2013 Recap

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

• Parented 3 children (infant, pre-schooler, teenager)
• Took the kids to Disneyland
• Wore skinny jeans (that's for Shawna)
• Gave birth in front of my Mom and MIL

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?


• Resolutions for 2013:
•  DON'T BECOME AN EVEN CRAZIER CRAZY PERSON.  - Collosal Fail

•  Resolutions for 2014 (Let's be more reasonable this time around):
• Take the girls to the beach. Harlie has never been and this is terrible.
• Take another road trip. See things. Do things.
• Clean the house more regularly. Clean house, happy husband, happy life.
• Use the weekends to put personal touch on our new home. This is time well spent. Getting the kids involved is a bonus.
• Spend more time outside...and in our backyard.
• Read more, crack-out on phone less.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


• My co-worker, Jasmina gave birth to a sweet boy named Lucas.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.


6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?


     Taking a look at last years list, I'm proud that we kinda suceeded!

• More financial stability Yes, definitely! Promotions FTW!
• A new home Yes Yes Yes!
• A growing savings account (repeat from last year), Uh, no dwindling, but this is as expected since the savings account grew initially so that we could spend it on the house. :-)
• A vacation...a real one. (repeat from last year). Yes! Disneyland!

     Okay, so this year, I'd like to have:

• More backyard bbqs
• More peace and quiet
• A napping Ashlynne
• A more relaxed Harlie
• More quality time with Scott - DATES!
• Mo' money to spend on life experiences
• Mo' money in savings that's not intended for any specific purchase.

7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• January 29th - Our little miracle arrived!
• December 5th -  Setting out on our first road trip and setting foot in the Happiest Place on Earth. All in one day.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?


• Honestly. This is going to sound crazy, since we have the new house, but keeping the plan to take Harlie to Disneyland was a huge goal for me. I have long wanted to do this for her 5th birthday and even though the end of 2013 turned into the craziest, busiest time in our life EVER, I am proud that we didn't put this off. It was exhausting and amazing and truly a bonding experience for us all. So happy to have those memories...they are the sweet sweet reward that reminds me what a gift it is to be a parent.

9. What was your biggest failure?

• Not letting go of control enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

• I would say I suffered some injury in late Janaury, but it was worth it. ;-)

11. What was the best thing you bought?

• This house, fo' sho'. And Disneyland tickets.

12. Where did most of your money go?

• DAYCARE!!!!!!!

13. What did you get really excited about?

• Disneyland
• Househunting
• Furniture shopping
• Ashlynne's first Christmas
• Both Trips to Tahoe
• Overnighter in Livermore, sans kids!
• Harlie meeting Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

14. What song will always remind you of 2013?

• Aa aa aaaa aaa aaa aaa aa aaaaaaaaaaaaa AKA as the song from the Little Mermaid

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier!
– thinner or fatter? Thinner, since the baby's on the outside  now!
– richer or poorer? Richer.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?


• Thinking before speaking

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?


• Harping
  

18. How did you spend Christmas?

Christmas Eve we had a lovely evening at Florence's and then spent a wonderful first Christmas morning in our new home before heading up the hill to Mom's for more family time and a yummy Crown roast.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

New Girl

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Gosh, did I read anything???

21. What was your favorite music from this year?


I know nothing of music these days.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Okay, I really liked the Katy Perry documentary. ;-)

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Why can I never remember this???? 35.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
It would have been nice to have been moved into our new home earlier in the year so we could relax more and just enjoy being a family.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

Flats and anything that covered my butt.

26. What kept you sane?

Late night texting sessions with Melanie, my sisters ear and my parent's help and support with the kids.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.


Strive for smiles, from those around you and most importantly from yourself.  It's hard to be unkind if you're truly smiling.

The Girls - November 2013 (Harlie turns 5!)

Harlie Baby,

You turned 5 this month. FIVE! One, two, three, four, FIVE! It doesn't matter how much protesting I do, you just keep growing and I find myself wanting to hoard all of your "Mama's" and cuddles, as if one day they will vanish without warning. But for now you give them freely and often. Your sissy would say you give your cuddles a little too freely and not so gently. But her face lights up when you come into the room and you are her faithful playmate. It makes me so proud to see what a wonderful big sister you are and how you shower her with love and compassion. Ashlynne is so lucky to have you.

This year you decided you wanted a Sleeping Beauty birthday party at the Sacramento Children's museum. You had a wonderful time with your friends and cousins and it was especially sweet to see you and Emelia attached at the hip. It makes me happy that you two have remained so close. You were even able to spend the whole day with her later in the week to celebrate her birthday and came home with a big smile on your face and Twilight Sparkle My Little Pony from Build a Bear.

We MOVED this month, into the house you "picked" because it had stairs. :-) You also picked out your own room and were very happy about Disney princess-ing it as fast as you could. Auntie Autumn helped out with a new princess bedroom set and alarm clock. However, you were a little upset when you learned that none of the closet doors had mirrors and it's difficult to see yourself when you play dress up. This is just one example of how you can be a little difficult to please with your very specific demands. And everything better be your idea or you're usually not interested. Sometimes it's a struggle for control around here, for sure!

You are still loving to draw and paint and create. You love to make cards for people, help Mama in the kicthen and dress up your stuffed animals. You love the song Radioactive and are always singing at the top of your lungs. Life is never dull with you in it, Sweets. I love you more and more each day. Happy Happy Birthday Harlie --I love being your Mama.

Now for a few fun facts about Ashlynne's 10th month:

• Ashlynne was baptized by Pastor Frank at St. John's Lutheran on November 3rd. It was a wonderful day with family .
• She weighs 19 1/2 pounds and is the squeeziest!
• Ashlynne has her own room now and is still sleeping through the night!
• Clapping is a new skill Ashlynne loves to practice. If she's pleased with herself or excited about something, she will often clap and flash a big smile! "Yay" and "Clap" will also get her going.

The Girls - October 2013

Given my current mental state, I can only think in bullet points again this month. The good news is my crazy brain is overwhelmed with ALL THE GOOD STUFF going on these days. Hopefully I'll be able to write more about it when this roller coaster slows down a little bit.

