Crawling

Piper started slowly army crawling yesterday. She apparently needed daddy home before she'd consider movement. (Praise the Lord!)

Today she is all out correctly crawling. Look out world, I have two movers and shakers!





This morning during church Piper kept taking her pacifier out of her mouth and attempting to throw it on the ground (it was on a clip on her shirt). Then she'd say, "uh oh!" and laugh and laugh. She did this about a million times. She thought she was hilarious.

She also signs "milk" when she wants it, and then once she sees it laughs and giggles with delight. And says, "woooow!" and babbles a million other adorable little sounds.

Friday. Oh Friday.

I'm sitting on the couch, looking at chaos all around me. I *maybe* sometimes exaggerate the state of my house a little because it {feels like} it is a giant garbage pile... even if that just means there is a pile of dishes by the sink or something... but this is really bad. Pile of garage sale items by the front door, dishes stacked by the sink, two loads of (clean) laundry on the laundry counter waiting to be folded (and another load in the dryer), toys not yet picked up from the day, vacuuming definitely needed...

Sigh.

And instead of moving, I'm sitting on the couch... listening to Em sing herself to sleep (maybe more like listening to Em evade sleep)...

So today I took Em to see Uncle Mike and get a little checkup.

Be honest. Cutest dental pictures ever, right?

I might be a little biased. Anywho - she was a champ. Got to have a little ride in the chair, had Uncle Mike "tickle" her teeth, and left with a little Friendly Smiles stuffed animal. Then we hit Scheels. The day before the marathon. Not one of my greatest ideas, but not the worst. We saw fishies, spent some energy, and I bought myself a very discounted North Face jacket. Unfortunately the shopping and fun ended rather quickly when I realized I hadn't fed piper in 4ish hours and had no formula with. But still, it was a great morning.

Home. Lunch. Naps.

Then after naps we went downtown to hit Modern Textiles and swing over to the library. At 3:30pm. On a Friday. The Friday of Fargo Marathon weekend. Seriously, why did this not occur to me? Downtown was an absolute nightmare. The registration tents were in the grassy area beside the library. The library parking lot was 100% full. But people. I was committed. I had already told Emberly what we were doing, and un-doing that seemed worse than battling the crowd.

So we made it inside, played in the Wiggle Room, checked out books, and maybe even survived a {rather harsh) fall off a chair and into the corner of the play kitchen with her temple.

After making it around all of the marathon detours (with two crying children in the back) we decided Culvers was a necessary pit stop.

Dinner. Bath. Bedtime. Couch.

And that is why I am stuck here. It's actually kind of amazing I don't have a glass of wine in my hand.

It's 8:10pm on a Friday night and I am contemplating bed. Thankful for that option. And though this post is dripping in sarcasm and woes, it really was an awesome day with my girls. Learning to embrace the chaos is a lesson I believe I'll need to learn my whole life... thankful this is the way God decided he'd teach me.

Piper's Words

I keep forgetting to blog this, so here's my speed blog:

Piper signs "more" consistently and appropriately. She occasionally also signs "eat" and she'll mimic "milk" but doesn't seem to know when she wants milk to ask for it. When looking at a bottle, however, she will sign milk. I introduced "please" today and she did it once, after LOTS of prompting and help.

She also verbally says "uh-oh!" with all kinds of enthusiasm every time anyone drops anything... and she might just throw something over the edge of her tray so that she can say "uh-oh." She also has the sweetest little, "ooooo!!" that she whips out when you show her something new. She copies other sounds we make too and is pretty spot on with many, but we still hear lots of da-da, ba-ba, etc.

I think she's gonna be a talker (with lots of early verbals) like her big sister.

That's all!

Still no crawling!

Random thoughts on 7 weeks away {and stuff}

A) I think I might have a sinus infection.

B) Living in denial, I had a glass of milk with my dinner tonight. And now I want to die a little bit.

C) 6 days until I get to fly to graduation and see my hubby!

D) Of the 7 weeks Jordan has been gone so far, someone in my house has been sick during 6 of those weeks. Many of those weeks more than one of us. That has included 4 trips to the walk-in clinic, 2 ear infections, 1 throat culture, 2 rounds of antibiotics and 1 ER visit. {and if my "cold" continues... we will make it 5 trips, 3 rounds of antibiotics, and 1 sinus infection...}

E) There has been more crying in this household in the past 7 weeks than maybe the past 7 months. {Only a little of it was me.}

F) I sold one of our vehicles and the other made a trip to the mechanic after the door {yes, door} broke.

G) We have watched more Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood than I am proud of.

H) I completely weaned Piper, first from any night feedings, and then onto formula 100%.

I) I may or may not have watched 7 seasons of the Office.

J) I have learned more about prayer and God's ever present hand in my life. In His most grace-filled way, we've even enjoyed lots of these 7 weeks, in spite of (or maybe in the midst of) sickness, tears, lack of sleep, and frustrations.

K) I have been "that mom" at Target. Walmart. Hornbachers. Doctor's office. Chiropractor. You name it. {You know, the one that is there after bedtime, with children in pajamas, trying to find a humidifier, but might as well get groceries while we're here... while children are crying, oh and sick, and oops I forgot to dress them warm enough, and why in the world is it so cold in May anyway?}

L) I have this gigantic appreciation for single mothers. I want to hug you all and bring you meals and offer to watch your children and let you sit in silence and yes.

M) Six.Days.Left

17 days and counting...

