Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Mike had a good trip to Paris & the girls had a good visit with Po-po & Ye-ye. We've been keeping busy with our usual playdates & school. My craft show went well & I made money. I thought I only broke even, but I forgot that I pulled a lot of change.
The weather here has been really weird. We had the lowest barometric pressure in MN History earlier this week. Mike & I didn't know what that meant, but we found out later that day. CRAZY winds! We lost all power from 6:00pm-8:45pm & then from midnight until 8:30pm the next day. Of course, it was during the girls' bath time too. All things considered, the girls did pretty good without power. We found enough flashlights for Baylee to appease her fear of the dark. Unfortunately, the winds even uprooted our beautiful evergreen tree in the front yard. I remember hearing a weird snap around 2pm that afternoon, but didn't look out the window. If I had, I would have seen our tree falling I'm sure.
Baylee is doing better every week at preschool. Today, Mike went in for part of their Halloween Party. Baylee still makes a small fuss during the first circle time, but participates in everything else. I'm just glad she's getting better. Given B's personality, Miss Rosie's is probably the best preschool I could have picked for her. It is very structured & routine & that's what B needs. She would do horribly in a Montessori setting.
Livy is almost 11 months now! I can't believe it. She's saying more words "Ma ma ma ma MA" & "Da." I swear she's also saying "bye" or at least she does a hand wave & says something that sounds like bye. She's still eating everything & crawling up a storm. Mike still thinks she'll walk before she turns one, but I think she's going to hold out because she gets around so well crawling.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Columbus Day Weekend 2010
We've had a very busy fall. It seems like we have something going every weekend, which is good. Keeps us all on our toes! This past weekend, we went to L & J's cabin in Wisconsin for our Grove family weekend. Our time up there was very short, but we had fun & ate some yummy food. We had a painful drive up & back with the girls. Livy has a 30-minute shelf life in the car & refuses to nap in her carseat, so we had to deal with her scream fest for a good chunk of the drive. Baylee was mostly good; she gets a bit more demanding when dad is in the car too, but for the most part, her demands are pretty easily met. It was beautiful up north & we lucked out by having some beautiful sunny weather. I'm sure that will all change in a heartbeat. Baylee & Livy got spoiled with attention from grandma & Aunt K. It was nice not to have to hold Livy 24/7. I'm not sure what Livy's deal is. At home with just me, she cries unconsolably if I'm not holding her (actual arms around her & not in the baby carrier). When we're with other people or if I leave her with someone, she's fine. It's very frustrating & makes it hard to get anything done. Both girls are still going through withdrawal & hate going back to sharing mom.
Mike has been super busy at work this week & has been putting in some long hours. He has to prep for his Paris work trip this weekend. Thank goodness, Po-po & Ye-ye are able to come up for some reinforcements. I'm already needing some time away from the girls.
Baylee has been doing better in preschool! This past Tues., I had to drop her off & go because I had no one to watch Livy for me. I stayed for 5 minutes to get her adjusted, but then did my spiel, handed her Ellie & we left. She fussed for a little while, but then played with the toys. She didn't do so well with the first circle time--threwdown & then stood outside the door, but she did her art project, participated in the second circle time, lined up & washed her hands before lunch, climbed up to her seat, & drank her milk. Still not eating lunch, but I'm not surprised since she won't eat for me either. The fact that she sits at preschool is a huge step.
Livy is starting to wave, but hasn't quite grasped waving "hi." She still eats like a champ. The other day she stole a piece of bread that was en route to my mouth & shoved it into her mouth. She's getting up onto her feet really quickly these days, so I'm sure she could walk if she really put her mind to it. I think she's going to crawl for a while though. She's comfortable doing it & it gets her from point A to point B. Her other trick is stairs. If she spies a staircase, she's on it like white on rice. Loves climbing up our stairs!
I'm prepping for my first craft show this Saturday. I'm hoping it goes well, but it could go horribly too. My goal is to break even with the entry fee. I'm bringing my supplies so I can make bows there. I'm going bring a decent supply stash, but I don't have time to make a ton of bows either. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Mike has been super busy at work this week & has been putting in some long hours. He has to prep for his Paris work trip this weekend. Thank goodness, Po-po & Ye-ye are able to come up for some reinforcements. I'm already needing some time away from the girls.
Baylee has been doing better in preschool! This past Tues., I had to drop her off & go because I had no one to watch Livy for me. I stayed for 5 minutes to get her adjusted, but then did my spiel, handed her Ellie & we left. She fussed for a little while, but then played with the toys. She didn't do so well with the first circle time--threwdown & then stood outside the door, but she did her art project, participated in the second circle time, lined up & washed her hands before lunch, climbed up to her seat, & drank her milk. Still not eating lunch, but I'm not surprised since she won't eat for me either. The fact that she sits at preschool is a huge step.