 Harlie:

• As you can see, she decided to cut her hair like she did the summer before last. She had been growing it long like Rapunzel again, but finally tired of the fights with the hair brush. Fine hair = tons of tangles! I love the short hair and it is much easier to manage. 
•  Harlie made a new friend! Mama's childhood friend Lenette and her family recently moved to the area and after a visit at their house, Harlie became buddies with their youngest daughter, Kerrigan.
•  Decided to be Star Song (My Little Pony) for Halloween and picked out her sissy's matching costume as well - a unicorn!
• Harlie was so excited about visiting the Tahoe house this month for Grandma's Birthday! Her favorite parts of the trip were soaking in the hot pool (spa), playing in the teepee, going to THE BEACH, and getting makeovers from Mama and Auntie Keri with Mazzy.

Ashlynne:

• Is sleeping through the night! We started sleep training early in October and right away, she was able to get through the night without any feedings, soothing herself back to sleep if she woke. Naptime has been a bigger challenge, especially at daycare. She rarely sleeps for more than a 40 minute stretch and it's very hard for them to get her to fall asleep on her own without causing a disruption with her crying. At home we let her fuss and she'll fall asleep within about 5 minutes. So this has been an ongoing project. But sleeping through the night is a huge step forward! More sleep for everyone!
• Ashlynne is using her highchair and feeding herself soft mushy foods like banana and avocado, along with her puffs and cheerios. It's nice to have her join us at dinner and eat long with us.
• The "Fly Butterfly! Fly Fly Butterfly!" is Ash's absolute favorite game to play and Daddy does it best. We can rarely hold her on our hip too long before she is hurling herself forward so she can fly around the house doing her mermaid kick. This can be so so cute and then frustrating at other times when you just want her to stay still as you hold her. :-)
• Daycare has nicknamed Ashlynne the Steamroller and Bulldozer. Girlfriend gets anywhere she wants just rolling and spinning and kicking her self around and over any obstacle practically. Last night she just rolled herself from the living room to the laundry room and had her hand in the cat bowl before Scott or I could turn around, she is so fast!

All About Austin: 18th Birthday Edition

E:  What would you do with $100 dollars?

A:  Hmmm, I'd probably buy a video.


E:  If you could go anywhere in the world to visit, where would you go?

A:   Italy


E:  What is one new thing you would like to try this year?

A:   Uhh, I have no idea. I can't think of anything. Skydiving.


E:  What is one memory you have from this summer?

A:   Having Darian come over to my mom's house to spend the night.


E:  What is your favorite food?

A:  Steak


E:  What is your favorite song?

A:  Panama, Van Halen


E:  What is your favorite color?

A:   Black.


E:  What is your favorite movie?

A:  Top Gun, I guess, yeah.


E:  Who is your best friend?

A:   Truman


E:  What is your favorite thing to do?

A:  I would say video games, but it's not true. Uh, hang with friends.


E:  What is the coolest thing you've done all year?

A:   I would say committing to my YouTube channel and getting lots of subscribers.

The Girls - September 2013

Harlie:

• Tackled late one afternoon by an overly friendly Labrador at the park, Harlie is now a little afraid of dogs. I say “a little” with a whole lot of hope in my heart that this changes soon. Dogs are awesome.

• Aside from her cousins who are a little more like siblings than friends, Harlie’s bestest friend forever is Emelia. Friends and daily companions for almost two years, going these few months without seeing each other has been hard on both girls, so it was great that this month H and E got in a playdate at the splash park AND a sleepover. The first friend sleepover for both girls was a huge success! Emelia made herself right at home at our place and slept through the night with no problems.

• I have waited so long to have a Mommy-daughter show that we can share and hello DWTS!!!!!! I mean sequins and glitter will pretty much get any princess obsessed 4 year old hooked! J

• Harlie has started helping Scott and I set the table for dinner. Woot Woot! I feel a chore list coming on!

• The kindness that Harlie shows her sister everyday makes my heart “glow-up” as she would say. She is a loving protector, teacher and friend to Ashlynne and nothing brings me more happiness than watching them together.

• Harlie has enjoyed being Scott’s little assistant this month helping him with projects or chores around the house. Her desire to know everything about everything and learn all there is to learn about all there ever was is amusing, inspiring and reassuring! She is going to be so ready when Kindergarten rolls around, and is constantly asking how to spell words, draw letters and numbers, and why why why why things are the way they are. J

 

Ashlynne:

• Is sitting up!!!!! She still needs some crash protection and a little support to keep her propped up for long periods of time, but she can do it! I’ve ordered a brand new seat cushion for our highchair, and am so excited for her to be joining us at dinner like a big girl, next to the table instead of ON the table. J

• We’ve introduced Ash to the “Puff “and although she loves to grab and pick them up, she hasn’t quite mastered the art of getting them into her mouth. Once the highchair is put together, she’ll get more practice at this and I’m excited to add more finger foods to her repertoire like Cheerios and bits of banana and avocado.

• Now that the weather has turned, when we take Ash outside she loves to stick her tongue out to feel the wind or cold air. It’s so cute!

• Ashlynne’s hair is coming in fast now! It’s a dark blonde with the slightest bit of red that’s really only detectable in the sun. I think it might have a tiny bit of wave too, like Sissy’s did. She can thank Daddy for that!

• Uh Oh! Stranger danger alert! Little Miss Happy Pants has been showing signs of separation anxiety and stranger danger at home and at daycare. She doesn’t like to be left alone in a room and will WHINE continuously until someone comes back to play with her. At daycare, she doesn’t like the teachers she doesn’t know well to hold her and has even started crying when I go to leave. I’ve been having to play the distraction or sneak away game and it’s a bummer. I hope this doesn’t mean my lunch time visits will be coming to an end soon…they are still one of my favorite parts of the day. Since she is so active now, I love to see her interacting with everyone there and to watch her just be in her element at her home away from home.  I can also tell she’s starting to learn who her important people are in her life and forming bonds with family members which is so cool.  You can really tell by her smile now how VIP you are in her world. J

Dance! Now Freeze!