This last weekend, Emberly went to the lake with my parents.  It's funny how you can miss someone like crazy and simultaneously feel entirely relieved at their absence.  :)  It was a peaceful weekend for the most part, in which Piper and I cleaned, went for walks after bedtime, wandered around Target, ate out, did laundry, and I worked on several sewing projects that have been on my list of things to-do for quite awhile.  I have this business venture floating around my head where I'd love to sew and sell baby items (like bibs, burp cloths, or whatever) and use the profit for an adoption fund.  (Maybe ours.  Maybe for a friend.  We still don't quite know how the Lord is leading.)  So I made a bunch of bibs and plan to set them out at our garage sale this summer... and if it goes well... maybe I'll try it on a larger level.  And if not... then I'll know!  Anyone need a drool bib??  ;)

 

 

 

 

In the midst of the relaxing, Piper and I made a 4am trip to the ER.  She has croup and was struggling to breathe.  Poor baby.  So we rushed over there and her breathing was really settled by the time we got there.  We were seen anyway, and they said that that happens all the time - the cool night air helps their breathing to even out.  Her vitals were normal, oxygen level at 98% and breathing was slightly elevated, so they let us go.  We came home around 6:30am, and I was super thankful to not have a toddler in the house that would wake up at 7am.  Piper slept until 8:30... but alas, my adrenaline was maybe kinda pumping, and I never did fall asleep.  Sigh.

 

But Sweet P is doing much better.  Emmy is back, and filled with her regular Emmy energy.  And we are continuing to count down the days until Jordan gets back.  It's 17 in case you were wondering.  And 14 until I get to fly down and go to graduation and bring him home!  :) 

Emmy the Reader

Emberly crawled into bed with her two books tonight and looked at me and said, "Mommy, tonight I will read the bedtime stories."

And she did.

She picked Blue Hat, Green Hat, which has obvious repetition and pictures that correspond exactly with the words. But she touched each word, read left to right, laughed appropriately, talked with me about what was going on mid-story, and was just spot. on.

Then she picked the Animal ABC book. People. She knew all but two letters of the alphabet!

It was just a few weeks ago that I blogged saying that she wasn't really interested in doing "school" with me. And she maybe still isn't. But she just reads and reads and pours over books and absorbs information by osmosis.

Makes my mama heart (and teacher heart) sing.

Piper

I'm frustrated with blogging because I've written two blog posts in the past week or so and both have disappeared at the last minute.  After I thought they were saved somewhere.  Grrr...

 

But I'll try again. 

 

Piper is 9-months old now.  I've tried to take a picture a million times, and this last time she pretty much ate the 9-month sticker.  So I guess we aren't going to have a 9-month sticker picture.  Such is life.  But she's pretty adorable anyway... even if she won't sit nicely for a picture anymore. 

 

She is trying so hard to be on the move.  She still sits nicely and plays in one spot much of the time, but is trying more and more to get onto her tummy and crawl.  She is successful getting to her tummy much of the time, and then does some awesome push-ups and gets up on her knees and rocks back and forth.  She even has enough coordination to move one leg forward, but then flops down to her tummy. And then does it again.  And again.  And again.  Since she sleeps on her tummy, she gets lots of good practice in her crib before naps and bedtime... but this has also greatly reduced the amount of sleep she is getting, because girlfriend just cannot stop practicing.  :)  Soon I will have two mobile children.  I'm already outnumbered... this could be interesting. 

 

You maybe remember Piper was deeply insulted at the thought of drinking out of a bottle or sippy cup since she was sick in November/December.  This wasn't a huge problem since I am home full-time, but it was kind of limiting, and also affected the people that Piper was willing to love.  :)  However, we needed to get her drinking out of something... because I am so hoping to attend Jordan's graduation without Piper.  Military events aren't so child friendly.  So we have been praying and trying and praying and trying.  And then last week I hit a point of desperation, realizing that I literally had 4 weeks to wean her and we were going nowhere.  So I researched and prayed and researched and prayed and found this awesome suggestion for an Avent soft-nipple sippy cup (that just so happens to be almost identical to her pacifier).  So the next morning (last Monday) I was waiting at the Bed Bath & Beyond doors when it opened, bought one, and by 10am she was drinking out of the sippy cup.  I was thrilled.  And kind of sad.  My baby was growing up and needed me less.  And this whole weaning thing was happening for real.

 

In a little over a week's time, we've dropped down to just getting mama's milk once a day.  So sad.  And yet, so exciting that it means I get to see Jordan in just 3 weeks!

 

In other Piper news, she had her first ear infection last week.  It was not too fun.  But she handled it like a champ. 

 

And Emberly?  She's just growing up so fast.  She was sick last week with some really high fevers (105 in the night one night! Yikes!) but just handled it like a champ.  She is soooo communicative.  She understands all of her feelings and can tell me when she's frustrated or upset or happy or whatever.  She also seems to understand tomorrow, yesterday, now, later, etc.  This is a big new change too.  She just is so full of life and opinions and two-year-old-ness.  It is really neat to watch her grow.  I know she misses her dad terribly, and I see it in her need to wrestle or play rough, etc.  I am just not good at it.  She asks about him daily, but doesn't dwell on it.  Overall, I think it is good timing for him to be gone.  I wonder how it will go when he leaves the second time.  And moving.  But she is just all kinds of flexible, so I think she'll do better than I will! 

 

That's all for now...