Livy is starting to wave, but hasn't quite grasped waving "hi." She still eats like a champ. The other day she stole a piece of bread that was en route to my mouth & shoved it into her mouth. She's getting up onto her feet really quickly these days, so I'm sure she could walk if she really put her mind to it. I think she's going to crawl for a while though. She's comfortable doing it & it gets her from point A to point B. Her other trick is stairs. If she spies a staircase, she's on it like white on rice. Loves climbing up our stairs!
I'm prepping for my first craft show this Saturday. I'm hoping it goes well, but it could go horribly too. My goal is to break even with the entry fee. I'm bringing my supplies so I can make bows there. I'm going bring a decent supply stash, but I don't have time to make a ton of bows either. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Preschool Success!
This week we begin scaling back on how long I spend at preschool with Baylee. I stayed for 45 minutes today. I was a little bit nervous, but Baylee waved "hi" to Miss Rosie this morning when we came in & had no problems going downstairs to play. We "played" next to Makayla & Ved, two fellow classmates that are about the same age as B. They were all sharing the Duplo blocks. When we moved to the first circle/story time, B started being clingy. She wanted to sit in my lap, but she followed along with the songs & story. After story time, B had the choice of either playing some more or doing the art project. It was at this time I decided to leave. B did NOT want me to go, but I gave her Ellie & told her that mommy loves you & I always come back. I handed her off to Miss Rosie & scrambled out.
I thought I would surely get called to retrieve B when I left because I could hear some very loud protesting, but she was really good! She cried for 5-10 minutes, then stood there for a little while taking it all in & then she went off to play. She didn't want to wear the paint smock to do the art project, but she didn't throw down either. Miss Rosie said she really wanted to paint, but just didn't want to wear the shirt. Ahhh...our little strongwilled child. She joined in happily for the second circle time & then lined up to wash her hands, climbed up to her chair for lunch. Didn't want to eat her pb&j sandwich, but also didn't cry or throw food. YAY!!! Success!
Livy stayed with my friend Catherine & her little boy, Colton. On a side note, her hubby now works at ev3 with Mike too. Livy had good & bad moments. She got really upset when I left, but was very happy when the music was playing & they did a dance off. She also happily munched on a banana. The child LOVES to eat. She's very vocal & loud, but I think that's her way of letting us all know that she's there.
Hopefully, Baylee does well on Thurs. I'm looking to use that time to pack for our cabin weekend!
p.s.-Miss Rosie also mentioned that Baylee is staying dry for long periods of time, so she's probably ready to be potty trained. I just have to see if she's willing to sit on the toilet for me. :P I have to use Pull-Ups for school, but at home I would probably just use underwear.
I thought I would surely get called to retrieve B when I left because I could hear some very loud protesting, but she was really good! She cried for 5-10 minutes, then stood there for a little while taking it all in & then she went off to play. She didn't want to wear the paint smock to do the art project, but she didn't throw down either. Miss Rosie said she really wanted to paint, but just didn't want to wear the shirt. Ahhh...our little strongwilled child. She joined in happily for the second circle time & then lined up to wash her hands, climbed up to her chair for lunch. Didn't want to eat her pb&j sandwich, but also didn't cry or throw food. YAY!!! Success!
Livy stayed with my friend Catherine & her little boy, Colton. On a side note, her hubby now works at ev3 with Mike too. Livy had good & bad moments. She got really upset when I left, but was very happy when the music was playing & they did a dance off. She also happily munched on a banana. The child LOVES to eat. She's very vocal & loud, but I think that's her way of letting us all know that she's there.
Hopefully, Baylee does well on Thurs. I'm looking to use that time to pack for our cabin weekend!
p.s.-Miss Rosie also mentioned that Baylee is staying dry for long periods of time, so she's probably ready to be potty trained. I just have to see if she's willing to sit on the toilet for me. :P I have to use Pull-Ups for school, but at home I would probably just use underwear.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Baylee & Livy's Latest Antics
We have had a very busy last few weeks! Baylee is having some problems transitioning to preschool. Part of it may be because she's not emotionally ready, but the 4-hours may be too long of a time for her to "focus." Last Tuesday, I "visited" her class & she was better. I stayed through playtime, circle time, & the art project & then told B I had to go get Livy. Baylee didn't melt down for the rest of preschool, participated in the second circle time, but had a mini fit during snack & lunchtime. Baby steps...
Livy has been teething like crazy. She is MISERABLE. She has 6 teeth in (3 upper & 3 lower) & the other top & bottom teeth are coming in. She's moving on to our table food too. Anything we're eating, she wants to try out. Last week, I gave her some of the Moroccan tagine chicken stew (it had some exotic spices in it) & she liked it! Today, she ate some pizza so at least I have one good eater.
On the days B doesn't have preschool, we've been keeping busy with playdates. We're trying to take advantage of the nice fall weather while we can because it will be a L-O-N-G winter. This past weekend, we had our family photos taken. Here's a sneak peek:
Livy has been teething like crazy. She is MISERABLE. She has 6 teeth in (3 upper & 3 lower) & the other top & bottom teeth are coming in. She's moving on to our table food too. Anything we're eating, she wants to try out. Last week, I gave her some of the Moroccan tagine chicken stew (it had some exotic spices in it) & she liked it! Today, she ate some pizza so at least I have one good eater.
On the days B doesn't have preschool, we've been keeping busy with playdates. We're trying to take advantage of the nice fall weather while we can because it will be a L-O-N-G winter. This past weekend, we had our family photos taken. Here's a sneak peek:
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| Baylee sitting on the log |
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| Family pic on the log...hey we're all looking at the camera! |
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| Action shot |
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| Looking at the ducks |
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| Another family shot |
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| Livy on the move |
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| Mommy & her baby girl |
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Baylee's First Day at Preschool & new Baylee-isms.
Baylee had her first day of preschool yesterday. Good news is that she walked through the front door & down the stairs to her classroom without me having to carry her kicking & screaming. Bad news is that she was very upset for 30 minutes afterwards & Miss Rosie said she had a difficult time transitioning between activities. She also did not eat lunch (sandwiches, carrots, strawberries, & bananas). Miss Rosie almost called me to come back to reassure B, but thankfully she didn't because I'm pretty sure that would have just made matters worse. I am allowed to send a lovie for Baylee, so Ellie may tag along. Baylee hasn't used Ellie as a lovie in a while, but she did bring Ellie with her to ECFE & Block Time, so I'm hoping it gives her the same connotation.
Livy & I ran errands our first day without B. It is so much easier to get things done with just one! Hopefully, I'm not spending all my preschool days running errands. Maybe Livy & I can do something fun too, like story time. Poor Livy gets free story times while Baylee got Music Together classes. :P
Last night at dinner, Baylee took her fork & began brushing it through her hair. Why you might ask? Because her latest favorite movie is "Little Mermaid" & Ariel does it at dinner with Prince Eric. Too funny! Now if they would only make a princess movie on manners...
Livy & I ran errands our first day without B. It is so much easier to get things done with just one! Hopefully, I'm not spending all my preschool days running errands. Maybe Livy & I can do something fun too, like story time. Poor Livy gets free story times while Baylee got Music Together classes. :P
Last night at dinner, Baylee took her fork & began brushing it through her hair. Why you might ask? Because her latest favorite movie is "Little Mermaid" & Ariel does it at dinner with Prince Eric. Too funny! Now if they would only make a princess movie on manners...
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Preschool Open House
Today, we went to Miss Rosie's Preschool Open House. Baylee will be attending on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:15am to 1:00pm. There will be 8 kids total in Baylee's class. Baylee will be one of the younger ones, but I think that will be good for her. Baylee knows half the kids in her class already. 3 are in our mom's group & another was in our ECFE class. Having her go to preschool will be a nice break for me & I'm sure Livy will enjoy some one on one time with mom.
When we arrived today, Baylee didn't want to go in to Miss Rosie's house. I'm a little worried about how next Tuesday will go. I plan on doing a drop like I did at Block Time. I'm hoping that it will go okay once we get into a routine, but we'll see. Baylee didn't have a tantrum, but who knows what will happen next week. We decorated book bags today & Baylee is all over coloring these days, so I think that helped. I'm sure Miss Rosie will be able to handle Baylee, but I'm hoping she's not a complete nightmare either!
When we arrived today, Baylee didn't want to go in to Miss Rosie's house. I'm a little worried about how next Tuesday will go. I plan on doing a drop like I did at Block Time. I'm hoping that it will go okay once we get into a routine, but we'll see. Baylee didn't have a tantrum, but who knows what will happen next week. We decorated book bags today & Baylee is all over coloring these days, so I think that helped. I'm sure Miss Rosie will be able to handle Baylee, but I'm hoping she's not a complete nightmare either!
Gale Woods Trip
The Wednesday after Labor Day, we went to Gale Woods Farm with our mom's group. Gale Woods Farm is a real working farm & they gave our kids a tour of how the farm works. The kids got to pick fresh raspberries off the bush & sample them, learn about vegetables, & see lots of farm animals (turkeys, chickens, sheep, cows, dogs, & cats). Because we were touring a real farm, they advised us to wear close-toed shoes & clothing we didn't care about. Here's Baylee's outfit of choice:
Baylee sampling some fresh farm cantaloupe.
Livy sampling the cantaloupe too. Not sure if her eyes are closed because she really enjoyed the cantaloupe or if the sun was just in her eyes. :P
Baylee & her friend R petting a cow. Baylee LOVED petting all the animals! She wasn't afraid of any of them--the turkeys or the chicken. She even petted a large white dog, & usually dogs scare her.
I don't know if you can tell, but this is one of her frilly princess dresses & brand new pink sneakers. :P At least she didn't insist on wearing Crocs & she managed to avoid the cow patties. Of course, our friends laughed as soon as we walked up, but clothing choice is a battle I'm choosing not to fight with Baylee these days.
Baylee sampling some fresh farm cantaloupe.
Livy sampling the cantaloupe too. Not sure if her eyes are closed because she really enjoyed the cantaloupe or if the sun was just in her eyes. :P
Baylee & her friend R petting a cow. Baylee LOVED petting all the animals! She wasn't afraid of any of them--the turkeys or the chicken. She even petted a large white dog, & usually dogs scare her.Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Baylee being a BIG girl helper!
Here is Baylee being a big girl helper by helping feed her baby sister. :P
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| Baylee getting ready to feed Livy |
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| Here you go baby sister |
Monday, September 6, 2010
Livy Feeding Herself
Here are some pics of Livy feeding herself a Mum-mum rice cracker.
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| Love the chubby cheeks! |
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| Got the cracker into my mouth |
Labor Day Weekend 2010
My family--Po-po, Ye-ye, Aunt Stephy, Uncle David, & their dog Cori--came to visit us this Labor Day weekend. Bless Aunt Stephy & Uncle David! They drove 8 hours from Memphis to Cincinnati & then drove 12 hours from Cincy to Minne the next day. I suppose they are young so they can handle it. :P If I had to make that drive with the girls, I would probably kill myself! Some days I can't get out of the driveway without one of them melting down.
Anyway, they were here from Friday afternoon to Sunday early evening. Baylee was so excited to see them! Another weekend of undivided attention. It didn't hurt that Po-po won B over with a new singing Cinderella. :P How quickly the "old" Cinderella was cast aside. Po-po spent lots of time coloring with Baylee while Stephy & David assembled paper crafts (princess crowns) for Baylee. Ye-ye held Livy a lot since baby girl HATES to be set down. Livy either wants to be held or she wants to be on the move.
On Saturday morning, we went out to Apple Jack Orchards in Delano. This was our favorite orchard from last year. Baylee wasn't so much into it last year, but this year she had a blast picking apples, eating raspberries off the bush, walking in the orchard, getting pulled in the wagon by Uncle David, & checking out the petting zoo. Livy was content being held by Ye-ye. :P Aunt Stephy & Uncle David made a delicious apple tart from the apples we picked. Yum!
One of the reasons Po-po & Ye-ye came down was so Mike & I could go out to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary Saturday evening. Love free babysitting! We went to El Meson, a Spanish/Caribbean restaurant in Uptown. The chef/owner has another restaurant, Cafe Ena, that's a similar concept, but more pricey & in an okay part of town. Our meal was pretty tasty & didn't break the bank. We got 2 of everything--appetizers, entrees, glasses of wine, desserts, & coffees. The paella looked really good, but we opted not to get it. We've been spoiled by some good paella in Chicago & hate to get disappointed. We would definitely go back there again some time.
On Sunday, we took the girls to a dim sum buffet. Baylee is pretty good at a restaurant these days if you remember to bring enough things that she will eat (easy at a buffet) & bring coloring stuff. Livy is a little eating machine, so she's happy to eat solids while we're eating our meal. Livy devoured 2 jars of food while we were out! She's also figured out how to feed herself. I gave her a Mum-mum (rice cracker) & she can maneuver the cracker to her mouth. As soon as she masters the pincer grip, we'll start on puffs. On top of feeding herself, Livy can balance for a good 20 seconds most days, & is already saying "mama" (mostly in times of distress). I can't believe how quickly she's growing up!
Anyway, they were here from Friday afternoon to Sunday early evening. Baylee was so excited to see them! Another weekend of undivided attention. It didn't hurt that Po-po won B over with a new singing Cinderella. :P How quickly the "old" Cinderella was cast aside. Po-po spent lots of time coloring with Baylee while Stephy & David assembled paper crafts (princess crowns) for Baylee. Ye-ye held Livy a lot since baby girl HATES to be set down. Livy either wants to be held or she wants to be on the move.
On Saturday morning, we went out to Apple Jack Orchards in Delano. This was our favorite orchard from last year. Baylee wasn't so much into it last year, but this year she had a blast picking apples, eating raspberries off the bush, walking in the orchard, getting pulled in the wagon by Uncle David, & checking out the petting zoo. Livy was content being held by Ye-ye. :P Aunt Stephy & Uncle David made a delicious apple tart from the apples we picked. Yum!
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| Baylee & Livy peeking out of the apple cutout |
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| Baylee testing an apple for quality assurance |
One of the reasons Po-po & Ye-ye came down was so Mike & I could go out to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary Saturday evening. Love free babysitting! We went to El Meson, a Spanish/Caribbean restaurant in Uptown. The chef/owner has another restaurant, Cafe Ena, that's a similar concept, but more pricey & in an okay part of town. Our meal was pretty tasty & didn't break the bank. We got 2 of everything--appetizers, entrees, glasses of wine, desserts, & coffees. The paella looked really good, but we opted not to get it. We've been spoiled by some good paella in Chicago & hate to get disappointed. We would definitely go back there again some time.
On Sunday, we took the girls to a dim sum buffet. Baylee is pretty good at a restaurant these days if you remember to bring enough things that she will eat (easy at a buffet) & bring coloring stuff. Livy is a little eating machine, so she's happy to eat solids while we're eating our meal. Livy devoured 2 jars of food while we were out! She's also figured out how to feed herself. I gave her a Mum-mum (rice cracker) & she can maneuver the cracker to her mouth. As soon as she masters the pincer grip, we'll start on puffs. On top of feeding herself, Livy can balance for a good 20 seconds most days, & is already saying "mama" (mostly in times of distress). I can't believe how quickly she's growing up!