Dance! Freeze! from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

The Girls - August 2013

Harlie:

 

This was a big month for our big girl!!! A lot of firsts for her. She started the month out with her first time roller skating at cousin Mazzy’s 7^th birthday party! She had a great time and wanted to go FAST FAST FAST all the time. Even poor Maxie got run over by Auntie Erin as Harlie tried to race around the rink. *Note to self: Let go of Harlie’s hand next time* All the 2008 babies are getting so big it’s such fun to watch them run around in a pack doing all the big things now.

The day after the party was Harlie’s first trip to the dentist. I was so nervous about how her experience would go since she’s been afraid about getting her teeth drilled and not wanting it to hurt, but we assured her that she’d just be getting her teeth cleaned and counted, and so luckily there wasn’t any kicking and screaming to get her there. She was shy at first around the hygienist, Sue (a good friend of the Uncle Josh and Auntie Keri), but after some treats and jokes, she came around and was happily cheesing for the camera and handled the x-rays like a pro. We’re happy to report NO cavities and Sue and the dentist said her teeth look great! As we left, Harlie asked when we could come again! Yay!

Bathtime has turned officially changed to showertime for Harlie. We got her a hot pink loofah (ok I think technically it’s called a mesh sponge, but we all say loofah, right?) and Scott taught her how to set the water to the right temperature and wash her hair and body and she takes it all very seriously. Yesterday she was calling for me with concern in her voice and I was a little worried she had slipped, but when I got there she pleaded with me to help her close the shower curtain all the way (the rings stick to the rod sometimes), so she didn’t let the water out! J I can’t tell you how awesome it is to just send her off to take a shower and have her do it all herself!

Harlie has become increasingly interested in drawing and painting lately and creating little picture books. Just recently her drawings have started to become much more detailed and it’s fun to see her imagination come to life. She also enjoys completing her “homework” pages from a kindergarten prep workbook I bought her, which is encouraging. Lucky for us, she idolizes her big cousin Mazzy so if Harlie can do homework (or anything for that matter) like Mazzy does, she’s all over it! It’s hard to believe she’ll be starting school next year.

Ashlynne: 

Oh my sweet baby girl. She is getting so big and active. While she isn’t sitting up on her own yet, she loves to roll and roll all over the place. You can’t turn your head for a second before she’s rolled herself across the room and is chewing on the blinds or has her legs stuck under the couch. I think she may be close to sitting up, since she'll sometimes teeter for a couple seconds before eventually toppling over. I can't wait for that, because then maybe she'll stay put for a few minutes at a time. :-)

Knock on wood I think we may be lucky enough to have another little foodie on our hands. Ashlynne is enjoying solids and really loves bananas, applesauce, sweet potatoes and carrots.  She's not a big fan of avocados right now though, and I'm hoping it doesn't stick like with her brother! But she's continuing to grow at a steady pace. I just took her for her 7 mo. well baby appointment and she weighed in at 16.6 pounds (37th percentile) and is 26 inches (34th percentile)long. Since birth she's gained almost 10 pounds and grown 6 inches! I'm thrilled because her height and weight are still proportionate but her percentiles have increased about 10%, since her 5 mo appointment.

Ashlynne's sleep patterns remain about the same....waking usually at least once a night, but sometimes she'll surprise and sleep all the way through. Solids seem to be definitely helping, but we will probably need to start sleep training before it becomes a consistent thing. It's not ideal to do that right now with everyone's close sleeping quarters and besides, my heart's not in it anyway, but from experience, I know that's most likely the path we need to take when we're ready.

Little sissy continues to be a really happy and sweet baby, showing us her snow angel-jumping jack moves whenever she's happy to see us and flashing that million dollar smile of hers. She loves to talk and squawk and scream when she's excited. She can hold on to our arms now when being carried and gives the best hugs and open mouth kisses.

We're seven months in and  smack dab in the middle of magic baby bliss-land! I feel so lucky.

The Girls - July 2013

Harlie insisted on wearing her new princess jammies for this month's photo. I conceded because if anything is representative of who Harlie is right now, it's her wear-by-day-and-night princess jammies.

Harlie: Guess who's napping at daycare FINALLY!!! Woot Woot, this makes Scott and I so excited! Our evenings have been pretty delightful with a well rested Harlikins and it means we get to spend more time with her in the evenings which we all benefit from. Harlie has always been a great sleeper, but it's just not quite time to stop naps yet. She needs 'em.

Even though Harlie quit going to dance class last month, she's still a dancing queen, shakin' her stuff to Just Dance Kids on the Wii or teaching her sissy to "Dance! Now Freeze!" The profound impact that siblings can have on each other is so interesting. The fact that Ashlynne is already mimicking her sister is so cool as well as a little terrifying! ha!

Another passion of Harlie's has just emerged this month. We have on our hands a little wildlife enthusiast/explorer. :-) Come to find out, Harlie loves to watch survivalist shows and is obsessed with everything Shark! on Netflix. So yeah, not much My Little Pony this month. :-) Just this evening before bed she requested "the scariest one (shark show) Daddy."  She definitely doesn't get that from her sissy mama.

Some other relatively new things about Harlie:  Everything is "Awesome!"-- she only wants to wear seamless socks, if she wears them at all but usually she just wants to wear the same (sweaty, smelly) brown mary jane shoes to daycare everyday no matter what her outfit-- and she loves to randomly bust out singing "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" by Poison. The last time she did it, she and I were in Target. :-)


