good times with my girls

Today a few things that happened that I would never have guessed would make me smile and laugh.  The first was when I found a pullup (Yes, I know I/she shouldn't be using them and that she should just be in underwear but um, sh*t happens.  Literally.  And I am tired of cleaning it out with my hands.) in Leah's pile that had Minnie Mouse amoungst the package of Cinderella.  I actually searched the entire box and there wasn't another Minnie one and I got bummed.

We headed off to Dance class with Bri in her big girl car seat.  We watched as Leah twirled and tried to show her teacher her painted toe nails and explain later that her daddy likes baseball.  She also explained to the class that drum sticks are not for hitting baby bri with.  At least she is learning :).    The girls in dance are already starting to form friends...Leah still loves to play and hold hands with everyone but some of the girls who are a few months older are already deciding who they want to sit next to and who they don't.  I wonder when Leah will change too...One little girl wouldn't let Leah sit by her (although Leah didn't seem to care), and I found myself unsympathetic when that girl couldn't hop hop hop over the pool noodles.  Then I had to remind myself that she's not even three yet and we will have a decade or two filled with the girls being friends and then not being friends and then including some and some being left out and I guess, at some point, I will get used to it. Or maybe I won't.  I will have to do my best to help teach her that it's good to be friends with everyone and to be nice to everyone.  After class was over, she invited a little girl out to lunch with us (I did not even know her mom's name) and to our surprise, her mom decided to meet us at Noah's bagels for a quick bite.

Once we were home, Leah refused to get out of the car. I had Bri in my arms and Leah would go from her car seat to Bri's.  I would go to Bri's side and she'd run and sit in her own seat again.  It was so frustrating running back and forth that I started laughing hysterically which just made Leah want to do it more.  I laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants.  This led to a conversation I have had to have too many times that starts with, "Leah, I am laughing because this is funny BUT, it's still not ok."  For whatever reason, she gets that...and it was enough for her to get out of the car and come in.  Go figure.

I brought a very tired Bri upstairs to nap and Leah took herself to her small potty.  "I went poo poo, Mommy!  You want to see?"  Bri was almost done eating and I didn't want to walk and nurse her to the poop and then walk and nurse her with the poop to flush in the toilet, so I thought I'd wait a minute before going over.  "Mommy, see?  I did a big poop.  It is ba-nah-nah."  Poop to her is always either a banana or jelly beans.  I can see that.  I looked up and she was walking in with the white basin from her toddler potty and she put it in my hands...well, my one hand free while the other as holding Bri nursing.  We ooohed and awed over the poop and I tried not to study it closely as I lifted bri and the potty towards the bathroom.  Leah took it upon herself to grab it and flush it her self.  Thank God she dumped it without missing.

Potty training is hit or miss....If we are at home and she can have no bottoms on (or find any bottoms to put on) then we are great.  If she has underwear on, she'll go in it.  If she has a pull up- she'll go in it.  But we celebrate our successes as we go.

Before nap, Leah asked to see my armpits.  "This ahm-pit", she lifts up and inspects.  "No hair!"  I don't know why she is so excited.  I tend to keep my pits shaved, I mean usually....  "Let me see other ahm-pit....nope. no hairs der either."  That's good because I am wearing a short sleeve shirt.

Trains

Leah likes trains a lot these days and kept asking and asking us to go on a cable car...(or Table Car as she says). Once a few months ago we rode a bus that looked like a train and she was so excited that we told her that maybe soon we could go on a Cable Car. (When we were waiting for that bus, a regular looking bus came up and she waved at it fast saying No No No Bye!) So after that we knew she'd love to go back for a Cable car ride. "Go in there? In the train? Table Car? Maybe tomorrow. next Time"....We didn't want her to have to keep saying next time so we took her this weekend. She was SO excited. We sat on the benches while Julian stood on the side. Bri was her happy self as well.

We ate at Hard Rock Cafe and I got sick from their awful salmon. My stomach is still nauseated from it today....so the cable car ride back from dinner was not enjoyable for me, but Little Leah still loved it. She didn't want to get off of the Cable Car and asked for one more minute.

Today we went to Palo Alto and I picked up a train set for her at Ikea. Julian has been wanting to build a train with her for quite some time now but it didn't quite go as planned. Instead of pushing the trains along the looped tracks, she tried instead to pick up the loop and use it as a hoola hoop. He would rebuild it and then she'd try again asking for a hoola hoop. Then, dressed up in her dress from her Auntie Erica from Thailand, holding a new doll, she stood amongst the broken train tracks and smiled and said , "Oooh, I love my dollie!" Poor Julian. He says Bri will play the train tracks with him when she's older...

