Our first half of summer...

10:16 AM Edit This 0 Comments »


The beginning of the summer brought a perfect opportunity for us to delve into our potty learning. Emerald has seemed ready for months as she would say, "it's pee, it's pee!" every time she would go and want to be changed right away. I felt bad because we had so much going on and I wasn't sure how to go about it when we needed to be out and about, but the second week in June, I just said, "That's it. We HAVE to do it..." I didn't want to miss our opportunity. So we did the naked baby thing and let her run around so she would realize what was going on when she had to go. The first day was rough, the second day was better and by the third day she was making it to the potty every time!

Some people don't advocate the rewards system when it comes to potty learning, but I decided to use Hello Kitty stickers when she went to the potty successfully. Emerald LOVES stickers and Hello Kitty. After about a week though she didn't need it and just liked saying, "Woohoo!" and clapping for herself. :) Now, it's old hat to her and she only wears a dipe at night and has woken up dry many times, so I think we will be on our way to being fully potty trained soon!
It's super exciting to see your little one reach such a big milestone, but a little sad at the same time. I can't even tell you how PROUD I was of her. It's cool being a parent and knowing you are helping them achieve important goals, whilst realizing you are only guiding them and they are actually the stars.

Winter is reaching various milestones as well. Her first two little teeth popped through a few days ago-bottom middle. So cute! So far she is handling it better than Emerald did, but we'll see. Maybe it's thanks to the amber necklace! :) She is crawling like crazy and I suspect it won't be long before she's pulling up on things. It's scary how fast she is growing up, faster than Emerald did at this age it seems. Maybe I am just relishing it more this time around...

Now that Winter is crawling and can roam about the house, we are working on SHARING! :) It seems that whenever Winter has a toy, Emerald just has to have it. So after lots of, "Emerald, we have to share the toys with Winter too..." Emerald surprised me yesterday, by giving the toy she had to Winter and then giving her a kiss! It made my momma heart happy! Granted, I'm sure there will be lots more reminders to "share" but you know it feels good when all the effort you've put in is rewarded.

Sam is away at Airborne School at Ft. Benning in GA for another 2 weeks. He has already been gone for one week. We miss him SO MUCH! Luckily, we both have iPhone 4's (YAH!) so we have been doing lots of FaceTime and skyping. I know he is not having the greatest time in the barracks with no AC in this HOT weather, but he will be happy to have his Airborne wings when it's all done. We are planning on going to visit him this weekend at the Collins'. Ft. Benning is only about 1.5 hours from Macon, so Sam has been able to recuperate there on the weekends. So we will see him next weekend and then stay until the following Friday when he graduates. We are looking forward to that.

The time has come. Gulp! Sam and I are training for a marathon (again), but this time it's going to happen! We've already registered and paid so the training has begun! We have been taking turns running morning and evenings. We are also looking for another running stroller on Craig's list so we can do the long runs together on the weekends. I can say it feels daunting to think about running a full marathon, but I'm excited to finally accomplish this goal of mine. Granted, we are just trying to complete it and not go for any kind of grand time or anything. :)

That's been our summer so far...what have you been up to?

Some thoughts on AP...

10:13 AM Edit This 0 Comments »


I just have to include some thoughts about parenting that I read a few days ago. It really stuck with me and it made me feel good that there was another parent out there who put all the thoughts I often think about parenting together in a few paragraphs. :) I think because "attachment parenting" is not the norm many people ask questions about it, or even make assumptions about it. Parents who use this method are often thought of as parents who do not discipline, NEVER leave their children and are always hovering over them. I think this is not true most of the time. So here are some real thoughts about all those things in a way I couldn't have said better myself. This comes from "The Stir on cafe Mom" the entire blog post can be found here: http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/104661/attachment_parenting_what_it_really?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=natural_fanpage


"Attachment Parenting is often referred to as "child-led" parenting, and I see a lot of confusion as to what this means. Yes, we ARE the parents. Yes, we set the rules and boundaries. However, what child-led means is that we follow our child's lead. It's about showing your child respect as a person, for their needs, wants, and feelings. It has nothing to do with letting your child rule the roost, and anyone who claims such doesn't really understand attachment parenting in the first place. Child-led does not mean your child tells you what to do. It means paying attention to when your child is tired, and adjusting your routine accordingly, or being able to tell when your child is about to get into the restricted drawer, and gently reminding them that that is not acceptable, and there are better alternatives. We understand that every child is different, and we follow the cues of our child, and respect their individuality while shaping them towards the person we want them to be without squashing who they are or disrespecting them.