Ashlynne:
This has been a big month for little Ash. At the beginning of July, she started sitting up at the baby table at daycare and we got her a Bumbo for home. At first she would slouch over most of the time, but now she’s able to sit up in it with no problem. I think in the next couple of weeks she may be able to sit up unassisted. Her back is getting stronger everyday! At dinnertime, she’ll sit in her Bumbo on the table with us and tries to play skee ball with her toys as she launches them towards our plates. J
When she’s not causing a ruckus at the table, she’s actually eating with us now! Ash started solids on the 28th, just one day shy of her half birthday! We decided to have a picnic at the park across the street and thought it would be fun to let Ashlynne get her first bite there. She liked it, but was definitely a little skeptical about the mush on her tongue. It takes her a while to get it down, so we make it pretty thin for her. I think she likes being included though at dinnertime! I’m getting impatient because I want her to try ALL THE THINGS! . But for now we’re waiting several days between new foods, which is probably best anyway until she starts gaining confidence and gobbling it all down.
Ashlynne’s sleep schedule is RIDICULOUS right now. Swizzles goes down around 7:30, might wake up an hour or two later, and then definitely is up 3 more times (about every 2 hours) after that. Growth Spurt? Boredom? Separation Anxiety? Reflux? Gas? Got me!!!!!! J We recently switched back to the swaddle from first a sleepsack and then only her sleeper and it does seem to be helping her sleep longer the first stretch, and she’ll sleep about 4 hours before her first wake-up. Knock on wood, this becomes the trend. It is hard for me, especially since I should be pumping at 2:00am, and so most of the time she wakes and wants to eat, or she’s eaten an hour before and I don’t have much to pump! One thing that has been helping me save milk is nursing her at daycare when I drop her off. She consistently wakes up for the day around 5:30!, so the timing works out that I can feed her at drop off which often leaves me with an unused bottle of milk to take home. They are probably so sick of me at daycare because the last few days I’ve been feeding her 3 times a day there. At drop off, at lunch and at pick up. It’s SO much easier to feed her after work there, instead of at home, because there is a quiet corner I can sit with her in and then when we get home she’s not fussing and hungry while I unpack all of her stuff! Anyway, it’s working for us, so I’m going with it! J
I’d like to say Ashlynne is great at tummy time now and she would be if she wasn’t rolling onto her back all the time! Our little roly poly prefers to play on her side or back and has started rolling off her playmat, or getting blocked by the bendy poles that the toys hang from. It’s probably time to take those poles off, but since she likes to end up on her back anyway, they still give her something to look at and play with. Dilemma! J It’s so fun seeing her become much more active. She loves to kick her feet with the music, play the dancy freeze game with Harlie and dance with Daddy. Ah, it’s the best ever. She has also started doing this growl when she’s excited and it’s so cute. I wish I could get it on video but she never wants to perform when I have the camera ready.
This little girl puts a big smile on all of our faces. It’s amazing to see how much she has changed in six months. Time is flying way too fast for me.

The Girls - June 2013

 

Ashlynne: Oh my goodness, the 5th month with little sissy has been so much fun. She is so much fun to be around, you can't help but smile whenever she's near. Mostly because she's so full of smiles now. She'll notice us from across the room and smile, smile when Harlie comes over to say hi, and get distracted while nursing because she hears our voices. She'll unlatch, look up at me or over at whoever is talking and give a big old grin. Love it!  Changing diapers in one of my favorite things to do nowadays, because girlfriend loves the changing table. She loves the interaction with us and thinks it's playtime which it often turns into. Oh and the feet!!! She has recently discovered her feet and her not so little rump comes up as she grabs her feet and often pulls them to her mouth and it's just the cutest thing ever. EVER!  She loves to suck on everything, her toes included!

Our little baby is not so little anymore! Ashlynne had her 5 mo. well baby appt. and weighed in at 14 lbs, 1 oz. (25%) and 24.5 inches long (27%). This is a big jump from her weight at 3 mos. She's gained 4 lbs and 2.5 inches and I think most of it can be attributed to her pretty strict feeding schedule at daycare, her midnight feedings, and comfort nursing habits. I'll take the chub all day long though! she's even starting to get a little double chin! :-) Yesterday I packed up all of her 3 mos clothing...I just can't believe how fast time is flying. I feel like I blink and she grows an inch. Not fair!

Speaking of sleeping habits, Ashlynne is still waking 1-2 times per night but can be rocked back to sleep 50% of the time. She now goes down at home in a sleepsack but is swaddled at daycare which helps her nap longer.  She is a terrible crib napper and often ends up in the swing. These days at home it's so hard to put her down for a nap in her crib, she almost always wakes up the second we put her down. I have a suspicion she's starting to develop some separation anxiety which may be a contributing factor and I'll be interested to see how I report on that next month.

At the doc appt, Ashlynne received four shots and although she initially recovered quickly from the pokes, she was feverish and cranky for almost 48 hours afterwards. Note to self: do not schedule shots right before a holiday! Dr. Wang also said that her neck looked great and tested her range of motion. This was very encouraging. She's getting so much stronger on her belly and pushing herself up higher on her elbows.

In a couple more weeks we can start giving her cereal and boy is she ready. She is mesmerized by food, watching intently as it goes from our plates to our mouths. It actually makes us feel bad to eat in front of her, because you just know she wants what you have, She's so curious! I am hoping that a pre- bedtime snack might help her sleep through the night too but we will see.

And last but not least, I am very sad to say that Ashlynne got her first sunburn while in Tahoe last week. We had a great time and she was an absolute angel the whole time, but we underestimated the strength of the sun and patchy tree cover, which left her little face red and swollen for the last 2 days of trip. I think it hurt my heart more than it hurt her, which is a blessing...lesson learned for sure! Lucky for me her hair had just started to fall out at 4 1/2 weeks, so her scalp didn't get too red, but it wasn't fun sending her daycare with peeling cheeks. :-(

Harlie: Feisty, defiant and impatient would best sum up this last month with Harlie. She has really been enjoying her summer, but seems to be asserting her independence and fighting for control more than ever. Not sure how much of this is her four-ness and how much of it has to do with adjusting to the new daycare and sharing attention with Ashlynne. She still seems to enjoy her days at preschool and for the most part behaves while she is there, so I'm counting my blessings. We're trying to help her find a balance between following the rules and showing respect while being able to make some of her own choices. Mom's a control freak too, so it's been a struggle to say the least.

This is one of the reasons that she's taking a break from dance class right now. Hopefully, in a couple  months she'll be ready for it again. I do love to watch her get her groove on!

Some things she loved this month were: painting, singing the same verse from 22 by Taylor Swift and Call me Maybe by Carly Ray Jepsen over and over and over again (I think this is influenced by some top 40 exposure at daycare), wearing skirts, wearing shirts as skirts, decorating every room in the house with random toys, crepe paper and precious treasures (i.e. garbage - wrappers, weeds, dead flowers :-) ), wearing Mama's jewlery, and making Ashlynne smile.

Father's Day

I had plans to do a survey with Harlie, but daycare beat me to the punch. I think these are so cute!