We started really sleep training Bri and we've had a good go of things. Bri has been only waking up once or twice at most a night now (once a night for 2 of the days but 2 times last night). I hope it stays like this!

Leah's recent favorite thing to tell people is "Daddy has nipples!" Thank you, Leah, for sharing!!!

growing so fast

Leah turned 2 and a half this week and bri is getting close to 6 months. I can't believe how big they are getting. Bri is starting to sit up and laughs and has started sticking her tongue out and spitting which is pretty funny. She tends to scream LOUDLY when she's tired. I guess she's learned how to get attention! Other than that, she is still REALLY chill and just hangs out and is easy going. Thank God for that! She went through a patch where her sleep got really bad but it's better now.....she sleeps about 4 hours straight but up to 8. Her teeth look like they are coming in and that's bothering her.

Leah is getting to be such a good talker. Yesterday she yelled at nap time, "Mommy, can you open the door?" That has been her longest sentence. This morning she brought me glue and paper and wanted to make her Daddy a tree. She said "Make this for Daddy? Leah love daddy!"

We took the girls to Disneyland and they both had fun. Bri's face lit up and she loved watching the people and the lights. Leah loved it so much too. She enjoyed meeting the princesses (especially Rapunzel from Tangled) although now she's into the Little Mermaid a bit more. Leah's favorite ride was the Dumbo ride and it's a small world. She has been asking to go on those a lot since we've been back. Yesterday she was trying to tell me that she wanted to show Peter Pan her outfit. She got a balloon in Disneyland but was terrified of losing it that she started crying and told us to put it away. "Throw it in the gaw-bage". She even had a nightmare that she lost it and woke up crying hysterically. We showed her that it was still there and she was okay.

christmas 2011

dance class

Dance class is Leah's favorite topic these days....last weekend Santa saw Leah off to the side of his station at the mall and he waved to her. She did what she thought was appropriate and yelled out, "Dance Class!!!" and proceeded to show her some of her shuffle moves. Tonight before bed she told me, "Daddy work pay dance class?" and I said, "That's right, baby, Daddy works so he can pay for your dance class." Ths answer alone has made sense to her every time she mentions Julian goign to work instead of being here.

Bri is almost 3 months old...she's sleeping really well (5-7 hours straight still) and is a really chill baby.

Other than kicking Bri in the head....yes, she did.....Leah is adjusting much better to having Bri here. Leah loves Bri so much. I am so happy that they will have each other growing up....

Leah has a fever tonight and it's so sad to see her sick. She was crying, "Mommy? Medicine?" and her fever was 102.1. She asks for us to snuggle a lot with her these days and I love that. I hope that Bri wants to snuggle a lot with us too...I wonder if she will or not or if Leah is more cuddly bc we slept with her for so long. I will make them both cuddle with me, though, for way too long. They'll want to go out when they are 16 and I see it now>

"Mom, we want to go to our friend's house.. Can I take your car?"

"Sure, girls, but come snuggle with me first."

"No! Gaaaawwwwd! You are so unfair!"

"Well, then you can't go. Just one minute" (this makes me sad bc at night Leah asks for more minutes and I know one day I will be the one asking for more minutes).

"Ugh. God. Fine. Let's just get this over with."

*Smile*

convo

Yes, we had this conversation.

me: "sh*t, Bri just peed on me, I don't have other jeans that fit me."

julian- "so? it will dry."

me- Ok, I'll just try to wash this spot."

julian- "meh, doesn't matter."

me- "ok"

6 weeks

Typing while nursing so excuse the mistakes...

bri is huge...well huge-er, if you will....her reflux still is there but cutting out dairy and probiotics help...

Leah is adjusting but two days ago started hitting and pulling th baby's hair. I think she is acting lik she is kissing her but bites her too although I cannot prove this yet. It reminds me that my mom said I poked my sister's eyes when we were 2 and newborn...hopefully this stops soon!

Bri started smiling which is adorable.

Leah says she loves us which melts my heart...

at night she no longer cries as much bt makes us give her Puppy covahs (thanks kristy), mi-kah-kaus (mickey mouse who is actually minnie...thanks Jess) pishhhh (nemo fish- thanks, julian) and her newest friend "blue" the whale that she jacked from the infant activity mat. we kiss everyone night night and turn on her star night light. She had a fever yesterday which makes me sad.

so Halloween is coming up. Leah asked to be Ariel but no outfit would fit her except Ariel ballerina

no way that would satisfy Leah's want to be a mermaid. Where's the tail???

She settled for a zebra,

Bri will be a pea in the pod like Leah was but of course I have guilt that she isn't getting her own costume so Bri, if you read this 16 years from now and are feeling shafted, ask your dad for $20 for the infant costume we neglected to get you.