My Fair Baby

Ellie turned 4 months old on Friday...the 13th! She got 2 shots and a clean bill of health from Dr. S. Other than a little bit of eczema, she's a healthy girl. Ellie's super fair skin is very pretty but it is very, very sensitive. She can't be out in the heat for more than a few minutes and you can FORGET about direct sunlight. I swear she's the undiscovered member of the Cullen Family. But instead of shining like a diamond, she breaks out in a rash that takes a week and a tube of hydrocortisone 2.5% to heal. Maybe this means she's got some Maher in her? Maybe, just maybe, she'll look like me? I'm so excited to have someone to avoid the sun with, but something tells me Texas summers will be hard on her. I really need to look into opening an indoor playground ASAP. Ha!

Side note - I don't think I will ever take both girls to the doctor at the same time again. Here are some highlights from our hour long visit:
- Ellie filling her diaper as soon as we get into the room. The diaper leaked on the table so I had to change the super loud paper.
- Caroline decided she had to potty not once, but twice. And of course she couldn't have done it during the 30 minutes we waited prior to the doc coming in. There should be a YouTube video on how to help a 2 year old potty in a public restroom while holding a nearly naked 4 month old. There should also be a medal for accomplishing that feat. (and by medal I mean wine)
- Caroline pulling a bag of super sugar cookies out of the diaper bag. And opening them like she's been eating them every day for a year.
- Caroline pulling 3 lollipops out of the diaper bag, then asking for each one by flavor.
- Caroline pulling tampons out of the diaper bag.
- Caroline emptying a bottle of hand sanitizer on the floor while I was talking to the doc about Ellie.
- Caroline being diagnosed with a super nasty double ear infection that had been there for a while.

I almost asked for my Mother of the Year award when I walked out, but decided to save that for another day.

At 4 months, Ellie is a long 27.5 inches and a lean 16 lbs. She's high 90s for height and low 80s for weight. Caroline was the exact opposite weighing 1.2 lbs more but 2 inches shorter (as evident in the pictures below).  She will take a bottle if forced to and is able to go a little longer than 3 hours between feedings. She is trying to wean herself down to 2 naps from 3 and is sleeping about 12 hours a night. That's probably my favorite thing about 4 months - sleeping through the night is heavenly! She can roll both ways and really enjoys sitting in her Bumbo chair. Caroline is playing with her more and more each day and likes to make sure Ellie always has a toy. Ellie LOVES her big sister! Unlike big sister, I'm going to hold off giving her baby food for now. Doc said it's fine to wait until 6 months but if she starts wanting to eat more frequently I can try and feed her baby food a couple of times a day.

The best part about Ellie is that she's a lap baby. She is happiest when sitting on a lap. Mine, Mom's, Luc's, Caroline's, etc. She just loves to sit and suck her thumb. Ellie is so laid back and it makes loving her that much easier. She's such a honey!

Here are some pictures of our lap baby:

Long legged lap baby!

Notice that she blends in with her white outfit. She is so fair!

Haha...look at her skin color compared to the doll's.

She normally laughs whenever she gets in front of a mirror. It wasn't working this time.

And now for some laughs...here are Caroline's 4 months pictures. She certainly did have a big personality to match her big ol' thighs!

Holy moly. I remember her being big but not that big!!!

Oh, Sweet Caroline.  She was healthy, that's for sure.

Just like Bocke

(Bocke, you ask? Bocke is the name James gave my dad years ago. James could not say Grampy correctly when he was Caroline's age. He tried, but it came out as Bocke - pronounced Bock e- It stuck! His three oldest grandkids can say Grampy but he's The Bock. And they love him!)

I've been looking for something for Caroline to do on the days she's not in school. She loved gymnastics but unfortunately none of the classes are at a time that work for us. All of the other dance or gymnastics classes in the area are mommy & me, which means I have to participate. That's a problem for two reasons. One, what do I do with Ellie while we dance? Two (and more important), I can't dance. At all. How am I supposed to keep up my perfect image in Caroline's eyes if I show her one of my major flaws? 

