{a resolution and a challenge}

I love lists and I love goals.

Every January, like many, I have a list of resolutions.  Of my list of ten (!!!) last year I accomplished many (gave birth completely drug-free, drank more water, baked more, hosted a baby shower) and several I was not as successful (stopped attending yoga/pilates at around 28 weeks while pregnant, and still haven't run a half marathon.)
This year I am going to keep it simple.  One resolution : be more present.  Specifically - be less plugged in.  No, I am going to be blogging less.  But I have noticed recently how habitual it has become, for me and for seemingly everyone I know, to be on my 'smart' phone and being connected to that world.  Lately I have been feeling like because of the easy access to the internet realm I am less involved in what is going on right in front of me.  Same with people I am hanging out with - everyone in my life - friends, family, Hubby - seems to be glued to the screen.

Recently I was watching our wedding dvd and because it rained various times and the ceremony location got moved thrice and delayed a lot, there was a lot of wait time for our guests.  As our videographer (er, my uncle who was randomly handed a camera) panned across the crowd I felt like something was odd.  Then it dawned on me - not one person was hunched over their phone.  They were people-watching (as in "real" people, not Facebook) or conversing with friends or relatives.  That was in 2007. If our wedding was held today that would not be the case.  I would wager at least 75% of our wedding guests would be on their phones surfing the internet or texting or emailing or Instagramming.

Anyone out there disagree with that?

Please don't misunderstand.  I am not complaining about technology.  I love it, clearly.  But I also feel distracted and sometimes depressed by it.  Also, I honestly think it is rude to be constantly on your phone when you could be spending quality time with someone right in front of you.  Just sayin'.  I am guilty of it - not just with my phone but even sometimes with my camera.  I'll be so eager to capture moments on 'film' and then scrolling through them that I miss the moments that are happening in the meantime.

So I resolve to change this about myself - and perhaps gently encourage the same change in those around me.  Shouldn't we use the time we have with people to really be with them?   What conversations are we missing?  What beauty is passing us by because our eyes are glued to a tiny screen?   At least think about it.

Besides the resolution to be more present, less plugged in - a challenge.  Since I love exercise and being healthy in general I figured a fitness goal is appropriate.   This will have nothing to do with exercise or weight-loss, but rather I'd like to change my diet in some way.  I am not sure what specifically will be most helpful to me.  I've given up junk food for Lent before.  I've gone months without caffeine and years without red meat.  These all yielded great results, but, besides weight loss, I can't remember how else I benefitted specifically.   So when I ran across this graphic on Pinterest I was intrigued...

{source}

I like the idea of eliminating something each month and seeing/feeling how it affects everything in my life.  I think being able to exert self-control is important.  I don't like feeling like I am bound by any one thing.  I believe what you put in your body can have a major effect on all aspects of your well-being - mental and physical - so I am curious and excited to see how cutting out each of these things will affect and benefit me.

Plus, I am forcing encouraging Hubby to do it, too!   Extra fun!  :)

So - January challenge - no sweets!  Starting today I am living in the world of black coffee, no desserts, and clearly no candy.  Since I don't drink a lot of pop anyway I am cutting that out, too.

Anyone else want to take the challenge, too?  
I will be blogging weekly updates about the experience, and would love to hear how it goes for anyone else, as well!

Happy New Year, friends!

Finola - 7 months!

 Dear Fin, 
Today you are seven months...
and you are teething.
Again.
The worst bout yet, with a fever and all you want to do is lay on me or be in your crib sleeping.
So that is what we have done.  I'm sorry you are having a rough day...but I kind of am relishing the extra snuggling.
I don't get to do much of that with you, like I did with Cormac.
Things are definitely different when you have two babes!
But you have been the perfect "second born" child, and sibling to a "big personality."
I know your true personality hasn't emerged yet
(I am finding that it really shines through at age two!)
but so far, so good
little one.
Now for the update...

Personality:

You are getting a lot more vocal about likes and dislikes.  No words, yet.  But lots of new noises and facial expressions.  For example, the 'piggy face.' This is the exact expression I made as a tiny girl.  Chin tilted in the air, eyes squinting, nose scrunched up.  You make this expression when I'm basically trying to force-feed you vegetables.  You make it when you believe someone should be paying you more attention.  Once you realize someone has noticed your 'piggy face' (and usually it makes them laugh) you start giggling, too!  Sometimes you will just start making this funny, excited, wheezy shrieking noise.  Even when you are alone in your crib.  You could do it for an hour.  Since it is a 'happy noise' I just let you do it.  You get extremely angry during middle of the night diaper changes.  You will whip both legs up and kick them down onto the changing pad at full force, all the while yelling your displeasure about a cold bottom.  In fact, even during daytime diaper changes you make things difficult now...twisting your whole body around and trying to flop on your tummy whilst I am trying to wipe your bum.  

