The Reilly Tree

Just In Case

2011-12-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

While giving Ambree hugs tonight:

Ambree: Mommmy, you really love me!
Me: Of course!
Ambree: Are you taking all of my hugs?
Me: I think there are a few left, I better get them!
Ambree: I will save some just in case you need some later on.
Me: Oh, thank you!
Ambree: I will save them in my heart.
Me: Sweet, girl.
Ambree: I can give you everything in my heart.
Me [heart melting]: Where do you learn this stuff?
Ambree: I taught myself :)

Delighting

2011-11-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ambree and Jack are such a delight.

Jack-16 months old

2011-10-31T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jack keeps changing so much every month, that I had a running log of things I wanted to post about him being 15 months old, but a month passed by, and I am just trying to keep up! There are some pictures from last month, though.

He has started talking more. Well, he talks plenty, almost as much as Ambree, but it's mostly jibberish. When I pick him up from the nursery, he looks me in the eyes and jibber jabbers for a good minute or two about what I missed out on. But he intelligible language has progressed, too. He can say poopies in context. He says eat ("geet"), again ("'gan"), Mama, Papa, doggie, water ("wawa"), out, up, bath, night night, bye bye, and some others. I'm pretty sure he's trying to say Ambree.

He eats all of the time. I've rarely seen him turn down a meal.
He loves to be outside. His favorite thing is to push the wagon while Ambree pulls it.
He loves slides, even the taller ones.
He loves to cuddle for brief moments throughout the day. They're short, but I cherish them.
He sees me from across the room, even if he's been with me all day, and squeals as he runs into my arms, practically throwing himself forward.
He loves Chloe and tries to tickle her.
If I tell him it's time to go, he runs to the alarm to set it before we leave.
He loves his lovey, LaLa. He squeal when he sees her too. He runs, grabs her and bites her nose. Then as he's holding her, his little fingers search for her tail to hold, just like Ambree does with Sizzles, and the two fingers go in his mouth, just like Ambree.

10/17. Lovey LaLa.

10/13 Fun with Ambree.

10/13 Playing Outside.

10/31. Jumping Around

9/22. Being pulled around by Ambree.

He's just precious and I adore him.

Fall Festival

2011-10-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

To celebrate this year, Ambree chose to be a princess, so Jack got stuck being a frog :) Ambree's choice was no surprise. There isn't a day that she doesn't dress up as a princess. And she always wants to have her part down. She'll ask, Mommy, does a princess wear this shoe or this shoe; does a princess eat brocolli; does a pricess go potty in her pull-up? And everything around her transforms into royal this and royal that. Our car becomes a royal horse-drawn carriage, and Jack becomes a strong knight, ready to protect her. I of course get to be the queen.

My Little Cubbie

2011-09-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to this for about 2 years now. Ambree has started AWANA, and she's a little cubbie. So cute.

Here she is at her first day, Sunday September 11, 2011:

Port A

2011-09-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

We ended up having a great time once we got to the beach! After a fun ferry ride and some dinner, we headed out to the beach. Even though it was already dark, we had a great time running around.

We're here!

One of my favorite pics of Jack

And Ambree.

Finally convincing Ambree to brave the waters.

A sweet moment with PaPa

Dell Children's

2011-09-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

All of the pictures are similar, but he's just so stinkin cute.

Ambree trying to stay entertained

We're Going to the Beach, the Beach, the Beach...

2011-09-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

On the spur of the moment, my family decided to go to Port Aransas. I am really a homebody, but I knew Ambree and Jack would love it, so I started packing (well, the night before I started).

Once the car was loaded up, our cargo included:
11 bags (plus 2 small bags)
a booster seat
a stroller
a pack n play
6 lovies, 3 pillows, 3 sheets and a blanket
2 sound machines, 2 sets of monitors
a sewing machine

All for two days and two nights. Just 3 people, two of who are smaller than one person when combined.

The plan was to leave between 8:30 and 9:30, so that we would be on the road asap, and in Port A by naptime. Well, that got pushed back to 10:45 because Mommy was a little behind. But that was fine. So I get everything into the car, including Chloe (who we were dropping off at a friend's house on the way) and Ambree. ALL I have to do is grab Jack and throw him in the car.

I come back into the house to get Jack after loading Ambree to screaming and crying. I find Jack covered in white. Crap, I think, this is the second wardrobe change of the morning and most of his clothes were packed. But the crying wasn't just because he was messy. More worried, I scooped him up, realizing upon inhalation that he had been in the baby powder. (I only had the baby powder out because the night before I tried to use it to deodorize Chloe, but gave up and had to bathe her anyway).

I rinsed his face and found the baby powder, which he had spit up on. So I called poison control, and went to get Ambree out of the car. (Chloe wouldn't leave the car, because she was too afraid of not getting to go somewhere). They said to put him in a warm, humid shower to rinse him and open up his arm ways, but to take him in if he showed signs of respiratory distress. I did all of that and changed his clothes. But he was still coughing, his nose was running, and sometimes it sounded like he was wheezing. Ughh. it seemed benign enough, but I didn't was to go across Texas and worry every time he coughed. So, I called the pediatrician, and like most times, they told me to go in, but not into the pedi office. We're going to the ER!

I unpack all of the interior of the car (after working at a hospital, I was mindful of car theft), coax Chloe out of the car, and head to Dell Children's. All was fine with Jack and we were in and out in about an hour. I fed Jack the lunch that I had packed for a picnic mid-trip out of my hand in the hospital room, while Ambree ate hers and watched Barney.

By the time we left, we were over 4 hours late. We should have already been there, no one had napped, and everyone was ready to go home.

Just Talking about the Weather

2011-09-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Today much of our state is in prayer for all of the fires surrounding us. Many friends have lost homes, or know people who have. And with a large, very dry field behind our home, I realize how transient our belongings are.

But the HIGH risk of brush fires, came with a cool front, and we enjoyed it. We spent the morning outside playing, and in the evening we went to the park. I realized this is the first real trip to the park for Jack. He loved it.

I was proud she wanted to wear her (homemade) dress again, but a little concerned that she would tear it up...

A Helping Hand from a Loving Sister

Baby Signing Time

2011-09-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Jack is a great communicator. He just doesn't use language. By fourteen months, he could pretty much just say "Ow" [out], and "This?" [What's this?]. For everything else, he gestures and squeaks. The more he wants something, or the closer you are to guessing what he wants, the louder the squeak. Cute. For about 2 minutes. The rest of the day, not so much.

So, I've been indoctrinating him with Baby Signing Time. [see Rachel Coleman's blog- amazing!] For most meals, I turn on this 20 minute video that shows basic signs. Ambree loved it, and so does Jack. After a week of watching, he is consistently signing "more" and "eat," which has been so helpful. Ambree and I have also seen him sign banana, bird, horse, water, all done and milk. Yay, Baby Signing Time!

But probably my favorite thing about the show is when they play these little cartoon skits that are maybe 15 seconds long. They are perfectly catered to Jack's age. He loves when they come on, and stops what he's doing to watch. Then when the punch line comes (someone burps or slips on a banana- hilarious!), he looks up at me to smile, like, Mommy that's so funny, did you see? I love that he wants to share the moment with me. It warms my heart. Such a sweet little one.

Clean Up, Clean Up...

2011-09-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

Ambree hasn't been too sleepy during nap time lately, but I have, so I've extended liberties to encourage a rest time during the middle of the day. It sounds like a construction site in her room at times.

Earlier this week, I went in to wake her up, and all of the room was rearranged. Toys moved all over, and her sound asleep in bed. Then the next afternoon, she all of a sudden appeared in my room while I was napping. Jumping awake, I said, "Is everything okay, do you need to go to the bathroom?" She replied, "Oh, no, Mommy. I'm fine. Go back to sleep." And I did.

Then when I went to wake her up, she said her bed was wet. Oh, dear, I thought, she had an accident. But no, it was from shaking water out of her sippy cup, so that she could 'clean' her bedroom. She wiped everything down, and put everything away. All of her toys were either stuffed into her closet or her tent or a random drawer. It took us two days to find her second sandal.

So now this is the new normal for nap time. She cleans her self to sleep. After telling a friend, I found out one of Ambree's best friends (two months older) has started doing the exact same thing during nap time this same week. Must be a developmental milestone, or they talk during play dates or church, and share their latest ideas.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

2011-09-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most kids who grow up in the church have a lot of questions and fill in the holes on their own with their imagination as they begin learning truths about God and His Word. Sean has a few stories from things he thought growing up- I'm sure he'd love to share.

One of Ambree's catechism questions is, "In how many persons does our one God exist." "Three persons". And then, "Who are those three persons?" "The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

Pausing after answering this question, Ambree said, "Yeah, but you can't tell them apart." Just matter of fact, like didn't you know, Mommy? And then tonight, she asked, "Is the Holy Spirit yellow?"

I love this running dialogue.

The Chalman Compound

2011-08-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

What?

Spent a fun night out with friends at the Chalmans'. It is great moving into a stage of life where enough of our friends have babies that we can all get together on a Saturday night and do something. The kids ate, played in the kiddie pool, ate more, and ran around using up energy while Mommy sat with friends and watched.

Jack ate way too many slices of watermelon. I imagine a leaky diaper in the morning, along with needing to change the bedding. Ahh, but it was worth it :)

Ahhh- Super Behind on Blogging

2011-08-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

Since I am so behind on blogging- I haven't even finished my Memorial Day weekend post, I decided to just start blogging again, and try to retro-post as I think of it.

So, in an effort to jump back into it....

This morning I had to meet with another adult. I spend the whole morning getting ready- up an hour before either child. Running to make sure everyone is fed and dressed before Aunt Linda comes over to babysit. Then Jack has a leaky, pooping diaper. On my white shirt. My shame is the amount of time I seriously contemplated not changing. And as I was walking out the door and still smelling poop, I realized I had some on my forearm. This is why I rarely meet with adults during the daytime.

Soon

2011-05-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Jack and Chloe, best buds

Jack took a couple of steps a month ago, but it was mostly on accident and between the couch and a very closely placed standing toy. He didn't even seem to notice. But today he walked from a toy to me when I put my arms out for him. He just took one step, but it was intentional and he looked so proud.

