potty training

Playing with Grams and PopPops on her special sleepover!



Her new Mater toy!
Sheldon sitting all on his own. He does it better than the picture shows, but it is hard to capture it with the camera, as I never know when he is going to topple over and need catching!
We tried rice cereal with Sheldon, but he liked playing with the bib better than the cereal.
He actually HATES the rice cereal, even after trying 4 times this week.
The "twin" brothers making a "rocketship" out of a diaper box with Coranelle. No- the boys did not plan their matching outfits.

Potty Training- whew! Now I know why most people wait to have their second kid until their first is out of diapers. It's time and patience consuming. But, Coranelle is showing signs of readiness, so we're working on it. On Wed she pooped in her potty 3 times and peed at least that many times. She was very excited about it and proud of herself. I think the Elmo potty training video that I got her helped motivate her. So, we went and picked out some underpants for when she is more consistent. I also ordered some training pants for the meantime, as the underwear is SO thin that we'd have soiled furniture in no time. She is still having accidents (of course) and we are making this up as we go along. We are stressing the greatness of feeling dry and putting your pee pee and poo poo in the potty where it belongs. I am also giving her stickers for going, so I am rewarding her with a sticker chart. Truly, I have no clue what I am doing and would love some outside advice. For instance- what do I put her in when we go to friends' houses and the rec center and are running errands? We've been having her go right when she gets up from naps, bedtime and before and after meals and before we go somewhere. Most of the time she is okay trying, but sometimes she is really resistant. She also seems to pee about every half hour and I am not sure I can keep up with it. Nursing a little one and keeping Sheldon changed, happy and getting him down for naps makes it difficult to watch her every cue and get her on the toilet in time. So, bring on the advice!

I took Sheldon in for his 4 mo appointment last Friday. He is doing great. 40th percentile for weight (14 lbs, 3 oz)and 60th percentile for height. Developmentally, he is doing everything he is supposed to, although he has very little motivation to roll over. He can, however, sit without my help for up to 20 seconds, just balancing on his own hands. I find that impressive. He seems to be back to sleeping through the night (9pm-5:30am). His naps are still rough, as he needs help going back to sleep after 40 min. But, I have just gotten used to this and am fine with it! Overall, he is a pretty happy kid and I am SO thankful for that. He is also quite the talker and babbles all the time. At 6am, when I am trying to ensure that Coranelle stay asleep, I sometimes have to take him outside so he can exercise his lungs without waking everyone up!

Last weekend, Bruce and Heidi took Coranelle for a special sleepover at their house. I think they all had a blast. It is so fun that we are at an age with her that she can do that and enjoy it so much. The sleepover also allowed for Ryan and I to spend some more quality time with Sheldon. We got to take him for a run and get a few errands accomplished that are much harder with two kids. Tonight, Ryan has another date night planned and we are looking forward to some alone time!

Now that Sheldon is back down for his morning nap, it's time for "Preschool" with Coranelle. I have to cherish my one on one time with each of them!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

How is it already August!

Time just seems to be flying by. I can hardly believe that we have already turned the calendar to August and kids are ready to head back to school!

We recently just celebrated my birthday- for a whole week and we have been pretty busy! I got totally spoiled for my birthday as my mom and Ryan both took me shopping. I got tons of new clothes, accessories and things to make me feel, look and smell pretty. Great fun! I also had a little party with friends and both sets of family, so the past week was full of celebrations and fun!

We have also been working hard on sleep training Sheldon. He had been sleeping through the night and then really digressed and was waking up at least once every night. So, we decided to stop using the swing during the day for naps, as we wondered if it was making it hard for him to fall back asleep at night without the familiar swinging motion. So, all last week I worked diligently at putting him down for most naps(unless we were out and about), in his crib. He has the hardest time getting from one 45 min sleep cycle into the next without help. I hope he learns this soon, as going up to help him after 40 min of every nap is making me a bit crazy (and it makes it hard to rest or get anything done during naps). He often requires rocking, patting, the pacifier and about 20 min of time to get back to sleep. But, I know that this, as everything else, is just a stage and we'll get through it. Overall, he is sleeping better at night and that is great for all of us! We've been putting him down for a catnap between 4-6 and then keeping him up until 8:30, hoping that will help him sleep later than 5:30. He is an early riser!