The Girls - May 2013

Ashlynne: Strength development has been a little slow moving. I think the torticollis provides some obstacles but regardless, everyday Ash gets stronger and will play on her tummy a little bit longer.  At about 3 1/2 months we had a setback with her neck. Two weeks before, you could hardly tell that she favored her right side at all, and so I think we dropped the ball and got a little lax on her exercises. It was frustrating because she was about to start daycare where there was no way to make sure they took care with her positioning etc. It's doing much better now, but we continue to work with her and encourage her to use those muscles. Slow and steady wins the race, I guess.

Speaking of development, Ashlynne's sleep schedule has gone completely haywire -- I clearly didn't knock on enough wood since last month. Our once sleep-through-the-night-baby woke up 3 times before morning last night. This new trend started a couple weeks ago when I found her chatting and smiling one morning while on her belly in her Woombie. After smiling back at her I quickly sighed "Oh no". I knew the end of the Woombie magic had come....and way too soon! It is impossible for her to get her arms out of that thing so if she needed to push her self up from the mattress and her hands were down by her side, it could be bad news.  Since then she's been in a swaddle that helps her fall into a deep sleep, but she often has broken out of it a few hours later.  I don't know if it is a milestone (rolling), growing (chub a wub eats constantly), no more Woombie or a combination of all three that has contributed to the craptastic sleep schedule, but it's no bueno, man. She is usually up no less than twice in the night now. I think we'll be trying out the sleep sack soon and just maybe she'll find her way to her side or tummy because it's more comfortable and we'll all sleep a little bit better. Fingers crossed!

Some fun developments happened this month though that make all the sleep deprivation worth it. Ashlynne laughs now which is the cutest thing ever in the history of the world, no universe!  Especially the spontaneous laughs, where she'll just be chillin' and then burst into laughter at who knows what. That's the best! And when we can make her laugh, boy is that immensely gratifying.  I don't know if there is a greater reward than a baby laugh. Love love love.

She reaches for and holds toys now! Which is especially helpful when I leave her at daycare, so that I can set her down and distract her with a toy, instead of just watching her watch me walk out the door.  At home it's been fun watching her get to now her toys too. Her faves are Mr. Moosey and the monkey that hangs from her play gym. She loves to chew and suck on everything so it's about time to get her some teethers and other gnaw-friendly trinkets.

As I mentioned, Ash started daycare at 16 weeks old.  It's going well and her teachers seem to really care about her. She's also sleeping well there now, although half of the time it's in a swing. As long as she's sleeping I'm happy---just mind her neck please! Blessed with a cold after her first week there, I'm just glad she started daycare in May and not in the fall or winter.  I'm hoping she stays relatively healthy during the summer months, but we'll just have to see...it's a spit swap fest for sure. Keeping up with her bottle demand has been a challenge. I'm just keeping up with the amount of milk she drinks, but creating a frozen stash has been difficult. I just hope we can make it to six months and then once she's on solids I should be able to save up a lot more for the freezer. I've been able to visit on my lunch hour everyday which is the best thing ever. I wonder how long I will be able to do that before she starts crying when I leave. I love it so much, I hope that day doesn't come soon.

Ashlynne has really filled out this month. I think she's in the middle of a growth spurt and her cheeks and thighs have really plumped up, and she's just the squeeziest! I can wait to see how much she weighs next month, I think she's growing at a faster pace than Harlie did at this age which in interesting. Soon she'll be out of her 0-3 month clothes.

Harlie: Currently obsessed with Jake and the Neverland Pirates (also a fave of cousin Max), I'm wondering if there is a Peter Pan trend happening. Last month it was Tinkerbell, now it's Jake. :-) Although she still loves mermaids and princesses too. Gosh I can't wait to to take her to Disneyland. CANNOT WAIT!!!

Harlie is doing well at daycare. Some mornings she is sad to see daddy go but recovers quickly and enjoys playing with her new buddies. Jennifer says she is well behaved  and although she is not regularly napping, she'll stay quiet. It's difficult for me not knowing all about her day. She doesn't come home with a daily report like she did at Jessica's. The control freak in me still wants to know every single thing she eats and what activities she's done that day, but I supposed this is only preparing me for when school starts, and the loss of control that comes with that.

I've been especially nostalgic with Harlie these days. I miss her littleness and have been giving her more squeezes, breathing in sweat and sunscreen while telling her I love her and hoping to hear back "I love you too, Mama."

News alert: Harlie likes chicken again! Scott bbq'd some chicken thighs last night and Harlie just raved about how it was SO good! She had two pieces even. She's a funny one...keeps us on our toes. She is  hungry all the time as well (even daycare made a comment about how much she eats) and always wants MORE FOOD! Guess she must be going through a growth spurt too. In fact we're all ravenous in my house these days....this isn't so good for my grocery budget. :-)

Harlie started a new dance class with her pal Elinor. I like this one better because the parents can actually sit in class and watch instead of peer through the window. She has a recital next month which should be hilarious to watch. Gosh they are just so cute at this age...when having fun is the most important thing above everything else, like technique! :-)

What a week!

It's day one of my four day weekend and boy do I need it. Both girls started daycare this week....and luckily Harlie loves her new place, which makes me so happy and relieved. Scott drops her off and picks her up each day and says he's really pleased with the environment there. Oh, thank God. Ashlynne's first day at Baby Club Med (thanks Jessica for the analogy) was Monday and after 4 weeks at home with Scott, I was nervous about being prepared, but grateful I wouldn't be starting back to work the same day. I had become accustomed to being away from her  for 4 hours at a time, so now I just had to handle handing her off to PERFECT STRANGERS. But wouldn't you know as I fumbled my way around the infant room I totally started to lose it. I felt anxious as I put her milk away and stuffed her bibs and crib sheets into her cubby, cutely decorated with a big strawberry and "Ashlynne" written in Sharpie.  And then, as I bent down to take Ashlynne out of her carseat, my eyes filled with tears. Big juicy ones that I couldn't keep in by tilting my head back and taking a deep breath. I pulled Ashlynne out and hugged her tight, burying my face in her hair and then the ugly cry hit. Oh freakin' no! I was so embarrassed and sad and wanted to run back home with her. Luckily one of the girls was very sweet and reassured me that she knows it's hard and that they feel like crying for us when parents have to leave them for the first time (I can't imagine this is true but it did make me feel better). The best part of that day and every day since has been making my visit during lunch time-- to nurse and cuddle Ashlynne and witness a small piece of what it's like for her while I'm a work just around the corner.

