Christmas 2010

 

 

I did a poor job of documenting Christmas morning.  I was torn between taking video, taking photos, and soaking in the experience with the girls.  The latter won, thus the limited number of quite terrible photos.  But, it was a fantastic, albeit tiring, day.

Rowan and Harper scored a sweet kitchen, plus play dishes and food.  They are loving it.

Harper was quite content playing with her stocking toys--couldn't have cared less about opening anything else.

With every present she opened, Rowan exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!" or "Look at this _______ Mama! It's so beautiful!"  It was quite funny, and Justin and I had to hold in our laughs.  There is nothing like a kid on Christmas, really, there isn't.

And for those of you who did not get our card:

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

 

 we tried to get a photo of the girls together by the tree, but alas, neither would sit still long enough.  justin had Christmas Eve off, so we had a nice, relaxing day. Just the four of us. It was awesome.

fall behind, catch up, repeat

that's pretty much how life has been these past couple of months!  lots going on, lots to blog about.  it's all coming.  soon.

Easter 2010

{the loot...even mommy got some stuff from "E. Bunny"}

Well, I must say we had a nice Easter.  Justin had the day off work {hooray} and we had a nice relaxing morning, watched General Conference, and enjoyed each other's company.  I really wish every day was like that!!

{admiring some of her treats}

I know, isn't her morning hair awesome?  Wait, here's an even better one:

She sweats a lot in her sleep, so her hair is always super curly in the mornings.  And all over the place.  Rag-a-muffin Rowan.  So cute.

We got the girls some $1 bunny ears from Target.  How cute are my lil' bunnies??

We hid a few candy-filled eggs around the house for Rowan to find.  Obviously she enjoyed herself!  I had tried to talk up the Easter bunny in the days leading up to Easter, but by that morning she'd forgotten all about it and only got excited about finding eggs because we made it seem exciting.  We'll get there, along with teaching her about why Easter is really important.

While Rowan found her eggs and dug through her goodies (consisting of bubbles, books, and way too much candy) Harper just hung out like a champ,

sporting her new shades.  Look at that sassafrass.  She's totally digging them!  I love her.  So much that I want to get up right now and go munch on those cheeks.  Yum!!!

After conference and naps, we headed over to Nana's for another egg hunt and some dinner.  I was bummed that the weather wasn't great, but Rowan didn't mind.  She had a great time with this hunt as well.  I have a feeling we're going to need to tone it down with  egg hunts next year....or get her to eat hard-boiled eggs and just hide those instead.

{futile attempt at getting everyone to look at one camera at the same time. I am convinced this will never happen.}

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter (two weeks ago...I know, I'm so late)!!  We sure did!

my monthly post

I love my kids.  I know that's such an obvious statement, but it's nice to express how awesome they really are.

Sometimes, Rowan misses her naps, and falls asleep right as we're about to get ready to go to her Nana's for dinner.  Ok, so that happened once, but it was pretty hilarious when she conked out in just her diaper in her sister's carseat.  Really, Rowan is such a great kid.  She has the best personality, and her awesomeness really outweighs a lot of the "terrible two" behaviors she's picked up {tantrums, telling us "no" or simply ignoring us, etc}.  OH, but she did pick up a little shoving habit--she'll shove the neighborhood kids away when they try to play with her toys.  It's very frustrating and she tends to pull the ignoring mom thing when I talk to her about it/bring her in from playing.  Tips on this one?  Anyone?

Fun things about Rowan:

She ALWAYS says thank you.  I can't tell you how relieved I am that she's learning manners.

She LOVES to sing and dance.  And by sing, I mean lip-sync fake words to songs that we're listening to, while making funny expressions.

She loves to read books.

She loves Mickey Mouse (good or bad...I don't know...)

She is so great with Harper.

She can count to 10

She can pretend to say the alphabet (funny....we're working on it though)

She loves to run around in circles.  Around me.  When I'm working out.

She is so full of energy, and she loves being around people.  I'm so glad she's such a happy kid.

Speaking of which, this little kid has had thrush and coldsores the past couple of weeks, and has been a complete angel through the whole thing.  Not fussy, even when I have to give her medicine.  She is super mellow, which is such a nice thing--balances out Ro's energy.

Harper is getting good at holding her head up, talking (read: cooing) to us, and generally being a super adorable baby.  Her smiles are probably the best thing EVER.  I just love her, and every little roll on her.

As for Justin and I, we've been staying busy!  The basement is coming along...almost finished with the painting.  Can't wait to finish! I forgot to take before photos (picture an unframed, concrete room) but I will be sure to take after photos.  Promise.