Look at me standing!

It's hilarious!

Swim Playdate

2011-05-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

A great day to head over to Crystal's for some pool time and lunch.

Happy Boy.

Happy Girl.

He only fell in once trying to reach for a ball.

Just hanging out, taking a break.

Baby Goats and Princesses

2011-05-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

A second trip to the goat farm to visit new babies:

"I love being a princess"

Another Oh Dear Moment

2011-05-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

We begin most shopping trips at HEB with a lollipop. It started long ago, when the only sugar Ambree had all week was this lollipop (then I got pregnant with Jack, and ice cream cones from McDonalds became a daily norm...).

So today, we were waiting by the side entrance check-out stand to get a lollipop, because here you can just get the candy and not mess with the unnecessary balloon. But there was a long line. A sweet lady already in line noticed me trying unsuccessfully to get the cashier's attention and encouraged us to just go ahead of her. (It should be noted that this lady was heavy set and very busty).

Lady, to Ambree: Oh, are you a big sister? You're shirt says you're a big sister.
Ambree: Yes. I am running errands with Mommy!
Me: (smiling politely while waiting for the lollipop)
Ambree: Mommy, what is in her belly?
Me: (trying not to smile) Um, not now sweetie. Let's get your lollipop....
Ambree: Mommy, I am asking you a question!
Me: (Now trying not to turn red or make eye contact with anyone, and praying for Ambree to hush!) Ambree, show me patience.
Ambree: (clasped her hands together and waited)

It should be noted that this command rarely is so effective, but I was so grateful for it worked today!

I'm sure the lady understood Ambree, but hopefully didn't think that Ambree thought she was pregnant- Ambree may have just said something because she was so busty, but I may just bring my own lollipop next week.

Oh Dear

2011-05-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Ambree is my daughter. I don't remember what I was like at 3 years old (my aunt Caroline might be able to help me in this area), but I do remember how I thought starting around the age of 7. I thought I knew how to do everything. If I saw a task or a problem, I just knew I could figure it out. This personality flaw still haunts me at times today, though experience has shown me that, no, I don't know what I'm talking about 99% of the time.

Today, though, I heard my exact words come from my daughter about something so specific, and yet, something she has never heard me say before. On an evening walk, she saw that they were building a new home in our neighborhood, with only the wooden frame setup:

Ambree: I could build a house.
Me: Oh, really?
Ambree: You just put down some logs.

I tried not to laugh out loud, and this is probably only funny to Sean and me, but I often try to jump start a project by explaining to Sean how simple it must really be, and on a specific occasion or two, it involved just placing a wood border.

Every Letter Makes a Sound

2011-05-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Probably a month ago, she saw Jack's name on a sippy cup. She said each letter, though at the time she called the "J" and "G" and soudned each letter out. All of a sudden, she said, "Jack!" Granted she may have been using context clues, it was obviously Jack's cup, but the surprise and glimmer in her eye made it seem like she really figured out how to read the word. I'm probably just being a silly Mom :)

Now, though, she knows every letter and their sounds, thanks to a LeapFrog video from her aunt Kelly. She can be heard singing this song throughout the day, pointing out letters she sees, and asking what different words start with.

A Hard Days Week

2011-05-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

We had a rough week in the Reilly home. Sean was away from the home most all of the week, including every evening and night- that's never easy. All of us depend on him for so much, just practical things like fixing things but much more for stability and emotional support. Ambree was noticeably upset by his absence, which meant more fits, pretending to be a baby, being contrary and breaking down in tears for Sean. Some days were easier than others.

But on top of that, Monday night by back went out. I was laying Jack in his crib and suddenly I felt my disc bulge out and to the side. I couldn't stand up straight. It didn't hurt as much as I was functionally limited. I tried to get it to go back, but no dice. I put Ambree to bed. Then, of all the nights, Jack woke up and had spit up on his sheets- too much to just lay him back down. Changing Jack's sheets is the most physically intense thing I do as a mom- really. The sheets are super fitted, and the mattress barely fits into the bumper. It involved A LOT of bending my back and took about 5 minutes- not good for a bulging disc.

That night I booked an appointment with my friend and therapist, Tina, via her tech on FB.

By the morning, my shoulders were off to the side and I was even more bent at the waist with more pain, all indicating a disc bulge to the side. I took my friend Jeanine and her girls up on their offer to help. They came and cleaned, took care of the babies and babysat while I went to see Tina. And I am so prideful when it comes to my home being cleaned. I hate people seeing it messy. If you call to say you're coming over, I have Ambree cleaning up toys and I'm frantically throwing things in the spare bedroom. Having someone clean it for me was humbling, but grew me.

This went on all week. I couldn't bend over to pick anything up, lifting the children was painful and dangerous, and I only felt relief when laying down. I added it up, I think it took 15 people's help to get me through, and that doesn't count words of encouragement, friendly emails or texts or prayers. My mom was over every night, and my dad helped every night he was in town too. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such loving people.

I learned first hand that I'm not meant to live this life in isolation. Life is hard and filled with sin. When things are good, I need people to rejoice with me. When things are insurmountable, I need to be pointed to Christ, who has overcome all.

But the week wasn't all bad...

Ambree and Jack playing in Jack's corner,where he can often be found playing by himself.

Sweet sibilings (its good theirs not sound on this image, or you would hear not such sweet words from a territorial sister)

A fun visit to a friend's farm, where Ambree saw goats, pet a chicken, collected eggs, picked blackberries and rode a horse.

Jack is starting to take a couple of steps, refused shoes, and is making a name for himself in our home, as his little, but very big personality is emerging.

Thank you to everyone who helped with babysitting, cleaning, bringing over meals, praying, anything. Thank you to everyone who offered. Thank you, Mom, for being there every day and night. You are the best mom I could ask for and our family is so blessed by you.

Easter

2011-04-30T21:49:00.001-07:00

Easter Morning

Taking a quick break to shoot some hoops, instead of looking for eggs. There were some 120 eggs in that yard, and Jaxon and Ambree were done after about 15 each! They had to send out the twenty year olds to find the melting choclate filled ones.Today (April 30th), the kids and I were at Aunt Linda's house with Jaxon and Lindsey. While taking a potty break, Ambree looked up at me and said, "It's nice to have a big brother, huh, Mommy?" I said, "Who's your big brother?" A, "Jaxon!" So sweet.

And we finished off the day celebrating Anna's and Sean's birthdays at the Reilly's.

And yes, we do still have another child. We will have to do better at the next holiday/event to capture some Jack moments! Sorry, Buddy!

Easter with Ramirez Family

2011-04-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

April 23, 2011.

Cutest Baby Boy

2011-04-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

April 21, 2011. Cutest little boy ever!

Jack is not interested in walking much. He pulls away when we try to hold his hands to walk, because he is so efficient in crawling and always has somewhere to go- usually to Mommy. He is getting his curls, and already slimming out a little, despite the amount that he eats and nurses. He is super advanced in tantrum-throwing, too! He will throw himself on the ground when upset. I walk away from fits at this age, but he is persistent; he just crawls closer to me, and throws himself back down just in case I missed it the first time.

Maybe my favorite thing about Jack is how he sticks up for himself. When Ambree doesn't want him to ruin her set up toys, she first yells 'No, Jack", then calls for me, and then roars like a dinosaur or lion to try to scare him away. When Jack feels like he is being treated unjustly, he yells back, even louder. It's strangely music to my ears to hear siblings interacting and working it out in their own little way. Of course I step in when needed, which is 90% of the time.

Dinner Time

2011-04-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

April 20, 2011. Ambree loves to help in the kitchen. Today she was helping me make Jack some baby food.Jack was very appreciative.

Happy Birthday, Ambree!

2011-04-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ambree's third birthay party was at Champion Park, and ALL dinosaurs! It was a lot of planning, but even more hand touches, thanks to Sean!

Handmade Dinosaur Nest

15 Dinosaur Cupcakes, starting to melt in the heat.Ambree's Homemade Dino Shirt- you can't find a girly dinosaur shirt in the stores! And yes, she wore this hat the whole party, and most of the rest of the weekend.Digging for dinosaurs.Cooling off after too much fun!

Waco Zoo

2011-04-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

April 9, 2011. Trying to beat the heat, we made it out to the Waco Zoo. It was so nice. Because there was so much shade, it was cooler and the animals moved around a lot more. The giraffes walked around as though to show off for their welcomed guests.

Ambree's funny quote of the day, eating a corn dog during lunch break, "Mommy, this is the best food ever!"

Happy Birthday Mommy

2011-04-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ambree was busy baking with MiMi on my birthday... it was delicious! She was so proud to present me with her hard work.Clean Up!It's finished!Meanwhile, Jack was hard at work, too.

The Rhythm is Gonna Get You

2011-03-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 27th. 9 months old. Jack has a sense of music. Since he was only a few months old, you could see his head bob to music, and just this week he has started trying to clap (March 28th).

Swing, Swing

2011-03-24T20:09:00.001-07:00

Another day at the park!

Turn! Turn! Turn!

2011-03-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2011. Playdate at the Park.
Jack was all over the playground, ready to join in with his sister. No point in a laid out baby blanket at this point. Ambree had a great time with Ramona! No fear of slides and no melt downs today! Even when it was time to leave, Ambree obeyed right away, all the way and even with a happy heart. This moment was definately blog worthy!

Put Me in Coach!

2011-03-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Is it baseball season, yet?

A Wrinkle in Time

2011-03-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ambree March 2010

Amree March 2009

Tuesday in the Park

2011-03-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

March 15th, 2011. A fun day at the park while the weather is so nice...

Ambree can be fairly timid about most things at the park, especially slides and swings. But today, Sean was able to motivate her with a little bit of healthy competition and pride. Ambree had been refusing to go down the toddler slide. Then, a little girl, probably 4yrs old came to the park. Sean said, show her how you go down the slide! Ambree immediately ran up the steps, and yelled, Watch Me! The 4 year old was none too impressed, but Ambree didn't know, and kept showing off.

It broke my heart when Ambree thought that the little girl was playing with her, and chased after her. The girl kept going up the big-kid playground to a part that Ambree is too scared to go near. Ambree stopped in her tracks and watch the girl and her babysitter run off without her. She turned to me in a reflective voice, "I guess they are having fun." Ambree was easily distracted, though as we ran off to play on other parts of the playground.

