E is growing

I have been terrible about posting things about Emmie--or keeping a baby book.  Poor second child.  Anyway, our little girl loves to move, cuddle, explore, and tease.  She is a social butterfly and never meets a stranger without a smile.

Today she had a doctor's check up for 15 months.

She weighed 19 lbs 9 oz (7%)
Is 31.5" long (80%)

She is a petite built, tall thing.  She is a bright little ray of sunshine.

worldless wednesday--bows

C turns 5

This was the most thrown together party.  Thankfully C didn't mind.  He didn't really have any friends he wanted to invite, so we ended up just having family, and at the last minute (as in 24 hr before) moving it up a day to combine with 4th of July.  I think I am more let down by the smallness of it than C.  He seemed to enjoy the lack of craziness that have been his last 3 parties.  He liked feeling special, and that was enough.

tank cake i made--the only request C really had

Soccer time

C has enjoyed playing outdoor soccer this spring, but the rain has messed up a lot, so he hasn't been able to play a whole lot.

Here are some shots from warm-ups.  He loves to play goalie.

E at 2 months

E's stats at 2 months:

11 lbs 9 oz

22.74 in

She is pretty much in the 75th percentile for both.  She is still sleeping through the nights most nights.  Her fussiness has improved a lot since we met with the doctor.  He gave us some new strategies for preparing her formula and administering her medicine--what a difference!  We have such a happy baby now for the most part.

Here is a pic of how C looked at 2 months, how I looked, and how E looks

little man

C with Daddy

me a bit younger

me around 2 months

Now onto Miss E

C's preschool graduation

Our little guy graduated 2 weeks ago.  I am so far behind, but here are some photos.

C with E and his cousin, G

in the ceremony.  they sang lots of songs and each got their name called to accept their certificate of completion.  we were holding our breath to see how C behaved.  he is always a wild card.  i need to send a few more photos from my phone to add.  i am so lazy with this b/c it takes a lot more work.

Emmie's First Month

Emmie turned one month old. She is actually 5 weeks old today, but her 1 month checkup was yesterday.

She weighed 10 lbs 1 oz, and she is 22.25" long.  She is a big girl  She is so heavy compared to what her brother was at that point.  My shoulders, neck and back are feeling it as she loves to be held.

Her favorite things are sleeping and eating.  She is just starting to spend more time alert to actually play.  I can't wait for her to start developing a personality and start smiling and cooing, but the snuggles are fun, too.

Emmie's best time is morning, so I try to cram all my errands in early.  She doesn't seem to mind.  She even went on C's field trip to Dierberg's yesterday.  C was so proud to show off his sister--and very worried about people giving her germs.

Here are some pictures of her each week of this first month

 10 days old

2 weeks

3 weeks 

another 3 week shot

4 weeks

The Fabulous Miss E

We are pretty smitten with our newest addition.  She turns 1 month on Sunday, so I will save her current stats/accomplishments for a later post.

She arrived on her scheduled C-Section date, but in surprise fashion my water broke that same morning an hour before I was supposed to wake up to get ready to be at the hospital.  She already has a mind of her own and regularly bosses us around.  The birth went smoothly and recovery has been good. She was a big average size baby at 8 lbs 5 oz and a staggering 21.5 inches--no wonder I was so uncomfortable by the end!  She was a pound and a half heavier than C and 3 inches longer.  I have 2 more weeks of restrictions, and then it is on with losing the baby weight.

Sorry this post is scattered, but I am seriously tired (and for no good reason--E has slept 8 hours at night for the last week).  I guess it is the months of sleep deprivation catching up with me.  That and E LOVES to be held.  I hold her almost constantly from 1:30-11:00 pm.  She might catnap a bit during that time, but she loves her snuggles and comfort--and getting her cry on--during those hours.  If you get morning E, she is the easiest, sweetest baby.  Evening E is another story.  She has bad baby gas that makes her very unhappy.

This first month she has loved kisses, her brother's voice, listening to brother sing, being read to with brother, and being held.  E loves to eat, too.

nervous at their second meeting--really he didn't warm up to her until we got home

first time C held E.  He has been hooked ever since

Easter at the hospital

back home the second night

Ready to go home

 checking in to the hospital right before the big event

Catch up

I'm behind, I know.  C's class went on a field trip last week to Thies Pumpkinland. It was pretty cute.  I don't think it is quite as good as Rader b/c you can't ever pick your own pumpkins, but they have some different fun things. 

 

 

Kiddie zip line

 

they had tons of structures to climb on/through.  here's a class photo...not all the kids were there.

 

we carved a pumpkin tonight.  Scot took C to a school event last week where they decorated the other pumpkin

 

school photos. 

 

super akward photo that C thinks is his favorite. it was nice they were outdoors

Parenting is no bed of roses

Isn't "a bed of roses" a weird saying.  Who would want to lay on a bed of roses...Ouch!  Maybe it doesn't refer to the act of sleeping, but a flower bed or roses...either way it's a weird figure of speech.  The last week of parenting has been in no simpler terms hellish.  Someone replaced my sweet 4 yr old, who I'd been bragging about to Scott before the storm with a demon.  He is a changeling.  He has been whiny, sassy, tempermental, argumentative, and downright hateful 4 out of the last 5 days.  Now it doesn't last all day, but the episodes are memorable enough to pretty much ruin your day. 

