My Week(226) in iPhone Photos

March 1st, 2015

It’s March now, so why is it snowing?

Sunday:

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Multi-tasking: Nursing and yoga

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Baby’s first official dance party

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Help-yourself candy bar totally blew their mind

Monday:

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STOP THINKING ABOUT CRAWLING

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First successful crib nap!!

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Big version, little version

Tuesday:

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She is not so sure about this side-swept bangs look

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Old Man Lincoln demands you get the GOOD cheese, not the STORE BRAND cheese, you hear me young lady?

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Luck o’the Davises

Wednesday:

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I’m super thrilled about her new favorite game

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Making sure he loves fish as much as I do

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WHERE’S WALDO?

Thursday:

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LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF I CAN PUT IN MY MOUTH

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So over me

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Evan obviously needs boots

Friday:

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We are both bad at lipstick

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Guilty face

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Now that’s impressive baby wearing

Saturday:

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No I will not stop taking pictures of his eyelashes

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Go ahead and judge my dinner choices but also please judge these IDIOTS who don’t know how to PULL FORWARD in the line.

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The, uh, face of a kid who ate three tacos

It’s snowing. Again. I haven’t heard a single plow, so I’m assuming we’ll have a delay in the morning if not a cancelation. If they can get the roads even the least bit clear I am dragging my children out to someplace public, like the aquarium or the seaport, so I can wear them out and escape my house. I am really, really tired of my house. I am having the urge to repaint and redecorate ever room again, which is expensive and also mostly impossible with three kids to keep track of. It’s more likely I will just throw out a LOT of stuff in the next couple weeks. Does anyone want 47 souvenir glasses from various restaurants and a huge pile of baby advice books?

Lincoln: 7 Months

February 24th, 2015

I think 7 months is too many months. I don’t like it.

This morning I started looking at first birthday party ideas and then immediately had a minor breakdown and decided there was NO WAY I was letting Lincoln turn one anytime soon. I realize that’s not really up to me but since he’s still such a nice little baby-ish baby I’m going to just enjoy it while I can and not plan an elaborate party 5 months early.

For the record, Linc is (probably) not my last baby so I might be a little careless when it comes to truly enjoying every baby moment. But he is taking his time a lot more than Caroline did – even though he is fat and huge he still FEELS like a baby when it comes to the amount of care and cuddles and effort required. I don’t mind as much as I thought I would. It helps that nursing was easy peasy this time around. It also helps that he (mostly) sleeps well, so I’m only occassionally exhausted to the point where I feel like dying. So the “hold me all the time, don’t leave the room, carry me around” part isn’t the worst.

Plus also he’s adorable. I love his squishy little face SO MUCH.

I’m not kidding when I said he is fat – at this age Caroline was still in 3-6 month clothes while Linc is busting out of his 9 month stuff. I bought him an 18 month sweater last week because I was afraid he would outgrow the 12 month size before it warms up around here. I’m assuming once he’s really mobile he’ll burn through all the calories he’s been hoarding. At least I hope so, because he already eats every 90 minutes during the day, I can’t imagine him eating more often. Although he seems to be a fan of people food as well as nursies – pretty much anything I hand him he eats.

The big changes in the last month have revolved around sleep – he decided he wants to sleep on his stomach. That doesn’t work in the rock-n-play so we replaced it with the pack-n-play and he’s back to being a mostly good sleeper. He also has finally FINALLY started napping in his crib. I suppose I could have made that happen before if I had pushed it but with the big kids’ schedules it’s really hard to spend an hour fighting with him about it. Now that he’s ready it’s only a 10 minute process. So far. In a week he’ll probably decide he hates the crib and I’ll just throw the whole thing out.

So for RIGHT NOW, likes include white noise, belly sleeping, being warm, hats, nursies, cuddles, being worn, being carried, his sister, his brother, biting things, water, floating, dogs, cats, old people, riding in the cart, toys that make noise, people food, pulling hair, singing, and blowing raspberries on my boob while he’s supposed to be eating.

Dislikes include air blowing on his face, being tired, and this god damn 8th tooth that is taking forever to break through.

#sorrynotsorry for way too many pictures…

 

lincoln 7 months-5

lincoln 7 months-8

lincoln 7 months-2

lincoln 7 months-3

lincoln 7 months-12

 

lincoln 7 months-16

lincoln 7 months-18

lincoln 7 months-11

lincoln 7 months-20

lincoln 7 months-22

lincoln 7 months-23

lincoln 7 months-26

lincoln 7 months-27

lincoln 7 months-29

lincoln 7 months-30

lincoln 7 months-31

lincoln 7 months-32

lincoln 7 months-33

lincoln 7 months-34

lincoln 7 months-36

lincoln 7 months-38

 

7 Month Milestones (Originally from BabyCenter, now from Caroline’s 7 month post – also, if you go look at Caroline’s post you’ll realize just how bald poor little Linc really is)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Sits without support – If he would JUST sit he’d be really good at it. But he thinks he can crawl which leads to a lot of face planting.
Drags objects toward herself – Yes, grabby baby is very grabby.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Lunges forward or starts crawling – Super close to crawling and monkey-scooting, but not mobile enough that I’ve started babyproofing yet.
Jabbers or combines syllables – He’s very talky, I just have no idea what he’s saying.
Starts to experience stranger anxiety – He gets mad when I leave the room but tried to leap into a nice lady’s arms at the grocery store. My children as a group have no stranger fears.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Waves goodbye – Uh, no. Not even close to waving.
Stands while holding onto something – Yes, but not reliably.
Bangs objects together – Yes Anything that helps make him louder is good.
Begins to understand object permanence – Is that when they understand peek a boo? Because he totally loves peek a boo.

