If this doesn't make you smile...

... I don't know what will. I love this sweet, smiley little girl!! 

Amazing Girls

Both these little girls astound me with their amazingness. :)

This one manages, if it were possible, to become more and more adorable each and every day! She is really starting to take on an appearance of her own now and seems less and less like a clone of her big sister... though they still look very much alike, as the picture below, taken when Carolyn was a couple weeks older than Nora is now, demonstrates. The older Nora gets the more I can see some subtle differences, but there's certainly no doubt that they are sisters!

I've had front-row seats to the amazing growth process of a little baby before, but it still catches me by surprise sometimes how incredibly fast Nora changes! She learns new things every single day- one day she won't be able to do something and then the next day, she can. Her hands are becoming more and more interesting and useful to her. Today she was very deliberately using them to bang a rattle on the floor, and was very pleased with herself for making so much noise. :) Amazing. 

And I am just astounded at some of the things Carolyn can do now. She has really begun to master the skill of dressing and undressing herself (this goes right along with the I CAN DO IT MYSELF mentality that seems to be part of everything she does lately!) Tonight I was feeding Nora and asked Carolyn get dressed for bed. 

Would you believe that this child went to the dresser, picked out MATCHING PJ's and got them on all by herself?! 

She can even do the buttons all by herself- something she struggled with just a week ago, and somehow now she can do it! I can't believe she is so big that she hardly even needs me to help her get dressed anymore- except maybe for some motivation; although she looks lovely in her clothes, she would be just as happy running around in nothing but her Cinderella shoes, as she was doing earlier this afternoon (I made her get dressed when it was time to leave the house!) :)

Oh, and by the way, Carolyn's new hair cut has really grown on me. I was kind of unsure at first, but I have seen how HAPPY she is about it for the past few days, and I know I made the right choice. It really suits her personality and developmental stage right now. I love that this is one battle I no longer have to fight with her. I love that she can see without anything holding her hair back. I love that she no longer gets food or snot in her hair that I have to brush out. And I love that she loves it, and that is really enough. Someday, I hope she will grow it out and let it be beautiful and long again. But for today, this is perfect. 

It'll Grow

I branched out today and got Carolyn's hair cut short for the summer. I felt like she and I conflict over so many necessary things that it would be a relief to stop having to argue with her about her hair. She just LOVES the new style. Her first words about it were "Now my face isn't in my hair!" I've been having second thoughts all day because it does make her look so different. I'm afraid that people will think that she looks like a boy- or like one of those embarrassingly asexual female children that you couldn't tell the gender of unless they were wearing pink. 

Please help me out. I need some reassurance that I haven't sentenced my sweet child to a summer of looking "ugly" or "un-feminine." Do you think she still looks pretty? Of course she's my child and beautiful to me no matter what. But is she pretty to others? Will she be pretty to herself when she looks back on the summer she turned three or will this haircut be something she laughs at me about? 

Well, at least it will grow with time. And maybe I'll get used to it, too.

Memorial Day at the Beach

We went out for an early dinner in Holland last night and spent the evening at Tunnel Park as a family. After working all weekend, it was so nice to just spend some unstructured time together! Carolyn, predictably, was thrilled with all the sand to play with!

Doesn't Nora look cute in the Bjorn?

First feel of sand between her toes.

Walking along the beach. I could really see how much Carolyn has grown from last year- she is so much more independent than she was before! Of course this means we have to watch her all the more carefully because she is not content to just stay right by Mommy and Daddy anymore! She wants her own space to explore the world for herself! 

Nora got her own beach chair made of sand and a blanket. :)

Carolyn met a little boy who was picking up handfuls of sand and throwing them in the lake and she thought it was a great idea. It was interesting and sweet to see her play with this other child- he spoke Spanish and she speaks English, but it made just no difference to her at all. He was just another kid to play with. I wish we could all keep that unsullied, childlike view of other people, how in all the important ways, we are all just the same. 

The refilling of the lake with sand held Carolyn's attention longer than it did the boy's- we enjoyed watching her be so delighted with something so simple! :)

A better photographer than I am might be able to catch something like this more often, but for me, it is a rare thing when I manage to capture the essence of Carolyn the way that this picture does. This is what she looks like to me; and if I had cameras in my eyes, this is what all the pictures of her would look like! :)

Nora pooped out pretty quickly, and I got to hold her. :) Lucky Mommy! I'd missed her!!

Sweet, sleepy baby. :) After this we went out for ice cream and drove home; no one got as much sleep last night as we'd have liked... but it was worth it! :)

My Girls

I missed my girls this weekend. It was my first weekend back to work... I sort of dreaded it, but really it couldn't have gone any better. I'm finding that I enjoy being at work again much sooner than I did after Carolyn was born- it took a good six months before I really LIKED being thereagain. This time, though I miss the girls, it's actually kind of nice to have a break from "mommyland." 

