Amazing Lacy!

This picture is Lacy in January 2005, about 6 months old (a little younger than Rose is currently). I'm posting this for the benefit of someone who wanted to see my homemade diapers. I need to take some pictures of Rose in them, because I made several new ones! The one she's wearing has since worn out and been replaced. I now use snaps instead of touchtape closures.

Anyway. Lacy likes to talk on the phone. She often successfully makes phone calls using the last number redial function on my cell phone. I had just talked to Dave and read an email about my nephew Turner going to the ER. I wanted to call my sister Leslie to get a status update, so I told Lacy to get my phone. I said to her that I needed to call Leslie. She wouldn't give me the phone and told me she was calling Leslie. I was certain she was calling Dave since I hadn't called Leslie last. The phone was ringing so I took a look at the display-- it said LESLIE HOME on it! How the heck did she do that? She's 2 1/2-- she can't read! At least I don't think she can read, I'm not so convinced now!

I am just blown away that she said she was calling Leslie AND she correctly dialed her number. What a funny kid!

Christmas Eve

What an eventful evening! Tonight, Christmas Eve, we spent the evening with Dave's family. We gave Rose her first bites of solid foods. She thought it was pretty... interesting! Anyway, she only got a couple bites before she started gagging and I decided mealtime was over. So pears were her first food, on Christmas Eve when she was exactly 7 months old.

Rose also learned how to play Peek-A-Boo tonight! It was pretty funny! I put her in her carseat, right before we were going home, and played peek-a-boo for a minute. When I was done, Rose reached down and started pulling the blanket up to cover her face and then brought it down again, playing peek-a-boo with me! It was so funny! She did this for a few minutes!

The girls got some really awesome gifts that I am so thankful for. From Chris and Kelly: Lacy got a Learning Bunny and Rose got a set of stacking rings (that plays music and lights up). They also gave us some cookies. From Papa and Brenda: The girls both got matching Santa dresses with fur trim. Lacy got a very cute doll with hair you can braid, and Rose got a pink stuffed bear. Mom and Dad also got a gift certificate to Olive Garden (and an agreement from Brenda to watch the kids for an evening! Yay date night!). Grandpa got us each gift certificates to Wal-Mart: Lacy and Rose both get $50 and Dave and I get $25. I'll probably get fabric with my certificate, and I'll probably get a double jog stroller for the girls with their combined $100. My mom is supposed to get us one, but I don't see one yet so I guess I'll just have to go out and get one myself! From Jeremy and Melissa: We got a book Heidi and a beautiful framed drawing of Kathleen holding Lacy.

Well, it's Christmas Eve and my little ones are still up. Better get them to jump in bed and cover up their heads, cause SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TONIGHT!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Doing our business

One of the benefits to elimination communication when you have an infant and a toddler is that it encourages your older child to be better and more consistent about potty training. She doesn't regress to be like little sister, since little sister goes on the potty, too. We have a variety of potties to choose from, and sometimes she chooses to use her little sister's potty. It's fun for her to get to choose. She does like having her own, though! Anyway, I thought it was pretty cute when they were going potty together one Sunday after church. Lacy's very sweet about "helping" her sister go potty.

Lacy's probably going to kill me for posting these pictures to the blog years from now (and actually, Rose probably will too!), but I think they're pretty darned cute. Another cute thing-- Lacy insisted on getting Curious George panties yesterday. I'm relived that it's Curious George she loves, not Barney or Dora (who isn't so bad but Dave can't stand her). I guess it's a little bit nostalgic for me, too.

Allergies?

OK, so this picture has nothing to do with the post I am about to make, but it is one of my favorite pictures of Rose. Since I got a request from my Father-in-law to add more pictures, I'll be happy do oblige. I do need to download all the pictures we have from both our cameras though-- haven't done that lately. I've been too exhausted! So the most current pictures downloaded to my computer are from October. Oops!

It seems that Lacy may have allergies. She's had a cough and a runny nose for about a week or two now. Dave talked to the pharmacist at Target yesterday, and after he described Lacy's symptoms, her opinion was that it was probably seasonal allergies. Which makes sense, since allergies run in both sides of the family. So we've put her on Claritin and Benedryl. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like Lacy gets the side effect from Benedryl that it makes her sleepy! I might give her half doses from now on because she was up until 10 last night. And she was TIRED. Cranky and naughty from about 6 pm. The Claritin will kick in in a couple of weeks so I have to help her allergies somehow.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to give her allergy medication so it doesn't interrupt her sleep and change her attitude?

In other news, we will be starting Rose on solids this weekend. Dave and I have decided that Rose is definitely ready to start! She's grabbing at food and looks at us longingly as we eat. She's 7 months old so I guess I'll relent and give her food. I just hate the whole spoon feeding thing. I might just give her the mesh feeder right from the start so I don't have to spoon feed her! I honestly don't understand how people can look forward to starting their children on solid foods. So messy and tedious! I just want them to do it themselves darn it! They'll eat when they need to! Until then, I'm perfectly happy to provide milk for them.

Carson Williams' Extreme Christmas Lights

OK, I'm not one for posting these types of things to my blog, but Lacy absolutely goes NUTS when she hears this song! The lights are nice, but it's the MUSIC she loves!

And we have tooth #2

Today Rose cut her second tooth!  FINALLY!  She's had a stuffy nose, cough, and crankiness for weeks!  Of course you wouldn't be able to tell for all the smiling she does!