One of the moms in Caroline's MDO class told me about Teddy Tennis. It's tennis lessons for toddlers. I knew it was perfect for us after I spoke to Coach Sarah, who happens to be from Baton Rouge (bonus!). 

Caroline had her first lesson yesterday and couldn't be happier! They worked on moving their feet, watching the ball, using a racket, and volleying at the net. She said she's just like Bocke and can't wait to go back. We love Teddy Tennis! 

*these lessons are open to all 2/3 year olds in the area. Let me know if you want to join us! 

Here are some pictures from our first day.

Lucky #13

Remember way back when I was having wrist and thumb issues? Remember how it was going to require surgery to fix the problem? Guess what? The pain is gone! The surgery was scheduled for August 23rd, but that day came and went without the tiny procedure being performed because Ellie wouldn't take a bottle. My stubborn, but so sweet, baby refused the first 12 bottles I tried until magic bottle #13 came along - the MAM bottle. Hallelujah! I finally found one that she'll drink out of! I thought I was destined for a year of having her by my side 24 hours a day. Just when I was about to cancel my social calendar (ha!) for the next 8 months, my friend told me about the miracle bottle. It couldn't have come at the better time, as the Texas A&M v Alabama game is this Saturday and you better believe I'll be there. Prior to her taking a bottle, I was considering renting an RV so that I could bring Ellie and a babysitter to College Station to tailgate with me before the game. Notice I said RV - I'm pretty sure Ellie is allergic to the sun and/or heat...more on that later. No need now, my mom is going to watch her on Saturday while I go sans Ellie. Thanks, Grammy! My dad will be on Caroline duty while Mom snuggles with Ellie. I'm not sure which girl will have the better time as they are both getting a day full of what they love! (On a side note - please say a little prayer for my mom that all goes well on Saturday. We're both nervous that Ellie will refuse the take a bottle from her, despite our practice rounds.)

In addition to Katie's Law (the one that made the thumb pain stop just as soon as I canceled the surgery), I think another reason the pain has subsided is because Caroline is potty trained and I no longer have to lift her 10 times a day. Woohoo! It took a couple of weeks and a whole lot of patience, but she's been accident free for 5 days now. I'm so proud of her! For those of you who are about to try this parental challenge, let me give you a few pieces of unsolicited advice:
1) Don't put your toddler on the potty unless they need to go. This will only lead to frustration on both ends. And a lot of boredom. And a lot of unrolled toilet paper rolls piled on the floor. And a few close calls with your iPhone almost dropping in the bowl.
2) Don't put the portable potty in the middle of the den so that your toddler can watch TV while trying to pee. This will lead to a ruined rug, and a lot of unnecessary potty sitting.
3) The toilet lids with the built in toddler seats are awesome - you can find them at Lowe's and Home Depot. We got ours from Amazon. Be warned! There are two different sizes - elongated and round. I accidently bought the round and we have an elongated toilet. Oops.
4) The dollar store has great potty prizes. Make sure you stock up for those first couple of days. I know a toddler that stopped peeing in the potty when she found out I was out of prizes. Sassy beast! I also recommend buying yourself a daily reward in the form of a bottle of wine. You'll need it. I do not recommend getting that reward from the dollar store.
5) The training underwear with the inner plastic lining are awesome for those first few days. They hold a lot of liquid. That being said, buy about 20 pairs of underwear unless you want to do laundry every hour.
6) Start on the weekend when there are 2 adults at home! I could not have done this without Luc's help. And wine. That helps too.
7) I know some people say not to wear pull-ups, but I sometimes put them on C when we go on long errand runs. I call them her bye-bye underwear. I also send her to school in them because I don't trust her teachers yet...it's only been 2 days and I'm waiting until she gets used to her school routine before we try underwear at school. I also refer to them as night night underwear (see below).
7) Read 3 Day Potty Training. It's a quick read with lots of great tips! They recommend waiting until your toddler wakes up from nap and nighttime with a dry diaper to start. BUT, I didn't. Caroline goes to sleep in pull-ups. I'm totally fine with her wearing them as long as she's out of them by age 5. Tough goal, I know. Gotta set that bar high! ;)


OK, enough potty talk. It's been consuming our lives for the past month, so it's on the brain..

