Rear View

Ella, who has a very hard time filling her jeans, has no behind to keep her pants up. She's too tall to stay in a smaller size and too shape-less to move up to the next! She is constantly being told: "Pull up your pants, your butt crack is showin!"

Fast forward a few weeks, and she addresses the issue all by herself:
 "Mom! My butt's crackin!"

Fortunately, she got some "slim" sizes for Christmas!

Erin's 7 Month Appt

Erin had a busy morning at her doctor's appointment. She is doing very well and giggled non-stop with the doctor and nurse. Here is how she's doing:

Height: 81st percentile
Weight: 98th percentile (a whopping 21 lbs!)
Teeth: 2
Shots: 2
Hearing (at my request): No concerns
Developments: The doctor thinks she'll be walking by 9 mos. She was half kidding but it freaked me out.
Other: She's also being put on nebulizer treatments for a week to see if it helps with her wheezing.

Christmas Recap

I feel like I have too many good things to blog about... 
we've done nothing but celebrate for the last week!

December 21: My niece Jada's birthday party at the bowling alley!

December 22: My mom's birthday lunch @ Panera Bread before indulging in pedicures!

December 23: Christmas in Elkader at Grandma Betty's

December 24: Christmas in Readlyn with the Cozarts

December 24/25: The arrival of our sweet nephew Easton!!! He kept us on pins and needles ALL DAY LONG!

December 25: Opening Santa's gifts/Christmas in Readlyn with extended family/Meeting little Easton!

December 26: The very long drive to Richland Center, WI to get Derek's Christmas present... a new (used) Chevy Silverado.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Funny conversation from the car dealership, as we were
trying to negotiate our trade-in (which is a lemon)!
Car salesman: "Here is where your car is priced at." (pointing to "rough" condition with a depressing price)
Derek: "No, I think 'average' condition is closer to the price we're looking at trading it for."
Car salesman: "Well it looks like there are a few things to fix.
The service engine light is on!"
Derek (laughing): "Yeah, but that's been on for 100,000 miles!"
Car salesman: "We have to fix that to sell it...."

Blizzard 2012

What a crazy storm! Ella insisted on going outside with Derek. I was probably a little overprotective when I bundled her up in thermals, socks, snow pants, winter coat, gloves, boots, a scarf, and a hat along with a face mask. Literally, only her eyes were exposed. To our surprise, she braved the cold and wind for about a half an hour!

 

A lesson in shoveling and snowblowing!

The Perfect Ornament

I've tried to make it a holiday tradition to get the girls an ornament that reminds me of them that year. Will I do it for 20 years? I don't know. But its fun to look for!

My biggest struggle of the holiday has been finding an ornament for lil Miss Erin. She's too young to like special characters or communicate what her favorite things are, but I was still hoping to find "the perfect ornament." If I had to sum her up, I would say she is very sweet, chubby, and made her scary debut by spending her first 8 days in the NICU.

 I present: my round little May angel ornament! It's actually in the form of a magnet that I'm going to add an ornament string to, but I just can't imagine finding something better.

Merry Christmas!

As we get closer to the holiday, we are enjoying all of the little traditions, surprises, and parties!

Saturday, we had our ugly sweater Christmas party with several friends! We enjoyed a fun night of food, movies, our gift exchange, pajama exchange (for the lil girls), Ugly Sweater vote, and of course games! We think this is our 6th Annual Holiday Party.

 

The kid population is expanding quite fast! All girls...

Evelyn (4), Mackenzie (4), Ella (3), Charlotte (2), Chelsea (1), Ali (1), Erin (7 mos)

Sunday, we had our Christmas goodie exchange in Readlyn. My sisters, Mom, and I were busy all afternoon frosting, dipping, and decorating. The little girls had a blast!

 Today, the girls had "pajama day" at the babysitters. All of the kids wore comfy clothes opening Christmas presents and celebrating the holiday. 

 

Tonight, the girls received beautiful stockings hand-made by Nana. They loved them!

I barely turned my back for a minute and our Christmas Stinker decided to try on the stockings.

A Christmas song for your enjoyment =)

First Word

It's always so hard to tell a baby's first word from the usual babbling. Today, I'm convinced it has happened!!

