Juliet says, James says

Juliet, age 3:

• I was reversing the car the other day and it was kind of a tight fit. Juliet says "these aren't bumper cars," which made me laugh so hard. 
• "Daddy's take care of babies from sharks. So they don't get eat."
• While playing with her dolls "this is mommy taking care of her little girls."
• While waiting for James: "I need my sweet brother right now. I'm waiting for him and waiting for him."
• After hearing Ethan fart "what's that sound coming from your private parts?"
• James: "I like building blocks with you." Juliet: "I love you too."
• After giving daddy a huge hug "now your heart is love"

On the day we put our kitty Rumpus down:
Juliet said "Where is Rumpy?"
Me: "He's at the kitty doctor."
Her: "Why?"
Me: "Because we took him there to give him a special shot. The special shot made him dead."
Her: "What's dead?"
Me: "It means not alive anymore."
Her: "Why? I want Rumpy at our house. Not dead."
Of course this isn't a funny conversation in the slightest, but it was so tender, and innocent I wanted to remember it.


James, age 5:

• After a fresh blow dry: "I like your hair. It looks really beautiful. Really really beautiful. It's like you're a different mommy but you're not. It looks really good!"
• "My breath can't hold my thirsty all the way to morning."
• "I'm going go have a house with five rooms so I can have five kids! Wait... maybe not."
• "I know what rhymes! Crocs and granola rhyme."
• Talking about foods he likes "I like quesadillas, berries, mac & cheese…" Juliet: "you like bears?" James: "No, I don't like bears. But I like cooked bears. I really like cooked bears!"
• Listening to It's a Wonderful World, "I like that song so much it makes me have a tear."
• And another day with the same song: "I'm pretending I have a little boy in my body and he's going to cry because he loves the song so much. And now I might cry because I love the song so much."
• "This is my best day ever!"
• While eating dinner "I'm really enjoying this!"

I still pinch myself

Being a mother, something I've always dreamed about, is more wonderful than I ever ever expected.

I still pinch myself.

For some, day to day monotony gets old and tiresome. Not to me. To me it feels magical.

Getting her up from nap is one of my favorites. Her checks are always so rosy and for a moment, before she really wakes, she is like a baby, wanting to be held and cuddled.

James and Juliet

James has been amazing with his "sweet gurl" as of late. When we get her out of the bath tub at night he says "don't put her to sleep, I love her!"

An extra sweet moment I caught today. Be still my heart.

She's so sick

She's so beautiful she takes my breath away on a regular basis. She is also so so sick. Flu? Croup? Something else? She has a runny nose and a cough that keeps her up all night long (when she coughs she cries, and oh my it just breaks your heart). She also has a fever so hot that it could roast marshmallows. She is so hot that I make sure to keep up with her ibuprofen doses. Thank god for ibuprofen, and the fact that it cools her right down.

So, just a hiatus, before posting the end of her birthday party photos. After two nights of being up for hours with a sick baby, and having had E out of town, I'm tired...

Care for an icicle treat?

It's what all the cool kids are eating now.

Black and White {then & now}

Juliet is wearing one of my favorite outfits from James's hand-me-down box today.  It got me nostalgic to dig up some photos I took this time of year two years ago.

Same spot. Same tree. Same outfit. Almost same age. Siblings.

2010

2012

For more photos of this darling outfit see this post. And click here for more then & now posts.

Nana and Juliet

Outlaws and saloon girls

Outlaws and saloon girls, circa 1853

I personally think the smallest saloon girl steals the show. Click on the picture to make it bigger.

More Lagoon goodness coming soon to a blog near you. (I'm off to cool down, it was hot!)

Nap on Mama's bed

Most days you can find this little girl napping next to Mama. She really is such a snuggle bunny. And she's gaining weight. She's looking quite big these days, and her cheeks are really filling out. She looks so much like James did at this age. I love it.

Juliet's Birth Day

As mentioned in the previous post, E and I arrived at the hospital around 9:30 pm. By 9:45 I was admitted, and by ten I asked E to get the camera out to document a few things. I was lying in bed having horrible painful contractions, however between contractions I was still able to tell E a few of the types of photos I wanted.