Other than sleep, he is doing great! He is smiling and laughing and getting stronger. No rolling yet, but he is grasping and playing with toys, trying to put his pacifier in his mouth, standing with help and kicking and moving like crazy. He loves watching Coranelle and she always makes him smile. She is always trying to help out and take care of him. I cannot wait until they can play together!

A friend of mine, who doesn't have kids of her own yet, recently was at our house with a few other couples with kids. She was watching the madness that ensues when you have two children of our own and are trying to enjoy an evening get together. She commented on how overwhelming it was that I was constantly on the go- nursing Sheldon, feeding Coranelle, chasing Coranelle, disciplining Coranelle, comforting and holding Sheldon, getting both bathed and ready for bed... etc. She noted that I didn't have a chance to eat, sit down, have a drink or even finish a single sentence. It seemed so overwhelming and stressful to her. And it is... or can be. Life as a mom is like that- non stop and so so busy. But, I really cannot complain. I thought about our conversation over the next few days and just realized that it is SO worth the sleep deprivation, the busyness and selflessness. Hearing your own child laugh makes all of that seem completely worth it. Watching Coranelle learn to ride a bike, hearing her growing vocabulary, seeing Sheldon smile and talk, watching my two kids interact- all of that is priceless! Life can be hard and tiring, but there are so many joyful moments in everyday that I wouldn't trade for more free time. I am so thankful that I have two healthy kids and a husband that loves to play with them and take care of us.

As this is the third time I've tried to finish this post end keep being interrupted, I have to end there. Happy August!

A Day in the Life

Roll over Sheldon! Okay, If you just hang out there and smile, I'll take that too!
Coranelle is headed out to go shopping. "I need to get some stuff". She's wearing my crocs!
Driving her truck through the tunnel- "like when we drove to Breckenridge"

Some people might ask or wonder what a typical day is like for a stay home mom of two. I thought I'd write a brief run-down, so some day I could look back and remember.

6am- wake up and hurry to pee, wash my face, put contacts in and set up breast pump stuff. Grab Sheldon before his fusses wake up his sister. Simultaneously nurse baby boy and pump. Sheldon has huge blow-out. Run upstairs to get a new outfit after putting Sheldon on his tummy- so as not to smear poop on anything. Come back downstairs to find Sheldon on his back. What?! He rolled for the first time and I didn't even see it! Stand in awe for a second that my baby is not a newborn anymore. Peel sticky onsie off baby, wipe back. Change kid and hand wash onsie. Start some coffee. Finish nursing baby. Pump. Wash all pump stuff. Grab some coffee and drink it while playing with Sheldon- trying unsuccessfully to get him to roll again. Get breakfast ready for Coranelle. Run dishwasher. Put away dishes from sink. Talk to Ryan a little bit. Put Sheldon down for a morning nap. Eat a bowl of cereal while starting a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Put clothes and makeup on. Get Coranelle up and dressed. Do Coranelle's hair. Bring Coranelle downstairs. Start laundry and help C with breakfast. Call rec center to make reservation for Coranelle.

Play with Coranelle and help her with her Alphabet puzzle. Watch in awe as she recognizes so many letters and sings the alphabet. Sheldon awakes and is ready to nurse again. Change diapers. Find shoes and water bottles and snacks. Help Coranelle put on her shoes, as she did it by herself but got them on the wrong feet. Out the door to the rec center. Check Coranelle in to Child Sitting and smile as the ladies ooooh and awwww over a smiley Sheldon. Do a mommy and baby stroller class with Sheldon and meet some new moms and get really sweaty. Try to run a tired and fussy Sheldon around the track. He finally falls asleep at 10:20 and I have to pick Coranelle up at 10:30. He instantly wakes up when we stop running. Take Coranelle to the indoor play place and try (unsuccessfully) to get Sheldon back down. Stand and watch in amazement at all of the climbing, obstacles and mazes Coranelle can conquer on her own. Observe and smile as I see her curly head of hair racing around the play place. Coax her out the door and load kids and stroller into car. Decide to drive around for a while to give a crying Sheldon, a much needed power nap. Drive for 20 minutes, he screams for 10 while Coranelle tries to calm him down by singing him Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Bear Went Over the Mountain songs. What a sweet big sister! He finally sleeps for 10 min.