Luckily her sleep improved as the week went on...

Each subsequent day has brought challenges, one of them being on day two when I sent 3 bottles of milk and was told at lunch time that they wouldn't be enough to last the day. Ashlynne hadn't been napping well and had been acting hungry so down the hatch all that hard earned liquid gold went. Not a great time for a growth spurt Ash. For real. This stuh-ressed me out so much that I had my mom pick Ash up early from daycare and had to come up with a strategy to boost my supply stat. Adding nightly pump sessions was obvious, and then dear Melanie gave me a ton of advice that I'll be using as well. Which leads me to today and the nursing vacation Mel suggested. Aside from helping Scott take the Toyota into the car shop, Ashlynne and I stayed in bed all day long...eating, playing, eating, eating, sleeping, and eating.

 Harlie joined us for a couple hours to watch Brave and snuggle. Then she and Scott spent the afternoon together having lunch and experiencing Glow Bounce at Bounce U. She had a great time and I was so glad they were able to have some quality time together, which can be hard to come by these days. Life is CHAAAAAOS lately. This video of the two of them makes my heart smile.


Glow Bounce - Scott and Harlie from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

The Girls - April 2013

Harlie: We have a little ballerina in our house now! Harlie started attending pre-ballet class with her little buddies, Elinor and Emelia and is loving it. Now she sashays all around and asks us to play ballet music on Pandora. Nana bought H a new ballerina skirt and has been able to take her to ballet a couple times which is a special treat.

A growing affection for Tinkerbell and all things fairies has developed. She loves to put her wings on, play with Tink in the tub and search for fairies at the park. Today is her lucky day because we are going with Keri and Maz to a Fairy Hunt at McKinley Park this afternoon and she's so very excited!

The warm weather is making us itch to get outside and darnit I want a pool! At Cole's 5th birthday party last weekend, Harlie swam all around the pool with Cole's water wings on. It was the first time she felt comfortable being in the pool on her own when she couldn't touch the bottom with her toes. She'd jump in on her own and duck under for just a second without caring and it was a joy to watch. She's getting so big and I'm grateful for her adventurous little spirit...I hope it sticks with her.

Big news around her is also a new twin bed for Harlie's room that we picked up second hand from my old high school friend, Suzanne. Facebook wins again! Harlie loves her big comfy bed and was able to pass on her crib to Ashlynne.  What a trip to see a baby in her crib again.

Ashlynne:  We haven't had any problems with the transition from the pack n play to the crib which I'm so grateful for.  What is funny is that most mornings, Ash will end up with her head on the opposite side of the crib. She wiggles in her sleep and completes a 180 turn every night! Funny stuff.  She's still a champion sleeper, going 10 hour stretches most of the time. This is awesome with me being back to work... but I'm knocking on all kinds of wood, because I know it can change at any moment!

Teeth may be coming faster than they did with Harlie because Ashlynne is a drooling machine and has her little knuckles in her mouth all the time!  I don't see any little buds yet, so who knows...but she is definitely my hungry little hippo so I wouldn't be surprised. I'm back to work now and so far, pumping has been going well. I like to come home for lunch most afternoons to get a snuggle and a feed in which allows me to pump just 2-3 times a day.

Ashlynne had her 3 month well baby appt and is still growing slow and steady. Weighing 10 lbs, 2 oz, she's in the 3rd percentile for weight and the 6th percentile for height at 22 inches long.  Her torticollis is doing so much better and the doctor was happy with her improvement. She's doing great at tummy time and can keep her head straight on her own so much better now. This is a huge relief. she shouldn't need any extra intervention while at daycare and we will keep up her exercises in the mornings and evenings once we are both back to work.  Ashylynne also had her shots (FIVE! OUCH!) and slept a lot battling a little fever for about 24 hours. All is well now and she's back to her smiley sweet self.

Smiles ABOUND and we're loving it. Influenced by her big sis, Ashlynne lights up with smiles when Scott sings Firework to her and will even sing along. She loves to mimic the "Ah Ah Ah" parts of the song and it is the cutest. She's actually really interested in mimicking sounds and sticking her tongue out when Mama and Daddy do.  It's super fun for us because the connection just keeps growing and it's awesome.  Gah, babies!

I packed up all of Ashlynne's newborn clothes the other day. She still swims in some of her 0-3 mo clothes, but others fit just right and since I needed the room in her drawers for more warm weather clothes, I had to pack up the itty bitties. I swear the last 3 months have flown by now that I'm not still in the thick of newborn anxiety. It's bitter sweet for sure, but luckily more sweet than bitter.

Just look at how much she's grown:

Tears

I have a vivid memory of one of the last times Harlie fell asleep on my chest. I was sitting on my bed most likely watching Bravo DVR'd while I nursed her. When she had finished I laid her on my shoulder and she fell asleep. As I felt her sweet warm breath on my neck I told myself not to forget that moment, for it might be the last. For several minutes I just closed my eyes and kissed her head breathing in that intoxicating new baby smell, wanting to stop time.

Today, as I sit with the heft of my precious Ashlynne on my chest, the first tears since being back to work are rolling down my face. Lazy mornings like this will be few and far between now, and Ash is growing so fast that I fear moments like this will be fading fast too.

 A few minutes ago, I took a picture and sent this text to Scott (afraid that my voice would wake her up):

"I have so much to do but I don't want to get up. I keep thinking it could be the last time she sleeps on me like this.😥"

He looked up at me with a pout then said , "It's ok, we have all day..."

So yeah, I guess I'm not moving. Packing up those newborn clothes can definitely wait.

Just the way it goes...

Sweet Ashlynne,

It is terribly unfair that I have to go back to work in eleven days when we've just gotten to know each other. I can finally tell when you are tired, pissed off, or need a change of scenery. I know what things might keep you occupied for just 10 more minutes while I make Harlie her lunch, how to coax you into letting your stubborn eye lids give into sleep, where to tickle to get the biggest smiles and what songs will distract you while "we" do your exercises. 

