Spring Break 2014

I took the Friday before Spring Break off because Adam had 2 days he either had to use or lose, and no self-respecting working person is going to lose a vacation day. Reese left on Thursday morning with Big Daddy and DD heading to Pigeon Forge, and Adam, Uncle G, Elynn, and I all drove up that afternoon.

When we got there, the first thing she told us was that we had to ride the Ferris Wheel. She also told us all about the train we kept hearing..."You hear da choo choo twain? It's at Gollywood." (Dollywood). I didn't get a picture but she also loved the "hot swimming pool" at the cabin. It was a hot tub, and I threatened her life if she got any of that questionable water in her mouth. 

She struck this pose all on her own.

Later in the day, we took her to the snow tubing place. Here we are riding up the incline. I know it's a distant picture, but can you see that moron wearing capri yoga pants? Yeah, that'd be yours truly. Clearly, the snow tubing adventure wasn't a planned event, and the weather was all undecided. (It was undecided until we got ready to snow tube, then it decided to be cold.)

She has made it a point to tell me a hundred times since then that, "I want to be a growd up so next time I can slide by myself."

This brings me to another story I've been meaning to document. We don't let Reese say "gosh." Not that it's a bad word or anything, it just doesn't sound good coming from a 3 year old. So anytime somebody says that word Reese immediately looks at me with big eyes and says, "da word.We don't say da word." So this little boy at the snow tubing place said "da word" which put him on her bad list in the first place. Then the same boy told Uncle G that she put some of the snow in her mouth (Gag! So nasty.) which lead Uncle G to tell Reese to tell the little boy that "we don't like tattle tales." Which was very mature on Uncle G's part, don't ya think? (Can't take him anywhere. I am not even gonna go into what he taught her happens when you pull somebody's finger.)

We also rode the Alpine Coaster. It was raining, and the ride was fast, and it even made me nervous as I flew down the mountain, but my girl? She loved it.

Can you see it? It's going wayyyyy up the mountain, then you ride the little sled back down at a really fast speed.

The place we stayed had this awesome play ground. Y'all, it had the highest slide I had ever seen. She loved it. I slid down it and it took my breath.

We also went to visit my Nanny then had lunch at my Auntie Kay's. Everyone had to participate in Reese's egg hunt.

Elynn took the opportunity to look all cute and get someone to hold her while she napped.

If you were involved in our wedding day, then you already know this story. Here is my sister. She is also an animal tamer. There was an unfortunate incident the morning of our wedding where a chipmunk got in the bedroom with some of my sleeping bridesmaids and it caused quite the stir; however, we called in the animal tamer and she caught the chipmunk then released him into the wild. (As you might imagine, it did not happen as calmly as I just made it sound. There were hot rollers thrown down the stairs, and girls jumping on the bed, and squealing that could be heard for miles. It was the wedding day version of Ray Stevens The Mississippi Squirrel song. Except no pastors or deacons got saved.)

Anyway "Aunt Heada" caught a lizard and Reese....oh my little Reese E Cup....was terrified. (To put it mildly.)

Then Aunt Heada, that nut, put the lizard on her head. Reese almost lost her little mind.

We spent the rest of the week playing outside and such.

I fear that she might be a little like her momma in the fishing department. It requires quiet (Or so they say. Personally, I think that's some junk a bunch of men made up in order to keep women from wanting to fish.) and patience, so it might not be her thing. But she made the best of it, spent her time wisely, and bossed her daddy around after she figured out she wasn't going to catch a fish. Elynn and I sat on the golf cart and watched it all unfold. (I say that so that I can also say that sometimes there aren't picture of E because I am hold her while I am making pictures of Reese. A momma can only do so much.)

Elynn: 4 months

Since Elynn is about to be 5 months old, I  feel like I should probably finish up this 4 month post. I'm on top of my game, can't you tell?

I weighed and measured her a few weeks ago because I had big intentions of finishing this post, but clearly I can't get the hang of having 2 babies under my care (which is another story of its own).

Weight: 13 lbs

Height: 23 inches

She is still the sweetest baby EVER! She is so quiet. She is the equivalent of Uncle G while Reese is the equivalent of her daddy. This was confirmed by Adam's Aunt Bec a few weeks ago when we saw her and she mentioned that all the crying pictures of Reese on Facebook look just like her daddy used to act. I knew it all along. He was a whinner, and now I am paying the child rearing price. 

Elynn still gets up one to two times a night to eat. She only takes a bottle at daycare, and she isn't at all crazy about them. I see some major wheening issues in our future. She doesn't love a paci, and rarely uses it as anything other than a chew toy.  

