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.

We Bought a House

Well we are packing up the kids (literally) and moving.

After years of talking about moving back to Tennessee, we decided that we wanted to stay here in Georgia. We love the opportunities that our family has here and all of our friends. We wish that we could raise our kids in the same town of family but we are only a few hours away and it is not a bad drive. 

Since we were staying here, we decided to buy a house. We started looking back in January with the intention of moving later this year but then we found a house we loved and things got fast tracked. It has been scary and stressful but it is finally ours. I will post a photo tour once I get a free second between, moving, cleaning and our normal daily activities and chores. 

Another Zoo Trip

After we went to Tennessee, Ally and mom came back with us for Ally's springbreak. We picked a nice day and went to the zoo. I am amazed at what Miller remembered from the zoo. He would tell me what exhibit was next, and of course what all the animals do.

He loved getting to feed the goat some hay.

To get him away from the goats, we told him we were going to go to the elephants. He wanted to feed them so he took these two tiny pieces of hay for them.

He loves the parakeets. I love watching him so happy watching them.

All the lions were out. The daddy was taking a nap on the top of the rock, the babies were playing in the grass and the mommy was watching. So similar to my house.

Every time is more fun with him. We are planning to go to the zoo when we go to Memphis soon and the Knoxville zoo as well. I hope he gets excited to see different animals and different exhibits.

Spring Break in Knoxville

A few weeks ago we went back to Tennessee to visit to with our family from Texas and North Dakota who was in town. We had not been back since Christmas and everyone got to see Scarlett as a baby and not a newborn anymore.

Mom always bathes the babies in the sink. Scarlett was quite content.

Miller saw Scarlett in the sink and decided that he wanted to have a bath in the sink as well.

Ann was holding her but I cropped her out because she was blinking anyways. I figured she would prefer it that way.

One of Miller's dance moves is "pose". It has had a few different versions over the years and this is the latest one.

The brought their dog from Texas. Kirby is so sweet and let Miller play with her, in exchange for stealing Miller's food. Miller had so much fun playing with Kirby that week.

During the week Scarlett and I went with Nolan to pick out an engagement ring for his girlfriend (now fiancee) Emily. It was so great to meet her and be there in town to celebrate their engagement.

Scarlett Monthly Update: Month Three

Weight: 13lbs 13oz (+5lbs 2oz) (Miller was 14lbs 13oz)

Height: 24in (+3.5in) (Miller was the exact same)

Head: 16.5in (+2.75in) (Miller was 17in)

Sleep: We are not where we wanted to be but nothing is bad. She goes to sleep a little bit after Miller, and sleeps a 5-7 hour stretch. Then she gets in bed with me while I feed her and stays there all night. She might wake up another time or two to eat. I really wanted her sleeping in her own bed by now but we have a few things going on that made that difficult. I am hoping within the next month or two, we can transition her to at least starting in her bed. She is still taking 2-3 cat naps a day and one good long nap. 

Eating: She still eats every 2-3 hours. We were in Knoxville last week and her whole routine was off. Her normal cycle (sleep, eat, happy, grumpy, repeat) is 3-4 hours at home but there it was down to 1.5-2 hours which was super stressful for me. Hopefully she will ease back into her normal routine again.

Best Moment: She is apparently quite the mommy's girl. While in Knoxville she cried when anyone but me held her. Within a few days she eased out of that but still had some moments of stranger danger. While I really do not care for a clingy baby, it is sweet that she loves me that much because I sure as heck love her that much.

Milestones: No real milestones really, unless getting cuter by the day counts.

Monthly Wisdom: I honestly have nothing this month. I am just trying to survive day to day so I can not even have any wise thoughts. 

Goals for the Upcoming Month: I still really want to try her in her own bed soon. It might not necessarily be this month but it will be soon.


 Here are my two babies at 3 months old. They really look similar but I do not think these pictures show it.