNTtq4-8UP0EGQ2XuV7Oj_KwmfIw69rxY5HTOmU39VH_uIvvGZys1eBlu02KPWt5fSAKasFX54AcPGemidUOJjba8/s1600/IMG_2560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZCXp0Tvtc5fDHjjZSjWwWpzJatFiE3F1Nr-M5bydgR67MxxqAexNTtq4-8UP0EGQ2XuV7Oj_KwmfIw69rxY5HTOmU39VH_uIvvGZys1eBlu02KPWt5fSAKasFX54AcPGemidUOJjba8/s1600/IMG_2560.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCBj_g1P_WI8BTwXPR2ioHFMwbS9AJatKDXm-63Vi1d4yiX6V3OQwAy5vInuTj1i7ZKdnE5z-8l25GKd5ju5wa6PvJdRCIITRgmx8p53DHOVf3OokpPf8vrSj0mhnrVXltOHXuK2VYtk/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCBj_g1P_WI8BTwXPR2ioHFMwbS9AJatKDXm-63Vi1d4yiX6V3OQwAy5vInuTj1i7ZKdnE5z-8l25GKd5ju5wa6PvJdRCIITRgmx8p53DHOVf3OokpPf8vrSj0mhnrVXltOHXuK2VYtk/s1600/IMG_2569.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been wonderful to be outside... making mud pies, playing in the fairy garden, filling pots with herbs and flowers. We miss our chicken companions - the remaining two, Lavender and Pip, found a wonderful home a few weeks ago. As we prepared to drive them across town, Elise insisted that Pip not only kissed her but was also crying. When I said "Well girls, I think we found a great home for the chickens", Abby brought me to tears by responding with "those chickens will never have a better home than what they had with us". We decided that, with baby on the way, it would be nice to simplify the homestead - I'm sure it was the right thing to do and we found an organic, vegetarian home for the ladies - but I'm already looking forward to the next flock at some point down the road. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of down the road... Baby L has 5 weeks left to cook. And I'm enjoying each and every day. I feel great, our weekly check-ups are looking awesome, we met with our doulas and have a wonderful birth plan in place, the babe's room is done, and the big sisters are excited! We still have no names picked out nor are we using the girls' suggestions. And the overall consensus thus far is that this baby has a penis. While I'm unsure of that detail, what I do know is that growing a baby rocks: hiccups, kicks, big sister belly kisses, nighttime bathroom breaks and all. </span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530578986456623342.post-75893254831876647222014-04-07T20:44:00.002-05:002014-04-07T20:44:56.901-05:00The days keep MARCHing by!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, apparently March happened. While it's not a month well-documented in words, pictures will have to suffice for a recap:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abby, aka Robin Hood, learned how to shoot a bow and arrow.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwe-6YSZ5zY7u58JOANY6sLSXV6cVfKRdzErGHgw3NyGasApmX58r58JO-oA5S8PvRWGTqDYEPBuW2XGcVsV-7plOVb2Nbkz4kw4tHJobt3Ytv7cY6Aul-e2jmzRouThkp6kg8o3Zha8M/s1600/robin+hood_abby_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwe-6YSZ5zY7u58JOANY6sLSXV6cVfKRdzErGHgw3NyGasApmX58r58JO-oA5S8PvRWGTqDYEPBuW2XGcVsV-7plOVb2Nbkz4kw4tHJobt3Ytv7cY6Aul-e2jmzRouThkp6kg8o3Zha8M/s1600/robin+hood_abby_march2014.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trees were climbed to new heights.