Likes: 

eating paper, scooting to wherever mama is, fruits, mirrors, cords, the jumperoo, headbands (you haven't tried to rip one off your head even once!)

Dislikes: 

nighttime diap changes, skipping naps, vegetables, especially green ones

Veggies - EW!

Eating:
Lots of baby food!  I've lost track, but you've tried nearly everything allowed.

As far as "milk" you drink mostly formula now.  I still breastfeed you once or twice daily, usually during the night or in the very early morning, but that is it.  We are nearly done.  I purposely started transitioning you to bottles after you turned six months, when you had been mostly breastfeeding.   It was time.  However, I sincerely enjoyed every moment our our breastfeeding experience together, and would not change one thing!  

Sleeping:

You are a girl who loves her sleep.  Naps continue to be twice a day, about two hours each time.  You did skip the morning nap for the first time last week, but then took an extra long afternoon one.   Most of the time you go down smooth as butter...but occasionally you'll cry it out for up to twenty minutes.   Still waking up once a night for a feeding, only on occasion will it be twice.  This is progress!

Milestones:

*You sprouted your first two teeth!  Both on and just after Thanksgiving.

*Started inch-worming and army crawling forward just after turning 6 months.  No true crawling yet, but you can quickly scoot forward to wherever you want to go across the room, so we do have to watch you.

*Move from sitting to crawling position with ease.
*Can take two toys and whack them together.  Clearly a genius.  ;)

*You slept through the night for the first time EVER.  Once.

Health/Measurments:

*Weird rash/chapped skin appeared around your mouth the week you got your first teeth.

*Seems like you perpetually have a head cold.
*Lots, and lots, and lots of drool.

Memories:

*Your first Thanksgiving!  You were a sweet little dream baby the entire two days we spent at the grandparents...despite your first tooth popping through.  You let lots of relatives hold you without much fuss (unless mama came into your line of vision) and you laughed and laughed with your Pop Pop - you very much love your Pop Pop. :)
Here you are at your first turkey feast!  With your Mimi...and then with the guys.

*First visit to Santa!

"Uh, Santa, you are invading my personal space." 

"I love sparkly headbands!!!"

will turquoise be your favorite color, too?

my cuddly chunk in her first fleece half-zip

 Sibling Relations:
Good!  Er, sort of?!  The holiday season has been interesting because things have been crazy and Mama has been distracted with lots of things and Cormac has been especially "spirited."  But overall he  still seems to love you and you still light up at the very sight of him.  You seem especially amused when he is throwing a tantrum.  I wish I felt the same!

Here is your brother's seven month post - so fun to see how similar you were at this age in some ways...and how very different in others!  

Wait, why do I have to bath with him again?

mama snuck into a pic!

You've got an awesome dada, girl.  Trust me on that one!

thanksgiving...teething with crazy mouth rash (of course!)

Well, it has been a whirlwind of a month, packed full of holiday craziness, and sick kiddos (and mama!)  You never fail to brighten my day, though, with your easy smile and giggle, curiosity, and laid-back ways.

Love you, baby girl.

Mama+Dada

santa visit : third time's a charm

We trekked off to the mall on Wednesday to visit Santa.

Despite all three of us having colds, we headed out that morning (uh, well, 11am...as early as I can manage with two kids) and met Hubby so he can share in this always very joyous experience.

Ha.

The past two years we've done our due diligence and taken Cormac to visit the man in red,

only to see him make disgusted faces or flat out throw a tantrum

I know there are many parents who can relate.

Here is Cormac his first Santa visit, four months old...

Santa looks amazing.  Cormac looks like Santa smells bad.  This is literally the best picture I have from the experience.

The next year was, in fact, worse.  

We saw Santa at Paul's work's "kid party."

Amid the pizza and bouncy house fun, 

Santa arrived.

He may as well have been an ax murderer.

My 1 1/2 year old was not happy, 

clearly...

Then they hit the age of two, 

and suddenly Christmas is less "fun you force upon them" and

becomes something magical they actually want to be involved in.

This year, we started hyping Christmas early (both Santa Clause lore and Jesus' birthday) and he has been watching Christmas movies on Netflix since way before Thanksgiving.