Here are some pictures to hold you over until the next blog post (about wedding, anniversaries, housekeepers and new jobs!):

Caroline's first day of "school." She attends Mother's Day Out at the local Methodist church. Side note - the castle house in the background still hasn't sold. I found out why when I walked through it this past Friday - the interior (and exterior) are AWFUL! I really think the builder will have to do major work on the inside if they want it to sell.

No tears here! She walked right in, put her stuff down and did a puzzle. I asked her for a kiss goodbye and she looked at me like I was crazy.

Meanwhile, Ellie and I shop! She loves Target!

We also like to play dress up. Caroline has decided she wants to be Dora the Explorer for Halloween, so Ellie gets to be Boots. Isn't she cute in her 12 month bubble? Seriously, people, 12 month bubble at 3 months of age. I'm excited to see how long she measures at her 4 month appointment this Friday.

Drinking a bottle!

This is what happens when Caroline sees the cutie boys who live across the street. All manners fly out the window and I'm left being the mom yelling "put your dress down!" at my daughter.

Sister snuggle time! Caroline was trying to hold Ellie's hand but Ellie just wanted to suck her thumb.

Seriously happy baby.

This cute princess dress was one of C's first potty prizes. I quickly realized that I needed to stop buying the prizes from Target and head across the street to the dollar store if I wanted to have money to buy groceries.

Lucky #13!

That's all for now. I planned to get a longer post done but I'm too tired tonight. I hope everyone has a great week! Here's hoping cooler weather is on the way...

Ellie Bellie!

Geeze! Who knew being a twice blessed parent would be so time consuming?! I fully intended on writing numerous posts about our newest addition but life got in the way. And diapers. And feedings. And play dates. And having fun with our daughters!

In all fairness to Ellie, I'm going to write a post dedicated to her. She is the reason our hearts are fuller and our days are longer. She's such a little love! She started off a little fussy but has turned into the sweetest and most laid back baby. Ellie smiles all the time and cries only when I'm trying to give her a bottle. Ha!

(Sorry about skipping the first two months' updates...she wasn't doing a whole lot during those months, but we were!)

At 3 months Ellie:

- Won't take a bottle. Not a sip. Not even a little bit. It's killing me! Thank goodness she's an efficient nurser, but still...it would be so nice to be able to leave for more than 2 hours at a time. I'm bound and determined to get her to take one because Aggie football season is about to start and I am NOT missing that A&M/Alabama game! And there's a Better Than Ezra concert next week that I'd like to be able to drink at, so I've got a week to get her to drink JUST ONE BOTTLE! Oh, and I need to have surgery on my hand and that will require her to take a bottle for 24 hours...come on, Ellie!
- Smiles! All. The. Time. It's just the cutest thing!
- Sucks her thumb. She found it just a few days ago and is totally hooked. It is so nice because she uses it to put herself to sleep. I'm hoping this means she'll be sleeping through the night soon. She normally wakes up once (if she's not going through a growth spurt) and her thumb might help her get back to sleep without eating.
- Loves to kick, especially in the bath. She also adores her bath!
- Rolls from her tummy to her back. She only enjoys tummy time if she can watch TV while doing it. I intend on putting that on my Parent of the Year application.
- Is easing her way into 9 month clothing. Eek!
- She was 13.5 pounds and 24 inches at her 2 month check up, which put her in the high 90th percentiles. I'm guessing she's at least 20 pounds now. Just kidding, that's just what my back feels like she weighs. Ellie is so much longer than Caroline was at the same age. I think Luc and I are in for some tall girls!

Here are some pictures of our smiley little love bug:

She's finally big enough for the Bumbo. She's still slightly wobbly, but she loves it.

Adorable. I love waking up to that little face. She has since made the transition to her crib, which is much nicer on my aching back.

