Snuggly Sleepy Sisters

I took this picture a couple weeks ago, and as I looked at it tonight while trying to catch up on my blog, it made me think of a quote I heard once, "The days are long, but the years are short" when describing raising children.  The days can be pretty long when spent with a one & three year old, but boy do the years fly by when you look back.  I hope I remember how much fun it was to have mornings like this where we didn't have anywhere to be so my little one could stay in her pajamas (although I'm pretty sure she's removing her socks in the picture because she wants to put on shoes!) and so my other one can pick out whatever outfit she wants as soon as she climbs out of bed (because princesses don't wear pajamas apparently!).  So thankful for these two sleepy bed head sisters!

Beautiful

Raising girls in today's culture, I must admit is a scary thing to think about. There are just too many pressures about body image and what we should or should not look like. I've heard that now girls in early elementary school are 'dieting'. That is so sad that they already think they need to change themselves when they are still so young. One song that I love that speaks about this issue, is "More Beautiful You" by Jonny Diaz. The lyrics are great, and to generalize, they speak to the fact God made us with a purpose & there could never be a more beautiful version of us because he made us exactly as we are for that purpose. Every time I've heard this song the past couple years, I think of my daughter(s) and pray that they will not buy into what the world tells them about themselves, but they will know the truth that they are beautiful and made with a purpose.

Well, this past week or two, Mackenzie has started singing along with some of the radio songs on Christian radio that we listen to in the car. And this past week, this song came on & I could hear my little three year old singing,

"There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you"

I know she messed up a fair share of the words, and it will be a long time before she understands those words she was singing, but I pray that the message she hears over time sinks in and that she knows she IS beautiful.

Who's In Charge??

One thing I love about trying to keep up my blog & making the entries short & sweet, is that I can/hope to record some of the just simple but funny things that happen or that M says each day. Today, the scene is the playroom:

Keel: AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! (Screams at Mackenzie b/c she wants the toy M has)
Me: No, no Keelyn. She had that first.
Mack: (walking toward me) Says, "No No Keelyn!". Then, turns to me and says, "We're in charge, right???"

Oh Dear.

Days at Home

As I see so many people posting what they're thankful for this November.....today, after enjoying a lazy morning with my girls at home, I am so thankful that I get to stay home with them. And though there are many days where I feel like I fail miserably at this SAHM thing (days where house is a mess, we watch too much TV (or me too much internet), I yell, the kids don't obey or act fussy.....) I am so thankful that some days I seem to do a decent job! That mostly makes up for days that I'd like to redo! Today, we hung out in jammies in the playroom for a couple hours, enjoyed the warm fall weather in our sandbox and slide, and just generally enjoyed not having anywhere we had to be. (I find the times I get most upset with my girls is when we have a deadline and they are not helping me to meet it!). That is one of the best things.....not being in a rush with them. One day I will go back to work & they'll go to school, but I will always cherish these lazy days!

Her Best Friend

About a week ago we were at the beach with Brannon's extended family. We were all hanging out on the beach, lounging, while Mackenzie ran around playing in the sand. One of Brannon's cousins played with her a bit, and then asked Mackenzie if she was her best friend. Mackenzie responded with, "No. My mommy's my best friend!". How sweet. I love that little kid.

Raising a two year old is not easy. Thank goodness for moments like this that make it all worthwhile.....

1 Week Old Reflections

Since I'm writing these blogs from quite a long back log now, it's harder to remember how exactly I was feeling. I remember that I was overwhelmed with the added responsibility & dreading having my parents leave.... It was so great to have the help with Mackenzie so I could focus on Keelyn, but I was also most sad about my missed time with Mackenzie. She had been my #1 buddy for the past two years, we spent almost all day every day together, and I knew she was missing that time with me & I was missing her. Slowly, we started getting our groove back and adjusting to our new normal, and that new normal will be better than the old.

The other interesting thing about bringing home your second baby (especially if they are both the same sex!) is that you get to see how different the two children are (I was informed of how they would be so different on many occasions, but seeing it for yourself is a whole 'nother

thing!). I think I always attributed some of Mackenzie's behavior/schedule/preferences to my parenting. She always slept great - well, I thought that had something to do with my swaddling her right from the start and being consistent with having her nap in her crib, etc. I'm

learning that she was just a good sleeper. Keelyn did NOT like the bassinet from day one. Has not taken a nap in her crib at all really. Doesn't seem to like being swaddled. And so, she's been sleeping in her vibrating bouncy seat (or our bed). She's definitely a different baby. And the most shocking discovery so far......she doesn't seem to like her pacifier. She took it a little that first week, but it's been downhill from there...... I think she's gonna be a little different that her sister, and it's gonna be fun to see how her personality becomes her own! Our little dark haired wonder :)

When's That Baby Due?

I've reached that stage of pregnancy where everyone (including all strangers encountered) want to know when that baby is due? You get the lovely comments of looking like you're gonna pop, etc. Yes, yes - I'm almost due. 1.5 weeks til D-Day. And while the level of discomfort has increased & sleeping without a huge belly does sound appealing, I'm secretly hoping to make it to my due date.

