Life with Two

* I'm not saying every day is perfect or the best but I want to remember the best/good instead and learn from the not so good days.*

We've had some pretty good days this last week. Some highlights include going to the library, enjoying General Conference, some shopping trips, and a great trip to the aquarium.

Let's start with the library: We went on the wrong day it turns out for their story time and accidentally found ourselves in the mommy and me story time (for babies). It was pretty funny to see me trying to lift my 25lb+ baby in the air for the songs (I got a good laugh about it). The real joy came when they put all the toys on the floor after story time for all the kids (babies) to play with. I got to see Penny's kind nature in wanting to help. She went to each mom and baby with two toys in hand to give them to play with. It makes me smile and feel really good when I see her do things like this (especially when we're having a hard day) because it reminds me that she is loving (no matter how upset she can get later on) and has a good nature about her. She wants to do the right thing (most of the time) and that's the important thing.

I'll just say General Conference is no easy feat with two littles. With that, though, we made it. Declan got his first hair cut (see previous post) and Penny got to do some coloring and relaxing. She put up a little fight (as did Declan before his haircut) but I got some cute moments on camera to make me smile.

As I've been losing weight, I've had to return some things ordered online for smaller sizes (Oh, to be happy or sad?). So, the kiddos have made the treks with me. I've learned from a lot of experience with them that I just need to bring the double stroller, some snacks, a water bottle, and my phone and they will be set for an hour or so before destruction. I've been able to get together with some new friends to just hang out for some relaxing good times. Penny is so funny when I tell her we're going to anyone's house because she'll then say "Oh, you're going to the gym so I can play with ____!". She gets so excited with the idea of play dates and because before I hurt my foot we were having regular play dates so I could go to the gym she's now sad that I stick around when we go places. I have to keep telling her though that I really do want to go to the gym but the doctor says not yet.

We had a friend hang out with us and asked if we wanted to go to the aquarium with her- YES!- so we took the kids and had a blast! Declan just did not want to be held at all for any amount of time (which was a bit difficult because of the crowds) and Penny wanted to take her time looking at some of the exhibits. She loved touching the starfish and Declan wanted to just jump into the water at the touching stations. It was also really nice to have 3 adults to 2 kids. We need to go back again because the kids just loved it so much (although we did go to all the exhibits).

We've been having some real good days and successes in our home. Penny really seems to thrive on our night time routine. We went out to the drive-in this week and we noticed how much it backfired the routine because when we got home it was not easy to get them to bed. There are some times that she comes to us and we get it started. We really like the kids to be in bed between 8-830 (and it's going to get harder in the summer because Penny only wants to get to bed when it's dark). She and Declan both love picking their stories out for the night and brushing teeth together. It's funny because if she wants to delay going to bed, she wants to pick up shoes and books and toys (which I have NO problem with because she wants to do it).

Declan is catching on so much- I can ask him to do things (like pick up a shoe and take it to the shoe box) and he'll do it (not always exact or perfect but he understands). We caught him standing on a chair using Penny's fork and eating her noodles off the fork. It's so funny to me to see the major differences between them- he's also learned to climb up our little slide and go down it by himself. I think it's a lot of different factors- he's the second and has an example to look to before doing, we're not as cautious as we were with Penny and treat him more like a little person than a baby, and he's just a different person and personality is so different. It's fun watching these kids learn and grow at their different paces. I love being their mom and learning from the not-so-good days.

Declan's First Haircut!

It's been a little while coming for this haircut. Here's why and please tell me you kind of agree:

Sitting down for the cut.

Hair all wet for the cut…. :)

We go down to my cousin's house for General Conference (usually) and she was happy to give him his first cut (along with a few other people in the family). 

Here's his after:

For those wondering, yes- he did cry but it was because he didn't want to sit still. He ended up getting some paint on him so we gave him a bath so it kind of worked out so he was clean for after shots :)

Random life going on lately...

So much has been going on in our house- Declan and Penny have been growing in adventurous ways (climbing, playing together more, Penny reading stories to Declan that she's memorized), organizing and moving stuff around, a weight-loss competition (I'm in the maintenance group)- and good thing I chose that group because I've since injured my foot since it began, I'm planning out a quit to build, and food habits changing in all of us.