Beautiful Day

2011-03-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2011. Last day of Winter 2011.

Princess

2011-03-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Finally caught up on blogging for now! Here are some cute pics from this morning of Ambree and I playing princess. As she told me before nap, "And if you never wear a crown or ride a beautiful horse, you will always, forever and ever be my princess..." (I'd Be Your Princess...)Showing off her princess dance moves.Thanks for my skirt, Great-Grammy!Jack Attack. I'll need two pairs of hands to get some good shots of him- he's too quick!

Growing Up

2011-03-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

March 7, 2011. Ambree planted something in a styrafoam cup at MOPS, and was excited to see it grow when she came home. I explained to her that she would need to be patient, water it, put it near the window, etc. She agreed. As soon as nap was over, though, the first thing she asked was, "Can I go see my flower grow?" We may need to ask Sean to stop by Home Depot on the way home...

While talking about things growing... Ambree found one of my nursing bra pads, stuck it up her shirt and turned to me, "This will help my chichi's grow!" Oh, dear...

Big Sister, Little Brother

2011-03-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

March 1, 2011. When Jack and Ambree see each other, it sounds like high pitch dolphins communicating or little lost kittens. Here they are crawling around.

TREX Dance

2011-03-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

March 3, 2011. I've posted pics before of Ambree dancing around in her TRex costume, but here's a video of her dancing with Buddy from Dinosaur Train...

T.. Rex! Roar! I'm the biggest carnivore in the Cretatious forset.

Romping through the forest, Tyranasaurus REX! ROAR!

An Afternoon Stroll

2011-03-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

March 1, 2011. 34 and 8 months old.

My babies are growing up so fast!

Church

2011-03-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

February 27, 2011. I didn't grow up in the church, so when I was in high school and had friends tell me how they played 'church' growing up, passing the offering plate and preaching sermons, I laughed. Now we have that kid...
Tonite Ambree handed me a book (Piper's Dangerous Duty of Delight- all books without pictures are assumed to be Bibles), sat down on a pillow in front of me and....
A: Ok, talk!
Me: What do you want me to say?
A: Read the Bible.
Me: Oh, am I Pastor Ben?
A: Yes!
I read a few lines...
A: [interrupting] Ok, now I want to go play with my friends! [ie, go to the nursry]

Jack- 7 months

2011-03-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Poor little Jack has a cold, but still as cute as can be. February 2nd and 3rd, 2011.
February 22, 2011. Jack pulled himself to standing in his crib.... time to lower the mattress again!

Double the Fun?

2011-03-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sean has been out of town a lot flying lately, so in a crazy attempt to make bath time quicker and more lively, I decided to give the babies a bath together... It was both quicker and more lively, but only quicker because of how lively it was.

Drawing

2011-03-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ambree just recently started drawing (January 4th), and it has mostly consisted of snowmen, or filling in faces for other animals. Now, though she has started drawing something, looking at it, and then deciding what it is she drew. I could be wrong, in that she is acutely aware of what she is intending to draw prior to picking up her crayon, but I won't err on the My-Kid-Is-Awesome side (this time).

Here is her drawing of a duck (on the back wall of the tub). February 12, 2011.

In Training

2011-03-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

February 9, 2011. Ambree puts a diaper on her "sheepie-hoo" all by herself. Not only does this mean I only have to put diapers on two little ones now (instead of listless stuffed animals), but I am having visions of Ambree taking over Jack's diaper changes too.

Snow in Texas... two years in a row?

2011-03-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

February 4, 2011. We woke up to snow this morning! I managed to keep from telling Ambree to look out the window until nearly Jack's second nap, because I knew it would take Mommy's full attention to play, and it just about took me that long just to find enough layers and gloves- we are not cut out for this- nor do I wish to be. I am grateful that a Snow Day is just a day here :)

Telling Jack goodbye before heading out.Making Snow Angels.

Look what I did!

And just as I thought we might be done singing "Frosty the Snowman." (that said, it is March and we still sing that to her every night before bed- sigh!)

Pretty Girl.

Mommy & Ambree.

The ZOO!!

2011-03-13T18:24:00.001-07:00

January 22, 2011. Ambree LOVES animals, and we finally found a good weekend to go to the zoo for the first time. We dropped Jack off with the Reilly's, and made our trek down to San Antonio. We were there for four hours, and were able to see most everything, including the elephant training session, and our favorite, the hippo feeding. It was a delight to see Ambree recoginize each animal. We had to remind her at pretty much every exhibit, that no, she could not go any closer. She loved every bit of it (well, except the monkeys- they were a little too crazy for us). Such a fun day of memories!

Bird Walk Through.Petting Zoo.Hippos!Pretending to be a kangaroo.

Conspiracy

2011-03-13T16:05:00.001-07:00

Ambree, while talking to Sean on the phone today (January 21, 2011), "Daddy, you need to help Mommy put a baby in her belly.... so she can eat her lollipop!" After Ambree gave the phone back to me, Sean asks, "What's going on over there?"I have a ginger flavored Preggie Pop meant to help with nausea during pregnancy. Ambree has been asking me to open this lollipop for days. I finally told her that I wanted to save it until I had another baby in my belly and needed it. She promptly ran to her room, grabbed a baby doll, ran back, and began stuffing it up my shirt. I laughed, "You will need to talk to Daddy about this because he will need to help..." I guess she processed enough of our conversation, because she asked him about it the first chance she got!!

Jack 6 Months Old

2011-03-10T20:03:00.001-08:00

Here is some catch up on Jack. He started getting his first tooth December 17th (5 months old), and a month later, he has six!

Jack started intentionally moving forward around January 19th. In this house, we call that crawling :)

Here's Jack looking at Ambree in his crib. January 4, 2011

January 20th, I found Jack sitting in his crib all by himself- time to lower the mattress!

Playing in curtains and rolling around. January 21, 2011

Ahh!

2011-03-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am CRAZY behind with blogging so here are some catch up photos...

Even reindeer need their diapers changed. December 14, 2010 Fun Bath Time. December 11, 2010

Christmas Photos

2011-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

December 22, 2010

Christmas Eve

Hair Cut

2011-01-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

January 12th, Ambree finally at over 2 1/2 yrs old, got her first hair cut. A lollipop was needed for encouragement, but overall she did fine. When Daddy came home, she turned around to show him, "Daddy, look at my princess hair!"

Before:

During: After:

Let's Pretend

2011-01-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the more ridiculous things that have been added to my job description:

Chase and be chased by a 2 1/2 ft T Rex for literally 15 minutes, thanks to a costume I found on discount at the Disney Store. Fifteen minutes is a long time to run, especially if you're not a runner like I'm not. I was sweating and finally had to sit and rest because I was dizzy from our circular course around the coffee table!

Ride a sleigh to the North Pole, taking turns posing as either Santa Claus or Frosty, led by reindeer, of course. This is particularly ridiculous because we don't "do" Santa- no talk about him bringing us toys or setting out cookies. But she did see him everywhere this season, including shows, where she absorbed everything. But its also ridiculous because it involves a grown woman sitting on a push toy that she has imagined into a sleigh. Once she wanted me to sit on the steering wheel like it was the back seat- I basically had to squat over it to make sure it didn't just break. This reindeer game doesn't last long anytime I play.

One of the less physically demanding new tasks involved trying to find imaginary bugs. Obviously you can't see them, so it proved to be difficult. Luckily she loves to play off of someone elses imagination, too, so I can pretend all sorts of random things are bugs.

I also work as a train conductor and/or T-Rex, who offers rides on the Mommy Train/T-Rex. Before nap times, I found that a quick ride on my back shortens our routine to about 4 minutes. Defininately worth it :)

Probably the most difficult things I am asked to do, but of yet unable to complete, involve requests with Chloe. Chloe is not great at playing hide-n-seek, sitting for tea time or flying. I may not get a good review at the next quarter in this department.

Ambree's First Drawing

2011-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

Ambree has mastered drawing circles, polka dots and stripes. She draws them on everything. Since receiving a doodler she has been hard at work on these skills. (Thank you cousins Phyllis, Pam, and all)! She will draw a circle, only to have the two ends not meet up perfectly- oh, no! that's not a circle! and quickly slide across the eraser to start again. This Christmas season has also seen the first of her actually drawing recognizable things, namely legs. Ambree can add legs to anything you draw, and does so out of necessity. I've also seen her accidently draw different letters and recognize them, ooo, an 'A'!

But today I talked her through her first drawing of a person. Draw a big circle, now a stripe for the mouth, two dots for the eyes, some stripes for the hair, now the legs. She was very impressed with herself, as was I! Then she added hands and fingers, more 'squiggilies' (that's what she calls her hair when its really curly after a bath), toes and even eyebrows.

Jack: 6 Months and on the Move

2010-12-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Because Jack spent the first three months in his carseat (thanks to some reflux), I figured he would be slow in rolling, sitting, crawling, etc. Plus, he has a big sister who can bring him anything he wants. Ambree brings him things, but he is super-motivated to get to the stuff she doesn't bring to him, mostly dinosaurs!

Well, Jack has proved just the opposite. I've never seen a baby love tummy time so much, or roll all over a room so quickly. There are pillows lining all furniture in our living room and he still finds things to roll into. He has started rotating himself while on his tummy to reach for toys, and he lays on his side purposefully balancing to avoid falling backward or forward so that he can maintain eye-contact with Mommy or Daddy. His newest talent is rocking on his knees and hands. This takes practice, and I've found him with sleepy tears in his crib, fighting a nap so that he can get in a few more reps. He even practices while he's nursing or being held upright. Ambree, watch out! Those dinosaurs are about to be invaded!

Jack 21-23 weeks old

2010-12-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Jack has been the easiest baby I could imagine. He is calm and content most of the time, sleeps through the night 8- 7:30 with one dream feed at 11:30 before I go to bed, and smiles and coos nearly on command. For those of you with a fussy little one, hating me right now, I take all of the disdain in stride. I paid my dues with my first angel :) He is learning to sit by himself, though right now still requires the support of his arms before tumbling over, and he is all over the place rolling from one side of the room to the other. He loves holding toys and, of course, chewing on them. Here are some pics of our big guy!