Maybe I'm a rare breed in this? One reason is, having JUST moved, there are still some stuff I'd like to get organized/arranged, and another week would be nice :) And another reason is, though sleep isn't as easy as it used to be, I'm still getting so much more than I will get once the baby is here. Really, I sleep pretty well for a very pregnant girl.

But lastly, I just want to enjoy my last few weeks with Mackenzie. Though I'm very excited for her to

have a sibling - I know my life is far better b/c of my own - this marks the end of a phase of our lives. She has been my little buddy & sidekick for over two years and now we both will have to learn to share each other with a new little person.

And so, in light of the end of this era, I made Brannon take some photos of me & Mackenzie after church on Sunday. We had dressed alike in our sleek little black dresses & I made him try to snap some photos of her hugging/kissing the belly - which she likes to do. He did a decent job considering he's not the photographer in the family & the football game was about to start so his patience with the process was waning! As I said, she seems really excited about the baby. Asks when it's going to come out, tries to feed the baby her milk (puts her sippy cup up to my belly button!) and freely hugs/kisses the baby belly. I can't wait to see her help take care of our new little family member!

Patience.....Can I Have Some of That?

Lately, Mackenzie has been going through a bit of a whiny/fussy/tantrumy phase, that I could really live without right about now! These things come in waves I feel, we'll have a few tough weeks and then get back to life with a generally happy toddler. I can't help but wonder if she is doing this because she recognizes the changes that are coming very soon in our household.

For instance, she is VERY clingy right now. She wants me to hold her ALL the time it seems and cries/pitches a fit if I ask her to walk and hold my hand instead (the nerve of me, huh!?) Right now at 38.5 weeks pregnant, there are many times that I'm just not up for carrying my almost 25 lb toddler. I fear this will be our biggest challenge with the new baby. I think she will like the baby, but when I hold the baby & NOT her.....well I'm not picturing that to go over so well......

We also had a rough afternoon. I was so excited to start her new school with a clean behavior slate. When I picked her up last week, the teachers just loved her and said how sweet she was. It was nice to hear given our previous schooling experiences...... Well, that didn't last long. After many months of not biting, she decided to give it a go again today. Great. So much for a clean slate. Back to the drawing board of praying for good behavior while I'm away & giving rewards for good reports.......

That report left me with less than a

normal amount of patience when we got home. We had some struggles - like after behaving really well & cleaning up her playroom I decide to give her a rare treat - candy corn for good cleaning. After eating the handful, she pitched a fit because they were gone & I told her we're done for now. Tantrums ensued. Mommy reacting a little more angrily in putting her in time out. It wasn't fun. But we both (some are still taking) took naps. Hoping for a better evening. But really, more patience is going to be so hard to muster in a few weeks with minimal sleep I'm afraid :(

On a fun note - I've included a few shots from a little while ago of her playing in our new BIG backyard!

Potty Training Update

For those of you following my adventure in PT, it has been a while since I last updated you. Although, not a lot has changed I don't think! Basically, she is good at holding it for 1-2 hours, but not at all good at telling me when she has to go (basically doesn't tell me at all). But, given her long holding ability, I can usually manage to get her to go before it becomes an accident. And she still won't go #2 on the potty. So, due to that & my growing tired of dealing with that, we've spent alot of the past few weeks in pull ups. Still trying to keep dry, but no worries if she didn't. Plus, she'd gotten pretty adament about NOT going when I asked, so I think she had realized it was something I wanted that she could control. So, that and wanting to avoid some accidents, I backed off. We also had a busy few weekends with family, so we just enjoyed our families' visits and potty'd when she was willing & if not, in pull ups.

So, that's the past few weeks. I feel like we're too far in it to go back to diapers, but certainly not fully PT'd. So, next week is our fall break from school. More time at home, hopefully, to work on it a little more. I've basically decided that this process from start to finish may take months! We went to the toy store today and bought some big reward toys for going #2. Hoping to inspire some action in that department! We'll see how it goes from here.....

The Twos.....

We're here, at that notorious stage, the (you know what!) twos! Actually, they're not too bad, I guess - my mom assures me......but then again, my child can do no wrong in her eyes! But there does seem to be a large number of tantrums lately, making me, once again, bring the whole punishment plan into question (timeouts, spankings, positive reinforcement, treats/rewards.....).

I still haven't spanked Mackenzie, but I definitely have moments of wondering if I should. Mainly, I find it extremely difficult to punish her when we are out & about. Like today, when we were leaving Chick-fil-A after lunch with our friends. We were talking outside, so I let her stand on her own and told her to stay next to me. Which she did......for a few minutes. Then, when I told her we had to go & hold my hand, she went running in the direction of one my friends. This makes me nervous (very nervous) to have her running away from me where cars are driving. I ran & grabbed her forcefully & said very sternly not to run from mommy and a few other directives. But I wonder if this is enough. There is no good 'timeout' spot in a parking lot. We've already left the playground friends, so I can't isolate her further. It's hard. After being yelled at, and subsequently having to be carried to the car, she began tantruming and thrashing about - hitting mommy. I then, held her hands while walking. While carrying all my baby gear in a big bag. Oh - and I'm like 7 months pregnant. It's hard. Welcome to the twos (well, we hit this technically before two, but who's counting!)