Easter '14

Easter is such an odd holiday for me. I never grew up with any big traditions so I am never sure what we have to do. We have started a few over the last few years but as Miller gets older, I feel the need to incorporate more.

 Of course this year has been crummy for holidays and we have done the bare minimum, which I hate because I love doing fun things for holidays. Halloween we were just getting back from Disney World. Thanksgiving we had a stomach bug and I was 38 weeks pregnant. Christmas we had just had Scarlett. New Years/ my birthday is always jumbled up in the post holiday slump. Valentine's Day we had our plans get all messed up because of a snow storm. St. Patrick's Day we were just getting back from a week in TN. Now Easter and we had just moved into the new house a week earlier. 

On Saturday we decorated eggs. Since our first Easter, Ben and I have worn our bunny ears to dye eggs. I was a bad mommy and forgot to find Scarlett some until it was too late so she wore mommy's this year. Remind me next year to find purple ones early in the season. 

 

 Miller kept taking his off but I finally got him to wear them for a picture. Then he forgot and kept them on the rest of the time and insisted on having them on after we were done. 

 

 Miller was more involved this year which just meant more mess. 

The ears came off and just went into the mouth.  

 He had no patience for letting the colors sit so we went through them pretty quickly. I just grabbed a paint brush and let him paint the mats we were using. 

  

The Easter bunny brought the kids some presents. I said I was not going to go overboard and only get each kid one thing but of course I got a few more things than that but I did not spend a ton of money.

The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs that Miller got hunt.

Scarlett just hung out.

We went to church and then went home to cook our food. After we ran a few house related errands, we went to Lindsey's house for our annual Easter brunch with our friends. I managed to get a few family pictures while we were all dressed up.

Miller became a pro at hunting for eggs. Every time he would find one, he had to open it up. He was not looking for anything, it was just part of his process.

Here is our babies this year (all but Sadie).

This is a comparison shot from last year. Look how they have grown. This is the first year that no one was pregnant (unless someone is keeping a secret or does not know yet).

It was a great Easter! The weather was perfect, the kids were great and their were minimal Miller incidents. It was amazing to wake up in our own house to start traditions where the kids will be growing up. It makes this mommy so happy.

Scarlett Monthly Update: Month Four

I am so behind on getting this out. I have had it started for two weeks and then I took Scarlett's picture right before we moved and just now got to editing it. Better late than never!

 

Weight: 15lbs 10oz (+6lbs 15oz) (Miller was 16lbs 4oz)

Height: 25.5in (+5in) (Miller was 25.75in)

Head: 16.75in (+3in) (Miller was 18in)

Sleep: I decided a few weeks ago that when Scarlett would fall asleep on me at night and I would transfer her to her swing (only later to transfer her to her Rock n Play) that I would just transfer her to her crib. She slept 3.5 hours that night and every night it just increased. A lot of nights I put her in their drowsy and she puts herself to sleep too. We had a few nights last week where she would only sleep 2 to 4 hours but most nights it is between 5-7 hours. Naps are the same, 2-3 catnaps and one long nap a day, unless we are busy running around and then she normally takes a bunch of catnaps.

Eating:  Still eating every 2-3 hours.

Best Moment: She is a super happy baby unless she isn't. With Miller, he would often fuss for no reason. With Scarlett, I almost always know what is wrong and how to remedy it. I always asked God to give me an easy going baby because I could not take another handful like Miller. Well she is not easy going but she is predictable and relatively happy.

Milestones: She finally found her feet this week. She also started playing with toys. Just the other afternoon, she saw Miller's firetruck next to her and she started grabbing at it. She has almost rolled over but she does not get much floor time because we have to keep her protected from Miller. Once she rolled over from her back to belly but got stuck on her arm, and a couple of times she rolled from belly to back but I think she was on an elevated surface so none of those actually count.

Monthly Wisdom: I always figured that  the second child would be more independent than the first because I would have to put her down more to take care of the older one. Ha! I actually have to hold her more to protect her from the big one. If she is in the right mood, she is quite content to lay on her activity mat or sit in the Bumbo, but then Miller comes in and attacks her.

Goals for the Upcoming Month: I really want to get her more time on the floor so she can practice rolling over and gross motor skills.

Here are my kiddos at this age. She is definitely has more chunk and look at that head on Miller.

March 2014 Randomness

Here are some random pictures from March.

So we have been bad parents and not taken Miller to church very often. We used to go regularly before we had him but then naptimes and tantrums and a very mobile child, we just slacked off. Our new church is half of a mile away so I am hoping we will start going every weekend again. Anyways, for Ash Wednesday Miller did so good. We sat in the cry room but even there, Miller was quiet and well behaved. 

In TN we went shopping one day. I saw this headband and had to try it on Scarlett. Not my thing but she does look cute in anything.

She was very clingy to me in TN, and my Pappaw was just dying to hold her. Finally, she chilled out and snuggled with him on one of our last days there. .

I was out having a pedicure with my cousins while my mom was home with Miller napping. He woke up and mom sent me this picture saying he was ready to go. I could not get out of that nail place quick enough so I could go home and pick up that face.

While visiting mom at work, Miss Bug passed out.

I laid her on that blue mat to air out during a diaper changed. She did a complete 180 within a minute. (Sorry, I had to censor it). I am not ready for my baby to be mobile.

We semi co-sleep, meaning Scarlett starts in her own bed but when she wakes up, she gets in bed with us. That way we all get sleep. I like being able to fall asleep in my own but then getting cuddles too. How could you not love waking up to this face?!?!

I asked Miller to go get his plate in the living room. After a few minutes, I went to check on him and this is what I found. 

The day we closed on the house we took the kids over so I could do a few things. Miller hunkered down in the playroom with the Ipad and snacks.

Scarlett took a nap on daddy. Closing day wore her out.

I have been so hesitant to potty train because I was worried that he would need to go while I was sitting there nursing Scarlett or regress with all the changes. We have had a potty seat for almost a year and we talk about it. I would ask him everyday if he wanted to sit on the potty and he would always say no. One day he said yes. We have just been sitting him on the potty for a few minutes, a couple of times a day. 

This was one of the first times. He made me sit with him and we read books.

 Here he was eating his chocolate chips (his bribe to get him on the potty). Since starting this two weeks ago, he has successfully gone on the potty at least once a day. A few times he waited and held it until he sat on the potty. It makes me so proud!

My two babies snuggling.