Eight Months (8!!)

Piper Hadley! 

You are 8 months old today! 

I know it has been said but... EIGHT months?! How are you so old? 

The last 8 months have more than flown by. I can't remember what life was like before you were a part of it. You are such a special part of our family. You are loved by so many but there is no one who could possibly love you the way that I do. You are a prefect ray of sunshine and light up my life at the times I need it most. I am so thankful to be your mama.

Speaking of being your mama... I am pretty sure you said "ma-ma" for the first time the other day. I think it was on accident but you said it and I was proud. Oh, and, my heart? It melted. 

So what else are you doing now that you are 8 whole months old?

You are a chunk. Which is a good thing. We will find out your exact stats in a few weeks at your next well check-up but, according to my scale, you weigh a little over 17 pounds.

You wear size 2 diapers. I have found that the only diapers that are umm... effective... are the most expensive diapers. So that is convenient.

You wear mostly 6-9 month clothes and some 9-12 month stuff. It is interesting because I have put you in a few outfits that Kylie wore around her 1st birthday time. It is SO much fun to dress you in some of my favorite outfits from Kylie. It is also fun to dress you in new outfits so you and Kylie can match. I underestimated how much I would love for you two to match.

You have 2 little teeth, both right in the middle on the bottom. I think you have a couple more coming in on top soon too. Your poor gums are so swollen I feel like they might just pop.

You recently started clapping and, oh Lord, it is the cutest thing I have EVER seen!! You clap for everything and you are SO SO SO proud of yourself when you do. Your current favorite jam is "If You Happy and You Knows About It Claps Your Hands." (As Kylie would say) Apparently, you are always happy.

 You are a pretty good eater, most of the time. You still take 3 full bottles and eat 2 meals of cereal and/or veggies per day. Some days for lunch you wont eat a single bite of food and just want a bottle and sometimes it is the other way around. You like to keep me guessing on that one. 

You have only had vegetables so far. You have had sweet potatoes (your favorite), carrots (your 2nd favorite), squash, peas, and green beans. I have to mix sweet potatoes or carrots with green beans and peas to get you to eat them. You super hate squash and wouldn't even eat it mixed with anything. We will try it again sometime. You also eat rice cereal and oatmeal on occasion, or mixed with veggies. We will start fruit soon. I just wanted to get you realllllllly used to eating veggies before I introduced the good stuff. 

You can sit up great now and prefer to be sitting than in any other position. The days of the Circle of Neglect (exersaucer) have come and gone. You much prefer to be sitting on your own surrounded by toys than stuck in there. I can't say that I blame you.

Your favorite person in the whole world is Kylie. You light up when she is around. She can make you laugh and smile more than anyone. She adores you also and is (almost) always very kind and gentile to you. I hope it always stays like that.

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but you have very sensitive skin. I feel like you are always battling some kind of rash situation. This month has been pretty bad. Mostly it is on your back and the back of your legs. We have tried everything and Aquaphor seems to help the most.

You are very, very strong. Sometimes you freak me out you are SO strong. You are also very flexible. You chew on your feet almost constantly. Good thing you can't walk yet. 

You are not crawling but you really want to. You are SO determined and get SO angry when something you want is out of your reach. You have gotten up on your hands and knees a few times but it is usually out of a fit of rage and don't go anywhere from there. You also do this little move where you scoot around on your butt in the sitting position. It is adorable and hilarious at the same time.

I hate to break it to you but, you are not winning any awards for sleeping lately. In the last month, you have had a few nights where you sleep for 13 hours uninterrupted (those nights were glorious) and other nights where you wake up every hour (those nights were not so glorious).  I haven't changed any schedules or routines, and some nights are good, so I really have no idea what is going on. Some nights you talk, while others you scream and cry. I feel terrible but I don't know what to do for you. We have spent a lot of time hanging out in your room at various hours of the night and early morning. While I do enjoy the time we get to spend together, I would much prefer if that time was spent between the hours of 8am and 8pm. And not when you are supposed to be napping. To sum it up, please sleep at night.

You have recently become very curious. If you hear something happening that you want to know more about, you will twist and stain to try to see what's going on. You also try to grab anything you can get your hands on. Your life goal right now is to get your chubby little fingers on my iphone.

Your second life goal is to chew and drool on everything in this house. Including, but not limited to, people, furniture, and shoes. You are kind of like a puppy. (Except not.)

Your favorite toys are anything that Kylie was recently playing with. If you see her with something, you automatically begin your quest to get it. If Kylie has it, it must be awesome.

Over the last month you spent 3 whole nights/days away from me. It was good for both of us, but I missed you like crazy. I knew I would miss you, but I didn't realize I would miss you as much as I did. All sources said you were fine without me. I am glad you were okay then because we have had some attachment issues since. You have gotten kicked out of the church nursery for crying every time we have been there for the last month. I think you are getting a reputation.