Come home. Make Coranelle Mac and Cheese. Take clothes out of the dryer. Help Coranelle eat. Cut up bell peppers and apples for Coranelle. Nurse Sheldon. Change Coranelle and read her two books and enjoy cuddling with her and her profound interest in books and enjoy how much she interacts. Return down stairs to make Sheldon smile and coo. Play and read books with Sheldon. Put him down for a nap. Realize it's 1:30 and I haven't eaten lunch. Make a quick lunch and eat it while unloading the dishwasher. Slice and peel carrots for a dinner I need to prepare for a friend who just had surgery. Make a chix marinade and marinade two pans of chicken. Fold laundry. Check and return a few e-mails. Make a phone call. Sit down to read a chapter for my bible study tomorrow night and Sheldon wakes up. Begin nursing Sheldon and hear Coranelle wake up. Grab Coranelle and make her a snack and drink to eat while I feed Sheldon. Put "Toy Story" on. Finish feeding Sheldon. Change two diapers. Lather Coranelle up with sunscreen. Get out water table and wash it and fill it. Set-up sprinkler and head out with both kids to play in the water. Laugh and giggle with Coranelle in the sprinkler. Watch her in amazement as she plays and uses her imagination. Cuddle with Sheldon in the shade and watch his sister.

Come in and bake chicken, steam rice and carrots and bake cookies. Try to keep both kids happy while finishing the dinners. Ryan comes home!!!! Try (unsuccessfully) to get Sheldon down for a nap. Pack up dinner and drop it off for a friend. Race home and eat quickly so I can feed Sheldon. Super dad has gotten Sheldon to sleep and is feeding Coranelle. Run over to the neighbors house to let them know I've noticed smoldering and smoke coming off their deck for hours. Come home and clean dishes and the kitchen from dinner. Nurse Sheldon. Play with both kids with Ryan. Ryan bathes Coranelle while I read to and hang out with Sheldon. I head up to read books to Coranelle and say prayers before bed. Sit on the bean bag chair with her and smell her clean hair and listen to her adorable voice and just feel so thankful and happy. Tuck her in, rub her tummy, wind up the music box. Ryan goes to Rec Center. Try (unsuccessfully) to get Sheldon to take a nap. So, we play, rock, he cries, and finally at 9pm he falls asleep. I have him on the boppy and am lying next to him holding his pacifier in his mouth. He falls asleep with each of his little hands wrapped around one of my fingers. I lie there and take in his milky, sweet baby scent and listen to his breathing and never want to move. Sometime in there, I have to go upstairs and take Coranelle's blankets and bunny away so she stops playing and goes to sleep. She apologizes for jumping in her crib and says, "Please mommy, can I try again. I will go to sleep." So, I tuck her back in. Make some cookies for us. Pack up a bag for Coranelle for swimming tomorrow. Ryan returns home and I heat up Sheldon's bottle, get my pump stuff ready. Start feeding Sheldon while Ryan eats my amazing cookies. Ryan finishes feeding Sheldon. I pump and wash all pieces. Then, while we watch a "How I met your Mother", we stare at our adorable, wide eyed, smiling son. Put Sheldon down. Say a little prayer for him. Head up stairs for a shower. Take a few minutes to blog.

Think about how tired and how unbelievably happy I am. I have two amazing, growing, changing, smiling, fun, incredible kids. I get to stay home with them and experience all kinds of moments with them. I have a wonderful, helpful, patient and supportive husband who allows me to play outside in the sprinklers with my kids and read countless books. He comes home and is ready to help and play. When people ask what it's like with two- I say "busy", because it is. But, it is also really wonderful and fun. I love my kids and I love my job.

Family trip

We just returned from an awesome family vacation to Breckenridge with my mom, Steve, Stefan, Rachael, Rebecca and Chris. Steve rented this enormous and beautiful condo just a few blocks from town and we all stayed for a few nights and got to vacation together. Ryan and I had the opportunity to go on an awesome date night plus a few mountain bike rides while mom and Steve hung out with Sheldon and Coranelle. Thank you, little Sheldon for taking a bottle so that mommy and daddy could go play! Though I am not in mountain biking shape anymore, and I was a bit of a scaredy cat- it was such a treat to go biking with my hubby again. It's impossible to do without babysitters and I really miss going! We did some great rides and had a blast!