Brad came through this weekend as SuperDad! I forgot how special it became to me last time when I went back to work and left him home to be Mr. (Dr.) Mom and saw how being the primary caretaker for a little while just deepened his bond with Carolyn, and hers with him. It is really sweet to see that starting to happen again with Nora. I'll admit, I had some doubts (it's hard to believe that anyone can take as good of care of your children as you can!)- but he just went above and beyond my expectations. He did everything I asked him to do without complaining, and both girls had a great weekend. :) Thanks honey!

Every dad has to do this.

Flying lessons in the bathroom.

I'm not sure who taught Carolyn this face... but it is a good representation of what she is like at this age! So much of what is adorable and fun about Carolyn is really hard to catch on camera- probably because she still hates the camera as much as ever! The closer she gets to three (next month already!) the more her independence and personality continues to develop- and she has now mastered the skill of being intentionally silly. She's so funny sometimes!

Raleigh

We just got back from a great 5-day trip to Raleigh to visit Uncle Doug, Aunt Katy, Emily, and Baby Jake. 

It was Nora's first big trip and she traveled like a pro! I can't quite say the same for us, though! We'd gotten pretty used to flying with one child; had gotten a system down... and found that traveling with two threw us off our groove a little! Getting through security was a bit bumpier than our pre-Nora days, but we made it!

Daddy sat next to Carolyn; I think they had a good time. :) She got a little wiggly toward the end, and didn't like the pressure changes in her ears, but things could have been MUCH worse!

After a long day of travel, we just had to make a pit stop for some chocolate ice cream on the way out of the airport. It was GOOD. :)

Emily and Carolyn have a sweet, easy way of interacting. I've never seen Carolyn get along so well with another child. They hardly squabbled at all the whole time we were there and both girls seemed to really enjoy playing together. 

Our first night in town, we went to this local place called Loco Pops for some special, homemade popsicles. They were a big hit!

Here are Doug and Brad with all the cousins: Jake and Nora (Jake is 7 weeks younger than Nora), and Emily and Carolyn (Emily is 10 weeks older than Carolyn). It's so fun that each kid has a cousin right around the same age- and fun for our families because we have ended up in so much of the same place in life right now; we can really relate to one another! 

We really didn't "do" a whole lot while we were there- with two little babies, it's hard to really get out, but Emily and Carolyn don't really need anything fancy; just a nice playground with some sand to dig around in is just great!

And some Chick Fil A makes it even better!

Carolyn was pretty tired- and filthy! by naptime on our second day!

Jake is so cute! I'm so glad we got a chance to see him while he's still little- he was 7 weeks old while we were there, just starting to really smile, and a really great cuddler!

Jake might be a little guy, but he's actually just about the same size as Nora! She's a little longer than he is (not much) but they're pretty well matched for weight! They had a nice time kicking around together on the play mat.

One night when the grownups wanted to play some games, we stashed Emily and Carolyn on the couch together to watch Annie. Don't they look cute cuddled up together?

Our last day in town we went to a big park near their house. There are a few kiddie rides there, and the girls enjoyed "driving" these boats around. I was surprised Carolyn got in the boat by herself; she's not really a thrill seeker, but she was brave and did it and had a great time.

Then there was a train ride... and then a trip around the carousel. There are no pictures of the carousel because Carolyn did not really like it... thanks to a scarring experience when she was not quite one, she is mortally afraid of the horses on carousels. If we ride at all, we ride on the bench. And even that is sometimes scary...

All in all, we had a wonderful time and come home thankful for the great blessing of family, all the more special because we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like to. It's nice to have the kind of family you like so much that you wish you could see them MORE!

A First

Nora's first pigtails- even younger than Carolyn was when she had hers! :) Today when I picked Nora up from "school," they had fixed her hair! I thought she looked adorable, and decided I'd post just this one picture among the hundreds I have to sort through to get up to date on my blog... just so you know I'm still here. :) We've been out of town since last Friday morning and hit the ground running (of course) when we got home. Hopefully the neglected Blog will be updated tomorrow. :)

Three Months Old

Nora turned three months old on Friday! Wow! Can't believe that. She's fully past that newborn sleepiness now and definitely into the infant sweetness stage.
She is such a delight! Except when she's hungry or tired, she is essentially happy and loves to smile (though not always for the camera). She's very sweet and cuddly right now and I love nothing more than holding her and just absorbing the sunshine that seems to radiate from inside her.
Nora has grown very observant and really studies everything and everyone she sees. Oh, and don't you just LOVE her outfit?!
The biggest change I've seen in her this month is a massive increase in physical strength. She can hold her upper body quite steadily when supported from below, and can turn her head in any direction to look at whatever interests her. She has rolled over a few times from tummy to back and is starting to push up on her arms a bit in a way that makes me feel like mobility isn't as far away as I'd like to think!