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheBEedLlQ31x5RWnIBsOEvJNPiwGz-p7jKC5sx5ZEEBr-58mNn_CU0d1so_Z3m-wL9z6xwtnxtXnKNBR2M2e1icPt51G7DedAw-WdgFcod8Y_XQMVwMVrw45T7W4YUNBEA8jxStwihNM/s1600/tree+climbing_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheBEedLlQ31x5RWnIBsOEvJNPiwGz-p7jKC5sx5ZEEBr-58mNn_CU0d1so_Z3m-wL9z6xwtnxtXnKNBR2M2e1icPt51G7DedAw-WdgFcod8Y_XQMVwMVrw45T7W4YUNBEA8jxStwihNM/s1600/tree+climbing_march2014.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tank tops and bare toes returned. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1zcEa5Mqcu_8eOzk3qQ9dRCJ__mAvnybR8J7KBQHmfY2_HY6ZXyJBVo-v_CiHtsy6h9JVJ2uufounE_QZViEUdNy53ocqHHmPMXHuv103KXvKv7Cebyvd3S1m_hnAcRwnWxEzIlz7C8/s1600/A_E_outside_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1zcEa5Mqcu_8eOzk3qQ9dRCJ__mAvnybR8J7KBQHmfY2_HY6ZXyJBVo-v_CiHtsy6h9JVJ2uufounE_QZViEUdNy53ocqHHmPMXHuv103KXvKv7Cebyvd3S1m_hnAcRwnWxEzIlz7C8/s1600/A_E_outside_march2014.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charlie continues to have two modes: asleep or absurd (don't get me wrong - we love them both).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4mI0_8PrZDN-sDO19egst17aG1dnSqhKXgg7NT3eqe2CpV6OZLNxkojCK-j4ktiiI9JrqcGI6VRZHdM_MxGA_E__3CThLa4ATvUyWztADgcFfIG_mW_JR5HpSXnuH23ZtduqDdViHXQ/s1600/charlie_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4mI0_8PrZDN-sDO19egst17aG1dnSqhKXgg7NT3eqe2CpV6OZLNxkojCK-j4ktiiI9JrqcGI6VRZHdM_MxGA_E__3CThLa4ATvUyWztADgcFfIG_mW_JR5HpSXnuH23ZtduqDdViHXQ/s1600/charlie_march2014.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sported our St. Patty's greens and our KU blues. Sadly the KU blues didn't have the kind of run that they had in 2008 - I was pregnant with the girls when we won the championship that year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4jmH0yrooUlYCbwF5F7dv82Ouvn2nX98yxVqG1sL_YdxWB52w8tjOkXMKJOIHTdHKKlMb_F6QfllIDyXrjNimGOyfUOgBKcPsRvsyZQ7thfb4cWrzXUfS2rqsOOw4Pkuil6BETUZH38/s1600/st+patricks_kubbal_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4jmH0yrooUlYCbwF5F7dv82Ouvn2nX98yxVqG1sL_YdxWB52w8tjOkXMKJOIHTdHKKlMb_F6QfllIDyXrjNimGOyfUOgBKcPsRvsyZQ7thfb4cWrzXUfS2rqsOOw4Pkuil6BETUZH38/s1600/st+patricks_kubbal_march2014.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of 2008... on the left is what should have been my 32nd week of pregnancy in July 2008; on the right is my 32nd week of pregnancy this time. March brought us some stress as Baby Lawrence's heart had some struggles. After more visits with prenatal specialists than we had with A and E, a little maturity and extra love seem to be doing the trick - Baby's heart has been behaving and holding steady for the past couple of weeks. And, while my tiny 2008 preemies could easily conquer the world, I happily rub my belly and smile each and everyday that this one stays inside. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDV34EpU34fpm8idRyctpgHXqmRxafx75NOLehf30cQZbbY3R7cfXmcQ3zyGGlhtm5Ioq8e0srM0o24mNZrEh8wQpUdsZCZQlwbvp6OCR3gOdK0jcnMIzcpDboAKzgyZm3euxIznaNXJo/s1600/32+weeks_then_now_march2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDV34EpU34fpm8idRyctpgHXqmRxafx75NOLehf30cQZbbY3R7cfXmcQ3zyGGlhtm5Ioq8e0srM0o24mNZrEh8wQpUdsZCZQlwbvp6OCR3gOdK0jcnMIzcpDboAKzgyZm3euxIznaNXJo/s1600/32+weeks_then_now_march2014.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17952085170909329677noreply@blogger.com0