Penny and Declan are so funny together. Sometimes, she's chasing him for fun and he's enjoying it too until she gets really unaware of the personal space needed for any human. Penny loves to color and trace her letters and numbers. She LOVES her learning movies (when she gets to see them- leapfrog movies on Netflix- she's learning opposites, shapes, letters, number, and adventures) and books and cards. She also loves playing with friends when she gets a chance. I've noticed when a friend comes over that the first thing she does is give them a toy to play with and take their hand and says "Come to the playroom". When I wanted to purge through toys and books, I told Penny and she then wanted to sort piles for what toys were going to go to which friends from church... It was funny because then I explained that some of the toys were going to go to other people and a couple of the toys were Declan's favorites so we should't get rid of those. It's fun watching her learn more and grow. We love having friends to play with- as she's been phasing out of a nap for the last year, I've noticed that if she plays hard she'll not only be happy but she will crash for a nap. Here's an example from just a few days ago-

Oh, she's discovered that she LOVES pepperoni pizza (we discovered that she's in an eating phase again and asks for peanut butter sandwiches ("without an jelly") ALL day). In the mornings, Penny will grab a book to read (or sing) to Declan. She loves to sing "5 little monkeys" and "Brown bear". She LOVES singing time at church. It's amazing to hear her little voice in the car singing along to the songs that they're learning this year. She's got pretty good pitch and it makes her happy.

Declan loves to climb up chairs, couches- whatever he can climb up he will be there. He's getting some more teeth (bottom molars) so he's been a little clingy this week. As the two girls fell asleep on the couch from the earlier picture, here's what Declan was doing:

I love this weather where I can leave the side door open for the kids to play in the yard! We've had to put chalk up though because Declan has discovered that although it is not food, he can still put it in his mouth.

I was training for a 5k that's coming up and basically tripped while walking part of my lap one night and have been kind of laid up since then. It's been rough- I had a great night routine once the kids were down and it was great me time. It looked REALLY bad the first few days-

I'm really glad for the support from a friend to help convince me that almost a week after it happened that I should see the doctor. I have a level 2 lateral ligament tear. I've been doing some at-home physical therapy and have been sporting this bad boy for almost 2 weeks:

And decided that if I was going to be wearing sandals that I should go ahead and paint my nails. (My doctor thought I could wear the aircast with any shoe... Clearly, he doesn't know women's shoes). I've been trying to take it easy so it can heal properly but with two kids I can only do so much. I'll be getting a detail breakdown of what I can start doing, at what pace and how long, and get back on track with my training (although, it's not going to be great preparation with it being less than a month away now).

I'm going to be building a quilt soon. My mom has handed off fabric while I visited her. I am SUPER excited to do this.

Declan's 15 month stats

Well, Declan had his 15 month appointment (and only 1 shot). Our little man is growing so fast. Here's a quick reminder of where he was 3 months ago (and Penny):

"Speaking of growing, here are the kids' stats for their appointments: Penny is a whopping 31 lbs (50%) and 36.5 inches tall (so she is CONSTANTLY bonking her head on the kitchen island). Declan is a whole 22 lbs 2 oz (but at his last appointment a few weeks ago from being sick he was up to 23 lbs), 29.75 inches tall (just .25 inches shy of needing to switch car seats) and 46 cm for his head (25-50%). The doctor and I attribute Declan's small weight gain do to the fact that he was very ill a few weeks prior."

Now our little guy isn't so little anymore. He is 25lb 5oz (75%) and is 32 1/4 inches tall (75-85%) with his head being 46 3/4 cm (~50%). He is going to pass his sister pretty quick. (just 5 lbs and 5 inches away with a 2 year difference in age).  He's starting to sound some words out (he says "nana" for banana, momma, bubble, and a few other random words). He also has picked up a sign for food/when he thinks he's hungry (he points with one finger and points it to the palm of his other hand). It's helpful but he is a garbage disposal (a cute one but man he'll eat anything!)

Here are stats from Penny's 15 month check up in comparison:

"23lbs 15oz (just under 50th percentile, which is normal because of her walking so much), 31 inches tall (50-70 percentile), and her head is 47 1/2 cm (90 percentile)"

Sorry it took me a while to get these up. Here's a cute shot of him napping (because that's when I can enjoy some nap time :) ) I'll try to get one where he's awake next time.

