Miss you already Mom!!

My mom came out for a week for a visit/ babysit while Tony and I got a night out/ help me tackle some organization stuff around the house.  It was awesome although I wish she had been here for like 3 weeks so I could get everything done!

Last week the state did some scheduled tornado drills only I didn't know they were scheduled until after I yanked my sleeping Emma out of bed and huddled her and Ada in the basement scared out of my wits while they happily watched some PBS show.  I franticly searched the web until I realized what was happening and it ultimately made me realize I need to get my act in order and have my tornado box ready so I'm not so frantic.  One of the things my mom and I did was get that in order.  I still need a couple of items, but it's basically done.  Plus we straightened out the closet in the basement where we would go so there's actually space for us if we need to spend some time in there.

While we did get an amazing amount accomplished and I am feeling infinitely more hopeful that I will get things under control, the best part of the Nana visit was the playing.  Ada and Emma were so happy to see her.  I didn't get many pics while she was here, but this was a fun thing to find after Emma and I got out of the shower.

Ada and Nana made the planets (and a couple moons) with Ada's planet work.

Can't wait for your next visit Nana!!!

Have I told you about my laminator?

I am in love with this machine.  Today I made some labels for Ada's drawers that I have been wanting to make for months!  I found a bunch of images on Google, printed them with labels and laminated them with a brown border to match her bedroom.  I found a sweatshirt with a "red sox" emblem, a t-shirt with "girl power" on it, and long sleeve shirt with a triceratops.  I think she'll like them.

I am beside myself waiting for her to wake up from her nap so I can go put them up.  They have the velcro dots and are ready to be stuck on the drawers.  I opted for velcro figuring we might move things around seasonally or as she needs it.

**********UPDATE***************

Ada woke up and we put these up.  Please excuse the lame phone picture, but you get the idea.  This is the same dresser that I had as a baby- I think it was also my changing table, and we used it as a changing table for both of the girls.  Love that!

1000 + Linux

This blog has officially been viewed over 1000 times and for some reason that makes me feel super happy an validated.  Thanks for reading!

On a side note, I love that 25% of viewers use Linux as their operating system.  Reminds me I have cool friends :)

Thankful

We are extremely fortunate to have amazing friends and family.  One of Tony's amazing cousins has been unbelievably kind in passing us TONS of clothes, shoes, and toys.  We have had to buy very little as a result.  One of the nice things about Ada getting older is she now understands more and has been getting excited about all the things she has that her cousin gave her and Emma.  On a recent visit with Gramma Deb, she delivered another bunch of goodies and Ada has been positively giddy about her new to her toys.  The big hit has been an awesome Lego castle set.  Her pretend/ imagination play has been taking off lately and this has been a fun vehicle- Ada and Gramma Deb had loads of fun playing with it during her visit.

After a failed attempt at figuring out how to build an outdoor toy that got sent along I finally decided to look up some diagrams and instructions and build from a model.  I printed a few off and Ada decided this one looked good, so we counted out the number of each piece that we needed and got to building.  She was a bit distracted (she is 3 after all) but a good little helper.  Emma was napping.  We finally got it built and this is the result.

Ada was giving a warning to Emma about being careful not to step on the fabric part of the roof or she might "get a bad booboo on your head and papa will have to fix you" 

In action...

This was a good basic structure to get a hang of the set up.  Our plan when we get tired of climbing on this one is to build a "garage" for the cozy coupes.

Later the same day Ada was swinging.  She has had the legs down for a bit but the body motion has been a work in progress.  Our little Miss Independence wants to be able to swing on her own so she has been practicing.  Here is a snippet of the beauty that is mama not pushing constantly.

Melon balls

When possible it's nice to have meal time be a learning experience.  Our grocery store had some melon on sale that looked good so I bought it knowing the girls would love to have a fruit we haven't tasted in months.

I sliced off a big wedge and cut off the bottom so it was flat on the plate (no rolling around).  Ada has used the melon baller before and loved it so she was excited to use it again and the more she used it the more she got the hang of it.

Yummy + small motor skill work + nutritious = Snack time success!!