For the last two mornings, I've woken up to Erin cheerfully saying "ba-ba. ba-ba. ba-ba!" She continues to say it through her diaper change and change of clothes until.... breakfast! I think my little sunshine is reminding me its time for her "baba" (bottle)!!

Snow Hater

EVERY morning on the way to the babysitter's, Ella tells me she doesn't like the snow. This is not surprising since she has never liked any part of winter... the cold, bundling up, the snow, sledding, nothing! Perhaps a genetic trait from me? The ironic part is that she LOVES snowmen, but they have to be the fake kind, like a soft toy or a character on TV.

This is how the snow conversation went in the car on Wednesday:

Ella: "I dont like snow Mom."
Me: "Why? We can't have any snowmen without snow?"
Ella: "But I don't like the snow!"
Me: "Sorry Babe. I think you're stuck with it."
Ella: "But can we just sweep it away so we can't see it?"

She has also made it a habit to ask her Dad to "turn the heater on" when he leaves for work (aka start Mommy's car). I love that little girl.

For My Fellow Mommies

Things That Make Me Smile

Erin's laugh is the best therapy you can get!

(PS - sorry about the issue with my camera's focus!)

Soft Little Friends

Ella's love for baby dolls has been momentarily replaced with an obsession for stufffed animals. Her bed looks like an episode from Hoarders. Off the top of my head, she sleeps with MiMi, a bunny, a Barbie, the dog from the Grinch movie, a pug, Tigger, a singing snowman, and a puppy. And trust me, she notices when one is missing! It just so happens that her little sister likes stuffed animals too, so they're a hot commodity in this house. It makes me laugh when Ella crawls into our bed on weekend mornings because she always brings 3-4 stuffed animals to tuck in with her. Our bed is not big enough for her village.

3 years olds are SO funny to me. Here are a couple quotes from Ella today:

Ella (in the back seat): "You're crossing the line, Mom!"

Me: "Ella, do you want chicken nuggets for lunch?"
Ella: "Yeah!"
Me: "Ok, let's run through McDonalds quick."
Ella (confused): "Does McDonalds have a farm?" (referencing the song)

Christmas Traditions

Christmas just wouldn't be the same without traditions. Outside of our work and family Christmas gatherings, these are some of our family's favorite traditions in December!

• Christmas goody party with friends
• Deer hunting weekend (Derek is away chasing bucks while I partake in "Hunting wives club" with Papa Murphy's, wine, and a Xmas movie).
• Cozart Christmas goody party
• "Ugly Sweater Party" with about 20-25 or our friends. It is hilarious watching it get crazier every year with more and more kids!
• Ornament exchange with some of my friends
• Pajama exchange for Ella/Erin and 5 other little girls
• River Hills Christmas program

Erin the Worm

Erin is officially on the move! She is scootin her way across the floor, and I bet Gwen will be her first victim!

A Very Merry Christmas

I am still in love with our finished attic just as much as when we first bought the house. While it is normally my place to store crafts, pictures, and the girls' clothes, right now it is Santa's workshop! Nothing about it is fancy, it is definitely an eye sore and the carpet is hideous. But it is SO nice to have a place to store and wrap gifts, hide the mess, and have my own "escape." Without it, I know I would be wrapping gifts on the living room floor with Gwen sitting on the roll of paper, Erin eating the gift wrap, and Ella getting tape stuck in her hair. 

Maybe it is the age of the girls, but I am loving the Christmas season this year. The girls are enjoying all the simple things that Christmas is really about... the songs, the books, the lights, the ornaments.  Still wish I had that pause button.

Passing Down the Sarcasm Gene

(Derek and Ella sitting in the chair)

Ella: "I'm sweating."
Derek: "So take off your sweatshirt."
Ella: "But my head is sweating."
Derek: "Quit thinkin' so hard."
Ella: "But I cant though."

They May Look Innocent...

Don't let this picture fool you. They may look sweet and innocent, but these are two VERY contagious little stinkers. Derek is slowly getting over his flu, and now I've picked it up!

Tree Hunting Pictures

Trista & Erin (dressed for a blizzard) ready to tree hunt!

Grandpa Mike & Ella ready to tree hunt!

