Sisters

Busy weekends, even busier now.

// July 26th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Photo

A busy week and weekend for our family. We’re in an interesting position of having a toddler who likes going to bed and rising early, and an infant who likes to go to bed and sleep late. Makes for fun evenings! Bea is doing great, and is starting to get a proper fat baby belly. Lucy? Lucy discovered fishing. And when Lucy’s fishing, the last thing she wants to do is stop. I learned that twice yesterday.
Our weekend consisted of two picnics! My company picnic was on Saturday. Lucy loved it. There was cotton candy, and snow cones, and ‘brat chickens’. On Sunday, Jamie and I packed up the three girls and headed back down to the lake for a picnic lunch and some fishing in the lake. Molly and I took Lucy to get her own fishing pole earlier. She chose a Dora pole. She had fun reeling in, and watching the boats. Beatrice slept. Lucy and I ended up going back down the lake later in the day to kill time, and she met up with Gedion and they played pretty hard for a while.
In Beatrice news, she’s starting to smile! Of course, she won’t do it when the camera is around, but it’s still very sweet. We’ve started working on getting her used to a bottle, since Jamie will be going back to work soon. Time is flying by.

Bea, on one of our evening walks.

Lucy showing off her tattoo that Molly put on for her.

Chowing down at the company picnic. These are the kind of pictures she’s going to hate me for when she gets bigger!

We grew some broccoli! Here, Lucy sneaks a bite.

Dad, showing Lucy the ropes on fishing. Fun!

Lucy poses while Molly tries to pull something out of the lake.

Lucy and Mom get a picture taken, while Bea is off sleeping in the shade.

Beatrice, waking up and looking at Molly.

She does NOT enjoy diaper changes (or pooping for that matter).

Bea at one month

// July 19th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Photo

Busy times. Bea is already almost a month old! Time flies.

Sometime during the week, we had a big storm that came in and knocked out power for a few hours. Normally it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but Lucy seemed kind of freaked out by it, and it was 90 and muggy outside, so the AC was vital in getting the girls a nice sleep. Once the lights were out, I grabbed a flashlight and a guitar and Lucy and I had a little jam session. She also took some time doing some noodling on her own.

On Friday, Sam and Barb came over to view Beatrice. Sam and Lucy also took the opportunity to run around the house and eat some frozen treats.

By far, one of Beatrice’s favorite things to do is to pass out on someone. She’s a real cuddler, and does not appreciate being put into a seat or swing once asleep. We’re slowly learning this.

Holding the baby sister. It’s serious business. Lucy is very into watching all of the things that go into caring for Bea. Feeding, cuddling, diaper changing, she wants to be a part of all of it. It’s very cute and sweet, even if Lucy could stand to be a little more gentle.

Jamie got one of those cheap little travel pillows for Lucy to use as a ‘boppy’ so she could feed her babies as well. Great idea, and very cute. Here, she looks over as if to make sure she’s doing it correctly.

Beatrice and I take long walks around the neighborhood at night. It’s mainly done to give Mom a break, but it’s also a nice way to keep her occupied. She loves the low-hanging trees, and even though I end up carrying her part of the time, she usually ends up happily asleep in the stroller, at least for a little bit. This was taken on one of those walks.

The sweet girls

// July 12th, 2010 // No Comments » // Photo, Video

 Not surprisingly, having a second small person in the house doesn’t really allow for much time for photo taking, but we work it in. Here’s some stuff from the past week. Bea is growing fast!

We make our weekly (sometimes twice) stop to see the goldfish. This time we brought a bag of oats along. Turns out, goldfish really like oats.

I LOVE this picture. Lucy’s hard to get pictures of most of the time. She’s so active and wiggly, but sometimes she gets caught up in something enough that she forgets that her handlers are around, and she’s able to get really into what she’s doing. Here, she and doo-doo are playing with rocks.

A few minutes later, back to being a silly girl.

Beatrice has been really starting to wake up and take notice of things (when she…wakes up). Here, she’s looking at the camera strap dangling above her. I love when she’s alert and into things.