Haircut...

Well, I figured it was time for a change (I haven't had a haircut for almost a year now). So I had pinned a few ideas knowing that my hair is wavy. Here's my sad "before" shot this morning:

(not great lighting and I had just woke up- can't you tell?)

My after, I am in LOVE with right now.... But first, let me tell you about how it finally happened. I posted on facebook to see where I could get my cut (our Great Clips shut down) and I had no where to go (unless I wanted to find a different great clips). I found somewhere while waiting for responses and called them when I was on my way to see what store they were closest to and found out that they were booked with appointments today and as a walk-in I would have to wait until Tuesday (not going to happen). So then I looked on facebook and someone DID comment. I started my travel to that hair place and then called when I was in the same complex as they are and found they had a 20 min wait for walk-ins. Well, when I was on the phone, I was parked in front of another hair place and decided to call them. The stylist who answered the phone said her appointment earlier was moved and so she was free. Well, I hopped my little self over there and she was a sweet lady (who has curly hair so she understands and had the vision that the cut would look good with my hair wavy or straight). It was a miracle! 

So now, without further ado, here is my after:

(haha, kidding. That's not even all the hair that got cut off...)

Ok- here it goes:

(Can you tell she'd not taken a photo with an iPhone before?)

(back and front view thanks to the mirror. 

Oh look, the gal who did an AMAZING job with the cut!)

(Side view- blurry again but still)

Here's the photos I brought for her to go off of:

 

It's amazing how good you can feel after a great hair cut, right? As Chris reminded me though, I need to remember to wear sunscreen more but it's all worth it :)

I can still put my hair in a tiny nub of a ponytail (which was my request). 

I wonder how everyone else will like it...
The answer to that is as long as I love it, it doesn't matter too much.

Crazy weeks

(2/7)
Well, a couple of weeks ago, we noticed Declan wasn't 100% (after throwing up and diarrhea and a temp of 102) so I took him to the doctor (even though his fever had broken) just to get looked over because I felt something was still a little off. Of course, mother's instinct was right- he had an ear infection in his left ear. The doctor, aware of what Declan had just been through, prescribed an antibiotic that he would only need to take once a day (for 10 days) but we needed to be aware that it was going to cause some diarrhea (that he was already trying to get over). She also recommended that we get some baby yogurt to get some good bacteria in him to help his system kick this. We made a follow up appointment for two weeks later. Declan had been getting a really bad diaper rash so we were slathering him up with cream and giving him a bath (which seemed to help short term) but the bathing started to flare up his eczema on his left shoulder. I was looking high and low for the little sample we were given from the dermatologist's office last April and with no luck, I called their office to get the name of it. They spelled it out for me and everything and told me it would be behind the pharmacy area even though it was an over the counter but if I wanted they did sell it at the office as well. I thought I would try my luck with calling around a few pharmacies to see who might carry it in stock. Turns out that it's a hydrocortisone lotion that they have to special order (because it's not asked for very much). I had called 10 different pharmacies with no luck. I decided to bite the bullet and just go to the dermatologist's office and pay the extra $6 for the lotion (that he needs to have 3x a day). Declan was seeming to be on the mend of all this stuff and just before the two week follow up, he started walking. He was still getting a little grouchy towards bed time so we had chalked it up to teething perhaps and gave him a round of tylenol. I went very hopeful to his appointment (although, he had just started up with a runny nose and a really bad cough- bad enough that we had given him his inhaler the night before the follow up, as well as turned the humidifier on, and a few nights prior Chris didn't come to bed until midnight because he was concerned about the massive coughing). I knew that the doctor would be kind enough to check out his cough while we were there too. She was and listened to his lungs and said we were smart and right to get his regimen going and to use the inhaler every 4 hours until he sounds better so we can avoid any lung problems. She also then checked his ears. First the right (no infection from the first visit and still looked good but hairy), then the left... a sigh. "Well, we need to give him something a little stronger".  She looked over her notes and we talked about why we used the last medicine (because of the vomiting and diarrhea) and she asked how he was doing in those departments (which he was completely over both). She then prescribed another antibiotic that was stronger (and needs to be refrigerated and he needs to take with food) that he'll take twice a day for ten days with another two week follow up. The doctor warned me that this will give him diarrhea again and if it gets really bad to call her so we can fix that up (oh the joys of parenthood).