Erin seemed much more comfortable in the truck with the heater on high. :)

This picture makes me laugh.... Erin always looks so worried!

The grand finale... Santa!!

Santa

Today, we went to pick out our Christmas tree! It is a fun tradition and although it was a little cold, it is always exciting. Both girls had a great time.

Inside their little tree farm shack, Erin sat on Santa's lap. Ella was (as usual) very hesitant to get near a stranger. She finally got close enough to snap a photo but would not warm up to Santa one bit! A few minutes later, we were in another room drinking hot cocoa when Derek kneeled down beside her.

Derek: "Ella, you need to go talk to Santa. You need to tell him what you want for Christmas!"
Ella: "No. I want YOU to tell him."

Sometimes, I think Ella is going to be my little politician. She has no troubles delegating things to other people. She also likes to make rules and enforce rules ..... but doesn't want to follow them herself.

She (our policitian), paired up with Erin (our concerned citizen) will make quite a pair.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at our house on Thursday with the Cozarts. There was a TON of great food, the kids were so fun to be with, and it was so nice outside!

Later that night, Ella and I were sitting at the dinner table snacking on leftovers. I must've mistaken our talk as an adult conversation, but she quickly brought me back to toddler-land!

Me: "Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"
Ella: "Whats Thanksgiving?"
Me: "Ya know... when everyone came over to eat."
Ella: "Oh..."
Me: "Thanksgiving is a holiday. Where you are thankful for what you have."
Ella: "What's a holiday?"
Me: "A very special day."
Ella: "Like a flower?"
Me: "..............................................yep."

Update on Er-Bear

In the last 10 days, Erin has been VERY busy:

November 11th - got baptized
November 13th - got her first tooth
November 17th - turned 6 mos old
November 17th - got her first flu :(
November 19th - learned how to give kisses on demand!
November 20th - got her second tooth! :) :) :)

Thankful for Good Health

Well... I think we are turning the corner with this flu. Derek and Ella stayed home sick today and rested while Erin went to the babysitter's and I returned to work. Tonight was the closest thing to "normal" I've seen in about 5 days! If I dodge this bullet, it'll be a miracle!!

Poor Ellers.

Shoo, flu!

We are one very sick household. Erin got the flu, Ella followed, and now Derek has it. I am mildly irritated because Ella and I both got the flu shot, and Erin has been too young to get it.

We are a very tired, crabby, sweaty, snotty, sickly bunch.

Last night putting Ella to bed:

Me: "Ok. You gotta go to bed now cuz Erin's cryin. She doesn't feel good either. Mommy needs to go get her."
Ella: "Is Erin sweating too?"
Me: "Yep. You're both sweating."

Shapes!

On the learning agenda this week.... shapes! Ella is such a sponge right now, she is having so much fun learning new things. I think she'll love being in school next year.

Weekend Update

What a busy weekend! Not only did we enjoy having Jada over this weekend, we also celebrated Erin's baptism! It was a lot of fun. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, we were whooped.

 

They are becoming quite the trio...(I bet Erin is growling in this picture)

 

3 little monkeys...

 

After being woken up from a splash of Holy Water, Erin needed to scope out her sponsors!

 

 

Pastor Ron had his hands full today. :)

 



Swingin Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnAphJM1-lM&feature=channel&list=UL

A recent video of Erin. :)

Where is the Pause Button?

I am sitting here with the sweetest baby on Earth asleep in my arms... looking in the other recliner at my husband with both our happy toddler and our sleeping kitty on his lap, Around me is the sound of our Veggie Tales movie playing and a rhythmic pattern of Erin's sleepy breaths. The house is a total disaster covered in children's toys and dirty dishes, It smells like a mix of spaghetti sauce, baby powder, and a maybe a hint of dirty diaper in here. :)

To quote one of my favorite songs: "For a moment, all the world was right."

A Better Day

Both girls have been sick all week. Ella started the week with a cold but was able to push through it pretty well. Erin, on the other hand, picked it up around Wednesday. This, in addition to peak teething problems, has made her miserable. She's had a hard time eating, sleeping, and has been extremely unpleasant even with a pain reliever.