Update

We've been busy!! This week especially. Quick rundown:

• We started finishing our basement. Hoping to have it done by the end of March. When it's done, Rowan will move into a big girl bed, Harper will move into the nursery, and my "office" consisting of my desk, 3 printers, a huge paper cutter, and lots of other supplies, will no longer be in our bedroom. To say I'm excited for the basement to be done is an understatement.
• Justin participated in a study for pain relievers following bunion removal (had surgery to have his bunion removed) and he's in a boot/on crutches for a while.
• Lima Bean Kids.
• A two-year-old and an infant have been keeping me on my toes...just a little bit.
• Never-ending housework. I think I need a housekeeper.
• OH!! And Harper is starting the coo-ing stage. LOVE.

I know it may not sound like much, but my days are full--with not enough hours in them to get everything done. Maybe one day I'll take photos of the girls. Until then, this will have to do (warning: phone photos):

Ro got her hands on some of my liquid eyeliner and thought it would be fun to color on her nose, hands and feet. LOVE the coloring with/on anything stage. (SARCASM)

Mama got bangs, and Harper's cheeks continue to inflate. I gnaw on them daily, don't worry.


Hopefully the weather will start to warm up soon and we can go outside! And take pictures! And use up some of the pent-up energy. When all that happens, I'll post more :)

as of late

{rowan playing in the snow the other day after getting a quick 5 in the previous night}

I'm a failure at being a good blogger. I need to make time for it each week, as this thing is serving as a baby book/scrapbook of sorts for these kiddos.

So what have we been up to? Not much, other than trying to get into a routine that works for us (at least us girls since our schedule doesn't typically change). I've been keeping plenty busy with Lima Bean Kids. And I have to say, I love working from home.

The girls are both growing waaaaaaaay to quickly. Harper is turning into quite the chubster, and Rowan is growing into a full blown CHILD! What? When did this happen. And the chunkier Harper gets, the skinnier and more grown up looking Rowan gets. I think she's starting to look a little more like her Dad. She's so cute and smart and hilarious. I love her.

{h being cute and sweet as always}

Harper is such a good baby. She does like to be held when she's awake, but she sleeps like a champ. Eats like one too. You should see her thighs. Pure, beautiful baby fat. I love it, it is so scrumptious. She's also getting used to big sister's hugs and kisses (aka mawlings). She's so sweet so far....I don't remember if Rowan was so calm and content because she's such a little sass now.

Oh, and below is another comparison of the girls at 1 month old. Harper is definitely getting her own little look.

{seems like yesterday}

{can you even handle those lips? where did she get those?}

life is good. we are happy. we are grateful that justin has a good job that takes care of us, and we are happy that i get to be home with the kiddies.

:)

Christmas 2009

{the girls with Santa on one of our last-minute shopping days}

I didn't do a great job of documenting Christmas this year. Oops. I also didn't get Christmas cards sent out, neighbor gifts out, and I'm sure I missed a hundred other things. I'm using the 3 week old baby as an excuse for my lack of accomplishment this December. Next year, I will be better.

Despite all that, we had a great Christmas, though it came and went way too quickly. My mom and brother drove out from New Jersey to join us and my other 2 brothers living out here. It's been fun having a full house, no matter how chaotic it has seemed at times. We shopped for 4 days straight, including on Christmas Eve (yes, this year was horrible as far as procrastination goes).

{the girls in their Christmas pj's}

Christmas morning was spent at home, where we opened gifts, ate a yummy breakfast, and talked to my sister Jessica who is on a mission in Argentina. Then in the afternoon we headed over to Justin's brother's house for the Tate side get together, which included dinner, gifts for the kids, and just hanging out. It was a nice day.

{the loot}

{rowan playing in one of her many baby doll toys. she got hooked up this year}

{rowan in her Christmas dress.}

I had to throw this last photo in even though it wasn't actually taken on Christmas day . When I first put this dress on her, she started twirling and dancing all over. Cutest thing ever. And when I told her to stand by the tree so I could get a picture of her, she would lean on it in all of these different poses. She kills me.

Harper

It's been quite the week! Our little Harper Elaine was born on December 1, 2009. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and was 18 inches long. She's just beautiful; we are so smitten with our girls and could not be happier!

{Harper, just minutes old}

The Labor

Labor this time around was such a breeze compared to my labor with Rowan. I was scheduled to be induced on Dec. 1st, and honestly thought I was going to go into labor naturally before that. But, needless to say I didn't and we went in on our scheduled morning at 10:30. I was started on pitocin by 11:30; my doctor came in and broke my water around 1:15 or so and I asked for the epidural shortly after. By 3:00 I was only dilated 4cm, despite the fact that I was having consistent, strong contractions just about every minute. But, by 3:45 I was feeling lots of pressure and sure enough was 10cm dilated. My nurse called my doctor and I started to push. I only pushed for about 10 minutes and Harper was born at 4:13 pm. Thankfully we didn't have use forceps this time....it was such a great experience being able to push her out myself and feel it (sans pain, if that makes sense). Justin and I kept saying how easy it seemed this time. I am glad it was during the day. With Rowan being born at 1:30 in the morning, I was so exhausted afterward that I was delirious and was falling asleep mid-conversation. It was nice to have presence of mind and be able to soak in the whole experience.