Daddy gets to take over soon and while I wish I could be home too, I'm so happy he gets to have this time with you. I know it won't be easy, life has been pretty hectic these days....but just like all big changes, when journeyed through together, the bond grows stronger.  You are going to love being home with him. He's way more fun than I am. And he loves you something fierce.

Wish me luck Butter Cup. I miss you already.

Mama

The Girls - March 2013

 

Harlie: Picky McPickertons! Someone's tastebuds must be changing and Mama's not happy.  My eat anything try anything gal has been refusing certain food lately. Some of which used to be her favorite as a babe (sniff sniff).  She no longer wants to eat tomatoes, blueberries, frozen strawberries - "Warm please!" (fresh), strawberry yogurt, bananas (this one has been on the outs for awhile now) and chicken on the bone (Austin predicts she will become vegetarian).  However, she will go to town on some marshmallow chicks or pee pees as she calls them. "The Easter Bunny gave me chocolate PEE PEES!" :-)

This reminds me of some other words she mispronounces which make Scott and I smile like wisgusting, blueblerries and adocado.

Some of Harlie's favorite things this month are Austin's track meets, Star Wars, My Little Pony, taking care of her babies, eating ALL THE CANDY, picking out her own ensemble (and mom's too tired to care how eclectic it is) and refusing to do most things that are asked of her. She has her own agenda and wants to do it all her way.  Ballet starts on Friday and explaining to her that there are certain dress requirements has been a challenge.  She would gladly go dressed as a disco ball if allowed. But I guess honestly I would too if I was four.

 Ashlynne: Last week I took Ash to see Dr. Wang, and aside from learning that she now weighs a hefty 8 1/2 pounds (3.6 percentile -just like sissy at that age), we also confirmed that she has a condition called Torticollis ("twisted neck"). She's most likely had it since birth from being stuck in the same position in-utero. Basically it means that the muscles on the right side of her neck are shortened and so she tilts her head towards her right shoulder most of the time. Dr. Wang said that it will go away as long as we work to correct it. This means stretching and strengthening exercises 4-5 times a day, lots of tummy time and constant re-positioning.  We'll have her re-assessed at her well baby appointment. If she hasn't made progress, we'll have to start physical therapy.

In happier news, she is smiling a lot and is becoming more talkative with squeals and coos.  Her awake and alert periods are getting longer and longer and will tolerate playtime much more now. However her favorite activity is still nursing and she is a serious sleep fighter. She doesn't go down without a fight!  Last week this made bed time a big challenge. SO tired but she just doesn't want to give in to it.

However, best news of all is that once she's down, anywhere between 8:30 (yay) and 10:00 (boo), she now sleeps through the night until 6:30am!  It's pretty awesome. I really should be getting up to pump around 2:00am, but I have been enjoying my sleep!  

Ashlynne has really been enjoying bathtime and since she has some cradle cap we have been treating that with olive oil during each bath. It's working well and will hopefully keep it at bay.

Ashlynne's first Easter was yesterday and we all had a lot of fun eating and hunting and eating and eating!

Sisterly Love

Big sis packin' on the PDA:

The Girls - February 2013

I thought it would be fun to jot down what's been going on each month with the girls. At least for Ashlynne's first year. So many changes going on! Since there is no 29th of February this year, I'm posting this monthly update a little early.

Ashlynne:  Our little peanut has turned into quite a hungry hippo in the last week. She's still tiny (finally at 3 weeks she was back up to her birth weight of 6 lbs, 12 oz), but may be having a growth spurt right now. She wants to nurse every 1-2 hours and cluster feeds at night. And boy is she a grump if she doesn't get her way!  Luckily she is a pretty good night-time sleeper. At 2 weeks, she started going down in her pack and play thanks to her Woombie swaddle and a heating pad to warm up those cold sheets (after days of just sleeping on Mama and Daddy's chest at night). We usually put her down around 8 or 8:30, and the last few nights she's slept 6 or 7 hours the first stretch, waking around 3 to eat and again between 5 and 6.  Some mornings she'll even go back to sleep after her second feeding until 8 or 8:30.  Then she's up for 2-3 hours before two big afternoon naps with a feed in between, followed by awake/play/fuss time for the rest of the evening. She is not a fan of tummy time, but often lifts her head on her own when we're holding her. She will hang out on her back awhile though on a blanket or on her activity mat and stare at her toys and kick her feet.  Her big sis loves to play with her during this time. She's also started tracking objects and loves to stare at lights. Her belly button was slow to heal, so she hasn't had her first bath yet...but the big event is planned for this weekend. Yahoo! In other big news, Ashlynne has started smiling (yay) and tears are starting to form in the corners of her eyes when she cries (boo!). Tears are the worst, man. Thank the heavens for baby smiles!

Harlie: The best big sister, EVER! She loves her little sis with a serious passion. Loves to kiss and hug and pet Ash. Loves to sing to her and tell her she's wonderful and how much she loves her. Is already the big protector, scolding me if I don't attend to her crying in time, and vigilantly watching over her in her swing or carseat. She also loves to play with her baby doll and Raggedy Anne dolls, dressing them up, changing diapers and strolling them around the house. I'm so proud of Harlie for pouring her love into this new little miracle and it makes my heart sing. At the same time, Harlie is vying for more attention of her own and so her days are filled with big emotions, dramatic gestures and strong will. She recently decided to quit gymnastics because she wants to take ballet classes and you can find her spinning around the house at any given moment practicing her dance moves and putting on shows for company, while singing at the top of her lungs. Her songs are usually original material although she often does a mean rendition of Firework which is her favorite song of the planet! At the playground she is always looking to make friends which simultaneously paralyzes my heart and makes it swell with pride for putting herself out there (coming from her shy Mama). When recently rejected by some boys at the park, she declared to them that they were hurting her feelings and that she has a friend named Max that plays with her all the time. After getting home and heating up the apple cider I promised her, I told her I was proud if her for trying to make friends. She said "I'm proud of me too Mom, and I'm proud of you...for making me apple cider."

Ashlynne Marie

Here's our brand new baby girl who arrived 4 weeks ago, on January 29th at 8:58 am. She was 6 lbs, 12 oz, 20 inches long with a full head of light brown hair.

So in love....