This morning, I think I'm starting to see the horizon. Both girls woke up in pleasant, playful moods and sat on Daddy's lap with smiles on their faces...still coughing away. Equally important, Derek and I's first words to each other after an uninterrupted night's sleep (excluding one feeding) were:

"Is this what it feels like to be rested?"
"Is this what it feels like to not walk around comatose?"

I hope my little peanuts are back to 100% very soon!

Little Fibber

Me (reading): "W is for walrus, X is for Xray, Y is for  yak..."
Ella: "I saw a yak last night!"
Me: "Really?"
Ella: "Yeah. He was in the mud."
Me: "Oh...ok...." (Trailing back to the book)
Ella: "I was on my way to work."

New Pastor

We are very excited to not only get to know our new pastor, but also see him in action for Erin's upcoming baptism. He is young, married, with 3 small kids. Ella and I unknowingly trotted behind them all night trick-or-treating, too! Tonight, we had our official meeting with him and enjoyed the visit.

To say our pastor "gets us" is an understatement. In an effort to salvage his white robe, he suggested using a code word during the baptism in the event of a blowout situation.

If that's not down-to-Earth, I don't know what is.

Halloween



 Happy (early) Halloween from 2 little cupcakes!

Too Tired to Think

I'm having a hard time deciding what is more amazing...

The fact that Erin still wants to eat in the middle of the night,
The fact that Erin wakes us up no less than 10 times a night, or
The fact that Erin doesn't seem to sleep during the day, either?

At 5 months old, I have to wonder ........are we raising a zombie?

I really really really hope we make some teething developments. And soon.

Restless in Denver

 

"Hey Mom, quick snapping pictures and help me crawl!"

 

Getting Closer with our Last Name

Ella: "I'm not little?!"
Derek: "Nope, you're not little. You're a big girl."
Ella: "Yeah!"
Derek: "And you have a little sister, right?"
Ella: "Yep. Erin. Jo. Luflufson."

Salad Monster

Ella is still going strong with her love for salad. We had a rare opportunity to take the girls out to eat after we got some family pictures done. As a reward, we asked Ella what she wanted for supper. "Salad and purple ice cream!" was her response.

We decided on Olive Garden.  When the waitress arrived with the huge bowl of salad, Ella gasped at the top of her lungs, shrieked with delight, and started dancing in her chair. The waitress thought it was hysterical. Ella had absolutely no interest in my pasta, she had heaping piles of salad and 3 breadsticks.

Since we aren't sure if purple ice cream even exists, she got a little treat on the way home to top off the night.

Erin - 5 Months Old!

Favorite Item: Teddy Bear mobile or ceiling fan

Favorite Trait: Her giggle is absolutely perfect and contagious!... and her thick little legs!

Newest discoveries: Erin is so determined to crawl, although she's not getting anywhere. She is constantly rolling onto her tummy and lifting herself up like she is ready to go! She eats everything - blankets, paper, mom's hair, she'll even grab at your food!

A typical night's sleep: Bedtime around 7 or 7:30,  up around 6 (sometimes hungry at 3am)  

Currently still being nursed/enjoys one bowl of rice cereal a day.

Favorite Activities: Bathtime!! Sitting in her jumper or being pushed around by Sissy in her walker.

Nicknames: Peanut, Er-Bear

Weight: 17 lbs 14.5 oz (91st percentile)

Height 26 ins (83rd percentile)

Personality: So, so sweet, loves laying her head on your shoulder. Loves to be talked to/played with. Still our little "concerned citizen." She is so in love with her sister.  

Toddler Humor

Friday proved to be a very rough day. Ella and I had dentist appointments scheduled, and Erin had a check-up appointment. After that, Erin had 3 booster shots and an oral vaccination, and Ella got a flu shot. Then, I would return to work while Derek worked from home the rest of the day. Everything about this was a disaster. There were blowouts. There were a lot of tears. There were tantrums. I even dropped a dozen eggs on our kitchen floor to add to the chaos.  It. Was. An. Awful. Morning.

Quite possibly the only thing that kept me going was Ella's humor that day. I like jotting these things down because I just love the humor of a 3 year old! I remember my niece and nephew also being funny at this age.

(Practicing opening our mouths for our dentist appointment)
Me: "Ella, how many teeth do I have?" (opening my mouth)
Ella: "I don't know. I see a tomato!"
Me: "A tomato? I haven't eaten a tomato all day?"
Ella: "It's right there!"
Me: "That's my tongue!"

