Last weeks of "freedom"

I'm doing my very best to savor these last couple weeks of 2011. January is going to bring some big adjustments in our household as Graham's leave of absence from his masters program will come to a close. Somehow I think we both managed to forget that school would be back on our radar and we've grown quite comfortable with our "free time." Ha!

I am ever so very grateful for the blessing that this leave has been for us. At first we were both kind of disappointed when it was forced upon him after changing to the nurse practitioner track. But as much as I would love for him to be graduating this coming June instead of in 2013, I don't think I would have survived the last 3 months had he been in school. Thank you Jesus for giving him this break to keep me sane! It has been WONDERFUL to have him truly OFF a couple days a week, both off from work and off from school. Like actually free and available. And home. He's been home so much more in the evenings that we've been averaging ~3 family dinners a week which is a personal best for us (he gets home after Isla is in bed or at least after she is supposed to be in bed on work nights). We've been able to join an eastside community group through our church and there have even been some opportunities where I've even been able to enjoy a girls night out.

We were talking last night about how he's been in school for Isla's entire life and how neither of us are ready for him to dive back in. When questions arise that make us wonder if it will all be worth it in the end, we try and remind ourselves how clearly God opened the door and led Graham in this direction, into this particular program. And how He's provided for us every step of the way.

Thankfully, we just have to get through winter quarter and then he'll have another break until the final and really, really hard and time-intensive year begins in the summer. So if anyone finds themselves with free hands and a desire to watch two adorable girls over the next 3 months, I would WELCOME a break as any currently existing time to myself is about evaporate completely! :) 

HALLELUJAH that my baby sleeps through the night!! The verse about the Lord giving us only what we can handle couldn't be more true--and He knew this Mama needs her sleep to survive!!

Couch to 5K

People always told me it was a lot harder to lose the weight after baby #2 but I just figured those people weren't exercising. Well, they were right. It is much harder. I am now three months out and have about 5 more pounds (on a good day!) to go before I hit my pre-pregnancy weight. Ladies, please don't pounce. I am well aware that this is quite good all things considered in the grand scheme of things. But let me assure you it has taken a LOT of time, dedication and determination.

The first 23 pounds came off with no effort but then the scale stopped dropping (BOOO!!) I have had to work SO HARD to get the next 10 pounds off (read: 10 weeks of running every other day pushing what I calculated to be 80 pounds of stroller, carseat and children). Having a beach vacation to Mexico on the books has been a great motivator! But I DID IT! I'm officially trained for my very first 5K race on Saturday which I'll be running in Bellingham with my mom!

In addition to running with my mom, I've also started running with a good friend (running with others is something I've always been so scared to do). Why I waited so long to run with anybody I don't know. It is so much more fun to have company along!! Not to mention I go a lot further. The other day I was running with my friend and we accidentally ran 5 miles. We were having such a good time talking that neither of us realized how far we'd gone. Who does that!? She's convinced me to train for a 10K now that I'm so close anyway.

I never thought I'd be a runner but, to my surprise, this time around I actually found myself enjoying the couch to 5K (I guess I said that at one point last time too). But it seems much easier than when I did it post-Isla. Maybe I was somehow in better cardiovascular shape after carrying around a 9 1/2 pound baby????? Or maybe it's just that I have more mental confidence that I actually can do it. I gotta say it also helps a lot that Graham tells me he thinks it hot that I run. He's been very supportive of me and watches the girls on occasion so I can run alone (but then I'm at a total loss because I have no stroller in which to store the keys, my phone, water etc-where am I supposed to put those things?). :)

Here's to hoping I make it across the finish line on Saturday! Oh yeah. And that those stubborn last 5 melt away. Eventually.

Christmas Crafting

Somehow I managed to pull off a little sewing project over the past couple weeks. I convinced myself it was okay if Emma didn't have a stocking this year but then I started feeling crafty and decided I'd see if I could whip one up in time. I finished it this week and now our fireplace looks complete! As it turns out, it's my favorite one yet, probably because I chose fabrics that are what has been deemed "Kelsie Green" by the Crozier clan. Someday we'll find little silver pins shaped like the first letter of each of our names to label them. Merry Christmas Emma! I'm pretty sure you'll find your stocking stuffed to the brim with diapers come Christmas morn.

Isla 27 Months (a couple weeks late...)

Lots is new with Isla this month but I'm having a hard time keeping up. Here are some highlights. She:

-is obsessed with places: Where’s Lani’s? Where’s Bellevue? Where’s south? She continues to recognize where we are when we are driving. The other day we got on the freeway and she blurts out excitedly “This is the way to church Mommy!”

-really seems to enjoy running with me (though she's doing more riding than running). I think because I have been doing it so much lately, she’s starting to catch on. She’s started running around the living room telling me “I’m running for exercise!” I try to encourage it, because, well, it seems like a good habit to get in to. On Thanksgiving day, she was pushing around a toy shopping cart and when my cousin asked her what she was doing, she responded “I’m shopping for exercise!” Let me just set the record straight: she did NOT get that from me. I despise shopping. But she seems to love it and often asks to go to the mall or Trader Joes (where they have “shopper in training carts”).

-wants to read books over and over again.

-has an opinion about most everything and is really exerting her independence.

-continues to be obsessed with noodles and bread. Also loves raisin bran, “crunchies” (granola) and oranges. She'll eat spicy food no problemo as long as she has a cup of milk to go with.

-is a big help with her little sister. She LOVES throwing away her poopy diapers and sometimes gets upset when she realizes we've already put the diaper in the pail.

