Brrrr!!

We braved the weather to drive to Grandma Connie and Grandpa Larry's house last week. Grandpa was determined to get our windshield wipers fixed as they are kind of necessary in this weather. We knew that it was supposed to snow quite a bit that night, and planned to stay overnight. But then the temperature took a dive, as did the battery in my car, and we ended up staying four nights! The girls didn't seem to mind. It was a week of lots of firsts. Ainsleigh's first time sledding, first time shoveling the steps for Grandpa, first time sleeping by herself in the toddler bed (or princess bed as the cousins refer to it) all night, Paige's first long naps on Grandma's sofa, and Ainsleigh's first hairstyle done at a salon. Paige seemed to really grow up and started smiling on demand. It was a week of memories made, baking done, and art projects completed while we were snowed in at Grandma's!

I had to share this video of Ainsleigh getting ready to sled. She has the best kung foo dance that she's perfected while watching the credits of Kung Foo Panda, when they play the song, "everybody was kung foo fighting." We had to convince her that it wasn't "come through panda."




Here is Paige asleep in her favorite spot on Grandma's couch, napping in the warm sunlight.



These photos bring back memories of playing in the snow at Mom and Dad's myself when I was a kid. It almost doesn't seem real that it has been so long, and that I am old enough to have my daughters recreating the same memories I had. We spent hours out in the snow, building forts with our cousins or the neighbors, or sledding down the small hill in our front yard. My cousin Dustin even got his tongue stuck to the icy cold sled on his way down the hill and had to go to the emergency room. Oh...but those were the older style sleds with metal runners. We were safe, Ainsleigh just used the plastic saucer.



Look at those rosy cheeks! Remember the days when it seemed like you could play for hours out in the snow and not get cold? I think Ainsleigh cold have stayed outdoors a lot longer than I could handle.


You can sort of make out a little Paige smile.



And this was taken today. Paige in the bumbo chair. She's holding her head up so well now.




I don't want time to go by too quickly, but I'm sort of feeling done with the cold and snow now and ready for the time that I can take this baby out without worrying about the cold and let her enjoy some fresh air and sunlight.

Here's one last video of Paige smiling a little at Mom and Dad's. I can't get enough of her sweet little chubby cheeks!



We missed Tim a lot and I know he missed us too, but it was kind of nice to break our routine and spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. It's been awhile!

snowy day

The snow has fallen all day long today. We spent it indoors, baked some bread, made potato soup. Ainsleigh drew a beautiful self portrait. Paige slept. Blizzard Warning in effect. There is always so much to get done, but on days like today, it just can't be. We are forced indoors so we just try to just pause and enjoy it. Tomorrow it all starts again.

Two Months

Ahh! How can you not be in love with this beautiful little girl?! It's hard to believe Paige is two months old today, although in some ways it seems like she has always been here. It's crazy how fast that happens. She is such a sweet addition.



I had to add this photo for comparison. She was only about a week old here. Still asleep. It seems like she is slowly...steadily...waking up to us. It is like this amazing unfolding, watching her become more aware, more interactive, and more like a little person with her own personality.


This has been my most recent perspective of her, looking down at her wrapped tightly to her mommy. She loves it and we have already spent a lot of time together this way. She dozes as I get to spend some quality time with Ainsleigh, hands-free but still cuddling with Paige. I love this view from above.


Life has definitely changed for Ainsleigh. It's an adjustment for me too. I don't get the time with her I once did. She is such a good helper, but she does get frustrated a lot. She will be happier once Paige is a little older and more interested (and less overwhelmed) in her big sister.


I am loving these chubby cheeks and, so far, bright blue eyes!

So, while I am a little less available, Ainsleigh and Daddy are really doing more together and having a lot of fun. He has someone new to share his Star Wars movies with and she needs some distractions from our, currently, baby-centric life. I have overheard some very interesting, scientific conversations between the two of them.

Happy two months Paige! We are watching you grow before our eyes and it is beautiful. Just don't do it too fast. I had kind of forgotten how much I like these little baby fingers and toes!

random

I had to share this new little guy, my friend's new baby. He was born just 5 weeks after Paige and he is so sweet. Oh...and yes...future plans of marriage have been discussed. I guess it might get complicated. Who knows? I get to brag here, that I made the blanket he is laying on! Okay, I finished the edge, but still. I think he looks especially cute on it!

And on to fake fingernails. Ainsleigh got these from her cousin, Maddy for Christmas and she just couldn't wait to put them on and have her picture taken for Maddy to see. And, of course, fake fingernails go best with barbie princess dresses.
Paige has been colicky at night. Hoping that ends soon. But very happy in the mornings. And this is exactly what they look like.
I was trying for a smile here, but I missed my moment. Right now, breakfast is turning out to be one of my favorite times of the day.

Christmas 2008 ~ A little bit of everything

I'm a little bit late this year but with good reason. My days have been spent rocking, holding, feeding, patting, calming, bathing, diapering, sneaking in a project or two with big sister, and doing a lot of gazing admiringly at two very sweet girls. All of this has been done with the realization that it is so fleeting and that, as hard as some days are, it will change all too quickly. Just a few months ago, I was thinking how nice it would be to have our baby at Christmas and now it has come and gone and we are on to new plans and new things to look forward to as 2009 (YIKES!) is here.


Ainsleigh was so grown up this Christmas. She really enjoyed helping out with the big girl things, like writing out the gift tags and wrapping presents. If only we had more gifts to give. She was so disappointed when we came to the last one.