(On the way to an appointment, I had given Ella tylenol for an unrelated reason)
Me: "Is the tylenol kickin in yet?"
Ella: "No, its not kickin in. We need to kick it."

(On our way to the dentist)
Me: "OK! Here we go! We're on our way to the dentist!"
<I look in the rear view mirror and see Ella staring out the window pondering something for a few minutes>
Ella: "Are there gonna be robots there?"

(In the waiting area, filling out forms)
Me: "What's your name?"
Ella: "Ella!"
Me: "Whats your full name?"
Ella: "Ella Jo!"
Me: "Where do you live?"
Ella: "At Grandma's house."

Teething Away

Ella (wrapped in a blanket eating cereal at her princess table): "Ahhhh! Dont eat my red blanket!"
Erin (on the floor): *Nom nom nom* (happily gnawing away)
Me: "It's okay, she's just playing with it."
Ella: "No! She can't eat my blanket!"

Weather Woes

How is it possible that 2 days ago I was enjoying 90 degree weather and tonight it is literally HALF that temp and I'm bundling the girlies in winter gear to go for a walk?!

I am trying to fight the winter blues....

Vacation Recap

Derek and I enjoyed a very fun trip to Las Vegas this past weekend to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. There was an endlist list of places to visit. We did not gamble much, there were too many sights to see!!

Ten things we've learned from Vegas:

1. An airport pat-down isn't so bad.
2. A 10 year old hair straightener will not be operational after a flight to Vegas.
3. Hotels now put sensors in their mini bar that will charge you for any item you pick up. Watch out!
4. For two people who typically go to bed between 8-9 PM, we can still hang like the good ole days! We made it out until 1am & 2am (Vegas Time)!
5. Hoover Dam is stunning.
6. Garth Brooks is a fantastic performer. He impressed us in many ways... his singing, his comedy, the fact that he didn't have a band (just him and his guitar), his ability to sing other songs (such as Piano Man and American Pie), the small theater setting that fit only 1500 people! Trisha Yearwood came out and sang, also! Everything about it was wonderful.
7. Vegas has something for everyone... classy restaurants, fun shops, amazing views of the city, stunning casinos, shows for all walks of life....
8. You should always give yourself a 5 pound luggage allowance if you're planning to bring back 5 pounds of breastmilk!
9. Airport security frowns upon saw blades in your carry-on luggage. They will, however, let you through if it's actually a Grandpa-made painted clock with Sesame Street characters.
10. 5 years of marriage hasn't slowed us down a bit!

Fun little bartender show we caught!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtoFsH35io8&feature=youtu.be

I hope this link will take you to the photos!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.638352696012.2080512.209101634&type=1&l=e4ca611cd3

Viva Las Vegas

Derek and I have safely arrived in Las Vegas for our anniversary getaway! I almost can't believe I'm finding the time to blog while on vacation! A Few Highlights:

Hotel Room

Hotel views:



 

 

 Fremont Street with Gpa Chuck

 

Creepy Living Statue Man

 

Pawn Shop from "Pawn Stars"

This picture is for Ellers :)

 



Toddler Translation

Ella (in a concerned tone):  "Can you get me? So the ladybugs dont get me?"

Translation: "Can you put your arm around me while we sit in the chair together?"

A Random Smell

On our way outside heading to work/our sitter's house:

Ella: "Oooh. It smells out here."
Me: "Really? Hmm. I don't smell anything. What does it smell like?"
Ella: "A snowman."

Probably not likely. Yet.

In Need of a Laugh



After Erin had a full body blowout that happened exactly 8 minutes after a fresh bath, paired with a toddler (at the same time) trying on my nursing pads singing "I got two pads! I got two pads!", I had to seek some comic relief tonight after bedtime.

 

Dedicated to all of the moms out there :)

 

A Day at the Farm

Yesterday, I took Ella to a local farm with our pals Lindsay, Evelyn, and Charlotte. I had been told they had some farm animals that Ella would probably enjoy, and it seemed like a fun idea for just Ella and me.  Little did I know all of the things they had out there! It was a blast.