All better!

Last of the Vacations and on to the New Year!

We have really been blessed with a lot of travel these last few months. We went home to Ohio for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I have LOVED it. I've been able to recharge and get better perspective being away from California. I've also had a MRI on my left knee to see what we can do to make it more comfortable. Declan is learning and growing up so fast and so is Penny. The kids are just growing up so fast. I'm also getting anxious about getting to the gym again- I have found that it's a great escape for me. I'm also excited to start the new year and do things better.

We have done so much traveling that we are grateful to be back home and to get back into a good routine. We had great holidays visiting our families and to really enjoy ourselves with them. Of course, there are things that we didn't end up doing or people that we didn't get to see (or see as much as we wanted to). I don't know why but the kids ended up getting sick for both holidays. I have an amazing friend who came through for us with having the right medication for Declan so we didn't need to have a prescription filled during the holiday. They had bad coughs and diarrhea and vomiting. But we're all better now and trying to get back on the right time zone. Penny really understood Christmas this year (at least decorating the tree, opening presents, and recognizing the baby Jesus' birthday as well as her own birthday). Christmas morning was spent at my parents (where we were staying), followed by birthday cupcakes and ice cream for Penny's birthday celebration, and then off to my in-laws for Christmas round 2. She got into unwrapping presents so much she wanted to help everyone unwrap (once she got the hang of it). Declan thought the paper was AWESOME (which it was) and was in really good spirits. We have been so grateful to the friends we felt we could call on to transport us to and from the airport on these many trips because without them we would be at home (or calling a minivan cab).

The kids got TONS of things including the Hello Kitty pajamas (which she would live in if I let her) and a quilt for Declan made by my sister (that can be used for toy cars with the applique roads). Declan is officially walking as of this past week and babbles like no other. Penny got mistaken as a kindergardener when we had company for dinner (they asked when she started kindergarden and then I said she had just turned 3...) Penny is done being potty trained but due to the style of pants for girls (leggings generally) she needs some assistance to get them off. I'm still very conscious of the parks we go to so I know exactly where the bathroom is (and that's IF they're one there). She's pretty good at holding it when we need her to as well. Speaking of growing, here are the kids' stats for their appointments: Penny is a whopping 31 lbs (50%) and 36.5 inches tall (so she is CONSTANTLY bonking her head on the kitchen island). Declan is a whole 22 lbs 2 oz (but at his last appointment a few weeks ago from being sick he was up to 23 lbs), 29.75 inches tall (just .25 inches shy of needing to switch car seats) and 46 cm for his head (25-50%). The doctor and I attribute Declan's small weight gain do to the fact that he was very ill a few weeks prior.

I feel like I've been able to do some more reflecting as I've been away from the hustle and bustle of California. I'm coming to know who my friends really are and ways to cultivate those friendships better. I'm learning to still be cautious to those around me because of bad situations that have arisen but be true to who I am. We've been instilling some pretty good habits in the home as well (utilizing some Christmas gifts from this year and last). I look back to where I was not even a year ago and to see how far I've come with what I've had deal with and overcome and I'm happy with what I see. Life isn't perfect yet but it's getting closer every day. Chris and I have been able to set aside some couple time once a week and we're able to have some great discussions/conversations (they don't last more than half an hour usually). We're trying to find a way to get me back in the gym this year (I've been twice this new year). Chris has been on a really crazy schedule, getting him home anywhere from 7-8pm (and still riding his bike). I'm hopeful that a solution will be happening soon because I have some goals I need to keep on regarding my weight. The MRI on my left knee came back to say that my arthritis is just getting progressively worse but there's nothing torn to be mended. That means no surgery but I can have lubrication injections if I'm still in pain to help with the bone-on-bone (with a little bit of cartilage). The cold weather from the holidays made it really bad (where I was taking as much pain killer as I was allowed to in a day). I know as I continue to lose the weight that it will take more pressure off my knees (although it won't heal my arthritis but hopefully make it a little more comfortable). I hate being told my restrictions for exercises (no squats or lunges that are more than 45 degrees and no running for long distances). I've been doing really well on just sticking with the bike because that and the elliptical don't cause any pain.

Well, sorry it's been a while since my last post. Here are some last minute pictures to make you smile: