Lesley's Words

Lesley has been saying some funny things lately.


That's silly.

Lesley uses that expression a lot lately. Sometimes it just comes out of the blue, and sometimes she'll be doing something funny when she says it.


My tummy hurts.

Shortly after her 2 year check up and getting a shot, Lesley started saying things hurt. First her knee, then her tummy, and various other body parts. The funny thing is that an Elmo band-aid would usually do the trick and make things all better.


I need my mommy. I need a snack. I need a cookie. I need a marker. I need....

She is all of a sudden a very needy girl. She is constantly needing something. We went through 10 days of her desperately needing her mommy. It was a tough time for me because I just didn't know what she wanted or needed, and I held her as much as I possibly could but that didn't always seems to help. I gave her as much attention as I could (poor Leah was probably a little neglected). Many times we both ended up in tears. I keep trying to figure out what brought on her pleas for mommy, but the only thing I can figure out is that being sick was traumatic for her. Tough week for Lesley and a tough week being a mommy!


Me do it, me big girl.

She is constantly telling us she is a big girl. Why does she think she needs to grow up so fast?


Mommy too fast.

I have heard this from the back seat a few times in the last couple weeks. Backseat driver!


Knock it off Daddy.

During the last KU basketball game, Jason was less than pleased with the BB team's performance. At one point he was getting really upset and I told him to knock it off. A little later he was getting frustrated again and I heard Lesley say "Knock it off Daddy."


Outside. All Better.

Lesley has started this new thing where she will whisper when she is asking for something. Almost like she knows what the answer is going to be and somehow being sweet and cute will get a better response. The other day after she told me her tummy hurt, she whispered "outside" in my ear. I said, "Lesley, I'm sorry, but you can't go outside when your tummy hurt." She thought about that for a minute and then whispered, "All better."

Cousin Love

Lilly turned 2 last week and we went up to Iowa for her birthday party over the weekend. I took a lot of photos at the party, but they were all on my sister's camera. So, you'll have to make do with some photos from the morning after when all the girls were playing "house".

Lesley really loved the baby's high chair. That baby was my sister's baby when we were growing up. Now Lilly gets to play with her. I am not sure what happened to her clothes, but they didn't mind having a tea party with a naked baby.

They played for quite a while together. There were still some incidents of jealously and screams of "mine", but overall they are great playmates and friends. I am really, really looking forward to the day when Lesley and Leah can play together and be friends.

Leah got in on the action too. She is doing a great job of sitting up these days. I still like to put pillows and the boppy around her, but she only falls over when she gets super excited and her arms start flailing. Just the other night she was able to get herself up to a seated position. She must have abs of steel to be able to do that so early!

Our attempt at a group photo of the girls in their jamas didn't turn out so great. Lilly didn't want Leah sitting right next to her, and Lesley was insisting that Leah sit on her lap. We at least got a decent photo of 2 of the girls although it looks like Leah has a ton of hair when really that's just Lesley back there.

Notice Leah's red cheeks. We think this is partially caused by teeth trying to pop through, or possibly from the antibiotics she is currently taking for her ear infection. The meds cause her to have a pretty bad diaper rash so we were thinking maybe her cheeks also get some of that redness.

Leah's Boyfriends

Wouldn't you think the neighborhood boys had something better to do? Miss Leah was quite the attention getter the other day...and she LOVED it!


At least we are comforted knowing Lesley's friend Abby was there to keep the boy cooties away!

Up to speed...

We've been under the weather. Both girls have had ear infections and the "crud". Then Mommy started not feeling so hot too. One Mommy is not enough for two sick kiddos! Last week was a tough, tough week for the girls and their mama. Lots of sleepless nights and Daddy was out of town for a few days....A couple trips to the doctor, two big bottles of medicine, and a week later, I think I can report we are on the mend. Thank goodness!

I'll try to get caught up on photos and stories in the next couple days....

She's trying to wear that coat and her snow boots as much as possible these days! She must know that winter is almost over. But then again, it was was snowing today and she wanted to wear crocs without socks. Ugh.

And it's also interesting the only item of clothing she had one besides her coat was a diaper.

During another silly moment, we said "bath night!" I turned around and she had partially stripped down and was waiting in Leah's tub for a bath.



The tub was on the floor by the stairs, because we have officially graduated Leah to big girl status. She now gets to bathe in the real bathtub and she loves it! On night #1, Lesley insisted they take their bath together which meant using Mommy's big tub. I think Leah was slightly scared for her life. You really, really have to keep your eye on big sister when she has wet washclothes and cups of water. "Me help! Leah bath."

Pee-U

Earlier this winter I took Lesley to see a children's entertainer called Mr. Stinkyfeet. One of our favorite songs that Mr. Stinkyfeet performed was about stinky feet (of course!). During part of the song, he would encourage all the kids to say "Pee-U" while waving their hand in front of their nose. Lesley thought this was great and we've picked up on the expression at home. We apply it to more than just stinkyfeet. Yucky diapers are also a big source of "Pee-U"!