Visiting Niki & Family
The girls went to visit their babysitter, Niki, & her family last Tuesday. I was a little bit nervous because both girls took really short naps & Baylee always takes a little while to warm up to new environments, but she did pretty good! Unfortunately, Livy was in a crabby mood. Poor girl seems to be really bothered by teething. Livy is constantly munching on her fingers or any object really that comes within a chomping distance of her mouth!
Baylee's current obsession is hearts, so she pointed out all the numerous hearts at Niki's house. I swear B has eyes like a hawk for hearts & princesses. Not sure if this is a sign that she'll be extremely detail-oriented later on, or if she just focuses on things she likes. Niki had to take off early, so B played with Niki's younger sister. B found a stiletto-shaped telephone holder & tried to put it on her foot! I wonder where she learned that from because I certainly NEVER wear heels!
We will have to figure out a time to visit Niki & family again soon. Baylee just LOVES the attention!
Baylee's current obsession is hearts, so she pointed out all the numerous hearts at Niki's house. I swear B has eyes like a hawk for hearts & princesses. Not sure if this is a sign that she'll be extremely detail-oriented later on, or if she just focuses on things she likes. Niki had to take off early, so B played with Niki's younger sister. B found a stiletto-shaped telephone holder & tried to put it on her foot! I wonder where she learned that from because I certainly NEVER wear heels!
We will have to figure out a time to visit Niki & family again soon. Baylee just LOVES the attention!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Weekend Fun with the Grandparents!
Grandma Sue & Grandpa Dan came up this past weekend for a quick visit. They came up a little past 2 on Saturday & then had to leave mid-Sunday morning. I had been showing her a family picture & prepping her for 3 days that Grandma & Grandpa were visiting. Boy was Baylee so excited to see them!
We went to Latuff's for an early dinner & the girls were very good. Baylee is pretty easy to entertain now at a restaurant since she is all into coloring, or rather mommy & daddy drawing her hearts, music notes, princess castles, princess crowns, etc. While we were there, Baylee ate pizza! She didn't want any of the extra toppings (hamburger & onion or sausage & mushrooms), but she ate almost 2 slices of the crust, tomato sauce, & cheese. Livy, of course, was content sitting in the high chair scoping out the other patrons all the while getting baby food shoved in her mouth. The child LOVES to eat. Livy gets super impatient when you don't get the food in to her mouth fast enough. She starts grabbing at the jar & spoon while flailing her little limbs & crying. I hope Livy is an adventurous eater.
After dinner, Mike & I went out to Jake's for some dessert. Grandma took over entertaining the little monkey. Grandma brought B some Play-doh. It was B's first time playing with Play-doh & she had a blast! The child has quite the imagination pretending her creations were food, jewelry, & so forth. There was one tool that squeezed out Play-doh ropes, which freaked Baylee out a little. I think she must have thought they were worms, & Baylee HATES bugs.
Sunday, we had a leisurely breakfast. Their visit was much too short, but we'll see them again in a month. All of us plus Aunt Katie & Uncle Justin (Mike's sister & her hubby), & Great-aunt Linda & Great-uncle John will be going to WI for a cabin weekend. That should be lots of fun & hopefully the leaves will have changed colors by then.
We went to Latuff's for an early dinner & the girls were very good. Baylee is pretty easy to entertain now at a restaurant since she is all into coloring, or rather mommy & daddy drawing her hearts, music notes, princess castles, princess crowns, etc. While we were there, Baylee ate pizza! She didn't want any of the extra toppings (hamburger & onion or sausage & mushrooms), but she ate almost 2 slices of the crust, tomato sauce, & cheese. Livy, of course, was content sitting in the high chair scoping out the other patrons all the while getting baby food shoved in her mouth. The child LOVES to eat. Livy gets super impatient when you don't get the food in to her mouth fast enough. She starts grabbing at the jar & spoon while flailing her little limbs & crying. I hope Livy is an adventurous eater.
After dinner, Mike & I went out to Jake's for some dessert. Grandma took over entertaining the little monkey. Grandma brought B some Play-doh. It was B's first time playing with Play-doh & she had a blast! The child has quite the imagination pretending her creations were food, jewelry, & so forth. There was one tool that squeezed out Play-doh ropes, which freaked Baylee out a little. I think she must have thought they were worms, & Baylee HATES bugs.
Sunday, we had a leisurely breakfast. Their visit was much too short, but we'll see them again in a month. All of us plus Aunt Katie & Uncle Justin (Mike's sister & her hubby), & Great-aunt Linda & Great-uncle John will be going to WI for a cabin weekend. That should be lots of fun & hopefully the leaves will have changed colors by then.
