Two months old

I know I have been MIA as far as blogging goes... sorry about that.  Things have been crazy busy in this house, there just aren't enough hours in the day.  I know almost everyone feels like that in some form, so I have decided that I just need to be better about prioritizing the things that need to get done.  And taking pictures of my family and posting on here needs to get moved up on the list!  Not only is it a need, but it is also something I truly enjoy -- so hopefully I can get better about it!

Can anyone believe Jaelyn is two months old?

Not me, that's for sure!  It has been a crazy two months that have rushed by, leaving me to look back and wonder where it went.  She is doing great, really strong and happy.  She just doesn't like to nap.  Ever.  *sigh*  She was 95% for weight, 75% for height and head circumference at her appointment on her two month birthday.

She has the biggest eyes, and her lashes are already reaching lengths that leave me envious!

She has had some bowel issues that have left me clueless.  The doctor thinks it is a protein allergy so I have been off of dairy for three weeks and all things yummy for five days.  It does not appear to be making a difference.  So now I am left wondering what the next step will be.  

Luckily, she doesn't act like anything is bothering her most the time -- aside from the sleeping thing.  *yawn*

And she makes me laugh.  Every.Single.Day.

Sometimes it is laughing in between tears after rocking her all day.  Just being honest, people!

Love you, beautiful baby girl!  You are SO worth the messy house, all the foods I crave right now, and any missed sleep.  You brighten up my day, and I am so very blessed to be your Mommy!

Zzz

If you don't follow me on Twitter, you may not know that Jaelyn is not a sleepy baby.  She loves to be held.  All.the.time.  Which is sweet and exhausting all at the same time!  Then something magical happened last Sunday...

 

Four naps, in her crib - perfect angel!  

I was crossing my fingers and praying that it wasn't just a growth spurt but instead because I swaddled her with her arms inside for a change.  

Not so much.  

Now she is fussy and impossible to get to sleep from about 7PM to 11PM, with no apparent cause... 

So I am tired.

And Lauren is tired.  

The dark circles under her eyes today indicate to me that the screaming has been seeping through the wall and into her little ears.  Too bad she is so stubborn about naps - even in exhaustion, she forces herself to stay awake.  For that reason, I am hopeful that this is a passing stage for Jaelyn, and the rest of us!

But, she sure is a pretty baby!

And I have to include this picture, because it literally left me with my mouth hanging open.  She just looks too grown up!  My little Paigey is not so little anymore.

*sniff*

Dinosaurs!

We surprised the girls on Saturday and went to the Museum of Natural History, as recommended by the Swope family. It was really fun, and Lauren has asked to go again and again! Too bad it is 40 minutes away! Other than Paige getting freaked out by the movie/sound of a mammoth in a cave, they enjoyed everything we saw - my favorite was the Plesiosaur gallery... but I didn't even get my camera out. Bummer!

Lauren by the small dinosaur skeletons - her favorites. What is with that pose? It freaks me out a little bit!

Jaelyn happily rode along in her stroller like a good little baby!

The big girls and the T-Rex - pretty amazing!

She will hate me for this in ten years, but...

Pretending to be a dinosaur in the elevator. Scary. Bwahahahaha!

This is what I get when I say, "Look at Mommy!" Hello?!?

Enjoying the pretty rock collection. I hope they don't mind fingerprints on the glass. Yeesh.

Out front of the museum - very, very bright... sorry!

Enjoying some suckers and picking limes on our way back to the car. All in all, a very fun day for the whole family! I was glad we were able to take Lauren while she is in the dino-loving stage - who knows how long it will last!

Picture Happy

When you go to Flagstaff on a beautiful cloudy day, you end up with a lot of images.  Or at least I do.  =)

At Thorpe park.  The T-rex was a bit hit with all the kids, as usual!

This is what I refer to as the "fresh air coma".  Jaelyn is so happy just to be outside after running from a/c to a/c ver since she was born!  Is it fall yet???

Paige is getting so big, it astounds me.

Jaelyn is growing too...

And how exactly is the one who made me a mommy THIS grown up already?!?  Ugh.

After lunch at Beaver Street Brewery (yum), we headed up to Humphrey's trail just like last year.  It was gorgeous!

We were so sure we'd get rained on again, but it never happened!

In this post I referred to Brad as "monkey-man.  Again, I say... he cracks me UP!  

Wishing we could have this tree in our yard!!!

Then we headed out to take over "our field".

Good thing no one else was there!

This was Lauren & Paige's first kite experience -- they had a blast!  So glad the Swopes thought to bring them!

This picture melts my heart...

It was naptime and Paige feels it right away.

Lauren not so much.  LOL!

Love this too...

Can I just say my husband is SO handsome!!!  I am one lucky girl!

She was tired and tripping on every rock she could find.

Brad turned over lots of logs and rocks so the kids could see wriggly things. How fun is that?!?

This shot was to show what a difference a year makes!

Our fam!  Jaelyn is hiding in the sling, but she is there, none the less!