Getting in the Christmas spirit. 11/26/10. 21 weeks old.

"I could get lost in this crib! How do you sleep, Sister?" J.

"Mostly, I don't!" A.

Playing in Ambree's crib. 11/29/10. 22 weeks old.

Getting better at this sitting thing! 12/05/10. 23 weeks old.

Dinosaur Puzzle!

2010-11-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Aunt Kath for one of the most utilized gifts Ambree has ever recieved. The television has been off the past week, as Ambree tries to master her new Dinosaur puzzle! She loves it!Thanks so much!!

Loveys

2010-11-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

Ambree is obsessed with her pink poodle lovey. She has had her first one since before she was born, as a gift from Sean's family. It was not my first choice for a lovey, since I had one picked out from long ago. But it is convienent because they still sell them at Babies-R-Us- it goes with her most places, and consequently needs to be replaced often. But, there are many times when she has MANY of these poodles to play with at once.

This dog has been with us everywhere, and for everything. The gym, church, resturants, parties, grandparent's homes. Sizzles was the theme for her first birthday party and her second Halloween. Here is the story of Sizzles, in pictures...

My chosen lovey for Ambree, LaLa Bear, which she couldn't care less about :) (Ambree at 14wks)

First meeting with Sizzles, 23 weeks

10 months, a trip to Babies-R-Us. No, we didn't buy them all

11 months, Easter nap

18 months, Dressed as Sizzles

Tons of Sizzles-s

The poodle is nothing, though, compared to many-a-object that has shared in the lovey spotlight for their own 15 minutes of fame...

13 months, Sean's Woodstock

22 months, A Hard, LOUD Plastic Turtle had to join us when it snowed in February

Probably the most ridiculous of loveys, the ceramic, nearly unbreakable elephant, that had to go with us everywhere for a few months, including church service. Until he started breaking internally, this was the lovey that caused the most concerned looks from onlookers, mostly I think because they were afraid that it would shatter at any moment.

Now her lovey can change from day to day, right now its a new turtle from Mexico from Grammy and BaBa. But should tears come, or we be halfway out of the driveway, Sizzles is still the one she cries for.

Jack's Baby Dedication

2010-11-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

We had Jack's Baby Dedication at church today. It is us asking our church family to hold us accountable and help us along in raising Jack in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Ambree was only 3weeks old at her dedication, and I remember being concerned that she might cry while we were up on stage in front of the congregation. She didn't steal the show back then, but she tried to today! She had a lovey with her, that we mistakingly allowed her to take on stage. While Pastor Juan was dedicating the three babies and their families, Ambree threw her stuffed toy toward Pastor Juan! Most people saw and laughed, including Pastor Juan, who picked it up and pretended to not give it back. My heart started to race a little as I pictured Ambree throwing herself on the ground because her lovey was 'stolen' from her! But Pastor Juan in all of his partenting expertise, gave the animal back before any more drama occured. Jack slept quietly in his sling, only is little toes showing. Jack's Baby Dedication Picture

In a warmer part of the world, Anna is marrying the love of her life today, Sid Bergeron. Congratulations, Anna and Sid! We are so sorry we're missing your wedding, but we are wishing a warm and blessed marriage from Texas.

My Fashionista and Jack's Fingers

2010-11-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

Getting anywhere in the morning with two kids can be a challenge, so I often try to plan ahead and cut as many corners as I can. My latest corner was noticed, though.

Ambree has a couple of pairs of novelty socks that she usually wears to bed with PJs. Half-way to church one morning for Bible study, she yells, "NO! Not these socks! These socks [are] not for going out! These [are] nap socks! We have to go home!" This went on for a few more minutes, and it was the first thing she pointed out to the nursery worker when we got to church, as if to say, this fashion faux-pas was not of my doing!

On a less dramatic note, Jack has found his two fingers for self-consoling, the same two fingers on the same hand as Ambree. As many cons as there are to having a finger-sucker, it's adorable and infinitely more convenient than a pacifier.

Matt and Lauren's Wedding

2010-11-09T20:24:00.001-08:00

This last weekend we were able to enjoy my cousin, Lauren's wedding. It was beautiful, and probably one of the most tear-inducing weddings I have ever been to, especially because the wrote their own vows! We pray great blessings for their marriage... and many more little cousins!

Beautiful! Lauren, you look so much like your mom here.

Time to cut a rug!

Jack

2010-11-09T20:09:00.001-08:00

Here's a little update on our little guy...

Still sleeping thought the night 8-8, but waking up two times for feedings. He may just be getting ready for solids.

He loves kisses and having his face touched- he coos and smiles.

He still seems to have a laid-back personality (ie, he is happy to just sit and watch what is going on for a while). BUT, he can be pretty loud at times with his little squeals of delight and jabbering. And, he is pretty active.

In fact, the only real reason he sometimes cries is because he wants to be put down, so that he can roll and bat at toys. He can now roll from his back to his stomach, and successfully reach for toys with one and two hands.

He loves his sister! I had him in the nursing room at church and there was a one-year old little girl with blond curls, and he was pretty sure it was Ambree. He just laughed and smiled at her.

He is getting close to the age Ambree was when I put her in the church nursery, but I just so enjoy being with him (and he sleeps well in my sling), so I may hold off on that.

Here are some pics...

November 8, 2010

November 6, 2010

Sleeping Beauty

2010-10-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Daddy’s turn…

The anxiety of putting your firstborn to sleep as a new born was something I didn’t expect when Ambree was born. Is it too hot? Too cold? Is she swaddled right? Is she still breathing? Is that stuffed animal on the shelf going to somehow leap off in the middle of the night and get too close to the crib?

Those fears have given way to reality for the most part – but one habit that lives on is one last peak into both kids room before Katy and I go to sleep. 9 times out of 10, I can crack open a door, and if the breathing isn’t loud enough to hear from the hall, I can walk to the bed, put a hand on their chests, feel the slow steady breathing of deep sleep, and then sneak out unnoticed. Every once in a while Ambree will wake up, and she enjoys the last few minutes in the rocking chair before she goes back to sleep almost as much as I do.

Few things are as sweet as a sleepy little girl asking for one more hug and kiss before saying “Good night daddy, I love you too.”

So the other night, I crack open Ambree’s door, just like any other night, to make sure my little angel is sleeping peacefully. I get the door open a few inches, and pause to see if I can hear her loud breathing from the dark hallway. This time, she hears me come in, and gently wakes to say: “DADDY!!! GO TO SLEEP!!!”

Hmmm. Well goodnight then :)

Boys and Girls

2010-10-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ambree has just this week been able to consistently say whether someone is a boy or a girl, whether she is a sister or Jack is. It's been a confusing process to learn. But I inadvertadely added to the confusion by calling Daddy a pilot this week...

"Daddy is flying right now. Daddy is a good pilot."
"NO! Daddy is not a pilot! Daddy is a boy!"
"Well, yes, but he is also a pilot."
"NO! Daddy is a boy!"

This went on for a while and a couple of times each day this week as I tried to convince her that Sean could simultaneously be a pilot and a boy. Then today, as I was trying to teach her that a pilot is someone who flies a plane, she looked at Sean with sincere concern and inquisition...

"Daddy, you a pilot?"

Jack-to-date

2010-09-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

I haven't really posted about Jack yet, and I need to. I should probably have this disclaimer before each post, but this blog is mostly for Sean and I to remember little things that happen everyday, things that may be easily forgotten, especially if we are blessed with more children. So I understand if this is dreadfully boring for even grandparents :)

He had a rough start at life. By day four, he had a staph infection and had to be put on antibiotics. It was terribly traumatic for me, as I worried about the possible implications for having to medicate such a young baby, not to mention the HUGE risks that exist with a staph infection. Fortunately, it was not a resistant strand, and he recovered quickly.

Then he had his first cold at 6 weeks, thanks to a loving sister, but that too resolved itself with a little nasal saline and lots of hand washing.

From the time I was pregnant, I had in my head that Jack would be my easy baby. I knew I needed that after so many sleepless days during Ambree's first months of life, and all of the crazy days since. And Jack did seem easier. Sure, I knew better what I was doing, and thankfully did not have to suffer through baby-blues this time, but he really was easier. Then about 5-6 weeks, maybe even sooner, what I thought was just gas, started to seem more limiting. He wanted to sleep all day like most babies, but kept waking and coughing, and seemingly gagging on spit-up, only sometimes spitting-up. After more observation, it seemed he had reflux. The second medication seemed to work, plus we took him to a cranio-sacral therapist, who really seemed to resolve some of his issues (we need to go back for a follow up visit). And I stopped eating chocolate, caffeine and tomato-based foods. By 10 weeks old, most of his reflux had been calmed by the above measures. I plan to try taking him of his medicine at 3 months to see if he's okay without it.

Now without any sickness and less reflux, he is doing great. He started sleeping through the night 8pm-8am at about 9 1/2 weeks, with one night feeding. And he does really well on a three hour schedule. I noticed even from the first few days that he seemed to prefer a schedule, or set himself to one on his own. And the last couple of weeks, he has been taking a LONG afternoon nap 2-5, right when Ambree naps! He still naps a little between each 3 hour feeding too.

He is easy to transport, usually content to stay in his carrier, unless he is really tired, and then he will fall asleep in his sling quickly. He loves being swaddled for sleep.

He found his hands about two weeks ago, and is remarkably preoccupied with sucking on his knuckles even when he is not hungry. In fact, this new "skill" sometimes requires practice during nursing.

He is happy to lay on his activity mat and watch a ceiling fan or his hanging toys now. This took a while, since we didn't really lay him flat for the first 2 months of his life because of his reflux.

Jack is very social. He likes to smile and is laughing out loud, especially at his sister. It is such a delight. Ambree was a very serious baby until about a year, so this is different.

He doubled his weight about a week after his 2 month mark, so he is a big boy. He gained a lot of weight early on, probably because of his reflux.

There is tons of mommy-guilt with two little ones, feeling like my time is split and I may be missing out things while tending to the other sibling. But I love having two babies. I pray this guilt will be absolved as I watch them grow to be playmates and friends.

So that's Jack in a quick blog-nutshell.