One of the great things about our trip was the chance to spend a little bit more time with my siblings and their significant others. Usually, when we all meet up, I have two kids to chase around, feed, put down for naps, etc. This time, we had help and we were all staying in one place so after the kids went to bed, we could talk and play games and catch up a bit.

Both kids did a great job traveling and being on a different schedule. Coranelle was an angel in the car thanks to her portable DVD player and "Cars". Sheldon did well too, despite the elevation change. He slept a little on the way up and then just looked out the window for most of the rest of the drive. He slept almost the whole way home yesterday, allowing for some good chatting time for Ryan and me. Sheldon slept in a pack-n-play in our room and awoke once or twice a night, but it wasn't too hard to get him to go back to sleep. I wished he would have kept up his habit of sleeping through the night, but considering the whole new environment, he did great! Coranelle got her own room and got to sleep in her little tent and loved it. She had a minor night terror one night but was awesome the rest of the trip.

Overall, we love Breckenridge and want to make this an annual trip as it seems a perfect length for a car trip and offers lots of fun activities. See pictures below for more details!
We riding up the gondola and checking out the scenery. Coranelle LOVED this and would have ridden it all day if I didn't have to go back and feed Sheldon.
Happy campers!
At the top, Ryan played a round of putt-putt with Coranelle. She didn't quite get the hang of it, but it was fun to try. She would have rathered just running around and throwing the golf balls into the holes. After, Ryan got to go down the Alpine slide with Steve, Rebecca and Chris.
Super Mom! Just kidding. But, I am carrying a baby and teaching a toddler to play golf!
Stefan and Ryan before our "Poker Ride". Nice face Stefan.
It was so fun to have a chance to ride with Rachael- who is awesome on a mountain bike!
We did two gorgeous, 5 mile loops and had a blast!
After the ride, we got to enjoy free beers and a raffle where we won all sorts of fun mountain biking gear.
My adorable little man, happy as can be after an afternoon with his grandpa Steve. He got to be fed bottles by Rachael and Steve on the trip and shared lots of smiles with everyone. He came with us to the brewery for happy hour one night and just contentedly sat on my lap while we all enjoyed apps and beer and chatting. He's such a sweet little boy and it's fun to see his personality start to emerge. He loves watching the world go by, but he's also a mover (like his sister) and doesn't sit or lie still a whole lot. He's pretty easy to please if you holding him so he can look out and face everyone. He was quite the little trooper on the trip.

We have some great memories and I am so glad to have had a change of pace for a bit and some fun time with the fam. I cannot wait to go again next year!

I'll post some more pictures soon once I get them from mom. Until then, enjoy your summer days!

Summer time

Riding the train with the Grandmas.The carousel with Grandpa Steve for father's day.
Running around while we listened to live music.
Loving being on his tummy.
Sucking down a bottle from PopPops.
Smelling the roses.
Playing playing playing!
Peek a boo!
What a cutie!
Having dinner outside.
Watching the clouds
Making my famous chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies.

Cuddling with daddy!
Thursday night dinner with Josh and Claire.
Hanging out at the fountains in Louisville with both grandmas.
Loving the Bay in Broomfield with Grams.
Filling her apron pockets with snap peas. I love my girl and my garden!
Meeting my good friend, Kirstin- who is moving out here soon.


I love summer! My kids both seem to totally be comfortable and in their element when they're outside. Our whole family comes alive outside. So, summer is great for us. I love stepping out into our backyard barefoot and grabbing snap peas off of my plants to munch. I love packing up the stroller and finding new parks. Coranelle has been enjoying picnics at the fountains and at various playgrounds. We've been visiting the outdoor water park and splashing in the hose and our water table. Coranelle loves to help me garden and Sheldon likes to sit outside and watch the world go by. We've been trying out local frozen yogurt shops and it is so fun to see Coranelle sitting up on a stool, eating her own chocolate ice cream, chatting away and as happy as can be. I am enjoying having friends over for dinner and relaxing in the backyard while our kids run around together. Summer is treating us well, and I hope you can say the same!

blessing inventory

Bruce and my chill little son watching Josh and Claire's softball game.
Mom and Sheldon hanging out at the fountains.
Coranelle loving the fountains.
My smiley boy hanging out with Steve while Ryan and I were out celebrating our anniversary.
Headed out to celebrate 4 years of marriage!
Sheldon after his first haircut

I am sitting outside in our backyard, while Coranelle is happily occupied with her water table and Sheldon sits in his papasan and watches the world go by. I know they both won't stay happy for long, but the sunshine and their smiles makes up for the last few rough nights.