Big sister Molly takes a turn cuddling Bea. She’s not as wiggly as Lucy was, so it’s a little easier for Moll. I almost had a great picture of the three girls, but Lucy bailed out at the last minute.

Dirty, messy toddler faces are adorable.

Beatrice, wide awake when we wish she wasn’t. Still, a sweet, adorable face.

Sisters!

// July 6th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Photo, Video

You’ll notice the blog name has changed, and the color scheme is different. There’s also a few smaller bells and whistles, too. I decided to keep the same address, since I didn’t feel like paying for yet another domain name!
The thumbnails are bigger, though I may change the sizes around a bit. They’re still clickable into (bigger) full size photos.
So this is Sisters, a site about the three girls. Let’s get started with a video of Beatrice!

This was taken last night before bed. She was wide awake and totally engrossed in the patterns of the couch pillows (much like Lucy was). I forgot how easy it is to try and capture video of someone who can’t move!

Here’s pretty Bea all wide awake while we’re walking the neighborhood.

Lucy, enjoying our pal Mike playing some blues at the farmers market!

Big sister Molly, takes a turn holding a sleepy Bea.

Lucy and Beatrice, settling in for a little morning cuddle.

A smile and a wave?

Lucy, doing what appears to be (but thankfully isn’t) some crazy toddler headlock move on her tiny sister.

At home with two!

// June 28th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // Photo

Beatrice is one week old! That week went so fast. Today I had to go back to work, leaving Jamie at home with the two girls with the help of her mom. Her dad was here for a few days, but had to leave yesterday. Reinforcements in the way of her sister will be arriving on Wednesday.
Beatrice is eating very well, seems very happy and alert when she isn’t busy passing out after a meal, and is very sweet. The shape of her face is a little different from Lucy, but their facial expressions are very similar. She’s a cuddly little thing, too. She enjoys our early evening walks around the neighborhood, and being held up high. She also likes being talked to closely, and staring at you when you talk to her. Typical newborn stuff.

Lucy’s been taking the big sister duty well, though all of the changes and commotion have been a little challenging for her. Overall, I’d say she’s handling it way better than I anticipated. The extra hands around the house have proved invaluable to keeping her busy, and she had a couple of great playdates with her friends Sam and Arie. The weather looks to be nice this week, so hopefully she’ll be able to keep herself occupied a bit outside. One thing is for sure….she’s an amazing, beautiful little girl, and Bea is lucky to have her as a big sister!

Here are some pictures from the past week.

Getting ready to head home from the hospital. All packed up!

Big sister Molly came over to get some Beatrice cuddles in.

Taking advantage of the empty Lourdes Hall across the street, Lucy loves the grass and steps.

Beatrice, nodding off in her bouncy chair thing. Lucy had one of these and LOVED it. Bea seems to share her enthusiasm.

Here is the classic “Make it look like Dad and baby are sleeping” shot:

On Saturday, Lucy and Sam frolic around. Picking raspberries, blowing bubbles, playing in water, making music. A very fun and action packed morning!

This morning, before I went back to work, this is what was happening on the couch:

Thanks to all of our friends and family for their support, help, and good wishes. We’re very thankful!

Say Hello To Beatrice!

// June 21st, 2010 // 8 Comments » // Photo

After a long, long labor, Beatrice joined our family on June 21st, 2010 at 7:13 AM. She weighs 8 pounds 10 ounces, and is 21 inches long. She’s healthy and beautiful, and we’re all in love, ESPECIALLY Lucy.I stayed with the girls until around 9:00, when I suddenly realized we had a toddler at Cindy’s house that needed us, too. I went and picked up Lucy, and we spent the morning together, doing a little shopping, playing, and lunching. After 22 hours of helping Jamie through labor with only a few short snoozes during lulls in activity, I took a long nap while Lucy slept. When she woke up, she had a snack, hit the loo, and then we went and retrieved Molly and headed to the hospital so the girls could meet their new baby sister.

