First Day of School

Last week I sent my second baby off to their first day of school. I have to say, this time went much more smoothly than the first time around. Emily was in the throes of some freakishly-early separation anxiety when she started school, and I was so afraid that she would cry when we left her there or be traumatized in some way. Turned out she loved it. Adam is such a laid-back little dude that I wasn't worried about him at all, and he seems to be getting along just fine. Emily has graduated to the "Big-girl Room" (i.e. Toddler Room) next door to her old room, and she gets to visit Adam in the "Baby Room" daily. Now comes the real mommy challenge for me...exactly how to get not one, but TWO kids dressed, fed, out the door and to school in time to start my day when I head back to work next week!

So This Is Why

Amidst my postpartum hormone crash, random nightwakings from our almost three-month old son, eating issues, gas issues, nighttime crying spells and refusal to be put down after falling asleep, I have started to wonder "Why on God's Green Earth did we decide to do this baby thing AGAIN?!?" I really think that some sort of amnesia falls over parents after their children become a little older, more manageable, more interactive, and more fun, and it makes you somehow forget all of the really miserable things about caring for a baby. This in turn leads you to think..."hey, the kid we have is fun...why not do it again?". And so we did. And here we are.
*Sigh*.
So, where were we. Ah yes, "why did we do this again?". The answer came to me this week in the form of my dear Emily. As I was having one of my crazy moments that I wasn't sure just how I was going to make it through the day, my darling daughter came up to me (out of the blue), put her little arms around me, put her little hands on either side of my face, looked into my eyes and said "I love you mama". Tears sprang to my eyes. I hugged her back, thanked God for my two beautiful children, whispered "I love you too, Emily", and recognized that THIS is exactly why I would do it all over again.

The Word of the Day

I swear it seems like Emily is coming at us with new words and phrases every day. Being a first time mom to a toddler, I didn't realize what little sponges they are, picking up everything and spitting it back at you when you least expect it. We have learned this lesson the hard way when Emily repeats less-than-choice phrases when we have forgotten to watch our language around her. I'm finding that she is learning so many new things that I can't even keep up with her, I don't even know how much she knows. Today, for instance, she was putting some costume jewelery in a little purse, narrating her actions as she did them; "Emmy puts her necklaces and her rings in her purse for safekeeping.". SAFEKEEPING??? Seriously, did she just say SAFEKEEPING??? Where on God's Green Earth did she learn that one? It seems that she says at least one or two things a day that procure that reaction from me. Emily's word of the day never fails to raise the question of the day...what on earth will she come up with next?

Whoo-Hoo She's Two! ...and Adam's first smiles

I can't believe it, but somehow my baby turned two years old this month. And such a milestone called for not one, but two birthday parties! Emily thrououghly enjoyed every minute of both of them, and the best part about two parties was (of course) two cakes! She was so enamored of her birthday cake that I went into her room to get her the next morning and the first words out of her mouth were "birthday cake!". She insisted that she be allowed to have some for breakfast (AFTER she finished her cereal), and she demanded that I sing Happy Birthday to her first, reciting her newly learned Birthday rule:"Emmy not eat the candles". How could I resist :)

Books are always a favorite, especially the pop up kind!


Glasses and jewlery from Aunt Gina were a big hit.


Cake....YUMMY!!


Now that's a big one!


Much better than drawing on the walls...thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

In other news, Baby Adam has been growing by leaps and bounds, and has even started smiling and "talking" to us. Six weeks at home alone with a newborn baby and the stinker decides to flash his first smiles (awake smiles, that is) while his mom was at a 12 hour crop. Luckily, my mom thought fast and was able to catch them on camera for me. Thanks Mom!