Happy Bear got a booboo

If you are one of the lucky folks who has spent time with our little Emma, you know just how precious Happy Bear is around here.  He is a little brown bear that Emma has taken an extreme liking to and is a huge form of comfort to her.

Emma hanging with Happy

Last night in the midst of a huge bedtime fail Happy got a booboo.  I had noticed the rip a few days ago but hadn't gotten to the repair yet.  I should tell you that we are still in the first week of the girls sleeping in the same room.  So here we are at 9:30pm after the girls have been waking each other, giggling, at one point Ada actually climbed into Emma's pack and play with about 17 books, I tried taking Ada out of the room to let Emma fall back to sleep before Ada went to lay down.  When we came back in I discovered the fluffectomy in progress.  I grabbed him and quickly collected all the little pieces.  I was in a panic knowing that getting Emma to sleep was already a huge production and to try this without Happy was unthinkable.  I was trying to think of what I could do to get him through the night without getting out the sewing kit.  I was about to get some packing tape when I realized I could just tuck his arm in all the way and it was too hard for Em to get out.  So off to bed in separate rooms they went and I would reassess his condition in the morning.

He definitely needed a total hand replacement.  I went scrounging for scraps of fabric while Emma had her breakfast.  I was thrilled to remember I had a bunch of my grandmothers scarves.  She is Emma's namesake (Rose).

I debated putting on one of the flowery ones but ultimately I liked the shiny texture of the beige one- most similar to what was already there.  And I can replace or patch Happy with the rest of the scarf as needed.  It makes me happy to have a little reminder of Grammy Rose in our everyday life.

Well here is the repair in progress.  It was a pretty rushed job, but I think it will hold.

Reunited!!

On the same page as the "fixing stuff with tools" bit, I want the girls to be able to embellish their clothes, fix their toys or clothes, make something their mind thinks up, or fix their own kid's bear some day.  Ada is already on her way.

Ada's first buttons.

I am woman hear me mow

Last fall the pull handle rope broke on our lawn mower.  I just put it in the shed since we didn't need to mow anymore (we were using it to pick up leaves at the time) and forgot about it.  With the super warm spring weather we have really needed to mow for a week or two.  All our neighbors have mowed at least once already.

Notice the bright white new pull cord:)

Figuring our mower could use a service I decided to call around and get some quotes on someone fixing the pull cord and giving it a tune up/ sharpen too.  I was quoted for $50-$75 just for the handle!  I tried to find a replacement at SearsDirect (parts for our craftsman mower) but to no avail.  I couldn't justify the money for an almost 10 year old hand me down mower so I decided to just take it apart and go to the hardware store.

I got a replacement handle. Cost $4.99

I searched on google to find some instructions on how to replace it since I don't have a manual.  I found some videos and it looked doable.

Out came the wrenches and I got to work.  Took about 20 minutes and was fixed.  Not sure if I mentioned we put it away for the winter without running the gas out because the cord was broken- no way to start it.  I wasn't sure if I could get it to go but I just made sure there was oil in it and I pumped the primer a few extra times.  Turned over but no go.  Time.  More pumps.  Then it started!  Sweet satisfaction.  Emma was pretty brave about the whole thing.  I mowed as much as I could with Emma using her mower and playing with bubbles.

When she had had enough I threw her in the backpack.  I couldn't take a picture but here's one from last summer -so you can imagine this with a lawnmower:)

I am feeling pretty awesome.  Saved us some money and did it on my own.  When I think of the things I want to teach the girls one of the most important is the feeling that they can accomplish whatever they set their mind on.  That they can do anything.  That women can do anything... including fix stuff with tools.

When all was said and done, Emma decided to climb on to this chair and hang.  Little Miss Emma can mow the lawn with mama all the while wearing head to toe pink and her beads :)

Every mom deserves a medal

In honor of our neighbor who had a baby this morning and once said this to me I am taking a walk down memory lane...