Friday, August 27, 2010
"Niki's Nose" & Other Baylee-isms
The pediatrician said that at 2, I should be able to understand 1/2 of what Baylee says. Baylee repeats the same things over & over again that I can pretty much tell what she's saying at any given moment. The girls' babysitter is Niki. Niki was Baylee's favorite aide at Block Time, so she was the ideal person for me to ask to babysit. Anyway, Niki draws lots of hearts for Baylee, so Baylee always asks mommy & daddy to draw them at home too. For the longest time, we thought Baylee was asking us to draw "Niki's nose." It was just a few days ago it dawned on me that she wasn't saying Niki's nose; she was saying MUSIC NOTES! Niki wore a charm bracelet the first night she babysat for us & one of the charms was music notes. I'm sure Baylee was thinking "Gosh, mom & dad are idiots" whenever we drew noses.
Weekly Recap
We had a pretty busy week & now we're looking forward to a visit from Grandma & Grandpa Young (Mike's parents). On Monday, we drove into the city to play with the girls' cousin Nina. Nina is officially bigger than Baylee. :P We took the girls to Lynnhurst Park, which is within walking distance of their great-aunt's house. There is a small wading pool & a playground for the girls to run around.
For a change, there were more adults than kids! The girls' great-cousin Katherine & her boyfriend, Ben were also in town from L.A. Here is a pic of B being a cheeseball. Their "uncle" Joe is pushing both girls on the swing.
Here's a longer video of Livy swinging. She's not as animated as the previous video, but she's still pretty fired up.
Tuesday was our miracle errand day.
On Wednesday we went to a playdate at the Lookout in Maple Grove. It's a restaurant with a playset on it's patio area. We figured some play & lunch would be fun, but we had some of the worst service ever by a waitress that perfectly exhibited "Minnesota nice." I won't get into the details here (you can read my Yelp review for that), but I was so annoyed by the server's attitude that I wrote a complaint letter. The manager was very concerned & wrote back telling me that they reprimanded the server & invited us to come back by sending me a gift certificate.
Yesterday, we did a babysitting swap with our friend Brenden. His mom watches Baylee one morning & I watch Brenden another morning so we can go grocery shopping with just the babies. It's much easier to shop with just a baby than an angry toddler & a baby. Both kids are really good & have fun playing with one another. I don't know exactly how Baylee is at Brenden's, but at our house, she sometimes gets really possessive of her toys & I have to encourage her to share. B is going to get a rude awakening in 17 days (no, I'm not counting down) when she starts preschool!
We also went to the park yesterday afternoon to meet Lukas, Drew, & Luke for some fun. Baylee played with her friend Lukas for perhaps the last time. They are moving to Brainard soon. :( All of us went to Smashburger afterwards to eat dinner, & Charlie & Sam met us there. We were supposed to go to the MG Farmers' Market, but Livy napped until 4:15, so I didn't think it was worth driving all the way out there. Poor Charlie thought we were going to be there & kept telling people "Mommy, we're at the wrong park. Baylee's not here." I thought that was too cute. At least they saw each other at dinner.
Tomorrow, Grandma & Grandpa come in town for a quick visit. I'm frantically trying to put the house in respectable order. The following weekend, Po-po, Ye-ye, Aunt Stephy (my sister), Uncle David, & their dog, Cori come to visit. Baylee hasn't seen Stephy & David since Christmas, so I'm not sure if she'll remember who they are. It will be a busy two weekends for us, but we're looking forward to having the grandparents entertain Baylee! She certainly loves the attention.
Here's a longer video of Livy swinging. She's not as animated as the previous video, but she's still pretty fired up.
Tuesday was our miracle errand day.
On Wednesday we went to a playdate at the Lookout in Maple Grove. It's a restaurant with a playset on it's patio area. We figured some play & lunch would be fun, but we had some of the worst service ever by a waitress that perfectly exhibited "Minnesota nice." I won't get into the details here (you can read my Yelp review for that), but I was so annoyed by the server's attitude that I wrote a complaint letter. The manager was very concerned & wrote back telling me that they reprimanded the server & invited us to come back by sending me a gift certificate.
Yesterday, we did a babysitting swap with our friend Brenden. His mom watches Baylee one morning & I watch Brenden another morning so we can go grocery shopping with just the babies. It's much easier to shop with just a baby than an angry toddler & a baby. Both kids are really good & have fun playing with one another. I don't know exactly how Baylee is at Brenden's, but at our house, she sometimes gets really possessive of her toys & I have to encourage her to share. B is going to get a rude awakening in 17 days (no, I'm not counting down) when she starts preschool!
We also went to the park yesterday afternoon to meet Lukas, Drew, & Luke for some fun. Baylee played with her friend Lukas for perhaps the last time. They are moving to Brainard soon. :( All of us went to Smashburger afterwards to eat dinner, & Charlie & Sam met us there. We were supposed to go to the MG Farmers' Market, but Livy napped until 4:15, so I didn't think it was worth driving all the way out there. Poor Charlie thought we were going to be there & kept telling people "Mommy, we're at the wrong park. Baylee's not here." I thought that was too cute. At least they saw each other at dinner.
