Carving pumpkins!

Emma: 8 Weeks

-Our poor baby caught the crud this week, just like the rest of us. She made it about 4 days without getting sick so I thought we were in the clear but then she started sneezing and coughing and now you can hear and feel the crackles in her lungs. She's quite the trooper though and isn't letting it get to her. I was SUPER nervous at first because I was afraid we'd end up back in the hospital but she's breathing and eating fine and doesn't seem too bothered. We had considered moving her to the kids' room this week until she got sick. Now I'm keeping her in our room so I can watch her like a hawk.

-I feel like we have a pretty good eat, play, sleep routine going on and she's getting pretty good at napping as long as I catch her earlier enough and get her swaddled.
-Emma LOVES her kitchen sink baths. They always make her happy and full of coos.

-Everyone always thinks she's a boy because of her hair. I guess it looks like a boy's haircut. Sorry people! I didn't have much control over the style she arrive with! :)

-We have a lot of nicknames in mind for our little lady but aren't quite sure how to start using them. Weird, I know but it feels funny to call her anything other than Emma at present. I just LOVE the nickname "Em" though. Let's be honest, I really hope she has a boyfriend someday who calls her that.

Isla: 26 Months

There is no longer much silence in our home. My eldest LOVES to talk and talk and talk. Her favorite phrase this month is "Wuz dat, Mommy?" She says it all the time and is usually pointing at various objects, a lot of times the same one over and over. Other times I think she says it and then randomly finds something to point at just to fill the silence. Often I enjoy my conversation companion but I must confess there are moments where the repeated question gets on my nerves. I've learned that if I throw it right back at her and ask "Isla, what's that?" then she will answer and move on.

I do really love that Isla can now communicate everything that she wants or is thinking. She has told me a number of times in the past couple weeks that she wants to talk. So we sit and talk, usually about the park.

Isla is HILARIOUS! At least we think so. She comes up with the most random little dialogues. I've started jotting them down (my Facebook friends probably get an overload) because they just crack me up! This week we were riding in the car and out of no where she says "My hair's CRAZY!" True. Very true. She also told me that "Daddy lives on a school bus." I don't know where it comes from but she is quite creative.

Isla is now calling people by name. For example "Wuz dat Mommy?" Or "Look at those trees over there Grandpa?"

I love the way that Isla talks because it totally isn't what you'd expect to come out of the mouth of a 2 year old. It's humbling sometimes because I realize that she gets it from someone - do I really talk like this? She's started adding words like "maybe" or "someday" and "or something" to the end of her sentences. She says things like "Want to play toys maybe?" Or "Daddy will come out of the library someday. Maybe Tuesday?" and "Want to go to the park or something?" Her phrases make me laugh all the time!

Isla used to always beg "Mommy play ah Isla?" (I think the "ah" was her version of "with") but then Graham spent an afternoon trying to teach Isla to stop referring to herself in third person. She didn't seem to be picking up on it but then all of a sudden last week the switch flipped. She still sometimes calls herself "Isla" but more often than not is now saying "me" and "my." Success!!

One of Isla's favorite activities at present is pushing anything and everything around in the doll stroller we got for her birthday. That stroller must have a million miles on it by now she just loves pushing it so much! And let's be honest, that is also currently the reason she goes to church because she knows they have strollers she can push.

She loves to play with her fake food/kitchen stuff and "cook" and pour coffee or tea with her dishes. Somehow one of my cupboards became the oven so I'll often find a toy pot in there "baking."

We have definitely reached an age where playdates are super fun. Isla is very intrigued by older kids and often chases them around purely out of curiosity, watching their every move. It creeps a lot of kids out actually because she doesn't have any sort of a personal bubble. She LOVES playing with her cousin Gideon. They scream and shriek and chases each other around everywhere.

We've hit a small bout of separation anxiety ever since Emma arrived. Isla cries every time she knows we are going to leave her which is usually as we are walking toward her class at church. I'm told she does fine as soon as we leave but cries quite a bit while we are still in ear shot.