New Sayings

2010-09-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ambree has a little tummy bug today. I remember when she was anywhere from 8-18months old, I hated for her to get sick, because it could slow down her development in the very short-run. Not that it could possibly matter, but as a first time mom, I wanted her to walk or say a new word when she was suppose to be able to, and not be limited by a cold. It was ridiculous. But today despite an absent appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, Ambree had all sorts of new things to say.

On our morning walk, she was in her stroller, and all of a sudden I heard, Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z... I said, "What did you say?" She repeated from the beginning, she skipped the letter E and it got a little hairy from L to O, but we've never tried to teach her how to sing the ABC's. I know she's heard it, but not from Mommy or Daddy. Then later, she asked, "Mommy, what are you saying?", like she didn't hear me only I know she did. It was just something new she wanted to try out.

With her tummy hurting, she had to find a new way to articulate that, too. She kept saying, "Mommy, my tummy is filling up." She said that right before she got sick. And to try to fix this pain, she kept saying, "I put on shoes, maybe I feel better," or "I go in living room, maybe I feel better." Bless her heart, she had no idea why she was hurting or how to fix it. When we were leaving GG's house, after the door was closed, she said, "See ya!" A new choice for saying good-bye.

It's so fun to hear her learn sayings that we use. We say them without thinking about it, but she's trying to figure out how she can work them into her vernacular. So, she says them over and over again, completely out of context, and then uses our reaction to gauge if she used it correctly or not. Last week, it was "Never again!" very emphatically with arms crossing her body at the same time. And since I returned from my weekend away at a women's retreat, she has been trying out "Mama." She knows I prefer Mommy, so its become a little game.

She's a sponge, so I'm trying to use this time to fill her up with God's word in addition to quirky jargon she is picking up. A memory I hope I never forget, is teaching her Psalms 31 in the kitchen as she "helped" me with dinner. She's taking a bite out of each strawberry I wash as quickly as I put them in front of her, and repeating, "My God is my Shepard, I will not want." What a sweet time for me with my little girl.

Rainbow

2010-09-01T20:17:00.001-07:00

Okay, I haven't posted in two months and there is much to catch up on, but until then, here's a snip-it of Ambree's life.

Ambree has started watching "Dragon Tails," a PBS cartoon. If you've never seen it, don't. It's quite ridiculous. But dragons and dinosaurs are big in our house right now, so we watch it at least once a day. There is an episode we've seen many times with a star who is trying to use the assistance of the dragons and friends to find a rainbow, because she's never out when rainbows are, being a star and all. As you can imagine, she ended up getting to see a rainbow.

Well, on our evening walk yesterday, it had rained in the distance and a rainbow was filling the sky. It was Ambree's first time to see a real rainbow, and it was such a delight to watch her eyes light up when she finally saw what we were pointing to. Immediately, she smiled and said, "I can't wait to tell all of the other stars!"

[L and] D Day

2010-06-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

So after trying to keep Jack in for about a month, I started working to get him out at 38 weeks. I was back at the gym, lifting Ambree and mowing the yard. On Friday (37weeks, 6 days), I put everything into overdrive because Kelly had come into town to try to be part of the labor and delivery. By this point I had had every pre-labor sign except consistent contratctions.

By 5:30pm the contractions started and now were what I would consider moderate; I had to stop what I was doing but they were still bearable. We had Antonio's Mexican resteraunt planned with my family, so we continued as scheduled, but threw the hospital bag in the car just in case. Throughout dinner I had contractions about 5minutes apart with increased intensity. My dad joked that he was eating his dinner quickly should we have to rush out of there.

I stayed home until about 10:30pm and only decided to go in the the hospital because of my first labor with Ambree, which had suddenly progressed very quickly. Really I should have probably stayed home because when I got to the hospital I was only 5-6cm.

So I labored at the hospital more- pretty boring stuff. Most of my pain was helped by rocking and resting on an exercise ball that was on the bed. It wasn't very intense, but I did have back pain, so I ended up laying in bed, which relieved my back pain but made it nearly impossible to find any relief from my contractions. At this point, I wish I had gotten out of bed. I remember asking for different positions and not really getting into one.

At about 1:30am, I decided to let them break my water, knowing that things probably would start happening right away. And they did. My contractions became unbearable and every movement in bed brought them on. I couldn't move without having insane pain, but staying in bed was horrible. After about 30 minutes (maybe less, this part was a blur), I was screaming in pain without any way to find relief. I wanted out of that bed so bad, but I really couldn't move. I almost asked Sean to just lift me out of the bed. Even though I had gotten so far, and really wanted to try not using an epidural, I was begging for one at this point. The anesthesiologist was at home (about 10 minutes away), and I knew transistional labor was coming soon. Even before the anesthesiologist was there I felt the urge to push. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have had much more to endure if I had had any desire to continue- but I did not. Just getting to sitting on the side of the bed was nearly impossible. I literally did not think it would be possible and rationalized in my head that if I just kept telling the nurses emphatically that I couldn't do it, that they would be able to find a new way to put in the epidural. Somehow I got to a sitting position and the doctor FINALLY got to the hospital.

After the epidural was placed, each contraction became more bearable, and minutes later they were back to back. As soon as I was on my back, they told me to push a couple of times, and then told me to wait for the doctor- Jack was ready! I only had to push through a couple of contractions because the doctor was able to ease him out. It was amazing and so much quicker and easier than with Ambree (which took hours).

I was able to help pull Jack out and he came immediately to my chest. He was perfect and I was in love.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

2010-06-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Father's Day 2010

Ambree has really become a Daddy's girl the last few months. Monday mornings are the worst, after a weekend of growing clingy with Sean, she cries in the morning when she wakes up realizing that he is not home. It's pitiful. But so nice to watch her see the value in her Daddy. He really is such a great dad to Ambree.

From the time he gets home until he goes to bed, there is very rarely any down time for Sean, as he tries to take advantage of every moment with his girls. So he'll stand with her in a freshly filled, freezing wading pool while she swims around, take her on a trek to get the mail, go with her on an expedition in search of bugs, or just let her crawl all over him in the living room. The sound of the garage door closing in the afternoon means a brightly faced two year old is squealing down the hallway to hug "Daddy!"

I know statistically how important it is for Ambree to prize her Dad, and for Sean to be the main man in her life. So its such a joy to see Sean make the effort that it takes for this to happen. I think sometimes men don't know how to connect with children, maybe some women don't either, and I remember Sean seeming a little unsure during the first few months. I guess it takes a little fine tuning to find a rhythm in parenting for all of us. But Sean has it down now, and I'm so grateful.

Helping Sean with Jack's Room

Ambree 'fixing piggies' for Sean's Hair

38weeks, 2 days

2010-06-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Alright Jack. You are free to come out now :) You should be fully cooked, though everyday you stay put can help with digestion, nursing and respiratory development, which is of course good, too. But I just had the realization that I have not been able to enjoy the World Cup with a single beer. I think you have until July 11th, but the sooner the better in case I have to give you a bottle.

I am glad to have made it this far. Until just the last couple of nights, I've been pretty comfortable, and overall I would say this has been a really easy pregnancy. Hopefully that is indicative of the kind of labor I will have. At my last appointment last Thursday, I was 3cm so it could be any day, but we've been saying that now for a few weeks. Now, though, I can at least clean, organize or lift whatever I want, and I've been able to take Ambree back to the gym, which is nice for her so that she can run around with other kids in air conditioning in the Kid's Club.

I think Ambree may be wise to us now. All of a sudden she is a little more clingy and not wanting to go to sleep for naps or bedtime. I would prefer that it's her realizing something is about to change rather than the possibility of an upcoming cold- the typical reason for this type of change in behavior.

My Little Parrot

2010-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Ambree has increasingly become a little parrot. She says things like:

"I think..."
"I miss you, too, Daddy"
"Probably not"
"Um, Um, Um, Sure!"
"Excuse me"
"Good idea, Mommy"
"I'm proud of you, Mommy!"
[to friends] "I go first, you go play with other toy. Go on, boy" (The 'go on' part isn't her parroting something I say to her, but something we say to Chloe, the dog)

Anything that Mommy or Daddy say is quickly adapted to her vocabulary. Tonite, I gave her a kiss as I was putting her to bed. She said, "That's a good girl, Mommy!"

35 weeks, 5 days

2010-06-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Just saw the MD today, and despite a week of very low activity level, Jack is still progressing. I am 90% effaced, -1 station and 2 cm dialated. The doctor thinks he will be here in the next week despite anything I do or don't do, so I am off bed rest. When I asked her about my activity level, she said it was up to me. I told her, I need my house to be clean before this baby is here! Family and friends have been offering to help me nest, but its ridculous to ask family or friends to do the things I want to do to this house. Most sane people don't care about baseboards in their laundry room or street trashcans been hosed out. That said, my parents are coming over tomorrow to help set up so furniture for Jack and maybe some normal cleaning to help me catch up, which I really appreciate.

The doctor also said that Jack has a 97% chance of having fully developed lungs and the risk of developmental delays was gone a few weeks ago. While they will try to stop or slow the labor should it happen before 37 weeks, she doesn't think it will be too effective if he wants to come. So its nice that we can start getting excited about his arrival without worrying as much about complications. What an answer to prayers. We still, of course, covet your prayers that he is a strong and healthy boy, ready for birth whenever he decides.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-06-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Swimming with Daddy

Ambree and Jaxon, "I give you kiss, now"

Swimming

2010-05-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ambree has been practicing swimming in the bathtub for a while now. She can kick her legs and swim with her arms and blow bubbles, but definately not any of those things at the same time. Her first experience in the pool this year, mostly involved her going up and down the steps. But her second time in, Daddy just pulled her off the steps into the water. After a moment of fear, she was very excited and tried 'swimming'. By the third trip to the pool, she was asking Daddy to let go of her, jumping off the edge to Daddy, and swimming all over.