I think 8 months is my favorite age. (Have I already claimed a different age as my favorite? Well, this one really is!) I like that you are not mobile and you just happily sit and play wherever I put you. You never talk back or tell me "NO" and just greet me with the biggest smile whenever I look at you. I am no longer scared because you are so little and fragile. Heck, I even stick you right on the ground in the driveway and take your picture. You even like the car so you are very portable. If you could just figure out this sleeping thing, you would be the most perfect baby ever. Okay, I am just kidding, you are  perfect just the way you are. 

I think you are just the cutest thing I have ever laid eyes on. (Along with your sister, of course) You have the prettiest blue eyes and your pink rosy cheeks are so sweet. I love that you love to be carried and rocked. You are so ticklish and it makes you laugh so hard. I could listen to your laugh every second for the rest of me life and not get sick of it. 

I am so blessed to be your mommy. 

I sometimes still can't believe I am the mommy to two girls! How did I ever get so lucky?!

Happy Eight Months Miss Piper!

You are SO loved!

Focusing on Happy.

There is a reason for everyone to be unhappy. There is a reason for everyone to be happy. What is your focus?

(I saw this quote on Kelle Hampton's blog and it really stuck with me. I love Kelle Hampton.)

I am choosing to focus on happy. I have a lot of happy to focus on. I am feeling a little Kelle Hampton-ish tonight.

Tonight I am happy about...

How easily my kids went to bed. A flawless bedtime doesn't always happen, but tonight it did. Then my neighbor/friend came over and ate dinner and we hung out and talked about our babies. It was fun and, also, happy.

The cute things my husband sends us. I think he misses us. A lot. This showed up for me the other day...

And this showed up for the girls today...

It was a couple of stuffed animals and a fort making kit. It provided hours of entertainment on this very rainy day. 

Bathroom picknicks. Plastic donuts and air tea was on the menu today.

The rain. It rained all day today. Like poured rain all day long. As soon as I realized the tornadoes were probably not coming my direction, I settled in and enjoyed the storm. We played puzzles and made potato soup in the crockpot and baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. It just seemed right. 

Now I am sitting in my favorite couch spot, snacking on the cookies, and watching Juno. I have seen this movie at least 94 times and I am still laughing out loud. Every line in this movie is pure genius. "She's not giving you the stink eye, her face just looks like that." I also enjoy the soundtrack. 

I am hoping to go to church in the morning. Even if after all the work it takes to get all of us to church and I only get to sit through ten minutes before my fail-pager goes off and I have to go rescue Piper from the nursery, I will be happy. Happy that I have a church to go to, a family to bring with me, and life that I love. Then we will go eat donuts.

Little kids can be difficult... Rainy days can be long... But I am focusing on happy. 

Why shouldn't I?

Hold Them Longer.

Kylie is sick. The school germs got her good. A cold last week and a stomach bug this week. Poor girl is a mess. I just feel terrible for her. She was so sick all day yesterday. A 3 year old with a stomach bug is not fun for anyone. Especially for her, but also for the mama cleaning up after her. It was a long, gross day for all of us. 

After I got the girls in bed last night, I just HAD to clean the house. It was disgusting in here. I power cleaned. In about 2 hours, I did 3 loads of laundry, picked up the toys, emptied and loaded the dishwasher, steamed the floors, vacuumed, dusted, bleached and disinfected the bathrooms and any surface I could wipe, and put up a few Easter decorations. By the time I sat down at 9pm, I was beyond exhausted. I was so excited to lay on the couch with my Muddy Buddy Chex Mix and watch The Voice. About two minutes into happy time, I heard it. The sick kid cry. All moms know The Cry. I hopped up and when I went into Kylie's room, I was greeted with a sad, sick little girl. 

I cuddled her for a minute and when I tried to lay her back down, she said "Can you hold me longer?" 

Piper woke up at 6:30 yesterday morning, I had been on for over 15 hours, and I desperately needed quiet time, but when she said that to me, I melted. 

Can you hold me longer?

I stood there in her room and just held my girl. She still smelled so good from her bath, her little body  was so warm, she felt like such a baby. She has been growing up so much lately. She is more of a kid than a baby now, but last night, she was my baby. 

Can you hold me longer?

I started thinking about this day...

The first time I got to hold her.

I would have done ANYTHING to hold her longer. 

So last night, I did something I never do. At about 9:30pm, I brought her out to the couch and let her sit with me. I gave her Gatorade and Goldfish and let her watch TV with me. She was SO happy I let her get up, and so was I.

Can you hold me longer?

I stayed up until almost midnight holding my baby. After a long, rough day, it was just what I needed. She needed me just as much as I needed her. My girls are my heart and sitting up in the dark cuddling my first baby is a memory I will never forget. 

Time goes too fast. Babies grow up too fast. 

Hold them longer.

2 Things I Learned This Weekend.

My daughter's hair is long enough to french braid.

Being 7 months old is really hard.

Hope your weekend was as enlightening as mine!

Happy Sunday!

Life.