Ada

"Every mom deserves a medal"

Our neighbor said this to me when I was commending her for being a FT student and mom of twin preschoolers.  This sentence has lingered with me and I think about it when I have that fleeting thought of being all eye-rolly about a family with one (or even two) out in public with both parents stressing about some little thing.  I need to remember how I felt in the beginning after Ada was born, I need to remember that all parents work their asses off just to show up.  Regardless of wether you carried the baby, adopted, nursed, whatever- being a mom effects you on a cellular level.  You are just connected to your child in a way different than any other person.

Thinking back to when I was pregnant with Ada and still had an idealistic view of what motherhood/ parenthood was all about.  I remember thinking I would never let my kids watch tv or have a pacifier- HA!  Our plan for Ada's birth was to have a natural hypnobirth experience at our local birthing center.  Ten days after my due date and after getting 4 acupuncture treatments and trying every suggestion I got on inducing labor naturally I finally realized this girl needed more coaxing so we went in for induction.  We were only in the hospital for 10 minutes when about every nurse and my ob was in the room.  They told us that our baby's heart rate was going down with the little contractions I was having (normal), but not recovering between contractions (not normal).  

We were told that there was no way they would induce me for fear that a strong contraction would be very bad for the baby.  My ob suggested our choices of doing a c-section with spinal and Tony in the room now, or trying to wait it out and possibly run the risk of an emergency c-section later under general anestesia.  It was a no brainer for us.  We did the section right away.  I had complete trust in my doctors and knew they had my wishes at heart and would only suggest the section if me or the baby really needed it.  It was scary for sure, but the right decision.

I was not prepared for this.

When Ada came out she was completely covered in meconium.  More proof she was under stress.  It felt like an eternity until she cried.  Tony went to the warming table with her and got his hands on her talked to her and cut the cord. They showed her to me then she and Tony went off to the nursery to wash her up.  I got sewn up and we all met back in the delivery room to nurse.

Welcome to the world Ada

I felt like a failure- crazy, right?  I had wanted so desperately to give birth in a certain way that I ended up feeling so disappointed I didn't have a natural birth rather than simply feeling ecstatic about my new baby.  Then I felt guilty about not being able to let go of my disappointment.  Emma was a scheduled section.  For so many reasons it was an easier experience, primarily because we knew what to expect.

Then there is the nursing.

Ada's first meal

I have been through many many emotions when it comes to feeding babies breastmilk.  My mom nursed me until I was 2 (thanks mom) so internally I always thought I would have a similar experience.  My goal was to get to a year with Ada.  For those who don't know me well let me just say that I am a strong willed woman- some might say stubborn.  I was going to get to a year, damn it!  From the get go we had trouble.  Ada couldn't latch.  My nipples were flat.  Had to pump.  Back to work.  Then came the nursing strike.  8 weeks long nursing strike.  This was it.  I had finally gotten used to the whole csection thing but I couldn't take the idea of not being able to feed my own baby.  I was devastated.  After 8 weeks of pumping 6-8 times a day and exclusively bottle feeding Ada started nursing for a couple minutes at a time.  Eventually she started nursing more and more and we got back on track.

I was not prepared for this!  Why don't women talk about this stuff?  I was lucky enough to have a bunch of awesome women in my life who breastfed their babies and could help me, but not all women do.  Also, it is so frustrating to read some of the blogs out there where women boast about their perfect experiences and don't have any tolerance or understanding for women out there who don't have the same experience.  I nursed Ada until she was 13 months.  When she turned 1, I stopped pumping at work and she had cow milk and I nursed her when we were home.  I am proud of that but I wish I hadn't been so hard on myself in the process.

Emma

Emma was tongue tied when she was born and had it corrected when she was 2 days old after the nursing consultant in the hospital noticed it- she was getting plenty of milk but tearing me to shreds in the process so thanks to that procedure and all purpose nipple cream we were back in business.  Emma had formula supplement from the time she was 5 months.  By the time she was 7 months she was at about half mama milk and half formula, with solid food too.  By 10 months I had stopped nursing.  I was sad, but not devastated.  The weaning process can be exhilarating.  I was so happy and relieved when Ada was done nursing- we had made it.  With Emma I was mostly disappointed because I knew why we had stopped and I just couldn't get to a point where I could get back on track.  I was bummed.  It was really a form of grieving when I stopped nursing Emma.  But  I've come a long way from the days of telling myself I was a horrible mother because I used a disposable diaper or let my kid have a binky.