05-22-2010 at GG's

05-29-2010 at the Roger's

Sunbathing

05-31-2010 at GG's

34 weeks, 5 days

2010-05-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

I just had my 34 week appointment for Jack. Because of all of my contractions, my MD decided to do an extra ultrasound, which was a real treat. It's crazy to see how big he is! He's in the 78th percentile, already weighing as much as 6lbs 9oz. The ultrasound technician said that her measurements can often make the baby seem bigger than they really are, but still! At this rate he will be about the same as Ambree was (8lbs, 1oz) or bigger. Unlike usual, though, he was pretty sleepy and didn't move much for us.
The MD also did an exam to see if I am having effective contractions, and unfortunately, I am. I am 50% effaced, -2cm, and 1cm dialated, and consequently on strict activity restrictions. Everything I asked her if I could do, she responded with a swift NO! Not until at least next week, but probably 37weeks, does she want me doing much of anything. I don't really know how this is going to look. I'm not on bedrest, I don't think, but it is going to be nearly impossible not to clean the house with this crazy nesting instinct kicking in, and I really have no idea how this will work with my 30lb toddler.
I don't want to miss out on the last opportunities I will have with Ambree as my only child, but I definately want Jack to stay in the belly as long as possible. Awww, Mommy Guilt! I am blessed to have a three day weekend coming up, so Sean can help (mind you he is still recovering from knee surgery), and then I have a friend who already offered to help on Tuesday. In all of this helplessness, I am left with prayer. That's probably the best place to be.

Jack

2010-05-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted about my pregnancy much mostly because I would either just be complaining or it would be boring. The first trimester, I had sworn off procreation, but God was gracious, and I have forgotten how bad it was. Then my second trimester was fairly uneventful except for fairly consistent early braxton hicks contractions due to an irritable uterus (they started at about 6-8 weeks). I felt him kick at 15 weeks, and a week later Sean could feel him. Third trimester has been more of the same, but at 28 weeks I started requesting that I be checked for dialation because my contractions were so intense at times. At 28 weeks, I was 1cm.
Then last Thursday night (33wks, 4days), Sean and I snuck away for a dinner together and then planned to run errands while my mom babysat. Because my nesting instinct has kicked in, I had been polishing the kitchen cabinets and mopping the floors earlier. While I was getting ready to go out, I knew I was having fairly regular, mild contractions, but I was busy and didn't pay much attention to it. Then on the way to dinner, I decided to start counting how far apart. They were about 3-5 minutes, sometimes seeming back-to-back, but still very mild.
When it was time to order for dinner, it had been a couple of hours of contractions pretty close together, so we called Ed and I texted a friend who use to work as an OB nurse. Both of them said to get home, rest and drink tons of water.
Turns out I was probably just dehydrated (since then I've up'd my water intake to 12 glasses), but over all the episode last about 4-5 hours. The next day I had a scheduled appointment and I wasn't dialated more than before so they had all been false contractions. All I could think during it though, was NOTHING is ready- his room isn't set up, the house is not deep cleaned, baby clothes haven't been cleaned and he doesn't even have a middle name!
At this point, we don't have any reason to think Jack will be early, and I have been reduced to minimal physical activity, but all of this has me excited for his arrival. Another baby! We can't wait, well we want to wait for at least 4 more weeks.

Congrats Craig and Gretch!!

2010-05-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

This last Saturday we celebrated the marriage of Sean's cousin, Gretchen and Craig. The ceremony and reception were in hotel/resort place in Lakeway, so the scenery was beautiful. It was a wonderful wedding and so great to see Sean's extended family, including two of his cousin, Chris's girls, Sadie and Elise, 3 1/2yrs and 2yrs. All three toddlers opened the dance floor as soon as they saw it. No one had to tell them what the wooden floor, lights and music were for. They knew someone had set it up just for them.

Ambree only took breaks from dancing to raid a dish full of M&M's that she found. She also found the AC floor vents along the edges of the room and delighted in letting her dress poof up while she cooled down.

That night the only protein she ate at dinner was chocolate milk- a new treat. She danced until passed 10pm, and then with the hour long drive home, she was in bed after 11!

2010-05-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted. Since then we have had a few cute/quirky Ambree-isms develop. I love this age and getting to see her personality more and more.

Problem Solving. She has started showing higher-level (I say that like I know, but in all my mom expertise, that is what I will call it) problem solving skills. A few weeks ago one of her mylar balloons got wrapped up in our ceiling fan. Immediately she said, 'Get Daddy's ladder!' I was humbled when she wanted a ladder to fix another problem later that week that could clearly not be solved with a ladder. I would tell you what that situation was, but I cannot remember, and neither can Sean. I'm pregnant and he is a guy. But today, while watching a new episode of the Wonder Pets, she figured out how to help the Itsy Bitsy Spider before the Wonder Pets did. Granted the Wonder Pets are fairly predicable and not more than fairly intelligent, but she's just two!

Bed Time Songs. Over the past month she has started requesting songs that do not exist at all in an attempt to delay bed time. "Sing Som" she says. Many of her requests do exist at this point because they have so frequently been asked for, including the smash hits 'sky som,' 'ground som,' 'bengal tiger som' and 'bubbles som.' One hit wonders include the 'door som' and 'elephant som.' While singing the Bengal Tiger song I was thoroughly corrected when I messed up the song plot line by saying that Raji the mouse pulled the thorn out of the tiger's paw- "NO Mommy! The Wonder Pets help!" And we're back to the Wonder Pets.

Miss Bossy. Ambree has also decided that she is in charge of everyone that is at her height level or lower. She bosses passer-byers around at church, our home, the store, really anywhere. Telling them "BE Careful!!", "No Fussing! Need nap.", "Come Here to Ambree!" Poor Jack.

Life Skills. We spent most of the first year of Ambree's life teaching her the life skill of sleeping, and the second year trying to catch her. Now it's rewarding to teach her more seemingly basic, but ultra rewarding life skills. One we've been focused on is eye-contact. When she sees someone her immediate response is to look away, and sometimes she's done this just to show you that she is ignoring you. So now when we see someone we say, "Look at eyes" and she is pretty responsive and jumps out of her shyness quickly. A new one, of this last week, is "Calm Down." As taught on the Wonder Pets when the baby monster is throwing a fit, sometimes we need to take deep breaths and count to three. It is hilarious to watch her close her eyes, take a deep breath and then count- she's been skipping 2 and 4 lately, so its 1-3-5-6, and so on. She thinks its pretty funny too so it usually helps her come out of her fit. It is amazing to me what I can just teach her to do now.

Little Mommy

2010-05-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Ambree has spent the last 30 minutes (and continues as I type) pretending that a little 3inch stuffed bear is her baby. This includes changing his diaper with wipes and all, giving him nasal saline and blowing his nose, brushing his hair, sitting him on the potty, reading him a book in her rocking chair, strolling him around and playing patty-cake. Everything we say to her is repeated in a higher pitch to this little bear. "Change diaper, stay still." "No fussing, time for bed." "Last book, then have to go to bed." And it goes on. Little does she know how she will be helping to care for a real baby soon...

Complications

2010-04-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

Sean's left knee has been bothering him since about November, when he stood up from 'criss-cross-apple-sauce'-style (that's Indian style for old-schoolers), holding Ambree without uncrossing his legs or using his arms. I finally convinced him that it was probably just his meniscus and that a repair would be easy and quick, ie, he could probably still play in spring softball with the church.

So he was scheduled for surgery 4/22/10, and went in like scheduled. My mom graciously offered to drop him off at surgery and Sean's dad was planning to pick him and bring him home. At about 11:00 am though, I got a phone call saying that Sean was doing fine presently, but that he had fluid in his lungs after coming out of anesthesia that was causing him to not get enough oxygen; he would have to stay over night so they could watch his O2 levels and he would be transferring to a room within the next couple of hours.

I was in the middle of making lunches for Ambree and myself, so I just kept making lunch. Things are different with a third member of the family. You can't just drop everything. But half way through lunch I was starting to worry, and knew he would want someone there with him, so I jumped in the shower and then asked Ed to come watch Ambree for the rest of the day until my mom could take over for the night. I threw random things in a bag and put Ambree down for a nap.

The whole time I was at home with Ambree I was sad for Sean who was by himself. Sean's a big boy, and I'm sure he was incoherent enough to where this wasn't even an issue. But I was anxious to get to him. Then right as 45 bridges over to MoPac, my emotions transferred to Ambree. She was without either of us, and would be all night- a BIG first. Granted, she loves her BaBa and MeMe, and I knew she wouldn't even think anything different because she is babysat so often by them both, but I guess my pregnancy hormones needed something to worry about so they went to Ambree.

Sean was fine when I got there. He was just being transferred upstairs, and looked good. He still had to stay on O2 because his O2 levels were too low on just room air, and he was coughing a bunch anytime he took in a deep breath. The pain medicine was still making Sean really sleepy, so he tried resting. They checked his vitals every 30 min at first, and then every 2-3hours. Breathing treatments and pain medicine were every 4 hours, but not at the same time- that would have been too convenient. And there were also, of course, nurse shift changes, that Sean seemed to want to extend by re-informing the new nurse of everything that had happened.

We did not sleep at all.

With all of the interruptions, a glowing light coming out of a vent in the wall- I don't know why-, Sean snoring despite the fact that he had oxygen flowing into his nose, and a pillow that incessantly slipped out from under my head, there was no sleep.

But Sean was doing much better, and in the early morning I convinced him to try taking the oxygen off. He was being well monitored and it was getting easier to take deep breaths. His knee looked good with just minimal swelling and good quad strength and range of motion.

The doctors ended up saying that either he had aspirated some drainage or he had caused negative pressure in his lungs by either his tongue or vocal cords blocking his air passage, either of which would have caused his lungs to have fluid in them. They don't think this episode will have any further consequences for Sean, and he seemed to be recovering from it well.

So what was suppose to be a simple day surgery, turned into a lot more, but it was nice to be there for Sean- I am so grateful for our family stepping in to help and so many others who offered to help. And it was a good dry-run for leaving Ambree when we have Baby #2. Most importantly, Sean is okay and back to just dealing with a post-op knee.

Thank You, Grammy!

2010-04-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ambree's Great-Grammy sent a home-made birthday present that Ambree loves! She kept saying, Oh thank you! I love it!

Watch out for Dinosaur on the Loose

2010-04-19T17:57:00.001-07:00

Right before bed, it is essential that all energy is expended!!

Sweet Dreams!