Birth story details to come later. But I thought I should announce her birth on here before posting her 1 month photo! :-)

39 Weeks

How far along are you?: 39 Weeks

Total weight gain: 29 pounds. Well, I think this week on maternity leave actually reduced my water retention (no more swollen ankles!), so that probably accounts for the 1 lb. drop.  Interesting that I gained exactly 29 pounds when I was pregnant with Harlie too. Hmmm, we'll see if I make it another week to weigh myself again....uh, I HOPE NOT!

How big is the baby?: 7 pounds and 20 inches. Aye aye aye!!! Already bigger than H was!

Maternity clothes: I have been in yoga pants for a week straight now and it's been awesome.

Stretch marks?: They better not come now!

Sleep: I pee every hour now...the awesomeness abounds!

Best moment this week: Being able to relax at home while Harlie has been at daycare or napping has been a huge luxury....it's been so fun! I feel like I'm playing hooky, but I don't feel guilty about it, because I'm still in nesting mode. This basically means my house isn't a complete disaster and that makes me feel productive, because normally I hate to clean. I totally wish I had a cook though.....that part I could do without right now!

Movement: Much more active this week, so my fears are gone about that.

Food cravings: Coke, salmon, chocolate

Food aversions: None

Labor signs: I have been crazy with anticipation since the 38 week mark and it means I'm over-analyzing every little sensation.  This week I've had quite a bit of tightening (Braxton Hicks), cramping and lower back pain. I also keep losing bits of my MP (I'll use an acronym, so as not to gross all  5 of you out), and have been nauseous the last couple of days.  Signs point to early labor but as everyone knows these symptoms could last for weeks still!

Belly button in or out: Still in.

What I'm looking forward to: The sign that it's time to to GO!!!! I just want to be sitting in my hospital bed ready for Ashlynne's arrival. Pain-free please!

Again

Yesterday, I watched Harlie's 1st Year slideshow (twice) and bawled my eyes out. For this slideshow I had included video clips ( I should do this more!) and it really helped bring back those memories, those precious moments. Becoming a mother to a teeny tiny newborn was an awe inspiring, joyful and humbling experience. One I didn't think I'd get to live through again, which made me sad. I thought Harlie was truly the last one because it just wasn't possible to have another baby-- not at this time, not in my world, not now after everything that had happened. And yet.  And YET. Here we are, awaiting little Ashlynne Marie.

  

I was bawling yesterday because I get to do it all over again and they were tears of joy and anticipation. Scott and I and the miracle maker made it happen somehow and everything is gonna be ok. We're ready. The time is right. We just didn't know it before.

Harlie Shavonne, my heart feels like it might burst with how much love I have for you.

But little Ashlynne Marie, it's managed to grow twice as big now that you are in our lives and I can't wait to fill it up...all over again.

38 Weeks

How far along are you?: 38 weeks, 1 day

Total weight gain: 30 pounds

How big is the baby?: Almost 6.8 lbs and 19.5 inches long.

Maternity clothes: I've started to grow out of some of them!

Stretch marks?: They better not come now!

Sleep: All I do is have baby dreams all night long.....

Best moment this week: On my last day of work before maternity leave, I was let off early, so I scooped Harlie up from daycare and headed to Faith Nails for a pedicure. It was Harlie's first time getting her nails done and she was super excited. I was in desperate need of a pedicure (my feet were frightening) and was even more in need of some pampering. I thought it would be fun to have a little Mommy and Me date with H before Ashlynne came and I'm so glad we did. The pedicure felt soooooooo good and Harlie was loving every moment getting her nails and toes painted.

Movement: Oh Boy! Well I had a little freakout on Saturday because Ashlynne hadn't been very active and I was afraid something was wrong.  So I drank some juice, laid on my side, and 15 minutes and a pep talk (text) from Melanie later I started to feel her kick. After downloading a kick count app (iPhones are awesome), I was reassured that she was ok and calmed down. But then I had my OB appt on Monday and just mentioned to her that she had been a little less active lately. Not trying to make a big deal out of of it, but wanting to let her know. Being cautious Dr. Juhn suggested I head over to Mercy on my way home to have the baby monitored, just to make sure. She was pretty confident everything was fine and that I'd be in and out in 30 minutes. Better safe than sorry!  I head over there around noon (starving) with Keri at home with 3 kids expecting me soon so she can help me put some baby stuff put away. Well, 5 hours later after pulling Scott away from his golf game --I've been monitored for 3 hours, then a false alarm sends me to have an ultrasound done to check amniotic fluid levels and all kinds of other stuff--we find out everything is just fine and I get to finally go home.  The bright side is that we'll know our way to Labor and Delivery now, since they've had a renovation since Harlie was born and I got totally lost on my way in yesterday (that would be no good if I was in actual labor) AND we got another confirmation that our little peanut is still a girl!!!  Yay, since I took the tags off all the clothes already. :-) Also, another funny thing.... I've been avoided and craving deli meat my entire pregnancy, being super cautious about BACTERIA, OH NO! And then yesterday, after mentioning that I should have stopped for lunch had I known I'd be at the hospital so long, the nice nurse brings me a sandwich, a turkey sandwich!  I just had to laugh, and it was GOOD!

Food cravings: Sushi and OJ

Food aversions: None

Labor signs: I'm still 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Doctor Juhn says that is normal for a second pregnancy and says my body is ready whenever baby decides to come.  She actually told me she thinks my labor will last about 4 hours. 4 HOURS?! Holy crap. I'm legitimately freaked about getting my epidural in time.  But she did say as soon as my contraction are 10 minutes apart to come right in and if my water breaks first, to head to the hospital within an hour at the latest. So we'll see. It'll be interesting to see if her prediction holds true.

Belly button in or out: It wants to pop out, but it's pretty flat.

What I'm looking forward to: Enjoying maternity leave but also I can't to hold my new baby girl.  It's not a bad place to be in right now....filled with anticipation and being able to focus 100% on her arrival.  Baby is on the brain 24/7 now and I like it.

It was cute, Scott actually suggested that we take another progress picture given that she might come any day. AND he told me to wear this sweater because it makes my belly pop. :-)

Also, here are some photos of baby Ashlynne's space in our bedroom. Thanks to Melanie and Keri, we were able to make it special with their custom-made shower decorations. I love it.