He can sing Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop and Oh, Christmas Tree.

This year, I knew our Santa experience would be much, much different.

And it was...

He was too scared to ride the train, any coin-operated animal, or the merry-go-round at the mall

("Maybe when I am older," he told me.)

However, this year, he was able to sit on Santa's lap and declare emphatically that for Christmas he wanted "A d-ire engine!" 

Oh, and smiled dutifully for mama (who incidentally had to be told by Santa to stay off the rug if I wanted to take my own photos.)

I couldn't have been prouder.

Oh, and Finola was there, too.  She made weird faces.

But at least I expected that, this time around.

:)

{christmas bucket list}

Okay, so this is more of a 'to-do' than a 'bucket list.'  But since I love lists and lots of other bloggers are doing this, I thought I would join in the fun...

1. Cut down tree and decorate.

the tree!

2. Attend my very first 'ugly Christmas sweater' party.  Yes, my very first, and I am thirty-two. I couldn't find a sweater but only a tacky, ill-fitting holiday turtleneck for two dollars at Goodwill.   Here is a shot of some lovely ladies at our "crafty" Christmas party.  If you could see the detail on my turtleneck it has black Scottish terriers on it with crazy eyes and holly on their collars...

4. Take photos for Christmas card.  I am not sure why I always wait until December to do this.   Anyway, this year we were all sick with yucky colds and there was major snow falling outside so we had to take them inside by our tree. Here is an outtake.  This one will not be the card, don't worry.

family pic fail.

5. Send out said Christmas card.
6. Bake cookies and deliver to friends.  I've never been a big baker but now that Cormac is old enough to help me we have been on quite a cookie baking spree.  He loves helping and it gives me an excuse to use my pretty stand mixer.  Because I don't want to eat the whole batch myself we have been delivering some to various lady friends - mostly preggos!

7. Celebrate Christmas Eve/Day at our home -- for the first time EVER.  Usually we are in MN or at my in-laws for these two days...but this year we will have 'our' family celebration on the actual night/morning of Christmas.  I don't know why this means so much to me...but it does.  It is what my family did growing up, and it is what I desire for our little growing fam.  However, the entire weekend prior to Christmas will be spent with the Hubby's fam, and the day after Christmas we will drive to Minnesota for a giant reunion/celebration/crazy gathering at my parent's farm.  It will be nothing short of chaotic.  So excited for all the festivities!
8. Make cookies for Santa.  Set out, with milk.  Cormac already knows exactly where we will set these.
9. Purchase and hang mistletoe.  I actually got what is called a "kissing ball" at Michael's...and I adore it.  There was already a hook set into the huge doorframe between our kitchen and living room, so I decided it was fate that some mistletoe (or, fine, a kissing ball) be hung there.   SO worth it.  Cormac is constantly "catching me" under the kissing ball and running into me at full speed and kissing my legs.  Or I bring him or Finola under there and give them a million kisses, which he thinks is hilarious.  Or if he refuses, Hubby and I take a turn under there.  Also kind of nice.  :)  Best 6.99 I ever spent.

10.  Have all presents purchased and wrapped by December 15th.  Ha.

Okay, I'd better stop at ten.  It is a nice round number, and I prefer not to overwhelm myself.  Couple things I had to leave off the list to maintain my sanity -- the Elf on the Shelf thing (it looks fun but think I will wait til the kiddos are a bit older) and creating and carrying out an advent calendar.  There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest, but again, with all our travel and craziness and an infant I don't want to make myself crazy crazier than I already am.

What's on your Christmas bucket list this year???

tree cuttin'

Saturday morning it was time once again to drive out to the tree farm we always go to and bring home our Christmas tree.

It's our tradition, and I love it.

Last year during this excursion we took some family photos and I had a itty bitty baby bump:

Hard to believe how tiny and different Cormac was just one year ago.  

Barely saying two words and so still a baby!  Now he is all arms and legs and won't stop talking to save his life (and I love it!) 

Besides Cormac getting huge...Finola made her entrance into the world and suddenly I have TWO children!  This definitely added to the fun of the tree cutting experience

Despite both kiddos teething (his two year molars started coming this month and her first two teeth are now officially here!) we had a lovely morning, sun shining bright, cold but not freezing, and just a little bit of snow crunching beneath our feet.

So, is your tree up yet?

I am currently in the midst of 'trimming' ours...

and have only had a few minor meltdowns about it.
{Hormones, people.  Hormones.}

g

finola - six months!