Nora still looks so much like her older sister- pictures of them at the same age look almost identical! But she's got her own personality and way of relating to the world. In general, Nora isn't quite as intense as Carolyn. She is more laid back and easygoing. She tends to approach people in a more trusting way; Carolyn seems to need to figure people out. If I had to guess right now, I'd say Carolyn's inherited more of my personality traits, and Nora seems to favor more of Brad's- not a bad thing for them as sisters because the differences between Brad and I are really the very things we appreciate about each other and that make our relationship work. People like me get along really well with people like him. So hopefully Nora and Carolyn will enjoy their sister-sister relationship even more as they grow older. :)

Last of all, I had some 3-month pictures taken at JC Penney on Thursday (before the nursing strike really ramped up). Enjoy them!

First Days

This week was another big milestone for us. It was time for my half-dreaded, half-anticipated return to work on Wednesday. Nora joined Carolyn at "school" for the day. I sent along my camera so that Kim, Nora's teacher, could take some pictures of her day for the blog. Unfortunately, I neglected to check to be sure the camera was on the normal mode, and it was on some goofy setting, so most of the pictures aren't great. But it's documented anyway. :)Nora really did great all day at "school." She enjoyed this playgym and seeing all the bright colors and new things. She did have a hard time with the bottle. Over three feedings that each took an hour, according to the log sheet, Nora only had about 4 ounces all day long! She had taken a bottle okay before, though she hadn't done it often. This week I think I will try a slightly faster flowing nipple since the slow flow ones are probably frustrating for her. I hope it is better this week.

My first day back at work really couldn't have been better. I was worried I wouldn't remember what to do- but after the first hour or so I felt like it all came back to me and it felt natural again. It was much easier to slide back in to work this time than it was after Carolyn; I think because although having a second baby changes your life, it doesn't really change your identity. When Carolyn was born, my three months off were consumed with the process of becoming a mother for the first time- when Nora was born, I was already a mommy, so I don't feel like the last three months have significantly changed who I AM, though it's certainly changed a lot of what I DO all day. But anyway, everything went great at work, pumping was fine; I didn't even get horribly backed up.

I thought everything was great. Then Thursday happened. I'm not sure if going back to work triggered it or what, but Nora had an 8-hour nursing strike on Thursday. She simply refused to eat and screamed like I was torturing her everytime I tried. It was without question the hardest day I've had yet as her mommy. I ended up finally taking her to urgent care just to be sure nothing was physically wrong with her (there wasn't). I talked to a lactation consultant who says this happens sometimes and just be patient and keep offering. Finally, I was able to feed her after about 8 hours. I sort of feel like we are still getting over this, Nora and me. Yesterday, she refused another feeding; it took about 45 minutes of hard screaming to get her to finally eat. Today has been fine so far. So I guess maybe she got a little more disrupted than I thought; it makes me feel so bad, and I was in pretty rough shape on Thursday; there are few things more important to me than being able to nurse Nora; it is a precious, fleeting time that I really want to make the most of. I hope this week goes better for her. I'm trying to downsize our life a bit this week so that maybe she will be better able to cope with the changes I can't control in her life.

So all in all, I'm back to work, and we're all adjusting... but that's part of the reason for the neglected Blog!

Catching Up is Hard to Do

This week turned out so crazy and I have been so tired that all these pictures just got neglected. So here's a quick rundown on what's going on in our house. The new

The older Carolyn gets, the more she seems to enter into the world of pretend play. I love this! An active imagination is a great gift. One of her favorite games right now is "what would you like to order?" She likes to play cook and waitress all at the same time. Anything is possible for dinner at Carolyn's Cafe. :)
Of course, for a two (almost-three) year old, nothing beats a great ice cream cone- especially if the ice cream is a color that will stain almost any shirt! :) Good thing I bought a lot of cheap play clothes for the summer...

Bathtime is still a highlight around here. Nora is really starting to enjoy it- even when Big Sister thinks the best thing to do is to pour water by the pitcherful all over her!
One of the not-so-fun things we've been dealing with lately is a major battle of the wills over bedtime. Carolyn is clearly tired when it's time for bed- often she starts asking to take a nap around 7 or 7:30pm, but it's like a switch gets flipped as soon as she actually has to climb into bed at night. She knows that she is not to get out of bed after lights out- so she monkeys herself around from the bed to get into the dresser drawers to get stuff out to make trouble with. This night, she'd found a bottle of baby powder and poured it all over herself and the bed. The following morning, I went in to get her and she'd squeezed baby lotion all over everything. She said she was washing her toys. Today we are moving the dresser out of her room to remove this temptation. Any tips on how to get a child this age to go to bed would be much appreciated!
Nora is at the delightful age of being very easily amused. The ceiling fan is a source of much entertainment.
She loves to kick her feet and wave her hands at it. Aren't they sweet?
Love the outfit here. Bath towel, sunglasses, and Daddy's golf shoes. :)