 

Chickens and rabbits galore...including baby chicks and tiny new bunnies

 

Wilbur the pot belly pig....goats.... a donkey...a sweet little farm dog named Tucker!

 

 

Sweet baby kitties!

 

 

 A garden and pumpkin patch; the girls all picked and took home gourds/carrots

 

 

Speaking of happy little farmers, this one stayed home and napped :)

 

A Busy Week

It's been a busy week for all. Here are our updates!

Derek has been gone on the East coast all week for work. He traveled Monday morning-late Thursday night and visited South Carolina and Pennsylvania. From what I'm told, he worked hard, ate well, and slept peacefully in luxury hotel beds. :)

Erin rolled over from her back to her tummy on Thursday night. She has been trying so hard this week and she finally got it! She's been acting a little funny lately so we're hoping to see a tooth sprout up here soon.

Ella missed her Daddy all week, but kept VERY busy with a steady flow of visitors from her aunts and Gma Lorrie and Gpa Tom! It was quite a treat having other people cook for her, read to her and bathe her.

I had a very busy week keeping everybody full/dry/clean/happy/on schedule. With the exception of one very bad night's sleep, the rest went pretty smooth thanks to all of the help I got from family and friends! Weeks like this remind me how hard single parents/military spouses work...

In a conversation we shared the night Daddy was coming home, I asked Ella if she wanted to take Daddy out to eat the following night to spend some time with him.
Me: "Where do you want to eat at?"
Ella: "The table."
Me: "No... like... should we go to a restaurant?"
Ella: "No. I just want sammiches. At the table."
Me: "Really? If you could eat anything, what would you want?"
Ella: "Just sammiches. At the table. That's all."

Note to self: we need to get out more.

Erin - 4 Months

(Monday, September 17th)

Favorite Item: Toys that light up/play music

Favorite Trait: Her sweet smile...I LOVE those bursts of giggles... her thick little legs!

Newest discoveries: Erin is starting to grab at the sides of her crib, so we now find her in many different sleeping positions.  She is becoming a little worm figuring out how to squirm her way out of things.

A typical night's sleep: Bedtime around 7:30 or 8, eat around 5:30 (sometimes hungry at 3am)   

Favorite Activities: Bathtime!! Being talked to or sung to. She gives the sweetest (mouth wide open) kisses right now.

Nicknames: Peanut, Er-Bear

Personality: So, so sweet. Starting to get chatty. Still our little "concerned citizen." Her emotions are a little more even keeled than those of Ella as a baby.

 A video of Erin chatting away this weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8m3w00bABo

Ella, 3 Years Old

Now that Ella is 3, it seems only appropriate to update her biography. :)

• Favorite Items:   When she travels overnight, we still have to pack Mimi and her Ella pillow. Just about everything else can be left at home. Lately, she's been pretty attached to a plush Tigger animal.
• Favorite Trait: Her eyes and her smile.
• Personality: Very sweet, very funny/entertaining, always a "people watcher." Generally timid around those she doesn't know well; always needs time to warm up to them.
• A typical night's sleep: Bedtime at 8, up around 6:15  
• Favorite Places: The park, any place with animals, riding a boat, loves to be anywhere but home!
• Favorite Activities: Puzzles, playing with babies, playing Memory, playing with Erin
• Nicknames: Ellie, Ellers, Ellie-Bellie, Eleanor (her government name when she's in trouble)
• New Learning:
• I'm trying to work on getting her to write more... she does not sit down much.  Activities like coloring/scribbling or practicing writing shapes/letters are things I'd like to work on now that it's getting colder outside!
• Ella got several new books from her birthday party. She loves being read to, but this week she has started to take an interest in "reading" by herself. I've been hearing her all week sharing out loud what she sees in the pictures, or using her own imagination to make a story. It has been fun to finally be on the receiving end of story time! Erin also listens intently to the sound of Sissy "reading."

Birthday Party

Ella's birthday party was a blast! Thank you to everyone who came. We couldn't ask for better families and friends.

Cupcakes by Missy!

 

The highlight for Ella: singing the birthday song!

 

 

Look at all the love =)

 

Some, but not all, of the kiddos!

 



 

Present time!

 

 

Finally, a photo when Erin was happy