In labor and delivery they attach two monitors to your belly. One reads the contractions, the other reads the baby's heart beat. Time at the bottom reads 9:54. Less than an hour to go...
The pain I experienced between 10:00 and 10:50, when Juliet was born, is something I have never known. The contractions were horrific, I wanted to die. I begged the nurses and E to find the anesthesiologist. I was in so much pain. I walked, I cried out, I begged it to stop. I couldn't lie in the bed much after 10:00 and spent the next hour on my feet. When my water broke at 10:40 and E ran for the nurse (per instructions). She came in, told me to lie down, they were going to check my dilation. I said no, lying down was more pain than I could handle.

Once she coaxed me on the bed, found I was fully dialed and also found that Juliet's heart rate was dropping with each contraction, I was given an oxygen mask and told to push.

I begged them for drugs. But I pushed. Two pushes later I was granted this:
A perfect baby girl. Screaming her heart out. The contractions stopped and the pain was gone. I was in love, kissing my baby and glad the scariest part was behind me.
My doctor showed up (didn't make the birth, Juliet was too insistent to make an entrance into this world) to check me over and deliver the placenta. The placenta didn't budge. What? We waited, I pushed. Nothing. I was deliriously happy about my daughter and the fact that contractions and childbirth had passed when my doc said "I'm sorry, I've only had to manually remove one other placenta from a woman that didn't have an epidural, and it was horrible."

Horrible it was. Oh my god... so so so much pain. For some reason my body didn't want to give it up, and after all I'd been through, after a med free childbirth, I had to do this. And it was just as painful, if not more.

Once it was removed the nurse had to push on my abdomen, to help stop the bleeding. I screamed. I begged for her to stop. Finally, finally, after twenty minutes of her pushing and be crying in pain, it was over.

The pain was gone almost instantly, and I was wheeled into recovery with a perfect healthy baby. E was really shaken, but a few hours rest and a baby that loved to snuggle, all was well.

Black and White Wednesday

The bathroom window at the farmhouse. Letting in the sunshine.

Pregnancy quiz: 36 weeks

How far along: 36 weeks!

Sleep: Really horrible this week! Worst week in a long while. One night I was panicked because I couldn't remember what baby girl clothes I had purchased last summer. So in the middle of the night I had to hunt through the storage room to check. Yes, I knew it was crazy at the time, but I couldn't get it out of my head, and knew the only way I'd sleep was to just go check. Then? I still didn't fall asleep for two more hours. And every night has been horrible and weird, like that one.

Weight Gain/Loss: Didn't gain anything this week. So crazy because I'm eating plenty and buttering every piece of bread heavily.

Belly button in or out: Yep! I called it! When I was pregnant with James my belly button popped at 36 weeks, and with this pregnancy it did as well. I'd say I'm 70% popped. :)

Movement: So much! You can see my entire stomach shift positions. Super creepy. E won't let me put his hand on my tummy because of the amount of movement. He says "it creeps me out."

Size of Baby: 19" and gaining weight at about 5.75 lbs. Not growing in length much, but gaining weight!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Hello pregnancy insomnia. We meet again. Damn you. Sciatic nerve pain isn't quite as bad, but now my ears hurt (??) when I'm sleeping. I remember this from James's pregnancy as well. So weird.

Food Cravings: Fruit fruit fruit.

What I miss: Being able to keep up with James and have some energy in the middle of the day. I nap and am still exhausted by 7:30 pm.

What I am looking forward to: Setting up the nursery. Another thing I was panicked about this week in the middle of the night? The fact that we still don't have a crib. I had been undecided for my entire pregnancy on if I wanted to buy a second crib because James will be done with his fairly soon. I didn't want to move James out of his until he was ready, because he is such a good sleeper, the last thing I needed was two kids with crazy sleep. So I thought I'd use the pack and play (playpen) for Baby Girl. Well, the other night at 3:00 am I decided I NEEDED another crib, and ordered it the next morning. Poor E, he never knows what rant I'll go on first thing in the morning because I was "thinking" the night before.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I ordered the crib and crib mattress and it's already here, so I think we'll set it up this weekend. We are also planning on a trip to IKEA for a dresser. Her nursery will be almost complete soon!

Another thing I'm really looking forward to? A childhood friend of mine offered to host a baby shower for me. I was unsure at first, being that Baby Girl is not my first baby (and traditionally baby showers are only for your first), but after some convincing, I decided to go for it. She is hosting a Little Red Riding Hood themed shower next weekend for me. I am so so so excited. I convinced her to keep the guest list tiny, since it is my second shower, but am excited to celebrate Baby Girl with some close family and friends.