I think Isla has realized that Emma isn't leaving so we are seeing a few changes in her behavior. Usually she is all over her sister, talking to her, trying to get her to "drink" a cup of pretend coffee etc but there are also moments where she tries to pat (read: hit) her belly a little too hard and does so while looking at us to prove a point. All in all though, I'd still say she's adjusting well.

I am always blown away by her little memory. It is amazing how much she can put together like for instance if I tell her we are going to MOPS, she can list her friends who will be there. She is recognizing roads we drive on regularly and can accurately tell me when we're "almost home." She knows who belongs with whom and will often asks where a person is if we are with friends and someone is missing.

I love this next picture. Isla always want to be in on the action, to be where the party's at. Here she pulled up a chair all by herself to help Grandma Wilson cut Auntie Lani's birthday cake.

Isla has started to pray by herself this month. Sometimes we catch her praying with Ducky and sometimes she'll randomly just start praying in the car. Over the weekend Graham and I heard her say "Thank you for Mommy and for Daddy" which totally warmed our hearts. There are a few regulars who she ALWAYS includes in her prayers (Rachel, Oliver, Jeremy and Olona) and lately she's added a few inanimate objects such as the light and the moon.

Isla has apparently been paying attention when Graham practices/listens to worship songs. She learned a Hillsong piece without us even realizing it. It was on one day and she was singing right along! "The yost are found, the blind will see. The yame will walk, the dead will live. And you our God, forever you will reign!"

Isla is super smart. She's become quite sneaky at bedtime, doing everything she can to prevent the inevitable. If you are upstairs, she'll usually ask you to change her diaper downstairs and vice versa. She'll suddenly ask to go on the potty or tell you she has a poopy diaper even though you just changed her. She asks for story after story (we have a strict limit of 2 books for this reason) and then wants you to sing her songs on the guitar etc... We certainly don't oblige all her requests but you gotta give it to her, she's pretty creative!

Cold coffee

This week was rough. I admitted to Graham last night that it was definitely the hardest week for me since Emma's birth (other than her 2nd hospital stay of course--that will always trump!) Isla and I both got sick on Wednesday, just in time for Graham to go back to work Thursday/Friday which meant I was "on duty" from waking to bedtime for both girls. The jury is still out on whether we prefer 8 or 12 hour shifts!!

Anyway, I was feeling rather yucky myself and then add to that a toddler who was sick and whiny and a baby who likes to be held and you don't end of with the greatest of combinations. I couldn't get my hands free for two days straight. And that meant drinking cold coffee because I just couldn't get to it while it was hot. I felt like every sentence out of my mouth was "No Isla!" or "Stop doing that Isla!" or just a plain a very aggravated "ISLA!!!" Poor girl.

After a busy but fun weekend "hosting" family (hosting in quotes because more realistically, my family hosted themselves as I sat around in a daze, sniffling and sneezing and staring off into space), I was totally beat and in need of a good cry (a tell-tale sign of exhaustion for me). We had our 2nd date since Emma's birth on the calendar for Sunday night but we almost cancelled because we just weren't feeling up to it. I'm so glad we didn't.

We were barely off the babysitter's doorsteps before I began to cry. I think I did what we like to refer to as "emotional puke." Out spewed 12 billion thoughts, dreams, desires and frustrations all over the course of a drive downtown to dinner. I was feeling like a terrible awful no good really bad mom and I wasn't sure how I was going to launch into two more straight days of Graham back at work running on such a depleted tank.

My ever-supportive husband listened to my verbal vomit and then offered numerous words of encouragement. After a good night's rest (thanks Isla and Emma!!), I am feeling so much better and it's Monday even!! But there are so many things I want to work on. I want to be more patient, more joyful. I want to learn not to sweat the small stuff. I don't want to run an uptight home.