Lucy’s first words to Beatrice were “I love youuuuuuu!”. SO cute and sweet. Molly was very smitten by Bea’s small, fuzzy head and body. Lucy was so excited that we ended up having to leave a little early. We hit up Rubio’s for dinner, then wound down with a stroller walk around the neighborhood and some art. We’ll be going back tomorrow morning and afternoon, so hopefully Lucy will be a little less rowdy. Hard to blame her, though. She’s a big sister now!

Here’s Beatrice Ann on her first day:

Unlike with Lucy, Jamie was able to hold Bea right away. They instantly locked eyes, and it was a very powerful, emotional thing to see.

Getting cozy under a heat lamp, waiting for her vitals to be taken. So brave.

Lucy and Molly arrive! Lucy quickly and most seriously takes to being a big sister.

Dad and Beatrice. I love this little baby.

Lucy wants to hold Bea again. And again. Also, a pic of Dad and all the girls. My personal favorite…right now.

Look at that radiant Mom!

Beatrice is coming!

// June 14th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Other

Since this will most likely be the last blog posting before Beatrice arrives (if nothing happens on its own, we’re likely going in this weekend for an induction), I thought I’d get a little sentimental and talk about the journey our family has been on thus far, and where it may be headed. I’d also like to give my sincere love and appreciation to Lucy and Jamie, and Molly.

Lucy, as many of you know, was born just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2008. Her arrival capped off a long time of trying to conceive, so when we decided to try and give Lucy and Molly a brother or sister, we were preparing ourselves for what could have been a couple of more years of waiting, treatments, and stress. So you can only imagine our shock when only a couple of weeks after deciding to put ourselves fully into the idea, Jamie was pregnant. It was exciting. Looking back, I think that not only was I excited for us to have another baby (as well as a little scared, nervous, etc.), but I was also happy that Lucy would have a little friend in her house at all times. I’ve met many a toddler in my years, but I don’t think I’ve ever met one with the enthusiasm, energy, and exuberance that Lucy has. A younger sibling would be perfect. When we found out we were having another girl, all the better. Lucy was ecstatic!

Being pregnant is no easy task to begin with, but being pregnant with a very active, spirited toddler running around the house demanding attention is a very busy endeavor. My wife managed to juggle two taxing part-time jobs, each at least a 30 minute drive away. There were many late arrivals home from work, and an eager toddler with a full tank of gas, waiting for a Mom that was running on E. Couple this with body changes, appetite issues, pregnancy pains, a lot of stiffness from driving, restlessness, nervousness, a little fear, and a sometimes not-too-appreciative husband, and you get a pretty worn out wife. She makes me proud every day, and I am truly blessed and thankful for her in my life. She’s a fantastically strong and intelligent woman, and she’s the anchor in my life.

I remember when Lucy was brought home, it was so cold and dark all the time. I’m glad Bea is coming in the summer. It will be a big change for Lucy, and while I think she’s more than up for the challenge, I’m sure that there will be some adjustment. We set up the downstairs Pack and Play yesterday for Beatrice, and Lucy was so excited. It’s been a long time since Lucy has known Bea is coming, probably an excruciating wait for the kid, and I am sure she cannot wait to meet her. I think she’ll be an amazing big sister, and I cannot wait to watch these girls grow up together, I think they’ll make a great team.

Lucy has humbled and enlightened our lives in unimaginable ways. I simply cannot wait to see what happens in the next chapter of our lives.

I’ll post some pictures of Beatrice when she arrives. Once we’re settled back at home, you can expect some more regular updates, as well as a probable design change at some point. After all, Baby Lucy’s no longer a baby, and Baby Beatrice will demand marquee space!

Finally, thank you to everyone who has been around for us when we needed you. Thanks to everyone who reads this and enjoys watching Lucy grow. Thanks to our families for their wonderful support and love. Thanks to the wonderful new friends we’ve met since Lucy has come into our lives. It’s been great to have a few like-minded parents to vent to, kick ideas off of, share hurried messy meals with, and so on.