The other night she was running around having all her animals and babies smell her stinky shoes. She thought it was hilarious! Mama thought it was pretty funny too...at least until Leah was forced to sniff stinky shoes. Then it was time to distract and change games.

Caught again!

We caught Grandpa Keith feeding Leah a cracker...and who knows what else we didn't see. Brought back memories when we found him feeding Lesley tortilla chips at about this age.


So, we decided to get the booster seat out at Grandma's and see how that worked while she ate her cereal. We were a little concerned because the straps do not go over her shoulders like our high chair at home.

Leah did really well sitting up and continues to do well with her cereal.

This picture looks like there is more on her face than in her mouth. Daddy was feeding her so that explains the messiness!

We attempted green beans on Sunday night and it went okay. She was ready to take some bites, but I think she thought it was cereal. After the first couple bites, she caught on that it was something much different than the tasteless cereal.

What is this?!

Interesting...I can't quite figure out if I like this stuff or not.

She wasn't interested at all in the green beans on Monday night but we managed to get several spoonfuls in her Tuesday night. It's always tricky catching her at the right time - hungry, but not starving. I am hopeful that I can make a lot of Leah's baby food like I did for Lesley. Right now I've just bought a handful of jars to get started. Things have been hectic/stressful at our house lately and I decided making baby food would not be at the top of my list right now. It will be great when we can start visiting local farmer's market to pick up super duper fresh produce!

Next up? Peas perhaps!

Birthday Cupcakes

Lesley and I decided that we should make some birthday cupcakes for her to share with her friends at daycare. She was a big help, right down to the taste testing!

Her first job was to put all the cupcake holders into the cupcake pan. That was a great task for her and it kept her busy long enough for me to crack the eggs and start mixing everything together.

She reached for the scoop as I reached for the camera. Thankfully she was a good shot and the batter ended up in the cupcake holder.

I couldn't resist her pleas to lick the spoon.

Then she got to test the final product! She was most excited about the frosting and made sure to eat ALL that first.

Thanks Mom!

She has gotten really good about saying "thanks" in the right context, without prompting. Just yesterday she opened a birthday present from my aunt, uncle and cousins. As she finished unwrapping and playing with the new puzzle, she looked up and said "thanks." It was a proud parenting moment for me!

Growing up

This video is not top quality and may make you queasy, but take a look anyway. I took it last weekend after Leah's nap. She was in a happy, happy mood and pretty chatty. Big sister was still sleeping so Leah could use her voice!

Old MacDonald

We have created a family tradition of going to McDonald's after church on Sunday mornings. Last week we read Lesley an Old McDonald book and the next morning she said we were going to "Old McDonald" for breakfast. Silly girl!

We order the same thing every Sunday. Lesley loves her apples and burrito, sometimes a sausage mcmuffin as a twist, and she knows that Mommy gets oatmeal and tea while Daddy gets Coke (it's actually diet Coke, but she just calls it Coke). Lately she has started sneaking bites of Mommy's oatmeal because she loves the raisons and apples in it. Tasty!

We tend to sit in one of the booths by the window. Lesley likes to sit in the actual windowsill which works well since it puts her a little higher. It also allows us to block her in so she can't escape quite as easily. She pretty much refuses to sit in her high chair at home or anywhere else which isn't a huge deal. The biggest problem is that her attention span is short and she will get up to wander after 8-10 minutes. Trying to convince to sit still while Mommy and Daddy finish eating NEVER works. So...the window sill works great while we are dining at McDonald's.

We usually go to 8am church on Sunday. It sounds early for a weekend, but when you have a baby and toddler who don't understand what sleeping in on the weekends mean, it just makes sense. Leah is usually very good during the service until about 10 minutes from the end, then she starts to get tired and fussy. So, we waited to attend the 9:30am service, who knows what type of mood she would be in. Sometimes she falls asleep during the 3 minute drive from the church to McDonald's and she gets her morning snooze in while we eat and get home.

Like most people, we typically sit in the same area each Sunday. So, you see familiar faces every weekend. We think it's a good sign that people still choose to sit near us even with the chatty toddler who may or may not be on good behavior. Some of these "regulars" are also "regulars" at McDonald's after church. I don't think we are the only ones with the Sunday morning tradition of visiting the golden arches. :)

Embracing Life

March 7, 2011

Dear Leah,

How can it be that you are already 5 months old? This last month went by so, so fast. I'm not sure I'll even remember all the new things. Why doesn't life come with a "pause" button!? With all the changes this month, I've really been trying hard to just embrace everything and not dwell on the fact that time seems to go so quickly these days.

You like to spend a lot of your time in your walker or exersaucer. I am amazed that you have already figured out to move forward and backward in the walker. Lesley likes to help you too, but your little legs can sure get moving on their own! You aren't necessarily fast, but you are determined and get so excited when you see us coming near you.

Something Mommy has had to adjust to is you sleeping on your tummy. We always lay you on your back but you quickly roll over to your tummy. At first you would get upset so we'd have to roll you over to your back, but now it seems to be working. And, I'm not quite as nervous about letting you sleep on your tummy. It usually takes a little while for you get comfy once you make the roll but you seem to be sleeping better on your tummy most nights. Many nights you go to bed around 7:30 and won't wake until 2-3am. That's really good and a big improvement over what the old routine used to be. Sometimes this means you only wake up once during the night and I love that!

I often watch you and think you quite the observer, just focused on everything going on around you (and that can be a lot with a 2 year old big sister). You keep your eyes planted on her and just watch as she goes from toy to toy, or just running around crazy like. Many times you show little expression on your face and just stare….but then sometimes I see you and you remind me of your big sister at this age. Investigating everything! Anything you can reach will inevitably end up in your mouth as you try to figure out what it is and all the different textures. Right now you really love one of our cloth books that on a plastic ring that makes crackling noises when touched and a little stuffed toy with plastic ears I call Flopsy. You often manage to grab Mommy's necklace or Lesley's hair and your grip is quite strong. Plus, let's not forget the drooling. You may or may not be teething at this point, I don't know, but you certainly are showing signs with all the drool.

Just this month you started smiling a lot more. Sometimes we really have to work at getting you to smile but usually your Daddy can always get some big grins out of you. He likes to tease me that he is the favorite parent. And, he's right, you just light up when you see him and can locate him from across the room. I think he's just funny looking to you. You also are expressing yourself more by "talking". Some days you are pretty quiet, but if I can get you in a happy mood by yourself with no big sister around, you can be quite chatty. I often wonder if big sister is too noisy for you and doesn't let you express yourself.

We started giving you cereal about a month ago and you seem to like it. You definitely know what you are supposed to do as your mouth will open very wide when a spoon is headed your direction. We are still trying to figure out the best timing for it. Unfortunately I think you are just too hungry when we attempt and you get frustrated, usually end up trying to eat your bib and fists and it's just a mess. As soon as we get you some milk, you settle down but then are too full to be interested in cereal. I guess we just need to keep trying and soon we should try to introduce you to some vegetables and fruits.

Another exciting milestone you are about to reach is being able to sit up by yourself. You can do really well balancing yourself on your own for short periods of time. Eventually you reach for whatever toy you dropped and then you end up toppling over. Right now we position the boppy around you as support and stay close by for when you eventually topple over.

All these changes make me sad, but they also make me proud to be your mommy and force me to embrace the moment. Life goes too fast, and we need to enjoy each and every day we have together. I am so thankful to God for trusting me to be your mama. I will always try my best to give you anything and everything you need (and even things you want). I hope our love will allow you to grow up to be a sweet, happy girl who loves life and lives it to the fullest.

I love you!

Mommy

Abra-ca-dabra!

Someone had a birthday party this weekend!

Lesley was so excited to have a Abby Cadabby birthday party. She has been talking about it for weeks and was so, so happy when the day was finally here!

Her cake turned out amazing! It looked and tasted perfect. Lesley was in love with it!

I decided that she needed a tutu for the magical party. Although it didn't turn out perfect, she thought it was great and I loved that it was something I could make for her (for a mere$5!).



We didn't go crazy with decorations or food but I think it turned out just fine. We had vegetables with ranch dressing, pretzels, chips and sausage cheese dip (a huge hit!), and cheese, summer sausage and crackers. I found some bright pink, purple, and blue silk flowers and butterflies on sale at Hobby Lobby along with a tin "purse" for about $3.50. I also made wands for all the kids with scrapbook paper and glitter glue and Lesley gave out Abby or Elmo note pads from the dollar section at Target. Hopefully all Lesley's friends enjoyed the small treats.

The balloons were a huge hit. She kept moving them around before the party - to the living room, the dining room, on her new table, in the kitchen, wherever! Makes me think I should just buy some helium balloons from time to time. All the that running wore her out!

She wasn't sure how she felt about everyone singing Happy Birthday to her. We thought she was going to start crying. Luckily she didn't, Mommy blew the candles out and then we ate the fantastic cake.

Lesley liked the star shaped sugar cookies I made more than the cake. There is always so many cookies left over but luckily the Mom's group at church was having a bake sale this morning so we had 3 plates of iced sugar cookies to give to the group. We don't need those hanging around our house!

Then came the presents! She is a loved little girl. I think her favorite gift was the baby dolls. We played with those a lot today. She also liked the books, video, CD, bubbles, Little People, and magnetic drawing boards. Thank you to everyone for making this day special for our sweet girl.

Tonight during bath we talked about how much fun her party was. I had carried up the flowers and put them in her room. She got very upset when she spotted the flowers on top the dresser and wanted the flowers "downstairs, Abby Dabby birthday party". I guess she didn't realize the party was over.