Caroline tried to make Ellie play dress up. Ellie was not amused.

She was amused by her adorable monkey outfit from Aunt Shawn! Look at those long legs!

Pretty baby. So cute.

She LOVES her bath!

I told her that Luc tooted. ;)

I promise she's not watching Dora while doing tummy time.

Love bug! So happy, even in her car seat.

Seriously loves her bath.

She's got legs, and huge feet! And maybe a few chins.

This is her sad face. Ellie did not like the swing.

She found her thumb!

Smiles on our way to the mailbox

 

 

 

 



There you have it! Our silly 3 month old is just a honey of a love. You make our lives even brighter, Ellie Kate! We love you!





Coming up on the next blog post - potty training, weddings, housekeepers, new jobs and anniversaries!

Photos! Photos! Photos!

I apologize for the lapse of blogs in the past two months.  The thing is, I've been a little busy.  With this:

And this:

 

 

 



You see, Ellie Kate finally made her debut! I'll have a whole blog post about that later but for now I'm filling this post with photos, photos and more photos.  Mom and her friends are at the beach and have requested a few.  Here you go, ladies! I hope y'all are having a great time!

Mother's Day 2013. This was the day before Ellie was born.

First moments as mother and daughter!

First moments as daddy and daughter.

Caroline's first glance at her baby sister.

Ellie Kate all wrapped up and ready to go home. Notice the pacifier - she refuses to take it now.

This was taken after a very tough photo session with the fabulous Abbie Boudreaux. Ellie would not sleep and fussed the whole time. As soon as Abbie walked out the door, Ellie fell asleep.

Caroline finally conquered her fear of the bridge at the park.  So proud!

Pirate Baby!

Luc and Caroline enjoying some bonding time. That iPad is officially hers.

Ellie loves her sister. Can't you tell?

Ellie learned this face quickly. She uses it often.

First ride in the awesome double stroller! It's a big hit!

Good morning, Mom!

She was fired up about something. Probably eating. She loves to eat.

Just another Friday night on our street. We love our weekly block parties!



"Look, Dada! These hairs are light!"

Mondays are tough in our house because Dad goes to work. We beat the Monday Blues by going to the splash pad.

Caroline did a great job at her Little Gym recital. We are proud parents!



Sweet Ellie Kate learned how to smile!

Caroline and Ellie with Jill and her baby brother, Cole. Ellie and Cole are about 2 weeks apart.

Talking to "Baby Sisser". Caroline won't call her Ellie, only Baby Sisser.

Proud of my little gymnast!

Caroline is the excited one in the back. Can you spot her?

Silly girl!

Just another day in our house. Heels and pigtails!

Ellie's 1 month pictures. Blog post on this later!

Caroline is wearing a bubble that I wore in 1982. Isn't she the cutest?

Caroline is on the left and Ellie is on the right. Caroline is 4 months in the picture, Ellie is 4 weeks. I think we're in trouble!

Caroline at 2 months and Ellie at 4 weeks.

Mom ordered Ellie a Beaufort Bonnet. Ellie loves it! Maybe not.

Silly Pirate Baby.

Caroline loved our day at the pool!

She got too big for her car seat on the stroller, so I put her in the big girl seat. She loves it!

Ellie's first trip to Nordstrom!

Another Friday night on our street. We have around 25 kids on our street!

Celebrating 5 years of marriage!

Happy 4th of July!

Eagle Springs parade with our cutie pie neighbor, J.

Caroline loves to go to the pool with my dad. Mainly because she gets ice cream. That's where her cutie bootie is marching to!

My princesses.

Monday morning cuddles with my ladies.

I swear Ellie gained at least a pound over the past week. She ate every 2 hours for 5 days, so that might explain the rapid weight gain.

Little ladies all ready for church. They look thrilled to be in matching sister outfits.

Ellie was explaining to Luc why she needs a credit card.

Look at our little fashionista!

Ellie and Ms Dora, also known as Glam-ma. I had to take this picture because Ellie wasn't crying! More on her crying in another post...