2010-04-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ambree's new favorite additon to her night-time routine involves putting her four favorite plastic toys to sleep in her toy barn. Her donkey, horse, cow and camel all have to be put to bed, which involves "Kiss {muwahh}, Hugs {awww}," laying them down in her barn and saying, "Sweet Dreams!"
Yes, this is probably just a delay technique in order to stall bedtime, but its so adorable that she wins this battle.

April Birthdays

2010-04-15T18:03:00.001-07:00

One of many April Birthday celebrations for our family, which entirely consists of April birthdays thus far (including Anna)... The Reilly's took us to PF Changs for a wonderful dinner, and we went all out. I think at least 5 appetizers were ordered, main courses galore and then two giagantic desserts. It was great, and Ambree did fairly well the whole meal, especially considering her normal resturant expectation time is about an hour and we took almost two.

About four hours later, my hands and feet were throbbing and my face was nearly unrecognizable from swelling (I exaggerate a little). I guess I will need to wait a few months before partaking in any chinese food again, but it was worth it!

Easter 2010

2010-04-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

This was a great Easter. I was blessed because a close friend switched nursery duty with me, so that I could sit with our family that was visiting High Pointe, and because all of our family (except Kelly and Kevin and Randy) was together to celebrate the Resurrection.

After service, everyone came over for lunch, a recipe I'd never made before (there's a reason people warn you against doing such). Much to our surprise, the oven turned on as set, and the meat was finishing up when we got home. The meal came together well, but the meat had so much pepper on it (over 1/2 a cup for 4lbs) that I think only Sid (who is Cajun) enjoyed it. But it was good conversation and company.

Then Anna taught Ambree how to close her eyes, count to 10 and then go looking for eggs. They both had a good time.

After naps, we headed over to Grandma's house for more egg hunting (over 120 eggs were hidden for 5 kids!!), and dinner.

Playing at Grandma's more than ever involves playing with Jaxon, Ambree's cousin, who is about 3 1/2 months younger than her. Today that meant playing in the mud and rubbing it all over each other's faces.

First Egg Hunt

2010-03-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is the first Easter that Ambree understood egg hunting. I know that we want Easter to be about Christ and his resurrection, and not about a bunny, so we will have to figure out how that will look for our family in the coming years. But for now, because she has no concept of Easter, we enjoyed watching her learn to hunt for eggs. Her first expedition was at a MOPS playdate. She went in cold turkey and figured it out quickly. Well, figured out that she was looking for eggs, but no signs of her mother's competitiveness in her yet. Ambree was more concerned about opening each egg and playing on the toys that the eggs were hidden around, than finding the most eggs.

Mrs. McGregor

2010-03-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, Sean was out late for work, planning to come home just before midnight. Ambree and I had been playing outside, and she skinned her knees for the third time that day. I took her inside to rinse them down with saline and bandage her up, but we were distracted with a diaper change. The whole time the back door was open which isn't at all abnormal for us, especially with the nice weather.

While in her room I heard a rummaging in the living room or kitchen. I immediately thought intruder or rodent. For whatever reason I wasn't entirely afraid. I finished changing her diaper and then decided the sound was maybe the dryer shutting off. But when I rounded the corner to the kitchen I heard Chloe growling and knew that it must be a rodent of some sort. (Chloe would not be growling if an intruder came in. She would begging them to hold her or rub her belly).

Holding Ambree, I peered over to see Chloe had 'cornered' a baby bunny! It was sort of under the cabinets near the sink and dishwasher laying lifeless. My immediate inclination was to find some way to avoid dealing with the problem. Sean spoils me in many ways, but probably most dramatically in the department of service. Things that I don't want to do, he always does for me. It's one way he gives love and one way I receive love. But he was not home and there was no love. Before Ambree I may have just left the bunny there until he got home, but at this point I wasn't entirely sure if it was dead or maybe just playing dead or something. So I just started moving. (When I later told Sean the story, he said he was surprised I didn't just go check into a hotel. After he said that I was immediately disappointed that I didn't take a little more time to sift through all options. Should there be another bunny or any other sort of worse rodent, I may go stay with family, but at the time all I could think of was Ambree and germs).

I took Ambree to her crib, threw a box of toys in the crib for her to play with, in my happiest sing-song voice I told her to play and have fun, Mommy would be right back. All of this is in triple speed, including my heart rate. I went to get my dust pan and went to scoop the bunny up. I am so grateful that we no longer have Ria (our beagle). If she had been here it would have just been one more thing for me to do in all of the chaos, because she would not have just cornered the bunny like Chloe.

Motherly instincts to protect Ambree were enough to squelch my desire to abort my mission, and I scooped the bunny up with my dust pan. I prayed the whole time I was carrying it at arms length that it would not wake up should it just be pretending, then gently put it over the fence, took my dust pan to the trash can, and went to wash my hands.

I am so glad to have a poodle. This is the second time Chloe has helped us find a pest in the house. I did make her stay outside for about an hour afterwards as though that would allow enough time for the germs on her to die, but after researching and talking to friends, I was more confident that Chloe just chased it down until it had a heart attack, and that Chloe may not have had any contact at all.

All that to say, Sean cannot leave town again. Well, he's gone tonite too. Maybe all that to say, I need some sort of bunny fence. Those pests ate all of my esperanza last year.

How's My Flock Doing?

2010-03-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

During my extra reading time, I've been enjoying "Praise Her in the Gates" by Nancy Wilson. It is a book on the art of building a Christian home as a mother. I have not finished it yet, but so far have been very encouraged and convicted. I especially enjoyed the chapter on parenting boys with the intent of raising men. As a female, I have so much to learn not only about biblical womanhood, but more so biblical manhood.
I was particularly convicted by a chapter that opened with a verse from Proverbs 27:23: "Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds." How is my home doing? How is it running? How are finances (that I'm accountable for, ie grocery) being accounted for? Am I in the Word daily? How am I applying the Word to my life? How is my husband doing? Is his love tank full? Am I being direct and not nagging about the ways that I need to be loved? How is Ambree doing? Is she being loved and trained in the direction of the Lord? These are things that have been delegated to me and that should be of the highest importance.
It's easy for me to want to get busy with extra things that I enjoy, whether at church or MOPS or with friends and family. I like being in the thick of it all and finishing tasks. Most of the tasks around the home don't have a 'finished' box to check. As soon as I vacuum, Ambree and Chloe come back inside the house with half of the backyard. As soon as I wipe down the high chair, or fold the laundry, or dust, or whatever it is, I need to do it again. I love doing these things. God has blessed me with a love for my home and family. But it is a huge temptation for me to let these things slide at times. Especially when other more finish-able tasks are waiting for me.
So I have refocused my energies this last week. What does this look like for me? Waking up early to read my Bible is foremost. I was told at a recent conference that nobody wants something I have to give more than they need Christ lived out through me. I have nothing to offer if I'm not saturated in the Word. I have started 'Circle Time' with Ambree. I have had intentional conversations with Sean that have already bore fruit by God's grace. And I have chosen not to leave the house with dishes in the sink. It's a silly thing, but when the sink is empty I am motivated to pick up other things. And I don't want to be out being busy when my home is not at least primped a little. I'm sure this looks different for all wives and moms. There are seasons and circumstances in everyone's lives that make our priorities and application of scripture shift out of necessity. Right now I am blessed with more time, and its only a start for me, but I am so grateful to have found this verse and had it fleshed out in such a way.

Not So Fast There

2010-03-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

So I was (joyfully) wrong about Ambree entering her terrible two's. It appears that her blurp in behavior was probably caused by me having an 8 month old in our house for most of February. (Even though Ambree loved playing with her friend, it did eat away some Mommy time). That's the only thing I can think that was different and may have been attributing to her change in attitude, because as soon as it came, it was gone!

She still wants to say no, but if we remind her, say 'yes, Mommy!' she excitedly hurries to obey. There is joy in her obedience and I rejoice that we are still in such a teachable phase.

Something new we just started yesterday is 'Circle Time.' It's an activity created to prepare toddlers and preschoolers for preschool and hopefully in our case will prepare Ambree for sitting in church. My friend Crystal suggested this website because she knows we are contemplating home-schooling: preschoolersandpeace.com. I've only looked at a few pages of the site, but so far I've found it pretty helpful.

So we started 'Circle Time, ' which can consist of anything where you and your children are sitting in a particular spot with the intention of learning something and practicing sitting. For us right now it includes a fun song, going through her catechism (we're only on question four but its a tough one) and playing with flashcards. At first she was entirely uncomfortable with the idea of sitting on a blanket with Mommy just looking at her and talking. She asked for her barn and toy house to sit with us, and after that she became a little distracted, of course. I was discouraged, looking at the clock to try to decide how long to drag this out. But then she saw the flashcards! What I had been saving for last because I thought it would be dull for her, was the highlight of Circle Time. They are just pictures I drew of shapes that she knows with the addition of the long 'Big A' and long 'Little a,' and her first memory verse (a shortened version of Colossians 3:20). She loved it, and quickly picked up her new letters and what sound they make. After nap time she asked for 'circle time' again.
It's nice to have these new elements of structure in her day. Next week we may try story time at the library!

18-21 Months

2010-03-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sure plenty of people warned me and I know I read half a dozen books, but maybe if I write it to myself I will be prepared for number two...
Parenting gave me a nice breather from 18-21 months of age with Ambree. By 18 months she understood training and discipline in ways she hadn't previously, so that she was much more obedient and cooperative. She was able to feed herself her own meals and was done with baby food moving onto 'real' food with only a little hesitation. Even though I thought she would go to Kindergarten having to supplement meats with baby food, she was warming up to lunch meat and small pieces of chicken. Ambree conquered most of her toys by this point, so even when she wanted me sitting with her to play, I didn't have to show her how to play with each toy. She also began speaking in full sentences with only the prepositions missing, which made communication so much easier.
All of these little things I was so excited about. And still am. I can't imagine having to wait to eat my food so I can spoon feed her EVERYTHING. (Using a spoon was another thing I thought she might not ever master).
And now I am in a new stage. Often titled the "terrible twos" and for likely good reason, the primary one probably just pure shock on the parent's part. Here is my sweet toddler who loved pleasing me last week and all of a sudden the answer is NO this week!
Lest someone mistake this for complaining, I must say that though this is a hiccup in our parenting goals, along with this stage comes so many more wonderful milestones. She is learning to share with and care for others including her baby dolls, plastic animals, friends and real babies. She remembers things throughout her day, so when I ask her what she did at church she remembers going down the slide and playing with friends. She asks for 'hug and kiss' continually and tells everything and everyone 'love you!' She has embraced independent-play, so I can read a book while watching her play with her farm animals. I love Ambree at 22 months for all new, different reasons.
But I would tell past-self to seize those training opportunities that were so eagerly waiting during that brief period. And I tell present-self to push through this phase and continue trying to win every battle with this strong-willed (thank the Lord), suddenly scheming (I have to remind Sean about how females can conjure tears on command to get their way) little one.