We're still out of power at my house, so we're staying at my folks again tomorrow.   Church was cancelled so I'll be going to Lacey 1st ward tomorrow.  Perhaps I'll see some of you there!

Festival of Trees

I tried to send this remotely about a week and a half ago.  The Saturday I'm referring to is December 2nd. 

 

Today I'm sending this remotely from work.  Windstorms knocked out our power, phone, cell towers... pretty much everything.  Over a million people are without power.  I'll probably keep my pumped milk at work so it doesn't spoil without refrigeration!  I have to break down and buy some diapers because power is not going to be on soon enough for me to wash up a load!

 

On Saturday all four of us went up to Tacoma to the festival of trees.  We had a lot of fun looking at all the pretty trees and listening to music and watching dancers on the stage.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera!  Darn!  There were about 70 trees, all of which were gorgeous and had wonderful gifts under them.  It’s a great event that benefits Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, the same hospital that my nephew Landon stayed at while he recovered from RSV as an infant.  Lacy got to meet Rhubarb the Reindeer, the mascot for Tacoma’s minor league baseball team, the Rainiers.  He signed a baseball card for her.  She is normally terrified of mascots, but she couldn’t stop talking about him and she would not let anyone else hold the card he gave her for a long time.  Try to say this ten times fast:  “Rhubarb the Rainier Reindeer”

 

We got our picture taken with Santa while we were there, too.  Rose was more than happy for a total stranger to hold her, but she’s really easy going when it comes to that.  She just wants to be held, darn it!  Lacy, on the other hand, was extremely apprehensive about him.  She sat down with Santa when Mom and Dad sat down there as well.  I’ll have to scan the picture in so I can post it soon, but I’ve never used my scanner so I’ll have to see if I can get it to work!

Funniest child lactivism story ever!

I found this at Hunnybeez :

"Went to Abigail's school Christmas concert (no "proper" Nativity this year ). Each class did a little something followed by a song or 2. Anyway, Ab's class did a Nativity scene, with Ab as Mary ( How proud was I?). A few mins into their bit Ab promptly lifted her dress & shoved baby Jesus up it. The script then wandered away from what they'd learnt & goes as follows....

Joseph: "What are you doing?"
Mary: "I'm feeding our baby"
Shepherd: "Have you got a bottle up there then?"
Mary: "Don't be silly he's having milk from my booby"
Joseph: "That's disgusting"
Mary: "No, that baby milk they have in Tescos is disgusting. My baby's having proper milk"
Shepherd: "What's a booby?"
Mary: "Those sticky out bits ladies have"
Shepherd: "They're not boobies, they're nipples"
Mary: "No they're not, they're boobies"
Joseph: "So why can't Jesus have milk from a bottle then?"
Mary: "Because I haven't got a breast pump with me - you forgot to put it on the donkey"
Shepherd: "Can't you ask the teacher for a bottle to feed Jesus with?"
Mary: "No because this is the best way to feed Jesus. Anyway bottles haven't been invented yet & even if they were I've just had a baby so if you think I'm faffing about round Tescos to buy baby milk when I make proper milk in my boobies you can think again"

"I felt a teeny bit sorry for their class teacher - she did try her best to steer them back towards their proper lines but she was laughing so much she didn't really stand a chance. The line about Joseph forgetting the breast pump finished her off - she slid to the floor & couldn't get up for laughing...."

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did! I about started crying from laughing when I read this!

First words!

Looks like we have another talker! Rose is saying Dada and Mama. She's been saying those syllables for weeks now, but today we are positive she meant them as our names! This is the same age Lacy started talking. She started with Mama and Bye Bye. Rose started with Dada first so Dave is pretty excited about that.

Babysitting dilemma

I had quite the dilemma today for babysitting. I couldn't find a babysitter anywhere. My regular babysitter was busy and besides Monday is her day off. My mom has book group and is providing the lunch so she couldn't skip it. My backup decided that her kids and my kids are too much (she has kids the same ages so I totally understand!). My other backup is due any second with her third so I can't really in good conscious ask her. Everyone else I know is either out of town or has babies or works themselves. So I was stuck. I was praying for a solution and the Lord gave me one.

Yes, BOTH my girls are sick. So I'm staying home.

Wearing bum bum

Conversation between me and Lacy just a couple minutes ago:

Me: (noticing her tights are off) Lacy, are you still wearing your panties?

Lacy: No. I'm wearing bum bum!

That just made me about fall out of my chair! Thought you all would appreciate it!

Kathleen's Stuff

Today we went through my mother-in-law Kathleen's things, who passed away a year ago August. It was tough for Dave to do it, but we got some really nice Christmas things. We have to finish up within the next week or two but it's hard for us to get out there with both of us working, Dave working in Seattle, and the little kids, too. We got some of her art which I'm grateful for.

Anyway I've gotten a request for more photos so I'll try to post a photo every time I post an update. One from tonight. I went down to find Lacy snuggled up with her cousin Jared (age 9) on the chair downstairs at Papa's house. The other is all of us dressed up for Christmas at cousin Allison's blessing yesterday.

Dave got a new job Thursday.  He's now doing labor work (through the union still) for a company who is currently building high end condos in Seattle.  Dave's really enjoying the work.

Also I've made some changes to the blog so now anybody can post a comment.  Sorry it wasn't set up that way before, and hope everyone's enjoying the blog!