Coranelle and Sheldon both went to the doctor yesterday- Sheldon for his 2 mo appt and Coranelle for her 2 year check-up. I cannot even describe how much of a nightmare that experience would have been without Heidi there to help me. Coranelle just HATES the doctor! She even watched her brother quietly and calmly get measured and weighed, but couldn't handle it when it was her turn. She was squirming and screaming and throwing a fit. The only thing that finally calmed her down a bit was the reward of a "Cars" sticker when she was done. How could two kids be any more different?! Heidi brilliantly took Coranelle for a few walks while I talked to the Dr. about Sheldon and Coranelle. Once his screaming sister was gone, Sheldon calmed down so that I could actually talk and ask my questions.

I don't have all the stats, but here are a few:
Sheldon weighed 11 pounds 11 ounces. That put him in the 46th percentile for weight- higher than Coranelle ever got! He has almost gained 5 pounds since he was born! He's doing great! He is almost 23 inches long, so only the 25th percentile. I think he takes after me a bit more! I am happy that nursing is going well and he's gaining weight!

Coranelle weighs 24 1/2 pounds. She has moved up to the 24th percentile in weight! I am so proud of her. She is still in the 75th percentile for height. I cannot remember how tall she was.

Poor Sheldon got two shots (with 2 or 3 vaccinations in each), plus an oral vaccine. Yikes, that is a lot of crazy things to put in a little body at once time. Anyhow, he was up every 2 hours last night and very hard to put back to sleep. So, that makes for a tired mommy today. Especially since Coranelle still takes about an hour and a half to fall asleep each night. I wish I could figure out how to solve that issue. What I wouldn't give for 7 hours of straight sleep right now! And, I keep trying to put them both down for a nap at the same time in the afternoon so that I can take a nap, and it doesn't work very often. Coranelle has been taking about an hour to fall asleep at nap time, and Sheldon keeps waking up every 45 minutes. So, by the time she has fallen asleep, he's awake. Wow! It sometimes makes for a long day!

Now that my venting is done, I will try to spin this into a positive note. I am reading a book for my Mops bible study called "The Power of a Positive Wife". One of the recent chapters pointed out how often in life we look around us and say, "If only...". In the book, this refers to how we think about our husbands. ("If only my husband would do more around the house, be more sensitive to my feelings, etc.") I know I am guilty of this "If only syndrome" in so many areas of my life. If only my kid would sleep through the night, eat without a battle, go to sleep faster, listen better, etc. So, I am going to work hard this summer on counting my blessings, instead of constantly being aware of all of the hard things, or all of the things I don't have. I want to be conscious of daily taking inventory of all of the blessings in my life. I am going to try to be more like my 2 year old and look at life through her eyes. When we say prayers at night, I ask her what she is thankful for, and she comes up with about 20 things. She's thankful for Jen and Becky, who take care of her when I work out. She's thankful for the movie she watched, for her stuffed bunny, for her snack, for going to the park, for her blanket, for her green shirt..... and on and on. If only we could look at life that way.
So, here's my blessing inventory for today. I am thankful for:
Our nice, big backyard and outdoor toys
Coranelle's green chair that she is sitting next to me in
a hard working husband who allows me to stay home with my kids
The vibrating papasan that helped Sheldon doze off
My garden and its snap peas that are reaching as tall as I am
The sunshine and nice weather
family that lives close by and is willing to help out and give us breaks
our awesome neighborhood and neighbors
good friends who call me on the phone to check up on me and see how things are going
two healthy, adorable kiddos.
An amazing, thoughtful wonderful husband who is so helpful and so involved and caring
The sparkling water that is waiting for me in the fridge
The smiles that I get from my son each morning
The conversations and songs I share with Coranelle each day

Okay, that's good for now, but I need to do this every day!