Episode 1: A week ago last Friday.  This was really the gateway to it all.  He stayed up really late for a fun activity, and then fell asleep in the car. When we got home we had to wake him to use the restroom.  40 min later we finally had him in bed after much screaming, refusing to pee and put back on his underwear, and just the repeated use of the word "NO" we got him to bed.  Then no episodes for a week.

Episode 2: We are at some friends' house watching the Cardinals game Friday night.  We have stayed past C's bedtime, but nothing crazy.  We decide to not repeat last Friday, so we ask him to use the restroom before we leave.  Cue epic meltdown/refusal to pee that ends in him falling in the toilet, then refusing to put his underwear back on, then hitting Scott, refusing to leave.  He actually bit Scott in the head at one point.  More screaming.  He comes up to some consequences.  We did not punish him the week before b/c he had been so tired, but this time we can't let it slide.

Episode 3: Next morning things are fine. We go to soccer, and then we decide to take him to a soccer store to look at soccer shoes since he is enjoying it so much.  He argues with us, refuses to take off shoes he tries on.  I tell him we are not buying anything because of his attitude, and I have to carry him out while he whines, "But I want to buy something." 

Episode 4: That night we go out to dinner with Scott's parents, and he is just so disagreeable it is miserable.  "I don't want a drink--throw it away."  "I'm not eating anything."  "Don't take that away from me."  Just so much arguing, but he seems to pull it together after he eats--he always changes his mind.

Episode 5: We go for a hike that takes longer than anticipated.  He wants to play at the playground after.  We say okay, but he only has 5 minutes b/c I need to get home to make dinner--it's getting late.  The dogs and Scott stay in the car with the A/C running b/c it was so warm on Sunday.  I tell C his time is up.  He tells me he's never leaving, and he runs away to hide in the pipe tunnels.  This playground is a parent's nightmare for corralling an unruly child--there are too many ways to evade you--especially when you're pregnant.  I finally go to get Scott for help after pursuing him for 10 minutes.  I get him right as Scott comes to help, but he has to carry C kicking and screaming.  He sets him down to open the car, and C almost runs out in front of a car.  His consequences are worse when he gets home.  He has no tv or MobiGo privileges for 1 hr, and he has to spend the whole evening in his room except to come down for dinner and then back up to bed.

Episode 6: Skip to today.  Things seem fine.  We go to Bible Study this morning.  I arrive to pick him up from childcare, but he refuses to leave.  He tells me he's never leaving.  I have to drag him out.  He has lost his privileges again.  His mouth just keeps getting him in trouble.  I'm at a loss for what to do.  We stayed relatively calm the first 3 episodes, but we are just so frustrated at this point. 

I hope it's just a phase, but man it sucks. 

Crazy sayings

C has been saying some extra hilarious things lately that I think are blog worthy.

Tonight: "I want to poke Jesus" referring to how high he wanted to send a rocket toy. I had to turn my head and giggle silently.  Scott mildly corrected him saying, I know what you mean, but that's not the nicest way to say it.
Tonight referring to the rocket shooting again: "I want it to touch heaven."
At a party today: "Those kids are always up to something...they keep getting weirder and weirder."
With his grandparents: "This four-year-old needs a power nap."
Tonight at bedtime, "Can you move this shield (that he'd brought to bed with him)? It's mostly annoying me."

These are just in the last 12 hours.  He is a riot so much of the time with his crazy sayings.  We never know what will come out of his mouth. 

Avengers party sneak peek

Lots of prepping going on here at party central.

Here's pics of what all I referred to yesterday. 

I added my picks in with the purchased picks.  Mine turned out pretty good in comparison.  Mine just have more white negative space b/c I was too lazy to take a straight razor to them.  Here is the Pottery Barn kids link to purchase the cupcake decorating kit.

Here is the pinata, Loki.  He is designed on the Disney XD version, but I designed him all on my own with a little discussion with my Sister in Law.  It's a pretty good likeness other than being too chunky.  He was a balloon originally though, so what can ya do? I really hope his head doesn't fall off when we try to hang him up!

Here are the character playables that I downloaded from Disney as well.  So many good things there.  Here is the link for the Disney printables: playset, masks, and coloring pages.  I used them all.

Prepping the water bottles.  Bought these from an etsy vendor--along with a lot of my other printables. The vendor is Sugar Tots design.  Here is the party pack I purchased.  I then went to Kinko's with all my stuff to be printed and had most of it printed on cardstock and some on paper.  It was easier and cheaper than buying ink for our dinky ink jet printer. 

more ideas of printables.

More Disney printables: C. America and Iron Man masks

The Hulk mask is mixed in here w/all the ones I drew and colored myself.  I think mine turned out really well.  From top left: Black Panther, Wasp, Hulk (row 2), Ant Man, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. These will be available for the kids to wear and for a photo op area.  Still trying to figure that piece out. 

There's the cutes Thor I know.  Disney seriously has awesome printable that came together just as they promised. 

We are getting excited.  C and I baked a miniature cake for him also this morning.  It is chocolate and will have peanut butter frosting.  He wants Iron Man's arc reactor decorated on it.  I think I can manage it. 

I've got some signs to print and finish, but otherwise I have most everything finished until Thursday when I do food shopping and last minute little stuff.