One more thing I need to write down so I don't forget: with Rowan, I didn't get to spend much time with her when she was just born. Her heart rate had been a little irregular so they took her away to monitor her very quickly. I am so thankful I got to hold Harper right away, and then nurse her as well. What an incredible bonding moment. I just love her.

{post-bath, and oh so sleepy}

{Harper at about 15 hours old, with eyes open. I just think she's so beautiful, and looks so much like her big sister when she was a baby}

{Harper, just miserable under those lights}

Jaundice

Unfortunately we had to deal with the whole jaundice thing. Her bilirubin levels were at "moderate risk" levels when we left the hospital, and we were ordered to have her tested again the next day. Of course, they levels went up and we had to put her under the lights. I hate that bed--of course we want our baby to be healthy and happy, but honestly, who wants to not be able to snuggle their newborn those first few days of life? She hated being in there, and didn't last for long periods of time. Her levels finally went down today, a week later, so we are done with the lights. Thank goodness.

{more eyes-open yumminess}

{so sleepy, with the bow from the hospital still in her hair. i swear they glued it on}

{Harper at one week old, beautiful as can be}

Big Sister

The day Harper was born, the hospitals lifted all of their visitor restrictions that were set up because of the H1N1 virus, and Rowan was able to come meet her baby sister. But, sadly to say, she was much more interested in the hospital room and playing with the nurse call button than she was in her baby sister.

Since then, she's been pretty good with Harper. She notices her every morning and says "hi baby". She notices when Harper is sad, and of course when I'm feeding or changing the baby, Rowan pays extra close attention to what's going on. But, (knock on wood) we haven't felt much regression with her at this point. In fact, I feel like she's been trying harder to say new words, or say words she knows correctly. She has had a hard time with listening and obeying me, which I understand--she is not my sole focus anymore. But she really has been great, and is such a sweet, energetic, quirky little girl. I love her more than ever. And look how cute she is:

{Her hair is getting so long!}

{love her to death}

We are happy, and so grateful for two beautiful little girls!

Until I get around to posting.....

We drove up Provo Canyon after church last week so I could get a few photos of Ro before the fall colors faded. These are my favorite 3.

I think I want to frame this, or turn it into a canvas. Love it.

This is Rowan's new face. She tilts her head from side to side with that crusty look on her face. It's actually quite hilarious. She is turning into quite the little sass.

I have so much blogging to catch up on, with photos from my trip to NJ and various other things that have happened over the past couple of months. I'm hoping to be done with the OG in a few weeks, since there are some slight changes in production for Lima Bean Kids. This should allow me to stay home! Yay! And, 7 more weeks til we become a family of 4. Point is, I will eventually get around to blogging. So stay tuned...

Girls, Girls, Girls

Well, Justin will be outnumbered by girls in this household for a while....baby #2 is a girl! We are excited. Kind of nervous to see how Rowan reacts to not having the world revolve around just her, BUT excited all the same.

Now for a name.....

Kanab

Went down to Kanab, Utah a couple weekends ago with the whole clan. We stayed at the gorgeous Victorian {gigantic} vacation home of Justin's sister's husband's sister. It was so very hot, but nice to get away and relax for a few days.

brothers.

post pool pic.

we went to the pool in Kanab, and Rowan finally decided to enjoy herself in the water. since the trip we've been to a local pool, and she still liked it. hooray!!! i'm thinking swimming lessons are a must next year.

{apologies for the lack of pictures. i just grabbed a few and threw them up, without really sorting through.}

4th of July

I know, I know. It's July 22nd and I'm barely posting about the 4th. In my defense, despite feeling like I never do anything with friends anymore, I have been busy! When I'm not working, Rowan and Lima Bean Kids and the house keep me more than occupied. I feel like my days are very full.

Anyway, here are a few from our 4th. We all woke up early to go to the parade, then headed over to Kelly's parents to swim and eat. Justin had to work that night, so after lunch, Rowan and I headed home and took long naps, then headed over to watch fireworks with Jaclyn and Bryson.

early on. pre-rain, pre-sweat. {it rained on us for about 10 minutes. seemed like the rain cloud was directly over just us. it felt good while it lasted, but we got so hot afterwards}

the flag didn't last long. she got distracted by red vines. very typical.

rowan kept wanting {and succeeding a couple of times} to run into the street. she was very good at waving at people too.

post rain, nice and hot. rowan gets that really red face when she's really hot. runs in the family.

here are a couple from later on. rowan hasn't been the biggest fan of swimming pools this year (up until this past weekend in fact). she was more keen on jumping on the trampoline all by herself.

later on that evening, we watched fireworks. rowan didn't mind the smaller ones in the street, but got really freaked out with the big loud ones that launch in the sky. when they would boom, she would turn around and hug me really tight. can't complain about that!