Second part of the last photo dump

I've actually had these pictures sitting in a draft ever since I wrote last weeks post, I uploaded all the pictures the same day. It's taken me until now to finally sit down and type a few words about them. Does that tell you how crazy life is around here?!  And I didn't mean to leave a whiney post about Evan like that. It had been a hard day and probably not the best time to write something. For all the grey hairs she gives me, she does make me laugh. The way she responds to things is so funny. When you answer one of her questions so goes "OooooOOOOooohhhh." or "Das so funny!" Dare I say potty training has even gotten slightly better? Maybe it's because I have learning the beauty of plastic panties over regular ones. They may look like a shower cap on her butt, but they do contain messes!

I can not stop buying them matching clothes.

I wish you could see Elyse a little better, because this is probably my new favorite picture of my three babies.

Gangsta baby: Say what?!

Not only can I not stop with the matching, but I have shocked myself with the darling cheetah print. This was at church one morning. Yes they are identical, and yes I tried to get a picture of them together but Evan wasn't smiling in any. I figured separate pictures pieced together was just as good.

If they aren't matching exactly, they at least coordinate.  

Elyse is becoming slightly spoiled. As she wakes up a little bit more, she doesn't particularly like to be put down and really wants to be held. A lot. Sometimes (like this night) the only way she isn't constantly fussing and I can still get things done is to wear her.

This was Tuesday night at Target while the big kids had their daddy night with their dad. She looked so perfect and pretty and little and precious, I just knew I had to commit the picture to memory for those days in the future when she's two. Acting two.

Evan is 2 and a photo dump

Just a warning, the pictures will not match up with the text. I've got a serious amount of pictures built up on my phone and I've picked about 20 to blow you up with. Don't worry. I'll spread them out between two days. :)

The big thing around our house these days, besides me dreadfully counting down the days till I return to work and making sure my littlest girl is growing, is potty training. Oh dear lord. I don't know anything, I mean ANYTHING, that is quite the beating that is potty training. Evan hasn't gotten down the concept of informing me when she needs to go, so it's hit and miss with me making her sit there. She'll do great all day, and then have three accidents in a row in the evening. At this point, I think the only room she HASN'T peed in is my room.

Crap. Did I just jinx it?

Babies need babies too. (evan was here)

Luke was so easy to potty train. He was 3, and not once did he have an accident. Not even in bed. If I could throw in the towel with Evan and try again later I would in a heart beat. But we are kind at a point of no return. I feel so bad for Cindy in two weeks when I'm back at work and she's stuck trying to remember to take her every 45 minutes or so, and trying to decide if a trip out of the house warrents a pull-up or willing to take the risk in actual panties.

(the hand up. it kills me)

Ug. Did I mention it's a beating?

Oh boy. This guy was channeling his inner old man. And then a few days later he told me he wanted to have lunch at the sandwich shop. He went from 5 to 90 so fast.

This, on top of her very obvious selective hearing. I know she's 2. I know this comes with the territory. But it still drives me absolutely insane the way I say her name fifty million times nicely and she finally looks at me when I get ugly about it. And don't even get me started on her lack of desire to follow directions. Just tonight she was told 4 times to NOT TURN ON YOU LAMP after I put her to bed, only to finally have the plug pulled. So she got the stairs that are used to climb into her bed, moved them to the light switch, and was turning the light on (all to read books). After being told twice to not do that anymore, I finally took the stairs away. Which lead to 20 minutes of her screaming at me from her bed about her lamp not working and her stairs being gone and "I'M SOWWEEE MOMMA!"

Having a sweet moment, I caught Evan "reading" to Elyse.

Can you tell 2 hasn't been my favorite so far? I look at my tiny sleeping baby and just think "She used to be just like this." Alas. Not anymore.

Girl's story time!

Now don't get me wrong. It's not all terrible. She loves to love on her sister (until I have to pull her off because she isn't listening to me ask her to be gentle). She loves to play babies and is the sweetest momma. She's curious to a fault. ("Hey baby, can you move out of the way please?" "Why move out of de way?") ("Evan can you please take this to your room?" "Why take a dis to my rune?") ("I need for you to stop screaming." "Why stop scweaming?") She still wants to rock with me every night, even when I've spent most of the day fussing at her. My poor girl. Two is a hard place to be! And this momma needs prayers for patience. I don't want to be the reason her sweet heart gets calloused.

One Month

My dear Elyse,

You are one month old today! I can't believe that you have been with us for a whole month. And everyone is still totally in love with you. You're brother and sister hang around you all the time- wanting to touch you, hold you, talk to you, kiss you. Your daddy asks for pictures on the days he can't come see you. And me? I wish I had all the time in the world to just sit and hold you. I hate that I don't get to do it more, but my darling....you are the third in line. :)

So what are you up to? Not much still. You sleep sleep sleep. I thought that by now you would be awake a little more than you are, but I'm not complaining. It's a tad unfortunate that you can go 3-4 hours in between feedings during the day and barely make it 2 hours during the night, but I don't mind. You are my last babe, and I'm trying to savor every last minute. You have caught a mild case of the chubs and it's going straight to your cheeks and belly. Just this week I've bumped you up from size newborn diapers and newborn clothes to size 1 diapers and 0-3 months clothes. After three blowouts this week I figured it was about time for the diapers, and your little pant legs were looking a tad high waterish. Paci's are hit and miss, sometimes you'll take it, sometimes you won't. But your spit up, little girl. Your brother and your sister didn't spit up at all, but we are lucky to make it an hour without having to change at least one article of clothing between us. It's made for some epic laundry.

You are so close to smiling at me, recognizing my face.  Your little bobble head is getting so much stronger and steadier. So far the only things you really hate are having wet diapers and being hungry. And the only thing I wish I could change about you is burping. I CAN.NOT. burp you for the life of me. Your daddy has no problem, but for me? It just ain't happening. This leave you with a sore belly that makes you cry sometimes, but we are working at it. You do love your baths and music. When you are fussy in the car, turning up the radio really soothes you. Mostly we listen to the Christian station, but the classical station also does wonders for you. Last night I even turned on a classical station on my phone when you were fussy fussy and it knocked you right out. Hopefully this means you'll take after your momma and really excel in music!


My Leesie girl, I love you so much. A whole month down, so many more to go.  This next month I go back to work (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO), but it also will hold your first Thanksgiving. Yay! Until next month, my love!

Your Momma

There is actually a story to this onesie. When I was pregnant with your brother- about 12 weeks- I hadn't bought anything yet, terrified of jinxing the pregnancy and losing the baby. When I hit the beginning of my second trimester, I finally allowed myself to be excited and buy something. I didn't know whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and it was winter at the time, so I just went in and bought something- this "I love my mommy" onesie. When I got to the car after purchasing, I pulled it out of the bag and just cried. Cried tears of excitement, tears of fear of the unknown, tears of thankfulness for the life within. I just held it up and couldn't imagine anything that small being totally dependent on ME. Well, it turns out that baby was a boy so he obviously didn't wear it. Then when your sister came along she was a giant born in the summer, so not only did it not fit, but it was long sleeved. But you my dear? You are the first babe to wear it. I find it a little poetic-the very first item I ever bought for my baby is worn by my last one.