Protecting stuffed friends

2010-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

With the combination of nice weather and being home from work, I was looking forward to spending some daddy / daughter time with Ambree at our neighborhood playground. After "park" gets on Ambree's brain, its all she can do to muster up some patience while I get dressed and out the door.

Taking one of her pink poodles to the park is nothing new, but her budding imagination has given life to many of her toys. After running up, down, and around the play scape, it was time to show doggie around and give him a chance to have some fun.

First, it was up the stairs, showing Sizzles (the dog's name) exactly how to find his way around the play scape. Coming to the big clear plastic bubble-window on the upper level, I suggested Ambree show Sizzles the bubble. After a moment of thought, she thrust her doggie's face into the open space of the bubble - "see?" and we were off to more interesting things - the slides.

Today Ambree was hesitant to go down the slides on her own, which was a bit out of character but she was still having fun. Ambree did decide, however that today was a good day to introduce Sizzles to the slides. She carefully placed sizzles at the top of the slide, his little pink nose peering over the edge and down to the slide below. Ambree took a step back, considering how best to send him on his way...

"Slide scary! Slide scary! Its ok doggie! Its ok, its ok!" a moment later, Ambree whisked Sizzles away from certain doom, hugging him tightly. We both got a good laugh out of this, and after putting our heads together, came up with the plan that if Ambree waited at the bottom of the slide, she could catch Sizzles and make the whole experience a little less terrifying for all involved.

A playscape of our own in the backyard is probably in our future, just as soon as I can figure out how to stake 50 pillows to the ground underneith it so I feel comfortable standing more then 2 feet away from her while she plays.

Snow Day!!

2010-02-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

Today was an exciting day for all of us, but especially Ambree. Besides actually getting to see Pastor Juan (who she literally asks to see everyday), she got to experience snow for the first real time. We've had snow since she's been here, but not any that she could actually see, much less touch.

As soon as we could, we bundled up and went out to build snowmen. We couldn't go out without her new toy turtle, who is in no way snow friendly, but made it through the adventure. Ambree's first reaction was typical- the snow was too messy (see above pic) and she was not excited about walking in it.

The first snowman was about her size. With enthusiasm she was able to identify what she had only previously seen in photos or on television. But we had to take a break when I began making the base of the 'daddy' snowman. She was standing near me as I was rolling the snowball, and I think she could hear the snow crunch in the grass. Either its growing size or the sound was too much. "Scary, Daddy Snowman!" We had to go inside.

Once Daddy came home, though, it was back to building. Sean convinced her that the snowman was nice and built him a wife. Ambree was consoled and we were able to get some great pics.

What a gorgeous, fun day after a beautiful 70°+ weekend. Gotta love Texas!

It's a....

2010-02-12T07:33:00.001-08:00

We had our 20 weeks MD appointment this last Wednesday with the full anatomy ultrasound. All is developing well. Our little one is in about the 80th% on growth, measuring 3 days big. And much to our joy, we found out our baby is a BOY!!
As I was laying down on the table to do the ultrasound, I said, "Oh, good, he's awake." The technician asked if that's what I thought the baby was, and then as soon as she put the ultrasound wand to my belly she said, "Well, you were right!" At first I thought she just meant that the baby was in fact moving around a lot, but after much explanation of what I was looking at, I was able to see that yes, it was a boy!
After our appointment, we went to my Grandma's house to pick up Ambree and have dinner. At dinner, Ambree tried fish for the first time. With her first bite, as clear as a bell, she announced, "I don't like fish." I looked at Sean with wide-eyes, telepathically trying to ask him if it had been as obvious as I thought (she's never said she didn't like anything before), before he could silently respond back, my parents, who were there too, and my Grandma all began laughing. On other attempts that night, she ate bites of fish without complaint- and without any signs of allergic reaction :)

2010-01-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

photo taken 10/27/2009

The Longest Sentence Ever!!

2010-01-18T19:58:00.001-08:00

December meant two words in a row, and the start of the year meant 3 words in a row. But three weeks into 2010 means full sentences spaced out for thinking time.
Tonite Ambree woke up from sleep and told Daddy, "Poopie... Sleep clothes... off.... change diaper, please."
And if that weren't enough to blog about, earlier in her bath she took a green bath crayon and said, "tree." Then she drew long, tall lines with a bunch of extra, crazy lines on the top. And then five minutes later when it was time to clean up all drawings, she said, "bye-bye, tree." Ridiculous! She also said "ridiculous" today on command when Aunt Lorita was commenting, "She says everything I say right back to me. It's ridiculous! Watch this: Ambree, say 'Ridiculous.'"
During her nap, she woke up within about 10 minutes of having been put down and told Mommy, "Mommy, Daddy's bed?" I thought, oh dear, what did I start, because I've been letting her finish her nap in our bed after she sleeps for about an hour since I want her naps to be longer. I was so afraid I would give in and start a habit or she would just refuse to take a nap in her crib. So I tried telling her "No, You go to sleep in your crib." To my surprise and relief, she said, "ok. sleep, shut the door."

Friends

2010-01-03T14:33:00.000-08:00

Friends have become a big deal to Ambree over the last few months, but even more so in the last few days. We consistently talk about being nice to friends and not pulling hair, etc. Yesterday, I told her that her MiMi was coming over "to play." That was the wrong verbiage, because it immediately made her think of one of her play date friends, Ramona (who we haven't seen in almost a month because of the holidays). She began say, "Mona play, come play" over and over. When MiMi arrived Ambree burst into tears crying for Mona because she was sure that the doorbell meant a play date. Poor Mimi!
Ambree is also consumed with her cousin Jaxon and repeats his name in the car before and after we see him. At church today, two little girls that are a bit older than her but come to play dates walked by. Ambree pointed and said, "Friends!" Hopefully this new interest in all of her friends means that we are moving past some of the tantrums evoked by jealously that use to plague play dates :)

Sugar plumbs and fairies

2009-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went in a blur this year, and it's obvious that Christmas will never be the same again. As with most family-gathering-inducing-holidays, Christmas was repeated in quadruplet to make sure time was enjoyed with each limb of the family tree. Ambree took it all in stride, (better than I expected) and by Christmas #2 it was apparent she had figured out that there was good reason to dig into the boxes! It's fun to see Ambree's interest in all of her new toys and clothes - the hardest part was getting them out of the box fast enough. Patience is an ongoing lesson. Most of her excitement was focused on her new potty (that she insisted be thrown in to the trunk as we made our Christmas rounds, just in case), her tea set, and the first part of what will surely be an ever-growing collection of little people (of the Fisher Price variety, not the TLC version). On top of that, tonight involved reading two babies good night stories, as she insists that her new baby doll go through her same night time routine. Fortunately, Ambree could handle putting the doll to bed in its own crib on her own, and it came sleep trained.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

New Words

2009-12-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ambree is learning new words literally every day. You tell her something and she just thinks about it for a second and then gives it her best effort. On Sunday she said 'piggy tail' after I did her hair, and even though she was so impressed by it, the 'piggy tail' was pulled out before we made it to church.
Then today I asked her if she loves Mommy. She hugged my leg and said 'Me love!' It was adorable, but I think I was more moved to tears later when she said 'Nap' as soon as she was finished eating her lunch!

I'm a big girl

2009-11-28T20:17:00.000-08:00

Daddy's turn to share some little milestones - nothing huge, but big enough to realize that there really are new steps every day.

For some time now, Ambree has known when she has done something wrong - but suddenly now as soon as the offense has been committed, she will turn to either of us to both sign & say "I'm sorry...". The jury is out as to whether or not she actually means it ;)

During bath time, I've been trying to teach her to blow bubbles in the water. Part fun, and part to teach her that when her face is in the water, inhaling is not the thing to do! She gets quite a kick out of my demonstrations, but hasn't quite got it down just yet. During these bath time games she spends a lot of time on her tummy in the water, and likes to glide around the bath tub. Tell her "lets swim!", and she will give you a big silly grin, and then flip on to her tummy and give little froggy kicks around her tiny pool.

Going to sleep has been harder then normal this week, as she is trying to get over her sickness and still has a lot of congestion. I've discovered that when she wakes up, 99% of the time its not that she wants her nose wiped, or her diaper changed, or a new stuffed animal, its simply that she wants one more hug and kiss before going to sleep. My last trip in to her room tonight ended with a tight squeeze around my neck, a kiss on my cheek, and her informing me that she is now a "big girl" who is ready for "sleepy".

Sweet dreams.

Reading and the Best Poodle Ever

2009-11-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ambree has started remembering the words for each page in some of her favorite books. She searches the pages to find the pictures that she knows. The clock says "tick, tick, tick," and the clock shouts "ring, ring, ring." Today, though, she put together two pages of words, the longest amount together at once so far: "Now I am awake. I need a drink of water." Granted some of the words were jumbled in there, but they were in order and understandable to Mommy :)

Another first for the day was Ambree being mean to Chloe! Chloe was laying on her back letting Ambree and me rub our feet on her belly like we do often, but then Ambree reached down and with two hands, pinched as much of Chloe's skin as she could. Chloe flipped out, trying to turn herself over quickly and put her mouth on Ambree's hands in case she kept pinching. When Ambree looked up, I was afraid she would be crying if Chloe bit her, but no, she was laughing hysterically. With a strern face, I told her not to be mean to Chloe, but she kept laughing, looking me straight in the eyes. Then she told Chloe, "Again, lay down!" Of course, I stepped in, but Ambree just kept laughing.