We did our, what has become, traditional Christmas Eve sugar cookie baking and sat them out for Santa, along with some carrots for his reindeer, of course.


The letter says, "Thank you for the presents" with all the words smushed together. Ainsleigh still has to learn to put spaces between her words, but she's been writing her letters really well for awhile now.

Christmas morning, Ainsleigh was equally as happy to wake up to baby sister as she was to see her presents. But Paige...well...Paige seemed unaffected and slept through most of it.

No matter how hard big sis would try to get her attention.

We did manage to wake her for a few pictures under the tree and to open her presents. You can tell by her expression in the pictures, she was still unaffected.


Christmas Day was spent with Tim's family. Paige slept through a lot of it and Ainsleigh was happy to open her presents for her, although she is never too impressed with clothes, which seems to be what babies get most of for Christmas! Thank goodness!





Christmas night was spent at my parents' house. My sister, Meghan, and her family were there too so we enjoyed a breakfast of banana/walnut pancakes made by Uncle Ryan. Paige looks so cuddly bundled up! She handles it pretty well most of the time.

Eden loves to admire Paige. I'm glad we got to spend this time with our cousins!



The day after Christmas we spent with my extended family. It was really nice and mellow. Here Paige is smiling repeatedly at my Aunt Linda as my Dad holds her. I don't think my Aunt realized how lucky she was!


Ainsleigh took responsibility for making introductions. Sometimes she is so self-confident beyond her years. We're not sure where all that confidence came from but I hope she always has it.



We planned to come home after the party but the weather had other plans. It wasn't snow. It was fog. Terrible fog that had us feeling completely turned around after only a few miles. We tried to make it back to stay at my parents' but just couldn't make it. Paige was screaming too, which didn't help as we were losing all sense of direction in the fog. We pulled off to check the rates at a hotel right off the highway and luckily they had rooms available because we probably wouldn't have made it out of their iced over parking lot. We made the most of it. Paige slept so well that night and the next day!


Ainsleigh always enjoys staying at hotels and likes to find the little notepads they leave to write letters to everyone. It's pretty cute. Good thing the kids had new, clean, Christmas clothes to wear. They came in handy a little earlier than we expected!


The next few days we spent time at home, with Tim off work, just snuggling in our pajamas, doing a little baking, video game playing, and movie watching.


I had to add this sequence of Ainsleigh in her new jammies, with her various poses. She's regaining her joy of being photographed!






So now the tree is down, the presents are being played with, the new books are being read reapeatedly, as Ainsleigh tries to keep herself entertained while we manage our ever changing routine with this new baby. The sad part is, that she isn't so new anymore! It has been a nice close to 2008, the year that brought us so many unanticipated things. A very grown up Ainsleigh and a beautiful new baby. I'm trying to just slow down, breathe, and enjoy it although its hard, and I have my moments of insanity! Christmas was simple and sweet, just the way we like it.

winding down

Ahhh! It's so nice to be home. Christmas was really nice. The baby was so sweet and so good throughout all the new surroundings, new arms holding her, and all the noise, but I think she's glad to be home too. She always grows up a little with the new stimulation from being away from home and so this morning we have really noticed a difference. She woke up flashing us smile after smile and, for the first time, started really making little talking noises! We've been waiting for this but every time up until now, what has seemed like promising talking has just been a prelude to outright crying. This morning she repeated the same coos followed by smiles! Her smiles are so sweet. They start out little and end with a huge, open mouth grin. We can't seem to catch it on film yet. Hopefully soon. The picture above is what I see, looking down at Paige after she falls asleep nursing after her bath. It's so sweet.

Right now she is sleeping soundly in her swing, catching up with her familiar routine. Ainsleigh caught up on some sleep too. She loved spending time with family and could probably keep going with no sleep at all, but is much less grouchy now that she has slept in. It's been so nice to be together, with Tim off work the last few days. We're adjusting more to Paige and she is growing up enough to be happier and a little more predictable so I'm not really ready for his vacation time to be over, but I guess it all must end at some point. On to 2009. I am so not ready for that.

moments

The pride of a big sister. I kind of remember that myself, being a "big sister" to two siblings. I don't really remember Meghan as a baby, but I remember the day my parents brought Carly home from the hospital. I remember hopping down off the school bus and the driver (this really nice old lady who just recently passed away....yeah, my hometown is small so I can keep tabs on things like that) saying, "So I hear you have a new baby sister at your house today!" and my response being, "Yeah...and a new swingset."

I think I was actually really excited, but it kind of faded when baby Carly seemed to do nothing but cry all the time, especially if anyone other than my mom was holding her. That was so hard because here I was, old enough to want to help out and hold this beautiful little toy...I mean baby, but she didn't seem to like me very much. Or anyone other than my Mom for that matter.

Ainsleigh is experiencing this feeling right now. I keep telling her it will get better as Paige gets older. Still, we have moments like the one I got to capture above that make up for some of it. I'm pretty happy with my baby sister these days although we had our moments growing up, as bossy big sisters and annoying little sisters go. I miss her like crazy when she's on the other side of the planet and there is a part of me that only my sisters know. I'm excited to see what stories these girls will have to tell as they grow up. I'm thinking some of them will involve me, and probably not always in the most positive light (sorry Mom), but they will be their stories and I can't really control how they remember everything! Lots of memories of me sitting in the chair, rocking and feeding. That will be Christmas with Paige, year #1. I can hear Ainsleigh telling it now...