My Week(225) in iPhone Photos

February 22nd, 2015

The kids had Monday and Tuesday off school, which DIRECTLY coincided with E’s trip out of town. I did not enjoy that. It was also ridiculously cold. February is not my favorite.

Sunday:

sunday1

She said I was her sous chef because she was Top Chef

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He’s so helpful, trying to curl Caroline’s hair with a screwdriver.

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Lap nap baby

Monday:

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OMG GIANT SNAKE…oh wait, it’s still fake

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Hello whales!

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Literally bouncing off the walls

Tuesday:

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Hot mess babywearing

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Helping with selfies

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I put my baby down inside that Boppy. HOW DID HE GET OVER THERE?

Wednesday:

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Fake it til you make it

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Aparently today she is a Southern Belle

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This is becoming a bit of a habit

Thursday:

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MIRACLES

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Unimpressed with his cute new hat OR his fancy Tula…because it was 2 degrees out

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My husband is good at appologizing

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I’m going back to Gymboree and buying that onesie in ever size

Friday:

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Back nap! The BEST part of babywearing!

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Princess crime scene

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Gingerrrrrrrrs

Saturday:

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Big girl fancy soda

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Hashtag third child

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Oh you thought I was sleeping???? SURPRISE!

It was 41 degrees today. The kids and I all left the house without coats. But it’s going to be -11 tomorrow. At least there are no major snow storms in this week’s forecast? Maybe we’ll actually have a full week of school!! But knowing my luck, the second that happens will be the second Lincoln learns to crawl and I will never get a quiet moment again.

Just A Mommy

February 18th, 2015
caroline dressed as a mommy-8

Mommy uniform: Messy bun, cardi, statement necklace, leggings, boots, phone in her purse, camera and of course, her Baby Jesus.

 

A few weeks ago, my daughter had a career day at school. When I asked her what she wanted to be, I was only half listening, since in my head I was trying to figure out what dress up we could repurpose as “Doctor” or “President” or “Nobel Peace Prize Winner”.

“A MOMMY!” she shouted.

I have been a stay-at-home-mom for 6 years now. I wipe tushies and noses and hands. I do laundry, then some more laundry, then do all the laundry again. I take kids to ballet and swim and doctor’s appointments and baby signs and birthday parties. I cut coupons and make lists and menu plans and 12 trips to the grocery store and then still end up serving tacos and spaghetti two nights a week.

I wear a lot of yoga pants.

“Oh,” I said. “A mommy,” I said. “But wouldn’t you like to be something else AND a mommy?? You don’t have to be JUST a mommy.”

I flinched when I said it. The words floated out of my mouth and hung right in front of my face where I thought about how it was a stupid thing to say. I know better.

Being a mom isn’t just keeping children alive – although some days that is all I seem to manage. We can’t just feed and clothe them, we have to raise them up and impart everything we know into their empty heads. We are turning small squishy lumps of need into tiny humans who then turn into actual real humans and grow up to be, well, everything. We teach patience because one day they’ll need it while discovering the gene that cures cancer. We teach kindness because one day they might build hospitals for villages in need. We teach the alphabet so they can write the great American novel. We clean up a zillion finger paint messes so they can become great artists. Someone right now is wiping the butt of a future president.

I want Caroline to know that she has the option to be whatever she wants when she grows up, especially right now when she’s capable of dreaming about future careers without worrying about their practicality. I remember telling my mother I was going to be a ballerina marine biologist and her saying “That is a great idea”. I want her to find a passion and explore it and love it and then change her mind. I want her to change her mind a million and one times before she actually finds a career. I want her to reach for the stars…or the bottom of the sea…or the top of a mountain…or wherever it is that super successful and happy people reach. Because as cliche as it sounds, I only want her to be happy.

I don’t want anyone to ever tell my daughter she HAS to be a mother or that she can ONLY be a mother, but if she wants to be a mother – even if she wants to be JUST a mommy – then I would be very, very proud of her.

When she came home from career day, I asked her what her friends dressed up as. “Logan was a motorcycle guy!” she explained, “And all the girls were princesses!”

So maybe Mommy is a bold choice for a 4 year old after all.

And hey, I must make being a mommy look like a lot of fun if it’s something she’s looking forward to. Although it might just be because she wants to be the boss.

caroline dressed as a mommy

My Week(224) in iPhone Photos

February 15th, 2015

More than half of this week’s photos are of sleeping children. It’s cold. It’s snowy. They were all sick. It’s effing February.

Sunday:

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Still in bed when the sun comes up is UNHEARD OF these days

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Eyelashes

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Bedtime only happened because of this.

Monday:

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I came downstairs Monday and they were already dressed for school…except it was anothiner snow day.

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Baby Model

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Modeling is hard work

Tuesday:

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More eyelashes

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Sick sickies recovering from the barfs

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THIS ONE thinks he’s going to crawl. He is wrong.

Wednesday:

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He’s shocked we actually left the house

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Check up time!

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Jealousy

Thursday:

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MOAR NAPZ

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MOAR SNOWZ

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That splash is Evan

Friday:

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Jerk baby sleeping in my spot.

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There is SO MUCH I love in this picture

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Playing with toys like he’s a real person

Saturday:

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Those are hearts. It’s a lot harder than it looks.

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Ice skating party with the ice queen

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Aaaaaaand we out.

There was another blizzard this morning. I’m starting to feel very Little House on the Prairie – the one where they live in the town and it snows SO MUCH they have to climb out their second floor windows. That is a real possibility if we don’t get a thaw before we get more storms.

The kids are already off Monday/Tuesday for President’s Day and I’m suspicious they will miss Wednesday because of snow. I think I’ll spend the rest of the night googling flights to Florida or Bermuda or California, since if I am trapped in the house like this until April I am going to loose my marbles. This is when orders to Hawaii start looking really, really tempting.