Weekly Wisdom: Note to self: when you need to check on the status of baby girl dresses at 3:00 am, just get up and do it. Trying to convince yourself that it's crazy, and you can check in the morning, for two hours, just makes the length of time you're up even longer.

Best moment this week: Talking baby shower details the other night with my friend who's hosting, I'm so excited. Also, finding that there are wonderful little girl clothes that I bought 6 months ago that are perfect, so I can stop freaking out.

Milestones: 36 weeks is the last week I'm considered pre-term. Next week I'll be considered full term! Scary and wonderful.

Photo above is another I took last Saturday on our snow day. I loved how simple it was and wanted to post it for Black and White Wednesday. Being that I'm exhausted and need to nap most days, I didn't post a B&W Wednesday this week. So here it is! A few days late.

And, I took this same quiz when I was 36 weeks pregnant with James, click here to compare.

Black and White Wednesday {winter walk}

So far this winter has been mild. We had one snow in November (on the day we made the fort), and a dusting yesterday, but other than that, we've been snow free. Last year we'd tromped around in the snow quite a bit by this point in December.

But mild days mean more walks with me and my little side kick. I can hardly believe that in 1.5 months I'll have two children. I'm trying to cherish each of these days with James, and only James. He is a wonderful little guy and I am really going to miss having only him.

So today we piled on our coats and hats and walked up the street, stopping at all his favorite spots. Sometimes I wonder how many times I've walked up the street with James. One hundred? Two hundred? More? I wonder.

First order of business on any walk? Find a "big branch!" He'll often accumulate three or four and hand me the rejects to hold.
I love how curious he is. "Mini pinecone" he told me. I'm surprise he remembered what I called it, since it was over a week ago.
Remember his favorite tree? Yea, they are still best buds.
Red winter berries.
I didn't convert this photo to black and white. I love that winter is sometimes reduced to black, white and gray.
His eyes. This might be my favorite shot of his eyes since that one I took at Wheeler Farm last spring. They are beautiful.
Tighter crop, in color. Because he seriously has the prettiest eyes. I still say they are the color of the sea after a storm.
And if you clicked on all the silly links I kept adding to this post, you win a prize. Contact me to find out what it is. ;)

Black and White Wednesday {memory lane}

Looking through my photos this morning I was taken with a few from last December. I don't have a lot of new photos from this week but couldn't help but smile when I saw these three in last year's December folder.

By early December last year we'd already had three or four decent snow storms. James loved trekking around in the sled. Oh man, he was so cute at 12.5 months.
My little Christmas elf. I love this one in color too. See it here.
On cookie day last year he tried his first ever cookie. I think he liked it.

Black and White Wednesday {Thanksgiving: Part 2}

Our long weekend at home was wonderful. Beyond wonderful. It started with E taking a half day on Wednesday and ended with another fantastic Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house on Sunday night.

The fact that she was willing to push back my family's Thanksgiving to Sunday meant E and I could go to his family's house on Thursday, but it also meant my dad wasn't alone on Thanksgiving day, since he had all my hungry siblings to attend to. ;)

I wanted to dress up a little on Thanksgiving, since I'm in the same maternity yoga pants 7 days a week (not a joke). I wore a dress and tights! Oh how I felt fancy. :)

Before we left I asked E to take a photo of me in front of the Christmas tree. Of course he said yes. Then the cutest thing happened, James wanted to be in the photo too, and he pointed his little toe, to make himself look fancy too.

Above: 29.5 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl.

Doesn't James look dashing with his pointed toe and adorable new polar bear sweater? It was a birthday gift from a dear friend.
Once we got to my Mom's she handed James a new book she'd found. "Big Trucks" was then carried around the entire house for the rest of the evening, and anybody he found was roped into oohing and awing at diggers and bulldozers for at least five minutes.
My mom's table was looking awesome with her multi colored placemats and silver centerpieces.
Brandon and my E.
I was hoping James would eat a good dinner at my moms. He LOVED the pomegranate jello that my family serves every year, and kept making yummy sounds. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and everything else on his plate? Rejected.
The entire crowd. The morning after this feast, my Grandma (who is sitting next to E) took a spill in her house. Things are not good. She broke her femur up near her hip. It has since me surgically repaired but she will not be walking for a long time. We are hoping for the best.

