The Dress Obsession Continues

Modeling the dress
A new favorite trick - sticking the tongue out!

posing with big brother

I want the camera, I want the camera, I will have the camera!

Okay, I haven't had a camera todocument adorable baby dresses in a few weeks, but don't you worry -- here they are! I love love love love this dress.


A few baby updates: She is getting so big -- we now have hair (notice the one little curl -- and I am excited because barrettes and bows are on their way!), she's definitely developed the separation anxiety, and is a wiggly, wiggly girl. She has now added "nananana" to her repertoire of words (in addition to "dadadada" and a definite growl). She loves to sing and spent much of church today "singing" at the top of her lungs and was attempting to direct the choir as well. No crawling yet -- but she can scoot backwards like a champion. She loves to be the center of attention -- not at all like mom, dad or big brother -- i just don't know where she gets it!

A little reminder

It has been a long week. A really long week (reference previous posts for more details!). 2 sick babes, no hubby, called home twice from work, sick kids = crabby kids, you get it (and I know you've likely been there too!). I've been feeling bad because I've been short too, yelling more than I should -- and that certainly isn't helping.

Tonight, though, was a much needed reminder of why I love being a mom. I've been thinking about the proverb "a soft word turneth away wrath" and repeating the mantra "be patient be patient be patient" over and over in my mind. Tonight, finally, Luke was all snuggled in bed (mine, though he thought he was being sneaky) and I was rocking the babe, playing with the delicious, perfect little curl she's sprouted on her forehead while she slept. Thinking to myself how much I love my life and my little ones and how grateful I am for them. And a renewed desire to work on my soft words.

Of course, literally 30 seconds later, she proceeded to yak all over me. How fitting :)

Oh, how I miss the fall.

A great shot of our street just a few short weeks ago . . . sadly, now it's beginning to look a lot like winter. I even saw snowflakes yesterday -- and Luke keeps asking when it's going to snow. I need to get psyched up for winter. And what better way to do that than shopping for winter things? Like coats. I love coats - long ones, trench ones, down ones. Especially at this time of year I love thick, fuzzy, fleecy ones. Like this one, from Patagonia:


And from the "maybe someday" department (Banana Republic):







And from the "a girl can dream" department (or if I only had $900 to spend on a Marc Jacobs coat):




And I think this is the year for one of these babies:

An electric, heated matress pad. Aaaahhhh, warm toes. Bring on the winter shopping.

Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

Okay, so this picture just only kind of fits with this post, but it felt like a good intro.

I could use some suggestions for handling the following hypothetical encounters:

1. Going into the hypothetical sleeping baby's room at 630 am (on a Saturday none-the-less) and dumping an entire container of baby powder around the room, clapping ones hands in big, gleeful powder clouds, and waking up mom and dad to the sound of baby coughing powder.

2. Hypothetically drawing with permanent marker not only on Daddy's flashlight lens (creative, yes, becuase now it's a blue light), one fork and Mommy's beautiful oak table. (He might have possibly gotten a spanking for this one, which is slightly comical not only because this was his first spanking by me -- and I tend to be fairly spanking-averse -- but that the only spanking I remember as a kid was for drawing with permanent marker on the grey cloth seats of our car).

3. Despite the fact that one has been potty-trained for over a year, instead of turning to toilet paper when one has gone poop in the toilet, hypothetically using something else (the white shower curtain or blue bathroom towels, for example) to wipe one's rear end. When that doesn't work, fingers (then wiped off of the wall, of course) work just as well.

4. And a new one, from just a few minutes ago -- cracking a half-a-dozen eggs all over the kitchen floor when Mommy is downstairs trying to order some dinner.

Seriously, any suggestions? I've tried time-outs, I've tried talking, I've even tried a little spanking. My solution today was a trip to the bedroom, followed by a little remorse and then a picnic on the family room floor. Maybe he did need just a little (more) attention.

A quick recap of the weekend:

Friday:
We surprised Luke with a visit from Grandma and were all keyed up for a great weekend until Luke spiked a fever to 104 and ended up in urgent care with likely pneumonia. 1 neb treatment, 1 antibiotic and 1 bottle of steroids later we were back at home with sad, sick boy who basically cuddled the evening away. Phew! No sick baby.

Saturday:
No sick baby yet. Well, besides throwing up peas once, no sick baby yet. I got to work and Luke got a fabulous and productive trip to ToysRUs with Grandma. You can never have enough Lightning McQueen replicas.

Sunday:
Primary program -- Luke was feeling just better enough to go to sacrament meeting to give his line in the primary program "I show faith in Jesus Christ when I am obedient to his commandments." He was really nervous, but holding his primary teacher's hand seemed to do the trick and he did a great job. The only problem was that all the sunbeams went first, leaving a full 45 minutes to be bored in front of the congregation. At one point we heard a "thud" followed by Luke's feet in the air, a little short-lived wailing, and then he was back up rubbing his head. This was mingled with the occaisional break to stand up and wave vigorously at Mom and Grandma in the back. Emily and Matt M. have a great rendition on their blog of the primary program (their twin boys are in Luke's class)-- link up to that.

Okay, now we have a sick baby. Back to urgent care we go with conjunctivitis (pink eye), ear infection and a fever to 102.5. 2 more antibiotics later we are on our way back home to take Grandma to the airport. That explains why I'm home today posting away instead of working. Phew! Luckily no sick Mommy or Daddy, knock on wood.

A few (belated) Halloween pics

Thanks again to Stacey for donating her pictures to my cause. What would I do without good friends with good cameras! Luke was oh-so-excited about Halloween. He had a party at day care (with way too much chocolate) and then we went trick-or-treating with Stacy and her kids. It was pretty cold for the second year in a row, so Luke (again) pooped out after about 30 minutes. We had only one small disaster where Luke knocked Evie's stroller over (with the baby in it) followed by lots of wailing (mostly Luke, Evie was fine) much to the entertainment of the other trick-or-treating parents. But we continued on our merry candy-hunting way. The best house of the night was Luke's primary teacher who not only gave him a pumpkin full of candy but plastic worms and spider rings as well. This same family threw a party for the whole ward last weekend (and watched all the kids so parents could have a date night--what a thoughtful idea. they are great)> Anyway, happy halloween-I know it's a little late! My favorite holiday of the year.

No Deal

How to negotiate like a 3 year old:

Mommy: We're going for a walk in the stroller. How about you pick out 3 cars to bring along?

3 - year-old (said while walking down the stairs with approximately 400 matchbox cars, 2 large musical cars one of which is tied to a string, a party treat bag and stuffed dog): How about 4 cars?

Mommy (trying to be sneaky): Fine, how about 2 cars?

3-year-old (not to be outdone): How about 5 cars?

Mommy (really thinking this'll get him): Fine, 1 car?

3-year-old (laughing smugly): How about 6 cars?

Mommy (desperate to be done and on the walk): Find, 3 cars, deal?

3-year-old (quoting favorite TV show): No deal. 5 cars.

Mommy: Okay, 4 cars, final deal

3-year-old: No deal. (pause). Okay, I think 4 cars is the best number. I'll bring 4 cars. Deal.

Finally, we leave on a walk with 4 cars in tow (in a ziploc storage container "bucket" no less). I'm pretty sure I still lost this one. Maybe I'll bring him the next time I have to haggle for a new car.