It was a perfect day.

Now the drive home, that is another story.  Man, little babies sure can make a lot of BIG noise!

Ten Spot

1.  Last week seemed to drag on forever with Justin being gone - but we survived!  And he had a great time, saying he was able to truly relax and forget about work - which makes it a successful trip in my book!  So glad he was able to have some guy-time in the woods!  He may not of shot a deer, but Brad did - so at least someone was able to!  And I hear it was a big one!!!

2.  I am very thankful my MIL was able to stay here Friday night through Sunday afternoon!  It worked out well since she was planning to come down anyway for an appointment, and the girls just LOVED having her here!  Thanks again, Nel!

3.  Poor Paige was sick the whole time, and still has a little bit of that cold left.  But the rest of us managed to stay healthy.  She is so funny right now - will NOT stop talking!  Seriously.  She loves to act goofy and crazy, and is such a good big sister - doting on Jaelyn every chance she gets!

4.  Jaelyn is filling out a bit now.  She still has a hormone rash, and something is still going on with her tummy (gas/spitting up), but overall she is doing really good.  We had one stretch of 5 hours between feedings at night, but nothing consistent.  She is so sweet and snuggly, really loving to be held!  Still thinking her eyes are going to be brown, and the hair that is coming in on her balding area looks a lot lighter than the hair she has now!  

5.  Lauren is now loving school!  Her improvement in letter writing and drawing/coloring after just eight days is amazing!  Today she came home with a "Good Job" card from her teacher and was very proud.  Dinosaurs are still an obsession of hers at the moment - she loves reading about them, talking about them, pretending to be one, watching various shows/movies about them.  I need to find a girly dinosaur t-shirt for girls to commemorate this quirky time in my biggest princess' childhood!

6.  I am hoping to go to Flagstaff for the day on Saturday.  It is only supposed to be a high of 70 degrees!  Sign me up!  Really, it will be worth all the ridiculous work to get the five of us there and around town just to sit outside in the grass without SWEATING!

7.  I'm missing my clients already!  I truly enjoy photographing people so much, that this three months off is starting to give me a twitch.  ;o)

8.  I hung some family pictures last week in an asymmetrical pattern.  Justin was home about an hour before he was talking about how they needed to be rearranged.  LOL!  I don't mind making them more symmetrical, I just thought this was a funny example of the differences in our personalities!  We are still working on how they will finally be hung...  

9.  Our older two were finally introduced to the joy of Silly Bandz this week.  Those things are crazy, how do they make them so they always go back to their original shape?!?  But, they sure do make a mess when there are 26 to a pack!

10.  I find myself choosing between showers and naps these days -- and I don't feel like that is a fair contest, because at this point all I want to do is find some sleep!  But, today I miraculously got that shower before noon, so now I am off to try to catch a few z's as well.  Wouldn't that make for an amazing day?!?  ;o)  

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  The week is half done!!!

One Month

How has it been a month since Jaelyn arrived?  She is awesome - so sweet, and her old man hair cracks me up more every day!  Love you baby girl!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Lauren is really enjoying school - but I am not enjoying the attitude she has had once she is home!  She doesn't want to tell me about her day.  Already?!?  Are you 13 years old?!?  she and Paige have had more altercations in the last two afternoons than in the last month.  Fun times of transition around here!  ;o)

2.  Apparently I didn't really have thrush, or at least that is what my OB's office told me.  Though they couldn't tell me what it WAS.  It is mostly gone now, so I am glad to be on the upswing health-wise - it was a long two weeks!

3.  I am in love with these boots.  Aren't they fabulous?  I don't know why I am obsessed with them... I am not really a boot girl.  I currently don't own any boots.  These ones just speak to me - though I am not sure my size 10 feet would love them.  And neither would my bank account - $200!  Yowza.

4.  Is it fall yet?  I am anxious for this heat to go AWAY.  The end.

5.  Along the lines of #4... Still hoping to squeeze in that trip to a beach while we could still swim in the ocean.  This would be the first year in I-don't-know-how-many that I have not been to the beach.  Sad.

6.  Justin leaves for his Kaibab deer hunt TOMORROW.  Ack!  I am so excited for him to go on this adventure -- I am just praying that my time alone with the kids LACKS adventure.  Hahahaha...

7.  Anyone want to go to H&M at Scottsdale Fashion Square?  I am dying the check it out!  Not that any pre-pregnancy sizes would fit me yet.  *sigh*

8.  Planning to purge the toy-room soon.  It just gets too crazy messy in here - and the girls don't play with half their stuff.  It has got to go!  I am using the new baby as an excuse... eventually she could choke on all these little toys!

9.  Three hours and 45 minutes does not make a school day.  Seriously... how are they learning anything in that timeframe when they have recess two times during it?!?

10.  Jaelyn is losing her hair!  At least on the top of her head.  Neither of my other kids lost any hair, so I find her new look hilarious, and she will be having to wear lots of hairbands and bows in the near future!