I feel like I have been drowning in life lately. Just barely keeping up, never ahead in anything.

I still haven't found that perfect balance between being a wife, 3 year old mom, infant mom, housekeeper, cook, bill payer, church goer, friend, blogger... I feel like I am being pulled in SO many directions lately. "Lately" meaning for the last 7 plus months. I am starting to believe there is no such thing as a "perfect balance." More like a "new normal" that I need to accept.

I have just felt behind ever since Piper was born. I am in no way blaming her, I honestly think I underestimated how much busier having 2 kids would make me. Add in a husband who has been working out of the country or out of town, for most of that time, and I get that overwhelmed with life feeling. 

My blog has taken a backseat. I hate that because my blog is where I document all this life. I have hundreds of pictures and cute stories from the last couple months that I would love to edit, upload, and share, but I just don't have time. I keep not doing any blogging at all because I feel like I need to backtrack and blog all that first before I can move on and blog the new stuff. Well, I think I am just going to put that all on hold for now and pick up where we are right now.

Maybe if my blog is up and running again, I can feel caught up? Maybe? Probably not. But it's worth a shot...

So... I will start with Kylie. 

(I will also be add a lot of random, some edited some not, pictures from the last few months...)

Kylie.

Kylie has had some big changes lately. I did document her first day of school last week. That was a flying success. She is LOVING school. She talks about going to school allllllllll the time and after just 2 weeks of going, I can already see a difference in her. We are also back at gymnastics once a week.

Between school and gymnastics, Kylie is a busy little girl. I think all this interaction with kids her age will do wonders for her confidence and social skills. We also (finally) made the transition to a big girl bed. That was just about a flawless transition. She got out of bed once during a nap, I told her not to do it again, and so far she hasn't. Seems a little too easy but hopefully she keeps it up.

Piper. 

Piper is growing too quickly. Not sure how she is already closer to 8 months than 7. Eight months seems so close to 1 year old. I am not ready to have a 1 year old yet. She is sitting up great now. She will sit and play with her toys forever. 

 She is rolling and scooting but I still don't see crawling happening any time soon. Which, I am more than ok with. I am not ready for 2 children who have the ability to get into EVERYTHING. She is teething like crazy. She chews on anything and will get drool on everything within a 5 yard radius of her. She has 2 teeth on the bottom now. The teeth on top look like they want to come in but I don't think they will quite yet. Kylie didn't get a tooth until she was over 1 and, with her sensory issues, she never drooled or liked to chew on stuff. So all this teething madness seems crazy to me. (Even though I know it's not.) I feel like we are on a constant cycle of Tylenol, Motrin, Orajel, over here. 

She has also been sleeping like crap lately. I know it has a lot to do with the teething but , seriously, she has been up 10 times a night the last few weeks. It is killing me. So I took her to the doctor to make sure she wasn't sick (she's not) and get reassured that "teething is not a sickness." Once we did everything possible make her comfortable, we had to just let her.... cry/whine/talk it out. I am NOT a fan of the cry it out but let me tell you.... It WORKED!! (For now.) I think the waking up had become a habit and within 2 nights, she started sleeping better. Since then, she has done 2 nights of 11-12 hour sleeps. Maybe I am a CIO fan? (No, I'm not.)

Dustin. 

He is still doing his thing. Working, working, working. Our vacation was more than lovely but we were snapped right back into reality when we got home and he left for training out of town that same week. Did I mention he works a lot? He does, but he also really, really loves these girls.

He also joined 2012 and finally got an iPhone. He was rocking his silly little Droid until last week when it was finally put out of its ancient misery. We are now an all Apple family. I just counted and between us we own 7 i-things and MacBook. I would love to send our children to college someday but I think we will just keep buying Apple products instead. Maybe if we have a boy someday we will name him Steve. Or Mac. (Just kidding)

Me.

Like I said, I am barely keeping up with my busy family. Between Kylie's social calendar and Piper's lack of sleeping, I often feel like I am riding the crazy train. Dustin and I are running the Warrior Dash at the end of March so I have been trying to get some runs in to train for that. (And to keep my sanity.) 

Since Dustin was out of town, my mom and brother came up last weekend to keep me company. It was fabulous. I also decided that I am going to participate in Lent this year. I have thought about giving up chocolate, Diet Coke, coffee, or wine but I really don't see how that would make me any closer to God. I am pretty sure it would make me more pissed off than anything. God gave me those things to make me happy, I am sure of it. So I decided that I am going to give up social media. (With the exception of my blog, obviously.) No Facebook or Twitter for 40 days. I deleted the apps off my phone and I have a little reminder on my computer. I am actually really excited about the challenge and I have a few plans of reading material that I am going to do instead of snooping into all my "friends" lives. 

So that is that. 

An update on all of us. 

I hope to update in more detail about our cruise and vacation but I can't make any promises. 

Piper is still napping and I have about 20 minutes before I need to go pick up Kylie so I am going to make a cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet. 

Happy Happy Thursday!!