 

Happy 'Half' Year, my little love!
It's been a fun month, so let's get right to it...
Personality:

 Determined little bugger.  Stubborn.  Quiet unless she wants something.  Joyous - she has the most lovely open-mouthed, gaping grin...especially when I come to get her out of her crib.  Laughs about totally random things.

Likes:  

Chewing on EVERYTHING.  Especially books.  Playing 'Kissy Monster.'  Mirrors.  Watching your brother play, talk, get in trouble...it all makes you twitter-pated.  The Jumperoo - you are a jumping maniac.  

happiest in her jumperoo!

Dislikes: 

Being fed - you'd much prefer to feed yourself.  Being away from mama for too long.  Total mama's girl.   Being tired - you'd rather just be put in your crib than be rocked to sleep or snuggled!  Riding in the car too long.  Getting dressed...sometimes you strongly protest to mama getting your little arms through the holes in shirts.  You get annoyed by a lot of buttons.  Pajamas are sometimes nightmarish (you prefer the quick zip-up variety!)

Sleeping:

About the same as last month.  Still hasn't gone a whole night without waking up.  Still wakes usually twice a night for a feeding.  Sometimes once if we are lucky.  Naps twice a day, two hours every time.    Goes to bed between 6 and 7 and gets up around 7am.

probably not gonna be a baller

Eating:

Still get only one bottle on a typical day, from Dada right before bedtime.  I did break down and feed you with a bottle a couple times, just to break my fear.  It went fine!  Breastfeeding has become more difficult and mentally I am ready to transition to formula.  I think.  Not looking forward to the hormone imbalance that will come with that...but it will pass.  Anyway, you eat four times during the day, approximately 6 oz each time.  You also gets baby food at mealtimes when I feed Cormac.  You have had oatmeal, rice cereal, green beans, peas, bananas, apples and carrots.  Bananas are by far your favorite!  You are very insistent on grabbing the spoon away from me and feeding yourself...and when you are done with each bite you fling the spoon on the ground and whine for more.  

you might be the messiest eater ever. 

Sibling Relations:

You continue to adore your brother, while he goes in waves with how he feels.  He mostly wants to kiss and 'ug' you, crawl into your crib and snuggle and 'entertain Sissy!'  Sometimes he wants you to just go away so all the attention is on him.  That doesn't happen often, thankfully!  Although he did smack you in the face for the first time - on purpose.  You had no real reaction to it, so I guess it didn't hurt, but he had a major meltdown in his time-out and eventually apologized.

my little cuddlers.  fin loves being on the couch with brother.

Mama's feelings:

Making peace with breastfeeding coming to an end - eventually.  Happy to be back at the gym more frequently and able to go to pilates class again.

Health/Measurements:

Weight: 18 lbs (75th) Height: 25.5 inches (25th)  Head: 16.25 inches (75th)

No colds this month, but possibly some teething (noticed some extra fussiness and a TON of drooling/chewing.)  Wearing 9 month clothing -- and some 12 month!  You don't even know how excited I was to find out I can now shop the toddler girl section of Target for you.  Everything is SO MUCH CUTER there than in the infant section.

Milestones/Development:

*You found your feet!

*Started sitting unassisted at just after five months!

*Continue to make the moves to crawl. You even get up on your toes in a fun 'downward dog' yoga position in an attempt to propel yourself forward...but nothing official.

still has the curl on the top of her head - sometimes

Memories:

*First time playing in the leaves!  I had to be carefully because you would have ate about fifty leaves had I let you.

*First time riding in the stroller like a big girl...and swinging!  This picture doesn't show it, but you actually, despite being too small, loved being in there with me making faces at you and pushing you lightly.  I think you just like being outside and having lots to look at.

*And, of course, your first Halloween!  You won't remember this, but you were the sweetest little bunny for a couple hours...

Dear Fin,

It is so fun watching you turn into a little person.  You seem determined to learn and grow and be a part of everything.  You continue to be very go-with-the-flow, making it easier for me to handle two littles and go on adventures with the both of you.  You adore your brother, everything about him...just like seemingly everyone else.  Go figure.  He is a likable guy.  

You make me smile every morning and after nap times with your huge "crib grins."  Your fat rolls and love handles are pretty much the best - even the doc was impressed at your check-up.  You never fail to let me know when you don't like something...and, in my opinion, speaking your mind is a good thing.  

I'm excited, as always, for what the next month will bring (crawling?!?!?!)

Love you, lady Jane!

Mama + Dada