Tomorrow, Grandma & Grandpa come in town for a quick visit. I'm frantically trying to put the house in respectable order. The following weekend, Po-po, Ye-ye, Aunt Stephy (my sister), Uncle David, & their dog, Cori come to visit. Baylee hasn't seen Stephy & David since Christmas, so I'm not sure if she'll remember who they are. It will be a busy two weekends for us, but we're looking forward to having the grandparents entertain Baylee! She certainly loves the attention.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Turning Over a New Leaf?
Today was errand day. We didn't have anything going on this morning, so I decided we would get Baylee's hair trimmed & run to Costco since Snip-Its is in the same strip mall. I had very low expectations as to how this was going to go, but I was prepared to hold B down during her hair cut & snatch her up & do a timeout in the car if need be.
Baylee was PERFECT the entire time. I'm still in shock. No fuss at Snip-Its. She let me strap her in the pink chair & the hair dresser put the cape on her. Her last haircut, I had to restrain her & they put a cape around both of us. I did allow her to have a lollypop as soon as we got in instead of at the very end, which helped. She worked on 1 sucker her entire hair cut & calmly watched the movie. When she was finished with the lollypop, but the hair cut wasn't finished, I handed her 1 animal cracker at a time. Baylee was very excited to get the pink ribbon tied in her hair afterwards & she got some bubbles as her prize.
After the surreal haircut experience, we went to Costco. The last time we did a Costco run, I ended up buying WAY more snacks than we needed. I reminded B of 1-2-3 Magic & told her we would do a timeout if mommy got to 3. B willingly got into the shopping cart. I had placed her princess coloring book & some crayons in there. Baylee's been a coloring freak lately, so this distracted her for 10 minutes. Then, Bayls remembered she got bubbles, so I opened that for her & she blew bubbles for a little while. After that she spotted a body pillow with the holy trinity of princesses, which I put in the cart for her. She talked about Cinderella, Belle, & Aurora for the next 20 mins. Every couple of minutes, Baylee would stand up in the cart & I'd remind her to sit down, which she did. We even stopped by a demo station to get power green shakes (grapes, pineapple, spinach), which she willingly drank & took a strawberry tomato freeze to go! As we checked out, I pulled Baylee out of the cart. She still had her strawberry tomato freeze in her hands, but it was dribbling on the ground & onto her dress. I handed her a wipe to clean up her dress & she wiped up the floor mess instead. She threw away her cup & wipe without being prompted too, which amused the grandparents waiting behind us. I didn't need to count at all!
Who is this child?!
Baylee was PERFECT the entire time. I'm still in shock. No fuss at Snip-Its. She let me strap her in the pink chair & the hair dresser put the cape on her. Her last haircut, I had to restrain her & they put a cape around both of us. I did allow her to have a lollypop as soon as we got in instead of at the very end, which helped. She worked on 1 sucker her entire hair cut & calmly watched the movie. When she was finished with the lollypop, but the hair cut wasn't finished, I handed her 1 animal cracker at a time. Baylee was very excited to get the pink ribbon tied in her hair afterwards & she got some bubbles as her prize.
After the surreal haircut experience, we went to Costco. The last time we did a Costco run, I ended up buying WAY more snacks than we needed. I reminded B of 1-2-3 Magic & told her we would do a timeout if mommy got to 3. B willingly got into the shopping cart. I had placed her princess coloring book & some crayons in there. Baylee's been a coloring freak lately, so this distracted her for 10 minutes. Then, Bayls remembered she got bubbles, so I opened that for her & she blew bubbles for a little while. After that she spotted a body pillow with the holy trinity of princesses, which I put in the cart for her. She talked about Cinderella, Belle, & Aurora for the next 20 mins. Every couple of minutes, Baylee would stand up in the cart & I'd remind her to sit down, which she did. We even stopped by a demo station to get power green shakes (grapes, pineapple, spinach), which she willingly drank & took a strawberry tomato freeze to go! As we checked out, I pulled Baylee out of the cart. She still had her strawberry tomato freeze in her hands, but it was dribbling on the ground & onto her dress. I handed her a wipe to clean up her dress & she wiped up the floor mess instead. She threw away her cup & wipe without being prompted too, which amused the grandparents waiting behind us. I didn't need to count at all!
Who is this child?!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Teething Baby
Poor Livy! I couldn't figure out why she was so cranky the last few days. She's been waking up a lot the last few nights despite me giving her some infant Motrin before going to bed. Her upper teeth just came in, so I didn't think she was teething anymore. After waking up at 10pm, I felt around & couldn't feel anything. I took a quick peek & it looks like her 2 lower teeth next to the 2 bottom ones are coming in! No wonder she's miserable.
This is a pic of her after she stopped crying. Baylee never seemed to be affected by teething, but Livy is just miserable. Constantly chomping on her fingers, not wanting to nurse. It's so sad. Hopefully she gets through this soon.