-likes to dress herself and often wants to wear something other than what we pick out for her. Now I understand why some kids out in public are dressed so strangely. And I shall no longer pass judgment on their parents.

-is really fun to have conversations with. She’s hilarious and says the funniest things. She’s a great student and I love seeing her grasp new concepts everyday. She answers questions with "yeah" or "yes" or says "uh-huh" as you talk, as if she already knows everything you are telling her. She also has started saying "Yes sir!" to me when I ask her to do stuff. Not sure where that came from.

-loves Christmas lights and our Christmas tree. A LOT! I look forward to driving at night with her in the car so I can point out the lights. In fact, last night I forgot she wasn't with me and I started getting a little over-excited about the lights I was passing. Oh the joys!

The hunt for the perfect tree

This year the hunt was short and sweet. We've learned our lesson from years past. When we first got married, cutting down our own tree sounded romantic and wonderful...until we saw the price tags on the trees. $80? Sorry, that didn't fit in our budget. So after trekking around the entire eastside and stopping at multiple farms to see the cost was no better, we ended up at the Safeway right behind our house where Graham walked a tree home. Seriously. He lugged it by hand down the street. It was quite the sight and I'm sure people thought he was stealing it. Anyhow, last year we discoved great trees at McLendon's Hardware in Woodinville. Not nearly as romantic as cutting one ourselves, yes, but perfect in every other way. So that's where we returned again this year.

We rushed down after church last Sunday to snag one before naps. We literally took the first one we touched and spent a grand total of about 5 minutes "hunting." And the beauty of it was Emma didn't even have to get out of her carseat.

 Our little dolly girl

 We felt super official this year strapping that tree to the top of our mini van. I'm pretty sure Graham said something like "Babe! We're for real now! We have a luggage rack to tie it to!" (In the past, we looped twine multiple times through the doors of our Jetta to secure it to the top of the car...)

 The Crozier family: we don't mess!

After naps, Isla and Graham had a great time trimming the tree while I made dinner.

 The half-finished product! Looking at this reminds me I need to make a tree skirt...

 Beauty #2

 Who says we need a baby activity center? The tree has everything a baby could want and more!

Now my favorite thing to do is to drink coffee out of my Christmas mugs in front of the lit tree...

Random wordage

I so long for a moment to be creative. To write something other than little tidbits about my children. But alas, life presently beckons me elsewhere and all I seem to be able to manage are admittedly monotonous posts about the development of my children. Sorry readers, if you are losing interest.

I hear a stirring upstairs but I'm determined to get out a few words, though I haven't yet determined a topic for this post. It's been a LOOOOONG day and I think I am just totally savoring this moment to myself, even if it lasts only a brief 5 minutes. I need to try to make a habit of this. And by this I mean getting dinner served and cleaned up and the kids in bed earlier. Our evenings have been rather chaotic when I fly solo on Graham's work nights. He used to come home to hot dinner on the table, dinner prep dishes already cleaned and put away, a picked up house. Now he often walks in (over a trash bag) to a mountain of dishes in the kitchen, toys everywhere, a still-dressed and awake two-year-old running around the living room while I sit helplessly nursing the baby. I kid you not, one night he walked in to all of the above scene, plus me walking around with nursing pillow strapped around my waist and no pants. I can't quite recall why I wasn't wearing pants but I'm pretty sure it had to do with someone pooping on them. Anyhow, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get dinner started early enough to get the kids to bed on time to have this quiet moment that is oh so necessary for my sanity. Of course, Graham does NOT expect a neat and tidy house. He's usually pretty happy just to see that the kids and I are alive. But I like to bless him with food and a peaceful environment it at all possible.

So, all this to say is that we're learning I suppose. And maybe making a little progress? I hope. We're heading into a super busy month but I'm filled with new excitement and anticipation as I get to see things from a new perspective, through the eyes of a two-year-old. What fun!

And with that, the stirring upstairs has migrated into my arms and so that'll have to do it. Happy December!

Emma: 12 and 13 Weeks

12 Weeks (11/22/11)



Definitely the highlight of the past couple days is that Emma has started to full on giggle. She's been doing some mild laughing for a couple weeks now but now I can say she laughs for real. The best part about it was that it happened when I was doing my devotions. I decided to read to her aloud and she just thought it was so hilarious and started laughing out of no where. Oh my goodness I just love it!

In addition to laughing, she's really found her voice this week. She squeals and sometimes shrieks just for fun--it is quite entertaining. Her sounds can escalate rather quickly from happy coos to high pierced screaming and it is sometimes hard to tell whether she is just "talking" or upset. But when she gets full on upset, man is she upset!! The girl may be generally laid back but she sure has an opinion about some things!

Emma has become a little fist sucker! She finds that hand of hers and can entertain herself for quite some time just sucking away. She also seems to enjoy sucking on my arm if it is anywhere in the vicinity. As a result of all this mouth action, we're going through a lot more onesies these days from all the drool.

The little missy slept through the night 11/17 (10 to 5 AM) and then again 11/23 (10 to 5:30). And then this past week she made it until 5 AM almost every night I think. I am a happy woman!

13 weeks (11/30/11)

Emma really hates dirty diapers as I'm sure anyone would who has poo like hers. She lets me know right away if she needs to be changed. I don't recall Isla being like that at all (maybe the reason she has such minimal interest in potty training?)

I realized that the wee one is not so laid back when she doesn't get a chance to nap all day (duh!) I crammed too much into my schedule on Monday and as a result, she never got more than 15 or 20 minutes of sleep at a time. She was still as rowdy as ever come 9 PM but then LOST it and we saw a new side of her for the next couple hours. Never again I say! Poor girl. Total mommy fail.