 

Preaching puts her right to sleep.

On February 3rd she went to daycare for the first time. I had no worries since her big sissy was there to watch out for her. (Anytime Elynn cries Reese insists, "her wants her to big sissy to hold her." By the way Elynn tenses up when Reese is around, I've got my doubts about that.")

Seriously though...about the sister thing. Elynn LOVES Reese. Reese can make her laugh out loud just by singing to her. Reese has a Barbie movie that has a song that says "Although she's a princess, she doesn't need a crown. Although she's a princess, she'll turn the world around." Reese sings it to Elynn all  the time and Elynn thinks it's the funniest thing. Of course when Reese sings it she say, "aldough hwr's a pwincess, hwr doesn't need a cwown."  Before we had kids I would have probably said I wanted a boy and girl, cause, ya know...that's like the American way. But let me go on record for saying that I am so thankful that God knew better. I will speak for Adam when I say that we adore having 2 girls. I am so glad that they will always have each other, and I pray (real hard) that they keep on loving each other so much.

Running off

So a few months ago all of us girls decided we needed to have a function without children or husbands just so we could, ya know, finish a sentence without one of us having to go wipe a kids booty. (Being the momma is all glitz and glamour.)

Anyway, this event was scheduled for last Saturday night. We all met up at Brandi's house about 6:00 and let me tell y'all what we take seriously: the menu. There was enough food to have fed us for a week (which is exactly how long my oldest daughter thought I was gone.)

And that is why these girls are my people. We have our priorities straight. #1: the menu. #2: we agreed no pictures because we all wanted to show up in yoga pants and no makeup. It was my favorite get together of all time. And that's saying a lot since our get togethers date way back to yee olden day of 1990 (the year we started kindergarten.).

So anyway after catching up (and solving all the world's problems) I got home around 11:30. (I haven't been out that late in I don't even remember when. And I haven't mentioned this, but I have trouble driving at night. I can't see very well. It's like I'm 82. I may need bifocals or something.)

So at 4:00 AM Reese calls for her daddy. He went to check on her:
Reese: Is momma home yet?
Adam: Yes.
Reese: Go get hwr.

Me: Hey, baby.
Reese: Momma, I missed you so much. I love you so much. I waited on you all day long. It was a long, long, day. Don't eva run off fwom us again.
Me: I wasn't gone long and I would never "run off" from you.

So she goes back to sleep. Sunday morning she got in the tub and said, "Momma, please don't eva run away again." I assured her I didn't run away.

At lunch she said the blessing and after thanking Jesus for the food she said, "And Jesus, pwease don't eva let my momma run away again."

Y'all. It was a grand total of 5 hours. You'd think I had abandoned her for life.

Heaven forbid we decide to take a girl's weekend trip somewhere. Reese would have to be medicated.

I haven't blogged in over a month....

because there is this.

I love her more than life, but let me state the obvious: We have our hands full.

She is a tiny little version of what I know her daddy had to be like.

Ok. And maybe a little of her momma too.

The 3s are a precious age that are going to be soley responsible for me getting on pills of some kind. 

But then she does things like tell her daddy, "You're going to be my pwince forever" and "Daddy, be my pwince and dance with me" and we seem to forget the moments that I wonder how I will ever make it through toddlerhood.  

I asked her last week about marrying her daddy which brought up the topic of what the word "married"

means...she said "You go to da chuwch and wear your longest dress."

I need to read up on the whole birth order thing cause Elynn? She always be like this...

Elynn: 3 months

Weight: 12lbs
Height: 23 inches

Goes to sleep between 8-9 every night and gets up around 1 and 4.

Sleeps in the Nap Nanny beside our bed.

Has earned the name "E-Lee" from her big sister. (Enunciate the E then say Lee)

Got to see her first snow this week.

I say this every update that I do on her, but she is the sweetest baby. She gets a little fussy when she is hungry, but other than that she is very content. She will be going to daycare on Monday. I have a feeling Reese will get in some trouble for trying to pick her up and take care of her all day. She is a little TOO much help sometimes, and it could be harmful to "E-Lee's" health. 

Back to work and 2 month old stats

It saddens me to say this but, for me, going back to work after #2 has been SO much easier than with #1. (It makes me sad that I'm not sad which is not at all irrational is it? I feel like I am cheating on Elynn or something. Like I should be just as sad to leave her as I was Reese.) The reason behind this is simply because I now work 10 minutes from home as opposed to the 60 minutes I had to drive when I would drop Reese off. Seriously, I was mad at the world when I went back after Reese. This time though...I am smart enough to know that I would go slap crazy if I had to stay home all the time. SLAP. CRAY.CRAY.