This is a pic of her after she stopped crying. Baylee never seemed to be affected by teething, but Livy is just miserable. Constantly chomping on her fingers, not wanting to nurse. It's so sad. Hopefully she gets through this soon.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Livy Swinging!
One of the reasons I wish I had an iPhone. :P Another mom captured this for me today. Livy LOVES being in the swing!
Bagel Breakfast & Playtime at the Park
The weekend Mike goes to Iowa happened to be the same weekend all the other hubbies decided to play golf & poker with one another. Lucky me! So, when the hubbies play, what are the mommies supposed to do on a foggy Saturday? We invade the local Brueggers with our munchkins & go to the local park to burn off those calories! Baylee hasn't been this good in a LONG time. :)
Baylee played with her friends Jackson, Rahul, Brenden, & Charlie. It's funny that she is the only girl, but because of that, all the boys are always yelling "Baylee, Baylee!" I'm sure it's also because even though she's a girly girl, she's always willing to climb, run, & slide with them. Mike will have his hands full one day.
Livy is so close to being 100% mobile. She really wants to walk & spends her time pulling herself up & cruising among objects. If she does want to get from point A to point B, then she crawls in her own unique way. She whips her right leg around so she can push off with her right foot! It's not conventional, but it gets her around really quickly. :P
One thing I've noticed about Baylee recently is that she is very good about protecting possessions whether they are her own or others. If someone grabs someone else's toy, Baylee will snatch it & return it to the owner. I'm not sure what that is indicative of, but it's cute. She's always looking out for the other person I guess!
BTW, yesterday I thought Baylee was taking a nap. It was all quiet, so I go in to check on her & what is she doing? Not napping, but painting the walls & her dresser with Desitin & Purell! At least it was the blue tub of Desitin & not the purple stuff which is much thicker & stickier. Thankfully, it wiped off pretty easily, but I'm sure there's still some residue left that I'll have to clean up later. Of course, in the moment I was mad. Now, it's kind of funny. I'm sure she got the idea from the paints & soaps that we use in the bathtub.
Baylee played with her friends Jackson, Rahul, Brenden, & Charlie. It's funny that she is the only girl, but because of that, all the boys are always yelling "Baylee, Baylee!" I'm sure it's also because even though she's a girly girl, she's always willing to climb, run, & slide with them. Mike will have his hands full one day.
Livy is so close to being 100% mobile. She really wants to walk & spends her time pulling herself up & cruising among objects. If she does want to get from point A to point B, then she crawls in her own unique way. She whips her right leg around so she can push off with her right foot! It's not conventional, but it gets her around really quickly. :P
One thing I've noticed about Baylee recently is that she is very good about protecting possessions whether they are her own or others. If someone grabs someone else's toy, Baylee will snatch it & return it to the owner. I'm not sure what that is indicative of, but it's cute. She's always looking out for the other person I guess!
BTW, yesterday I thought Baylee was taking a nap. It was all quiet, so I go in to check on her & what is she doing? Not napping, but painting the walls & her dresser with Desitin & Purell! At least it was the blue tub of Desitin & not the purple stuff which is much thicker & stickier. Thankfully, it wiped off pretty easily, but I'm sure there's still some residue left that I'll have to clean up later. Of course, in the moment I was mad. Now, it's kind of funny. I'm sure she got the idea from the paints & soaps that we use in the bathtub.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Strong Willed Toddler
We took Baylee to the pediatrician yesterday since we've been struggling with her behavior the past few weeks. After 75 minutes of explaining everything to him, the ped. says B's behavior is perfectly normal. She's just a strong willed child. Sigh. While it's nice to know nothing is theoretically wrong with her, it's a bit frustrating too. She's on the extreme end of what's considered normal. Ped. said we can't control three things with toddlers--food, peeing/pooping, & sleep. If we try to make a big deal out of those things, we're going to have power struggles. In the meantime, the only thing we can do is be really consistent, model the behavior we want her to display, & just keep offering food we want her to eat. If she lives off of yogurt, it's fine. Her weight is within the acceptable limits (26.6 lbs. & in the 30th percentile) & still on the same curve since her 1 year visit.
The only recommendations the ped. had was a book for us "No" by David Walsh & trying to figure out how to give me a break more often since I'm completely burned out. We have a list of child psychologists (not psychiatrists) to scope out as well. The ped. suggested having a psychologist see how we interact with B so we can get some insight on what discipline tactics to use with her & maybe work on how to communicate with her since my personality & B's are completely different. 1-2-3 Magic seems to work, but maybe there is something else we can do as well. We just need to figure out the insurance on a psychologist.
The only recommendations the ped. had was a book for us "No" by David Walsh & trying to figure out how to give me a break more often since I'm completely burned out. We have a list of child psychologists (not psychiatrists) to scope out as well. The ped. suggested having a psychologist see how we interact with B so we can get some insight on what discipline tactics to use with her & maybe work on how to communicate with her since my personality & B's are completely different. 1-2-3 Magic seems to work, but maybe there is something else we can do as well. We just need to figure out the insurance on a psychologist.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Splash Pad Fun!
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