Black and White Wednesday {Wheeler Farm}

Remember last week when I posted this photo, and said there were more Wheeler Farm photos to come? Yea, it's taken a week to get them posted...
Last week a couple of friends and I met up at Wheeler Farm to enjoy the AMAZING Indian Summer. The morning was cool and brisk, but soon warmed up enough for all of us to unzip our jackets and smile a little brighter. This weather has my heart. I love it.

All the corn was available for toddlers to explore. All the little ones took quite awhile in the corn rows before moving on.
Liz, my friend who has this adorable guy, is really dang good about setting up playdates and then inviting new Mamas along. I've met so many really neat ladies this way. Last year James and I went to Wheeler Farm alone, almost always. I always envied the groups of ladies I saw, each chasing their own toddler when they wander too far. This year I'm part of that group. Thank you Liz.

Oh and James? Always this serious when tractor driving. He makes a B-line right to the tractor as soon as we get there and it's like pulling teeth to get him off. He likes his big trucks.
Aren't the kiddos cute? The little guy on the left is a month older than James and the little girl on the right is a month younger. So great to compare toddler stories with other Mamas that have been there, done that.
Near the end of the day we stopped at James's favorite tree. This thing is massive and at least 200 years old. I'll have to get better photos of it when I have enough confidence in my boy to step back a few yards. Right now I'm worried he's going to topple right off. He does love tree climbing though.

Black and White Wednesday {Dada is home!!!}

Last week was rough. Let's not lie.

I try to keep a positive attitude in life. I feel like attitude counts for 90% of the outcome of any situation.

But 9 days without E (he left at the beginning of one weekend and didn't get home until the end of the following weekend) was a lot. Taking care of a toddler, non-stop, alone, being pregnant, while is snowed outside (yuck! I know!) was a little much.

Let's just say I am so so so glad that week was behind us. James had a rough week (my gentle boy started hitting again), and this Mama had a rough week.

But because I don't like to dwell on the bad, I rather focus on the good, here are ten really good things that happened over the last week:

• With the turn of the weather we've started getting out James's fall/winter wardrobe. There are lots of adorable things I'm looking forward to this season.
• After a week of cold and yuck, there has been a return of warm/amazing/beautiful fall weather!
• Lots and lots of playdates with Mamas that offered their support.
• The pumpkins in the garden are getting ever bigger! I think we'll pick them this weekend.
• Tea in the morning, every morning.
• Early bedtime for me. With E gone (and now jet lagged) we've been hitting the sack at 9 pm. Awesome, especially when James takes mini extra short naps these days.
• Halloween decorations. I got them out while E was gone, and I'm loving them.
• E getting home. This was the best part of the week by far.
• The half dozen big hugs James gave E when he saw him. Both E and James were thrilled. Once the shock wore off, he'd play for a few minutes and then run back to Dada and give him a big long extended hug. It happened quite a few times and was amazing.
• Dada being back on the morning breakfast routine. Homemade biscuits taste way better than a stale piece of toast. The company of another adult in the house? Beyond wonderful.

James is such a good kitchen helper. So good in fact, it makes it quite difficult to work. He wants "up!" and if you try to explain you need both hands, it doesn't matter. Both E and I have gotten quite good at one-handed cooking.

Fallfall with Dada {Black and White Wednesday}

Before E left we decided to take James up the canyon to visit a "huge fallfall" aka waterfall. His request of course.

We thought he'd love Lisa Falls because of the short hike, amazing waterfall that you could get next to, and shallow water.

We were wrong.

He was grumpy and grouchy and we ended up turning around ten minutes after we arrived.

I did get a few photos though. Most were lovely to change into black and white. Some just needed to stay in color.

Me with baby bump. Twenty two and a half weeks along.
James with a stick in the shallow water. The rock wall next to him is what the waterfall tumbled down. Seems perfect, right?
In the water. It might be fun to try this hike again next summer, we'll see.
Such a pretty happy waterfall.
Hiking back down the trail after a meltdown.
The beautiful canyon on the way home.
Last note: I posted this on Tuesday, not Wednesday. I think I'm looking forward to this week to come to an end. I'm adding days wherever I can. ;)