Motherhood is teaching me more than I ever thought possible. It reveals my ugly sides but I also hope it will reveal some strengths as well. It is by far the hardest job I have ever had. Hands down. No question. I am so thankful the Lord isn't finished with me yet. I have a lot to learn. This week I think I'll focus on joy.

Emma: 7 Weeks

-Emma has been a cooing and smiling machine all week. I think she's pretty darn close to laughing too. I can't wait!

-Something must have changed this week. We went from having almost no blowouts to my having to remove the cover on the carseat and throw it in the wash THREE times. So far they were timed ok when I had just enough time to get it through the washer and dryer before we had to leave again but I'm sure I won't always be so lucky. I'm tempted through throw a plastic bag or paper towel or something behind her because if she keeps this up, we're never gonna be able to leave the house!
-I discovered that Emma loves lays on her back and look at toys. She doesn't stay occupied for very long doing anything, but setting her up with a couple toys usually buys me 10 or 15 minutes.
-Someone suggested Emma dress up as Elvis for Halloween. What do you think? I mean, look at her hair!

-Yesterday I successfully got Emma to take a nap in her cradle, not being held. I put her in bed tired but still awake and she fell asleep on her own. Then she napped longer than Isla!! I'm hoping we are moving away from her power cat nap trend.
-We seem to have bumped Emma's bedtime up successfully over the weekend. She went down at 10:30 PM on Saturday and then has gone down at 7:30 or 8 PM the last 2 nights. Wahooo!
-I am so incredibly grateful for her sleep habits thus far. I think she did three, 7 hour stretches this week, once of which lasted from 11 PM to 6:30 AM. It is amazing and I am in total shock and awe as Isla didn't sleep like this for MONTHS! Seriously, it makes me giddy. Of course last night was awful, but I can handle the rough ones if they are intermixed with these good ones!

Sisters

I don't think I ever realized how much I wanted two daughters until it happened to me. Of course I would have been THRILLED to have a son but I'll admit I was secretly (or not so secretly) hoping Baby Crozier #2 would be a girl. I figured this would be our closest spacing between children and I really wanted them to be the same gender. I absolutely adore my older sister and she's been my best friend for 27 years (That's how old I am, right? Having babies the month of my birthday messes with our celebrating so it feels like I skipped two years somewhere in there and I can never remember how old I am--baby brain!!) Anyway, so when whoever it was in the delivery room (it's all a blur now) announced, "It's a girl!," I was elated. I am fully aware that not all sisters get along but I am hopeful these girls will grow up to be the very best of friends. I spent most of my pregnancy with Isla anticipating a boy since, after all, "Croziers only make boys," so it was only after that I began to ponder and anticipate the joys of having girls.....

The most obvious thing to look forward to of course is that Graham will be outnumbered when it comes to movie selections. Chick flicks or bust!!!

 Then there are the 20 more toes that will be requiring pedicures on a girls day out....

 And I think girls' weekends will be of the essence.

 And I must say I'm pretty pumped to shop for puffy prom dresses (though their dates are going to have to go through an extraordinarily rigorous interview process!!!)

I will get to help plan two weddings (forget about paying for them, that's Graham's job!! :))

I love girls. I love their clothes. I love their hair. I am thankful for these two precious daughters!

Today I am thankful....

-that by golly, I'm having a good hair day.
-that I woke up and it was almost sunny.
-for Graham's leave of absence from school this quarter.
-that I got an 8 hour stretch of sleep last night.
-for meal deliveries and freezer meals.
-that I am now the proud owner of nursing bras that actually fit.
-that Graham has the day off.
-for my $14 drip coffee maker. Actually, I adore that coffee maker.
-that I have a pair of jeans I can zip, even it they do create ghastly love handles.
-that my hubby sent me out the door to Starbucks ALONE and didn't even make me "time it" with feedings. He just told me to GO and NOT WORRY.
-that our mini van is home and fixed.
-for my double BOB stroller WITH the rainshield.
-and of course for my precious little family.