There are a gazillion benefits to breastfeeding and I hope that every woman who would like to nurse does it and I hope they have support from their partner and friends.  The absolute best part of nursing your second kid is this...

Ada and I nursing our babies

I'm really not sure why we beat ourselves up.  But lots of moms I've talked to have done the same thing.  We set expectations for ourselves and if they're not met we blame ourselves.  As long as we're doing the best we can why can't we just be okay with that?  Why do we judge ourselves?  Why do we judge others who are also just doing the best they can do?  If we can figure a way to support each other it should make this whole parenting thing easier, right?

We have two amazing healthy smart girls and know they can do anything they set their minds to.  As Tony once said about Ada when she was a baby, "we just need to give her the opportunity to be awesome."  Well girls, go to it- and if you become moms someday I'll give you the medal myself.

Hawk in our yard

We have a hawk building a nest in the middle of a maple tree in our front yard.  It's pretty cool.  We saw her (I'm assuming it's a female) collecting sticks the other day from other trees and the ground and bringing them back to the nest.  It was amazing.  She didn't much like us there and a couple times did a fly by pretty close and it seemed like she was trying to scare us off.

We see her regularly and today we got home and she was in a tree next to the driveway making these squak/squeek sounds and I'm pretty sure she was eating something high on the branch.  A couple hours later she was still (or came back) on the same branch just sitting there.  I got the camera and snapped a picture.  If anyone can help identify her it would be a great help.  I'm not so good at that type of thing and I want to learn more about the species since Ada and I are enjoying watching her so much.

I'll try to get some better pictures, but the zoom on our camera (circa 2004) is pretty lousy.  There are definitely some stripes on the underside of the tail.

Thanks in advance for any birders reading who can help!!

Wrapping Paper inspired by Pinterest

We had some presents to wrap for a birthday party we're going to tomorrow so this afternoon the girls made some wrapping paper.  Last time we made paper we inked some bubble wrap and used it like a stamp.  I want Ada to make more of it because it was beautiful but it's all gone.  It was so nice outside I decided to try doing this outside so we could make a big strip across the driveway and paint out there.

I liked this idea on Pinterest so I diluted some paint and mixed it in baby food jars then poured a little in plastic eggs.  The idea was that Ada could "crack" the eggs and pour them on the paper.

 It wasn't a big hit, but she liked using the little roller and some brushes.  Emma mostly just trampled through paper and made footprints.  She had fun:)

We used up the paint on another strip of paper and flicked paint on it and drove a truck through to make tire tracks.

I think these might be the most beautiful presents ever wrapped :)

What a little park time can do

I know this warm beautiful, not too hot, not too many mosquito weather is going to flit away and I'm trying to enjoy it while it's here.  This morning the girls and I went to a local playground park and had a picnic with some friends.  The girls had an AWESOME time and I loved getting a little exercise.  The park is about 4 miles (according to Google on the bike trail), so I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

Here's a cute before and after.  The first one is right when we got to the park and the second is when we got home almost 3 hours later.  Naps were a requirement.  Even Ada said she wanted to get some sleep today!!  Love it.

School Vacation

Ada is off from school this week so our days are a bit different than usual.  The girls and I get to sleep in and hang together all day long.  Fun times.  The morning is my favorite time when we can just do whatever we want.  Here's a little taste.


The girls in their matching dresses hanging in the backyard.  Ada LOVES it when they match and when both of these dresses are clean she insists they both wear them :)

Ada painting.  She told me she wanted to draw her Papa.  You can see his brown eyes.  I'm not sure what the green and yellow were supposed to be, but she likes to draw the parts of the body individually.  The orange was the "blood" and she went on a bit of a monologue about how the blood is on the inside and goes all over the body.  

Emma painting like her big sister and loving it!