As fate would have it, Adam is out of town this week which means I had to call in my parents for backup because y'all it's like we are moving cross country trying to get all our junk in the car before 6:30 AM. Took me 3 trips this morning. It's true what they say: 2 is like 20. And just to make sure getting to work was as difficult as possible, Reese woke up at 5 yesterday morning and started demanding things like milk, yogurt, and "carcoons." I adore her, but she is a little tyrant. Elynn was up at 1 AM and 4 AM. I never went back to sleep after the 4 o'clock feeding, so I'm just fresh as a daisy today. I made the mistake of looking in the mirror on my way to school this morning- scared the life right out of me. Motherhood ages a girl, let me tell you. 

Until February, Elynn is staying at MeeMaw's house in order to be completely spoiled before her debut at daycare. (Actually, it kept us from having to pay for daycare for a whole month when she would only have gone 2 weeks.) I feel confident in saying that she is being held every waking moment (and the sleeping ones too). Reese thinks that Elynn goes to the hospital and stays with the nurses until she is big enough to go to daycare. I know it is wrong to lie, but I don't have the energy it would require to calm her down if she knew the truth of Elynn's whereabouts. 

We went for shots on the 15th. Reese was behind on 2 of her shots and Elynn got 2 month old shots. You can imagine how pleasant that trip was. Thirty minutes later, Reese was still crying and rubbing her arm when we pulled up at Target to pick out her prize for being so good. Adam said next time he will take off work and take them for shots because it will be cheaper than letting me take them for prizes. She got a new princess dress, a puzzle, and a bracelet. In my defense, the bracelet was only $1. I'm such a push over when it comes to matters of the medical community. And I don't know what Adam was complaining about because do y'all remember when I got my first iphone for not acting out during the 5 hour sugar test?

Stats:
Reese was 32 lbs and 37 1/2 inches.
Elynn was 12lbs and 23 inches.

P.S. I made the bold statement when Elynn was born that "that was so easy we might have another one in a few years." That was a VERY premature statement on my part. Because, no. Probably not. Two is about all this momma can handle while still getting to work somewhat on time.

Christmas Part III

Christmas Eve night we came home from Adam's Granny's house and made Santa some cookies. 

 Last year when our elf came we named her Fiona (we had just watched Shrek the Halls). This year Reese kept accidentally calling her Sophia, so Fiona underwent an official name change and became Sophia. Reese followed the no touching rule, but every now and then we would catch her giving Fiona Sophia a kiss. Christmas Eve night when we got home Sophia had left a note allowing Reese to give her one hug before she went back to the North Pole. She was so excited. She hugged Sophia and told her at least ten times, "Sophia, I love you so much!"

 I wanted a night before Christmas pajama picture....Reese sang the whole time...

There was a lot of disagreement as to whether Santa would or would not wrap Reese's gifts. Santa always wrapped my gifts, but he never wrapped Adam's. Last year Reese was disappointed when she had nothing to open, so that ended the argument.

Side story: The week before Christmas Reese, Elynn, and I went shopping for Adam's Christmas. I told her all day that we could not tell Daddy what we got him. That night Adam asked her what we bought him, and she looked at me and said, "tell him or no?" HAHA!

 Elynn got some new paci's and a sound machine for her room.

 Christmas morning we got Reese up to see her presents.

She got a karaoke machine...what was Santa thinking?

 And her "sheen"....

Before I tell you what I got for Christmas, let me say that I asked for it. A Dyson vacuum cleaner, and y'all if you don't have one, get you one! It's like my little personal assistant. Adam couldn't believe I was asking for a vacuum cleaner, but it really is the gift that keeps on giving. I also got this hand stamped necklace with Reese and Elynn's names. Adam got tools, but that's nothing new. He puts some form of a tool on his list every year. And yes, we make lists and give them to each other. 

 We went to my Nanny's for lunch.

 And Big Daddy and D.D.'s that afternoon.

She had to put on her lipstick before opening pictures. 

 A few weeks before Christmas Big Daddy said, "I want a family picture for our card" as if it were just that simple. Ha. I wish I had time to upload all the hundreds of pictures we made trying to get a decent one. If it wasn't one of our kids making a ridiculous face, it was Adam or Greg.

 The night before this photo shoot, Reese had cried for no known reason from 2 until 4:45. Needless to say, we were pleasant to be around.