Pizza, Strawberries, Rainbows…..

// June 7th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // Photo, Video

Beatrice hasn’t arrived yet. BUT, Lucy’s keeping us plenty busy.

A trip out to the pizza farm yielded a relaxing evening. The Beef Slough Boys were playing, and Lucy LOVED it. She’d occasionally take a break from eating or playing to go over and dance a bit. Very cute.

Saying hello to the friendly chickens. Also, she met a new little friend. I had to take this one from afar, because she didn’t want me around!
 

Strawberries! Pizza!
 

Getting her groove on, and a visit from Arie.
 

More strawberries at the Farmers Market.
 

Later on Saturday, I took her to the YMCA family fun room. It was a rainy afternoon, and she needed to blow off some steam, since she’d been in kind of a foul mood. It didn’t take her long to realize that jumping into a giant pillow was a great time.

Video of the jumping:

Sunday after dinner we decided to head down to the lake. I wanted to catch Lucy a fish so she could see it. It didn’t take long before I pulled out a foot-long bass. When I offered it to her, she squeamishly backed off, but thought it was pretty cool. I put the fish back, and it started to rain. It didn’t look like it would last long, so I suggested we drive around for a few minutes to a different spot. By the time we got there, the rain had stopped. As we looked out, Lucy saw something she’d never seen before! She giggled with excitement, said “It’s beautiful!”, and then went on about her business. Very Lucy.
 

Long weekend with a sick and grouchy girl

// June 1st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Photo, Video

Phew. A tense, long weekend with a sick and grouchy toddler almost makes you look forward to going back to work!
On Friday, we took Lucy in to the clinic to get a swollen mosquito bite checked out. They showed no concern, so we went on our way. Call it coincidence, but she soon started feeling achy, feverish, and sad. This continued all day Saturday (Molly and I were instructed to leave the house for a while), and into Sunday. We did manage to get her into the pool in the afternoon, and then over to Arie’s house for dinner, but had to abruptly leave when Lucy’s mood went south real fast. Monday was a bit better, but she was so grouchy and naughty. Only an after-dinner bike ride around town, and some fun doing mom’s hair were enough to snap her into good spirits.

In other Lucy news, she’s decided that she is done with diapers. Nice. We’re making definite progress on the #1 side of things, as we’re frequently carrying around a toddler potty with us, but #2 has been (understandably) a more challenging thing. We found moderate success in putting a diaper on her and allowing her to do her ‘business’, but hopefully she’ll work it out soon.

Lucy also has an imaginary friend! His name is Doo Doo, and he lives in the bike trailer. He’s very small, and sometimes has to go to time out. It’s very cute!

Here are some photos from the long weekend.

Pre-sick bike ride to WSU, and in her ‘house’

Having some quiet reading time on the can.

Laid up on the couch all day Saturday. Poor thing.

Hitting the pool on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Hanging out with Arie and Kaia.

Getting her feet wet on Memorial Day. Feeling better, but grouchy! Also, having her way with a burger.

Doing Mom’s hair before bed. Cuuuute.

Here’s a video Jamie took of Lucy playing in the pool.

Something fishy here.

// May 26th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Video

Lucy and I have logged a lot of miles biking around town. She really seems to enjoy seeing our town, and I really feel that it will help her as she gets older in not being afraid to go on her own little adventures, as well as being able to appreciate nature and an (somewhat) urban environment. Plus, this is her home!

One of our favorite little pit stop places in town is the koi pond near the PAC at Winona State. She’s recently realized that she can stick her finger in the water and the fish will come and nibble on it (way to go, Dad!). We braved the tail end of an unusual spring heat wave for an early evening bike ride yesterday, and we stopped to say hello to the fish. Of course, Lucy wasted no time in getting in there and having fun with them, and I had the camera along. You’ll notice that not only does she think the whole thing is hilarious, but that she’s also into this whole new gibberish thing right now.