We also do not spoil our children -- to the contrary, we teach our children the difference between wants and needs, and to respect when mommy's needs will inevitably override their wants, and that they WILL be tended to -- if they wait patiently.

Dads are also very involved in this process, contrary to popular belief. AP mothers generally encourage the fathers to learn their babies cues just as much as they have. Moms all need time away from their children, and AP moms are no different. We want the other caregivers to know our child as well as we do, or similarly, so that our baby is not crying for a nap with the caregiver trying to force toys in their face. Also, with the ability to read cues and intervene before a baby cries, many parents don't feel like their child is a hassle at the grocery store or restaurant because they can meet their needs before a meltdown, so they feel more confident in taking their children out in public, rather than feeling tied down at home. As a result of both of these things, you may find AP moms who often state that they feel like "a part of them is missing" when they leave without their child (even though they enjoy the break) and that they're very, very discriminating when it comes to who they leave their child with, often limiting it to family and very close friends.

"Hover" parents are not AP parents. Hover parents never allow their children to make decisions for themselves, and have no time for their own activities as a result of not trusting their own child to make good decisions. This causes inappropriate dependency. Attachment differs from prolonged dependency. Attachment enhances development and encourages independence; prolonged dependency will hinder development."


I love the respect bit, because I've said it many times, children are not always treated with respect, so how are they suppose to treat adults with respect without a good example.

I like how it talks about how following attachment parenting does not mean that you "spoil" your children. It means making the effort to understand your child and put yourself in their shoes.

And I just couldn't agree more with the statement about WANTING to be with your children. I love involving my girls in all parts of my life. I ENJOY taking them to the grocery store and doing fun things with them. We are always looking for new adventures and ways to have fun and I love knowing that I can feel confident taking them out, even if things don't always go as planned.

So there you have it. I'm not saying attachment parenting is the only way, I'm just saying it works for us. And maybe this brief post helped explain why we decide to do the things the way we do with our girls.

mucho amore.

I'm a lame blogger, but here's an update...

12:05 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
Me and Jonah-my 4th doula baby!
Our big 2 year old! ^Our sweet crawler! ^
We have a real official crawler as of a few days ago and one doing the whole potty learning thing. We have a 6 month old and a 2 year old! Our girls are growing up!! It really does make me quite sad but excited at the same time. It's great seeing them grow up and even growing to like each other's company more and more. Nothing melts my heart more then to see Emerald loving on her little sister and then seeing Winter's smile and laugh when Emerald is around.

We've had a lot of fun stuff going on lately, birthday parties, pool playdates, saying goodbye to good friends and making new ones. I LOVE summer time and all the opportunities to play outdoors and get out of the house without worrying about layering clothing and all that jazz.

Emerald shared her second birthday party with her friend, Orly this year. We had a great time at the splash party-playing in the kiddie pools and in the sprinklers. It was bittersweet because Orly and her family moved to Florida this week. The Pearlman's are great family friends so it was sad to see them go, but we look forward to visiting them in the near future. :)

Both of the girls LOVE the pool and going to our friend, Bianca and Mira's house to play at the splash park-it's no wonder since they were both born in the water! It's really nice to have friends with access to a pool especially on these hot NC days!

Sam is running 5k's pretty much every weekend. We've gone with him the past 3 times and Emerald loves seeing all the people run past at the starting line. They also usually play music where all the "booths" are at the race, so she enjoys "dancing it up" while we wait for daddy to finish.



We are officially done with school until the fall. Sam decided to take the rest of the summer off when he saw how much the short summer classes entailed. It was just too much. Basically he would come home from work and right after dinner start on his schoolwork and go until 11 pm at night. A break was def. needed. So we'll enjoy this time and then get back on the horse in the fall.



I was able to attend another birth last month. My dear friend Aree had her baby boy at home on May 29th, one day before Emerald's birthday! I was in charge of taking care of Orly and explaining the birth to her. It was very special to see this family of three become a family of four!

That's a brief update of our lives lately. What's been happening in your families lives?


What's been going on 'round here lately...

10:26 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
I like this pic because Winter is smiling. Emerald couldn't stop her tea party for the pic! :)

Soooo... (it seems that is how I start all my blogs when it's been awhile since I have written)
Our little baby Winter is now 3.5 months old and chubby as ever. We weighed her a few days ago and she was 14 pounds 9 oz!!! It's hard to believe how fast she is growing up and becoming her own little person. She really is a great baby. For the first two months she was fairly fussy and I held her in the Ergo (BEST thing EVER) or in my arms constantly. I thought there was probably something I was eating that was affecting her tummy. Well, when we went to Flordia for the week I didn't have any soy and as soon as we returned it was like we had a new baby!! No more crying and fussiness!! I'm very thankful it was fairly easy to figure out what was upsetting her and the relief she needed came quickly after the soy was out of my diet.
Winter is very sweet. she loves to smile and laugh her little baby laugh. She is about 2 seconds from rolling over! She will roll to her side but she hasn't quite made it all the way over to her tummy yet. I also believe she is teething already. Emerald was three months old when she started. Her first tooth didn't pop through until 5 months, but Winter constantly has her little fingers in her mouth and she is drooling like crazy! She is just a great joy to have around and I am always wishing she would stay little and cuddly.
Big sis Emerald is doing great as well. She loves all things hats and shoes! One of her favorite things to do is stand in front of the mirror in her room and try on various hats and shoes. She is def. a girl! It is very cute to see. Also, she has recently loved going down slides at the park. She had been scared before, but now that's all she wants to do! It's really fun seeing her grow up and try and discover new things. She loves her little sis and 90% of the time she loves and kisses on her, but she does have those times she pushes her away because she wants mommy all to herself. Overall, I think she has adjusted well and we are hoping they will be great friends growing up!

Sam is doing well. Busy as ever. Going to school, working and the Army keep him going all the time! He just joined the gym again and has been working out with our neighbor, Chris, every morning. Every chance he gets he is running another 5k or road race and I am really hoping this is the year we can both run a FULL marathon together...we will see...

I have been pretty busy myself. I am also taking classes online. I am really enjoying my Anthropology class and wish I had more time to delve into it. I'm still working on my doula certification as well. I have had the opportunity to attend three births, but I still need one more for my certification. Like I said before, we just re-joined the gym so my physical goals include a marathon this year, but I am going to pace myself and see how things go!

We have had a few visitors lately. Sam's brother, David and Fred came to visit not too long ago. Emerald just ADORED David and he ended up being like my personal nanny while he was here. I WISH they were closer!! Then just this last week, my Aunt and Uncle Tracey and Tracy came from MN to see us. It had been ten years and we had a wonderful time with them while they were here. One of my favorite parts was when my Aunt Tracey was telling Sam what a perfect child I was growing up. :) TOLD YA! We are also looking forward to seeing my older sister, Jen and my niece Megan in a few weeks. Jen hasn't met either of the girls, so I can't wait to introduce them!

Overall life is crazy hectic, but good. :) We are so thankful for the many blessings we have received and look forward to many more.



2 under TWO!

12:09 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
Emerald and I on the steps of the Biltmore in Asheville 11.11.10

The day is fast approaching that we will be adding another lovie to our family. I have to say I am still in a bit of denial that there will be a little one here so soon! It has just been such a different experience then my pregnancy with Emerald. I think with your first, you have all this time and energy to put into preparing for their arrival. You get the nursery ready and gather all the necessary baby items (and a few unnecessary ones as well) and then just wait for the little one to "show up." This baby on the other hand has been more difficult to prepare for as we do not know what we are having and do not have a "space" specifically for the baby. So there are less visual cues that there will soon be another little one joining us. I am hoping for the "nesting urge" to strike soon to get me into gear and to feel more emotionally and physically ready for our bundle's arrival.

Something that I have thought about though is the intimidation of taking two children under the age of two out of the house on my own. Emerald and I are always on the go. There is hardly a day that passes that we are not out and about, whether it be music class, or swimming, the library, grocery shopping or a playdate we are always on the move. It's good for my mental health to get out often and Emerald loves it too. She is a very social child that adores being around other kids and I think it is very good for her development. I'm a bit scared to go out with two very little ones though. I know everyone says you get "in a groove" and I am planning on using our various carriers for the baby. I guess it will all depend on this baby's temperament how easy or difficult it will be to get "out and about." I'm sure it is all a learning experience. I know I can't complain much because there are families out there with a plethora of children and they find a way to get them all out of the house!

I AM cherishing these last moments I have with just Emerald though. Life is about to change a lot for all of us and I know she has no idea what is coming. I know she will be a great big sister and I can't wait to see how she reacts to her new friend. :)

33 weeks

5:35 PM Edit This 1 Comment »
Wow, time flies! The last time I updated the blog on this pregnancy I was 20 weeks! I am now 33.5 weeks and I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone. I guess keeping up with a toddler is a good distraction. :)
People have been telling me that I am carrying "differently" with this one. I definitely FEEL bigger although I am still measuring 4 weeks smaller-just like I did with Emerald and my weight gain has been less-I just feel much bigger this go 'round though.
The left picture is 33 weeks with mystery baby and the right picture is 33 weeks with Emerald.

Of course everyone always asks "what we are having" and I kinda like saying we don't know. It's a good way to get people to stop asking questions!! Next, people usually ask what I "feel" like it is and really at this point I am staying very open minded. I am very slightly leaning to the "boy" side just because this pregnancy has been so different, but I know I will not be surprised if we are having a girl. I think Sam and I are both at a good place when it comes to "the mystery gender stuff." We are both emotionally prepared for either, however if we have a boy we will have quite a bit of shopping to do!!! There has been more than one time that we have been out shopping and we have said, "I wish we knew what we were having" just for the pure convenience of knowing, but I am still excited that it will be a surprise. I just feel the announcement will be that much more fun!

The "problem" we have run into, is in the name department. It's much easier to focus on one gender when choosing a name. It's harder to put your heart and soul into a name that you might not use. So that's another thing when people ask I can just say, "we are still figuring it out" then we don't get all the weird looks or unsolicited advice about our name choices! I just hope we have a name when the baby arrives!

So what do y'all think? Boy or girl?

Half way there!

11:55 AM Edit This 2 Comments »
4givethecheesygrin!:)

It is very hard to believe that I am halfway done with this pregnancy. It has gone by so fast!!
I think maybe it feels like it is going so fast because I have enjoyed it more than my pregnancy with Emerald. The heat is nothing to scoff at, but pool playdates and AC help with that! Also, my dear friend, Gwen has graciously let me borrow a lot of her summer maternity clothes since both her boys were also fall babies. I LOVE wearing dresses in the summertime, so that has worked out well being pregnant, as it is easy and cool.

Being 20 weeks, it's hard knowing that we *could* find out what we are having, but choosing not to. Sam thinks it is a girl, but I am pretty sure it is a boy. :) For that reason alone it will be fun to wait to find out, since one of us is sure to be surprised! We have a girl name, but haven't decided on a boy name, which is another indicator that it is a boy! :)

At my prenatal appointment yesterday, I was SHOCKED to find out I have only gained 4.5 pounds thus far! It MUST be the nursing. I had probably gained 15 by now with Emerald. We are still nursing about 4 times in a 24 hour period though and so I am sure my body is really "sucking up" all that I eat! Also, I am eating much healthier with this pregnancy. Last go round I was craving all junk, so that likely contributed to my weight gain with Em. Regardless, my midwife suggested protein shakes to keep the calorie count up and eating at least every few hours. I can't say I was sad about the news that I hadn't gained a lot, but I do want to make sure Emerald, the baby and I are all getting what we need!

Prenatal yoga has been really great this pregnancy as well. I did "regular yoga" for a while last time, but going to an actual prenatal yoga class is so nice. It's nice to be in the presence of other pregnant woman and not worrying if your "Down dog" doesn't look as elegant as usual. I feel that it helps with the minor pains and aches of pregnancy as well. I would def. recommend it to all pregnant woman especially if you are planning a natural birth. I go to Charlotte Prenatal Yoga. They have classes on Saturday at the new Birth Center in SC. It's a great atmosphere and I have been told they have been there more than once when a baby was being born!! How cool would that be??

Next week, is the CAPPA conference and my doula training. I am SOOOO excited!!
Hope to update on that soon. :)






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